Messi Double Lifts Barca

A Lionel Messi double inspired European and Spanish champions Barcelona to a 3-2 victory over bitter rivals Real Madrid in their Super Cup second leg clash on Wednesday and a 5-4 aggregate win.

The bad feeling between the two sides boiled over at the end of the match which saw three players sent off - Marcelo and Mesut Ozil of Real Madrid and Barcelona's David Villa.

Barcelona were far from their best with their players looking rusty and they lacked their usual slick passing, while Real took the game to their illustrious hosts.

However, Andres Iniesta put Barca ahead with a deft finish before Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th goal in a Real Madrid shirt to equalise.

Messi, though, was the key player as he scored at the end of the first half and again three minutes from the end with French striker Karim Benzema finding the back of the net in between.

Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas made his debut for Barca coming on towards the end of the game that ended in a brawl after Marcelo was dismissed for a late challenge on the new signing.

Villa and Ozil were also sent off in the subsequent angry exchanges.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola had opted for the side that won the UEFA Champions League last season against Manchester United.

Surprise

The main surprise was in the Real side where Fabio Coentrao started the game ahead of Marcelo at left-back after an impressive debut in the first leg playing in midfield where he gave extra zest to Jose Mourinho's side.

As in the first game, Real had more possession and posed a greater threat in the opening stages.

Ronaldo had a shot turned behind for a corner as early as the first minute but Barcelona even when not playing well as a team have the players with the individual skills to change the course of the game.

Shortly after Messi just failed to get onto a Pedro cross, the Argentine sliced open the Madrid defence for Iniesta who clipped the ball over the outrushing keeper Iker Casillas.

Real refused to let their heads drop and Angel Di Maria was posing the main danger down the right wing with Ronaldo getting little change from Dani Alves on the other side.

It was the Portuguese who brought Real level though as a deflected Benzema shot appeared to take a final touch off Ronaldo as it wrong footed keeper Victor Valdes.

Real continued to have more of the ball and Ronaldo was inches away from putting them ahead when his drive from the edge of the area was parried by Valdes onto the crossbar.

Ozil then should have done better when his weak strike was comfortably blocked by the Barca keeper.

At the same time whenever Barca got the ball in attack they looked dangerous and Messi restored their lead a minute before the break. Pique back-heeled the ball into his path and Messi dinked the ball over Casillas.

Marcelo who came on for the second half appeared to kick out at Messi and there were angry exchanges between several of the players.

Messi, having only just returned to training after a belated break following the Copa America, was Barca's main danger as he forced Casillas into a low save.

Finally Fabregas was given his bow in front of the home fans with Pedro making way.

Defender Sergio Ramos had a golden opportunity to head Real level before Benzema finally scrambled the ball home in the area.

The game looked to be heading for extra-time when Messi pounced to fire home an Adriano cross.

Portugal To Meet Brazil In Under-20 World Cup Final

Portugal will meet Brazil in an Under-20 World Cup final which will feature the tournament's best defensive team against its most potent attacking combination.

Portugal defeated France 2-0 on Wednesday in Medellin with its stout defense and goalkeeper Mika registering their sixth straight clean sheet in the tournament.

In the other semifinal, Henrique scored twice in the last 10 minutes to lift Brazil to a 2-0 victory over Mexico in Pereira. Henrique has five goals and shares the tournament scoring lead with Alvaro Vazquez of Spain.

Brazil has scored a tournament-best 15 goals so far. Philippe Coutinho and Dudu have three each.

Henrique scored with a header in the 80th minute and then slotted home an 8-yard shot from a cross for an insurance goal.

Brazil will be chasing its fifth U-20 title and Portugal will be after its third when the teams clash in Colombia's capital of Bogota. Brazil lost the final two years ago to Ghana in Egypt

Saturday's game will come 20 years after the previous Under-20 final between former colony and colonizer, which Portugal won on penalties with a team that boasted Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto.

In the first semifinal, Danilo gave Portugal a 1-0 lead with a leaping header in the 9th minute, and Nelson Oliveira made it 2-0 with a penalty in the 40th. France was in the U-20 semifinals for the first time.

Inter To Go To War With Man United Over Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder’s bid to push through a move to Manchester United has suffered another setback after he was described as “untouchable” by Inter Milan.

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti claims Wesley Sneijder is going nowhere, despite appearing keen to join Premier League champions Manchester United in a £35m deal.

Moratti’s resolve has been strengthened further by the imminent departure of striker Samuel Eto’o, who is set to join big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

“Sneijder was untouchable before the situation with Eto’o and he has become even more so now Eto’o could leave,” said Moratti. “There has never been any kind of talks about Wes.”

Inter To Offer £6 Million Plus Goran Pandev For Chelsea Striker

Inter Milan are seemingly on the verge of losing star player Samuel Eto’o to Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala this week, and are desperate to identify a replacement immediately.

With contract talks for Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez remaining stagnant, the Nerazzurri have set their sights on Chelsea’s Didier Drogba to fill the void, should the inevitable take place.

According to the Daily Mail, the Italians would prefer a 12-month loan move for the Ivorian, with the option to purchase his services outright at the completion of the season.

However, they are also willing to offer £6 million in addition to the services of Goran Pandev, a player that the Blues have shown an interest in earlier in the summer.

Inter have also been linked with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan, however the Uruguayan’s agent has ruled out any possibility of that move going through.

AC Milan Prepare Bid For Man City Striker

AC Milan will hope to end Mario Baloteli's nightmare spell at Manchester City by lodging a bid for the young striker.

The 21-year-old Italy international has endured a turbulent time since his £25m move to City from Inter Milan last summer and has been at the centre of a number of invidious moments.

Balotelli appears to have fallen even further down the pecking order following the summer arrival of Sergio Aguero, while Roberto Mancini favours Edin Dzeko in the centre-forward role.

Aguero made a stunning debut against Swansea on Monday night with a brace of goals and an assist and is expected to cement a regular first-team place this season.

Italian newspaper Corriere Dello Sport has reported this morning that Milan have made Balotelli one of their major targets as they have concerns over the fitness of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani is hoping a deal can be finalised before the end of next week for Balotelli, but whether City will sell is another matter.

Mancini believes the temperamental Balotelli has been misunderstood by the English press and that there is plenty more to come from the precocious talent on the field.

Spurs Move For Diarra In Doubt As Roma Launch £15m Bid

Tottenham will have to act fast if they want to sign Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra after Roma entered the race to clinch his signature.

Diarra has been strongly linked with a move to White Hart Lane and the chance to join up with his former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp once again.

The French midfielder has struggled to make any impact under Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu and is keen to get his career back on track.

But reports in Italy this morning are now suggesting that Roma are making moves to sign Diarra and are negotiating a £15m fee to bring him to the club.

With uncertainty surrounding the future of Luka Modric, Redknapp knows he will need to move fast in the transfer market if he is to win the race to sign Diarra before the end of August.

PSG Out To Scupper Bolton's Bid To Sign Manchester City Winger

Paris St Germain could be set to scupper Bolton's hopes of signing long-term target Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The mega-rich club, backed by the Qatar Investment Authority, is reportedly lining up a £2.5million bid for the Manchester City winger this week and is willing to offer a massive salary to convince him to quit the Premier League for France.

According to The Bolton News, the 29-year-old's representatives have confirmed PSG's interest and that could seriously damage Owen Coyle's chances of landing the England international before the transfer deadline at the end of the month.

The Trotters are unwilling to break the bank to land the winger, whose current salary far exceeds the highest earner at the Reebok, and it is understood that existing offers from Wigan Athletic and Stoke City both carry with them higher basic wages.

But there is hope for Bolton after the player's agent Wayne Lindsay confirmed that Wanderers' offer does appeal to the player because it would mean he could stay in the North West.

City boss Roberto Mancini said last week that the winger's departure from Eastlands was not a certainty, but his exclusion from the squad to face Swansea City on Monday night has all but pushed Wright-Phillips to the Etihad Stadium exit door three years after he returned from Chelsea for £8m.

Eto'o Switch On Ice

Discussions regarding Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o's proposed switch to ambitious Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala have stalled.

It is unclear at present whether the breakdown in talks is down to a disagreement between the two clubs or issues regarding personal terms.

A deal was expected to be pushed through in the next few days, with Eto'o's representatives having held further meetings with Anzhi officials on Thursday.

It is claimed that a €25million (£21.8m) package has been put to Inter, with Eto'o offered a three-year contract worth around €15million (£13m) a season.

Reports, however, claim that Inter are holding out for €30million (£26.1m), as they consider their 30-year-old frontman to still be in his prime.

Talks remain ongoing, but there are a number of stumbling blocks that will need to be overcome in order for an agreement to be reached.

"I'm not optimistic at this moment in time," said intermediary and Fifa agent Peppino Tirri.

"There are a few things that need to be sorted out. Nothing has been resolved. The deal is on ice for now.

"Negotiations have come to an end for today; we'll talk again on Friday."

Baggies Eye Onuoha

West Bromwich Albion has joined the chase to land Nedum Onuoha, skysports.com understands.

Now three clubs are currently battling to land the 24-year-old, who has been told by Manchester City he can leave this summer.

Skysports.com understands Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers are the other two clubs currently looking to land Onuoha, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland.

Everton and Bolton have also been linked this summer, but are yet to make offers and at this stage are not in the running.

West Brom's bid is understood to be an initial loan, while QPR and Blackburn have made offers on a permanent basis.

Onuoha had been hoping to battle for a first-team place, but he is way down the pecking order and has now seemingly accepted that his future lies away from the Etihad Stadium.

Bayern Join Montolivo Queue

Bayern Munich is ready to make a bid to Fiorentina for Riccardo Montolivo, reports are suggesting.

Montolivo is available for transfer after refusing to extend his contract which currently expires in June 2012.

Milan were thought to be in pole position for the Italian international, but it seems that the Bundesliga outfit may now table an offer.

The Viola, who could lose the player on a free transfer next summer, want around €10m for the ex-Atalanta player.

The World Cup midfielder, who has been stripped of the club captaincy, was born in 1985 to an Italian father and a German mother.

Reports yesterday claimed that the Viola were keen to make a decision on Montolivo’s future by the end of this week.

Borriello Linked With PSG

Roma striker Marco Borriello is again being paired with a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Although the Giallorossi completed his acquisition from Milan just this summer, he may not be hanging around.

Borriello joined the capital club a year ago on a loan deal with the forced option to complete his swoop for €10m 12 months later.

However, there are doubts about how well the Italian fits in with the 4-3-3 tactics of new boss Luis Enrique.

Roma are apparently ready to sell so long as any interested club pays at least €10m for the former Genoa man.

PSG sporting director Leonardo knows the forward well given that he was his Coach at Milan during the 2009-10 campaign.

He scored 14 goals in 29 Serie A games for the Rossoneri during that season.

Mariga Agrees Sociedad Move

Real Sociedad are set to sign former Manchester City target McDonald Mariga on a season-long loan deal from Inter Milan.

The move is subject to a medical but a deal has been agreed and the Spanish side also has the option of signing the Kenyan midfielder permanently when his stay comes to an end next summer.

Mariga began his professional career at Swedish side Enkoping and had spells at Helsingborg and Parma before moving to Inter Milan in February 2010.

The 24-year-old almost moved to Manchester City before joining the Italian giants but his move was restricted due to work permit issues.

He has played 27 times for the Kenyan national side, scoring three goals.

Liverpool Hope To Make Tottenham Defender Sixth Summer Signing

Liverpool’s much publicized search for defensive reinforcements has reportedly led to the Anfield club expressing an interest in adaptable Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka. The Croatian international may face a challenge to his more common position at right back at White Hart Lane due to the emergence of youngster Kyle Walker and Kenny Dalglish is hoping to tempt the former Man City man to make the move to Merseyside this summer.

Director of football Damien Comolli may be of assistance in the capture of Corluka as he knows the player well from his time at White Hart Lane, in fact the Frenchman was responsible for bringing the 25 year old to the North London club and now hopes to be able to repeat the trick.

Kenny Dalglish is keen to solidify his back-line after seeing his Liverpool side concede their highest Premier League total in over a decade and followed that up with a pre-season that saw the club let in 15 goals in six matches. On top of the issue of a leaky defence the Scot has issues with players currently at the club.

Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger are injury concerns and Jamie Carragher and Sotrios Kyrgiakos are nearing the end of their respective careers. The addition of Jose Enrique helped resolve the long running issues at left back but now Liverpool are looking to beef up other areas of their defence.

Liverpool has been linked with the likes of Ryan Shawcross, Gary Cahill and Scott Dann but as yet offers have not been made and a move for Corluka appears to be a more cost effective solution as Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp appears keen to offload players from his expansive squad to help provide funds to bring in new additions to help the club fight to re-enter the top four race.

Redknapp has been hamstrung in the current transfer window as chairman Daniel Levy has insisted that any significant moves in the transfer window could only occur if players were first sold. Thus far Tottenham have spent just £1.3m in the transfer market and have managed to offload Jamie O’Hara to Wolves and Robbie Keane to LA Galaxy but that is clearly not enough to help boost the coffers. The likes of Corluka, David Bentley, Giovani dos Santos, Wilson Palacios and Niko Kranjcar are said to be available for the right price.

Vedran Corluka started just 13 Premier League games last season due to both injury and having to fight Alan Hutton for a regular spot in the first team. The player himself has stated in interviews that his preferred position is at centre back and that may be where Liverpool would be looking to play him. Aston Villa are also said to be very interested in the Tottenham defender.

Arsenal Look To Seal Deal For Argentinian Striker

Reports out of Italy have suggested that Arsenal may be set to swoop for Lazio striker Mauro Zarate.

Corriere dello Sport have reported that Zarate's agent, his brother Sergio, has flown to London to discuss the potential £10million move with Arsenal representatives.

Zarate, who has previously played Premier League football for Birmingham City, where he scored 4 goals in 13 appearances, has fallen down the pecking order at Lazio after they brought in Djibril Cisse and Miroslav Klose this summer.

Arsenal could face competition for the player's signature however, with Atletico Madrid and Spartak Moscow having also expressed an interest in the 24 year old.

Chelsea In Shock Striker Swap Deal Involving Argentina Hotshot

Chelsea is preparing a shock bid for Napoli strike sensation Ezequiel Lavezzi, with Salomon Kalou being offered as part of the deal.

The news is surprising considering Andre Villas-Boas has a host of forward options with Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka now joined by Romelu Lukaku, and with Daniel Sturridge having impressed on loan at Bolton last term and for his own club in pre-season.

But the Portuguese tactician is growing increasingly anxious with his current crop of strikers. Torres continues to misfire, with just one league goal and one pre-season goal to his credit since his £50m arrival in January. While it seems the years have caught up with ageing strikers Anelka and Drogba, but both remain important influences off the field.

Villas-Boas is not totally convinced by Kalou and is willing to offload the Ivorian to land Argentine forward Lavezzi, a player that the former Porto boss has admired for quite some time. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has previously stated that it will cost at least a £27million bid to land the 26-year-old South American. But Chelsea will tempt the San Paolo-based club by offering £17m as well as the £10 million rated Kalou.

The Ivorian's availability comes as a surprise and he started Sunday's draw at Stoke City. But age is on the side of Sturridge, who is serving a three-match suspension but is expected to play a significant role this term.

Liverpool Closing In On £15m Argentine International Signing

Footybunker.com have been led to believe that Liverpool are closing in on Ligue 1 striker and Argentine international Lisandro Lopez with the possibility of the forward joining by the end of next weekend.

The 28 year old forward currently plays for Lyon and knocked in an incredible 32 league goals in 60 appearances since joining the French side in 2009.

The former Porto player, should he join Liverpool, will be swapping the chance to play in the Champions League by trying to help the Anfield side into the top four of the Premiership, although at the time of writing Lyon have not yet qualified for the group stages.

Liverpool have been coy regarding their transfer dealings but still look to be seeking a central defender plus another striker to provide back up for Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

Lisandro Lopez could cost the Liverpool side anything from £15m which for a player who could still have another four years of goal scoring service may seem to be good business at this time.

Atletico Madrid Agree £14.9m Transfer Fee For Pablo Osvaldo

Atletico Madrid has reached an agreement with Espanyol over the transfer of Pablo Osvaldo as the Catalans have accepted a £14.9million (€17m) offer for the striker, Spanish newspaper Marca reports.

The 2010 Europa League winners have been in the market for a new attacker since the departure of Sergio Aguero to Manchester City earlier this summer and have reportedly been tracking the 25-year-old for a number of weeks.

The former Italy Under-21 international is also understood to have caught the attention of clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Roma with his superb performances in 2010-11, but he has apparently made the decision to stay in Spain rather than leave La Liga.

Atletico have yet to agree personal terms with Osvaldo, but the Vicente Calderon side don't envisage any problems in the negotiations with the player.

Neither of the two clubs has confirmed any agreement yet, but an official statement is expected to be released in the coming hours.

Roma Agree £8.7m Deal For Simon Kjaer

Roma and Wolfsburg have struck a €10 million (£8.7m) agreement for the transfer of Simon Kjaer, according to a report in Italy.

Sky Sport Italia claims Kjaer will be offered a €1.5m (£1.3m) per annum contract with the Italians looking to sign him up to a four-year deal.

The Denmark international is seen to be a replacement for Philippe Mexes who joined AC Milan in June.

Roma director of sport Walter Sabatini has made no secret of his admiration for the former Palermo man who he worked with in Sicily.

Kjaer joined the German side last year for a reported €12m (£10.4m), but his maiden season was not ideal as the team narrowly escaped relegation.

His current deal with the Bundesliga outfit expires in 2014.

Fiorentina To Offer €9m & Felipe For Bologna's Gaston Ramirez

Bologna midfielder Gaston Ramirez's transfer to Fiorentina may be nearing a conclusion.

The 20-year-old Uruguayan spent last season at Bologna, scoring four goals in 25 appearances and is considered a bright talent.

According to SkySport24, the Tuscan club is ready to offer defender Felipe and €9 million to Bologna to acquire the player.

Brazilian defender Felipe has had a disappointing spell with Sinisa Mihajlovic's side, playing just five times in half a season before being loaned to Cesena this past January. The club is widely considered to have little issue with sending him away despite having just signed the player last summer.

Fiorentina ended last campaign in ninth position and are looking to improve and secure a berth in Europe at the end of this term, beginning on August 28th against local rivals Siena.

Fulham In £15m Double Swoop For Tottenham Duo

Fulham could be set for a double raid on Tottenham for David Bentley and Peter Crouch.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has deemed Crouch and Bentley surplus to requirements and he will now listen to offers for the pair in an effort to free up space for new signings.

Martin Jol is keen to bolster his attacking options by adding Crouch to his ranks, while he sees Bentley as the right man to provide the ammunition from wide areas.

The 26-year-old winger has struggled for form since joining Spurs from Blackburn in 2008 for £15 million and spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham City.

Fulham have held a long-term interest in Bentley and new Cottagers boss Martin Jol is ready to pursue a move for the talented wide-man, who is now valued at around £6m by the White Hart Lane club.

Fulham drew a blank on the opening day of the season in a goalless draw against Aston Villa, highlighting their need for more quality up front.

Fulham have promptly entered the race to sign Crouch, with Stoke, Newcastle and Sunderland all credited with an interest.

Jol wants as striker to rotate with Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora and is willing to pay £9 million to land the former Liverpool and Portsmouth.