Category Archives: SPORTS

  (Φωτογραφία:  ΑΠΕ )

Μετά από περίπου 20ήμερη διακοπή, αρχικά λόγω των θλιβερών γεγονότων και τον θάνατο φιλάθλου και στη συνέχεια λόγω των υποχρεώσεων της Εθνικής ομάδας, το πρωτάθλημα της Σούπερ Λιγκ ξαναρχίζει το Σαββατοκύριακο με τις αναμετρήσεις της 7ης αγωνιστικής.

Το πρόγραμμα ξεκινάει από το Πανθεσσαλικό, όπου η Νίκη Βόλου υποδέχεται τον Πανθρακικό (16:00) σε μία αμφίρροπη αναμέτρηση με τους Βολιώτες να μην έχουν γνωρίσει ακόμα τη χαρά της νίκης.

Το σκηνικό μεταφέρεται στην Τρίπολη, με τον Αστέρα να υποδέχεται τον Παναιτωλικό (18:15) με τους γηπεδούχους να «τρέχουν» και μία εντυπωσιακή πορεία στην Ευρώπη.

Τέλος, το πρόγραμμα του Σαββάτου, ολοκληρώνεται στο Παγκρήτιο, όπου ο Εργοτέλης θα αντιμετωπίσει τον Ολυμπιακό (20:30) με τους Πειραιώτες να έχουν ήδη κάνει γκέλες που δεν τους επιτρέπουν άλλες απώλειες βαθμών.

Την Κυριακή, ο πρωτοπόρος ΠΑΟΚ υποδέχεται τον Ατρόμητο στο ντέρμπι της αγωνιστικής, ενώ ο Παναθηναϊκός υποδέχεται τον ΟΦΗ με τους «πράσινους» να επιδιώκουν την κατάκτηση των τριών βαθμών, που θα τους διατηρήσουν σε απόσταση βολής από την κορυφή.

Παράλληλα, η Βέροια που εντυπωσιάζει, θα φιλοξενήσει τον Λεβαδειακό με στόχο την νίκη που θα την κρατήσει στην πρώτη «δυάδα» της κατάταξης.

Τέλος, χωρίς ξεκάθαρο φαβορί θα γίνουν οι αγώνες Καλλονή – Κέρκυρα, Πλατανιάς – Ξάνθη, ενώ το πρόγραμμα ολοκληρώνεται την Δευτέρα με το ματς Πανιώνιος – ΠΑΣ Γιάννινα.

Το πρόγραμμα και η βαθμολογία, έχουν ως εξής:

ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ 18/10
Νίκη Βόλου-Πανθρακικός (Πανθεσσαλικό Στάδιο, 16:00)
Αστέρας Τρίπολης-Παναιτωλικός (Γηπ. “Θ. Κολοκοτρώνης”, 18:15)
Εργοτέλης-Ολυμπιακός (Παγκρήτιο Στάδιο, 20:30)

ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 19/10
Παναθηναϊκός-ΟΦΗ (Γηπ. “Απ. Νικολαϊδης”, 16:00)
Βέροια-Λεβαδειακός (Δημ. Γηπ. Βέροιας, 18:15)
Καλλονή-Κέρκυρα (Δημ. Γηπ. Μυτιλήνης, 18:15)
Πλατανιάς-Ξάνθη (Δημ. Γηπ. Περιβολίων, 18:15)
ΠΑΟΚ-Ατρόμητος (Γηπ. Τούμπας, 20:30)

ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ 20/10
Πανιώνιος-ΠΑΣ Γιάννινα (Γηπ. Νέας Σμύρνης, 19:30)

Reuters ©

David Moyes, who has been out of football since leaving Manchester United in April, says he is ready to resume his managerial career and is waiting for the right club to come along either in England or overseas.

The 51-year-old Scot, who was at Old Trafford for just 10 months last season, told the BBC: “I am ready to return.

“I have enjoyed the time off, but I have got to wait on the right job and make sure it’s one that I want.”

Moyes spent 11 years at Everton before moving to United to succeed Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2013, but he left in April with United ending up seventh in the Premier League, the first time they had finished outside the top three since 1991.

In the interview, to be televised on Saturday, Moyes says: “I’m really ambitious. I would never have left Everton FC for anybody but an ambitious football club. And I thought Manchester United would have given me that opportunity.

“It didn’t materialise that way, so I am hoping that the next club I join gives me the chance to build a team, because I think that is what I am good at.”

While preferring to work in England, he did not rule out going abroad.

“I’ve had several people contact me about jobs but none of them have turned round and said ‘here is a job — it’s yours'” he added.

“I will know when the right club comes along and I needed a little bit of time just to make sure that I am ready, and I am feeling good to go back.”

Moyes said of the break that he had “played some great golf courses, enjoyed a bit of horse racing, spent a bit of time with the family so it’s been good.”

He added that he had thought he would get more support from United when results started going against him.

“It was really difficult when I lost the job initially because I didn’t really see it coming, even though I had been losing games.

“I knew that it could be difficult but I joined a club that I felt stood behind their managers, made sure they supported them in difficult times. And, you know, Sir Alex had difficult times when he first took over.

“And I do understand that the landscape has changed a little bit in football, but I think that United always stood for the right things and I expected them to do what was right with me.”

Moyes’ successor Louis van Gaal has not enjoyed a great start to his United reign this season either, having lost 5-3 to Leicester City in the Premier League and 4-0 to League One (third tier) Milton Keynes Dons in the Capital One (League) Cup.

Asked what the reaction would have been had he been in charge of such defeats, Moyes said: “I daren’t imagine what would have been said about it.

“But Louis van Gaal has got a difficult job as well, just like I did when I took over and he needs to be given that opportunity to get his mark on the team, turn it around.

“He is a very experienced manager and he should be given that chance to do so.”

Despite an underwhelming start to the season, United are currently fourth in the table with 11 points from their opening seven matches. After seven matches last season, United had 10 points and were 12th.

source: au.sports.yahoo.com

Ραντεβού με την ατυχία είχε ξανά ο Ντάνιελ Στάριτζ! Την ώρα λοιπόν που όλα έδειχναν πως έχει ξεπεράσει τον τραυματισμό που τον άφησε εκτός για 1,5 μήνα, ο Άγγλος επιθετικός χτύπησε πάλι στην προπόνηση της Λίβερπουλ!

Τα άσχημα νέα επιβεβαιώθηκαν για τον 25χρονο άσο, που πρόσφατα υπέγραψε νέο συμβόλαιο με τους κόκκινους, αλλά τίποτα δεν πάει καλά μέχρι στιγμής στη σεζόν!

Όπως υπολογίζεται, ο παίκτης θα μείνει εκ νέου στα «πιτς» για περίπου τέσσερις εβδομάδες, με κάποιες αισιόδοξες εκτιμήσεις να κάνουν λόγο και για comeback στο μισό χρόνο.

Ακόμα και στο… καλό σενάριο (δηλαδή να επιστρέψει στις αρχές Νοεμβρίου), χάνει σίγουρα τα ματς με ΚΠΡ, Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης (Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ), Χαλ, Σουόνσι (Λιγκ Καπ), Νιούκαστλ, καθώς και τον δεύτερο αγώνα με τη βασίλισσα στην Ευρώπη. Σε διαφορετική περίπτωση, πάει για τέλη του επόμενου μήνα η επάνοδός του στη δράση…

Υπενθυμίζεται πως τελευταία φορά που αγωνίστηκε σε παιχνίδι με τη Λίβερπουλ ήταν στις 31 Αυγούστου απέναντι στη Τότεναμ κι έκτοτε, Μπαλοτέλι και Λάμπερκ σηκώνουν το… φορτίο (όχι και με μεγάλη επιτυχία).

Πηγή; sport-fm.gr

Μπάγερν Μονάχου-Βέρντερ Βρέμης στην 8η αγωνιστική της Μπούντεσλίγκα, με τους δύο ομάδες έχουν πλέον… χαοτική διαφορά.

Άλλες εποχές θα κοντραριζόντουσαν για την παραμονή στην κορυφή της βαθμολογίας. Τώρα είναι απλά η αναμέτρηση της πρωτοπόρου, Μπάγερν Μονάχου με την τελευταία της βαθμολογίας, Βέρντερ Βρέμης.

Η ομάδα του Πεπ Γκουαρδιόλα υποδέχεται αυτήν του Ρόμπιν Ντουτ στην 8η αγωνιστική της Μπούντεσλίγκα και διαφορά τους έχει ήδη φθάσει στους 13 βαθμούς. Στο περσινό ματς οι πρωταθλητές είχαν νικήσει με 5-2 και τη σεζόν 2012-13 με 6-1…

Εκτός… μάχης οι Μαρτίνεθ, Σβαϊντσάιγκερ και φυσικά ο Μπανστούμπερ όπως και οι Σελασιέ, Μπαργκφρέντε.

Ώρα για αφύπνιση για την Ντόρτμουντ του Σωκράτη Παπασταθόπουλου που έχει μείνει πίσω, καθώς βρίσκεται στην 13η θέση. Το Σάββατο ο δύο ομάδες παίζουν εκτός με την Κολωνία. Στο Αμβούργο θα αγωνισθεί η δεύτερη, Χόνφενχαιμ, που ισοβαθμεί με την Γκλάντμπαχ που έχει αποστολή στο Ανόβερο αυτήν την αγωνιστική.

Αναλυτικά η 8η αγωνιστική

Σάββατο (18/10)

Μπάγερν Μονάχου-Βέρντερ (16:30)
Κολωνία-Ντόρτμουντ (16:30)
Σάλκε-Χέρτα (16:30)
Μάιντς-Άουγκσμπουργκ (16:30)
Ανόβερο-Γκλάντμπαχ (16:30)
Φράιμπουργκ-Βόλσμπουργκ (16:30)
Στουτγκάρδη-Λεβερκούζεν (18:30)

Κυριακή (19/10)

Αμβούργο-Χόφενχάιμ (16:30)
Πάντερμπορν-Άιντραχτ Φρανκφούρτης (18:30)
Η επόμενη (9η) αγωνιστική

Παρασκευή (24/10)

Βέρντερ Βρέμης-Κολωνία (21:30)

Σάββατο (25/10)

Ντόρτμουντ-Ανόβερο (16:30)
Άουγκσμπουργκ-Φράιμπουργκ (16:30)
Χόφενχαϊμ-Πάντερμπορν (16:30)
Χέρτα-Αμβούργο (16:30)
Άιντραχτ-Στουτγάρδη (16:30)
Λεβερκούζεν-Σάλκε (19:30)
Βόλσμπουργκ-Μάιντς (16:30)
Γκλάντμπαχ-Μπάγερν Μονάχου (18:30)

Πηγή: sport-fm.gr

Στο Λονδίνο, αλλά εκτός έδρας με την Κρίσταλ Πάλας, αγωνίζεται η Τσέλσι στο πλαίσιο της όγδοης αγωνιστικής της Πρέμιερ Λιγκ. Ενδιαφέρον παιχνίδι στο Μάντσεστερ, ανάμεσα στη Σίτι και την Τότεναμ.             

Η αναμέτρηση ανάμεσα στη Μάντσεστερ Σίτι και την Τότεναμ στο «Έτιχαντ» ξεχωρίζει στο πρόγραμμα της όγδοης αγωνιστικής της Πρέμιερ Λιγκ, η οποία, όπως και όλα τα πρωταθλήματα, επαναρχίζει μετά από δύο εβδομάδες διακοπής, λόγω των εθνικών ομάδων.

Οι «σίτιζενς» μετρούν ήδη δύο απώλειες σε τρία εντός έδρας παιχνίδια και δεν έχουν περιθώριο για νέα γκέλα, τουλάχιστον τόσο άμεσα. Από την άλλη, οι «σπερς» τα έχουν καταφέρει καλά μακριά από το… σπίτι τους, όντας αήττητοι στις τρεις εξόδους τους. Η πρόσφατη παράδοση είναι με τη Σίτι, η οποία μετράει έξι νίκες στα τελευταία επτά παιχνίδια των δύο ομάδων ανεξαρτήτως έδρας. Μάλιστα, οι δύο περυσινές ήταν οι πιο εντυπωσιακές με 6-0 στο Μάντσεστερ και 5-1 στο Λονδίνο.

Η πρωτοπόρος του πρωταθλήματος, Τσέλσι, η οποία παραμένει η μοναδική αήττητη ομάδα, μετά τις επτά πρώτες στροφές δοκιμάζεται στο «Σέλχαρστ Παρκ» από την Κρίσταλ Πάλας, στο μίνι λονδρέζικο ντέρμπι. Οι «μπλε» του Ζοσέ Μουρίνιο έχουν ξεκινήσει εντυπωσιακά τη σεζόν με έξι νίκες σε επτά παιχνίδια και θέλουν να συνεχίσουν χωρίς απώλειες, προκειμένου να διατηρήσουν ή ακόμη και να διευρύνουν τη διαφορά από τους διώκτες τους. Πέρυσι, στο ίδιο γήπεδο, είχαν χάσει με 1-0, μια ήττα που ήταν η πρώτη μετά από έξι συνεχόμενες νίκες στα μεταξύ τους παιχνίδια.

Η Άρσεναλ, μετά τις δύο γκέλες στα λονδρέζικα ντέρμπι με Τότεναμ και Τσέλσι, θέλει να επιστρέψει στις επιτυχίες με αντίπαλο τη Χαλ στο «Έμιρεϊτς», αλλά σε ένα ακόμη παιχνίδι ο Αρσέν Βενγκέρ θα αναγκαστεί να κάνει πολλές αλχημείες λόγω τραυματισμών. Τέλος, να δώσουν συνέχεια στις τελευταίες νίκες τους, θέλουν Λίβερπουλ και Μάντσεστερ Γιουνάιτεντ, που δοκιμάζονται εκτός έδρας από τις ΚΠΡ και Γουέστ Μπρόμιτς Άλμπιον. Αμφότερες δεν έχουν ξεκινήσει καλά τη σεζόν και προσπαθούν να βρουν τα πατήματά τους, ώστε να μην μείνουν από πολύ νωρίς μακριά από την κορυφή.

Το πρόγραμμα της 8ης αγωνιστικής

Σάββατο, 18/10
Μάντσεστερ Σίτι-Τότεναμ (14:45)
Άρσεναλ-Χαλ (17:00)
Μπέρνλι-Γουέστ Χαμ
Κρίσταλ Πάλας-Τσέλσι
Έβερτον-Άστον Βίλα
Νιούκαστλ-Λέστερ
Σαουθάμπτον-Σάντερλαντ

Κυριακή, 19/10
ΚΠΡ-Λίβερπουλ (15:30)
Στόουκ-Σουόνσι (18:00)

Δευτέρα, 20/10
Γουέστ Μπρομ-Μάντσεστερ Γιουν. (22:00)

Η επόμενη (9η) αγωνιστική

Σάββατο, 25/10
Γουέστ Χαμ-Μάντσεστερ Σίτι (14:45)
Λίβερπουλ-Χαλ (17:00)
Σαουθάμπτον-Στόουκ
Σάντερλαντ-Άρσεναλ
Γουέστ Μπρομ-Κρίσταλ Πάλας
Σουόνσι-Λέστερ (19:30)

Κυριακή, 26/10
Μπέρνλι-Έβερτον (15:30)
Τότεναμ-Νιουκάστλ
Μάντσεστερ Γιουν.-Τσέλσι (18:00)

Δευτέρα 27/10
ΚΠΡ-Άστον Βίλα (22:00)

Πηγή: sport-fm.gr

Seeing blue: Sydney FC fans celebrate Corey Gameiro’s opener against Melbourne City last weekend. Photo: Getty Images

It is sporting tribalism at its finest, yet three years ago it didn’t even exist. The Sydney derby on Saturday night will be played in front of more than 42,000 fans and watched by hundreds of thousands more. It invokes a passion and tension never before seen in Australian football, but has little history to fall back upon. 

It is a fixture that has developed a legitimacy which extends well past its infancy. Only six games have been played but already it has proven to be one of the most sought after tickets in town. That is because it is a rivalry which extends over a hundred years, not just three.

Bloc party: The Wanderers’ fans have quickly earned a reputation as the most vibrant and boisterous in the league. Photo: Brendan Esposito

Sydney is a city of status. It is reflected in property – this city’s other great love – where the key phrase is “location, location, location”. There is an inherent value placed on cultural codes and a love of the mythology of a divide between the battlers and the elite. 

It is the force behind “the fibros against the silvertails” and underlines the cultural difference between rugby union and rugby league. According to Professor David Rowe of the institute of Culture and Society at the University of Western Sydney, this rhetoric now fuels the rivalry between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers. 

“It draws on a well-established narrative; some people who feel born to rule and others who have to fight against it,” Professor Rowe said. “The split that is happening in football in particular draws on a longer history within the city in general … This has become the instant narrative for these two teams, one of which is very new but has created the rivalry and given it its impact. It’s one part marketing but it’s one part cultural.”

Irrespective of how valid cultural differences are in contemporary society, the perceptions are strong. The sentiments of the city’s affluence had some influence on the blueprint of Sydney FC. The A-League’s historic glamour club bears the most iconic landmark on its badge, and is based near the centre of town in a sign of a desire shared with the ambitions of the harbour city.

They sought Gianluca Villa, Roy Hodgson and Ari Haan as their first coach and Roberto Baggio and Rivaldo as marquees, eventually settling for Pierre Littbarski and Dwight Yorke. Their early tag of “Bling FC” was unwanted, but it reflected the perceived attitude of the city. 

“We wanted to be the Manchester United or Juventus of Australian football – not in terms of size, style or pretensions but in terms of how they polarised football fans; adored and defended by their own, disliked and attacked by the opposition,” Sydney’s first chief executive Walter Bugno said. “We wanted to become a brand and we wanted to symbolise all that is exciting about the great city that Sydney is.”

By contrast, the Wanderers aimed to be Australia’s biggest community club. Former executive chairman Lyall Gorman wanted the fans to feel a sense of ownership of their football team. 

“The objective was always to create a club that was by the people and for the people,” he said. 

Fans shaped the club through seven public forums held across the western Sydney region. In perhaps the most multicultural region on earth, uniting the various groups was as clever as it was necessary.

“That passion was already there, it was about building a set of values that bring those [cultures] together as one,” Gorman said .”There were three fundamentals people of the west wanted from us: be competitive, stand up for us and make us proud.”

The result worked and the people of the west had a football club they could claim as their own. Banners of regional postcodes soon draped Pirtek Stadium to suggest the term “Westie” was something said with pride.

In the first derbies, the mere mention of social divides and status were kept quiet as the reinforced point of each club’s identity remained geographic. But in a city as ostentatious as Sydney, location alone invokes a powerful response. 

“You don’t need to say ‘class’, you just need to name the suburb. You just need to say ‘the west’ or ‘the east’, and that comes with the cultural baggage,” Professor Rowe said. 

If you ask the Wanderers supporters, Sydney FC fans spend their days drinking soy lattes and eating quinoa salads at hipster cafes in Darlinghurst. Those in sky blue probably joke of their surprise Wanderers fans can afford tickets to the game. Of course, neither are even remotely true, but that doesn’t matter. It is now firmly part of the discourse of a derby that is as much about status as it is geographic. 

“This is an instant rivalry, it’s been triggered, it’s very powerful and has been enormously quick,” Professor Rowe said. “It didn’t exist three years ago but it has been invented and it can only be invented because it has, culturally, very sound foundations to draw upon in terms of the rhetoric around it.”

source: smh.com.au

Midfielder Terry Antonis during Sydney FC training at Macquarie University sports fields, North Ryde. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

AS throwaway lines go, it doesn’t get more demeaning than calling your bitter rivals “little brothers”. 

Maybe Sydney FC’s extrovert striker Corey Gameiro would opt for a better choice of words if given the chance, but there is little doubt his comment about the Wanderers earlier this week hasn’t gone down too well out in the western suburbs.

During an interview on Tuesday, Gameiro offered this when asked about the success of Western Sydney in the A-League and the Asian Champions League.

“All the success they’ve had in the Champions League is good for the country,” Gameiro said.

“But to us from Sydney, they are our little brothers and we want to make sure that we’re the club that comes out on top.”

One could tell in the facial expressions of Wanderers’ veteran goalkeeper Ante Covic and coach Tony Popovic that Gameiro’s comments have added an extra bit of spice ahead of tonight’s sold-out match at Allianz Stadium.

Mind you, Popovic and Covic, were mindful of not giving the Sky Blues any ammunition and preferred to brush aside the ­comments.

Covic smiled and put it down to inexperience.

“Yeah. It’s funny how the youth throw out simple comments like that,” Covic said. “Little brothers — OK, yeah, good on him.”

Popovic was more straightforward when asked if it was part of the banter between the two clubs.

“I don’t really care what his comment was meant, to be honest,” he said sternly.

And neither was Popovic going to buy into the dramas of last season when all hell broke loose late in a game on March 8 after Sydney FC’s Ali Abbas ­accused Wanderers striker Brendon Santalab of racially and ­religiously vilifying him.

After weeks of bad publicity, Santalab was found to have no case to answer, although tensions are still simmering beneath the surface.

“No,” was all Popovic would say when asked if he was concerned tonight’s match could be overshadowed by the events of last ­season.

It was the same reply when he was asked whether he would issue instructions to his players about managing things if something like that happened again.

For all the negativity about the dramas and controversies, it is just part of what makes this game one of the highlights of the A-League season.

In just two seasons the derby has been sold out at both home grounds.

It has given the A-League much to crow about, even to the extent of some media putting the boot into the NRL and pointing out rugby league was unable to sell out its big Sydney games during the season.

Covic and Popovic were not buying into that argument either, both suggesting soccer is not competing with the NRL or AFL.

“I am not worried about the other codes, they have their business,” Covic said. “We play in their off season and they have their place.

“We just want our game to grow.”

Popovic says the A-League now has the respect of all codes, but does not believe there is a fear factor on their part.

“I don’t think it is fear, I think they respect us,” he said.

“We have our own place in the sporting landscape in Australia.

“The derby has grown very quickly and it is great to see what it has done for the A-League.”

Popovic was being coy when asked whether captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley would start tonight. The defender arrived back in Sydney only on Thursday after playing for the Socceroos against Qatar.

Given the Wanderers’ 4-1 loss to Melbourne Victory last week while he was absent, there seems every chance Topor-Stanley will start.

Over at Sydney, coach Graham Arnold is also mulling over whether his two international players — Bernie Ibini (Socceroos) and Ali Abbas (Iraq) — will start.

Marquee striker Mark Janko will certainly make his debut upfront for the Sky Blues.

Austrian Janko scored a goal for his nation in an international last week.

source: theaustralian.com.au

Δύο εκπλήξεις επεφύλασσε ο Μίτσελ για την αποστολή του Ολυμπιακού για το παιχνίδι στην Κρήτη με τον Εργοτέλη.

Ο ισπανός τεχνικός άφησε στην Αθήνα τους Κασάμι και Αφελάι προφανώς θέλοντας να τους έχει φρέσκους στο παιχνίδι με τη Γιουβέντους.

Εκτός αποστολής έμεινε και ο Αμπιντάλ, ο οποίος ζήτησε άδεια για έναν προσωπικό λόγο και θα ταξιδέψει στην Ισπανία.

Αντίθετα, ο Φουστέρ και ο Αυλωνίτης συμπεριλήφθηκαν στην αποστολή έχοντας –και οι δύο τους- πολλές πιθανότητες να ξεκινήσουν βασικοί.

Το πρόγραμμα περιελάμβανε πολλή δουλειά στην τακτική, στην ανάπτυξη του παιχνιδιού, ενώ δουλεύτηκε και η κυκλοφορία της μπάλας με όσο το δυνατόν λιγότερες επαφές και γρήγορες πάσες.

Η προπόνηση ολοκληρώθηκε με δουλειά πάνω στις στημένες φάσεις, αφού οι παίκτες έκαναν εκτελέσεις κόρνερ και φάουλ.

Οι τραυματίες έχουν επιστρέψει σε δράση, με τον Σιόβα να ακολουθεί μέρος του προγράμματος με την ομάδα, ανεβάζοντας ρυθμό, ενώ το ίδιο έκανε και ο Μπενίτες.

Αναλυτικά η αποστολή του Ολυμπιακού:

Μέγιερι, Ρομπέρτο, Αυλωνίτης, Μποτία, Μπουχαλάκης, Διαμαντάκος, Ντομίνγκεζ, Ντουρμάζ, Ελαμπντελαουί, Φορτούνης, Φουστέρ, Γκαζαριάν, Γιαννούλης, Μανιάτης, Μαζουάκου, Μιλιβόγεβιτς, Μήτρογλου και Σαλίνο.

Όσοι παίκτες έμειναν εκτός αποστολής θα γυμναστούν κανονικά το Σάββατο στις 10:00 στο Ρέντη, ενώ η επόμενη προγραμματισμένη προπόνηση είναι για την Κυριακή στις 11:00 το πρωί.

Πηγή: sport-fm.gr

A sweet volley from substitute Fahid Ben Khalfallah gave Melbourne Victory a 1-1 draw with bitter foe Adelaide United at the Adelaide Oval.

Khalfallah scored with two minutes of regulation time remaining, and just minutes after Adelaide’s Sergio Cirio scored before a record crowd for an A-League game in Adelaide.

Rolling Stone bass player Ronnie Wood, in town for a concert next weekend, was among the 33,126 spectators at Adelaide Oval.

The total eclipsed the city’s previous record of 25,039 set at the same venue in 2007.

The masses got no satisfaction for much of the grudge match which lacked real venom until the canny Cirio scored.

The Spaniard broke the deadlock after 84 goalless minutes when he stormed on to a through ball, turned Victory skipper Mark Milligan and sent a shot cannoning into the bottom-right corner of the net.

But the raucous Adelaide crowd was all but silenced just three minutes later when Victory sub Khalfallah broke free of James Jeggo on a Victory corner and slotted the ball over Reds goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic.

Both clubs remain unbeaten after impressive season-opening wins last weekend.

In the tame opening half, Melbourne’s Finkler sprayed the best scoring chance in the 16th minute when, in space and 10 metres out, he blasted a right footer wide of the target.

Adelaide’s best moments of the first half came in a minute – consecutive corners in the 41st minute produced successive goal mouth scrambles which the Victory defence held out.

The second half featured slightly more bite with Adelaide striker Bruce Djite a central figure.

The Reds’ frontman blew a scoring chance in the 47th minute when his free header sailed straight to Melbourne goalkeeper Nathan Coe.

Some 15 minutes later, Djite swivelled onto his right-foot but the shot edged across the goal face.

They were the only genuine chances until Cirio and Khalfallah enlivened the encounter.

Djite had another chance in the last minute of stoppage time, but Coe was equal to the task, forcing it just over the crossbar.

source: abc.com.au

Daniel Sturridge’s return to first-team action will be key for Liverpool when they travel to Queens Park Rangers this weekend, according to Premier League TV expert Matt Holland.

The 25-year-old striker, who hit 21 goals last season, has not featured in the Barclays Premier League since the end of August after picking up a thigh injury but is expected to return for the trip to Loftus Road on Sunday.

Liverpool have struggled to hit top form during his absence, winning one of their four league fixtures. Victory against QPR would give them back-to-back wins in the BPL for the first time this season and Holland believes Sturridge’s return could be key for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

“Liverpool haven’t hit the ground running yet,” Holland told premierleague.com. “Sturridge will make a big difference as he stretches defences, taking them back towards their own goal, which in turn gives Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana more space and room to work in.”

Liverpool are lying in ninth in the table, nine points behind league leaders Chelsea, with 10 points from their opening seven matches. They go into Sunday’s match on the back of a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on 4 October, ending a run of three matches without a win.

“That was a massive win for Liverpool in terms of their confidence,” Holland said. “You have to win games when you are not playing part well and that’s what they did. West Brom caused a few problems at times, Saido Berahino was excellent for West Brom with his movement, sharpness and awareness, but Liverpool got the job done.”

QPR, meanwhile, have struggled on their return to the top flight, winning only one of their seven fixtures to leave them bottom of the table with four points and Holland calls the match at Loftus Road “huge” for them.

“Harry Redknapp has alluded to the fact that this international break has perhaps come at a good time for him to evaluate where they are and also try to get players fit again, get them on the training ground so they are raring to go to face Liverpool,” he said. “He’s got to decide on whether he is going to continue with a four at the back or is he going to go back to a three.

“I worry about them up front as they lack goals. They lost Loic Remy close to the transfer deadline day and it didn’t give them as much time to replace him.”

Despite QPR’s travails so far this season, Holland believes that Redknapp, whom he worked with at West Ham United in the 1990s, is the man to lead the club to safety.

“I am a Harry Redknapp fan,” he said. “I can appreciate how good a coach he is. I really enjoyed working with him and he makes players feel 10ft tall when they walk out on the pitch. He’s probably in his office moaning and groaning but then he’ll go out and boost everyone. He is a good man manager. I certainly think he can get them out of trouble.”

QPR have a poor record against Liverpool in the BPL, winning just twice against the Reds in their 12 BPL meetings but both wins have come at Loftus Road. Liverpool, however, will be wary of a slip up as QPR’s memorable come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Loftus Road in March 2012 is still fresh in the memory.

“Loftus Road is a great ground for generating an atmosphere, it’s very tight to the pitch and if QPR can get a good start and get an early lead, it will be jumping,” said Holland. “That can play a part.

“Key for QPR will be to contain Sturridge and [Raheem] Sterling and to try to get at Liverpool’s full-backs. Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno both love to go forward so I wonder whether QPR might play 4-5-1, get two players wide and try to occupy them. We’ll try to exploit the areas that they have left if they go forward.”

source: premierleague.com