Champions League
February 21, 2018
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Champions League
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
Besiktas predicted line-up vs Bayern Munich
Champions League
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
Barcelona predicted line-up vs Chelsea
Friday, February 16, 2018
Transfer
February 16, 2018
Mauro Icardi to Manchester United
Inter Milan captain Icardi has already been subject of Real Madrid transfer rumours this season but said at the time he was committed to Inter. However, according to Corriere dello Sport, the Argentine forward's representative, wife Wanda, is working with super-agent Mino Raiola to push through a move to Old Trafford. Icardi is also in talks with Inter over a new contract with the Italian side hopeful of removing the release clause in his deal. Icardi would like to see that price increased to €150 million on top of a pay rise.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Champions League
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.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Champions League
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.
Champions League
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.
Champions League
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.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Champions League
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."
Champions League
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."
Premier Liga
February 12, 2018
Report: Chelsea 3 West Bromwich Albion 0
Two superb shots from Eden Hazard, his 14th and 15th goals of the season, either side of a second-half strike from Victor Moses put smiles back on Chelsea faces and maintained our place in the top four, with this Monday night match completing the weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures.
After defeats home and away in the preceding seven days, a victory like this one over the bottom-placed club was just what was needed, and a clean sheet was very welcome too. There was also a first Chelsea start for Olivier Giroud who played an important part in the opening goal and had an eventful hour on the pitch.
Antonio Conte had also been able to welcome Andreas Christensen back into the defence, the Dane over the hamstring problem that had forced him off in the previous home game, and Alvaro Morata was named among the subs following a back injury, and he returned to action too in the second half.
West Brom boss Alan Pardew, however, was forced to change his forward line with barely a ball kicked and it was Daniel Sturridge, ex of this parish, who had the misfortune to be forced off with such an early injury. The on-loan-from-Liverpool striker was replaced by Jay Rodriguez.
The Baggies other forward, Salomon Rondon, sent a bullet header wide during an unsteady start for the Blues and an unmarked Rodriguez shot tamely wide. A few early jitters were maybe inevitable after the past two results.
There were a couple of early showings in the opposition box by Giroud and a flying Davide Zappacosta, continuing in place of Marcos Alonso who twisted an ankle in training on Saturday, was unfortunate not to be given a free-kick when his advance down the left was halted by a trip.
It was Zappacosta who was denied by Ben Foster’s reactions at the far post when Cesar Azpilicueta’s curling cross had evaded all those waiting in the middle in front of goal. It was Chelsea’s best moment so far and a good save, and there were 17 minutes on the clock.
Foster’s outstretched leg also prevented Giroud getting his name on the Chelsea scoresheet for the first time when he paddled Hazard’s well-spotted pass across the turf.
Chelsea were beginning to play our stuff and there were a good two minutes of pushing at the West Brom door before it was opened by Hazard in the 25th minute. It was the Belgian who received the ball back to goal and with opposition in close attendance behind him. One trademark turn and pass to Giroud followed, with his new team-mate carefully delivering the ball back into Hazard’s path. He needed no second invitation to sweep it low past Foster and into the bottom corner for a 1-0 lead.
Giroud was not far away from making it 2-0 with a spectacular overhead kick when Christensen’s aerial challenge for a corner sent it back across goal, but the January signing was on the turf again soon after for more painful reasons. He was accidentally studded on the back of the head by Ahmed Hegazi and required a big bandage to stem the blood flow but was able to continue.
Just before half-time, it was Giroud again the focal point as Hazard spread the play and Pedrocarved the Baggies defence open on the right, but the France centre-forward headed the cross wide.
There was still time for a first-half booking for Jonny Evans for a painful foul into the back of Giroud’s ankle.
Kieran Gibbs did similar on Moses at the start of the second half and he too went into the book. Azpilicueta then made a vital near-post challenge when the visitors threatened, and 11 minutes into the second period, Rondon allowed Courtois to save when he should have given our keeper no chance with the goal gaping. The Blues players were incensed no free-kick had been given for Rondon climbing all over the back of Christensen to get to the ball. From the corner, there was a chance for Evans but the Baggies skipper headed over.
Alvaro Morata, who had returned to training two days ago, replaced the battered Giroud with 60 minutes played. The new addition almost immediately had a shot deflected over following a brilliant Hazard pass and a touch from Pedro, who was having his busiest and most influential game in a while.
The important second goal arrived soon after. It was Moses who had brought the ball in from the wing, and there followed a moment of good fortune when Fabregas’ back-heel was diverted into the Nigerian’s path by a defender, but the finish was sharp, and was the back-flip celebration in front of the cheering Matthew Harding Stand.
Foster’s leg saved Chelsea’s next shot, that from the boot of Moses too, but the opposition keeper remained rooted when from almost the same patch of turf as that Moses drive, Hazard smashed the ball into the bottom corner for 3-0.
There were 20 minutes to go and it was Morata who came closest to adding to the score in that period, striking sweetly from distance and drawing a diving save from Foster. The Spaniard looked lively during his second-half cameo.
The three points tonight take us back above Tottenham who had moved ahead of us on Saturday, but next up come two home games in two different competitions – Hull here on Friday in the FA Cup and then Barcelona as the Champions League knockout commences.
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...
