Europe's top 4 has surprise guests

We are currently a third of the way through the season in Europe's four biggest leagues, and, despite not having an invite to the party, several unexpected teams have managed to gatecrash top spots in the Premier League, the Spanish 'Liga BBVA', Italy's 'Seria A' and the German 'Bundesliga'.



West Bromwich Albion. The great revelation in the Premier League, the 'Baggies' are currently in third spot, three points off second placed City and four points from United in top spot. They've made their stadium a fortress (six wins from seven home games) and Long, Odemwingie, Morrison and Lukaku have all been outstanding.



Atlético de Madrid. The club from Spain's capital city has surprised with an effective and attractive playing style. Last season Simeone warned: "Atlético could provide a challenge". With 34 points, the team is second, just one victory behind Barcelona and eight points ahead of Real Madrid. Anything's possible with Falcao in the side.



Fiorentina. The 'Viola' are second in Serie A, behind Juventus. The Italian side seems reborn with fantastic performances from Jovetic, top scorer with six goals, and Borja Valero, the team's midfield mastermind.



Eintracht Frankfurt. A team that was only promoted to the top flight recently has got into the Champions League spots, and is nipping at the heels of the almighty Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke 04. Alexander Meier is the team's star performer with nine goals.

Falcao: Happy at Athletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid striker Falcao has spoken of his desire to win titles with the club after making an impressive start to the new season.



Having already won the UEFA Super Cup this season, Falcao, 26, is aiming to win more silverware this season and insists he is happy where he is.



An impressive start by Atletico sees them sitting top of their Europa League group, and second in La Liga just three points behind leaders Barcelona and five points above fierce rivals Real Madrid.



The Colombian striker has already netted 10 league goals this season and firmly believes this could be a great season for himself and his club.



"I am very happy at Atletico Madrid," said Falcao.



"I am enjoying how it and my main objective is to continue scoring goals so that we can bring great success to the club.



"2012 is my year without a doubt and I believe I can win titles, but only with the help of my team mates at both Atletico and Colombia."

Thursday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Chelsea defender David Luiz came up against Radamel Falcao on Wednesday night - and the Brazilian wants to see the Atletico Madrid striker at Stamford Bridge.



- Roman Abramovich is ready to concede his £50million gamble on Fernando Torres has failed and step up his pursuit of Colombia sensation Radamel Falcao.



- Chelsea target Stephan Lichtsteiner is happy at Juventus and has no intention of leaving Turin in January, according to his agent.



- Luis Suarez has dismissed talk linking him with a move away from Liverpool saying he is happy with life at Anfield.



- Liverpool’s manager is rebuilding his squad and wants to raise money by selling Stewart Downing.



- Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has played down talk of a contract dispute with Raheem Sterling over a new deal for the youngster.



- Liverpool and Manchester City have joined Manchester United in the race to sign Sassuolo striker Domenico Berardi according to the club's general director, Nereo Bonato.



- Christian Atsu says he wants to reject offers from Premier League clubs in favour of staying at Porto.



- Manchester United are battling it out with Inter Milan and Juventus to land Colombia starlet Juan Fernando Quintero, according to talkSPORT.



- Everton manager David Moyes was among scouts monitoring Norway defender Vegard Forren, 24, during their 2-0 win over Hungary on Wednesday.



- The agent of Fluminense teenager Wallace claims his proposed move to Chelsea is almost done and says he will play at Stamford Bridge rather than going out on loan.



- Arsenal target Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has ended speculation over his future by signing a contract extension with Montpellier.



- West Brom are leading the growing pack of clubs interested in Lokeren defender Laurens De Bock.



- Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has set his sights on German goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald.



- Swindon have signed Norwich striker Chris Martin on loan until 5 January.



- Tony Watt has committed his future to Celtic after the club confirmed he had signed a new long-term deal.



- Athletic Bilbao have stated that Fernando Llorente will not be allowed to leave the club in the winter transfer window in a bid to end speculation about his future.



- Juventus are monitoring Theo Walcott's contract negotiations closely - and the Italian champions could try to tempt the Arsenal striker to Turin next summer.



- Juventus are set to step up their interest in Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov, according to talkSPORT.



- Schalke general manager Horst Heldt says the club are working overtime to ensure Lewis Holtby and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar remain in Germany and do not move to the Premier League.



- Ajax have raised the stakes in the fight for Christian Eriksen by claiming they will sell the Liverpool and Manchester City target for 'a big bag of money'.



- Hannover forward Didier Ya Konan has fuelled transfer speculation by admitting that he hopes to turn out in the Premier League at some stage.

Europa League round-up

• Reigning champions Atletico Madrid are all but through to the knockout stages after a 2-1 win over Academica.
  


• Goals from Diego Costa and Emre saw the Spanish side home despite a late Salim Cisse consolation.
  


• Dnipro also retain a 100% record with a 3-1 win over Napoli, as do Lyon thanks to Jimmy Briand's late goal in their 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao.
  


• But Marseille, who had topped their group, slipped to third after losing 2-0 away to Borussia Monchengladbach.
  


• Watch Europa League highlights HERE.

GROUP A



Liverpool head the group after a crucial 1-0 win over Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, thanks to a Stewart Downing strike after 53 minutes.

Udinese suffered a shock 3-1 defeat away to bottom side Young Boys in Switzerland with Raul Bobadilla grabbing a stunning hat-trick.



GROUP B



Reigning champions Atletico Madrid maintained their 100% record with a 2-1 win over Academica, Diego Costa and Emre Belozoglu netting before Salim Cisse hit a late consolation.

Plzen moved clear in second with a 2-1 win at Hapoel Tel Aviv. Frantisek Rajtoral hit the late winner before home defender I'yad Hutba was sent off.



GROUP C



Egeman Korkmaz scored in the 72nd minute to give Fenerbahce a 1-0 win at AEL Limassol and move them top.

Marseille, who started the night heading the table, lost 2-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach. The result moves the Germans level with their opponents on four points, with the Turkish side now out in front on seven.



GROUP D



Newcastle strengthened their hold on the group, winger Gabriel Obertan giving them a 1-0 win over Club Bruges, while second-placed Bordeaux were held 1-1 at Maritimo.

Yoan Gouffran's opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Roberge Valentin six minutes later.



GROUP E



Steaua Bucharest extended their lead at the top as goals from Vlad Chiriches and Raul Rusescu gave them a 2-0 win over Molde.

Group rivals Stuttgart and FC Copenhagen played out a goalless draw in Germany.



GROUP F



Raul Bobadilla (left) scored an impressive hat-trick as Young Boys overcame Udinese.

Dnipro went five points clear at the top with a 3-1 win over Napoli in Ukraine - Artem Fedetskiy, Matheus and Giuliano scoring before Edinson Cavani replied with a late consolation.

PSV Eindhoven and AIK drew 1-1 in Holland with Kwame Karikari putting the previously pointless Swedes in front on the hour before Jeremain Lens equalised with 10 minutes to go.



GROUP G



Elyaniv Barda headed a late winner as Genk stayed unbeaten at the top of the group after coming from behind to see off Sporting Lisbon 2-1 in Belgium. Barda struck with three minutes to go after Sporting's Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Hungarians Videoton beat Basle 2-1 with Fabien Schar atoning for an early own goal by scoring at the right end in injury time.



GROUP H



Rodrigo Palacio headed home an 88th-minute winner as Inter Milan saw off Partizan Belgrade at the San Siro and all but booked their place in the knockout stages.

Inter are now joint top on seven points with Rubin Kazan. Alan Kasaev's 16th-minute goal proved enough to see off Azerbaijan side Neftci in Russia.



GROUP I



Rodrigo Palacio (left) scored an 88th-minute winner for Inter Milan over Partizan Belgrade.

Lyon maintained their 100% record with a 2-1 win over last year's beaten finalists Athletic Bilbao . A Lisandro Lopez opener was cancelled out by Ibai Gomez before Jimmy Briand struck the winner four minutes from time.

Goals from Ladislav Krejci, Vaclav Kadlec and Ondrej Svejdik helped Sparta Prague to a 3-1 win over Hapoel Kiryat Shmona. Lyon now ead the group on nine points with Sparta clear in second on six.



GROUP J



It took a Jose Toche injury time equaliser for Panathinaikos to draw 1-1 with Lazio in Group J. An earlier own goal from defender Giourkas Seitaridis looked set to give the Italians the points before Toche's final touch.

Gylfi Sigurdsson earned Tottenham a point in a 1-1 draw at Maribor, who led through Robert Beric. Lazio remain unbeaten on five points with Maribor in second, but all four sides in the group are still in the running.



GROUP K



Bonfim Marlos and Cleiton Xavier gave Ukrainians Metalist Kharkiv a 2-1 win at Rosenborg after the Norwegians had led through Tarik Elyounoussi's 46th-minute strike.

But Metalist Kharkiv still conceded top spot in the group to Bayer Leverkusen, whose impressive 4-0 win at Rapid Vienna took them first on goal difference.



GROUP L



Hannover stay top after a 2-1 win at Helsingborg. Mame Biram Diouf opened the scoring for the Germans with Alvaro Santos equalising in injury time, only for Didier Ya Konan to restore Hannover's advantage in the third minute of added time.

Levante moved clear in second place with a 3-0 win over Twente, a Michel penalty followed by Pedro Rios adding a late double.

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- AC Milan are stepping up their efforts to land Manchester United winger Nani, according to reports in Italy.



- Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo believes that Radamel Falcao will not leave the club in January, even if a club meets his release clause.



- Injured Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi could be set for a move to Inter Milan in January, according to his agent.



- AC Milan are ready to flog Kevin Prince Boateng to Bayern Munich to fund their move for Manchester United target Kevin Strootman, according to talkSPORT.



- Galatasaray chief executive Lutfi Aribogan has revealed out-of-favour Arsenal left-back Andre Santos is on the club's wishlist but says there has been no contact with the Gunners.



- Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to see off competition from both Manchester clubs and Real Madrid by offering Ashley Cole a £150,000-a-week three-year deal worth £23m, according to Dailymail.



- Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who has been linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid, should join Jose Mourinho's side if he moves to Spain, former Los Blancos striker Davor Suker has told BBC Wales.



- Chelsea are showing interest in signing Lazio midfielder Senad Lulic, according to talkSPORT.



- Jermaine Pennant is relishing the chance to get his career back on track at Wolves after joining the Championship side on loan.



- Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool, believes he can become a better player by remaining in Amsterdam.



- West Ham keeper Stephen Henderson has completed his three-month loan move to Championship club Ipswich.



- Santos midfielder Felipe Anderson is aware of reports linking him with AC Milan, but claims no contact has been made.



- Sky Sports understands Bristol City have signed former Bolton defender Nathan Battersby on a short-term deal.



- Barcelona Andres Iniesta wants to end his career at the club - dashing any feint hopes Manchester City had of signing the midfielder, according to talkSPORT.



- Arsene Wenger has asked to be kept informed of any developments involving Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, according to reports in Spain.



- Liverpool have dismissed the idea of making a £20million move for Daniel Sturridge in the January transfer window.



But Reds boss Brendan Rodgers would be interested in a deal for the England striker if he is allowed to take him on loan to begin with, according to Dailymirror.

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Neymar has hinted that he could be tempted by a move to England amid reports that he is wanted by Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid, according to Sky Sports.



- Arsenal are preparing to step up their interest in Atletico Madrid forward Adrian Lopez, according to The People.



- Ashley Cole is ready to walk out on Chelsea at the end of the season after failing to agree terms on a new contract. Cole is adamant he will not sign a one-year extension.



- Paris Saint Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has hinted he is ready to make a move for Roma's Daniele De Rossi in January.



- Anzhi Makhachkala are keen on signing Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic, according to the Daily Star.



- And United are considering selling Vidic next year, according to Goal.com.



- Barcelona defender Andreu Fontas has joined Real Mallorca on loan after the Balearic outfit were given permission to make an emergency signing.



- Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone has dismissed claims he is looking to return to Italy.



- Radamel Falcao, who is a target for Chelsea and Manchester City, would be a success in the Premier League, according to City midfielder Javi Garcia, who has told Sport360 that he would love to see the Atletico Madrid striker move to the Etihad Stadium.



Falcao was linked with both Chelsea and Premier League champions Manchester City throughout the summer and is believed to be a January target for both clubs.



- Chelsea outcast Florent Malouda is set for a January move to Brazilian club Santos.



- Sky Sports understands Manchester United have rejected several enquiries from Championship clubs to take Robbie Brady on loan.



- MK Dons boss Karl Robinson has rejected the notion of striker Ryan Lowe joining Tranmere on loan.



- Liverpool are lining up an ambitious La Liga double swoop for Atletico Madrid winger Arda Turan and Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez, according to talkSPORT.



- Chelsea could add to their growing Brazilian contingent with a move for Corinthians anchorman Paulinho.



- Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool could consider making a move for AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng in January, according to reports in Germany.



- Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami could leave the club in January, according to Swiss newspaper Sonntags Zeitung.



- Tottenham are to make a move for Valencia attacking midfielder Jonas in the January transfer window, according to reports in Spain.



- According to the programme 'Futboleros', on MARCA TV, Real is combing the market for a goalkeeper to compete with Casillas and who would be a suitable reliable replacement for him in case of injury or suspension.



- Manchester City are in no rush to extend Yaya Toure's contract, according to reports.

Salvio revels in Benfica move

Argentina winger Eduardo Salvio declared himself "back home" after completing his transfer to Benfica from Atletico Madrid.



The 22-year-old, who spent the 2010-11 campaign on loan at the Stadium of Light, has joined last season's Portuguese Liga runners-up for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract, which contains a buy-out clause starting at 60 million euros ($70 million).



"Eduardo Salvio is the latest enhancement to the SL Benfica football team," a club statement read.



"The player, 22, is returning to a club he knows very well.



"After having represented the club on loan in the 2010-11 season, Salvio has now signed a contract for five years. The termination clause of the Argentina international is 60 million euros."



Salvio, who arrived in the Spanish capital in 2010 from Argentinian club Lanus, told Benfica TV: "I never stopped being a 'Benfiquista'. I took the club to my heart and I feel I am back home."



Recalling his time with the club the campaign before last, he added: "I remember it was a great team who played excellent football. We always went out on the field looking to win.



"This year we have a team capable of fighting for big things. The fact that the same coach [Jorge Jesus] is here is a help. The squad has not changed much, which is good as I remember my former team-mates.



"I have grown in terms of being a player and a person. But I have not changed much and I will do my best to support the team.



"I want to win titles and play in the Champions League. It's also good to play for a big club. This makes me very happy."

Atletico Madrid sign Cata Diaz on two-year deal

Atletico Madrid have completed the €1 million signing of Getafe defender Cata Diaz.



The experienced Argentine has put pen to paper on a two-year contract at the Vicente Calderon, and seemingly ends the capital club's search for defensive reinforcements.

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Diaz, who has been capped 12 times by Argentina, joined the Azulones in a €4 million deal from Boca Juniors in 2007 and went on to make over 160 Liga appearances in a five-year spell.



He represents Atleti's third arrival of the summer, following the previous captures of Cristian Rodriguez and Emre.



Despite a disappointing start to the season under Gregorio Manzano, his successor Diego Simeone took over in December and lead the side to an impressive fifth place and a second Europa League title in three years.



Prior to joining Getafe, the centre-back had played for Rosario Central (Argentina), Cruz Azul (Mexico), Colón (Argentina) and Boca Juniors.

Diego plans Madrid exit

Diego has issued a farewell message to Atletico Madrid fans, telling them that the club will always occupy a place in his heart.



The 27-year-old attacking midfielder moved to the Vicente Calderon on a season-long loan from Wolfsburg after falling out with coach Felix Magath, and played a key role in his side's Europa League triumph.



It had been unclear as to whether the switch would be made permanent, but Diego has hinted that he will not be spending another season with Atletico, following up on his parent club's previous admission.



"Firstly, I want to thank all the fans of Atletico for all the support that they have given me," he said, according to Marca.



"Everything has been very special to me and that was critical to my success as this club.



"I'll never forget my time here and every moment (the fans) spent with me. I will always keep them in my heart. I tried my best to make the club invest for me stay permanently. But things have been good here."



Diego moved to Wolfsburg in 2010 after a disappointing campaign with Juventus, but plied his trade at the Volkswagen Arena for only one year before moving to La Liga.

Atletico, Bilbao go to war in Bucharest

Atletico Madrid aim to rejoin the European football elite on Wednesday by beating Athletic Bilbao in an all-Spanish Europa League final in Bucharest.



Atletico won the inaugural Europa League two years ago 2-1 against England's Fulham in Hamburg.



They followed up that triumph three months later by overcoming Champions League winners Inter Milan 2-0 in Monte Carlo for the European Super Cup.



"We want to repeat what we achieved in 2010," said captain Antonio Lopez. "That was a wonderful achievement, now we want to do it again."



However, it will be a very different Atletico team on Wednesday to the one that beat Fulham and Inter.



Only four players - Lopez himself, Alvaro Dominguez, Luis Perea and Paulo Assuncao - are still at the club, and none of these four are sure of their place in the starting lineup of coach Diego Simeone.



Lopez and Perea are about to leave the club. They were given an emoptional send-off by the Estadio Calderon on Saturday before a 2-1 defeat of Malaga which left Atletico in fifth place.



"On Wednesday we will be playing for our lives. It will be a great day. It is very difficult to reach a final ... I hope it will be the icing on the cake to my spell at the club," Perea said.



Lopez said: "I always said that I didn't want to leave this club without picking up a trophy, and fortunately I have been able to lift two (in 2010). I hope we don't miss the chance to pick up a third one."



Neither team has any injury worries. While Simeone was putting out his best 11 against Malaga, Bilbao coach Marcelo Bielsa was resting most of his first-teamers in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Getafe.



Bilbao is the European team which has played most games this season, in reaching not only the Europa League final but also the Spanish cup final.



The wear and tear on Bielsa's young Basques has caused them to slip down to 10th in La Liga.



However, they will be fresh and keen on Wednesday, determined to give the club a first continental trophy - and rub out the memory of a narrow defeat on away goals against Juventus in the 1977 Uefa Cup final.



Bilbao are a unique case in European football because they eschew foreign signings and field only players born or brought up in the Basque provinces.



"We are expectant, wanting the day of the final to arrive straight away," said Ander Iturraspe, one of Bilbao's many promising prospects.



"The fans are also expectant, as always, with a lot of hope. We perceive this and it is very positive for us to know that we have that pressure to do our best."



Another of Bielsa's young midfield tigers, Oscar de Marcos, said: "In the past few days I have had a tension in my stomach when I think about the final. We have to keep this tension at bay. We are all waiting for the big day to arrive, we can hardly wait."



Iturraspe and De Marcos will line up in midfield alongside the elegant Ander Herrera and the lively Markel Susaeta, with enfant terrible Iker Muniain in attack alongside Spain striker Fernando Llorente.



Herrera, Muniain and Llorente are high on the shopping lists of many top clubs for this summer, alongside midfielder-cum-defender Javi Martinez, another Spanish international.



Wednesday's game is the first European final played in Romania. Around 15 000 fans of each club are expected to make the trip, many of them without a match ticket.



Bucharest police expect few problems between the two groups of supporters as Atletico and Bilbao have always enjoyed good relations.



Atletico were founded in 1903 by a group of Basque students in Madrid as a branch of their beloved Bilbao club. This is why the two teams have similar names and colours, and a long-standing friendship between them.