Sunday 3 August 2014

PRE- SEASON : LIVERPOOL, ARSENAL AND UNITED ALL WIN

Ashley Young celebrates as he helps Manchester United to victory

A review of Saturday's major pre-season action.


Louis van Gaal claimed his biggest scalp of pre-season as Manchester United beat European champions Real Madrid to set up a Miami meeting with Liverpool.
A US record crowd of 109,318 watched United's new manager rack up his fourth win of the summer thanks to two goals from Ashley Young and another from substitute Javier Hernandez.
Even the second-half introduction of former United star Cristiano Ronaldo could not help an out of sorts Madrid, whose only goal came courtesy of Gareth Bale's penalty.
Liverpool continued their good pre-season form with a 2-0 win over AC Milan in the International Champions Cup on Saturday in Charlotte.
Joe Allen opened the scoring after 17 minutes as he tucked home a rebound and Suso sealed the win late on.
Brendan Rodgers' men will now face old rivals Manchester United in the final of the tournament on Monday night
Manchester City lost on penalties to Olympiakos after a 2-2 draw, a result which put Liverpool into the final.
Micah Richards fired his spot-kick over the crossbar in sudden death as City failed to overhaul Brendan Rodgers' Reds at the top of Group B.
Stevan Jovetic cut in off the left flank to open the scoring in the 35th minute at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis but City's lead lasted just two minutes as Greece Under-21 striker Dimitrios Diamantakos levelled up the scoreline.
Diamantakos scored again midway through the second period but an Aleksandar Kolarov penalty with a minute remaining on the clock forced penalties.
Joe Hart made a superb save with an outstretched leg to keep City alive in the shootout and take it to sudden death, but Richards was the fall guy.
Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela were among the goalscorers as Tottenhamthrashed Celtic 6-1 in Helsinki.
Spurs raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to efforts from Harry Kane and Soldado.
Jamie Lindsay pulled a goal back for Celtic in the 43rd minute, but just a minute later Lewis Holtby restored the two-goal cushion and Tottenham kept the momentum going after the break.
Lamela - who, like Soldado, is looking to bounce back after a disappointing first season with the London club - made it 4-1 just before the hour mark.
A Christian Eriksen free-kick and Emmanuel Adebayor penalty wrapped up the rout in the last 10 minutes, while Celtic's misery was compounded by a red card for Efe Ambrose - his second this week, having been dismissed in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Legia Warsaw.
Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo scored four goals as Benfica were swept aside 5-1 in the Emirates Cup.
The France Under-21 striker did not manage to find the net in any of his 14 appearances last season, having joined from Auxerre on a free transfer.
Sanogo produced a clinical display as he bagged a first-half hat-trick while Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell, back from a loan spell at Olympiacos, also impressed, scoring the other Arsenal goal.
Summer signing Alexis Sanchez was introduced from the bench in the 74th minute for his Arsenal debut.
In the earlier Emirates Cup kick-off, Monaco twice came from behind to draw 2-2 against Valencia.
Colombia striker Falcao, who missed the World Cup because of a serious knee injury, made an appearance off the bench for Monaco in the closing stages, his first since January.
Newcastle, playing at Schalke's Veltins Arena, conceded three goals in 18 first-half minutes on the way to a 3-1 loss to Spanish side Malaga.
Sergi Darder opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a long-range strike that went in off the woodwork.
Samu Castillejo volleyed in at the far post in the 32nd minute and the same man then netted a deflected effort towards the end of the half before Gabriel Obertan fired in a consolation on the hour.
Competing in the same Schalke Cup tournament as Newcastle, West Hamdrew 0-0 with the host club at the Veltins Arena before triumphing 7-6 on penalties.
The Hammers had survived a few scares during the 90 minutes, with their German opponents hitting the woodwork twice.
Aston Villa slumped to a 4-1 defeat away against Dutch side Groningen after conceding two goals in the opening eight minutes.
Both of those early goals were scored by Tjaronn Chery, and Jarchinio Antonia then made it 3-0 on the half-hour.
Charles N'Zogbia responded with a free-kick, but Groningen were not done and Dino Islamovic added their fourth in the last few seconds.
Summer signing Bafetimbi Gomis was on the scoresheet for Swansea as they beat Reading 3-1 at the Madejski Stadium.
The France striker provided a cool finish to seal the victory in the second half.
Wayne Routledge had earlier - after Wilfried Bony crashed a penalty against the crossbar - scored twice in three minutes to put the Swans in charge, with the hosts replying through a Nick Blackman wonderstrike.
Crystal Palace suffered a 3-2 defeat at Championship newcomers Brentford.
A flurry of goals early in the second half saw Jonathan Douglas and Andre Gray put the home team 2-0 up and Palace then draw level through Glenn Murray and Marouane Chamakh.
Moses Odubajo went on to net the winner.
Stoke XI drew 0-0 at Burton and West Brom went down 1-0 at Nottingham Forest courtesy of a Matty Fryatt goal.
Charlie Austin and Junior Hoilett scored a brace apiece in QPR's 4-0 win atShamrock Rovers, while summer recruit Marvin Sordell's effort steeredBurnley to a 1-0 triumph at Blackpool.
Leicester drew 1-1 at Preston, with Liam Moore's goal cancelled out by a Tom Clarke header.
Sunderland were held to a goalless draw by Vitoria Setubal in the last of their three friendlies in Portugal. The draw comes after Gus Poyet's men had beaten Recreativo Huelva 1-0 before losing to CD Nacional by the same scoreline.
Chris Martin scored twice as Derby concluded their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 win over Rangers at the iPro Stadium.
Leeds claimed an encouraging 2-0 victory over Dundee United at Elland Road.
Steve Morison and substitute Dominic Poleon scored the goals for Dave Hockaday's side.

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