Moratti Talks After Inter Vs Bayern Match

I can't believe it. Inter Milan 2 - 0 defeat to Bayern Munich in their homebase, Giuseppe Meazza. Here's Massimo Moratti talk about Inter chance in Europe Championship

"We have made a very bad start in Europe, unlike in the championship. But we want to do well in the Champions League," Massimo Moratti told SkyItalia after Inter's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Giuseppe Meazza. "The sendings-off? The second one was perhaps a bit harsh, but on the whole I don't think they were scandalous. I didn't see any wrongs on the part of the referee, who let play run up to then."

Moratti continued: "In the past we have always done well in the Champions League, the only thing missing has been the final victory. But this year we have made a bad start, contrarily to the championship. Perhaps it is due to the fact that there are a few new players...

"It is always difficult when you can't break a deadlock. But I think this match was singular. If it was repeated then it would be right to talk about difficulty... The referee? He let play run, and a few players exaggerated. These things happen. I'd say that Ibra's probably wasn't a red card, but I don't think the team was nervous. They had a rather prudent attitude this evening."

Inter.It

Fulham 0 Chelsea 2

Chelsea win offer Fulham.
Frank Lampard is the star at that match, he's score two (70'(pen) and 76')
Here's another Premiership match result:
Liverpool 3 - 0 Tottenham H.

Arsenal 3 - 0 Sheffield U.

Aston Villa 2 - 0 Charlton Athletic

Fulham 0 - 2 Chelsea

Manchester C. 2 - 0 West Ham U.

Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Blackburn R.

Wigan Athletic 1 - 1 Watford

Liverpool 3 Totenham Hotspur 0

Wonderful!!!
Liverpool beat Totenham Hotspur with 3 goals
The Reds have clearly got their season back on track with second-half goals from Mark Gonzalez, Dirk Kuyt and John Arne Riise, but after spending heavily in the summer, Spurs have now lost four of their first six league games.

They should have been ahead through Jermaine Jenas - who somehow missed from two yards - before Liverpool punished them with two strikes in 10 minutes and Riise finished the job in the final seconds. Source
64' [1 - 0] M.D. González [Liverpool]
73' [2 - 0] D. Kuijt [Liverpool]
90' [3 - 0] J.A. Riise [Liverpool]

David Beckham Will Renew His Contract In Real Madrid FC

David Beckham is close to signing a new contract with Real Madrid, says the club's president Ramon Calderon.

"In the next 15 or 20 days Beckham's renewal will be solved because both (coach Fabio) Capello and the club are very happy with the player," Calderon told City FM radio on Tuesday.

Beckham's current four-year deal expires in June and if he hasn't renewed by January, he will be free to negotiate with other clubs.

Doubts about Beckham's future have increased following several postponements of negotiations earlier this year. Speculation grew further after he was dropped for last Sunday's league game with Real Sociedad.

While it appears Madrid wants to keep him for two more years, the 31-year-old midfielder's reported demand to raise his share of image rights from 50 per cent to 80 per cent is said to be a stumbling block.

Madrid hasn't won a major trophy since Beckham arrived from Manchester United in 2003.

Beckham, whose commercial value is perhaps even more important to Madrid than his playing ability, said in February he was almost certain to sign a new contract. But talks were shelved in the aftermath of the resignations of two club presidents _ Florentino Perez and Fernando Martin.

Beckham was dropped last month by England. He stepped down as captain following the team's World Cup elimination. Source

So Sad For Inter Milan

A brilliant goal from midfielder Marco Caneira gave Sporting a 1-0 win over 10-man Inter Milan in their opening Champions League Group B match on Tuesday.

Caneira scored in the 64th minute, chesting down a high crossfield ball from defender Tonel, touching it past Maicon and unleashing a dipping volley from outside the box that went in off the underside of the bar.

Keeper Francesco Toldo leapt and managed to get a touch but failed to turn the ball over.

The Italian side were reduced to 10 men after 68 minutes when Patrick Vieira was sent off for head-butting Brazilian striker Liedson, the France midfielder's second bookable offence.

Sporting stepped up the pace after Vieira was sent off and had more scoring opportunities but Inter were poor and had only three good chances.

Dejan Stankovic and Adriano had shots in the first half saved by Ricardo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was just wide with a late effort when Inter tried desperately to find an equaliser.

The Lisbon team had been hit by injuries to several players including Paraguayan international defender Carlos Paredes and Bento picked four young talents who impressed in a fine team performance.
Source

Chelsea 2 - Werder Bremen 0

Chelsea, which has spent about $750 million in the last three years for players, beat Werder Bremen 2-0 on goals by Michael Essien and Michael Ballack. Ballack's penalty was his first goal for Chelsea since moving from Bayern Munich.

Ballack took the penalty instead of Frank Lampard, who has missed several key penalties in recent games.

Chelsea and Barcelona are both in Group A and will play in home-and-home games on Oct. 18 and 31.

Barcelona Five Stars

Photo: AP
Favorites FC Barcelona and Chelsea picked up victories Tuesday on the opening day of the group stage in this season's Champions League.

Defending champion Barcelona routed Levski Sofia of Bulgaria 5-0 at home on first-half goals by Andres Iniesta and Ludovic Giuly, and three in the second half from Carles Puyol, Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho.

Everton 3 - Liverpool 0

Andrew Johnson struck twice to send Liverpool crashing to their first defeat of the season as Everton claimed an emphatic 3-0 victory against their bitter rivals at Goodison Park.

Liverpool, tipped by many to emerge as Chelsea's strongest rivals for the Premiership title this season, produced one of their worst performances under manager Rafa Benitez as they were outfought by David Moyes' team.

Australian Tim Cahill's first-half opener, followed by Johnson's double, sealed a thoroughly deserved victory for the home side to leave their fans chanting 'easy, easy' at the final whistle.

Everton manager Moyes had urged his players to keep their cool and take the emotion out of the game in the build-up to the clash, but within seconds of the kick-off it was clear that his plea had gone unheard.

Benitez's team did send a couple of sighters on Tim Howard's goal in the early stages, but not enough to worry the American and when Cahill opened the scoring on 24 minutes, it was the least Everton deserved.

Four Everton players were involved in the move before Cahill stroked the ball past Jose Reina from 12 yards, but the crucial intervention came from Leon Osman, who held off the challenge of Steve Finnan inside the penalty area to tee up the Socceroos midfielder.

Liverpool players complained to Graham Poll about the challenge, but the referee ignored their appeals and rightly awarded the goal.

Luis Garcia came close to equalising seven minutes later when his left-footed curler from 20 yards was brilliantly saved by Howard, but Everton remained in control and they doubled their lead on 35 minutes when Johnson capitalised on slack defending.

Lee Carsley's pass picked out Johnson on the right flank and he brushed past the tame challenge of Sami Hyypia to break into the penalty area. Jamie Carragher had the chance to clear, but his mis-kick gifted Johnson a free strike on goal and the 8.6million pounds England forward slotted past Reina at the near post.

Liverpool had no answer to Everton's hunger and desire, but Benitez attempted to shake things up by throwing Dirk Kuyt, John-Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant into the action in the second-half.

And the visitors upped their game as they went in search of a lifeline, but the home side stood firm and rode their luck, especially when Steven Gerrard rattled the post and referee Poll missed a clear handball in the penalty area by Everton full-back Tony Hibbert.

Riise then compounded Liverpool's misery when a late challenge on Mikel Arteta resulted in the Norwegian being stretchered off with a suspected ankle injury. To make matters worse, he was also booked for the foul.

Worse was to come for Liverpool, though, when Reina's failure to deal with an injury-time shot allowed Johnson to head home from close range to seal a 3-0 win.

The Last Result: European Championship Qualifying

France gained some payback Wednesday for its loss in the World Cup final with a 3-1 victory over Italy in European Championship qualifying, while Germany routed San Marino by a championship record 13-0.

Northern Ireland came from behind to beat Spain 3-2 in the day's biggest upset with David Healy scoring all three. But England and the Netherlands moved smoothly toward Euro 2008 with their second shutout victories in group play.

Sidney Govou, chosen to start instead of Louis Saha, scored twice and Thierry Henry added the other at the Stade de France as Italy slumped to another defeat. Under coach Roberto Donadoni, who replaced Marcello Lippi after the World Cup, the Italians have lost twice and drew 1-1 with visiting Lithuania in Group B.

Govou put the French into the lead in the second minute and, after Henry added a second in the 17th, Alberto Gilardino replied for the Italians three minutes later. But Govou's long-range header in the 55th made it 3-1 to give France two victories from two games and a five-point advantage over the World Cup champions.

The result gave the French fans some compensation for Italy's penalty shootout victory in Berlin, where Zinedine Zidane was sent off for head-butting Italy defender Marco Materazzi and then went into retirement.

Germany, which lost 2-0 to the Italians in the World Cup semifinals, made up for a shaky 1-0 victory over Ireland by setting a European Championship record at San Marino.

Lukas Podolski scored four goals and Thomas Hitzlsperger, Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger had two each as the Germans bettered Spain's 12-1 victory over Malta in a 1983 qualifying game.

"We knew that this was the weakest team in our group and we wanted to score a lot of goals," Lukas Podolski said.

Libor Sionko scored twice in the first 21 minutes and Jan Koller added the third in the 57th as the Czech Republic won 3-0 at Slovakia. Both teams have six points.

The big upset was in Belfast, where Healy, who scored Northern Ireland's winner in a World Cup qualifying victory over England last October, hit three against the Spaniards. Xavi Hernandez and David Villa had put Spain ahead 2-1 at Windsor Park, but Healy struck in the 64th and 80th minutes.

Spain's surprise loss means Sweden took over first place and leads by three points after beating Belarus 2-0.

Two goals by Marcus Allback helped Sweden beat Liechtenstein 3-1, but only after Group F's weakest team threatened a shock. After Allback's second-minute strike in Goteborg, Mario Frick evened it in the 27th. Allback didn't restore the lead until the 69th and Markus Rosenberg added another in the 89th as Sweden made it six points from two games.

Dennis Rommedahl and Jon Dahl Tomasson scored first-half goals as Denmark opened Group F with a 2-0 victory at Iceland.

Of the other powerhouse teams in action, England went to the top of Group E with a 1-0 victory at Macedonia with Peter Crouch raising his tally to 11 goals in his last 10 appearances. The result puts England on top on goal difference ahead of Israel, which beat Andorra 4-1 and also has six points.

Guus Hiddink's first competitive game in charge of Russia ended in a 0-0 draw with Croatia in Moscow. Both teams are five points behind the leaders with a game in hand.

Helped by two goals from Robin van Persie, the Netherlands beat Belarus 3-0 and has two victories in Group G. The Dutch are two points ahead of Bulgaria, which beat Slovenia 3-0, and Romania, which won 2-0 at Albania.

Despite its second victory in Group B, France remains second on goal difference behind Scotland, which won 2-1 at Lithuania. Both have six points while Ukraine and Georgia have three.

Scotland followed up its 6-0 hammering of the Faeroe Islands with a 2-1 victory at Lithuania. Christian Dailly and Kenny Miller scored. Darius Miceika replied for the hosts with an acrobatic overhead shot.

Andriy Shevchenko led Ukraine to a 3-2 victory over Georgia with a goal in the 31st minute in Kiev. The visitors had led 2-1 through the 61st minuted on tallies by Shota Arveladze and Georgi Demetradze. Ruslan Rotan scored four minutes later and Andriy Rusol hit the winner 10 minutes from the end.

Portugal was held to a 1-1 draw by Finland in Group A.

After winning 3-1 at Poland, Finland went ahead when Jonatan Johansson scored 22 minutes in, but Nuno Gomes replied three minutes before halftime. Portugal played the last 37 minutes with 10 men after Ricardo Costa was sent off for a second yellow card.

Daniel Van Buyten's goal gave Belgium a 1-0 victory at Armenia. The Belgians are tied with Serbia and Finland on four points, with Portugal in fifth behind Kazakhstan.

Serbia drew 1-1 with Poland. Danko Lazovic neutralized Radoslaw Matusiak's strike.

In the other Group A game, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan drew 1-1.

Norway edged Moldova 2-1 in Oslo to post its second group victory. The visitors played almost the entire second half with 10 men after Victor Berco was sent off. After that, Fredrik Stromstad and Steffen Iversen scored.

Second-half goals by Nihat Kahveci and Tumer Metin gave Turkey a 2-0 victory over Malta in its first Group C game, while Hungary rebounded from Saturday's 4-1 loss to visiting Norway by winning 3-1 at Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The results mean the Norwegians are in first with six points with Turkey, Bosnia, Greece and Hungary all on three.
Source