..::Football III::..

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Simeone set to sign new contract

Diego Simeone is on the verge of signing a new contract with Atletico Madrid, his sister and agent has revealed.

Atletico beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 on Tuesday at the Vicente Calderon and held their nerve to advance after a tense penalty shootout to confirm their place in the last eight for a second season in succession.

And after the game, Natalia Simeone told Teledeporte: "I'm really emotional. There is so much adrenaline with Atleti and you live every match with so much emotion."

But the coach's sibling also admitted there would be more for Atleti fans to celebrate later on in the week.

"There is really good news coming in the next few days," she said. "The fans will be very happy. We are going to continue to work together."

And on the achievement of her brother, she added: "He always believes in his work, he believes in his players and he was confident.

"Hard work always pays off - that's what Diego says. He has so much passion for what he does. The day he gives up, he will need to take up something new!"

 

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Leverkusen deserved more for their 'big, big fight' - Schmidt

Roger Schmidt says it is a shame his Bayer Leverkusen team did not get the reward for their efforts as they were eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish champions progressed to the quarter-finals after a 3-2 penalty shootout win after Mario Suarez's goal had ensured a 1-1 aggregate result.

But Leverkusen coach Schmidt later lauded his players for their performance, and claimed that home advantage had told in the spot-kick contest."I think it was a remarkable achievement to take Atletico to penalties in the first place," the 48-year-old told Sky Deutschland.

"It is a shame that the team didn't get the rewards they deserved as we gave them a big, big fight."Penalties are always a little bit about nerves. You need to have some experience. It is also a little easier at home when you are cheered on and not booed."

Leverkusen will be looking for a return to winning ways on Saturday in the Bundesliga against Schalke, over whom they have a three-point advantage in the race for the fourth Champions League qualification position.

 

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Simeone hails Atletico hero Oblak

Diego Simeone was delighted with the way Jan Oblak seized his moment in the spotlight to propel Atletico Madrid through to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Oblak started on the bench against Bayer Leverkusen but was forced on due to an injury to first-choice Miguel Moya midway through the first half.

He then became the centre of attention as Mario Suarez's goal levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate and meant it would be settled by a penalty shootout.

The Slovenia international saved Leverkusen's first attempt – from Hakan Calhanoglu – before watching efforts from Omer Toprak and Stefan Kiessling sail over his bar as Atletico edged through.

Simeone said: "Football is wonderful. You can never stop working because you can find yourself playing in the most important game [like Oblak did].

"I'm happy with the team's effort. We had many players out: [Diego] Godin, Tiago, Saul. The team made an enormous effort in a typical cup match against a rival that played with more intensity than most teams. After the goal we sought a second to keep us in the competition, but we knew how difficult it would be if we let one in."

"Moya's injury deprived us of a change in a very long match. Let's hope he recovers quickly."

Atletico's injury-list may have lengthened with striker Mario Mandzukic forced off with seven minutes to go of normal time.

Simeone added: "Mandzukic is proud. To take him off, he has to be broken. I saw he was struggling but he told me not to take him off and the truth is he showed fabulous intensity while he was on the pitch. We need him and we are very happy with his efforts."

The Argentine will watch Friday's draw with interest but insisted no side would want to face the hostility of the Vicente Calderon crowd.

"I loved the fans tonight. I'm here among the eight best teams in Europe again with Atletico and that gives me goosebumps. The fans can't imagine the strength they transmit to the players.

"We can't choose our rival [in the draw]. All of the teams are great sides. We have to be humble, wait and see who we get."

 

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'Arsenal lacked respect' - Jardim reveals Wenger handshake snub

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has hit out at Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger after the French side progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals, claiming that the veteran boss lacks "respect".

The Portuguese was furious with Wenger's decision not to shake hands with him or congratulate Monaco after their 3-1 first-leg victory at the Emirates Stadium and responded in kind after Tuesday's contest at the Stade Louis II.

Jardim claims that the Gunners boss did not acknowledge the Ligue 1 side's performance and, consequently, gave his opposite number the cold shoulder when he returned to a club where he spent seven successful years.

"I wanted to shake Wenger's hand [after the first leg] but he didn't wait so, even though Monaco did everything for Arsenal, I decided not to thank him," Jardim told reporters.

"[Arsenal] didn't show the respect they should have after the first leg."

The visitors needed a 3-0 victory in the principality to ensure progression to the quarter-finals but fell agonisingly short, with Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey scoring the only goals of the second leg.

It marks the fifth season in a row in which Arsenal have exited the competition at the last-16 stage, with Ramsey admitting his frustration afterwards.

 

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More bravery may have seen us through - Rolfes

Simon Rolfes has claimed a lack of bravery and confidence from Bayer Leverkusen was the difference after their Champions League hopes were ended by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Atletico won the second leg of the last-16 tie 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon, matching Leverkusen’s one-goal victory in Germany, and it was the home side who held their nerve in a frantic penalty shootout to progress to the quarter-finals.
But skipper Rolfes believes it may have been a different story had his team taken the game to the 2014 finalists from the start.

"Overall, they were the more active team and we were not so confident from the first minute," conceded the 33-year-old to Sky Deutschland."If we had scored here it would have been incredibly difficult for Atletico. But we did not manage to do that and that was how it was for a major part of the match.

"Atletico pressured us. When we had possession we were never able to increase the speed of our play. They played long balls and were able to keep them better, meaning the match was often in our half."

Only five of the 10 spot-kicks were converted, with Stefan Kiessling's final effort clearing the bar to confirm Leverkusen's exit, and Rolfes admitted that a stronger approach from 12 yards may have made a difference.

"It is hard to analyse a match after a penalty shootout but maybe we were not brave enough in the penalties. That said, you also need some luck. It feels very bitter right now."Sporting director Rudi Voller has sympathised with his players after the exit, and jumped to the defence of Hakan Calhanoglu after his weak spot-kick was easily saved by Jan Oblak.

"It is bitter to lose on penalties, it was a lottery after a hard fight," said the former Germany striker."Hakan usually takes penalties like that, he looks at what the keeper does first. This time it did not work, but we won't blame anybody. We had opportunities after his miss, too."

 

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I came back for nights like this - Torres

Spot-kick hero Fernando Torres says he returned to Atletico Madrid for exactly the kind of game he experienced on Tuesday as the Spanish champions overcame Bayer Leverkusen on penalties.

Diego Simeone's side progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League thanks to a 3-2 shoot-out win following a 1-0 success in normal time which had levelled the tie, with Torres netting what proved to be the winning penalty.

And the second-half substitute admitted afterwards that the atmosphere which was generated through the pulsating second leg was his main attraction when completing his January move from AC Milan.

"I'm happy to see the fans being happy from the first to the last minute. I wanted to live these nights in the Calderon again," the 30-year-old told Teledeporte.Torres also paid tribute to Leverkusen, who pushed Atleti all the way despite Mario Suarez's first-half goal having ruled out Hakan Calhanoglu's strike from the first leg.

"That was not easy as people think. We suffered a lot, which made us more cautious. When they began to break the game down we had to regain control," he said."When it comes to penalties, the team with the greater decisiveness wins."

Team-mate Antoine Griezmann was also quick to credit their German opponents, but reserved a special word for substitute goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The Slovenian came off the bench to replace the injured Miguel Moya before saving Calhanoglu's spot-kick during the shootout."It was a complicated game," said the French attacker. "Leverkusen are great opponents and with the support of the fans we gave everything.
"Oblak is a great goalkeeper and we knew that whenever he was going to play he would do well. We need him.
"Now we have gone through, we will have a rest and then we'll see who we play next."
The draw for the quarter-finals take place in Nyon on Friday.

 

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Wenger: Monaco deserved to put Arsenal out

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was magnanimous after bowing out of the Champions League on away goals to his former club, Monaco, on Tuesday.

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners almost pulled off a stunning fightback at the Stade Louis II.

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey left them needing just one more in the final 11 minutes to go through but Monaco held on to advance to the last eight on away goals.

It marks the fifth season in succession in which Arsenal have bowed out at this stage and a disappointed Wenger was left to rue a poor first-leg display.

"It's always difficult to win by three goals," he told beIN Sports. "We have not taken every opportunity we've had tonight.

"It was not realistic enough, especially after the first leg where we made too many mental mistakes.

"When we look at the number of shots on target by Monaco in the competition and the number of goals, we say we can only congratulate them to be in the quarter-finals. They deserve their place.

"Monaco have perfectly defended as they have done since the beginning of the Champions League. Again, we pay for our failures in the first leg, while the spirit and quality of play were there tonight."

 

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Wenger: Monaco deserved to put Arsenal out

Arsenal thamai dinanna thibbe...aparade.​

 

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We are all heroes, says Atletico Madrid keeper Oblak

Jan Oblak attempted to play down his penalty shoot-out heroics as Atletico Madrid edged out Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

The Slovenia international saved Leverkusen's first attempt – from Hakan Calhanoglu – before watching efforts from Omer Toprak and Stefan Kiessling sail over his bar as Atletico squeezed through to the quarter-finals after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.

The Germans won the first leg 1-0 with Atletico matching that result at the Vicente Calderon thanks to Mario Suarez's 27th-minute goal.

Oblak, a 23rd-minute substitute for the injured Miguel Moya, then took centre stage but he insisted the praise should be shared around.

He told Teledeporte: "I'm not the main man, we are all heroes. We deserved to qualify."

The 22-year-old was quick to spare a thought for Moya, who has started 35 of Atleti's 42 games this season. "It was bad luck for Moya. I hope he recovers quickly. When I saw the atmosphere on entering the pitch I was already warmed-up. It was not difficult to play. I'm happy."

Suarez, meanwhile, was delighted he had made a key contribution for Diego Simeone's side.

"The Champions League is the best competition in the world," he said. "We knew it would be tough. With the support and the atmosphere we succeeded thanks to Oblak, he has been fantastic.

"We are a team and we demonstrate that game by game. No one will want to face us now."

 

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Monaco performance was ugly - Dirar

Nabil Dirar has admitted that Monaco looked “ugly” as they booked a Champions League quarter-final place on Tuesday.

The principality club produced a nervous performance as they went down 2-0 to Arsenal at the Stade Louis II, but still progressed on away goals following their 3-1 win in London in the first leg.

And the Moroccan midfielder accepted that his side will have won few admirers with their display despite achieving a last-eight berth.“We have been criticised a lot, and our football might appear ugly but what people don’t see is our solidarity,” Dirar told BeIN Sport following the second leg.

“It was really tense at 2-0. I kept checking the giant screen but the minutes were passing really slowly. We tried to play on the counter and failed.“But we proved to be tough and what we can take from tonight is the qualification.”

Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey scored for Arsenal, but Monaco held out despite a late onslaught to qualify for Friday’s quarter-final draw.

 

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Hummels demands deadly Dortmund

Mats Hummels admits Borussia Dortmund must be at their clinical best against Juventus if they are to stand any chance of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.The first leg ended 2-1 to the Serie A leaders, meaning Jurgen Klopp's men must score in the return if they are to progress to the last eight.

Chances are likely to be few and far between, however, against a Juve side that has conceded just 14 goals in 27 league games this season.

Hummels said: "We will have to take the chances we get as there will not be many against Juventus. In the final third we will have to be more direct and maybe take on shots from distance. Maybe one of them will be deflected and go in."

Dortmund’' recent form has been good after a dismal run saw them prop up the Bundesliga – the defeat in Turin was their only setback in their last eight games in all competitions – and Hummels is expecting a raucous atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park.

"We will begin the game with the same attitude as ahead of a Bundesliga game," added the World Cup winner. "We want to profit from the home advantage. From the beginning we want to ensure that our supporters are very excited.
"I am sure that no player needs any special motivation for tomorrow."

 

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Suarez: Clasico will be like a final

Luis Suarez says Sunday’s Clasico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be "like a final" but will not decide this season's title race.

The Catalans welcome their deadly rivals having recently overturned the Blancos’ advantage at the top of La Liga to take a one-point lead, but the Uruguayan insists there will still be a race to be run whatever the result at Camp Nou."It is a final because Real Madrid-Barcelona games are always played in that spirit, with a lot of intensity and strength," Suarez told Marca.

"They are very intense games, but we are also aware that anything can happen these days in La Liga."What's great about La Liga nowadays is that every team provides tough competition and I don't think that the Clasico will actually be all that decisive."

The 28-year-old made his Barcelona debut in the 3-1 reverse to Madrid earlier in the season, but he is keen for his team-mates to attack the European champions and make the most of what he sees as a suspect back line.

"Obviously Real Madrid are Real Madrid," he added. "You don't need to say anything else because everyone knows the quality of players they have from the midfield forwards, but we also know the defensive weaknesses they have and we need to try and take advantage of them."While this is the first time Suarez will have lined up against Madrid at Camp Nou, he revealed that he has tasted the Clasico atmosphere in Catalunya before.

"I remember the Barcelona-Real Madrid game that ended 5-0 because I was in the stadium!" he added.

"It is those sorts of moments that live long in the memory: seeing how people celebrated, while the players also celebrated on the pitch; that was incredible."
The final league Clasico of the season kicks off at 21:00 CET on Sunday.

 

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Man Utd's Wilson can score 20 per season, says Sheringham

Manchester United great Teddy Sheringham has backed James Wilson to be the 20-goal-a-season striker that Louis van Gaal is craving.

Van Gaal last month lamented the fact that his current squad does not have a striker pushing to reach the milestone in the Premier League this season, with Wayne Rooney the current top scorer with 11.

On-loan Monaco man Radamel Falcao has struggled for form since moving to Old Trafford, while Robin van Persie has 11 despite struggling with injuries, and Sheringham feels Wilson must be trusted more.

"I really like James Wilson," he told United Review. "It's a shame for him that Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie are in front of him.

"Louis van Gaal said recently that he doesn't have a striker who can score 20 goals a season, but I think if you put Wilson up there with Wayne Rooney then you'd have two players who can reach those figures for you.

"He's very direct, scores goals, has good pace and that added bonus of being a left-footer - they always tend to catch defenders off guard and it always looks more special when the left-footed strike goes in.

"I like his attitude, he looks a good player, a good prospect and one that everyone needs to keep an eye on."

Wilson currently has one goal to his name in 12 league outings, only two of which have been starts.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wilson pattachance 1ka wadiyen denna thiyenne​

 

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Allegri: Juventus must score at Dortmund

Massimiliano Allegri insists Juventus cannot play for a draw when they take on Borussia Dortmund in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg.

The Italian side have a 2-1 lead from their first-leg win in Turin and travel to Germany to take on Jurgen Klopp's men to conclude the tie.And Allegri maintains his side cannot set out to merely contain their rivals and is hoping to get another win to send them through to the quarter finals.

"We have a 2-1 advantage from the first leg and are aware of the difficulties posed by the game, as are Dortmund," he told reporters. "It will be a great game and I honestly can't see it ending 0-0.

"I think we'll need to score at least once to go through. In the first leg we didn't allow them a shot on goal, Dortmund only scored from our mistake. They have plenty of pace in their squad and we must put in a good technical performance and strike their weak areas.

"I still have some doubts over tomorrow's team and need to decide whether we play three or four at the back."The Turin side are top of Serie A and are still in the fight for the Coppa Italia as well as the European competition and Allegri feels his side are in a strong position as they look to secure a treble.

"We're now in the final straight. We want to get through to the next round and we have the league to wrap up. There's also the Coppa Italia, where we'll be aiming to overturn the first leg defeat when we play Fiorentina.

"Claudio Marchisio is enjoying a great season and is one of the best midfielders in Europe. Andrea Barzagli's in great shape. He played very well in Palermo and I'm happy to welcome back a player we have missed."

 

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West Brom keeper Foster out for four weeks

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster will be out for at least a month due to damaged knee cartilage.

The England international was forced off during the second half of West Brom's 1-0 win over Stoke City at the Hawthorns last Saturday.

As a result Foster, will miss West Brom's upcoming Premier League matches with Manchester City, QPR and Leicester City as well as England's clashes with Lithuania and Italy.

Boaz Myhill will deputise in goal for Tony Pulis' men in Foster's absence.

The West Brom boss told the club's official website: "It's rotten news for Ben because he's been so consistent.

"He kept seven clean sheets in 10 games but we have a very able man to step forward in Boaz, who has performed well when he's come into the team.

"We've got the international break coming up which I hope will give our medical team the chance to work on Ben's rehab and we will reassess later."

 

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Cavani perfect for Atletico, says Forlan

Edinson Cavani would be the ideal signing for Atletico Madrid, according to Diego Forlan.

The striker has been frustrated at Paris Saint-Germain having often been shifted out wide to allow Zlatan Ibrahimovic to shine up front for the Ligue 1 champions.
As a result, rumours have been swirling that Cavani will leave the French capital this summer, two years after joining for €64 million from Napoli.

Former Atletico attacker Forlan, who played alongside Cavani for many years with the Uruguay national team, believes the Vicente Calderon would be the perfect destination for him.

"It would be spectacular because Cavani is a great striker and it will be a great time for him," Forlan, who now plays for Japanese second division club Cerezo Osaka, told Cope."I think his style of play is ideal for Atletico because he is a fast player who likes to fight back.

"Atletico players have always been characterised by this kind of player in attack like Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao."Cavani is contracted to PSG until 2018 and has scored 18 goals in 39 games in all competitions this term.

 

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Man Utd can beat City to second, insist Carrick and Smalling

Chris Smalling and Michael Carrick are confident Manchester United are capable of beating reigning champions Manchester City to a runners-up place in the Premier League.

Louis van Gaal's fourth-placed side produced their best performance of the season as they comfortably beat Tottenham 3-0 at Old Trafford, to move within two points of City, who were stunned 1-0 by Burnley.

A top-four finish is the top priority for United after a season with Champions League football but Smalling sees no reason as to why the 20-time champions cannot pip rivals City to second.

"I think we could finish second, especially after City's result on Saturday," he told the club's official website. "It is all very close. There is only a point between us and Arsenal.

"I think it's very open all the way up to second place and we will be aiming for that, especially when we are playing those teams coming up. We want Champions League football back here. It's a must.

"Fourth is the minimum but when it's there, second is a realistic target and if we keep on performing like that I don't see why we can't give it a good push."

Next up for United is a derby clash with Liverpool, the Premier League's in-form team following Monday's 1-0 win at Swansea City, before a run of fixtures in April against the likes of City and Chelsea.

Carrick added: "We've got to aim for second place. We're within touching distance now. You look at the table now and it's so tight, but I suppose really we've just got to look to next Sunday at Liverpool.

"There are going to be ups and downs because that's how it is, especially in the last nine or 10 games. Sunday is a big game for a lot of reasons and that is probably all we can focus on at the moment."

 

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Man Utd can beat City to second, insist Carrick and Smalling

Okkotama kalin liverpool match 1ka focus kalanam thamai hoda.​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Iniesta: Messi will make City suffer

Andres Iniesta believes that Lionel Messi could make the difference for Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie with Manchester City at Camp Nou.The Catalans defend a 2-1 lead from the first leg of the tie and Iniesta is hopeful Messi can build on his superb form from 2015 on Wednesday.

"Leo Messi is a unique player, one of the few players in the world who can win you a game on his own," Iniesta said at a press conference."It is always an advantage to have a player of his quality. We hope he will continue his fine form in the match against City. Messi is a guarantee."

The Spain international then went on to stress that Barcelona cannot afford to think about Sunday's Liga Clasico match against Real Madrid just yet as City are a team that should not be underestimated.

"It’s true we have an important match on Sunday against a direct opponent, but we can’t think about what we have ahead of us further than Wednesday’s game. We have a good result from the first leg but City have enough good players to turn that result around. City are a dangerous opponent. They have forwards who can decide the match at any moment and that says it all.

"We have to be 200 per cent focused and we can’t make the mistake of thinking that the first leg result guarantees success. We have to take initiative, make the most of the chances we have to score and see how it all pans out. When the result is in your favour obviously you don’t have to take as many risks, but we will see how the match goes. You can’t predict what will happen. Our only objective is to play a good match and to qualify for the next round."Iniesta also had his say on his side's ambition to win the treble and insisted that they must take things one step at a time.

"We don’t meet and talk about winning the treble. We know individually how we feel and what chances we have. We know we have a good chance to fight for every title until the end but that’s no guarantee and we can’t get distracted thinking about that.

"At the moment the team is doing very well and that has been the case for some time now. We are approaching the good part of the season, we are in the Copa del Rey final - and in the Champions League we know every little detail is very important. You can’t predict what will happen, but we are in a position where we can succeed in our objectives."