#bayern and juventus headers

[rmfantasysetpieces1]

A Final Day of the UEFA Champions League left

Feyenoord defeat Bayern 3-0 a guardiolist who relegated burnley showed his true colors.

MCFC lose 4-2 after leading by two goals- Fernandhino vs Viniciusjr + Nunes vs Barcola , the third psg goal a free header. PSG can't defend, and MCFC can't defend worse,like Benfica the day before. But like BArcelona, PSG came back

while Real MAdrid scored five goals, and none of them were from defensive errors like raphinha's two against Benfica, both of raphinha's goals came through defensive errors of Benfica, the keeper passed to raphinha and then benfica didn't even have correct defensive posture and the benfica keeper came out silly.

As the group stage ends you can see the teams who collectively defend well and collectively attack well, or who have a balance where they implement their attack or defense to a plan.

Thank you Henry, Guardiola coached a team that was exposed the same way twice by PSG . And again, no one in media is suggesting Guardiola has had it but many in media suggest Ancelotti is out of it.

Silly fools. Barca and MCFC and PSG are all ripe to get knocked out with their defense, each is exposed, run and gun eventually catches up to you

My one club in the tournament Atletico Madrid have red bull salzburg.. a tough match. It is clear from round 7, that salzburg will go for it, so the rotation need to be up for it.

For Ligue1

Monaco face Inter Milan - Inter Milan will want to end in the first quadrant so this is a vital match for the youth in the squad or the monaco squad itself. The experience, the possibilities. They are guaranteed the playoffs so go for it. The media ranks Inter Milan higher but the truth is Monaco is a youth team, they lack the experience so it is uncertain how they will play. But I think an even match.

Lille face Feyenoord- A battle, another battle, Lille have no reason to not go for it. It will be a great experience , again, a test to Lille, One against an opponent not rated higher than them. But it will be an even match for me.

Brest face Real Madrid- Brest are a battling team but Real Madrid has the most weapons of a team in the tournament, and Ancelotti is finding the balance with the squad and will not disrespect Brest. Brest must be ready to fight.

PSG vs Stuttgart- Stuttgart will battle for their lives. PSG have young weapons who are growing, and thank you Luis Enrique for explaining to pundits that PSG in the galactique era can't be compared to psg in the , what i call, coequipe era. The issue with PSG is they can't defend, they came back but they came back because their defense is weak, run and gun costs you and psg must win, if both psg + stuttgart draw and mcfc win, mcfc is through.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2024-2025 GROUP STAGE

1st quadrant- round of 16 seeded

mandatory 1st quadrant Liverpool Barcelona

mandatory 1st or 2nd quadrant Arsenal Inter Milan

mandatory 1st or 2nd or 3rd quadrant Atlético Madrid AC Milan Atalanta Bayer Leverkusen

2nd quadrant- playoff seeded Aston Villa Monaco Feyenoord Lille Brest Borussia Dortmund Bayern Munich Real Madrid

3rd quadrant- playoff unseeded Juventus Celtic

Can still enter the 4th quadrant PSV Eindhoven Club Brugge Benfica Paris Saint-Germain Sporting CP VfB Stuttgart

4th quadrant- eliminated Manchester City Dinamo Zagreb Shakhtar Donetsk Bologna Sparta Prague RB Leipzig Girona Red Star Belgrade Sturm Graz Red Bull Salzburg Slovan Bratislava Young Boys

#rmsoccer

[liamhaydn-blog]

Team of the Decade: Part 7- The 2010's

Goalkeeper- Manuel Neuer- Germany

Neuer became the first choice keeper for Schalke 04 shortly after his 20th birthday and would remain between the sticks for the club for 5 seasons reaching a Champions League semi-final and winning the German Cup in his final season. That summer of 2011 he moved to Bayern Munich where he has remained ever since. Neuer became the fastest keeper to reach 100 Bundesliga cleansheets, taking just 183 games, 156 of them coming for Schalke. Neuer now holds the record for most Bundesliga cleansheets which have helped Bayern to win 11 Bundesliga titles as of writing. Neuer has also lifted the Champions League twice with Bayern, in 2013 and 2020.

As of writing Neuer has 124 Germany caps, and played a vital role in his nation lifting the 2014 World Cup with his displays earning him 3rd place for that years Balon D'or, just 0.4% behind 2nd placed Lionel Messi. Neuer is considered one of the greatest keepers of all time, who has revolutionised the position with the quality of his passing and composure in possession allowing his teams to build-up attacks with an extra man, with Neuer having the Football ability not too dissimilar from an outfield player. This has allowed Neuer to thrive as a true sweeper-keeper, regularly sprinting out of his penalty area to meet attacks before they can develop and get his team back in possession. At a stocky six feet 4, Neuer maintains a huge presence in goal, proving very difficult to bypass 1 v 1 and that combined with his excellent shot-stopping abilities make him surely the most complete goalkeeper ever.

Right-Back- Daniel Alves- Brazil

Dani Alves joined Sevilla from Bahia in 2003 and spent 5 years with the club, winning 5 trophies including the Copa Del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup & 2 UEFA Cups. From there, Alves signed for Barcelona where he would spend the next 8 years of his career winning 6 La Liga titles, 3 Champions Leagues and 3 World Club Cups amongst a whole host of other trophies.

Alves would add to his packed trophy cabinet at Juventus and PSG before returning for another short spell at Barcelona, still playing at a decent level whilst approaching his 39th birthday. 2 Copa America's, 2 Confederations Cups and an Olympic Gold from the 2020 Games with Brazil took Alves' medal count to 43, with only Leo Messi having more.

Alves is considered one of the greatest right-backs in Football history, and perhaps the full-back with the highest level of technical quality on the ball, due to the way he could combine with forwards in tight spaces and match the ability of some of Barcelona and the world's best attackers when linking with them. Alves constantly provided an option on the ball, either out wide or moving infield depending on where teammates were positioned and this helped Barcelona to sustain constant pressure in the opponents half.

Centre-Back- Sergio Ramos- Spain

Sergio Ramos came through the ranks at Sevilla and after just one season in their first team was snapped up by Real Madrid for €27M in 2005. Ramos was a mainstay in the Real Madrid XI beginning as a centre-back, then moving to right-back before returning to the centre of defence.

Ramos spent 16 seasons with Real, winning 5 La Liga titles and 4 Champions Leagues. Ramos played a vital role in securing his first Champions League title in 2014, Real's 'La Decima' as he headed home a Luka Modric corner in the 94th minute with City-rivals Atletico having one-hand on the trophy before Ramos' powerful header took the game into extra-time which Los Blancos would win 4-1. Ramos scored in a second Champions League final two years later against the same opponent, with Ramos converting his penalty in the subsequent shootout.

In total Ramos made 671 appearances for Real Madrid scoring an incredible 101 goals as a defender. For his country Ramos has won a record 180 caps and scored 23 goals, he started as a right-back in the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup Finals which Spain won and at centre-half in the 2012 Euros final, which a dominant Spain also won 4-0 against Italy. In those 3 successive International tournaments which Spain won, they kept 10 cleansheets in 10 consecutive knockout games.

Ramos is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his era, renowned for his aggressive style, a commanding physical presence and tenacious leadership. As he grew older he developed a reputation as a scorer of crucial goals, stepping up on many occasions to rescue Real Madrid by coming alive in the opposition penalty area and powering home a header. Ramos holds the record for defenders for most appearances in both the FIFPro World 11 (11) and UEFA Team of the Year (9).

Centre-Back- Gerard Pique- Spain

Gerard Pique moved from Barcelona's La Masia academy to Manchester United as a 17-year old, but failed to dislodge United's ever-present pairing of Ferdinand and Vidic. After 4 years he returned to Barcelona and quickly established himself as a starter, helping Barca to win the treble in his first season with the club, including a Champions League win over his former club United. Later that year Pique would win the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup & the World Club Cup meaning Barcelona held all six available trophies.

Pique would go onto win a further 2 Champions Leagues, including another victory over United in 2011 and Juventus in 2015. In total he would also win 9 La Liga titles and 7 Copa Del Reys. He made 616 appearances for Barca and scored 52 goals. With the Spanish national side Pique won 102 caps, winning the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup.

At a stocky 6 feet 4 inches, Pique was a powerful and commanding centre-back, but despite being excellent defensively he was renowned more for his ball-playing capabilities than his physicality. Pique was a defender who best exemplified modern football, due to his composure and passing quality on the ball. His technical quality with the ball at his feet meant that he would often join the attack late in games as an auxiliary forward, either in a move of desperation with Barca trailing or else because the game was already secured and Barca could afford to risk having an extra player upfront.

Left-Back- Marcelo- Brazil

Marcelo joined Real Madrid from Fluminense whilst still a teenager for a sum of €8M. Over the next 15 years Marcelo would prove himself one of the greatest bargains in the clubs illustrious history. Joining mid-way from the 06/07 season, Marcelo would pick up a league winners medal that year and go on to win 6 in total. Marcelo would also win 5 Champions League titles, his first coming in 2014 where he came off the bench to score against Atletico Madrid.

Between 2016 and 2018 Real Madrid would dominate European and World Football winning 3 consecutive Champions League and World Club Cup titles. Marcelo would depart the club after winning a 5th Champions League title in 2022, having been an unused substitute for the final. Marcelo made 546 appearances for Real and scored 38 goals. He won 58 caps for Brazil, appearing at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup and winning an Olympic silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Marcelo is regarded as one of the most skilful defenders ever, a classic Brazilian defender in the mould of Roberto Carlos, with Carlos even commenting "Marcelo possesses a better technical ability than me." Marcelo was a key player during Madrid's run of three-peating the Champions League with his pace and trickery allowing him to offer himself as a sort of second winger down Madrid's left, and aswell his passing quality enabling him to create chances as a secondary playmaker.

Defensive Midfield- Sergio Busquets- Spain

After 2 seasons with the B team Sergio Busquets was promoted to the Barcelona first team for the 08/09 winning the treble in his first season. Busquets would spend 15 years in the Barca first team, winning 9 league titles, 7 Copa Del Reys and 3 Champions Leagues. Busquets would make 722 appearances with Barcelona and score 18 goals. He won 143 caps for the Spanish national team, winning the 2010 World Cup where he was named in the team of the tournament and the 2012 Euros.

Busquets is considered one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time and one of the most press-resistant midfielders ever. Due to his incredible awareness and composure, Busquets could evade midfielders sprinting at him, by subtly turning away from them with just a few touches and moving out of any perceived danger into space. So rarely did pressing him lead to him turning possession over, many midfielders would give up on the idea of pressing him due to it being a waste of energy.

Busquets ability to receive the ball under pressure meant he could drop in between the centre-backs to receive the ball deep to help Barca build from the back, or else receive the ball in the midfield and build attacks from there. His absolute mastery over the defensive midfield role led to one of the all-time great Football quotes being said about him by his former Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque: ""If you watch the whole game, you won't see Busquets—but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game."

Centre-Midfield- Luka Modric- Croatia

After joining Tottenham from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, Modric spent 4 seasons in the Premier League before earning a move to Real Madrid. Joining the club with his 27th Birthday approaching, noone could have anticipated that 12 years later he'd still be representing Madrid with distinction in the final year of his 30's.

Modric is the oldest player in Madrid's history and has won more honours for the club than any other player. He has lifted an incredible 27 trophies for the club including a joint-record 6 Champions Leagues, with Modric being one of Real's best performers in most of them. For Croatia, Modric has won 182 caps and appears to be far from done, if the level of his performances tell us anything. He has represented his country at 3 World Cups and in 2018, on top of winning another Champions League with Madrid, Modric helped Croatia to reach the World Cup final for the first time ever. His performances won him the Golden Ball for player of the tournament and later that year the Balon D'or, with Modric becoming the first player outside of Messi or Ronaldo to win the award since back in 2007.

Despite being a diminutive midfielder with great technique, ball-carrying and passing ability, Modric's immense stamina and workrate off the ball means he also makes big contributions out of possession. This has made him an extremely well-rounded midfielder who excels in all areas of the game. From a deep role, he can help to set the tempo with composed volume passing, he can playmake from the centre of the pitch with penetrating, creative passes which catch the opponent out and he can cover ground reliably and relentlessly. Modric is one of the very few players in history who has arguably been better in his 30's than he was in his 20's, ageing like fine wine and consistently dazzling with his class in his advanced years as a pro.

Centre-Midfield- Andres Iniesta- Spain

Iniesta made his Barcelona debut in 2002, becoming a first team regular in 04/05, the season he picked up his first La Liga title. Another would arrive the following season, with Iniesta also lifting the Champions League. Brought on at half-time in the final with Barca trailing to Arsenal, Iniesta was instrumental in turning the game in Barca's favour. Iniesta's importance at Barcelona continued to grow and helped him to force his way into the Spain team, where in 2008 he won the Euros, Spain's first major trophy since 1964.

In 2009 Iniesta won a 2nd Champions League title as part of Barcelona's sextuple, but the following year was to be a tough one on a personal level with injuries & the passing of a close childhood friend pushing Andres into a depression. Battling through his injury struggles in time to make the 2010 World Cup, Iniesta scored the winning goal in the final he was man of the match in, as he won Spain their first ever World Cup. A 3rd Champions League triumph would arrive the following year and the year after that, he and Spain retained the Euros to win a 3rd successive title and cement themselves as perhaps the greatest International side ever. In the end Iniesta made 674 appearances for Barca winning 9 La Liga's, 4 Champions League's and 30 trophies in total. He won 131 caps for Spain, and retired from Football aged 40 after spells in Japan and Qatar saw him reach a total of over 1,000 games in his professional career.

Iniesta was blessed with an incredible football brain from a young age and due to this intelligence aswell as exceptional on the ball ability, he could thrive in every midfield position from sitting deep at the base of a midfield as he did in his early years, to even playing as a left-winger as he did later in his career. Iniesta's football IQ was his superpower and he looked after the ball like a prized possession, rarely losing it by either a misplaced pass or by being tackled. His exquisite close control in tight spaces enabled him to evade the challenges of one or more defenders and his execution of pass was rarely anything other than perfect. Iniesta is remembered as one of Football's greatest ever midfielders whose contribution to the game went far beyond what can be measured in just goals and assists alone and he is currently the only player to have won Man of the Match Awards in Champions League, World Cup and Euros finals.

Right forward- Lionel Messi- Argentina

Messi was brought over to Barcelona as a 13-year old from Argentina as his precocious talent was nurtured with him making his debut for the senior team at the end of the 04/05 season. Messi won a La Liga medal in his first 2 seasons with Barca, and won a Champions League medal in 2006, despite missing out on the latter stages due to injury. It was in the 06/07 where he fully announced himself to the world with a hattrick in El Clasico as a 19 year old. That season Messi also scored 'the Goal of the Century' a goal extraordinary similar to Maradona's solo goal against England at the 1986 World Cup. Demonstrating astonishing speed and control as he weaved past one Getafe player after another, far from an anomaly in the career of Lionel Messi, such death-defying acts would soon become the norm.

It was in the 08-09 season, Messi's first under Guardiola where he would become a great goalscorer as he netted 38 goals including 1 in the Champions League final against Manchester United, a rather rare header from the 5 feet 7 forward. 2 years later and Messi would score in another Champions League final against Manchester United, aged just 23, his performance considered perhaps the greatest ever in a Champions League earned him plaudits with many already considering him among the best footballers ever. Messi would keep adding to that argument, scoring a scarcely believable 73 goals the following season, including 50 in La Liga alone. The following season he netted 60 goals in 50 games, taking his Barcelona total across two seasons to 133 goals in 110 games and 96 La Liga goals in 69 games.

Messi would go on to score a total of 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, which is the most anyone has scored for a single club, surpassing Pele's record at Santos. He scored 474 goals in 520 La Liga games which is a record for the competition and 120 in 149 in the Champions League. With the club he lifted 34 trophies, including 10 La Ligas, 4 Champions Leagues, 7 Copa Del Reys and 3 Club World Cups. After leaving Barca, Messi went to PSG where he won another 2 league titles, scoring 32 goals in 75 games before moving on to Inter Miami, the MLS part-owned by David Beckham. His hunger and talent for the game remains firmly intact aged 37, with 34 goals in 39 games for Miami helping the club to win the first 2 honours in its short history.

Whilst aside from his first season at PSG, Messi's club career has been a consistent tale of success both individually and collectively, Messi's time with the national team of Argentina has been more turbulent. A promising beginning saw him score just minutes into his World Cup debut, reach the Copa America with Messi netting in the Quarters and semis before a 3-0 final defeat to Brazil and win an Olympic Gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2010. However, Messi failed to reproduce his Barcelona goalscoring at the 2010 World Cup or 2011 Copa America which Argentina hosted, and despite performing well the luck seemed against him. This feeling of bad luck would persist as between 2014 and 2016, Messi's brilliance helped Argentina to reach 3 successive major finals, only to lose them all. First at the 2014 World Cup and then in back-to-back Copa America's, with both losses coming on penalties against Chile.

After missing his kick in the 2016 final, Messi briefly retired from International Football, but it looked as though his best chance of success with the national team had already been and gone as a poor Argentina team exited the World Cup at the round of 16 stage in 2018, before losing a Copa America semi-final in 2019, in a tournament Messi did not produce his best. However 2 years at the 2021 edition, Messi was very much at his best being involved in 9 of Argentina's 12 goals as either the scorer or assister as at the 6th time of asking, Messi finally ended 28-years of hurt for Argentina. Better was yet to come as the following year at his 5th World Cup, Messi finally put it all together at the game's biggest event, aided by the most balanced supporting cast he'd had to date. Messi scored 2 in the final, and converted from the penalty spot as after losing finals in 2015 and 2016, this time luck was on his side from 12 yards as he emulated Diego Maradona by leading his nation to the ultimate glory.

Messi is considered by many the greatest footballer in history, due to his incredible ability, consistency & end product. With 850 goals and approaching 400 assists, Messi has either scored or assisted every 72 minutes on average throughout his entire career. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers, dribblers and passers in history. The combination of these attributes make him the most complete forward ever, and his consistency and incredibly high ceiling meant he rarely produced a truly bad performance in well over a decade for Barcelona. With the national team he has scored 112 goals in 190 caps, which is the 2nd most in International Football and he holds the record for most goals at the Copa America. By inspiring his nation to lift the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, many feel that was the final box he had left to tick to cement himself as the greatest of all time.

Messi has won a record 8 Balon D'ors, which is 3 more than the next best Cristiano Ronaldo, he won the award for four successive years between 2009 and 2012, which is a record. On 6 occasions, he won the Golden Shoe for Europe's top scorer. He won the Golden Ball award for best player at both the 2014 & 2022 World Cup's and aswell won the Golden Ball twice at the 2015 & 2021 editions of the Copa America.

Left forward- Cristiano Ronaldo- Portugal

A friendly match in the summer of 2003 reportedly convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to sign a teenage Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon, after his performance received rave reviews with United's defence which had been tormented by the winger's lightning quick feet and flashy tricks. However, as he continued to grow and improve at United he would transition from a dazzlingly quick but at times flamboyant showpony, into one of the most devastating and unstoppable goalscoring wingers in English Football history. The transformation really came about in the 06/07 season where Ronaldo led United to their first Premier League in 4 years, as he won the PFA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year & FWA Footballer of the year awards. The following season Ronaldo retained the two main individual awards whilst winning another Premier League and his first Champions League title, scoring against Chelsea in the final to take his tally across all competitions to 42 in 49 games.

The 08/09 season was his last in Manchester and he won the Premier League for a third successive year before departing United for Real Madrid for a world record sum of £80M. Ronaldo netted 118 goals in 292 games for the Red Devils. In Madrid, he would hit new heights altogether. After an impressive first season, Ronaldo's end product kicked into overdrive as he scored 86 La Liga goals in 72 games across the next 2 campaigns, the 11/12 season his goals helped Madrid to win La Liga with 100 points. Ronaldo's next big prize came in the form of the 13/14 Champions League, where he netted 17 goals in 11 games to help Madrid end their 12-year wait for 'La Decima'.

Ronaldo would go onto win a total of 4 Champions League titles with Real, including a threepeat between 15/16-17/18. In the end he scored 105 goals in 101 Champions League games for Madrid, hitting double figures in the competition in 7 consecutive seasons. In La Liga Ronaldo scored 311 goals in 292 games and in total scored a ridiculous 450 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid in his 9 seasons with the club, scoring atleast 50 goals in 6 consecutive seasons. Cristiano then moved to Juventus where he netted 101 goals in 138 games in his 3 seasons with the Italian Club, before returning to Manchester United to score a further 27 goals. Nearing his 40th birthday, Ronaldo is still playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi pro league, as he edges nearer to the incredible number of 1,000 goals in senior football.

Cristiano holds the International record for both appearances with 217 Portugal caps and goals with an absurd 135. He is the record scorer in the history of the Euros, with 3 of his goals coming at the 2016 Euros where he helped his nation to lift the first trophy in their history, despite losing Ronaldo to injury early in the first half. He has played at a record 6 European Championships, scoring in a record 5 editions and has also represented his nation at 5 World Cups to date, scoring at all of them which is a record. He is expected to feature at the 2026 World Cup, where he will look to extend that record.

In his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo was a world class winger with great dribbling ability due to his speed, technical feet whilst running and power. Towards the end of his time at the club and especially after joining Real Madrid he became renowned for his deadly finishing which enabled him to become one of the most prolific goalscorers in Football history. His timing and impressive leap made him one of the best ever goalscorers with his head, and the power he could generate when striking the ball made him a danger when shooting from outside the box, including from free-kick situations. His movement and IQ of which positions to take up have seen him be always in the right position to get on the end of a chance, and when that chance arrived his powerful and accurate finishing made him deadly. Ronaldo's often single-minded mentality, makes him absolutely determined to score every time he takes the field, with his pursuit for goals never fully satisfied for long. This mindset has helped him to score 910 goals to date, with his eyes firmly set on reaching 1,000.

Ronaldo is considered one of the greatest players in history, having won 5 Balon D'ors which is the second most in history, with him winning the award in back-to-back years twice. He won the European Golden Shoe on 4 occasions and was the top scorer in a Champions League season on a record 7 occasions. He is the record goalscorer in the history of Real Madrid, the Champions League, the Euros and International Football as a whole.

Striker- Luis Suarez- Uruguay

Suarez moved to Europe after just one season with his native Uruguayan side Nacional. After one season with Dutch outfit Groningen, he was on the move again to Dutch giants Ajax, where he scored 111 goals in 159 games, including a 49 goals in 48 games season. This earned him a move to Liverpool where he had 2 30 goal seasons, and fell just short of winning the Premier League in 13-14. That summer Suarez joined Barcelona, where he would establish himself as the best striker in the world.

In his first season in Spain, Suarez helped Barcelona to win the treble, scoring in the Champions League final, a 3-1 victory over Juventus. The following season Suarez scored an absurd 59 goals in 53 games, including 40 league goals in 35 La Liga games. This made him the only player outside of Messi and Ronaldo to win the Pichichi Trophy between the seasons 09-10 & 20-21. Suarez would eventually take his Barca tally to 198 goals in 283 games, winning 13 trophies in his six seasons with the club, including 4 La Liga's and 4 Copa Del Rey's.

Suarez was allowed to leave Barca in 2020 and he instantly made them rue the decision, as he helped lead Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title, scoring 21 goals in 32 league games. Suarez has since moved for spells in Uruguay, Brazil and USA, currently playing alongside Messi at Inter Miami. With over 500 club goals, Suarez continues to net goals at a superb rate. Suarez was also a master marksman for Uruguay, representing his country for 18 years, winning 143 caps and scoring 69 goals, more than any other player. He scored in the 2011 Copa America final which Uruguay won 3-0 against Paraguay, and aswell scored at the 2010 World Cup helping his nation reach the Semi-Finals.

Suarez is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. Due to his ingenuity Suarez could turn an unthreatening situation into a goal in the blink of an eye, proving himself to be a constant menace to opposition defences. His technical ability was matched by his speed of thought, his daring and cunning meant defenders up against him were always at risk of humiliation. Despite his ruthless nature infront of goal, Suarez was so much more than just a finisher, he was also an unselfish player with a tireless workrate. Unlike other supremely talented forwards who may have deemed the dogged side of the game beneath them, Suarez would do the running of two players, tirelessly breathing down the necks of defenders, waiting to pounce on a mistake. He also developed exceptional understanding with teammates, non greater than with Lionel Messi and the two of them were just as happy setting up the other to score, as they were when scoring themselves.

Subs:

Xavi Hernandez- Spain

Xavi made his Barcelona debut back in the 98/99 season, with the Catalan giants winning the title in his first season. From there though the club would endure a turbulent few years on and off the pitch, whilst Xavi continued to improve and grow as a young footballer. His second La Liga title would not arrive until 6 years later in 2005 under Frank Rijkaard, but from that point on Xavi's career would feature almost non-stop success.

The following season was an injury plagued one for Xavi however, as he missed out on much of the season which saw Barca retain the league and win the Champions League final against Arsenal, with Xavi unavailable. 2 trophyless seasons followed but in the summer of 2008, Xavi truly announced himself to the world. At Euro 2008, Xavi was the tournament's best player, scoring in the semi-final and assisting Torres' winner in the final against Germany, as Spain won a major trophy for the first time since 1964.

In the 08-09 season, Guardiola's first as Barca manager, Xavi provided an incredible 29 assists from midfield, as Barcelona's new 'tiki taka' style won them the sextuple in 2009. At the 2010 World Cup, Xavi was again immaculate, helping his country to win the World Cup for the very first time. The following year another Champions League title arrived and then in 2012, Spain became the first team to retain the Euros, demonstrating their superiority by destroying Italy 4-0 in the final. Alongside Busquets & Iniesta, Xavi had been a part of one of, if not the greatest midfield of all time at both club and international level. He left Spain for Qatar in 2015, after winning another Champions League title as part of a treble.

Xavi is here a victim of playing his best football in between two decades, as if this was a Team of the Decade for the years 2005-2015, he would be one of the very first names in the starting XI. However, he did not emerge as one of the game's best players until towards the end of the 2000's and retired from European Football in 2015, which was not quite enough time to justify him making the starting XI. However in those 5 years, he achieved so much that he still demanded to be named amongst the 14.

Xavi is considered one of the best midfielders of all time, for Barca he played 767 matches and for the national team he won 133 caps. He is considered one of the most reliable passers ever, registering a 91% pass completion rate through the 2010 World Cup. Xavi was incredibly difficult to dispossess of the ball his speed of thought and understanding of space nearly always allowing him to retain possession. As a deep-lying playmaker, Xavi was a lot more than just a 5-yard sideways passer, his penetrating passes allowed him to notch a high number of assists and 'pre-assists' with his passes often opening the opposition up and unlocking a deep defensive block. Xavi's style earned him the nickname "The Puppet Master" with former Real Madrid player and manager Jorge Valdano saying about him: "If football was a science, Xavi would have discovered the formula. With a ball at his feet, no one else has ever communicated so intelligently with every player on the pitch."

Toni Kroos- Germany

Kroos came through the ranks at Bayern Munich and after impressing on loan with Bayer Leverkusen, he became an established starter for the Bavarian club. In 2013 he would help the club to win the treble as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the all-German Champions League final. The following summer after making the 2014 World Cup team of the tournament and lifting the trophy following a 1-0 triumph over Argentina, Kroos joined European Champions Real Madrid.

In his second season with the club, Kroos won his second Champions League and his first with Real. Los Blancos would go on to threepeat the competition, with Kroos a crucial player in the middle of the pitch, forming an outstanding partnership with Luka Modric. Kroos would spend 10 seasons with Madrid, playing 465 games and winning a huge number of honours including 4 La Liga's, 5 Champions League's and 5 World Club Cups. His final match for the club before retirement was the 2024 Champions League final, with Kroos winning his 6th overall, against Borussia Dortmund, the same opponent from his first final 11 years earlier.

Kroos won 114 Germany caps and scored 17 goals, including 2 in the incredible 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final. Kroos will be remembered for his incredibly accurate long-range passing, which allowed him to dictate games from the middle of the pitch and also his consistency, with the German rarely dipping below a 7 or 8 out of 10 over many years, making him one of the most reliable and important players for both club and country.

Neymar- Brazil

Neymar was one of the World's first "Youtube Footballers" amazing fans from all over the world with his goals and flamboyant tricks on the video platform for his native club Santos. Neymar would make 225 appearances for the Brazilian club scoring 136 goals and winning the Copa Libertadores in 2011, with Neymar scoring in the final. In 2013 it was confirmed he had signed for FC Barcelona, but before he could play his first games for the club, he had an international tournament to play with Brazil in the form of the Confederations Cup.

This tournament would excite Barca fans further as their new man lifted the trophy and won the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament, scoring in a 3-0 final win over Spain. Neymar had a promising first season at Barcelona, but it was in his second season he truly arrived, starring as one-third of the "MSN" alongside Lionel Messi and new signing Luis Suarez. This devastating forward line would win the treble, with Neymar netting 39 goals. In total Neymar would score 105 goals in 186 games for Barca, before the transfer that shocked the world.

In 2017, Neymar joined PSG for a world-record transfer fee of €222 million. The Brazilian would perform excellently but serious injuries would plague him every season, often forcing him to miss the crucial months of the season. One year he was able to stay fit for the final stages of the Champions League was in 19/20, where he played in PSG's first and to date only Champions League final, but they were beaten by Bayern Munich. Despite scoring 118 goals in 173 games, and starring alongside Mbappe and Messi in another devastating forward line, Neymar could never make his time in France a success that got anywhere close to justifying that enormous fee. Partly due to recurring injuries and partly because after leaving one of the biggest clubs and one of the most-watched leagues in the world to play in Ligue 1 with PSG, the club and the league did not grow significantly in mass appeal.

Neymar has since moved to the Saudi Pro League, where serious injuries have mostly kept him off the field. For his nation, Neymar so far has 79 goals in 128 caps, making him the highest goalscorer in the history of the Brazil national team, surpassing Pele last year. Neymar's bad luck with injuries has also followed him to the national team. An injury against Colombia in the 2014 World Cup Quarter-Finals forced him to miss the semi-final against Germany, which in his absence the team lost 7-1. Injury also forced him to miss the 2019 Copa America in its entirety, which his nation would win. Aswell as winning the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2016 Olympic Gold, both on home soil, Neymar also reached the 2021 Copa America final which also happened to take place in Brazil. Though this time he was on the losing side to Messi's Argentina. He will hope he has one more shot at the World Cup in 2026, but currently it appears unlikely injuries will permit him.

With well over 400 goals in over 700 games, Neymar has a scoring record most out and out number 9's would be proud of. He also has over 200 assists which exemplifies his extreme creative talents and teamplay. But outside of just the numbers, it has been the flair and expression Neymar has played the game with that he will be best remembered for. One of the most skilful players ever, his creative dribbling has forced him to take a huge number of bad challenges over the years, which has sadly plagued the second half of his career with injuries that have prevented him from reaching the highest high's he was surely on course to reach at one stage.

[alexbkrieger13]

Hopefully Bayern will be already qualified for the Arsenal match, and it will be a great experience for the girls to play in a 30+ crowd

Yea best case scenario isgoing into the next international break with 12/12 points from the group stage and Arsenal and Juventus splitting points from there double header because basically then we are guarantee a spot in the next round. Best case scenario is we're walking into Arsenal being like we can fuck up if we want to it doesn't matter

[lawredits]

Headers Bayern Munich + Juventus

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[calciopics]

How to win the Champions League – by the men who’ve done it

 Twenty-five fascinating (and often hilarious) tales from the triumphant chaps who've lifted Ol' Big Ears down the years

We all have a good idea of how to win the Champions League – but it turns out you need a lot more than simply just buying Cristiano Ronaldo.

The greatest club competition in the history of Planet Earth has a very exclusive winners' circle, after all. This is a tournament still, to this day, is best-navigated by those who are used to its bright lights and unpredictable chaos. Success breeds success when it comes that shiny, silver pot.

So what makes a champion? We asked 25 of them – and they gave us their greatest tip for winning the Champions League…

25. Play golf

Hristo Stoichkov, Barcelona 1992

“We were in trouble against Kaiserslautern before Jose Mari Bakero’s last-minute goal. We won the first game 2-0, but we could’ve scored 14. We travelled there knowing we were a thousand times better than them, but we conceded early, then again and again after half-time. These things happen sometimes in football, but we were always confident we’d get the goal, even if the smallest player on the pitch scored a header!

“Then we gave Benfica a lesson and knew we were going to win. For the final against Sampdoria, it was no different. At 9am that morning, we were all playing golf with [coach Johan] Cruyff. We were very relaxed. We went to Wembley knowing we were better than them and would win. What did Sampdoria have? A good team, but... really. Mancini against Laudrup? I’ll stick with Laudrup. Vialli or Stoichkov? Well... Stoichkov! I’m much quicker, for f**k’s sake!

24. If you’re a sub, watch like a hawk

Lars Ricken, Borussia Dortmund 1997

“In the 1997 final against Juventus I’d had 70 minutes watching from the bench and we’d noticed that [keeper Angelo] Peruzzi stood quite far out in front of his goal. We talked about what to do and I said: ‘When I get on, I’ll immediately hit a chip shot at goal.’ It was the fastest goal of my career, coming after 10 or 11 seconds, and only my second as a sub. I was just happy when the assistant Michael Henke called me.

“We’d been up 2-0 and Juve had pulled one back. I heard later that when the ball came from Andreas Moller, the famous TV commentator Marcel Reif screamed: ‘Now chip!’ I hadn’t even hit many balls in the warm-up, so luck played a role. The goal was a kind of burden, I was only 20 and though I was a decent player I didn’t belong in the superstar category. But it also meant I’d never have to chase the European title.”

23. Know your team-mates

Basile Boli, Marseille 1993

“I won’t ever forget a look Abedi Pele gave me just before the goal that beat Milan in 1993. We’d talked in training and the last thing he told me before we walked onto the field in Munich was: ‘At corner kicks, don’t just stay at the back post, try a run, cut to the near post.’ And [in the 43rd minute] when he went to take his corner, he gave me that look again, as if I was the only person in the stadium – that’s the way I felt it, anyway. So, I positioned myself at the near post… and scored.”

22. Crack open a cold one

Peter Shilton, Nottingham Forest 1979

“When we drew defending champions Liverpool in the 1978/79 first round, we won the first leg at the City Ground 2-0. The bus (for the away leg) left on the morning of the game. It was the biggest match of some of our lives. We were on the coach just outside Liverpool and Cloughie was wearing his rugby top. He gets up and says: ‘Anyone want a beer?’ It was noon! A couple of the lads had one. When we got to lunch, he said: ‘Anyone want a glass of wine?’ [First-team coach] Jimmy Gordon had to go around waking a couple of them up that afternoon! Instead of the lads sitting in their room fidgeting, they slept. We got the goalless draw we needed and went on to win it.”

21. Never give up

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern Munich chairman 2013

“In 2012, [losing the final on penalties against Chelsea having led with two minutes to go], I looked into the faces of thousands of disappointed fans and thought: ‘Mama mia, what is happening?’ The shock was so big, how could we recover from that? Many were waiting for us to break down, to stop, but that wouldn’t have been very Bayern Munich-like. Over the summer holidays Jupp Heynckes and me discussed what we needed to change in daily 10am phone calls. We achieved the sports comeback of the year.”

20. Fall into a pond

Paddy Crerand, Manchester United 1968

“The mood was very confident, we knew Benfica’s players and how they would play. We were well prepared and well rested in our Egham hotel, which was more like an old Tudor mansion, with drapes on the walls and four poster beds. The only bother was with Brian Kidd, who was playing with a frog one day near one of those mossy pools you get in old places. Of course he fell in, and came back to the room covered in green slime. He still scored in the final, though.”

19. Forget the chalkboard

Paco Gento, Real Madrid 1955-60

“We never had a blackboard, and hardly ever talked about our opponents, and this attitude helped us to turn games our way. We had players who did not need to be taught. In 1962, we sent three spies to look at Benfica and lost 5-3. In the days of Di Stefano, we just came to the stadium, put on our shirts and played.”

18. Get an expert coach in man-management

Cesare Maldini, Milan 1963

“We were pulling into the Wembley car park when [manager Nereo] Rocco noticed the fear in our faces. He stood up and shouted: ‘Anyone who is scared shouldn’t bother getting off the bus.’ Then he sat down and pretended to be frightened. We all burst into laughter and the tension evaporated. No one could create the right mood as well as him.”

17. Know your limits

Sinisa Mihajlovic, Red Star Belgrade 1991

“I think our 1991 final match against Marseille was the most boring final match in European Cup history. A few hours before the match, [manager] Ljupko Petrovic told us: ‘If we attack them we’ll leave ourselves open for counter-attacks.’ I asked: ‘So, what do we do, then?’ His answer was: ‘When you get the ball, give it back to them’. So we spent 120 minutes on the pitch without practically touching the ball. The match went to penalties, and Manuel Amoros failed to convert his whereas we scored all five.

“Had we approached the match with an attacking mentality, we probably would’ve lost – not because they were necessarily better than us, but because their players were used to playing big matches like this one. We had a squad full of 21-, 22-, and 23-year-old kids.”

16. Get a keeper who loves a penalty

Helmut Ducadam, Steuau Bucharest 1986

“If I hadn’t become a footballer, I definitely would’ve become a psychiatrist. If you know a player’s strategy, you base your own on how he has performed before. You’re at a disadvantage, because he can change his side to shoot. If you save the first penalty in a shootout, the next one becomes easier to save. The second shooter from Barcelona thought I would go left, because I went right for the first one.

“The logic of the players was that he should go to the same side because he thought I would go the other way. The third was the easiest. I thought he’d go left because I’d gone to the right for the first two. I played a trick on the fourth taker, who didn’t have a clue what to do. I shaped to go to the left and then the right, then I went left.”

15. Go on holiday

Tony Woodcock, Nottingham Forest 1979

“The final (in 1979 vs Malmo) was on the Wednesday, so we arrived in Munich on Monday. Brian Clough was still on holiday in Mallorca at the time so he didn’t arrive until matchday. He was never one for being conventional but you kind of thought for a European Cup final he would be on the same flight as his players. As it was, Peter Taylor travelled out with us and we went out for a few beers and dinner on our first night in Germany before some light training the day before the match. Cloughie then arrived at the hotel to read out the team on the morning of the game and delivered the news to Archie Gemmill and Martin O’Neill that they were going to miss out.

“He did get on the coach with us to the Olympiastadion and was trying to relieve the tension when a Malmo fan started running alongside the coach and hurling abuse at the players. We were all staring at him out of the window and he ended up running into a lamppost and almost knocking himself out. It was hilarious and all of a sudden that tension had disappeared. We obviously ended up winning 1-0, it wasn’t much of a game but it was enough to win the European Cup and earn us a civic reception and an open-top parade through the streets of Nottingham. Brian didn’t go to that either.”

14. Pin criticism on the dressing room wall

Marcel Desailly, Milan 1994

“Milan were underdogs but we had a solid gameplan. We were aware of our ability to contain a team like Barcelona. We really had it in for Cruyff and for the media because they ridiculed us in the build-up to the final, saying we had no chance and explaining that Barcelona would mystify us. We had a real team spirit. Fabio Capello was raging mad at everything that had been said and he got that across to us.”

13. Embrace the nerves

Clarence Seedorf; Ajax 1995, Real Madrid 1998, Milan 2003, 2007

“You all say it’s just another game, but the night before, when you’re having dinner, you can see the difference in your team-mates’ eyes; the focus in them that says this isn’t the case. For me, the nerves don’t really start until you get on the coach for the stadium. But just because you’ve been in a few finals, doesn’t mean you become less nervous. If you’re lucky, you just learn to handle the nerves better.”

12. Enjoy it

Sandro Mazzola, Inter Milan 1964

“My most memorable game was the 1964 final, when Inter beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Athens. As a kid I was used to watching the final on the TV in the local bar – we couldn’t afford a set at home – and we’d all admire the great Madrid. There I was standing in the tunnel beside the great Alfredo Di Stefano. I couldn’t stop staring at him. Luis Suarez had to shout at me to get me out onto the pitch. I never usually celebrated goals much, but that night I was doing cartwheels. I still get tingles when I see the footage.”

11. Win over the locals

Bernie Boyle, Celtic fan 1967

“The majority of Celtic fans were Catholics, so the chapels were packed with fans because the day of the 1967 final against Inter Milan was a Holy Day of Obligation. I think it helped win over the Lisbon people. The locals were expecting these cold-hearted Scots and there we were, not only singing and dancing in the main square and showing off our colours, but attending Mass too.”

10. Learn Chris Rea songs

Mark Lawrenson, Liverpool 1984

“We arrived about an hour-and-a-half before kick-off for the 1984 final and the backroom staff told us to clear off and go and look at the pitch. We’d signed quite a few players from Middlesbrough – Graeme Souness, Craig Johnstone and Davie Hodgson, who was a good friend of [north-east musician] Chris Rea and knew all his songs. Hodgie was at the back of the group and he started singing I Don’t Know What It Is But I Love It and the rest of us joined in.

“At the Stadio Olimpico, the dressing rooms were up a couple of floors up really narrow staircases. Unbeknown to us we were walking past Roma’s changing room and were really loud. In the press conference afterwards, their coach Nils Liedholm, a wily and experienced guy, said: ‘I knew my team were going to lose because as I was talking about Liverpool’s weaknesses and how we were going to beat them, I heard this singing. It was like a radio or something, and it got louder and louder. Just as I realised it was the Liverpool players singing, my players did as well and they all went white.’ He couldn’t believe how relaxed we were.”

9. Feed your match-winner

John McGovern, Nottingham Forest 1979, 1980

“It may sound obvious, but in a Cup competition, and in Europe – much more so than over a league campaign – you need to have a special player who can do something magical on the big occasion. If you lost a match in the European Cup back then, you were out, so you needed somebody to step up and perform.

“For us it was John Robertson. Percentage-wise he must have won more important games for that Forest side than any other player. He had two incredible feet, and he would pop up with a contribution when it was needed. The finals were a good example. He put in that great cross for Trevor Francis in the 1979 final, and then in the 1980 final against Hamburg he cut in from the left, beat two players with a one-two and scored the winner.

“We also had our fair share of luck – which you definitely need to win any knockout competition. In cups you can be lucky and get through to the next round. You can’t win a league by being lucky. We were well-organised and could deny the opposition chances. But without John we wouldn’t have done it, and most of the great sides still have a talisman, like Barcelona do with Messi now. Certain ties get tight, things can go against you, but they can change those things in an instant.”

8. When it gets tight, send the keeper up

Peter Schmeichel, Manchester United 1999

“It’s a thing I'd always done when we were losing by a goal because I can’t see the big difference in losing 1-0 or 2-0. When someone of my size arrives in the penalty area, it confuses teams as they’re all marking someone already. This was my intention when I went in to the Bayern Munich area, hoping it would give us a chance.”

7. Have a philosophy

Joan Laporta, Barcelona president 2009

“When we took the decision to name Guardiola as coach, we were confident that it would go well, but we never imagined we would have the best season in the club’s history by being faithful to our own footballing proposal. With players from the youth team, which is hugely important for the club’s identity and its social standing. It’s a prize we’ve strived towards very hard.”

6. Know you’re going to win

Johan Cruyff, Ajax 1971

“We didn’t know that we were in the middle of what would be a run of five straight years with Dutch clubs in the European Cup final, or that Ajax would go on to achieve three straight victories. We just knew there was no way were we going to lose again [like in the 1969 final against Milan]. I’m not saying we were stocked with great players, we had attacking full-backs and after years of there always being a Spanish, Italian or British side in the final, Ajax wanted to show that getting the result and playing good football could live together.”

5. Don’t get flustered

Phil Neal, Liverpool 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984

“I played in five European Cup finals between 1977 and 1985, and I think the key thing that all those teams had was a cool head, collectively. Back in those days, you had no idea what to expect from away trips into Europe, and it could be really crazy. It’s not like your every need was catered for you in advance, like it is for clubs now. I remember in Tbilisi, we had thousands of Dinamo fans outside our hotel, keeping us awake until four in the morning, making a terrible racket. But nobody used it as an excuse or moaned about it the next morning, we just got up and got on with what we needed to do.

“We had the same attitude on the pitch – no matter what got thrown at us, we just took it pretty calmly and played our own game. That attitude came from the top. Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan were men with their feet firmly planted on the ground and they instilled that into us, too. We kept our heads.”

4. If you’ve got a feeling, go with it

Bixente Lizarazu, Bayern Munich 2001

“My penalty against Valencia in 2001 put my fears to rest. After missing one against Italy [in the World Cup quarter-final in 1998] I decided I’d never take another. Even in training, I refused. Then for some reason I said I wanted to take one in the Champions League final. I just felt I’d score that day. When the ball hit the net it felt incredible and let me put the Italy miss behind me.”

3. Find a roundabout

Peter Shilton, Nottingham Forest 1980

“We went away for a week to Mallorca before the 1980 final. Imagine that. No curfews, nothing. I had done a bit of diving around on the beach but went on the lawn outside the hotel and had a few balls fired at me. I was chased off by the hotel porter! When we got to Madrid, [assistant manager] Peter Taylor told me we had a great training pitch, but it was too hard. ‘You haven’t looked hard enough,’ Cloughie told us. ‘We know a grassed area that’s perfect.’ I couldn’t believe what Taylor was pointing at: we were standing in front of a roundabout, near the city centre, and on it was a circle of grass. It was fairly quiet, but a few cars came past, beeping horns.”

2. Come together

Phil Neville, Manchester United 1999

“We had the most incredible team spirit – you’ve seen the celebrations at the end, the subs running down the side of the pitch. If you want to gauge team spirit, look at the bench. If everyone’s up after a goal, then you’ve got something special.”

1. Ignore reputations

Peter Withe, Aston Villa 1982

“If we had gone down the Bayern teamsheet and looked at them man-for-man we would probably have shit ourselves. So we didn’t. Ron Saunders was never one for compiling huge dossiers on the opposition, and although he left the club with us already in the quarter-finals, Tony Barton (his former assistant) didn’t see any need to either.

“The fact is that Bayern had 13 internationals in their side in 1982, including the likes of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Klaus Augenthaler and Paul Breitner. We had two. I suppose if you look at it that way then we had no chance of beating them, but we didn’t care about that. We went out on the field in Rotterdam before the game with our cameras and started waving at the wives, girlfriends and friends in the stands that had travelled over.

“Bayern probably thought we were nothing more than tourists. When the final whistle blew and it was all over I’ve never seen a set of players so devastated. I went over to shake Breitner’s hand and he was just sitting on the pitch nodding his head. Rummenigge was the only one who really seemed to accept what had happened. The German press couldn’t believe it. Mind you, I’m not sure the English press could either.”

By Mark White (This feature originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of FourFourTwo Magazine)

[bongaboi]

Bayern Munich: 2019-20 UEFA Champions League Winners

In that moment of elation, the cameras hunted for despair. They found it in the slight, forlorn shape of Neymar, sitting on Paris St.-Germain’s bench, a perfect picture of heartbreak. Neymar, with tears in his eyes. Neymar, staring into the middle distance. Neymar, with his head in his hands.

Here, in tight focus, was the shot, the story. No player fits so neatly as an avatar for their team as Neymar. He is the most expensive player in the world, and his club is the richest project soccer has ever seen. His career has been shaped by money, and the club’s ambitions are fueled by it. He is the star concerned only with his own light. He is the princeling who yearned to be king. He is the modern P.S.G. made flesh.

In those lingering camera shots, in the silence, Neymar not only illustrated how that felt, but exposed the limitations that had led him, and his team, here. It is always easier to tell an individual story than a collective one. There is no one image — not Joshua Kimmich’s artful cross, not Kingsley Coman’s precise header, not Manuel Neuer’s trophy lift — that encapsulates the source of Bayern’s success.

Nor is there a single, pithy explanation. Bayern was, by a shade, the better team in a final that produced a dish quite distinct from any of its ingredients. Two teams front-loaded with attacking talent combined in Lisbon to create a game — a compelling, absorbing game — that was more slow-burn drama than quick-fire entertainment.

Both defended with grit and steel and thought. Neither was quite as assured as normal. Robert Lewandowski was a touch short of his ruthless best leading the Bayern line; Kylian Mbappé was not quite as explosive as he could be for P.S.G. Neymar did not want for work ethic, but his invention was just a little lacking.

Both teams were in pursuit of a domestic and European treble — league, cup and Champions league silverware — and yet neither was quite itself. Bayern won because it came closer than P.S.G., because its self-perception is better defined, because it draws its strength and its wonder from its system, not from the lavish talent of its individuals.

Hansi Flick, Bayern’s coach, had the courage not to change tack out of respect for — or fear of — P.S.G.’s fearsome front line. Bayern played the high defensive line which, common consensus had it, Mbappé in particular would relish. He trusted his players not to blink. The margins were fine, and P.S.G. hardly played badly, but the reward justified the risk.

That will be of scant solace to Neymar and his teammates, of course. The identity of the player that proved their undoing will add a little sting for P.S.G., too. Coman was born and raised in Paris; he joined P.S.G.’s youth academy as a child. He was a teammate of Presnel Kimpembe, the French champion’s central defender, until both were 18.

Coman made his first appearance for P.S.G.’s senior team at 16, the youngest player ever to do so. Like so many others, he is a product of Paris and its banlieues, the suburbs and satellite towns that are, perhaps, the most fertile breeding ground for soccer players in the world. Only São Paulo, Buenos Aires and South London even come close to rivaling it.

And yet Coman, like Paul Pogba and Ngolo Kanté and even Mbappé, until he was brought home at vast cost, got away. Coman left for Juventus in 2014, having grown frustrated at the lack of opportunities he was offered by his hometown team. The scale of investment from P.S.G.’s Qatari backers had by then made the club fallow ground for young prospects. Coman went to Italy, and from there to Munich. Now he has returned to haunt the club that made him, to vanquish it when it was in sight of its goal.

But one picture does not tell a story. Coman’s career has been remarkable. He is only 24, and yet he has already won 20 major trophies. Every season that he has been a professional — he made his debut in 2013 — he has ended as a league champion: twice with P.S.G., once with Juventus, five times with Bayern.

Coman is, in other words, the ultimate player for European soccer’s superclub era. He is the embodiment of the game’s stratification, for how different the world of the elite is from that of those mere mortals who might not win a championship every single season of their career. In these circumstances, it feels almost inevitable that at some point he was going to score the winning goal in a Champions League final. He is proof that, at a certain height, it is almost impossible to fall.

For all Neymar’s tears, he and the team he represents — in more ways than one — are precisely the same. Sunday’s final had been dressed up as a meeting between two visions of soccer: the old power and the new money, the establishment and the insurgent, the immovable object of European soccer’s self-appointed aristocracy and the unstoppable force of a sports team co-opted as the marketing tool of a nation state.

In Bayern Munich’s victory, it is possible to draw the conclusion that there is, for now, at least, some sort of winner. Paris St.-Germain has obsessed over the Champions League for a decade. It has spent billions in pursuit of it. It has inveigled its way into the corridors of power and it has broken the rules, both in letter and in spirit, and it has done its best to shift the landscape to its own ends. It wants nothing more than that one trophy, that ultimate vindication of its plan.

And though it came closer than it ever had before this summer, it has failed again. Chalk up a victory not necessarily for the good guys — Bayern Munich, for all its folksy customs, is not what any outsider would call lovable — but for the way things have always been. The old certainties hold. The new order has not been established, and Neymar is sitting on the bench in tears.

But a single picture does not tell a whole story. P.S.G. has not failed, not really, not in the long term. Its presence here was success. A decade since its Gulf money arrived, it can breathe the same rarefied air as the old elite. That, in the context of what Qatar wants from its investment, is almost the same as the Champions League trophy. Almost.

So, too, all of the associations that come with it. To have Neymar — the most expensive player on the planet, an icon, a social media phenomenon — as the avatar of this P.S.G. team is to demonstrate all of the things that are valuable to the club’s backers about this project. It speaks of power and wealth and glamour and relevance and affection, in some quarters, if not universally.

Neymar’s despair might have been the final image of the night, but that is the closing of a chapter, not the culmination of the book. Just as the European soccer season lasts nine months and, at the end of it, Coman gets a medal or three, the same is true of P.S.G. There will be another chance, and another chance after that, and on and on into the future.

Young money soon morphs into old power, and the insurgents become the ruling class. Neymar will be back here again; P.S.G. will be back here again. That is the way the game is built. That is the way the game works. At a certain height, the tears never last for long.

His quest is his club’s quest: to win hearts and minds, to prove their greatness and their worth and, in doing so, to gain recognition and acceptance. Both see the Champions League as the only stage on which that can be achieved. Both had failed at the last step on Sunday: a single goal had been enough to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory and a sixth European crown, and prolong the agony of P.S.G.

[walkonwalkonwithhopeinyourheart]

UCL and UEL Watch Thread 26/02/2020 via /r/LiverpoolFC

UCL and UEL Watch Thread 26/02/2020

After yesterday’s eggy bread I’ve gone for a sun-dried tomato and olive bread today. 🍅 🍞

Tonight there are two UCL ties and one UEL match, with the latter starting at 17:00 GMT and the remaining last 16 UCL games at 20:00 GMT.

Results so far in the UEFA Champions League last 16 1st legs:

Atlético de Madrid 1-0 Liverpool FC

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain

Atalanta B.C. 4-1 Valencia CF

Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 RB Leipzig

Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich

S.S.C. Napoli 1-1 FC Barcelona

Tonight’s UCL last 16 1st leg results:

Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Juventus

Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City

Tonight’s UEL last 32 2nd leg results:

SC Braga 0-1 Rangers (Agg: 2-4)

OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS vs JUVENTUS

Parc Olympique Lyonnais | KO 20:00 GMT

Officials:

Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (ESP) Assistants: Diego Barbero (ESP) and Ángel Nevado (ESP) Fourth official: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP) VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera (ESP) Assistant VAR: Ricardo de Burgos (ESP)

Olympique Lyonnais

Manager: Rudi Garcia

XI: 3-5-2 Lopes, Marcelo, Denayer, Marçal, Dubois, Guimarães, Tousart, Cornet, Toko Ekambi, Aouar, Dembele

Subs: Tatarusanu, Andersen, Terrier, Traoré, Mendes Ribeiro, Tete, Caqueret

Juventus

Manager: Maurizio Sarri

XI: 4-3-3 Szczesny, Danilo, de Ligt, Bonucci, Lobo Silva, Bentancur, Pjanić, Rabiot, Cuadrado, Dybala, Ronaldo

Subs: Buffon, De Sciglio, Ramsey, Matuidi, Higuaín, Rugani, Bernardeschi

RESULT

Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Juventus FT

⏱ 1’ We're under way in Lyon

❕ 21' Toko Ekambi (Lyon) heads over from a corner

🟨 28’ Marcelo booked (Lyon)

⚽️ 31' 1-0 Tousart gives Lyon the lead

❕ 38' Looks like handball in the box by Cuadrado, ref says no penalty

❕ 41' Toko Ekambi (Lyon) shoots over

⏱ 45’ Three added minutes

⏱ 45+4’ HT Lyon 1-0 Juventus

⏱ 46' Second half kicks off

🟨 61’ Cornet booked (Lyon)

🔁 62’ Pjanić off, Ramsey on (Juventus)

🔁 66’ Toko Ekambi off, Terrier on (Lyon)

🔁 70’ Cuadrado off, Higuaín on (Juventus)

🔁 78’ Dubois (injured) off, Tete on (Lyon)

🔁 78’ Rabiot off, Bernardeschi on (Juventus)

🔁 81’ Cornet (injured) off, Andersen on (Lyon)

❕ 89' Dybala (Juventus) goes down in the box, ref says no penalty

⏱ 90' Five added minutes

⏱ 90+6’ FT Lyon 1-0 Juventus

REAL MADRID vs MANCHESTER CITY

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu | KO 20:00 GMT

Officials:

Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA) Assistants: Lorenzo Manganelli (ITA) and Alessandro Giallatini (ITA) Fourth official: Daniele Doveri (ITA) VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA) Assistant VAR: Ciro Carbone (ITA)

Real Madrid

Manager: Zinedine Zidane

XI: 4-3-3 Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, fuck Ramos, Mendy, Casemiro, Modric, Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Benzema, Isco

Subs: Areola, Militao, Kroos, Bale, Marcelo, Lucas, Jovic

Oil Barons

Manager: Bald Fraud

XI: 4-3-3 Ederson, Walker, Laporte, Otamendi, Mendy, Rodrigo, Gündoğan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus

Subs: Bravo, Cancelo, Agüero, Foden, Fernandinho, Stones, David Silva, Sterling 🐍

RESULT

Real Madrid 1-2 Oil Barons FT

⏱ 1’ We're under way in Madrid

❕ 21' Courtois saves from a Gabriel Jesus shot

❕ 28' KDB shoots high and wide over the crossbar

🟨 29’ Mendy booked (Oil Barons) he will miss the second leg

❕ 30' Ederson makes a great save to deny Benzema's header

🔁 33’ Laporte (injured) off, Fernandinho on (Oil Barons)

⏱ 45' Two added minutes

⏱ 45+3’ HT Real Madrid 0-0 Oil Barons

⏱ 46' Second half kicks off

🟨 48’ Valverde booked (Real)

❕ 50' KDB and Mahrez link up, the latter shoots wide

🟨 54’ Modric booked (Real)

❕ 55' Vinicius Jr (Real) goes down in the box, ref says no penalty

❕ 57' Courtois makes a great save from Mahrez's shot

⚽️ 60' 1-0 Isco puts Real ahead

🔁 73’ Bernardo Silva off, Sterling 🐍 on (Oil Barons)

🔁 75’ Vinicius Jr off, Bale on (Real)

⚽️ 78' 1-1 Gabriel Jesus gets the equaliser for the Oil Barons

❗️ 82' Penalty to the Oil Barons after a foul by Carvajal

⚽️ 83' 1-2 KDB scores the penalty

🔁 75’ Modric Jr off, Lucas on (Real)

🔁 75’ Isco off, Jovic on (Real)

🟥 86’ fuck Ramos sent off

⏱ 90' Three added minutes

⏱ 90+3’ FT Real Madrid 1-2 Oil Barons

UEFA Europa League last 32 second legs

SC BRAGA vs RANGERS (Agg: 2-3)

Estádio Municipal de Braga | KO 17:00 GMT

Mildly interesting tidbit about this stadium, it has no goal end stands as it is built next to a cliff face.

Officials:

Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE) Assistants: Mehmet Culum (SWE) and Stefan Hallberg (SWE) Fourth official: Glenn Nyberg (SWE)

There is no VAR Yes there is, VAR: Danny Makkelie (NED)

SC Braga

Manager: Rúben Amorim

XI: 4-4-2 Matheus, Nuno Sequeira, Raul Silva, Carmo, Bruno Viana; Trincao, Palhinha, Fransergio, Ricardo Esgaio; Ricardo Horta, Paulinho

Subs: Tiago Sa, Tormena, Ruiz, Andre Horta, Rui Fonte, Norvais, Galeno

Rangers

Manager: Steven Gerrard

XI: 4-3-3 McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Edmundson, Barisic; Jack, Davis, Arfield; Hagi, Kent, Kamberi

Subs: Foderingham, Katic, Halliday, Aribo, Kamara, Ojo, Stewart

Morelos is suspended after picking up a yellow in the first leg

RESULT

SC Braga 0-1 Rangers (Agg: 2-4) FT

⏱ 1’ We're under way in Braga

❕ 9' Kamberi (Rangers) shoots and forces Matheus to make a save

❕ 19' Ryan Kent fires just wide

❕ 26' McGregor makes a great save to deny Paulinho's (Braga) header

❕ 30' Paulinho (Braga) heads just wide

❕ 38' Ryan Kent goes down in the box, ref says no penalty

❗️ 44' Penalty to Rangers after a handball by Raul Silva

🖥 45' VAR confirms penalty

❌ 45+1' Matheus pulls off a great save to deny Hagi and Rangers (Additional link)

⏱ 45+2’ HT Braga 0-0 Rangers

⏱ 46’ We're back under way in Portugal

🔁 46’ Palhinha off, Norvais on (Braga)

🟨 47’ Carmo booked (Braga)

🔁 53’ Raul Silva off, Galeno on (Braga)

⚽️ 61' 0-1 Ryan Kent puts Rangers into the lead on the night

🔁 64’ Carmo Silva off, Ruiz on (Braga)

🔁 72’ Carmo Hagi off, Aribo on (Rangers)

🟨 73’ Kamberi booked (Rangers)

❌ 77' Arfield (Rangers) has the ball in the net but is disallowed for offside

🔁 78’ Kamberi Hagi off, Ojo on (Rangers)

❕ 83' Paulinho (Braga) gets on the end of a free-kick but heads just over the bar

🟨 89’ Ricardo Esgaio booked (Braga)

⏱ 90’ Four added minutes

⏱ 90+4’ FT Braga 0-1 Rangers - Stevie G's side win 4-2 on aggregate

Elsewhere in England

Championship

Blackburn Rovers 0-0 Stoke City FT

Fulham 1-0 Swansea City FT

Hull City 0-1 Barnsley FT

Middlesbrough 0-1 Leeds United FT

Millwall 0-0 Birmingham City FT

Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Charlton Athletic FT

Reading 0-3 Wigan Athletic FT

Submitted February 26, 2020 at 04:07PM by eurfryn via reddit https://ift.tt/2wb7QQY

[twistwff]

football headers (barcelona; real madrid; paris saint-germain; juventus;  bayern münchen & liverpool)

@vxkings on twitter || if u save/used like this post 

[timesofmedia]

Cristiano Ronaldo leaps for the header against Atalanta at Old Trafford stadium

Cristiano Ronaldo leaps for the header against Atalanta at Old Trafford stadium

Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winning goal capped a classic Manchester United comeback win in the Champions League. In a less chaotic manner, Bayern Munich and Juventus also recorded typical trademark wins to top their groups with three straight victories and no goals conceded. Trailing 2-0 at halftime at home against Atalanta, with Paul Pogba left on the bench, United’s wild season under manager Ole…

[crissjohns]

England held to a draw by Poland ; Italy And Germany secure big victories

New Post has been published on https://www.profit-tips.website/england-held-to-a-draw-by-poland/

England held to a draw by Poland ; Italy And Germany secure big victories

Paris: Moise Kean grabbed his first international goals since March 2019 as Italy thrashed Lithuania 5-0 in World Cup qualifying on Wednesday, as Damian Szymanski’s late header forced England to settle for a draw in Poland.

Italy had drawn their previous two qualifiers to slip into a battle with Switzerland for automatic qualification from Group C.

But the European champions, who set a new world record of 36 internationals unbeaten with the goalless draw against the Swiss at the weekend, produced a dominant display against Lithuania in Reggio Emilia.

Young striker Kean, who rejoined Juventus from Everton in the close-season after a successful loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain, scored twice in the first half.

Edgaras Utkus put through his own net and Giacomo Raspadori also scored as Italy moved four ahead at the break.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo made it five in the second period as Roberto Mancini’s side stretched their lead over Switzerland at the top of the table to six points.

“It was important to have won this game with young players, who played very well, especially in the first half,” Mancini told RAI.

“They (Kean and Raspadori) have a great future, everything will depend on them.”

The Azzurri are hoping to banish the memories of their shock failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Swiss do have two games in hand, but they were held to a 0-0 draw by Northern Ireland in Belfast, with Haris Seferovic having a penalty saved by Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

England held by Poles

England, who were beaten by Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, lost their 100 percent record in qualifying with a 1-1 draw against Poland in Warsaw.

The hosts were second in Group I, five points behind England, before kick-off and frustrated their opponents for long periods.

England captain Harry Kane appeared to have settled a tempestuous affair with 18 minutes remaining, slamming a swerving long-range shot into the bottom corner to score his 41st international goal.

But Szymanski headed home at the back post from Robert Lewandowski’s cross in injury time.

“A tough one to take right at the end,” Kane told ITV. “Sometimes the pressure comes away from home but we are top with four games to go.”

Gareth Southgate’s men are still four points clear of second-placed Albania, who thumped San Marino 5-0 in Tirana.

Spain’s qualification hopes were under threat heading into their game at Kosovo, but a 2-0 win, coupled with Sweden’s surprise loss to Greece, gave Luis Enrique’s side a much-needed boost.

West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornal’s 32nd-minute strike and Ferran Torres’ late goal gave the 2010 world champions all three points in Pristina.

Sweden, albeit having played two matches fewer than Spain, slipped four points adrift of their Group B rivals after a 2-1 defeat by the Greeks.

Flick’s Germany impress again

Germany entered the current international break with a new coach, Hansi Flick, and looking to hit back following their European Championship last-16 exit at the hands of England, just months after a shock World Cup qualifying home loss to North Macedonia.

But an impressive 4-0 victory in Iceland made it three wins from three for the former Bayern Munich boss.

There had been serious questions marks raised about the form of forwards Timo Werner, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, but all three netted in Reykjavik.

Werner and Gnabry have both scored three times in these three games, with Sane on the scoresheet twice.

Chelsea centre-back Antonio Ruediger was the other scorer as Germany stretched four points clear of Armenia in Group J.

The Armenians were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw by Liechtenstein.

In Group E, Belgium continued their cruise towards qualification as Dennis Praet’s first-half effort saw Roberto Martinez’s side edge out Belarus 1-0 in Kazan.

Wales are now nine points behind the Red Devils after a goalless stalemate with Estonia in Cardiff.

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[barb644897eck]

Aston Villa Birmingham City: Hosts win six-goal Second City derby thriller - BBC Sport

Blues v villa score - Live: Aston Villa v Birmingham City | FA Women's Super League | BT Sport

We knew what our limitations were in the summer. Formation blues v villa score Match ends, Aston Villa 4, Birmingham City 2. Attempt missed. Omar Bogle Birmingham City header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Charlie Lakin with a cross following a corner. Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Jack Grealish. Foul by Alan Hutton Aston Villa. Charlie Lakin Birmingham City wins a free kick in the defensive half. Jacques Blues v villa score Birmingham City wins a free kick on the left wing.

Maikel Kieftenbeld Birmingham City is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jack Grealish Aston Villa wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Maikel Kieftenbeld Birmingham City. Former England international striker Frank Worthington, one of the great showmen of English football, has died aged blues v villa score after a long illness, his family announced on Tuesday Watford boosted their bid for an immediate return to the Premier League with a win against Birmingham, while their promotion rivals Brentford were held to a draw by Nottingham Forest on Saturday Leeds suffered a humiliating FA Cup exit against Crawley as the League Two side swept to a stunning win, website eighth tier Marine's hopes of causing the competition's greatest shock blues v villa score crushed in a defeat against Tottenham Emi Buendia kept Championship leaders Norwich in pole position for an immediate return to the Premier League after their victory against Barnsley on Saturday ISBN Keeping right on since Lytham: Arrow.

Sporting Mail. It was not until that the Alliance first met Aston Villa, and present-day supporters may be glad to be reminded that the encounter ended in a victory for Small Heath. Birmingham Post. Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2 September Birmingham City: A Complete Record.

Derby: Breedon Books. Retrieved 12 November BBC News. The Guardian.

Aston Villa 4-2 Birmingham City: Hosts win six-goal Second City derby thriller

Retrieved 3 August Retrieved 10 March Sky News. Retrieved 25 September Archived from the original on 1 December Retrieved 24 April Aston Villa Football Club. Aston Villa Managers Players All articles. Unders and Academy Women. Birmingham City Football Club. Records Seasons Head-to-head Europe. Second City derby Birmingham City W. Reserves and Academy All articles.

Football rivalries in the United Kingdom. Barcelona vs Real Madrid. Barcelona vs Atl. Blues v villa score Madrid vs Socre. Real Madrid vs Valencia. Barcelona vs Sevilla. Barcelona vs Valencia.

Birmingham City football club: record v Aston Villa

Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig. Bayern Munich vs B. RB Leipzig vs Dortmund. Dortmund vs Schalke. Bayern Munich vs Schalke. Roma vs Inter. Blues v villa score vs Juventus. Juventus vs Napoli. Roma vs Juventus. Lazio vs Roma. Roma vs Napoli.

Milan vs Juventus. Bayern vs Dortmund H2H footy fixtures. Barcelona vs Man City H2H stats. Real Madrid vs Barcelona H2H stats. Juventus vs Lazio H2H stats. Vipla to the new matchstat. Livescores provided by Livescore. Please blues v villa score This site requires javascript to be enabled for full functionality. Toggle navigation Match stat. Goal 83 Mins Geoff Horsfield. Substitution 87 Mins Robbie Savage Substitution Off.

Bryan Hughes Substitution On. Yellow Card 89 Mins Darren Purse. Steve Staunton. Martin Grainger. Aliou Cisse. Yellow Card 89 Mins 6. Gareth Barry. KO Mins. HT Mins. FT Mins. Head-to-Head Birmingham Total Wins.

[thisdaynews]

SPORT:Ronaldo scores twice as Juve crush Messi’s troubled Barcelona.

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/sportronaldo-scores-twice-as-juve-crush-messis-troubled-barcelona/

SPORT:Ronaldo scores twice as Juve crush Messi’s troubled Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice from the punishment spot to win his fight with rival Lionel Messi and guide Juventus to a 3-0 success over Barcelona on Tuesday, acquiring the Italians best position in Champions League Group G.

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The previous Real Madrid striker and his Argentina partner exchanged Ballon d’Or wins for 10 years between 2008-2017 and were nonentities for the dueling Spanish goliaths, yet there was just a single victor at the Camp Nou as they met unexpectedly since Ronaldo’s flight for Juve in 2018.

Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus lost 2-0 at home against Barcelona in October without Ronaldo, sidelined with Covid-19, however were incredibly improved and acquired the main Champions League away win against Barcelona since Bayern Munich won in 2013.

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The two sides, tied on 15 focuses, were guaranteed of capability before kick-off, yet Juve’s three-objective triumph gave them a better head-than head record.

“At the point when you want to forfeit yourself and a faultless marksman, as Ronaldo, you are certain you can win these matches,” Bonucci disclosed to Sky Sport Italia.

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“As we appeared in the derby (prevail upon Torino), on the off chance that we play with this longing, we get back the outcomes we need. The subsequent stage is to do this in the entirety of our games.”

Ronald Koeman, faltering from Barcelona’s 2-1 destruction by advanced minnows Cadiz on Saturday in La Liga, responded by rolling out four improvements however the hosts began gravely.

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It just took 13 minutes for Ronaldo to break the gridlock, opening home from the punishment spot after the ref considered Ronald Araujo’s test on him a foul.

Juventus didn’t yield and their weight prompted a subsequent objective, US midfielder Weston McKennie volleying home Juan Cuadrado’s pleasantly cut cross in the twentieth moment.

The Catalans and their skipper Messi at last woke from their sleep, as the assailant had one exertion impeded by Matthijs de Ligt and another spared by veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, while Pjanic lashed over the bar.

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Ronaldo scored his second from the punishment spot in the 52nd moment after Clement Lenglet took care of awkwardly in the territory, as the hosts collapsed.

Antoine Griezmann, who was imperceptible in the principal half, touched the crossbar with a circling header from a Messi free kick, and Buffon beat out another exertion, with De Ligt’s compel enough to stop Martin Braithwaite changing over the bounce back.

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Leonardo Bonucci had a fourth objective precluded for offside after he tapped in Ronaldo’s work from short proximity, with Messi attempting to no end at the opposite finish to answer Ronaldo, yet he found the 42-year-old Buffon in his manner over and over.

Griezmann was incredulous of his own side after they tumbled to their first home Champions League bunch stage rout since 2009.

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“We were insufficient, they over-ran us in the principal half, we needed everything,” he told Movistar.

“An absence of demeanor, want, needing to run, shielding, assaulting, everything was awful.”

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was additionally despondent.

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“There are two things, one thing is singular mix-ups, and the other is the means by which the group shields, these are various things,” he said.

“At this moment groups can score against us at whatever second. This is exceptionally extreme, we need to emerge from this, and buckle down.”

[gokul2181]

Barcelona's Coutinho to miss Juventus clash with hamstring injury | Football News

New Post has been published on https://jordarnews.in/barcelonas-coutinho-to-miss-juventus-clash-with-hamstring-injury-football-news/

Barcelona's Coutinho to miss Juventus clash with hamstring injury | Football News

BARCELONA: Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho injured his left hamstring in his side’s 3-1 home defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, effectively ruling him out of his side’s Champions League showdown away to Juventus on Wednesday. A statement from Barca on Sunday said the Brazilian was unavailable due to the injury, without saying when he would return to action. Barca’s most expensive ever signing, Coutinho, who played the full 90 minutes, passed up a clear chance to put his side ahead in the ‘Clasico’ when the game was poised at 1-1, missing the target with a header from close range. The Brazilian had been on a positive run of form in his first season back with the club after spending the last campaign on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring two goals and providing two assists in six competitive matches. AS newspaper said Coutinho could be out for three weeks. He looks set to miss the game at Juventus plus Barca’s La Liga fixtures away to Alaves and at home to Real Betis as well as the Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kyiv. His injury could spell good news for Barca’s two other most expensive players Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele, who were both left out of the starting line-up against Real Madrid.

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[upshotre]

Friendly: Germany held at home by Messi-less Argentina

An experimental Germany team leaked two second-half goals Wednesday as a weakened Argentina side, minus superstar Lionel Messi, earned a 2-2 draw in a friendly in Dortmund. Germany flew into a 2-0 lead thanks to first-half goals by Serge Gnabry and Kai Havertz, but Lucas Alario turned the game in the second-half when he came on for Argentina. The Leverkusen striker pulled a goal back, then set up Lucas Ocampos for the late equaliser against a German team which included four debutants. Freiburg pair, defender Robin Koch, a late call-up on Monday who was thrust into a makeshift back three at the last-minute, and striker Luca Waldschmidt started. Leverkusen forward Nadiem Amiri and Schalke midfielder Suat Serdar came on to make their second-half debuts. The Germans had already been forced into a hastily re-arranged defence as Koch replaced centre-back Niklas Stark, who pulled out before kick-off with a stomach bug. Despite 13 withdrawals due to either illness or injury, Germany impressed early against an Argentina team missing Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria. With Messi suspended for comments made at the Copa America, Juventus’ Paulo Dybala partnered Lautaro Martinez up front for Argentina. This match was a repeat of the 2014 World Cup final, yet Argentina’s Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo was the only survivor when the Germans won in Rio de Janeiro. He partnered Manchester City veteran Nicolas Otamendi in an Argentina defence which crumbled early on. A week after scoring four goals for Bayern Munich at Tottenham, Gnabry put Germany ahead on 15 minutes. The winger used his pace when Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa lost possession to get in behind the defence to stab the ball past Argentina goalkeeper Augustin Marchesin. When Rojo then lost the ball to Waldschmidt, Gnabry turned provider, using his pace to present Havertz with a simple tap-in on 22 minutes. Argentina let their frustrations show as Otamendi and Rodrigo de Paul were booked for clattering Julian Brandt and Gnabry respectively. It should have been 3-0 when Brandt just failed to connect with a Niklas Suele header with the goal at his mercy as it stayed 2-0 at the break. However, the South Americans had the best of the second-half, starting when Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni put Alario on for Dybala on 62 minutes. The Leverkusen striker showed his strength in the air to head past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen four minutes later. The visitors equalised when Alario set up Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos, a second-half replacement for Correa, to blast past ter Stegen five minutes from time. The match was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of the two people shot dead in the German city of Halle earlier Wednesday in an anti-Semitic attack.

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