Anche se impegnati in Nazionale e lontani dal manto erboso di Appiano Gentile, il Mou non stacca la spina e non esita a dispensare di consigli, come farebbe una mamma chioccia, i suoi ragazzi.

F. C. Internazionale Milano

…is the headline one will be reading in any media that covers Italian football somewhere around April 2010.

No team has ever had such a great lead over the second-placed team as Inter’s after the first 11 rounds of the Serie A. Now, after 12 rounds, the seven points are down to five, but there is no way Inter is going to slip up enough for inconsistent Juventus, Sampdoria or Milan to catch up with them over the course of the season. In fact, despite Juventus and Sampdoria having so far been the teams to struggle for second place, the Football Mansion is so impressed by the form and quality Milan have showed since their loss to FC Zurich in the Champions League on 30 September, that we consider them to be favourites for the second spot in the Lega Calcio.

Inter’s success so far this season, and also the previous season, another title-winning year, is a reflection of what Jose Mourinho has brought to the club. Though the squad is stronger this year, there was plenty of talent available to Mr. Mourinho last year as well. Mourinho has made this count to the maximum. He has made Inter a well-organised team, creative in attack, and he has made talent flourish where he needs it. The Inter players now concentrate their talents on their tasks, and functions as a winning team should – in unity.

With a goalkeeper who has taken the step up to be claimed by some Italian football commentators as the best in the world, Julio Cesar, Inter have a solid starting point at the back. His job is made easier by the two rocks in centre defence, Walter Samuel and Lúcio. These two are assisted by a deep-lying central midfielder in Mourinho’s diamond four-man midfield. The person occupying that role can change during the course of a match, and varies between for instance Esteban Cambiasso, Thiago Motta and Patrick Vieira. This is an important position, as it keeps a balance to the liberal movement across the rest of the field by Mourinho’s team.

The side-backs are, similarly to the wide midfielders, perhaps more important offensively than defensively. Although holders of width and maintainers of balance in defence, the great importance of Javier Zanetti and Douglas Maicon becomes evident when Inter are in possession of the ball. These two either supply numbers in attack to take up opposition markers, or, more commonly, receive the ball in deep positions on the sides and move it forward, helping move the whole Inter team into the opposition’s last third. That way they function as a form of playmakers at side back. This is to take the potential of that position to its full extent. Zanetti, the team captain, masters this so well that he well exceeds the legendary Stuart Pearce from his Nottingham Forest and England heyday at it. This scenario, this season so well complemented by the incredible skill, creative ability and accomplished passing of Wesley Sneijder, allows Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o to focus fully on the task of scoring goals. Crucially, it is not only these two who do score goals, which is a cornerstone ability of any great team. Wesley Sneijder can score goals, as can almost any Inter player once the team manages to get the flow of movement into effect.

Unless Inter should suffer serious injuries to a number of key players, it looks solidly as though they will win the Serie A with a good margin this season. They can fall short during tight fixture schedules, as this weekend’s home draw against Roma proved, but have proved to have enough ‘Special’ ability to clinch a fifth consecutive title.

Photo courtesy Kris Voakes

UEFA Champions League nights in Milan can be enjoyed in very different ways, and Matchday 4 threw up polar opposite experiences for the city’s football fans.

Tuesday’s trip to the San Siro to witness AC Milan’s entertaining 1-1 draw with the Galácticos of Real Madrid provided the glamorous side of calcio, but it was Wednesday night’s nail-biter between Dynamo Kiev and Inter which provided all of the drama, and where better to experience this drama than with lifelong Interista Alessandro Polenghi, owner of Milan’s 442 sports pub, known locally as the first-choice place to watch football from all over the world.

With four screens capable of showing four different games at a time and walls covered by more than 200 scarves from around the world – plus more than 80 sat in the basement awaiting new wallspace from potential future expansion – the Milan pub is second only to the San Siro itself in the list of places to be in the city on Champions League nights.

As for Inter, their season has been very much the ultimate Jekyll-and-Hyde experience. Seven points clear atop Serie A, the Nerazzurri went into Wednesday’s match in Ukraine sitting at the bottom of Group F, more than a year on from their last win in European competition.

It was with this form in mind that landlord Alessandro predicted a long night ahead for his club. “We are not one of the best teams in Europe, and we do not play well in the Champions League, so I expect nothing tonight,” he claimed, expressing pessimism typical of those in blue and black on such nights. All this despite Barcelona’s failure to win at Rubin Kazan earlier in the night, meaning that an Inter win would see the Italian giants top their group with two games to play.

Alessandro’s pessimism seemed well-placed when ex-AC Milan forward Andriy Shevchenko’s deflected shot looped over Júlio César to give Dynamo a deserved half-time lead against a lacklustre Nerazzurri. Time, then, for Alessandro to vent his frustrations.

Or maybe not.

“I am calm because, as I said, I expect nothing from Inter in the Champions League.,” Alessandro said.  “If we go out, I’ll just buy some popcorn and watch everybody else fight it out for the trophy!”

What, though, of Inter manager José Mourinho, whose position has been questioned given the club’s precarious European future? “I wouldn’t sack him now, as it’s not a good idea to change mid-season, but at the end of the season he will be gone,” Alessandro told me.  “But at the end of the day, the manager can be the best or the worst in the world – It’s down to the players, and we don’t have the players for the Champions League.

“We have had only one chance and they have had three or four, but it was the same at home to Dynamo and also against Barcelona. At the end of the day, (those clubs) are just better than us.”

Wednesday’s second half threw up a change of emphasis for the Italian side, though, as a double substitution by Mourinho helped to bring about a more attacking second 45 minutes. Despite a number of chances coming and going, though, Inter still couldn’t break through.

Samuel Eto’o and Mario Balotelli squandered the best opportunities as the 442 customers grew increasingly nervous. A glance to the right told them Fiorentina were steaming past Debrecen, while the screen on the left was showing Liverpool’s late breakthrough in Lyon, but the locals’ own game still was not bringing them the result they craved.

By the time Diego Milito equalised in the 86th minute, Inter had more than deserved something from the game. In 4-4-2, the relief was palpable, but it had nothing on the atmosphere when Inter’s Wesley Sneijder fired home the winner three minutes later.

The scenes in the pub were akin to what you’d see on the Curva Nord inside the stadium.  Alessandro – a season ticket holder for Inter at San Siro – now buried under friends behind the bar as the Interisti celebrated their impending return to winning ways after eight consecutive European failures.

The result – and, more pertinently, the second half performance – suddenly brought new optimism, and Alessandro allowed himself a celebratory drink at full-time. “I think, in the end, Inter deserved it, though Dynamo defended very well. But that second half is as good as we’ve played in the Champions League for ages.

“Maybe Mourinho deserves some credit, but it all happened in the last five minutes. I didn’t expect a finish like that.”

So, could this dramatic win change Inter’s European fortunes?

“Maybe. We now have a great chance to qualify because Barca-Inter is now a kind of final for the group phase and we have the advantage of the draw,” Alessandro said.  “I still say there are better teams than us, but sometimes the winners are not the best team in the competition, like Porto and Liverpool were not.

“The Champions League is won in the last 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals… the final is a lottery. Hopefully we can now qualify as group winners and avoid a difficult game in the last 16.”

With that, he was back to work, but the bouncing and strutting that were now part of his demeanour had not been in evidence before kick-off. It typifies the new-found belief about Inter after their late, late show in Kiev. Don’t write them off just yet.

Kris Voakes

Better late than never, I suppose. Or at least, Jose Mourinho and Claude Puel will suppose. Hell, even Cesare Prandelli had to wait until the second half before his squad came to life. But I digress. Here’s what happened in CL business today:

"WTF HAXX"

Liverpool 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais – Another disappointing day in the life of a Reds fan. They fought and fought all night against Lyon, with Ryan Babel finally putting them ahead on 84′, only for Lisandro Lopez to rob them of all their hard work with a cheaply-had goal in extra time. Or so the story goes. But didn’t Lyon fight just as hard back to keep Liverpool scoreless for those 84 minutes? Don’t they deserve some credit for never saying die, even when it seemed Liverpool had already won the game at its last breath? I for one am not going to feel sorry for the Scousers – not this time – because this was a game that they knew they had to win, and the fact of the matter is that they didn’t do enough to win it. Sure Dirk Kuyt worked his ass off all game, but what good is hard work if you’re too exhausted to make sure you put in a quality performance in the final third of the pitch? That goes for you too, Javier Mascherano. Editor’s Note: This may not seem to make a whole lot of sense, but believe you me, it’s pure genius. I won’t say it wasn’t a disappointment for the ‘Pool – because it was – but I will say that that doesn’t mean they deserved it anymore than Lyon. The Benitez unemployment countdown continueesss!!

Marchionni is improving in leaps and bounds.

Fiorentina 5-2 Debrecen – I may have more than a healthy amount of bias, but I am becoming a believer in Fiorentina as a legitimate continental side. Sure, their defense leaks like a sieve at times, and the two goals scored against them this evening were borderline humourous (one can partially blame the absence of starting keeper Sébastien Frey for that), but la Viola have showed that they can bury them when it counts, as they did in a second-half goalfest this evening at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. I Gigliati took an early lead in the match when Adrian Mutu executed a diving header off of Marco Marchionni’s cross on 14′, and looked strong coming out of the starting gates, but they lost steam by the end of the first half and Debrecen were keen to take the wind from their sails as Gergely Rudolf equalized on 37′. The teams would go into the half level, but when they reemerged, it was all Fiorentina. Three goals in 10 minutes came from Dario Dainelli (51′), Riccardo Montolivo (58′) and Marco Marchionni (61′) to give la Viola a commanding 4-1 lead. I must give credit to Debrecen though, as they certainly did not say die. Substitute Adamo Coulibaly put his head onto the end of a pinpoint cross to pull one back for his side on 69′ and remind the jubilant Florentine supporters that the match was not over yet. However, Fiorentina were quick to assert their dominance; on 73′ Alberto Gilardino responded with a header of his own to restore his side’s 3-goal lead and the game pretty much ended there. Fiorentina repeated their first-half trick of gradually slowing the pace of the game, content to kick the ball around aimlessly with the comfort of their large lead. A victory in their next match (against Lyon) will see Fiorentina secure their passage to the first knockout round. Who would’ve thunk it?

The Barcelona bus doesn't even have snow tires!

Barcelona 0-0 Rubin Kazan – Picture this: You’re in Siberia, on a frozen tundra of snow and ice – the only way out is to score a goal on the net that is inexplicably situated in front of you. That’s already a pretty tall order, because you’re from Catalonia, and not exactly used to this very Russian weather. Oh, and then someone parks a bus between you and the goal. Ta-da! You’re Barcelona in Tatarstan this evening. Personally, I hate Russian weather. Editor’s Note: The author has never been to Russia. Chelsea lost their Champions League final match 2 years ago because some genius thought an open-air stadium in Moscow was a good idea – I’m sure Barcelona would agree with me tonight that an open-air stadium anywhere in Russia is just bad news. The Blaugrana were held by the Russian champions, unable to crack their 11-man defense or cope with the Russian cold. The best effort of the evening came on 2′, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic beat his markers only to hit the post. Both sides would trade a handful of chances throughout the remaining 88 minutes, but ultimately no one would be able to get ahead, and those sneaky Russians would steal another point from the reigning champions of Europe. Good on ya, Kazan!

Pictured: Enemy #1 of Inter Milan

Inter 2-1 Dynamo Kiev – If Jose Mourinho’s hair isn’t just a little more grey- I’m sorry, silver, after this evenings game, the man might be ageless. It seemed like the same old (hilarious) story – Inter dominate every week domestically, but go on to choke (and choke hard) in European play. The rest of us point and laugh, then realize they’re still 7 points clear of anybody else in the Scudetto race and go home to weep softly to ourselves. Well, I do, anyways. But I digress. It took only 21 minutes for Inter to fall behidn in the Ukrainian capital this evening – that old Nerazzurri nemesis, Andriy Shevchenko was back to haunt them once more and take the lead with a ridiculous left-footed volley from outside the 18-yard box. Inter had their world rocked, for a spell, but they would fight back, and fight back hard. I’m not exactly sure how it’s possible, but La Beneamata spurned a seemingly endless stream of chances throughout the remaining 69 minutes. No one was innocent; Samuel Eto’o, Mario Balotelli, Diego Milito, Lucio, Walter Samuel – each had a golden opportunity served up for them on a silver platter, and each duffed theirs in turn. In the 86th minute, Diego Milito would finally bring Inter level, latching on to the end of a spectacular low cross/throughball (?) from Wesley Sneijder and nudging it past Stanislav Bogush. Inter had been fighting for more than an hour to achieve that equalizer, and when that ball went in, Mourinho’s side roared to life. Just 3 minutes later, Wesley Sneijder would win the game for Inter and break Ukrainian hearts with just seconds to spare – Sulley Muntari launched a low shot at the Kiev net, and Diego Milito prevented the rebound from exiting play in order that Sneijder could run onto the ball and bury it – for once and for all. Inter take the lead in their group with this win, if only by a point, and break their barren winless spell in European play. Jesus guys, it took you long enough!

Arsenal 4-1 AZ Alkmaar – Today’s last relatively important match (which I for some reason feel obligated to mention) consisted of Arsenal handily defeating Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar at the Emirates Stadium. Cesc Fàbregas bagged a brace, Samir Nasri added a third, and Vassiriki Diaby made it 4 to complete a solid (and fairly routine) home rout. Jeremain Lens would pull back a consolation goal for his side with little time left in the match, but ultimately the Dutch simply could not contend with Arsene Wenger’s squad, who have hit their stride with a blistering run of form lately and are a danger to anyone they face.

These are th- Well, you get the point.

Some really beautiful goals were scored this weekend, around the world. Although the Football Mansion has not seen every single goal scored, some quite incredible efforts would be needed to top Sampdoria’s Daniele Mannini’s first goal against Bologna on Saturday. Pazzini received a long ball at the 18 meter half-circle, but instead of putting the ball on the ground he chested it up, and in effect prolonged the cross to the corner of the 16 meter box with a wonderful touch with the inside of his foot. Thinking just as quickly, the completely unmarked Mannini volleyed the ball right into the nearest top corner. Stunning. A move that included three players without the ball hitting the ground, the goal ensured Samp went 2-0 up after only 16 minutes.

Pazzini had put the hosts ahead in the 8^th minute with a goal which is in itself worthy of a mention. As Cassano displayed some great technique to take a high ball past the defender with a single touch on the right wing, Pazzini was timing his run into the box to perfection. Cassano played a quick low ball towards the Bologna defender who was approaching the near post, where Pazzini arrived to magnificently tap the ball in in the small space between the defender and the goalkeeper. That gave Sampdoria an early lead, with Pazzini continuing his goal scoring form. The match was in reality won after Mannini’s 17^th minute goal. Switzerland international Reto Ziegler added a third in the 26^th minute with a low long shot. When Rossoblu captain Marco Di Vaio was red-carded in the 28^th minute, a quite catastrophic half hour for Bologna seemed to have reached its peak. However, Daniele Mannini proved his desire to confound opinions such as the Football Mansion’s comments of last week, that he could only provide a limited number of goals, and added a second goal to his tally of the day in the 32^nd minute. At that point it seemed that anything could happen, but the goal scoring dried up. Argentina-born-and-bred Italian striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo pulled one back for Bologna in the 63^rd minute, which determined the end result.

Inter managed a rather comfortable 2-1 victory at home to Catania, which means they remain two points clear at the top of the Serie A. A contestant for goal of the weekend was scored in this match as well. Wesley Sneijder scored a nearly perfect free kick to make it 2-0 for Inter in the 31^st minute. The goal is another proof of the great contribution he has made to this Inter side in the early stages of the season. No more comments will be made about the departure of Zlatan if he keeps up this level of performances, regardless of Ibra’s goal scoring in Spain.

Some important results for the Serie A table happened elsewhere in Italy. Roma did not manage to put the ball in the net in a match that was littered with chances for them, causing them to grant Livorno their first win of this campaign. That happened on Livorno’s new coach Serse Cosmi’s first match in charge. Juventus managed a 1-0 win at Siena, whereas Fiorentina lost at home to Napoli. Cristian Maggio scored a near impossible close range tap-in between goalkeeper Frey and the post. He found the few millimetres of space to give also-new boss Walter Mazzarri a debut match win.

Liverpool’s 2-0 home win over Manchester United hardly qualifies as news anymore. In fact, it was probably the most watched event on the planet this weekend. In a week that earlier saw two other giants meet, Real Madrid and AC Milan, Manchester United sought to retake pole position in the Premier League, and to ensure their closest rivals remain far behind. In another clash of rivals West Ham sought to prove a point, and regain something reminiscent of form, against Arsenal at Upton Park. Arsenal did not need long to take the lead. In the 16^th minute Robin van Persie easily put his foot to the ball which Rob Green nearly gifted him after a cross. Ten minutes before half time, William Gallas put his head to a van Persie corner to double the lead. Comfortably in front, Arsenal played their game of nice short passing and great movement. West Ham were not impotent going forward however, particularly led by an inspired performance from Carlton Cole. In front of England manager Capello, Cole worked ceaselessly, battling to win the ball and pulling off some nice dribbling and clever movement. He was eventually rewarded for his hard work as he positioned himself to head in a rebound given by Arsenal stopper Vito Mannone. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola put in substitute Alessandro Diamanti in the second half, who was a useful addition to an already capable attack. Diamanti converted a penalty in the 80^th minute to make West Ham draw level.

If Gianfranco Zola can make his players keep up this re-found form of their play of last year, the Hammers should be strolling out of the relegation zone and up the table.

Lastly, in an otherwise forgettable super-clasico encounter between River Plate and Boca Juniors in the Argentine top flight, Marcello Gallardo produced a piece of magic to give River the lead. A beautiful free kick, Gallardo curled the ball over the wall and into the top corner from 20 meters out. The lead was equalised by Martin Palermo later on. Ariel Ortega produced an equally impressive piece of acting performance, after he elbowed Julio Caceres in the neck. Caceres retaliated by slapping his hand on Ortega’s stomach, after which Ortega fell to the ground holding his face. Caceres was given a direct red, removing Boca’s advantage against already 10-man River. The match ended 1-1.

Ugh… A good weekend for some, perhaps. As always, only the big games – ’cause no one gives a hoot how Sheffield Wednesday did (sorry, Sheffielders).

Football:

Vidic looks how United feels.

Liverpool 2-0 Manchester Utd – On friday night I sat in a pub with a friend of mine, who nursed his pint as he mourned his team’s downward spiral. He is, of course, a Liverpool fan. I told him not to worry – that they’d beat MUFC this weekend and they’d bounce back. I’m not sure exactly how much either of us believed what I was saying, but sure enough, the game rolled around and Liverpool came out on top at Anfield. The Scousers would survive a second minute scare when Wayne Rooney found the back of the net (only to be disallowed for offside) and would go ahead in the 65th minute thanks to a classy finish from Fernando Torres. Nemanja Vidic and Javier Mascherano would both be sent off in the dying minutes of the match and it would be the Frenchman David Ngog who would seal United’s fate in stopagge time, finding the net on 96′. So all you sad-eyed Scousers, rejoice! You’re back to winning – for now. And Rafa, Gillette and Hicks – you can breathe again too.

Chelsea 5-0 Blackburn – Rovers fans will not be rejoicing this weekend. Gaël Givet opened the scoring in Saturday’s match by deflecting Nicolas Anelka’s shot into the back of his own net on 20′. That would hold the Blues until the half, but on 48′ Didier Drogba won a spot kick for his side and Frank Lampard (despite a returning Joe Cole wanting it oh so badly) converted to double Chelsea’s lead. From that point on, the floodgates were opened: within the next 15 minutes Michael Essien buried another of his rare but famed long range efforts, Lampard bagged his brace, and Didier Drogba brought Chelsea’s tally to 5. Blackburn were completely overrun by the home side, who obviously wanted to show that last week’s defeat to Aston Villa was not a sign of futher weakness. Joe Cole also made a fantastic appearance, his first in the Premiership this year, running the visitors ragged and creating all sorts of chances for his side. In their last two fixtures the Blues have 9 goals for and 0 against. Not bad Carletto, not bad.

Arsenal 2-2 West Ham – Despite Arsene Wenger’s claim that the Gunners will pick up at least one trophy this year, his side were unable to pick up full points against cross-town rivals West Ham this weekend. First half goals from Robin van Persie and William Gallas looked like they might be enough to see the Gooners take full points, but late strikes from Carlton Cole and Italian substitute Alessandro Diamanti saw Gianfranco Zola’s side make a marvelous comeback – despite the sending off of Hammer midfielder Scott Parker. Seems like the trophies are still a long way away, Wenger.

Futbol:

Real's hopes rest upon this man's delicate ankles.

Real Madrid 0-0 Sporting de Gijon - Sans-CR9 Madrid were unable to bounce back from their midweek loss to AC Milan and gain a positive result domestically this weekend. Los Merengues were held to a draw at El Molinón by the midtable side, who were kept afloat largely through the heroic efforts of their netminder, Juan Pablo. Kaká once again failed to impress in the white shirt, and Manuel Pellegrini’s side dropped points in La Liga for only the second time this season to fall three points short of Barcelona. Not the result Los Blancos were looking for – one can only imagine that just about everyone involved in that club is virtually counting down the days until their most expensive signing is fit again. But not I!

Villareal 2-1 Malaga – Unlike his current side, Manuel Pellegrini’s former squad were able to bounce back after a midweek European defeat to Rome’s other team and grab their first domestic win of the season. El Submarino Amarillo took the lead on 27′ thanks to the Brazilian Nilmar, only for Malaga’s Luque to equalize in the dying seconds of the first half. However, it wouldn’t take long after the break to restore that lead, as defender Capdevila found the back of the net on 54′ – his goal would be enough to see the home side grab all 3 points and that much-needed first victory. Finally, something (however little) to celebrate at El Madrigal.

Barcelona 6-1 Real Zaragoza – Unlike their arch-rivals, Barcelona showed that they weren’t too worried about their midweek loss to Rubin Kazan with a 6-goal thrashing of Real Zaragoza. Bullies. Seydou Keita bagged a treble, Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a brace and Lionel Messi bagged one of his own in a comfortable victory for the Catalan side. Jorge López pulled one back for his side on 77′, but it was little more than consolation as the Blaugrana ran rampant in the Camp Nou. I suppose the rest of us have now been warned…

Calcio:

Pictured: Milan's best player.

AC Milan 2-1 Chievo Verona - In keeping with the theme of last-gasp comebacks and goal-scoring defenders, AC Milan were able to grab their second straight Serie A win after Alessandro Nesta, of all people, scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the match to earn his club all 3 points against the Flying Donkeys. Nesta’s heroic efforts cancelled out the 7th minute lead which Giampiero Pinzi had afforded his side and which had stood for the better part of the match. It seems that Leonardo’s men are finally finding their legs to stand on after a more-than-shaky start to the season this year – it’s about time, Rossoneri; it’s about time.

Inter 2-1 Catania - i Nerazzurri were able to reassert their position atop Serie A with a comfortable win over a struggling Sicilian side at the San Siro on Saturday (ooh, alliterative!). Catania fell behind early in the game as first-half goals from Sulley Muntari and Wesley Sneijder seemed to put the match well out of reach. However, their lead would be halved when keeper Julio Cesar erred and was forced to give up a penalty on 83′; which Giuseppe Mascara duly converted. Though Catania would pour forward after that in hopes of finding their equalizer, Inter afforded no clear-cut chances to their visitors and were able to secure victory, reasserting themselves atop the Serie A table after being usurped earlier that day. Speaking of which…

Sampdoria 4-1 Bologna – Call it the Antonio Cassano show. Call it the Daniele Mannini show. Call it whatever you want, but know that Sampdoria mean business. Sure, Bologna are relegation fodder and aren’t exactly the stiffest test Serie A have to offer, but then, neither are Catania. The visitors wasted no time, with Giampaolo Pazzini scoring on 7′, Daniele Mannini adding two of his own, and Reto Ziegler rounding it out to 4-0 within the next 30 minutes. Marco Di Vaio, easily Bologna’s best player, picked up a red card early on – however Pablo Osvaldo would find a late consolation goal for the home side. Though Fanantonio didn’t get his name on the scoresheet, he had a hand in two of his side’s goals and his creativity was, as ever, the driving force behind Sampdoria’s potent attack. After Saturday’s blowout, i Blucerchiati enjoyed a short time at the summit of Italian calcio, before Inter reasserted themselves later that afternoon. Another seriously impressive performance from the upstart side from Genova – the only question that remains is just how long they can keep this up.

That about sums it up.

Livorno 1-0 AS Roma - I have only one thing to say: this team needs to learn how to play without Totti. After last weekend’s loss to Milan and the midweek draw at Fulham, it appears that Claudio Ranieri’s honeymoon with AS Roma has come to an abrupt end. The team is now forced to face a harsh reality: Totti is out and they are expected to win anyways. Livorno are absolute bottom of the table and they just sacked their coach – today was Serse Cosmi’s debut as manager of the struggling side. For i Giallorossi to lose to this side at the Olimpico is nothing short of disastrous and the 1-goal lead afforded to the visitors by Francesco Tavano should have been easily overcome. Jérémy Menez and Mirko Vucinic proved ineffectual up front and while Daniele De Rossi looked solid while defending, perhaps it should be he who steps up to provide an offensive threat in the absence of Er Pupone. Of course, I’m being ridiculous – one of DDR’s problems is that he already tries to do too much at once. Stefano Guberti once again looked strong, bringing immediate life to the side after he replaced Menez at the half, and even Julio Baptista was thrown into the match in a last-ditch effort to quiet the boos resounding throughout the Olimpico. In the end, nothing worked and i Lupi are left to ponder another defeat to another weaker side. We need to snap out of this and fast.

Bari 2-0 Lazio – Misery loves company. Luckily for Romanisti, Laziali know little else. We weren’t the only team (not even the only team in Rome) to face defeat against a newly-promoted side this weekend – Lazio’s winless streak extends to 7 games as they were defeated handily by i Galletti, who put in a mighty performance at the Stadio San Nicola this evening. Bari went ahead on only 11′ thanks to Paulo Barreto, though they wouldn’t improve upon that lead until the second half, when Riccardo Meggiorini ran onto a ball from Vitaly Kutuzov and shot top corner on 69′. Lazio struggled throughout the manage and did not look capable of bringing themselves back into it – their fate was sealed with just 7 minutes to go when substitute Ousmane Dabo was sent off. Hey Romanisti, at least we’re not Lazio!

Juventus 1-0 Siena – Today Juve once again failed to live up to their billing of Scudetto contenders. With Livorno’s victory over you-know-who, Siena sit absolute rock-bottom in Serie A – yet it took La Vecchia Signora 72 minutes to break down the home side. It would be Brazilian hitman Amauri who finally found the back of the net for a side that doesn’t look nearly good enough to mount a proper Scudetto challenge. All in all, not impressive fare from Ciro Ferrara’s men, but I’m sure they’ll happily take home the 3 points.

Fußball:

Bayern München 2-1 Eintracht – Die Roten were spared embarrassment after a pair of late goals made up for the concession of a surprise lead. Though Louis van Gaal’s side were the more dangerous looking out of the gate, neither side were able to capitalize upon their first-half chances (ever-reliable Luca Toni struck woodwork yet again) and it would be the visiting side who would take the lead on 60′ at the Allianz-Arena when Alexander Meier cut behind Phillip Lahm and finished coolly. It would be substitutions that made the difference for Bayern, with the not-quite-fit Arjen Robben coming on to tap home the equalizer on 70′ and defenseman Daniel Van Buyten sealing victory on 88′ after being subbed on for the struggling Toni. The last-gasp victory should go a ways towards erasing midweek memories of Bordeaux and sees Bayern take 5th place in the Bundesliga.

Inilah hasil liga Italia serie A, yang bertanding pada 25 oktober 2009. Ini dia hasilnya :

SAMPDORIA vs BLOGNA
4-1

INTER MILAN vs CATANIA
2-1

Dan inilah gol-gol yang terjadi pada laga Inter Milan vs Catania.

>menit ke-13, gol pembuka pada laga ini, dan gol ini diciptakan oleh SUNLEY ALI MUNTARI (Inter)

>menit ke-31, WESLEY SNEIJDER (Inter) menambah keunggulan inter milan.

>menit ke-84, GIUSEPPE MASCARA (Catania) dapat memperkecil kekalahan Catinia lewat eksekusi pinalty.
Hasilnya menjadi 2 -1 sampai pertandingan berakhir.

Yuk intip medysept 91 di
Alexa

Pictured: Made-up Sandwich facts.

Rubin Kazan 2-1 Barcelona – Rubin Kazan. Champions of Russia. The team so good they named a sandwich after them. Kinda. Okay, I admit it. I have no idea who Rubin are besides the fact that they’re Russian and they’re apparently good because they’ve just beaten Barcelona at the Camp Nou. That’s right, the mighty Barcelona, Champions of Europe, defeated in what will be an historic victory for the Tatarstan side. Rubin went ahead very early in the match as Alexander Ryazantsev beat Valdes from range with a mighty strike on 2′, but a bit of Ibracadabra magic from Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it all level just after the half. Barca, however, could not seem to get ahead and it would be Rubin who would emerge victors in Catalonia; with Gökdeniz Karadeniz sealing victory for his side on 72′. Expect shockwaves to rattle the Spanish press in the next couple of days – this one’s a doozy. Oh, and the year of the Underdog continueeesss!

Inter 2-2 Dynamo Kiev – I think there might be some sort of gene defect in the blue half of Milan that prevents them from succeeding in the Champions League. Despite putting in the most impressive performance of their Serie A campaign so far on Saturday against Genoa (though I’m sure their 4-0 victory over AC Milan is held dearer to their hearts), the Italian giants simply could not get ahead of Andriy Shevchenko & Co. Like their Russian cousins, Dynamo would go ahead early, with Tarras Mikhalik giving his side on 4′. It would take Inter just over half an hour to pull one back, with Dejan Stankovic equalizing for i Nerazzurri. However, a dreadful own-goal from Lucio (who otherwise put in a rock-solid performance tonight) saw the visiting Ukrainians go into the half with a 1-goal advantage. Inter would start the second half on the right foot though, with Walter Samuel equalizing swiftly on 47′. From that point on it was anybody’s game, with the strike pair of Shevchenko and Artem Milevsky causing Inter’s backline all sorts of trouble; Wesley Sneijder and Estebian Cambiasso linked up in the the centre for Inter to provide creative and often-dangerous play. The best chance of the night came to substitute David Suazo, who had the goal at his mercy from about 5 yards but somehow managed to fire wide. He put the ball into the back of the net in added time, but was flagged for offside. A disappointing performance from the Honduran, who seems likely to be shown the door in January, but also a disappointing performance from Inter as a whole. Jose Mourinho’s side has extended its winless streak in Champions League to 8 games – not a record that Moratti & Co. will be too happy about.

Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 Liverpool - Oh, the scousers. I have a feeling that when Liverpool supporters look back in June this week is going to seem like the one that simply undid all of their dreams. First they lost to Sunderland this weekend when Darren Bent’s strike was deflected by a LFC beachball (a fact which the referee failed to note) and now they have been undone by a last-ditch Lyon. Yossi Benayoun, who has been one of the few bright points in the Reds’ season so far, put his side ahead just before the halftime break. However, Liverpool also suffered a demoralizing loss before the break, as captain Steven Gerrard limped out (again) with injury. The ‘Pool held their lead at Anfield until the 72nd minute, when Maxime Gonalons headed a rebounded shot past Pepe Reina. At that point the momentum of the game started to switch, and César Fabián Delgado would strike in stoppage upset the Reds and seriously damage their Champions League hopes with a second straight loss.

Fiorentina 4-3 Debrecen – Peter Czvitkovics scores – 2′. Debrecen take an early lead. Adrian Mutu equalizes – 6′. Alberto Gilardino scores -10′. Fiorentina up 2-1. Mutu scores again – 20′. 3-1. Gergely Rudolf pulls one back for the home side – 28′. Mario Alberto Santana responds for la Viola - 37′. Fiorentina would hold their two goal lead until 88′ – when Adamo Coulibaly would pull one back to make the final score 4-3. And so ended a fantastic match in Budapest this evening – one that sees Fiorentina continue their blistering run of form in European competition. So far la Viola are the only Italian side holding their weight in the Champions League, with both Milan sides and Juventus so grossly underachieving at the moment. If Fiorentina continue to rack up victories in this style, they may outlast all of Calcio’s big three in this year’s European Competition.

BOOM! Viola!

Arsenal 1-1 AZ Alkmaar – Liverpool were not the only English side to be undone by late goals tonight. Arsene Wenger’s men took a first-half lead over the reigning Dutch Champions via a 36th minute Cesc Fàbregas strike. The Gooners held on to that precious lead for the remainder of the 90 minutes, and looked to be on course to take 3 points home from their trip to DSB Stadion, but were forced to settle for a single point when David Mendes Da Silva found the back of the Londoners’ net. A result that gives the Dutch side only their second point of the group stage, while preventing Arsenal from taking a commanding lead at the top of Group H.

And so, it would appear that the year of the Underdog is alive and well. Rubin beat Barcelona, Lyon beat Liverpool, AZ Alkmaar tied Arsenal and Fiorentina, arguably outsiders in Serie A and certainly not Scudetto favourites this year, continue to light up the European Competition. More Champions League tomorrow – but it will be hard-pressed to live up to today’s excitement.

Lyon will be wondering what is waiting for them in tonight’s fixture versus Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool are in terrible form for a side their size, having collected only 15 points in 9 league matches, and having lost their last three matches in a row. Young Montenegrin Fiorentina attacker Stevan Jovetic scored two goals against them at the Artemio Franchi on 29 September, ensuring their defeat in their last Champions League match. Since then, Liverpool also lost at Stamford Bridge and the Stadium of Light. However, today is their first home game in more than three weeks, and with the return to fitness of talismanic captain Steven Gerrard, Liverpool will surely be burning to prove their potency to the world again. Especially following the wrongly allowed beach ball goal that sunk them against Sunderland on Saturday, will Liverpool want to fight to get back on track.

Lyon did not convince anybody in their match on Saturday, losing 2-0 at home to mid-table Sochaux, in front of Clint Eastwood in the VIP seating at the Stade Gerland. However, Lyon are not in poor form – they top the French Ligue 1 ahead of surprise package Montpellier. Interestingly, Lyon are still undefeated away in both Ligue 1 and Champions League this season. Their away game in Europe was against relative minnows Debrecen from Hungary, who they beat 4-0, but Lyon managed to beat Fiorentina at home, as a proof of their quality. They will be happy to be facing a Liverpool suffering a poor run of form, but with the return of Steven Gerrard, and Liverpool’s return to Anfield, Lyon’s advantages may very well be cancelled out.

In Italy, Inter Milan will face Ukranian league leaders Dynamo Kiev. Kiev have only conceded points in one match in their domestic league this season, a draw against mid-table Vorskla Poltava five matches ago. They beat Russian league leaders Rubin Kazan at home in their first Champions League match this season, but then lost at Barcelona. Despite Dynamo’s good record domestically, the sheer quality of Jose Mourinho’s side should be enough to see them off in tonight’s match. Add to Inter’s quality a good run of form, which was proved in their impressive 5-0 away victory against then fifth-placed Genoa on Saturday, and Inter should be unstoppable tonight. Wesley Sneijder adds creativity and unpredictability to Inter’s midfield and attack, and allows them to attack with great precision, which will help them also tonight. Dynamo Kiev are a team that is good enough to spring surprises, and one never knows what to expect from experienced striker Andriy Shevchenko, but Inter at San Siro at the moment will be near impossible for them.

Elsewhere, Arsenal plays AZ Almkaar in Holland. The Dutch side are 6^th in the Eredivisie, and with new coach Ronald Koeman still trying to get the best of his team, Arsenal look set to take 3 points. Arsenal are weakened by injuries, travelling without Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky, Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo, Denilson, Johan Djorou, and Lukasz Fabianski. This is something Arsene Wenger is used to however, and the great coverage in the squad, and with Andrey Arshavin in great form, Arsenal should be able to continue their 100% record in their group, having previously beaten Olympiakos and Standard Liege.

Barcelona face Russian league leaders and defending champions Rubin Kazan, but with their form, quality, and home advantage, no one will be expecting anything but a convincing victory from the Catalonians.

AZ v Arsenal

Olympiakos v Standard Liege

Barcelona v Rubin Kazan

Inter Milan v Dynamo Kiev

Debrecen v Fiorentina

Liverpool v Lyon

Rangers v Unirea Urziceni

VfB Stuttgart v Sevilla

Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder talked about his former club Real Madrid and the Champions League.

There are two important matches coming up for Inter in the coming days as they travel to face Genoa tomorrow before welcoming Dynamo Kiev to the Giuseppe Meazza in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

In the Nerazzurri’s last league match against Udinese, newly signed midfielder Wesley Sneijder scored the winning goal in injury time. Today the Dutch midfielder talked about his former club Real Madrid and the Champions League.

Asked if he ever thinks about the Merengues, he said, “Of course. I played there for two years, I always follow their results. I had a very good relationship with all my team-mates and I wish them all the best, but I feel really good in this city and this team, now is not the time to look back.

“Playing against them would obviously be special and I hope it happens in the Champions League final. It would be nice and I would hope to win it.”

On the differences between the Spanish and Italian leagues, Sneijder said, “I don’t think there are major differences. They are both difficult leagues. Perhaps in Spain there’s more technique, but in Italy it’s very tough, there’s a lot of battling and, especially for us midfielders, it’s very difficult, you have to find the right solution quickly or you are fouled.”

Asked if there are many teams stronger than Inter in the Champions League, he said, “No, I don’t think there are many teams stronger than Inter, because everyone in the world talks about Barcelona, but they only managed a 0-0 draw against us. 

“I think it was a good result. If everyone says Barcelona is the strongest team in the world, then we are also one of them because we drew against them. The Champions League is different from the Italian league, certainly because there are many strong teams, but to win it you need a great team, as well as a bit of luck.

“Why can Inter win the Champions League? Because I think we have a very strong defence, a good midfield and fantastic strikers. With this combination you can win the Champions League.”

Sky Sport

Sorry hoor, maar waarom hoort dit verhaal over Yolanthe Sneijdt Kabeljauw en nog iets in ’s hemelsnaam op de sportpagina’s thuis? Omdat ze het doet met Sneijdertje? Pfff, laatst mocht ze ook al bijna in de kleedkamer komen. Het moet niet gekker worden.

Only big games folks – you know the drill:

Football:

Arsenal 6-2 Blackburn - Not to be outdone by Liverpool and Tottenham’s high-scoring performances last weekend, the Gunners responded with a blowout of their own in which six different players appeared on the scoresheet. Thomas Vermaelen, Robin Van Persie, Andrei Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Nick Bendtner all netted for the Londoners; while David Dunn and Steven N’Zonzi scored for the visitors – N’Zonzi giving his side an early lead in the 4th minute. An important win for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and a result which puts them ahead of rivals Liverpool with a game in hand.

"Please, please - it's only Liverpool."

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool – For a match that was touted in the days leading up to it as all-important and due to be a spectacular showdown of two top-notch Premiership sides, neither Liverpool nor Chelsea were able to make an impact upon the early stages of the game. Both sides looked tentative and unwilling to leap headfirst into the match – the sides would remain even until the 60th minute, when a Nicolas Anelka strike put the blues ahead. The wind was more or less taken out of the Merseysiders’ sails at this point, though Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun did all they could to equalize (the latter missing a late sitter which should have brought his side level). However, the the Scousers’ fate was sealed by Florent Malouda on 91′, as Chelsea proved that all it takes to win in the English Premier League are French strikers and an Italian manager.

Manchester Utd 2-2 Sunderland – As usual when things go wrong at Old Trafford, the blame for Manchester United’s draw against  lowly Sunderland was all the fault of the match official – if we’re to believe Sir Alex Ferguson’s side of the story. Ferguson lashed out at referee Alan Wiley after the match, questioning his physical condition and claiming he did not add on enough stoppage time at the end of the second half. However, I think it is a bit ludicrous to blame United’s perhaps disappointing result on anyone but themselves. Goals from Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones (on either side of a classy volley from Dimitar Berbatov) had seen the Black Cats go ahead of the home side at Old Trafford, but the visitors’ luck began to turn when Kieran Richardson was sent off for poor sportsmanship in the 84th minute. Things went from bad to worse when, on 92′, Anton Ferdinand deflected Patrice Evra’s long-range effort into the back of his own net – earning a not-quite-deserved draw from a United who had looked hapless and disorganize all throughout the match. Who would’ve thought that the Black Cats could be so unlucky?

Fußball:

FC Köln 0-0 Bayern Münich – This match has been called the most boring game of the Bundesliga played yet this year – and not just by me. Die Roten played almost the exact same squad they utilized in their midweek draw against Juventus – the only change being for Arjen Robben, who picked up an injury in that Champions League match, thus forcing the hand of Louis van Gaal. The fans at the Allianz Arena were treated to a game riddled with fouls and choppy play – game broadcasts panned over the stands at halftime to find fans fast asleep. I am not exaggerating. While Bayern could barely get an attack started, the dull play was not entirely their fault – Köln seemed content to park the bus in front of their goal, not playing a single player upfield and holding the home side to a nil-nil draw. Dull stuff from Deutschland, I’m afraid.

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Nürnberg - Elsewhere in Der Vaterland, goals were scored, and in fact scored aplenty. Keverkusen hit hard and early, taking control of the match at the BayArena with a fantastic set piece goal from Toni Kroos on 2′, followed by a spot kick by Simon Rolfes on 28′ and a strike from Erin Derdiyok on 34′ to round out the first half. In the second half the home side eased up on the throttle a little, but not enough for Nürnberg to bounce back, and not enough to stop Stephan Riessling from scoring his league-leading 6th goal of the season. A win that sees Bayer seated atop the Bundesliga table, separated by goal difference from Northern side Hamburg SV.

Hamburg SV 3-1 Hertha Berlin – Speak of the devil – Hamburg also pulled off a win this weekend, defeating Hertha in their own house at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Hertha took an early lead thanks to an Arne Friedrich header in the 9th minute, but after an own goal from Claudiano Bezerra Da Silva equalized, Hamburg added two more of their own to go up 3-1 before the half. Neither side managed to add to that tally in the second half and so Hamburg comes away with a victory that (as mentioned) sees them second in the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen. David Jarolim and Ze Roberto netted for the away side.

Calcio:

"Gee Rob... my bad."

AS Roma 2-1 Napoli – Francesco Totti is trying to get Roberto Donadoni fired. Donadoni’s Napoli have had a miserable start to the season – a positive result at the Stadio Olimpico today might have gone towards convincing Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis that the manager was worth keeping around. Unfortunately for the ex-Azzurri boss, Roma came out strong, with Simone Perrotta and John-Arne Riise missing a pair of early chances that should have put i Lupi easily ahead of their struggling opposition. However, it would be Napoli who would ultimately strike first – after Roma keeper Julio Sergio was substituted for injury, his replacement Bogdan Lobont was beaten by Ezequiel Lavezzi’s low shot on 25′. However, Roma weren’t about to let their bright start be ruined, and equalized on 37′ with a ball that started at the feet of Mirko Vucinic, but was redirected by Perrotta and then (who else?) Francesco Totti into the back of the Napoli goal. Totti would strike again in the second half with a low shot from some distance against which Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis never stood a chance. Er Pupone’s brace was enough to see his side clear of the visitors and put Roberto Donadoni’s job in serious danger. Sorry Rob; nothing personal eh?

Inter 2-1 Udinese – A last-gasp win for i Nerazzurri which, combined with other events to have transpired this weekend, sees Jose Mourinho’s men sitting atop the table for the first time this season. The game was played at a lightning pace straight from the outset, with Sulley Muntari and Simone Pepe spurning early chances. Dejan Stankovic gave the home side a lead on 22′ at the San Siro, only for the on-fire Antonio Di Natale to equalize not 5 minutes later. Both teams would have plenty of opportunities – though a combination of Sulley Muntari’s lack of aim and Samir Handanovic’s goaltending ability saved Udinese on several occasions. However, it would be Inter who would take home the full spoils, as Wesley Sneijder’s 93rd minute strike gave La Beneamata a late, late victory.

"Did I look worried?"

Palermo 2-0 Juventus – Many thanks to il Rosanero for keeping my claims of the Year of the Underdog alive. The Sicilian side absolutely dismantled Juventus, who have been flying high in Serie A of late, and shown them their first defeat of the season to prevent i Bianconeri from rising to the top of the table. It took a pair of first-half strikes in quick succession to slay La Vecchia Signora, who despite pouring on pressure lacked creativity in the final third of the pitch and were ultimately unable to prevent a defeat at the Stadio Renzo Barbera. Edinson Cavani and Fabio Simplicio were the heroes for the home side, with their goals on 37′ and 42′ respectively proving a hurdle too difficult for Juventus to overcome. All in all, a fantastic win for Palermo which sees them rise to a comfortable midtable standing – and which no doubt allowed Walter Zenga a breath of relief after a stuttering start to the season. An impressive and deserved win for the Sicilian side.

AC Milan 1-1 Atalanta - I have never seen a side so bereft of confidence or direction as the Milan squad which played in the first half of today’s match in Bergamo. Milan were constantly found on the back heel in what is becoming their typical fashion -Gennaro Gattuso charged around like a tank, the strikers had no service, and Andrea Pirlo looked like a shadow of his former self. L’Altri Nerazzurri, as I like to call them, were often the aggressors in the first half and star man Cristiano Doni looked like a legitimate threat to the Milan goal every time the ball was at his feet. In fact, it would be lowly Atalanta who would take the lead in the match, after Simone Tiribocchi buried a ball left for him (perhaps accidentally) by Doni. The goal was borne out of a gross defensive error, as Alessandro Nesta had left Tiribocchi completely unmarked, but nonetheless Atalanta was on top and deservedly so. However, Atalanta would be dealt a crushing blow on 38′, when Ivan Radovanovic was handed a second yellow card for laying hands on Alexandre Pato. For my own part, I had initially thought it was a straight red card, and was seriously questioning whether match-fixing was still alive and well in the Italian game. Ultimately, the card was harsh, but not to the extent that I’d imagined – though it certainly turned the match around and gave i Rossoneri the chance to go on the attack. After the halftime break, the momentum had decidedly been reversed, and it was AC Milan who were on the offensive. Atalanta did all they could to stay ahead in the game, but Ronaldinho’s volley on 83′ inevitably earned the visitors an equalizer. One more thing: Klaas Jan Huntelaar failed to make his mark in the first half, and was substituted early in the second. How is a young striker supposed to build up confidence when he is constantly substituted in what are essentially votes of no confidence from his coach? Just an example of poor man-management from Leonardo, and perhaps another example of why Milan needs to secure themselves a replacement for the disappointing Brazilian tactician.

Futbol:

Sevilla 2-1 Real Madrid – I feel vindicated by this result. I’ve been saying since the shiny new Real Madrid started tearing up La Liga (and Champions League) that when Los Blancos finally found themselves up against an opponent capable of mounting a serious defense, Manuel Pellegrini’s men would find themselves shut down and unable to account for it. Well, it appears that it is Sevilla who was that squad, as Real visited the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán and suffered their first loss of the season. Madrid were unable to create chances and it was Sevilla who controlled tonight’s match. Jesus Navas gave the home side the lead on 32′, which would stand until Pepe equalized early in the second half. However, Renato would see that Sevilla took all three points from Los Galacticos with a goal on 66′. Perhaps the reason for this defeat can be traced back to the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, but for the successes of a team which cost hundreds of millions of euros to assemble to ride on the back of a singular player just reveals the shaky foundation upon which this new Galacticos era has been built.

Barcelona 1-0 Almeria – Oh, and Barcelona beat another relatively small team. Spanish youngster Pedro scored the only goal of the match at the Camp Nou.

Het kan de echte voetbalfan niet ontgaan zijn dat onlangs “Looking for Eric” in première ging. De oud-Mancunian in hoogst eigen persoon kwam naar Tuschinski om te kijken naar Eric. Flanerend over de rode loper als in zijn beste dagen op het veld. Zijn gezicht half verborgen achter een baard à la Arnie Oerlemans stond hij pers te woord. Met de allure van een filmster. Maar is hij op het witte doek net zo fabuleus als op de groene mat?

Het gebeurt vaker: voetballers die kiezen voor een baan op de set. Bekendste voorbeeld is een van onze idolen en cult-voetballer Vinnie Jones. Zoals Eric zichzelf speelt in zijn laatste rol, was Vinnie min of meer zichzelf in “Mean Machine”. Lekker gemeen bikkelt hij in het team van de lokale gevangenis. In het echte leven schopte hij het echter nooit tot aanvoerder van het nationale team. Kijken we dichter bij huis dan hebben we natuurlijk megaflop “I love Dries”.

In een tijd waarin spelers steeds meer een filmsterrenstatus hebben is het daarom wachten op de volgende acteurs. En dan hebben wij het niet over reclames maar over echte films. Het liefst ook goed getypecast! Want zou het niet geweldig zijn om Arjan Robben als Billy Elliot te zien? Of wat dacht u van “Fabeltjeskrant: The Movie” met Frank en Ronald als Ed en Willem Bever? Of “De Smurfen In Milaan” starring Yolanthe als smurfin en Wesley als boze smurf! Wij kunnen niet wachten op de eerste film met louter voetballers. Maar wie regisseert hem?

Have you ever looked at the lyrics to that song? They’re mildly retarded:

Ce sont les meilleures équipes

(Those are the best teams)

Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften

(Those are the best teams)

The main event

Die Meister

(The Champions)

Die Besten

(The best)

Les Grandes Équipes

(The biggest teams)

The Champions

Une grande réunion

(A big gathering)

Eine große sportliche Veranstaltung

(A big sports event)

The main event

Ils sont les meilleurs

(They are the best)

Sie sind die Besten

(They are the best)

These are the champions

These are th- Well, you get the point.

Anyways – as promised, here’s what happened in this week’s Champions League group matches. All of them. Even the boring ones. Sorta. You’re welcome:

Juventus 1-1 Bordeaux – Where was the Juventus who has been playing well enough to top the Serie A tables these past few weeks? Where is the exciting football they have been peddling since August? I will tell you where – sitting on the bench with a knock to the thigh. Juventus badly missed their trequartista yesterday, and struggled to get into the game, drawing against a French club at home for only the second time in European Competition - their record against French sides now stands at 9-1-2 on Italian soil. Sebastian Giovinco, who replaced Diego in the lineup, was unable to replicate the attacking danger that the Brazilian affords to his side – not for any lack of skill, of course, but the small-statured Formica Atomica simply does not possess the power in his slight frame to muscle aside defenses as does the Brazilian. Juventus struggled to gain any ground against a Bordeaux side that looked determined to get ahead – they settled for making fast breaks between large intervals of Bordeaux possession for the first half an hour or so. It was only a precision strike from right boot of Vincenzo Iaquinta that finally separated the Bianconeri from the visitors on 62′. However, the Girondins would not say die, and not twelve minutes later equalized via a Jaroslav Plašil tap-in. Though Juve pressed for the win in the last quarter-hour (with Claudio Marchisio smashing the crossbar before Poulsen volleyed the rebound over), Plašil’s timely goal ensured that Bordeaux went home with a well-deserved point.

AC Milan 2-1 Marseilles – What is it about Champions League that can bring the best out in a team that has struggled so much lately? Perhaps SuperPippo knows, as it was the veteran striker’s brace, scoring on both sides of halftime, that lifted the Rossoneri clear of Didier Deschamps squad. Milan took the lead on 27 minutes, with Gabriel Heinze equalizing for the home side on 49′ – but Pippo was not done yet. Milan seemed artless at times, and for much of the game appeared to be simply content to weather the storms of Marseilles (figuratively and literally; both teams were battered by heavy rain). However, there were moments of true genius, especially from Clarence Seedorf, who twice supplied Filippo Inzaghi with picture-perfect crosses – which the experienced poacher unhesitatingly redirected into the back of the net. I find it very ironic that in a time when Milan is much maligned for their aged squad and lack of youth, they have managed to bounce back and win their first Champions League match – carried on the back of two old veterans who’ve still got what it takes.

For those of you who missed the joke.

Real Madrid 5-2 FC Zurich – The scoreline would suggest that Madrid strolled their way to a comfortable victory in Zurich – but numbers do not tell the whole story. In truth, Madrid’s defense is still closer in substance to the local cheese than a solid back line, and Los Merengues had to fight through a second half scare that saw Zurich score two goals in as many minutes and reduce the Men in White’s lead to a lonely goal. Madrid would have left the pitch after the first half very confident – and rightfully so. A laser beam free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring (thanks to a poor effort by Zurich keeper Johnny Leoni), with Higuan and Raul making it 3-0 before the half. The tide began to turn when Xabi Alonso limped off on 55′, and soon after Iker Casillas conceded a penalty on 63′, bringing down Alexandre Alphonse – Xavier Magairez stepped up to the spot and duly buried it. Not two minutes later, on a corner kick for the home side, Ronaldo failed to mark Sylan Aegerter, who saw his header into the goal and halved his side’s deficit. However, CR9 would have his revenge on 89 minutes, as Johnny Leoni again failed to stop his ferocious right boot, though this time the keeper truly should have caught it. Adding insult to injury was Guti, who scored three minutes into injury time to give his side a three-goal lead and bring the final tally up to a deceptively lopsided 5-2 win. Zurich put up a fight to be proud of, though the score doesn’t necessarily represent it. Real Madrid will be happy with their attack force, but as for the rest of the squad – Actually, who am I kidding, it’s all an attack force. Crazy Galacticos.

Chelsea 1-0 Porto – Injuries and Suspensions. If you asked Carlo Ancelotti why he chose the squad he did yesterday, you would get those two words as an answer. Three of his seven substitutes were players fresh from the academy – though oddly, Gael Kakuta didn’t make his UEFA debut. Too soon? I hope not. Other than that, there’s really not too much to say about this one, though let me say this: Chelsea were clearly superior. The Dragões fought with a lot of heart against the EPL-leading side, but a strike from Nicolas Anelka early in the second half and a late-game send off for Fernando saw the Blues take all three points from their visitors at Stamford Bridge. Anelka did well in scoring to for his side to fill the shoes of the on-fire Didier Drogba, who, missing the match through suspension, provided Chelsea with their biggest question mark. Who would score if not Didier? So quickly forgotten are Anelka’s 19 goals in 2008/09 – the highest tally in the EPL last year. Luckily for Blues fans, Anelka was quick to remind them, and Chelsea can look ahead with 3 points under their belt.

Manchester Utd 1-0 Besiktas JK – No team is a weak team with the full force of their home support behind them. That’s what the first 60 minutes of last night’s game in Istanbul taught Six Alex Ferguson & Co – though I’m sure it’s a tune they’ve heard before. The Red Devils squeaked by a lively Besiktas side on a one-goal margin, finding the Turks to be more than a handful in the process – it is notoriously difficult to win an away match in Turkey due to the fervour of their fan support. Granted, United had their fair share of botched chances, and were for all purposes in control for the majority of the game; their difficulty was in finding the extra push to put them ahead on the scoresheet as well. It took United 77 minutes to wear down the Kara Kartallar, and their chance came when a shot from Nani forced the Turkish side’s keeper to parry, though he was unable to hold on to the ball and Paul Scholes dutifully nodded in the rebound. It is a result that I think both sides can come away from relatively happy.

Eins, Zwei, Drei... Grafite learns German the only way he knows how.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 CSKA Moscow – A result the German Champions, and in particular star man Grafite, can be proud of. Their first Champions League match went off without a hitch, and though Juande Ramos’ Russian side was able to take control of possession for much of the game, they failed to capitalize on their efforts as Wolfsburg – er, Grafite – did. Netting twice in the first half before making it three on 87′ the Brazilian was all the difference for the German side, who now sit at the top of their group, above Manchester United on goal differential. Party while you can, Wolves – the Red Devils are next.

Bayern Münich 3-0 Maccabi Haifa – An unsurprising result. Bayern have gotten their easiest fixture out of the way, dismissing the Israeli side with, well, ease. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that Bayern youngster Thomas Müller has grabbed his second brace in as many games – Daniel Van Buyten opened up the scoring with a goal of his own. Next up is what should be a far more challenging fixture against Juventus – like their counterparts Wolfsburg, Die Roten have their toughest challenges yet ahead of them.

Atletico Madrid 0-0 APOEL FC – Like Bayern, Atletico have their easiest match behind them. Unfortunately, unlike Bayern, Los Colchoneros failed to make the best out of said match and came away with a single point against Cyprus’ APOEL FC at home in the Estadio Vincente Calderón. It was a frustrating evening for the Spanish side, as their often-lethal strike team of Diego Forlan and Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero failed to create goalscoring opportunities. However, Los Colchoneros can consider themselves somewhat lucky in that the visitors blew two clear-cut chances to take the lead. Silver lining, right? More like bronze, I suppose.

Inter 0-0 Barcelona – Here it is, the match we’ve all been waiting for, and – what? They drew? Bollocks! Inter and Barcelona played a well-matched game in which neither side looked dominant over the other, despite Barca’s inevitable control of possession. The chances went both ways, and Inter had as good and as many as the Catalans. The UEFA Champions did not look all that comfortable in the San Siro, although they could have gone ahead several times in the opening minutes at the Nerazzurri struggled to find their rhythm. Though Barca looked the aggressors in the first half (and should have gone ahead had Keita not missed an absolute sitter) their play had an edge of impatience in the second half, and their attacks, while often dangerous, could not crack Inter’s defense. Lionel Messi was well-covered by the Inter back line – it seemed as though every time he touched the ball he was instantly surrounded with a wall of black & blue. Ibrahimovic, roundly jeered by Inter fans, continued his practice of performing impressions of The Invisible Man during big matches, and failed to make an impact on the scoreline against his former side. Of course his counterpart Samuel Eto’o was also present – putting in a hardworking game against his former side but ultimately coming up empty-handed. However, Barca was not the only side to waste clear-cut chances. Diego Milito stumbling over his own feet alone in front of Victor Valdes and David Santon, who was brought on late to replace Wesley Sneijder, doing a fairly good job of covering the position – he nearly would have given his side the lead in a one-on-one on 82′ but for being brought down by Yaya Toure, who received a yellow card for his efforts. Inter were perhaps saved by some last-ditch defending, though given each team’s performance, a 0-0 draw is the most apt result.

Arsenal 3-2 Standard Liege – Hats off to the Gunners, who pulled off an impressive comeback to bring three points home from Belgium after going down 2-0 in the games first five minutes. Eliaquim Mangala netted on 2′ and Milan Jovanović, after being tackled clumsily by William Gallas in the box, converted a spot kick on 5′ to stun Arsenal with a devastating early lead. Arsenal would struggle throughout the next 45 minutes, to wake up just before the half as Nick Bendtner ran onto an Abou Diaby throughball in the corner of the box and slotted home to halve the Belgian’s lead. Standard Liege would fight hard throughout the second have, posing a constant danger up the flanks, though Arsenal would finally equalize in the 78th minute thanks to Thomas Vermaelen – only three minutes before Eduardo would score the goal that, ultimately, would be enough to win the game. The dramatic comeback of Arsene Wenger’s side made this probably the most exciting match played in this year’s competition thus far.

Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen – Liverpool, the fourth and final English team in European competition, was also the fourth English team to beat their opponents by a single-goal margin. The Merseyside squad hosted Hungarian Champions Debrecen at Anfield, and played a strong defensive game, content to absorb the pressure heaped on them and wait patiently for their chances. Despite missing key players Jozef Varga, Tibor Dombi, Gergely Rudolf through suspensions and injury, respectively, the Hungarians put up a good fight, gaining confidence throughout each half and forcing some last-ditch saves from Pepe Reina. However, it would be a Dirk Kuyt goal in first-half injury time that would be the final difference between the teams, as the Hungarians were unable to equalize in the second half – seeing the Scousers take three points from their first group match.

"I swear Ref, his face hit me!"

Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Fiorentina – Lyon became the only French side to take three points away from their first game after beating 10-man Fiorentina by a one-goal margin at home in the Stade Gerland. The first half of the match was rather uneventful, and despite a few scattered chances, the game didn’t start in earnest until Alberto Gilardino was sent off in first half added time after Jérémy Toulalan had the nerve to hit Gila’s elbow with his face. After the half, the Viola decided the best course of action was to cut their losses and ‘park the bus,’ but their plan was foiled on 76′, when Miralam Pjanic found the back of the net on a strong rebounded shot. Cesare Prandelli hasalready spoken out against Gilardino being given his marching orders, calling the elbow to the face unintentional and claiming the judgement was harsh. However way you see it, the Viola will surely be frustrated as they return to Italy empty-handed, and Lyon will surely celebrate winning their first group stage match.

GIDCEATWO (Games I Don’t Care Enough About To Write On):

Olympiakos 1-0 AZ Alkmaar

Sevilla 2-0 Unirea Urziceni

Dynamo Kiev 3-1 Rubin

VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Rangers