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Real Madrid welcome Sheriff Tiraspol to the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening in Group D of the Champions League with Carlo Ancelotti's side clear favourites to record another win.

The 13-time European champions scored late on record a 1-0 win at Inter Milan on matchday one, while the champions of Moldova claimed a 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their first ever match in the group stages of Europe's premier club competition.

Here's how to watch Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol in the 2021-22 Champions League from India.

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What time does Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol start?

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How to watch Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol on TV & live stream in India

The Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has the rights to show UEFA Champions League matches in India.

Matches will also be available to stream via SonyLIV app and website, besides JioTV mobile app, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches.

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Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol: Team news & key stats

Madrid remain without Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Gareth Bale, Dani Ceballos and Marcelo.

Toni Kroos has been training with the group for the last week and could be ready for his first minutes of the season.

The visitors are without Slovakian striker Lovro Bizjak who is missing through injury, although otherwise they have a relatively clean bill of health. 

Key Stats:

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Koffi Djidji was sent off for the first time ever in his professional career as Torino played out a 1-1 draw versus Venezia in Monday’s Serie A outing.

Playing his fifth game of the 2021-22 Italian topflight campaign, the Ivoirian was given the marching orders by referee Lorenzo Maggioni.

Djidji had already been cautioned in the 74th minute, while a foul on David Okereke three minutes later resulted in a second yellow card and subsequent dismissal, along with the referee awarding the hosts a penalty – that was converted by Mattia Aramu.

Buoyed by their unbeaten run in their last three outings, the Maroons travelled to Venice for a date with Venezia, who bowed 2-0 to AC Milan their last time out.

Despite boasting little of the ball possession, the hosts looked more dangerous, and they would be disappointed not to have taken the lead at the interval.

The Winged Lions’ first real chance came in the 17th minute but Club Brugge loanee Okereke missed a gilt-edged opportunity, guiding Domen Crnigoj cross over the bar within touching distance from goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

Eight minutes later, they thought they had taken the lead when Dennis Johnsen found the net, albeit, it was chalked off for an offside.

The visitors made Venezia pay for their wastefulness by taking a 56th minute lead through Josip Brekalo who scored his first goal for the Maroons.

Left unmarked in the goal area, the Wolfsburg loanee swept Wilfried Singo’s pinpoint pass beyond goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa.

In a bid to find the leveller, manager Paolo Zanetti threw Tyronne Ebuehi and Aramu into the fray.

That paid off as they equalised from the penalty mark with 12 minutes left on the clock.

Despite pressuring Torino backline, Venezia could not get the elusive winner as the showdown ended all square. 

Man-of-the-match Okereke alongside Morocco international Sofian Kiyine were on parade from start to finish by the newly-promoted side with Ebuehi replacing David Schnegg in the 65th minute.

On the other side, Cote d’Ivoire’s Singo was handed a starter’s role but was subbed off for Mergim Vojvoda in the 72nd minute while Nigeria international Ola Aina was not listed for action.

Paris Saint-Germain will be out for revenge when they welcome Manchester City to the Parc des Princes for Tuesday’s Champions League game.

Les Parisiens suffered a semi-final defeat against this opposition last season, losing 2-1 at home before going down 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Here's how to watch PSG vs Manchester City in the 2021-22 Champions League from India.

Contents

What time does PSG vs Manchester City start?

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How to watch PSG vs Manchester City on TV & live stream from India

The Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has the rights to show UEFA Champions League matches in India.

Matches will also be available to stream via SonyLIV app and website, besides JioTV mobile app, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches.

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PSG vs Manchester City: Team news & key stats

Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti should be back in contention following injury, although Sergio Ramos remains sidelined and Angel Di Maria remains suspended for the red card he picked up against this opposition last season.

Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko are both fitness doubts, although Zack Steffen, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Rodri are all available again after returning to the squad that overcame Chelsea on Saturday.

Key Stats:

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Therry Henry says Spotify founder Daniel Ek is still trying to buy Arsenal but his offer has received no response from owner Stan Kroenke.

Ek, who attended Arsenal's 3-1 win against Tottenham on Sunday, announced his interest to purchase the club from the Kroenke family in April amid the fallout from the European Super League fiasco.

The Swedish entrepreneur has the backing of Gunners hero Henry in his effort to take over, but the former striker admits there has been little progress so far. 

What has been said?

Asked about the status of Ek's bid to buy Arsenal, Henry said on Sky Sports: "To be able to get there, you need to have someone respond on the other side. 

"It hasn't happened yet, but we and he is here to stay. So, let's see what's going to happen. But for the moment, we enjoyed the win [against Tottenham] yesterday.

"There's no dialogue at the moment and I feel it's going to be a long process. I said this the last time I was on the show [in May]. How long it's going to be, I don't actually know.

"But we are here to stay."

Has Ek made an offer to buy Arsenal?

Ek said in May that he had submitted an offer to Arsenal director Josh Kroenke, but that the bid was rejected.

"They replied that they don’t need the money. I respect their decision but remain interested and available should that situation ever change," he wrote on Twitter.

While Ek did not clarify how much he offered, reports at the time claimed it was worth around £1.8 billion ($2.5bn).

Is the club for sale?

Arsenal's announcement that they had signed on as founding members of the European Super League sparked protests from the club's fans.

The supporters called for the Kroenke family to give up ownership of the club, with Ek emerging as a serious buyer.

But Stan and Josh Kroenke released a joint statement in April insisting they would not relinquish control.

"We remain 100 per cent committed to Arsenal and are not selling any stake in the club. We have not received any offer and we will not entertain any offer," they wrote.

"Our ambition for Arsenal remains to compete to win the biggest trophies in the game and our focus remains on improving our competitiveness on the pitch to achieve this."

Further reading

Sir Alex Ferguson has named Paul Gascoigne as the signing he always regretted missing out on at Manchester United.

The Red Devils looked set to buy the attacking midfielder from Newcastle in 1988 and Gascoigne wrote in his autobiography that he had promised Ferguson that Old Trafford would be his destination.

But Gascoigne ended up joining Tottenham instead and spent four years at the north London side before moving to Lazio.

What has been said?

Ferguson believes the former England star would have been better off at United than Spurs and was disappointed his side could not secure his signing.

Asked which player he regrets missing out on, Ferguson, who managed United for 27 years, told the UTD Podcast : "In reality, you have to say, there's only one that always comes to my mind and that's Gascoigne.

"He was absolutely fantastic. I think if we'd have got him, he would have had a great career, I really do. I'm not saying he didn't have a good career but he would have had a better career with us.

“We had Geordies in our squad like Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce plus Bobby Charlton. Sir Bobby would have been a fantastic mentor to him because he's such a fantastic man and even Gary Pallister, although he was from Middlesbrough and I know they don't count that as a Geordie ... someone who understands the culture like Gary would.

"He promised to sign for us and I went on holiday. I got a phonecall from the front desk from Martin Edwards saying he'd signed for Tottenham. He signed for Tottenham because they bought his mother a house for £80,000 and, dearie me, I couldn't believe it, you know. He was a fantastic player."

Did Man Utd miss out on Wesley Sneijder?

One name United were consistently said to be interested in at one point in Ferguson's reign was Wesley Sneijder.

The Premier League side were reported to have reached an agreement with Inter over a £35 million ($48m) deal for the attacking midfielder in 2011, though Ferguson insisted at the time that they had "no real interest" in him. 

The 79-year-old confirmed again that they had no intention of bringing him to Old Trafford, saying: "That's come up a lot of times but we were never interested in Sneijder.

"I don't know where that came from but you get a lot of them. Every Sunday, in The People , when I first came, they were throwing names in all the time, you know."

Further reading

Ahmed Hassan ‘Kouka’ scored his first Super Lig goal as Konyaspor played out a 2-2 draw against Kasimpasa in Monday’s Turkish elite division fixture.

Fuelled by his ambition of having a new challenge, the 28-year-old was shipped to Konya Buyuksehir Stadium from Greek Super League outfit Olympiacos on loan.

Nonetheless, he had to wait until his fourth league game before ending his wait to find the back of the net for the Anatolian Eagle.

Unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions, Konyaspor travelled to the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium with the aspirations of continuing their fine start against the Apaches, who have lost three matches in the 2021-22 campaign so far.

It took them just 18 minutes to take the lead as Kouka drilled the ball past goalkeeper Ertugrul Taskiran, having been set up by Kosovan midfielder Zymer Bytyqi.

Three minutes later, they doubled their advantage through Serdar Gurler, who benefitted from a good attacking move by captain Abdulkerim Bardakci.

That goal proved to be a reality check for the hosts who attacked in their numbers in a bid to rescue the situation.

Sparta Prague loanee Michal Travnik reduced the deficit for Şenol Can’s men in the 29th minute as he was set up by Umut Bozok.

As expected, Kasimpasa restored parity three minutes after the hour mark courtesy of Bozok, who fired past Ibrahim Sehic from the penalty mark.

Both teams had numerous opportunities to seal the win, however, they paid dearly for their profligacy in front of goal.

Kouka was substituted for Sokol Cikalleshi in the 61st minute, while Congolese forward Paul-Jose M'Poku was introduced as a replacement for Soner Dikmen in the 71st minute.

For Kasimpasa, Morocco international Nabil Dirar played no part in the game as he is still nursing an injury.

With this draw, Konyaspor are sixth on the Super Lig log having accrued 13 points from seven matches. They would be aiming to continue their fine run when they host Alanyaspor in their next outing on October 2.

The Apaches occupy the 16th spot with just six points from the same number of matches. They are guests of Fenerbahce on October 3.

Vitoria Guimaraes have announced the signing of Etienne Eto'o on a free transfer for their U23 team.

The 19-year-old has been without a club since he left Spanish outfit Real Oviedo at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Eto’o will now continue his development in Vitoria's U23 set-up with the aspiration of breaking into Pepa’s first team.

Vitoria Guimaraes U23 currently play in the Liga Revelacao U23, and they are third on the league table with six points from three matches.

“Vitoria Sport Clube - Futebol, SAD announces the hiring of 19-year-old Etienne Eto'o, who joins the under-23 Vitorian team, coached by Luiz Felipe,” read a statement on the club’s website.

“With passages through the youth teams of Mallorca, Baleares and Oviedo, the under-20 international for Cameroon arrives at Vitória to evolve in the Revelation League.”

The Cameroon youth international could not hide his excitement for the new challenge in Portugal as he dropped his appreciation note for his family and family.

“We open our arms to a new stage, with the same desire and determination as always. It is a pleasure to be part of one of the best teams in Portugal. I want to thank my family, friends and also my representation agency, Lian Sports,” Eto’o wrote on Instagram.

“No matter how bad you feel, you will eventually find the light at the end of the tunnel, just trust the process.”

Etienne is the son of former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o and he was part of the Cameroon U20 squad that played at the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania earlier this year.

The 19-year-old made a goalscoring debut for the young Lions with a brace in their 4-1 triumph over Mozambique and he is focused on having a better career than his father.

“My dad has played a huge influence in my life because I have always admired him and want to learn from him and continue in his steps. Always I want to be someone as him,” he said in February.

“I want to try and be better than him and I am always looking forward to stepping on the pitch and giving my best. Even though I know it is difficult to be better than my father, I want to work hard to achieve like him. He is always there to support me and give me advice.”

Veteran Ghanaian coach JE Sarpong has predicted failure for Ghana following the reappointment of Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac as new Black Stars boss.

Eleven years after ending his first spell, Rajevac has been handed the Ghana opportunity for the second time, replacing CK Akonnor.

The Serb was announced and unveiled at an event in Accra on Friday.

“He [Rajevac] can’t do anything for Ghana in his second coming,” Sarpong, known for his outspoken personality, told Luv FM.

“He will be a failure. He is only coming to take money and go because he can’t help the country achieve success.”

Rajevac achieved significant success in his first Ghana spell between 2008 and 2010.

During the time, he guided the Black Stars to the final of the 2009 African Nations Championship, the final of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup.

“I am here to prove that narrative wrong. If I did not believe that, I will not accept this challenge, this job so I will try to do my best,” the 67-year-old said on Friday.

“The bar was set very high but we are here to make history. If you don’t believe that, you cannot achieve anything. I strongly believe in my players.

“I know how Ghanaians are talented and I know how much they can offer and if they believe in me the way I believe in them, we can achieve great things.”

Since leaving Ghana, Rajevac went on to coach Saudi side Al Ahli and Rudar Velenje of Slovenia at club level. On the international stage, he managed the national teams of Qatar, Algeria and Thailand, getting the sack in all three jobs.

In his new role with the Black Stars, he has been handed a one-year contract, renewable until the end of the 2023 Afcon finals.

His first assignment will be to help Ghana win six points in consecutive games against Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifiers next month.

The Black Stars squad for the two games is expected to be announced by the Ghana Football Association on Tuesday.

Sebastien Haller’s Champions League debut is unlikely to be topped any time soon.

From a European point of view—let alone an African point of view—it surely deserves consideration among the greatest UCL debuts of all time.

The striker netted four times in Ajax’s 5-1 demolition of Sporting Lisbon in Gameweek One, demonstrating the breadth of quality to suggest that he will be a firm success in the Champions League.

In scoring four times against Sporting—twice in each half—Haller became only the 16th player to have netted a quartet of goals in a single UCL fixture.

Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the players to have scored four in a single fixture, while Messi and Robert Lewandowski have achieved the feat twice.

Haller is the first player to realise this haul in a single game since Olivier Giroud in October 2020, and the first African player to register the achievement.

His performance emulated Ajax legend Marco van Basten, who became—in November 1992—the first player to register four in a single game.

However, while the Dutch great registered his four goals at home against Gothenburg, Haller’s haul came away from home, making his performance all the more outstanding.

His showing was one of the key talking points on a recent episode of Goal Africa’s Hot Seat, as Oluwaseye Omidiora discusses the significance of Haller’s showing.

It took only nine minutes for him to head Ajax into the lead, and also demonstrated another of his attributes—his close-range finishing—to add a second before the interval.

Paulinho and Steven Berghuis scored one each for Sporting and Ajax respectively, before Haller two more inside the second half, with the fourth coming following fine work from Noussair Mazraoui.

While his performance may come as a shock to West Ham United fans, with their club taking a £25 million loss when they sold Haller to Ajax for £20 million, his showings have been excellent this term.

As well as his quartet in the Champions League, Haller also has five goals and two assists in seven Eredivisie outings last term, having won the title with Ajax last season.

Can he maintain his fine form against Besiktas on Thursday?

Former Barcelona winger Ibrahim Afellay has expressed his surprise at being dissed on a rap track by former Netherlands international team-mate Ryan Babel.

The pair played 13 times together for their country, with both men competing for spots on the flanks.

Babel is still playing at 34 years of age, as he remains on the books at Turkish outfit Galatasaray, while Afellay - who is a year older - hung up his boots in January after last turning out for PSV.

What has Babel said?

While Babel remains part of the Netherlands set-up, he continues to dabble in the music scene as well.

Within that world, the ex-Liverpool and Ajax winger has taken potshots at Afellay and his new role as a pundit.

Babel says: "Bro, I don’t know you from Barca, maybe more from PSV. Oh, now you’re an analyst? Hmm, so so. 

"Heard in the corridors you’re broke, bro. You call things and don’t think about them anymore bro code. But I understand if your career comes to a dead end."

How has Afellay reacted?

Afellay, who took in 35 appearances for Barca between 2010 and 2015, is stunned to have been targeted by a one-time colleague.

He is at a loss to explain why Babel would want to call him out, telling NOS when asked for his reaction to the song 'Open Letter': "I'm honestly surprised by it. 

"I've only known him through the Dutch national team and he was always nice there. I don't have anything bad to say about him really."

Afellay, who also spent time in England with Stoke, was forced to call time on his career after suffering a number of serious knee injuries.

Babel, meanwhile, who spent three-and-half years on the books at Liverpool, is into the final 12 months of his contract in Turkey and is due to drop into the free agent pool next summer.

Further reading

CF Montreal midfielder Victor Wanyama has retired from international football after he was overlooked for the World Cup qualifiers against Uganda and Rwanda in September.
 
The "Lion of Muthurwa" - as the star is famously known in the streets - has retired after serving the national team for over a decade.

He is quitting international football after he was dropped and striker Michael Olunga appointed the captain by former coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee, who tendered his resignation early in September.

"Growing up, it was always my dream to get the chance to represent my country. With a great deal of pride, I can say that I have been fortunate to live my dream!" Wanyama said in a letter obtained by Goal.
 
"From making my debut against Nigeria to captaining the team at the African Cup of Nations finals in Egypt, these past 14 years have gone beyond what I ever thought possible.
 
"We have shared great moments together, and I am proud to have been your captain and leader. 
 
"But all good things must come to an end, and after long consideration, I have made the really difficult consideration to retire from international football. 
 
"The time has come to hand it over to the next generation so that they can make their mark and help our country reach even greater heights.
 
"I hope to return one day to help the federation off the field, but until then, I will still be the Harambee Stars' biggest supporter and I will be cheering you guys from the sidelines."
 
Thanks all for the support."

Wanyama has retired just after he was overlooked for national duties by Mulee, who preferred the Richard Odada-Lawrence Juma-Kenneth Muguna's midfield axis.

The former Celtic star was dropped from the national squad alongside Johanna Omollo and Ayub Timbe, who by then had been regular stars in the first team.

More to follow....................

Bukayo Saka has boldly claimed that Arsenal can "win trophies" this season after shaking off their early-season struggles to claim three successive Premier League wins and a memorable derby victory over arch-rivals Tottenham.

Shackles which have been holding the Gunners back for longer than those at Emirates Stadium would like were shaken off in style against Spurs on Sunday, with Saka contributing to an impressive 3-1 success for Mikel Arteta's side on home soil.

With youthful exuberance flowing through their ranks, and six summer signings seeing game time, Arsenal appear to have found a formula - providing everyone stays fit - that will allow them to come back into contention for major silverware.

What has been said?

Saka told reporters of ambition in north London: "We can achieve anything, no matter what age. With age comes experience but we have a lot of experience in this squad anyway which helps us.

"We have a lot of quality and enough experience to achieve a lot. We’re going to take it game by game but if we play like this we have enough quality to win trophies.

"I can’t really describe how good it feels. Starting with the atmosphere in the stadium — it was crazy! The fans gave us so much energy and, for us to repay them and win like this at the stadium, it just means everything for us.

"It’s been almost two years since we played a north London derby with the fans. And you could tell it’s been nearly two years by the way they received us and cheered us. It was a special game.

"We all wanted it. We knew how much the game meant to the fans, we knew how much the game meant to us. And of course to build winning momentum — we’ve won three games in a row — is really good for us.

"We’re getting closer as a team, getting more team spirit, so things are looking good.

"If we play like that all the time, we have a strong chance of doing well this season and winning some trophies. This is one game, we have to do it again the next week and the next week.

"We get into a lot of good situations but we need to score more goals. Yesterday, we were a lot more clinical, so we’re happy with that but we’ve got to do it consistently."

What does Arsenal's fixture list look like?

The Gunners have, after failing to collect a point or score a goal through their opening three top-flight fixtures this season, taken nine points from meetings with Norwich, Burnley and Tottenham.

They are now up to 10th in the table, four points adrift of the Champions League places and only five behind leaders Liverpool.

They are also into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and have another FA Cup campaign to look forward to in the new year, with there no European football to distract Arteta's side in 2021-22.

Maintaining momentum is now the challenge facing Arsenal, with a trip to Brighton on Saturday set to carry them into the next international break.

They will return to action in a derby date with Crystal Palace, before then playing host to Aston Villa in the league and Leeds in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Things will get a little tougher after that, with a six-game run from October 30 to December 4 including meetings with Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton.

Further reading

Ander Herrera has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2021-22 campaign at Paris Saint-Germain, but the midfielder's father has admitted to holding transfer talks with Barcelona in the recent past.

The 32-year-old Spain international has seen a return to his homeland mooted on a regular basis since leaving Athletic Club, particularly during his days at Manchester United.

The summer of 2018 delivered the most intense rumours regarding interest from Camp Nou, but Herrera also saw a switch speculated on in the most recent window as he faces fierce competition for places at Parc des Princes.

What has been said?

Herrera's father, Pedro, admits a move to Barca has been discussed, but no deal was done with the Catalan giants.

He told L'Equipe: "At one point, Ander was in contact with Barca and, for various reasons, it did not happen. 

"But he does not fail because he has never worn the colours of one of the three greats of Spain because, in his eyes, the biggest club in the country is Zaragoza, where he started."

Will Herrera return to his roots?

Herrera has started the current season with four goals and two assists through 10 appearances in all competitions, with the Spaniard catching the eye in a star-studded squad that includes Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

He is tied to a contract through to 2024 and should expect to be kept around if impressive standards can be maintained.

A return to his roots in Zaragoza will be made at some stage, although Pedro Herrera has ruled out a future bid for presidency at a club stuck in the Spanish second tier at present.

He added: "He [Ander] has always been in contact with the mayor of the city, participates in and even finances various educational, humanitarian and hospital projects since Covid emerged. 

"Will he become president of Real Zaragoza? I do not expect that. But being an influential manager or one of the shareholders is almost certain."

Further reading

Ex-Napoli defender Ciro Ferrara has lauded Nigeria international Victor Osimhen for his contribution in the game against Cagliari and placing defender Diego Godin in tough situations.

The Super Eagle attacker opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Piotr Zielinski picked him up in the area. It was the only goal after the first half despite the numerous chances created.

In the 57th minute, the striker was felled by the Uruguay international, and Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne converted the penalty.

"The standing ovation of the fans is wonderful, but it is precisely the attitude that makes the difference," Ferrara told DAZN said as quoted by Tutto Napoli.

"It is right that he enjoys this moment, he really played a great game, putting important defenders like Godin in difficulty.

"Napoli is strong, very strong, especially in the aerial balls. They played three delicate games that they won despite the difficulties such as Osimhen's dismissal [against Venezia] or [Piotr] Zielinski's injury. 

"With Juventus, they went behind and then he recovered [to win 2-1]. The last three games, however, Napoli have literally dominated the opponents."

The West African has now scored at least a goal in each of his last four matches for Napoli across all competitions. 

Recently, Osimhen stated what has inspired him to produce his fine exploits in the ongoing campaign.

"It was important for me to start the season well and I want to thank the coach for his confidence in me. I’m honoured to play for this club," the striker said. "Last year, I had Covid and then got a bad injury.

"I’m in good shape this season. I’m training consistently and I’m listening to the advice the coach gives me and the help I get from the team. I’m pleased with what I’m doing but I know I need to continue working hard.

"We all need to continue down this track."

Sunday's victory powered Napoli to the top of the Serie A table with an unblemished record of 18 points out of six games – two points above second-placed AC Milan.

Defending champions Inter Milan come in third position with 14 points after drawing 2-2 with Atalanta on Saturday at San Siro Stadium.

The Naples-based charges will now focus on the Europa League assignment against Spartak Moscow. They drew 2-2 with Leicester City in their initial European encounter.

Argentine attacker Lautaro Martinez equaled Samuel Eto'o's haul with Serie A giants Inter Milan after his strike against Atalanta in a league assignment that ended 2-2 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old converted a Nicolo Barella pass after just five minutes to hand the defending champions an excellent start at San Siro, in Milan. It was the goal that equalled the tally set by Cameroon legend Eto'o who scored 53 goals for Internazionale in all competitions during his stint with them. 

Eto'o had joined the Italian side from Spanish outfit Barcelona in 2009 and went on to play 102 matches for them. He went on to win the Serie A title, Italian Cup, Coppa Italia, and the Uefa Champions League.

Unlike the now 40-year-old legend, Martinez needed 138 goals to achieve the fete, after signing for the club from Racing Club.

After getting the opener for the hosts, Atalanta fought back and managed to get an equaliser in half hour mark courtesy of Ruslan Malinovsky. With seven minutes to the break, Rafael Toloi gave them a 2-1 lead over the champions.

Inter Milan had to wait until the 71st minute for former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko to bring them into level terms. A massive opportunity when Merih Demiral handled the ball in the area, and after VAR review they were awarded a penalty.

But Federico Dimarco crashed his effort against the crossbar much to the relief of the travelling side. 

The miss was nearly punished moments later as Roberto Piccoli managed to hit the back of the net, but his celebrations were cut short by the VAR that ruled he was offside.

The 2-2 result also meant the Nerazzurri have now scored in 25 consecutive Serie A matches.

Currently, they are placed in the third position with 14 points from six matches. They have managed four wins and two draws, scoring 20 goals and conceding seven.

Napoli lead the race for the title after grabbing maximum points from the six matches played, followed by AC Milan who have dropped two from as many matches.

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Al Ahly legend Taha Ismail has asked coach Pitso Mosimane to find a Plan B after the club failed to defend the Premier League title and lost in the Super Cup final to Tala’a El-Gaish.

Taha specifically believes Mosimane must come up with a plan that is able to deal with fewer open spaces, especially in the domestic games.

"The wasted chances remain a problem, though, it should be a major part of the team’s training," Ismail is quoted as saying by KingFut.
 
"In the African competitions, the matches are more open, there are more spaces, which is something you rarely find in the domestic league and cup, in this case, you need alternative strategies."
 
The retired Al Ahly and Egypt striker praised the club's new signings, saying they will help raise motivation in the team.

"During ENPPI’s game [on Saturday], Al Ahly had new elements that added to the overall speed of the build-up, including [Luis] Miquissone and [Ahmed] Abdelkader, and I think if Ammar Hamdi played he would have made it even better," he added.
 
"Mosimane reached the peak with Al Ahly, he’s won the Caf Champions League, Caf Super Cup, and Fifa Club World Cup bronze medals, it’s natural to have a drop in performance due to the loss of motivation, which is the reason why we are seeing new faces on the pitch."  

Ismail's call for an alternative strategy comes a few days after another former Al Ahly star, Mohamed Fadl, asked the coach to be more daring.

"Mosimane was too cautious, and I hope that he will be more daring and take more offensive risks," said Fadl.
 
After they lost the cup, Mosimane and his technical bench as well as his players were fined 300,000 Egyptian pounds ($19,092) by the club's president Mahmoud El-Khatib.

"Dieng proved Mosimane wrong, whenever he plays, he shows impressive performances," Abdelrahman said.

"Salah Mohsen should also have more playtime, he’s not just a substitute, he can make the difference."

Olivier Giroud says his decision to leave Chelsea for AC Milan was an "obvious choice", with the French striker admitting that life at Stamford Bridge had become "too difficult".

The World Cup-winning frontman brought a nine-year spell in English football to a close over the summer, with the former Arsenal star opting to take on a new challenge in Italy.

He walked away with FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League triumphs to his name, but with fierce competition for places in west London forcing him to accept that a fresh start had to be made at 34 years of age.

What has been said?

Explaining to Telefoot why he took the decision to swap London for Milan, Giroud said: "I liked the Premier League, but at some point, I had to make a decision. 

"I told [Thomas] Tuchel that the last three months had been too difficult.

"It was an obvious choice to leave Chelsea, I moved on with great emotion for all the moments we experienced. Some were good, some others not so much, but we won three important titles."

What are Giroud's targets now?

Giroud's time in England saw him score 105 goals for Arsenal and a further 39 for Chelsea, with over 370 appearances taken in across spells with two capital giants.

He is already off the mark in Milan, with two efforts registered across four outings.

The France international has linked up with another veteran goalscorer in the form of 39-year-old Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Giroud believes title glory is a realistic target for an ambitious Rossoneri squad.

He added: "Zlatan is a legend and there will be a real competition between us.

"I can score at least 15 goals, that’s what I hope. If I play every game, that’s what I expect.

"I hope [we can win the Scudetto], we have the quality and young players. It’s a clear target we have."

Milan sit second in the Serie A standings at present, two points behind leaders Napoli - who are yet to drop a point - after six games.

Further reading

Sir Alex Ferguson has described Cristiano Ronaldo's "fantastic" return to Manchester United as like "Caesar entering Rome after victory".

United pulled off arguably the biggest deal of the summer transfer window by re-signing Ronaldo from Juventus for £20 million ($27m) on deadline day, 12 years on from his initial departure to Real Madrid.

The 36-year-old reacquainted himself with supporters in spectacular fashion, scoring twice in a 4-1 win against Newcastle on his second debut for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, and Ferguson was present in the Old Trafford crowd to witness his homecoming.

What has been said?

The former United boss, who led the team to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns between 1986 and 2013, described the atmosphere in the stadium before telling the club's official podcast the steps Ronaldo took to reach the top during his first stint in Manchester.

"It's fantastic," said Ferguson. "You saw on that Saturday that it was like Caesar entering Rome after victory. I came, I saw, I conquered. It was fantastic

" I mean, for anyone who is a United fan, we could have had a million people in there, without doubt, as there were so many outside, hundreds outside. It's one of these things. When he was here as a kid, his learning process was very, very quick.

"A lot of people said he was a diver and there was a little spell of that but, after that, he was attacking defenders and all he needed was a nudge and he would waltz by them. He would attack with unbelievable speed. I think the increasing knowledge of his game - I think he was born with a desire.  

"He sacrificed himself to be the best. I remember we were playing Arsenal on the Saturday and it was pouring with rain at Carrington. I said to him, and you know he would always practice after training, and I said, ‘In. We’ve got a game tomorrow and it’s too wet. The ground is too soft.’

"So I went into my office, looked out of the window and what did he do? He went on the astroturf. I had no argument! I couldn’t say anything to him. He’s beat me."

Ferguson on Ronaldo's move

Ferguson went on to explain Ronaldo's decision to leave United for Real Madrid in 2009, and insisted that he wasn't surprised by the Portugal captain's success at Santiago Bernabeu where he spent nine years before joining Juve.

"He had a dream of going to Real Madrid," the legendary Scottish head coach added.

"I was not against that, six years was great for a boy from Madeira, getting him here just after his 18th birthday and having him six years. I think we did well that way and it gave me a chance to get a replacement. We got Antonio Valencia and he was fantastic so we were very lucky that way.

"I knew [how good he would become]. Absolutely. I knew that. When he got to that kind of platform at Real Madrid. To be fair to Real, they are one club that has produced world-class players for years and years and won the European cup so many times, 13 or something. You've got to give them credit - it is a platform where any great player would love to go to."

What's next for Ronaldo?

Ronaldo has taken his tally to four goals in four appearances since his stunning debut against Newcastle, but drew a blank in United's home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will be hoping he and his teammates can bounce back when they host Villarreal in their next Champions League fixture on Tuesday.

Further reading