RSSCan Marseille spring another surprise against a resurgent Bayern?
The conquerors of Inter Milan, Marseille, take on the record setter of the previous round, FC Bayern München.
Bayern recorded the largest home win in the history of the knockout round of the Champions League against Basel in the Round of 16. They knocked in seven goals past the helpless Swiss giants who had in-fact come into the match with a lead from the first leg. Bayern has won four out of their last five matches. They drew the other game against Borussia Mönchengladbach but progressed on penalties to the final of the German Cup.Marseille meanwhile put paid to a team that Bayern knows all too well following the previous two editions of the competition, Inter. Marseille is having their best ever run in the competition since they last won the Champions League in 1993. Their league form however at the moment is abysmal; they sit ninth in France.
Will Chelsea’s Portuguese connections stand them in good stead in Lisbon?
Given the multiple close connections between Chelsea and Portugal, it is something of a surprise to learn that tonight’s clash against Benfica in Lisbon is the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
Chelsea’s transition from wannabes to the real deal can be traced back to a moment of inspiration by Roman Abrmovich in a field where he has struggled ever since: appointing the right manager. A rising star of the managerial circuit, José Mourinho, marched into Stamford Bridge and quickly brought glory to the Blues. He also opened the doors to a steady stream of compatriots on the playing field. Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Tiago, José Bosingwa and Raúl Meireles are just the most well known of a mini Lusophone invasion into the club.
Mourinho left but the quick and largely successful adaptation of players from the Liga ZON Sagres to the Premier League was not forgotten. Defender David Luiz and midfielder Ramires were bought, both integral parts of the barnstorming Benfica side of 2009/10 that won the Portuguese championship in such swashbuckling style.
Milan vs Barcelona & Benfica vs Chelsea light up midweek Champions League action
Benfica vs Chelsea and Milan vs Barcelona are definitely the two games set to attract the highest number of viewers in midweek.
On March 27, the Eagles of Benfica will welcome the Blues of Chelsea in what could turn into a close affair. Whereas Real Madrid will be trying to sort things out away to underdogs Cyprus, Roberto di Matteo will try to get a positive result at the Estadio da Luz.
The manner in which Chelsea qualified into the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League is simply outstanding. Few are those who gave the Blues a chance to turn the tables around following their suicidal 3-1 defeat away to Napoli. Against all the odds, however, the Blues came back to life in a game that looked more like a heroic and happy-ending scripted story.
FA Cup: Spurs vs Bolton, Muamba & stats. Who will meet Chelsea in the semis?
The semi-final line-up of the 2011/12 FA Cup will be revealed on Tuesday night with the prospect of Liverpool-Everton and Tottenham Hotspur-Chelsea matchups.
Playing for Muamba
Ten days after the shocking collapse of Fabrice Muamba, Spurs and Bolton will engage in a rematch of their FA Cup quarter-final tie. The venue for the game is White Hart Lane.
“Fabrice Muamba remains in intensive care at the London chest hospital where his condition is serious but stable. He continues to make encouraging progress in his recovery,” according to a statement from Bolton Wanderers and the hospital.
“Because Fabrice is getting better, that allows us to play the match [against Spurs]. If it was different circumstances, it might be a different conversation,” coach Owen Coyle explained in an encounter with the press on Monday.
APOEL vs Real Madrid: Flurry of goals led by Ronaldo or upset for Los Blancos?
Champions League football is back on Tuesday night with two matches taking place. One will be in Cyprus between APOEL Nicosia and Real Madrid.
APOEL are the surprise package of the competition. Their victory over French giants Olympique Lyon in the Last 16 was stunning and historic. Their reward for achieving that is a date with pre-tournament favourites Real Madrid. How strong is APOEL Nicosia’s tonic?Jose Mourinho’s Blancos have only just found back their momentum. Their two consecutive 1-1 draws in La Liga came as an embarrassment as their 10-point lead at the top of the table got cut to 6 points. However, last weekend’s 5-1 demolition of Real Sociedad proves that Real Madrid still have the fire required to finish the season on a high.
“Fortunate” Manchester United finally in pole position ahead of Man City – EPL
Now that Manchester United occupy the summit of the English Premier League table, will Manchester City ever come back to claim the title? There are only 8 Matchdays to go before the end of the season…
Manchester United 1-0 Fulham – It took a lone goal by Rooney and a controversial penalty decision by referee Michael Oliver at Old Trafford to fire the Red Devils three points clear off rivals Manchester City at the top of the English Premier League table on Monday night. Michael Carrick’s late tackle on Danny Murphy in the box, which went unpunished, was too blatant for defender Johnny Evans to deny the fact that his team got very lucky. Sky Sports quoted the Northern Ireland defender as saying:
“Yeah, you have a quick look to the referee. He’s waved it away but having seen it back again I think he could’ve given a penalty for it. Yeah, I suppose so [the win was a lucky one].”
APOEL-Real Madrid tie will be decided at the Santiago Bernabeu – Mourinho
Real Madrid haven’t kicked a ball against APOEL yet but Jose Mourinho has already predicted that this UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie will be decided at the Bernabeu.
The Champions League winning coach was speaking to the press for the first time since Real Madrid’s controversial 1-1 draw against Villarreal which resulted in the club boycotting the media before the league game against Real Sociedad. Jose Mourinho reportedly stated:“We are favourites; we cannot deny it. APOEL and Madrid cannot be compared, but I respect them very much. We have studied their evolution and know it will be a tough game.
“Of course, we will try to win, but my feelings are that it will be a tough game and that everything will be decided at the Bernabeu.”
Internazionale sack Claudio Ranieri and appoint youth team coach Stramaccioni
Finally, Claudio Ranieri’s spell at Internazionale is over. The Italian giants have confirmed the sacking of the 60-year-old manager.
Last Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Juventus in the Serie A was apparently too much to take. On Monday evening, a statement from the club read:“President Moratti and all of Inter would like to thank Claudio Ranieri and his staff for the professionalism and the commitment shown in these months.
“Inter would also like to announce that it has entrusted the team to Primavera coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who won the first edition of the Next Generation Series.”
Inter are in danger of missing out on European qualification. They are 10 points behind third-placed Lazio.
Bundesliga Review: The Ruhr Teams Lit the League Up as Bayern continued to win this week
The Bundesliga recorded a massive away victory in its history books this week. However, Bayern wasn’t the team to go off on a goal-scoring rampage this time around.
When Köln scored the opener against Dortmund via Milivoje Novakovic, there was a slight doubt about Dortmund’s chances of winning the game. All those doubts were erased soon afterwards as Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Ivan Perisic, Lukasz Pizsczek and Ilkay Guendogan all scored to win 1-6. Monchengladbach failed to recover from the misery of a cup defeat on penalties. They succumbed to Hoffenheim in strange fashion. Gladbach led the match for 75 minutes after Marco Reus grabbed an early goal to give his side the lead. In the 77th and 79th minutes, Hoffenheim scored through Roberto Firmino and Boris Vukcevic to lead and eventually win the game.
Canada vs. Cuba with Berth to 2012 CONCACAF Semifinals on the Line
Canada vs. Cuba with Berth to 2012 CONCACAF Semifinals on the Line, This Monday on Sportsnet and sportsnet.ca.
TORONTO, ON (March 25, 2012) – Canada’s Under-23 national team is inching closer to booking a ticket to London this summer. Sportsnet’s coverage of the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament continues on Monday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT live on Sportsnet Ontario, Pacific and Sportsnet ONE, as Canada faces Cuba in a must-see showdown to conclude the group stage.
With a win or draw on Monday night, Canada will advance to the tournament semifinals on Saturday, March 31 in Kansas City. The winners in the semifinals will automatically clinch a berth to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Can Sporting Braga take advantage of Benfica’s slip?
Title contenders Sporting Braga have twelve wins in a row. They’re the only team with twelve consecutive victories in major leagues around the world.
Mar 26, 2012 - 4:15pm Sporting Braga vs Academica de Coimbra
It’s been four months since they have lost or drawn a match for the Portuguese Liga Zon/Sagres. They’ve been defeated in Estádio do Dragão home to FC Porto. Until a week ago, only Real Madrid matched this amazing record of eleven wins in a row.
This Monday March 26, SC Braga meets Académica de Coimbra at Estádio Axa, also called “the quarry”. It’s always a hard task to play Académica. However, if they manage to beat the "Students" next Monday, they will take over second place in the league. In those conditions, they’ll meet Benfica with a two point advantage next week.
Conte and Ranieri agree that the Derby d'Italia is more crucial for Juventus
The respective coaches of Juventus and Inter Milan are more than aware of which club needs the three points more.
Antonio Conte, the coach of Juventus, assured to the press that Inter Milan will play their hearts out in order to defeat his side when the Italian giants lock horns at the Juventus Arena on Sunday.Inter are completely out of the title race this season, after a highly disappointing campaign, but Conte insists that the Nerazzurri will be extremely hard nuts to crack nevertheless.
"Inter will play the game of their lives. It is a good way for them to earn back some respect and they will also want to bring an end to our unbeaten record," Conte declared to reporters during a press conference.
Jorge Fucile affirms that at Santos he feels "the pressure to win titles"
The Uruguayan international believes he made the right choice in leaving FC Porto for the South American champions.
Jorge Fucile, the Uruguayan right-back of Santos, affirmed that he has had no trouble adapting to Brazilian soccer since joining the South American champions from FC Porto this season.Fucile also expressed his appreciation for the manner in which his new team-mates and the Santos fans have treated him upon his arrival.
"The fans received me very well, everyone with their arms wide open. For this reason my adaptation to Brazilian soccer has been easier. I'm passing through a good moment here. We feel the pressure to win titles, and I hope to continue to help Santos win. We are working for this," stated Fucile, before revealing his best friends within the Santos squad.
"Today Boca is Roman" - stated Orion in reference to Riquelme's influence
The Boca Juniors goalkeeper admitted that the club's good form is due in great part to Juan Riquelme's contribution.
Agustin Orion, the talented goalkeeper of Argentine champions Boca Juniors, believes that playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme is the club's greatest asset today and that it is a great pleasure to be able to count with his services within the squad.After six rounds of the Argentine Clausura championship, Boca find themselves in second place with 13 points, one point behind league leaders Tigre, with 14. Boca will be hoping to continue with their fine form when they welcome Lanus to the Bombonera stadium in what is expected to be an intriguing clash on Sunday.
"Today Boca is Roman. He is the biggest symbol of the moment, and luckily we have him on our side. He exceeds the [Boca] shirt," Orion declared to ESPN.
Title holders FC Porto to take Liga Zon/Sagres with win at Paços de Ferreira?
Title contenders Benfica failed to get to the top of the Portuguese Liga Zon/Sagres when they drew 0-0 at home to Olhanense this Friday. Can league leaders FC Porto open a three point gap with only 6 matches to go?
After encountering defeat in the Portuguese League Cup semi-finals against Benfica last Tuesday, FC Porto will definitely try to return to winning ways. It starts with a league match against Paços de Ferreira on Sunday, March 25.Last season, FC Porto achieved near perfection winning four competitions: Portuguese SuperCup, Portuguese Liga, Portuguese Cup and UEFA Europa League.
This season, things are different. The Liga Zon/Sagres has become the only challenge for FC Porto. The Dragons don’t have any other title to look for after Tuesday's cup defeat. This tells they’ll put all their efforts in order to win the Liga and they’re in a good position to do so.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur: Champions League qualification tickets in Spurs’ hands
The day: Sat Mar 24. The venue: Stamford Bridge. The visitors: Tottenham Hotspurs: The stakes. 4th place.
All right. A win for the Blues will not catapult them to 4th but will bring them within striking distance of Spurs threatening that precious berth and a lucrative Champions League eligibility.Chelsea are riding a very high crest since Andres Villas Boas's departure. Under Roberto Di Matteo, they have won 4 of their last 5 games including overturning a 3-1 deficit to Napoli. Suddenly, Chelsea have a lot to play for including the FA Cup and qualification for next season’s CL.
Chelsea lost their midweek meeting to Man City but only just as Spurs drew with Stoke. Tottenham have yet to win a premier league game in 2012 so they have chosen the wrong time to go through a blip. Chelsea have been galvanized since Di Matteo’s appointment and it appears the dressing room of the old guard have suddenly awoken from a strange deep slumber.
"Juventus have much more to lose than Inter" - Dejan Stankovic
The aging midfielder hopes Inter will benefit from the fact that Juventus are in desperate need of the three points to remain in the title hunt.
Dejan Stankovic, the Serbian midfielder of Inter Milan, admitted that his team have nothing to lose when they lock horns with Juventus on Sunday, but that their rivals, on the contrary, will be desperate for the three points because anything less than this could bring an end to their title aspirations."Juventus have much more to lose than Inter. They are fighting for the Scudetto and we know that brings immense extra pressure. They really can't afford to drop any points. There will be even more pressure on them if AC Milan win their league game on Saturday," Stankovic affirmed to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
An Exciting Weekend awaits us in the Bundesliga
‘Exciting’ is the only word which can describe the Bundesliga action which will take place tomorrow.
Köln always is a very entertaining side- regarding matters on and off the pitch. After having been absolutely thumped 4-1 by Hanover last week, they take to the pitch against the holders Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund was in action in mid-week in the DFB Pokal. It took them a full 120 minutes to dispose of SpVgg Greuther Furth with Ilkay Guendogan scoring the winner in the final minute of extra time.Other matches include a contest between Hoffenheim and Monchengladbach, who were also in cup action during the week. Bayern takes on Hanover, a contest which has seen Hanover come out on top in the previous two meetings. The biggest match of the weekend takes places between two of the most exciting sides of the league, fourth placed Schalke and fifth placed Leverkusen.
Can Arsenal win a seventh Premier League game in a row?
Arsenal with six wins on the trot has taken over third spot in the Premier League table and will look to continue their superb run against Aston Villa.
Arsenal and Villa have already met twice this season with one of those meetings coming in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger’s team was lucky to escape with all three points against Everton on Wednesday. They started the match in the manner they had played against Newcastle. After an early goal from Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal somewhat receded and allowed Everton to come at them.Robin Van Persie had an unusual day as he failed to conjure his usual magic. Everton had many chances but failed to take them. Arsenal was greeted with bad but not entirely unexpected news this week. Per Mertesacker has been officially ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Chelsea takes on Spurs in a battle for the final Champions League spot
Wednesday night saw differing fortunes for both sides which left them competing for the final Champions League slot.
The English Premier League standings have once again changed with two North London clubs swapping places in the top four. Tottenham’s draw against Stoke coupled with Arsenal’s win over Everton saw Arsenal leapfrog Spurs into third. Chelsea was on a good run of form but their loss to City saw them fall further behind the top four.This match is hence almost a battle for fourth place. The word ‘almost’ comes into play simply because one victory for Chelsea alongside one loss for Spurs will not be enough for Chelsea to confine Spurs to fifth spot. The point gap between the two is currently five but could be cut down to two tomorrow.