..::Football IV::..

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Anderlecht 0 Paris Saint-Germain 4: Mbappe takes one record as Cavani closes on another

Kylian Mbappe became the Champions League's highest-scoring teenager and Edinson Cavani netted in a seventh consecutive European match as Paris Saint-Germain's procession towards the knockout stages continued with a 4-0 defeat of Anderlecht.

The expected chasm between the two Group B sides was not always so evident on Wednesday, but Mbappe scored inside three minutes and Cavani joined him on the scoresheet later in the first half, with Neymar adding a fine third 24 minutes from time.

Mbappe's eighth goal in the competition – surpassing the seven Patrick Kluivert scored as a teenager – handed pool leaders PSG an excellent start, before the France international turned provider for Cavani to close in on Ruud van Nistelrooy's record nine-game scoring run.

Anderlecht had created a host of chances between the two goals, but they are yet to hit the net in this group stage, while PSG have still not conceded, and there was not even momentary cheer for the home supporters after the interval.Instead, the second half was all one-way traffic and Neymar's precise free-kick was just reward for a sparkling individual display.

Substitute Angel Di Maria added a late fourth and PSG have now secured maximum points in the group to retain a three-point lead over Bayern Munich ahead of the return fixture with the Belgian champions at the Parc des Princes later this month.


Unai Emery's expensively assembled side were jeered from the outset, but their first attack resulted in the opening goal. Marco Verratti took a pass from Mbappe and fed the ball back through to the forward, who clinically nutmegged Matz Sels with a first-time finish. The floodgates did not open, though, and Anderlecht responded positively, with Sven Kums drilling wide and Henry Onyekuru nodding straight at Alphonse Areola.

The PSG goalkeeper then raced from his line to smartly deny Onyekuru a second time, before blocking Lukasz Teodorczyk's drive and holding a header from the same man.

Mbappe could have put the game to bed after 24 minutes. He pounced on Leander Dendoncker's poor backpass to dash clear, but the wrong-footed Sels superbly swept the ball away from the PSG man with a stretching right hand and watched Neymar drag a follow-up shot wide of the deserted goal.But a second goal did arrive before the break, with Cavani on target. Sels parried Neymar's strike only as far as Mbappe and he cushioned a header across the face of goal for his strike partner to nod into the net.

Cavani could have scored again shortly after the restart, picked out by Mbappe as he and Neymar teased the Anderlecht defence, but a right-footed blast struck the crossbar. Neymar sent a header arrowing just wide from Dani Alves' cross and Cavani was marginally denied once more – this time by an offside flag.

With PSG completely dominant, Sels blocked Cavani's mishit dink and Mbappe lashed the rebound over the top, before the third goal finally followed. Neymar won a free-kick on the edge of the area, placing the ball himself and curling an effort below the wall and beyond Sels.Another tight, yet correct, offside call kept Cavani from doubling his tally and the Uruguayan was then withdrawn as PSG prepared to cruise through the closing stages and secure another comfortable victory.

They could still have conceded against the run of play, however, with Areola alert to keep out Sofiane Hanni's header and Onyekuru then smashing the rebound against the woodwork as Anderlecht's last chance came and went.PSG instead converted another as Di Maria – Cavani's replacement – ran through and lifted the ball over Sels for his side's fourth of the night and 12th of the group stage.

 

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Barcelona 3 Olympiacos 1:Ton-up for Messi as Pique sees red

Lionel Messi brought up 100 goals in European club competitions as Barcelona made light of Gerard Pique's red card to cruise to a 3-1 Champions League Group D win over Olympiacos.

Ernesto Valverde saw his team hit the front after 18 minutes against his former employers when Dimitris Nikolaou put through his own net and a straightforward outing in teeming rain at Camp Nou seemed on the cards.

But Olympiacos were given a route back into the contest when Pique, already booked, turned in a saved shot from Gerard Deulofeu with his hand and referee Willie Collum was in no doubt the Spain centre-back had to go.The sound of opportunity knocking did not draw Panagiotis Lemonis' men from their shells and Messi joined his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the second member of an exclusive club by winning and converting a free-kick after the hour.

Lucas Digne made sure of Barca preserving their 100 per cent record in this season's competition, while Nikolaou concluding an eventful 90 minutes by powering in a header at the same end where he erred earlier was scant consolation to Olympiacos, who are pointless after three matches.


Barcelona were playing at home for the first time since facing Las Palmas behind closed doors in LaLiga on the day of the Catalan independence referendum earlier this month and some supporters waved "Si" banners in support of the separatist movement The match soon settled into a pattern of attack versus defence and Luis Suarez almost gave the hosts a fifth minute lead, sliding in at the back post when Samuel Umtiti glanced on Deulofeu's right-wing corner.

Deulofeu performed brightly in the opening exchanges and he crafted the breakthrough goal when the unfortunate Nikolaou diverted the ex-Everton forward's low cross into his own net.

Paulinho was making his first Champions League start for the club and almost doubled Barca's advantage in the 24th minute when Andres Iniesta's floated pass prompted Olympiacos goalkeeper Silvio Proto to charge into no-man's land.

The Brazil midfielder could only direct his header against the crossbar and Proto soon displayed his capabilities in a more pleasing light by thwarting Suarez one-on-one before parrying away to his right when Messi darted in field on to his lethal left foot.

A routine half carried a sting in the tail for Barcelona, however, when Pique was given his marching orders for scoring with his hand, having received an earlier caution for a cynical foul on Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe.Valverde sacrificed Deulofeu to send on Javier Mascherano as Umtiti's new partner at centre-back but LaLiga's leaders remained on the front foot.

Suarez's skewed his volley in the 50th minute after Digne got to the byline, with the Greek champions very much wedded to their earlier approach.Nikolaou's night took another wrong turn as he had a hand in Barca's second by scything through Messi on the edge of the area. Proto was powerless to prevent the Argentinian maestro from making history and could only push a curling strike into the roof of the net.

It was soon three in the 64th minute as the Blaugrana attack swarmed the Olympiacos box and the ball broke for Digne to lash a low shot into the bottom right corner.The overworked Proto scampered from his line to smother Messi's latest menacing run, while a ragged outing for Suarez in front of goal prevented an event more humbling experience for the meek visitors.

They at least had the final word as Nikolaou rose to meet a right-wing corner from substitute Konstantinos Fortounis and end his personal ordeal on a positive note.

 

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Benfica 0 Manchester United 1: Rashford goal settles poor game after woeful Svilar error

A horrible error from Benfica's young record-breaking goalkeeper Mile Svilar gifted Manchester United a 1-0 win at the Estadio da Luz as Jose Mourinho's men made it three victories from three in Group A.

Svilar made history as the Champions League's youngest-ever goalkeeper at 18 years and 52 days, but his disappointing positional judgement resulted in Marcus Rashford scoring the decisive goal 26 minutes from time, letting United off after a pretty poor performance.

United probably just about edged things before the break, but it was a turgid half of football, with neither team showing a great deal of quality in the final third.
Mourinho will have been particularly unimpressed with United's inability to test Svilar regularly, particularly given how uncomfortable he had looked with set-piece deliveries.

United were certainly more forward-thinking in the second half and did create a few chances, but they were still nowhere close to their best, with Romelu Lukaku starved of effective service.

But luckily for the Premier League side, Svilar accidentally carried a Rashford free-kick over his line in the 64th minute and that proved to be enough for the visitors, as they strolled to victory and left pointless Benfica, who had Luisao sent off in injury time, needing a significant turnaround to reach the knockout phase.


United were guilty of a thoroughly underwhelming start, as they offered nothing from an attacking perspective and invited Benfica pressure on to themselves.

The hosts almost took advantage of United's setup in the 14th minute, but Eduardo Salvio smashed a left-footed effort considerably wide from 12 yards after Alex Grimaldo had brilliantly dribbled past three challenges, linked with Pizzi and crossed into the centre.That scare did not exactly jolt United into life, as it took them another 17 minutes to even craft a minor opportunity, with Rashford heading Daley Blind's cross well over.

United finally tested the inexperienced Svilar for the first time nine minutes before the interval – Nemanja Matic drilling an effort at him from a narrow angle after driving into the left side of the area.A poor Douglas pass then gifted United the chance to break just before half-time, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan sliced his eventual shot well wide from the edge of the area.

United looked far more urgent at the start of the second half and Rashford forced Svilar into a save with a fierce 25-yard volley in the 50th minute.But they continued to struggle to bring Lukaku into the game and Matic's 30-yard strike – which went just over – seemed to highlight United's frustration.

Rashford then almost scored directly from a corner after an hour, with Svilar punching it out from under the crossbar just in time after initially looking well out of position. Svilar's poor judgement was ultimately punished a few moments later, however.

Rashford curled a free kick in from the left flank and it appeared to sail harmlessly through to Svilar, but he stepped over the line with his ball in his grasp, leaving coach Rui Vitoria shaking his head in dismay.The England international was then forced off with a seemingly innocuous injury with 14 minutes to go, but it had little impact on the final result.

United successfully held on to what proved to be a straightforward win, with Luisao's red card for second bookable offence after a rash tackle on Scott McTominay compounding a bad day for the home side.

 

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Qarabag 0 Atletico Madrid 0: Simeone's side in trouble after shock draw

Atletico Madrid's Champions League hopes were severely dented as they struggled to a poor 0-0 draw away to 10-man Qarabag.Antoine Griezmann squandered the best chance of a first half that was lacking in drama.

And Qarabag, making their first appearance in the Champions League this season, looked the more threatening team after the break until forward Dino Ndlovu was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving with 15 minutes remaining.That prompted a late spell of Atletico pressure, but the side from Azerbaijan held on to claim their first point in the competition.

The shock draw leaves Diego Simeone's side struggling on two points from their first three matches, with Group C leaders Chelsea and second-placed Roma to play later on Wednesday. Atleti are without a win in four across all competitions.

After a quiet opening 25 minutes in the first competitive meeting between the two sides passed without a chance being created, Atletico threatened first when Filipe Luis' cut-back led to Nicolas Gaitan blazing over from 12 yards.An even better opportunity went begging when Yannick Carrasco raced clear after getting the better of defender Maksim Medvedev, but he was denied by Ibrahim Sehic, as the Qarabag goalkeeper rushed out to save.

Saul Niguez's header was kept out, before a glorious chance went begging when Kevin Gameiro slipped Griezmann through on goal at the second attempt, only for the France international to fail to find the bottom corner, with Sehic getting down to make an excellent reaction stop.Jose Gimenez volleyed wide from the resulting corner, with Qarabag satisfied to reach the interval on level terms.


It was Qarabag who made the better start to the second half, and Ndlovu was angry to have a penalty claim turned down under pressure from Sime Vrsaljko just outside the penalty area, while Richard Almeida had a deflected effort saved by Jan Oblak.

Simeone brought on Thomas Partey, Angel Correa and Fernando Torres in a bid to change the momentum, but Ndlovu fired narrowly over as the hosts continued to threaten an upset.

Ndlovu – booked earlier in the second half for a foul on Carrasco - claimed for a spot-kick again with 15 minutes remaining but earned himself a second yellow card after what referee Ruddy Buquet deemed to be an over the top reaction to a challenge from Diego Godin, although there did look to be contact.Atletico pressed for a winner with the numerical advantage and came close to making a breakthrough with six minutes remaining.



Griezmann had a tame shot poorly dealt with by Sehic, allowing Gabi to gather the rebound and cross for Torres, who could not find the target with a header from inside the six-yard box, the striker claiming he was shoved by recovering defender Ansi Agolli as a frustrating evening for the visitors drew to a close.

 

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Allegri not impressed by Juve despite crucial win: 'We are not sharp right now'


Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri believes a lack of sharpness was the reason for his side's uninspired display in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win over Sporting CP.The Bianconeri were a long way from their fluent best against a stubborn Sporting outfit, who took an unlikely early lead through Alex Sandro's unfortunate own goal.

A superb Miralem Pjanic free-kick pulled the Italians level after 29 minutes before Mario Mandzukic headed home with just six minutes remaining to secure three points that move Allegri's side up to second in Group D.

Mandzukic's goal was Juve's only clear attempt in an insipid second half and Allegri was quick to point out a number of reasons for their sluggishness as they scraped a first win in three games.He told Mediaset Premium: "We are not sharp right now, as some players were out for a while, others returned from international duty in bad shape, so we must continue to work.

"It's never easy to win in the Champions League, we've made a step forward, but there's a long way to go and we must try to reconnect, as some of our elements are a bit disconnected.

"We made some technical errors, especially in the opening 20 minutes, then at the end we were running a lot of risks rather than locking down the result. "At this moment we need to rediscover our solidity, which I think we did have tonight when Sporting had the ball, but naturally our fitness levels and sharpness must improve and we can only do that via training."

 

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Conte: David Luiz midfield experiment failed


Chelsea were "improvising" tactically in the second half of their 3-3 draw with Roma according to head coach Antonio Conte, who acknowledged that playing David Luiz in midfield did not work.

After goals from David Luiz, Eden Hazard and Roma's Aleksandar Kolarov had made it 2-1 to Chelsea at half-time in Wednesday's Champions League clash, Edin Dzeko's superb brace put the visitors 3-2 up with 20 minutes left to play while Conte switched from a 3-5-2 formation to a 4-3-2-1.The change seemed to work as Hazard headed the equaliser before Chelsea held out the for the final 15 minutes, although Dzeko went close to completing his hat-trick when he headed narrowly wide in the dying minutes.

"The effort the players put in was the maximum and I thank them," Conte told Mediaset Premium afterwards. "We suffered in the first half and the decision to change system didn't pay off, as it took away all our guarantees."We were basically improvising and it showed, as we suffered under Roma's pressing.

"We scored two goals, but the sensation was always that we didn't feel in control of the match. I have to take responsibility, as it was my decision to change the system to make up for the lack of options. I changed the David Luiz position to strengthen the midfield and I don't think it worked, to be honest."

Conte refused to blame his side's struggles during the dramatic Champions League Group C encounter on injuries. Chelsea were without the injured N'Golo Kante, Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater, leaving David Luiz to shore up the midfield, though the Brazilian was seen struggling with a calf problem during the game.

"It's not about injuries but trying to get the best out of the team," said Conte. "The same players have been going all the time since pre-season. We've got three injuries, not seven or eight, but it's still an emergency situation for us.

"David Luiz had a problem with his calf, [Tiemoue] Bakayoko finished with a problem in his adductor and I hope it's nothing serious."Despite all that, we drew with a very good Roma side and I can only praise my players. When you change system, it's all improvisation and tonight we were improvising. That is something I don't like, because I prefer organisation and to fight it out in our own way.

"I have to thank my players for their efforts, because without that, we would not have managed a point here."

 

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'I would give him all the prizes' - Bartomeu claims nobody is equal to Messi


Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu lauded Lionel Messi for maintaining his "sublime level" after bringing up 100 European goals.Messi scored in Barca's 3-1 Champions League win over Olympiacos on Wednesday for what was his 100th goal in European competition.The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has shown no signs of slowing down, even at 30, and Bartomeu was full of praise for the Argentina star.

"I would give him all the prizes in world football. No-one can compete," he told Barca TV."He has created an era and he still remains at this sublime level."

Bartomeu also had praise for Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde, who has led his team to three wins from as many Champions League matches and to the top of La Liga. "We already knew the coach he was. He is intelligent, he manages matches well," he said.

"He has given the reason to all of us who have trusted him. He has fallen in love with the Camp Nou and the fans."It has given us peace of mind."Barca are next in action with a clash at home to Malaga in La Liga on Saturday.

 

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UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.10.19

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.10.19


Astana Vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
Lugano Vs Viktoria Plzen
Hapoel Vs FCSB
Ostersunds FK Vs Athletic Club
Zorya Vs Hertha BSC
BATE Vs Koln
Crvena Zvezda Vs Arsenal
Konyaspor Vs Salzburg
Olympique Vs Vitória Guimarães
Nice Vs Lazio
Zulte-Waregem Vs Vitesse
Zenit Vs Rosenborg
Vardar Vs Real Sociedad
Villarreal Vs Slavia Praha
Skënderbeu Korce Vs Partizan
Dynamo Kyiv Vs Young Boys
Milan Vs AEK Athens
Austria Wien Vs Rijeka
Everton Vs LYON
Atalanta Vs Apollon
Sporting Braga Vs Ludogorets
Hoffenheim Vs İstanbul
Sheriff Vs Lokomotiv Moskva
Zlín Vs Kobenhavn ​

 

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AC Milan 0 AEK Athens 0: Frustration mounts for Montella in dour draw

AC Milan's domestic struggles carried over to the Europa League as they battled to a frustrating 0-0 home draw with AEK Athens on Thursday.

The Rossoneri failed to create a clear-cut opportunity and can consider themselves fortunate to have maintained their two-point advantage at the top of Group D.
Vincenzo Montella's men, whose rollercoaster defeat to rivals Inter on Sunday was their third straight Serie A loss, had been expected to recapture form against the Greek side.

But it was AEK who came closest to a first half opener as Mateo Musacchio gifted an opportunity to Andre Simoes, who was unable to hit the target from a narrow angle.

Milan showed more life after the restart and could have broken the deadlock through Patrick Cutrone, but three points would have been undeserved reward for a limp display.Instead, the draw will only serve to heighten the pressure on manager Montella, whose side still have work to do to advance to the knockout stages.


Cutrone came in as one of four changes to the side which lost 3-2 in the Derby della Madonnina and the young striker had the ball in the back of the net inside seven minutes, only to be flagged for straying marginally offside.

Despite a lack of possession, AEK had few problems to contend with over the opening 25 minutes as the hosts searched for the kind of cutting edge that has seen them score eight goals in their first two group stage games.And Milan were almost made to pay for their lethargy when Musacchio was robbed of possession in his own penalty area by Simoes.

From an almost impossible angle, the Portuguese midfielder fired right across the face of goal as Gianluigi Donnarumma left a gap at his near post in anticipation of a cut-back.

The scare was not enough to shock the Rossoneri into life, though, with Petros Mantalos dallying over another promising opening for AEK, before Adam Tzanetopoulos drew a sharp diving save from Donnarumma.Montella's men did force the visitors into a pair of scrambling blocks late in the half, but the deadlock remained intact at the interval.

Both sides showed more attacking endeavour soon after the restart with Helder Lopes heading over at one end and Andre Silva doing likewise from a Suso corner.Giannis Anestis was then called on to parry Hakan Calhanoglu's low drive in encouraging signs from a more fluent Milan.

Montella turned to Nikola Kalinic after the hour and the former Italy striker might have wished the next chance had fallen to his Croatian substitute as Cutrone failed to squeeze a finish past Anestis when the ball broke kindly in the area.

Anestis did superbly to smother and stop Suso finding the decisive goal after he had raced unchecked into the penalty area, and the goalkeeper rose to the occasion yet again in stoppage time when he blocked a dangerous Calhanoglu free-kick, marking the final frustration for Milan and Montella from a performance that only raises more questions.

 

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Red Star Belgrade 0 Arsenal 1: Giroud's special winner lights up drab encounter

Arsenal limped past Red Star Belgrade 1-0 as Olivier Giroud's stunning goal lit up an otherwise entirely forgettable Europa League encounter.

After sparkling inter-play between Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott, Giroud executed an overhead kick into the top corner five minutes from time to lift returning pressure from Arsene Wenger.

The weekend's defeat to Watford, after which the Hornets captain Troy Deeney claimed the Gunners lacked "Cojones", reopened some Arsenal fans' frustrations with Wenger and the players - and this performance did little to help.

Wenger reverted to the patchwork approach he has taken to European team selections this season, Mathieu Debuchy playing for the first time in nearly a year, while Mohamed Elneny featured alongside the Frenchman in a back three and Reiss Nelson, scorer of six goals in five Under-23 games this season, was deployed at wing-back.

The result was a stunted performance in attack, until Red Star defender Milan Rodic was dismissed in the 80th minute and the Premier League side's three most senior players linked up to brilliant effect at Rajko Mitic Stadium.Progression from Group H now looks a certainty, with the Gunners sat five points clear in first place after three wins from as many matches.


Red Star's raucous fans never relented despite the tepid nature of the majority of the game, although their side had the better of the first-half chances. After Milan Borjan denied Walcott with his legs from close-range, Richmond Boakye felt he should have had a penalty when Petr Cech tripped him.

Referee Benoit Bastien instead awarded a contentious corner, from which the Ghanaian hit the crossbar with a free header, further compounding his angst.
The home side kept the pressure on, though, and Cech came to the rescue when he denied a swivelling snapshot from Nemanja Radonjic, who saw a follow-up attempt smothered by Nelson.

Following a typical pre-match offering, Red Star's fans bucked tradition and unfurled another huge banner for the start of the second half, but it could not lift the stodgy fare on the pitch.Walcott scuffed his attempt from a cut-back by Nelson, who drew Borjan into a regulation near-post save.

Nenad Krsticic stung the palms of Cech with a header after arriving late in the box, and Radonjic brought the veteran into another stop soon after.Red Star's advances were curtailed when Rodic led with his arm in an aerial challenge with Francis Coquelin to earn a second caution, and it sparked Arsenal into their glittering best.

Starting 30 yards from goal, Wilshere burst past two men before feeding Walcott and flicking a brilliant return to the winger, who nodded across the six-yard box, where Giroud turned and picked out the top corner over his shoulder, providing a satisfying aftertaste to another otherwise bland display, a trip to another out-of-sorts side, Everton, on Sunday will require greater gumption.

 

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'I've been a bit lucky' - Giroud pleased after hitting winner against Red Star


Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud admitted he got a little lucky with his stunning winner against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday.

Giroud scored with a brilliant overhead kick in the 85th minute to see Arsene Wenger's men to a 1-0 victory in Belgrade.The France international said he would have preferred to link up with a team-mate, but he had no options before he superbly put his effort into the top corner.

"In that position, I can control the ball and try to play with another team-mate," Giroud told UEFA."But I didn't see anyone so I tried to take it as I can, a little bit like [against Crystal] Palace [in January], I've been a bit lucky because it's top corner and it's the back of the net.

"It's nice for the team, I'm happy for the team because we've been resilient until the end and we keep believing in our game and we knew it was going to be a tough game and just needed to be patient and play our game with our qualities. "It has been very difficult because it's an amazing atmosphere here, special atmosphere, the crowd is behind their team and it was a tough game but we're very pleased with the three points."

The win was Arsenal's third from as many games in Group H and came after Red Star had been reduced to 10 men through Milan Rodic's red card.

 

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Montella urges fans to back struggling Milan players rather than jeer them


Vincenzo Montella has appealed for support from AC Milan's frustrated fans as his players learn to cope with the expectations attached to the historic club.

Milan were jeered off at San Siro following an underwhelming 0-0 draw against AEK Athens in the Europa League on Thursday.The disappointing display compounded a string of three consecutive losses in Serie A, a poor run punctuated by the 3-2 derby defeat against Inter.

But an under-fire Montella insists his squad, which was overhauled in the off-season, can turn their fortunes around with the backing of the supporters."I think the disappointment and sense of irritation in the stadium was felt by the team and it was due to the three Serie A defeats rather than the performance itself," Montella told Sky Sport Italia.

"We created many chances and didn't finish them off against a good side."I urge the fans and the club to stand by us and above all these players, who need to be embraced more than jeered during this difficult time.

"I see the lads want to do more, they want to prove they belong at Milan and that is creating a psychological block. It is my job to unblock it. "It is a growth process and I am convinced we will get there because most of these players have never worn a jersey like this before and the situation is making them struggle to express themselves."

However, Milan midfielder Manuel Locatelli claimed the home crowd was right to voice its displeasure with Thursday's result."The fans have every reason to jeer," the 19-year-old said."We are a great team but we have got to prove it. We have got the quality - we need to prove it on the field and try not to disappoint our fans."

 

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'It's always the manager' - Koeman admits he could be sacked by Everton


Ronald Koeman concedes that his future is out his hands after Everton's woeful start to the season continued with a 2-1 defeat to Lyon on Thursday.The Toffees have now won just twice in their past 12 games and are rooted to the bottom of Europa League Group E after picking up just one point from their opening three matches in the competition.

They appeared to be heading for a point after Ashley Williams had cancelled out Nabil Fekir's early opener, but Bertrand Traore flicked home with 15 minutes remaining to condemn Koeman's side to yet another defeat.

The beleaguered Blues welcome Arsenal to Goodison Park on Sunday in a must-win game, but Koeman has cast doubt on his future by admitting that the board might well decide to get rid of him."Of course, if the team is not winning and the team is not performing but maybe they can, then it's always the manager," he told BT Sport.

"The final decision is by the board, it is not by myself. I'm strong, I'm trying to do everything and if the board thinks I'm not that right man on this position then they will tell me."

The growing frustration on Merseyside was summed up by Williams sparking a second-half brawl between both sets of players after a reckless shove on Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, with fans unnecessarily lashing out at visiting players in the ensuing melee.Koeman attributed Williams' involvement to frustration, but was quick to deflect attention towards his dissatisfaction with the referee's performance.

"That was a certain irritation in that moment by Ashley because he's that player who likes to win, who cannot deal with a lot of disappointments," he added."But I think the mistake was also by the referee. They made a lot of theatre and he did nothing. Fekir was I think 10 times on the floor diving, not even a yellow card and that has grown our irritation.

"Even extra time - it's five minutes. We had six substitutions, that's three minutes. We had the fight, maybe two minutes. And they had I think eight times injuries in the game and it's five minutes? Come on please."

 

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Eden Hazard: Manchester clubs are stronger but Chelsea still a contender


Eden Hazard thinks that Manchester City and Manchester United have gotten stronger this season but he added that Chelsea haven’t given up on winning the Premier League.

Chelsea's 3-3 draw against Roma in the Champions League made it three matches without a win but Hazard’s brace rescued a point after they lost a 2-0 lead.The Blues had lost to Manchester City and Crystal Palace ahead of the match on Wednesday night but Hazard thinks that his side can get over their recent blip in form.

"I don’t agree with that [that the title is gone]." Hazard said at Stamford Bridge. "I think the difference was that last year, Man City and Man United are stronger than last year. We are ready. We know that the Premier League is long so we will take time to be back [in contention for the title].

"Today, I scored, we should win this game because we were winning 2-0 at half time but at least we have the draw, it is not a bad result. We will do better against Roma in Italy next time."It is just a draw. We are not so happy but we are also happy that we didn’t concede a third defeat in a row so we just want to move on. Forget this game and now we have Watford for the weekend so we will try to win.

"I think we have a lot of players. All of them can play. I know for the players, sometimes it is important to rest and be on the bench. For me, as a person. I just want to play, I missed three months of football and I just want to be on the pitch but the manager makes his own decisions so we are happy with that."

Chelsea’s recent dip in form has coincided with a number of injuries as N’Golo Kante, Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater were all out of the match against Roma.

Alvaro Morata returned from his hamstring injury but David Luiz and Gary Cahill appeared to pick up minor injuries against the Serie A side. Hazard admits that Chelsea are still adapting again to playing two games a week, after a season away from European competitions last term.“I think it is different this season because we play in the Champions League,” He added. “Last season was more easy because we didn’t play two games every week. We were more fresh. Now it is a bit different.

“We need to adapt to the situation, we will give everything but I think we are in the same level as last year. We have just two training sessions to be focused on the games. Last season, we had a whole week to be ready so it is a little bit different but we hope to adapt quickly.”

 

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Manchester United boss Mourinho gives update on Eric Bailly injury


Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Eric Bailly will not play a part when they confront Huddersfield Town on Saturday at the John Smith's Stadium for their English Premier League encounter.The defender was injured in Cote d'Ivoire’s 0-0 stalemate with Mali in the World Cup qualifying game.

Bailly did not travel to Lisbon for United's Champions League victory over Benfica on Wednesday night due to the injury.And the former Chelsea manager has declared that the player will not be part of his squad for the outing.“Bailly, I don't think so,” Mourinho told Manchester Evening News. The tactician will also be without Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the match.

United are on the second spot on the log with 20 points and will target victory in the tie as they are behind Manchester City who boast of 22 points.

 

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Matic: It's not always easy working with Mourinho


Nemanja Matic has admitted it is not easy to work with Jose Mourinho at times, but said he has never worked with a better manager than the Manchester United boss.

Matic worked with Mourinho at Chelsea before reuniting with him at Old Trafford ahead of this season and has played a key role in United's bright start to the campaign.

The Red Devils are unbeaten in the Premier League and just two points behind Manchester City, while they have a perfect record in the Champions League group stage, with Matic playing every minute in both competitions so far.

While the Serbia international has a great deal of respect for the two-time Champions League winning manager, he says it can be difficult to live up to Mourinho's expectations."Mourinho is a brand, and the best coach I've ever worked with,” he said to Serbian magazine Elevate.

"Sometimes it isn't easy to work with him, because he always demands more. Even when you play the best match in your career, he considers that you can play better in the next match.

"I cooperated excellently with him at Chelsea, and the fact that Mourinho is the coach at Manchester was the decisive factor in choosing my new environment.
"Privately he's completely different from the way he is perceived by the general public. This is a man who possesses all human virtues."He's not at all cold or conceited, as he is presented in the media.

With United looking to get back to the top of English and European football, the club could not have put their faith in a better coach, the 29-year-old says."Mourinho has created an excellent group of players with huge potential, and everything is there for us to achieve good results.

"I don't want to talk about the goals of the club, but when I mention Manchester United I think the ambitions are clear to everyone.
"The fact that I'm playing for United is the pinnacle of my career and of everything I've achieved in football."I really like it in Manchester, and the family has got used to the city. I needed very little to make me happy in my new environment -- just to be together with my wife Aleksandra, my six-year-old son Filip and three-year-old daughter Tea.

"The children have a good school in Manchester, and I'm particularly glad that my son started football training. He has a place reserved in United's junior ranks."

 

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Ancelotti unlikely to take Leicester job, says Clement


Speculation surrounding Carlo Ancelotti and the Leicester City vacancy is unlikely to come to fruition, according to Swansea City head coach Paul Clement.

The Foxes, struggling in the Premier League relegation zone with one win from eight matches, sacked Craig Shakespeare on Tuesday and have placed Michael Appleton in caretaker charge for Saturday's trip to face the Swans.

Rumours have emerged suggesting Ancelotti - who departed Bayern Munich last month after a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain - could be in line to take over at the King Power Stadium.

But Clement, who worked under Ancelotti with Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern, believes the Italian will continue to enjoy his break from football until 2018-19."The last time I spoke to him he said he's taking time off and wants to go into club football again next summer. I don't see why that would have changed," Clement told a media conference.

"He's going to have the rest of the year off. Good for him as well."Clement has sympathy for Shakespeare, but feels Crystal Palace's sacking of Frank de Boer came as a greater surprise.

"It's a shame when a fellow manager loses his job. We all know the pressures we face," Clement said. "He did well not only as manager at end of last season but also in his role as assistant and behind the scenes to help that team become champions.

"He earned it, steadied the ship and won his first five games last season, had a good run in the Champions League."It's sad because eight games in he's been judged on results and they've decided to remove him. I wish him the best and hope he gets another position soon.

"It was more shocking the change of Frank De Boer after four games. That's double but still a short time to make a decision that someone isn't good enough to take the team forward."

 

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'Mourinho has entertained amid parking of the bus' - Schmeichel supports Man Utd boss


Jose Mourinho and Manchester United have been “really entertaining” when in a position to play to their strengths, says Peter Schmeichel.

The Red Devils have faced criticism on the back of two uninspiring performances on the road, with a 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League following a drab 0-0 draw with Liverpool.

Mourinho has once again faced accusations of “parking the bus”, with the Portuguese considered to be too conservative in his approach to big games.Schmeichel, though, believes that United have improved over the last 12 months and are now operating in an era where the need to avoid defeat often outweighs the desire to push for a win.

The legendary Red Devils goalkeeper told talkSPORT: “I’m not making excuses [for United’s last two displays], but I understand and as a fan I accept it for that one game.

“You’ve just come back from the international break and it’s Liverpool away - the one game you don’t want to lose all season - it’s a 12:30 kick off and then you’ve got Benfica midweek, so you’ve got more travelling to do.“I know he’s got a big squad to work with, but you don’t want to mess around with the team too much.

“You want to win the game, or at least try not to lose the game and unfortunately that is the way football is going - when you get to these important games, you don’t want to lose.“But I have to say in the same token that I’m very, very pleased with Jose Mourinho’s personal development, I think he’s been brilliant.

“He always said, ‘I will get it right with Manchester United and I will make the fans happy’, but between the lines he has always said, ‘but I don’t have the players’.

“So when he got the players we have played some really entertaining and effective stuff and have scored a lot of goals.“I’ve seen a big difference from last season and I’m OK with everything that’s happening there.”United will be heading back out on the road on Saturday when they travel to Premier League new boys Huddersfield.

 

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Gerrard reveals Man Utd summer transfer star Matic one of his toughest opponents


Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard believes that Nemanja Matic is one of the fiercest opponents he has ever played and admits he really did not want to see the Serbian join Manchester United.

Matic made the surprise switch to Old Trafford from Chelsea in the summer for £35 million and has since established himself as a fulcrum of Jose Mourinho’s squad.

United have stormed into second in the Premier League standings after eight games and Gerrard believes the 29-year-old is the ideal signing for the Red Devils.“He’s one of the toughest opponents I've played against as a No.6,” the Liverpool legend told BT Sport. “He’s very leggy, he's good in the air, he competes, he always gets a toe in, he can run and match your runs.

"He's very aggressive with the ball and without the ball, he can burst past you with it and he can catch you if you manage to stride past him on the odd occasion.

“I think out of all the Manchester United players I've seen them sign over the years he's the one, as a Liverpool fan, I thought 'Oh no. I hope not,' and then it happened. I couldn’t believe it.”
Ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes agreed with the assessment. “He's had a great start at United. He's been aggressive, he gets to the ball, he tackles. He's done well so far,” he said.

Matic has played 12 matches so far this season for the Old Trafford side and has yet to score his first goal for them.

 

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‘I’m trying to get my ruthless streak back’ - Leicester City’s Mahrez


Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez has admitted to his struggles in front of goal, and revealed he is working hard to get back to his 'ruthless' best.The winger's only goal so far in the league helped the Foxes claim a 1-1 draw against West Brom on Monday night, in Craig Shakespeare's last game in charge.

And the 26-year-old, whose 17 goals led the King Power Stadium outifit to an unprecendented English Premier League triumph last two seasons, revealed he is working to get back to his goalscoring best.

“It’s good to score but when there isn’t the three points at the end it’s a bit frustrating,” Mahrez told Leicester Mercury.“Chilly [Ben Chilwell] got a ball in. I was waiting on the edge of the penalty box I controlled it on my chest and hit it with my right foot.“It was a good goal but we didn’t win so I’m a bit frustrated and disappointed.“I’m trying to get my ruthless streak back in front of goal, but it’s not easy.

“I’m getting there. I am getting better I just have to work more in training."Mahrez will be hoping for a positive outing when Leicester City visit Tammy Abraham and Jordan Ayew's Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in their next English Premier League encounter on Saturday.