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Congratulations Manchester United!!!
Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester United: Ronaldo equalizer leaves tie perfectly poised
MADRID -- Cristiano Ronaldo marked his first appearance against Manchester United with a goal, but Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw in an enthralling first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for the Premier League leaders with a 20th-minute header to deliver United a crucial away goal.
Ten minutes later, Ronaldo made sure of the headlines as he equalized with a header of his own to score his 37th goal of the season and set up a finely balanced second leg when Madrid travel to Old Trafford on March 5.
Ronaldo was low-key in his celebrations as he came up against United for the first time since leaving for Madrid in a worldrecord deal of 80 million pounds in 2009, but he could not find a second goal as the Spanish giants’ prospects of a landmark tenth European title were dented.
Robin van Persie almost made it a perfect night for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side 18 minutes from time but was denied twice in matter of seconds - first by the crossbar and then Xabi Alonso’s goalline clearance.
As these two heavyweights went head-to-head in the tie of the round, this end-to-end game delivered on the palpable pre-match expectation - with neither side able to deliver an early knock out blow.
United, though, will be the happier of the two sides, with Ferguson rewarded for the bravery of his attacking lineup, even if he may want to share his post-match bottle of wine with his goalkeeper David De Gea, who made a series of fine saves to keep Madrid at bay.
There was a carnival atmosphere in the Spanish capital throughout the day as thousands of United fans soaked up the atmosphere with lager and tapas in the city’s squares, pubs and bars.
The anticipation was reflected inside the Bernabeu, where the teams were greeted by a wall of noise as the Madrid fans unfurled banners and flags, while their United fans sang their hearts out high in the Madrid sky.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made his intentions clear by fielding an attacking quartet of Van Persie, Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa while captain Nemanja Vidic was rested from the squad entirely as he recovers from a knee injury.
Real Madrid sprung no surprises in its starting lineup, with French defender Raphael Varane replacing Pepe at center back and Mourinho picking his first-choice midfield and attack.
Both managers spoke before kickoff about the attacking traditions of their clubs and sent their players on to the pitch to put on a show, with the attacking freedom - and suspect defending - evident in a breathless first half.
Fabio Coentrao almost put the hosts ahead after just five minutes but his right-footed shot towards from 16 yards was wonderfully tipped on to the far post by United goalkeeper De Gea with the merest fingertip.
United is no stranger to the big occasion and after settling in to the game, it took the lead with its first real opportunity of the game in the 20th minute with the easiest of goals as the English club took advantage of Real’s fragility from set-pieces.
Rooney whipped in a corner from the left and as the home defenders stood and watched each other, Welbeck rose to head into the bottom corner to send the 4,000 United supporters into delirium.
Yet Real Madrid responded and put United on the back foot as Ronaldo and Mezut Ozil in particular caused the visitors problems with their movement in the final third.
On the half-hour mark, Ronaldo leveled the scoreline with a trademark header. Di Maria played in an inviting cross from the left and the Portuguese rose high, craned his neck and headed the ball into the corner.
Both teams continued to search for a second goal, Welbeck flicking an inventive effort just wide from a van Persie cross before Ozil forced De Gea into a sharp save after collecting a raking 60-yard pass by Xabi Alonso.
The action continued after the break, with Di Maria firing just wide before referee Felix Brych infuriated the United bench by waving away appeals for a foul by Varane on Patrice Evra when the United captain would have been through on goal.
On the hour mark, De Gea again denied Madrid the lead, producing an orthodox save with his feet to kick away Coentrao’s volley when United right back Rafael again fell asleep defensively.
At the other end, van Persie went agonizingly close for United twice in the space of a minute, first seeing his cracking right-footed shot cannon off the crossbar via the faintest glove from Diego Lopez, then the Dutchman’s scuffed volley beat the Madrid goalkeeper but was cleared off the line by Alonso as it trickled towards the net.
There was still time for Ronaldo to fizz a trademark free kick just over the crossbar from 35 yards but United held on for a result that surely leaves it the favorite to progress to the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester United: Ronaldo equalizer leaves tie perfectly poised
MADRID -- Cristiano Ronaldo marked his first appearance against Manchester United with a goal, but Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw in an enthralling first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for the Premier League leaders with a 20th-minute header to deliver United a crucial away goal.
Ten minutes later, Ronaldo made sure of the headlines as he equalized with a header of his own to score his 37th goal of the season and set up a finely balanced second leg when Madrid travel to Old Trafford on March 5.
Ronaldo was low-key in his celebrations as he came up against United for the first time since leaving for Madrid in a worldrecord deal of 80 million pounds in 2009, but he could not find a second goal as the Spanish giants’ prospects of a landmark tenth European title were dented.
Robin van Persie almost made it a perfect night for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side 18 minutes from time but was denied twice in matter of seconds - first by the crossbar and then Xabi Alonso’s goalline clearance.
As these two heavyweights went head-to-head in the tie of the round, this end-to-end game delivered on the palpable pre-match expectation - with neither side able to deliver an early knock out blow.
United, though, will be the happier of the two sides, with Ferguson rewarded for the bravery of his attacking lineup, even if he may want to share his post-match bottle of wine with his goalkeeper David De Gea, who made a series of fine saves to keep Madrid at bay.
There was a carnival atmosphere in the Spanish capital throughout the day as thousands of United fans soaked up the atmosphere with lager and tapas in the city’s squares, pubs and bars.
The anticipation was reflected inside the Bernabeu, where the teams were greeted by a wall of noise as the Madrid fans unfurled banners and flags, while their United fans sang their hearts out high in the Madrid sky.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made his intentions clear by fielding an attacking quartet of Van Persie, Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa while captain Nemanja Vidic was rested from the squad entirely as he recovers from a knee injury.
Real Madrid sprung no surprises in its starting lineup, with French defender Raphael Varane replacing Pepe at center back and Mourinho picking his first-choice midfield and attack.
Both managers spoke before kickoff about the attacking traditions of their clubs and sent their players on to the pitch to put on a show, with the attacking freedom - and suspect defending - evident in a breathless first half.
Fabio Coentrao almost put the hosts ahead after just five minutes but his right-footed shot towards from 16 yards was wonderfully tipped on to the far post by United goalkeeper De Gea with the merest fingertip.
United is no stranger to the big occasion and after settling in to the game, it took the lead with its first real opportunity of the game in the 20th minute with the easiest of goals as the English club took advantage of Real’s fragility from set-pieces.
Rooney whipped in a corner from the left and as the home defenders stood and watched each other, Welbeck rose to head into the bottom corner to send the 4,000 United supporters into delirium.
Yet Real Madrid responded and put United on the back foot as Ronaldo and Mezut Ozil in particular caused the visitors problems with their movement in the final third.
On the half-hour mark, Ronaldo leveled the scoreline with a trademark header. Di Maria played in an inviting cross from the left and the Portuguese rose high, craned his neck and headed the ball into the corner.
Both teams continued to search for a second goal, Welbeck flicking an inventive effort just wide from a van Persie cross before Ozil forced De Gea into a sharp save after collecting a raking 60-yard pass by Xabi Alonso.
The action continued after the break, with Di Maria firing just wide before referee Felix Brych infuriated the United bench by waving away appeals for a foul by Varane on Patrice Evra when the United captain would have been through on goal.
On the hour mark, De Gea again denied Madrid the lead, producing an orthodox save with his feet to kick away Coentrao’s volley when United right back Rafael again fell asleep defensively.
At the other end, van Persie went agonizingly close for United twice in the space of a minute, first seeing his cracking right-footed shot cannon off the crossbar via the faintest glove from Diego Lopez, then the Dutchman’s scuffed volley beat the Madrid goalkeeper but was cleared off the line by Alonso as it trickled towards the net.
There was still time for Ronaldo to fizz a trademark free kick just over the crossbar from 35 yards but United held on for a result that surely leaves it the favorite to progress to the quarterfinals.
Congratulations Manchester United!!!
Congratulations Manchester United!
Patta Match 1ka
Sides 2ka elatama play kala
De Geath niyamai
Pattama savings tikak thibba
Patta Match 1ka
Sides 2ka elatama play kalaDe Geath niyamai
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 Borussia Dortmund: Hummels makes amends to put Germans in pole position
Borussia Dortmund took a step towards the Champions League quarterfinals by claiming a 2-2 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Donbass Arena in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.
Darijo Srna put the home side ahead with a wonderful free kick, but Jurgen Klopp's men soon hit back through Robert Lewandowski. Douglas Coasta looked to have given the Shakhtar a slender advantage heading into the Signal Iduna Park leg, but Mats Hummels powered home a late header to leave the match level at the end.
It was Dortmund which took the early initiative, with Jakub 'Kuba' Blaszczykowski having a couple of early efforts on goal.
First, the Poland winger tried an acrobatic overhead kick after a badly-cleared free kick which went wide, before he pulled a shot across goal after being put through by Mario Gotze when he should have done better.
Dortmund continued to press from then on it. Another Gotze ball went to Lewandowski, who sent a tame header at Andriy Pyatov, and the striker had calls for a penalty when he went down under a shove from Srna.
The period of pressure should have culminated in a goal, but the German club could not come any closer than on the 15-minute mark when Hummels sent a Gotze corner onto the bar, with Pyatov well beaten.
All the while, Shakhtar looked dangerous on the break, and the home side gradually began to take control of the match without offering any real craft in the Dortmund half.
After 30 minutes, though, the team was gifted the opener. Felipe Santana clumsily brought down Luiz Adriano around 25 yards from goal, and Srna stepped up to bend the ball into the top corner of the net.
The goal seemed to wake BVB up, and the club soon set about in search of an equalizer. Again, Kuba sent in two speculative efforts, one straight at the keeper, the other fizzing wide.
In the end it was a stroke of fortune which gave the Germans their goal. Gotze crossed from the right, and a complete mishit from Lewandowski took two defenders out of the game and allowed him to pass it into the corner.
The goal came three minutes before the break, but Dortmund almost undid it good work seconds later. A clumsy fumble from Roman Weidenfeller went straight to Luiz Adrianoa and bounced to Alex Teixeira, but Marcel Schmelzer was there to clear if off the line.
After the break, both teams looked capable of grabbing the next goal. At one end, Marco Reus failed to wriggle free of two defenders and saw his shot charged down, before Henrik Mkhitaryan had an effort blocked by Santana.
The two sides took it in turns to counterattack, but their respective defenses were standing firm, and were turnign back wave after wave.
That was until the 69th minute, when Hummels misjudged a long, high ball which fell to Costa, who took the ball down superbly and drove it left-footed beyond Weidenfeller.
Immediately after the goal, Dortmund should have equalized. Gotze darted into the penalty area, seizing on a sloppy defensive header, and squared it to Lewandowski, who somehow contrived to hook an effort wide when he should have grabbed a second away goal.
At the other end, though, Shakhtar still posed a threat of its own. Indeed, the club could have extended the lead when a delightful ball from Alex Teixeria evaded everyone in the BVB box, including the home side's attackers, before Yaroslav Rakytskyy drove a free kick well over the bar.
It appeared that the Ukrainians had done enough to take a slender advantage into the second leg, but with just a couple of minutes remaining, Schmelzer swung in a corner and Hummels atoned for his earlier error by powering home a header, and giving his side the advantage in the tie.
Borussia Dortmund took a step towards the Champions League quarterfinals by claiming a 2-2 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Donbass Arena in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.
Darijo Srna put the home side ahead with a wonderful free kick, but Jurgen Klopp's men soon hit back through Robert Lewandowski. Douglas Coasta looked to have given the Shakhtar a slender advantage heading into the Signal Iduna Park leg, but Mats Hummels powered home a late header to leave the match level at the end.
It was Dortmund which took the early initiative, with Jakub 'Kuba' Blaszczykowski having a couple of early efforts on goal.
First, the Poland winger tried an acrobatic overhead kick after a badly-cleared free kick which went wide, before he pulled a shot across goal after being put through by Mario Gotze when he should have done better.
Dortmund continued to press from then on it. Another Gotze ball went to Lewandowski, who sent a tame header at Andriy Pyatov, and the striker had calls for a penalty when he went down under a shove from Srna.
The period of pressure should have culminated in a goal, but the German club could not come any closer than on the 15-minute mark when Hummels sent a Gotze corner onto the bar, with Pyatov well beaten.
All the while, Shakhtar looked dangerous on the break, and the home side gradually began to take control of the match without offering any real craft in the Dortmund half.
After 30 minutes, though, the team was gifted the opener. Felipe Santana clumsily brought down Luiz Adriano around 25 yards from goal, and Srna stepped up to bend the ball into the top corner of the net.
The goal seemed to wake BVB up, and the club soon set about in search of an equalizer. Again, Kuba sent in two speculative efforts, one straight at the keeper, the other fizzing wide.
In the end it was a stroke of fortune which gave the Germans their goal. Gotze crossed from the right, and a complete mishit from Lewandowski took two defenders out of the game and allowed him to pass it into the corner.
The goal came three minutes before the break, but Dortmund almost undid it good work seconds later. A clumsy fumble from Roman Weidenfeller went straight to Luiz Adrianoa and bounced to Alex Teixeira, but Marcel Schmelzer was there to clear if off the line.
After the break, both teams looked capable of grabbing the next goal. At one end, Marco Reus failed to wriggle free of two defenders and saw his shot charged down, before Henrik Mkhitaryan had an effort blocked by Santana.
The two sides took it in turns to counterattack, but their respective defenses were standing firm, and were turnign back wave after wave.
That was until the 69th minute, when Hummels misjudged a long, high ball which fell to Costa, who took the ball down superbly and drove it left-footed beyond Weidenfeller.
Immediately after the goal, Dortmund should have equalized. Gotze darted into the penalty area, seizing on a sloppy defensive header, and squared it to Lewandowski, who somehow contrived to hook an effort wide when he should have grabbed a second away goal.
At the other end, though, Shakhtar still posed a threat of its own. Indeed, the club could have extended the lead when a delightful ball from Alex Teixeria evaded everyone in the BVB box, including the home side's attackers, before Yaroslav Rakytskyy drove a free kick well over the bar.
It appeared that the Ukrainians had done enough to take a slender advantage into the second leg, but with just a couple of minutes remaining, Schmelzer swung in a corner and Hummels atoned for his earlier error by powering home a header, and giving his side the advantage in the tie.
aniwa patta match ekaCongratulations Manchester United!
Patta Match 1ka
De Geath niyamaiPattama savings tikak thibba
Kehl: Dortmund has every chance of qualifying following Shakhtar draw
The BVB captain admitted that while the result in Ukraine may not have been ideal, his team is in the driver's seat ahead of the second leg.Sebastian Kehl believes that Borussia Dortmund has every opportunity of reaching the Champions League quarterfinal following a first-leg draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The midfielder, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on the day of the game, revealed he was content with the 2-2 draw and stated it was an improvement on the heavy defeat to Hamburg at the weekend.
"We can live with the 2-2, even though there was more in this match for us. But the 2-2 leaves us with all chances open for the second leg," Kehl told Sky after the game.
"We had a grip on the match in the first half. The goal was unlucky and Donetsk is a strong team. But we were way more compact than in the last matches.
"We analyzed the match (4-1 defeat to Hamburg on Saturday). We made many mistakes back then and today we were able to defend better."
Mats Hummels echoed the sentiments of his captain, and declared his relief at heading in a late equalizer after being culpable for Douglas Costa's goal which put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
"I think Schmelle (Marcel Schmelzer) and me were guilty for that goal [at 2-1]. So it was very important we got the draw at the end," he said.
"It was a good match from both teams, tactically, too. But that is no surprise with all these quality players on the field.
"Maybe we would have been a little more deservedly the winners."
However, Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp refused to blame the center back for the hosts' second goal, instead opting to praise the scorer.
"We usually do not get these kind of goals. [Douglas] Costa was very good in that situation: Mats was not uninvolved, let's just call it that," Klopp said.
"Yet we got that late goal in the 87th minute. That is just wonderful and the team can get back to the hotel in a very good mood."
Dortmund will welcome Shakhtar to the Signal Iduna Park for the second leg on March 5.
The BVB captain admitted that while the result in Ukraine may not have been ideal, his team is in the driver's seat ahead of the second leg.Sebastian Kehl believes that Borussia Dortmund has every opportunity of reaching the Champions League quarterfinal following a first-leg draw with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The midfielder, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on the day of the game, revealed he was content with the 2-2 draw and stated it was an improvement on the heavy defeat to Hamburg at the weekend.
"We can live with the 2-2, even though there was more in this match for us. But the 2-2 leaves us with all chances open for the second leg," Kehl told Sky after the game.
"We had a grip on the match in the first half. The goal was unlucky and Donetsk is a strong team. But we were way more compact than in the last matches.
"We analyzed the match (4-1 defeat to Hamburg on Saturday). We made many mistakes back then and today we were able to defend better."
Mats Hummels echoed the sentiments of his captain, and declared his relief at heading in a late equalizer after being culpable for Douglas Costa's goal which put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
"I think Schmelle (Marcel Schmelzer) and me were guilty for that goal [at 2-1]. So it was very important we got the draw at the end," he said.
"It was a good match from both teams, tactically, too. But that is no surprise with all these quality players on the field.
"Maybe we would have been a little more deservedly the winners."
However, Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp refused to blame the center back for the hosts' second goal, instead opting to praise the scorer.
"We usually do not get these kind of goals. [Douglas] Costa was very good in that situation: Mats was not uninvolved, let's just call it that," Klopp said.
"Yet we got that late goal in the 87th minute. That is just wonderful and the team can get back to the hotel in a very good mood."
Dortmund will welcome Shakhtar to the Signal Iduna Park for the second leg on March 5.
'It's within our grasp' - Sir Alex backs Manchester United after draw with Real Madrid
The Scot is bullish on his side's prospects for advancement after leaving Madrid with an away goal and an even scoreline
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is confident his side can prevail in the second leg of its Champions League clash with Real Madrid after it drew 1-1 at the Bernabeu.
The Red Devils took the lead through Danny Welbeck before Cristiano Ronaldo's header leveled the tie, and the Scot believes his side is capable of taking victory against the Spaniards.
"It's very open," Sir Alex told Sky Sports after the game. "I think we'll score at Old Trafford. We know they are going to be a tremendous counterattacking team, we know that. I've seen that when they played Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, in the first half, they dominated the game. We have got a big task on our hands, but it is definitely within our grasp."
Manchester United created a number of chances in what was a pulsating game away to Jose Mourinho's Real, and Sir Alex has praised his side's efforts in what was an intimidating atmosphere.
"I think, all in all, we created a lot of chances in the match, we've played some good, attacking football at times but not got the possession that we should have had," he said. "I think Real won possession without question, they are at home, it is a difficult place to come to but I have got to be pleased that the players dug in and got a result to take back to Old Trafford with a great chance.
"I think there were a lot of incidents in the match, a lot of chances at both ends. David De Gea has had two or three great saves but we have missed two or three great chances ourselves. The goalkeeper has made a great save in the last minute and a fantastic save from Van Persie, which hit the bar. So there were a lot of incidents that made it a really interesting game."
The Scot is bullish on his side's prospects for advancement after leaving Madrid with an away goal and an even scoreline
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is confident his side can prevail in the second leg of its Champions League clash with Real Madrid after it drew 1-1 at the Bernabeu.
The Red Devils took the lead through Danny Welbeck before Cristiano Ronaldo's header leveled the tie, and the Scot believes his side is capable of taking victory against the Spaniards.
"It's very open," Sir Alex told Sky Sports after the game. "I think we'll score at Old Trafford. We know they are going to be a tremendous counterattacking team, we know that. I've seen that when they played Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, in the first half, they dominated the game. We have got a big task on our hands, but it is definitely within our grasp."
Manchester United created a number of chances in what was a pulsating game away to Jose Mourinho's Real, and Sir Alex has praised his side's efforts in what was an intimidating atmosphere.
"I think, all in all, we created a lot of chances in the match, we've played some good, attacking football at times but not got the possession that we should have had," he said. "I think Real won possession without question, they are at home, it is a difficult place to come to but I have got to be pleased that the players dug in and got a result to take back to Old Trafford with a great chance.
"I think there were a lot of incidents in the match, a lot of chances at both ends. David De Gea has had two or three great saves but we have missed two or three great chances ourselves. The goalkeeper has made a great save in the last minute and a fantastic save from Van Persie, which hit the bar. So there were a lot of incidents that made it a really interesting game."
MADRID -- Cristiano Ronaldo marked his first appearance against Manchester United with a goal, but Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw in an enthralling first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for the Premier League leaders with a 20th-minute header to deliver United a crucial away goal.
Ten minutes later, Ronaldo made sure of the headlines as he equalized with a header of his own to score his 37th goal of the season and set up a finely balanced second leg when Madrid travel to Old Trafford on March 5.
Ronaldo was low-key in his celebrations as he came up against United for the first time since leaving for Madrid in a worldrecord deal of 80 million pounds in 2009, but he could not find a second goal as the Spanish giants’ prospects of a landmark tenth European title were dented.
Robin van Persie almost made it a perfect night for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side 18 minutes from time but was denied twice in matter of seconds - first by the crossbar and then Xabi Alonso’s goalline clearance.
As these two heavyweights went head-to-head in the tie of the round, this end-to-end game delivered on the palpable pre-match expectation - with neither side able to deliver an early knock out blow.
United, though, will be the happier of the two sides, with Ferguson rewarded for the bravery of his attacking lineup, even if he may want to share his post-match bottle of wine with his goalkeeper David De Gea, who made a series of fine saves to keep Madrid at bay.
There was a carnival atmosphere in the Spanish capital throughout the day as thousands of United fans soaked up the atmosphere with lager and tapas in the city’s squares, pubs and bars.
The anticipation was reflected inside the Bernabeu, where the teams were greeted by a wall of noise as the Madrid fans unfurled banners and flags, while their United fans sang their hearts out high in the Madrid sky.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made his intentions clear by fielding an attacking quartet of Van Persie, Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa while captain Nemanja Vidic was rested from the squad entirely as he recovers from a knee injury.
Real Madrid sprung no surprises in its starting lineup, with French defender Raphael Varane replacing Pepe at center back and Mourinho picking his first-choice midfield and attack.
Both managers spoke before kickoff about the attacking traditions of their clubs and sent their players on to the pitch to put on a show, with the attacking freedom - and suspect defending - evident in a breathless first half.
Fabio Coentrao almost put the hosts ahead after just five minutes but his right-footed shot towards from 16 yards was wonderfully tipped on to the far post by United goalkeeper De Gea with the merest fingertip.
United is no stranger to the big occasion and after settling in to the game, it took the lead with its first real opportunity of the game in the 20th minute with the easiest of goals as the English club took advantage of Real’s fragility from set-pieces.
Rooney whipped in a corner from the left and as the home defenders stood and watched each other, Welbeck rose to head into the bottom corner to send the 4,000 United supporters into delirium.
Yet Real Madrid responded and put United on the back foot as Ronaldo and Mezut Ozil in particular caused the visitors problems with their movement in the final third.
On the half-hour mark, Ronaldo leveled the scoreline with a trademark header. Di Maria played in an inviting cross from the left and the Portuguese rose high, craned his neck and headed the ball into the corner.
Both teams continued to search for a second goal, Welbeck flicking an inventive effort just wide from a van Persie cross before Ozil forced De Gea into a sharp save after collecting a raking 60-yard pass by Xabi Alonso.
The action continued after the break, with Di Maria firing just wide before referee Felix Brych infuriated the United bench by waving away appeals for a foul by Varane on Patrice Evra when the United captain would have been through on goal.
On the hour mark, De Gea again denied Madrid the lead, producing an orthodox save with his feet to kick away Coentrao’s volley when United right back Rafael again fell asleep defensively.
At the other end, van Persie went agonizingly close for United twice in the space of a minute, first seeing his cracking right-footed shot cannon off the crossbar via the faintest glove from Diego Lopez, then the Dutchman’s scuffed volley beat the Madrid goalkeeper but was cleared off the line by Alonso as it trickled towards the net.
There was still time for Ronaldo to fizz a trademark free kick just over the crossbar from 35 yards but United held on for a result that surely leaves it the favorite to progress to the quarterfinals.
De gea saved the day ! superb display from him. good game
Allen hoping to re-stake Liverpool claim by impressing against Zenit
The 22-year-old conceded that his recent performances have not been good enough, but insisted that he needs a chance to prove his worth and "turn things around".Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen is looking to reverse a drop in form and impress in Thursday's Europa League last-32 first leg against Zenit St Petersburg.
The former Swansea man was a regular fixture under Brendan Rodgers following his 15 million pound move, after following the Reds boss to Anfield from Wales, but has featured in just two of the last nine starting lineups.Allen feels he has not been at his best recently, but has pinpointed Liverpool’s tricky away tie against Zenit as a chance to prove his worth.
"My form hasn't been great, especially compared to the start of the season, but that is more down to myself," he told reporters. "But I am looking forward to working hard and try to turn things around a little bit.
"I haven't played that much recently so any chance I get to participate then I'll be hoping to impress as much as I can and stake my claim. We were bitterly disappointed after Monday's defeat to West Brom, that goes without saying, but we have this tie to look forward to and refocus."
The 22-year-old conceded that his recent performances have not been good enough, but insisted that he needs a chance to prove his worth and "turn things around".Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen is looking to reverse a drop in form and impress in Thursday's Europa League last-32 first leg against Zenit St Petersburg.
The former Swansea man was a regular fixture under Brendan Rodgers following his 15 million pound move, after following the Reds boss to Anfield from Wales, but has featured in just two of the last nine starting lineups.Allen feels he has not been at his best recently, but has pinpointed Liverpool’s tricky away tie against Zenit as a chance to prove his worth.
"My form hasn't been great, especially compared to the start of the season, but that is more down to myself," he told reporters. "But I am looking forward to working hard and try to turn things around a little bit.
"I haven't played that much recently so any chance I get to participate then I'll be hoping to impress as much as I can and stake my claim. We were bitterly disappointed after Monday's defeat to West Brom, that goes without saying, but we have this tie to look forward to and refocus."
Intruder could have had a knife, warns Ribery
The France international has taken the time to explain Wednesday's incident at the Bayern headquarters when a fan entered the dressing room.Franck Ribery has stated that he did not feel threatened when confronted with a distraught fan in the Bayern Munich dressing room after Wednesday's training session, but has admitted that things could have turned awry had the intruder carried a weapon.
The man in question approached the Bavarians' Sabener Strasse headquarters claiming to be a friend of the Frenchman, before being taken away by security officials when the winger refused to talk to him.
"I went to the dressing room after training and saw a man sitting in my spot. I asked him what he was doing there and he said that he wanted to talk," Ribery explains to L'Equipe. "He looked distraught, but I did not feel threatened. I was not afraid at the time, but it was a bit of a shock. He was not a bad guy, but just think of what could have happened if he'd carried a knife..."
It is believed that the man in question previously visited the training ground two weeks ago with a dog, purporting that he had come to give it to Ribery.
The France international has taken the time to explain Wednesday's incident at the Bayern headquarters when a fan entered the dressing room.Franck Ribery has stated that he did not feel threatened when confronted with a distraught fan in the Bayern Munich dressing room after Wednesday's training session, but has admitted that things could have turned awry had the intruder carried a weapon.
The man in question approached the Bavarians' Sabener Strasse headquarters claiming to be a friend of the Frenchman, before being taken away by security officials when the winger refused to talk to him.
"I went to the dressing room after training and saw a man sitting in my spot. I asked him what he was doing there and he said that he wanted to talk," Ribery explains to L'Equipe. "He looked distraught, but I did not feel threatened. I was not afraid at the time, but it was a bit of a shock. He was not a bad guy, but just think of what could have happened if he'd carried a knife..."
It is believed that the man in question previously visited the training ground two weeks ago with a dog, purporting that he had come to give it to Ribery.
Villas-Boas: Tottenham does not need five center backs
The Portuguese coach has admitted his desire to sell one of the club's central defenders, but praised Michael Dawson for forcing his way back into the team after nearly leaving.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has revealed one of the club’s five center backs will be sold at the end of the season.Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, Steven Caulker and William Gallas have been competing for first-team action this season, while Younes Kaboul has been sidelined since August with a knee injury.
"It's a difficult one.” Villas-Boas told reporters. "We won't start another season with five center backs.“We have five top central defenders at the moment - a mixture of young players coming through with lots of experience, and then you have such tremendous central defenders as William, Dawson and Younes Kaboul.”
Tottenham accepted a 9 million pound bid for Dawson from QPR during the summer only for the player to reject the move and subsequently find opportunities at White Hart Lane limited.But, after Dawson forced his way back into Villas-Boas’ plans, the Spurs boss is delighted to have retained the four-time England international.
"I think we appreciate the fact we were able to hang on to [Dawson],” he continued. "We ended up being on the better side by the fact he agreed to stay with us. We were lucky in that sense."When asked whether 35-year-old vice-captain Gallas would be in line for an exit, Villas-Boas was keen to highlight the importance of the Frenchman but did not rule out a summer move.
"William has been a massive player for us this season.” Villas-Boas stated. “He's a player we trust a lot. Whatever we decide regarding his future, we'll have to wait and see, but we are aware of what a presence he's been for us this season."
The Portuguese coach has admitted his desire to sell one of the club's central defenders, but praised Michael Dawson for forcing his way back into the team after nearly leaving.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has revealed one of the club’s five center backs will be sold at the end of the season.Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, Steven Caulker and William Gallas have been competing for first-team action this season, while Younes Kaboul has been sidelined since August with a knee injury.
"It's a difficult one.” Villas-Boas told reporters. "We won't start another season with five center backs.“We have five top central defenders at the moment - a mixture of young players coming through with lots of experience, and then you have such tremendous central defenders as William, Dawson and Younes Kaboul.”
Tottenham accepted a 9 million pound bid for Dawson from QPR during the summer only for the player to reject the move and subsequently find opportunities at White Hart Lane limited.But, after Dawson forced his way back into Villas-Boas’ plans, the Spurs boss is delighted to have retained the four-time England international.
"I think we appreciate the fact we were able to hang on to [Dawson],” he continued. "We ended up being on the better side by the fact he agreed to stay with us. We were lucky in that sense."When asked whether 35-year-old vice-captain Gallas would be in line for an exit, Villas-Boas was keen to highlight the importance of the Frenchman but did not rule out a summer move.
"William has been a massive player for us this season.” Villas-Boas stated. “He's a player we trust a lot. Whatever we decide regarding his future, we'll have to wait and see, but we are aware of what a presence he's been for us this season."
Barcelona's Villa re-admitted to hospital
The Spain international will miss Saturday's game against Granada as he has been taken to hospital for the second time this week.Barcelona will have to make do without the services of David Villa in this weekend's La Liga match away against Granada as the attacker has been re-admitted to hospital.
The experienced attacker was taken to hospital earlier this week to be treated for kidney stones, but he was released on Tuesday, and the club had said he was eligible for selection against Granada. The 31-year-old has been hospitalized again, though, as the renal colic problem has resurfaced.
"David Villa has been re-admitted to the hospital of Barcelona due to the persistence of the pain caused by the renal colic he is suffering and to keep him under observation," a statement on the club's website reads. "He has been ruled out of Saturday’s league game against Granada."
Villa has netted six goals in 16 league appearances so far this season, including one in last weekend's 6-1 rout of Getafe.
Fabregas: I want to retire at Barcelona
The midfielder has ruled out a return to Arsenal as he is happy at his current club, and is eagerly anticipating the Champions League tie against AC Milan.Cesc Fabregas has made it clear that he has no intention to leave Barcelona as he aims to stay with the Liga leader until the end of his active career.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently suggested that the Spain international could return to Arsenal at some point in the future, but Fabregas has insisted that he is happy with life at his current club.
"I’ve come back to Barça to stay for the rest of my career. If it were up to me, and if everything goes well, I’ll fight as hard as I can to retire here," the 25-year-old told reporters.
Fabregas then went on to discuss the upcoming Champions League round of 16 tie against AC Milan, and stressed that the Serie A side will prove to be a tough opponent.
"It will be very complicated. We’ll need to be at our best to beat them. The match against Milan is key because we want to go to Wembley," he said. "We believe that they will be a very difficult rival because of the players they have and because of their history. If we aren’t at 100 percent we will not go through to the next round."
The first leg of the tie will be played at San Siro on Feb. 20.
The midfielder has ruled out a return to Arsenal as he is happy at his current club, and is eagerly anticipating the Champions League tie against AC Milan.Cesc Fabregas has made it clear that he has no intention to leave Barcelona as he aims to stay with the Liga leader until the end of his active career.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently suggested that the Spain international could return to Arsenal at some point in the future, but Fabregas has insisted that he is happy with life at his current club.
"I’ve come back to Barça to stay for the rest of my career. If it were up to me, and if everything goes well, I’ll fight as hard as I can to retire here," the 25-year-old told reporters.
Fabregas then went on to discuss the upcoming Champions League round of 16 tie against AC Milan, and stressed that the Serie A side will prove to be a tough opponent.
"It will be very complicated. We’ll need to be at our best to beat them. The match against Milan is key because we want to go to Wembley," he said. "We believe that they will be a very difficult rival because of the players they have and because of their history. If we aren’t at 100 percent we will not go through to the next round."
The first leg of the tie will be played at San Siro on Feb. 20.
The 22-year-old has rejected claims he was looking to leave the Premier League leader after struggling for form since his arrival in 2011, insisting his happiness at Old Trafford.Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has distanced himself from a move back to Spain following his man-of-the-match display against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old has received criticism for a lack of consistency since his 18.3 million pound move in 2011, promoting speculation linking him with a move back to his homeland after a perceived breakdown in the relationship between Spain No.1 Iker Casillas and Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho.
However, returning to the Spanish capital, the former Atletico Madrid man shined as United left the Bernabeu with a credible 1-1 ahead of the return leg at Old Trafford on March 5.
He told reporters after the game: "I am very happy in Manchester. Every day I am happier."Danny Welbeck's 20th-minute header was cancelled by his Cristiano Ronaldo's header of his own as the two European giants played out a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night.
Madrid registered 29 attempts on goal throughout the game, with De Gea earning praise for a near-impenetrable display - emphasized by his scissor-kick goal-line clearance to deny Fabio Coentrao in the second half.However the goalkeeper was keen to highlight the performance of his defense, as the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans shone at center back.He continued: "Stopping to Coentrao? That was just a very quick decision. I was acting on instinct.
"It was a great match. Real Madrid and Manchester United did very well. [Madrid] have a very strong attack, so we needed to be strong in defense.
"Real Madrid will attack at Old Trafford. They know they have to win to advance and we will do our best to stop them."
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