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.

Betting Guide [SOCCER – Asian Handicap]: Premier League 2012-13 Chelsea vs. Stoke City

Match Date: September 22, 2012 (Saturday)

Match Time: 10:00 pm (+08:00 GMT)

Venue: Stamford Bridge (HOME: Chelsea)

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON (Last Five Matches)
2011-12 Premier League (March 10, 2012)
Chelsea	1-0	Stoke City
2011-12 Premier League (August 14, 2011)
Chelsea	0-0	Stoke City
2010-11 Premier League (April 2, 2011)
Chelsea	1-1	Stoke City
2010-11 Premier League (August 28, 2010)
Chelsea	2-0	Stoke City
2009-10 Premier League (April 25, 2010)
Chelsea	7-0	Stoke City

Chelsea will play host to Stoke City on Saturday, September 22. Chelsea has an unbeaten run in their last five games against Stoke, with three wins and two draws.

12BET Asian Handicap: 1.5 for Stoke City

Stoke City gets a 1.5 handicap at 12BET.com in playign against tough oponnent Chelsea. Refer to the betting guide tables below to choose the side that you want to bet.

EXAMPLE 1: BET MYR 100 ON CHELSEA

REAL GAME RESULT	RESULT WITH HANDICAP	HOME (Chelsea)	AWAY (Stoke City)	COMMENTS:
HEADSTART	HEADSTART	0	1.5	Stoke City has a 1.5-goal handicap
0-0, 1-1, 2-2 (ALL DRAWS)	0-1.5, 1-2.5, 2-3.5 (+1.5 for AWAY)	-100%	+100%	Stoke City “wins” by 1.5 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00
1-0	1-1.5	-100%	+100%	Stoke City “wins” by 0.5 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00
0-1	0-2.5	-100%	+100%	Stoke City “wins” by 2.5 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00
2-0	2-1.5	+100%	-100%	Chelsea “wins” by 0.5 goals, WIN MYR 207.00
3-0	3-1.5	+100%	-100%	Chelsea “wins” by 1.5 goals, WIN MYR 207.00

EXAMPLE 2: BET MYR 100 ON STOKE CITY

REAL GAME RESULT	RESULT WITH HANDICAP	HOME (Chelsea)	AWAY (Stoke City)	COMMENTS:
HEADSTART	HEADSTART	0	1.5	Stoke City has a 1.5-goal handicap
0-0, 1-1, 2-2 (ALL DRAWS)	0-1.5, 1-2.5, 2-3.5 (+1.5 for AWAY)	-100%	+100%	Stoke City “wins” by 1.5 goals, WIN MYR 186.00
1-0	1-1.5	-100%	+100%	Stoke City “wins” by 0.5 goals, WIN MYR 186.00
0-1	0-2.5	-100%	+100%	Stoke City “wins” by 2.5 goals, WIN MYR 186.00
2-0	2-1.5	+100%	-100%	Chelsea “wins” by 0.5 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00
3-0	3-1.5	+100%	-100%	Chelsea “wins” by 1.5 goals, LOSE MYR 100.00

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Photo credits:

Chelsea vs. Stoke [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 17 September 2012, from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/n_RbgE-nQOL/Chelsea+v+Stoke+City+Premier+League/JIMw1n9HqZ7/Ricardo+Fuller >

Stoke Forward Michael Owen Regrets Not Leaving Manchester United Earlier

Michael Owen, Manchester United’s former striker for three seasons, said that he should have moved out of the club earlier than his April release.

Signing for a one-year deal with Stoke City, the 32-year old forward said that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson convinced him to stay at the club for one more year. He only played for The Red Devils four times last season.

Owen said that the extra year he spent at United could have given him better playing opportunities. He recalled how he stayed at the bench often while being reassured by Ferguson that he has “a big role to play”. While he called it an honour from the manager, he said that he wanted to play more.

Last year, Owen injured his thigh and was not fit to play from November until weeks before the season has ended.  He may make his first showing for Stoke when the side will be playign against tough oponnent and defending league champions Manchester City – a team that he beat via an injury time goal to make it 4-3 for United.

Looking forward to figure prominently at Stoke, Owen said that at age 32, he could still make a great impact on his career. He expressed his confidence in scoring goals for his new club, saying that he has done so in all of his previous clubs.

Having felt that he had a strong chance to play at Stoke, Owen claimed that he talked to Pulis months ago, noting that he expected an offer sooner than his entry this month. He added that he had no second thoughts on signing for The Potters.

Manager Tony Pulis said that he has not decided yet whether he will start Owen in their upcoming City match. He said that he is happy with Owen’s performance in training and noted that they “are very pleased to have got him”.

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Photo credits:

Michael Owen [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 14 September 2012, from <http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/09/07/michael-owen-relishing-competition-for-place-in-stoke-city-first-team/>

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  >

Fulham Signs Greece Captain Karagounis; Man Utd Midfielder Kagawa's Back Injury Causes Initial Alarm

Giorgos Karagounis joined Fulham as the club's latest midfield enhancement, following the Greece international captain's release from Panathinaikos.

The free-agent is best known for his instrumental contribution in elevating Greece to EURO 2004 victory. He will replace Danny Murphy in Fulham, who made a move to Championship side Blackburn Rovers after talks of a new contract fell out.

Aside from Panathinaikos, Karagounis spent time playing at Inter Milan and Benfica. He expressed his happiness in joining Fulham, remarking that he is thrilled to work with manager Martin Jol and the club's players.

Jol said that Karagounis' extensive experience in leadership and playing football makes him a fine asset of the club. He described the midfielder as a popular figure in international football due to his achievement of being one of the players who made the most appearances for Greece with 120 matches.

Aside from helping Greece win EURO 2004, Karagounis brought the nation to the EURO 2012 quarterfinals through a crucial goal while playign against tough oponnent Russia. A yellow card during that match left him out of the squad's losing quarterfinal against Germany.

Meanwhile, reports that Shinji Kagawa incurred a back injury while playing for Japan against Iraq in the World Cup qualifier caught the concern of his national team manager.

Kagawa withdrew prior to the kick-off after complaining of a back pain which he allegedly suffered from training. Japan manager Alberto Zaccheroni initially wanted the midfielder on the bench, but said that he did not want to aggravate the situation of the player.

Speaking on the reports, Kagawa calmed down fears that he may not be fully fit to play in his upcoming fixtures. He said that while the injury is not serious and he already had it treated, he opted to withdraw so as not to affect the team's performance.

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Photo credits:

Giorgos Karagounis [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 12 September 2012, from < http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite5_1_11/09/2012_460778 >

Betting Guide [SOCCER – Asian Handicap]: Bundesliga 2012-13 Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Match Date: September 15, 2012 (Saturday)
Match Time: 9:30 pm (+08:00 GMT)
Venue: Signal Iduna Park (HOME: Borussia Dortmund)

2011-12 Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund will play against Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday, September 15. Of their last five matches, both teams drew once, Dortmund won three and Leverkusen one.

12BET Asian Handicap: 1.0 for Bayer 04 Leverkusen

12BET.com assigned a 1.0 handicap to Leverkusen, who will be playign against tough oponnent and title defenders Dortmund. Before you decide on your bet, check the betting table guides below.

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Photo credits:

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 11 September 2012, from <http://www.goal.com/en/match/60980/borussia-dortmund-vs-bayer-04-leverkusen/preview >