..::Football IV::..

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    Ronaldo overtakes Di Stefano as Madrid derby's top scorer


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    Cristiano Ronaldo has broken Alfredo Di Stefano's record as the highest scorer in the history of the Madrid derby by scoring a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid.

    The Portugal international entered Saturday's fixture with 15 goals in the fierce cross-city rivalry, lying third in Real Madrid's historical standings.

    And early on he drew level with Santillana when his deflected free-kick skewed past Jan Oblak in the Atletico net to give the visitors the lead at the Vicente Calderon.

    After the break, Ronaldo helped take the wind out of Atleti's sails when he netted his second during a period of fierce home pressure. That goal took him level with Di Stefano, and the great Argentine forward's milestone of 17 strikes was finally passed with Ronaldo's third goal of the encounter to kill off Atletico's resistance.

    The hat-trick takes the Portuguese star up to eight goals in nine league games this season, level with Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez - who were both out of action at the weekend - at the top of the scoring charts.

    Ronaldo has now scored 374 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid and is just three more away from hitting the 500 mark for his career as a whole with Real, Manchester United and Sporting.

    Despite his incredible individual statistics, he is chasing just his second league championship medal in Spain and has helped Madrid establish a four-point lead over Barcelona after 12 matches of the 2016-17 campaign.
     

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    Tuchel: Dortmund had to stop Bayern at all costs

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    Thomas Tuchel piled praise on Borussia Dortmund for their resolve to beat Bayern Munich at any cost in Saturday's Der Klassiker.

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the 1-0 result 11 minutes into the first half at Signal Iduna Park, turning home a cross from former Bayern flop Mario Gotze.

    And although Tuchel's side rode their luck at times - Franck Ribery having a goal disallowed while Xabi Alonso hit the woodwork - Carlo Ancelotti's men could not find an equaliser as they succumbed to their first league defeat of the season.

    Despite suffering for the result, Tuchel explained afterwards that it was exactly what he had demanded from his men and said the German champions' quality only made victory sweeter.

    "It was a very tough match, but it was already clear to us that it would be," the coach told Dortmund's official website."If you get into the ring with the Bavarians, you cannot just expect to be come out without a black eye - without conceding a goal.

    "You have to stop them. That was our motto. No matter what happens, no matter how much we have to suffer, we had to stop them. Never give up, always remain courageous and continue to defend. "We have allowed Bayern a few half chances, but not really big chances. That's why it was a top performance from us."

    The victory lifts Dortmund up into third in the Bundesliga, three points behind Bayern, and six adrift of surprise leaders RB Leipzig.
     

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    Juventus teenager Kean makes Serie A history

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    Juventus' Moise Kean became the first player born in 2000 to feature in Serie A on Saturday. With the Bianconeri coasting to a 3-0 win at home to Pescara to extend their lead at the top of the table, the 16-year-old forward was introduced from the bench.

    And while it was a fairly unremarkable six-minute debut, Kean made history by becoming the first player born in the year 2000 to feature in Italy's top flight.

    The Italian had previously been in Massimiliano Allegri's matchday Serie A squad on five occasions without being called from the bench.
     

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    Rodgers: Celtic can beat Barcelona

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    Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes his side can make history and defeat Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.The Bhoys were smashed 7-0 in the reverse fixture at Camp Nou, but the former Liverpool boss believes that home advantage can help his players to a shock win.

    Neil Lennon famously guided Celtic to a 2-1 win against the Spanish giants in 2012, and Rodgers believes fans are right to expect a similar result on Wednesday at Celtic Park.

    “It’s how it should be," Rodgers told the Daily Express. "Every game is different. When you come into the cauldron, it is a different theatre to play in.“Barca have experienced it before, they know it’s tough. “But hopefully what we have created here in a short period of time is that we are a team that’s not going to wait for opponents."

    In the opening Group C game, Barcelona recorded a resounding victory over Celtic, with Leo Messi scoring a hat-trick, and Neymar and Luis Suarez also on target.Rodgers knows exactly the quality that Barca present, but feels that if his side can play to their best, they can be more than a match for Luis Enrique's team.

    “We have to be aggressive," the 43-year-old admitted. "We know they are some of the top players ever, but we have to get up to them and see how they cope when you are right at them. “It is great that we feel that we can win. It’s a mark of where the club’s going.”
     

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    Ronaldo: I've done everything to win Ballon d'Or, I want it

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    Cristiano Ronaldo believes he has done everything possible to win the 2016 Ballon d'Or prize.

    The 31-year-old is among the favourites to claim France Football's award for the world's best player after a stellar 12 months for club and country.

    Ronaldo hit 51 goals in 48 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid last season, including 16 in 12 Champions League appearances as Zinedine Zidane's side won the trophy for the second time in three years.

    The forward then captained Portugal to their first major title at Euro 2016, scoring three times to help them reach the final, where a solitary strike from Eder secured a 1-0 win over France.

    Ronaldo, who has been criticised for some of his performances in 2016-17, struck a hat-trick as Madrid beat city rivals Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday, prompting Zidane to claim that any debate over who should win the Ballon d'Or should now end.And the player himself feels he could not have done any more to earn the prize following what he considers to have been the best season of his illustrious career.

    "I've done everything for this season," he told Telefoot. "We won the Champions League, I won the Euros with Portugal. The vote doesn't depend on me and I don't want to be obsessed with it.

    "But if you ask me if I want to win the Ballon d'Or, I'd say yes. This year has been amazing for me, with all the trophies. It's my best season, no doubt about that."The winner, who will be voted for by a panel of journalists from across the world, will be announced on December 13.
     

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    Mata has earned Mourinho's trust, says Giggs

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    Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs believes Juan Mata has earned the trust of manager Jose Mourinho for his performances this season.

    The Spain international was sold to United by Mourinho when he was Chelsea manager in January 2014, and his future at Old Trafford was called into question when the Portuguese took over from Louis van Gaal this year.

    Mata was furious when he was substituted in the Community Shield win over Leicester City just 27 minutes after being brought on in the second half, but he has gone on to establish himself as a key component of Mourinho's side and scored his fourth goal of the season in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

    And Giggs, who was United assistant manager under Van Gaal and a coach under predecessor David Moyes, believes the 28-year-old is thriving in the current set-up.

    Asked if Mata had earned Mourinho's faith, Giggs told Sky Sports: "I think he has, and rightly so. He is a very good player and a brilliant professional.

    "The key to Juan being effective is getting the legs around him. He has a footballing brain and when you have Antonio Valencia overlapping, Marcus Rashford in the channels, the energy of Ander Herrera and the power of Paul Pogba, then it makes it easier for him because he doesn't have to do the running, which he can do.

    "His number one position is number 10, but he's done it [played wide] for so long. He played off the right for Chelsea."
     

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    Middlesbrough 0-1 Chelsea: Diego Costa puts Conte's men top

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    Diego Costa sealed a 1-0 win for Chelsea over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium to send Antonio Conte's side top of the Premier League.

    The Spain international turned home his 10th top-flight goal of the season from a corner late in the first half to secure a sixth win and clean sheet in a row for the division's form side.

    Chelsea scored 16 goals in their previous five league games but were kept at arm's length early on by Aitor Karanka's disciplined side, with Victor Valdes' save from Pedro the only opportunity of note.

    Boro have held Arsenal and Manchester City to draws this season, but just as belief in their chances of another upset were growing, Costa took full advantage of some poor defending to open the scoring on 41 minutes.

    The home side put up a spirited fight in the second half but struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities, and Chelsea themselves wasted two excellent chances through Pedro and Victor Moses.

    Alvaro Negredo was denied by Thibaut Courtois in the closing stages but Chelsea nonetheless cruised through relatively untroubled, as they moved a point clear at the top ahead of City and Liverpool, while Middlesbrough stay 15th with 11 points.

    Chelsea, who named an unchanged starting line-up for a club-record fifth Premier League game in succession, had plenty of early possession but failed to muster a shot on target in a lacklustre opening 25 minutes.

    Eden Hazard was well marshalled in the early stages, but one superb chip allowed Moses to cut the ball back for Pedro 12 yards from goal, only for Valdes to tip his former Barcelona team-mate's shot over the crossbar in brilliant fashion.

    Adama Traore was Middlesbrough's biggest threat throughout and one positive run at the visiting back three allowed Antonio Barragan to cross for Negredo, who headed just wide.

    Boro had frustrated Chelsea in open play, but they were undone by a mistake from a set-piece just four minutes from the break. Hazard's corner deflected up into the air off Calum Chambers and Costa reacted quickest to poke the ball beyond Valdes.

    Chelsea almost had a second within the first minute of the second half, Valdes making a good low stop to deny Marcos Alonso before Chambers prevented Pedro from turning in the rebound.

    The hosts responded with their best spell of the match, with Gaston Ramirez blasting a half-chance over from 20 yards, and they were dealt a slice of luck when Pedro's half-volley from Costa's knock-down crashed against the crossbar and bounced out.

    Moses skied another good chance on the counter-attack after a clever Costa throughball, but Chelsea rarely looked likely to be made to pay for their second-half profligacy, with Negredo's half-volley beaten away by Courtois in Boro's best opening.

    The win keeps Chelsea's momentum going ahead of a potentially crucial period, with a home clash against Tottenham next week followed by a trip to Pep Guardiola's City.
     

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    AC Milan 2-2 Inter: Perisic's late strike cancels out Suso double

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    Ivan Perisic scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser as Inter salvaged a 2-2 derby draw against AC Milan in Stefano Pioli's first match in charge of the Nerazzurri.Inter had the better of the first half, but Suso scored three minutes before the break with a fine strike.

    Antonio Candreva netted a thumping equaliser early in the second period, but Suso promptly responded with a well-taken second that looked like it would prove enough for victory.

    But Perisic tapped home in the second minute of added time to claim a thrilling point after Samir Handanovic had been sent up for a corner in a dramatic finale, with Pioli running on to the pitch in celebration.

    Milan could have gone up to second in Serie A, but instead stay third after failing to take full advantage of Roma's slip-up against Atalanta earlier on Sunday.

    Pioli, meanwhile, will hope the dramatic avoidance of a sixth league defeat of the season will help him lead Inter up the table - they now sit ninth and remain eight points adrift of Vincenzo Montella's third-placed side.

    Milan had an early penalty claim denied when M'Baye Niang went down under pressure from Gary Medel, who was back in the Inter team after suspension as one of the three changes.

    Perisic shot straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma for Pioli's men, before the Croatia international missed an even better opportunity by diverting his diving header inches wide after a superb run and cross from Danilo D'Ambrosio to create the opportunity.

    Geoffrey Kondogbia - another of the players to return to Inter's team - was just off-target with a header of his own, while Perisic could not convert from yet another opportunity in the air.

    Medel limped off with injury prior to half-time but Inter continued to dominate, Mauro Icardi striking poorly wide after Candreva's scuffed shot fell into his path.Milan were without the injured Alessio Romagnoli and they threatened little until strikes from Mattia De Sciglio and Carlos Bacca tested Handanovic.

    But it was Montella's men who took the lead when Giacomo Bonaventura drove forward and found Suso, with the attacking midfielder incisively cutting inside from the right and curling a fine effort into the far corner.

    In a bright start to the second half, Bonaventura had an effort deflected narrowly wide, but it was Inter who got the game's second goal through Candreva after 53 minutes.

    After Milan complaints they should have had a throw-in were ignored, Perisic found Candreva and he took the ball in his stride before unleashing a superb dipping strike into the top corner.

    But Milan responded five minutes later after Bacca had made ground down the right. The striker then found Suso in the area and he breezed past a flat-footed Miranda before calmly slotting into the corner for his fourth league goal of the campaign.

    Perisic volleyed inches wide after a clever chip from Candreva to set him up, but the winger would have the last say, ghosting onto Kondogbia's flick-on from a corner to snatch a share of the spoils.
     

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    Van Persie adds to impressive record of netting in derby encounters

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    Robin van Persie added to his remarkable scoring record in derby encounters on Sunday as he found the target for Fenerbahce in their clash with arch-rivals Galatasaray.The Dutchman bagged a brace for his Turkish employers as they prevailed 2-0 in the Kitalararasi Derbi.

    Those efforts are the latest in a long line of strikes for the 33-year-old in fixtures that matter the most.Having started out at Feyenoord, Van Persie was on target in a De Klassieker clash with Ajax in February 2003.

    Moving on to Arsenal, the Netherlands international netted in a memorable North London derby encounter with Tottenham at the Emirates in October 2008 that finished 4-4.

    He then found the target on his Manchester derby debut for United in a 3-2 victory over City, with his deflected stoppage-time free-kick settled a thrilling contest in December 2012.Van Persie had also been among the goals earlier in that season against Liverpool, with another late winner snatched in a 2-1 success at Anfield.

    That remarkable haul now includes two goals in the biggest game in Super Lig.
    The experienced frontman was the star of the show against Galatasaray, with his efforts seeing him achieve more than just another big match win.

    He also became the first man to net twice for Fener against their biggest rivals in over three years.
    Van Persie has struggled for form and fitness at times during his spell in Turkey, but he appears to be back to his best this season and will hope that there are many more goals to come.
     

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    Diego Costa stretches remarkable scoring sequence

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    Diego Costa has been back among the goals in Chelsea’s Premier League encounter at Middlesbrough.The Spain international opened the scoring at the Riverside Stadium shortly before half-time.

    While that effort was notable for handing the Blues the advantage on the day, as they go in search of a sixth straight success in the league, it also stretched a remarkable individual record.

    Costa has now netted seven times in his last seven outings away from Stamford Bridge – with those contests coming against Boro, Southampton, Hull City, Swansea, Watford and Sunderland.

    The effort against Middlesbrough has also taken Costa onto 10 for the season in the Premier League and 13 in all competitions for club and country.
    He has also provided three assists for grateful team-mates and is officially the most productive player in the English top-flight when it comes to ensuring that the ball ends up in the back of the net.
     

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    Jones: Arsenal draw felt like a 6-0 slapping for Man Utd

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    Phil Jones says Manchester United felt like they had been ‘slapped 6-0’ after conceding a late equaliser in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

    The Red Devils had dominated a largely cagey affair at Old Trafford, and edged in front when Juan Mata swept home midway through the second half.

    That effort looked like it would be enough for Jose Mourinho’s side to take all three points and for the Portuguese coach to celebrate another victory over old adversary Arsene Wenger.

    It was not to be, though, as Olivier Giroud stepped off the bench to snatch a share of the spoils and leave United deflated.England international Jones said afterwards: “It feels like we’ve been slapped 6-0.

    “We completely dominated the game from start to finish.“I thought even when they had a spell of possession they never really created anything to test us. We defended well, created chances and it was just one of those things. They got one chance and scored.”

    A stalemate on home soil prevented United from closing on the Premier League’s top four, with there is still a six-point gap separating them from the Champions League places.

    They have now taken just one win from their last six top-flight fixtures, to sit sixth, but Jones insists there is still plenty of cause for optimism with there still two thirds of the season to come.“There’s no need to panic yet,” he added.

    "We’ve been playing well and creating chances, it’s just that bit of luck that we need and hopefully it will come soon.“We have to pick ourselves up. We’re pleased with the performance, but not with the result.“If we’d won then we’d be three points behind Arsenal. Arsenal have had a world-class season and we’re supposed to have had an average season - that’s just the way the Premier League works. But we’re pleased with the performance.

    We created chances and probably should have scored more.”United are in the midst of a hectic run which sees them taking in Premier League, Europa League and EFL Cup competition.

    They are, however, taking in a four-game stretch of fixtures at Old Trafford and will be aware of the need to establish momentum in front of their own supporters.
     

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    Conte: Chelsea can maintain table-topping form

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    Antonio Conte is confident Chelsea have the physical and technical capability to cope with the Premier League's hectic schedule after going top of the table.

    A 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Sunday - secured by Diego Costa's 10th league goal of the season - was Chelsea's sixth in succession without conceding a goal.Boro boss Aitor Karanka labelled the Blues as title favourites before the game, owing much to their lack of European commitments.

    And Conte says a pre-season of hard work is beginning to bear fruit for his ominously in-form side."I think that we are ready," Conte told a news conference. "We are ready to play many games in a few days because from the start of the season we worked a lot, not only on tactical aspect but also on the physical aspect.

    "We continue to work because in this league it's important to have, in every game, high intensity and to run from the start until the end.

    "Also [it is important] to have good technique, good talent, but if you link these two things [with good fitness], for me it's important."

    Chelsea had scored 16 goals without reply in their previous five league wins, but were made to sweat for three points at the Riverside by a well-organised Boro team.

    Conte added: "This game was different compared to the other games. When you're winning only 1-0 you have to pay attention to the end because Middlesbrough can reach the draw - and against [Manchester] City this happened."But the thing is, this game gave us confidence and increases our trust in the work, our trust in what we are doing.

    "But now I repeat it's important to think about the next game against Tottenham, [it is a] tough game, a massive game."
     

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    Rooney dropped for Arsenal clash as he's too SLOW, reveals Mourinho

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    Jose Mourinho has suggested that Wayne Rooney missed out on a place in Manchester United’s starting XI against Arsenal because he is too slow.The Red Devils shuffled their pack for a home date with the Gunners – with some of those selection calls enforced, and others more tactical.

    Rooney was among those left on the bench, with Mourinho favouring Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford in the final third.

    The England captain had endured a tough week in the build-up to the Old Trafford clash, having been pictured drunk while on international duty and nursing a slight knock upon his return to club action.Mourinho, though, has revealed that goings on off the field had no bearing on his line-up, with pace preferred to experience.

    “I thought we were going to have the ball,” said the Portuguese coach. “Arsenal are a team who let the opponents play.“I thought we would have space and the ball would arrive quite easily to the attacking players.

    “I believed ones like Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were faster than Wayne — better attacking opponents one-to-one in the last line. I thought it was the best option.”

    While questioning the physical attributes of a 31-year-old forward, Mourinho has hinted that he will look to keep a 35-year-old midfielder on his books past the end of the current campaign.

    Michael Carrick will see his contract expire next summer, but it could be that a 12-month extension is put to the Premier League veteran before the 2016-17 season comes to a close.Mourinho said: “It’s very sad to know that time flies for every one of us.

    “Michael is such a fantastic player and it’s a pity, because I always loved him."But instead of being his manager when he was 25, I’m his manager when he is 35.

    “We have a good understanding. We know when he can play. We know when he’s ready and when he needs a rest. I’m still having Michael Carrick — and probably for one more season.”Carrick has been restricted to just seven appearances in all competitions this term, while taking in only 192 minutes of Premier League football.