Lille vs BATE Borisov Preview

Lille forward Salomon Kalou believes there is no substitute for hard work as he prepares to line-up against BATE Borisov in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Kalou was part of the Chelsea squad which won the tournament last season but joined Lille over the summer when he was not offered a new deal at Stamford Bridge.

The Ivory Coast international is now looking forward to another European campaign and is believes it is difficult to explain the facets required to win the tournament.

"A recipe to win the Champions League? It's complicated," he said.

"With Chelsea we decided to close the door (defensively) and build on the strength of our attackers. The goal is to get the first points - but just because we are not favorites (for the competition) does not mean we can't go far go far, working hard is the only way to win this tournament."

A victory on Wednesday could be seen as essential for Rudi Garcia's side with tougher fixtures against Valencia and Bayern Munich to come.

Kalou is therefore targeting a winning start against the perennial Belarusian Premier League champions at the Grand Stade Lille Metropole, although he is not underestimating the opposition.

He said: "Tomorrow [Wednesday] we will do everything to grab the three points. It is important to start the competition. Being the favorites does not mean anything.

"The Champions League is a competition in which all teams are equal. No fixture is ever easy."

Borisov have won their domestic title for the last six years and currently occupy top spot again with 20 matches already played.

They took two points during the group stages of last season's Champions League, including a memorable 1-1 draw at home to Italian giants AC Milan.

Viktor Goncharenko's side have already beaten Vardar of Macedonia, Hungarian outfit Debrecen and Israel's Ironi Kiryat Shmona just to qualify for the group stages this year.

Bolt is fit, says Jamaica doctor

Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake are both “fit and raring to go” at the Olympics, says Jamaica track team doctor Winston Dawes.

He has shrugged off suggestions Bolt will miss the Games with injury and promised “something fantastic” from the sprint pair.

Reigning 100m and 200m champion Bolt is understood to have been suffering with niggling leg and back problems.

But Dawes said: “Both of them are at the top of their game.”

He told BBC Sport’s Leon Mann: “If the conditions are ideal, then we are going to see something fantastic. We may see records go.”

Bolt holds the 100m record of 9.58secs and 200m world best of 19.19 but Blake beat him at the Jamaican trials in both distances less than four weeks ago.

Bolt, who suffers from

scoliosis,
a condition in which the spine is curved from side to side, will be in full health when the 100m preliminaries commence on 4 August.

“He’s back fully,” said the doctor. “He has been training very, very hard and his performance is on track. We expect he’ll be fully fit by the time the Olympics come around.

“He had some slight cramps [in his legs]. He had had an accident before, so that might have shaken him up a little.”

Bolt and Blake will be up against compatriot and former world record holder Asafa Powell along with American pair Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin in the showpiece 100m event.

But Dawes is confident that friends and training partners Bolt and Blake will produce something special.

“They are 100% fit and 100% raring to go. They are mentally fit and they are going to be going all out.”

BLUNTLY TOLD: Buffon says England's failures due to clubs' liking for foreigners

BLUNTLY TOLD: Buffon says England's failures due to clubs' liking for foreigners

 ITALY captain Gianluigi Buffon has stuck the knife into English football by claiming the Premier League harms the national side.

Ahead of the Euro 2012 final against Spain (late yesterday), the World Cup-winning goalkeeper believes that the number of foreigners in the Premier League is stifling young English talent.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in particular have been accused of favouring foreign stars over English youngsters and Buffon, 34, says the Premier League's standing as the best in the world is a major factor in the country's 46-year trophy drought.
"Having a competitive league doesn't necessarily mean having competitive players," he said.
"For a number of years now, the English league has had the best football and is the best league in terms of quality.



"The money that's in the game means they can go and buy anyone from all over Europe or the world.
"This can happen in Spain and Italy as well as England but the league in England is no longer very faithful to what the national side need.
"With this footballing globalisation, it's very difficult. You struggle to have players from your own country playing in the top league."



Yet Buffon admits England have been unlucky, particularly with shootouts. He added: "The England national side have their own strengths and they're a lot more physical than other sides," said Buffon.
"But England aren't very lucky. They've lost on penalties in the last five or six times, so the margins between winning and losing are very thin indeed.:" Mail on Sunda

Tottenham Hotspur vs Stoke City premier league match preview

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: 12BET odds Tottenham Hotspur vs Stoke City 3/22 3:45AM GMT+8

As horrible Saturday's nights events involving Fabrice Muamba were for Bolton's players, Spurs's players appeared equally distrubed and manager Harry Redknapp faces a job to get their spirits up as they chase a Champions League place.

Tottenham have lost their last three games in the Premier League and face a beligerent Stoke side who have already won twice against Redknapp's men. In the Carling Cup in September, following a 0-0 draw, Stoke knocked Spurs out on penalties. And in December, Spurs had Younes Kaboul sent off in the Premeir League game at the Britannia and lost 2-1.

 

12BET Bolton Wanderers 1 - 5 Chelsea Review

 Chelsea’s Frank Lampard was delighted to let his feet do the talking as he scored a hat-trick in the Blues 5-1 thumping of Bolton on Sunday and insists he still has a lot to offer the club this season.

The 33-year-old has attracted some doubters over the last few months and has been dropped from the first-team on several occasions by Andre Villas-Boas, but the former West Ham man insists he just had to remain focused, stay strong and let his football do the talking.

 "I have been around a long time now and it is never plain sailing and you just have to stay strong and let your football do the talking," the England international told Sky Sports. "If you do that and keep working hard then things come to you, and I think today things came to me."
The England man was also pleased with the team’s overall performance at the Reebok Stadium but revealed that he just wants to continue helping the Blues in their quest for silverware.
"It is always satisfying. I am just pleased to be playing and pleased to be contributing,"- by http://sports.yahoo.com

Asian Ha ndicap EPL: Bolton Wanderers vs Chelsea 12BET 10/2 8:30PM GMT+8

Bolton Wanderers have suffered five successive league defeats while Chelsea aim to keep pace with the leaders.

Bolton team news

Manager Owen Coyle faces further selection issues. Coyle is already without a number of long-term injured, with the casualty list compounded this week when it was announced midfielder Stuart Holden faces another six months on the sidelines with a knee problem.To add to his woes, on-loan Gael Kakuta is ineligible as he cannot face his parent club, David Wheater and Ivan Klasnic are suspended, and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is doubtful with a leg knock.

 Chelsea team news

Daniel Sturridge could return to the Chelsea line-up.The forward missed Saturday's win over Swansea with a knee injury and also sat out Wednesday night's Champions League draw at Valencia, but he is fit to return to the club where he spend the second half of last season on loan.Fernando Torres starts a three-match ban, goalkeeping understudy Hilario is still a week or two away from recovering from a hip and back complaint, while Michael Essien (knee) is a long-term absentee.

squads

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Eagles, Robinson, Muamba, Reo-Coker, Petrov, K Davies, Tuncay, Bogdan, Gardner, M Davies, Pratley, Ngog, Blake.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Bosingwa, Alex, Ferreira, Terry, Luiz, Cole, Bertrand, McEachran, Mikel, Romeu, Ramires, Lampard, Meireles, Mata, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka, Sturridge, Lukaku, Kalou, Turnbull.- by http://www.premierleague.com