September 2019 – Football Flame

Month: September 2019

SERIE A

Japan icon Honda offers himself to AC Milan on Twitter

AC Milan are currently experiencing a crisis, as they have lost four of the first six games of the season. The pressure is mounting on the player and especially on the manager, Marco Giampaolo, who has been heavily criticised as a result of the poor start.Last night, the Rossoneri were completely dominated by Fiorentina at the San Siro, eventually losing the game by three goals to one. For the fans, the performance was the final straw as the Curva Sud left the game before the full-time whistle was blown.On Twitter, former AC Milan man Keisuke Honda has offered to help Giampaolo's men, coming back to add some experience to the squad. "I have always wanted to help you. Call me when you need me, AC Milan," he wrote.It remains to be seen if the management will pick up on the opportunity, ...
BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich handed major injury boost ahead of Champions League clash

Bayern Munich will be at full strength for their Champions League group stage meeting with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.The German champions, who comfortably beat Red Star Belgrade in their Group B opener, will be looking to continue their 100 percent start to the competition against a Spurs side that squandered a two-goal lead to draw with Olympiacos in Athens earlier this month.It will be a first ever trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Munich and Niko Kovac has been given an injury boost ahead of their trip to London.Bayern Munich’s official club website revealed that on-loan Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic, who missed their Bundesliga victory over Paderborn on Saturday with a ‘flu-like infection, is fit and available for selection and is likely to part of their travelling party f...
SERIE A

Alexis Sanchez scores and gets sent off in full debut as Inter Milan extend perfect start

Alexis Sanchez scored and was sent off in an eventful first Inter Milan start as his new club maintained their perfect start to the season with a 3-1 win at Sampdoria to stay top of Serie A ahead of champions Juventus, who eased past SPAL 2-0.Manchester United's Sanchez moved to Italy on a season-long loan deal after failing to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.The Chile international made a big impact in Genoa, deflecting in Stefano Sensi's long-range opener after 20 minutes and tapping in another Sensi cross two minutes later.However, the 30-year-old was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving just after the break, leaving his side to play the entire second half a man down and wobbling after Jakub Jankto pulled one back in the 55th minute.But Roberto Gagliardini sl...
LALIGA

Real Madrid regain top spot after draw against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid regained top spot in La Liga after a goalless derby with Atletico that saw them move above surprise package Granada and maintain their small lead over a crowded chasing pack.Unbeaten Real are a point ahead of promoted Granada and Atletico Madrid after Diego Simeone’s side failed to break down their well-drilled local rivals, whose disciplined performance at the Wanda Metropolitano was deserving of at least the point they gained.“These matches with Atletico are very physical, this is one of the hardest grounds we have to visit during the season,” Real captain Sergio Ramos told broadcatser Movistar on Saturday.“It was difficult to create chances in attack because they leave such little space. The point does little for us though as we wanted the three even more.” Real are a f...
BUNDESLIGA

Bayern bosses congratulate Fritz Keller on becoming new DFB President

Fritz Keller, President of SC Freiburg, has been elected to be the new president of the DFB. Kelle succeeds Reinhard Grindel, who stepped down from the post in April after a scandal-ridden term marred by the sporting failure in Russia, controversy over race, and corruption. Keller was officially elected for a three-year term by result of a unanimous, unopposed decision by a group of voting delegates at the DFB headquarter in Frankfurt.Bayern Munich club president Uli Hoeness and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge congratulated the 62-year-old on his accomplishment. Both Hoeness and Rummenigge are fond of Keller and feel he’s the right man to lead the DFB to a better place in the future.Hoeness stated in a release at FCBayern.com,“I congratulate Fritz Keller for the unanimous result. I am ...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Granit Xhaka: Arsenal manager Unai Emery names midfielder as new captain

Unai Emery has called on Granit Xhaka to stand up and win over his dissenters in the Arsenal fan base after officially naming the midfielder as his club captain.Xhaka’s appointment on a permanent basis comes just a week after the 27-year-old was jeered by his own supporters after being substituted in the second half of the 3-2 win over Aston Villa.Xhaka is a hugely popular figure in the dressing room and received the support of his team-mates in a secret ballot which helped Emery to decide upon his five captains for the campaign. The Arsenal head coach likes to spread the responsibility across the squad and has appointed top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as his vice-captain.The leadership group is completed by Hector Bellerin, the full-back who made his long-term return from injury...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson close to return from Injury

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker feels he is "nearly there" as he continues his recovery from the calf injury he sustained on the opening day of the season.Alisson has been out of action since coming off in the 39th minute of the 4-1 win over Norwich at Anfield on August 9.The 26-year-old Brazil international, who was named men's goalkeeper of the year at the Best FIFA Football awards on Monday, has moved from sessions in the gym to training outside.He told Liverpool's website: "I'm on a good way, I think we are nearly there."I can go outside to the pitch to do some goalkeeper work and I feel very well. I feel confident and I think now it's just about getting all my power, all my confidence to come back and do what I love to do."It's massive because if I look back, two weeks ago I could...
LALIGA

Messi limps off as Barcelona secure win over Villarreal

Barcelona secured a much-needed 2-1 home victory over Villarreal in La Liga on Tuesday, racing into a two-goal lead inside 15 minutes before hanging on after Santi Cazorla halved the deficit on the stroke of halftime.The victory takes Barcelona up to fourth with 10 points after six games, one point behind surprise leaders Granada, Athletic Bilbao, who visit Leganes on Wednesday, and Real Madrid ahead of their game at home to Osasuna the same night.Barca's win was marred by the sight of Lionel Messi, making his first start this season, receiving lengthy treatment before being replaced at halftime by Ousmane Dembele in what coach Ernesto Valverde insisted was a precautionary measure."He noticed a little bit of an issue with his abductor and we preferred for him not to stay on the pitch, but ...
SERIE A

Juventus beat Brescia to go top of Serie A

Mario Balotelli made his first start for Brescia but the promoted northeners still fell to a 2-1 defeat which sent champions Juventus top of Serie A on Tuesday.Former Manchester City and Inter Milan striker Balotelli has returned to Italy to play for his hometown club, but his debut had been delayed as he sat out a four-game suspension for previous club Marseille.Juventus were without Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, rested with a slight thigh problem, but the champions recovered from going behind after less than four minutes to an Alfredo Donnarumma goal – his fourth in five games.Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny got two hands to Donnarumma's powerful strike, but could only push the ball into the net.Brescia defender Jhon Chancellor let the champions off the hook five minutes be...
SERIE A

Napoli thrash Lecce to move up to third, Roma grab late win at Bologna

A Fernando Llorente double helped Napoli move into third place in Serie A with a 4-1 win at Lecce on Sunday, while Edin Dzeko scored a last-gasp winner as Roma beat Bologna 2-1.Spaniard Llorente struck the opening goal on his first start for Carlo Ancelotti’s side before Lorenzo Insigne doubled their lead with a penalty before the break.Fabian Ruiz’s curling strike made it three before Marco Mancosu pulled one back for Lecce from the penalty spot, but Llorente made sure of the points with a tap-in.In Bologna, Roma defender Aleksandar Kolarov went from hero to zero in the space of five second-half minutes as he scored a superb free-kick before conceding a penalty to gift Nicola Sansone the equaliser.Roma’s Gianluca Mancini was shown a second yellow card with five minutes remaining but Dzeko...