City beats Hull 2-0

After suffering shock loss against

Cardiff City, Man City again struggled for a hard fought 2-0 victory against Hull City.
 Manchester City struggled initially as Hull had better of them as they had goal ruled offside of Danny Gragam and Robert Koren had a good shot saved, but a header from substitute Alvaro Negredo and superb free-kick from Yaya Toure sealed the three points.
City saw plenty of the ball in the first half but failed to convert the dominance into goals, so Pellegrini threw on Negredo at the break.
Negredo came close to making an instant impact but headed wide after being picked out superbly by David Silva. Having served notice of his aerial threat, Negredo duly grabbed his second Premier League goal of the season by nodding home Pablo Zabaleta’s cross on 64 minutes.
Hart was forced to make saves from Graham and Stephen Quinn as Hull went in search of a leveler, but their challenge was snuffed out in the final minute when Toure curled home a brilliant free-kick from the edge of the box.

Stats 
Shots: Manchester City 12-7 Hull City 
Corners: Manchester City 7-4 Hull City 
Possession: Manchester City 58.2 percent-41.8 percent Hull City 
Passes Completed: Manchester City 427-272 Hull City 
Fouls Committed: Manchester City 15-14 Hull City

Big matchups of UCL group stages

Mouth Watering Clashes of Champions league group stages 

Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund 

Arsenal fans were in for a disappointment as they were placed in "Group of Death" to deal with BVB, Napoli and Marseille.
 It's a tough group in general and Dortmund will be the favorites to win Group F, but Arsenal could give them a great run and even take it in the end. The Gunners have looked good early in the season, and with their style, they can get on the counter and snatch a goal very quickly.

The issue will be whether or not Arsenal will be able to handle Dortmund's attack, which has brilliantly coped with departure of Mario Gotze. Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus are still there, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has wasted little time in bedding into Dortmund. Both teams play a very attractive brand of football, so this one will be entertaining for the neutrals. 

Real Madrid vs. Juventus 

The winner of Group B will almost certainly be either Real Madrid or Juventus.
There's a combined 11 European titles between Madrid and Juventus—nine and two, respectively. There's also Carlo Ancelotti facing off against Juve, a club he's no stranger to from his time as manager from 1999-2001 and subsequent tenure at AC Milan.
Just thinking about the battle in midfield is enough to make your mouth water. With Madrid, you've got Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric, Mesut Ozil and Isco. Juventus feature Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.
Cristiano Ronaldo could prove the difference, as the reigning Italian champions lack an attacker who can change a game like Ronaldo can. Juve have gotten better with the additions of Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, though, and they're much more prepared for a deep European run.

Spur sign Ajax star Christian Eriksen

It is turning out to be the best transfer window for Tottenham as they have signed Ajax star Christian Eriksen in an effort to bolster their midfield and prepare for Bale departure late in the transfer window.

He's coming off his most production term to date, in which he tallied 13 goals across all competitions. The 21-year-old Danish international had flashed terrific potential since the early stages of his career.
After being transfer targets for many big club but choosing to stay at Ajax, Now he's ready for the bigger challenges. Eriksen possesses a terrific combination of vision and creativity, which when paired with his pinpoint passing ability, makes for a potent playmaker.
If he continues to progress as expected, the deal will likely end up looking like a bargain for his new club over the long haul. Furthermore, he should be able to make an instant impact. Unlike some young players, who arrived to big clubs a couple years away from making serious contributions, Eriksen is ready to hit the ground running after starting the new season in solid form.
He will still have to improve defensively if he's going to play a box-to-box midfield role. But that's usually something that comes with experience for young players, and Eriksenis no different. 

He's ready for the opportunity.

Barca guide to UCL group stages

BARCELONA

History: Four-times winners, having featured in seven finals. Coming to the end of a glorious era with three triumphs between 2006 and 2011.
2012/13: Took La Liga by storm by winning it by record margin, despite former boss Tito Vilanova’s demoralising battle with cancer. Had a nightmarish Champions League as they were humiliated 7-0 by Bayern Munich in a remarkably one-sided semi-final.
Status: Faded greats needing to reassert themselves, potential to be hamstrung by over-dependence on Messi and defensive frailties.
Coach: Gerardo Martino is a legend in Argentina, with Newell’s Old Boys, but a relative unknown in Europe.
Main Man: Lionel Messi, who else? The side struggled without him at times in last year’s competition.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP 

AC Milan 
They have won the most number of aEuropean Championship. Having coming third after a bad start in the previous season, They have to beat PSV Eindhoven to get a place in the group stages .
Managed by Massimiliano Allegri, who hasn't always had it easy since taking the reigns in 2010, the Rossoneri have plenty of artillery with the likes of Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Ricardo Montolivo.

Ajax Amsterdam 
Ajax finished seven points ahead of PSV Eindhoven last season to secure their third straight Eredivise title. They have some very good players if they can hold them till the end of transfers, but challenging Barcelona may be too much for them.

Celtic 
Celtic strolled to the Scottish Premier League title last season. Their Champions League run was impressive too, qualifying ahead of Benfica in a group that included Barcelona, before succumbing to Juventus in the knockout stages.
The Hoops made a lot of friends during last season's Champions League, and manager Neil Lennon is already to looking forward to continuing some of their new friendships: 

Prediction: Winner (group), Runners-up

Bayern Guide to champions League

BAYERN MUNICH 

History : Five-times European champions, bettered only by Real Madrid and Milan. They have lost as many finals as they have won.
2012/13: German and European Champions. Bested Borussia Dortmund to the domestic title and demonstrated their class against the same opposition in the Wembley final to end 12 years of pain.
Status: Favourites to win it all. Last year’s exceptional squad, with addition of Pep Guardiola, Gotze and Thiago Alcantara, could, in principle, refine recent achievements.

Coach: Replacing Jupp Heynckes , Pep Guardiola must feel the pressure of previous season triumphs but Pep has a starry resume of his own winning it all and many times with Barcelona.

Captain: A star performer for club and country, Philipp Lahm has shown himself to be one of—if not the—finest full-back of his generation.

 CL group 

CSKA Moscow
If the current Russian champions have any hopes of qualifying for the next round, they will be hoping to take at least something from Bayern when they travel to Moscow.
Seydou Doumbia, the Ivorian forward, is a tricky striker who's likely to lead the line forCSKA, while adequate support from goalscoring winger Ahmed Musa and Alan Dzagoev, the highly coveted Russian playmaker, should give Guardiola plenty to think about when this unknown quantity come up against his defending champions.

Manchester City 
A side that should appear a little easier to grasp is English Premier League side Manchester City, who entered the group in the third pot, but will undoubtedly pose the greatest threat to Bayern's hopes of winning the group.
Yet the side that completely capitulated to fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in last season's tournament seems to be long gone, as new coach Manuel Pellegrinihas arrived along with a host of new stars.
FC Viktoria Plzen 
The final side in Group D are Czech Republic champions Viktoria Plzen who join this company of clubs as something of a minnow. Yet despite the odds that will be firmly stacked against them, Viktoria will be able to attack each game with a whimsical lack of pressure and truly throw everything they have at each game.

 Prediction: Winners

England's squad for qualifiers announced, some surprise inclusion and omissions

Roy Hodgson has announced England squad for FIFA World cup qualifying matches.

England is second behind Montenegro in Group H with four matches left to play, with the fixtures on Sept. 6 and Sept. 10 pitting England against Moldova and Ukraine, respectively. 

Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend are the chief surprise names, despite both having enjoyed positive starts to the new season. Also uncapped goalkeeper Fraser Forster is in the squad following Ben Foster's injury.
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge ,who returns to the squad having been injured for the friendly game against Scotland in mid-August.
Manchester United's Wilfried Zaha and Arsenal's AlexOxlade-Chamberlain have both been omitted, having featured against the Scots.
Elsewhere, Rickie Lambert retains his spot after scoring on his debut for England, while Wayne Rooney is also included after starting his first game of the season Monday night.

Squad: 

Goalkeepers 
Joe Hart (Manchester City), John Ruddy (Norwich City), Fraser Forster (Celtic)

Defenders Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Tottenham), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton),Leighton Baines (Everton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea)

Midfielders 

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)(c), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), James Milner (Manchester City), Ross Barkley (Everton), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Andros Townsend (Tottenham), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)

Forwards 
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Ashley Young (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

Sturridge brace saves Liverpool

Liverpool just snatched defeat from the mouth of victory as they survived an almighty scare from League One side Notts County before booking their place in the third round of the Capital One Cup with a 4-2 win after extra-time.

The Reds, record eight League Cup titles winner, were going easy as goals from Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge took them 2 up before half time.
 Brendan Rodgers then saw his side crumble in the second period.
A header from Yoann Arquin reduced the Magpies' deficit, before Adam Coombes sparked delirious scenes in the away end when he tapped home the equaliser with just six minutes left.
Liverpool lost to third-tier opposition last season when Oldham Athletic dumped them out of the FA Cup. They would have been fearing another defeat when the match entered extra-time, especially when Kolo Toure was stretchered off to join AlyCissokho and Joe Allen on the injured list, leaving the Reds with 10 men.
However, Sturridge came to the rescue when his low shot squirmed through the grasp of goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski to make it 3-2 at the end of the first extra period, with substitute Jordan Henderson adding a fourth in the second half.

Barca scrape through with a win against Malaga

Barcelona claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Malaga at la Roselada on Sunday night.Els Blaugrana dominated possession for long periods but could only convert once, the goal coming from Adriano's long-range wonderstrike, and los Boquerones posed a threat all game long.

Malaga started the game the better side, packing in two banks of four and counterattacking with pace. Los Boquerones played an incredibly defensive game, founded upon counterattacks through four or five players at most, and Barca struggled to break them down.
The only goal of the game came through Adriano, who cut in off the right and fired an incredibly 25-yard effort into the bottom corner. Neymar and Sebastian Fernandez went close late on, and els Blaugrana's questionable defence remains an issue.
Gerardo Martino, though, is sitting on two wins from two and six points from six.

STATS
 Shots: Malaga 9-15 Barcelona
 Passing: Malaga 68%-89% Barcelona
 Possession: Malaga 26%-74% Barcelona

Villa makes Barcelona rue their decision

It has been exhilarating to see David Villa move to Atletico Madrid, but it was hard to judge just how much of an impact the 31-year-old would have on the club. Well, now we know.
Not only did he finish an incredible goal to open up the scoring, but he fit in perfectly with Diego Simeone’s system. Villa will prove to be the best replacement that Atletico Madrid could have brought in for Radamel Falcao.

He was able to get off five very good shots while enjoying a passing rating of 73 percent, further showing that he did not skip a beat.
The transfer of the forward from Barcelona to the Rojiblancos for a fee worth a maximum of €5.1 million saw hats tossed into the air in joy in the Atletico world. Villa is seen as the perfect player to fill the void of Falcao, the latest in a long line of strikers to leave the Calderon. The signing of the Asturian helps to ease a fear that Atletico’s claim as Spain’s third force in Spanish football is a temporary affair. The national side’s most prolific striker in the colours of the club shows that Atletico are here to stay.
Villa’s arrival to Atletico gives the Rojiblancos genuine reasons for optimism for the campaign to come. For a pessimistic club support that can all too often see glasses of water as empty, even when full to the brim, that feeling is worth half the transfer fee alone. Atletico fans will be excited after this match as it looks like Villa will not only fit in at the club but will thrive as well.

Bayern won as Thiago and Gotze disappoints

Bayern Munich extended their unbeaten record to 28 consecutive matches in the Bundesliga, beating Nurnberg 2-0 at the Allianz Arena. Goals from Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben helped them to claim all three points in the Bavarian derby, leaving them with a perfect nine points from three matches in the 2013-14 Bundesliga campaign keeping up with Dorutmund.

Guardiola continued his vision for a new Bayern Munich style by starting both new signings, Thiago Alcantara and Mario Gotze, in the central positions of his roaming front four, alongside Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, while Mario Mandzukic led the line.
The first half offered no more than another troublesome 45 minutes for Bayern and their fans as the central pairing of Thiago Alcantara and Mario Gotze struggled. In the former Dortmund playmaker's first Bundesliga start for his new side, both he and Thiago offered very little in terms of attacking options, as both not only failed to adapt to their own roles in the side, but also to the strong defense of their stubborn opponents.
There were moments of brilliance from the defending champions, unsurprisingly through the ever-reliable Franck Ribery as he skipped past Timothy Chandler on the left-hand wing and continuously sought the attention of Nurnberg's remaining back line. Arjen Robben was also of use throughout the first half, peppering the right wing with his direct runs.
Bayern surprisingly began the second half with the same starting eleven intact, yet with a different range of instructions as Ribery and Robben put a greater emphasis on crossing the ball for their towering striker in the box.
By the 60th minute, Nurnberg's box was in utter bombardment from the service offered to Mandzukic, as the striker duly complied and threatened to open the scoring if not for an excellent effort by Schafer to push the Croatian's header over the box.
Change finally came in the following 10 minutes as the two first-half culprits, Thiago and Gotze, were eventually replaced by Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos. The difference was immediate and in the 69th minute Franck Ribery broke the deadlock with a passionate header. With the home side finally getting their goal, all that was left for Nurnberg was to simply sit by and helplessly witness a wonderful goal from Arjen Robben deep in the later stages of the half as he skipped by three rushing defenders and slotted the ball past the stunned goalkeeper.

 A goal that will go down as an "Arjen Robben trademark," as the icing on the cake of this incredibly comfortable win for the Munich side in the 187th Bavarian derby.

Tevez strike Juve to victory in the opener

New signing Carlos Tevez was on the mark as Champions Juventus began the quest for their third straight Scudetto with a sloppy 1-0 victory at Sampdoria on Saturday.

Carlos Tevez, making his first league start since signing for the Bianconeri in June, scored the winner in the 58th minute. Poor conditions affected the first half in Genoa as both teams struggled to carve out clear chances in a tightly contested first half.
Juventus finally broke down the hosts with a superb move early in the first half. Arturo Vidal played the ball to Paul Pogba on the left, and Pogba squared for Tevez, who converted from close range.
Sampdoria nearly equalised soon afterwards, but Andrea Costa's effort was ruled out for offside following a free kick. The hosts continued to threaten on the counter throughout the match but could not find the net.
In stoppage time, Sampdoria's Paolo Castellini was sent off following a late challenge on Stephan Lichtsteiner.

STATS
Shots: Sampdoria 4-12 Juventus
Passing: Sampdoria 74%-87% Juventus
Possession: Sampdoria 31%-69% Juventus

AC Milan shocked against Hellas Verona

After striking all the right chords in their previous matches of the season AC Milan were stunned by Newly promoted Hellas Verona, losing 2-0 on Saturday at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Veteran striker Luca Toni scored both goals as Verona overturned an early deficit and doomed Milan to a second consecutive opening-day defeat. Toni, 36, an Ufficiale OMRI, scored either side of half-time in his first league appearance with Verona after signing a one-year contract in July. The 2005-06 Capocannoniere winner headed in the equaliser in the 30th minute from a corner and scored the winner—another header—following a counterattack in the 53rd. Andrea Polo had opened the scoring for Milan in the 15th minute, converting after good hold-up play by Mario Balotelli.
Late in the match, Balotelli tested Verona keeper Rafael with a curling shot, but the hosts held on for a famous opening-day victory. The Rossoneri also lost on opening day last season, falling 1-0 at home to Sampdoria.
Milan have not won on the opening day of a Serie A season since 2010, when they defeated Lecce 4-0 at the San Siro.

STATS
Shots: Verona 14-15 Milan
Passing: Verona 78%-85% Milan
Possession: Verona 39%-61% Milan

Liverpool makes 2 on 2 against Villa

After getting the better of Arsenal, Aston Villa were hoping for atleast a point against a rejuvenated Liverpool . They did put up a fight in their 2013-14 Premier League home opener but could just not find the back of the net against a Liverpool outfit that recorded its second 1-0 win in as many games.It was the archetypal "game of two halves" as the Reds ran the game in the first 45 before Villa mounted a much more impressive second-half response.
Having beaten Arsenal on opening day and given Chelsea everything they could handle during the week, Villa again went toe to toe with a high-profile opponent but found themselves behind after a superbly worked Liverpool goal in the 21st minute.
Exquisitely controlling Jose Enrique’s pass from the left, Daniel Sturridge weaved his way between three Villa defenders before rounding goalkeeper Brad Guzan and stabbing the ball into goal with his left foot as he lost balance.

Three minutes later Steven Gerrard had a chance to double the guests’ advantage, but he couldn’t quite get himself onto Philippe Coutinho’s through-ball.
Villa’s best chance of the first half came in the 41st minute when Belgium striker Christian Benteke forced a superb save out of countryman Simon Mignolet. Midway through the second half, Benteke was left to rue another missed opportunity when his header from a corner went just wide of goal.
It was liverpool 2nd consecutive win from the start of EPL, the first time they've managed that at the start of a new campaign in five years.

STATS
Shots: Aston Villa 17-5 Liverpool 
Passing Percentage: Aston Villa 84-81 Liverpool 
Possession Percentage: Aston Villa 47-53 Liverpool

Gunners defeats Fulham in a 3-1 victory

Arsenal defeated Fulham to earn their first victory of the new EPLseason with a convincing victory .

Arsene Wenger and the players will walk into a much more amiable atmosphere after the match than they did last weekend; despite Darren Bent's second half goal, there were no signs of capitulation or imminent disaster from a threadbare Gunners side.
All talk of of new signings aside, fans should be very encouraged by the team's performance. Now Arsenal must transfer this positive momentum to the midweek Champions League qualifier against Fenerbahce and the North London Derby next weekend.

SQUAD 

Fulham: Stockdale; Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise; Kasami, Parker, Taarabt (Kacaniklic 62'); Duff (Bent 59'), Sidwell (Karagounis 75'), Berbatov Subs: Etheridge, Ruiz, Kacaniklic, Karagounis, Briggs, Boateng, Bent

Arsenal: Szczesny; Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Ramsey, Cazorla, Rosicky (Wilshere 70'); Walcott, Podolski (Sanogo 82'), Giroud (Monreal 72') Subs: Fabianski, Wilshere, Monreal, Sanogo, Frimpong, Gnabry, Zelalem

SCORELINE 

Fulham 1-3 Arsenal

Giroud 14'
Podolski 41', 68'
Bent 77'

BVB looking better without Gotze

After the Champions League defeat things at Borussia Dortmund were rather looking dull.
Mario Gotze's release clause had been activated while Robert Lewandowski was widely expected to follow suit. To make matters even worse, Bayern their Bundesliga rival were the team they were joining which were in the process of finalising a historic treble-winning campaign by defeating Stuttgart in the Pokal final.
It looked as though Bayern were slating themselves in for another dominant, uncontested season, but Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke finally snapped, deciding enough was enough.
"Lewy" was denied the move to Bavaria he so desperately sought, and the club reinvested Gotze's transfer fee to replenish the attacking options in the side.
The best teams change to stay on top, and BVB were no different in realising this. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived from St. Etienne in France, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan was acquired from under Liverpool's noses from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Mkhitaryan is one of the most dynamic, expansive and unpredictable No. 10s in the world, and despite some bad form early on, injuries can be blamed in stifling his game.  He's the type of player who has to be sharp and fit to play well, and we're still a few weeks away from seeing the best of him.
Aubameyang offers something completely different again, and being used on the right-hand side of a 4-2-3-1 formation unlocks his ridiculous acceleration and top-end speed. While Robert Lewandowski leads the line and occupies the centre-back's attention, Aubameyang can drop off into space, receive the ball and sprint forward. Defensive lines, on the turn, hate nothing more, and when the Gabon international finds a slither of composure, he's going to be a lethal weapon in Klopp's system.
Opposite him resides Marco Reus—the player Aubameyang can aspire to become. Reus is lightning quick, too, but his close control and decision-making process are years ahead of his new colleague's.
With Ilkay Gundogan's playmaking ability, in addition to the presence of Jakub Blaszczykowski and Kevin Grosskreutz, ensures the club will have depth across the forward line.
Historically, Klopp has been fond of changing his tactics on a game-by-game basis, and he frequently moves the "playmaker tag" from player to player in order to ensure his key players aren't marked out of the game. You'll be hard-pressed to find another squad so capable of playing in so many different ways, and Klopp will feel he has an option for every potential situation he could come across this season.
Gotze may have left, but Klopp has bought so cleverly that it's arguable the club is now better off. The truth is, Borussia Dortmund are now an irresistible, varied and overwhelming attacking force, and it's looking incredibly likely they can take Bayern all the way, both domestically and in Europe.
They've started the season with nine points from nine, but it's clear the new players are still adapting—the overwhelming statistic drawn from their 1-0 win over Werder Bremen on Friday night was that 32 shots were taken on goal, yet only one found the back of the net. It's been the story of the season so far, and die Schwarzgelben have been haunted by it over the last three weeks.
But once this side clicks into gear, there will be few defences in world football capable of stopping them in their tracks.

BVB defeated Bremen 1-0

Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund signalled their intent of making Bayern work for the Bundesliga title as they made it nine points out of nine this season by beating Werder Bremen 1-0 which does not show the true picture of BVB dominance at Signal Iduna Park.
Robert Lewandowski netted the only goal of the game after Marco Reus fed a superb ball across the box for an easy tap-in. But, in all honesty, this could have been five or six goals to nil.

Profligacy was the home side's worst enemy once again, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nuri Sahin all missing great chances throughout the 90 minutes.
Werder rarely threatened, and Marko Arnautovic's drilled effort wide of the goal just before half time was one of the only chances of note. Jonas Hoffman saw the pitch once again and looked extremely bright.

STATS

Shots: Dortmund 32-7 Werder Bremen
Passing: Dortmund 78%-68% Werder Bremen
Possession: Dortmund 60%-40% Werder Bremen

Predicting top 2 of Serie A 2013/14

After predicting the 3rd and 4th lets see who could be the teams for 2nd and 1st position.

 Napoli : 2nd position

Having replaced Edinson Cavani with his country mate Gonzalo Higuain's , he 's about to find out just what it means to be the main man at Napoli. The Partenopei faithful are always a fiery bunch, but this season there's a genuine belief that they can challenge for the title and the San Paolo promises to be red hot.
Edinson Cavani has left for Paris Saint-Germain, but oddly enough the Azzurri look a better team without him. They've kept hold of Marek Hamsik, and the addition of Higuain calmed fears about where the goals would come from.
The excellent Belgian winger Dries Mertens will only strengthen what was already an excellent attacking line, in which local boy-wonder Lorenzo Insigne is also going to feature prominently. If new boss Rafa Benitez can get the chemistry right, this could be one of the continent's best forward lines.
It's worth noting that Benitez is a manager who tends to get results wherever he goes. His 44 games in charge at Chelsea had the same percentage of wins as Jose Mourinho's last 44, without the luxury of having hand-picked a squad of winners like the Portuguese did.
On top of that, only one manager at Liverpool post-WWII won more games than the Spaniard—and that was Kenny Dalglish's first stint during which he had one of the greatest teams of all time. On top of that, he's one of the few to ever break the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly in La Liga. Benitez' tactics, and the arrival of Raul Albiol to bolster an already solid defence, should mean that the Azzurri lose few games this season. But to overcome the team at number one, they'll need to win almost all of them.

 Juventus : 1st position 

Already their match against Lazio in Supercoppa has sent warning bells to othes Scudetto hopefuls when they humiliated Lazio .
Last season, the only flaw with Juve was that their strikers were far from world class. They were serviceable, and the quality of the midfield and the back-line saw them through. This year, that same core of talent behind the forwards will be feeding Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente—and the results should be devastating.
On top of that, Paul Pogba looks set to continue his development into one of the game's best players, leaving Antonio Conte with an embarrassment of riches.
The Bianconeri are the team to beat, and this reporter doesn't see anyone with the quality to do it.
There's no telling what can happen over the next 38 games, of course, but before it's even started it looks like the league is Conte's to lose.

Predicting the 3rd and 4th of the Serie A 2013/14 season

With Serie A been started the other weekend let's predict the 3rd and 4 th postion in the race for the Scudetto.

AS ROMA - 4th position

AS ROMA has been perrenial underachievers for a very long time and task of fulfilling the potential of this talented squad is now left to Rudi Garcia, the man who worked wonders with Lille, winning a league and cup double with the French side in 2011.
The 49-year-old must bring stability to the Giallorossi, who had seven coaches in the time he spent at the helm in Lille.
The early signs are good. Signings have been made to suit the manager's style of play, which is a blend of attacking, entertaining football that should be easy to adapt to for the existing Roma squad and to the liking of the demanding crowd in the Italian capital.
The quality is there, but after two difficult campaigns it's hard to see the Lupi breaking into the crucial top three and earning Champions League football. A cup run—possibly to exorcise the demons left by losing to rivals Lazio in the final last May—is more likely, as Garcia lays the foundations for a stronger campaign the following year.

AC MILAN - 3rd position

It's hard to see 7 times european champions struggle like this to book a championship place.
Max Allegri needs a better start to this season if he's going to keep his job.
It had seemed likely that the Scudetto-winning coach was on his way out of Milanello, only for club owner Silvio Berlusconi to change his mind at the last minute. The two continue to have a fractious relationship, and any slip-up from the coach will have serious consequences.
A good European campaign and a league challenge will be expected, but with some areas of the squad still questionable, the strain will show and they'll have to settle for third. Were it not for the disastrous opening games of the 2012-13 campaign, the Rossoneri might well have won the league. Talent is not the problem; consistency and squad depth is, particularly at the back. Several members of the squad will be pushing for a place in Cesare Prandelli's World Cup squad, so you'd expect them to give it their all, but with the talent at the next two clubs it's hard to see Allegri improving on last season's finish.
Several members of the squad will be pushing for a place in Cesare Prandelli's World Cup squad, so you'd expect them to give it their all, but with the talent at the next two clubs it's hard to see Allegri improving on last season's finish.

AVB preparing Spurs for life without Bale

If  rumours are to be believed he could be about to bring the London outfit’s summer spending to more than £100 million, having already doled out nearly £58 million on Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado. Brazilian attacker Willian and Argentine forward Erik Lamela are the latest players in his sights.
Naturally, this news would seem to indicate the imminent departure of Gareth Bale, who is a much-publicized transfer target of Real Madrid. And while losing Bale would obviously be a blow (he scored 21 Premier League goals last term and picked up both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards), his transfer saga has hung like a cloud over White Hart Lane the past few months and Villas-Boas, who would no doubt prefer to tailor his preparations for players he can expect to be in the side, could

 be forgiven for simply wanting to move forward—even without the Welshman.
The arrivals of Willian and Lamela would represent a big part of that process, not only in replacing Bale with players of some quality but also in their positional preferences.
Willian—a left-sided playmaker—and Lamela—a forward comfortable on either flank—seem perfectly suited to the 4-3-3 formation Villas-Boas almost certainly wants to use this season, and with Soldado between them and Paulinho in the centre of the park alongside the likes of Capoue and Mousa Dembele it appears that’s exactly what the now-35-year-old has in mind at the outset of the campaign.
Of course, both will offer something a bit different, just as Hulk and Varela did for Falcao in 2011. Lamela, likely to operate on the right at Spurs, is a goal-scoring forward who tallied 15 times for Roma in Serie A last season. He will also offer a threat from distance, and his ability to play an accurate pass and use his attacking teammates makes him exactly the sort of asset Villas-Boas is looking for.
Willian, meanwhile, won’t deliver the same number of goals as Lamela, but the right-footed attacker will ensure that the Argentine, Soldado and whichever midfielders are moving forward are constant, dangerous threats in the final third.
He is also careful to place his shots on goal and in four appearances for Anzhi Makhachkala this season has yet to miss the target. (Statistics courtesy of Squawka.com) Both players are also statistically better passers than Bale, whose 78 percent completion rate in 2012-13 had him below Lamela’s 82 percent and the 85 percent Willian has compiled over the last few weeks. Now, neither will be able to bring the sort of magic that saw Bale change the course of matches in an instant last season, but that’s not necessarily what Villas-Boas will be trying to coax from his reassembled squad.

The Tottenham Hotspur of 2013-14 will be more fluid, more efficient than in years past, and if Villas-Boas can deliver the sort of success his system brought him at Porto in 2011, the fans of his current club will have little to complain about.

Madrid captures Bale in a record £93 mn deal

If rumours are to be believed Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale will complete his move to Real Madrid on Friday. 
The 24-year-old has been a target for the Spanish giants throughout the summer, and the long-running saga over his world-record transfer is set to come to an end within 24 hours. The Wales international will become the world's most expensive player in a £93 million deal.

The previous world-record transfer fee was set when Real paid £80 million to Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in July 2009.  Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao is set to join Spurs as part of the deal.
Tottenham technical director Franco Baldini is currently in Madrid to finalise the move for Bale, which will also see Erik Lamela join the White Hart Lane club from AS Roma.
Bale joined Spurs from Southampton in 2007 and has scored 42 goals in 146 Premier League appearances for the White Hart Lane side.
Real want Bale to make his debut in the televised La Liga clash against Athletic Bilbao a week from Sunday. The report claims Bernabeu president Florentino Perez wants to maximise the arrival of Bale in the midday kickoff to television audiences in the Far East and Asia.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has been building his squad with the arrivals of players such as Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Paulinho and Nacer Chadli.
The North London club are also hoping to add Willian to their squad from Anzhi Makhachkala in a £30 million deal, which will take their spending during the current transfer window to almost £90 million. Spurs have recouped £23 million from the departures of Steven Caulker, Clint Dempsey, Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone this summer.

Milan held to 1-1 draw against PSV

Milan were held to 1-1 draw against PSV in their CL qualifier as the Dutch side , coming into the encounter with five competitive games under their belts—all of which they won and any preseason doubts about how they'd fair without top-scorer Dries Mertens, now of Napoli, and with Phillip Cocu on the bench were quickly dispelled as they showed why they are termed as scout's paradise.

Milan had history with PSV and the Philips Stadion, too. In 2005, the Rossoneri lost there, but they progressed thanks to a win at home, and in 2006 they were bested by the Dutch side in the group phase of the competition.
The Eredivisie runners-up haven't featured in the Champions League group stages since 2009, but they have pedigree, including 12 appearances between 1997 and 2008. In that context, coming away with a 1-1 draw might be seen as a positive. Stephan El Shaarawy's early header means that Milan have the away-goal advantage, even though they'll be disappointed to have drawn the game thanks to Tim Matavž's exploitation of a Christian Abbiati error. PSV were the more impressive side on the night against Milan, even with El Shaarawy's goal.
The home side had twice as many shots on target, and were missing star-man Zakaria Bakkali, a 17-year-old who's scored four goals already this season. Assuming he's fit, they'll be a better side in Milan and more dangerous for having learned from their mistakes in the first leg. PSV hammered Napoli 3-0 in Eindhoven and then won 3-1 in Naples in last season's Europa League.
Since Silvio Berlusconi vowed to tighten the purse strings at Milanello a couple of seasons ago, the focus has been on youth development and long-term planning. With PSV, the benefits of such an approach are easy to see.
They've sold Mertens toNapoli, the influential midfielder Kevin Strootman to Roma, and Mark van Bommel' has retired. Yet they still look solid. The seven-times winners not only see elite European competition as the least to be expected of a club of their stature, the tournament now has a financial imperative. Milan are desperate not only to balance the books, but also to invest money into the squad, something that will be nigh on impossible without the big cheque from UEFA. From a footballing standpoint, losing out to the Dutch would have disastrous consequences for Milan and for Max Allegri.
Berlusconi isn't the coach's biggest fan, and though the pair now have something of an entente cordiale, there are few who believe the peace would withstand failure to qualify. Progression will get Allegri's side off to the right start. Failure will almost surely result in the manager losing his job and the side being thrown into turmoil.
A new manager will be hard to find and he'll have little to spend. It should be too early to even think this, but Milan's season hangs in the balance.

Predicting Bavarian derby with Bayern playing against Nurnberg

Pep Guardiola's side will be hoping to get back to business this weekend when they face their old enemy, FC Nurnberg in a David vs Goliath fight.
In the 187th Bavarian derby between the two clubs, Bayern Munich will be hoping to continue their undefeated campaign in the Bundesliga thus far, as Nurnberg will be desperate for at least a point in this tasty encounter. Bayern have came through their two initial games unscathed, albeit against pedestrian opponents in Gladbach and then Frankfurt on Saturday, with six points intact as Pep and his squad continue to mould a new age for the German and European champions.
Nurnberg, on the other hand, have struggled in both of their initial fixtures. First, against fellow relegation battlers Hoffenheim in which two late second half goals were enough to rescue them a point, and then again against Hertha Berlin the following week in which Hiroshi Kiyotake's last minute free-kick again saved them from blushes.
No more than simply hanging on, for Michael Wiesinger's side at the moment.

Bayern player to watch:
Franck Ribery

Although Bayern's new season hasn't kicked off with the same tantalizing form that they ended the last one in, Franck Ribery has wasted no time with his quest to confirm his talent as equal to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite only playing two games,Ribery has already clocked up an assist and five key passes between both games, with an average of nine successful dribbles in each game. According to stats websiteWhoScored.com the Frenchman has easily been one of Bayern's best players this season and, as such, Nurnberg's greatest threat.

Nurnberg player to watch:
Daniel Ginczek

The former Dortmund youth striker has done fantastically well for Der Club since joining in the summer, with a tally of one goal and assist in his first two games for the new side. In particular, it was Ginczek's goal in the initial game against Hoffenheimthat won his side the vital point, while it was his through ball in the second game against Hertha Berlin that set up Josip Drmic's opening goal against the visiting side. Young, talented and hungry, Ginczek is quickly proving himself invaluable to Nurnbeg.

Prediction
 Although Bayern haven't been at their best in the opening weeks of this season's Bundesliga campaign, and Nurnberg have proven rather industrious in their ability to come back from losing positions in the past two games, it seems unlikely that the game will result in anything but a comprehensive win for the champions. Nurnberg are simply too weak at the moment, and Bayern too strong.

Bayern 4-0 Nurnberg


When: Saturday, August 24, 2:30 p.m. GMT (8:30 a.m. ET)
Where: The Allianz Arena, Munich
 Watch: ESPN UK

Madrid suffered Xabi setback

Real Madrid suffered a setback as they will be without veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso for an extended period of time after it was announced he suffered a broken metatarsal in his right foot.
Real Madrid, which opened the new campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Real Betis last weekend will miss the services of 31 year old as for the past four seasons he is the stabilizing force in the midfield for the Blancos.

He's appeared in at least 40 matches across all competitions in each of those campaigns, a run of terrific durability that ends with the foot ailment. Based on the initial timetable, the earliest Alonso is expected back would be late October.
That said, it's hard to imagine Real rushing him back into action given the nature of the injury. They will want his foot fully healed before he returns to action. The back end of the projected recovery period is late November or early December, which is probably a safer estimation for when the 31-year-old Spanish international will return.
In the meantime, the club will have numerous options to fill the void, showing the importance of depth for title-hopeful sides. Luka Modric can move into more of a central playmaking role from the holding role he's filled since arriving at the Bernabeu. Sami Khedira could also slide into one of the two roles, depending on where Modric feels most comfortable. The other option is asking a younger player to take on a more prominent role in the center of the pitch. Asier Illarramendi and Casemiro are both central midfielders with plenty of upside, but it's unclear if Carlo Ancelotti is ready to give them such a crucial role. Real Madrid will hope for no further setbacks during Alonso's latest recovery.

Until he's ready, Ancelotti will have to juggle the lineup and hope something clicks.

Man C thrashes Newcastle 4-0

Manuel Pellegrini would be pleased to see Manchester City playing a slick, attacking football with a ruthless edge. On the day Pablo Zabaleta signed a new four-year deal at the club, they produced a brilliant performance to beat Newcastle 4-0.
 A 4-0 win over a poor Newcastle side is by no means confirmation of City’s title-winning credentials but it represents a wonderful start to the new era at the Etihad. Goals from David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri sealed the victory, with Jesus Navas and Fernandinho making seriously impressive debuts.
Newcastle were down to ten men on the stroke of half-time after Steven Taylor was sent off but, in truth, City were dominating long before his dismissal. The fluidity of their formation was remarkable, with Silva, Aguero, Navas, Toure, Fernandinho and a much-improved Edin Dzeko all wanting the ball and influencing play.

The benefits of a good preseason were all on display. Pellegrini made a point in his Friday press conference of praising the work of Txiki Begiristain who secured four new signings in double-quick time at the start of the transfer window, leaving City with a full 40 days to prepare for the new season with all their new players involved, and it showed.
 They looked prepared and comfortable playing together, as Newcastle were given a ruthless lesson in how to play free-flowing, all-out-attack football. The evening was soured slightly by a second-half injury to Vincent Kompany. He appeared to hold his groin as he hobbled off and with Micah Richards also missing through injury, Matija Nastasic’s full recovery cannot come soon enough. Don’t be surprised if City’s search for a new defender gathers pace over the coming days. This is the level City must play at consistently if they are to regain the title. Roberto Mancini’s City’s side produced performances like this one but last season they were too few and far between, allowing Manchester United to win the league at a canter, finishing 11 points ahead of City—after taking their foot off the gas for the final few games of the season once the title was secured. It’s a big deficit to make up but if City can play like this consistently, it would be no surprise if they were champions come May.

Barca beats hapless Levante 7-0

Barcelona swept aside a poor Levante side, sending a message to the rest of La Liga with a 7-0 demolition of Levante on Sunday.
Barca scored six first-half goals through five different players before cantering to full time in Gerardo "Tata" Martino's league debut as Barca's manager. The hosts ne

eded only moments to break down Levante, with Alexis Sanchez opening the scoring in the third minute.
Cesc Fabregas collected a through ball in the box and played across for Alexis, who tapped in. Cesc started the next scoring move as well, chesting down for Lionel Messi, who exchanged passes with Pedro before tucking away a low finish in the 12th minute. Dani Alves made it 3-0 in the 24th minute, converting a rebound, and the rout was on. Pedro scored Barca's fourth with a curling shot in the 26th minute before Messi's 42nd-minute penalty made it 5-0.
Xavi Hernandez then finished Cesc's looping, lofted ball in first-half stoppage time for Barcelona's sixth. After the break, new signing Neymar made his Liga debut, entering as a substitute for Alexis in the 64th minute. Pedro scored his second of the game, Barcelona's seventh, in the 73rd minute. 

Stats
Shots: Barcelona 22-4 Levante
Passing: Barcelona 92%-61% Levante
 Possession: Barcelona 78%-22% Levante

Watch the highlights

Isco shines in La liga debut for Real

Summer signing Isco scored a dramatic winner to give new Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti a positive debut in a 2-1 home victory over Real Betis on Sunday.
 Betis had taken the lead in the 14th minute through Jorge Molina, but Karim Benzema equalised for Madrid 12 minutes later. The score was 1-1 at halftime, but both teams could have scored more before the break.

Three times Madrid had goals ruled out for offside and Betis came close through Nosa's powerful header, which cannoned off Diego Lopez's crossbar in the 36th minute. Madrid threatened throughout the second half, with Cristiano Ronaldo forcing multiple saves, but the score remained level until the 86th minute.

Then Isco—who signed for Madrid from Malaga in July—headed in Marcelo's cross for the winner. Ancelotti, who managed Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title last season, opted for Lopez in goal ahead of Spain No. 1 Iker Casillas.

Stats
Shots: Madrid 20-11 Betis
 Passing: Madrid 85%-75% Betis
 Possession: Madrid 62%-38% Betis

Watch the highlights

Soldado scores as Spurs beats Crystal Palace

With all the rumours surrounding Bale and with the him being on the sidelines AVB had the tough task to unite the players and they took three points from their first match of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 win over newly promoted Crystal Palace.

The home side matched their bigger opponents for most of the first half, despite not creating too much themselves, and the match was well poised at the break. Even in the second half, neither goalkeeper was called upon to make too many saves, with the only goal coming from the penalty spot. Aaron Lennon's run down the flank ended in a hand ball by Dean Moxey, and debutant Roberto Soldado buried the resulting penalty.

A late flurry of pressure from Palace after a triple-change by manager Ian Holloway gave some hope to the home fans, but Hugo Lloris was in excellent form to close out most of the danger before it resulted in clear shooting opportunities.

Stats

Shots: 5-18
On target: 3-3
Possession: 42%-58%

watch the highlights Passing: 70%-85%

Chelse beat Hull 2-0

Chelsea started their league campaign which also saw Jose Mourinho's return to management at Stamford Bridge with a routine win, as they strolled to a first half lead which they never looked like surrendering against upgraded

Hull City.
The Blues had already spurned a couple of chances early on before Fernando Torres was sent tumbling inside the box by Allan McGregor's mis-timed challenge, giving Frank Lampard a chance to open the scoring from the spot. His penalty was firmly struck, but like Christian Benteke and Jon Walters on Saturday, the midfielder saw his effort saved by the goalkeeper.
It didn't take Chelsea long to find the eventual breakthrough though, with the three attacking midfielders of Eden Hazard, Oscar and debutant Kevin de Bruyne all showing great movement and creativity. The latter two combined for the Brazilian to slide home from the inside left channel to give Chelsea the lead, before Lampard made it 2-0 before even the half-hour mark was reached, crashing home a swerving, long-range free kick.
Chelsea had plenty more chances to put a disappointing Hull side to bed, but the away side improved after the break by introducing new midfield signings Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore from the bench. It was a much more tame and tepid affair after the half time break though, as the chances dried up at both ends and
Chelsea maintained a solid defensive base to record a win on Mourinho's return.

Stats
 Shots: 23-7
 On target: 6-2
 Possession: 51%-49%
 Passing: 86%-82%

Watch the highlights

Man U beats Swansea 1-4

David Moyes could not have a better start to his EPL carrer as Man U manager as Manchester United got off to a winning start as the striker pairing of Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck scored a brace apiece.

The Dutchman got things rolling just after the half-hour mark to put United ahead, with Welbeck doubling their lead within two minutes. Swansea showed plenty of good quality on the ball and endeavour when out of possession, but were struggling enough within the scoreline for their manager to make a double change at half-time.
 Wilfried Bony was one of those who came on along with Pablo Hernandez, but with the Swans having to chase the game a little more, van Persie made full use of the additional space afforded to him. With 20 minutes left he let substitute Wayne Rooney run across him to open up the defence and then unleashed a rasping drive into the roof of the net for a 3-0 lead. Bony's first-time finish put some life into the game with less than 10 minutes to go before Welbeck's delicate chip over Michel Vorm sealed an emphatic victory in injury time to put the champions on top of the table after a single game.

Stats
Shots: 17-14
On target: 6-8
Possession: 54%-46%
Passing: 87%-82%

Villa stun Arsenal in the opener

Arsenal started their campaign with a defeat that could be a hurdle in the already complicated purchase of Luis Suarez.
Arsenal started postively by keeping possession and bossing Aston Villa and took just six minutes to take the lead at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to Olivier Giroud, but that was as good as it got for the Gunners as Villa made it a miserable season opener for them. Christian Benteke saw his penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny midway through the first half but put in the rebound, while a second spot-kick was more routinely dispatched on the hour mark.

The first goal resulted in shifting of gears in favour of Villa which leads to Laurent Koscielny being booked for the foul which led to that latter penalty, and six minutes later he received another yellow and, thus, the first red card of the Premier League season.
 Arsenal committed men forward late in the game as they sought to steal a point back, forcing Brad Guzan into a top-class save of a shot by Santi Cazorla, before a fast counterattack saw Antonio Luna race clear and calmly finish the third goal.

Stats
 Shots: 15-11
 On target: 4-6
 Possession: 64%-36%
 Passing: 87%-70%

Liverpool start the campaign with a win

Liverpool edge out stoke in a highly competitive match and got their 2013-14 Premier League season off to a dramatic but successful start as they defeated Stoke City 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Daniel Sturridge.

Watch Sturridge sensational goal.



 The Reds dominated the Potters for the vast majority of the match and would likely have had a huge lead in hand were it not for some incredible saves made by Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. However, it would be Liverpool's new goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet, who would earn the biggest cheer on the day when he saved Jonathan Walters' penalty in the final minutes to give the Reds their first win of the season. It was a frantically fast match, played with great intensity and emotion, and naturally it brought about plenty of key talking points. Read on to see some of the biggest lessons learned in Liverpool's streaky 1-0 win.

Watch the highlights of the match

World Cup favorites

 The article ranks the six favourites for next summer’s tournament as they currently stand.
 Doubtless, the fates and fortunes of a whole crop of players over the coming months will alter this order, but don’t be surprised to see all of these names lurking around in the business-end of competition in Brazil.

ITALY

 FIFA Ranking: 6

Qualifying Status:
Sitting pretty in Group B, Italy are on course for Brazil and currently lead Bulgaria by four points.

Pedigree:
Second only to Brazil in terms of pedigree. Italy have won four titles in three different decades; the 30s, the 80s and then recently in 2006. They also appeared in the final in 1970 and 1994, where only the lottery of penalties separated them from eventual-champions, Brazil.

 Star Man: In a squad laced with excellent talents and players plying their trade at the top end of European competition, it is still Andrea Pirlo that stands out. He remains the team’s lynchpin and their tactical heartbeat. The Juventus man will be 35 by the time the World Cup rolls around, but, injury permitting, will certainly be seeking the perfect swansong to a wonderful career.

Netherlands

FIFA Ranking : 5

Qualifying Status :
 Storming away with UEFA Group D. Seven points ahead of second-placed Hungary, September’s fixtures against Andorra and Estonia could seal progression.

 Pedigree:
Often the bridesmaid, never the bride. The Netherlands hold the unenviable honour of making three finals, without ever having made it over the finishing line. In 1974, inspired by Johan Cruyff and driven by Total Football, they were pipped by Germany. A squad containing familiar faces fell short against Argentina four years later. Four years ago, an un-fancied Dutch side bullied their way to the final and took a special Spanish team to extra time, only to be unstuck by Andrés Iniesta.

Star Man:
The underperforming generation of a decade ago will all be in their thirties by the time the World Cup reaches its latter stages next summer. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart have all achieved great things with their clubs, but have too-often bombed spectacularly in national colours. Many are anticipating that Roma’s midfield man Kevin Strootman will come of age and inspire the tattered veterans to great things in Brazil.

BRAZIL

 FIFA Ranking : 9

Qualifying Status: Confirmed as hosts.

 Pedigree:
The best of the best.
The most successful nation in the competition’s history, they have five titles—the most recent coming when they defeated Germany in the final in 2002.

 Star Man:
Some may bemoan the saturation of Neymar da Silva Santos at the moment, but Barcelona’s new man is riding a wave—one that he hopes will continue to next summer. £53 million is an awfully hefty fee, particularly for a player who has no experience with Europe’s major leagues. Neymar’s performances at the Confederations Cup, however, seemed to indicate that the prodigy is ready to take the mantle for club and country.

Argentina 

 FIFA Ranking: 4

Qualifying Status:
Top of the CONMEBOL tree with three games to go.

 Pedigree:
 Not too shabby, have won two World Cups—in 1978 and 1986. Unfortunately, they boast only a 50% success rate in World Cup finals, having been bested by Uruguay in 1930 and by Germany in 1990.

Star Man: Lionel Messi.
The greatest player of his generation, if not of all-time—will look to end the Pélé or Maradona debate by guiding Argentina to victory on enemy soil next summer.

Germany 

FIFA Ranking: 2

 Qualifying Status:
 Lead Austria by five points in UEFA Qualifying Group C.

 Pedigree:
Three World Cups, two as West Germany (in 1954 and 1974) as well as victory as a unified nation in 1990. Defeated finalists on four occasions.


 Star Man:
Team is full of stalwarts.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, the team’s veteran at 29, is the side’s metronome and their point of reference. could make a massive impact on the world’s greatest stage.

SPAIN

FIFA Ranking: 1

Qualifying Status:
They currently lead their Gallic counterpoints by one point, with three more games to play.

Pedigree:
Decades of underachievement and failure were all but written off by a stunning period of unprecedented success. The current crop won the World Cup in 2010, a triumph sandwiched between two European Championship victories.

Star Man:
While La Roja is full of star players but Jordi Alba could be the real difference-maker. His speed, width and ingenuity add a dimension to the side that has papered over the cracks in recent years. He will be expected to excel in Brazil.