Inter midfielder Felipe Melo has no fear of going up against Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, taking confidence from previously beating a side including Lionel Messi.
Roberto Mancini s side top Serie A after 13 games, two points clear of second-placed Napoli, who they face at the San Paolo on Monday.
The former Galatasaray midfielder will approach the meeting with Higuain – who has scored nine top-flight goals so far this season by drawing upon his part in Brazil s victory over Messi s Argentina six years ago.
I ve already won a big match [Brazil against Argentina] September 6, 2009, Brazil won 3-1, Melo told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
I was playing with Gilberto Silva and it was unforgettable. We beat the best player in the world, Lionel Messi.
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Villarreal have announced the signing of Alberto Moreno on a five-year deal.
Moreno was a free agent having been released by Liverpool at the end of his contract.
He made only two Premier League appearances last season after falling out of favour at Anfield.
And the former Sevilla defender is returning to LaLiga with Javier Calleja s side, who finished 14th in 2018-19.
The Andalusian footballer is a complete full-back with a great ability to get forward in attack, said a Villarreal statement on Tuesday.
As well as adding width to his team, Moreno is a great assister of goals.
Villarreal also confirmed former Italy defender Daniele Bonera has opted to retire at the age of 38.
After nearly 20 years as a professional footballer, I…
Claudio Ranieri said Roma are attached to an oxygen tank and we need all the doctors that are available as he thanked the club s supporters following Monday s victory against Empoli.
Back at boyhood club Roma for his second spell in charge until the end of the season, Ranieri s first match since replacing Eusebio Di Francesco ended in a 2-1 Serie A win at home to Empoli.
Stephan El Shaarawy and Patrik Schick scored for Roma, who bounced back from their demoralising 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Lazio and last week s Champions League elimination to Porto.
Roma consolidated fifth position – three points ahead of Torino and three behind Inter – with the win and Ranieri was thankful for the fans support.
The most important thing is Roma. Roma with their supp…
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has warned Tottenham that playing Saturday s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley will not give them an advantage.
Mauricio Pochettino s side have played all their home matches at England s national stadium this season, while work on the new White Hart Lane is completed.
Mourinho, though does not think Spurs will have any kind of edge this weekend and says he is not preparing for the match any differently than he did in the early rounds.
He told a news conference: I played one cup final in Roma s stadium against Roma [as Inter coach in 2010] and I won, and I played a cup final in my stadium [at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013, as Real Madrid coach] and I lost, so I think, when you go to these big moments with big decisions, semi-finals,…
Gianni Infantino became the most powerful man in world football on Friday after winning a FIFA presidential race he appeared to enter out of necessity more than desire.
The suspension of UEFA president Michel Platini from all football-related activity due to a payment of two million Swiss (£1.3million) signed off by Infantino s predecessor Sepp Blatter at FIFA in 2011 left the European federation in urgent need of a candidate.
Platini had long been viewed as Blatter s heir apparent, but the suspension of both men – they saw their eight-year bans reduced to six this week – left world football in a state of flux.
Blatter s departure would no longer be stage-managed at the Zurich extraordinary conference in the way he envisaged.
Shorn of the star qualit…