..::Football IV::..

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Oxford United 0 Manchester City 3: Foden stars as EFL Cup holders cruise into round four

Phil Foden scored his first Manchester City goal with Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez on target either side of half-time as the holders eased into the EFL Cup last 16 with a 3-0 victory at Oxford United.

City named a strong side for the third-round clash including captain Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi in defence, while John Stones operated in an unfamiliar role in front of the back line and there were starts for youngsters Foden and Brahim Diaz.

Brazil striker Jesus recorded his second of the season with a close-range header, and thereafter City's progression was not in doubt, with Foden brilliantly setting up Mahrez for a late second.


And teenager Foden opened his account for the club with an arrowed finish in added time to make a case for more regular selection under Pep Guardiola this season.

Jesus thought he had struck in the 19th minute but the offside flag cut short his celebrations, although the striker would not be denied by the officials when he opened the scoring.After referee Roger East played a good advantage, Foden swung a superb crossfield pass out to Diaz, whose shot rebounded up for Jesus to stoop and head home from a few yards out.

Danilo, making his first appearance of the season, rifled a long-range drive narrowly wide of the angle in the 50th minute as City sought a second goal.Foden missed a sitter from a Danilo cross but made amends with a brilliant pass that sent Mahrez clear on the break to score with a powerful strike with 12 minutes left.

And Foden ensured City's passage in the 92nd minute, rounding off a star performance in style with the Premier League champions rarely needing to get out of first gear to start their EFL Cup defence with a win.

 

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Bayern Munich 1 Augsburg 1: Neuer error costs champions

Manuel Neuer made a late mistake to allow Augsburg to grab an equaliser and end Bayern Munich's 100 per cent record this season in a 1-1 draw at Allianz Arena.Arjen Robben's third goal of the season looked to have been enough to settle a tight contest but a rare error from Neuer cost Niko Kovac's men four minutes from time.

Evergreen winger Robben continued his run of scoring in every home league game this season but Augsburg provided stiff resistance as they sought to end a run of three games without a win.


And Felix Gotze pounced on the opportunity afforded to him when Neuer spilled a cross and allowed Jeffrey Gouweleeuw to tee up the brother of former Bayern midfielder Mario.

Augsburg exploited gaps in the Bayern defence in an open early phase of play in which Thomas Muller hit the post before Renato Sanches flashed a shot just wide after 11 minutes.

Sanches tested Augsburg goalkeeper Andreas Luthe with a dipping shot before rifling one over the crossbar as Bayern began to control the game.Just three minutes into the second half, Serge Gnabry chested down a long ball over the top and selflessly squared to Robben, who cut inside and fired through a crowded box into the top of the net.

Bayern brought on Franck Ribery, who thought he had doubled their lead only for his close-range strike to be ruled out for offside.That would not have mattered had Neuer not spilled a corner that fell to Gouweleeuw, who fired the ball back across the face of goal where Gotze used his body to turn it over the line.

 

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I knew we'd be in trouble with Jones on penalties – Mourinho


Jose Mourinho conceded he saw trouble coming when Manchester United got to Phil Jones in their 8-7 penalty shoot-out defeat to Derby County in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

United were disappointing once again as they scraped a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes, as Marouane Fellaini rescued the 10-man hosts - who had Sergio Romero sent off - deep into second-half stoppage time.Prior to Fellaini's header, Jack Marriott had seemingly given Derby the win with an 85th-minute goal which added to Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson's gorgeous free-kick, cancelling out Juan Mata's early opener.

Penalties were the least Derby deserved and the first 15 spot-kicks were accurate, before Jones stepped up and saw his feeble effort easily saved by Scott Carson.As the shoot-out progressed towards defenders such as Jones and Eric Bailly, Mourinho acknowledged that he did not have a huge amount of faith.

"I repeated what I said in the last match, that their [the opponent's] dressing room was one with belief, because it [the match] was open and they played quite well," Mourinho told Sky Sports."We needed to go and kill the game, which we didn't. We couldn't be dominant in the beginning of the second half and only after the equaliser we had that reaction, which I don't like.

"I prefer to be proactive, but then we go for it only after the 1-1 and after the red card we are in a little difficulty."With one less [player] there was a reaction of pride, of a group that didn't want to lose and tried until the last second.

"Then penalties come and someone has to miss. When I saw [the penalties] going after the sixth, seventh [takers], I knew that we were going to be in trouble with Jones, with Eric. I knew we'd be in trouble again."A prickly Mourinho then took offence to his interviewer suggesting he had been critical of United.

"You think I criticise? I don't think so," Mourinho said. "That's not criticising the team, I belong to the team."I don't think you are correct when you say I'm criticising. Do you want me to analyse or go away?

"You want me to say we play a phenomenal match? The truth is the opponent in the second half started better than us and we weren't able to match that intensity."

 

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Mourinho tells Pogba he'll never captain Man Utd again


Jose Mourinho has told Paul Pogba that he will never captain Manchester United again, further straining the relationship between the manager and his star player.

Pogba laid on a spectacular assist for Fred’s opener in the 1-1 draw against Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday but was later dispossessed by Ruben Neves in the build-up to Joao Moutinho’s equaliser.

Mourinho later slammed the attitude of his players in his post-match press conference, saying: “That’s a basic law of football, you have to play with the maximum of your potential, with the maximum of your focus.

“Unless you are playing in such a weak league where you play against really weak opponents and then playing 20 per cent of potential is enough to win. That’s not the case, and we all know that.”Pogba later told reporters that United ought to be playing a more attacking style at Old Trafford, seemingly questioning Mourinho’s tactics.

“We are at home and we should play much better against Wolves. We are here to attack,” said the 25-year-old. “When we play like this it’s easier for us.“I think teams are scared when they see Manchester United attacking and attacking. That was our mistake.

“Maybe the attitude should be better and we should play better because, again, we are at Old Trafford and we should just attack and press like we did against Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal last season.”

Mourinho’s response, as per reports on Tuesday, was to launch a tirade at Pogba on the training ground in front of the rest of the first-team squad during which he told the Frenchman that he will never captain United again under his watch.

Pogba has served as the vice-captain so far this term, leading the team out against Leicester City, Brighton and Young Boys in the absence of regular skipper Antonio Valencia.The manager reportedly told the midfielder that he doesn’t have the correct temperament to be a Manchester United skipper, leaving the rest of the squad in no doubt that Mourinho considers no one person to be bigger than the club.

This is just the latest in a string of issues between the two stretching back to the spring when Pogba was first dropped from Mourinho’s starting XI ahead of the Champions League trip to Sevilla.
Pogba was among a number of players left out of the squad for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup home fixture against Derby County, with a total of nine rested and only Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku retained.

 

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“That’s a basic law of football, you have to play with the maximum of your potential, with the maximum of your focus"

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Both Pogba and Mourinho could leave Man United, claims Redknapp


The rift between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba at Manchester United could culminate in both player and manager leaving Old Trafford, according to Jamie Redknapp.

Reports have abounded over the apparently uneasy relationship the pair share, which has come to a head following a home draw against Wolves.Pogba fired that United were obliged to "attack, attack, attack" in front of their own fans, comments that did not sit well with his famously fractious boss.

Now Mourinho is said to have told Pogba he will never again captain the club while he is on the bench, having worn the armband several times this season. And Redknapp believes the feud could lead to the pair leaving United within the next year.

"It’s not helpful. It’s a loaded answer. I get it, I do get it and I’m sure it’s something the players talk about in the dressing room," the former Liverpool and Tottenham player said to Sky Sports.

"But I don’t think it helps. Don’t say it to the press, say it to the manager,
"The truth is, after he won the World Cup, he’s not had a rest. It’s an ideal chance to give him a rest tonight. The fact he isn’t playing tonight shouldn’t be untoward.

"I don’t think they will both be here next year – maybe neither!"Despite playing such a pivotal part in France's World Cup victory, Pogba has struggled to reproduce that form in United colours on a consistent basis both before and since the international tournament.

In Redknapp's eyes, responsibility for that failure also lies with his manager."I don’t think they are getting the best out of Pogba but he has to do more himself. Modern players need to look in the mirror but the manager has to take responsibility," he added.

"Jurgen Klopp gets the best out of his players, Pep Guardiola gets the best from his players, but there is a lot of wasted talent here."

 

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Carabao Cup Fixtures 2018.09.26

Carabao Cup Fixtures 2018.09.26


Arsenal Vs Brentford


Liverpool Vs Chelsea


Nottingham Forest Vs Stoke City


West Ham Vs Macclesfield



Tottenham Vs Watford
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Arsenal 3 Brentford 1: Two-goal Welbeck holds off battling Bees

Danny Welbeck's double guided a heavily rotated Arsenal to a hard-earned 3-1 win over Brentford and into the fourth round of the EFL Cup.One of nine changes from the weekend win over Everton, Welbeck was on target twice before a splendid Alan Judge free-kick set up a tense final half hour at Emirates Stadium.

The Championship side were emboldened and, for a period, pressed hard in search of an equaliser that ultimately never came, Arsenal stabilising adequately and eventually sealing Unai Emery's sixth straight victory through substitute Alexandre Lacazette in stoppage time.

The new Gunners boss is attempting to do something his predecessor Arsene Wenger never achieved in winning this competition, and the quality of several passages in between the stern second-half examination will have delivered belief that is very much a possibility.
The course of the match might have differed had Bernd Leno's puzzlingly poor touch from a Shkodran Mustafi back-pass not trickled wide of his own net in the second minute.Instead, Arsenal were ahead moments later as Welbeck rose unchallenged to emphatically head in Matteo Guendouzi's corner in the fifth minute.

His second, eight minutes before the interval, capped a sweeping move with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi and the overlapping Nacho Monreal combining to provide a tap-in.An unexpected twist came when midfielder Judge fizzed a brilliant free-kick in off the upright and Brentford almost had an equaliser in quick time, Sergi Canos flashing a shot over the bar.

Penalties remained a possibility right until Lacazette put the seal on Arsenal's victory with a determined finish three minutes into added time, fellow substitute Lucas Torreira with the assist.

 

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Liverpool 1 Chelsea 2: Magical Hazard condemns Reds to first defeat

Eden Hazard came off the bench to score a wonderful winner as Chelsea battled from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the EFL Cup third round, the Reds seeing their winning streak end at Anfield.

Liverpool led thanks to Daniel Sturridge's acrobatic effort, with Jurgen Klopp's men seeking to extend their victorious run at the start of 2018-19 to eight games despite resting Mohamed Salah.

Hazard was also on the bench, but Chelsea's talisman made a telling impact following his introduction to deliver the free-kick that led to Emerson Palmieri's 79th-minute equaliser before netting a stunning solo strike with five minutes left.


After nutmegging Roberto Firmino in the build-up, Hazard swapped passes with Cesar Azpilicueta, cut inside off the right, dashed past a static defence and lashed an unstoppable drive across Simon Mignolet.Liverpool, though, will quickly have a chance for revenge as they head to Chelsea protecting a perfect Premier League record for a blockbuster Stamford Bridge clash on Saturday.

Alvaro Morata had the game's first big chance in the 19th minute, but, after collecting a superb lofted pass from compatriot Cesc Fabregas, he was denied by Mignolet's fingertips and failed to convert the rebound from a tight angle.

Naby Keita's penalty appeals were turned down when he went down under Gary Cahill's challenge, then the midfielder forced an excellent save from Willy Caballero, who kept out a Sadio Mane header before half-time.Sturridge should have put Liverpool ahead immediately after the restart, but, having intercepted a dreadful Gary Cahill backpass and rounded Caballero, he shot wide of the open goal.

Liverpool led in the 58th minute, though, Sturridge turning in an acrobatic finish after Caballero could only push away Mane's drive, Azpilicueta's loose pass having put his team in trouble.Hazard's introduction was the key moment as Liverpool lost at home for the first time since January, Chelsea levelling from the winger's free-kick when Emerson touched in the rebound from Mignolet saving a Ross Barkley header, with the goal surviving a long VAR review.

And Hazard then came up with a fantastic goal to book Chelsea's place in the next round, consigning Liverpool to defeat ahead of Saturday's Premier League rematch.

 

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Tottenham 2 Watford 2 (4-2 on pens): Alli wins it after Capoue goes from hero to zero

Etienne Capoue went from hero to zero as Tottenham had to rely on a shoot-out victory after a thrilling EFL Cup tie against 10-man Watford finished 2-2 amid dramatic late scenes, with Dele Alli scoring the winning spot-kick.

Former Tottenham midfielder Capoue scored with a last-gasp effort after late goals from Alli and Erik Lamela had seemingly put Tottenham through in normal time.
But the midfielder could not find the target from the spot, sending a tame effort straight at Paulo Gazzaniga, who then saved from Domingos Quina.


And Alli - captaining Tottenham on his return to Stadium MK - made sure to make his goalkeeper's good work pay dividends with a powerful low finish to send Spurs into round four with a 4-2 shoot-out win.

Mauricio Pochettino decided to rest Harry Kane for Wednesday's encounter, and Tottenham looked toothless for much of the first-half in the absence of the England striker, although Alli was close to prodding home from Lucas Moura's effort.

Tottenham's profligacy nearly proved costly on the half hour when Ken Sema bundled through, only for Serge Aurier to make a superb last-ditch tackle.Aurier could not repeat his heroics a minute after the restart though - Isaac Success shrugging off the former Paris Saint-Germain defender before hammering in from close range.

Tottenham rallied however, and it was Alli who led the way when, after drawing a clumsy foul in the box from substitute Christian Kabasele, who duly received his marching orders, the former MK Dons prodigy slotted in from the resulting spot-kick.

Lamela's delicate finish completed the turnaround four minutes from time, but there would be another twist as Capoue's strike deflected in to send the game to penalties.However, Capoue became the villain when he struck straight at Gazzaniga in the shoot-out, with Quina's miss enabling Alli to secure progression.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 4 Reims 1: Neymar and Cavani star in routine win

Paris Saint-Germain maintained their perfect start to the Ligue 1 season as Edinson Cavani's brace and a Neymar penalty helped them to a 4-1 win over Reims at the Parc des Princes.

Thomas Tuchel's side bounced back in style to open up an eight-point lead over Lyon at the summit, having seen Xavier Chavalerin give the visitors a shock second-minute lead on Wednesday.

Cavani scored either side of a Neymar penalty – his first a stunning chip – to give the reigning champions a commanding half-time lead in front of NBA legend Michael Jordan.


PSG looked destined for three points in the second period with wave after wave of attacks, but they added just one more goal from substitute Thomas Meunier in a seventh straight domestic triumph.Reims had suggested Tuchel's side would not have things all their own way when Chavalerin slotted past Gianluigi Buffon from 15 yards inside two minutes.

Normal service was resumed just three minutes later, however, as Cavani latched onto a loose ball before storming into the area and clipping a sensational lob over Edouard Mendy and in off the far post.

Neymar – pulling the strings from the number 10 position – handed PSG the lead in the 24th minute by sending Mendy the wrong way from the spot after Cavani was brought down in the box by Ghislain Konan.Mendy then had a moment to forget on the stroke of half-time, fumbling Neymar's lofted free-kick to the feet of Cavani, who poked into an empty net.

The hosts picked up where they left off after the break, Meunier – who was sent on for Colin Dagba in the 23rd minute – tapping in Moussa Diaby's low cross in the 55th minute.

Cavani was denied a hat-trick when he struck the crossbar, while Mendy pawed away Neymar's stoppage-time free-kick as PSG failed to add further gloss to the scoreline.

 

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Sevilla 3 Real Madrid 0: Lopetegui suffers first LaLiga defeat as Silva stars

Real Madrid suffered their first LaLiga defeat of Julen Lopetegui's reign on Wednesday, as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by an Andre Silva-inspired Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Lopetegui's side were hoping to make the most of Barcelona's loss at Leganes earlier in the day, but they were taken apart by Pablo Machin's Sevilla and rarely looked like clawing their way back.Madrid had no answer to the hosts in the first half, with a Silva brace and Wissam Ben Yedder volley leaving Los Blancos stunned at the interval.

Any chance of a comeback appeared to vanish early in the second half when a goal from Luka Modric – named the Best FIFA Men's Player on Monday – was correctly disallowed by VAR, and Sevilla were ultimately good value for the win.
Madrid struggled to cope with Sevilla's intensity and the hosts deservedly went ahead 17 minutes in – Pablo Sarabia releasing Jesus Navas after intercepting Marcelo's wayward pass and the winger teed up Silva for a simple finish.Navas was vital to Sevilla's second four minutes later, devastating Madrid on the break before Thibaut Courtois parried his shot right to the lethal Silva.

Gareth Bale and Franco Vazquez were thwarted by the frame of the goal before the half-hour mark, but Ben Yedder was not denied when he slammed Vazquez's header into the top-left corner six minutes before the break.Madrid stepped things up after half-time, but VAR prevented Modric from pulling one back and Sevilla almost capitalised, only for Bale to block Guilherme Arana's six-yard effort.

Bale was kept out by a fine save from Tomas Vaclik when one-on-one just after the hour mark, and Modric was withdrawn as Lopetegui looked to avoid further damage ahead of El Derbi.

 

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Leganes 2 Barcelona 1: Real Madrid loanee Rodriguez caps dramatic turnaround

Quickfire goals from Nabil El Zhar and Real Madrid loanee Oscar Rodriguez stunned Barcelona and handed Leganes a shock 2-1 LaLiga win.

Barca had gone in front through Philippe Coutinho's fine 12th-minute touch and volley and looked in control until the home side struck in quick succession at a boisterous Butarque.El Zhar set the turnaround in motion with a thumping back-post header soon after half-time and it was Rodriguez who capitalised on Gerard Pique's dreadful error before Barca had been given time to take stock.

Ernesto Valverde introduced Luis Suarez, Malcom and Jordi Alba off the bench but it was to no avail as Leganes, who came into Wednesday's clash bottom of the table, upset the form book in dramatic fashion.
Lionel Messi was making his 700th Barca appearance - including non-official matches - and his assist for Coutinho, who flicked the ball up and volleyed into the bottom-right corner from 20 yards, put the champions ahead.

The captain struck the angle of post and bar five minutes later as the visitors dominated the opening stages although Leganes did grow into the contest and saw Youssef En-Nesyri head a presentable chance straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen late in the half.Ter Stegen could do little about the equaliser seven minutes after the restart, though, as El Zhar planted Jonathan Silva's looping cross into the net from close range.

And 68 seconds later Leganes were in front as Pique dispossessed En-Nesyri but, under little pressure, the defender could only stab the ball into the path of Rodriguez, who steered home for his first Leganes goal.

Barca were further frustrated 10 minutes from time as Ivan Cuellar pulled off a sensational double stop to deny Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic and secure a famous win - Leganes' first over the Catalan giants.

 

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Juventus 2 Bologna 0: Dybala off the mark as champions shine

Paulo Dybala scored his first goal of the season as a dominant Juventus flexed their muscles in a 2-0 Serie A win over Bologna.

The champions raced into a two-goal lead within 16 minutes through Dybala and Blaise Matuidi and, with Cristiano Ronaldo at the heart of a Bianconeri attack that is starting to gel, there were spells when Juve tormented their embattled visitors.Bologna have taken just four points from six Serie A matches and, while they showed intent in flashes at Juventus Stadium, the game rarely threatened to turn into a contest.

Massimiliano Allegri's men, who made it six from six in the league, have made the strongest start to a season of any Juventus side in the post-war era, with seven wins from their first seven matches in all competitions for the first time since 1930-31.
Dybala's quick thinking paid off after 11 minutes when he allowed a long ball to hit the back of his neck before hooking the rebound from Matuidi's saved shot into the net from an acute angle.Matuidi added the second when Ronaldo's mishit cross rolled across the face of goal and Bologna's defenders failed to react, allowing the France international to collect it and launch a shot into the roof of the net.

A fluent first half gave way to a classic defensive performance from Juve after the interval, with Bologna's only shot on target of the half coming from a Ladislav Krejci free-kick that Mattia Perin dashed across his goal to save.

 

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'Remarkable' Hazard among world's best and still improving, warns Zola


Eden Hazard is one of the world's best players and is still getting better, according to Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola.With Liverpool leading 1-0 in Wednesday's EFL Cup third-round tie at Anfield, Maurizio Sarri sent on Hazard for Willian in the 56th minute.And the Belgium international inspired a stunning late comeback, delivering a free-kick that led to Emerson Palmieri's leveller before winning it with a sensational solo strike .

Hazard has netted five Premier League goals already in 2018-19, with Sarri claiming he could challenge for the Golden Boot after setting the 27-year-old a target of 40 goals.

And Zola feels there is even more to come from Hazard, who was one of the star players in Belgium's run to the semi-finals at the World Cup."I think it was a fantastic goal and especially not only the beauty but the moment," Zola said to Sky Sports .
"He was on his own with four defenders, an unbelievable goal.
"He's not only one of the best in the Premier League - if not the best - he is one of the best in Europe if not the world.
"Eden is growing fast in his maturity and the choices he makes on the pitch, and in my opinion we haven't seen the best of him yet. He's remarkable."

Chelsea play Liverpool again in the Premier League on Saturday, with both teams putting their unbeaten league records on the line at Stamford Bridge.
And despite his match-winning cameo booking Chelsea a place in the last 16 of the EFL Cup, Hazard is in no doubt which meeting between the clubs matters more this week.

"This result will give us more confidence because we drew with West Ham four days ago," Hazard told Sky Sports ."The game on Saturday is more important. We have got to try and beat Liverpool on Saturday."

 

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Man Utd should get rid of both Mourinho and Pogba, says Parker


Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker believes that both Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba should be shown the exit door at Old Trafford.

United have endured a miserable start to the 2018-19 campaign, picking up just 10 points out of a possible 18 in the Premier League and suffering a shock third round Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Championship outfit Derby County.

Reports of a fractious relationship between the Portuguese boss and the World Cup-winning midfielder have been circling for months and the situation escalated this week after a dismal 1-1 draw with Wolves last Saturday.

In the wake of that result, Pogba criticised the team's approach to the game with a subtle dig at his manager, suggesting that the Red Devils need to show more attacking intent in order to keep pace with their rivals at the top of the table.

Mourinho's response to the Frenchman's comments was to strip him of his vice-captaincy duties, which has only added fuel to the fire surrounding the rumours linking the 25-year-old with a move away from the club.

The United head coach appears to be on borrowed time in his role at Old Trafford and according to Parker, both men should be forced out if the team is to turn around its fortunes on the pitch.

When asked if he was on Pogba's side in the debate, Parker said to TalkSport: “No I wouldn’t say that. My way if I go straight to it, I would turn round for Manchester United maybe having to consider both of them going."

Before that, the former defender went into greater detail on the issue, stating: “I think everyone is concerned about it, you have to be.

"This isn’t something that is going to go away, this is always going to be around because people are going to make it be around. It’s wanted out there.

“I think Paul Pogba, in his own way, is saying and doing enough for it to be talked about. I don’t think Jose Mourinho is helping the situation either by the way he is conducting himself as a manager of Manchester United.
“So it needs to be dealt with.”

Mourinho will now attempt to galvanise his squad ahead of a trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham United on Saturday, which is now a must-win game for United if they are to stay in sight of the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Pogba may have lost his responsibilities as skipper, but he remains a key figure in the current squad and supporters will hope he can put this recent set-back behind him to produce the goods on the pitch against the Hammers.

 

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Buffon: Verratti is the only real talent in Italian football


Gianluigi Buffon considers Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Marco Verratti to be the “only real talent of Italian football”.

The Azzurri have endured a humbling fall from grace in recent years, with their struggles reaching a head when they failed to qualify for World Cup 2018.A rebuilding process is now underway, with Roberto Mancini having picked up the managerial baton.

He is looking to find the right blend of youth and experience, with midfield dynamo Verratti emerging as a key man as he blurs the lines between those two groups.

Legendary World Cup-winning goalkeeper Buffon told Gazzetta dello Sport of his 25-year-old club colleague and fellow countryman: “Marco is an incredible player, at this moment he’s the only real talent of Italian football in terms of how he plays the game, the quality of his touch and the way he sees the game.“When he plays with normal players he can struggle because they don’t understand him, sometimes those who are too good struggle to be understood by others.

“Here, Marco is lucky to play alongside great players who are immediately able to understand where the ball will go and where they want it so you see that all his moves are facilitated.”

Buffon linked up with Verratti at Parc des Princes over the summer after seeing an iconic 17-year spell at Juventus brought to a close.

The 40-year-old star is still keeping a close eye on events in Turin, with the Bianconeri holding a special place in his heart.

He expects a side now boasting Cristiano Ronaldo within its ranks to dominate the Serie A scene once again in 2018-19 – with the club having made a faultless start to their campaign to this point – while he also sees them challenging the likes of PSG for Champions League glory.

Buffon added: “Juve are Juve and at the moment they’re largely ahead of everyone else in Italy, and in Europe too they’re in the top three without a doubt.
“They should be an example for the other Italian teams.”

 

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Germany to host Euro 2024 after seeing off Turkey's challenge

Germany will host Euro 2024 after seeing off a rival bid from Turkey, UEFA has confirmed.

It will be the first major international tournament staged in the country since the 2006 World Cup.Germany are three-time European champions, having last triumphed at Euro 96.

Former Bayern Munich and Germany captain Philipp Lahm served as an ambassador for the bid, which will see games hosted in 10 cities.
Bayern's Allianz Arena, Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion and Berlin's Olympiastadion are all included, while there will also be matches staged in Gelsenkirchen, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Leipzig and Frankfurt.Portugal are the reigning European champions after they beat hosts France in extra time at the final of Euro 2016.

The 2024 edition returns to the traditional arrangement of a single host nation, with Euro 2020 set to take place in 12 cities spread across the continent.

 

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Ronaldo available for Man Utd clash after one-match Champions League ban


UEFA have announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will serve a one-match ban after being shown a red card in Juventus' Champions League clash with Valencia.The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was controversially dismissed following a clash with Jeison Murillo at Mestalla, although Juve went on to triumph through penalties from Miralem Pjanic either side of half-time.

Ronaldo will sit out Juve's match against Swiss champions Young Boys but the decision from UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body means the ex-United favourite will be able to make his latest return to Old Trafford on October 23.

United's Champions League triumph in 2007-08 marked Ronaldo's first success and he went on to win the title a further four times with Real Madrid.He scored in both legs, including the decisive goal in Manchester, as Madrid beat United 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16 of the 2012-13 edition.

Since his €112 million (£99m/$130m) move from Madrid to Juve in July, the 33-year-old has scored three goals in seven appearances, netting twice against Sassuolo and once versus Frosinone.Juve will face United at Old Trafford on October 23, before taking them on in Turin on November 7.

Following the red card, Leonardo Bonucci indicated that his team-mate was left "angry" at the decision, while Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri believes VAR would have saved the star.Miralem Pjanic went one step further, despite scoring the two penalties that won Juve the game, and insisted that the red card was "absurd".

"Football is a strange game. We could have been 4-0 up after the opening period, then came that absurd sending off," Pjanic said, via the club's website.There was a possibility that it might have been extended to two games, meaning he would have had to sit out the Old Trafford clash.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg believes Ronaldo's red card was harsh - he claims he would have shown both Murillo and the Portuguese a yellow, and awarded Valencia a free-kick - and thinks a one-match ban will suffice.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: "The contact looked very slight and I cannot see how the additional assistant, standing some 20 yards away, could deem it violent conduct.

"If I had been officiating this game, I would have given Valencia a free-kick and shown a yellow card to each player. Ronaldo will serve a one-match ban but anything more would be harsh."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

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