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Showing posts from September, 2016

LVG deserves a ‘prison’ sentence for signing Rojo

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Manchester United defeat in the Europe League on Thursday night did not go down well with some Red Devils fans as they vented their frustrations on social medial particularly calling for Jose Mourinho to axe defender Marcos Rojo from the team with former manager Louis van Gaal also coming in for strong criticisms. The Red Devils lost the match 1-0 but Argentine defender Rojo had a night to forget as Feyenoord players had an easy game against him which angered majority of United’s twitter followers. However, a particular tweet by @ManUnitedTalk stood out, it read: Van Gaal deserves a prison sentence for bringing Rojo to Manchester United! Here are some of the best tweets on the 26-year-old: @kieronjamesford: Mourinho has got to sort this play style and formation out very quickly and I'll be surprised if Rojo gets near the 1st team again #MUFC @SergeMUFC: Rojo should never play for #MUFC again. @allforunited: Was trying to chill about Rojo. Bu

UEL: Unhappy Mourinho reacts to second straight defeat

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Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes his lads deserved more form their 1-0 defeat at Feyenoord on Thursday night in Holland. Mourinho watched helplessly from the sidelines as his United side went down to a late Tonny Vilhena goal that should have been ruled out for offside in the build-up. Reacting after his second successive defeat as the Reds boss, Mourinho had made eight changes to his starting XI had this to say after the game. "Of course I'm unhappy. We lose the game in a moment we didn't deserve to. The second half, the game was even. We were always in control. “We were trying to win, they were trying not to lose. It is double unlucky because it was a clear offside. "The second half was better than the first. In the Europa League, we are going to be the team everyone wants to beat." Mourinho told BT Sport. On if his players should have given more than they did on the night, the former Chelsea boss who was f

Klopp to have more than one body on Costa

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Liverpool bossJurgen Klopp says they will have more than one body on Diego Costa when they face Chelsea tonight in the Premier League’s Friday night game. The Reds are away at Stamford Bridge in both side’s first meeting of the season and with the controversial Costa having started the season in fine form, Klopp believes it won’t be possible to have just one man marking the Spain striker. When asked whether or not defender Joel Matip will handle the maverick Costa, boss Klopp said: “Alone? Not. How could he? That’s not possible. What does the centre-half do when the number nine drops into midfield all the time? Go with him and leave a gap open for Hazard? That’s not how defending works. “After the game, if we said, 'Matip had a problem with Costa', then we had 10 other problems, because that cannot be the plan.”  “Hopefully, he (Matip) doesn’t play alone against him. You have to work together,” he explained of Liverpool’s tactics. “You can

5 Truths: Arsene Wenger survives, Barcelona are the world’s best

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  Arsenal survive, Barcelona demolish Celtic and Bayern have a rising star. It’s five Truths from Tuesday’s action in the Champions League. Arsenal outclassed, but have they somehow passed their toughest group test? On another night Edinson Cavani would have had a hat-trick and the Gunners would have been hammered. Arsene Wenger would have been chastised for dropping Petr Cech and not selecting Granit Xhaka and Olivier Giroud from the start. But they escaped with a fortunate draw and must now quietly fancy their chances of topping a group including the French champions, minnows Ludogorets and Swiss outfit Basel . They will have to improve greatly on this showing but given the complexion of the whole game, this is a fantastic start. But it does beg the question… [REPORT: Sanchez strikes late as Arsenal escape PSG with a draw] Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates Reuters

Ross Barkley needs to improve, admits Everton boss Ronald Koeman

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  Ross Barkley needs to improve "in all areas" according to his Everton manager Ronald Koeman, who substituted him at half-time during the 3-0 win at Sunderland on Monday. Dutchman Koeman is clearly not afraid to rattle cages and with Everton flying high in the Premier League, Barkley has been warned that he is no automatic choice. "There was a reason to take Ross Barkley off at half-time. He didn't play well, lost too many balls. Players of that quality can't lose those kind of balls," Koeman, whose side are third in the Premier League after four games, said. Sunderland's Jan Kirchhoff in action with Everton's Ross Barkley on Monday night Reuters "I had a talk with Ross, he needs to improve and we will see at the weekend. He understands, we showed him the clips and there is no escape." Barkley is still to deliver fully on his promise and failed to make new

Chelsea v Liverpool

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Chelsea and Liverpool will both be looking to continue their good starts to the new Premier League season when they meet at Stamford Bridge on Friday. The Blues dropped their first points of the new campaign away to Swansea City last weekend, where a Diego Costa brace secured a point in Wales. It was another performance where an Antonio Conte-instilled tenacity was clearly evident, and it leaves the Londoners just two points off the pace in the early standings. After a thrilling 4-3 win over Arsenal on opening day, the subsequent 2-0 loss to Burnley had Reds fans fearing another inconsistent season. However, a draw away to Tottenham and 4-1 win over reigning champions Leicester City has the Merseyside outfit back in form and ready for their trip to west London. In team news, Chelsea central defenders John Terry (foot) and Kurt Zouma (anterior cruciate

KARL-HEINZ BAYERN DIDNY SIGN SANE

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Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Bayern Munich did not sign Manchester City winger Leroy Sane due to the existing depth and quality in Carlo Ancelotti's squad. The Citizens made one of the biggest swoops of the transfer window, clinching the signature of the highly-rated Germany international for £37.5 million from Schalke. City reportedly faced stiff competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern amongst others, but Rummenigge has offered clarity as to why they didn't move for Sane. "We plan our squad carefully every year. There's no need for us to stockpile players," he told Sport Bild . "If we had signed Sane, we would not have been able to guarantee him a starting place. "We've already got Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa, Franck Ribery, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski. That's a great attackin

Coutinho praises Mane impact

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Liverpool playmaker Phillipe Coutinho has lauded the impact new signing Sadio Mane has had on the club’s attacking play since his arrival from Southampton. Coutinho spent much of the match on the bench as the Reds made short work of reigning Premier League Champions and recorded a 4-1 win to mark the opening of the new main stand at Anfield last weekend. Mane had a hand in three of Liverpool’s four goals and has really impressed the Brazilian. The midfielder was asked what Mane had contributed to the team in an interview on the club’s official website and replied: “A lot, he’s a fantastic player. “He’s very quick, he’s got very good feet, so that helps us to create a lot of chances to score – not just him but as we saw in the game, Daniel [Sturridge], Firmino, Lallana up there too.” Liverpool look a different team when Mane is on the pitch but Coutinho is happy

Serie A review:Juve, Napoli, Roma set the pace, as Inter win

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It was another weekend of Serie A action following the international break with several interesting fixtures. Joe Hart made began life in Italy after his loan switch from Manchester City but marked it with a blunder after gifting Atalanta a goal as Torino were beaten 2-1. Roma are showing the good stuff again and look like they will compete this year, while Napoli are also showing that last season’s performances were a fluke even though they have lost Gonzalo Higuain. Champions Juventus continue to live up to expectation, while it was contrasting fortunes for the Milan clubs – AC losing at the San Siro, while Inter recorded their first win of the De Boer era. Here, we review the games from last weekend. AC Milan 0-1 Udinese Another loss for Milan means they are 14 th on the table after three games. The Rossonerri have now lost two of their three games of the new Serie A season after a Stipe Perica 88 th minute goal condemned them to yet another

Introducing Arkadiusz Milik: Successor of Gonzalo Higuain

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If you were Aurelio De Laurentis how would you replace a near 40-goal a season striker who has jumped ship to your nearest rivals? The answer is simple; sign Arkadiusz Milik. When Gonzalo Higuain left SS Napoli to join Juventus for an Italian record transfer fee after a season in which he plundered an astonishing 36 goals in 35 Serie A games, the question on the hearts of the club's agonizing fans was "who could possibly take his place"? They should never have bordered. The President who brought Edison Cavani, Ezekiel Lavezzi and Higuain to the love club of Diego Maradona on a "cheap" only to sell each of them for a fortune knew exactly where to mine the next diamond. Akadiusz Milik was picked up from Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam after a not so pulsating outing at Euro 2016 and immediately placed in the first team ahead of Higuain's erstwhile deputy, Manolo Gabbiadini. Few would have expected the 22 year old former Bayer

United legend says Pep is the 'Special One', not Mourinho

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Manchester United legend Roy Keane has rendered another blow to Jose Mourinho by insisting rival manager Pep Guardiola is the ‘Special One’, and not the Portuguese Mourinho prided himself as the ‘Special One’ upon his arrival in England in 2004, and has since lived with the nickname by Keane believes the title is better suited to Guardiola, and not Mourinho. Both managers are the two most sought after managers in the world at the moment, and came face-to-face with each other when both sides clashed at Old Trafford in the Manchester derby on Saturday, with Guardiola taking the honours with a 2-1 win. The former Barcelona coach only joined City this summer, and has already made visible changes to the team both on and off the pitch, including ostracizing senior players like Yaya Toure and Joe Hart, a development that has apparently pleased Keane. Speaking after City brushed Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday at the Et

Mourinho reveals Man Utd's Europa League target

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Jose Mourinho says Manchester United do not want to play in the Europa League each season – United, who travel to Watford on Sunday, also face Fenerbahce and FC Zorya Luhansk in Group A – United qualified for the Europa League after finishing fifth and winning the FA Cup last season Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says the club do not want to compete in the Europa League because it is not the level they aspire to be in   United open their Europa League campaign on Thursday against Feyenoord after finishing fifth under former boss Louis van Gaal last season. Mourinho says it would be difficult to in the Premier League season with his side playing in the Europa League. The Portuguese says he would love it if his side play on Monday after every Europa League tie but conceded it would be impossible to have that happen.   “It [the Europa League] is not a competition that Man United wants,” Mourinho told reporters. “It is not one I want or the players but it is a competition wher

Man Utd title bid will be hurt by Europa League, says Jose Mourinho

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  Jose Mourinho explains why it will be harder for Man United to win the Premier League because they are in the Europa League Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says the Europa League campaign may hamper his team's Premier League ambitions. But Mourinho says he still wants to win Europe's second tier competition and will ensure his players are motivated for the challenge. United begin their Europa League campaign at Feyenoord on Thursday night  and Mourinho agreed the nature of the competition would make their title challenge more tricky. "It is more difficult, yes,"

Ranieri says Champions League song woke Mahrez up

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Claudio Ranieri believes the Champions League has woken Riyad Mahrez after the Algerian put in a superb performance to earn the Foxes a comprehensive 3-0 win at Club Brugge in their debut in the Europe’s premier club competition. Mahrez was the star on the night as his double saw Leicester start their European adventure with an impressive away win in Belgium. The Algerian has had a rather underwhelming start to the Premier League season, having taken the league by storm last term and emerged as the best player but given his impressive display on Wednesday night, Ranieri has said his attacker was woken by the sound of the Champions League song. “Maybe the music woke him up. Maybe he is very tired of dilly-ding dilly-dong and prefers the Champions League music. He was very good but I like him when he covers the zone very well,” Ranieri said. Read also: Leicester begin Champions League campaign with big win The former Chelsea boss also took the ti

Ronaldo emotional over Sporting CP win

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Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed mixed feelings over Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over his boyhood club Sporting CP in Match Day 1 of the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo got the equalising goal before Alvaro Morata sealed victory at the death but the Portugal star confessed that he is a little bit hurt even in victory. "It hurts a little to play against and score against them, but I represent my colours and they're those of Real Madrid," Ronaldo told UEFA.com "This is a club that I love and is in my heart now but to play against Sporting, where I grew up, was difficult." READ ALSO: Ronaldo launches attack on former Barca captain Xavi It was common to see visiting teams cause Madrid such problems at the Bernabeu like Sporting CP did; Ronaldo, though, was not surprised. "They were always going to come here with a game plan and they executed it very well. Their coach is a smart guy and he was going to make life difficult. Spor

Why we lost to Monaco-Dele Alli

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has given possible reasons why his side recorded disappointing 2-1 defeat to AS Monaco in the Champions League. The player who is of Nigerian descent but already pledged his international future to his country of birth, England admitted that he and his teammates have only themselves to blame following their bad start. Spurs were unable to mark their return to Europe's showpiece competition with a victory, as a slow start to the match saw them fall two goals behind inside the opening 31 minutes at Wembley Stadium. Despite playing in front of a record home crown for an English club in the competition at Wembley, Spurs were unable to take their chances when they arrived while Monaco scored from their only two shots on target. READ ALSO: Alli who was obviously disappointed with how things panned out told BT Sport his side require a quick response when they turn attention back to Premier League action this coming weekend. "

Iheanacho Celebrates Great Manchester City Win

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Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho is quite excited with Manchester City’s perfect start to the UEFA Champions League this season. The Citizens blew Borussia Monchengladbach apart, winning 4-0 in their opening Group C match at the Ethiad Stadium on Wednesday night. Sergio Aguero ran riot as he fired a hat-trick; his second of the campaign. Iheanacho then put the icing on the cake in the big win with his 90th minute goal. READ ALSO: Champions League, EPL title possible in one season-Guardiola The was his first in the Champions League in six appearances and he was swift to go on twitter to celebrate the sterling display recorded by his team “Great result and great team performance from the team,” the Nigeria forward wrote on Twitter. Iheanacho has scored twice so far this term in all competitions and he is expected to have some role as  City take their 100% against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Figo sings Zidane's praises ahead of Real's UCL opener

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Former Real Madrid star Luis Figo believes that Zinedine Zidane has been the best manager in the world since taking over from Rafael Benitez at Real Madrid in January. The ex-Portugal international and skipper who played alongside the '98 World Cup winner (Zidane) with France at Madrid has heaped praise on the Los Blancos boss and trusts that he can bring more success to the Bernabeu. "He has performed better than anyone else since he has been appointed. "When you think about it is what he has achieved is phenomonal - to come in midseason and win the Champions League, and also to make it so close for the league after being so far behind (Barcelona). "What he has done is phenomonal." Said the 43-year-old former Portugal winger Zidane and his troops start their defence of the UEFA Champions League trophy at home to Sporting CP - the club where Figo and the Galacticos' current goal poacher Cristiano Ronaldo started his career.

Sir Alex Ferguson: Jurgen Klopp got Liverpool tactics wrong in Europa League final

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<img class="widge-figure__image auto-size__target" src="http://e2.365dm.com/16/09/16-9/20/jurgen-klopp-liverpool-woe-dejected-europa-league-final-basel-basle-sevilla_3785876.jpg?20160914081232" alt="Liverpool were 1-0 up at half-time of last season's Europa League final against Sevilla" itemprop="image"> Liverpool were 1-0 up at half-time of last season's Europa League final against Sevilla Sir Alex Ferguson believes Jurgen Klopp got his Liverpool tactics wrong in last season's Europa League final defeat. But the legendary former Manchester United manager says Klopp and Liverpool suit each other perfectly and praised the German for making an instant connection with the Anfield supporters. Ferguson was giving his thoughts in UEFA's Europa League technical report, which ev

Koscielny warns Arsenal to stop sleeping

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Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny says they were asleep in the first minute of their Champions League group stage game against Paris Saint-Germain as Edinson Cavani scored the opener. The Gunners conceded an early minute goal in the draw with PSG and Koscielny, who was the captain on the night, was annoyed after the Uruguayan leaped high to convert Serge Aurier's cross, making the visitors' task of earning a result at the Parc des Princes considerably more difficult. Arsenal however responded well in the second half after Arsene Wenger's changes and Alexis Sanchez equalised but the Koscielny has called for the Gunners to start quicker moving forward. “It’s a good point, we came here with ambition to get three points but when you start like this it’s hard to do that,” Koscielny was quoted by the Mirror. “I don’t know what happened early on. We slept and we need to change this in the future. When you start 1-0 down it is difficult to win. “Both teams played well and w

Arsenal, PSG managers react to Parc des Princes stalemate

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and his opposite number in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League opening day fixture Unai Emery of Paris Saint Germaine have both reacted to the score draw at the Parc des. Alexis Sanchez salvaged a point for Arsenal from their limp Champions League opener against the Parisians as the North London who have failed to win any of their last three Champions League group openers extended their unbeaten in their 13 away games against French clubs in European competition. Speaking after the encounter, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "We wanted to start at a high pace and after a minute we are 1-0 down. For 20 minutes we were outpaced, they started much better than us but we were resilient. "We played much better in the second half, they dropped a bit as well. We pushed very high and were vulnerable to the counter attack but it's a good point for us. "Away from home you have to battle up front and Alexis Sanchez did well. He was isolated a

UEFA CL: Lionel Messi is unique - Iniesta

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Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta has given his thoughts after the Catalans' heavy win over Celtic, praising Lionel Messi's uniqueness and quality. Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Andrés Iniesta and Neymar all scored as Barcelona sailed to a 7-0 win over Celtic on Tuesday night to start their Champions League campaign in style at the Camp Nou. Iniesta, who hit a sweet volley in the second half in a post-match reaction said the team is ready to fight for everything including a mention for a “unique’ teammate Messi. “Leo Messi is unique. We were very effective; we created many chances and limited our opponent’s options.” He concluded by saying that “together, we will fight for everything." Iniesta told Barca's website. "Messi takes games and he toys with them. He teaches team-mates where to run and when to give him the ball; and he teaches defenders, not only Celtic's, not to mess with him. "When his tail's up, it is one of the most exhilarating sights

Monchengladbach unhappy with rescheduling of City game

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Borussia Monchengladbach have reacted angrily to their Champions League game with Manchester City being moved to 7.45pm on Wednesday after it was cancelled on Tuesday. The game at the Etihad Stadium was scheduled for Tuesday evening but was called off due to the heavy rainstorm in Manchester which rendered the pitch unplayable and the game has now been moved to Wednesday by 7.45pm, against the 6pm that the Bundesliga club would have wanted. Monchengladbach wanted the game at 6pm on Wednesday so they could fly back to Germany immediately after the game, but after negotiations with Uefa, it has been moved to Wednesday 7.45pm. City offered Monchengladbach use of the 32 en suite bedrooms at their training complex, but the Bundesliga club officials are l

Bayern, Barcelona rain goals in Champions League

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Barcelona and Bayern Munich blew their opponents apart in their Match Day 1 fixtures at the Nou Camp and Allianz Arena respectively on Tuesday night. While Barcelona hammered Celtic 7-0, Bayern Munich were a bit less ruthless as they beat their Russian opponents FC Rostov 5-0. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in the big win for the Catalan giants while Luis Suarez added a brace. The duo of Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic added a goal each as the Scottish Champions were taken to cleaners on Tuesday.  At the Allianz Arena , Bayern Munich got the flawless start they craved for; beating FC Rostov 5-0

UCL: Ronaldo to play 90 minutes at Sporting - Zidane

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Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that he wants to play Cristiano Ronaldo for 90 minutes against the striker's Sporting CP. Ronaldo played for an hour against Osasuna at the weekend - his first match since his knee injury in the Euro 2016 final against France in July. "He is ready to play and we want him to be involved as much as possible, "The idea is to play him for 90 minutes, we have no concerns but we are also adaptable. "It will be a special match for Ronaldo (against his former club), that is natural." " said Zidane in his pre-match press conference.as quoted on football-espana. Meanwhile, Ronaldo who has never failed to score against a former club in Europe says Wednesday's UEFA Champions Le

PSG 1–1 Arsenal: Sanchez cancels Cavani’s 42nd sec. goal

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It was a gruelling night of football in the UEFA Champions League and the presence of Star Larger Beer was felt as two power houses in the European scene Paris Saint German and Arsenal treated fans to a spectacular game inside the prestigious Parc des Princes. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger gave a start to Nigerian youngster Alex Iwobi alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil behind false nine Alexis Sanchez while Unai Emery gave a champions league debut to new arrival Grzegorz Krychowiak who played behind Edinson Cavani. The game started on a fantastic fashion as the home side raced into an early lead when the former Napoli striker Cavani powered in a header from a cross by Ivorian star Serge Aurier in the 42 second minute. It was a rude sho

Arsenal's unbeaten record in France faces stern test

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Two of Europe's most illustrious names backed up by Star Larger Beer (official beer partners of Arsenal and PSG) face off on match-day one of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League campaign at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday. While Arsenal's unbeaten record in France will face a stern examination against the Parisians (Arsenal have won last seven fixtures on French soil), PSG will be aiming once again to break through into the last four in the competition but it remains to be seen if they can do it this year for the first time since 1994/95 under new boss Unai Emery. Arsenal were a side that made every goal count when they last played Paris at the Parc des Princes. The fixture was the semi-finals of the 1993/94 European Cup Winners' Cup, Ian Wright taking the wind out of the home side's sails with a 35th-minute finish at the Parc des Princes. Though PSG would equalise, Arsenal won the return leg 1-0 and went on to lift the trophy, beat

Manchester City v B. Monchengladbach - Preview

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Manchester City v Borussia Monchengladbach (Etihad Stadium, England) 7:45pm Possible line-ups Manchester City: Bravo; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Stones, Kolarov; Fernandinho; Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Sané; Agüero. Out: Fernando, Delph (both unspecified) Doubtful: GundoÄŸan (knee), Kompany (thigh) Mönchengladbach: Sommer; Elvedi, Christensen, Jantschke; Dahoud, Kramer, Wendt; Traoré, Stindl; Hazard, Raffael. Out: Doucoure (muscle), Herrmann (adductor) Doubtful: none Manchester City get their group stage under way against Borussia Monchengladbach Tuesday night at the Etihad Stadium. While on the surface, it looks like an easy fixture,  it might not really be as it pitches Pep Guardiola against a coach he has never beaten in his career. However, fresh off the back of an impressive display against Manchester United in Saturday’s derby at Old Trafford, the jinx should be broken by Guardiola. Quotes from the managers: Pep Guardiola, City manager “It was a

Barca v Celtic Preview: Boys head Camp Nou without Ambrose

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Barcelona's bid to win the European crown for the sixth time gets under way on Tuesday against a familiar opponent Celtic who will be without Nigeria's Efe Ambrose. The green and white hoops of Celtic have been a familiar sight at the Camp Nou in recent years, and the 47-times Scottish champions are back for the opening game of the Champions League 2016/17. The Bhoys are at Camp Nou for the third time in just five years and they’re up against a Catalan side that will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing home defeat to Alavés at the weekend. Team news Marc Andre Ter Stegen missed Saturday’s game with hamstring trouble, meaning new signing Jasper Cillessen got to make his debut in the Barça goal. However, the German was able to train normally on Monday and has been included in the squad. Messi has put his own hamstring bother behind him, so Tuesday could well bring the first chance this season to see the complete trident starting

Dier extends Tottenham deal to 2021

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England international  Eric Dier has penned a new five-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur which will see him stay at the club until 2021. The 22-year-old was one of the standout performers for Mauricio Pochettino ’s men as they finished third last season to earn UEFA Champions League qualification. He joined Spurs from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon for £4m in August 2014, and has made 87 appearances for the club, scoring six goals. “Couldn't be happier to have signed a new contract with @spursofficial” Dier tweeted after signing the new contract with the North London side. Dier was converted to a defensive midfielder from a center back by manager Pochettino because of his ability to use the ball effectively without fear of losing it. Those qua

Cuadrado admits he was desperate to leave Chelsea

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Juan Cuadrado has spoken of his exit from Chelsea and says he ‘did everything’ to leave the English club. The Colombian returned to Juventus on loan this summer, this time  for three years and he has admitted he was desperate to leave Stamford Bridge. “I did everything to come back (to Juventus), and thanks to God I'm here. I'm very happy.  “It was exciting to see,” Cuadrado told JTV. “To see the stands and the noise the fans make, I'm excited by the public's support.” Cuadrado has barely made an impact since joining Chelsea from Fiorentina, and has spent the last two seasons on loan at Juventus, before sealing his current three-year loan move to the Old Lady. He returned to Chelsea at the start of the summer, and trained with the Blues during pre-season, before completing a return to Turin. He is however yet to feature for Juve so far this season, as the Bianconerri has began their title defence much like the way they ended the last season, winning their first

What's changed for Wayne Rooney since he broke England record?

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  Wayne Rooney broke Sir Bobby Charlton's England scoring record last September It's a year since Wayne Rooney broke Sir Bobby Charlton's England scoring record with his 50th international goal. After a turbulent 12 months, we examine what's changed for the Manchester United captain since then. For Rooney, September 2015 will always be remembered for the moment he thumped a late penalty past Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer at Wembley to become England's greatest ever goalscorer. The historic achievement cemented his status as an England great, but the tributes rolled in to a backdrop of intense scrutiny. Rooney was on a run of 10 Premier League games without scoring for United and, at club level, his suitability to the central striking role was under question. Even the relief of a hat-trick in a Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge two weeks earlier had been short-lived, with Rooney heading into the internat

Mourinho: I had a hard-time convincing Pogba to join us

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Paul Pogba’s first words when he returned to Old Trafford was: “I am back home” but it wasn’t easy to convince him to sign for Manchester United a second time, according to manager Jose Mourinho . The 23-year-old Frenchman joined the Old Trafford side this summer for a world record fee of £89.4m to become the most expensive footballer ever. Mourinho revealed that he had to beat off competition from another top team whose manager was always in contact with the former Juventus forward.  "Oh! It was hard to convince him," Mourinho told Goal, when asked how difficult it was to resign Pogba. "I had many [conversations] on the phone, lots of SMS. "I think he was getting one in the morning from the manager from another big club and one in the afternoon from myself. I had to try hard to convince him to choose us instead of the other one." Mourinho, 53, also mentioned that the 20-time English champions needs to return to the UEFA Champions League and the competi

I rejected a move to PSG – Wenger

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Ahead of tonight UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and PSG, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he snubbed the advances of the Ligue 1 giants to stay at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger claims he has rejected offers to join Paris Saint-Germain because Arsenal have the qualities he loves in a club. According to French publication, L’Equipe, the 66-year-old was wanted by Paris Saint German (PSG) in 2011, 2013 and 2014 but he was not moved by the huge wages thrown at him and the chance to return home. When asked why he rejected a move to the French champions, Wenger replied: ‘Because I love where I am. ‘I know well the PSG owners but I feel always I remained loyal to Arsenal Football Club because I think it’s a club that has the quali