Tag Archives: ucl

Manchester United draw Rostov in Europa League last 16

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Manchester United have drawn Russian club Rostov in the Europa League last 16.

Jose Mourinho’s men reached the knockout stage with a 4-0 aggregate victory over Saint-Etienne, having finished runners up in their group.

Man Utd are the only Premier League club remaining in the competition after Tottenham were eliminated on Thursday.

The full last 16 so far is:

Celta Vigo vs Krasnodar

APOEL vs Anderlecht

Schalke vs Borussia Monchengladbach

Lyon vs Roma

Rostov vs Manchester United

Olympiacos vs Besiktas

Gent vs Genk

Kobenhavn vs Ajax

 

I Miss The Champions League – Mourinho

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Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has urged his players to step up their quest to qualify for the Champions League next year, as he misses the competition.

Mourinho has had to play in the Europa League in his first season at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils in the last 32 of the competition, where they will take on St Etienne this month.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss is among a small group of coaches — including Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti — who have taken charge of 100 Champions League games. And he is desperate to return to the big stage.

“Personally, I miss the Champions League,” Mourinho said.

“Every match I don’t play in the Champions League means an incredible number of matches is not going up. I am the youngest one to be in the club of 100. Every time I don’t play I am not happy.

“But obviously Manchester United is much more important than me. What matters is Manchester United, and as everyone knows, it’s a club that belongs to the Champions League.

“We shall do everything possible to make sure we are in it next season.

“We have two chances to be there: one is by winning the Europa League, the other is by finishing in the top four. Both achievable, both difficult, but we are going to work hard for that.”

UCL: Three Top Champions League Matches To Watch Tonight

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For the concluding part of Match Day 5 games, FCNaija.com picks a list of three key games that should be explosive tonight.

 

Arsenal Vs PSG 

 

The Gunners and the Parisians are both through to the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League but both teams are understandably angling to finish top in the group.

 

Though presently tied on 10 points, Arsenal hold a slight advantage at the moment with a better goals’ difference of +9 compared to PSG’s +6.

 

The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in stalemate as Arsenal snatched a 1-1 draw during their visit of Paris.

 

 

Arsenal are unbeaten in 17 games and are just three points off the top of the Premier League while they have as it were breezed through to the next stage in Europe.

 

One character many will want to see in the Arsenal, PSG clash is French star, Olivier Giroud who was sent off in the first leg in quite debatable circumstances.

 

The battle ground for the two Fly Emirates teams is the Emirates Stadium where Arsenal’s invincibility is gradually returning… Happy viewing

 

Besiktas vs Benfica

 

This is arguably the most keenly-contested group in this stage of the Championship League. Presently, three teams still stand a chance of pulling through to the next phase from this group.

 

Yet to lose a game this season, Besiktas drew the reverse fixture and recently held the group leaders Napoli to a stalemate at home.

 

If the Black and Whites can muster a win this term at home, they will be on course to secure a berth in the knockout phase.

 

 

However, nothing suggests that Benfica who are joint-top at the moment will be a stroll in the park as the Portuguese team have not been push-overs by any means at home or in their travel.

 

Benfica are also in fine form. Unbeaten in nine, they lead the Primeira Liga by five points from Porto and have put themselves back in Champions League contention with successive wins over group whipping boys Dynamo Kiev.

 

Interestingly, while the coaches and players are firming up their strategies, the Besiktas fans also have some innovation they are working on.

 

Besiktas supporters who once set a world crowd noise record are planning to mark their Champions League tie against Benfica with the world’s first ‘silent cheer’.

 

On Wednesday, an estimated 42,000 fans in the new Vodafone Arena will choreograph a cheer using only sign language for one minute when the game kicks off against Benfica in Istanbul.

 

In all a spectacle is expected in Istanbul tonight

 

Match available on Supersport….

 

Borussia Moenchengladbach Vs Manchester City

 

The trip is to Germany is quite tricky for Coach Pep Guardiola and his team. With many already conceding top spot (or at least one of the tickets) in Group C to the rampaging Barcelona team, Moenchengladbach and City are in a straight fight for the other ticket.

 

Only victory for the Germans can reignite their slim chances but going by their poor run of form, it will be surprising to see them triumph over the Citizens.

 

 

Also, a win at Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday night will carry Manchester City through to the knockout phase of the Champions League with a game to spare.

 

With this development, it is safe to say that it is a winner takes all contest.

 

After their statement win over Barcelona, many will expect Manchester City to pass their German test in flying colours.

Manchester City Leave Star Out Of Champions League Squad

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If Manchester City thought that Yaya Toure and his agent kicked up a fuss when they forgot to buy him a birthday cake then they’re about to receive a barrage of abuse for leaving the Ivorian out of their Champions League squad.

The big midfielder was always expected to be doomed when City announced the signing of Guardiola as their new manager back in January but so far the former Barcelona midfielder has stuck around the Etihad. Still though now he’s around he might have expected some football.

Pep Guardiola

Yaya was sold by Pep to City when the pair were at the Camp Nou so perhaps his omission isn’t that big a surprise but after he didn’t get a move in the summer it seemed he might play some part in the sky blues season but clearly not. Here’s the full squad:

Goalkeepers

Claudio Bravo, Willy Caballero

Defenders

Bacary Sagna, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov, Gael Clichy, John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi

Midfielders

Fernando, Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan, Jesus Navas, Kevin De Bruyne, Fabian Delph, Leroy Sane, David Silva, Fernandinho

Attackers

Nolito, Sergio Aguero, Kelechi Iheanacho

Yaya Toure

The move by the former Bayern Munich manager will likely speed up the process of Toure leaving the Manchester club with a move to China or the MLS likely once their transfer windows open later in the season, after all no one else can afford his ridiculous wages.

Time for Toure to buy himself some cake and find a nice spot on the sofa!

 

Via – The Sport Bible

UEFA Announces Champions League Changes

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European football’s governing body has confirmed the top four ranked associations will receive four automatic places in the Champions League from 2018-19

UEFA has announced the top four ranked associations will receive four automatic spots into the Champions League from 2018-19, bypassing the qualification process.

The governing body has released a series of changes which are set to come into Europe’s elite club competition.

Amongst the changes are a new club co-efficient system starting from season 2018-19 and also a new system for both seeding and revenue distribution.

More to follow.

Alicia Keys To Perform At First Champions League Live Show

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Alicia Keys is to become the first singer to play live at the opening ceremony of the Champions League Final.

The show will see the singer perform to around 80,000 people in Milan’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on 28 May and to TV audiences in over 220 countries.

Keys, who will be debuting new music in the show, said playing to such a huge audience was “pretty insane”.

European football’s governing body Uefa said Keys’ inclusion “heightens even further the appeal of the match”.

Keys, who recently joined Season 11 of NBC’s The Voice in the US, said she was looking forward to returning to Italy, a place that feels like home to her.

“My mother’s family is from Italy, so whenever I go, I always feel the most loved,” she said.

“I feel like it’s a homecoming of love in a lot of ways.”

Uefa said Keys’ performance will usher in a new live entertainment era for the final, which intends to “merge the worlds of world-class music, entertainment and sports, as well as celebrate design and fashion as a nod to the host city, Milan”.

“This is going to be a powerful moment in history and one that represents the spirit of all the similarities we share no matter where we live and who we are,” Keys said.

“I’m honoured to be a special part of such a beloved experience.”

Tinchy StryderImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionTinchy Stryder performed a specially-written rap before the 2011 final at Wembley

Uefa has previously opened its top club event with large-scale dance performances, traditionally accompanied by the tournament’s official song, the Tony Britten-composed Champions League, performed by a choir or played from a recording.

The 2011 opening ceremony at London’s Wembley Stadium saw Tinchy Stryder perform a specially-written rap about the game between Manchester United and Barcelona.

Source -bbc.com

Bayern Were Superior To Arsenal, Admits Cech

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The former Chelsea goalkeeper has acknowledged the Gunners were not good enough to hold off the German giants, but is adamant they can still progress in Europe

Petr Cech has admitted Bayern Munich were superior to Arsenal in Wednesay’s Champions League encounter at the Allianz Arena, but refuses to give up hope of reaching the knockout stages.

Arsene Wenger’s men had recorded a 2-0 win over the Bundesliga champions in the reverse fixture, but were outclassed in Munich as Bayern cruised to a 5-1 win.

“It’s tough to take but in a way you have to accept that the team you were playing against was superior to us today in everything they did, especially in the first half,” Cech told the official Arsenal website.

“You now need to win two games and we need to make sure that the head to head against Olympiacos is in our favour. Then you can go through.

“Everything is possible. We have two games to play, we have to regroup and continue fighting until the last minute.

“It was not a day we wanted, but every game comes thick and fast. You need to make sure that you recover and move on to the next one.”

Arsenal sit fourth in Group F with three points from four games, trailing second-placed Olympiacos by six points.

Dani Alves: Messi Convinced Me To Stay At Barcelona

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The Brazilian has revealed that the Argentine argued that the right-back would not be able to find a better club than the Blaugrana, persuading him to sign a new deal

Dani Alves has revealed that Lionel Messi played a key role in his decision to stay at Barcelona.

The Brazil international looked set to leave Camp Nou on a free transfer this summer, with the defender having been upset by the terms and length of the contract extension he was initially offered by the Catalan club.

However, the former Sevilla star agreed a new two-year deal with Barca on Tuesday, with the option of a third season, and the right-back has explained that Messi convinced him to commit his future to the treble-winners.

“Messi said to me: ‘Dani, stay, where you are going to feel better than you do here?'” the Selecao star told reporters on Wednesday.

“Long ago we talked about how well we were living at this club. We have wonderful things in this city, gorgeous weather, and all of this influenced our decisions.

“Messi and I had the same conversation a year ago when it was said someone wanted to sign the two of us and we discussed that we would never have it so good anywhere else.

“As I said at the treble celebration [on Sunday], and as I said many times before, I’m just in the place where I feel loved.

“For a few moments I had doubts but the other day it was very clear that most people here love me and value me, and that was one of the things that made me decide to stay.

“I always follow my heart. My heart was asking me to stay here and I still have many things to offer.

“I have the best group of colleagues, I have never seen a group with such connection and that helped in making the decision.

“A number of positive factors that have led me to make this decision.”

Indeed, Dani Alves revealed that his future had also been linked with that of coach Luis Enrique, who extended his contract with Barca until 2017 on the same day.

“Luis Enrique has been someone who selected me when there were people who doubted about me,” the 32-year-old added.

“At the beginning of the season when I was thinking about staying or going, he said something to me at the end of a game that left a real impression on me

“He said, ‘Dani, stay because we are going to enjoy this year.’

“Luis Enrique has influenced my decision because I like working with people of his nature. I see myself in him.

“I also renewed because Luis Enrique renewed. He has returned this club to the highest level. He has given us the hope and the possibility to get the treble and fight for the sextet!

“I think his renewal is well deserved. Our success has so much to do with him. People doubted him too but he and his staff have put Barca back on top.”

Alves also denied that the protracted and sometimes bitter nature of his contract talks have negatively affected his relationship with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

“It was not a fight between Dani Alves and the club,” he added. “It was not a question of financial considerations. If it were only a matter of money, I would not still be here.

“I followed my heart and my heart told me that I had to stay at this club.

“I do not have a bad relationship with the president. On the contrary, I have a very good relationship but everyone tries to defend their rights, and it was just a process of negotiation.

“They offered me one thing and I did not want it. I asked one thing and they did not give it to me.

“But at the end we reached a compromise. I now have a two-year contract and will do whatever is needed to continue for a the third year.

“Next year will be better than this one and retiring at Barca is a possibility.”

Pep Guardiola Was Right – No System Can Stop Messi

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Pep Guardiola cannot complain. He had Lionel Messi‘s magic for four formidable seasons at Barcelona.

On Wednesday night, the Catalan coach was on the receiving end of the Argentine’s astonishing abilities for the first time. The monster he helped create chewed up his best-laid plans.

But he won’t have been surprised. In the build-up to this tie, Guardiola said: “When he plays like this, there is no defence that can stop him. It’s impossible. He is used to players defending against him any way they can and he always ends up enjoying success. He is too good.”

He could very well say the same after the game. As usual, Messi was too good. At this level, games are decided by the very best – and Messi is just that. “There is no player more complete than Leo,” Guardiola once said. “He is the best at everything.”

During his time at Camp Nou, Guardiola always admitted his side would be a shadow of themselves without the Argentine among their ranks. “We would be a very good team and we would be competitive,” he stressed. “But we wouldn’t have won all that we have.”
 

Too true. Guardiola won 14 out of 19 titles at Barca – including six out of six in his first year. Meanwhile, Guardiola’s great work at Bayern has seen back-to-back Bundesliga championships claimed with relative ease, yet the Catalan coach was expected to turn the Bavarians into Europe’s elite team – which they were before his arrival as they won the treble and brutally beat an out-of-sorts Barca en route to the Champions League crown.

Now, that dream lies in tatters – and it’s all because of Messi.

The 27-year-old was well marked for much of the game, but as his rivals tired, he pulled the trigger: first, he lashed home a thunderous drive from the edge of the box that not even the brilliant Manuel Neuer could save; then he ran into the box and beat the Germany goalkeeper with an exquisite chip from a tight angle for his second. It was unstoppable – just as Guardiola had said.

Neymar’s late third means this tie is now all but over. In the end, it has not been settled – or so it seems at least – by tactical nous, but by Messi’s magic.

Guardiola benefitted so often from such fantasy football at Barca, like in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League triumphs, the semi-final success against Real Madrid en route to the latter and many, many more. This time, however, he has to grin and bear it.

And on the night of his return to Camp Nou, Guardiola’s words proved prescient. Just as Guardiola had said, nothing and nobody can stop the Argentine on this form – and there is no shame in that.

Bayern are brilliant, their coach remains the world’s finest and their tactical plan frustrated Barca for much of the match, but in the end, Messi was just too good.

Culled from www.goal.com

Liverpool Can Finish Top Four Despite Defeat – Rodgers

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is refusing to write off their chances of finishing in the top four of the Premier League after their 1-0 defeat at Hull City.

However, it is significant that he is already planning how to strengthen his team ahead of next season.

Rodgers is realistic enough to know that their Champions League ambitions are surely over as they lie seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with an inferior goal difference and only four games to play.

A place in the Europa League is also far from assured, underlining why Rodgers is under pressure after a season when they have not been able to cope with the sale of Luis Suarez and injuries to Daniel Sturridge, the two men whose goals were so important to Liverpool last season.

“You can’t hide the fact we’ve lost over 50 goals,” said Rodgers.

“Even with those players we weren’t tipped to get in the top four and we haven’t got those players now. We have to work with what we’ve got.

“Now we have to look to improve the squad and it’s always great if you can get marquee players to come in and help you. The owners will support that.

“We want to be in the top four, but that was always going to be difficult because we were playing catch up for a lot of the season.

“We lost a couple of big games which dented our confidence a bit. I need to build a team that can get through the rough waters as well. We need a team that can get through the smooth and the rough.

“That will be my challenge – to rebuild a group that can get through the rough waters.”

Whether they will be able to lure them to Anfield without the attraction of the Champions League is debatable, but the fact that Liverpool require at least two of those ‘marquee men’ was obvious in their latest setback at the KC Stadium where Michael Dawson scored the 37th minute winner for Hull.

Dawson’s goal was his first in 16 months and Hull manager Steve Bruce insisted that it earned them a success that their performance warranted.

“We deserved it because of the way we played,” said Bruce, who has had a tough season a year after guiding them to the FA Cup final.

“We caused a threat all night and defended well, which you have to do against Liverpool,” he said.

“We have 34 points but I don’t think 34 is enough, so we still need a couple of results, but we are certainly in a better position that four days ago. The job isn’t done and got to stay resilient for the next four games.”

Dawson said: “We really needed this win because back-to-back wins are so hard to get in this league and we’ve done it against a top team.

“If you give Liverpool too much respect, they will hurt you because they have good players, but the commitment from back to front was great,” added the former Spurs captain.

Steve Harper, the Hull goalkeeper who was 40 last month, was also a key influence on the outcome as he made several excellent saves.
“He was coolness personified. You could tell he wanted to keep a clean sheet,” Bruce said.

Champions League Draw: Barcelona Face Bayern Munich, Real Madrid Take On Juventus

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Barcelona will take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals while Real Madrid have drawn Juventus.

Luis Enrique’s side defeated Paris Saint-Germain 5-1 to progress to the last four, but they will not face their fierce rivals, who ran out 1-0 winners over fellow La Liga club Atletico thanks to a late Javier Hernandez goal.

Barca will instead take on Bayern, with Pep Guardiola set to return to the Camp Nou for the first time since leaving the club to go on sabbatical, and the Spanish side will be out to avenge their 7-0 aggregate defeat to the German giants in 2013.

Bayern defeated Porto 7-4 over two legs to progress to the semi-finals, while Juventus beat Monaco to earn their clash with the current Champions League holders.

The draw throws up the possibility of an all-Spanish final for the second successive year, with Real defeating Atletico after extra-time last season.

Bayern last reached the showpiece in 2013, when they beat Borussia Dortmund, while Barcelona defeated Manchester United in 2011. Juventus, meanwhile, have not reached the final since 2003, when they beat AC Milan on penalties at Old Trafford.

5 Things To Expect In The UEFA Champions League This Week By Ifreke Inyang

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Arsenal might come close
When Arsenal hit top gear and find fluidity in their game, their football is right up there. Like last weekend, when they battered West Ham, even without trying. I expect them to carry on against Monaco on Tuesday night. But it is looking a little too late for the Gunners. And the Ligue 1 side are a tough nut defensively – they have conceded just four goals in their last 17 matches.
City heading out

Manuel Pellegrini’s men were lazy and limp at Burnley last weekend. It appeared the season is over in their minds and they can’t wait to be on some random beach this summer. Elsewhere in Spain, Barcelona prepared for the second leg of their tie, with a comfortable 2-0 away win against Eibar. The signs are not looking good for Manchester City really.
Messi magic

Barca would have had one leg in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, if Lionel Messi converted his last-minute penalty at the Etihad. But they still lead 2-1 on aggregate and you would expect the little Argentine, to make up for that blip with a sterling performance. Of course, there is also the little matter of surpassing Ronaldo in the scoring charts.
Dortmund to overturn it

Jurgen Klopp’s men almost got a decent result in Italy, but were defeated because of silly defensive errors. With the return leg to be played at Signal Iduna Park, I expect the Bundesliga side to turn it around and progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Final eight confirmed

On Wednesday night, the last eight teams standing in the Champions League will be confirmed. Put a gun to my head and I will go for Monaco, Barcelona, Dortmund and Atletico to join PSG, Bayern, Real Madrid and Porto.

‘Ifreke Inyang tweets via @Ifreke

I Wish Manchester City, Arsenal Do Better Than Us – Mourinho

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Jose Mourinho launched a passionate defence of his Chelsea team on Friday, two days after elimination from the Champions League in acrimonious circumstances by Paris Saint-Germain.

The Premier League leaders, who are at home to Southampton on Sunday, were knocked out on away goals after extra time despite the fact that PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been sent off as early as the 31st minute.

Jose Mourinho

Ibrahimovic accused Chelsea players of behaving like “babies” by crowding around the referee once the Swede had fouled Brazilian play-maker Oscar. The inference was that they had tried to influence the official, a tactic captain John Terry insisted afterwards was perfectly legitimate and that had also been employed by the opposition.

Mourinho, who claimed after the reverse fixture with Southampton, a 1-1 draw on December 28 last year, that there was a conspiracy amongst domestic referees to punish his side unfairly, was adamant that Chelsea were no more guilty of that than any other Premier League club.

“If my players surround the referee, we are charged,” he said. “We have to pay a fine and if we do that, the players pay the fine. At this moment we have eight months of competition, we have been charged once and we paid for that. It’s as simple as that.

“Go to the Premier League and see how many teams are charged. The only thing I know is Chelsea were charged once. It is my responsibility to train the players and help them cope with the pressure.

“The people that were out of the Champions League on Wednesday are the same people that won the League Cup and the same people that are going to win the Premier League. It is the same people.”

Mourinho also rounded on television pundits Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness after the ex-Liverpool players had been highly critical of Chelsea’s performance and behaviour.

“Maybe because of diet and maybe the quality of the products we are eating, memories are getting shorter,” said. “Because when Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness speak about it, it’s because they are having a problem for sure.

“Just to close the chapter on the Champions League, the game finished and I was in the tunnel. One by one – not just the players but the coaches and everybody from PSG – I shook their hands. I told them they deserved it. I wished them good luck for the future.

“This was the way we behave after a defeat. This is the example my players get after a defeat. I went to my dressing room, I put everybody together – not just the players – and because I am normally very calm and deserve to go home and reflect and think and speak without any doubt or emotion, this is what we did.

PSG Can Still Eliminate Chelsea – Verratti

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Marco Verratti is convinced Paris Saint-Germain have every chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Chelsea after the clubs played out a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

The Ligue 1 champions failed to beat Chelsea over two legs last term after a 3-1 home-win, yet Verratti believes it could be an advantage that PSG head into the return as the underdogs this time around.

“We know we are a strong team, as are Chelsea. We will go to Stamford Bridge to win the match. That’s the only result that will allow us to qualify. We will give it our best. We have a great opportunity,” Verratti told the official Uefa website.

“We prepared the match exactly like this. We wanted to wait a bit for Chelsea and try not to give them any space, because they have players in attack who are difficult to get if you leave them space.

“And when we were in possession, we wanted to attack their defence. I think we created some good chances, but we couldn’t take advantage of them.

“But we’re satisfied. We managed to fight back after we fell behind. Now we will play for qualification in London. I think now that we travel there knowing that we have to win if we want to succeed. Last season, maybe people thought it was all over because we had the two-goal advantage and that was a bad thought.”

The return in London will take place on March 11