Messi breaks Muller record December 9, 2012 BARCELONA’S Lionel Messi scored his 85th and 86th goals of 2012 last night, overtaking legendary forward Gerd Muller’s record for the most goals scored in a calendar year. The diminutive Argentinian scored both goals of Barcelona’s 2-1 away win at Real Betis, a win that puts them six points clear at the top of La [...]
O’Shea shrugs off Quins’ eight try Euro romp December 9, 2012 HARLEQUINS boss Conor O’Shea is refusing to get carried away despite the Aviva Premiership champions extending their unbeaten European run with an eight-try demolition of Zebre on Saturday. Two penalty tries, a double from Sam Smith and scores from Nick Easter, Matt Hopper, Rob Buchanan and Ben Botica saw Quins down Zebre 57-14 for a [...]
Selby claims UK Championship December 9, 2012 World No1 Mark Selby won his first UK Championship last night, after overcoming Shaun Murphy 10-6 in York. The Englishmen were locked at 6-6 at the evening’s mid-session interval, yet Selby pulled away to seal a convincing victory.
Pacquiao eyes another rematch December 9, 2012 Manny Pacquiao may call for a fifth fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, after the Mexican knocked him out in Las Vegas on Saturday night. It was the first time Pacquiao has lost to Marquez, and the Filipino says he would welcome a fifth contest. Earlier in the weekend, Londoner James DeGale beat Colombia’s Fulgencio Zuniga [...]
AVB: Europa should not reward flops December 6, 2012 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 PANATHINAIKOS 1 TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas denounced Europa League rules as “extremely unfair” after seeing his side sweep to a third successive victory and claim their place in the competition’s knockout rounds. Late goals from Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey earned Spurs a deserved triumph over Panathinaikos, after Zeca’s header had cancelled [...]
Pardew to hit January sales December 6, 2012 BORDEAUX 2 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 NEWCASTLE manager Alan Pardew has vowed to spend in January after watching his side lose their unbeaten record in Europe this year. Last night’s defeat in Bordeaux saw Newcastle qualify for the last 32 second in Group D, with the French side top. Cheick Diabate grabbed both of the goals [...]
Reds ride luck to win group December 6, 2012 UDINESE 0 LIVERPOOL 1 LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers toasted his side’s progress to the last 32 of the Europa League but admitted they needed some well deserved luck to top Group A. Jordan Henderson fired in the winner from Suso’s cut-back, but Liverpool could have been knocked out with the last kick of the game [...]
England’s top clubs aren’t the force they used to be December 6, 2012 IT WASN’T so long ago that the Premier League had two or three teams in the last four of the Champions League. This season, for the second year in succession, only two have reached the last 16. We can’t ignore that fact that English teams aren’t the dominant force they were just a few years [...]
Platini holds 2020 vision to share Euro host duties December 6, 2012 THE 2020 European Championships will be spread out over numerous cities across the continent for the first time, governing body Uefa has confirmed. The tournament, which will have expanded to 24 teams by then, will be the 60th anniversary of the first European Championship, a landmark Uefa president Michel Platini is keen to celebrate. “Euro [...]
Clattenburg case finally closed as Mikel gets banned for threat December 6, 2012 CHELSEA midfielder John Obi Mikel has been handed a three-match ban and fined £60,000 by the Football Association for threatening referee Mark Clattenburg. Mikel admitted the charge relating to an incident in the match officials’ changing room following Chelsea’s controversial 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in October. The Nigerian’s ban was reduced as the FA [...]