English Premier League News: Referee Damaged Chelsea-Man Utd Game – Di Matteo

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THE LATEST ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS – Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo claimed that referee Mark Clattenburg ruined the otherwise exciting fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United.

Di Matteo lamented the send-offs of Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres, as both received the red card. Torres’ red card due to diving looked contentious, according to the manager.

United played past through rival Chelsea after the send-offs, as Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored from what appeared to be an offside position – another reason for Di Matteo’s fury.

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UEFA Champions League News: Lille Fails Bayern Munich Challenge

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THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Bayern Munich’s prowess in German football became apparent as they held French side Lille OSC in a 0-1 away win.

Thomas Muller’s penalty 19 minutes into the game was the sole goal of the night. Lille, which have not played past through rival Bayern due to their apparent weakness during the match, remains the only side in Group F that has no points, in contrast to Valencia, BATE Borisov and Bayern which all have six points each.

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EPL News: Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand Refuses to Support Soccer Agent Kick It Out; Manager Alex Ferguson Hits Back

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THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS – Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand announced that he would not support soccer agent campaign Kick It Out, citing lack of efforts to bring racism out of football.

Following Reading striker Jason Roberts’ move not to wear the Kick It Out shirt – an annual tradition made in observance of the campaign. Roberts’ move met the support of manager Brian Dermott.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, criticized Ferdinand for the move. He said that the defender “will be dealt with”, saying that the announcement has embarrassed him.

Kick It Out Ambassador Jason Euell said that Ferdinand’s move is a strong signal against football authorities enforcing rules against racism, as many players have played past through rival teams amidst racist abuses left poorly regulated.

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Chelsea star Mata plugs away after Spain snub

Chelsea attacking midfielder Juan Mata insists that he is not letting his snub from the Spain national team affect him after his starring role in the Blues' 4-2 win over Tottenham on Saturday.

The former Valencia man was left out of Vicente del Bosque's squad for the world and European champions' October World Cup qualifiers but bounced back from that rejection with a superb showing in his club's first match after the international break at White Hart Lane.

The 24-year-old scored twice and set up Daniel Sturridge as Chelsea turned a 2-1 deficit into three points and stressed that he is focusing on his club duties rather than worrying about La Roja.

"I don't know [whether anyone was watching from Spain]. I just try to improve with every Chelsea game I play," Mata told reporters. "I just wanted to do my best for my team, and in this moment I am feeling really well.

"I had another chance for a goal but Fernando [Torres] was in a better position than me to score. But the most important thing for me was victory. Before the game we wanted to stay top of the league and we are still there."

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REAL MADRID | DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS

2012/2013 TO WIN SPAIN PRIMERA LALIGA | SPAIN CUP

"Houston, we have a problem". Or this in the REAL MADRID case,  a defensive wing problem on both sides. Regular flankers have been injured with National Team duties, left-back MARCELO with Brazil & out 3 months, his natural substitute COENTRAO injured with Portugal & right-back ARBELOA injured agianst France & out around 3 weeks.

This will force Coach Mournho to reset his defensive line & move around players. For the left-back position there are two juniors which could possibly be called up: Casado & Nacho. For the right-back Sergio Ramos or Essien look more in line to fill this spot , with Varane in as the central with Pepe. Having said this, Varane or Albiol could be put in the right-back position, & some even think that Di Maria may do.

Whatever of the multiple combinations Real Madrid has a situation that needs to be cleared & solved as they have Liga this weekend & Champions mid-week. The defence is perhaps the "weaker" aspect of their game & the opposition teams may exploit this "quick entry point". It will be interesting to see what formula Mourinho cames up with to mend the "split" defensive line.

article source: http://spanishfootballsports.blogspot.hk/2012/10/real-madrid-defensive-problems.html

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Spain draw the makings of a French renaissance?

2012/2013 TO WIN SPAIN PRIMERA LALIGA & SPAIN CUP

PARIS: Much-maligned after their feeble exit from Euro 2012, France served a warning to their detractors with a creditable 1-1 draw against world champions Spain in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier.

Substitute Olivier Giroud's 94th-minute equaliser at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon salvaged a well-deserved point for Les Bleus, but the significance extended far beyond simply the result.

Spain, the defending two-time European and world champions, dropped their first points in a qualifying competition since 2007, yet it was a dominant French second-half performance that raised eyebrows.

France were outclassed by Vicente del Bosque's side at Euro 2012, crashing out after a lacklustre, overly defensive display in a 2-0 quarter-final defeat in Donetsk.

On Tuesday, Les Bleus appeared destined for a similar fate after Sergio Ramos put Spain ahead midway through the first half.

But under the tutelage of coach Didier Deschamps, who replaced Laurent Blanc following his resignation in June, a rejuvenated and France dominated their more fancied opponents after the interval.

Deschamps demonstrated a willingless to alter things tactically, introducing Mathieu Valbuena, Moussa Sissoko and Giroud, abandoning a 4-3-3 in favour of a 4-2-3-1 formation.

France were indebted to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for denying Cesc Fabregas's first-half penalty, but having seen a Jeremy Menez goal incorrectly ruled out for offside, Giroud's last-gasp equaliser was scant reward for a commendable display in the Spanish capital.

The French press had forecast a sizeable defeat in Madrid but were quick to praise the result, with Le Parisien declaring: "This is how we like you", hours after calling for its readers to "Pray for them".

"Delightful" was the word used to describe the display by sports daily L'Equipe.

"Beyond the draw, which was like a victory, France without doubt delivered their best performance in a very long time."

"The moment when it was least expected, but in the context that lent itself the most, the France team have given the fans their happiest feeling since 2006," l'Equipe added, alluding to a 3-1 victory over Italy during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Only time will tell whether October 16, 2012 is the catalyst for an upturn in fortunes for the French national team, but Deschamps can use it as a reference point.

"I am happy for the players because this allows them to cement their good spirits and rewards their efforts," said Deschamps.

The 1998 World Cup winner cited his side's relative inexperience as a reason for caution, but the future appears promising for a group yet to reach its potential.

"I don't ask for leniency but we have a young team. The will, the character is there. We don't do everything well but we have room for improvement. We don't dominate everyone but we have quality," said Deschamps.

France succumbed to an embarrassing 1-0 loss at home to Japan on Friday, prompting concerns about the pedigree of the current side but Tuesday's spectacle, which also marked the first time La Roja had failed to win a competitive fixture at home in over seven years, went a long way to quash such worries.

The return fixture, which will be played at Stade de France next March, could ultimately determine which of Group I's heavyweights is granted automatic qualification for Brazil 2014.

"We have other points to collect against other teams. If everything goes well for Spain and for us, the head-to-head confrontations will make the difference. However, before the return leg we have to play Georgia and three points will be very important."

After a humiliating 2010 World Cup, beset by internal discord, France are eager to erase such bitter memories.

"We want to go to Brazil and, in one way or another, we will," Deschamps insisted.

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2012/2013 SPAIN CUP WINNER: France-Spain highlight of upcoming qualifiers

Spain and France will settle old scores in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. (PHOTO REUTERS)

International club soccer takes a break around most of the world this week as the road to the 2014 World Cup continues with the next round of qualifying matches.

One batch was played on Friday, and the second batch is on Tuesday. Among the marquee games on the schedule: France vs. Spain (3 p.m. EDT, ESPN2); Chile vs. Argentina; Bolivia vs. Uruguay; Poland vs. England; Germany vs. Sweden; USA vs. Guatemala (7:15 p.m., ESPN2); and Mexico vs. El Salvador.

No question the game between France and Spain in Madrid offers the most sizzling matchup. You've got the winners of three of the past four European championships and two of the past four World Cups. France was the team of the late 1990s, and Spain is now the undisputed team to beat.

The last time the teams played each other was the quarterfinals of Euro 2012, and Spain won 2-0.

But France has a new coach this time, Didier Deschamps, and he has his team playing much better. France and Spain lead the group with six points. The Spaniards will not be at full strength, as Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique are injured, but they looked sharp in a 4-0 win over Belarus on Friday.

The match is especially intriguing because it features so many club teammates playing against each other. France's Gael Clichy and Spain's David Silva play for Manchester City; France's Olivier Giroud and Spain's Santi Cazorla play for Arsenal; and France's Karim Benzema plays for Real Madrid alongside many of Spain's biggest stars.

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When Championship champions become relegation favourites

2012/2013 ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE/WINNER/12BET

Reading and QPR are the latest to follow in a long line of league winners in English football's second tier to find the top one a struggle, with Sunderland's example last decade the nadir.

The Football League trophy may not be the pinnacle of English football any more, but it used to at least mean there was a decent enough chance of surviving in the top flight the year after.

But with Reading struggling this year and QPR only just staying up last year, why is it that the winners of the championship sometimes struggle?


Over the 20 previous Premier League seasons the winners of the second tier have been relegated on six times and on three of those occasions the other two promoted clubs survived. Sunderland’s abysmal total of 15 points in the 2005-06 (the second worst in Premier League history) being the most extreme example of the second tier champions bombing in the top flight.

The most common problem that effect’s these clubs relates to the expectations that being league winners produces. Whether it is complacency from the management or an owner who expects too much too soon. The truth is that not approaching the Premier League with brutal realism can be catastrophic.

League winners can struggle with the role reversal that comes with promotion; the transformation from favourite to underdog is difficult. A good example of this is Tony Mowbray’s West Brom side of 08-09.

The team had won half their games to gain promotion the previous year and had even been heralded as ‘the Arsenal of the championship’. However, faced with a higher standard of opposition in the Premier League their attacking approach wasn’t successful and they finished bottom.

It was in stark contrast to other newly promoted side Stoke who doggedly fought their way to a relatively comfortable survival, demonstrating that although confidence in your own abilities is important understanding the level of your opponents is just as vital.

Player recruitment is also vitally important, there are plenty of examples of lower league players defying the odds and making the grade in the top flight.

But expecting too much of inexperienced players can also cause problems. The 15-point Sunderland team being the prime example of this, the lack of top-level players Mick McCarthy was able to bring in ultimately led to their downfall.

Bringing in too many players can also destabilise an established dynamic, as QPR discovered last season. Despite the quality the club invested in they still struggled to stay up. The balancing act for a manager has to be to add Premier League quality without upsetting the core of a team too much.

But fundamentally it comes down to patience, a newly promoted side always needs time to establish itself at a new level, and no matter the manner of the promotion the key ingredient is time.

Heightened expectations can disrupt the gradual process of a club developing so it can cope at a higher standard. But for the average fan going from watching a team that wins each week to one that struggles can be a transformation that is difficult to accept.

article source: http://hereisthecity.com/2012/10/09/when-championship-champions-become-relegation-favourites/ 

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Arsenal spellbound by Messi's four-goal magic

2012/2013 TO WIN ANY TWO TITLES ( SPAIN PRIMERA LALIGA,SPAIN CUP,UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE )

"Messi is like a PlayStation player. He can punish any mistake, make a difference at any moment." Arsène Wenger

Unexpectedly behind in the tie and with the expectations of the Camp Nou faithful resting on their shoulders, even European heavyweights FC Barcelona needed a saviour. Four Lionel Messi goals later, Arsenal FC did not know what had hit them.

Though it was Arsenal who were knocked out come the end of the tie, reigning champions Barcelona had themselves been left punch-drunk after the quarter-final first leg. Two Zlatan Ibrahimović goals to the good, Josep Guardiola's side were pegged back in north London and Arsenal took the aggregate lead early on in Spain.

Messi had already fired two warning shots across Manuel Almunia's bows by the time Nicklas Bendtner – needing two bites at the cherry – bundled in the rampaging Theo Walcott's square pass. Even the peerless Messi needed a similar slice of fortune three minutes later, latching on to a series of ricochets off his own pass and emphatically firing beyond Manuel Almunia.

Though Pedro Rodríguez was the instigator for the Azulgrana's opener, he could claim full credit for the assist for Messi's second. Dazed and confused, the Gunners could only partially clear Éric Abidal's cross, allowing Pedro to flick into the Argentina striker's path with only Almunia to beat. He did so with inimitable ease.

Barça smelt blood and their talisman sniffed his fourth hat-trick of 2010. If it was the first of a lifetime it could scarcely have received a more fitting coup de grace, Messi racing on to Seydou Keita's perceptive header and applying the most impudent of chipped finishes over Almunia.

Stranded between taking their medicine and going for an unlikely comeback, there was no second-half Arsenal rally – it was already game, set and match for the hosts.

Messi, though, added the encore to his one-man show two minutes from time. Having shrugged off Emmanuel Eboué and Thomas Vermaelen, the 23-year-old rifled a shot through Almunia's legs at the second attempt to become only the sixth player in UEFA Champions League history to score four in a single game.

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Sports Bet News : Marseille retains league after drawing with PSG

PARIS (AP) — Marseille kept hold of first place in the French league on Sunday after drawing 2-2 with bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain, with strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Andre-Pierre Gignac both scoring twice with well-taken goals in a pulsating first half.

Photo: AP Marseille's French forward Andre-Pierre Gignac, right, reacts with Marseille's French midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, after scoring against Paris Saint-Germain, during their League One soccer match, in Marseille, southern France, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012.

PSG would have overtaken Marseille for first place with a win, but was let down by poor defending and had Ibrahimovic to thank for gaining a point that maintained its unbeaten start to the league season — although it remains three points behind Marseille after eight games.

"It's not a bad result," said PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti, who claimed his players were tired after Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Porto in the Champions League. "We didn't play a great match, nothing exceptional," Ancelotti added. "I think the key was that we could have controlled the game better after our second goal. We didn't play with enough intensity."

Marseille was heavily beaten 4-1 by Valenciennes last weekend, but a resounding win in the Europa League on Thursday boosted confidence and Elie Baup's team started strongly against a lackluster PSG. "We showed that we could rival PSG. A lot of people thought we would lose this match 4-0 or 5-0," Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou said. "The league lasts a long time and we've started well."

PSG, which lost the corresponding match 3-0 last season, looked static in midfield and failed to close down Marseille properly, or get the ball up to Ibrahimovic early on. Gignac punished PSG in the 17th minute. Andre Ayew won possession in midfield and fed the ball to Gignac some 35 yards (meters) from goal. Gignac pushed the ball inside defender Christophe Jallet and then outside of him before hitting a diagonal shot that went past goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu's outstretched hand.

Ibrahimovic then scored two stunning goals in the 23rd and 25th to send the raucous Stade Velodrome crowd into total silence and take his prolific tally to 10 goals in nine games since joining from AC Milan.

First, he volleyed the ball in from near the penalty spot with his outside of his foot with a martial arts-type kick from Maxwell's corner, and then hit a free kick from 30 yards (meters) with such pace that it flew past goalie Steve Mandanda before he could get across to stop it.

On a bad night for both defenses, Gignac equalized in the 32nd when he soared above four PSG players to equalize with a powerful header from winger Mathieu Valbuena's corner that gave Sirigu no chance.

"We started the game well and deserved to score," Valbuena said. "Then we eased up a bit and they punished us for it, even though they didn't create many chances." Marseille then went close to regaining the lead shortly after when defender Kassim Abdallah hit a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area that Sirigu scrambled to push away.

Marseille winger Morgan Amalfitano was involved in a tussle with Blaise Matuidi throughout the first half and as they confronted each other when the halftime whistle was blown. Amalfitano slapped Matuidi in the face, forcing other players to intervene as Matuidi sought retribution.

Ancelotti replaced the ineffective Javier Pastore — who cost €42 million when he joined last season — with Kevin Gameiro, and the diminutive forward went close early in the second half when he ran onto Jeremy Menez's pass and shot just wide.

After that, there were was little excitement, although Ayew and Ibrahimovic went close with difficult chances. For the first time in nearly three years, visiting fans were allowed at the game — which is traditionally hostile — although only around 150 PSG fans attended.

Opposing fans waged running battles in the streets of Marseille in October 2009, leading to a reciprocal ban on away fans. Earlier Sunday, Third-place Lyon missed the chance to keep the pressure on the top two when it was held to a 1-1 draw at Lorient, and sits one point behind PSG.

Striker Bafetimi Gomis gave Lyon the lead midway through the first half, but former Arsenal forward Jeremie Aliadiere hit back just after halftime as Lorient preserved its unbeaten record in the league this season and held on to fourth spot.

Meanwhile, sixth-place Bordeaux maintained its unbeaten start to the season after drawing 1-1 at Brest through striker Cheick Diabate's second-half equalizer. Israel forward Eden Ben Basat put Brest ahead in the 38th minute with his third goal of the season, but Diabate leveled in the 68th with his second goal in as many games.

article source: http://www.mail.com/int/sports/soccer/1613528-marseille-retains-league-drawing-with-psg.html#.1258-stage-set1-3

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Sports Bet News: 10-man Inter beats AC Milan 1-0 in derby

MILAN (AP) — Ten-man Inter Milan hung on to beat crosstown rival AC Milan 1-0 Sunday in a bad-tempered Serie A derby that saw the hosts have a goal disallowed and a late penalty appeal waved away as they chased an equalizer.

 

Photo: AP AC Milan forward Giampaolo Pazzini reacts after missing a scoring chance during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012.  - sports bet news

Walter Samuel headed Inter in front in the fourth minute following a howler from goalkeeper Christian Abbiati as the Nerazzurri's quick start seemed to surprise Milan. Milan improved but had Riccardo Montolivo's goal disallowed for a foul on Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Inter's chances of a third straight derby victory seemingly diminished when Yuto Nagatomo was sent off for a second yellow card shortly after the break. Milan laid siege to the Inter goal but could not find the equalizer, despite going agonizingly close on several occasions.

It was also denied what looked to be a clear-cut penalty late on when Robinho appeared to be brought down by Samuel. "I have nothing to reproach the squad about tonight," said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose team is off to its worst league start in 72 years after losing four of its first seven games. "I'm disappointed with the incidents that happened. I almost never talk about the referee, actually I never do, but tonight he was unlucky, he had an unhappy night. He made decisions only against us and he should have made decisions that he didn't. It was a match in which we were punished by the referee in the most astonishing manner. ... He also ruled out the goal and I don't understand why."

In a heated atmosphere, there were several calls over the speaker system for the fans to stay in their seats and behave themselves or risk the game being suspended. Former Milan striker Antonio Cassano was roundly jeered throughout by the home support in his first match against his old club since his offseason switch to its bitter rivals.

There were also several banners negatively referring to Cassano's heart surgery last year. However, Cassano seeemed to revel in the atmosphere, at one point repeatedly raising his arms to encourage the fans to whistle more loudly as he strolled to take a corner.

"We still have a lot of things to work on but tonight was very positive," Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni said. "I was happy to see how the lads were on the pitch, they played (Sports bet news) more as a group and really look like a squad now.

"It's three games now that it looks as if in order to score against Inter you have to be really good, whereas before in a the home games it seemed as if you needed little to score against us. That's exclusively down to my footballers. It's a work in progress but it's going well."

Inter got off to the perfect start when Samuel headed in Esteban Cambiasso's free kick after Abbiati badly mistimed his interception. The Milan goalkeeper almost gifted Diego Milito Inter's second moments later.

Milan had its first chance in the 14th minute with a well-worked free kick, which Bojan Krkic passed across to Montolivo, who lashed it just past the left hand post. Stephan El Shaarawy — who had scored five goals in his past four matches — then found a way through but, under pressure from Nagatomo, he couldn't get a clean shot on goal and fired wide.

Montolivo had the ball in the back of the net in the 40th minute with a 30-yard screamer into an empty net but the referee ruled it out for a foul moments earlier by Urby Emanuelson on Handanovic as the Inter goalkeeper came flying out to punch the ball clear.

Milan was buoyed minutes into the second period when Nagatomo received a second yellow for handball. Bojan went closest for Milan as Handanovic made a rare mistake and spilled a shot but the former Roma striker slipped as he raced towards the ball, with only the Inter goalkeeper to beat.

Elswehere, Napoli remained joint top with Juventus after beating Napoli 2-1. Marek Hamsik and Goran Pandev scored in the first half, either side of Giampiero Pinzi's leveler to set up a mouthwatering contest between the top two after the international break.

Earlier, defending champion Juventus stretched its Serie A unbeaten streak to 46 games with a 2-1 victory at Siena. Claudio Marchisio scored what proved to be the winner for the league leader six minutes from time. Andrea Pirlo gave Juventus the lead with a trademark free kick in the 13th minute but Emanuele Calaio leveled in first-half stoppage time.

Also Sunday, high-flying Lazio cruised to a 3-0 win at struggling Pescara. Hernanes opened the scoring with a stunning 30-yard free kick in the fifth minute, before Miroslav Klose grabbed a brace. In the lunchtime fixture, American Michael Bradley scored his first goal for Roma in a 2-0 win against Atalanta. Erik Lamela scored the opener.

Stevan Jovetic continued his impressive start to the season as he scored his fifth goal of the season to send Fiorentina on its way to a 1-0 victory against Bologna. Catania also got off to a good start in its 2-0 win against 10-man Parma as Alejandro Gomez gave it the lead with less than two minutes on the clock.

Parma defender Yohan Benalouane was sent off midway through the second half for a second bookable offense, before Gonzalo Bergessio sealed the result. Elsewhere, Cagliari's new coaches Ivo Pulga and Diego Lopez got their reign off to a perfect start, recording the Sardinian team's first victory of the season with a 1-0 win at Torino.

Nene scored the only goal of the game in the 74th minute from the penalty spot following Torino defender Kamil Glik's handball.

article source: http://www.mail.com/int/sports/soccer/1613406-10-man-inter-beats-ac-milan-1-0-derby.html#.1258-stage-set1-2

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Ronaldo hat trick boosts Madrid in Champs League

LONDON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo's second hat trick in four days allowed Real Madrid to take charge of the Champions League's toughest group Wednesday, with Arsenal, FC Porto and Malaga joining the Spanish giants in earning second straight wins in the competition.

Photo: AP Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo, center, and Ajax players Niklas Moisander, left, and Daley Blind, right, vie for the ball during the Champions League Group D soccer match at ArenA stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday Oct. 3, 2012.

Ronaldo's three-goal haul upstaged a spectacular overhead kick by Karim Benzema in Madrid's 4-1 win a Ajax, giving Jose Mourinho's team a maximum six points in Group D. Manchester City's struggles in Europe's top club competition continued, though, after being outclassed by Borussia Dortmund in the same group, although the English champions escaped with a 1-1 draw thanks to Mario Balotelli's 90th-minute penalty.

AC Milan kick-started its campaign by inflicting a rare home loss on Zenit St. Petersburg, with an own goal by Tomas Hubocan sealing a 3-2 win for the seven-time European champions. They are on four points in Group C, two behind Malaga after the Spanish side beat Anderlecht 3-0 to be one of seven teams to be perfect after two group games.

Arsenal beat Olympiakos 3-1 and Porto overcame Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to also maintain 100 percent records. Ronaldo's first hat trick in the Champions League came after he also scored three against Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish league on Sunday, and took his tally to 12 goals in 10 games in all competitions this season. With 42 goals, he is the eighth player to score more than 40 goals in the competition.

While Ronaldo's low curler from the edge of the area and an impudent chip were impressive goals to seal his hat trick, they couldn't compete with the stunning acrobatic effort from Benzema, from Ronaldo's right-wing cross.

"We played a very good match," said Mourinho, who is bidding to become the first coach to win the Champions League with three different teams. "Benzema, Kaka and Ronaldo all played well. Now we have six points in a very difficult group."

Madrid already look safe bets to go through to the knockout stage and on current evidence, Dortmund looks the most likely to join them. The German champions outplayed City away with an effervescent attacking display but came up against a goalkeeper in Joe Hart who may have played the best game of his career.

Hart denied Dortmund with a string of fine saves until Marco Reus finally put the visitors ahead in the 61st. However, Balotelli's penalty rescued a point for City. "We kept ourselves alive in the group," Hart said, whose team is already five points behind Madrid. Dortmund has four points.

With his team struggling in the Italian league, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri's job was under threat heading into the match at Zenit, which was the second-highest spender in the summer transfer window and was defending a 16-match home unbeaten streak in Europe.

After taking a two goal lead through Urby Emanuelson and Stephan El Shaarawy, Milan was pegged back by Zenit but came away with three points when Hubocan knocked the ball into his own net. "This is an important victory. It is not easy to win against Zenit on their ground," Allegri said.

The highlight of Malaga's easy win over Anderlecht was a stunning left-foot volley by Eliseu, one of two goals scored by the Portugal international. All four of Spain's teams won on matchday two. PSG was brought back down to earth after its opening 4-1 win over Dynamo Kiev, falling to a late goal by James Rodriguez at Porto in Group A.

Kiev is level on three points with PSG after beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0. In Group B, goals by Gervinho, Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey guided Arsenal to victory at Emirates Stadium, putting the English team on course for a 13th straight qualification to the knockout stage.

Schalke is second in the group on four points after drawing 2-2 at Montpellier.

article source:  http://www.mail.com/int/sports/soccer/1606050-ronaldo-hat-trick-boosts-madrid-champs-league.html#.1258-stage-set1-3

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Dynamo beats Dinamo 2-0 in Champions League

Photo: AP Dynamo Kiev's Ognjen Vukojevic, left, Yevhen Khacheridi, right, challenges for the ball against Mateo Kovacic of Dinamo Zagreb ,centre, during the Champions League group A soccer match between Dynamo Kiev and Dinamo Zagreb at the Olympiyskiy national stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Oct 3, 2012.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Oleh Blokhin made a winning start in his first Champions League match as Dynamo Kiev coach, the Ukrainian team beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in the group stage on Wednesday.

Dynamo Kiev midfielder Oleh Gusev found the net in the third minute, and Dinamo Zagreb defender Josip Pivaric scored an own goal in the 33rd from Taye Taiwo's cross into a crowded box. Blokhin signed a four-year contract at Kiev last month and will shortly relinquish his duties as Ukraine national team coach.

Dynamo Kiev has three points from two games in Group A, while Dinamo Zagreb remains without a point. FC Porto leads the standings with 6 points after beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the other group game. PSG has three points.

Dynamo Kiev came out with a fast, pressing tempo to allow Gusev to score by meeting Ognjen Vukojeic's 25-meter cross with a projectile header past leaping goalkeeper Ivan Kelava. "We started the match well and scored a quick goal," Blokhin said. "And the opposite side appeared to become scared of what was shown on the scoreboard and the kind of play we showed on the pitch in the first 20 minutes. We should have scored two to three goals more and finish the match off with a stellar result. We practically didn't allow them to create anything at our net."

In the second half, we made adjustments since we led 2-0. We put in a substitute to strengthen the central field but a few moments weren't to my liking as our side allowed deep penetration. Nonetheless, Why?

As the first half progressed, though, Dinamo Zagreb started to enjoy more possession and seemed to have regained its composure following the nightmare start. Dinamo Zagreb's first incursion into opposition territory came in the 11th minute and ended with midfielder Sammir having a shot blocked.

Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Marcelo Brozovic lured Dynamo Kiev goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy out of his box in the 25th minute but failed to find the empty net. The Zagreb team kept the pressure on dangerous midfielders Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleg Gusev.

The visitors began dominating possession in the second half, their forays into opposition territory giving them encouragement. Shovkovskiy was pressed into service for the first time by substitute Duje Cop's drive from the edge of the penalty area in the 55th minute.

Shovkovsky's clearing kick in the 59th bounced back from an opposing player's heel, forcing the 'keeper to beat the forward in a race to the ball to save his blushes. "We knew we're travelling to play against a strong opponent, so therefore we thought we'd avoid a loss," said Dinamo Zagreb coach Ante Cacicid. "But the first 30 minutes of the match showed that Kiev were really strong. The first goal forced us to change our plan for the game completely. Thus, the early goal impacted the result of the match."

The last time the two sides met was in the third qualifying round of the 2003-04 Champions League, with Dynamo Kiev winning 3-1 at home and 2-0 away.

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Arsenal’s Spanish Duo Will Be Key To Defeating Chelsea

Two midfielders who couldn’t force their way into Spain’s engine room at Euro 2012 will be the most influential pairing when the Gunners welcome the Blues to the Emirates Stadium at lunchtime...

It might have been said countless times before, but it is worth reinforcing the belief that the current Spanish national team has a quality and quantity of talented midfielders at their disposal like never seen before. Despite both players being in the prime phases of their careers, Arsenal duo Mikel Arteta (30) and Santi Cazorla (27) are two talents that had very little to do with their country’s World Cup success in 2010 and European Championship triumph last summer, but will be absolutely vital against Chelsea later today.

Cazorla at least made the squad at Euro 2012, although playing 16 minutes during the entire tournament is the very definition of a player on the ‘periphery’, while Arteta possesses not one international cap.

That these two are now arguably Arsenal’s most important duo, providing the glue that holds the Gunners’ new found defensive stability and recognized attacking verve together, is a startling insight into Spain’s midfield riches.

Aside from Thomas Vermaelen, who should recover from illness to start against Chelsea, the first two names on Arsene Wenger’s team-sheet are that of Arteta and Cazorla.

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Barcelona lose Thiago to knee injury

After featuring in three of his side's six Liga wins so far this season, FC Barcelona's Thiago Alcántara is facing into an eight-week spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

 FC Barcelona have suffered a blow ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League trip to SL Benfica with the news that midfielder Thiago Alcántara will miss most of the Blaugrana's Group G campaign after tearing the internal collateral ligament in his right knee. 



The former UEFA European Under-21 Championship winner with Spain sustained the injury not long after coming on as a substitute in his team's 3-2 Liga win away to Sevilla FC on Saturday. After undergoing subsequent tests at his club, he is now expected to be sidelined for two months, meaning he will miss the home and away fixtures against Celtic FC and the visit to FC Spartak Moskva in late November in addition to Tuesday's voyage to Lisbon.

On a brighter note for coach Tito Vilanova, captain Carles Puyol (knee), Andrés Iniesta (adductor) and Adriano (pelvis) have all recovered from their injuries and will form part of the traveling party for the game at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. 


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Ronaldo scores 3, Real Madrid routs Deportivo 5-1

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to power Real Madrid to a 5-1 home win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday, as the defending champions strung together back-to-back Spanish league victories for the first time this season.

Photo: AP Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho from Portugal gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Deportivo la Coruna at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012.

Madrid will head into next weekend's "clasico" match at Camp Nou eight points behind leader Barcelona, but at least Jose Mourinho's side is showing strong signs it has recovered its dominating form from the last campaign.

Deportivo opened through Ivan "Riki" Sanchez-Rico 16 minutes in, but Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 23rd and netted again just before halftime after Angel Di Maria had extended the lead.

Pepe added a headed goal in the 66th before Ronaldo capped the victory with a spot kick in the 83rd. "The most important thing about my three goals is that they helped the team to win," said Ronaldo. "We know it will be tough against Barcelona, we are playing away from home. But we have to be focused and confident that we can play a good game and get the victory."

Ronaldo's 17th career hat trick lifted him even with Barecelona's Lionel Messi with six goals each through six rounds. Both trail Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao by one goal. Also on Sunday, Atletico won 1-0 at the winless Espanyol thanks to Raul Garcia's header to rise into second place, two points behind Barcelona.

Valladolid thrashed visiting Rayo Vallecano 6-1 with doubles by Oscar Gonzalez and Manucho, while Osasuna beat Levante 4-0 and Granada edged out Celta Vigo 2-1 for both teams' first wins of the season.

Until now, Madrid had been unable to reproduce the same attacking verve that had led it to convincing victories over Manchester City in the Champions League and Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. But after shaking off Deportivo's early goal, it quickly took care of business at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on a night it could ill afford another slip up.

"We started without a lot of energy, but we woke up after the 1-0," said Ronaldo. "It was an important win because we knew we couldn't drop any more points. Mourinho rested regular starters Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa with Madrid set to visits Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, shifting Sergio Ramos over to take Arbeloa's place on the right side of the defense.

The Portuguese manager also loaded his attack with creative midfielders Mesut Oezil and Luka Modric playing together for the first time. Early on, Madrid showed some of the same uninspired play that has dogged it since the beginning of the domestic campaign, and Deportivo had little trouble fending off its timid early incursions before striking first. Riki picked up a short pass, deftly dribbled by Raphael Varane, and slipped a shot past onrushing goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

A foul by Deportivo defender Manuel Pablo Garcia on Di Maria just inside the area gave Madrid the chance to draw even, and Ronaldo coolly slotted the spot kick into the right corner. With the score even, Madrid pressed forward with Di Maria tormenting the visitors' left flank. Modric soon slipped a perfect pass between three opponents for the Argentina forward to score in the 39th, heading in his own rebound after goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia deflecting his initial shot off the post.

"The key was to increase our pressure so we could score more goals," said Ronaldo. Ronaldo made it 3-1 five minutes later when Aranzubia blocked Ramos' strike, only for the ball to sail behind him and fall to Ronaldo, who easily headed it into the net.

Kaka, who is trying to work his way back into Mourinho's good graces after failing to secure a transfer this summer, made a rare appearance coming on at the start of the second half for Oezil. Alonso soon joined him, replacing Modric.

The former Liverpool player teed up Pepe's goal with a curling free kick that the defender was left unmarked to turn by the helpless Aranzubia. Ronaldo got his treble with another spot kick after Evaldo used his arm to block Kaka's pass in the area.

"I knew this result was a possibility, but I would have liked my team to have shown more courage," said coach Jose Oltra, whose promoted Deportivo recorded its second loss of the season. On Saturday, it was: Sevilla 2, Barcelona 3; Valencia 2, Zaragoza 0; Malaga 4, Real Betis 0; and Real Sociedad 2, Athletic Bilbao 0.

Getafe hosts Mallorca on Monday.

article source:  http://www.mail.com/int/sports/soccer/1597834-ronaldo-scores-3-real-madrid-routs-deportivo-5-1.html#.1258-stage-set1-2

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