..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Facing Simeone is a problem - Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes Diego Simeone has proved himself as one of the world's best coaches, but admits that facing the Atletico Madrid boss is "a problem".

The two sides meet for the seventh time this season on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, with Ancelotti's team having failed to win in any of the previous six games between them.

Madrid have lost four and drawn two against Atleti this term, missing out on the Spanish Supercopa to their city rivals, suffering elimination in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey and going down twice in La Liga - the last of those a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the Vicente Calderon in February.

Ancelotti conceded that facing the Argentine coach is difficult, but claimed his side are not obsessed with Atletico but by reclaiming the Champions League for a second season in succession.

"What can I say about Simeone?," he asked at a press conference. "He is a great coach, I like him a lot. He has proved himself, he is one of the best in the world. It’s an honour to face him and also a problem.

“We don’t have an obsession with Atletico, but with reaching the final of the Champions League. Our objective is not to beat Atletico, but to dream of winning the Champions League.

“Every match presents its own problem. Every match has its idea. Every defeat was different. One was due to set pieces, one for something else, another due to a not very good attitude, like the last one. It’s difficult to say what happened. It’s not that interesting, but we have analysed it and now we have another tie."We haven’t done much psychological work to forget the last six derbies.”

The Italian has more confidence facing the Rojiblancos this time though, as he says his team have been practicing set-pieces to prepare them for the threat posed by their powerful opponents.

"We have worked on set pieces, but the best way to do it would be to play against your rival in training. We don’t have Mandzukic here. We also don’t have to think too much about it. Don’t forget we won the Champions League thanks to a set piece as well.”

Madrid's last victory over Atletico came in the Champions League final in May 2014, with Simeone's men leading until Sergio Ramos rose to head home a corner deep into added time to make it 1-1, with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit going on to win 4-1 in extra time.

“Ramos’ goal is an unforgettable memory because it allowed us to win such an important trophy for the club," Ancelotti said. "It is still important now. But it’s in the past – a good memory in the past. We are now focused on the present – on winning another Champions League.

“Ramos is very important for all of us. I have had the opportunity to coach great players and Ramos is one of them. He has personality and character.”

Unlike in the 4-0 defeat back in February when Ramos, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez were unavailable through injury, Ancelotti now has a fully fit squad to choose from and believes the key to beating Atleti lies in defensive unity throughout the team.

"I am lucky to have the whole squad at my disposal," he said. "The formation will be the same as always. To play well, we will have to use all our weapons: individual quality and attacking directly with pace.

“There is no problem with the system. It’s very important to play a compact game, close together, in all aspects. To have the right attitude, personality and courage for these games. All of the players have to be committed to defending. Just like in attack. When I talk about a compact team, the idea is to attack and defend with 11 players.

"It’s not a problem of numbers. If I want superiority in midfield, I can play seven midfielders. And if Simeone plays eight, I will try and play nine! But football is not only about numbers.”

Gareth Bale sat out Saturday's win over Eibar after picking up a knock in the 2-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, but Ancelotti revealed the winger is at "100 per cent" for Tuesday's game.

"Bale is fine," he said. "I have the whole squad available and they are very fresh. If one doesn’t play, another will. But Bale is at 100%.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City have 'opened the door' for Liverpool - Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers believes that Manchester City's downturn in form has "opened the door" for Liverpool's Champions League hopes after they beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Anfield.

The champions' defeat at Manchester United on Sunday was their fourth loss in six games and leaves them looking nervously over their shoulder with eight games of the season remaining.

And Rodgers insists that his Liverpool side still have a chance of overtaking City in fourth place after goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen secured a vital three points against the Magpies on Monday.

"We want to fight until the very end," the 42-year-old told reporters. "We knew we had to win tonight, and we'll take that into the weekend. Manchester City have maybe opened the door up for the teams in below.

"So, for us, you've still got to win your games, and the teams above us are in an advantageous position. But for us, if we win our games and perform well, we'll see what happens."

Liverpool's victory over Newcastle was their first in three matches after suffering disappointing setbacks against fellow top-four contenders Manchester United and Arsenal in recent weeks.

And Rodgers was full of praise for his team's character and ability to bounce back and return to winning ways.

"We have won 10 of 13 games but have had two disappointing results," he added. "It is always a crisis when you lose games but we knew we had to respond and got ourselves into the [FA Cup] semi-final and won tonight.

"There are teams above us but as we have seen last year that there can be changes and points dropped and I think there will be changes."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi: Penalty problems frustrate me

Lionel Messi admits he is deeply frustrated with his success rate from penalties this season.

Barcelona and Argentina star Messi has missed four penalties for club and country this term, including against Manchester City in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Brazil in an international friendly.

The 27-year-old says he is still the No.1 spot-kick taker for Barcelona but concedes he must improve his record, especially given that goalkeepers are beginning to do their homework on his tactics from 12 yards."Yes there is a lot of frustration that I have missed a lot of penalties, both for the club and for Argentina," Messi told Barca's official magazine.

"I am the designated penalty taker, but when the goalkeepers study you they know your ideas more. It is true to say that a well-taken penalty is very difficult to stop, but now it's more complicated when it comes to taking a penalty.

"These are things in football, but it is true that I have made poor decisions, such as against Manchester City, when the goal would have given us a very important advantage.

"But like everything in football, we are fortunate that every three days there is another game - you cannot keep regretting what happened."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rodgers to speak with Sterling over nitrous oxide controversy

Brendan Rodgers says he will speak to Raheem Sterling after he was pictured inhaling nitrous oxide, but insists the controversy will not affect the Liverpool youngster.

England international Sterling had a mixed Monday, netting the opening goal in the Reds' 2-0 victory over Newcastle but facing fresh scrutiny after The Sun acquired a video of him apparently passed out after inhaling the legal high.

Sterling has also recently been pictured with a shisha pipe and Rodgers says he will discuss the 20-year-old's off-field activities privately, admitting that he needs to remain professional away from the pitch as well as on it.

"I will speak to Raheem on that. Until then, it is something we will deal with internally," the Liverpool boss told reporters.

"For me it is something that, as a professional sportsperson at the top, I don't think it is something you should be doing. It is as simple as that. But I will speak to him. We want players here who are super professional and focused on their football. He very much is."

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: "It's one where internally we'll always look after these types of items.

"He's a young kid who has been in the spotlight now so he knows the demands of being a top-class player and a top-class professional. It's not just on the field, it’s off the field. So I'll speak with him on it and we'll move on."

Sterling did not appear to be affected by the furore as he bagged a stunning opening goal for Liverpool at Anfield, and Rodgers has no fears that he will be distracted by the episode.

"You see the way he plays. He is a kid that is very strong willed and strong minded. He should have had a hat-trick, his performance was outstanding, him and [Philippe] Coutinho.

"He's a kid who is non-stop, he wants to learn and improve himself. I thought he was outstanding tonight.

"He'll be disappointed he didn't get three goals this evening, the second one he should slot away. But wonderful skill and ability for the first goal, and he was tireless all evening, pressing the ball, and he's always a threat."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals 1st Leg Fixtures 2015.04.14

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals 1st Leg Fixtures 2015.04.14

Atletico Madrid Vs Real Madrid

Juventus Vs Monaco

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

EPL,LA Liga,Serie A & Bundesliga Points Tables Today​

EPL

​

LA Liga

​

Serie A

​

Bundesliga

​

 

[rcccc]

EPL,LA Liga,Serie A & Bundesliga Points Tables Today​

EPL

​

LA Liga

​

Serie A

​

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ape Football Thread 1ke Kattiyatath Subama Suba Aluth Awruddhak Wewa!!!

​

 

[rcccc]

Ape Football Thread 1ke Kattiyatath Subama Suba Aluth Awruddhak Wewa!!!

​

එසේම වේවා මචන්.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus 1-0 Monaco: Vidal on the spot to hand Italian champions advantage

Juventus will take a narrow advantage back to Monaco after Arturo Vidal's penalty sealed a 1-0 first-leg win in the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

The Chile international clinically dispatched his seventh goal of the season in all competitions in the 57th minute, although Monaco claimed that Ricardo Carvalho's foul on Alvaro Morata had occurred outside the area.

Andrea Pirlo made his first Juve appearance since suffering a calf problem against Borussia Dortmund in the previous round back in February, and the playmaker had a hand in the winner.

It was his lofted pass from deep which Morata looked likely to latch onto until he stumbled under contact from Carvalho, with replays suggesting the initial foul had taken place outside the box.

Vidal's successful penalty was a welcome relief, after the midfielder had earlier wasted a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock at the end of the first half.

Carlos Tevez was also guilty of profligacy prior to Vidal's winner, while Monaco - although still well in the tie - may rue Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco's inability to convert from close range in the opening stages.

As it is, Leonardo Jardim's men will go into next week's return leg at Stade Louis II needing to overturn a one-goal deficit to reach the last four of this competition for the first time since 2004, when they were runners-up.

Juve started the brighter, but survived a real scare in the 10th minute when Ferreira-Carrasco fired straight at Gianluigi Buffon from 10 yards after being picked out by Anthony Martial.

Claudio Marchisio's cross from the left picked out Tevez unmarked at the far post, but the Argentinian striker's volley six yards out was weak so Danijel Subasic was able to make a comfortable save shortly before the half-hour.

Monaco felt they should have had a penalty when Martial went down under a challenge from Giorgio Chiellini six minutes before the interval, but referee Pavel Kralovec was uninterested in their appeals.

Juve wasted another golden opportunity on the stroke of half-time, when Vidal blazed over after getting on the end of Tevez's superb ball with the outside of his right foot.

Monaco suffered a blow at the start of the second half when Nabil Dirar was forced off injured, and his replacement Bernardo Silva had an effort beaten away at his near post by Buffon.

Soon afterwards Juve took a deserved lead, Vidal sending a superb spot-kick into the top left-hand corner after Morata had been clipped by Carvalho.

Monaco responded and Buffon had to tip over Geoffrey Kondogbia's effort from range in the 63rd minute.

The remainder of the game proved largely uneventful with Juve seemingly content to protect their lead, leaving the tie firmly in the balance heading into the return leg in eight days' time.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atletico Madrid 0-0 Real Madrid: Oblak outstanding as derby ends in stalemate

Jan Oblak delivered an outstanding performance for Atletico Madrid as they held Champions League holders Real Madrid to a 0-0 quarter-final first-leg draw.

In a repeat of last season's final, Real dominated for much of Tuesday's clash at the Vicente Calderon.

But in Oblak, they ran into a keeper in inspired form, with his superb fourth-minute save to deny Gareth Bale, through on goal, setting the tone for a tense clash in the Spanish capital.

The Slovenia international was particularly impressive in the first half as Madrid spent much of the opening 45 minutes on the front foot.

Atletico came back into the contest after the break, but neither side could find the elusive breakthrough, meaning an intriguing second leg lies in wait at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.

After failing to beat Atletico in six attempts so far this season, Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa said in the build-up that his side had figured out how to beat their city rivals.

And that looked to be the case in the early stages, with Oblak denying Bale in a one-on-one situation as Real flew out of the blocks.

Diego Godin failed to deal with a long ball and it sent Bale through, but the Welshman opened his body up and showed his intentions, with Oblak keeping out his curling strike with his right arm.

Oblak reacted well to Cristiano Ronaldo's fizzing free kick in the ninth minute and, after a lull in chances, he did similar to deny Bale from distance.

The Atletico keeper then kept out two good James Rodriguez efforts before the break - the first a splendid strike from the outside of his left foot - while the hosts' only meaningful chance of the first half saw the in-form Antoine Griezmann shoot at Iker Casillas from the edge of the penalty area.

Arda Turan nodded wide once play resumed, while Sergio Ramos caught Atletico forward Mario Mandzukic - back in the side after recovering from an ankle injury - in the face with a stray elbow.

That saw the bloodied Croatia forward leave the pitch, and he was involved in another tangle with Dani Carvajal shortly after.

Toni Kroos was next to try his luck from distance in the 57th minute, but once again Oblak showed clean handling to an awkward strike that bounced just in front of him.

Mandzukic's tense second half continued when he elbowed Carvajal, perhaps in retaliation, before Atletico enjoyed their best spell in the latter stages.

Godin flicked over from close range before Atletico's Mario Suarez and Madrid's Marcelo were booked - with both cautions ruling the respective players out of the second leg.

The hosts mounted one last charge, as Turan saw his effort smothered by Casillas and Arbeloa blocked a Mandzukic strike but the two sides were forced to share the spoils - largely due to Oblak's brilliance.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carvajal denies trying to bite Mandzukic

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has vehemently denied biting Atletico Madrid forward Mario Mandzukic during Tuesday's Champions League clash at the Vicente Calderon.

The full-back was caught on camera moving his head towards the Croatia international's shoulder during the second half of the quarter-final, first-leg encounter.

Mandzukic appeared to react angrily to the subsequent contact, prompting speculation that Carvajal had sunk his teeth into the striker.

However, Carvajal quickly took to Twitter to deny the allegation, saying: "I saw that after the game I was accused of biting an opposition player. Let me make clear that I have not bitten anyone, nor did I attempt to do so."

Mandzukic was also involved in the game's other big talking point, when he was left with blood streaming down his face after being struck by the arm of Sergio Ramos.

However, the Madrid centre-half dismissed the contact as unintentional, claiming that he had not been aware of where the attacker was at the time.

The game in the Spanish capital finished 0-0, leaving the tie beautifully balanced ahead of next week's second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casillas: Oblak decided the Madrid derby - not the referee

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas felt that Atletico Madrid counterpart Jan Oblak was the most influential figure in Tuesday's 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon - and not referee Milorad Mazic.

The home side were less than impressed with Mazic's handling of the all-Spanish Champions League quarter-final first leg, with a bloodied Mario Mandzukic accusing Sergio Ramos of deliberating elbowing him in the face early in the second half.

Mario Suarez claimed afterwards that the Serbian official should not have been awarded such a high-profile game but Casillas that Oblak had a bigger impact on the game, with the Atleti goalkeeper having made a number of terrific saves during the opening 45 minutes."Mario said that the referee was really bad? I don't know. I think he was good. I don't think he was the main protagonist," the Madrid captain told TVE.

"I thought Oblak was the best player in the first half. We deserved more from the game then, but he was fantastic."Casillas now believes that Oblak's first-half heroics have left the tie beautifully balanced ahead of next week's second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"The tie is open," the Spain international added. "Very open. The return will be a nice game."But we have a good chance to go through. Hopefully, playing at home can help us win."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Simeone lauds Mandzukic for putting up a 'nice fight' against Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone hailed striker Mario Mandzukic for putting up a "nice fight" against Real Madrid as a feisty Champions League quarter-final first leg ended goalless on Tuesday.

Mandzukic was at the heart of most of the talking points after receiving an elbow from Sergio Ramos and a punch from Dani Carvajal, while also planting an elbow of his own on Madrid defender Raphael Varane.

Atletico midfielder Mario Suarez felt Croatia international Mandzukic, who received treatment for a gash near his eye, had not received the protection he deserved from Serbian referee Milorad Mazic but Simeone was in a charitable mood afterwards.

After insisting he had not seen the incident with Carvajal, he said: "Mario had a tough game and a very nice fight against Ramos and Varane. He played a great match, he fought a lot."

Simeone was particularly impressed with the way his side edged the second half after being on the back foot for much of the first.

He added: "The tie is still open. In the first half our opponent played better but [goalkeeper Jan] Oblak was great. Best of all was our reaction. After a bad first half, other teams may have given up, but not us. We changed our style and, as a result, Oblak had less to do.

"I think it will be a different match at the Bernabeu, more of a classic game all of us like to play. A match with the beautiful things in football: fear, responsibility, stress… what makes you fall in love with this sport."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

I didn't deliberately elbow Mandzukic, insists Ramos

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has denied deliberately elbowing Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic during Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final, first-leg meeting at the Vicente Calderon.

The pair was embroiled in a running battle during a fiery derby in the Spanish capital, with their most controversial clash coming in the 51st minute when they competed for a long ball to the back post.

Sergio Ramos' arm made contact with Mandzukic's head, leaving the Croatia international with blood streaming from a large gash above his eye.

Mandzukic was enraged by the incident, clearly in no doubt that the elbow was deliberate, but the accused pleaded his innocence after the game.

"I'm not getting into evaluating any fouls," he told reporters in the mixed zone after the 0-0 draw at the Calderon. "There are referees for that.

"But I did not know if Mandzukic was near me or far away. I was not intending to hit him."

The two will collide again in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 22.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jardim: Juventus loss a great injustice

Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim has slammed Tuesday's Champions League loss at Juventus as "a great injustice", claiming that the penalty that decided the quarter-final first leg in the home side's favour should not have been given.

The Ligue 1 outfit looked a constant threat on the break during the game in Turin but were undone by a 57th-minute spot-kick from Arturo Vidal, who fired home after Ricardo Carvalho had been ruled to have felled Alvaro Morata in the box.

However, Jardim was enraged by the decision, insisting that the contact had been made outside of the area.

"The result is a great injustice," the Portuguese coach told reporters in his post-game press conference. "The penalty should not have been given.

"We dominated the first 20 minutes of the first half and first 20 minutes of the second half. We showed we're an organised, good team and we created big problems for Juventus.

"But we failed to take our chances, particularly early in the game. We lacked efficiency. I'm disappointed but everything is still possible and we believe in what we're doing.

"We did a lot of good things during the game and this result does not reflect the game. We came here to get a better result but we'll do it in the second leg."

Monaco, who eliminated Arsenal in the last 16, host Juve at the Stade Louis II on April 22.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Allegri: Juventus must score in Monaco

Massimiliano Allegri was satisfied with Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Monaco in Turin but the Juventus coach is in no doubt that his side will have to score in next week's quarter-final second-leg clash at the Stade Louis II.

The Bianconeri were made to work hard for their victory, with the Serie A side only managing to break the deadlock from the penalty spot when Arturo Vidal hammered home from 12 yards after Ricardo Carvalho had tripped Alvaro Morata.

Allegri was happy with the final scoreline at Juventus Stadium but he does not feel the Old Lady's one-goal advantage will be sufficient to progress to the last four.

"The result is good," the Bianconeri coach told Sky Sport Italia. "Now we have a little advantage, but the return leg will not be easy.

"We know our opponent better now. They were well organised in defence and they have technical and physical attackers who are not supported a lot up front yet still create problems.

"We tried to play too quickly at times. We lacked patience. We had other chances to close out the game but we messed up the final ball too often.

"It was a good game, though, and a well deserved result. Monaco have the best defence in the Champions League and the French championship, so it is difficult to score against them.

"I'm always optimistic but we'll have to score there."

However, Allegri believes that Juve will be even better equipped to break Monaco down next week given fit-again duo Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez will both have more game time under their belts.

"Andrea played 70 good minutes, considering he'd not played for 50 days," the former AC Milan boss added.

"In games like these, his set-pieces are fundamental and he can always give you a hand. We needed his quality and it was his long ball that led to the penalty.

"His condition, like that of Tevez, is not great. But next Wednesday they will both be better."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Suarez fumes at Serbian referee for Mandzukic treatment

Atletico midfielder Mario Suarez hit out at Serbian referee Milorad Mazic for his treatment of Croatia international Mario Mandzukic in Tuesday's goalless Champions League clash with Real Madrid, describing his performance as "very bad".

Mandzukic fought a running battle with the Madrid defence, in particular Sergio Ramos, who left the Atletico man with a nasty cut near the eye following a stray elbow.

Ramos was not penalized for the offence, enraging Mandzukic, who was then yellow-carded himself for an innocuous challenge on Raphael Varane.

Suarez did not mince his words afterwards and felt Uefa had blundered in allowing Serbian Mazic to take charge.

"The referee was very bad," he told TVE. "With all due respect, they cannot put a referee from Serbia [in charge] today. The referee did not show enough quality."

The 0-0 draw leaves the tie finely balanced, with Madrid bossing the first half and Atletico edging the second at the Vicente Calderon.

Suarez added: "The draw is not what we wanted but it is open. We will have a chance in the second leg. We would have liked to have scored a goal but we will try to win at the [Santiago] Bernabeu.

"The game was balanced. We had chances but none materialized. Now let's see what happens in the next game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Oblak: Atletico are still alive against Real Madrid

Jan Oblak says a clean sheet in Atletico Madrid's 0-0 draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday means that his side's hopes of reaching the Champions League semi-finals remain very much alive.

The Slovenia international played a key role in the stalemate in the Spanish capital, keeping the Rojiblancos in the game during the first half with a number of fine stops, with his third-minute save from Gareth Bale undoubtedly the pick of the bunch.

Atletico improved after the interval and although they were unable to take an advantage into next week's short trip to the Santiago Bernabeu, Oblak is upbeat about the Liga champions' hopes of extending their seven-game unbeaten run against their city rivals.

"I feel good, like the whole team do," the 22-year-old told TVE. "We worked hard and it was a very tough match. But now we have one week to prepare for the return.

"You always want to score and win but, with a 0-0, we'll see what will happen in the second leg. The clean sheet will surely be important for the second leg, though.
"I don't know who are the favourites. They are a great team with great players. But we are still alive."Atletico's eagerly-awaited return clash with Real will take place on April 22.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti: Goalless draw not so good

Carlo Ancelotti cut a frustrated figure after his Real Madrid side were held to a goalless draw at city rivals Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

The visitors bossed the first half but could not make their superiority count, with home goalkeeper Jan Oblak pulling off a string of impressive saves, the best of which was a smart block to deny Gareth Bale.

The stalemate leaves the Champions League quarter-final tie finely poised ahead of next week's return at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Asked if he thought 0-0 was a good result, Ancelotti told ITV: "It's a result but not so good because we played really well in the first half. We are happy for the performance of course, the first half was really good. We have to try to repeat it in our stadium."

On Bale's early opportunity, he added: "[It was a] Good save, the goalkeeper was very important for Atletico in the first half. Gareth played a good game. I'm really satisfied, we worked hard all game, the first half with a lot of quality, the second was more difficult."

The match became niggly as it wore on, with Atletico striker Mario Mandzukic engaged in a running battle with Madrid centre-half Sergio Ramos and full-back Dani Carvajal.

Mandzukic claimed he was deliberately elbowed in the face by Ramos - an incident which left the Croatian requiring extensive treatment to a cut - but Ancelotti shied away from the accusation.

He said: "I think in a game like this, with this pressure, it can happen. It was unfortunate, the contact between Mandzukic and Ramos."