..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Colombia 2-0 Venezuela: James on target against nine-man visitors

Carlos Bacca and James Rodriguez had penalties saved but Colombia overcame struggling nine-man Venezuela 2-0 in a World Cup 2018 qualifier at the Estadio Metropolitano.James ensured Colombia took an advantage into the interval, slotting home from the edge of the box in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.

Colombia's onslaught continued after the break and the home side had a chance to put the match to bed when Wilker Angel was shown a second yellow card for fouling Bacca inside the area.

The striker saw his spot-kick saved by Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez, but the hosts kept the ball alive and James picked out Macnelly Torres to slot home the second with nine minutes remaining.

Rolf Feltscher was also dismissed when he received a second booking for a pull on James, but the Real Madrid attacking midfielder also failed to convert from 12 yards in the 94th minute.Nevertheless, Colombia had done enough to secure a third successive victory in the CONMEBOL section, while Venezuela remain without a win in seven.

Jose Pekerman's team came charging out the blocks and had a trio of chances inside the opening 10 minutes, but Luis Muriel, Torres and Bacca all failed to convert.

Venezuela soon gained a footing in the match, but Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina kept them at bay with a pair of brilliant saves.

After leaping to his left to palm Juanpi's 20-yard free-kick over the top, Ospina flung a left arm to Josef Martinez's effort and made enough contact to send it wide of the upright.

But Colombia ensured it was they who broke the deadlock as James committed Feltscher upon receiving Bacca's pass, before slotting into the bottom corner.

The hosts continued to control the match after the restart, and Muriel came close to adding the second when his cross-goal effort from the left-hand side of the box shaded the far post.

Bacca was kept out twice by Hernandez before being afforded a golden chance to get on the scoresheet when he won a penalty from Angel, who was shown a second yellow card as a result.

The Milan marksman's spot-kick was tame and too close to the goalkeeper, who comfortably parried it to his right, but Colombia retained possession and worked the ball over to James on the right, and he checked inside before floating a cross to Torres for the second.

Roger Martinez was denied by Hernandez before Feltscher walked for pulling back James in a second bookable offence, though contact appeared to be made outside the area.But James failed to score the elusive third for the hosts as his low penalty was saved once again by Hernandez, though this time he held on to the ball.

Colombia travel to Manaus to play Brazil for their next outing on Wednesday, while Venezuela will face Argentina, without Angel or Feltscher due to suspension.

 

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Argentina 1-0 Uruguay: Messi marks return with winner

Lionel Messi struck the only goal of the game as 10-man Argentina secured a 1-0 win over rivals Uruguay in World Cup qualifying on Thursday.

Just over two months after retiring from international football, a decision he later reversed, Messi was the hero for Argentina in Mendoza.

The strike - which deflected off Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez - was enough to separate the two sides in Edgardo Bauza's first game in charge. The win sends Argentina above Uruguay and to the top of the qualification standings after seven games.

Bauza and Co. were also forced to play the entire second half with 10 men after striker Paulo Dybala received a second yellow on the stroke of half-time. Chances were few and far between in the opening stages, with Argentina dominating possession and Messi pulling the strings.

Their first real chance was a free-kick by Messi which did not clear the wall, before Mathias Corujo skied a good opportunity for the visitors.

Dybala was unlucky not to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark, with the Juventus attacker's shot coming off the post and off the back of Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera and out for a corner. Luis Suarez had a free-kick which went straight into the hands of Sergio Romero, before a Messi shot was blocked by Gimenez.

But just two minutes later Messi found the back of the net - his 56th goal for Argentina - aided by a heavy deflection from Gimenez once again, leaving Muslera stranded.

Suarez had the chance for an immediate response from the restart, but his shot was blocked by Pablo Zabaleta, before he attempted to set up Nicolas Lodeiro with a bicycle kick.

Things were looking good for Argentina until Dybala received a second yellow right before the break in rather harsh circumstances, following a soft foul on Corujo.

The second half was largely dominated by Uruguay, who used the extra man to their advantage to control more of the possession. However, Messi almost doubled Argentina's lead in the 52nd minute with a superb curling free-kick, which was brilliantly tipped away by Muslera.

Uruguay continued to attack but Suarez and strike partner Edinson Cavani failed to break through the Argentine defence, suffering their second defeat of the qualifying campaign.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paraguay 2-1 Chile: Hosts stun South American champs as Arce opens with win

Francisco Arce's reign as coach got off to a winning start as a first-half blitz saw Paraguay stun South American champions Chile 2-1 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

Back at the helm for a second spell after Ramon Diaz resigned following Paraguay's group-stage exit at the Copa America Centenario in June, all eyes were on Arce and his men in Asuncion on Thursday.

And Paraguay produced a stunning upset, scoring twice inside the first 10 minutes to send their opponents back to Chile empty handed, Oscar Romero and centre-back Paulo Da Silva leaving the visitors reeling amid pandemonium in the stands at Estadio Defensores del Chaco.

Arturo Vidal reduced the deficit nine minutes before half-time but Chile were unable to find an equaliser, losing Gary Medel to a late red card and slumping to a third defeat from seven World Cup qualifying fixtures, as Paraguay moved two points above the back-to-back Copa America winners on 12 points.

There were considerable changes to both teams, who were playing for the first time since the Copa America in June, with no less than seven new faces introduced by Arce following Paraguay's 1-0 loss to the United States at the tournament.

Chile were without goalkeeper and captain Claudio Bravo, but they still had Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas as Juan Antonio Pizzi made four changes to the side that beat Argentina in the final of South America's premier international tournament.

Despite Chile's intimidating trio on show, the visitors were left shellshocked as Paraguay made a dream start with two goals inside the opening 10 minutes.

Romero broke the deadlock with a stunning long-range strike in the sixth minute, after collecting the ball from outside the penalty area, turning his opponent and unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner of the net.

Paraguay continued to run riot three minutes later as Da Silva manoeuvred himself into a position from a corner to head the ball past Cristopher Toselli from inside the six-yard box.Chile eventually settled into the match, stemming the flow, though their defence still appeared vulnerable.

And the Chileans managed to claw their way back into the contest as Paraguay dropped deeper and deeper, Vidal meeting Charles Aranguiz's free-kick and glancing a header past Diego Barreto in the 36th minute. Paraguay started the second half like they did the first, but without managing to score.

Romero almost restored Paraguay's two-goal lead four minutes after the interval, however, his low shot was turned around the post, while Dario Lezcano was unable to keep his effort underneath the crossbar just seconds later in a wasted opportunity for the home team.

Chile thought they had equalised via Sanchez but their joy was cut short after the goal was ruled out for offside with 23 minutes remaining as Paraguay held on.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bastian Schweinsteiger included in Man Utd's Premier League squad

Manchester United have confirmed that Bastian Schweinsteiger will be part of their 25-man squad for the upcoming season, despite having not been part of a single matchday squad so far.The German, who played his final game for his country on Wednesday, signed for United last season but he didn't have the impact many were hoping for under Louis van Gaal.

Since Mourinho was appointed as the Dutchman's replacement, Schweinsteiger has constantly been linked with a move away and he has been training with the U21s rather than the first team.

Despite this United have included him in their squad for the season, meaning that he will be able to play Premier League games should Mourinho have a change of heart or suffer an injury crisis.

Schweinsteiger discussed his future whilst on international duty, saying that he would consider a move to MLS in the future but he has no problem with Mourinho and still dreams of playing for United."I have no personal problems with Jose Mourinho. I still believe in my own ability. I could still help United if given the chance.

"I have to wait and see now how it goes in September and October and how it develops. One thing is for sure, I'm not going to stop playing football."The MLS transfer window is closed, so it won't happen this season. But of course, the US is an option."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi: I did not deceive anybody

Lionel Messi says he "did not deceive anybody" after making his first appearance for Argentina since reversing his decision to retire from international football.

Messi shocked the footballing world with his decision to retire from the Argentina national team following their loss to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in June.

The defeat was the third in three years Messi and Co. had suffered in the final of a major international tournament.

However, after a meeting with new Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza - who flew to Europe to meet with Messi - the Barcelona star elected to return to the national team.

And on Thursday he proved to be Argentina's hero, scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Uruguay to move top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification standings.

Messi insists he did not attempt to fool anyone with his decision to retire, believing it was the right call to make at the time. "I am very grateful [to return to the national team]," Messi told TV Publica. "But I did not deceive anybody when I retired, I felt that.

"We were very disappointed with what had happened, but after that I thought better. "I had a conversation with the Paton [Bauza] and the people as well accompanied me through it."

However, the 29-year-old is a doubt for Argentina's next qualifier against Venezuela due to injury. "I don't know if I will play against Venezuela," he said. "I have a lot of pain in my groin but I wanted to be here after the disturbance I caused.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kante: I spoke to Mourinho about Manchester United move

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante revealed Jose Mourinho tried his utmost to lure him to Manchester United, but he could not turn down Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge.

Kante, 25, swapped Premier League champions Leicester City for Chelsea during the transfer window, the only major player to leave the Foxes.

United were also reportedly interested in the hard-working France international but Mourinho's efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.

"It was amazing to have Mourinho call me, even though I'd been warned before how he would appeal to me," Kante said."I listened to his arguments about why I should move to United."But at that time I was hesitant between staying at Leicester or leaving for Chelsea."My discussions with them were already well underway. But when I spoke, I had a good feeling with Conte."

Kante has settled well in London, playing every minute of Chelsea's three Premier League wins to start the season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shaw: Missing Euro 2016 was the best decision for me

Luke Shaw believes his decision not to try to force his way into England's Euro 2016 squad was the right one.The left-back suffered a nasty leg break while playing for Manchester United against PSV in the Champions League in September last year.

Shaw missed the remainder of the domestic season, but did harbour hopes of recovering in time to feature in Roy Hodgson's plans for the finals in France.

It was not to be, but Shaw's impressive start to the new campaign saw him called up to Sam Allardyce's first squad for the opening World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on Sunday, and the 21-year-old believes he is benefiting from an off-season spent on recovery.

"During the time I did think I'd be back for the Euros, but when it was coming around I felt it was best for me not to rush it," Shaw said.

"I really wanted to go and I was trying everything to get back fit, but that's gone now."And it was the best thing for me to not to go. That's the best decision I could have made."There have been a lot of good left-backs who have emerged over the last year and now especially Danny Rose, who was the best left-back last season for me.

"The challenge for me is good. I want to be playing with the best and fighting for a position against the best players. That's only going to push us both and those who haven't been picked."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Argentina concern over Messi fitness ahead of Venezuela clash


Argentina boss Edgardo Bauza was happy to get a win on his debut but is unsure over the fitness of Lionel Messi after their 1-0 triumph against Uruguay.

Messi scored the only goal of the game on Thursday as 10-man Argentina ground out the victory against rivals Uruguay, after Paulo Dybala was sent off just before half-time.

The Copa America Centenario runners-up had dominated play up until that point, but were able to continue to control the second half despite their disadvantage. Bauza was full of praise for his Argentina players as the side moved above Uruguay and to the top of the CONMEBOL qualification standings.

"Up until we had 11 players we dominated the game and with our retention of the ball we made the difference," he said. "With a player less we kept up our play, we just lacked a bit out counter attack.

"We won a game that is always difficult. Uruguay are a complicated rival."On Messi, Bauza said the Barcelona star was playing through some pain ahead of the Uruguay fixture and could be a doubt for Tuesday's away clash against Venezuela."Messi played a great game despite his pain," Bauza added. "He suffered a groin injury and those know how painful that can be. We have to wait to see if Messi can play against Venezuela.

"In the next 48 hours we will know how he is. But we will not risk him."As for Dybala's replacement, Bauza said: "I have two or three options to take his place. But if Messi is OK, we don't need to change our picture."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

I'd be praised if I played for Real Madrid or Barcelona - Diego Costa

Spain striker Diego Costa has hit back at his critics, saying he would be praised for his performance against Belgium if he played for Real Madrid or Barcelona.The Chelsea star set up the first of David Silva's two goals in a 2-0 victory for Julen Lopetegui's men in Brussels on Thursday.

But Costa, who was brought on to replace the injured Alvaro Morata during the first half, was left fuming by what he considers unfair treatment in the media after the match.

"If I were a Real Madrid or Barca player, you would say I played well," the former Brazil international said."I did bad games. But even if I don't score, the truth must be said. I missed the goals but they will arrive.

"Media don't lie many times when they say I have not done great things with the national team. But you have to say it as well when I play well."Costa has scored just once in 11 appearances for Spain, while he failed to net in two games for Brazil, the country of his birth.

But the 27-year-old said criticism of his display against Belgium was unjustified.
"I think this one has been my best game with the national team. Not like other times when I leave hurt," Costa said."It's my bad because sometimes I f*** it, but other times some people make a storm out of a little thing."

Morata was withdrawn as a "precaution", according to coach Lopetegui, with Spain facing Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualifier on Monday.

 

[sri D]

Argentina 1-0 Uruguay: Messi marks return with winner

Lionel Messi struck the only goal of the game as 10-man Argentina secured a 1-0 win over rivals Uruguay in World Cup qualifying on Thursday.

Just over two months after retiring from international football, a decision he later reversed, Messi was the hero for Argentina in Mendoza.

The strike - which deflected off Uruguay defender Jose Maria Gimenez - was enough to separate the two sides in Edgardo Bauza's first game in charge. The win sends Argentina above Uruguay and to the top of the qualification standings after seven games.

Bauza and Co. were also forced to play the entire second half with 10 men after striker Paulo Dybala received a second yellow on the stroke of half-time. Chances were few and far between in the opening stages, with Argentina dominating possession and Messi pulling the strings.

Their first real chance was a free-kick by Messi which did not clear the wall, before Mathias Corujo skied a good opportunity for the visitors.

Dybala was unlucky not to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark, with the Juventus attacker's shot coming off the post and off the back of Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera and out for a corner. Luis Suarez had a free-kick which went straight into the hands of Sergio Romero, before a Messi shot was blocked by Gimenez.

But just two minutes later Messi found the back of the net - his 56th goal for Argentina - aided by a heavy deflection from Gimenez once again, leaving Muslera stranded.

Suarez had the chance for an immediate response from the restart, but his shot was blocked by Pablo Zabaleta, before he attempted to set up Nicolas Lodeiro with a bicycle kick.

Things were looking good for Argentina until Dybala received a second yellow right before the break in rather harsh circumstances, following a soft foul on Corujo.

The second half was largely dominated by Uruguay, who used the extra man to their advantage to control more of the possession. However, Messi almost doubled Argentina's lead in the 52nd minute with a superb curling free-kick, which was brilliantly tipped away by Muslera.

Uruguay continued to attack but Suarez and strike partner Edinson Cavani failed to break through the Argentine defence, suffering their second defeat of the qualifying campaign.

ela ela..return eka goal ekak aranmai weda patan arn tynne..

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo: Real Madrid return will be ‘soon’

Cristiano Ronaldo has given Real Madrid fans a boost as he closes in on a return to first-team action after recovering from a knee injury picked up in the final of Euro 2016.

The Portugal international has been sidelined since the tournament in France and has missed the first two Liga games of the season for Zinedine Zidane’s men.

Ronaldo has also been forced out of Portugal’s squad for the games against Gibraltar and Switzerland but is hopeful of returning to action imminently.

The Real Madrid star has posted an update on Instagram of himself in training at Real Madrid with the caption “Soon” – although no date has yet been placed on his return.

Madrid are back in action after the international break when they take on Osasuna at the Bernabeu on September 10 before their opening Champions League clash against one of Ronaldo’s former teams, Sporting, four days later.

 

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Aguero handed three-game ban after FA reject appeal

Sergio Aguero has been handed a three-game ban after the FA rejected Manchester City's appeal.

The Argentina international striker will miss the Manchester derby meeting with United at Old Trafford on September 10, as well as games against Bournemouth and Swansea City in the League Cup.

Aguero was charged with violent conduct after elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid during the 3-1 Premier League victory at Etihad Stadium on August 28.

Referee Andre Marriner did not include the incident in his match report and City subsequently appealed the charge, but an announcement on Friday confirmed Aguero's punishment.

The Argentinian, who has three goals in as many Premier League outings for Pep Guardiola's side this season, will miss the trip to Old Trafford on September 10 as well as a home game against Bournemouth and an EFL Cup third-round tie at Swansea City.

City and United have both started their league campaigns with 100 per cent records, making next Saturday's fixture a top-of-the-table clash.

 

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Sissoko: Leaving Newcastle was a 'necessity'

Moussa Sissoko has penned an emotional farewell to Newcastle United fans but insists leaving to join Tottenham was a “necessity”.

The France international joined Tottenham on deadline day in a deal worth £30m after a summer of discontentment on the back of Newcastle's relegation from the Premier League.

Sissoko, who scored 12 times in 133 matches for the Magpies after joining from Toulouse in January 2013, failed to make a single appearance for Newcastle in the second tier after making it clear he was not interested in remaining at the club.However, in a heartfelt goodbye to the club, the 27-year-old paid tribute to the Newcastle fanbase and expressed his belief that Rafa Benitez will guide the club back into the Premier League.

“As you know, a new adventure begins for me,” he wrote in an Instragram post.
“Despite the difficulties, I decided to join Tottenham. This choice was a necessity and I needed a new challenge.

“While I know that this decision can make Newcastle fans sad and disappointed, I want them to know that I will never forget.“I’ve always played with heart for them and the club. I’ve enjoyed the atmosphere of St. James’ Park every game. I’ve liked living in Newcastle and I’ve found a warmth that contrasted with the cold of the English north.

“This heat around the club, initiated by the fans, has often warmed my heart while I was far from my friends and my family. There were good and bad times.

“Relegation was clearly an emotional pain for the whole city. But the heart of this city beats for this club and I have no doubt it will come back very quickly to the top level. It deserves it.

“This heart I felt it beat, scold, laugh, love and hate. But it is brave and warm.“Personally, my three years at NUFC will remain unforgettable. I'll never forget it. And it will forever be in my heart and a part of me. Thank you all!”

 

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Mkhitaryan suffers Manchester derby blow as Armenian FA reveal extent of injury

Henrikh Mkhitaryan could miss the Manchester derby after the Armenian FA revealed he has picked up a thigh injury which could rule him out for up to 10 days.

The Manchester United midfielder had to be withdrawn midway through Armenia's friendly affair against Czech Republic after picking up the problem in a collision with Marek Suchy.

And Armenian football's governing body has since confirmed test results were “not encouraging” as Mkhitaryan bids to be fit to face Manchester City in one of the biggest games of the season.

"As reported, senior national team captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan received an injury against Czech Republic and as a result was unable to continue the match,” a statement from the Armenian FA read.

"Mkhitaryan has had a medical examination in a clinic in Mlada Boleslav. Unfortunately, the results are not encouraging."Mkhitaryan was found to have an injury in the lower third of the left thigh muscle. Such injuries usually require a week to 10 days to heal, which means that Mkhitaryan will miss the Denmark-Armenia match on 4 September.”

The 27-year-old revealed on Twitter that he had returned to Manchester for treatment, adding that he hoped to be fit "very soon" and thanking the fans for their support.

Antonio Valencia's late return from international duty means he could also miss the derby.The 31-year-old doesn't return to Manchester until Friday, the day before the match, as he is travelling with Ecuador to face Peru in a World Cup Qualifier. Jose Mourinho's United play hosts to Pep Guardiola's City at Old Trafford on 10 September with both sides having won their opening three Premier League games.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Get well soon Mkhitaryan!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Failed big-money signings hurting Madrid - Fernandez

Barcelona technical secretary Robert Fernandez fired a shot at rivals Real Madrid over their lack of transfer activity, saying it was down to their expensive bench players.European champions Madrid were largely inactive during the window, the return of Alvaro Morata for €30million their only major piece of business.

Barca, meanwhile, added the likes of Paco Alcacer, Lucas Digne and Jasper Cillessen to their already star-studded squad.And to add salt to the wounds, Valencia's Andre Gomes chose the Spanish champions over Real.

Fernandez pointed to Madrid's bench players as the reason Zinedine Zidane's hands were largely tied."European teams that cannot make investments is because they make large investments who do not play," he told RAC1."They are making large investments. It's sometimes difficult to improve to the bench.

"They have players who do not play and have cost a lot of money."James Rodriguez, who cost Madrid €80m in mid-2014, was expected to leave the Santiago Bernabeu, but remained despite reported interest from elsewhere.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Montella: Milan need more anger - like I had

AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella believes his players need to show more anger if they are to succeed this season.

The seven-time European champions have made an indifferent start to the Serie A season, beating Torino before losing at Napoli.And having seen his team collect three red cards across two matches, Montella is hoping Milan can channel a controlled aggression he showed in his own playing days.

"I'm happy with the way we are working, there are some important basics missing, but we need time to bring results," he told Corriere dello Sport."Right now we are lacking a bit of anger that must characterize every player, in my opinion.

"When I played I always had a desire for revenge against someone, that was often the opposition or could even be my competitor for a jersey - of course, all in accordance with the rules."This type of anger you have to train."

And Montella has a ploy to motivate his players, saying he plans to bring to their attention any negative press that has followed the club's transfer business."I asked that I could have delivered all the assessments made by the newspapers related to the market," he continued.

"I'm going to show them to the people concerned. I hope it can be a good motivation."I am convinced that we will show to be a group that is worth much more than previously believed."One player who has made a fine start to the campaign, though, is Carlos Bacca, netting a hat-trick in the defeat of Torino and impressing Montella against Napoli.

"Bacca is a striker of international calibre," he said. "We must exploit those characteristics."Against Napoli it was difficult to play centre forward, it was complicated to open Napoli's defence.

"However, he stretched their team and this has benefited [M'Baye] Niang and Suso. Bacca is always useful to the team."

 

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Kanu scores hat-trick as Arsenal Legends beat Milan Glorie

A Nwankwo Kanu hat-trick and goal from Robert Pires gave Arsenal Legends a 4-1 win over Milan Glorie in a charity match at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners attempted to start the match with 12 men when Nigerian striker Kanu didn’t realise he had been named as a substitute, but the 40-year-old made up for his mistake when he scored a header from Emmanuel Petit’s cross on 27 minutes, before Milan’s Christian Vieri equalised with a scrappy effort five minutes before the break.

Kanu scored a second on 72 minutes before Pires got in on the act just a day after playing at the Wembley Cup, while Vieri netted a late consolation for Milan when he rebounded in a penalty which was well saved by David Seaman.

Highlights included Martin Keown begging Arsene Wenger to bring him on throughout the match and Nigel Winterburn squaring up to Paolo Di Canio in a mock incident of when the Italian confronted a referee against Sheffield Wednesday in September 1998.

Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Kolo Toure all featured for the home side while Wenger and Fabio Capello took charge of the respective squads in a match which is expected to raise £1 million for the Arsenal Foundation’s mission to build pitches for children in London, Jordan and Somalia.

 

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Ancelotti: Bayern's goal is to win the Champions League

Carlo Ancelotti says Bayern Munich's aim for this season must be to win the Champions League, after falling short at the semi-final stage in the previous three campaigns.The Italian has previously won the competition twice as a player and three times as a coach - twice with AC Milan and again at Real Madrid.

And now Ancelotti is aiming to deliver Bayern the success that evaded them under Pep Guardiola, despite the Catalan coach taking charge just after their continental triumph with Jupp Heynckes.

"[Bayern's objective in the Champions League is] to win," he told Marca."They have missed out because of small details in the past and we'll try to reach that turning point in the best possible way.

"It's clear that our goal is to win the Champions League."The German champions were knocked out by Atletico Madrid last term and have now been paired against the same side again in this season's group stage.Ancelotti has also suffered pain at Atleti's hands and he is determined to post an improved result on this occasion.

"I expect and want to win because I have never managed a victory there with Chelsea or Real," he continued."Bayern already know how good Atletico are because they eliminated us last season. We've not forgotten."

 

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Ozil: I'll definitely have Wilshere's No.10 shirt

Mesut Ozil has insisted he will "definitely" have the No.10 shirt at Arsenal following Jack Wilshere's loan move to Bournemouth.

The German playmaker has worn the No.11 since arriving from Real Madrid for a club-record fee in 2013, with Wilshere handed No.10 when Robin van Persie left for Manchester United 12 months earlier.Ozil recently took up the No.10 shirt for Germany following Lukas Podolski's international retirement and now, with Wilshere spending the 2016-17 season at Dean Court, is confident of wearing the same number at the Emirates Stadium.

"For me, the number means a lot," Ozil told Express about his new Germany number. "It is my favorite number. Football legends such as Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Pele have this number. I'm really happy about it.

"I wanted to have the number a few years ago, but so did Lukas Podolski and he had played more matches than me. Now I have access!"Of course, I've previously given those in charge a signal. The number is right for me and my position as playmaker."

When asked if he is going to similar with Wilshere's shirt number, Ozil replied: "Yes, it has become free and I definitely want it."