Real Madrid On The Verge Of Signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon had earlier stated that they would sign two strikers in January. One of them appears to be the Dutch international striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Talks are said to be at an advanced state with Ajax.

Giovinco Staying At Juventus

Poor old Gianfranco Zola’s dream of landing Italian youngster Sebastian Giovinco from Juventus seems to have suffered a huge blow as the player’s agent has confirmed that the 21-year is not leaving Turin.

Arsenal Not Alone In Felipe Melo Bid

Premier League club Arsenal have discovered that they are not the only European powerhouse who are interesting in signing the Brazilian midfielder from Fiorentina.

Liverpool To Sign Gabriel Heinze?

Rafael Benitez failed to land the versatile Argentine international footballer in the summer of 2007 but he seems intent on signing him this January from Real Madrid.

Didier Drogba Not Going To Inter Milan

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has declared that star striker Didier Drogba is not leaving for Inter Milan in January. So apparently Drogba-Inter link should now be de-linked.

So these were the main transfer news today. Understandably there should be more tomorrow. Hopefully we shall have a more concrete idea on whether Real Madrid shall finall get to sign Huntelaar or not.

Heinze is currently at Spanish champions Real Madrid and although he is playing more or less regularly, he is not at all rated by the Bernabeu faithful. The versatile Argentine international defender was signed by Real Madrid in the summer of 2007 from Premier League powerhouse Manchester United for around €10 million.

But he was also wanted by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez at the time but Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson declined to sell Heinze to his Premier League rivals. But Liverpool seem to have sustained their interest in the player and are now allegedly interested in signing him.

It’s being said that Rafa Benitez would like to sign the experienced 30-year old in January but it is unlikely that Real Madrid would even think of letting the player leave. The Spanish championships are enduring a torrid time at the moment and have several of their players suffering injury problems, especially in their defensive department.

The Madrid giants have declared that they shall make a few signings in January in the wake of their star striker Ruud van Nistelrooy being ruled out for the rest of the season. One of the several strikers that they are looking forward to recruiting in January is Carlos Tevez.

Tevez has been relegated to the bench since the start of this season in the wake of Man United signing Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenhan Hotspur in the summer. Although Tevez has publicly insisted that he is happy at Old Trafford, there are reports that businessman Kia Joorabchian, who owns Tevez’s economic rights, is inclined to sell Tevez for a hefty sum.

Carlos Tevez is technically on loan to Man United for until June 30,2009 but so far the Red Devils have not made any concrete move to make the deal a permanent one, leading to speculation that manager Sir Alex Ferguson does not need him anymore.

Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid have expressed their inclination to sign the player. They are reportedly willing to sign the player at the end of this season but with the team plagued by injuries, president Ramon Calderon might as well make a bid for the player in January.

Kia Joorabchian is said to have attached a €27 million price tag on Tevez and if Real Madrid indeed make a bid for the player, then he might well agree to sell him.

At the moment it seems that a move for Tevez to the Bernabeu would benefit all the parties concerned.

Real Madrid Still Hunting Carlos Tevez

Spanish and European powerhoue Real Madrid are in desperate need of a striker and are said to be monitoring Carlos Tevez very closely. Until Manchester United do something quick about the Argentine’s loan deal, the Merengues could prize the former Corinthians striker to the Bernabeu.

West Ham United Want Giovinco

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola has admitted that he would be interested in signing Juventus youngster Giovinco. But would the player be interested in a move to the Premier League.

Lukas Podolski To Manchester City?
Premier League side Manchester City are hunting the signature of the Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski.

Emile Heskey Up For Grabs

Wigan Athletic have declared that they are putting striker Emile Heskey up for sale in January. Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa are among the interested buyers.

Gareth Barry Snubs Liverpool

And now the snub. In the summer Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry said that he wanted to move to Liverpool but now the England international has said that he is happy at Villa Park. Sorry Rafa!

Understandably we haven’t heard the last of these transfer rumours, especially of the Giovinco saga and the Carlos Tevez link. There should be more updates on these transfer reports and you need not go anywhere else for that!

Here’s a look at some of the top transfer rumors from the weekend. Since I’ve been away for a while, I’m packing this one full of juicy rumors. Enjoy!

Tottenham to Move for Gallas?

William Gallas to Tottenham? Might sound crazy, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Manchester United Close on Tosic

Manchester United are getting close to wrapping up at least one January signing, and if things can be ironed out, it’ll be a double raid of Serbian side Partizan Belgrade.

Inter and Real Lining Up for Tevez?

Carlos Tevez’s future at Manchester United hasn’t been decided as of yet, and Inter Milan and Real Madrid are closely monitoring the situation.

Three-Way Battle for Downing?

Stewart Downing never seems to stay far away from the rumor mill, does he? Boro will reportedly let him go in January, with Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester City ready to pay 12m.

Tottenham Interested in Manchester City Duo

Elano and Richard Dunne are on Harry Redknapp’s January wish list.

Spurs Eye Bordeaux Striker Cavenaghi

Tottenham are looking to bring another goal glutton named Fernando to the Premier League, in Bordeaux’s Fernando Cavenaghi.

Aston Villa After Wigan’s Valencia

Aston Villa are the latest team to emerge as a potential suitor for Wigan star Antonio Valencia.

Everton Interested in Bayern’s Podolski

News of the World says that Everton could make a January move for Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski.

Wigan Interested in Striker

Steve Bruce likes to go after those diamonds in the rough, and his latest one might be Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega.

I’ll be back tomorrow to give you all the latest in the world of transfers, so keep checking back throughout the day tomorrow as the news rolls in.

The 21-year old Serbian winger was granted his work permit on Friday, and according to the Telegraph, he’ll fly to Manchester on December 12 to discuss personal terms with his new club ahead of the deal becoming official at the start of the winter transfer window.

Tosic is in the midst of a stellar season for Partizan, having already scored nine goals to help Partizan go top of the Serbian Superliga.

Tosic will have to add some meat to his slender build (the reason for his nickname of ‘Bambi’) when he makes the move to the Premier League, but his ability to play on either flank will give him a chance to carve out a regular place in the United side in the near future. He won’t be counted on to make a big impact immediately, and he could be loaned back to Partizan for the remainder of the season or beyond.

Along with Tosic, United could also tie up his teammate, attacking midfielder Adem Ljajic, who might be even more of a highly-rated prospect than Tosic. Ljajic is only 17, but ’Little Kaka’ has already become a regular for Partizan this season and has also broken into Serbia’s U-21 side.

United already struck gold in Serbia with Nemanja Vidic, and capturing two of the country’s top young talents could pay big dividends for the club’s future and for the future of Serbian football.

A gentleman wants to rebrand Aston Villa Football Club to incorporate ‘Birmingham’ in its name. And apparently he believes he makes perfect sense. This is where a lack of personal involvment in football can make you sound like a complete moron when you start talking about clubs and fans and what not. I’m sure the idea itself is sound, but fans will murder you before you can get this out to a vote.

Shearer is reported to have ‘rejected’ Newcastle’s offer to become a coach at the club. Why the club is still after him is baffling - surely there are far more qualified coaches around to help the players and the club improve?

Why is this Tevez to Real Madrid rumour still alive? Manchester United will sign him, and that’s that. Madrid need a striker and it’s not going to be a United striker, that’s for sure.

Arsene Wenger reckons that Arsenal must beat Chelsea to stay in the title race, that failure to win will knock them out. Let’s hold him to his word, shall we? It’ll be the first time in many years that Wenger would have admitted something like this so early in the season. Then again, you’re just as likely to see Arsenal hold Chelsea to a draw and Wenger change his mind in the post-match conference, so I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole are investing in a British gangster movie involving 50 Cent. Now, great move for Rio / Fifty, not so good to partner up with Mr Cole. Come on guys, showbiz is about public image, and after the pain Rio has gone through in cleaning up his image, does he really want to be associated with the most hated footballer in England?

Best Soccerlens articles this week:

• Football Injuries - curse of the modern footballer.
• 5 Hot Prospects from the Portuguese league. Football Manager fans, take notes.
• Top 20 Future England Stars - in case you’re a patriotic Football Manager fan…
• MLS Youth Academies - the MLS and US football in general is a bit complicated to follow, but this article (along with our ‘how does the MLS work?‘ article) is a good starting point to understand matters.
• Do you hate football players? Join the debate and tell us why.
• Ferguson v Wenger - the two best managers in England, who could, after Sunday, have lost their chance to win the league this season but are far from losing their jobs. Who else in Europe can say that?

Ten-man Manchester United held off Manchester City to win the Manchester Derby! Soccerlens brought you the action, live! Click below for the live-blog and feel free to leave comments!

Match Preview:

Manchester United’s 2007-2008 season was a rousing success by any standard. However, the one blight on their resume from last season was their season sweep at the hands of Manchester City. Especially hurtful was the loss that took place on the day United commemorated the victims of the Munich Air tragedy. United also come in having gone more than two matches without scoring a goal. The good news for them is that Dimitar Berbatov is back in training, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who took knocks against Aston Villa last weekend and against Villarreal in midweek, looks like he’ll be good to go.

As for Manchester City, they are coming off a huge win against Arsenal last weekend and really need a good result against United if they want to get back into the hunt for a European bid. Robinho will be a game-time decision after he left the Arsenal match with an injury, and Pablo Zabaleta is nursing a thigh strain and will hope to recover in time.

The emotions should be high as both clubs have a lot at stake. Tune and find out which side prevails!

Lineups:

Manchester City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Dunne (c), Garrido, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Hamann, Vassell, Robinho, Benjani.
Subs: Schmeichel, Ball, Zabaleta, Elano, Jo, Ben-Haim, Sturridge.

Only one change from the squad that beat Schalke on Thursday as Robinho has been deemed fit to play and will return to the lineup in place of Sturridge. Zabaleta, who was nursing an injury, will start the match on the bench, as will Elano, who missed out on the Schalke match. Ireland has scored four goals in his last three matches.

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand (c), Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Rooney, Berbatov.
Subs: Foster, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, O’Shea, Evans, Tevez.

There are a few changes from the side that drew, 0-0, with Villarreal. The big news is that Berbatov has seemingly recovered from his hamstring injury and will make the start today. Rafael will come in for O’Shea at right-back while Vidic reclaims his starting spot from Evans, who started against Villarreal on Tuesday. Park will come in for Nani while Anderson will go to the bench to make room for the returning Berbatov. And, of course, Tevez will start the match on the bench once again.

Minute by Minute:

90′ + 5 There’s the whistle and we’re done! Thanks to everyone who followed along! See you next time!

90′ + 4 Short corner and United try to waste more time. Giggs gives this one away, too. What’s wrong with him?

90′ + 3 Hart comes up for this one. The corner bounces around in the box and it looks like it hits someone’s hand. Dunne gets a shot on goal, but Evra clears it off the line. United get it and go on the break. Giggs, however, does not see Hart racing back to the box. Rooney finally sends in a great shot from about 50 yards out and Hart just gets back in time to knock it away for a corner, otherwise that would have gone in.

90′ + 2 Giggs gets it, but gives it away. Meanwhile, Benjani sends in a cross towards the far post for Ireland and it’s out for a corner.

90′ + 1 Four minutes will be added on. Fletcher and Vidic have some miscommunication, and it falls to City. Ferdinand is there to clear it away, though.

90′ Rafael with a clean tackle on Dunne in the box, who goes down like he’s been bludgeoned with a sledgehammer. Might as well try it, right? Webb seems to be giving out cards like they’re going out of style. Meanwhile, O’Shea will come on for Park.

89′ Should be a lot of injury time, what with the sending off, the injury to Richards, and Berbatov’s leisurely stroll. City build up their attack, but Vidic clears it away. Giggs puts pressure on Kompany in the United attacking half, but Hart clears it away.

86′ Rafael gets called for a ticky-tack foul on Robinho, as he’s trying to waste time deep down the right flank. Fergie looks like he’s going to explode, and I see a fine in Fergie’s near future. He’s already got a touchline ban coming up.

84′ Wright-Phillips makes a run past the center line, and Carrick commits the deliberate foul. He goes into the book and that’s the magic 6. Looks like United will be making a contribution to the F.A. coffers next week. I have to say, though, I think Webb has been a little card happy today.

83′ Carrick threads it through to Berbatov, who looks like he’s through on goal, but Dunne makes a great tackle from behind to knock it away. That’ll be it for Berbatov, who will come off for Giggs. Hughes is upset that Berbatov is taking his time getting off the pitch, but let’s face it, Berbatov does everything at that pace.

82′ Elano sends a long cross from the left wing towards Robinho in the box, but Van der Sar confidently catches it in the air. Are you watching, Gomes?

81′ Looks like Giggs is set to check in.

79′ Robinho beats Carrick and makes a run into the box. Ferdinand is there to clean up the mess, though.

78′ Rooney gets it on the edge of the box, but Elano tracks back and takes it away.

77′ Rooney looks like he’ll drift back, leaving Berbatov up front by himself. Evra makes the run down the left and Garrido is there to tackle him. Evra wants a foul, but no dice. He jaws at Webb a little, and it’s clear that United are really mad at the ref.

76′ Richards will come off for Sturridge as Hughes is really going balls to the wall now.

75′ More pressure from City, but Benjani loses it to Fletcher on the edge of the box. Evra and Wright-Phillips have another collision. This time, the decision goes in United’s favor. Now Richards is on the ground and he’s getting treated.

74′ Ireland flicks it over Evra’s head and it falls to Zabaleta. He tries to send a cross to the far post, but it’s over Robinho’s head.

73′ Robinho goes down on the edge of the box, but no call.

72′ Corner for City and Dunne heads it just over the crossbar.

71′ Rooney is working the ref now, and he better cool it, or else it could be a two-man advantage before long. Clearly Webb isn’t in the mood. Good cross from the right wing to the far post, but Ferdinand clears it away from danger.

68′ Uh oh. Corner comes in and Ronaldo gets called for an intentional handball in the box. Webb shows him the red and Ronaldo has been sent off!. Well, it was probably justified. Ronaldo had both hands up in front of his face and made no attempt to get them out of the way. I’m sure his mock applause eariler in the match didn’t endear him to the ref, either. Don’t know what he was thinking.

67′ Rooney nearly plays it through to Fletcher, but City clear it. Back again and Rooney threads in another great pass to Park, whose shot is knocked away by Richards for a corner.

66′ Another booking for United, this time Evra takes out Wright-Phillips. City will have a good chance from about 30 yards out. SWP is taking a beating today, but what a game for him! He’s been City’s best player today. Garrido strikes a good free kick that curves around the wall, but just goes wide of the post. Good effort, though.

65′ Good buildup by City is ruined when Wright-Phillips’ pass for Zabaleta is long and cleared away by United. Rooney then keys the counter-attack and sends it into the box for Berbatov. He tries to hold it and draws a double-team. His shot then gets blocked easily.

63′ Another dangerous run from Evra down the left. This time, Richards gets the angle on him and knocks it away for a United throw. Evra’s slow to get up, but he looks okay.

62′ Elano takes it from about 35 yards out and he booms a terrible free kick that isn’t even close to the target.

61′ Robinho tries to dazzle Vidic with his footwork, but he’s not impressed. Fletcher gets called for a foul on Robinho and Webb comes over to warn him. Fletcher’s on a card, so he better be careful.

60′ Park whips in a dangerous corner from the right wing, but it’s just over Berbatov’s head. So, which 30 million pound man has been more invisible today? Berbatov or Robinho?

59′ Robinho and Park battle over the ball, and it trickles away towards Berbatov. Ronaldo gets it deep down the left and he sends it to Evra. He doesn’t see Wright-Phillips coming, and the little man makes another great tackle. Ronaldo then gets booked for a foul on Wright-Phillips, and Ronaldo gives Webb some mock applause. Better be careful, Ronny.

57′ Looks like Kompany has a bloody nose. He’s on the sideline, getting a tissue stuffed up there. I’ve been there, brother.

56′ City on the counterattack and Wright-Phillips sends a great through-ball to Benjani. He tries to fire on goal, but he can’t quite get his body squared and it goes wide. Meanwhile, Kompany and Berbatov have a meeting of the minds and Kompany ends up getting the worst of it.

55′ Elano makes a dangerous run towards the box, but Park makes a good tackle. Rooney slides it into the box to Park (who really covered some ground there), but Dunne makes a great tackle to concede the corner. Better corner from Rooney, but it’s cleared away by City.

53′ Good spell of possession by City, although Robinho loses it to Evra. Berbatov comes back the other way, and he’s called for a foul on Wright-Phillips. Want to see a size disparity? Put those two side by side.

50′ Corner falls to Carrick, who’s shot is just wide of the far post. City go on the offensive, and Kompany has a good chance from the edge of the box. His shot is just wide of the near post. Much better start from City here.

49′ Wright-Phillips takes on both Evra and Vidic. He loses the ball, but Ferdinand holds onto it and Robinho sneaks up behind him and forces a corner. Van der Sar easily intercepts the corner and throws it long to Rooney, who keys the counterattack. He lays it off to Park, who looks like he’s got a clear path to goal, but Wright-Phillips comes out of nowhere to make a great tackle. Corner to United.

48′ Good chance from about 35 yards away or so. Garrido whips it into the box, but it’s poor and Vidic easily clears it.

47′ Wright-Phillips gets in deep down the right flank, but his cross into the box is poor and is taken by Van der Sar. Park is called for a foul on Elano, and Webb tells him “no more!”

46′ City kick it away and we’re off!

46′ Two changes for City as they will bring on Zabaleta and Elano for Vassell and Hamann. It should give them some firepower, but it could also leave them exposed on defense.

46′ Possession stats from ESPN: 65%-35% in the first half in favor of United. That sounds about right.

46′ I’d expect Robinho to really go hard at Rafael, who’s on a card, in this second half.

United absolutely dominated the action and fully deserve their 1-0 lead. City came close on that Ireland shot, but they didn’t do too much in the first half. Indeed, it seemed like they spent most of the half camped out in their own half of the field, trying to stop United’s attack. Both sides should continue to press, as United will undoubtedly try to get another goal while City will try and get back in the match. City have to come up with ways to get Robinho and Wright-Phillips involved, while Ireland and Hamann need to do a better job against Carrick and Fletcher. And, of course, Hughes needs to figure out what to do about Evra.

45′ + 2 Rooney plays the free kick short, but City are able to knock it away from danger. There’s the whistle and we’re at halftime!

45′ + 1 There will be two minutes of added time. Evra gets tripped up by Vassell as he makes a dangerous run from the left wing. Vassell gets booked and it looks like Hughes is going to have to figure out what to do about Evra because he’s really causing all kinds of problems for City.

45′ Ronaldo gives it away and Ireland sends it through to Benjani. He gets closed down by Ferdinand, and his shot is well off the mark.

43′ I bet Rooney is glad to finally get that out of the way.

42 GOAL! Ireland gets a yellow for a foul. Free kick is played into the box for Park. He tries to send it to Rooney, but he loses it. Carrick does a good job to win it back and it bounces around dangerously in the box. Carrick manages a shot on target, but Hart saves it. He can’t control the rebound, though, and Rooney taps it in for his 100th goal!

41′ Benjani gets it on the edge of the box, but he loses his footing before he can get his shot off. He sends it to Hamann, who slides a great ball through to Robinho. Van der Sar charges out and corrals it before Robinho can do any damage. Oh well, it doesn’t matter since Robinho was offside.

38′ Evra makes another great run to beat Richards down the left wing. Richards pulls Evra down near the end-line, but no foul called. Webb’s decisions have been very one-sided in City’s favor so far.

37′ Rooney’s corner is poor and Ireland easily knocks it away.

36′ Evra makes a great move to get past Richards. He draws Hart out and Evra tries to center it. Ireland knocks it away for a corner.

35′ Good run from Carrick, who takes the pass from Rooney. He sends it back to Berbatov, who tries his luck from the edge of the box. It’s well wide of the post, though, and Hart isn’t troubled in the least.

34′ Robinho takes it and sends his kick well wide of the near post.

33′ Hard challenge from Fletcher on Wright-Phillips will give City a good free kick opportunity from about 35 yards out or so.

32′ Chance for City as Garrido sends in a good free kick into the box. Van der Sar is blocked off from the ball and he has to try and punch it away. It falls to Ireland, who sends in the shot. It’s partially blocked and Richards can’t get to it to redirect it on goal. Still, Ireland’s shot just misses the far post by inches.

28′ United have been completely dominant so far and you feel like it’s only a matter of time before they score. On the other hand, they’ve had problems finishing chances this year, so it’s also possible that they could go into the half empty-handed.

26′ Park sends a long cross from the right to Ronaldo on the opposite wing. He sends it in to Evra, who tries to set Rooney up with a cross. Hart knocks it away, but takes a tumble. Evra gets a chance on goal, but his shot is well over the crossbar. Well, they don’t pay him to score.

25′ Ronaldo gets it on the left edge of the box. He has options to this right, but Ronaldo goes it alone and his shot isn’t even close to bothering Hart. I’m sure Berbatov and Rooney are staring daggers at him.

24′ Robinho gets the ball after Fletcher gives it away. Rafael does a good job to knock it away and Fletcher gets it back.

23′ Nothing doing on the corner as City clear Rooney’s effort away from danger.

22′ Rafael sends a great cross from the right wing as he and Park do a great one-two against an overmatched Garrido (Robinho didn’t exactly track back on defense there), and Berbatov heads it on goal. Hart has to make a diving save to concede the corner.

21′ It’s a little far out for Ronaldo, so Rooney will deliver it into the box. It’s a good one and Fletcher nearly gets on the end of it, but no dice. Meanwhile, Rafael gets harshly booked for a foul on Robinho, who took a book out of Ronaldo’s book and sold it like he had been shot.

20′ City get a throw-in deep in their attacking half and it’s a Delap-like long throw into the box. Benjani tries to flick it to Vassell, but United clear it away. Back the other way, and Dunne fouls Park on the right wing.

19′ So much for letting them play. Fletcher fouls Wright-Phillips as they both go for a 50-50. Didn’t look like there was any intent there.

17′ Ireland cynically shoves Berbatov to the ground, but no call here, either. Looks like Webb is letting them play, which is how it should be in a derby match.

15′ Richards and Vidic go for the ball on the edge of the box, and Richards gets the worst of it, which is surprising since Richards led with his knee and totally plowed into Vidic. No foul, though, and Vidic is upset with the no-call. Moral of this story: Don’t mess with Vidic. Hear that, Drogba?

14′ Rooney whips in the corner and Ronaldo gets a free header on goal, however it’s just over the crossbar. Good chance for United there.

13′ Rooney whips in the corner and Ireland knocks it away. Ronaldo’s shot is blocked by Garrido, but he gets it back and wins a corner after his cross is knocked away.

12′ Evra gets behind the defense and his cross gets deflected out by Kompany for a corner.

11′ Rooney takes it away after a poor pass from Ireland and he tries to thread it into the box for Ronaldo. Kompany makes the good defensive play to intercept the pass, otherwise that would have been trouble.

9′ Rooney gets another chance, this time as Fletcher plays it through to him in the box. He can’t get a good shot off, though, and City clear it away.

8′ Good chance for United here, as Berbatov makes a nice run across the box and lays it off to Park. He sends a cross to Rooney who fires on goal, and Hart makes the save, however, he can’t hold onto the ball and it trickles loose. Fletcher tries to pounce on it, but he can’t get to it and City knock it away for a United throw.

7′ Rafael makes a nice move on the left wing, getting past Garrido and making a strong run into the box. Dunne deflects it away for a United throw. Fletcher tries to cross it, but it takes a City deflection. Hart cuts it out before it crosses the end-line to prevent the corner.

6′ Berbatov gets it on the right wing and holds it so that Fletcher can make the run into the box. He tries to send it through, but it’s long and Fletcher can’t catch up to it. Goal kick for City.

4′ Ronaldo’s first touch down the left wing, and he immediately gets pounced on by Richards and Wright-Phillips. Wright-Phillips makes a nice tackle and takes it away.

3′ Except that Robinho seems to be starting off on the left, going against the inexperienced Rafael. So much for that.

2′ Ronaldo will be starting off on the left side, which means he’ll be taking on Richards and providing support against both Robinho and Wright-Phillips. Interesting…

1′ United will kick it off and we’re underway! Howard Webb is our ref today.

0′ A lot of interesting match-ups in this match. We’ll see how Park and Evra handle Robinho and Wright Phillips on the right. We’ll see probably see Ronaldo and Robinho move around the pitch, which means that they could spend some time matched up against each other. And, it will be interesting to see how Fletcher and Carrick handle Ireland. He’s a master at making that late run into the box, and his confidence is sky-high right now.

0′ Interesting how the “Sir Alex Successor” list continues to shrink. Queiroz seems to have confirmed speculation that he’s best as a #2. Keane is in danger at Sunderland. Hughes is under pressure at City. Steve Bruce, is, well, Steve Bruce. Looks like it could very well be “The Special One,” when all is said and done.

0′ And, of course, there’s the rivalry between Mark Hughes and his former skipper, Sir Alex Ferguson. Apparently, there’s no love lost between the two (seriously, what former United players or managers are on good terms with Sir Alex?). Hughes had been mentioned as a possible successor to Sir Alex, but those hopes would seemingly go down the drain if Hughes continues to underachieve as manager at City. Still, he’s always done well against Sir Alex, so maybe he knows something.

0′ Obviously, there’s the huge subplot concerning Berbatov and how City tried to hijack United’s bid. However, another big one concerns Cristiano Ronaldo and Robinho. Remember, during Real Madrid’s months-long courtship of Ronaldo, Robinho’s name was floated as a possible makeweight.

0′ Given how well Rafael has played this year, and given how well the team has played when he’s been in there, I’m surprised that Sir Alex had gone with O’Shea for the last three matches at right-back. Don’t get me wrong, I think O’Shea is a fine player, but Rafael gives them such an added dimension going forward that I find it hard to believe that there was no place for him in either the Villa match or the Villarreal match.

0′ And, before we go any further, I’d like to congratulate Brad Friedel on his record-breaking 167th consecutive Premiership start. What an accomplishment by one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time!

0′ City need to make a strong move up the table if they want to compete for a spot in Europe and take Mark Hughes off the hot seat. They’re going in the right direction, though, after a rousing win over Arsenal last weekend and an impressive UEFA Cup triumph against Schalke in midweek.

0′ It’s bright and early on a Sunday morning in the U.S., but I’m really excited to watch this match. There’s a lot at stake for both teams, especially United. They haven’t scored in 2 matches and desperately need to start winning their big away fixtures if they want to get back in the title race. Sure, it’s not even December, but as Yogi Berra used to say, it’s getting late early.

0′ Hello everyone and welcome to Soccerlens’ live coverage of the Manchester derby! I’m Victor and I’ll be your liveblogger today!

Match Review:

It was a tale of two halves as United absolutely dominated the first half and took a deserved 1-0 lead into the half, while City played much better in the second half and were unfortunate not to get that equalizer from Dunne. United needed this victory, as they’ve been dropping points away from home, and City can take heart in the fact that they weathered the early United storm and acquitted themselves very well in the second half.

I’m not sure what Cristiano Ronaldo was thinking, looking like he was trying to block a punt. Maybe he had a hot date to get ready for, or something. In any case, he really let his team down today. He was mostly invisible even before his sending off, frequently failing to get back on defense and wasting opportunities on offense.

Man of the Match:

Wayne Rooney

Rooney scored his 100th goal and played an excellent all-around match. He constantly found open teammates in and around the box, he did a great job tracking back and covering the ground that Ronaldo wasn’t even covering when he was in the match. Besides Rooney, Fletcher, Carrick, and Evra were outstanding for United, as was Ferdinand, who seems to have bounced back from his mini-slump. Meanwhile, for City, Wright-Phillips was easily the best player wearing blue, and may have been the best player on the entire pitch. His tireless work, his key defensive plays, and his dangerous runs made him the lone consistent threat for City. As for Robinho and Berbatov, neither one was much of a factor, which shows that 62 million pounds isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Before we kick off with the roundup (of news old and new), here’s how you can win free tickets to the Manchester United v Aalborg game, courtesy of our second favourite Manchester United blog.

Moving on:

England’s Goalkeepers

I wonder if Paul Robinson can ever make a comeback. Actually, I don’t. The man was never #1 material, then again he’s about as good as the other contenders for the #1 spot. Lack of top-class talent is no excuse for mediocrity, however, and at this point Robinson’s lack of command of his area and England’s propensity to miscommunicate in defence means that we need someone like van der Sar, a player who might not be an elite shot stopper but has good command of his area (EVDS is getting old and is slower but otherwise more authoritative than James, Carson, Robinson and Green put together).

Ben Foster anyone?

Real Madrid’s Next Striker

Real Madrid are looking for a new striker. IMO Tevez and Villa are out of their reach and Benzema is not moving till the end of the year, so Madrid might have to plump for Huntelaar - not an ideal choice but he gives them numbers and quality, which is what they lack upfront at the moment.

Arsenal’s captaincy gaffe

Recently William Gallas was stripped of his captaincy at Arsenal with Cesc Fabregas installed in his place. Arsenal fans have welcomed the appointment, but I’ve been advocating against Fab’s appointment since Henry’s departure and to date there’s no change in the circumstances around the team. Gallas is unfit to be captain, Silva has left (and was too quiet anyway), Ade is unfit a la Gallas and that leaves Toure and Almunia as the senior statesmen and Fabregas with the most central role in the team.

Toure for my money is a better alternative than Fab, and I can’t help but think that Wenger’s gone with Fab to get him to stay on for a couple of years longer at Arsenal. It’s too much too soon for the kid, he’s a very good player but he’s been pushed to the limit already playing for Arsenal and this is just going to push him even further.

The Offside takes a look at other Premier League captains and arrives at a sensible (although totally non-scientific) conclusion - pick an elder statesman in the team as opposed to the star player, more Manchester and less Newcastle.

Liverpool’s crest and copyright issues

Should football clubs be this pushy about copyrighting their crests and logos? On one hand it makes good business sense because these are global brands and copyrighting them allows the clubs to prosecute unauthorised retailers and therefore profit from their brand. On the other hand copyrights can often limit non-commercial and as a result it can severely hamper the efforts of genuine fans who only want to show their love for their team.

The Premier League and Football League have hired NetResult to protect their brand / intellectual property online, and that usually results in NetResult going after websites indiscriminately without considering whether the use is commercial or non-commercial. Perhaps there should be a legal distinction and therefore room for fans to make use of copyrighted content, or shall we go the way of the music industry and insist that the right thing is to pay for using a club’s crest on your site?

Can West Ham pay off Sheffield United?

Sheffield United move one step closer to burning Upton Park to the ground winning their compensation case against West Ham and extracting tens of millions of pounds from their Icelandic owners. The owner is already strapped for cash and now with the case not going to the CAS, West Ham’s chances of getting out of this without a massive payout look slim. Without a resolution of this problem it’s unlikely that the club would be bought even if Mr G wanted to sell.

Tough times indeed for West Ham, but the bottom line is that they’re in the Premier League and should be able to stay up for next season as well, making the club an attractive investment prospect as long as the current owners keep up their efforts to offload the deadwood.

Sex and Football

Platini is pushing for the specificity of sport as a cultural symbol and therefore pushing to exempt it from normal business rules in EU. Will he also look at club sponsors, such sex movie distributors BN Agentur, who sponsor FC Copenhagen, and tell them to f**k off, so to speak? What if the sponsors were offering porn movies as a winning bonus? What type of role models are we shaping here?

More News

• The Spoiler has a nice list of footballers and Bond villain lookalikes. Congratulations to the Spoiler folks for nabbing the Pies editorial team in full.
• FIFA have sold the rights to the 2010 World Cup for a cool $3.4 billion USD. Where do you suppose that money is going to be reinvested in? I’d like to know.
• Kaka says it would be great to play in the Premier League. Of course, he’s probably on record as saying that it would be great to be in the Spanish Primera as well (or else the Spanish journos haven’t been asking him the right questions). You want Kaka? Qualify for the Champions League and get ready to pay 50m+ plus 150k / week in salaries (both in Euros, of course).
• Football League clubs are finally moving in the right direction.
• How much of a hand does Stan Kroenke have in bringing Ivan Gazidis to Arsenal? Worth thinking about.
• Wayne Rooney apologises for simulation. Next, we might want to consider that when Ronaldo goes to the ground, most of the times it’s a genuine tackle. I’m just saying…
• Would you drop your shorts on a football field? Not doing a Joey Barton, mind you, but more to distract the opposition goalkeeper. God help you if someone pulls them down again post-game…
• Fernando Torres is out for couple of weeks with a hamstring injury, so for Liverpool fans missing their blonde-haired savior, here’s Torres going up against a dog.

Join us on Sunday for live coverage of the Manchester derby.

Villarreal and Manchester United battled to their fourth consecutive scoreless draw, thereby ensuring that both teams will advance into the knockout round. Soccerlens brought you the action (or lack thereof) live! Click below for the live-blog, and feel free to leave comments below!

Match Preview:

When these teams met at Old Trafford two months ago, both sides had chances to win, but ultimately battled to a scoreless stalemate. Now, the scene shifts to Madrigal Stadium, where Manchester United were held, 0-0, the last time they visited, in a match where Wayne Rooney was sent off. Redemption will certainly be on Manchester United’s mind, but advancement into the knockout round will be their first priority.

United will need all the help that they can get, what with Dimitar Berbatov sidelined for two weeks and Cristiano Ronaldo looking like he might miss out after leaving last weekend’s Aston Villa match with an injury. United’s away form has been shaky this year, and they were a couple of minutes away from suffering their first defeat in European play since 2006-2007 against Celtic a couple of weeks ago. A draw would guarantee them a place in the next round, but given United’s struggles away from Old Trafford, a win would be a huge boost to their confidence.

As for Villarreal, they could use a win after getting thumped by Valladolid over the weekend. Former United man Giuseppe Rossi continues to play well for Villarreal, fueling speculation that United, which has a buy-back clause in his contract, could bring him back to Old Trafford after the season. Whether it’s mindgames from Sir Alex, or a sincere belief that Rossi could slot in perfectly as the #3 striker, a role that Carlos Tevez seems to hate, it’s definitely not a welcome advance on Villarreal’s part. We’ll see what role, if any, it plays in this match.

Who will prevail in this battle between group leaders? Tune in and find out!

Lineups:

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Venta, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Fuentes, Capdevilla, Cazorla, Senna (c), Eguren, Pires, Rossi, Ibagaza
Subs: Viera, Edmilson, Franco, Cygan, Fernandez, Angel Lopez, Bruno.

Conventional 4-4-2 for Villarreal, who will make a few changes from the side that lost over the weekend. Venta comes in for Angel Lopez at right back, Fuentez will come in for Cygan at center back, and Ibagaza will start up front in place of Franco. In addition to Rossi, United are intimately familiar with former Arsenal man, Pires.

Manchester United: Kuszczak, O’Shea, Ferdinand (c), Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Anderson, Rooney.
Subs: Foster, Giggs, Park, Vidic, Rafael, Gibson, Tevez.

After Ferguson seemed to indicate that he would rest Ronaldo, the man who thinks he should be first, second, and third on the World Player of the Year ballot will start. Fletcher, Anderson, and Nani will come in for Giggs, Park, and Tevez. Rooney will start by himself up front, a decision that may signal Ferguson’s intentions here. Kuszczak will deputize for Van der Sar, who didn’t even make the trip to Spain, Evans will come in for Vidic, and O’Shea will keep his place at right-back.

Minute-by-Minute:

Thanks to everyone who followed along. I’ll be back on Sunday for the big Manchester derby! See you then!

90′ + 3 Last chance for United as they’ll have a corner here as Fuentes knocks it away. Nope. There’s the whistle and we’re done. Both Villarreal and United will advance and Celtic will crash out on a Gary Caldwell own goal. You have to give the advantage to United to win the group, since United will get Aalborg at Old Trafford. But, that’s for another time.

90′ + 2 Tevez lifts a cross from the left wing towards the far post for Rooney, but Lopez cuts it out.

90′ + 1 Evans gets fouled by Franco near the center line and United will have a free kick.

90′ Venta gives it away to Tevez and he leads the charge for United. Three minutes will be added on.

89′ Good buildup by United that leads to Park whipping a cross from deep down the right flank. It’s too close to the keeper, and Lopez easily handles it. Aalborg have scored again, and it looks like Celtic might not even get to play in the UEFA Cup

87′ Tevez sends a cross from the left wing to the right for Ronaldo. He sends it into the box for Rooney, who gets surrounded by three yellow shirts. He loses the ball and tries to win it back, but is called for the foul. Back the other way and Ibagaza tries to test Kuszczak, but it’s easily saved by the Notorious P.I.G.

86′ Evra with some good work down the left flank and whips in a corner that is knocked away by Villarreal for a United throw. Tevez will come on for Carrick. Meanwhile, at the Emirates, Bendtner has scored for Arsenal. Looks like the Cesc Fabregas Era will get off to a good start.

85′ Park will come on for Nani. Ronaldo will stay on, and you can still see the cleat marks on his knee.

82′ Fernandez gets deep into the box, but Ferdinand is there to make the tackle and slots it to Kuszczak, who knocks it away. Meanwhile, Ronaldo gets hit with a really nasty leg whip by Capdevilla. It’s a straight red card for Capdevilla, and say what you will about Ronaldo’s theatrics, but that red card was entirely deserved. That was a dangerous looking tackle.

81′ Corner is cleared by Villarreal. Nani tries to keep it alive, but he loses it to about 3 or 4 yellow shirts.

80′ Gibson will come on for Fletcher.

79′ Rooney gets in deep down left flank. He tries to slide a cross, but it’s deflected off a Villarreal player and looks like it will be be going in. Capdevilla heads it over the crossbar to concede the corner, saving the goal.

78′ Villarreal will make a change as Rossi will come off for Franco.

76′ Aalborg has equalized. Interesting. Rossi with the touch pass to Ibagaza, but Ferdinand knocks it away.

75′ Ferdinand makes a miscue and Fernandez gets into the box. Ferdinand recovers, though, and makes a good tackle to take it away.

73′ Rooney tries to chip a cross to Anderson, but it’s too close to the keeper and Lopez claims it.

72′ Tevez is warming up and looks like he’ll be coming on. Who knows? This could be an audition for him. I doubt Villarreal will give him the money he’s looking for, but there have to be Real Madrid or Barcelona scouts in attendance tonight.

70′ Anderson nearly springs Ronaldo, but it’s just out of his reach and Villarreal knock it away for a United throw.

69′ Ronaldo gives it away and Villarreal make the charge. Rossi goes down from the challenge from O’Shea, but no call from the refs. Rossi’s been going down a little easy today. I guess he’s been playing in Spain too long.

66′ Pires is off for Villarreal and Fernandez will come on. Meanwhile, long ball from Carrick to Rooney as he slips behind the defense. He turns and fires on goal, but Lopez makes the reflex save. In Rooney’s defense, he was at a really bad angle and Lopez did a great job getting into a good position to make the save.

64′ Pires with a smart play as he gets in deep down the right wing and knocks it off a United player. Corner is knocked away by United and it falls to Cazorla, who sends a wicked cross from the right wing to the far post, and it just misses Capdevilla’s boot.

63′ Anderson gets a better chance here as Rooney and Ronaldo play a nice give-and-go. Ronaldo sends it back to Anderson and his shot forces a save from Lopez.

62′ Ronaldo plays Rooney through and he tries to chip it into the net, but it’s wide. Nani tries to pounce on the rebound, but he can’t get to it before it goes out for a goal kick.

61′ Venta tries a shot from the right wing, but Kuszczak isn’t bothered by it at all. Anderson then tries a long range shot that doesn’t bother Lopez, either. It’s looking like a 0-0 match.

59′ Pires catches United’s defense napping and he sends a nice cross into the box for Rossi that he just misses with his head (he is a short guy, after all). Rossi comes back with a really sweet move in the box (he was moving one way, then turned on a dime and cut towards the goal), but Evans knocks it out off Rossi for the goal kick.

58′ Fletcher takes a shot from the edge of the box that travels just wide of the far post. Fuentes gets booked. Not sure for what. Maybe dissent? Meanwhile, Celtic have scored.

57′ Rossi slips in a nice looking ball towards Ibagaza, but Kuszczak is out to collect the ball.

56′ Cazorla draws a foul on Evra and Villarreal will have a free kick from 35 yards out or so. They take it quick and Evans concedes the corner. United easily clear the corner away. Venta tries to send it back towards goal, but it’s out for a goal kick.

53′ Capdevilla leans into Ronaldo and Ronaldo pulls the chair out from under him. Ronaldo is called for the foul, and he’s upset about the call. Ronaldo then gets booked for dissent.

51′ Ronaldo makes the run into the box and he takes a shot from the edge of the box. Lopez makes a great save and Rooney tries to get the rebound. He goes down in the box and he wants a penalty. No go and the Villarreal players, no doubt remembering the match a couple years ago, want a card on Rooney. I think they were trying to wind Rooney up more than anything else.

49′ Corner goes off Evra, but the ref rules it was off Rossi instead. Goal kick for United. Really good cross from Pires from deep down the left flank into the box for Rossi, but Evra is there to knock it away. Tommy Smyth is surprised that Anderson is still in there, and I have to agree. He’s been invisible tonight.

48′ Evra slides for the ball, but it goes behind him. Cazorla is able to take advantage and Villarreal get a corner out of it.

47′ Venta is the new skipper for Villarreal.

46′ Villarreal kick off and the second half is underway. As expected, Senna is off and Bruno (not to be confused with the Sascha Baron Cohen character) will come on. Nani picks off the errant pass and tries to make something happen. He wins a corner off Eguren. Nothing doing on the corner as Villarreal easily clear it away.

46′ Aalborg and Celtic are also scoreless at halftime. Arsenal and Dynamo Kyiv are also at 0-0.

Not the best match so far as neither side has found the back of the net. United have had the better chances, but once again, their lack of finishing has hurt them. Villarreal are defending well, but will lose a big weapon should Senna sit down during halftime. We’ll see what happens.

45′ + 1 One minute will be added on. Rooney wins a free kick, but the minute of extra time is closer to 20 seconds as there’s the whistle, and we’re at halftime!

44′ The corner falls to Evans, but he can’t get his shot off. Meanwhile, Senna looks like he’s hurt and he motions to the bench.

43′ This will be interesting. He’s about 30 yards out or so. Ronaldo’s shot makes Lopez drop down and make a diving save that goes out of bounds for a United corner.

42′ Nothing doing on the corner as O’Shea is called offside. Ronaldo goes down again, this time its Eguren who is booked for the foul.

41′ United come close as Rooney gets it on the edge of the box and he sets Ronaldo up for a nice shot that Lopez gets a fingertip on and pushes into the crossbar. It’s knocked out for a corner.

39′ Nani gets wiped out by Fuentes deep down the left flank, but no foul.

38′ O’Shea and Anderson have some miscommunication as O’Shea’s throughball misses him completely.

36′ Evra is booked for a foul on Ibagaza.

35′ Nani makes a nice move to get past his marker. He sends it into the box for Ronaldo, who lays it off to Fletcher, who is on the edge of the box. Fletcher sends the shot towards goal, but Lopez easily saves it.

34′ Poor pass from Rooney to Ronaldo, and Villarreal try to knock it away. O’Shea gets it, but he’s called for a handball.

32′ ESPN’s clock is off, so I’m approximating here. Corner catches Kuszczak in no-man’s land and he falls down. Luckily for United, they are able to clear it away before Villarreal can take advantage.

31′ Rossi is greeted rudely by his old teammates as he wins a free kick against Nani deep down the left flank. Ibagaza whips it in, but United head it away. It falls to Venta, who takes a long-range shot that’s deflected out for a corner.

30′ Senna tests Kuszczak from long range, but he makes the save. Ferdinand is called for a foul on Senna near the center line.

29′ Ronaldo’s ball gets over the wall, but it’s directly into the waiting arms of Lopez.

28′ Venta is booked for a rough challenge on Ronaldo, and Man Utd. will have a good free kick chance from about 30 yards out.

27′ Carrick gives it away in his own territory, but Evra does a good job and wins it back. Pires gets the ball and sends it back to Rossi, who tries to chip it back to Pires. Pires struggles with Ferdinand and tries to make it look like Ferdinand is grabbing his arm, but the refs don’t call it. It’s out for a goal kick.

26′ Neither side has really established much of a rhythm. Let’s hope that there isn’t a gentleman’s agreement in place here.

24′ Anderson sends it to Nani, and Nani gives it back to him on the edge of the box. Anderson hesitates, and he can’t get his shot off. Nani is then called for a foul.

21′ Ronaldo gets some space and he charges towards goal. He lays it off to his right for Rooney, but it’s a little bit long and Rooney has to motor for it. He tries to cross it, but he slips and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

20′ Rooney gets taken down on the edge of the box, but no foul from the ref. It looks like he was clearly clipped by Fuentes.

18′ Rooney tries to play it through to Nani, but good defense from Venta as he makes the clean tackle and takes it away.

17′ Pires tees it up for Cazorla, and he forces a great save from Kuszczak. Pires gets the rebound, but he can’t control it and United clear it from danger.

16′ Two more booming kicks fro Kuszczak. He’s throwing around the big boot more often than Hulk Hogan.

15′ Pires tries to get in behind United’s defense, but Fletcher is there to defend him. Pires knocks it away for a United throw.

12′ Ronaldo and O’Shea nearly mess up their clearance attempt and it looks like Ronaldo’s clearance attempt may have caught O’Shea on the arm. Eventually, Villarreal knock it out for a goal kick.

11′ Cazorla makes a good tackle to stop the one-two from Nani and Evra. Villarreal go on the attack and Ibagaza earns a corner. Ibagaza whips in the corner, and Pires tries to flick it to a teammate, but Ronaldo heads it away.

10′ Rossi gets his first touch and his shot is blocked by Evans. He gets it back and tries another shot from the left wing, but Kuszczak easily saves it.

8′ Rooney finds the back of the net, but he’s ruled offside. It’s close, but it looks like it was the right call. I’d talk more about the buildup to the play, but ESPN was showing crowd shots for some reason. Great work, guys.

7′ Anderson makes a nice move into the box and forces Lopez to make a good save. The ball is knocked back towards Ronaldo, and he takes a shot from the edge of the box. Ronaldo’s shot is well off target and he gets into it with Ibagaza. The ref calls them both over to settle them down.

6′ Nani gets in deep down the left flank and tries to cross it towards goal. Lopez cuts it out.

5′ Rooney tries an optimistic shot from long range, but Lopez easily saves it. I bet he’ll be extremely relieved once he finally gets that 100th goal. He hasn’t played well in a long time.

4′ There have already been two backpasses to Kuszczak. I’ll give him one advantage over Van der Sar. He can sure boot it downfield.

3′ Shaky moment for Villarreal in their box, but Anderson is called offside before he can do any damage.

2′ Ronaldo fouls Senna near the center line.

1′ United kick it off and we’re underway! Roberto Rosetti is our referee.

0′ The Chammmmm-pions!

0′ Cazorla turned Real Madrid down in the offseason, saying that there were other things besides playing for Real Madrid. Unfortunately for Sir Alex, it looks like Cazorla will be lining up on the other side of the field, away from Ronaldo.

0′ And, of course, we’ll be keeping an eye on that Arsenal score. Should be interesting as Cesc Fabregas will make his debut as Arsenal skipper while deposed captain William Gallas will return to the lineup.

0′ By the way, as an American, I really wish Rossi had decided to play for us. Then again, you can’t blame him for wanting to play for Italy. I would too, if I had his talent. And, you know, if I were Italian (although my last name does end in a vowel…).

0′ There’s been a lot of talk about Rossi and the so-called “buy-back” option for United in his contract. I actually think that bringing Rossi back as their #3 striker and letting Tevez go would be the perfect solution to their problem. Why spend 30 million pounds for a guy who’s going to be a benchwarmer? Why not spend 6 million on a proven goal scorer like Rossi? It might not be the best move for Rossi, but it makes perfect sense for United.

0′ On the other hand, this is a Villarreal team that gave up 3 goals to Aalborg a couple of weeks ago. I guess we’ll see what happens once the whistle blows.

0′ Then again, it looks like United are going for the draw. It’s understandable, I guess, since a draw would ensure advancement for both teams. Case in point: look at how Tevez is on the bench today, even though Berbatov is out. Ferguson wanted to go with a 5 man midfield, and with Rooney’s tendency to wander back and help win balls, it’s hard to imagine United going on a goal scoring spree.

0′ Neither squad has scored a single goal against each other in their last three encounters. Let’s hope history does not repeat itself today.

0′ Welcome to Soccerlens’ live coverage of the Champions League clash between Manchester United and Villarreal. I’m Victor and I’ll be your liveblogger today.

Match Review:

Well, this match was about what we expected. Both sides played cautiously and were more than happy to take a draw. United had their chances, especially the shot from Ronaldo that nearly beat Lopez, but their goalscoring drought continues (180-plus minutes and counting). They’ll have some question marks heading into the match against City on Sunday, but this is a good result for them.

As for Villarreal, they could rue their decision to sit back and take the draw. United are first on goal difference and will get Aalborg at home while Villarreal have to travel to Glasgow, where Celtic seem to morph into Chelsea. We’ll see if this result haunts them when the draw comes out, but they didn’t have too many chances to score today. Still, for their beleaguered defense, a clean sheet is just what the doctor ordered.

Man of the Match:

Cristiano Ronaldo

Not much to choose from. Ronaldo had his chances, as did Rooney. The two of them didn’t always link up well, which could be troubling for United. Still, Ronaldo was the most dangerous player on the pitch and seemed to move well, despite suffering that ankle injury against Villa. As for Villarreal, Pires played very well during the time he was on the pitch, as did Cazorla. Still, the real man of the match should be me, for not falling asleep during this snoozefest.