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The superstar, widely regarded as on the greatest players of all time, played his final match for Boca Juniors against their arch-rivals River Plate on October 25, 1997. Fittingly, Maradona`s Boca won 2-1.

The stocky Argentine was widely seen as one of the world`s best-ever players in his 1980s` heyday, but he battled drug addiction, obesity and alcoholism for years after retiring from the game.

Rising to stardom from a Buenos Aires slum to lead Argentina to World Cup victory, Maradona`s life is the ultimate rags-to-riches story in the soccer-mad country where he has gained the iconic status of Che Guevara or Evita Peron.

He moved to Boca Juniors in 1981, helped them win the Argentine championship in 1982, and was transferred to Barcelona for a then record 3 million U.S. dollars. He moved to Italy`s Napoli two years later.

He was feted as a god by the tifosi as he inspired Napoli to their first league titles in 1987 and 1990 and the UEFA Cup in 1989. But, during a decade at the top of his sport, the success and adoration seemed to blind him as he became embroiled in vice and corruption scandals.

At the peak of his form, he led Argentina to a 3-2 triumph over West Germany in the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico. It was his crowning glory.

Maradona`s fall was sudden and swift. After he had coaxed a mediocre Argentina team to their second successive World Cup final in Rome in July 1990, he failed a doping test in Italy in 1991.

He was suspended for 15 months and was also investigated over alleged Mafia ties and later arrested in Argentina for cocaine possession.

He tested positive for a cocktail of drugs during his fourth World Cup in 1994 and was suspended from the tournament. He came back with Boca Juniors in 1995 but failed another drug test two years later before retiring on his 37th birthday, five days after the River Plate game.

Rising to stardom from a Buenos Aires slum to lead Argentina to World Cup victory, Maradona`s life is the ultimate rags-to-riches story in the soccer-mad country

The superstar, widely regarded as on the greatest players of all time, played his final match for Boca Juniors against their arch-rivals River Plate on October 25, 1997. Fittingly, Maradona`s Boca won 2-1. The stocky Argentine was widely seen as one of the world`s best-ever players in his 1980s` heyday, but he battled drug addiction, obesity and alcoholism for years after retiring from the game. Rising to stardom from a Buenos Aires slum to lead Argentina to World Cup victory, Maradona`s life is the ultimate rags-to-riches story in the soccer-mad country where he has gained the iconic status of Che Guevara or Evita Peron. He moved to Boca Juniors in 1981, helped them win the Argentine championship in 1982, and was transferred to Barcelona for a then record 3 million U.S. dollars. He moved to Italy`s Napoli two years later. He was feted as a god by the tifosi as he inspired Napoli to their first league titles in 1987 and 1990 and the UEFA Cup in 1989. But, during a decade at the top of his sport, the success and adoration seemed to blind him as he became embroiled in vice and corruption scandals. At the peak of his form, he led Argentina to a 3-2 triumph over West Germany in the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico. It was his crowning glory. Maradona`s fall was sudden and swift. After he had coaxed a mediocre Argentina team to their second successive World Cup final in Rome in July 1990, he failed a doping test in Italy in 1991. He was suspended for 15 months and was also investigated over alleged Mafia ties and later arrested in Argentina for cocaine possession. He tested positive for a cocktail of drugs during his fourth World Cup in 1994 and was suspended from the tournament. He came back with Boca Juniors in 1995 but failed another drug test two years later before retiring on his 37th birthday, five days after the River Plate game.

Watch: Diego Maradona retired from professional football 20 years ago today

European champions Spain staved off a battling Mali to emerge 3-1 winners in a rip-roaring, action-packed semi-final contest to enter the summit clash of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the D Y Patil Stadium, here today.

Spain scored twice in the first half, both the goals coming from their ebullient striker Abel Ruiz, and added one more through a headed goal by Ferran Torres to take a commanding 3-0 lead before Mali found the mark for the first and only time through their own top goal getter Lassana N&#39;Diaye in the 74th minute.

By virtue of this win, Spain has entered the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth time after their first apperance in the title clash 2007.

Mali also had an attempt that appeared like a legitimate goal which was controversially not signalled in by the assistant referee, when they were trailing 0-2 before Spain scored their third goal to virtually shut off the contest although Mali fought hard till the end.

The victory by Spain after staving off a late fight-back by the African age group champions has, thus, piloted them into a summit clash against England at Kolkata on October 28.

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England got the better of South American champions Brazil 3-1 in the first semi-final.

Spain were the dominant force in the entire first half as they took a handy two-goal lead with their sharp-shooter Abel Ruiz finding the net on both occasions, the first one from the penalty spot in the 19th minute and the second with an on- the-run effort in the 45th minute.

Ruiz and Cesar Gelabert combined beautifully with promptings from the mid-field to tear apart the leaky Mali defense to shreds.

Spain clearly had the better share of the exchanges too and could have been 4-0 up but for an early brilliant save by Mali custodian Youssouf Koita and then a missed chance by Ruiz who took his tally to six goals in the tournament.

After Koita blocked a stiff left-footed volley by Sergio Gomez in the second minute, Gelabert side-stepped a couple of defenders only to shoot wide with his left foot.

Mali had their best chance of the first half in the eighth minute when their top goal getter, with five goals before today&#39;s match, Lassana Ndiaye, got a faint touch to the ball after being chased in his forward thrust by Spain&#39;s Hugo Guillamon, but the ball kissed the side netting.

Then came the opening goal of the match when Gelabert was brought down, as he moved into the box, by Mali defender Abdoulaye Diaby. Ruiz sent Koita the wrong way from the spot- kick to provide the European U-17 champions a 1-0 lead.

Mali fought back after falling into arrears as they made repeated raids on the rival area but some good defending by Spain and some wayward shot-making by the African champions denied them the equaliser.

Spain came close to scoring for the second time as a centre from the left wing by Mohammed Moukhliss was allowed to reach Ruiz who, however, shot wide on-the-run from close range.

Mali tried some long range shots and from one of those, Spain goalie Alvaro Fernandez brought off a diving save to deny Cheick Omar Douchare.

Just when it seemed that Spain would go in with a 1-0 advantage at half time came a counter attack off which Gelabert put a through ball for Ruiz to run forward and find the right corner of the net with a neat placement past Koita.

Mali then were denied a goal in controversial fashion.

A 40-yard pile-driver by Doucoure flew past Spanish goalie Fernandez and hit the underside of the cross bar and bounced on the ground before coming back into play which was headed out. But the ball seemed to have bounced inside the goal before rebounding into play, with the assistant referee not signalling it in.

Even as play continued the Mali bench rose as a whole to protest and after continuous shouting caught the attention of referee Ryuji Sato of Japan who, after remonstrating with the Mali bench, showed the yellow card to one of the support staff members for repeated back-chatting.

To rub more salt to the wounded of Mali came the third goal from Spain, once again following an attack from the wing as a high cross from the left by Gomez was headed in by an unmarked Ferran Torres.

After a short break for drinks, N&#39;Diaye caught the Spain defense napping and moved well into the box after hoodwinking a couple of defenders before slotting in with an angular effort to make it 3-1 with 16 minutes left on the clock.

Putting all their effort into attack Mali made another stiff effort but substitute Mamadou Traore&#39;s essay sailed over the bar. 
With time ticking away Spain made an all-out effort and denied Mali any further goals to sail into the final against fellow-European rivals England. PTI

England got the better of South American champions Brazil 3-1 in the first semi-final

European champions Spain staved off a battling Mali to emerge 3-1 winners in a rip-roaring, action-packed semi-final contest to enter the summit clash of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the D Y Patil Stadium, here today. Spain scored twice in the first half, both the goals coming from their ebullient striker Abel Ruiz, and added one more through a headed goal by Ferran Torres to take a commanding 3-0 lead before Mali found the mark for the first and only time through their own top goal getter Lassana N'Diaye in the 74th minute. By virtue of this win, Spain has entered the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth time after their first apperance in the title clash 2007. Mali also had an attempt that appeared like a legitimate goal which was controversially not signalled in by the assistant referee, when they were trailing 0-2 before Spain scored their third goal to virtually shut off the contest although Mali fought hard till the end. The victory by Spain after staving off a late fight-back by the African age group champions has, thus, piloted them into a summit clash against England at Kolkata on October 28. Spain were the dominant force in the entire first half × England got the better of South American champions Brazil 3-1 in the first semi-final. Spain were the dominant force in the entire first half as they took a handy two-goal lead with their sharp-shooter Abel Ruiz finding the net on both occasions, the first one from the penalty spot in the 19th minute and the second with an on- the-run effort in the 45th minute. Ruiz and Cesar Gelabert combined beautifully with promptings from the mid-field to tear apart the leaky Mali defense to shreds. Spain clearly had the better share of the exchanges too and could have been 4-0 up but for an early brilliant save by Mali custodian Youssouf Koita and then a missed chance by Ruiz who took his tally to six goals in the tournament. After Koita blocked a stiff left-footed volley by Sergio Gomez in the second minute, Gelabert side-stepped a couple of defenders only to shoot wide with his left foot. Mali had their best chance of the first half in the eighth minute when their top goal getter, with five goals before today's match, Lassana Ndiaye, got a faint touch to the ball after being chased in his forward thrust by Spain's Hugo Guillamon, but the ball kissed the side netting. Then came the opening goal of the match when Gelabert was brought down, as he moved into the box, by Mali defender Abdoulaye Diaby. Ruiz sent Koita the wrong way from the spot- kick to provide the European U-17 champions a 1-0 lead. Mali fought back after falling into arrears as they made repeated raids on the rival area but some good defending by Spain and some wayward shot-making by the African champions denied them the equaliser. Spain came close to scoring for the second time as a centre from the left wing by Mohammed Moukhliss was allowed to reach Ruiz who, however, shot wide on-the-run from close range. Mali tried some long range shots and from one of those, Spain goalie Alvaro Fernandez brought off a diving save to deny Cheick Omar Douchare. Just when it seemed that Spain would go in with a 1-0 advantage at half time came a counter attack off which Gelabert put a through ball for Ruiz to run forward and find the right corner of the net with a neat placement past Koita. Mali then were denied a goal in controversial fashion. A 40-yard pile-driver by Doucoure flew past Spanish goalie Fernandez and hit the underside of the cross bar and bounced on the ground before coming back into play which was headed out. But the ball seemed to have bounced inside the goal before rebounding into play, with the assistant referee not signalling it in. Even as play continued the Mali bench rose as a whole to protest and after continuous shouting caught the attention of referee Ryuji Sato of Japan who, after remonstrating with the Mali bench, showed the yellow card to one of the support staff members for repeated back-chatting. To rub more salt to the wounded of Mali came the third goal from Spain, once again following an attack from the wing as a high cross from the left by Gomez was headed in by an unmarked Ferran Torres. After a short break for drinks, N'Diaye caught the Spain defense napping and moved well into the box after hoodwinking a couple of defenders before slotting in with an angular effort to make it 3-1 with 16 minutes left on the clock. Putting all their effort into attack Mali made another stiff effort but substitute Mamadou Traore's essay sailed over the bar. With time ticking away Spain made an all-out effort and denied Mali any further goals to sail into the final against fellow-European rivals England. PTI

U-17 World Cup: Spain beat Mali, will play England in final

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu faces the club&#39;s members at an annual general meeting&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;fighting an increasingly difficult <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-government-meets-to-impose-direct-rule-on-catalonia-22695" target="_blank">battle to balance the conflicting interests of fans in favour of Catalan independence</a> and millions of supporters in the rest of Spain and around the world.

A powerful symbol of Catalonia, Barca have been caught in the political crossfire since an independence referendum for the wealthy northeastern region of Spain, deemed illegal by the central government in Madrid, was marred by violent clashes as police forced their way into polling stations to seize ballot boxes on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catalonia-38-hurt-in-crackdown-on-independence-vote-police-fire-rubber-bullets-in-barcelona-20877" target="_blank">October 1.</a>

That&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;afternoon, in conjunction with Barca&#39;s star-studded squad and after La Liga refused to postpone a match against Las Palmas at the club&#39;s iconic Camp Nou stadium, Bartomeu&#39;s board took the divisive decision to play behind closed doors as a protest.

Two board members subsequently resigned over the decision to go ahead with the game.

&quot;Our position is very clear, we want dialogue,&quot; Bartomeu reiterated after&nbsp;Wednesday&#39;s&nbsp;Champions League win over Olympiakos as a standoff between the Catalan and Spanish governments continues.

<a href="http://Critical point reached in Catalonia: Spanish Prime Minister" target="_blank">Also read -- Critical point reached in Catalonia: Spanish Prime Minister</a>

The club has backed Catalonia&#39;s right to self-determination in a referendum, but has never supported either side of the independence debate.

Barca unfurled a near 2,500 metre squared banner displaying the message &quot;Dialogue, Respect, Sport&quot; before kick-off&nbsp;on Wednesday.

However, that didn&#39;t go far enough for many just a day after two civil society leaders of the pro-independence campaign were jailed on charges of sedition.

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural groups led by Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart were invited to the directors&#39; box at the Camp Nou in midweek, but both refused the invitation.

&quot;We believe that the message of FC Barcelona doesn&#39;t represent the feeling of the majority of the fanbase,&quot; the ANC said in a statement.

Both groups had produced a banner calling for Sanchez and Cuixart&#39;s freedom that Barca prevented from entering the stadium for fear of reprisals from UEFA, who sanction any displays of a political nature and have previously fined the club for the flying of pro-separatist flags.

&#39;Never pleases anyone&#39;

Yet, with a 150,000 strong membership and 103 million Facebook followers, there are plenty Barca fans who would like the club to concentrate on points, not politics.

&quot;The club should always be an example of respect to a plurality of opinion among its members, who it is owned by, leaving politics to one side,&quot; various Barca supporters&#39; clubs in the northern Spanish region of Leon said in a joint statement&nbsp;on Wednesday.

&quot;On political issues, Bartomeu is cursed,&quot; online newspaper El Confidencial wrote&nbsp;on Thursday.

&quot;For some, he goes too far, for others not enough. No matter what he does, he never pleases anyone.&quot;

Bartomeu, therefore, faces a membership&nbsp;on Saturday, 92 percent of whom are resident in Catalonia, faced with an impossible mission.

However, the 54-year-old, a softly spoken businessman is a serial survivor of several club crises.

He assumed the role of president after Sandro Rossell resigned over the murky transfer that brought Neymar to Barcelona in 2013 and when pressured into calling early elections, rode the euphoria of winning a treble to secure a fresh mandate in 2015.

Neymar&#39;s departure to Paris Saint-Germain in August provoked a vote of no confidence from disgruntled members which also failed to garner sufficient support to succeed.

The Brazilian has so far not been missed as Barca lead La Liga and their Champions League group with a stunning record of 10 wins and one draw from their opening 11 games in all competitions.

And one of the primary orders of business&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;will be to pass a budget for the new season backed by a record revenue of 897 million euros ($1.06 billion).

Finances may ultimately be the tipping point for how Barca position themselves.

La Liga president Javier Tebas admitted this week the league&#39;s booming TV rights contracts would lose at least 20 percent of their value should Barca be cut adrift in an independent state.

And the financial repercussions for Barca would be even more severe.

&quot;They wouldn&#39;t be able to have world-leading figures,&quot; Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, professor of economics at Barcelona University, told AFP of a squad currently boasting the likes of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.

&quot;They would become a medium-sized club.&quot;

The club is fighting an increasingly difficult battle to balance the conflicting interests of fans in favour of Catalan independence and millions of supporters in the rest of Spain and around the world

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu faces the club's members at an annual general meeting on Saturday fighting an increasingly difficult battle to balance the conflicting interests of fans in favour of Catalan independence and millions of supporters in the rest of Spain and around the world. A powerful symbol of Catalonia, Barca have been caught in the political crossfire since an independence referendum for the wealthy northeastern region of Spain, deemed illegal by the central government in Madrid, was marred by violent clashes as police forced their way into polling stations to seize ballot boxes on October 1. That Sunday afternoon, in conjunction with Barca's star-studded squad and after La Liga refused to postpone a match against Las Palmas at the club's iconic Camp Nou stadium, Bartomeu's board took the divisive decision to play behind closed doors as a protest. Two board members subsequently resigned over the decision to go ahead with the game. "Our position is very clear, we want dialogue," Bartomeu reiterated after Wednesday's Champions League win over Olympiakos as a standoff between the Catalan and Spanish governments continues. Also read -- Critical point reached in Catalonia: Spanish Prime Minister The club has backed Catalonia's right to self-determination in a referendum, but has never supported either side of the independence debate. Barca unfurled a near 2,500 metre squared banner displaying the message "Dialogue, Respect, Sport" before kick-off on Wednesday. However, that didn't go far enough for many just a day after two civil society leaders of the pro-independence campaign were jailed on charges of sedition. The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural groups led by Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart were invited to the directors' box at the Camp Nou in midweek, but both refused the invitation. "We believe that the message of FC Barcelona doesn't represent the feeling of the majority of the fanbase," the ANC said in a statement. Both groups had produced a banner calling for Sanchez and Cuixart's freedom that Barca prevented from entering the stadium for fear of reprisals from UEFA, who sanction any displays of a political nature and have previously fined the club for the flying of pro-separatist flags. 'Never pleases anyone' Yet, with a 150,000 strong membership and 103 million Facebook followers, there are plenty Barca fans who would like the club to concentrate on points, not politics. "The club should always be an example of respect to a plurality of opinion among its members, who it is owned by, leaving politics to one side," various Barca supporters' clubs in the northern Spanish region of Leon said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "On political issues, Bartomeu is cursed," online newspaper El Confidencial wrote on Thursday. "For some, he goes too far, for others not enough. No matter what he does, he never pleases anyone." Bartomeu, therefore, faces a membership on Saturday, 92 percent of whom are resident in Catalonia, faced with an impossible mission. However, the 54-year-old, a softly spoken businessman is a serial survivor of several club crises. He assumed the role of president after Sandro Rossell resigned over the murky transfer that brought Neymar to Barcelona in 2013 and when pressured into calling early elections, rode the euphoria of winning a treble to secure a fresh mandate in 2015. Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain in August provoked a vote of no confidence from disgruntled members which also failed to garner sufficient support to succeed. The Brazilian has so far not been missed as Barca lead La Liga and their Champions League group with a stunning record of 10 wins and one draw from their opening 11 games in all competitions. And one of the primary orders of business on Saturday will be to pass a budget for the new season backed by a record revenue of 897 million euros ($1.06 billion). Finances may ultimately be the tipping point for how Barca position themselves. La Liga president Javier Tebas admitted this week the league's booming TV rights contracts would lose at least 20 percent of their value should Barca be cut adrift in an independent state. And the financial repercussions for Barca would be even more severe. "They wouldn't be able to have world-leading figures," Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, professor of economics at Barcelona University, told AFP of a squad currently boasting the likes of five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi. "They would become a medium-sized club."

Catalan crisis leaves Barca between rock and hard place

Mali remained the last team standing from Africa as they prevailed over Ghana 2-1 in a FIFA U-17 World Cup quarterfinal match played amid uninterrupted rain that caused waterlogging here today.

Hadji Drame (15th minute) and Djemoussa Traore (61st) scored for Mali, while Kudus Mohammed (70th) reduced the margin for Ghana at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.

Last edition&#39;s runners-up Mali started on an attacking note with Lassana Ndiaye finding the ball at his feet in a dangerous position on two different occasions, but Ghana&#39;s defence was equal to the task.

On the lookout for a goal, Mali was rewarded for their attacking play when Drame put them ahead with a beautiful strike, giving Ghana goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim no chance.

This was Drame&#39;s third goal in the competition.

While two-time former champions Ghana struggled to play their natural game in te puddles of water, Mali seemed to thrive in these conditions and went into half time with a one-goal advantage.

Mali doubled the lead, quite deservingly so, in the 61st minute through Traore. A gaffe by Danlad, who raced off his line to make a clearance, ended up handling Traore&#39;s shot into his own net.

There was a glimmer of hope for Ghana when Mohammed converted a penalty after Sadiq Ibrahim was felled by Fode Konate.

Having struggled to come to terms with the conditions for a major part of the game, Ghana, in search of the equaliser, showed urgency in the last 20 minutes of regulation time.

The egging by a handful of their supporters in the stands also failed to change Ghana&#39;s fortunes.

In the first half, Ghana did manage to find the net but Ibrahim Sulley&#39;s effort was disallowed as there was a foul on a Mali player.

Ghana played the last few minutes of the game with ten men after injury forced Gideon Mensah off the pitch.

The result meant it was a repeat of the U-17 African Cup of Nations final where Mali beat Ghana.

Mali will meet the winner of the match between Spain and Iran in the semifinal.&nbsp;

The match was played in Guwahati under uninterrupted rain

Mali remained the last team standing from Africa as they prevailed over Ghana 2-1 in a FIFA U-17 World Cup quarterfinal match played amid uninterrupted rain that caused waterlogging here today. Hadji Drame (15th minute) and Djemoussa Traore (61st) scored for Mali, while Kudus Mohammed (70th) reduced the margin for Ghana at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. Last edition's runners-up Mali started on an attacking note with Lassana Ndiaye finding the ball at his feet in a dangerous position on two different occasions, but Ghana's defence was equal to the task. On the lookout for a goal, Mali was rewarded for their attacking play when Drame put them ahead with a beautiful strike, giving Ghana goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim no chance. This was Drame's third goal in the competition. While two-time former champions Ghana struggled to play their natural game in te puddles of water, Mali seemed to thrive in these conditions and went into half time with a one-goal advantage. Mali doubled the lead, quite deservingly so, in the 61st minute through Traore. A gaffe by Danlad, who raced off his line to make a clearance, ended up handling Traore's shot into his own net. There was a glimmer of hope for Ghana when Mohammed converted a penalty after Sadiq Ibrahim was felled by Fode Konate. Having struggled to come to terms with the conditions for a major part of the game, Ghana, in search of the equaliser, showed urgency in the last 20 minutes of regulation time. The egging by a handful of their supporters in the stands also failed to change Ghana's fortunes. In the first half, Ghana did manage to find the net but Ibrahim Sulley's effort was disallowed as there was a foul on a Mali player. Ghana played the last few minutes of the game with ten men after injury forced Gideon Mensah off the pitch. The result meant it was a repeat of the U-17 African Cup of Nations final where Mali beat Ghana. Mali will meet the winner of the match between Spain and Iran in the semifinal.

U-17 World Cup: Mali advance to semi-finals after 2-1 win over Ghana

Everton&#39;s miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud.

Everton badly needed a win against Lyon after taking one point from their previous two games but they went behind in the sixth minute to a penalty by Nabil Fekir.

Ashley Williams headed them level in the 69th after being fortunate to only be yellow-carded for igniting a mass brawl when he shoved visiting goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Everton nearly went ahead when a Gilfi Sigurdsson free kick came off the far post but former Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore struck to restore Lyon&#39;s lead, leaving Ronald Koeman&#39;s side at the foot of Group E with one point from three games.

The Dutch coach is under pressure as his side have only won three games out of 12 in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League standings.

&quot;We always feel pressure, from ourselves and pressure from outside,&quot; Everton defender Williams told reporters.

&quot;It&rsquo;s disappointing we didn&rsquo;t get a result tonight because I felt we had a good attitude, and I thought we had a lot of chances.&quot;

Serie A side Atalanta lead the group on seven points after beating Apollon Limassol.

Arsenal were given a fright in Belgrade when Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork but they took advantage of Milan Rodic getting sent off in the 81st minute as Giroud leapt to scoop a cushioned header from Theo Walcott into the top corner, completing a sweeping move through the middle.

Arsenal top Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League.

&quot;It was a very difficult game amid high and heated intensity,&quot; said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.

&quot;The (home crowd) support was absolutely amazing, it was fantastic. Red Star are a massive club with a big history and the people here know their football.&quot;

BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years.

Zenit St Petersburg, FCSB and Lazio are the only other teams to have won all three of their group games as seven-times European champions AC Milan lost their 100 percent record after a goalless home draw with AEK Athens.

Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Nice against Lazio but the Serie A side quickly turned the game on its head to win 3-1, with Felipe Caicedo levelling soon after Balotelli&#39;s opener and Serb Sergej Milinkovic-Savic striking twice after halftime.

RECORD AWAY WIN

Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 to set a competition record for the biggest away win with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose, while fellow Liga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side Ostersund.

A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Ostersund.

FC Copenhagen&#39;s game at Czech side Fastav Zlin was suspended in the 70th minute due to fog, but play resumed soon afterwards and the match ended 1-1.

Everton's miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud.

Everton's miserable Europa League run continued as they lost 2-1 at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday and remained bottom of their group as Arsenal beat 10-man Red Star Belgrade 1-0 thanks to an acrobatic late goal by Olivier Giroud. Everton badly needed a win against Lyon after taking one point from their previous two games but they went behind in the sixth minute to a penalty by Nabil Fekir. Ashley Williams headed them level in the 69th after being fortunate to only be yellow-carded for igniting a mass brawl when he shoved visiting goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Everton nearly went ahead when a Gilfi Sigurdsson free kick came off the far post but former Chelsea forward Bertrand Traore struck to restore Lyon's lead, leaving Ronald Koeman's side at the foot of Group E with one point from three games. The Dutch coach is under pressure as his side have only won three games out of 12 in all competitions and are 16th in the Premier League standings. "We always feel pressure, from ourselves and pressure from outside," Everton defender Williams told reporters. "It’s disappointing we didn’t get a result tonight because I felt we had a good attitude, and I thought we had a lot of chances." Serie A side Atalanta lead the group on seven points after beating Apollon Limassol. Arsenal were given a fright in Belgrade when Richmond Boaqye hit the woodwork but they took advantage of Milan Rodic getting sent off in the 81st minute as Giroud leapt to scoop a cushioned header from Theo Walcott into the top corner, completing a sweeping move through the middle. Arsenal top Group H with a maximum nine points from three games after returning to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Watford in the Premier League. "It was a very difficult game amid high and heated intensity," said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger. "The (home crowd) support was absolutely amazing, it was fantastic. Red Star are a massive club with a big history and the people here know their football." BATE Borisov are second after beating Bundesliga side FC Koln, who have lost all three games in their first European campaign in 20 years. Zenit St Petersburg, FCSB and Lazio are the only other teams to have won all three of their group games as seven-times European champions AC Milan lost their 100 percent record after a goalless home draw with AEK Athens. Mario Balotelli opened the scoring for Nice against Lazio but the Serie A side quickly turned the game on its head to win 3-1, with Felipe Caicedo levelling soon after Balotelli's opener and Serb Sergej Milinkovic-Savic striking twice after halftime. RECORD AWAY WIN Real Sociedad hammered FK Vardar 6-0 to set a competition record for the biggest away win with the help of four goals from Brazilian forward Willian Jose, while fellow Liga side Athletic Bilbao were left on the brink of elimination as they drew 2-2 at Swedish side Ostersund. A late goal from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz prevented a second consecutive defeat for the 2012 finalists, who are third in Group J on two points, four behind second-placed Zorya and five behind leaders Ostersund. FC Copenhagen's game at Czech side Fastav Zlin was suspended in the 70th minute due to fog, but play resumed soon afterwards and the match ended 1-1.

Everton lose to Lyon, Giroud's acrobatic goal lifts Arsenal

&nbsp;It would appear to be difficult for any team to find a more daunting examination in European football at present than a visit to the Etihad Stadium where Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City have come into full bloom.

City&#39;s kaleidoscopic movement and rare skill executed at breakneck speed have made Guardiola&#39;s latest creation a familiar delight to behold but a nightmare to play against as Burnley may become the latest Premier League side to discover this weekend.

City&#39;s 7-2 demolition of Stoke City last Saturday to move them two points clear of neighbours Manchester United was followed by Guardiola&#39;s delight at seeing off &quot;one of Europe&#39;s best teams&quot; Napoli in the Champions League in midweek.

That was City&#39;s 10th successive win in all competitions and now to complete their perfect week at the Etihad on Saturday, they are out to add to the 22 goals they have scored there in six matches in all competitions this term.

Burnley themselves have progressed admirably under manager Sean Dyche, having gone six league matches unbeaten, but he recognises that visiting a stadium where City have won their last three league games by five-goal margins is the acid test.

Guardiola was lavished with praise for his side&#39;s brilliance last weekend as his old rival Jose Mourinho, in contrast, suffered some equally familiar criticism for his safety-first approach in Manchester United&#39;s goalless draw at Liverpool.

Not that Mourinho ever appears to worry about such barbs but on Saturday he will expect his men to get back to being flat-track bullies against a struggling Huddersfield Town who are without a win in six matches.

WEMBLEY WOBBLES

The match of the weekend sees Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool meet at Wembley on Sunday with both sides buoyed by superb away-days in the Champions League -- Spurs earning a draw at champions Real Madrid while the Reds put seven past Maribor.

There feels a lot riding on the match with Spurs yet to convince their fans they are over their Wembley wobbles while Juergen Klopp knows his eighth-placed Liverpool cannot afford to drift further behind in the title race.

Neither can champions Chelsea, currently nine points adrift of Man City, as they seek to bring Watford down to earth after the unfashionable Hornets surged into the top four last weekend with a win over Arsenal.

Stung by their loss to rock-bottom Crystal Palace, Chelsea will be grateful for the return of their striking ace Alvaro Morata.

Watford, whose own totemic striker Troy Deeney had taken delight in pointing out how Arsenal seemed to lack fight, can expect Chelsea to be more combative on Saturday, especially as they are smarting at losing consecutive Premier League games for only the second time under Antonio Conte.

Arsenal, also nine behind City, need to rebound quickly at Everton, who are in even more urgent need of a win as manager Ronald Koeman, languishing in 16th, is now having to assert warily: &quot;Until now it&#39;s full, total support from the board.&quot;

Palace will hope to continue their baby steps under Roy Hodgson at Newcastle United, who could be under new ownership by Christmas if Mike Ashley can find a buyer.

It is a time of flux at Leicester City, too. They are managerless for the visit to Swansea City with Craig Shakespeare&#39;s dismissal meaning assistant Michael Appleton takes charge of the side temporarily.

City's kaleidoscopic movement and rare skill executed at breakneck speed have made Guardiola's latest creation a familiar delight to behold but a nightmare to play against as Burnley may become the latest Premier League side to discover this weekend.

It would appear to be difficult for any team to find a more daunting examination in European football at present than a visit to the Etihad Stadium where Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have come into full bloom. City's kaleidoscopic movement and rare skill executed at breakneck speed have made Guardiola's latest creation a familiar delight to behold but a nightmare to play against as Burnley may become the latest Premier League side to discover this weekend. City's 7-2 demolition of Stoke City last Saturday to move them two points clear of neighbours Manchester United was followed by Guardiola's delight at seeing off "one of Europe's best teams" Napoli in the Champions League in midweek. That was City's 10th successive win in all competitions and now to complete their perfect week at the Etihad on Saturday, they are out to add to the 22 goals they have scored there in six matches in all competitions this term. Burnley themselves have progressed admirably under manager Sean Dyche, having gone six league matches unbeaten, but he recognises that visiting a stadium where City have won their last three league games by five-goal margins is the acid test. Guardiola was lavished with praise for his side's brilliance last weekend as his old rival Jose Mourinho, in contrast, suffered some equally familiar criticism for his safety-first approach in Manchester United's goalless draw at Liverpool. Not that Mourinho ever appears to worry about such barbs but on Saturday he will expect his men to get back to being flat-track bullies against a struggling Huddersfield Town who are without a win in six matches. WEMBLEY WOBBLES The match of the weekend sees Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool meet at Wembley on Sunday with both sides buoyed by superb away-days in the Champions League -- Spurs earning a draw at champions Real Madrid while the Reds put seven past Maribor. There feels a lot riding on the match with Spurs yet to convince their fans they are over their Wembley wobbles while Juergen Klopp knows his eighth-placed Liverpool cannot afford to drift further behind in the title race. Neither can champions Chelsea, currently nine points adrift of Man City, as they seek to bring Watford down to earth after the unfashionable Hornets surged into the top four last weekend with a win over Arsenal. Stung by their loss to rock-bottom Crystal Palace, Chelsea will be grateful for the return of their striking ace Alvaro Morata. Watford, whose own totemic striker Troy Deeney had taken delight in pointing out how Arsenal seemed to lack fight, can expect Chelsea to be more combative on Saturday, especially as they are smarting at losing consecutive Premier League games for only the second time under Antonio Conte. Arsenal, also nine behind City, need to rebound quickly at Everton, who are in even more urgent need of a win as manager Ronald Koeman, languishing in 16th, is now having to assert warily: "Until now it's full, total support from the board." Palace will hope to continue their baby steps under Roy Hodgson at Newcastle United, who could be under new ownership by Christmas if Mike Ashley can find a buyer. It is a time of flux at Leicester City, too. They are managerless for the visit to Swansea City with Craig Shakespeare's dismissal meaning assistant Michael Appleton takes charge of the side temporarily.

Guardiola's Manchester City eye Burnley demolition

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages by outclassing Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday despite playing the second half with 10 men.

Gerard Pique was sent off two minutes before halftime for two bookings, one for tugging an opponent&#39;s shirt and the other for slapping the ball into the net, but Barca were barely threatened by a hapless Olympiakos side who are badly under-performing in their Greek title defence.

The Athens club, who won three league titles and two domestic Cups under current Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, are fifth in the standings in the Greek top flight and have lost all their games in the Champions League.

Barca took the lead in the 18th minute at a rainswept and sparsely attended Nou Camp when visiting defender Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu&#39;s cross into his own net.

It was the fifth own goal Barca have benefited from this season in all competitions.

Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca&#39;s lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup.

&quot;I hope he can get to 200 by the end of this season,&quot; joked Valverde after the Argentine took his tally to 15 goals in all competitions less than two months into the campaign.

&quot;His numbers validate what we see from him every day. He is constantly breaking down barriers.&quot;

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu also paid tribute to Messi.

&quot;I would give him every prize in the world, he has been the best player of all time for many years now,&quot; he said.

&quot;He has made this era sublime. We see him as the leader of our team, he contributes so much and we all never tire of enjoying him.&quot;

Messi then carved his way through the hapless visiting defence moments later to tee up France left back Lucas Digne to score his first goal in the Champions League for Barca.

Greek defender Nikolaou, 19, scored for a second time but first for his side when he headed home from a corner to give Olympiakos a scantly-deserved consolation goal in the 89th minute.

The unbeaten Barca top Champions League Group D with nine points. A win at Olympiakos in two weeks will seal their place in the last 16.

&quot;We are feeling very good in the league and Champions League and we have to keep going like this,&quot; Barca&#39;s Sergi Roberto told reporters after his side recorded a 10th victory in 11 games.

&quot;We are frustrated to have conceded a goal although by then the game was almost over.&quot;

Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca's lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup. "I

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages by outclassing Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday despite playing the second half with 10 men. Gerard Pique was sent off two minutes before halftime for two bookings, one for tugging an opponent's shirt and the other for slapping the ball into the net, but Barca were barely threatened by a hapless Olympiakos side who are badly under-performing in their Greek title defence. The Athens club, who won three league titles and two domestic Cups under current Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, are fifth in the standings in the Greek top flight and have lost all their games in the Champions League. Barca took the lead in the 18th minute at a rainswept and sparsely attended Nou Camp when visiting defender Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu's cross into his own net. It was the fifth own goal Barca have benefited from this season in all competitions. Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca's lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup. "I hope he can get to 200 by the end of this season," joked Valverde after the Argentine took his tally to 15 goals in all competitions less than two months into the campaign. "His numbers validate what we see from him every day. He is constantly breaking down barriers." Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu also paid tribute to Messi. "I would give him every prize in the world, he has been the best player of all time for many years now," he said. "He has made this era sublime. We see him as the leader of our team, he contributes so much and we all never tire of enjoying him." Messi then carved his way through the hapless visiting defence moments later to tee up France left back Lucas Digne to score his first goal in the Champions League for Barca. Greek defender Nikolaou, 19, scored for a second time but first for his side when he headed home from a corner to give Olympiakos a scantly-deserved consolation goal in the 89th minute. The unbeaten Barca top Champions League Group D with nine points. A win at Olympiakos in two weeks will seal their place in the last 16. "We are feeling very good in the league and Champions League and we have to keep going like this," Barca's Sergi Roberto told reporters after his side recorded a 10th victory in 11 games. "We are frustrated to have conceded a goal although by then the game was almost over."

Champions League: Messi joins 100-goal club as Barcelona beat Olympiakos

Juergen Klopp&#39;s Liverpool have been breathtaking and infuriating in equal measure this season, but it all came together on Tuesday as they displayed their devastating attacking prowess in a 7-0 victory against Maribor.

As has been the case too often this season, Liverpool&#39;s opening two Champions League draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow were characterised by both defensive fragility and attacking frustration.

Yet from the moment Roberto Firmino opened the scoring in the fourth minute against the Slovenian side, Liverpool cut through the hosts&#39; defence with irrepressible vim and vigour and ended up recording the biggest away win by an English team in European Cup history.

The first half was only 19 minutes old by the time Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah added their names to the scoresheet -- the latter then netting his second, and the team&#39;s fourth, in the 39th minute.

By the time Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Firmino, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had scored second-half goals.

&quot;Our attitude was outstanding, we were spot on from the first second,&quot; Klopp told BT Sport.

&quot;We scored wonderful goals, played wonderful football and it looked like they were not very good, but it is difficult to play against us.

&quot;I love the fact we stayed really concentrated in the second half, we controlled the game and it was a very mature performance.

&quot;You can struggle in a game like this if you do not have a 100 percent attitude... Seven goals was wonderful, but the counter pressing I was close to celebrating it, it was so good. They are a really good football team and they could not cope with this.&quot;

Such are Liverpool&#39;s attacking options at present, dynamic England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has had to be content with a place on the bench since his arrival from Arsenal in August.

&quot;We were very clinical and putting almost all of our chances away,&quot; the midfielder said. &quot;It feels like we have a lot of goals in us, we create a lot of chances.

&quot;This is a competitive team, we have had a few results that have not gone our way, and I&#39;m ready whenever I get an opportunity.&quot;

With five points, Liverpool -- who welcome Maribor to Anfield next month -- lead Group E on goal difference from Spartak Moscow, while Sevilla are one point further adrift in third.

Roberto Firmino opened the scoring against the Slovenian side Maribor in the fourth minute

Juergen Klopp's Liverpool have been breathtaking and infuriating in equal measure this season, but it all came together on Tuesday as they displayed their devastating attacking prowess in a 7-0 victory against Maribor. As has been the case too often this season, Liverpool's opening two Champions League draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow were characterised by both defensive fragility and attacking frustration. Yet from the moment Roberto Firmino opened the scoring in the fourth minute against the Slovenian side, Liverpool cut through the hosts' defence with irrepressible vim and vigour and ended up recording the biggest away win by an English team in European Cup history. The first half was only 19 minutes old by the time Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah added their names to the scoresheet -- the latter then netting his second, and the team's fourth, in the 39th minute. By the time Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Firmino, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had scored second-half goals. "Our attitude was outstanding, we were spot on from the first second," Klopp told BT Sport. "We scored wonderful goals, played wonderful football and it looked like they were not very good, but it is difficult to play against us. "I love the fact we stayed really concentrated in the second half, we controlled the game and it was a very mature performance. "You can struggle in a game like this if you do not have a 100 percent attitude... Seven goals was wonderful, but the counter pressing I was close to celebrating it, it was so good. They are a really good football team and they could not cope with this." Such are Liverpool's attacking options at present, dynamic England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has had to be content with a place on the bench since his arrival from Arsenal in August. "We were very clinical and putting almost all of our chances away," the midfielder said. "It feels like we have a lot of goals in us, we create a lot of chances. "This is a competitive team, we have had a few results that have not gone our way, and I'm ready whenever I get an opportunity." With five points, Liverpool -- who welcome Maribor to Anfield next month -- lead Group E on goal difference from Spartak Moscow, while Sevilla are one point further adrift in third.

Champions League: Liverpool thrash Maribor

Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games, but Pep Guardiola&#39;s side were forced to hang on despite going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes.

City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday, attacking with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with.

Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker&#39;s attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked.

Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake.

The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre.

Belgian midfielder De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly.

But then City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation.

The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty but City&#39;s Brazilian keeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens&#39; spot-kick.

After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence and John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal.

Napoli&#39;s reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho.

Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri&#39;s side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points.

&quot;We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football,&quot; said City defender John Stones.

&quot;At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did but overall ... a great team performance. We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at,&quot; he added.

Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said City are now at par with Barca and Real

Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games, but Pep Guardiola's side were forced to hang on despite going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes. City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday, attacking with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with. Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker's attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked. Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake. The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre. Belgian midfielder De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly. But then City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation. The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty but City's Brazilian keeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens' spot-kick. After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence and John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal. Napoli's reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho. Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri's side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points. "We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football," said City defender John Stones. "At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did but overall ... a great team performance. We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at," he added. Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.

Champions League: City make it three out of three with win over Napoli

A pair of stunning second-half saves from Hugo Lloris salvaged a precious point for Tottenham Hotspur as they held European champions Real Madrid 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Both sides remain unbeaten in this season&#39;s Champions League and well placed to progress to the last 16. They each have seven points after Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s penalty cancelled out Raphael Varane&#39;s own goal in the first period.

&quot;Hugo was fantastic, he deserves a big prize. He showed his real level,&quot; said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

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&quot;Today we see why Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers of the world.

&quot;The performance was fantastic; the effort, the belief, it is important to congratulate our players.&quot;

The sides meet again with top spot in Group H on the line at Wembley on November 1.

Borussia Dortmund&#39;s 1-1 draw at APOEL Nicosia means the Germans and Cypriots remain six points adrift of the group leaders.

&quot;We can&#39;t ever be happy not to win at home, but today there were two great goalkeepers,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

&quot;Keylor (Navas) for us and Lloris for them and sometimes you have to accept it.&quot;

An entertaining encounter got off to a flying start as 18-year-old Achraf Hakimi -- on his Champions League debut for Real -- teed up Ronaldo to head off the post and Karim Benzema pulled the rebound wide with the goal gaping.

After a nervous opening 10 minutes, though, Tottenham settled with Harry Kane predictably a constant threat up front.

The English international&#39;s sensational form saw him labelled a &quot;complete player&quot; by Zidane on the eve of the game, fuelling speculation he could follow Luka Modric and Gareth Bale&#39;s lead in making a move to Madrid in the future.

&quot;A point at the Bernabeu, you&#39;d take that every day of the week,&quot; said Kane. &quot;It shows how far we&#39;ve come as a team.&quot;

Kane&#39;s downward header was turned over by Navas before he broke free down the left and, from his cross, Fernando Llorente appeared to be chopped down by Casemiro inside the area, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was unmoved.

Despite failing to get the final touch, Kane was involved once more when Spurs went in front on 28 minutes as Varane turned Serge Aurier&#39;s cross into his own net under pressure from the striker.

And Madrid&#39;s frustrations shone through when Ronaldo was booked for a petulant slap on Jan Vertonghen.

However, Real demonstrated why they have won this competition for the past two seasons by restoring order and parity before the break.

A flowing team move put Toni Kroos clean through and when he was upended by Aurier, Ronaldo stepped up to bury the resulting penalty.

Spurs were then bailed out by two outstanding saves from Lloris after the restart.

The French captain&#39;s outstretched leg diverted Benzema&#39;s powerful header from point-blank range to safety, much to his former international team-mate&#39;s dismay.

And Ronaldo then couldn&#39;t believe his eyes as Lloris leapt to turn over his rising drive which was headed for the top corner.

&quot;At this level it&#39;s a great feeling to get a good draw,&quot; Lloris told BT Sport.

&quot;They put a lot of pressure on. We could have buckled and conceded a second, but 1-1 at half-time was good and we kept working together until the end.&quot;

A hugely entertaining game continued to swing from end to end and it was the visitors who had the better chances to take all three points in the final 20 minutes.

Kane had the best opportunity when he was picked out by Llorente&#39;s fine pass, but Navas spread himself well to divert the ball behind.

And the Costa Rican had to be alert again moments later to prevent Christian Eriksen&#39;s drive sneaking in at the near post.

&quot;Today was a game for the &#39;keepers,&quot; said Navas.

Both sides remain unbeaten this season and well placed to progress to the last 16

A pair of stunning second-half saves from Hugo Lloris salvaged a precious point for Tottenham Hotspur as they held European champions Real Madrid 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. Both sides remain unbeaten in this season's Champions League and well placed to progress to the last 16. They each have seven points after Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty cancelled out Raphael Varane's own goal in the first period. "Hugo was fantastic, he deserves a big prize. He showed his real level," said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. 'Today we see why Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers of the world,' said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino × "Today we see why Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers of the world. "The performance was fantastic; the effort, the belief, it is important to congratulate our players." The sides meet again with top spot in Group H on the line at Wembley on November 1. Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw at APOEL Nicosia means the Germans and Cypriots remain six points adrift of the group leaders. "We can't ever be happy not to win at home, but today there were two great goalkeepers," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane. "Keylor (Navas) for us and Lloris for them and sometimes you have to accept it." An entertaining encounter got off to a flying start as 18-year-old Achraf Hakimi -- on his Champions League debut for Real -- teed up Ronaldo to head off the post and Karim Benzema pulled the rebound wide with the goal gaping. After a nervous opening 10 minutes, though, Tottenham settled with Harry Kane predictably a constant threat up front. The English international's sensational form saw him labelled a "complete player" by Zidane on the eve of the game, fuelling speculation he could follow Luka Modric and Gareth Bale's lead in making a move to Madrid in the future. "A point at the Bernabeu, you'd take that every day of the week," said Kane. "It shows how far we've come as a team." Kane's downward header was turned over by Navas before he broke free down the left and, from his cross, Fernando Llorente appeared to be chopped down by Casemiro inside the area, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was unmoved. Despite failing to get the final touch, Kane was involved once more when Spurs went in front on 28 minutes as Varane turned Serge Aurier's cross into his own net under pressure from the striker. And Madrid's frustrations shone through when Ronaldo was booked for a petulant slap on Jan Vertonghen. However, Real demonstrated why they have won this competition for the past two seasons by restoring order and parity before the break. A flowing team move put Toni Kroos clean through and when he was upended by Aurier, Ronaldo stepped up to bury the resulting penalty. Spurs were then bailed out by two outstanding saves from Lloris after the restart. The French captain's outstretched leg diverted Benzema's powerful header from point-blank range to safety, much to his former international team-mate's dismay. And Ronaldo then couldn't believe his eyes as Lloris leapt to turn over his rising drive which was headed for the top corner. "At this level it's a great feeling to get a good draw," Lloris told BT Sport. "They put a lot of pressure on. We could have buckled and conceded a second, but 1-1 at half-time was good and we kept working together until the end." A hugely entertaining game continued to swing from end to end and it was the visitors who had the better chances to take all three points in the final 20 minutes. Kane had the best opportunity when he was picked out by Llorente's fine pass, but Navas spread himself well to divert the ball behind. And the Costa Rican had to be alert again moments later to prevent Christian Eriksen's drive sneaking in at the near post. "Today was a game for the 'keepers," said Navas.

Champions League: Tottenham hold on against Real

Manchester City boss Pep&nbsp;Guardiola&nbsp;was named&nbsp;Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;manager of the month for September on Friday after guiding the club to four&nbsp;wins from four games.

City, who top the table on 19 points and are ahead of local rivals Manchester United on goal difference after seven games, began the month with a 5-0 thumping of Liverpool before beating Watford 6-0 away and Crystal Palace 5-0 at home.

Guardiola&#39;s team, who host Stoke City on Saturday, rounded off their clean sweep in September with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at defending champions Chelsea to take their total to 17 goals scored with none conceded during the month.

The Spaniard fended off competition from fellow nominees Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger to claim the award for the second time since taking charge of City last season.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry&nbsp;Kane&nbsp;was named the&nbsp;player of the month after scoring six goals in four&nbsp;league&nbsp;games.

The 24-year-old opened his domestic account for the season with a brace in Tottenham&#39;s 3-0&nbsp;win at Everton on Sept. 9 but failed to find the net as his side were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Swansea City in their next&nbsp;league&nbsp;game.

Kane&nbsp;got back on track the following weekend with another double as Tottenham ran out 3-2winners at West Ham United before adding two more goals in their 4-0 demolition of promoted Huddersfield Town on Sept. 30.

&quot;I&#39;m very pleased to have got this award again. Hopefully, there will be a few more from now until the end of the season,&quot;&nbsp;Kane&nbsp;said in a video posted on the Tottenham Twitter account after claiming the award for the fifth time.

Kane&#39;s fifth&nbsp;win&nbsp;drew him level with Everton&#39;s Wayne Rooney and former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie. Only former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has more&nbsp;wins than the trio, with six in total.

City, who top the table on 19 points and are ahead of local rivals Manchester United on goal difference after seven games, began the month with a 5-0 thumping of Liverpool before beating Watford 6-0 away and Crystal Palace 5-0 at home

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was named Premier League manager of the month for September on Friday after guiding the club to four wins from four games. City, who top the table on 19 points and are ahead of local rivals Manchester United on goal difference after seven games, began the month with a 5-0 thumping of Liverpool before beating Watford 6-0 away and Crystal Palace 5-0 at home. Guardiola's team, who host Stoke City on Saturday, rounded off their clean sweep in September with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at defending champions Chelsea to take their total to 17 goals scored with none conceded during the month. The Spaniard fended off competition from fellow nominees Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger to claim the award for the second time since taking charge of City last season. Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane was named the player of the month after scoring six goals in four league games. The 24-year-old opened his domestic account for the season with a brace in Tottenham's 3-0 win at Everton on Sept. 9 but failed to find the net as his side were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Swansea City in their next league game. Kane got back on track the following weekend with another double as Tottenham ran out 3-2winners at West Ham United before adding two more goals in their 4-0 demolition of promoted Huddersfield Town on Sept. 30. "I'm very pleased to have got this award again. Hopefully, there will be a few more from now until the end of the season," Kane said in a video posted on the Tottenham Twitter account after claiming the award for the fifth time. Kane's fifth win drew him level with Everton's Wayne Rooney and former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie. Only former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has more wins than the trio, with six in total.

Guardiola, Kane win monthly Premier League awards

In one of the biggest upsets of this qualifying cycle, the United States failed to reach the&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;for the first time in more than 30 years and now&nbsp;face&nbsp;some&nbsp;major&nbsp;questions&nbsp;over the progress of the sport in the country.

A 2-1 defeat to an already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago meant the US&nbsp;finished an embarrassing fifth out of six teams in their CONCACAF qualifying group.

Mexico topped the standings with Costa Rica in second place while the third automatic spot went to Panama.

The Central American nation reached the&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;for the first time in their history thanks to a last-gasp 2-1 win over Costa Rica, while Honduras ended fourth and will play Australia over two legs for a place in Russia next year.

The impact of the US&#39;s absence will be felt at broadcasters Fox, who takes over coverage of the World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;from ESPN starting with the 2018 tournament and a host of sponsors, such as Nike, who had been hoping for plenty of&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;exposure.

But on a deeper level, the outcome raises a host of&nbsp;questions&nbsp;about whether American soccer truly is progressing.

The country did not feature in any&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;from 1954 to 1986, but&nbsp;after&nbsp;making it to Italia 90 and then hosting the tournament themselves in 1994, the game appeared to be on the rise.

The US reached the quarter-finals in 2002 and more recently impressed in Brazil four years ago by reaching the second round, finishing above Portugal in their group.

On the domestic front,&nbsp;Major&nbsp;League Soccer, which began in 1996, has produced a stable league for the first time in North America and has grown to 22 teams, many playing in new soccer-specific stadiums.

NO EXCUSES

&quot;This is an utter embarrassment, with the amount of money that is in&nbsp;Major&nbsp;League Soccer and in this sport, you can&#39;t get a draw against Trinidad? You don&#39;t deserve to go the&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&quot; said former US striker Taylor Twellman, now a television pundit for ESPN.

&quot;If this failure does not wake up everyone from US Soccer (Federation) to&nbsp;Major&nbsp;League Soccer to &#39;pay to play&#39; (youth soccer), to broadcasters, everything, then we are all insane.&quot;

&quot;That should never have happened with the billion dollars plus&nbsp;that is going into MLS and youth soccer development but it did and every single person should look themselves in the mirror,&quot; he added.

But in the immediate&nbsp;aftermath of the defeated coach Bruce Arena, who was brought back in November last year following the firing of German Juergen Klinsmann, rejected the idea that major&nbsp;change was needed.

&quot;There&#39;s nothing wrong with what we&#39;re doing,&quot; Arena was quoted as saying by Sports Illustrated (www.si.com). &quot;Certainly, I think if our league continues to grow it benefits the national team program. We have some good players coming up. Nothing has to change.

&quot;To make any kind of crazy changes I think would be foolish. We&#39;re building a consistent professional league. We have players playing abroad of a certain quality. There&#39;s enough there. There are no excuses for&nbsp;us&nbsp;to not qualify for the&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup.&quot;

US&nbsp;Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who is expected to&nbsp;face&nbsp;a challenge to his leadership with two potential candidates have expressed an interest in standing against him in the next elections, also questioned the need for change.

&quot;You don&#39;t make wholesale changes based on the ball being two inches wide or two inches in. We&#39;ll look at everything, obviously, and all our programs, both the national team and all the development stuff,&quot; he said.

&quot;But we&#39;ve got a lot of pieces in place that we think are very good and have been coming along. Tonight obviously wasn&#39;t what we hoped for.&quot;

A 2-1 defeat to an already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago meant the US finished an embarrassing fifth out of six teams in their CONCACAF qualifying group

In one of the biggest upsets of this qualifying cycle, the United States failed to reach the World Cup for the first time in more than 30 years and now face some major questions over the progress of the sport in the country. A 2-1 defeat to an already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago meant the US finished an embarrassing fifth out of six teams in their CONCACAF qualifying group. Mexico topped the standings with Costa Rica in second place while the third automatic spot went to Panama. The Central American nation reached the World Cup for the first time in their history thanks to a last-gasp 2-1 win over Costa Rica, while Honduras ended fourth and will play Australia over two legs for a place in Russia next year. The impact of the US's absence will be felt at broadcasters Fox, who takes over coverage of the World Cup from ESPN starting with the 2018 tournament and a host of sponsors, such as Nike, who had been hoping for plenty of World Cup exposure. But on a deeper level, the outcome raises a host of questions about whether American soccer truly is progressing. The country did not feature in any World Cup from 1954 to 1986, but after making it to Italia 90 and then hosting the tournament themselves in 1994, the game appeared to be on the rise. The US reached the quarter-finals in 2002 and more recently impressed in Brazil four years ago by reaching the second round, finishing above Portugal in their group. On the domestic front, Major League Soccer, which began in 1996, has produced a stable league for the first time in North America and has grown to 22 teams, many playing in new soccer-specific stadiums. NO EXCUSES "This is an utter embarrassment, with the amount of money that is in Major League Soccer and in this sport, you can't get a draw against Trinidad? You don't deserve to go the World Cup" said former US striker Taylor Twellman, now a television pundit for ESPN. "If this failure does not wake up everyone from US Soccer (Federation) to Major League Soccer to 'pay to play' (youth soccer), to broadcasters, everything, then we are all insane." "That should never have happened with the billion dollars plus that is going into MLS and youth soccer development but it did and every single person should look themselves in the mirror," he added. But in the immediate aftermath of the defeated coach Bruce Arena, who was brought back in November last year following the firing of German Juergen Klinsmann, rejected the idea that major change was needed. "There's nothing wrong with what we're doing," Arena was quoted as saying by Sports Illustrated (www.si.com). "Certainly, I think if our league continues to grow it benefits the national team program. We have some good players coming up. Nothing has to change. "To make any kind of crazy changes I think would be foolish. We're building a consistent professional league. We have players playing abroad of a certain quality. There's enough there. There are no excuses for us to not qualify for the World Cup." US Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who is expected to face a challenge to his leadership with two potential candidates have expressed an interest in standing against him in the next elections, also questioned the need for change. "You don't make wholesale changes based on the ball being two inches wide or two inches in. We'll look at everything, obviously, and all our programs, both the national team and all the development stuff," he said. "But we've got a lot of pieces in place that we think are very good and have been coming along. Tonight obviously wasn't what we hoped for."

Stunned US face major questions after World Cup debacle

FIFA said on Wednesday it was banning the&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;Football Federation (PFF), barring the country&#39;s national and club teams from competing in international competition with immediate effect.

Zurich-based FIFA cited &quot;undue third-party interference&quot; as the reason for its decision.

Soccer&#39;s global governing body said the PFF offices and its accounts remained in control of a court-appointed administrator, violating FIFA&#39;s rules on independence.

FIFA: Ban on?Pakistan?Football Federation (PFF), barring the country's national and club teams from competing in international competition with immediate effect

FIFA said on Wednesday it was banning the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), barring the country's national and club teams from competing in international competition with immediate effect. Zurich-based FIFA cited "undue third-party interference" as the reason for its decision. Soccer's global governing body said the PFF offices and its accounts remained in control of a court-appointed administrator, violating FIFA's rules on independence.

FIFA suspends Pakistan over 'third-party interference'

A magical Lionel Messi hat-trick carried Argentina to a 3-1 win over Ecuador on Tuesday and booked their place at next year&#39;s World Cup finals in Russia.

With Argentina facing the dire possibility of missing out on a World Cup for the first time since 1970, their brilliant captain delivered when it mattered most with three goals in the rarefied air of Quito.

The twice World Cup winners finished third in the 10-team South American group, going through with Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia as the automatic qualifiers, while Peru grabbed a playoff place against Oceania champions New Zealand at the expense of Chile.

&quot;Today Argentina took a great step forward,&quot; said coach Jorge Sampaoli. &ldquo;I hope that with the time to prepare that we&rsquo;ll have, we can be competitive (in Russia) like we were today.&rdquo;

While Sampaoli was delighted with his captain&#39;s performance, he said the side had to stop relying on him so much.

&quot;We&#39;ve got to fix it so not everything depends on Messi,&quot; he added.

Messi had not been at his best in Argentina&rsquo;s stuttering campaign and failed to score in their previous three drawn qualifiers, which had left them in sixth place and out of the qualifying berths for Russia heading into Tuesday&#39;s game.

A World Cup without Argentina seemed an even bigger possibility when Romario Ibarra put Ecuador ahead in the opening minute after he got the better of Javier Mascherano and beat Sergio Romero with a low shot.

But Argentina, who had managed only one previous win in Quito, in 2001, equalised 11 minutes later when Messi tapped home after a one-two with Angel Di Maria.

Messi then put Argentina ahead in the 20th minute, firing a superb shot past Maximo Banguera into the top corner, and completed his hat-trick just past the hour, shaking off three tired Ecuador defenders before lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into the net.

Messi, enjoying a little bit of extra space seldom afforded against rival South American defences, joined Uruguay&rsquo;s Luis Suarez, his team mate at Barcelona, as the all-time joint top scorers in CONMEBOL qualifiers with 21 goals.

Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia also go through. Peru will play-off against New Zealand

A magical Lionel Messi hat-trick carried Argentina to a 3-1 win over Ecuador on Tuesday and booked their place at next year's World Cup finals in Russia. With Argentina facing the dire possibility of missing out on a World Cup for the first time since 1970, their brilliant captain delivered when it mattered most with three goals in the rarefied air of Quito. The twice World Cup winners finished third in the 10-team South American group, going through with Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia as the automatic qualifiers, while Peru grabbed a playoff place against Oceania champions New Zealand at the expense of Chile. "Today Argentina took a great step forward," said coach Jorge Sampaoli. “I hope that with the time to prepare that we’ll have, we can be competitive (in Russia) like we were today.” While Sampaoli was delighted with his captain's performance, he said the side had to stop relying on him so much. "We've got to fix it so not everything depends on Messi," he added. Messi had not been at his best in Argentina’s stuttering campaign and failed to score in their previous three drawn qualifiers, which had left them in sixth place and out of the qualifying berths for Russia heading into Tuesday's game. A World Cup without Argentina seemed an even bigger possibility when Romario Ibarra put Ecuador ahead in the opening minute after he got the better of Javier Mascherano and beat Sergio Romero with a low shot. But Argentina, who had managed only one previous win in Quito, in 2001, equalised 11 minutes later when Messi tapped home after a one-two with Angel Di Maria. Messi then put Argentina ahead in the 20th minute, firing a superb shot past Maximo Banguera into the top corner, and completed his hat-trick just past the hour, shaking off three tired Ecuador defenders before lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into the net. Messi, enjoying a little bit of extra space seldom afforded against rival South American defences, joined Uruguay’s Luis Suarez, his team mate at Barcelona, as the all-time joint top scorers in CONMEBOL qualifiers with 21 goals.

Magical Messi sees Argentina through to World Cup finals

Lionel Messi and Argentina will be fighting for their World Cup lives on Tuesday as the South American heavyweights take on Ecuador aiming to avoid a humiliating failure to qualify for next year&#39;s finals in Russia.

The eyes of the football world will turn to Quito&#39;s Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa to see if the once unthinkable prospect of a World Cup without Messi is to become a stunning reality.

The two-time World Cup winners head into the final round of the South American qualifiers in sixth place, outside the top four positions which grant automatic qualification and trailing fifth-placed Peru, who occupy the play-off spot, on goal difference.

Yet with only two points separating third-placed Chile (26 points) with seventh-placed Paraguay (24), any number of permutations are possible.

Argentina can simplify the equation for their nervous fans, however, if they manage to take all three points in Quito on Tuesday.

A victory would guarantee they finish no worse than fifth place, putting them into a two-legged play-off against New Zealand they would be expected to win.

But winning in the thin air of Quito, which is 2,850 metres (9,350 feet) above sea level, may be easier said than done.

The Argentinians have an abysmal record in away games against Ecuador, with their last victory in Quito coming in 2001.

Since then in World Cup qualifying games, they have been beaten twice, in 2005 and 2009, before scraping a 1-1 draw in 2013.

Barcelona star Messi also has a record of struggling in games at altitude, vomiting on the pitch during a draw in the rarefied air of Bolivia four years ago.

&#39;A catastrophe&#39; 
The 30-year-old five-time Ballon D&#39;Or winner also &nbsp;heads into the game knowing that next year&#39;s finals in Russia may be his final chance to emulate Diego Maradona by winning a World Cup.

&quot;A World Cup without Argentina and without Messi would be a catastrophe,&quot; Argentina&#39;s 1978 World Cup hero Mario Kempes said this week.&nbsp;

&quot;The only ones who would be happy if Messi doesn&#39;t go to the World Cup would be Maradona fans.&quot;

The 2014 World Cup finalists face their moment of truth after a series of uninspiring performances that has left the footballing world scratching its head at how a squad bristling with so much attacking talent has found scoring so difficult.

Despite being able to call upon Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Mauro Icardi and Angel Di Maria throughout the campaign, Argentina have only scored 16 times in 17 games.

Last Thursday&#39;s 0-0 stalemate with Peru in Buenos Aires was Argentina&#39;s third consecutive draw. The Albiceleste have now scored only once in their past four qualifying games.

For some Argentines, the troubles of the national team have been a long time coming. Sergio Batista, a member of the 1986 World Cup-winning team, was scathing in his assessment.

&quot;Argentina is all at sea. But this didn&#39;t happen recently. It&#39;s the end of a movie I&#39;ve been watching for 10 years,&quot; Batista said.&nbsp;

&quot;I believe in projects and planning, but in our football, there&#39;s nothing. Seven managers in 10 years? And three in a single qualifying campaign? It wouldn&#39;t happen anywhere else.&quot;

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Chile could seal their qualification with victory over Brazil in Sao Paulo. Brazil have already qualified for the finals and are guaranteed top spot.

Uruguay meanwhile need only take a point in their home qualifier against already-eliminated Bolivia to be certain of progressing.

One of the most high-stakes games comes in Lima, where Peru will aim to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1982 when they take on Colombia.

Colombia were moments from qualifying for the World Cup last Thursday before two last-gasp goals from Paraguay turned a 1-0 win into a 2-1 defeat.

That win kept Paraguay&#39;s qualification bid alive and a home win over Venezuela on Tuesday could see them seal their place to Russia depending on results elsewhere. 
&nbsp;

Argentina take on Ecuador early Wednesday morning

Lionel Messi and Argentina will be fighting for their World Cup lives on Tuesday as the South American heavyweights take on Ecuador aiming to avoid a humiliating failure to qualify for next year's finals in Russia. The eyes of the football world will turn to Quito's Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa to see if the once unthinkable prospect of a World Cup without Messi is to become a stunning reality. The two-time World Cup winners head into the final round of the South American qualifiers in sixth place, outside the top four positions which grant automatic qualification and trailing fifth-placed Peru, who occupy the play-off spot, on goal difference. Yet with only two points separating third-placed Chile (26 points) with seventh-placed Paraguay (24), any number of permutations are possible. Argentina can simplify the equation for their nervous fans, however, if they manage to take all three points in Quito on Tuesday. A victory would guarantee they finish no worse than fifth place, putting them into a two-legged play-off against New Zealand they would be expected to win. But winning in the thin air of Quito, which is 2,850 metres (9,350 feet) above sea level, may be easier said than done. The Argentinians have an abysmal record in away games against Ecuador, with their last victory in Quito coming in 2001. Since then in World Cup qualifying games, they have been beaten twice, in 2005 and 2009, before scraping a 1-1 draw in 2013. Barcelona star Messi also has a record of struggling in games at altitude, vomiting on the pitch during a draw in the rarefied air of Bolivia four years ago. 'A catastrophe' The 30-year-old five-time Ballon D'Or winner also heads into the game knowing that next year's finals in Russia may be his final chance to emulate Diego Maradona by winning a World Cup. "A World Cup without Argentina and without Messi would be a catastrophe," Argentina's 1978 World Cup hero Mario Kempes said this week. "The only ones who would be happy if Messi doesn't go to the World Cup would be Maradona fans." The 2014 World Cup finalists face their moment of truth after a series of uninspiring performances that has left the footballing world scratching its head at how a squad bristling with so much attacking talent has found scoring so difficult. Despite being able to call upon Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Mauro Icardi and Angel Di Maria throughout the campaign, Argentina have only scored 16 times in 17 games. Last Thursday's 0-0 stalemate with Peru in Buenos Aires was Argentina's third consecutive draw. The Albiceleste have now scored only once in their past four qualifying games. For some Argentines, the troubles of the national team have been a long time coming. Sergio Batista, a member of the 1986 World Cup-winning team, was scathing in his assessment. "Argentina is all at sea. But this didn't happen recently. It's the end of a movie I've been watching for 10 years," Batista said. "I believe in projects and planning, but in our football, there's nothing. Seven managers in 10 years? And three in a single qualifying campaign? It wouldn't happen anywhere else." Elsewhere on Tuesday, Chile could seal their qualification with victory over Brazil in Sao Paulo. Brazil have already qualified for the finals and are guaranteed top spot. Uruguay meanwhile need only take a point in their home qualifier against already-eliminated Bolivia to be certain of progressing. One of the most high-stakes games comes in Lima, where Peru will aim to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1982 when they take on Colombia. Colombia were moments from qualifying for the World Cup last Thursday before two last-gasp goals from Paraguay turned a 1-0 win into a 2-1 defeat. That win kept Paraguay's qualification bid alive and a home win over Venezuela on Tuesday could see them seal their place to Russia depending on results elsewhere.

Football World Cup qualifiers: Make or break for Messi and Argentina

Experienced Ireland&nbsp;striker&nbsp;Shane&nbsp;Long&nbsp;will&nbsp;miss&nbsp;his side&#39;s crucial World Cup qualifier against&nbsp;Wales&nbsp;in Cardiff on Monday due to a&nbsp;hip&nbsp;injury, the team said.

The&nbsp;Irish, who can secure the second spot in Group D and a playoff spot with victory over&nbsp;Wales, must cope without the 30-year-old&nbsp;Long, who played against Moldova on Friday and has won more than 70 international caps.

Experienced Ireland?striker?Shane?Long?will?miss?his side's crucial World Cup qualifier against?Wales?in Cardiff due to a?hip?injury

Experienced Ireland striker Shane Long will miss his side's crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales in Cardiff on Monday due to a hip injury, the team said. The Irish, who can secure the second spot in Group D and a playoff spot with victory over Wales, must cope without the 30-year-old Long, who played against Moldova on Friday and has won more than 70 international caps.

World Cup qualifier: Irish striker Shane Long to miss Wales showdown

Syria&nbsp;coach&nbsp;Ayman Hakeem has backed his heavily&nbsp;depleted&nbsp;squad&nbsp;to continue&nbsp;the war-ravaged nation&#39;s unlikely march towards a maiden World Cup finals appearance when they take on Australia in the second leg of the Asian qualifying playoff on Tuesday.

Hakeem believes the fairytale&nbsp;run&nbsp;towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney&#39;s Olympic stadium.

The odds were stacked against the&nbsp;Syrians throughout the third round of Asian qualifying but, despite having to play their &#39;home&#39;&nbsp;matches in Malaysia because of security concerns in&nbsp;Syria, they managed to battle into the playoff.

A penalty five minutes from the end of the first leg last week earned them a 1-1 draw and a high-scoring draw or a win on Tuesday would secure an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed team in North and Central American qualifying.

Already without key centre-backs&nbsp;Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani because of injury, though, Hakeem has now lost defender Hadi Al Masri, midfielder Khaled Mobayed and striker Omar Khribin to suspension for the second leg.

His defence has been particularly badly hit but Hakeem believes the never-say-die attitude his team have shown throughout qualifying will enable them to hold out the Asian champions.

&quot;We&#39;ve faced many obstacles from the start,&quot; he told reporters on Monday.

&quot;Five key players is a big loss for us but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying and they believe in themselves. We&#39;re looking forward to tomorrow.&quot;

Hakeem said he had not decided yet whether to give an international debut to Swedish-born defender Gabriel Somi in the match and expects another tough tussle with the Socceroos.

&quot;The game in Malaysia was the first half and tomorrow will be the second half,&quot; he added. &quot;Both teams know each other well and there will be no surprises.&quot;

The visitors are expecting support from as many as 15,000 of Australia&#39;s&nbsp;Syrian and wider Arab community at the Olympic stadium and Hakeem said they had the backing of the entire nation back home.

&quot;All&nbsp;Syrians are behind the national team,&quot; he said. &quot;The&nbsp;Syrian national team has shown to all nations that&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;is one and there is no divide among any groups. And that&#39;s the message being sent through the&nbsp;Syrian national team.&quot;

Syria coach Ayman Hakeem believes the fairytale?run?towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney's Olympic stadium

Syria coach Ayman Hakeem has backed his heavily depleted squad to continue the war-ravaged nation's unlikely march towards a maiden World Cup finals appearance when they take on Australia in the second leg of the Asian qualifying playoff on Tuesday. Hakeem believes the fairytale run towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney's Olympic stadium. The odds were stacked against the Syrians throughout the third round of Asian qualifying but, despite having to play their 'home' matches in Malaysia because of security concerns in Syria, they managed to battle into the playoff. A penalty five minutes from the end of the first leg last week earned them a 1-1 draw and a high-scoring draw or a win on Tuesday would secure an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed team in North and Central American qualifying. Already without key centre-backs Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani because of injury, though, Hakeem has now lost defender Hadi Al Masri, midfielder Khaled Mobayed and striker Omar Khribin to suspension for the second leg. His defence has been particularly badly hit but Hakeem believes the never-say-die attitude his team have shown throughout qualifying will enable them to hold out the Asian champions. "We've faced many obstacles from the start," he told reporters on Monday. "Five key players is a big loss for us but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying and they believe in themselves. We're looking forward to tomorrow." Hakeem said he had not decided yet whether to give an international debut to Swedish-born defender Gabriel Somi in the match and expects another tough tussle with the Socceroos. "The game in Malaysia was the first half and tomorrow will be the second half," he added. "Both teams know each other well and there will be no surprises." The visitors are expecting support from as many as 15,000 of Australia's Syrian and wider Arab community at the Olympic stadium and Hakeem said they had the backing of the entire nation back home. "All Syrians are behind the national team," he said. "The Syrian national team has shown to all nations that Syria is one and there is no divide among any groups. And that's the message being sent through the Syrian national team."

World Cup qualifier: Syrian coach backs depleted squad against Australia

Hosts India will aim to bounce back from their defeat against the US&nbsp;when they take on Colombia in their second Group A clash of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium later today.

India went down fighting 0-3 against the robust US in their opening match. The boys in blue, who are without a single point and a goal difference in the high negatives, are currently standing at the bottom of the group.

Colombia, on the other hand, also slumped to a 0-1 defeat against Ghana in their first match. They now find themselves in a similar situation as India will aim to improve their performance and register their first points on the board.In another Group A encounter today, Ghana will take on the US&nbsp;at the same venue while Turkey will lock horns with Mali in their Group B encounter.Meanwhile, Paraguay will also cross swords with New Zealand later today.

India and Colombia both lost their opening games

Hosts India will aim to bounce back from their defeat against the US when they take on Colombia in their second Group A clash of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium later today. India went down fighting 0-3 against the robust US in their opening match. The boys in blue, who are without a single point and a goal difference in the high negatives, are currently standing at the bottom of the group. Colombia, on the other hand, also slumped to a 0-1 defeat against Ghana in their first match. They now find themselves in a similar situation as India will aim to improve their performance and register their first points on the board.In another Group A encounter today, Ghana will take on the US at the same venue while Turkey will lock horns with Mali in their Group B encounter.Meanwhile, Paraguay will also cross swords with New Zealand later today.

U-17 World Cup: India to take on Colombia today

New&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;Munich coach Jupp&nbsp;Heynckes&nbsp;sounded&nbsp;confident&nbsp;on Monday that he will be able to turn things around&nbsp;for the German champions following a lacklustre start to the season that led to the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.

The 72-year-old&nbsp;Heynckes, in his fourth stint at the club, takes over with&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;in second place in the Bundesliga, five points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund after twice wasting two-goal lead in consecutive matches to draw 2-2.

The Bavarians are also second in Champions League Group B with three points from two games, after beating Anderlecht and losing 3-0 at Paris St Germain.

&quot;I think it is a difficult situation, the team is in a phase of change,&quot;&nbsp;Heynckes, who led&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;to the treble including the Champions League in 2013, told reporters at his official presentation on Monday.

&quot;There are injuries, Manuel Neuer, who is the best goalkeeper in the world, is injured, Franck Ribery is injured. These are all drawbacks but I think I know how to reach the team, the work I need to do,&quot; he added.

&quot;I am&nbsp;confident&nbsp;we can turn the team back onto the road to success. It has the quality to show a different face. It will be a balancing act but I think I have the experience to do it.&quot;

Heynckes, whose first game is on Oct. 14 at home against Freiburg, said this was not a comeback but rather a favour to good friend and&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;president Uli Hoeness and he planned to slip back into retirement at the end of the season.

&quot;Now this is not a comeback&nbsp;I talked with CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and President Uli Hoeness and they asked me to take it over for a limited time.

&quot;I will not shy away from conflict. I want to form a team where everyone works for the other, with respect and togetherness in the forefront.&quot;

Heynckes, who also coached&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;from 1987-91 and briefly in 2009, reunites with former assistants Peter Hermann and Hermann Gerland, both part of his backroom staff during the treble-winning season.

The German, who also led Real Madrid to the Champions League title and coached Benfica, Athletic Bilbao and a string of Bundesliga clubs, has not worked since leaving&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;in 2013.

&quot;Heynckes&nbsp;is the best solution for this time,&quot; Hoeness said. &quot;It gives the club time to settle all outstanding issues and present a new coach by July 1. We thought he is the ideal choice. I am happy that my best friend is back at&nbsp;Bayern.&quot;

The 72-year-old Jupp?Heynckes, in his fourth stint at the club, takes over with?Bayern?in second place in the Bundesliga, five points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund after twice wasting two-goal lead in consecutive matches to draw 2-2

New Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes sounded confident on Monday that he will be able to turn things around for the German champions following a lacklustre start to the season that led to the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti. The 72-year-old Heynckes, in his fourth stint at the club, takes over with Bayern in second place in the Bundesliga, five points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund after twice wasting two-goal lead in consecutive matches to draw 2-2. The Bavarians are also second in Champions League Group B with three points from two games, after beating Anderlecht and losing 3-0 at Paris St Germain. "I think it is a difficult situation, the team is in a phase of change," Heynckes, who led Bayern to the treble including the Champions League in 2013, told reporters at his official presentation on Monday. "There are injuries, Manuel Neuer, who is the best goalkeeper in the world, is injured, Franck Ribery is injured. These are all drawbacks but I think I know how to reach the team, the work I need to do," he added. "I am confident we can turn the team back onto the road to success. It has the quality to show a different face. It will be a balancing act but I think I have the experience to do it." Heynckes, whose first game is on Oct. 14 at home against Freiburg, said this was not a comeback but rather a favour to good friend and Bayern president Uli Hoeness and he planned to slip back into retirement at the end of the season. "Now this is not a comeback I talked with CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and President Uli Hoeness and they asked me to take it over for a limited time. "I will not shy away from conflict. I want to form a team where everyone works for the other, with respect and togetherness in the forefront." Heynckes, who also coached Bayern from 1987-91 and briefly in 2009, reunites with former assistants Peter Hermann and Hermann Gerland, both part of his backroom staff during the treble-winning season. The German, who also led Real Madrid to the Champions League title and coached Benfica, Athletic Bilbao and a string of Bundesliga clubs, has not worked since leaving Bayern in 2013. "Heynckes is the best solution for this time," Hoeness said. "It gives the club time to settle all outstanding issues and present a new coach by July 1. We thought he is the ideal choice. I am happy that my best friend is back at Bayern."

I can get Bayern back on road to success: Heynckes

India has given away 27,000 tickets to the opening games of the FIFA U-17 World Cup to fill empty stands, an official said Friday, in a desperate bid to avoid an embarrassing repeat of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The under-17 World Cup, which kicks off on Friday, marks India&#39;s first attempt at hosting a FIFA tournament, but sales for the high-profile event have been poor, despite some seats costing less than a dollar.

Organisers are now scrambling to ensure that the 56,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi appears packed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the opening games which will see India play the United States.

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&quot;We have given away 27,000 tickets to schools around the Delhi region and will also provide pick and drop facility. It will be embarrassing for us if the stadium looks empty,&quot; an organising committee member told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The event, which runs until October 28, has been dogged by bad news, with Greenpeace issuing a report Wednesday that said the poor quality of air in India`s pollution-clogged cities poses a &quot;serious health risk&quot; to players and spectators during the tournament.

Twenty-four nations are competing in the event, which is being held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati and Kolkata.

Greenpeace said all the six cities &quot;share dangerous levels of air pollution&quot; but singled out New Delhi as the venue with the highest risk.

&quot;Air pollution levels during the Indian tournament could be significantly worse than during the 2008 Beijing Olympics,&quot; the report warned.

India will host its last game of the tournament on October 16, just before pollution levels spike around the Diwali festival, when Hindus celebrate by setting off huge amounts of fireworks.&nbsp;

Media reports said matches were deliberately kept out of Delhi after October 16 because of pollution fears.

India`s Supreme Court has ordered authorities to take precautions ahead of the festival, and measures under consideration include pulling some cars off roads and closing polluting industries.

World Cup organisers did not comment on the Greenpeace report.

The event is among India`s highest-profile global tournaments after the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010 which were meant to showcase the country`s status as an emerging power but instead left memories of shoddy venues, empty stadiums and massive budget overruns.

India take on USA in their first game today at 8 pm in Delhi

India has given away 27,000 tickets to the opening games of the FIFA U-17 World Cup to fill empty stands, an official said Friday, in a desperate bid to avoid an embarrassing repeat of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The under-17 World Cup, which kicks off on Friday, marks India's first attempt at hosting a FIFA tournament, but sales for the high-profile event have been poor, despite some seats costing less than a dollar. Organisers are now scrambling to ensure that the 56,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi appears packed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the opening games which will see India play the United States. Organisers are now scrambling to ensure that the 56,000-capacity Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi appears packed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the opening games which will see India play the United States × "We have given away 27,000 tickets to schools around the Delhi region and will also provide pick and drop facility. It will be embarrassing for us if the stadium looks empty," an organising committee member told AFP on condition of anonymity. The event, which runs until October 28, has been dogged by bad news, with Greenpeace issuing a report Wednesday that said the poor quality of air in India`s pollution-clogged cities poses a "serious health risk" to players and spectators during the tournament. Twenty-four nations are competing in the event, which is being held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati and Kolkata. Greenpeace said all the six cities "share dangerous levels of air pollution" but singled out New Delhi as the venue with the highest risk. "Air pollution levels during the Indian tournament could be significantly worse than during the 2008 Beijing Olympics," the report warned. India will host its last game of the tournament on October 16, just before pollution levels spike around the Diwali festival, when Hindus celebrate by setting off huge amounts of fireworks. Media reports said matches were deliberately kept out of Delhi after October 16 because of pollution fears. India`s Supreme Court has ordered authorities to take precautions ahead of the festival, and measures under consideration include pulling some cars off roads and closing polluting industries. World Cup organisers did not comment on the Greenpeace report. The event is among India`s highest-profile global tournaments after the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010 which were meant to showcase the country`s status as an emerging power but instead left memories of shoddy venues, empty stadiums and massive budget overruns.

U-17 Football World Cup: To avoid 'embarrassment', India gives 27,000 tickets away free

India lost 0-3 to the USA in their opening game of the under-17 World Cup.&nbsp;

USA captain Josh Sargent scored from the penalty spot in the 31st minute of the game.&nbsp;

Defender Chris Durkin doubled the USA&#39;s lead in the 51st minute and Andrew Carleton put another one past Indian goalie Dheeraj Singh to put the game past the Indians.&nbsp;

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????Paraguay 2-2 Mali???? <a href="https://t.co/Cn2u5PX5r5">pic.twitter.com/Cn2u5PX5r5</a>
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India might have lost, but they did not lose their honour.&nbsp;

Indian goalie Dheeraj Singh kept a lot out of his net, and the midfielder Komal Thatal and the forward Aniket Jadhav also impressed.&nbsp;

The two sides were playing in Delhi.&nbsp;

This was the first time India were playing at a World Cup although as hosts, they qualify automatically.&nbsp;

The other game, Paraguay versus Mali, was a five-goal thriller.

Paraguay finally clinched it with a 3-2&nbsp; win.&nbsp; 
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India lost 0-3 to the USA in their opening game of the under-17 World Cup. USA captain Josh Sargent scored from the penalty spot in the 31st minute of the game. Defender Chris Durkin doubled the USA's lead in the 51st minute and Andrew Carleton put another one past Indian goalie Dheeraj Singh to put the game past the Indians. HT | #FIFAU17WC ????India 0-1 USA???? ????Paraguay 2-2 Mali???? pic.twitter.com/Cn2u5PX5r5 — #FIFAU17WC ???????? (@FIFAcom) October 6, 2017 × FT | #FIFAU17WC ????India 0-3 USA???? ????Paraguay 3-2 Mali???? pic.twitter.com/6n0pRrafH2 — #FIFAU17WC ???????? (@FIFAcom) October 6, 2017 × India might have lost, but they did not lose their honour. Indian goalie Dheeraj Singh kept a lot out of his net, and the midfielder Komal Thatal and the forward Aniket Jadhav also impressed. The two sides were playing in Delhi. This was the first time India were playing at a World Cup although as hosts, they qualify automatically. The other game, Paraguay versus Mali, was a five-goal thriller. Paraguay finally clinched it with a 3-2 win.

U-17 Football World Cup: India lose 0-3 to USA in opening game

Treble-winning coach Jupp&nbsp;Heynckes&nbsp;is&nbsp;set&nbsp;to take over at Bundesliga champions&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;Munich for a fourth time,&nbsp;succeeding sacked Carlo&nbsp;Ancelotti, German media reported on Thursday.

The 72-year-old&nbsp;Heynckes&nbsp;led&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;to the domestic league and Cup double and the Champions League title in 2013 but then had to make way for Spaniard Pep Guardiola.

According to the Bild newspaper&nbsp;Heynckes, who also led Real Madrid to the Champions League title and coached Benfica, Athletic Bilbao and a string of Bundesliga clubs, will take over until the end of the season.

The club could not be immediately reached for a comment.

Italian&nbsp;Ancelotti&nbsp;took over last season but was fired last week after the German champions slipped to second place in the league after twice squandering a two-goal lead in consecutive games.

They had also been beaten 3-0 at Paris St Germain in the Champions League.

Heynckes, who has not worked since 2013, had also coached&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;from 1987-91 and briefly took over at the end of the 2008/9 season before becoming head coach between 2011-13.

The 72-year-old?Heynckes?led?Bayern?to the domestic league and Cup double and the Champions League title in 2013 but then had to make way for Spaniard Pep Guardiola

Treble-winning coach Jupp Heynckes is set to take over at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich for a fourth time, succeeding sacked Carlo Ancelotti, German media reported on Thursday. The 72-year-old Heynckes led Bayern to the domestic league and Cup double and the Champions League title in 2013 but then had to make way for Spaniard Pep Guardiola. According to the Bild newspaper Heynckes, who also led Real Madrid to the Champions League title and coached Benfica, Athletic Bilbao and a string of Bundesliga clubs, will take over until the end of the season. The club could not be immediately reached for a comment. Italian Ancelotti took over last season but was fired last week after the German champions slipped to second place in the league after twice squandering a two-goal lead in consecutive games. They had also been beaten 3-0 at Paris St Germain in the Champions League. Heynckes, who has not worked since 2013, had also coached Bayern from 1987-91 and briefly took over at the end of the 2008/9 season before becoming head coach between 2011-13.

Heynckes set to succeed Ancelotti as Bayern coach: Report

Las Palmas wore Spanish flags on their shirts for Sunday&#39;s La Liga clash at Barcelona -- the match was played behind closed doors --&nbsp;as shocking political events in Catalonia on Sunday overshadow action on the field.&nbsp;

Barcelona won the game 4-1.&nbsp;

Spanish riot police fired rubber bullets and forced their way into activist-held polling stations in Catalonia as thousands attempted to vote in an independence referendum deemed illegal by the Spanish government.

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<h5>We have decided to embroider on our shirt a small Spanish flag and today&#39;s date, October 1, to quietly demonstrate our hope in the future of this country, and in the goodwill of those who live in it, in search of the best understanding,&#39; Las Palmas said in a statement</h5>
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&quot;We have decided to embroider on our shirt a small Spanish flag and today&#39;s date, October 1, to quietly demonstrate our hope in the future of this country, and in the goodwill of those who live in it, in search of the best understanding,&quot; Las Palmas said in a statement.

Barca have long supported Catalonia&#39;s right for a vote on independence, without throwing their weight behind the yes or no camp.

Last week the club released a strongly-worded statement condemning arrests of regional Catalan government figures in &quot;the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination&quot;.

However, Las Palmas criticised Barca&#39;s stance for heightening the tension around the match should it go ahead.

&quot;Today Las Palmas pay a visit on an unprecedented day for our country, a day in which the Catalan government have decided to celebrate a referendum against Spanish law, with all the international exposure that events in the Camp Nou will have,&quot; continued Las Palmas&#39; statement.

&quot;The public statements in recent days, especially those of our hosts FC Barcelona, have converted this La Liga match into something more than a mere sporting spectacle.&quot;

Outspoken Barca defender Gerard Pique posted a picture of him casting his vote early on Sunday morning.

&quot;I have voted. Together we are unstoppable defending democracy,&quot; said Pique.

Legendary Barca midfielder Xavi Hernandez, who currently plays for Qatari side Al Sadd, also posted a video on social media describing the events as &quot;shameful.&quot;

&quot;It is unacceptable that in a democratic country people cannot vote,&quot; added Xavi.

And former Barca captain Carles Puyol added his support for the referendum by posting &quot;To vote is democracy!&quot; on his Twitter account.

Las Palmas wore Spanish flags on their shirts for Sunday's La Liga clash at Barcelona -- the match was played behind closed doors -- as shocking political events in Catalonia on Sunday overshadow action on the field. Barcelona won the game 4-1. Spanish riot police fired rubber bullets and forced their way into activist-held polling stations in Catalonia as thousands attempted to vote in an independence referendum deemed illegal by the Spanish government. We have decided to embroider on our shirt a small Spanish flag and today's date, October 1, to quietly demonstrate our hope in the future of this country, and in the goodwill of those who live in it, in search of the best understanding,' Las Palmas said in a statement × "We have decided to embroider on our shirt a small Spanish flag and today's date, October 1, to quietly demonstrate our hope in the future of this country, and in the goodwill of those who live in it, in search of the best understanding," Las Palmas said in a statement. Barca have long supported Catalonia's right for a vote on independence, without throwing their weight behind the yes or no camp. Last week the club released a strongly-worded statement condemning arrests of regional Catalan government figures in "the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination". However, Las Palmas criticised Barca's stance for heightening the tension around the match should it go ahead. "Today Las Palmas pay a visit on an unprecedented day for our country, a day in which the Catalan government have decided to celebrate a referendum against Spanish law, with all the international exposure that events in the Camp Nou will have," continued Las Palmas' statement. "The public statements in recent days, especially those of our hosts FC Barcelona, have converted this La Liga match into something more than a mere sporting spectacle." Outspoken Barca defender Gerard Pique posted a picture of him casting his vote early on Sunday morning. "I have voted. Together we are unstoppable defending democracy," said Pique. Legendary Barca midfielder Xavi Hernandez, who currently plays for Qatari side Al Sadd, also posted a video on social media describing the events as "shameful." "It is unacceptable that in a democratic country people cannot vote," added Xavi. And former Barca captain Carles Puyol added his support for the referendum by posting "To vote is democracy!" on his Twitter account.

Football: Las Palmas wear Spanish flag against Barca

Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea.

After Jose Mourinho&#39;s United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge.

&quot;We are so happy,&quot; City manager Pep Guardiola said. &quot;The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing.&quot;

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A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference.

Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town.

Manager Antonio Conte blamed Champions League exertions from midweek for his team&#39;s subdued performance. &quot;It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something,&quot; he said.

United&#39;s win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season.

Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal.

Romelu Lukaku&#39;s late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season.

Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure.

&quot;We started strong and we finished strong,&quot; said Mourinho.

England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle.

Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September.

&quot;Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August,&quot; he said.

Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans.

Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time.

Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf&#39;s opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southampton&#39;s Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season.

In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City.

West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal.

Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead.

&quot;It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways,&quot; West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless.

&quot;I&#39;m never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion.&quot;

Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar.

In Sunday&#39;s three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.

City beat Chelsea away 1-0, United romped 4-0 over Crystal Palace

Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea. After Jose Mourinho's United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge. "We are so happy," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing." The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing,' said Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola × A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference. Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town. Manager Antonio Conte blamed Champions League exertions from midweek for his team's subdued performance. "It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something," he said. United's win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season. Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal. Romelu Lukaku's late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season. Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure. "We started strong and we finished strong," said Mourinho. England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle. Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September. "Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August," he said. Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time. Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf's opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season. In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City. West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal. Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead. "It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways," West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless. "I'm never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion." Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar. In Sunday's three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.

Manchester City stay ahead of United with win over champions Chelsea

Manchester City&#39;s Argentine striker Sergio Aguero &quot;sustained injuries&quot;&nbsp;in a car crash, the club said Friday.&nbsp;

The accident occurred in Amsterdam, Holland.&nbsp;

Aguero was returning to England Friday to have his injuries examined.&nbsp;

City will be playing Chelsea in London on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;Sergio Aguero will be assessed by club doctors today after being involved in a road accident on Thursday. The City forward was in Holland on his day off and has sustained injuries,&quot; AFP quoted a statement from the club as saying.

City have since announced Aguero will not be playing on Saturday.&nbsp;

AFP reported Amsterdam Police as saying they had attended to a car accident on Thursday evening at around 11 pm after a &quot;taxi-cab hit a lamp-post&quot;.&nbsp;

Amsterdam Police said there were two passengers in the taxi, but did not confirm their identities.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Aguero was involved in a car crash in Amsterdam on Thursday in which a 'taxi-cab hit a lamp-post'

Manchester City's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero "sustained injuries" in a car crash, the club said Friday. The accident occurred in Amsterdam, Holland. Aguero was returning to England Friday to have his injuries examined. City will be playing Chelsea in London on Saturday. "Sergio Aguero will be assessed by club doctors today after being involved in a road accident on Thursday. The City forward was in Holland on his day off and has sustained injuries," AFP quoted a statement from the club as saying. City have since announced Aguero will not be playing on Saturday. AFP reported Amsterdam Police as saying they had attended to a car accident on Thursday evening at around 11 pm after a "taxi-cab hit a lamp-post". Amsterdam Police said there were two passengers in the taxi, but did not confirm their identities.

Injured in car crash, City's Aguero will not play Chelsea on Saturday

Zinedine Zidane praised goal-scorers Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted twice in a 3-1 victory as Real Madrid finally claimed a Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund.

Ronaldo marked his 150th European game with second-half goals after Bale&#39;s stunning early volley gave Real the lead at Dortmund&#39;s Signal Iduna Park

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored Dortmund&#39;s consolation goal with just over half an hour left, but the Germans were simply out-played by holders Real.

Having also netted twice against APOEL, Ronaldo has now scored four goals in just two Champions League games this season.

&quot;I&rsquo;m happy for Cristiano... again! I&rsquo;m delighted for Ronaldo and Bale,&quot; said Zidane.

This is the first time Dortmund have lost at home to Real in seven European games while holders Madrid have now scored in 38 successive Champion League games.

&quot;It is difficult to play in this stadium, we have never won here, so this victory was important to us, and the whole game was good for us from start to finish,&quot; said Zidane.

&quot;We had a lot of ball possession, that was the key.

&quot;Dortmund played as impressively as ever, but we compensated well.&quot;

Dortmund shaded possession and matched Real&#39;s tally of 16 shots on goal and Zidane wanted to see more chances converted.

&quot;We could have scored more. We had chances. The important thing is to score more than our opponents and we did that,&quot; said the Frenchman.

&quot;The side worked hard - Isco, (Luka) Modric, Casemiro and (Toni) Kroos were marvellous.

&quot;Everyone was brilliant. It was a tremendous game.&quot;

The result leaves Real top of Group H, just ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who beat APOEL 3-0 away, with Dortmund third and six points adrift of Spurs, who they also lost 3-1 to in London.

Dortmund coach Peter Bosz gave an honest appraisal of his team, who were better than Real in virtually every statistic - apart from the scoreboard.

&quot;We defend with 11 players and we attack with 11 players,&quot; said the Dutchman, whose Dortmund shaded possession and match Real&#39;s 16 shots on goal.

&quot;We were just too late against a side who barely made a mistake and we have to defend better.

&quot;We didn&#39;t put any pressure on the ball during the game and it&#39;s difficult against an opponent like that.

&quot;We were always too late, we have to analyse the performance and do better in the future.

Dortmund should have been awarded a penalty with 13 minutes gone when Real captain Sergio Ramos cleared Maximilian Philipp&#39;s shot off the line and the ball deflected off his hand.

&quot;That was clearly a handball in the first-half, but we deserved to lose,&quot; admitted Bosz.

Zinedine Zidane praised goal-scorers Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted twice in a 3-1 victory as Real Madrid finally claimed a Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund

Zinedine Zidane praised goal-scorers Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted twice in a 3-1 victory as Real Madrid finally claimed a Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund. Ronaldo marked his 150th European game with second-half goals after Bale's stunning early volley gave Real the lead at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored Dortmund's consolation goal with just over half an hour left, but the Germans were simply out-played by holders Real. Having also netted twice against APOEL, Ronaldo has now scored four goals in just two Champions League games this season. "I’m happy for Cristiano... again! I’m delighted for Ronaldo and Bale," said Zidane. This is the first time Dortmund have lost at home to Real in seven European games while holders Madrid have now scored in 38 successive Champion League games. "It is difficult to play in this stadium, we have never won here, so this victory was important to us, and the whole game was good for us from start to finish," said Zidane. "We had a lot of ball possession, that was the key. "Dortmund played as impressively as ever, but we compensated well." Dortmund shaded possession and matched Real's tally of 16 shots on goal and Zidane wanted to see more chances converted. "We could have scored more. We had chances. The important thing is to score more than our opponents and we did that," said the Frenchman. "The side worked hard - Isco, (Luka) Modric, Casemiro and (Toni) Kroos were marvellous. "Everyone was brilliant. It was a tremendous game." The result leaves Real top of Group H, just ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who beat APOEL 3-0 away, with Dortmund third and six points adrift of Spurs, who they also lost 3-1 to in London. Dortmund coach Peter Bosz gave an honest appraisal of his team, who were better than Real in virtually every statistic - apart from the scoreboard. "We defend with 11 players and we attack with 11 players," said the Dutchman, whose Dortmund shaded possession and match Real's 16 shots on goal. "We were just too late against a side who barely made a mistake and we have to defend better. "We didn't put any pressure on the ball during the game and it's difficult against an opponent like that. "We were always too late, we have to analyse the performance and do better in the future. Dortmund should have been awarded a penalty with 13 minutes gone when Real captain Sergio Ramos cleared Maximilian Philipp's shot off the line and the ball deflected off his hand. "That was clearly a handball in the first-half, but we deserved to lose," admitted Bosz.

Football: Zidane hails Bale, Ronaldo as Real win at Dortmund

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