Sleeping Giants

'A Sleeping Giant' is a term quite regularly used to describe a side that has an illustrious history or a period of dominance, but have tailed off in recent years and find themselves in a worse situation than they were. Everyone is aware of some of the sleeping giants in England such as Newcastle United, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest to name a few, but who would be some of the sleeping giants in the rest of Europe?

Benfica

Benfica still do enjoy domestic success, but they have somewhat tailed off on the European scene from the great sides of the 60s and 70s. Last year, they became the first Portuguese side to do the domestic treble (Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and Taca da Liga). The Portuguese club enjoyed significant dominance in the 60s when they won two European Cups as well as countless domestic honours.

Legends from the golden era include the late and great Eusebio who remains the clubs record goal scorer with 474 goals in 15 years with the club. Upon the hero's death, the Portuguese declared three national days of mourning for the Mozambique-born Portuguese star. Star striker from the 60s and 70s, Nene currently holds the record for the most appearances with 575. The 66 times capped Portuguese international won 10 league titles, 7 Taca de Portugal trophies as well as UEFA Cup runners up in 1982/83 towards the end of his illustrious career. Today, they have won the previous 2 league campaigns and seem to be recovering domestically after a spell of domination by rival Porto.

Hajduk Split

HNK Hajduk Split is a club with lots of history. It was formed by four university students in the early 1900s in the then Croatian city of Split which was under Austro-Hungarian rule. 'Hajduk' was an adopted title as it literally meant 'freedom fighters' referencing their struggle for an independent Croatia. Split dominated the Yugoslav league in the 70s winning four league titles and finishing runners up in another one, as well as winning the Yugoslav Cup five times.

Early in the Noughties however, the club faced bankruptcy after being severely mismanaged by the board. They survived in Croatia's top division but often lost out to their fierce rivals, Dinamo Zagreb. Since 2008, the club has been improving and managed to qualify for the Europa League, the first time they qualified for a European group stage since 1994. They are still waiting for their first league victory since 2005 and have finished the last 2 seasons in 3rd. They are slowly but surely climbing back to the top of Croatian football.

Torino

Juventus are the big team in Turin, however they also share the city with Torino, a nationalist club with tragic events that sent the club into a period of mediocrity. Torino were in their pomp in the 40s when they won 5 Scudetto titles. They were one of Italy’s heavyweights and almost certainly would have been a European contender if the competition had existed. On the 4^th May 1949, all but one of the Torino squad were killed when their plane crashed into the hills of Superga, on the outskirts of Turin. The team never recovered and has endured some very hard times since. After struggling to stay in the Italian top flight for almost a decade, the side was relegated in 1959. The death of influential Italian star, Gigi Meroni, further halted the progress of the Turin side, but 9 years later, the club won their 7^th and last Scudetto under the stewardship of Luigi Radice.

The club floated between Serie A and Serie B in the 80s and 90s, and in 2005 were embroiled in financial trouble. After finishing in the playoff spot for promotion that season, the side were expelled from the league after financial irregularities. The Lodo ‘Petrucci’ law allowed ‘a new team’ to be instated into the division below the previous one based on the sports merit of the old club. I use ‘new team’ loosely as it still absorbs all the history of the old club. Today, Torino have battled back from Serie B in 2012 where they have remained since. Torino finished the 2013-14 season excelling all expectations in 7^th which allowed them a chance of playing in the Europa League, much due to the prowess of Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile. Immobile netted 22 times that season before being sold to Borussia Dortmund, while Cerci exited to Atletico Madrid. They weren’t able to replicate their domestic exploits last season as they finished 9^th but did reach the Round of 16 in the Europa League. It’s small steps, but Torino are showing progress of banishing the dark days behind them.

Dynamo Dresden

Dynamo Dresden were once the dominant side of East Germany, but the fall of the Berlin Wall coupled with the amalgamation of East and West Germany, saw the club tumble down the Bundesliga ladder. Sports clubs were not for-profit businesses under communist rule but rather set up as a means of socialising for state entities: CSKA for the Army, Lokomotiv for the transportation ministry and Dynamo for the secret police. The East German powerhouses enjoyed great dominance in the 70s winning 5 league titles and 2 cups. Despite not meeting recently, Berliner FC Dynamo are considered their big rivals, due to them often pipping Dresden to the East German title. They regularly competed in Europe during their hay day and into the 80s, gaining impressive victories over FC Porto, Juventus and Benfica.

The first meeting between socialist Dynamo Dresden and a capitalist West German side was in the 1973-74 European Cup against Bayern Munich, losing 7-6 on aggregate but it is the clash against West German side Bayer Uerdingen which would be more memorable. Winning the first leg 2-0 and cruising 3-1 at half time, the first choice keeper received an injury to be replaced by debutant Jens Ramme who conceded 6 goals to lose 7-3. However it was the incident in which striker Frank Lippmann escaped to the west when playing the away leg in Krefeld. As communism fell, so did Dynamo Dresden. There four years in a restructured Bundesliga saw them constantly battling relegation and when the inevitable happened in 1995, they never returned. They reached the heights of 2.Bundesliga from 2004-06 and again in 2011-14 before being relegated to the 3^rd tier where they currently remain. Dynamo Dresden is a side steeped in history, both successful and sinister, but one that they don’t look like repeating anytime soon.

HSV Hamburg

On the 29^th September 1887 Der Hohenfelder Sportclub and Wandsbeck-Marienthaler Sportclub coalesced to form SC Germania, known today as HSV Hamburg. They enjoyed their golden era in the 70s and 80s, winning 3 league titles as well as finishing second in 5 seasons. 2 DFB-Pokals were added to the collection, not to mention a European Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Cup, and 2 UEFA Super Cups. However the cherry on top was the European Cup victory in 1983. They beat Dynamo Berlin, Olympiacos, Dynamo Kyiv and Real Sociedad enroute to a finale against Italian giants, Juventus. Former Fulham and Bayern Munich manager, Felix Magath scored an 8^th minute winner to secure their first European Cup in their history.

They are a club that is proud of its tradition of having played in every season of the Bundesliga since its conception in 1963 and in fact every top tier of the German league since World War 1. At the Imtech Arena/Volksparkstadion they display a clock that reads how long they have been in the Bundesliga. The clock almost stopped back in June when Karlsruhe came close to toppling the former German giant in the relegation playoff. After a 1-1 draw at home, a very late equaliser from Marcelo Diaz forced extra time before Nicolai Muller scored the winner with 5 minutes of extra time left. Seemingly down and out, Karlsruher were awarded a penalty right at the end of extra time, but Rene Adler saved to keep Hamburg in the division for at least another season. Hamburg aren't the German force they used to be and that proud record is clinging by a thread.

Parma

From UEFA Cup winners in 1999, financial problems have plunged the Italian side into chaos and now ply their trade in the amateur leagues of the Italian pyramid. Parma don’t have the same stature in terms of history and theirs happens much more recently. Their first appearance in Serie A was in 1990 and they enjoyed most of their success in this timeframe, most down to the global brand Parmalat and their CEO, Calisto Tanzi. Tanzi used the football to expand his company with more eastern Europeans featuring as Parmalat expanded. Parma had world class players at their disposal including the club’s record goal scorer, Hernan Crespo, World Cup winner, Fabio Cannavaro, former Juventus star Lillian Thuram who is the most capped French defender as well as Faustino Asprilla, a part of Colombia’s golden generation and Gianfranco Zola. They had cracking players, but a league title often eluded the side. During the 90s they won 3 Coppa Italia trophies, one Italian Super Cup, 2 UEFA Cups, a European Super Cup and a Cup winners Cup. They achieved just one 2^nd place finish in the league in 1996/97.

Admitted into administration in 2004 due to the collapse of their parent company, the club operated in controlled administration until January 2007, before returning to the top division several seasons later. Previous to last season, Parma actually performed quite well. Roberto Donadoni guided the side to sixth position in the Serie A and a third consecutive top ten finish. However, their Europa League place was rescinded due to the late payment of income tax on salaries as well as incurring docked points for the following season. The club changed ownership several times with each buyer, often breaking promises of money. With several games forfeited towards the end of last season, facilities seized and players remaining unpaid, Parma succumbed and finished rock bottom of Serie A and demoted to Serie D.

Sampdoria

The last side that I will focus on is Sampdoria. The Samps enjoyed most of their success in the 1980s after being bought by oil businessman Paolo Mantovani in 1979, while in Serie B. In 1982, Sampdoria were promoted to Serie A and won their first Coppa Italia 3 years later. Their success during the 80s largely consisted of Coppa Italia victories in 1985, 1988, 1989 as well as one in 1994. They recorded a Cup Winners Cup win in 1990 while losing out to Barcelona in extra time of the 1991/1992 edition of the European Cup. Some would say their defeat against Barca was cruel, particularly as Gianluca Vialli missed three glorious chances to win before Ronald Koeman won it for the Catalan side. At the end of that season, star performers such as Vialli, Vujadin Boskov, Toninho Cerezo and Fausto Pari left the club and signalled the beginning of the decline of Sampdoria. They succumbed to relegation as quickly as 1999.

Since their exploits 30 years ago, Sampdoria have struggled to get back to the big stage. While they have regularly been in Serie A, they have never challenged for titles or the domestic cups on offer. They returned to the top flight in 2003 and finished in 8^th position thanks to the goals from Fabio Bazzani and Francesco Flachi. Two seasons later, they were on track to return to the Champions League only to be pipped to the post by Udinese in the closing games of the season. However they featured in 2007/2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup as a result of Atalanta not being granted a UEFA licence. Since returning to the league in 2013, Sampdoria have been improving at a steady rate. Docked points in their returning season for their participation in the 2011-12 Italian football season, they ended in a 14^th place finish. The previous two seasons have seen Samp finish in 7^th and 12^th respectively, the former seeing them return to European football, only for them to crash out in the third qualifying round to Serbian side, Vojvodina. This season they find themselves 6pts outside the relegation zone just above arch rivals Genoa. It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for one of Italy’s historic giants.

These are just a few of the clubs that many deem to follow under the 'sleeping giant' bracket. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the clubs mentioned, or other clubs that I have omitted.

Euro 2016 - The Groups

The draw for the Euro 2016 group phase was made last Saturday with 4 home nations competing, the most ever in a single European Championship.

Group B - England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales

I don't see there being too many problems for England, with their stiffest arguably being neighbours Wales. England should almost definitely be topping the group with ease and have the potential to win all three games. As for Wales, they have nothing to fear either. Wales need Gareth Bale fit to progress in my opinion. With the way his life has been going at Real Madrid, jetting off to France with the national side will be something of a relief. Slovakia finished second in their qualifying group with 22 points, 5 behind holders, Spain. Slovakia did record a famous 2-1 victory over the holders in October 2014 when a winner three minutes to go from Bursaspor striker Miroslav Stoch secured the victory after Paco Alcacer equalised a Juraj Kucka goal on 82 minutes.

Final standings in this order are England, Wales, Slovakia, Russia.

Group C - Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine

After qualifying for their first Euro campaign, there will be a buzz in the Northern Ireland camp as they are named in a group with the World Champions. It is going to be very tough for Northern Ireland and I don't expect them to qualify. Northern Ireland will be just happy to be at the tournament and no doubt the fans will also. Northern Ireland will probably line up defensively and look to hit teams on the break. I see the Germans and Poland being too strong for the nation of 1.7m, while Ukraine would represent their best opportunity of picking up some points. While Northern Ireland may finish bottom of their group, I do think they will pick up a point against Ukraine.

Final standings in this order are: Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Northern Ireland.

Group E - Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden

Like their neighbours, the Republic of Ireland having been handed a very tough group. Belgium are widely tipped by many to be one of the tournament favourites next summer, while Italy normally up their game for the tournaments despite not being a great Italian team compared to those over the years. Sweden heavily rely on captain and PSG striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. If Ireland are able to mark him out of the game then I expect the side to record a victory.

Final standings in this order are: Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden.

 

Group A - Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland

Looking at the other groups, France have a great opportunity to claim a pole position after being handed a group with Albania, Romania and Switzerland. When Albania last met France in June a free kick form Ergys Kace gave the Eastern European side their first victory over the French in their history. I don't see any of the others offering any competition to prevent France from finishing first in their group.

Final standings in this order are France, Switzerland, Albania and Romania.

 

Group D - Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey

I think Group D is a very interesting affair. Czech Republic toppled Group A - and the Dutch - to secure their 9th outing in the competition. Looking at Croatia, they finished second in Group H behind Italy and possess some very good players. Ivan Rakitic is a very good box to box midfielder and will offer both an attacking threat and security for the defence. Similarly Mario Mandzukic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic are key individuals and all pose a threat going forwards. We all know the pedigree of Spain and they will be looking to correct a few wrongs after a poor performance in the World Cup. Finally, Turkey always have the potential to shake things up with Arda Turan, Hakan Calhanoglu and Burak Yilmaz.

Final standings in this order are: Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic.

Group F - Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal

Many have tipped Austria to be this year's dark horse and I can understand why. David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic are probably their stand out players and will attract the most attention of their opposing sides. Alexander Dragovic is a decent young defender as is Martin Hinteregger and this is coupled with the experience of Leicester City defender, Christian Fuchs. Iceland have qualified for their first ever tournament and included home and away wins over the Netherlands in qualifying. Hungary scraped through finishing 3rd in qualifying group F and beating Norway 3-1 on aggregate in the playoffs. As for Portugal, they rely heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo and this could be their downfall later in the tournament but I see them qualifying from this group.

Final standings in this order: Austria, Portugal, Iceland, Hungary.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on the Home Nations' prospects or any other team for that matter.

Champions League Round of 16

Three teams from England and Spain make it through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League while Germany and Italy supply two sides each, while France, Belgium, Russia, Netherlands, Ukraine and Portugal contribute 1 each. 

PSG v Chelsea

History repeats itself with Chelsea once again facing PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League. The tables have definitely turned for the London side as they currently lie in bottom half of the Premier League table as opposed to the top of the table this time last year. Despite having acquired Angel di Maria this season and Edinson Cavani on fine form, I can honestly see Chelsea winning this tie. Because of their poor form in the league, there is a good chance that Chelsea will put all their eggs in the Champions League basket. It will be close and Chelsea will have to penetrate a defence that has only conceded once in Europe, but I predict the underdog to upstage the favourites.

Benfica v Zenit

Definitely not a tie that will grab many of the headlines, but Benfica come off the back of a second place finish behind Atletico Madrid. They have improved dramatically in Europe considering finishing rock bottom of their group last season scoring only 2 goals and winning only 1 game. Looking at Zenit, they topped the group fending off the likes of Lyon, who finished rock bottom and Gary Neville's Valencia who drop into the Europa League positions. It was definitely a shock for them to finish on top, and I would tip the Portuguese side to progress, however this represents a real opportunity for Zenit to put Russia back on the football map.

Gent v Wolfsburg

Like Zenit, KAA Gent surprised many people to seal a place in the last 16 for the first time in their history, finishing behind the Russian side in their group. Likewise, Wolfsburg are competing in their first knockout round in the Champions League and have never played a Belgian side in the Champions League before. Bas Dost is Wolfsburg's top goal scorer and the Belgian underdogs will have to be on form if they are to stop him also Max Kruse will be key for the German Cup holders creating 33 chances so far in this season. The German side will be clear favourites to progress and I tip the side to make the quarter finals.

Roma v Real Madrid

Real Madrid find themselves a point off the top of La Liga leaders, Barcelona and head coach Rafa Benitez is becoming under increasing pressure. In Europe they have been somewhat of a free scoring outfit, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 11 times in the group stage alone. They also had a solid defence throughout the group stage, conceding three goals, all of which were in the away leg against Shakhtar Donetsk. Roma have never kicked on under Rudi Garcia since pushing Juventus for the title 2 years ago. Miralem Pjanic is their creative player while there still is life in the old legs of Francesco Totti. I predict Madrid to qualify easily.

Arsenal v Barcelona

This is possibly the most intriguing tie. Arsenal have had terrible luck with draws in the last 16 over the last number of seasons and it doesn't get much harder than a tie against in form Barcelona. Having had a terrible start in Europe, some may say that the Gunners were lucky to progress, but they have players stepping up to the plate. I have been critical of Mesut Ozil over the years I have been blogging but he is finally showing what he is capable of. The game against Barcelona is a massive test and it will be key that the German does not squander possession. Barcelona need no introductions and possess the best attacking force in Europe. I do think that the Catalans have enough to see off the challenge of Arsenal but it will not be easy.

Juventus v Bayern Munich

Beaten finalists Juventus are recovering in the league having won all of their last 5 matches. Juventus are a good side and you would struggle to find a side that can hold a lead better than the Italian giants. Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich has strengthened since the last edition and they look good. Vidal has been ever-present in the midfield while signing Douglas Costa from Shahktar Donetsk has proved and inspired decision. Paulo Dybala is an exciting prospect for the Old Lady and I have watched him turn out for both Palermo and Juventus in the last 2 seasons. He is quick and has the potential to cause problems. I tip Bayern's strength in depth to overcome Juventus. 

PSV v Atletico Madrid

PSV beat a disappointing Manchester United side to the second placed spot. They will look back on a very good victory against the Manchester side in game week 1 and another well fought draw at Old Trafford. Former Newcastle United reject, Luuk de Jong is their top scorer this season with 13 goals. During the group stage, PSV scored 8 goals and conceded 7. Looking at their opponents, Atletico Madrid topped their group with relative ease, recording 4 wins and a draw. In the league, the Spanish side sits in 5th position, 4 points off Real Madrid in second and further point off the league leaders, Barcelona. I don't see PSV troubling the 2013-2014 runners up, with Atletico finishing the tie at Vicente Calderon.

Dynamo Kyiv v Man City
Dynamo Kyiv surprised many to pip Porto to the last spot that qualifies for the knockout rounds. The Ukrainians have some useful players including winger Andriy Yarmolenko who was ever present in the group stage. Kyiv are currently battling it out for the league title with arch rivals Shakhtar Donetsk, who failed to qualify from the group stage. Manchester City have had many unfortunate draws since 2010/2011, facing Barcelona last year and the year before in both times where they qualify from the group stage. City should be strong enough to beat the Ukrainian side, particularly with the second leg in front of the Etihad faithful.

Liverpool tie with Sion

A dull 0-0 game with very few highlights allowed Jurgen Klopp's side to top their Europa League group while FC Sion qualify for the knock-out rounds in their very first European tournament.

Despite a near mis-hap from Simone Mignolet in the first minute, Liverpool controlled the possession in the opening of the match and had a great chance when Brad Smith crossed the ball to Divock Origi who failed to finish. The Belgian was unmarked and coughed up a very good chance which should have been converted.

Liverpool were quite happy to give possession to FC Sion and the Swiss side were struggling to do anything with it. The game wasn't played at a particularly fast pace during the first half with both sides happy to let the other take take the initiative. Sion had a few half chances but Origi had another chance but the defender covered and blocked expertly.

Liverpool had another good chance when Adam Lallana skipped by a few Sion challenges into the box, but was starved of options and the chance petered out. The chance was created down the left by Ben Smith's overlapping runs and James Milner. This is where Liverpool could get in behind the Swiss defence but the end product was often lacking.

It was a pretty dull first half, with neither side really pressurising each other. Liverpool were already qualified while Sion only needed a point to guarantee qualification.

There was virtually nothing to report on in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but the arrival of Philippe Coutinho was imminent and the Brazilian had every opportunity to conjure something up in the free number 10 role. Recovering after a four week lay off, Coutinho would want to lay down a marker for future matches.

Sion had several set pieces most of which were wasted poorly. One was a training ground routine which allowed a Sion player to remain unmarked and attempt to get a decent ball in but it came to nothing. Origi had a chance when the ball was slid through to him. With the keeper baring down on him, the Liverpool man had to try and take the ball around him but the keeper got hands and diverted in elsewhere.

Coutinho broke through the middle in between the defence and midfield, and slid Roberto Firmino through but the first touch from his fellow countryman was poor and the ball rolled harmlessly out for a goal kick. Inside the last 10 minutes. Smith once again broke down the left before hitting a teasing ball into the box. Origi failed to get any meaningful contact on the ball as the keeper clutched to it harmlessly.

It was a game with a draw written all over it and I probably should have guessed this from the standings before the match. Needless to say that it finished 0-0, but the Swiss supporters were incredible as they witnessed their side qualified for their first ever knockout round in Europe.

Higuain Sends Napoli Top

A brace from Gonzalo Higuain proved enough to see off the challenge of Internzionale at Stadio San Paolo.

The action commenced 65 seconds from the kick off when Higuain belted in a goal from the edge of the box. While Inter may claim that Jose Callejon handled the ball, it would have been a very harsh decision if penalised. Jaison Murillo missed a good opportunity to clear the lines and would have prevented the goal being scored.

Inter were nervy and Napoli were creating good opportunities. Marek Hamsik dinked a ball into the box but Callejon couldn't supply a finish. This is the first time I've watched Napoli this season and the changes Maurizio Sarri has made are incredible. Napoli are more easy on the eye to watch with their fluid passing style of play and more importantly, they look like a cohesive team. Under Rafa Benitez they often conceded from winning positions and never looked settled.

Lorenzo Insigne and Hamsik were getting too much space in between the Inter midfield and defence. This allowed the Neapolitan defenders to slide balls through to the creative midfielders and when they turned and run at the Milanese defence, they looked vulnerable. Napoli were having all of the ball and when Inter did get possession, they looked lost and eventually conceded the ball back to their hosts. They looked like they missed Geoffrey Kondogbia in the middle of the pitch.

Inter had a glorious chance five minutes before the interval. It was the first occasion in which Adem Ljajic got on the ball and decided to run with it. He found himself on the right wing and hit a low ball into the box only for Ivan Perisic to scuff the shot wide. Inter don't create many opportunities or score goals so this one represented a golden chance for the Nerazzurri to level it up.

Things got harder for Internazionale when Yuto Nagatomo received his second yellow card. Nice play from Allan on the right allowed him to evade one challenge and give himself space and time to dink the ball over Nagatomo before being taken out. There was no doubt that it was a second yellow card and it gave Roberto Mancini some thinking to do over the break if his side are to remain at the top of the table this week.

In the second half, Napoli displayed all of the dominance they showed in the first half, but weren't as creative and free-flowing, largely down to Mancini's astute tactics. They limited Napoli by keeping Hamsik and Insigne quiet and the second half remained scoreless until the hour mark. Higuain netted his and Napoli's second when a hopeful long header from Raul Albiol caught Murillo and Miranda off guard. The former Madridista had enough speed and power to hold off the challenges before burying the ball past Samir Handanovic.

From out of nowhere, Adem Ljajic halved the deficit five minutes later. An error from Faouzi Ghoulam poked the ball into the path of the Serbian international before taking a touch and curling it into the bottom corner. The goal gave Inter the lift they needed but also meant that their hosts had to concentrate for the remaining 20 minutes. Marcelo Brozovic had a mazy run which opened up a shooting opportunity, but his shot did not hit the target.

Inter had possibly their best opportunity of the game when Ivan Perisic threaded a ball through to the goal scorer, Ljajic and with Jonathan Biabiany free at the front post, he tried to pull the ball back to the edge of the area only for it to be easily intercepted. This was a massive opportunity that would have certainly resulted in the net bulging it the 24 year old had made the correct decision. Despite the missed opportunity, Inter had silenced the San Paolo and dragged themselves kicking and screaming back into the match.

After a great chance from Ljajic, Higuain had a great opportunity to net his hat trick and put the game out of the sight of the Milanese side. He beat numerous straggling challenges in a mazy run and released a shot that was goal-bound only for a terrific save from Handanovic to foil the World Cup runner-up. At the other end, both substitute Stefan Jovetic and Miranda had excellent headers that almost equalised. Jovetic was denied by the post, while a full stretch Pepe Reina thwarted Miranda. The reaction on the face of the former Liverpool keeper was a picture of relief at the end of the game.

Napoli held on to go top of Serie A, while Inter can be pleased with a steely performance that almost snatched them a point. Napoli are an exciting team and Sarri will definitely have them competing for silverware at the end of the season.

Juve Cruise Past Palermo

Goals from Mario Mandzukic, Stefano Sturaro and Simone Zaza gave Juventus a comfortable victory in Sicily.

Palermo pressed high early on and looked to take the the game to their visitors. The high pressing caused some worry for Juve but they dealt with it well. The home side did have a chance inside the tenth minute when Vazquez broke on the counter, and found Oscar Hiljemark on the right edge of the box. The Swede fired over and didn't pose any threat to Gianluigi Buffon.

Stefan Sorrentino looked nervy in nets for Palermo, particularly in the opening 15 minutes of the match. He flapped at a few crosses that seemed relatively easy and this was something that Juve could exploit with the height of Mario Mandzukic in the box for the Turin side. Also, Juventus were getting joy through their wing backs, Juan Cuadrado and Patrice Evra who were being given space out wide, albeit for an offside flag or poor touch.

Leonardo Bonucci had a terrific chance after a Paul Pogba out swinging corner. The veteran defender was left unmarked but a poor connection with the ball and it sailed wide. Juve had another free header, this time from Palermo old boy, Paulo Dybala. The Argentine was unable to convert a golden opportunity.

At half time both sides had plenty to reflect on. Juventus had to take their opportunities that were given to them, while Palermo needed to pay more attention to Juve's win backs who were being keft one on one with their full backs. The home side also needed to capitalise on the break and be a bit more lethal.

The dead lock was broken 7 minutes after the restart when Paulo Dybala swung a tantalising ball into the box. Mario Mandzukic rose highest to nod past Sorrentino in nets. The goal had lifted the champions as they pressed Palermo and the Sicilians struggled to get any possession. 

The game continued in relatively the same vain. The first goal took the stuffing out of Palermo and they struggled to recover. Buffon was hardly troubled all night and despite being very well protected, I do think a slightly better team than Palermo could have tested and asked a few more questions of the defence.

The second goal killed the game with less than a minute to go. Paul Pogba rolled the ball into the feet of Stefano Sturaro who finished the shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Simone Zaza scored a third after a break from the half line. He played a one-two with Alvaro Morata before leaving the keeper no chance with his shot.

Juventus continue their resurgence as they move up to fifth position and just six points off the top of the table with two-thirds of the season to play. It has to be noted that the top three sides play tomorrow night, but the win for Juventus was needed, if not as emphatic as the scoreline suggests.

Chelsea Dominate in Israel

Chelsea stroll to a comfortable victory in Tel Aviv through goals from Gary Cahill, Willian, Oscar and Kurt Zouma. Chelsea dominated from start to finish and their task was made easier with the sending off of Tal Ben Haim shortly before half time.

Right from the first whistle, it was a fast paced game. The home side had a very good chance early on when a free header was directed over the goal. Jose Mourinho will be shocked at how easily it was for the Maccabi man to lose the central defenders.

With the home crowd on side, Maccabi looked dangerous on the counter attack. It was shocking how vulnerable Chelsea's back four looked when Tal Ben Haim (the striker) ran with the ball in the 5th minute. After 15 minutes Chelsea had got a foothold in the game and were controlling the possession. It was often made easier with Tel Aviv gifting the possession back to the English side.

Chelsea made the break through on 20 minutes with Gary Cahill pouncing on a rebound after his own header. The Maccabi keeper pulled off a magnificent save to prevent the former Bolton man from scoring the first time around as he tipped the header onto the post, but was helpless to prevent Cahill smashing in his first European goal since the tie against PSG last season.

Chelsea were very comfortable and there were plenty more goals in this for Mourinho's men. They regularly found space and Maccabi had to tighten up if they wanted to prevent a hammering. One thing that was noticeable about Chelsea's play was that they were not committing men into the box. They seemed more keen on trying to walk it into the back of the net and often succeeded only for the end product to not be there.

The game was effectively over when former Chelsea man Tal Ben Haim (the centre back) was dismissed after lashing out at Diego Costa. Initially it looked as if the referee had overreacted, but replays showed that the red card was correct. At half time, Chelsea were firmly on top and there were more goals definitely in this.

Maccabi Tel Aviv did expose some of Chelsea's defensive frailties with Hazard occasionally neglecting his defensive responsibilities. These chances were few and far between, but it would only take one chance to equalise. A second goal would take all of the momentum out of Maccabi and allow Chelsea to stroll to the final whistle.

Maccabi's Serbian U21 keeper made two terrific saves before Zahavi flashed a shot towards the goal only to draw a superb save from Asmir Begovic. Chelsea were living dangerously. A long ball counter attack once again undone Chelsea.

The game was sealed by that man Willian with 15 minutes left. Yet again the Brazilian stepped up with the goods with a superb free kick - his 6th free kick goal of the season. Chelsea had got the crucial vital goal to seal their win. The third goal followed shortly after with a Baba Rahman firing a cross across the box to be met by the head of Oscar for his first goal of the season.

Chelsea had a few more opportunities to increase their lead through Pedro Rodrigues, but it was Kurt Zouma who leapt highest to bullet a header towards goal and the keeper wasn't able to keep the ball out of the net. Willian was on form and guided Chelsea one step closer to knock out qualification.

First Away Win For Sunderland

A blunder from Scott Dann gave Sam Allardyce's Sunderland side three vital points and their first away win of the season.

Sunderland had to withstand a lot of pressure early on with Yannick Bolasie causing problems down the left wing, but it was Sunderland who had the best opportunity of the opening 10 minutes. A majestic ball split the centre half and right back from Billy Jones to find Patrick Van Aanholt making the run but he decided to hit the ball first time instead of letting it roll across his body and playing it into the 6 yard box where Jermain Defoe would have been on hand to tap into an empty net.

Crystal Palace found it hard to get the ball into the box with Sunderland dropping deeper and keeping the 3 man midfield just in front of the box. James McArthur managed to crack of a shot from just outside the box after picking up a loose ball. Costel Pantilimon saved comfortably, but this represented their first real chance with half an hour gone.

With five minutes left in the first half, it was easy to see why Palace had such a bad home record, they posed the biggest threat on the counter attack while struggled to break the Mackems down. Sunderland were wise not committing too many bodies forward as they would be exposed at the back, particularly with the lack of pace of Younas Kaboul and John O'Shea.

Shortly before half time, Lee Cattermole played a ball similar to that of Billy Jones' earlier. It split the defence and but Van Aanholt could not control ball. The first half ended with both sides having chances but Sunderland arguably having the better of them.

After half time Palace signalled their intent through a quick tempo and a shot from Yohan Cabaye required a good save from Pantilimon. Bolasie and Zaha looked a threat down the wings. Sunderland had an excellent chance through Younas Kaboul. A whipped corner in was met by the head of the former Spurs man and he bulleted a header towards the far corner. A benefits of having a man on the post paid dividends as it was hooked off the line as Wayne Hennessey was beaten in nets.

Bakary Sakho cracked a fizzing shot off but it just went wide. Alan Pardew must have told his side to get a few more shots off and try to test Costel Pantilimon. Sunderland had another great chance when a long pass was pumped forward towards Jermain Defoe. The former English international would have been one on one with the keeper if it wasn't for a vital touch from Delaney.

Palace were getting beyond their man to create space, but it was often the final ball which thwarted the attacking move. While they were creating chances in the final third, the introduction for Sunderland of Duncan Watmore and Jeremie Lens posed a few new problems at the back. On 74 minutes, Watmore Bolasie down the right and fizzed a cross into the box it was cleared but fell to Jones whose shot was easily saved by Hennessey. 

The deadline was broken just before the 80 minute mark when a terrible mix up between Scott Dann and Hennessey allowed Jermain Defoe to put the ball into an empty net. If Palace struggled to break down Sunderland when the game was level then things were going to get a lot more difficult now. Younas Kaboul, who was great all night, continued to pop up and prevent any Palace attacking threat.

In the closing 10 minutes, Palace did have several opportunities through Bolasie, Zaha and McArthur but Sunderland defended resolutely and managed to hang on for a well earned first away win of the season 

Barca Run Riot at the Bernabeu

The most eagerly anticipated match in the Spanish calendar ended in a pretty one sided affair. Goals from Neymar, Andres Iniesta and a brace from Luis Suarez humbled Real Madrid and piled on the pressure for Rafa Benitez. 

From the off Barca dominated. Neymar had the opening chance after a lay off by Luis Suarez from a Jordi Alba cross but his shot ballooned over. It wasn't long until the deadlock was broken by Luis Suarez with a lovely outside of the foot effort. Sergi Roberto's surging run forward caused problems for Madrid and committed Varane before sliding through to Suarez.

A sweeping ball from Iniesta found another great run from Roberto and with a bit more composure it would have been 2-0. Barca were causing problems which would be of concern for Benitez. Roberto blazed a shot over the bar on 25 minutes. Another great opportunity and the young Spaniard was at the centre of everything. 

Real Madrid pressed from the front and it nearly paid off as Ivan Rakitic was dispossessed but they couldn't make use of the chance. In the opening half an hour Barcelona had the better of the opportunities and looked the more settled. Particularly early on, Madrid gave up some easy chances but they tightened up as the half went only to be undone in the closing stages of the half.

Karim Benzema had a great chance after a sliced clearance but he failed to connect with the ball and it allowed Barca to counter. Neymar doubled the Catalan side's lead after being slid through by Iniesta and putting it through Navas' legs. Once again Madrid were carved open and it was going to take a great second half performance to get back in the match.

Barcelona were often reluctant to hit the long ball out from the back and looked to play out. When it worked, it looked beautiful but there was always a chance that it could back fire and result in a Madrid goal. It rarely failed however and Barcelona looked class above their counterparts.

Barcelona had a terrific chance to put their hosts to bed with a golden clear cut chance with Neymar skipping away from a challenge and racing to the byline before cutting the ball back to the edge of the box. Suarez got a toe to the ball but Marcelo was on hand to block the ball. Again Varane blocked a Rakitic shot but Madrid were living dangerously. Half time was greeted by jeers by the Bernabeu faithful and they showed their opinion of what they had seen from their side.  

Straight from the kick off, Marcelo skipped down the left flank but his shot hit the side netting. Minutes later, James Rodriguez released a shot from outside the area that was heading into the bottom corner but for an incredible save from Claudio Bravo. It was a positive reaction, but the elusive early goal evaded their grasp.

The game was finished the match through captain Andres Iniesta. It was a beautiful passage of play and a rocket of a finish by Iniesta. Luka Modric was motionless as the Spanish international cruised passed to release the shot. Minutes later they were queuing up for the fourth but Suarez hit the side netting. Madrid have been totally out played and deserve to be 3-0 down.

The little magician came on as the third goal went in and he had his first sighter on 66 minutes, a lovely lifted ball found Suarez but Varane scuffed the ball away to Neymar whose back heel found Messi but Varane blocked the shot once again. Ronaldo had an incredible chance to grab a goal back after a swift counter attack. He tried to lift the ball over Bravo but the Chilean read the move and saved comfortably.

Barca were on form and Suarez scored the fourth and his second after springing the offside trap and lifting over Navas. The Catalans were cruising, but they looked capable of scoring more goals. You could tell that Madrid were trying to get out of the match and that they just wanted the final whistle.

It went from bad to worse for Madrid when Isco was shown a straight red for a horrific challenge on Neymar. It was the correct decision and made the final 5 minutes very tough for the home side. Ronaldo had the final say for Madrid when he bulleted a header but it was equally met by Bravo. The Chilean keeper has played well on the few occasions that he was called upon.

At full time, Barcelona deserved their 4-0 victory and it probably could have been 2 or 3 more. The white handkerchiefs were waved around the Bernabeu and the Madristas expressed their dissatisfaction of their sides performance. Benitez will have questions to answer and they may be questions that he won't want to hear.

Ireland Join Le RendezVous

The Republic of Ireland complete the qualifying for the home nations with 2 goals from Jon Walters to guide them to a 3-1 aggregate lead over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You could tell that there was a lot on the line for both sides with neither looking to break the defensive line in search of a goal. Ireland were getting joy down the left hand side, with Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick regularly linking up to great affect. From set pieces and wide positions, the deliveries were often poor and many chances were squandered.

Ireland were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute when the Senad Lulic was penalised for a handball. Jon Walters stepped up and converted for his 9th goal in Irish colours. It looked as if the penalty was awarded in controversial circumstances particularly as Lulic's arm was tucked tight to his chest. But hey, it's not the first time Ireland have been embroiled in hand ball controversy.

Asmir Begovic was nearly punished for being slow on the ball with Wes Hoolahan charging the keeper down. The ball however, spun safely into Begovic's grasp and the ref blew up for handball shortly after. The game settled down after the goal and Bosnia began to get on the ball more. This was a risky game by Ireland to concede possession as easier as they are, particularly with Miralem Pjanic, Edin Dzeko and Senad Lulic up front for the visitors.

At the break, Bosnia never looked like scoring, but no doubt they would be given the hair dryer treatment at half time. For Bosnia, Pjanic looked solid and did pose some questions for the Irish defence. Ireland probably deserved the goal lead, but must not switch off, instead try and push on and get another goal. Concentration is key for the second half.

Ireland struggled to get out of their half in the first 5 minutes of the second half and when they did get the ball it was often hoofed long and easily dealt with by the Bosnian defence. 15 minutes in, Ireland were still defending stoutly. One of Bosnia's front three just needs one clear cut chance and then they are level, Ireland need to push up and retain the possession better than they have been doing.

Ireland doubled their lead on 70 minutes. Emir Spahic took his free kick tally into the tens with a high boot into Jon Walters and was probably lucky to not receive his marching orders. The delivery from the free kick was superb - the first decent one tonight and and volley from the Stoke man sent the Aviva crowd into a frenzy. 

Shane Long had another great opportunity to add a third, when he dispossessed the Bosnian defender, but the defender caught up with him and did enough to put the striker off. With a bit more match sharpness I would have backed the Irishman to find the back of the net.

Ireland now had the control of the game and with 10 minutes left, looked as if they were joining England, Wales and Northern Ireland in France next June. There were a few nervy moments, with a goal mouth scramble and Bosnia piling players forward. It was too little to late despite Vedad Ibisevic rattling the cross bar from point blank range. 2-0 to the hosts.

Ireland roll out 3-1 winners on aggregate to secure their third appearance at the European Championships and the first time both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have qualified for the same competition.

Are the Glory Days Returning to Milan?

After raiding the transfer market, both Milan sides seem to be assembling squads to rival the title holders, Juventus. It is one thing buying the talent, but will the former glory days be returning to Italy's second city?

Before touching on the players, the management of both squads need to be considered. Both Internazionale and Milan have capable managers, Inter appointing favourite Roberto Mancini and Milan looking towards former Fiorentina and Sampdoria man Sinisa Mihajlovic. Mancini loves his defenders to be comfortable on the ball and look to build from the back. Central defender is Juan Jesus is a prime example of this. Looking at Mihajlovic, he is certainly a lively and controversial figure. He has had run ins with Adem Ljajic, who is on loan at Inter Milan from Roma. During his stint as the Serbian national team coah he ordered people to sign a document indicating that they promise to sing the Serbian national anthem before each game. Mihajlovic may come across as a dictator, but he demands nothing but 100% commitment from his players and can be sure to get the best out of them.

There were a lot of purchases for either side in the summer transfer window, and most of them have been very good buys. Geoffrey Kondogbia was the big signing from Mancini with the Frenchman moving from AS Monaco for £21.7m. At only 22 years of age, he already one of the top midfield stars in Serie A, making 12 Serie A appearances until this stage. He controls a game and this was witnessed in the Champions League tie against Arsenal last season when he made a quality Arsenal midfield look sub-standard. Although he hasn't been firing on all cylinders recently, there is a bright future for the holding midfielder.

Stefan Jovetic is looking revitalised under Roberto Mancini. The man who brought him to Manchester City has freed him from Manuel Pellegrini where he made just 11 appearances in 2 years and was suffering from injuries and low confidence. Now back on more familiar turf, Mancini's acquisition has been inspired with the Montengrin netting 3 times in his first 2 games and delivering a string of very good performances. Jovetic also teams up with Croatian, Ivan Perisic. Out of the 13 games he has featured in, he has netted on 3 occasions. Perisic had a terrific season with Wolfsburg last year, culminating in a DFB Pokal victory. So far this season he has created 8 chances compared to last years' tally of 25. Perisic is a unique style of player. Normally utilised out wide, he doesn't display pace that would be commonly associated with a winger, however he can play make and be labelled as a wide playmaker. he is a useful player and will be applied cunningly by Roberto Mancini.

AC Milan raided the transfer market spending money on no less than 7 players. The pick of these include Carlos Bacca, Andrea Bertolacci and Luiz Adriano. Bacca was part of the Europa League winning side of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, being a key marksman on the way. Already this season he has netted 6 times in 11 league appearances and his forming a very fruitful partnership with Adriano. he has a 42.7% strike ratio and will be one of the leading scorers when Serie A concludes at the end of the season. Last season he had scored 20 times and had an exceptional shot accuracy with 71% of his shots hitting the target. Looking at his partner in crime, Luiz Adriano arrived from Shahktar Donetsk for a fee of around £5m. Not quite reaching the heights of his partner he has 2 goals in 10 appearances. For Shahktar, he recorded 77 league goals in 162 appearances for the Ukrainians. Some people may remember the dropped ball incident in the Champions League Group stage in 2012. Willian attempted to return a dropped ball to the Nordsjaelland keeper, but Adriano nicked the ball and slotted it into the back of the net. He wasn't too popular after this, but Milan are keen to overlook his unsporting play.

Current standings are positive for both sides but particularly the blue half. Inter have only lost one game to league leaders Fiorentina and sit in second position, Milan are further down a bit in 6th and seem to be struggling for consistency. 6 victories and 4 defeats is a start, but something that needs to be worked on if they are to creep into the Champions League spots. Neither side have European football this year, and has really hurt all in Italy's second city. It remains to be seen whether Internazionale can keep the charge up but if they can get to Christmas still in the mix, then they have a great opportunity of securing the Scuddetto for the first time since the treble winning season. Juventus have fallen down the pecking order, but be under no illusions that they will have a run of form and challenge for Champions League spots.

One very key player for the Rossoneri that I would like to mention is Giacomo Bonaventura. AC Milan completed the signing of the midfielder for a fee believed to be approximately €7m. Last season he found his feet in his new club, playing 33 out of the 38 games and scoring 7 goals. It's his creativity that is most impressive. Last season he created 43 chances and even though he assisted just 4 times, I would point the finger at Milan's poor finishers. This season he has created more than half (26) the chances he did last season in just over 11 game, it's quite incredible how well he has performed under Mihajlovic. I watched his performance on Sunday with keen interest and witnessed assists for Mexes' and Bacca's goals. If Milan are to do anything this year he needs to stay fit.

One thing I would like to touch on in regards to AC Milan is their consistency. Against Lazio the other week they were simply incredible. They scored 3 great goals, while giving the home side barely a sniff of the ball. It was that match that actually prompted me to write this article and gave me a really high opinion of their chances of creeping back to the big time. However, they were a shadow of that game in their match v Atalanta and were very lucky to leave with a point. If it wasn't for their 16 year old goal keeper then Atalanta certainly would have left the San Siro with maximum points. The Rossoneri can't continue to rely on a 16 year old goal keeper as, although he has been solid, he is still learning and mistakes are inevitable. Giacomo Bonaventura has also been influential this season creating 25 chances already this season. He seems to hold the key for AC Milan.

Inter are sitting with smiles on their faces in second place behind Fiorentina on goal difference. Roberto Mancini is building a side that is extremely capable of bringing Champions League football back to their club. I watched the derby match against Milan and Inter and even though they weren't impressive, they still got all three points in that match courtesy of a Fredy Guarin strike. Contrary to the Italian stereotype, Inter looked to attack and they often looked dangerous and posed questions for AC Milan to answer. With Juventus currently in mid table, there is no reason why Inter can't remain there over Christmas. If the form continues, Mancini could have a title winning side at his disposal.

The money spent suggest both sides are resurgent and keen to get back to Europe's premier competition. Truthfully, I've been disappointed in the demise both side over the last number of years, but large proportion of that sympathy could derive from my fondness of Italian football. In the Champions League, Italy has not really had the same threshold since Internazionale's victory in 2010 as Juventus looked the only side to go anywhere and even at that, they disappointed in every season bar the last.

Spurs Too Good For Aston Villa

Remi Garde has a lot of work to do if he is going to keep his new employers in the Premier League, despite a late fight back and goal from Aston Villa's Jordan Ayew. Goals from Moussa Dembele, Dele Alli and Harry Kane send the Villains back to Birmingham empty handed.

It took Spurs only two minutes to open the score. Moussa Dembele controlled a long and hopeful ball before beating Ciaran Clark and powering past Brad Guzan in nets. Clark was poor defensively and overpowered by Dembele. Villa were being dominated in midfield and a goal glut was on the cards if things did not change.

Scott Sinclair managed the Villians first shot on target on 11 minutes. He slalomed between two Spurs players before cracking a shot that Hugo Lloris could only parry and the follow up effort from Jack Grealish sailed out for a goal kick. The game settled down after the frantic five minutes and Villa began to get more on the ball however they did look nervous when required to defend.

Harry Kane had an opportunity when he broke down the left channel. After cutting in onto his right foot, his shot was deflected before being tipped over by Brad Guzan. From the resulting corner, Danny Rose had an excellent opportunity after a neat training ground move but his shot grazed the cross bar.

As the interval approached, you just thought that Spurs had the potential to kick on during the half, but they failed and this could come back to bite them later in the game. Credit to Villa though, they managed to drag themselves back into the game.

On the stroke of half time, Spurs did strike again. Dele Alli used his chest to control the ball after a cross was cleared before vollying into the bottom left hand corner. At 2-0, Villa needed to change at half time if they were going to get anything out of the game.

For the second half, summer signing Rudy Gestede replaced captain Gabby Agbonlahor and he gave Villa more of a target man up front. Yet still they struggled with possession and looked a side that was shot of confidence. They continued to be poor in possession and were unable to make use of the height and strength of Gestede.

Spurs continued to press and looked increasingly more likely to add to their total. Christian Eriksen and co in the midfield dominated the game from start to finish and Villa never tried to close the Spurs playmakers down. Aston Villa's Jack Grealish struggled to make an impact on the game and was starved of the ball for most of it before eventually being substituted on 65 minutes.

Gestede had a really good chance on 73 minutes. Spurs were sloppy in the defensive third of the pitch and were dispossessed by Carles Gil. The substitute found Gestede but his shot from a golden position was blocked over the bar. Nothing materialised from the resulting corner, but it did seem to give Villa a bit of confidence as they piled players into the final third. It was also a wake up for Spurs knowing that if they give their opposition a goal then it could make a nervy last 15 minutes,

Leandro Bacuna had a shot from outside the box that cracked the outside of the post. villa had grown in confidence and grabbed a goal back off a deflected shot from Jordan Ayew. Villa had threatened, but Spurs didn't heed the warning and found themselves in a game for the last 10 minutes, one that they should have wrapped up ages ago. The White Hart Lane faithful realised and offered their words of encouragement.

That man Gestede had an excellent chance to level the game up. A hopeful ball into the box was made dangerous by Lloris' decision to come for it. Effectively taking himself out of the game, all Gestede had to do was to hit the target, but his header went wide. Ayew went close once again shortly later, but it was too little too late for the visitors. Despite controlling the game easily for 80 minutes, the pendulum had swung for the last 10 in the favour of the visitors.

The game was made secure by Harry Kane in stoppage time. Spurs countered through Eriksen and found Erik Lamela on the right before unselfishly squaring for Kane to fire into the top of the net. This put the game to bed and kept Spurs' firing on all cylinders and their unbeaten run in full flight.

For Aston Villa, their troubles continue and Remi Garde will have to perform miracles to save Villa from the drop. He can take encouragement from the 10 minutes after the consolation when they pressed and caused problems for a well marshalled Spurs defence. 

Milan End Lazio's Perfect Home Record

Milan send a message out to the rest of Serie A as goals from Andrea Bertolacci, Philippe Mexes and Carlos Bacca see them Lazio's winning run at the Stadio Olimpico.

Knowing what was riding on the game, plenty of physical tackles were going in as the match started. Milan's Alessio Cerci looked lively as did Giacomo Bonaventura. The former Torino man was played off the shoulder of the defenders the whole night and often found space in behind. Lazio were struggling to get on the ball and when they did, poor decision making meant that the ball was regularly lost. 20 minutes in, Milan's 16 year old goal keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was yet to be tested.

Milan made their dominance pay off. Cerci picked up the ball on the right and an in-swinging cross/shot was poorly dealt with by Federico Marchetti who palmed the ball into the path of Andrea Bertolacci who put the ball in the back of the net. Mihajlovic's summer signing with his first goal for the club. Lazio looked lethargic, lost and their perfect home record this season was in jeopardy.

Alessio Cerci had an excellent chance to double their lead. From a free kick, Riccardo Montolivo picked out a superb pass to Cerci who had a foot on his man. The winger killed the ball with his first touch before trying to guide a shot into the far corner only for the upright to come to the rescue of Lazio. If there was ever a move that deserved a goal, this was it as the vision of Montolivo and technique of Cerci was incredible.

The home side did get their first shot on target shortly before the break. Felipe Anderson cut in off the right, pegged the Milan defender before his shot ricocheted into the arms of Donnarumma. It was the first time, their talisman got on the ball, but his shot was easily dealt with by the keeper. As the first half concluded, the Milan display would have deluighted Mihajlovic while Stefano Pioli would have loads to think about and the Olimpico faithful made their thoughts heard.

Lazio needed a big improvement in the second half and a free kick into the box caused concern as Alex collided with his keeper and seemed to be out cold before he hit the floor. Philippe Mexes was his replacement and he had an immediate impact. Bonaventura's free kick into the box was met by the head of Mexes and he doubled the lead just 40 seconds since entering the game. Questions must be asked of Marchetti as well as the defensive line which failed to track the run of the goal scorer. 

Confidence was drained in the Lazio ranks while Milan were enjoying playing their football with a distinct swagger - Bonaventura's elastico that won a free kick was evidence of this. Pioli needed to change personnel if they were to get back in the game. Another chance came for Milan through Juraj Kucka as he got in behind the defence. With Carlos Bacca in the box, he failed to find the Colombian first time and when the cross was put in, it was cleared by Mauricio.

A cross was swung into the box and caused confusion for the Milan defenders. With Senad Lulic arriving, he controlled but was unable to lift the ball over the 6 ft 5 Milan keeper. Positive signs that Lazio can get more chances out of a defence that has only kept one clean sheet all season. Substitute, Ricardo Kishna thought that he had given Lazio a lifeline after he turned a ball into the net after a save from Donnarumma, however the assistant referee ruled the goal out for offside. It may have been disallowed but it did give the home side a much needed lift.

The lift was only temporary. Carlos Bacca rounded the keeper and scored after receiving the ball of Bonaventura who secured his second assist of the night. Milan never let Lazio get a foothold in the game and the margin does not flatter the away side one bit. With the victory secured, a clean sheet was next on the agenda, however Kishna dashed hopes of this on 85 minutes with a powerful shot that beat the Milan keeper at his near post.

Milan leave Rome with all three points as well as a good performance in an open game. They end their 6 year wait for a victory in the Stadio Olimpico and this victory sets them on there way to achieve a third placed finish that would see Champions League football return to the San Siro.

PSG Remain Unbeaten in the League

Goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Layvin Kurzawa, Edinson Cavani and Lucas Moura gave PSG a comfortable victory over Saint Etienne and ensure the Ligue 1 holders remain unbeaten in the league.

Having returned from a Europa League tie against Dnipro in Ukraine, it was no surprise that St Etienne surrendered most of the possession to their hosts and tiredness was evident as the match progressed.

The first chance did fall to PSG, as Angel Di Maria a terrific out-swinging corner found the head of Thiago Motta but he could not direct the header on target. Two chances followed for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he failed to control the first and fired the second straight at the keeper.

Saint Etienne had the first attack on the 15 minute mark, when Valentin Eysseric's shot grazed the post. PSG took the lead 7 minutes later through Layvin Kurzawa. With Saint Etienne playing a high line, Kurzawa found himself in space on the left. He beat the defender before firing the shot into the back of the net via the hand of Stephane Ruffier for his first goal since joining the club from AS Monaco in the summer. With PSG completely dominant in the first half hour, it was only a matter of time before the second goal came.

After a terrific interception from Thiago Silva launched a counter attack, Angel Di Maria picked up the ball and struck a shot from outside the box that Ruffier had to parry to safety. Despite this, the visitors had grown into the game and were beginning to get foothold, but similarly, PSG look like they can add to their goal if and when they want.

Ruffier saved Saint Etienne's blushes with another terrific save in the second quarter of the game. After a loose pass was picked up by Cavani, Ibrahimovic was played through and he very unselfishly squared the ball to partner Cavani but his attempted shot was blocked by the goal keeper. A super save that kept the deficit at just one goal. Shortly before the interval the big Swede had another chance to double his side's lead, but his header looped over the bar off a Di Maria cross.

Straight from the kick off in the second period, PSG showed their attacking strength. Di Maria's shot trickled just wide and shortly after, Ibrahimovic squared a ball across the box for Cavani to tap in. The same pair linked up minutes later but Cavani scuffed his shot wide. He really should have done better. Saint Etienne were getting punished for their high defensive line and open play and with the continental hangover looming, a humbling was on the cards if they don't tighten up.

The third goal was scored through Saint Etienne's worst nightmare, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A sharp turn from Di Maria allowed the Argentine space and his pass found Edinson Cavani. With Ibra in the box, he repaid the pass earlier in the second half offered by the Swede and squared it to give the the 34 year old his 9th goal in his last five games against away side. Not known for their passing relationship, Cavani and Ibrahimovic surprised many tonight.

Saint Etienne managed to get a goal back in comical fashion. Kevin Monnet-Paquet's cross was poorly hacked away by Marquinhos and in an attempt to either control or clear the ball, Marco Verratti deflected it into the back of his own net. Even though it proved nothing more than a consolation, PSG will be annoyed to have conceded their clean sheet.

That goal for Saint Etienne seemed to give the side a bit of a lift, as several chances fell to the away side with Robert Beric having the pick of them. However a fourth PSG goal was scored as full time approached. Verratti dinked the ball into the box and Lucas Moura's header was clumsily dealt with by Ruffier and the ball managed to cross the line. The veteran Saint Etienne keeper had a good night, with this being the only blemish on his performance.

The PSG midfield won the game tonight. They retained possession expertly while fighting for the ball when they lost it. The Saint Etienne midfield was often outnumbered when Ibrahimovic dropped back or when Di Maria cut inside. A victory was nothing short of what Laurent Blanc expected of his side and as they look almost invincible in the league, much will be expected of them in Europe. 

Even Stevens in Ukraine

Chelsea leave Ukraine with a point after a competent defensive performance against a side who were average at best.

Willian went closest just after the break when a free kick rattled the cross bar, but neither side really looked liked they wanted to claim all three points.

It was evident from the start that Jose had set his Chelsea team up to not lose. A rigid formation,  full backs not looking to be adventurous and holding midfielders sitting and patrolling in front of the centre-halves. A typical Mourinho side when playing away from home in the Champions League. 

Willian and Cesc Fabregas had a few early opportunities, but it was Hazard who hit the post from the left. Replays showed that it was an excellent fingertip save from the Kyiv goal keeper. Vitaliy Buyalskiy had the first meaningful attempt for Kyiv but the shot was straight at Asmir Begovic.Chelsea had a penalty appeal turned down on 16 minutes when Cesc Fabregas drove into the box and seemed to fall over a lazy leg. While Savage and co persisted that it was a penalty all night long, it looked to me as if the Spaniard fell over too easily. 

Nemanja Matic had an excellent chance to give Chelsea the lead when his mazy run into the box left him with a great opportunity, but he poked it wide with his right foot. It was a run that warranted a better attempt than what was offered. Surely if he had taken the shot with the left then it would have made the attempt much easier than it already was? Buyalskiy had another shot on the turn that was sweetly struck and would have beaten Begovic if it weren't for a slight deflection.

In the first half, a pleasing feature for Mourinho was the pressing offered by the attacking players. It hassled and hurried the Kyiv players and they often won the ball back after a long ball by the keeper. Nevertheless it remained goalless at half time. Shortly after the break, Chelsea's dead ball demon struck an absolute peach of a free-kick that cracked the underside of the bar. Willian has a track record of set piece goals have already registered one against Maccabi Tel Aviv in round one.

Kyiv had more possession early in the second half but seemed reluctant to do anything with it. Neither side looked as if they wanted to go on and win the game leaving a draw as the likely outcome. Eden Hazard had a shot blocked from the edge of the area after a drag back from Willian. On the counter, it was a good opportunity with the Belgian unmarked, but equally good defending prevented a shot on target.

After a poor delivery from a set piece by Willian, Andriy Yarmolenko broke down the left flank. Beating Zouma, he found Artem Kravets with a reverse pass but his shot was parried by Begovic. Coveted by many European clubs, Yarmolenko wasn't able to really force himself on the game in the first half when he was against Cesar Azpilicueta. Now up against Zouma, usually a centre back, he started to get on the ball and excite the Ukrainian support.

The last 10 minutes of the game saw both sides come close. Yarmolenko had a ball that flashed across the area and Begovic clutched it into his arms at the second attempt despite a Chelsea player sliding in. The ball could have easily ended up in the back of the net. The last minutes smelt of desperation from the hosts. They failed to create any purposeful attacking moves on Chelsea throughout most of the game and when they realised there were only minutes left, Gary Cahill and John Terry were able to snuff out any potential dangers.

A point in Ukraine, a place that hasn't been the happiest of hunting grounds for English teams in the past, is definitely secretly pleasing for Jose. Like Kyiv, Chelsea failed to create anything from open play and set pieces were where they went closest. Nothing that this Ukrainian side offered will worry Chelsea as they welcome their hosts tonight to Stamford Bridge on 4th November. 

Nerazzurri and Old Lady Share the Spoils in Milan

A goalless draw was the outcome in the Giuseppe Meazza in an enthralling encounter that contained some high octane footballing action.

Juventus were the side trailing Internazionale by 9 points and it was the visitors that started with the more possession. The prize in this game was massive so there was no surprise to see the referee dishing out bookings inside the first ten minutes. Claudio Marchisio, Felipe Melo and Sami Khedira getting jotted down by the ref.

The chances were thin to report on in the first 20 minutes. Juan Cuadrado did have a shot from the right that disturbed the side netting while Stefan Jovetic's free kick didn’t have Gianluigi Buffon worried. Nevertheless it was a pulsating opening quarter with plenty of passion being displayed by both sides.

Internazionale had a hand ball appeal turned down after 25 minutes after excellent work from Marcelo Brozovic down the left but replays showed that the ref made the correct decision. Jovetic had an excellent chance to break the deadlock shortly after when Jeison Murillo slid the Montenegrin through but he was foiled by an excellent save from the 159 times capped Italian stopper.

Inter were most definitely on top as the half hour mark approached. Buffon once again saved Juve's blushes when he tipped a curling shot from Brozovic onto the bar after a short corner. Juventus were struggling and having to commit cynical fouls to slow the game down and to try and get a foothold in it.

Inter seemed to have surrendered their momentum when Felipe Melo looked to have brought Khedira down with a challenge from behind but the referee deemed the challenge to be fair and waved play on. Replays lead me to believe that the Brazilian was lucky not to pick up a second yellow.

Both defences were on form. Andrea Barzagli was on fire and frequently thwarted Inter in their steps. Likewise an excellent challenge from Murillo prevented Simone Zaza from getting a shot on target. The referee blew an electric first half to a close.

Right from the off, Juve pressurised Inter and Cuadrado nearly squeezed a shot through Samir Handanovic's legs. The Old Lady dominated the midfield in the first 10 minutes of the second half, much to the contrary at the tail end of the first half. A snap shot from Stefan Jovetic was sweetly struck from about 10 yards outside the area, but Buffon was equal to the shot despite the vigorous dip just in front of him.

With an hour gone, it was Roberto Mancini who decided to try and force things with the introduction of Fredy Guarin. The pace of the game was frantic from the off of the game, with both sides causing each other problems and neither looking as if they would succumb to tiredness. It looked as if it was going to take a mistake or a piece of magic to separate the sides.

Undoubtedly the chance of the game was squandered by Sami Khedira just before the 70th minute mark. Excellent control, composure and awareness from Alvaro Morata inside the box allowed the Spanish international time to find the former Madrid man. Unchallenged a goal looked inevitable but his shot hit the post and bounced clear of danger.

As the final 5 minutes approached, it looked as if both sides were going away with a point each. Ivan Perisic did have a late free kick that sailed over the bar, not troubling Buffon, while a late surge by Cuadrado to the by-line looked promising, until he failed to find Paulo Dybala or Paul Pogba free on the edge of the 6 yard box. It was excellent play by Cuadrado to beat his opponent on the right flank.

Neither side could be separated and a point each was definitely the correct result. Juventus needed the victory more than the Nerazzurri as they continue to falter in attempt to get their Serie A campaign up and running.

Dutch Crash Out In Qualifiers

After a dismal Euro qualifying campaign, the Netherlands quest has finally died a death. Throughout this match they looked clueless and devoid of confidence, epitomising their campaign to date.

Right from the off, the Dutch showed their intent. A shot from Anwar El Ghazi was straight at Cech and the keeper saved comfortably. El Ghazi turned provider when his low cross found Wesley Sneijder on the edge of the box but he lacked the composure and sent the ball into Row Z. That's two chances the Dutch have had within the first 10 minutes and were made to rue them once 90 minutes were up.

However it was the Czech Republic that struck first. A flick from Tomas Necid split the defence and allowed Pavel Kaderabek to run in on Jasper Cillessen's net. A shot across the goal left the keeper helpless and gave the Dutch a mountain to climb. There was a notable change in the mood once the goal went in as the Dutch crowd created a raucous atmosphere up until that point. 

At the half hour mark, The Netherlands were having the majority of possession  but they evidently did not know what to do with the possession. No penetration and apart from those chances in the first minutes they didn't look like they were able to score against the Czechs.

The second goal came much to the dismay of the Dutch faithful. A Theodor Gebre Selassie throw in found the right winger before he chipped into Josef Sural who poked the ball past Cillessen in nets. It was poor defending from Van Dijk to allow the Czech wriggle away and double their lead.  Danny Blind had seen enough and introduced Robin Van Persie, substituting Ridejwald. 

This substitution seemed to give the Dutch a lift, creating several opportunities shortly after. Wesley Sneijder released Memphis Depay in behind the defence. He was through on goal but a desperate lunge from Marek Suchy brought the United man down and was dismissed for a professional foul. At half time, the Netherlands looked down and out, however the momentum from the red card had completely swung in favour of the home side.

The second half started and The Netherlands were keen to press. They had several attempts but were unable to latch onto and control the final ball. Time was not on the side of the Dutch and they were beginning to feel the pressure. Despite having the possession, the Czechs were relatively untroubled and Cech had minimal saves to make.

As the game progressed, the Netherlands resorted to long balls. 20 minutes into the second half and the Dutch were yet to make any advantage of the man extra. It was the away side that were going to hit the final nail into the coffin of the Netherlands. A free kick was swung in, and in an attempt to clear it, Robin Van Persie headed into his own net. 

Just short of the 70 minute mark, Klaas Jan Huntelaar headed a consolation for the home side and it would take a miracle to reach the next round. Huntelaar had another attempt but he shot straight at the Czech keeper. Like the red card, the goal seemed to give the Netherlands a lift, but it seriously looked as if they didn't know how to use it. It's not too often we see a Dutch side lump so many long, meaningless balls into the box.

The Netherlands got a second goal back after Van Persie redeemed himself after nudging the ball past Cech after a flick on from Wolfsburg man Bas Dost. Minutes later, Van Persie went down inside the box, but the referee deemed it to be a dive and booked the Dutchman.

The Dutch are out and truthfully, they didn't deserve anything from the game, never mind the qualifying campaign. It's back to the drawing board for Danny Blind and his Dutch side as they prepare to embark on a World Cup qualifying campaign that they cannot afford to mess up.