..::Football IV::..

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AC Milan 2 SPAL 0: Penalty double seals comfortable win for Montella's side

Penalties from Ricardo Rodriguez and Franck Kessie were enough to help AC Milan ease past SPAL 2-0 at San Siro.Milan were scarcely tested by their visitors and will be disappointed that their dominance was not rewarded with a more flattering scoreline.

Rodriguez scored his first goal for the club after Nikola Kalinic had been hauled down in the box in the first half, while Kessie converted from the spot after he'd been felled by Felipe in the 61st minute.

Vincenzo Montella's side have now won three straight games in all competitions following their 4-1 humbling at the hands of Lazio, and will be full of confidence ahead of this weekend's trip to Sampdoria.

SPAL, meanwhile, will need to put in a much improved performance if they are to get anything out of in-form Napoli's visit to the Stadio Paolo Mazza on Saturday.

SPAL looked bright in the early stages, but Milan soon found their stride. The first opening went to Rodriguez, who skewed his half-volley from the edge of the area over the crossbar, before Andre Silva had his goal-bound shot blocked after impressive work down the right by Kessie.Kalinic, fresh from his brace against Udinese at the weekend, then had a long-range drive deflected into the hands of SPAL goalkeeper Alfred Gomis.

Gomis was called into action again in the 19th minute to push over Ignazio Abate's strike from inside the area. Cristian Zapata did well to meet the resulting corner, but his header flashed narrowly over the bar.

The hosts’ breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Gomis clipped the ankle of Kalinic after he had spilled Rodriguez's shot. Rodriguez drilled the penalty into the bottom corner to register his first goal for the club following his move from Wolfsburg. Silva then had a whipped shot from distance well kept out by the overworked Gomis.

Milan started the second period with the same verve that characterised their play in the opening 45 minutes and they nearly doubled their advantage four minutes after the restart.

Rodriguez's teasing cross from the left was met by the desperate lunge of SPAL defender Bartosz Salamon, whose interception arrowed into the side netting. SPAL then had their first sight of goal just a minute later when Federico Mattiello met Manuel Lazzari's cross, but Leonardo Bonucci was able to hack his header away as it flashed across the face of Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal.

Normal service was resumed shortly after, though, as yet another Milan attack resulted in a second penalty. Kessie this time was brought down by Felipe in the area, and the Ivorian slotted the spot-kick past Gomis. The second goal killed the game as a contest, with Milan content to see out the final 30 minutes at a pedestrian pace.

 

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Chelsea 5 Nottingham Forest 1: Hazard on form as Batshuayi claims hat-trick

Eden Hazard provided two assists on his first club start of the season and Michy Batshuayi scored a hat-trick as Chelsea eased into the EFL Cup fourth round with a 5-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

After three straight substitute appearances, Hazard looked back to his creative best following ankle surgery in guiding the heavily-rotated Blues past their outclassed Championship opposition.

Batshuayi, Charly Musonda and Kenedy were all included as part of nine changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Arsenal at the weekend and the trio all netted in a fluent first half.The latter was making his first appearance since being sent home from a pre-season tour of China and set the hosts on their way with an early opener.

Batshuayi added a second after half-time to go with Musonda's debut goal for the club before the Belgian completed his treble with four minutes left as Antonio Conte's side comfortably accounted for the second-tier visitors, who pulled one back through Tendayi Darikwa in stoppage time.


The hosts only needed 13 minutes to make the breakthrough as Antonio Rudiger stepped forward from the back and dropped an inch-perfect cross to the far post for Kenedy to volley in at close range. It was 2-0 just six minutes later when Hazard slipped Batshuayi through a static defence, the striker forcing a low finish through Stephen Henderson.

Hazard was already turning on the party tricks by the 25th minute as he skilfully released Kenedy down the left, but the Brazilian's inviting cross was just beyond Batshuayi's reach.

Forest were restricted to attacking solely from set-pieces by that stage, although they did almost cut the deficit in eye-catching fashion when Everton loanee Kieran Dowell curled a classy free-kick against the crossbar.

Instead, it was the Premier League champions who made it 3-0 shortly before the break with Musonda firing low and hard into the bottom far corner following Cesc Fabregas' inventive pass.

That combination almost paid dividends once more on the stroke of half-time with Fabregas lofting a superb pass over the back four, but Musonda's first-time chip over the onrushing Henderson drifted wide of the upright.Hazard squared the ledger of shots against the woodwork within five minutes of the restart when, off one step, he speared a drive from outside the area which came back off the right post.

The 26-year-old chose to turn provider for a second time in the 53rd minute, shaking off Henderson in a one-on-one before unselfishly passing to Batshuayi to finish calmly past Forest's recovering defenders.

Batshuayi fortuitously completed his hat-trick late on when Kenedy's rifled shot ricocheted in off the striker after coming back off the crossbar, before the visitors grabbed a consolation with the last kick off the game courtesy of Darikwa, who put the finishing touches on a tidy counter-attack.

 

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Hamburg 0 Borussia Dortmund 3: Bosz's men cruise back to Bundesliga summit

Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic grabbed the goals as Borussia Dortmund crushed Hamburg 3-0 to move back to the top of the Bundesliga.

Peter Bosz's men have started the season impressively and continued their fine form on Wednesday, as they kept a fifth successive clean sheet, a feat they have never managed at the beginning of a Bundesliga campaign before.

Dortmund were particularly good in the first half and, after wasting a couple of fine chances, deservedly took the lead through Kagawa – the Japan international making the most of his first Bundesliga start of the season.

Dortmund sat back after the break, inviting pressure, and that tactic worked like a charm, as Aubameyang finished off a swift break just after the hour to continue his tormenting of Hamburg with what was his ninth goal in as many games against them.


The lively Pulisic then wrapped things up with 10 minutes to go, rounding off a well-worked move as Hamburg were left on the end of a comprehensive defeat in their own stadium.

It took Dortmund's attack seven minutes to create the first opening, Aubameyang and Pulisic dazzling the Hamburg defence, before the American sent a controlled effort just wide of the bottom-left corner.

Andriy Yarmolenko then got involved, cutting inside and crossing for Aubameyang to send a glancing header on to the right-hand post.Dortmund's dominant start eventually bore fruit in the 24th minute.Yarmolenko's free-kick found Omer Toprak, who nodded it down for Kagawa and he kept his cool before smashing past Christian Mathenia.

That goal seemed to spark Hamburg into life and they almost equalised just after the half-hour mark – Andre Hahn forcing Roman Burki into a smart save after good work from Lewis Holtby.

But they rode their luck again twice in quick succession shortly after, as Pulisic tested Mathenia inside the area, before the goalkeeper saved Mergim Mavraj from an embarrassing own-goal by tipping his header over following another wicked Yarmolenko delivery.

Hamburg looked a little more positive early in the second half and they almost levelled in the 54th minute, but Mavraj blasted his effort into the side-netting from eight yards after Dortmund failed to clear a corner.

The home side's switch to a more attack-minded approach ultimately proved their undoing in the 63rd minute, however.Dortmund caught Hamburg on the counter and Yarmolenko's eventual shot was scuffed into the path of Aubameyang, who tapped it in from close range.

The match was put completely beyond Hamburg in the 79th minute, as Pulisic collected Mahmoud Dahoud's cut-back, strode past a challenge and confidently swept home to round off an impressive Dortmund performance.

 

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West Brom 1 Manchester City 2: Sane at the double amid fresh Gundogan fears

Leroy Sane's brace gave Manchester City a battling 2-1 win at West Brom in the third round of the EFL Cup, but victory came at a price as Ilkay Gundogan was hit by another possible injury blow.

Sane has been restricted to one Premier League start so far this season, the odd-man out in Pep Guardiola's gifted forward line, but he grasped his chance with aplomb at The Hawthorns.

The 21-year-old's early opener preceded a swashbuckling first-half showing from a City side performing in the same vein as the recent romps against Liverpool, Feyenoord and Watford despite Guardiola making eight changes.

West Brom imposed their will on the match after the break, with the sight of Germany midfielder Gundogan – making a first start since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last December – limping off following an ugly lunge from Claudio Yacob, noticeably unsettling City.

Yacob warmed to his role as villain by snatching an equaliser but the winner arrived against the run of play in the 77th minute, with Sane collecting Bernardo Silva's pass, cutting inside Craig Dawson and curling home past the excellent Ben Foster.


City controlled the action from kick-off, with West Brom's first touch of the ball coming when goalkeeper Foster denied Gundogan from Raheem Sterling's third-minute cross, with Sane on hand to smash home the rebound.

Gundogan was at the heart of much of City's impressive work early on and found space inside the West Brom box once more in the 18th minute, only for returning West Brom centre-back Gareth McAuley to make a vital block.City took the resulting corner short, catching West Brom napping, and Sane chipped to the back post, where Foster palmed away Eliaquim Mangala's header.

Full-backs Fabian Delph and Danilo came infield to bolster a 26th-minute City attack and the latter picked out fellow Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, who engineered room in the box before blasting over.Foster excelled himself in first-half stoppage time, clawing a curling effort from the rampaging Sterling away from his top corner.

Guardiola's only complaint over City's first-half efforts would have related to them not having a more commanding lead for their dominance and West Brom forward Jay Rodriguez glanced a Dawson cross wide early in the second period to underline the precariousness of their position.

City were enduring their most ragged period of the contest when, in the 54th minute, Gundogan broke up a West Brom attack and surged forward. His run was halted on the edge of the opposition penalty area, with Yacob booked and Gundogan unable to continue.

Foster remained on top in his personal duel with Sterling as the England winger's latest menacing dribble went unrewarded but James Morrison prodded wide at the other end, some excellent hold-up play from Hal Robson-Kanu fashioning a 69th-minute opening.



Guardiola's men did not heed that warning and Yacob, already far from popular with the travelling supporters, was allowed too much room to dispatch Kieran Gibbs' corner through Claudio Bravo's legs.Robson-Kanu fired wide and Bravo saved from Morrison as West Brom suddenly appeared the likely victors, but Sane stepped up to brilliantly settle matters.

West Brom ensured their opponents made anxious progress towards full-time, with Salomon Rondon heading agonisingly wide from a Matt Phillips cross before Robson-Kanu clipped the outside of the post in stoppage time.

 

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Manchester United 4-1 Burton: Rashford nets double in Old Trafford victory for Red Devils

Manchester United began the defence of the League Cup in style with a 4-1 win over Burton Albion on Wednesday night.

Manager Jose Mourinho made nine changes to the side that beat Everton 4-0 on Sunday, with Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford the only players to retain their places.

The Reds started the match in explosive fashion and, after latching onto Jesse Lingard's flick-on, Rashford was able to fire home his first goal of the match with just four minutes on the clock.The England striker doubled United's tally shortly after as he whipped in from the edge of the area, following Daley Blind's neat pass.

Then, after 37 minutes, the Reds made it 3-0 as Lingard's deflected shot left Connor Ripley helpless in the Burton goal.Anthony Martial provided the assist for Lingard's goal and the Frenchman found himself on the scoresheet on the hour mark, as he slotted home after picking up Rashford's through-ball.

Despite a relatively quiet night for United's back line, Burton spoiled their clean sheet in the dying moments as, after Joe Mason's header struck the bar, Lloyd Dyer was there to hammer home a consolation for the travelling Albion fans.

 

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Real Madrid 0 Real Betis 1: Ronaldo's return ruined as Sanabria stuns LaLiga champions

Real Madrid suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Real Betis as Cristiano Ronaldo endured a frustrating LaLiga return on Wednesday.Antonio Sanabria headed in a dramatic 94th-minute winner for Betis, who were victorious at the Santiago Bernabeu in a league game for the first time since 1998.

Making his first Liga appearance of the season after serving a five-match domestic ban, Ronaldo was unable to have the same impact he did a week ago when he netted a brace against APOEL in the Champions League.The Portuguese star tried hard and had numerous attempts on goal, but Madrid failed to score for the first time since April 2016.

The result ended a record-equalling run of 73 games in which Madrid had netted as Zinedine Zidane's men were left seven points behind rivals and league leaders Barcelona.

Zidane made three changes to the starting XI that helped Madrid to a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad last time out, headlined by Ronaldo's return. Ronaldo started up front in place of Borja Mayoral, while Marcelo also returned from suspension, the Brazilian and Toni Kroos coming in for Theo Hernandez and Marco Asensio.

There were four changes for Betis, who edged Deportivo La Coruna in their previous outing, as Victor Camarasa, Fabian Ruiz, Sanabria and Francis Guerrero started in place of Joaquin, Andres Guardado, Sergio Leon and Juan Jose Narvaez.Betis made a bright start and only some brilliance from Dani Carvajal denied the visitors an opening goal in the third minute.

Madrid sloppily gave away possession on the halfway line and Betis almost made them pay on the break, Sanabria eventually getting into a position to beat Keylor Navas, only for Carvajal to produce a goal-line clearance.

Ronaldo, quiet in the opening exchanges, almost created something out of nothing at the other end, his audacious back-heel in the 10th minute deflected wide.Betis midfielder Camarasa had Navas scrambling five minutes later, while Luka Modric hit the side-netting before putting a Carvajal cross just over.

The hosts finally started to look the more dangerous of the teams approaching the half-hour mark, a powerful Ronaldo drive forcing Betis goalkeeper Antonio Adan into a low save.Carvajal, who endured a mixed half at right-back, gifted the visitors a great chance in the 33rd minute, his poor throw-in finding Ruiz, who forced Navas into a diving save.

Held goalless in the opening half of a league game for the first time since April, Madrid should have gone ahead shortly after the interval, but Ronaldo side-footed a Gareth Bale cross over the bar.

As Ronaldo moved wider, the hosts started to look more dangerous and Carvajal hit the outside of the post after getting on the end of a cross from the Portuguese star in the 55th minute.Ronaldo was fortunate to escape a sanction for a crude challenge just before the hour-mark and then had penalty appeals turned down as his frustrating outing continued.

Bale, so often criticised by his own fans this season, almost delivered the goal they craved, his delightful flick tipped onto the post by Adan in the 75th minute.


Sanabria had an effort correctly ruled out for offside in the 90th minute, but the forward would soon find a winner.

Left in plenty of space at the back post, the Paraguay international headed in a pinpoint Antonio Barragan cross to give Betis a stunning victory.

 

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Athletic Bilbao 1 Atletico Madrid 2: Correa and Carrasco strike in second-half surge


Atletico Madrid continued their unbeaten start to LaLiga with an impressive 2-1 away win over Athletic Bilbao, who were left to rue Aritz Aduriz's missed penalty with the game goalless.Two second-half goals sealed victory for Diego Simeone's side, Angel Correa's third of the season being followed up by a strike from substitute Yannick Carrasco.

Atletico deserved it for their strong display after the break, but they were also indebted to goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who impressively saved Aduriz's spot-kick in the first half.

After a good first-half display, Athletic offered little after the break until former Atletico man Raul Garcia struck deep in stoppage time, an effort which came too late to affect the outcome.Simeone's men have now gone nine games without defeat against Athletic and this defeat is only the hosts' second in 21 league matches at San Mames.

Atletico move back to within four points of leaders Barcelona, while Athletic are four behind them and have now lost two straight games, following their loss to Las Palmas last time out.


A quiet opening half-hour saw Raul Garcia send an 18-yard volley at Oblak as the hosts made a slightly stronger start, while Antoine Griezmann had a deflected free-kick saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga at the other end.

The match then burst into life, with Nicolas Gaitan initiating a dramatic spell before half-time by capitalising on a defensive mistake by Unai Nunez and firing in a left-footed shot that Arrizabalaga tipped on to the post.Griezmann threatened next when Koke's throughball allowed him to force the home goalkeeper to save with his legs.

Athletic responded by winning a controversial penalty, as Filipe Luis stretched to win back possession and was adjudged to have fouled Raul Garcia, the foul being committed right on the edge of the area.But Aduriz's effort from 12 yards was superbly saved by Oblak, who stretched to his right to deny him.

Atletico then thought they had taken the lead when Griezmann's overhead kick found the net, only for Diego Godin to be penalised for fouling Mikel San Jose as he headed into the France forward's path, shortly before Filipe Luis then tested Arrizabalaga.Griezmann's 25-yard strike early in the second half was held by the impressive Arrizabalaga, but the Athletic keeper was finally beaten on 55 minutes.

A slick Atletico move saw Griezmann slip through a pass to Koke, who in turn played a square ball to Correa, with the striker tapping in from six yards.Griezmann had his second goal of the match ruled out, this time for offside after touching in Carrasco's shot, before being involved in his side's next chance.

The visitors came close to doubling their lead when the 26-year-old promptly got up after having an ambitious penalty claim turned down and fired in a strike that was well saved by Arrizabalaga after Filipe Luis' pass.

Athletic did not threaten in the second half until Raul Garcia volleyed over an excellent opportunity from eight yards after the away defence had failed to head clear a right-wing cross.And that proved costly when Atletico sealed victory with 17 minutes remaining, Griezmann's lovely lofted pass impressively finished by Carrasco, who took one touch and fired into the far corner.



Filipe Luis limped off injured in the closing stages, one of the only sour notes of a morale-boosting triumph for Atletico, the other being Raul Garcia's goal in the second minute of stoppage-time from Mikel Balenziaga's cross.

 

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Juventus 1 Fiorentina 0: Mandzukic on target as Bianconeri maintain winning start

Juventus made it five wins from their opening five Serie A fixtures as Mario Mandzukic's second-half header sealed a 1-0 victory over 10-man Fiorentina.After a slow start at the Allianz Stadium, Juve had to wait until the 52nd minute to find a way through Fiorentina's stubborn backline.

The outstanding Juan Cuadrado was the architect with a brilliant delivery from the right, and Mandzukic made no mistake in nodding home his second goal of the campaign.

Paulo Dybala looked set to be provided with an ideal opportunity to continue his incredible goalscoring form when Blaise Matuidi was brought down by Milan Badelj on the cusp of Fiorentina's area, but although the referee initially awarded a penalty, he reversed his decision after utilising the VAR system.Badelj nevertheless picked up a second booking for his troubles as Fiorentina were reduced to 10 men, with Mandzukic twice going close shortly after.

Ultimately though, the official's decision and Mandzukic's misses mattered little, as Juve held firm to maintain their winning streak and join Napoli at the top of Serie A.


Looking to build on his scintillating form, Dybala was the first to engineer an effort on goal as he curled an excellent free-kick wide nine minutes into a largely uneventful first half. Juve wanted a penalty soon after, with Gonzalo Higuain having gone down under pressure from German Pezzella, but the referee dismissed the hosts' appeals.

Fiorentina almost caught Juve cold with a rare venture forward - Andrea Barzagli picking up a booking for a foul on Giovanni Simeone - but Jordan Veretout could not keep his effort down.

Despite dominating, Juve could not find another opening until the stroke of half time, when Higuain turned sharply to unleash a powerful strike that looped just over.But Juve did finally craft their opener seven minutes after the restart.

Cuadrado found space on the wing, proceeding to whip in a sublime cross that Mandzukic met with a well-timed diving header into the bottom-left corner.Juve should have extended their lead moments later - Cuadrado again the provider with a fantastic low cross - but neither Higuain nor Mandzukic were alert enough to make contact.

Badelj's careless lunge on Matuidi just after the hour saw the midfielder receive his marching orders, only for the referee to award a free-kick rather than a spot-kick after assessing the video replay.Mandzukic could have then put the game beyond all doubt with two close-range efforts that forced Marco Sportiello into action.

And Juve were almost made to pay for the Croatian's poor finishing late on, with Fiorentina substitute Gil Dias causing havoc, but Wojciech Szczesny's clean sheet stayed intact as Juve claimed the points.

 

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Real Madrid's goal streak comes to shocking end in loss to Real Betis


Real Madrid failed to score a goal for the first time in 512 days after Real Betis handed Zinedine Zidane's side a 1-0 loss in La Liga on Wednesday night.Los Blancos were previously held scoreless back on April 26, 2016, by Manchester City during a 0-0 draw in the Champions League.

Antonio Sanabria scored the match-winning goal for Real Betis in the 94th minute to shock the hosts, marking their first Liga win at the Bernabeu since 1998. Betis were also the first team other than Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to win at the Bernabeu since Gijon back in 2011.

Real Madrid have failed to win in their last three La Liga home matches, which is their worst stretch since April 2011.

Madrid will look to bounce back when they visit Alaves on Saturday.

 

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Casemiro urges Real Madrid to stay calm after shock Real Betis loss


Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro urged his team to stay calm as he ignored Barcelona's seven-point advantage in La Liga after his side's shock loss to Real Betis.

Zinedine Zidane's men were stunningly beaten 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday as Antonio Sanabria headed in a dramatic late winner for the visitors.The result left Madrid seven points adrift of rivals and league leaders Barcelona, who have won their opening five games.

But Casemiro said his side needed to keep their cool after being left with work to do early in the season."We have to have a cool head because maybe a point would be better than a defeat," he said.

"It was bad luck. Everything we created, everything we tried, we fought. It's football. Sometimes it's unfair."We have to congratulate Betis, who fought, worked and made a good game here."

Madrid had numerous opportunities as Cristiano Ronaldo made his league return, but the Portuguese star was left frustrated. Asked about Barca's lead at the top, Casemiro said: "We have to think about ourselves."

Madrid get a chance to bounce back when they visit Deportivo Alaves on Saturday.

 

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'He is available now' - Wenger ready to give Wilshere more chances with Arsenal


Jack Wilshere's performance in his first start for Arsenal since May 2016 left Arsene Wenger convinced that the midfielder is ready for a return to Premier League action.

The 25-year-old was influential throughout as Arsenal beat Doncaster Rovers 1-0 at the Emirates to reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup, building on his return to first-team action in the 3-1 victory over Cologne in the Europa League last week.

Wilshere spent the 2016-17 season on loan at Bournemouth and it seemed his Arsenal career, which began when he came through the club's youth ranks to make his first-team debut in 2008, was on the wane.

But Wenger gave him a full 90 minutes against Doncaster and was impressed with what he saw."I wanted to keep him on. It was the ideal game," Wenger told reporters. "You have to put the game into perspective. But it was important for him to build him up."For me he is available now to play - I have to decide when to play him. He needs 90 minutes of that intensity to be repeated."

Wilshere almost registered an assist in the fourth minute when he played a delightful chipped pass to Olivier Giroud, who crashed a spectacular overhead kick onto the crossbar. The decisive moment arrived in the 25th minute, when Alexis Sanchez played in Theo Walcott and the England forward scored his first Arsenal goal of the season.

Wenger admitted that Doncaster were allowed to make life difficult for his side thereafter, saying: "We started well. We had a good pace to our play but slowly lost our passing a bit.

"After that we did the job, even if we didn’t have the style or flair."

 

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Atletico Madrid close to an agreement with Chelsea for Diego Costa


Atletico Madrid are close to agreeing a deal with Chelsea for Diego Costa and it could end up being a loan move with an obligation to buy him for around £35 million as a breakthrough has finally been made, Goal understands.

Costa won't be able to play for Atletico Madrid until 2 January when the loan deal will start. The permanent move is then set to go through on 1 July 2018 but he will finally see an end to talk over his future after spending all summer in Brazil.

Diego Simeone has made it his personal mission to bring Costa back to his old club after signing his new contract in early September. He has seen his club make significant progress on the deal and Costa could arrive into Madrid to finalise it at the weekend.

Chelsea snubbed Atletico Madrid's interest in Costa in the summer of 2016. The forward pushed to move to Tianjin Quanjian in January but the deal was delayed as Chelsea fought for the title. The Chinese club offered almost triple his wages and were willing to pay a £76 million fee to Chelsea.

The deal collapsed after the Chinese Super League imposed a 100 per cent tax on transfers for foreign players. Atletico Madrid then re-ignited their interest but they suffered a transfer ban which has delayed their ability to bring in Costa.

Costa reacted angrily in the summer after Antonio Conte sent him a text message to tell him he is no longer needed at the club. The Spain international's relationship with Conte and his club has been strained ever since with both sides then looking into a legal resolution to the situation.

Costa is in Chelsea's official Premier League squad but he isn't likely to play for the club with a deal close to being agreed. He will look to find an arrangement that can see him train with Atletico Madrid until January but the fine details have yet to be fully agreed.

 

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Mourinho praises 'extremely professional' showing from Manchester United


Man Jose Mourinho lauded Manchester United's professionalism after they began their EFL Cup defence with a comfortable 4-1 win over Burton Albion.

Hosting a Championship side showing nine changes from their weekend fixture hardly represented the strongest challenge for Mourinho's men.And a strong XI featuring Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford duly illustrated the vast gulf in class.


Rashford's two goals were added to by Jesse Lingard and Martial, with Burton grabbing a last-ditch consolation through Lloyd Dyer."Sometimes players in these cup matches are not professional," Mourinho told Sky Sports after the game. "But that was an extremely professional performance.

"We gave no chance to the opponent. I think Burton fought for a result that allowed them some dignity and Nigel made it clear their game at the weekend was more important."I learnt nothing new. They all want to play and are ready to play. I enjoy that commitment.

"There were some great performances and the team collectively enjoyed the game. We look happy playing football at this moment."

While Rashford and Martial will take the headlines, Lingard was equally effective with a typically energetic display. And the forward admits he and his team-mates are desperate to retain their crown.

"There is always a hunger for many trophies," he said. "If we keep performing we'll win many more."Man United will travel to Swansea in the fourth round of the competition.

 

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Carabao Cup draw: Chelsea host Everton as Man Utd take on Swansea in fourth round

Chelsea have been drawn against Everton at Stamford Bridge while Manchester United will take on Swansea in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

The two Premier League giants went through with ease on Wednesday as they dispatched lower-league opposition. The Blues thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-1, while United romped to a 4-1 win over Burton Albion.

But in the next round each side will face fellow top-flight opposition, as Everton and Swansea prepare for a hefty challenge in the fourth round.
Elsewhere Manchester City take on Wolves after beating West Bromwich Albion in a hard-fought clash on Wednesday at the Hawthorns. Arsenal, who squeezed past Doncaster Rovers at the Emirates Stadium, remain at home as Norwich City gear up for a trip to north London.

Crystal Palace visit Bristol City, Leicester City play hosts to Leeds United and Bournemouth play at home against Middlesbrough in the remaining Carabao Cup fourth round clashes.

 

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Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

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Rakitic questions Barcelona's 'bad decision' to part with Neymar


Ivan Rakitic says it was a “bad decision” for Barcelona to sanction the record-breaking €222 million sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Liga giants found themselves forced into a corner once the Brazilian made it clear that he wanted out and PSG stumped up the cash to trigger his release clause.Having parted with one of the leading performers in the world game, Barca quickly set about trying to bring in cover.

Part of the fee Neymar brought in was spent on the likes of Paulinho and Ousmane Dembele, but Rakitic concedes that the 25-year-old will be a big miss at Camp Nou.He told the BBC World Service: "For me personally, it was really hard, not only because he's one of the biggest players; also, for me, he's a big person.

"He was really important for our dressing room, and for me he's one of the best guys I know in football."So for me it was really a bad decision because I liked to have him in my team."

Neymar spent four years with Barca, during which time he netted 105 goals in 186 appearances.Filling such a void will not be easy, but Rakitic concedes that the club must accept and respect the decisions which have been made.The Croatian midfielder added: "We have to respect Neymar's decision to move.

"If a team can buy him and he decides to leave Barcelona, we have to respect it and wish him the best [of] luck."Hopefully he can score a lot of goals and be happy in Paris, but we have to go on our way and be strong together without Neymar now."

Barca spent €105m luring Dembele to Catalonia from Borussia Dortmund, with the hope being that the 20-year-old can be a long-term successor to Neymar.That may prove to be the case in time, but the France international has endured a nightmare start to his time at Camp Nou, with a hamstring injury requiring surgery and a spell on the sidelines.

It was initially suggested that he would be out of action for up to four months, but Dembele has hinted that he could cut that rehabilitation process in half.

 

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Klopp bullish as Liverpool are forced to contend with more defensive issues


Jurgen Klopp could be without first-choice central defensive duo Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip when he tries to remedy Liverpool's problems at the back against Leicester City on Saturday.

The Reds return to the King Power Stadium in Premier League action after goals from Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani dumped them out of the Carabao Cup at the same venue on Tuesday.Lovren missed that match due to a back injury and Matip, along with Germany international midfielder Emre Can, sustained a knock.

"It's nothing major but it was enough to keep him out of two games and he is not in training so far, so that means he is also a doubt for the weekend. That's not too cool," Klopp said of Lovren's injury"It's the same, but with completely different [injuries] for Joel Matip and Emre Can.They have little bits from the last game, so we have to see."Hopefully they can be back in training [by Friday], but it's not sure at the moment so we have to wait."

Can was pictured training later on Thursday but Liverpool could again line up with youngster Joe Gomez alongside Ragnar Klavan, who has failed to entirely convince at the heart of defence, as they try to break a run of four games without victory.

Familiar defensive frailties have come under the microscope during this period and Klopp believes his players' determination to do the right thing when under attack is leading to weaknesses in the next phase."It's concentration but it's also a little bit of readiness in these moments, the second ball situation," he explained.

"We've spoken about set-pieces since I've been here, more or less. In different moments we conceded goals from the first ball – cross, header; cross, volley."We sorted this, somehow, so far. We use the formation much better. But we cannot defend a set-piece with a 50-yard header so there will be an opportunity with the second ball. Fighting for these balls, we need to do differently.

"What we have at the moment, because of the situation, everybody wants to help where the first ball is. You see this very often, we come too close together in this situation and it means, for the second ball, we don't have a good formation."

Nevertheless, Klopp would rather be trying to plug defensive gaps than struggling to encourage the attacking verve that Liverpool display in abundance at their best.
"We really work on this and we see it [the defensive mistakes] in the game," he added."Around these situations, there is not the same confidence as there is around, 'give us the ball'. That looks a lot more natural.

"Each manager in football has another hole to fill, but if you ask me what I would prefer – do you want your team perfect in defending set-pieces but they cannot play football, or would you prefer the other way around? I still would take this one. We are on it, as you can imagine."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aubameyang disappointed at lack of Real move: 'I shall no longer speak of Madrid'


Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has expressed his frustration that a move to Real Madrid failed to materialise. Last season's Bundesliga top scorer was widely tipped to leave Dortmund after the 2016-17 campaign, with clubs all over Europe and in China credited with interest.

Aubameyang made no secret of his desire to join the Blancos, but the Gabon international wound up staying put at Dortmund as Madrid decided not to spend big to replace the departing Alvaro Morata.

Speaking to RMC, Aubameyang admitted he was disappointed to not join the Blancos, but says he has now put the saga behind him."I have no dream," the 28-year-old said when asked if he still dreams of a move to Real. "I shall no longer speak of Madrid. They don't want me."This is not a problem. I move forward, I am well in Dortmund.

"We had an agreement with Borussia that I could leave. It didn't happen. It is a disappointment. But I'm also happy to stay."Madrid were not the only club linked with Aubameyang, and unlike the Blancos, there were several clubs that did make offers, including AC Milan.

"Milan offered me something," Aubameyang admitted. "I was very interested by the project, [but] It did not happen for many reasons."Aubameyang also said he met with Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, but a potential move to Paris fell through with the hiring of a new sporting director in June.

"At the beginning of June I met Nasser," Aubameyang said. "It was before Antero Henrique's arrival. And when Henrique came to PSG, they decided that they wouldn't take me."

Several Chinese clubs were also linked with a big-money move for Aubameyang, who said he was never close to making a switch to the Chinese Super League. "China, I didn't take it seriously, it was a lack of professionalism. They delayed to send us a written offer – It was a disaster."

 

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Mane reluctant to rule Liverpool into title race at this stage


Sadio Mane claims it is “too early to talk about the title” at Liverpool, but is delighted to still have Philippe Coutinho at the club.The Reds enjoyed a positive opening to the 2017-18 campaign, as they entered the international break with a 4-0 mauling of Arsenal and seven points taken from three games.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have, however, stumbled slightly of late, going four games in all competitions without a win.They are still only five points off the pace, but Mane says it is too soon to be discussing a possible tilt at the English top-flight crown.

The Senegal international forward told ESPN: “Honestly, it is too early to talk about the title. We are not focused on other teams, just on ourselves, and we know we can beat any team in the league.“These kind of results [no wins in four matches] can happen in any team, but we will do our best to change the situation. We will try to take it game by game, and why not win it at the end?”

If Liverpool are to push themselves into contention, then they will need key men to perform at the peak of their powers.Mane falls into that category, but he is currently serving a three-match ban for a red card picked up in a 5-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Brazilian playmaker Coutinho is another important figure for the Reds, with Liverpool having fought hard over the summer to keep him out of the clutches of Barcelona.The 25-year-old was eager to make a move to Camp Nou, but Mane is pleased to still have him as a team-mate on Merseyside.

He added: “It was not only important to me, but also to the whole club, that Phil is staying here.“He is one of our best players, an important player, and we are happy to see him stay with us.”

Mane has netted three times in five appearances this season, while fellow forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino have contributed five and four efforts, respectively.

 

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Griezmann welcomes Costa 'coming home' to Atletico


Antoine Griezmann is looking forward to welcoming Diego Costa “home” to Atletico Madrid after seeing Chelsea sanction a sale.Having made the Spain international aware that he no longer figured in their plans at the start of the summer, the Blues then saw the window close with no exit agreed.

With relations between player and club at a breaking point, Costa refused to return to west London as he remained AWOL in Brazil – the land of his birth.

He had made it clear throughout a protracted saga that a return to Atletico was his preferred choice, and he has now got his wish.Griezmann is clearly delighted with the deal.

Goal revealed earlier on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for the want-away striker, with Atletico set to part with around £40 million.Chelsea later confirmed that a deal had been done, although Costa will be unable to mark his return to the Spanish capital until January.

Europe’s leading clubs are unable to purchase players outside of windows, while Atletico are barred from registering new signings until the New Year as they work under a transfer embargo. When they do get Costa back, they will be getting a forward who helped Chelsea to two Premier League titles during his time in England.

He had previously helped Atletico to the La Liga crown and Champions League final before departing in 2014.Part of the £32 million generated from his sale went towards landing Griezmann, with the France international having slipped seamlessly into the role of talismanic frontman.

He will now get the opportunity to work in tandem with Costa, as Atletico seek to make the 2017-18 campaign – their first at their new Wanda Metroploitano home – as memorable as possible.