A late brace from Eden Hazard could not prevent Chelsea slumping to a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in their International Champions Cup clash in Ann Arbor. First-half goals from Marcelo (two) and Mariano Diaz set a Madrid side missing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos on course for victory. Antonio Conte’s men responded twice late on through Hazard but were unable to get an equaliser in front of a 105,826 crowd at the Michigan Stadium – the largest ever official attendance for a Chelsea match, according to the Blues. Conte only made two changes to the side that beat Liverpool in midweek, with Oscar coming in for the suspended Cesc Fabregas and Pedro replacing Victor Moses, but the Blues were swept … [Read more...]
Ibrahimovic scores in Man United friendly win
Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a dream start to his Manchester United career by scoring acrobatically in just the fourth-minute of his debut as they won 5-2 against Galatasaray in Gothenburg with Wayne Rooney netting twice. United had to recover from a 2-1 deficit at half-time but they out-played the opposition in the second half with Antonio Valencia eventually setting up three of the team's goals. It meant that Ibrahimovic could enjoy both his personal contribution and the end result, as he made a glorious return to his homeland of Sweden. United manager Jose Mourinho again fielded a starting line-up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ibrahimovic beginning as the advanced striker, Rooney behind him and Anthony Martial wide left with Henrikh Mkhitaryan wide … [Read more...]
Matic: I’m a big part of Conte’s Chelsea plans
Nemanja Matic says he is delighted to know that he remains a firm part of Antonio Conte’s plans at Chelsea. Matic received more criticism than most as Chelsea finished tenth last season, the Serbian struggling for long periods of the season. Conte’s former club Juventus have been linked with a move for Matic, filling the space left by Paul Pogba’s probable departure. However, the midfielder has stated his desire to remain at Stamford Bridge. “What he said gave me a special feeling,” Matic said. “It was important for me to know I am a big part of his plans. I was happy to hear that. “Like every player here, I have a good relationship with the manager. I respect what he said about me and of course I liked what I heard. “I have been at the club … [Read more...]
Klopp: Liverpool didn’t fancy Mkhitaryan and had no interest signing him
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claims that he had no interest in signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund. Klopp managed Mkhitaryan at Borussia Dortmund and there was plenty of speculation suggesting the German would be reunited with the midfielder at Anfield. But that was never an option, according to Klopp with the German coach questioning the ability of Mkhitaryan to develop having known the player so well previously in Germany. The 27-year-old Armenia star eventually signed for Manchester United for £35million earlier this month, but Klopp maintains he was never a target for Liverpool. “I had that player,” Klopp told the Liverpool Echo. “If you have had players, you know more about them. “You want to learn about other players. That’s how … [Read more...]
Klopp: No excuses, Liverpool will challenge
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says his side will be a “challenger” this season after declaring this is “my squad”. This season will be Klopp’s first full campaign in charge having replaced Brendan Rodgers on October 2015 and the former Borussia Dortmund his happy with the stamp he has put on his Anfield squad. He has brought in several new faces and claims he now has a “special quality” that was missing last season. After finishing 21 points behind the champions Leicester in eighth, Klopp says there will be no excuses for Liverpool this time around as he looks to “fight” on all fronts. “This is my squad now,” Klopp told the Daily Mirror. “After all the transfers, this time it is my team. “There are probably no players here any more I don’t want. … [Read more...]
Conte calls on players to have the right mindset against Real Madrid
Antonio Conte has called on his Chelsea team to use their heads to overcome Real Madrid in Michigan tonight. Conte has steered his side to three straight pre-season wins, the most recent of which was against Liverpool in the International Champions Cup in California on Thursday morning. Chelsea now take on Champions League holders Real this evening, with Zinedine Zidane's men having tasted defeat in their opening International Champions Cup game with Paris Saint-Germain this week. To add, Los Blancos will be missing stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale as the pair continue to enjoy their extended break following their exploits for their respective nations Portugal and Wales at Euro 2016. Despite the short turnaround in time following their last … [Read more...]
Ajax lastest to be linked with Liverpool reject Balotelli
The search for Mario Balotelli’s next club continues, with Ajax the latest to be linked with a move for the Liverpool reject. Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has reportedly told the Italian striker that he does not feature in his plans at Anfield, with Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola having recently offered the 25-year-old to Napoli and Ajax. However, with Arkadiusz Milik’s impending arrival at the Stadio San Paolo from Amsterdam, a move to the Eredivisie outfit appears more likely. Ajax are looking to reinvest the earnings from the sale of the Polish international, but will struggle to get their hands on the Italian, according to Il Telegraaf. It is believed that Ajax will consider making an approach for the Balotelli, but will move on to other targets if … [Read more...]