Posts of octobre 2015

Cruyff diagnosed with cancer - reports

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Johan Cruyff, one of soccer's greatest players and most influential coaches, has been diagnosed with lung cancer, according to reports.

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Madrid - Johan Cruyff, one of soccer's greatest players and most influential coaches, has been diagnosed with lung cancer, according to reports in Spanish media on Thursday.

Cruyff's foundation could not immediately confirm the reports of his illness but said they were planning to publish a news release later on Thursday.

Cruyff had been diagnosed with the illness this week at a clinic in Barcelona and was having tests to determine the seriousness of his condition, according to the reports, which did not identify the source of the information.

The 68-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or three times, helped Ajax win three European Cups in a row in the early 1970s before joining Barcelona and leading the Catalan club to their first La Liga title in nearly 15 years in 1974.

After stints at other clubs including Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats and Levante, Cruyff returned to Ajax before ending his playing career at bitter rivals Feyenoord.

Cruyff also led the Netherlands playing the 'Total Football' he would later refine and make his own as a coach to the 1974 World Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to West Germany.

In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century. – Reuters

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Everton boss wary of Arsenal

Everton manager Roberto Martinez does not expect Arsenal to be hampered by a Champions League “hangover” when his side travel to the Emirates.

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Everton manager Roberto Martinez does not expect Arsenal to be hampered by a Champions League “hangover” when his side travel to the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday.

Everton, humiliated 3-0 at home by Manchester United last weekend, face an Arsenal side that have won five of their last six league games and sit second in the table, two points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

Martinez acknowledged that his side, who are ninth on 13 points, typically struggle against the London club, who beat German champions Bayern Munich in the Champions league on Tuesday.

“I wouldn't say a team as experienced as Arsenal will suffer a hangover,” Martinez told reporters. “When you play two games in a week, you hope it will allow us to be fresh but I don't expect it to have a negative effect on Arsenal.

“They have a big enough squad to find fresh legs,” he added.

Martinez's side have beaten the Gunners just once in 17 attempts, but with Tom Cleverley, Steven Pienaar and Bryan Oviedo nearing full fitness the Spaniard hopes they will have a better chance of getting the three points.

“From a medical point of view I would say he (Cleverley) will be 100 percent ready, it's just trying to work on his match fitness more than anything,” Martinez said.

“It's been challenging for us. We've had to find solutions to injuries and it's been really pleasing.

“We have shown signs of a really interesting season. This is now a very important period for us. Arsenal is not a fixture historically we do well in.” – Reuters

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Schneiderlin lauds Martial’s maturity

Morgan Schneiderlin says Manchester United team-mate Anthony Martial showed impressive maturity to pick himself up from conceding a first-half penalty against CSKA Moscow.

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Manchester United's teenage forward Anthony Martial showed impressive maturity to pick himself up from conceding a first-half penalty against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday before going on to score the equaliser, said Morgan Schneiderlin.

United started the Champions League game well but fell behind on 15 minutes after Martial was correctly adjudged to have hand-balled in the penalty area.

Roman Eremnko's spot-kick was palmed onto the post by David de Gea but Seydou Doumbia was on hand to put CSKA ahead.

Martial, who joined United for a reported 36 million pounds ($55.70 million) on the final day of the transfer window and has

scored five times in nine appearances, did not let the penalty decision get to him and equalised in the second half.

“He didn't let his head down because that can happen to anyone,” said team mate Schneiderlin. “Anthony scored a great goal and after that we pushed on but we could not score the second goal, which was a shame.”

The 1-1 draw in Moscow left United on four points from three games in Group B, two behind leaders Wolfsburg. CSKA also have four points, while PSV Eindhoven are a point further back.

Schneiderlin acknowledged that United had to be more creative in possession and said that while they were disappointed not to get the win it was more important not to come away from Moscow with nothing.

“We could have played a bit more direct sometimes, but we know that we can improve because we need to create a bit more,” the midfielder said.

“It's a bit of mixed feelings. With the game we wanted to take the three points but in the Champions League it is a marathon, not just about one game,” he added.

“It is difficult because we wanted to come here to win, but the most important thing was to not leave here without any points.” – Reuters

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De Bruyne is ‘perfect’ signing

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini branded Kevin De Bruyne the "perfect" signing.

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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini branded Kevin De Bruyne the “perfect” signing after the Belgian forward's 91st-minute goal snatched a 2-1 Champions League victory over Sevilla.

With Wednesday's Group D game at the Etihad Stadium poised at 1-1, Pellegrini rejigged his attack by moving De Bruyne up front and the change paid off when the 24-year-old fired home left-footed from Yaya Toure's pass.

It was De Bruyne's first Champions League goal since his club-record £55 million ($84.8 million, 74.8 million euros) transfer from Wolfsburg and it had the effect of lifting City three points clear of Sevilla and to within a point of leaders Juventus at the group's halfway point.

“We bought Kevin because we thought he was a very creative player and he has goals in him,” Pellegrini told his post-match press conference.

“This team always tries to play attractive and offensive football and for that you need good players. I think that in all senses, he was the perfect player to arrive to our team.”

De Bruyne's strike, his seventh in nine games for club and country, was City's reward for a dogged display in which they weathered several spells of Sevilla pressure.

City trailed for only six minutes, Adil Rami's own goal cancelling out Yehven Konoplyanka's 30th-minute opener, and yet prior to a late surge by the Premier League leaders, it was the Spanish side who looked the more likely winners.

But after an opening 2-1 loss to Juventus, City have now come from behind to win twice, having beaten Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 on their previous outing courtesy of a last-minute Sergio Aguero penalty.

“It's important because we won both games in the last minute and in both games we were one goal down,” Pellegrini said.

“Maybe you've had a lot of criticism about this team in Europe, but I think that these two last games reflect that we have the character to try to win.

“We will try to improve our play, but for me the character, concentration and intensity to win in Europe is also very important.”

City will now switch their thoughts to Sunday's trip to Manchester United and Pellegrini said they would approach the derby with a spring in their step.

“When you win, it's very important for the trust (confidence) of the players to arrive at an important game like the derby winning and not losing, with a lot of doubts,” said the Chilean.

“It's a very tight (Champions League) group with nine points more to play for, but now it's important to recover and continue having good performances in the Premier League.

“It's always good to arrive at a derby when you've won.”

Pellegrini refused to be drawn, however, when asked whether captain Vincent Kompany would remain on the bench at Old Trafford, with Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala having been preferred to the Belgian -- fit again after a calf problem -- against Sevilla.

“We have a lot of different things to think about,” was all he would say.

Defeat prolonged a difficult start to the season for Europa League champions Sevilla, who are currently 13th in La Liga with only two wins from eight games.

But with home matches against City and Juventus to come in the Champions League, sandwiching a trip to Gladbach, coach Unai Emery remains optimistic about his team's chances of reaching the round of 16.

“The next game is at home and the Sanchez Pijuan is really special, where the team usually plays to a high level,” he said.

“We'll have the fans behind us, and I won't give up while it's still possible. We have chances to win the next game and if we do well, we'll be in with a shout.

“We can learn from what we've done in the short term, and then think about the next game against Getafe.

“We might be frustrated, but we need to realise we've learnt things about ourselves that will make us a better team.” – AFP

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Lewandowski keen to end Cech duck

Robert Lewandowski is more determined than ever to get a goal when Bayern Munich face Arsenal in their return Champions League game.

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London - Robert Lewandowski is more determined than ever to get a goal when Bayern Munich face Arsenal in their return Champions League game because he has never scored against their keeper Petr Cech.

The 33-year-old Czech international, who denied Lewandowski with two outstanding saves in the second half of Arsenal's 2-0 win over Bayern in a pulsating Group F match on Tuesday, has thwarted Lewandowski on four occasions - three times in internationals and again at Arsenal.

“I have never yet managed to score a goal against him,” Poland striker Lewandowski, who had scored 22 goals in his last 16 matches for club and country, told Reuters.

“Not a single goal. And that is despite facing him when Poland have played the Czech Republic at international level as well. It is one of those quirks you get in football.

“He is an absolutely excellent goalkeeper. But it is good to immediately have another chance to try to beat him in the coming weeks, with Arsenal visiting Bayern, and in another Poland match against the Czech Republic next month.

“That match is only a friendly but there is a big rivalry between us and it will be an important part of both our preparations for Euro 2016.”

Bayern play Arsenal on Nov. 4 in Munich, followed by the international on Nov. 17 in Wroclaw.

Lewandowski has been in blistering form this season with some stunning strikes to make him the hottest forward in Europe.

But his personal favourite is probably one of the least attractive goals of his career - a scrambled prod over the line in the dying seconds for Poland's equaliser in their 2-2 draw against Scotland in a Euro 2016 qualifier in Glasgow this month.

“The goal in Glasgow was very special as it meant so much to the team,” he said.

“It was the last kick of the match and it completely changed the mood in the squad. It gave us the platform to then complete qualification against Ireland in Warsaw.”

Lewandowski, Poland's captain, is immensely proud of having secured a place at the Euros in France next year, the first time he has been part of a team qualifying for a major tournament.

His only previous participation was at Euro 2012, which Poland co-hosted with Ukraine. Poland met the Czechs in a group match, when he again failed to score against Cech in a 1-0 defeat in Wroclaw.

“It is a very good feeling to have qualified now because you already have something tangible in your pocket early in the season, with also something to look forward to at the end of it,” he said.

“But we can't be satisfied with that alone. We have to challenge ourselves to keep improving.”

However, it is his club that Lewandowski acknowledges as the source for his sustained improvement over the last year.

As well as his growing maturity and confidence since getting the Polish captaincy, he feels he is now reaping the benefits of joining Bayern.

“When you train every day at Bayern with the level of players we have and the level of coaching staff we have, you cannot help but become a better footballer,” he said.

“I haven't got the words to express exactly how much I appreciate what I have gained from being at Bayern,” Lewandowski added.

“Playing for Bayern there is a very high standard to maintain. There are huge expectations on us. You have to try to perform at a high level and win every match, every competition you play in. It is immensely demanding, but also very exhilarating.” – Reuters

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De Bruyne seals points for City

Kevin De Bruyne scored a minute into stoppage time to give Manchester City a 2-1 win over Sevilla in their Champions League Group D clash.

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Manchester, England - Manchester City left it late to win a second successive Champions League game, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring a minute into stoppage time to give them a 2-1 win over Sevilla at the Etihad Stadium in Group D on Wednesday.

Last month Sergio Aguero's penalty in the 90th minute gave them a 2-1 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach and the two wins, following a home defeat by Juventus in their opening game, have boosted their chances of reaching the last 16.

De Bruyne's goal came even later than Aguero's with the Belgian's neatly-executed left-foot angled shot coming after 91 minutes to give City victory when it looked as though Sevilla were about to leave with a deserved point.

De Bruyne has had a huge impact since arriving for 55 million pounds ($84.78 million) from VfL Wolfsburg at the end of August and he played a defining role in this game too, after coach Manuel Pellegrini pushed him up front in search of the winner.

“Even though we did not have our best game, we tried everything to look for victory and in the end I could score,” he told BT Sport afterwards.

The result, plus Juventus's 0-0 draw with Moenchengladbach in the other game, left Juve top with seven points, followed by City on six, Sevilla (3) and Moenchengladbach (1).

Sevilla took the lead after 30 minutes when the impressive Ukrainian striker Yevhen Konoplyanka took advantage of some poor City defending to sweep the ball past Joe Hart, but City were level six minutes later.

The equaliser came when a shot from Wilfried Bony deflected off the foot and shin of Adil Rami and into the net and that looked to be that until De Bruyne's last gasp goal.

Going into the match, City had won only five of their 15 home Champions League matches and their vulnerability in front of their own fans was exposed again. Noisy Sevilla fans enjoyed the game far more than the muted home ones until the last few moments.

Konoplyanka also cracked a free kick against Joe Hart's left-hand post after 18 minutes before scoring and City, without the injured Aguero and the creative David Silva, lacked real spark in attack until Pellegrini shuffled his side at the end to unlock the winning goal.

Their next match is at Sevilla on Nov.3 when Borussia entertain Juventus in Moenchengladbach. – Reuters

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Martial goes from villain to hero

Anthony Martial went from villain to hero as his second-half equaliser earned Manchester United a deserved point in a 1-1 draw against CSKA Moscow.

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Moscow - Anthony Martial went from villain to hero as his second-half equaliser earned Manchester United a deserved point in a 1-1 draw against CSKA Moscow in Champions League Group B on Wednesday.

The French teenager conceded a first-half penalty but popped up with a fine header to keep United two points behind group leaders VfL Wolfsburg, level with CSKA and a point ahead of PSV Eindhoven.

“In the first half we could not play in a higher tempo because it was too slow in my opinion and that's what I said at half time that we had to improve,” United manager Louis van Gaal told reporters.

The visitors started well but fell behind after 15 minutes after Martial was correctly adjudged to have hand-balled in the penalty area.

Roman Eremnko's spot-kick was brilliantly palmed on to the post by David de Gea, but the ball rebounded into the path of Seydou Doumbia who had the easiest of finishes.

Ahmed Musa almost doubled the lead midway through the first half side as he looked to chip the Spanish international from distance, but De Gea produced another top-class save to keep his team in the game.

United had to wait until just before the hour mark to force Igor Akinfeev in the CSKA goal to make a save as he kept out a Wayne Rooney header.

But the momentum was with the visitors and they drew level on 65 minutes.

Antonio Valencia produced a good cross from the right which was met by Martial who sent a glancing header past Akinfeev and in off the post.

United, with Marouane Fellaini on as a focal point for the attack, swarmed forward in search of the winner but failed to create any clearcut chances and were forced to settle for a point.

“Our key players began to tire in the second half and we lost the ball on a lot of occasions,” CSKA coach Leonid Slutskiy said.

“As a result we were constantly having to defend. However, I would not say that Manchester United created a hatful of chances.” – Reuters

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Klate returns to haunt Pirates

A soft Daine Klate goal gave Wits a 1-0 midweek victory at Orlando Pirates and top place in the Absa Premiership table.

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A soft Daine Klate goal gave Wits a 1-0 midweek victory at Orlando Pirates and top place in the Absa Premiership table.

The former Pirates winger floated a free kick into the heart of the goalmouth after 14 minutes and Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Felipe Ovono failed to hold the ball, which crept into the net.

Ovono, outstanding for his country when they hosted and finished fourth at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, earlier saved a penalty from Namibian Henrico Botes at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Wits were reduced to 10 men during a dramatic opening half when a studs-up tackle by captain and centre-back Thulani Hlatshwayo led to a straight red card.

Hlatshwayo got a tongue lashing from Wits assistant coach and 1996 Cup of Nations-winning goalkeeper Andre Arendse for a foul that led to Sifiso Myeni being stretchered off.

But the club with the equal second best defensive record in the Premiership this season contained Pirates, who meet Etoile Sahel of Tunisia late November in the two-leg CAF Confederation Cup final.

Victory lifted unfashionable Johannesburg outfit Wits to 16 points, one more than Platinum Stars and Mpumalanga Black Aces.

Platinum from north-western mining town Rustenburg looked like retaining top place when they led Aces by two goals entering the final minute at Mbombela Stadium in north-east city Nelspruit.

But two goals within 60 seconds from Lebogang Manyama and Judas Moseamedi salvaged a draw for Aces and allowed Wits to leapfrog to the top.

Mamelodi Sundowns, champions a record six times, spoilt the homecoming of Bloemfontein Celtic to Seisa Ramabodu Stadium in the central city with a 1-0 victory.

Liberian Anthony Laffor struck the 70th-minute winner at a packed stadium, whose rebuilding meant Celtic spent nearly four years playing at the ground of Super Rugby side the Cheetahs.

Celtic are two points behind Wits and Sundowns are three points adrift of the pacesetters in a national football league whose $740,000 (650,000 euros) first prize is the biggest in Africa.

Title-holders Kaizer Chiefs are sixth in the 16-club table, five points behind Wits, after drawing 0-0 away to second-from-bottom Jomo Cosmos at Olen Park stadium in north-west university town Potchefstroom.

It was a predictable result as promoted Cosmos, a team owned and coached by South Africa football legend Jomo Sono, entered the game after three goalless draws in six outings.

Belgian Andrea Fileccia became joint leading Premiership scorer this season with five goals after bagging a brace as resurgent Free State Stars triumphed 2-0 at struggling Polokwane City. – AFP

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Klopp slams FA over Rossiter

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accused England's Football Association of treating Jordan Rossiter “like a horse”.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accused England's Football Association of treating Jordan Rossiter “like a horse” on Wednesday after the midfielder returned from England Under-19 duty with a hamstring injury.

“These young players are our future. If we handle them like horses, we get horses,” Klopp told a press conference ahead of his side's Europa League home game against Rubin Kazan on Thursday.

“Rossiter is a special story. I never heard of an 18-year-old playing three games in five days. That is the problem why he is injured and I don't think he will be ready until the next international break.

“I don't know who I have to talk to about this, but I will find a way because it is not OK. On my first day I didn't want to have a call with someone with the FA, but for sure this is not OK.”

Rossiter is the latest member of Liverpool's squad to succumb to injury, complicating Klopp's preparations for his first home game since succeeding Brendan Rodgers as manager.

Striker Danny Ings and young defender Joe Gomez recently underwent surgery on anterior cruciate ligament injuries, while captain Jordan Henderson (foot) and full-back Jon Flanagan (knee) are long-term absentees.

Injury-plagued striker Daniel Sturridge missed Saturday's 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur after hurting his knee in training and Klopp said that he would be rested for the Rubin game with a view to Sunday's visit of Southampton in the Premier League.

“Sturridge is getting better and better,” Klopp said. “Yesterday (Tuesday) he was outside for the first time since Saturday. It was OK and the target for him is Sunday, for sure. That's what we'll try to do.”

However, Klopp had more positive news about centre-back Dejan Lovren (ankle) and forwards Roberto Firmino (back) and Christian Benteke (hamstring), all of whom are in contention to play on Thursday.

“We have three players back in training -- Benteke, Firmino and Lovren,” said the German.

“That's good, more options. Not really starting options, but for the squad. Yesterday they joined team training and it was OK.” – AFP

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Pirates looking to outsmart ‘Clever Boys’

Eric Tinkler and Orlando Pirates get the opportunity to appease their hard-nosed fans when they host Bidvest Wits at Orlando Stadium.

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Having finally got that winning feeling domestically by accounting for the University of Pretoria in the Telkom Knockout last Friday, Orlando Pirates get the opportunity to show that they’re not all about continental football.

The Buccaneers, having had a great run that has seen them qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup final, have stuttered in the domestic league. A single win from five matches sees them positioned in the lower half of the 16-team table and, while pleased with their team’s showing on the continent, The Ghost would love to see that form transferred to the home front.

Eric Tinkler and his team get the opportunity to appease their hard-nosed fans when they host Bidvest Wits at Orlando Stadium tonight.

The clash is one of six matches taking place today, with a top-of-the-table encounter that sees Platinum Stars away to Mpumalanga Aces among those.

While the two sides are locked on 14 points each and the same goal difference (6), Stars are top by virtue of having scored more goals – 11 to Aces’ 10. Their meeting at Mbombela Stadium should prove intriguing, with Stars free from the worries of cup competition having been knocked out by Kaizer Chiefs, whom Aces face in the quarter-final on Saturday.

Does Muhsin Ertugral – the Aces coach – spare his team for the cup encounter with his former team or does he go all out to usurp Stars atop the table? Indications are the fiery coach will go for broke tonight if the intense hour and a half training session he had at the Italian Sports Club in Edenvale on Monday is anything to go by.

In Stars though, he will meet a team that is after a fifth successive win in the league and one eager to erase the memories of their cup hammering by Chiefs, making for arguably the clash of the night.

Not that there won’t be any fireworks at Orlando Stadium – far from it for clashes between Pirates and Wits are generally exciting.

And with Gavin Hunt still peeved at having had his team’s match against Jomo Cosmos postponed at the weekend due to Bafana Bafana’s late return from their Central American team, you can expect him to get his team to vent out his frustrations on Pirates.

A master of gamesmanship, Hunt has talked up the opposition describing Eric Tinkler’s team as “battle hard” and having “a game intensity we don’t have” in reference to Pirates having been active while Wits stood idle.

Funnily, Hunt said in an interview with the Citizen that his three Bafana players “have been away for two and a half weeks eating and drinking in hotels, just lying around” as he lamented the fact they “are not in a good condition”.

Not that he won’t be able to field a competitive squad against Pirates, for Wits have enough depth to go on without the trio.

In the other matches this evening, Bloemofontein Celtic return to the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium when they host Mamelodi Sundowns. Celtic are joint leaders with 14 points although they have played a match more than both Stars and Aces.

AmaTuks travel to Ajax Cape Town while Maritzburg United host Chippa United and Polokwane City begin life without Kosta Papic with a home match against Free State Stars.

All matches are scheduled to kick off at 7.30pm - The Star

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United will settle for a draw in Moscow

Manchester United would settle for a point away to CSKA Moscow in their Champions League Group B clash, according to manager Louis van Gaal.

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Moscow - Manchester United would settle for a point away to CSKA Moscow in their Champions League Group B clash on Wednesday, according to manager Louis van Gaal.

United, back in Europe's top club competition after a year's absence have three points from their opening two games, recovering after losing their opener at PSV Eindhoven to beat German club Wolfsburg at Old Trafford.

“I said before the away match against PSV Eindhoven, one point is good. Three points is better but one point is good,” Dutchman Van Gaal told a news conference.

Considering United went on to lose to PSV, putting them immediately under pressure, Van Gaal will hope those words do not come back to bite him.

The squad arrived late on Tuesday after leaving it until the last minute to fly to the Russian capital - scene of their 2008 triumph in the final against Chelsea.

It gives the three-times European champions scant time to get used to conditions at the Arena Khimki, not the Luzhniki Stadium where they beat Chelsea because that is under reconstruction for the 2018 World Cup.

“We trained in Manchester today because of the logistics and the way we have to prepare for matches,” he explained.

“We were told that there would be traffic jams in Moscow so we thought it would be better to train at home on our training ground.

“My preference is to train here, because then the players know the circumstances and where they have to play, but in this case we decided to train in Manchester.”

Despite the game being played in a different stadium, Wayne Rooney said returning to Moscow with United revived special memories, describing the win over Chelsea on penalties as “possibly the greatest moment in my club career.”

“Winning this trophy gives you a desire to win it again. This is a different group of players, but hopefully myself and Michael Carrick, who also won it here, can share our experience and help the others.”

United will be without James Wilson, Ashley Young and Paddy McNair for Wednesday's game.

Winger Young was injured against Arsenal before the international break while 20-year-old defender McNair is still recovering from the abdominal injury he suffered while playing for Northern Ireland.

Striker Wilson is ill and despite training on Tuesday, was left at home by Van Gaal.

All four teams in Group B have three points after two games. – Reuters

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Neuer admits to making a mistake

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer put his hand up for the mistake which sparked Bayern Munich's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.

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Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer put his hand up for the mistake which sparked Bayern Munich's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal which breathed life back into the Gunners' Champions League hopes.

Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score Arsenal's opener on Tuesday after Neuer made a hash of dealing with a free-kick with 13 minutes left at the Emirates Stadium.

There had been a slight suspicion of handball for the goal, but the Gunners' Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil then added the killer second with virtually the last kick.

Despite being on the back foot for long periods, Arsene Wenger's side gratefully accepted Neuer's gift after consecutive Group F defeats had left them on the verge of elimination.

“Unfortunately, I made an error so Arsenal took the lead,” admitted Neuer,

“I don't care whether it was a handball by Giroud or not, I know I made the mistake. But life goes on.

“We played quite well, a draw would have been deserved.”

Guardiola refused to pin the blame for defeat on his goalkeeper – “we didn't lose because of Neuer” - but captain Philipp Lahm admitted it was a bitter defeat.

“For the most part we controlled the match well,” said the ex-Germany captain.

“If our build-up play is good our opponents can hardly press - and that's what happened here.

“We had some problems before the break because we were too aggressive.

“The defeat is very, very bitter. We had great chances against a very, very good team, but at the decisive moments we didn't score.”

The defeat was Bayern's first of the season, after 12 straight wins, and tightens things up in the Group F table.

Guardiola's Bavarians remain top by virtue of goal difference from Olympiakos, who enjoyed a 1-0 win at beat Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.

Third-placed Arsenal still have little margin for error ahead of their trip to Munich in a fortnight, but they can still make the knockout stages for a 16th successive year. – AFP

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Sterling’s agent’s cheap shot at Rodgers

Raheem Sterling should still be a Liverpool player, according to his agent Aidy Ward.

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Raheem Sterling should still be a Liverpool player and it would have been a ‘dream come true’ for him to work under Jurgen Klopp, according to his agent Aidy Ward.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Ward revealed how the relationship between former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers and Sterling broke down before the winger’s £49million move to Manchester City last summer.

Ward also accused Rodgers of ‘underhandedness’, adding: ‘I have no issue with anyone but Brendan Rodgers. He had a massive job with massive funds. How did he do? Good coach, but as a manager I didn’t like certain things about how he dealt with Raheem.

‘Fifty per cent of the players would probably tell you Brendan is not a good manager, but he is a good coach.

‘Raheem could have stayed, he should be at Liverpool. In December I said we’ll sign a contract if there is a buy-out clause, which are now common. They said no to that.

‘Then there was an underhandedness, there were sly remarks. In press conferences, Brendan told everyone Raheem would sign — why do that? I knew, Brendan knew and Liverpool knew there was an issue.

‘The new manager probably would have been a great fit for Raheem — passionate, disciplined in the right way, new ideas, not afraid of trying new things. He’s going to get the best out of those players. It could have been a dream come true.’ - Daily Mail

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Wenger chuffed after Bayern win

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was delighted that his team reproduced their recent outstanding Premier League form against German champions Bayern Munich.

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London - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was delighted that his team reproduced their recent outstanding Premier League form to revive their faltering European fortunes with a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

The London club have climbed to second behind Manchester City in the Premier League but were struggling in Champions League Group F after losing their opening two matches to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos Piraeus.

For long periods it looked as if they were either going to lose, or at best draw against Bayern, but a 77th-minute header from substitute Olivier Giroud and a stoppage-time second from Germany international Mesut Ozil gave them an unexpected but hugely important victory.

“The team focus and the dynamic was there in the preparation and we have had that for a while now,” said Wenger.

“I said that in the press conference yesterday we were not at our level in the first two games because we were focused on the Premier League.

“But we needed what we show in the Premier League, to beat Bayern tonight.

“It strengthens our belief and the belief of the people around us, our fans, our supporters.

“We won 3-0 against Manchester United, 3-0 against Watford and 2-0 tonight and it's important we have a good balance.

“As long as we are attacking well and defending well and score goals the balance is right.”

Arsenal have revived their chances of qualifying for the last 16 of the competition for the 16th successive season, although they still trail Bayern and Olympiakos by three points.

Olympiakos, who won 3-2 at Arsenal last month, won 1-0 at Zagreb on Tuesday and have six points, along with Bayern. Dinamo and Arsenal both have three points with Arsenal travelling to Bayern for their next match on November 4.

“We had to win the game tonight,” Wenger told reporters, explaining why he gambled on pushing up his defenders for the free kick that led to Giroud's opening goal, which came after a rare mistake from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Asked about their chances of qualifying, he replied: “We need a result at Bayern in our next game, but first let's focus on Everton.”

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss that game at the Emirates on Saturday after pulling a hamstring in the second half.

“He's very down, he told me that the hamstring is a tough one. He's out yes,” Wenger added. – Reuters

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Arrows add to SuperSport’s woes

Golden Arrows continued their impressive start to the season with an away win over SuperSport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.

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Pretoria - Golden Arrows continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 away win over SuperSport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday night.

Two first-half goals by Trevor Mathiane and Kuda Mahachi saw Arrows record their third win of the campaign.

Kingston Nkhatha's second-half strike for the home side wasn't enough to save SuperSport from slumping to their fourth defeat of the season.

The home team made a bright start to the match when they had two chances in the first minute of the clash. Winger Thuso Phala's shot was deflected wide, while defender Clayton Daniels's effort from the resulting corner missed the goal to the right.

Arrows have been playing some top football after gaining promotion to the top flight at the end of last season. They play without fear, and when they get forward, they do so in numbers.

Striker Mabhuti Khenyeza had the visitors' first chance of the half from a free kick after he was fouled by Daniels.

However, the former Bafana Bafana striker directed his effort straight at Ronwen Williams in the SuperSport goal.

Three minutes later Mahachi tried his luck, but he also missed to the right of the target.

But Arrows would be rewarded for their endeavour in the 16th minute when Khenyeza set up Mathiane to tuck the ball away with a composed right-footed finish.

SuperSport tried to fight back towards the end of the first half, with Nkhatha going narrowly wide in the 33rd minute.

But Arrows would double their lead two minutes before the break when Khenyeza provided another assist. This time it would be Mahachi who slotted the ball home past Williams.

SuperSport looked like a totally different team after the break following a flat performance in the first half. In first 10 minutes of the second half, the home team's captain Dean Furman saw his shot deflected wide, while Nkhatha had a goal disallowed for offside. Nkhatha would eventually pull one goal back in the 65th minute to make it 2-1 after a lovely assist by his fellow frontman Jeremy Brockie.

Veteran midfielder David Mathebula could have equalised for SuperSport in the 70th minute, but his shot didn't have enough venom to beat Maximilian Mbaevu in the Arrows goal.

Thembela Sikhakhane then almost restored Arrows' two-goal lead a minute later, but Williams managed to punch his effort away. The last 10 minutes of the match was quite an entertaining affair, with both teams creating a few half chances. But in the end Arrows held on for an important away win. - ANA

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Chiefs held by gritty Cosmos

Jomo Cosmos and Kaizer Chiefs were forced to settle for a 0-0 scoreline in their Premiership match at Olen Park Stadium.

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Potchefstroom - Jomo Cosmos and Kaizer Chiefs were forced to settle for a 0-0 scoreline in their Premiership match at Olen Park Stadium, in Potchefstroom, on Tuesday night.

Ezenkosi were the first to attack their visitors when Mxolisi Macuphu saw his shot going wide of Reyaad Pieterse's goals in the opening three minutes. The Amakhosi intensified their probe for an opener as they received a setpiece in the ninth minute.

Defender Tsepo Masilela was unfairly challenged, and Erick Mathoho's header went wide with the Cosmos' keeper beaten. Jomo Sono's men closed down Amakhosi and didn't allow them too much time on the ball and in the 30th minute, Charlton Mashumba hit the side of the net as the ball was deflected wide from a timely intervention by Pieterse.

Nevertheless, Amakhosi were able to find the back of the net with less than three minutes remaining before the interval, but Edward Manqele was adjudged to have been in an offside position leaving both sides goalless at the break.

In the second stanza, Amakhosi were the better side, showcased when Masilela's attempt went inches wide off the far post and after few minutes, Manqele was denied by Sherwyn Naicker after a defence-splitting pass.

Against the run of play, Pieterse denied Mashumba for the second time after unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box. In the dying minutes of the contest, Amakhosi nearly stole the show when substitute Siphelele Mthembu saw his effort off smash into the woodwork.

With just one minute to go, Naicker was saved by the woodwork when he watched Bukenya's shot hurtle into the posts and both sides took one point apiece, Ezenkosi are placed at position 14 with four points while the league defending champions occupy the fifth spot on the log with 11 points. - ANA

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Klopp set for Anfield debut

Anfield's patrons will run the rule over Jurgen Klopp for the first time on Thursday when he supervises his maiden Liverpool home game against Rubin Kazan.

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Anfield's patrons will run the rule over Jurgen Klopp for the first time on Thursday when he supervises his maiden Liverpool home game against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League.

Having grown accustomed to the tactical tweaking and press conference grandstanding of Brendan Rodgers over the last three years, the denizens of Anfield Road are now adjusting to the methods of the gregarious German.

Klopp has dazzled in his early media appearances, but last Saturday he unveiled his blueprint for on-pitch success with a high-pressing, hard-running team display in a 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.

“I liked what I saw,” former Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports this week. “Very rarely do you see a manager stamp his authority on a team from day one, but that's what he did.”

Liverpool's players ran a combined 116 kilometres in the game – making them the first team to outrun Spurs this season – and Carragher said: “As soon as they lose the ball, you can see they will keep pressing until they win it back.

“They're organised and you can see that has been worked on in the first two or three days in training.”

Klopp jettisoned Rodgers' back three in favour of a 4-3-2-1 system at White Hart Lane, which saw 20-year-old Belgium international Divock Origi operate as a lone striker.

Injuries have restricted Klopp's options in attack, but he is expected to have Daniel Sturridge back for the visit of Rubin, while Christian Benteke is also closing in on a return to fitness.

Sturridge, who recently returned from a five-month lay-off after hip surgery, hurt his knee in a training-ground clash with Jordon Ibe, but Klopp said his absence at Spurs had been purely precautionary.

“I know Daniel now since one week and for six days he was perfect in training,” said the former Borussia Dortmund coach, whose side host Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Liverpool manager added: “Everything we did, he was full of power, skills. He was outstanding. It is OK for Daniel (to have missed the game against Tottenham).

“We need Daniel for sure and if we played this game on Thursday, then maybe he would play. No problem. I trust 100 percent this player.”

Klopp's European pedigree – notably a Champions League final appearance with Dortmund in 2013 – was one of the factors in his appointment by Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group.

For now he must content himself with the Europa League and despite successive 1-1 draws at Bordeaux and at home to Swiss side FC Sion, Liverpool remain well placed to qualify from Group B.

They are currently second in the group, two points below Sion and a point above Rubin, who lost 2-1 away to Sion before drawing 0-0 at home to Bordeaux.

The team from Kazan in Tatarstan come into the match on the back of a 3-1 home win over FC Ufa in the Russian Premier League, which ended a series of six matches without victory in all competitions.

Former Russia winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is particularly looking forward to the trip to Merseyside as he previously spent three years playing for Liverpool's neighbours Everton.

“For me it will be very nice to walk onto the pitch at Anfield,” said the 30-year-old left-footer, nicknamed 'Billy' during his time at Goodison Park.

“We know that the Europa League is not the most important tournament for the English teams, but I expect a tough and interesting match on Thursday.”

Rubin caretaker coach Valery Chaly has a close to full-strength squad to choose from, although Bulgarian midfielder Blagoy Georgiev is a doubt after missing the game against Ufa through injury. – AFP

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Jose slams ref after Kiev draw

Jose Mourinho accused the referee of being “weak and naive” for failing to award Chelsea a penalty in their 0-0 Champions League draw at Dynamo Kiev.

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Kiev - Jose Mourinho accused the referee of being “weak and naive” for failing to award Chelsea a penalty in their 0-0 Champions League draw at Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.

Mourinho took aim at Slovenian Damir Skomina after he waved play on when Cesc Fabregas was tripped by Serhiy Rybalka in the first half of the Group G stalemate in Kiev.

“The referee was weak and naive with the penalty,” he told BT Sport. “I cannot understand what the official behind the goal does because he doesn't make a clear decision too.”

The comments appeared to be a thinly-veiled barb at Arsene Wenger and the English Football Association after the Arsenal manager used the exact same phrase to describe referee Mike Dean following Chelsea's 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September.

Wenger escaped punishment for that outburst while Mourinho was last week fined 50 000 pounds ($77,205) and given a one-match suspended stadium ban for saying referees were afraid to give penalties for his team following a defeat by Southampton.

In the wake of his punishment, Mourinho described the FA fine as a “disgrace”, joking that “afraid costs 50,000 pounds. Weak and naive, you can do it.”

Asked by reporters in Kiev if he was afraid of being punished, he joked: “All right, it was not a penalty. I think the referee was very good but made one mistake.

“The referee in the Scotland rugby game was very good but made one mistake and now the whole of Scotland is crying,” Mourinho added, referring to their defeat by Australia in the World Cup on Sunday.

Tuesday's draw left everything to play for in the group with Porto leading the way on seven points from three games, two clear of Dynamo and three ahead of Chelsea.

Chelsea have the chance to improve their immediate outlook when they host Dynamo in their next outing on Nov. 4.

Kiev coach Serhiy Rebrov, no stranger to English football having played for Tottenham Hotspur, said his hopes of reaching the last 16 have not been dimmed despite drawing their opening home fixtures.

“Home draws against Porto and Chelsea are solid results,” he said. “It is no problem, we will try to collect points in the away games too.

“Our strikers have been silent in the past two games but I hope they will do the talking in the next match.” – Reuters

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Rakitic double sinks BATE

Two goals from Ivan Rakitic gave Barcelona a comfortable victory away to BATE Borisov and consolidated their position at the top of Champions League Group E.

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Minsk, Belarus, - Two goals from Ivan Rakitic gave Barcelona a comfortable 2-0 victory away to BATE Borisov on Tuesday and consolidated their position at the top of Champions League Group E.

Rakitic, who came on following an injury to Sergi Roberto after just 17 minutes, hit a sublime strike into the top corner having been set up by Neymar at the start of the second half.

A livewire Neymar led Barca in the absence of the injured Lionel Messi but while they had plenty of possession they lacked a cutting edge in the first half.

Neymar was again the provider after 64 minutes for Rakitic who sealed the win with a clinical finish past keeper Sergey Chernik.

Barca laid siege to the BATE defence in the opening minutes, starting with a strike from Neymar from the left of the area saved by Chernik.

Luis Suarez had a header tipped over and then Munir El Haddadi, preferred to Sandro Ramirez in attack, should have scored but his shot was too weak and the keeper blocked it.

Barca continued to push forward but too often their final pass was poor while BATE offered little danger at the other end.

Rakitic, who was surprisingly left out with Javier Mascherano starting in midfield, missed a glaring chance when, unmarked, he headed over the crossbar before the break.

He made up for it with his excellent strike on 48 minutes and then clipped the ball over Chernik from close range for his second on the night.

“I was glad to help team and the most important thing was that we got the victory. It is not easy to play here in these conditions and the cold,” Rakitic told reporters.

“I think it was (our most complete game this season) as we were solid at the back and gave away few chances, while in attack we worked hard and maybe just lacked another goal. We are on the right lines.”

Barca have seven points from three games and BATE have three. – Reuters

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Arsenal stun Bayern with late goals

Arsenal have bounced back to defeat Bayern Munich in a frenetic Champions League clash.

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London - Arsenal bounced back off the ropes to land two late sucker-punches and score an unlikely 2-0 win over Bayern Munich after the Germans had dominated an outstanding Champions League match on Tuesday.

Olivier Giroud came off the bench after 74 minutes and headed the opener three minutes later while Mesut Ozil scored with virtually the last kick of the game against his World Cup-winning team mate Manuel Neuer to hand Arsenal a memorable victory.

Their first win in Group F after two defeats rekindled their chances of reaching the last 16 and ended Bayern's run of 12 successive wins in all competitions.

“It was important to reproduce our Premier League form tonight and we did that. We got the balance right between defence and attack,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters.

But for long periods, it looked as if a goalless draw or a Bayern win would be the most likely outcome.

Bayern dominated possession but could not find a way past a superb Arsenal defence in which Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker played superbly and Petr Cech made some important saves.

At the other end, Arsenal had more chances, but never looked like getting the better of Neuer who made one stunning save to deny Theo Walcott from scoring with a header after 34 minutes, but then cost his team dearly when he flapped at Santi Cazorla's 77th minute freekick, allowing Giroud, who had just replaced Walcott, to stoop low and head home.

Ozil scored on a breakaway with virtually the final kick when his shot just crossed the line with Neuer scooping it clear just too late.

The victory means Bayern and Olympiakos have six points apiece, Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal three each with Arsenal travelling to Munich and Olympiakos at home to Dinamo next.

Bayern, without the injured Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Mario Goetze, still had plenty of potency going forward and although Robert Lewandowski, with 15 goals in his last seven games, was kept relatively quiet, they continually forced Arsenal on to the backfoot.

Although there were no goals before the break, both teams produced football of the highest quality with the pace never relenting from the kickoff, which some 300 Bayern fans missed.

They staged a “stay-away” for the first five minutes to protest over the cost of a ticket for the match, but when they took their seats, applause rang around the stadium from both home and visiting supporters.

REUTERS

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Moscow holds fond memories for United

Man United return to the scene of their 2008 Champions League triumph looking for a second away win over CSKA Moscow.

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Moscow - Manchester United return to the scene of their 2008 Champions League triumph looking for a second away win over CSKA Moscow in exactly six years on Wednesday.

United, who won their third crown when they beat Chelsea on penalties at the Luzhniki Stadium in May 2008, returned to the Russian capital on Oct. 21, 2009 and beat CSKA 1-0 with a late goal by Antonio Valencia.

The Red Devils will be looking to repeat that victory at a different venue, the Arena Khimki, as the Luzhniki is under reconstruction for the 2018 World Cup finals.

United will travel to Moscow in good heart after an excellent 3-0 win away to Everton kept them third in the Premier League at the weekend.

Manager Louis van Gaal was delighted with that return to form following a defeat by the same score away to Arsenal in the previous game.

Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney scored the goals, with Rooney once again playing just behind new young striker Anthony Martial, who has made a fine impression since joining from AS Monaco in the close-season.

“Maybe it is the start of many, many victories. I am not stupid, I won't change too much on Wednesday,” said Van Gaal, who left out fellow Dutchmen Danny Blind and Memphis Depay at the weekend following the Netherlands' failure to qualify for Euro 2016.

While United may have one eye on next Sunday's local derby against Manchester City, they would do well not to underestimate a CSKA side who have been in excellent form domestically as well.

CSKA are unbeaten in their last 19 matches in the Russian Premier League, equaling a club record set in 2001, and beat Ural 3-2 on Saturday to stay five points clear of second placed Lokomotiv Moscow.

However, head coach Leonid Slutskiy has been critical of his team's performance.

“Unfortunately we are unable to fully control the whole match,” said the 44-year-old, who in August also started to coach the Russian national team.

CSKA will be without Bibras Natcho who is suffering from a head injury, but fellow midfielder Roman Eremenko is expected to be fit following a groin strain. Experienced central defender Vasili Berezutski is also expected to return.

Russian international goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev will be hoping for an upturn in fortunes. CSKA's captain is looking to end an unwanted record, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 33 consecutive appearances in the Champions League.

Reuters

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Spurs suffer Chadli blow

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nacer Chadli has been ruled out for six weeks after he sustained ankle ligament damage.

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London - Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nacer Chadli has been ruled out for six weeks after he sustained ankle ligament damage during Saturday's goalless draw against Liverpool, the Premier League club said on their website (http://ift.tt/19tWWDu).

The Belgium international was forced off the field after 11 minutes on Saturday having landed awkwardly inside the Tottenham penalty area.

Chadli joined the growing ranks of Tottenham players on the treatment table, including recent signing Son Heung-min, midfielder Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb.

The 26-year-old Chadli, who has scored one goal in 11 appearances this season, is set to miss the North London derby against Arsenal on November 8 and the clash with champions Chelsea on November 29. – Reuters

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Banyana captain’s Rio joy

Banyana Banyana captain Janine Van Wyk described Banyana’s qualification for the Olympics as a great way to make up for the failure to qualify for the World Cup.

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Banyana Banyana captain Janine Van Wyk described Banyana’s qualification for the Olympics as a great way to make up for the failure to qualify for the World Cup and the best way to see how the squad has progressed.

Speaking after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat of Equatorial Guinea in Bata, Van Wyk, spoke of the disappointment of missing out on the global showpiece in Canada and the elation of making it to the Rio Games.

“Oh yes it does (erase the pain of missing out on the World Cup),” Van Wyk told Safa Media. “This is the next big event that we could have qualified for and we have done it.”

A goal just after the hour-mark by Jermaine Seoposenwe helped Banyana overcome an Equatorial Guinea outfit that they had previously played second fiddle to – Van Wyk and her teammates defying the odds to book a second successive Olym-pic participation after their debut in London 2012.

“In 2008 we played in the final of the African Women’s Championship (AWC) and we lost to them 3-1. We travelled to them in 2012 after beating Nigeria for the very first time and, understandably, our emotions were on a high after that achievement.

“We played Equatorial Guinea two days after and they beat us 4-0, and everyone was asking if we would ever beat them ... So, here we are, we proved everyone wrong. We were strong as a team and we believed in ourselves and we knew we were capable of beating them. We saw in the first leg that we could actually defeat them because we were on top and dominated play. That is exactly what we did in the second leg – we created some chances and could have scored early on. We went really strong at them, and we fought hard ... I am extremely proud of the team.”

Earlier this year, Banyana missed out on World Cup qualification by a whisker – some poor finishing ensuring they finished fourth at the AWC when third would have seen them qualify.

That near miss was the driving force behind their impeccable Olympics qualifying campaign that saw them go unbeaten against Botswana, Gabon, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea.

“This team has put in the time, hard work, effort and sacrifices to qualify for the Olympic Games. We really deserve this reward.

From day one when the coach started with us she said we want to get to the Olympic Games because we missed out on something big – the World Cup – so we also wanted to do it for her.”

Now that they have qualified, Banyana are eager to build on their experience from London.

“As a team we will show how much we have progressed since then. It will be interesting to see and compare the level that we are at competing against some of the best in the world. I believe South Africa has talent and can compete with international teams. We can’t wait to start preparations for Rio”. - The Star

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Guardiola wary of Arsenal

Pep Guardiola has warned his Bayern Munich players to brace themselves for a ferocious test from an Arsenal side fighting for Champions League survival.

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Pep Guardiola has warned his Bayern Munich players to brace themselves for a ferocious test from an Arsenal side fighting for Champions League survival.

Arsene Wenger's side are in severe danger of failing to reach the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years after two dismal defeats.

The Gunners were beaten at Dinamo Zagreb and then suffered the embarrassment of losing at home to Olympiakos, leaving them pointless at the bottom of Group F.

Another loss when Bayern visit the Emirates Stadium would put Arsenal on the verge of a stunning exit and Bayern boss Guardiola expects the hosts to fight like wounded animals on Tuesday.

“For them, they have an advantage because they have to win, when that happens with these kind of players, and the history of this club, they are going to make the best performance possible,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

“I don't expect anything other than a fight for the 90 minutes.

“We have to look for another way to compete against them because of the enthusiasm they will have, so we will have to be intelligent and control our game.

“Of course I prefer to come here with six points, but I can imagine my team with zero points and playing in Germany against Arsenal.

“I can imagine the mentality of my team -- we would be an animal, because it is our last chance, you give everything and that will happen with Arsenal, so you have to be prepared.

“We saw what happened with Arsenal against Zagreb and Olympiakos, when no-one expected them (their opponents) to win, and it will be the same for us tomorrow.”

Guardiola's team have won all of their opening nine German league matches - a Bundesliga record - and have also made a 100 percent start to their Champions League campaign.

But Guardiola has no intention of letting his players rest on their laurels.

“There are still 12 points up for grabs, we are not qualified yet and have to fight and against one of the best teams in Europe,” Guardiola added.

“They have great quality and are a very technical team.

“It is very difficult to play against them and find one Arsenal player who does not have quality.” – AFP

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Toure hurt by lack of recognition

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has expressed his disgust at those who are quick to criticise his performances.

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Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has expressed his disgust at those who are quick to criticise his performances and admits to being hurt by what he feels is a lack of recognition.

The Ivory Coast captain also claimed that winning trophies and earning a lot of money have not made him any happier as he feels sickened by “lots of bitter people who tried to dirty my name”.

Last season, Toure scored 10 league goals, half his total from the previous campaign, as City failed to defend their title, finishing eight points behind champions Chelsea in second place.

“I have just come out of a season with City where we finished second in the English league, which is the hardest in the world,” Toure told L'Equipe on Tuesday.

Concerning the goal-scoring exploits which helped City win the league the previous season, Toure said: “I scored 26 goals, 20 in the Premier League, and nobody mentioned it. You understand a bit my disgust.

“Here (in England), when it is bad, they stress it; when it's good, they leave that in the dungeon. They have always used their little methods to annoy and alienate me.”

Toure, who joined City from Barcelona in 2010 and has won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup once, says the media should focus more on his trophy haul rather than his pay packet.

“The journalists were talking about my salary and saying that it was a disgrace,” the 32-year-old Ivorian added.

“They asked what I was going to change at City. And so, did you see what happened next? We won nearly everything. In fact, it is recognition that I do not have that hurts me. It is a bit sickening.

“It has hurt me. Everyone thinks I am happy: I have won titles, lots of money, but, no, I am not happy.” – Reuters

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McClaren hoping to break Tyne-Wear ‘hoodoo’

The Magpies have crashed to five straight defeats in the Tyne-Wear derby and Steve McClaren says the Black Cats are favourites.

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Steve McClaren believes Sunderland will be favourites in the derby but says it is time for Newcastle to break the hoodoo.

The Magpies have crashed to five straight defeats in the Tyne-Wear derby and McClaren says the Black Cats are favourites to keep that run going when the two sides clash at the Stadium of Light this weekend.

However, Newcastle can take plenty of heart from Sunday's 6-2 thrashing of Norwich and McClaren says it is crucial they take the feel-good factor into the game against Sam Allardyce's men.

"Football is all about momentum and we have to take it forward," McClaren said. "It's a tough one next. Sunderland have won the last five derbies, they are the favourites and are at home.

"It's a hoodoo and we have just got to break it. It will be a tough game. We have to prepare like we have every week. We had good focus last week and we must take that into the game."

Allardyce has also said it is a make-or-break game for his newly inherited Sunderland side, who will be fired up to make it six wins from six and boost their own survival chances. - Fermale First

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Fines didn’t deter Mourinho - FA

The FA insist they had to issue Jose Mourinho with a suspended stadium ban because £101 000 in disciplinary fines since 2013 failed to improve his behaviour.

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The FA insist they had to issue Jose Mourinho with a suspended stadium ban because £101 000 in disciplinary fines since 2013 failed to improve his behaviour.

Chelsea’s Portuguese manager, who returned to Stamford Bridge two years ago, was fined £50,000 — in addition to the possible ban — for saying referee Robert Madley had been ‘afraid’ to award a penalty in a 3-1 defeat against Southampton.

And the FA have published the written reasons for their decision.

‘It appears to us that increasing levels of fine are not on their own going to be a reliable deterrent for Mr Mourinho against improper comments to the media.

‘We have in mind particularly that the more than doubling of the January 2015 fine as compared with the May 2014 fine has not deterred him from this latest and more serious breach.

‘In our judgment the fair way to impose this deterrent is to suspend the ban so that Mr Mourinho is able quite easily to avoid its ever coming into effect. The matter is in his hands.’

The FA’s three-man panel threw out Mourinho’s comments on English not being his first language.

‘His English is far too sophisticated for that to affect our conclusion, as the interviews themselves demonstrate,’ they said.

Ahead of tonight’s Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev, Mourinho insisted Chelsea could complete a historic quadruple despite a poor start to the season.

The 52-year-old said: ‘We can win all four. I think we can win all four but also lose all four. Everything is open, we are in October.’

Defeat in Kiev would leave their hopes of a second Champions League title teetering.

Mourinho has targeted four points from two games against Sergei Rebrov’s men but with a side short on confidence, that will be easier said than done.

‘First of all we are losing 24 hours, like we did in Porto,’ he said. ‘When you play Tuesday, the fact one team plays Friday and the other plays Saturday means we are already losing 24 hours of important recovery.

‘We have a tactical plan to compensate for that. We need to keep the tactical awareness, the tactical discipline, the spirit, the effort, the concentration.’ – Daily Mail

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City hope to avoid more injuries

Manchester City will be almost as concerned to avoid further injuries as they are to take three Champions League points when Sevilla visit the Etihad Stadium.

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London - Manchester City will be almost as concerned to avoid further injuries as they are to take three Champions League points when Sevilla visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Four days later Premier League leaders City have a big local derby at third-placed Manchester United.

Manuel Pellegrini's side are already without top scorer Sergio Aguero who hit six goals in two games, five of them in 20 minutes against Newcastle United, before suffering a hamstring problem playing for Argentina.

Playmaker David Silva was also injured on international duty and will miss Wednesday's game against his fellow countrymen.

Captain Vincent Kompany was not considered fit enough to play in Saturday's 5-1 win over lowly Bournemouth while midfielder Samir Nasri strained a hamstring injury in that game.

“I prefer to play with Aguero and Silva,” Pellegrini told reporters before adding he was “very happy” with the performances of attacking players Raheem Sterling, who scored a hat-trick, Wilfried Bony and record signing Kevin De Bruyne.

Both teams have three points from two Group D matches after losing to Juventus and beating Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Wednesday's game will be an emotional occasion for City winger Jesus Navas who came through Sevilla's academy and played nearly 400 times for the club.

Navas, a World Cup and European Championship winner who last played for Spain in March 2014, won two UEFA Cups, one European Super Cup and two King's Cups before leaving for City in 2013.

Sevilla's stuttering start to their La Liga campaign continued on Saturday when the Europa League holders had to come from behind to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw at modest Basque side Eibar.

Unai Emery's side are 12th after eight matches, having managed only two wins, although they did beat Spanish and European champions Barcelona 2-1 earlier this month.

“The draw left a bitter taste but was also positive as it was the third match in a row we accrued points,” said goalkeeper Sergio Rico after the game at Eibar.

“That allows us to continue growing as a team although there are still things to improve.” – Reuters

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No reason to fear Bayern - Wenger

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have no reason to fear Bayern Munich in their make-or-break Champions League showdown.

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Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have no reason to fear Bayern Munich in their make-or-break Champions League showdown because the German giants have weaknesses that can be exploited.

Bayern will arrive at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in imperious form, having just set a record for the best start to a domestic season with their ninth consecutive Bundesliga victory.

Pep Guardiola's side have also dominated the European campaign, with a 100 per cent record from both Group F matches so far, netting eight times without reply.

Arsenal have suffered successive defeats from their first two Champions League fixtures and will be in severe danger of failing to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in 16 years if they lose to Bayern.

But Gunners boss Wenger, while willing to show his admiration for the 2013 European champions, has no doubts Arsenal can rattle the Germans if they emulate the performances that brought them successive 3-0 wins over Manchester United and Watford.

“You can consider the teams who win the Champions League are the best in the world because most of the time they win after the World Cup of the clubs in recent years,” Wenger told reporters on Friday.

“However, there is no team without weaknesses.

“What we want to do tomorrow is win the game. We want to defend well, attack well, score the first goal, that is massively important in the big games.

“You can never promise you will score three goals in 20 minutes because that would be absolutely crazy. What we can do is start in a strong way and that is what we will try to do.”

To overcome Bayern, Wenger admits Arsenal need to show a completely different attitude from the tame displays delivered in their European losses against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos.

“We have some ground to make up in Europe as we have not been at our requested level in our first two games,” Wenger added.

“Our focus has been much stronger in the Premier League than it has been in Europe and we know in this game the focus needs to be exactly the same than in the Premier League.

“We maybe could be suspected in the first two games of not taking the opponent seriously enough.

“Now we have the needed belief and confidence that we are doing something right, so that helps.” – AFP

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Ronaldo, Messi headline Ballon d'Or shortlist

Real Madrid's blockbuster 'BBC' forward line and Barcelona's devastating 'MSN' trio are set to go head-to-head for the 2015 Ballon d'Or award.

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Real Madrid's blockbuster 'BBC' forward line and Barcelona's devastating 'MSN' trio are set to go head-to-head for the 2015 Ballon d'Or award after all six were named on the 23-man shortlist by Fifa on Tuesday.

Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, who set a club scoring record with his 324th goal on Saturday, will be going in search of his third consecutive World Player of the Year award.

He faces competition from his team mates Karim Benzema of France and Welshman Gareth Bale who make up the Spanish side's 'BBC' frontline.

Joining them are four-times winner Lionel Messi, the Argentine great, and his fellow South American strikers Neymar and Luis Suarez who form Barcelona's feared MSN frontline that fired a combined 122 goals last season.

Barcelona, who won La Liga, the Champions League and domestic cup last year, have the most players on the shortlist with Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta, Argentine defender Javier Mascherano and Croatian Ivan Rakitic joining their front three on the award.

Real have five with Colombian James Rodriguez and German World Cup-winner Toni Kroos also named.

German champions Bayern Munich also have five representatives with Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben, Arturo Vidal and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Vidal is joined by Chilean compatriot Alexis Sanchez after their Copa American success in July.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, winner of the last four African Player of the Year awards, is the only non European or South American to make the list.

The list was composed by the Fifa Football Committee and a group of experts from France Football. The winner will be announced in Zurich on January 11.

Shortlist

Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City)

Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)

Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain)

Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona)

Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid)

Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)

Javier Mascherano (Argentina/Barcelona)

Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

Thomas Mueller (Germany/Bayern Munich)

Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern Munich)

Neymar (Brazil/Barcelona)

Paul Pogba (France/Juventus)

Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/Barcelona)

Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern Munich)

James Rodríguez (Colombia/Real Madrid)

Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal)

Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona)

Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast/Manchester City)

Arturo Vidal (Chile/Bayern Munich). – Reuters

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Sterling targets more goals

After a hat-trick against Bournemouth, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has set his sights on bigger targets.

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After a hat-trick against Bournemouth, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has set his sights on bigger targets, starting with Wednesday's Champions League encounter at home to Europa League holders Sevilla.

Sterling inspired City to a 5-1 demolition of Bournemouth on Saturday in his best performance since joining from Liverpool in a deal that could be worth up to £49 million ($75.7 million, 66.7 million euros).

With Wilfried Bony also scoring twice, Manuel Pellegrini's side barely missed the injured Sergio Aguero and David Silva, but ahead of successive games against Sevilla and Manchester United, Sterling knows that City's path is about to become a great deal steeper.

“That was my best game so far for City. I had chances and I finished them, so I'm happy,” the England forward told the club website.

“The movement up front and the passing from midfield has been really good in the last few games and we've been playing some good, free-flowing stuff.

“We have to put this game to one side now and look towards Sevilla on Wednesday and Man United next weekend. But our focus for now is purely on Wednesday.”

Having crushed Newcastle United 6-1 prior to the international break, City have now scored 11 goals in two games, but the transition from domestic to continental competition has been a consistent area of concern in recent seasons.

City won their first five Premier League games without conceding a goal, only to crash 2-1 at home to Juventus in their opening Group D assignment last month.

A 90th-minute Aguero penalty saw them win at Borussia Moenchengladbach in their second group game, but with Juventus having beaten Sevilla 2-0 on the same night, a shootout for second place is already on the cards.

As well as Aguero and Silva, City are also currently without both left-backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy, meaning right-back Bacary Sagna is expected to fill in on the left side of defence.

Skipper Vincent Kompany is in line to return after being rested against Bournemouth, while Pellegrini has allayed fears about the fitness of Yaya Toure after he was taken off at half-time.

Although fit, Toure is not content, as he disclosed in an interview with L'Equipe on Monday in which he said that he was “not happy” due to a perceived lack of recognition from the English media.

While the Ivorian broods, Wednesday's game is likely to be a happier occasion for City winger Jesus Navas, who played 393 games for Sevilla during a 10-year period prior to alighting in northwest England in 2013.

Sevilla's domestic struggles continued on Saturday as they could only manage a 1-1 draw at Eibar, which left them 12th in La Liga with just two wins from their opening eight games.

However, they have shown their ability to rise to the occasion as one of those victories came against European champions Barcelona.

Unai Emery's squad is also beginning to take shape after a spate of injuries, but Gael Kakuta, Sergio Escudero, Nico Pareja, Daniel Carrico and goalkeeper Beto are all expected to miss the trip to Manchester.

Beto's absence has allowed Spaniard Sergio Rico to reclaim his place in recent weeks and he believes a change of scenery can do Sevilla good as they have produced their best in European competitions over the past two years.

“Now we have to change our mentality,” said Rico, whose team have not won in England in three attempts.

“It is a different competition and we need to turn the page and think only about Manchester City. It will be very difficult to win there, but we go with all the desire in the world.”

Influential Argentine midfielder Ever Banega returned from injury as a substitute at Eibar and is expected to start at the Etihad Stadium.

Ukrainian international winger Yevhen Konoplyanka could also be brought into the starting line-up after making another strong impact off the bench. – AFP

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Stoke penalty sinks Swansea

Swansea City's poor form continued in the Premier League as they went down 1-0 at home to Stoke City.

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London - Swansea City's poor form continued in the Premier League as they went down 1-0 at home to Stoke City on Monday.

Former Barcelona forward Bojan earned and converted a fourth-minute penalty which sealed a scrappy encounter and left Swansea without a league win since August.

Bojan was bundled over by Swans skipper Ashley Williams and he got up to send Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way.

Swansea hit the post through Jonjo Shelvey early in the second half but struggled to open up a resolute Stoke side who claimed their third successive league win to climb to 11th.

Swansea drop to 14th.

“Very disappointed with the result,” Swansea boss Garry Monk said. “Once they got the goal it was clear they would defend very deep and that made it very difficult to break them down.

“We are in a period where we are not performing to those levels we had at the start of the season.” – Reuters

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Ajax wary of Tuks

Ajax Cape Town will do well to tread lightly and banish any thoughts of complacency as they host the University of Pretoria.

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Cape Town - Ajax Cape Town will do well to tread lightly and banish any thoughts of complacency as they prepare to host the University of Pretoria in a PSL fixture at Athlone Stadium on Wednesday (kick-off 7.30pm).

Ajax may be on a good trot at the moment under coach Roger de Sa, but a trip into the past is a savage reminder of the parlous state the Cape club was once in.

The year was 2012, the venue was the Cape Town Stadium, the opposition was the newly-promoted AmaTuks (the nickname of the University of Pretoria). The result: Ajax were soundly thrashed 5-1 and, of course, suitably embarrassed.

The consequence was Dutch coach Maarten Stekelenburg being fired and it proved to be the start of a humbling, struggling period for the Urban Warriors.

The warning has been posted - and even though Tuks haven’t been all that consistent of late and are currently languishing near the basement of the PSL standings, they are capable of rising to the occasion. Ajax have first-hand experience of just how dangerous the university side can be.

With this past weekend’s PSL fixtures postponed because of Bafana Bafana’s late arrival from two Central American friendlies, Ajax had an opportunity to give an extended break to players struggling with niggles and in need of some rest and recuperation.

They will come out fresh and invigorated for Wednesday’s clash against a team that, since 2012, they always harbour extra motivation to perform well against.

As things stand currently, Platinum Stars top the PSL standings with 14 points, followed by Mpumalanga Black Aces (14), Bloemfontein Celtic (14), Wits (13) and Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ajax (all on 10 points).

Tuks are third-from-bottom, having accumulated just four points from their opening six games.

Ajax’s Bafana contingent - defenders Rivaldo Coetzee and Mosa Lebusa - touched down in South Africa on Saturday.

Lebusa, especially, after a national team debut, will be keen and hyped to continue the rapid progress he has made over the last few seasons.

The 23-year-old left back started both games in Central America - against Costa Rica and Honduras - but was substituted in the second half in both. He has, however, done enough to come into Bafana contention in the future.

Still young, and still improving, he certainly is a player the national coach can pencil in as a long-term squad member.

Lebusa, originally from Welkom in the Free State, came through the hugely successful Ajax youth academy. His mature performances at junior level quickly saw him promoted to the PSL squad in 2012, and he has never looked back. He is certainly among the best left backs in the country.

Lebusa’s form and resulting elevation to Bafana level also resulted in him recently having his contract lucratively extended at Ajax.

“Mosa is a model Ajax Cape Town team player and is an example to all our academy players, proving that hard work and dedication does get results,” said Ajax Cape Town chief executive Ari Efstathiou.

There’s no doubt the Bafana experience and international exposure will greatly benefit Lebusa, and he should be bouncing with motivation and confidence when Ajax tackle AmaTuks on Wednesday.

This week’s fixtures - PSL:

Tuesday: SuperSport United v Golden Arrows; Jomo Cosmos v Kaizer Chiefs

Wednesday: Orlando Pirates v Wits; Ajax Cape Town v University of Pretoria (Athlone Stadium, 7.30pm); Bloemfontein Celtic v Mamelodi Sundowns; Black Aces v Platinum Stars; Maritzburg Utd v Chippa United; Polokwane City v Free State Stars

Telkom Knockout quarter-finals:

Saturday: Orlando Pirates v Maritzburg Utd; Black Aces v Kaizer Chiefs; SuperSport United v Golden Arrows

Sunday: Free State Stars v Mamelodi Sundowns

Cape Argus

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Bayern confident of Guardiola stay

Bayern Munich are confident coach Pep Guardiola will stay on at the German champions past the end of his current contract.

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Berlin - Bayern Munich are confident coach Pep Guardiola will stay on at the German champions past the end of his current contract next year despite reported interest from other major European clubs, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Monday.

Guardiola, who won more than a dozen titles in his four years at Barcelona, joined the Bavarians in July 2013, winning dominant back-to-back Bundesliga titles in his first two season in charge.

Undefeated Bayern are already seven points clear at the top of the league after a record-breaking nine-match winning start as they chase an unprecedented fourth consecutive Bundesliga crown and the third under Guardiola.

“I have said that in the second half of 2015 there will be a (contract) discussion and after that there will be clarity,” Rummenigge told reporters ahead of his departure for London where Bayern face Arsenal in Tuesday's Champions League group match. The team had left a day earlier.

“That talk is still pending but it will still take place sometime before the end of the year,” he added.

“There are a lot of things in favour of Bayern but it is clear there are most likely other good-looking brides out there other that Bayern. But at the end of the day we are optimistic that Pep Guardiola will stay at Bayern.”

Bayern are top their Champions League group with two wins in two matches but the Spaniard has yet to emulate predecessor Jupp Heynckes who won the treble, including the Champions League in 2013.

Guardiola, who has refused to comment on any issue related to a new deal with Bayern, is reportedly top of the wish list for several major European clubs.

“I know of no interest for Pep Guardiola but I am also not interested in that. We have a season to play and am optimistic he will be our coach after July 1, 2016.” – Reuters

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Wenger has ‘perfect preparation’ for Bayern

If Arsenal can be accused of underestimating their last two Champions League visitors, the same mistake will not be made against Bayern Munich.

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If Arsenal can be accused of underestimating their last two Champions League visitors, the same mistake will not be made when last season's semi-finalists Bayern Munich step out at the Emirates tomorrow night.

At last week's AGM supporters understandably expressed dismay at the defeats by unfancied Monaco last season and Olympiakos last month. A 3-1 loss in February to Arsène Wenger's compatriots and former club could not quite be retrieved in a classic heroic failure three weeks later, which brought elimination at the first knockout stage for a fifth successive year; and losing 3-2 to the Greeks left Arsenal without a point from this season's opening two group matches. That necessitates winning the third one, which is unfortunate, as Bayern have just established a new Bundesliga record by taking maximum points from their first nine league games, scoring 29 goals against four.

At least Wenger's side are buoyant themselves after a 3-0 victory at Watford on Saturday to follow the demolition of Manchester United by the same score. The manager's carefully calculated gamble in picking just about his strongest team paid off as they resisted the home side's pressure on either side of half-time to break out and score three typically well worked goals in 12 minutes.

“For us it is a perfect run in the Premier League, and on the other hand also perfect preparation for the Bayern game because we had no injuries and we got the three points,” Wenger was able to claim. “We are now in a position where we can focus and give everything on Tuesday night. The confidence level is there. We know exactly what is needed: a 0-0 is not even a good result. To score goals, we have to attack.”

Saturday's game at Vicarage Road, ultimately comfortable as the result was, did not provide a perfect template, as the three goals all stemmed essentially from counter-attacks. On the other hand the way United were blitzed from the start in the last home game showed the way.

“It is ideal, but that is difficult to plan,” Wenger pointed out. “We did not plan to be 3-0 up after 20 minutes. What we want to do is play up to our level, because we play against a big team.”

Perhaps that will prove a paradoxical advantage, as the manager admitted his players may have taken Monaco and Olympiakos too lightly: “We feel that the pain inflicted was a bit by ourselves, maybe subconsciously we thought 'anyway we will win these'. Now to correct we need a great performance. We have put ourselves in a bad position in the Champions League and want to make something special because that's the only way we can stay in the race.”

Watford's race is to stay in the Premier League and they will not do it without improving on a dire record of one goal in five home games. – The Independent

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Herrera relishing midfield competition

Manchester United's Ander Herrera welcomes the stiff competition for places in the side's midfield.

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Manchester United's Ander Herrera welcomes the stiff competition for places in the side's midfield and is keen to learn from the more experienced players in the squad, such as vice-captain Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The Spaniard enjoyed a fine game in the 3-0 victory at Everton on Saturday, scoring the second and providing an assist as Manchester United returned to form in the Premier League after a limp defeat to Arsenal before the international break.

The former Athletic Bilbao midfielder also believes the competition for first team places can only benefit the club.

“You take advantage of that (the competition in the middle of the park). When you play with the best players you take advantage of that like we did,” Herrera told the club's website (www.manutd.com).

“This is good for me, good for the club. When the club signs top players you are going to take advantage of that and that is what I'm doing.

“You have (Schweinsteiger) and also Michael Carrick and they are very experienced guys. I think Morgan (Schneiderlin) and me can learn a lot from them,” he added.

Herrera is desperate to become one of the first names on coach Louis van Gaal's team sheet but acknowledges he will have to improve to make that happen.

“I think people value me because I always try to give everything for the team. I will try to do my best to establish myself in the first team. I am a team player and when I play I will do my best,” the 26-year-old said.

“I want to be a top player. You want to always be in the team but this is Manchester United. You have to play really good if you want to be in the team every day, so that's what I want to do,” he added.

Herrera will be hoping for more first team action when the Red Devils travel to Russia to face CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday and then host local rivals Manchester City in the league on Sunday. – Reuters

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Shaw recovery stuns United medics

Luke Shaw will return to Manchester United's training ground later this week to take the next step in his rehabilitation.

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Luke Shaw will return to Manchester United's training ground later this week to take the next step in his rehabilitation.

Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal has revealed the left-back is already walking without the aid of his crutches following the broken leg he sustained playing against PSV Eindhoven last month.

The Red Devils have been sending physios to Shaw's home on a daily to ensure he is maintaining his core fitness.

And it's now understood the 20-year-old will begin work in the pool at United's Carrington training base in the next few days.

United have a specially adapted pool which is fitted with an underwater treadmill, where cameras can monitor and help combat the levels of muscle wastage.

Shaw is still expected to miss next summer's European Championships with England but the rate of his recovery so far has shocked even United's doctors. - Female First

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No magic dust needed - Klopp

Jurgen Klopp was reflecting on his goalless debut as Liverpool manager, where his new charges ran hard but created little.

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Jurgen Klopp was reflecting on his goalless debut as Liverpool manager, where his new charges ran hard but created little, and had to deny that he would be bestowing any of his own transformative magic on his new players.

Expectation control is part of modern football management - Jose Mourinho was forced to clarify that he was not Harry Potter when he took over at Real Madrid in 2010 - but Klopp has a lot to do here. Judging by the number of flags and banners in his honour on Saturday - “Liverpool Uber Alles”, “Wir Glauben” (“We Believe”), “Jürgen's Reds” and the rest - he is a hero already.

Liverpool pressed Tottenham hard at points but lacked the technical execution to create an open-play chance or score a goal. So would Klopp be performing football alchemy on these players? Not so fast.

“Should I teach them the technical aspects? They know them,” Klopp said. “We have to help them to show it. This is not the biggest problem. We don't have to sprinkle magical dust on them 'and now you can play football'. They know how to play. We just have to create a situation where it is possible to do this.”

Brendan Rodgers was not averse to speaking about his gift for “educating” players and making them better. Klopp made no such claims. His immediate priority is just to provide the atmosphere and framework for his squad to play as well as they can.

Klopp ran through his whole midfield - Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Lucas Leiva, James Milner - describing how they could play better than they did, not as admonishment, but encouragement that he knows their level.

“Of course, we should play better football, not because I say so but because we can,” Klopp said. “We start with this development, and the most important thing is for the players to be prepared to be a little bit wild. You can run and then you can miss. No problem. Don't worry. Come back again.”

The start of the Klopp era, then, has been decidedly light touch. He has his own way - high pressing, counter attacks - but it has been made as simple as possible for his players so far. Melwood has not exactly been suffering from a jargon deficit for the last three years.

“You can see that something changed,” Klopp said. “We didn't want to do it too complicated because it is not physics, it is football. We had some information. Maybe some things are new but we didn't want it to be complicated.”

Although Tottenham did not create as much as they would have liked, Liverpool's best player was still goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who produced on excellent save to deny Clinton Njie in the first half. Mignolet revealed just how Klopp is trying to intensify Liverpool's game, while lightening the mood.

“We did what the gaffer wanted us to do, which was press them high and try to make it difficult for them to play football,” Mignolet said.

“As you can see he is very enthusiastic and very ambitious. On the line you can see that and it rubs off on the players.

“He is very positive and he wants everyone to go full blast, like he is as well.”

Mignolet received a congratulatory hug from Klopp at the end, on the pitch, but so did all of his team-mates. “Now we have our experience together that we needed,” Klopp said. “Now we will go on.” – The Independent

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Tough Kiev test for Chelsea

Chelsea’s fragile self-confidence will face a severe test at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League.

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Kiev - Chelsea enjoyed a somewhat fortuitous return to winning ways when they beat Aston Villa on Saturday but their fragile self-confidence will face a far more severe test at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday.

After their worst start to a domestic league season for 37 years, Jose Mourinho's men travel to Ukraine for their Group G qualifier having won one and lost one of their two games.

Dynamo top the section with four points, the same as Porto, followed by Chelsea on three and Maccabi Tel Aviv on zero.

A win against Kiev will not only help swing the initiative in the group Chelsea's way, but also prove they may be getting back on track after their below-par campaign so far.

Their unexpectedly poor form this season has been down to a lack of goals, the underperforming midfield partnership of Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard, unusually bad defending and Mourinho's conflicted persona which has seen him fall out with the club doctor, criticise his players in public and fined 50,000 pounds ($77,195.00) by the English FA for comments about referees.

Whether they can retain their Premier League title after taking just 11 points from their opening nine matches, let alone reach the latter stages of the Champions League, is doubtful but they got lucky with both goals in Saturday's 2-0 win over Villa.

However, on such things seasons turn.

Striker Diego Costa scored the first goal on his return from a three-match ban after dreadful defending virtually gifted him the chance, while Chelsea's second after the break came when a Costa shot got a huge deflection off Villa fullback Alan Hutton.

Mourinho must decide whether to restore Hazard to the starting lineup after dropping him on Saturday and whether he will give teenage prospect Ruben Loftus-Cheek another Champions League chance after starting him against Maccabi a month ago.

At least the Chelsea coach has no new injury worries with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois his only long-term absentee.

While Chelsea ended a run of two straight defeats - to Porto in the Champions League and Southampton in the Premier League - Dynamo lost for the first time in the league this season on Friday.

They were thrashed 3-0 at home by rivals Shakhtar Donetsk who replaced them at the top of the Ukrainian standings on goal difference.

Influential midfielder Serhiy Rybalka missed the match with a muscle injury suffered playing for Ukraine in the recent Euro 2016 qualifier against Spain and is a doubt for Tuesday's match.

“Rybalka is our key midfielder, he is orchestrating our game, he is aggressive and vigorous,” coach Serhiy Rebrov told reporters. “Unfortunately, Rybalka is suffering from a micro tear in his muscle, but I hope he will be fit for Chelsea.”

Mourinho travels to Kiev for the second time in less than two weeks after watching Spain beat Ukraine 1-0 in the Olimpiysky Stadium on October 12 where he would have taken note of the threat posed by Kiev striker Andriy Yarmolenko. – Reuters

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