..::Football IV::..

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Alexis to make Arsenal return against Liverpool


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Alexis Sanchez will be available for the club's Premier League fixture against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Chile international attacker has not been available for the Gunners yet this season due to an abdominal injury, with speculation continuing to circulate over his future.

Alexis has yet to sign a fresh deal with the Emirates Stadium club, meaning that he could depart on a free transfer next summer, and the 28-year-old continues to be linked with a transfer to Manchester City before the close of the transfer window of August 31.

But it seems he is set to stay at the Emirates Stadium as the north London outfit look to bounce back from their defeat against Stoke City with the trip to Anfield.
"He is ready to play," Wenger confirmed at his pre-match press conference. "I will have to make that decision. Overall he looks in a good shape.

"He has always been focused on his job. He loves to play football and I don’t think he’s too much disturbed by all the noises. Players at that level are used to it now.Some deal with it better than others but I don’t think he’s too much bothered by that."

The former Monaco boss also appeared optimistic over the prospect of an extension being agreed with the South American."The fact that he goes into the last year of his contract doesn’t mean we can’t extend it," he said.

Wenger has numerous headaches with regards renewals, with Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere all out of contract at the end of the season.

 

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Manchester United re-sign Ibrahimovic on a one-year deal

Manchester United have confirmed that they have re-signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a one-year deal.

The Swede played 46 times for the Red Devils last term before a cruciate ligament injury sustained during the Europa League quarter-final second-leg against Anderlecht prematurely ended his campaign.

The 35-year-old, who had netted 28 times in his first season at Old Trafford, was left in a state of limbo, with his future undecided as his contract at United expired.There was speculation that he could make a move to the MLS, but after showing impressive progress with his recovery, he will return to Jose Mourinho's squad this season.

Ibrahimovic feels that he has unfinished business in the Premier League, having previously won league titles in four different countries."I am back to finish what I started," he told the club's official website. "It was always mine and the club's intention for me to stay.

"I cannot wait to get back out on that Old Trafford pitch, but I also know that I have to take my time to make sure that I am ready. I have been working hard and will continue to do so to make sure I am in the best possible condition for my return to the pitch." Meanwhile, Mourinho is confident his charge can make an impression in the second half of the season.

The Portuguese said: "We are delighted Zlatan is on the road to recovery and we are equally delighted to have his ambition and experience back with us. After his contribution last season he deserves our trust and we will be patient waiting for him to return. I have no doubt that he will be important in the second part of the season."

United have made a strong start to the season, winning both of their opening matches in the league 4-0, with Romelu Lukaku, Ibrahimovic's replacement as the team's spearhead, netting four times in three competitive outings.

 

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Ibra is back!

Congratulations Ibra!

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Southgate retains huge respect for 'legend' Rooney following England retirement


Gareth Southgate was fulsome in his praise of Wayne Rooney following the forward's England retirement, while outlining plans to share the captaincy around for the immediate future.

Rooney announced on Wednesday he was stepping down from international duty after a 13-year career with the Three Lions that saw him become the nation's all-time leading goalscorer (53) as well as the most capped outfield player (119).

Southgate had asked Rooney to be a part of his squad to face Malta and Slovakia in upcoming World Cup qualifiers, but the 31-year-old informed the manager of his decision to retire to concentrate on his club career after returning to boyhood side Everton.

In a media conference following the announcement of his 28-man squad, which included first-time call-ups for Nathaniel Chalobah and Harry Maguire, Southgate made it clear he still held Rooney in the highest regard."I called him to firm up the meeting and he said he appreciated me calling, but he'd been thinking long and hard and was going to announce his international retirement," said England boss Southgate.

"We talked for another 30 minutes and I totally understand his decision. He has a sense of loyalty to Everton and has a fresh opportunity there. I thought there was a role for him to play in the squad, but I understand his decision."I'm not sure what else you have to do to become a legend. I congratulate him on a fantastic international career.

"We're good at judging our players harshly. Rooney's done everything but win a trophy with England. By that token only the guys from 1966 can be elevated to that level."I've got huge respect for him. I was fortunate to play with him and manage him. He's been a pleasure to work with and I'm sure there'll be a role for him to play in the future.

"We've had recent squads without him so we're used to that. We've named a lot of younger players, looking to the future, but I could see the value in having older players in there – like Jermain Defoe, for example. We've got exciting players coming through."Southgate also explained that a full-time leader of the side will not be named for the time being.

 

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Dortmund star Dembele to complete €150m move to Barcelona


Borussia Dortmund striker Ousmane Dembele is on his way to Barcelona in a deal worth a total of €150 million. Goal understands that the France international will cost Barca an initial €120m, with Dortmund set to receive a further €30m in bonuses.

Sources consulted by Goal assure that the deal is complete between the two clubs and Dembele, who will sign a five-year deal at Camp Nou. Dembele joined BVB in 2016 from Rennes, and quickly became one of the stars of the Bundesliga in a scintillating debut season.

That form did not go unnoticed, with Barca immediately identifying the 20-year-old as a possible replacement for Neymar after the Brazilian's world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The collapse of Barcelona's approach for Philippe Coutinho then prompted the Catalans to step up their chase for Dembele in recent days. Liverpool refused to negotiate for their star playmaker, who like Dembele declined to commit his future to the club once speculation began.

But with the news that Dortmund's young star will be moving, Liverpool fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Coutinho looks set to remain at Anfield.Dembele appeared a total of 50 times for BVB, scoring 10 goals in all competitions.

The last few weeks have been fraught with tension at the club, however, with the star picking up an internal suspension and facing fierce criticism for his conduct during the transfer saga.

He now becomes Barca's fourth signing of the current window, after Marlon, Paulinho and Gerard Deulofeu.

 

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Barcelona face Juventus rematch in Champions League group phase


Barcelona will have the chance to get revenge for last season's Champions league defeat to Juventus as the pair were drawn together in the group phase on Thursday.The Catalans will take on Juve in Group D of the competition, having lost at the quarter-final stage in 2016-17.

Greek champions Olympiacos and Sporting Lisbon are also in the group alongside the two giants, after the draw was held in Monaco.Holders Real Madrid also take on familiar opposition in the shape of Dortmund, the pair meeting in Group H in a repeat of last year's draw.

Group H will also feature Tottenham, leaving Mauricio Pochettino with a tough challenge to make the knock-out stages against two European heavyweights. Cypriots APOEL complete the line-up.

Chelsea will take on Atletico Madrid, Qarabag and Roma in Group C following the draw, leaving a tough ask to make the last-16.Manchester City will be more confident, having been drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord and Napoli.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will also have every reason to feel confident about progression after seeing Portuguese champions Benfica, CSKA Moscow and Basel come out of the hat in Group A.And there was further good news for Liverpool, who will face Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Maribor.

Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, have a daunting start to their campaign in the shape of Bayern Munich in Group B, alongside Anderlecht and Celtic.

 

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Hoda Draw 1kakhama group 1kakama wage top fight 1kak yai

Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

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Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo named UEFA Men's Player of the Year

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named UEFA Men's Player of the Year for a second consecutive season.

The Real Madrid forward saw off competition from Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to claim the award for the third time overall.Ronaldo struck 25 goals in La Liga last term, and 12 in 13 matches during Real Madrid's Champions League-winning campaign.


Previous winners of the award include Messi and Barca team-mate Andres Iniesta, who claimed the prize in the 2011-12 campaign ahead of the Argentina international in second.

Elsewhere, Buffon was named the goalkeeper of the season, Sergio Ramos the top defender, and Luka Modric the best midfielder, while Ronaldo was also named UEFA forward of the year, beating Paulo Dybala and, again, Messi for the award.
Women’s Player of the Year went to Lieke Martens of Barcelona, who topped Pernille Harder of Wolfsburg and Dzsenifer Marozsán of Lyon.

 

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Congratulations C.Ronaldo!

& Congratulations for all the other winners!

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Iniesta back in contention for Barcelona


Andres Iniesta is ready to return to action for Barcelona after recovering from a thigh injury.The Spain midfielder was replaced after 68 minutes of Barca's 3-1 Supercopa de Espana first-leg defeat against Real Madrid at Camp Nou earlier this month.

Iniesta missed the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu and last weekend's opening 2-0 win over Real Betis in La Liga, but a statement on Barcelona's official website confirmed he has been given the "medical all clear".

The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and told El Pais over the weekend that he is undecided over his future.

Barcelona travel to face Alaves in La Liga on Saturday.

 

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Howedes close to joining Juventus


Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes is on the verge of joining Serie giants Juventus, Goal understands.

The 29-year-old had also been linked to Liverpool during the summer transfer window, but the Italian champions are now closing in on a €10 million move.

After Thursday's Champions League draw, Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta expressed the club's interest while speaking to Premium Sport TV."We are looking for a defender who may play both to the centre and as wing-back. Howedes? He's an option — actually he's a little more than an option," Marotta said.

"But we still have to discuss terms with the player and Schalke 04."Howedes has made 44 appearances for Germany, scoring two goals. The versatile centre-back has spent his entire club career with Schalke since debuting for the first team in 2007.

 

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Shkendija 0 AC Milan 1 (0-7 agg): Cutrone streak continues to confirm Europa League progress

Patrick Cutrone extended his scoring streak to three starts on the spin as AC Milan advanced to the Europa League group stage with a 1-0 second-leg win over Shkendija.The 19-year-old struck for the second time in a week as a measured Milan settled for a dominant 7-0 aggregate victory over their Macedonian opposition.

The visitors' progression was in little doubt after last week's 6-0 win at San Siro and Vincenzo Montella responded by making eight changes to the side which beat Crotone 3-0 on Sunday.

Leonardo Bonucci, Manuel Locatelli and Cutrone were the only players to survive and the latter continued his hot streak by extending Milan's advantage in the 13th minute.Bonucci, meanwhile, overcame a minor first-half injury scare to ensure Milan's perfect record this season would be maintained with a fifth straight clean sheet.

The two-legged success also confirmed the Rossoneri's first appearance in the main draw of European competition since they reached the Champions League last 16 in 2013-14.

Cutrone scored just 18 minutes into his first Serie A start on Sunday and the striker almost got on the scoresheet inside five at Ecolog Arena, seeing his hurried left-footed effort cleared off the line after the hosts gave the ball away deep in their own half.

Ferhan Hasani found space outside the area at the other end but dragged his shot wide of Marco Storari's goal, while Besart Ibraimi also fired wide in a sign of Shkendija's intent.

It was Cutrone, through, who opened the scoring inside 15 minutes, springing the offside trap and wrong-footing goalkeeper Kostadin Zahov before finishing low into the bottom far corner.


Milan had few worries defensively until €42million summer signing Bonucci needed physio attention shortly before the interval. The Italy defender struck a would-be tackler when attempting an audacious long-range shot, but quickly returned to the pitch to ease any injury fears.Shkendija spurned two good chances to restore parity on the night as Ibraimi first curled wide of the top corner before Armend Alimi poked a one-on-one straight at Storari.

Hasani next found joy in behind Milan's defence but the Shkendija skipper took too long to steady himself in the area and allowed a covering Bonucci to snuff out the chance.Storari, deputising for the rested Gianluigi Donnarumma, further proved his worth with a pair of impressive saves low to his right, initially from Alimi and then from Ibraimi's carbon-copy attempt.



Milan steadied throughout the final 20 minutes and, after withdrawing Locatelli and Cutrone, completed a handy tune-up for this weekend's Serie A clash against Cagliari.

 

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Hajduk Split 1 Everton 1 (1-3 agg): Sigurdsson wonder strike seals Europa League group spot

Everton's record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson marked his full debut with an astonishing long-range strike that secured a 1-1 draw at Hajduk Split, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win and a place in the Europa League group stage.

Ronald Koeman named a strong side, including Wayne Rooney leading the line one day on from his surprise England retirement, but the Croatian side hauled themselves back into the tie through Josip Radosevic.That strike came from almost 35 yards but paled next to Sigurdsson's ambition.

Thirteen seconds into the second half, the Iceland international swung ferociously at a loose ball 50 yards from goal on the right.Sigurdsson lost his footing but struck the ball sweetly and it dipped beyond helpless Hajduk goalkeeper Dante Stipica.

Everton's focus wavered slightly from that point, with the tie more or less in the bag, and Jordan Pickford – another big-money arrival quickly proving his worth – kept out a 65th-minute penalty from Said Ahmed Said.


Sigurdsson had a nervous moment in the eighth minute when Hajduk midfielder Savvas Gentsoglou went down with him in close attendance inside the penalty area. Referee Sergei Karasev was unmoved. The hosts made much of the early running before Ante Erceg dragged wide on the end of Said's lofted pass in the 18th minute.

Rooney slipped a lovely pass into Cuco Martina's path on the left but was unable to match that piece of play with an accurate headed finish after continuing his run to connect with the right-back's cross.

Everton were warming to their task and Sigurdsson's eyes lit up when Hajduk failed to clear Dominic Calvert-Lewin's 25th-minute cross from the left, although he sliced a volley wide from the edge of the box.

Pickford saved superbly seven minutes before half-time, tipping Erceg's angled effort to safety after the close-range shot took a deflection off Michael Keane.But Pickford was left grasping at fresh air when Radosevic's rasping long-ranger clipped Leighton Baines and flew into the net.

The vocal home support inside Stadion Poljud sensed an unlikely comeback but those hopes were extinguished by Sigurdsson's stunning moment of inspiration upon the resumption.

Hajduk's heads took a little while to clear and Rooney might have punished them further when he glanced wide from Ademola Lookman's chipped cross. Hysen Memolla sprayed an attempt off target as the hosts gamely pushed Everton back, but they were leaving space on the break and Sigurdsson almost persuaded captain Zoran Nizic to put through his own goal with Calvert-Lewin lurking.

The passage of play that led to Ashley Williams diving through the back of Erceg in the box visibly irritated Pickford but the youngster impressively channelled his frustrations, plunging right to deny Said from 12 yards.Despite those blemishes, Koeman could reflect on an accomplished away European performance that Calvert-Lewin might have added some gloss to when he sprung the Hajduk backline and Stipica stood firm.

Erceg almost capitalised on a mix-up between Pickford and Williams before Rooney checked in to fire at Stipica, by which point Everton's place in Friday's draw was firmly secured.

 

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Sigurdsson ge goal 1kanam patta

 

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Marco Verratti suspended for three matches


Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has been suspended three matches for his red card against Toulouse on Sunday.Verratti picked up his second yellow card of the match in the 69th minute, lunging in and making contact with Christopher Jullien for his second booking. PSG would go on to easily defeat Toulouse 6-2 anyway, as Neymar starred with a pair of goals.

The Italy international will now miss league matches against Saint Etienne (Friday), Metz (September 9) and Lyon (September 17).
PSG have begun their Ligue 1 campaign with consecutive wins over Amiens, Guingamp and Toulouse.

 

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Mbappe to PSG good for Ligue 1 – Ranieri


Kylian Mbappe's expected move to Paris Saint-Germain would be good for Ligue 1, according to Claudio Ranieri.

Monaco star Mbappe, 18, is reportedly nearing a surprise switch to PSG, who have already added Neymar to their squad during the transfer window.The teenager's departure, and to a rival, would be the latest blow to Ligue 1 champions Monaco, who have seen the likes of Bernardo Silva, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Benjamin Mendy depart.

While the signing of Mbappe would make PSG even hotter favourites to claim the title, Ranieri said the move could be a good one for the league."Yes it's good. The championship can grow, Paris can grow," the Nantes coach said on Thursday.

"The idea is to win the Champions League. It's normal. It's normal."PSG had won four consecutive league titles before Monaco claimed their first since 2000 last season.

While he denied Unai Emery's men were certainties, Ranieri admits PSG are very likely to again be crowned champions."Sure? We are only sure of death," the Italian said.

"But Paris will win, 90 per cent [chance]."

 

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'Prove your greatness' - Raiola tells Messi to leave Barcelona


Agent Mino Raiola has some advice for Lionel Messi: Leave Barcelona to prove your greatness.Messi has agreed a new deal with Barcelona but that contract remains unsigned amid uncertainty over the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future at Camp Nou.

With the 30-year-old yet to put pen to paper, Manchester City – managed by former Barca boss Pep Guardiola – have emerged as a possible destination.

Raiola does not represent Messi but the Italy-born Dutchman – whose list of clients includes Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Marco Verratti, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – believes the time is right for a change."A player like Messi must try another experience with a different club and prove how great he is," Raiola said via Marca."Barcelona must be reinvented again."

Messi is Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer, helping the Catalan giants to 29 trophies, including eight LaLiga titles and four Champions League crowns.
Raiola also shared his views on Neymar's world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG activated Neymar's €222million release clause to lure the Brazil international from Barca earlier in August."The market, as such, no longer exists. Now it is countries who are signing players and that isn't football," Raiola added.

"But transfers of €200m are going to be normal from now on, it won't be crazy to see that."

 

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Henry: Ibrahimovic back to conquer Premier League with Man United


Zlatan Ibrahimovic's burning desire to win the Premier League is the reason behind his return to Manchester United, according to Thierry Henry.Ibrahimovic – recovering from a serious knee injury – returned to United on Thursday, signing a one-year contract at Old Trafford after he was released when his previous deal expired at the end of June.

The 35-year-old striker scored 28 goals in all competitions as he helped United to EFL Cup and Europa League glory in 2016-17, but knee ligament damage cut short his season.

United finished sixth in the Premier League last term and former Barcelona team-mate Henry believes Ibrahimovic is back to conquer England with Jose Mourinho, who has overseen back-to-back 4-0 victories to open the campaign.

"They kept Zlatan, but I think Zlatan takes it as a challenge that he has with himself.I think he wants to do more, and he still didn't win the league," Henry told Sky Sports."I know that he wants to win the Premier League, to make England another country that he conquered.

"I'm not surprised, because if I was there [at Man United] I would want to keep a guy like Zlatan in and around the dressing room."Having him around [Romelu] Lukaku, having him around Marcus Rashford [is beneficial]. Rashford was talking about it last year, he knows how to get that dressing room together.

"I'm not surprised in a way because we are talking about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the best that has done it in the game, for me."

 

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Lampard: No excuses for English failures in Champions League


Frank Lampard has hailed Real Madrid as the standard setters in the Champions League but is fed up with Premier League clubs making up excuses for their collective failures.

No English team has reached the final of Europe's top club competition since the 2011-12 season when Lampard won the competition with Chelsea.

Real Madrid reasserted their dominance after two successive titles with a UEFA Super Cup win over Manchester United on August 8, and Lampard expects to see improvement from English sides this season after several years of failure in the competition.

"Real Madrid are the favourites, from what they did against Man United and what they did in recent seasons, they have superstars in the team,” BT Sport ’s football expert Lampard told Goal .

“We know the main one but even against Manchester United in the Super Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, the rotation in the centre of passing and movement proved the benchmark.

"Everyone is playing catch up. I do think Chelsea have as good a chance as any out of the English clubs, alongside Manchester City. They have a big squad too and a lot of European-style players who may flourish on the Champions League platform.

"I expect the English teams to have one or two in the semi-final. Definitely, it is time to see an English club compete. There are no excuses for me. Christmas, having no break? Physical league? Not good enough."We invest enough in football, we are lucky to have a huge investment in the league because it is so popular. Clubs have brought in players from all over the world, even lesser clubs.

"If you get beaten in the Champions League, then that's because you have been beaten by a better team. It is as simple as that. Unfortunately, for the English teams, the real best teams have been a Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for a time."

The Premier League has five teams in this season’s competition with Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United all in at the group stage.

Lampard admits that despite all their riches, Premier League clubs have struggled to bring in the world's elite players in recent seasons, which has led to their struggles."When you are playing against Messi-Suarez-Neymar or Bale-Ronaldo and Benzema ... all the rest of their players, you could keep going through their squad.

We haven't had those game-changers in our major teams,” Lampard said."We have very very good players but not two or three game-changers in our top teams and I think that can be the difference.”

 

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Ibrahimovic: This is the season of Mkhitaryan


Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hailed Henrikh Mkhitaryan and believes he is set to make a big impact at Manchester United in the 2017-18 campaign.

The 35-year-old completed a return to Old Trafford on August 24, less than two months after it was announced that he was released after not having been offered a new contract by the club.

And when discussing his thoughts for the new season, Ibrahimovic identified Mkhitaryan as having a key role to play, insisting that he expects him to get the credit he deserves this year.

The Swede told ESPN: "I think this season will be the season of Mkhitaryan."Last season he struggled a little bit in the beginning, then he came up when he started to play and this season he has opened the season fantastic.

"People underestimate him because he doesn't have the name like the other ones in the world, it could be because he comes from a small country like he comes from but this year he will get the credit he deserves and the quality that he is. My bet is on Mkhitaryan."If he doesn't provide me he will not play [laughs]. I'm joking!"

Mkhitaryan already has four assists to his name at the start of the Premier League season having played a starring role against both West Ham and Swansea City.