Liverpool reveal Klinsmann talks

Benitez (left) will be disappointed by Hicks' revelations

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks says he held talks with Jurgen Klinsmann in November about taking over as manager in case Rafael Benitez left the club.

Mixed performances and a row with Hicks and co-owner George Gillett on transfer policy put Benitez's position in doubt.

"We attempted to negotiate an option as an insurance policy... if Rafa left for Real Madrid or other clubs rumoured, " Hicks told the Liverpool Echo.

He added: "Or in case our communication spiralled out of control."

Hicks was alluding to the criticism of Hicks and Gillett by Benitez over their transfer policy which angered the American duo and put the Spaniard's position in jeopardy.

Klinsmann's services have now been secured by Bayern Munich and he will take over the German club at the end of this season.

The confirmation of talks between Klinsmann and his bosses will come as a blow to Benitez, although Hicks said the negotiations took place in November when the club were in danger of going out of the Champions League at the group stages and suffering indifferent league form.

Liverpool needed a 4-1 win over Marseille in their final group game on 11 December to book their place in the knockout stages.

The American owners and Benitez had clear-the-air talks after the Premier League loss to Manchester United on 16 December and Hicks now insists the Reds manager has their full support.

"After George and I had our long and productive meeting with Rafa following the Manchester United match, we put all of our issues behind us and received Rafa's commitment that he wanted to stay with Liverpool," said Hicks.

"We never reached agreement on an option with Jurgen, and we are both pleased for him that he has a great opportunity to return to Germany and coach a great club team.

"Rafa has both of our support, and our communication has greatly improved."

But Liverpool's form has not improved and they are currently 12 points off the top of the Premier League table,.

They were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chelsea and have been taken to a replay by struggling Luton in the FA Cup third round.

Berbatov could leave, says agent

Berbatov joined Tottenham in summer 2006

Dimitar Berbatov's agent Emil Dantchev has told BBC Sport the striker is happy at Tottenham but would be interested in a move to "a big club".

The 26-year-old has been a huge hit since joining Spurs in 2006, but Dantchev said he had spoken to chairman Daniel Levy about his future.

"Dimitar wants to fulfil his potential and win trophies now," said Dantchev.

But Levy has repeatedly insisted he is building for the long term, rather than being interested in selling players.

Fans must understand Dimitar is 27 next month and time is running out for him to play for a club that can match his ambition Berbatov's agent Emil Dantchev

The Bulgarian has regularly been linked with Manchester United and his agent's comments came just before the mid-season transfer window opens.

He scored 22 goals in his first season at White Hart Lane, and so far this campaign he has netted another 11, including four in the 6-4 win over Reading.

"His performances for the club are a testament to his commitment to the fans and his team-mates," Dantchev told The Sun newspaper.

"Fans must understand Dimitar is 27 next month and time is running out for him to play for a club that can match his ambition.

"I would like to stress this is not about money. This is about sporting ambition.

"But after Tottenham's bad start to the season, it is unlikely they will have the chance to do something big this season."

Lyon 0-3 Rangers

Rangers made it two wins from two Champions League outings with an amazing victory in Lyon.

Lee McCulloch gave the visitors a half time lead with a powerful header from a DaMarcus Beasley corner.

And Rangers stung the hosts with two breakaway goals early in the second half, Daniel Cousin and Beasley applying the finishes.

The French side hit the woodwork three times but Rangers defended stoutly throughout for a valuable three points.

The Ibrox side are now level with Barcelona, who won 2-0 in Stuttgart, at the top of Group E and next face the Catalan giants in Glasgow on 23 October.

Rangers, who had been seeded fourth in a tough section, must now be harbouring serious ambitions of reaching the knockout phase.

Lyon, on top of Ligue 1 after a shaky start to the season, made a bright opening, zipping one-touch passes around with confidence.

But the Rangers midfielder five worked hard to protect their defenders, constructing a solid wall of blue shirts across the the face of the penalty area.

And the visitors stunned the the home fans in the Stade Gerland when they opened the scoring on 23 minutes.

Alan Hutton broke purposefully from his right-back berth to win a corner and McCulloch rose to bullet home the near post delivery from Beasley.

With Walter Smith's side continuing to defend deep in their own half, a frustrated Lyon side were reduced to long range shots, without troubling goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Lyon full-back Fabio Grosso did manage to steal in behind the Rangers rearguard but his fizzing low cross was too firm for any of his team-mates to connect with.

A minute before the interval, Juninho won a free-kick, which earned David Weir a yellow card, with a devious dive.

However, justice was done when the Brazilian midfielder's dipping strike from 22 yards cannoned off the crossbar, with the flailing McGregor grasping at thin air.

The second half was just two minutes old when Juninho flashed an angled shot narrowly wide of the target.

Rangers immediately replied with another penetrating run from Hutton and Cousin took a neat touch from the defender's pass before turning his marker and blazing a shot beyond Remy Vercoutre.

The small band of travelling fans were still celebrating the Frenchman's strike when Beasley increased the lead.

With the home defence posted missing, the American winger ran on to a long ball from Cousin and calmly placed it past the dithering Vercoutre.

On 70 minutes, Juninho struck the frame of the goal for a second time with fierce strike from 20 yards.

McGregor made a fine save from a deflected Hatem Ben Arfa effort and a header from Cleber Beraldo crashed off the bar as Lyon pressed for a way back into a game they had been fancied to win comfortably.

Lyon : Vercoutre, Reveillere (Clerc 81), Squillaci, Anderson, Grosso, Juninho, Bodmer (Ben Arfa 60), Kallstrom, Govou, Baros (Keita 60), Benzema. Subs Not Used: Roux, Belhadj, Fabio Santos, Toulalan.

Booked : Squillaci, Reveillere.

Rangers : McGregor, Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Hemdani, Beasley (Adam 90), Ferguson, Thomson, McCulloch (Novo 80), Cousin (Whittaker 66). Subs Not Used: Carroll, Boyd, Naismith, Faye.

Booked : Weir, Ferguson, Thomson.

Goals : McCulloch 23, Cousin 48, Beasley 53.

Att : 38,076

Ref : Tom Ovrebo (Norway).

Tottenham 4-4 Aston Villa

Younes Kaboul completed an amazing comeback by Tottenham as they fought back from 4-1 down to hold Aston Villa.

Dimitar Berbatov nodded Spurs in front but Martin Laursen levelled after Paul Robinson's error, then made it 2-1 when he deflected in Zat Knight's header.

Gabriel Agbonlahor drilled home a third and Craig Gardner's low free-kick made it 4-1 before Pascal Chimbonda replied after Jermain Defoe had hit the post.

Robbie Keane's penalty made it 4-3 before Kaboul's last-gasp leveller.

Tottenham remain in the bottom three of the Premier League but their under-fire boss Martin Jol can take heart from the way his side responded when facing almost certain defeat.

But while the manner in which the home side earned their point will ease the pressure on Jol, he will know he must solve the defensive problems which meant they had to work so hard to get something from this game.

Spurs had celebrated their 125th anniversary with a parade of legends before kick-off but the party did not continue for long once the game was underway.

True, Jol's side were looking dangerous going forward but Tottenham's continuing difficulty in dealing with Villa's attacks meant that, just two minutes after Berbatov rose to nod the home side ahead, the visitors were level.

Robinson inexplicably dropped Gareth Barry's corner and the ball bounced kindly for Laursen, who smashed his shot into the unguarded net.

Villa's second goal was almost as embarrassing for the Tottenham defence, a quick free-kick catching them unawares and, from another Barry cross, Knight headed the ball against Laursen, through Robinson's legs and into the net.

Things got even worse for Spurs before the break when Gabriel Agbonlahor latched on to a clearance from Villa keeper Scott Carson, held off Michael Dawson and fired into the bottom corner.

And when Robinson failed to keep out Craig Gardner's low free-kick early in the second half, things looked ominous for Spurs and for Jol.

But Tottenham never gave up and, with Defoe brought off the bench, they belatedly began to threaten again.

The England striker hit the post before Chimbonda netted from the rebound to give his side hope, then Robbie Keane brought the score back to 4-3 from the spot after Marlon Harewood clumsily fouled substitute Darren Bent.

It still looked like Villa would hold on but Kaboul had other ideas, slamming home in stoppage time after Villa failed to clear a corner.

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Bale, Lennon (Malbranque 86), Zokora, Huddlestone, Tainio (Defoe 54), Berbatov (Bent 73), Keane.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Rocha.

Booked: Kaboul.

Goals: Berbatov 20, Chimbonda 69, Keane 82 pen, Kaboul 90.

Aston Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma, Gardner (Petrov 73), Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Moore (Harewood 66), Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Davies, Osbourne.

Booked: Reo-Coker, Gardner, Carson.

Goals: Laursen 22, 33, Agbonlahor 40, Gardner 59.

Att: 36,094

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Brazil down Mexico

BOSTON, Sept 13: Brazil struck twice inside the last 10 minutes to record a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Mexico in a friendly on Wednesday.Mexico went ahead in the 43rd minute through Juan Carlos Cacho.

But Brazil drew level two minutes later when Kleber met a Ronaldinho corner at the near post and his shot beat the diving Mexican goal-keeper Guillermo Ochoa.

With 10 minutes left on the clock Kaka put Brazil ahead, slotting home after Mexicodefender Rafael Marquez failed to clear a low cross fromMaicon.

Brazil then had substitute Elano sent off for a wild challenge on Gerardo Torrado but despite being down to 10 men they extended their lead when substitute Afonso raced over the top and confidently fired home.