#The US Open (Tennis)‬, ‪Roger Federer‬, ‪Juan Martín del Potro‬, ‪Rafael Nadal‬, ‪Dominic Thie

U.S. Open 2017: Juan Martin del Potro upsets Roger Federer to reach semis

September 7, 2017 12:55am EDT September 6, 2017 11:59pm EDT Tennis, ATP, News, Grand Slams, US Open, English, Juan Martin del Potro, Roger Federer, ATP World Tour In a rematch of the 2009 U.S. Open final, Juan Martin del Potro trumped third seed Roger Federer in their quarter-final.

2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro (Getty Images)

Sacha Pisani

Published on Sep. 6, 2017 | Updated on Sep. 7, 2017

Fans hoping for a Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal U.S. Open semifinal were left somewhat disappointed after 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro upstaged the 19-time grand slam winner in four absorbing sets.
After Nadal blitzed teenager Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, supporters from across the world were dreaming of another epic showdown against fellow icon Federer in the final four at Flushing Meadows.
However, 24th seed Del Potro did not read the script as he prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 in a rematch of the 2009 U.S. Open decider, in which he trumped Federer eight years ago.
Federer showed flashes of his brilliance but not often enough on Wednesday, while the third seed was wasteful, especially in the third set – failing to convert four set points as Del Potro reached the U.S. Open semis for just the second time.
With Golden State Warriors and NBA championship-winning head coach Steve Kerr watching on from the Arthur Ashe stands, it was a case of Federer and Del Potro feeling each other out during the early exchanges
But as the set wore on, Del Potro grew in confidence and so did his power as he fired some unplayable shots past the silky Federer.
And it proved decisive as Del Potro claimed the all-important break in the 11th game before serving out the set amid a chorus of chants reminiscent of a soccer match.
As is the case with Federer, you can never take your lead and position for granted, and the Swiss maestro proved that again in the second set.
After bringing up a break point in the second game, Federer finally broke through in the fourth before consolidating for a 4-1 advantage to wrestle the momentum back from the big-hitting Argentinean.
Battling illness heading into the quarterfinal clash, there were concerns for Del Potro when he called for the doctor at the end of the second set.
But just like in the first set, when Federer double-faulted to be broken, Del Potro benefited from another service error to take a 2-0 lead, and he stayed ahead until the former put the set back on serve in the eighth game.
The set went to a tie-break and Federer looked poised to take a two-sets-to-one lead, but Del Potro saved four set points as he stunned his opponent and the crowd.
Facing elimination in the fourth set, Federer was uncharacteristically wayward and error-prone, in the fifth game particularly.
While Federer rallied from 15-40 down, he fired a routine smash into the net as Del Potro broke for a decisive 3-2 lead and it proved a mountain too high for the former, whose quest for a sixth U.S. Open title came to an end. 
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Del Potro [24] bt Federer [3] 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Federer - 60/41
Del Potro - 48/32
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Federer - 17/5
Del Potro - 12/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Federer - 3/6
Del Potro - 2/3
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE
Federer - 61
Del Potro - 67
PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE
Federer - 73/57
Del Potro - 81/51
TOTAL POINTS
Federer - 125
Del Potro - 131

#WFAN’s Craig Carton charged on Ponzi scheme, court papers say

WFAN sports-talk celebrity Craig Carton was arrested Wednesday and charged with a securities and wire fraud conspiracy in Manhattan federal court in a case involving an alleged multimillion-dollar discount-ticket Ponzi scheme used to pay casino debts.
Carton, who hosts a morning talk show with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, and co-defendant Michael Wright lured investors by falsely claiming they had arrangements with promoters and entertainers to get discounted tickets for resale at a profit, prosecutors alleged.

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But in fact, according to a criminal complaint, Carton and Wright had no such arrangement, and used the funds they raised to pay personal debts and to repay prior investors in the scheme.

See alsoRead the complaint

The government said the scheme also involved an unnamed co-conspirator, referred to as “CC-1,” who is currently charged in Manhattan in a similar ticket reselling scheme. A separate Securities and Exchange Commission complaint filed Wednesday suggested CC-1 was Joseph Meli, a New York man who was charged criminally in January.
The SEC complaint said Carton, Meli and five corporate entities controlled by Carton began the ticket reselling scheme in mid-2016 when Carton had accrued millions in gambling debts to casinos and others individuals.
Carton, the SEC said, used fake agreements for discounted blocks of tickets from artists such as Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Roger Waters, Metallica and Barbra Streisand to lure investors, with Carton alone ripping off $2 million from one investor and Carton and Meli together ripping off $3.6 million from two investors.

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The criminal complaint quoted from emails in which “CC-1,” Wright and Carton discussed cleaning up debts of $1 million, and Wright listed one option as, “Run to Costa Rica, change name and start life all over again” and added, “May not be an option.”
The complaint also quoted emails discussing Carton’s negotiation of $10 million revolving loan fund with a hedge fund in which he used phony purported agreements with a concert promotion company to close the deal, and the men discussed using the loan to repay debts instead of buying tickets.

MediaRead the complaint

When the first payment of $700,000 on the deal was wired to the three, Carton wired $200,000 to a casino and wired another $500,000 to an individual who had loaned him money.

@NewsdaySports

They later got the hedge fund to provide an additional $1.9 million, and then had the fund wire $2 million to a sports and entertainment company for tickets — only to then tell the company the money had been wired in error, and have them redirect it to the conspirators.
From there, prosecutors said, $966,000 went to Wright’s bank account and $700,000 to Carton, which he used to pay debts to casinos.
“Craig Carton and Michael Wright deceived investors and raised millions of dollars through misrepresentation and outright lies,” said Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon Kim. “ . . . Behind all the talk, the Wright and Carton show was just a sham designed to fleece investors.”
Carton, 48, of New York City, and Wright, 41, of Upper Saddle River, N.J., both face up to 45 years in prison. They are expected to appear in court later Wednesday.
CBS Radio, the parent company of WFAN, issued a statement that read, “We are aware of the situation and are cooperating with authorities.”

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Before coming to WFAN, Carton made a name for himself at a station in central New Jersey.
The show has been a morning staple on WFAN since 2007.
Esiason addressed the situation on Wednesday’s show.
“I am aware now why Craig is not here this morning. Unfortunately, he was arrested this morning,” Esiason said. “Over here at the station they’re aware of it as well. They’re cooperating with authorities. I’m taken aback by it and surprised, just like I’m sure everybody else is. I have no other information. There’s nothing else I can say . . .
“So I guess there will be more news to come, I’m sure, from somewhere, but it’s not going to come from me, because I don’t have any. That’s all there is about that. Not easy.”

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Carton and Esiason consistently have rated No. 1 in the New York market among men ages 25 to 54, the key demographic by which sports radio stations measure their success.
Monday was the 10th anniversary of their first show together, as the replacement for the long-running “Imus in the Morning.” Carton noted at the start of Tuesday’s show that it marked the beginning of their 11th year together.
With Neil Best

Football for these Indian women is more than a game; it's an inspiring social movement

When Saba, Afreen, Farheen and Jyoti, Neetu, Disha, or Anita, Dzongro, Jalpana started playing football in different parts of the country, miles apart, and at different points in time across the past decade, their initial trouble surfaced not from the obvious dismissal that girls don’t play football. Rather, they materialised, quite surprisingly, from a piteous lack of space for girls to play their sports. If one imagines that they found a level playing field to start with, the reality couldn’t be further from it. Wherever they went to kick the ball around, just for the fun of it, they were harassed, hassled, ousted, driven away. Repeatedly.
Their experiences sounded so pathetically similar every time I heard them.
Mulla Afreen Ameer Khan from Mumbra, Jyoti Burrett from Delhi,  Jalpana Paul from Malkangiri, Jaspreet Kaur from Punjab — all had a different version of the same story.
“It’s so easy for the boys to play anywhere... on the streets, on the local open grounds or municipality areas. For girls, it becomes a fight!” said Farheen Naaz Ansari. “Why do you need to play? Why should you come out in the open with no appropriate purpose? Go help your mother in the housework! Go study if at all. There’s not a single girl who hasn’t heard these from well wishing elders — strangers or not,” added Afreen.
Others from their team agreed. These girls, around 40 of them from in and around Mumbra, Maharashtra, got together to float the Parcham Collective in 2012, a platform that recognized their rights and desire to play football. They played despite the ogling and whistling from the local men. Often their brothers would drag them home and the parents would lock them up — fed up by the humiliation and neighbourhood tongue-wagging, but the girls managed to run free every time, all for the love of the sport.

Afreen, Farheen and the team. Photo courtesy Swati Sanyal Tarafdar

Finally, they decided to go around their communities, meeting elders, convincing, seeking approval and support, on behalf of every girl, to play the sport. And once they got some sanction, the group of volunteers has not stopped at playing football. They worked hard to propel themselves to move forward, develop other life skills, acquiring leadership traits, picking up various relevant proficiencies, and developing their lot in every possible way. They read, practised various other forms of arts, and sports, and strove to become better at living. “Mumbra is now proud of its women's football team and not as a hub of (the) socially unwanted,” quips Saba Khan, Founder-Board Member, Parcham.
“We were not trying to achieve anything! We just wanted to play together — all the girls. Once or twice a week, and purely for recreational purposes,” said Jyoti Burrett, remembering the days when they had been humiliated and hassled for playing uninvited, unwelcomed in the open municipality grounds. Then started their battle to reserve a common available space so that football time for girls coming from different, far-flung parts of Delhi wasn't wasted. “Girls came from Noida, Gurgaon, and every part of Delhi and many came against their parents' wish, traveling for long hours. It hurt to waste time on conflicts and persuasion and not actually playing,” Jyoti recalled. This was from a time when this Delhi girl, who is now a part of the Indian Women’s Football team playing internationally, hadn’t yet become one of the faces of Nike’s 'Da Da Ding' video. This was from the time that she and her team were representing the state at national events.
Jyoti and the girls got the Delhi Women’s Football Players Welfare Association registered during their existential struggle, and finally found space at a municipality school playground near Sarojini Nagar Market area where girls could play six days a week. A couple of years ago, the district collector of the Thane Municipal Committee awarded Parcham a reserved ground where they can practise with dignity. It's a different story that the piece of land is still tied up in a bureaucratic tangle.
Navaneeta and Jalpana walk a different route in this world of discrimination and non-inclusivity. Seventeen-year-old Navaneeta discovered her talent and love for football three years ago when she joined Dream a Dream, a social endeavour to train and empower children from vulnerable backgrounds, in Bengaluru. Today, she trains her own team of neglected, less privileged children who find solace in sports. She has represented India at several international events and festivals as a leader and sportsperson but understands that working for herself is a selfish thing to do given the circumstances all around. So she works hard on training her bunch of youngsters to play better, play fiercer, and fight for their rights at every quarter.
Jalpana Paul never had a professional trainer in her 27 years. She learned to play cricket by watching the Indian team on television. She made her own gym equipment by hammering blocks of wood on branches or planks or by tying bricks to bamboo shafts. Soon she was training the children in her Maoist-infested Malkangiri village, on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border. In 2009, she won the CNN IBN Real Heroes Award. She teaches at a government school because she needs the money to run her home as well as to buy equipment for the children of the neighbouring villages where she trains youngsters in cricket, football, volleyball and more. Three of her students are already playing volleyball at national championships, she claims. She dreams of more.
Though they do not know each other, Jalpana sounds uncannily like Navaneeta when she says, “I don’t look at myself any longer; I have only one goal, only one dream ahead of me — that is to make sports a part of life for all the girls in my region. To remove this taboo that girls can’t or shouldn’t play. They should not have to fight society to play any sport; and they should have all the facilities and training to become sportspersons, for fun or for livelihood. I’m working to achieve that for my village, my state.” A gritty Jalpana bikes her way through the hilly terrain of remote Malkangiri despite threats of bodily harm from village goons.

Jyoti's team, at the start of a match. Photo courtesy Swati Sanyal Tarafdar

Hence, it was an epiphany of sorts when Afreen and Farheen, Jalpana and Navaneeta, met Jyoti and her team, and other participants from Punjab, West Bengal, Uttaranchal, Goa, and elsewhere in Mapusa, Goa. They were there as a part of the Our Bodies Our Rights Our Game festival organised by Discover Football, Berlin, over 5-13 August. Not only do they became aware that their struggle is not a lone one, but universal, they get to hear the organisers and international coaches unabashedly share their own experiences, learn formally about women’s rights and how to gift themselves a voice. For probably the first time, these girls were told they have equal rights to play, and it’s their responsibility to take care of their health and bodies. They were told that they have the right to be safe and it’s their responsibility to make the most of whatever opportunity they can grab. They had been doing things all these while instinctively; here they just learned how to call a spade a spade. They picked up some social media skills and some life skills that will enable them to raise their voices when needed. All this, along with some football from eight reputed international women coaches, who in their turn, have worked through obstacles, across communities, to instill confidence, raise awareness around health, sanitation, reproductive rights, HIV/AIDS, and more.
To look at these girls is to realise that despite their grit, despite their passion for sport, despite their ambition for freedom, sports is not just a recreation for them. It’s not just fun and play; there’s a far-reaching social impact, a responsibility that sits heavy on their shoulders. Not only should they prove their own worth, they should also pave the road for the future players. Awe-inspiring, to say the least.

IAAF World Athletics Championships 2017: Peerless Caster Semenya takes 800m gold with sensational final thrust

Once the Bolt mania was over, one could look forward to a race where an upset was almost impossible. It could have happened, if someone had bull-dozed Caster Semenya or sent her to the wrong stadium. But for almost 40 seconds in the latter part of the second lap, you couldn't be faulted for thinking, Gosh! It might happen.
Since the second half of 2015 and after the Rio Olympics, Semenya hasn’t lost an 800 metres race. Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba did some excellent front running. But when you have Semenya somewhere at the back, 3-4 runners behind, you kind of feel more terrified. She can either come from the right or the left, you don’t know and just when you think and feel and see that finish line like a prison boundary wall, Caster go past you like a Ferrari.

Caster Semenya celebrates after winning the final of the women's 800 metres event. AFP

Semenya doesn’t like front running. She waits, waits till the last minute, till the ones in front kind of become comfortable and then she pushes the pace. But thanks to Niyonsaba's early pace, Semenya's time of 1:55.16 was the fastest this year. Niyonsaba’s first 200 metres was a fiery 27.08 but by the time the lap was done, the pace had lessened. With the bell going, the front runners were Niyonsaba, Ajee Wilson and Kenya’s Olympic bronze medallist Margaret Wambui. At the fourth spot was Britain’s Lynsey Sharp. Caster sat at fifth, running comfortably.
With 250 metres left, the pace increased. Niyonsaba was pushing everybody out of their comfort zone, trying to gauge who would make their move. And the moment, the others felt that they had pulled the ace out of their packs, Caster made her move. Wambui didn’t last while Caster moved clear of the others and in the last ten metres, she ran away with the gold. Wilson took the bronze and Niyonsaba the silver.
Semenya later praised the fans: “I just love you guys,” she said over the stadium speakers. “It feels like home in London. There are such fantastic people here. Beautiful. I'm lucky to have a great support team who work with me. Full credit to them. Another world title is a fantastic honour for me and I love to do it here in London. The crowd are so welcoming to me and it makes it feel even more special.”
Niyonsaba paid tribute to Semenya, “I am very emotional now. I congratulate Caster Semenya. I would like to beat her. Everything is possible.”
After a very slow pace in the initial part of the women's 5,000 metres, Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana cut loose. The fourth lap was a fast 65.57, followed by 66.21 for the fifth lap. Yet, it didn’t break down Kenya’s Hellen Onsando Obiri who stuck to her heels while the rest got left behind and ran a different race. There were more 68-second laps but Obiri was holding her own. Ayana sensed her back constantly.
On the last lap, with around 300 metres to go, Obiri with a little more gas in the tank, streaked ahead and didn’t stop. The Kenyan crossed the line in 14:34.87 to secure her first big title.
“I was telling myself to go. I could see Ayana was not going so I thought, ‘why not?’ So I said, ‘go’. I am mentally strong so I knew I was capable,” said Obiri. “When I crossed the line I was extremely happy, and just wanted to celebrate. All my emotions came out. I wanted the 5,000 metres gold a lot.”
The initial lead helped Ayana keep the fast-finishing Sifan Hassan away. "Compared to Rio this is a bigger achievement,” she said. “I’ve had many injuries this year so I am very happy with two medals. I have been injured for the whole season and haven't been able to get over it. The pain came back after the 10,000m. I did my best today but Hellen was too good at finishing.”
In the 1500 metres, it looked like a 1-2-3 for Kenya. They were strong initially and set quite a pace for the others. Timothy Cheruiyot was the early leader and along with Elijah Motonei Manangoi they sped through the first lap with Great Britain's Chris O’Hare and Czech Republic’s Jakub Holusa on their heels. Asbel Kiprop, winner of the last three titles moved into third place with only two laps to go.
Meanwhile, Norway’s Filip Ingebrigtsen moved ahead and joined the Kenyan’s. On the last lap, Spain’s Adel Mechaal and Bahrain’s Sadik Mikhou also made their bids. Suddenly the race was open. Cheruiyot and Manangoi held onto the first two places. Kiprop couldn’t take the pace. Ingebrigtsen now in third place didn’t have enough to push for the top two as the Kenyans crossed the line with Manangoi taking gold in 3:33.61 followed by Cheruiyot.
“It was such a good race and I’m so pleased to be a world champion,” said Manangoi. “I had a difficult race as Timothy raced very well, but I had that extra strength.”
Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim was unbeaten in six competitions plus he had seven of the eight best clearances in the world and true to reputation and form he won the high jump title for Qatar. Barshim sealed the gold with his first attempts at 2.20 metres, 2.25 metres, 2.29 metres, 2.32 metres and 2.35 metres. This was Barshim’s first World Championship gold after silver in 2013 and a fourth place in the last championships in Beijing.
Finally, gold went to a Member of Parliament when Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic threw the discus to 69.30 metres and then improved it to 70.31 metres on her second attempt with another two throws of 70.28 metres and 69.81 metres. It was her fourth title in five global championships – gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. "I won my first Olympic gold here and now I have won world championship gold here," said Perkovic.

Usain Bolt does his trademark gesture as he takes part in a lap of honour on the finalday of the 2017 IAAF World Championships. AFP

American Allyson Felix does fly below the radar. With two gold medals in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays – as well as her 400 metres bronze – here in London, Felix has now won 16 World Championships medals, surpassing the previous record of 14 shared by Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey. She later said, "It does mean so much to me every time. I'm grateful to run with these amazing girls. They work so hard and deserve all their success. It's an honour to run in the relay for Team USA and I will always treasure these moments."
Felix plans to run till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But would prefer a quiet sending off. Though she was extremely happy that Bolt got such a brilliant send-off. "It was really neat to see that for him, see the appreciation people have for what he’s done,” said Felix, who has nine Olympic medals, including six golds, to go with her record haul from World Championships. "Sometimes, you take it for granted. There’s so much work that comes into this, and to be consistent over the years, sometimes that gets lost. It’s cool to see people appreciate it."
Usain Bolt after the shock injury in the relay spoke to the media one last time at the World Championships, a 15-minute chat after a last lap of honour in the Olympic Stadium. With the loss in the 100 metres and the injury in the relay, Bolt made it very clear that he didn’t regret coming here for the World Championships.
"No, I’m fine. My fans wanted to see me compete for one more year. Without them, I wouldn’t have accomplished everything over the years. If I could come out here and give the fans a show, that’s fine with me. That’s all I wanted. One championship doesn’t change what I’ve done. After losing the 100 metres someone said to me, 'Muhammad Ali lost his last fight so don’t be too stressed'. I have shown my credentials throughout my career so losing my last race isn’t going to change what I’ve done in my sport," Bolt said.
On a future comeback, Bolt ruled it out completely. "No, I’ve seen too many people return and come back to sport and shame themselves. I won’t be one of those."

Premier League: Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says he can't influence Philippe Coutinho's decision

London: Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson admitted that he is powerless to influence Philippe Coutinho's thinking, after the Brazilian reportedly submitted a transfer request on Friday.

File image of Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho. Image courtesy: Twitter @LFC

Jurgen Klopp's men are in Germany ahead of Tuesday's first leg of their Champions League play-off against Hoffenheim and Coutinho, who has a back injury, did not travel with the squad.
"It is obviously a difficult situation for Phil. Whatever I say will not help the situation but as players, we are fully focused on the game," Henderson told an eve-of-game press conference.
"As players, you expect things in the transfer window to happen and players come and go.
"Of course, if you ask everyone, they want Phil to stay as he is a world-class player. I have had conversations with Phil, it is private, (but) I don't think I can influence the situation.
"I am close to him and I have a lot of respect for him, but everything that happens is nothing to do with me."
Klopp, who insisted that he would not think about Coutinho while the player is unfit to play, returns to his home country, where he built his career during spells in charge of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
The Reds coach insisted that it would be a tricky encounter for his side, against a Hoffenheim outfit led by the impressive Julian Nagelsmann, who became the Bundesliga's youngest-ever coach last year at the age of 28.
"I'm delighted for my agent," smiled Klopp, who shares an agent with Nagelsmann.
"I'm growing older, I'm an old horse, he's young. He plays very good football and is a good example of a young and promising coach in Germany."
Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino, arguably Liverpool's key player without his compatriot Coutinho, is back at the Rhein-Neckar Arena, where he played for four and a half seasons.
Right-back Nathaniel Clyne, midfielder Adam Lallana and striker Daniel Sturridge are all also injured and did not make the trip.

Champions League play-offs: Liverpool take on Hoffeheim in Germany, Celtic face Astana

Paris: Jurgen Klopp takes his Liverpool side to his native Germany this week to face Hoffenheim as they target a return to the group stage of the Champions League.
It is three years since the Anfield outfit, five times European champions, last graced the group stage of the continent's elite club competition.
A fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season exposed them to a complicated draw in the play-offs and a pairing with the Bundesliga outfit means a trip to the Rhein Neckar Arena in the first leg on Tuesday.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp will need to delivers trophies as pressure mounts. Reuters

Klopp has been to his home country with Liverpool before, overseeing victories against Augsburg and old club Borussia Dortmund en route to the Europa League final two seasons ago.
They were also in Germany during pre-season, beating both Hertha Berlin and Bayern Munich.
The Reds, who began their Premier League campaign with a 3-3 draw at Watford on Saturday, are without Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne at the moment but Roberto Firmino is fit. The Brazilian is set to face the club for whom he starred for four years before being sold to Liverpool in 2015.
Hoffenheim, from a village of just over 3,000 souls in south-western Germany, finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season to qualify for Europe for the first time.
The match against Liverpool comes four days before they face Werder Bremen in the first match of their 10th Bundesliga campaign.
"We'll do everything in our power to get through. Liverpool are a phenomenal side, but I already have an idea how we can snatch a result," their coach Julian Nagelsmann, just 30, said after the draw.
Hoffenheim have been weakened since last season, losing German international duo Sebastian Rudy and Niklas Suele to Bayern Munich.
Striker woes for Celtic
Brendan Rodgers was the last manager to lead Liverpool into the Champions League. The Northern Irishman is currently hoping to take Scottish champions Celtic into the group stage for the second season running.
The Glasgow giants have beaten Linfield and Rosenborg to make it to a play-off against Astana of Kazakhstan, who visit Celtic Park for the first leg on Wednesday.
Celtic beat Astana 3-2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round last season with Leigh Griffiths scoring twice in the tie and Moussa Dembele's late penalty in the second leg taking them through.
But Dembele misses this tie with a knee injury and Griffiths has been struggling too, giving Rodgers a headache with Celtic needing a good result before the near 4,000-mile trip to Kazakhstan for the return.
"It's going to be a tough game for us," Rodgers told The Scotsman. "The first game is important. At home, the atmosphere has been absolutely incredible in the Champions League games in particular so we'll need that on Wednesday night."
Elsewhere, Sevilla are hoping to make it back to the group stage but must overcome Turkish upstarts Istanbul Basaksehir, whose side features the likes of Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Adebayor.
The standout fixture could be in Italy, where Napoli face Nice, third in France last season and who beat Ajax in the third qualifying round.
Lucien Favre's side have lost their first two Ligue 1 matches though, and they also travel without Mario Balotelli or new signing Wesley Sneijder.
"We won't get them back for the San Paolo. They are not ready," said Favre.
"Wesley still needs a few days or weeks to fine-tune his preparation. All he did before joining us was work with a fitness coach in Holland.
"Mario is coming back from a hamstring injury. At best he could be on the bench.

PGA Championship 2017: Justin Thomas produced great play under pressure to clinch first Major title

The moment of the 99th PGA Championship was probably when Jutsin Thomas’ putt dropped into the cup after the ball seemingly hung on the lip for an eternity. And when it did drop, Thomas did not even see it for he had turned his back on it in disbelief that it had not dropped.
The ball was suspended between the cup and lip for almost 12 seconds and then it dropped. Minutes before that he pulled his drive and it hit the same tree he had found two days ago in second ago. Then the ball kicked into the trees some 30 yards.

Justin Thomas celebrates with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2017 PGA Championship. Reuters

As the 24-year-old Thomas said, “So I feel like that tree kind of owed me one. I talk to my ball a lot and any time it's going somewhere, I didn't wish it would, I probably say, "get lucky" or something. And I said that in the air, "Get lucky, just spit it out for me, please." And it spit it out, and right in the middle of the fairway.”
Then came ‘that’ putt. Recalling that moment, Thomas said, “The putt was pretty funny, too, because I didn't even see it go in. I was more so looking at Jimmy, asking, "How does it not go in? And as soft as it was going, I felt like the grain had to take it. And honestly, I swear, when it got there, I was like, "This ball has to go in. There's no way that it can stay there." I was upset that I had a really easy up-and-down and maybe let the opportunity go. Yeah, the gravity took over and the roar was pretty loud, so that was pretty cool.”
Thomas carded a final round of 68 to total 8-under and win the Wanamaker Trophy by two shots over Patrick Reed (67), Francesco Molinari (67) and Louis Oosthuizen (70), while Hideki Matsuyama (72) and Rickie Fowler (67) were tied-fifth at 5-under.
Kevin Kisner (74), who held at least a share of the lead for 63 holes, and Graham Delaet (69) were tied-7th at 4-under.
It was as if the golfing gods wanted Thomas to win and that well may have been the moment he won the Wanamaker Trophy. The birdie on 10th took Thomas to 7-under and for a few moments Thomas was the sole leader, as Kisner, who held at least a share of the lead since close of play on Thursday, had dropped one on the seventh to fall to 6-under. Minutes later Kisner was back in shared lead with a birdie on 10th.
From there on Thomas did not let go, while Kisner disintegrated. Thomas birdied 13th and then 17th, while Kisner bogeyed 11th and 12th but he made up again with birdies on 14th and 15th, but threw it away one final time with a bogey on 16th. By the time Kisner came to 18th, Thomas was in the clubhouse at eight-under and Kisner needed an eagle two. But instead he went into the creek and came out with a double bogey and slipped to Tied-7th.
But Sunday was not all about Thomas and Kisner. At one point five players held a share of the lead. Reed, Molinari, Oosthuizen, Matsuyama and even Fowler all had their chances, but it was Thomas who got the job done.
Reed, who has never had a Major Top-10 before, had four birdies on front-nine and kept steady till a bogey on 18th dropped him two strokes off the lead and it stayed that way.
Molinari, whose game showed a wild swing with 73-64 for first two rounds and  then it was 74-67 in last two round. His bogey on 16th on Sunday may have been the final error, which saw the Major slip by.
Oosthuizen’s eagle on 15 brought him into the picture and it was boosted by the long birdie on 18th. Maybe it was the bogey on 16th that cost him a chance to have a shy at another Major.
No one must have more than Matsuyama. His back-nine had just one par – on the 17th. He was in the picture and then faded away with three bogeys and came back yet again with birdies on 14th and 15th, before going out of contention yet again with bogeys on 16th and 18th.
Matsuyama had three pars and four bogeys over a seven-hole stretch before a par at 17 and then a bogey on the final hole.
Fowler had one of the best rounds of the day with a 67, but his hot streak of four birdies in a row came a bit too late and he also needed others to drop a few more, but that did not happen.
Kisner held the lead for most of the tournament and started the day at 7-under, but he started breaking down on the back-nine. Three birdies did keep him there but there were three bogeys, too. And the final chase, though too late, ended in a double bogey.
So, who is Justin Thomas?
Thomas is a friend of Jordan Spieth and Fowler, and both were there on the sidelines, watching their buddy pick up his first Major and the fourth win of this year.
On Sunday, Spieth and Fowler were there to congratulate him first. But three weeks ago, when Spieth, about three months younger than Thomas, was winning the Claret Jug in Birkdale, Thomas was at hand alongside Fowler; Fowler's girlfriend, Allison Stokke; Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, where the PGA Championship was held in 2014 and won by Rory McIlroy, Thomas played the Wyndham Championship on PGA Tour in August 2009 and became the third youngest to make the cut in a PGA Tour event at just over 16 years.
Thomas' father Mike was once a starter at the PGA Championship. He was the man who inspired his golf, but neither remembers when it was the first time that Thomas beat his father. “It ought to have been a big thing, but funnily neither of us remember when it was,” recalled Thomas. This Sunday, Mike was the on the course walking and watching his won finish a job and get a Major of his own.
Thomas may have been overshadowed by his friend Spieth and the flashier Fowler, who has yet to win a Major, but he was always marked out for great things. He was a star even in his junior days, and won American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) title three times and was a Junior All-American twice. At Alabama, he did well and picked a lot of honours.
When he came to pro golf, there was a lot of pressure, but came through as he won on Web.com Tour in 2014 and moved to the PGA Tour and early in his second season he won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in November 2015. The event is the only event co-sanctioned by Asian and PGA Tours.
It was in 2016-17 that he finally made his presence felt. He won a second CIMB Classic, coming from behind, as India’s Anirban Lahiri came into the final round with a four shot lead and ended T-3rd. The Thomas added the Hawaiian double and that included a 59 at Sony Open.
In June at the US Open, he shot a 63 in the third round and went in the final pairing at Erin Hills, but a 75 meant he was only ninth. But now he has a Major. Four of his five wins have come this season and surely he will be the favourite at the FedExCup Playoffs.

La Liga: Cristiano Ronaldo handed 5-match ban for pushing referee during Spanish Super Cup 1st leg

Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo was hit with a five-match ban by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) on Monday for pushing the referee after being sent-off in Real Madrid's 3-1 Spanish Super Cup, first leg win over Barcelona.
The World Player of the Year received an automatic one-match ban for his dismissal on Sunday and an extra four games for his reaction towards referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has been been given a 5-match ban by Spanish football federation. AP

Ronaldo was also fined 3,805 euros ($4,500) and has 10 days to appeal the ban.
Should any appeal fail, Ronaldo will miss Wednesday's Super Cup, second leg and Madrid's first four La Liga games of the season against Deportivo la Coruna, Valencia, Levante and Real Sociedad.
Madrid had already signalled their intent to appeal Ronaldo's second yellow card shown for diving eight minutes from time when he went down inside the area under pressure from Samuel Umtiti.
"Ronaldo's sending-off annoys me because even if it is not a penalty, the card is harsh," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane after the game.
"We will see if we can do something so that he is available on Wednesday."
Ronaldo was only on the field for 24 minutes as he was introduced as a second-half substitute and fired into the top corner 10 minutes from time to give Madrid a 2-1 lead.
He received his first yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration before being shown the 10th red card of his career two minutes later.
"Once shown the red card, said player (Ronaldo) pushed me lightly as a sign of his disapproval," de Burgos Bengoetxea wrote in his referee's report.
According to the RFEF's rules, such offences are met with a suspension of anything between four and 12 games, but previous cases also resulted in four-game bans.

Premier League: Arsene Wenger thrilled that match-winner Olivier Giroud decided to stay at Arsenal

London: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expressed "relief" over Olivier Giroud's decision to stay after the France striker earned his side a breathless 4-3 win against Leicester City.
Giroud came off the bench with Arsenal trailing 3-2 in Friday's Premier League curtain-raiser at the Emirates Stadium and after fellow substitute Aaron Ramsey equalised, he headed in an 85th-minute winner.
Alexandre Lacazette's arrival has bumped Giroud even further down the Arsenal pecking order, but having given the 30-year-old the chance to leave, Wenger was thrilled he decided to stay.

Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring Arsenal's fourth goal against Leicester in the Premier League season opener. Reuters

"It's fantastic. I opened the door for him at some stage because I know it's important for him to play, but I don't want to him to go," Wenger told reporters.
"He decided to stay and it was one of the great days of recent weeks for me. He's a fantastic player, but as well he has a big weight in this squad. It was a relief for me he decided to stay."
Giroud outmuscled Harry Maguire to meet Granit Xhaka's corner with a strong header that hit the bar and bounced behind the line before Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel could club it away.
An admiring Wenger said Giroud was "in his prime" and "at the top of his game".
Lacazette, a club-record £46.5 million ($60.3 million, 51.1 million euros) signing from Lyon, made a dream start to his home debut by heading Arsenal in front with just 85 seconds on the clock.
"Lacazette is simple — in every game he's stronger since he joined us," said Wenger, who had seen his side lose at home in three of their previous four opening league fixtures.
"Even when he played on the left, he did very well. He adapts slowly to the way we want to play. He's a collective player and an intelligent player."
Amid the joy — and relief — of victory, there was nonetheless plenty to concern Wenger, not least the manner in which his side conceded all three goals.
Shinji Okazaki cancelled out Lacazette's opener with a close-range header after Maguire had been left unmarked to nod Marc Albrighton's deep cross back across goal.
Albrighton crossed for Jamie Vardy to put Leicester ahead after Xhaka had gifted the ball straight to him.
Vardy 'sharp and fit'
Following Danny Welbeck's leveller in first-half stoppage time, another corner yielded Leicester's third goal as Riyad Mahrez's cross was headed home by Vardy.
"If you were a manager, you're on the bench when you're 3-2 down with 20 minutes to go, and you win 4-3, you're more happy than concerned," Wenger said.
"The goals we conceded, we can work to get rid of that. One was a corner, one was a ball we lost in the build-up and the third goal was a corner again.
"We were quite good last year on corners. With a bit of work we can get that out of the system."
Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare said he was "disappointed" that referee Mike Dean did not spot what he described as a "definite handball" by Mesut Ozil in the build-up to Ramsey's equaliser.
But he drew encouragement from his side's display.
"You have to take some positives," he said.
"At the moment, sitting here, I've got a dejected dressing room. To come here and score three has to be pleasing in some respect, but it doesn't feel like it."
Like many of Leicester's players, Vardy endured a post-title slump last season, scoring only 13 times in the league, and Shakespeare was delighted to see him back among the goals.
"All pre-season he's looked sharp and fit," said Shakespeare, who gave Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho his competitive debut as a late substitute.
"We all know Jamie Vardy's attributes. He can be a nuisance for defenders. We encourage him to do that.
"We encourage our midfield players to play balls in behind. He came here tonight and got the goals his performance deserved."

Nigeria Football Federation NFF layoff 31 referees on performance, age grounds The referees who were fired on performance and age grounds were revealed on the website of the NRA.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have laidoff 31 referees on performance, age grounds (Savidnews)

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have sacked 31 referees from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The referees who were fired on performance and age grounds were revealed on Nigeria Referees Association’s website on Thursday, November 17.

Suleman Jimeta, John Inoyo, Sylvester Okobi,  John Charles, Ajao Ibrahim, Mohammed Usman, Alaba Abiodun and Bulus Ajiji were retired on performance grounds.

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inRead invented by TeadOrowole Tope was retired for medical reasons, while Ogunta Matador, Nkem Uwogu, Aundugh  Robert, Isa Mohammed, Benjamin Nneji, Iriabor Abraham, Abubakar Garba, A.Ibrahim, Garba Hamza, Isyaku Indabawa, Nasiru Ibrahim, Nasir Ahmed, Mansur Shaibu, Morufu Sule, Ojo Adewale, Kolawole Akinwale and Augustine Ereyole were retired on age grounds.Meanwhile, the certified NFF referees will undergo fitness tests and a pre-season seminar from Thursday, November 24 to Wednesday, November 30.Referees from the South-East and South-South will hold their seminar on November 24 and undergo physical fitness tests on November 25.While those from the South-West will have their medicals on November 25, undergo fitness tests on November 26 and have their seminar will be between November 27 and 28.Referees from the North-West and North-East will have their medicals on November 26.

Manchester City Aguero brace ends Guardiola barren run Aguero underlined his value with clinical first-half goals at the Hawthorns as Manchester City win 4-0

Manchester City's Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero prepares to shoot during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on October 29, 2016
(AFP) 

Sergio Aguero's brace ended Pep Guardiola's worst run as a manager as Manchester City turned on the style with a 4-0 win at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Aguero has been linked with a move away from City after being dropped for a Champions League tie at Barcelona recently, but he underlined his value with clinical first-half goals at the Hawthorns.

The Argentine forward, who had gone six games without a goal, then turned provider for Ilkay Gundogan on 79 minutes before the latter sealed it in the closing moments.

Victory ended City's six-match winless run in all competitions and was the perfect preparation for their Champions League clash with Guardiola's former side Barcelona on Tuesday.

City, who made eight changes from Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup, rarely looked in danger and controlled much of the game as they matched their biggest Premier League win of the season.

West Brom forced the first opening when Nacer Chadli's first-time effort swerved away from goal after Craig Dawson won the ball on the byline and Salomon Rondon teed him up.

play Manchester City's idfielder Raheem Sterling controls the ball during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on October 29, 2016
(AFP)

City responded with a floated effort from Raheem Sterling that forced a save from Ben Foster and the visitors had the ball in the net in the ninth minute when Aguero squared for Nolito to tap home, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

City began to exert control and forced two chances in quick succession.

First Sterling tested Foster with a fierce volley that was palmed away, then John Stones produced a glaring miss after being left free from Nolito's cross, firing wide from five yards out.

Given the pressure from the visitors, it was no surprise when City took the lead.

Gundogan split the Baggies defence as Aguero peeled off his man and slotted home across Foster from an acute angle.

Thumping strike

Aguero was in superb form and set up the next chance when he robbed Darren Fletcher in midfield and fed Gundogan, whose pass released Nolito.

His shot beat Foster but hit Gareth McAuley in front of the line.

play West Bromwich Albion's midfielder James McClean (L) vies with Manchester City's Spanish midfielder David Silva during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City on October 29, 2016
(AFP)

City fans didn't have to wait long for a second goal as Aguero claimed his 13th of the season.

It was a thumping strike to live long in the memory as he took advantage of some sloppy passing from Dawson and Fletcher just outside the Albion box to rifle an unstoppable drive into the top corner of the net.

Two minutes after the break, David Silva's skidding left-foot drive clipped Nolito and deflected just wide.

Gundogan was next to try his luck when he attempted to pick his spot inside the box, but his side-footed effort trickled wide.

West Brom made a double substitution six minutes after the break when Jonathan Leko and James Morrison replaced Jonas Olsson and Fletcher.

Chris Brunt set up Rondon with a pass that had keeper Claudio Bravo racing to the edge of his area and Rondon, West Brom's record signing, then headed narrowly wide.

But City were always a threat and Sterling screwed his shot over after some pinball in the Albion box.

West Brom should have scored in the 72nd minute but Rondon miscued from six yards out after James McClean broke down the left and crossed low into the box.

City ended any faint hopes of a Baggies comeback 11 minutes from time when Aguero produced a lovely dink over the defence to beat the offside trap for Gundogan to slot home.

Gundogan added a fourth on 90 minutes when he stroked home first time after substitute Kevin De Bruyne broke down the left and crossed.

Liverpool Lovren hero and villain as keep pace A breathless first half saw both sides take advantage of defensive errors, with Palace twice levelling through James McArthur

Crystal Palace's Scottish midfielder James McArthur (3rd R) celebrates after scoring his second goal during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in south London on October 29, 2016
(AFP) 

Liverpool kept pace with Premier League top two Manchester City and Arsenal with a dramatic 4-2 success at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

A breathless first half saw both sides take advantage of defensive errors, with Palace twice levelling through James McArthur after Liverpool took the lead with goals from Emre Can and Dejan Lovren.

Joel Matip's 44th-minute header gave the visitors a half-time advantage and Roberto Firmino's second-half effort secured a win that left Jurgen Klopp's men behind City and Arsenal on goal difference.

While the Merseysiders' vibrant display showcased their attacking talents -? assisted by a generous Palace defence -- lapses at the back again raised questions about their ability to sustain their title challenge.

Liverpool have kept just one clean sheet in 10 league games this season and Lovren's failings in particular complicated what should have been a routine victory.

But if Klopp had reason to be frustrated about elements of his side's display, Palace manager Alan Pardew had even more grounds for complaint.

The hosts' porousness meant that even when they twice came back to level, they never looked like kicking on to record what would have been only a sixth league win in 2016.

Initially the game had the look of an uneven contest when a typically incisive move, orchestrated by Philippe Coutinho, brought about Can's opening goal after 16 minutes.

  Crystal Palace's Ivorian-born English striker Wilfried Zaha (C) vies with Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho (L) and Liverpool's German midfielder Emre Can during the English Premier League football match on October 29, 2016
(AFP)

Coutinho picked out left-back Alberto Moreno, whose volleyed cross was turned home by Can with a first-time shot from 10 yards.

Already things looked bleak for Pardew's side, but within two minutes they were gifted a route back into the game.

A long clearance by Palace goalkeeper Steve Mandanda was headed on by former Liverpool striker Christian Benteke.

The flick should have been dealt with comfortably by Liverpool's centre-backs, but Matip squared for Lovren, whose mishit, looping pass allowed McArthur to nip in and head the ball over the advancing Loris Karius.

Firmino chip

That was the first time Palace had threatened and should have given the home side the chance to settle into the game.

Instead, they were undone in similarly routine fashion in the 21st minute when Lovren made amends for his error by easily rising above Palace skipper Scott Dann to head past Mandanda from Coutinho's corner.

  Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp on the pitch ahead of the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in south London on October 29, 2016
(AFP)

Both managers were already fuming at their side's mistakes and there was worse to come for Klopp, who saw his side pegged back once again 11 minutes later with Lovren once again the weak link.

The move was familiar: a ball lifted towards Benteke, whose headed flick found Wilfried Zaha wide on the right.

When the winger delivered a cross towards the near post Lovren was flat-footed and McArthur nipped ahead of him to head home.

Fortunately for Klopp's side they were facing an equally vulnerable side whose defence appeared on the point of collapse whenever threatened.

The fact that the diminutive Coutinho was allowed to win a header unmarked spoke volumes about Palace's problems and it took an excellent save from Mandanda to push the Brazilian's effort against the post.

Sixty seconds later Sadio Mane sliced a first-time shot over the bar when he had time and space to pick his spot.

In another game those misses might have been costly, but another chance was always likely to come along quickly.

So it proved a minute before the break when Matip was left completely unattended to head past Mandanda.

The second half continued in similar fashion, albeit with fewer glaring defensive errors, with Mane again guilty of failing to make more of a clear chance while Benteke was denied by a fine save from Karius.

But Firmino's well-taken chipped finish from Jordan Henderson's through ball in the 71st minute ensured Liverpool could see out the final stages in relative comfort.

Valencia United defender set for arm surgery The Ecuadorian defender has made 11 appearances in all competitions for United so far this season.

Manchester United's Ecuadorian midfielder Antonio Valencia (L) has made 11 appearances in all competitions for United so far this season
(AFP/File) 

Manchester United's Antonio Valencia will undergo surgery on Saturday after fracturing his arm, the English Premier League giants announced.

Ecuador defender Valencia, 31, has made 11 appearances in all competitions for United so far this season.

But he was missing from Jose Mourinho's squad for Saturday's league match at home to Burnley, with United confirming his injury via a Twitter feed statement that said: "Antonio Valencia has a fracture in his arm and will have surgery today."

Valencia, who made his name as a winger before featuring as a right back under successive United managers, has been replaced in the team to play Burnley by Matteo Darmian.

The 31-year-old Valencia's absence means he has now joined fellow defenders Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling in being sidelined through injury.

"They were the three players that start almost every match in the Premier League and now we lose all three in the same period," United manager Mourinho told broadcasters before Saturday's kick-off at Old Trafford.

"But that's football and it's an opportunity for others to play. We trust Darmian and we trust Marcos Rojo to have a positive influence."

Robert Lewandowski Striker close to signing new Bayern deal Lewandowski netted his seventh goal in nine league games so far this season when he scored twice in their 3-1 win at Augsburg

Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski celebrates after his first goal for Munich during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Augsburg, southern Germany, on October 29, 2016
(AFP) 

Robert Lewandowski revealed Saturday he is close to signing a new deal with Bayern Munich, which could reportedly make the Poland hot-shot the club's highest earner.

Lewandowski netted his seventh goal in nine league games so far this season when he scored twice in their 3-1 win at Augsburg to leave Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern two points clear in the German league.

The 28-year-old's contract expires in June 2019, but Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is said to be eager to secure the services of Lewandowski, the Bundesliga's top scorer last season with 30 goals in 32 games, on a bumper contract.

"I don't think it will take much longer, but we need to have a bit more patience," said Lewandowski.

"I haven't signed the contract yet. When we have find a few solutions (to a few issues) we will inform everyone."

According to magazine SportBild, Lewandowski has an offer to extend his current deal to 2021 which would make him the club's best paid player, outstripping Thomas Muller's reported salary of 15 million euros ($16.5m).

Lewandowski scored 42 goals in all competitions last season, including nine in the Champions League, and has scored 54 goals in 72 league games since joining Bayern from Dortmund in 2014.

Bayern are away to PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday in the Champions League and Lewandowski has scored twice in their two European games so far.

The Germans giants are second in Group D, three points behind Atletico Madrid, who they play in early December.

 

Juventus Higuain smashes winner over old club Napoli Gonzalo Higuain was mindful not to celebrate after hitting his seventh league goal of the season.

Juventus' forward from Argentina Gonzalo Higuain controls the ball during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Napoli at Juventus Stadium in Turin on October 29, 2016
(AFP) 

Gonzalo Higuain hit a fairytale winner as Juventus edged the Argentine's former club Napoli 2-1 in Turin on Saturday to stretch their lead to five points at the top of Italy's Serie A.

Higuain, who hit a Serie A record of 36 goals for Napoli last season, has become a hate figure at the San Paolo stadium after moving to Juventus for an Italian transfer record fee of 90m euros.

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Although he can expect a red-hot welcome from Napoli fans, many of whom burned his shirt in disgust at his move, when the southerners host the champions on April 2, Higuain was mindful not to celebrate after hitting his seventh league goal of the season.

A superb volley by Leonardo Bonucci gave Juventus a 50th minute lead, only for Jose Callejon to beat Gianluigi Buffon four minutes later from Lorenzo Insigne's superb chip.

A tense and tactically-tight affair, which saw a number of clashes between players, looked to be heading for a 1-1 draw.

But when Higuain's cross for Sami Khedira spilled back into the striker's path, he made no mistake with a first-time drive that beat Pepe Reina down low on 70 minutes.

Juventus, aiming for a record sixth consecutive 'scudetto' this season, now have a five-point lead on Roma ahead of their visit to Empoli.

"It was important to win tonight," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

"If we drew, Roma could have pulled level on points with us tomorrow. Instead, we won and now Napoli are seven points behind us. I think whoever came to see us tonight had a good time."

  Juventus' midfielder Sami Khedira (C) vies with Napoli's defender Kalidou Koulibaly (R) and and Napoli's defender Faouzi Ghoulam during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Napoli at Juventus Stadium in Turin on October 29, 2016
(AFP)

Napoli could drop to fourth if AC Milan account for lowly Pescara at the San Siro on Sunday.

But Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri insists they are Juve's real rivals: "We have faith in ourselves. We're Juve's key rivals, and people know it."

It took Juventus 12 minutes to fashion a decent chance but after breaking on the counter Higuain's lay-off to Mario Mandzukic had too much pace, and Reina had time to rush out and smother at the Croat's feet.

Higuain should have done better on 24 minutes later when he latched on to Sami Khedira's slide rule pass behind the Napoli defence, only to be thwarted by Vlad Chiriches's late challenge.

Napoli's slick passing game impressed, but without injured Polish striker Arkaduisz Milik, bought as Higuain's replacement from Ajax, the visitors lacked an aerial threat.

Sarri admitted Higuain's departure still hurt.

"We lost one of the best forwards in the world and the club made the decision to buy young players. I think the club made the right choice," he added.

When Brazilian midfielder Allan powered towards goal unchallenged, his tame drive from 25 yards gave Buffon no trouble.

Injury to Chiellini then prompted coach Massimiliano Allegri to introduce Juan Cuadrado shortly before the interval but the Colombian, who came off the bench to hit the winner in a 1-0 Champions League win at Lyon two weeks ago, was beaten to the opener.

  Juventus' forward from Argentina Gonzalo Higuain (L) fights for the ball with Napoli's defender from France Kalidou Koulibaly during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Napoli at "Juventus Stadium" in Turin on October 29, 2016
(AFP)

A messy clearance by Faouzi Ghoulam following a corner caught Bonucci's attention and he turned quickly to smash a superb volley past Reina and into the roof of the net five minutes after the restart.

"This win is down to Juve never-say-die spirit. Tonight that's the attitude we had, after being without it at the San Siro (when Juve lost to AC Milan last week)," said Bonucci.

The match sprang into life and on a Napoli counter moments later Mertens narrowly failed to connect with Lorenzo Insigne's inswinger from the left.

From the corner, Ghoulam's delivery found Koulibaly at the far post but the Senegal defender's cross back towards goal was headed out by Mandzukic.

It was encouraging stuff from Napoli and they earned just rewards only two minutes later when a delightful Insigne chip found Callejon in behind the Juve defence.

The Spain international controlled perfectly and smashed a low drive under Buffon to pull the scores level on 54 minutes.

With seven goals in 11 appearances, it equalled his total league tally for last season.

Sarri replaced a tiring Insigne with Emanuele Giaccherini on the hour but it was Juve who struck next, Higuain driving his low drive through the legs of Chiriches to leave Reina, his former teammate, rooted to the spot.

 

Mourinho Penitent manager humbled by Man Utd support Mourinho made a gesture of apology to United's fans at the end and said he had been moved by their backing.

Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho gestures to supporters after their match against Manchester City October 26, 2016 (AFP)


Jose Mourinho lauded Manchester United's supporters after his team put the disappointment of their 4-0 humiliation at Chelsea behind them to sink Manchester City in England's League Cup.

Sunday's defeat at Chelsea, Mourinho's former club, was United's worst in the league for five years, but they bounced back to beat holders City 1-0 on Wednesday courtesy of Juan Mata's 54th-minute goal.

Mourinho made a gesture of apology to United's fans at the end -- making a '4-0' symbol with his fingers and lowering his head -- and said he had been moved by their backing.

"We were on a good run of results, but it was a big defeat," said the United manager, whose side had gone six games unbeaten prior to coming off the rails at Stamford Bridge.

"(They are) numbers that the history of this club doesn't deserve and when I'm in a club my heart belongs to the fans and I felt deeply for them. The reality is that I never had people like these ones.

"We lost 4-0 and they were supportive. Today the stadium was full of real support and it looks like the love people have for the club is bigger than bad results, bigger than three bad seasons.

"We must give something back. The players gave everything, but even if we'd lost the feeling was fantastic because the players showed they really care and they fought for the fans."

Mourinho spoke to television reporters after the game at Old Trafford, but did not appear at his post-match press conference. United did not offer an explanation.

While Mourinho made just four changes to his starting XI, his opposite number, Pep Guardiola, made nine.

Both teams disappointed in a drab first half, but it was United who seized the advantage after the break, with Mata sweeping home Zlatan Ibrahimovic's low cross after Paul Pogba had hit the post.

City captain Vincent Kompany, one of only two players to keep his place from Sunday's 1-1 draw against Southampton, was substituted at half-time.
'No regrets'
play

Manchester United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Manchester City on October 26, 2016 (AFP)

The Belgian centre-back has been dogged by injuries in recent seasons and Guardiola said he had not felt able to play on.

"He told us he is tired and not ready to play the second half," explained Guardiola, whose side beat Liverpool on penalties in last season's final prior to his arrival.

"The important thing is after two years (repeatedly) injured, he played three days ago 70 minutes, today 45 and no injuries.

"That is a good step, the first step. After we have to see. He felt not good, knowing what happened in the past."

Guardiola has now gone six games without victory for the first time in his managerial career, but he said he had "no regrets" about selecting a weakened team.

"Sometimes it happens in football the managers doesn't win," he said.

"It is the first time. OK, hopefully it does not happen again, but it is part of our profession. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose."

Asked if he had learnt anything during his team's slump, he replied: "The same as when we won 10 games in a row (at the start of the season).

"Every match is different. I need to analyse them all. Every team has streaks of good results and bad results. The strange thing is after seven years as a manager, it happens now.

"But we are still getting to know each other, still improving and we will (improve)."

United will host West Ham United in the quarter-finals.