Rodgers tight-lipped on Balotelli talk

Brendan Rodgers remained coy on his conversation with Mario Balotelli after the striker was slammed for swapping shirts with Pepe.

Balotelli exchanged jerseys with Real Madrid defender Pepe at half-time of Liverpool's 3-0 UEFA Champions League defeat at Anfield on Wednesday.

The striker's decision provoked criticism in some quarters, and Rodgers himself stated in the immediate aftermath of the game that he would deal with the issue.

But during Thursday's media conference ahead of Liverpool's Premier League meeting with Hull City at the weekend, Rodgers refused to divulge any details of his discussion with the Italian.

"Any action would be kept within ourselves," he said. "It was just a conversation that that's not the culture in this country or at Liverpool. That's the matter closed."

Balotelli's record of one goal in 10 Liverpool appearances has also attracted criticism, and Rodgers accepts that such scrutiny is part of the modern game.

"There'll be that of course," he added. "It's one where the boy is trying very, very hard. Longer term, we'll see how that works out for him but certainly he is working hard on the training field to improve his opportunities to play in the team regularly and to score goals.

"As long as he's doing his best that's all I can ask. Whether his best is good enough remains to be seen, but that goes for any player.

"Is this the Mario Balotelli press conference?" Rodgers said when quizzed further on the Italian. "He's like every other player. He wants to score and obviously at this moment in time he's not. Hard work will improve confidence and when you're confident you'll have more success.

"The 'Mario Balotelli show', like you say, is no different to me. He's treated like any other player, for me as a manager it's been no problem.

"I like players that are different. People talk to me about boots and hair and I like that individuality - as long as they fit in with the team."

Onuoha in race to face Villa

Nedum Onuoha faces a race to be fit for QPR's Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Monday after sustaining a hamstring injury.

The defender made only his second start of the Premier League season at home to Liverpool on Sunday, a game which QPR went on to lose 3-2 in dramatic circumstances.

With the game goalless at half-time, Onuoha had to come off after picking up an injury, and the 27-year-old is now a doubt for the fixture with Villa at Loftus Road on Monday.

"I had a hamstring problem which happened about halfway through the first half," he told the club's official website.

"I tried to play on and it seemed ok but by the end of the half it got to the stage where I couldn't give 100 per cent for the team, so I had to come off.

"How serious is it? That depends how you define 'serious'! We'll just have to see how it goes between now and Monday."

West Ham v Manchester City: Allardyce feeling confident as champions come to town

Sam Allardyce believes West Ham will not get a better chance to defeat Manchester City as the two prepare to meet at Upton Park on Saturday.

West Ham have benefited from a productive transfer window in the early weeks of the Premier League campaign, with the strike duo of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia particularly impressive since joining from Metz and Pachuca respectively.

Both men found the net with fine headers in the 3-1 win at Burnley last weekend, a result that left West Ham inside the top four after eight matches.

Reigning champions City - who clinched the 2013-14 crown with a 2-0 win over West Ham on the final day of last season - overcame Allardyce's side four times during the previous campaign, scoring 14 goals to their opponents' one.

But Allardyce believes his team are in much better shape this time around, with City coming off the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw away at CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

"We've got a different team to last season," he said. "Obviously the players that are still here will remember that we didn't get anything from them.

"There wasn't much we could do in the Capital One [League Cup] semi-finals due to injuries at that time.

"They're a fabulous side, but if we're going to get anything from them it's now, while we're in form. As well as them coming back from a Champions League away game.

"We're in good, confident form but for me it's about getting the players to their top level. We'll have to play like we did [in the 3-1 win] against Liverpool, probably even better. We'll have to work hard and make sure we contain their fantastic front line especially."

The home side will have to contend with the in-form Sergio Aguero, who followed up his four-goal salvo against Tottenham last weekend with the opening strike in Moscow in midweek.

City led 2-0 at the break thanks to that strike and James Milner's effort, but were sloppy in the second half as CSKA came back to rescue a point.

Manuel Pellegrini's men sit second in the table, five points adrift of Chelsea, having won their previous three league outings, but after the draw in Russia, right-back Pablo Zabaleta lamented City's inability to grind out victories when not at their best.

"It's not the first time this has happened and it's something we need to sort out as soon as possible," he said.

"We are one team when we play with intensity, with the ball. When we start to give some balls away so cheaply, we are not the same team. It's then that we don't know how to control the game.

"Sometimes you can win games even when you are not playing at your best and I think we find that hard."

City's Frank Lampard is a doubt to make a return to his former club with a thigh injury picked up against Spurs, while Samir Nasri remains out with a groin problem.

West Ham received a double boost on Thursday with the news that Cheikhou Kouyate (groin) and James Tomkins (thigh) were available, although Mauro Zarate (knock) and Guy Demel (thigh) are doubtful.

Ronaldo baffled by El Clasico scheduling

Cristiano Ronaldo has questioned why Real Madrid will face Barcelona on Saturday but still backed the European champions to win El Clasico.

Real and arch-rivals Barca lock horns for the first time this season at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend.

The eagerly-awaited encounter comes just three days after Carlo Ancelotti's side tormented Liverpool in a 3-0 UEFA Champions League victory at Anfield.

La Liga leaders Barca were in action 24 hours earlier, beating Ajax 3-1 at Camp Nou to move a step closer to qualifying from Group F.

Imperious forward Ronaldo, who scored his 20th goal of the season on Merseyside, is baffled as to why El Clasico is not scheduled for Sunday and played down talk of a duel between him and Lionel Messi.

He said: "It will be a difficult match because Barcelona are playing well. I'm not going to play against Messi, I'm going to play against Barcelona. They are a great team. Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing each other.

"We're not going to make any excuses. But I don't understand why they put the match on Saturday.

"It is a difficult match and all footballers know that an extra day's rest is significant. Cup matches aren't so important. However, I don't want to make excuses because the team is fine and confident."

Real Madrid v Barcelona: Suarez set for El Clasico bow

As if the biggest game in club football needed it, Luis Suarez's Barcelona debut adds another fascinating sub-plot to Saturday's El Clasico.

The Uruguay forward - who moved from Liverpool to Barca in a reported €94million deal in the close-season - is set to make his Liga bow at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 229th edition of this famous rivalry with Real Madrid.

It is set to be Suarez's first appearance since receiving a four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup and the divisive figure will be desperate to repay the faith shown in him by the Catalan giants with a debut goal.

But while Suarez, who scored 31 times in 33 Premier League appearances for Liverpool last term, has the chance to become an instant hero at his new club, he will have to get used to sharing the limelight with other Camp Nou stars.

Chief among them is Lionel Messi, who could yet steal the headlines for himself if he can net the two goals he needs to become La Liga's all-time leading scorer.

The diminutive striker reached 250 with his effort in the 3-0 win over Eibar last weekend, with the record of Telmo Zarra now in his sights.

As stages go on which to surpass a landmark tally that has lasted for six decades, this seems perhaps the most fitting for someone of Messi's ability, with the Argentina forward having scored more Clasico goals than anyone else.

Victory would hand Barca a significant early advantage in the Spanish top flight, with Luis Enrique's men four points clear of third-placed Real and still unbeaten in the league.

Carlo Ancelotti's players will not take kindly to being considered part of the supporting cast, though, and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez all have it within them to take on a leading role.

El Clasico is a fixture soaked in history and a host of stellar names have contributed to its rich tapestry, with Messi and Ronaldo so often the stars in the past.

But, as shown in April's Copa del Rey final, there is a new breed ready to take the limelight.

Gareth Bale scored a stunning goal in extra time on that occasion - the Welshman ran half the length of the pitch before poking past goalkeeper Jose Pinto to seal Real Madrid's 2-1 win - but he will miss this clash with a gluteal injury.

That result offered a small measure of revenge after Barca's league double in El Clasico last year, as they followed a 2-1 home success with a stunning 4-3 triumph in Madrid.

Three penalties and a red card were dished out in that meeting, with two second-half spot-kicks from Messi - the last of which was scored six minutes from time - proving crucial.

Real had the last laugh, though, as they completed the season as champions of Europe for the 10th time, while Barca endured a campaign without a major trophy for the first time since 2007-08.

Luis Enrique has been charged with leading the club he represented as a player back to glory, and he will recognise the vital importance of getting one over on Barca's fierce rivals.

The new coach's ideas are making a difference, according to defender Dani Alves, who revealed that his team-mates have no shortage of motivation for the clash.

"We live for games like this," Alves told Barca TV.

"We are assimilating the boss' ideas very well. We have a very clear idea about what we want. And we seem to be getting better and better."

Both sides enter the clash on the back of Champions League successes, with Barca gaining a day's extra rest after a 3-1 home win over Ajax on Tuesday, in which both Messi and Neymar scored.

Real, meanwhile, were comfortable 3-0 winners over Liverpool and had the luxury of taking their foot off the gas in the second half having scored all their goals before half-time.

Ancelotti pleased to see Real hit top gear

Carlo Ancelotti praised Real Madrid's finest performance of the season after his team brushed aside Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring with a fine 23rd-minute strike from James Rodriguez's exquisite chipped pass, while a brace from Karim Benzema ensured a 3-0 Group B win, with all the goals coming before half-time at Anfield.

Ancelotti also paid tribute to the control his defending European champions displayed after the break, as Real head into Saturday's El Clasico against Barcelona in fine fettle.

Asked whether Wednesday night's showing was Real's best of the campaign, the Italian told Sky Sports: "I think so, also because of the difficulty of the opposing team.

"In the first half we were fantastic and then in the second half we had good control of the game and the result.

"It is difficult to say [what pleased me most]. I don't have to say anything to the players because they played really well, with confidence.

"We did really well in the first 20 minutes when Liverpool started with intensity. We had good control and defended well.

"After the first 20 minutes we started to play good football.

"We had to control the first 15 minutes of the second half and after that the game was over."

Ancelotti was in charge of Milan when they famously let a 3-0 half-time lead slip against Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final before losing a penalty shootout defeat in Istanbul.

"I forgot this," he joked.

"I told the players that in football everything can happen.

"I know really well that these [Liverpool] supporters stay close to the team. I told my players to stay focused in the second half."

It was a landmark night at Anfield for Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who went level with Barcelona midfielder Xavi in making 143 appearances in the Champions League - a competition record.

Casillas told UEFA.com: "When I made my debut on September 15, 1999, I never thought that I would get to even be the second or third player with most appearances, so I'm very happy with everything."

Ludogorets 1 Basel 0: Bulgarians secure historic triumph

Ludogorets struck late against 10-man Basel in Group B to win 1-0 and record their first UEFA Champions League victory.

The visitors were forced to play at a man disadvantage from the 18th minute when Geoffroy Serey Die was sent off for a challenge on Cosmin Moti, to the consternation of his team-mates.

Paulo Sousa's side looked like holding on for a brave point until left-back Yordan Minev popped up with a dramatic winner in the first minute of stoppage time.

Ludogorets had looked devoid of ideas after Basel dropped behind the ball, reduced to shots from distance and an ambitious chip from Dani Abalo the closest they came to scoring.

But the left-back snatched victory late on, making Ludogorets the first Bulgarian team to claim a point in the competition and changing the dynamic of the group as the hosts climbed above Basel, who beat Liverpool on matchday two.

Basel started the game without the injured Marco Streller, who scored the winner against Liverpool, and 17-year-old Breel Embolo impressed in his place, leading the line and feeding off scraps for the majority of the match as he was left isolated up front.

These teams met at the play-off stage of this competition last season as Basel advanced 6-2 on aggregate.

But neither side seemed willing to give too much away in the early exchanges this time, which suited the visitors as they sought to puncture the atmosphere and keep possession.

The game burst into life in the 17th minute as Marcelinho drew an impressive save from Tomas Vaclik, meeting Fabio Espinho's whipped free-kick with a full-length diving header from eight yards.

That brought the crowd into the game, and a minute later the volume increased still further as Basel's combative midfielder Serey Die was shown a straight red card.

The Ivorian had already committed to a series of robust challenges but this time was judged to have gone over the ball on Moti, leaving his side to play with 10 men for more than 70 minutes.

Basel proceeded to drop deeper behind the ball, but only after a period of pressure that saw Derlis Gonzalez test Vladislav Stoyanov with a curling shot following neat build-up, in the 28th minute.

Ludogorets struggled to deal with the visitors' switch in shape, making poor decisions in the final third and failing to create anything clear-cut.

The hosts improved after the break, however, and Vaclik had to backpedal quickly to tip Abalo's clever chip over the bar in the 52nd minute.

But Ludogorets failed to build on that good start to the second half. Younes Hamza wasted their only half chances until Minev popped up on the counter-attack with a well-struck shot from 18 yards that bounced past Vaclik and into the bottom corner.