Champions League Report

Manchester United 3-2 Braga:

Chicharito double completes magnificent turnaround

The Red Devils continued their bad habit of conceding early, Alan with two first-half strikes, but the Mexican forward inspired a recovery to maintain momentum in Group H

A Chicharito-inspired Manchester United recovered from an early sucker-punch to beat Braga 3-2 in their Champions League clash at Old Trafford, extending their lead at the top of Group H to five clear points.

Alan scored in the second and 20th minutes to rock the Red Devils but the Mexican's double, either side of a Jonny Evans equaliser, rescued all three points.

Sir Alex Ferguson followed through on his pre-match talk of implementing a diamond, Wayne Rooney captaining the side from its forward point and Michael Carrick beating Scott Wootton to a start at centre-back.

The makeshift nature of the defence showed, however, when Alan profited from badly disorganised marking to rise and head home within just two minutes from Hugo Viana's cross.

The visitors had arrived fearless and they doubled their lead on 20 minutes, this time exploiting Carrick. Eder skinned the England man on the left touchline and darted inside to cut a pass back into the box, where Alan stabbed home for his second.

Braga's two-goal cushion lasted all of five minutes and it was thanks to a smart piece of refereeing that United got their riposte. Serbian official Milorad Mazic indicated an advantage when Robin van Persie was fouled on the left flank but Shinji Kagawa picked up the loose ball and dinked a cross for Chicharito, who was onside at the far post to head into the net.

Both teams pushed for more, Van Persie firing wide with his right foot at one end before Alan nearly exploited more uneasy defending by volleying just past the post. Kagawa's movement saw him break past the back line but, just as he rolled it to the unmarked Chicharito, the Japanese was harshly flagged for offside.

Needing to seize control of an open contest after half-time, United had to replace the injured Kagawa with Nani, flattening their diamond formation accordingly. Possession did indeed come more easily but penetration slightly less so as the Braga rearguard held their own.

The breakthrough came from a poorly cleared corner, however, which fell to Evans. The defender scuffed his first attempt but it bobbled back to him and a scruffy finish was enough to beat Beto and send the game level.

Buoyed, United pushed for more and, after setting Nani up for a saved stinger, the excellent Chicharito got further reward for a superb performance. The Mexican powerfully headed home from a pinpoint delivery by Tom Cleverley, another bright spark in the turnaround.

Braga had looked deflated ever since Evans' euqaliser and never really threatened to get back into proceedings, even when David de Gea's risky pass to Cleverley opened things up. Ruben Amorim's first touch deserted him, however, and the opportunity fell flat. In the end, Sir Alex's men were comfortable in their victory.

Barcelona 2-1 Celtic

Heartbreak for Hoops after Alba wins it late

A disciplined defensive performance from the visitors saw them keep the Catalan giants largely at bay but they were denied a historic draw in stoppage time at Camp Nou

Barcelona overcame a spirited display from Celtic to secure a 2-1 victory courtesy of a stoppage-time winner in their Champions League group stage clash on Tuesday evening.

The Scottish champions took a surprise lead in the first half, with Javier Mascherano heading past his own goalkeeper after a superb delivery from Charlie Mulgrew wide on the right.

The hosts levelled the scores shortly before the break, though, when after an intricate move involving Xavi and Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta stabbed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

And, with the game nearing its conclusion, Jordi Alba was on hand to break Celtic hearts by prodding home at the far post after beating his man for pace on the outside and latching onto an Adriano ball in the box.

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova rang the changes for the game, bringing in young centre-back Marc Bartra for the suspended Sergio Busquets, while David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Martin Montoya and Cristian Tello dropped out of the starting eleven to be replaced by Xavi, Adriano, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon made four changes for the game, with Mikael Lustig, Emilio Izaguirre, Scott Brown and Georgios Samaras coming into the side for Adam Matthews, Tony Watt, Lassad Nouioui and Beram Kayal.

The hosts should have taken the lead as early as the second minute when a cute pass in behind the back four from Messi saw Sanchez miss a one-on-one chance, dinking his effort just past the left-hand post.

It was the unfancied visitors who took a shock lead in the 17th minute, though, when Mulgrew's viciously whipped free-kick from the right wing left Mascherano red-faced as he nodded into his own net under pressure from Samaras.

After finding themselves frustrated for the majority of the half, struggling to break down a stubborn Celtic defence, Barcelona drew level right on the stroke of half-time through Iniesta, who latched onto a magnificent through ball from Xavi to poke the ball past the onrushing Forster.

With Barcelona pushing for the lead, it took a world-class save from Forster to deny Messi who looked odds on to tap home from an offside position just six yards from goal after some good work by both Sanchez and Pedro.

Moments later, another high-quality save kept out a Messi header from point-blank range after a delicately clipped ball over the top from Xavi.

With the clock ticking down and Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson excellent at the heart of the back four, Celtic got a deserved stroke of luck as Villa struck the post with an angled drive from within the box.

But the Bhoys' resolve was broken in the 93rd minute when Adriano's cross allowed Alba to steal in ahead of his marker and poke home.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Chelsea

Holders humbled by Alex Teixeira & Fernandinho strikes

The Brazilian duo netted early in each half as the Ukrainian champions deservedly extended their 11-month unbeaten home record at the expense of the lacklustre holders

Alex Teixeira and Fernandinho got the goals as a hugely impressive Shakhtar side dealt Chelsea’s Champions League qualification hopes a blow with a deserved victory in Donetsk.

The Brazilian duo did the damage with a goal early in each half as the Ukrainian champions asserted themselves at the top of Group E and extended their 11-month unbeaten record at the Donbass Arena.

Oscar netted a late consolation but, for Chelsea, the path to the knockout stages now looks far more perilous - despite Juventus helpfully drawing their ninth continental match in a row against Nordsjaelland - after failing what was always likely to be a stern test of their renewed European aspirations.

Roberto Di Matteo made two changes to the Chelsea side which saw off Tottenham on Saturday. John Terry captained the team for the first time since accepting his FA punishment for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, while Frank Lampard was recalled to the midfield in place of Eden Hazard.

Shakhtar, meanwhile, were unchanged from the side which came close to inflicting a shock defeat on Juventus last time out, with the creative trio of former Blues target Willian, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Teixeira supplying Luiz Adriano up front.

The Ukrainians began with the confidence of a side unbeaten at home for almost a year, and took the lead three minutes in when Adriano’s attempted shot struck Terry and broke for Teixeira, who calmly stroked the ball low beyond a helpless Petr Cech.

Chelsea steadied the ship but Shakhtar continued to look the more incisive, and, on 16 minutes, Willian jinked inside Ramires and ripped a shot over Cech’s crossbar.

Things got worse for the European champions with the early withdrawal of Lampard through injury, and soon after the lively Willian tested Cech again with a curling drive.

The Blues goalkeeper made further good saves to deny Mkhitaryan and Tomas Hubschmann as the half drew to a close, and in truth the visitors were fortunate to reach the break only one goal behind.

Chelsea tried to rally at the start of the second half but soon found themselves in big trouble again, however, when Hazard gave the ball away cheaply on the halfway line and Adriano fed Fernandinho, who fired in from the angle.

Left with a mountain to climb, Di Matteo’s men pushed on, but were repeatedly frustrated by disciplined Shakhtar defending which limited them to hopeful shots from range.

Daniel Sturridge replaced the ineffective Fernando Torres with 20 minutes left, and the England man made an immediate impact, cleverly playing in Hazard to force a solid stop from an otherwise criminally underworked Andriy Pyatov.

But this was a rare moment of invention from a Chelsea attack uncharacteristically devoid of imagination, and it was Shakhtar who continued to look more dangerous on the counter.

Mkhitaryan and Hubschmann both went close to adding insult to injury before the Blues gave themselves hope of a miraculous comeback on 87 minutes, as Branislav Ivanovic surged to the byline and crossed low for Oscar to tap home.

But it proved to be false hope, and Shakhtar ran out worthy winners.

Spartak Moscow 2-1 Benfica

Jardel own goal puts Russians back into Group G contention

Unai Emery's men bounced back from successive 3-2 defeats to Barcelona and Celtic by claiming three points which lifts them above their Portuguese rivals in the standings

Spartak Moscow kept their hope of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League alive by deservedly edging out Benfica 2-1 in a crunch Group G clash at the Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The hosts broke the deadlock with less than three minutes played, Rafael Carioca finishing off a wonderful breakaway from deep inside their own half, but their Portuguese opponents levelled matters courtesy of a near-post header from Lima half an hour later.

However, Jardel, under pressure from Ari, put through his own goal shortly before the interval and Spartak held on to their slender advantage in the face of incessant late pressure from Benfica to register their first points of their Champions League campaign.

Spartak, who had blown 2-1 leads in their opening two games against Barcelona and Celtic, made a storming start and could easily have been ahead inside a minute, with Ari picking out Diniyar Bilyaletdinov unmarked in the area only for Artur to parry the former Everton man’s towering header away to safety. 

Still, the home fans would not have to wait much long to see their side go ahead. Bilyaletdinov pounced on a loose pass from Nemanja Matic in Spartak territory and surged forward before moving the ball onto Jurado. The on-loan Schalke attacker held it up superbly, waiting until the last possible second before slipping the supporting Rafael Carioca in on goal. The Brazilian demonstrated just as much poise and composure in drawing out Artur before coolly prodding the ball past his compatriot.

It should have been 2-0 just over 20 minutes later but Ari volleyed against the bar after being picked out at the back post by a terrific cross from Jano Ananidze. Almost inevitably, the striker’s profligacy was punished almost immediately, Lima heading home an equally inviting delivery, this time from Salvio from wide on the right after Spartak had failed to fully clear a Benfica corner.

The momentum appeared now very much with the visitors but, credit to Spartak, they first reclaimed the initiative, and then the lead when Jardel bundled a dangerous cross from Evgeni Makeev into his own net, after the latter had been released into space by a defence-splitting pass from his captain, Dmitri Kombarov.

Spartak began the second half as promisingly and menacingly as they had the first and nearly doubled their advantage on 55 minutes but Ari failed to get enough purchase on Ananidze’s low ball across the six-yard box and the former AZ forwad’s back-heeled effort was easily saved by Artur.

It was Benfica, though, who should have struck next, with the otherwise impressive Makeev gifting Salvio the opportunity to equalise by making a mess of an attempted header back to his goalkeeper. However, luckily for the Spartak right-back, the Argentine fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

Despite dominating territory and possession in the final quarter, winless Benfica would not go so close again to snatching a point, meaning they drop to the bottom of the group and must now triumph in their return clash with Spartak in Lisbon to retain any chance of reaching the last 16.

FC Nordsjaelland 1-1 Juventus

Beckmann free kick earns Danes famous draw

The Danes stunned the Bianconeri by taking the lead shortly after the interval with a sublime set-piece and then, after Mirko Vucinic's equaliser, somehow held on for a point

Juventus' hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League are hanging by a thread after being held to a 1-1 draw by Group E minnows FC Nordsjaelland at Parken Stadium on Tuesday night.

However, it could have been even worse for the Bianconeri, who fell behind to a stunning free-kick goal from Mikkel Beckmann early in the second half. Indeed, there were just under 10 minutes remaining when the Italian champions finally drew level, through substitute Mirko Vucinic.

Fellow replacement Nicklas Bendtner had a chance to be a hero on home soil but he headed wide late on and Juve were forced to settle for their third successive draw in this season's Champions League - and their ninth in total in European competition.

The Bianconeri had gone into the game in Copenhagen knowing that nothing less than a victory would suffice if they were to retain any real chance of progressing as winners of Group E - or perhaps even progressing at all.

Still, while the visitors, and Andrea Pirlo in particular, were undoubtedly intent on taking control of the game early on, FCN were in no mood to be pushed around and enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening exchanges. 

Indeed, with Kasper Lorentzen, Joshua John and Andreas Laudrup all impressing in support of lone frontman Beckmann, the tournament debutants carried an undeniable attacking threat. They could even have taken the lead on the half hour when John latched onto a kick-out from Jesper Hansen and looked to flick the ball past the onrushing Gianluigi Buffon only to see the goalkeeper rather fortuitously block with the side of his chest - when it could so easily have been his flailing left arm. 

However, it was Juve, with Pirlo predictably pulling the strings, who looked the more likely scorers in a tight opening 45 minutes. With one superbly-executed, first-time pass in behind the FCN defence, Pirlo put Sebastian Giovinco in on goal only for the diminutive forward to be muscled off the ball by the impressive Jores Okore. 

It was undoubtedly Giovinco who was carrying the Bianconeri’s most potent attacking threat but after seeing a smart volley saved by Jesper Hansen on 28 minutes, the former Parma man squandered a terrific chance to break the deadlock moments later after being played through by Paolo De Ceglie. Giovinco rounded the advancing Hansen with ease but allowed the acute angle to get the better of him and fired into the side netting.

The diminutive forward also tested Hansen with stinging drives either side of half-time, first after sending the scrambling FCN defence one way and then the other, and then after latching onto a fine knock-on by strike partner Alessandro Matri.

The opening goal, therefore, came as a real bolt from the blue - and Juventus only had themselves to blame, some sloppy play in midfield eventually leading to De Ceglie putting his own defence under pressure with a poor pass before an unsettled Giorgio Chiellini needlessly barged Laudrup out of the way on the edge of the area.

Beckmann, whose shooting up until this point had been tame at best, stepped up to take the resulting free kick and calmly curled the ball up and over the wall and into the top-right corner, sparking raucous celebrations from the 'home' side's supporters.

Juventus, unsurprisingly, redoubled their efforts in a bid to drag themselves back into the game and Giovinco, after rising wonderfully to meet another fine De Ceglie delivery, was only denied a long overdue goal by the most amazing one-handed save from Hansen.

The Italian champions continued to press, sending Bendtner and Vucinic on to bolster their attacking ranks. In the end, it was the latter who made the breakthrough, volleying home a fine cross from Mauricio Isla from wide on the right-hand side with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Bendtner, though, could have really kickstarted his Juventus career on 87 minutes but he headed another inviting cross from De Ceglie well wide after arriving late into the area. In truth, though, it was probably only just that FCN held on to claim the greatest result in their 21-year history.

Lille 0-1 Bayern Munich

Muller goal gets Bavarians' Champions League campaign back on track

The visitors recovered from their shock loss to BATE Borisov a fortnight ago and grabbed their second European victory of the season against the tame Dogues

Bayern Munich claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Lille in France to get their Champions League campaign back on track.

The Bavarians were in control for much of the match without ever really getting out of first gear, and Thomas Muller's 19th-minute penalty proved to be enough on the night.

The hosts looked vulnerable from the outset, and truth be told, Jupp Heynckes' side should have been goal up within a minute of the kick-off. 

Philipp Lahm picked out Thomas Muller pefectly with a right-wing cross, but the Germany intenrational's control failed him when he was completely unmarked. Had he taken a more measured first touch, he would have surely found the target from a matter of yards.

Thereafter, the Bavarians began to take control, and Franck Ribery was looking lively, forcing untried youngster Djibril Sidibe into a string of clumsy fouls, only for Bayern's set piece taker to fail to deliver.

And, they almost paid for it. Despite Lucas Digne frequently allowing Muller and Lahm too much room on the wings, he was excellent going forward, and on one dart down the left, he found Tulio De Melo, who could only head wide under pressure from Dante.

Soon enough, though, Bayern's dominance paid off. Lahm took advantage of a drop in concentration from Digne, darted into the box, and fell, slightly softly, under a challenge from the full-back. Muller stepped up, and calmly passed the ball into the back of the net from the spot.

The match then continued in much the same manner that it had been previously. Bayern were almost unchallenged in possession, stroking the ball around harmlessly in the centre of the park without any real penetration.

Digne, eager to make up for his mistake in giving away the penalty made another charge down the wing and sent in a fantastic cross that narrowly evaded the heads of Nolan Roux and De Melo, before Marvin Martin screwed a long-range volley wide from distance with Manuel Neuer out of position.

However, all things told, Lille did not do enough to warrant an equaliser before the break, allowing Bayern to take their slender lead into the break, despite a meagre performance.

After the restart, the hosts returned with more vigour, pressing Bayern more in midfield, but spare a pop shot from Florent Balmont which was blocked by Dante's head, they were no closer to grabbing an equaliser.

At the other end, an excellent block from Sidibe forced Xherdan Shaqiri's volley well over the bar, while a Muller cross caused mayhem among the static Lille defence, who eventually managed to clear their lines with Mario Mandzukic lurking.

Shaqiri then had credible appeals for a penalty turned down after a left-wing cross struck Franck Beria on the arm from close range, while Bastian Schweinsteiger failed to play in Lahm, who had won the ball brilliantly just outside the box and attempted a give-and-go with his team-mate.

Muller missed a golden opportunity to kill off the game 14 minutes from time, trying to sweep home a Lahm cross with his right foot when he could have had a tap-in with his left.

And, within seconds, they were almost made to pay for their error. Ryan Mendes, fresh from the bench, was gifted possession by Dante inside the Bayern box, but saw his effort blocked by Schweinsteiger. 

He recovered the ball and dinked in a cross, but Lahm stood firm and stopped his attacker from getting control.

Perhaps rattled by the Lille resurgence, Heynckes brought Luiz Gustavo on for Kroos, and although the hosts continued to press, Bayern had done just about enough.

Lille now sit six points behind all their fellow Group F sides. Heynckes' side, meanwhile, can take a huge step towards progression when they host les Dogues in a fortnight's time.

BATE Borisov 0-3 Valencia

Soldado hat-trick earns superb away victory

The prolific attacker was simply unstoppable in Belarus as he single-handedly helped his side to a crucial away win

Valencia have recorded a 3-0 win over BATE Borisov in Tuesday evening's Champions League Group F encounter in Minsk.

The Spanish side did not have an easy evening against the Borisov outfit before the break, but Roberto Soldado's converted penalty in the dying seconds of the first half helped them on their way, before again Soldado made it two after the interval. The Spain international got his hat-trick in the 69th minute following a fine finish.

The away side started the match the better team of the two and came close to opening the scoring after only five minutes of play. Fernando Gago reached Soldado with a superb pass, but the 27-year-old's powerful strike was kept out by Andrey Gorbunov.

Soldado again caused the BATE defence all kinds of trouble shortly after when he nutmegged Egor Filipenko before setting up Andres Guardado. However, the Mexican winger's shot was too weak to trouble Gorbunov.

BATE then took over the initiative and created a number of dangerous situations, with Vitali Rodionov in particular threatening.

The striker hesitated just too long after being set up by Aliaksandr Hleb, allowing Ricardo Costa to make a last-ditch clearance, while Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves only just intercepted a low cross from the left before Rodionov could tap home from close range. Meanwhile, Alves was not too impressed with the striker's header after Maksim Bordachev's excellent cross.

It were the guests who eventually broke the deadlock, though, and it was the inevitable Soldado who added his name to the score-sheet. Marko Simic pulled down the attacker inside the BATE area, leaving the referee no other choice but to award a spot-kick. Soldado stepped up to take it himself, and easily slotted home.

Rodionov once more threatened only minutes into the second half, but Alves again proved to be in fine form. Valencia then broke free on the counter-attack, and Soldado doubled his side's lead with a well-taken volley after a Guardado cross from the left wing. 

Both Guardado and Soldado could have made it three immediately after the 2-0, but the former's attempt was blocked by the goalkeeper, while the latter's shot was cleared off the goal-line.

The BATE defenders were unable to contain Soldado, and the striker seemed to get his hat-trick after he slammed home a rebound from close range. However, the linesman raised his flag and the goal was disallowed for offside. 

Soldado would get his third of the evening only minutes later, though. Tino Costa managed to reach the prolific attacker despite the duo being outnumbered by the BATE defence, and the 27-year-old again showed his class with a calm finish. 

Valencia and BATE have both collected six points from three games, and share top spot with Bayern Munich. Both sides meet again at Mestalla on November 7.

Galatasaray 1-1 CFR Cluj

Yilmaz leveller can't lift Turkish side from bottom of Group H

A late strike from the Turkey international ensured that the Istanbul outfit picked up their first point in European competition this season despite an uninspiring performance

Galatasaray left it late to secure a 1-1 draw in the Champions League against 10-man CFR Cluj in appalling conditions at the Turk Telekom Arena.

Torrential rain before kick off meant that the fixture was played on a water-logged pitch, though this did not hinder the visitors who took the lead midway through the first half when Dany Nounkeu turned into his own net.

Cluj were reduced to 10 men soon after but Gala were unable to capitalise on their man advantage with Felipe Melo failing to convert from the penalty spot. But with 15 minutes remaining, Burak Yilmaz equalised with his side's first Champions League goal this season, also securing them their maiden point.

Proof that the sodden pitch was going to make for a turbulent match was evident within the opening two minutes. After the hosts gave the ball away, Emmanuel Eboue offered too much space to Camora on the left. He found Rafael Bastos in the area but the forward sliced his effort high and wide of the goal.

To their credit Gala attempted to play good football in the face of the adverse conditions and their first shot of goal came in the 14th minute. Hamit Altintop's 20-yard strike was parried aside by Mario Felgueiras and although Umut Bulut was first to the loose ball, the referee was unconvinced as he fell to the floor inside the box.

But Cluj, maintaining a more direct gameplan, silenced the stadium in the 19th minute. Camora once more found space down the left and he crossed for Pantelis Kapetanos. The striker got a foot on the ball but was fortunate that a wicked deflection off Nounkeu carried the ball into the back of the net.

With 28 minutes played the Istanbul outfit were given a huge boost when Matias Aguirregaray was dismissed for his second booking in the space of three minutes after bringing down Selcuk Inan.

Momentum immediately swung the way of the hosts and after Felgueiras thwarted Altintop, Laszlo Sepsi conceded a penalty for handball with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Felipe Melo stepped up to take the spot-kick but the keeper guessed right, clawing the ball away and capping a brilliant half.

Six minutes after the restart Gala failed to take the most of yet another gilt-edged chance. The excellent Nordin Amrabat picked out Bulut in space in front of goal but he failed to connect with the ball properly as it skidded off the slick surface.

With the Cluj defence camped back on the edge of their own area, the hosts enjoyed total dominance. But Fatih Terim's men continued to rally and the Romanian resistance was finally broken with 13 minutes remaining. Amrabat's cross found Yilmaz in the area, who had replaced the injured Johan Elmander in the first half, and he beat the keeper to the ball to nod into the net.

Galatasary were unable to go a step further and find the winner meaning they remain bottom of Group H while Cluj rise above Braga and into second.

Source: goal.com

Champions League's top scores!

Real Madrid are this season's Champions League top scorers

The Whites who have seven goals in the competition also lead number of shots and assists.

Real Madrid have two wins from the two matches played so far in the Champions League group stage and lead group D after victories against Manchester City at home and Ajax away. The Whites have scored seven goals and are top scorers in the tournament this season. Furthermore, Real Madrid have had the most shots (33) and also the most assists (6) in the competition so far.

The team lead by José Mourinho started this season’s European journey with an epic comeback in the Bernabéu against Manchester City. 3-2 was the final score in this first victory thanks to goals from Marcelo, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo and was followed by a more forceful (1-4) display against Ajax in Amsterdam on match day two. Ronaldo, this time scored a hat-trick, and Benzema found the net once again.

With seven goals in two matches Real Madrid have scored the most goals, followed by Málaga, Bate Borisov (Belarus) and Chelsea (England), with six goals each. Mourinho’s men have had good attacking performances and are also the team that have had the most shots on goal with 33 to date, followed by Braga (Portugal) with 29 and Dortmund (Germany) with 25.

The Real Madrid squad also have the most assists in these first two matches with six decisive passes made by their players. Benzema and Di María have two assists each and top the list along with Giroud (Arsenal), Rooney (Manchester United), Cole (Chelsea), Messi (Barcelona), Eder (Braga), Volodko (Bate Borisov) and Sougou (Cluj). Marcelo and Kaka are the other two players with assists.

Source: goal.com

Serie A Report

Juventus 2-0 Napoli

Caceres & Pogba send champions clear at Serie A summit

The Bianconeri struggled to break down a stubborn Partenopei side, but they secured three precious points in the closing stages thanks to two of their substitutes

Juventus moved three points clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A by striking late to claim a vital 2-0 victory over their Scudetto rivals.

The Bianconeri had the better of a disappointing encounter in terms of possession and territory, but they struggled to create any clear-cut chances and it was Napoli who came closest to opening the scoring during the first-half, with forward Edinson Cavani hitting the crossbar with a free kick.

However, the hosts eventually made the breakthrough with 10 minutes to go when Martin Caceres headed home an Andrea Pirlo corner just moments after being introduced from the bench. 

Fellow substitute Paul Pogba repeated the feat just moments later with a terrific volley to ensure that Napoli left Turin empty handed and give the his side the initiative in this season's title race.

Juventus began the game like they meant business, with Sebastian Giovinco testing Morgan De Sanctis with a low strike inside the opening 60 seconds.

However, the visitors were in no mood to be bullied. On the contrary, they seemed intent on roughing the Bianconeri up in the early stages, a tactic which resulted in the conceding of a succession of free kicks.

Indeed, after weathering what was a very early storm, Napoli settled and came agonisingly close to taking the lead midway through the first-half, when Cavani struck the top of the crossbar with a curling free kick from an acute angle wide on the left.

As it was, the two sides were still level at the interval, a well-struck drive from Claudio Marchisio, right on half-time, the only other effort of note in an ill-tempered, underwhelming and largely incident-free opening 45 minutes.

Juve continued to dominate possession in the second period but to little effect. However, Giovinco really should have ended the stalemate 10 minutes into the second-half when the ball dropped invitingly for him in the area, after he himself had miscued a low cross from Kwadwo Asamoah. However, after shifting it onto his right foot, the former Parma man fired wide.

For the most part, Juventus were still struggling to prise open the Napoli defence, but Pirlo did just that midway through the second-half with a sublime pass over the top. However, Alessandro Matri, just on as a replacement for the ineffective Fabio Quagliarella, failed dismally to control the ball and it bounced harmlessly into the grateful arms of De Sanctis.

Caceres, though, would not be so profligate when he was presented with the chance to be the hero, the versatile defender timing his arrival into the six-yard box to perfection before burying Pirlo's corner past a helpless De Sanctis.

Not to be outdone, Pogba, who had taken over in midfield from the subdued Arturo Vidal, made the points safe when he demonstrated wonderful technique in finding the bottom corner with a controlled volley from the edge of the area just three minutes later.

The result leaves Juventus three points clear at the top of Serie A and extends their unbeaten run to a staggering 47 games.

Lazio 3-2 AC Milan

Clinical Klose decides five-goal thriller

The Germany international's volley at the start of the second half ultimately proved decisive, in spite of a spirited late fightback from Massmiliano Allegri's men

Lazio heaped more misery on AC Milan by holding on to record a 3-2 victory over the struggling Rossoneri at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night.

The visitors fell behind to a deflected effort from Hernanes midway through the first half before Antonio Candreva doubled the Biancocelesti's advantage with a stunning strike just before the interval.

Miroslav Klose made it 3-0 early in the second half and although Nigel de Jong and Stephan El Shaarawy dragged Milan back into the game after the introduction of the fit-again Alexandre Pato, last season's runners-up were unable to complete what would have been a remarkable comeback.

Even though the visitors had made their worst start to a Serie A campaign in 80 years, the under-pressure Massimiliano Allegri looked like he did not have a care in the world before kick-off. 

The Rossoneri coach was given very little cause for concern during an opening quarter in which Milan coped comfortably with what little Lazio had to offer going forward, while at the same time threatening sporadically themselves.

However, when it comes to struggling sides, anything that can go wrong, usually does go wrong, and so it was that the visitors fell behind 25 minutes in when Hernanes twisted and turned his way past Daniele Bonera before unleashing a speculative effort which struck the defender’s outstretched leg and looped up and over the stranded Marco Amelia.

Fortune frowned on Milan again just moments later when El Shaarawy, having latched onto a through-ball from Antonio Nocerino, fired the ball through the legs of Albano Bizzarri only to see Andre Dias seemingly come from nowhere to clear off the line.

They were hit with another devastating psychological blow just before the break when Candreva unleashed a long-range drive that seemed to swerve in several different directions on its way past an understandably bemused Amelia.

Despite the benefit of 15 minutes’ respite, Milan still appeared punch drunk at the start of the second half. It would be difficult to offer another credible explanation for the way in which they defended Lazio’s third goal, with right-back Ignazio Abate missing in action and a dazed and confused Daniele Bonera staggering about the box as Klose clinically volleyed home Candreva’s measured cross from the right wing.

That looked like the knockout blow but Milan kept swinging and their fighting spirit was rewarded with a goal from De Jong, who did well to get his toe on Urby Emanuelson’s low, in-swinging free kick.

Suddenly it was the hosts who looked fragile - both mentally and defensively - and Milan set up a fascinating finale when El Shaarawy cut in from the left with just over 10 minutes to go and curled the ball into the bottom corner.

Milan poured forward in search of an equaliser but to no avail, meaning they remain 12th in the standings. Lazio also stay where they are, but the third-placed Biancocelesti are now just one point behind second-placed Napoli.

Source: goal.com

La Liga Report

Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo

Higuain & Ronaldo clinch straightforward win

Jose Mourinho's men close the gap on Barcelona with goals from the Argentine and Portuguese attackers, in what was a low-key performance at Santiago Bernabeu

A goal each from Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real Madrid a relatively comfortable 2-0 victory over Celta Vigo in the Spanish Primera Division on Saturday evening.

It was by no means a vintage performance from Los Blancos, but dominance in possession throughout the match enabled the Argentine and Portuguese to find the net in either half, in what was a largely forgettable encounter at Santiago Bernabeu.

Jose Mourinho’s men controlled the play in the opening stages of the match, and although plenty of ball retention was evident in the midfield area, there was a lack of goalmouth action to get the home faithful off their seats.

However, their dominance paid off in the 11th minute in fortuitous circumstances. Higuain found space on the left-hand side and attempted to swing the ball into the box, but his cross floated over the head of Celta goalkeeper Sergio, who appeared to be fooled by the flight of the ball.

The hosts continued their patient build-up play for the much of the first period, and should have doubled their advantage when Higuain found himself on the wing again, dinking a cross into the centre for Ronaldo, but the Portuguese powered his header over the bar from just outside the six-yard box.

Celta began to grow into the match as the second half went on, and Iago Aspas looked the most likely to grab a goal back for the visitors. The 25-year-old enjoyed a few decent sighters at goal from the edge of the box, with one attempt forcing Iker Casillas into a smart save.

As the second half commenced, Madrid’s play was lacklustre to say the least, with passes going astray all too often, with Ronaldo in particular guilty of dallying in possession too often in the final third.

Despite playing within themselves, the home side were gifted an opportunity to double their lead, when Gustavo Cabral got the wrong side of Mesut Ozil inside the area and brought the German to the floor. A penalty kick was awarded and Ronaldo stepped up confidently to dispatch into the bottom left corner.

Having withdrawn Kaka at half-time for Angel di Maria, Mourinho utilised his squad further with 20 minutes to go, introducing Jose Callejon in place of Ozil, and the substitute almost made an immediate impact when he latched on to a Higuain pass down the inside right channel, only to see his shot flash past the left-hand post.

The 25-year old was impressive after coming on, and had another opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet in the 78th minute when he drifted beyond the Celta defence and took down Sergio Ramos’ pass over the top. His swift turn led to a strike at goal, but his attempt was stopped by the legs of the visiting goalkeeper.

That proved to be the last action of an underwhelming encounter; Real Madrid now move within five points of league leaders Barcelona, with the Catalan side facing Deportivo on Saturday evening. Celta Vigo remain in the bottom half of the table with nine points taken from eight matches.

Deportivo 4-5 Barcelona

Messi hits hat-trick as the Riazor rains goals

Tito Vilanova's side secured all three points tonight despite going down to 10 men following Javier Mascherano's dismissal, as they edged a nine-goal thriller

Barcelona made it 12 matches unbeaten in La Liga courtesy of an astonishing 5-4 victory over Deportivo at the Riazor on Saturday evening, in a thrilling match that saw six goals scored before half-time.  

Well-taken strikes from Jordi Alba, Cristian Tello and Lionel Messi made it 3-0 to Tito Vilanova's side inside 20 minutes, before Pizzi reduced the deficit with a penalty. Alex Bergantinos then beat Valdes with a half-volley from distance before Messi made it 4-2 with a low finish from 15 yards shortly before the break. 

Pizzi grabbed his second with a fine free-kick shortly after half-time before Barcelona's Javier Mascherano was sent off for a second yellow card after an altercation with Riki. Messi completed his hat-trick with an explosive run and finish in the 77th minute, but there was still time for more drama as Alba sent a volley past his own goalkeeper Victor Valdes to make it 5-4. 

The Catalan side were able to hold on, however, to maintain their position at the top of the Primera Division table.

The visitors gave a firm signal of their intent by taking the lead after just three minutes through Jordi Alba. The Spain international took a pass from Cesc Fabregas in his stride brilliantly before stroking a shot past Dani Aranzubia. 

Within five minutes they had increased their lead, after a driving run and clipped pass from Messi found Tello on the right. The youngster immediately set off for goal, turning the Deportivo left-back Ayoze inside-out on the edge of the box before hammering a low shot between the legs of Aranzubia.

Not to be outdone by the goalscoring exploits of his team-mates, Messi soon added his name to the scoresheet, smashing in Barcelona's third with his left foot from 18 yards after a delightful backheel from Fabregas had pulled Deportivo's two centre-backs Carlos Marchena and Ze Castro out of position, and cleared the way to goal for his Argentine team-mate. 

Despite their imperious attacking play Barcelona offered Deportivo a chance to get back in to the match when Javier Mascherano caught Pizzi with a sliding challenge as he burst into the penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty despite the visiting players suggesting the foul was outside the box, and Pizzi wasted no time in stepping up to take the spot-kick he had won, confidently dispatching past Victor Valdes.

Deportivo struck again shortly after through Bergantinos, the midfielder making it 3-2 in the 37th minute with a well-struck half-volley from the edge of the box that ricocheted off Valdes and into the back of the net. Suddenly, the hosts were back in the game, after being seemingly dead and buried so early in the contest.

The flurry of first-half goals did not stop there, though, as Messi scored the sixth goal of the half, and his second of the evening, running on to a fine outside-of-the-boot pass from Fabregas before firing a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner of Aranzubia's goal. 

Any who thought the second half would not live up to the first were given a jolt in the 47th minute as Pizzi curled an inch-perfect free-kick into the top right corner from 25 yards to cut Barcelona's lead to just one.

Minutes after Pizzi had made it 4-3 Barcelona were reduced to 10 men following the sending off of Javier Mascherano for a second bookable offence. The referee Jose Paradas deemed the Argentine to have caught Riki with a flailing arm after the striker dribbled towards him, but replays showed that he got the ball and made little contact with the Deportivo player. 

Messi then came within millimetres of completing his hat-trick from a set piece as his vicious free-kick from 30 yards came cannoning back off Aranzubia's left-hand post and away to safety. 

Messi did eventually notch his third of the night in the 77th minute. After dispossessing Ze Castro 45 yards from goal, the Argentine powered towards the Deportivo goal before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the bottom right corner with his left foot. 

A moment of madness from Alba supplied Deportivo with a lifeline, as he volleyed the ball into his own net under pressure from Riki inside the Barcelona penalty area to make the score 5-4. 

Deportivo committed men forward late on as they went in search of an equaliser but Barcelona's makeshift defence managed to withstand the pressure and hold out for all three points in what was one of the most engrossing, unlikely, incredible encounters of the season.

Source: goal.com

Premier League Report

Manchester United 4-2 Stoke City

Rooney recovers from own goal to fire hosts to victory

The Red Devils bounce back after going behind early as the England international strikes for the first time this season while Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck also find the net

Wayne Rooney scored a double and an own goal as Manchester United bounced back after going behind early to register a 4-2 victory over Stoke City at Old Trafford. 

The visitors took the lead when the England international nodded the ball into his own net from a Charlie Adam free-kick. United rallied and Rooney was on hand to get them back into the game with a thumping header. 

Just before the break Robin van Persie gave his side the lead with sublime close range effort and 50 seconds after the restart Danny Welbeck notched another for the Red Devils with a superb diving header. 

Michael Kightly got the Potters back into the game with a great individual effort only for Rooney to give United their two goal lead back with a smart finish at the back-post to seal the win for the Red Devils. 

Sir Alex Ferguson made two changes to the side that beat Newcastle with Antonio Valencia and Paul Scholes coming in for Shinji Kagawa and Tom Cleverley. Tony Pulis made just one change from his Potters team that drew with Liverpool with Dean Whitehead replacing Glenn Whelan. 

The Red Devils dominated possession early on but it was the Potters who took the lead through an own goal from Rooney who could only helplessly nod Adam’s free-kick past David De Gea when trying to mark Shawcross. 

Every time Stoke pushed forward they threatened and De Gea had to make two good saves to stop the visitors doubling their lead, first from Adam, and then from Walters after Kightly and Peter Crouch had combined to set the striker one-on-one with the Spaniard. 

The Potters were made to rue these missed opportunities as United equalised through Rooneyas he rose highest in the penalty area to head Van Persie’s cross into the right net this time for his first league goal of the season. 

United upped the ante before the break as Scholes and Welbeck went close before they took the lead through Van Persie as he turned Valencia’s pinpoint cross past Begovic at the near post with a lovely finish taking the ball first time with his left-foot. 

Immediately after half-time the Red Devils made it three as Welbeck headed sublimely past Begovic with a diving effort, as he latched onto Rooney’s cross getting in between two defenders to nod into the bottom corner. 

The Potters had shown earlier they were not going to be pushovers and they regained that attitude as they equalised through Kightly with a great individual effort as he ran through the United defence and shot past De Gea with the aid of the post. 

Stoke’s hopes of getting back into the game further were dented when Rooney struck again from close range as he reacted first to a scramble in the penalty area from a Van Persie corner and side-footed into the net at the back-post. 

The Potters tried desperately to fight their way back into the game again while United had chances of their own to extend their lead but neither could find a way through again as Sir Alex’s side sealed the three points. 

West Brom 1-2 Manchester City

Super-sub Dzeko saves champions with dramatic double

Roberto Mancini's team rescued victory from the jaws of defeat after Shane Long had given the home side a 67th minute lead and James Milner had been sent off in the first half

On paper, this trip to fortress Hawthorns always looked a major test of Manchester City's title credentials.

So it proved, as Edin Dzeko came off the bench and rescued victory from the jaws of defeat for Roberto Mancini's 10-man team in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Shane Long's poacher's goal had given West Brom a 67th minute lead and looked like propelling the home side to their fifth consecutive home Premier League win of the season following James Milner's early sending-off.

But Dzeko had other ideas. A minute after coming on the pitch, he headed an 80th minute equaliser from Carlos Tevez's free-kick following an error from Ben Foster.

Then, in added time he sent City's travelling fans wild with his second goal and fifth league strike of the season, calmly slotting home with his right foot.

Either side of Dzeko's last-minute winner, another substitute, Romelu Lukaku, had come close to scoring, but he was denied - first by Joe Hart and then by an Aleksandar Kolarov goal-line clearance.

Before kick-off this clash had 'upset' written all over it. West Brom have adapted smoothly following the change-over from Roy Hodgson to Steve Clarke, accumulating 14 points from their first seven matches.

Moreover, the Hawthorns has been quite a fortress for Clarke's team. Their opening four home league matches have yielded four victories - against Liverpool, Everton, Reading and QPR – and nine goals.

Mancini selected a team with a strong English core. Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott and Milner all started despite the 20-hour delay to England's match against Poland in midweek and they were complemented by Gareth Barry and Micah Richards.

Sadly for City, Milner only lasted 23 minutes. A mistake by Vincent Kompany allowed Long a clear run on Hart's goal, which meant that the midfielder had to time his tackle perfectly. He did not.

Long was hacked to the ground and replays showed that Mark Clattenburg was correct to show Milner a straight red card for a professional foul.

Briefly, City lost their composure as feisty challenges rained in from the home side, backed by their vocal home support.

Mancini needed his 10 men to stand firm but Balotelli was having one of those days when he felt the whole world was against him. After being booked in the 19th minute for lashing out following a challenge, he began to tread a disciplinary tight-rope as the opening half finished, even if he was harshly penalised for a foul.

When the whistle blew and with the crowd increasingly getting on his back, Balotelli marched up to Clattenburg and his assistants to have his say, before being sensibly escorted away by Hart.

Few among the 24,891 spectators expected the temperamental Italian to come back out after the break, but Mancini re-shaped his team into a 4-3-1-1 formation, moved Tevez back and gave Balotelli the spearhead role in which he is far more comfortable.

It paid immediate dividends. City began to gain a foothold in the match, creating opportunities and quietening the home fans for the first time.

Tevez's long-range shot was heading for the top corner before it was athletically pawed away by Foster while Toure headed over the bar after Balotelli's mis-hit volley.

Against the run of play, West Brom took the lead after 67 minutes. Substitute Peter Odemwingie made an immediate impact, putting Long through on goal with a slide-rule pass and the No.9 tapped in his third league goal of the season and fifth in all. Replays showed he was narrowly on-side as City’s defenders moved forward.

Mancini hauled off Barry and sent on Dzeko to rescue a point. The Bosnian managed to do even better.

Liverpool 1-0 Reading

Sterling strike gives Rodgers first home league win

The Merseyside outfit toiled in front of goal against a Royals side reluctant to leave their half but were let off by the 17-year-old's well-taken first-half goal

Liverpool posted just their third Premier League victory at Anfield in 2012 as they earned a 1-0 win over Reading on Saturday afternoon.

Raheem Sterling struck the solitary goal, finishing well into the corner after a chipped through ball from Luis Suarez - who was at his wasteful best as the Reds failed to carve out a bigger lead.

The hosts made just one change following their disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke last time out, as goalkeeper Pepe Reina – injured on international duty with Spain – dropped out for Brad Jones. Royals boss Brian McDermott, meanwhile, swapped Jay Tabb and Noel Hunt for Mikele Leigertwood and Danny Guthhrie respectively, after his side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw with Swansea in their last outing. 

Keen to atone for their limp showing against the Potters, Liverpool began the game brightly, with Nuri Sahin flagged narrowly offside after latching onto a lofted ball in the box with just minutes on the clock. 

Reading were dealt an early blow as Jem Karacan was forced to leave the field following a cruching 50-50 challenge with Steven Gerrard, with Gareth McCleary sent on as his replacement. And things almost immediately got worse for the visitors, as Sahin shot inches over from a Sterling pull back in the box.

The young winger was unwisely being given the freedom of Anfield by the Royals and had not always used it effectively, but more than made up for that with 29 minutes on the clock. An intelligent first-time pass from Suarez let Sterling free and, after taking one touch, he fired beyond Alex McCarthy to put the Reds in front.

The hosts continued to dominate the ball in the Reading half from that point, leading to a bizarre moment 40 minutes in which brought perhaps the loudest cheer from the Anfield crowd all season. Suarez jinked in front of the back four to draw a foul, prompting the referee to award a free-kick which was welcomed rapturously by all four corners of the ground in recognition of the perceived injustices the Uruguayan has been dealt this term.

In truth, the crowd had little else to cheer for the remainder for the first period, as matters came to a close with Liverpool one ahead.

It took just five minutes of the second half for Liverpool to go close again, as Suarez saw his shot across McCarthy well saved, but the Royals almost got themselves on terms after breaking with speed after that effort. McCleary beat the hosts’ offside trap with ease but Jones was more than equal to his tentative attempt at the near post.

That miss prompted Liverpool into attacking with more abandon and Suarez should have done better than striking Sterling’s cross over, following a delightful through ball from Sahin to start the attack.

Brendan Rodgers’ side went close twice in quick succession moments later with a McCarthy save from Gerrard’s shot and Shelvey’s poor touch denying them a two-goal cushion. And the typically profligate Suarez also contrived to keep the scores level with two horrendous misses in a matter of seconds at the Kop end.

But the hosts were let off for those misses, as the Royals failed to conjure an attack of real note with time running out.

Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea

Marvellous Mata inspires Chelsea comeback

The Blues win a thrilling a London derby with the Spaniard grabbing a double and Gary Cahill and Daniel Sturridge also on target as Villas-Boas loses to his former team

There was no revenge for Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the season at White Hart Lane with a performance full of the attacking verve their former coach was hired to implement.

This was the best of football, a pulsating, ever-changing derby encounter decided by two goals in as many second-half minutes by the quite brilliant Juan Mata, who shone brightest of all in Chelsea’s sparkling midfield and set-up Daniel Sturridge in injury time for the Blues’ fourth goal. 

Chelsea had initially taken the lead through Gary Cahill’s brilliant volley in the 18th minute before Spurs rallied in the second half to turn the game on its head through goals from William Gallas and Jermain Defoe.

Chelsea, though, deserved a victory that keeps up their best start to a season since 2006 and leaves them top of the league with 22 points from their first eight matches, while Spurs remain outside the top four.

Against the club that sacked him earlier this year, Villas-Boas restored goalkeeper Brad Friedel to the starting line-up ahead of Hugo Lloris, while Mousa Dembele missed out through a hip injury and Gareth Bale dropped out late after his partner went into labour.

Chelsea captain John Terry served the first game of a four-match ban for using racist language, but the Blues barely noticed his absence in the first half as they controlled the early stages and took advantage of Spurs’ missing men.

The first 45 minutes was defined by two volleys. The first, in the fourth minute, was badly mishit by Spurs captain Gallas from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner and trickled wide from seven yards.

The second, in the 18th minute, broke the deadlock. After a poor header from Gallas as he tried to clear a corner, the ball fell for Cahill to smash the ball into the roof of the net from just inside the penalty area. Thunderous.

Chelsea really should have doubled their advantage in the 39th minute when Ramires found Mata, but his shot was saved by Friedel before he smashed the rebound over the crossbar. 

Villas-Boas decided not to make any personnel changes at the break but Spurs came out for the second half with a completely new attitude.

Within a minute of the restart, they were level as they took advantage as the Chelsea defence simply fell asleep. Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick appeared to be drifting off the pitch but Jan Vertonghen superbly kept the ball alive, allowing Gallas to head home his first Spurs goal virtually from the goal-line.

Five minutes later, Tottenham took the lead as Defoe scored the 200th goal of his career with a true poacher’s finish. Aaron Lennon appeared to be attempting to shoot from the right but Defoe reacted more quickly than anyone to expertly turn the ball in. 

White Hart Lane was rocking but this was a topsy-turvy, helter-skelter game and it once again turned on its head in the space of a crazy two minutes, as Mata scored twice with more than a helping hand from Gallas. 

On 65 minutes, the Spaniard picked up Gallas’ woeful clearance and drilled a perfect, clean finish into the bottom corner with his left foot.

Mata has been in wonderful form so far this season and it was little surprise that he was the man to score Chelsea’s third goal of the afternoon. First he evaded Gallas’ attention, and as the Frenchman watched Eden Hazard’s wonderful pass slide past him, Mata raced through and converted one-on-one past Friedel.

Torres latched on to another Mata pass but shot wide before the victory was sealed in added time, Sturridge turning in to an empty net after more brilliant work from the diminutive Spaniard.

Norwich City 1-0 Arsenal

Holt winner leaves blunt Gunners 10 points off title pace

The Canaries register their first Premier League win of the season as Arsene Wenger's side fail to create clear-cut chances despite dominating possession at Carrow Road

Norwich picked up their first Premier League win of the season after a determined and hard-fought performance against Arsenal at Carrow Road, edging the match 1-0.

The Gunners had more possession throughout, but the hosts opened the scoring through Grant Holt in the first half after Vito Mannone spilled a long-range shot.

The Canaries were forced to hold on for periods of the match, but a solid defensive performance saw them hard to break down, with the visiting side creating few clear-cut chances.

Norwich made two changes from the side that was swept aside by Chelsea two weeks ago with Leon Barnett being replaced by summer signing Michael Turner, while Anthony Pilkington came in for Jonny Howson, who dropped to the bench.

Arsenal came into the match in good form and made just the one change to the side that beat West Ham away last time out, with Andre Santos starting at left-back in place of the injured Kieran Gibbs.

Jack Wilshere was named among the Gunners' substitutes, despite Arsene Wenger's claims that the midfielder, who has missed 14 months due to injury, was still weeks away from a return.

The hosts came out of the trap in a determined manner, with Pilkington going close early on, but the Gunners soon took control of possession, making the match look like a training session at times, yet they could not create clear opportunities.

Norwich’s steely rearguard action was providing an excellent launch pad, and they were soon in the lead, with the help of Arsenal goalkeeper Mannone.

Bradley Johnson cut the ball back to Alexander Tettey about 25 yards out, and the Norwegian tried his luck, only for his effort to be spilled by Mannone but Holt was rushing in and buried the rebound.

The goal saw Norwich showing significantly more on the ball, and although Arsenal generally continued to edge the possession, it was the hosts who went close next, but Turner, who was booed before kick-off, headed a great chance wide after Wes Hoolahan’s corner and the Canaries went into the break in the lead.

After the break the match followed a similar pattern to what had been established before the break, with Norwich doing most of the running about, while the Gunners stroked the ball around with little end product.

Olivier Giroud was presented with an opportunity to get a shot in when John Ruddy punched Carl Jenkinson’s cross straight to him, but his effort bobbled harmlessly wide as Arsenal pressed hard for an equaliser.

With 20 minutes to go, Thomas Vermaelen presented Norwich with an excellent chance to secure the win after slipping on the half-way line, but Holt’s attempted chip went straight into the hands of Mannone.

Arsenal piled the pressure on in the final ten minutes, but they still could not break down the Norwich defence that held strong, with Leon Barnett' last-ditch block on Gervinho securing the win.

Source: goal.com

Brasil 2014 Qualification Matches Report

Spain 1 - 1 France

Spain's hopes of a 25th consecutive win in qualifying were dashed after a last minute goal saw France record a 1-1 draw in an entertaining World Cup qualifying Group I clash at the Vicente Calderon.

The opener came in the 25th minute through Sergio Ramos, who needed two attempts to divert the ball into the net after earlier hitting the bar. Despite French pressure, Cesc Fabregas would see a penalty saved by Hugo Lloris, with France denied an equaliser due to an offside flag.

The visitors stepped up the pressure in the second-half, but despite numerous opportunities, it was not until the 93rd minute in which substitute Olivier Giroud netted to secure a dramatic equaliser.

The world champions started the more adventurous of the two sides, with Jordi Alba causing havoc on the left-wing. France began cautiously having opted for an inexperienced midfield, with Maxime Gonalons handed only his fifth cap ahead of Etienne Capoue.

Nevertheless, it was Vicente del Bosque's men who suffered the first blow. David Silva only lasted 12 minutes before being substituted in favour of Arsenal's Santi Cazorla, with the Manchester City star hobbling down the tunnel.

Didier Deschamps' men quickly slipped into the lull which marked their Euro 2012 exit at the hands of La Roja, and it seemed that history would repeat itself as Andres Iniesta galloped down the flank before a brilliant interjection by the returning Laurent Koscielny inside the box.

It was not long until the hosts took the lead, amidst poor defending from Les Bleus. Xavi's corner was met by Sergio Ramos, who headed against the bar. Pedro's cross back into the danger-zone was parried by Hugo Lloris, before the Real Madrid defender converted to give his side the lead on 25 minutes.

The visitors were in the ascendancy soon after conceding, and almost issued a response nine minutes later. Franck Ribery's simple pass found Karim Benzema in the box, with the striker forcing club team-mate Iker Casillas into a fine low save as Deschamps' side rallied.

Franc saw a goal ruled out five minutes before the break. A brilliant delivery from Yohan Cabaye found Benzema at the far post, with the 24-year-old heading past Casillas, only for the German linesman to rule it out for offside, though replays would suggest otherwise.

Defensive instability came back to haunt the visitors, as Koscielny clattered into Pedro, with referee Felix Brych not hesitating to award a penalty. Up stepped Cesc Fabregas, whose powerful effort was superbly beating away by Lloris. The Tottenham custodian then produced a fantastic double save to deny the former Arsenal man and Pedro just before the interval, as La Roja failed to extend their advantage.

The hosts started the second-half with similar injury concerns after Alvaro Arbeloa was forced off after a challenge by Ribery, with Atletico Madrid's Juanfran replacing the right-back. Though France did improve, creating more frequent attacking forays, they appeared to struggle against the speed of the hosts' passing game.

Ribery was once again in the thick of things, as his fizzing shot from the edge of the box whistled narrowly past Casillas' post, before a tame header was comfortably saved by the keeper.

The visitors were far more enterprising midway through the second period, and were unlucky not to have equalised when Benzema's movement on the left provided a low cross in towards Jeremy Menez, with the Paris Saint-Germain winger unable to connect well with what would have been a tap-in.

The lively Benzema got in behind the Spanish rearguard again after latching on to a fine pass from the midfield, before his cross into Moussa Sissoko at the far post was wastefully fired over by the Toulouse midfielder.

But in the 93rd minute and what was the last move of the game, a speculative cross from Ribery was turned in by substitute Giroud to send the stadium into silence and level the clash.

Spain and France remain locked on seven points ahead of the return in Paris in the New Year. The champions travel to Panama for a friendly in November, with Deschamps' side tackling Italy when qualification resumes in March 2013.

Source: goal.com

Romania 1- 4 Netherlands

Netherlands maintain winning record

The Netherlands assumed control of their FIFA World Cup™ qualification group with a thumping win over Romania in their top-of-the-table clash in Bucharest. Romania had not conceded a goal in their opening three wins, which had them level at the top of Group D with the Dutch, but their perfect record was in ruins within the opening 45 minutes.

Jeremain Lens, Bruno Martins Indi and Rafael van der Vaart were all on target before the break to ensure the visitors were on course despite a fine individual effort from Ciprian Marica in reply for the hosts. Robin van Persie, who was preferred to start ahead of Klaas Jan Huntelaar, completed the rout four minutes from the end.

Netherlands had arrived in the Romanian capital wary of their opponents after their impressive win in Turkey last week ensured they kept pace with the Dutch at the top of the standings. But any fears they held were quickly allayed as they raced into a 2-0 lead before the half-hour.

Lens grabbed a stunning opener after ten minutes when he headed in from 20 yards. Romania goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu had seemingly cleared the danger with a punch that cleared the area, but Lens powerfully headed the ball straight back and over a home defender stationed on the line.

The visitors' advantage was doubled on 28 minutes when Van der Vaart's superb free-kick was turned in by Martins Indi at the back post. Martins Indi's task was made easier as the home defence failed to follow his run that was superbly picked out by Van der Vaart's delivery that fizzed across the top of the six-yard box.

Romania were in need of some inspiration to claw back the early damage and in Marica they found it on 40 minutes. The striker was surrounded as he began his run just outside the area but after fending off the attention of Johnny Heitinga he wriggled into space before sliding a perfectly-placed shot past Maarten Stekelenburg.

Comeback quelled

The lifeline lasted just seven minutes, however, as the hosts gave away an injury-time penalty. Gabriel Tamas brought down Luciano Narsingh in the area and Van der Vaart tucked away the ensuing penalty despite Tatarusanu guessing the right way.

Romania never recovered from conceding the goal so late in the half and could have been four down soon after the re-start but Tatarusanu tipped away Van Persie's header. The Dutchmen cruised through the majority of the second period with a pair of unnecessary cautions for Lens and De Jong causing any reason for discomfort.

They mattered little, however, as Van Persie put the seal on a win that could prove vital. The Manchester United striker, who started from the bench in last week's win over Andorra, had the simple task to force the ball in after Narsingh beat the offside trap on the right and fired a low cross into his path.

Source: fifa.com

Germany 4 - 4 Sweden

Germany threw away a four-goal lead as a late Sweden comeback saw them surrender all three points in a 4-4 World Cup qualifying draw with Sweden at the Olympiastadion

Miroslav Klose got the hosts off to a brilliant start as he netted two early goals, putting him one strike away from equalling Gerd Muller's record of 68 goals for the national team. Per Mertesacker added another before the break and soon after the restart Mesut Ozil gave Joachim Low's side a comfortable lead.

The Swedes responded impressively in the second-half and staged a magnificent comeback, with Erik Hamren's half-time substitutions having a great effect as they had a hand in all the goals. Strikes from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mikael Lustig and Johan Elmander set up a tense finish and the visitors completed an astounding recovery in stoppage time through Rasmus Elm.

But the first-half could not have contrasted more starkly as, following their 6-1 thumping of the Republic of Ireland, Germany got straight into their stride. Less than two minutes had been played when Andreas Isaksson stopped Thomas Muller and the follow-up effort crashed off the post.

The Blagult had no such luck on the next German attack as die Mannschaft took the lead in the eighth minute. Philipp Lahm played Marco Reus in at the byeline and his cutback was smashed into the top corner by Klose to finish a brilliant move.

Things only got better for the hosts as Klose added his second in the 15th minute following some intricate one-touch play. Reus initiated the move, slaloming his way into the box with two successive one-twos, before pulling the ball back to the 34-year-old who fired home at the second time of asking.

After stepping off the gas midway through the half Low's men soon reasserted themselves and following Isaksson's save to keep Reus out, they got their third in the 39th minute. A cross from the left was kept in play at the back post by Muller, whose looped header was rifled past the keeper by an unmarked Mertesacker. 

Germany did not let up after the break and after Muller was once again denied by Isaksson, a four-goal cushion was achieved in the 56th minute. At the end of a swift break, Muller delivered a cross that found Ozil at the back post. The Real Madrid man controlled the ball on his chest before angling a shot into the far corner.

The match appeared dead and buried, but Sweden pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute as Ibrahimovic beat the offside trap to steer a header past Manuel Neuer from Kim Kallstrom's ball forward.

Seemingly galvanised by that goal, another ball over the top, again courtesy of Kallstrom, created another chance for the visitors. Lustig controlled it well and with his second touch powered a shot at Neuer that somehow squirmed into the goal.

Extraordinarily, the Swedes came to within one goal of the hosts, stunning the Berlin crowd in the process. In space on the left, Alexander Kacanikilic picked out Elmander who beat Holger Badstuber to the ball and poked it in at the far post.

Tobias Sana blazed over in front of an open goal in the 85th minute but unperturbed, Sweden found the equaliser at the death. A cross from the left was not dealt with by Mertesacker and his loose header fell to Elm who volleyed in to complete the fightback.

The result means Germany have surrendered their 100 per cent record in Group C but remain three points clear of second-placed Sweden.

Source: goal.com

Italy 3-1 Denmark

Balotelli seals win for 10-man Azzurri

Cesare Prandelli's men took a significant step on the road to Rio courtesy of goals from Riccardo Montolivo, Daniele De Rossi and their enigmatic Manchester City striker

Italy strengthened their grip on top spot of Group B by making light of the dismissal of Pablo Osvaldo to defeat Denmark 3-1 at San Siro on Tuesday night.

Having withstood intense early pressure, the Azzurri stunned the visitors with two goals in the space of four minutes through Riccardo Montolivo and Daniele De Rossi, to put themselves in a commanding position with half-time looming. 

However, William Kvist halved the home side's advantage with a volley before Osvaldo gave the Danes further reason for optimism by getting himself dismissed early in the second-half.

Mario Balotelli came to the Azzurri's aid, though, converting a terrific pass from the equally influential Andrea Pirlo to clinch a win that saw the Euro 2012 runners-up make it 10 points from a possible 12 so far in Group B.

Cesare Prandelli made four changes to the defence that had started in Armenia, which could perhaps explain why the hosts looked so shaky at the back inside the opening quarter. However, it was more down to the fact that the Danish midfield overran their Azzurri counterparts early on, allowing them to fully exploit Andrea Barzagli’s total inability to deal with Nicklas Bendtner in the air.

Indeed, the on-loan Juventus man really should have done better after being picked out by the marauding Lars Jacobsen inside the opening three minutes. Christian Eriksen then stung the palms of Morgan De Sanctis with a terrific drive from distance as the visitors continued to dominate. But, Italy gradually began to gain a foothold in the game and were desperately unfortunate not to open the scoring 18 minutes in, when Claudio Marchisio unleashed a sublime curling effort from the edge of the area that seemed destined for the top corner until Simon Kjaer popped up to block on the line.

Moments later, though, De Sanctis came to the Azzurri’s rescue again, somehow managing to keep out a low drive from Kvist with his knees. It was a highly unorthodox but undeniably crucial intervention from the Napoli goalkeeper, because Italy broke the deadlock with their next attack. Montolivo arrowed a ball into the bottom corner of the Danish net after latching onto a sublime lay-off from Balotelli.

Denmark were still coming to terms with that setback when Italy struck again, with Pirlo outfoxing Michael Silberbaeur on the right-hand side before crossing for De Rossi to head home. 

The visitors were well and truly reeling, but they deservedly dragged themselves back into contention right on the stroke of half-time when the impressive Kvist guided a side-footed volley, from a deflected Jacobsen cross, past De Sanctis.

The Danes then sensed a famous win on Italian soil when Osvaldo stupidly got himself sent off for lashing out at Nicolai Stokholm less than 40 seconds after the interval. However, the loss of a man actually seemed to galvanise the Azzurri, and Balotelli in particular.

Indeed, the enigmatic forward played the lone forward role to great effect and got his just rewards for doing so when Pirlo picked out his well-timed run in behind the Denmark defence with a typically measured pass, allowing Balotelli to deftly flick the ball past Stephan Andersen.

There was no way back for Denmark thereafter, meaning their hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup are now hanging by a thread, with just two points to their name after three games played. Italy, by contrast, are already well on the way to Rio.

Source: goal.com

Portugal 1-1 Northern Ireland

Postiga saves hosts but World Cup hopes dealt damaging blow

The Zaragoza striker struck to spare Paulo Bento's blushes after a battling display from the Green and White Army looked to have earned a shock victory

Helder Postiga's late equaliser bailed out a below-par Portugal side after Niall McGinn had given Northern Ireland a shock lead at the Estadio do Dragao on the night Cristiano Ronaldo won his 100th Seleccao cap.

Michael O'Neill's side travelled to Porto with eight players out injured and Gareth McAuley suspended, but took the lead after half an hour through McGinn as Portugal were caught napping at the back.

The home side rallied and spent the rest of the encounter attacking, but never looked too likely to score as Ronaldo floundered and their defence looked increasingly shaky.

They did start well, however, and Miguel Lopes, who replaced Fabio Coentrao in the starting line-up, flashed a shot just wide of the far post after two minutes, while Ronaldo dragged one wide of the other upright four minutes later.

The visitors forced three corners in the first 15 minutes as the home defence endured a shaky opening, but O'Neill's men could not make the most of their opportunities. 

But they came back through Oliver Norwood, who sent a 25-yard free kick down the throat of Seleccao goalkeeper Rui Patricio, while at the other end Roy Carroll tipped Nani's dipping header over the crossbar.

Northern Ireland had been adventurous all night - especially considering their understrength line-up - and their positive outlook paid off when Jonny Evans won the ball in his own half, burst forward and picked out Kyle Lafferty. The Sion forward advanced on the home defence before picking out McGinn, who was completely free on the left after outpacing Joao Pereira, to take a touch and fire over Patricio to record his first competitive goal for the Green and White Army.

But the visitors had to ride their luck in the aftermath of the goal, with Aaron Hughes almost heading into his own net before Craig Cathcart crashed Pereira's cross past Roy Carroll, only to see the ball come back off the crossbar. 

Portugal poured forward and Pereira's shoot drifted wide of the far post, but the visitors continued to look solid at the back, which is more than could be said for Paulo Bento's men.

Ronaldo had a 30-yard effort blocked by the imperious Jonny Evans, but went closer after 58 minutes when his half-volley from around the penalty spot was saved smartly by Carroll. 

Carroll did well to keep out a long-range effort from half-time substitute Ruben Amorim, and moments later Steven Davis almost sliced Pepe's weak cross over his own goalkeeper.

Ronaldo went close again with 20 minutes on the clock, but Hughes was on hand to get in a timely block as the Real Madrid forward set his sights on the elusive equaliser.

Postiga fired a shot straight down the throat of Carroll on 76 minutes, before stretching the keeper again three minutes later. 

But the Zaragoza striker went one better seconds afterwards when the ball fell to him inside the six-yard box. After Nani failed to make proper contact with Bruno Alves' header, Postiga brought it down, swivelled and stroked in the equaliser to the sheer delight of the home fans.

Bento's men came forward again and Silvestre Varela lashed a shot into the side netting, before Nani's dipping effort flew inches over the crossbar.

With five minutes of stoppages added on, Eder thought he had won it only for Jonny Evans to get across and divert the danger at the last minute.

That was to be the last chance of note for either side, and although the visitors will be disappointed to have conceded a late equaliser, they should be proud of their organised, determined display.

It has been a disastrous couple of games for Portugal, however. Following defeat against Russia on Friday, they have taken just one point from two games and they now have a big job on their hands to make it to Brazil 2014.

Source: goal.com

Other results:

Russia 1 - 0 Azerbaijan

Belarus 2 - 0 Georgia

Israel 3 - 0 Luxembourg

Andorra 0 - 1 Estonia 

Latvia 2 - 0 Liechtenstein

Bosnia & Herz. 1 - 4 Lithuania

Faroe Islands 1 - 4 Ireland

Cyprus 1 - 3 Norway

Ukraine 0 - Montenegro

Croatia 2 - 0 Wales

Czech Republic 0 - 0 Bulgaria

Hungary 3 - 1 Turkey

Slovakia 0 - 1 Greece

Iceland 0 - 2 Switzerland

San Marino 0 - 2 Moldova

FYR Macedonia 1 - 0 Serbia

Austria 4 - 0 Kazakhstan

Albania 1 - 0 Slovenia

Belgium 2 - 0 Scotland