Hamburg - Former Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi is hoping that he will be given another chance to return to the national team.

The Schalke 04 player was kicked out of the German team by coach Joachim Loew last month after leaving the stadium at half time without permission during a World Cup qualifier against Russia for which he had not been nominated as a substitute.

Kuranyi is quoted in Welt am Sonntag as having said that he is hoping for another chance. "I hope that I have not closed all doors because of one mistake. Some time in the future it will be my goal again to play for Germany. But at the moment everything is fine the way it is."

Bochum, Germany - Werder Bremen's sporting director Klaus Allofs has said that Italian Serie A club Juventus has not made an offer for the Bundesliga club's Brazilian midfielder Diego.

London, Nov. 9 : Newcastle coach Joe Kinnear has warned Chelsea that they face a fight to land striker Michael Owen. 

London, Nov. 9 : Newcastle coach Joe Kinnear has warned Chelsea that they face a fight to land striker Michael Owen. 

Madrid - Real Madrid went to the top of the Spanish Liga on Saturday, albeit temporarily, with an epic ten-man 4-3 home win over midtable Malaga.

Real needed four goals from the in-form Gonzalo Higuain and one from to break the resistance of Malaga, who took the lead three times in the Estadio Bernabeu.

Bernd Schuster's injury-hit side had to play with 10 men from the 44th minute onwards, thanks to the sending-off of Euro 2008 hero Sergio Ramos.

Milan - Torino edged visiting Palermo 1-0 Saturday in a pulsating game that opened the 10th round of Seria A at Turin's Stadio Olimpico.

Second-half Austrian substitute Juergen Saumel rewarded Torino's unrelenting pressing volleying home a lose ball from long-range with one minute left.

Torino had notched only three points from their last six games and moved clear of the lower reaches on 11 points, while Palermo remain safe on 16.