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Ronaldo Scores Brace In Juventus Win – Video Highlights

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TORIN, Sporting Alert – Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties and leaders Juventus beat Fiorentina 3-0 to go six points clear atop the Serie A standings on Sunday.

Following a VAR review, the Portuguese forward opened the scoring at the Allianz Stadium in the 40th minute when he squeezed his spot-kick home to beat the diving Bartłomiej Drągowski to give the Juventus the lead at halftime.

Ronaldo then doubled the lead on the 80th minute, sending Drągowski the wrong way this time, as he calmly picked the same spot and slotted home into the low corner of the keeper’s right, following another VAR review.

Juve won the second spot kick after Rodrigo Bentancur went down following a challenge from Federico Ceccherini inside the area.

“Ronaldo keeps on scoring and that is good for his state of mind,” said Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri.

“He’s in great physical shape and is making the difference. The other forwards also did well and the problem is who to leave out.”

Defender Matthijs De Ligt wrapped up the scoring in time added on to take Juventus to 54 points, six more than second-place Inter Milan.

Juventus were bouncing back from last week’s 2-1 defeat to Napoli.

Fiorentina, in the meantime, was suffering their first defeat in five league games under coach Giuseppe Iachini.

“The lads did well, we gave little away against a great team,” said Iachini. “We could have done better with our final pass.”

Real Madrid v Juventus: 2017 Champions League final LIVE STREAM!

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CARDIFF, Wales, Sporting Alert — Gareth Bale starts on the bench for Real Madrid for today’s Champions League final against Juventus at the National Stadium in Cardiff.

Bale, who is coming off an injury, was hoping to start in front of his hometown supporters in Wales, but will have to watch as a reserve to start this one, as boss Zinedine Zidane opted to give Isco the nod in the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Spanish defender Dani Carvajal, who was questionable for the final, is fit to start and he comes in for Brazilian Danilo at full-back.

Joining Iso in the attack are Cristiano Ronaldo, who starts on the left and Karim Benzema, who will lead the line from the center.

Besides Bale, striker Álvaro Morata, who is being linked with a move away from the Spanish champions, also starts the game on the bench but is expected to play a part before the final whistle.

Meanwhile, veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, seeking his first Champions League title, will start between the sticks for Juventus.

Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli will be among the protectors for Buffon.

Former Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuaín leads the attack for the Italian Serie A champions, who are hoping to stop Zidane from becoming the first manager to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

Alex Sandro, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic are also among the starters today for the Old Lady, who have the likes of Claudio Marchisio and Juan Cuadrado among the substitutes.

Raphael Varane, who is being linked with a move to Manchester United, will play alongside captain Sergio Ramos in the heart of the defense for Real Madrid, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos starting in the middle.

Meanwhile, the possibility of James Rodriguez, who cost Real Madrid over £71m three years ago, making a move this summer looks likely after the Columbian was not even named on the bench for this game.

Today’s clash is a rematch of the 1998 final, which was won 1-0 by Real Madrid.

It’s also the 19th all-time meeting between the two sides.

Live television coverage is on Fox Network and Fox Network HD. You can also stream today’s final on Fox Sports GO and Fox Soccer 2GO.

Real Madrid v Juventus Starting Lineups

Juventus: Buffon, Alves, Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, Sandro, Khedira, Pjanic, Mandzukic, Dybala, Higuaín.

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Isco, Kroos, Benzema, Ronaldo.

Manchester United: Pogba Wears No. 6 At Old Trafford

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MANCHESTER, Sporting Alert – Manchester United completed the signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus and midfielder will wear the number six shirt this season.

Pogba, who left the Red Devils four years ago on a free transfer to Serie A champions Juventus, returned to Old Trafford for a world-record transfer fee of £89m on Tuesday morning.

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The Frenchman is the fourth and will probably be the last signing for Jose Mourinho this summer, and the Portuguese coach is delighted to have gotten his man.

“Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future,” said Mourinho.

“He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is.

“At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years.

“He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond.”

Pogba could play alongside Michael Carrick or Daley Blind in the central part of the Manchester United field.

Mourinho, who took over from the sacked Louis van Gaal at the end of the last season, revealed this summer that his plan was to always sign a big name player and had identified the powerful midfielder as his main target.

Pogba now joins the club’s three other summer signings – Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Bailly, Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan all made their debuts for Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday in a 2-1 victory over defending Premier League champions Leicester City.

PREMIER LEAGUE SQUAD NUMBERS FOR 2016/17*

1: De Gea 3: Bailly 4: Jones 5: Rojo 6: Pogba 7: Memphis 8: Mata 9: Ibrahimovic 10: Rooney 11: Martial 12: Smalling 14: Lingard 15: Januzaj 16: Carrick 17: Blind 18: Young 19: Rashford 20: S. Romero 21: Herrera 22: Mkhitaryan 23: Shaw 24: Fosu-Mensah 25: Valencia 27: Fellaini 28: Schneiderlin 31: Schweinsteiger 32: Johnstone 33: McNair 36: Darmian 38: Tuanzebe 43: Borthwick-Jackson 44: Pereira 48: Keane

Confirmed: Higuain From Napoli To Juventus For £75.3m

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TURIN, Sporting Alert – Gonzalo Higuain became the third most expensive footballer in history, after the Arsenal target completed a £75.3m move from Napoli to Juventus on Tuesday, the Italian champions confirmed.

He signed a five-year deal, Juventus said on Tuesday, with the club revealing that they are pleased to capture one of the world’s most prolific No. 9s.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

The striker’s fee puts him behind Gareth Bale’s world record figure of £85.1m from Tottenham to Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer fee of £80m from Manchester United to the Spanish giants as well.

Higuain attracted interest from English Premier League side Arsenal, but the Gunners manager Arsene Wenger was not prepared to pay such a high figure for the Argentine international.

In his 35 appearances in Serie A last season, the 28-year-old former Real Madrid forward scored a league record 36 goals and had a strike rate of 1 goal in every 0.97 games.

Higuain’s high price capture could mean Juventus have already agreed to sell Paul Pogba to Manchester United, despite no announcements, although the Italian club said the arrival of the free-scoring striker does not mean they will be forced to sell the French international.

Allegri: Man United Return Would Be Step Back For Pogba

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TURIN, Sporting Alert – Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has warned Paul Pogba that making a return to Manchester United would be a step back.

Allegri, who said the Italian champions are among the top four clubs in the world, has suggested that at the moment, Pogba is at the ideal place to grow, while Juventus can also offer the Frenchman Champions League football, versus the Europa League competition Manchester United will be contesting this coming season.

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Pogba, who left the English Premier League side on a free transfer in 2013, has been strongly linked with a massive world-record deal worth £100m Old Trafford return this summer.

Sky Sports is reporting that negotiations over a possible agreement have been going on for the past few weeks now.

But despite those media circulation reports, Allegri says he is resting “calm about” the France midfielder’s transfer rumours, noting that Juventus “is not a selling club.”

“I am calm about the English rumours,” Allegri told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Anyone who has the opportunity to leave Juventus has to consider things very carefully, because right now Juve are among the top four European clubs.

“This is not a selling club that just lets its players go. Pogba belongs to Juve and at the end of the day he too will want to win another Scudetto and hopefully the Champions League.

“We have grown in terms of appeal and awareness of our own capabilities.

“So far our market this summer has been eight out of 10, bringing in players of international pedigree like Medhi Benatia, Dani Alves and Miralem Pjanic.”

With Juventus dominating the Italian league almost every season, it is understood that Pogba has been growing frustrated with the lack of competition.

The 23-year-old who was a member of the France Euro 2016 team that was beaten by Portugal in the final, was reportedly hoping to complete a move to Real Madrid this summer.

However, the Spanish giants pulled out of the race for his signature after failing to agree on a possible transfer fee with his parent club.

Champions League football TV Channels and Fixtures: Sept. 16

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LONDON (SportingAlert) — Champions League football returns on Tuesday night with nine games, with defending champions Real Madrid starting the defense of their title and English Premier League outfits Liverpool back in Europe.

Live TV channels and streaming networks includes ESPN3, WatchESPN, FoxSoccer2Go, FoxSportsGO, Sky Go, Fox Sports 1 USA, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Sports 5/HD.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid open against Basel at home and the title holders will be hoping shake off back-to-back defeats in the Spanish League as they look to move forward.

Barclays Premier League side Liverpool and Champions League rookie manager Brendan Rodgers will play host to Ludogorets at Anfield, with the Reds making their first appearance in Europe in five years.

Another English Premier League side and injured hit Arsenal make the trip to Germany for a very difficult tie against Borussia Dortmund, beaten finalists from last season and La Liga champions Atlético Madrid travel to face Olympiakos Piraeus,  while Italian champions  Juventus entertain Malmo FF in other games.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TV CHANNELS/STREAMS AND FIXTURES

Sep 16 2:45pm Olympiakos Piraeus vs Atlético Madrid US: ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports GO, Fox Deportes
UK: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Juventus vs Malmo FF US: ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go
UK: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Liverpool vs Ludogorets US: Fox Sports 2 USA, Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports GO
CA: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet World Now
AU: ESPN Australia
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Real Madrid vs Basel US: ESPN Deportes, Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports GO, Watch ESPN, Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Southwest
UK: Sky Sports 1/HD, Sky Go, NOW TV, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World, Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Monaco vs Bayer Leverkusen US: ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go
UK: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Benfica vs Zenit US: ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go
UK: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Galatasaray vs Anderlecht US: ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go
UK: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Sep 16 2:45pm Borussia Dortmund vs Arsenal US: Fox Sports 1 USA, Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports GO
UK: BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra, Sky Sports 5/HD
CA: Sportsnet World Now
AU: ESPN2 Australia
[Full channel list]

Sep 17 2:45pm Roma vs CSKA Moskva US: ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go
UK: Sky Sports Red Button, Sky Go, Sky Go Extra
CA: Sportsnet World Now
[Full channel list]

Reports – Moyes plans stunning bids for Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba

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Paul Pogba Juventus
Paul Pogba of Juventus

TURIN (Sporting Alert) — Manchester United manager David Moyes is planning a shocking bid to bring Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford and wants to take his fellow Juventus teammate Arturo Vidal with him as well, reports are claiming.

Moyes was spotted in Cagliari over the weekend watching the Italian Serie A clash between the hosts and run away leaders Juventus, and there were suggestions that he went to watch Juve’s midfielder Claudio Marchisio.

However, the Daily Mail is reporting that the Manchester United boss is planning to use some of the money available to him this transfer window to stunningly raid Juventus for Pogba, who left Manchester United on a free transfer some 18 months ago.

The paper also claims that midfielder Vidal is also on Moyes’ wish list, as the English Premier League champions look to push on in the second half of the season in search of claiming a Champions League spot.

It is also understood that Moyes “held talks with Juventus’ chief transfer negotiator,” in addition to meeting with “boardroom boss Beppe Marotta after the Old Lady’s game at Cagliari on Sunday to see if there was any chance of signing the pair.

The move for the pair seems bold, especially with Juventus’ strong statement before the transfer window was open, that none of the club’s stars were leaving in January.

While Vidal might be in their grasp, it looks more difficult for Manchester United to re-sign Pobga, after the French midfielder turned down a contract offer from then-Manchester United manger Sir Alex Ferguson, who wanted him to stay.

At the same time, the Express is reporting that Pogba could indeed make a sensational return, although the 20-year-old could cost Manchester United around £30m, should they managed to some how persuade him to go back to England.

Juventus v Roma Line-ups, Live Soccer Scores

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TURIN (Sporting Alert) — The following are the starting line-ups for Sunday’s Serie A top of the table clash between Juventus and Roma at Juventus Stadium.

Juventus v Roma Live Soccer Scores

Amongst the starters today in Turin for the leaders Juventus are leading forward Carlos Tevez, and the Manchester United linked Arturo Vidal, who leads the Old Lady in assists this season.

Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo returns following a month out due to a sprained knee and he will join Vidal and Paul Pogba in the middle of the park.

Fernando Llorente plays alongside Tevez in the attack, while Andrea Barzagli has recovered from a knock to play in the three-man back line.

Meanwhile for Roma, who is the only undefeated team in the league this season, will start with the veteran Totti, as well as Kevin Strootman, Daniele De Rossi and Miralem Pjanic in midfield.

Former Arsenal players Gervinho also starts in the attack with Adem Ljajic.

Juventus v Roma

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Llorente. Subs: Storari, Rubinho, Isla, Caceres, Ogbonna, Peluso, De Ceglie, Padoin, Marchisio, Giovinco, Quagliarella, Vucinic

Roma: De Sanctis; Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Dodò; Pjanic, De Rossi, Strootman; Ljajic, Totti, Gervinho. Subs: Lobont, Skorupski, Burdisso, Romagnoli, Jedvaj, Torosidis, Taddei, Ricci, Bradley, Marquinho, Florenzi, Borriello, Caprari, Destro

Pogba: Fergie warned me over racism in Italy, tried to make him stay

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ROME (Sporting Alert) — Juventus star midfielder Paul Pogba says former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to stop him from moving to the Serie A club by trying to warn him over racism concerning playing in Italy.

The Frenchman claimed that he was aware of the problems in that country, but reminded the Scot that it was everywhere, including England.

“He told me not to come to Italy because of racism,” Pogba was quoted as telling La Repubblica.

“I told him that racism was everywhere, in England too.”

The 20-year-old has been the subject of a big money transfer move away from Juventus and he revealed how Ferguson, who admitted to believing in him, tried to persuade him to stay.

“Many players owe their success to Sir Alex Ferguson,” Pogba said. “He was able to see the potential in each of his players.

“He believed in my improvement, even if I did not play much.”

In recent times, the midfielder has been linked back to English Premier League to play with Arsenal, while Barcelona and PSG are said to be very interested in signing him as well.

Follow Juventus vs Genoa Live Score Updates

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TURIN (Sporting Alert) — Fernando Llorente continues to partner Carlos Tevez in the Juventus attack for today’s Italian Serie A clash with Genoa at Juventus Stadium.

Follow Juventus vs Genoa Live Score Updates

Llorente continues to get a run in the starting lineup and partner Tevez in attack in the absence of Mirko Vucinic, Fabio Quagliarella and Stephan Lichtsteiner, who are all still unavailable.

Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Kwadwo Asamoah and Arturo Vidal stay in midfield, with the three man backline includes Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci.

For Genoa, there is no Francesco Lodi in the starting lineup, with the forward named to the bench, with Italian forward Alberto Gilardino leading the lone-man attack.

However, Luca Antonelli starts in the midfield, following a long lay-off, while there is no Francelino Matuzalem.

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Isla, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah, Tevez, Llorente.
Subs: Rubinho, Storari, Cáceres, Ogbonna, De Ceglie, Peluso, Motta, Marchisio, Giovinco, Padoin.

Genoa: Perin; Manfredini, Portanova, Antonini, Vrsaljko, Kucka, Biondini,Marchese, Bertolacci, Antonelli, Gilardino.
Subs: Bizarri, Donnarumma, De Maio, Gamberini, Sampirisi, Stoian, Cofie, Fetfatzidis, Sturaro, Lodi, Centurion, Konate.