Napoli hosted Inter Milan in a top-of-the-table Serie A match at the Stadio San Paolo on Monday night.
It didn’t take long for the home side to take the lead, Gonzalo Higuain scoring within two minutes.
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Diego Costa’s days at Chelsea could be numbered after he threw his training bib at manager Jose Mourinho, according to former Blues goalkeeper Mark Bosnich.
Having been benched for Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, Costa took off his warm-up bib and threw it in Mourinho‘s direction after it had become clear in stoppage time that he would not be used, per the Independent‘s James Orr.
It is not the first time this season that the Brazil-born striker has clashed with his manager, and Bosnich believes Costa could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge before long, per Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast (via talkSPORT’s Alex Varney):
It didn’t look good. Generally when you are with a manager and you do that type of thing, it is the beginning of the end.
Not going out for the warm-up, I can understand that completely, but throwing the bib at the manager during the game points to one way.
They probably won’t do it immediately but I really do think it is the beginning of the end, which is really unfortunate because he has been a smash hit since he has been at Chelsea.
Costa has been poor for the Blues this season and significantly less effective in front of goal than he was in 2014-15, per Sky Sports News HQ:
His lack of goals has been a major cause of Chelsea’s malaise in the current campaign as the defending champions have struggled near the bottom of the table—they currently lie 14th.
Rumours of Costa potentially being shipped out of the club have been circulating for some time, per Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones:
If he continues with his off-field antics and fails to repair his relationship with Mourinho, he could well be on his way out of the club.
Chelsea will need to line up an appropriate replacement if they are to ship Costa out as his current backups in the squad include the out-of-form Radamel Falcao and the underused Loic Remy.
Meanwhile, the Blues have reportedly entered the race to sign Genoa‘s 18-year-old star Rolando Mandragora.
Currently on loan at Serie B side Pescara, the midfielder looks an impressive talent, and Chelsea have joined West Ham United, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Roma in targeting Mandragora, per Italian outlet Calcio Mercato (via Metro‘s Max Miller).
The Blues may struggle to snap up the young Italian given the number of top Serie A sides pursing him, but he could be a fine long-term addition in west London with Chelsea needing some added verve in their squad.
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Live Updates: Serie A
Napoli vs. Inter Milan
Join Bleacher Report for live updates from Serie A as Napoli host Inter Milan on Monday in a top-of-the-table clash. Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET), and our updates will begin about 30 minutes beforehand.
Follow @MiguelCominguez
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Liverpool target Denis Cheryshev is reportedly eager to seal a loan move away from Real Madrid in the winter transfer window in order to have more first-team opportunities.
The Los Blancos winger has played only 33 minutes in La Liga this season and is some way down the pecking order under manager Rafael Benitez, per WhoScored.com.
According to Hugo Cerezo of Spanish outlet Marca, the Russian international “will push for a loan move” in January, and Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing him up—along with Everton and Villarreal.
The report indicated that a key motivation for Cheryshev to temporarily move away from the Bernabeu is so he can get more game time and compete for a place in the Russian squad for the summer’s Euro 2016 in France.
He showed last season while on loan at Villarreal that he can be a major asset both in front of goal and as a creator. He netted four La Liga goals and provided nine assists in 26 appearances, per WhoScored.
With the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke and Danny Ings all regular injury concerns at Liverpool, Cheryshev could be a fine addition to the Reds’ attacking line, bringing depth and quality.
He would also be highly motivated to prove himself, not only because he wants to get into the Russian squad, but also to stake a claim for more regular action at Real.
The 24-year-old is a product of the Real youth system but has yet to truly make an impact at senior level.
Playing for Liverpool in the Premier League could give him a chance to improve and show off his talents while also benefiting the Merseyside outfit by giving manager Jurgen Klopp added options in attack in the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Liverpool may also reportedly go in for Barcelona full-back Martin Montoya in January if the Spaniard’s current loan spell at Inter Milan is, as expected, cut short next month.
Per Italy’s Corriere dello Sport (h/t Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror), the Reds were interested in signing Montoya, 24, in the summer and could go back in for him if he returns to Barcelona.
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Arsenal reportedly see Porto’s Ruben Neves as the man to ease their midfield woes in the January transfer window and are reportedly ready to part with £22 million to land the impressive teenager.
That’s according to Daniel Cutts of the Sun, who writes manager Arsene Wenger feels he needs to add some depth to the defensive midfield position after the recent injury to Francis Coquelin and that Neves could “help reignite the Gunners’ faltering title charge.”
Here’s a look at why Neves, just 18 years old, may be viewed as a potential immediate solution for the Gunners in the January window:
Indeed, there’s plenty to like about the Porto man. Stylistically, Neves is a perfect fit for Arsenal, as he possesses the technical qualities needed to move the ball quickly and into the right areas. But it’s his defensive attributes that would really make a difference to the Gunners, especially with the dynamic Coquelin leaving a massive void in the side.
As Arsenal blogger MC noted, the Frenchman is a player who can’t be replaced by current personnel in the group:
Neves would definitely add some depth and quality to this area. While he may be young, the Portuguese has a mature head on his youthful shoulders. Already, he has played at the highest level, starring for Porto in the Champions League, and he’s captained the team too. That’s a remarkable indicator of the teenager’s talent and temperament.
His outstanding quality was acknowledged recently as well, per Porto’s official Twitter feed:
If Arsenal can get a deal done in January, it’d be a coup. Neves may be untested in the Premier League, but he’d add youth, quality cover and leadership to a squad on which those qualities are pretty scarce. However, with their own ambitions to fulfill in 2016, it’d be a big surprise if Porto were to entertain the prospect of a sale midseason.
Another area of the Arsenal squad that supporters have concerns over is up front, so perhaps it’s little surprise to see the Gunners linked with a move for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.
Fichajes (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) claims Arsenal are considering making an offer for the young forward, who has impressed at the San Siro in recent seasons. Wenger is reportedly “convinced Icardi would suit Arsenal’s style of play,” although a hefty transfer fee of £35 million is mentioned.
Icardi is certainly an intriguing player and a fine goalscorer. Here are the kind of moments that will have attracted the attention of clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea, whom Sanderson also cites as possible suitors:
After a tremendous 2014-15, in which Icardi netted 22 league goals, this term has been a little more of a struggle for him. So far, he’s bagged just four in 11 for Inter, although the Nerazzurri are well in the hunt for the Serie A title this season, with Icardi fulfilling a more disciplined role at the point of the attack.
As we can see here courtesy of OptaPaolo, overall, the Argentina international has been tremendously consistent in front of goal:
Previously, Icardi seemed to cast doubts over a possible move to England, though, per Mediaset (h/t Football Italia): “England? There’s always a lot of talk, but I’ll stay here, as I said last year. I’m also the captain, and I can’t leave a team that’s doing so well.”
For Arsenal, it doesn’t seem like a deal that will come to fruition. Icardi is a key part of an Inter team that spent big in the summer in an attempt to become Serie A challengers once again, and selling their star forward would undo a lot of the recent progress they’ve made. If Wenger wants to bolster his goalscoring options, he’ll most likely have to look elsewhere.
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Something good is happening at Atletico Madrid.
There have been times this season when things haven’t gone well. Neither Jackson Martinez nor Fernando Torres seemed to be able to find the net.
The defence, a key base for Diego Simeone to build his side from, looked weaker without Miranda, who joined Inter Milan in the summer.
Filipe Luis looked a different player after returning from a year away with Chelsea. And not in a good way.
Antoine Griezmann even stopped performing well, with the attacker short of goals, only netting one in seven games between October 21 and November 22.
There were disappointing results and poor performances, such as in the draws with Deportivo La Coruna and FC Astana, and the narrow win over Sporting Gijon.
But it seems like things are slowly clicking into place for Atletico.
They will be happy with how the league table is looking after their 1-0 win at home over Espanyol on Saturday.
Barcelona are top on 33 points, and Atletico are the next team behind them on 29.
Atletico still have tougher fixtures ahead of them, having hosted Barcelona and Real Madrid and needing to head to the Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu in the second half of the season.
But they are improving while their city rivals Real are faltering.
Los Blancos were defeated by Sevilla and then thrashed 4-0 at home by Barcelona before nearly throwing away a 4-0 lead against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, escaping with a 4-3 win.
There are doubts about manager Rafa Benitez in Madrid, as reported by Sky Sports’ Guillem Balague, and his team has looked confused, playing below their potential.
Atletico have taken advantage, shutting out their opponents for five games on the trot in all competitions and winning four of those games.
They have caught up with Benfica at the top of their Champions League group despite losing at home to the Portuguese side on Matchday 2.
Now Griezmann is back among the goals, and he impressed again against Espanyol.
Although the final score saw Atletico win by just a single goal, the difference between the teams was huge.
This is encouraging for Simeone’s side and something they must build on in the coming weeks.
Following a trip to Catalonia to face Reus in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday, they travel to Granada and Benfica in their next two games.
After that, they host Athletic Club and then Reus in the return Copa clash before finishing their year with trips to Malaga and Rayo Vallecano.
Five away games and just two at home means the rest of 2015 won’t be comfortable for Atletico, but there isn’t a single game among those fixtures they shouldn’t win.
There have been plenty of promising signs during the previous couple of fixtures, and they were present against Espanyol.
For one, they look a lot more capable of handling dangerous, skilful attackers such as Marco Asensio. The Espanyol man barely had a sniff on Saturday.
The defence has composed itself, and Juanfran’s return from injury along with an improved Filipe Luis are bonuses.
Oliver Torres, one of the star performers against Espanyol, was rightfully pleased after the game. He said, per AS: “We know the importance the game had. We were lucky to score an early goal and we are content. Our defensive solidity is what we have to carry on, it’s this that makes us strong.”
One blow was seeing Tiago go off injured with what was later revealed to be a broken leg, per UEFA. It’s speculated the Portuguese midfielder could be out for the rest of the season, which would be a major setback for an Atletico side looking to maintain its recent upturn in form.
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Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi has dismissed rumours that he could join Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal during the January transfer window, telling reporters that the constant speculation is nothing but talk.
Tuttosport (h/t Sport Witness, Metro.co.uk’s Tom Olver) previously reported that the Reds and Blues would battle it out for his services, while Corriere Dello Sport (h/t Unibet’s Adam Digby) claims Arsenal are preparing a €45 million bid.
But Icardi has no intention of leaving the Italian fashion capital, as he told Mediaset (h/t ESPN FC’s David Amoyal):
The 22-year-old hasn’t had a great start to the 2015-16 campaign with four goals in 11 Serie A appearances, which is less than what we’ve come to expect from the striker. Last year, he bagged 22 league goals, per WhoScored.com.
Despite his tender age, Icardi is incredibly experienced, making his debut with Sampdoria in 2012. Per OptaPaolo, his numbers since then look impressive:
Icardi is an opportunistic striker with superb instincts and the physical tools to be a success in every league. His movement away from the ball is fantastic, and he’s not afraid to try his luck from long distance, which often leads to spectacular goals, as seen below:
He left Sampdoria for Inter in 2013 following a controversy involving team-mate Maxi Lopez, per Paolo Bandini of the Guardian, and quickly became the main attacking outlet for the Nerazzurri. Like city rivals AC Milan, Inter have endured a rough stretch of late, and the side isn’t as talented as the treble-winning team from a few years ago.
This partly explains Icardi‘s sloppy start to the season, as Inter are counting on him to force the issue far too much. As explained by Digby, he has looked far better of late thanks to a few tactical changes:
Despite a number of run-ins with Roberto Mancini, the Coach has made Icardi his captain this season, seeing his faith rewarded with some increasingly mature performances. His form has improved as the current campaign has progressed, and certainly benefited from Inter’s more positive approach this past weekend as they demolished newly promoted Frosinone.
Triumphing by an emphatic 4-0 scoreline with Icardi bagging the second goal of the game, playing a lone role up front rather than having Rodrigo Palacio taking up space beside him.
Plenty of clubs were interested in his services last summer, but Icardi signed a new deal in June, per ESPN FC. He was also awarded the captain’s armband, a clear sign that Inter would do whatever it takes to keep him at the club and build around him.
Icardi clearly feels comfortable in Italy, and Inter have been steadily building a talented side that finds itself at the top of the Serie A standings as we speak.
The new deal he signed last summer indicates that he believes in the club and wants to stick around, so any prospective club will find it difficult convincing him he should leave at this time.
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Juventus secured a berth in the knockout stages of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in Turin, Italy, on Wednesday.
Mario Mandzukic scored the only goal of the match as the Bianconeri leapfrogged their Premier League counterparts to take over first place in Group D. Both sides are now locked into round-of-16 spots, but which club will be seeded in the draw won’t be decided until the final group matches in December.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini had urged his side before the match to take advantage of the opportunity to secure the top spot in the group. He pointed toward poor luck in recent draws as a major reason for that added motivation, per Richard Tanner of the Daily Express.
“Everyone criticized this club for our performances in Europe, but we have now qualified for the knockout stages for the third year in a row,” Pellegrini said. “We were unlucky on both the previous occasions to draw Barcelona in the round of 16, so it’s important to try to avoid them because it’s important for our club to reach at least one step more.”
His players appeared game for the challenge in the early going as City controlled the pace of play. They nearly grabbed the lead at the quarter-hour mark as a battle in the box presented a golden opportunity for Fernandinho, but he fired his effort well over the bar.
The missed chance loomed even larger two minutes later as Juventus got on the scoreboard first.
Paul Pogba jump-started an attacking foray for the Bianconeri, which eventually ended up on the foot of Alex Sandro. He delivered a pinpoint cross into the box and Mario Mandzukic easily slotted the shot past Joe Hart for the goal.
Andrew Jerell Jones of USA Today noted City appealed for a foul on the Croatian, who got tangled up with Nicolas Otamendi as the defender fell down, but no call got made:
Fox Soccer highlighted the opening tally:
City managed to produce several promising chances on goal during the remaining portion of the first half. Yaya Toure unleashed three scorching efforts and Sergio Aguero found himself one-on-one with Gianluigi Buffon, but in every case, they lacked the necessary finishing touch.
WhoScored.com showcased that lack of execution as part of the first-half stats:
Juventus did well to slow the pace of the action after the half-time break. City still managed to hold a possession edge, but the home side limited their space and prevented them from turning it into a constant barrage on Buffon.
The visitors did generate a couple of chances.
A Kevin De Bruyne corner was redirected on goal by Fernandinho, but a slight touch from Juventus’ veteran goalkeeper was enough to knock it off the post. Toure couldn’t regain his balance in time to tap home the rebound, either.
Second-half substitute Raheem Sterling also found himself with a close-range opportunity, but he placed his shot just wide of the far post.
Bleacher Report UK summed up the miss:
Making matters worse, Hart exited the match late due to an apparent hamstring issue, according to Mark Ogden of the Telegraph:
And, in the end, City could never find the final touch they needed to earn at least a point.
Juventus celebrated the victory:
OptaPaolo provided another note about the early advancement:
Looking ahead, Manchester City will seek to end their three-match winless streak when they take on Southampton in Premier League action Saturday. It’s the latest stop amid an extremely busy schedule that features seven games in 22 days.
Juventus is caught up in a similar stretch of seemingly non-stop action. The Vecchia Signora will return to the pitch Sunday as they square off with Serie A foes Palermo. It’s an opportunity to grab three much-needed points as they sit nine points behind Inter Milan through 13 fixtures.
City and Juve return to Champions League play on Dec. 8 to close out the group stage. The Sky Blues will battle Borussia Monchengladbach while the Bianconeri visit Sevilla with the coveted top spot still up for grabs.
To follow…
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Borussia Dortmund have acted quickly to dismiss reports Mats Hummels is ready to hand in a transfer request and attract the interest of Premier League side Manchester United.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has played down suggestions the World Cup-winning centre-back is at odds with the club, particularly new manager Thomas Tuchel, according to Liam Spence of the Daily Express:
Today I read of a problematic relation between Mats and us. But that’s definitely not true.
Mats Hummels is a very important player for us. He is our captain. I have an excellent relationship with him. Sometimes he is not too easy, but that does not have to be a disadvantage.
He is a very decent guy, and we will support him entirely. There is nothing more to say about it.
Watzke was responding to claims from German publication Bild (h/t talkSPORT) suggesting Hummels is ready to quit the Bundesliga due to his fractious relationship with Tuchel.
The same reports indicate Hummels’ potential availability would pique the interest of United boss Louis van Gaal. He’s described as an “admirer” of Hummels, a player who could partner the revitalised Chris Smalling.
A Hummels-Smalling centre-back pairing would no doubt be an effective one. The German international boasts the comfort on the ball Van Gaal loves his defenders to have. Playing out from the back is vital in the methodical, possession-based game he preaches.
While Smalling doesn’t have anywhere near the same level of confidence in possession, his rough-and-ready athleticism is perfect for the frenetic pace of the Premier League.
With Hummels and Smalling offering contrasting styles, United would have a similar level of balance at the back to the days when Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic operated at the heart of defence.
While Dortmund’s reaction to the rumours has been an inevitably defiant one, they may still struggle to keep Hummels beyond this season. The club missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification last season, Jurgen Klopp’s final year in charge.
Tuchel’s men are currently second in the Bundesliga, eight points behind the mighty Bayern Munich, per Sky Sports. Even with a return to Europe’s premier club competition next season, Hummels may believe he stands a better chance of lifting trophies if he leaves Dortmund.
United, with their endless bags of cash, along with the experience and winning mentality of Van Gaal, would be an attractive destination for the 26-year-old.
So, Watzke’s words may not be the blow they initially sound like.
One transfer United will have to wait for is any deal for Red Star Belgrade midfielder Marko Grujic, dubbed the “new Nemanja Matic.”
According to Sportske (h/t Football-Italia.net, via Daily Express writer Spence), Red Star sporting director Zvezdan Terzic is adamant he won’t sell before the summer: “He can’t leave the club before August, or in any case not before the end of the season.”
Yet, Terzic also claimed that while Grujic won’t be allowed to officially switch clubs this winter, he would be allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement ahead of a later move: “If we can’t guarantee support from the sponsors of the club, then there’s the possibility of signing a pre-contract with a club, but he’ll stay with us until the end of August, until the end of the European preliminaries.”
That’s potentially welcome news for the growing list of suitors Grujic is attracting. The player—who is also wanted by United and Serie A sides AS Roma and Inter Milan—recently claimed Chelsea want him, according to David Wright of the Daily Express: “Nemanja Matic is a friend, he’s Serbian and he has been at Chelsea for over a year. He tells me that they want me.”
United would no doubt be keen on beating Chelsea to the punch. Their central midfield ranks are getting long in years. Michael Carrick is 34 and increasingly injury prone, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is 31.
Adding a gifted 19-year-old with a burgeoning reputation would be a positive step toward refreshing the ranks.
Grujic hasn’t been bashful about encouraging interest from several clubs. He recently suggested Inter have been tracking him, something he intends to discuss with the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League winners, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Daily Star‘s Chisanga Malata): “At the end of the season I’ll be in Milan for talks. Inter are a possible destination.”
Van Gaal is still fine tuning his Old Trafford rebuild. The middle of both defence and midfield needs an influx of talent and fresh legs.
But as the latest rumours prove, United’s path to acquiring new recruits isn’t going to be easy to tread. Selling clubs know the Red Devils aren’t shy about spending and will do all they can to drive up fees.
A centre-back as accomplished as Hummels may be worth paying over the odds for, but a teenage midfielder not shy about talking up how much he’s wanted is best avoided.
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Humbled in the Clasico on Saturday evening and now surpassed atop the Champions League goalscoring charts, Real Madrid have more reason to despise Barcelona this week.
The Catalan side’s impressive 6-1 thrashing of Roma at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night saw them overtake Real as the competition’s all-time leading scorers.
Adriano’s goal, Luis Enrique’s side’s sixth, was their 1,037th in the competition—one more than Real Madrid’s 1,036 goals.
Of course, Rafa Benitez’s side have the chance to regain that crown when they take on Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night.
There’s daylight between the two Spanish giants and third place, with Bayern Munich boasting 856 goals in Champions League history.
The top 20 is as follows, thanks to Opta (via Daily Mail):
[Daily Mail]
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INTER CLUB PAVIA "C'E' SOLO L'INTER" 