A 'Three'-ling day of Football

5 out of 6 Premier fixtures saw homeside score 3 goals against there opponents as the day turned out to be obsessive with the number 3.
In LaLiga Santander, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Real Sociedad also hit 3 goals each.

It all started with Watford vs Everton in the Premier League at Vicarage Road.

A struggling Everton side was up against Watford. After going a down by a Romelu Lukaku goal, Watford replied strongly with 3 goals and thus took the game out of Everton's reach.

A late Romelu Lukaku second saw some hope for the Merseysides but Watford held their nerves and ran out a 3-2 winners.

Arsenal vs Stoke City also saw a scoreline which included 3.

Arsenal started the game dominantly as they played around the ball comfortably in the Stoke's half, but it was Stole City who drew first blood.

A penalty was awarded to Stoke after Granit Xhaka appeared to have deliberately elbowed Joe Allen on his face while defending and thus leaving referee with no choice. It looked a cynical foul but Xhaka was lucky not be sent off.

CharlieAdam on his birthday, gifted himself and the team with well taken penalty, sending Peter Cech the wrong way. Arsenal were behind as the clock hit the 30 minute mark.

Arsenal had to reply back and they didso, with a brilliant Arsenal link-up play as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain released Hector Bellerin on the right with a piercing pass, who crossed it inside the box for a Theo Walcottt finish at the near post with the outside of his boot.
Arsenal grabbed the equalizer before halftime.

In the second half, a brilliant lofted cross by Oxlade-Chamberlain into the heart of penalty area found Mesut Ozil all alone as he headed a beautiful looping header into the goal to give Arsenal the lead with 50 minutes on the clock.

Stoke City had their chances with Peter Crouch coming closest as he was brought in as a substitute. He would have scored with his first touch from the corner but it was parried away Peter Cech.

Minutes later, Arsenal got their 3rd, as another substitute Alex Iwobi, ran into the box after Alexis Sanchez was fouled just outside the box. The ball fell onto the path of Iwobi as the referee played the advantage and he finished a low shot into the right corner giving goalkeeper no chance.

A 3 goals and 3 points for Arsenal as they move to the top of Premier League for the time being.

Another 6 goals thriller was witnessed at KCOM stadium where Hull and Crystal Palace hit 3 goals each.

Hull City took the lead after a penalty was awarded but it appeared out to be horrible decision by referee as the replay showed a no contact and a clear dive by the Robert Snodgrass. But Hull City grabbed the opportunity with both hands as Snodgrass gave the Tigers the lead.

Crystal Palace came back strong and equalised with a Christian Benteke penalty. Karma played some role as Snodgrass brought down Wilfried Zaha in the box and Benteke rolled the ball home to level the score.

Zaha gave Palace the lead in the 70th minute with a tremendous effort into the roof of the net.
The lead lasted for just 2 minutes as Hull City stored the parity with Adam Diomande who showed some great feet in the box.

Hull were back in lead in the 78th minute with Snodgrass and Livermore combining as Crystal Palace were stunned.

But Palace didn't give up and got their equalizer again and Wilfried Zaha was the architect as he sends a beautiful cross onto the head of substitute Frazier Campbell.

The game ended 3-3.

Burnley also hit 3 goals against Bournemouth as Jeff Hendrick stunner was the goal of the game.

After going down by 2 goals inside the first 20 minutes, Bournemouth had no other option but to reply back. They did so just before halftime when Benik Afoebe pulled one back.

In the second half Burnley scored their 3rd with George Boyd as Bournemouth only found a late goal through Charlie Daniels to make scoreline look a bit respectable.

Swansea City also hit 3 goals against Sunderland in the bottom of the table clash.

The battle of relegation took place in Liberty stadium as Swansea and Sunderland went head to head.

Sunderland last week defeated the champions Leicester City and hoped for another win against struggling Swansea City.

But the 3 goals in second half sealed a win for the Swansea City as Sunderland moved to the bottom of the table and Swansea City pulled out of the bottom three. It was just third win of the season for the Swans.

A Jamie Vardy treble inspired Leicester City to a 4-2 win against Manchester City

The game of the night took place at King Power stadium. Leicester City had struggled this season and couldn't find their rhythm, but against they seemed to have found the lost touch as Jamie Vardy and Andy King scored goals inside first 5 minutes to stun Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

It looked like the champions reinvigorated their lost spirit and put up a goal feast. Jamie Vardy grabbed his 2nd from a brilliant counterattack as Riyad Mahrez provided an assist.

City were 3-0 down at halftime.

In the second half, City were punished again by Vardy for their sloppy defending as Vardy hit his 3rd of the night.

City got two late goals as consolation but it was Jamie Vardy's night all the way. As the champions found their lost touch in the night when it mattered. 

City remained at 4th place in the table.

In LaLiga Santander, Barcelona ran out 3-0 winners away against Osasuna. Luis Suarez opened the scoring before a Leo Messi double sealed 3 points for the Catalans.

Sergio Ramos is the saviour again

Real Madrid took lead through a brilliant strike from outside the box by Alvaro Morata in the 50th minute but Deportivo hit 2 goals in as many minutes through Joselu as Real Madrid were left trailing at the Bernabeu, with 67 minutes on the clock.
It was the last league game of the year for Real Madrid before they travel to Japan for the Club World Cup. A win was must for Los Blancos as they had to keep their six point cushion at the top.

Substitute Vasquez and Mariano combined to store the parity with 84 minutes on the clock. A deadly cross by Vasquez found Mariano's header as the youngster proved his worth in style.

Stage was set for Sergio Ramos as in the 93rd minute of the match, Toni Kroos' delivery from a corner found Ramos' header to win 3 points for Real Madrid as Cristiano Ronaldo watched from the private box.

It was an ecstatic moment and Real Madrid proved why they are on this unbeaten streak. It was an amazing header by Ramos almost inevitable.

3 points in the bag and the unbeaten streak is upto 35.

Real Sociedad won 3-2 against Valencia

Valencia went 2 goal down by at Anoeta but showed great spirit to fight back. Willian Jose grabbed a double in the first 25 minutes. But Valencia grabbed one back through Dani Parejo penalty. 

The second half was more pulsating as Carlos Vela missed a penalty totake the game away from Valencia. The dram continued as Joao Cancelo saw 2nd yellow in the 83rd minute to add misery to the Valencia.

Sociedad scored their 3rd in the 91st minute as the game was put to bed but Valencia grabbed one back in 94th minute as they showed great fighting spirit.

It ended 3-2 at Anoeta and Valencia are now 7 games without a win in LaLiga Santander. 

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Football Updates

Arsenal must loose their pockets to keep Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez inisists former Gunner

Former Arsenal goalkeeper, David Seaman, who won three titles with Arsenal, has implored that club must forego there usual financial frugality to keep the dup at Emirates.

Following recent speculations around new contract talks of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, Seaman has made it clear that if Arsenal have to won their first Premier League title since 2004, they must keep Ozil and Sanchez at any cost.

"To win the title Arsenal have got to keep their best players," he said, in quotes reported by the Mirror. "We used to do that. When big clubs came calling for Thierry Henry or Patrick Vieira, we always managed to send them packing.

"But then the club went through a phase of selling them, although maybe that was partly because finances forced our hand.

"Now they are in a situation where they have a great chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in 13 years and they don't need to sell.

"The Emirates Stadium is paid for, the bank manager is happy, so if it means paying Sanchez and Ozil what they are worth - or perhaps even a little bit more - just do it.

"If Arsenal lost Sanchez now, they would have to spend a colossal amount of money, maybe £50-60million, to bring in a replacement of his quality.

"Why not just go the extra mile to keep him and Ozil at Arsenal? They are special players, and it's special players who make the difference between winning the major trophies and coming close.

"People talk about breaking the wage structure and upsetting the applecart, but in the dressing room nobody will complain if the club accommodates a couple of higher earners who are in that 'special' bracket and they deliver the title.

"Arsene must make sure that if either of them leaves - and all the supporters hope it doesn't come down to this - it must not be for financial reasons.

"I'm all for good housekeeping, but sometimes in football you've got to push the boat out a bit further. You have to stay ambitious."

Arsenal are currently 2nd in the Premier League, 3 points behind leaders Chelsea and are through to the next round of Champions League as group toppers.

No agreement for transfer of players with Real Madrid, BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke

BVB CEO has put down all the rumours regarding the possible agreement discussions for thetransfer of his players to Real Madrid.

Spanish daily, Marca, claimed on Thursday that Real Madrid had reached an agreement with the German outfits that they will be informed beforehand if Aubameyang, Julian Weigl or Ousama Dembele will be sold to any other clubs.

It was also rumoured that Dortmund would themselves are interested in James Rodriguez and Casemiro to take them to Signal Iduna Park if it's agreeable to Florentino Perez.

However Watzke admitted that he dined with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez and spend time with him during Wednesday's 2-2 draw in Champions League, but did not discuss anything about possible transfer of any player.

"It's right that I had lunch with Fiorentino Perez and we sat next to each other the stadium," he told Bild. "But we did not spend one second taking about players of Borussia Dortmund. There's no agreement."

Well, it was interesting to hear Aubameyang after the match when he reiterated his desire to join his dream club, Real Madrid.

Cavani: I'd like to play with Griezmann one day

PSG striker has expressed his desire to play alongside the Frenchman after offering him a native Uruguayan drink.

Griezmann has been a hot property in the transfer market following his excellent run of form last season with both club and country.

Although he has signed a new five year deal in June, speculations has always been around.

Recently Cavani sparked rumours of a possible union, when he posted on Twitter an invite to join him in enjoying some mate, a traditional Uruguayan drink.

Cavani thought blamed media to get carried away with the situation, but he did not deny his desire to play alongside Griezmann.

"It's the press that said I wanted to invite Antoine Griezmann to Paris," he said.

"I sent him a message to take a Uruguay mate. I'd like to play with him one day, he is a great striker and a beautiful person too."

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

FA Cup 3rd round draws are out- Defending champions to host Reading

The Emirates FA Cup 3rd Round draws are out and Manchester United will host Reading, Manchester City will travel to East London to face West Ham and Chelsea will face Notts County.

A total of 64 teams, inclusive of the 20 top flight teams and 24 Championship sides will compete for the prestigious trophy.

The draw will add more stress to the schedule of Premier League sides.

Holders Manchester United will face Reading at home, while Manchester City will travel to London to another Premier League side West Ham.
Chelsea will face Notts County and Arsenal will travel to Preston.

Everton will challenge Leicester in an all Premier League clash. While other club from Merseyside, Liverpool will play hosts to Newport County of Plymouth.

See the full draw below.

Ipswich v Lincoln or Oldham

Barrow v Rochdale

Manchester United v Reading

Hull v Swansea

Sunderland v Burnley

QPR v Blackburn

Millwall v Bournemouth

West Ham v Manchester City

Brighton v Charlton or MK Dons

Blackpool v Barnsley

Wigan v Nottingham Forest

Birmingham v Newcastle

Chelsea v Notts County of Peterborough

Middlesbrough v Sheffield Wednesday

West Brom v Derby

Everton v Leicester

Liverpool v Newport County of Plymouth

Wycombe v Stourbridge or Northampton

Watford v Burton

Preston v Arsenal

Cardiff v Fulham

Stoke v Wolves

Cambridge v Leeds

Bristol City v Shrewsbury or Fleetwood

Huddersfield v Port Vale

Tottenham v Aston Villa

Brentford v Halifax or Eastleigh

Bolton v Crystal Palace

Norwich v Southampton

Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon

Accrington Stanley v Luton

Rotherham v Oxford or Macclesfield​

All ties to be played between 6-9th of January 2017.

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

5 star Arsenal rout West Ham as Alexis stole the show, and other Premier league results

Saturday saw a lot of goals in the premier league, it all started with Chelsea as they came from behind to beat Manchester City and extend their run to 8 straight premier league wins.

Manchester City took the lead right at the end of first half through a Gary Cahill own goal. In the 2nd half City could have been 2-3 goals up, had they have taken their chances as Kevin De Bruyne came closest to double the lead but his effort came off the crossbar from 2-3 yards out.

Chelsea didn't look back after this as Diego Costa(60'),  substitute Willian(70') and genius Eden Hazard(90') scored goals to punish City at the Etihad.

City finished the game with 9 men as Sergio Aguero was shown red for a horrendous challenge on David Luiz and in the aftermath of the incident, Fernandinho was also sent off for grabbing Cesc Fabregas' neck. It was completely lack of discipline from City players who had a frustrating evening due to some questionable refereeing and the punishment by league leaders Chelsea.

Chelsea stay top of the Premier league while Manchester City lost their first game at home since March. 

Alexis Sanchez stole the show as Arsenal put 5 past the Hammers.

West Ham's miserable season continues as the North London club ran riot.

Arsenal completely dismantled the West Ham defense at Alexis Sanchez was at the heart of it. He grabbed a 14 minute hat-trick un the second half to take the match ball home.

The gunners dominated the game and left no loopholes. With this win Arsenal move above Manchester City to 2nd place, but Liverpool is only a point behind with a match in hand.

Sanchez and Ozil combined to give Arsenal the lead following an error from West Ham defense. Ozil scored his 8th goal of the season.

In the 2nd half Arsenal punished West Ham defense by scoring 4 goals, 3 of them by Sanchez and one brilliant strike from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Andy Carroll scored the goal for West Ham which was nothing but a mere consolation.

Alexis Sanchez, with his treble is now joint top scorer in Premier league this season, with 11 goals. Chelsea's Diego Costa also has 11 goals.

In other results,

Crystal Palace scored 3 against Southampton at Selhurst Park. Christian Benteke scored a brace. It was a much needed win for Palace as they are fighting a relegation battle.

Sunderland defeated defending champions Leicester City at the Stadium of Light. Black Cats won the game 2-1.

Tottenham rout Swanse City 5-0. With braces from Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane. Tottenham, who suffered their first defeat of the season last week at Stamford Bridge at the hands of Chelsea hit back in style.

With this win they keep in touch of top 4.

Stoke City beat Burnley 2-0 at home.

West Bromwich Albion beat Watford 3-1 at home. 

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Arsenal suffers huge blow as star player is out for 3 months

Santi Cazorla will be out for at least 3 months as he will undergo a surgery on his right ankle. The Spaniard will travel to Sweden next week to undergo the surgery.

This news come as a huge blow for the club and all the Gunners around the world. The 31-year old sustained the injury in Arsenal's 6-0 win over Ludogorets at Emirates.

The club confirmed the news on it's official website:

"Santi Cazorla is travelling to Sweden early next week to undergo surgery to his right ankle.

"The club’s medical team and specialists have decided that surgery is required to the plantaris tendon in the Spain international's right foot. The problem has not progressed during a rehabilitation programme following the injury during the home match with Ludogorets on October 19.

"We expect Santi’s full recovery to take approximately three months. Everyone at the club will be working hard with Santi to make sure he’s back on the pitch as soon as possible."

Arsenal who just lost their second game this season will need to cope up without Santi Cazorla as busy Christmas period is  about to begin.

Cazorla was one of the best attackers this season as he made 10 appearances and scored two goals to couple it with three assists.

With his absence, the responsibility on the shoulders of Granit Xhaka will be huge. The Swiss international has yet to make a solid mark and with games coming thick and fast, it will be a nice opportunity for him to prove his mettle.

Arsenal play West Ham, Stoke City, Everton and Manchester City next in the league.

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Arsenal out of the EFL Cup, Real Madrid thrash Leonesa in CDR and other results

Massive aggregate win for Real Madrid

It was a comfortable outing for the Los Blancos as they scored 6 past Cultural Leonesa at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Zidane named a team which had many young players and they romped to victory.

Real Madrid won the tie 13-2 on aggregate. 

Enzo Zidane scored a goal just in18 minutes after coming on to the pitch. James Rodriguez too showed his class as he found the back of the new from a close range header.

Madrid took the lead in the first minute of the game through Mariano Diaz.

Real Madrid advanced to the next round of the Copa del Rey with ease. Zidane must be really happy and proud, both as a father and a manager, as Enzo made a lovely finish on his debut. 

In other CDR First leg matches Atletico Madrid thrashed Guijuelo 6-0 away. Yannick Carrasco scored a brace.
While Barcelona held for a 1-1 draw by Hercules.

Arsenal out of the EFL Cup

Arsene Wenger made a tough call by naming a team with 10 changes from the weekend clash against AFC Bournemouth and not enough strength on the bench, in the quarter final tie against Southampton at the Emirates.

Mohammed Elneny was the only one to retain his place while Rob Holding, Emiliano Martinez and Lucas Perez made a rare start. 

Two first half goals from Southampton handed Gunners the second defeat of the season in all competitions as they bid goodbye to the League Cup.

Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand scored the goals for Saints in the 13th minute and 38th minute respectively.

Arsenal had their chances but they fell short on the night against the opponents they had struggled in recent times.

Southampton played really well and deserved to win.

Manchester United hit 4 past the Hammers

West Ham returned to Old Trafford in just 3 days time after drawing the Premier League fixture, which saw José Mourinho sent to the stands after kicking the water bottle and was serving a one match touchline ban in the quarter final tie.

Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini were also suspended for the game after accumulating 5 yellow cards.

Mkhitaryan made a start and had a great game. As he assisted the first goal for the Red Devils. Mkhitaryan also assisted Anthony Martial's second and United's third in the 2nd half.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic poked the ball home after being teed up by the Armenian in the 2nd minute of the game.
West Ham equalised when De Gea failed to hold on to the shot of Dimitri Payet from outside the box and the rebound fell into the path of former Red Devil Ashley Fletcher to finish home from a close range.

Manchester United looked like a team the mission in second half. As Anthony Martial scored two goals to take the game away from the Hammers. The Frenchman found his lost mojo against his favourite opponents.

Bastian Schweinsteiger came on to the pitch in the 86th minute in the place of Anthony Martial as the Red Devil fans burst into an uproar. He made his first appearance since March.

The German, in the night's short stint, had a shot on the goal from outside the box and then later played a part in United's fourth goal of the night as he found Herrera with a neat pass.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the 4th goal to cap off a win with virtually the last play of the game.

Manchester United are the 4th team to advance to the semifinals after Liverpool, Hull City and Southampton.

EFL Cup semi-final fixtures are out

​The EFL Cup semi-finals will see Southampton pitted against Liverpool while Manchester United will face Hull City.

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

One of the biggest managerial link ups

RB Leipzig is currently taking Bundesliga by storm. Standing top of the pile, 3 points clear of defending champions Bayern Munich, this team has written quiet a script this season.

Their manager, Ralph Hussenhütl, has grabbed a lot of eyeballs in Europe this season. According to Metro, he is the latest addition in the potential growing list of Arsene Wenger's successor at Arsenal.

RB Leipzig has produced remarkable performances in Bundesliga this season, and their manager, proudly takes credit for it.

Leipzig are yet to lose a game this season, while Arsenal have lost 1 game(opening day defeat to Liverpool).

Arsenal's chief executive Ivan Gazidis is clearly trying to plan ahead and by building up a dossier of candidates; whoever ends up being given the nod will have one of the most daunting tasks in football. If Feguson's retirement from football has taught us anything, 'replacing a legend' is as tough as it gets.

According to The Sun, Hussenhütl is now one of the main contenders for the job.

Hussenhütl's team has scored 27 goals in 12 games this season winning 9 of them. Their performance is better than the Bavarian giants.

So looking at the stats one must agree that he can succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Arsene Wenger claims that Arsenal has returned to fluency but in 'Patches'

Arsenal saw out AFC Bournemouth 3-1 at Emirates, in what was one of the gruelling games of this season for Arsenal. Alexis Sanchez gave a standout performance, scoring 2 goals. He was simply brilliant on the afternoon. 

Arsenal ended a run of four consecutive draws, with a win over Bournemouth and kept in touching distance to the top of premier league. Theo Walcott also found the net and capped the moment with a celebration dedicated to his new born baby.

This was 19th consecutive unbeaten game in all competitions for Arsenal this season since losing to Liverpool on the inaugural day of the league. But last few games saw them drop points and thus losing the momentum thus drawing in some criticism.

So despite the win,  in the post match interview Arsene Wenger admitted his team is still suffering from a slight dip in form.

When asked whether his side has regained the fluency, he told Sky Sports : "In patches, it's always a different game after Champions League, mentally it's so demanding. The players questioned themselves after a few draws.

"We got better during the game but Bournemouth played well. They started with high intensity physically and when I saw that I thought they would drop a little bit in the second half.

"After that we were a bit unlucky because I think there was a second penalty on Sanchez and the penalty for them is another questionable one. After that, we had to improve our level in the second half and we did."

Arsene Wenger was then inevitably asked about the loaned Jack Wilshere, who was ineligible to play against his parent club. He also praised Eddie Howe's Bournemouth side.

Wenger said, "(Wilshere is)In very safe hands, because they are a team who have can have as much possession as the top team and play well as well and that's what they did today. They are a top side.

"I never forget when they came from the Championship they scored over 100 goals and that's never a coincidence, that means the quality is in the side.

"I saw him before the game and he told me he'd come in after the game." 



©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Arsenal miss Santi Cazorla admits Wenger

Arsene Wenger has acknowledged the fact that Arsenal has been missing Santi Cazorla.

Gunners are still on an unbeaten streak since their defeat to Liverpool on the opening day of the season.

Santi Cazorla suffered an Achilles injury during the 6-0 win against Ludogorets and could not play the last four Premier League matches.
Out of those four Gunners had three draws as they dropped some valuable points and thus losing the momentum.

The 31-year old is long awaited for the return to squad as Arsenal continue their journey.

"Santi is important to our technical stability in the team, to the quality of our decision-making and to our build-up from deep midfield to the high midfield," Wenger told reporters.

"That is an important stage because it gets the ball out from the defenders. Santi is a massive player for us.

"But we have enough quality players in our side to get around that. We are good enough to find solutions despite the fact he is not there."

Arsene Wenger brought Granit Xhaka in summer transfer to give them more alternatives and depth to the squad.

Though the Swiss international has struggled to live up to high expectations at Emirates. Wenger's adamant that Swiss international has fared nicely.

"I am very happy with Granit's commitment," Wenger added.

"I think he is developing well. Maybe he has not started enough since the start of the season but he is adapting to a different league, a different way of playing.

"Overall I am happy because every day he is focused on working hard and I am confident he will get his number of games."

Arsenal faces Bournemouth in Sunday's Premier League clash.

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Honours even at the Emirates, FC Bayern shocked in Russia and other Champions league results

Matchday 5 had some real drama and some brilliant matches. Some great comebacks and some shock defeats.

Group A

Arsenal vs PSG

Arsenal and PSG were fighting for the top spot in group. Both have not lost any match in group stage this season and gave it all out for a win at Emirates.

PSG started the game on the front foot and it took them just 17 minutes to grab the opener, a nice build up saw Thiago Motta finding Blaise Matuidi on the left, who ran into the box and squared it for Edinson Cavani at the far post, who poked the ball home.

Arsenal struggled to get hold of possession for the major part of the first half but somehow managed to earn a penalty after Olivier Giroud robbed Krychowiak off possession just outside the box and found Mesut Ozil, who played a brilliant reverse pass to Alexis Sanchez on the right, Krychowiak came sliding in after Alexis cut inside and just clipped his right foot. The referee pointed to the spot and Olivier Giroud leveled the score at the stroke of halftime.

In the 2nd half Arsenal looked completely a different team, sustaining continuous pressure on PSG and thus found their reward on the hour mark, when Carl Jenkinson, teed up by Sanchez, fired a cross in the box from the right and Marquinhos clearance ricochetoff shin's of Marco Veratti for an own goal.

PSG didn't hold back and the substitute Hatem Ben Arfa proved to be the culprit for Arsenal. His corner found Lucas Moura free on the far side, who was left unmarked and he sent his header towards goal which took a subtle touch off Alex Iwobi's head and went away from Ospina. Arsenal paid back for the own goal with an own goal thus leveling the score again.

Both managers threw everything to grab a winner but it ended all square at the Emirates and PSG lead Arsenal at top of the table with one matchday left.

In another group A match, Basel and Ludogorets played out a 0-0 draw in Bulgaria. The fight for a place in Europa league is still on.

Group B

The most trickiest group as 3 teams are in contention for the top two places.

SSC NAPOLI vs DYNAMO KYIV

The hosts were left frustrated by the Ukrainian side. After having so many chances, they had only themselves to blame as lack of sharpness in the final third cost them two points. Napoli are still top of the group but they would be really upset as they could have wrapped the group as table toppers.

They face Benfica away on last matchday.

BESIKTAS vs BENFICA

The most incredible match of the night as Besiktas came from three goal deficit to earn a point. Benfica scored three goals in the first 30 minutes of the match and had plenty of other chances but Besiktas rallied in the second half and Vincent Aboubakar leveled the score in the 89th minute to snatch a point and Benfica would really have been kicking themselves as they blew away a three goal lead and the chance to advance to knockout stages.

Group C

Celtic vs Barcelona

Two Lionel Messi goals on either side of the half helped Barcelona win in Glasgow and thus advancing to knockout stages while securing top spot in the Group.

Neymar assisted the first goal as it was a vintage Barcelona build up and Lionel Messi finished it.
In the 2nd half Suarez was brought down in the box and Lionel Messi stepped up to grab his second of the night and thus sealing all three points and top spot in the Group.
Leo Messi is the top scorer in group stages this season with 9 goals in 4 matches he has started. He is chasing Cristiano Ronaldo's record of most goals in Group stages. 

Borussia Monchengladbach vs Manchester City

Pep Guardiola's side last game in Champions league saw them defeat Barcelona at the Etihad.
City could have challenged Barcelona for the top spot but they only managed a draw against a sturdy Gladbach defense.

Gladbach took the lead in 23rd minute through Raffael after mounting early pressure on City's defence.
City equalized after a brilliant play through David Silva in the first half stoppage time.

2nd half saw both teams receiving Red Cards for poor challenges. First Lars Stindl of Gladbach barged into Otamendi and saw red, then minutes later Fernandinho pulled Raffael off the ball and was shown red. Though City protested for their red card as they thought it was harsh.
Both teams shared the spoils in the end and Manchester City with the draw went through to knockout stages behind Barcelona.

Group D

FC Rostov vs FC Bayern 

The biggest upset of the matchday 5 happened in Russia when the mighty Bayern lost 3-2 to FC Rostov.

Rostov produced a brave performance against the 5 times European champions. Althiugh Bayern went ahead through Douglas Costa when Renato Sanches ran into the box past defenders and fired a shot, the goalkeeper saved it but a horrible clearance from Rostov send the ball in the path of Costa who launched a thumping strike into the goal. FC Rostov equalized just 8 minutes later when Costa misplaced a pass and Poloz pounced on it and he send the ball to Sardar Azmoun who showed brilliant composure inside the box , taking advantage of Boateng's slip and send the ball past Bayern goalkeeper.

In the 48th minute a controversial penalty decision was given when Rostov's Noboa goes down under a challenge from Boateng, replay showed he got the part of the ball but referee didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot and Poloz buried the chance to give FC Rostov the lead.
Bayern stored parity just 2 minutes later, after a good link-up play between Renato Sanches and Ribery, who then teed up Bernat to finish home. It was blistering strike into the ceiling of the goal from the left-back.

Rostov continued their confident play and earned a free kick in the 64th minute. The free kick specialist of the team, Christian Noboa, took the charge and sent the ball around the wall and into the goal. It was a stunning strike from the specialist.

Home crowd got behind their team as it was deafening atmosphere in the stadium.
Rostov were leading the match and hold their nerves in the dying moments to beat Bayern.
It was their first ever champions league win and it would go down as the most memorable night in the club's history.

Bayern will now finish second in the group behind Atletico Madrid.

Atletico Madrid vs PSV Eindhoven

Atletico Madrid were the only team to have a 100% record in this season's champion league and they capped it with another comfortable win against the Dutch club.

Atletico won 2-0 on the night with goals from Kevin Gameiro assisted by Griezmann and Antoine Griezmann. Both goals were scored in the 2nd half.
Griezmann was the man of the match for his one assist and a goal.

The win saw Atletico Madrid topped the group with one game to spare.

This is how the matchday 5 unfolded and 12 teams have already qualified for the knockouts while remaining 4 positions will be fulfilled on the last matchday.
Some groups are still waiting for their table toppers as the last matchday will surely be an exciting one.

©sportskafun.blogspot.com

Liverpool, Manchester United held while Yaya Toure has a fairytale return for City

Manchester United played some good football at Old Trafford against the Gunners. 

Red devils dominated Arsenal for a majority of the game. They had a penalty appeal discarded when Antonio Valencia after some neat footwork got into the box but was brought down by Nacho Monreal. Everybody included Mourinho thought it was a penalty but referee denied. While first half was goalless, it set up the pace for second half and a goal was inevitable.

With Manchester United finding the back of the net in the 69th minute through Juan Mata, the player who had to prove himself against a manager who sold him earlier.
United made a good move down the right with Pogba playing a through pass to Ander Herrera on the right flank who pulled it back in the box where Juan Mata was unmarked and made a neat finish.

There were some other chances for Manchester United but they failed to score. Arsene Wenger was determined to end his winless run at Old Trafford, so he brought Olivier Giroud on the field.
Arsenal kept digging for the equalizer and they found it in the 89th minute when Olivier Giroud made a majestic leap to meet Oxlade Chamberlain's cross from the right wing.

The match ended with spoils shared by two juggernauts of the Premier League. Arsenal remain 4th with 25 points and United on 6th with 19 points.

Liverpool were held for a goalless draw at Saint Mary's. 

Credit : Reuters

Reds had a frustrating day out as they failed to find a goal with Coutinho, Firmino, Sadio Mane all came agonizingly close but failed to find the back of the net.

Although they still remain at top of the table but they wouldn't deny the fact that they could have extended the lead and solidified their position as league leaders.

City wins at Selhurst Park 

Yaya Toure made his first premier league start under Pep Guardiola and he revered the occasion by scoring a brace.

City were kept silent until the 39th minute when Yaya Toure after receiving a pass in the box from the right from Aguero, exchanged a little one-two with Nolito before launching an emphatic strike into the back of the net.
City led Crystal Palace at halftime.
In the second half Palace ramp up their pursuit of an equalizer, pressurizing City and eventually got their reward. It was the half time substitute Conor Wickham, who, after receiving a pass from Wilfried Zaha, made a bit if space for himself and strike the ball through Bravo and into the goal.

City had to wait till 83rd minute to find the winner. And it was the Ivorian again, a good delivery into the box from the corner by Kevin DeBruyne and Yaya Toure made one of the simplest of finishes from 5 yards out.

City held onto their lead and won the game 2-1. City on level points with Liverpool.

Other results:- 

• Stoke City 0-1 AFC Bournemouth
• Everton 1-1 Swansea City
• Watford 2-1 Leicester City
• Sunderland 3-0 Hull City

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Know the most expensive and least expensive ticket prices of clubs in Europe

Though we are happy to watch the leagues on our TV. As a die-hard supporter one must have always wondered how much it would cost to cheer for your favourite teams in the stadium.

Courtesy of BBC SPORT PRICE OF FOOTBALL STUDY we may get to know how much it will burn a fans pocket.

Tickets are sold in two forms :-

1. Season Tickets
2. Single Tickets

Season Tickets

Most Expensive

North London dominates the category in Premier League, with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur charging hefty amount. 

Arsenal's season ticket price is £2013 while Tottenham charges £1895. 

The 'cheap' season ticket is also priced at £1014, expensive than most of the London clubs except Chelsea and West Ham. 

When you move outside England, they also charge some heavy amount like PSG asking a staggering £2588.75 for their annual pass while Real Madrid offer season ticket at £1587.84. 

Cheapest 

Hull City leads the chart of offering cheapest season tickets in Premier League. Their prices are cheaper than 88℅ of Championship sides. Other clubs who offer low prices are Stoke, West Ham and surprisingly Man City, all three offer season tickets  under £300. 

Outside England, Bayern Munich have one of the standout low prices, they offer season ticket at just £120.89 - £17 per game. FC Porto charges just £86.31 for their cheapest pass while Barcelona offer season ticket at £113.93. 

Single Tickets

Most Expensive

Arsenal again heads the list in Premier League, charging £97. £10 more than closest rival. 

Chelsea charge £87 and Tottenham £81. 

West Ham is also not far behind with £80. 

Overseas, picture is different, with PSG charging £233.12 for their most expensive single ticket. Another Ligue1 club Marseille, charges £129.49 for their highest single ticket. 

Both Milan clubs, AC and Inter are also very costly with the most expensive single ticket costing their loyals £215 and £241, respectively. 

Cheapest

Liverpool offers cheapest ticket at £9. Hull City matches the Merseyside club in offering the cheapest single ticket.

Crystal Palace offer ticket at £23 while Stoke, West Ham, West Brom and Sunderland all offer tickets for £25. 

Chelsea have the most expensive 'cheap' ticket priced at £52. 

Valencia and Marseille, offer cheapest single ticket in the continent at just £8.53 each. 

PSG, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke and Porto all offer the tickets at under £20.

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