Ronaldo sets goalscoring record

  Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score nine goals in the group stage of the champions league as Real Madrid finished their campaign with a win at chilly Copenhagen.

Real, who finished top of Group B after five wins and a draw, took the lead through Luka Modric who curled the ball into the top-right corner.
Ronaldo scored his record goal when he latched on to Pepe's ball to fire in.
He should have added another but had his penalty saved by Johan Wiland.
Ronaldo was making his return to the side after three games out through injury and suspension, while £85m-signing Gareth Bale also started after he had missed Saturday's 0-0 draw away to minnows Olimpic Xativa in the Copa del Ray because of illness.

Real went close on three other occasions. France striker Karim Benzema's low drive was well saved by Wiland before the goalkeeper pushed Ronaldo's effort around the post.

And late in the game, Bale failed to score his 10th goal of the season when he missed from three yards out.
Portugal forward Ronaldo, 28, passed a record jointly held by Ruud van Nistelrooy(2004-05), Filippo Inzaghi and Hernan Crespo (both 2002-03). Paris St-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic also equalled the record this season but sat out matchday six.

Lineup, Bookings (3) & Substitutions (6)

FC Copenhagen

• 21 Wiland
• 02 Jacobsen
• 03 Bengtsson
• 06 Claudemir
• 05 Mellberg
• 17 Sigurdsson
• 19 Gislason
• 08 Delaney Booked
• 18 Jørgensen (Bolaños - 9' )
• 09 Vetokele
• 24 Toutouh (Remmer - 77' )

Substitutes

• 04 Stadsgaard
• 11 Santin
• 16 Kristensen
• 23 Pourie
• 25 Remmer
• 30 Bolaños (Remmer - 77' )
• 31 Busk Jensen

Real Madrid

• 01 Casillas
• 17 Arbeloa
• 12 Marcelo Booked
• 19 Modric (Casemiro - 83' )
• 03 Pepe
• 18 Nacho
• 11 Bale
• 14 Alonso Booked (Illarramendi - 77' )
• 09 Benzema
• 23 Isco (Di María - 67' )
• 07 Ronaldo

Substitutes

• 15 Carvajal
• 16 Casemiro
• 20 Jesé
• 21 Morata
• 22 Di María
• 24 Illarramendi
• 25 López

Ref: Dr. Felix Brych

Match Stats

Real Madrid

Shots

10 15

On target

1 10

Corners

4 8

Fouls

21 11

IOC clears Indian athletes to compete in Sochi

LAUSANNE: Indian athletes have been cleared to compete in the Winter Games in Sochi after the country complied with the IOC's ethics rules and avoided becoming the first country expelled from the Olympics in more than 40 years.

Still to be determined is whether the few Indian athletes who have qualified for Sochi compete for their country or under the Olympic flag.

The International Olympic Committee gave a reprieve to India's suspended national Olympic body on Tuesday after a long impasse that had threatened to lead to the expulsion of the world's second most populous nation.

The move came two days after the Indian Olympic Association amended its constitution to bar any officials charged with a crime from running for election, as demanded by the IOC.

"We think that is a major step in the right direction," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "We are now looking forward to the implementation of the new rules by transparent and open and democratic elections in the Indian Olympic Association."'

Had India not fallen into line by Tuesday, it risked becoming the first country kicked out of the Olympic movement since South Africa was expelled in 1970 for its apartheid policies.

The Indian body was suspended by the IOC last December after electing secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who spent 10 months in jail on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Bach said the IOA remains suspended pending the holding of elections under the new constitution.

Although the new elections will not take place until Feb. 9, two days after the start of the Sochi Olympics, Bach said the IOC has "taken precautions for the athletes and made sure the athletes will not suffer from this procedure."

In that case, Bach said, Indians would compete as "independent athletes" under the Olympic flag, with no Indian flag or symbols allowed at the venues or opening ceremony.

If the elections can take place before the Sochi Olympics and satisfy the IOC demands, the suspension would be lifted and the athletes could compete with their national flag and anthem.

India is likely to send a three-member team to Sochi, led by luger Shiva Keshavan, who will be participating in his fifth Winter Olympics. Keshavan, who set a continental record at the Asia Cup in Nagano, Japan, last December, is hoping to become the first Indian to win a medal at a Winter Games.

India can also send one male and one female Alpine skier to the games.

England are not scared of firebrand pacer Mitchell Johnson - Andy Flower

PERTH: Coach Andy Flower insists England are not scared of firebrand pacer Mitchell Johnson and that the team's dismal record in Perth will have no bearing on the outcome of the pivotal third Ashes Test.

Johnson terrorised the England batsmen in Brisbane and Adelaide, taking his side to the brink of reclaiming the Ashes after three consecutive series defeats.

And the left-arm quick, who has taken 17 wickets with his 150 kilometre-an-hour (93 miles-an-hour) deliveries, has been tipped to bowl even faster on his home ground, the WACA, in the match starting on Friday.

Despite a dressing room full of bruised and battered batsmen, Flower rejected claims that the players were afraid of Johnson, saying they were used to pace at the top level of the game.

"One thing I would say about playing fast bowling is that our batsmen have to display the combination of skill and determination to bat long periods against it," he said.

"Because if we do expose our lower order, they will struggle against that sort of pace. So the responsibility lies with the batsmen in that regard."

England have a dismal record in Perth, where their only win in 12 attempts came in 1978 but must find a way to halt the Australian juggernaut, for whom a victory would give them an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Flower is undaunted by his side's previous struggles at the WACA but he is hoping captain Alastair Cook wins the toss the team is able to bat first and post a big score on the board.

"I think past glories mean nothing in this context," Flower said on the England and Wales Cricket Board website.

"We've got a big challenge to stop the momentum of the opposition and to get ahead in the game. We had Australia 130 for six in Brisbane, but since then they've been ahead in both games."

England's second-innings 312 at Adelaide was the first time they have passed 200 in the series, with a number of batsmen, including Cook, struggling for form and Flower challenged his players to be more selective with their strokes.

"The challenge at Perth will be to assess those conditions accurately and have clarity on the risk/reward that you always have to judge when you're batting," he said.

While Adelaide offered a pitch suitable for spinners, with Monty Panesar selected alongside Graeme Swann, Perth is more of a fast-bowlers track and Flower suggested there would be changes.

"We have taken some serious hits but we do have a squad full of people who are determined to turn the ship around, and that's what we must do," he said. "We'll assess those conditions and see who will best be able to help us take 20 wickets."

Middle order not performing to potential,MS Dhoni

DURBAN: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni says an under-performing middle order was one of the main reasons for his team's pathetic show against South Africa, where the home fast bowlers have ruled the roost.

After being reduced to 34/4, India were bowled out for 146 in 35.1 overs, chasing 281 runs in the second one-dayer. No batsman crossed the 40-run mark.

"In the last few series our middle order, to some extent, was a bit of a bother. In this series we lost the top three quite early and our middle order was exposed. So if you assess, then that's maybe why we haven't been able to perform to our potential," he said.

Dhoni said he was surprised that Indian batsmen could not take advantage of a flat track.

"The wicket was on the flatter side and there wasn't much for the fast bowlers in it, so I am disappointed with the batting. The kind of shots we played, well, few of them were on. But the shot execution was not great to some extent, as they went to the fielders," he said.

Dhoni though expressed his pleasure about the bowlers' performance.

"Compared to the last game, our bowling did a fantastic job especially in the middle orders. Spinners bowled well and so did the fast bowlers when they came back on, in the latter stages of the South African innings. I am happy with the bowlers' performance because 280 runs on this pitch was a decent score."

South Africa were put into bat by Dhoni and while his bowlers eventually finished on top, early on they were once again defied by Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla, with the opening duo putting up 194 runs for the first wicket and smacking a hundred each in doing so.

"They have done really well for South Africa. They did so in the last series as well (versus Pakistan). The way they were batting in the first 20 overs, I thought this may be another 300-plus run chase but we came back into the game.

Dhoni said South Africa have good combination in both batting and bowling and that has played a major role in their continuing success.

"In both matches in this series so far, they have done well and given a really good start, but in this game we were able to get to the middle order to some extent because they were not able to score 300-plus runs. At the moment, South Africa have the right kind of bowlers and the right batsmen."

To counter them, Dhoni had deployed spinners as early as the 11th over, and brought on Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli as well. This turned out to be a ploy in the end, as he was able to use his bowling attack more effectively in the later stages of the South African innings.

"The wicket was slowing a bit. So, using the part-timers gives me a few more overs of specialist bowlers a bit later on," said the skipper, explaining his move.

"It seemed at that time that the batsmen were not really looking for the big strokes and I thought I can get a few overs off the part timers and then look to attack with the spinners. Or use the pace bowlers, if the pacers go for runs."

"To some extent I didn't need them (spinners) in the last few overs because fast bowlers did well apart from the couple of overs that went for runs. So, overall as a bowling unit I think we bowled well," he added.

Standing apart from the bowling unit, and indeed the entire team, was Mohammad Shami. He took 3 for 48 here at Durban, to go along with 3 for 68 in the first ODI. And Dhoni deemed him the one big positive of the tour so far.

"He bowls with the seam upright and he bowls the right line and length. Even today (Sunday) when there was a bit of reverse swing he bowled the right length, and that's something very crucial. I think he has adapted very well. And the more he is playing the better he is getting, so that's a big positive for us," said the skipper.

While the bowling may have worked on this day, owing to a slower pitch than in Johannesburg, it cannot be denied that 281 was a gettable target.

Even so, Dhoni looked to defend his batsmen and said that team India will be looking to 'continue playing their best XI' in the third ODI at Centurion on Wednesday, rather than experiment or give other squad members a chance in the dead encounter.

"When we travel outside India, people talk about short bowling because in the subcontinent we are not used to that kind of bowling. So what we have seen is that sometimes you play a few shots and it pays off, then the opposition has to think where they need to bowl.

"This is what happens in the Champions Trophy. At other times, you play those big shots and end up losing wickets. It is a part and parcel of the cricket and we will have to accept it," he opined.

The Men in Blue may have won in England back in the summer, but it will quickly become a distant memory if the tour continues to go this way. Yet, Dhoni sounded confident that this ODI series is a 'one-off contest' and there is much to learn ahead.

"You win a few and you lose a few. What's important is that you keep learning. The bowlers learnt from the first game and bowled better in this game. As a batting unit also, we need to learn quite a few things and keep going onto the field," he signed off.

Michael Clarke aims for top Test ranking

ADELAIDE: Michael Clarke says his Australia still have plenty to do if they want not only to win back the Ashes from England but also to become the world's top Test team.

Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series following a 218-run trouncing of England in the second Adelaide Test on Monday and are poised to retrieve the Ashes they lost in 2009 should they win the third Test in Perth starting on Friday.

The Australians have proved dominant on the usually pacy WACA wicket with victories against England in their last six Tests there. England's only win in Perth came in 1978.

Captain Clarke urged his players to keep grounded as they look for one more victory to seal the series in the remaining three Tests in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

"I think we have to be realistic. That's our second Test win the past 12 months and that is not acceptable as an Australian Test team so our feet are certainly well and truly cemented on the ground," he said.

"There's a lot of work for us to do to get back to being the number one team in the world and that's our goal."

Australia are currently ranked fifth on the International Cricket Council rankings behind number one South Africa, with England third, and Clarke cautioned against over-expectations in Perth.

"It's obviously exciting that we're going to a ground that we feel so comfortable playing at," he said.

"But in saying that I have also experienced some defeats in my career in Perth so I'm more concerned about making sure we play the same brand of cricket that we have played so far in this series.

"I don't think it matters the conditions we play in, if we continue to play the brand that we have played.

"The positive is, we know the conditions and guys like Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle love bowling when there is a bit more pace and bounce, but I think the main focus is making sure we play the same brand and we're as well prepared as we were for this Test."

Clarke described Johnson, who has been man-of-the-match in both Test wins, as having the "X-factor".

Johnson took seven for 40 to destroy England in the first innings and has taken 17 wickets in the series at 12.70.

"He has always been an X-factor, with bat and ball. He's as good an athlete in the field as you'll see," Clarke said.

"Mitch has always had that. It's just about working out how to use him best in your team.

"Our attack right now really complements each other so it allows Mitch to be used the way I feel is best for our team.

"He's been our new-ball bowler, he's bowled first-change, he's bowled 12-over spells. Whatever's required, he can do that. He's been outstanding."

Clarke said Australia's two comprehensive wins had their origins in the last series in England in July-August, which they lost 3-0.

"In our opinion it's not a fluke that we have won the first two Test matches. It's hard work that we put in the UK and we thought we were so close but we didn't get over the line and we were disappointed not to have success in England," he said.

"So we as a team believe the work we have been putting in for a long period of time, now we're seeing some results."

England need greatest fightback,Matt Prior said

England are "in a dark place" after two "horrendous" Ashes thrashings but are capable of achieving one of the greatest fightbacks ever, wicketkeeper Matt Prior said.

After losing to Australia by 218 runs in Adelaide to slip 2-0 behind in the five-match series, a performance Prior labelled "embarrassing", England's chances of retaining the Ashes are fading fast.

With team manager Andy Flower calling for the squad's senior players to stand up, Prior said this week's third Test in Perth will be the ultimate Test of their resolve.

"How tough are we?" Prior said in his column in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday. "We always ask those questions in the dressing room and in meetings.

"Now we have to prove it in the real world. We cannot run away from what is ahead of us.

"We know what we are up against. We like doing it the hard way and it does not come any harder for an English cricketer than having to go to Perth and win. But if we manage to come back it will be one of the best fightbacks ever."

Prior said some of the flak flying England's way has been hurtful, but admitted it was justified.

"People are questioning our desire and hunger and that really hurts because it means we have been giving the wrong impression but nobody wants to win the Ashes more than us," he said.

"The first innings collapse at Adelaide was as embarrassing a performance I've been involved in with England.

"We were horrendous and there have been honest chats and words spoken. Everyone in this dressing room has been in a dark place and knows the feeling of walking out to bat thinking: 'I don't know what is going on'.

"But you have to work hard and have faith it will change around."

Prior's fighting 69 and Kevin Pietersen's 53 in the second innings at Adelaide were the kind of performances Flower wants more of from his senior players.

"In these sorts of contests and series where the intensity levels are high, you do need your more experienced players, players who have been through similar situations in the past, to come through tough periods and play match-defining innings or produce pressure to create chances with the ball," Flower told reporters in Adelaide.

Joe Root, who will turn 23 at the end of this month, currently averages the highest among batsmen while senior bowlers James Anderson and Graeme Swann have been largely off-colour in the first two Tests.

"We've been outplayed in these two Tests, very obviously, and the Australians have outplayed us in all three facets," Flower said of the crushing defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide.

"We haven't been skilful enough for long enough to get into better positions in the matches. That's the crux there."

England need a quick response in Perth where Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson will again be the dangerman, having ripped England's batting apart so far.

"I wouldn't say scared," Flower told reporters when asked about the effect that Johnson has had on the batsmen's minds.

"He's bowled at good pace but that's what you expect in Test cricket. One thing I would say about playing fast bowling is that our batsmen have to display the combination of skill and determination to bat long periods against it."

Spinner Swann said Johnson had been the main difference between the sides so far.

"He has struck a purple patch and is bowling very fast," Swann told The Sun. "He might not be the most skillful bowler with what he does with the ball but he has that raw pace and is causing us problems."

Saina Nehwal says I have worked hard and prepared well for the tournament

KUALA LUMPUR: Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal and Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China have been put in same group for the BWF Super Series Finals, that will be played here Dec 11-15, after the draws were announced at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium on Tuesday.

Japan's Minatsu Mitani and Yeon Ju Bae of South Korea are the other players in Group B besides Saina, who is seeded second, and Xuerui.

"I have worked hard and prepared well for the tournament. I feel I am ready to challenge in Kuala Lumpur," said Saina in a statement.

Saina's first match will be relatively easier as she will face World No.13 Minatsu against whom she has a 3-1 record and they too will be meeting for the first time this year.

Next up will be Olympic champion Xuerui. Saina has a 2-5 record against the top-rated Chinese. The 23-year-old Saina will have a tough outing against the Chinese in their first match of 2013. Their last meeting was in the 2012 edition of the Finals.

Saina will finish her group encounter against World No.7 Yeon, against whom she has a 5-4 win-loss record.

Saina said there won't be any easy matches.

"Whatever the draw is, there will be no easy matches in the Superseries finals and I am completely prepared for it. I will take each match as it comes and give my best," said Saina.

China's Shixian Wang, Thai Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, South Korean Ji Hyun Sung and Chinese Taipei's Tzu Ying Tai are in Group A of the year-ending $500,000 showpiece event. The top two from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

Though Saina has not won a single tournament this year, she has maintained the No.2 position in the Super Series rankings this season, enabling her to qualify for the Dec 11-15 tournament.

With three Super Series semi-final appearances in the 12-leg calendar, Saina, an Olympic bronze medallist qualified quiet for the tourney where she finished runners up two years ago in 2011.

Saina, who is also a two-time semi-finalist here, does have a good chance if she finds her footing and form at the event which pits the eight best players of the current year.

Chinese Taipei's Tai, who won the Malaysia Open, is lucky to enter the event because tournament regulations stipulate a maximum of two players per country, automatically ruling out No.8 Yihan Wang with compatriots Shixian and Xuerui ahead of her.