..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Former Man United star Ryan Giggs confirms interest in vacant Wales job


Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has confirmed his interest in wanting to replace Chris Coleman as Wales manager.Wales are on the lookout for a new boss following Coleman's resignation last month, and former international Giggs has thrown his name into the ring.

Giggs had a four-match spell as interim boss at United in 2014 following David Moyes' sacking, while he also worked as an assistant to Louis van Gaal until 2016.

The 44-year-old – capped 64 times by the national team – has failed to land a permanent managerial role despite being linked with numerous jobs but he is attracted to the Wales vacancy."Of course I'm interested," Giggs told Sky Sports News.

"I played for Wales, I've said that I want to go back into coaching and that is obviously one of the top jobs."I played for United, I played for Wales, those are the two jobs."I've not spoken to anyone at the moment but I'd definitely be interested."

Wales qualified for Euro 2016, where they reached the semi-finals, having previously failed to reach a major tournament since 1958.However, Wales were unable to book their spot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia as Coleman left for Championship outfit Sunderland.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger admits Arsenal have no title target


Arsene Wenger admits talk of a Premier League title challenge from Arsenal is “not realistic”.The 2017-18 campaign is only 15 games old, but the Gunners are already prepared to focus on other areas.Wenger’s side sit 15 points adrift of leaders Manchester City at present, with a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United dropping them into fifth spot.

Arsenal are, however, very much in the top-four picture, safely through to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and the last-32 of the Europa League and preparing to open their FA Cup campaign with a third round clash against Nottingham Forest.

With there plenty of other avenues to explore for his side, Wenger is prepared to forget about chasing the top-flight crown for now, telling reporters: "At the moment we have different worries than the title."We are too far from the title at the moment to speak about the title. It's not realistic. Let's try to win our next game and over a longer distance see if we can come back."

Arsenal’s next game comes against Southampton on Sunday.That contest represents another quick turnaround for the Gunners, with kick-off at St Mary’s set for noon.

Wenger’s side were in Europa League action on Thursday evening against BATE and the Frenchman believes rivals are getting preferential treatment from those in charge of fixture scheduling.He said: "I have nothing against the fact that we have to do that, as long as our opponents have the same recovery days.

"That was not the case last week and will not be the case again. Between three days and five days is a big gap on the recovery side. If we have to play every day I don't mind as long as our opponents do as well."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kante would win a Ballon d'Or if managers decided it, says Conte


Chelsea manager Antonio Conte thinks N'Golo Kante would win the Ballon d'Or if the award was decided by first-team coaches.Cristiano Ronaldo won the award for the fifth time in his career on Thursday. Kante finished eighth in the overall list and was ranked higher than any other Premier League player, with Harry Kane finishing 10th and Eden Hazard 19th.

Kante won a host of individual honours in England last season for his performances in Chelsea's Premier League title-winning season but was unable to secure any international awards. Conte, a former Italy international, dreamed of winning the Ballon d'Or but thinks that a defensive midfielder will never get the chance to take home the trophy, with attackers dominating the voting.

"When I was a player I wanted to win [the Ballon d'Or], but with my characteristic and my potential, I knew that it was impossible," Conte told a news conference at Cobham Training Ground. "But I won a lot in my career. I won everything. I was captain of Juventus for many years.

"I lost two finals in the World Cup and Euro Championships but at same time you know very well [yourself] if you can reach level to win Ballon d'Or. I think in our team there are players who can reach this level. Others are not able, like me.Honestly, I don't know if Kante can win Ballon d'Or in his life because for the characteristics of this player.

"He doesn't score a lot of goals. He is a great worker. For me, Ballon d'Or is Ballon d'Or, but for a coach, Kante has to win, for every coach. If you ask coaches, we would take this decision. But in reality it would be very difficult for him to win.

"[Paolo] Maldini never won, but he was the best defender in the world. Never won. [Gianluigi] Buffon never won; he was the best goalkeeper in the world for many years. But this is the story of the Ballon d'Or. You have to respect it is a particular classification."

Conte had said that he was surprised to see Hazard ranked at only 19th in the Ballon d'Or list, which is decided by a panel of over 100 journalists for France Football magazine, having earned worldwide recognition.

Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have shared the award for the last decade, winning it five times each. Conte admits that Hazard needs to work hard ot catch up to the duo, while Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar is also in the discussion.

"I am the coach but I think it is right for the player to answer," Conte said. "The player knows his own ambition. For sure [Hazard] is a fantastic player, he is important, but at same I tell you that to win the Ballon d'Or you have to win and in your career you have to win a lot.

"For Cristiano [Ronaldo], it's the fifth time, like Messi. It means that in the last 10 years it didn't change; two players, three players, because also Neymar. It is not simple but I am talking Cristiano. Last season he won the Champions League, the league. Two years ago he won the Euro championship.

"I think Ballon d'Or is now a topic between these three players. In these players, Ronaldo or Messi, the same with Neymar, you see ... when you see these players, you see a hunger in every moment. Score one goal, they want to score the second. Score a second, they want to score the third.

"They are very hungry and for that reason they are special. They want to win. It is not important if last season Ronaldo won, now if you ask him or Messi, they are going to play another World Cup with the same hunger because they have hunger, They want to win win win and continue. It is not important the past for these players.

"For these reasons, I repeat, I have a great, great respect for these players because to stay at that level you have to work very hard, it is tough. I think now it is not right to talk about Eden because we all know the importance of these players for Chelsea. He is an important player for us and during games he can make the difference for us.

"This is important. But at the same time I am his coach and I try to push him. But not only him I push, I push all of my players to do their best in training. Because if you want to improve in training you can do so in game.

"I like to call it a 'sacred fire', when you have it inside you, the will to win every game to score goals. Every one of us, we have this sacred fire and we have to find the right solution to improve it."At this level you must have this type of situation.Then the flame can be big or little. When you have an inferno it means you are like Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar.Eden has right characteristic to try to fight with these giants. He has the characteristic, so then he has to try to do this."And to improve his position in this table in the next year. He has the potential to do this but it is not simple to overcome this chance."

Chelsea are facing their sixth London derby match of the season as they visit West Ham United's London Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This weekend's action in the Premier League also sees derby matches in Liverpool and Manchester.
Conte thinks that the sheer number of derby clashes gives Chelsea a slight disadvantage over their Manchester rivals.

"I think the derby is always a different type of game, it's always a special game. If you are a team and you stay in London, you must be prepared to play a lot of special games," Conte said. "For sure it is different this type of game.

"In Italy, if you are in Turin and there is only one derby, in Milan the same, in Rome. In Manchester, only one game. Here you must be ready to face many teams and I think also for our fans this is a special game."I think in this league evey game is very tough but to play during a seson eight to ten derbies is more difficult."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'I don't know what they're talking about' - Bosz denies crisis meeting at Dortmund


Under-pressure Borussia Dortmund head coach Peter Bosz has rejected suggestions his playing and coaching staff recently held crisis talks in a bid to turn around their ailing form.

Dortmund have tumbled to sixth in the Bundesliga, with the 5-0 DFB-Pokal win over third-tier Magdeburg standing as their only victory in the past 12 matches across all competitions.

The collapse from 4-0 up against Schalke two weeks ago, which saw Revierderby end in a stunning 4-4 draw, reportedly prompted emergency discussions between Bosz and his squad.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's home game against second-bottom Werder Bremen, the former Ajax boss insisted this version of events was wide of the mark."I have a lot of sessions every week, sometimes with defenders, sometimes with all the players," he said."It's important to talk to the players and let us have each other's opinions. I do not know what session they're talking about, I think they mean a team meeting."

Sporting director Michael Zorc has labelled the Bremen game as a must-win encounter for Bosz's misfiring stars and the Dutchman does not disagree.

"We are still waiting for the turnaround, we have to do it now with a win, tomorrow we have to win at home," Bosz added, having noted improvements during Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League."It is a very important game and the good stages of the past games give me hope for the Bremen game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lingard's United rallying call: Let's make sure Manchester is red


Jesse Lingard has issued a pre-derby rallying cry, calling on United to “make sure that Manchester is red” following a clash with City.The next chapter of a famous sporting tale is set to be written at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola will take his Premier League leaders to the Theatre of Dreams boasting an eight-point lead at the top of the table, but aware that anything can happen in the Manchester melting pot.

Lingard sees no reason why Jose Mourinho’s side cannot claim a prized scalp and keep themselves very much in title contention, with the players fully aware of what is at stake.“I am confident,” the England international told United Review.

“It’s two great teams going out there and you don’t know what the game is going to be like. It might be a battle; it might not be pretty. But if we come out on top, it’s always good for the city of Manchester. We need to make sure that Manchester is red at the end of the day. Like us, they have lots of big players.

“When [Kevin] De Bruyne’s on the ball, he’s always got that eye for a killer pass that can put a player one-on-one with the keeper, and Raheem Sterling’s been popping up with the late goals.

“It’s going to be full-on for 90-plus minutes. We need to be on point until that whistle goes, so everyone needs to stay highly-concentrated throughout. As long as we start the game well, like we did at Arsenal, I don’t see any reason why we can’t win.”

Lingard netted twice in the aforementioned performance at Arsenal, with a 3-1 win helping to underline United’s claims to a sustained challenge for the top-flight crown.As a home-grown talent, a meeting with City means more to the 24-year-old than it does many of the global superstars that will be on display.

He is, however, eager to ensure that there are no distractions, with emotion put to one side in the pursuit of precious points.“You know quite a lot of them [City’s Academy players] growing up, and through the England set-up as well,” added Lingard.

“I’m good friends with Raheem [Sterling] off the pitch. But when you’re on the pitch, there are no friends and we’re there to do a job and win the game.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Forget containing City, can they handle United? - De Gea lays down derby challenge


David de Gea is tired of people talking up Manchester City and has warned them that United are entering derby day in confident mood.

Ahead of an eagerly-anticipated fixture at Old Trafford, much of the pre-match attention has focused on Pep Guardiola’s free-scoring Premier League leaders.City have been in inspired form so far in 2017-18, with results dug out on the rare occasions in which opponents are not blown away.

De Gea, though, believes that United – who sit eight points off the title pace at present – are equally as strong and feels Jose Mourinho’s side will ask plenty of questions of their own on Sunday.

Quizzed by Thierry Henry for Sky Sports on how you stop City, the Spain international goalkeeper said: "Can City stop United? We play at home with the fans."It's a derby, we have confidence, we feel really strong and we want to win.

"The team is in a good moment, we won two difficult away games so we have confidence and we know we play an important game. We really want to win."

United will be without the suspended Paul Pogba when City arrive at Old Trafford, but Mourinho has offered positive updates on other members of his squad hoping to play some part in a crunch clash.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Phil Jones come back into contention after shaking off knocks, while Nemanja Matic is available for selection and Marouane Fellaini will face a late fitness check.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Premier League is not a two-horse race


Jose Mourinho insists the Premier League title is not destined to be won by Manchester United or Manchester City this season.Pep Guardiola's side hold an eight-point lead over United ahead of Sunday's derby clash at Old Trafford.

A win for City over their fierce rivals would put them in a commanding position to claim the trophy, while a victory for Mourinho's side looks to be crucial to their hopes of a first league triumph since the retirement of Alex Ferguson.
Mourinho, however, does not believe it is a two-horse race this season, with Chelsea only three points behind United and Liverpool a further three back in fourth."We are a better team than last year, no doubts about it. I think City is also a better team than last season," he told a news conference.

"I think we can win the title but I think other teams can be champions."Sunday's clash will be the first between United and City since the terrorist attack on the Manchester Arena in May, when a suicide bomber claimed the lives of 22 people.Mourinho hopes it will be a "beautiful" occasion that continues the good faith shown by the clubs in the wake of the tragedy.

"I live a little bit isolated from society, I don't feel it so much," he said. "I really don't have that communication but I don't need that to know a derby is something special for the people.

"For us, it's three points but for the people born in the city and feeling the colours in that good, positive rivalry, it is a special match."These are the beautiful things that football can do. We could feel in that period [after the attack] that the clubs were ready to work together for the city. It would be really sad if that was not the case.

"Now this is a football match. An important football match, where I wish everything goes well in relation to the fans. If taken in the right way, the derby's a beautiful thing. Same city, different colours, friends support different colours, even under the same roof some families disagree on the passion of the colours."I hope before the game you have a city full of colour, red and blue, and after the game, the same."

Mourinho confirmed Phil Jones and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are fit for the match, with Nemanja Matic to play through an injury, but Eric Bailly and Michael Carrick will miss out and Marouane Fellaini faces a late fitness test.

However, the United boss would not offer any indication of his tactical plan or line-up."Football is unpredictable. As a manager, I can try to define a game plan, to work in a direction but football is unpredictable," he said.

"We don't know what can happen, there are so many things that are out of control that can totally transform the direction of the game. I wouldn't risk saying what game we are going to have."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale back to Tottenham? Pochettino won't rule out move for Real Madrid star


Mauricio Pochettino admits Gareth Bale could return to Tottenham from Real Madrid at some stage, saying “you never know in football”.The Wales international left Spurs for Spain as part of a record-breaking transfer in the summer of 2013.

Early success was enjoyed with Madrid, with Bale now boasting a La Liga title and three Champions League crowns, but injury struggles have blighted his time away from British soil.
A homecoming has been mooted for some time, with Manchester United being heavily linked with a big-money approach, but Pochettino concedes the 28-year-old may end up back in north London.Quizzed on a potential switch, the Argentine coach told reporters: “I saw him in Madrid when we played there.

“Always he keeps in contact with the people here that he worked with in the past.But then I don’t know because I don’t have a close relationship with him or his people.

“Of course he is a fantastic player and you never know in football what can happen.”While nothing can be ruled out at this stage, Bale and his representatives have sought to play down the Real exit rumours at regular intervals.

With transfer talk building again ahead of the opening of the January window, Jonathan Barnett told Fichajes in November: "He wants to play the rest of his life at Real Madrid.

"He loves Madrid, the city, life and he loves the club. Of course it hurts him when the people don't support him and they do with other players who aren't so good.It's crazy, this happens only in Spain and I don't understand it, fans should understand this and know how good he is."Bale has been restricted to just 10 appearances and three goals for Real this season as a result of a succession of fitness issues.

He is, however, expected to come back into contention once again as the Blancos prepare to defend their Club World Cup crown in Abu Dhabi.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic, Jones fit for Manchester derby


Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Phil Jones will be fit for the Manchester derby on Sunday, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed.Midfielder Marouane Fellaini will face a late fitness test but could also be involved, while Nemanja Matic is also available despite struggling with a knock.

However, Eric Bailly and captain Michael Carrick remain sidelined and will miss the game with Pep Guardiola's side, along with the suspended Paul Pogba.
"Zlatan is available, Jones is available, Fellaini I have to wait until tomorrow [Saturday]," Mourinho told a news conference."Carrick is not available, Bailly is not available. Matic is injured but he plays."Ibrahimovic, who only returned from a cruciate ligament injury last month, missed the 3-1 Premier League win at Arsenal and the 2-1 victory over CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Jones has been out of action since aggravating a thigh injury on England duty, which prompted Mourinho to criticise national team boss Gareth Southgate for his decision to field the player in a friendly.

Matic played through a muscle problem against the Gunners and was rested in midweek, while Fellaini has not played since picking up a knee injury playing for Belgium in the last international break.

Bailly has not featured for United since November 5 and Carrick has only played once this season, having been struggling with a heart problem.The Red Devils aim to shrink the gap to league leaders Manchester City down to five points with a win at Old Trafford.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City must be wary of Manchester United's 'dangerous' approach, says Yaya Toure


Yaya Toure has warned his Manchester City teammates to anticipate a more dangerous counter-attacking Manchester United side in Sunday’s derby at Old Trafford.City saw their 21-match unbeaten run halted on Wednesday night following their 2-1 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in their Uefa Champions League final group game.

And the former Cote d'Ivoire international told his side to be wary of their neighbours who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to secure victory

“This year I think when you see United, they are going to be worried about us,” Toure told Manchester Evening .“That’s going to make them very dangerous on the counter-attack and we have to be ready for that.

“Otherwise we will see the game they played against Arsenal a few days ago, so we have to be careful.“We don’t want to lose. We have to keep this kind of gap on United because now when I see United playing games against big teams, they always wait for a mistake to hit them on the counter-attack.

“I think with players like Lukaku, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovich and [Jesse] Lingard is playing well, [Marcus] Rashford and Martial, they’re very fast to be honest," he continued.“We need to have a big performance on Sunday. It’s going to be difficult because the way you saw Shakhtar play is the way United will play - counter-attack, counter-attack.

“Very fast and very strong. We have to be careful and, of course, we are going to train hard and try to be ready.“I think it’s going to be a tough game - a derby is a derby.“I don’t have to explain about a derby.“The team is going to be hungry - it’s about who wants it more.

“United are in a good moment as well,” he concluded.Toure who was on parade in Wednesday's Champions League loss is likely to watch from the sidelines as he has been afforded only two English top-flight games and is down the pecking order in Manchester City's midfield.The Citizens will be looking to open a possible 11-point lead over Jose Mourinho's side.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Neymar can win Ballon d'Or at PSG' - Emery responds to Real Madrid transfer claim


Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery has responded to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez's apparent encouragement for Neymar to sign for the club.Perez was quoted by Marca as saying that Neymar would find it easier to win the Ballon d'Or if he played for the European champions.

The comment is likely to further speculation surrounding the Brazilian's future, with reports suggesting Madrid are keen to bring him back to La Liga next year.However, Emery insists the former Barcelona star can achieve all his goals in the French capital.
"He's here, in Paris," he told a news conference when asked about Neymar, who came third in the 2017 Ballon d'Or standings behind Lionel Messi and winner Cristiano Ronaldo."I'm convinced he will get both collective goals and individual rewards here."PSG take on Lille on Saturday looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Those results have seen Emery's position come under scrutiny, despite him having guided his side to a commanding position at the top of the league and into the last 16 in Europe.But the former Sevilla head coach insists there are no concerns in the dressing room and that their season as a whole should be taken into account.

Asked if there were any doubts among the players, he replied: "Never. Neither when we win, nor when we lose. "I come back to the overall context; we're first in Ligue 1, with a nine-point gap. We're first in our Champions League group. How do you doubt us?"A match is a particular context. I do a lot of self-criticism when I win, especially when I win. I try to keep calm when we lose."We analysed, above all, the six Champions League matches. The first five were exceptional.

"We're top and we are happy. As I said, the first half of the season, before the two defeats, was exceptional. The overall analysis is positive. The current context isn't good but the general context is."Emery also defended captain Thiago Silva, who produced a poor display against Bayern before being replaced in the second half by Presnel Kimpembe.

"I speak with Thiago Silva a lot. He's our captain. He's very professional and has a lot of experience," he said."I have no doubt he is one of the best central defenders in Europe. He's better this season than last season. He has more desire. He's a positive example for the group.

"When we concede a goal, it concerns the whole team, from the attack to the goalkeeper. Our defence is one of the best in Europe. You shouldn't watch two matches out of 23. The defence has my total confidence."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Premier League Fixtures 2017.12.09

Premier League Fixtures 2017.12.09

West Ham Vs Chelsea

Burnley Vs Watford

Crystal Palace Vs Bournemoth

Huddersfield Vs Brighton

Swansea Vs WBA

Tottenham Vs Stoke

Newcastle Vs Leicester City

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.12.09

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.12.09

Getafe Vs Eibar

Real Madrid Vs Sevilla

Deportivo Vs Leganes

Valencia Vs Celta Vigo​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A Fixtures 2017.12.09

Serie A Fixtures 2017.12.09

Cagliari Vs Sampdoria

Juventus Vs Inter​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.12.09

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.12.09

Dortmund Vs Werder Bremen

Frankfurt Vs Bayern

Hamburg Vs Wolfsburg

Leipzig Vs Mainz

Monchengladbach Vs Schalke​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus 0 Inter 0: Nerazzurri stay top as Derby d'Italia ends in stalemate

Inter kept Juventus at bay to retain top spot in Serie A as the 169th Derby d'Italia finished in stalemate at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

The Nerazzurri barely tested stand-in goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny - who was once again filling in for the injured Gianluigi Buffon - but showed their resilient side to shut out the reigning champions in Turin.While third-placed Napoli could take over at the summit with a win over Fiorentina on Sunday, Luciano Spalletti's side demonstrated why it looks set to be a three-way race for the title.




Mario Mandzukic hit the woodwork in the first half as Juve huffed and puffed in the hope of finding a way past Samir Handanovic in the away goal.Massimiliano Allegri caused a stir by leaving Paulo Dybala out of his starting XI, but not even the late introduction of the team's top scorer could inspire the Bianconeri to a fourth straight win in all competitions.


With Dybala watching on from the bench, Mandzukic twice had chances to break the deadlock in a first half that saw two of Italian football's heavyweights struggle to land a telling blow on their opponent.

The Croatian saw a crisp half-volley kept out by Handanovic and while he quickly seized on the rebound, his reactionary header was drifting wide before the retreating Miranda hacked the ball clear.The forward came even closer to scoring in the closing minutes of the half, only to head Juan Cuadrado's deep cross from the right against the crossbar.

Sami Khedira also forced Handanovic into a save – albeit a comfortable one low to the goalkeeper's right – but an Inter side who put five past Chievo last time out failed to even manage a shot in the opening 45 minutes They had started brightly but found a Juve defence marshalled superbly by Giorgio Chiellini, who – in the absence of the injured Buffon – wore the captain's armband on his 450th appearance for the hosts.

If the opening half was a tactical battle between two well-drilled teams, the second became all about Inter surviving wave after wave of attacks.At times they looked set to crumble under the pressure, only to come through the odd scary moment and maintain their unbeaten record this season.

Handanovic tipped over Cuadrado's looping header but was fortunate soon after when a poor decision to come for a cross went unpunished, Miralem Pjanic driving the loose ball across the face of goal and beyond the far post.

Dybala's introduction galvanised one final push, both from his team-mates and the crowd, yet Juve could not land the knockout punch as they failed to score in the league for the first time since October 2016.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Valencia 2 Celta Vigo 1: Parejo keeps his cool to put the heat on Barca


Valencia captain Dani Parejo stepped up to score a late penalty, sealing a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo and moving Marcelino's men within two points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona.Los Che suffered their first league loss of the season last week, going down 1-0 at Getafe, but they responded with a hard-fought win back on home turf.

Simone Zaza took his LaLiga tally for the season to 10 in the 28th minute when he stole in at the near post to flick Parejo's corner past a helpless Ruben Blanco.But Valencia lost focus emerging for the second half and conceded a scrappy equaliser a minute after the restart.

A deflected cross drifted across the box as Valencia's defence dithered and Maxi Gomez's effort bobbled into the path of Iago Aspas, who poached inside the six-yard box.



Chances came and went for both sides, but victory was Valencia's nine minutes from the end when Nacho Gil tumbled under a weak challenge - Celta fumed at referee Jose Luis Munuera for awarding the spot-kick - and Parejo's effort was too firm for Blanco to handle, ensuring the heat is turned up on Barca before they travel to Villarreal on Sunday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Newcastle United 2 Leicester City 3: Perez misery heightens Benitez woes


A bizarre own goal from Ayoze Perez handed Leicester City a thrilling 3-2 victory at St James' Park and prolonged Newcastle United's winless run.Rafael Benitez's side sit two points above the relegation zone and have taken a solitary point from their past seven matches.

It will come as little consolation to a fanbase celebrating the club's 125th anniversary that they played a full part in a pulsating contest, with Joselu having put Newcastle in front in the fourth minute.




Leicester hit back after the early setback, their livewire attack causing Newcastle persistent problems either side of Riyad Mahrez's long-range equaliser.Demarai Gray handed Claude Puel's men the lead with an hour played, but Dwight Gayle benefitted from a similarly deflected strike to set up a grandstand finish.

Perez was on to try to force a winner for the hosts but tore back desperately as Leicester broke in the 86th minute – his desperate challenge on fellow substitute Shinji Okazaki succeeding only in diverting the ball past helpless goalkeeper Karl Darlow.


Newcastle fans celebrated the landmark occasion with wonderful crowd display at the Gallowgate end before kick-off and their side responded to a rousing atmosphere by stylishly opening the scoring.

Jacob Murphy produced a glorious pass down the left flank, finding Gayle. Leicester were struggling from that moment and Joselu coolly dispatched his strike partner's cutback.Gayle, who scored in the recent defeats at Manchester United and Chelsea, flashed just wide left-footed shortly afterwards.

Leicester might have been left with a mountain to climb but responded by working their way back into the contest and, shortly after Gray fired wide just off target following good work from Vicente Iborra and Jamie Vardy in the 19th minute, they levelled in spectacular fashion.

Mikel Merino sloppily conceded possession in midfield and Mahrez needed no second invitation to drive at a backpedalling home defence and lash into the top corner from 25 yards.Darlow could have done more to keep out Mahrez's strike but partially atoned for that lapse by saving a Marc Albrighton piledriver.

Leicester's pace on the break was proving troublesome for the hosts and DeAndre Yedlin breathed a sigh of relief when his last-ditch tackle on Vardy did not result in a penalty – replays showing the United States international had got a slight touch on the ball.Joselu thumped a 52nd-minute header wide from a Matt Ritchie corner but that only seemed to add to a sense of unease around St James'.

The Newcastle faithful's fears proved to be well-founded when Albrighton found Gray with a nicely cushioned lay-off and the winger's shot looped into the top corner via a deflection off Florian Lejeune.

A sprawling Darlow denied Mahrez as the Foxes' greater attacking firepower threatened to cause further damage but some poor set-piece defending handed Newcastle a lifeline.Numerous attempts to fully clear the danger from a 73rd-minute corner proved woefully fruitless and Merino nodded on to Gayle, who cut onto his left foot and beat Kasper Schmeichel via a nick off Harry Maguire.

Gayle had a chance to score the winner when he and Joselu linked pleasingly once more but he dragged wide. Just as the momentum appeared to have swung back Newcastle's way, Leicester broke from midfield, with Mahrez instinctively picking out Vardy down the left.

The England striker turned the ball inside to Okazaki, whose failure to bring it under control invited Perez's ill-advised bid for heroism.On balance, an improving Leicester side who are easy on the eye and up to eighth under Puel were worthy of their fortune.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 3 Lille 1: Emery's December blues eased

Paris Saint-Germain shook off their December blues to defeat lowly Lille 3-1 and move 12 points clear at the Ligue 1 summit.The final month of 2017 had yielded back-to-back defeats for PSG as their unbeaten run from the start of the season came to a halt at the hands of Strasbourg in the top flight, before Tuesday's loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Lille, fresh from consecutive wins, gave PSG a scare in this fixture last season as the hosts needed a last-gasp Lucas Moura goal to secure a 2-1 victory, but their resistance was soon broken at Parc des Princes on Saturday.




Unai Emery's side, without the suspended Neymar, took the lead just before the half-hour mark when Angel Di Maria headed in Kylian Mbappe's cross for only his second league goal of the campaign. Javier Pastore doubled their advantage four minutes into the second half, punishing sloppy play at the back from the relegation-threatened visitors.

Anwar El Ghazi provided late hope for Lille, but the result was never really in doubt, with PSG making it 32 Ligue 1 games unbeaten at home, including nine wins on the bounce, as Mbappe restored the two-goal margin of victory by rolling into an open goal.


Dani Alves side-footed an early chance well over the crossbar after bursting into space inside the area. Lille, whose coach Marcelo Bielsa remains suspended by the club, escaped strong appeals for a PSG penalty when Mbappe went down in the box under pressure from Edgar Ie.

PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had to be alert at the other end to sweep up Yassine Benzia's throughball and thwart the advancing Ezequiel Ponce in a rare bright moment for the visitors.

But it was Emery's men who broke the deadlock, Di Maria nodding home emphatically from Mbappe's delivery, although the Monaco loanee appeared to be offside when he gained possession.

A large section of the home crowd thought provider had turned goalscorer a few minutes later, but Mbappe's driven strike flew just wide and rebounded against the back of the net.

The second goal did arrive early in the second half at the end of a quick-thinking move involving Edinson Cavani and Di Maria, with Pastore the man to provide the finish after Lille had carelessly conceded possession in their own half.

Pastore looked to be in on goal again as the game ticked into its final third, but Adama Soumaoro recovered well to deny the Argentine, who tumbled to the floor holding his face despite minimal contact.Having made a telling contribution, Di Maria was withdrawn late on and Julian Draxler brought on in his place, while Mbappe was denied after Mike Maignan pushed the France international's shot onto his right-hand upright.

The game was awoken from its torpor by a surprise Lille goal, which arrived after Marquinhos gifted the ball away and El Ghazi profited to slot home.With Lille pushing for an unlikely equaliser, Maignan came up for a corner and PSG countered at pace, Mbappe finishing into the empty net.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 5 Sevilla 0: Ronaldo leads blistering Bernabeu rout

Cristiano Ronaldo capped a successful week by leading Real Madrid to a 5-0 demolition of Sevilla in Saturday's LaLiga clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 32-year-old, who on Thursday was announced as the winner of the Ballon d'Or for the fifth time in his career, scored twice in a devastating performance from the champions that saw them temporarily close to within five points of leaders Barcelona.

All five goals came in a breathtaking first half, in which Sevilla's defensive frailties were brutally exposed by a Madrid side who counter-attacked in clinical fashion to record a fifth league win at home in a row.




Nacho Fernandez opened the scoring in the third minute after Eduardo Berizzo's side failed to clear a corner, before Ronaldo put the champions in control with a composed finish and a penalty just after the half-hour mark to take his tally to 25 goals in 15 league games against the Andalusians.

Toni Kroos then scored for the first time in LaLiga since the opening-day win at Deportivo La Coruna after Ronaldo won back possession in his own half, before Achraf Hakimi got his first goal for the club four minutes later at the end of a spectacular half from Zinedine Zidane's side.

The victory sets up Madrid well for their Club World Cup exploits in the United Arab Emirates next week and sends a message to Barca ahead of the Clasico on December 23, while Ronaldo's showing will add weight to his sensational claim this week that he is the best footballer in history.


Sevilla had lost on their last eight visits to the Santiago Bernabeu and their ninth looked destined to be little better in only the third minute, with Nacho controlling a loose ball from a corner before firing past Sergio Rico.

A good spell of possession from the visitors ended with them being 2-0 down 23 minutes in. Marco Asensio broke forward and played in Ronaldo – who paraded his five Ballons d'Or to the crowd before kick-off – to slot home from just inside the area.

Ronaldo squeezed a penalty beneath Rico after 31 minutes following a foolish handball from Jesus Navas, and the Portugal star played a key role in Madrid's fourth, winning back possession near the halfway line and releasing Kroos, who combined expertly with Lucas Vazquez before dispatching a composed finish.

It got worse for Sevilla before the break, with Achraf racing onto Karim Benzema's pass and side-footing into the left-hand corner from the right side of the area, leaving Rico to stare shell-shocked at his defenders.

Sevilla tested Keylor Navas early in the second half, with Nolito and Luis Muriel both denied after finding good positions in the penalty area, before Benzema glanced a header off the inside of the right-hand post from a dipping Marcelo cross.

Zidane took the chance to give some much-needed minutes to substitutes Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos, and Ronaldo was surprisingly withdrawn for Isco with 15 minutes left, although he did not look too unhappy as he walked off to a deafening ovation from the home fans.

Madrid will now switch their attention to the Club World Cup, before they return to the capital for that huge showdown with Barca in two weeks' time.