football master mania: April 2013

Tuesday 30 April 2013

Messi fitness key to Barca's comeback hopes

Barcelona admit any chance the Catalans have of overturning a 4-0 first-leg defeat to Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final return on Wednesday depends very much on the fitness of Lionel Messi.

The World Player of the Year looked out of sorts in Munich last week as an energetic display from the hosts tore Barca to pieces, but Messi did come off the bench to score a wonderful individual goal and set-up a second for Alexis Sanchez in Barca's 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

And Barcelona assistant manager Jordi Roura believes Messi has started to find his feet again after being troubled by a hamstring injury for the past month.

"Messi is the best player in the world and obviously when you don't have him you notice it. He makes the difference," he told a press conference after the Athletic game.

"He will continue with his recuperation after the injury. He was very good today and we hope that little by little he arrives at his best level. He will continue improving and the better Leo is the more chances we will have against Bayern."

Despite Messi not being at 100%, Barca's principal problem in the first-leg was their defending and manager Tito Vilanova has even more problems at the back with Jordi Alba suspended for Wednesday's clash.

Adriano does return from suspension and is expected to replace Alba, however the biggest doubt remains who will partner Gerard Pique in central defence.

Javier Mascherano returned to light training on Monday well ahead of the schedule planned for him after suffering a lateral knee ligament injury against Paris Saint-Germain on April 2 and he could be thrown straight back into the side, although Vilanova also has the option of using either Eric Abidal or Alex Song.

Bayern by contrast will be able to welcome back striker Mario Mandzukic after he too missed the first-leg through suspension.

And despite their comfortable lead, manager Jupp Heynckes has said he won't rest any of his six first-team regulars that could miss the final should they be booked at the Camp Nou.

Captain Philip Lahm, Dante, Javi Martinez, Luis Gustavo, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gomez are all just one booking away from missing the showcase at Wembley should Bayern seal their passage into the final next month.

"I won't be making any concessions," Heynckes told the club's website.

"I'll select my best available team. The players will have to show great discipline, which means: no gestures, no unnecessary fouls, and they mustn't let themselves be provoked. That's the decisive factor."

Tottenham winger Bale touted English Player of the Year

London: Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale has become the third proud owner of double awards, the PFA Player of the Year award and the Young Player award.

The Welsh ace who has also won the main award in 2011, has scored 19 Premier League goals and 24 goals in the entire tournament, closely followed in the line of star players such as Premier League top scorer Robin Van Persie with 25 goals, controversial Liverpool forward Luis Suarez with 23 goals this season, the Mirror reports.

Bale joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Andy Gray in earning the main award twice, where Ronaldo had won the double awards in 2007 and Andy Gray had won the same in 1977.

Bale said that it has been massively honourable for him to be voted by the team-mates and felt grateful towards his team and the manager, André Villas-Boas without whose cooperation, he believes, he could not have won the prestigious awards.

He added that the award-winning moment was special as well as surreal as he had grown watching Ryan Giggs and Thierry Henry winning these awards and now he was in the same place as them. Joking about the fact that there are many more shots left to score, Bale believes that he is in more scoring positions these days.

Dortmund will not get stage fright at Real, Klopp says

There is no danger Borussia Dortmund will suffer from stage fright in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at Spanish giants Real Madrid, coach Juergen Klopp said on Monday.

The Bundesliga side have a healthy 4-1 lead for the clash at Real's Bernabeu arena following their stunning victory in last week's first leg in Germany, when striker Robert Lewandowski scored all of Dortmund's goals.

Klopp said his team's performance against Bayern Munich in the 2012 German Cup final in Berlin, when Lewandowski scored a hat-trick, was proof they can perform under pressure on the biggest of stages.

At the same time, he was careful to warn that there is still plenty of work to be done to secure a berth in next month's final at London's Wembley stadium.

"For us it's the same situation as last year's German Cup final," a typically relaxed and entertaining Klopp told reporters at the Bernabeu.

"We were the German champions and Bayern Munich wanted to beat us in this game, change their whole season," he added.

"They gave their all and my team was pretty cool in this moment because the only way to reach your dream is to be brave.

"And that's what we tried to do. It's no problem to lose the game because it could happen. It's only interesting what you invest in the game.

"They (my players) cannot fail as they will give their best, there is no doubt about this."

Dortmund are chasing a second European crown and a second appearance in the final after their 1997 triumph, while Real are bidding for a 10th title and a 13th final.

The Germans were in the same group as Real earlier in the competition and beat them 2-1 at home before being denied a win in Madrid by Mesut Ozil's 89th-minute free kick in a 2-2 draw.

Klopp was reluctant to talk about the final, or to discuss Dortmund's European title in 1997, when they beat Italy's Juventus 3-1 in Munich.

"I don't really want to talk about the final again and what has come before," Klopp said.

"The only thing that interests me is tomorrow's match.

"We know what is possible in football and what is certain is that something historic will happen tomorrow.

"If we get through that will be historic and if we are knocked out that will be historic as well."

Real will have to match the record for the biggest comeback in the Champions League era if they are to progress.

AC Milan lost 4-0 at Deportivo La Coruna in the 2003-04 quarter-finals having won 4-1 at home.

The successful team will meet last year's finalists Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the final.

Bayern have a 4-0 advantage for their semi-final second leg at Barca on Wednesday.

Alex Ferguson sets sights on United transfer targets

London: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson revealed on Tuesday that he is already plotting how to strengthen his squad during the close-season transfer window.

United secured the Premier League title last week, but with rivals Chelsea and Manchester City both expected to invest heavily in new players in a bid to bridge the gap next season, Ferguson says his side cannot afford to stand still in the transfer market.

"We've been doing a bit of work on that over the last three or four months, targeting who the players are that we feel could enhance us, make us better or help us maintain the level we're at," he told the club's official magazine, Inside United.

"Hopefully the players we bring into the club in the next year or so will be of the quality we need. We're competitive in the market -- we're not Chelsea or Manchester City in terms of money, but we're competitive."

United have been linked with some high-profile strikers in recent weeks, including Robert Lewandowski of Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao, but Ferguson believes the squad already has solid foundations.

"You have to look at the structure of the club at present, in terms of the number of first-team players we have at 23 or under," Ferguson added.

"David De Gea, Rafael, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Alex Buttner, Nick Powell, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck (are all 23 or under). Shinji Kagawa and Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) are 24. Jonny Evans is 25 and Wayne Rooney is hitting his peak at 27.

"Older players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand may be coming towards the end of their careers, but these younger players are the foundation for the next five or six years, irrespective of the players breaking through, like Adnan Januzaj, the Belgian boy, who's really looking very good."

The Rifle offers hope for Barca's tough mission

Madrid: If Barcelona require extra inspiration as they prepare their bid to overturn a 4-0 Champions League semi-final deficit at home to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, they need look no further than La Liga rivals Deportivo La Coruna.

Depor pulled off one of the most sensational comebacks in Europe's elite club competition back in the 2003-04 season when they thrashed AC Milan 4-0 in their quarter-final second leg in La Coruna to shock the reigning continental champions and progress to the last four 5-4 on aggregate.

Uruguayan forward Walter Pandiani scored the opening goal in the fifth minute at the Riazor on that memorable April night, when the Galician club stunned a Milan side featuring Paolo Maldini, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko.

Now 37 and playing in the Spanish third tier for Majorca-based Atletico Baleares, Pandiani believes Barca will also need an early goal if they are to have any chance of reaching next month's final at London's Wembley stadium.

"Scoring so early in the match was key for the team to gain confidence," Pandiani, whose goal-scoring prowess earned him the nickname "The Rifle", said on UEFA's website.

"If you don't manage to score in the first half, as soon as possible, then you start to rush things," he added.

"That early goal gave us the peace of mind to continue playing well."

Barca's chances of keeping alive their bid for a third European crown in five years may appear remote, especially as they failed to score in Munich, but Pandiani said Depor were in a similar situation in 2004.

"Even if we were achieving important things in the Champions League nobody believed in us, especially because it was Milan we were up against," he said.

"But we believed in ourselves and our fans were also there to spur us on.

"The excitement in the dressing-room at halftime showed that it would be difficult for them to do us damage that night if we continued with the same mentality."

Monday 29 April 2013

Benteke treble sparks Villa’s joy of six

Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke celebrates scoring his team's third goal and his first, on April 29, 2013

Christian Benteke scored a second-half hat-trick as Aston Villa thrashed Sunderland 6-1 to give themselves real hope of avoiding relegation from the English Premier League.

Victory saw Villa pull five points clear of the drop zone with three games left to play.

FA Cup finalists Wigan, who have a game in hand over the Birmingham club, are now in greatest danger of joining already demoted Queens Park Rangers and Reading as one of the three clubs relegated from England’s top flight.

Defeat halted Sunderland’s revival under Italian manager Paolo di Canio and this loss was compounded by the sending-off of Stephane Sessegnon.

It left the Black Cats as one of three clubs on 37 points and completed a miserable round of matches for the north-east after Sunderland’s arch-rivals Newcastle were hammered 6-0 at home to Liverpool on Saturday.

Bayern Munich: the team to beat in Europe?

Coming into the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich were feeling confident, and they had every reason to be. They had recently waltzed away with the Bundesliga title and are on course for a record points tally. They also announced the signing of Mario Gotze for £32m from rivals Borussia Dortmund, but a stern test awaited them.

If they were to erase memories of last year’s devastating final defeat on their own ground against Chelsea from their minds, they would have to stop the most potent attacking team on the planet in Barcelona. Fortunately for outgoing manager Jupp Heynckes, they were up to the task, outperforming their opponents in an impressive 4-0 win.

The new force in world football?

Although talk of them being the world’s best club side is premature, even after last week’s result, could it be possible that Bayern are on their way to becoming the biggest superpower in Europe? The manner in which they bossed a defensively weak Barca side, not to mention how they sprinted clear of an impressive Dortmund team, points to a possible changing of the guard.

In recent years, Bayern have had to compete with Barca, Real Madrid, Manchester United, AC Milan and Juventus for the title of Europe’s biggest club, and have often fallen short. However, the hiring of former Barca coach Pep Guardiola for next season, signings like Gotze and Javi Martinez plus a more than healthy bank balance may lead to domestic and continental dominance.

Premier League Team of the Weekend

There were some big and well documented performances this weekend and a few came under the spotlight. This is my Premier League team of the weekend:

Team of the Weekend – Liverpool: It’s hard to overlook Liverpool despite a good showing from West Brom, because of the absolute dismantling of Newcastle that they dished out. A supposed one-man team and shorn of that one man, they played with fluidity and enterprise and things look very promising for next season. This team will wear their kit.

Premier League Team of the Weekend

There were some big and well documented performances this weekend and a few came under the spotlight. This is my Premier League team of the weekend:

Complacency big threat for Bayern, Dortmund

But foregone conclusions are not something the Germans consider -- and both Dortmund and Bayern will be only too aware of the pitfalls of complacency.

In fact, despite the impressive scorelines -- 4-1 for Dortmund against Real Madrid and a crushing 4-0 for Bayern over Barcelona -- there is no cause for German celebration until at least another 90 minutes' football has been played out.

First up is Real v Borussia on Tuesday night, and although Dortmund have the psychological advantage of having taken four points off the Spaniards in the group matches earlier in the competition, one simple matter has been overlooked in all the hype about their first leg victory.

That concerns the away goal Real mustered in the Ruhr, which could yet be their lifeline to qualification for the final.

With their backs to the wall and playing for coach Jose Mourinho to hold on to his job as much as for personal glory, Real are perfectly capable of knocking in three goals without reply in front of their own fanatical crowd, who will doubtless be baying for blood from the kick-off.

Much depends on the fitness, or otherwise, of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

No-one is suggesting Real are a one-man team but Ronaldo is vital to the way they function and the thigh injury he picked up in Dortmund could yet restrict him to a cameo role in the second leg.

Admittedly, Real beat Atletico 2-1 in the Madrid derby without him and a host of first-team regulars, rested with Tuesday in view but the fears that he may not be fully fit are not being voiced in the Spanish capital.

Angel Di Maria, who scored the winner after his free kick was turned into his own net by Juanfran for an equaliser, commented: "Winning today gives us extra motivation for Tuesday, which we hope will have the best possible outcome."

Dortmund also won 2-1 away on Saturday, at near neighbours Fortuna Duesseldorf, but rested 10 of the side that beat Real, including four-goal hero Robert Lewandowski for all but the last 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, Bayern, who also made 10 changes from the side which slaughtered Barcelona, managed a 1-0 win over Freiburg to break the record number of points for a Bundesliga season.

Barca, of course, have already shown themselves capable of putting four without reply past crack European opponents, as they did in the quarter-final against AC Milan to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg.

And, even if the mercurial Lionel Messi is less than fully fit, it is generally thought Barca cannot play so poorly, or look so slack at the back as they did in Munich.

Messi, however, did come to their rescue in the 2-2 draw at Athletic Bilbao, coming on as a second half substitute to score a brilliant individual goal and set up Alexis Sanchez for a second goal.

But even if they were to score four, all but their most diehard fan would have to fancy Bayern to nick an away goal at the Nou Camp, especially considering their comprehensive demolition of another of the continent's dominant sides, Juventus, who they beat 2-0 both home and away to advance to the last four.

There was really little indication to be gleaned from the weekend action as to what might be coming up as all four protagonists rested key players ahead of the crucial midweek matches.

But with form and first leg scores taken into account, London's Wembley Stadium, venue for the final on May 25, can probably prepare for the arrival of German supporters, as Bayern and Borussia attempt to win European club football's leading competition.

Sunday 28 April 2013

Van Persie returns to frustrate Arsenal

Robin van Persie returned to frustrate Arsenal as the Manchester United striker rescued a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, while Reading and QPR were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday after playing out a 0-0 draw.

Van Persie was making his first appearance back at Arsenal since last year’s £24 million ($37 million, 28 million euros) transfer to United and he was given a hostile reception from home supporters.

But, after Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a second minute lead, the Dutch forward silenced the boo-boys when he fired home from the penalty spot after being fouled by Bacary Sagna in the 44th minute.

United manager Alex Ferguson saluted van Persie for keeping his composure and took a dig at the Arsenal fans in the process.

“It takes bottle to take a penalty when the crowd are booing,” Ferguson said. “We have a great spirit of applauding players when they come back to our club. I expected the booing to be honest with you.

How Real Madrid can turnaround their Champions League tie and win against Dortmund

As Mourinho readies his team to face Dortmund, he will retrospect on what went wrong in the first leg. He was clearly not happy with his players’ performance, especially their team’s defending. His quotes after the match, particularly about Real’s main nemesis, were “We know everything about Lewandowski, absolutely everything, we studied him from every detail possible and we lose him in three goals”. Lewandowski had an absolute peach of a game, scoring a hattrick against a formidable Real Madrid side and becoming the first player in the history of European football to score four goals in a match against them. Dortmund defended as a whole unit and closed down Real’s midfield, especially Xabi Alonso, who is a crucial player in the team. Ozil was playing on the right instead of his customary central position, a decision which backfired miserably. He had zero attempts on goals, zero crosses and made no tackles. He had no influence on the game, which hurt Real Madrid, who were clearly looking to play on the break.
But Mourinho has another chance at Santiago Bernabeu to set things right. Real need at least 3 goals to win the game, which is a mighty task. But playing in front of their own fans may ease the pressure. It’s a probability that Dortmund would set up defensively or specifically “park the bus” in order to preserve the lead. But by giving the ball to Real, it would do more harm than good. Here are a few key points which could help Real turnaround their tie against Dortmund.

Aguero, Toure soothe Man City's title pain

AFP

London: Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure scored a pair of fine goals as Manchester City began life as former Premier League champions by winning 2-1 at home to West Ham United on Saturday.
City relinquished their league crown to Manchester United earlier in the week but their success over mid-table West Ham tightens their grip on second place and takes them closer to Champions League qualification.
Aguero opened the scoring with a well-worked effort after 28 minutes on a bright, sunny day at the Etihad Stadium.
It was a goal to nourish further regrets about City's inability to challenge United, with Samir Nasri and David Silva exchanging passes on the left before the Frenchman centred for Aguero to clip the ball beneath Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Toure settled the game seven minutes from time with another memorable strike that saw him arrow a rising left-foot shot into the top-left corner from the edge of the area.
The only blemish on City's day came in injury time, when goalkeeper Joe Hart allowed a powerful Andy Carroll shot to squirm between his legs and over the line.
"I'm happy for this performance," said City manager Roberto Mancini.
"I'm unhappy for the goals we missed, as we could have scored more goals, but this has been our problem this season."
With United having secured the title by beating Aston Villa on Monday, the attention this weekend focuses on the twin battles to avoid relegation and secure a place in the Champions League.
The two sagas converge at the DW Stadium, where third-bottom Wigan Athletic are bidding to haul themselves out of the relegation zone and fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur hope to break into the top four.
With third-place Arsenal and fourth-place Chelsea both in action on Sunday, a win for Spurs will send them up to third in the table.
Two sides aiming to pull away from the bottom three clash at the Britannia Stadium as Norwich City visit Stoke City, while fifth-bottom Newcastle United host a Liverpool side reeling after striker Luis Suarez was handed a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.
Elsewhere, Everton will look to reinvigorate their push for European football at home to Fulham, while the day's other game sees Southampton tackle West Bromwich Albion.

Rooney tops English Premier League wealth list

Rex-Features

London: Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney is the richest player in the Premier League with a fortune estimated at 51 million pounds, according to the Sunday Times newspaper's sporting rich list.
Twenty-four Premier League players are among the top 100 richest sportsmen in Britain and Ireland.
Rooney's fortune has risen by six million pounds from 2012 and his combined wealth with wife Coleen is estimated at 64 million pounds.
United team mate Rio Ferdinand is ranked second on 42 million pounds while Stoke City striker Michael Owen is third on 38 million.
Values are based on identifiable wealth including land, property, assets including art and race horses, and shares in publicly quoted companies.
Former England captain David Beckham, now playing for Paris St Germain, is ranked 11th in the Sunday Times world sporting rich list with a worth of 165 million pounds.
World number one golfer Tiger Woods is top of that chart on 570 million pounds.
Premier League top 10:
1. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) 51 million pounds
2. Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) 42 million
3. Michael Owen (Stoke City) 38 million
=4. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) 34 million
=4. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 34 million
6. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 33 million
7. Fernando Torres (Chelsea) 26 million
8. John Terry (Chelsea) 24 million
9. Joe Cole (West Ham United) 21 million
10. Petr Cech (Chelsea) 20 million

Juventus make 12-m pound offer to Nani

Rome: Juventus were reported to have revived their attempts to sign Manchester United winger Nani with a new 12-million pound proposal.
According to The Sun, Juventus, who made an offer to Nani before, this time proposed to double his salary to 130,000 pound per week.
The 26-year-old Portugese winger would provide different tactical options for Juventus head coach Antonio Conte, who complained Simone Pepe's injury robbed him of the chance to play 4-3-3, reports Xinhua.
Nani is expected to be happy to move on, as he has made only six Premier League starts for Manchester United this season. There are hopes his price-tag can be lowered by the fact Nani's current contract expires in June 2014 and he has rejected a renewal.

Saturday 27 April 2013

Ronaldo to miss weekend's La Liga

Madrid: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was sidelined for this weekend's La Liga match due to a muscle injury, but is expected to be fit for their return leg of Champions League semifinals against Borussia Dortmund.
"We trust he will be with us Tuesday," said Real's assistant coach Aitor Karanka Friday. He did not give details on the injury, reports Xinhua.
Ronaldo has been left out for Real's league match against crosstown club Atletico Madrid Sunday, when their arch rivals Barcelona could clinch the title if they win over Athletic Bilbao and Real loses.
The Madrid team suffered a 1-4 loss at Borussia Dortmund Wednesday when Ronaldo scored the only goal and is looking for an overturn in Tuesday's second leg at home.

Ferguson backs Liverpool over Suarez ban

London: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes Liverpool were right not to take disciplinary action against striker Luis Suarez before he was handed a 10-match ban by the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.
Ferguson said the incident reminded him of the treatment United received from the FA after French striker Eric Cantona launched a kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan in 1995.
Ferguson claims the FA assured the club they would not take further action if United punished the player, but although United suspended him for four months, English football's governing body subsequently increased the ban to eight months.
As a result, Ferguson said he understood Liverpool's decision not to take pre-emptive action against Suarez.
"I bet they are glad they didn't. It didn't work for us," he said. "David Davies (then the FA spokesman) promised us if we did it there would be no more action taken.
"Think about that -- a nine-month ban. It is quite incredible. I still can't get my head round it."
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has also expressed surprise at the severity of Suarez's punishment.
"He made a mistake, he said sorry to everyone," said the Italian, who said Suarez was his player of the season. "Do you want to kill him? He has got his punishment. It's finished."
Suarez bit Ivanovic on the arm during the 2-2 Premier League draw between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield last weekend.
He subsequently apologised for his behaviour, but was handed a 10-match suspension by the FA on Wednesday, ruling him out of action until next season.

Wenger plans to upset United’s title party

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Aston Villa on April 22, 2013

Manchester United’s Dutch striker Robin van Persie celebrates scoring his team’s first goal against Aston Villa on April 22, 2013. He returns to former club Arsenal on Sunday, fresh from United winning the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger insists he has no problem asking his Arsenal players to form a guard of honour for Manchester United, but the Gunners boss is determined to send the newly crowned champions home empty handed as the race for the top four heats up.

With United ending Manchester City’s reign as champions on Monday, the focus this weekend turns to the tense battle to qualify for the Champions League.

City are well set in second place, so the pressure is on third-placed Arsenal, who take on United at the Emirates Stadium, fourth placed Chelsea, who face Swansea at home on Sunday, and fifth placed Tottenham, who travel to Wigan on Saturday.

Arsenal are one point ahead of Chelsea and two in front of Tottenham and their hopes of cementing that position may have been aided by United having wrapped up the title already.

Analysis: Gotze, Guardiola and Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich, hours before their European Cup semi-final triumph over Barcelona, dropped a bomb-shell on the footballing world. German newspaper, Bild, ran the incredible story of Gotze to Bayern; which most fans took with a pinch of salt. Dortmund revealed the deal later through their social media platforms, that sent shivers across Europe.

Mario Gotze is arguably one of the most sought after young talents in football right now. Characterised by an immense technical ability present in most German footballers, Gotze is a class above the youth of the Bundesliga. At Borussia Dortmund since the age of 9, a rumoured move to Bayern came as a shock to everyone. Bayern Munich though, have traditionally strengthened themselves by weakening their rivals; nothing wrong with that though, it’s an effective approach. Bayern met Gotze’s buy-out clause of €37 million, and that angered many Dortmund fans. What angered them more is the fact that their ‘boy-wonder’ actually instigated the move. A buy-out clause puts the parent club in a weak position, as any financially strong side can tempt players away. Dortmund chief Hans-Joachin Watzke complained about this. But Jurgen Klopp knows this approach well himself; they prized Marco Reus away from Monchengladbach last summer by meeting his €17 million buy-out clause.

Already having appointed Pep Guardiola for the next campaign, signing football’s biggest talent is a massive step forward towards potential European domination.

Friday 26 April 2013

Great UEFA Champions League comebacks

Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona suffered crushing semi-final losses this week, but – as both sides know from experience – even two or three-goal first leg defeats can be turned around.

It appears to be mission impossible for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF next week as they seek to overturn semi-final first-leg defeats of 4-0 and 4-1 respectively. Only five teams have overcome a first-leg deficit of two or more in the UEFA Champions League as UEFA.com discovers – though Barcelona have some previous.

City will bounce back next year: Toure

Kolo Toure believes his Manchester City team-mates will be stronger for losing the English Premier League title even though he will not be part of the challenge to reclaim it next season.

Bitter rivals Manchester United were confirmed as champions this week after their lead at the top of the table became unassailable.

Already the talk in the blue half of Manchester has focused on how City will wrest the title back off the the Red Devils next season.

City play West Ham on Saturday in their first match since losing the title and Toure, who will leave City at the end of the season when his contract expires, said important lessons have been learnt.

"This club has great players and fans but when you play against a team like United, it is hard. They have been more consistent than us and we have to learn from that," he told a news conference.

"We need to know that to be champions doesn't mean winning it once. You need the right mentality every season and we have learnt that. You can't sleep once you have won something. You then need to go out and do even better.

"This season was tough because the club hadn't won the league for a long time. Everyone was so happy when we won the league that we forgot about the next season.

"We lost a little bit of our quality and a little bit of our concentration, and that cost us. But the guys will get back on that, definitely."

Toure, who joined City from Arsenal in 2009, said he will leave the club with a heavy heart as he seeks a fresh challenge after not being offered a new deal.

"I am going to be sad to leave," said the Ivory Coast defender. "The fans here have been great with me and the manager who brought me here was great with me. But the last two years have been really tough for me.

"I haven't had a lot of games and was working really hard every day. The only chance I got to play was when someone was injured.

"There was no big competition because it didn't matter how hard I was working in training.

"Now I just want to go somewhere to play football and the competition will be right. If I play and someone is better than me, then play him. But if I am better than somebody I want to play."

West Ham can finish as high as eighth place this season if they can continue their unbeaten run, according to manager Sam Allardyce.

"It's an ambitious eighth. I said from the start that our goal was to try and finish mid-table: 10th the very highest would be great," he told reporters.

"We're there with four to go and I don't think we've been lower than 12th all season. Like every team in some period of time you go sometime with only one win but that happens to everyone in that area of the Premier League.

"If it's only one period that's not too bad. We've come out of that bleak spell and are moving into the final throes in a very comfortable position. We can enjoy and relax without detracting from performance."

And he does not think that City finishing runners-up to Manchester United was a disgrace, despite Roberto Mancini's men winning the title last season.

"You're always chasing the master, Sir Alex Ferguson, and he has been the master for so long. It is difficult to sustain success against him," Allardyce added.

"Wherever he has a challenge, he may lose out once but comes back with flying colours. He's had it with Chelsea and before that Arsenal.

"If they (Manchester City) win the FA Cup it's a very good season and they will finish second.

"When you win it for the first time in many years it is very difficult to win it the second time round, no matter how much money you spend. Man City and Roberto will learn from that."

Last gasp David Luiz goal gives Chelsea 1-2 win over FC Basel

David Luiz, lucky to still be on the pitch after a shocking challenge, scored with the last kick of the game to give Chelsea a 1-2 win at FC Basel in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal after the Swiss side had levelled with an 87th minute penalty on Thursday.

Victor Moses gave Chelsea a 12th minute lead with a soft goal but Basel, after an uncertain opening, fought back well after the break and looked to have grabbed a deserved draw until the Brazilian curled in a free kick from 25 metres in the fourth minute of injury time.

The goal silenced a raucous St Jakob Park which was still celebrating Fabian Schaer's penalty for the hosts, who are aiming to become the first Swiss side to reach a European final.

However, David Luiz was lucky to escape with a yellow card after a studs-up challenge on Philipp Degen late in the game. Schaer was also fortunate not to be dismissed for a late tackle on Eden Hazard.

Basel, playing their 19th match of a marathon European campaign which started away to Estonia's Flora Tallinn in the Champions League second qualifying round in mid-July, have beaten Manchester United and Bayern Munich at home in the last 18 months.

But the English Premier League start got the start they needed following a Frank Lampard corner.

Branislav Ivanovic leapt and missed the ball, distracting the defence, and Moses immedately behind him, scored with a downward header which bounced and rose into the top of the net and should have been cleared by Mohamed Elneny on the line. It was the Nigerian's fourth European goal of the season.

Valentin Stocker nearly levelled for Basel early in the second half as he exchanged passes with Marco Streller and evaded Lampard only to see his effort hit the foot of the post.

Chelsea replied when Fernando Torres, wearing his 'Mask of Zorro' to protect a broken nose, smashed a left foot shot against the post after Hazard survived a reckless challenge by Schaer and pulled the ball back.

Chelsea survived several scares as Basel dominated the final half hour and the hosts levelled when Cezar Azpilicueta was controversially judged to have fouled Stocker. Schaer stepped up and confidently dispatched the penalty and the Basel hardcore fans behind goal celebrated with pyrotechnics.

Both teams went for the winner and before David Luiz struck to give Chelsea a potentially decisive lead for next week's second leg.

Arsenal’s Wenger fears Chelsea’s ‘power’ if Mourinho returns to club

AFP

London: Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger has expressed fear that Chelsea will become even stronger and make a dramatic move by bringing in Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho in their club.

Mourinho’s first big sign-up after returning to the Stamford Bridge club will be the Altetico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, the Mirror reports.

According to the report, Wenger has admitted that the arrival of the Portuguese coach in Chelsea would make the club win the rest of the Premier League series.

Despite his worry for Arsenal, Wenger has said that this is going to be one of the busiest summers for Chelsea even though they have a great base to their squad, adding that the club will be making big moves in terms of investment.

Wenger believes that although Rafael Benitez is doing a good job at Stamford Bridge as the interim manager, Mourinho will be a good solution to replace him, the report added.

Thursday 25 April 2013

Returning Van Persie could spell trouble for Arsenal

The irony could be almost too much for Arsenal fans to bear on Sunday with their team expected to form a guard of honour for newly-crowned champions Manchester United.

It is a long time since Premier League clashes between the old adversaries in April were often "title deciders" with the only real significance of the outcome of Sunday's match (1500)being its effect on Arsenal's chances of finishing in the top four.

Arsenal's title challenge effectively ended last August when top goalscorer Robin van Persie was sold to United and they replaced him with Frenchman Olivier Giroud who will be suspended for a match his side dare not lose.

Van Persie took his tally to 24 goals on Monday with a hat-trick against Aston Villa as United wrapped up a 20th league title and Arsenal fans can only wonder at what might have been had he not left to fulfil his ambitions at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman, who had just one FA Cup winners medal to show for his eight and a half years in north London, scored as Arsenal went down 2-1 at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

After a recent lull, his dazzling display against Villa made him favourite to end the season as the league's top scorer for a second consecutive campaign.

Once the pre-match niceties are over at the Emirates the old animosity that used to accompany these fixtures could re-surface as there remains plenty at stake.

With Manchester City likely to finish runners-up, capital trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are scrapping for the other two Champions League slots.

Arsenal are third with 63 points with four games left, a point ahead of Chelsea and two ahead of Tottenham, both of whom have five games left to play.

United know that if they win their last four games, which also include a home game against Chelsea, they will set a new Premier League points record of 96.

Chelsea host mid-table Swansea City on Sunday (1400) while Tottenham, reinvigorated after a 3-1 victory over Manchester City last week, travel to relegation battlers Wigan Athletic on Saturday (1400) hoping to exert some pressure on their top-four rivals.

When Arsene Wenger took over as Arsenal manager in 1996 it marked the beginning of rivalry with Manchester United that was as intense as anything else in world soccer.

The personality clash between Wenger and United manager Alex Ferguson fanned the flames and things regularly combusted on the pitch, and off it as was the case when Arsenal's players hurled pizza at their rivals after one particularly feisty encounter.

From the 1997-98 season, when Wenger's Arsenal won the title, to United's triumph in 2002-03, the two sides finished first and second on five occasions.

First Chelsea, and now Man City, have replaced Arsenal as the main challengers to Ferguson's Old Trafford empire, but the sight of Wenger and Ferguson in opposing dugouts is still pure box office for the Premier League.

The return of Van Persie, who is bizarrely omitted from the "50 Greatest Players" section on Arsenal's website despite scoring 132 goals, will spice up the atmosphere even further.

A home game against Swansea, Michael Laudrup's eye-catching side who are safe in mid-table, looks like the ideal fixture for Chelsea after their midweek exertions in the Europa League.

Barca close on title as Madrid face derby test

AFP

Madrid: Barcelona can secure their fourth La Liga title in five years on Saturday, but the celebrations are likely to be muted with the club facing a mountain to climb in their Champions League semi-final.

Barca lead second-placed Real Madrid by 13 points with six games left to play, and could move 16 clear with a victory at struggling Athletic Bilbao (1600 GMT).

That would be enough to deliver them the title should Real then lose at third-placed Atletico Madrid (1800).

The Catalans, however, will travel back to the Nou Camp with their minds turning to how they might overturn a 4-0 deficit against Bayern Munich four days later.

The top two are likely to field weakened teams in anticipation of demanding European second legs next week.

Jose Mourinho's side have publicly given up on the league to focus on Europe and need to recover from a 4-1 drubbing at Borussia Dortmund.

Only a Barca win and a Real defeat can deliver coach Tito Vilanova's first league title as Madrid hold a superior head-to-head record.

Barca take on a Bilbao side lying 14th in the standings and in danger of slipping into the relegation battle, while on paper Real have a much-more demanding fixture at the Calderon.

Atletico have a chance to end almost 14 years of derby pain and to move above their distracted neighbours with a victory, and coach Diego Simeone has challenged his side to seize their opportunity.

Real are three points ahead of them and hold the edge in head-to-heads should they finish level, after a 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu earlier in the season.

CHANGE HISTORY

The Madrid derby usually induces pessimism in the red and white half of the Spanish capital with Atletico last managing to beat their city rivals with a 3-1 away win in 1999.

They have suffered nine defeats to Real in their last 10 league meetings at the Calderon, but the man who has engineered this year's impressive campaign is keen to change history.

"You have to go back many years before you find a time when we were competing for league positions as well as for the game," Argentine Simeone told a news conference on Wednesday.

"We have played them in many different circumstances and it hasn't gone well. Saturday is a new opportunity and you have to make the most of it."

The game also acts as a prelude for the King's Cup final when the two sides will clash again, this time at the Bernabeu on May 17.

Atletico were boosted when striker Diego Costa's yellow card from last weekend was overturned on appeal on Wednesday, meaning their pugnacious striker is available to play.

Atletico are close to securing a berth in the Champions League group stage, but the battle for the fourth spot, which requires entry through qualifying, is set to run to the end of the season.

Surprise-package Real Sociedad occupy fourth place, 13 points behind Atletico, but two ahead of fifth-placed Valencia who visit Sociedad's Anoeta stadium on Sunday (1900).

Real Madrid: The end of a legacy?

Real Madrid: Time to make some serious changes

After one Spanish team got dismantled by a German one on Tuesday night, it was the turn of another Spanish team to get dismantled by yet another German team. Borussia Dortmund, the dark horses, according to many, before the competition began, have become progressively whiter, so to speak. Recent performances in the latter stages of the Champions League have now made them favourites to progress to the final and, in what could be the first all-German final ever, could be on an even keel with the team that took the title away from them in Germany – Bayern Munich.

The final score on the night was 4-1. Dortmund scored 4; to be more precise, Robert Lewandowski scored 4. Inevitably, Cristiano Ronaldo scored one for Real, albeit under controversial circumstances. After the game, Jose Mourinho remarked that there was nothing that they did not know about Lewandowski, that they had done every analysis that was possible and yet they let him score four; three from open play and one from the penalty spot.

This Real Madrid team does not really look like a Real Madrid team of the early 2000s, the Galacticos. Of course, no one expects it to be. When Mourinho took over, many expected instant results. When he took over, he was surprisingly downplaying what could be done. However, in his three seasons, he has achieved a reasonable amount of success. He won the cup in his first season and the league in his second. In the meantime, many were expecting Real to kick on and win

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Liverpool's Suarez gets 10-game ban for biting

AFP

London: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was handed a 10-match suspension by the Football Association (FA) on Wednesday following his bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic at the weekend.

Suarez accepted a charge of violent conduct after the incident in the 2-2 Premier League draw at Anfield on Sunday but disputed the FA view that it merited more than a three-game ban.

An Independent Regulatory Commission met in London on Wednesday to decide the Uruguayan international's fate and added seven games to the usual ban for violent conduct.

The suspension begins immediately, meaning Liverpool's leading scorer will miss his side's last four games of the season and the first six at the beginning of next term.

Liverpool, who expressed their shock at the Commission's decision, have until Friday (1100 GMT) to appeal.

"Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's Independent Regulatory Commission decision," Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said in a statement on the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

"We await the written reasons tomorrow (Thursday) before making any further comment."

Suarez's bite on Ivanovic's arm at Anfield was missed by referee Kevin Friend but television replays showed him sinking his teeth into the Serbian.

WIDELY CONDEMNED

The 26-year-old Suarez, who was banned for biting an opponent while with Dutch club Ajax before joining Liverpool in 2011, apologised for the bite after the game and was fined a reported 200,000 pounds by the club.

However, he was widely condemned for his behaviour with some media suggesting he was in danger of being sacked by the club.

Former Liverpool player Graeme Souness said Suarez's latest misdemeanour had left him in the "last chance saloon" although the Merseyside club said this week that they wanted the Uruguayan to see out his four-year contract.

The FA said a three-match ban was "clearly insufficient" for the serious nature of the offence.

Controversy has followed Suarez since he joined Liverpool, with his antics often overshadowing his impact on the pitch.

He served an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra last season and later angered United manager Alex Ferguson by failing to shake the French defender's hand before their league match in February last year.

He has also been regularly accused of diving to win penalties and free kicks, while in an FA Cup tie this season against minor league Mansfield Town he was again criticised for scoring a goal despite a blatant handball.

Until Manchester United forward Robin Van Persie's hat-trick against Aston Villa on Monday that secured the title, Suarez was leading scorer in the league with 23 goals - a record that saw him included on a six-player list for PFA Player of the Year.

Lewandowski scores four as Dortmund humiliate Real 4-1

Forward Robert Lewandowski scored a stunning four goals to steer Borussia Dortmund to a 4-1 demolition of Real Madrid in their Champions League semifinal first leg on Wednesday.

Dortmund's dazzling performance comes only a day after Bayern Munich crushed Barcelona 4-0 in the other semifinal first leg to raise the prospect of an all-German match-up in the final at Wembley in May.

Poland international Lewandowski, who looks set to leave after refusing to extend his contract past 2014, became the first person to score four goals in a Champions League semifinal, opening his account after eight minutes.

The 24-year-old added three more in the second half, including an emphatic penalty, leaving the nine-time European champions badly wounded.

Cristiano Ronaldo had equalised just before the break for the Spaniards, who face a monumental task against still undefeated Dortmund in Tuesday's home second leg.

"We lacked commitment, starting with myself and including the 10 others who were on the pitch," Real defender Sergio Ramos told Canal Plus.

"We have to keep faith that we can turn it around in the return leg, there are 90 minutes left. We will come out fighting from the first minute because it's a competition that means a lot to us."

Dortmund, who had beaten Real at home in the group stage, had hoped a surprise July transfer of Mario Goetze to Bayern Munich announced on Tuesday would not distract them.

Coach Juergen Klopp had appealed for a great footballing occasion and the 62,000 Dortmund fans, angered by the 20-year-old's decision to join their arch-rivals in the south, showed restraint when he came onto the pitch.

He soon paid them back, curling a superb cross into the box for Lewandowski, who had come close a minute earlier, to tap in after holding off Real's Pepe for his seventh goal of the Champions League campaign.

It took Real more than 20 minutes to curb their opponents' attacking game and Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller with a long-range stinging free kick.

But they needed a Dortmund mistake to level in the 43rd, seconds after the Germans had demanded a penalty for a challenge on Marco Reus.

Central defender Mats Hummels miscued his back pass and Gonzalo Higuain intercepted it and fed unmarked Ronaldo in the box who levelled with his 12th goal of the competition.

Bayern turn on the style to blow Barcelona away

FC Bayern München 4-0 FC Barcelona
Thomas Müller scored twice as Bayern recorded the biggest victory in a semi-final game and closed in on a third final in four years

FC Bayern München made giant strides towards a third UEFA Champions League final in four seasons with a memorable semi-final first-leg triumph against FC Barcelona.

After stepping out to a magnificently choreographed red-and-white display which spanned the entire arena, Bayern harnessed the home support and began powerfully, driving forward and creating the game's first opportunity just two minutes in. Javi Martínez's back-heel gave Robben time to set himself in the box only for the Dutchman to poke straight at Víctor Valdés.The Bundesliga champions' record-breaking campaign reached fresh heights as Thomas Müller started and finished the scoring on a famous night in Munich. Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben added further goals to secure a landmark victory which inflicted a heaviest European away defeat on Barcelona and left the four-time trophy winners with a mountain to climb in next Wednesday's Camp Nou return.

Juventus fined for racist abuse

Juventus have been fined 30,000 euro because a section of their fans were heard chanting racist abuse during Sunday's match against AC Milan.

Some of the Bianconeri supporters were seen directing racial chants at AC Milan footballer Kevin-Prince Boateng during the Serie A clash, reports Xinhua.

It is not the first time the midfielder has been subjected to such abuse this season - earlier in the campaign during a friendly with Pro Patria, the former Ghana international left the field of play after monkey noises were aimed at him.

Dortmund confirm Goetze Bayern transfer

Munich: Champions League semi-finalists Borussia Dortmund confirmed on Tuesday that Germany star Mario Goetze will join Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich next season, in a deal reported to be worth 37 million euros ($48.2 million, £32 million).

The talented 20-year-old attacking midfielder was under contract at Dortmund until 2016 but a release clause allows him to leave for 37 million euros, according to German daily Bild.

Dortmund confirmed that Goetze's agent, Volker Struth, had recently informed them that Goetze would be using the clause and will move to Bayern on July 1 -- the first day ex-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola takes charge as Munich coach.

The deal would make him the biggest transfer deal within Germany, passing the previous highest mark of 35 million euros which Bayern paid VfB Stuttgart for Mario Gomez in 2009.

The 40 million euros Bayern paid Athletic Bilbao last year for Javi Martinez is the Bundesliga's current record transfer.

According to Ruhr Valley newspaper, Ruhr Nachrichten, Goetze will be paid 12 million euros a year at Bayern.

Goetze is the first addition to Bayern's squad for next season, while Barcelona, Manchester City and Arsenal had all reportedly been interested in the young German.

"We are of course exceedingly disappointed but must stress that both Mario and his advisers have behaved with absolutely conformity within the contract," said Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.

The timing of the deal does little to help Dortmund, who host Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, first leg on Wednesday, but will boost Bayern, who are home to Barcelona on Tuesday in the other last-four clash.

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp and director of sport Michael Zorc have asked Borussia fans to support Goetze in his last four league games for the club he joined as an eight-year-old in 2001 and especially in the Champions League tie.