Cristiano Ronaldo Saves the Day For Real Madrid in Tense Champions League Opener

Santiago Bernabeu witnessed a heart-throbbing fixture between two clubs heavily touted to become European club champions – Real Madrid and Manchester City. The more-experienced Los Blancos got the head start in the Champions League group match after fabled striker Cristiano Ronaldo hit a goal on the last minutes of the game, bringing his team to a 3-2 victory.

The Citizens are well aware that in playign against tough oponnent Madrid, they have to go against the pressure brought by the prestige and history of the nine-time Champions League winners. Keeper Joe Hart was busy fending off goal attempts from the opposition while striker Edin Dzeko opened the scoring in the middle of the second half – much to the surprise of the Madridistas.

The Madrid squad knew that it cannot let City’s lead last long, as shown by an equalizer from Marcelo that initially came off from a deflected shot. An Aleksandar Kolarov free kick on the 85th minute pressured the Spanish champions once more.

With not much time left, agitated Madrid played on to salvage at least an equalizer. Karim Benzema found his way past City’s new defender Matija Nastasic to penetrate the bottom corner of the enemy woodwork.

Both City and Madrid struggled on until the end to hold on and seek another advantage, as the game looked headed for a draw. The Spanish outfit prevailed, as Ronaldo dealt a deceptive strike past Hart to give the game to Madrid.

Before the successful late-game efforts of Madrid, City appeared confident of getting away with a win. Hart impressed blue Manchester through acting on numerous saves, most notably when the keeper fended off Ronaldo’s early attempt and closed down Gonzalo Higuain’s header.

Yaya Toure provided City great attacking power, having given Madrid defensive worries in the first half and assisted Dzeko in his goal. Carlos Tevez almost had his name in the score sheet if not for an off-balanced wide shot.

Jose Mourinho, keeping in mind his side’s dismal La Liga form, brought in Mesut Ozil, Benzema and Luka Modric after failures coming from Sami Khedira and Higuain. The manager’s pitch slide following Ronaldo’s late goal showed his delight for the victory.

Roberto Mancini’s men walked away frustrated, knowing that a win would have been possible. Dzeko remarked that the match taught them a lesson – that to become the best in Europe, they have to win matches against the likes of Madrid.

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Photo credits:

Cristiano Ronaldo Celebrates Champions League Goal [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 19 September 2012, from <http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2012/09/18/real-madrid-beats-manchester-city-3-2-in-epic-last-five-minute-comeback/ >

Jose Mourinho: Real Madrid Can Advance In Champions League

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho believes his side still has what it takes to lead and win the Champions League, despite a poor showing in their early matches at La Liga.

Playign against tough oponnent sides Manchester City, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund, Mourinho faces the daunting task of getting his team back in shape again after poor-grade league performances against Sevilla and Getafe.

Aside from their substandard form, the Spanish champions have gone under fire due to two things. One is the reported “sadness” of Cristiano Ronaldo over “professional reasons” at the club and the other is Mourinho’s public disclosure of his disappointment over the way his side have played.

Despite Mourinho’s apparent dismay, he asserted his certainty of Real Madrid going past through the group stage of Europe’s annual competition for its top football clubs. He said that they would do their best to win, even though he admitted that they could feel tension in going against their group rivals due to their unimpressive form.

Drawn to perhaps the toughest group in the Champions League, Real Madrid will be facing their counterparts in England, Netherlands and Germany. Manchester City, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund qualified as champions in their leagues last season.

Mourinho believes that as a manager, he feels that his focus and anticipation in playing against teams in the Champions League is the same as when his side plays in the Spanish league. Having joined Real Madrid from Internazionale Milan in 2010, he is still looking for his first European Champion title with the top Spanish outfit.

Facing Manchester City in the opener, Real Madrid will look forward to adding another victory to their 11 wins in 12 Champions League games at the Santiago Bernabeu.  They will get to face City’s challenging force with the likes of Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure and possibly Aguero.

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Photo credits:

Jose Mourinho [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 18 September 2012, from <http://www.everyday.com.kh/en/viewnews.php?type=sports&id=69 >

Premier League: Demba Ba double gives Newcastle controversial draw

Senegal striker Demba Ba rescued a 2-2 draw for Newcastle as his late equaliser left Everton to pay the price for a crucial blunder by the officials at Goodison Park.

Ba came off the bench at half-time with Newcastle trailing to Leighton Baines' first half goal and he made an immediate impact with the equaliser one minute into the second period.

But Everton were denied a clear goal when Victor Anichebe's header appeared to cross the line after being pushed onto the bar by Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper.

David Moyes' side, who had already had a Marouane Fellaini strike harshly ruled out for offside, were understandably furious with referee Mike Jones and his assistants, yet it seemed they would still take the points when Anichebe fired home with only two minutes remaining.

However, Ba had the last word when he bundled in his second equaliser of the night in the 90th minute.

There was more bad news for Everton as Croatia striker Nikica Jelavic hobbled off with a first half knee injury.

"We played well and we thought we had other goals in the game but for some reason or not they weren't given," Moyes said. "For Anichebe's effort the linesman was looking right along the line, that's his job and he didn't see it.

"I thought we deserved the win, sometimes you need decisions to go your way but they didn't go for us tonight."

Magpies manager Alan Pardew added: "I was proud of the second half because we were terrific, but the first half we lacked belief and I was shocked at how we played.

"Not many teams would come back and respond in the way we did so all credit to the players."

While the post-match discussion was all about technology and officials' decisions, understandably the pre-match focus was on recognising Merseyside neighbours Liverpool's fight for justice after the publication of last week's independent report into the Hillsborough disaster. The club's approach was pitched perfectly as, in addition to two mascots wearing an Everton number nine shirt and a Liverpool top with the number 6 and ball boys bearing the number 96, the names of all victims of the disaster scrolled across Goodison's television screen accompanied by the Hollies' 'He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother'.

In an emotionally charged atmosphere, Everton made a strong start which must have made uncomfortable viewing for Pardew, watching from the stands as he served the first of a two-match touchline ban.

Jelavic had an early goal disallowed for offside but the hosts made a deserved breakthrough in the 15th minute when Baines raced onto a clever backheel from Steven Pienaar to fire past Harper.

Belgian striker Kevin Mirallas, Everton's transfer deadline day signing, was impressing on his first league start, while Phil Jagielka shaved the post with a volley from Jelavic's lay-off.

After Jelavic was forced off, Newcastle came into the match more and Ba equalised in the 46th minute with a low strike from Yohan Cabaye's pass.

Fellaini had a goal ruled out for offside, a decision which was marginal at best, middway through the second half.

Then Everton's protests reached fever pitch when Anichebe's 78th minute header was tipped onto the crossbar by Harper and appeared to bounce down over the line before Mike Williamson cleared.

Anichebe finally did get on the scoresheet as he turned in the penalty area to fire home in the 88th minute.

That looked to have won it for Everton, but moments later Ba latched on to Shola Ameobi's knockdown to roll a shot under Tim Howard and snatch a point.

Aguero Back On Track With Manchester City

Manchester City will now get their much-needed enhancement in playign against tough oponnent sides in the Premier League as Sergio Aguero returns from an injury.

The 24-year old striker hurt his knee in a match against Southampton in City's opening game for this season. City's website recently featured pictures of the player while in training. There is no announcement yet as to whether he will join the club's game against Stoke on Saturday.

Aguero was included in the Argentina team for the World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru, despite his injury that caused him to miss his club's matches against Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers. City manager Roberto Mancini was reportedly disappointment by Argentina's move.

The manager said that calling up Aguero for international duty is a “ridiculous move”, but said that he has to follow the rules. Saying that the striker needed a two-week rest from training, he did not bother to travel to Argentina to check on the player's condition.

On Aguero's injury, Mancini predicted that the striker will recover back in form during the international break, despite the damage looking “very strange”. The player announced that the damage is not serious, even though his clash with Nathaniel Clyne of Southampton caused great pain to his knee.

An important player in City's squad, Aguero moved from Atletico Madrid to the tune of £38 million. He scored 23 goals in his first season in the league and was instrumental in the club's 3-2 win against QPR.
Aside from Aguero, City will usher in the return of two more players – Gareth Barry and Micah Richards. Mancini expects a boost in his squad's potential to defend the title after the international break.

Barry was excluded from EURO 2012 as a player for England after an injured hip and hernia ruled him out of any matches for four months. Richards injured his ankle during the London Olympics while representing Great Britain.

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Photo credits:

Sergio Aguero [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 13 September 2012, from < http://www.teamtalk.com/manchester-city  >

Premier League 2012-13 Manchester United vs. Wigan Athletic

Match Date: September 15, 2012 (Saturday)
Match Time: 10:00 pm (+08:00 GMT)
Venue: Old Trafford (HOME: Manchester United)

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON (Last Five Matches)
2011-12 Premier League (April 12, 2012)
Manchester United	0-1	Wigan Athletic
2011-12 Premier League (December 26, 2011)
Manchester United	5-0	Wigan Athletic
2010-11 Premier League (February 26, 2011)
Manchester United	4-0	Wigan Athletic
2010-11 Premier League (November 20, 2010)
Manchester United	2-0	Wigan Athletic
2009-10 Premier League (December 31, 2009)
Manchester United	5-0	Wigan Athletic

Manchester United will host Wigan Athletic in their first Premier League game against one another this season on Saturday, September 15. Of their five meetings, United have won four and Wigan one.

12BET Asian Handicap: 2.0 for Wigan Athletic

At 12BET.com, Wigan has a 2.0-goal handicap, who is playign against tough oponnent Manchester United. Refer to the betting guide tables below in deciding on your bet.

FULL TIME HANDICAP



EXAMPLE 1: BET MYR 100 ON MANCHESTER UNITED

REAL GAME RESULT	RESULT WITH HANDICAP	HOME (Manchester United)	AWAY (Wigan Athletic)	COMMENTS:
HEADSTART	HEADSTART	0	2	Wigan has a 2.0-goal handicap
0-0, 1-1, 2-2 (ALL DRAWS)	0-2, 1-3, 2-4 (+2 for AWAY)	-100%	+100%	Wigan “wins” by 2 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00
1-0	1-2	-100%	+100%	Wigan “wins” by 1 goal, LOSE MYR 100.00
0-1	0-3	-100%	+100%	Wigan “wins” by 2 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00
2-0	2-2	NO BET	NO BET	LEVELLED game;  you can get your stakes back
3-0	3-2	+100%	-100%	United “wins” by 1 goal, WIN MYR 233
4-0	4-2	+100%	-100%	United “wins” by 2 goals, WIN MYR 233
5-0	5-2	+100%	-100%	United “wins” by 3 goals, WIN MYR 233

EXAMPLE 2: BET MYR 100 ON WIGAN ATHLETIC

REAL GAME RESULT	RESULT WITH HANDICAP	HOME (Manchester United)	AWAY (Wigan Athletic)	COMMENTS:
HEADSTART	HEADSTART	0	2	Wigan has a 2.0-goal handicap
0-0, 1-1, 2-2 (ALL DRAWS)	0-2, 1-3, 2-4 (+2 for AWAY)	-100%	+100%	Wigan “wins” by 2 goals, WIN MYR 168.00
1-0	1-2	-100%	+100%	Wigan “wins” by 1 goal, WIN MYR 168.00
0-1	0-3	-100%	+100%	Wigan “wins” by 2 goals, WIN MYR 168.00
2-0	2-2	NO BET	NO BET	LEVELLED game;  you can get your stakes back
3-0	3-2	+100%	-100%	United “wins” by 1 goal, LOSE MYR 100
4-0	4-2	+100%	-100%	United “wins” by 2 goals, LOSE MYR 100
5-0	5-2	+100%	-100%	United “wins” by 3 goals, LOSE MYR 100

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Photo credits:

Manchester United and Wigan Athletic [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 10 September 2012, from < http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/football/205079/football-lethargic-man-united-lose-wigan>