Arsenal, home to World Champions Mesut Özil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski, remain in touching distance with the top pack in the English Premier League. The Gunners won 2-0 away to Sunderland, with Mertesacker starting and Podolski coming off the bench.
Özil missed out through injury whilst Podolski had to wait for his introduction. The ex-Köln man also scored the winning goal late on in their 2-1 win over RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Liverpool keep faith in Emre Can
Last season’s runners-up in the Premier League, Liverpool, played out a 0-0 stalemate at home to Hull City on Saturday afternoon. The Reds dropped beneath Arsenal in the table with the result. Manager Brendan Rodgers handed Germany U21 international Emre Can his second successive start in Liverpool colours. The former Bayern and Leverkusen man was on the field until the 75th minute. Stoke City, without former Germany international Robert Huth, went down 1-0 to second-placed side Southampton through a Sadio Mane strike.
Miroslav Klose came on at half-time in Lazio’s win against Torino on Sunday evening. In the 60th minute he ended a 209 day Serie A goal drought by scoring past Jean-Francois Gillet from close range. His goal turned out to be the winner. Lazio are fifth in Serie A, which is a Europa League qualification place.
Kroos and Real Madrid win el Clásico
Real Madrid and World Champion Toni Kroos came out on top against FC Barcelona in yesterday’s El Clásico and reduced the gap between themselves and their arch-rivals to just one point. The Spanish record champions were 3-1 winners in the top game on matchday 9 of the Primera Division campaign and leaped to second place in the table in the meantime. Kroos played the full 90 minutes for the hosts and set up Madrid’s second. World Champion Sami Khedira was subbed on three minutes before the end.
German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen wasn’t handed his long-awaited El Clásico debut. Barca manager Luis Enrique opted for Mexican Claudio Bravo between the sticks, despite of the German’s top performance in the Champions League in midweek he had to settle for a place on the bench.
Striker Luis Suárez made his competitive debut for the guests following a lengthy suspension after his attack on Italian Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. The Uruguayan set up Neymar for the opener early on but Cristiano Ronaldo replied with a penalty for Real before half time. Real turned the game on its head after the interval, with Pepe and Karim Benzema securing a win for the hosts.
World Champion Mustafi opens Valencia account
World Champion Shkodran Mustafi netted his first goal in the Spanish Primera Division with FC Valencia in their home win over FC Elche. The defender, who signed for Valencia from Sampdoria in the summer, scored the opener for the hosts in the 12th minute in his sides’ 3-1 victory.
Arsenal and Mertesacker triumph in Sunderland
Arsenal, home to World Champions Mesut Özil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski, remain in touching distance with the top pack in the English Premier League. The Gunners won 2-0 away to Sunderland, with Mertesacker starting and Podolski coming off the bench.
Özil missed out through injury whilst Podolski had to wait for his introduction. The ex-Köln man also scored the winning goal late on in their 2-1 win over RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Liverpool keep faith in Emre Can
Last season’s runners-up in the Premier League, Liverpool, played out a 0-0 stalemate at home to Hull City on Saturday afternoon. The Reds dropped beneath Arsenal in the table with the result. Manager Brendan Rodgers handed Germany U21 international Emre Can his second successive start in Liverpool colours. The former Bayern and Leverkusen man was on the field until the 75th minute. Stoke City, without former Germany international Robert Huth, went down 1-0 to second-placed side Southampton through a Sadio Mane strike.
