Griffiths eyes Hibs stay

Leigh Griffiths hopes to secure a permanent move to Scottish Premier League side Hibernian after opening his account in the 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock on Saturday.

The 21-year-old striker has been on loan from Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers since August but the move is due to come to an end in January.
The Scottish-born forward hopes his first goal at Easter Road will secure him a move but he is left playing the waiting game with a possible move back to Wolves in the New Year.
"I've not heard anything about it yet," Griffiths told Hibernian TV.
"I've just got to wait to find out if the new manager wants to keep me. If I manage to impress him enough to keep me then I'd be delighted to stay.
"It has been great being able to spend time with my family and long may it continue."

Bayern to ruin City Euro dream

Manchester City hopes off extending their first Champions League campaign have been rocked by news Bayern Munich will go all out to beat them next month.
The Premier League leaders haven’t been able to mirror their domestic dominance in Europe, Tuesday’s 2-1 reverse at Napoli leaving them in serious trouble in Group A.
Third-placed City now need to beat Bayern at the Etihad Stadium on December 7 and hope Napoli fail to win at bottom side Villarreal, although it doesn’t look good as the Yellow Submarine have sunk to five defeats from five games so far. And any suggestion Bayern would go easy on City - the German giants have already qualified as group winners - were dealt a knee-high tackle by chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
“We are still going to try and win in Manchester,” he said. “First of all, there are points for the five-year ranking at stake, and then there are [$1 million] to the winner. We are not going to give anything away.”
The odds are certainly stacked against City and, should they finish third, they will have to content themselves with the ignominy of a place in the Europa League, Europe’s much-criticised second-tier competition.
However, captain Vincent Kompany insists his big-spending side can still progress to the knockout stages, claiming they’ll prove their worth by advancing from such a tough group. “It is by far the hardest group in the Champions League. It was never going to be easy and always a case of going to the last game,” he said. “I wouldn’t say qualifying is a miracle because all Villarreal need is a draw and Villarreal is a difficult away game.
“We’ve got to focus on our game and try to beat Bayern Munich. But it doesn’t matter what happens, we will have a lot to say in the Champions League or Europa League until the end of the competition.” Midfield enforcer Nigel de Jong echoed his skipper’s sentiments, adding that Napoli’s trip to southern Spain to meet pointless Villarreal is by no means a foregone conclusion.
“We still believe we can get to the next round. We don’t have our fate in our own hands anymore but we’re playing at home which is to our advantage,” the determined Dutch star said. “Let’s hope Villarreal can give us some help.”
Meanwhile, such trivialities don’t bother Bayern, who have set their sights much higher thanks to their brilliant form. Jupp Heynckes’ side, top of the Bundesliga, blew away Villarreal 3-1 at home to make it four wins and a draw in Group A.
And wing wizard Franck Ribery, scorer of two goals on Tuesday, has urged his side to do everything they can to reach the final at their Allianz Arena in May, saying: “I hope that we can play in the final in Munich. That would be a dream. We just have to keep our calm and keep playing so well and not have any fear.”

Plzen jumps ahead BATE in Group H

Marek Bakos scored in the first half on Wednesday as Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 at BATE Borisov in a Champions League match between two teams out of contention for the knockout stages.
Bakos shot into an empty net in the 42nd minute after receiving the ball following Milan Petrzela's run into the box.
Czech Republic club Plzen and BATE of Belarus are fighting for third place in Group H for a spot in the Europa League. Plzen is third, two points ahead of winless BATE with one round left to play.
Plzen hosts AC Milan and and BATE visits Barcelona on Dec. 6.
Barcelona and AC Milan, which are playing in a later match, have already advanced to the knockout phase.

APOEL Nicosia through to knockout stage

APOEL Nicosia has become the first club from Cyprus to qualify for the knockout stages of European football's Champions League.

APOEL, which was formed in a sweet shop 85 years ago, has drawn 0-0 with Zenit St Petersburg in Russia to clinch a place in the knockout stages.

Papac could make Gers return

Rangers defender Sasa Papac could return to the side for Sunday's SPL meeting with Kilmarnock.

The Bosnian stopper missed last weekend's draw with St Johnstone after returning from international duty ill, but may make a swift comeback.

Manager Ally McCoist, though, revealed that Lee Wallace is likely to miss the Killie game due to a bruised thigh.

McCoist told RangersTV: "Both are progressing. Lee has the heamatoma on his thigh from the Dundee United game when he had to come off and Sasa came back unwell from international duty.

"We sent him home last week but he will see the doctor again and I would be hopeful that he could be involved at Kilmarnock.

"I would say that Lee would be another week or so. I am not ruling him out at this early stage but I would say he would be more of a doubt."

Anelka: I'm not leaving

Nicolas Anelka has denied he is set to leave Chelsea in January when the transfer window reopens.

The Times had published an article quoting Anelka as saying his time at Chelsea was drawing to a close and that he was free to leave when the transfer window opened.
But the French striker told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday that he had not spoken to The Times.
The article in Wednesday's publication of the paper claimed Anelka, who is nearing the end of his current contract, was preparing to leave Stamford Bridge after slipping down the pecking order this season under Andre Villas-Boas.

"I'm under contract with Chelsea until the end of the season, with many playing commitments"
Nicolas Anelka 

The Portuguese coach has favoured Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge in leaving Anelka on the sidelines. He has not scored since August and last appeared for Chelsea against Genk in the Champions League on the 1st November.

Messi Credits Teammates and Guardioa for Success

Argentine sensation Lionel Messi has praised his teammates, including the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and manager Pep Guardiola for being instrumental in his success.
“I don’t consider myself the best in the world,” said Messi.
“If I am what they say, I repeat, it is thanks to my team-mates. We have done all this work together.
“I have the great fortune to play with Xavi and Iniesta. They are players that I admire for their class and influence over the game. I have a very good relationship with them. They have become my friends.”
Leo also added that Barcelona’s current team will be remembered for all the trophies they have won under Guardiola.
“I cannot judge the past teams or compare them and say we’re the best team ever, but I think this team will be remembered for all the trophies we have won,” added Messi.
“This side has changed the course of the game and the vision of football and the way it is played. What is certain is that we will become legendary.”
In addition, the former Catalan youth player hailed Guardiola as the ‘best coach in the world’.
“Guardiola really is a phenomenon,” said Messi.
“First, because he has won everything. And then, due to his concern for detail. His way of paying attention to even the most trivial things, is fascinating.
“He leaves nothing to chance. He is without doubt the best coach in the world.”
Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany still remains hopeful that City can challenge for European glory at the end of the season.
City can advance to the knockout stages if and only if they beat Bayern Munich and Villarreal get a result against Napoli.
P.S., Villarreal have lost all five of their games in the “Group of Death”.
“It is by far the hardest group in the Champions League. It was never going to be easy and always a case of going to the last game,” Kompany told skysports.com.
“I wouldn’t say qualifying is a miracle because all Villarreal need is a draw and Villarreal is a difficult away game.
“We’ve got to focus on our game and try to beat Bayern Munich.
“But it doesn’t matter what happens, we will have a lot to say in the Champions League or Europa League until the end of the competition.”
Defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong was much more realistic in his assessment of City’s chances of advancing to the knockout round in the UEFA Champions League.
“We still believe we can get to the next round. We don’t have our fate in our own hands anymore but we’re playing at home which is to our advantage,” said De Jong.
“Let’s hope Villarreal can give us some help.”

Redknapp stunned over Parker swoop

Harry Redknapp was stunned that Tottenham's rivals did not swoop for Scott Parker before he completed the signing of the former West Ham midfielder on deadline day.
Parker was arguably the only player to emerge from the Hammers squad with any credit at the end of last term as they finished bottom of the Barclays Premier League. Despite being linked with a number of top-flight clubs, the 31-year-old began this season at Upton Park.
Redknapp finally persuaded chairman Daniel Levy that Parker was worth the £5million fee Tottenham paid to secure his signature on the last day of the transfer window. He told Spurs TV Online: "When you think about it, he was sitting there all summer. He could have been nicked by anybody. I don't know how somebody else didn't sign him."
He added: "It took three or four months to get him but we got him in the end and we are delighted to have him."
The capture of Parker, and of Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City, delighted Tottenham fans after a tumultuous summer which saw Luka Modric the subject of strong interest from Chelsea.
The Blues made a series of bids for the talented playmaker - the last was thought to be £40million - but chairman Levy refused to sell despite the player himself pushing for a move.
Modric has put in a series of impressive performances since, the most recent coming in Monday's night's win over Aston Villa in which he was man of the match.
The Croatian thought the Tottenham squad had become stale in the summer but has been impressed with the impact the two new signings have made.
"We needed some fresh blood in our team," Modric said. "Scotty and Manu came in. They are great players. They have improved our squad a lot and you can see that on the pitch.
"Now we are in third we have hard games coming up so we just have to keep fighting for each other and keep this momentum up."

Leverkusen Vs Chelsea, Group E Champions League 2011

Click to watch

Mandic Kewell split

Melbourne Victory's season has lurched into another drama, with the news marquee man Harry Kewell has reportedly split with long-time manager Bernie Mandic.
Revealed by The Australian late on Wednesday night, Kewell has parted ways with the agent that had represented the Socceroo since before he joined Leeds United as a teenager in 1995.
Mandic was portrayed as the pantomime villain behind the strung-out negotiations between Kewell and Victory prior to the former Leeds and Liverpool forward's signing in August, and the split is the latest round of drama for the crisis-hit club.
Despite the signing of Kewell and fellow attackers Marco Rojas and Jean Carlos Solorzano, Victory have won just once in seven A-League games this campaign.
The two-time champions sunk to their lowest point of the season when held to a 2-2 draw after leading 2-0 against 10-man Perth Glory on Sunday.

Francis Awaritefe became the first major casualty of the season when he parted ways with the club as director of football on Tuesday, while Victory general manager Richard Wilson has had to fend off doubts over the tenure of Mehmet Durakovic and reports that the coach's leadership had been undermined by assistant Kevin Muscat.
Further muddying the situation at the underperforming club is news that former Argentina international Abel Balbo is reportedly set to become Kewell's personal coach.
Balbo had been linked with technical director-type role with Victory, and is represented by Mandic.
"It's an unusual one … but it's really a matter for Harry at this stage," Wilson told The World Game of Kewell's arrangement with Balbo on Wednesday.
"My understanding is that Harry wants him to be a part of his training programs, regimes and the technical side of things."
"That's fine by the club. We won't stand in any player's way if they want a specific coach, so long as it works in with the existing structures."
Kewell - yet to score for Victory in five matches - missed the clash with Perth due to a hamstring strain suffered while on international duty with Australia, but is expected to be fit for Sunday's clash against Gold Coast United.