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Sporting Lisbon vs Metalist: What are both teams' Europa League chances?
The venue is the Estádio de Alvalade XXI. We’re entering the final stages of this important competition. Teams are very similar and could give us balanced and tough matches.After the quarter-finals draw, Sporting Clube de Portugal seem to have reasons to be optimistic about. Sporting are apparently stronger with a higher ranking position but nothing can be taken for granted. Manchester City are bigger on paper than Sporting Lisbon but results in the Last 16 told otherwise.
Metalist comes to Lisbon to once again try to beat the odds as they did against Olympiacos in the previous round.
A mouth watering contest awaits us in the Europa League between Schalke and Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao isn’t having the best of league campaigns. They currently sit eleventh in La Liga. Their fans perhaps expect a better finish in the league than eleventh spot considering the attacking riches that are available to them. In the Europa League, Bilbao has been nothing short of brilliant; Sir Alex Ferguson can tell you just how devastating this Bilbao side can be when their attack truly ticks.Schalke is having one of their best ever seasons in recent memory. Schalke in the 2010 season finished second in the Bundesliga and reached the semifinals of the German Cup. They then won the DFB Pokal and reached the Champions League semifinals in 2011. Manuel Neuer then transferred out of the club; however, his transfer had very little impact on Schalke.
Champions League: AC Milan vs Barcelona & 10 hot facts to help predict the result
Here are 10 facts to help you predict the score line:
1) Barcelona will need to break AC Milan’s home leg record. Remarkably, the Rossoneri are yet to lose at home in a European Cup Last 8 tie. Stats read 10 victories and 4 draws.
2) No other side left in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League have allowed more goals than AC Milan. Going into Wednesday night’s huge clash against Barcelona at the San Siro, the Italian giants have conceded 11 goals.
3) Barcelona are on the brink of winning 10 matches in a row in all competitions. The last time they fell short of a win was in February when Osasuna beat them 3-2 against all the odds.
Champions League: Late shows see Real Madrid and Chelsea beat APOEL and Benfica
There was no upset on Tuesday night. In Cyprus, APOEL suffered a cruel defeat. It all looked difficult for the hosts right from the start. Statistics spoke for themselves. Negative-minded APOEL completed only 94 passes within the first 60 minutes of the match while Los Blancos had 416 to their credit.
Finally, the Spanish giants turned their mesmerizing possessive and passing game into goals. Kaka and Karim Benzema were the star men.
The Brazilian midfielder fed Frenchman Benzema with a sublime cross. The striker didn’t miss his header as Real Madrid broke the deadlock with 16 minutes left on the clock.
Milan vs Barcelona & Benfica vs Chelsea light up midweek Champions League action
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.
Bundesliga Review: The Ruhr Teams Lit the League Up as Bayern continued to win this week
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.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur: Champions League qualification tickets in Spurs’ hands
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.
Can Arsenal win a seventh Premier League game in a row?
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
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.
Three fierce EPL days – from Chelsea vs Spurs to Manchester United vs Fulham
It will all begin with a lunch time kick-off at Stamford Bridge. The Blues, having lost to Manchester City in midweek, failed to close the gap against fourth-placed Tottenham. Chelsea remain fifth in the standings with 49 points while London rivals Spurs have dropped to fourth with 54 points, 1 point behind new third place tenants Arsenal.
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will both be looking to get back to winning ways. The Blues had a really tough time at the Etihad Stadium and they lost out only just. Spurs, meanwhile, proved shaky again as Stoke City held them to a 1-1 draw.
Sportsnet March Events: 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament
2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament
Sportsnet’s coverage of the group phase of the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament begins Thursday, March 22 from Nashville, TN as El Salvador takes on Canada at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario and ONE. Later that evening, the United States faces Cuba at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on ONE.
On Saturday, March 24, Canada squares off against the United States at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific. The top two teams from the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament earn a berth at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
NBC Sports Group's MLS coverage continues Friday with Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders
NEW YORK –March 21, 2012 –The NBC Sports Group’s MLS season coverage continues Friday at 10 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network when the Seattle Sounders host the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo have opened the season with two straight wins, while the Sounders scored a 3-1 victory on Saturday against Toronto FC in their MLS season opener, with forward David Estrada scoring the club’s third hat trick in its history.
COMMENTATORS: The team of Arlo White (@arlowhite, play-by-play), and Kyle Martino (@kylemartino, “Between the Benches” analyst) will call the game from CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. NBC SportsTalk host Russ Thaler (@RussThaler) will host the pre-game, halftime and post-game segments live from the game site, with White and Martino.
Can Arsenal win their sixth Premier League game in a row?
A player who came through the Arsenal youth ranks, Fabrice Muamba is currently in a British hospital, recovering after a horrendous event in the FA Cup clash between Bolton and Spurs which left every fan shell shocked. Muamba might never be able to return to football. Arsenal’s thoughts are obviously with the young man.Arsenal and Everton usually serve up brilliant contests. This season’s one however yielded only a single goal from of-course Robin Van Persie at the Emirates. Arsenal is currently at the top of the ‘form table’ with five wins from their previous five matches, four of which were achieved from losing positions. Van Persie has bagged seven strikes in those five matches.
2011/12 Champions League & Europa League quarter-finals draw: Full fixtures
Football fans are anxiously waiting for the calendar to hit March 27. This is when the first leg of the first two UEFA Champions League quarter-finals matches will take place. In Cyprus, underdogs APOEL will host pre-tournament favourites Real Madrid.
Simultaneously, Benfica and Chelsea will lock horns in Portugal. The Blues will be confident of progressing into the semis following their miraculous comeback in the Round of 16 against Napoli. Likewise, Benfica will be fired up to go further in the Champions League as the only Portuguese team remaining.
What can we make of the Champions League and Europa League draw results for Bundesliga clubs?
In the inaugural Champions League season in 1992-93, Marseille won the competition. The stadium they won the final on was the Olympiastadion, precisely Bayern’s former stadium in Munich. Nowadays, the stadium is called the Allianz Arena and Bayern features there every other week and sometimes in midweek too.The sides have never faced each other in the history of the competition and have been paired with each other for the first time. Bayern players are perhaps relieved at avoiding Barcelona and Real Madrid but nothing can be taken for granted. Two teams that have beaten Bayern soundly in recent memory were defeated by Marseille- Dortmund and Inter won’t have fond memories of the French.
Sportsnet secures 3-year UEFA Champions League extension
TORONTO, ON (March 15, 2012) – Sportsnet today announced it has reached a three-year partnership extension with UEFA through the 2014-15 season, continuing the network’s status as Canada’s home of UEFA Champions League soccer.
The new agreement features a comprehensive suite of multimedia rights including television, online and mobile, which includes the rights to broadcast 146 matches on Sportsnet. Additionally, through Sportsnet’s agreement with TVA Sports, the deal also includes expanded French-language coverage across the same platforms with a minimum of 34 matches to be broadcast on TVA Sports per season.
2011/12 Champions League: Milan-Barca & Benfica-Chelsea highlight Last 8 draw
Real Madrid will tackle APOEL Nicosia. This is perhaps a kind draw for Los Blancos who are unbeatable on home soil. However, the two-legged tie might not be a one-sided affair knowing that APOEL are powerful underdogs. If they’ve reached the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, it is because they got the best out of big oppositions such as FC Porto and Olympique Lyonnais.
In another mouth-watering quarter-final clash, Benfica and Chelsea will sort things out. The Blues made a terrific comeback in the Last 16. Against all the odds, they overcame their 3-1 deficit over Napoli to survive in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League.
Europa League draw: No Manchester team as Bilbao and co carry Spanish pride
The UEFA Europa League’s last two English contenders crashed out of the competition on Thursday night. Manchester United suffered back-to-back defeats to the flying Bilbao in the Round of 16. In the first leg of their tie, the Red Devils lost 3-2 in controversial circumstances. They needed a 2-0 margin victory away to Athletic Bilbao but they suffered defeat again.
At Eastlands, Manchester City secured a 3-2 win over Sporting Lisbon. However, the Portuguese knocked out the Citizens thanks to their 1-0 first leg advantage. City and United can therefore concentrate on their domestic battles and leave the UEFA Europa League to other European teams.
Tottenham takes on Bolton as they look to recover from losses in the Premier League
Spurs required two legs to fend off Stevenage in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The first leg ended goalless. In the second leg, when Joel Byrom opened the score for Stevenage, fans must have thought they were in for a shock result. Spurs came roaring back instead and scored thrice, one of which was scored from the penalty spot by Emmanuel Adebayor, sandwiched in between two Jermain Defoe goals.Harry Redknapp has a bench full of talented players to call upon to participate in two competitions. Bolton does not have that luxury to say the least. They beat Millwall 0-2 in the previous round to book this quarter-final clash with Spurs. While Owen Coyle’s ultimate goal is survival this season, giving up on a trophy after coming so close to the final isn’t an option.
2012-The Year of the Underdog in the Champions League?
Five of the eight participants in the quarter-finals are names found almost every year: AC Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and last but not the least FC Bayern Munich. The other three contestants are less familiar ones and in the case of one, almost unfamiliar: Benfica, Marseille and Cypriots Apoel. Large wins were recorded in this season’s competition: underdogs Basel and Bayer Leverkusen were swept aside by Bayern and Barcelona respectively in the second legs. Basel, however, almost caused a shock too. They won the first leg against Bayern, 1-0 in Switzerland, a score-line which many experts and coaches would say is perfect at home.