..::Football IV::..

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Maribor 0 Liverpool 7: Reds run riot as Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino both score twice

The Reds dominated throughout to go top of Champions League Group E with a scintillating performance.Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah both scored twice, with Philippe Coutinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Trent Alexander-Arnold also on target.

The win eclipses 6-0 away victories by Leeds United over Norwegians Lyn in October 1969, and Manchester United against Irish outfit Shamrock Rovers in September 1957."I was told about the record after the game and I didn't know," said Klopp."The wonderful history of this club can feel like a backpack at times so it is nice to write our own good piece of the history."It will be difficult to beat that record. It is quite rare to win 7-0 but it showed we did unbelievably well."

Coutinho made it 2-0 with a half-volley from James Milner's pull-back before Salah scored twice, finishing off passes from Firmino then Alberto Moreno as the Reds led 4-0 at half-time.Firmino added a fifth with a flicked header from Coutinho's free-kick as the Reds claimed their biggest Champions League victory since an 8-0 home victory over Turkish side Besiktas on 6 November 2007.

Daniel Sturridge linked up with fellow substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain for the latter to score his first goal for the club to make it 6-0, and Alexander-Arnold sealed the rout with a deflected 30-yard strike.Liverpool had started their Champions League campaign with two draws - 2-2 at home against Sevilla and 1-1 at Spartak Moscow - but they never looked in danger of dropping points against a side second in Slovenia's First League.

Leading 2-0 after 13 minutes, it became a question of how many Liverpool would score against woefully outclassed opposition, and the Reds did not disappoint as they produced a wonderful, free-flowing performance.These two teams meet again in two weeks, and the Reds will be confident of another easy win at Anfield.Halfway through the group phase, Liverpool are top, level on points with Spartak Moscow, who defeated previous leaders Sevilla 5-1.

Klopp's side had won only one of their past eight matches in all competitions before this confidence-building performance, and the German was able to give some of his squad players playing time in the second half.

Perhaps with one eye on the Reds' match at third-placed Tottenham on Sunday, Salah, Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum were withdrawn in the second half to give Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sturridge and 20-year-old Dominic Solanke chances to impress.

Late on, Sturridge released Oxlade-Chamberlain and the England midfielder slotted past Jasmin Handanovic for his first goal since his £35m move from Arsenal at the end of August.There was still time for Alexander-Arnold to score only his second Liverpool goal with a deflected strike from long range to seal a perfect night for the visitors.

Their defence, which has conceded 12 goals in eight Premier League games, has been heavily criticised this season, but this result means they have kept back-to-back clean sheets after a goalless draw against Manchester United on Saturday.Klopp maintained his policy of rotating his goalkeepers for Champions League matches, and Loris Karius comfortably saved a low shot from Mitja Viler before Marko Suler headed Maribor's only other chance wide.

Maribor, who have never won a home Champions League match, are bottom of the group with one point from three matches. In the eight Champions League matches on Tuesday, Liverpool were the only side not to concede a goal.

 

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Ballon d'Or? We all know Messi is best, says Valverde


Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde believes Lionel Messi is the world's best player, regardless of who wins the Ballon d'Or.Messi is a record five-time winner of the individual honour, but he is expected to be joined on that tally by Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo this year.The duo have shared the past nine Ballons d'Or and are widely considered the world's two best players.

Valverde, whose team host Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday, said he had no doubt who was best."We all know who is the best player in the world [Messi]," he told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Giving a Ballon d'Or or other award to remark that, it is something I don't care about. It doesn't change our opinion."We all know."Messi has made an impressive start to this season, scoring 14 goals in 12 games in all competitions for Barca.

 

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Zidane considers Spurs stalemate 'logical' after Real Madrid failed to open scoring


Zinedine Zidane felt Real Madrid paid the price for not scoring first at the Santiago Bernabeu as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against Tottenham.

Having already hit the post in the early stages, the home side fell behind in the 28th minute when defender Raphael Varane inadvertently diverted a cross from the right into his own net.

The two-time reigning European champions equalised before half-time thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty but failed to find a way past an inspired Hugo Lloris after the break.

The Tottenham goalkeeper made reactionary saves to deny Ronaldo and Karim Benzema from putting Madrid ahead, leaving Zidane to reflect on what might have been in the battle of the top two in Group H."We aren’t happy as we were at home and we always want to win, but we had our chances," Zidane told Antena 3.

"There were two great keepers and we also hit the post. They defended and worked well, it was a logical result.
"The problem is always about getting an early goal. If you do that, then great but conceding allows them to take a step back. They know how to defend well."In the end we drew and we'll try to win at Wembley. We're level on seven points and we'll see how we go next time. We are growing consistently, and while we've started not the best in the league we are improving."

The two clubs - who remain level on seven points in a group that also features Borussia Dortmund and APOEL - meet again on November 1.

 

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Mourinho not signing new Man Utd contract, but not joining PSG either


Jose Mourinho insists he is neither on the verge of signing a new five-year Manchester United contract nor ready to join Paris Saint-Germain.The 54-year-old signed a three-year deal with the option of a fourth when he took over at Old Trafford in May last year.

There has been speculation that United are ready to offer Mourinho a bumper new deal but he cast doubt on his long-term future when he told Telefoot they will not be his last club.However, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss is adamant that rumours he will sign a lengthy new contract or take over at PSG are baseless.

"I think you English media have the answer for that," he told a news conference ahead of United's Champions League clash with Benfica. "In one day, it says I am going to sign a five-year contract, £1 billion per season. The next day you say I am leaving and I'm going to Paris Saint-Germain. The answer is exactly that.

"Nothing is happening, I am not signing a new five-year contract and I am not leaving for Paris Saint-Germain. I am not leaving Manchester United. I have a contract and that's it."

Mourinho believes it is "impossible" for any manager to stay at the same club for more than a few years given the pressure in the modern game."The future is tomorrow. I have my contract, which ends in June 2019. We are in October 2017 so I don't know what to say," he continued.

"The only thing I said, and it's a true interpretation of my words, that I am not going to end my career at United. How is it possible in modern football that any manager is going to last 15 or 20 years in the same club? I think [Arsene] Wenger is the last one."I think it's impossible for us, with everything that surrounds the job, with all the pressure that surrounds every job. I think it's impossible to last for so long.

"If, in this moment, I want to finish in two, three, four or five years, I would say yes, my ambition would be to end my career at Manchester United. "I think I'm going to be here in football for 15 years, minimum, and I think it is impossible to stay 17 years at the same club, even if you want, even if you try.

"Some people try to be clever, try to be malicious, and they say many different things. But the reality is simple: I didn't sign a new contract but I'm not thinking about leaving."

 

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Mourinho ta aluth contract 1kak denna thiyenne​

 

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Sigurdsson: It's not going as well as I hoped at Everton


Gylfi Sigurdsson admits his Everton performances are falling short of what he hoped for after signing in a big-money move from Swansea City.Despite joining for a reported £45 million in August, the Iceland international is yet to register either a goal or assist from seven Premier League appearances.

That comes as Everton, who were tipped to challenge for a top-four finish at the start of the season, sit 16th with eight points from as many games after Wayne Rooney's late penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Sigurdsson told reporters: "It is not going as I hoped. No, of course not. "For the team as well. Personally and collectively we are just off our best. That is reflecting in individual performances. "But it's small margins. I don't think we're a mile off getting results. A couple of scruffy wins would bring some confidence to the team and that's sometimes all you need.

"We just have to work our way through this. We are not scoring enough goals and we are conceding too many, I don't think we are too far away but things just aren't clicking."We're all more than determined to turn it around. We have some big players and hopefully we can start getting better results."

Everton are also struggling on the continent, with Thursday's home Europa League match against Lyon crucial after Ronald Koeman's side only collected a point from their first two Group E games.

"Obviously the next game is an important one but, for us at the moment, we just need to win, pretty or ugly," Sigurdsson added to the club's website.

"We just need to win. Once we do that the confidence will come back into the team and things will become a bit easier for us."It's a strange group. I think everyone can beat anyone. There's a few good teams in there.

"You may need at least 10 points to go through and it will be nice to start [building towards] that on Thursday against a tough team."

 

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Leicester City sack manager Shakespeare after poor start to season


Leicester City have sacked manager Craig Shakespeare following a run of one win in eight Premier League matches this season.Shakespeare was relieved of his duties at the King Power Stadium at a meeting on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw with West Brom on Monday.

Shakespeare took over from Claudio Ranieri when the Italian was sacked in February with Leicester in the midst of a relegation battle and rumours of a dressing room revolt.

Leicester, shock title winners the season before, subsequently finished 12th with improved performances in the latter months of the campaign, leading to Shakespeare being rewarded with a three-year contract in June.However, a rocky run of results - in which they failed to defeat Huddersfield Town, Bournemouth and West Brom - led the Foxes board to take action against the 53-year-old.

Two of their three victories this season had come in the Carabao Cup, where Leicester have reached the fourth round, and they are placed 18th out of 20 in the league table.Shakespeare had been assistant manager at Leicester for six years before transitioning into caretaker when Ranieri departed.

Leicester's vice-chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, told the club's official website: “Craig has been a great servant to Leicester City – during his spells as an Assistant Manager and since taking over as Manager in challenging circumstances in February. His dedication to the Club and to his work has been absolute and the contribution he made to the most successful period in Leicester City history is considerable.

“However, our early promise under Craig’s management has not been consistently evident in the months since and the Board feels that, regrettably, a change is necessary to keep the Club moving forward – consistent with the long-term expectations of our supporters, Board and owners.“Craig is and will remain a very popular, respected figure at Leicester City and will be welcome back at King Power Stadium in future, both professionally and as a friend of the Club.”

Shakespeare's sacking has largely come out of the blue, with Ronald Koeman's position at Everton - two points above Leicester in 16th - attracting a greater degree of scrutiny among Premier League managers.Alan Pardew, Guus Hiddink, Gary Rowett, Sam Allardyce and former Foxes boss Nigel Pearson are among the initial front-runners for the newly-vacated job.

It's been a tumultuous 12 months for Leicester, who had been riding high on the back of a shock Premier League title triumph a year ago.Now many are tipping the East Midlands club for a relegation battle under whoever succeeds Shakespeare at the helm of the Thai-owned club.

The first match for the caretaker manager - or replacement, should they be hired before Saturday - will be a visit to relegation rivals Swansea City.

 

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Alonso confident Conte criticism will motivate Chelsea


Marcos Alonso wants Chelsea to forget all about Saturday's shock defeat to Crystal Palace and focus only on making it three wins from three in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The English champions lost 2-1 to the Premier League's bottom club at the weekend, with the disappointing result at Selhurst Park leaving them nine points behind leaders Manchester City.

Manager Antonio Conte was criticial of his players in the immediate aftermath, although they get the chance to bounce back with the upcoming visit of Roma to Stamford Bridge.

Alonso believes Conte's harsh words will lead to a positive reaction from the squad, while Chelsea could also be boosted by the return to action of record signing Alvaro Morata.“It's the truth. It wasn't our best game on Saturday," Alonso told the media.

"It's a good call from him to motivate us and make us work hard to change things from the last performance. Football is a sport that changes very quickly."There's a good chance tomorrow [Wednesday] to put in a good performance and put in a good display.

"Things didn't go very well on Saturday. We had enough chances to win the game, but it wasn't a good performance from the team. The only solution is to work hard and win the next [game]."

Morata has returned to training after overcoming a hamstring strain picked up prior to the international break. However, Conte has indicated his squad is struggling to cope with the added demands of competing in Europe, with N'Golo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Victor Moses currently sidelined.

“When you play four competitions there are so many games," Alonso added."Because of this there is more risk of injury or tiredness. We train very well to stay away from injuries, and it's only something weird that's happening now with so many injuries.

"The players are very fit and we are ready to play all these games. Hopefully we will get these players back soon and we will not have many more injuries."

 

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UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.10.18

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.10.18

Qarabag Vs Atletico Madrid

Anderlecht Vs PSG

Barcelona Vs Olympiakos

Bayern Vs Celtic

Benfica Vs Manchester United

CSKA Vs Basel

Chelsea Vs Roma

Juventus Vs Sporting Lisbon

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Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

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Benfica Vs Manchester United

Benfica Starting Line-up

Svilar
Douglas
Ruben Dias
Luisao
Grimaldo
Fejsa
Filipe Augusto
Pizzi
Salvio
Diogo Goncalves
Raul

&

Manchester United Starting Line-up

De Gea
Valencia
Lindelof
Smalling
Blind
Herrera
Matic
Mata
Mkhitaryan
Rashford
Lukaku
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Good Luck Manchester United!
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Half Time

Benfica 0 Vs 0 Manchester United

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Offsides godaiScore karanna puluwan hoda chance 1kak miss karagattha
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Full Time

Benfica 0 Vs 1 Manchester United

Manchester United Goal(s)

M.Rashford 64'


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Congratulations Manchester United!
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CSKA Moscow 0 Basel 2: Xhaka, Oberlin do the damage


Taulant Xhaka's stunning solo strike set the tone for Basel to claim their first victory in ten Champions League away fixtures in style as they saw off CSKA Moscow 2-0.

The combative Xhaka put in a sparkling display at the heart of Basel's midfield, capping off his performance with a brilliant effort 29 minutes into Wednesday's clash at VEB Arena.

Raphael Wicky's men were the better side throughout, and were denied a second goal following the restart when Albian Ajeti was harshly adjudged to have strayed offside.

Mario Fernandes should have made the Swiss Super League champions pay for their misfortune when he headed over from close range, but Basel substitute Dimitri Oberlin put the game beyond all doubt.Having missed a glut of gilt-edged chances, the youngster eventually kept his composure to slot in his third Champions League goal in as many appearances.

Basel's victory lifts them onto six points, three behind Group A leaders Manchester United, and a victory against CSKA on home soil on October 31 would put them in pole position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time in three seasons.

Buoyed by their rampant victory over Benfica on matchday two, Basel started on the front foot, though they were almost behind when Vitinho tried his luck with a dipping free-kick.That was the closest either side would come in a sluggish opening, until Xhaka took matters into his own hands.

Having latched onto a loose ball in the centre circle, the Albania midfielder surged forward before dispatching a thumping finish into the bottom-right corner with unerring accuracy.


Xhaka nearly replicated his goal soon after, but this time CKSA veteran Igor Akinfeev got down sharply to parry it wide. Akinfeev came to CSKA's rescue again as the interval approached - tipping Michael Lang's venomous volley away from danger.

CSKA's goalkeeper was beaten again seven minutes into the second half when Ajeti lashed home from close-range, only for referee Bjorn Kuipers to reverse his decision to award the goal after consulting with the linesman.

Basel's frustration could have been compounded moments later, Aleksandr Golovin sending a long-range effort narrowly over.Oberlin's pace caused havoc for CSKA's ramshackle defence, though the youngster could not beat Akinfeev from point-blank range.Fernandes was guilty of worse at the other end with 15 minutes remaining, however, as he headed onto the roof of an open net following poor goalkeeping from Tomas Vaclik.

Oberlin's wasteful form in front of goal continued with two terrible misses in quick succession, but the 20-year-old added gloss to the win in the 90th minute with a calm finish as Basel made it three wins from three games against Russian opposition in Europe's elite competition.

 

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Juventus 2 Sporting CP 1: Late Mandzukic intervention saves wasteful Bianconeri

Mario Mandzukic scored a late header to hand Juventus a precious 2-1 win over Sporting CP in a hard-fought Champions League clash at the Allianz Stadium.

The hosts squandered a number of excellent opportunities in a dominant opening half, but Croatian striker Mandzukic stepped up in the 84th minute to ensure that the Bianconeri were not made to pay for their profligacy.

Sporting had taken an early lead as the unfortunate Alex Sandro put through his own net, but Juve responded brightly.Paulo Dybala, Sami Khedira and Mandzukic all missed chances to score before Miralem Pjanic did finally pull them level with a superb free-kick in the 29th minute.

There was little to get excited about in a dire second half until Mandzukic's late intervention secured the Serie A champions first win in three matches.The two sides meet again in Portugal in a fortnight with Massimiliano Allegri's side knowing a win could guarantee them a spot in the last 16.


Though the hosts would end the game strongest, Sporting started in composed fashion and got their reward in slapstick style after just 12 minutes.Gelson Martins' low effort was thwarted by Gianluigi Buffon, but the ball bounced off the onrushing Alex Sandro and rolled almost apologetically into the net to hand the visitors a surprise lead.The goal sparked the hosts into life and Khedira was denied a leveller soon after as Rui Patricio got down well to keep out his half-volley from the edge of the penalty area, before a stretching Jeremy Mathieu kept Mandzukic's prodded effort out.

Moments after Dybala struck wide, Juventus scored the equaliser their relentless pressure deserved.The outcome never looked in doubt as Pjanic stood over the ball 20 yards out and the Bosnian duly clipped a wonderful free-kick over the wall and into Patricio's right-hand corner.

Mandzukic came agonisingly close to scoring a second just a minute later, but was once again denied by some resolute Sporting defending - Cristiano Piccini this time getting enough of his body in the way to divert the Croatian's low effort agonisingly past the post.

Gonzalo Higuain's fierce strike was tipped onto the post by Patricio shortly before the break, as Allegri's side finished the half in dominant fashion.The high pressing that was a feature of Juve's first-half display was absent in the early stages of the second period as Sporting found a way to combat their rampant attack. Mandzukic saw a downward header kept out by Patricio in the 70th minute, but the powerful forward was to have his moment in the spotlight as hope began to run out.

Substitute Douglas Costa's teasing cross was met by the 31-year-old at the back post, where he thumped a header home to hand Juve their second Champions League win of the campaign.

 

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Bayern Munich 3 Celtic 0: Hoops outclassed on Heynckes' return to Europe

Jupp Heynckes carried on where he left off in the Champions League as Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win over Celtic on Wednesday.The German champions dominated from start to finish at the Allianz Arena to shore up second spot, three points behind Group B leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich struck in a one-sided first half before Mats Hummels added a third in Heynckes' first European match in charge since guiding Bayern to glory in this competition five seasons ago.

Arjen Robben, who netted the winner in that dramatic 2012-13 final defeat of Borussia Dortmund, twice came close to adding a fourth but was ultimately frustrated in his attempts to mark his 100th Champions League appearance with a goal.While they were unable to add to their tally, Bayern did receive another boost as Arturo Vidal came off the bench late on after recovering from a calf complaint.

With the horror 3-0 defeat at PSG - the result which cost Carlo Ancelotti his job - now firmly behind them, Heynckes will be confident of once again leading the Bavarian giants to the knockout stages.


It was looking ominous for Celtic from the outset and Bayern appeared to have taken a sixth-minute lead through Thiago Alcantara, but Robert Lewandowski's cut-back was adjudged to have already gone out of play.

The hosts then had claims for a penalty waved away with Mikael Lustig's tug on Lewandowski going unpunished, before David Alaba blasted over the crossbar from Kingsley Coman's clever pass.

It was only a matter of time until the opener arrived and the pressure eventually told in the 17th minute, Muller firing home from point-blank range after Craig Gordon impressively kept out Lewandowski's initial header.Bayern doubled their lead midway through the half when an unmarked Kimmich headed Coman's left-sided delivery across a helpless Gordon.

The visitors' respite lasted less than six minutes after the interval as Hummels climbed above Scott Brown to nod Robben's corner inside the far post.Robben almost struck from a Kimmich corner on the hour, but the milestone man saw his header hooked off the line by Kieran Tierney.Celtic did provide a rare threat to Sven Ulreich's goal when Tierney shaved the outset of the upright with a fierce attempt from long range, but there was little to cheer for the Hoops' sizeable away support.

Robben and Lewandowski both drew sharp saves from Gordon, while Brendan Rodgers' side posed more questions at the other end in the final 20 minutes.Brown struck the woodwork in the closing stages, before Scotland keeper Gordon brilliantly denied Lewandowski as Bayern eased to victory.

 

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Chelsea 3 Roma 3: Hazard brace rescues Conte's men after Dzeko double

Eden Hazard scored his first goals of the season to rescue Chelsea as Antonio Conte's men were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Roma in the Champions League.

Edin Dzeko had looked set to enjoy one of the most memorable nights of his career after he scored twice – including one of the all-time great Champions League goals – to help Roma rally from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 with 20 minutes remaining.However, Hazard spoiled the party for the Italians with an equaliser five minutes later in the Group C clash in London on Wednesday.

Going into the game on the back of two Premier League consecutive defeats, Chelsea quickly allayed any nerves around Stamford Bridge when David Luiz guided a sweetly struck shot into the net after 11 minutes and Hazard doubled their lead, turning an Alvaro Morata pass into the net eight minutes before half-time.


But Roma were never out of the contest and Aleksandar Kolarov's goal five minutes prior to the break gave them hope of a second-half reprisal that came true when Dzeko scored a stunning volley and a header to give them the lead.

The contest swung from end to end throughout and even at 3-3 there were numerous chances for both sides to find a winner, but a stalemate seemed fitting after Hazard and Dzeko matched each other goal for goal and inspired their sides in equal measure.

Returning from injury, Morata fired straight into the arms of goalkeeper Alisson when Hazard played him through on goal in the fifth minute, but the visitors refused to sit back and Diego Perotti went on a mazy dribble through Chelsea's defence three minutes later.

Errors began to creep into Roma's defensive play and after his ball into the box for Morata was blocked by Juan Jesus, David Luiz ran onto the rebound and stroked it beyond Alisson into the bottom right corner of the net from 20 yards.

Just as Roma began to make gains in midfield, Chelsea broke at the other end and Morata's deflected pass looped over to the far post where Hazard was on hand to tuck the ball into the net from close range.

But three minutes later Kolarov, who picked up the ball on the left wing, rounded Cesar Azpilicueta and rattled in a shot that hit the top of the net via a slight touch by Andreas Christensen.In the second half, Dzeko came within a whisker of turning a Kolarov cross into the net as it flashed past his toes inside the six-yard box.

Perotti then curled a shot into Thibaut Courtois' hands with half an hour left to play, before a moment of brilliance changed the complexion of the game. Federico Fazio jogged over the half-way line and played a long, chipped pass forward and Dzeko watched it all the way into the box before meeting it with his boot laces and volleying an unstoppable shot over the head of Courtois.

Chelsea had barely reacted to the blow when Dzeko scored again six minutes later, applying a glancing header to Kolarov's free-kick to take it past Courtois and into the far corner of the net from six yards out.If Roma head coach Eusebio Di Francesco was delighted with that, he will have been equally appalled by the simple nature of Hazard's equaliser.

The Belgian forward was left unmarked when second-half substitute Pedro sent over a routine cross, and Hazard's header found the bottom left corner of the net with accuracy, prompting a scramble for chances in the last 15 minutes but neither side could force a winner.