match Chelsea v Liverpool 29.12.2013

 

 
Chelsea v Liverpool Betting Preview
A treat on Sunday at the top of the table as just one point separates these two sides who both have their noses in the title race. Chelsea are one point to the good over Liverpool and will at least be hoping that their unbeaten home record this season stays in tact. The Reds continued to struggle away from home as they were beaten by Man City at the Etihad on Boxing Day. Will there be a sting in their tail as they head to Stamford Bridge in search of a response

 

Chelsea v Liverpool Betting Tips:
Jose Mourinho of course has never lost a home game in the Premier League with Chelsea, and he may have his work cut out here to maintain that record. Chelsea have done tactically well on the road against title rivals this season, taking a point away at Manchester United and at Arsenal, setting up to get a point from the outset in those games. They are a different animal at home, when they attack a lot more, but how much can he open up, because Liverpool bring the pace to trouble them at the back. So Mourinho’s tactical prowess is really going to be put on the line here. The Blues took a 1-0 home win over Swansea on Boxing Day, and yet again it was another case of total dominance with the ball, but unable to put up a convincing scoreline. A goal from Eden Hazard, Chelsea’s top scorer this season, was enough to settle the game. They should have had a lot more though. After a defensive display at Arsenal, Chelsea have scored just the one goal in their last two games. What a difference a player like Luis Suarez, who can put the ball in the back of the net, would make to the Blues.

Their form at home, if not always the performances, has been convincing, having posted eight wins and no losses from their nine Premier League home games so far. In a big defensive improvement too, Chelsea have kept back to back clean sheets. There has to be an air of caution from Mourinho here, because Chelsea have had their problems at the back against quick attacks, and it could mean that this game will go under 2.5 goals at a price of 6/5, even though 66% of their home games have gone over this season. There’s a lot at stake here to suggest a tight game will happen. Mourinho would be happy with a 1-0 win and that is trading at 9/1 with Paddy Power in the Correct Score market, while a 1-1 draw at 6/1 would see a repeat of last season’s corresponding fixture. What could help Chelsea, who haven’t won in their three previous home games against Liverpool in the league, is that the Reds have struggled on the road this season. Brendan Rodgers’ men have lost three and won just one of their last five away games.

They were celebrating on their last trip to London though, as they beat Spurs 5-0. They head to the weekend down in fourth place after starting Boxing Day at the top of the table. Despite taking the lead at the Etihad, Liverpool came undone, not helped by some dodgy looking decisions by the officials, it has to be said. Still, the defeat ended a four game winning streak and they are still a side with plenty of form. They really went hammer and tong at Man City in a great open, attacking game on Boxing Day. They look very dangerous on the break with pace and can trouble Chelsea. Luis Suarez failed to find the back of the net for the first time in five league matches, but still he is trading as the best option at 5/4 in the Anytime Goalscorer market. What will give Liverpool some confidence is they haven’t lost on their last three visits to Chelsea in the league, taking two wins and a draw. Both Teams To Score could be a good option as Liverpool haven’t been great with the clean sheets this term, having conceded fifteen in nine on the road

 

 

Chelsea FC - Liverpool
Premier League: Round 19
  Sunday, December 29, 5:00 p.m.
  Stamford Bridge
  Referee: Howard Webb

 

 

 

Chelsea FC:
  Guardian: P. Cech
  Defenders: C. Azpilicueta, J. Terry, David Luiz, A. Cole
  Backgrounds: Ramires, F. Lampard, Oscar
  Forwards: E. Hazard, Fernando Torres, J. Mata
  Coach: José Mourinho
  Absent: R. Bertrand, M. Van Ginkel

Liverpool:
  Guardian: S. Mignolet
  Defenders: G. Johnson, M. Skrtel, M. Sakho, A. Cissokho
  Backgrounds: Lucas Leiva, J. Allen, P. Coutinho, J. Henderson, R. sterling
  Forwards: L. Suarez
  Coach: Brendan Rodgers
  Absent: S. Gerrard, D. Sturridge, J. Enrique

 

External Influences / Referees

In recent years, Liverpool is success at Stamford Bridge, yet the Reds rank has often been disappointing compared to Chelsea. The Blues could restore the situation, especially since they have not lost at home since January 2013. Premier League for almost two years, Chelsea FC was beaten only 4 times on his land!

 

 

Head-to-Head

Last confrontation:
April 21, 2013: Liverpool - FC Chelsea - Liverpool 2-2

  Last 10 Duels
  Chelsea wins: 3
  Liverpool Wins: 5
  Draws: 2

 

predictions

 

In this clash at the top, Chelsea FC could take a serious advantage as Liverpool just drop this week and most importantly, the Reds linked together a 2nd big sign in the space of a few days. With a bench and provided more due to the absence of Gerard and Sturridge in the camp Reds FC Chelsea should achieve a good result on this day!

 

 

Vermaelen admits may consider leaving Arsenal

Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal Central defender Thomas Vermaelen is mulling the prospect of leaving Arsenal in January to boost his chances of playing for Belgium in the World Cup finals.

Vermaelen has struggled to regain his place in the Arsenal side after returning from a back problem and appears to have slipped down the pecking order for his country, who have qualified for their first World Cup since 2002.

He was an unused substitute in Arsenal's last three matches and also failed to start in Belgium's decisive win over Croatia on Friday even with Vincent Kompany out injured.

"Yes, I have to think about that when it's necessary," Vermaelen was quoted in British newspapers about his future at the north London club.

"Of course, never playing will not be the ideal situation for me to go to the World Cup, that's for sure."

Vermaelen, who joined Arsenal from Ajax Amsterdam in 2009, was club captain last year and has made nearly 100 appearances for the club but manager Arsene Wenger has stuck with the combination of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny since Vermaelen returned to fitness.

"People ask me if I am concerned, but I don't panic," Vermaelen, who has spoken to Wenger about his situation, said.

"It's just a matter of injuries or suspensions to play again. Those things can happen in a split second and change my situation. That can happen tomorrow or next weekend.

"In that case, we will speak differently in January. I have to be ready for that. This situation is brand new for me."

Brazil made to work hard for win by troubled Zambia

Brazil's national soccer team players Brazil took nearly an hour to break through before finally winning 2-0 against a Zambia side who were hampered by chaotic preparations for the friendly in Beijing on Tuesday.

Oscar opened the scoring with a looping deflected shot and central defender Dede headed the second in a seven-minute spell at the Bird's Nest stadium, the unlikely venue for the first-ever meeting between next year's World Cup hosts and the 2012 African champions.

Zambia were playing under 35-year-old interim coach Patrice Beaumelle who took over eight days ago after Herve Renard, who had picked the squad, resigned to take charge of struggling French Ligue 1 side Sochaux.

The Chipolopolo, who have failed to qualify for next year's World Cup, were also without three regulars following a bizarre tug-of-war with their club TP Mazembe in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Brazil's win was their fourth in a row as they bounced back from August's shock defeat in Switzerland.

Portugal's automatic qualification hopes suffer big blow

Portugal's hopes of securing automatic qualification for next year's World Cup suffered a major blow on Friday when a late blunder by goalkeeper Rui Patricio gifted Israel a 1-1 draw in their Group F qualifier.

The result is enough to guarantee Portugal a playoff spot but victory would have kept them a point behind leaders Russia before Tuesday's final round of matches.

It means Portugal have 18 points from nine games before hosting Luxembourg, while Russia have three points more before they travel to Azerbaijan. Russia have a vastly superior goal difference, meaning they will most likely qualify automatically whatever happens on Tuesday.

A first-half goal from Portugal centre back Ricardo Costa was cancelled by Eden Ben Basat's easy chip for the visitors in the 85th minute.

Spain see off Belarus to close on World Cup spot

Holders Spain moved to the brink of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals when captain Xavi and substitute Alvaro Negredo struck in a laboured 2-1 win at home to Belarus in Group I on Friday.

The victory in Palma de Mallorca puts Spain three points clear of France with one match to play and a point against lowly Georgia in Albacete on Tuesday will secure the world and European champions a berth at the tournament in Brazil.

Spain dominated possession against an ultra-defensive Belarus, who are bottom of the group, but struggled to create clear chances until Xavi broke the deadlock in the 61st minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the area that left goalkeeper Aleksandr Gutor rooted to the spot.

Centre back Sergio Ramos was the unlikely creator of Spain's second goal 12 minutes from time when he found himself on the right wing and clipped over a perfect cross for Negredo to send a superb diving header low into the corner.

Sergei Kornilenko pulled a goal back for Belarus in the 89th minute from one of their few forays forward but it was nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.

"We weren't effective enough with the final pass but in the end we got the win and it's a very important step towards the World Cup," Xavi said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Telecinco.

"Alvaro's goal gave us some breathing room and at the end the Belarus goal gave us a bit of a shock but it turned out fine," he added.

"It's tough when teams shut up shop at the back with all 10 players in their half."

Xavi was captaining the side in the absence of goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who has fallen out of favour at his club Real Madrid and was replaced in the starting lineup by Xavi's Barcelona team mate Victor Valdes.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque also handed a debut to Michu but the Swansea City forward made little impact before being replaced by Negredo in the 57th minute.

With most of Spain's attacks foundering against a massed Belarus defence, Del Bosque brought off left back Nacho Monreal at halftime and replaced him with Andres Iniesta.

The switch gave the home side even more control and their latest success continued their unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers at home.

France, who are assured of a playoff place, play their final qualifier at home to Finland on Tuesday.

Russia hit four to stay on course for World Cup

 Russia moved closer to qualifying for next year's World Cup with a 4-0 thumping of Luxembourg on Friday that kept Fabio Capello's side top of Group F with one round of matches to play.

Russia, who have 21 points from nine matches, have qualification in their own hands before they travel to Azerbaijan for their final group match on Tuesday. Second-placed Portugal, on 17 points, were entertaining Israel on Friday.

Alexander Samedov opened the scoring in the ninth minute, with Luxembourg defender Chris Philipps trying to stop the ball with his foot but directing it into the net and Viktor Fayzulin doubled the visitors' lead half an hour later.

Denis Glushakov ensured they went into the break with a comfortable lead with a goal on the stroke of halftime, while Alexander Kerzhakov made it four on 73 minutes after being set up by Dmitry Kombarov.

"We played a very good match, with good speed and good desire," Russian media quoted Capello as saying.

"The Luxembourg match is in the past. We got the result we needed, played good football.

"We won because we controlled the ball well, pressed our opponent and didn't let Luxembourg play their game."

Bottom-of-the-table Luxembourg posed little threat for dominant Russia whose early opener set the visitors on their way.

Luxembourg goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert got a hand to the second goal, which came after captain Roman Shirokov lofted a perfect pass to Fayzulin and he flicked it home with his left foot.

Russia keeper Igor Akinfeev blocked Daniel Da Mota's shot shortly before the break and his side put the match out of reach in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when the ball fell to midfielder Glushakov who pushed a shot past Joubert.

Kerzhakov's second-half goal was the icing on the cake and came shortly after Luxembourg had missed a tantalising chance when Stefano Bensi passed the ball across the goal only to watch in disappointment as none of his team mates could drive it home.

The match before a crowd of some 8,000 in Luxembourg was briefly interrupted around the 80th minute when a fan ran onto the field and dived into one of the goals before security guards escorted him off the pitch.

'Magical' Ibra secures playoff spot for Sweden

Captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck a late winner to give Sweden a 2-1 victory over Austria on Friday that secured second place in World Cup Group C qualifying.

The Paris St Germain striker latched on to Kim Kallstrom's long ball and slotted home with four minutes to go to make sure Sweden finished as runners-up to group winners Germany.

"It's magical," Ibrahimovic told Swedish TV after the game. "It's a fantastic feeling. We are a step closer to the World Cup."

Germany head the group with 25 points going into the final round of qualifiers on Tuesday. Sweden have 20 points and will go into the playoffs for a place in Brazil next year. Austria are third with 14 points.

Ibrahimovic's side had to dig deep to come from behind after the visitors took a 29th-minute lead.

Marko Arnautovic surged clear down the left and his cross was touched on by Marc Janko for Martin Harnik to thump the ball home.

Johan Elmander hit the post for Sweden before half-time but it was a different story after the break as Ibrahimovic began to exert a strong influence.

The home side levelled in the 56th minute, left back Martin Olsson meeting Ibrahimovic's deft chip with a diving header.

Sweden continued to threaten, Olsson firing a left-footed drive just over as they pressed for a winner.

The game looked to be heading for a draw until substitute Kallstrom set up Ibrahimovic.

"The whole team should have credit, not only me, because we came out totally different in the second half," Ibrahimovic told reporters.

He will miss the final game of the qualifying campaign, at home to Germany on Tuesday, after picking up a late yellow card

Dutch record breaker Van Persie hits treble in 8-1 win

A hat-trick from Robin van Persie earned the striker the status of the Netherlands' all-time leading scorer as they hammered Hungary 8-1 in their World Cup Group D qualifier on Friday.

Van Persie took his tally to 41 in 80 appearances, passing Patrick Kluivert's record on a night of clinical efficiency from the Dutch, who had already qualified for next year's finals in Brazil and racked up their eighth win of the campaign.

The Manchester United striker opened the scoring with a 15th minute header and equalled the national scoring record soon after as the Dutch dominated and went into the break 4-0 ahead.

Kevin Strootman and Jeremain Lens profited from defensive errors to increase the tally before halftime with Van Persie breaking the record with his third in the 52nd minute before being taken off to a standing ovation at the Amsterdam Arena.

There were also poignant sideline celebrations with Kluivert, now an assistant to Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. But a toe injury almost kept Van Persie from playing.

"It was a gamble but it worked out well," said the 30-year-old forward with some understatement.

A bizarre own goal from Szilard Devecseri in the 64th added to the Dutch total bfore late goals from freekicks by Rafael van der Vaart and Arjen Robben rounded off a high tempo performance.

"We put the opponent under pressure for the full 90 minutes," said Van Gaal. "The effort and the willingness was enormous. It's a difficult process to squeeze right from the start and then to sustain it."

On Van Persie's record-breaking night, Van Gaal told reporters: "It's a great achievement, but ultimately is all about the way the team puts him in contention."

Hungary's goal came from a penalty converted by Balazs Dzsudzsak after a Jeffrey Bruma handball just after the break.

Netherlands have 25 points from nine games, with their final match against Turkey in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Turkey and Romania, who each have 16 points with one match remaining, are fighting it out for a playoff spot.

Italy's Aquilani denies Denmark in added time

Alberto Aquilani struck an injury-time equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw for Brazil-bound Italy and prevent Denmark climbing into second place in World Cup qualifying Group B on Friday.

Two almost identical far-post headers by Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner - playing in his first international since being suspended for six months following his arrest for drink-driving - looked to have secured victory against an Italy side that faded after Pablo Osvaldo's brilliant 28th-minute goal.

But Aquilani silenced the home fans when he diverted Osvaldo's weak shot from close range.

"It was a lucky goal - I was really good with my knee," a smiling Aquilani told reporters.

"They were unlucky on a couple of occasions, then I scored a goal that maybe we didn't deserve."

The draw means Denmark stay in third place on 13 points, level with second-placed Bulgaria and a point ahead of the Czech Republic and Armenia, who beat Bulgaria 2-1 earlier on Friday.

Bulgaria, who host the Czech Republic in the final round of qualifiers on Tuesday, have a superior goal difference to Denmark, who meet Malta. Italy have already qualified for the World Cup as group winners.

"I am very disappointed. They scored a goal right at the end," Denmark defender Andreas Bjelland said. "We have two shots that hit the post and (Gianluigi) Buffon makes a few good saves, but it was just not our day."

It was a superb goal that gave Italy the early lead. Southampton striker Osvaldo controlled Thiaggo Motta's long, flighted pass with a delicate first touch that took him past Daniel Agger before he curled home a finish.

It was a reward for a disciplined opening by a second-string Italy that featured goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in his 137th appearance, an Italian record.

Denmark were not deterred, however, and Bendtner levelled in first-half stoppage time when he rose above Federico Balzaretti to meet Michael Krohn-Dehli's inswinging cross.

The Arsenal striker thought he had won it for Denmark 11 minutes from time when he again beat Balzaretti to a Krohn-Dehli cross, steering in a well-placed header.

Germany secure World Cup spot with win over Ireland

Triple former champions Germany secured a place at next year's World Cup in Brazil with a game to spare in Group C qualifying after sweeping Ireland aside 3-0 on Friday.

Sami Khedira's deflected shot gave the hosts a 12th-minute lead and Andre Schuerrle made it 2-0 in the second half following a fine turn.

Mesut Ozil then made sure of victory with the third goal in stoppage time.

Despite having more than half a dozen injury absentees, Germany were always in control with midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger back in the side after a six-month break to earn his 99th cap.

Germany have 25 points from nine games and an unassailable lead at the top of the group before they face second-placed Sweden in Stockholm on Tuesday.

Van Persie becomes all-time top Dutch scorer after 8-1 win

A hat trick from Robin van Persie earned the striker the status as the Netherlands' all-time leading scorer as the already-through Dutch hammered Hungary 8-1 in their World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam on Friday.

Van Persie took his tally to 41 goals from 80 appearances, passing Patrick Kluivert's record on a night of clinical efficiency from the Dutch, who were already qualified for next year's finals in Brazil and racked up their eighth win of the campaign.

Van Persie opened the scoring with a 15th minute header and equalled the record soon after as the Dutch dominated and went into half-time 4-0 ahead.

Kevin Strootman and Jeremain Lens profited from defensive errors to also score before the break with Van Persie breaking the record with his third in the 52nd minute, before being taken off to an standing ovation from the Amsterdam Arena fans.

There were also poignant sideline celebrations with Kluivert, now an assistant to coach Louis van Gaal.

A bizarre own goal from Szilard Devecseri in the 64th minute added to the Dutch tally while late efforts from Rafael van der Vaart and Arjen Robben rounded off the high tempo performance from the Dutch, who had been warned by Van Gaal they would be playing for places in Brazil.

Hungary's goal came from a penalty converted by Balazs Dzsudzsak after a handball from Jeffrey Bruma just after the break.

Netherlands have 25 points from their nine games, with their final match away to Turkey on Tuesday. Turkey and Romania, who both have 16 points with one match remaining, are fighting it out for a playoff spot.

Injury-hit Montenegro must show grit at Wembley - Dzudovic

 Montenegro will miss captain Mirko Vucinic and at least three other players through injury in their 2014 World Cup qualifier in England on Friday but can still pull off an upset, defender Miodrag Dzudovic has said.

Apart from Juventus striker Vucinic, goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic, centre back Marko Basa and midfielder Miodrag Pekovic have also been ruled out while central defender Dzudovic is doubtful with a back injury and a hamstring strain.

"It seems we always head into decisive matches decimated by injuries and this is just too much bad luck with the most important game of our careers around the corner," Dzudovic told reporters in the team's training camp on Monday.

"But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. There is no doubt our coach Branko Brnovic will find the right strategy to disguise our chinks and maximise our potential at Wembley."

England, who are also at home to Poland in their final game on Oct. 15, head a delicately balanced Group H with 16 points from eight games, one more than Ukraine and Montenegro and three ahead of the Poles.

The Montenegrins, a tiny Adriatic republic in the Balkans with a population of 625,000, have earned three creditable draws in as many competitive meetings with England.

They are at home to Moldova in their final game and Dzudovic acknowledged that avoiding defeat at Wembley would put Montenegro in a good position to snatch at least a playoff berth.

"Of course we are poised to go for a win against England if given the opportunity because we can't just roll over and throw away all the good work we have done in the qualifiers so far," he said.

"The most important thing will be to keep a clean sheet and I am sure our forwards will find a way through. With the right attitude and enough self-belief, we can finish in the top two and reach the playoffs."

The nine group winners qualify automatically for the 32-nation tournament in Brazil while the eight best runners-up enter the two-legged playoffs for Europe's remaining four berths.

Kompany out of Belgium's final World Cup qualifiers

 Belgium captain Vincent Kompany has been ruled out of the country's final two World Cup qualifiers due to a groin injury sustained at the weekend.

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots tweeted on Monday that the Manchester City defender would miss Friday's Group A fixture in Croatia and the visit of Wales four days later.

Kompany was substituted 34 minutes into City's 3-1 Premier League win over Everton on Saturday.

Wilmots later told a news conference he had sought to call up 18-year-old midfielder Adnan Januzaj as a replacement.

Januzaj, who scored twice on his first league start for Manchester United in a 2-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday, was born in Brussels to Kosovar-Albanian parents and was on the books of Anderlecht before his move to the English champions.

Wilmots said United had told the Belgian FA that Januzaj had not chosen any national side and would not be joining up with the Belgium squad.

"But I think that I have given a clear signal to Januzaj. It's now up to him," Wilmots said. "I wanted to integrate him into the group, without forcing him. I respect his choice and plan to talk to him and his entourage."

Wilmots also said striker Christian Benteke would definitely not be fit for the Croatia clash, but might return for the home game against Wales.

Benteke picked up a hip injury in Aston Villa's 1-0 victory at Norwich on Sept. 21. Villa initially said he would be out for at least four weeks.

Belgium top Group A with a five-point advantage over second-placed Croatia and a draw in Zagreb would mean they reach their first finals in 12 years.

Even if they lose to Croatia, Belgium would still ensure their ticket to Brazil in 2014 with victory in their last match against Wales.

England defender Cole to miss Montenegro qualifier

 England left back Ashley Cole will miss Friday's World Cup qualifier against Montenegro with a rib injury and will be replaced in the squad by Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs, the FA said on Monday.

Chelsea defender Cole, who was substituted in his side's 3-1 win at Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday, had a scan on the problem which his club manager Jose Mourinho said had been troubling him for some time.

The 32-year-old, who has won 105 international caps, will remain with his club for treatment, the FA said in a statement on its website (www.thefa.com).

England need to beat Montenegro at Wembley and Poland four days later to guarantee World Cup qualification.

Cole started England's last two World Cup Group H qualifiers, a 0-0 draw with Ukraine on Sept. 10 and a 4-0 win over Moldova four days earlier.

Coach Dunga sacked by Brazil's Internacional

Former Brazil coach Dunga has been sacked by Internacional after a fourth successive defeat in the Brazilian Championship, the club from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul said on Friday.

"Internacional have made changes in the professional team's technical staff (including) coach Dunga," they said in a statement on their website (www.internacional.com.ar).

"The Reds thank him for his services and congratulate him on winning the Gaucho championship," they added, referring to the state championship played in the first third of the season.

The club's Under-20s team coach Clemer was put in charge as caretaker for Sunday's match against Fluminense.

Dunga, whose team won 26 and lost nine of their 53 matches, was sacked when they were still in Rio de Janeiro where they lost 3-1 to lowly Vasco da Gama on Thursday.

Inter have slipped down the standings to 10th place with 34 points from 25 matches, 22 points behind runaway leaders Cruzeiro. Vasco's win lifted them one point above the relegation zone.

Dunga, who lost the Brazil job after his team were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, took charge at Inter at the beginning of the year.

It was the 49-year-old's first job as a club coach with the team where he started and ended his playing career as a midfielder.

Abel Braga, who steered Inter to the Libertadores Cup and Club World Cup titles in 2006, is being touted as favourite to take over. 

Inter Milan – AS Roma 05.10.2013

Inter Milan – AS Roma – Three big derbies will be played in the seventh round of Italian Serie A, and the first of them will take place on Saturday night when will meet currently fourth Inter and leading Roma, who has four points more. Additionally, the Romans were much more successful in their matches last season, considering that they won both times in the Cup and once in Serie A, while their championship match played at Olympico stadium is the only one that ended in a draw. Begins: 05.10.2013 – 20:45 CET

Inter Milan

Of course, this fact is now an additional motive for Inter player to finally win the Romans, especially as Roma is at the moment on the leading position in Serie A, with maximal result in six rounds. Inter is undefeated this season too in the league but has two draws, which is the reason why they have four points less than Roma, so even if they win on Saturday they would anyway stay behind the popular Wolves on the table. The return of the Black and Blues to the top of Italian football can be definitely linked to arrival of new coach Mazzari, who brought a new dimension to their game, significantly rejuvenating the team. So Inter in the last six rounds won Genoa and Fiorentina at home, and Catania and Sassuolo away, achieving an incredible goal difference of 14-1, while in the remaining two matches it played 1-1 with Juventus at home and with Cagliari away. That’s why Mazzari ahead of this match with Roma has no need to change anything in the first team. In this match will not play from before injured defenders Zanetti and Chivu and second goalkeeper Carrizo.

Probable lineups Inter: Handanovic – Campagnaro, Ranocchia, Juan – Jonathan, Guarin, Cambiasso, Taider, Nagatomo – Alvarez, Palacio

AS Roma

The Romans currently play their best football in recent years so it is not surprising that after six rounds are the only team in the league with the maximum result. In fact, they won so far Verona, Lazio and Bologna at home and Livorno, Parma and Sampdoria away, and what is particularly impressive is the goal difference of 17 scored and just one received goal. It only tells us that new coach Garcia really does a great job, just like all the reinforcements that came to the club last summer, and those are goalkeeper De Sanctis, defenders Maicon and Benati, midfielder Strootman and strikers Gervinho and Ljajic. Admittedly, the last one enters mainly as a substitute, given that young Florenzi who also play at this position plays greatly, while captain Totti is still the first violin of the team and who have recently extended the contract with Roma for two more years. Here we must mention standardly good parties of midfielders De Rossi and Pjanic, so coach Garcia has no much doubts about the selection of players for the first team. However, standard defender Maicon will miss this match and Torosidis will cover his position, while outside of the team are from before injured midfielder Bradley and striker Destro.

Probable lineups AS Roma: De Sanctis – Torosidis, Benatia, Leandro Castan, Torosidis – Pjanic, De Rossi, Strootman – Gervinho, Totti, Florenzi

Inter Milan – AS Roma Pick

Both teams played greatly at the start of the Serie A, especially in the attack so it is quite logical to expect that their match be an extremely attractive and with a lot of goals.
link match live

Ozil lifts Arsenal, Barca edge Celtic in Champions League

Mesut Ozil orchestrated another fine Arsenal display with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 victory over Napoli while a late Cesc Fabregas header secured Barcelona a 1-0 win at Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Borussia Dortmund's Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scored twice in s 3-0 demolition of Olympique Marseille as did Chelsea's Brazilian Ramires to get their campaign up and running in a 4-0 win at Steaua Bucharest after a shock opening home defeat by Basel.

Atletico Madrid maintained their superb start to the season with their Turkey midfielder Arda Turan netting an 86th minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Porto.

There was also late drama in Amsterdam with Stefano Denswil heading Ajax ahead in the last minute, only for Mario Balotelli to level with a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time in a 1-1 draw.

Ozil has quickly impressed for Arsenal since his big-money move from Real Madrid and he opened his account for the London club with a sweet strike against Napoli after eight minutes. He then set up Oliver Giroud for a second soon after in a dominant Arsenal display that gave them a maximum six points in Group F.

Barca, who lost to Celtic at Parkhead in the group stage last season and on Tuesday were without injured World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, had to work hard for victory in Glasgow.

The task was made easier when Celtic captain Scott Brown was sent off just before the hour for hauling down Neymar and then appearing to catch the striker with his boot. Fabregas's header after 76 minutes made it two wins from two for Barca in Group H.

A stunning Julian Draxler strike just after the break gave Schalke 04 a 1-0 win at Basel while earlier Zenit St Petersburg were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Austria Vienna

Wenger praises Ozil's "amazing" first half performance

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described Mesut Ozil's first-half performance as "absolutely amazing" after the German scored his first goal for the club and inspired them to a commanding 2-0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Ozil, who joined Arsenal for a club-record transfer fee of 42.5 million pounds ($68.86 million) from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day a month ago, opened the scoring after eight minutes and provided the final touch for Oliver Giroud to score the second seven minutes later.

He was also the creative heart of most of Arsenal's sublime play and his touch, vision and movement were virtually faultless.

Wenger, whose team have now won 10 successive matches including a penalty shootout victory over West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup last week, was delighted after his side brushed aside Napoli in the group match, saying the first-half performance was "the best we have played here for a long time".

He reserved special praise for Ozil on a night when Arsenal rekindled the class and confidence of their glory days under Wenger nearly a decade ago.

"He had an outstanding first half, he was absolutely amazing," Wenger said of the German international.

"He was fantastic and it was good he scored his first goal. When it goes on too long before you score, it's always on your mind, so he got rid of that.

"He had everything fans want to see from a great player: individual skill, team play, finishing, final ball," he told reporters.

"I loved him when he played for Real Madrid too, I must say; I thought he was great for Madrid and we are just lucky to have got him.

"He enjoys playing football, he enjoys playing with his partners. He has integrated very quickly with the team and it helps that he has come when we are doing well, it makes it easier. Of course he has given everyone at the club a lift and belief, and belief is a part of the success of football."

NEVER TROUBLED

Arsenal were never seriously troubled by a Napoli side missing the injured Gonzalo Higuain with the Argentine international striker out with a calf strain.

His absence from the match against the club that chased him in the off-season was not the only thing that went in Arsenal's favour, according to Wenger.

"It was a very enjoyable game tonight. We had great pace, belief and authority in our game, great finishing, great movement.

"The second half was a bit more cautious, and we tried not to make any mistakes rather than score, but in patches when we went forward you could see the third goal was there if we really pushed for it.

"We are in a good position at the top of the group but the two games against Borussia Dortmund will be very hard and could decide things."

Napoli coach Rafa Benitez, back in London after coaching in the city at Chelsea last season, admitted his side never recovered from conceding the two early goals.

"The first mistake we made led to their first goal and the second mistake led to their second goal so I didn't like the way we started. We needed to have more pace and more intensity, but at least we did improve in the second half."

Asked if Napoli were now in a battle for second place in Group F, he replied: "No, we have four games to play. It is not over yet."

Last-gasp Balotelli penalty rescues point for Milan

Mario Balotelli converted an injury-time penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw for AC Milan minutes after hosts Ajax Amsterdam looked to have snatched an unlikely win in their Champions League Group H tie on Tuesday.

It was a frenetic finish to a match of few chances as both sides battled stoically in midfield before defensive lapses led to two late goals.

Balotelli coolly converted with virtually the last kick of the match, following a controversial decision by Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson to penalise Mike van der Hoorn.

The substitute defender looked more the victim than the aggressor as he tangled with Balotelli in the area.

The penalty, four minutes into stoppage time, came after Ajax had taken the lead through central defender Stefano Denswil in the 90th minute.

He rose unchallenged to head home a Lasse Schone corner, one of just eight efforts on goal in a cagey encounter at the Amsterdam Arena.

Milan go second in Group H on four points, two behind leaders Barcelona who maintained their perfect start with a 1-0 win at Celtic.

Ajax are third having picked up their first point of the campaign after losing 4-0 to Barcelona on the opening matchday.

Milan did not have a single effort on goal in the first half as they sat back behind the ball and comfortably dealt with Ajax's efforts to break through their lines.

The Italians seemed content with a point despite the relative inexperience of their hosts.

Home goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was called into action for the first time to keep out Riccardo Montolivo's effort from a Kevin Constant cross in the 49th minute, which marked a change of attitude for the visitors.

Balotelli had been largely anonymous in the first half but sprung to life after the break and came close with a looping shot just after the hour mark that forced another brilliant save from Cillessen, who managed to tip the ball onto the crossbar.

Ajax, who tired noticeably in the second half after some furious pressing, had an initial piece of good fortune minutes later when Denswil handled in the area but it was not spotted by any of the officials.

Cillessen made another good stop five minutes from the end as Balotelli was allowed time to turn and shoot in the penalty area as the game suddenly burst into life.

Ajax had only their second effort of the half in the 89th minute, forcing Milan keeper Christian Abbiati to concede a corner from which Denswil scored to set up a dramatic finale.

Witsel sent off as Zenit held at home by Austria Vienna

Zenit St Petersburg, who had Belgian Axel Witsel sent off in the first half, and Austria Vienna did little to further their hopes of progressing from Champions League Group G after sharing a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.

Both teams have one point from two games and trail Atletico Madrid and Porto, who meet later in the day, by two points.

Brazil forward Hulk went close to scoring when his shot hit the post in the 12th minute but Zenit lost momentum when midfielder Witsel was sent off for a reckless tackle in the 44th.

The Russians brought on former Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin for Alexander Kerzhakov in the second half but it made little difference.

Vienna rarely looked like making the most of their numerical advantage although Marin Leovac had a goal disallowed in the 52nd minute after Daniel Royer collided with goalkeeper Yuri Lodygin.

Cavani scores penalty as PSG go top in France

Striker Edinson Cavani came off the bench to score a controversial penalty as Paris St Germain went top of the Ligue 1 table thanks to a 2-0 home win over Toulouse on Saturday.

The Uruguayan, who scored the winner at Valenciennes on Wednesday, sealed the victory 11 minutes from time with his fourth goal of the season after centre back Marquinhos had put the French champions ahead four minutes before the break.

PSG started the game with a revamped team as Ezequiel Lavezzi, Cavani and Blaise Matuidi were all rested ahead of their Champions League Group C home clash against Benfica on Wednesday.

Four days after labouring at Valenciennes, they again struggled to create chances despite dominating the possession until Marquinhos broke the deadlock by tapping home the ball from close range.

Cavani, who replaced Zlatan Ibrahimovic midway through the second half, converted a penalty the referee had awarded for a foul on him although Toulouse centre back Uros Spajic had clearly gone for the ball as he slid in to tackle.

PSG climbed to top on 18 points from eight games, one ahead of Monaco, who visit midtable Stade Reims on Sunday, and third-placed Olympique Marseille, who won at 2-0 Lorient in the day's early game thanks to goals from Mathieu Valbuena and Andre Ayew.

Real lose to Atletico, go five points behind leaders

 Atletico Madrid Saturday kept pace with Barcelona
atop the Spanish Liga with a 1-0 derby win at neighbours Real, on a
goal from Brazilian striker Diego Costa.
It was Atletico's first league defeat of Real since 1999 and
confirmed their best ever start to a season, with seven wins out of
seven.
Earlier, Barca had scored their own seventh win, 2-0 at lowly
Almeria.
Atletico were determined to repeat their May cup final triumph
against Real in the Estadio Bernabeu, and made an aggressive start.
The only goal came in the 12th minute, when Costa calmly beat Real
keeper Diego Lopez after being played through by man-of-the-match
Koke.
Tiago came close to increasing Atletico's lead, with Real looking
uninspired and short on ideas.
Real dominated the second half, with Atletico content to soak up
the pressure and play on the break. Costa should have made it 2-0 but
was foiled by Lopez, then Koke hit the Real crossbar with an elegant
shot.
Real brought on record signing Gareth Bale but still could not
break down a resolute Atletico defence.
The whites are now five points behind Atletico and Barcelona.
Barca had few problems in Almeria, despite Lionel Messi limping
off with a pulled right hamstring shortly after scoring the first
goal.
It is a similar injury to the one that plagued him throughout last
spring.
He had broken the deadlock in the 21st minute with yet another of
his left-foot drives, after taking a clever short pass from Pedro. It
was Messi's eight goal and leaves him one ahead of Atletico's Diego
Costa in the scorers' chart.
Adriano made it 2-0 from close range after a precise move down the
left between Xavi and Cesc Fabregas. Barca then lifted their foot off
the pedal and took it easy until the end.
"I was pleased to score today, at just the moment when the game
was becoming dangerous for us," said Adriano.
"Let's hope that Messi's injury is nothing and that he can be with
us in the next few games, because he is a really important player for
us. With him, we are a different team."
Meanwhile, Barca coach Gerardo Martino said about Messi: "He has a
pulled muscle in his right leg but we will not know exactly what it
is until we do more tests.
"We are trying to control matches for 90 minutes. We were less
imprecise in the second half and Adriano's goal helped us to take
control."
Later Saturday, Real Sociedad and Sevilla played out an
interesting 1-1 draw.
Youngster Jairo gave Sevilla the lead in the 18th minute after
being set up by Ivan Rakitic, only for Antoine Griezmann to equalize
for the hosts in the 66th minute after good work down the right by
Carlos Vela.
The draw left Sociedad ninth and Sevilla 12th.
Earlier on, Valencia moved up to sixth with a 1-0 home defeat of
bottom team Rayo Vallecano.
In-form Brazilian striker Jonas scored the only goal in the 38th
minute, taking advantage of a serious blunder by Rayo defender Saul
Niguez.
Valencia are now sixth, level on 12 points with fifth-placed
Athletic Bilbao. Rayo, in contrast, are bottom with just three

Messi helps Barca set club record, then limps off

 Champions Barcelona made it seven wins out of seven in La Liga, setting a club record start to a campaign, with a 2-0 victory at promoted Almeria on Saturday.

World Player of the Year Lionel Messi struck the opener after 21 minutes with a wonderful solo effort but was forced to leave the pitch soon after with a hamstring problem in his right thigh.

Brazil full back Adriano added a second goal in the 56th minute to help move Barca on to 21 points, three ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid who visit third-placed Real Madrid in the capital city derby later on Saturday.

New coach Gerardo Martino played down his own influence on his record-breaking team.

"All I have done is profit from what these guys have achieved," Martino told a news conference.

"They have been breaking records for years. Mine is merely circumstantial."

Valencia continued to recover from their poor start to the season with a 1-0 home win over basement side Rayo Vallecano.

Brazilian striker Jonas pounced on an error in the Rayo defence to net the only goal after 37 minutes, earning Miroslav Djukic's team a third consecutive victory that put them sixth with 12 points.

Real Sociedad are ninth with seven points after a 1-1 draw at home to Sevilla.

Antoine Griezmann levelled for Socieded in the 66th minute to cancel out a great finish from Jairo in the 18th.

The Basques have now gone six games in La Liga and the Champions League without a win.

Martino rang the changes for Barca once again, leaving Neymar and Xavi on the bench, perhaps with an eye on next week's trip to Celtic in the Champions League.

Almeria gave little away at first, apart from a long-range Andres Iniesta volley that was turned over the bar, until Messi picked up the ball from a short corner on the right and ran across the edge of the area.

The Argentine played a one-two with Pedro and curled a left-foot shot in off the far post.

Messi then picked up his hamstring problem and was replaced by Xavi in the 29th minute.

The club said they would carry out tests on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury, though the forward did not seem unduly concerned as he remained in the dugout to watch the rest of the game.

"Lionel has a little muscle problem in his right leg, something he did while scoring his goal," Martino added. "Until they do the tests we won't know anything more."

After a shaky spell just before halftime, Barca doubled their lead when Cesc Fabregas squared for Adriano to slide in and divert the ball into the corner to continue the home team's winless start to the season.

Flying Dortmund, dull Bayern stay neck and neck

Borussia Dortmund steam-rollered hapless Freiburg 5-0 while Bayern Munich plodded past VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 as the two unbeaten arch-rivals remained level on points at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The two wins could not have been more different, with Dortmund creating countless chances against outclassed Freiburg and Bayern struggling to get into gear against well-organised but toothless opponents.

Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski each scored twice for Dortmund and Jakub Blaszczykowski completed the rout while win-less Freiburg had Fallou Diagne sent off before halftime.

Bayern, who only came to life after Xherdan Shaqiri came on as a second-half substitute, took the three points thanks to Thomas Mueller's first league goal of the season but coach Pep Guardiola was far from satisfied.

"We won the match but we have to improve some things," he told the club's website (www.fcbayern.telecom.de).

Both teams have 19 points from seven games with Dortmund, who have scored 21 goals to Bayern's 14, ahead on goal difference.

Hamburg SV, with former Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk making his first appearance in the hot seat, twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Marcell Jansen grabbed a point for the visitors with four minutes to play.

Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 win over Hanover 96 kept them one point behind the leaders in third spot while Hertha Berlin came from behind to beat Mainz 05 3-1 and Hoffenheim rallied from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Schalke 04.

Dortmund, who scored six goals in their previous home game against Hamburg, were so dominant that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could easily have had a hat-trick against Freiburg.

Last season's Bundesliga and Champions League runners-up created at least half a dozen chances before Reus snapped up a rebound to put them ahead in the 35th minute.

THEATRICAL FALL

Dortmund increased their lead on the stroke of halftime when Lewandowski was pushed by Diagne, fell theatrically backwards and was awarded a penalty while the Senegalese defender was sent off.

Reus converted the penalty and the rest was a foregone conclusion.

Lewandowski opened his account just before the hour with a brilliantly-taken goal. He controlled Reus's long pass on his chest with his back to goal, held off two defenders and dinked the ball into the net.

The Pole then turned in Jonas Hofmann's cross and compatriot Blaszczykowski completed the scoring with 11 minutes to go.

Bayern's uninspired win was in complete contrast, the only goal coming when Shaqiri sliced open the Wolfsburg defence with a diagonal pass to Franck Ribery and the Frenchman's low cross was turned in at the far post by Mueller.

First-half goals from Simon Rolfes and Sidney Sam were enough for Leverkusen to down Hanover while Sami Allagui scored twice for promoted Hertha in their 3-1 win over Mainz.

Schalke failed to build on an excellent start at Hoffenheim where Kevin-Prince Boateng sidefooted the visitors ahead and Joel Matip headed a second in the 13th minute.

Anthony Modeste pulled one back from close-range but Marco Hoeger burst through the Hoffenheim defence to restore Schalke's two-goal advantage five minutes before the break.

A Roberto Firmino penalty and David Abraham free kick gave Hoffenheim their second 3-3 home draw of the season while Firmino also hit the bar near the end.

Hamburg, who have the league's worst defensive record, fell behind to a Johannes Flum goal for Eintracht in the 31st minute before Pierre-Michel Lasogga headed them level in first-half stoppage time.

Marco Russ put Eintracht back in front nine minutes after the restart but Jansen curled in the last-gasp equaliser to haul Hamburg out of the bottom three.

Man City's Pellegrini vows to keep calm despite defeat

 Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini refused to panic after his side lost 3-2 at Aston Villa on Saturday as their wait for a first away win in the Premier League this season goes on.

The Chilean coach refused to let his stuttering side's form on the road worry him despite a run of only three victories from their last 11 away league games dating back to last season.

City have picked up only one point from three of those games this term after defeat to Cardiff City and a draw at Stoke City and have slipped to fifth spot, five points off leaders Arsenal.

"It's important to keep calm. In general I was very happy with the way my team played today and we deserved a different score," he said. "We played very well and deserved to win."

They started well against Villa and dominated the first half but missed lots of chances before Yaya Toure opened the scoring with his fourth goal in their six league games this season.

Pellegrini's side would come to rue their profligacy in front of goal as they twice squandered the lead.

Villa's Karim El Ahmadi equalised early in the second half before Edin Dzeko restored City's lead. The hosts then scored twice in three minutes to turn the game on its head with Leandro Bacuna's magnificent free-kick and Andreas Weimann's winner.

"We played very well and deserved to win," a frustrated Pellegrini told Sky Sports. "We deserved another score in the match, but in five minutes we did two things that threw away everything good we had done in the rest of the match.

"The way we lost this game was incredible. We led twice, and we had control of the game."

Villa manager Paul Lambert praised the way his side overcame a crippling injury list to claim a third league win of the season that takes them up to ninth place with nine points.

"I thought we were outstanding. The injury list is pretty horrendous. We've lost two lads (forwards Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor) who have scored a lot of goals for us and we've lost (Ashley) Westwood who has been fantastic.

"We're up against one of the best teams in the country. Not just for the Barclays Premier League but for Champions League football so that says a lot about the magnitude of the result.

"I know from experience reputation will never win you the game. Their two lads (Toure and Brazilian Fernandinho) played well but El Ahmadi, (Yacouba Sylla) and (Fabian) Delph were absolutely brilliant."

Pandev's quickfire double puts Napoli top

Goran Pandev scored two goals in 11 first-half minutes to lift Napoli to the top of Serie A with a 2-0 victory at Genoa on Saturday.

Rafael Benitez's unbeaten side, who started with strikers Gonzalo Higuain and Marek Hamsik on the bench ahead of Tuesday's Champions League trip to Arsenal, have 16 points from six games.

Napoli lead by one point from AS Roma who host Bologna on Sunday.

Macedonian forward Pandev fluffed one chance on the break before breaking through in the 14th minute. He pounced on an errant pass from Genoa midfielder Juraj Kucka and skipped past Alessandro Gamberini to calmly shoot his team in front.

With Genoa rocking, Pandev then played a neat one-two with Lorenzo Insigne before finishing well with his right foot from a tight angle.

Pandev's match-winning display came after he was played behind the centre forward, the position he had been asking Benitez to put him.

"I said to him that he has no excuses, he was playing in the centre and he had to score goals, and he did," said the coach.

Benitez was criticised in midweek when he rotated his team and they could only muster a 1-1 home draw in the league against lowly Sassuolo.

"We really wanted three points after the horrible night on Wednesday but those nights can happen to anyone," said Pandev. "Tonight we played really well and deserved the win.

Genoa, who are 15th in the table, put Napoli under a lot of pressure in the second half and the visitors looked a lot less secure especially as injured defender Raul Albiol had made way for Paolo Cannavaro at halftime.

Higuain replaced new signing Duvan Zapata, who had a disappointing debut, with an hour gone and the former Real Madrid frontman had a chance to make it 3-0 in injury time but blazed his shot over the bar.

Struggling AC Milan host third from bottom Sampdoria in Saturday's late game, hoping to grab their second win of the season.

Southampton fourth after strikers end barren runs

A palpable wave of relief pulsed through St Mary's on Saturday after Southampton beat a gritty Crystal Palace side 2-0 and the home team's two talismanic strikers ended barren spells in front of goal.

Record signing Dani Osvaldo scored his first for the south coast club when he sent a left-foot shot beyond keeper Julian Speroni in the 47th minute.

The Italy international then won a free kick 90 seconds later for Rickie Lambert to grab his first Premier League goal since the opening day of the season.

Lambert struck his effort perfectly from 20 metres, lofting the ball over the wall and in off the post.

"I was desperate to get on the scoresheet sooner rather than later," the England centre forward told reporters. "I am over the moon.

"We knew if we kept going, kept passing around the box, we would get chances and those chances would go in."

Lambert paid tribute to Osvaldo, a 12.8 million pounds ($20.64 million) buy from AS Roma in August.

"Dani did fantastically for his goal and it has given him the confidence he needs," said the England striker.

It was the first time Southampton had scored two goals in a league game this season and it lifted the team to fourth place in the table.

"To be fourth ... it's very nice, very nice ... let's try to stay there," said Lambert.

"It's a hard league. I won't be too fussed if I don't score 15 like last season so long as the lads do their stuff."

Federation official questions Real penalty referee

The referee who awarded Real Madrid the stoppage-time penalty that secured a 2-1 La Liga win at Elche on Wednesday may not have been in the right state of mind to take charge of the game, the head of Spain's referees' committee said on Thursday.

Victoriano Sanchez Arminio told reporters referee Cesar Muniz Fernandez probably got it wrong when he ruled Elche midfielder Carlos Sanchez had obstructed Pepe at a 94th-minute corner and pointed to the spot.

The Elche players were furious with the decision, also because the allocated three minutes of added time had already ended and their plucky performance had been rewarded with a dramatic equaliser three minutes earlier.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who had put Real ahead with a 51st-minute free kick, drove the penalty into the corner and a host of angry Elche players confronted Muniz Fernandez on the final whistle.

Television replays showed Pepe and Sanchez grappling with each other before tumbling together to the floor and the Elche players' fury appeared justified.

"I don't think he got it right," Sanchez Arminio said.

"But there you go, sometimes we get it right and sometimes not, that's football," he added.

"When someone is not on form on the pitch it's one thing after the other.

"The best person to ask about it is him (Muniz Fernandez). I don't know how he was feeling, if he maybe had some family issue that meant he wasn't in the right frame of mind."

Muniz Fernandez has already been mired in controversy once this season when he disallowed what appeared a perfectly legitimate goal scored by Sevilla defender Cala against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Wednesday's decision prompted an ironic comment from Barca's Spain centre back Gerard Pique, who referred to the match on his Twitter feed as a "comedy film".

Barca president Sandro Rosell was quoted as saying in local media on Thursday he "still couldn't believe it" and "the evidence speaks for itself".

Spanish media reported the referees' committee had decided Muniz Fernandez would not officiate at another Elche match this season.

Germany striker Klose doubtful for World Cup qualifiers

Germany forward Miroslav Klose could miss the World Cup qualifiers against Ireland and Sweden next month after undergoing foot surgery late on Wednesday, Germany coach Joachim Loew said on Thursday.

"I have been informed about his surgery and will directly speak with him," Loew said of Klose, who plays for Italian club Lazio.

Lazio said on its website Klose would start his recovery immediately after the surgery. Klose's Germany team mate Mario Gomez has already been ruled out of those games with a knee injury.

Max Kruse had been called up for the last two internationals earlier this month.

"I still do not know what kind of impact his absence will have on the nominations for the games against Ireland and Sweden. I will name the squad at the end of next week," Loew said.

Germany, top of Group C next host Ireland on Oct. 11 before finishing off away to Sweden four days later. They need two points from the two games to guarantee top spot

Mata rebuff shows Spurs are a threat - Villas-Boas

Chelsea's decision to block Tottenham Hotspur's move for Juan Mata in the recent transfer window shows the clubs are now genuine rivals, Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas said on Thursday.

Mata is currently out of favour under Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, with the Spain international left under no illusion that he will have to change his game if he wants to win back his place at Stamford Bridge.

Villas-Boas said Tottenham, who face Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Saturday, enquired about signing the playmaker, but were rebuffed in their efforts to get him to move across London.

"We did not pursue it to be fair," Villas-Boas told reporters at Tottenham's training ground.

"When top players become available when their situation changes at a club, particularly for a player like Juan Mata, you enquire about the situation, but nothing went further than a simple enquiry...

"It is normal, last year we were fighting for the same objectives in the beginning the title and after that Champions League qualification, so I suppose after that they did not want to strengthen a rival.

"I suppose it is a sign of evolution from Tottenham as well."

Chelsea also sought to scupper Tottenham's transfer plans by poaching Brazil international Willian from under their noses, signing him after he had undergone a medical in north London.

"I have no idea what motivated them to sign Willian, but I am sure he has strengthened an already very good squad," Villas-Boas added.

"In the end, everybody agrees in that sector they are very strong already, but they decided to do that and he is such a young talent with so much potential that he can always compliment them."

Mourinho blocked my progress, says Villas-Boas

Extra spice was added to Tottenham's clash with Chelsea on Saturday after Andre Villas-Boas said he went into management when his coaching ambitions were thwarted by Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

The two Portuguese managers will be in opposing dugouts for the first time when their teams meet in the Premier League, four years after Villas-Boas quit Mourinho's backroom staff at Inter to take a job back home with Academica.

The pair had been close, Villas-Boas working under Mourinho at Porto and Chelsea before the spell together in Serie A signalled the end of their working relationship.

The Tottenham manager had been an opposition scout for Mourinho but wanted a more hands-on coaching role, only to be rebuffed.

"My relationship with him professionally and personally was excellent, as you can imagine, because we worked so many years together," he told reporters at Tottenham's training facilities in Enfield on Friday.

"Our break-up point was because I was full of ambition to give him something extra and I wanted further involvement to the job that I was doing at the time which was scouting and match preparation.

"I felt that I could give him much more so my initial idea was to keep working with him but he did not feel the need for someone near to him or in another position as an assistant and because of that we both decided it was time."

Villas-Boas denied there was any on-going feud between the coaches who have strikingly similar career paths with varying degrees of success.

They are on speaking terms, but are no longer close friends.

"We talked at the Premier League managers meeting when we were there in August, but since then no," Villas-Boas added.

The Tottenham boss may feel he has a point to prove at White Hart Lane against the team who sacked him after only eight months in the job.

EXCELLENT START

Tottenham's excellent start to the season has put them two points clear of their London rivals, having won eight of their nine competitive games this campaign and conceding a solitary goal.

Victory would provide them with a healthy cushion and might also offer food for thought to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich who was quick to pull the trigger on Villas-Boas's reign at Stamford Bridge having tasked him with rejuvenating the squad.

The Tottenham manager, who set out his stall to challenge for the title when he took the job last year, feels Saturday's match is unlikely to have a decisive impact on the final table and what he believes could be the tightest title race in years.

"It can change very quickly, at the moment we are on a good run. There aren't any teams on maximum points, so this year it will be very tight at the top," he added.

"We could have the tightest Premier League in years. What is happening to us now, puts us in a positive mood, but we just have to continue trying to get the most amount of points possible.

"It is very early stages, anything can change dramatically, this game will not have any significant impact," Villas-Boas said.

"Whatever comes out, I'm not sure it will have a great impact on the classification at the end of the season, but we want to do well and build on our confidence."

Chelsea's van Ginkel faces six months out of action

Chelsea's Dutch international midfielder Marco van Ginkel could be out of action for six months after knee surgery on Thursday, the Premier League club said.

The 20-year-old Dutchman injured his anterior cruciate ligament during the first half of a Capital One (League) Cup match at Swindon on Tuesday. Chelsea said in a statement that the surgery had been successful.

Van Ginkel, who joined the west Londoners in July from Vitesse Arnhem on a five-year contract, has made only two starts under manager Jose Mourinho.

He made his senior international debut last November and the layoff will be a blow to his hopes of selection for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Louis van Gaal's Dutch side have already qualified for the finals

Freiburg seek consistency for trip to Dortmund

Freiburg's joyous celebrations for clinching a first European spot in 12 years with a fifth place finish last season have turned into a hangover as the minnows brace for a showdown against Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Coach Christian Streich's team has struggled for both pace and imagination after five key players were snapped up by bigger clubs in the summer transfer window and find themselves mired in the relegation zone, still winless after six matches.

Two of the biggest losses were striker Max Kruse, who scored 11 goals and set up another eight last season before joining Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Congolese midfielder Cedric Makiadi, who moved north to Werder Bremen.

Also hampering the club's progress is an injury picked up earlier this month while on international duty with the Czech Republic to record signing Vladimir Darida, who joined from Viktoria Plzen but has yet to feature for Freiburg.

This lack of consistency has led to three draws and three defeats in the league, and the squandering of a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw against Slovan Liberec in their opening Europa League Group H fixture.

"At the moment, we are not capable of lighting any fireworks," Streich said of his club's recent form.

"It is important not to have any fear. If you fail to win for some time in the Bundesliga, you develop this fear. It is about making the game fun for our players. This season we will need to fight enormous battles to survive."

BAYERN DRAW

The small club, still the only one to take points off the all-conquering Bayern Munich this season with a 1-1 draw, received a confidence boost on Wednesday when they reached the last 16 of the German Cup with a 2-1 win over VfB Stuttgart.

"It was by no means a liberating win for us, this is something for big teams who may get a bad result and then bounce straight back," added Streich, who led the team to the semi-finals of the same competition last season.

"We are going to Dortmund now, a huge challenge mentally to play against those players. But we will not go down without a fight, I can guarantee you that."

Freiburg are currently in 17th place, one off the bottom on three points, 13 behind their opponents on Saturday.

"We were better than in the past few games and deserved to win," said keeper Oliver Baumann, who agreed to a contract extension this week. "I really hope that our confidence stays with us and we can take it into our next game."

They will need all the confidence they can muster against the Bundesliga leaders, who had a tougher midweek Cup game than expected against second tier 1860 Munich, needing extra time before advancing 2-0.

Dortmund top the standings, level on points with Bayern, after five wins and a draw from their opening six fixtures.

Defender Marcel Schmelzer is doubtful with a muscle injury but coach Juergen Klopp is unlikely to leave any of his top players on the bench after resting several in last week's 1-1 draw at Nuremberg.

Bayern host VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, while third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, a point behind the leaders on 15, entertain Hanover 96.

Ashley-Cooper moves to wing for Australia

Adam Ashley-Cooper has been moved to the wing as a replacement for the disgraced James O'Connor in Australia's side to face South Africa in a Rugby Championship clash at Newlands on Saturday.

The move is one of three changes in the Australia backline announced by coach Ewen McKenzie, who has made six changes in total.

O'Connor has been replaced in the starting side by centre Tevita Kuridrani, who will take over the number 13 jersey, with Ashley-Cooper switching to the wing.

ACT Brumbies flyer Joe Tomane has also been included on the other wing in the place of Nick Cummins.

"Adam has great versatility, he is our most experienced backline player," McKenzie told reporters on Thursday.

"To be honest, we put numbers on their back but it doesn't mean they will play like that. We have a physically imposing backline and we hope to put pressure on the Boks with that. Tevita Kuridrani has also been itching for a chance."

Australia captain James Horwill returns from injury to take over from Kane Douglas at lock, the only other change to the starting line-up from the side that beat Argentina 14-13 last time out.

"James Horwill coming back is logical as captain. We have got the best guys that are available now and they are improving as a combination."

New Zealand-born wing Chris Feauai-Sautia, who plays for Queensland Reds, has been added the bench and will make his international debut if the 19-year-old gets onto the pitch.

Waratahs loose-head prop Benn Robinson has also been added to the bench to replace Scott Sio.

McKenzie acknowledges that his side were well short of their best when thumped 38-12 by South Africa in Brisbane earlier this month, but is comfortable with the underdog role for this match.

"The one game we were disappointed with was the game against the Boks because we did not feel we got close to how we wanted to play, in the forwards or the backs.

"All we have read about since we have been here is how much the Springboks are going to beat us by... we have taken note of that."

Team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13-Tevita Kuridrani, 12-Christian Leali'ifano, 11-Joe Tomane, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Nic White, 8-Ben Mowen, 7-Michael Hooper, 6-Scott Fardy, 5-James Horwill (captain), 4-Rob Simmons, 3-Ben Alexander, 2-Stephen Moore, 1-James Slipper

Replacements: 16-Saia Fainga'a, 17-Benn Robinson, 18-Sekope Kepu, 19-Sitaleki Timani, 20-Ben McCalman, 21-Will Genia, 22-Matt Toomua, 23-Chris Feauai-Sautia

Bale set for Bernabeu baptism of fire in Madrid derby

With his Real side misfiring and city rivals Atletico flying high, world record signing Gareth Bale may be in for a baptism of fire when he makes his home debut in Saturday's Madrid derby at the Bernabeu (2000 GMT).

The 100-million euro ($135 million) Wales winger was due to play his first match at Real's giant arena last weekend against Getafe but tweaked a thigh muscle in the warmup and was hastily withdrawn from the starting lineup.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti rested Bale for Wednesday's 2-1 win at promoted Elche, when Real needed a controversial Cristiano Ronaldo penalty deep into stoppage time to secure victory, but told reporters the 24-year-old would be back to face Atletico.

Instead of taking to the field against one of the league's weakest teams, however, Bale will be up against a fired-up side who have won all six of their matches and top the table on a perfect 18 points with champions Barcelona.

Diego Simeone's Atletico will also be buoyed by last season's memorable 2-1 King's Cup final victory against Real in the same stadium, the first victory for the club against their bitter city rivals in any competition in 14 years.

Atletico's triumph was particularly sweet for their long-suffering fans as it left Real without major silverware and helped hasten the departure of coach Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho's successor Ancelotti has yet to get the best from his hugely expensive squad and the Italian delivered some blunt criticism after Wednesday's unconvincing display at Elche, a club whose entire squad is worth less than half the fee Real paid Tottenham Hotspur for Bale.

"I am not happy," Ancelotti told a news conference after Elche snatched a 91st-minute equaliser only for Ronaldo, who had put Real ahead with a free kick in the 51st minute, to net the winner in the 96th.

"We suffered a lot, especially at the end. The team did not control the match after Ronaldo's goal," Ancelotti added.

"The important thing is the result but it's not enough, we have to play better.

"Playing like that we will not win the derby ... above all we have to play with more intensity and personality."

INTRIGUING ASPECT

Intensity and personality are exactly what former Argentina captain Simeone, a combative midfielder for clubs including Atletico, Sevilla, Inter Milan and Lazio, has instilled in his squad since he took over in late 2011.

None has benefited more from the Argentine's guidance than Brazilian Diego Costa, who has started the season with a bang and tops the La Liga scoring chart alongside Barca's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi on seven goals.

A burly forward who likes to rattle opponents with an aggressive playing style, Costa netted the equaliser in last season's Cup final and his battle with Real's central defenders Sergio Ramos and Pepe will be one of the most intriguing aspects of Saturday's game.

"We are working, taking each game at a time, and the only thing that concerns us is doing things well at Atletico Madrid," Simeone told a news conference after Tuesday's 2-1 La Liga win at home to Osasuna.

"We are on a positive run, the fans are happy.

"Each day the responsibility is growing and the demands even more and that's why we have to rest properly and train hard."

Barca's Argentine coach Gerardo Martino is likely to continue his policy of alternating rest days for key squad members when the champions play at promoted Almeria on Saturday.

In-form Spain playmaker Cesc Fabregas is likely to start after sitting out Tuesday's 4-1 success at home to Real Sociedad.

Balotelli gets a ticking off from Milan coach

Mario Balotelli was given a ticking-off by AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri on Tuesday after the club decided not to appeal against a three-match ban for his sending-off on Sunday.

"Mario is 23 years old, he is no longer a child," Allegri told reporters about Balotelli's dismissal for insulting the referee at the end of the 2-1 home defeat by Napoli.

"To be a champion you have to have the right behaviour because you are an example to all those who are watching you," Allegri told reporters.

"Mario has made a mistake, penalising the team, the club and the supporters and he must change this behaviour."

Allegri added that referees were becoming reluctant to give free kicks to Balotelli because of his attitude.

"Mario should help the referees to protect him," he added. "The referees have left him (unprotected) because they can be influenced by negative attitudes."

The maverick forward has been relatively well-behaved since joining Milan from Manchester City in January, although he was also sent off against Fiorentina in April, again for arguing with a referee.

"I hope that he realises he put the team in difficulty," said Allegri. "When the game is over, you need to go into the dressing room, calm down and think about working to improve."

"The players should think about playing and not about the referee's decisions," he added. "When the game ends, you should leave the field, possibly greeting the referee politely."

"Mario is a world-renowned player who represents the Italian national team. I think he has every chance of understanding and growing. He is an important player for Milan and should behave like a champion.

"Until now, Mario has always behaved well. He got it wrong on Sunday and I hope that serves as a lesson."

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Walcott to miss England World Cup qualifiers

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has been ruled out of England's last two World Cup qualifiers because he needs treatment for an abdominal injury, his Premier League club said on Tuesday.

"He will have the procedure in Germany on Wednesday and, because it's so minor, we can begin his rehab immediately," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the club website (www.arsenalcom).

"We are pleased it's being dealt with quickly and he shouldn't miss too many Arsenal matches. But he will miss the forthcoming international matches with England."

England, one point clear of Ukraine and Montenegro in Group H, are due to play Montenegro and Poland at home on Oct 11 and 15 respectively in their final qualifiers for next year's tournament in Brazil.

Walcott missed Arsenal's win at Stoke City on Sunday that sent the Gunners top of the Premier League after suffering slight damage to his posterior abdominal wall.

"It's not a hernia, but it's a little structural problem in his abdomen," said Wenger.