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The 175th Manchester derby pits a United side unbeaten in 40 home games in all competitions against a City side who have not lost this season in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride.

Here are five big issues that will go a long way to determining the outcome of Sunday&#39;s clash at Old Trafford:

Will Mourinho &#39;park the bus&#39; at home?&nbsp;

United manager Jose Mourinho received plenty of criticism for the negative way his team approached rivals Liverpool at Anfield in October&#39;s goalless draw.

But defending in numbers and attacking on the break is also an approach that can work well for United. Relying on the counter-attack certainly paid off handsomely in the 3-1 win at Arsenal last Saturday, even if United keeper David de Gea had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front.

United are at home, but given City&#39;s ability to dominate possession, the game may, tactically at least, be more like an away match for Mourinho&#39;s team.

City have produced more passes than any other team in the league this season while United are ranked seventh in that area and it would be no surprise if Guardiola&#39;s side enjoy most of the ball.

In recent weeks, United have switched to playing with a three-man defence which allows Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young to attack down the flanks - an attacking formation which matches that of City.

But the loss to suspension of central midfielder Paul Pogba may tempt Mourinho into a more defensive line-up in the centre of the field as he looks to counter the influence of City&#39;s key creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

Who will dominate the flanks?

City are great at keeping the ball in the tight spaces in midfield and United, with Serbian enforcer Nemanja Matic expected to be fit, will look to crowd the centre of the park and give De Bruyne and David Silva little room to exploit.

But the key areas are likely to be out wide where City have the speed and skill of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling allied with the threat from their wing-backs - Kyle Walker on the right and Fabian Delph on the left.

United match-up well in that area - Valencia was brilliant going forward against Arsenal and can work up and down the right tirelessly, while Young on the left has been one of the biggest positive surprises of the campaign so far for Mourinho.

Anthony Martial, or if preferred Marcus Rashford, have a tendency to play much wider than the typical support striker and that might limit Walker&#39;s desire to push forward, lest he leave space behind for United to exploit. If Juan Mata is chosen to replace Pogba, he could offer another wide threat on the right.

Whichever wingers and wing-backs come out on top is going to have a huge impact on the outcome.

Can United stop De Bruyne?

The stats tell the story. No-one has had more touches of the ball this season in the Premier League than the Belgian. De Bruyne also shares, with team mate David Silva, the most assists with eight so far.

Brilliant with both feet and capable of running at a defence from deep and also delivering the killer pass to City&#39;s deadly strike force, De Bruyne has been fundamental to the success of Guardiola&#39;s team.

United have in Matic, however, a player who could certainly do a close-marking job but that would rob Mourinho of the Serb&#39;s overall role of marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence. It could be a job for Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini.

Will Lukaku deliver when it matters most?

The former Everton forward scored 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for United but has managed just two in his last 12 and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit, Mourinho is unlikely to drop his main striker for the derby.

The big trouble with Romelu Lukaku is that he has struggled throughout his career when facing the top teams. He failed to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this year and since 2014/15 he has only scored five goals in 39 games against the &#39;big six&#39;.

The Belgian could put all those doubts to bed with a winner against City. But if he misses chances, Mourinho may well turn to the fit-again Swedish great on his bench.

Pep Guardiola's City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride.

The 175th Manchester derby pits a United side unbeaten in 40 home games in all competitions against a City side who have not lost this season in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola's City currently lead by eight points from United in the standings, giving the game much more significance than just local pride. Here are five big issues that will go a long way to determining the outcome of Sunday's clash at Old Trafford: Will Mourinho 'park the bus' at home? United manager Jose Mourinho received plenty of criticism for the negative way his team approached rivals Liverpool at Anfield in October's goalless draw. But defending in numbers and attacking on the break is also an approach that can work well for United. Relying on the counter-attack certainly paid off handsomely in the 3-1 win at Arsenal last Saturday, even if United keeper David de Gea had to make a string of saves to keep his side in front. United are at home, but given City's ability to dominate possession, the game may, tactically at least, be more like an away match for Mourinho's team. City have produced more passes than any other team in the league this season while United are ranked seventh in that area and it would be no surprise if Guardiola's side enjoy most of the ball. In recent weeks, United have switched to playing with a three-man defence which allows Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young to attack down the flanks - an attacking formation which matches that of City. But the loss to suspension of central midfielder Paul Pogba may tempt Mourinho into a more defensive line-up in the centre of the field as he looks to counter the influence of City's key creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Who will dominate the flanks? City are great at keeping the ball in the tight spaces in midfield and United, with Serbian enforcer Nemanja Matic expected to be fit, will look to crowd the centre of the park and give De Bruyne and David Silva little room to exploit. But the key areas are likely to be out wide where City have the speed and skill of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling allied with the threat from their wing-backs - Kyle Walker on the right and Fabian Delph on the left. United match-up well in that area - Valencia was brilliant going forward against Arsenal and can work up and down the right tirelessly, while Young on the left has been one of the biggest positive surprises of the campaign so far for Mourinho. Anthony Martial, or if preferred Marcus Rashford, have a tendency to play much wider than the typical support striker and that might limit Walker's desire to push forward, lest he leave space behind for United to exploit. If Juan Mata is chosen to replace Pogba, he could offer another wide threat on the right. Whichever wingers and wing-backs come out on top is going to have a huge impact on the outcome. Can United stop De Bruyne? The stats tell the story. No-one has had more touches of the ball this season in the Premier League than the Belgian. De Bruyne also shares, with team mate David Silva, the most assists with eight so far. Brilliant with both feet and capable of running at a defence from deep and also delivering the killer pass to City's deadly strike force, De Bruyne has been fundamental to the success of Guardiola's team. United have in Matic, however, a player who could certainly do a close-marking job but that would rob Mourinho of the Serb's overall role of marshalling the midfield and protecting the defence. It could be a job for Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini. Will Lukaku deliver when it matters most? The former Everton forward scored 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for United but has managed just two in his last 12 and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fit, Mourinho is unlikely to drop his main striker for the derby. The big trouble with Romelu Lukaku is that he has struggled throughout his career when facing the top teams. He failed to score against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this year and since 2014/15 he has only scored five goals in 39 games against the 'big six'. The Belgian could put all those doubts to bed with a winner against City. But if he misses chances, Mourinho may well turn to the fit-again Swedish great on his bench.

Football: Four big questions ahead of the Manchester derby

There have been few Manchester derbies with as much on the line as Sunday&#39;s meeting at Old Trafford of the top two teams in the Premier League -- the most anticipated clash of the campaign so far.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign.

Not to be completely outdone, however, Jose Mourinho&rsquo;s Manchester United have equalled a historic club record by remaining unbeaten at Old Trafford for 40 matches in all competitions.

And with former Barcelona boss Guardiola and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho having developed a fierce rivalry during their time together in Spain, Sunday&#39;s meeting promises to be one to savour.

The last team to beat United at home were City in September, 2016 and a repeat performance would leave the club, once derided as &quot;noisy neighbours&quot; by former United boss Alex Ferguson, 11 points clear at the summit.

City have been playing some exhilarating football this campaign with coach Guardiola&#39;s style of play, which served him so well at his previous clubs, bringing the expected rewards after a disappointing lack of consistency last season.

Yet while United have suffered two defeats on the road - to Huddersfield Town and Chelsea - they too have looked like champions at home.

The 40 games unbeaten have included 29 wins and 11 draws with 85 goals scored and just 17 conceded.

This season&#39;s Premier League record at Old Trafford is played seven, won seven - 20 goals for and just one against.

Mourinho, however, will be without his key French midfielder Paul Pogba, who starts a three-match ban following his red card in Saturday&#39;s crucial 3-1 win at Arsenal.

United have produced their best football when they have had Pogba and Serbian anchorman Nemanja Matic on the field together and the former Juventus midfielder will be sorely missed.

Given the gap between the two clubs in the table, it will be intriguing to see if Mourinho maintains his habit of playing defensively against title rivals, a tactic which has been much criticised following the goalless draw at Liverpool in October.

Pogba, however, says United will approach the game in a positive fashion.

&quot;We want to win. We need to win as well. They need to win because they know that we are behind and we are closing and closing,&quot; he said.

&quot;If I didn&#39;t believe that (we can win it), I&#39;d stop playing football now,&quot; he added.

United&#39;s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be fit to feature at some stage in the game but defender Eric Bailly remains sidelined.

Pep Guardiola's City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign.

There have been few Manchester derbies with as much on the line as Sunday's meeting at Old Trafford of the top two teams in the Premier League -- the most anticipated clash of the campaign so far. Pep Guardiola's City have built an eight-point lead following an unbeaten start to the season that has included 13 straight victories - equalling the record for the longest winning run in a single Premier League campaign. Not to be completely outdone, however, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United have equalled a historic club record by remaining unbeaten at Old Trafford for 40 matches in all competitions. And with former Barcelona boss Guardiola and ex-Real Madrid manager Mourinho having developed a fierce rivalry during their time together in Spain, Sunday's meeting promises to be one to savour. The last team to beat United at home were City in September, 2016 and a repeat performance would leave the club, once derided as "noisy neighbours" by former United boss Alex Ferguson, 11 points clear at the summit. City have been playing some exhilarating football this campaign with coach Guardiola's style of play, which served him so well at his previous clubs, bringing the expected rewards after a disappointing lack of consistency last season. Yet while United have suffered two defeats on the road - to Huddersfield Town and Chelsea - they too have looked like champions at home. The 40 games unbeaten have included 29 wins and 11 draws with 85 goals scored and just 17 conceded. This season's Premier League record at Old Trafford is played seven, won seven - 20 goals for and just one against. Mourinho, however, will be without his key French midfielder Paul Pogba, who starts a three-match ban following his red card in Saturday's crucial 3-1 win at Arsenal. United have produced their best football when they have had Pogba and Serbian anchorman Nemanja Matic on the field together and the former Juventus midfielder will be sorely missed. Given the gap between the two clubs in the table, it will be intriguing to see if Mourinho maintains his habit of playing defensively against title rivals, a tactic which has been much criticised following the goalless draw at Liverpool in October. Pogba, however, says United will approach the game in a positive fashion. "We want to win. We need to win as well. They need to win because they know that we are behind and we are closing and closing," he said. "If I didn't believe that (we can win it), I'd stop playing football now," he added. United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should be fit to feature at some stage in the game but defender Eric Bailly remains sidelined.

Football: Stakes are high in Manchester derby

Chelsea surrendered the top spot in the Champions League Group C when they drew 1-1 at home against Spain`s Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Chelsea, who had already secured their place in the knockout phase, finished second in the group behind Italy`s AS Roma, while Atletico, finalists in 2014 and 2016, will drop into the Europa League after finishing third.&nbsp;

&quot;Football is about finishing at the end of the day and it`s clear we`ve not done that in the Champions League this year and we have paid the price,&quot; Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.&nbsp;

&quot;It`s not good to be out of the Champions League but there is still a long season ahead and we will be assessed at the end of it.

&quot;It`s not a disaster. It`s a situation that can happen.&quot;

Atletico took the lead in the 56th minute when Saul Niguez headed in at the far post after a flick on by former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres following a corner.

The goal was tough on Chelsea who had created a string of chances while Atletico barely troubled the hosts in the first 45 minutes.&nbsp;

Chelsea`s pressure paid off in the 75th minute when Atletico defender Stefan Savic turned an Eden Hazard cross into his own net, setting up a climactic end to the game as both sides pushed for a winning goal.

Spain striker Alvaro Morata fired at Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak when he looked sure to score and Brazil winger Willian wasted an even better chance when he blazed an effort high and wide in the 82nd minute.

Substitute Michy Batshuayi went close in added time when his angled shot flew just wide of Oblak`s post.

Chelsea`s head coach Antonio Conte was at least content with his side`s attacking intent and creativity looking ahead to the next round.

&quot;We tried to play our game and win. In the first half we tried to push, we created many chances to score and we conceded a goal from a corner,&quot; he said.

&quot;When you play this way and create so much you must be satisfied. Our (next) opponent won`t be happy to play against us.&quot;&nbsp;

Atletico took the lead in the 56th minute when Saul Niguez headed in at the far post after a flick on by former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres following a corner

Chelsea surrendered the top spot in the Champions League Group C when they drew 1-1 at home against Spain`s Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Chelsea, who had already secured their place in the knockout phase, finished second in the group behind Italy`s AS Roma, while Atletico, finalists in 2014 and 2016, will drop into the Europa League after finishing third. "Football is about finishing at the end of the day and it`s clear we`ve not done that in the Champions League this year and we have paid the price," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. "It`s not good to be out of the Champions League but there is still a long season ahead and we will be assessed at the end of it. "It`s not a disaster. It`s a situation that can happen." Atletico took the lead in the 56th minute when Saul Niguez headed in at the far post after a flick on by former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres following a corner. The goal was tough on Chelsea who had created a string of chances while Atletico barely troubled the hosts in the first 45 minutes. Chelsea`s pressure paid off in the 75th minute when Atletico defender Stefan Savic turned an Eden Hazard cross into his own net, setting up a climactic end to the game as both sides pushed for a winning goal. Spain striker Alvaro Morata fired at Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak when he looked sure to score and Brazil winger Willian wasted an even better chance when he blazed an effort high and wide in the 82nd minute. Substitute Michy Batshuayi went close in added time when his angled shot flew just wide of Oblak`s post. Chelsea`s head coach Antonio Conte was at least content with his side`s attacking intent and creativity looking ahead to the next round. "We tried to play our game and win. In the first half we tried to push, we created many chances to score and we conceded a goal from a corner," he said. "When you play this way and create so much you must be satisfied. Our (next) opponent won`t be happy to play against us."

Champions League: Chelsea surrender top spot after draw with Atletico

Barcelona scored twice in the second half to beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 at home on Tuesday, rounding off their unbeaten group stage campaign with a fourth win, while knocking the Portuguese side out of the competition.

With Lionel Messi left on the bench, Paco Alcacer gave Barca the lead in the 59th minute with a glancing header from a corner while former Barca defender Jeremy Mathieu clumsily slid Aleix Vidal`s low cross into his own net in stoppage time.

Barca had already secured their place in the last 16 of the competition as Group D winners before the game, while Sporting needed to win and for Juventus not to beat Olympiakos in order to reach the knockouts for the first time in nine seasons.

Their hopes were quickly dashed when Juan Cuadrado put Juventus ahead in the 15th minute in Athens and Federico Bernardeschi made it 2-0 in the 90th to ensure Sporting dropped into the Europa League whatever happened at the Nou Camp.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made eight changes to the team that had drawn 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Saturday, including picking Thomas Vermaelen in place of injured Samuel Umtiti and starting without Messi for the second European game in a row.

Messi came on moments after Alcacer had broken the deadlock and the Argentine instantly lifted Barca`s tempo. He went close to doubling their lead three times in quick succession, twice missing the target and forcing a save from visiting goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

At the other end Barca`s reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made an outstanding save to thwart his Dutch international team mate Bas Dost.

Sporting defender Mathieu left Barca after an inconsistent yet trophy-filled three-year spell at Barca but had the home fans chanting his name ironically after he unwittingly knocked in the second goal to seal the victory.&nbsp;

With Lionel Messi left on the bench, Paco Alcacer gave Barca the lead in the 59th minute

Barcelona scored twice in the second half to beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 at home on Tuesday, rounding off their unbeaten group stage campaign with a fourth win, while knocking the Portuguese side out of the competition. With Lionel Messi left on the bench, Paco Alcacer gave Barca the lead in the 59th minute with a glancing header from a corner while former Barca defender Jeremy Mathieu clumsily slid Aleix Vidal`s low cross into his own net in stoppage time. Barca had already secured their place in the last 16 of the competition as Group D winners before the game, while Sporting needed to win and for Juventus not to beat Olympiakos in order to reach the knockouts for the first time in nine seasons. Their hopes were quickly dashed when Juan Cuadrado put Juventus ahead in the 15th minute in Athens and Federico Bernardeschi made it 2-0 in the 90th to ensure Sporting dropped into the Europa League whatever happened at the Nou Camp. Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made eight changes to the team that had drawn 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Saturday, including picking Thomas Vermaelen in place of injured Samuel Umtiti and starting without Messi for the second European game in a row. Messi came on moments after Alcacer had broken the deadlock and the Argentine instantly lifted Barca`s tempo. He went close to doubling their lead three times in quick succession, twice missing the target and forcing a save from visiting goalkeeper Rui Patricio. At the other end Barca`s reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made an outstanding save to thwart his Dutch international team mate Bas Dost. Sporting defender Mathieu left Barca after an inconsistent yet trophy-filled three-year spell at Barca but had the home fans chanting his name ironically after he unwittingly knocked in the second goal to seal the victory.

Champions League: Barca end Sporting's hopes with 2-0 win

Bayern Munich ruined Paris St Germain&#39;s perfect Champions League record this season with a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday but their rousing win could not stop the French side advancing as Group B winners.

With both teams already qualified for the knockout stages, Corentin Tolisso&#39;s double and another goal from Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern hope of pulling off the improbable win by a four-goal margin that would see them top the group.

Yet PSG, who had thumped Bayern 3-0 in Paris, always looked likely to avoid that indignity in a high-quality contest once Kylian Mbappe scored just after halftime when they were 2-0 down.

The top-of-the-table clash proved far from a &#39;dead rubber&#39;&nbsp;with both sides determined to demonstrate the qualities that make them among the favourites to lift the title this season.

The German champions started hungrily, Lewandowski having time to turn and score in the eighth minute after being played onside by a careless Dani Alves, before Tolisso headed home James Rodriguez&#39;s cross in the 37th minute.

With the home crowd sensing an extraordinary story, Mbappe ruined the script when heading in from Edinson Cavani&#39;s neat chipped cross five minutes after the break.

Still, the French midfielder Tolisso kept the pressure on, finishing clinically in the 69th minute after David Alaba&#39;s storming run and cross down the left flank.

While PSG and Bayern ended on 15 points each, Celtic took third place, guaranteeing Europa League football, despite losing 1-0 at home to Anderlecht, whose second-half winner came from a Jozo Simunovic own goal.

The win represented the Belgian side`s first success of the competition after five straight defeats but Celtic&#39;s previous 3-0 win at Anderlecht ensured they had the better head-to-head record.

The French side still advanced to the last 16 as Group B winners

Bayern Munich ruined Paris St Germain's perfect Champions League record this season with a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday but their rousing win could not stop the French side advancing as Group B winners. With both teams already qualified for the knockout stages, Corentin Tolisso's double and another goal from Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern hope of pulling off the improbable win by a four-goal margin that would see them top the group. Yet PSG, who had thumped Bayern 3-0 in Paris, always looked likely to avoid that indignity in a high-quality contest once Kylian Mbappe scored just after halftime when they were 2-0 down. The top-of-the-table clash proved far from a 'dead rubber' with both sides determined to demonstrate the qualities that make them among the favourites to lift the title this season. The German champions started hungrily, Lewandowski having time to turn and score in the eighth minute after being played onside by a careless Dani Alves, before Tolisso headed home James Rodriguez's cross in the 37th minute. With the home crowd sensing an extraordinary story, Mbappe ruined the script when heading in from Edinson Cavani's neat chipped cross five minutes after the break. Still, the French midfielder Tolisso kept the pressure on, finishing clinically in the 69th minute after David Alaba's storming run and cross down the left flank. While PSG and Bayern ended on 15 points each, Celtic took third place, guaranteeing Europa League football, despite losing 1-0 at home to Anderlecht, whose second-half winner came from a Jozo Simunovic own goal. The win represented the Belgian side`s first success of the competition after five straight defeats but Celtic's previous 3-0 win at Anderlecht ensured they had the better head-to-head record.

Champions League: Bayern end PSG's perfect Euro record with 3-1 win

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday.

The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break.

Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head.&nbsp;

Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April.

CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net.&nbsp;

United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends.&nbsp;

Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin.

Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance.

Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross.

Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.&nbsp;

They came from behind to beat CSKA Moscow

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday. The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break. Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head. Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April. CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net. United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends. Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin. Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance. Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross. Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.

Champions League: Man United reach last 16 after 2-1 home win over CSKA

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri revealed captain Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Miralem Pjanic were both in doubt for Tuesday night`s crunch Champions League game against Olympiakos.

Juventus -- runners-up twice in the last three seasons -- head to Athens needing a win to ensure their passage to the knockout phase.&nbsp;

But Gonzalo Higuain will play after scoring the winner against Napoli at the weekend despite a broken hand.

&quot;Higuain will be on the pitch tomorrow because he is doing well both physically and mentally,&quot; said Allegri.&nbsp;

&quot;Tomorrow could be decisive. We are still evaluating Buffon and Pjanic, who is suffering from a muscle strain.&quot;

A draw or even defeat would be sufficient for the six-time defending Serie A champions unless Sporting Lisbon beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

&quot;We can`t afford to wait and see what Barcelona`s result will be,&quot; continued Allegri.&nbsp;

&quot;Either we win or we run the risk of exiting the Champions League. Tomorrow (Tuesday), our approach must be spot on. We have to be patient and take our chances to win the game.&quot;

&quot;With (Giorgio) Chiellini out, either (Daniele) Rugani or (Mattia) De Sciglio will play. (Mario) Mandzukic will be available as well.&quot;

Allegri added that it would be an important test for Argentina striker Paulo Dybala &quot;to return to his highest level&quot; and score his first Champions League goal this season to add to his 12 in Serie A.

Centre-back Andrea Barzagli added: &quot;It would be unthinkable for us not to qualify. Tomorrow`s match is essential for us, qualifying for the knockout round is our first objective of the season.

&quot;We understand the importance of the game and we know that it is not going to be easy for us -- the first match against Olympiakos at home was complicated and now we are playing in their stadium.&nbsp;

&quot;We have to be focused and careful tomorrow because it is a complicated game.&quot;

Juve play a crunch league game against Olympiakos early Wednesday morning

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri revealed captain Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Miralem Pjanic were both in doubt for Tuesday night`s crunch Champions League game against Olympiakos. Juventus -- runners-up twice in the last three seasons -- head to Athens needing a win to ensure their passage to the knockout phase. But Gonzalo Higuain will play after scoring the winner against Napoli at the weekend despite a broken hand. "Higuain will be on the pitch tomorrow because he is doing well both physically and mentally," said Allegri. "Tomorrow could be decisive. We are still evaluating Buffon and Pjanic, who is suffering from a muscle strain." A draw or even defeat would be sufficient for the six-time defending Serie A champions unless Sporting Lisbon beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou. "We can`t afford to wait and see what Barcelona`s result will be," continued Allegri. "Either we win or we run the risk of exiting the Champions League. Tomorrow (Tuesday), our approach must be spot on. We have to be patient and take our chances to win the game." "With (Giorgio) Chiellini out, either (Daniele) Rugani or (Mattia) De Sciglio will play. (Mario) Mandzukic will be available as well." Allegri added that it would be an important test for Argentina striker Paulo Dybala "to return to his highest level" and score his first Champions League goal this season to add to his 12 in Serie A. Centre-back Andrea Barzagli added: "It would be unthinkable for us not to qualify. Tomorrow`s match is essential for us, qualifying for the knockout round is our first objective of the season. "We understand the importance of the game and we know that it is not going to be easy for us -- the first match against Olympiakos at home was complicated and now we are playing in their stadium. "We have to be focused and careful tomorrow because it is a complicated game."

Buffon, Pjanic doubts for Juventus in Champions League

David Silva scored a late goal as runaway leaders Manchester City won their 13th successive Premier League game and restored their eight-point lead with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on Sunday.

Silva converted Kevin de Bruyne&#39;s brilliant pass from close range in the 83rd minute as City maintained their blistering form this season.

Nicolas Otamendi had converted substitute Gabriel Jesus&#39;s cross in the 57th minute to equalise after defender Angelo Ogbonna had headed West Ham into the most unlikely lead at the end of a first half in which the hosts dominated.

In winning their 13th successive Premier League match, City equalled the record held by both Arsenal and Chelsea.

&quot;It was difficult, teams seem to come here and get every man behind the ball, not interested in anything but parking the bus,&quot; City midfielder Fabian Delph told Sky Sports.

&quot;But we have players like David Silva in the team, so we knew if we kept going we&#39;d get our chances. We knew we had to be patient, we came out flying in the second half, we tried to explain to the boys we still had time and then we started to relax a bit more and found those spaces.

&quot;We want to win the derby but we are taking it each game at a time.&quot;

After rivals United beat Arsenal 3-1 on Saturday to cut their lead to five points, City needed to win against relegation-threatened West Ham to restore their comfortable lead ahead of next weekend&#39;s trip to Old Trafford.

As expected, City dominated possession but the mass ranks of West Ham defenders frustrated their array of attacking players and disrupted the rhythm of their intricate, threaded passes.

Surprisingly, it was West Ham who came closest to opening the scoring when Michail Antonio stretched to fire a close-range volley over the top.

Not until the 26th minute did goalkeeper Adrian make his first meaningful save, pushing Silva&#39;s deflected shot over the crossbar.

Manuel Lanzini drew a save from Ederson 10 minutes later before out-of-sorts City failed to deal with a corner -- as they did in last weekend&#39;s victory at Huddersfield Town -- with Ogbonna&#39;s downward header evading Ederson.

Otamendi restored parity shortly after the break but, until Silva&#39;s late intervention, it appeared that City&#39;s search for a winner would prove fruitless.

Jesus, Leroy Sane, de Bruyne, Silva and Raheem Sterling all went close as the Hammers defended superbly in their most impressive performance under manager David Moyes.

City have not lost a game since April, and face second-place United next Sunday. West Ham, who have won only twice all season, sit 19th -- three points behind West Bromwich Albion in 17th.

Manchester City beat West Ham 2-1 on Sunday

David Silva scored a late goal as runaway leaders Manchester City won their 13th successive Premier League game and restored their eight-point lead with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on Sunday. Silva converted Kevin de Bruyne's brilliant pass from close range in the 83rd minute as City maintained their blistering form this season. Nicolas Otamendi had converted substitute Gabriel Jesus's cross in the 57th minute to equalise after defender Angelo Ogbonna had headed West Ham into the most unlikely lead at the end of a first half in which the hosts dominated. In winning their 13th successive Premier League match, City equalled the record held by both Arsenal and Chelsea. "It was difficult, teams seem to come here and get every man behind the ball, not interested in anything but parking the bus," City midfielder Fabian Delph told Sky Sports. "But we have players like David Silva in the team, so we knew if we kept going we'd get our chances. We knew we had to be patient, we came out flying in the second half, we tried to explain to the boys we still had time and then we started to relax a bit more and found those spaces. "We want to win the derby but we are taking it each game at a time." After rivals United beat Arsenal 3-1 on Saturday to cut their lead to five points, City needed to win against relegation-threatened West Ham to restore their comfortable lead ahead of next weekend's trip to Old Trafford. As expected, City dominated possession but the mass ranks of West Ham defenders frustrated their array of attacking players and disrupted the rhythm of their intricate, threaded passes. Surprisingly, it was West Ham who came closest to opening the scoring when Michail Antonio stretched to fire a close-range volley over the top. Not until the 26th minute did goalkeeper Adrian make his first meaningful save, pushing Silva's deflected shot over the crossbar. Manuel Lanzini drew a save from Ederson 10 minutes later before out-of-sorts City failed to deal with a corner -- as they did in last weekend's victory at Huddersfield Town -- with Ogbonna's downward header evading Ederson. Otamendi restored parity shortly after the break but, until Silva's late intervention, it appeared that City's search for a winner would prove fruitless. Jesus, Leroy Sane, de Bruyne, Silva and Raheem Sterling all went close as the Hammers defended superbly in their most impressive performance under manager David Moyes. City have not lost a game since April, and face second-place United next Sunday. West Ham, who have won only twice all season, sit 19th -- three points behind West Bromwich Albion in 17th.

EPL: Late Silva goal extends City's winning run to 13 games

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane tried to hide his disappointment at missing the chance to close to gap on rivals Barcelona at the top of La Liga to six points on Saturday.

Madrid failed to capitalise on Barcelona&#39;s 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo earlier in the day as they played out a 0-0 stalemate at Athletic Bilbao to drop points for the sixth time in 14 La Liga games so far this season.

&quot;For me the most important thing is to keep thinking that we are going to have another opportunity throughout the course of the season to cut the gap,&quot; said Zidane.

That opportunity to cut the eight-point gap between the sides is most likely to come when Madrid host Barcelona in three weeks time.

However, Real could go into that match down in fifth in the table as they currently lead Sevilla only on goal difference in fourth and trail Valencia and Atletico Madrid.

Zidane`s men will also be depleted without captain Sergio Ramos, who saw his 24th career red card late on at Sam Mames, Dani Carvajal and Casemiro through suspension when Sevilla visit the Bernabeu next weekend.

And Real will play a game fewer in La Liga than their rivals before the end of the year as they jet off to contest the Club World Cup between the 13th and 16th of December.

&quot;At the moment there are three teams in front of us, but there are still six months left. We are at little behind, but there is a long way to go,&quot; added Zidane.

Zidane had shown his intent to pounce on Barca`s slip-up by naming his strongest available side as Gareth Bale once again missed out through injury.

Without the man from Cardiff, Madrid started with the same line-up that started the Champions League final in the Welsh capital six months ago.

However, Zidane insisted it is merely results and not the level of performance that has changed for Real since they swept Juventus aside to retain the Champions League and beat Barcelona to the La Liga title last season.

&quot;It is the result, nothing more. When I look at the game today, I can`t say we are playing worse,&quot; added the Frenchman.

&quot;What changes things are goals. That day we scored four against Juve and today we couldn`t score.

&quot;Last season we would score goals in the last minute and at the moment that isn`t happening.

&quot;We need to keep going and think that there will be better moments to come.&quot;

Madrid failed to capitalise on Barcelona's 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo earlier in the day as they played out a 0-0 stalemate at Athletic Bilbao to drop points for the sixth time in 14 La Liga games so far this season

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane tried to hide his disappointment at missing the chance to close to gap on rivals Barcelona at the top of La Liga to six points on Saturday. Madrid failed to capitalise on Barcelona's 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo earlier in the day as they played out a 0-0 stalemate at Athletic Bilbao to drop points for the sixth time in 14 La Liga games so far this season. "For me the most important thing is to keep thinking that we are going to have another opportunity throughout the course of the season to cut the gap," said Zidane. That opportunity to cut the eight-point gap between the sides is most likely to come when Madrid host Barcelona in three weeks time. However, Real could go into that match down in fifth in the table as they currently lead Sevilla only on goal difference in fourth and trail Valencia and Atletico Madrid. Zidane`s men will also be depleted without captain Sergio Ramos, who saw his 24th career red card late on at Sam Mames, Dani Carvajal and Casemiro through suspension when Sevilla visit the Bernabeu next weekend. And Real will play a game fewer in La Liga than their rivals before the end of the year as they jet off to contest the Club World Cup between the 13th and 16th of December. "At the moment there are three teams in front of us, but there are still six months left. We are at little behind, but there is a long way to go," added Zidane. Zidane had shown his intent to pounce on Barca`s slip-up by naming his strongest available side as Gareth Bale once again missed out through injury. Without the man from Cardiff, Madrid started with the same line-up that started the Champions League final in the Welsh capital six months ago. However, Zidane insisted it is merely results and not the level of performance that has changed for Real since they swept Juventus aside to retain the Champions League and beat Barcelona to the La Liga title last season. "It is the result, nothing more. When I look at the game today, I can`t say we are playing worse," added the Frenchman. "What changes things are goals. That day we scored four against Juve and today we couldn`t score. "Last season we would score goals in the last minute and at the moment that isn`t happening. "We need to keep going and think that there will be better moments to come."

Football: Madrid will get more chances to chase Barca says Zidane

Antonio Conte has apologised after the Chelsea manager was sent to the stands for a furious touchline rant during his side&#39;s 1-0 win over Swansea.&nbsp;

Conte was incensed with Swansea&#39;s time-wasting throughout the first half at Stamford Bridge and his frustration boiled over when referee Neil Swarbrick failed to award Chelsea a clear corner.&nbsp;

The Italian&#39;s constant complaining reached a peak with that incident and fourth official Lee Mason responded by telling Swarbrick, who immediately sent Conte to the stands.

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Conte initially retreated to seats behind the Chelsea bench, but he had to watch the second half on television in the home changing room before seeking out Swarbrick and Mason to say sorry.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s right to apologise for what happened during the game. I apologised to both of them,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;In the first half I saw Swansea was wasting time. I said this a few times to the fourth official.&nbsp;

&quot;I didn&#39;t see anything change. I was frustrated with this situation.&nbsp;

&quot;I tried to tell him again. Then the referee took this decision. For sure I made a mistake. I was frustrated.&nbsp;

&quot;I was a bit animated. For this reason the fourth official lost his patience.&nbsp;

&quot;The fault is mine, not the fourth official.&quot;&nbsp;

Conte could be fined for his first dismissal since his move to Chelsea 18 months ago.&nbsp;

However, he insisted he didn&#39;t swear and unless Swarbrick disagrees in his report to the Football Association, Conte is unlikely to be hit with a touchline ban.&nbsp;

It is five years since Conte last saw red and he admitted being banished from the touchline was a painful experience.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s a pity. I watched the rest of the game on a screen in the changing room,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;I could see very well but I don&#39;t like to stay in there.&nbsp;

&quot;I suffered in the changing room. You don&#39;t have the possibility to communicate with your players. It&#39;s very tough.&quot;

Great respect 
Conte&#39;s angst was eased by Antonio Rudiger&#39;s headed winner in the second half.&nbsp;

But even then he couldn&#39;t be completely satisfied as leaders Manchester City snatched a late winner themselves against Southampton to remain 11 points clear of third placed Chelsea.&nbsp;

Asked how he felt about City&#39;s superb run, Conte said: &quot;I think Manchester City won another game at the end.&nbsp;

&quot;I have great respect for a team that doesn&#39;t give up until the end.&nbsp;

&quot;If they are able to win many games at the end it means they trust until the end.

&quot;They are doing something incredible. When you do this sort of situation you must be a bit lucky.&nbsp;

&quot;For us it is important to look at ourselves. We are improving since the start of the season and we have good balance.&nbsp;

&quot;My feeling now is we are better than the start of the season.&quot;&nbsp;

Conte also admitted he doesn&#39;t know if David Luiz&#39;s knee injury will keep him out for a long period after the defender missed the Swansea game.

&quot;I hope to not lose him for a lot of time,&quot; he said.

Swansea remain second bottom as the pressure mounts on boss Paul Clement, whose team are without a win in six league games and haven&#39;t scored in their last four.&nbsp;

&quot;Most disappointing for me is the nature of the goal. We had players with their backs turned, they weren&#39;t in the right position,&quot; Clement groaned.&nbsp;

Clement&#39;s cause wasn&#39;t helped by another poor performance from Renato Sanches, the Portugal midfielder on loan in south Wales from Bayern Munich.&nbsp;

Sanches was hauled off at half-time and Clement admitted his player&#39;s confidence is in tatters.&nbsp;

&quot;He had a poor half. I feel for him,&quot; Clement said.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t think he&#39;s shown the talent he has this season. He&#39;s struggling for confidence and form.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m behind him but he&#39;s got to start doing the simple things.&quot;

Conte was sent to the stands for a furious touchline rant during his side's 1-0 win over Swansea

Antonio Conte has apologised after the Chelsea manager was sent to the stands for a furious touchline rant during his side's 1-0 win over Swansea. Conte was incensed with Swansea's time-wasting throughout the first half at Stamford Bridge and his frustration boiled over when referee Neil Swarbrick failed to award Chelsea a clear corner. The Italian's constant complaining reached a peak with that incident and fourth official Lee Mason responded by telling Swarbrick, who immediately sent Conte to the stands. 'It's right to apologise for what happened during the game. I apologised to both of them' × Conte initially retreated to seats behind the Chelsea bench, but he had to watch the second half on television in the home changing room before seeking out Swarbrick and Mason to say sorry. "It's right to apologise for what happened during the game. I apologised to both of them," he said. "In the first half I saw Swansea was wasting time. I said this a few times to the fourth official. "I didn't see anything change. I was frustrated with this situation. "I tried to tell him again. Then the referee took this decision. For sure I made a mistake. I was frustrated. "I was a bit animated. For this reason the fourth official lost his patience. "The fault is mine, not the fourth official." Conte could be fined for his first dismissal since his move to Chelsea 18 months ago. However, he insisted he didn't swear and unless Swarbrick disagrees in his report to the Football Association, Conte is unlikely to be hit with a touchline ban. It is five years since Conte last saw red and he admitted being banished from the touchline was a painful experience. "It's a pity. I watched the rest of the game on a screen in the changing room," he said. "I could see very well but I don't like to stay in there. "I suffered in the changing room. You don't have the possibility to communicate with your players. It's very tough." Great respect Conte's angst was eased by Antonio Rudiger's headed winner in the second half. But even then he couldn't be completely satisfied as leaders Manchester City snatched a late winner themselves against Southampton to remain 11 points clear of third placed Chelsea. Asked how he felt about City's superb run, Conte said: "I think Manchester City won another game at the end. "I have great respect for a team that doesn't give up until the end. "If they are able to win many games at the end it means they trust until the end. "They are doing something incredible. When you do this sort of situation you must be a bit lucky. "For us it is important to look at ourselves. We are improving since the start of the season and we have good balance. "My feeling now is we are better than the start of the season." Conte also admitted he doesn't know if David Luiz's knee injury will keep him out for a long period after the defender missed the Swansea game. "I hope to not lose him for a lot of time," he said. Swansea remain second bottom as the pressure mounts on boss Paul Clement, whose team are without a win in six league games and haven't scored in their last four. "Most disappointing for me is the nature of the goal. We had players with their backs turned, they weren't in the right position," Clement groaned. Clement's cause wasn't helped by another poor performance from Renato Sanches, the Portugal midfielder on loan in south Wales from Bayern Munich. Sanches was hauled off at half-time and Clement admitted his player's confidence is in tatters. "He had a poor half. I feel for him," Clement said. "I don't think he's shown the talent he has this season. He's struggling for confidence and form. "I'm behind him but he's got to start doing the simple things."

Chelsea's Conte apologises after ranting at referee

Just when the chasing pack thought the Manchester City juggernaut was suffering a misfire Raheem Sterling scored a stunning stoppage-time winner to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Wednesday.

With Manchester United having cut the gap to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s opener in the 75th minute but six minutes into stoppage time Sterling, for the third match running, snatched City&#39;s winner, this time with a sublime curling shot.

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<h5>Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City</h5>
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Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Rudiger&#39;s first Premier League goal sealed victory.

&quot;I have apologised because I did the wrong thing,&quot; Conte said of his angry reaction to a fourth official when his side were denied a corner in the first half.

&quot;I have been in to see them after the game. It&#39;s right to speak and apologise with them.&quot;

Arsenal struck three goals in four second-half minutes as they thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-0 with Mesut Ozil scoring one and supplying assists for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace, and Alexis Sanchez.

Alexandre Lacazette&#39;s early goal had separated the sides before the interval although the French striker went off with a suspected groin injury and will probably miss Saturday&#39;s home clash against Manchester United. Arsenal have won 12 consecutive home matches.

Liverpool moved into fifth place with Mohamed Salah taking his tally for the season to a chart-topping 12 thanks to a double in a 3-0 victory at Stoke City.

After 14 games City have 40 points, with United on 32, Chelsea 29, Arsenal 28 and Liverpool 26.

Heady sixth

Burnley rose to a heady sixth, ahead of a sliding Tottenham Hotspur, as Chris Wood and Robbie Brady scored in a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth - their fourth win in five league games.

&quot;Where we are in the league, everyone will be surprised by that,&quot; Burnley boss Sean Dyche said.

Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, the third with a wonder goal from inside his own half, as Everton thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on a horrible return to Goodison Park for David Moyes whose West Ham side remained in the bottom three.

Sam Allardyce, who will be named shortly as Everton&#39;s new manager, watched on from the stands as caretaker boss David Unsworth signed off with a victory that lifted Everton to 13th.

Whatever happens below them, City are looking unstoppable and with 40 points from 14 games and a goal difference of 35 they have recorded the best start in Premier League history.

They were not at their fluent best and Southampton came closest to scoring before the break with Wesley Hoedt striking the woodwork for the visitors.

But Sterling&#39;s effort sparked wild celebrations at the Etihad as the former Liverpool player struck yet another late goal to take his tally for the season to 13.

He has now earned City nine extra points this season with his timely interventions and his latest effort was arguably his best, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort.

&quot;Raheem is a match-winner, I am so happy for him. He is special, it was an amazing goal. It is more than important, it is beautiful,&quot; Guardiola, whose side have dropped only two points this season, said.

City are now two wins away from matching Arsenal&#39;s record 14-match winning run in the Premier League.

City beat Southampton 2-1. This was City's 12th successive league victory

Just when the chasing pack thought the Manchester City juggernaut was suffering a misfire Raheem Sterling scored a stunning stoppage-time winner to give the Premier League leaders a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Wednesday. With Manchester United having cut the gap to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory. Former Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu had cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne's opener in the 75th minute but six minutes into stoppage time Sterling, for the third match running, snatched City's winner, this time with a sublime curling shot. Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City × Manager Antonio Conte was sent to the stands after a verbal meltdown at Stamford Bridge as his Chelsea side laboured to a 1-0 defeat of struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Rudiger's first Premier League goal sealed victory. "I have apologised because I did the wrong thing," Conte said of his angry reaction to a fourth official when his side were denied a corner in the first half. "I have been in to see them after the game. It's right to speak and apologise with them." Arsenal struck three goals in four second-half minutes as they thrashed Huddersfield Town 5-0 with Mesut Ozil scoring one and supplying assists for Olivier Giroud, who scored a brace, and Alexis Sanchez. Alexandre Lacazette's early goal had separated the sides before the interval although the French striker went off with a suspected groin injury and will probably miss Saturday's home clash against Manchester United. Arsenal have won 12 consecutive home matches. Liverpool moved into fifth place with Mohamed Salah taking his tally for the season to a chart-topping 12 thanks to a double in a 3-0 victory at Stoke City. After 14 games City have 40 points, with United on 32, Chelsea 29, Arsenal 28 and Liverpool 26. Heady sixth Burnley rose to a heady sixth, ahead of a sliding Tottenham Hotspur, as Chris Wood and Robbie Brady scored in a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth - their fourth win in five league games. "Where we are in the league, everyone will be surprised by that," Burnley boss Sean Dyche said. Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick, the third with a wonder goal from inside his own half, as Everton thrashed West Ham United 4-0 on a horrible return to Goodison Park for David Moyes whose West Ham side remained in the bottom three. Sam Allardyce, who will be named shortly as Everton's new manager, watched on from the stands as caretaker boss David Unsworth signed off with a victory that lifted Everton to 13th. Whatever happens below them, City are looking unstoppable and with 40 points from 14 games and a goal difference of 35 they have recorded the best start in Premier League history. They were not at their fluent best and Southampton came closest to scoring before the break with Wesley Hoedt striking the woodwork for the visitors. But Sterling's effort sparked wild celebrations at the Etihad as the former Liverpool player struck yet another late goal to take his tally for the season to 13. He has now earned City nine extra points this season with his timely interventions and his latest effort was arguably his best, picking out the top corner with an unstoppable effort. "Raheem is a match-winner, I am so happy for him. He is special, it was an amazing goal. It is more than important, it is beautiful," Guardiola, whose side have dropped only two points this season, said. City are now two wins away from matching Arsenal's record 14-match winning run in the Premier League.

EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing

Manchester United sent a timely message to leaders Manchester City as they won 4-2 at Watford but Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s Premier League challenge is fading fast after they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday.

Ashley Young was on target for the first time in 18 months as he scored twice for second-placed United who led 3-0 at the break before Watford produced a late fightback.

United&#39;s win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday.

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<h5>United&#39;s win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday</h5>
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Leicester&#39;s Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez turned the clock back two years as they both scored in a first-half display reminiscent of when the Foxes won the title in 2015-16.

Harry Kane replied for Tottenham after the break but the visitors could not prevent a third defeat in five league games which left them in fifth place -- 13 points off top spot.

West Bromwich Albion&#39;s caretaker manager Gary Megson looked set for a morale-boosting victory as his side led Newcastle United 2-0 with goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Field.

But Newcastle rallied to avoid a fifth straight league defeat with Ciaran Clark halving the deficit and an own goal by West Brom&#39;s Jonny Evans frustrating the hosts who are expected to name a successor to sacked Tony Pulis this week.

The BBC reported after Tuesday&#39;s match that former Newcastle and Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, 56, was set to be appointed as the new West Brom manager as early as Wednesday.

Basement club Palace drew 0-0 at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion to move level on nine points with second-bottom Swansea City.

Likely challengers

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City look unstoppable but neighbours United are emerging as their most likely challengers with a derby looming next month.

United have been hamstrung by their poor away form, losing their last two on the road in the league, but they found a cure for travel sickness at a freezing Vicarage Road where manager Jose Mourinho said they could have scored seven or eight goals.

As it was they were hanging on towards the end after Tory Deeney&#39;s converted a 77th minute penalty and Abdoulaye Doucoure stabbed home to make it 3-2 with six minutes left before Jesse Lingard&#39;s superb solo goal sealed the win.

&quot;The second half should have been five or six nil, it was easier to score than the first,&quot; Mourinho said.

&quot;We missed chances. Out of nothing, they got a penalty for 3-1, then it was a different game. We should be smoking cigars but then we&#39;re in trouble.

&quot;It&#39;s important we have three wins in a row, nine points in three matches is good.&quot;

Former Watford winger Young had put United ahead after 19 minutes with a powerful near-post effort, celebrating by cupping his ear to the home faithful who responded with boos.

He topped that with a superb free kick that gave goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes no chance six minutes later.

Anthony Martial made it 3-0 in the 32nd but home substitute Deeney&#39;s spot kick breathed new life into the hosts who began the night seeking a third straight league win of their own.

Needless to say their manager Marco Silva was not inclined to agree with fellow Portuguese Mourinho&#39;s verdict that United could have won by a much larger margin.

&quot;The result is hard to take for us, we didn&#39;t deserve this result,&quot; he said.

United beat Watford 4-2, Tottenham lost 1-2 to Leicester City

Manchester United sent a timely message to leaders Manchester City as they won 4-2 at Watford but Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League challenge is fading fast after they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday. Ashley Young was on target for the first time in 18 months as he scored twice for second-placed United who led 3-0 at the break before Watford produced a late fightback. United's win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday. United's win moves them to 32 points and they are within five points of leaders City who host Southampton on Wednesday × Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez turned the clock back two years as they both scored in a first-half display reminiscent of when the Foxes won the title in 2015-16. Harry Kane replied for Tottenham after the break but the visitors could not prevent a third defeat in five league games which left them in fifth place -- 13 points off top spot. West Bromwich Albion's caretaker manager Gary Megson looked set for a morale-boosting victory as his side led Newcastle United 2-0 with goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Field. But Newcastle rallied to avoid a fifth straight league defeat with Ciaran Clark halving the deficit and an own goal by West Brom's Jonny Evans frustrating the hosts who are expected to name a successor to sacked Tony Pulis this week. The BBC reported after Tuesday's match that former Newcastle and Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, 56, was set to be appointed as the new West Brom manager as early as Wednesday. Basement club Palace drew 0-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion to move level on nine points with second-bottom Swansea City. Likely challengers Pep Guardiola's Manchester City look unstoppable but neighbours United are emerging as their most likely challengers with a derby looming next month. United have been hamstrung by their poor away form, losing their last two on the road in the league, but they found a cure for travel sickness at a freezing Vicarage Road where manager Jose Mourinho said they could have scored seven or eight goals. As it was they were hanging on towards the end after Tory Deeney's converted a 77th minute penalty and Abdoulaye Doucoure stabbed home to make it 3-2 with six minutes left before Jesse Lingard's superb solo goal sealed the win. "The second half should have been five or six nil, it was easier to score than the first," Mourinho said. "We missed chances. Out of nothing, they got a penalty for 3-1, then it was a different game. We should be smoking cigars but then we're in trouble. "It's important we have three wins in a row, nine points in three matches is good." Former Watford winger Young had put United ahead after 19 minutes with a powerful near-post effort, celebrating by cupping his ear to the home faithful who responded with boos. He topped that with a superb free kick that gave goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes no chance six minutes later. Anthony Martial made it 3-0 in the 32nd but home substitute Deeney's spot kick breathed new life into the hosts who began the night seeking a third straight league win of their own. Needless to say their manager Marco Silva was not inclined to agree with fellow Portuguese Mourinho's verdict that United could have won by a much larger margin. "The result is hard to take for us, we didn't deserve this result," he said.

EPL: Man United stay in touch, Tottenham stumble again

Lionel Messi has signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2021, the Liga leaders confirmed, ending speculation that the five-times world player of the year could leave the club where he has spent his entire career for free next June.

&quot;FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi signed on Saturday morning a new contract that will keep the Argentine superstar at the Club through the 2020/21 season,&quot; said a statement from Barca, posting a picture of Messi signing the deal alongside president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

&quot;The buyout clause was set at 700 million euros ($835.10 million).&quot;

Messi, 30, agreed the new contract with Barcelona in July but the club did not release the usual photo of the player putting pen to paper, fuelling speculation he could depart in June 2018, when his previous deal ran out, for free.

Messi is Barca&#39;s all-time top scorer with 523 goals in all competitions and has won eight Liga, five King&#39;s Cup and four Champions League titles since making his debut for the Catalan club in 2004, having joined their youth academy in 2000 aged 13.

He leads the scoring charts in La Liga with 12 goals and on Friday picked up the 2017 European Sports Media Golden Shoe for being the top scorer in a domestic league last season with 37 goals.

Barca can extend their lead at the top of La Liga to seven points if they beat second-placed Valencia on Sunday.

&quot;We should have signed this a long time ago and now we have and I&#39;m happy to continue with the club, which is my home,&quot; Messi told Barca&#39;s official television channel.

&quot;My dream was to finish my career at Bar&ccedil;a and we are moving down that path. Our objective is to continue achieving great things, fill the trophy cabinet and keep making history.

&quot;We&#39;ve been lucky enough to have won a great many things and I hope there will be more in the future.&quot;

Barca president Bartomeu hinted that Messi&#39;s buy-out clause had been cranked up from 300 million euros in the agreement in June up to 700 million euros after the club lost Neymar to Paris St Germain in August after the French giants paid the Brazilian international&#39;s clause of 222 million euros.

&quot;It&#39;s a new contract that we have signed today, because although the one we signed in June was up to par with his greatness as a player, the new one is more in line with the current situation in the ever-changing world of football,&quot; Bartomeu said.

&quot;It&#39;s a great contract for the best player in football history. It fills me with pride to see him with us renewing his love for the club.&quot;

Messi is Barca's all-time top scorer with 523 goals in all competitions and has won eight Liga, five King's Cup and four Champions League titles since making his debut for the Catalan club in 2004, having joined their youth academy in 2000 aged 13.

Lionel Messi has signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2021, the Liga leaders confirmed, ending speculation that the five-times world player of the year could leave the club where he has spent his entire career for free next June. "FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi signed on Saturday morning a new contract that will keep the Argentine superstar at the Club through the 2020/21 season," said a statement from Barca, posting a picture of Messi signing the deal alongside president Josep Maria Bartomeu. "The buyout clause was set at 700 million euros ($835.10 million)." Messi, 30, agreed the new contract with Barcelona in July but the club did not release the usual photo of the player putting pen to paper, fuelling speculation he could depart in June 2018, when his previous deal ran out, for free. Messi is Barca's all-time top scorer with 523 goals in all competitions and has won eight Liga, five King's Cup and four Champions League titles since making his debut for the Catalan club in 2004, having joined their youth academy in 2000 aged 13. He leads the scoring charts in La Liga with 12 goals and on Friday picked up the 2017 European Sports Media Golden Shoe for being the top scorer in a domestic league last season with 37 goals. Barca can extend their lead at the top of La Liga to seven points if they beat second-placed Valencia on Sunday. "We should have signed this a long time ago and now we have and I'm happy to continue with the club, which is my home," Messi told Barca's official television channel. "My dream was to finish my career at Barça and we are moving down that path. Our objective is to continue achieving great things, fill the trophy cabinet and keep making history. "We've been lucky enough to have won a great many things and I hope there will be more in the future." Barca president Bartomeu hinted that Messi's buy-out clause had been cranked up from 300 million euros in the agreement in June up to 700 million euros after the club lost Neymar to Paris St Germain in August after the French giants paid the Brazilian international's clause of 222 million euros. "It's a new contract that we have signed today, because although the one we signed in June was up to par with his greatness as a player, the new one is more in line with the current situation in the ever-changing world of football," Bartomeu said. "It's a great contract for the best player in football history. It fills me with pride to see him with us renewing his love for the club."

Football: Messi signs new contract with  Barcelona until 2021

An Italian court sentenced former AC Milan and Brazil forward Robinho in absentia to nine years in prison on Thursday (November 23) after convicting him of taking part in a gang rape of an Albanian woman in 2013.

A Milan court ruled that Robinho and five other Brazilians assaulted the woman, who was 22 at the time, after plying her with alcohol in a discotheque. The whereabouts of Robinho&#39;s five companions is not known, so their trial has been put on hold.

Robinho, 33, who currently plays with Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, pleaded not guilty via his lawyer and never appeared at any of the court hearings in northern Italy.

&quot;We would like to clarify that he has already defended himself against the accusations, affirming that he did not participate in the episode,&quot; said a statement posted on Robinho&#39;s Instagram feed. &quot;All legal measures are being taken.&quot;

Robinho has a right to two appeals and Italy would only seek extradition once this legal process is exhausted, a legal source said. However, Brazil does not allow for the extradition of its own citizens, meaning he would only risk arrest and deportation if he was stopped in a third country.

The Milan court ordered the victim receive 60,000 euros ($71,000) as compensation for her suffering.

Robinho has won 100 caps for Brazil, scoring 28 goals.

Robinho, 33, who currently plays with Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, pleaded not guilty via his lawyer and never appeared at any of the court hearings in northern Italy.

An Italian court sentenced former AC Milan and Brazil forward Robinho in absentia to nine years in prison on Thursday (November 23) after convicting him of taking part in a gang rape of an Albanian woman in 2013. A Milan court ruled that Robinho and five other Brazilians assaulted the woman, who was 22 at the time, after plying her with alcohol in a discotheque. The whereabouts of Robinho's five companions is not known, so their trial has been put on hold. Robinho, 33, who currently plays with Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, pleaded not guilty via his lawyer and never appeared at any of the court hearings in northern Italy. "We would like to clarify that he has already defended himself against the accusations, affirming that he did not participate in the episode," said a statement posted on Robinho's Instagram feed. "All legal measures are being taken." Robinho has a right to two appeals and Italy would only seek extradition once this legal process is exhausted, a legal source said. However, Brazil does not allow for the extradition of its own citizens, meaning he would only risk arrest and deportation if he was stopped in a third country. The Milan court ordered the victim receive 60,000 euros ($71,000) as compensation for her suffering. Robinho has won 100 caps for Brazil, scoring 28 goals.

Brazil footballer given 9-year prison term for rape

Sevilla&#39;s Argentine coach Eduardo Berizzo has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the club confirmed on Wednesday, just hours after his side staged a remarkable comeback against Liverpool in the Champions League.

&quot;The medical services of Sevilla FC can inform that the coach of the first team, Eduardo Berizzo, has been diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma of the prostate,&quot; the club said in a statement.

&quot;Further tests will determine which steps to follow regarding his treatment.

&quot;Sevilla FC wants to show their full support to the coach right now and wishes him a speedy recovery.&quot;

Berizzo, 48, made no statement on his health when speaking to media after the Spanish side came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 against the five-time European champions.

A former center-back for River Plate, Marseille, and Celta Vigo among others, Berizzo is in his first season as Sevilla boss after three successful years in charge of Celta.

Several Sevilla players had hailed Berizzo&#39;s powers of motivation to orchestrate their second-half fightback.

&quot;We had to come out with a different attitude for the fans and for the boss, he made us play like that,&quot; said Argentine international Ever Banega.

&quot;He turned the situation around in the second-half.&quot;

Sevilla came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 against Liverpool in their Champions League match early Wednesday morning

Sevilla's Argentine coach Eduardo Berizzo has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the club confirmed on Wednesday, just hours after his side staged a remarkable comeback against Liverpool in the Champions League. "The medical services of Sevilla FC can inform that the coach of the first team, Eduardo Berizzo, has been diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma of the prostate," the club said in a statement. "Further tests will determine which steps to follow regarding his treatment. "Sevilla FC wants to show their full support to the coach right now and wishes him a speedy recovery." Berizzo, 48, made no statement on his health when speaking to media after the Spanish side came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 against the five-time European champions. A former center-back for River Plate, Marseille, and Celta Vigo among others, Berizzo is in his first season as Sevilla boss after three successful years in charge of Celta. Several Sevilla players had hailed Berizzo's powers of motivation to orchestrate their second-half fightback. "We had to come out with a different attitude for the fans and for the boss, he made us play like that," said Argentine international Ever Banega. "He turned the situation around in the second-half."

Hours after Sevilla comeback, coach Eduardo Berizzo diagnosed with cancer

Dani Carvajal could be banned for the Real Madrid&#39;s Champions League last 16 first leg after UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the right-back for &quot;receiving a yellow card on purpose&quot; during Tuesday&#39;s 6-0 rout of APOEL Nicosia.

The Spanish international picked up his third booking of the group stage, to trigger an automatic one-match ban, for time wasting in the 90th minute in Cyprus.

However, he will be hit with an extra game ban if found guilty of breaking article 15 of UEFA&#39;s disciplinary regulations when his case is heard on December 7.

Madrid has already secured their place in the last 16 behind Tottenham Hotspur in Group H with nothing riding on their final group game at home to Borussia Dortmund on December 6.

It is not the first time Madrid have been reprimanded by UEFA for provoking suspensions in the Champions League.

In 2010 Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were charged for getting sent off in the final stages of a 4-0 win at Ajax to miss a meaningless match against Auxerre.

On that occasion, the pair escaped an extra ban but were fined 20,000 euros each and coach Jose Mourinho was handed a two-match suspended ban for orchestrating their dismissals.

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the right-back for 'receiving a yellow card on purpose' during Tuesday's 6-0 rout of APOEL Nicosia

Dani Carvajal could be banned for the Real Madrid's Champions League last 16 first leg after UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the right-back for "receiving a yellow card on purpose" during Tuesday's 6-0 rout of APOEL Nicosia. The Spanish international picked up his third booking of the group stage, to trigger an automatic one-match ban, for time wasting in the 90th minute in Cyprus. However, he will be hit with an extra game ban if found guilty of breaking article 15 of UEFA's disciplinary regulations when his case is heard on December 7. Madrid has already secured their place in the last 16 behind Tottenham Hotspur in Group H with nothing riding on their final group game at home to Borussia Dortmund on December 6. It is not the first time Madrid have been reprimanded by UEFA for provoking suspensions in the Champions League. In 2010 Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were charged for getting sent off in the final stages of a 4-0 win at Ajax to miss a meaningless match against Auxerre. On that occasion, the pair escaped an extra ban but were fined 20,000 euros each and coach Jose Mourinho was handed a two-match suspended ban for orchestrating their dismissals.

Champions League: Real's Carvajal charged by UEFA for 'deliberate booking'

English teams are not being given enough time to recover from Champions League games and the Premier League should review the way the fixture schedule is drawn up, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said.

Chelsea are second in their Champions League group and face Qarabag in Azerbaijan later on Wednesday seeking to book their spot in the last 16. They are then scheduled to face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

Conte suggested the congested schedule is one of the reasons English sides have failed to reach the Champions League final in recent years. Chelsea were the last English club to reach the final when they beat Bayern Munich in the 2011/12 season.

&quot;It will be very difficult for us to recover,&quot; Conte told reporters on Tuesday. &quot;Whoever prepared the fixtures for the league must pay great attention.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;d like to underline I&#39;m talking for all the teams who are playing in the Champions League, not just for Chelsea. At this moment, England needs to try to understand this problem and change something.&quot;

Conte said Chelsea were in the same situation in September when they travelled to Atletico Madrid on Sept. 27 and hosted Manchester City three days later.

&quot;For a lot of time, there hasn&#39;t been an English team playing a final in the Champions League. Why is this? The teams are very strong, and every team has the possibility to go through to the Champions League final,&quot; he added.

Chelsea are nine points behind league leaders Manchester City and a point behind second-placed United.

Chelsea take on Qarabag in Azerbaijan Wednesday night

English teams are not being given enough time to recover from Champions League games and the Premier League should review the way the fixture schedule is drawn up, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said. Chelsea are second in their Champions League group and face Qarabag in Azerbaijan later on Wednesday seeking to book their spot in the last 16. They are then scheduled to face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. Conte suggested the congested schedule is one of the reasons English sides have failed to reach the Champions League final in recent years. Chelsea were the last English club to reach the final when they beat Bayern Munich in the 2011/12 season. "It will be very difficult for us to recover," Conte told reporters on Tuesday. "Whoever prepared the fixtures for the league must pay great attention." "I'd like to underline I'm talking for all the teams who are playing in the Champions League, not just for Chelsea. At this moment, England needs to try to understand this problem and change something." Conte said Chelsea were in the same situation in September when they travelled to Atletico Madrid on Sept. 27 and hosted Manchester City three days later. "For a lot of time, there hasn't been an English team playing a final in the Champions League. Why is this? The teams are very strong, and every team has the possibility to go through to the Champions League final," he added. Chelsea are nine points behind league leaders Manchester City and a point behind second-placed United.

Champions League: Chelsea's Conte says not getting time to recover, EPL should rethink fixtures

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday&#39;s Champions League clash at Sevilla.

A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp&#39;s side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League.

&quot;It&#39;s getting really exciting and decisive -- and that&#39;s really cool,&quot; Klopp said. &quot;We&#39;ve had 12 (league) games this season, that&#39;s not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances.

&quot;That&#39;s what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that&#39;s what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us.&quot;

Liverpool&#39;s blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge&#39;s game time.

However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window.

&quot;I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time,&quot; Klopp added. &quot;The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different.

&quot;There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don&#39;t think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players).&quot;

Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.

Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Liverpool take on Sevilla early Wednesday morning at 1.15 am India Standard Time

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at Sevilla. A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp's side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League. "It's getting really exciting and decisive -- and that's really cool," Klopp said. "We've had 12 (league) games this season, that's not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances. "That's what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that's what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us." Liverpool's blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge's game time. However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window. "I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time," Klopp added. "The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different. "There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don't think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players)." Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday. Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Champions League: Klopp says Liverpool have overcome early instability

Tottenham Hotspur must quickly get over the disappointment of the Premier League defeat at Arsenal by getting a morale-boosting victory at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, manager Mauricio Pochettino has said.

Spurs&#39; loss at the Emirates on Saturday dropped them to fourth in the table, 11 points behind league leaders Manchester City, and extended their woeful away record against fellow top-six teams to one win in 17 games.

Tottenham, who are top of their Champions League group, have already sealed progression to the knockout stages and Pochettino believes their penultimate group match against a struggling Dortmund is the perfect opportunity to get a much-needed win.

&quot;Now we have to keep going and get ready for Borussia Dortmund. Okay, we&#39;re already in the next stage of the competition but we want to win and try to change the feeling we have from the weekend,&quot; Pochettino told the club&#39;s website. (www.tottenhamhotspur.com)

&quot;It&#39;s always important to compete and to be focused on the next game and when you lose, it&#39;s important to play as soon as possible to change that feeling.&quot;

Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen echoed his manager&#39;s words and says the Dortmund game allows Spurs&#39; players to show their true capabilities after an underwhelming outing against Arsenal.

&quot;It&#39;s probably good that we have a game so quickly after the derby and you can have a bit of revenge -- you can show the world that you are a better than what you saw on Saturday,&quot; Eriksen told reporters.

Tottenham was favored to win the north London derby and was criticised on multiple fronts after the poor showing but Pochettino has welcomed the increased expectations saying it showed the club&#39;s improvement during his reign.

&quot;The expectation now is that we win the Champions League and Premier League and I am happy with the pressure and the criticism,&quot; Pochettino added.

&quot;It means people expect more of us. We know very well we have improved in every single aspect.&quot;

Tottenham, who are top of their Champions League group, have already sealed progression to the knockout stages

Tottenham Hotspur must quickly get over the disappointment of the Premier League defeat at Arsenal by getting a morale-boosting victory at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, manager Mauricio Pochettino has said. Spurs' loss at the Emirates on Saturday dropped them to fourth in the table, 11 points behind league leaders Manchester City, and extended their woeful away record against fellow top-six teams to one win in 17 games. Tottenham, who are top of their Champions League group, have already sealed progression to the knockout stages and Pochettino believes their penultimate group match against a struggling Dortmund is the perfect opportunity to get a much-needed win. "Now we have to keep going and get ready for Borussia Dortmund. Okay, we're already in the next stage of the competition but we want to win and try to change the feeling we have from the weekend," Pochettino told the club's website. (www.tottenhamhotspur.com) "It's always important to compete and to be focused on the next game and when you lose, it's important to play as soon as possible to change that feeling." Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen echoed his manager's words and says the Dortmund game allows Spurs' players to show their true capabilities after an underwhelming outing against Arsenal. "It's probably good that we have a game so quickly after the derby and you can have a bit of revenge -- you can show the world that you are a better than what you saw on Saturday," Eriksen told reporters. Tottenham was favored to win the north London derby and was criticised on multiple fronts after the poor showing but Pochettino has welcomed the increased expectations saying it showed the club's improvement during his reign. "The expectation now is that we win the Champions League and Premier League and I am happy with the pressure and the criticism," Pochettino added. "It means people expect more of us. We know very well we have improved in every single aspect."

Champions League: Tottenham Hotspur must beat Dortmund to get over Arsenal loss, says manager

Real Madrid and Atletico each slipped 10 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after an intense Madrid derby finished goalless and the Catalans picked up an 11th victory in 12 games by winning 3-0 at Leganes.

Atletico forward Angel Correa wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first derby at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium when he was through on goal in the third minute, while Toni Kroos missed Real&#39;s clearest opportunity.

Raphael Varane rescued Real by heading away Kevin Gameiro&#39;s chipped shot in the second half. At the other end, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made two late saves to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo and Kroos as Real finished stronger in the first league derby to finish 0-0 in more than 12 years.

Barca striker Luis Suarez snapped a goal drought spanning five games by scoring twice in his side&#39;s 3-0 win at Leganes, while substitute Paulinho poked in the third goal in stoppage time.

Barca lead the standings on 34 points from 12 games, seven clear of Valencia who visit Espanyol on Sunday, while Real are third on 24, level on points with Atletico in fourth. Sevilla are fifth after coming from behind to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 at home.

The intense rivalry between Real and Atletico could be felt throughout the game, with Correa booting a ball at Karim Benzema&#39;s face when the French striker was on the floor or when Stefan Savic cynically hauled down Kroos.

Towards the end of the first half Lucas Hernandez kicked Sergio Ramos in the face as the captain tried to land a diving header, an incident which could have led to a Real penalty and saw Ramos taken off with a fractured nose.

Atletico fans booed Antoine Griezmann off the pitch when he was substituted following a lifeless performance from the France striker, who has not scored for his club since Sept. 27.

Real coach Zinedine Zidane said his side deserved more from the game, the fifth occasion in which they have dropped points this season.

&quot;Sometimes the ball doesn&#39;t want to go in. I can&#39;t explain why,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;The good thing about tonight is we played well. Of course, we&#39;re struggling to score, but we know we will. We need to stay positive, which we are. We need to keep on working because this is football and things change very quickly and I&#39;m sure we&#39;ll be fighting for the title until the end.&quot;

Atletico coach Diego Simeone said: &quot;We were playing against the best team in the world. We played as we wanted to, we could have lost this game but we also could have won it.&quot;

SPURNED CHANCES

Earlier at Leganes, Barca striker Suarez reaped the benefits of two weeks rest after being left out of Uruguay&#39;s internationals and pounced from close range to give Barca the lead in the 28th minute, after Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar failed to hold a shot from Paco Alcacer.

Leganes offered Barca little space going forward and strikers Nordin Amrabat and Alexander Szymanowski both spurned chances to score before the break, the latter being denied by the left hand of an outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

&quot;Perhaps the result implies we dominated the game more than we actually did,&quot; Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters.

Suarez doubled Ernesto Valverde&#39;s side&#39;s lead on the hour by sliding to send another rebound beyond the hapless Cuellar while Brazilian Paulinho struck his fourth goal of the season.

There was one negative for Barca, however, as defender Gerard Pique picked up a fifth yellow card of the season and is suspended for next week&#39;s top-of-the-table clash at Valencia.

Atletico forward Angel Correa wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first derby at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium when he was through on goal in the third minute, while Toni Kroos missed Real's clearest opportunity.

Real Madrid and Atletico each slipped 10 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after an intense Madrid derby finished goalless and the Catalans picked up an 11th victory in 12 games by winning 3-0 at Leganes. Atletico forward Angel Correa wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first derby at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium when he was through on goal in the third minute, while Toni Kroos missed Real's clearest opportunity. Raphael Varane rescued Real by heading away Kevin Gameiro's chipped shot in the second half. At the other end, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made two late saves to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo and Kroos as Real finished stronger in the first league derby to finish 0-0 in more than 12 years. Barca striker Luis Suarez snapped a goal drought spanning five games by scoring twice in his side's 3-0 win at Leganes, while substitute Paulinho poked in the third goal in stoppage time. Barca lead the standings on 34 points from 12 games, seven clear of Valencia who visit Espanyol on Sunday, while Real are third on 24, level on points with Atletico in fourth. Sevilla are fifth after coming from behind to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 at home. The intense rivalry between Real and Atletico could be felt throughout the game, with Correa booting a ball at Karim Benzema's face when the French striker was on the floor or when Stefan Savic cynically hauled down Kroos. Towards the end of the first half Lucas Hernandez kicked Sergio Ramos in the face as the captain tried to land a diving header, an incident which could have led to a Real penalty and saw Ramos taken off with a fractured nose. Atletico fans booed Antoine Griezmann off the pitch when he was substituted following a lifeless performance from the France striker, who has not scored for his club since Sept. 27. Real coach Zinedine Zidane said his side deserved more from the game, the fifth occasion in which they have dropped points this season. "Sometimes the ball doesn't want to go in. I can't explain why," he told reporters. "The good thing about tonight is we played well. Of course, we're struggling to score, but we know we will. We need to stay positive, which we are. We need to keep on working because this is football and things change very quickly and I'm sure we'll be fighting for the title until the end." Atletico coach Diego Simeone said: "We were playing against the best team in the world. We played as we wanted to, we could have lost this game but we also could have won it." SPURNED CHANCES Earlier at Leganes, Barca striker Suarez reaped the benefits of two weeks rest after being left out of Uruguay's internationals and pounced from close range to give Barca the lead in the 28th minute, after Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar failed to hold a shot from Paco Alcacer. Leganes offered Barca little space going forward and strikers Nordin Amrabat and Alexander Szymanowski both spurned chances to score before the break, the latter being denied by the left hand of an outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen. "Perhaps the result implies we dominated the game more than we actually did," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters. Suarez doubled Ernesto Valverde's side's lead on the hour by sliding to send another rebound beyond the hapless Cuellar while Brazilian Paulinho struck his fourth goal of the season. There was one negative for Barca, however, as defender Gerard Pique picked up a fifth yellow card of the season and is suspended for next week's top-of-the-table clash at Valencia.

Football: Suarez inspires Barca, Real and Atletico in derby stalemate

Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura was sacked on Wednesday as he paid the almost inevitable price for their failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.

The Italian federation (FIGC) initially issued a statement saying that Ventura was &quot;no longer&quot; the coach without clarifying whether he had been sacked or resigned. An FIGC source, however, told Reuters that the 69-year-old had been fired.

The four-times world champions were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sweden in the second leg of their European playoff on Monday, losing 1-0 on aggregate, and will miss the finals for the first time since 1958.

Unusually in Italy, the federation did not thank Ventura for his services, nor wish him well for the future.

FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio later told reporters that he had spoken to Ventura and &quot;told him we no longer had need of his services, so as of today, Italy does not have a coach.&quot;

Many Italian newspapers also called for the resignation of Tavecchio following the World Cup fiasco, but in Wednesday&#39;s statement, the FIGC said he had declined to quit.

Instead, Tavecchio said he had called a meeting for Monday to discuss the future. &quot;We have thought about some important coaches as next manager,&quot; he said.

Ventura replaced Antonio Conte following Euro 2016 and was initially given a two-year contract. In August, it was extended until the Euro 2020 tournament because the FIGC said it was happy with the team&#39;s progress.

On announcing Ventura&#39;s appointment, Tavecchio had described him as a &quot;master of football&quot;.

Ventura has never won a major title or coached top-tier teams such as AC Milan, Inter Milan or Juventus. He spent much of his career in the lower divisions, but enjoyed a long, steady career and had a reputation for nurturing young talent.

He also gained widespread respect following a five-year spell with Torino when he led them out of Serie B and to several decent finishes in the middle and upper half of Serie A.

Italy finished second in their European qualifying group behind Spain, forcing them into a playoff against Sweden for a place in Russia.

Ventura was in charge for 17 games with 10 wins, four draws and three defeats.

Apart from 1958, the only other occasion Italy missed the World Cup was the inaugural tournament in 1930 when, like many other European teams, they did not enter because of the difficulties of travelling to Uruguay.

The four-times world champions were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sweden in the second leg of their European playoff on Monday, losing 1-0 on aggregate, and will miss the finals for the first time since 1958.

Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura was sacked on Wednesday as he paid the almost inevitable price for their failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years. The Italian federation (FIGC) initially issued a statement saying that Ventura was "no longer" the coach without clarifying whether he had been sacked or resigned. An FIGC source, however, told Reuters that the 69-year-old had been fired. The four-times world champions were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sweden in the second leg of their European playoff on Monday, losing 1-0 on aggregate, and will miss the finals for the first time since 1958. Unusually in Italy, the federation did not thank Ventura for his services, nor wish him well for the future. FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio later told reporters that he had spoken to Ventura and "told him we no longer had need of his services, so as of today, Italy does not have a coach." Many Italian newspapers also called for the resignation of Tavecchio following the World Cup fiasco, but in Wednesday's statement, the FIGC said he had declined to quit. Instead, Tavecchio said he had called a meeting for Monday to discuss the future. "We have thought about some important coaches as next manager," he said. Ventura replaced Antonio Conte following Euro 2016 and was initially given a two-year contract. In August, it was extended until the Euro 2020 tournament because the FIGC said it was happy with the team's progress. On announcing Ventura's appointment, Tavecchio had described him as a "master of football". Ventura has never won a major title or coached top-tier teams such as AC Milan, Inter Milan or Juventus. He spent much of his career in the lower divisions, but enjoyed a long, steady career and had a reputation for nurturing young talent. He also gained widespread respect following a five-year spell with Torino when he led them out of Serie B and to several decent finishes in the middle and upper half of Serie A. Italy finished second in their European qualifying group behind Spain, forcing them into a playoff against Sweden for a place in Russia. Ventura was in charge for 17 games with 10 wins, four draws and three defeats. Apart from 1958, the only other occasion Italy missed the World Cup was the inaugural tournament in 1930 when, like many other European teams, they did not enter because of the difficulties of travelling to Uruguay.

Italy national team football coach sacked after World Cup fiasco

Peru became the last side to clinch their place at next year&#39;s World Cup finals when goals in each half from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos gave them a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the second leg of their inter-confederation playoff on Wednesday.

The teams played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Wellington on Saturday and although both sides had chances in a tense match in Lima, Peru were more clinical in front of goal.

The Peruvians, who last went to the World Cup finals in 1982, celebrated with abandon when the final whistle went and were guaranteed a day to recover after the government promised a national holiday.

&quot;This is a dream come true and now it is time to celebrate,&quot; Christian Cueva, the gifted left winger who had a hand in creating both goals, told reporters as the players completed a boisterous lap of honour.

&quot;Now we have to keep working and prepare for the finals.&quot;

Peru got their noses in front on 27 minutes when Farfan hammered home a fierce rising shot from just inside the penalty area to complete a sweeping counter-attack.

The home side could have scored more but an early drive from Luis Advincula hit the woodwork and All Whites keeper Stefan Marinovic did well to stop a bending drive from Miguel Trauco and then get a hand to Farfan&#39;s shot from the rebound.

New Zealand brought on Chris Wood at halftime in search of a vital away goal and a series of long balls to the towering Burnley striker managed to put Peru on the back foot in the early stages of the second period.

However, the Kiwis could not make their temporary control of the contest count and Ramos doubled Peru&#39;s lead after 64 minutes when he seized on a loose ball from a corner kick and lashed it into the roof of the net from close range.

The result extended Peru&#39;s unbeaten run to 10 games, their longest such streak in 75 years.

&quot;Mission accomplished, thank you,&quot; Ricardo Gareca, Peru&#39;s Argentine coach said after the game. &quot;We have managed something very important for the country. I am very emotional.&quot;

The South Americans are 10th in the latest FIFA rankings and will go into the second group of seeds when the draw for next year&#39;s tournament takes place in Moscow on Dec. 1.

The teams played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Wellington on Saturday and although both sides had chances in a tense match in Lima, Peru were more clinical in front of goal.

Peru became the last side to clinch their place at next year's World Cup finals when goals in each half from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos gave them a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the second leg of their inter-confederation playoff on Wednesday. The teams played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Wellington on Saturday and although both sides had chances in a tense match in Lima, Peru were more clinical in front of goal. The Peruvians, who last went to the World Cup finals in 1982, celebrated with abandon when the final whistle went and were guaranteed a day to recover after the government promised a national holiday. "This is a dream come true and now it is time to celebrate," Christian Cueva, the gifted left winger who had a hand in creating both goals, told reporters as the players completed a boisterous lap of honour. "Now we have to keep working and prepare for the finals." Peru got their noses in front on 27 minutes when Farfan hammered home a fierce rising shot from just inside the penalty area to complete a sweeping counter-attack. The home side could have scored more but an early drive from Luis Advincula hit the woodwork and All Whites keeper Stefan Marinovic did well to stop a bending drive from Miguel Trauco and then get a hand to Farfan's shot from the rebound. New Zealand brought on Chris Wood at halftime in search of a vital away goal and a series of long balls to the towering Burnley striker managed to put Peru on the back foot in the early stages of the second period. However, the Kiwis could not make their temporary control of the contest count and Ramos doubled Peru's lead after 64 minutes when he seized on a loose ball from a corner kick and lashed it into the roof of the net from close range. The result extended Peru's unbeaten run to 10 games, their longest such streak in 75 years. "Mission accomplished, thank you," Ricardo Gareca, Peru's Argentine coach said after the game. "We have managed something very important for the country. I am very emotional." The South Americans are 10th in the latest FIFA rankings and will go into the second group of seeds when the draw for next year's tournament takes place in Moscow on Dec. 1.

Football: Peru down New Zealand to complete World Cup lineup

Tenth-ranked Peru qualified with goals from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos in the second leg of their play-off. It is the first time Peru, who finished fifth in South American qualifying, has made it through to the World Cup finals since 1982.

Peru qualify for World Cup finals after beating New Zealand

The only reason anyone recalls this game is because of Ibrahimovic. The striker, then playing for Paris Saint-Germain, scored three goals in the last 12 minutes, bringing his tally for the game to four after he opened the scoring.

Relive Zlatan Ibrahimovic's memorable goal against England five years later

Already through to the main tournament, India played out a 2-2 draw against Myanmar in the return-leg match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifying Group A match here today.

The home side came back twice in the match to hold the visiting side and continue their unbeaten streak in 13 matches.

Myanmar scored through Yan Naing Oo (1st minute) and Kyaw Ko Ko (19th) while Sunil Chhetri (12th; penalty) and Jeje Lalpekhlua (69th) found the target at the Nehru Stadium here.

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India had beaten Myanmar 1-0 in the first leg in Yangon in March through a Chhetri winner.

With today&#39;s draw, India are on the top of the group with 13 points from five matches. Myanmar are placed second with five points from four matches.

India have already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in UAE after beating Macau 4-1 in Bangalore last month.

True to captain Chhetri&#39;s words that Myanmar were a tough side, the visitors scored as early as the first minute before the home team defence could settle down.

A quick build up on the left saw Thein Than run down the left flank and send a perfect cross into the box for Yan Naing Oo to head in to put the home team under early pressure.

India&#39;s defence was shaken by the early goal and nearly conceded another two minutes later but Kyaw Ko Ko shot straight to goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

India took time to settle down and earned a penalty in the 12th minute when Heaing Bo Bo brought down Chhetri inside the box. Chhetri himself took the penalty and made no mistake in finding the net.

Myanmar showed a lot of urgency in their attack and once again took the lead in the 19th minute when Kyaw Ko Ko sent a stiff grounder that beat a diving Gurpreet to find the corner of the net.

India looked dangerous in their counter attacks and had their chances to restore parity but Sandesh Jhingan shot over the bar off a free kick taken by Eugeneson Lyngdoh in the 39th minute.

Chhetri too had a glorious chance to restore parity in the dying minutes of the first half but his angular shot off a Jeje through pass missed the target narrowly.

The second half was fought on equal terms as both the teams made forays but could not penetrate into the rival box. Chhetri once again saw his header going out from close off a cross from the right.

India continued to control the proceedings and finally restored parity in the 69th minute through Jeje.

Lyngdoh, who orchestrated most of the moves from the middle, sent a high lob for Jeje who chested the ball inside the box and essayed a low shot that beat rival keeper to find the far post.

Towards the end, Chhetri again had a glorious chance to score after he was involved in a one-two pass with Udanta Singh but he shot over the bar. PTI

India came back twice in the match to hold Myanmar and extend their unbeaten streak to 13 matches

Already through to the main tournament, India played out a 2-2 draw against Myanmar in the return-leg match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifying Group A match here today. The home side came back twice in the match to hold the visiting side and continue their unbeaten streak in 13 matches. Myanmar scored through Yan Naing Oo (1st minute) and Kyaw Ko Ko (19th) while Sunil Chhetri (12th; penalty) and Jeje Lalpekhlua (69th) found the target at the Nehru Stadium here. India had beaten Myanmar 1-0 in the first leg in Yangon in March through a Chhetri winner × India had beaten Myanmar 1-0 in the first leg in Yangon in March through a Chhetri winner. With today's draw, India are on the top of the group with 13 points from five matches. Myanmar are placed second with five points from four matches. India have already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in UAE after beating Macau 4-1 in Bangalore last month. True to captain Chhetri's words that Myanmar were a tough side, the visitors scored as early as the first minute before the home team defence could settle down. A quick build up on the left saw Thein Than run down the left flank and send a perfect cross into the box for Yan Naing Oo to head in to put the home team under early pressure. India's defence was shaken by the early goal and nearly conceded another two minutes later but Kyaw Ko Ko shot straight to goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. India took time to settle down and earned a penalty in the 12th minute when Heaing Bo Bo brought down Chhetri inside the box. Chhetri himself took the penalty and made no mistake in finding the net. Myanmar showed a lot of urgency in their attack and once again took the lead in the 19th minute when Kyaw Ko Ko sent a stiff grounder that beat a diving Gurpreet to find the corner of the net. India looked dangerous in their counter attacks and had their chances to restore parity but Sandesh Jhingan shot over the bar off a free kick taken by Eugeneson Lyngdoh in the 39th minute. Chhetri too had a glorious chance to restore parity in the dying minutes of the first half but his angular shot off a Jeje through pass missed the target narrowly. The second half was fought on equal terms as both the teams made forays but could not penetrate into the rival box. Chhetri once again saw his header going out from close off a cross from the right. India continued to control the proceedings and finally restored parity in the 69th minute through Jeje. Lyngdoh, who orchestrated most of the moves from the middle, sent a high lob for Jeje who chested the ball inside the box and essayed a low shot that beat rival keeper to find the far post. Towards the end, Chhetri again had a glorious chance to score after he was involved in a one-two pass with Udanta Singh but he shot over the bar. PTI

Having already qualified for Asian Cup, India hold Myanmar to 2-2 draw

Sweden are taking nothing for granted as they head to Milan for the second leg of their World Cup playoff against Italy on Monday after Jan Andersson&#39;s players took a 1-0 lead in the tie.

Jakob Johansson&#39;s deflected second-half strike gave Sweden a precious win in a physical first leg on Friday, and their task now is to remain focussed in the return match at the San Siro.

&quot;It&#39;s not a normal qualifier where, when the game is over, you can celebrate the three points. We&#39;re only halfway through this double-header,&quot; midfielder Sebastian Larsson told Reuters.

&quot;We&#39;re fully aware of the task ahead of us, going to Italy with a slender 1-0 lead. To keep a clean sheet was obviously something we really wanted and we&#39;re pleased with that. We re-focus and go again.&quot;

Larsson and his team mates put in an enormous defensive effort to snuff out Italy&#39;s attack, and the midfielder was limping at the end. He says, however, there is no risk of him missing the return.

Larsson, who has played 95 times for his country, but never appeared at a World Cup finals, believes staying grounded will be crucial to Sweden reaching the tournament finals in Russia next year.

&quot;We&#39;re going to stay humble and do everything we can to progress,&quot; he said.

Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist says the Italians will have to be careful about how they approach Monday&#39;s decisive game.

&quot;I don&#39;t think Italy are a team that is just going to attack, because then they know that we will create chances and maybe score a goal in Italy, and then they needs to score three,&quot; he said.

&quot;But of course, they play at home and they will have to be a little bit more attacking.&quot;

Granqvist, who spent two years at Italian club Genoa, laughed when asked about Italy&#39;s complaints about the physical nature of Friday&#39;s clash.

&quot;It&#39;s fantastic,&quot; he said. &quot;As a defender, you have to be really tough, but in a good way. I think the referee kept it good -- of course there were some situations they were angry about, but this is football.&quot;

'It's not a normal qualifier where, when the game is over, you can celebrate the three points. We're only halfway through this double-header,' midfielder Sebastian Larsson said

Sweden are taking nothing for granted as they head to Milan for the second leg of their World Cup playoff against Italy on Monday after Jan Andersson's players took a 1-0 lead in the tie. Jakob Johansson's deflected second-half strike gave Sweden a precious win in a physical first leg on Friday, and their task now is to remain focussed in the return match at the San Siro. "It's not a normal qualifier where, when the game is over, you can celebrate the three points. We're only halfway through this double-header," midfielder Sebastian Larsson told Reuters. "We're fully aware of the task ahead of us, going to Italy with a slender 1-0 lead. To keep a clean sheet was obviously something we really wanted and we're pleased with that. We re-focus and go again." Larsson and his team mates put in an enormous defensive effort to snuff out Italy's attack, and the midfielder was limping at the end. He says, however, there is no risk of him missing the return. Larsson, who has played 95 times for his country, but never appeared at a World Cup finals, believes staying grounded will be crucial to Sweden reaching the tournament finals in Russia next year. "We're going to stay humble and do everything we can to progress," he said. Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist says the Italians will have to be careful about how they approach Monday's decisive game. "I don't think Italy are a team that is just going to attack, because then they know that we will create chances and maybe score a goal in Italy, and then they needs to score three," he said. "But of course, they play at home and they will have to be a little bit more attacking." Granqvist, who spent two years at Italian club Genoa, laughed when asked about Italy's complaints about the physical nature of Friday's clash. "It's fantastic," he said. "As a defender, you have to be really tough, but in a good way. I think the referee kept it good -- of course there were some situations they were angry about, but this is football."

Football World Cup play-offs: 'Humble' Sweden taking nothing for granted against Italy

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