WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 SPORTS City face stern test at revived Gladbach

BERLIN: Manchester City already have their without captain Vincent Kompany who is backs to the wall when they travel to Borussia nursing a calf problem. Moenchengladbach today, with injuries piling “Joe had a problem with his back during up and a losing start to the competition the week,” Pellegrini said. “Yaya had some threatening to derail their Champions League problem with his hamstring, and we don’t campaign. know (if they will be fit). We must wait..to After starting the English Premier League decide if they are 100 percent.” season with five consecutive wins, a jolting With Moenchengladbach hosting their first home defeat by Juventus in their Champions game in Europe’s premier club competition League opener was followed by consecutive for 37 years, the atmosphere at the Borussia- beatings by West Ham United and Tottenham Park will be daunting for City who badly need Hotspur. Saturday’s 4-1 defeat by Tottenham a three points to bolster their chances of get- also saw midfield powerhouse Yaya Toure suf- ting beyond the last 16 of the Champions fer a hamstring injury, while keeper Joe Hart League for the first time. missed that game with an injury and both are Chilean Pellegrini, however, remains confi- doubts for the clash in the Rhineland. dent of City’s chances. “The first season we With pressure mounting to stay in the run- beat Bayern Munich and lost against Real ning for a top-two finish in Group D, City’s Madrid in the group stages and qualified with coach is also likely to be 15 points,” Pellegrini said. “Last year was exact- ly the same.” “This season we lost against Juventus here, but we played better than Juventus. We lost Matches on TV just three points. I’m absolutely confident we are going to do it because we did it the last (Local Timings) two seasons after losing the first game.” Gladbach are neither Real Madrid nor UEFA Champions League Bayern or Juve but the Germans are on a high Astana v Galatasaray 19:00 after two consecutive wins following a terrible beIN SPORTS 2 HD start to the season. Malmo v Real Madrid 21:45 In complete contrast to City they lost their opening five games, leading to the MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (centre) trains with teammates at Carrington training ground. Manchester United will play beIN SPORTS 1 HD VFL Wolfsberg in a Champions League Group B soccer match today. — AP Shakhtar v PSG 21:45 resignation of coach Lucien Favre, but interim beIN SPORTS 5 HD coach Andre Schubert has since stopped the CSKA Moskva v Eindhoven 21:45 rot and they will be confident of their first United banking on Martial beIN SPORTS 6 HD Champions League points after an opening Man United v Wolfsburg 21:45 defeat against Sevilla. Schubert himself has beIN SPORTS 4 HD ruled out a long-term commitment but the Atletico v SL Benfica 21:45 club’s sport’s director Max Eberl said: “Andre is arts for European goals beIN SPORTS 7 HD doing a fantastic job.” After a 3-1 defeat of Juventus v Sevilla 21:45 Stuttgart at the weekend, Granit beIN SPORTS 2 HD Xhaka identified the reason for the change in LONDON: Manchester United will bank on the take on players and he is willing to take on that Wounded Wolfsburg, who drew 1-1 with Monchengladbach v Man City 21:45 fortune. “The fun is back because we are play- dazzling form of Anthony Martial in today’s risk,” said United defender Chris Smalling. Hanover 96 on Saturday after being crushed 5-1 beIN SPORTS 3 HD ing the type of football that made us so strong Champions League game against VfL Wolfsburg “I think, in the final third, it is an area where by Bayern Munich last week, are likely to be in the past,” Xhaka said. — Reuters as ’s men look to bounce back you can take that risk because you can’t take it at without Luiz Gustavo and Vieirinha. from their opening defeat in Group B. The 19- the back. He looks a very sharp player.” Brazil international Luiz Gustavo was taken year-old Frenchman, initially seen as a panic buy Goalkeeper David de Gea has also been in off midway through their demolition at Bayern Tiago backs Martinez on the last day of the transfer window this fine form after signing a new contract while with a knee injury and coach Dieter Hecking month, has been a revelation, netting four times Smalling and Daley Blind have formed a solid says his chances of playing in Manchester “don’t since leaving Monaco to help United top the central defensive pairing and Morgan look good”. Portuguese Vieirinha has returned to to fire against Benfica Premier League for the first time in two years. Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger have training after a three-week break caused by a The Old Trafford club lost their first added experience and craft to the midfield. thigh injury but the game at Old Trafford could MADRID: Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago starts to their domestic campaigns with four Champions League match 2-1 to PSV Eindhoven come too soon for him. The Wolves, who won has backed teammate Jackson Martinez to wins and two defeats from their opening six in a game overshadowed by the broken leg suf- AIM HIGHER their opener against CSKA Moscow, are looking come good with the Spanish side despite a matches. difficult start to his career at the Vicente However, it is Atletico who come into the fered by Luke Shaw but have since won 3-2 at “We have improved,” Smalling said. “Last sea- to take control of the group. Calderon. game on a downer as they lost out 1-0 to La Southampton and beaten Sunderland 3-0. son’s start was disastrous and it didn’t give us a “We have worked very hard to get here and The Colombian striker comes up against Liga leaders Villarreal at the weekend. Coach Wayne Rooney scored his first league goal of foothold to be able to challenge for anything. experience games like the one at Manchester an old enemy when Benfica visit the Spanish has struggled to find the the campaign against Sunderland and with “We know we have improved in this section United,” said captain Diego Benaglio. “So we capital today in the Champions League after right balance after another summer of Martial providing pace and composure up front, of the season and we now have to improve in want to look really good there and we are cer- being the top scorer for the past three sea- upheaval in the Atletico playing squad and Van Gaal’s attacking worries are receding. each other section compared to last season and tainly not going to England just to look at the sons in Portugal with Porto before a 35 mil- Tiago is confident that the 2014 Champions “He (Martial) is very direct, he is willing to aim a lot higher.” stadium.” — Reuters lion euro ($39 million, £26 million) move to League finalists will eventually hit form. “The Atletico in July. However, Martinez has scored philosophy hasn’t changed because we know just once in seven games for Los Rojiblancos what has allowed us to win things,” he added. and been subbed at half-time in each of his “The players have different characteristics last two starts. “Jackson is learning how to and you have to look for the best in each play in our system, which isn’t easy for for- player and overall for the team. “That is the wards,” Atletico’s Portuguese midfielder Tiago difficult job the manager has, to look for dif- said on Monday. ferent solutions. We as a team have to find “For us the strikers aren’t just about goals. ways to cause danger to the opponent and All the work they do is very important. “It is that is what we are working on. very different to what he did at Porto. “It isn’t easy just two months into the sea- Therefore, we need to be patient because he son to have the level we would like, but we is going to help us a lot.” are working on it and I think we have a lot of Both sides have kick-started their quality in this squad.” Spanish international European campaigns with 2-0 victors on midfielder Koke remains Atletico’s only matchday one as Atletico beat Galatasaray in absentee through injury. Meanwhile, Mexican Istanbul, whilst Benfica eased past striker Raul Jimenez and defender Silvio Champions League newcomers Astana at could feature against their parent club for the home. The Iberian duo have also had similar Portuguese champions. — AFP Juventus take on Sevilla

MILAN: Juventus host Sevilla hoping to contin- debut lasted only 25 minutes into a pre-season ue their positive start to this season’s Champions friendly against Marseille on August 1, is not League in a group D encounter that will see expected to be match fit until next weekend. both sides endeavor to leave their poor domes- With four consecutive league titles under tic form well behind them. Juventus’s stock their belt and having won their first league and among Europe’s football elite rose considerably Cup double last season for the first time in 20 after they became the first Italian team since years, the impact of Juve’s domestic woes can- Inter Milan in 2010 to reach last season’s final, not be underestimated. When club captain and SWEDEN: Malmo’s players take part in a training session at the Swedbank Stadion in Malmo on the eve of the UEFA Champions League Group A where they were outclassed 3-1 by Barcelona. goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon gave a rare televi- football match against Real Madrid. — AFP But hopes of a repeat this year are already look- sion interview on Sunday, it was seen as a collec- ing slim, if Juve’s disappointing start to the tive mea culpa but also an impassioned call to fledgling Serie A season is anything to go by- arms. “We have to put aside all talk of the scud- Swedes hope to upset mighty Real although Sevilla are in similar straits. etto for the next few months,” Buffon said. “The While Juventus have dropped to 15th place distance (between Juventus and the top of the STOCKHOLM: When Swedish champions Malmo Cristiano Ronaldo who scored a hat-trick against who kept Lionel Messi out when he played for with just five points from six games-their worst league) is so great that we can’t allow ourselves take on mighty Real Madrid today they do so Donetsk to become the all-time highest scorer in FC Copenhagen against Barcelona in the start to a season since 1969-70 — Sevilla sit just to get carried away by flights of fancy.” Buffon knowing they would probably have to sell their the Champions League with 80 goals. The Champions League in 2010, will be doing all he two points off the relegation zone in added: “We have to roll up our sleeves, get our entire squad just to be able to afford a single Portuguese has another chance to overtake Raul can to stop Ronaldo breaking that record. Asked after six games. hands dirty and deal with the situation. We Both have struggled to adapt to a significant know what we need to change to improve, and player from the bench of the Spanish giants. as Real’s all-time leading marksman today. by newspaper Kvallsposten if Ronaldo was over- turnover of players over the summer, although we’ll be taking it now match by match. Valued at around 20 million euros in total on Former Spain striker Raul, now with New York valued compared to his Malmo team mates, in Europe’s premier club competition both, ironi- “The Champions League is a beautiful show- the Transfer Market website (www.transfer- Cosmos, netted 323 goals in 741 appearances, Wiland laughed said: “I’m not going to stand cally, have made impressive starts. Juve claimed case, and it’s now a chance for us to regain a cer- markt.cm), the modest Malmo squad consists of while Ronaldo has a jaw-dropping 321 in just here and say that today, if I do they’ll smash in a shock 2-1 win at Manchester City thanks to tain degree of certainty and enthusiasm. “We home-produced players and low-budget sign- 307 matches. Malmo goalkeeper Johan Wiland, four today,” the 34-year-old said. — Reuters goals in open play from Mario Mandzukic and need a ferocious, determined approach to ings brought in by sporting director Daniel Alvaro Morata, while Sevilla kicked off their cam- Sevilla. It’s a game we want to win.” If Sevilla are Andersson. paign with a 3-0 win over Borussia to travel with confidence to Manchester City in Malmo do have some pedigree in Europe Astana host Galatasaray Moenchengladbach. But in a matter of weeks three weeks time, a result at Juventus Stadium having reached the 1979 European Cup final the landscape has changed dramatically for the would be welcomed by Unai Emery’s men. where they lost to Nottingham Forest. Since ALMATY: Football fans in Kazakhstan’s capital “Our manager is a many-sided man,” Astana’s Italian champions, whose confidence levels-if The Andalusians may have been decimated then, however, the gulf between Europe’s big Astana are eagerly gearing up to welcome Turkish Serbian goalkeeper Nenad Eric said about Stoilov. Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Napoli was anything to by injury, with Beto, Adil Rami, Daniel Carrico, leagues has grown so wide that it is almost team Galatasaray for the first ever Champions “His role in our success can hardly be under-esti- go by-look uncharacteristically low. Mandzukic Nico Pareja, Ever Banega and Gael Kakuta all impossible for a club of Malmo’s limited means League group match in the Central Asian nation mated.” Local star Georgy Zhukov, Colombian Roger is sidelined as he recovers from a thigh strain, missing out through injury, but Emery’s side are to survive beyond the group phase. Yet, there today. FC Astana already made history when they Canas and Serb Nemanja Maksimovic form the while Juve’s dysfunctioning midfield is in dire no strangers to tough, European fixtures. will be no sense of inferiority on Wednesday as visited Portuguese giants Benfica to play their first backbone of Astana’s midfield, while Foxi need of Claudio Marchisio, who is also out with a The Spaniards are the defending Europa the 18-times Swedish champions welcome Rafa ever group stage encounter in Europe’s most presti- Kethevoama of the Central African Republic and thigh injury. The only good news for Allegri’s League champions and although they expect to Benitez’s side to the 24,000-capacity Swedbank gious and lucrative competition two weeks ago, los- Baurzhan Dzholchiev spearhead the attack. Under men of late is the return to the squad of Swiss be facing another testing game, Emery said: Stadion-even if their ambition is to finish third in ing 2-0. “It’s absolutely fantastic, to watch your team Stoilov the Kazakh club favour an offensive style of wing-back/defender Stephan Lichsteiner follow- “We want to love the Champions League like Group A and continue in the Europa League. play in the Champions League,” 23-year-old sup- football, especially when playing at their 33,000- ing his speedy recovery from a head knock. we did the Europa League. “We are going there “No matter who they put in, it will be a world- porter Yermek Serkebayev told AFP ahead of seat home venue. In their first Champions League Midfielder Sami Khedira also trained with the with the idea of enjoying the experience and today’s game. “Galatasaray fans welcome the visit- match against two-time former champions Benfica, squad on Monday, but the German, whose Juve improving. —AFP famous star,” captain Markus Rosenberg told reporters of the prospect of meeting the 10- ing teams with their famous slogan: ‘Welcome to the rookies of Astana failed to shine in attack. times European champions. “Nobody is counting hell’. “But they’ve never been here at Astana before. However, Stoilov pledged that his team would on us to take points, but when we play offen- We’re set to show them what the real support of step up their game and promised that his men will sively and get the crowd behind us, anything your beloved team can be.” show their best on their home turf against Turkish can happen.” FC Astana shot to prominence after they were giants Galatasaray. “We want to play our own style, Madrid put down an early Champions League established in the winter of 2008-09 from a merger it’s very important for the team,” he said. “In Lisbon marker with a 4-0 thrashing of Shakhtar of two clubs from Kazakhstan’s former capital we were not bad at all, especially in the first half. “In Donetsk, following on from 5-0 and 6-0 La Liga Almaty, FC Alma Ata and FC Megasport. the second, Benfica showed their level so we have wins against and Espanyol respective- The ambitious project saw immediate success to salute them. We played a bit defensively, but at despite shifting some 1,200 kilometres from their home, being more attacking, I believe we can score.” ly, but the goal flow has dried up as they arrive initial home, and they finished second in Today, Astana will still be without their Ghanaian in southern Sweden. Kazakhstan’s top flight in their maiden season. forward Patrick Twumasi, who is serving a six-match They managed only three goals in narrow vic- However, the club were not allowed to play in ban after being sent off in the clash with HJK tories over Granada and while a European competition for licensing reasons until Helsinki in the third qualifying round. scoreless draw with Malaga on Saturday cost the 2013-14 season, when they made their debut in The club from Kazakhstan’s capital were beaten them top spot. the Europa League. The appointment of Bulgarian in the last two domestic league matches. But their “These things happen in football,” Benitez manager Stanimir Stoilov in June 2014 was the manager said he believed that these failures will not said after the stalemate. “We need to keep work- turning point for the club as the 48-year-old led affect his team’s performance in the Champions ITALY: Sevilla’s players listen to coach Unai Emery during a training session on the ing, create chances and be more accurate”. Astana to their first national title in the same year. League. —AFP eve of the Champions League football match Juventus vs Sevilla. —AFP Malmo will have to find a way to shackle