..::Football IV::..

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Serie A Fixtures 2017.10.29

Serie A Fixtures 2017.10.29

Benevento Vs Lazio

Crotone Vs Fiorentina

Napoli Vs Sassuolo

Sampdoria Vs Chievo

Spal Vs Genoa

Udinese Vs Atalanta

Torino Vs Cagliari​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.10.29

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.10.29

Werder Bremen Vs Augsburg

Stuttgart Vs Freiburg​

 

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Napoli 3 Sassuolo 1: Partenopei go clear at Serie A summit

Napoli moved three points clear at the Serie A summit with a comfortable 3-1 win over struggling Sassuolo at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.Brazilian midfielder Allan opened the scoring midway through the first half for Maurizio Sarri's side before Diego Falcinelli scored an undeserved equaliser in the 41st minute.

Napoli's advantage was restored on the stroke of half-time as goalkeeper Andrea Consigli parried a corner into his own net to concede a goal that was attributed to Jose Callejon, before Dries Mertens ensured a 10th win in 11 league games with a second-half strike.

Inter can move second and close the leaders' advantage to two points if they win against Hellas Verona on Monday, but it is the Partenopei who are setting a blistering early pace in the race for the Scudetto.


The visitors almost took a shock lead after just 11 minutes, but Stefano Sensi's whipped free-kick from the edge of the penalty area crashed back off Jose Reina's crossbar.

Sensi then played an unfortunate role in Napoli's opener in the 22nd minute. The midfielder took too long to clear on the edge of his own area and had his pocket picked by Allan, who coolly slotted through the legs of Consigli.Faouzi Ghoulam came agonisingly close to extending the hosts' lead shortly after, thumping a half volley against the post after a corner fell kindly to him.

Sassuolo responded well to the setback and scored an unlikely leveller four minutes before the break. Matteo Politano delivered a teasing cross from the right and Falcinelli beat his marker to plant a firm header past Reina for his first goal of the season.

Their joy was short-lived, though, as Consigli conspired to punch Lorenzo Insigne's corner, which had glanced off the head of Callejon, into this own net just a minute before half-time to restore Napoli's lead.

The visitors almost took a shock lead after just 11 minutes, but Stefano Sensi's whipped free-kick from the edge of the penalty area crashed back off Jose Reina's crossbar.

Sensi then played an unfortunate role in Napoli's opener in the 22nd minute. The midfielder took too long to clear on the edge of his own area and had his pocket picked by Allan, who coolly slotted through the legs of Consigli.Faouzi Ghoulam came agonisingly close to extending the hosts' lead shortly after, thumping a half volley against the post after a corner fell kindly to him.

Sassuolo responded well to the setback and scored an unlikely leveller four minutes before the break. Matteo Politano delivered a teasing cross from the right and Falcinelli beat his marker to plant a firm header past Reina for his first goal of the season.

Their joy was short-lived, though, as Consigli conspired to punch Lorenzo Insigne's corner, which had glanced off the head of Callejon, into this own net just a minute before half-time to restore Napoli's lead.

Mertens' stunning form continued nine minutes into the second half as he bundled home Raul Albiol's knockdown for his 10th league goal of the campaign.

Francesco Cassata thumped a header against the post as Sassuolo tried in vain to find a way back into the game, while substitute Piotr Zielinski was denied a fourth late on for Sarri's side as his long-range effort hit both posts before being scooped up by Consigli, who also saw an injury-time strike from Mertens flash narrowly wide.

 

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Mourinho hits out at Man Utd fans for not backing Lukaku


Jose Mourinho has hit out at Manchester United fans for their lack of loyalty to top scorer Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium international has scored seven Premier League goals since signing for Everton during the summer for £75 million. However, despite the striker's immediate impact for the Red Devils, Mourinho believes that the fans are not giving him enough credit nor the support he deserves.

"Yeah, I would like the supporters to explain to me why they don’t support him so much," Mourinho told MUTV.

"He gives everything and I think it is not fair when scoring the goal or not scoring the goal makes the whole difference.“I don’t think it is fair at all. So I’m a bit disappointed - but not with him. With him very pleased.”

On Saturday, United defeated Tottenham 1-0 thanks to a goal from substitute Anthony Martial, with some of the fans booing when he replaced young forward Marcus Rashford.

Mourinho was also puzzled by that reaction, questioning whether the fans were Red Devils or not.“I really don’t understand some reactions why," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "Are they Red Devils? Sometimes I don’t know because they [the forwards] work amazingly well.

“Today there were two strikers playing together against three top central defenders – the best we have in Europe – and they had to do the defensive job of pressing them when they were coming out with the ball which they do very well because they have big routines of playing with three in the back.”

 

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Chelsea return a possibility, claims Lyon's Traore


Lyon striker Bertrand Traore harbours ambitions of returning to the Premier League and claims he could even move back to former club Chelsea in the future.
The 22-year-old ended a four-year spell at Stamford Bridge when he joined Lyon for £9 million in June after spending the 2016-17 season on loan at Ajax.

Traore said a lack of first-team opportunities at Chelsea, where he made just four Premier League starts, left him with no choice but to seek a transfer."Going from Chelsea was the best decision for me," Traore told the Daily Mail. "I am enjoying myself.

"As a young player you can only improve if you are playing every week. I enjoyed my time at Chelsea and when I had opportunities to show what I could do on the pitch, I took them with both hands. But there weren't any guarantees I would play.

"I would be happy if it was me in the Chelsea first-team playing every weekend, but this is football and you have to take decisions. Along with Chelsea, I took the decision to sign for Lyon and I am happy with that."

The Burkina Faso international was asked whether he might follow in the footsteps of David Luiz and Didier Drogba by returning for a second spell at Chelsea, and he replied: "Why not, it is up to me to develop and progress as a player and prove that I am good enough to play in the Premier League.

"Others went back, it is a possibility. I have to focus on Lyon, do my best and see what I do in the future."Traore scored against Premier League opposition when he got the winner in Lyon's 2-1 victory over Everton in the Europa League – a competition he knows well after reaching last season's final with Ajax.

"It was an amazing result," he said. "We didn't start well in the competition but going to Everton and getting a victory is a big achievement.

"Playing in the final last year against United was a dream. At this stage, you don't realise how big the Europa League gets. The further you go in the tournament, the more you see it."

 

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Low rules out taking Bayern Munich job after World Cup


Germany boss Joachim Low insists he is not planning to leave after the World Cup to take over at Bayern Munich.

The 57-year-old has been heavily tipped to become the Bundesliga champions' permanent head coach when Jupp Heynckes leaves at the end of the season.

National team general manager Oliver Bierhoff admitted earlier this month the move was possible, although he later stressed he would rebuff any attempt by Bayern to bring Low to the Allianz Arena.

And Low has distanced himself from the prospect of a return to club coaching next year, suggesting he will instead honour his contract with Germany, which lasts until after Euro 2020."This isn't a consideration for me at all," he told ZDF's Aktuelle Sportstudio when asked about the Bayern rumours.

"On the one hand, I once said I could imagine coaching a club again because I enjoy daily training."On the other, the World Cup is coming up and I have a contract until 2020. I'm not thinking about anything other than the World Cup."

Bayern's 2-0 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday saw them return to the top of the Bundesliga table, three points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who suffered a 4-2 defeat to Hannover.

 

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Leicester City 2 Everton 0: Gray-inspired Foxes up and running under Puel


The recalled Demarai Gray was hugely influential as Leicester City won 2-0 in Claude Puel's first game as manager to leave Everton in the Premier League's relegation zone.

Former Birmingham City man Gray has not always been trusted by Puel's predecessors - starting just 11 league games for Claudio Ranieri and Craig Shakespeare combined - but grasped his chance with two hands on Sunday in an outstanding display.

Although Jamie Vardy struck the first goal of Puel's reign, just as he had for both Ranieri and Shakespeare, it was the slaloming Gray who made the opener possible.

And the 21-year-old was then the source of the second, too, with a low cross-cum-shot that Jonjoe Kenny clumsily helped into the net to give interim Everton boss David Unsworth a mountain to climb.

The big-spending Toffees could not mount a comeback and the winless run that saw off previous manager Ronald Koeman now stands at seven games in all competitions.

Everton remain on eight points in 18th place, while Leicester climb to 11th with a deserved victory.


Puel's principal change to the home side saw Riyad Mahrez handed a central attacking role, but it was Gray - taking the Algerian's usual wide berth - who threatened first with a low drive just wide of the left-hand post.

And it was Gray who inspired the breakthrough after 18 minutes with an outstanding run. The winger tore away from three Everton challenges in a surging burst and slid a pass through for Mahrez, who in turn centred and found Vardy for a simple finish.Vardy turned provider for Mahrez to work Jordan Pickford with a low shot on the turn, before Gray made another crucial contribution just before the half-hour mark.

The England Under-21 international drifted out to the left and then cut back inside to deliver, with Kenny mistiming his attempted right-footed clearance and instead deflecting the ball past a stunned Pickford.

Everton's best efforts of the first half followed but Kevin Mirallas, who made his professional debut under Puel at Lille, swept a 20-yard curler just wide and then found Kasper Schmeichel alert to save a second strike.

Although Unsworth sought to change the game with the half-time introductions of Beni Baningime and Oumar Niasse, the Toffees continued to toil in front of a deep, clearly content Leicester defence.An optimistic Phil Jagielka overhead-kick was gathered by Schmeichel, but that proved to be about the extent of Everton's attacking efforts as the goalkeeper also dealt with a series of corners.

Leicester cruised through the closing stages to claim a third straight win in all competitions, their fans mocking Everton with chants of: "All that money and you're going down."

 

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Girona 2 Real Madrid 1: Champions stunned by second-half fightback

Real Madrid slumped to a shock second defeat of the Liga season as Girona staged a thrilling comeback to win 2-1 at Estadi Montilivi on Sunday.

Two goals in the space of four second-half minutes overturned Isco's opener as the hosts claimed one of the most famous victories in their 87-year history.Played against a tense political backdrop in Catalonia, Girona started brightly as their intensity and enthusiasm appeared to unsettle the champions.

Zinedine Zidane's side looked to have calmed the storm when Spain midfielder Isco gave them a 1-0 lead at the break, but significant cracks in defence were soon pried open by the promoted side.

Cristhian Stuani equalised with his fifth league goal of the season before attacking midfielder Portu put Girona within touching distance of a victory in their first ever competitive clash against Los Blancos.

And Pablo Machin's men held on to end a three-match losing run at home in LaLiga in improbable fashion, leaving the visitors eight points off leaders Barcelona after just 10 matches.


Zidane recalled a host of first-team stars who sat out the midweek Copa del Rey win at Fuenlabrada, as only Kiko Casilla and teenager Achraf Hakimi held their places. Girona were hardly overawed and went agonisingly close to a shock lead when Pablo Maffeo's curling effort came back off the left upright.

The hosts' frustration was immediately compounded by a blistering Madrid counter-attack. Goalkeeper Bono spilled Cristiano Ronaldo's dipping shot at the end of the move, enabling Isco to bury the close-range rebound for a 12th-minute lead.

Despite their advantage, Zidane's men looked shaky at the back as they regularly gave away possession in dangerous areas.
And the woodwork proved their saviour a second time, Casilla this time indebted to his right post for keeping out Portu's superb looped header late in the half.

Girona finally got their reward in the 54th minute when Pere Pons' incisive dribble broke for Stuani, who skilfully stepped past his marker and finished clinically into the bottom near corner.Madrid's back four, which lost Raphael Varane to an apparent leg injury at half-time, was completely scattered by that stage and shipped a second just four minutes later.

Casilla saved with his feet from Stuani before Portu, possibly in an offside position, intelligently flicked home Maffeo's follow-up attempt to complete the comeback.

It could have been 3-1 with just over 20 minutes remaining, but Stuani guided his finish narrowly wide following Alex Granell's smart through pass. The miss did not matter, though, as the introduction of Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez failed to deny Girona a famous victory.

Madrid will hope to regroup for their Champions League excursion to Tottenham on Wednesday, before returning home to host Las Palmas next Sunday.

 

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Spurs boss Pochettino optimistic over Kane ahead of Madrid clash


Mauricio Pochettino is optimistic Harry Kane will be fit enough for Tottenham's Champions League showdown against Real Madrid, but the Spurs manager does not want to take any risks with his star striker.England international Kane missed Tottenham's 1-0 loss to Premier League rivals Manchester United through injury on Saturday.

The two-time reigning Golden Boot winner was absent due to a minor strain in his left hamstring but Pochettino is hopeful of having Kane available for Wednesday's Group H clash with the Champions League holders at Wembley.

"With the doctors and the player, we will take the best decision for everyone," said Pochettino."It's not the last game or the final where you would say, 'OK, after that it's holidays'.

"We must analyse and take the best decision for everyone."We will assess him and then we will make the best decision. My feeling is good. But it's not my feeling, it's Harry Kane's feeling."Kane continues to lead the way for Tottenham this season with 13 goals in all competitions, eight of which have come in the Premier League.

 

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Napoli need more than 90 points to win Serie A – Sarri


Maurizio Sarri believes Serie A leaders Napoli require more than 90 points to dethrone reigning champions Juventus and win the Scudetto this season.

Napoli stayed three points clear at the top with a 3-1 win at home to Sassuolo on Sunday.Sarri's high-flying entertainers are yet to lose this season, winning 10 of their opening 11 matches, while scoring 32 goals and conceding just eight times.

But Sarri insists Napoli have a long way to go in their pursuit of a first Serie A title since 1989-90."Right now, the forecast is a bit improbable. I don't think the top teams can continue to keep this pace," Sarri said.

"Many smaller team will get new players or they will find their game. Going forward the games will be different, harder. This pace is destined to slow down, not just for us but for any team looking to win the title."The feeling though is that we will need to have more than 90 points to win the championship."

Napoli will again test themselves against one of Europe's elite during the week – Manchester City, having suffered a 2-1 defeat in the highly-anticipated Champions League clash on October 17.In the aftermath of that defeat and Napoli's goalless draw with Inter, Sarri said he felt as though his side care more about Serie A.

Following the weekend's victory over Sassuolo, Sarri added: "Thinking of the Champions League as an obstacle would be unfair. The Champions League is the world's biggest competition for clubs and we're proud for being part of it. That's why we need to play with great determination.

"It's obvious though that we're going to think about where we can be more competitive and we're going to put our energy in that. That's a danger that can happen even if you don't want to. Playing against Man City will not be easy, but it will also be great. Right now, City are the best team in Europe."

 

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Zidane: Real Madrid can still catch Barcelona


Zinedine Zidane insists Real Madrid can still win La Liga despite falling eight points behind leaders Barcelona with Sunday's shock loss at Girona.The champions slipped to a second league defeat of their title defence as the home side became the first promoted team to beat Los Blancos in 27 years.

Isco put Madrid ahead inside 12 minutes, but two goals in the space of four second-half minutes undid the visitors and left Zidane's side languishing in third.

The French coach defended the brittle display and affirmed his belief that the title race is far from over.

"We know we can turn this around. We will have better days and the other teams will drop points too over the season," Zidane told reporters at his post-match press conference.

"We lost three points unexpectedly [but] we want to win La Liga, it is our day to day."I do not agree that we played badly. All the players made an effort. I am annoyed for them, as it was just details [which cost Madrid]."We will go home, rest, and get ready for Wednesday. The players are still motivated for La Liga."

Madrid's disappointing afternoon was compounded by another setback for Raphael Varane, who is in doubt for the midweek Champions League clash at Tottenham after being forced off at half-time. "Varane has a small problem with his adductor, that's what I have been told," Zidane said.

"We will have to [wait until] tomorrow [for more details]."

 

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Verona 1 Inter 2: Perisic stunner keeps pressure on Napoli

Ivan Perisic's brilliant strike ensured Inter survived a second-half scare to remain unbeaten in Serie A with a 2-1 win at Verona which keeps the pressure on leaders Napoli.

Borja Valero and Perisic scored either side of Verona substitute Giampaolo Pazzini's penalty as the visitors moved back to within two points of top spot.With Napoli, champions Juventus and Lazio all recording weekend victories, the pressure was on Inter to maintain their eye-catching start to the campaign.

And Luciano Spalletti's side were on their way when Valero, an off-season signing from Fiorentina, netted his first goal for the club towards the end of the first half, the 32-year-old profiting from Antonio Candreva's superb cross.

Verona had lost their two previous fixtures to sit 19th after 10 matches of their Serie A return, but a VAR-assisted penalty from substitute Pazzini gave them hope of a first top-flight win against the Nerazzurri in 25 years.However, in the fashion of true Scudetto contenders, Inter promptly responded through Perisic's searing 67th-minute strike to extend their unbeaten start to 11 matches.


Verona created the first opportunity of note when Alessio Cerci's goal-bound effort was impressively blocked by Brazil defender Miranda. The visitors soon settled and saw a well-worked opening screwed wide by in-form captain Mauro Icardi, before Matias Vecino drew a comfortable low save from goalkeeper Nicolas.

Spalletti's men had begun to assert their dominance midway through the half and, on the back of sustained possession and pressure, their 36th-minute opener came as little surprise.

Italy international Candreva produced the required class as his delightful inswinging cross from the right dropped perfectly for Valero to volley home from close range, giving Inter an assured one-goal lead at the break.

Icardi went close to continuing his own fine scoring record against Verona when his long-range attempt from Perisic's direct pass whistled over the bar.Perisic was next guilty of scuffing an attempt into the ground, and Inter's wayward finishing came back to haunt them when the VAR awarded Verona a penalty.Samir Handanovic, who had initially escaped punishment, was adjudged to have fouled Cerci in attempting to shovel the ball off the attacker's foot, enabling substitute Pazzini to convert the equaliser just before the hour mark.

But moments after Vecino watched a header drop on top of the woodwork, the visitors' mounting frustration was released as Perisic punished Verona for only clearing a free-kick as far as the edge of the area - emphatically thumping the loose ball through a crowd of players.

The Croatia international's stunning effort proved to be the match-winner as the title contenders comfortably closed out the victory from there, improving their league record to nine wins and two draws under Spalletti.

 

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Bailly backs 'great striker' Lukaku


Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku is a "great striker" who will keep delivering, his team-mate Eric Bailly said.

Lukaku, 24, made a flying start to life at United with 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for the club after joining from Everton for £75 million.But he has failed to net in United's past five outings, leading to some criticism.

Ahead of his side's clash against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, Bailly was full of praise for the Belgium striker."Romelu is a great striker. I have played against him but now I'm lucky to play with him," he said.

"He is very important for us and everybody see how everything's going up for him. I hope he can keep scoring goals and helping us out."

United are one of five English clubs atop their Champions League group at the halfway mark. Bailly said: "The Premier League is one of the best leagues with many good teams and we are getting good results.

"But we must focus on ourselves and keep going. We are playing well and winning many games."

 

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In-form Inter can still improve – Spalletti


Luciano Spalletti has challenged his record-breaking Inter side to continue "looking forward" in order to keep pace with Serie A's title contenders.

The Nerazzurri maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a hard-earned 2-1 victory away to Verona on Monday, improving the team's record to nine wins in 11 league matches.

Borja Valero and Ivan Perisic scored either side of half-time to see off the dogged hosts, who briefly pulled level in the second half through Giampaolo Pazzini's penalty.

While the win confirmed Inter's best-ever points haul at this stage of a Serie A season, Spalletti insists there is plenty of work ahead to challenge for the Scudetto.

"To be a record-breaking side doesn't have a particular impact. We wrote a line in the history of Inter but now we're looking forward," Spalletti told Mediaset Premium."This tunnel will continue until June, and then we will see the light.

"The team played a great match [against Verona] in every respect, but every now and then we play slowly and we leave spaces when we do not have to. We deservedly won, though."If we had not won the match, and Roma had played their [postponed match in September] against Sampdoria and won, we would be out of the Champions League places.

"All teams are in there fighting, I'm thinking of teams like Milan who will come back and Lazio who have the quality to stay up there. Everything can change in one moment."The result left struggling Verona in a far more difficult position as they remain stuck in the relegation zone on six points.

But Verona boss Fabio Pecchia does not believe his job is under the microscope.
"I’ve been working under these conditions for 15 months," Pecchia said.

"I was also questioned last season just before the promotion to Serie A. We'll keep working and as long as the president wants to keep working with me, I will continue to do my job."

 

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Luis Figo: Neymar brings more attention to PSG


Luis Figo believes Paris Saint-Germain demand to be noticed following the club's summer capture of Neymar from Barcelona.The former Barca, Real Madrid and Portugal star talked up the Brazilian, who joined the Ligue 1 giants this past summer in a record €222 move.

"Neymar is one of the best players in the world," Figo told Goal. "He brings more quality to the squad of Paris Saint-Germain and that makes PSG a much stronger team."In terms of visibility, it attracts a lot more people’s attention too."

After PSG lost their Ligue 1 crown to Monaco last term, the club went on a big-money shopping spree in the summer, dropping more than €400 million on Neymar and former Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe.

Figo admits that Qatari-owned PSG is difficult to compete against in terms of financial muscle, but as long as the club isn't violating any rules of Financial Fair Play, there is little that can be done to stop the spending."Paris Saint-Germain has a big financial potential. It’s hard [for other clubs] to fight in this kind of situation but if [PSG] respects the norms and rules of FFP, there is nothing to say," Figo said.

UEFA has, however, opened an investigation into PSG's spending under FFP, with the inquiry ongoing.

 

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Matic admits Man Utd must improve in 'big fight' for Premier League title


Nemanja Matic is happy with the progress being made by Manchester United, but admits they must “improve” to take the Premier League title.The Serbia international knows what is required to secure domestic dominance in England having helped Chelsea to claim the crown on two previous occasions.

He left the Blues as defending champions over the summer, with a £40 million deal reuniting him with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

Matic has helped United to make a positive start to the 2017-18 campaign, but they sit five points adrift of arch-rivals Manchester City at present and know there is still much work to be done if they are to emerge victorious in what promises to be a hard-fought battle for supremacy.

Matic told reporters after a narrow 1-0 victory over Tottenham that helped keep Mourinho’s men hot on the heels of City: “It's hard to say after 10 games that someone is going to be champion. In two games everything can change."I think there is five teams who will challenge for the title and if I say something now I will be wrong for sure.

"You have Manchester City, us, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham so with five or six teams it is going to be a big fight until the end and we will see in May."This is only 10 games but I'm happy that we are now second position, that we are there. We have a chance but we still have to improve."

United have some big tests approaching in the coming weeks, having just come off the back of a run which included a trip to Liverpool, a defeat to Huddersfield and a home date with Spurs.

While there are plenty of winnable games – at least on paper – to come for the Red Devils, their next Premier League fixture takes them to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea – following a midweek clash with Benfica in the Champions League.

They also have an away date at Arsenal and a derby with City at Old Trafford to come before mid-December, with any challenge for the title likely to be shaped heading into the hectic festive period.

 

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Real Madrid injury woes mount as Bale, Isco & Varane doubtful for Tottenham showdown


Real Madrid could be without Isco, Raphael Varane, Gareth Bale and Keylor Navas for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Tottenham.

Head coach Zinedine Zidane had suggested Bale could have recovered from a calf problem in time to face his old club but he trained alone on Monday at Valdebebas.Navas, who has missed Madrid's last three games with an abductor problem, is also still a major doubt for the match at Wembley.

There were further blows on Sunday in the shock 2-1 La Liga defeat to Girona, with Varane forced off at half-time with a suspected thigh injury and Isco taking a heavy knock in the closing stages.

Both trained indoors on Monday, away from the rest of the team that played in Catalonia. With Dani Carvajal and Mateo Kovacic also sidelined, Zidane is facing a selection headache for the meeting with Mauricio Pochettino's side.

Madrid and Spurs are level on seven points each in Champions League Group H and a win for either side will guarantee their place in the last 16.

 

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Mourinho: Lukaku is untouchable in my Man Utd team


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hailed "untouchable" frontman Romelu Lukaku.

The striker made an electric start to life at Old Trafford as he scored seven times in seven Premier League outings, yet after failing to find the net in his last five matches, he has come in for some criticism.

The Belgium international forward moved to United in the summer for a fee of £75 million and Mourinho has emphatically defended the recent acquisition."Romelu is untouchable in my team and should also be in terms of the support from the fans," he told the press ahead of a Tuesday night Champions League meeting with Benfica. "He's playing extremely well for us.

"The fans are free to express themselves as they want. But my job is to protect my players and Romelu should be untouchable."I don't think Romelu's quiet at all. Ask [Tottenham defenders] Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier if he was quiet!"

After overcoming Spurs 1-0 at the weekend, a match in which Anthony Martial came off the bench to score a late winner, Mourinho's attention is turned towards a fixture with the Portuguese outfit - a club that he says his side will not treat lightly.

"The players felt it was easy to win against CSKA and Basel but felt it was difficult versus Benfica. Benfica are much better than the others," he said on the eve of a fixture that could seal his side's passage through to the last-16 stage.

And Mourinho insists that the midweek fixture is the only one occupying the minds of his players, despite a meeting with defending Premier League champions Chelsea looming next weekend.

"Nobody here is thinking about another match other than Benfica. Nobody here is thinking about Chelsea. It's just Benfica and the Champions League," he affirmed.Benfica have yet to pick up a point in the competition this season, having suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against the Red Devils earlier this month.

 

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UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.10.31

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2017.10.31

Manchester United Vs Benfica

Basel Vs CSKA

Celtic Vs Bayern

PSG Vs Anderlecht

Roma Vs Chelsea

Atletico Madrid Vs Qarabag

Olympiacos Vs Barcelona

Sporting CP Vs Juventus

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God Luck Manchester United!​