Schalke to sign Kevin-Princ

Champions League competitors Schalke 04 are set to sign AC Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng after the midfielder arrived at the German club for a medical on Friday.
"The royal blues are planning to sign Kevin-Prince Boateng. He has arrived for a medical check," Schalke said in a statement.
The German-born 26-year-old Ghana international, who has also played for Hertha Berlin, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur and is the half brother of Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng, joined Milan in 2010.
Schalke beat Greece's PAOK 4-3 on aggregate this week to book their spot in the Champions League group stage this season where they will face Chelsea, Basle and Steaua Bucharest.

Marseille face Monaco test

Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will be strongly fancied to see off promoted Guingamp on Saturday but the game of the weekend in Ligue 1 comes 24 hours later when leaders Marseille take on second-placed Monaco.

Laurent Blanc's PSG have flattered to deceive during the early stages of the new season but the coach received the backing of his Qatari paymasters this week after the capital club followed up two draws by recording their first win of the campaign at Nantes last Sunday.

"In any case, it's better than last season when we only had three points after three matches," said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, before veiled criticism of Blanc's predecessor Carlo Ancelotti, who has since departed for Real Madrid.

"Of course, Carlo did a great job here but today even if there are many things to improve, we are playing better football than last season. And that is very important in my eyes," he continued before confirming his confidence in 1998 World Cup winner Blanc.

"To recruit him was an excellent decision. His work is even better than what we expected of him."

Blanc has a near full-strength squad at his disposal for the visit of the Bretons, with Jeremy Menez the only absentee as he works his way back to fitness after a back operation.

While most pundits expected PSG's principle challenge to emerge from Claudio Ranieri's expensively-assembled Monaco side, it has been the mild-mannered Elie Baup who has fashioned three straight wins to lead 2010 champions Marseille to the summit.

The club are embroiled in an unsavoury dispute with Lille over the potential transfer of talented 20-year-old winger Florian Thauvin, who has caused uproar at the northern club after boycotting training in midweek in an attempt to force a move to the Stade Velodrome.

Lille have rejected a €10 million offer for the under-20 world champion - who only arrived from Bastia in the close season - and threatened to relegate Thauvin to the reserves if he continues to hold out for a transfer.

"It is a gesture that is unacceptable, even deplorable with regard to Lille and French football," fumed Lille general director Frederic Paquet.

Monaco got off to a flying start with six goals and two wins in their opening matches against Bordeaux and Montpellier before a tame 0-0 draw at home to Toulouse, played behind closed doors as punishment for crowd trouble after they won promotion last season.

A win at their southern rivals would see them go a point clear at the top regardless of other results.

Lyon, champions seven years in a row in the last decade, have seen their season badly compromised already after crashing out of the Champions League at the play-off stage in midweek, outclassed 4-0 on aggregate by Spanish side Real Sociedad.

That will cost the club at least €20 million in lost revenue while their only consolation is a place in the less lucrative Europa League. This weekend, OL make the short trip to bottom-of-the-table Evian.

It was a bad week all round for French clubs in Europe, with Saint-Etienne and Nice both exiting the Europa League at the play-off stage.

Les Verts will look to put their disappointment behind them when they face Bordeaux on Sunday, before Nice entertain 2012 champions Montpellier in what will be the last game to be played at their old Stade du Ray before they move to their new 35 000-seat Allianz Riviera ground.

Among the other games, Italian coach Fabrizio Ravanelli goes in search of his first victory in charge of Ajaccio away to Sochaux, while Rennes play host to Lille.

Fixtures

Saturday:

Evian v Lyon
Paris Saint-Germain v Guingamp
Bastia v Toulouse
Lorient v Valenciennes
Reims v Nantes
Rennes v Lille
Sochaux v Ajaccio

Sunday:

Saint-Etienne v Bordeaux
Nice v Montpellier
Marseille v Monaco

Barca, Arsenal in tough UCL groups

Seven-time European title holders AC Milan, knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the last two seasons, were drawn with the Catalans in the group stage of this season's competition on Friday.

Nine-time champions Real Madrid will meet Juventus in two mouthwatering clashes in Group B which also features Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen.

Holders Bayern Munich landed CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Czech champions Viktoria Plzen in Group D, giving them a seemingly straightforward passage to the knockout stage.

Chelsea, champions two seasons ago, face Schalke 04, FC Basle and Steaua Bucharest in Group E, having beaten the latter pair on their way to winning the Europa League last season.

Three-time European Cup winners Manchester United meet Ukraine's Brazilian-inspired champions Shakhtar Donetsk along with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad in Group A.

AC Milan and Barcelona have met six times in the last two seasons and the Catalans have come out on top.

The Serie A side lost 4-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 last year and 3-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals two seasons ago, when the two sides also met in the group stage.

The pair were drawn in Group H, alongside four-time winners Ajax Amsterdam and 1967 champions Celtic, who faced Barcelona in the group stage last season and memorably beat them at home.

"It is a well-known group, with prestigious stadia, historical ones, with teams who have already won the Champions League," AC Milan vice-president Umberto Gandini told reporters.

Antonio Conte, who played under Carlo Ancelotti at Juventus for two years and now coaches the Serie A champions, will face his former manager when his side play Real Madrid.

TOUGH GROUP

"It's a tough group with fascinating matches. Real are among the favourites for the title and... Galatasaray are a team to be feared," Conte told Italian television.
"Unlike last season, we know what awaits us and the difficulty we will meet when we face the best teams in the world."
Real beat Galatasaray in the knockout stage last season.
Bayern are clear favourites to progress from their group but the treble winners are taking nothing for granted.
"We have to go into the competition with a lot of respect and a lot of focus from the very start," said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
"We have to be especially careful not to underestimate CSKA Moscow and Manchester City. This will not be an automatic qualification but our aim is to make the knockout stage."
Group F was arguably the toughest, pitting last year's runners-up Borussia Dortmund against Napoli, Olympique Marseille and Arsenal.
"This is a brilliant, balanced group with four teams who have what it takes to survive the group stage," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp.
"The fact is we have to get something to put right (past results) against Arsenal and we have something to put right against Marseille," added Klopp, whose side finished bottom of a group featuring both teams two seasons ago.
"I have not been to Napoli but I am already looking forward to the atmosphere there."
Austria Vienna, the only debutants in the draw, were placed in Group G along with former Champions League winners Porto as well as Atletico Madrid and Zenit St Petersburg.
Big-spending Paris St Germain drew Olympiakos Piraeus, from austerity-hit Greece, and Anderlecht in Group C in what should be a fairly easy stroll for the French side.
THE DRAWGroup A: Manchester United, Shakthar, Leverkusen, Real Sociedad
Group B: Real Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray, FC Copenhagen
Group C: Benfica, PSG, Olympiacos, Anderlecht
Group D: Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Man City, Viktoria Plzen
Group E: Chelsea, Schalke, FC Basel, Steaua Bucuresti
Group F: Arsenal, Marseille, Dortmund, Napoli
Group G: FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit, Austria Vienna
Group H: Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax, Celtic

All set for Champs League draw

The lineup for Thursday’s 2013/14 Uefa Champions League group stage draw is complete and will feature no fewer than 14 previous winners of Europe's premier club competition while Austria Wien will make their debut.

Catch the draw live right here through live streaming as well as on SS3 HD and SS3 at 5:45pm at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum.

Eleven of the past champions were among the 22 automatic entrants, a number subsequently swelled by the progress of AC Milan, Steaua Bucuresti and Celtic through this week's ten play-off ties.

For the draw, the 32 contenders have been split into four seeding pots (based on club coefficients), with each of the eight groups to contain one team from each tier.

No club can meet a side from their own association and the draw procedure will be explained during the ceremony, which also includes the presentation of the Uefa Best Player in Europe Award.

Holders Bayern Munich lead the top tier of seeds, all of whom have lifted the trophy apart from 2005/06 runners-up Arsenal, and are bidding to become the first team to defend the European Cup since AC Milan, victors in 1989 and 1990. The Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica will stage the final on 24 May 2014 and SL Benfica will hope to reach the showpiece in their own stadium while fellow Portuguese club FC Porto will also be looking to reach the final in their home country.

English champions Manchester United are making a record 19th Champions League appearance in the competition's 22nd edition, one more than FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF and FC Porto. In contrast, Austria Wien are involved for the first time, taking the number of clubs to have featured in the group stage to 128.

Twenty-one of the teams who were involved in last season's group stage are back, with Celtic, Milan and FC Zenit booking their returns on Wednesday night after Arsenal FC and Schalke 04 did likewise the previous evening.

Austria aside, Real Sociedad have endured the longest wait for a Champions League return; not only have they not featured in the competition since reaching the round of 16 in 2003/04 – when they lost to the team they beat in this season's play-offs, Olympique Lyon – this is also their first European campaign since then.

In total, clubs from 18 different national associations will play in the group stage, with England, Spain and Germany the best represented with a quartet of teams.

Podolski out for up to 10 weeks

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski could be ruled out for up to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury, manager Arsene Wenger said on Thursday.

The Germany international pulled a muscle during his side's 2-0 Champions League playoff victory over Fenerbahce on Tuesday.

"It is bad news about Lukas Podolski as he will be out for eight to 10 weeks," Wenger told the club's website (www.arsenal.com) ahead of Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

"His hamstring is much more damaged than we thought at the start. It is very disappointing and we have paid a very heavy price for that win. We have to be patient now."

The 28-year-old had started the season strongly, scoring scored in Arsenal's first two Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Fulham.

Wenger said Aaron Ramsey, who scored both goals against Fenerbahce, and Jack Wilshere would be fit to play against Spurs having both suffered injury scares in the match against Fenerbahce.

Midfielder Mikel Arteta is still a few weeks away from returning but long-term absentee Thomas Vermaelen could be back after next week's international break.

Ozil has no plans to leave Real

Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil has no intention to leave Real Madrid and rather welcomes than fears the imminent arrival of Gareth Bale.

Ozil, 24, told Thursday's edition of Kicker sports magazine that he can also imagine renewing his contract at the Spanish giants beyond 2016.

The expected arrival of Bale has led to speculation that Ozil may leave, with English champions Manchester United allegedly interested. The issue was further fuelled when Oezil was not amused when substituted by new coach Carlo Ancelotti in a league match Monday.

But Ozil told Kicker that "like any other player I want to play a full match," and pledged his future with club he joined in 2010 from Werder Bremen.

"I will stay at Real Madrid, that is certain. To be honest, I never wasted a thought on a transfer," he said.

"I feel good here. I get along well with the boys, have the faith of the coach, and am at a big club with big goals. That's why I am staying here."

Ozil said "of course I can imagine" staying beyond 2016 and will welcome Bale once the transfer for an alleged world record fee from Tottenham is finalized.

"We are happy about players who strengthen us, we are happy about every new player. We need every player who can help us because we are in many competitions and want to go a long way in all of them," he said.

"Of course there is a lot of competition, especially in a big club like Real Madrid. But I know what I am capable of. I have always prevailed. I am going into my fourth season with Real and I will prevail again.

Freiburg sign midfielder Vladimir from Plzen

Freiburg have signed Czech Republic midfielder Vladimir Darida from Viktoria Plzen in what is reportedly the Bundesliga club's record transfer.

Freiburg announced the deal on their website Thursday without giving contract or transfer fee details.

German media reports said Freiburg are paying almost €4 million for the 23-year-old Darida, who is to sign a five-year deal with the club.

Freiburg sports director Klemens Hartenbach is quoted on Kicker's website as saying "despite the fact it's the most expensive transfer in the club's history, it's within realistic bounds."

Darida's transfer breaks Freiburg's previous record of €2.2 million paid to Levski Sofia for Mali striker Garra Dembele in 2011.

Darida has played 15 times for the Czech Republic, scoring two goals

Ronaldo shuns Uefa ceremony

Cristiano Ronaldo will not attend Thursday's Champions League draw in Monaco despite being shortlisted for the Uefa Best Player in Europe Award.

The Portuguese was named alongside Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery of Champions League winners Bayern Munich as the three candidates for the prize, but has instead preferred to travel with his Real Madrid teammates for a friendly away to Deportivo la Coruna.

Ronaldo was reportedly unhappy at being overlooked for the award last year as Andres Iniesta edged out he and Messi after guiding Spain to success at Euro 2012.

The friendly in Coruna has been organised to raise money for financially stricken Deportivo who were relegated to the second division last season and were nearly demoted a further division for failing to pay debts owed to their players before the end of July.

Madrid had hoped to have Gareth Bale among their ranks for the match as a means of boosting the television revenue they are set to earn from the game.

However, there was still no confirmation of the Welshman's protracted move from Tottenham Hotspur to the Spanish champions on Thursday despite Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas saying on Wednesday that he expected the deal to go through "very soon.

Suarez could add bite to United-Reds tie

Banned Liverpool striker Luis Suarez could make his return to action against Manchester United after the two teams were drawn against each other in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.

Suarez, serving a 10-game suspension for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season, will be eligible for the match at Old Trafford scheduled for September 24 or 25.

The Uruguay striker is an unpopular figure at United after he was banned for eight games for racially abusing the club's defender Patrice Evra in 2011 and he inflamed the situation by refusing to shake the Frenchman's hand after making his return.

The third round also features a repeat of last season's FA Cup final as Manchester City take on Wigan Athletic, who were relegated from the Premier League after upsetting City to win at Wembley in May.

There are four other all-Premier League clashes as Fulham play Everton, Aston Villa host Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United take on Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion play Arsenal.

Holders Swansea City visit second-tier Birmingham City.

Premier League Southampton host third-tier Bristol City, Leeds, winners in 1968, visit Newcastle United and Norwich City play Watford.

Leicester face local rivals Derby, Premier League Hull City host Huddersfield and four-times winners Nottingham Forest will face Burnley.

3rd round draw

Man Utd v Liverpool

Sunderland v Peterborough

West Ham v Cardiff

Man City v Wigan

Burnley v Nottingham Forest

Newcastle v Leeds

Southampton v Bristol City

West Brom v Arsenal

Swindon v Chelsea

Tranmere v Stoke

Watford v Norwich

Aston Villa v Tottenham

Hull v Huddersfield

Leicester v Derby

Birmingham v Swansea

Fulham v Everton

Ties to be played September 24-25

Barcelona lifted the first silverware of the Spanish season on away goals after a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid in the second-leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday night.

Following the 1-1 draw in the first-leg, the Catalans were left to thank goalkeeper Victor Valdes for preserving their advantage as he pulled off incredible saves from Arda Turan and David Villa either side of halftime.

Barca should have then sealed victory on the night themselves as after Filipe Luis was sent off for Atleti, Lionel Messi fired a late penalty off the bar.

Barca boss Gerardo Martino had handed a first start to Neymar as the Brazilian and Lionel Messi lined up for the first time in a competitive match since the former's switch from Santos.

And with the South American duo in attack, Barca started brightly as Messi was just denied by a last ditch challenge by Luis and Alexis Sanchez fired wide from Jordi Alba's dangerous cross.

Having weathered the early storm though, Atleti then started to gain a foothold and had the two best openings of the opening period.

Firstly Koke failed to connect properly when he was teed up at the edge of the box allowing Valdes to save easily before the Barca keeper made a stunning save to turn behind Arda's sweetly struck volley.

Valdes was called upon again after the break as he parried Villa's curling effort from the edge of the area as Atleti went in search of the away goal they needed to stay alive in the tie.

The more the visitors pushed forward though, the more they were susceptible to the Barca counter-attack and the Catalans passed up a host of opportunities to put the tie to bed.

Neymar was the biggest culprit as he squared when he ought to have gone for goal himself at the back post from Dani Alves' cross midway through the second-half.
Atleti were then reduced to 10 men when Luis saw a straight red card after he clashed with Alves off the ball on 80 minutes.
And Diego Simeone's men were further infuriated by referee David Fernandez Borbalan when he adjudged that Pedro had been felled by a combination of Juanfran and Miranda two minutes from time.
Messi smashed the resultant spot-kick off the bar to ensure the game finished goalless.
However, it mattered little as the hosts comfortably saw out the final few minutes to claim their fourth Super Cup in the past five years.

Arsenal, Liverpool face local tests

Arsenal will be eager to show the north London balance of power has not shifted to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool face a test of their top-four credentials against Manchester United as traditional local rivals clash in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arsenal pipped their neighbours to a Champions League qualifying spot last season, but while Arsene Wenger's team have been thwarted in their efforts to strengthen their squad, Tottenham have liberally splashed the cash.

Argentina international Erik Lamela is set to become Spurs' fifth transfer-window signing, taking their spending to more than £90 million, and Spurs fans are optimistic for the season ahead.

Two wins from their opening two matches have added to the positive vibe emanating from White Hart Lane, which has not been dampened by the impending world-record transfer of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

Things could not be more different at Arsenal, who have added a solitary new face to their ranks, the free transfer of Yaya Sanogo.

Manager Arsene Wenger has been rebuffed in his efforts to bring in a marquee signing with reported efforts to recruit Liverpool's Luis Suarez and now-Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain coming to nothing.

Although they reached the Champions League group stage with a comfortable win over Fenerbahce and beat Fulham in the Premier League last weekend following the shock opening home loss to Aston Villa, there is still frustration among supporters.

It is a feeling not shared by Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, who rejected suggestions that Tottenham's activity in the transfer market makes them stronger than their rivals.

"Not at all. I feel we're very, very strong," he was quoted as saying by British media.

"Everyone makes out our squad is very weak and there are not many of us, but we showed in the last few games that we can bounce back from a bad result, proving a lot of people wrong.

"Every club is different and Tottenham invested their money very well. For us players we just want to do a job on Sunday, we don't care if they have brought in £30 million stars."

RIGOROUS EXAMINATION

Liverpool are also bathing in optimism after winning their opening two Premier League matches but are set for a rigorous examination when they host champions and bitter rivals United.

The Merseysiders have also not snared a big-name signing to excite fans, but the goal-scoring form of January recruit Daniel Sturridge and positive start made by keeper Simon Mignolet bode well for manager Brendan Rodgers.

One close-season signing he will probably have to do without, however, is centre back Kolo Toure who was carried off when what should have been a straightforward League Cup clash against third-tier Notts County turned ugly on Tuesday.

Liverpool were also awaiting news of injuries to new loan signing Aly Cissokho and midfielder Joe Allen following their bruising 4-2 extra-time win.

"We've got plenty of recovery time now for the players. That was the idea - that I could put some of the senior guys in knowing there was enough recuperation period after the game, and obviously to give our young players good experience playing in a competitive game," Rodgers said on the club website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

"They'll all be fine, they'll recover well and we'll be excited now looking forward to that game on Sunday."

United manager David Moyes, used to a heated Anfield atmosphere after 11 years at Everton, will be satisfied with his opening two competitive games at his new club.

A stylish win over Swansea City was followed by a solid goalless draw against likely title rivals Chelsea.

Speculation surrounding the future of striker Wayne Rooney also seems to have quietened after his hard-working display against the team who have been trying to sign him.

Manchester City will look to shake off the defensive vulnerability they showed in losing to promoted Cardiff City last weekend when they host Hull City on Saturday.

Having splashed around 90 million pounds ($140 million) on bolstering up their attack, they need to demonstrate that they have not missed a trick by penny-pinching at the other end, following their embarrassing 3-2 loss to Cardiff.

With first-choice centre backs Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic out injured, City, who were undone twice at set-pieces against the Welsh side, could be forced to call on midfielder Javi Garcia as a stand-in defender once again.

Cardiff play Everton on Saturday, with the Liverpool club's new manager Roberto Martinez still looking for his first win after two draws, and Newcastle United, also winless, host Fulham.

Saturday's action is completed by Norwich City taking on Southampton, West Ham United play Stoke City and Crystal Palace face Sunderland.

West Bromwich Albion meet Swansea City on Sunday.

Celtic join big guns in group stage

Celtic produced a superb comeback to beat Shakhter Karagandy and qualify for the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, while AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg and Real Sociedad also booked their place at European football's top table.

The Scottish champions had given themselves everything to do after losing 2-0 to Shakhter in Kazakhstan in the first leg last week, but a terrific strike from Kris Commons gave them hope just before halftime in front of a typically raucous Parkhead crowd.

Giorgos Samaras then levelled the tie on aggregate three minutes into the second period, but it was not all plain sailing for Neil Lennon's side.

Anthony Stokes hit the bar for the hosts before Sergei Khizhnichenko struck the woodwork at the other end.

But it was to be Celtic's night, with Stokes doing brilliantly to set up James Forrest to make it 3-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate with virtually the last kick of the game.

Lennon was overcome with delight at the outcome rating it even above his side's historic group stage win over then holders Barcelona last season.

"It's the greatest thing I've ever done in football," said the Northern Irishman.

"The last three months have all been about preparation for this.

In contrast to Celtic, Lyon never really threatened to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit against Real Sociedad as the French club missed out on reaching the group stage for the second season running.

Remi Garde's side were looking to do what no team had ever done before by overturning a 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to win a European Cup tie.

It proved too great a task as Mexican forward Carlos Vela scored a second-half brace to take the Liga club through 2-0 on the night, 4-0 on aggregate.

Sociedad coach Jagoba Arrasate said that the joyous celebrations at the end reflected the satisfaction at reaching the group stage.
"It was enough to enter the dressingroom to see the happiness," he said.
"It was one of the most important targets of the season and we have achieved that."
France will only have two clubs - Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille - in Thursday's group-stage draw in Monaco, but there will be three Italian clubs after AC Milan eased to a 4-1 aggregate win against PSV Eindhoven.
The seven-time European champions had a brace by Kevin-Prince Boateng and a second-half Mario Balotelli strike to thank for taking them past PSV, the 1988 European Cup winners who have not graced the Champions League proper since 2008-09.


Milan coach Massimilano Allegri, who was lucky to hang on to his job at the end of last season as the Rossoneri finished third following a disastrous first half of the campaign, said his joy was tempered by renewed criticism.

"I'm happy with the performance but I'm very angry," Allegri told Sports Mediaset, a channel owned by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.
"From the outside I can feel the detractors but inside there is a good rapport with the general manager, the players and the club
In other games, Zenit St Petersburg eased past Portuguese minnows Pacos Ferreira with a 4-2 win in Russia to advance 8-3 on aggregate.
Portuguese international Danny scored twice for Zenit against his countrymen, including a spectacular solo effort for his second of the night, with Aleksandr Bukharov and Andrey Arshavin also netting, the latter from the penalty spot.
Manuel Jose and Carlao scored consolation goals for tiny Pacos, who finished third in their domestic league last season.
Meanwhile, Czech champions Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 away to Maribor in Slovenia to progress 4-1 on aggregate with Stanislav Tecl's early goal easing their path through.
They join Arsenal, Schalke 04, Basle, Steaua Bucharest and Austria Vienna, who all won on Tuesday in the group-stage draw along with the 22 automatic qualifiers, led by reigning European champions Bayern Munich.

           

Schalke get Aogo on loan

Schalke are to sign Germany left back Dennis Aogo on loan from Bundesliga rivals SV Hamburg, pending a medical, Schalke general manager Horst Heldt confirmed on Wednesday.

Aogo, 26, joins Schalke on loan for the season and Schalke then have an option to complete a full transfer. Aogo was to undergo the mandatory medical later Wednesday.

"We are delighted that it worked out with Dennis. He can play left back and will train with the team for the first time tomorrow (Thursday)," Heldt said, confirming a report from the Bild paper.

The 12-times capped Aogo is no longer first-choice in Hamburg, and not having to come up with his salary of reportedly 3 million euros (4 million dollars) will allow the cash-strapped club to get a forward before the transfer period ends on Monday.

Hamburg and Schalke have had a poor start into the league season, placed 15th and 16th with one point each from three games. Schalke qualified on Tuesday for the Champions League group stage.

Bale in Wales squad for qualifiers

Gareth Bale has been named in the Wales squad to play in the World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Serbia next month amid increasing speculation over his club future.

Media in Britain and Spain are widely reporting that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is on the brink of a world record transfer fee move from the Premier League club to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

He has not appeared for Spurs this season, and was pictured in Spain over the weekend. He missed Wales's recent friendly against Ireland due to a foot problem that has troubled him since July.

Aaron Ramsey has also been named in the squad, despite leaving the pitch with a groin injury after scoring both of Arsenal's goals in a 2-0 Champions League play-off victory over Fenerbahce on Wednesday.

Wales, who are 13 points behind Group A leaders Belgium and 10 off second-placed Croatia, play Macedonia in Skopje on September 6, followed by Serbia in Cardiff on September 10.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Wolves /ENG), Glyn Myhill (West Brom/ENG), Owain Fon Williams (Tranmere/ENG)

Defenders:Ben Davies (Swansea), Neal Eardley (Birmingham/ENG), Danny Gabbidon (Crystal Palace/ENG), Chris Gunter (Reading/ENG), Adam Matthews (Celtic/SCO), Samuel Ricketts (Wolves/ENG), Neil Taylor (Swansea), Ashley Williams (Swansea)

Midfielders: Joe Allen (Liverpool/ENG), Jack Collison (West Ham/ENG), Andrew Crofts (Brighton), Andy King (Leicester), Joe Ledley (Celtic/SCO), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal/ENG), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace/ENG)

Forwards: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Craig Bellamy (Cardiff), Simon Church (Charlton/ENG), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading/ENG), Sam Vokes (Burnley/ENG)

Fiorentina sign young Rebic

Serie A side Fiorentina have signed Croatian forward Ante Rebic from RNK Split for €4.5 million, Italian media reported on Wednesday.

Rebic, 19, was to undergo medical tests before signing a five-year contract worth €600 000 per season with the Florence club.

His annual pay is said to be similar to that of Serbian forward Adem Ljajic, who was reportedly set to leave Fiorentina for Roma for €10 million.

Rebic scored 10 goals in the past Croatian league, and in mid-August debuted with his national team, scoring a goal after coming on against Liechtenstein.

AC aim to bounce back, Celtic on brink

Seven-time European champions AC Milan are looking to bounce back from a disastrous start to their Serie A campaign as they go in search of a place in the Champions League group stage this week.

The Italian giants and 2006 Champions League finalists Arsenal are among 20 teams in the play-off round vying for a spot in the lucrative group stages.

Milan, who last won the competition in 2007, go into their return fixture against Dutch runners-up PSV Eindhoven at the San Siro with a slight advantage after a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands a week ago.

However, Milan's domestic campaign got off to a dreadful start at the weekend as they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at newly-promoted Verona, with coach Massimiliano Allegri lashing out at his side's display.

"We had the totally wrong attitude (on Saturday) and we're not going to make much progress if it continues," warned Allegri.

Midfielder Andrea Poli emphasised the need to put the setback behind them and focus solely on Wednesday's match against PSV, a game Allegri labelled as the "most important of the season so far".

"We had a positive performance at PSV and we faced a dangerous side, but we got a good result and we will look to finish the job in the return leg," said Poli.

"We always have respect for the opposition, but we are Milan and we have to qualify at every cost. We have to stop talking about it and just get on with the job in hand," added the Italy international.

1967 winners Celtic must overturn a two-goal deficit against Kazakh champions Shakhter Karagandy in Glasgow on Wednesday if they are to continue their Champions League adventure.

"The tie is far from over. We've got plenty in us to turn the deficit around and the players will be very, very motivated," said Hoops boss Neil Lennon.

"There will be a few players who will be disappointed with their performances, but we're still well in this tie, although we've got a lot to do," he added.

The Scottish club can take solace from the fact that they have staged a successful comeback from a 2-0 first-leg deficit in Europe on three of four occasions at Celtic Park.

Real Sociedad go into their second-leg fixture against Olympique Lyon with a two-goal lead, while Zenit St Petersburg take on Portuguese side Pacos Ferreira, with the Russians up 4-1 from the first leg.

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool survived a major scare against Notts County at Anfield to book their place in the third round of the Capital One Cup.

The Reds opened the scoring in the fourth minute through a fine solo effort from Raheem Sterling.

Sturridge then made the most of a defence-splitting pass from Steven Gerrard to put the hosts 2-0 up in the 29th.

That lead was the very least Liverpool deserved from a first half they utterly dominated and which also saw Gerrard and Daniel Agger hit the woodwork.

Their goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had been called upon shortly after Sterling's effort, though, to keep out a Joss Labadie free-kick.

And Sky Bet League One outfit County, perhaps feeling as if they had nothing to lose, then went at their opponents early in the second half and were rewarded with a headed goal in the 62nd minute from Yoann Arquin.

Liverpool looked to have regained control of the contest from there and Kolo Toure became their third player to hit the post when he might have done better.

But the visitors then stunned Reds fans by snatching an equaliser with six minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Adam Coombes slotting in.

County had penalty shouts turned down in extra-time when Enda Stevens went down under the attentions of Sterling in the box, and moments later Sturridge stroked in his second goal of the night and fourth of the season.

That strike was in the 105th minute and in the 110th, substitute Jordan Henderson cut through the County defence to wrap up the win for the Barclays Premier League side.

County were under pressure from the word go and Liverpool soon had the ball in the net.

Sterling, having collected the ball from Glen Johnson midway into the Magpies' half, proceeded to skip through their defence and into the box before firing home past goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski.

Three minutes later Gerrard sent a free-kick curling off-target.

But it was the visitors who then might have scored through a free-kick of their own, drilled by Labadie to bring a decent save out of Mignolet.

Aly Cissokho, on his first Liverpool start, had to come off soon after with an injury and was replaced by Agger.

Normal service then resumed as Gerrard powered over the bar from distance and then whipped a free-kick into the area which Agger headed against the post.

Joe Allen teed up Sturridge, who lifted a shot just beyond the corner of the net.

And after Sterling had also shot too high, the second goal duly arrived just before the half-hour mark as Sturridge collected Gerrard's delightful through-ball and cracked a shot in.

Agger's header from a corner was well kept out by Bialkowski, and Gerrard then struck the post having been put in on goal by Sterling.

County emerged after half-time looking intent on making an impression and after Labadie had sent a weak header wide, Callum McGregor drove into Mignolet's arms.

Bialkowski had little trouble dealing with a tame Glen Johnson effort and County were then suddenly back in the contest.

Manny Smith flicked a free-kick to Arquin and the striker beat his marker Andre Wisdom - who appealed unsuccessfully for offside - to nod past Mignolet.

That appeared to shock Liverpool into life and in the 69th minute the ball came to Toure in the danger zone, but he could only shoot against the post.

Sturridge then headed wide and Wisdom struck a lacklustre effort to Bialkowski.

But County were not done, and in the 84th minute Coombes found space in the box to finish from Arquin's cut-back and send the away section of Anfield into raptures.

Liverpool desperately scrambled for a late winner, with Agger's shot deflecting wide and Sturridge trying a clever chip that did not work.

The game went into extra time and the Reds, having made all three substitutions, were reduced to 10 men when Toure was carried off on a stretcher.

Towards the end of the first period Stevens went to ground in the area after contact from Sterling, but no penalty was awarded.

And soon after, Sturridge converted into the far corner, with Henderson then surging through County and applying a cool finish to restore the two-goal advantage.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho maintains that Juan Mata is not for sale and has explained his benching at Old Trafford.

Speculation regarding the Spain international's future has intensified after he was left out of the Blues' starting XI for the 0-0 Premier League draw at Manchester United on Monday night.

• Player Profile

10. Juan Mata

Appearances	3 (2)
Goals	1
Assists	0
Yellows	0
Reds	0

*Current Season

Reports that Chelsea are now in 'advanced talks' with Porto winger Christian Atsu are also likely to fan the transfer flames further.

Chelsea are already well-stocked for creative talent, so the arrival of another forward-thinking player would suggest that sales are imminent.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with Mata, while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted a liking for the World Cup winner on Tuesday and Tottenham have also been linked.

Mourinho, though, intends to leave his Premier League rivals empty-handed, with Mata still very much part of his plans.

The Portuguese tactician claims too much is being made of the 25-year-old's absence against United, with his withdrawal from the first team purely down to a lack of pre-season minutes.

Mourinho said in The Sun: "There is no chance Juan goes.

"He had a very small pre-season after the Confederations Cup. And during that pre-season he was injured.

"He started training two days before we played the first league match.

"He played against Aston Villa and I decided to put him on the bench against United."

The Best And Worst Kits Of The Season

The new season doesn't just bring new personnel to a club. No, it also brings with it the release of a new home and away kit for every club and the opportunity for football fans across the country to start talking about fashion instead of football. Now that every team has played both home and away, I thought it would be a good chance to gain some opinions about the 2013/2014 strips and look at which one has you rushing to the club shop to purchase it and which one has you rushing to the bathroom to be sick!

Let's start with the obvious candidate, and perhaps most talked about since its release; theLiverpool away kit. Warrior may be a huge sportswear company famous in the USA for their sponsorship of Lacrosse, but their recent foray into the world of football has certainly left a lot to be desired with Liverpool's newest strip.

Descriptions have ranged from Christmas jumper to 1980's ski-wear to bad wallpaper and generally anything that looks like it came from the mind of a 3-year-old with a packet of crayons. Whilst the designers may genuinely have believed that this was a good look, and I seriously doubt it, they might be saving money by making sure that no-one will purchase it and consequently they will only have to pay for the manufacturing costs of one kit this season.

Onto Manchester United, who have thankfully decided to ditch the tea-towel home kit of last season and revert back to the traditional plain red shirt this year. They haven't entirely scrapped the idea though as the away kit now resembles a tartan shawl that your granny might be pleased to receive as a birthday present!

Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea have gone for minimal designs that can't enrage too many fans, whilst Cardiff owner Vincent Tan's insistence that the club change their colors to red, so that they are more attractive in the Asian market, has resulted in the worst pair of shorts seen for some time. The decision to choose a different shade of red for the shorts has ended up looking like someone has forgotten to pack the proper kit and ended up having to borrow from the lost property box. This definitely requires a rethink next time!

I could go on, but I would prefer to hear your views about which are the best and worst. Go on, get criticizing!

Who is the top striker?

It’s never advisable to try and draw too many conclusions from the opening round of Barclays Premier League fixtures, especially with the transfer window still open, but this past weekend threw up one obvious theme: a top striker makes life a whole lot easier at the start of the long campaign.

Monday brought the news that Southampton had further demonstrated their ambition with the capture of Roma front-man Pablo Osvaldo for a reported club-record transfer fee of £15 million. The fiery Italian international scored 16 goals in Serie A last season and joins a squad that already boasts the likes of Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Gaston Ramirez and Adam Lallana.

Eyebrows were raised at a deal that takes Southampton’s summer spending to £35 million but, based on the evidence of the Barclays Premier League’s opening weekend, it is well worth investing in goal-scorers. Of the 21 goals scored on Saturday and Sunday, close to 60 per cent came from out-and-out strikers

Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Christian Benteke led the way with two goals apiece, while Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Soldado, Lambert, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Olivier Giroud and Wilfried Bony also opened their accounts.

Sergio Aguero drilled home a sublime strike to keep the run going on Monday night and, although Edin Dzeko failed to score at the Etihad, he turned in a man-of-the-match performance as City ran riot against Newcastle.

Our Matchday Live experts Les Ferdinand and Alan Curbishley agreed that the guarantee of goals from a striker helps a manager sleep a little bit easier, even if there are issues to address elsewhere in his squad, while Michael Owen was intrigued by the attacking options available to the top three title contenders.

He pointed out that although Manchester United are in absolutely no doubt as to the identity of their striker, who operates as a focal point for the attack (sorry Mr Rooney, but Robin van Persie’s brace further cemented his position), you cannot absolutely say the same for Manchester City and Chelsea.

Aguero, Michael said, is obviously a first-choice starter for Manuel Pellegrini’s side but he isn’t an out-and-out striker who operates at the top of the pitch. Rather, he drifts wide, links up play and scores goals. Is Dzeko the man to lead the line or will Alvaro Negredo eventually get the nod by the time we come to the Manchester Derby on September 22?

Chelsea, like City, can boast a wealth of attacking midfielders and Jose Mourinho was left purring at the resources he has in that department. His brow will have been furrowed, however, by the problem he now faces in deciding who to play in front.

Fernando Torres endured a desperately ineffectual outing, contributing just two shots (neither of them on target) and analyst Andy Townsend was concerned that the Spaniard doesn’t seem to be desperate to operate at the “business end” of the pitch for a striker. While Chelsea’s attacking play was “beautiful” in the words of their manager, Torres appeared to be a peripheral figure.

Romelu Lukaku’s performances for West Bromwich Albion last season suggested he has a bright future ahead of him but his youth and relative inexperience may count against him given Mourinho’s recent experience of having worked with some of the finest strikers in Europe. Despite the Belgian’s undoubted talent, the Chelsea manager might feel obliged to bring in someone who is more established.

How odd to be talking about City and Chelsea along these lines. After all, their performances this weekend further enhanced their status as favourites to beat United to the top two places in the league. Perhaps they’ll just go merrily about their business, leaning on midfielders or wingers to score goals, while the striker “problem” resolves itself naturally enough. In City’s case, it’s easy to see one of their players grabbing the top spot himself while at Chelsea we’ll see if it’s the chequebook or the form of Lukaku (or even Demba Ba) that provides the fix.

Elsewhere in the league, clubs continue to look for that guaranteed supply of goals that a top striker brings. West Ham’s co-owner David Gold said on Monday that, despite a comfortable opening-day win, the Hammers are keen to bring in a striker before the Window closes on September 2. The East Enders may have splashed the cash on Andy Carroll but his return from injury is still some way off and someone needs to get on the end of the supply from Matt Jarvis and Stewart Downing.

You can expect target men to be top of the agenda when it comes to discussions in Premier League boardrooms this week, as well as in our studio. Talking of which, it’s fantastic to be back on SuperSport this season and we really hope you like our new “look”. The studio, with its different sets for our various shows, and wonderful camera angles is a fantastic place to work and we think it will really enhance your viewing experience