..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Genoa 2 Juventus 4: Dybala hits hat-trick as Bianconeri come back from two down

Paulo Dybala scored his first Serie A hat-trick as Juventus came from two goals down to defeat Genoa 4-2 in an action-packed clash at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Juve found themselves 2-0 behind after just seven minutes, but Dybala's double pulled them level and the Argentine put the gloss on things with an excellent third that took his Serie A tally to 50 following Juan Cuadrado's effort.

An own goal from Miralem Pjanic just 18 seconds into his 50th appearance for the club got Juve off to a terrible start and matters were made worse when Andrej Galabinov scored a penalty after referee Luca Banti used VAR to look at Daniele Rugani's challenge on the Bulgarian.

It was the second time in as many matches Massimiliano Allegri's side found themselves on the wrong side of a spot-kick decision based on video technology, but the system worked in their favour after Dybala had got them going with an instinctive finish.

Banti deemed Darko Lazovic to have handled a shot from Mario Mandzukic after watching a replay and Dybala restored parity from 12 yards deep in first-half stoppage time.

Cuadrado beat Mattia Perin to put the visitors ahead for the first time and Dybala fired a sweet near-post strike beyond the goalkeeper to ensure Juve escaped with a second win from as many Serie A matches.

An electric start saw Genoa take a surprise lead in the opening minute, Goran Pandev's cross from the right ending up in the back of the net after Giorgio Chiellini deflected it onto Pjanic.


Perin produced a sensational save to stop Santiago Gentiletti heading into the back of his own net and Genoa had a chance to move two up when referee Banti used VAR to award them a penalty for Rugani's tackle from behind on Galabinov.

Stephan Lichtsteiner was booked for his protests, with the Genoa forward having appeared to be offside from Adel Taarabt's touch, but Galabinov was unforgiving and fired his spot-kick down the middle.

Juve, without injured midfielder Claudio Marchisio, did not dwell on the setback and halved the deficit when Dybala met Pjanic's cutback with a cool, first-time finish beyond Perin in the 14th minute.

As Genoa looked to threaten on the break they came under pressure and Perin produced a remarkable double save to keep out Dybala and Mandzukic in quick succession. Juve were not to be denied an equaliser before the break, though. Banti used the VAR system again to penalise Lazovic for blocking a shot from Mandzukic with his arm and Dybala drilled the resultant spot-kick into the top-right corner.

Allegri's side struggled to create and, after Blaise Matuidi replaced Sami Khedira to offer some additional dynamism in midfield, Juve breached the Genoa defence again in the 62nd minute when Cuadrado beat Diego Laxalt and picked out the top-left corner.Rodrigo Bentancur made his Juve debut as a replacement for Pjanic before Gianluigi Buffon – named UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year in midweek – kept out Raffaele Palladino as Genoa pushed for an equaliser.

Dybala made the scoreline more flattering by arrowing a low shot in at the near post in the 92nd minute, his landmark goal coming in fine fashion.

 

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Borussia Dortmund 2 Hertha Berlin 0: Aubameyang and Sahin help BVB move on from Dembele

Borussia Dortmund closed the book on Ousmane Dembele's blockbusting transfer to Barcelona by making it two wins from two in the Bundesliga with a deserved 2-0 triumph over Hertha Berlin.

Dembele completed his protracted switch to the LaLiga giants on Friday for an initial €105million, but Dortmund's remaining attacking riches were to the fore at Signal Iduna Park.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it six for the season in all competitions, earning just reward for early pressure as Peter Bosz's side resumed in the same mood that saw Wolfsburg put the sword 3-0 on the opening weekend.

Christian Pulisic dazzled throughout for the hosts, who extended their advantage in the 57th minute through Nuri Sahin's scorching strike from the edge of the penalty area.

It leaves Dortmund ahead of Bayern Munich and Hamburg on goal difference at the top of the fledgling Bundesliga table heading into the international break.


Aubameyang passed up an early opportunity with an ungainly air shot and barely made better contact in the 15th minute – not that it mattered. Sahin whipped in an inviting ball from the left and the Bundesliga's leading marksman from last season stole half a yard on Karim Rekik to guide the ball left-footed into the far corner.

Hertha were struggling under wave after wave of Dortmund attacks and Rune Jarstein saved well in the 27th minute when Pulisic cut in from the right to fire goalwards.

After the half hour the visitors enjoyed their first chance of note, when Niklas Stark connected with Marvin Plattenhardt's free-kick from deep, but Roman Burki was up to the task.

Pulisic's burgeoning talent has been a source of comfort for many Dortmund fans throughout the Dembele saga and the 18-year-old USA international continued to go through the gears after half-time.

He collected a pass from Gonzalo Castro in the 52nd minute and drove towards the Hertha defence, whistling a shot past the post, and the winger was unsurprisingly involved when Dortmund doubled their advantage.

Pulisic's cross evaded a pair of Hertha defenders and Maximilian Philipp was unable to turn goalwards, with the ball breaking for Sahin to unleash a venomous shot into the top-right corner.

Mario Gotze was granted a standing ovation when he made way for Shinji Kagawa in the 63rd minute, but Hertha threatened to puncture the party atmosphere soon afterwards when Sebastian Langkamp rose highest on the end of Plattenhardt's corner and Burki clawed to safety. Vladimir Darida's improvised attempt from Mitchell Weiser's low cross trickled just wide with 20 minutes remaining as Dortmund's concentration seemingly wavered.

But Hertha's challenge faded as an afternoon of defensive toil took its toll and Philipp swiped over when he should have added a third in the 78th minute.Castro then shot too close to Jarstein at close quarters, while his opposite number Burki concluded an assured outing by denying Mathew Leckie in stoppage time for back-to-back clean sheets.

 

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Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0: Hosts' fast start continues in front of Bolt

Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini struck as Manchester United beat Leicester City 2-0 to continue their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season.

Rashford finished from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's corner three minutes after coming on, just as it looked like Jose Mourinho's men – who had seen Kasper Schmeichel save Romelu Lukaku's penalty – would have to settle for a frustrating home draw that typified last season's top-flight struggles.

Fellaini, another of Mourinho's introductions from the bench, then netted with eight minutes remaining to seal victory, although it looked like he was offside as he converted a shot from United's other sub, Jesse Lingard.

United were unable to make a first-half breakthrough despite being on top, Juan Mata having a goal disallowed for offside shortly before drawing a stunning save from Schmeichel.

After the break, Lukaku had a penalty kept out by the impressive Schmeichel, who achieved a feat his father Peter never managed at Old Trafford in saving a Premier League spot-kick.

Sprint legend Usain Bolt was in the stands wearing a United cap and scarf as his beloved side moved back to the top of the table with nine points from their first three games, in which they have kept a trio of clean sheets.

Leicester, meanwhile, have three points from their opening three fixtures having also lost away to Arsenal in a tough start to the 2015-16 champions' campaign.


United were completely dominant in the first half and had a goal disallowed for offside in the 18th minute. Lukaku's shot was parried by Schmeichel and converted by Mata on the rebound, only for the assistant to disallow the strike in a marginal call, much to the frustration of the Spain international.

Paul Pogba slid in and fired inches wide from Anthony Martial's left-wing cross as the hosts kept up the pressure, before Mata was again denied, this time by a magnificent one-handed Schmeichel save to keep out his curling effort.

Leicester tested David de Gea for the first time when Shinji Okazaki fired in an effort from 25 yards, before Pogba sent two searing 30-yard strikes inches off target for United as the match reached the break level.

United won a penalty after 53 minutes when, seconds after a handball claim against Harry Maguire was denied, referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot after Danny Simpson blocked Martial's cross with his arm.But Lukaku was unable to beat the inspired Schmeichel from 12 yards, the Leicester goalkeeper diving to his right to beat away the Belgium international's effort.

De Gea kept out Riyad Mahrez from a tight angle when Leicester had a rare venture forward at the other end, after which Foxes manager Craig Shakespeare introduced Demarai Gray and Andy King from the bench. Mourinho made his first move by bringing on Rashford for Mata and the England international had the desired impact, netting in the 70th minute.

Mkhitaryan's corner found its way to the forward 10 yards out and his low effort was enough to see Schmeichel finally beaten.The Portuguese boss also brought on Fellaini and Lingard from the bench and that duo combined as United sealed victory.

Lingard worked an opening on the left and shot at goal, with Fellaini prodding in from close range despite appearing to be beyond the last defender. King almost pulled a goal back in stoppage time after getting on the end of Gray's cross, but De Gea was alert to deny him at point-blank range as United went into the international break on a high.

 

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Las Palmas 1 Atletico Madrid 5: No Griezmann, no problem as Koke scores two stunners

Koke scored two stunning goals as Atletico Madrid overcame the absence of Antoine Griezmann to romp to a 5-1 away win over Las Palmas in LaLiga.

Diego Simeone's men claimed their first league victory of the new season – and the 200th of his managerial career at the club – without the suspended Griezmann, who was sent off in last week's 2-2 draw against Girona.

A fast start ensured the visitors were not in danger of dropping further points on Saturday, Angel Correa and Yannick Carrasco strikes putting Atletico two goals up inside the first five minutes.Jonathan Calleri headed in as Las Palmas briefly threatened a second-half fightback, but Koke sealed victory with two tremendous efforts.

Jonathan Viera had a late penalty for the hosts saved by Jan Oblak, before Thomas Partey netted with two minutes left to round off a miserable evening for the hosts.

Atletico now have four points from their first two games, while Las Palmas have suffered back-to-back defeats to start the campaign, a run that stretches to seven straight losses including the end of last season.


Atletico took the lead in the third minute with their first attack, Correa collecting a deflected flick from his strike partner Luciano Vietto before showing rapid footwork to evade two Las Palmas defenders and send his finish into the far corner, his quick strike taking home keeper Leandro Chichizola by surprise.

And it was two for Simeone's men just 118 seconds later, with Carrasco collecting a pass from Saul Niguez, tricking his way past defender David Simon and firing into the far corner with a left-footed finish.Las Palmas threatened for the first time when a bouncing effort from Viera was pushed to safety by Oblak.

But the Atletico goalkeeper was otherwise untroubled in a first half that concluded with home fans calling for Vietto, already booked, to receive a second yellow for a foul on Viera.

Vietto committed another foul early in the second half, prompting Simeone to replace him with Gabi and switch to a five-man midfield.The hosts got a goal back in the 58th minute, Calleri heading in after finding space behind Diego Godin after Momo whipped in a wonderful cross from the left.

But the comeback was snuffed out inside four minutes, Koke curling a magnificent strike into the far corner from 20 yards after Pedro Bigas had made a hash of clearing Carrasco's cross.

In the 75th minute, Koke scored in spectacular fashion again, sealing his first career double. Carrasco weaved into the box and was challenged by Mauricio Lemos as he shot, the ball bouncing into the path of the Spain international to produce an instinctive overhead kick.

Las Palmas had the chance for a consolation when Gabi clumsily fouled Viera in the box, but when the attacking midfielder took the resulting spot-kick himself, Oblak made an impressive save.

Atletico wrapped up an impressive evening with a fifth, Koke dummying Carrasco's cutback to allow Thomas to find the far corner with a strike from 20 yards that took a slight deflection.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Roma 1 Inter 3: Icardi the hero again as Spalletti returns with a win

Mauro Icardi's second-half brace helped Inter to a 3-1 Serie A victory over Roma on Luciano Spalletti's return to the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Edin Dzeko fired Roma in front after quarter of an hour and the hosts dominated for long periods before Icardi struck twice - his third and fourth goals of the season - to stun the home crowd and Matias Vecino completed the scoring.

Inter had welcomed former coach Stefano Pioli back to San Siro with a 3-0 defeat of Fiorentina - his new side - on the opening weekend and it had looked to be Spalletti's turn for an unhappy reunion as Roma cast the visitors aside in a devastating first-half display.

Roma's Radja Nainggolan had earlier been forced to deny claims he had retired from international football after Belgium's bizarre squad snub and the midfielder showed just what Roberto Martinez's men will be missing in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers as he starred and laid on the opener for Dzeko.

Nainggolan was one of three home players to hit the frame of the goal as Roma chased a second, but it was Icardi who netted next against the run of play.And the Inter captain then scored again with 13 minutes remaining, before Vecino added a third, to secure consecutive league wins in improbable circumstances.


A frantic start saw both sides set off with a great zip to their play, Inter somehow passing up the first clear opportunity as a combination of Icardi and Antonio Candreva failed to bundle the ball into the net from close range.

Aleksandar Kolarov - a scorer on his debut against Atalanta last weekend - then rattled the left-hand post with a low 25-yard volley and, with the breathless pace not letting up, the opener soon followed.

Nainggolan's lofted pass into the area found the chest of Dzeko, whose instant control set up a blistering right-footed volley that left Handanovic with no chance.Borja Valero miscued a header in a good position as Inter looked to respond quickly, before the same player was fortunate to avoid censure for appearing to throw a senseless elbow towards the brilliant Nainggolan.

Handanovic denied Dzeko a curling second at full stretch and, with time to spare before half-time, Nainggolan's hefty thump struck the same few inches of metalwork that had earlier kept Kolarov out.

Alisson stood firm to parry Icardi's powerful effort at the other end, but the interval did little to slow Roma's momentum and they hit the post for a third time when Diego Perotti so nearly picked out the top-right corner.However, those small margins proved very costly indeed when Candreva slid a pass through for Icardi to finish beyond Alisson for an unlikely equaliser after 67 minutes.

Dalbert scrambled back to clear off the line when Stephan El Shaarawy's cute dink looked to have immediately restored Roma's lead.And incredibly, with the game flowing once more from end-to-end, Icardi then found the net again as he spun to shoot low into the net from Ivan Perisic's cross.

Nainggolan had the opportunity to rescue a point late on, but he blazed over from inside the area and Vecino instead put the result beyond doubt from another Perisic centre to leave Roma already three points behind Inter and champions Juventus.

 

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Mbappe returns to Monaco squad amid PSG rumours


Kylian Mbappe has returned to the Monaco squad for Sunday’s Ligue 1 fixture against Marseille, despite ongoing rumours linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The 18-year-old attacker continues to be associated with a €150 million switch to the Parc des Princes and was left out of the champions’ panel last weekend as they recorded a 1-0 victory over Metz.Leonardo Jardim explained that he did not want the player involved if he was not at 100 per cent.

Despite rumours mounting that the young France international will return to the capital, he is in line to feature in Sunday’s crunch match at Stade Louis II.

After the game, he will join up with the national team on Monday, with coach Didier Deschamps insistent that players will not be able to complete moves while with his group.Also involved in Jardim’s 20-man panel is Fabinho, another player who is continually being linked with a switch to PSG.

Monaco have welcomed back Brazilian winger Gabriel Boschilia, who could make his first competitive appearance of the season after suffering a serious knee injury last term.

The defending champions have a perfect record so far this season and are on a Ligue 1 record 16-match winning run dating back to last term.

 

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I did not hit anyone - Aguero refutes 'false' steward allegation


Sergio Aguero has denied hitting a steward in the aftermath of Manchester City's late winner at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Raheem Sterling scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola's side, after Gabriel Jesus cancelled out Charlie Daniels' spectacular opener before half-time.

The England winger's goal sparked wild celebratory scenes as the City players charged towards the travelling supporters at the Vitality Stadium, some of whom spilled on to the field.

Referee Mike Dean later gave Sterling a second yellow card for excessive celebrating, while Aguero also appeared to be in dispute with a member of stadium security and the police after a City fan was restrained on the turf.

Multiple reports after the match claimed police had taken a statement from a steward who alleged he was struck by Aguero, but the Argentina forward refuted the claim and believes television evidence falls in his favour.

"Great win today!" he tweeted. "On this story about the steward, I did not hit anyone. "This allegation is false and the TV pictures prove it. C'mon City."Dorset Police confirmed in a statement that two men from Manchester were arrested after leaving the stand and celebrating on the field.

"Officers are reviewing CCTV of the pitch encroachment as part of an on-going investigation to establish whether any other offences may have been committed," the statement added.

"This investigation is in the very early stages and if any further actions need to be taken, this will happen in due course."

 

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Mourinho lauds Man United as confidence grows at Old Trafford


Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he is extremely confident about his side's prospects, hailing their performance in defeating Leicester City at Old Trafford.

Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini struck late on as United claimed a 2-0 victory on Saturday that continued their 100 per cent start to the Premier League campaign.

United racked up 22 shots in a match that also saw Romelu Lukaku have a penalty saved by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who produced an inspired performance.

Mourinho is not getting carried away by United sitting on nine points from three games, but the manager believes his players' solidity, confidence and quality is a marked improvement on what they offered last season.

"We played very well," Mourinho, whose side are yet to concede a league goal, said to BT Sport."The team is playing very well and I'm very confident. We are comfortable on the ball and dangerous on the counterattack.

"The result was open at 0-0 and it was obviously very difficult. The blue wall was very well organised and I always give credit to that, but we kept calm and kept control."After missing the penalty team remained confident and we deserved it. If I had to choose a word to describe my team it would be solid."

He added: "We can look into perspective, last season we won against Leicester at home so that doesn't make a difference, but we had too many draws at home last season.

"Nine points after three matches is nothing different for us because we did that last season."The difference is the quality of our football, we're playing better now and if we hadn't won this match I wouldn't have anyone to blame."

Rashford and Fellaini both scored after coming off the bench, while the other sub, Jesse Lingard, created the Belgium midfielder's goal with a run and shot from the left.

"If I don't have them on the bench I can't make successful changes," he said of the impact his substitutes have had so far this season.

"The players work hard and those who are not playing and are on the bench, or in the stands, are working hard too and waiting for the chance."

 

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'He will be back in January' - Mourinho give Ibrahimovic update


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return to action in January and effectively count as a new signing for the club.The 35-year-old sealed a return to the club this week, signing a new one-year deal less than two months after leaving upon the expiry of his previous contract.

Ibrahimovic is still recovering from a knee ligament injury sustained in the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Anderlecht in April and has published videos on social media highlighting his impressive progress.

Mourinho, however, does not expect the striker to be available until the new year and suggested that his return will mean they do not need to spend money in the next transfer window.
"He will be back in January," Mourinho told BT Sport following his side's 2-0 Premier League win over Leicester City at Old Trafford.
"When the market is open and people are spending money, we don't. But we get a player who was fundamental for us last season. He comes to give us extra quality in the second half of the season.”

 

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'It is a very decent price' - Wenger believes Lacazette was a bargain at €53m


Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal timed their signing of Alexandre Lacazette well, labelling the reported €53 million paid for the forward as a "very decent" price.

Lacazette joined Arsenal from Lyon in July and the Frenchman needed just 94 seconds to open his account in the Premier League, scoring in his side's opening-day win over Leicester City.The 26-year-old joined for a club-record fee, but Wenger feels that the price would have been far greater had the deal taken place later in the window.

Neymar made a world-record €222m move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, creating an inflated transfer market.

"It depends sometimes on the timing. The inflation sometimes is so quick within the transfer market that the timing of your buys is very important," Wenger said ahead of his side's trip to Liverpool on Sunday."We were already on the case last year, so when I came back in I knew the player."Considering the market now, I think it is a very decent price. The price would certainly be very different today."

Lacazette managed double figures in league goals in his final four seasons at Lyon, including netting 28 in 2016-17. Wenger said it would take time for the French striker to find his best form in the Premier League, but he is certain the 11-time international will deliver.

"He is still in an adaptation period to the team and to the league," he said."He is a bit surprised by the intensity of it all in training and in the games. He will get there because he is brave and he is intelligent.

"The intelligence of his runs and the quality of his technique is very good. Overall I don't worry for him. He is just in the [early] phase... at the start he was completely taken by the intensity of it and he slowly adapts."I feel every week he is getting better and stronger."

 

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'No.10 shirt is bringing me luck' - Dybala pleased with early season form


Juventus star Paulo Dybala is relishing the responsibility of wearing the Bianconeri's famous number 10 shirt, claiming it is is bringing him good fortune.Dybala bagged his first Serie A hat-trick to inspire Juve to a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Genoa on Saturday.

The 23-year-old helped his side out of a hole as they trailed 2-0 after just seven minutes, scoring twice before half-time and adding another at the death to improve his season tally to four goals in two games.

And the Argentina international attributes his superb early season form to a kit previously worn by the likes of Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro del Piero.

"Personally, I am very happy with what I am doing this season," Dybala told Mediaset Premium ."I knew wearing the Number 10 for Juventus would be a tough challenge, but so far it is bringing me luck."

Juve lost 3-1 away to Genoa last season and looked set to suffer consecutive defeats at Stadio Luigi Ferraris when Andrej Galabinov's penalty compounded Miralem Pjanic's own goal.

Dybala revealed the 2016-17 defeat was used as a source of inspiration in staging their comeback."We had talked about last season's defeat, but this time managed to fight back and recover from the rough start," he said.

"I am very happy as we knew this was a difficult game. We started a little sluggish and conceded straight away, but did well to turn it around."

 

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Aguero assault accusation withdrawn by Bournemouth after 'misunderstanding'


Bournemouth have withdrawn a complaint of assault lodged against Sergio Aguero by a member of their stewarding staff due to a "misunderstanding".

The Argentine striker was involved in a fracas with police and stewards while celebrating Manchester City's late winning goal at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.A number of away fans spilled on to the pitch in the melee, resulting in Raheem Sterling receiving a second yellow card on the basis that his celebrations had instigated the scene.

A steward later told police he had been hit by Aguero but footage from television cameras appeared to show the 29-year-old attempting to defuse a situation in which one City fan was being pinned to the ground by stadium staff.
Aguero was then shoved by a steward before being led away by a police officer while he protested the steward's conduct. And Bournemouth have now confirmed that they will not be pursuing any action against Aguero and that "no assault took place".

"AFC Bournemouth are aware of an alleged incident which occurred following Manchester City’s second goal at Vitality Stadium on Saturday," the Cherries' statement reads.

"The club have been advised that due to a misunderstanding, an earlier statement alleging assault has been withdrawn and no assault took place."AFC Bournemouth recognises that stewards and police were carrying out their duties in preventing encroachment onto the pitch, with the safety of players and supporters in mind.

"The club will make no further comment on the matter."Aguero had denied the assault in a tweet posted earlier on Saturday afternoon.

"Great win today! On this story about their steward, I did not hit anyone, the accusation is false, and the TV pictures prove it," Aguero wrote.

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.08.27

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.08.27

Chelsea Vs Everton

WBA Vs Stoke

Liverpool Vs Arsenal

Tottenham Vs Burnley

​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.08.27

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.08.27

Eibar Vs Athletic Bilbao

Espanyol Vs Leganes

Getafe Vs Sevilla

Real Madrid Vs Valencia​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2017.08.27

Serie A Fixtures 2017.08.27

Torino Vs Sassuolo

AC Milan Vs Cagliari

Chievo Vs Lazio

Crotone Vs Verona

Fiorentina Vs Sampdoria

Napoli Vs Atalanta

Spal Vs Udinese​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.08.27

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.08.27

Leipzig Vs Freiburg

Hannover Vs Schalke​

 

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Rabiot: PSG move would be good for Mbappe


Adrien Rabiot says Paris Saint-Germain would be the right move for Kylian Mbappe this summer.PSG are reportedly hoping to wrap up a huge deal to sign the 18-year-old, who had also been heavily courted by Real Madrid and Manchester City throughout the transfer window.

Mbappe has been included in Monaco's squad for Sunday's clash against Marseille, having been left out of last week's game against Metz, but Rabiot believes he would benefit from a move to the capital."For him and for PSG it would be a good thing," he told Telefoot.

"It would be symbolic for PSG's image as he is a young player from the Paris region, and of course, on the sporting front because of what he brings."PSG were expected to drop their interest in France international Mbappe after sealing the €222 million signing of Neymar from Barcelona.

The 25-year-old has had a great start to life in Paris, scoring and setting up three goals apiece in as many Ligue 1 games.And Rabiot, who has started all of their games so far this term, says the Brazilian's transition into the team has been seamless.

"It's very easy to play with Neymar. When we pass the ball, we know that he will give it back soon after," he said, before adding there are no hard feelings after the attacker's key role in eliminating PSG from the Champions League last year."I have a good understanding with him. We don't talk about Barcelona's comeback with him, it's in the past.



"The locker room was boiling when we learned that he signed at the PSG."

 

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Chelsea 2 Everton 0: Fabregas and Morata steer champions to accomplished win

Chelsea performed with the authority of Premier League champions as first-half goals from Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata earned an accomplished 2-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte's side suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Burnley at home on the opening day of the season and their victory over Tottenham at Wembley last time out owed much to doggedness and some timely slices of luck.

But the Blues preyed mercilessly upon an Everton side who showed signs of the toll trips to Manchester City and Hajduk Split this week had taken.Fabregas was one of the villains against Burnley as he was sent off, but orchestrated his opening goal before the half hour.

There were suspicions of offside when Morata doubled the lead five minutes before the interval, but the flag stayed down and Everton's hopes were seldom raised thereafter.

Conte's immediate concern will now be looking for an end to the Diego Costa saga before the transfer window closes next week, while Chelsea travel to Leicester City after the international break.


Pedro joined compatriot Fabregas in earning a recall to the Chelsea starting XI and the former Barcelona winger teed himself up to send a 10th-minute overhead kick beyond the crossbar.

Both sides' 3-4-3 setups largely cancelled each other out during the opening stages, but Everton were always more minded towards defence and paid for inviting Chelsea on to them in the 27th minute.Fabregas saw the move through from beginning to end – finding Willian on the right flank before taking possession back and laying the ball in to Morata.

There was a touch of fortune as his international colleague erred and it ricocheted back into Fabregas' path, but the playmaker produced an excellent first-time finish with the outside of his right boot.

Chelsea proceeded to tighten their grip on Ronald Koeman's men, with Wayne Rooney and Idrissa Gueye forced into carelessly coughing up possession as a rumbling attacked ended with Morata slipping free of Michael Keane to head home Cesar Azpilicueta's pinpoint cross.

Rooney tasted defeat for the first time since his Everton return, but it was the former England captain who looked to rouse the visitors after the interval, driving at the Chelsea defence and threading a deftly weighted pass that fellow forward Sandro Ramirez greeted disappointingly with an ungainly swipe.

Conte's men were not about to let their control slip and Victor Moses shot into the side netting after being released by Willian's backheel.Everton's club record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson would have had designs on hauling Koeman's side back into the contest, only to suffer the indignity of being nutmegged by Pedro before the tireless winger fired wide with an hour played.

Rooney's frustrations earned him a booking for dissent, while Michy Batshuayi intercepted a sloppy backpass from Phil Jagielka to prompt an attack that ended with fellow substitute Tiemoue Bakayoko having a shot blocked.

Ashley Williams almost had a rare goal when his spiralling attempt on the turn landed on the roof of the net and the Wales centre-back headed wastefully wide with five minutes remaining, but Everton would have no reward for their toil.

 

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Rabiot: PSG move would be good for Mbappe


Adrien Rabiot says Paris Saint-Germain would be the right move for Kylian Mbappe this summer.PSG are reportedly hoping to wrap up a huge deal to sign the 18-year-old, who had also been heavily courted by Real Madrid and Manchester City throughout the transfer window.

Mbappe has been included in Monaco's squad for Sunday's clash against Marseille, having been left out of last week's game against Metz, but Rabiot believes he would benefit from a move to the capital."For him and for PSG it would be a good thing," he told Telefoot.

"It would be symbolic for PSG's image as he is a young player from the Paris region, and of course, on the sporting front because of what he brings."PSG were expected to drop their interest in France international Mbappe after sealing the €222 million signing of Neymar from Barcelona.

The 25-year-old has had a great start to life in Paris, scoring and setting up three goals apiece in as many Ligue 1 games.And Rabiot, who has started all of their games so far this term, says the Brazilian's transition into the team has been seamless.

"It's very easy to play with Neymar. When we pass the ball, we know that he will give it back soon after," he said, before adding there are no hard feelings after the attacker's key role in eliminating PSG from the Champions League last year."I have a good understanding with him. We don't talk about Barcelona's comeback with him, it's in the past.



"The locker room was boiling when we learned that he signed at the PSG."

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[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0: Counter-attacking masterclass punishes shambolic Gunners

Liverpool showed no signs of fatigue from their midweek exertions with a counter-attacking masterclass to dismantle Arsenal in a highly convincing 4-0 Premier League victory at Anfield.

A 6-3 aggregate victory over Hoffenheim, completed on Wednesday, clinched a return to the Champions League but did not appear to take its toll on Liverpool, who were full of energy as they punished a shambolic display from Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger shuffled his back three after last weekend's dismal 1-0 defeat at Stoke City but they were left exposed when Liverpool regained possession high up the pitch and Roberto Firmino headed in the opener.

The visitors were caught out again when Sadio Mane finished off a move that flew from one box to the other and some woeful defending from the bungling Hector Bellerin allowed Mohamed Salah to surge clear to put the result beyond doubt in the second half.

Daniel Sturridge, a 74th-minute replacement for Mane, added gloss to a scoreline that will help overshadow the confusion regarding Simon Mignolet being dropped from the matchday squad as Loris Karius started his first top-flight game since December.

Despite the return of star forward Alexis Sanchez to the starting line-up after an abdominal injury Arsenal were left to mull on another chastening defeat that leaves them with just one win from their first three games.

Danny Welbeck led the Arsenal line ahead of Alexandre Lacazette and wasted a glorious chance to repay Wenger's faith when he lost his footing and fired over under pressure from Joe Gomez.

Salah would have similarly been ruing his finishing in the 10th minute. Emre Can burst into the box via a one-two with Firmino and rolled a cross to the back post for the Egyptian, whose shot along the ground was blocked brilliantly by Petr Cech at full stretch.


Liverpool's high press and counter-attacking caused the visitors consistent problems, Jordan Henderson and Salah both going close before Jurgen Klopp's men added to their tally in trademark fashion. A length-of-the-pitch break was finished off exquisitely by Mane, who stepped inside Rob Holding on the left and curled a great effort into the far corner.

Wenger replaced Aaron Ramsey – who was making his 300th appearance for the club – with Francis Coquelin for the second half to tighten up Arsenal's porous midfield, but an error from Nacho Monreal led to Salah forcing another save from Cech.Salah was not so forgiving with his next opportunity, nicking the ball away from Bellerin and sprinting from inside his own half to coolly slot past Cech.

Mane forced Cech into action before making way for Sturridge, who capitalised on slack defending from Laurent Koscielny with a header at the back post for his first goal of the season.



Liverpool were relentless and Cech stayed big to stop Salah adding to their tally in stoppage-time, but it provided Arsenal scant relief as they head into the international break following a stinging loss.