‘Not here on holiday’: Fellaini hits winner on China debut

Shanghai (AFP) – Marouane Fellaini said that he did not move from Manchester United to China “for a holiday” after scoring the winner on his debut for Shandong Luneng on Friday.

The 31-year-old midfielder was not always popular at Old Trafford because United fans felt his awkward style was not in keeping with the Premier League side’s attacking traditions.

But the Belgian international needed just 50 minutes to make his mark in the Chinese Super League (CSL), taking a touch with his right foot before swivelling and slotting home with his left from just outside the six-yard box.

His poacher’s strike turned out to be the winner in a 1-0 home victory for Shandong over Beijing Renhe in the opening match of the Chinese season.

“It was tough because I was here for just one month and my fitness was not 100 percent,” Fellaini, who spent five-and-a-half turbulent years at United, said. 

“It’s physical, a lot of challenges,” he said of his first impressions of Chinese football, where a growing number of players have moved from Europe in recent years, lured by handsome wages.

“I did not come here for a holiday, so it’s hard,” added Fellaini, who made 177 appearances and scored 22 goals at United before being shipped out last month by caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

“The Chinese league is difficult, it’s new for me so I have to improve and know the game.”

Another former Premier League star, the ex-Southampton forward Graziano Pelle, was involved in the build-up to the goal for Shandong, who finished third in the CSL last season.

Brazilian Oscar, an Asian-record 60-million-euro acquisition from Chelsea two years ago, scored for champions Shanghai SIPG in a ruthless 4-0 derby win at Shanghai Shenhua.

The attacking midfielder was in the thick of it in an incident-packed clash and was on the end of an elbow 20 minutes from time that saw Bai Jiajun sent off for Shenhua.

Oscar punished the hosts minutes later, slotting in SIPG’s third to help get their title defence off to a perfect start.

Mark Clattenburg, the British referee, introduced himself to the CSL by dishing out a red card 26 minutes into Guangzhou Evergrande’s home match with Tianjin Tianhai.

The former Premier League referee, part of Chinese football’s efforts to improve the level of officiating, showed a yellow card to Evergrande’s Zhang Linpeng on 12 minutes.

And Clattenburg brandished a second yellow — leading to a red — 14 minutes later for a reckless challenge by international defender Zhang.

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Germany to host Argentina in repeat of 2014 World Cup final

Berlin (AFP) – Germany will host Argentina in Dortmund on October 9 in a repeat of the 2014 World Cup final, the German Football Association (DFB) announced Friday.

“It was the express wish of the coaching staff to play a friendly against an outstanding team and develop the squad further,” explained DFB president Reinhard Grindel.

No German fans needs reminding that it was Mario Goetze’s goal in extra time which sealed their 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium in July 2014.

That was followed by a 4-2 win for Argentina two months later when the sides last met in a friendly in Duesseldorf.

After Germany’s disastrous World Cup campaign in Russia last year, crashing out after the group stages, the DFB are keen to test their new-look squad.

“On our way back to being one of the top sides, it’s important to compete with the best teams in the world and we look forward to an international match against Argentina,” said Germany’s team director Oliver Bierhoff.

Germany will start their 2019 fixtures with a friendly against Serbia in Wolfsburg on March 20, followed by a Euro 2020 qualifier against the Netherlands in Amsterdam four days later.

“At the moment, the focus is on qualifying for the European championships, we want to get off to a good start to the year against Serbia in Wolfsburg,” Bierhoff added.

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Schneider’s Schalke switch catches Leipzig’s Rangnick off guard

Berlin (AFP) – RB Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick admits the sudden departure of Jochen Schneider to be head of sports at Bundesliga rivals Schalke caught him by surprise.

Schneider quit Leipzig to move to Gelsenkirchen-based Schalke on Tuesday after predecessor Christian Heidel resigned when last Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing by Mainz left the Royal Blues with 12 defeats in 23 league games this season.

Rangnick is both sports director and head coach at Leipzig, so Schneider’s sudden decision to quit left him without a key member of staff.

“It hit me and the club very hard and unexpectedly,” said Rangnick on Friday ahead of Leipzig’s match at bottom side Nuremberg on Saturday.

Leipzig are fourth in the Bundesliga, on course for the Champions League next season, while Schalke are just seven points from the relgation places.

The Royal Blues are enduring one of the worst seasons in the club’s history, but Rangnick said he understood Schneider’s decision.

The 60-year-old Rangnick first got wind of Schneider’s wish to leave on Saturday, but after Leipzig’s 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim on Monday, it was clear he was going.

“He told me that he really wanted to go – he was an ardent Schalke fan as a boy,” said Rangnick, who has twice been head coach of Schalke.

“So I could totally understand it, when you get a chance like that, you can’t deny someone that.”

Rangnick says Schneider’s responsibilities will be shared amongst Leipzig’s coaching staff and they hope to permanently fill the job once the season has finished.

“We’ve decided to cover that with the existing staff, so I’m sure a bit more work will come my way,” said Rangnick.

“We’ll do it for the next two to three months,” he said.

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Top 5 must-see soccer games on US TV this weekend

This set of games. What a weekend it’ll be.

There’s a ton of massive encounters to come over the next couple of days, with local pride and the pursuit of trophies the underlying themes in our quintet.

In Spain, Italy, England and Germany there are fixtures that would otherwise highlight the weekend. And they’re all scheduled perfectly, for good measure.

All kickoffs are in Eastern time. Enjoy your weekend and enjoy the games!

 

Tottenham vs. Arsenal

Saturday, March 2, 7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN, Universo, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

A week ago this match looked like it may have connotations regarding the possible destination of the Premier League title. Instead, Tottenham gear up for this showdown with north London rivals Arsenal seeking to keep their campaign from spiralling out of control.

After losing to Burnley in surprise circumstances on Saturday, Spurs slipped up again against Chelsea on Wednesday, ending a title challenge that frequently rekindled throughout the season once and for all. Now their focus must be on steadying the ship domestically and then going as far as they can in the Champions League.

The worry for manager Mauricio Pochettino is they face an Arsenal team that have been enjoying a brilliant run of form as of late. In midweek the Gunners produced their best performance of 2019, as they cruised to a 5-1 win over Bournemouth; after pulling the strings in that victory, it will be intriguing to see if Mesut Ozil is involved at Wembley on Saturday.

Should Arsenal win here they would be just three points behind their local enemies, which would trigger nervousness among Spurs supporters. Still, despite some recent woes away from home this week, at Wembley Pochettino’s side remain a tough outfit to get the better of.

 

Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Bayern Munich

Saturday, March 2, 12:30 p.m. ET, FS2, FOX Deportes, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

In Germany, we are currently seeing one of the most absorbing title races in years. On Saturday, third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach welcome second-placed Bayern Munich to Borussia Park.

While BMG aren’t realistic contenders to win the league at this juncture, they are set to have a say in where the Bundesliga title will end up. On home soil, they are especially strong, with nine wins from their 11 games in front of their own fans. In Alassane Plea and Thorgan Hazard, they have the attacking players to cause even the best sides in the league problems.

With Borussia Dortmund, who have a two-point lead at the top, playing at a struggling Augsburg on Friday, the Munich giants may find themselves five points back on the leaders come kickoff. Manager Nico Kovac will at least be encouraged by the manner in which his team has slipped back into a winning groove lately, though.

If Bayern are going to rope in Dortmund before the end of the season it’s these types of games they must emerge from unscathed. They may not be at full tilt yet, but the winning mentality and experience still bristling in this team has surfaced again lately.

 

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Saturday, March 2, 2:45 p.m. ET, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Espanol, Sling Latino, Sling World Sports, Fanatiz and fubo (free trial)

For the second time in four days the Santiago Bernabeu will play host to the biggest game in club football, as Real Madrid will welcome Barcelona in La Liga.

On Wednesday, the Blaugrana were not at their best for long spells when the sides went head-to-head. However, in the second half Luis Suarez was able to showcase razor-sharp instincts in front of goal, as he netted twice either side of an own goal from Raphael Varane to send Barcelona into the Copa del Rey final.

Saturday will see the attentions of both sides turn back to La Liga and for Real Madrid nothing but a win will be enough to keep their title hopes alive. Going into this encounter Los Blancos are down in third place, nine points behind table-toppers Barcelona.

For Barcelona, getting a cushion at the summit of the table would be ideal as they look to make progress in the Champions League in the coming weeks. Another win at the expense of their rivals in such quick succession would be a perfect springboard for the team as they enter the business end of the campaign.

 

Everton vs. Liverpool

Sunday, March 3, 11:15 a.m. ET, NBCSN, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

Everton will be out to derail the title charge of their local rivals Liverpool on Sunday in the Merseyside derby.

A 5-0 hammering of Watford in midweek saw spirits lifted at Anfield following the frustrating draw with Manchester United on Sunday. That means Liverpool head into this vital weekend a point clear of Manchester City, who have the chance to go back to the top of the table when they face Bournemouth away from home on Saturday.

As for Everton, a run of three defeats in succession was ended on Tuesday when the Toffees produced a professional display at Cardiff City, winning 3-0. Marco Silva has been under pressure at times this term and will be well aware a first derby win in nine years would earn a lot of favour among supporters.

Still, the Toffees haven’t been the same since the previous meeting between the two, when a 96th-minute winner from Divock Origi in bizarre circumstances won it for the Reds in December. Against a team that have still lost only once in the Premier League this season, it’ll be a tough afternoon for Everton.

 

Napoli vs. Juventus

Sunday, March 3, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (7-day free trial)

There doesn’t appear to be much hope of a genuine title race in Italy regardless of what happens on Sunday in Naples. Still, a showdown between chasers Napoli and challengers Juventus is a tremendous way to round off the weekend.

Juventus may have a 13-point lead at the top of the Serie A table, yet all hasn’t been rosy for manager Massimiliano Allegri and his players. Following the 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, a battling 1-0 win away at Bologna did little to earn any favour back for this team.

Additionally, they may be without Cristiano Ronaldo for this encounter, as the Portuguese is an injury worry. While some facets of the Juventus side haven’t flourished to full effect at times this season, Ronaldo has remained potent and decisive at the top end of the pitch, with 19 goals in the top flight this term.

Napoli go into this one in good spirits and secure in second place, with Inter Milan nine points back on them. It means Carlo Ancelotti’s side can approach this one with an attacking mindset and that should make for a fascinating fixture.

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Mesut Özil deserves to keep starting place at Arsenal

The perceived standoff between head coach Unai Emery and playmaker Mesut Özil has certainly been one of the biggest talking points of Arsenal’s current campaign. Özil, the club’s highest-paid player by quite some margin, has managed just 14 Premier League starts so far this season. Though the former World Cup winner has endured a few minor injuries throughout the season, Emery has also left him out of the squad due to “tactical” reasons.

These tactical reasons and lack of trust in Özil seemingly stem from effort/intensity concerns with the player. The former Real Madrid star has faced criticism for his playing style for years. Though his visually relaxed approach on the pitch is not everyone’s cup of tea, no one can deny Özil’s ability to create goal-scoring chances for his teammates. Few Premier League players, if any, do it better.

Regardless of his demeanor, Özil is an important piece to the Arsenal puzzle. The Gunners are clearly a more dynamic team with the German in the starting XI. Despite only making 14 league starts, Özil still leads his team in key passes (30). Arsenal as a team is also averaging just above two goals per league game when the German is in the starting lineup. And it’s not just scoring goals either, the north London outfit has not lost a match in all competitions with Özil in the starting XI in over six months (14 total matches).

SEE MORE: Schedule of Arsenal games on US TV and streaming

With his style even more under the microscope as of late, Özil has stepped it up. The creative connoisseur has not only racked up seven key passes in his last three Premier League games, but he also has eight attempted tackles as well (193 total minutes). The eight tackle attempts are double what he previously accumulated in his previous six league matches. Though he did not become the highest-paid player in the team by making tackles, a more active role on the pitch should make Emery happy.

Following Arsenal’s 5-1 dismantling of Bournemouth on Wednesday, a game in which Özil had a goal & an assist, Emery praised his playmaker. When asked about Özil’s performance during his post-match interview, the head coach replied with “Good.” The Spaniard went on to say, “I think he’s happier with us. I am now also very proud of players and the same with Mesut. He helped us with his quality and his work also to organize and play in different systems.”

With both Emery and Özil apparently happy at the moment, it will be interesting to see if the head coach trusts his star player for the upcoming massive match away to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The German has proved his worth as of late; however, Emery has not given him an away start since Boxing Day.

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Solskjaer hopeful De Gea will sign new Man Utd deal

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is confident that Manchester United will be able to retain the services of David de Gea, the man he rates as the best goalkeeper in the world.

But the future of captain Antonio Valencia is less clear with the club apparently poised not to trigger a contract extension for the long-serving Ecuadorian.

United did take up an option to extend De Gea’s current deal to 2020 this season.

However, reports suggest the Spaniard is holding out for an offer at least on a par with Alexis Sanchez as United’s highest paid player having won the club’s player of the year for four of the past five seasons.

Solskjaer is optimistic that United will take care of the business before running the risk of losing De Gea for a cut-price at the end of the season or on a free transfer next summer.

“There are no updates from me, the club and David are in dialogue, hopefully they’ll agree, it’s out of my hands but I’m sure we’ll do what we can,” said Solskjaer.

“He’s been player of the year I don’t know how many years, four or five, we’re grateful to have him.”

Solskjaer would not be drawn on ranking De Gea alongside his former teammates Edwin van der Sar or Peter Schmeichel from his playing days but clearly feels that United’s number one is worthy of comparison with the club’s best ever.

“It’s difficult to compare them but Edwin and Peter were never player of the year,” he said.

“David’s meant so many points for us over the years and I would say he’s the best goalkeeper in the world, Peter was at the time and Edwin at the time as well.

“I’m delighted with David and his personality is fantastic. Such a humble and confident boy.”

The future looks less rosy for Valencia, currently struggling with a debilitating calf injury, the latest in a long list of fitness problems that have limited him to one league start in the past five months.

The 33-year-old full-back, who will have been a United player for 10 years this June, is out of contract this summer and it appears that the club will not activate the one-year option that could keep him at Old Trafford for an additional 12 months.

That deadline was due to expire at 5pm on Friday, but Solskjaer has not ruled out Valencia remaining at Old Trafford if he can prove his fitness over the final weeks of the season.

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Russia resumes after winter recess

Moscow (AFP) – The Russian Premier League returns from its three month winter hibernation this weekend with leaders Zenit St Peterburg resuming their push for a fifth title at Ural Yekaterinburg.

Zenit top the table with 34 points from 17 matches, just one point clear of Krasnodar, while CSKA Moscow sit third, three points further back.

Zenit have already shaken off some of the winter cobwebs as they overcame a one-goal deficit to beat Turkish giants Fenerbahce 3-2 on aggregate in the Europa League round of 32.

“It was a very difficult game,” manager Sergei Semak said. “It was really hard to play after a long winter pause.

“We still have plenty of work to do to gain top form. We also need to keep ourselves fully concentrated to avoid any unnecessary points losses that may become costly at the end of the season.”

Krasnodar, who joined Zenit in the Europa League last 16 with a 1-1 draw at German high-flyers Bayer Leverkusen after a goalless first leg at home, will have their title aspirations tested at Spartak Moscow.

“We played very disciplined football at Leverkusen and it paid off,” Krasnodar head coach Murad Musayev said.

“We deserved that result as we worked really hard to achieve it. 

“But we have no time to relax as we need to prepare for the match with Spartak. And we’re all set to show our best in Moscow.”

Spartak will be missing a sizeable chunk of supporters on Sunday after the Premier League’s disciplinary panel ordered them to close the B stand of Spartak’s Otkrytie arena — the nest for the club’s most passionate fans — for the match.

The closure is punishment for outbreaks of racism at the home match with reigning champions Lokomotiv.

Spartak fans’ association has called the league’s verdict a “discriminatory restriction” and are boycotting the game in protest. 

Spartak manager Oleg Kononov, who succeeded Massimo Carrera after the Italian coach was sacked in October, said he was upset by the fans’ decision.

“It’s a pity, but we cannot change anything in this situation,” he said. “But we will play with all our strength anyway. We’re still in the race for the title and we need to earn points in every match that we play.”

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Friday

Orenburg v Anzhi Makhachkala (1330)

Saturday

Ural Yekaterinburg v Zenit St Petersburg (0830), Arsenal Tula v CSKA Moscow (1100), Lokomotiv Moscow v Samara (1330), Rubin Kazan v Akhmat Grozny (1600)

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