For fans of passionate football matches, Christmas appears to have come early. In the same weekend that Manchester United square off with Liverpool in the English Premier League, Serie A offers up an intense fixture of its own as Milan’s most esteemed footballing residents, AC Milan and Internazionale, clash in the Derby della Madonnina.

Milan and Inter, two clubs sharing one stadium and one city, both have an opportunity to establish bragging rights facing off in only the third weekend of the 2015/16 Serie A season. After an international break, calcio couldn’t ask for a more frenzied return to action.

Both clubs have had their fair share of heartbreak of late. It’s relative, of course; while Milan and Inter considered respective 10th and eighth-place finishes last season torturous, many other clubs would have found them reasonable. This only exemplifies the relentless inherent ambition associated with the Milanese giants.

And ambition is the key word ahead of this particular derby. While the two sets of fans are, generally speaking, jovial as far as city rivals are concerned, the current circumstances will likely lead to a more vociferous atmosphere inside San Siro. With both aiming for a return to the top of Serie A, this clash is seen as an early indicator of the abilities of both to follow up on grand pre-season targets.

For the first time in several years, spending has been big in the capital of Lombardy. Milan invested in quality, bringing in—among others—highly rated young central defender Alessio Romagnoli, creative midfielder Andrea Bertolacci, Colombian hitman Carlos Bacca and Shakhtar strike sensation, Luiz Adriano.

Inter reciprocated by going for quantity, signing an entire new back line of Martin Montoya, Miranda, Jeison Murillo and Alex Telles to complement other reinforcements such as Geoffrey Kondogbia, Adem Ljajic and Stevan Jovetic.

For all of the players mentioned, the Milan derby represents a fresh experience. For the coaches, however, this weekend is merely another notch on their personal derby bedposts.

Roberto Mancini and Sinisa Mihajlovic are former brethren. They played together at Sampdoria and Lazio before Mihajlovic assisted Mancini during his first spell as head coach of the Nerrazzuri between 2006 and 2008. They get on well, but their friendship will be put to one side on Sunday evening.

While Mihajlovic has offered a charitable bet with the winning coach donating to a cause to aid refugees—per Football Italia (h/t Gazzetta dello Sport)—the competitive tone will be in full swing come kick-off time. Neither can afford to lose in this most important of derbies.

Date: Sunday, September 13

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST

Venue: San Siro

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK)

Live Stream: Not available

Form Guide

Carpi 1-2 Inter

Inter 1-0 Atalanta

Inter 0-0 AEK Athens (friendly)

Galatasaray 1-0 Inter (friendly)

Inter 0-3 Real Madrid (International Champions Cup friendly tournament)

Mantova 2-3 Milan (friendly)

Milan 2-1 Empoli

Fiorentina 2-0 Milan

Milan 2-0 Perugia (Coppa Italia)

Tottenham 2-0 Milan (Audi Cup friendly tournament)

Team News and Predicted Formations

In the dying embers of the summer transfer window, Inter made four additions to their first-team squad. Finally, they sealed a deal for Croatian attacking midfielder, Ivan Perisic, while Alex Telles and Felipe Melo arrived from Galatasaray, and Adem Ljajic joined on loan from Roma.

Each of the deals addressed areas that either already were, or had the potential to be, problematic. Telles offers a genuine left-footer for the left-back berth, Melo adds muscularity to the midfield, and Perisic and Ljajic bring the possibility of width as well as extra creative capacity in the final third.

All four are available for involvement this Sunday, and it is highly likely that one of Ljajic or Perisic will start in their first-ever Milan derby, playing behind a front two in a 4-3-1-2 system.

Inter could be without two key players at both ends of the team, however. Brazilian international centre-back Miranda has been ruled out through injury, while their prolific striker Mauro Icardi is a doubt. If the latter is in any way fit, he will unquestionably start.

Like Inter, Milan are also set to line up in a now-customary 4-3-1-2 shape. However, the Rossoneri have several doubts going into this crucial fixture.

For a start, their defence has been wobbly this season, something not aided by a midfield with absent tendencies, an issue that persists from last season.

Thus, Milan will probably opt for experience at the back, choosing Cristian Zapata over Rodrigo Ely, who missed the win over Empoli through suspension after he was sent off in the opening Serie A game away to Fiorentina.

Mattia De Sciglio will transfer from right- to left-back, replacing the injured Luca Antonelli, whose penetrative runs will be missed. This makes room for Ignazio Abate to return to the starting lineup at right-back.

An even bigger worry lies in front of the back four, though, where Milan will be without Andrea Bertolacci through injury.

Even with Bertolacci, Milan have issues in the middle. Neither he nor Bonaventura appear at all suited to the energetic hustle and bustle of being in the centre of a midfield diamond, so Milan may well have a completely different central midfield pairing in front of enforcer Nigel de Jong.

The likelihood is that Juraj Kucka will be brought in to add more of a physical dimension, while Riccardo Montolivo’s more pragmatic nature could be better suited to a match of this significance than Bonaventura’s attacking whims.

Inter Milan (4-3-1-2): Samir Handanovic, Davide Santon, Andrea Rannocchia, Jeison Murillo, Juan Jesus; Marcelo Brozovic, Gary Medel, Geoffrey Kondogbia; Ivan Perisic; Stevan Jovetic, Mauro Icardi

AC Milan (4-3-1-2): Diego Lopez, Ignazio Abate, Cristian Zapata, Alessio Romagnoli, Mattia De Sciglio; Riccardo Montolivo, Nigel de Jong, Juraj Kucka; Keisuke Honda; Carlos Bacca, Luiz Adriano

Players to Watch

Geoffrey Kondogbia was pursued by both Milanese clubs during the summer after an impressive season with Monaco. Eventually, the French midfield ball-winning ace chose blue and black over red and black, something Milan fans are unlikely to forgive or forget.

A powerful presence with a tactically astute mind, Kondogbia will have a major influence on this match. Milan’s midfield is seen as a weakness, one that Inter will hope to exploit and dominate. Kondogbia will be vital in this task.

Milan are likely to be tested by a reinvigorated Inter attack featuring an in-form Jovetic. The Montenegrin could be partnered by Icardi for a double goal threat, but even if not, the Rossoneri defence will have to be fully alert.

Alessio Romagnoli is young, relatively inexperienced, and as such, this game could define his fledgling Milan career. Those around him look shaky, so the 20-year-old will have to play with maturity beyond his years if Mihajlovic’s men are to keep a clean sheet.

Key Battle

Milan may have to play a more direct style of football, bypassing the centre of midfield, if they are to defeat an Inter side who have an evident advantage centrally and get their strike duet of Bacca and Adriano into the game.

Bacca will be integral with his pace, movement and eye for goal, though he is likely to be marked by his compatriot, Murillo.

This all-Colombian battle will be an intriguing one. Murillo impressed at the 2015 Copa America for his country and seems to have established himself quickly in Mancini’s starting lineup, though he will be up against it opposite Bacca, one of European football’s best strikers.

Odds

Inter win: 13/10

Milan win: 27/10

Draw: 40/17

Odds provided by Oddschecker

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1ggWdub
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Arsenal are reportedly looking at Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi as a potential January target as manager Arsene Wenger prepares to strengthen his weak strike unit in the new year.

Olivier Giroud remains the Gunners’ only proven striker, and the recent news of Danny Welbeck’s long-term injury has only served to highlight how short they are up front, per BBC Sport.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net (h/t Metro‘s Will Giles), Wenger is targeting 22-year-old Icardi as the man to solve his strike problems.

The Argentinian certainly has the pedigree to make a big impact at the Emirates having netted 22 times in Serie A last season, per WhoScored.com.

Arsenal have been crying out for such a prolific finisher for some time now, as even Giroud has only ever managed a maximum of 16 goals in a league season since his arrival in north London in 2012.

As noted by Fichajes.net (h/t Giles), though, Icardi will not come cheap, if at all, as he only recently signed a new contract with Inter that ties him to the club until 2019.

Having not signed a single outfield player during the summer transfer window, Arsenal are surely going to have to be active in the market in January, per Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell:

One of Arsenal’s many reported prospective targets during the summer—quite a list despite none of them actually signing for the Gunners—was Julian Draxler, who eventually moved from Schalke to Wolfsburg.

The 21-year-old has explained that he decided to stay in the Bundesliga as he does not feel he is ready yet for a move abroad, per German newspaper Bild (h/t Colin Harvey in the Daily Star): “From the outside, maybe my move isn’t understandable. Schalke are a great club in Germany. Many people thought that if I left it would be for a top foreign club, but I decided not to go abroad as I didn’t feel ready for that kind of move.”

Arsenal should not give up hope of eventually snapping up Draxler, and they should keep tabs on his progress at Wolfsburg.

He is immensely talented, and although his value is likely to only increase—Wolfsburg had to shell out a lot to sign him—he would theoretically fit very well into the Arsenal setup. Bundesliga expert Clark Whitney suggested it was the right time to sell the player:

In the short-term, though, the Gunners need greater depth in the strike department. Even if they are successful in the run up to Christmas, they cannot launch a season-long title challenge with their current squad.

Thus whether it be a move for Icardi or an alternative option, Arsenal and Wenger look set to be busy in the new year.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1FBDf83
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Arsenal are reportedly looking at Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi as a potential January target as manager Arsene Wenger prepares to strengthen his weak strike unit in the new year.

Olivier Giroud remains the Gunners’ only proven striker, and the recent news of Danny Welbeck’s long-term injury has only served to highlight how short they are up front, per BBC Sport.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net (h/t Metro‘s Will Giles), Wenger is targeting 22-year-old Icardi as the man to solve his strike problems.

The Argentinian certainly has the pedigree to make a big impact at the Emirates having netted 22 times in Serie A last season, per WhoScored.com.

Arsenal have been crying out for such a prolific finisher for some time now, as even Giroud has only ever managed a maximum of 16 goals in a league season since his arrival in north London in 2012.

As noted by Fichajes.net (h/t Giles), though, Icardi will not come cheap, if at all, as he only recently signed a new contract with Inter that ties him to the club until 2019.

Having not signed a single outfield player during the summer transfer window, Arsenal are surely going to have to be active in the market in January, per Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell:

One of Arsenal’s many reported prospective targets during the summer—quite a list despite none of them actually signing for the Gunners—was Julian Draxler, who eventually moved from Schalke to Wolfsburg.

The 21-year-old has explained that he decided to stay in the Bundesliga as he does not feel he is ready yet for a move abroad, per German newspaper Bild (h/t Colin Harvey in the Daily Star): “From the outside, maybe my move isn’t understandable. Schalke are a great club in Germany. Many people thought that if I left it would be for a top foreign club, but I decided not to go abroad as I didn’t feel ready for that kind of move.”

Arsenal should not give up hope of eventually snapping up Draxler, and they should keep tabs on his progress at Wolfsburg.

He is immensely talented, and although his value is likely to only increase—Wolfsburg had to shell out a lot to sign him—he would theoretically fit very well into the Arsenal setup. Bundesliga expert Clark Whitney suggested it was the right time to sell the player:

In the short-term, though, the Gunners need greater depth in the strike department. Even if they are successful in the run up to Christmas, they cannot launch a season-long title challenge with their current squad.

Thus whether it be a move for Icardi or an alternative option, Arsenal and Wenger look set to be busy in the new year.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1OGm8qP
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

As gamers around the world wait patiently for the much-vaunted release of FIFA 16, developers EA Sports have released their list of the fastest players in the game. 

Arsenal‘s Theo Walcott will be the most difficult player to catch with a speed ranking of 96. Fortuna Dusseldorf‘s 24-year-old midfielder Mathis Bolly also earns a 96, while Borussia Dortmund‘s speed demon Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang clocks in with a 95. 

Here’s the top 20 players, as per The Metro:

1. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) – 96
2. Mattis Bolly (Fortuna Dusseldorf) – 96
3. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) – 95
4. Ernest Asante (Stabaek Fotball) – 95
5. Jurgen Damm (Tigres Uanl) – 95
6. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) – 94
7. Jonathan Biabiany (Inter Milan) – 94
8. Dominic Oduro (Impact De Montreal) – 94
9. Kekuta Manneh (Vancouver) – 94
10. Marco Sau (Cagliari) – 94
11. Innocent Emeghara (San Jose) – 94
12. Fahad Al-Muwallad (Al-Ittihad) – 94
13. Ryo Miyaichi (St. Pauli) – 94
14. Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain) – 93
15. Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) – 93
16. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) – 93
17. Luciano Narsingh (PSV) – 93
18. Maicon (Lokomotiv Moscow) – 93
19. Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow) – 93
20. Bruma (Real Sociedad) – 93

Curiously, there’s no place in the top 20 for Walcott‘s teammate Hector Bellerin, who was the Gunners’ fastest player in speed tests conducted in February. 

FIFA 16 is set to be released on September 22. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1iehzKn
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Lucas Leiva has admitted he almost left Liverpool during the transfer window but is delighted to be staying on Merseyside and remaining with the Reds. 

The Brazilian opened up about recent events to the club’s official website and said he hopes to be an important player for manager Brendan Rodgers this season:

It’s been very intense [the window], to be honest. 

I think the last couple of years, every transfer window my name is [linked with a move]. 

Of course there are times when you think you might have to move on and I was very close to moving but one thing I will always have is commitment to this club.

I’ve been here so long and I always said if I had the choice to be here and be happy, I would always choose Liverpool. 

When your future is in doubt, you might have to think of another solution, but I’m happy that it didn’t happen and I’m here to fight for the club as I have been doing for eight years.

The Liverpool Echo (h/t David Wright of the Express) reported the player was on the verge of joining Besiktas in August, with the Turkish club’s Erdal Torunogullari quoted as saying by Lig TV: “Lucas is a player on our shortlist, talks are ongoing.”

However, the deal didn’t materialise—leaving the midfielder stuck in the reserves at Anfield.

But the injury to Jordan Henderson has opened the door for Lucas, giving him a chance to impress Rodgers once again in the first team. 

Despite his falling stock, the 28-year-old featured regularly for Liverpool last season; he appeared 20 times in the Premier League, starting 16 games, per WhoScored.com.

But Henderson’s rise to prominence and the arrival of James Milner have left his long-term future in question. 

Leiva remains popular among Liverpool fans, with blogger Jack Sear complimenting the midfielder:

The Liverpool Echo’s Joe Rimmer also congratulated the player for remaining with the Reds, applauding him for his recent comments:

Leiva will continue to be a faithful servant as long as Rodgers wants him, but his first-team chances will remain limited when the Liverpool midfield is fit. 

Stephane Henchoz Slams Shaqiri

Former Rodgers target Xherdan Shaqiri has been attacked by former Liverpool and Switzerland defender Stephane Henchoz for choosing Stoke City ahead of host of bigger clubs.

David Wright of the Express reports the ex-Red believes the highly regarded Shaqiri signed a five-year deal with the Potters purely for financial gain and said he finds the talented player’s decision “incomprehensible”:

Why else would Xherdan Shaqiri sign a five-year contract with Stoke? 

He is certainly not there because Stoke have big ambitions to reach the Champions League, which will never be the case. It is only because of the money at Stoke. 

I find it incomprehensible. He’s at Stoke because he can get money there he can get nowhere else. That’s all.

The Swiss international nearly joined Liverpool in the January transfer window in a £12 million deal, per Blick (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express), but said he opted to sign for Inter Milan after a “gut feeling.” The player said he wanted to join Liverpool, but his then-current club Bayern Munich could not agree a deal, leading him to favour a doomed switch to Serie A.

Shaqiri is destined to do well in England, and the drop to a side that doesn’t traditionally chase trophies could help his game.

At Bayern, he always seemed out of his depth in competitive matches, and he might have struggled with the spotlight at Anfield too. 

However, a good season for Stoke will see his value rocket once again; at 23, he still has so much to offer, and his development in the top leagues may only be about to bear fruit in the coming months. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1iehzdu
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

From the moment the fixtures were drawn, Barcelona players and supporters alike would have viewed their clash against Atletico Madrid in the third week of the season as a stiff test.

To head to the Vicente Calderon is never easy, especially not now Diego Simeone has reinforced his side with some intriguing attacking options to go with their usual steely resolve and combative nature.

But circumstances have transformed a tough match into a huge challenge for Luis Enrique side.

Atletico, who on Wednesday welcomed Filipe Luis back to training after injury, per Sport, have no injuries, suspensions or absences to worry about.

That is not the case for the visitors.

There is a big question mark over Gerard Pique’s availability for the game.

As things stand, the Spanish centre-back is suspended for the clash, the third game of a four-match ban.

However, according to Sport, Barcelona will take the case up with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a bid to get the punishment temporarily lifted:

Barcelona are set to present their case in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport as they seek to reduce Gerard Pique’s suspension. The Blaugrana will do so on Wednesday and hope that the CAS don’t have time to make a decision before the end of the week, which would free the defender up to play against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon.

It may be that the CAS decide to keep Pique’s four-game ban in place, but if there’s no decision immediately, Luis Enrique may have the player available for this weekend’s hugely important fixture. The number of injuries in defence mean it would be beneficial to have Pique available.

Missing Pique is a big enough problem already given the key role the defender played in winning the title last season.

Thomas Vermaelen has performed brilliantly so far in his stead, but the clash against Atletico will be a challenge on a different scale for the Belgian.

It could be the moment his career really takes off in Catalonia, or it could prove to be a further puncture.

But the problems don’t end there for Luis Enrique’s side.

There is also the absence of right-back Dani Alves with a groin injury. His back-up, Douglas, has been injured for weeks too.

However, with the Brazilian duo out of action and Martin Montoya on loan to Inter Milan, Sergi Roberto has stepped up to the mark.

The midfielder is being converted into a right-back by Lucho, and his performances against Athletic Club and Malaga in that spot were excellent.

Unfortunately for Barcelona, Sport said the club has been keeping quiet over a muscle injury he has suffered.

Sergi may yet be fit to play against Atletico, but if not, reserve left-back Adriano may be shifted over to the right flank, which would be a real problem.

The Brazilian is not good enough to keep out a side like Atletico, and it would be no surprise to see Antoine Griezmann peel off to the left to take advantage of Adriano during the game.

To make matters worse, a new casualty is Claudio Bravo.

The Chilean goalkeeper asked to be excluded from his national squad for personal reasons and remained in the Catalan capital to train during the break.

Sadly for him, he hurt his calf in training and is expected to be out of action for three weeks, his agent, Cristian Ogalde, explained to radio show Al Aire Libre (h/t Sport).

That means Marc-Andre ter Stegen is poised to make his debut in La Liga.

The German goalkeeper should have few problems, having already won the Champions League and Copa del Rey as a first choice, but Barcelona’s goalkeepers have been picked on lately.

As noted by Graham Hunter on ESPN FC, the use of Bravo and Ter Stegen as sweeper-keepers has lured teams into shooting from distance to dangerous effect. He wrote:

I asked Enrique about the Barcelona style for ‘keepers after the match, and he said that it wouldn’t change: It was a vital part of their offensive and defensive strategy. But he also said quite clearly that these two instances were errors and that they must be corrected.

Until they are, watch out for every team in La Liga bombarding the Barcelona goal the instant the Spanish champions lose possession almost anywhere on the pitch.

To make matters worse, Ter Stegen shipped eight goals in two games earlier this season and has since been replaced by Bravo.

That might have given the German’s confidence a bit of a battering, with the Chilean keeping two clean sheets in La Liga in the two games so far.

With a defence weakened by both injury and suspension and Bravo’s injury, Atletico Madrid can expect some joy when they attack on Saturday night.

It makes what was always going to be a tricky match extremely difficult, and Barcelona will be praying their attacking stars can find their form at the Calderon.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1Q0X0LV
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Sunderland‘s Ola Toivonen has claimed that Liverpool previously tried to bring him to England and says he “regrets” not making the switch to Anfield.

The 29-year-old attacking midfielder recently linked up with the Black Cats and his former PSV Eindhoven boss Dick Advocaat in a season-long loan move from Rennes, but the Swedish international told the Northern Echo (h/t Joe Short of the Express) that he missed out on a dream transfer to Merseyside:

I have had opportunities to come to the Premier League before; a couple of years ago it looked like I would be joining Liverpool when Roy Hodgson was there. Not fighting hard enough for that to happen is something I regret in my life. I am 29 so when I look back I will be pleased that I took the opportunity to move to France to try out a new league also.

I experienced how it is to live there, experienced a new language and culture so it was a nice time. But I always wanted to play in the Premier League so when I got the call from Sunderland it was a quick decision to make.

Toivonen made his name at PSV during a successful five-year spell but took the opportunity to move to Ligue 1 in 2014. Last season saw the Red and Blacks finish mid-table in the league, with Toivonen scoring seven goals in 28 starts, per WhoScored.com.

It is clear to see why Roy Hodgson was interested in the lofty midfielder, who is also comfortable in the striker’s position.

Toivonen is the kind of talent Hodgson tactically relates to, but it is questionable whether Liverpool supporters would have been satisfied with such a purchase, given the team’s Champions League ambitions. 

Ezequiel Lavezzi‘s Long Goodbye

Argentina international Ezequiel Lavezzi has spoken of his potential farewell season at Paris Saint-Germain, admitting he might leave the French capital at the end of the year—with Liverpool interested in the tricky attacker.

The 30-year-old told Telefoot (h/t Liam Corless of the Mirror) that he is happy to be playing with his great friend Angel Di Maria, but the partnership is likely to be short-lived, as the winger keeps his options open:

The truth is I want to stay because I have a lot of faith in the team. This year we brought in players that really reinforced the team. I’m very happy for new signing Angel Di Maria, it’s always good to play with your friends. He is a great player, I hope he adapts quickly. I think it’s my last year in Paris. But I’m okay and I want to finish it the best way possible. You never know what can happen. Today I want to stay, tomorrow we’ll see.

Lavezzi has been one of Europe’s most dynamic and exciting forwards—during his time at Napoli and PSG—however he has steadily fallen down the pecking order at the Parisians, and a move is likely if he wants a starting berth. 

The player scored eight goals in 30 Ligue appearances last term, per WhoScored, but he started as a substitute in 11 of those matches. 

Lavezzi and Di Maria have already started to prove their worth as an attacking duo, after the Argentinians recently combined for a fine goal for PSG, per Sportskeeda:

The player was linked with a move to Liverpool 12 months ago, as reported by the Express’ Jamie Anderson, with the writer declaring: 

A host of European giants including Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid are known to want the forward, but the lure of the Premier League could see him destined for Anfield. The sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and the injury to Daniel Sturridge has exposed Liverpool’s forward line to be somewhat suspect.

Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Mario Balotelli, though good player’s, may struggle to seamlessly adapt to the infamous ‘Rodgers ethos’ of energetic and incisive football.

Anderson’s assessment was accurate, with Lambert, Borini and Balotelli all failing to make the grade, leaving Rodgers to look elsewhere for striking talent. 

Lavezzi would be a shrewd purchase by Rodgers as he looks to add experience to his front line. The continued absence of Sturridge leaves the Reds permanently hamstrung, and the energy of the Argentinian would be perfect for English football. 

Roberto Firmino will need time to prove if he is a goal threat, but if Rodgers wants a player who could offer inspiration and goals, Lavezzi would be the perfect solution at an affordable price. 

The weight of expectation is now on the shoulders of Christian Benteke, but the Belgian has been known to experience goal droughts, meaning Rodgers must add another striker in the next 12 months. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1Nlyojo
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J