..::Football IV::..

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Burnley 0 Manchester United 2: Lukaku double enough despite Rashford red

Manchester United returned to winning ways on Sunday as Romelu Lukaku's first-half double was enough to give them a 2-0 victory over Burnley.Jose Mourinho's men secured a morale-boosting win to reduce some of the pressure on their manager despite Paul Pogba's missed penalty and Marcus Rashford's red card in the space of two second-half minutes.

A banner protesting against executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was flown over the ground before kick-off, but United were not distracted from the job at hand in the early exchanges, with Jesse Lingard missing three chances in a dominant opening spell.

Burnley grew into the game but found themselves behind 27 minutes in, when Lukaku jumped just high enough to head a fine Alexis Sanchez cross past Joe Hart from six yards out.

It needed a fine save from Hart to deny Lukaku a quick second after a swift break involving Sanchez, but the Belgium striker smashed home from point-blank range to make it 2-0 before half-time after Lingard's shot hit first Charlie Taylor and then Ashley Westwood.

Paul Pogba wasted the chance to make it 3-0 when Hart comfortably saved his rather tame penalty, and Burnley hopes of a comeback were increased two minutes later when substitute Rashford was sent off for pushing his head into Phil Bardsley's after he appeared to kick out at the forward.

Sean Dyche's men pushed forward with the man advantage but Lukaku should have killed off the game, the forward wasting two opportunities when put clean through one-on-one with Hart.

United held firm for their second win of the season, though, allowing Mourinho to head into the two-week international break in a happier mood.

 

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Watford 2 Tottenham 1: Hornets fight back to maintain perfect start

Watford maintained their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season and ended Tottenham's own perfect record as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

After a desperately poor first half, the game sparked into life in the 53rd minute as Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a comical own goal to hand the visitors the lead.

That setback only served to motivate Javi Gracia's side, who stormed back with two headed goals from Troy Deeney and Craig Cathcart in the space of seven minutes to join Liverpool and Chelsea on maximum points from the opening four games.

It was a result that brings Spurs, who had won their opening three matches, crashing back down to earth following Monday's 3-0 win over Manchester United.
During a tepid opening both sides exchanged headed chances, Dele Alli guiding his wide of Ben Foster's post and Deeney powering one over the crossbar from just six yards out.

Tottenham looked the most threatening for the remainder of the half, but their only real chance came a minute before the interval when Davinson Sanchez headed over Jan Vertonghen's teasing cross from the left.

Christian Eriksen signalled Tottenham's intent at the start of the second period, firing in long-range drives that were held by Foster, before Doucoure's slapstick intervention handed Spurs the lead.

Foster looked primed to collect a looping ball before Christian Kabasele headed it almost out of his hands and into the path of Lucas Moura, whose delivery back across goal was chested into his own net by the hapless Doucoure.

This woke Watford from their slumber and they almost levelled after 67 minutes when Toby Alderweireld headed against his own crossbar before Deeney nodded in from Jose Holebas' fine free-kick shortly after to level things.

Holebas turned provider again for the winner in the 76th minute, his outswinging corner wonderfully headed into the top corner by Cathcart to continue his side's remarkable start to the season.

 

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Cardiff City 2 Arsenal 3: Aubameyang-Lacazette combination sees off Warnock's battlers

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette's burgeoning strike partnership came to the rescue as Arsenal eventually shook off Cardiff City to claim a 3-2 win in the Welsh capital.

Shkodran Mustafi headed the visitors into an 11th-minute lead before Neil Warnock's side averted a seventh consecutive goalless half in the Premier League this season when Victor Camarasa pounced in stoppage time.Unai Emery brought Mesut Ozil and Lacazette into his XI and both were involved in Aubameyang's brilliant 62nd-minute goal, only for Danny Ward to find a swift response.

Lacazette was harshly adjudged to have fouled Harry Arter for the free-kick that led to Ward's leveller but the French striker had the last laugh on his first start of the campaign, darting around Sol Bamba and blasting beyond Neil Etheridge at the Cardiff goalkeeper's near post.


Cardiff rued Arter firing over after Petr Cech passed the ball straight to him in the eighth minute, with Mustafi allowed space to power in Granit Xhaka's corner.Etheridge was out quickly to prevent Nacho Monreal from doubling Arsenal's lead and Lacazette sent a low shot skidding against the base of the post.

Camarasa was fortunate to see the ball fall his way, having failed to control Joe Bennett's cross, but steered home unerringly.A frequently scrappy encounter enjoyed a moment of stunning quality after the hour and all Arsenal's star attackers were involved.

Lacazette flicked Ozil's pass into Aubameyang's path and the ex-Borussia Dortmund star curled a wonderful effort across Etheridge from 25 yards.It was not enough to dissuade Cardiff, however, and Ward expertly guided Sean Morrison's header back across goal in off the post with 20 minutes to play.

Bobby Reid lost his footing when an improbable Cardiff victory beckoned; Lacazette had no such troubles on the end of substitute Lucas Torreira's 81st-minute pass.

 

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Barcelona 8 Huesca 2: Messi, Suarez hit braces as Blaugrana romp to third straight win

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both scored twice to help Barcelona overcome a surprise early deficit and give Huesca a harsh reality check in an 8-2 thumping on Sunday.

On their first LaLiga trip to Camp Nou, the newly promoted minnows briefly continued what has been a dream start to the season by sensationally opening the scoring through Juan Camilo Hernandez.

But it proved little more than fleeting joy as Messi, Suarez and a Jorge Pulido own goal swiftly erased the early concern.Alex Gallar did give Huesca a second reason to celebrate late in the first half before the gulf in class become evident over a one-sided second period.

Messi and Suarez completed their braces at either end of the half and Ousmane Dembele, Ivan Rakitic and Jordi Alba all joined in the fun as the hosts comprehensively maintained their perfect start to the campaign.


Barca's polished second half could not have contrasted more greatly with their sluggish start to the match as they were breached for the first time this term inside three minutes, Hernandez diverting in Samuele Longo's downward header.

That only awakened the champions as they hastily overturned the deficit, Messi driving a right-footed finish into the bottom far corner before Pulido turned Alba's cutback into his own net eight minutes later.

Left-back Alba then squared for Suarez to double the advantage in the 39th minute but there was still time for Huesca to snatch a second before the break, Gallar punishing sleepy marking with a smart first-time finish.

Barca were never unnerved and ended all doubt over the result with two more in fewer than five second-half minutes as Dembele buried his second of the season and Rakitic rifled in a splendid half-volley.

Messi waltzed through to make it a rout just beyond the hour and next turned provider for the impressive Alba in the 81st minute, before Suarez added the final gloss in stoppage time by winning and converting his own penalty.

 

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Mustafi celebration: Arsenal defender faces potential FA fine for Albanian eagle gesture


Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi could be fined by the FA after celebrating by making the shape of the Albanian double-headed eagle against Cardiff City.The 26-year-old headed home from a corner to open the scoring, rising highest to meet Granit Xhaka's delivery before using his hands to perform the political gesture.

Xhaka and Switzerland team-mate Xherdan Shaqiri were both punished by FIFA at the World Cup for the celebration during their 2-1 win over Serbia.

The Swiss duo could have faced match bans, but instead both were fined £7,600 ($9,850) for making the Albanian eagle hand gesture. Switzerland captain and new Arsenal signing Stephan Lichtsteiner was also fined £3,700 ($4,795) for his part in the goal celebrations at the World Cup.

Now, Mustafi could be in hot water in England after repeating the celebration, in reference to his own ancestry, coming from an Albanian family who moved to Germany.The International Football Association Board's laws of the game state that players must refrain from "using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures" or "gesturing in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way".

Celebrations also should not reference "any local, regional, national or international political party/organisation/group, etc" or "any specific political act/event".The FA will then decide on punishment and can sanction either the player or team if they decide an offence has been committed.

Mustafi previously spoke about his Albanian background, which saw his grandfather forced to leave the country and move to Germany, speaking about how difficult it is for people to relate to the difficulties of immigration unless they have lived through it."You have to understand when people who come into the UK and Germany that you don't know what this person saw in his life before," told the Daily Mail in 2016.

"When I go back to Albania you have six-year-olds who do not go to school and have to work. There are no schools. So they come to this country and it is difficult. We all need to understand the differences. It is complicated but it needs understanding."

 

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Lukaku: Mourinho is totally different behind the scenes


Jose Mourinho is "totally different behind the scenes" and will let Manchester United's stars relax in the international break after their win at Burnley, according to Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium striker scored both goals as the Red Devils secured a 2-0 victory at Turf Moor to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham.

United's victory rarely looked in doubt after Lukaku had put them two goals up at half-time, although a missed penalty from Paul Pogba and a Marcus Rashford red card made the closing stages of the second half a little more anxious.

Mourinho was serenaded by the visiting supporters after the final whistle and made his appreciation clear at the end of a game that was preceded by a plane flying over Turf Moor bearing a banner protesting against the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

It was another show of support from the fans during what has been a turbulent start to the season, in which Mourinho has regularly clashed with the media and reportedly fallen out with some key players.Despite his often abrasive public attitude, Lukaku insists Mourinho will allow his players to "switch off" in the next two weeks after an encouraging display.

"That was really big. In the last game we started well but didn't take our chances. This time, we did," he told BBC Sport. "We knew we had to grind out the result in the second half. We have character and we need to be more like that.

"The last game against Tottenham, we were disappointed. Today, we did score and we have to keep winning to try and catch the teams above us."Now we go into the international break and can switch off a bit. The manager has time to analyse our performances for the rest of the games in September."When asked if Mourinho would let them, Lukaku replied: "Oh yeah. He's totally different behind the scenes and he'll allow us to."

 

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Suarez: VAR is a blow to your happiness


Luis Suarez said you lose "adrenaline and desire to celebrate" with VAR after his first goal in Barcelona's rout of Huesca was awarded following a review.Suarez and Lionel Messi scored twice as La Liga champions Barca crushed newly promoted minnows Huesca 8-2 at Camp Nou on Sunday.

The Uruguay international made it 3-1 six minutes before-half time but it was not immediately awarded as the video assistant referee reviewed Jordi Alba's cross to Suarez.

It is the first season VAR is being used in La Liga and Suarez said post-match: "When you have doubts, with the VAR, you'll lose your adrenaline and desire to celebrate.

"It's a blow to your happiness. You can't make mistakes as everything is so controlled."

Suarez opened his account for the season, having fired blanks against Deportivo Alaves and Real Valladolid."What's important is helping the team and winning the game, that's what counts," Suarez added.

"Little by little we're finding our rhythm. We were asleep a little bit at the beginning [when Huesca scored], although that forced us to react."Barca top the La Liga standings ahead of bitter rivals Real Madrid on goal difference heading into the international break.

"It's always important to be at the top," Suarez continued. "But things are just getting started and we have to be prepared for what is to come."

 

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'I am a lucky man!' - Sarri excited by Hazard, Willian and Pedro options at Chelsea


Maurizio Sarri has hailed the quality his Chelsea side have in their attacking ranks, claiming anyone in his position can consider themselves a 'lucky man'.The Blues claimed their fourth consecutive victory on Saturday with a 2-0 win at home to Bournemouth, leaving them joint-top of the Premier League table with Liverpool and Watford after the first four fixtures.

Sarri opted to start Eden Hazard and Willian either side of Alvaro Morata in the centre-forward role, the club's top scorer Pedro finding himself left on the bench at Stamford Bridge.

It was the Spaniard who ultimately claimed the points for his side, however, opening the scoring after replacing Willian late in the game.

Hazard doubled Chelsea's lead with five minutes of the 90 remaining, securing a fourth win from four under the guidance of Sarri.And while the Italian coach was quick to praise Pedro's impact, he also highlighted the strength in depth he has available to him in the attacking ranks at the club.

"Pedro played the first three games in the starting XI but today I thought it was better to play with Willian," Sarri told reporters at Stamford Bridge. "I am lucky because any coach who can choose between Pedro and Willian is a lucky coach.

"Pedro is a great player. I think in every season he has scored about 15 goals, so it is normal for him to score. Hazard, Pedro, [Victor] Moses, Willian, all in the same position - I am very lucky and I don’t want to forget [Callum] Hudson-Odoi."Despite Sarri's words of encouragement, the Chelsea boss has stopped short in suggesting his side can compete with the likes of Manchester City for the title.

Sarri has been implementing a new style of play in west London and feels that in order to mount a genuine charge to be champions, his team must learn how to defend properly.

Chelsea's performance against Arsenal a fortnight ago was a cause for concern for Sarri, but he once again pointed at a number of situations in which his players could have done better against Bournemouth.

"I think we need to be careful - especially the positioning of the player when we are in the offensive phases," Sarri said. "Today, we had the right full-back making a cross and the other one in the box. It was a little bit dangerous. We were always in a position to face the counter-attack with only the centre-backs.

"David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger were in the right positions when the opposition attacked the space but the defenders and the midfielders on the left and right were not. We need to improve the positioning under the line of the ball.

"If we improve in this, then in this kind of match we can have more continuity without the counter-attacks of the opponent. With this continuity maybe we can score earlier."

Sarri has had little time to explore his new surroundings since arriving in London, revealing that the only opportunity he had to take in the capital was after the club's 3-2 victory over Arsenal.

Living in Cobham and having joined one week into pre-season, the 59-year-old has been playing catch up on his rivals for the top spots in the Premier League.

Sarri admits that with the international break that he will have more time to himself but he is concerned about the lack of contact with his star men.

"I don’t know [what we will do at Cobham] because it is very difficult to work, we have 18 or 19 players in national teams," Sarri said. "We will be only eight or nine players, so it will be very difficult to work.

"I think that is a problem because with this situation, the very important players at the end of the season could play 65 or 70 matches and I think that is not right.Sarri added: "I have my dog here now, though, called Ciro. So maybe I can walk my dog!"

 

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Zidane, Deschamps and Dalic up for FIFA's Best Coach award


Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps and Zlatko Dalic have been named the three finalists for FIFA's The Best Coach award.

Former Real Madrid boss Zidane is the current holder of the prize and is nominated once again after he became the first coach to win three straight Champions League titles. Zidane left the Spanish giants a week after his side's win over Liverpool in the final in May and is yet to find a new club, but his spectacular two-year spell in charge has made him a perennial contender for the award since its inception in 2016.

The Frenchman saw off competition from Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri to win it last year, but has tough competition again this time around as the remaining two slots are taken up by World Cup finalists Deschamps and Dalic.

Deschamps guided France to their first World Cup success since 1998, when he was captain. With a side comprising the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and N'Golo Kante, Les Bleus beat Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium in the knockout rounds to reach the final, where Deschamps got the better of another Best Coach nominee.

Although France won 4-2, Dalic's Croatia put together a fantastic campaign to reach their best ever finish at the tournament, despite the coach only taking over in October 2017 to oversee their last qualifying game and then take them through the playoffs.

Croatia won their three group stage games before beating Denmark and Russia on penalties to face England in the semi-finals, winning 2-1 in extra time.

The coach of the year will be announced at the ceremony on Monday September 24, alongside the winners of the Best Player - which is being contested by Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah - Best Goalkeeper and Puskas award.

 

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Bale, Ronaldo, Messi & Salah vie for FIFA's Puskas award


Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah have all been nominated for the Puskas award.

The prize is given to the best goal scored in a season, and a total of 10 players are set to battle for the gong, with the likes of Benjamin Pavard and Ricardo Quaresma also nominated.The winner will be decided by a fan poll, and will be announced at a ceremony in London on September 24.

Bale's goal against Liverpool was beaten out by Cristiano Ronaldo for the Goal of the Champions League Tournament, but that could be flipped on his head at the Puskas Awards.

Indeed, the Welshman scored a staggering overhead kick against Liverpool in the final, while Ronaldo's bicycle kick against Juventus led to a standing ovation from fans, and ultimately convinced the Portuguese to move to the Italian giants.

A number of World Cup strikes are included in the nominations, most notably defender Benjamin Pavard, who scored a stunning volleyed effort in France's brilliant win over Argentina.Denis Cheryshev's super strike for Russia against Croatia is also a potential winner, while Messi's slaloming run and finish against Nigeria is among the voting, along with Quaresma's sublime outside of the boot effort versus Iran.

Back in the club game, Mohamed Salah, a beaten Champions League finalist, could have had a number of his 44 goals last season included in the nominations, but FIFA have settled on his strike in the Merseyside derby against Everton, where he beat two players before curling an effort into the top corner.

A number of lesser-known players have also been given a chance to steal the limelight, with Riley McGree perhaps the player who posts the most danger to Ronaldo, Bale and Salah.

The Club Brugge midfielder is currently on loan at Melbourne City, but he scored his goal for Newcastle Jets, netting with a flick of his heel from outside the box against, ironically, the club who now have him on a short-term deal.

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos is also in the running, his world-class free kick from range stunning Olympiakos and his team-mates, and earning himself a move to the team he scored against, while Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored a superb flying scissor kick for Cruzeiro against America MG.

 

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Ronaldo, Modric & Salah nominated for FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year award


Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah have made the final three for FIFA's The Best Men's Player of the Year award.

Ronaldo and Modric both helped Real Madrid to Champions League glory prior to the former's move to Juventus, with Salah scoring an incredible 44 goals in all competitions for Liverpool.That means that there's no place in the final three for Barcelona sensation Lionel Messi, despite his exploits in helping the Catalan giants win the Liga title last season.

Modric won UEFA's award for best player of the year last season, which drew condemnation from Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, for snubbing the top goalscorer in the Champions League.

Ronaldo's move to Turin came after he eliminated Juventus from Europe with an empathic overhead kick, which also sees him nominated for FIFA's Puskas award for the best goal of the season .

Croatia midfielder Modric earns his place in the final three nominations for his performances as the Balkan nation reached the final of the World Cup for the first time in their history.

The 32-year-old won the Golden Ball for the best player at Russia 2018 ahead of the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe, who starred for winners France.

Mohamed Salah thrived for Liverpool as they reached the final of the Champions League, although a shoulder injury from a foul by Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos prevented him from having the ideal World Cup campaign with Egypt.Ramos hit the headlines last week when he appeared to troll Salah by brushing his shoulder after accepting UEFA's award for best defender in 2017-18.

FIFA's The Best award is voted for by four groups, each with 25 per cent weight in the final vote: national team coaches, national team captains, high-profile journalists and football fans.

It broke away from the Ballon d'Or in 2016 and it will be the first time since 2006 that Messi has not been in the final three for FIFA's award for best player of the season.

Ronaldo has been in the final three for every FIFA best player award except 2010, when it was a Barcelona one-two-three (Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta) for the first FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony.

In FIFA's Best Coach category, France's Didier Deschamps, Croatia's Zlatko Dalic and former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane are the final three nominees.
The women's best player award will be won by either Lyon's Ada Hegerberg, Germany's Dzsenifer Marozsan or Brazil's Marta.

 

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Zenit snap up former Juventus star Marchisio


Former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has joined Zenit on a free transfer, the Russian club have announced.

Marchisio ended a 25-year association with the Scudetto holders in August, having made a total of 389 appearances as a professional.The 32-year-old was restricted to just 15 appearances in Serie A last term due to competition for places and injury problems.

Emre Can's arrival in Turin gave every indication Marchisio was to fall even further down the pecking order this term, and the announcement of the Italy international's mutual contract termination in August surprised few.

He now embarks on a new adventure in Russia, joining Zenit on a free transfer in a deal which has been seen as a real coup for Sergei Semak's men, who are two points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League after six matches.He will wear the number 10 shirt for the club as they look to win their first league title since 2015, having slumped to a fifth-placed finish last season.

With the exception of a single season spent on loan at Empoli during the 2007-08 campaign, Marchisio spent his entire professional career with Juve, helping them to the Serie A title in seven consecutive campaigns, dating back from this year to 2011.

He is also a four-time winner of the Coppa Italia and a three-time victor in the Supercoppa Italia.At international level, Marchisio has won 55 caps for Italy to date, between 2009 and 2017, and was a member of the national team that finished runner-up at Euro 2012 to Spain.

In addition, he was a member of the Azzurri squads that took part in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and was named in their team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, though he was forced to return home due to injury.

 

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Mourinho will lead Man Utd to Premier League title with 'patience' - Schmeichel


Jose Mourinho will lead Manchester United to a Premier League title if given “time and patience” by supporters, according to club great Peter Schmeichel.

The Red Devils boss has been under the cosh at Old Trafford in recent weeks following a mixed start the new domestic season that saw United lose consecutive games to Brighton and Tottenham.

However, the 55-year-old led his side to a 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday and afterwards lavished praise on the club's fans, claiming that their support has been "vital" in helping the team secure a return to winning ways.

Schmeichel, who made 398 appearances for United across all competitions, believes that the Portuguese will deliver greatness to Old Trafford if allowed to, pointing to the manager’s resume to illustrate his thoughts.

"He's been at great clubs," the former Denmark goalkeeper said. "Real Madrid, Inter Milan. He won the Champions League with Porto. Three Premier League titles with Chelsea. He's done so many great things in football."But Manchester United is a different level to anything. The scrutiny, the traditions and the history that we have. We have very proud traditions.

“Every single day, we respect our history. We finished runners-up last season from fifth the campaign before. We're straight into the Champions League this year, we won the Europa League and we've been in two FA Cup finals."This is great. These are very positive things. When we give him time and patience, when we understand this is a period in which we have to develop, we can win the Premier League."

Schmeichel is fondly remembered on Sir Matt Busby Way for his vital contributions in goal during the treble winning season of 1998-99 under Sir Alex Ferguson, and the former shot-stopper believes that the weight of expectation upon the club’s managerial hierarchy has only grown heavier since."You can't just walk into Old Trafford and you're there,” the 54-year-old added. “There's so much to get used to.

"Every single place that he goes, he will not meet one or two United fans, but big numbers. They live and breathe Man United. This is what the other clubs don't have in those kind of numbers.”

 

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Messi: Real aren't as good without Ronaldo

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi considers Real Madrid to be “less good” without Cristiano Ronaldo, but admits Juventus have now become “clear favourites” for the Champions League.

Having spent nine years locking horns with an eternal rival in La Liga, an iconic figure at Camp Nou now finds himself freed of a long-running duel in the Spanish top-flight.

With Ronaldo having made a €112 million (£101m/$130m) move to Serie A, the path has been cleared for a five-time Ballon d’Or winner to monopolise a domestic stage.

Messi believes Barcelona can take advantage of that, with Clasico foes Real not the force they once were, but is also aware that a quest for European glory could be disrupted by heavyweights in Turin.

The Argentine forward told Catalunya Radio: “Real Madrid are one of the best teams in the world and they have a great squad [but] it's evident that the absence of Ronaldo makes them less good and makes Juventus [one of the] clear favourites to win the Champions League.”Messi added on Ronaldo’s shock departure from the Santiago Bernabeu: “It surprised me [when he left].

“I didn't imagine him leaving Madrid or joining Juventus. There were a lot of teams that wanted him. It surprised me, but he has gone to a very good team.”While stunned to see Ronaldo head for pastures new, Messi is delighted to have seen fresh faces arrive at Barcelona.

Arthur, Clement Lenglet, Malcom and Arturo Vidal have joined the ranks at Camp Nou and are considered to have raised the collective quality.Messi said: “I didn't know much about Arthur before [he joined], but he's really similar to Xavi.

“He's really safe and reliable [on the ball]. He has the style of a player that's come through La Masia. He plays well over short distances, he doesn't lose the ball...He's got to grips really quickly with the team's dynamic.”

Barca’s new-look squad have made a flying start to the 2018-19 campaign, with an 8-2 mauling of SD Huesca in their latest outing allowing them to sit proudly at the top of the Liga standings.

Real have also collected maximum points from their three games to date, with the Blancos hoping to prove that they can sustain a challenge for the crown despite bidding farewell to Ronaldo.

 

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Barcelona will have to retire No.10 with Messi - Ronaldinho


Ronaldinho believes Barcelona will need to retire their No. 10 jersey once Lionel Messi hangs up his boots, with nobody capable of filling the boots of the “best in history”.

At 31 years of age, there is still plenty of football left in the five-time Ballon d’Or.
It may be a little ambitious to expect him to play on for another 20 years, but that is what Ronaldinho is hoping to see from the Argentine superstar.

Messi has already raised the bar of individual excellence over the course of a remarkable career, and it is difficult to see how anybody would be able to step into the void once he leaves Camp Nou.

Barca legend Ronaldinho told Sport on a modern day icon: “He's the best in history, no doubt.“Nobody has done what Messi's done. I hope he plays 20 more years. Those who love football would love to have him here for much longer.

“I think when he leaves, nobody will be able to take the No. 10 of Leo.”The only man to have got close to Messi over the last 10 years is eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese has been able to match the mercurial Argentine for long periods, but Ronaldinho still feels Barca’s talismanic skipper edges the debate regarding who is the best.

He added: “For me it's not a question over who is more complete, it's a question of taste.“I prefer Messi's style. The other one is complete, he has it all. So does Messi, but it's a question of taste and I prefer Messi's style.”

Messi starred once again for Barca in his latest outing, netting twice as Ernesto Valverde’s side crushed SD Huesca 8-2.
Philippe Coutinho also caught the eye in that contest, despite not finding the target, and Ronaldinho admits he would have relished the opportunity to play alongside a fellow Brazilian in his heyday.The 2002 World Cup winner said: “There are a lot of players who I didn't coincide with and I would have liked to play with them.

“Coutinho is one of them. [Andres] Iniesta and him are great players. They each have their own style, but I think the Coutinho will be one of the big names in world football. He already is, but I think that he will be more still.”

 

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Tottenham to play Man City and three Champions League games at Wembley


Tottenham have confirmed that their Premier League meeting with Manchester City at the end of October and all three of their home Champions League group games will be played at Wembley.

The club announced in August that they had been forced to delay the move into their new stadium at White Hart Lane until at least late October due to "issues with the critical safety systems", after initially targeting September 15.

At the time of that announcement, Spurs remained hopeful of being able to face City at their new home on October 28, but any chance of that has now been dashed – the game being confirmed for England's national stadium a day later due to a clash with an NFL fixture between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Spurs insist that there is still a possibility the stadium could be ready for October 29, but they decided to go down the Wembley route "in the interest of clarity and certainty" as they will not know about White Hart Lane's status until much closer to the date.

They have also taken a similar decision for their home games in the Champions League group stage to played at Wembley, after being drawn with Inter, PSV and Barcelona.

Their final home group stage game will take place against Inter on November 28.

 

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'He knows what he's doing!' - Matic backs Mourinho to cope with Man Utd pressure


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has helped to ease the burden upon his big-name players through his defiant attitude towards his critics, according to midfielder Nemanja Matic.

The Red Devils have endured a mixed start to the season, with defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, but returned to winning ways over the weekend with a 2-0 victory over Burnley.

Mourinho has faced robust criticism over his side’s form in recent weeks, and the Portuguese’s erratic self-proclamations as “one of the greatest managers in the world” had been judged to have all the hallmarks of a man in crisis.

However Matic, who previously won the Premier League under Mourinho at Chelsea, believes that the 55-year-old’s outspoken defence of his achievements has helped lift pressure off the squad by diverting the limelight away from them.

“He knows what he is doing, for sure,” the Serbia international told MUTV. “It’s good for us. He is one of the best managers in the world, you know what he won in his career so that shows you everything.”“I think he is dealing very well with the pressure. That is why he is here in Manchester United. I don’t see any difference.”

Following United’s defeat to Spurs – their second in a row – Mourinho had demanded “respect” from his critics in listing the contents of his trophy cabinet, before quoting philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel to further strengthen that his credentials should be viewed collectively.

Following a transfer window that saw the club fail to complete what he saw as key business, the former Inter and Real Madrid manager roundly criticised executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, though his stance had softened enough to offer his support following victory at Burnley.

With four games gone, United lie in 10th, well off the mark of league leaders Liverpool and champions Manchester City, but Matic is not unduly worried about their title chances slipping away in the first two months of the season.“They all have to win all of their games,” the 30-year-old added, addressing their rivals for the Premier League trophy. “I think that's not possible. Someone has to lose and drop the points.

“It's still too early to say something. We will see in March where we are, because in March you can see who is fighting for the title, who is not and who is fighting for the top four, so it's still too early.”

 

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Sadio Mane wins PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award


Sadio Mane has been crowned the Professional Football Association Fans’ Player of the Month for August.The Senegal international played a key role as Liverpool enjoyed an unbeaten streak that see sit atop the Premier League table.

And the former Southampton striker has been singled out by the league’s supporters, beating off competitions from Sergio Aguero [Manchester City], Neil Etheridge [Cardiff City], Benjamin Mendy [Manchester City], Lucas Moura [Tottenham Hotspur], and Roberto Pereyra [Watford] to win the prize.

The Senegal forward has been phenomenal for the Reds since the start of this season scoring four goals in four league appearances. Mane will be hoping to maintain his goalscoring run after the international break when Liverpool come up against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on September 15.

 

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Congratulations Mane!​

 

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Shaw: Mourinho never wanted to sell me despite Man Utd frustration


Luke Shaw believes Jose Mourinho has never wanted to sell him at Manchester United, but admits he has left his manager frustrated at times.

The 23-year-old left-back has seen his future at Old Trafford called into question on a regular basis over recent years, with each passing transfer window bringing a fresh round of rumours.He has been able to see off the speculation and enjoyed a welcome return to form in 2018-19 after working hard to recover peak fitness.

Shaw’s efforts have earned praise from Mourinho and a recall to the England squad, with the highly-rated defender convinced that he was always going to be given time to get things right.

He told reporters ahead of a potential return to the Three Lions side in a friendly clash with Spain on Saturday: “He [Mourinho] put his trust in me at the start of the season. I think at times if he didn’t trust me it would’ve been easy for him to say he wanted to sell me.“I think he always believed in me and I always believed in myself and just needed to get back to what I needed to do. He’s played a big part but I’ve done a lot too to get back into his team and earn his trust back.”

Shaw added on a battle to prove his worth to Mourinho: “It’s been a tough two years but mentally it’s made me stronger and made me want to prove to him that I can do what sometimes in the last couple of seasons he said I couldn’t.“I’m feeling positive and feeling good and focused on what’s to come.

“I think at times he got frustrated with me because he knew I could do better.Maybe he was right but I don’t want to keep focusing on that.

“We had a chat before the season and he said he wanted me to stay. That motivated me a lot and obviously I’ve come back and played games in pre-season and got my fitness fully and everything is good.”Shaw’s return to prominence has helped to solve United’s issues in a problematic position, with the likes of Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young having been used as makeshift left-backs in recent seasons.

The former Southampton man said of the challenges he has faced: “I’ve always believed in myself. I’ve had hard times but to be the best, you’ve got to be professional.“That’s what I’ve learnt and especially from the staff at Manchester United, I’ve learnt a lot.

“I just need to look forward now, keep professional, keep training hard, keep improving myself as a player, keep doing what I’m doing at the moment.”