21 April 2012
Barcelona v Real Madrid preview
Real Madrid will be looking to put their slip-ups aside and the La Liga title race to bed in one of the most keenly-anticipated El Clasico clashes of all time.
Barcelona
have cut the gap from 10 points to just four thanks to 11 successive league wins, with Jose Mourinho's men drawing three times during that run, but victory on Saturday night will leave the capital side seven points clear with just four to play.
have cut the gap from 10 points to just four thanks to 11 successive league wins, with Jose Mourinho's men drawing three times during that run, but victory on Saturday night will leave the capital side seven points clear with just four to play.
Both sides will be looking to bounce back from defeats in the first legs of their respectiveChampions League semi-final ties, with Real Madrid losing 2-1 at Bayern Munich before Barcelona lost 1-0 at Chelsea.
semi-final ties, with Real Madrid losing 2-1 at Bayern Munich before Barcelona lost 1-0 at Chelsea.
Another loss for Real Madrid would leave them leading La Liga by just a single point and, with tricky clashes with Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao to follow, possessing no room for further slip-ups.
Sky Bet install Barcelona as 8/13 favourites to close the gap with Real Madrid 4/1 to pull clear with victory and a draw, which would also suit the visitors, 3/1.
Mind games
Barca boss Pep Guardiola has cranked up the pressure in the build-up to Saturday night's clash by maintaining that the title is Madrid's to lose rather than for his side to win, while his opposite number Mourinho has been virtually muted, insisting his opinions will only serve to earn him further touchline bans following various clashes with officials.
The build-up to the Nou Camp clash has inevitably been dominated by the game's two biggest names, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the duo scoring a record-breaking 41 goals in La Liga already, eclipsing the 40-goal record set by Ronaldo last season.
and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the duo scoring a record-breaking 41 goals in La Liga already, eclipsing the 40-goal record set by Ronaldo last season.
Messi has scored a hefty percentage of his at home with a remarkable 28 goals at the Nou Camp, while Ronaldo has been almost as prolific away from the Bernabeu, netting 20 times on the road.
However, the battle of Spain's top two has rarely been two-man show, with the pair netting just six of the 20 goals in the duos five meeting this season.
Pantomime villain
The rivalry between Guardiola and Mourinho has all too often proved as much of an intriguing sub-plot in recent times, with Mourinho something of a pantomime villain at Camp Nou since cutting his coaching teeth in Catalunya before returning for controversy-packed encounters at the reins of Chelsea, Inter Milan and now their great rivals.
Then there's the poignant history of their rivalry two clubs, divided politically and driven by a battle for titles throughout their rich pasts, which has seen Real Madrid claim the most league titles (31) but the Catalans dominating of late with three-successive La Liga crowns.
Both teams are virtually full strength with Alexis Sanchez expected to be fit despite picking up a knock against Chelsea, while Gerard Pique may return after sitting out the defeat at Stamford Bridge.
expected to be fit despite picking up a knock against Chelsea, while Gerard Pique may return after sitting out the defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid welcome back Xabi Alonso from a one-match domestic ban, meaning Mourinho only remains without long-term absentees Ricardo Carvalho (thigh) and Lassana Diarra (hamstring) as he looks to record a first win at the Nou Camp
(thigh) and Lassana Diarra (hamstring) as he looks to record a first win at the Nou Camp18 April 2012
The key battles: Chelsea vs Barcelona
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff once said of Lionel Messi: “You can never lose sight of Messi. You must always know where he is.”
Such is the caliber of the little Argentinian that he will shred the defence in a split second, pouncing on the slightest mistake or gap.
In other words — to stop Messi is to stop Barcelona.
But is Barcelona’s passing ‘carousel’ the only reason teams lose against them? No. It is their technique to win back the ball when they lose possession which makes them so hard to beat.
Shaping up to tonight’s mammoth challenge, here are the key battles that will determine the finalist of the European Champions League this year.
Chelsea’s defence vs Lionel Messi: Ashley Cole used to once be the best left-back in the world. Of course, age and other reasons may have taken that away from him but on his day Ashley can be good. Or, really bad. With Messi in top form this season, Cole will need to stay focused, disciplined and refrain from darting forward because Messi will be all over… not just on the right. The same stands for Branislav Ivanovic if Messi switches to the left. It will be interesting to watch John Terry taking him on. If he sits back deep and avoids making careless tackles, then they may contain him for some time. If not, then all hell will break loose. 63 goals in 52 appearances is pretty indicative of what he can do.
Terry takes on Messi during their 2009 encounter. Reuters
Michael Essien vs Xavi Hernandez: If Barcelona are as smooth as Ferrari wheels, then Xavi is the gearbox that dictates how they roll. Essien is far from his monstrous self of 2009, when he scored a ridiculous volley from 25 yards in the same fixture. He has mellowed down after a spate of injuries and has made only 12 appearances this season. In spite of that, he will still be the man responsible to stop Xavi and Andres Iniesta’s forays into the attacking third.
Frank Lampard vs Sergio Busquets: This is totally relying on Lampard being picked ahead of Raul Meireles. He has the experience and the ability to pop up in the box just when it matters most. He does not have the legs anymore but is still Chelsea’s most influential player. He has had a patchy season in terms of appearances but still tops Chelsea’s goal charts with 16 in all competitions. As far as Busquets is concerned, he should easily stop Lampard. This battle is the most important one if Chelsea are to win.
Didier Drogba vs Gerard Pique: Will Fernando Torres be left on the bench in favour of the Ivorian? Highly likely. Drogba is a player who has never stopped. Not even at his age. He is a late bloomer and continues to shine. If the Drog has his day then forget about Pique, not even Carles Puyol can do much about it.
Juan Mata vs Javier Mascherano: Maybe Mascherano will be preferred ahead of Puyol simply because of his Liverpool experience and tackling prowess. No disrespect to Puyol, but Macherano has done very well this season. These two small players will go head on as Mascherano the stopper meets Mata the creator (he has 16 assists and 12 goals this season). Mata’s creative instinct will determine how well Drogba is fed.
It is still unclear who will start on the left flank for both teams. Cesc Fabregas has been playing there for Barcelona to great effect and Daniel Sturridge, though impressive has lost some steam. Florent Malouda or Salomon Kalou may be chosen ahead of the Englishman. For Barcelona, Alexis Sanchez is another option and most likely will start. He has been devastating at times for them and his battle against Ivanovic and Cole will be one to savour.
2012 UEFA Champions League: Late Bayern goal downs Real Madrid
MUNICH—Mario Gomez scored in the 90th minute Tuesday to hand Real Madrid its first loss in the Champions league this season and give Bayern Munich a 2-1 win in a pulsating first leg of the semifinal between two sides with a combined 13 titles.
Gomez's 12th goal of this year's competition boosted Bayern's hopes of becoming the first team to play the Champions League final at its own stadium and earn its fifth title.
With mascot in tow, Bayern Munich heads to Madrid with a win. (AP Photo)
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho called Gomez's goal a "lucky punch" and said a draw would have been a fairer result.
"But football is about goals and it doesn't matter if they come in the first or last minute," Mourinho said.
Franck Ribery opened the scoring in the 17th minute for Bayern Munich and Mesut Oezil equalized in the 53rd.
The second leg is next week in Madrid.
Bayern has won 14 of its last 15 games in Munich, where Real has never won in 10 attempts. The Spaniards have only one win from 23 visits to Germany — a 3-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen in September 2000.
"It was clear from the start that it would be an exciting, open game between two champion teams," said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, who guided Real to the title in 1998. "In my opinion, we deserved to win and we beat a great team. We played with hunger, passion and ambition."
Bayern now has 11 wins from 19 meetings between the great rivals — including nine from those 10 games in Munich.
Despite Real's defeat, the away goal could be decisive for the nine-time champions.
"It's not a bad result but it means we have to win at home and turn it around," Mourinho said. "It's not the biggest turnaround in history but we still have to do it. We can achieve this. We are at home. Real plays to win, at home or away."
Heynckes promised his team would continue to attack in Madrid.
"We are going to try to create chances and score one or two goals. We won't be playing for a draw," he said.
Bayern captain Philipp Lahm struck a similar note.
"We have to do exactly the same in the second leg, work for 90 minutes, restrict their chances like we did today," Lahm said.
Gomez knocked the ball in after Lahm broke through on the right and sent in a low cross. The striker powered through to extend his right leg and prod the ball home from close range.
"Gomez worked a lot and he was rewarded at the end," Heynckes said.
Ribery slotted in a shot from inside the penalty area after Real had failed to clear a corner from Toni Kroos, with Sergio Ramos practically chesting the ball down for the Frenchman to score the first goal.
Mourinho said the goal was a "clear offside," as Luiz Gustavo was behind the last Madrid defender when the shot was taken, and may have obstructed the view of goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Real's coach said English referee Howard Webb should not have allowed the goal, "but I don't have a negative feeling about it."
The equalizer came with Bayern's defense looking uncharacteristically in disarray. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stopped Cristiano Ronaldo's effort but could not hold on to the ball. Real regained possession, with Mesut Oezil passing to Karim Benzema, who found Ronaldo again and the Real star passed across the goal for Oezil to score from two meters (yards) out.
Ronaldo has scored 41 goals in the Spanish league but he got few openings against Bayern. One of his free kicks sailed high, one was deflected by Bayern's wall.
Tempers flared several times, especially late in the game after Real substitute Marcelo's crushing tackle on Thomas Mueller, another substitute. Marcelo escaped with just a booking.
Ribery got into a tussle with Real defenders shortly before he scored. Ribery went down in the penalty box and called for a penalty, while Real players saw it as a dive.
"It's the Champions League semifinal, you expect physical play," Heynckes said.
Bayern has all but conceded the Bundesliga title to Borussia Dortmund but can still win the German Cup and the Champions League.
"We really believed in ourselves. We had them in our grip," Bayern defender Holger Badstuber said. "They had few chances, some in the second half, so the win was fully deserved. Still, the return leg will be exciting. But we'll go with confidence to Madrid."
Neuner said Bayern played a "passionate game."
"You could see what everyone of us wanted, right up to the last minute when Mario Gomez scored his great goal, everyone really wanted the victory."
Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2012-04-17/uefa-champions-league-late-bayern-goal-downs-real-madrid#ixzz1sNy4H15j
17 April 2012
2012 UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich ready to go to the limits to topple Real Madrid
MUNICH: Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger has insisted Bayern Munich must make home advantage count against Real Madrid in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first-leg. “It’s all or nothing on Tuesday,” said the Germany star, with Munich’s Allianz Arena set to also host this year’s Champions League final on May 19. “We have to go to the limits and beyond, but we can do it with our fans behind us. “It won’t be easy, and it comes down to mental strength. I hope we show that mentality which is a Bayern trademark.” Real warmed up for Munich with a 3-1 win over Spanish league strugglers Sporting Gijon on Saturday with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 41st league goal of the season, a record achievement currently matched only by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. In contrast, Bayern were held to a goalless draw in Munich by mid-table Mainz that effectively handed the German league title to Borussia Dortmund with Bayern eight points behind with three games left.
Coach Jupp Heynckes, who took Real Madrid to the 1998 European title, paid the price for resting his stars with captain Philipp Lahm, midfielder Thomas Mueller, wing Franck Ribery and striker Mario Gomez all starting on the bench. Real fielded virtually their full strength side at the Bernabeu, even with Sporting second from bottom of the Spanish league. “This game was important for us and then on Tuesday we will put out the team that we think is right to get a good result,” said Real’s assistant coach Aitor Karanka. “Now all the games are important and before we play Barcelona (in El Clasico next Saturday) we have Munich and that is all we are thinking about. “It will be very tough, but we will go to win and Madrid are always favourite.” Madrid will certainly provide Munich with their toughest test of the season so far, but Bayern have already beaten Premier League giants Manchester City 2-0 at home in the group stages. And they set a new record with their 7-0 hammering of Basel in the Round of 16 at the Allianz Arena. History favours the Germans as the clubs have met in four previous European Cup semi-finals with Bayern prevailing three times (in 1976, 1987 and 2001) to Madrid’s single success in 2000. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas is the only survivor of the most recent clashes.
Bayern have an impeccable home record in this European campaign and boast an overall unbeaten record at home against Madrid with eight wins and one draw over the years. “We will pull out all the stops and fight for both Champions League and the German Cup,” said Bayern’s Thomas Mueller with Bayern to face Dortmund in the domestic cup final on May 12. “There is no problem with motivation, we will do everything we can to reach the final.” France striker Karim Benzema and Argentina forward Angel di Maria are expected to make the Real starting line-up having begun on the bench against Sporting. Likewise, Heynckes is expected to start with wingers Arjen Robben and Ribery firing crosses for Gomez, who has scored 39 goals in all competitions this season, including four in the rout of Basel. The match pits Heynckes against Jose Mourinho, who engineered Bayern’s downfall at the hands of Inter Milan in the 2010 final at Madrid’s Bernabeu. Between them the teams have 13 European Cups but both are hungry to add to their haul with Bayern, four-times winners, seeking a first title since 2001 and Madrid their first since 2002 and a record 10th overall. Bayern hold the upper hand with 10 wins to Madrid’s six from the clubs’ 18 past matches. The most recent meeting came in the 2006/07 Round of 16 when Bayern prevailed on away goals, losing 3-2 in Spain, but winning the return leg 2-1 in Munich. afp
Coach Jupp Heynckes, who took Real Madrid to the 1998 European title, paid the price for resting his stars with captain Philipp Lahm, midfielder Thomas Mueller, wing Franck Ribery and striker Mario Gomez all starting on the bench. Real fielded virtually their full strength side at the Bernabeu, even with Sporting second from bottom of the Spanish league. “This game was important for us and then on Tuesday we will put out the team that we think is right to get a good result,” said Real’s assistant coach Aitor Karanka. “Now all the games are important and before we play Barcelona (in El Clasico next Saturday) we have Munich and that is all we are thinking about. “It will be very tough, but we will go to win and Madrid are always favourite.” Madrid will certainly provide Munich with their toughest test of the season so far, but Bayern have already beaten Premier League giants Manchester City 2-0 at home in the group stages. And they set a new record with their 7-0 hammering of Basel in the Round of 16 at the Allianz Arena. History favours the Germans as the clubs have met in four previous European Cup semi-finals with Bayern prevailing three times (in 1976, 1987 and 2001) to Madrid’s single success in 2000. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas is the only survivor of the most recent clashes.
Bayern have an impeccable home record in this European campaign and boast an overall unbeaten record at home against Madrid with eight wins and one draw over the years. “We will pull out all the stops and fight for both Champions League and the German Cup,” said Bayern’s Thomas Mueller with Bayern to face Dortmund in the domestic cup final on May 12. “There is no problem with motivation, we will do everything we can to reach the final.” France striker Karim Benzema and Argentina forward Angel di Maria are expected to make the Real starting line-up having begun on the bench against Sporting. Likewise, Heynckes is expected to start with wingers Arjen Robben and Ribery firing crosses for Gomez, who has scored 39 goals in all competitions this season, including four in the rout of Basel. The match pits Heynckes against Jose Mourinho, who engineered Bayern’s downfall at the hands of Inter Milan in the 2010 final at Madrid’s Bernabeu. Between them the teams have 13 European Cups but both are hungry to add to their haul with Bayern, four-times winners, seeking a first title since 2001 and Madrid their first since 2002 and a record 10th overall. Bayern hold the upper hand with 10 wins to Madrid’s six from the clubs’ 18 past matches. The most recent meeting came in the 2006/07 Round of 16 when Bayern prevailed on away goals, losing 3-2 in Spain, but winning the return leg 2-1 in Munich. afp
