..::Football IV::..

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Congratulations Manchester United!

Niyama turnaround ekakhabai marama luck ekakuth thibbaThanaikarama wage Juventus attack ekak thibbeMata & Fellaini subs walin passe thamai wenas wenna gatthe

& Ronaldo ge goal eka patta & Mata ge free kick ekath super

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Juventus 1 Manchester United 2: Two goals in last four minutes seal stunning turnaround

Manchester United scored twice in the last four minutes to come from behind and secure a 2-1 away Champions League win over Juventus, cancelling out Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning opener.

Juve appeared to be sailing through to the knockout phase as Group H winners after Ronaldo's glorious strike against his former club, but substitute Juan Mata drew the visitors level and an Alex Sandro own goal completed a remarkable finish.

United had more about them than they did when taught a footballing lesson by Juve at Old Trafford two weeks ago, though the hosts still controlled the first half and almost scored when Sami Khedira hit the post.

After Paulo Dybala hit the bar, there was to be no denying Ronaldo's sumptuous effort 25 minutes from the end, but Mata struck with a fine free-kick and then Alex Sandro bundled into his own net at the death, meaning Juve have not yet secured qualification.

United boss Jose Mourinho, formerly of Inter, subsequently taunted the Juve fans at full-time, as he walked on to the pitch and cupped his ear towards them - irritating Leonardo Bonucci in the process.Juve went agonisingly close to the breakthrough just past the half-hour - Ronaldo picking out Khedira in the centre of the box with a cut-back, but the midfielder's first-time low shot hit the post.

The hosts were again denied by the goal's frame early in the second period, Dybala's curling 18-yard effort bouncing off the crossbar with David de Gea beaten.Ronaldo finally ended United's resistance just past the hour, however, racing on to Bonucci's long-range pass and sending an unstoppable volley beyond De Gea after the ball dropped over his shoulder.

But things were far from over.Mata, introduced for Ander Herrera 11 minutes from the end, equalised with a fine 20-yard free-kick shortly after coming on.

And then Alex Sandro fell victim to Ashley Young's wonderful set-piece delivery a minute from the end, as Bonucci headed the ball on to his team-mate and into the net after Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba had attempted to head in, United greeting the final whistle with joyous celebrations.

 

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Viktoria Plzen 0 Real Madrid 5: Benzema scores landmark goal

Karim Benzema scored his 200th Real Madrid goal in a 5-0 Champions League rout of Viktoria Plzen at the Doosan Arena on Wednesday.

A superb solo strike provided Benzema's landmark moment and put Madrid on the path to a commanding win that sent them top of Group G in Santiago Solari's first European match at the helm.The opener came after Sergio Ramos escaped punishment for an elbow on Milan Havel, but there was no stopping the visitors as Casemiro extended their lead in the 23rd minute.

Benzema doubled his tally and set up Gareth Bale in the space of 144 seconds towards the end of the first half, and Toni Kroos floated a beautiful 67th-minute chip home to wrap up the win and leave Plzen playing solely for third place.

Madrid's injury-hit defence almost conceded in the ninth minute when Nacho Fernandez sent Patrik Hrosovsky's cross against the bar.Havel was left with a bloody nose after being caught by Ramos' in a 14th-minute challenge, and the injury sustained by the Plzen midfielder eventually led to his first-half withdrawal.

Madrid soon asserted their superiority when Benzema was granted space to run into and he used it to slot his milestone strike between the legs of Ales Hruska in the 20th minute.

More shoddy defending from Plzen enabled Casemiro to glance Kroos' corner home, before Benzema took his tally for Madrid to 201 by nodding Bale's cushioned header past Hruska. The Frenchman returned the favour three minutes later, flicking Sergio Reguilon's delivery on for Bale to volley back across goal and into the bottom-left corner.

Solari handed Javi Sanchez and Vinicius Junior Champions League debuts in place of Ramos and Benzema and the Brazilian marked the occasion by setting up Kroos for a fine goal.

Lucas Vazquez was denied by a contentious offside decision and Bale rattled the upright in stoppage time as Madrid cantered to three important points.

 

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Manchester City 6 Shakhtar Donetsk 0: Bizarre penalty helps Jesus to hat-trick

Gabriel Jesus netted a hat-trick as Manchester City powered to a 6-0 Champions League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk but they will have to wait to book their place in the last 16 after Hoffenheim netted a late equaliser at Lyon in Group F's other fixture.

The hosts were in total control as they eased to a comfortable win at the Etihad Stadium, giving City brief respite from the series of allegations about their financial conduct that have been published by German magazine Der Spiegel this week, upon which the club have declined to comment.

With the focus firmly back on on-field matters, City put on an efficient display that opened with a straightforward finish for David Silva, before Raheem Sterling was wrongly awarded a spot-kick after kicking the turf.


Jesus netted from the spot and added a second penalty late on, after Sterling had scored City's third with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box, and Mahrez made it five before Jesus completed his treble.Hoffenheim’s 2-2 draw at Lyon delayed City's progress, but they now sit three points clear of the Ligue 1 club at the top of the group.

Good work by Mahrez down the right created the space for a squared pass across the six-yard box after 13 minutes, leaving the poorly marked Silva with a simple tap-in for the opener.City doubled their advantage in rather embarrassing circumstances after 24 minutes.

Sterling kicked the turf as he shaped to shoot, going down in the box, but referee Viktor Kassai incorrectly ruled that the England winger had been felled by Mykola Matvyenko, with Guardiola appearing to motion that he did not agree with the decision.

Jesus ruthlessly dispatched the penalty but will perhaps blame his failure to convert a glorious one-on-one opportunity soon after on a sudden pang of sympathy for the visitors.Having scuffed his shot to great effect during the first half, Sterling extended City’s lead with a sweetly struck curling effort three minutes into the second.

Jesus added another with a second penalty of the match in the 72nd minute, after Silva was brought down by a clumsy Taras Stepanenko challenge, and Mahrez drove home a fifth after taking down an Ilkay Gundogan cross five minutes from time.

Brazil international Jesus rounded off the night with a delightful chip to make it six.

 

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Bayern Munich 2 AEK Athens 0: Lewandowski puts Germans on brink of last 16

Bayern Munich are within touching distance of the Champions League knockout stages after a Robert Lewandowski double secured a routine 2-0 Group E win over AEK Athens on Wednesday.

Benfica's draw with Ajax in the group's other game means that Niko Kovac's side have opened up a two-point lead at the summit and know that a point against the Portuguese side in three weeks' time will cement their place in the last 16.

Kovac has been under pressure this week after a disappointing 1-1 Bundesliga draw with Freiburg on Saturday, but he will be relieved that his side came through this clash unscathed.


They were far from their best against Marinos Ouzounidis' side – who now have no chance of progressing – and were indebted to Lewandoswki's 31st-minute penalty and smart finish in the second half to claim all three points.
Both sides had early headed chances, Vasilios Lampropoulos flashing wide and Leon Goretzka's effort at the other end tipped over by Vasilios Barkas.

The Greeks' stubborn resistance was broken just after the half-hour mark when Uros Cosic was penalised for grabbing Lewandowski's shirt at a corner, the Poland international coolly dispatching the resulting spot-kick into Barkas' top-left corner.Thomas Muller was denied by a superb Cosic block as the hosts failed to add to their advantage before the interval.

Barkas was called into action 10 minutes after the restart, pawing away Goretzka's volley from Joshua Kimmich's teasing cross, before spreading himself well to divert Lewandowski's one-on-one effort just after the hour.

Bayern's talismanic striker was not to be denied in the 71st minute, however, showing wonderful athleticism to hook home a deflected corner at the back post to seal maximum points for Kovac's men.

 

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Lyon 2 Hoffenheim 2: Kaderabek strike rescues 10-man visitors


Hoffenheim's Champions League campaign was rescued at the death as Pavel Kaderabek scored in second-half stoppage time to snatch a 2-2 draw against Lyon despite being down to 10 men.Lyon were set to celebrate a win that would have put them on the brink of the knockout stage after first-half goals from Nabil Fekir and Tanguy NDombele gave them control of the game.

Kasim Adams was sent-off for a second bookable offence to strengthen Lyon's hand but the match began to turn when Andrej Kramaric dragged a low shot into the net in the 65th minute.


Julian Nagelsmann's side pushed hard for an equaliser that looked like it might evade them until the 92nd minute when a free-kick to the far post found Kaderabek and he gratefully volleyed it home to earn his side a point that keeps them in contention to qualify from Group F, while second-placed Lyon now trail leaders Manchester City by three points.
Hoffenheim showed real intent from the outset but fell behind after 19 minutes when Ferland Mendy's audacious drive smacked against the post before the rebound eventually fell to Fekir, who sidefooted it past Oliver Baumann from five yards.

Anthony Lopes made a superb reaction save to deny Ishak Belfodil at point-blank range before the lively Houssem Aouar broke down the Lyon left and pulled the ball back brilliantly to NDombele, who had time and space to stroke the ball into the right corner of the net via a Kevin Vogt deflection.

The second half was only six minutes old when Adams' clumsy challenge on Fekir earned him a red card, the Ghanaian having already been booked in the first-half, but Kramaric raked a low, bobbling shot into the bottom left corner of the net to give his side hope.

Kramaric was denied his second when Lopes made a diving save to parry away his header but Lyon's resolve was undone when Joelinton flicked a free-kick on to Kaderabek, who volleyed it instinctively into the net at the far post to earn his side a point in dramatic fashion.

 

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Valencia 3 Young Boys 1: Mina puts Los Che in qualification mix

Santi Mina scored twice as Valencia recorded their first victory of the 2018-19 Champions League campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Young Boys that applies pressure on Manchester United in Group H.

After three games without a win in Europe, Valencia finally earned all three points as Mina made it four goals in his last three competitive matches.Twice the 22-year-old combined with Carlos Soler in the opening 45 minutes of Wednesday's clash, his strikes coming either side of Roger Assale's leveller.

Having created two in the first half, Soler was on hand to extend the hosts' lead after the restart with a low drive that was too good for David von Ballmoos as Valencia pushed Young Boys - who had Sekou Sanogo sent off - close to elimination.
Rodrigo Moreno saw an early goal disallowed for offside, but he was instrumental in Valencia's 14th-minute opener. His pass opened up the visitors' defence to find Soler and, although the midfielder's delicately dinked effort struck the post, Mina rifled home the rebound from two yards.

Young Boys should have levelled just before the half hour only for Assale to fail to connect with Kevin Mbabu's right-wing cross, but the striker made no mistake 10 minutes later with a low drive that arrowed into the bottom corner.They were not level for long, though, as Soler produced a teasing 41st-minute cross from the right that Mina poked past Von Ballmoos.

Valencia gave themselves a two-goal cushion 10 minutes after the restart as the impressive Soler capped his night with a fine goal, the midfielder given the freedom to surge into the area and fire home from Rodrigo's pass.

Sanogo's late red card for a shocking two-footed challenge on Francis Coquelin ended Young Boys' already slim hopes of a comeback as Valencia eased to a much-needed victory.

 

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CSKA Moscow 1 Roma 2: Di Francesco's side edge towards knockouts

Roma significantly boosted their chances of progressing to the Champions League knockout stages with a 2-1 win over 10-man CSKA Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday.

Eusebio Di Francesco's side punished Hordur Magnusson for receiving two yellow cards, with Lorenzo Pellegrini adding the winner to his assist for the opener to put Roma on the brink of the last 16.Kostas Manolas capitalised on poor goalkeeping from Igor Akinfeev to put the visitors in front, but CSKA drew level after the restart through Arnor Sigurdsson.

Roma needed less than three minutes to take advantage of their numerical superiority and seal the win following Magnusson's dismissal, though Pellegrini appeared to have stroked home from an offside position.

CSKA beat Real Madrid in their previous Champions League home game but were behind early on when Akinfeev got nowhere near Pellegrini's corner and Manolas nodded in.

Mario Fernandes was replaced by Georgy Schennikov in the 12th minute having lunged in on Aleksandar Kolarov and seemingly been hit on the head by the Serbian's knee.Ivan Oblyakov had a shot at the end of a slick move blocked by a last-ditch challenge from Manolas and Schennikov headed the rebound over a gaping net before half-time.

Sigurdsson did not fail to get CSKA level when he brushed off a woeful attempted tackle from Davide Santon and curled home from 12 yards in the 51st minute.CSKA were reduced to 10 men after Magnusson received his second booking for taking out Justin Kluivert and Roma regained their lead in the 58th minute.

Bryan Cristante's pass took a deflection off Edin Dzeko and fell for Pellegrini to slot home, with CSKA's seemingly justified appeals for offside ignored.Pellegrini made way for Nicolo Zaniolo in the 82nd minute and Roma saw out the closing stages with relative ease.

 

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Pogba: Beating Juventus was stange


Paul Pogba says his celebrations after Manchester United's late winner against his former club Juventus felt "strange" while paying tribute to the Red Devils' staying power.

Jose Mourinho's men were headed for a repeat of their 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford two weeks ago when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a magnificent 65th-minute volley, but a late turnaround was made possible when Juan Mata curled in a free-kick four minutes from time.

Pogba then wheeled away in celebration after Alex Sandro put the ball into his own net under pressure from the France international with less than a minute left on the clock, but the World Cup-winning midfielder admitted he had mixed emotions.

"I celebrated, but it was strange," he told BT Sport. "It might have touched a lot of people."Lovely, we won. I saw the [Juve] fans, they were very welcoming. I appreciate that.

"We played against a good team with very good players, but the most important thing is the three points."I think it's what we’ve been doing for the last few weeks, playing well together and doing well until the end.

"The game is always 90 minutes, we’re pushing, maybe have an extra bit of power at the end, we push it and score."Pogba, who spent four years with the Bianconeri after leaving Manchester United in 2012, could be seen applauding the home fans after the full-time whistle.

The shock victory has seen United regain second place in Group H from Valencia, with the Red Devils now just two points behind leaders Juventus.Jose Mourinho’s side will play Young Boys and Valencia in their final two group matches, with qualification now firmly in their hands.

United have now won more away matches at Juventus than any other side in the competition, having beaten the Bianconeri on three separate occasions in Turin.The first of those wins came during the semi-final stage in 1999, when a late winner from Andy Cole saw the Red Devils see off Juve and qualify for the final in dramatic fashion.

The two sides met again during the group stages in 2003, with a brace from Ryan Giggs and a strike from Ruud Van Nistelrooy helping United on their way to a 3-0 victory.

 

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'Maybe someday there will be a substitute for free kicks!' - Mata relishes in stunning strike against Juve


Juan Mata joked about a potential future role as a free-kick specialist after scoring a stunning set piece against Juventus to help guide Manchester United to victory.

The Spaniard joined the fray in the 79th minute of Wednesday's Champions League match with his side down a goal following a spectacular Cristiano Ronaldo strike.Mata stepped up and scored a stunner of his own in the 86th minute, curling home a marvelous free-kick to tie the match late.

The Red Devils eventually found their winner via another set piece as a free-kick deflected off Alex Sandro and in.After the match, Mata said he was proud of his team's fight following what turned out to be a vital win for Manchester United.

"Today was important, the 1-1, and after we scored again," Mata told BT Sport.
"Maybe in the future, there is a substitute where you go, take the free-kick and go back to the bench. You never know."I have confidence in my free-kicks at the moment. I train a lot."After training I get the ball and try. The goalkeepers help me out too."

The result lifts Manchester United into second place in Group H, two points behind Juventus, who have amassed nine points from four matches.More importantly, though, it gives the Red Devils a two-point lead over Valencia, who defeated Young Boys on Wednesday in their own Champions League match.

That makes Mata's goal and the subsequent winner vital for the English side, who now appear on a path towards the knockout rounds with a match against Young Boys looming."What a nice last five minutes," Mata said. "It is a very good night for us to get three points against Juventus in Italy. It is amazing!

"They have fantastic players and are a top team. We come back to Manchester with three points and that is football!"The first half was not bad. It was quite even. They had chances but in the second half it was a fantastic goal from Cristiano Ronaldo.

"They had a few clear chances after that to win the game but they didn't and we came back. It is a very big step in the group."

 

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Solari: Players deserve all the credit for Real Madrid's change of fortune


Santiago Solari doesn't believe he's responsible for Real Madrid's remarkable turnaround in his three games in charge and credited his players' "desire to score" as the main reason behind three wins on the bounce.

Solari took charge at a low point for the Spanish giants, with the club having taken a brutal 5-1 beating at the hands of rivals Barcelona before sacking previous boss Julen Lopetegui. But Solari has righted the ship with three consecutive victories and his side having held clean sheets in all three of those matches.

The run continued with a 5-0 win over Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday in the Champions League. Karim Benzema scored a fine solo effort to open the scoring and take his Madrid tally to 200, and he added another as Casemiro, Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos also got on the scoresheet.

"You can't ask for much more. The team has done it. The players scored spectacular goals and were very serious," Solari said to Movistar following another dominant showing."We've done a lot of things well [in his three matches], but above all I see the seriousness and the desire to score. So many can be scored with players of such quality.

"If you win 5-0 there will be applause. All matches are different, you have to continue working with humility, sacrifice and ambition for your objectives and think about the next game."The players are the ones who have achieved this and they are the ones who deserve credit for the victory."

Solari made it clear that goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who was relegated to the bench on Wednesday, has all his respect and admiration despite being replaced by Thibaut Courtois.Navas started Madrid's three European fixtures under previous boss Lopetegui but was among the substitutes for Wednesday's victory, which saw the reigning champions rise to the top of Group G, but Solari said he's made the choice to go with Courtois.

"It's a decision I've made."But I have to say that Keylor is a man and has all my admiration as a footballer and respect as a man."

Real Madrid now sit level with Roma at the top of their group and will look to continue their winning run with a La Liga clash against Celta Vigo on Sunday.

 

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Juventus win a 'great joy', but not because they're Inter's enemy – Mourinho


Jose Mourinho described Manchester United's 2-1 win over Juventus as "a great joy", though he insisted that had nothing to do with the Old Lady being the "enemy" of his former side Inter.

Juve appeared to be sailing through as Group H winners after former United star Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning volley 25 minutes from time.But Juan Mata equalised with a fine free-kick late on and then an Alex Sandro own goal gave the visitors all three points in Turin.

Mourinho incurred the wrath of Juve fans and players alike when he goaded the home support at full-time by cupping his ear towards them, a reaction to what he said was constant abuse through the match due to his links with Inter.But the Portuguese coach says he put his Inter past to one side for the clash.

"When I work for a club like Manchester United I need to forget my past, as in those 90 minutes I represent Manchester United," he said."But the others [Juventus fans] didn't forget, and it is a great joy for me because we won against a super team, and not because they are the enemy of Inter."

Nevertheless, Mourinho does not think defeat to United will be a fatal blow to Juve, who he believes are a team that have been put together with the sole intention of winning the Champions League."They can't hide the fact they want to win the Champions League, they don't even try to," he added.

"They are honest and they also say they want to win the Champions League and they are designed to do that."We are growing and have lots of players that are inexperienced. They have seven titles and now with Ronaldo they want to win the Champions League.

"Actually, they know their potential, they are stronger than us, with great qualities and a golden bench, but they realised the match wasn't easy."I told my players it would be a hard match, we played confidently and played face to face. They had the chances to close the match, and in my opinion we played a match which deserved an equaliser, but we went on to win.

"It is a hard group stage and even with a victory in a stadium where it isn't easy to win, we might need more than three points [to advance]."

 

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'I was insulted for 90 minutes' - Mourinho justifies Juve gesture after thrilling comeback


Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has justified his decision to taunt the Juventus support following a fine 2-1 comeback victory for the Red Devils in Turin.Unbeaten in all competitions so far in 2018-19, Juve looked set for yet another win when Cristiano Ronaldo sent them ahead in the second half against struggling United.

But Mourinho's men had other ideas, drawing level through Juan Mata before Alex Sandro's last-minute own goal gave them a priceless win.

The Special One is not fondly remembered in Turin, due to his exploits with the club's bitter rivals Inter that included a treble win in 2008-9. But after holding his hand up to his ear at the final whistle with a grin on his face, Mourinho believes he had every right to enjoy the triumph.

“I was insulted for 90 minutes. I came here to do my job, nothing more,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.“I didn’t offend anyone at the end, I just made a gesture that I wanted to hear them louder. I probably shouldn’t have done it, and with a cool head I wouldn’t have done it, but with my family insulted, including my Inter family, I reacted like this."

Understandably, Mourinho preferred to focus on the positives, including one of the biggest results managed so far during his United tenure against an elite European side.“We played a fantastic game, to our top level, as we cannot be any better than this. We came here to play like a team that was against a side with different potential on every level," he added.

“We managed to win because we played a very, very positive match and we looked for the victory to the very end. We looked for it."He also praised Mata and much-maligned midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who came off the bench to change the course of the game.

“Fellaini changes the game, most often at home. We didn’t have him in the first leg, Juventus introduced Barzagli to control us, but we immediately went direct and got the goals," Mourinho explained.
“We introduced Juan Mata not for the free kicks, but to put the crosses in for Fellaini, who always dominates in the air.“A point or three would’ve changed little for Juventus, but three points makes a big difference to us.”

United now sit in second place in Group H, two points clear of nearest rivals Valencia who downed Young Boys 3-1 earlier on Wednesday to keep their own bid for the last 16 alive.

 

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UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2018.11.08

UEFA Europa League Group Stage Fixtures 2018.11.08

Fenerbahce Vs Anderlecht
Astana Vs Jablonec
Spartak Moskva Vs Rangers
Rapid Wien Vs Villarreal
Krasnodar Vs Standard Liege
Akhisarspor Vs Sevilla
Apollon Vs Frankfurt
Lazio Vs OM
Dynamo Kyiv Vs Rennes
Malmo Vs Sarpsborg 08
Genk Vs Besiktas
BATE Vs Chelsea
Vidi Vs PAOK
Bayer Leverkusen Vs Zurich
Ludogorets Vs AEK Larnaca
Rosenborg Vs Salzburg
Celtic Vs RB Leipzig
Slavia Praha Vs Kobenhavn
Bordeaux Vs Zenit
Dinamo Zagreb Vs Spartak Trnava
Vorskla Vs Qarabag
Arsenal Vs Sporting CP
Real Betis Vs Milan
Olympiakos Piraeus Vs F91 Dudelange ​

 

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Arsenal 0 Sporting CP 0: Welbeck injury sours Europa League stalemate

Arsenal booked their place in the Europa League knockout stages after a 0-0 draw with 10-man Sporting CP that was marred by an injury to Danny Welbeck.

The point – combined with Vorskla losing 1-0 to Qarabag – was enough to ensure a top-two place for the Gunners in Group E, but the performance left much to be desired.A lack of fire power meant the few openings the Gunners were able to create went begging, while Sporting - who had Jeremy Mathieu sent off late on - offered even less in the final third.

With Arsenal progressing despite a disappointing display, Welbeck's injury will be the main concern for Unai Emery and Gareth Southgate, who named the 27-year-old in his England squad earlier on Thursday.

Chances were at a premium in an opening 45 minutes dominated by Arsenal, the Gunners unable to turn their 69 per cent possession into clear-cut chances.It was a half soured by the nasty-looking injury to Welbeck, the forward having landed awkwardly on his right ankle after meeting Stephan Lichtsteiner's right-wing cross.

After receiving oxygen and medical attention on the pitch, Welbeck left the field on a stretcher, with Arsenal waiting to learn the full extent of his injury.Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – the man who replaced Welbeck – went close straight after the restart, but the striker was unable to guide Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross on target.

There was little to get the pulses racing after that 46th-minute effort until Mkhitaryan's weak shot with 10 to play, Renan Ribeiro getting down easily to claim.

Mathieu's dismissal for a mistimed last-ditch tackle on Aubameyang offered Arsenal the chance to seal a dramatic late victory, but the substitute blazed over the crossbar in an effort befitting this lacklustre spectacle.

 

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Get well soon Welbeck!
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BATE 0 Chelsea 1: Giroud sends Sarri's side into knockout rounds

Olivier Giroud's first goal under Maurizio Sarri sealed Chelsea's progression to the Europa League knockout rounds with a 1-0 win at BATE on Wednesday.France striker Giroud headed in Emerson Palmieri's cross in the 52nd minute to decide a tentative contest and break his club drought dating back to May.

BATE, who hit the woodwork three times, would have been deserving of a point, but will now seek to revive their hopes in their next meeting with Vidi, who edged PAOK 1-0.


That result means the Blues, having racked up a fifth successive competitive victory, must wait until the Greek side's visit later this month to confirm top spot in Group L.
Two goals down inside eight minutes at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago, BATE were unfortunate not to be ahead early on home soil as Dmitri Baga crashed a long-range shot against the post.Chelsea soon settled into a dominant share of possession without ever looking like making the breakthrough before half-time.

Giroud had fleetingly threatened with one header before the break and it was in similar circumstances that he opened the scoring, convincingly meeting Emerson's cross at the near post.

Only another moment of misfortune prevented BATE from responding quickly, with Nikolai Signevich's close-range effort coming back off the underside of the crossbar, before an unmarked Aleksey Rios skied an even more promising opening.

Eden Hazard was withdrawn just after the hour and with him went the last of Chelsea's minimal attacking verve as they settled for an uninspiring, albeit important, 1-0 victory after the upright denied substitute Evgeni Berezkin.

 

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'I am focused on Tottenham' – Pochettino dismisses Real Madrid speculation


Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed speculation he was offered £15million a year to leave Tottenham and take charge of Real Madrid.

Pochettino has long been touted as a future Madrid manager and speculation over his Spurs future has been rife since last month's sacking of Julen Lopetegui.Reports suggested Madrid offered the Argentine head coach a blockbuster deal to succeed Lopetegui, only for him to turn Los Blancos down.

And Pochettino, who signed a new long-term Tottenham contract this year, addressed the latest speculation when he appeared in front of the media on Thursday."Look, I am so focused on my job at Tottenham," said Pochettino. "A new rumour appears every day. That rumour you tell me and the opposite appeared [in the media] the other day. Many things happen.

"The most important thing is people need to know I am so focused on Tottenham, I am so responsible in my job and our fans need to know that and of course [chairman] Daniel Levy needs to know I am so focused on Tottenham, working so hard trying to help the club to achieve all that we want."Rumours are rumours and always happen, not only at Tottenham but every team. You can do nothing [about speculation]."

Spurs confirmed on Thursday they will be without Mousa Dembele for around two months after the Belgium midfielder sustained ligament damage to his right ankle.But Pochettino is hopeful Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier will be available for Saturday's Premier League match away to Crystal Palace."We hope that from the beginning of January he will be ready," Pochettino said of Dembele's injury. "After it's about the evolution, it's very dynamic the evolution and how he's going to recover.

"Always it's about the patient, the player, and how he's going to react after the injury. We hope he'll be back as soon as possible and early in January to help the team.

"Always you miss all the players when they are injured. We were talking before, in 13 days we play five games. It's less than three days, every two and a half days we're competing. It's a massive effort for the players. That is why I am so pleased.

"In the same way, I want to say some nice words to the staff, because they are helping the players to be ready in every single game. They work a lot and they don't have a rest. That is important to have nice words for them.

"Of course I think we have some players back like Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama, they've started training with the group and we'll see tomorrow if they can be available to be in the squad for Saturday."

 

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England squad: Returning Rooney joined by Wilson and Sancho in Southgate's selection


Wayne Rooney has been brought out of international retirement for one more England outing, with Callum Wilson, Jadon Sancho and Michael Keane joining him in Gareth Southgate’s latest squad.

The Football Association had already revealed that the Three Lions’ all-time leading goalscorer would be involved in a friendly clash with the United States on November 15.

That fixture will see funds raised for Rooney’s charitable foundation, as he collects his 120th cap and seeks to add to a record-breaking haul of 53 efforts for his country.

The 33-year-old, who is now on the books of MLS side D.C. United, will only figure against the USA at Wembley.

He will not be involved in England’s final UEFA Nations League clash with Croatia three days later.One man who will be hoping to figure in both games, and one at the opposite end of his international career, is Bournemouth striker Wilson.

Having proved himself to be a consistent performer in the Premier League, despite enduring injury struggles, the 26-year-old has been selected by Southgate for the first time – having previously figured for the current boss of the senior side at U21 level.Elsewhere, Everton defender Keane is brought back into the England fold for the first time since October 2017.

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard, Tottenham's Dele Alli, Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Manchester City’s Fabian Delph also return after missing out on the last squad.

Borussia Dortmund starlet Sancho is included once more, with his fine domestic form having been maintained since making his international bow in a goalless draw with Croatia.

Fellow youngster Mason Mount, who is on loan at Derby from Chelsea, is among those to drop out with a foot problem, with Leicester duo Harry Maguire and James Maddison also missing out through injury.

England squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Marcus Bettinelli, Jack Butland, Alex McCarthy, Jordan Pickford

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Chilwell, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Michael Keane, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker

Midfielders: Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Harry Winks

Forwards: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney*, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Danny Welbeck, Callum Wilson. (* - USA match only)

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Martial earns France recall after Man Utd resurgence


Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has been recalled to the France squad following his fine form for the Red Devils over the last month.

The 22-year-old starlet has scored five goals in his last six appearances for the club and seems to be improving with each passing week, with the Old Trafford outfit securing three successive wins in all competitions.Martial was omitted from Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps' squad for the 2018 World Cup and has been fighting for a return to the national team ever since, with his wish finally granted on Thursday morning.

The United superstar has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, amid reports of a difficult relationship with manager Jose Mourinho, but the Portuguese coach has made him central to his plans in recent weeks.

A starring two-goal performance during the Red Devils' 2-2 draw against Chelsea in October was the catalyst for change before he also managed to hit the winning goal against Everton and a crucial equaliser against Bournemouth.Along with Martial's inclusion, United team-mate Paul Pogba has retained his spot in the squad, while Chelsea's Olivier Giroud and N'Golo Kante have also been selected.

One surprise omission from the team is Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette, who has been a key figure for the Gunners during their 13-match unbeaten run.

Meanwhile, Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy is back in the fold after missing out in Septemeber and October through injury and Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is included again in the absence of Corentin Tolisso.France will face the Netherlands on November 16th in the UEFA Nations League before a friendly against Uruguay four days later.

FULL FRANCE NOVEMBER SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Areola, Lloris, Mandanda

Defenders: Digne, Pavard, Sidibe, Kimpembe, Rami, Varane, Mendy, Sakho

Midfielders: Kante, Nzonzi, Matuidi, Pogba, Ndombele

Forwards: Dembele, Griezmann, Thauvin, Fekir, Martial, Giroud, Mbappe