Real Madrid want Bale in case Ronaldo leaves, claims Calderon

The Blancos legend has claimed that the Spurs winger is being targeted because Florentino Perez is concerned that the Portuguese star will not sign a new contract
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes the club are trying to sign Gareth Bale because they fear losing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Tottenham and Madrid have opened negotiations over a €114 million move for Bale, with the winger keen to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Calderon, who was president for three years between 2006 and 2009, believes the transfer will be completed this summer, not least because current Blancos supremo Florentino Perez is concerned Ronaldo will not renew his contract.
"I know that [Ronaldo] is not happy at all with the attitude and behaviour of the president," he told TalkSport. "He is asking for €20million net every season, which is going to be difficult for Real to accept.
"I think the president has all his eggs on the table just in case he can’t get the renewal of Cristiano. That is my impression.
"He's afraid at some moment that Cristiano will say, 'I am not going to go on'. That will be bad news for Madrid.

"I would like to see him retire at Real but now the situation is difficult. Let's see in the next weeks or months if it can be sorted out and he can stay."
Ronaldo sparked speculation about his future at the beginning of last season after revealing he was "sad" in Madrid, while reports in Spain over the summer have claimed that he is still unhappy with the club's attitude to his contract renewal.

Bayern Munich 2-0 Sao Paulo: Battling Bavarians dispatch Brazilians in Audi Cup semi-final

Bayern Munich bounced back from their DFL-Supercup beating by Borussia Dortmund with a straightforward 2-0 victory over Sao Paulo to progress to the Audi Cup final.
The majority inside the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening were left frustrated as the Brazilian visitors defended resolutely during the first period, as Pep Guardiola's star-studded side struggled to find the cutting edge in the final third despite their dominance.
However, the introduction of Mario Mandzukic for Claudio Pizarro at half-time sparked the German champions into life and they hit the front just 10 minutes into the second period when the Croatian striker volleyed home Arjen Robben's cross, before Mitchell Weiser sealed the win with a late strike.
With the new Bundesliga season a little over a week away, Guardiola opted to make eight changes to the side beaten by Dortmund, with both Manuel Neuer and Franck Ribery returning from injury.
It wasn’t long before the hosts exerted their dominance on the game, just as they did on so many occasions during last year’s treble-winning campaign.
However, they struggled to break down a well-organised and resolute Sao Paulo rearguard during a first period that lacked any real quality in the final third from either side.
Bayern were largely restricted to long-range efforts on goal but found Rogerio Ceni in inspired form as he produced save after save to frustrate Robben and Ribery in particular.
Despite their dominance, it took Guardialo’s side the best part of a half an hour to get in behind the Sao Paulo defence but Robben was once again denied by the veteran goalkeeper.
At the other end, Neuer was largely redundant in the Bayern goal but the new-look central defensive partnership of Dante and Javi Martinez were kept on their toes by the lively Wellington and Aloisio, with the latter testing the handling of the German shot-stopper with a stinging effort.
As the half wore on, Bayern increased the tempo and went inches from taking a deserved lead on 38 minutes. Philipp Lahm, operating in midfield, got to the end-line before picking out Claudio Pizarro, but his goal-bound effort was hacked off the line.
Moments later, Ribery slipped in the marauding David Alaba but once again Ceni was equal to the task and pulled off a fine stop with his legs.
The same pattern continued after the interval but the introduction of Mandzukic provided the hosts with a different attacking dimension. The Croatian striker headed Robben’s cross narrowly over with his first touch before converting his sides’ dominance into a deserved lead with a composed finish.
The breakthrough seemed to ignite Guardiola’s side and another eye-catching move involving Mandzukic, Ribery and Lahm nearly gifted Robben a goal but the delivery was just out of reach.
A host of substitutions from both managers disrupted the flow of the game before Mandzukic came close to doubling the lead from a tight angle but was denied by the Austrian goalkeeper.
The strength in depth at the Allianz Arena was highlighted as Thomas Muller, Xherdan Shaqiri and Jerome Boateng were all sprung from the bench during a fairly low-key and pedestrian paced second period.
And it was two substitutes who combined to double the hosts’ advantage. Shaqiri broke free from midfield and although he saw his thunderous shot crash off the woodwork, Weiser was on hand to slot home.
However, that wasn’t the end of the action as Boateng’s clumsy challenge thatresulted in the referee pointing to the spot, but Ceni couldn’t cap a fine personal performance with a goal as Neuer guessed right to parry it to safety.
Sao Paulo will now face AC Milan on Thursday evening, while Bayern Munich will take on Manchester City in the tournament finale.

Xavi: Neymar destined to make a difference

The midfielder hinted that Cesc Fabregas will stay at Camp Nou, while insisting that he knows little of reported Real Madrid target Gareth Bale
Xavi has insisted that Neymar is "destined" for greatness at Barcelona following the forward's €57 million move from Santos earlier this summer.

The Brazil international followed up his transfer with a successful Confederations Cup and, a day after the 21-year-old's non-competitive debut in a 2-2 draw with Lechia Gdansk, Xavi stated his belief that the Blaugrana's star signing will thrive alongside the likes of Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.

"Neymar is destined to make the difference," the 33-year-old midfielder told reporters on Wednesday. "He's got lightning pace and scores goals. Having Leo, Neymar and all the other players is sure to help us each improve on an individual level.

"Great players bring out the best in each other. I'm certain Neymar will be better alongside Leo and Leo will be better alongside Neymar.

"We'll try to help him adapt, make him happy and get the best out of him to play like he has done for Brazil."

Although Real Madrid are set to splash a record-smashing €115 million on Tottenham's Gareth Bale, Xavi claimed that he knows little about the Welsh winger.

"I don't know if Bale is worth what they say," the Spain international mused. "I genuinely haven't seen him play for 90 minutes."

On the other hand, he did have something to say about another transfer saga gripping the continent, as he insisted that the links between Cesc Fabregas and Manchester United are nothing more than rumours.

"He's quite relaxed," the Spain international continued. "He's under contract and everything else is speculation. He's working with the group and is up to speed and very motivated.

"They're just rumours. We'll see what happens, but he's relaxed and ready for the coming season with Barcelona."

Bale not ready to join Real Madrid, says Hoddle

The former Spurs player and manager feels the winger would take time to settle in Spain, causing his performances to suffer, and would be better suited making the move next year
Glenn Hoddle has advised Tottenham winger Gareth Bale to stay at the club and resist advances from Real Madrid.

The Liga giants paid a record-breaking €93.9 million to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009 and Goal have revealed they have now opened talks with Spurs over a proposed €114.2m deal for the Wales international.

However, Hoddle, who had spells with Tottenham as a player and a manager, as well as a spell overseas at Monaco, is eager for Bale to build on a superb campaign last season and believes it is too early in his career for a move abroad.

"It's a difficult one but if you're talking about the lad himself, I would definitely, if I was advising him, I would say he's not quite ready to go abroad," the former England boss told talkSPORT.

"I think he's had a sensational year, for him to pick the reins up in that form would be nigh-on impossible straight away. I don't feel he's quite ready off the pitch to make that move."

Hoddle has been impressed by Bale's consistency in recent seasons, but feels it may take a while for him to settle in Spanish football should he choose to make the switch.

"It's one thing setting a standard, it's keeping the standard which is the hardest thing, the consistency," he added. "He's been nine out of 10 every game, some of the goals he's scored have been sensational.

"Real Madrid's fans will be purring at the thought of having possibly him and Ronaldo in the same team. They can go back and challenge the world again.

"When you go abroad the first four, five, six months could be difficult for him to regain that form and if his family are not with him 100 per cent all those things come into it.

"I just sense that maybe he might go for the wrong reasons. If he wants to go just for football reasons I think it might be better in a year's time or maybe two years' time."

Bale, who has been capped 41 times by his country, arrived at White Hart Lane from Southampton six years ago.

Manchester City 5-3 AC Milan: Dzeko hits double in eight-goal thriller

An eight-goal thriller inside the first 45 minutes at the Allianz Arena saw Manchester City secure a 5-3 victory over AC Milan.

Manuel Pellegrini's men appeared to be coasting to a rout after netting five times within the opening 36 minutes but the Serie A club struck three without reply before the break to threaten a revival.
City flew out of the blocks and took the lead after just four minutes as Jesus Navas glided past Sulley Muntari on the right flank and picked out Stevan Jovetic at the back post, who cushioned the ball across goal for David Silva to finish.

City's relentless pressure and Milan's pedestrian tempo led to a second as Micah Richards, playing at right-back, powered towards goal and met a clipped pass from Fernandinho which gave him the chance to test Marco Amelia. The Italian saved Richards' first effort but the ball was still loose and the defender poked home.

Aleksandar Kolarov was next to strike for City as Jovetic pounced on Andrea Petagna's wayward pass and played in the Serbian full-back, who lashed a low drive from a narrow angle past Amelia.

City's slick exchanges continued to stupefy Milan and Pellegrini's men eased to their fourth after Silva threaded a pass into Navas on the right flank, and the winger's superb low ball across the face of goal was tapped in by Edin Dzeko.

The Bosnian was linked with a move away during Roberto Mancini's reign but Pellegrini has insisted the striker remains an integral part of his plans for the new season. 

On the evidence of his second goal, Dzeko could emerge as City's leading marksman this term as he effortlessly controlled Yaya Toure's 20-yard pass with his chest and struck a controlled volleyed attempt on the half turn past Amelia.

But Milan, who had been anonymous until City's fifth, were sparked into life by Stephan El Shaarawy just a minute after Dzeko's second. The Italian striker was alert to a poor touch by Javi Garcia on the edge of City's area and scuffed a low effort beyond the reach of Joe Hart.

Two minutes later, El Shaarawy netted his second of the game as City's defence were at a standstill and the Italian was able to edge clear of Hart and finish with ease.

City's back line showed further frailty four minutes later as Muntari's cross from deep on Milan's left flank bypassed Joleon Lescott and Andrea Petagna was able to control and place his strike through the legs of Hart.

Multiple changes throughout the second half disrupted the pace of the game and Milan were unable to build on their promising end to the opening 45 minutes.

Andrea Poli forced Hart into a smart save, while at the other end, Alvaro Negredo, a second-half substitute, struck the crossbar with a fierce effort from the edge of the box.

City will now face the winner of Bayern Munich and Sao Paolo in Thursday's final.

Guardiola surrenders Bayern dressing room to players

The Spaniard is having a personal office installed at the Allianz Arena to allow his stars the freedom to badmouth the coach without fear of reprisal
Pep Guardiola is planning to hand over control of the Bayern Munich dressing room to his players, so that they feel they can criticise him freely.

The Roten coach currently has access to an office opposite the entrance to the dressing rooms at the Allianz Arena, although Guardiola's predecessor Jupp Heynckes rarely opted to use it in order to remain closer to his players.

However, Guardiola is keen to allow his stars the freedom to talk openly - even critically - amongst themselves without fear of reprisal, and so has opted to establish a separate office for himself to give his players the chance for a little breathing space.

"It's a space for the team. It's their area," he was quoted as saying by Bild.

"In the dressing room they are joking, they are allowed to talk about anything without fear that I'm breathing down their necks. They may also speak badly about me."

Bayern begin their Bundesliga campaign against Borussia Monchengladbach on August 9.

Totti plays down MLS links

The veteran attacker insists he has no plans to follow Marco Di Vaio to North America and is determined to help return Roma to European football's elite
Francesco Totti has stressed he has no intention of quitting Roma in order to move to MLS in the near future.

The 36-year-old has spent his entire career with the Giallorossi, making nearly 700 appearances for the capital club since his debut in 1992.

Some speculation had linked the Italy veteran with a move to North America as his career enters its twilight years, but Totti insists he has no plans to follow compatriot Marco Di Vaio across the Atlantic, after the former Juventus striker joined Montreal Impact in 2012.

“Could I follow Di Vaio to the MLS? He made a lifestyle choice,” he told reporters at a press conference.

“I have a contract with Roma that I intend to respect and am focused solely on Roma. I can only speak highly of Di Vaio. He told me he’s very happy about moving to Canada."

Roma suffered a dismal end to the 2012-13 campaign, with a sixth-placed finish in Serie A compounded by their 1-0 defeat to bitter rivals Lazio in the Coppa Italia, but Totti is determined to help restore his side to the continental elite.

“The club is trying to put together a squad that can compete at a high level," he added.

“You win titles with strong players. We hope to compete at the highest level in Europe soon.”

Bayern not good enough, says Muller

The 23-year-old knows his team must improve if they are to have any hopes of repeating last season’s treble success
Thomas Muller conceded that Bayern Munich were simply not good enough in Saturday’s 4-2 Super Cup loss to Borussia Dortmund.

The Bavarians were favourites to retain the trophy going into the game on the back of a fine pre-season, but Jurgen Klopp's side responded and ran out deserving winners.

“We were pretty disorganised after equalising and that lasted a few minutes after we conceded the two goals as well,” the 23-year-old told reporters. “I noticed that everyone seemed to be occupying a different position. After that, we managed to regain our structure.

“When push came to shove and it mattered most, we weren't able to do the things that would have won us the match.

“It clearly means we were doing something wrong. I’ll need to take another good look at the whole thing. On the positive side we didn’t let up, just as we hadn’t after going 1-0 behind. After being 3-1 down, we came back again. We pressed forward, got caught on the break and conceded a fourth goal. 

“I can live with that, but we really needed to hold our shape better, especially when it was 1-1. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, but it’s not good enough.”

Despite the outcome, Muller is confident that the game was a one-off result and believes the club will be fine moving forward.

He added: “Which game ever implies anything about the future? Any match can take a turn for the unexpected, however well things have been going beforehand. On top of that, we didn’t play badly against Dortmund. We just weren’t good enough to win the game on the night.

“Up until the Super Cup, our preparations were going really well, also in terms of results. But any team can be beaten if they don’t perform at their best, ourselves included. And that applies even more when you’re playing Dortmund, who are a great team as well. 

“If you take last season’s Champions League as the guide, they’re the second-best side in Europe. So we didn’t lose the Super Cup to any old team. Although that said, we’d still rather have won it!”

Higuain fever grips Napoli

The Argentina striker was mobbed by fans when he arrived in Naples to complete his move from Real Madrid and thousands have secured tickets for his official unveiling on Monday
Gonzalo Higuain's move from Real Madrid to Napoli has sparked widespread excitement amongst the club's fans, with 50,000 supporters set to greet the striker at his unveiling.

The deal, reported to have cost the Azzurri €40 million, was confirmed by the club on Saturday with president Aurelio De Laurentiis tweeting a picture of himself and the striker as the contract was signed.

"Higuain and [Pepe] Reina have passed their medicals and will soon join the rest of the group," the 64-year-old confirmed on Twitter.

"On Monday there will be a big party at the San Paolo. You will be able to get to know the new players and the new shirts."

The news of the event at the club's stadium on Monday has prompted a frenzy amongst Partonopei followers. Fifty thousand tickets have already been sold for the unveiling, which also includes entry to the friendly with Galatasaray.

The passionate welcome has drawn comparisons with the arrival of Higuain's illustrious compatriot, Diego Maradona, who signed for Napoli in 1984.

The 25-year-old forward arrives after scoring 122 goals in six seasons in Madrid, while goalkeeper Reina joins on a season-long loan from Liverpool.

Mourinho: Chelsea would not have to sell to buy Rooney

The Blues boss is adamant that there would be no need to offload players to balance the budget should he sign the Manchester United star, despite having bought already this summer
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that the club would not have to offload any current players in order to sign Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.
The Londoners are expected to make a renewed bid for the England striker after the Red Devils turned down their opening offer, despite the disgruntled forward being "hell bent" to leave Old Trafford, as exclusively revealed by Goal.

"The club are working hard to keep the numbers in balance but we can still invest in a player who costs £20 million, £25m, £30m and not break the balance," Mourinho told the press. "We don't need to sell to do that."

Asked if he could spend £50m on a striker, he added: "The striker I want doesn't cost £50m."

The Blues boss declared on Thursday that he was "calm" about his pursuit of the United forward, with a sizeable stable of strikers at his disposal should the move not materialise.

Red Devils legend Paul Scholes, however, argues that it would be best for Rooney to stay put.

Mourinho has already added the likes of Andre Schurrle and Marco van Ginkel to his Chelsea squad this summer, with the England international his only remaining target. 

Robinho: I hope this is my year

The Brazil forward expresses his delight after signing a new three-year deal with AC Milan and underlines the importance of the upcoming season both for him and the club
Robinho has pledged his commitment to AC Milan after signing a new contract and says he is eager to make the new season a success.

The Brazilian attacker had been linked with a return to his former club Santos but, with the Sao Paulo outfit unable to finance the move, instead his deal with the Rossoneri to 2016.

Speaking ahead of his side's 2-1 Guinness International Champions Cup win over Valencia on Saturday, the 29-year-old was keen to demonstrate his enthusiasm for playing for the San Siro giants and his optimism now his future has been settled.

"I hope this will be the both AC Milan's year and mine," he told journalists.

"I am happy to know that the club wanted to renew my contract. This becomes important year for me. I had already said that Milan has a team in which I want to play for the next 10 years."

Milan continued their pre-season preparations with victory at the Estadio Mestalla, with Nigel De Jong and Robinho himself both netting in the first-half.

The ex-Manchester City man also revealed his respect for his tournament opponents and his enjoyment whenever playing them.

"Playing against Valencia is difficult, the stadium is beautiful, the people are very charged," he added

"With the Milan shirt on you always want to win and although this is a warm-up tournament, the goal is always to win when you wear this shirt. I'm very happy to play in this great stadium."

The Rossoneri will now play the winners of Chelsea against Inter in New York on August 4.

Ranieri: Monaco's spending is over

The Italian denied a move for Nani was in the offing before playing down the club's Ligue 1 title chances
Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri has underlined that the club are not seeking to bring in further reinforcements ahead of the new season.

The 61-year-old led the free-spending side to their first friendly win in pre-season, beating Leicester City 3-0 through goals from Layvin Kurzawa, Radamel Falcao and Marcel Tisserand on Saturday.

And Ranieri took the opportunity to rule out a move for Manchester United winger Nani, instead declaring that his squad was complete.

"No, [the Nani links are] just rumours. At this moment we have finished our market," Ranieri told reporters. "Until the end something could happen, but there won't be Nani for now.

Ranieri has splurged €147 million on no less than 10 signings this summer, but subsequently ruled out a title bid.

"I think at this moment we are ready to achieve from between third to seventh," the Italian reiterared.

"We are at the beginning, the basement. Then slowly, we need to work hard. I came last season because I knew the new project. This is another challenge for me.

"I am an ambitious man and so is my chairman. Maybe something could happen. I love to build. We have to improve step by step and arrive at the top of Europe. The plan is this."

The Stade Louis II outfit have been crowned French champions seven times in their history, but were relegated in 2011 after finishing 18th in the league.

However, Ranieri was handed the reins and immediately led the team back to France's top flight last season.

Heynckes 'not amused' by Bayern's Supercup loss

Die Roten's former boss admitted the defeat did not sit well with him, but tipped successor Pep Guardiola to turn things around
Jupp Heynckes says he was "not amused" at Bayern Munich's 4-2 DFL-Supercup final loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The 68-year-old led the Bavarians to an unprecedented treble last season, only to watch on helplessly as his successor Pep Guardiola suffered defeat in his first competitive match in charge at Signal Iduna Park.

However, Heynckes stated he was not to downhearted at the setback and tipped the Spaniard to achieve further success following his 14 titles in four seasons at Barcelona.

"I barely managed a team which was that perfect and so focused to succeed," he told ZDF Sportstudio. "Of course I'm not amused [by the loss], these are still my guys.

"The team isn't that far from showing a top performance. Pep looks very good, is well-dressed and has a perfect team.

"What could possibly go wrong?"

Guardiola replaced Heynckes in the dugout after the latter's contract expired, but the German insists he has no regrets about walking away from the game.

"At some point you have to decide to retire, this is what I'm going to do now," Heynckes added. "It's important to stay cool with this atmosphere in football. I think I did that well.

"I will watch the start of the Bundesliga from the comfort of my living room now."

Guardiola unconcerned by Supercup defeat to Dortmund

The Spaniard lost his first competitive fixture in charge of Bayern Munich since taking over from Jupp Heynckes, but insists there were positives to be drawn from the performance
Pep Guardiola opted to play down the significance of Bayern Munich's 4-2 DFL-Supercup defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The Bavarians had showcased impressive form coming into the encounter, but were outplayed at Signal Iduna Park as Jurgen Klopp's men dominated proceedings.

However, Guardiola has insisted there is no reason to worry and says he saw promise from his team despite blunders from defender Daniel Van Buyten and goalkeeper Tom Starke.

"They won. I am not here to analyse which team played better today. I am happy with our performance, we played well," the 42-year-old told reporters after the match.

"Congratulations to Dortmund, they won. We did not lose because of that [Van Buyten's and Starke's mistakes]. This is football. We have one week until the cup and another week to the Bundesliga.

"They won 4-2, but I did not have the feeling they were much better than us. But this is football. We will watch the match and work."

Captain Philipp Lahm bemoaned bad luck in the defeat, but reiterated die Roten would work at getting back to their best.

"This is not good, but it is not that bad either," he added.

"We wanted to win this match, but we did not score at the right times and conceded at the worst times possible. We have to analyse and then we will keep working."

Bayern's next competitive match is against BSV Schwarz-Weiss Rehden in the DFB-Pokal before hosting Borussia Monchengladbach in their opening Bundesliga fixture.

Klopp: DFL-Supercup final was a hell of a match

The Borussia Dortmund trainer was ecstatic after watching his side lift the DFL-Supercup following a 4-2 win over Bayern Munich

 Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp hailed the efforts of his men after they comprehensively beat Bayern Munich 4-2 to clinch the DFL-Supercup on Saturday.

Die Roten beat Dortmund to the Bundesliga and Champions League double last season, but strikes from Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan as well as Daniel Van Buyten's own goal earned Klopp's men their revenge.

And the German trainer was adamant the result would serve as the ideal springboard for the team's upcoming commitments.

"At this stage of the pre-season with one week until the cup and two weeks until the Bundesliga, this was a hell of a match," Klopp told reporters after the game.

"It was an amazing game. I think you could see that both teams really wanted to win. The winner is always happy and the loser does not care too much – this is the great thing about the Supercup."

BVB goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller reflected his coach's enthusiasm, stating: "We are very happy.

"We know, when we have a plan before a match, and usually it's a good plan, then we can be a difficult opponent for any team."

The Signal Iduna Park side will take on Wilhelmshaven in the first round of the DFB-Pokal next Saturday, before travelling to Augsburg in their Bundesliga curtain-raiser on August 10.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have arrived to boost the options available to die Schwarzgelben this year following the sale of Mario Gotze to Bayern.

Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Bayern Munich

Marco Reus opened the scoring inside six minutes as a result of a goalkeeping blunder, before Arjen Robben equalised after half-time.

Bayern were undone by an attacking tidal wave soon after, with Daniel Van Buyten scoring at the wrong end then Ilkay Gundogan made it 3-1 seconds later.

Robben reduced the deficit but substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang teed up Reus for a fourth as Dortmund rallied to victory.

And it was the energetic playmaker who gave Dortmund the lead following an edgy opening to the match at Signal Iduna Park six minutes in.

Robert Lewandowski, the subject of fierce interest from Bayern over the summer, saw his cross helped on by Sven Bender, whose seemingly tame header was flapped at by Tom Starke, allowing Reus to head into the net.

Bayern, already behind failed to recover from that initial setback, and were lucky not to have gone 2-0 down as Lewandowski raced through past David Alaba, to slot home under Starke, before being pulled back for a debatable offside call.

Nevertheless, the European champions began to settle into their rhythm and posed Dortmund a few problems.

Shaqiri fired a low shot towards Weidenfeller, who was forced into a fantastic double save seconds later as the Swiss international was thwarted along with Thomas Muller with the unsuccessful follow-up.

Jurgen Klopp's side continued to search for their second and were again denied by Starke. Gundogan fed through Reus on the edge of the area, squaring into the middle for Lewandowski who was beaten by the sprawling legs of the goalkeeper.

For all of their perseverance, Bayern equalised early into the second half after a dazzling spell. Philipp Lahm's superb cross was met by the head of Robben, who after scoring the winning goal of the Champions League final, punished Dortmund here again with the leveller.

But Dortmund were unperturbed, and swiftly regained the lead after a superb counter-attack which resulted in Daniel Van Buyten deflecting the ball into his own net. Seconds later, it was 3-1 after Gundogan's curling effort beat the defence and Starke, allowing for a third goal scored in little over a minute and a half of frenzied action.

Bayern, though, continued to go for the jugular after yet another setback and were back in sight after another bit of fine work by Lahm on the wing. The Germany captain's teasing low ball picked up Robben, who deftly beat those around him and Weidenfeller to reduce the deficit.

At the other end, die Roten were also profligate in front of goal, as another golden chance went begging. Shaqiri this time with a fine pass into the path of Alaba, whose teasing low ball evaded Mandzukic by inches before Thomas Muller was undone by the crossbar in a brilliant conclusion to the game.

However, Dortmund - who squandered countless chances late on, finally saw themselves over the line with a blistering counter-attack. Lewandowski set off Aubameyang, who teed up Reus for a superb fourth to seal the first trophy of the German football season.

Valencia 1-2 AC Milan


First-half goals from Robinho and the Dutch anchorman ensured a Rossoneri victory, who will now entertain either Chelsea or Inter on August 4
AC Milan kicked off the Guinness International Champions Cup tournament with a narrow win over Valencia in a pulsating clash at the Estadio Mestalla.
Robinho made amends to put the Rossoneri ahead following a first-half penalty miss before Nigel de Jong placed an exquisite curling shot beyond Vicente Guaita to double Milan's lead.
Valencia pulled a goal back early in the second half as Dani Parejo netted from close range. However, despite their persistence, los Che could not find an equaliser.
And perhaps they would have had Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic included captain Roberto Soldado in his line-up but the striker's absence was somewhat explained by the strong interest shown in him from Spurs.
Instead, Djukic opted for 19-year-old Paco Alcacer up front, while Milan included new signing Andrea Poli and star duo Kevin-Prince Boateng and Robinho in their starting line-up.
Robinho – who missed a penalty in a midweek friendly against Juventus – again failed to convert from the spot, as Guaita pulled off a one-handed save, with Valencia's defenders reacting quickly to clear the danger emanating from the rebound.
But the 29-year-old, who had been linked with Santos this summer, made amends less than a minute later drilling a low shot from the edge of the penalty area across Guaita and into the left corner after a fine assist by Poli.
It was a terrific finish but drama was to follow for Robinho as he pulled up with a suspected groin problem shortly after, and a melee ensued as Valencia refused to kick the ball out and nearly scored through Alcacer.
Antonio Nocerino and Boateng were shown yellow cards for their involvement in the fracas.
The frenetic nature of the match continued as an Adil Rami header was disallowed for offside, while Feghouli wasted a terrific chance moments later for the Spanish side.
Boateng also had a goal disallowed following a foul at a Milan corner before De Jong scored a stunning second for the Serie A side.
The Ghanaian fed the ball to the former Manchester City midfielder and from 25 yards he curled a superb effort into the top-right corner, giving Guaita no chance.
De Jong hit a free-kick just wide on the verge of half-time, with the break allowing both sides and the fans to catch their breath.
Valencia did reduce the deficit to one shortly into the second half following a flurry of half-time substitutions from both sides.

An excellent Jonas chip found Alcacer in the penalty area, and the youngster had the presence of mind to square for Parejo, who simply side-footed past Gabriel. It was a deserved goal and Alcacer went close himself just after, with Banega following up with a decent free-kick that fizzed just wide.
Valencia continued to press, Feghouli, Alcacer and Michel all firing attempts on goal but not finding the net.
The hosts were desperately unlucky when Federico Cartabia thrashed a 30-yard effort against the underside of the bar, firing one over shortly after.

Oriol Romeu then clipped the crossbar with a cross and Cristian Zaccardo cleared Alcacer's effort off the line, but it was not to be as Milan grimly held on for victory.

Milan will now play the winners of Chelsea or Inter in New York on August 4.

Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Real Madrid

Benzema the difference in entertaining friendly

The Frenchman was decisive against the Ligue 1 champions as Carlo Ancelotti enjoyed a happy meeting with his former team

Carlo Ancelotti’s reunion with Paris Saint-Germain proved to be a successful one as Real Madrid continued their unbeaten start to pre-season with a win over the Ligue 1 champions in Gothenburg.

The Italian coach left the French outfit a matter of weeks ago to take charge at Santiago Bernabeu and saw Karim Benzema strike the opening goal for his side midway through the opening period.

Benzema’s effort was magnificently crafted down the Madrid right. Ozil was the chief architect as he provided the thrust and then the pass that allowed the France international to sweep an accurate shot into the corner of Salvatore Sirigu’s net.

To that point there had been plenty of sparring without any particular quality. Moments earlier, Ezequiel Lavezzi had missed the clearest-cut chance as he planted a close-range shot wide following good work from Maxwell but Cristiano Ronaldo had menaced for Ancelotti’s men.

The game’s opening goal, however, provoked a spell of broken play that favoured Laurent Blanc’s side. Within moments of falling behind Blaise Matuidi had tested Diego Lopez, while home favourite Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was captain for the night, headed narrowly wide shortly afterwards. This period concluded when Javier Pastore had an effort grasped by Madrid’s goalkeeper.

Edinson Cavani was not yet in the PSG side but had he been on the field he would surely have profited from some lax defending that saw Ibrahimovic nod down for Lavezzi six yards out. The Argentine was again wasteful as he scuffed a glorious chance wide.

Moments later, though, Benzema squandered a similarly good opportunity – Madrid’s first since opening the scoring.

Early in the second period, Madrid showed intentions to be a good deal more aggressive and they were rewarded with chances to extend their lead. Ronaldo’s fierce header was kept out by Sirigu, though, and though the Portuguese could not hook the rebound on target he soon tested the Italian with another couple of clean hits.

Marco Verratti’s appearance from the bench brought some hope to the otherwise imprecise Parisians, with the Italian’s pass setting up Lucas Moura to drive inches wide.

In truth, though, this was a rare threat from the French club and it was Madrid who came closest to the game’s second goal through Ozil and then substitute Kaka. Stoppage time brought one final opportunity, but Sirigu again denied Ronaldo, whose awkward free kick was pushed clear.

Come full-time, Ancelotti’s men were worthy winners yet PSG boss Blanc will feel relatively content with his side before their season begins in earnest next weekend with the Trophee des Champions against Bordeaux. 

Valerenga 0-7 Barcelona:

Barcelona cruised to their first win of the pre-season campaign, hammering Valerenga in Oslo on Saturday.
Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello and Lionel Messi all scored within the first 15 minutes, giving the Norwegians a mountain to climb. A goal just before half-time from Jonathan Dos Santos, a double from Jean Marie Dongou, and a late strike from Joan Roman sealed the win for the Catalan side.
It didn't take the Blaugrana long to open up their account, as Alexis put them ahead after just five minutes. Messi picked up the ball in a deep position in midfield and clipped a ball out to the right-hand side for the Chilean, who jinked his way into the box before guiding a left-footed strike home.
Barca doubled their lead just one minute later, with Messi the architect once again. The Argentine found Tello with a lovely threaded pass inside the Valerenga right-back and the 21-year-old coolly stroked the ball home into the bottom right corner.
Never one to be left out of the goals, Messi grabbed the third of the match 13 minutes in. The Barcelona captain for the evening picked up the ball on the edge of the box and drifted past three challenges before reversing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner, giving goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld no chance.
New Barca coach Gerardo Martino watched from the stands as he witnessed his new side completely dominate the first half, and it could have been much worse for Valerenga in the opening 45 if not for the heroics of Hirschfeld in goal and the woodwork.
The Canadian goalkeeper kept the score relatively low as he pulled of a string of saves from Messi, Tello, and Alexis. Barca were also denied midway through the half when the Argentine clipped a strike towards goal, only to see his attempt crash off the post.
The visitors would not have to wait too long to extend the scoreline, however. Dos Santos made it four just before the break as he latched on to an Alexis pass to the front post before squeezing a shot past Hirschfeld.
It would not get much easier for the Norwegians after half-time as Barca scored two within the first 10 minutes of the second period through substitute, Dongou.
The Cameroonian latched on to a pass through the middle from Alexis and coolly finished. A couple of minutes later he received the ball from the Chilean again as he stabbed a shot home to make it 6-0
Valerenga grew into the match as the second half wore on, however, and almost grabbed a goal to please their home fans. Mohammed Fellah came closest for the Norwegians, but his two strikes from the edge of the box were easily handled by substitute keeper, Oier.
The victory was rounded off for Barcelona five minutes from time when substitute Joan Roman cut inside from the left-hand side and rifled a strike into the top left corner.
Barcelona go on to face Rosenborg in Denmark on Monday as they prepare for the oncoming season and their defence of the Spanish Primera Division.

Belfodil: I'm like Benzema

The forward is comfortable with being compared to the France striker and acknowledged they share many similar footballing characteristics

New Inter signing Ishak Belfodil says he is happy to be likened to Real Madrid star Karim Benzema.

The striker - who joined the Nerazzurri from Parma this summer - has been compared to the Blancos man for his similar eye for goal and direct style.

Belfodil revealed people have made the same comparison many times before and admits he is delighted to be mentioned in the same breath as his compatriot.

“It is a compliment for me and it’s not the first time I have heard that, but I don’t want to think about it,” he told L’Equipe. “It is only normal that there will be comparisons, seeing as we share origins and football characteristics.
“I ran a risk when I first went to Bologna, but I wanted to believe in it. At Lyon everyone said they were counting on me, but ultimately there was very little faith in me. I had little playing time, but I have no rancour.”
The 21-year-old signed a five-year-deal at San Siro earlier in July but suffered a nightmare start to his time at the club after missing two penalties on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Trentino.

Kaka is too slow, says Ancelotti

The Brazilian was in and out of the side under Jose Mourinho and will have to improve his physical condition if he is to make a mark under the Italian
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Kaka is too slow and revealed the midfielder is doing extra work to improve his speed, while adding that Paris Saint-Germain cannot buy success.

The Italian worked with Kaka at AC Milan and played a big part in transforming the Brazilian from one of the world's finest prospects to a polished world-class performer.

But after leaving Milan for Madrid in 2009, the 31-year-old has failed to set the heather alight at the Santiago Bernabeu and there have even been rumours of a return to San Siro at several points over the past four years.

And Ancelotti has revealed Kaka is doing specific work to get him up to speed with the rest of the squad, but stressed he remains motivated to become a regular feature in the side.

He told AS: "“He’s very motivated, as is everyone. He needed to do specific work because he needs to improve his speed. He started individual work two days earlier and we’ll see what happens in the coming days. 

"I think his physical condition is going to improve. He’s very motivated; he didn’t play much last season and he wants to do better this year.”

Ancelotti was talking ahead of los Blancos' pre-season friendly with his former club Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, who he guided to the Ligue 1 title last season, and he admitted he is looking forward to facing his former charges.

He said: “Madrid and PSG have the same ambitions, but one is a young club and the other is the greatest in history. PSG are a work in progress and it isn’t easy, because it isn’t enough just to buy players. 

"It’s clear that they have worked hard to build a great team. They bought fantastic players last season and now they need time. On the other hand, Madrid are also backed up by their history."

The 54-year-old then spoke about the battle for the No.1 jersey at Madrid but refused to be drawn on whether Iker Casillas or Diego Lopez would become his first choice goalkeeper.

"What’s most important is that we have two very good keepers who have experience and quality. I think that’s what we need for next season: two high-quality keepers."