Champions League: Madrid still on course: Coach

Mourinho says team can reach knockouts despite defeat.

DORTMUND: Coach Jose Mourinho has said his Real Madrid are on course for the Champions League knock-out stages despite their 2-1 defeat at Dortmund, but warned Manchester City are still a danger in Group D.

Dortmund snatched top spot in the group from Real to lead with seven points leaving Madrid on six and Ajax on three following their 3-1 win over Manchester City, who are last with just a point.

Mourinho insists the English champions can still roar back to win their next three games and remain a threat.

“Us and Borussia [Dortmund] are in a better position to make the next stage,” said Mourinho. “But City can still get 10 points, so we have to make sure we get 11.”

Despite having been European champions nine times, Real continued their appalling record on German soil.

“It was a strange match,” said Mourinho. “Neither team was better, but it was an incredibly difficult game.

“They were very organised and defended very well.”

Arsenal suffer shock defeat at home

Arsenal assistant manager Steve Bould admitted the Gunners are short of confidence and energy after Schalke inflicted their first home defeat in the Champions League group stages for nine years.

Arsene Wenger’s side were out-fought and out-thought by Schalke as the Germans secured a shock 2-0 victory on Wednesday.

“We haven’t played anything like we can, that’s the big disappointment,” said Bould. “We looked jaded. I don’t know why that is. We lack a bit of confidence for whatever reason, but it’s a tough competition.”

Mancini accepts responsibility for City’s defeat

The prospect of a second successive group-stage exit in the Champions League is staring Manchester City in the face after a 3-1 defeat at Ajax on Wednesday left them rock bottom of Group D.

Ajax move into third place, leaving City bottom of the pool with a solitary point to their name after three games.

“I think that they [Ajax] played better than us,” said City coach Roberto Mancini. “It’s probably my fault because I didn’t prepare the players well for this game. I accept fault for this defeat.”

In other matches, former titleholders Porto posted a pulsating 3-2 win over Dynamo Kyiv to maintain possession of Group A, while Malaga forced Milan to concede a 1-0 defeat.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2012.