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Beleaguered Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura said his team would try to qualify for the World Cup by &ldquo;playing football&rdquo; after their ill-tempered playoff first leg against Sweden.

The 69-year-old Ventura - the oldest-ever coach in Italy&rsquo;s history -- said it would take him months to listen to all the advice he had received as he bids to overturn Friday&#39;s 1-0 first leg defeat in Stockholm.

That loss left Italy in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time in 60 years and the tension ahead of Monday&#39;s return at the San Siro is palpable.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/humble-sweden-taking-nothing-for-granted-against-italy-24104" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;&#39;Humble&#39; Sweden taking nothing for granted against Italy</a>

Italy complained of rough play by Sweden in the first leg, including a challenge which left Leonardo Bonucci with a broken nose, while Sweden were unhappy at their rivals&#39; alleged gamesmanship.

Italy has said that defender Bonucci will play on Monday with a face mask.

&quot;We are Italy and, if we qualify, I would like to be able to say that we did it by playing football,&quot; Ventura told reporters. &quot;I don&#39;t know what sort of game it will be but I hope it will be played in the correct spirit.&quot;

Ventura&#39;s tactics and team selection have been the subject of heated debate.

He ditched his preferred 4-2-4 formation for a 3-5-2 in Friday&#39;s match and Italians are eager to see what he will come up with on Monday and who will replace suspended midfielder Marco Verratti.

&quot;I&#39;ve received so much advice in the last few days that, if I tried to listen to it all, it would take months,&quot; said Ventura.

&quot;I know that&#39;s how it works when you are coach of the national team although I didn&#39;t expect it to be quite like this.&rdquo;

&quot;I can assure you that coaches listen to advice and analyse it, but it is us who decide.&quot; Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said the team were in a state of &quot;high tension&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s an important match for us and our history,&quot; said the 39-year-old. &quot;It&#39;s important for football in our country that we qualify for the World Cup.&quot;

&quot;I am approaching this like the eve of an important event. I&#39;m tense, but it&#39;s the right amount of tension.&quot;

To read more:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/could-italy-miss-first-football-world-cup-in-60-years-23877" target="_blank">Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years?</a>

Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura wants Italy to qualify by 'playing football'

Beleaguered Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura said his team would try to qualify for the World Cup by “playing football” after their ill-tempered playoff first leg against Sweden. The 69-year-old Ventura - the oldest-ever coach in Italy’s history -- said it would take him months to listen to all the advice he had received as he bids to overturn Friday's 1-0 first leg defeat in Stockholm. That loss left Italy in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time in 60 years and the tension ahead of Monday's return at the San Siro is palpable. Also read: 'Humble' Sweden taking nothing for granted against Italy Italy complained of rough play by Sweden in the first leg, including a challenge which left Leonardo Bonucci with a broken nose, while Sweden were unhappy at their rivals' alleged gamesmanship. Italy has said that defender Bonucci will play on Monday with a face mask. "We are Italy and, if we qualify, I would like to be able to say that we did it by playing football," Ventura told reporters. "I don't know what sort of game it will be but I hope it will be played in the correct spirit." Ventura's tactics and team selection have been the subject of heated debate. He ditched his preferred 4-2-4 formation for a 3-5-2 in Friday's match and Italians are eager to see what he will come up with on Monday and who will replace suspended midfielder Marco Verratti. "I've received so much advice in the last few days that, if I tried to listen to it all, it would take months," said Ventura. "I know that's how it works when you are coach of the national team although I didn't expect it to be quite like this.” "I can assure you that coaches listen to advice and analyse it, but it is us who decide." Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said the team were in a state of "high tension". "It's an important match for us and our history," said the 39-year-old. "It's important for football in our country that we qualify for the World Cup." "I am approaching this like the eve of an important event. I'm tense, but it's the right amount of tension." To read more: Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years?

One last chance for Italy to qualify for Football World Cup

A second-half goal by Sweden substitute Jakob Johansson was enough to beat Italy 1-0 and put his side in the driving seat after their World Cup playoff first leg on a chilly night.

Italy&#39;s Andrea Belotti sent an early header just wide but after that the visitors showed little ambition, seemingly hoping for a draw to take back to Milan for Monday&#39;s second leg as they battle for a place at next year&#39;s tournament in Russia.

That all changed when Johansson came off the bench to replaced Albin Ekdal in the 57th minute and four minutes later snapped up a flick-on from a throw-in and hammered the ball through a forest of legs where it was deflected into the net.

Matteo Darmian came closest to an equaliser, sending a shot cannoning off a post, but the visiting forward line failed to ignite and Italy are now in danger of missing the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958 in Sweden.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/we-will-make-world-cup-says-italy-football-coach-23957" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;We will make World Cup, says Italy football coach</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/could-italy-miss-first-football-world-cup-in-60-years-23877" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/could-italy-miss-first-football-world-cup-in-60-years-23877">Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years?</a>

Italy coach Ventura rues missed chances

Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura was left to rue an early missed chance in a tough, physical encounter on Friday that sees Sweden take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their World Cup playoff with a goal from substitute Jakob Johansson.

&quot;It could have gone a different way, if we scored first for example such as when (Andrea) Belotti&#39;s header went wide. Now we have 90 minutes left to play,&quot; Ventura told a media conference ahead of the return in Milan on Monday.

&quot;The game was very physical, and we suffered from that. We must improve. Physically we can&#39;t do much, we only have a day and a half, but we have to read the game better next time. We hope the crowd at the San Siro give us the support we need.&quot;

Ventura was visibly angry on the sidelines, gesticulating frequently to his players several times as Italy&#39;s attack failed to find a way through the massed ranks of the Swedish defence.

The 69-year-old coach was still certain his team would qualify for next year&#39;s finals in Russia and not miss out on the tournament for the first time since 1958 in Sweden.

&quot;When I was in the dressing room I saw how angry and frustrated they were. They know they can do better. The game was very physical and that surprised us but we can do better,&quot; said Ventura.

Sweden coach Jan Andersson was pleased with his side&#39;s performance, but said he was well aware that this was just the midway point in the tie.

&quot;We are halfway through this playoff, which is very important to point out. We have talked a lot about bravery and giving ourselves a chance... and I think overall we did that today again,&quot; Andersson told reporters.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy we won the game... but it was the attitude for 90 minutes that helped us,&quot; he said after Johansson scored just past the hour having just come off the bench.

&quot;We&#39;ll do an analysis of the game and make a new gameplan for... Monday. I&#39;m still here tonight - I haven&#39;t gone any further in my mind about the game on Monday.&quot;

Andersson agreed with Ventura about the physicality of the match, but it came as no surprise to the Swedes.

&quot;It was a physical game and we were prepared for it. It was one of the keys to the game, to win the duels. I don&#39;t think we were favoured in any way (by the referee),&quot; he said.

Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura insisted his side would still make it to the World Cup

A second-half goal by Sweden substitute Jakob Johansson was enough to beat Italy 1-0 and put his side in the driving seat after their World Cup playoff first leg on a chilly night. Italy's Andrea Belotti sent an early header just wide but after that the visitors showed little ambition, seemingly hoping for a draw to take back to Milan for Monday's second leg as they battle for a place at next year's tournament in Russia. That all changed when Johansson came off the bench to replaced Albin Ekdal in the 57th minute and four minutes later snapped up a flick-on from a throw-in and hammered the ball through a forest of legs where it was deflected into the net. Matteo Darmian came closest to an equaliser, sending a shot cannoning off a post, but the visiting forward line failed to ignite and Italy are now in danger of missing the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958 in Sweden. Also read: We will make World Cup, says Italy football coach Also read: Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years? Italy coach Ventura rues missed chances Italy manager Gian Piero Ventura was left to rue an early missed chance in a tough, physical encounter on Friday that sees Sweden take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their World Cup playoff with a goal from substitute Jakob Johansson. "It could have gone a different way, if we scored first for example such as when (Andrea) Belotti's header went wide. Now we have 90 minutes left to play," Ventura told a media conference ahead of the return in Milan on Monday. "The game was very physical, and we suffered from that. We must improve. Physically we can't do much, we only have a day and a half, but we have to read the game better next time. We hope the crowd at the San Siro give us the support we need." Ventura was visibly angry on the sidelines, gesticulating frequently to his players several times as Italy's attack failed to find a way through the massed ranks of the Swedish defence. The 69-year-old coach was still certain his team would qualify for next year's finals in Russia and not miss out on the tournament for the first time since 1958 in Sweden. "When I was in the dressing room I saw how angry and frustrated they were. They know they can do better. The game was very physical and that surprised us but we can do better," said Ventura. Sweden coach Jan Andersson was pleased with his side's performance, but said he was well aware that this was just the midway point in the tie. "We are halfway through this playoff, which is very important to point out. We have talked a lot about bravery and giving ourselves a chance... and I think overall we did that today again," Andersson told reporters. "I'm very happy we won the game... but it was the attitude for 90 minutes that helped us," he said after Johansson scored just past the hour having just come off the bench. "We'll do an analysis of the game and make a new gameplan for... Monday. I'm still here tonight - I haven't gone any further in my mind about the game on Monday." Andersson agreed with Ventura about the physicality of the match, but it came as no surprise to the Swedes. "It was a physical game and we were prepared for it. It was one of the keys to the game, to win the duels. I don't think we were favoured in any way (by the referee)," he said.

Football World Cup play-offs: Sweden beat Italy 1-0

Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, who has been battling kidney cancer, was rushed to a hospital on Tuesday morning after her conditioned worsened.

Known for films like Rudali, Darmiyaan&nbsp;and Daman&nbsp;the 61-year-old filmmaker was taken to a suburban hospital here as she felt extremely weak. 
 
&quot; Tuesday morning my heart rate dropped and I felt uneasy. I am a kidney patient and both my kidneys are not functioning properly,&quot; Kalpana told PTI. 
 
&quot;Monday was my partner&#39;s (Bhupen Hazarika) death anniversary so I went all the way to Vashi (Navi Mumbai) to attend the program. That must have taken a toll on me. So today when I woke up, I felt very weak. I was then taken to the ICU,&quot; she added.

The filmmaker said according to the doctors she would be discharged from the hospital in the next &quot;24 to 48 hours&quot;. 
 
&quot;I was completely bedridden two years ago. But now I am slightly better by the grace of God. I will give myself another year and a half to walk all on my own without any help,&quot; she said. 
Kalpana has been going for dialysis every week and is overwhelmed by the financial support she has received from the film industry. 
 
&quot;They all have helped me, from Aamir Khan, Indian Film &amp; Television Directors&#39; Association, Rohit Shetty, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Soni Razdan, Neena Gupta. All of them have come forward and helped me during my worst. It is a financially draining and a continuous lifelong process. 
 
&quot;I am thankful to my film fraternity for standing by me in this phase. Especially my mother, my brother and Shyam Benegal for their constant support,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

Italy have lost the first leg of their play-off against Sweden 1-0

Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, who has been battling kidney cancer, was rushed to a hospital on Tuesday morning after her conditioned worsened. Known for films like Rudali, Darmiyaan and Daman the 61-year-old filmmaker was taken to a suburban hospital here as she felt extremely weak. " Tuesday morning my heart rate dropped and I felt uneasy. I am a kidney patient and both my kidneys are not functioning properly," Kalpana told PTI. "Monday was my partner's (Bhupen Hazarika) death anniversary so I went all the way to Vashi (Navi Mumbai) to attend the program. That must have taken a toll on me. So today when I woke up, I felt very weak. I was then taken to the ICU," she added. The filmmaker said according to the doctors she would be discharged from the hospital in the next "24 to 48 hours". "I was completely bedridden two years ago. But now I am slightly better by the grace of God. I will give myself another year and a half to walk all on my own without any help," she said. Kalpana has been going for dialysis every week and is overwhelmed by the financial support she has received from the film industry. "They all have helped me, from Aamir Khan, Indian Film & Television Directors' Association, Rohit Shetty, Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Soni Razdan, Neena Gupta. All of them have come forward and helped me during my worst. It is a financially draining and a continuous lifelong process. "I am thankful to my film fraternity for standing by me in this phase. Especially my mother, my brother and Shyam Benegal for their constant support," she added.

We will still make World Cup, says Italy football coach

The last time Italy did not go to the World Cup was in 1958.&nbsp;

A 2-1 defeat to Northern Ireland had done them in that time, which is why Italy heaved a sigh of relief when they found they would not have to play Northern Ireland in the play-offs for the 2018 World Cup.&nbsp;

Italy will instead be playing Sweden. The first of their play-off games is early Saturday morning (1.15 am India time).&nbsp;

But that name too could fill fans of the Azzuri with dread.&nbsp;

Sweden had hosted the 1958 World Cup -- the one the Italians missed out on.&nbsp;

Not that the Italians -- who are famous for getting themselves into difficult situations -- are showing outward signs of worry, as yet.&nbsp;

&quot;We are not taking into consideration the idea of not going to the World Cup,&quot; the BBC reported coach Giampiero Ventura as saying.&nbsp;

News reports however have hinted that Ventura has been out of his depth.

And that he has not been able to fill former coach Antonio Conte&#39;s shoes.&nbsp;

This Italy team, the reports said, has been poor but Conte -- who they said was the star of the team, rather than one of the players -- made them bigger than the sum of their parts.&nbsp;

Italy meanwhile have arrived in Sweden for the first game of their two-legged World Cup play-off against Sweden with doubts about the fitness of striker Simone Zaza, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Zaza, Reuters said, has a knee injury which is likely to keep him out of Saturday&#39;s match.

&quot;We&#39;ll see how it goes. Zaza has a little problem, if he can&#39;t play tomorrow he can play on Monday,&quot; Ventura said.&nbsp;

The last time Italy did not go to the World Cup was in 1958

The last time Italy did not go to the World Cup was in 1958. A 2-1 defeat to Northern Ireland had done them in that time, which is why Italy heaved a sigh of relief when they found they would not have to play Northern Ireland in the play-offs for the 2018 World Cup. Italy will instead be playing Sweden. The first of their play-off games is early Saturday morning (1.15 am India time). But that name too could fill fans of the Azzuri with dread. Sweden had hosted the 1958 World Cup -- the one the Italians missed out on. Not that the Italians -- who are famous for getting themselves into difficult situations -- are showing outward signs of worry, as yet. "We are not taking into consideration the idea of not going to the World Cup," the BBC reported coach Giampiero Ventura as saying. News reports however have hinted that Ventura has been out of his depth. And that he has not been able to fill former coach Antonio Conte's shoes. This Italy team, the reports said, has been poor but Conte -- who they said was the star of the team, rather than one of the players -- made them bigger than the sum of their parts. Italy meanwhile have arrived in Sweden for the first game of their two-legged World Cup play-off against Sweden with doubts about the fitness of striker Simone Zaza, Reuters reported. Zaza, Reuters said, has a knee injury which is likely to keep him out of Saturday's match. "We'll see how it goes. Zaza has a little problem, if he can't play tomorrow he can play on Monday," Ventura said.

Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years??

West Ham United have appointed David Moyes as their manager following the sacking of Slaven Bilic, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

Croatian Bilic was sacked on Monday following a meeting with club officials as West Ham dropped into the relegation zone after a 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool left them with two wins in 11 league games.

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West Ham United can confirm the appointment of David Moyes as the Club&rsquo;s manager. <a href="https://t.co/AIOWnHWn27">pic.twitter.com/AIOWnHWn27</a>
&mdash; West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/WestHamUtd/status/927815408358273030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;It&#39;s a big job we have in hand now but I&#39;m sure with everybody together we can get the right results between now and the end of the season,&quot; Moyes said in a video on West Ham&#39;s Twitter account.

&ldquo;It feels great to be here,&rdquo; Moyes said. &ldquo;West Ham is a big club. Wherever you go they are known. I&rsquo;ve been really fortunate in that I&rsquo;ve managed some really great clubs, and I have been offered some other opportunities recently.

&ldquo;But I wanted a job that would give me a real good chance [of success]. I wanted a big fanbase, a big club, and West Ham fitted the bill.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really just looking forward to getting started because we are now in the season and we have to get up-and-running right away to get the job done.

&ldquo;We are without some players at the moment who are away on international duty but we will get the chance to work with the players who are here this week and I am looking forward to it.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;

?It feels great to be here,? Moyes said. ?West Ham is a big club. Wherever you go they are known. I?ve been really fortunate in that I?ve managed some really great clubs, and I have been offered some other opportunities recently.

West Ham United have appointed David Moyes as their manager following the sacking of Slaven Bilic, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. Croatian Bilic was sacked on Monday following a meeting with club officials as West Ham dropped into the relegation zone after a 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool left them with two wins in 11 league games. West Ham United can confirm the appointment of David Moyes as the Club’s manager. pic.twitter.com/AIOWnHWn27 — West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) November 7, 2017 × "It's a big job we have in hand now but I'm sure with everybody together we can get the right results between now and the end of the season," Moyes said in a video on West Ham's Twitter account. “It feels great to be here,” Moyes said. “West Ham is a big club. Wherever you go they are known. I’ve been really fortunate in that I’ve managed some really great clubs, and I have been offered some other opportunities recently. “But I wanted a job that would give me a real good chance [of success]. I wanted a big fanbase, a big club, and West Ham fitted the bill. “I’m really just looking forward to getting started because we are now in the season and we have to get up-and-running right away to get the job done. “We are without some players at the moment who are away on international duty but we will get the chance to work with the players who are here this week and I am looking forward to it.”

David Moyes named West Ham United manager following Bilic exit

Arsene Wenger says it will be &quot;difficult&quot; for any team to stop Manchester City from winning the Premier League after his Arsenal side lost 3-1 at the Etihad on Sunday - a result which left him fuming at referee Michael Oliver.

Wenger said City&#39;s quality, shown in their club record 15 straight wins in all competitions, makes it hard to imagine any team overtaking them but he also took aim at the officials after his team suffered a disputed penalty and a goal which appeared offside.

The win gave City an eight-point lead over Manchester United ahead of their game at Chelsea later on Sunday and left them 12 points clear of the Gunners.

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<h5>Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable,&#39; Wenger told reporters</h5>
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&quot;Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable,&quot; Wenger told reporters.

City went 2-0 up five minutes into the second half after referee Oliver ruled that Nacho Monreal had bundled over Raheem Sterling inside the area and Sergio Aguero converted from the spot.

Arsenal players disputed that decision and were also upset that City&#39;s third goal came after a pass from David Silva whom television replays showed was narrowly in an offside position.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t want to take anything away from the quality but it happened at a moment when we were really in the game at 2-1 and it killed the game. It is the second year. We got two offside goals here last year and one this year,&quot; Wenger added.

The Frenchman felt his team had created opportunities and were in the contest until the controversial third goal.

&quot;I felt it was an intense game of quality of both sides. Man City are on a high but I felt we had plenty of dangerous situations and chances,&quot; he said.

&quot;Overall, once again, the referee made the decision again, with a penalty and an offside goal. We are used to it when we come here,&quot; he said.

&quot;I feel they (referees) don&rsquo;t work enough, because it happens every season. It is unacceptable&quot;.

Arsenal lost 3-1 to City at the Etihad on Sunday

Arsene Wenger says it will be "difficult" for any team to stop Manchester City from winning the Premier League after his Arsenal side lost 3-1 at the Etihad on Sunday - a result which left him fuming at referee Michael Oliver. Wenger said City's quality, shown in their club record 15 straight wins in all competitions, makes it hard to imagine any team overtaking them but he also took aim at the officials after his team suffered a disputed penalty and a goal which appeared offside. The win gave City an eight-point lead over Manchester United ahead of their game at Chelsea later on Sunday and left them 12 points clear of the Gunners. Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable,' Wenger told reporters × "Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult this season, the way they have started the quality they have, but you never know. If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable," Wenger told reporters. City went 2-0 up five minutes into the second half after referee Oliver ruled that Nacho Monreal had bundled over Raheem Sterling inside the area and Sergio Aguero converted from the spot. Arsenal players disputed that decision and were also upset that City's third goal came after a pass from David Silva whom television replays showed was narrowly in an offside position. "I don’t want to take anything away from the quality but it happened at a moment when we were really in the game at 2-1 and it killed the game. It is the second year. We got two offside goals here last year and one this year," Wenger added. The Frenchman felt his team had created opportunities and were in the contest until the controversial third goal. "I felt it was an intense game of quality of both sides. Man City are on a high but I felt we had plenty of dangerous situations and chances," he said. "Overall, once again, the referee made the decision again, with a penalty and an offside goal. We are used to it when we come here," he said. "I feel they (referees) don’t work enough, because it happens every season. It is unacceptable".

EPL: Wenger says 'difficult' to see anyone stopping City

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side&#39;s Premier League title ambitions were still intact despite a 1-0 loss away to former club Chelsea on Sunday.

Alvaro Morata&#39;s 55th-minute goal at Stamford Bridge was enough to give reigning champions Chelsea victory and leave United eight points behind in-form leaders Manchester City. &nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/epl-wenger-says-difficult-to-see-anyone-stopping-city-23555" target="_blank">Also read: Wenger says &#39;difficult&#39; to see anyone stopping City</a>

&quot;We are second -- not fifth, sixth or seventh or eight,&quot; Mourinho told Sky Sports after his third straight loss at Stamford Bridge since he became United manager.

&quot;We have several teams in a more difficult position than we have. Eight points is eight points.

&quot;We went through a very difficult phase with important matches against Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea without important players.&quot;

The Portuguese manager added: &quot;The game was controlled by us and the game was controlled by them. We had chances and they had chances and with the first goal they were able to bring more people to defend.&nbsp;

&quot;We tried to change the direction of our game, we created chances to equalise but we couldn&#39;t.

&quot;We had chances. If I remember (Romelu) Lukaku shot in the first half and in the last part of the game with the (Marcus) Rashford shot...We had lots of chances to score goals,&quot; Mourinho said.

Victory saw Chelsea move to within nine points of top spot and eased the pressure on the London club&#39;s Italian manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 loss away to Roma in the Champions League earlier this week.

&quot;It&rsquo;s an important victory,&quot; said Conte. &quot;When you play against Manchester United it&rsquo;s always a massive game. This type of win is important for our confidence. We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game.

&ldquo;We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game -&ndash; we started this season with a lot of problems. We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can.&quot;

Chelsea defender David Luiz was not even on the bench for this match and Conte was coy when asked if the Brazilian, in his second stint with the Blues, still had future with the west London club. &nbsp;

&quot;I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; Conte replied. &quot;He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.&rdquo;

Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who said the Blues might have won by an even bigger margin, was proud of the team&#39;s resilience.

&quot;It is fantastic to defend well but this is a team full of fantastic players and we need to take advantage of that,&quot; he said. &quot;We played like a big team, defended like a big team and we have to be proud.&quot;

United are eight points behind league leaders Manchester City

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted his side's Premier League title ambitions were still intact despite a 1-0 loss away to former club Chelsea on Sunday. Alvaro Morata's 55th-minute goal at Stamford Bridge was enough to give reigning champions Chelsea victory and leave United eight points behind in-form leaders Manchester City. Also read: Wenger says 'difficult' to see anyone stopping City "We are second -- not fifth, sixth or seventh or eight," Mourinho told Sky Sports after his third straight loss at Stamford Bridge since he became United manager. "We have several teams in a more difficult position than we have. Eight points is eight points. "We went through a very difficult phase with important matches against Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea without important players." The Portuguese manager added: "The game was controlled by us and the game was controlled by them. We had chances and they had chances and with the first goal they were able to bring more people to defend. "We tried to change the direction of our game, we created chances to equalise but we couldn't. "We had chances. If I remember (Romelu) Lukaku shot in the first half and in the last part of the game with the (Marcus) Rashford shot...We had lots of chances to score goals," Mourinho said. Victory saw Chelsea move to within nine points of top spot and eased the pressure on the London club's Italian manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 loss away to Roma in the Champions League earlier this week. "It’s an important victory," said Conte. "When you play against Manchester United it’s always a massive game. This type of win is important for our confidence. We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game. “We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game -– we started this season with a lot of problems. We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can." Chelsea defender David Luiz was not even on the bench for this match and Conte was coy when asked if the Brazilian, in his second stint with the Blues, still had future with the west London club. "I don’t know," Conte replied. "He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.” Meanwhile Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who said the Blues might have won by an even bigger margin, was proud of the team's resilience. "It is fantastic to defend well but this is a team full of fantastic players and we need to take advantage of that," he said. "We played like a big team, defended like a big team and we have to be proud."

EPL: ManU lose to Chelsea, Mourinho says title ambitions intact

&nbsp;West Ham United have sacked manager Slaven Bilic after they dropped into the relegation zone following Saturday&#39;s 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool, the Premier League club said on Monday.

The Croatian replaced Sam Allardyce in June, 2015 and led West Ham to a seventh-placed finish in his first season. He also oversaw their move to the London Stadium but has won just two out of 11 league games in this campaign.

&quot;West Ham United can confirm that Slaven Bilic has today left his position with the club,&quot; West Ham said in a statement.

Former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager David Moyes, who is currently out of work, has been strongly linked with the position.

West Ham said they &quot;believe a change is now necessary in order for the club to move forward positively and in line with their ambition&quot;.

&quot;The club&rsquo;s search for a new manager to take West Ham United forward is underway and an announcement regarding Bilic&rsquo;s successor is expected to be made over the coming days,&quot; the statement added.

Moyes told BeInSport on Sunday that he was willing to take on the challenge of keeping the Hammers in the Premier League.

&quot;I&#39;ve always said I want to go back into club management. If the right opportunity comes around, I&#39;ll be interested.&quot;

Asked about West Ham before Bilic&#39;s sacking, the 54-year-old, who also had a brief and unsuccessful spell with Real Sociedad in Spain, said: &quot;I am interested but at the moment that vacancy has not become available. I know what Slaven must be going through.&quot;

Bilic, who played as a defender for West Ham, has been under pressure throughout this campaign and although a League Cup win over Tottenham bought him time, a draw at bottom club Crystal Palace and the heavy home loss to Liverpool sealed his fate.

West Ham&#39;s joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold praised Bilic for his commitment and integrity.

&quot;The board invested heavily signing the players Slaven believed would complete the squad he needed to push the club back towards the level we had reached in his first season, and we believe we have the players capable of doing that,&quot; they said.

&quot;Sadly, performances and results have not been of the expected standard and, in recent weeks, we have not seen enough indication of the required improvement to give us the encouragement that things would change and we would meet our Premier League aspirations this season.

&quot;We see this as an exciting opportunity to appoint a quality manager to the position to inject fresh ideas, organisation and enthusiasm into a very talented squad,&quot; Gold and Sullivan added.

Bilic&rsquo;s coaching assistants Nikola Jurcevic, Edin Terzic, Julian Dicks and Miljenko Rak have also left the club.

West Ham United, manager Slaven Bilic, relegation zone, Liverpool, Premier League club, London Stadium

West Ham United have sacked manager Slaven Bilic after they dropped into the relegation zone following Saturday's 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool, the Premier League club said on Monday. The Croatian replaced Sam Allardyce in June, 2015 and led West Ham to a seventh-placed finish in his first season. He also oversaw their move to the London Stadium but has won just two out of 11 league games in this campaign. "West Ham United can confirm that Slaven Bilic has today left his position with the club," West Ham said in a statement. Former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager David Moyes, who is currently out of work, has been strongly linked with the position. West Ham said they "believe a change is now necessary in order for the club to move forward positively and in line with their ambition". "The club’s search for a new manager to take West Ham United forward is underway and an announcement regarding Bilic’s successor is expected to be made over the coming days," the statement added. Moyes told BeInSport on Sunday that he was willing to take on the challenge of keeping the Hammers in the Premier League. "I've always said I want to go back into club management. If the right opportunity comes around, I'll be interested." Asked about West Ham before Bilic's sacking, the 54-year-old, who also had a brief and unsuccessful spell with Real Sociedad in Spain, said: "I am interested but at the moment that vacancy has not become available. I know what Slaven must be going through." Bilic, who played as a defender for West Ham, has been under pressure throughout this campaign and although a League Cup win over Tottenham bought him time, a draw at bottom club Crystal Palace and the heavy home loss to Liverpool sealed his fate. West Ham's joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold praised Bilic for his commitment and integrity. "The board invested heavily signing the players Slaven believed would complete the squad he needed to push the club back towards the level we had reached in his first season, and we believe we have the players capable of doing that," they said. "Sadly, performances and results have not been of the expected standard and, in recent weeks, we have not seen enough indication of the required improvement to give us the encouragement that things would change and we would meet our Premier League aspirations this season. "We see this as an exciting opportunity to appoint a quality manager to the position to inject fresh ideas, organisation and enthusiasm into a very talented squad," Gold and Sullivan added. Bilic’s coaching assistants Nikola Jurcevic, Edin Terzic, Julian Dicks and Miljenko Rak have also left the club.

West Ham United sack manager Slaven Bilic

&nbsp;Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea on Sunday with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team&#39;s ability to close the gap.

When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair.

It was a win - and performance - which suggested that City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined tactical performance that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola&#39;s first season at the club.

United face some different questions in what is their toughest test yet away from home.

Mourinho&#39;s side were given a gentle start to the season by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins along with plenty of entertaining football.

But in their first challenge against one of the &#39;big six&#39;, at Liverpool, United went into their shell - clearly under instructions to not allow Juergen Klopp&#39;s side space and to limit their own forward movement.

Debate has raged about whether or not that was an appropriate approach to take at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous and tried to exploit the vulnerabilities in Liverpool&#39;s back line.

Mourinho typically dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained. But a defeat at Huddersfield in his team&#39;s next game added to the sense that United&#39;s early season momentum had been lost.

Last week, though, United came through another test - beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek has helped to dispel any talk of United losing their way.

But the challenge against the champions on Sunday is for United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago.

Fragile Chelsea

United won&#39;t want to let City, who host Arsenal on Sunday, open up a seven or eight-point lead and a defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho&#39;s men.

To get three points from their trip to West London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte&#39;s back line.

Judging by Chelsea&#39;s woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte&#39;s team.

A repeat of last season&#39;s 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea&#39;s defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile.

United will need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak.

They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated.

At Anfield, United&#39;s midfield sat deep and rarely advanced in numbers. Whatever permutation Mourinho sends out to do battle on Sunday will need to be braver in committing to forward positions or countering in numbers.

It is a balancing act, of course, as Chelsea possess in Eden Hazard in particular, the means to punish opponents who over-commit.

But City showed that perfect balance and if United want to replicate their rivals, they too will need to show a willingness to do more than just frustrate.

When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair.

Jose Mourinho returns to his old club Chelsea on Sunday with his Manchester United trailing leaders Manchester City by five points and the challenge against the champions will be a major indicator of his team's ability to close the gap. When City visited Stamford Bridge at the end of September they delivered a statement performance in their 1-0 win, answering many of the doubts about whether they had the defensive soundness to go with their undoubted attacking flair. It was a win - and performance - which suggested that City are capable of playing the kind of tight, disciplined tactical performance that had been lacking at times during Pep Guardiola's first season at the club. United face some different questions in what is their toughest test yet away from home. Mourinho's side were given a gentle start to the season by the fixtures computer with modest opposition for their opening seven games and they took advantage with 21 goals and six wins along with plenty of entertaining football. But in their first challenge against one of the 'big six', at Liverpool, United went into their shell - clearly under instructions to not allow Juergen Klopp's side space and to limit their own forward movement. Debate has raged about whether or not that was an appropriate approach to take at Anfield or whether United should have been more adventurous and tried to exploit the vulnerabilities in Liverpool's back line. Mourinho typically dismissed such talk, viewing the draw as a point gained. But a defeat at Huddersfield in his team's next game added to the sense that United's early season momentum had been lost. Last week, though, United came through another test - beating Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford and a 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League in midweek has helped to dispel any talk of United losing their way. But the challenge against the champions on Sunday is for United to show that they can replicate the confident and businesslike win that City showed a month ago. Fragile Chelsea United won't want to let City, who host Arsenal on Sunday, open up a seven or eight-point lead and a defeat would allow Chelsea to move within a point of Mourinho's men. To get three points from their trip to West London, United need to combine the defensive solidity they showed on Merseyside with the ability to carve open Antonio Conte's back line. Judging by Chelsea's woeful 3-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, United can have some confidence that it will be fruitful to take the game to Conte's team. A repeat of last season's 4-0 mauling in this fixture certainly looks unlikely and Chelsea's defence, so solid last season, looks far more fragile. United will need Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea wanted to re-sign before his move to Old Trafford in the close-season, to get back to the form he showed before his six-game barren streak. They will also need his support striker, whether that be Frenchman Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, to work closer to him than in the draw with Liverpool where Martial wandered in deep positions leaving the Belgian isolated. At Anfield, United's midfield sat deep and rarely advanced in numbers. Whatever permutation Mourinho sends out to do battle on Sunday will need to be braver in committing to forward positions or countering in numbers. It is a balancing act, of course, as Chelsea possess in Eden Hazard in particular, the means to punish opponents who over-commit. But City showed that perfect balance and if United want to replicate their rivals, they too will need to show a willingness to do more than just frustrate.

Manchester City set the standard for United at Chelsea

Sergio Aguero became Manchester City&#39;s all-time record scorer and was described as &quot;a legend&quot; by coach Pep Guardiola whose side booked their place in the Champions League last 16 with a 4-2 win at Napoli.

The 29-year-old Argentine beat the old mark of 177 set by Eric Brook in the 1930s when he hit City&#39;s third goal in Naples, then promised to give his shirt to his eight-year-old son Benjamin -- the grandson of Argentina and Napoli legend Diego Maradona.

&quot;This shirt is for my son, he texted me to say: &quot;As soon as you score, bring me the shirt&#39;,&quot; said Aguero.

&quot;I am bringing the shirt back to my son. My family called from Argentina, they were watching me.&quot;

Aguero&#39;s son was born from his marriage to Giannina Maradona, the daughter of Diego.

And Aguero achieved his new landmark at the San Paolo Stadium where Maradona made himself a Neapolitan icon between 1984 and 1991, winning two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup.

&quot;What he (Aguero) has achieved has made him a legend, he&#39;s gone down in history, so I would tell him to enjoy,&quot; said Guardiola.

Aguero paid tribute to his team-mates for his record 178 goals.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy for this moment and happy because the team help support me and the fans.

&quot;I&#39;ll enjoy this moment because it only happens once.

&quot;Napoli are a good team and away always in the Champions League is difficult.&quot;

The Premier League leaders had needed just a point to seal their berth in the knockout rounds for the fifth consecutive year, with two games to go.&nbsp;

But City&#39;s fourth victory out of four in Group F confirmed their progress with 12 points.

Napoli are third, six points behind Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk who beat Dutch outfit Feyenoord 3-1, and are close to elimination from the elite European competition.

Record man&nbsp;

The new benchmark is just another for the man from Buenos Aires who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for &pound;38 million, scoring two goals and assisting one on his debut against Swansea.

He currently has the best goals-to-minutes ratio in Premier League history -- scoring 107 in 154 Premier League matches at a rate of a goal every 106 minutes.&nbsp;

The 29-year-old Argentine beat the old mark of 177 set by Eric Brook in the 1930s when he hit City's third goal in Naples, then promised to give his shirt to his eight-year-old son Benjamin -- the grandson of Argentina and Napoli legend Diego Maradona.

Sergio Aguero became Manchester City's all-time record scorer and was described as "a legend" by coach Pep Guardiola whose side booked their place in the Champions League last 16 with a 4-2 win at Napoli. The 29-year-old Argentine beat the old mark of 177 set by Eric Brook in the 1930s when he hit City's third goal in Naples, then promised to give his shirt to his eight-year-old son Benjamin -- the grandson of Argentina and Napoli legend Diego Maradona. "This shirt is for my son, he texted me to say: "As soon as you score, bring me the shirt'," said Aguero. "I am bringing the shirt back to my son. My family called from Argentina, they were watching me." Aguero's son was born from his marriage to Giannina Maradona, the daughter of Diego. And Aguero achieved his new landmark at the San Paolo Stadium where Maradona made himself a Neapolitan icon between 1984 and 1991, winning two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup. "What he (Aguero) has achieved has made him a legend, he's gone down in history, so I would tell him to enjoy," said Guardiola. Aguero paid tribute to his team-mates for his record 178 goals. "I'm very happy for this moment and happy because the team help support me and the fans. "I'll enjoy this moment because it only happens once. "Napoli are a good team and away always in the Champions League is difficult." The Premier League leaders had needed just a point to seal their berth in the knockout rounds for the fifth consecutive year, with two games to go. But City's fourth victory out of four in Group F confirmed their progress with 12 points. Napoli are third, six points behind Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk who beat Dutch outfit Feyenoord 3-1, and are close to elimination from the elite European competition. Record man The new benchmark is just another for the man from Buenos Aires who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for £38 million, scoring two goals and assisting one on his debut against Swansea. He currently has the best goals-to-minutes ratio in Premier League history -- scoring 107 in 154 Premier League matches at a rate of a goal every 106 minutes.

Football: Aguero's son, Maradona's grandson, proud owner of record shirt

Dele Alli condemned Champions League holders Real Madrid to a horrendous Wembley debut with two goals as Tottenham Hotspur reached the last 16 with a stunning 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old England midfielder, making his first appearance in this year&#39;s competition after serving a three-game ban, scored either side of halftime on a memorable night for Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s team.

Christian Eriksen was also on target for Tottenham as they proved far superior to end Madrid&#39;s 30-match unbeaten run in Champions League group play.

Cristiano Ronaldo replied for Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side but it was in vain as Tottenham sealed a first win in six attempts against the Spanish champions who will face more criticism after falling eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga.

Tottenham lead Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia who have two each after a draw in Germany.

&quot;We are starting to believe in our potential and quality,&quot; Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side failed to negotiate the group phase last year, told reporters.

&quot;This win makes us more visible and is something that everyone around Europe will have noticed.&quot;

Twelve-times champions Real should still qualify but manager Zidane admitted his side were in a rut after the weekend&#39;s defeat at Girona and now a chastening night at Wembley.

&quot;It&#39;s a hard defeat to take but it was against a team who played very well and deserved to win,&quot; he said. &quot;We were not able to come up with a response and we are not happy about it.&quot;

Buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu two weeks ago Tottenham began at a high tempo and dominated the opening 20 minutes against a pensive Madrid.

Harry Kane, declared fit after missing his side&#39;s weekend loss at Manchester United with a hamstring strain, should have done better with an attempted chip over Real keeper Kiko Casilla who was deputising for injured Keylor Navas.

Tottenham right back Kieran Trippier was a constant menace down the right and his first-time volleyed cross caused panic in the Real defence - a portent of things to come for Real.

FORAY FORWARD

The hosts suffered a blow when central defender Toby Alderweireld&#39;s evening was cut short as he pulled up with a hamstring injury after a foray forward.

Moussa Sissoko replaced him with Eric Dier dropping into defence but it did not slow Tottenham&#39;s momentum as they deservedly went ahead five minutes later.

Harry Winks picked out Trippier racing down the right and his volleyed cross found Alli to prod home.

Real responded with Casemiro and Ronaldo testing Hugo Lloris but Tottenham should have increased their lead before halftime when Sissoko mis-kicked in front of goal from another Trippier cut back and Kane&#39;s goalbound shot was blocked by Sergio Ramos.

A single-goal lead looked vulnerable against the defending champions but Tottenham doubled it nine minutes after the break with Alli sending the Wembley crowd into raptures.

The England midfielder was allowed to advance goalwards and his shot deflected off Ramos&#39;s back to completely wrong-foot Casilla.

Real, who had lost only one of their last 22 European fixtures, swarmed forward trying to salvage something but their night took a turn for the worse when Tottenham counter-attacked in devastating fashion in the 65th minute, Alli finding Kane who picked out Eriksen to calmly slot home.

Ronaldo fired home his sixth goal in this year&#39;s competition to set up a frantic last 10 minutes but Tottenham held firm to avenge their quarter-final defeat by Real in 2011.

Tottenham lead Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia who have two each after a draw in Germany.

Dele Alli condemned Champions League holders Real Madrid to a horrendous Wembley debut with two goals as Tottenham Hotspur reached the last 16 with a stunning 3-1 victory on Wednesday. The 21-year-old England midfielder, making his first appearance in this year's competition after serving a three-game ban, scored either side of halftime on a memorable night for Mauricio Pochettino's team. Christian Eriksen was also on target for Tottenham as they proved far superior to end Madrid's 30-match unbeaten run in Champions League group play. Cristiano Ronaldo replied for Zinedine Zidane's side but it was in vain as Tottenham sealed a first win in six attempts against the Spanish champions who will face more criticism after falling eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga. Tottenham lead Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia who have two each after a draw in Germany. "We are starting to believe in our potential and quality," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side failed to negotiate the group phase last year, told reporters. "This win makes us more visible and is something that everyone around Europe will have noticed." Twelve-times champions Real should still qualify but manager Zidane admitted his side were in a rut after the weekend's defeat at Girona and now a chastening night at Wembley. "It's a hard defeat to take but it was against a team who played very well and deserved to win," he said. "We were not able to come up with a response and we are not happy about it." Buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu two weeks ago Tottenham began at a high tempo and dominated the opening 20 minutes against a pensive Madrid. Harry Kane, declared fit after missing his side's weekend loss at Manchester United with a hamstring strain, should have done better with an attempted chip over Real keeper Kiko Casilla who was deputising for injured Keylor Navas. Tottenham right back Kieran Trippier was a constant menace down the right and his first-time volleyed cross caused panic in the Real defence - a portent of things to come for Real. FORAY FORWARD The hosts suffered a blow when central defender Toby Alderweireld's evening was cut short as he pulled up with a hamstring injury after a foray forward. Moussa Sissoko replaced him with Eric Dier dropping into defence but it did not slow Tottenham's momentum as they deservedly went ahead five minutes later. Harry Winks picked out Trippier racing down the right and his volleyed cross found Alli to prod home. Real responded with Casemiro and Ronaldo testing Hugo Lloris but Tottenham should have increased their lead before halftime when Sissoko mis-kicked in front of goal from another Trippier cut back and Kane's goalbound shot was blocked by Sergio Ramos. A single-goal lead looked vulnerable against the defending champions but Tottenham doubled it nine minutes after the break with Alli sending the Wembley crowd into raptures. The England midfielder was allowed to advance goalwards and his shot deflected off Ramos's back to completely wrong-foot Casilla. Real, who had lost only one of their last 22 European fixtures, swarmed forward trying to salvage something but their night took a turn for the worse when Tottenham counter-attacked in devastating fashion in the 65th minute, Alli finding Kane who picked out Eriksen to calmly slot home. Ronaldo fired home his sixth goal in this year's competition to set up a frantic last 10 minutes but Tottenham held firm to avenge their quarter-final defeat by Real in 2011.

Alli shines as Tottenham Hotspur stun champions Real Madrid

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

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

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

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

European champions Spain staved off a battling Mali to emerge 3-1 winners in a rip-roaring, action-packed semi-final contest to enter the summit clash of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the D Y Patil Stadium, here today.

Spain scored twice in the first half, both the goals coming from their ebullient striker Abel Ruiz, and added one more through a headed goal by Ferran Torres to take a commanding 3-0 lead before Mali found the mark for the first and only time through their own top goal getter Lassana N&#39;Diaye in the 74th minute.

By virtue of this win, Spain has entered the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth time after their first apperance in the title clash 2007.

Mali also had an attempt that appeared like a legitimate goal which was controversially not signalled in by the assistant referee, when they were trailing 0-2 before Spain scored their third goal to virtually shut off the contest although Mali fought hard till the end.

The victory by Spain after staving off a late fight-back by the African age group champions has, thus, piloted them into a summit clash against England at Kolkata on October 28.

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<h5>Spain were the dominant force in the entire first half</h5>
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England got the better of South American champions Brazil 3-1 in the first semi-final.

Spain were the dominant force in the entire first half as they took a handy two-goal lead with their sharp-shooter Abel Ruiz finding the net on both occasions, the first one from the penalty spot in the 19th minute and the second with an on- the-run effort in the 45th minute.

Ruiz and Cesar Gelabert combined beautifully with promptings from the mid-field to tear apart the leaky Mali defense to shreds.

Spain clearly had the better share of the exchanges too and could have been 4-0 up but for an early brilliant save by Mali custodian Youssouf Koita and then a missed chance by Ruiz who took his tally to six goals in the tournament.

After Koita blocked a stiff left-footed volley by Sergio Gomez in the second minute, Gelabert side-stepped a couple of defenders only to shoot wide with his left foot.

Mali had their best chance of the first half in the eighth minute when their top goal getter, with five goals before today&#39;s match, Lassana Ndiaye, got a faint touch to the ball after being chased in his forward thrust by Spain&#39;s Hugo Guillamon, but the ball kissed the side netting.

Then came the opening goal of the match when Gelabert was brought down, as he moved into the box, by Mali defender Abdoulaye Diaby. Ruiz sent Koita the wrong way from the spot- kick to provide the European U-17 champions a 1-0 lead.

Mali fought back after falling into arrears as they made repeated raids on the rival area but some good defending by Spain and some wayward shot-making by the African champions denied them the equaliser.

Spain came close to scoring for the second time as a centre from the left wing by Mohammed Moukhliss was allowed to reach Ruiz who, however, shot wide on-the-run from close range.

Mali tried some long range shots and from one of those, Spain goalie Alvaro Fernandez brought off a diving save to deny Cheick Omar Douchare.

Just when it seemed that Spain would go in with a 1-0 advantage at half time came a counter attack off which Gelabert put a through ball for Ruiz to run forward and find the right corner of the net with a neat placement past Koita.

Mali then were denied a goal in controversial fashion.

A 40-yard pile-driver by Doucoure flew past Spanish goalie Fernandez and hit the underside of the cross bar and bounced on the ground before coming back into play which was headed out. But the ball seemed to have bounced inside the goal before rebounding into play, with the assistant referee not signalling it in.

Even as play continued the Mali bench rose as a whole to protest and after continuous shouting caught the attention of referee Ryuji Sato of Japan who, after remonstrating with the Mali bench, showed the yellow card to one of the support staff members for repeated back-chatting.

To rub more salt to the wounded of Mali came the third goal from Spain, once again following an attack from the wing as a high cross from the left by Gomez was headed in by an unmarked Ferran Torres.

After a short break for drinks, N&#39;Diaye caught the Spain defense napping and moved well into the box after hoodwinking a couple of defenders before slotting in with an angular effort to make it 3-1 with 16 minutes left on the clock.

Putting all their effort into attack Mali made another stiff effort but substitute Mamadou Traore&#39;s essay sailed over the bar. 
With time ticking away Spain made an all-out effort and denied Mali any further goals to sail into the final against fellow-European rivals England. PTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catalan crisis leaves Barca between rock and hard place

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

The match was played in Guwahati under uninterrupted rain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guardiola's Manchester City eye Burnley demolition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Champions League: Liverpool thrash Maribor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Champions League: Tottenham hold on against Real

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

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

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

Guardiola, Kane win monthly Premier League awards

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

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

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

Stunned US face major questions after World Cup debacle

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

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

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

FIFA suspends Pakistan over 'third-party interference'

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

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

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

Magical Messi sees Argentina through to World Cup finals

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

Argentina take on Ecuador early Wednesday morning

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

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

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