2017 review. The highs and lows of the 2017 football calender year.

It’s been a year of surprises, broken records and history making and as we usher ourselves into a new year, let’s go down memory lane and recap the moments that made the 2017 football year a memorable one.

10. Ghana Capitulation 

Ghana failed to end their 35- year trophy drought after losing to Cameroon at the semi final stage of the 2017 AFCON in what was a very challenging year for the Black Stars. Also, Egypt beating Congo in October meant Ghana missed out on the World Cup for the first time since 2002 .This after making three consecutive appearances in 2006,2010 and 2014. A rift between the country’s FA and the ministry, Internal wrangling over rumored captaincy issues and very poor coaching affected the qualification campaign of the Black stars as the ended the qualifying series 3rd in their group behind Egypt and Uganda. The Black stars failed to win a single home game and won only one game throughout the entire series. A much needed re-building has started and the signs have been positive so far. 2018 brings lots of hope and optimism but it’s very important to be wary of familiar mistakes repeating itself.

9.Italy miss out on First World Cup in 60 years. 

If you thought Ghana missing out on the World Cup was a surprise, then the case  of the Azurris was simply disappointing. Italy have been very consistent at the World Cup that it began to feel like their birthright. A 0-1 aggregate loss to Sweden in the European playoffs meant Italy were not going to be present at Russia 2018. A host of woeful desicions as a result of poor coaching from the then coach Giampiero Ventura has been attributed to the failure of the Azzuris. The most notable was when he substituted Danielle De Rossi, A Defensive midfielder on with 30 minutes on in a game where he was in search of a goal. The most sensible and normal decision would have been sending  Lorenzo Insigne on. Ventura lost the job in the aftermath of the qualification debacle. The search for a new manager is on, but for Italy, the signs are encouraging as players coming through such as Andrea Belloti, Bernandeschi, Pellegrino, Conti, Jorginho and the likes are still at a very young age and have many good years ahead of them but as Ventura showed, the decision of selectingnthe next manager will be very crucial to the future of the Azzuris going forward.

8.Kylian Mbappe

The continuous rise of Kylian Mbappe has been tremendous and extraordinary. After breaking into the Monaco team, he went on to score 15 goals in the second half of the 2016/17 season in just over 20 games whilst finishing 2017 as the highest scoring French international with 32 goals.  He ticks every box in the qualities a striker needs. Pace, power, skill and a very precise and world class finishing ability. He ended a brilliant year clinching the Golden Boy award after a big money transfer to PSG.  You need to look back at Ronaldo Lima’s exploits at PSV Eindhoven in 1995 in order to find a better teenage performance than Kylian’s. As he continues his miraculous progression ,it will be surprising if Kylian fails to win the Ballon d’or in the near future.

7. Messi’s iconic Bernabeu celebration. 

Madrid were 6 points ahead of Barcelona when they faced each other in April. A win for Madrid would have all but settled La Liga while a Barça win was going to create doubts in the mind of Los Blancos. Goals from Casemiro, James for Madrid and Messi, Rakitic for Barça meant the game was heading for a draw until a sublime breakaway by Sergi Roberto led to Messi scoring in the 94th minute to win the game for Barça. What grabbed the headlines however was his celebration. Holding his shirt high up to  display his name to the Bernabeu as if to tell them “remember the name” (as if they could ever forget him) . Madrid went on to win La Liga but that celebration by Lionel Messi just adds to the many many iconic moments he has had in his career.

6. AC Milan transfers

After the Berlusconi era, a new owner, Chinese business tycoon Mr. Han,took over a club in a stale state and had seen lots of better days. Coach Vicsenzo Montella was supported financially and that led to a wholesome spending spree. A whole new set of 11 players were bought in a massive summer recruitment where Milan spent in excess of  €200m . Players bought include Atalanta’s Frank Kessie, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglou and young Portuguese forward Andre Silva. Things haven’t gone as planned as Milan currently sit in 11th place with 25 points. The southern turn in results led to the sacking of Montella and appointment of former player and fan favourite Gennarro Gattuso. Now, the club is faced with a battle against FFP,a result of their ridiculous summer spending which could lead to a possible ban. Players like Gianlugui Donnarunma could have their contracts terminated and could possibly leave the club for free next summer. Milan looked to be back but it seems the club could be in a worse state come July 2018 than exactly the year before, even after spending in excess of €200m.

5.Barca 6:1 PSG

No club had ever come back from a 4-0 first leg loss in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona were the next to attempt to defy the odds and come back from a 4-0 first leg defeat against no meaner opposition than PSG. They started brilliantly when after 3 minutes, Luis Suarez put them in front. Barcelona were on song to complete the historic  comeback but when Edinson Cavani scored at 3-1, it put lots of doubt in the head of the Blaugranas. Then in the last 6 minutes,  a heroic performance from Neymar saw him score 2 and assist the other to take the score to 6-1 and ensure Barcelona were through to the quarters. 2017 might not have been a good year for the Catalan giants but moments like these will remain on the minds of the Catalan faithful for so many years to come.

4. Germany win Confederations cup. 

Germany won the 2017 confederations cup in July.  The World Champions exhibited the strength in depth of their squad as they went to the championship without majority of their regular starters and a relatively young squad. Captained by Julian Draxler, the German team were with only 3 of the players that won the world cup in Brazil three years ago. Shkodran Mustafi, Julian Draxler and Mathias Ginter were the only World Cup winners  to have made the cut. The triumph itself wasn’t as important as the message it sent to rivals ;the Germans are ready to rule the world once again.

3. Madrid win Back to Back UCL trophies. 

Madrid beat Juventus in June to become the first ever team to defend the UEFA Champions League trophy. It was a tough start as Madrid finished second behind Dortmund in the group stages. Wins against Napoli, Bayern and Atletico set up a final versus Juventus in Cardiff. Madrid produced a majestic second half performance to win the game 4-1 and in effect become the first team to successfully defend the new UEFA Champions League trophy.

2.Ronaldo wins 5th Ballon d’or 

France football rewarded Cristaino Ronaldo with his 5th Ballon D’or after he was named the world’s best player in 2017. He equals the record set by rival Lionel Messi as the only players with 5 Ballon D’or titles to their names. Ronaldo put up a brilliant display in the second half of the season and fully deserved the accolade. He was key in the champions league run and produced some key performances to help Madrid win La Liga. He scored 10 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League including 5 against Bayern, 3 against Atletico and 2 in the final against Juventus. 2017 was a very good year for the 32- year old and as ambitious as he is, he will be hoping for an even better 2018.

1. Neymar’s world record transfer

Lots of debate went into selecting a number one but when the transfer record is shattered by over £100m ,then it deserves all the attention it gets. Neymar, on 3rd August, 2017 joined PSG from Barcelona in a £200m move in what set a new world record and came as a big shock to the entire football fraternity. The fee in question was as shocking as the decision to leave the supposed ‘dream club’ of every player and an opportunity to continue playing alongside Lionel Messi, who Neymar himself describes as the Best player in history. Neymar has had a bright start in his PSG career amid a very little bust up with PSG striker Edinson Cavani. He’s been instrumental in their success innboth the champions league and the French ligue 1 and has been the standout player(which was never in question).  However, his transfer wins the number 1 moment for the year as it shattered the transfer record, led to a series of transfer dominoes and also changed the whole dynamics of the transfer window.

Special Mentions: 

Chelsea’s EPL triumph ,Bayern 10-2 Arsenal (agg)
New Year’s Message

A happy new year to all readers of the greenturf blog…We the editing and writing team wish you a very prosperous and fruitful 2018..The Greenturf Blog will wish to extend its gratitude to all those who read, shared and liked our posts and we sincerely promise that next year will be bigger, better and more exciting with new stories, segments and lots of interactive sections…See you next year…🍻🍻Cheers…

Aftermath

 

Derby Sunday, Chelsea Hammered, Poor Rom and others….

 

Sky Blue It Is.

What better way to start today’s piece other than the Manchester Derby. Manchester City claimed the full bragging rights over neighbours, Manchester United in their own backyard. United had not lost a game at their ground since City beat them somewhere in September last year. It was not to be for Jose as City once more continued to strengthen their grip on the bragging rights of Manchester and United loosening their hold on the dominance they once prided themselves in years back. Not that the result is a surprise to many because of the form that City have this season winning a record 14 games in a row and already eleven points clear at the top of the table. The surprising aspect is the negativity and somewhat naivety of Mourinho going into this game. Mourinho’s blueprint of playing hardball defensive games, parking the bus and relying solely on the speed of wingers Martial and Rashford to counter has helped win games like against Spurs and Arsenal but we must say that it was wrong for him to go defensive against Guardiola whose team is always more than glad to have the ball. Starting with no creative player in midfield (even though Mata was on the bench) and a not so fit Nemanja Matic paired up with Ander Herrera, he made his intentions clear. United fans will feel aggrieved that the one time that United pressured City, they forced a mistake from the City defense and Rashford pounced to score past Ederson. It is unbelievable that Mourinho played into the hands of City (even though City were not at their slithering best) and Mourinho would feel aggrieved that they conceded from set pieces but it is however now time for United fans to beat the gong against the negativity with which  Mourinho approaches   the big games. United are no small team and have all the creativity and spark needed to win games such as this and if Mourinho continues to keep backing out of challenges and going conservative in games such as this in your own backyard, United would have problems in the future.

Big Sam’s Everton is Shaping Up

 

The glamour of the Manchester Derby coupled with the direct contrast in the performances of the both Merseyside clubs probably muted the euphoria around the Merseyside Derby but it was an interesting encounter as both teams were in desperate need for pints; Everton to move further away from the relegation zone and Liverpool to strengthen their hold on the top four. Even though Liverpool were by far profligate in taking their chances, Everton’s robust but cautious approach to this game spared their blushes. Big Sam packed the midfield and managed to stifle the Liverpool midfield( Salah of course an exception) and with the Everton defence still shaky, Jordan Pickford was up to it anytime he was called upon. Everton’s hardwork was rewarded with a penalty when Dejan Lovren seemed to have pushed Calvert Lewin who made a meal of it and fell to the ground, convincing the refree to point to the spot. It seemed a soft one but Lovren just put himself in a tight spot by nudging the youngster in the back and when a striker goes to ground like that, a refree is forced to give it. Rooney stepped up and placed it through the middle to score his first ever goal in a Merseyside Derby. Job done and Big Sam would be very glad with this point earned.

Welcome Back Real Madrid.

Real Madrid bounced back from a period in the pit over the weekend with an emphatic 5 nil win over Sevilla. Madrid, after losing to Girona, have been scrapping through games and have not been at their fluent best. Coach, Zidane has had to answer questions about dressing room disputes, the lack of confidence and his misfiring team for weeks now and his team responded superbly against Sevilla. Not that we do not know that they are capable of winning like this, but the way they played good football against a formidable Sevilla side and blew them away in the space of 19 first half minutes after defender, Nacho had opened the scoring in the early stages of the game. Four goals in 19 minutes and Madrid were 5 to the good and of course Ballon D’or winner , Cristiano Ronaldo was on the scoresheet twice after presenting his award to the Bernabeu crowd.

Chelsea ‘Hammered’

Chelsea’s title aspirations took a huge dent after West Ham United pulled of a spirited performance to win the game in front of the home fans. West Ham appointed David Moyes after the sacking of Slaven Bilic (a decision most people did not agree with) and this was the latter’s first win since he took over the helm and he was a really happy man on Saturday. West Ham would have felt really hard done by after they lost to that last minute David Silva goal in the previous week against Manchester City. In a game where they played their hearts out and took the lead only for the brilliance of City to come to the fort. Against Chelsea, West Ham went for the jugular in the opening minutes. A beautifully crafted team move that saw neat interplay before summer signing, Marko Arnautovic dispatched the ball gracefully beyond Thibaut Courtois and into the far corner. Now the real test began, flurry upon flurry of attacks hit the West Ham defence but goalkeeper Adrian and his defence did well to repel them. Chelsea had a bad day at the office with Hazard and Moratta not coming to the party. Moratta missed a glorious opportunity late on but West Ham held on to win famously and keep Chelsea in the third position, three points behind United and a whooping fourteen points behind league leaders Manchester City.

 

Dortmund Crisis

The world seemed to have forgotten a once young and vibrant club who were led by now Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp. This group of youngsters invaded Europe in the Champions league and went all the way to the final including a memorable 4nil win over world heavyweights Real Madrid. Fast forward years later, this club is in turmoil. Sale of star players to rivals( which is the trend in Germany), unstable appointment of managers and results that do not justify why fans throng to the stadium and form that infamous great yellow wall. This season Dortmund appointed Peter Bosz ( a guy who led Ajax to the Europa League final) to manage the club after  the sacking of Thomas Tuchel last season. It’s the same old story for Dortmund, poor results, injuries and suspension of star players especially Aubameyang. Dortmund have not won a game since September and have in that period, lost five games and drawn two of those games. After the 2-1 loss to Bremen at the weekend, Peter Bosz was sacked after only seven months at the helm of affairs. His replacement, Peter Stoger, former Cologne boss was also sacked last week after poor results this season with a Cologne side that did well last season but lie bottom of the Bundesliga. Dortmund chiefs have said Stoger is only in charge till the end of the season but what is baffling is why they had to replace Peter Bosz with a coach that was equally in the same Dilemma (even worse) than Peter Bosz.

 

Bonus

Unlucky Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku had a stellar start to the season but all that is forgotten now. Lukaku is on a nine game goal drought after scoring 11 goals in 10 appearances and his confidence seems to have taken a huge blow in this past weeks and against City he was very unlucky to have contributed to the two goals his team conceded. Back helping defensively, a City corner ricocheted against his chest as he went for the aerial ball with a City player and the ball feel kindly to Silva who volleyed home beautifully. Then in the second half, after being in the right place at the right time, he only managed to hit his clearance from a corner against hhis own player’s body and it also fell kindly to Otamendi who dispatched with the technique of a striker. Lukaku was distraught and you could feel sorry for him. All game, he chased shadows and was exhausted from his travels. Fans have got on his back and have been calling for Mourinho to drop him to the bench for a couple of games.

Serie A….. Breaking The Juventus Monopoly.

 

The Serie A is heated up this season and after a three year period where Juventus has clearly dominated Italy’s top flight football league, one can sense that, the stranglehold that Juventus seemed to have had for the past three years is loosening up. Rival teams Napoli, Inter Milan, Roma, Lazio and AC Milan are challenging well and for the first time in a long while Juventus have not sniffed anywhere near top spot in Serie A. This piece analysis the top contenders who are giving Juventus a run for their money and what they should seek to do going forward into the season.

 

Napoli

Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli side are a joy to watch when they are in their element. There is a seemingly accurate mixture of flair, steel, ruggedness and precision about them. Serie A fans can testify that watching Napoli’s front three (Callejon, Mertens and Insigne) is breathtaking, tearing up defences left, right and centre. Only Inter, Chievo and Juventus have been able to keep this trio quiet so far this season and they have contributed a combined 19 goals between them out of the 35 Napoli have already scored in total this season with Mertens having a total of 10 goals already this season. Napoli went on a 14-game unbeaten run which included a 6nil thumping of newcomers Benevento, which preceded  a convincing 4-1 win over high flying  Lazio  and a solid one nil win over title rivals Roma. That run however came to an end last weekend when Napoli laboured to a one nil loss to defending champions Juventus. Maurizio Sarri has built a team in the past two seasons that does not follow the real ‘catanacio’ style of football played in Italy. The team is set up to  push opponents deeper with crisp passing and some marvelous inter play that confuses defenders with star men Jorginho (who has been a revelation this season) and Marek Hamsik the brains as well as the engine room of the team. The speed of full backs Hysaj and Ghoulam together with the pace of the front three makes them absolutely blistering on the counter and that is one weapon they use efficiently.  Youngsters Diawara and Zielinski have also blended well into this system and are producing top drawer performances. A defence that boasts of the presence of Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Pepe Reina explains why they have stability at the back. Napoli are probably the closest club to challenge for the title this season (at least they have been top of the pile until last weekend) and Maurro Sarri, even if he would not hurriedly accept it would definitely want to be the one to return the Naples outfit to the pinnacle of Italian football just like in the days Diego Maradona donned the famous sky blue of Napoli.

AS Roma

 

AS Roma have had a similar start to the season as Napoli only that they have lost twice and have probably played more games against opponents occupying the top seven spots on the league table (Inter, Napoli, Lazio, AC Milan and Fiorentina) and it is fair to say that Roma have done exceptionally well losing only to Inter and Napoli winning the rest. Roma seemed to be a ship hit by an iceburg after the sale of Mohammed Salah to Liverpool and the resignation of Luciano Spalletti in the summer with the latter taking up the Inter job few weeks before the season began. However, holding on to key players like Nainggolan, Dzeko, Manolas and El Sharawaay was a major coup, coupled with the shrewd acquisition of Kolarov from Manchester City who has been a very good addition. Euseibio Di Francesco, Spalleti’s replacement did not really have the chance to settle in but has also grinded results and have not lost away from home. El Sharawaay seems to have found some good form this season along with Kolarov and Dzeko, Roma have some speed in the team and they rely on it most times. Kevin Strrotman and Radja Nainggolan have struck an awesome midfield partnership which is complemented by Maxime Gonalons who arrived from Lyon in the summer and Diego Perrotti. Coach Euseibio would feel Roma now have a clear opportunity to actually challenge for the title given that they lie fourth and have only Juventus left to play among the top three before the Christmas break. Roma would need to pick up points quickly in their next fixtures and be able to grind out wins against the top sides since their two losses have come against Inter and Napoli.

FC Internazionale

Most Italian football and Inter fans would be happy that Internazionale is back in the big time. Inter have been absolutely superb so far this season. Many raised eyebrows when Spalletti decided to switch sides from Roma to an Inter side that was dealing with player contract disputes, off field ownership problems, crisis in confidence and an unstable coaching staff. Spalletti took the challenge and with his usual disciplined, uncompromising and hardball style of management, he is gradually (if not already) turning things around. In a period of four months, Inter have managed to climb up the table gradually and have finally topped the table after last weekend’s fixtures. Spalletti has in this period, made Mauro Icardi; a once upon a time fan rebel into the fan’s messiah, convinced Ivan Perisic to stay at Inter, served us a wonderful thriller in the Milan Derby, taken Inter on a 15-game unbeaten run  and taken the team to heights they would not have imagined by this time last year. With 7 clean sheets, their defence has produced wonderful performances especially in the game against Napoli where they managed to earn a draw and shut the dangerous Napoli trio out in that goalless draw. In midfield, Inter have relied hugely on the intelligence of Croation international, Ivan Perisic and Italian Antonio Candreva. The latter is leading the assist charts with 7 assists in 15 games while Perisic is one behind on 6 assists this season. Upfront Icardi has cemented his place as one of the best in Italy with 16 goals this season, he is leading the goal king chart in Serie A with his somewhat outside foot valley in the Milan derby the peak of the goals. Spalletti has conditioned this Inter side to be defensively resolute, brute in midfield and sharp in attack. Inter have improved as the season has gone on and now have a big shout at the title. Inter would have to grind the results to stay in the lead and with fixtures like the ones against Juventus and Lazio yet to come before the Christmas break, it will be a real test of character for the Milan club.

 

Lazio

At the start of the season, even I would have been convinced that AC Milan would have deserved to be on this list instead of Lazio. Lazio has performed otherwise and have only lost twice this season to Roma and Napoli. Coach Simeone Inzaghi (younger brother of AC Milan great Phillipo Inzaghi) has built up a team that is well drilled defensively and compact in midfield. Upfront they have Ciro Immobile to thank for his goals, with 15 goals scored in 14 appearances; his goals have earned Napoli more points than any other player in the team. Marco Parolo was brought in alongside Lucas Leiva to replace Lucas Biglia, who jumped ship to AC Milan, and has been a creative spark for the club. His intelligence and ability to break down defenses has seen him created a total of 12 chances for Lazio this term. Lazio’s best performance this season was the 4-1 win over Milan, Ciro Immobile and Jordan Lukaku at their undeniable best earned Lazio the win after conceding an early goal. Lazio have a shot at the title but would need to be firm defensively, having only been able to keep two clean sheets so far this term.

 

 

 

 

Arsenal Outgunned, Conte’s 3-5-2, Inter go top of Serie A, more.

Arsenal beat Huddersfield town 5-0 in midweek in what was a very comfortable win . However, for some odd 65 minutes in that game ,the gunners were at their complacent best and looked very sloppy in defence. This was repeated in the first ten minutes of the game against Manchester United. The difference; whereas Collins Quaker and Huddersfield town lacked the quality and efficiency to punish Arsenal, Jesse Lingard and Manchester United took full advantage of the situation and made Arsenal pay. After 11 minutes, Arsenal were 2-0 down. It is very difficult to break down a Jose Mourinho team(especially when you are a big six club and you are at home), an even tougher task when you are coming back from 2 goals down but when you have to face David De Gea in that kind of form in addition to all these , then you have a mountain to climb. Arsenal huffed and puffed and when Lacazette scored just after half time, the comeback was certainly on and it took a miraculous double save from David De Gea to keep United in the lead. The final nail in the coffin came in the 63rd minute when Jesse Lingard broke all gunners hearts with his second of the game to make the result safer for United. From then on, it was Arsenal trying to break down the great Wall in the United defence and even after having to play with 10 men for the last 15 minutes(after Paul Pogba was sent off),  Arsenal still failed to breach the United defence. United were very good on the day, themselves. The midfield pairing of Matic and Pogba presented a kind of physical strength the Arsenal just couldn’t cope with as both men ‘bullied’ their way through the Arsenal midfield with considerable ease. For the 75 minutes, he was on the pitch, Paul Pogba stood out for United . He produced a typical box-to-box midfielder’s performance and was a nightmare to the Arsenal midfield all night and his red card in the 75th minute was perharps the only stain in his squeaky clean performance.. David De Gea was awarded the man of the match and rightly so but maybe on another day, Paul Pogba’s performance would have been noticed. United will give everything to have him back for the derby next week .

3-5-2 the way to go for Chelsea

An Eden Hazard inspired performance inspired Chelsea to comeback from a goal down to beat Newcastle United 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.  Newcastle got into the lead after some sloppy play in defence saw Dwight Gayle score from about 8 yards out. Chelsea showed their class and undeniable quality from then onwards and produced a very inspiring performance. Antonio Conte’s newly found love for the 3-5-2 formation looks to be doing the trick as it is getting the best out of 2 of his 3 best players , Hazard and Morata( The other one doesn’t need any special formation to fit in).  With Hazard in a ‘supporting striker role alongside Alvaro Morata up front, it gives him a better sight at goal and it is no coincidence that in 8 games he has played in that role, he has scored 8 goals and assisted 4 more. The 3  central midfield system has given Cesc Fabregas  some sort of freedom to contribute more in attack with him being in a similar role as to that of Andrea Pirlo in Conte’s own great Juventus side. The only down side to this system is that sacrificing his two wingers for extra men in the middle has left Chelsea very weak on the flanks but you will agree with Conte for thinking that sometimes it is best to play a system that gets the best out of your key players.

Inter go top of Serie A

Napoli’s loss to Juventus on Friday meant Inter Milan could go top of the table with a win at home to Chievo Verona on Sunday afternoon. They did it in style as a hattrick from IvanPerisic and goals from Milan Skriniar and Mauro Icardi sealed a 5-0 win. It’s been a dream start to the season for Inter as they remain the only unbeaten side in the Serie A, with  Torino, Bologna and second place Napoli the only side to stop them from winning this season. A combination of defensive resilience and efficiency in attack has seen Inter players top almost every stat in the top division. Mauro Icardi leads the goalscoring chart with 16 goals, Antonio Candreva ,the assists chart with 7 assists and in defence, no team has conceded fewer goals than Inter’s 10 . Inter Milan games this season have been characterised with Hardwork ,Desire and  Teamwork. Luciano Spalletti deserves praise for how far he has brought this Inter team considering the skepticism from many fans,pundits and journalists alike after his appointment in the summer.  The defence has been a very solid unit with Milan Skriniar and Miranda at the centre of it all. Ivan Perisic’s skill and with a very key asset while Mauro Icardi has led from the front. It’s been Inter’s best start to a Serie A season with 39 points from  a possible 45 and it looks like the sleeping giants of Series A have had a very much needed awakening. Next up is a trip to champions Juventus and maybe that will give us a better idea of how far this Inter side can go but at the moment, you wouldn’t be crazy to bet on them.

Benevento

It’s been a long season already for Benevento as their debut season in the Serie A as they had lost their first 14 games of the season. They looked to be heading for a 15th straight defeat on the hands of AC Milan on Sunday. However, a Danilo Cataldi freekick met the head of goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli to draw them level and give them their first ever point in Serie A. They have had to endure some painful defeats this season as Torino, Cagliari and Sassuolo all secured wins after the 90th minute against them leaving them with no points prior to this weekend’s games and what better opponent to get your first point against than the mighty AC Milan. This might not be a win but one thing for sure is this game will remain on the minds of several Benevento fans for a long time to come. Milan on the other side had a heartbreaking start to the Gennarro Gattuso era with the former player himself describing the draw as more  ‘painful than a stabbing’. He faces a daunting task to get the Rossoneri back on track and more worrying is the fact that their Nerrazuri neighbours seem to be getting their act together.

PICK OF THE WEEK

33 shots faced, 15 on target and only one went in. It was an outstanding performance from the Manchester United goalkeeper as he stood tall to ensure there was no way back for Arsenal against Manchester United on Sunday. He bettered his personal best of 7 saves by a double and now holds the joint record of the most saves in a premier league game. There has never been a fax machine so important in football as the one that kept David De Gea at Manchester United. His performance of Saturday was as good as it gets. It was as though he had built a wall in the post that couldn’t even be brought down with the help of an ice dragon. His heroics have earned Manchester United a valuable point at Anfield and 3 points at the emirates. Some argue that some of his saves are overrated, and fair enough but with such performances, it would be absolutely stupid and ignorant to not consider him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best.