..::Football III::..

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Henry can't replace Wenger - Petit

Emmanuel Petit says Thierry Henry is too inexperienced to replace Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager and called on the club to stick with his former coach.

The Gunners ended a nine-year wait for a trophy by lifting the FA Cup last season although a top-flight title has continued to elude Wenger's side since the 'Invincibles' achieved the feat back in 2004.

Arsenal's all-time leading goalscorer Henry recently admitted he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to replace the Frenchman at the Emirates, but former Gunners and France midfielder Petit says appointing him would be a mistake.

"It's way too early to tell [if Henry can succeed Wenger]," he told RMC Sport. "We live in a society where fast food is consumed very quickly and we also quickly discard what was consumed. For Henry, as with Zidane, he needs time.

"You do not become a coach just because you pass your degrees. It's like when you become a parent. One becomes a function of his children, we adapt, we learn about ourselves. So getting the degree is one thing. Become a coach week after week, that's something else."

When asked if he expects Wenger to leave in the summer, he added: "No, I do not think so. The future of Arsene is really related to Arsenal. Even if tomorrow he is no longer the coach, he will always be involved.

"He will always pull some strings at the club. Because he is a visionary. He is an extremely important dimension at the shareholder level. But for several years, fans are starting to rumble because they want titles.

"They want to fight in the Premier League and Champions League. It is true that it is a disappointment year after year. The difficult choice for Arsene is to see whether to continue to please shareholders by qualifying for the Champions League or to try to make a competitive team to play for the top titles."

 

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Vidal: I won't leave Juventus

Arturo Vidal says there is no chance of him leaving Juventus any time soon after revealing his desire to make history with the club.

The Chile international was heavily linked with a move away from Turin ahead of the 2014-15 campaign, with Manchester United reportedly showing a keen interest in signing him.

However, the 27-year-old eventually stayed put and he has no regrets that a transfer never materialised."It is hard to think about leaving Juventus when you have been crowned champions and you are part of a great team," Vidal told Las Ultimas Noticias.

"For any player, the most important thing is to win trophies and to become part of the club's history."The people in Turin love me, I am feeling very well here and my family is feeling right at home.

"Why should I have any desire to leave... I am feeling extremely well at Juventus."
Vidal has netted six goals in 21 Serie A appearances so far this campaign and has a contract until June 2017.

 

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Messi makes Barcelona unstoppable - Koeman

Former Barcelona star Ronald Koeman believes the Blaugrana are "unstoppable" when Lionel Messi hits his best form.

The Argentina international has been in superb form in 2014-15 and has already netted 43 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions.

Koeman, who is now in charge of Premier League side Southampton, is not only impressed by Messi's goalscoring record, though, after hailing the 27-year-old's professionalism."Whenever Messi is on top of his game, Barcelona are simply unstoppable," he told Cope.

"He has always given everything for Barcelona and has never created any problems. You can say a lot of things about some people, but not about Messi."
Koeman then went on to discuss the upcoming Clasico, which will be played at Camp Nou on Sunday, and stressed that Barcelona have every reason to be confident going into the game.

"Barcelona are going through a great period, whereas Madrid are having much more trouble winning their games. Madrid don't have the tranquillity that a big team needs, unlike Barca.

"Plus Barcelona are playing at home and I think they are stronger than Madrid.
"But they should not think about scoring as many goals as possible. It's all about winning, even if it is by just one goal. A victory in the Clasico would be a major step toward the Liga title."

The Catalans' focus will be on the Champions League round of 16 tie with Manchester City for now, though, with Barca holding a 2-1 lead after the first leg heading into Wednesday's return at Camp Nou.

 

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UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2015.03.18

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2015.03.18

AGG
(2-1)

Barcelona Vs Manchester City

AGG
(1-2)

Dortmund Vs Juventus

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Adath thiyenne pattama matches 2kak​

 

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Monaco 0-2 Arsenal (agg 3-3): Gunners out on away goals despite heroic effort

 

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Barcelona 1-0 Manchester City (agg 3-1): Hart masterclass thwarts marvellous Messi but Catalans progress

A superb performance from Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in their last-16 second leg tie at Camp Nou on Wednesday, as the Spanish giants ran out 3-1 winners on aggregate.

The mercurial Argentine led the reigning English champions a merry dance during the first half, teasing his opponents with a series of nutmegs before creating the winning goal for Ivan Rakitic.

City - who relied heavily on goalkeeper Joe Hart to keep them in the contest - were unable to complete an unlikely comeback after half-time as Sergio Aguero won and missed a late penalty, just as Messi had in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Under-fire manager Manuel Pellegrini must now turn his attention back towards a Premier League title defence that has unravelled to the extent that his team face a battle to seal their return to the Champions League next term.

Vincent Kompany's form was under the microscope before kick-off and a lapse from the City captain almost allowed Barcelona to open the scoring in the fifth minute.

Dani Alves was alert to dispossess the Belgian on the edge of his own penalty area, leaving Neymar to shoot against the base of Hart's near post before the ball rolled agonisingly across the face of goal.

Hart reacted sharply to deny Messi after the Argentina superstar combined in typically slick fashion with Andres Iniesta, although City were offered encouragement in the 13th minute when Alves made a last-ditch tackle to thwart James Milner after Yaya Toure's cut-back.

Messi brushed a second free-kick against the top of the net in the 27th minute having been scythed down by David Silva - the City playmaker rightly following team-mates Fernandinho and Aleksandar Kolarov into referee Gianluca Rocchi's notebook.

The opening goal arrived four minutes later at the end of clinical counter-attack, as Messi brilliantly picked out Rakitic and the midfielder - allowed ample room by the City defence - controlled the ball on his chest before lifting a calm finish over the on-rushing Hart.

Samir Nasri was the next City player booked for a petulant kick on Neymar and the visitors' evening threatened to collapse entirely under relentless and dazzling pressure before the interval - Suarez hitting the post having raced clear of a thoroughly disheveled defence.

The game resumed in similar fashion, with Hart in regular action to deny Iniesta, Jordi Alba and Messi inside four minutes of the restart.

Barcelona's concentration levels then appeared to slacken, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen grateful for a clutch of defenders flooding his box having been robbed of possession by Aguero outside the area.

Suarez fired into the side netting after 63 minutes, shortly before City failed to capitalise on a scramble inside the Barca area when Jesus Navas - introduced at half-time for Nasri - pulled a poor cross behind his colleagues.

Immediately Barca sprung down field and, not for the first time, Pellegrini was grateful for Hart continuing his personal duel against Messi in admirable fashion.

Hart added to his catalogue of brilliant saves by trumping Neymar in a one-on-one and deserved to see Aguero throw his team a lifeline - but the striker's 77th-minute spot-kick was comfortably saved by Ter Stegen after a combination of Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique brought him down in the area.

Suarez then hit the crossbar and Hart provided more heroics to deny Messi the goal he richly deserved as the clock ticked down on a night when Barcelona's superiority was not reflected in the scoreline.

 

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Borussia Dortmund 0-3 Juventus (agg 1-5): Tevez tears BVB apart

Carlos Tevez was at his brilliant best as Juventus stormed into the quarter-finals of the Champions League by beating Borussia Dortmund 3-0 at Signal Iduna Park to progress 5-1 on aggregate.

The Argentina international, who also scored in Juve's 2-1 victory in the last-16 first-leg tie in Turin, caught goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller off guard in the early stages of Wednesday's contest at Signal Iduna Park.

Tevez then played in Alvaro Morata, also on the scoresheet in Turin three weeks ago, to tap home the second with 20 minutes remaining.

The former Manchester City man drilled home a third in the 79th minute to cap off a fine individual performance and reward Juve's counter-attacking masterclass, as they completed a 5-1 aggregate win.

It was no less than the Serie A champions deserved, with Massimiliano Allegri's men excelling particularly after the break - Weidenfeller twice forced to deny Morata before his goal.

For Juve, progression to the last eight will go some way to silencing the doubters who have voiced claims that they have been largely unable to replicate their domestic form in Europe, on the back of their Champions League group-stage exit in 2013-2014.

The Champions League has provided some respite for a Dortmund side who have struggled for much of the Bundesliga this campaign, and their exit now means that participation in Europe's premier club competition next season is highly unlikely.

Juventus opened the scoring in the third minute in some style.

Tevez collected Morata's pass 25 yards from goal and Dortmund goalkeeper Weidenfeller was late to react as the Argentine striker's fierce effort flew into the left-hand corner.

Having found the goal, Juve seemed content to protect their lead, although Stephan Lichtsteiner also tried his luck from range - Weidenfeller this time up to the task.

The visitors were dealt a blow just before the half-hour mark, when an apparent hamstring injury saw Paul Pogba replaced by Andrea Barzagli.

Dortmund looked more threatening after the Frenchman was taken off, but a series of set-pieces and crosses into the box were dealt with well by Juve's defence - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's flashed shot the best the hosts had to show.

The Germans failed to register a shot on target in the first half and they were fortunate not to be 2-0 down five minutes after the restart.

Tevez evaded several Dortmund challenges before slipping Morata in one-on-one, with the Spaniard attempting a deft chip over Weidenfeller that the goalkeeper blocked.

Morata again wasted a great chance to give Juve clear daylight, the former Real Madrid man collecting Roberto Pereyra's ball on the right of the penalty area and forcing Weidenfeller to save with his legs.

The third time proved a charm in the 70th minute, though, as Tevez sprung the offside trap before unselfishly squaring for Morata to provide the tap-in.

And Tevez was celebrating again with 11 minutes remaining, collecting Arturo Vidal's throughball before his angled drive across Weidenfeller nestled in the back of the net to complete a comfortable win.

 

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BVB home kisi deyak karala nahane​

 

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Messi is the best player in history - Luis Enrique

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes Lionel Messi is not only the best player in the world, but also the finest footballer in the history of the game.

Messi did not score in the 1-0 win over Manchester City at Camp Nou on Wednesday, but marvelled with his vision, his dribbling ability and his passing, which included a wonderful delivery to set up Ivan Rakitic for the only goal of the night.

The Argentine was denied a goal himself by the brilliance of City goalkeeper Joe Hart but still impressed fans - and the returning Pep Guardiola - with his sublime skills in a truly complete performance.

"We all know what Leo Messi is," Luis Enrique said afterwards. "He is without doubt the best player in the world, but also the best in the history of football.

"To have him is a big plus and that's obvious, but to win titles you need an entire team with balance and that is what we are doing."

And he added: "At Barcelona we are so lucky to have Leo with us. We are used to it now and sometimes that's a bad thing.

"It's curious - Leo didn't score in the first leg or in the second one, but he was still the best player in the two games."

 

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Pellegrini hits out at FFP restrictions - despite €125m spend

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has hit out at the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions placed on his side after they crashed out of the Champions League to Barcelona.

The Premier League champions were forced to name just a 21-man squad for Europe's elite club competition this season after they broke Uefa's rules on spending last term.

Despite that punishment, the Blues have spent around £90 million (€125m) on bringing in five new faces since they won the English title in May, but Pellegrini feels his side were always going to struggle on the continent given the constraints they were under.

"I think we need to improve. If we want to be successful in Europe, we must improve," he told Sky Sports.

"I also think that it was maybe not our best year to continue in Europe. Remember we have important restrictions about the amount of players, the amount of money that we can spend, so it was a difficult year for us, for our team in that sense.

"But I think that maybe if we don't play against Barcelona we can continue."

However, Pellegrini readily conceded that Barca were the superior side at Camp Nou, though he believes that Sergio Aguero's missed second-half penalty was a pivotal moment in the game.

"I think we lost against a better team without doubt," Pellegrini added.

"Lionel Messi is very difficult to contain. Maybe we didn't play so well in the first half but we improved in the second and we took risks.

"We needed to score two goals and we thought it might happen had we scored the penalty. That was a very important moment because we had 15 minutes more to play."

Reports suggest the former Malaga boss could soon be sacked as City look set to miss out on silverware in 2014-15, given the six-point gap they must make up on Chelsea in the English top flight.

But Pellegrini insists rumours regarding his future do not concern him.

"No, for me it's not a distraction, I never worry about me so it doesn't [distract me], I suppose," he added.

 

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Messi: Not long ago I was a disaster

Lionel Messi has joked that he has suddenly gone from being a disaster to back to his best after a fine display in Barcelona's Champions League win over Manchester City.

The Argentine set up Ivan Rakitic for the only goal of the game at Camp Nou as the Catalan side beat the Premier League giants in both legs, winning 3-1 on aggregate.

And Messi was full of praise for his side and City goalkeeper Joe Hart, but played down reports that he is now back performing at the peak of his considerable powers - just a couple of months after his attitude and form were being questioned by the press.

"Not along ago, I was a disaster," he told Canal+. "I’m not going to be a disaster and then suddenly in my best moment.

“Hart saved everything. We did everything we could to score more goals, but their goalkeeper had a fantastic game, so we have to congratulate him.

"But we were able to go through and that was the most important thing.

"We played a great game. We are at a very good level and there are important games ahead – Madrid, the quarter-finals… I am feeling good and enjoying myself, but there is a long way to go."

The attacker is looking forward to Sunday's Clasico clash with Real Madrid and feels his side are in good form.

"We started the year in a different way, with our hopes and dreams renewed. We have started well. We have had our ups and downs, but there are a lot of games and the important thing is that we are at a great level and we have to stretch that run.

"We have a lot of respect for Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo. Madrid are even more dangerous like this. We can’t say if they are in good or bad form.

"Individually they have impressive players and they could be even stronger than usual. We will try to play our natural game."

 

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Barcelona in good shape ahead of Clasico - Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique was delighted with the way his Barcelona players brushed Manchester City aside on Wednesday and claimed that they now go into Sunday’s Clasico in “good shape”.

The Catalans beat the English titleholders 1-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate to move into the last eight of the Champions League, with Ivan Rakitic scoring the only goal of the second-leg clash at Camp Nou that was far more one-sided than the scoreline suggests.“We expected the City we saw,” Luis Enrique told reporters. “It was a game with a lot of chances, and we achieved our objective, which was to win the game and get through to the quarters.”

Their next assignment is Sunday’s crunch Liga clash with Real Madrid, on which Luis Enrique added: “We had some good chances tonight, and go into Sunday's game with Real Madrid in good shape.”Barca head into the weekend encounter a point ahead of their arch-rivals with 11 games to go and Luis Enrique played down talk of it being a decisive game in the title race.

“La Liga will not be decided after the Clasico,” he said. “In a game of this nature, you cannot tell who is the favourite.”

 

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Hart: I just tried to smother Messi, Neymar & Suarez

Manchester City ace Joe Hart has revealed some of the techniques behind his goalkeeping masterclass against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The England international made a string of brilliant saves to deny Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez during the last-16 second leg tie, but could not stop his side slumping to a 1-0 defeat on the night, and going out of the competition 3-1 on aggregate, with Ivan Rakitic’s sumptuous lob proving decisive.

Nevertheless, Hart gave an insight into his fine showing after the game, revealing that he attempts to unnerve his opponents by rushing them into shooting.

"It was busy! I just tried to smother them as best I could because I know full well they're thinking they've got to pass at all times,” he told Sky Sports. “Maybe that's why I tried to rush in for the goal, I thought he took it well.

"My job is to try and rush them, quality players. It's difficult to do sometimes and I had a little bit of luck on my side. I don't know how Neymar stayed out in the first minute but that's football, we did our best to stay in it and it's just unfortunate tonight."

Hart also frustrated Messi in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, saving a last minute penalty from the Argentine to give his side a chance of completing a remarkable comeback in Spain - though ultimately they fell short.

“It was nice to save a penalty from Messi, I wanted it to count but unfortunately it hasn't which is a shame,” he added.

"I'm in there to make saves, they hit me a lot tonight, I just tried to be big.”

Hart also praised the City fans who made the trip to Camp Nou, and has promised the club’s support that the team will be “ready” to bounce back against West Brom this weekend.

“Like I say, we move on, it's West Brom now and big shout to the fans who came here again, up in the clouds,” he said. “We really appreciate them and we know we're going to turn up Saturday afternoon and we'll be ready to go again."

 

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Klopp: Dortmund had no punch against Juventus

Jurgen Klopp has criticised his Borussia Dortmund team for not being ruthless enough in their defeat to Juventus at the Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.

A 3-0 home loss, coupled with a 2-1 reversal in Turin, saw BVB crash out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate.

Klopp admitted that Carlos Tevez's goal after three minutes was a key moment in the game, but he felt that his side's inefficiency up front was a bigger contributing factor to their exit.

"We were totally lacking our punch in the final third," he told Sky Sport. "If you don't shoot you can't score. You saw it with Tevez and we didn't do that enough.

"After the first goal goal the match had no fluidity and the opponent's confidence grew every minute. It was not nice, but you can explain this easily. Juve was better than us today and had the perfect opening play."

"We were not as confident as Juve. So the early goal was a bad start. It comes down to us not being ruthless in the decisive parts of the pitch.

"We have to accept this defeat. We were worse than Juve and we have to realise tonight. We are out of the Champions League. That is not problem, it has happened to other teams at this stage."

 

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Pep marvels at Messi on Camp Nou return

Pep Guardiola made his first return to Camp Nou on Wednesday after a near three-year absence and admitted it felt "really good" to watch his old club Barcelona take on Manchester City in the Champions League.

Guardiola opted against renewing his contract at Barca towards the end of the 2011/12 campaign after a trophy-laden spell at the club with whom he made his name as a player.

Having claimed three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, two Fifa Club World Cups and two Champions League crowns as coach, he cited fatigue for his decision to walk away.

After a year-long sabbatical in New York, he returned as boss of Bayern Munich for the start of the 2013/14 campaign and was quick to maintain the Bavarian club's dominance of German football.

Bayern have never been drawn against Barca during that time, denying Guardiola the chance to go back.

He was present on Wednesday, however, to see Barca's last-16 second leg against the English champions. The 44-year-old was captured by television cameras sitting in the stand with his father and personal assistant, former Spanish water polo player Manel Estiarte.

At half-time he gave his assessment of the opening 45 minutes to Catalunya Radio: "[Lionel] Messi is very good, very good. It’s a real luxury to watch him. The Barca players are very good and they are having a great season. They have played well and created a lot of chances. Let’s see what the draw brings.”

“It’s a great game we are watching. I hadn’t been back here for a while and I feel really good to be watching the game in the stands. It’s very special.”

Barca went on to win the game 1-0 to advance 3-1 on aggregate.
On Tuesday night, he was at the Vicente Calderon to witness Atletico Madrid's penalty shoot-out win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern are already through to the quarter-finals after a 7-0 aggregate victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

 

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Hummels hits out at Dortmund jeers after Juventus defeat

Mats Hummels criticised the famed Borussia Dortmund crowd as the Bundesliga side’s Champions League hopes were emphatically ended by Juventus on Wednesday night.

The Bianconeri built on their 2-1 first-leg advantage with a 3-0 cruise at Signal Iduna Park, with Carlos Tevez setting them on their way early on before goals from Alvaro Morata and Tevez again sealed the victory.

The home crowd were less than impressed by the efforts of Jurgen Klopp’s men in the opening 45 minutes, and jeers accompanied the half-time whistle, something Hummels felt was unnecessary.

He made a ‘calm down’ gesture as he walked off and explained post-match: “I did not think the whistles were okay. It would have been okay at the end but not at half-time.”

The World Cup-winner admitted Dortmund had been poor and never recovered from falling behind in the third minute.

He added: “That was a shock, no doubt. Still, we got into our game and the first half was okay. But during the second we totally lost our performance.

"We had misunderstandings and lost every ball. Nothing worked any more. I have no idea why. We deserved to lose in the end, we were not on the same level as Juve.”

January signing Kevin Kampl blamed a lack of offensive punch for Dortmund’s exit. The Slovenian said: “In the end we opened up. Juve are so experienced and they took total advantage of that. They played extremely well during the second half.

“Our problem was that we didn’t create any chances. We were never able to get into dangerous places. We played okay until 20 metres from their goal but then looked for one more pass instead of shooting.

“I thought we did well in the first half, Juve did not have any chances, the goal aside. But we were bad offensively.”

 

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Tevez: Dortmund demolition proves Juventus are on the right track

Carlos Tevez was full of praise for his Juventus side after they beat Borussia Dortmund to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The striker scored twice to fire his side to a 3-0 victory over the German side in Dortmund on Wednesday, progressing to the last eight 5-1 on aggregate.

Tevez feels his side were thoroughly deserving of the win and, after crashing out of the competition at the group stages last term, feels it represents a huge step forward for the Turin club.

“I think we had a great game. I just did my job, but it's always the team that wins the game," he told Sport Mediaset.

"Juve always find the Champions League tricky, but we are on the right track now."

Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini also insisted that it is just the beginning for the Serie A champions, but admits the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are the favourites to win the tournament.

"This qualification is not a point of arrival, but a starting point," he said. "Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern are the best teams, but we are satisfied to have reached the final eight.

"Now we had to play without fear but aware of the difficulties that we will encounter. We are a great team and now want to prove it!"

 

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Everton boss Martinez concerned by state of Kiev pitch

Everton boss Roberto Martinez says the state of Dynamo Kiev's playing surface is a concern ahead of Thursday's Europa League last-16 second-leg tie.

Martinez's side hold a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, after Steven Naismith's goal and Romelu Lukaku's late penalty saw Everton recover from Oleh Husyev's opener at Goodison Park.

On Wednesday, Everton trained on the running track surrounding the pitch while the grass was covered by a protective sheet, and Martinez is wary of the problems the surface could pose.

"The pitch is a concern for both teams," he said.

"Dynamo Kiev are a technical team and they need a good pitch, and we are exactly the same.

"I don't think it will play a big part in terms of giving a favour or advantage to either of the two sides.

"I think it is a little bit of a shame for the game of football that the pitch is not going to be in perfect condition.

"But you have to adapt to whatever surface you play on."

 

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Coleman: Bale has come through Real Madrid rough patch

Wales manager Chris Coleman believes Gareth Bale has come through his dip in form at Real Madrid and has backed the winger to win over the club's fans once again.

Bale came in for criticism as the Spanish giants went on a three-match winless run earlier this month - with Real fans even booing him during several games - but he bounced back with both goals in a 2-0 Liga victory over Levante on Sunday.

"I know how it works in Spain," Coleman, who spent seven months in charge of Real Sociedad from June 2007, told reporters.

"When you play for Real Madrid, you have to entertain every time you go on to the pitch - win and entertain. So the stakes are high.

"As much as they're saying he's not been caught up in that, he has definitely been caught in the middle unfortunately for him."

Coleman, who included Bale in his 23-man squad for a Euro 2016 qualifier in Israel next weekend, also believes that the former Tottenham winger has the character to rise above any negative attention, and says the role of Real coach Carlo Ancelotti has been vital in his return to form.

"Gareth's a big boy - he's come through," said Coleman. "He got a couple of goals at the weekend. He'll be fine.

"The manager he's playing for is perfect for that situation. Carlo's mentality is perfect. He's calm, cool and full of confidence."

Bale will be hoping to maintain his mini-resurgence when Real face Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday.