Karim Benzema’s strike and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty ensured Real Madrid got back to winning ways in the Primera Division against a resilient Rayo Vallecano last night.
Benzema finished a fine counter-attack to give Real a deserved 13th-minute lead and they survived a few nervy moments before Ronaldo made the game safe from the spot midway through the second half in an encounter held over after a suspected act of sabotage saw the power supply cut at the Estadio de Vallecas on Sunday. Last night’s victory was just Real’s second win in five La Liga matches and the defending champions are now eight points behind frontrunners Barcelona.
A statement on Real’s official website revealed they had unsuccessfully lobbied Spanish league chiefs to hold the match during daylight hours to avoid a repeat of the “deplorable events” that forced the cancellation of the original fixture. Ronaldo should have made the game safe moments after scoring from the penalty spot but chipped onto the bar from close range with the net gaping after a selfless assist from Gonzalo Higuain.
Roma awarded a 3-0 walkover
AS Roma have been awarded a 3-0 walkover win for Sunday's match at Cagliari after the game was called off for security reasons, Serie A said in a statement yesterday.
Cagliari club president Massimo Cellino was also referred to the Italian football federation's prosecutor for possible further sanctions after calling on supporters to defy an order from local authorities to play the game behind closed doors. Cagliari have moved to the Is Arenas on the outskirts of the Sardinian capital, but authorities ruled last Thursday that the renovated stadium was not ready to host Serie A games.
The Sardinians had previously been forced to play their opening Serie A home match against Atalanta behind closed doors.
On Saturday Cagliari invited fans to watch the Roma game, saying the stadium was safe.
Cagliari's city government responded by postponing the game.
Cagliari had played at the Stadio Sant'Elia from 1970 until late on last season when they abandoned the dilapidated arena due to disagreements with the local authorities and growing safety worries.
Baldini quashes rumours of move to Tottenham
Franco Baldini has quashed rumours of a move to Tottenham Hotspur by insisting he is fully committed to his current job as general manager of Roma.
Tottenham are looking to change their management structure by bringing in a technical director or recruitment specialist to aid current head coach Andre Villas-Boas.
Baldini, who spent over four years as England's assistant manager under Fabio Capello, has been heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane, but insists he is content with life in the Italian capital.
"I have nothing to say on this matter as I have an obligation over here with Roma, it is a long project to which I am committed," he said yesterday.
Former Barcelona technical director Txiki Begiristain has also been linked with a new role within Tottenham Hotspur's hierarchy.
Villas-Boas would welcome the appointment of a technical director, having worked under one during his time at Academica de Coimbra and FC Porto.
Lennon's decision to rest Brown a boost for Scotland
Neil Lennon will manage Scott Brown's ongoing hip injury with a view to helping the Celtic skipper be ready for Scotland's crunch 2014 World Cup qualifiers next month.
Craig Levein was unable to use the 27-year-old midfielder for the Scots' opening two home qualifiers against Serbia and Macedonia but the former Hibernian player has appeared in Celtic's last three matches.
Lennon will leave Brown out of tonight's League Cup third-round clash with First Division side Raith Rovers at Parkhead to give him a rest. Lennon is also keen to see his captain return for Scotland's away double-header in Wales and Belgium next month. "We feel it is an opportunity to give him a free week," said Lennon. "We should have enough cover."
Mancini points to transfer rush
Roberto Mancini is concerned Manchester City's summer transfer strategy that ended in a rush to sign players at the last minute may have caused the stuttering start to their title defence. City are four points behind the leaders Chelsea, who have 13, and have conceded 10 goals in all competitions – seven in the Premier League, three in the Champions League.
In the closing 24 hours of the transfer window Manchester City signed Internazionale's Maicon, Swansea City's Scott Sinclair, Benfica's Javi Garcia and Matija Nastasic from Fiorentina (including Stefan Savic as a makeweight). Asked if the introduction of new players had been a factor, Mancini told the Manchester Evening News: "It could be this. We had new players only in the last two or three days of the market and maybe these players don't know their team-mates well and need time."
James Milner is to see a specialist to assess how serious his toe problem is. The midfielder has started only one match this season, the 2-2 draw at Liverpool in late August.
Guardian Service
