..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

CSKA Moscow 1 Manchester United 4: Lukaku nets double in comfortable win

Romelu Lukaku continued his scintillating start to life at Manchester United with a double in their comfortable 4-1 UEFA Champions League win at overmatched CSKA Moscow.

The Russian side had little answer to Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with United having now netted seven times and conceded just once in their opening two Group A fixtures.

United's opener in a dominant display at the VEB Arena came in just four minutes as Lukaku powered home a bullet header for his ninth goal in as many games for the club.

Martial sent in the cross for that effort and was quickly in on the act himself from the penalty spot, before also assisting Lukaku's second of the night.There was no let-up after the interval from the visitors, with Mkhitaryan finding the target following more excellent work from Martial.

United finally eased off the accelerator thereafter, and a late consolation from substitute Konstantin Kuchaev was the only blot on an otherwise excellent night's work.


United were donning grey shirts for the first time since April 1996, when Sir Alex Ferguson famously ordered they change at half-time when 3-0 down at Southampton.

But neither the superstitions surrounding their attire nor an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation could quell their attacking adventure, with Lukaku opening the scoring almost immediately.Strike partner Martial curled in a lovely cross and the striker rose highest in the box to power home a brilliant header.

CSKA almost hit back immediately as young starlet Aleksandr Golovin's mishit shot ran into the path of Alan Dzagoev, who cut onto his right foot and forced a sublime save from David De Gea.

United quickly resumed their onslaught thereafter, with Mkhitaryan being denied by Igor Akinfeev following a one-two with Daley Blind.He could do little moments later, though, as Martial sent the shot-stopper the wrong way from the spot after Georgi Schennikov was penalised for a clumsy challenge on Mkhitaryan.

CSKA's problems went from bad to worse in the 26th minute when Sergei Ignashevich failed to intercept Martial's centre, leaving Lukaku with the simple task of poking home.

For all their defensive frailties, the Russian side looked a threat at the other end, epitomised by De Gea again being forced into action to turn Vitinho's effort over.Any thoughts United might ease off after the break were quickly extinguished as Lukaku came agonisingly close to a hat-trick, Akinfeev punching away his powerful effort.

The goalkeeper was at it again soon after when denying Martial, although his parry merely fell to Mkhitaryan – who slotted home a fourth. That was one of the Armenian's final touches, but replacement Jesse Lingard quickly settled in as he was denied by an onrushing Akinfeev following more good work from Martial.Martial's man-of-the-match display ended when he limped off injured, with United attempting to see the game out thereafter.

However, they failed to preserve their clean sheet as Kuchaev grabbed a fine consolation in stoppage time with a low drilled effort through De Gea's legs from a tight angle.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Basel 5 Benfica 0: Oberlin inspires as hosts end winless run in style

Dimitri Oberlin played a starring role as Basel ended their 11-game winless run in the Champions League with the stunning 5-0 defeat of 10-man Benfica at St Jakob Park on Wednesday.

Not since November 2014 had the Swiss side tasted victory at this level, but their Group A opponents were blown away by a devastating game plan that relied heavily on the awesome speed of Oberlin to secure the club's biggest Champions League win.

The Red Bull Salzburg loanee ran riot, playing a key role in Michael Lang's breakthrough goal before adding a brace of his own either side of the penalty he won for Ricky van Wolfswinkel to convert.

Rui Vitoria, hurting from a home reverse against CSKA Moscow on matchday one, had called for his side to deliver in the first of "five finals", but the coach's tactics left Benfica wide open, while his attempts to outsmart Basel - dropping Switzerland international Haris Seferovic - blunted the attack.

Although the hosts, two up after 20 minutes, thrived on defending their lead, further goals were always likely with Oberlin on the pitch and Andre Almeida's dismissal for an outrageous challenge on Raoul Petretta - shortly after the third - ended the game as a contest.Blas Riveros - Petretta's replacement - netted a fifth to complete Benfica's humiliation.


Basel's pace and energy was evident from the off and they were rewarded with the opener inside two minutes.

Oberlin drove at the visitors' defence and slipped a pass through for Renato Steffen, tempting the ambling Julio Cesar from his goal line to hand Lang a simple, uncontested finish when the ball eventually broke his way on the right-hand side of the area.

Benfica sought a response, but their pressure only played into the hands of the counter-attacking hosts. Oberlin again did the damage, timing his run beautifully to sprint clear and calmly convert through the goalkeeper's legs.

Oberlin continued to run at Benfica - with 36-year-old Luisao, in particular, struggling - but both Taulant Xhaka and Lang wasted promising shooting opportunities.

Although Raul Jimenez awkwardly prodded over in a rare opening for the visitors at the end of the first half, Basel were swiftly back on the attack after the restart and Raoul Petretta's strike drew a save from Julio Cesar.

Lang passed up a great chance to put the result beyond doubt as he fired wide, but it mattered little; another incisive Oberlin run teased a foul from Lubomir Fejsa inside the area.

Van Wolfswinkel dispatched the spot-kick and Benfica's task quickly became harder still, with Andre Almeida foolishly crashing into Petretta's shins and then having the cheek to challenge his inevitable red card as the understandably outraged home supporters angrily gestured in his direction.Luisao had suffered throughout and Oberlin made a mockery of his ageing legs on the fourth goal, dancing past a mistimed challenge on the edge of the box to nutmeg Julio Cesar once again.

Steffen tested the goalkeeper shortly afterwards, before Raphael Wicky took mercy on Luisao and his floundering team-mates with the withdrawal of Oberlin.Basel's momentum was scarcely interrupted, though, and substitute Riveros poked in the fifth, having struck the post moments earlier after a Mohamed Elyounoussi effort had also struck the woodwork.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Qarabag 1 Roma 2: Historic Pedro Henrique goal not enough for hosts



An historic goal from Pedro Henrique was not enough to prevent Qarabag slipping to a 2-1 Champions League defeat to Roma in Baku.

The Brazilian became the first player for a team from Azerbaijan to score in the competition outside of qualifiers, but earlier goals from Kostas Manolas and Edin Dzeko were enough to give the visitors the win.

Qarabag shipped six in their opening Group C match against Chelsea and will have feared the worst when Manolas headed in after just seven minutes, before Dzeko netted a second before a quarter of an hour had been played.

Eusebio Di Francesco's side, who were held by Atletico Madrid on matchday one, eased off at 2-0 and allowed Qarabag to snatch a lifeline with a goal in the first Champions League match to be staged in the country.

Gurban Gurbanov's men were arguably the better side for much of the rest of the match but were unable to test Alisson in the Roma goal, allowing the Serie A side to make it four points from two games.

They move top of the group but could be supplanted depending on the result between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea in the Spanish capital. Qarabag, meanwhile, stay bottom.


Roma took full advantage of a goalkeeping error from Ibrahim Sehic to take the lead seven minutes in. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international punched a corner straight to the feet of Lorenzo Pellegrini, whose cross was expertly steered into the bottom-corner by Manolas' diving header.

The visitors doubled their lead eight minutes later, with Dzeko controlling Stephan El Shaarawy's flick into the box before blasting in off the crossbar from close range for Roma's 100th Champions League goal.

Roma seemed to let complacency creep in after Dzeko's strike, allowing Qarabag to spring dangerous counter-attacks on two occasions after losing the ball to the home side's good pressing game.

They failed to heed the warnings and were duly punished on 28 minutes, with Dino Ndlovu robbing Maxime Gonalons and feeding Pedro Henrique in the box, who steadied himself before firing past Alisson from 12 yards out.The home side, buoyed by their historic goal, continued to match Roma for intensity in the early part of the second half, although Sehic had to make a fine stop to deny Bruno Peres a third goal as he surged into the penalty area on the break.

Daniele De Rossi was introduced off the bench and the midfielder's experience seemed to give Roma an extra measure of control, with Alisson's goal largely untroubled despite one or two promising Qarabag moves.

Dzeko fluffed a half-volley that could have made the win safe with 10 minutes left, but the visitors eased through to full-time unscathed to claim an important win.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kane has 'potential to be one of the best' – Lloris


Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are from "another galaxy" but Tottenham star Harry Kane can be one of the world's best, according to Hugo Lloris.

Kane continued to shine in the Champions League on Tuesday, scoring a perfect hat-trick in a 3-0 win over APOEL to move onto five goals in two games in Europe this season.

The England forward has been compared to Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo and Barcelona maestro Messi, who are regarded as the world's two best players.

Lloris was unwilling to put his team-mate in that category just yet, but the France goalkeeper believes Kane has the ability to be among the best."Ronaldo and Messi – they are from another galaxy but Harry has got so much potential to become one of the best," Lloris said.

"I am not worried – he is connected with the world, he is very calm, he is a hard worker and he is very ambitious."That is something very important in football. If you lose your personal ambition it can become difficult."

Kane, 24, has scored nine goals in eight games in all competitions this season to lead the way for Mauricio Pochettino's men.

While Lloris did not want to compare Kane to Ronaldo and Messi, the shot-stopper said the forward was just as important to Spurs as that duo were to their respective clubs."He is our main player," he said."Like in the top teams – Real Madrid have Ronaldo, in Barca you have Messi. Is Harry Tottenham's Ronaldo? No. He is Harry Kane."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'He was a bargain at £75 million' – Keane praises Lukaku


Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku was a "bargain" at £75 million, according to club great Roy Keane.

Lukaku continued his impressive start to his United career with a brace in a 4-1 Champions League win over CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.The Belgium international has struck 10 times in nine games in all competitions, helping Jose Mourinho's men make a flying start to the campaign.

Former United captain Keane said signing the 24-year-old from Everton was a fine piece of business by the Premier League giants.
"He is a good player at a good age. He knows the Premier League. He was a bargain at £75 million, it was obvious he was going to score goals," he told ITV."He has got off to a good start. He comes across well and seems like a decent character.

"His record at Everton was fantastic and clearly he has gone to a bigger club and better team, who will create so many chances for him, he will get 25-30 goals a season."However, Keane is eager to see Lukaku deliver in big moments for United, who host Crystal Palace on Saturday.

With league clashes against Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea coming up, plus the Champions League, Lukaku will get a chance to do just that.

"The big test will be in the big games. For all top United strikers over the years, [it's] been scoring the big goals in the big games," Keane said. "We are looking at these outstanding strikers all in great form but the time to judge them will be at the end of the season when the medals and trophies are being handed out.

"It's crunch games when one goal will be the difference."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'The story is only just beginning!' - Mbappe warns PSG rivals after big win over Bayern


Teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe has a message for Europe following Paris Saint-Germain's resounding Champions League victory against Bayern Munich: PSG is just getting started. Mbappe, Neymar and Edinson Cavani starred as PSG laid down a marker with a 3-0 win over the reigning Bundesliga champions in Paris on Wednesday.

Cavani and €222 million arrival Neymar were on target after Dani Alves opened the scoring inside two minutes but 18-year-old Mbappe stole the show with his dazzling display against the Germans.

Mbappe — on an initial loan deal from French champions Monaco — teed up Cavani just past the half-hour mark before terrorising David Alaba as Neymar netted PSG's third in the second half."The story is only just beginning," Mbappe told Canal+."We knew in our hearts that we had to put in a great performance against a great team. We did that.

"Expectations were high, which is normal after a summer transfer window like ours. It was a complete performance and now we move on to the next match on Saturday. We are here to win every game."

PSG star Marco Verratti was impressed with his team-mate's performance, adding: "Kylian is an exceptional player. He is 18 years old. Being decisive at 18 years like this, it does not happen to many players. "We try to help as much as possible. Outside the field, he is very humble, he wants to improve a lot. We are really happy for him because these are matches that give him confidence. He is a very important player we are lucky to have here in Paris."

As for captain Thiago Silva, he told Canal+: "Are we stronger this year? Each year, we progress a bit. With Kylian and Neymar's arrivals, we have gone up another notch. The other teams will respect us a little more. Now, we must keep on working."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho revels in Lukaku's Man Utd record


Jose Mourinho has been surprised by Romelu Lukaku's incredible start to life at Manchester United following his two-goal haul in the Champions League.Belgium international Lukaku, 24, was at the double as United crushed hosts CSKA Moscow 4-1 on Wednesday.

Lukaku has already more than justified his £75million price tag following his arrival from Premier League rivals Everton in the off-season, netting 10 goals in nine games.

Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were also on the scoresheet, and Mourinho was delighted to see the continuation of Lukaku's sublime form.

"He is having a great record but we know he is a very good player who will score lots of goal when surrounded by quality players," Mourinho told BT Sport .
"But I have to admit he is scoring important goals in almost every game."

The result leaves United with six points from their opening two Group A fixtures following a 3-0 win over Basel at Old Trafford, much to the delight of Mourinho.
"The important thing is two matches, six points and a good position," he added."We have four more matches to play and have started really strong."The emphasis on team was evident in Lukaku's post-match comments, with the striker refusing to be drawn on goal targets."I just want to win trophies, that's it," he said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Valverde impressed with Barcelona's resilience in Sporting win


Ernesto Valverde lauded Barcelona's resilience as the Spanish giants edged past Sporting CP in their Champions League clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Barcelona were far from their fluent best and had to rely on a Sebastian Coates own goal three minutes into the second half to claim a 1-0 victory in Lisbon on Wednesday.

The win saw La Liga pacesetters Barca move three points clear atop Group D following their 3-0 opening day win over Juventus.

Sporting bounced back well after the goal and could have claimed a share of the spoils late on through Bruno Fernandes, but head coach Valverde was impressed with his side's ability to keep the hosts at bay.

"If you want to win big games you have to suffer," he said"We played with real determination and dominated the first half.

"When we went 1-0 up Sporting gritted their teeth and caused us a little insecurity. But, come on, this is the Champions League and it is never easy."
Sporting now face a daunting visit to Juventus in three weeks' time, but Valverde admitted he has seen enough to think they can still qualify from a difficult group. "They are still one of our direct rivals and can get through," the Spaniard added.

"They play Juventus next and nothing has been decided in this section. They have players who play at a high level but what I like most about them is their group mentality. They also have a good coach."

Sporting acquitted themselves well throughout, and boss Jorge Jesus believes the Portuguese side have shown the rest of Europe that he has a team to be reckoned with.
"At the break I told my players we could beat Barcelona," he said. "I felt I knew what we had to do to win. We ended up losing to a freak own goal."Against the world’s second-best team, we performed spectacularly. We shut off all their main passing routes in the first half. In the second half we controlled the ball better.

"Having said that, it’s difficult to create big chances against Barcelona. I feel Sporting left a great image of an excellent team on the watching world."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'We have to be a family' - Cavani stresses PSG unity following Neymar fall-out


Edinson Cavani has insisted that Paris Saint-Germain must be a "family" on the pitch, despite recent bad blood between the Uruguayan and record signing Neymar. Tensions between the striking pair were sparked when Neymar and Cavani clashed over the taking of a penalty.

That kick, eventually missed by Cavani - the club's long-time penalty taker - against Lyon, raised suggestions of a rift between the Brazilian and other members of the PSG first team.

But speaking after a 3-0 thrashing of Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League clash, Cavani asserted that the atmosphere at the club was positive.
"We are all different, we might all have different ways of living and seeing things," he explained to Mediaset Premium .

"But when we are on the pitch, we have to all work together as if we're a family to go towards the same objective, which is for the team to win."Both Neymar and Cavani hit the net to down the Bundesliga champions, with Dani Alves opening the scoring in a convincing victory.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.09.28

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.09.28


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

 

[Hora_Nariya]

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

AC Milan 3 Rijeka 2: Cutrone seals win amid breathless finish

Patrick Cutrone was the late hero as AC Milan got the better of a stunning finish to beat Rijeka 3-2 in the UEFA Europa League.

The forward converted with 94 minutes played on Thursday, his intervention coming just after the visitors had stunningly overturned a two-goal deficit in the final 10 minutes at the San Siro.

It appeared Milan were cruising to victory when Andre Silva's fourth goal in two European outings this season was added to by Mateo Musacchio just after half-time.But, having largely controlled proceedings thereafter, Vincenzo Montella's men were left shellshocked as their opponents roared back into the Group D contest.

Boadu Acosty offered hope in the 84th minute when capitalising on a rare Leonardo Bonucci error, with Rijeka levelling from the penalty spot after Alessio Romagnoli had brought down Matic Crnic.Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to keep out Josip Elez's tame penalty, yet there was to be another twist as Cutrone ensured the night ended in heartbreak for Rijeka.


A Milan side showing wholesale changes from their weekend loss nearly got off to the worst possible start, Domagoj Pavicic finding himself in behind the hosts' defence before playing in Heber – who hit just wide. The hosts gradually asserted their authority on the game thereafter and took the lead in the 14th minute.

Silva, running the left channel, got on the end of Fabio Borini's throughball and, after controlling, beat Elez before curling home.Rijeka continued to threaten at the other end, with Jakov Puljic spurning a great opportunity when heading straight at Donnarumma.

Domagoj Bradaric was the first to really threaten in the second period, forcing Donnarumma into a comfortable stop from just outside the area.But Rijeka were hit by a sucker punch in the 53rd minute as Musacchio made it 2-0.

Cutrone met an outswinging corner at the front post, with the ball falling to Bonucci – who inadvertently flicked into the six-yard box for his defensive partner to poke home.Milan appeared to take their foot off the gas thereafter, content that they would be able to see the game out.

That appeared a sound plan until a remarkable finish that saw Rijeka bounce back against all odds.Bonucci made a hash of a tackle on Acosty and the winger took full advantage, racing in on goal and chipping the onrushing Donnarumma.Better was to come for the visitors, too, as Romagnoli's challenge gifted Elez the chance to level – which he just about took.

Suddenly reawakened, Milan made it six points from two games in the competition as Cutrone capitalised on Borini's pass to lift the ball over Simon Sluga and into the net.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

BATE 2 Arsenal 4: Giroud joins 100 club in Europa League stroll

Arsenal made it two wins from two in the Europa League with a 4-2 victory away to BATE on Thursday.Two goals from Theo Walcott, Rob Holding's first goal for the club and Olivier Giroud's 100th gave Arsene Wenger's side all three points in Belarus.

The Gunners boss stuck to his promise to hand his squad players the chance to impress, with Jack Wilshere involved, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson starting at wing-back and midfielder Joe Willock given a place in the senior starting line-up for the first time.

Wilshere was especially effective early on and set up Walcott to prod in the opener before the forward capitalised on a goalkeeper howler to double the visitors' lead.
Holding converted from point-blank range before Mirko Ivanic got a goal back in a breathless first half hour.

Giroud's penalty restored Arsenal's three-goal advantage and they saw out an important win that keeps them top of Group H, despite Mikhail Gordeychuk setting up something of an anxious last 20 minutes.

Walcott hit the post following the first slick Arsenal move of the match, the England forward prodding the ball against the upright from close range after combining superbly with Wilshere, who made only his second start of the season.

A minute later, Walcott made no mistake. Wilshere and Giroud played a clever one-two, and although Walcott's header from Wilshere's cross was well saved by Denis Scherbitski, the rebound fell kindly for him to poke home.


The Gunners were in complete control, with Wilshere seeing a second goal disallowed for offside, although Ivancic had David Ospina worried with a half-volley that bounced just wide.

But just as BATE seemed to be threatening a comeback, they gifted Arsenal a second. Scherbitski passed the ball straight to Walcott, who steadied himself before drilling into the bottom-left corner.

Three minutes later and the Gunners had a third, with Holding diverting Per Mertesacker's header into the net from a corner, but the home side hit back almost immediately as Ivanic powered Aleksey Rios' cross beyond Ospina at the near post.

BATE finished the half strongly but any hope of a comeback was effectively ended just four minutes after the restart. Stanislav Dragun tugged back Shkodran Mustafi in the box and referee Daniel Stefanski pointed to the spot, allowing Giroud to sweep home his 100th goal for the club in confident style.

The Gunners seemed reluctant to kill off the game, though, and Gordeychuk got another goal back with 23 minutes left, blasting high into the net from point-blank range after Ospina had saved Ivanic's header, with the visitors' defence asleep.

Aleksandr Volodko shot high and wide four minutes later with the goal at his mercy, and Ospina had to get down to deny Igor Stasevich at the near post, but Arsenal survived the late onslaught to claim their first away win of the season and there was even time to hand Marcus McGuane a debut off the bench.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti sacked by Bayern Munich after defeat to PSG

Bayern Munich have fired Carlo Ancelotti in the wake of Wednesday's defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and replaced him with Willy Sagnol as interim coach.

The German champions were humbled 3-0 in their Champions League clash in Paris, and the Italian coach came under criticism for leaving Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Mats Hummels out of the starting XI.

The 58-year-old defended his tactics and selection for the game, telling reporters afterwards : "I know I will get criticism, that's fine. I thought it was a good line-up for this game."
However, he faced questions from the Bayern board over some of his decisions the next day, as German newspaper Sport Bild revealed that crisis talks with the higher-ups were scheduled on Thursday .

CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge did not make it easy on Ancelotti when he said the performance was "not Bayern Munich" and said the club needed to discuss it.Arjen Robben, meanwhile, refused to say whether the Bayern players still backed their boss .And the Bavarian side have opted to part ways with the former PSG, Real Madrid and Chelsea boss after just one full season in charge.

"The performance of the team since the start of the season did not meet the expectations we put to them," Rummenigge said as the news of his sacking was made official on Thursday.

"The game in Paris clearly showed that there had to be consequences. Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and I gave Carlo an open and serious talk today and informed him of our decision.

"I would like to thank Carlo for his cooperation and regret this development. Carlo is my friend and will remain so, but we had to make a professional decision based on Bayern's interests."I now expect the team to have a positive development and absolute determination, so we can reach our goals for this season."

Former Bayern and France player Sagnol takes the helm on a short-term basis, despite having limited experience as a coach. The 40-year-old spent less than two seasons in charge of Bordeaux - his only senior coaching role - before returning to Germany to assist Ancelotti.

Ancelotti leaves with Bayern sitting three points behind Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga after six games after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Hoffenheim and most recently losing a two-goal lead to draw with Wolfsburg.

The three-time Champions League winning coach signed a three-year contract when he took over at the Allianz Arena in 2016 as Pep Guardiola's replacement.

The former AC Milan star lifted the Bundesliga title at the only time of asking, but saw his side eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-finals stage at the hands of Real Madrid. They also lost to Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal final last term.

Sagnol's first game as interim coach will be away to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton 2 Apollon Limassol 2: Late Yuste goal denies Toffees' first group stage win

Everton's wait for a Europa League group stage win goes on after a dramatic late Hector Yuste goal secured an unlikely 2-2 draw for 10-man Apollon Limassol at Goodison Park.The Toffees were thumped 3-0 by Atalanta in their first Group E game and never impressed against a resolute Apollon side.

Adrian Sardinero took advantage of some poor defending from Ashley Williams to give the visitors a deserved lead in the 12th minute before Wayne Rooney equalised after an equally shambolic piece of play from Yuste.

Nikola Vlasic, who replaced Idrissa Gueye at the break, then scored his first goal for the club midway through the second half, but, after having Valentin Roberge sent off late on, Apollon secured a point through Yuste's 88th-minute goal.

Everton will have to improve dramatically if they are to secure a first win of the group stages when Lyon visit in three weeks, while Apollon will be full of confidence for their trip to Atalanta.


Ronald Koeman's men were made to pay for a sluggish start after just 12 minutes as the visitors took full advantage of some sloppy defending from Williams.

The former Swansea City defender's clearance was pounced on and played out to Anton Maglica, whose teasing cross from the right was met by Sardinero. His initial shot squirmed through Jordan Pickford's attempted block and the striker was able to tap in from almost on the line.

Apollon very nearly scored a second minutes later, but Giorgos Vasilou's spectacular half-volley from distance arrowed narrowly past Pickford's far post.Rooney then pulled the hosts level in the 21st minute and he is unlikely to have scored an easier goal in his illustrious career.

Under pressure on the right, Yuste elected to pass back to his goalkeeper. He had horribly misjudged Bruno Vale's position, though, and only succeeded in teeing up Rooney to slot home into an empty net from all of six yards.

The goal appeared to spark Everton into life and they came close to a second soon after through Gylfi Sigurdsson's volley, which was well held by Vale, and a curling effort from outside the area by Rooney.

Vale was twice called into action again just before the break as he first theatrically pushed away Tom Davies' dipping shot from distance, and then punched clear Sigurdsson's free-kick from the edge of the area.

Koeman brought on Vlasic at half-time in a bid to inject some pace and purpose to his side's attack, but it was the visitors who threatened first as Antonio Jakolis' long-range drive was repelled by Pickford.

Vlasic did then repay his manager's faith in the 66th minute as he latched onto Sigurdsson's throughball to coolly slot past the advancing Vale. It marked Sigurdsson's first assist for the club since his big-money move from Swansea.Roberge received his marching orders with just five minutes remaining for a stamp on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but there was a late sting in the tail for Everton.

Joao Pedro's inviting free-kick was duly met by Yuste to send the 1,500 travelling fans into delirium. There was still time for Calvert-Lewin to squander a golden opportunity to grab a winner when he headed straight at Vale from six yards out, but it would have been unfair on Apollon, who were good value for their point.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Young: Man United ready to battle on all fronts


Ashley Young said Manchester United are eyeing every title on offer as they continue to impress in the Premier League and Champions league.

United have not lost since their UEFA Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid in August, level with neighbours Manchester City atop the Premier League, having won five of six games to open the season.

Jose Mourinho's men are also two from two in the Champions League following Wednesday's 4-1 rout of CSKA Moscow, while their EFL Cup defence remains on track, with the FA Cup due to get underway later in the year.

"Everyone wants to win every competition we are in," Young said. "There's not a competition that we are going to prioritise."We want to go at it on all fronts, whether that be in Europe or domestically.

"We were delighted to win what we did last season but if we can add the Premier League, the League Cup again or the FA Cup, or Champions League then of course you play in these big competitions to go and win them."That is exactly what we are looking to do and I think we've got the squad to do it.''

United welcome bottom side Crystal Palace – who are yet to score or win this season – to Old Trafford on Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man City striker Aguero reportedly injured in car accident in Netherlands


Multiple reports out of Argentina claim that Sergio Aguero has been injured in an automobile accident.

The Manchester City striker attended a concert in Amsterdam featuring Colombian singer Maluma and was hurt on his return to the airport when the taxi he was in was involved in an accident.

Aguero was reportedly wearing his seat belt but suffered broken ribs as a result of the crash, in which the taxi carrying Aguero reportedly hit a pole.

Former club Independiente seemingly confirmed the news with a tweet wishing the forward well, saying: "Strength and quick recovery. All Independiente is with you in this difficult time".
The reports claim that Aguero will be out of action for an extended period of time, though there has been no official confirmation from either Manchester City or the Argentina national team at the time of writing.

If Aguero is out for an extended period, he will miss Argentina's crucial final two World Cup qualifiers against Peru (Oct. 5) and Ecuador (Oct. 10).

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Get well soon Aguero!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Montella lauds Milan's fighting spirit after holding off Rijeka


Head coach Vincenzo Montella extolled the positives after AC Milan's last-ditch 3-2 Europa League win over Rijeka.

Teenager Patrick Cutrone was the late hero at San Siro on Thursday, netting the injury-time winner after visiting Rijeka had overturned a 2-0 deficit in the final 10 minutes.

Goals from Boadu Acosty and Josip Elez levelled matters for Rijeka, who had appeared set to steal an unlikely point.

And Montella, while understandably disappointed to see his side squander the two-goal lead earned by efforts from Andre Silva and Mateo Musacchio, was delighted with Milan's spirit.

"I want to underline the spirit of the team that brought the victory home," he told Sky Sport Italia. "There was indescribable joy to see the team play with this energy and determination in the final minute.

"It's a great result, maybe not so much in terms of the scoreline, but it is a great step forward."Montella's positive outlook, though, was offset by a slight frustration at Milan's game management.

"We've got to grow in the way we handle games," he added. "This was a valuable learning experience

"You have to control a match at the 70th minute. We must improve our defensive movements, as we have perhaps struggled a little in terms of temperament under the weight of expectations."I see the glass half-full. We learned some valuable lessons and we won."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Everybody expects that' - Guardiola admits he must win titles to survive at City


Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola accepts the pressure is on to deliver silverware this season if he is to keep his job at the Premier League heavyweights.

City have enjoyed a flying start to the season in their bid to build on the titles won in 2011-12 and 2013-14, top of the table ahead of neighbours Manchester United on goal difference.

But after failing to land a trophy in his first season in England after arriving from German champions Bayern Munich, expectations are high on Guardiola to deliver this time around.

And the former Barcelona boss is clear on what it will take to remain in charge.
"I cannot deny it is to win titles. Everybody expects that," Guardiola told BBC's Gary Lineker on The Premier League Show."We are going to be judged on how many titles we win. [Without that], we will be a failure. We know that.

"I do not know what is going to happen in the future. I am so happy to be here. But it will depend on the success we have."At big clubs like Manchester City, if you do not win you cannot stay."

Guardiola's hopes of leading City to glory are boosted by a lethal attack which has already notched four more goals than any other Premier League side.
The Spaniard believes his side's improved quality in the front third is what separates them from the team that finished third last season."If you ask me the difference, the feeling is wherever we go we are going to score. That is our feeling right now," he said."In the past, last season, we did not have that. We created a lot, but we did not score goals and that is so tough."