Manchester United take seven-goal thriller to top EPL table

By Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) December 2, 2012: Manchester United expanded their lead to three points on top of the table in the Barclays English Premier League 2012-13 on Saturday after winning a seven-goal nail-biting thriller at struggling Reading who put everything on the line.

With all the goal-scoring action confining to first half, the Manchester United showed experience and ability to cope up with the pressure as it was only the fourth match in the history of English Premier League in which the lead changed hands thrice and first time since February 12, 2000.

Reading took the lead through Hal Robson-Kanu and enjoyed the advantage again with Sean Morrison’s header at 3-2 but the Red Devils kept coming at them all the time and not only killed the advantage on both occasions but also took the match winning lead which they defended all second half.

Anderson hit one goal, Wayne Rooney scored a brace while Robin van Persie also chipped in with a goal as Manchester United achieved a classic victory at the Madejski Stadium.

The match saw two contrasting halves as seven goals were scored in the first half but the second part failed to produce even a single one which largely suited Manchester United who have started feeling the confidence on top of the EPL table with three points lead after their rivals Manchester City were held for a 1-1 draw at home to Everton.

The English Premier League 2012-13 title race has become an interesting one because only the top two teams are looking well enough to fight for the honors as Manchester United have 36 points from 15 matches while Manchester City have 33 points. The next three teams are Chelsea FC, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Bromwich Albion all having 26 points each.

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UEFA Champions League last-16 race enters decisive phase

Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 19, 2012: With 15 out of 16 qualification spots available, the top European soccer clubs will give it a full go on Tuesday and Wednesday night across the continent as fans lick their lips for a mouthwatering soccer gala.

Manchester United have already booked their last-16 spot in the UEFA Champions League 2012 while FC Porto and Malaga also did enough to get close to qualification on Matchday 4 but Group H still has a massive fight going on for the qualification as Galatasaray, Cluj, and Braga all three have a valid chance of joining Manchester United in the final 16.

Another big match on Matchday 6 is between defending champions Chelsea FC and Juventus in Group E as the English soccer giants will travel to Juventus Stadium in Turin with their last-16 qualification on the line.

The Group E is also presenting a very confused picture as only point separates the top three teams and any of them can qualify for the knock-out stage on the Matchday 6 but as happens in all the major tournaments in the world one of these two European soccer giants will be knocked out this week.

Chelsea FC are relatively better placed than Juventus but they seem to have lost their galore they exhibited early in the season as they have managed only two points in their last four games in the Barclays English Premier League.

Juventus on the other hand will have to defeat the reigning UEFA Champions after they recorded a 2-2 draw in London. If Juventus beat Chelsea FC then they will have to secure a draw in their final fixture to make sure they book their ticket to Shakhtar Donetsk. However, the Italian soccer giants have also struggled for goals dearly this season as the Serie A leaders were held for a goalless draw with Lazio this weekend.

Both the teams will have to find a way of scoring goals as this is where they will have to rise to the occasion. Chelsea FC have a good news as they will have Juan Mata and Oscar both back in the squad after Roberto Di Matteo rested the duo on Saturday’s EPL action while Belgian striker Eden Hazard has found some form as he struck a brilliant goal against West Bromwich Albion.

The other top game in the Group E on November 20, 2012 (Tuesday) is between Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland where the Ukranian side has recently tasted defeat in their local championship after registering 15 victories on the trot. Shakhtar Donetsk are clear favorites against Nordsjaelland who are still looking for their first victory in the UEFA Champions League.

Interestingly enough, Nordsjaelland could still qualify into the last-16 stage if they record their first victory at the UEFA Champions League and then Chelsea FC defeat Juventus.

Group F will have two matches to be played on Tuesday where BATE Borisov will be up against Lille and the tough Valencia will take on the mighty Bayern Munich.

Valencia need a victory over Bayern Munich to book them a place in the last-16 round and even a draw would be enough if BATE Borisov are held by Lille to a draw.

On the other hand, Bayern Munich are in dire need of a victory in Spain and with BATE Borisov becoming the Belarusian soccer champions for seventh straight season on November 11 things are looking positive for the German giants.

Group G is another complicated group where Benfica are pitted against Celtic and Spartak Moscow will be up against FC Barcelona on Tuesday night.

FC Barcelona probably are the best-placed team in the Group G as all they require is a draw to qualify into the next stage of the UEFA Champions League 2012. Even a loss can’t hurt their chances but in that case they will have to rely on the result in the other match. Celtic, who defeated FC Barcelona in their last outing, also are in good position to qualify as a draw would suffice for them to join Barca in the last-16 stage if they score at least a goal and Barca don’t get defeated.

As far as Benfica are concerned, they are trailing the Celtic by three points and they must record a victory to stay in the hunt before their final round-robin clash against FC Barcelona.

Group H has one spot to be filled as Manchester United have already secured their berth in the final-16. The Red Devils will take on Galatasaray while Cluj will take on Braga on Tuesday night with all the three teams staying in the race to the knockouts.

Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League action also promises great thrill and euphoria for the soccer fans across the globe where FC Porto will take on Dinamo Zagreb and Dynamo Kiev will be up against Paris Saint-Germain in the Group A.

In Group B, Arsenal FC will be playing against Montpellier while Schalke 04 and Olympiakos will battle it out in the second game on Wednesday night.

Arsenal FC will have to defeat Montpellier to keep their chances alive in the competition while Schalke 04 are the best-placed side at the moment as they need only a draw to proceed.

The two matches in the Group C are Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Malaga and Anderlecht vs AC Milan where Malaga are almost certain to finish on top of the table but the rest of the three sides will still battle it out to stay in the hunt.

The Group D matches include Ajax vs Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City vs Real Madrid where Borussia Dortmund, who are leading the group, need only a draw to qualify while Real Madrid will join them if they beat Manchester City and Ajax don’t triumph.

It is important to mention here that the Manchester City have won the last three home matches against Real Madrid and it will be a tough task for Cristiano Ronaldo and company to achieve a victory there.

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Manchester United enter UEFA Champions League last-16 stage

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Manchester United became the first British side through to this season's UEFA Champions League knockout stage after coming from behind to beat rivals Braga 3-1, the official FIFA website reported.

Needing just a point to assure their qualification to the last 16, United fell behind to a penalty from Alan just after half-time, but strikes from Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez ensured the Red Devils maintained their perfect record in this year's competition.

United lead the group on 12 points after four matches, while defeat for Braga leaves them bottom on three points, one behind both Galatasaray and Cluj following the Turkish champions 3-1 win in Romania.

"I think we were all disappointed (we didn't progress from the group stage last year)," said Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs. "It was not good enough and we knew we had to do something about it and we have. Long may it continue."

Alex Ferguson elected to make six changes to the side that defeated Arsenal at the weekend, with Chris Smalling making his first start of the campaign after recovering from a metatarsal injury suffered during pre-season, while Robin van Persie was only named among the substitutes.

Jonny Evans was one of five holdovers from Saturday's victory over the Gunners, but his misjudgement of Douglao's over-hit pass allowed Eder an early chance, the striker sneaking in behind the defence only to see his low effort flash across the face of goal.

More hesitant defending, this time from Smalling, then enabled Ruben Micael to run at United's backline and fire just wide from the edge of the box. With the English giants very much on the back foot, Braga were unfortunate not to take the lead midway through the first half as Eder's diving header cannoned back off the foot of the post.

Alan, who scored twice against United in a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, then forced a smart low save from David de Gea. However, United's resistance was broken four minutes after half-time as Braga were awarded a penalty after Evans blocked off Custodio just inside the box.

Alan stepped up and duly converted for his fourth goal of the group phase. But the game was interrupted only a few minutes later as a generator broke down, leaving the stadium shrouded in darkness and the players ordered back to the changing rooms.

With power restored roughly ten minutes later, play resumed and only a sprawling save from De Gea kept out Nuno Andre Coelho's free-kick.

Braga, winners of their past four ties against English opposition on home soil without conceding a goal in that time, had been relatively untroubled for most of the evening but the introduction of Van Persie for Danny Welbeck proved to be a tactical masterstroke by Ferguson.

The Dutchman capitalised on a rash decision from Beto as he rushed off his line only to be left stranded as Van Persie clipped the ball over the Braga goalkeeper to draw United level with ten minutes remaining.

The visitors then went ahead after Rooney slotted home from the spot after the England striker was felled by Coelho. A late third from Hernandez completed United's turnaround, extending their unbeaten run in Portugal to five matches, leaving Braga to rue their late collapse.

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Manchester United surge to top of English Premier League

Robin Van Persie helps Red Devils stun The Gunners at Old Trafford

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 4, 2012: Robin van Persie piled on the misery for former club Arsenal as Manchester United went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford after Chelsea were held for a 1-1 draw by Swansea City.

Victory in the early kick-off match saw United replace Chelsea in first place and that is where they stayed after the European champions were held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea City later on Saturday. In Manchester, Van Persie needed fewer than three minutes to put United in front before Patrice Evra doubled their lead in the 67th minute.

Arsenal's day got worse when midfielder Jack Wilshere, in only his second game back following a long injury lay-off, was sent off for a second bookable offence after he caught Evra on the ankle. "It was a special day, in the end it was about the game and I think we played well," Van Persie told Sky Sports.

United manager Alex Ferguson praised Van Persie's goal and his all-round performance by saying: "It was an ideal start for the Manchester United cause and it was good for Robin. I thought he was fantastic today. His movement, his penetration was fantastic."

Van Persie, playing against Arsenal for the first time since his £24million pre-season move from the Gunners, wasted little time in giving United the lead.

He struck in the third minute when, after Thomas Vermaelen failed to clear a Rafael cross from the right, he shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. It was the 29-year-old's tenth goal in 13 United appearances.

United should have doubled their lead shortly before half-time when they were awarded a penalty after Santi Cazorla blocked Ashley Young's cross with his arm. But England striker Wayne Rooney saw his spot-kick go well wide of Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone's right post.

However, Evra did make it 2-0 when he headed in a Rooney cross following a short corner. Cazorla pulled a goal back for Arsenal with virtually the last kick of the match, but defeat meant the Gunners were left nine points off the summit just ten games into the season.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side had done themselves few favours in falling 1-0 behind so early in the match. "It was important not to put ourselves in trouble, which is what we did," said Wenger.

"Yes (Wilshere's sending-off) looked harsh from the stand, the second yellow," the Frenchman added. "I think we were a bit unlucky, especially with the penalty decision."

After a goalless first half, Nigeria winger Victor Moses gave Chelsea a 61st-minute lead at the Liberty Stadium with a flick-on following Gary Cahill's header from an Eden Hazard corner. But Pablo Hernandez's equaliser two minutes from time saw the points shared.

"It is a disappointment we weren't able to finish the game off," said Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo. "It is a shame because we scored the goal and held on until two mintues from the end."

Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini scored twice as Everton replaced Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place on goal difference with a 2-2 draw at Fulham. Fulham took a seventh-minute lead when Bryan Ruiz's 25-yard free-kick went in off a combination of post and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

However, Everton equalised through Fellaini in the 55th minute and 17 minutes later he struck a low shot past Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Steve Sidwell, though, rescued a point for Fulham with a late strike.

Wigan Athletic won 1-0 away to Tottenham with Ben Watson scoring the only goal when he shot home from close range following a 56th-minute corner.

Elsewhere, Gabriel Agbonlahor scored for the first time in 29 league games as Aston Villa pulled clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win against a Sunderland side managed by former coach Martin O'Neill.

Meanwhile strugglers Norwich City won 1-0 at home to Stoke City, with Bradley Johnson's header a minute before half-time the difference.

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UEFA Champions League: Manchester United fight back to sink Braga

By Ashley Williams

Chicharito saves the day for Manchester United at Old Trafford

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) October 24, 2012: Manchester United staged an unbelievable comeback on Tuesday night to stun Braga by two goals to three in their Group H match of the UEFA Champions League 2012 played at Old Trafford in Manchester.

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This is the eighth time in last 12 matches that the Manchester United have fought back hard to avoid defeat and they looked all set for an embarrassing defeat in front of home crowd before Mexican Javier Hernandez scored twice to rescue them from a goal down.

With three matches in as many games, the Manchester United are on the brink of knockout stages qualification as they would only require one more game with three points to get there.

However, they will have to return to their best colors as their vulnerable defense was once again exposed brutally by Braga as their skipper Alan put Old Trafford in sheer silence twice in the game.

Skipper of the Portuguese soccer club scored the first goal only 90 seconds after the game started and soon he made it 2-0 to leave Red Devils and their fans in disbelief in the 20^th minute.

It was all going bleak before Javier Hernandez pulled back one just before the half-time whistle and when Jonny Evans equalized just at the stroke of an hour of the match, the Old Trafford returned to life and they started believing yet again.

The Old Trafford turned berserk in the 75^thminute when Chicharito scored his second goal of the night to take his side into lead for the first time in the match and some disciplined word from defenders then stole the victory from the jaws of defeat and Braga at the end of the day.

While Sir Alex Ferguson would be worried with vulnerable defenders but at the same time he has all the reasons to be proud of his strikers as they once again prove their mettle when the chips were down.

Jonny Evans equalizes for Red Devils against Braga

Javier Hernandez led United's unbelievable fightback

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