Bayern closing in on Odegaard

Bayern Munich believe they have a "good chance" of signing 15-year-old Martin Odegaard after the Norwegian teenager trained with the German champions this week.

Odegaard, who will 16 on December 17, has been attracting some of Europe's top clubs.

Coach Pep Guardiola confirmed Saturday Odegaard had been training with the first team, while Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Saturday's Bild newspaper the club was interested in signing the player.

"He is an exceptional talent and a good guy, very advanced for his age. We are making efforts (to sign him) and I believe we have a good chance," Rummenigge was quoted as saying.

Odegaard has now made a second appearance at the Bayern training ground after training with the youth team squad last year.

However Bayern are likely to face strong competition for a player who has become Norway's youngest-ever international.

Odegaard trained the previous week with Premier League side Liverpool, while European champions Real Madrid, Manchester United and Arsenal are among clubs also reported to be showing an interest.

Odegaard became the youngest player to play in the Norwegian league when he made his debut for Stromsgodset in April.

In August he made his international debut for Norway against the United Arab Emirates to become the youngest player capped by Norway at senior level.

In October against Bulgaria, he became the youngest player to play in a European Championship qualifier.

Bayern thrash Augsburg to go ten clear

Bayern Munich underlined their status as Bundesliga champions-in-waiting as Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Augsburg moved them 10 points clear.

With second-placed Wolfsburg playing Paderborn on Sunday, Bayern seized the chance to extend their lead and remain on course for a third straight title.

After a goalless first-half, Bayern burst into life after the interval as Arjen Robben netted twice while Medhi Benatia and Robert Lewandowski were also on target.

Despite the drubbing, Bayern's Bavarian neighbours Augsburg remain third in the table.

Centre-back Benatia headed his first Bayern goal on 58 minutes, then Robben slotted his ninth in all competitions just two minutes later when he hit the top left-hand corner.

Poland striker Lewandowski claimed their third when he fired home a final pass from captain Bastian Schweinsteiger on 68 minutes.

Robben added the fourth three minutes later as Augsburg's defence capitulated.

Bayern, who started with Thomas Mueller and Mario Goetze on the bench, can further hammer home their superiority later this week when they host Freiburg on Tuesday before travelling to face Mainz on Friday in their last league match of 2014.

Despite qualifying for the Champions League's last 16, Borussia Dortmund dropped back into the relegation places after slumping to a 1-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin.

Dortmund's ninth defeat in 15 league games – the most in Germany's top flight – saw them drop to 16th from 14th having started December at the bottom.

To rub salt into the wounds, Julian Schieber scored the first-half winner against his old club.

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp swapped attacking midfielder Heinrikh Mkhitaryan for Poland's Jakob Blaszczkowski with 35 minutes gone, but the move backfired.

Blaszczkowski lost possession in midfield, Norway's Per Skjelbred pounced on the loose ball and fed Berlin striker Schieber, who fired home on 40 minutes.

Only Hanover 96's 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen prevented Dortmund dropping to second from bottom.

Spanish striker Joselu scored twice for Hanover to claim four goals in his last three league games.

Having scraped into the Champions League's last 16 with a 1-0 win at Slovenia's Maribor on Wednesday, Schalke 04 slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Cologne.

Nigeria striker Anthony Ujah scored his fourth goal in five league games just after the break before midfielder Matthias Lehmann netted a penalty.

Teenage replacement Leroy Sane scored his first goal for Schalke by way of consolation on only the 18-year-old's fourth league appearance as Schalke dropped to sixth.

Hamburg were held to a goalless draw at Freiburg with both teams just above the bottom three.

On Sunday, fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen host Borussia Moenchengladbach with Lucien Favre's side just one place behind in the league table.

On Friday, Hoffenheim enoyed a 3-2 win at Eintracht Frankfurt to stay seventh and just outside the European places for next season.

Pellegrini wants Lampard to stay

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini wants to extend Frank Lampard's loan spell with the Premier League champions.

Lampard, who was released by Chelsea at the end of last season, has made a positive impression after joining Pellegrini's side on a short-term loan from sister club New York City.

That arrangement is due to expire at the end of December with the plan for the 36-year-old then to report to New York for pre-season training ahead of the new club's first Major League Soccer campaign.

But Lampard's form has raised the possibility of the loan being extended and, with fellow midfielder Yaya Toure set to play at the African Cup of Nations from January, that would especially benefit City.

Pellegrini, from his point of view, wants Lampard to stay in Manchester but he is also aware of the bigger picture concerning City's bold project in the MLS and he also wants to respect the player's wishes.

"Before December finishes we will have a decision but, as I repeat, I think Frank is a very important player for us and I hope we will not have any problems for him to stay here," Pellegrini said on Friday.

"But I cannot say just from one side what will happen with him.

"He has a loan just until the end of December and there is another club involved. The MLS is involved also. There are a lot of parties with an arrangement. It's not just depending on one opinion.

"But I hope we can have a decision as soon as possible because it's important for us and the players.

I'm still best man for Liverpool - Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists he is the right man for the job amid mounting pressure after a poor start to the season and a visit to in-form arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

Rodgers's side are currently ninth in the Premier League with 21 points, 15 adrift of leaders Chelsea and have struggled to rediscover the form that fired them to second in the table last season.

They visit Old Trafford having won two of their previous six league games and after suffering an early Champions League group exit after a drab 1-1 home draw with FC Basel on Tuesday.

"I think the message from me is clear. I don't think there would be anyone better to do the job here," Rodgers told reporters.

"Seven months ago we nearly won the title unexpectedly, I had time to work with players and we took them beyond where the club has been in a long time.

"This has been a difficult start with new players, less coaching time, young players; we are virtually starting again.

"I don't think there is anybody better equipped to deal with that having been here for the last two and a half years and experienced what this club is about and seeing what we get from the players whenever we are at our best."

A trip to United will be an ominous prospect for indifferent Liverpool though as Louis van Gaal's team have won their previous five league games to propel them to third in the table.

United striker Robin van Persie has overcome his early season slump to score three in as many games, including both in the 2-1 win at high-flying Southampton on Monday.

"It was a hard start to this season. It's hard to maybe pick things up straight away after the World Cup," the 31-year-old Dutchman told MUTV.

"I don't think it's an age thing. Over the past couple of weeks I've been feeling very well physically. I feel good and I don't think it's a coincidence that the goals are flowing in much better now.

Dzeko injured in Man City warm-up

Manchester City's injury problems up front were exacerbated on Saturday when Edin Dzeko injured himself while warming up prior to their Premier League game at Leicester City.

The Bosnian striker had only been called into the starting XI to deputise for top scorer Sergio Aguero, who has been ruled out for up to six weeks after damaging ligaments in his knee.

With Montenegrin forward Stevan Jovetic rested for the game at Leicester due to a minor muscular problem, 18-year-old Spanish striker Jose Pozo was handed a first league start.

City, the defending champions, went into the weekend three points below leaders Chelsea in the table and bidding for a seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.

Chelsea and Man City march on

Chelsea and Manchester City tightened their stranglehold on the Premier League title race on Saturday, recording victories over struggling clubs to stretch further clear of their increasingly forlorn pursuers.

Normal service was resumed at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea maintained their three-point lead over City at the top with goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa sinking Hull City, who had Tom Huddlestone sent off, 2-0.

Champions City maintained their ever more convincing chase, sealing their fifth successive league win at bottom club Leicester City 1-0 courtesy of a 40th-minute goal from the evergreen Frank Lampard.

City's delight, though, was tempered by another injury setback with captain Vincent Kompany, back after being sidelined, limping off with hamstring trouble.

Fourth-placed West Ham's progress was checked by a 1-1 draw at Sunderland and Southampton lost 1-0 to an Ashley Barnes goal at Burnley.

That left the chasing pack, headed by third-placed Manchester United and West Ham, 11 points behind Chelsea and eight adrift of the champions.

It also put pressure on Louis Van Gaal's United before their match against Liverpool on Sunday.

Arsenal host Newcastle United in Saturday's late kickoff.

Diski player profile: Sabelo Tsambo

Name: Sabelo Tsambo
Age: 20
Hometown: Soweto, Orlando
Position: Left wing
Club: Platinum Stars

How long have you been at the club?

2 years. Please tell us about your experience of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge:

It’s been fun, I learnt a lot and made friends from other teams. It’s helped me to become better player.

Who’s your favourite player/player you aspire to be:

Zinedine Zidane – he’s simplified the game – made it seem effortless.

How did you get into football - before choosing football as a career, did you have other choices?

I started playing in the streets of Orlando – I trialled for Pirates but didn’t get a place and then got selected at Platinum Stars.

Which other career path will you consider should you not become a professional footballer?

Next year I’ll be studying at the University of Pretoria – a BA Humanities degree. I just want to play soccer and hopefully balance with school. I’d like to be a Sports Analyst.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

Promoted to first team then playing for Chelsea in England.

Tell us something interesting about yourself:

I’m humble and I take good care of myself and my body. I respect the game a lot.

Family – has been supportive but mom wants me to go to school. My dad passed. I have three sisters and I’m the only boy and the youngest.

Highlight – I scored the goal of the season – (How do you know that?) Because no one else can beat that goal! The goal was in Kimberley against Free State Stars. I love being on TV, it helps me to perform better. And I look good on TV!