RSSJohn Terry at the center of bad news ahead of Chelsea vs Manchester United
Claims that John Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand have led to intense distraction at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea and Manchester United prepare to lock horns.
The issue of racism continues to rage in English football as a man has been charged for making racist comments during Tuesday night’s Manchester United vs Stoke City match against some of the away players. The fan, identified as 57-year-old Howard Hobson, is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Hobson will go to court on Wednesday.News related to John Terry, however, is making more noise across the globe. The Chelsea skipper has been stripped from his England captaincy following David Bernstein’s decision to do so. According to the media in England, the FA chairman communicated the news to Terry via a phone call. A statement by the FA explained:
Getafe vs Real Madrid Preview
With Real Madrid being 7 points clear Barcelona in La Liga, the Madrid derby couldn’t be more exciting. Getafe vs Real Madrid will certainly provide viewers with fireworks.
Real Madrid have not kept a clean sheet since their 3-0 defeat of Sporting Gijon on December 3. However, the Spanish giants have reliable forwards as this records suggests: Madrid have netted 20 goals in their last 5 games in La Liga to hit an average of 4 goals per match. Their perfect record stretches to more than 450 minutes in La Liga. Impressive.
Meanwhile, Getafe can also be proud of their current form. In the first place, they are on a run of 6 matches without defeat. Their last loss in La Liga dates from December 11 when Sevilla triumphed 3-0. Since then, Getafe have grabbed decent results which include their recent 2-1 win away to Levante.
Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Preview
Barcelona host Real Sociedad on Saturday at the Estadio Camp Nou with much load on their shoulders.
Unlike their opponents, Barcelona’s recent Liga record isn’t negative at all. Having won four of their last games and lost none, they could feel confident to beat the twelfth-placed side. Three consecutive draws though lately, emphasized by a 7-point gap in the league standings, makes their situation somewhat stressful.Real Sociedad have only won two of their last six games, having drawn thrice and lost once. The sit four points above the relegation zone, and thus, a defeat against the Catalans could be cruelly costly.
Barcelona have appeared to make the best passes this season in La Liga; they presently average an 89.1% rate for passing accuracy, and 70% for ball possession. But, Sociedad are not too far behind. Although they can only manage 45.8% for ball possession at the moment, their passing has been acceptable at 74.9%.
10 Facts and Stats You Don’t Know about the First Half of the Bundesliga
The first half of the Bundesliga left some statistician scratching their heads. The average Bundesliga fan might not be too surprised by these stats though.
This Bundesliga season so far has been a spectacular one. The first half of the season filled the fans' appetites with brilliant football. Bayern lit up the pitch for a while before Dortmund and eventually Schalke joined the party. Schalke played some eye-catching football. Dortmund capitalized on the matches in which Bayern dropped points.A few interesting stats were recorded in the first half of the season. Here is a compilation of interesting facts that will perhaps surprise you. Some facts won't surprise a fan of the Bundesliga as Bayern dominated for a large part of it but others might.
Hamburger SV vs Bayern München Preview
Bayern, hanging on to the top of the table by a thread, will take on an HSV side coached by their former player.
Bayern has been playing poorly lately. Against Wolfsburg, they did win 2-0 and keep a clean sheet. However, they were very unconvincing. They scored the first goal in the only way that they know how to when they desperately require one- via Mario Gomez. The goal was messy but nonetheless kick-started the second half of the campaign.The second goal was scored somewhat accidentally. Ivica Olic lobbed Diego Benaglio but had his effort cleared off the line by Ricardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s clearance came off Robben and crossed the line for a goal. Bayern’s attack looked toothless once more, perhaps because Jupp Heynckes decided to play Toni Kroos next to Bastian Schweinsteiger in defensive midfield.
Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview
Liverpool stands sixth in the Premier League table and has a realistic chance of finishing fourth. Tottenham sits third, five points behind City, and has a realistic chance of winning the Premier League.
The fixture in White Hart Lane between these two sides wasn’t pretty. Tottenham put four past the team from Merseyside. Liverpool had two men sent off the pitch and thus finished with just nine players. Liverpool recently has picked up their form. They have knocked out both Manchester sides from cup competitions. They carried their Cup form into the league as they beat Wolves by three goals.Tottenham beat Wigan 3-1 in their previous Premier League match. Prior to that, they went down to City in very unlucky fashion, 3-2. Mario Balotelli sealed the deal with a penalty in the dying minutes of injury time when he should not even have been on the pitch following a horrific kick on Scott Parker.
Chelsea vs Manchester United Preview
Chelsea is currently on a bad patch in the league while United is flying high and is level on points with City at the top of the table.
United has won three Premier League games in a row- these three wins have placed the drubbing they received in the hands of Newcastle somewhat away from everyone’s minds. However, in that match, each of United’s weaknesses was exposed terribly. Since then United has beaten Bolton, Stoke and Arsenal. The only blot in United’s copy book recently has been a 1-2 loss to Liverpool. Chelsea has recently had more blots than Andre Villas Boas can really deal with. Chelsea has drawn their previous two games in the Premier League. They drew their game against Swansea.
Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers Preview
A torrid afternoon at Bolton ended in a 0-0 draw for Arsenal. According to Arsene Wenger every match is now a ‘cup final’.
Bolton was placed seventeenth in the table and the match was a perfect opportunity for Arsenal to finally win a game. Arsenal looked extremely poor throughout the match. Their attacks lacked the bite required to score goals. The result left Arsenal in seventh, five points behind fourth placed Chelsea.Arsenal next takes on another team fighting for survival. Blackburn sits eighteenth in the table and has collected only 18 points this season. Arsenal, however, struggles against teams that are fighting for relegation. Arsenal drops too many points against sides such as Blackburn- sides that take a very physical approach to the game unlike Wenger’s side.
Do Juventus have what it takes to win their first Scudetto since the 2002-03 Serie A season?
La Vecchia Signora have yet to taste defeat this term and everything seems to indicate that the title will be theirs.
With Italy's Serie A at its mid-point stage, there's no question as to whom are the favourites to clinch the Scudetto come the end of the season. Juventus, Italy's most storied club with a staggering 27 league championships to their name, have been unstoppable this season, and they currently lead the Serie A with 44 points, one point more than their closest rivals AC Milan, and also with a game in hand.Juventus, who last won the Italian championship in their 2002-03 campaign, have undergone a rebuilding process since being relegated to the Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal, but finally after many years of difficulty it seems that La Vecchia Signora are back on their way to returning to being the force that they once were.
Chelsea vs Manchester United kicks off live on FOX this Sunday
FOX is the place to be this coming Sunday as the English Premier League’s Chelsea vs Manchester United match will be broadcasted live.
Stamford Bridge will be on fire this weekend. The home crowd will be behind the Blues who face the prospect of grabbing their 8th win on home soil. Meanwhile, the Red Devils will try to force Chelsea to their 4th defeat at the Bridge.
The full 90 minutes of action will be available live on FOX. On January 22, 1.3 million people reportedly followed Arsenal vs Manchester United which ended 2-1 in favor of the away team.
Chelsea vs Manchester United may draw as many viewers as the race for the English Premier League title is tight. Manchester United could be 3 points behind current league leaders Manchester City before Sunday’s match.
Manchester City vs Fulham Preview
The last 15 meetings between Manchester City and Fulham in the Premier League have produced goals at both ends of the pitch. Will any of these teams keep a clean sheet on Saturday?
Manchester City must recover from their crucial defeat to Everton. The Citizens got punished by a former Manchester United boy, Darron Gibson. His goal proved to be the difference at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.Roberto Mancini and his men are leveled on points with Man United at the top of the English Premier League standings. Both teams have 54 points after 23 games. The Red Devils might stumble away to Chelsea this weekend so Manchester City can look forward to seizing their opportunities this weekend.
Meanwhile, Fulham will need to overcome the psychological blow of losing key player Sidwell to a long-term injury. Martin Jol confirmed the news on Thursday by stating the following according to ESPN:
Copa Libertadores Report: Feb 1
Brazilian giants Flamengo and Internacional progress to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores after winning hard-fought match-ups on Wednesday.
Flamengo, Brazil's most popular club with an estimated 36 million followers, booked their tickets to the group stage of the Copa Libertadores after defeating Real Potosi of Bolivia 2-0 in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.Ronaldinho was key to Flamengo's success, as after setting up their opener, he went on to seal their passage into the next round with a superb late goal.
Fellow Brazilians Internacional also progressed to the group stage, after fighting out a 2-2 draw with Once Caldas in Manizales.
Inspired by Argentine playmaker Andres D'Alessandro, Internacional proved their superiority in the only tie of the preliminary round which involved two former Copa Libertadores winners.
In this report:
French Ligue 1: Bordeaux’s record at stake, Marseille vs Lyon turns up the heat
The French Ligue 1 will enter Matchday 22 this weekend. Everyone’s focus is on the Olympique Marseille vs Olympique Lyon fixture which is scheduled for Sunday night.
On Saturday, AC Ajaccio will host rock-bottomed Nice. Dijon will face Valenciennes while second-placed Montpellier will try to keep the pressure on PSG with victory over Brest.
PSG lead the way in the French Ligue 1 with 46 points from a possible 63. They will be at home to Evian TG. All these matches, among a few others, will start at 6:00pm GMT (1:00pm EST).
Bordeaux vs Toulouse will close the night in an 8:00pm GMT (3:00pm EST) kick-off. These two teams are 8 points apart in the table. Whatever the result on Saturday, Les Girondins won’t move up from the 9th position as they lack 6 points behind eighth-placed St Etienne.
Out of the FA Cup and the Carling Cup: What’s left for Man United in England this year?
A 2-0 win over Stoke brought United level on terms with City in the title race- the only competition they realistically have a chance to win this season.
A top side always looks to ensure wins in two domestic competitions. In England, there are three- the Premier League, FA Cup and Carling Cup. The Premier League and FA Cup reign over the Carling Cup in terms of importance. This season, United is not in the Carling Cup or FA Cup.As the ball sailed past David De Gea in the dying minutes in the FA Cup, United fans knew that dreams of a cup victory would have to be pushed back at-least up to mid 2013. De Gea must have felt his own dreams of becoming a hero at United sink away with his side’s cup dreams.
Internazionale vs Palermo Report
Diego Milito's four goals are not enough as Inter Milan lose ground after sharing the spoils with Palermo in a spectacular eight-goal thriller.
The Nerazzurri continued with their recent slump after being held to a frustrating 4-4 draw by Palermo in an incredible encounter played below freezing temperatures at the San Siro stadium on Wednesday.Palermo started brightly and surprisingly went ahead in the 17th minute when Andrea Mantovani met a Fabrizio Miccoli corner-kick with a simple assertion at the back post.
But their joy was short-lived, as five minutes later Diego Milito opened his personal account with a cool finish past Palermo goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano after good lead-up work from Brazilian defender Maicon.
Cagliari vs Roma Report
AS Roma suffer their first league defeat in eight games against a dominant Cagliari at the Stadio Sant'Elia on Wednesday.
The Giallorossi were on the wrong end of a devastating 4-2 defeat to Cagliari in an action-packed encounter at the Stadio Sant'Elia on Wednesday.Brazilian attacker Thiago Ribeiro put Cagliari ahead in the 7th minute when he met a Daniele Conti pass, before cutting in and firing the ball past Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
But their lead was short-lived, as six minutes later another Brazilian, Juan, connected to a Francesco Totti corner-kick with a bullet header to draw the visitors level.
Lazio vs Milan Report
Italian champions AC Milan miss out on the opportunity to overtake Serie A league leaders Juventus after being stunned by Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Rossoneri squandered a glorious opportunity to leapfrog Serie A league leaders Juventus after falling to a frustrating 2-0 defeat to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.Massimiliano Allegri's side conceded goals from Hernanes and Tommaso Rocchi in the final thirteen minutes of the match to sink to their fourth defeat of the season.
Milan pushed to the attack immediately from the kick-off and almost took an early lead but a goal-bound header from midfielder Antonio Nocerino was denied by a remarkable save from Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.
Valencia vs Barcelona Report
The game started well with a good number of free-kicks for Barcelona. Soldado and Piatti also showed much resilience for Valencia, forcing the Barca defence to be highly alert.
Lionel Messi nearly scored the opener on 16 minutes when he escaped a series of challenges to fire a shot, but his last effort was blocked. It was just a minute after that controversy again took its place in the game; an angry home crowd would have loved to see Pinto get sent off for handling the ball outside the box, but the referee kept his cards.A ping pong game didn’t lack of potential and excitement, but Valencia were the first to get favoured. With the help of Mathieu, an unmarked Jonas confidently put the hosts in front.
But the visitors never stopped trying to get back into the game. They were rewarded for their efforts before half-time, and Carles Puyol was the man to praise as he headed home from a corner to level the game.
Why Barcelona should fear potential 2012 Copa del Rey finalists Valencia
Valencia possess the power to punish inconsistent Barcelona in the semis of the 2011/12 Copa del Rey. Will Los Che satisfy the fuming fans of quarter-final victims Real Madrid?
One of the major problems at Barca presently is that Pep Guardiola is facing severe squad setbacks. As if it wasn’t enough to lose David Villa to a long-term injury, the manager will have to deal with the absence of Pedro Rodgriguez, Andreu Fontas, Ibrahim Affelay and key man Andres Iniesta. As Barcelona’s injury list grows, it looks like their chances of ending the year successfully on the domestic front are decreasing. For now, let’s not talk about the Catalans’ situation in La Liga where they've lost 13 points in 10 matches away from home. In the Copa del Rey, Barcelona could find immense comfort; that is, if Valencia don’t put an end to their hunt.
“We are not getting the balance of last year,” Dani Alves admitted following his side’s disappointing goalless draw away to Villarreal last weekend. One of the many questions is whether Barca can overcome the away ground factor and punish Valencia for their poor passing game.
Valencia vs Barcelona Preview
The Copa del Rey semis kick off on Wednesday night for Valencia, as they welcome FC Barcelona at the Mestalla in the first leg of their fixture.
Barcelona narrowly edged past Real Madrid in the quarter finals, using their 2-1 away victory to knock out their rivals 4-3 on aggregate. Conversely, Valencia enjoyed an easy qualification into the semis with a whopping 7-1 aggregate win over Levante.Coincidentally, neither Los Che nor Los Cules were able to grab triumphs at the weekend in La Liga. Valencia shared a point away to Racing Santander following a 2-2 draw, while Barca were restricted to a goalless draw against Villarreal.
Both sides sit comfortably in the Top 3 of La Liga, but their additional work in the Primera Division will have to be put on hold for the meantime. There seems to be some injury problems for Valencia coach Unai Emery, with Mehmet Topal and Ever Banega not likely to perform.