..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

RB Leipzig 1 Besiktas 2: Hosts drop into Europa League after late Talisca winner



Anderson Talisca scored a late winner for Besiktas as the Group G winners won 2-1 at 10-man RB Leipzig, the result sending Ralph Hasenhuttl's side into the Europa League.

Leipzig needed to better Porto's result against Monaco to stand any chance of Champions League progression, but it was not going to plan from the moment Alvaro Negredo gave the visitors an early lead from the penalty spot.

The hosts peppered the Besiktas goal but were frustrated by the outstanding Tolga Zengin in goal. Captain Willi Orban hit the post while Timo Werner and Jean-Kevin Augustin both had goals chalked off for offside on a frustrating night for the hosts, who also had Stefan Ilsanker sent off.




Naby Keita briefly restored hope after firing a low shot past Zengin with just three minutes remaining before Talisca hit back in the last minute to seal an impressive away victory.

The result, coupled with Porto's 5-2 win over Monaco, means Leipzig head into the Europa League while Besiktas finish top with an impressive tally of 14 points and will head into Monday's draw still unbeaten in the tournament.

Leipzig had started brightly but it was the visitors who went ahead just 10 minutes in after Orban conceded a penalty by bringing down Jeremain Lens. Negredo stepped up and rather casually rolled the ball home to give Besiktas the lead, much to the displeasure of a vocal home crowd.

Back came the hosts, Orban slamming a shot against the base of the post after Diego Demme's corner before Werner thought he had equalised, only to be denied by a very late offside decision.

Undeterred, Leipzig continued to press for an equaliser but left themselves wide open to the counter-attack and were almost made to pay by Negredo, who opted to pass to Lens when he ought to have gone for goal himself. Yet the chances continued to come, Werner and Bruma both testing goalkeeper Zengin but unable to find a way past in an entertaining first half of attacking football.

The second half started in the same fashion with Augustin firing just wide within minutes of the restart before Werner dribbled into the danger area but saw his shot tipped around the post by Zengin.The Besiktas goalkeeper was called in action again shortly afterwards denying Werner from close range and then saving a Keita header as Leipzig piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.

Still Leipzig pressed, Kevin Kampl jinking past defenders and into the area but his dinked effort was just tipped to safety by Zengin. Leipzig did manage to get the ball into the net, Augustin taking a touch before swivelling and firing past Zengin only to see the offside flag raised once again.



There was more misery to follow with Ilsanker picking up a second yellow card for a foul on the breaking Cenk Tosun with eight minutes to go, but Keita was still able to make the breakthrough.The ball fell nicely to the midfielder on the edge of the area and he fired a low, left-footed shot past Zengin.

However, parity did not last long, Orkan Cinar picking out Talisca to volley home the winner and bring an end to Leipzig's Champions League campaign.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 3 Borussia Dortmund 2: More Champions League history for Ronaldo

There was another slice of Champions League history for Cristiano Ronaldo as Borussia Dortmund's miserable campaign ended with a 3-2 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Ronaldo, already the competition's all-time highest goalscorer, became the first player in history to convert in all six group-stage matches when he gave Los Blancos a two-goal lead, but Lucas Vazquez clinched the win in the 81st minute after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double levelled.

Borja Mayoral took just eight minutes to make the most of replacing the misfiring Karim Benzema as one of five changes by Zinedine Zidane, finding the back of the net for the first time in the Champions League.




Madrid's blistering start continued as Ronaldo curled home his landmark effort one day before finding out if he will match Lionel Messi's record of five Ballons d'Or, though Dortmund halved the deficit when Aubameyang punished the defending champions for over-playing at the back.


Aubameyang has never hidden his desire to play for Madrid and it would have been hard for the home fans not to admire the clever second-half chip over Keylor Navas that looked likely to earn Peter Bosz's struggling side a draw.

Vazquez had other ideas, though, as the hosts, who were already guaranteed to finish second prior to kick-off, picked up their first win in three matches.Dortmund pipped APOEL to a place in the Europa League despite an eighth outing in all competitions without a victory.

Mayoral wasted no time in rewarding Zidane's faith, dinking Isco's flick-on – which he may have intended to control for himself – over the onrushing Roman Burki to convert his first opportunity.

But four minutes later it was Ronaldo who took centre stage, the 32-year-old claiming yet another record with a display of exquisite technique. He took one touch to control Mateo Kovacic's cutback, quickly adjusted his feet and bent a sublime finish into the top-right corner.

Theo Hernandez drilled wide after some neat interplay with Ronaldo, but Dortmund soon awoke from their slumber and Raphael Varane's interception stopped Aubameyang turning Christian Pulisic's cross home in the 25th minute, though it came at a cost with the Frenchman seemingly picking up an injury that forced him off.

Shinji Kagawa was kept out by Navas after more fine work from Pulisic, before Aubameyang failed to make the most of a sight of goal when he dragged wide from the right side of the box.

Dortmund's efforts were rewarded two minutes before the break, though. Marcel Schmelzer caught Vazquez and Varane's replacement Marco Asensio idle near Kovacic's loose pass and the left-back whipped a brilliant delivery into the box that Aubameyang headed beyond Navas.Within three minutes of the restart BVB were level as Aubameyang stepped inside of Sergio Ramos and, after being denied by Navas at the first attempt, showed incredible composure to chip the goalkeeper.

A high press from Isco gave Ronaldo a chance to move into double figures in this season's Champions League, but the Portuguese pulled wide from the right of the area.Vazquez saw a powerful drive held by Burki as Madrid stepped up a their attempts for a winner, which Ronaldo thought he had when he swept home Casemiro's knockdown only to see the flag up for offside.

It finally came when Vazquez's volley with the outside of his right foot beat Burki low to his left, but Kagawa fired a great chance to salvage a point over with just two minutes remaining.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Porto 5 Monaco 2: Aboubakar double sends rampant hosts through

Vincent Aboubakar scored twice as Porto eased into the Champions League last 16 by thrashing Monaco 5-2 in a game that saw both sides reduced to 10 men.

Sergio Conceicao's men needed a win to guarantee second spot in Group G ahead of RB Leipzig and a place in the first knockout round - where they fell at the hands of Juventus a year ago - and they might light work of a poor Monaco side at Estadio do Dragao.

Aboubakar took advantage of the Ligue 1 champions' pedestrian defending to score twice inside the opening 33 minutes before Felipe and Rachid Ghezzal were sent off following a clash in the centre circle.




Yacine Brahimi extended Porto's lead before half time and when Kamil Glik pulled one back for Leonardo Jardim's beleaguered troops with a penalty just after the hour mark, Porto ruthlessly powered forward to restore their three-goal cushion through Alex Telles.

Second-half substitute Radamel Falcao then scored against his former club but there was to be no Monaco fightback as Tiquinho Soares wrapped up a result that leaves Monaco out of the competition with four defeats and two draws from six games, ending a miserable campaign from last season's semi-finalists.Porto, meanwhile, will hope for a favourable draw as they aim to go one better than 2016-17 and reach the quarter-finals.

The hosts took a ninth-minute lead when Ricardo Pereira won a free-kick down the Porto right and the set-piece led to Brahimi lifting the ball over Monaco's defence to the feet of the unmarked Aboubakar, who poked it past Diego Benaglio.

Monaco defender Glik lobbed an audacious effort narrowly over the crossbar from just over the halfway line at the other end, but the visitors lacked the urgency going forward that made Porto look dangerous with each attack.

Danilo Pereira strode out of defensive midfield and sent in a curling shot from outside the box that drew a diving save from Benaglio, who turned the ball around the post.

Monaco were leaving gaps in defence and they did so again after 33 minutes, when Danilo Pereira's pass found Aboubakar on the left side of the penalty area and the Cameroon international cut inside before blasting his effort beyond Benaglio with his right foot.

After 38 minutes, Felipe scythed down Ghezzal, who responded to the challenge by pushing his opponent in the face, prompting a retaliation from the Porto defender that meant both men were shown red cards by referee Jonas Eriksson.Then, on the cusp of half time, Brahimi latched onto Hector Herrera's chip and slid in his finish to put the hosts in cruise control at the break.

Porto camped themselves in Monaco's half after the break and Moussa Marega fired a deflected shot over the crossbar from 10 yards.When Monaco relieved the pressure they were awarded a penalty for an alleged handball against Ivan Marcano and Glik drilled the spot-kick low into the bottom-left corner.

The reprise was shortlived as Porto took just four minutes to restore their three-goal advantage through Telles, who picked up the ball 10 yards outside the box and rattled a bouncing left-footed shot onto the inside of the right-hand post.

Monaco sent on Falcao for the last 25 minutes and he found the net in the 77th minute when he headed home Keita Balde's cross at the near post, but it was too little too late for Jardim's men, who had salt rubbed in their wounds when Soares rose to head in Ricardo Pereira's cross with two minutes left to play.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 7 Spartak Moscow 0: Captain Coutinho leads rampant Reds through as group winners

Stand-in skipper Philippe Coutinho led Liverpool to the Champions League knockout stages as Group E winners with a 7-0 demolition of Spartak Moscow at Anfield on Wednesday.

Selected to help secure the three points that would sew up top spot, Coutinho's hat-trick headlined a fearsome display of attacking speed and precision as the home side ran riot from the outset.

The Brazilian - wearing the armband as Jordan Henderson watched on from the bench - was on target twice in the opening 15 minutes to dispel any doubts over their command of a seeded berth in the last 16.




He first converted from the spot in the fourth minute and then capped off a classy attacking move for a second, before Roberto Firmino got in on the act by making it 3-0 in just the 18th minute.

Liverpool had coughed up a three-goal lead against Sevilla in their previous European outing but there was never any hint of that transpiring again as Sadio Mane bagged a brace either side of Coutinho's third and Mohamed Salah added a seventh late on to cap a commanding four-goal second half.

Jurgen Klopp will rue the first-half loss of Alberto Moreno to injury as the only blot on an otherwise sensational performance, which improved their group-stage haul to 23 goals - three clear of Manchester United's previous record for English clubs.


Liverpool's early onslaught began from the spot, Coutinho coolly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way after Salah had been blatantly dragged down by Giorgi Jikia.

The ease with which that penalty was won failed to convey the hosts' attacking power and they immediately set about putting on a show.Mane, Salah and Firmino combined for a superb one-touch move in the 15th minute, the latter squaring for Brazil team-mate Coutinho to finish back across a helpless Alexander Selikhov.

And the game was, incredibly, all but over just three minutes later. Firmino this time turned scorer as Mane's delivery from the right deflected off Serdar Tasci's arm and dropped kindly for him to poke home.Loris Karius - continuing his run in Europe - was not without occasional work, first denying Luiz Adriano and later saving comfortably from Quincy Promes.

Just as all appeared perfect for the Reds, their excellent opening half ended on a slightly sour note with a visibly upset Moreno limping off after blocking a shot, requiring Klopp to call on James Milner.They lost nothing with the change. Milner delivered an inviting cross for Mane to thump home on the volley less than two minutes into the second half.

Spartak's defence had been scrambled from the outset and they were punished for a fifth time in the 50th minute, Coutinho finding space in the area to wrong-foot Selikhov with a deflected effort off Salvatore Bocchetti.

Klopp moved to safeguard against further injuries by removing Dejan Lovren on the hour and and Firmino soon followed, replaced by Daniel Sturridge.It was Sturridge who provided an unselfish low pass across the face of goal for Mane to rather awkwardly turn in his second and Liverpool's sixth in the 76th minute, before Salah appropriately fired in from Milner's clever header to put the final seal on the Reds' emphatic return to the knockout stages for the first time since 2008-09.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Manchester City 1: Hosts through thanks to third home win

Bernard and Ismaily scored to send Shakhtar Donetsk through as Group F runners-up after a 2-1 home win against already-qualified Manchester City at the Metalist Stadium on Wednesday.

City's first defeat in any competition since April ended their 11-match winning streak away from home, although Pep Guardiola named an experimental team with an eye on Sunday's Premier League derby at Manchester United.

Teenager Phil Foden was given his full debut, becoming the youngest Englishman to start a Champions League game, with Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Ederson and Fernandinho the only regular starters included, and City's lack of cohesion proved costly.




Shakhtar knew a draw would be enough to send them into the knockout rounds, regardless of Napoli's result at Feyenoord, but they took the lead after 25 minutes, Bernard beating Danilo and bending a fine shot beyond Ederson after Marlos did superbly to create space.

Right-back Danilo was at fault again six minutes later when Shakhtar extended their lead, a ball over the top from Marlos sending Ismaily clear and, when Ederson raced out of his box without getting the ball, his finish into the gaping goal was straightforward.

City improved after the break - Sergio Aguero netting an injury-time penalty after Jesus was tripped - but Shakhtar closed out their third home win of the group stage, denying Guardiola's men the chance to qualify with a perfect record from Group F.


Taison fired a warning shot and Facundo Ferreyra had an effort blocked early on his 100th Shakhtar appearance as the hosts started on top against a much-changed City side.A Shakhtar break saw Marlos bend an effort straight at Ederson and the hosts took the lead after 25 minutes thanks to a tremendous strike from Bernard.

Shakhtar moved the ball swiftly from their goalkeeper to the other end of the pitch, Marlos finding space to drive away from three City players to tee up Bernard, who sent Danilo the wrong way before whipping a glorious finish into Ederson's top-left corner.Bernard almost added a second moments later, Taison this time creating the space with a clever run, but Ederson was equal to the Brazilian's effort.

But the second goal duly arrived after 32 minutes, Marlos sending a sensational ball in behind City's sloppy defensive line for Ismaily, who capitalised on indecision from Ederson to slot home into an open goal.

City finally created an opening of note when a superb Foden throughball sent Jesus in on goal, but the Brazilian hesitated and goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov made the tackle.

Leroy Sane forced a smart save from Pyatov seconds after the restart, Bernardo Silva's cross turned goalwards on the volley by the winger as City aimed to avoid a first loss of the season. Guardiola replaced Sane with another youngster, Brahim Diaz - who had an effort turned onto the post - in a clear sign of where his priorities lay, although Aguero was sent on for former Shakhtar star Fernandinho for the last 20 minutes.



Taison fired wide and Yaroslav Rakitskiy fired a free-kick at Ederson as Shakhtar sought to make the result even more emphatic, but City grabbed a consolation from 12 yards in stoppage-time as Aguero smashed in a penalty.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham 3 APOEL 0: Llorente on target as Spurs end group stage with routine win

Fernando Llorente scored his first goal for Tottenham as they ended their Champions League Group H campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over APOEL at Wembley.

The Spaniard joined Mauricio Pochettino’s side at the end of August but has struggled in the shadow of Harry Kane this season and has largely been limited to substitute appearances.

Kane was rested for the visit of the Cypriot champions, though, and Llorente excelled in his absence, scoring a wonderful first midway through the opening period before turning provider for Son Heung-min’s superb goal in the 37th minute.




The hosts eased off in the second half and rarely threatened, but Georges-Kevin N'Koudou added a deserved gloss to the scoreline in the 80th minute with a deflected effort.

Tottenham have struggled in recent weeks – winning just one of their last five games prior to this win – but they never looked in danger of failing to take three points in a game they dominated from start to finish.

The victory sees them finish top of Group H with five wins and a draw from their six games and now face an anxious wait until Monday, when they find out who they will face in the last 16.


Pochettino made eight changes from the weekend draw with Watford and handed a first start of the season to N’Koudou.His new-look side did not take long to settle into their stride, however, and nearly scored twice in the opening three minutes as Serge Aurier and Son both flashed shots just wide of Nauzet Perez’s goal.

An almighty goalmouth scramble soon followed that somehow failed to result in a Tottenham opener. Llorente’s initial header was eventually bundled into the path of N'Koudou, whose point-blank effort cannoned off Jesus Rueda’s head on the line before Davinson Sanchez conspired to head wide from Llorente's clipped cross.Llorente then opened his Tottenham account in the 20th minute as he controlled Aurier’s incisive cross, swivelled and then finished past Perez in one almost-balletic movement.

Spurs' first-half dominance was rewarded with a second eight minutes before the interval. Son's pass to Llorente on the edge of the penalty area was cushioned back into his path and the South Korean whipped a fierce effort into Perez's right-hand corner for his second goal in two games.

APOEL, who had offered almost nothing in the way of attacking threat in the opening period, started brightly after the break and almost reduced the deficit when Praxitelis Vouros' drive was deflected just wide by Danny Rose.

Tottenham’s comfortable evening nearly suffered an unnecessary setback midway through the second half when Aurier raked his studs down Efstathios Aloneftis’ ankle. Referee Slavko Vincic deemed the challenge to be worthy of just a yellow card, though, much to the relief of the Ivorian.



It was a largely uninspiring second-half performance by Tottenham, but they did grab a third with 10 minutes remaining as N’Koudou picked up Dele Alli's pass and sent a heavily deflected effort past the helpless Perez for his first goal for the club.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Maribor 1 Sevilla 1: Handanovic howler gifts Spaniards a point

Sevilla will join Group E winners Liverpool in progressing to the Champions League knockout phase despite an underwhelming 1-1 draw at Maribor, in which substitute Ganso spared the visitors' blushes.

The Spanish side knew that a draw would be enough to guarantee their passage ahead of Spartak Moscow, who were duly hammered 7-0 by Liverpool, but they produced a largely toothless display that will not strike much fear into the other teams who have progressed.

Possession was not a problem as Sevilla dominated the ball for most of the match, but they looked devoid of ideas in the final third and rarely threatened to cancel out Marcos Tavares' well-taken 10th-minute opener.




Although they made a slight improvement after the break, clear chances remained at a premium for Sevilla, predominantly down to Maribor's excellent rearguard action.

Maribor were ultimately let down by a goalkeeping howler from Jasmin Handanovic, however, with second-half substitute Ganso taking full advantage.

The hosts had to withstand significant pressure towards the end, but Sevilla failed to find another way through and were made to settle for a draw, meaning they head through to the last 16 with nine points.

Sevilla immediately took charge of possession in Slovenia, but the hosts made more effective use of their time on the ball and went ahead in the 10th minute.
Martin Milec did brilliantly on the right flank, getting into the penalty area and crossing to the back post, where Tavares was waiting to nod in past the helpless Sergio Rico.

The visitors continued to dominate the ball, though they failed to find a way through Maribor's packed defence, with Ever Banega's long-range effort – which Handanovic saved with ease – showing their frustration in the 27th minute.

Maribor went close to scoring a second as Damjan Bohar forced Rico into action from the left side of the area with Sevilla caught short of numbers at the back.And another chance fell to Tavares just before the break, but on this occasion he flashed a first-time effort just wide of the top-left corner after meeting Gregor Bajde's pass 12 yards out.

Sevilla played with a renewed sense of urgency upon the restart and almost levelled within three minutes - Handanovic parrying a Banega effort straight to Pablo Sarabia, before making amends by pushing the Spaniard's rebound around the post.



Attacks came thick and fast from the away side, but still they had trouble crafting clear chances, with Sergio Escudero's long-range effort just before the hour mark the next effort to trouble Handanovic.Ernesto Marucci - in the dugout for Sevilla as Eduardo Berizzo continues his cancer recovery - opted to bring on Brazilian playmaker Ganso shortly after the hour and he ultimately made a telling difference 15 minutes from time.

After good work from Joaquin Correa, the ball dropped kindly to Ganso 25 yards from goal and his controlled effort inexplicably found its way under Handanovic and into the net.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mata: It's too early to think Man City have won the league


Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata says there is a long way to go in the title race, despite Manchester City's incredible form this season.City have won 14 and drawn one from their opening 15 league matches, opening up an eight-point lead in the Premier League table ahead of second-place Man Utd.

The rivals will meet in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday, and Mata sees a big opportunity to close the gap on the league leaders.

“They’re doing good and winning a lot of games, Mata said of City. "They’re scoring nice goals, but I think we’re doing our bit as well. We’ll try to show on Sunday that we can play very good football and we can win the three points.

“It’s a very special game, we all know that, especially because of the position we both are in the table."We play against City at Old Trafford and it’s one of those games that everyone wants to play, one of those really special games the Premier League has."

Though City's return of 43 points from a possible 45 this season has many saying they can't be caught, Mata thinks that United's rivals will eventually start to drop points. “It’s difficult for everyone to win every single game, so we’re waiting for that,” the Spaniard said.

“It’s very difficult, especially in the Premier League. When you play Watford, Stoke, West Ham away or whatever, it’s very difficult to win every single game and we need to be ready if they drop points.

“I remember a few seasons ago (in 2011-12) when United were ahead of City by eight points and then City won on goal difference."It’s a crazy league and it’s too early to think that it’s finished — from City, they will tell you the same."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo eyes Champions League three-peat with Real Madrid


Real Madrid's record-breaking star Cristiano Ronaldo has set his sights on winning a third successive Champions League title.

Ronaldo – already the competitions all-time leading goalscorer – became the first player in history to convert in all six Champions League group-stage matches as two-time reigning titleholders Madrid overcame Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on Wednesday.

Madrid will now prepare for the last 16 as runners-up in Group H and the four-time Ballon d'Or winner, who is tipped to receive the honour for a record-equalling fifth time on Thursday, is eyeing a Champions League three-peat.

"Hopefully we can win the Champions League again," Ronaldo said."The important thing was to pass through the group stage."Our aim is to win the Champions League."Ronaldo added: "I'm very happy, we wanted to finish the group stage well with a victory.

"I also scored; I helped the team to win with a beautiful goal. The record is also important, I'm really pleased."

While Ronaldo has starred in Europe, the 32-year-old has struggled domestically, only managing two goals in 10 La Liga appearances for the defending champions.
"[The Champions League] is a competition that I really like to play in," he said. "Obviously, I also like to score in it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp: I don't care who we draw, it's all good!


Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool's faultless 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow and says he is open to facing any opponent in the Champions League's last 16.

The Reds powered their way through to the knockout stages with a breathtaking display at Anfield, scoring three times inside the opening 18 minutes and adding four more after the restart.

Philippe Coutinho, wearing the armband as Jordan Henderson watched on from the bench, starred with his first hat-trick for the club, while Sadio Mane notched a brace and Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah shared one apiece.

It was an ominous performance from the hosts' lethal front four and Klopp is undaunted by the prospect of being paired with the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Juventus in Monday's draw.

"I don't mind too much who we get. Usually I always get Real Madrid so we will see," Klopp joked to BT Sport."We have no preferred opponents. It will be really nice [to be back in the knockout stages] after a long time. I love this kind of news.

"Nobody could imagine that it would go like this tonight. It was an all-or-nothing game for both teams."Spartak Moscow is a really good side, I know you won't think so now but they are difficult to play against.

"We opened the game perfectly and after we took the lead we didn't have to defend. It was a nice night at Anfield. I have nothing to moan about tonight, it's all good."

Meanwhile, Spartak manager Massimo Carrera admitted his team - who would have finished above Liverpool with a win - was not ready for the challenge of such a big occasion.

"I don't want to say that we should have won but our performance showed we lacked quality. It proves that we are not trained for the Champions League level," he commented."It's a hard result to take, I've never had a result like this. We have to treat it as a lesson."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Apollon Limassol 0 Everton 3: Lookman stars as young Toffees avoid winless campaign


Ademola Lookman struck a brace as a youthful Everton signed off from an underwhelming Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win at Apollon Limassol on Thursday.

Subbed at half-time of his only Premier League start this season, the 20-year-old scored twice inside the opening half hour to end his 20-match scoreless run in all competitions and give the Toffees their first win at the final attempt in Group E.

The visitors clearly had an eye on Sunday's derby against Liverpool in handing starting debuts to young trio Harry Charsley, Fraser Hornby and Morgan Feeney.



Lookman took his opportunity to impress by heading in the opener in the 21st minute, before he unleashed a long-range rocket soon after to effectively sew up third spot ahead of the Cypriot champions.

Kevin Mirallas added late polish to an accomplished three points with a calm one-on-one finish in the 87th minute, ensuring Apollon's first home defeat of the group stage.

In the absence of Sam Allardyce, who handed the reins to assistants Craig Shakespeare and Duncan Ferguson in order to attend a medical appointment, Everton will take all the encouragement they can get from a third straight competitive victory ahead of their visit to Anfield.


The young Blues were prised open inside six minutes as Fotis Papoulis found space on the left, but the winger harmlessly guided his finish over the bar.

Lookman had an even better chance to break the deadlock when he reeled in Davy Klaassen's through pass and stepped inside Joao Pedro, only to dally over his finish and invite the smother from Tasos Kissas.Charsley's curler next drew an impressive fingertip save from Kissas in a lively start to proceedings.

And the visitors were rewarded for their bright opening as Nikola Vlasic collected a one-two with Kevin Mirallas and dinked a cross to the far post for Lookman to head high into the net.Lookman only needed a further seven minutes to double his tally in spectacular style, the 20-year-old thumping a sweet strike from distance that burst through Kissas' hands.

At the other end, Joel Robles was required to preserve the two-goal cushion with a quickfire trio of saves and the lead remained intact at the break, despite Apollon's appeals for a penalty on the stroke of half-time.Robles was called on again to parry Allan's firm effort soon after the restart, while Kissas covered his near post to deny Lookman a hat-trick.

Apollon, now winless in 11 group stage matches, shipped a third late on as Mirallas broke clean through and consigned the hosts to their first home defeat in Group E.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 6 BATE 0: Wilshere ends goal wait as Wenger's men romp

Jack Wilshere scored his first Arsenal goal since May 2015 as Arsene Wenger's men cruised to a 6-0 win over BATE in their final Europa League group game.

An Arsenal line-up featuring a number of fringe players made light work of their Belarusian opponents, taking the lead after 11 minutes when Mathieu Debuchy ended a three-year goal drought with an accurate finish.

Theo Walcott, who dynamism and pace caused BATE problems all evening, scored Arsenal's second from close range before Wilshere buried their third from the edge of the penalty area before half-time.




Walcott forced an own-goal by Denis Polyakov shortly after half-time and Olivier Giroud added a fifth from the penalty spot before Wilshere teed up Mohamed Elneny for the sixth as Arsenal swaggered to a victory that provided an ideal tonic after a 3-1 home defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League.

Arsenal went into the game having already secured first place in Group H, but the emphatic nature of the victory and a strong performance by Wilshere will have pleased Wenger, while BATE's European dream is over after they finished bottom of the group with one win from six games.


It took Elneny just two minutes to latch onto Giroud's knock-down and lash a shot towards goal from just inside the penalty area but Denis Scherbitski dived to his left and parried it away.

Arsenal's patient probing paid off nine minutes later when Walcott held the ball up in the penalty area and Debuchy stepped up to power a shot into the top-left corner of the net with his left foot, leaving Scherbitski no chance.

The BATE goalkeeper had to make an acrobatic one-handed save to prevent an own-goal by Polyakov and moments later he saved at Walcott's feet after an unselfish header from Giroud put the winger through at close range.

Wenger's men dictated the game with crisp passes and elegant build-up play before Danny Welbeck's trickery took him into the box after 37 minutes and, just as it looked as though the ball had run away from Arsenal, Walcott pounced and fired it home from the edge of the six-yard box.

Walcott turned provider six minutes later when he knocked the ball to Wilshere on the edge of the box and the former first-team regular steadied himself before hooking the ball into the right corner of the net with his left foot.

Wilshere threaded a throughball for Walcott to chase on the right wing after six minutes of the second half and the England winger's cross would have found Welbeck had the on-rushing Polyakov not slammed it into the net in an attempt to clear the danger.

Shortly after the hour mark, Walcott was brought down in the box by Nemanja Milunovic's lazy tackle and Giroud, who was ordered to take the penalty twice do to an encroachment, plundered the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner of the net with his trusty left foot.Wilshere turned provider in the 74th minute, collecting the ball inside the box before calmly squaring it to Elneny, who curled the ball into the far corner of the net with an exquisite right-footed shot.

Though BATE had a brief reprise in the final 10 minutes, Arsenal's defence, marshalled by Rob Holding and Calum Chambers, held firm.

 

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Rijeka 2 AC Milan 0: Gattuso still waits for first win as Rossoneri lose on the road

Gennaro Gattuso suffered defeat in his first Europa League game in charge as AC Milan rounded out an otherwise successful Group D campaign with a 2-0 loss away to Rijecka.

The Rossoneri's unbeaten record in Europe this season came to a disappointing end in Croatia, leaving their new manager still waiting for his first victory since taking over from Vincenzo Montella.

Denied at the death by Benevento goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli's unlikely equaliser on Sunday, Gattuso saw a much-changed XI out-fought and out-thought by a side with nothing to play for but pride.




Jakov Puljic's sumptuous free-kick beyond stand-in goalkeeper Marco Storari gave Rijecka the lead after just seven minutes.Mario Gavranovic's first-time finish from a left-wing cross confirmed a famous win for the hosts, meaning Milan have now triumphed in just four of their last 15 outings in all competitions


While already certain of qualifying for the knockout stages as group winners, Gattuso had called for his players to show "desire" in his pre-match press conference, aware of the need to arrest a worrying run of form. Yet his inspiring words appeared to fall on deaf ears judging by his side's first-half display, even when taking into consideration the absence of several first-team regulars.

Sluggish from the outset, they fell behind in the seventh minute when Lucas Biglia's foul just outside the area allowed Puljic to curl a free-kick over the wall and beyond Marco Storari's desperate dive.

The scorer missed an excellent chance to heap further misery on the visitors before the break too, heading a teasing cross from the right narrowly wide of the target.
Milan created little yet still could easily have drawn level before half-time, with Andre Silva's lob clearing goalkeeper Simon Sluga but ending up sitting on the roof of the net, rather than in the back of it.Rijecka moved further clear just two minutes into the second half, Gavranovic's rather scruffy finish from Zoran Kvrzic's low delivery doubling their advantage.

Conceding for a second time seemed to briefly bring Milan to life as an attacking force, with Luca Antonelli seeing an on-target effort blocked by a home defender. Patrick Cutrone wasted their best chance to half the deficit though, the forward seeing a downward header loop over after he'd misjudged his jump to meet Davide Calabria's tantalising cross.

To round out a thoroughly miserable road trip for Gattuso, a late booking picked up by Manuel Locatelli means the midfielder will be suspended for the next game in Europe.

 

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'Fantastic Ronaldo deserves fifth Ballon d'Or' - James backs former Real Madrid team-mate


Cristiano Ronaldo is a “fantastic player” and fully deserving of a fifth Ballon d’Or, says former Real Madrid team-mate James Rodriguez.The Portuguese superstar is expected to be recognised as the best player on the planet once again at a star-studded ceremony in Paris on Thursday.

If he is successful, then the 32-year-old will draw level with eternal rival Lionel Messi on five wins apiece as the period of dominance by the Madrid and Barcelona icons continues.
James, who spent three seasons alongside Ronald in Spain before linking up with Bayern Munich over the summer, believes that there has been nobody more deserving of the prestigious individual award over the course of the last 12 months.He told reporters: “It's deserved. Cristiano has had a great year and I'm happy for him.

“It'll be his fifth Ballon d'Or, and right now that says it all. He has improved over his whole career, which has turned him into a fantastic player.”Ronaldo’s presence in Madrid was partly responsible for James struggling to nail down a regular starting berth, which ultimately led him to look elsewhere.

The 26-year-old headed to Bayern on an initial two-year loan agreement and has started to find his form following a slow start to life in Germany.The Colombia international believes he is improving all the time, stating after a 3-1 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain: “Yes, I'm playing well at the moment, which is down to getting more minutes on the pitch.

“This means that things are coming off; when you play you can put your talents to the test, and everything is easier, particularly when you're playing alongside great players like the ones at Bayern. I'm enjoying myself and just want to help my team win.”

Despite seeing off PSG in their latest outing, Bayern could only finish as runners-up in their Champions League group.

Real did likewise in theirs, which means that James will be denied a possible reunion with his former club in the last 16.
“I don't think there are any easy rivals left in the Champions League,” he added.“It's tough whoever you play, particularly in the last 16 because you have to be on the top of your game. Having said that, going back to the Bernabuu would be special.”

 

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Manchester derby is a must-win game for Mourinho's United, warns Kanchelskis


Manchester United must beat Manchester City on Sunday if they want to keep their title hopes alive, according to Andrei Kanchelskis.

The Premier League's top two go head-to-head at Old Trafford in a pre-Christmas fixture that is about much more than just local pride.City already sit eight points clear at the summit and a win over their neighbours would leave United with a mammoth deficit to make up, even with 22 games still to play in the campaign.

Kanchelskis - who played for both clubs during his playing career - feels Jose Mourinho's side simply cannot afford to lose further ground in their bid to be crowned champions for the first time since 2013.

"If Manchester United wins this derby game against Manchester City, they've a good chance to win the title," the former Russia winger told Omnisport, speaking at the signing of his book Russian Winters: The Story of Andrei Kanchelskis (deCoubertin)."It's a must-win game. They [United] need the three points.

"It's a difficult few months over Christmas time, through December and January. There are too many games."There is the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup, League Cup and possibly national team duties as well. That's too many, but we will see what happens."It [the derby] is important for both teams. If City drop points, there's a good chance for United in this race to be crowned champions. If they don't, it's difficult for United to win the title."

The derby sees Mourinho once again come up against Pep Guardiola, with the pair having previously locked horns at domestic level when they were in charge of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

Kanchelskis admits Guardiola has City firing on all cylinders this season, yet believes this weekend's clash will help settle the argument over who is the better manager."Manchester City are playing good football. They are more attacking and have a lot of goal scorers," he added.

"But we will see in December who is best – Mourinho or Guardiola."

 

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Mkhitaryan explains how he showed Ibrahimovic there are two Gods at Man Utd


Henrikh Mkhitaryan has revealed how he helped to show Manchester United team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic that he is not the only ‘God’ at Old Trafford.The Red Devils’ enigmatic Swedish striker has never been shy of billing himself as the spiritual leader of football.

He has earned such a standing through his achievements on the pitch, with his legendary status stretching well beyond the borders of his homeland.
Mkhitaryan is, however, a performer who enjoys similar acclaim, as a national hero in Armenia, and was able to prove that point to Ibrahimovic during a Europa League meeting with FC Rostov in March.

“Everyone knows Ibrahimovic calls himself the God. But when we landed in Rostov I told him: ‘You see who the real God is’,” Mkhitaryan told a Match TV documentary dedicated to his career.“I’m joking. There were many Armenians chanting my name. After that he understood there is another God – me!”

Mkhitaryan has struck up a strong friendship with Ibrahimovic following the latter’s move to England in 2016 and claims that the 36-year-old is often wrongly being portrayed as being egotistical and argumentative.

He added: “Zlatan has a strong temper. Many people don’t agree with him. People do not understand or do not want to understand his jokes or what he’s talking about.“But I have had good relations with him from the first moment. We kept in touch even when he was recovering out of Manchester.”

Ibrahimovic picked up an untimely knee injury shortly after United’s meeting with Rostov last season, in another Europa League clash with Anderlecht.He has since worked his way back from surgery to earn a new short-term deal at Old Trafford and has been welcomed with open arms by all concerned.

Mkhitaryan, meanwhile, has seen his form dip since making a bright start to the 2017-18 campaign, figuring in just two games throughout November as Jose Mourinho shuffles his Premier League title-chasing pack.

 

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Liverpool’s Mane relishes playing alongside Coutinho, Salah, Firmino


Sadio Mane is thrilled to be playing alongside Philippe Coutinho, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Liverpool thrashed Spartak Moscow 7-0 on Wednesday night to cruise to the next round of the Uefa Champions League with each of the attacking quartet registering their names on the scoresheet.Coutinho’s hat-trick, Mane’s brace and a goal each from Salah and Firmino helped the Reds finish at the summit of Group E with 12 points from six games.

And the 25-year-old, scorer of seven goals in 15 games in all competitions this term, is savouring his moment with the forwards.
"I'm very happy to play alongside all these great players,” Mane told club website.
"I'm enjoying playing [with] them, they make it easier for me, so I'm happy for that."Everybody has spoken about [us], but the whole performance of the team was always great.

"Without them, we are nothing, so it's everybody. The whole performance of the team was great tonight."We played fantastic football and we deserved to win because we created many chances and scored without conceding."

Liverpool host Everton in Sunday's Merseyside derby and the former Southampton man is anticipating a difficult tie as the Kops chase their ninth win in the English top-flight this season.

“It's also a tough game and an important game for us,” he continued."We play at home and the fans deserve a win, so we'll do our best to get it."The Anfield outfit are placed fourth in the Premier League log with 29 points from 15 games.

 

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Bring on Bayern and Real Madrid! - Can claims Liverpool fear nobody in Champions League


Emre Can says Liverpool “are not afraid of any team” as they face the prospect of Champions League clashes with Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.The Reds swept into the last-16 of Europe’s premier club competition on Wednesday with a 7-0 demolition of Spartak Moscow.

Phillipe Coutinho netted a hat-trick for Jurgen Klopp’s side, while Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were also among the goals.

Bayern, Real, Porto, Juventus, Basel and Shakhtar Donetsk are now potential opponents in the first knockout stage, and Can insists that the Premier League are ready to take on all comers.The Germany international told reporters after the Spartak mauling: “We are not afraid of any team.

“If you want to go through to the next round you have to win, it doesn't matter who. “We will see who we play but of course we have confidence.”

Liverpool had surrendered a three-goal lead in their last European outing against Sevilla, to spark further criticism of their much-maligned defence, but Can insists there was never any chance of history repeating itself.He added: “If you win 7-0 against Moscow it has to be good, of course.

“We started quick and got the goals and it was 3-0 at half time. I think a lot of supporters thought [about the] 3-0 against Sevilla, maybe the same. “But we said in the changing room we just keep going, we press high and we just try to score more goals.”

The form of the club’s attacking unit has helped to raise confidence around Anfield, with Coutinho, Firmino, Mane and Salah having shown this season that they are a match for any side on the continent.“[Those] players, it's incredible how they play. They can always score and it's nice to play in such a team of course,” said Can.

“They are quick, they can play football and they can play one-twos. You see their goals - it's brilliant. “Really, they are very, very strong players and, if they see the bench, the players who come in are the same. I think we have a good squad.”

Liverpool will be hoping to carry their European form into domestic competition on Sunday when they return to Premier League action with a derby date at home to Everton.

 

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Perez on Ronaldo: For me he is the heir to Di Stefano


Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said that Cristiano Ronaldo is the club's heir to the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano.Di Stefano is regarded as one of Real Madrid and football's all-time greats, starring for the Blancos between 1953 and 1964.

After picking up his fifth Ballon d'Or on Thursday, Perez believes Ronaldo can be mentioned right alongside the Argentine legend.
"For Real Madrid and all the Madridistas in the world, this fifth Ballon d'Or is an honour and a recognition for the best player in the world," Perez told L'Equipe TV following the ceremony. "I think Cristiano Ronaldo has all the Real Madrid values; effort, respect and teamwork."For me, he is the heir to Alfredo Di Stefano."

The 32-year-old netted 25 times in La Liga last term and added 12 goals in the Champions League, including a brace in the final against Juventus.It's the second straight year Ronaldo has won the award presented by France Football, and he was also named the Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2016-17 in October.

Ronaldo also took home the Ballon d'Or in 2008, 2013, and 2014.While Ronaldo has picked up where he left off last season in this year's Champions League, scoring in all six of Madrid's group-stage matches – a feat that had never been accomplished before, he hasn't matched that form in La Liga, netting just two times in 10 appearances.

Madrid face a massive clash with Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday before heading to the FIFA Club World Cup.

 

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Ronaldo: I want to finish my career at Real Madrid


Cristiano Ronaldo said he is planning on finishing his career at Real Madrid after winning the Ballon d'Or on Thursday.

It is the fifth time the Portugal international has won the prize, drawing him level with his great rival Lionel Messi for the most Ballons d'Or of all time.

After taking home the trophy, Ronaldo made it clear that he is still in his prime and looking forward to continuing his career with Los Blancos for the foreseeable future.
"I hope I can play at the greatest level for a few more years," Ronaldo told reporters. "The battle continues with Messi. We're doing the best we can for our teams. I think things are happening for a reason."I feel good, let's see what happens in the future. I'm happy at Real and I want to stay and finish my career there if possible."

Ronaldo scored 42 goals across all competitions during the 2016-17 season, leading Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double.The 32-year-old netted 25 times in La Liga last term and added 12 goals in the Champions League, including a brace in the final against Juventus.

"I'm very happy. To get this prize in Paris is a great experience, it's marvelous," Ronaldo told L'Equipe TV. "It's a great moment of my career. It's something I wish I have every year. We had a marvelous year. I was the [top] goalscorer of the Champions League, so I want to thank my team-mates.

"They were important for me. And also thanks everybody who helped me to be in great form during the season."It's the second straight year Ronaldo has won the award presented by France Football, and he was also named the Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2016-17 in October.

Ronaldo also took home the Ballon d'Or in 2008, 2013, and 2014.So far this season, Ronaldo has been on fire in the Champions League once again, scoring in all six group-stage matches. But he only has two goals in 10 La Liga matches so far.