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Showing posts with label Champions League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Champions League. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

March 14, 2018

Barca vs. Chelsea predictions: One more draw, one more win for the Blues

Chelsea are back at Camp Nou where a win or a high-scoring draw puts them through to the Champions League quarterfinals. How confident are we of the Blues continuing their odd success at Barcelona?

Chelsea hope to leave Spain in a better place than Manchester United and Tottenham, that is, in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Will they be able to repeat their triumph of 2012, with a similar eye for drama? Or can they go one better and win a game at Camp Nou for the first time in club history?
Barrett Rouen: Barcelona 2 – 2 Chelsea. Chelsea score first, everything is amazing and life is good. Then Andreas Christensen looks his age again and Barca score through Lionel Messi, now that his curse is broken. Then Messi scores again due to some ham-handedness from ThibauAbhishek Pancholi: 2 – 2. It’s deja vu, as Alvaro Morata silences the Barca boo-boys by tucking in a late leveller. Embroiled in an argument with the assistant referee in Barca’s half, he notices a long ball from Christensen hurtling towards him and, for once, he latches on to it and finishes the move.
Yet again, the Blues somehow squeak through on away goals against Barcelona, prompting Andres Iniesta to announce his retirement from football. Messi is caught on camera screaming “NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR, NO MAS” at the heavens as tears roll down his cheeks. The Chelsea squad, meanwhile, is dancing in front of the away end, unaffected by the sprinklers being turned on in a hurry. Good times.
Scott Brant: 1 – 1. Similar to the last match except reverse roles. Barcelona will go ahead early, with Chelsea equalizing late. The match goes to a shootout where Chelsea lose in dramatic fashion. Sadly, it will probably be the last time Antonio Conte manages Chelsea in Champions League.
Kevin Peacock: 0 – 3. Antonio Conte’s continual bleating about having to suffer turns out to be a massive bluff. Having lulled Barcelona into a false sense of security with the performance against City, Conte attacks them from the get-go. It’s the Spanish contingent who do the damage. Cesc Fabregas with the first, Marcos Alonso the second and Alvaro Morata with the third decisive goal.
The only downside comes when Morata, with 10 minutes left, having scored, removes his shirt runs around the back of the Barcelona goal circling the shirt above his head. He puts it back on, gets a yellow card and stupidly repeats the whole process and walks.t Courtois. Willian saves the club. Chelsea win. 



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Sunday, March 4, 2018

March 04, 2018

Modric and Kroos return to training

There was good news for Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane as his favoured midfield pairing of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric returned to full training on Sunday.
With just 48 hours to go until they face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League duel, Zidane must decide whether they will be fit to play.
Both have been sidelined for three weeks, Modric with a grade I strain to his thigh and Kroos with a knee sprain suffered in the first leg.
The duo could come into Zidane's thinking to start at the Parc des Princes.
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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Chelsea Vs Barcelona - HIGHLIGHTS & GOALS
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Tuesday, February 20, 2018

February 20, 2018

Bayern Munich vs Besiktas predictions: Champions League preview, line-ups & football betting tips


Bayern Munich vs Besiktas football betting tips

Bayern Munich are overwhelming favourites to win this first leg (1/8) and the tie overall (1/10).
Besiktas can be backed at 19/1 to win the first leg. And, the Turks are rated at 5/1 to qualify.
Robert Lewandowski is 21/10 to score the first goal. James Rodriguez is 8/5 to score anytime.

Bayern Munich vs Besiktas: Champions League Round of 16 first leg preview

Bayern Munich host Turkish side Besiktas at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
Bayern made it 14 wins in a row on Saturday with a 2-1 away win at Wolfsburg. Bayern went behind in the first period before second-half goals from Sandro Wagner and Robert Lewandowski.
Jupp Heynckes’ side command an incredible 18-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
Bayern finished as runners up in Group B. The Bavarians finished level on 15 points with Paris Saint-Germain, but had a worse head-to-head record.
Bayern also finished above Celtic and Anderlecht.

Can Besiktas keep the tie alive?

Besiktas remain third in the Super Lig following Friday night’s 1-1 draw at Konyaspor. Atiba Hutchinson scored for the visitors, who extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven matches.
Besiktas have a number of Champions League winners in their team. Between Adriano, Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma they boast six Champions League winners medals between them.
The second leg of the tie will take place at the Vodafone Arena on 14 March.

Bayern Munich team news vs Besiktas

Kingsley Coman, who has three assists in the competition, is a doubt through illness.
Number 1 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is a long-term absentee.

Besiktas team news vs Bayern Munich

Dusko Tosic is a doubt with an arm injury, although Veli Kavlak is back in training following a shoulder inury.
Atinc Nukan is a long-term absentee.

Bayern Munich predicted line-up vs Besiktas

Predicted Bayern XI vs Besiktas
Besiktas predicted line-up vs Bayern Munich
Besiktas predicted line-up vs Bayern Munich
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February 20, 2018

Chelsea vs Barcelona predictions: Champions League preview, line-ups & football betting tips



Chelsea vs Barcelona: Champions League Round of 16 first leg preview

Chelsea host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
The Blues head into the match on the back of their 4-0 win over Championship side Hull in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Antonio Conte’s side were 4-0 up at half-time thanks to a brace from Willian, another from Pedro and a first goal for the club from Olivier Giroud.
Chelsea currently lie 4th in the Premier League table, a point ahead of 5th place Spurs.
The Londoners finished runners-up in Group C. Despite having an equal number of points as Roma, and a superior goal difference, Chelsea were placed 2nd due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.
With three wins, two draws and one defeat in the group stage, Chelsea finished above Atletico Madrid and minnows Qarabag.

Eden Hazard vs Leo Messi

All eyes will be on Eden Hazard and Lionel Messi on Tuesday night.
Hazard has scored 15 goals this season, including 11 in the Premier League and 3 in the Champions League.
The Belgian is seemingly back to his best and has also produced three assists in the competitions this season.
Lionel Messi is on 29 goals for the season, although only 3 have come in Europe for the Argentine who is tearing up La Liga once again.
Quite incredibly, Messi is goalless in eight matches against Chelsea.

Chelsea team news vs Barcelona

Tiemoue Bakayoko could miss out although Conte fully expects Marcos Alonso to be available.
Conte also confirmed that Alvaro Morata has been training regularly and will be involved on Tuesday.
Ross Barkley is out with a hamstring injury while David Luiz is a long-term absentee.
Former Barcelona duo Cesc Fabregas and Pedro Rodriguez are both in contention to face their former side.

Barcelona team news vs Chelsea

January signing Philippe Coutinho is cup-tied, having played for Liverpool in the group stage of the competition this season.
Nelson Semedo will serve a one-match suspension.
Thomas Vermaelen is a doubt with a hamstring injury but has made the Barcelona squad. Sergi Samper is a long-term absentee.

Chelsea predicted line-up vs Barcelona

Predicted Chelsea XI vs Barcelona

Barcelona predicted line-up vs Chelsea

Predicted Barcelona XI vs Chelsea


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Thursday, February 15, 2018

February 15, 2018

Al-Khelaifi recalls Aytekin after Bernabeu defeat: Enough is enough

Refereeing has once more come in for heavy criticism from Paris Saint-Germain, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi unhappy with the officiating in their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid.
PSG were publicly furious with the performance of referee Deniz Aytekin during last season's Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.
Once more, they have gone on the offensive against officials, after their loss against Real Madrid on Wednesday night at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
"The errors on the part of the referee have cost us a lot," he stated.
"I think the referee helped Real Madrid.
"[Kylian] Mbappe was called offside.
"There were three mistakes and I'm not saying that we lost because of that, but they made a difference.
"Last year against Barcelona, it was the referee.
"This time, the referee again. Enough.
"We aren't Real Madrid, but enough is enough.
"It isn't good for European football and I think UEFA have to do something."
The 44-year-old is adamant that, while the result was unfair, he is confident about turning the tie around in the French capital.
"I don't think the result was fair because we played better in the second half and had chances to score, but also made mistakes," he added.
"But the next game will be in our stadium and I think we can qualify in front of our own fans.
"We will do everything we can to overcome this deficit and ensure we are in the quarter-final."
Neymar's future is also something that has been up in the air somewhat with rumours circulating surrounding the Brazilian but the man in charge was adamant that he will go nowhere.
"I'm 100 percent sure that Neymar will still be with us next season," he said bluntly.
The second leg of this tie takes place on March 6.
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Wednesday, February 14, 2018

February 14, 2018

Porto vs Liverpool RECAP - Reaction as Salah, Firmino and a Mane hat-trick give Reds a 5-0 win in Champions League test


After nine long years, Liverpool are back in the last 16 of the Champions League.
But the Reds aren't done yet.
Jurgen Klopp will be keen for his free-scoring side to progress even further in the competition and to do that Liverpool must get past Porto.
The Portuguese outfit were also high scorers in the group phase and they will provide a stern test of the Reds' European credentials.
Team news
Emre Can is suspended but Joe Gomez is in line to return after a knee injury. Nathaniel Clyne has returned to full training but is some way off a first team return.
Porto are without midfielder Danilo and star striker Vincent Aboubakar - who scored five goals and delivered two assists in this season's Champions League - faces a late fitness test.

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February 14, 2018


 
Trouble in paradise

It wasn’t a great evening for Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid in the Champions League and social media made sure he knew.
The Brazilian was expected to wreak havoc on his return to the Bernabeu having done it many times for Barcelona.
With his new club PSG the more in-form side between them and Real Madrid, it was expected they would control the tie.
That was partly accurate up to a point when Adrien Rabiot gave the Paris side the lead in the first half.
Though, it didn’t take long for Cristiano Ronaldo to bring the side level in emphatic fashion from the penalty spot.
While there was drama surrounding the spot-kick, the star man planted his penalty into the side netting with no doubt.
Not only was that the turning point in the game, it was Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking 100th Champions League goal for Real Madrid.
Though, it only got better when he put Real Madrid ahead with a fortunate goal after a save from Alphonse Areola.
Marcelo caught the French goalkeeper out at the front post to give the Bernabeu side a 3-1 lead going into the second leg.
Though, another big talking point was Neymar’s performance.

Didn’t live up to the hype

You expect a lot from Neymar these days, you expect him to show up when you need him most.
While he did show spells of dominance during the game and set Rabiot up with a brilliant back-heel, his performance as a whole left a lot to be desired.
Several runs come to nothing, when he should have passed he shot, when he should have gone himself, he passed.
Safe to say, the internet and social media found it both amusing and surprising.
You can see a selection of those tweets below.
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February 14, 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo breaks yet another Champions League record

100 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo is someone who loves a trophy – in terms of his team or individually, and when Real Madrid won back to back Champions League trophies, he was keen to make it all about him – and he loves that.
So when he managed to score a penalty to make it 1-1 in their game against PSG to give them light in the first leg of the tie, he was thrilled and it showed – it also helped that he managed to reach 100 Champions League goals for Real Madrid – and became the first player to do so for any side in the competition.
Considering he hasn’t been at Real for his entire career, it’s a pretty insane record to have, and knowing Ronaldo, he’s only going to want to do more and more despite being on the wrong side of 30 now and having people question if he’s still as good as he once was.
Ronaldo himself will think he’s getting better and better, and after winning the Ballon d’Or last season, made it very clear he thinks he’s the best in the world – and reaching 100 goals for the same club in the biggest competition of domestic football before anyone else won’t hurt that thought – and then he went one better and managed to get 101.
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Monday, February 12, 2018

February 12, 2018

Chiellini does not remember rough tackle on Kane


Italy's Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini does not specifically remember welcoming Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Harry Kane to international football with one of his crunching tackles but admits it may have happened.
Chiellini, one of Europe's most uncompromising defenders, and Kane, a prolific scorer in the English Premier League, will cross swords again on Tuesday when Juve host Spurs in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
The two players previously faced each other when Italy hosted England in a friendly at the same Juventus stadium in Turin in March 2015, a match which saw Kane make his full international debut.
The game had barely begun when Kane was met with a Chiellini body check which the Tottenham player described in a pre-match news conference on Monday as a "very nice welcome to international football."
Facing the media later, Chiellini's memory failed him.
"Kane said I made a rough challenge on him once? I don't remember, it could be the case... but it wasn't on purpose."
Despite his fearsome reputation on the pitch, Chiellini is regarded as a gentleman off it and he was generous in his praise of Kane.
"He's an extraordinary forward as his statistics from the last year show," he said. "He's a complete forward who plays for the team. In my opinion he was already one of the best strikers and people were already talking about him then. I think I was a good judge."
Chiellini said the match was not just a battle between him and Kane.
"It's impossible for me to stop Kane on my own, the important thing is that Juventus stop Tottenham," he said. "It would be simplistic to think that Tottenham is just about Kane."
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February 12, 2018

Spurs will learn from Juve game if they belong at elite level-Pochettino

Tottenham Hotspur will find out if they can compete with Europe's elite when they take on an experienced Juventus side in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, according to their manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs reached the knockout stage by topping Group H, which included Borussia Dortmund and holders Real Madrid, but their Argentine manager suggested on Monday that the biggest test of their campaign would be against the Italians.
"Tomorrow, we'll see if we can compete at this level," Pochettino told a news conference. "Juventus have plenty of experience and we need to reach their level with motivation, energy and the desire to compete.
"We are going to be brave, we are going to try to win. We need to play with freedom and clear ideas. It's a game we must enjoy," he added before they face a Juve side who have lost in two of the last three Champions League finals.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane said the ambitious London club, who move into a new stadium next season, were heading into the game with plenty of belief and he was hopeful they could take something back to Wembley for the return leg next month.
"Nobody expected us to get out of our group and so we come here with great confidence... It will be tough tomorrow night but hopefully we can get the job done," he said.
Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld, who recently returned to action after a hamstring injury, did not travel with the squad after Pochettino decided to ease the Belgian back in.
"He had a massive injury and from day one we designed a plan to provide him with the best tools to recover as soon as possible and to be stronger than before," the Spurs coach said.
"He has started to work with the team and it's our judgement that he needs to build his fitness." 


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Premier League

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Milan keeping tabs on Fabregas

Milan are keeping tabs on Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, per  Corriere dello Sport . The Serie A club tried to sign the Spain int...