Celik: Mervan Celik has told Rangers he will score goals after watching his new club held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen. The Swedish midfielder joined the Gers on Friday and was in the stand at Ibrox for Saturday’s game, which saw Ran-gers fall four points behind rivals Celtic. Celik is confident he can make an impact once in the side. He said: “I will bring goals, play well and help the team to win games.”
French Cup: Late goals from Bafetimbi Gomis and Lisandro Lopez gave Lyon a laboured 2-0 win over fourth-tier underdogs Vendee Lucon yesterday, taking Remi Garde’s side into the French Cup last 16. Lucon held out until the 75th minute against their illustrious opponents, who broke the deadlock when Gomis’s shot was deflected past goalkeeper Damien Leclere. Lisandro made the game safe nine minutes from time.
Diawara: Senegalese striker Baba Diawara completed his move to Sevilla from Maritimo, yesterday. The 24-year-old passed his medical before penning a four-and-a-half year contract with the Andalusian outfit. The contract has a buy-out clause of €30 million.
Botelho: Rayo Vallecano said yesterday they have reached an agreement with Arsenal to part ways with the English side’s on-loan defender Pedro Botelho. The 22-year-old Brazilian was arrested earlier this month in Madrid after he failed a breathalyser test after driving into a police car before speeding off. He will play for Spanish side Levante for the rest of the season.
Kagawa: Japan winger Shinji Kagawa has said he sees his future being with Borussia Dortmund and any reports of a move to Manchester United or Milan are just speculation. “Right now, it’s just about me being successful here with Dortmund,” Kagawa said. “There are rumours again and again, but I have no information about that. The talk leaves me cold.”
US win: Ricardo Clark’s header in the seventh minute of injury time in Arizona, late Saturday, lifted the US to a 1-0 victory over Venezuela in a friendly international. Clark, who came on in the 86th minute, rose to head Jermaine Jones’s corner kick past Venezuela keeper Jose Morales. Neither country fielded its best side, with top players instead staying with their clubs.