TheDailySoccerNews.com

A counter-attacking Colchoneros side got the better of Inter at the Stade Louis II to lift the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.

José Antonio Reyes and Sergio Aguero got their names on the scoresheet in the second half as Atletico made their chances count in European football’s curtain raiser.

With time running out Diego Milito had a penalty kick saved by David De Gea.

Rafael Benitez made one change from the starting XI that won us the Champions League and the Italian Super Cup, bringing in Dejan Stankovic for Goran Pandev.

Quique Sanchez Flores also made a single switch from the team that beat Fulham to win the inaugural Europa League, summer signing Diego Godin replacing Antonio Lopez at the centre of defence.

An evenly-balanced first half saw Samuel head over and Eto’o fire narrowly wide before two good chances for Aguero - one inches off target and the other well wide.

It was more Spain than Italy in the second half as Atletico found more space on the break, and Reyes broke the deadlock on 62 minutes. He combined swiftly with Aguero and rounded Maicon before firing past Julio Cesar at his near post.

Inter reverted to their Champions League-winning lineup with Pandev on for Stankovic and the Macedonian fired against the bar after De Gea had thwarted Milito, but the flag had already been raised for offside.

Another change was needed and Benitez handed brought on Coutinho for Sneijder. (continue reading…)

Rafa Benitez will hit the January sales with a vengeance, by offloading two players and bringing in a new signing within the next 48 hours.

And the Liverpool boss hopes to swiftly follow that up with another player-in/ player-out deal, that he hopes will allow him to spend upwards of £10million on a big-name striker.

The Anfield manager is confident of completing negotiations to bring Argentina international winger Maxi Rodriguez to Merseyside by the middle of the week, initially on a short-term loan deal.

That will be preceded by the swift departure of Andrea Dossena and Andriy Voronin, who were both locked in talks last night with potential suitors who had travelled to Liverpool for negotiations.
Rodriguez was left out of the weekend’s La Liga game against Sevilla by his team Atletico Madrid so he could open talks with Benitez over a potential switch to Anfield.

And last night the 29-year-old’s agent Jurgen Milewski revealed a move was close to being finalised. “I can say the chances of a transfer are high,” he said. (continue reading…)