☆ UEFA Champions League 2015-16 ☆

[Doumbia]

Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen: Bartra calls for strength after Messi blow

27 September 2015 15:59

Marc Bartra has called on Barcelona to prove their strength when they take on Bayer Leverkusen without the injured Lionel Messi.

Messi was withdrawn early in the first half of Saturday's 2-1 La Liga win over Las Palmas with what was later confirmed as a knee ligament tear which will sideline him for up to two months.

Despite the blow of losing their talisman, Bartra is determined that the European champions will prove their mettle when Leverkusen visit Camp Nou on Tuesday for the second game of the Champions League group stage after they drew their opener 1-1 at Roma.

"It's bad news for us. Like it or not, Messi is our best player, the one who causes the most problems. I'm very sad for him," he told Barca TV.

"It's a major loss but now we have to become even stronger."

Messi became the first player to score five in a single Champions League game when Barcelona crushed Bundesliga outfit Leverkusen 7-1 in the knockout phase of the 2012-13 tournament, but Christoph Kramer believes it would be a mistake to forget the other stars at Luis Enrique's disposal.

"Of course any team would miss Messi, but Barcelona still have a world-class team without him," the midfielder told the official Bundesliga website.

"It's a game that we should look forward to. The team worked hard for a whole season [to play] this kind of match. We should enjoy the game and have fun.

"In football, anything is possible and we can definitely get something in Barcelona. We have to go into the game with confidence and be fully focused."

Claudio Bravo could return to action on Tuesday after he took part as normal in Sunday's training session, but Jordi Alba (neck) and Thomas Vermaelen (calf) remain major doubts.

Tin Jedvaj and Omer Toprak (both thigh) are still sidelined for Roger Schmidt's Leverkusen - who beat Werder Bremen 3-0 away from home at the weekend - while Roberto Hilbert (knee) is a doubt.

Leverkusen sit top of Group E following their 4-1 win over BATE in the opening round of fixtures but their record on Spanish soil is poor. They have won just three and lost 10 of their 15 visits in continental competition.

Barca have won the last five encounters between the sides, too, although Leverkusen did famously win 1-0 at Camp Nou in 1988 in the UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg - a tournament they went on to win.

 

[Marchisio]

Manchester United v Wolfsburg: Mata calls on crowd to inspire first victory

28 September 2015 17:07

Manchester United star Juan Mata has called on the Old Trafford crowd to play their part when Wolfsburg visit in Wednesday's Champions League clash.

United suffered a surprise defeat at PSV on matchday one and are desperate for maximum points when they take on Dieter Hecking's side in their first home game in the tournament proper since April 2014.

Mata believes Wolfsburg have responded well to the loss of playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to United's rivals Manchester City, but is determined to get his side up and running in Europe after they moved to the top of the Premier League at the weekend with a 3-0 win over Sunderland.

"We know we must fix our situation in the group after losing against PSV on week one," Mata wrote in his blog. "In order to do so we count on Old Trafford, because we are sure our crowd will celebrate being back to the top competition in Europe.

"The Germans played very well last season, and they are having a good start in this one. I have seen them in a few games and they are a dangerous team with talented players I know very well, like [Andre] Schurrle, a former team-mate.

"After Kevin De Bruyne's exit they have made important signings like [Julian] Draxler, and they keep being very competitive."

Wolfsburg have suffered a blip since their 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow a fortnight ago, losing 5-1 to a Robert Lewandowski-inspired Bayern Munich before being held by local rivals Hannover on Saturday, and Schurrle wants his team-mates to turn their focus quickly towards the trip to Manchester.

"We were the better team for 90 minutes and absolutely deserved to win. Sometimes in football it goes like that, though, and we didn't make enough of the chances we had," the Germany forward told the Bundesliga's official website after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Hannover.

"It's pretty tough to take but dwelling on it doesn't help. Wednesday's game is already almost upon us so we have to focus on that now."

Luiz Gustavo (knee) missed the Hannover match and remains a doubt to face United, as does Koen Casteels (toe). Robin Knoche (ankle) and Vieirinha (thigh) are out.

United, who lost Luke Shaw to a broken leg in their 2-1 loss in Eindhoven, also have concerns over the fitness of Marcos Rojo (hamstring) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee).

Louis van Gaal's side will aim to replicate the result from their first Champions League encounter with Wolfsburg - which was played exactly six years prior to Wednesday's meeting - when they won 2-1 thanks to a late Michael Carrick goal.

 

[Podolski]

CSKA Moscow v PSV: Cocu´s side looking to make history

28 September 2015 14:58

PSV have history in their sights when they travel to take on CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Eredivisie champions, who shocked Manchester United on matchday one, have never before won their opening two group games in the competition, though they have fond memories of facing the Russian Premier League leaders.

PSV won home and away at this stage of the 2007-08 tournament against CSKA and got back to winning ways in the domestic top flight with a 2-1 victory at home to NEC on Saturday, leaving coach Phillip Cocu proud of his team's character.

"We could not create enough chances because we slowed down the tempo of the game," he said after the match. "Then we responded well and managed to move up a gear.

"But at the end of the day we should be glad to have bagged the three points. We fought well and showed character to earn a hard-fought victory."

CSKA remain unbeaten at the top of the Premier League table but were disappointed not to extend their advantage over Lokomotiv Moscow at the weekend, with Igor Cherevchenko's side holding on for a 1-1 draw despite going a man down.

Leonid Slutskiy's charges were edged out 1-0 by Wolfsburg last time out and the coach admits a failure to convert opportunities is a growing concern.

"Today we lacked inventiveness in attack and managed to battle through a well-organised Lokomotiv defence only once," he said on Saturday.

"Of course a draw against the second-placed side isn't the worst possible result but we had chances to win. Unfortunately we failed to convert them."

CSKA's cause is not helped by a raft of injuries. Young midfielder Aleksandr Golovin (thigh) and defender Georgi Schennikov (ankle) are out, while Slutskiy is not confident on the fitness of Vasiliy Berezutskiy and Roman Eremenko (both abdominal) Aleksandrs Cauna (foot) remains a doubt, though Igor Akinfeev (knee) hopes to be fit.

PSV, however, will likely be without leading goalscorer Luuk de Jong after he damaged his ankle against NEC, while Andres Guardado is still sidelined with the same problem following the win over United.

If Akinfeev does play, he will be looking to keep his first clean sheet in the competition since November 2006 against Arsenal. He was, however, part of the last CSKA side to beat Dutch opposition in Europe - a 3-1 win at Feyenoord in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup.

 

[Suarez]

Astana v Galatasaray: Selcuk Inan targets knockout stages

28 September 2015 13:34

Galatasaray midfielder Selcuk Inan is determined to bag the full three points in Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Astana as he has set his sights on reaching the knockout stages.

The Turkish champions finished bottom of their group last season as Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Anderlecht all proved to be too strong, but they are hopeful of doing better this time around.

Galatasaray were beaten 2-0 by Atletico Madrid in their Group C opener, though, following Antoine Griezmann's double, and Selcuk realises they cannot afford another loss if they are to keep their European dream alive.

"This year our goal is to repeat the success we've had in previous campaigns, starting by getting out of the group stage. I think we will manage that, because we are a strong team and one that is used to competing in the Champions League," Selcuk told the UEFA website.

"In the Champions League, you feel pressure in every game, not just this one, because there is always an objective to go further. Of course this game against Astana is very important, just like the one against Atletico – they are all important.

"Obviously, after losing the first game, this game has become even more important and we need to get the three points in order to get out of the group stage. That is exactly what we are focusing on and I believe we will be ready for that game.

"We are also going to struggle, but in order to win against teams like that, you have to work at least as hard as them and have belief. I also think that we have a better team than them and if we stay focused I believe we will win."

Nevertheless, Galatasaray will have to make do without the services of star striker Burak Yilmaz as they travel to Kazakhstan after the forward was ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury, while Hamit Altintop remains unavailable due to a knee problem.

Astana, meanwhile, will be looking to record their first-ever victory in the Champions League group stage.

The Kazakhstan side saw off Maribor, HJK and APOEL in the qualifying stages, but were defeated 2-0 by Benfica as they made their full debut in the competition.

The hosts must do without Patrick Twumasi as he serves the second match of his four-game European ban, while Yeldos Akhmetov is unlikely to feature after he was carried off on a stretcher in last week's draw with Aktobe.

 

[ToniKroos]

Malmo v Real Madrid: Benitez calls for attacking accuracy after Malaga frustration

28 September 2015 13:14

Real Madrid have been urged to improve their accuracy but remain patient against Malmo in the Champions League on Wednesday following their frustrating goalless draw against Malaga at the weekend.

Rafael Benitez's side were held at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks largely to an oustanding display from visit goalkeeper Carlos Kameni - with Real having now scored just three goals in their last three outings.

Their last convincing attacking display came in the Group A opener against Shakhtar Donetsk as a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick ensured a comprehensive 4-0 success in the capital.

Ronaldo has not scored since and remains one shy of 500 career goals as well as two behind Raul's all-time scoring record of 323 for the Liga giants.

Benitez remains without James Rodriguez (knee) and Danilo (foot), while Gareth Bale (calf) and Sergio Ramos (shoulder) are doubtful, but the Madrid boss is confident his side can rediscover their attacking form.

"Fans want to see the team win, but they also want to see them create chances and battle," he said following the draw with Malaga.

"We need to keep working, create chances and be more accurate. We are talking about the fact that the big teams have to play two games per week and maintain a very high intensity and that is not always easy.

"The game [on Saturday] was about having possession and we put out a quality team to do that. In terms of fitness the team looked good and it was not easy.

"I think that the numbers, 31 shots on goal, and the chances, should be enough to get a goal at least, if not more. Creating clearer chances against a side that really sit back is not easy."

Age Hareide's men - for whom Rasmus Bengtsson (ankle) is doubtful - were beaten 2-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League opener and will be huge underdogs to claim any points this week despite not having lost at home since May.

Four defeats in the Allsvenskan mean Malmo are unlikely to claim a third consecutive league title, with Hareide hopeful Real's visit can serve as a break from their domestic problems.

"We have given away points against the bottom teams. It is a complete disaster," he told Dagbladet prior to Saturday's goalless draw with lowly Halmstad.

"We can only fight on and get up as high as possible in the table. There was a queue for the ticket booths [last] Monday morning for the Falkenberg match as well but when Real play it will be a fantastic atmosphere."

The 1979 European Cup runners-up have finished fourth in their two previous UEFA competition group-stage campaigns .

 

[Schweinsteiger]

Arsenal v Olympiacos: Wenger´s men have regained confidence, says Mertesacker

27 September 2015 16:46

Per Mertesacker claims that sealing back-to-back victories has given Arsenal a well-timed confidence boost ahead of their Champions League clash with Olympiacos.

Arsene Wenger's side, playing in their 18th consecutive campaign, host the Greek champions on Tuesday as they look for their first victory in Group F.

Arsenal were dispatched 2-1 by Dinamo Zagreb on matchday one, while Olympiacos also tasted defeat in losing 3-0 at home to 2013 champions Bayern Munich – their only loss of 2015-16 so far.

The clubs have been drawn together at this stage in three of the previous six seasons, with the home side prevailing in each of those meetings.

And Mertesacker, who started his first Premier League game in over a month in place of the suspended Gabriel in the Alexis Sanchez-inspired 5-2 win over Leicester City on Saturday, believes that Arsenal are coming into their best form.

"We were quite happy after the win [against Tottenham in the League Cup] in midweek. We took some of that confidence with us [to the Leicester game] and you could see that," the defender told Arsenal's official website.

"There is a little room for improvement but I think we should take more confidence into the game on Tuesday in the Champions League.

"Obviously it is very tight but we want to continue it against Olympiacos and next weekend against Manchester United, too.

"We struggled defensively [at Leicester] but I'd say we got back to our striking force and more than four goals is something very special.

"At times we lacked defensive stability but that is normal at Leicester. It was good for me to get some game time [because] I still lack a bit of fitness."

Having not scored in 2015-16 prior to Saturday's clash, it was Sanchez who stole the headlines against Leicester with his hat-trick, but Theo Walcott was again impressive in a central role, and is likely to start on Tuesday with Olivier Giroud suspended after he saw red in Zagreb.

Another attacking option for Wenger could be Joel Campbell, who netted 11 goals in 43 appearances for Olympiacos during a season-long loan spell in 2013/14 – with the Costa Rica forward having made just two appearances so far this term.

Olympiacos coach Marco Silva will be hopeful that experienced striker Alejandro Dominguez can return to action after not playing since picking up a thigh strain against Bayern, though the visitors will certainly be shorn of Luka Milivojevic (suspended).

For Arsenal, Danny Welbeck (knee) is definitely out while Francis Coquelin is a doubt, also with a knee problem.

 

[Suarez]

Mourinho: Chelsea players are the wrong type of champion

By Nicholas McGee
Sep 29, 2015 07:57:04

Ahead of a meeting with his former club Porto, the Portuguese laid down the gauntlet with a threat to senior players as he called the mentality of his squad into question

Jose Mourinho has questioned how many "serial champions" there are at Chelsea as they bid to find some momentum in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Porto.

The Blues produced a stirring second-half comeback to recover from 2-0 down at Newcastle United on Saturday and claim a 2-2 draw.

But Mourinho's men have taken just eight points from seven games in their defence of the Premier League title, leaving the Portuguese to cast doubt on the mentality of many in his squad and hint at dropping senior players.

"I've explained to the players that when the situation is open, I have to try and prepare the kids for their future and, at the same time, bring the best out of the players with more experience," he explained during a press conference.

"But if the season becomes 'closed' and we can't win trophies, I will go just with the kids instead."

Mourinho also suggested that many of his squad are the wrong type of champion.

"There are two sorts of champions. There are those who win something, and there are lots of them," he said.

"But there are the other champions who, during their career, win one, two, three, four, five, 10 or 20 titles.

"In this club we have 25 champions from last year, but serial champions in this squad? John Terry, Jon [Obi] Mikel and [Branislav] Ivanovic are serial champions. Almost every season they have something in the pocket. But how many other serial champions do we have?

"Last year we were champions, but the point for me is are we serial champions? Of course it's very difficult to win every season, but you can be a serial champion in your approach and your attitude.

"Mentally I can say I am a serial champion. I can be five or 10 years without winning a title, but I will still be a serial champion in my approach and my attitude. This is the problem we have at this moment. We have champions, but not serial champions.

"At this moment it's difficult to win the Premier League, but possible. It's difficult to win the Champions League, but possible. It's difficult to win the cups, but possible."

 

[RudiGarcia]

Roma must kick on from Barcelona draw - Garcia

28 September 2015 20:53

Rudi Garcia says Roma must build on their draw with Barcelona as they prepare to take on BATE in Tuesday's Champions League clash.

Roma secured a valuable point against the European champions on matchday one in the Italian capital and are favourites for a further three points when they meet the Belarusian side, despite a number of injuries to key personnel.

Garcia - who will take charge of his 100th game for the club on Tuesday - wants Roma to establish a winning formula in the competition as they look to surpass last season's achievements and reach the knockout phase.

"I didn't know tomorrow was my 100th game at Roma. I'm focused only on BATE," he said. "They have a small but top-quality stadium and they'll have their fans behind them.

"We made a good start in the Champions League against Barcelona but we must kick on now. Continuity is important. Our next three European games will be crucial for us.

"The fact we're missing several players doesn't change our desire to win. I came in with lots of enthusiasm when I joined Roma and I still have that now. I'm proud to coach this club.

"I have a small squad for tomorrow but the team is even more compact because we're missing players. Wojciech Szczesny is ok, he's recovered. Iago Falque is working his way back. We'll have a look at him tomorrow. Change of formation? We might do that because [Alessandro] Florenzi can do a decent job further forward too. "

Radja Nainggolan, meanwhile, says the injured Francesco Totti is already optimistic about his return to action and says he is happy to play anywhere under Garcia.

"Totti had two injuries close together. He's always cheery and optimistic, a key dressing-room figure. He is already focused on his recovery," said the Belgium international.

"I'm fine with whatever the boss decides. I'm fine and I'm working hard. I tend to need more training than others to reach my peak. I want to play every game. I don't think about being tired, I think about giving my all."

 

[Depay]

​

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

Wenger has clearly lost the plot at Arsenal. He plays 'butterfingers' Ospina instead of Cech and still thinks they can qualify for the knock-out stages.
With Wilshire and Welbeck injured, his options upfront are already limited and Ozil once again was very poor.

What is more disturbing for you Arsenal fans is that Wenger will never resign whilst Ivan Gazidis and the Board will not sack him.

Troubling times ahead for the Gunners.

 

[Depay]

​

 

[Doumbia]

Hecking: It was a s*** goal for Wolfsburg to concede

By Matthew Sherry
Sep 30, 2015 23:55:00

The coach raged at the way his side let in the winning goal and believed Morgan Schneiderlin should have been sent off late in the game

Dieter Hecking feels Chris Smalling's winner for Manchester United in Wolfsburg's 2-1 loss on Wednesday was a "s*** goal" for his side to concede.

The coach was left fuming at the final result after watching his men get off to the dream start at Old Trafford through Daniel Caligiuri's fourth minute opener in the Champions League Group B clash.

Yet United came roaring back and equalised through Juan Mata's penalty after Caligiuri was penalised for handball before the Spaniard's clever flick set Smalling up to slide in a second goal.

It was the defender's goal which attracted the ire of Hecking, who said: "We started well and surprised United early on and got the goal.

"The equaliser was a penalty and again, the second goal was unlucky - as we say in German 'a s*** goal'.

"In the last 20 to 25 minutes we pressed them and caused a lot of problems. Julian Draxler was fouled by Morgan Schneiderlin on 84 minutes. That should have been a red card, and we might have found ourselves against 10 men for the last few minutes.

"It now comes down to the two games against PSV where we can establish the basis for progression into the next round, but as Louis van Gaal said yesterday you have to win your home games."

All sides in Group B are level on three points after two games.

 

[Doumbia]

Pellegrini & Hart disagree over merits of 'lucky' Manchester City victory

By Sam Lee
Oct 1, 2015 00:50:56

The pair both admit the Blues were lucky to beat Borussia Monchengladbach, but while the keeper believes they did enough for victory, the manager thinks otherwise

Manuel Pellegrini and goalkeeper Joe Hart both acknowleged that Manchester City enjoyed more than their share of luck aftter coming from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 on Wednesday, but disagreed over the merits of the victory.

Hart saved a penalty from Raffael and made a string of fine saves as the Bundesliga club raced out of the traps and threatened to inflict City's second consecutive Champions League defeat.

But when Lars Stindl opened the scoring in the 54th minute, City showed their mettle to bounce back from a run of three defeats in four games to turn the game on its head, as Nicolas Otamendi pulled them level before a late Sergio Aguero penalty secured the three points.

Despite the fight back, Pellegrini was not pleased with his side's showing at Borussia Park and admitted his men did not deserve the victory.

"I think that was a strange game," Pellegrini told BT Sport. "During 65 minutes I think both teams had chances to score. They played better than we did, especially in defence as we didn't defend well, but after that I think we had some reaction.

"In the last 30 minutes we improved a lot and finally we won. Borussia played very, very well.

"Joe made some brilliant saves, but maybe by the 65th minute, they could have been winning 3-2, or it could even have been 4-4 or 3-3 - there were so many chances for both teams.

"But after that I think we dominated the game, we had a lot of chances, they made a very good save and finally with a little bit of luck we won this game. Of all of these games we had before - against Juventus, against West Ham, against Tottenham - I don't think we deserved to lose but we did. Against Gladbach, I don't think we deserved to win, but we won."

Hart, meanwhile, did believe his team deserved to take all three points but admitted that they rode their luck at times and had to rely on Aguero to dig them out of a hole with his first goal in the Champions League or Premier League since mid-August.

"We didn't play well," he conceded. "We were really disjointed, as we have been in the last couple of games in the Premier League, we've had a good half and a bad half and we've done that here.

"I still think we deserved to win. I think they made more of the chances they created, making me work, but I still think we deserve to win; we had some really good chances. It came late but Kun's a cool guy, no matter how many goals, whether he's scoring 10 or none, he will score."

And the goalkeeper was happy to do things the hard way for now, but says things must change in the future: "I think if you speak to our fans, it's kind of the way we do things. It's something that
we do need to change but when you get results it's worth it."

 

[Emery]

Unai Emery after Juventus defeat: Sevilla beaten by a great team

By Stephen Creek
Oct 1, 2015 00:33:00

The Basque coach hopes the return of key players from injury in the coming weeks will improve his side's fortunes after they were easily beaten in Turin on Wednesday

Unai Emery admitted his Sevilla side are on a learning curve after they lost 2-0 to Juventus in their second Champions League Group D fixture.

Having beaten Borussia Monchengladbach 3-0 to get their European campaign off to a flying start, Sevilla were brought back down to earth with a bump as they registered just one shot against a Juventus side that dominated from start to finish.

Like Juve, Sevilla have started their domestic league season in poor form, and Emery called for patience as his new players settle in and others recover from injury.

"Things went fairly well," he said. "We didn't have many scoring opportunities, granted, but there were improvements, and those obviously were not enough against a great side like Juventus.

"When it was 0-0, we were at least holding out against Juve, but the moment we came under pressure, this great side obviously took advantage."

Emery's side has been ravaged by injuries early in the campaign and nine players missed the trip to Juventus, but the coach remains confident fortunes will improve as the campaign progresses.

"We have won one and lost one," he said. "There are another four games in this group and we will aim to play them as well as we can. With new players it takes more time for them to settle, especially with some of them injured.

"I am optimistic and am working towards improvement.”

 

[Philipp]

Everything went wrong for PSV in the first half - Cocu

By Tom Beck
Oct 1, 2015 01:15:33

The manager believes his men only have themselves to blame for eventually losing to their Russian opponent, despite them nearly securing an impressive three-goal comeback

Phillip Cocu was left to lament a game of two contrasting halves from his PSV Eindhoven team after they went down 3-2 in the Champions League to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.

CSKA led 3-0 at the break with goals from Ahmed Musa and a Seydou Doumbia double, however, the Dutch side responded impressively in the second half with Maxime Lestienne bagging two goals in quick succession to raise the possibility of an unlikely comeback.

The Eredivisie champions, who were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute following Santiago Arias' sending off, were unable to find the equaliser in Russia, to the annoyance of their head coach.

"Everything went wrong in the first half, the second half we showed our true face. So, my compliments for the second half," Cocu told PSV's official website.

"If you go in with a 3-0 deficit in the second half, then there is much to do.

"Even with ten men, you still get a chance to level the score, but unfortunately that did not happen."

Cocu was particularly disappointed that CSKA were allowed to get up a head of steam in an opening half that saw Doumbia miss a second penalty that would have put the hosts 4-0 ahead.

"The players were warned for the qualities of this team, so I find it a bit difficult to put this into perspective," he bemoaned.

"You should always ensure that you are ready for a competition.

"With the ball in the first half it was not so bad, but defensively and in the transition, it was anything but that."

 

[Doumbia]

Uefa coefficients: Late Aguero winner dampens Italian hopes

By Daniel Edwards
Oct 1, 2015 11:07:45

La Liga remains way out in the lead of the European body's league rankings, but a strong season for Serie A clubs could see the nation close on another continental place

Serie A's quest to wrest a fourth Champions League spot off the Premier League remains alive, though Sergio Aguero's last-minute winner stopped the Italians from closing further in the Uefa coefficients table.

The Argentine's strike clinched a 2-1 win for Manchester City over Borussia Monchengladbach, which coupled with Manchester United's win over Wolfsburg helped balance out the defeats of Arsenal and Chelsea on Tuesday.

As a result England remains in third place over the Italians, on 66.1 and 61.9 points respectively, though the projected gap for next season is just 0.4 points in England's favour.

The gap has closed noticeably since the end of the 2014-15 season, helped by Juventus' journey to the Champions League final where they eventually lost out to Barcelona.

Italy gained 5.5 coefficient points thanks to that success, raising hopes of regaining third place in the standings and the extra European place.

Far out in front is La Liga, unsurprisingly given that Spanish clubs have enjoyed a monopoly on both continental competitions for the last two years.

Spain's top flight boasts 86.9 points, over 18 clear of nearest challenger, Germany's Bundesliga.

 

[ToniKroos]

No Champions League lifeline for Arsenal - Dinamo victory to stand despite doping scandal

Oct 8, 2015 09:20:00

The Gunners will remain without a point from their first two matches despite Arijan Ademi testing positive for a banned substance following his side's 2-1 win

Dinamo Zagreb will not face any points deduction despite one of their players failing a doping test in the aftermath of their Champions League win over Arsenal last month.

Arijan Ademi tested positive for a banned substance following the club's 2-1 win in Croatia, with Arsene Wenger's men getting their campaign off to a losing start on September 16.

However, Uefa have confirmed to Goal that the club will not lose the three points earned from the victory, revealing that they would only have been sanctioned had more than one player tested positive.

"Only in the case of more than two players from the same team having been found to have committed a doping violation in the same competition are team sanctions imposed," they told Goal.

Zagreb followed their 2-1 win over Arsenal with a 5-0 loss to Bayern Munich, while the Gunners also tasted defeat against Olympiacos, leaving them bottom of Group F.

 

[Ibrahimovic]

PSG better than Bayern - Zidane

By Stefan Coerts
Oct 12, 2015 12:00:28

The former Santiago Bernabeu player believes the French champions are Europe's elite, alongside his former club and rivals Barcelona

Zinedine Zidane believes Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are the two favourites to win the Champions League this season and feels the Ligue 1 outfit are a better team than Bayern Munich.

PSG have suffered three consecutive quarter-final eliminations since returning to the Champions League in 2012.

The French champions have beaten Malmo and Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening two Group A fixtures of this season's competition but face a double-header against Madrid next.

"For me, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are the two best clubs around in Europe at the moment," Zidane told Canal+.

"Paris know the French league inside out, they are on another level to their rivals.

"They are the best two teams for me, perhaps alongside Barcelona. Bayern are slightly behind those teams."

 

[Doumbia]

City winger Navas relishing Sevilla reunion

14 October 2015

Jesus Navas says he will have mixed feelings when Manchester City take on Sevilla in the Champions League next week.

Navas joined City from Sevilla in 2013, despite having previously suffered from homesickness so severe he left Spain training camps and declined a move to Chelsea in 2006.

The 29-year-old won the UEFA Cup and the Copa del Rey twice during his time at Sevilla but is now settled at City, who he helped to a Premier League and League Cup double in his first season at the Etihad Stadium.

And, after playing an integral role in City's 6-1 demolition of Newcastle United in their last Premier League encounter, Navas is relishing next Wednesday's reunion with his former club, who are level on three points with Manuel Pellegrini's men after the first two Group D matchdays.

"Sevilla is everything to me in sporting terms," Navas he is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News. "It is where I was born and grew up as a player, but now I can only think of Manchester.

"They took a gamble on me and I always want to justify that. Their deal with me is wonderful and I only have good words for the club."

Navas will then have the opportunity to return to Sevilla next month when City face Unai Emery's side again at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

He added: "For me it will be a game of mixed feelings. I want to play against Sevilla. Now we play in Manchester, but the return to the Sanchez Pizjuan will be awesome... it will be very special for me.

"I gave everything for Sevilla, and always, always felt the affection of the fans - they are already in my heart forever."

 

[Pique]

Benitez: Allardyce's opinion has little value

By Nicholas McGee
Oct 15, 2015 12:42:46

The 55-year-old has belittled the current Sunderland boss after he dismissed his impact on Liverpool's Champions League final win over AC Milan

Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez has responded emphatically to claims from Sam Allardyce that the Spaniard had no influence over Liverpool's 2005 Champions League triumph, saying his opinion "has little value".

Under Benitez, Liverpool famously lifted the trophy for a fifth time 10 years ago after coming from three goals down at half time against AC Milan to level at 3-3 and eventually prevail on penalties.

Allardyce, who was last week appointed as manager of Sunderland, alleged in his autobiography that Liverpool's win over Milan was "nowt to do" with Benitez, instead naming Steven Gerrard as key to the victory.

Yet Benitez has hit back at the claims while speaking to Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

He said: "How many titles has Allardyce won? That tells you all.

"Allardyce is what happens when you get a book in England… his opinion has little value."

Benitez and Liverpool reached the showpiece again in 2007, also against Milan, but this time were beaten