70 NEW VISION, Tuesday 1 October, 2013 VISION SPORT

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Mancini in talks Wenger warns his Gunners Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is in talks with Galatasaray to take ahead of clash with Napoli over from who was sacked as coach this week. Playing on today, 9.45pm new signing Mesut Ozil shin- Terim, who is also in charge of Group E ing. the Turkish national team, was Basel v Schalke 04 Wenger will be without voted out at a meeting of the winger Theo Walcott who has club’s board after rejecting a Bucharest v Chelsea, SS6 undergone surgery on an contract extension. “President Group F abdominal injury, while Abou Unal Aysal and chief executive Dortmund v Marseille Diaby, Lukas Podolski and Arsenal v Napoli, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are Roberto Mancini,” Gala said on SS5 also sidelined. Twitter, attaching a picture of Group G Napoli, who have scored 14 the Italian alongside Aribogan. Zenit v A. Vienna (7pm) SS3 goals in six matches Mancini, 48, has been out of Porto v A. Madrid with Hamsik, Callejon and work since being dismissed Group H Higuain netting 10 of them, as City manager in May after LONDON enjoyed a 2-0 win over Genoa a three-and-a-half-year reign Ajax v AC Milan on Saturday despite starting at the Etihad Stadium which Arsenal manager Arsene Celtic v Barcelona, SS3 with some of their key players included a league title success Wenger has told his play- on the bench with a view to in 2012 and a 2011 FA Cup ers to watch out for Napoli’s very quickly with (Jose) Tuesday’s game. victory. quickfire counter-attacks Callejon, (Marek) Hamsik, “I am consistent rather than when the two high-flying Insigne and (Gonzalo) courageous. I have experi- sides meet at the Emirates Higuain, (who) come out like ence and have been in Stadium in Champions bombs all the time they win Europe many times, so I know Petkovic upsets League Group F on Tuesday. the ball. squad rotation is necessary to Wenger learnt a lot about “The transition from our make everyone in the side the Italians when they drew side from offence to defence stronger,” Benitez told Sky Azarenka in China 2-2 in a pre-season tourna- will have to be very quick.” Sport Italia. Victoria Azarenka’s China ment and is also very familiar Open title defence wilted with their manager Rafael Excellent start Dortmund eager Benitez from the Spaniard’s leaders Borussia Dortmund are Belarussian lost to Germany’s time managing in the Premier Arsenal, who went two points eager to set the record Andrea Petkovic 6-4 2-6 6-4 on League with Chelsea and clear with a 2-1 win at straight against France’s Monday. Liverpool. Swansea City on Saturday, Olympique Marseille in their Azarenka’s 15 double faults, to Napoli are unbeaten in all have enjoyed an excellent Group F clash after losing to go with 44 unforced errors, mir- competitions under Benitez, start to the season including them twice two years ago. rored her erratic display over who was appointed in May, their European group opener Dortmund, flying high in two hours 22 minutes against and Wenger has identified the when they beat Olympique the Bundesliga with a 5-0 Petkovic who appeared to be Italian side’s breakaways as Marseille 2-1 in France. demolition of Freiburg on feeling dizzy in the second set. their big strength and ear- Napoli are in similarly good Saturday which allowed them The loss for second seed marked diminutive shape and kicked off their to defend the top spot on Azarenka followed her second- as key to that continental campaign with a goal difference against treble round defeat by Venus Wil- threat. 2-1 victory over last year’s winners Bayern Munich, also liams in Tokyo last week. “He is mobile, he is not tall Champions League runners- need to return to European Petkovic looked in discomfort but quick and very good in up Borussia Dortmund which victories after their opening in the second set, needing the transition from defence to Wenger believed would give 2-1 defeat to Napoli. medical time out, and she lost attack,” Wenger told Arsenal them extra confidence. “Tuesday will be a challenge seven straight games as Aza- Player. “He is a good dribbler Even though Arsenal were but we have a home game in renka forced the decider. as well and is an intelligent beaten by Napoli to the sig- front of a sold-out crowd,” The defending champion mover. That makes him an nature of striker Gonzalo Klopp told reporters. “We do traded breaks with Petkovic to interesting prospect. Higuain in the close season, not feel much under pressure level at 4-4 in the third set but “That’s what struck me as they are proving to be an because we have analysed her 15th double fault on break well in the (pre-season) exciting attacking prospect the Napoli game extensively point left the German serving CAUTION: While Ozil will be trying to open up the Napoli Emirates Cup — when they with Aaron Ramsey scoring and drawn the necessarily for the match. defence, Arsenal’s Wenger has warned of counter-attacks win the ball they come out eight goals in nine games and conclusions.” Defences must be wary of Suarez-Sturridge pairing LIVERPOOL Premiership result Suarez was back. eventually coming second to “Luis gives me angles to play,” Manchester United’s Robin van Liverpool emphatically an- Sunderland 1 - 3 Liverpool he told Sky Sports. “For me it’s Persie with 23 goals. swered the burning question about getting assists as well as of how Luis Suarez and Dan- both would fit in. scoring, it’s about the team win- Selfless Sturridge iel Sturridge would work to- In the event, manager Brendan ning games and if someone is in He looked sharp against gether after the Uruguayan’s Rodgers changed his formation a better position, you put them Sunderland and with Sturridge lengthy ban as the pair com- to accommodate them and while in and you allow them to score a proving he could be selfless in bined with devastating effect they lost at Manchester United goal. the buildup to a goal, the duo in Sunday’s 3-1 win at Sun- in the Capital One Cup mid- “It’s great to have him back, it will hope to tear apart plenty derland. week, the partnership’s potential gives us options. He’s one of the more defences as Liverpool seek While Suarez was serving a shone in Sunderland as best forwards in the league. We to re-establish themselves as a 10-match ban for biting Sturridge scored one and set up form a good partnership... I’m top-four team. Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, two for Suarez. happy to be playing with such “He (Suarez) is getting the Sturridge had established him- The England striker leads the world class players.” reward for his hard work over self as Liverpool’s main man up Premier League scoring chart Suarez had been a strong con- the period he was off,” said front and this week’s return of with five goals but said he was tender to be the league’s top Rodgers, whose side are second the other top striker had pundits more than happy to rack up the scorer last term before he was in the table behind Arsenal with CLICKING: Sturridge and Suarez celebrate a scratching their heads over how assists if required now that hit with the suspension in April, 13 points from six matches. goal during the 3-1 demolition of Sunderland