Euro 2012 Germany, Portugal in quarter-finals

Cool-headed Germany extended their Euro 2012 winning streak to reach the last eight with a solid 2-1 victory over Denmark on Sunday as two goals from an inspired Cristiano Ronaldo put Portugal through and sent the Dutch packing.

Lukas Podolski marked his 100th appearance for Germany with a 19th-minute goal in Lviv, before Michael Krohn-Dehli levelled for Denmark five minutes later.

Conceding an equaliser briefly threatened the Germans with a shock elimination depending on the outcome of the other Group B decider but defender Lars Bender scored a clinical late goal to set up a quarter-final clash with Greece.

"There were positive spirits out there tonight. We were focused on getting a goal. It was a bit of luck that the ball came to me but you don't think a lot about it, you just shoot it in," Bender said.

In Kharkiv, Portugal eliminated the Netherlands to the dismay of their thousands of orange-clad fans who had made their team's three group games in the city virtual home matches.

Ronaldo cancelled out Rafael van der Vaart's sweet early goal for the Dutch with a 28th-minute equaliser and the world's most expensive player lashed in the winner 16 minutes from time.

"This tournament we were just not good enough to reach the knockout phase," Van der Vaart told Dutch TV.

The Netherlands, runners-up in the 2010 World Cup, lost all three group games, the first to Denmark and the second to bitter rivals Germany.

"Our confidence was gone since the opening match and now we just have to start all over again," said Van der Vaart.

PERFECT RECORD

Germany completed the European Championship group stage with a perfect record for the first time after Joachim Loew's team had set a German record in qualifying, winning all 10 games.

Germany now face Greece, who pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament when they beat Russia 1-0 and sent Dick Advocaat's side home.

Striker Fernando Torres called Russia's surprise elimination a "wake-up call" for defending champions Spain who play their last group match against Croatia on Monday.

The Germany v Greece fixture pits two countries against each other whose ties have been stretched to breaking point during the last two years of economic turmoil.

A win for Greece over the euro-zone paymaster, which has forced a strict austerity programme on struggling Athens, would delight the economically suffering Greeks.

Thousands of broken-hearted Poles who had watched their team exit the tournament the night before after a 1-0 defeat by the Czechs turned out to applaud their team in Warsaw's giant fan zone.

"We realise we could have done more, but we thank you for the positive energy you gave us, that you came and were with us," said captain Jakub Blaszczykowski.

"Never mind, never mind," chanted the crowd.

The English FA became the latest football authority to have disciplinary proceedings launched against it by UEFA following an attempted pitch invasion by fans at the Group D match against Sweden.

Spain play Croatia in the Group C decider on Tuesday and Italy face eliminated Ireland. Italy lie third on two points and will be knocked out even if they win if Spain and Croatia play out a scoring draw of two goals each or more.

The fear that Spain and Croatia will contrive a 2-2 draw is growing among the Italian media.

With Croatia under investigation by UEFA over charges of racism, coach Slaven Bilic appealed to racist fans to stay way.

"I don't like these people, I don't want these people supporting us," he said. "We don't want them in the stadium. We are angry with these stupid fans as well. We need to stop them forever."

Injuries also began to mount on the 10th day of the tournament.

England winger Theo Walcott suffered a hamstring tweak in a practice session and is struggling to be fit for the final Group D match against Ukraine whose leading striker Andriy Shevchenko missed training with a knee problem and is also doubtful.

Ronaldo strike sinks Barca

Real Madrid have one hand on a first La Liga trophy in four years after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brilliant winner in a 2-1 victory at Barcelona on Saturday that stretched their lead over their bitter rivals to seven points with four games left.
On a dramatic, rain-lashed night at the Nou Camp, the Portuguese forwards 73rd-minute strike from Mesut Ozils superb assist secured the win his coach and compatriot Jose Mourinho had sought in vain in eight previous trips to Barcas imposing arena during his otherwise glittering career.

It was Reals first success in eight La Liga Clasicos - four of them before Mourinho arrived from Inter Milan - and gives them a timely boost for Wednesdays Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Bayern Munich, when they will seek to overturn a 2-1 deficit.

We have struck a very significant blow but its not yet decisive, Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said in an interview with Spanish television.

Of course its an important step towards the title but now we have to see it home, added the Spain international.

Cristianos goal, coming straight after they levelled, broke their stride and that was fundamental.

We controlled the match perfectly. It was a great performance, a fantastic result and I am very happy. Now we have another key match on Wednesday.

Barca, by contrast, need to regroup after suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time in almost three years following Saturdays reverse and a 1-0 loss at Chelsea in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola, whose only defeat in 14 previous Clasicos as Barca coach was in last years Kings Cup final, may also have his tactics questioned after he left Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro out of his starting line-up.

Sanchez came off the bench to snatch a 70th-minute equaliser after a rare Sami Khedira goal had given Real an early lead, while a toothless Barca could have done with Fabregas creativity and eye for goal much earlier than the 80th minute.

TITLE CONCEDED

Guardiola opened his news conference by conceding his bid to lead Barca to a fourth straight La Liga crown had failed.

I congratulate Real Madrid on their victory and on the league title, the former Barca and Spain midfielder said.

Right now the players are tired and sad and I cant say if there will be a psychological effect for the Chelsea game, he added.

We will try to find a way to attack Chelsea but now we have to rest and recover and try to forget tonights game as quickly as possible.

As the two teams walked out for a match watched by hundreds of millions around the world, close to 100,000 home fans transformed the stadium into a giant mosaic in the blue and red colours of the club and the yellow and red of Catalonia.

Som i serem (We are and we will be) was picked out in yellow on one side of the arena as the home support bellowed the club anthem El Cant del Barca.

Guardiola deployed an attacking formation with only three defenders and featuring the surprise inclusion of pacy 20-year-old B-team winger Cristian Tello.

Mourinho fielded the same starting 11 as he did on Tuesday, when Real were beaten 2-1 at Bayern Munich, with Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria and the excellent Ozil looking to catch Barca on the break.

SHARP REACTION

Real, who also set a new record of 109 goals scored in a league season, were ahead when Khedira was sharpest to react after Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes could not gather the ball after a corner and the Germany midfielder bundled it over the line.

Barca had started nervously and lacked their usual fluidity, and once Real were ahead they defended solidly and rarely looked like conceding as Barca stroked the ball around on the slick surface without real penetration.

The noise volume inside the giant arena rose after substitute Sanchez finally scrambled the ball in for the equaliser but the home fans were silenced three minutes later.

Ozils superb pass released Ronaldo in space on the right and he took the ball wide before smashing it home.

The goal, extending his La Liga record tally for the season to 42, was the best response to critics who accuse the Portuguese of flopping in big games. He is now one goal ahead of Barca forward Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring chart.

Messi tried desperately to breach the Real defence but was thwarted again and again and cut a forlorn figure at the end of the game as the Real players celebrated wildly nearby.

As well as virtually wrapping up the title, Reals win ended Barcas 11-match winning streak in the league and inflicted a first defeat on the Catalans in 35 league matches at the Nou Camp and in 55 home games in all competitions.

Mourinho, who again declined to speak to the media, will now be relishing a potential crack at his old club in next months Champions League final in Munich.

Manchester United re-established a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League but their victory over Aston Villa was aided

Ashley Young, who won a spot-kick last week against QPR, was involved again, adjudged to be tripped by Ciaran Clark.

Contact between the pair was minimal but Wayne Rooney converted before Danny Welbeck made it 2-0 at the back post.

Villa improved after the break but Rooney and Nani sealed victory.

United were the superior team, especially in the first half, and the win also cut Manchester City's goal difference advantage to four goals.

But questions will be asked of Young, after Clark appeared to pull his foot away from the winger.

Young's former team-mates failed to improve a wretched record against United, which now extends to one win in 31 games.

More importantly, they remain just six points above the relegation zone but they will look at games against Sunderland, Bolton and West Brom as a better chance of accruing points than a trip to Old Trafford.

For United, victory was a perfect response after losing at Wigan on Wednesday and they were not put under any sustained pressure, hard as Villa fought.

Before the spot-kick controversy, Andreas Weimann had tested David de Gea and Clark almost made amends for his transgression later in the half when his header whistled wide.

Stephen Ireland's curling shot also went close, but United were well on top and could have extended their lead through efforts by Welbeck, Rooney and Paul Scholes।

Visiting keeper Shay Given had to be on top form to tip one Welbeck shot over, and he was severely let down by his defence for United's second।

Patrice Evra overlapped on the left and although his low cross was delivered into a dangerous area, it was well within the reach of James Collins and Nathan Baker, who inexplicably chose to leave it allowing Welbeck to slide in at the back post।

Scholes was once again the dictator in midfield, having being left out of the defeat by Wigan.

But the 37-year-old was booked for an ugly tackle on Gabriel Agbonlahor early in the second half, as Villa attempted to impose themselves on the game.

They had some success in stemming the flow towards their goal and Emile Heskey, who replaced the injured Clark, had a header tipped over by De Gea, while Nathan Baker also headed inches wide from a corner.

McLeish may take a dim view of the first goal, but Villa can have few complaints about the result - if there were any doubts about the direction of the game, Rooney made sure when he tucked in Antonio Valencia's cutback for his 32nd goal of the season.

And Nani came on to boost United's goal total when he scored from close range.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team now host Everton before they travel to Etihad Stadium to face City, where - following this result - victory could secure them their 20th top-flight title.

Arsenal and Spurs unite following ugly chants

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur put their intense on-field rivalry to one side on Monday by taking the unusual step of issuing a joint statement condemning the chants of some of their supporters at Sunday's north London derby at White Hart Lane.

Arsenal fans were offensive towards their former striker Emmanuel Adebayor who now plays for Spurs, mocking the gun attack on his Togo team bus during last year's African Nations Cup tournament in Angola which left three members of the Togo party dead.

The Arsenal fans chanted: "It should have been you, it should have been you, killed in Angola, it should have been you."

Spurs fans targeted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with their own offensive insult as they have done for much of the last decade.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was scathing of the Arsenal fans afterwards, describing the chants at Adebayor as 'disgusting' and Spurs confirmed on Monday that several fans from the home and away sections of the crowd were ejected during the game.

"How do you chant something like that. You can't be right mentally. There were kids up there," Redknapp said.

Wenger said he had heard the chants and added: "We respect everybody and want to be respected too."

The statement, issued on their websites read: "Both clubs were extremely disappointed to hear the chants from supporters at yesterday's game.

"Neither club tolerates foul language, racist chanting, homophobic chanting or any anti-social behaviour from its supporters.

"We shall be working closely with each other to identify the individuals involved."

A Tottenham spokesman said Spurs, in line with club policy, would ban for life any fan found guilty of offensive chanting during the match which they won 2-1.

Despite Monday's united front, it was not all harmonious between the clubs immediately after Spurs' victory.

Tottenham's assistant coach Clive Allen described Wenger as 'two-bob' - a derogatory put down - for refusing to shake his hand after the final whistle.

Wenger replied: "Nothing happened. I shook hands with Harry and (assistant) Kevin Bond. How many hands do I have to shake?"

Brazil, FIFA to meet Monday on legal dispute: paper

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff plans to meet the president of soccer's world governing body on Monday to resolve a legal dispute over the 2014 World Cup, the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper reported.

FIFA has asked Brazil to suspend several laws while it hosts the World Cup, including one that requires theatrical and sports events to provide half-price tickets to people over 65, the paper reported on Saturday.

The laws, FIFA says, threaten to increase the governing body's costs, reduce its ability to protect its brands and sponsors' trademarks and to saddle FIFA with other legal liabilities, Estado said, citing Orlando Silva, Brazil's sports minister.

Rousseff plans to meet FIFA President Joseph Blatter in Brussels on Monday and is ready to compromise on a series of FIFA complaints, Silva told the newspaper.

They include some prohibitions on alcohol sales and rules that grant low-cost tickets to students and youth, the newspaper said. She won't suspend the Elderly Persons' Statute or consumer protection laws, it reported.

Rousseff's office would not confirm or deny a meeting. Brazil's sports ministry and FIFA's media department did not return phone calls Saturday.

FIFA's complaints come after criticism of delays in the construction or repair of stadiums and the expansion of public transport facilities for the World Cup. Allegations have also been rising about cost overruns and corruption related to the World Cup and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

FIFA 2014 World Cup sponsors include Adidas, Coca-Cola, Sony, Anheuser-Busch InBev's Budweiser unit and McDonald's and Visa.

The World Cup Bill being debated in Congress, for example, fails to provide sufficient penalties to companies and individuals who sell pirate goods or infringe trademarks, it said, citing Silva.

The penalties are three months to two years in jail or a fine, which FIFA considers "innocuous," Estado reported.

Tevez's No 32 shirt allocated to reserve goalie

Carlos Tevez's No 32 shirt was allocated to reserve goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon when Manchester City played at Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on Saturday, another indication that he is unlikely to play for City again.

City fans also displayed banners saying 'Tevez Out' aimed at the 27-year-old Argentine striker.

Tevez was missing at Ewood Park, serving a two week club suspension for allegedly ignoring manager Roberto Mancini's instructions to come on as a 56th minute substitute against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.

City lost that game 2-0 but bounced back on Saturday with a 4-0 win over Rovers with goals from Adam Johnson, Mario Balotelli, and substitutes Samir Nasri and Stefan Savic, who both scored their first goals for the club.

City are level on points with champions Manchester United at the top of the table, both unbeaten with 19 points from seven matches, though United are in first place with a goal difference of plus-19 compared to City's plus-18.

Following Tuesday's incident in Munich, Mancini said Tevez would never play for the club again and his City career 'was finished' as far as he was concerned.

The club have started an inquiry and suspended him for the maximum two weeks allowed under Premier League rules.

But the fact Saturday's official team sheet showed his shirt number was allocated to 24-year-old Romanian international goalkeeper Pantilimon, who has made one appearance for City in the League Cup against Birmingham City, was a telling point.

City's assistant manager David Platt told Sky Sports: "We needed to concentrate totally on this game.

"From having the day off on Wednesday after coming back from Munich, we came in on Thursday and put everything to bed -- the performance and everything else that went with it.

Asked if City's lawyers were preventing him talking about the Tevez situation, Platt replied:

"Unfortunately for many many reasons, we can't really go into that. We just want to concentrate on what is happening out on the pitch and fortunately that was what we have done today."

The only blot on an otherwise good afternoon for City was that Argentine forward Sergio Aguero injured his groin, but might not miss any matches for City with the international break coming up next weekend.

Barca lose Fabregas for three weeks

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas sustained a hamstring injury during training on Saturday and will be out of action for around three weeks, the European champions said.

The former Arsenal captain was left out of Barca's squad to play Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Sunday, joining Andres Iniesta, Alexis Sanchez and Ibrahim Afellay on the club's injury list.

Fabregas had been included in Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad on Friday for their Euro 2012 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Scotland over the next two weeks.

Carroll and Suarez on target for Liverpool

Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez scored to give Liverpool a comfortable 2-0 win at Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Saturday after the home side were controversially reduced to 10 men after only 23 minutes.

Referee Martin Atkinson showed what appeared to be a harsh red card to Jack Rodwell for what looked to be a legitimate challenge on Suarez, with the defender winning the ball fairly, but clipping the Uruguayan as his momentum carried him forwards.

Rodwell fiercely protested his innocence and walked off reluctantly, but his dismissal helped tip the balance Liverpool's way. As well as their two goals they also missed a penalty and hit the crossbar in the first half.

Carroll scored his first league goal of the season, and only his third league goal since his 35 million pounds move from Newcastle United in January, after 71 minutes and he took it well, sweeping home Jose Enrique's cutback into the bottom corner.

Suarez wrapped up the points for Kenny Dalglish's team when he took advantage of some slack Everton defending to score his fifth goal of the season in all competitions eight minutes from time.

Dalglish was back at Goodison as Liverpool's manager for the first time since he famously resigned after an epic 4-4 FA Cup draw there in 1991. He said his side had deserved to win.

"We were very professional. When you play against 10 it's easy to lose your concentration and be complacent and we didn't do either," he said.

"Everyone played very well, Andy's off the mark with a league goal, and although Dirk missed a penalty it did not affect him and that's great credit to him. It was a good result for us."

Liverpool had two good chances to establish a lead in the closing minutes of the first half.

The first came after 44 minutes when Everton defender Phil Jagielka tripped Suarez to concede a penalty, but Everton escaped going behind when Tim Howard dived low to his left to save Dirk Kuyt's spot-kick.

Three minutes later Charlie Adam lashed a swerving 20-metre shot that hit the bar.

Liverpool dominated for most of the second half and moved into the top four of the Premier League table, at least until Newcastle United faced Wolverhampton Wanderers later in one of the afternoon's five other matches.

Messi-Ronaldo debate useless: Figo

Luis Figo believes it is not right to compare Barcelona star Lionel Messi with Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi netted a brace in Barca's 5-0 Uefa Champions League win over BATE Borisov on Wednesday to equal Ladislao Kubala in the club's goal-scoring charts with 194 goals.

Messi just needs another 42 goals to beat Cesar Rodriguez's tally of 235 to become the club's all-time leading goal-scorer while Ronaldo continues to be no slouch himself in front of goal for Madrid.

However, Figo, who currently works as an ambassador for Inter Milan, thinks it would be a futile task to sit down and compare the two players.

"It is not right to compare them [Ronaldo and Messi]," Figo told FCInternews.it, reports ESPNstar.

"I like watching both of them when they play, why ask which one is the best?

"It's like when you eat something, why choose one meal, when you can try both?

"Both [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Messi are different players, they have different personalities."

Figo, who played for both Madrid and Barcelona during a stellar career, recently rejected reports of a return to the Bernabeu as part of their technical staff.

Krasic rescues Juventus at Catania

Milos Krasic scored early in the second half to give Juventus a 1-1 draw at Catania as they stayed unbeaten in Serie A on Sunday along with Udinese after their goalless stalemate at Cagliari.

The two sides share the lead with eight points from four games. Atalanta remain the only other unbeaten team after a 2-1 win over Novara.

Promoted Atalanta, who won with goals from Matias Schelotto and Luca Cigarini, have the best playing record with three wins and a draw.

However they have only four points after having six deducted before the start of the season in a Serie B match-fixing scandal.

Roma were away to Parma in Sunday's other match (1845 GMT), looking for their first win under new coach Luis Enrique.

Genoa's unbeaten record ended when they lost 2-1 at Chievo, who also beat Napoli in midweek.

Striker Rodrigo Palacio, recalled by Argentina last week after a three-year absence, put Genoa ahead just after halftime with his fourth goal in as many games.

Sergio Pellisier levelled for Chievo in the 74th minute and Davide Moscardelli scored a stoppage-time winner.

Siena beat Lecce 3-0 helped by a brace from Emanuele Calaio after Mattia Destro opened the scoring while Lazio and Palermo played out a goalless draw in the afternoon's other game.

Juventus fell behind after 21 minutes at Catania, Alejandro Gomez supplying a low cross which was turned into the net by his fellow Argentine Gonzalo Bergessio.

Serbian striker Krasic equalised four minutes after the re-start with a right-foot shot which was badly misjudged by goalkeeper Mariano Andujar, another member of the Argentine contingent in the Sicilian side.

Juve had a let-off late in the game when a mistake by Giorgio Chiellini set up a chance for David Suazo but the Honduran was foiled by Gianluigi Buffon

We are not invincible: Guardiola

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola insists his team are not unbeatable even if it sometimes appears that way.

Saturday night saw Guardiola's men rampant against Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp, running out 5-0 winners on the back of a hat-trick from Lionel Messi - seven days after an 8-0 trouncing of Osasuna, reports ESPNstar.

Barcelona lost a pair of matches on their pre-season tour of the United States, and a team of reserves were beaten by Espanyol in the Catalonia Cup final.

But Barcelona`s main men can be imperious, and Guardiola acknowledges that.

He also suggests his team are there to be taken down a notch if they let their standards slip.

A pair of 2-2 away draws against Valencia and Real Sociedad might be taken as signs of weakness, and those results have contributed to Barcelona lying behind leaders Real Betis in the early La Liga standings.

"We are not unbeatable ... any team can beat us," Guardiola said.

"But if we do things right the fans who come to watch us will have a good time, which is the most important thing."

Reflecting on the comprehensive victory over Atletico, Guardiola said: "We played very well, it was a lesson in concentration, but from tomorrow on we have to do it again. Let's see if we're able maintain this level. It's this year's challenge."

He told his post-match press conference - according to Barcelona's official website - that Messi's latest masterful performance spoke for itself.

"Messi was decisive again, you can only congratulate him. He's a player that you don't have to explain, you just have to watch him in action," Guardiola said.

Fifa plans caps, more transparency for agent fees

Players' agents could face limits on the amounts they earn from transfers and clubs could be forced to reveal how much they pay them, according to plans from world soccer's ruling body Fifa.

Marco Villiger, Fifa's head of legal affairs, said the organisation wanted to ditch its system of licensing agents and bring in regulations governing transfers and agents' conduct.

Fifa believes only 25-30 percent of international transfers are carried out by licensed agents, meaning the vast majority are brokered by agents operating under little or no regulation.

Transfers are big business and agents' cuts can run into millions of dollars. Since the 2010 World Cup, some 10,500 international transfers have taken place at a combined value of some $2.7 billion according to Fifa.

"What you pay for with agents, it's only access to the players," Villiger told a news briefing.

"It is in the pockets of people who do not invest in football."

Under plans already backed by Fifa's legal committee, licensing of agents would end, although agents would still have to register with national associations.

Agents would have to declare conflicts of interest and would not be allowed to command a fee for transfers of minors. Clubs would have to disclose payments and those payments could be limited.

"(A) fair (amount) could perhaps be two to three percent (of the transfer fee) or a cap of $2 million," Villiger said, adding the mere obligation for clubs to reveal their payments to agents could lead them to limit future spending.

The European Commission is due to host a meeting to include Fifa, European soccer's governing body Uefa and agents to discuss the matter in October.

Villiger said legal experts it had consulted believed the new regulations would not conflict with European law and the plans could be put to a full Fifa congress next year.

Longer term, Fifa believes it can transform its system of regulations concerning international transfers into a web-based "clearing house" for player purchases and sales.

Clubs can already carry out certain parts of player transfers over the internet rather than faxing documents back and forth.

The clearing house system could lead to clubs putting players up for sale on the web, allowing others to buy with the click of a button - like standard internet shopping with extra checks.

"We could make agents less important," Villiger said.

"The money paid today could stay in the sport."

The plans, albeit some years in the making, form part of Fifa's promise to clean up football as well as its own act following a spate of corruption scandals.

News Santander hold Real

Real Madrid conceded more early ground in the La Liga title race as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Racing Santander on Wednesday.

Winger Oscar Serrano came close to making it two successive defeats for Jose Mourinho's side. A 1-0 weekend defeat by Levante was almost matched with Serrano's shot which forced Iker Casillas into the best save of the match, reports ESPNsoccernet.

Maria Callejon just failed to get a touch despite lunging at a ball from Marcelo, while Cristiano Ronaldo skewed a volley wide from a difficult angle and then the same player's cross was headed straight at Antonio Tono by Callejon.

Serrano brought the game to life four minutes into the second half with a left-foot shot which Casillas dived low to his left to turn around the post.

Gonzalo Higuain then had a shot after cutting in from the right but Tono tipped the effort over.

Then at the death Serrano had the chance to take all three points but Casillas came to the rescue.

Santi Cazorla's stunning free-kick gave Malaga a 1-0 victory, their third in a row, in a tight encounter with Athletic Bilbao.

The Spain international beautifully curled the ball into the top corner on the hour mark to take his tally to four goals in four Primera Division games following his summer move from Villarreal.

Athletic, who have now lost their last three league games, once again enjoyed plenty of possession but lacked cutting edge up front and the hosts should have extended their lead but Eliseu shot into the side-netting after a wonderful run had presented him with an open goal.

LEAGUE CUP Hargreaves leads Man City to victory

Debutant Owen Hargreaves scored his first goal for more than three years and Mario Balotelli grabbed his first of the season as Manchester City beat holders Birmingham City 2-0 in a League Cup third round tie at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Liverpool, who have won the competition a record seven times, welcomed back skipper Steven Gerrard as a late substitute after six months out with a groin injury with a 2-1 away win at Championship (second division) side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Extra-time was being played in the west London derby between Chelsea and Fulham which finished goalless after 90 minutes after Fulham's Pajtim Kasami missed a second half penalty, awarded after Alex, who was sent off, brought down Kerim Frei.

Hargreaves, making his debut for City, scored their opener after 17 minutes with a rasping shot from outside the penalty area, his first goal since April 2008 when he scored Manchester United's winner in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal.

Hargreaves last played a full 90 minutes of competitive soccer exactly three years ago on September 21, 2008, but has battled back to fitness after a series of career-threatening injuries.

Balotelli virtually wrapped up the victory with a low strike after 38 minutes, sending Birmingham, fielding just Keith Fahey from the side that won the trophy last season, out of the competition.

Liverpool endured a tough match on the south coast against Gus Poyet's championship high fliers, but an early goal from Craig Bellamy, and a second from Dirk Kuyt after 81 minutes put them in control. Ashley Barnes replied for Brighton with a 90th minute penalty.

In other matches Southampton beat Preston North End 2-1, Cardiff City and Leicester City were playing extra time after finishing level at 2-2 after 90 minutes while Everton and West Bromwich Albion was a late kick-off.

Brazil starts World Cup countdown

Flags were waved, countdown clocks switched on, speeches made and processions held all over Brazil on Friday, all to mark the 1000th day before the 2014 FIFA World Cup gets underway.

President Dilma Rousseff launched the event at a stadium in Belo Horizonte alongside the footballing legend Pele, who is Brazil's World Cup ambassador.
Morning broke in Salvador de Bahia to the sound of the drums of the cultural group Olodum, who took up position on the banks of the Dique do Tororo lake, just a stone's throw from the Arena Fonte Nova, one of the venues for Brazil 2014, reports Fifa.com.

Meanwhile, prayers were being said at the Estadio Placido Castelo in Fortaleza, where the hundreds of workers refurbishing the venue gathered for a special service.

Over in Sao Paulo, city mayor Gilberto Kassab took a train ride from the centre out to the suburb of Itaquera, where the Arena de Sao Paulo is being built. Making the journey with him was the state governor Geraldo Alckmin, two-time world champion Ronaldo, and fellow FIFA World Cup winners such as Rivelino.

"It took us 19 minutes to travel out here," said O Fenômeno.

"There's superb access and an excellent stadium in place, as we've seen for ourselves today with just 1000 days to go to the World Cup."

Countdown clocks were switched on in host cities such as Recife, Natal and Cuiaba, while teams of graffiti artists began adorning the fences surrounding Brasilia's Estadio Nacional with Fifa World Cup-themed artwork.

The festivities in Porto Alegre had a local gaúcho flavour, with the Cavalgada dos Mil Dias (The Procession of a Thousand Days) attracting a large number of people for a walk from the Beira-Rio, another competition venue, to the Acampamento Farroupilha, an outdoor camp held every September in the city's Parque Harmonia.

"Over the next thousand days we're going to keep the pace up, stay united and remain focused on victory so that Natal can set the standard as a host city of the Fifa World Cup," said the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Rosalba Ciarlini.

"This is an event that is strategic to our objective of driving Rio Grande do Norte forward through construction projects, investments, economic growth and opportunities for its people. That is why we can safely say that regardless of results on the pitch - and it is my belief that Brazil will win their sixth world title - the state of Rio Grande do Norte will emerge victorious from the 2014 World Cup."

The celebrations continued into the night in cities across the country, with fireworks and a variety of spectacles and shows entertaining the crowds as Brazil 2014 moved that little bit closer into view.

Man City ready for European adventure

Wild boasts and missed chances, followed by pitch invasions, stadium fires and a shock early exit. Manchester City's only previous campaign in the European Cup was short, but it certainly wasn't sweet.

They have had to wait 43 years to put things right but, when City legend Mike Summerbee takes his seat at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to watch his old side make their Champions League debut, he is certain it will be very different this time.
As you might expect from a club ambassador and a man renowned for his partizan backing of the team he served for a decade, Summerbee is confident Roberto Mancini 's side will shine in their opening Group A game against Napoli and go on to show they belong among the European elite.
"The benchmark is Barcelona," Summerbee told me. "Can we compete? Yes. We were the last English team to win a trophy at the Nou Camp two years ago. I am not saying we are going to win the Champions League, but you never know. We have got a very strong side and lot of teams will be worried about playing us."

City fans have had to wait 43 years for a return to the European Cup. Photo: Getty

I should point out that Barca game was a friendly, though, so it probably just as well Summerbee is not getting too carried away with thoughts of being at the final in Munich next May. After all, that was the mistake City made in 1968.
Back then, Summerbee was an impudent England winger and one of the star men in a team who had just dethroned neighbours Manchester United as League champions, and now wanted their European crown too.
Outspoken assistant boss Malcolm Allison bullishly declared his side would "terrify the cowards of Europe" ahead of the club's first continental campaign, believing most foreign sides were too negative and could be blown away by attacking football.
But the only horror story was City themselves, who crashed out 2-1 on aggregate to Turkish outsiders Fenerbahce at the first hurdle, drawing 0-0 at Maine Road then being turned over in the return.
Summerbee, who won every domestic honour during his decade at City from 1965 to 1975, had a shocker in the first leg, missing an open goal from six yards and being booed by his own fans. Worse was to come in Turkey after an 1,800 mile journey which was the longest any English side had made for a competitive match.
He prepared for it by getting married 24 hours before leaving Manchester, with George Best as his best man. Instead of jetting off on a honeymoon with new wife Tina, he climbed on to a specially-chartered Comet plane with his team-mates instead. "She understood," he smiles. "We are still together now so maybe we got off on the right foot."

Mike Summerbee spent ten years at Maine Road. Photo: Hulton Archive

If it sounds like an adventure, that's because it was. And a journey into the unknown too. Summerbee had played for his country, making his debut at a hostile Hampden Park earlier in the year, but had seen nowhere like the National Stadium in Istanbul. To say it was a culture shock would be an understatement.
"The game didn't kick off until the evening, but they opened the gates in the morning and it was full from 8am," he explained. "We were staying at the Hilton about two or three miles away in the hills but we could hear the fans and see the rockets they were letting off all day.
"It was a lovely place with friendly people but they were fanatical about their football. We quickly realised we were in very volatile situation and to be honest it was frightening.
"When we got to the ground, I remember there was a moat around it which I had never seen before. Then the dressing room windows were smashed and when we came out to play there were armed soldiers waiting for us. One of them pointed at me and said 'I look after you'."
Despite the intimidation, Tony Coleman put City ahead before half-time but Fenerbahce, rank outsiders, replied straight after the interval and scored what was to be the winner 12 minutes from the end. Cue the first pitch invasion of the night, and scores more fireworks set off in the stands.
At the final whistle, soldiers had to clear a path for the players to leave the pitch and more than a 100 fires were lit on the terraces around the ground. As Summerbee puts it: "I dread to think what would have happened if we had won. We probably would never have been seen again".
City are unlikely to get anything like as hostile a reception anywhere they play this time around, despite being drawn in a tough group with Bayern Munich and Villarreal as well as Napoli.
But then much has changed since City's first European trip. Mancini and his scouting team will know all their opponents inside-out but City had never seen Fenerbahce play before the tie and relied on a scouting report from former Everton striker Oscar Hold, who had managed the Turkish side a whole three years previously.
"It was a unique situation for all of us," Summerbee, who felt the lessons they learned helped City win the now defunct European Cup Winners' Cup the following season, stated.
"But this is totally different. We have never played in the Champions League before but Mancini has experienced it as a player and a manager and all of our squad has played in Europe and at international level. We are ready."
Mancini will not be boasting like Allison did either, but there are some things his side do have in common with Summerbee's generation: a growing reputation for attractive football, and also an expectancy of more success.
"Roberto is a very strong-minded person and in his first year at City he was feeling his way a little bit," Summerbee added. "Now you can see what he was trying to build toward, which is playing magnificent attacking football.
"These are very exciting times for us. We just have to play the same way we are playing in the Premier League at the moment - I don't think we will have change that to make an impact in Europe and I am really looking forward to it."
Exciting times indeed. And, however City fare against Napoli, the fact they have to play six group games means their journey is guaranteed to last a lot longer than it did in 1968. It might even have a happier ending too.

Borussia Dortmund 1 - 1 Arsenal

Arsenal goalscorer Robin van Persie shows his disappointment at the whistle

Ivan Perisic came off the bench to smash in a superb late volley and rescue a deserved point for Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League Group F opener against Arsenal.

Robin van Persie looked to have earned the Gunners a precious win with a fine goal from Theo Walcott's through-ball.
But Perisic dipped a sublime 20-yard volley home to salvage a draw.
And only a fine Wojciech Szczesny save from Robert Lewandowski in injury time stopped Arsenal finishing with nothing.
A defeat would have been harsh on the Gunners, especially after an improved rearguard action in the second half, but few could begrudge the German side a point from a match they dominated for long spells.
In fact, for 40 minutes in the first half Arsenal were kept almost completely on the back foot.
After Gervinho had been brilliantly denied an early shot on goal by Mats Hummels' outstretched boot, Dortmund dominated, the German champions making a mockery of their fourth seeding in this season's group-stage draw.

Analysis

Continue reading the main story

Lee Dixon,
BBC Sport football pundit

It's a great point in the end for Arsenal, especially after the first 40 or so minutes when they looked so vulnerable. They tightened up well in the second half though, and Alex Song was absolutely outstanding. They will be disappointed to have conceded so late - but what can you do about Perisic's strike?

Mario Gotze was inventive, Lewandowski a menace, and Shinji Kagawa a constant source of energy as the hosts time and again played through a porous Arsenal midfield.
Kevin Grosskreutz fired over when well placed in the box, Kagawa did similarly after being put through on goal and then Lewandowski was denied by Bacary Sagna's goalline clearance having rounded Szczesny in the Arsenal goal.
With the Gunners far too lightweight in midfield, Mikel Arteta dropped to a deeper-lying midfield role, pushing Yossi Benayoun further forward - a move that helped forge a rare Arsenal chance on 30 minutes when Benayoun released Van Persie, only for the Dutchman's snap-shot to be tipped around the post.
Dortmund continued to control proceedings, however, and it looked only a matter of time before the hosts broke through.
And then Arsenal scored. Sebastian Kehl's poor touch ended at Walcott's feet via Van Persie's touch, and the Englishman's return pass was a delight, allowing Van Persie to take a touch before rifling a rising drive past Roman Weidenfeller.
It was a big goal at the perfect time for the Gunners - and Wenger, seated in block 27, row 24, seat 63 of the 80,000-capacity stadium as a result of his touchline ban, will have liked what he saw after the break, too, Arsenal emerging in far better shape than they did the first.

Though Dortmund continued to boss possession and territory, they did so with far less venom than in the first half, Arsenal dropping a touch deeper and looking a lot more compact in midfield to frustrate the hosts.
The outstanding Alex Song was at the heart of that for the visitors, and he played his part in creating a chance for Gervinho an hour in, the Ivorian dancing past Neven Subotic and then Hummel before being denied by keeper Weidenfeller.
With the clock ticking down and the hosts increasingly erratic in their attacking play, Arsenal looked comfortable.
It was then, though, that Dortmund finally produced a killer finish, Kieran Gibbs's half-clearance falling to substitute Perisic, who unleashed a fabulous dipping volley into the top corner.
Buoyed by their late strike and driven on by a rejuvenated home crowd, Dortmund went in search of a winner - something Lewandowski almost provided one-on-one late on, only to be denied by the right hand of Szczesny in the Arsenal goal.
In the end, then, the Gunners were grateful for the final whistle - though a decent away performance overall should ensure they go into Matchday Two in a fortnight's time against Olympiakos in encouraged mood.