European League Round Up

Premier League: Chelsea 5-Stat Performance, Spurs Slip Up
Chelsea return on top of the Premier League and they did in style with a thumping 5-0 victory as they bounced back from last weeks 2-1 defeat at Villa Park, the goal scoring opened when Nicolas Anelka's shot was deflected of Givet leg who put the ball in his own net, after 20mins. Just after the start their advantage was doubled as Lampard hit the ball in from close range. Essien then made it three when he curled his shot past the keeper, and a few mins later it was four as Lampard scored a penalty and five minutes later Drogba headed home to make it five and impressive display by Chelsea and plenty of worries for Sam Allordyce to think about. Tottenham missed their chance to draw levels on points with Man Utd as they were beaten by Stoke, Glenn Whelan scored the winner in the 86th minute as he gave Stoke a much needed away from home and puts Stoke in 9th, Tottenham had a whole host of chances but failed to convert them.

Sunderland poor away form continues, Wigan impress
Sunderland poor away form continues as they have only picked up 1 point away from home during the whole season as they were beaten by a Birmingham side who were watched by new owner Carson Young. Birmingham dominated the 1st half and were rewarded when Liam Ridgewell flicked the ball of his chest to give Birmingham after 37mins and after the restart they found their way two up after James McFadden slotted in the second goal, Sunderland found their way back into the game when Scott Dann headed in a own goal but it wasnt enough and Birmingham won taking them to 14th in the league. An impressive Wigan ended Burnley unbeaten run at home, Burnley opened up the scoring in the 4th minute when Fletcher scored after being set up by Blake. Rodegella soon equalised after Burnley keeper Jensen twisted his ankle leaving Rodegella an open net to score. Scotland then set up Rodegella who scored his and Wigans second goal of the game and the final blow was dealt by Boyce when he scored from close range effectively sealing the points and taking Wigan to 9th in the league.

Valuable points?

The Midlands derby between Aston Villa and Wolves finished 1-1, it was a red hot atmosphere as both sides started brightly but no one could find the equliser and the game had to wait until the 79th minute until Agbonlahor as he steered home Heskeys pass it seemed like he got the winner but less then 5 minutes later Wolves were giving a penalty and Ebanks-Blake hit the ball home to give Wolves a much deserved point. Portsmouth and Hull battled out in a goaless draw after a competitive but rather uninspiring match.




La Liga: Real Madrid return to top, Sevilla lose ground

Real Madrid return to the top of La Liga but only on goal difference and Barcelona are still to play and if they win they will go three points clear. It was obvious Real were missing the influence of players like Ronaldo but despite having talent such as Kaka and Xabi Alonso on the pitch they still found it difficult to break down the Sporting defence, it seems the new galacticos have a long way to go to match the past galacticos after a blistering start to the seaosn Real Madrid have only won one of the past four matches in all competitions and it is evident they miss Ronaldo. Sevilla failed to take advantage as the also drew 0-0 with 10men Espanyol after a midweek drumming of Stuggart, Sevilla failed to show the same spirit in this match, the result means they lose further ground and could lose 3rd spot if Deportivo win tomorrow. Athletico Madrid missed their chance to win only their 2nd match of the season they took the lead through Forlan after 51mins but Mallorca managed to equalise late on in the game thanks to a late goal by Borja Valero who scored in the 90th minute and put Mallorca 5th in the table.


Serie A:Sampdoria thrash Bologna, but Inter remain top

Sampdoria produced a good performance as they beat Bologna 4-1 the scoring started in the 8th minute as Pazzini flicked the ball in from 6yards. Ten minutes later they were two up as a unmarked Mannine hit a superb volley, Ziegler then made it three as he fiercely drove the ball in the bottom corner and Bologna were then reduced to 10 men as Di Viao was sent off. Mannine then got his 2nd after headed home Sampdoria fourth their was conoslation for Bologna as Osvaldo scored a free kick in the 63rd minute. Inter Milan beat Catania 2-1 to take them back to the top of the table Muntari opened the scoring after 13minutes after his 30meter pass to Etoo missed Etoo and flew passed the keeper then Sneijder scored a free kick after 30mins to double their advantage, Catania pulled one back in the 84th minute thanks to a Mascara free kick. The result puts Inter two points clear of Sampdoria a seven points clear of Juventus.

Bundeslig:Leverkusen rescue point, Hoffenheim return to winning ways

Leverkusen only managed to salvage a point against Borussia Dortmund took the leade after 8mins when inform striker Barrios headed a Valdez cross but they failed to double their advatage and Leverkusen found a way back into the game when Barnetta cross was met by Friedrich who headed in off the post to make it 1-1. Hoffenheim return to winning ways in style after losing their last two matches goals from Eichner, Ibisevic, Zuculini wrapped up a comfortable 3-0 victory over 17th placed FC Nurnberg and leaves Hoffenheim in 6th just outside Europa League spot.

Bayern Continue winning ways, VfB Stuggart poor week continues.

Bayern continue their rise up the table after a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern had to do things the hard way as they battled back from being 1-0 down after Meier slotted home to give Frankfurt a shock lead but supersub soon equalised sliding the equaliser past the keeper making it 1-1 and 2 minutes before time Van Batyen headed the winner of the post giving Bayern a 2-1 win after a stuttering start to the season it seems Bayern are finally finding their feet. Stuggart miserable week continues after being beaten 3-0 by Sevilla they were beaten again this time by Hannover the only goal coming from Konan just after the 30minute mark and continues Stuggart 4 match losing streak.

FSV Mainz beat Freiburg as Borussia M'gladbach held at home

FSV Mainz beat Freiburg with a convincing 3-0 win Ivanschitz opened the scoring after 24minutes after chipping the goalkeeper and that was followed by a double from Hoogland to give FSV Mainz a convincing win, in the other match Borussia M'gladbach and KC Koln local rivals played a 0-0 draw which leaves both sides on the brink of the relagation zone.

Lyon humiliated, Bordeaux go top

Lyon lost their second game in a row and surrended top spot as they were humiliated by Nancy, Remy crossed the ball for Bagayoko who headed home to give Nancy the advantage, Toulan saw his shot deflect of Cissohoko and hit the back of the net go give Nancy a 2-0 advantage after the break they were 3-0 up when Hellebuyck lathed on to Mouneir pass and whacked home. Remy then picked up the lose ball and dribbled past the keeper before putting the ball in the net scoring Nancy's fourth their was however consolation for Lyon as Ederson scored against his former club. Lyon defeat mean Bordeuax had the chance to go top and they took the oppurtunity comfortably beating Le Mans 3-0 an own goal from Ovono opened the scoring followed by goal from Chamakh and Bellion sent Bordeaux top of Ligue 1.

Monaco go second, Montpelliar slip up

As Lyon and Montpelliar lost it gave Monaco the chance to go 2nd and they did beating Boulogne C.Y Park strike gave Monaco the lead after 37th minute, Boulogne managed to equalise Blayac getting the goal against the run of play after 66 minutes but a late brace by Nene scoring in the 86 and 90th minute gave Monaco a easy win. Rennes put Montpelliar dreams of topping the league to bed after beating them 3-0, Marveaux drilled home the opener after 34 minutes. Montpelliartried but failed to get back into the game and a goal from Sow 5minutes after the interval killed the game of and Gyan added third in stoppage time taking Rennes to 7th.

Grenoble poor run goes on, Valenciennes Win,Sochaux beat Lorient

Grenoble poor form goes on as they are beaten by Nancy Ljubula put Grenoble infront but a own goal from Jemmali and a penalty from Hadji gave Nancy the win and means Grenoble rock bottom after losing all 10games. Valenciennes won comfortably agianst St.Etienne after goals from Audel and Docourtioux sealed the points that take them 8th and put St.Etienne 16th. Sochaux gained their 3rd win in a row against Lorient the only goal coming from Perquis the result takes them 9th in Ligue 1.

Champions League Round Up-21st Oct 2009

Group A:

9-Man Bayern beaten:
Bordeaux come back to beat a 9 man Bayern Munich, despite missing 2 penalties they still managed to beat the German giants. It took Bayern just 6 minutes to take the lead after Michael Ciani poked the ball into his own net giving the Germans the advantage, but the Bordeaux player managed to redeem himself by providing the eqauliser with a sublime backheel which went in off the post just before the 30min mark and it wasnt too long before the French champions went infront when Altintop tried to clear a free kick only for it to hit the foot of Planus and the ball hit the top corner, Bayern tried to look for the equaliser showing plenty of heart and spirit but it was obvious they were missing their two key men in Ribery and Robben, Bordeaux held on to win the game which put them top of the table and in a strong position to qualify.

Juventus barely hang on:

Juventus finally kicked of their campaign by picking up their 1st win against Maccabi Haifa, Juventus won 1-0 but it was a nervous night for the Old Lady. Maccabi Haifa started of brightly and had it not been for Buffon's goalkeeping they could have had the lead in two minutes. Juventus then eventually got themselves into gear and began piling on the pressure but were unable to break the deadlock as they could not break down the defence and the half ended goaless. It wasnt long till Juventus were infront when Diego whipped in a corner and a unmarked Chiellini headed home 3 yards out. Juventus came close to doubling their lead on several occasions but failed to convert their chances and were almost made to pay for it had it not been for to late saves from Buffon.


Group B:

Man Utd retain 100% start

Man Utd left it late but they did manage to beat Russian side CSKA Moscow, and tieing Ajax's record of going 14 games without a defeat in Europe and means they lost only 1 game in their last 29 Champions League matches but it was no easy task for the English Champions. The first half produced very little in terms of attacking might both side create chances but nothing to dangerous the scare came for Man Utd when they failed to clear a corner that almost lead to a goal. The 2nd half began fast and furious as chances were created at either end but no one could score the opener until the 85th minute when Berbatov's downward header was latched on by Valencia who smashed home to give United the lead and to give his 2nd goal in as many games.

Missed Oppurtunities:

Having already known CSKA Moscow lost, both sides had the chance to put in their claim for 2nd spot but neither team found the advantage and ended with Wolfsburg being reduced to 10man against Besiktas. Wolfsburg dominated the game for long periods and must be kicking themselves for not beating Besiktas and going 2nd. The hosts had many chances and almost took the lead after 10mins but Dzeko failed to convert his chance and Besiktas responded with a chance of their own but Kas's volley was well stopped. Wolfsburg continued the pressure but were unable to score and the game ended goaless the result leaves Wolfsburg 2nd and Besiktas with their 1st point.

Group C:

Milan stun Madrid:

Without a doubt this is the tie that the whole of Europe had their eyes on as the two most successful teams Real Madrid(9 time winners) took on AC Milan(6 time winners) it was a night of emotion as Kaka faced his old club and Ronaldinho returned to the ground were he probably played his best game. Real Madrid opened after a Dida blunder gifted Raul the opener after 19mins, Raul goal meant he equalled the record for top scorer in Europe with 66goals, Madrid continued to dictate play but AC Milan against the run of play scored a equaliser with Pirlo hitting a stunning 35 yard shot that beat Casillas and it werent long until Milan were infront when Casillas gifted a goal as he misjudged a long ball allowing Pato to pick up the ball and put it in the net to make it 2-1 after 66minutes. It wasnt long until Madrid got the equliser as subsitute Drenthe collected the ball from a corner and smashed it in to make it 2-2 then Milan scored again only to have their goal was disallowed and their was a bust up between Raul and Nesta resulting in both players getting booked but Milan found the winner when Pato volleyed his 2nd goal of the game giving Milan a famous win over Madrid.

Heinze volleys home:

Marseille picked up their 1st win and points after picking up a victory against FC Zurich. Marseille actually scored after three minutes after Cheyrou headed home only to have his goal disallowed, Cheyrou almost gave the lead when his 35 yard free kick missed everyone but went past the post, Marseille continued to create chances and dominated the game but could not find the back of the net and the half ended goaless. Eventually Marseille got the lead when Luchos cross was met by a sublime volley from Heinze who gave the French side the lead. FC Zurich went straight after a equaliser creating chances inclduing Gajics free kick missed everyone but was blocked on the line Marseille held on and got the victory.

Group D:

Chelsea run rampant:

Chelsea continued their perfect start to their Champions League campaign when they thrashed Athletico Madrid 4-0, Kalou got the opener after missing two golden oppurtunities, Lampard linked up with Ashley Cole who produced the cross for Kalou to open the scoring. Ancelotti's men were anxious to kill of the game so they didnt slip on like they did to Villa on Saturday and it werent long till the got their 2nd when a Lampards corner was met by Kalous head who headed home to give Chelsea a 2-0 cushion but Chelsea werent done yet and Athleticos poor night continued as Lampard hit a low effort from outside of the box to give Chelsea a 3-0 advantage and ended his 10 game goaless streak. Athletico did score but it was a own goal Perea deflected Malouda's free kick into the goal to add more misery to Athletico's night.

Porto Hulk Up:

Porto battled back to win 2-1 against Apoel Nicosia, the results but Porto 2nd in the group and 5points ahead of Apoel Nicosia and Athletico. It was Apoel Nicosia that opened the proceedings as Helio Pinto's cross bounced of Porto player Pereira who scored a own goal, but Hulk put Porto back in the game when Falcoa picked up the ball and played in Hulk who slotted home to give Porto the equaliser and it was the same player who got the winner when Apoel Nicosia player Elias was found guilty of a handball and Hulk stepped up to take the penalty and the winner for Porto after Apoel found it difficult to get back in the game and despite Porto having Mariano Gonzalez sent off they were still unable to find their way back and Porto won 2-1.

Champions League Round Up-20th Oct 2009

It was a pulsating finish to another round of Champions League matches, their was plenty of drama so lets get into the action:

Group E:
Liverpools Woeful Start Continues:
Liverpool misery continues as they were unable to beat Lyon, in a crucial game they were missing key players such as Torres the defeat means Liverpool have lost their last four games in a row something thats not happend to the Merseyside outfit for over 20 years. If the defeat wasnt bad enough Steven Gerrard had to limp off during the first half due to his reaccuring groing injury, it was Liverpool who took the lead through Benayoun who gave them the lead after 41mins but Lyon equlised after 72mins after Maxime Gonalons. In a move to get victory Rafa Benetiz brought in Voronin in a attempt to get victory but it wasnt to be and Delgado close range finish broke Liverpool hearts and Liverpool slumped to 3rd in their group 3points behind Fiorentina.

Debreceni show spirit in 7 goal thriller
In the other game their was a 7 goal thriller between Debreceni VSC and Fiorentina, the Hungrian champions put up a spirited fight but lost. The action started fast and furious as it only took 2 mins for Debreceni VSC to take the lead through Czvitkovics goal it was also their 1st goal of the campaign but it was short lived as Adrian Mutu equalised with his 1st goal of the game and 4 minutes later Girlardino put them 2-1 ahead, the Hungarian champions almost equlaised but Vargas shot rattled the crossbar but it was Fiorentina that scored again as the goalscorers combined as Girlardino passed the ball to Mutu who blasted his shot from 20yards out and it went in of the post making it 3-1 and it looked like Fiorentina had it wrapped up but Debreceni VSC got one back 8minutes later a piece of individual brilliance from who cut in on the left and curled a shot past a helpless Frey, and it was 3-2 and game on but Fiorentina scored again as the goalkeeper could only parry Mutus shot leaving Santana with the rebound and put it in making it 4-2 in the 37th minute. Debreceni VSC tried to find a way back in but were unable to but they got some consolation after Coulibaly header found its way past the keeper ending the match 4-3.

Group F:
Barcelona Stunned by Russian Champions:
The upset of the night come as Rubin Kazan defeated Barcelona 2-1 in their own backyard, this leaves the group wide open as the two favourites both dropped points. It took only 2minutes for the Catalan giants to fall behind as Ryazantsev's stunned the home crowd with a vicious 30yard strike that left Veldes with no chance giving Rubin Kazan a 1-0 lead, Ibrahimovic almost gave an instant reply only to see his chance be palmed away Barcelona continued to pile on the pressure and Messi almost equalised as he blasted the ball only to see his effort tipped wide by the inform Ryzhikov. The Russian champions almost made it 2-0 when Alejandro Dominguez forced Valdes to make a save from his superb free kick but Barcelona found their equaliser after the break Xavi played in Ibrahimovic who chested the ball and sent his shot passed the keeper making it 1-1 sensing victory Barcelona continued to bombard the goal but they could not break down the stubborn defence and it was Rubin Kazan who got the winner as Gokdeniz Karadeniz fired past Valdes to make it 2-1 and stun the Nou Camp into silence.

Inter survive:
Inter Milan survived a huge scare as they had to come back twice to draw with Dynamo Kiev, Mourinhos men found themselves behind on two occasion the 1st came when Mikhalik gave Dynamo the lead after 5mins after poor defending let the midfielder drive home the opening goal. It was a defensive error on the other end that allowed Inter Milan back in the game as Stankovic took advantage of poor defending and put in the equaliser making it 1-1, but Dynamo Kiev were not done yet and their were soon ahead as Lucio found his own goal making it 2-1giving the Ukranians the lead going into half time. Inter seeked and found their equaliser through a Walter Smith goal and the game finished 2-2 but Inter go bottom becuase of the Rubin Kazan beat Barcelona the group is in for a explosive finish.

Group G:
Sevilla continue dominance:
Sevilla continue their dominance of Group G and their 100% start to the group stages, as the beat Stuggart 3-1, Stuggart started well but Sevilla broke the deadlock after 23mins when Sebastien Squillaci headed home, and the Spanish teams class was shown in the 2nd half and they doubled their lead after Lehmann's poor punch allowed Jesus Navas to slot home giving them a comfortable 2-0 lead, Sebastien Squillaci tripled Sevillas lead as he scored his 2nd goal of the game, highlighting Sevillas dominance. Stuggart pulled one back Elson scored a fantastic goal from 30yards out but in the end it was a comfortable 3-1 win for Sevilla.

Rangers thumped by Romanian Champions:
Rangers were embarassed 4-1 by Unirea Urziceni things got off to a good start for the scottish club as they were ahead after 2minutes when Pedro Mendes shot deflected of Vilana giving Rangers the perfect start but it was all downhill from their as Bilasco scored the equliaser after Brandon cross was met by Bilasco giving them the eqaliser making it 1-1, then the Romanians took the lead when Fernandez's back heel was deflected of subsitute Lafferty giving the Romanians a 2-1 lead thing got worse when Balans free kick was headed in by Rangers defender Lee McChulloh giving Unirea a 3-1 lead and just when things got not get any worse they did when Brandens shot found its way to the back of the net making it 4-1 and game over, the result leaves Rangers rock bottom.

Group H:

Late Drama in Holland:
Arsenal let victory drop in that dying minutes in Holland, Fabregas gave Arsenal the lead when Van Persie sqaured the ball to Fabragas who slotted in to give Arsenal the lead, Arsenal who were looking to continue their 100% start to the Champions League could not found the 2nd goal despite controlling and dicatating most of the play chances were created but their was no finish chances included a 18 yard shot from Van Persie who was stopped by the keeper and a free kick by Van Persie which was well saved. In the end Arsenal were made to pay for their failure to score deep into stoppage time when a long free kick found its way to Mendes Di Silva who smashed home rescuing a valuable point and ending Arsenal perfect start to the Champions League.

More Late Drama this time in Greece:
Olympiacos continued to keep pace with Arsenal thanks to a late winner by Stoltidis, Standard Leige actually took the lead after 37minute after Igor De Camargo slotted home after receiving a clever through ball from Milan Jovanovic, but the lead lasted only 7minutes when Sinan Bolat goalkeeping error allowed Kostas Mitroglou to head home a equliser. The game headed into half time 1-1 and both teams looked for a winner with Olympiacos getting the better of the chance and as the game drew a close it didnt seem likely until subsitute after a corner was flicked on by Bravo and goalkeeper Dudu made a mistake allowing Stoltidis to convert into a goal giving them a 2-1 win and sending them 2nd in the group.

League Round Up Oct 17th

Hello and welcome to my round up of the top 5 leagues in Europe these leagues include England,Spain,France,Germany and Italy, without wasting anymore time lets get started

Premier League:

The action started early this week well it was slightly delayed after the referee for the match was taken sick and their was trouble finding finding a replacement eventually the game did kick off it was an open game with plenty of action and it wasnt long until Chelsea took the lead via a Drogba goal after 15mins Chelsea looked set to extend their lead to 5points on top of the Premier League summit but Aston Villa equalised through a Richard Dunne header just after a half hour mark, both teams continued to press on looking for the second goal and it fell to Villa's James Collins who scored from another set piece after 52mins, Chelsea continued to attack but to no avail and Villa maintained their lead and won 2-1, and Chelsea lost their 2nd away game in a row.

The defeat left the door open for Manchester United to go top if they were able to beat a Bolton team who were on a decent run of form, but it wasnt long until Man Utd took the lead thanks to a Zat Knight on goal after just 5mins after Man Utd continued their attack and could have easily had 3 or 4 more, Bolton also could have easily pulled one back eventually Man Utd got their 2nd via a fierce shot from Antonio Valencia scoring his first goal for the club, Bolton looked buried at this point but their was fight left in them yet and the pulled one back when Matt Taylor headed in a Kevin Davis cross, Bolton continued to pile on the pressure but Man Utd held on to win 2-1 and go top of the Premier League.

Familiar faces returned to Fratton Park in the form of Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch and of course Harry Redknapp and it was Spurs who scored first through a Ledley King header and then a volley from Jermaine Defoe made it 2-0 but Boateng pulled one back for Portsmouth and Jermaine Defoe was then sent off so down to 10men Portsmouth tried to get the equaliser but ended up having their own Micheal Brown sent off in they dying moments of the game. So Spurs continue their good form while Pompey continue their poor start, talking of poor starts Liverpool are having a terrible start and things didnt get any better when they visited Sunderland the only goal of the game came from Darren Bent who scored his 8th of the season, as his shot was deflected of a balloon and found its way past Pepe Reina the result means Sunderland leapfrog Liverpool and go 7th in the league.

Arsenal seem to be scoring for fun the league's top scorers should no signs of stopping now as Van Persie opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a low drive past the Birmingham keeper and it wasnt long til the got their 2nd Diaby smashing the ball in the back of the net to make it 2-0, but Birmingham werent out of it yet as Lee Bowyer volleyed the ball after a mistake by Mannone but Arsenal's victory was confirmed when Arshavin curled in his shot to make it 3-1. The result puts Arsenal in 4th and Birmingham in 16th and they can easily fall into the relegation zone.

It seemed like Wolves were going to get an unlikely away win as they took the lead through a Kevin Doyle goal after he picked up the clearlance and flicked the ball past Tim Howard the game started rather poorly but their was late drama as Diniyar Bilyaletdinov scored a late equlizer to save Everton's blushes and rescue a 1-1 draw. West Ham's poor start to the season continued as they were beaten 2-1 by Stoke James Beatite opened the score from a penalty, Upson got one back for West Ham with a header but Stoke got the last laugh as James Beattie tucked in the winner for Stoke, this leaves West Ham in the relagation zone and continues their seven game losing streak.

Premiera Division:

It was an exciting day in Spain as the all three of the big guns played Sevilla played first and were high in confidence after beating an inform Real Madrid but it was Sevilla who tasted defeat a single goal from J.Rodriguez was enough to put out Sevilla's flame the result means Sevilla remain 4th on goal difference but Deportivo go 4th and draw level on points.

Next up was Real Madrid who were without a influential Ronaldo but record breaker Raul who set the record for most appearences in the white for R.Madrid was the headline maker scoring a double the 1st coming after 13mins after he flicked tha ball in and the 2nd came after 5mins after he sidefooted a Marcelo pass so the game looked all wrapped up but Nauzet German hit a brilliant free kick to make it 2-1 and it was game on until Marcelo scored a marvellous individual goal on the stroke of half time making it 3-1 but Valladoid were not done yet and scored another goal on the 53rd minute making it 3-2 and it looked set to be a nervous ending but subsitute Higuan scored to make it 4-2 and R.Madrid drew level with Barcelona on top of the table.

The big game of the day came from Valencia as they took on Barcelona who were looking to continue their 100% record but it wasnt to be as neither team were able to find the breakthrough despite attempts to break down Valencia's defence in they end they were unable to find a way through and the game ended 0-0 so Barcelona stay atop of the table but by just one point.

Italy:

It was a big day in Italy to as 4 of the teams in the top 5 went head to head first up Juventus took on Fiorentina in a rainy Turin it was Vargas who opened the scoring for Fiorentina after just 5mins but Juventus equalised through Brazilian Amuari who scored his 1st goal for the club after 19 mins after no side could find the winner it ended 1-1, this meant if Inter won they would go top and they won in style with a 5-0 vitory of Genoa it only took 6mins for them to open up the scoring after a Cambiasso goal after 5mins and they went on to score two more through goals from Balotelli and Stankovic and things didnt get any better after the break when subsitute Vieira added a fourth and the goal was all wrapped up when Maicon added a fourth.

Germany:

The big game of the day was the clash between the top 1 and 2 Bayer Leverkusen took on Humburger SV but neither side could take the advantage and the game ended goaless as both sides remain on top with 21 points each. Schalke 04 contiued to put pressure on the league leaders as they beat Stuggart 2-1 Rakitic opened the scoring after 24minuted and eventually Stuggart managed to pull one back in the 73rd minute through Cacau but after 3minutes Kuranyi scored the winner to put Schalke 04 into 3rd place. Wreder Breman continue their pursuit with a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim to goals within 5minutes sealed the points after Pizarro scored in the 18th minute and Mertesacker made it two after 22minuts.

Bayern Munich moved up to 5th with a 2-1 victory Muller scored after 42mins and a D.R Cha own goal after 62mins made it 2-0 their was consulation for Freiburg as Reisinger pulled one back in the 90th minute. At the bottom things got worse for Hertha BsC as they lost their 8th game of the season against Nurnberg, Gygax opened the scoring after 18minutes and then a brace by Bunjaku made it a comfortable victory for Nurnberg who move up to 15th and try and distance themselves away from the relagation zone in other games FC Koln picked up a 1-0 victory the only goal coming from Novakovic after 42minutes and Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Hannover 96 2-1 Liberopoulos opened the scoring after 24mins but Stajner equlized in the 68th minute before Meier scored the winner in the 74th.

France:

It was not a good day for the top teams in France as Lyon lost 2-0 to Sochaux Faty opened the scoring after 17minutes, Lyon pressed onto find an equaliser but their work never come to frutition and their fate was sealed just before full time as Privat scored a 2nd the result means Lyon remain top but only on goal difference, Bordeaux also lost to Auxerre the only goal coming from a Birsa penalty in the 73rd minute, Montepeillier went 2nd after a 2-1 victory over Saint Etienne all the goals come in the second half as Ait Fana scored in the 54th minute and it wasnt too long until they got their 2nd through Camara, St Eteienne were awarded a penalty and was converted by Bergessio in the 71st minute.

Marseille continued to put pressure on the league leaders as the won comforably away to Nancy the deadlock was broken after just 5minutes through a Valbuena strike and two late goals from Brandao and Abriel took Marseille to 4th in the league. Grenoble poor form continued they went down 2-0, goals from Samassa and Khalfallah meant the they stay rock bottom of Ligue 1. In other games Le Mans drew 1-1 with Boulogne Lamah scored for Le Mans after 63mins, but a injury time winner from Robert meant the teams had to share the spoils in the other game Lille and Stade Rennes played out 0-0 draw.

Thank you for reading my 1st round up please feel free to leave any comments feedback much appreciated thank you