FOOTBALL NEWS

Esteban Cambiasso has said Inter's 3-1 win over Fiorentina is a sign of things to come for next season.

Speaking after the game in which he scored in addition to strikes from Giampaolo Pazzini and Philippe Coutinho, the midfielder was keen to stress his side would be back bigger and better next term after losing the Scudetto to AC Milan.

"I am happy to score and it was important to win, but we must not make dramas for Milan's title win," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"We knew after so many wins on the bounce that it would happen. We have already won two titles this term [the Italian Super Cup and Club World Cup]. We have got a Champions League place, and now we have to think about the Coppa Italia."

Questioned by Mediaset Premium, Cambiasso did admit there was a sense of disappointment to have lost the title after years of dominance.

"Of course we regret the Scudetto and it's not nice losing it. But, we are already working to win it back."

Inter meet Roma in the Coppa on Wednesday night and boast a 1-0 semi-final aggregat.


Source: Goal.com

Fernando Torres drops to the bench for Chelsea's crucial Premier League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Carlo Ancelotti's £50 million January acquisition featured for just over an hour in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Tottenham last Saturday before being replaced by the winning goalscorer Salomon Kalou.

The Ivorian, who's netted three in his last four outings, is part of Chelsea's three-man attack alongside Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda.

For Manchester United, only Edwin van der Sar, John O'Shea and Antonio Valencia survive from their convincing 4-1 victory over Schalke on Wednesday.

Fabio replaces his brother Rafael at right-back while Rio Ferdinand and Nermanja Vidic return at centre-back.

In midfield, Sir Alex Ferguson has kept Valencia on the right wing while partnering Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs in the centre. Park Ji-Sung is handed a starting berth on the left flank.

In attack, Dimitar Berbatov drops to the bench while Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez return.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Fabio, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park; Rooney; Hernandez. Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans.

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, David Luiz, Terry, Cole; Lampard, Mikel, Essien; Kalou, Drogba, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Alex Ferreira, Ramires, Benayoun, Torres, Anelka.

Source: Goal.com

Udinese defeated Lazio 2-1 in a fiery encounter, which saw the home side reduced to 10 men at the Stadio Friuli. Antonio Di Natale was the mastermind as his first half performance tore apart the visiting defence.

The first goal was scored when Alexis Sanchez set up Di Natale, who slotted the ball past Fernando Muslera. The forward then doubled the lead six minutes later as he tapped in Mauricio Isla's cross. Mauro Zarate missed a penalty following a foul by Gabriele Angella on Tommaso Rocchi, but Lazio netted a consolation goal through substitute Libor Kozak late in the second half.

Udinese should have opened the scoring in the sixth minute as Di Natale was clean through but his shot was saved by the legs of Muslera. Alexis Sanchez slotted away the rebound but the assistant referee called him offside. Hernanes was the Biancocelesti’s most potent threat in the first quarter of an hour as his skills were constantly taunting the home side. The Brazilian earned a free kick after a solo run but squandered it when he blazed over the bar.
Lazio were finally finding their feet 20 minutes into the game with Hernanes and Zarate creating chances for their side.
Following a corner for thei visitors, Sanchez was in possession of the ball and played through Giampiero Pinzi who had a goal scoring opportunity saved by Muslera and Di Natale hit the side netting with his follow up.
In a similar attack, Isla passed the ball into the feet of Di Natale who put his shot wide of the post as Lazio were now living on thin ice and were lucky to still be in the game.
However in the 35th minute, Di Natale finally broke the deadlock as he controlled the ball looped over the defence by Sanchez and with his second touch, thumped the ball past Muslera, who had no chance of saving it.
The Bianconeri’s talisman returned six minutes later to score his second of the game when Sanchez spotted a run by Isla on the edge of the box and with two touches the Chilean midfielder crossed the ball into the feet of Di Natale who couldn’t miss the open goal.
Lazio started the second half brighter but the first chance fell to Udinese when Di Natale saw Isla free in the box but his shot went straight into the hands of Muslera.
Francesco Guidolin decided that with the two-goal lead a tactical change was needed to keep the result as Di Natale and Sanchez were replaced by Bernado Corradi and Joel Ekstrand.
Tommaso Rocchi came on to replace Sergio Floccari in the 66^th minute and he won a penalty with his first few touches as Gabriele Angella took him down. The Udinese centre back was shown the red card by referee Nicola Rizzoli.
With a chance to get back in the game Zarate stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was saved in the centre of the goal by Samir Handanovic.
Libor Kozak was introduced to the fold in place of Hernanes in an attempt to score a goal. Edy Reja’s substitution paid off as Zarate crossed into the box and Kozak’s shin connected to the ball to reduce Udinese’s lead.
The last ten minutes saw Lazio crossing balls into the box but they failed to find an equaliser as headers from Kozak and Andre Dias were agonisingly close to finding the back of the net.
Lazio's defeat saw them tumble to fifth place, level on 60 points with city rivals Roma with two games still to play.
The victory for Udinese allowed them to leapfrog Lazio as they sit in the final Champions league spot in fourth with a two point lead.

Source: Goal.com

Inter president Massimo Moratti has denied reports of a move for Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, and suggested that Leonardo will remain at the helm next season.

His message comes just 24 hours after the Guardiola told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I still have an ongoing contract with Barcelona. Inter are a great club, but I'll stay with my current club for an additional season."

Moratti, who was speaking prior to Inter's win over Fiorentina this afternoon, said the Spanish tactician was not on his agenda.

"I am not thinking about Guardiola. In football you make mistakes when you think too much. I am thinking about next year," he told the press.

"From me Leonardo has had all the reassurances."

City rivals Milan wrapped up the title on Saturday, ending a five-year period of Inter dominance, and the chief passed on his congratulations.

"Milan had consistency and they believed. They had a good season. Also they strengthened well this season, so it's right like this.

"I am sure it must have been hard for them over the last five years."

Source: Goal.com

Brescia's rehabilitation from a disastrous season will begin in Serie B after being relegated from Italy's top-flight, losing 2-1 at home to Catania on Sunday.

Goals from Matias Silvestre and Gonzalo Bergessio boosted the Sicilian's chances of survival, with Alessandro Diamanti grabbing a late consolation for the Rondinelle, who are down and out.

Brescia needed to win and hope Lecce failed to have a glimmer of hope, but the Salentini won 2-1, ensuring that Giuseppe Iachini's men are sent down to the second division.

They are seven points behind Lecce with two games remaining against Cesena and Fiorentina.

Source: goal.com

British bookmakers William Hill firmly believe Jose Mourinho will remain in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu for another season. He's 1.67 to still be Los Blancos' boss on the first day of the Premier League season in August.

"Jose himself has hinted he wishes to stay where he is and for all the controversy he stirred up during the semi against Barca it is difficult to see where he could go and still progress his career next season - unless, of course, Sir Alex Ferguson suddenly quit," said William Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

The 'Special One' has coached six teams in the course of his eleven year managerial career but has never departed after a single season. His position at the Spanish giants has been strengthened by delivering the Copa del Rey which is the first trophy in five years under two terms with President Florentino Perez.

Mourinho signed a four-year deal at the club last summer after winning the Champions League with Inter. His failure to eliminate Barcelona in Europe and his running battle with UEFA have angered some of the Real Madrid hierarchy but he remains popular with the fans and players.

Although he has spoken about returning to coach in England he has also pointed out that his teams have always performed better during his second season in charge. Both Porto and Inter won the Champions League during Mourinho's second full term at the helm.

Source: Goal.com

Manchester City and Real Madrid have joined the £5.5million race to sign Arsenal defender Gael Clichy, Goal.com can reveal.
The two big spending clubs have placed Clichy on their list of summer targets but face strong competition from Liverpool, who have a long-standing interest in the Frenchman.
Goal.com understands that Clichy, who is out of contract in 12 months, will sit down with Arsenal at the end of the season for further talks about a new deal.
Negotiations stalled earlier in the year after Clichy’s request for a hike on his £50,000-a-week wages was rebuffed by the club.
Manager Arsene Wenger fears the Gunners’ longest-serving player will not extend his stay at Emirates Stadium and is becoming increasingly willing to listen to clubs who will match Arsenal’s £5.5m valuation rather than allow the France international to leave for free in a year’s time.
Clichy, who turns 26 in July, is on the radar of a number of top clubs who are in the market for a proven performer at left-back.Liverpool’s interest in the player has been made clear in recent months as the Merseysiders aim to use the forthcoming transfer window to fill what has become a problem position. Newcastle United's Jose Enrique has also been lined up for the left-back slot, and hopes to land the Spaniard have been boosted by Newcastle's interest in Paul Konchesky, as revealed by Goal.com.
However, director of football Damien Comolli was instrumental in bringing Clichy to London from Cannes in 2003 when he was working for Arsenal as their French scout.
City and Real are also in the market for a new left-back as they bid to beef up their squads in the summer.
Clichy has started more league games, 33, than any other Arsenal player this season and only Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere have exceeded his total of 40 starts in all competitions.
After a difficult start to the campaign, his form has improved in the second half of the season, which has been enough to keep his understudy and heir Kieran Gibbs on the sidelines.

Source: Goal.com

Fulham are believed to be interested in making a move for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner.

The Dane has made only three starts in the Premier League this season, and has previously admitted that he wants to play first-team football on a regular basis.

Now The Daily Mail reports that the Cottagers are considering making a move for the tall forward, who has in the past been linked with moves to Blackburn Rovers and Everton, as well as Bundesliga trio Bayern Munich, Schalke and Borussia Dortmund.

It has also been reported that Bendtner may be ready to make the move away from the north London club in search of regular football, with Fulham thought to be keen on bringing in two new forwards.

Source: Goal.com

Arsene Wenger has admitted he will need to spend in the summer if his Arsenal team are to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

The Gunners are six points behind Manchester United and only a slip up by the league leaders will see Wenger's men have any chance of pipping them to the title.

But the Frenchman revealed he is ready to bring in some new faces in the summer.

"We have a very young team and we want to strengthen the team," he told reporters.

"Number wise, how much that will be I don't know. It depends as well who goes out, we have a big squad.

"You have the same problem everywhere. If you don't have enough players, people say 'why don't you have another striker on the bench?'

"It is a price to pay, I believe it is part of being a football player.

"Also, on the other hand you cannot reproach that the players have not performed as well as you wanted if you don't give them a chance. 

"It is difficult."

The Gunners travel to Stoke on Sunday - a venue they have traditionally stuggled in - but a win will see them cement third spot in the league. For Wenger, this is a move in the right direction.

"The first step was to be in the top four and last Sunday was a decisive step for that," he said.

"Now, we go step-by-step and the next step is to be in the top three.

"We are not there yet, we have the advantage over Manchester City, but only if we win our games and we will do absolutely everything to be in there.

"We have to focus on our performance. We had a good performance against Manchester United and let's produce another one without us expecting [Stoke] to weaken."

Source: Goal.com

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he intends to continue as the manager of Manchester United next season.

The Scot has been in charge of the club since 1986, and his 25 consecutive seasons in the post make him both the longest serving boss in United's history and the longest serving currently working in the Premier League.

Shortly after the manager took over at Old Trafford, he stated that his aim was to knock then all-conquering Liverpool off their perch.

And having won 11 Premier League titles with United, he has now taken the club level on 18 top-flight championships with their Merseyside rivals.

There had been some speculation that the 69-year-old could retire if the Red Devils won the league to surpass Liverpool this season, but he insists otherwise.

"I’ll be here next year," said Sir Alex, according to The Mirror.

In addition to winning 11 league titles, the veteran manager has also guided United to two Champions League triumphs, five FA Cups and four League Cups among other honours.

Source: Goal.com

Fernando Torres believes that beating Manchester United will only be a job half done, as Chelsea would then have to score more goals than their rivals to maintain a superior goal difference in order to win the Premier League.

The Blues are currently three points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's charges, ahead of Sunday's blockbuster game between the two sides at Old Trafford.

A victory would send the west London outfit to the top of the table, after having been 15 points behind the leaders just two months ago.

"The first step is to win against Manchester United and after we know they have the power to score a lot of goals in the two games they have to play, the same as Chelsea," Torres said, according to The Sun.

"So the first step is to win against Man U and then we will see what we have to do later.

"We have one game at home [against Newcastle United] and I am sure with the help of the supporters we can win the game, hopefully scoring some goals, and maybe that makes the difference."

The Spaniard reckons his team-mates must now have the belief that anything is possible, adding: "The main thing is to believe. If you believe in football you never know what can happen.
"We have again the possibility to win the title, but to win against Man United away is never easy. It is one of the hardest places to win.

"If we can beat Manchester United and reach the top of the table the confidence will be so high."

Source: goal.com

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard insists that the pressure is on Manchester United ahead of the visit to Old Trafford.

The Blues lock horns with Sir Alex Ferguson's charges on Sunday in a potential title deciding game, as the visitors are only three points behind the league leaders.

Being level on goal difference means that the west London club could take pole position with a victory, but a defeat would see the Red Devils six points ahead with only two games left to go.

"We’re going into the game in great form, but most expected United to have wrapped up the title by now," Lampard said, according to The Mirror. 

"You won’t see us ­complaining though. Our main aim at the start of the campaign was to retain the title, despite all the talk about prioritising the Champions League.

"We’re not going to United under massive pressure, only the pressure we put ourselves under. The real pressure is on United because it was their title to throw away."

About two months ago, Carlo Ancelotti's charges were 15 points behind United, and there had been speculation whether the Italian boss would retain his job at the end of the season.

"I’m no ­different. If you said we would still be in the title race with three games remaining, we would have taken that considering our position a few months ago," Lampard said.

"But football is like that. You can never take anything for granted. You could never ­accuse us of giving up no matter how difficult our position was. More importantly, we have to believe we can go to Old Trafford and win the game.

"Of course it’ll be extremely difficult but we’re more than capable of doing it."

Source: Goal.com

A solid defensive display saw AC Milan cross the finish line in the race for the Scudetto as a 0-0 draw was enough for Massimiliano Allegri's side to clinch the Serie A title for the 18th time in the club's history.

The Rossoneri, who have led the table for almost the entire season, came close to beating Roma, with Robinho striking the post and Kevin-Prince Boateng shooting narrowly wide, but a point was enough for them to end their seven-year wait for the league crown.
Mirko Vucinic almost spoilt the Milan party, missing a volleyed chance within the area after Marco Cassetti picked him out in acres of space at the far post after an opening quarter of an hour which saw Milan dominate possession, but lack any penetration.
Vucinic’s bad luck in front of goal continued as Alessandro Nesta, playing in his 400^th Serie A match, made an excellent intervention to cut out another Cassetti cross as the Montenegrin striker bore down on goal.
Towards the end of the first half, Roma continued to threaten to score more often than their glory-chasing opponents. Fabio Simplicio played a great ball to Aleandro Rosi, on for the injured Matteo Brighi, who twisted and turned in the Milan penalty area before releasing a shot which Christian Abbiati got down well to save.
Abbiati did well to maintain the clean sheet that would see the Rossoneri crowned champions on the stroke of half time, coming out to sharply deny Fabio Simplicio at the midfielder’s feet. It was the last action in a conservative first half that saw the hosts look the more likely to score, but Milan keep themselves in a position to finally wrap up the title.
Despite offering little in the first period, the Diavolo almost found themselves a goal up within a minute of the second. Robinho collected the ball on the edge of the area, stepped inside Cassetti before curling a shot past Doni, only to see his effort strike the post.
Less than a minute later, the visitors almost struck once more. Half time substitute Massimo Ambrosini’s leapt on to Clarence Seedorf’s set piece, only for his goal bound volley to hit a Roma body and go behind for a corner.
Their dominant start to the half continued as Zlatan Ibrahimovic appeared to be brought down by Doni, but replays showed that the correct decision was made as the Brazilian ‘keeper got the slightest of touches on the ball before the Swede hit the turf.
Kevin-Prince Boateng almost put his side ahead as he latched onto Ambrosini’s chipped through ball, but the Ghana midfielder’s finish drifted a matter of inches past the post. Milan continued to pressurise, with Ibrahimovic’s powerful free-kick forcing a superb reaction save from Doni, before Juan pounced on Seedorf’s rebound shot.
Towards the final part of the game, the chances dried up at both ends. Roma lacked any of their first-half cutting edge and the Rossoneri seemed content with a point that was enough to secure them a well deserved title, having led the title race since Matchday 11.
The draw sees Roma go into the fourth Champions League place, but their city-rivals Lazio have a game in hand.

Source: Goal.com

Inter defeated Fiorentina 3-1 on Sunday afternoon, with goals from Giampaolo Pazzini, Esteban Cambiasso, and Coutinho at San Siro to solidify second place position in Serie A in the wake of rivals AC Milan securing the title.

Coach Leonardo had to deal with a number of injuries, including star midfielders Wesley Sneijder and Dejan Stankovic, utilising Coutinho and Houssine Kharja in their absence. He also  had the second-leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final with Roma in mind as Lucio was rested, with Marco Materazzi as his replacement. Pazzini earned a starting berth after his late brace against Cesena one week ago.

Meanwhile, Sinisa Mihajlovic only made one change to the line-up that defeated Udinese 5-2 with Cesare Natali at centre-back instead of Per Kroldrup.

The Viola nearly caused an early shock as Alberto Gilardino made contact with Alessio Cerci's whipped in ball and volleyed an effort off the crossbar from close range with Julio Cesar seemingly beaten on 10 minutes.
Inter repaid the favour just one minute later. Pazzini received the ball inside the area and turned Alessandro Gamberini before smashing a shot which was tipped onto the goal frame by Artur Boruc in a very open first phase of the game.

Pazzini eventually did get a goal against his former team to make it 1-0 mid-way through the first half. Samuel Eto'o beat two defenders with some close control on the left side of the area before finding a gap to feed the Italian, who did well to hold off Natali and fire low into the far corner.

It took no time at all for Inter to double their lead. Eto'o whipped in a free kick and Cambiasso rose above the marking of Manuel Pasqual to head home leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.

The hosts should have made it three goals on the stroke of half-time as Maicon arrived at the end of a flowing move that involved Eto'o, Kharja, and Coutinho, however Boruc produced a fantastic save to keep Mihajlovic's side within touching distance.
Fiorentina began the second-half with more energy in their search for goals as Gilardino somehow failed to find the net from six yards after moving past Andrea Ranocchia in the area, but he prodded wide from a position where he certainly should have scored.

Both coaches made changes to their attack with Goran Pandev replacing Eto'o and Adrian Mutu coming on for the ineffective Gaetano D'Agostino.

Leonardo looked to close out the win by adding youngster Joel Obi to the midfield, though Fiorentina pulled one back. Gilardino made up for his earlier miss with a run straight through the defence and a powerful finish on 74 minutes.

Inter restored their two-goal cushion from a set-piece, however. Coutinho's effort from 20 yards curled over the wall and into the bottom corner to ensure the victory, despite Fiorentina failing to take advantage of Lucio's error that sent Mutu on the break in the dying moments.

The win took Leonardo's side four points ahead of third-placed Napoli as the visitors from Florence remained in mid-table.



Source: Goal.com

Arsenal's tilt at the title officially came to a halt today as they were put to the sword in a 3-1 defeat by a Stoke City team, and Jermaine Pennant in particular, on top form throughout the match.
Pennant set-up the first goal for Kenwyne Jones, before adding a spectacular second goal in the first half. Robin van Persie seemed to have earned a way back into the match with his goal 10 minutes from time, but Stoke responded immediately through Jon Walters to put the match to bed.
The match began with some choice chanting from the Stoke fans about Arsene Wenger following his comments deriding their so-called ‘rugby tactics’, and also criticising Arsenal for their “boring, boring” style.
Arsenal were dominating possession as expected, but the Stoke defence was holding out intelligently, holding off Arsenal and keeping a solid line at the back.
Aaron Ramsey carved open the Stoke defence to create Arsenal’s first chance of the afternoon after five minutes for Robin van Persie, but the Dutchman’s effort was hurried and struck over the bar.
The first flashpoint came in the 15^th minute, with Jack Wilshere’s challenge on Dean Whitehead slightly after the ball had gone, causing parties from both teams to get involved. The England midfielder avoided a booking, however, as referee Mark Halsey kept the situation under control.
The next 10 minutes passed largely without event, until Andrey Arshavin conceded a cheap free-kick on Jermaine Pennant down the right-wing. Pennant picked himself up and put in a delicious delivery that Arsenal did not deal with at all.
Van Persie missed his header, allowing Kenwyne Jones to bundle home from two yards to the delight of the Stoke fans, breaking out into renditions of “1-0 to the rugby team”, before “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” rang around the Britannia.
Arsenal really didn’t trouble Asmir Begovic in the Stoke goal at all in the first half, and it was almost unsurprising when Stoke increased their lead in the 40^th minute.
Ramsey, at the scene of his horrific injury last year, cheaply gave the ball away to Pennant, highlighting Arsenal’s sloppy play in the first half.
Former Arsenal player Pennant then drove at the Arsenal centre-backs, and when no challenge arose, he drove a shot from long range, which took a very favourable deflection of the boot of Johann Djourou, and looped over the wrong-footed Szczesny.
It was the last real action of the half, as Arsenal stuck to their plan ‘A’ in trying to break down Stoke with quick passing 30 to 40 yards from goal, but it simply wasn’t working against the organised defence.
By the end of the half they were attempting more crosses, but to no avail as the centre-back pairing of Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross easily dealt with any intrusion into the box.
Wenger rang the changes for Arsenal at half-time, bringing off Ramsey and Arshavin for Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh, as the Gunners went in search of goals.
The second half almost started terribly for the visitors, however, when Huth headed just over from a Pennant corner. After the header, a terrible case of handbags broke about as the German defender seemed to get an elbow in the face from Alex Song, having dragged the midfielder to the ground.
Only a minute after the incident, Huth was on the floor again, and was soon forced from the field with injury, putting him in doubt for next Saturday’s FA Cup final with Manchester City, though the Stoke medical team later stated they were optimistic he would be fit for Wembley.
It took until the 58^th minute for Arsenal to get their first shot on target, and it was hardly a test for Begovic, stooping down to pick up a tame effort from Van Persie.
And in the 61^st minute came the first booking of the match, to the substitute Bendtner. It was Arsenal’s 8^th foul of the game, compared to Stoke’s solitary indiscretion, a statistic which perhaps shows why Stoke feel they have unfairly been labelled as a dirty team.
10 minutes later the match threatened to boil over, as Wilshere put in a poor studs-up challenge on Pennant. After the referee had blown, Wilshere was then taken out by Andy Wilkinson. After this challenge, Wilshere was confronted by Pennant, full of rage.
Plenty more shoving was promptly cut short by a combination of referee and linesman, and a booking was given to both Wilshere and Pennant.
Arsenal then came as close as they had all match, as Bendtner slipped Van Persie through on goal, but Begovic was off his line quickly to close down the shot and make a fantastic block.
Tony Pulis then made a quick substitution, bringing off Pennant to a standing ovation, all too aware that a red card would earn him a suspension for next week’s marquee event at Wembley.
Van Persie looked to have got Arsenal back in contention, with a sublime solo effort as he took on Stoke’s defence almost single-handedly before striking low into the net with his right foot in the 80^th minute.
But Stoke went straight up the other end and restored their two-goal advantage, as Djourou attempted to clear a shot, only for it to bounce straight to Jon Walters, who clipped a neat finish over the advancing Szczesny.
It was a performance of the highest order from Stoke. Their defence excelled in robbing Arsenal of possession before setting up Jones and Walters to counter attack. Arsenal lacked in any sort of incisiveness, and did not seem to have any way through Stoke’s wall-like defence, barring the individual brilliance of Van Persie.
For Stoke, it was the perfect way to approach next weekend’s match with Manchester City, and they will arrive at Wembley full of confidence after this victory. For Arsenal, it only posed more questions about their style and even personnel, questions that Arsene Wenger will need to answer if they are to win the league next season.

Source: Goal.com

Real Madrid's are expected to officially announce the capture of Borussia Dortmund's Nuri Sahin on Monday, reports from Spain suggest.

Marca comments that the capital club will confirm the deal on their official website tomorrow when both Dortmund and Sahin will hold a press conference in Germany simultaneously confirming the switch.

The German-born Turkish midfielder will sign a five-year deal with Madrid paying Dortmund around €10 million for his services.

Madrid chief Jose Angel Sanchez is expected to fly to Germany in the morning in order to allow the 22-year-old to sign the agreement.

Sahin is currently injured and is expected to continue treatment for a knee injury with the Spanish club once he joins them.

Meanwhile, speculation suggest that the whites will also move for Bayern Munich's Hamit Altintop, who has been tipped as the next player to join Jose Mourinho next season. 

Source : Goal.com

Former England international David Beckham was involved in a car accident while he was on his way to the LA Galaxy training centre on Friday, but left the scene without sustaining any serious injuries, The Guardian reports.

A California Highway Patrol spokesperson revealed that the accident took place on the southbound 405 freeway. The 36-year-old star reportedly hit the rear of another car that had broken down.

"This collision occurred when his [Beckham's] black Cadillac collided with the rear of a disabled gold Mitsubishi which was stalled in the carpool lane due to mechanical problems," the spokesperson said.

"The driver of the other vehicle involved had a complaint of pain and was taken to hospital. David Beckham was not cited or arrested."

Beckham had his eldest son, Brooklyn, with him at the time and didn't sustain any serious injuries either.

Source: Goal.com

Real Madrid bounced back from the midweek Champions League elimination to hammer Sevilla 6-2, thanks to an inspired Cristiano Ronaldo who netted four times to add on to further goals from Sergio Ramos and Kaka.

The victory ensured that Barcelona would not be able to celebrate their third consecutive La Liga title this weekend when they host city rivals Espanyol on Sunday.

Los Blancos started the game at a high tempo, and were in possession of the ball for the majority of the first half. An early goal looked likely and the breakthrough should have arrived in the 10th minute  when Karim Benzema missed a golden opportunity by heading wide from six yards after a wonderful cross from the right from Mesut Ozil.

Jose Mourinho's men eventually found the opening goal in the 20th minute when Sergio Ramos rose above the crowd in the box to power in a header from 10 yards after an Ozil corner.

The away side were on the ascendancy, and almost went 2-0 up in the 22nd minute when Cristiano Ronaldo headed the ball onto the post from a Xabi Alonso corner delivery.

But Ronaldo did double the lead for Madrid in the 30th minute when Marcelo clipped the ball to the back post for Pepe to head back across goal to CR7, who had time to take a touch and smash the ball in on the half volley.

Sevilla's only chance of the first half fell to Alvaro Negredo, who glanced the ball wide from the edge of the box.

Kaka grabbed the third goal in the 41st minute when Lassana Diarra won the ball in midfield and sent Ronaldo down the right hand side. The Portuguese cut in to the Brazilian who traded a pass with Ozil on the right to receive the ball just outside the box and beautifully curl his shot into the bottom right corner.

In front of a vibrant Ramos Sanchez Pizjuan crowd, Madrid began the second half at a slower tempo, and Sevilla started to see slightly more of the ball in midfield. This possession paid off on the hour mark when Negredo received the ball just outside of the box on the right hand side and lashed the ball into the bottom right corner past Iker Casillas.

The comeback for the home side was short lived however when Negredo made a loose pass across the Sevilla box which Ronaldo intercepted and went forward to lift the ball over the on-coming Javi Varas to make it 4-1.

Los Blancos made it five in the 70th minute when Ozil sent the ball through to Ronaldo, who had plenty of time to drive towards the Sevilla goal and pass the ball past Varas into the bottom corner.

Ronaldo then scored his fourth goal of the evening and his 33rd of the season in La Liga to overtake Lionel Messi in the Pichichi race. Ozil sent a diagonal pass across to Benzema who managed to dig out a pass on the byline to the Portuguese to easily tap the ball in at the far post.

Sevilla grabbed another consolation goal in the 84th minute when Negredo rose high above Arbeloa at the back post to power a header in the bottom corner after a corner kick from the right hand side.

Ronaldo spurned two excellent changes late on to add to his remarkable tally, but his four-goal haul was enough to inspire Madrid to victory and cut Barcelona's lead to just five points with three games to go in La Liga. Sevilla remain on 52 points and continue to fight for a European place next season.

Source : Goal.com