Obbadi ends Monaco's winless streak, crowd violence in Nice

Mounir Obbadi's long-range strike earned Monaco a 1-0 victory at Nantes to end a three-match winless streak as violence in Nice marred Sunday's Ligue 1 fixtures.

Obbadi fired home with a powerful 30-metre shot 19 minutes from time as big-spending Monaco, who splashed over 100 million euros ($135 million) on transfers during the close season, stayed third with 29 points from 14 games.

They trail leaders Paris St Germain, who beat Stade Reims 3-0 on Saturday, by five points while second-placed Lille are on 30 points after Pape Souare's late goal gave them a 1-0 win over 10-man Toulouse earlier on Sunday.

The day was soured, however, by events in the south of France where nine people were injured as St Etienne fans threw seats at home supporters in Nice's Allianz Riviera stadium before kickoff in a game the visitors won 1-0.

Monaco, who had taken only one point from their two previous league outings and lost in the last 32 of the League Cup, were under pressure to keep pace with PSG and Lille.

Obbadi took full advantage of keeper Rudy Riou's poor clearance to give his team all three points in the 71st minute, but they failed to impress, once again.

Radamel Falcao, who has scored nine league goals this season, lost his scoring touch and was substituted shortly after the hour.

Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri told Canal Plus that he had substituted Falcao in order to protect him, claiming the Colombia striker was suffering with a minor injury.

Nantes had a goal disallowed for a foul in the last minute.

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Mertesacker goal gives Germany win over England

England lost at home for successive matches for the first time since 1977 after a powerful first-half header from Per Mertesacker was enough to give an experimental Germany a 1-0 win at Wembley on Tuesday.

It was Germany's fifth win over England in six games at Wembley since they last lost there in 1975, and gave German coach Joachim Loew something to celebrate in his 100th match in charge of the side.

Both teams were using the match as part of their preparations for next year's World Cup finals in Brazil, and Loew and England manager Roy Hodgson considerably altered their lineups. As such, the game lacked the intensity of many former clashes between the old rivals.

England, showing nine changes from the team that lost 2-0 to Chile on Friday, dominated for long periods of a generally low-key game but created very little despite having the majority of possession.

Roman Weidenfeller, who at 33 became the oldest goalkeeper to make his debut for Germany, did not have a save to make in the first half, with England's only attempts at goal restricted to a Wayne Rooney header and a Steven Gerrard shot that both went over the bar.

Germany, who made eight changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Italy on Friday, defended well in depth but also created very little until just before they took the lead.

The 39th-minute breakthrough came from the third cross and header the Germans won in front of the England goal in the space of little more than 60 seconds.

The first header from Mertesacker was well saved by Joe Hart, the second from Heiko Westerman was half-cleared, and the third - from which Mertesacker scored when he outjumped Chris Smalling and gave Hart no chance - came from another cross from the impressive Toni Kroos.

England upped the tempo after the break as they sought to avoid an unwanted home record of two successive defeats, and they almost equalised after 57 minutes when a powerful low drive from Andros Townsend flew past the diving Weidenfeller but rebounded away off the foot of the post.

Recalled England keeper Hart made an excellent save midway through the second half from Marco Reus, while Townsend had another late attempt as Germany held on for a pleasing if rather unmemorable victory.

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France ready to "die" for a World Cup spot

France's under-pressure players are ready to "die" for the cause as they try to qualify for the World Cup finals by overturning a two-goal deficit against Ukraine on Tuesday, according to striker Olivier Giroud.

Les Blues are on the verge of missing a major tournament for the first time in 20 years following Friday's 2-0 playoff, first-leg defeat in Kiev.

No team have recovered from a two-goal deficit in a European playoff but Giroud says France can use the disappointment of a few days ago as extra motivation.

"We are ready to die on the pitch," striker Giroud told a news conference on Sunday, ahead of the Stade de France clash.

"I have a lot of determination and I think it will help us get into them," he added.

Ukraine proved rock-solid on Friday as France, who have appeared at all major finals since missing out on Euro 1996, were well below par.

"One side played a top-level match and we played just a match, like it was an ordinary game. We took a slap in the face," coach Didier Deschamps said, adding that his side were capable of doing much better.

"This is what the top level is. The players have it inside of them and they will have to show that on Tuesday."

Deschamps knows his players will have to do more than simply control possession on Tuesday, calling for more passion.

"We have to be ready for a fight, to produce a non-ordinary match. We have to play the 'total match', to give everything in every department," he said.

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Low-flying Ronaldo deals first blow in playoff

 Cristiano Ronaldo struck the first blow in his personal duel with Zlatan Ibrahimovic when his late flying header gave Portugal a 1-0 win over Sweden in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying playoff on Friday.

Neither of the big-name players contributed much to a feisty encounter until Ronaldo stooped to meet Miguel Veloso's pinpoint cross from the left with an intelligent header in the 82nd minute.

Until then, Ronaldo had struggled against a massed Swedish defence, wasted two free kicks by firing into the wall and been booked shortly before his goal for a foul on goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson as his frustration boiled over.

Sweden had several chances in the first half before Portugal took control after the break at the Luz stadium, gaining the upper hand or Tuesday's second leg in Stockholm.

"We would have been very happy with a draw," Sweden coach Erik Harmen told TV4. "We played a good game defensively, the goal was unnecessary, we were careless with that cross."

Portugal could have gone ahead in the opening minutes when Raul Meireles put Joao Moutinho clean through only for the Monaco midfielder to shoot into the side-netting.

The Swedes then enjoyed a brief period of dominance and came close when Johan Elmander just failed to hit the target from a pinpoint cross by right back Mikael Lustig.

Ibrahimovic was mostly left alone upfront, making him easy prey for the Portuguese defence.

His only real flash of inspiration was a dummy which created a clear shooting chance for Sebastian Larsson, whose effort was turned away by Rui Patricio.

Portugal were also hugely relieved to see Kallstrom blast a close-range free kick narrowly wide.

The hosts then won a flurry of corners which produced little apart from a Ronaldo header over the bar.

The Swedish fielded a very experienced side with more than half of their starters in their thirties, many of them with the last chance to play a World Cup.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento, in turn, stuck to his routine line-up, with Veloso and Moutinho the midfield combatants while Nani and Helder Postiga completed the attacking trio alongside Ronaldo.

Portugal dominated the second half although they did not create many clearcut chances until Ronaldo's goal. That brought them to life and Ronaldo headed against the bar in the dying minutes.

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Ukraine vs. France 15.11.2013 fifa world cup playoff

Karim Benzema has confidently declared France "will qualify" for next summer's World Cup as Les Bleus prepare to face Ukraine in the first leg of their play-off in Kiev on Friday night.

Didier Deschamps' men have been forced down the play-off route after failing to get the better of Spain in their qualification group, although the form they showed in finishing second to the reigning world champions was nevertheless impressive.

One final hurdle stands in the way of France and a fifth successive appearance at the finals, and on paper it is a tough one with Mikhail Fomenko's Ukraine coming into the tie on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run.

Real Madrid striker Benzema, however, has no doubt what the final outcome will be after the return leg at the Stade de France next Tuesday.

"We will give everything in these two games," Benzema said. "We will qualify, I am sure.

"There is no choice. At the end, there is the ticket to the World Cup in Brazil - the most beautiful. A World Cup in the land of football."

Although they will be 1,200 miles from home when they step out at Kiev's Olimpiyskiy Stadium on Friday, France's players will enjoy the backing of 2,000 travelling fans - and midfielder Rio Mavuba believes they will play a big part over the two legs.

"There is a relationship that is developing between us and our fans," said Mavuba, who says the national side has moved on from the internal strife that struck at the 2010 World Cup and infuriated so many supporters.

"They're behind their team now, and that's great because we'll really need them for these two matches."

For his part, Deschamps will just hope that he is not in line for any more play-off pain after being part of the squad that lost to Bulgaria at this same stage in 1993.

"It may have been 20 years ago but it still sticks in my mind," Deschamps told reporters. "I don't want to experience that again.

"We're playing two games in five days with no points at stake. Our goal is crystal clear - to qualify for the World Cup."

Ukraine, who finished second to England in their qualification group, also have plenty of recent play-off heartache to push from their minds heading into Friday night's first leg.

Ukraine were defeated in the play-offs for the 1998, 2002 and 2010 World Cups, and will be fearing a repeat this time around after being handed arguably the toughest assignment of anyone in the eight-team play-off round.

Striker Marko Devic is under no illusions about the scale of the task ahead, and told FIFA.com: "I truly believe in our team, but I'm realistic and I think that France are favourites.

"We're not heading into the unknown; we know exactly what we'll be up against: one of the best teams in the world."

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Portugal vs. Sweden 15.11.2013 World Cup playoff

Arguably the pick of the 2014 World Cup playoffs in Europe is the meeting between Portugal and Sweden. The first leg takes place in Lisbon on Friday with Portugal priced up in red numbers to come out on top.

Portugal Update

Portugal are no strangers when it comes to running the gauntlet of the playoffs to reach the finals of a major tournament and in the qualifying group they finished as runners up, one point behind Russia. Their start was again responsible for failing to book an automatic ticket as although they began with wins against two minnows, a defeat in Russia, draw at home to Northern Ireland and a 3-3 thriller away in Israel saw them playing catch up. They won three and drew two of five home fixtures but dropped points against both the Irish and Israel on home soil which had many favourite backers licking their wounds.  

Sweden Update

In some way's Sweden qualifying campaign followed a similar pattern to their playoff opponents. They were always going to battle to keep group winners Germany in range but they won key games against Ireland and Austria as the group drew to a close which saw them finish in second spot. Their two most notable qualifiers came against the Germans, a 4-4 draw away from home where they came back from 4-0 down and a 5-3 home defeat where they relinquished a 2-0 lead.

Head to Head

The teams last met in a qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup Finals. Both group matches finished 0-0 and Portugal finished as runners up (to Denmark) before coming through the play offs whilst Sweden finished third in the group and missed out completely.

The Betting, Match Result

Portugal 0.73 BetXchange

Draw 11/4 Sportingbet

Sweden 4/1 Sportingbet

Selected Others

Under 2.5 goals 15/20 Sportingbet, World Sports Betting

Over 2.5 goals 21/20 World Sports Betting, MBet

Both teams to score (no) 7/10 BetXchange, World Sports Betting, Hollywood, MBet

Both teams to score (yes) 11/10 BetXchange

Total goal bands 2-3, 10/11 Sportingbet, World Sports Betting

Note, odds are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Not all bookmakers had priced up at the time of writing and many more markets are available.

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Romania have one eye on the future ahead of Greece World Cup play-off

Adrian Mutu has been left out of the Romania squad to face Greece in the World Cup qualifying playoff. Photograph: Pascal Pochard Casabianca/AFP/Getty Images

Gheorghe Hagi's words seemed to stem from a moment of rage and no one took much notice. "You should be building statues of us. Yes, don't laugh! In a few years' time, our football will be gone."

Romania's national team were just about to leave for the 1998 World Cup in France and the feeling back home was that only a result equalling or bettering that of the previous World Cup would get the nation excited. They reached the quarter-finals at USA 94. In France, they beat England in the group stage and went into the last 16 full of hope and with their hair bleached blond but fell to earth with a bang, Croatia winning 1-0.

Romania have not been to a World Cup since. In 2000 Hagi retired and his thoughts from 15 years ago look prophetic now. Tournaments came and tournaments went without Romania qualifying. The eccentric aura of the team of the 90s – which included players such as Hagi, Ilie Dumitrescu, Gheorghe Popescu, Dan Petrescu, Adrian Ilie, Marius Lacatus – quickly gave way to mediocrity.

Hagi's sacred No10 shirt moved from player to player before it finally came into Adrian Mutu's possession. The former Chelsea forward was supposed to be the driving force behind a new "golden generation". It was not to be. Mutu's personal problems were a depressing reflection of an entire system that could not adapt to a post-Hagi era.

Mutu disappointed millions of Romanians with his two suspensions , first at Chelsea and then at Fiorentina, but still felt he was irreplaceable. After equalling Hagi's goal scoring record of 35 for the national team earlier this year, against Hungary, in Budapest, the 34-year-old Mutu thought he would crown his international career by playing in a World Cup in Brazil.

That now looks unlikely. Romania face Greece in Athens on Friday in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off and Mutu is not in the squad. The forward has been omitted by the national coach, Victor Piturca, after complaining to the press about being left on the bench in the game against Holland in Amsterdam.

The Ajaccio forward was supported by most fans but Piturca does not care about that. Mutu went from being "annoyed" to "I will give Mr Piturca a call because the World Cup is my biggest dream".

Piturca, however, is trying to implement changes and at the moment the No10 shirt belongs to Steaua Bucharest's Cristian Tanase. Against Greece, the Romanian FA president, Mircea Sandu, wants the team "to create, to be attacking and to score in Athens. I hope Piturca finds a strategy that helps us score, we must do that!"

Piturca agrees about scoring but not about the style of play: "Did you see Juventus beat Napoli 3-0? How did they play? They were mainly defended in their own half and then attacked when they had the ball. That's what I want from my team."

So Romania will go to Greece and play counterattacking – against a team that still do not score many goals. They got 12 in 10 qualifying games and that was in a group that included Liechtenstein.

Romania's stars do not come from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Juventus or Chelsea any more. The current key players are the Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches – who will not play against Greece because of a broken nose – Ciprian Marica of Getafe, Steaua's Alexandru Bourceanu and the Genclerbirligi forward Bogdan Stancu.

Considering the players at his disposal the "Where did it all go wrong?" debate has been going for a while now. The reasons for the decline, however, are not hard to find: almost no grassroots football strategy, poor conditions for coaches and children wanting to become footballers, as well as huge changes in society as a whole.

Hagi set up his own academy in 2009 and there are hopes that it will soon start to produce a new group of players who can make Romania proud. "Football gave me a lot," he says. "In fact, it gave me everything. Football made me what I am, so I want to give something back. I can't stand us being regarded as a minor football country. We have quality, we have talent, we must rise again. We have to try and win every game, that's what my Romania would have done."

But until his words are heard by the current Facebook generation, Romania has to wait for a new heir. And there may be hope: Ianis Hagi, 15, has been scouted by some of the most famous clubs in the world and is Romania Under-16s' captain. And his father knows a thing or two about football.
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Iceland vs. Croatia 15.11.2013 World Cup play off

 Iceland are a surprise package in the 2014 World Cup play offs and they have home advantage in the first leg of their match up with Croatia on Friday night.

Iceland Update

Iceland finished as runners up to Switzerland in qualifying Group E. The Swiss were unbeaten in the group and finished seven points clear of Iceland who will nonetheless have been very satisfied to beat the likes of Norway and Slovenia to the play off spot. They did lose two of their qualifiers at home, 2-0 to the Swiss and 4-2 to Slovenia but after going down in Cyprus early in the campaign, wins in Slovenia and Albania and draws in Norway and Switzerland (4-4) helped them to second place. Iceland kept two clean sheets in ten qualifiers, 2-0 home wins over Norway and Cyprus.

Croatia Update

Croatia were running neck and neck with Belgium after six rounds of qualifiers but they finished their group in poor form, taking just one point from their last four games including defeats to Scotland home and away. They did win away from home at Kazakhstan, Macedonia and Wales (all by a 2-1 scoreline) and they drew in Belgium before their form and ultimately their chances of automatic qualification disintegrated. Both sides scored in five of their six away fixtures with a 2-0 defeat in Scotland, in what was essentially a dead rubber, bucking the trend.

Head to Head

These teams haven't met wince the World Cup 2006 qualifying campaign and Croatia won both meetings, 4-0 on home soil and 3-1 in Iceland.

The Betting, Match Result

Iceland 29/10 World Sports Betting

Draw 24/10 World Sports Betting

Croatia even money BetXchange, Mbet, Hollywood, World Sports Betting

Selected Others

Under 2.5 goals 13/20 MBet

Over 2.5 goals 13/10 World Sports Betting

Both teams to score (no) 7/10 BetXchange, Hollywood

Both teams to score (yes) 11/10 BetXchange

Note, odds are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Not all bookmakers had priced up at the time of writing and many more markets are available.

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It's not about me and Ronaldo, says Ibrahimovic

Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic has dismissed talk of his nation's World Cup playoff with Portugal in Lisbon on Friday being just a contest between him and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I see two different players, two players who do things fantastically well and represent their countries in the best possible way," Ibrahimovic told reporters on Wednesday.

"One shouldn't focus on just two players - it's Sweden against Portugal and I think the collectives are the most important."

Ibrahimovic said that at 32 he was playing better than ever, adding: "I'm developing all the time. For that, you have to train hard, be mentally strong and have the experience I have after playing with such fantastic teams and players. I hope it can continue."

He also dismissed suggestions that Ronaldo tended to go down easily in the penalty area and was asked why he didn't tend to do the same.

"I don't know anything about any diving. I don't know how I can answer. Why I don't dive? I try to play my game, create difficult situations for opponenets and better ones for my team mates.

"I don't think about diving. I don't think he (Ronaldo) does either."

The return leg is on Nov. 19 at Stockholm's Friends Arena where the striker has scored a handful of spectacular goals for Sweden.

Ibrahimovic later said he was not worried about who wins FIFA's World Player of the Year award, the Ballon d'Or.

"It feels good (to be nominated), but the most important thing is what I believe and think about myself," he said.

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Mexico vs. New Zealand 13.11.2013 FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifying

exico may have been a mess all of 2013, needing help from the United States just to finish fourth in the Hex and qualify for the World Cup playoff against New Zealand, but all is well with El Tri. They will beat the Kiwis easily and book their ticket to Brazil

.After all, Mexico is Mexico.

That is the attitude Miguel Herrera has taken into Mexico's two-legged playoff, claiming at a press conference that "we don't have to worry about anything." That miserable 2013? Forget about it. Having an entirely domestic roster that leaves Javier Hernandez, Hector Moreno, Andres Guardado and Giovani dos Santos out? Whatever. Being 180 minutes from missing the World Cup? So what.

Mexico is Mexico.

One thing Mexico does have going for them is an opponent that has not played a competitive match in eight months, and that's generously calling Oceania World Cup qualifying competitive. New Zealand is also without captain Winston Reid, who is injured. On paper, El Tri should have no problem with the Kiwis -- they are ranked 24th in the world, while New Zealand is 79th -- but on paper, Mexico would have also finished first in the Hex.

Five questions

1. How much is home-field worth? For decades, it was nearly impossible to beat Mexico at the Azteca, but they managed just one win at home in the Hex and that came on a wondrous Raul Jimenez bicycle kick that rescued an otherwise forgetful performance. Herrera is willfully oblivious to Mexico's home struggles, stating, "We'll do it here. I'm sure that Mexico will get the advantage so we can relax in Wellington and finish the job." He cited the Azteca's altitude as the principle reason that El Tri will succeed, and why he called in an entirely domestic squad that was used to being 7,943 feet above sea level, and he better be right because Mexico can't afford to head to New Zealand without a lead.

2. Where will Mexico's goals come from? El Tri were putrid in the final third in the Hex, scoring just seven goals in 10 matches, but that attack was made up of Chicharito, dos Santos and Guardado most of the time. Herrera has tossed them aside, instead turning to Jimenez, Carlos Pena and Luis Montes to find goals, but the most important player will be one of the holdover from the Chepo de la Torre and Victor Manuel Vuceitch eras -- Oribe Peralta. The Santos Laguna man scored three goals in the Hex, tops on the team, and has been Mexico's only consistent goalscorer. Peralta and Jimenez will be charged with scoring the goals, but they need help from Pena and Montes in particular to turn an attack that has been stagnant in the final third into one that can't be flummoxed simply by numbers behind the ball.

3. How ambitious will New Zealand be at the Azteca? The Kiwis have a well-earned reputation for being conservative and packing men behind the ball, which few expect them to buck in Mexico City. After all, a draw at the Azteca would be as good as a win for New Zealand, so going conservative makes sense, but will they even bother trying to nick a goal on the counterattack? That's the question for a Mexico defense that has been susceptible to the counter. If the Kiwis get the least bit ambitious, they may be able to throw El Tri into panic.

4. Can Mexico defend with three? Herrera is bringing his three-man backline with him from Club America to Mexico, which could present problems for a team that hasn't kept a clean sheet since July. That Rafa Marquez and Maza Rodriguez are going to make up two-thirds of the backline doesn't do much to inspire confidence, either. Both have been somewhere between inconsistent and calamitous for El Tri of late, and they will likely have to defend in space against New Zealand on the rare occasions that the Kiwis threaten because Herrera likes to send numbers forward, which could be a problem for the slow-footed veterans.

5. Will New Zealand's physicality cause Mexico problems? Mexico has failed to deal with physical teams in the Hex and now they will face a team as tough as any they have come across in qualifying. Chris Wood and Shane Smeltz are both bruising forwards and Ivan Vicelich is as physical of a defender as there is, while Michael McGlinchey anchors tough tackling midfield. The Kiwis do have Marco Rojas, a fleet-footed, diminutive winger, but the majority of their players are going to rely on their physicality. Whether El Tri choose to match the Kiwis or beat them for pace, they have to keep from being ineffective in the 18 and losing long balls to big forwards that spark the counterattack, as has been the case against bruising teams this year.

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Jordan vs. Uruguay 13.11.2013 World Cup playoff

  

Injuries and suspensions have toughened the already daunting task for underdogs Jordan ahead of their World Cup playoff against Uruguay but they are daring to dream of another shock and a first appearance in the finals.

The two meet in the first leg of the intercontinental playoff at the Amman International Stadium on Wednesday (1500GMT) with the South Americans expected to sweep aside the Jordanians, who have exceeded all expectations in making it this far.

Jordan bounced back from a 6-0 mauling by Japan and a 4-0 hammering by Australia in Asian qualifying to shock the Blue Samurai and the Socceroos at home and sneak into a playoff with Uzbekistan, which they edged 9-8 on penalties in September to set up the Uruguay tie.

Plucky and organised on their home turf, Jordan have enjoyed great success from set pieces with the pace and trickery of Ahmad Ibrahim, who scored a brilliant solo effort in the 2-1 win over Japan. Abdullah Deeb Salim and Odai Al-Saify are also a threat going forward.

But Uruguay, twice world champions and fourth last time in South Africa, are a far greater proposition than anyone Jordan have faced along the long road through qualifying, which has taken them to Nepal, Singapore, China, Iraq and many others.

The South Americans boast formidable firepower in Edinson Cavani, of Paris St Germain, and Luis Suarez of Liverpool with much-travelled Diego Forlan now of Internacional, Brazil, a handy substitute.

Jordan's attempts to thwart them are hindered by the suspension of goalkeeper Amer Shafi, the hero against Uzbekistan, while captain and experienced midfielder Amer Deeb will also be absent having been surprisingly left out of the squad.

Attacking midfielder Hasan Abdul Fattah is another deemed surplus to requirements by Jordan coach Hossan Hassam, who has injury concerns over defenders Mohammad Al-Dmeiri and Anas Bani Yaseen ahead of easily the biggest match in their history.

Few give the Jordanians much hope of winning over the two-legged qualifier. They have never been so far in World Cup qualifying and have only twice made it to the last eight of the Asian Cup. But the squad have belief.

"Our main weapon will be our motivation against prestigious opponents who have won the World Cup and are among the best teams in the world," Salim told FIFA.com.

"All the players selected by the coach for these two matches will give their all. We have to believe because everything is possible in football."

NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE

He was not alone.

"Nothing is impossible in football, and we have the right to dream," Jordan midfielder Baha Suleiman added.

The Uruguayans also boast experience at this nerve-jangling final playoff stage - which FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently spoke of scrapping - having clinched places at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups via it, but also suffering the heartache of defeat to Australia in 2005.

Coach Oscar Tabarez and his staff plus a handful of home-based players trained in Turkey until Monday, but goalkeeper Fernando Muslera did not travel, ruled out of the first leg with a fractured toe.

The coach warned his squad, the bulk of which served him so well in South Africa, against being complacent when they take on their opponents, who are ranked 70th in the world.

"I have no doubt the match against Jordan will be difficult," Tabarez said before leaving Uruguay.

"We've studied our opponents and whoever thinks Jordan is Tahiti, that's their problem," he said in reference to their 8-0 win over the Oceania side in the Confederations Cup in June. (Additional reporting by Rex Gowar Editing by Tony Goodson)

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Lloris is fine after head injury scare, says Deschamps

 France captain Hugo Lloris, left out of Tottenham's Premier League match with Newcastle United at the weekend due to medical concerns, trained normally on Monday and should be available for Friday's World Cup playoff in Ukraine.

Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas was advised by his medical staff not to play goalkeeper Lloris, who was knocked unconscious at Everton the previous week but played on for the final 12 minutes of the match.

On Monday Lloris spent time training while all the other France players who were involved in the weekend's action took part in light exercise.

"He's fine, he's all fine," France coach Didier Deschamps told a news conference.

"Today, he's having training because he did not play yesterday. Tomorrow, he will normally take part in the collective training."

"(Tottenham) have done what they thought was the right thing to do, but he's fine."

Villas-Boas stood by the doctors' decision to withdraw Lloris from playing on Sunday, in a match Spurs surprisingly lost 1-0.

The Portuguese also strongly backed his own decision to keep the goalkeeper on the pitch at Everton despite being criticised for not taking him off.

France visit Ukraine on Friday and host them in the return leg on Tuesday at Stade de France.

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Mexico flirt with ignominy in NZ World Cup clash

Mexico's self-esteem as a soccer nation has taken a battering in the past two months, and to lose their intercontinental playoff to New Zealand and miss the 2014 World Cup would be the final indigity.

Yet if they continue to underperform, as they did in the CONCACAF group campaign, they risk becoming only the fourth Mexico team in history to fail to qualify for the finals.

Miguel Herrera, the stocky, tough-talking coach, is entrusted with salavaging the nation's pride in the two-leg playoff with the All Whites. The first leg is on Wednesday (2030 GMT) at the Azteca, where Mexico's recent form has been poor, with one win and three goals in four matches.

"We keep telling (the players) what we're playing for, the determination we need, the will to bring back the ticket so Mexico can go to the World Cup," Herrera told a news conference at the weekend.

"On Wednesday we'll be going all-out to get a good advantage. It's important not to concede a goal but also to get a lead," added Herrera, brought in on the basis of a fine year as coach of top Mexican club side America.

"We don't think (New Zealand) will be easy, but they also don't see us in the same light as (teams) they faced in their qualifiers.

The United States have challenged Mexico's status as top dog in the Concacaf region regularly over the past two decades, but Mexico, feeding off one of Latin America's strongest domestic league, have largely taken for granted the task of qualifying for the World Cup.

Only in 1934, 1974 and 1982 have they failed previously, adding to their absence in 1990 because of a FIFA-imposed ban.

This time they reeled from one shock to another and shed three coaches as they finished below the U.S., Costa Rica and Honduras in the six-nation final CONCACAF group and missed out on a direct passage to Brazil next year.

Most damaging has been the Olympic champions' failure to translate success at youth levels to the senior team.

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Dortmund lose again while Bayern set record

Bayern Munich set a new unbeaten record, Borussia Dortmund lost a pulsating match at Wolfsburg and Son Heung-Min scored a hat-trick against his former club as 23 goals were scored in five games in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

South Korea forward Son led Leverkusen to a 5-3 win over Hamburg SV which pulled them level on points with second-placed Dortmund after a match featuring some calamitous defending from both teams as well as superb finishing.

Dortmund, beaten 1-0 at home by Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday, were sunk by a superb Ivica Olic strike in their 2-1 defeat at Wolfsburg as last season's runners-up showed worrying signs of a slump.

Bayern Munich beat Augsburg 3-0 to set a new Bundesliga record by completing their 37th match without defeat as they went further ahead at the top after their seventh straight home win of the season.

Last season's treble winners, who overhauled the record set by Hamburg 30 years ago, have not been beaten in the league since Oct. 28 last year when they lost 2-1 at Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern, who have 32 points from 12 games, moved four points clear of Dortmund who are now level on 28 points with Leverkusen.

Dortmund went ahead in first-half stoppage time with a Marco Reus free kick.

In a thrilling second half, Ricardo Rodriguez equalised for the Wolves from a free kick before Olic scored the winner with a superb curling effort while Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski had two penalty appeals turned down.


LUCKLESS DORTMUND

"It was a game with, let's say, lots of players on the floor and lots of free kicks. In some situations, everything went against us," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp. "They could have given us one of the two penalties."

Unheralded Leverkusen suggested they could be Bayern's biggest challengers this season after winning an eight-goal humdinger against former Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk's Hamburg.

Son, who joined Leverkusen from Hamburg this season, scored two superbly-taken goals in the first 16 minutes, Maximilian Beister pulled one back for Hamburg and Pierre-Michael Lasogga levelled in the 50th minute.

Son put Sami Hyppia's Leverkusen back in front five minutes later with another coolly-taken goal and set up a fourth for Stefan Kiessling to extend Leverkusen's lead after Hamburg gave the ball away.

Lasogga pulled another back, his eighth of the season, after Son had lost possession near the corner flag, but Gonzalo Castro wrapped up the game in the 89th minute by chipping the ball over Rene Adler after Hamburg were again caught on the break.

"We lost this game through our own mistakes," said van Marwijk, who put his head in his hands in exasperation after the last two Leverkusen goals.

There was no such drama in Munich where Bayern, treble winners last season, cruised to a typically straightforward home win.

Jerome Boateng put them ahead after five minutes and Franck Ribery ended the game as a contest when he scored with a rasping free kick just before halftime. Thomas Mueller rounded off the win with a last-minute penalty.

"The early goal made it easier but we didn't play so well," coach Pep Guardiola told Bayern's website (www.fcbayern.telekom.de). "In the second half, we got better and created some chances. I hope that the players return fit after the international break."

Kevin-Prince Boateng scored with two headers to help Schalke 04 to a 3-1 win over Werder Bremen after they had trailed at halftime to a Felix Kroos effort.

Jefferson Farfan netted the other for Schalke as they restored some form following the 3-0 midweek defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League.

Hoffenheim, who have scored 28 and conceded 28 goals in 12 games, were involved in another goal feast but lost 3-2 at home to Hertha Berlin.

Anis Ben-Hatira and Ramos struck to give Hertha a 2-0 lead before Hoffenheim replied with a penalty and free kick converted by Sejad Salihovic, only for Ramos to head the winner six minutes from time.

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Juventus vs. Napoli 10.11.2013 SERIE A

t may not have the same kind of pomp and circumstance as the game Juventus played earlier this week. It may not have the same kind of season-altering impact that Real Madrid coming to Turin might have had for 

the simple fact that it's not the Champions League group stages and Juve aren't entering with just two points in three games.

You know what, though? Juventus-Napoli is pretty darn close.
It's Serie A's No. 2 team and...No. 2 team meeting in one heck of a matchup to head into the international break on. And if there was a team that was picked to challenge Juve's stint atop the Serie A mountain, it was Napoli and their summer full of spending the chest of millions upon millions of euros that came with selling Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain.

The result, through 11 games, has been the same amount of points (28), as both Juventus and Napoli find themselves entering Sunday's showdown in Turin looking up at the same team in the standings — Roma. Not exactly what everybody thought would happen in regards to who would be at the top of the table, but Juve and Napoli being in the top three isn't all that surprising.

And now, barring Juve playing out their second consecutive draw, second place will belong to only one team come the end of 90 minutes at what is expected to be another loud and boisterous Juventus Stadium crowd. (I wouldn't expect anything less from them.)
Doesn't sound like a bad way to spend a Sunday night in Turin.
Well, if the result goes in favor of the guys who wear the black and white stripes, that is.

GOOD NEWS

As disappointing as it was, there's no getting around how well Juve played against Real Madrid on Tuesday. And outside of the snooze fest at the Tardini against Parma, the way Juve has played between the first Madrid game and the return leg has to be encouraging. They received a whole lot of praise after Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Juventus Stadium, and rightfully so. Now it's time to keep the good run going.
BAD NEWS
The rumors are true. No Giorgio Chiellini, no Martin Caceres tomorrow night against Napoli. Add that to the consistent absence of  Mirko Vucinic and Stephan Lichtsteiner ever since the last international break and you've got quite a few key pieces on the sidelines due to injury.
Dammit.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

1. Juventus' Argentinian striker vs. Napoli's Argentinian striker.
They were two of the biggest signings in Serie A this summer. Not in terms of their price tags, those were completely different. But Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain put to be the myth that big names don't want to play in Serie A anymore. And through the first three months of the season, they've lived up to the billing. Tevez has scored six goals, Higuain has scored five. That's not counting the impact each has made in the Champions League. When Juve and Napoli take the field Sunday night, the two Argentinian strikers will be under the microscope. That's pretty easy to figure out.
2. How Angelo Ogbonna plays.
With no Chiellini, it's Ogbonna time on the left side of Juve's three-man defense. The last time he started a game, he was unintentionally trying to score a goal on Gigi Buffon just a few minutes after kickoff. He settled into the match after that, but it hasn't exactly been a seamless transition from one Turin club to the other for one of Juve's summer signings. Does all of this mean he's a bust? Of course not. Six appearances in a Juventus jersey is hardly the sample size to declare if Juve did or didn't waste a good chunk of money this summer. One thing is pretty clear: Ogbonna's getting another chance in a big game to show what he's worth. And that means no funny back passes that make Buffon panic.
3. Juventus' wingbacks vs. Napoli's fullbacks.
Looking at most predicted starting lineups, maybe it should read "Juventus' wingbacks vs. Napoli's wingbacks" for the simple fact that both Christian Maggio and Pablo Armero aren't really fullbacks. Both aren't exactly model examples of fullbacks for a four-man defense. Don't believe me, watch Maggio's highlight film from the Italian national team the last couple of years. That means Kwadwo Asamoah and Mauricio Isla — who looks set to start on the right — will be matched up against a couple of offense-first fullbacks. Sounds like a good matchup, right?
4. The tactical battle between Antonio Conte and Rafa Benitez.
For one of the few times in Serie A this season, Juventus' manager won't be going up against a team that players some kind of variation of the 3-5-2 he helped make Italy's latest trend. Nah, Benitez is a 4-2-3-1 kind of guy, and that means Juve will be trying to breakdown a team that isn't like others in Italy. Sure, there's that whole thing about Napoli having good players inhibiting those spots on the field, but like any meeting between two very good managers, there's the battle within the battle. Then again, that tactical attle sounds like something Conte enjoys.

5. How the Real Madrid game impacts Juventus.
By the time there's kickoff at Juventus Stadium, Conte's squad would have had nearly five days away from an actual game. This time of year with the way the schedule has been set up, that's impressive. Not only was the Real Madrid game a tough one physically, it certainly was draining mentally. The biggest thing when it comes to Juventus is to see if they can raise themselves up emotionally just days after one of the biggest games of the season. Call it a hangover or whatever you want, but the game after the game might be just how — or how not — Conte's men are able to get psyched up again just days after Madrid's visit to Turin.
My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Ogbonna; Isla, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Tevexz

OFFICIAL KICKOFF TIME: 8:45 P.M. IN ITALY; 2:45 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST; 11:45 A.M. ON THE WEST COAST

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Nigeria U17 vs Mexico U17 08.11.2013 final FIFA U17 World Cup

Nigeria were made to work for their 3-0 semi-final win over Sweden in Dubai, a result that sends them to the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Taiwo Awoniyi scored his third goal in two games to help send the Golden Eaglets through to the ultimate match, where they will meet Mexico in another Group F rematch.

The game started at a tremendous pace, both sides carving out half-chances inside the first 60 seconds. After the initial frenzy of attacks cooled, the pattern of play became clear. The Nigerians pressed forward in waves, trying to pin Sweden back and cut off the supply lines to foraging striker Valmir Berisha.

In the end, the Nigerians were in no mood to be charitable. They got their insurance goals inside the last ten minutes. Samuel Okon cut in from the left and hammered his shot low and inside the post to end Sweden’s dream. It was all over even before Chidera Ezeh added a third seconds later to make it 3-0 and send Nigeria to the final, where they will be pressing hard for their fourth title.

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Hulk catches Porto napping to seize Zenit draw

Hulk (L) of FC Zenit St. Petersburg vies for the ball with Steven Defour (R) of FC Porto Portugal

 Hulk missed a penalty but scored the equaliser as Zenit St Petersburg secured a 1-1 home draw against Porto on Wednesday to stay favourites for the runners-up spot in Champions League Group G.

The Brazilian dented his former club's hopes as Zenit moved on to five points with two matches remaining, one above the Portuguese champions, who are third.

Porto captain Lucho Gonzalez opened the scoring with a fine header after 23 minutes before burly forward Hulk punished lax defending to level.

Helton saved a Hulk penalty in the second half, awarded for a Nicolas Otamendi handball.

Leaders Atletico Madrid host bottom side Austria Vienna later on Wednesday.

"The result leaves a bitter taste because of our good first half. We had come here to get a win," UEFA man-of-the match Gonzalez told Portuguese television Sport TV. "But, mathematically, we still have a chance to go through."

The visitors saw more of the ball early on and drew first blood as Zenit seemed happy to sit back and try to catch Porto on the break.

The 32-year-old Lucho, playing his ninth Champions League campaign, made his experience count, applying a textbook header from a pinpoint Danilo cross that bounced off the ground and into the bottom corner.

The Portuguese champions were held to a disappointing draw by Belenenses in the championship over the weekend and have been criticised by their fans for inconsistent performances and giving away soft goals.

Those voices are certain to be heard again as they gifted Zenit the leveller with hesitant defending.

Brazil's Hulk caught two defenders and keeper Helton napping, pouncing on a seemingly harmless ball to score his second goal of the competition.

But Porto coach Paulo Fonseca remained optimistic.

"I think we were better than them over the two matches despite the defeat and the draw," he said.

"We played a great first half, at times had 69 percent of possession and finished the game with 22 shots on goal."

Hulk, who spent four seasons at Porto, downplayed his celebrations out of respect for his former club but he wasted a penalty with a tame shot after 52 minutes.

"I scored an important goal but I did not celebrate because Porto and that whole city is in my heart. I could have taken that penalty better though," Hulk said.

Zenit keeper Yuri Lodyg saved fierce shots from Porto forwards Jackson Martinez and Silvestre Varela and the Russians champions were wasteful.

Substitute Andrey Arshavin forced Helton go down to his feet to parry a close-range shot after a neat flowing move.

Hulk thought he had a strong case for another penalty but his appeals were waved away by the referee.

"Arshavin came in strong and we had a few chances later on but this was a positive result in the end," said Hulk. (Writing by Daniel Alvarenga, editing by Mark Meadows)

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Llorente earns Juve 2-2 draw with Real in thriller

Juventus striker Fernando Llorente grabbed a potentially crucial point for the Italian champions in a pulsating 2-2 draw at home to Real Madrid in Champions League Group B on Tuesday. Arturo Vidal's penalty gave Juve a deserved halftime lead but the visitors turned the game around with two quickfire goals after the break. Cristiano Ronaldo levelled with his eighth goal in this season's competition following a blunder by Martin Caceres and then set up Gareth Bale shortly afterwards for Real's second. Caceres atoned by providing the cross for Llorente to equalise in the 66th minute, leaving Juventus still winless with three points from four games, Group leaders Real have 10 and are almost certain to progress to the last 16. Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas twice prevented Juventus taking the lead as the hosts continually threatened during the first half. He brilliantly stopped Pepe from scoring an own goal when the defender diverted Paul Pogba's flicked cross towards goal, and blocked a Claudio Marchisio header. Juventus went ahead when Pogba was clumsily knocked over by Raphael Varane and Vidal fired into the roof of the net three minutes before the break. Real levelled after a Caceres back pass went straight to Karim Benzema who fed the ball for Ronaldo to side-foot past Gianluigi Buffon. Bale then fired Real ahead, clinically finishing with a left-foot effort from Ronaldo's pass, but Caceres atoned for his blunder by providing a cross for Llorente to head home.

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FC Basel vs. Steaua Bucuresti 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

 FC Basel and Steaua Bucuresti are set to renew hostilities on Wednesday when they meet on the pitch at St. Jakob-Park.

It's Steaua Bucuresti's first action since a 1-1 draw against FC Basel, where the two goals rewarded UNDER bettors.

Murat Yakin's squad played most recently against Steaua Bucuresti, emerging with a 1-1 draw. A combined two goals made UNDER bettors happy.

Team records:
FC Basel: 1-1-1
Steaua Bucuresti: 0-1-2

FC Basel most recently:
After a draw are 6-0-4
Steaua Bucuresti most recently:
After a draw are 5-2-3


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S.S.C. Napoli vs. Marseille 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

S.S.C. Napoli and Marseille will meet Wednesday on the pitch at Stadio San Paolo in a battle of Champions League rivals.

Last time out, Marseille lost to S.S.C. Napoli 2-1. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Massimiliano Allegri's squad played most recently against Marseille, emerging with a 2-1 win. A combined three goals made OVER bettors happy.

Team records:
S.S.C. Napoli: 2-0-1
Marseille: 0-0-3

S.S.C. Napoli most recently:
After a win are 7-1-2
After playing Calcio Catania are 2-3-5
Marseille most recently:
After a draw are 5-1-4
After playing Rennes are 3-2-5

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Chelsea FC vs. FC Schalke 04 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

Chelsea FC and FC Schalke 04 are set to renew hostilities on Wednesday when they meet on the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

Jens Keller's squad played most recently against Chelsea FC, emerging with a 3-0 loss. A combined three goals made OVER bettors happy.

Last time out, Chelsea FC won over FC Schalke 04 3-0. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Team records:
Chelsea FC: 2-0-1
FC Schalke 04: 2-0-1

Chelsea FC most recently:
After a loss are 7-1-2
After playing Newcastle United are 5-4-1
FC Schalke 04 most recently:
After a win are 6-1-3
After playing Hertha Berlin are 5-3-2

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Ajax vs. Celtic 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

The fans at Amsterdam Arena will be treated to a Champions League game between Ajax and Celtic when they take their seats on Wednesday.

Celtic comes off a 2-1 win in their last outing against Ajax. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Last time out, Ajax lost to Celtic 2-1. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Team records:
Ajax: 0-1-2
Celtic: 1-0-2

Ajax most recently:
After a loss are 5-4-1
After playing Vitesse Arnhem are 7-1-2
Celtic most recently:
After a draw are 9-0-1
After playing Dundee United are 7-1-2

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Atletico Madrid vs. Austria Wien 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

Atletico Madrid and Austria Wien are set to renew hostilities on Wednesday when they meet on the pitch at Vicente Calderon.

Austria Wien comes off a 3-0 loss in their last outing against Atletico Madrid. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Atletico Madrid comes off a 3-0 win in their last outing against Austria Wien. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Team records:
Atletico Madrid: 3-0-0
Austria Wien: 0-1-2

Atletico Madrid most recently:
After a win are 9-0-1
After playing Granada are 3-1-1
Austria Wien most recently:
After a loss are 3-5-2
After playing Rapid Wien are 5-1-4

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Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal FC 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal FC will both be trying to pick up a win on Wednesday when they battle at Westfalenstadion.

Last time out, Arsenal FC lost to Borussia Dortmund 2-1. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

It's Borussia Dortmund's first action since a 2-1 win against Arsenal FC, where the three goals rewarded OVER bettors.

Team records:
Borussia Dortmund: 2-0-1
Arsenal FC: 2-0-1

Borussia Dortmund most recently:
After a win are 8-0-2
After playing VfB Stuttgart are 5-4-1
Arsenal FC most recently:
After a win are 8-1-1
After playing Liverpool FC are 5-3-2

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FC Barcelona vs. AC Milan 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

 FC Barcelona and the Rossoneri will both be gunning for a victory when they meet at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The Rossoneri look to build in this match upon Tuesday's 1-1 draw against FC Barcelona. That last game played UNDER the total of 2.5.

The Barça look to build in this match upon Tuesday's 1-1 draw against AC Milan. That last game played UNDER the total of 2.5.

Team records:
FC Barcelona: 2-1-0
AC Milan: 1-2-0

FC Barcelona most recently:
After a win are 9-1-0
After playing RCD Espanyol are 5-4-1
AC Milan most recently:
After a loss are 7-3-0
After playing ACF Fiorentina are 6-2-2

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Zenit Petersburg vs. FC Porto 06.11.2013 uefa champions league

Zenit Petersburg and FC Porto are set to renew hostilities on Wednesday when they meet on the pitch at Petrovsky Stadium.

FC Porto comes off a 1-0 loss in their last outing against Zenit Petersburg. The one goals sent UNDER bettors home happy.

The Blue-White look to build in this match upon Tuesday's 1-0 win against FC Porto. That last game played UNDER the total of 2.5.

Team records:
Zenit Petersburg: 1-1-1
FC Porto: 1-0-2

Zenit Petersburg most recently:
After a win are 3-4-3
After playing FC Porto are 1-1-0
FC Porto most recently:
After a draw are 10-0-0
After playing Belenenses are 6-2-2

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Real Sociedad vs. Manchester United 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

The fans at Anoeta will be treated to a Champions League game between Real Sociedad and Manchester United when they take their seats on Tuesday.

Last time out, Manchester United won over Real Sociedad 1-0. The one goals sent UNDER bettors home happy.

It's Real Sociedad's first action since a 1-0 loss against Manchester United, where the one goals rewarded UNDER bettors.

Team records:
Real Sociedad: 0-0-3
Manchester United: 2-1-0

Real Sociedad most recently:
After a draw are 6-0-4
After playing Real Valladolid are 2-6-2
Manchester United most recently:
After a win are 3-5-2
After playing Stoke City are 5-4-0

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FC Kopenhagen vs. Galatasaray 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

FC Kopenhagen and Galatasaray will both be trying to pick up a win on Tuesday when they battle at Parken Stadium.

The Cimbom look to build in this match upon Wednesday's 3-1 win against FC Kopenhagen. That last game played OVER the total of 2.5.

It's FC Kopenhagen's first action since a 3-1 loss against Galatasaray, where the four goals rewarded OVER bettors.

Team records:
FC Kopenhagen: 0-1-2
Galatasaray: 1-1-1

FC Kopenhagen most recently:
After a loss are 4-3-3
Galatasaray most recently:
After a win are 5-1-4

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Manchester City vs. CSKA Moscow 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

Manchester City and the Koni will both be gunning for a victory when they meet at Manchester Stadium on Tuesday.

CSKA Moscow comes off a 2-1 loss in their last outing against Manchester City. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Last time out, Manchester City won over CSKA Moscow 2-1. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Team records:
Manchester City: 2-0-1
CSKA Moscow: 1-0-2

Manchester City most recently:
After a loss are 8-0-2
After playing Chelsea FC are 6-3-1
CSKA Moscow most recently:
After a loss are 9-0-1

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Olympiakos vs. Benfica 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

The fans at Karaiskakis Stadium will be treated to a Champions League game between Olympiakos and Benfica when they take their seats on Tuesday.

Jorge Jesus's squad played most recently against Olympiakos, emerging with a 1-1 draw. A combined two goals made UNDER bettors happy.

Míchel's squad played most recently against Benfica, emerging with a 1-1 draw. A combined two goals made UNDER bettors happy.

Team records:
Olympiakos: 1-1-1
Benfica: 1-1-1

Olympiakos most recently:
After a draw are 5-0-5
After playing Benfica are 0-0-1
Benfica most recently:
After a win are 6-4-0
After playing Académica Coimbra are 5-2-3

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Viktoria Plzen vs. Bayern Munchen 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

Viktoria Plzen and Bayern Munchen will both be trying to pick up a win on Tuesday when they battle at Struncovy Sady Stadion.

Last time out, Bayern Munchen won over Viktoria Plzen 5-0. The five goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Viktoria Plzen comes off a 5-0 loss in their last outing against Bayern Munchen. The five goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Team records:
Viktoria Plzen: 0-0-3
Bayern Munchen: 3-0-0

Viktoria Plzen most recently:
After a loss are 1-0-4
Bayern Munchen most recently:
After a win are 8-2-0
After playing Hertha Berlin are 7-1-2

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Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

   

Shakhtar Donetsk and Bayer Leverkusen will both be trying to pick up a win on Tuesday when they battle at RSK Olimpiyskyi.

Last time out, Bayer Leverkusen won over Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0. The four goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Mircea Lucescu's squad played most recently against Bayer Leverkusen, emerging with a 4-0 loss. A combined four goals made OVER bettors happy.

Team records:
Shakhtar Donetsk: 1-1-1
Bayer Leverkusen: 2-0-1

Shakhtar Donetsk most recently:
After a loss are 5-2-3
Bayer Leverkusen most recently:
After a win are 7-1-2
After playing Augsburg are 2-1-1

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Paris Saint Germain vs. RSC Anderlecht FC 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

Paris SG and Anderlecht are set to renew hostilities on Tuesday when they meet on the pitch at Parc des Princes.

Anderlecht comes off a 5-0 loss in their last outing against Paris SG. The five goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Paris SG comes off a 5-0 win in their last outing against Anderlecht. The five goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Team records:
Paris SG: 3-0-0
Anderlecht: 0-0-3

Paris SG most recently:
After a win are 8-2-0
After playing Lorient are 3-5-2
Anderlecht most recently:
After a win are 4-2-4
After playing Oostende are 1-1-2

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Juventus vs. Real Madrid 05.11.2013 uefa champions league

Bragging rights will be on the line Tuesday when Juventus F.C. and Real Madrid meet at Stadio Grande Torino.

Real Madrid comes off a 2-1 win in their last outing against Juventus F.C.. The three goals sent OVER bettors home happy.

Antonio Conte's squad played most recently against Real Madrid, emerging with a 2-1 loss. A combined three goals made OVER bettors happy.

Team records:
Juventus F.C.: 0-2-1
Real Madrid: 3-0-0

Juventus F.C. most recently:
After a win are 6-3-1
After playing Calcio Catania are 6-3-1
Real Madrid most recently:
After a win are 7-1-2
After playing Sevilla FC are 7-2-1


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Ranocchia breaks Italian duck as Inter sink Udinese

(Defender Ranocchia on target in 3-0 win) (Hat-trick by Berardi delights Sassuolo)

By Brian Homewood

 Defender Andrea Ranocchia became the first Italian to score for Inter Milan in Serie A this season as they brushed aside Udinese 3-0 on Sunday.

Domenico Berardi grabbed a hat-trick, including two penalties, to give Sassuolo a 4-3 win at Sampdoria and pile the pressure on coach Delio Rossi while Lazio's problems continued with a shock 2-0 home defeat by revitalised Genoa.

Ranocchia volleyed home at the far post in the 29th minute after Argentine forward Rodrigo Palacio had put visiting Inter ahead with his seventh league goal of the season.

Palacio also set up the third goal for compatriot Ricardo Alvarez in stoppage time and leave Walter Mazzarri's Inter in fourth place on 22 points, six behind Napoli and Juventus.

Inter have scored 27 Serie A goals this season. Twenty-three have come from their South American contingent, Japanese midfielder Yuto Nagatomo has netted twice and one belongs to Algerian Saphir Taider.

Nicola Pozzi gave Sampdoria a first-half lead against Sassuolo but it all went wrong for the hosts after a calamitous three minutes for defender Andrea Costa at the start of the second period.

Costa failed to cut out a cross, allowing Berardi to equalise in the 49th minute. He also gave away a penalty, converted by Berardi, and was sent off in the 52nd.

Antonio Floro Flores increased Sassuolo's lead before Eder and Lorenzo De Silvestri hauled Sampdoria level.

Berardi then converted another spot kick with two minutes left to give newcomers Sassuolo a thrilling first-ever Serie A away win.

Promoted Hellas Verona, who are fifth and trail Inter on goal difference, clocked up their sixth straight home win when veteran Luca Toni and Bosko Jankovic scored in a 2-1 win over Cagliari who replied late on through Daniele Conti.

Lazio dominated the first half against Genoa, with Germany forward Miroslav Klose denied by a brilliant Mattia Perin save, before the visitors snatched all three points with second-half goals from Juraj Kucka and Alberto Gilardino (penalty).

Genoa have taken 10 points from five games since re-appointing Gian Piero Gasperini as coach.

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