On This Day

September 30: Simchat Torah (Judaism, 2010); Independence Day in Botswana (1966)

• 1399 – Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, deposed Richard II to become Henry IV of England, merging the Duchy of Lancaster with the crown.
• 1744 – War of the Austrian Succession: The armies of France and Spain won a pyrrhic victory over the Kingdom of Sardinia at the Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo near Cuneo, Italy.
• 1791 – The Magic Flute, one of the last operas composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, premiered at Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna, Austria.
• 1939 – World War II: General Władysław Sikorski (pictured) became Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile.
• 1955 – Film actor James Dean suffered fatal injuries in a head-on car accident near Cholame, California, US.
• 2005 – The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published controversial editorial cartoons depicting Muhammad, sparking protests across the Muslim world by many who viewed them as Islamophobic and blasphemous.

The weekend's heroes & villains

Rounding up the weekend's Premier League goodies and baddies...

HEROES

Roberto Di Matteo
Two years ago West Bromwich Albion earned plaudits for their persistence in ‘playing the game as it should be played’, even though their inability to mix it physically or be uber-direct ultimately lead to their relegation from the Premier League.

By Di Matteo’s own admission, West Brom’s philosophy is still to attack rather than defend, but this time round the Baggies look to have a little more cutting edge. Last week’s hero Peter Odemwingie is quickly finding his feet – his goal against Arsenal was his third in five Premier League matches – while at the same time also looking harder to play through at the other end. Well, at least since their trip to Chelsea...

Vincent Kompany
Carlos Tevez may have earned the headlines after scoring the only goal of a match Sky rather predictably billed the biggest of the season so far, but it was City’s rearguard action that ultimately proved the most crucial facet of a brilliant win. Central to that superb defensive performance was Belgian bruiser Kompany, who looked both assured in possession and clinical in the challenge.

Kompany, originally signed as a defensive midfielder, has forged an impressive defensive partnership with Kolo Toure, with City conceding just twice in the eight games they’ve played alongside one another so far this term.

City’s defensive frailty was ultimately what cost them a Champions League slot last season. This blossoming partnership could well prove key to a successful qualification this time round.

Robert Green
They say the key to being a top goalkeeper is recovering from your mistakes, and that’s exactly what Rob Green has done, eventually, with a sterling display to keep Spurs at bay at Upton Park.

The England international (let’s give him the benefit of the doubt on that one…) did brilliantly to deny Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart in the first half, and will be rightly chuffed with his first Premier League clean sheet since April. A turning point? We’ll have to wait and see.

Darren Bent
Bent scored his seventh and eighth goals in 10 matches against the Premier League’s ‘Big Four’ since joining Sunderland last summer. Those goals have been good for a not unreasonable nine points.

Emile Heskey and Michael Owen
Gerard Houllier has been back in English football less than a week and already two of his most trusted charges from his time at Liverpool have made a semi-miraculous return to goalscoring form.

Both Owen and Heskey scored with late headers to change the result in their team’s favour. Owen flicked past Jussi Jaaskelainen to earn Manchester United a point at Bolton, while Emile Heskey's neck-thrusting power-header past Marcus Hahnemann gave Villa a 2-1 win at Wolves in Houllier’s return to the Premier League.

What next? Nick Barmby to fire Hull back into the Premier League? Robbie Fowler to win Australian football’s Golden Didgeridoo award? Sander Westerveld to… nah, it probably won’t happen.

Kenwyne Jones
The £8 million Stoke forked over to Sunderland may have raised a few eyebrows , but the Trinidad and Tobago striker has now scored four goals in his last four matches to help Stoke out of the early season drop zone and up into 14th.

The big man led the line superbly again at St James’ Park and looks likely to continue to flourish in a team known for their strength from set-pieces.

VILLAINS

Stuart Attwell
Controversy seems to follow Attwell round like teenage girls follow Justin Bieber (on Twitter). While this was no ‘ghost goal’ and you can at least work out how he managed to get this one ‘wrong’, it still seems like the 27-year-old lacks the experience (or perhaps confidence) to make big decisions, or perhaps even go back on decisions already made.

By the letter of the law, it was right that the goal stood. The free kick was taken from the right place, Turner hadn’t been told by Attwell to place the ball any further back and Fernando Torres was the statutory 10 yards away. Yet there was still an element of farce about the whole affair, with Atwell seemingly looking for a way out of awarding the goal by entering prolonged discussions with his linesman.

Steven Gerrard (and Stuart Attwell, again)
The farce which lead to Liverpool’s opener wasn’t Attwell’s only faux-pas. The Warwickshire whistle-blower also failed to send off Gerrard for a blatant forearm smash into the face of Sunderland’s Danny Welbeck.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time Attwell has failed to send off the increasingly unpopular Liverpool skipper for flailing a limb into the head of an opponent, having failed to spot a similar offence committed unto Portsmouth’s Michael Brown in March.

Manuel Almunia
You could make a strong argument that it‘s not the Spaniard‘s fault he's not good enough and that Arsene Wenger is the bad guy for not replacing him over the summer, but there really is no legislating for the kind of error that resulted in West Brom’s second goal on Saturday.

You can just about muddle by in the Premier League on limited ability if you work hard and maintain focus and concentration, but Almunia was clearly lacking in those latter two attributes - as well as confidence - as he was unable to prevent Gonzalo Jara’s near-post shot squirming into the net. Nor was there sufficient reason for the 33-year-old to go walkabout when Chris Brunt burst into the box, allowing the ever-improving Ulsterman to square for Jerome Thomas in front of an unguarded net.

Although Almunia saved a first-half penalty, it's the least he could have done after rushing out (no, really) and clumsily hauling down Peter Odemwingie to concede the spot-kick. Arsenal fans are unlikely to be too worried that he faces a short spell on the sidelines with a elbow injury.

James Perch
Having been booked in each of the Magpies' opening five Premier League matches, the Newcastle utility man took it to the next level with a superbly taken bullet-header of an own goal. It gave Stoke a 2-1 win despite the visitors only having 35% possession (not in itself unusual for the Potters, as we told you on Friday) and one shot on target. Nice work if you can get it.

QOTD

I know the answer! The answer lies within the heart of all mankind! The answer is twelve? I think I'm in the wrong building.

Trying to be SImon (short post)

i wan iPhone 4!!!The resolution best, plus hd video cam, 5.0 megapixels, front camera, switch application, harder case protection, OMG!!!

Roma's bucket of tears fit to burst

Buckets of tears, sang a great man and that could well become the AS Roma official song.

There were floods of the wet stuff at Brescia last night, as howls of anguish and frustration pierced the night sky.

Another defeat for the much put upon Claudio Ranieri, but one where the Romans can genuinely feel aggrieved after another lamentable refereeing display which will probably see the official in question Carmine Russo sent on gardening leave for awhile.

Philippe Mexes was the first to well up and then completely lose all semblance of restrain when he the furious Frenchman was sent-off for a last-man challenge where not only did he win the ball cleanly, but contact occurred outside the area.

The referee demurred to his assistant who gave the defender the thumbs down.

The double whammy of a red card and penalty was all too much for Gallic sensibilities and defender’s team-mates wasted a fair amount of energy dragging the blond bawler off the pitch.

Parents of children in their terrible twos up could only have shaken their heads in sympathy when the little tantrum continued all the way to the touchline where an innocent-looking foam pad became the victim of a vicious right boot.

Julio Sergio’s grief was much more understandable, although equally unsettling, as the goalkeeper was forced to remain on the pitch despite being in no condition to move.

The Brazilian had been the architect of his own demise when he came lunging out of the area to upend Panagiotis Kone - and in the process injure his ankle.

He could have come off had not Mexes beaten him to it and Ranieri had no further substitutions at his disposal so the water works were in full flow until the final whistle.

The brave soldier was carried off the pitch in a considerable state of distress and the initial diagnosis was ligament damage of some sort although the word ‘rupture’ was not mentioned.

However, it seems to be all coming apart for Ranieri who having ranted at the press at the weekend over his treatment was more itchy then belligerent when he faced the cameras for the post-game television inquisition.

It must be said that his prickly demeanour is understandable - what with the name of Marcello Lippi cropping up at every turn as his odds-on replacement.

Ranieri always suspected that the former Italy coach was behind his demise at Juventus and now the spectre of his cigar-chewing nemesis is once again haunting his thoughts.

Suspecting a plot stirring from the Lippi camp, Ranieri used the Sky Sports Italia platform to make his feelings very clear.

"I knew what was going on in Turin, I knew that Lippi was behind it and same things are appearing in the press now as they were then," he said in almost a doomed manner.

However, on a warm Thursday morning on the Tiber, the Roma-supporting citizens remain loyal to their own and the Roman-born coach still has the support of the 'Curva' as they say but defeat to Inter at the weekend could lead to ruin and more tears.

Romantic

Most wonderful pairs in the world are:-
HEART & BEAT
NIGHT & MOON
BIRDS & SONGS
ROSES & LOVE
U & UR $MILE.
SO KEEP $MILING ALWAYS.

Russia's revolution: winter football!

Huzzah! Another victory for football’s moneymen. Up yours, loyal supporter!

There’s a very good reason why hitherto, professional football in Russia has been played over the summer months. Mainly because it gets cold in winter; really, really, cold, and there's loads of that snow stuff about, meaning it’s not exactly feasible to be outside on the lawn kicking a ball around, even if it is an orange one.

Still, they’ll have to find some way of doing it, because last week the Russian Football Union announced that from 2012 the country’s top three divisions will no longer play to a traditional March-November calendar, and instead they're going to be brought in line with the major European leagues. Gah!

This means a season beginning in August and finishing in May, and playing football in some of Russia’s most adverse weather conditions, regardless of the RFU plonking a three-month break in between December and February.

This is massive. It’s like when those monsters at the BBC unceremoniously shunted Neighbours around year after year to accommodate Wimbledon. Worse, if anything.

Next season is going to be a whopping 44-game transitional one for the Premier League where, upon completion of the usual 30 matches, the 16 clubs will split into two groups to contest title/relegation issues. Russia’s second tier will also be trimmed from 20 to 18.

OK, a summer league was a bit inconvenient when an international tournament came around, but generally it works.

You haven’t experienced a proper winter on this miserable planet of ours until you’ve been to Russia. It helped see off Napoleon and Hitler, and pretty much the only thing that doesn’t freeze around this time of year is the vodka.

But for the Russian clubs who have their own plans for European domination – y’know, the big ones with all the cash and political sway – winter is also a massive impediment to them, as when the Champions League begins to get interesting in the new year they're still ring-rusty. Mostly this is because they have been pissing around on a golf course somewhere in Turkey; Belek, usually.

This is a huge fillip for them. No wonder they're all for it. Terek Grozny vice-president Haidar Alkhanov more or less admitted last week’s vote was a fait accompli, and that they were "powerless" to do anything about it.

This shift will also make the Premier League far more lucrative when attracting sponsors, and should add a few more roubles to the pile when the competition is flogged to foreign television companies. Cor, it’s great, capitalism!

It'll have to be. Even under its current schedule, during the opening Premier League rounds Russia is covered in a blanket of snow, and matches are played on some terrible pitches that haven’t had a chance to thaw out. To counter this, it’s going to take money. Lots of it.

For most, this will necessitate the introduction of Astroturf pitches, undersoil heating, stadium roofs, heated terraces, things like that. This constitutes a major problem, unless your owner is one of them oligarch chaps who poops roubles.

Alexander Shprygin, the head of the official Russian football fans’ organisation, the VOB, said he was aware of a lack of enthusiasm among supporters for the move.

Zenit's stadium. And St Petersburg isn't particularly cold

However, the perennial European qualifiers probably won’t be overly perturbed when attendances begin to drop faster than the temperature. As in the West, top-end football is becoming less reliant on gate receipts and more about television revenue, and clubs are increasingly becoming the playthings of the rich.

Say hello to a backlog of fixtures, especially the further east you travel from Moscow and the lower you go down the football pyramid. The Russian Football League, the body responsible for the country’s second and third tiers, are opposed to the move and affirm many of their teams simply aren’t capable of staging matches in such conditions, especially in Siberia and the Far East, where it gets more than a bit parky.

Nor is it universally popular with players. The footballers’ trade union said they are "seriously concerned by the haste of the RFU decision to change the championship's format. It's a very alarming symptom that the RFU decided to withdraw from public and professional discussion over these extremely important changes."

Their poll conducted among players from nine of the Premier League’s 16 teams revealed 73 were against the move, as opposed to just 23 in favour.

But the big teams want this, and so it will happen. Politics and football are inextricably linked in Russia, considering who owns many of these sides; this new calendar is deemed beneficial for the country’s 2018/22 World Cup bids, and woe betide anyone who gets in the way of that juggernaut.

Better get used to it, then.

Love

I feel something in my heart, it's like a little flame, every time I see you, this flame lights up, this flame is special for you, because I LOVE YOU!.…

Good Day, Bad Day - Round 3

Good Day Valencia Poor Valencia. Three wins from three, a tricky derby victory away at Hércules and the best start to the season since the 1993/94 campaign, and yet it’s Leo Messi’s brand new ankle joint...

R-Pattz & Emma Watson To Star In New Film Together?

Robert Pattinson and Emma Watson are reportedly going to 'get it on' in new movieDark Arc.

According to marieclaire.co.uk, the pair, who both starred together in the first Harry Potterfilm are set to get steamy for the flick, which is a 'dark-comedy' about a love-triangle between an artist, a designer and their muse.

SEE THE NEW PICTURES FROM HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS HERE!

Rumours suggest that both the Twilight actor and Emma are up for lead roles in the art-house picture, with Casey Affleck apparently in talks to join them.

We hope Emma and R-Pattz are still on good terms after the 20-year old actress criticised the Twilight films for 'selling sex.'

Watson, who plays Hermione Granger in the Potter flicks said: "Harry Potter is not Twilight, you know; we're not selling sex…"

The Roof-Building Predictions

Round 3 preview, featuring toilets, pie and Shakira....

SATURDAY
Espanyol (12th) v Almería (14th)
Considering grey skies and rain have returned to the Spanish capital after a horribly sunny summer, LLL is going to start with something belly-gurglingly happy today: the very welcome sight of super-sensational slaphead Ivan de la Peña, back playing football for Espanyol last weekend against Villarreal after nearly a year out with complete body-knack [No, it's true – Medical Ed.]. “After 10 months without competing, it’s incredible to feel like a footballer again,” beamed the hairless hero. “I’m going to face every match as if it were my last and only live in the present.”
LLL Prediction - Home win

Mallorca (18th) v Osasuna (16th)
No goals scored by either of these two teams so far this season. But that won’t stop the should-know-better La Liga Loca tuning in at 6pm like the buffoon that it is to watch this dynamic duo come face-to-face.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Sporting (13th) v Athletic Bilbao (11th)
Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina, Víctor Valdés, Andrés Palop (maybe not at the moment), David de Gea, Daniel Aranzubía, Diego López, César Sánchez and Gorka Iraizoz – nine Spanish goalkeepers who are probably better than anything England have got.

And if Friday’s AS is to be believed, the fella named last on that lengthy list may well be proving that tremendously bold and Joe Hart-ignoring assertion in the Premier League sooner rather than later, with the Basque man at the back said to be in Arsenal’s sights to replace countryman Manuel Almunía.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Real Sociedad (4th) v Real Madrid (5th)
Visitors to the Santiago Bernabeu may have thought that there were a number of things missing from the stadium - an atmosphere, goals and (thanks to a tractor oil leak) a playable pitch.

But LLL can’t imagine that anyone has ever gone there thinking that what the ground really lacks is a roof, considering rain is a fairly rare occurrence in Madrid and there are already overhead heaters over the fans to warm their pampered cockles, meaning that there is less chance of freezing than there is of being grilled alive.

However, construction company owner Florentino Pérez feels that this is exactly what is required in Real Madrid’s home. “We are working on a roofing system for the stands. It won’t be easy,” announced the club president at the club’s AGM on Sunday.

It’s a move that has produced a rare example of dissent from Marca, with the often feisty and frequently brilliant Roberto Palomar complaining about the engineering background of Pres Pérez.

“Once again, this man’s obsession with building work comes out. Cold, heat, rain and wind form part of football,” wrote the columnist in Monday’s edition. “If he was a plumber then he’d put a toilet in the middle of the pitch.”

The appearance of Lady Gago on the occasional team-sheet would suggest that the Bernabeu has already got one.
LLL Prediction - Away win

SUNDAY
Hércules (9th) v Valencia (2nd)
The brilliant brace against Barça last weekend by Nelson Valdez certainly made the Paraguayan forward a popular man in Alicante, with shirts with his name flying out of the shop like nobody’s business.

But this doesn’t mean that his fantastic feats won plaudits over the rest of Spain - certainly not within Marca’s readership, anyway. Every week, the newspaper’s website has a poll to choose their footballer of the weekend, with the votes added up to pick an overall winner at the end of the season.

In the most recent round of action, Mesut Ozil was the winner with Diego Forlán nestled in second place. In third, it was of course Raúl. Not really. It was the new Raúl, Cristiano Ronaldo, for his assist against Osasuna. Little Leo Messi managed to end up in fifth despite being rubbish and finishing on the losing side, whilst Iker Casillas made eighth when even his own manager said that he had nothing to do.

Unfortunately, Valdez was nowhere to be seen in the top 15 - the last spot was taken by Xavi - meaning that Alicante is pretty much the only place his efforts will be rewarded this season.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Racing (19th) v Zaragoza (17th)
And there was LLL writing that Barcelona and Villarreal might be the best place to catch a bit of sexy football this season. Apparently, all the fun to be had is with Racing Santander up in cow-crazy Cantabria.

AS report that Miguel Angel Portugal’s men have been going nuts with the fantasy football in the club’s opening two matches, this season. Unfortunately it has all been for nothing with Racing still without a point or goal. “We are having fun but risking too much,” was how the paper reported the message from the Santander dressing room.

“We don’t know how long we can keep on playing like this without picking up points,” admits Gonzalo Colsa ahead of a clash against a Zaragoza side that conceded five in 34 minutes last Sunday, meaning that this initially less than enticing encounter might be the one to watch this weekend.
LLL Prediction - Home win

Levante (20th) v Villarreal (6th)
So, given the choice, out of all the players in Spain’s World Cup winning squad, which one would you go for a beer with? Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos too rowdy for you?

Carles Puyol? Ah yes. The hair. The staring. The embarrassment.

What about Joan Capdevila, the soon-to-be-forgotten man of the Spanish squad? And if you think the blog is being a tad harsh there, that was the vibe from the left-back himself in an interview with Marca last weekend.

According to those who have met the Villarreal man, Joan Capdevila is as nice as pie. Indeed, LLL has the impression that the defender is the morale-boosting but less irritating version of Pepe Reina in La Seleccíon’s dressing room.

“I recognise that I don’t have the talent of my teammates in the Spanish team,” said an endearingly modest Capdevila. “I see Iniesta playing and all the others and think, ‘I’d pay to watch them!’"

Well, if it makes you feel any better Joan, LLL would pay to have a drink with you. Or does that sound a bit wrong?
LLL Prediction - Away win

Atlético Madrid (1st) v Barcelona (8th)
Whenever a Spanish team plays in Greece or Turkey it always sets off a series of “Welcome to hell” headlines in Marca and AS, when those banners should be really be reserved for when Peterborough make it into a European competition one day.

It was same old story for Atlético’s trip to Thessaloniki in a very ‘meh’ 1-0 defeat to Aris in the Europa League, where the only thing especially scary was the enormous amount of confetti on the pitch and the ball boys who suddenly gathered to stare menacingly at Sara Carbonero’s bum as she gave her pitchside reports for Telecinco.

It’s more fun fair for Atleti on Sunday with the visit of Barcelona, in an encounter which averages three goals and frequently sees the Rojiblancos on top at the end of the evening. Not unlike Gerard Pique, currently suffering a caved-in head to go with the split lip, bruised face and crushed gonads experienced in the World Cup.

“I’m going through a bad spell when I’m on the end of everything,” chuckled the Barça defender, who may be suffering from some kind of cosmic karma due to being so close to Shakira.
LLL Prediction - Away win

Málaga (10th) v Sevilla (3rd)
Oh dear. Another calamitous result for Sevilla in Europe with a 1-0 home defeat to PSG is very bad news indeed for coach Antonio Alvarez, who is walking the tightrope of doom.

“I spoke quietly with the president and Monchi,” explained Alvarez after the French fiasco. “We discussed the game and have agreed the match is already history.” So will his career at Sevilla be if they lose to Málaga on Sunday.
LLL Prediction - Draw

Deportivo (15th) v Getafe (7th)
The press area of Getafe’s Coliseum stadium was quite exotic on Sunday, and not because of the presence of La Liga Loca. There were a couple of Danish gentlemen there too. Being the nosy type, the blog saw that one was a journalist because he was writing and stuff on a laptop.

But the second Nordic visitor was a lot more interesting in that he was making notes on pads with football fields drawn on to it. “A scout from Odense,” suspected LLL remembering that the Danish outfit were in town on Thursday for a Europa League clash.

It was better than that. It turned out that it was Viggo Jensen, Odense’s assistant coach. Unfortunately, the story has an unhappy ending considering Jensen, along with the club’s entire management team, was fired a few days later making the whole exercise a fairly futile trip really, aside from the honour and privilege of sitting in front of FourFourTwo’s finest.

Jensen also got miss a return to Coliseum for the footballing gift that keeps on giving - Javier Arizmendi. On Sunday, the striker scuffed a shot so badly it fooled everyone on both teams and dribbled unmolested into the back of Levante’s net. On Thursday night, it was double delight with Arizmendi managing to score for both sides in Getafe’s 2-1 win over Viggo-free Odense, which was watched by just 2,000 fans thanks to the insanely high €50 ticket prices.
LLL Prediction - Goalless Draw

B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars- Nothing On You

beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby

not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you
i know you feel where i'm coming from
regardless of the things in my past that i've done
most of it really was for the hell of the fun
on the carousel so around i spun (spun)
with no directions just tryna get some (some)
tryna chase skirts, living in the summer sun (sun)
this is how i lost more than i had ever won (won)
and honestly i ended up with none

there's no much nonsense
it's on my conscience
i'm thinking baby i should get it out
and i don't wanna sound redundant
but i was wondering if there was something that you wanna know
(that you wanna know)
but never mind that we should let it go (we should let it go)
cause we don't wanna be a t.v episode (t.v episode)
and all the bad thoughts just let them go (go, go, go, go)

beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothing on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby

not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you

hands down there will never be another one
i been around and i never seen another one
look at your style I ain't really got nothin' on
and you wild when you ain't got nothing on
baby you the whole package plus you pay your taxes
and you keep it real while them other stay plastic
you're my wonder women call me mr. fantastic
stop.. now think about it

i've been to london, i've been to paris
even way out there in tokyo
back home down in georgia to new orleans
but you always steal the show (steal the show)
and just like that girl you got me froze (got me froze)
http://www.elyricsworld.com/nothin'_on_you_lyrics_b.o.b.html
like a nintendo 64 (64)
if you never knew well now you know (know, know, know, know)

beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby

not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you

everywhere i go i'm always hearing your name (name, name)
and no matter where i'm at girl you make me wanna sang (sang,sang)
whether a bus or a plane or a car or a train
no other girls on my brain and you the one to blame

beautiful girls all over the world
i could be chasing but my time would be wasted
they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby
they might say hi and i might say hey
but you shouldn't worry about what they say
cause they got nothin' on you baby
nothin' on you baby

not not not nothin' on you babe
not not nothin' on you
yeah and that's just how we do it
and i'ma let this ride
B O B and bruno mars!!

Madrid, Milan pull away from the pack

London - Real Madrid and AC Milan began their Champions League campaigns with 2-0 victories on Wednesday, while English rivals Chelsea and Arsenal opened with big-scoring wins.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho presided over the nine-time champions' triumph against Ajax in the same Santiago Bernabeu stadium where he won last season's final with Inter Milan.

"We pressed a lot and we didn't let Ajax play how they like to play," Mourinho said. "My forwards just weren't sharp in front of goal."

Milan, Madrid's biggest rival in Group G, beat Auxerre after two goals from new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Vela each scored twice in Arsenal's 6-0 rout of Portuguese side Braga, while Nicolas Anelka's double helped Chelsea surge to a 4-1 victory over newcomer Zilina.

Bayern Munich, beaten by Inter in the final in May, defeated AS Roma 2-0 in Group E.

In the Spanish capital, Madrid went ahead in the 31st minute when midfielder Xabi Alonso's corner was deflected in by Ajax defender Vurnon Anita.

The second goal took until the 73rd to arrive, with striker Gonzalo Higuain well placed at the far post to score from Mesut Oezil's cross.

"It looked like boys against men tonight," Ajax coach Martin Jol said. "They clearly dominated the game."

In the other group match, Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock in the 66th after linking up with Kevin-Prince Boateng and Ronaldinho.

The Sweden striker's second came three minutes later, completing a slick counter-attacking move that began with Robinho carrying the ball from defense before Ronaldinho's deft pass reached Ibrahimovic.

"Ibra had a good game tonight," Milan coach Massimo Allegri said. "He is a very important player for us - for his technique and the way he leads the attack."

Chelsea maintained their superb start to the season, having opened their Premier League title defence with four wins, with an emphatic win in Group F despite the absence of suspended striker Didier Drogba.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead inside 30 minutes against tournament newcomer Zilina. Anelka's cross was turned in by Michael Essien before the French striker hit two goals himself.

Soon after, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech almost gifted the home side an equaliser, fumbling Robert Jez's free kick before recovering to stop the ball going into the net.

Daniel Sturridge hit Chelsea's fourth in the 48th after latching onto Yossi Benayoun's through ball.

Zilina's consolation goal came in the 55th when an unmarked Tomas Oravec pounced on the loose ball from Branislav Ivanovic's deflection after Cech had failed to hold on to a cross.

In the other Group F match, defender Cesar Azpilicueta scored a late own-goal to give Spartak Moscow a 1-0 win at Marseille, which wasted several scoring chances.

Did You Know

# ... that, while home to skyscrapers, such as the Torre Mayor (pictured) and the Mexican headquarters of HSBC, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, in Mexico City, is primarily residential?
# ... that the Davara was the first British trawler to be sunk in World War II?
# ... that Romstrade is the largest construction company in Romania?
# ... that Katukurunde Nanananda Thera was the first to point out a unique grammatical shift in a controversial Buddhist Pali passage?
# ... that, after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized the practice in the 1977 case Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers was the first in the United States to advertise on television?
# ... that, after a 15-year career as a principal with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, Peggy Ann Jones moved to musicals, including in the original cast of The Phantom of the Opera?
# ... that Dawid Baziak began his professional mixed martial arts career with five consecutive technical knockout victories?
# ... that every round-robin tournament either has a set of players who win all games against players outside the set, or its graph of wins and losses is pancyclic, having directed cycles of all lengths?
# ... that, as president of U.S. Trust, Daniel P. Davison classified clients with less than $300,000 in assets as "poor", but was willing to have staff walk a dog for those with assets exceeding $2 million?

Sampdoria Starlets Pedro Obiang & Guido Marilungo Sign Five-Year Contracts

Sampdoria duo Pedro Obiang and Guido Marilungo have signed five-year contracts with the club, keeping them at the Bluecerchiati until 2015, director Sergio Gasparin has told the club's official website.

Obiang's day was even more special, as he made his Serie A debut against Juventus.

"Other than the debut, Obiang celebrated with a great performance and signing a five-year contract prior to the match," Gasparin stated post-match. "Like him, Marilungo also signed on for five years.

"Both players provide a testimony that the club is focused on youth, and is paying them attention.

QOTD

Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.

Happy Bday Yi Heng!!

Its my 20th birthday!!!first time thr is so many ppl wishes me, i think thats the power of facebook.Thanks for all the wishes everyone.

Its the day where i will step into my 20's era, so was hoping to celebrate it bigger bit compare to previous, but mini not here and sher ffk...ON MY BDAY!!!sad case..but still gt all my closest sohai frenzz tat will b loyal n stay wit me..hehe

Received a Man Utd jersey, Padini shirt, Jay Chou and Miley Cyrus new album for presents...thx mommy n daddy

Hope those who cant make it can chg their mind last min^^

Digi's COO

Neway with Rueben, Soo Gee, Elaine, and DANIEL SEOW till almost 3am and woke up at 8. Today will be one busy day due to Digi's roadshow infront of my booth and Digi's Chief Operation Officer is coming down here as well. He is so call the no.2 in Digi after CEO. My boss had been busy and nervous bout this day while i remain calm and lazy with a tired face..^^

Wonder how will the COO thinks after he saw today's empty ss15, i think the roadshow will be one big failure(wrong date la bodoh).

Me and Soo Gee's bday celebration is coming soon..my close friends are attending except some...bet it will be Legend..wait for it..wait for it..wait till Saturday la