..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund 1 APOEL 1: Wasteful hosts close to elimination

Borussia Dortmund's chances of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages hang by a thread after a costly 1-1 Group H draw against APOEL at Signal Iduna Park.

A disappointing draw by the same scoreline in Cyprus last time out left Dortmund with just one point from three matches and knowing that realistically a win was needed to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last 16.

Raphael Guerreiro, making his first start of the season after a broken foot, deservedly put Dortmund ahead in a first half that they completely dominated, with Shinji Kagawa and Omer Toprak missing great chances.

But their failure to make the most of those opportunities was punished when Mickael Pote scored with one of APOEL's few sights of goal early in the second half.

The hosts pushed forward desperately for the win after the break with Toprak seeing an effort headed off the line and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hitting the crossbar, but Peter Bosz's men fell short.Dortmund consequently sit five points adrift of second-place Real Madrid, who were beaten by Tottenham on Wednesday, with only two games to go.

Even wins over Spurs and Los Blancos may not be enough to see them through, with Dortmund now staring down the barrel of elimination ahead of their crucial Klassiker against domestic rivals Bayern Munich on Saturday.

APOEL also only have two points and face a similarly daunting task if they are to seal an unlikely place in the last 16, but consecutive draws against the Bundesliga side mean they have already exceeded expectations and remain right in the hunt for a Europa League spot.


Dortmund had APOEL penned in straight from kick-off and Aubameyang's well-hit shot on the turn from 20 yards was impressively parried by Nauzet Perez, who only signed on a free transfer last month.

Shinji Kagawa, making his 50th appearance in UEFA competition, wastefully headed over Guerreiro's pinpoint left-wing cross, before Perez was again on hand to keep out an acrobatic effort from the dangerous Christian Pulisic.

The busy visiting goalkeeper then brilliantly kept out Toprak's header from Kagawa's corner, with APOEL somehow hacking the follow-up away from danger.

But the breakthrough finally arrived in the 29th minute. Kagawa's ingenious flick exploited a gaping hole in the visiting defence and Guerreiro coolly slotted past Perez from 10 yards.

It was a surprise Dortmund failed to double the lead before half time, Carlao making a stunning headed clearance on the goalline from Maximilian Philipp's cross with Aubameyang ready to pounce.

Incredibly, Dortmund were made to pay for their profligacy just six minutes after the break. Efstathios Aloneftis played in Carlao on the left of the area and his cutback found Pote, who turned Toprak in the area and fired into the bottom right corner.

With the tension and desperation levels quickly rising, Kagawa dragged a 20-yard shot wide before Toprak had a header brilliantly cleared off the line by Ghayas Zahid.Shortly after, Perez was almost caught out by Philipp's volleyed cross-shot from Kagawa's pass but the goalkeeper managed to palm the ball over the crossbar.

Still Dortmund came and Kagawa saw claims for handball against Giorgos Merkis waved away by referee Matej Jug, before Aubameyang thumped a free header against the crossbar from six yards when brilliantly picked out by Pulisic.



Aubameyang missed another gilt-edged chance in injury time as a late barrage failed to produce a winner, and Dortmund will be eliminated if Madrid beat APOEL in matchweek five regardless of their result against Spurs.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.11.02

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.11.02


Maccabi Tel Aviv Vs Astana
Slavia Praha Vs Villarreal
Partizan Vs Skenderbeu Korce
Young Boys Vs Dynamo Kyiv
AEK Athens Vs AC Milan
Rijeka Vs Austria Wien
Olympique Lyonnais Vs Everton
Apollon Vs Atalanta
Ludogorets Vs Sporting Braga
Istanbul Basak Vs Hoffenheim
Lokomotiv Moskva Vs Sheriff
Kobenhavn Vs Zlin
Viktoria Plzen Vs Lugano
FCSB Vs Hapoel
Athletic Club Vs Ostersunds
Hertha Vs Zorya
Koln Vs BATE
Arsenal Vs Crvena Zvezda
Salzburg Vs Konyaspor
Vitoria Guimaraes Vs Olympique Mars
Lazio Vs Nice
Vitesse Vs Zulte-Waregem
Rosenborg Vs Zenit
Real Sociedad Vs Vardar
​

 

[akilar25]

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.11.02


Maccabi Tel Aviv Vs Astana
Slavia Praha Vs Villarreal
Partizan Vs Skenderbeu Korce
Young Boys Vs Dynamo Kyiv
AEK Athens Vs AC Milan
Rijeka Vs Austria Wien
Olympique Lyonnais Vs Everton
Apollon Vs Atalanta
Ludogorets Vs Sporting Braga
Istanbul Basak Vs Hoffenheim
Lokomotiv Moskva Vs Sheriff
Kobenhavn Vs Zlin
Viktoria Plzen Vs Lugano
FCSB Vs Hapoel
Athletic Club Vs Ostersunds
Hertha Vs Zorya
Koln Vs BATE
Arsenal Vs Crvena Zvezda
Salzburg Vs Konyaspor
Vitoria Guimaraes Vs Olympique Mars
Lazio Vs Nice
Vitesse Vs Zulte-Waregem
Rosenborg Vs Zenit
Real Sociedad Vs Vardar
​

සුපිරි.
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 0 Red Star Belgrade 0: Gunners reach Europa League knockouts despite dour draw

Arsenal qualified for the Europa League knockout stages despite failing to impress in a dour 0-0 draw against Red Star Belgrade at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

A point proved enough to send Arsene Wenger's side through as BATE Borisov were beaten 5-2 away to Cologne, who remain bottom of Group H but still have a chance of advancing following their victory.

There were 11 changes to the Gunners side that beat Swansea City 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, goalkeeper Matt Macey making his European debut in an inexperienced line-up.Macey did his part to secure the point, tipping a header from Vujadin Savic against the crossbar as Red Star threatened to take a surprise lead into half-time.

With impressive form in this competition not enough to earn Jack Wilshere an England call-up, his frustrations were deepened when Damien Le Tallec's goal-line clearance denied him a first club goal since May 2015.

Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud combined in spectacular fashion to settle the teams' meeting a fortnight prior, but could not put their experience to use and find the breakthrough here, although Wenger's side can secure top spot by winning at Cologne on November 23.


France international Giroud appeared to strain his hamstring after leaping to challenge Mitchell Donald in the air, but it did not stop him getting into a great position in the 10th minute.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles surged towards the byline on the left side of the box before squaring for Giroud, whose first-time effort was blocked by Milan Borjan at the near post.

Arsenal controlled possession but found further chances hard to come by until Giroud was slipped in by Joe Willock, who did well to dispossess Donald, but was unable to lift his shot over the onrushing Borjan.

Wenger's side could have gone into half-time behind, though, had Macey not tipped a header from Savic against the bar after the Red Star centre-back followed up Nemanja Radonjic's blocked shot.

Richmond Boakye contrived to waste another chance before the break, failing to hit the target after racing in behind Rob Holding on a swift counter-attack. Red Star sat back after the restart and Arsenal had two claims for a penalty go unawarded, the first after slight contact between Savic and Wilshere and the second when the defender inadvertently handled the ball.

Arsenal continued to apply the pressure and a great combination between Maitland-Niles and Wilshere down the left ended with the latter seeing his goal-bound poke cleared in last-ditch fashion by Le Tallec.Wenger sent Eddie Nketiah on for Willock in the 68th minute, but their two-goal EFL Cup hero failed to have the same impact as he did against Norwich City.

Boakye had an opportunity to snatch all three points with nine minutes remaining but he sliced wide of the near post, though the Serbian side celebrated keenly at the full-time whistle, having secured a point that moves them a point clear in second place.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

AEK Athens 0 AC Milan 0: Montella's men fail to progress after uninspiring stalemate



AC Milan failed to secure passage to the knockout phase of the Europa League as they were held to an uninspiring 0-0 draw at AEK Athens, doing little to relieve pressure on coach Vincenzo Montella.

The Serie A side would have clinched progression had they emerged victorious at the Olympic Stadium on Thursday but, although they threatened occasionally in the second period, their generally lacklustre display was hardly deserving of all three points.

AEK shaded a dour first half, creating a couple of half-chances to worry a Milan side who themselves looked utterly toothless in the final third.Montella managed to get a little more out of his team after the break, though, with Riccardo Montolivo going close twice in quick succession – his second chance striking the post.

Milan improved considerably in the second half, moving the ball quicker and putting AEK's defence under pressure, yet they failed to enjoy a sustained period of dominance.

The latter stages became somewhat more frantic, but neither side looked to play with any more conviction than before and it remained goalless, leaving Group D leaders Milan - who have just a single win in their last seven matches across all competitions - on eight points, two clear of second-placed AEK.


Milan showed little sign of putting their domestic woes behind them during the early exchanges, with AEK looking significantly more purposeful. Rodrigo Galo was the first to go close for the hosts 11 minutes in, seeing his dipping 25-yard volley go agonisingly wide of the bottom-left corner.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was then called into action a few moments later, denying the tricky Sergio Araujo at the near post after a Fabio Borini error invited pressure and the hosts finished the half on top as Galo went close again, his curling left-footed effort from the right flank flying just past the top-left corner.Milan went into the half-time break having failed to touch the ball in AEK's penalty area, highlighting their poor showing.

Montella introduced Suso for the disappointing Patrick Cutrone for the second half and Milan suddenly appeared more urgent and calculated in possession. The Spaniard almost set Montolivo up for the opener nine minutes after the break, with Giannis Anestis blocking the Italian's close-range effort following Suso's clever ball in from the right.Montolivo then went even closer a couple of minutes later, shooting against the left-hand post after being released into the area by Hakan Calhanoglu.

Milan enjoyed some late pressure, though the closest they went to a goal was Ognjen Vranjes' awkward clearance over his own goal from close range after a Suso cross, with the match ultimately petering out into the kind of drab encounter that will do little for Montella's job prospects.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lyon 3 Everton 0: Traore, Aouar and Depay send Toffees out of Europa League

Everton crashed out of the Europa League after losing 3-0 to Lyon at Groupama Stadium on Thursday.

The Premier League side were undone by a strike from former Chelsea man Bertrand Traore, who netted the winner in the reverse fixture at Goodison Park two weeks ago, and further goals from substitute Houssem Aouar and one-time Toffees target Memphis Depay.

Caretaker boss David Unsworth admitted this week he would "probably" need to beat Lyon and Watford in Sunday's league game in order to have a chance of securing the job permanently, but his decision to field a makeshift line-up largely comprising youngsters and back-up players did not suggest confidence in his side's chances.

Lyon were the better team throughout and Everton would undoubtedly have been shaken towards the end of the first half when Cuco Martina was taken off on a stretcher after landing heavily on his back.

The visitors' resistance lasted until the 68th minute, when Traore capitalised on a loose ball in ruthless fashion, before Aouar's composed strike and Depay's header made the win safe for Lyon.

The Ligue 1 side need only two points from their remaining two matches to book their place in the knockout phase, but Everton, who had Morgan Schneiderlin sent off in the closing stages, cannot progress to the next round due to Atalanta's 1-1 draw at Apollon Limassol.


Lyon controlled the opening minutes but Everton fashioned the first half-chance, with Gylfi Sigurdsson, starting as a false nine, snatching at a shot inside the area.
Jordan Pickford made the first good saves of the match in the 24th minute, keeping out a header from Traore before getting up quickly to tip away Nabil Fekir's effort on the rebound.

Depay stung Pickford's palms with a dipping free-kick before there was a lengthy stoppage in play to allow Martina to be treated, the full-back eventually being carried off in a neck brace after having fallen heavily when challenging for a header with Maxwel Cornet.

Lyon resumed their attacking intent during seven minutes of first-half injury time, with Pickford keeping out a Depay drive from 20 yards after Marcelo had glanced a header wide, although Idrissa Gueye was denied by Anthony Lopes in the first minute of the second half when he should really have done better.

Sigurdsson flashed another effort wide but Lyon's breakthrough came at last midway through the second period. Schneiderlin challenged Tanguy NDombele and the ball broke through the static Everton defence and into the path of Traore, who took it around Pickford before slotting home.

A Sigurdsson free-kick had Lopes worried but Everton's hopes of a comeback were killed off with 14 minutes left. Mariano Diaz latched latched onto a long ball in the visitors' box and, after Pickford did well to save at his feet, Depay collected the rebound and cleverly teed up Aouar to curl a first-time finish into the bottom-right corner.

Schneiderlin earned a second yellow card for a needless lunge on Jordan Ferri before his former Manchester United team-mate Depay capped a fine outing for Lyon, the Netherlands international powering a header from Ferri's cross past Pickford, despite the keeper getting his hands to the ball.

It compounded another miserable European trip for Everton, who have won none of their four games and sit bottom of the group with two matches left to play.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Marseille open investigation into Evra's physical altercation with fan


Marseille have launched an internal investigation after full-back Patrice Evra was dramatically red carded before kick-off for appearing to kick a club supporter on Thursday.

Rudi Garcia's Marseille suffered a 1-0 loss at Vitoria Guimaraes in the Europa League but the result was overshadowed by a pre-match altercation between veteran Evra and some fans in Portugal amid growing tension.

Former Manchester United defender Evra – under pressure for his form and performances this season – became the first player to be sent off before kick-off in a Europa League match after lashing out at a supporter, having been confronted by fans – believed to be Marseille followers – during the warm-up.

In a statement released afterwards, Marseille said: "Olympique de Marseille has noted the altercation between an individual and Patrice Evra in the warm-up of players during the match against Guimaraes."An internal investigation was carried out to establish all responsible.
"In any case, a professional player must keep his cool in the face of provocations and insults as hard and unjustified as they are."Similarly, the club can only condemn by definition any destructive behaviour by a 'pseudo supporter' who insults his own players when everyone must instead support his team."

Evra has made 10 appearances in all competitions this season, while the 36-year-old has featured in four of Marseille's 11 Ligue 1 fixture so far.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'The sooner Pogba comes back the better' - Man Utd goal struggles down to absent star, says Robson


Manchester United’s struggle to produce their early-season spark is down to the ongoing absence of Paul Pogba, says Bryan Robson.
The Red Devils have been without the services of their £89 million midfielder since September 12.
An unfortunate hamstring injury picked up in a Champions League meeting with Basel has kept Pogba out of 11 fixtures and counting.Jose Mourinho has conceded that he still has “no idea” when the 24-year-old will be back, which spells bad news for former captain Robson who considers United to be missing a key cog in a unit which burst out of the blocks in 2017-18.

"The only thing which is a little bit of a shame for United so far, because I think United might have had even more points on the board, is if Pogba had been fit all the time," he told Betsafe.

"Because I thought the balance of Matic and Pogba, Herrera or Fellaini, whichever way the manager wanted to play them: Pogba was scoring goals, but he was creating goals because he had this really good understanding with Lukaku.

"So I think we’ve missed that to a certain degree and that’s why we’re not scoring as many goals as when we started the season."The sooner Pogba comes back the better for the club."

United will be without Pogba once again when they take on reigning Premier League champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.Jose Mourinho will be relying on others to get the job done against his former club and keep the Red Devils in the title hunt.

Robson believes United are capable of claiming a positive result, but only if they are able to control the area of the field in which Pogba would have been deployed.

He added: "If United can dominate the midfield area where we don’t let [Eden] Hazard get a lot of the ball and Pedro, then I think our centre halves can handle [Alvaro] Morata."If we can dominate the midfield area then we’ve got a great chance of getting a result.

“I’m going to go for a draw. Yeah, I think there could be a few goals, but I think it’ll be a tied game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

‘We will continue giving our best until the end’ – Monaco’s Balde assures after Besiktas draw


Keita Balde vowed that Monaco will keep fighting despite settling for a 1-1 draw against Besiktas in Wednesday’s Uefa Champions League tie.Leonardo Jardim’s men face an uphill task after Cenk Tosun’s second half penalty cancelled out Rony Lopes’s opener for the visitors at the Vodafone Park.

The result leaves the Principality outfit at the bottom of the Group G log and the 22-year-old forward is confident that they can turn the tides around after garnering just two points from four games.

“Great attitude of the team, we will continue fighting and giving our best until the end!," Balde wrote on Instagram.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aguero adds to contract confusion: I don't know when my Man City deal ends!


Sergio Aguero believes he is in the form of his life after breaking the Manchester City scoring record, but has once again added to the confusion over his contract situation by saying he "doesn't know" how many years are left on his current deal.Aguero surpassed Eric Brook's tally, which had stood for 78 years, by notching his 178th goal for City in their 4-2 win at Napoli on Wednesday evening.

The Argentine has scored at least 28 goals in five of his six full seasons in England, including a personal high of 34 under Pep Guardiola last season, and his achievement will be recognised with a presentation before Sunday's game against Arsenal.And, with nine goals in 11 outings so far in the current campaign, Aguero believes he is at the top of his game right now.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied when asked by reporters about his form. "This year I think we are playing very good, but the other years are different because now we have a different manager, different players. This year is new, new players came and we are very good. I think this squad is stronger now.

"The season only recently started, two-and-a-half months or so ago, so there's still a long way to go. Individually and collectively I think we've started very well, and we have to continue like this because, as we all know, there are a lot of games in England and we have to be in good physical shape for what is to come."

Aguero has not always seen eye-to-eye with Guardiola since the Catalan arrived at the club last summer, though his performances and goal output over the past year serve as proof that he has taken his coach's ideas on board.

And although the 29-year-old's future appears to be in Manchester, despite he himself suggesting that he could be moved on earlier this year, the circumstances surrounding his current agreement with the club are still far from clear.Aguero extended his contract for one year, until 2020, over 18 months ago, but an official announcement has never been made by the club.

When asked in February when his deal expires, Aguero said 2020, but has since told Argentine media that it is in fact 2019.Asked if he could clear up the situation on Wednesday evening, he only muddied the waters further.

"I don’t know, I don’t remember," he said with a smile. "2019 I think, I will have to go and check again now."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mane offers timely boost to Liverpool as he returns to full training

Sadio Mane has offered Liverpool a timely boost by returning to full training after shaking off a hamstring injury.The Senegalese forward has been out of action since picking up a knock during the last international break.

His last appearance for the Reds came in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle on October 1.Mane has missed domestic fixtures against Manchester United, Tottenham and Huddersfield along with a Champions League double-header with Maribor.He was initially expected to be sidelined for around six weeks, but has rejoined Jurgen Klopp’s ranks after progressing ahead of schedule in his recovery.

Mane will not form part of Liverpool’s plans at West Ham on Saturday, with the 25-year-old needing to build up his sharpness to be ready for competitive action.

He could, however, come into contention for a meeting with Southampton on November 18.Klopp recently stated that he hoped to have a man with three goals to his name this season back in his squad for a clash with the Saints.

He told Liverpool’s official website: “After the international break, I think Adam [Lallana] and Sadio are back.“It will be close, so hopefully they can train during the international break and be part of the normal training.”

The Reds will be eager to get Mane back into the fold after seeing him endure a disjointed 2017-18 campaign.A red card picked up against Manchester City in September saw him sit out three games, before then being forced onto the treatment table and missing five more.

Liverpool have fared OK without him in their last two outings, seeing off Huddersfield and Maribor 3-0, but will welcome another injection of pace and power to their attacking unit.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Heynckes' winning history key for German champions Bayern, says former defender Lucio


Lucio believes Jupp Heynckes' winning history at Bayern Munich will be key as he continues his bid to turn their season around.Heynckes was appointed for a fourth spell in charge last month after Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed following a stuttering start to the season.

Bayern have won each of their six matches in all competitions since Heynckes took over, usurping Borussia Dortmund at the Bundesliga summit and opening a three-point advantage in the process.

The Bavarians face Dortmund in Der Klassiker on Saturday and Lucio, who played under Heynckes when the 72-year-old took over as caretaker in 2009, is confident in the abilities of a coach who led the club to the treble in 2013.

"Yes, I worked with him in a similar situation, at the end of the season he replaced another manager," Lucio told DAZN. "He's a typical German guy. He is very demanding. He likes to win and has written a winning history at Bayern Munich. That gives him some credibility to work now at Bayern.

"As I said, he likes to win and at Bayern it couldn't be different. The pressure for winning the German league and the Champions League is very high. But he knows how it works and I am sure he will be helpful to Bayern."On this weekend's contest at Signal Iduna Park, Lucio added: "Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are always big competitors.

"In the past few years, Dortmund improved a lot, reaching several finals such as the Champions League and managing to win some of them, like the German Cup. This is always a close match with a great atmosphere, whether you are playing in Munich or Dortmund.

"The pressure and the noise of the supporters are always present in this derby. For us players, it's great to be involved in these kinds of games."In Germany, they always respect both teams, your local team and your opponent, which is nice. But the pressure and the motivation are always there."It is a pleasure to play this match, despite the expectations the game involves.There are always great pays and goals in this derby. For all players, you are grateful to play in front of such great supporters and that atmosphere."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'He is the future of Manchester United' – Matic heaps praise on McTominay


Scott McTominay is the future of Manchester United, according to his team-mate Nemanja Matic. McTominay put in an impressive performance in his first Champions League start on Wednesday, as United defeated Benfica 2-0 at Old Trafford.

Matic, who started alongside McTominay in central midfield, feels Wednesday's game is just the beginning for the United academy product. "I think Scott is going to be a great player and already is a great player," Matic told MUTV.

"He’s very young, very talented and physically strong."I’m sure he is the future of Manchester United and I enjoy playing with him because he also works really hard and is very confident.

"I’m going to help him in training because I think with his potential he's going to be a big star for Manchester United."United manager Jose Mourinho also praised the 20-year-old, and used his performance as an opportunity to hit back against critics who claim he doesn't play young players.

"Scott? Even more fantastic with a manager who never gives a chance to a young guy," Mourinho said."In Chelsea, [I selected] the youngest player ever to play in the Champions League, I think, in Dominic Solanke.

"Again, with a manager who never gives a chance to young guys."I’m very happy for Scott, [he has] great stability and great personality."McTominay has made two Champions League appearances for United this season but is still awaiting his Premier League debut.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'I won't sign new deal' - Cristiano Ronaldo denies Madrid contract demands


Cristiano Ronaldo denied that he is seeking an improved Real Madrid contract after seeing his side defeated by Tottenham in Wednesday's Champions League clash.

With Neymar signing a lucrative agreement with Paris Saint-Germain upon becoming the world's most expensive signing and Lionel Messi recently extending his own Barcelona deal, reports had suggested that Ronaldo would seek earning parity with the two superstars.

The striker, however, who scored Madrid's only goal at Wembley in a 3-1 reverse , rubbished claims he was pressuring the Merengue board for a raise.

"I am doing very well at Real Madrid. I have four years left on my contract and I don't want to renew. I am fine," he told beIN Sports after the match. Madrid were a pale shadow of the side that has taken back-to-back Champions Leagues in the last two seasons, and Ronaldo called on his team to return to winning ways.

"It is bad because we are losing and we are used to winning. It is a bad run," he added. "It is not how we would want things, but football changes. It is a bad run but we want to change and I am sure we will change.

"We have a lot of time still to get better and I am convinced we can do so."With six goals Ronaldo is the Champions League's top scorer so far, while Madrid trail Spurs in Group H by three points with two games remaining.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pochettino: Madrid win shows Tottenham can beat Europe's elite


Mauricio Pochettino said Tottenham's stunning win against Champions League holders Real Madrid has given Spurs great belief and confidence that they can compete with Europe's elite.Tottenham booked their place in the last 16 of the competition with a memorable 3-1 victory over Madrid in Group H at Wembley on Wednesday.

Dele Alli, suspended for the first three pool matches, scored a brace, while Christian Eriksen was also on target as Spurs condemned Zinedine Zidane's Madrid to their heaviest Champions League group-stage defeat since November 2008.

The surprise win against the Spanish and European champions follows Tottenham's impressive 1-1 draw in last month's reverse fixture, and Spurs boss Pochettino lauded his players after the final whistle.
"I'm very proud of my players and I congratulate them. I'm so pleased for Dele and our fans," Pochettino told BT Sport.

"The victory is so important for us and the players. It's a win over Real so it's great for the club and fans."There's a long way to go until the end of the season. What's important is trying to achieve our challenge and target.

"Of course, this win gives us great belief for everyone and confidence. We are now in the next stage of the Champions League. But now it's so important to compete against Crystal Palace [next weekend]. As a manager you can't stop thinking."
Pochettino was delighted with Alli's impact, but was left to rue an apparent hamstring injury for Toby Alderweireld.

"I told you yesterday [Tuesday] that Dele was coming. It's important for him - his debut in the Champions League this season. It's important he felt good," he added."I feel a little bad for Toby Alderweireld we have to assess it [his injury]."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pickford: Everton will not be relegated


Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is confident the Premier League strugglers will move clear of the relegation zone.The Merseyside club are 18th in the table and adrift of safety on goal difference as they prepare to welcome Watford to Goodison Park Sunday.

It has been a forgettable season for Everton so far following the sacking of Ronald Koeman last month, but recruit Pickford believes the club's fortunes will change.

"It's not been ideal but we are not far away from winning games," he said."We're not a club that is going to be in the bottom three for long I'd say. It's just that the luck hasn't come our way yet.

"It's a totally different scenario for myself from last season. I think one win will get us to 13th or something in the league."Then that one win can become back-to-back wins, and that is where the confidence grows, and it starts Sunday."

"We have had a bad lot of games. I love playing games week in week out, but it has been a change with the Europa League. That may have affected us," Pickford continued."But we can't be making excuses. We have to just move forward, dig in and get the win."

The 23-year-old believes the side can lean on a strong group of veterans to help them move away from the bottom of the table."You have [fellow summer signing Wayne] Rooney, you have a lot of people who have been successful," he continued. "The senior pros have all been successful in their careers, and that is where they help us.

"And then that is when the young lads become big characters, when they wear their hearts on their sleeves in the games. We won't be struggling - it will only make us go forward and get the wins that we need."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: I should cry every week about Pogba


Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho claims he should complain publicly about injuries more often to earn sympathy in what appears to be another jibe aimed at Chelsea's Antonio Conte.

Mourinho criticised the Italian last month after United's Champions League win over Benfica, referring to manager's who "cry" repeatedly about selection problems.Tension between the two men has continued to simmer ahead of a crunch clash between the teams at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

United will travel to face the Premier League titleholders without sidelined central midfielders Paul Pogba, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini, among others.
And the Portuguese appears keen to try and engage Conte in the 'mind games' made famous by United predecessor Alex Ferguson.

Claiming United have not received the credit they deserve for coping with a mounting injury list, he said: "It's my fault because I should cry every week about our injuries and remind everybody, day after day or press conference after press conference.

"So it's my fault. It's my decision. It's my way of dealing with problems. It's my way of trying to motivate and respect and give confidence to the players that are going to replace those people. But maybe I have to reconsider my profile. I know that I moan about a lot of things but I don't with injuries and probably I should.

"I think any other manager would be speaking about Pogba every day. 'Oh, I don't have Pogba. Oh, when will I have Pogba? Oh, 10 matches without Pogba. Oh, all the Champions League group phase without Pogba. Oh, all the big matches, against Liverpool, against Chelsea, against Spurs without Pogba. Oh.' I don't speak about Pogba one single time. It's only when you ask me about his situation.

"And it's not just Pogba. It's Pogba, it's Fellaini, it's Carrick, it's Ibra [Zlatan Ibrahimovic], it's Marcos Rojo. It's a big group of players. So I think we are doing very, very well."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pochettino: Manchester City are the best team in Europe right now


Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino believes Manchester City are the best team in Europe following their immense start to the season.

City have picked up nine wins from 10 Premier League matches and have a 100 per cent record in Europe, scoring a hatful of goals in the process.

Their record of 47 goals across those two competitions has them netting 3.35 times per match on average, highlighting how effective they have been going forward.

Pochettino's Tottenham have also been impressing and attracted significant praise for their 3-1 Champions League win over Real Madrid.But the Argentine believes City are on a different level at the moment.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday's match at home to Crystal Palace, Pochettino said: "They [City] are doing very well in the Premier League and Champions League, showing unbelievable performances."The challenge for them is to be consistent for the whole season but they show great quality. Today, right now, they are the best team in Europe."

While Spurs can be expected to cruise against rock-bottom Palace, Pochettino is adamant the visitors will put up a fight and he spoke highly of opposing manager Roy Hodgson.

"It will be tough," Pochettino said. "It is always difficult to play after a game on Wednesday and also because the result was massive, but we must be ready.
"Crystal Palace are a good team. True, they struggled at the beginning of the season and changed their manager."Roy Hodgson is very good, we had good relationship when he was England manager and his team will be organised.

"The challenge is to be focused and forget the Real Madrid game and start to think Crystal Palace is another final for us because after defeat against Manchester United it's important to win again in the Premier League."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

CITY la pattama form 1kaka inne​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Marseille confirm 'immediate layoff' for Evra after clash with fans


Patrice Evra has been hit with an "immediate layoff" and could face further sanction after getting involved in an altercation with supporters on Thursday, Marseille have confirmed.

Marseille's players were warming up before their Europa League match with Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal when Evra was targeted by supporters with unkind chants.

Evra responded by vaulting the advertising boards and confronting the fans, who made their way down from the stands and approached the player.The defender was carried back over the hoardings by a team-mate, before then aiming a kick at a Marseille fan's head and being dragged away again.

Evra was sent off as a result, becoming the first player to ever receive a red card before kick-off in a Europa League match.

Marseille confirmed after the game they had opened an investigation into the incident, while UEFA also began disciplinary proceedings against Evra and said that will be suspended for at least one match.

Now it appears his future at the club is in doubt, with Marseille revealing they have suspended him and will hold a meeting in due course to determine any further sanction.

A statement on the club's website read: "Jacques-Henri Eyraud, President of Olympique de Marseille (OM), met Patrice Evra today and informed him of his layoff with immediate effect and his summons to an interview prior to a possible disciplinary sanction.

"In addition, the first results of the internal investigation conducted by the club reveal an unacceptable behaviour on the part of a handful of provocateurs who uttered particularly serious hateful attacks against the player, even though the latter and his team-mates warmed up for an important meeting. "As a professional and experienced player, Patrice Evra could not respond in such an inappropriate way.

"The club is continuing its investigation and will use all the legal means at its disposal against individuals who, under the guise of their passion for OM, endanger their reputation by entering the field and insulting a player instead of supporting him."