Europa League early kick-offs: Manchester United pitch winning credentials in Russia as FC Rostov await

AVAILABLE: Manchester United's Ibrahimovic can play despite ban

 By Steven Oldham

Manchester United's away clash at Russian Premier League runners-up FC Rostov leads the early kick-offs in tonight's Europa League round of 16 first leg games. 

Jose Mourinho's side will look to return to winning ways after Saturday's fiery draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford, which saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic pick up a retrospective three-match ban after accepting violent conduct charges for his clashes with Tyrone Mings.

The state of Rostov's threadbare pitch is a more pressing concern for United with Mourinho critical of the playing surface- described by UEFA as 'not perfect, but playable'.

He said: "It's hard for me to believe we are going to play on that field - if you can call it a field. I don't know which team to play." 

United will definitely be without Eric Bailly with the Frenchman suspended after a red card in the last round against Saint-Etienne, while Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw have not made the trip. 

The returning Henrikh Mkhitaryan may now not be risked due to the pitch conditions. The Armeninan midfielder has been missing with a hamstring injury in recent fixtures. 

United should still have enough to overcome Rostov but need to be wary of complacency against a team that handed Bayern Munich a shock 3-2 defeat in the Champion's League group stages. 

The Russians performed solidly in their debut Champion's League campaign, picking up five points, finishing above seasoned European campaigners PSV Eindhoven to secure a place in this competition. They knocked Sparta Prague out 5-1 on aggregate in the previous round, winning the home leg 4-0. 

BARE: The under-fire pitch at Rostov's Olimp-2 stadium

FC COPENHAGEN vs AJAX

Reigning national champions FC Copenhagen head into this fixture on the back of an unbeaten season so far in the Danish Superliga, twelve points clear of nearest challengers Brondby ahead of the league split next month. A crushing 5-0 defeat of Horsens at the weekend extended this run to 24 games. 

The Danes narrowly missed out on qualification for the last 16 of the Champion's League and were unbeaten at home in the group stage without conceding a goal.  They eliminated Bulgarian side Ludogorets in the last round.

Ajax, meanwhile, are on a nine-match unbeaten run of their own in the Eredivisie, but their momentum suffered a slight blow at the weekend, only drawing 1-1 with mid-table Groningen. 

After comfortably winning their group ahead of fellow round of 16 qualifiers Celta Vigo, the Dutch team narrowly came through the last round, defeating Legia Warsaw 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Nick Viergever's home goal in the second leg. Defenders Joel Veltman and Davinson Sanchez both miss out through suspension. 
 

SUSPENDED: Ajax defender Joel Veltman is banned for the first leg

  APOEL NICOSIA vs ANDERLECHT 

Cypriot champions APOEL continue to punch above their weight in European competition, knocking out Spanish giants Athletic Bilbao in the previous round 4-3 on aggregate.

An impressive all-round performance saw them narrowly lose the first leg 3-2 before turning their opponents over at home, with Giannis Gianniotas scoring in both fixtures including the decisive penalty that took them through.

A morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Omonia in the Nicosia derby at the weekend will leave head coach Thomas Christiansen quietly confident ahead of this evening's game. 

Anderlecht, meanwhile, failed to live up to top billing in their group, finishing as runners-up to Saint-Etienne, but recovered to eliminate Zenit St Petersburg in the last round (albeit on away goals).

Domestically, they are joint top with Club Brugge but lost their most recent fixture 3-2 at Mechelen - their first league defeat since November. 

Anderlecht have no fewer than seven players one yellow card away from missing the return leg, so the likes of top scorer Youri Tielemans and double goalscorer from the Zenit victory Frank Acheampong need to be careful tonight.

IN FORM: Anderlecht's top scorer Youri Tielemans

Glasgow 2014: DAY 2: More success for England and Scotland, Cyprus win first ever weightlifting gold, Welsh athlete banned for doping violation

England's Chris Walker-Hebborn broke the Games record in 100m backstroke
(@NickHopeBBC)

By Steven Oldham
 
England and Scotland continued to rack up the medals on day two of the Commonwealths, with the hosts already well on their way to their best ever Games.
 
Medal-events in cycling, swimming, judo, gymnastics, shooting and weightlifting were settled today, and preliminary rounds continued in bowls, hockey, netball, squash and boxing.
 
There was more bad news for a Wales team already hit by injury and suspension, with hurdler Rhys Williams banned from the Games after failing a drugs test.

MISS THE ACTION FROM DAY ONE? CLICK HERE

 

Chris Walker-Hebborn broke the Commonwealth record while winning the 100m backstroke for England, just hours after teenager Ben Proud had won the country's first gold in the pool by taking victory in the 50m butterfly earlier in the day. Proud beat Olympic champion Chad le Clos in both the semi and final, with the South African having to settle for third.
 
Judo continues to be a happy hunting ground for Team England, who continue to top the medal table. Three more gold today came in for both male and female judoka, with Owen Livesey beating team-mate and room-mate Tom Reed in the final of the -81kg weight class. Danny Williams (-73kg) and Megan Fletcher (-70kg) also won their respective events to leave England with an impressive six medals in the sport already.
 
Joanna Roswell won the individual pursuit to secure a second English title in track cycling, and set a new Commonwealth record in the qualifiers, and beat her Australian opponent by nearly four seconds in the final.
 

The moment Sarah Clark won judo gold for Scotland (Daily Record)

 
 

Scotland's success in the pool continued with Daniel Wallace securing a stunning breakthrough win in the 400m medley ahead of Thomas Fraser-Holmes (Australia) and Sebastian Rousseau (South Africa).
 
Hometown favourite Michael Jamieson however is out of the 100m breaststroke after being eliminated in the semi finals where he could only place fifth. Compatriot and new 200m champion Ross Murdoch is safely through.
 
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome also saw it's first homegrown champion in the para-cycling today. Neil Fachie and pilot Craig Maclean won the 1000m tandem time trial for visually impaired riders from teams from Australia and Wales.
 
Judoka Sarah Clark became the third Scottish woman to win gold on the mat by beating Cameroon's Helene Wezeu Dombeu in the -63kg weight class by making her opponent submit via an armlock.
 

CLICK HERE FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES HOMEPAGE

 

Cyprus won their first gold at these Games in weightlifting, with Dimitris Minasidis taking victory in the -62kg. He raised 276kg ahead of lifters from Sri Lanka and Samoa.  
 
He makes history by becoming the island's first Commonwealth weightlifting champion.
 


Cyprus' Dimitris Minasidis lifting for gold (BBC Sport)
 

DAY TWO DIGEST IN 60 SECONDS...

• Commonwealth powerhouse Australia also continued to pile up the medals, taking more gold in swimming and opening their account in shooting.
• Canada continue to dominate the rhythmic gymnastics, with Patricia Bezzoubenko winning her second gold in as many days in the individual all round event.
• Team Wales also put in a good show in rhythmic gymnastics, with flagbearer Frankie Jones and Laura Halford taking bronze today after team silver yesterday
• Nigeria also scooped a first gold of the Games in women's weightlifting, as Chika Amalaha won the -53kg weight division
• Singapore, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea all opened their medal tallies today.

DAY 3: WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS?

Mixed team triathlon makes it Games debut tomorrow, can England continue their dominace?

There are also medals to be decided in lawn bowls, rhythmic gymastics, cycling, judo, shooting, swimming and weightlifting. 



Glasgow 2014 - Commonwealth Games Sports Guide: Gymnastics

By Steven Oldham

Click HERE for Commonwealth Games homepage

Gymnastics debuted at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, but is only an optional sport at the Games and had to wait until 1990 to return.

Since then however it's appeared consistently and will also form part of the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Both artistic and rhythmic events will take place in Glasgow, with the latter being one of two all-women events at this year's Games.

WHEN?

Rhythmic starts the gymnastics competition from July 24-26, with medal events on all three days. The artistic programme runs from July 28-August 1. 

WHERE?

The gymnastics programme is one of six sports to take place at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in the city's west end.

WHO?

Artistic: Australia were the dominant force in Delhi last time out, taking twelve gold medals - more than every other team put together. They won both team events, often followed by England. Cyprus won 7 of their eleven medals in gymnastics.

Despite Australia's success at the Commonwealths, they failed to produce one medal in gymnastics at London 2012 and it was a below par Olympics from the team from Down Under.

British medal winners from London 2012 Louis Smith, Max Whitlock, Kristian Thomas and Sam Oldham (England), and Daniel Purvis (Scotland) are all in action, as well as double European and five times British champion Daniel Keatings for the home nation.

Rhythmic: Australia won the 2010 team, individual and ball events, but the only returning champion is all-rounder Danielle Prince. Cyprus won the ribbon and rope events but again, champion Chrystalleni Trikomiti is not involved so it is a chance for new gymnasts and potentially nations to get themselves on the medal table. Canada have historically been strong in this event.

LET ME SOUND LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...

• Gymnasts compete in eight events for men, and six for women in artistic gymnastics.
• Alongside netball, rhythmic gymnastics is an all-women event. Rugby sevens is the only men-only sport at the Commonwealths.
• Women don't compete in the rings or pommel horse events.
• Judges look at both difficulty and executions, and gymnasts' final score are a combination of the two.

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Scotland's Dan Keatings wants Commonwealth gold on home soil
(telegraph.co.uk)