║ UEFA Champions League 2013/2014 ║

[BayernMunich]

Ajax will stay true to style against Barcelona, says De Boer

By Joe Wright7
Sep 17, 2013 7:46:00 PM

The former Blaugrana defender believes his side could not consider pulling off a win in the same manner as Celtic achieved last season

Ajax boss Frank de Boer insists he will not abandon his side's usual style of play when they face Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Dutch champions face a tough task in their Group H opener as they take on Gerardo Martino's side at Camp Nou on Wednesday, but De Boer has stressed he will not look to secure the kind of smash-and-grab victory which Celtic achieved on home soil last season.

"It's not nice if everyone thinks Barcelona will win, it means they don't think we're at our best," the ex-Camp Nou defender told reporters.

"The pressure is huge, but I am sure we can create problems for Barcelona. We know they're a good team, but we will be faithful to our style, that's the important thing. We can't create problems for ourselves.

"I have never thought about playing like Celtic because we don't have the same players. We might be punished for that. We will try to stick to our style because it's what we know best. To follow Celtic's style is too complicated.

"Sometimes we will be under huge pressure and that happens to all clubs who play here. We have to put pressure on Barcelona and stick to our style."

De Boer highlighted the threat posed by attacking duo Lionel Messi and Neymar going into the clash, although he believes the Brazilian still needs to adapt to the Liga champions' system.

"I have watched all the Barcelona matches, they have tremendous quality," continued the former defender.

"Ninety per cent of the players have been at the club for many years now, except Neymar. Neymar has to adapt to the team and the team to Neymar. Neymar and Messi always create dangerous situations. We know [Andres] Iniesta, Messi or Neymar can do something at any moment, but we are here to prove our quality.

"We will try to stop Neymar and Messi from feeling comfortable. We need our players to be at their best."

Bojan Krkic is set to return to face his boyhood club on Wednesday and the striker insists Ajax must not be overawed by the occasion.

"This is the second time I have returned to Camp Nou - I was here last season [with AC Milan]," he explained. "It's a special stadium for me, of course. Barca are the best team in the world and have the best players in the world.

"Our mentality must be to want to win because that's the way we can compete. Our mentality can't be that of losing or seeing it as something impossible. We have to trust our capabilities and do things as best we can."

 

[BayernMunich]

Leverkusen made things easy for Manchester United, admits Rolfes

By Stefan Coerts3
Sep 18, 2013 11:26:00 AM

The holding midfielder feels his side should have done better after clawing their way back into the match and has called for improvement ahead of the Real Sociedad clash

Simon Rolfes has voiced his frustration with the way Bayer Leverkusen effectively handed Manchester United the full three points in Tuesday's Champions League match at Old Trafford.

Rolfes levelled the scoring for Leverkusen in the second half after they were trailing by one goal at half-time, but the Bundesliga side then conceded twice within the space of 10 minutes as they went on to lose the match 4-2.

And the midfielder believes his side contributed to their own downfall at Old Trafford after making a number of errors throughout the encounter, specifically when a defensive mix-up allowed Wayne Rooney a simple finish to kill off the game.

"It was too easy for them. We lost 4-2 and the United goals were a bit unlucky for us. We are not happy with the result and can improve a lot in our play," Rolfes told the official Uefa website.

"The positive is we scored twice; it is not so easy here in Manchester to do that. Perhaps in the game against them in Leverkusen it'll be better.

"If you want to win here or get a draw, a lot of things have to be perfect and it wasn't like that. After the third goal the game was done."

The midfielder then looked ahead to his side's next Champions League game against Real Sociedad and stressed that Leverkusen must have confidence in their own game at the BayArena.

"Real Sociedad are a good team but we have to win at home; we have to play with more confidence and possession," the 31-year-old added.

"Our style of play is to have more of the ball and not just defend like today. United did well: they were aggressive and well organised, but we knew that already."

 

[BayernMunich]

AC Milan want to beat Celtic for Kaka, says Matri

By Stefan Coerts9
Sep 18, 2013 11:46:00 AM

The former Juventus forward is eager to boost the Brazilian's morale by helping the Rossoneri to victory over the Scottish champions

AC Milan striker Alessandro Matri is determined to beat Celtic on Wednesday as he aims to give the injured Kaka a much-needed morale boost.

The attacking midfielder, who returned to Milan this summer after four years at Real Madrid, will be out of action for up to four weeks due to a hamstring problem and Matri is determined to give the Brazilian something to cheer in their Champions League opener.

"I send my best wishes to Kaka. He's a great player and extremely important for our team," the attacker said at a press conference.
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"We’ll try and win this game for him and the other players out injured."

Matri last met Celtic with Juventus in last year's edition of the Champions League, when he netted twice in the Serie A champions' 5-0 aggregate win in the round of 16, and the Italian is keen to see history repeated.

"I have a good history with Celtic. I hope history repeats itself and we get the three points," he added.

"They’re a strong team that have been playing together for a long time. We’ll have to play our own game and with the help of the fans we want to get started in the best way we can."

Wednesday's match is scheduled to kick off at San Siro at 20:45CET.

 

[BayernMunich]

'I do not think Juventus ever created so many opportunities to score' - Conte

By Keeghann Sinanan97
Sep 17, 2013 11:15:00 PM

The Bianconeri trainer was thoroughly unimpressed after his team threw away a slew of chances and slumped to a 1-1 draw in Copenhagen

Juventus boss Antonio Conte was incredulous at his team’s inability to take their chances after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Copenhagen in Denmark for their Champions League Group B opener.

The Bianconeri dominated the vast majority of the encounter after falling behind to a 14th-minute Nicolai Jorgensen goal, but sloppy finishing meant that they were not able to add to Fabio Quagliarella’s 54th minute effort and take all three points back to Turin.

Conte was left shaking his head at his side’s profligacy, venting to reporters that his players must turn opportunities into goals, regardless of the heroics of Copenhagen goalkeeper Johan Wiland.

"I do not think we have ever created so many opportunities to score in one single game before during my period as Juventus coach," he told reporters.

"During my career I have learnt that creating at least 10 glorious opportunities to score is not enough to win games if you don't put the ball in. Their goalkeeper was just amazing but we also helped him with some poor finishing."

The 44-year-old also dismissed suggestions that his team had taken the match for granted and pointed out their record in the group stage last season.

"I don't think we underestimated them because last year we drew one game in Denmark as well," he retorted.

Real Madrid’s simultaneous 6-1 thrashing of Galatasaray saw Juve lose early ground to the Spanish outfit in the battle for supremacy in Group B.

 

[BayernMunich]

Klopp: Napoli play like Dortmund

By Henry Jackson38
Sep 18, 2013 1:38:00 PM

The former Mainz boss has voiced his respect for the Partenopei squad's experience, pace and quality as the two sides prepare to meet on Wednesday

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has said that Napoli play a similar style of football to his side ahead of the two sides' clash on Wednesday.

The Champions League finalists begin their campaign this term with a trip to the San Paolo and the 46-year-old is full of respect for their opponents.

"Napoli play a very lively kind of football, it's not too different from ours," Klopp told reporters.

"If you look at the players at Napoli, they have a very experienced defence while their attack stands for pace and technique.

"We do not fear them, but we know what we are dealing with and have a lot of respect."

The Italian side had a busy summer in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Pepe Reina, Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon.

 

[BayernMunich]

Dortmund are a monster with three heads - De Laurentiis

By Henry Jackson19
Sep 18, 2013 2:54:00 PM

The 64-year-old is aware of how big a threat Jurgen Klopp's side pose as his side prepare to host BVB at the San Paolo on Wednesday

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has claimed that Borussia Dortmund are "like a monster with three heads" ahead of the two sides' clash on Wednesday.

The Partenopei begin their Champions League campaign by hosting last season's finalists and their president has admitted his respect for Jurgen Klopp's side.

"Dortmund scare me. They are like a monster with three heads," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"They are an extraordinary team who play good football and are very personable.

"Both sets of fans are great, and it will make for a great atmosphere on Wednesday. They need their supporters just as much as we need ours."

De Laurentiis also spoke highly of Dortmund off the pitch, citing their business in the transfer market.

"I have been following Dortmund for year: the team, the coach and their moves in the transfer market," he continued.

"They are a club who do not waste their money, unlike others."

Napoli currently top Serie A, having taken maximum points from their opening three games.

 

[BayernMunich]

Marseille not afraid of Arsenal, says Mandanda

By Henry Jackson8
Sep 18, 2013 2:16:00 PM

The 28-year-old is aware that qualifying from the Group of Death will be a tough task but is confident that his side can hold their own against the Gunners

Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda says his side do not fear Arsenal, whom they face in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.

The two sides were also drawn together in the 2011-12 edition of the tournament when the Gunners claimed four points from two games against OM and topped the group.

However, Mandanda is adamant that his side's desire to succeed will serve them in good stead against the north Londoners.

"We are not afraid. We have to show desire and ambition," Mandanda told reporters.

"We know the significance of the first match and it will be important to have a good start, even if this game is not decisive. We used to have difficulties in our first games in Europe, but this is a new season and we need to start well and perform."

Mandanda went on to say that he and his team-mates were eager to make up for lost time, having failed to qualify for the competition last term.

"We were frustrated last year when we did not play Champions League football, so we are looking forward to returning," he continued.

"These games are magnificent to play in and we are delighted to be back in this competition. We missed it.

"We want to win, but we know we will be up against a great team. We are in a difficult group; we knew it would be complicated."

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Barcelona 4 Ajax 0
19 September 2013

Lionel Messi once more took centre stage as his hat-trick helped Barcelona to a 4-0 victory over Ajax in the UEFA Champions League.

The Argentinian scored in both halves of the Group H fixture at the Camp Nou, to give Barcelona victory in the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides.

It marked an emotional Champions League debut for coach Gerardo Martino, with victory coming just a few days after the death of his father.

After a bright opening, Messi broke the deadlock with fierce free-kick in the 22nd minute.

His second came 10 minutes after half-time with a cool finish from inside the area, before Gerard Pique put gloss on the scoreline with a header from Neymar’s cross and Messi completed his treble when he feigned his shot before guiding an effort into the corner.

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson could have grabbed a consolation, but he saw his 77th-minute penalty saved by Victor Valdes.

Martino included Messi and Neymar in Barcelona’s starting XI, with the latter making his Champions League debut.

The Dutch side had Siem de Jong available, following his recovery from a collapsed lung.

Barcelona dominated possession in the opening exchanges and they took the lead when Messi once again lived up to his tag of the world’s best footballer with a stunning free-kick in the 22nd minute.

After being felled by Lerin Duarte on the right, he picked himself up to hit a thunderous strike, with the ball going in off the the post as Kenneth Vermeer failed to keep it out at full stretch.

Ajax nearly stole an equaliser on the half-hour mark when Bojan curled a cross deep towards the far post and a diving header from Ricardo van Rhijn forced a smart reaction save from Valdes.

The visitors could have had a penalty when Sigthorsson went to ground under a challenge from Pique. The loose ball was met by Duarte, but he placed his first-time effort straight at Valdes.

After surviving those scares, Messi effectively ended the game as a contest in the 55th minute.

He controlled a Sergio Busquets pass on the right side of the box before feinting inside Stefano Denswil and firing his effort past Vermeer.

Barcelona continued to press and Neymar and Dani Alves both had efforts blocked.

And the pressure told in the 69th minute when Neymar played an in-swinging cross from the left that was met by the head of Pique to make it 3-0.

Messi then completed his hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining. His dummied effort confused the whole defence, including Vermeer, before he slotted into the far corner.

Ajax could have had a consolation when Javier Mascherano fouled substitute Thulani Serero in the area but Sigthorsson saw his penalty beaten away by Valdes.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Austria Vienna 0 Porto 1
19 September 2013

Lucho Gonzalez’s second-half strike enabled Porto to get their UEFA Champions League campaign under way with a 1-0 win at Austria Vienna.

Gonzalez settled Wednesday’s Group G encounter 10 minutes after the break with a well-taken goal following good work from right back Danilo.

Vienna boss Nenad Bjelica named an unchanged team from Saturday's 3-2 defeat to SV Grodig, while his Porto counterpart Paulo Fonseca made three alterations to the side that won 2-0 at home to Gil Vicente at the weekend.

Eliaquim Mangala, Gonzalez and Josue all came into the side at the expense of Maicon, Juan Quintero and Steven Defour.

The visitors had the only effort of note in the opening exchanges, as Heinz Lindner dived to his right to parry Fernando's volley from distance in the second minute.

Vienna had the better of the first 20 minutes but were restricted to efforts from range, with Daniel Royer and Florian Mader both seeing shots fly well off target.

Porto's Jackson Martinez then had the best chance of the first half, but he could only prod his attempt high and wide as he stretched to reach the ball with Lindner charging out to close down the angle.

Phillipp Hosiner wasted a good chance to open the scoring for the hosts shortly after the half-hour mark when he headed over the bar with Helton stranded, and Marko Stankovic then went close to giving them the lead in remarkable fashion three minutes before the break, but his effort from 50 yards dropped onto the roof of the net.

After an even opening to the second period, the visitors went ahead in the 55th minute.

Danilo made a strong run down the right, got to the byline and cut the ball back to the centre of the box where Gonzalez was in space to sweep beyond a wrong-footed Lindner from 15 yards.

Vienna's responded well though and they almost claimed an immediate equaliser, Markus Suttner getting on the end of Mader's right wing cross only to see his header cannon off the post and away to safety.

Hosiner was proving a real threat to Porto's defence and twice went close to finding an equaliser, first robbing Nicolas Otamendi on the half way line and firing straight at Helton, before wriggling free of two defenders and hitting the side netting from 20 yards.

As the half wore on, Vienna continued to press hard for an equaliser but were kept at bay by a resolute Portuguese defence who dealt with any threat with relative comfort.

And despite heavy pressure throughout stoppage time, the hosts could not find the equaliser they desperately wanted and Porto were able to close out the game.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Chelsea 1 Basel 2

19 September 2013

Jose Mourinho endured frustration on his return to UEFA Champions League action with Chelsea as Basel came from a goal down to win 2-1.

Six years to the day after a 1-1 draw with Rosenborg that represented the final game of Mourinho's first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were stunned by second-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Marco Streller.

Oscar fired the hosts ahead in the 45th minute in the Group E clash with his sixth goal in seven Champions League outings and the Brazilian also hit the bar prior to Salah’s classy left-footed leveller.

That goal prompted Chelsea to throw men forward, yet it was Basel - always dangerous on the break - who struck again when Streller beat Petr Cech with a near-post header from a corner.

Willian was handed his Chelsea debut and Marco van Ginkel a first start as Mourinho made five changes from the side beaten 1-0 by Everton at the weekend.

Basel recalled a host of players after fielding a weakened side for their Schweizer Pokal victory against Munsingen.

Mourinho's men unsurprisingly started the game on the front foot, albeit without creating any clear-cut opportunities.

There was a scare for Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 15th minute when he fumbled a corner from the left, but a free-kick was swiftly awarded in his favour.

The pacey Salah - a scorer at Stamford Bridge in last season's Europa League semi-final between the two sides - represented the main threat when Basel launched occasional attacks.

After Eden Hazard had spurned a rare clear sighting of goal for Chelsea following good work from Samuel Eto'o, Salah also proved wasteful when cutting in from the right and curling a shot over the bar.

Despite dominating possession and the corner count, the hosts remained frustrated as half-time approached.

However, Chelsea were lifted on the stroke of the interval as Oscar popped up with a timely goal.

David Luiz set the attack in motion by stepping into midfield and Oscar latched on to a delicate throughball from Frank Lampard to find the bottom-left corner with a first-time shot on the turn.

Streller was close to connecting with a left-wing cross early in the second half before Oscar struck the bar at the other end with a tremendous effort from just outside the area.

Hazard failed to hit the target once again either side of Branislav Ivanovic twice threatening from set-pieces.

Chelsea were then punished for not extending their lead when a cross from the left broke via Streller to Salah, who emulated Oscar by only requiring one touch to find the net.

Although Chelsea poured forward in search of a late winner, it was Basel who finished the stronger and their encouraging play gained reward as Streller shocked the home crowd.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Marseille 1 Arsenal 2
19 September 2013

Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey scored second-half goals as Arsenal opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win at Marseille.

Arsene Wenger's men earned a win in their last visit to the Stade Velodrome back in 2011, and they replicated they feat on Wednesday, Walcott finding the net with a close-range volley before Ramsey wrapped things up with a fine individual effort after the break.

Jordan Ayew grabbed a late consolation from the penalty spot for the hosts, but Arsenal held on to claim all three points.

Elie Baup made just one change to the Marseille side that drew 1-1 with Toulouse on Saturday, Andre Ayew replacing Florian Thauvin on the left-hand side of midfield.

Arsenal's only alteration came in defence, with manager Arsene Wenger - who has seen his side win five of their last six competitive outings - opting to select the experienced Per Mertesacker in favour of Carl Jenkinson.

Marseille made a bright start to proceedings with Andre-Pierre Gignac and Mathieu Valbuena both testing Wojciech Szczesny in the early going.

Arsenal responded quickly however, Theo Walcott forcing Steve Mandanda into a save with a close-range effort after beating left-back Jeremy Morel for pace.

Still, it was the hosts that continued to dictate play. Valbuena volleyed over before Andre Ayew headed narrowly wide after an excellent right-wing cross from Dimitri Payet.

The visitors struggled to gain a foothold in the midfield, with Valbuena and 21-year-old Giannelli Imbula particularly impressive for Baup’s men.

And Marseille almost got their reward for a positive display shortly before the break, Gignac heading just over the bar at the near post after powering onto a Payet corner.

Baup's side continued in the ascendancy straight after the break, Rod Fanni volleying inches wide of the post after good work down the right from Alaixys Romao.

Arsenal remained an attacking threat, though, and they almost took the lead in superb fashion, Kieran Gibbs denied by a fantastic reaction save from Mandanda after latching on to a deft backheel from Mesut Ozil.

The game quickly became stretched, with both sides crafting regular goalscoring opportunities, Payet keeping Szczesny busy with a fierce drive, before Jack Wilshere drew a near-post stop from Mandanda at the other end.

Arsenal never looked settled at the back, and they had Gibbs to thank for keeping them level as he showed great awareness to head a Payet cross off the line after miscommunication between Mertesacker and Szczesny.

But Marseille were finally made to pay for their profligacy 19 minutes into the second half, Walcott firing a magnificent volley into the top corner after Morel had failed to deal with Gibbs' far-post cross.

Payet and Valbeuna both then went close as the Ligue 1 club searched for an equaliser, but it was Arsenal who proved the more clinical of the two sides, Ramsey securing the points as he jinked through the home defence before sending a precise low shot beyond the grasp of Mandanda.

Marseille did get one back in injury time, though, Jordan Ayew scoring from 12 yards after Laurent Koscielny had felled Andre Ayew in the box.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Atletico Madrid 3 Zenit St Petersburg 1
19 September 2013

Atletico Madrid picked up their first win in 10 UEFA Champions League matches after beating Zenit St Petersburg 3-1 at Vicente Calderon.

The Madrid club also went into the match having lost their only two previous European encounters at home to Russian opposition, and although they struggled to create chances, Miranda headed them into a first-half lead.

His fellow Brazilian, Hulk, equalised in the second half with a brilliant long-range strike, but Arda Turan and substitute Leo Baptistao ensured that the Spanish side began Group G with a win.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone made four changes from the weekend win over Almeria, but the absence of the suspended Diego Costa was a major blow.

Adrian Lopez replaced him while Arda, Miranda and Mario Suarez came in for Tiago, Jose Maria Gimenez and Raul Garcia.

Zenit also picked up a domestic win in their last fixture against Terek Grozny, and four of those involved missed out in Madrid. Alexander Anyukov, Roman Shirokov, Viktor Faizulin and Andrey Arshavin dropped out with Nicolas Lombaerts, Cristian Ansaldi, Konstantin Zyryanov and Hulk coming in.

After a cagey start, Atletico did eventually carve open the Zenit defence in the 27th minute when Koke poked wide from near the penalty spot after a determined run by Suarez.

Simeone’s men gradually took control of the match but genuine chances were at a premium as the Zenit defence held firm. The visitors did, however, switch off before half-time and Atletico made them pay.

Koke fired in a powerful 40th-minute corner from the right and Miranda met it at the near post, heading past the helpless Yuri Lodigin.

The visitors were vastly improved in the second half and after a quick passing move in the 58th minute, Hulk ran at the Atletico defence and fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net from outside the area.

Zenit went close again just after the hour mark as Aleksander Kerzhakov saw a free-kick come back off the crossbar and Atletico responded by retaking the lead almost immediately.

The Russians failed to clear an Atletico free-kick and after Miranda and Koke had seen shots blocked, Arda stroked the ball past Lodigin to restore their lead.

Despite Zenit’s improvement, they were powerless to resist Atletico and Simeone’s side scored their third of the night through substitute Baptistao with 10 minutes left.

Arda played a throughball into the area for Baptistao and the young Brazilian calmly placed a shot into the bottom corner.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Napoli 2 Borussia Dortmund 1
19 September 2013

Napoli kicked off their 2013-14 UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

The Italians opened the scoring early on as Gonzalo Higuain nodded an inswinging cross home, and the hosts' task was made infinitely easier just before half-time as Mats Hummels departed injured and Roman Weidenfeller inexplicably handled outside the box to earn himself a red card.

Dortmund's threat was significantly blunted by those blows - allied to Jurgen Klopp's dismissal to the stands - and they were helpless to prevent a fantastic long-rang free-kick from Lorenzo Insigne doubling Napoli's lead.

But there was time for the 10-man Germans to grab a late consolation when Juan Camilo Zuniga flicked a cross into his own net with five minutes of normal time remaining.

With no injury worries of note among his squad, Rafael Benitez named a strong, attacking line-up including the likes of Marek Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon. The visitors, meanwhile, named a patched-up starting XI due to the absences of Ilkay Gundogan, Lukasz Piszczek and Sebastian Kehl.

Despite the makeshift nature of Klopp's team, Dortmund undoubtedly made the better start in Naples. But the hosts responded in kind, with a five-minute spell of pressure leading to Insigne driving narrowly wide before Higuain was denied a one-on-one chance by a brilliant Hummels tackle.

The topsy-turvy nature of the first half did not let up, with Lewandowski the recipient of the next clear opportunity. The Pole latch onto a fabulous throughball to sneak into the box but could not beat the sprawling Pepe Reina in the Napoli goal.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, last year's Champions League runners-up were punished for that miss in the very next attack. Zuniga picked the ball up on the left-hand side before swinging in an inch-perfect cross that Higuain nonchalantly headed to the far corner of the goal to the send the home crowd into raptures.

On the touchline, Dortmund coach Klopp remonstrated angrily with the fourth official over his failure to allow Neven Subotic back onto the pitch following a head injury, but his rant only served to bring him a red card.

Dortmund responded in bullish fashion when they received a further blow just before half-time, replacing injured centre-back Hummels with forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

But things went from bad to worse seconds later as goalkeeper Weidenfeller rushed out of his box to meet the ball but could only handle to prevent Higuain breaking through and deservedly saw red.

Jakub Blaszczykowski subsequently made way for substitute shot-stopper Mitchell Langerak before the break.

Dortmund began the second half understandably deeper in an attempt to nullify their opponents' numerical advantage but were lucky to avoid conceding again as a rifled Insigne cross bounced off the knee of Hamsik six yards out with an hour gone.

However, it mattered little in the end, as Insigne ensured the Italians would take a two-goal lead in fabulous fashion. The 22-year-old produced an unstoppable free-kick from 30 yards out that rattled the crossbar on the way past a helpless Langerak.

Aubameyang upped the stakes in terms of audacious efforts in the immediate aftermath as he struck the bar from distance before Dries Mertens also got involved as his clever free-kick to the near post almost snuck in.

Dortmund were given hope in the dying moments as Zuniga needlessly swung at a cross into the box to leave Reina no chance of stopping the ball bouncing over the line off the post but the visitors could not launch a late comeback to avoid defeat.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Milan 2 Celtic 0
19 September 2013

Emilio Izaguirre's own goal and a Sulley Muntari effort gave Milan a 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Celtic at San Siro on Wednesday.

Cristian Zapata's strike deflected off the Celtic defender to put the hosts ahead after 82 minutes.

And with Celtic pushing for a way back into the game, Muntari doubled the Italian side's lead three minutes later to get Milan off to a winning start in Group H.

The well-documented Milan injury list meant that Massimiliano Allegri was forced into a number of changes, with Stephan El Shaarawy, Kaka, Giampaolo Pazzini, Riccardo Montolivo and Ignazio Abate among the absentees.

Slovenia international Valter Birsa made his debut for the club while Antonio Nocerino partnered Nigel de Jong in midfield for the clash.

Celtic had injuries of their own to contend with and were unable to name James Forrest or Joe Ledley in their matchday squad, although Adam Matthews shook off an ankle problem to start.

Mario Balotelli was quickly among the action, volleying an effort at Forster after three minutes, but the Celtic goalkeeper was equal to the task as he palmed the strike away.

Celtic's first chance came from a indirect free-kick inside the area following a backpass, but Charlie Mulgrew saw his shot deflected over the crossbar.

Alessandro Matri's header then forced another good save from Forster before Nocerino fired narrowly over just after the half-hour mark.

Balotelli again threatened a minute from the break when his low, swerving effort almost deflected into the far corner of Forster's goal.

Giorgos Samaras had the first opportunity of the second half for Celtic, with the Greek firing just past Christian Abbiati's post while Muntari headed just over for the hosts a minute after the hour mark.

After a lengthy period of Milan pressure, Anthony Stokes crashed a free-kick against the crossbar for the visitors 10 minutes from time with Abbiati beaten.

However, two minutes later, Milan had their lead courtesy of a Zapata effort from outside the area that deflected off Izaguirre and in.

Muntari was then on hand three minutes later to make it two, bundling home from close-range after Balotelli's free-kick had come back off the post to ensure Milan came away with the three points.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Schalke 3-0 Steaua Bucharest
19 September 2013

Goals from Atsuto Uchida, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Julian Draxler saw Schalke secure a 3-0 UEFA Champions League win over Steaua Bucharest.

Uchida struck first midway through the second half, after his looped cross managed to find its way into the net, before Boateng slotted home with a calm finish.

Draxler added a thrid with a well-taken chip five minutes from time, to give the German side an early initiative in Group E.

Schalke named an unchanged side from the one that beat Mainz at the weekend, with Boateng handed his first Champions League start for the club, while Jermaine Jones failed to prove his fitness.

Steaua, who are the only team from Romania in this year's competition, had the luxury of having virtually a full-strength squad to choose from, with striker Federico Piovaccari making way for Pantelis Kapetanos up front.

The home side dominated possession in the early exchanges, with Draxler managing to find space on the left flank on several occasions.

And it took just nine minutes before Steaua goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu was called into action, getting down well to make a smart save from Adam Szalai's volley.

Tatarusanu was on hand again four minutes later, this time doing well to parry away a Boateng header.

The visitors continued to be deprived of possession as the first half wore on, but remained resolute at the back as Schalke looked to release the pace of both Draxler and Jefferson Farfan.

Farfan was on hand to set up what should have been the opening goal after half an hour, playing a low ball in from the right for Boateng, who could only drag his shot wide from around 10 yards out.

The hosts were nearly made to pay for their wastefulness around a minute later, when Cristian Tanase stung the palms of Timo Hildebrand in the Schalke goal from distance, in what proved to be a rare first-half attack for Steaua.

Schalke continued to threaten and were unlucky not be ahead seconds before the break, when a Dennis Aogo corner found its way through to Roman Neustadter, whose shot was deflected just wide.

Steaua looked bright after the break, carving out several opportunities with in the first 10 minutes of the half, with Alexandru Bourceanu causing problems for the home defence.

First a whipped Bourceanu coroner found Kapetanos, who fired over, shortly before the winger decided to have a go himself, curling a long-range shot just wide.

Another Bourceanu corner managed to cause yet more problems for the Schalke defence just a few minutes later, with the hosts having Uchida to thank after he headed a deflected ball off the line.

And Uchida's night got even better just 10 minutes later, when the Japan international's deep cross eluded everyone before sailing into the net.

The goal brought a sense of relief among the home fans, and 11 minutes later Schalke doubled their lead, when a perfectly-weighted ball from Draxler found Boateng in the area, who applied a calm finish to score.

Draxler himself got on the scoresheet three minutes later, latching on tp a threaded throughball from substitute Christian Fuchs before chipping over the goalkeeper.

It should have been 4-0 as the game advanced into stoppage time, but Christian Clemens was denied by the woodwork, on what was a great night for Jens Keller's team.

 

[BayernMunich]

​

 

[BayernMunich]

Chelsea lack maturity, admits Mourinho

By Greg Stobart at Stamford Bridge266
Sep 18, 2013 11:12:00 PM

The Blues fell to a shock 2-1 defeat to Basel in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, and the manager questioned his squad's ability to handle pressure

Jose Mourinho admitted his Chelsea side lack maturity after they slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat to Basel in their Champions League opener at Stamford Bridge.

Oscar put the Blues ahead just before half-time but the hosts were stunned by second-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Marco Streller in the Group E clash.

Mourinho described his squad as "beautiful young eggs" in his pre-match press conference but was left ruing his players’ ability to handle pressure following a second defeat in a row.

"I think the team doesn’t have the maturity and personality to deal with certain pressures of the game," Mourinho told reporters.

"We saw that at Everton when they scored just before half-time and again today. When the first negative moment arrives, which is the equaliser, the team shakes a little bit.

"We go home very sad but tomorrow morning we wake up and work on it."

Mourinho handed a debut to €36 million summer signing Willian but watched a toothless display as the Londoners struggled to create chances.

But the Portuguese accepted responsibility for the defeat and is confident that Chelsea will still progress from a group that is completed by Schalke and Steaua Bucharest.

"I don’t think it’s the time to speak about individual performances," Mourinho added. "We lost as a team. The ones who play well and not so good are all in the same bag and I’m responsible. I like players to shine and to praise them when we win, but when we lose I’m responsible.

"It was not what we expected. Of course not. In the end we lost three points and we must get them somewhere else.

"The three points we lost him, we must get them back. The objective of finishing in the top two is far from lost, we are going to fight for it and I believe very much we are going to achieve."

 

[BayernMunich]

'I behaved like a monkey' - Klopp

By Shane Callaghan200
Sep 18, 2013 11:19:00 PM

The 47-year-old has taken responsibility for his "stupid" behaviour in the loss to the Partenopei, in which he was sent to the stands

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp had admitted that he went too far in venting his frustrations during the 2-1 defeat to Napoli in the Champions League, claiming he "behaved like a monkey".

The 47-year-old coach was sent off for gesticulating angrily at the fourth official after he refused to allow Neven Subotic to return to the field of play following a head injury.

However, Klopp has taken full responsibility for his behaviour in the loss to Rafael Benitez's men - but believes victory was there for the taking.

Speaking to ZDF, he said: "We did not show our prettiest face tonight, yet we lost with the closest of defeats.

"We know now that we can beat Napoli, but too many things went wrong, including my red card. It was stupid and I acknowledge that.

"I behaved like a monkey out there. I went too far."

Last year's beaten finalists went behind to a Gonzalo Higuain goal on 27 minutes, with Lorenzo Insigne doubling the advantage midway through the second half before Juan Zuniga netted an own goal three minutes from time.

 

[BayernMunich]

Uefa reveal 32 nations declare interest in staging Euro 2020 matches

Alex Fisher3
20 Sep 2013 11:50:00

The competition is set to be held across the continent rather than in just one country, with London, Rome, Munich, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Madrid among the proposed co-host cities

UEFA have announced that 39 cities from 32 nations have declared an interest in hosting matches at the 2020 European Championships.

The competition is set to break from tradition and be staged across the continent rather than in one country.

London, Rome, Munich, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Madrid are the among the cities to have all been put forward as prospective venues, with Paris a shock omission from the bid submitted by the French Football Federation, who instead put Lyon forward

Five countries - Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine - have named more than one city, with UEFA president Michel Platini delighted at the clamour to be part of the event that will mark the 60th anniversary of the tournament.

"We are extremely proud to see the huge interest in the bidding process, with more than half of our member associations willing to host matches at UEFA EURO 2020," he said

"The finals will be a great celebration of football across the European continent, and the 60th anniversary edition will be truly special, by really coming to the doorstep of all football fans."

The UEFA Executive Committee will decide in September 2014 on the 13 cities that will host games during Euro 2020.

Cities could be awarded one of 12 standard packages that include three group matches and one knock-out game, or the showpiece package of both semi-finals and the final.

The 32 member associations on the UEFA shortlist are: Armenia (Yerevan), Azerbaijan (Baku), Belarus (Minsk), Belgium (Brussels), Bulgaria (Sofia), Croatia (Zagreb), Czech Republic (Prague), Denmark (Copenhagen), England (London), Finland (Helsinki), France (Lyon), Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Skopje), Germany (Munich), Greece (Athens), Hungary (Budapest), Israel (Jerusalem), Italy (Rome and Milan).

Continued: Kazakhstan (Astana), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Poland (Warsaw and Chorzow), Portugal (Lisbon and Porto), Republic of Ireland (Dublin), Romania (Bucharest), Russia (Saint Petersburg), Scotland (Glasgow), Serbia (Belgrade), Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia), Sweden (Solna), Switzerland (Basel), Turkey (Istanbul), Ukraine (Kyiv and Donetsk) and Wales (Cardiff).

 

[LightYears]

Heavy schedule. Many games coming.