Liverpool, Chelsea and the teams Ronaldo has struggled to score against

ANALYSIS: The Ballon d'Or winner boasts an incredible club scoring record, particularly at Real Madrid, but he finds some opponents tougher than others

By Miles Chambers

Cristiano Ronaldo is in the form of his life for Real Madrid. With 19 goals in 12 

games

 in all competitions this season, the 29-year-old is virtually unstoppable right now.

And, having hit an incredible 271 goals in 258 appearances since signing for Madrid from Manchester United in 2009, and a total of 394 club goals in 581 career games, it is fair to say that Ronaldo is not scared of any opponent.

However, there are some teams who have fared well against the current Ballon d'Or holder - and one of those is Wednesday's Champions League opponents, Liverpool.

In nine games against the Reds - all of which came during his six seasons at Manchester United - Ronaldo scored just two goals. He has never registered at Anfield, the venue of this midweek's game.

Ronaldo's most difficult opponents have been Chelsea. He has scored just once in 15 games against the Blues, although that solitary strike arrived in United's 2008 Champions League final triumph in Moscow.

Other English clubs that can be proud of their record against the Portuguese include Blackburn (three in 12), Sunderland (one in five), Charlton (one in five) and Birmingham City (two in eight).



Away from England, Espanyol are the standout bogey side in Spain, with four goals in 10 games. The 29-year-old actually prefers playing a more illustrious Catalan opponent in Barcelona - against whom he has struck 13 times in 24 outings.

The only English team that he's faced more than once where he has a ratio of 1:1 or better is actually Manchester United, having scored twice against them in the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2012-13.

Ronaldo did not score more than 11 goals per season in his first three years at Old Trafford and 'only' scored 117 times in 290 competitive matches under Sir Alex Ferguson, compared to his aforementioned 271 strikes in 258 games at Madrid.

It is worth remembering, too, that once upon a time Ronaldo was taunted by some for not performing in big games. Liverpool were United's fiercest rivals throughout his time in England and his small tally helps to explain how this reputation was forged.

The former Sporting player also failed to net in his first 26 Champions League games (excluding qualifiers) for United, whereas he is now on the verge of becoming the competition's all-time top goalscorer.

Clearly, a lot has changed since Ronaldo last played at Anfield in 2007, although Liverpool will be hoping that his hoodoo against them continues on Wednesday evening.

Why has Wenger turned his back on Belgium's golden generation?

COMMENT: The Gunners have spent big in recent times but with their rivals possessing so much Belgian talent, has the Frenchman missed a trick?

By Richard Jolly

The Belgians are everywhere. Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois are two of Chelsea's premier players.Vincent Kompany is Manchester City's captain. Romelu Lukaku is Everton's record signing and Kevin Mirallas their most exciting winger. Adnan Januzaj is Manchester United's greatest teenage talent andMarouane Fellaini one of their most expensive signings. Jan Vertonghen is among Tottenham's most coveted individuals and Nacer Chadli is their top scorer. Simon Mignolet is Liverpool's goalkeeper and Divock Origi will become their centre-forward.

So they are everywhere. Except at Arsenal. Thomas Vermaelen's summer sale to Barcelona made them the exceptions, the only Premier League powerhouse without a sole member of the Belgian golden generation. These are players whose abilities were too abundant for their homeland to contain them. Anderlecht host the Gunners with plenty of homegrown players, but none of the calibre of Kompany and Courtois. They don't have the hallmarks of Hazard or the price tag of Lukaku. There is only Steven Defour, the national team's great enigma, the prodigy who never realised his potential.

Which raises the question: why not Arsenal? There is a theory that some of the current crop may be too outspoken and independent-minded for Arsene Wenger's taste, but he is no stranger to Belgium. He used to park emerging African talents at Beveren, and should still regret his decision not to recruit Yaya Toure to join brother Kolo and his fellow Ivorian Emmanuel Eboue in London.



He is the manager who is consistently ahead of the curve when buying on the continent. His squad contained Frenchmen before they won the 1998 World Cup and a Spanish playmaker, in Cesc Fabregas, long before tiki-taka brought his country European and global titles. He had bought three Germans in the days when they were serial semi-finalists and saw them became world champions as Arsenal players.

Yet it would be wrong to say he has a blind spot when it comes to Belgians. Indeed, they were a rarity at the upper end of the Premier League when Vermaelen joined in 2009. He hoped to bring in Vertonghen, too, only to rather ruin his case by telling a ball-playing defender he may have to operate in midfield. He spotted Hazard's potential but was outbid by Chelsea who, as European champions, had rather greater pulling power.

He was linked with Fellaini, but it would have been a stylistic mismatch. The midfielder has proved too direct for United, so it is hard to imagine him towering over Arsenal's diminutive technicians while passing in perfect harmony. Christian Benteke, too, may suit another brand of football.

And this is where Arsenal and Belgium differ most. Arguably the one flaw in the golden generation is the absence of a conductor of the orchestra, a passer in chief. In contrast, Arsenal have too many. Wenger has bought a surfeit of creators.

As ever with Arsenal, money is an issue, too. It is possible to pick a Belgium starting XI that, in their most recent permanent transfers alone, cost over €240 million. That equates to an average in excess of €22m per man.

Barca socio drops Neymar case

Jordi Cases claims he is satisfied by the explanations offered by president Josep Maria Bartomeu over the controversial deal and will not pursue legal action against the club

The Barcelona socio who forced the resignation of former president Sandro Rosell after taking the Catalan club to court over an alleged embezzlement of funds in the transfer of Neymar from Santos has dropped the case against the Blaugrana.

Barca insisted from the outset that they paid €57.1 million for Neymar, but Jordi Cases called for greater transparency in the breakdown of the controversial transfer and, when his pleas were ignored by the club, he decided to take Rosell to court late last year.

Cases was unhappy at the lack of clarity surrounding the €40m payment received by Neymar's parents, while one of the third parties involved in the move claimed Santos and Barca had colluded to cut them out of the deal altogether.

Rosell came under increasing pressure in January and eventually decided to resign, leaving vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu to take over and face further legal action from Cases.

But in his first press conference, Bartomeu revealed the documents behind the complex deal which confirmed the total operation had in fact cost Barca €86.2m and some nine months on, Cases has decided to bring an end to the legal action.

"Mr. Jordi Cases Guarc, member of FC Barcelona number 57,819, said this morning in a letter to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu that he is satisfied by information obtained through legal proceedings in relation to the recruitment of Santos player Neymar da Silva Jr. and other related contracts with the signing," Barca said in a statement posted on their official site on Tuesday.

Cases is also expected to reach an agreement to end his legal case against Rosell on Wednesday

Bayern to discuss Reus transfer, says Rummenigge

The Bavarians have long been linked with a move for the 25-year-old and are set to make a decision on a bid after internal talks

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says he will discuss a potential move for Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus with club chiefs.

The Bavarians have signed Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from BVB in the last two summers and are rumoured to want to pay the 25-year-old's buyout clause next summer, believed to be worth €25 million.

Gotze admitted on Sunday that he was keen to see his old team-mate join him at the Allianz Arena and Rummenigge has now confirmed the Bundesliga champions will make a decision on whether to launch a bid.

"To be honest, we'll discuss the matter internally and calmly. Then we will come to a decision," he toldKicker.

"At the end of the day, the player has to decide too. His release clause is well known. There's nothing more to say."

Dortmund have reacted angrily to Bayern's interest in yet another of their stars, with CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke speaking out against the Bundesliga champions several times for what he deemed to be a public courting of the player.

Bayern were in the race to sign Reus from Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2012 but were pipped to the post by their rivals.

Reus has one goal and two assists from his three Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

Country on radar for IT expansion

The company is providing local students with professional training in collaboration with Pakistani institutes. PHOTO: COMPFIGHT.COM

DUBAI: 

Pakistan is on the radar of many global entities that are keen to either establish or expand their operations in different business segments.

The Information Technology (IT) industry is one of the most attractive sectors for companies as majority of the Middle East lags behind in adopting these technologies.

Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) – a European software giant – is also looking to expand its operations in Pakistan. Although they already have a presence in the country, the management has decided to incorporate Pakistan in its long-term business strategy.

“Pakistan is at the forefront of our plans to expand beyond the Gulf,” said SAP Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Chief Operating Officer Hannes Liebe, while talking to The Express Tribune.

“We believe that Pakistan will progress quickly towards the next generation of IT solutions.”

Providing enterprise software and services throughout the world, SAP has only achieved to facilitate limited companies like K-Electric, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Engro among others.

While attending the recent Gulf Information Technology Expo (Gitex) 2014, held in Dubai, the company also expressed the intention to boost operations in the Middle East in order to change the operational mind set towards managing businesses.

“Among the emerging markets, Pakistan possesses a lot of skill and an eager population with prospects of commercial growth,” said Liebe.

Normally in growing markets, it starts with tailor-made solutions for domestic purposes before moving on to business automation. Finally, the market arrives at implementing cutting-edge technologies, he added.

The company is providing local students with professional training in collaboration with Pakistani institutes in order to develop a competitive human resource pool as part of their expansion plan.

Cloud technology on the horizon

Apart from other services, the management of SAP is interested in expanding cloud technology – a method of networking information with centralised data storage – which is still in its initial phases in the region.

“The rate of adopting cloud technology in this region [Middle East] is extremely low due to a conservative approach,” said SAP MENA Head of Line Business Solutions Deniz Kilyar.

He added that PTCL’s use of SAP’s ‘success factor solutions’ – titled Human Capital Management – has given a preview to the potential despite it being in the application phase.

“After using SAP’s ‘success factor solutions’ through cloud technology, customers are giving positive feedback,” said Kilyar.

New chapter in Japan’s aviation sector

KAMOKI: 

Japan unveiled its first passenger aircraft made in nearly four decades, as its manufacturers join the booming regional jet sector to take on industry giants Embraer and Bombardier.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a military contractor best known for its “Zero” World War II fighter, pulled back the curtain on its new Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) to offer passenger comfort with lower operating costs at a ceremony in Komaki near Nagoya.

The fuel-efficient, next-generation aircraft will be delivered to customers from 2017, and has been built with assistance from aviation giant Boeing.

“The dream of a Japanese-made product that can be proudly presented to the world for top-notch efficiency and passenger comfort is finally coming true,” said Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Chairman Hideaki Omiya.

The plane marks a new chapter for Japan’s aviation sector, which last built a commercial airliner in 1962 — the YS-11 turboprop. Japanese firms were banned from developing aircraft by US occupiers following its defeat in World War II.

The country slowly started rebuilding its aviation industry in the 1950s, starting with carrying out repair work for the US military, before expanding to licensed production of US-developed aircraft for Japan’s military. Japanese firms have also long supplied parts to Boeing.

The government aims to expand firms’ foothold in the global aviation and military sectors as the domestic market shrinks due to a rapidly ageing population. The jet will compete with small aircraft produced by Brazil’s Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier.

Hit or miss? James Rodriguez to Real Madrid

ANALYSIS: As part of a special series examining the form of this summer's major signings, Goal takes a look at the Colombia international

By Chris Myson

After just one season at Monaco and an exceptional World Cup campaign with Colombia, James Rodriguez took a massive step up to Real Madrid in a big-money deal.

But how successful has the transfer been, and what does the future hold for the 23-year-old? Goal takes a look...

THE DEAL

Even though James Rodriguez had already played four seasons in Europe with Porto and Monaco and commanded a transfer fee of €45 million when he switched between the two clubs, it was not until the World Cup that he earned global recognition.

The best moment of a stunning individual tournament – which saw him win the Golden Boot after scoring six goals in five matches – was his wonderful first-half volley against Uruguay in the round-of-16.

Immediately after that performance, the attacking midfielder made it clear that Real Madrid would be his preferred destination if his match-winning performances in Brazil were to earn a big-money summer move. "I have great respect for other clubs but ultimately Real Madrid are Real Madrid," he said. "I have always had a thing for them – that would be a dream."

After the tournament, Florentino 

Perez

 acted quickly and snapped up the 23-year-old for an eye-watering fee of €80 million and tied him down to a six-year contract.

THE STORY SO FAR

James' start to his Real Madrid career has been solid but not yet consistently spectacular, with the supreme goalscoring exploits of Cristiano Ronaldo taking centre stage in the early months of the club's season.

As expected, the Colombia star is already a first-team regular. He has appeared in all 12 of Madrid’s matches in 2014-15 to date, with 10 of those outings coming from the start.

He has scored three goals and assisted two – on average a direct contribution towards a goal once every two starts - while Madrid have won eight of those 12 fixtures, including the last six in a row as they begin to find some consistent form. 

Those are relatively modest individual stats, but James has been playing in a slightly different role in recent weeks, being used on the left side of the three central midfielders in a 4-3-3, which is deeper than the No.10 role or left-sided attacking roles he has predominantly played in the past.

His most impressive performance to date came in Madrid’s staggering 8-2 La Liga victory away to Deportivo La Coruna. James scored one and set up another as part of a fearsome foursome alongside Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, all of whom tormented the hosts.

THE FUTURE

There is a lot of pressure on James and the expectations are huge as a result of the €80m as he adapts to a new league. Performances come under intense scrutiny at one of the world’s biggest clubs anyway, but that is multiplied after the hype that surrounded his move.

Add to that the fact Angel Di Maria was sold to Manchester United and it becomes easy to have a clouded judgement when reviewing James’ early-season form. 

Di Maria was Madrid’s best player along with Ronaldo last season and any player would find the challenge of replacing the Argentine at the Bernabeu difficult, particularly as the new arrival adapts to a brand new position in a team where is not yet the main man. 

As he continues to acclimatise to life in Madrid and his new team-mates, James' influence can be expected to grow. That being said, his individual statistics could easily have been much stronger already. 

While the goals and assist columns are yet to take off, a deeper look at his performances indicate real signs of promise. In La Liga, the attacker already tops Madrid’s rankings for key chances created (16) and crosses (44), proof he is making a strong creative impact.

Player Ranking — Real Madrid

GoalsTotal ShotsAssistsKey PassesTotal PassesTotal CrossesSavesClean SheetsGoals ConcededTotal ClearancesYellow CardsRed Cards

#	Player	GP	Key Passes
1	James Rodríguez	7	16
2	Cristiano Ronaldo	6	15
3	Toni Kroos	7	15
4	Gareth Bale	7	10
5	Luka Modric	6	8

The goals of Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo in attack, along with Madrid’s recent upturn in form are providing him with the time he needs to fine-tune his role and improve on his end product before the season reaches its business end.

Looking further forward to the years ahead, James is set to become an even more important figure given the club’s huge investment in him, his marketability and unquestionable talent.

With Ronaldo’s long-term future uncertain, the baton will likely, at some stage at least, pass to James to be the new spearhead in Madrid’s quest for domination on and off the pitch.