The Borussia Dortmund trainer was ecstatic after watching his side lift the DFL-Supercup following a 4-2 win over Bayern Munich
Klopp: DFL-Supercup final was a hell of a match
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.
Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Bayern Munich
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."
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."
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