..::Football IV::..

[ThisaraMalintha]

Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Reds miss chance to reclaim top spot in derby stalemate

Liverpool could not break down a stubborn Everton in Sunday's Merseyside derby, with Jurgen Klopp's side denied the chance to reclaim top spot in the Premier League.Manchester City's 1-0 win at Bournemouth a day earlier moved the defending champions back to the summit, meaning Liverpool had to win at Goodison Park on Sunday to go top once more.

But with Mohamed Salah wasting the clearest chance of the game for Liverpool, Everton prevented their rivals from taking another step towards the club's first title of the Premier League era.


After a high-octane start, Salah fired the game's first shot in the 15th minute but Jordan Pickford, whose error handed Liverpool victory in December, made a comfortable save.Salah should have given Liverpool the lead when played through by Fabinho, but the Egypt star could not find the right angle to beat Pickford as the Everton goalkeeper made himself big.

After the interval a rare loose pass from Fabinho led to an Everton corner but Alisson held on to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's downward header.Michael Keane made a superb challenge to deny Salah another shot on Pickford's goal before Klopp turned to Roberto Firmino and vice-captain James Milner from the bench.

Bernard was close to turning in a fizzed low cross from Richarlison as the game became increasingly stretched in the second half, before an unmarked Cenk Tosun mishit his shot from Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick.

December's derby saw incredible late drama as Pickford's mistake allowed Divock Origi to score a 96th-minute winner, but Everton held firm in the 200th top-flight meeting between the clubs for a result that may prove pivotal in the title race.

Everton

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Sancho has a lot to learn' - Borussia Dortmund manager Favre critical of star winger


Jadon Sancho has "a lot to learn" according to Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre, who called for the 18-year-old to focus on his work rate to fulfil his potential.

Sancho has scored eight Bundesliga goals in 24 appearances for Favre's table-topping side this season but was on the receiving end of criticism aimed at the whole team after Dortmund were beaten 2-1 at Augsburg on Friday.

Former defender Matthias Sammer described Dortmund as "immature" following the result, and Favre admitted while Sancho has delivered outstanding performances this season, he still lacks a measure of consistency.

"He's a very good player, a very talented player," Favre told reporters ahead of Dortmund's Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Tottenham."He's 18 and sometimes with 18 it's up and down."He had played really, really well in the first half of the season and at the start of second half but he has highs and lows."He has a lot to learn, a lot of potential. But for every player who has talent there is no talent without hard work."Hard work is 90 per cent. Talent is 10 percent."

Dortmund go into their clash with Tottenham trailing 3-0 after a defeat at Wembley, and no side has ever won a Champions League knockout tie after losing the first leg away from home by that scoreline.

The last time the German club managed to advance to the last eight of the competition was back in 2017 where they were eventually eliminated by by Monaco.

Favre played down the impact of Sammer's comments about his side, who are only ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga table on goal difference."I have often spoken to Matthias at the beginning of the season and since," said Favre. "We have a good understanding. But he is a journalist in those situations and we are a democracy. Everyone can have his opinion.

"I have every trust in him. On TV he has a right to say what he can say. It's not a problem for me. But I did not see the show. So I can't really judge this."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham are good enough to win the Champions League, insists Pochettino


Mauricio Pochettino insists Tottenham believe they can topple any team in Europe ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Borussia Dortmund.

Spurs face a seemingly straightforward task after soundly beating the Bundesliga leaders 3-0 at Wembley last month in their first leg encounter.However, form has deserted them in the Premier League since, with a run of one point from the past nine available effectively removing Pochettino's men from the title race.

Nevertheless, belief remains high going into Tuesday's showdown at Signal Iduna Park as the north London club look to secure their spot in the competition's last eight.

"In a competition like the Champions League or Europa League or the domestic cups you need not only to win games, you need to be more than lucky sometimes to arrive to play the final," Pochettino told a pre-match news conference when asked whether Spurs can go all the way.

"I think many circumstances are involved where sometimes you can arrive to play a final and maybe are not the best team".Always for me the most important is the Premier League or the Bundesliga. The most consistent team always wins and the best team always beats the other 19 opponents.

"The belief, of course, is that we can beat any team, But now I think we need to do a very good job, be professional, be aggressive and try to forget the first leg."In our ambition and our mind we are always positive. We trust in ourselves and, of course, you can beat any team."

Dele Alli is back in training following a hamstring injury but Tuesday's game is expected to come too soon for him. The weekend trip to Southampton represents a more realistic target for the attacking midfielder, who last featured when he scored in a 2-1 win at Fulham in January.

Pochettino has Harry Winks [hip] and Eric Dier [tonsillitis] in his squad but expects the England midfield duo to feature on the bench, if at all.Winks and Dier's international team-mate Kieran Trippier has not travelled but, like Alli, could be fit to face Southampton.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mata to miss out for Man Utd against PSG & Arsenal as injury issues frustrate Red Devils


Juan Mata has revealed that he will play no part for Manchester United in their upcoming clashes with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.The Spanish midfielder is currently nursing a hamstring injury picked up during a Premier League meeting with Liverpool.

He was one of four players to suffer knocks in that contest, with Ander Herrera, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard also laid low.

Rashford has since returned to action, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw that boost against Southampton countered by Alexis Sanchez damaging knee ligaments.With the fitness issues continuing to pile up at Old Trafford, the Red Devils are desperate to welcome some of their walking wounded back into the fold.

They are, however, going to have to face key Champions League and Premier League fixtures this week without a World Cup winner, with Mata posting on his personal blog: “I’m writing this today after one of the strangest weeks that I’ve had, on an individual level, in years.

“As I told you a week ago, I’m not used to being injured. The week has crawled by without being able to train with my teammates.“I’ve been around them each day, of course, as I am going through my recovery at the training ground, but it’s not the same.

“It is hard to not be able to contribute, and even more so during a week with two games. To everyone’s delight, the team have been doing well out on the pitch, showing that we are all able to compete.”

Mata added on the upcoming challenges that he is being forced to sit out: “This week, we have two more games… which will probably go by slowly for me again, although I will be supporting the team and carrying on with my recovery process.“I’m feeling good about it, every day I’m a bit better and I am working to be back as soon as possible.

“PSG and Arsenal are both top opponents to be facing this week. The game in Paris is particularly tough due to the first leg, but we are United and we never surrender. We have to believe that it is possible.

“Later, we will visit the Emirates again in a vital game as we fight for a Champions League place.”United trail PSG 2-0 in their Champions League last-16 encounter and have it all to do in a return leg at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

They are, however, continuing to make impressive progress in domestic competition, with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton on Saturday having lifted them back into the top four.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Solskjaer has done all he can' - Ferdinand not confident of Sanchez resurrection


Rio Ferdinand fears Alexis Sanchez will not salvage his career at Manchester United, after admitting the club's highest paid player may be a spent force at the highest level of the game.

Sanchez arrived at Old Trafford from Arsenal amid a fanfare of publicity in January 2018, but the Chile international has failed to find his spark since inheriting the fabled No.7 jersey, with Old Trafford legend Ferdinand telling Goal that the sands of time may be catching up with him at the age of 30.

Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has succeeded in inspiring a sparkling revival in the form of a host of Man Utd players such as Victor Lindelof, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford since he succeeded Jose Mourinho in December, but BT Sport pundit Ferdinand feels that Sanchez's slump in form will not be so easy to address.

"There are a lot of miles on the clock," he said. "That's one big thing, he has played a lot of games at the top level There is no doubting he is a fantastic footballer, but at Man United, it just doesn't seem to be working at the moment.

"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has gone into Man United and got some players working, got some players playing. Lindelof looks a different player now. He is first on the team-sheet in that back four now. Pogba, the most influential players in the Premier League since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went there, barring probably [Heung-min] Son at Tottenham.

"Marcus Rashford looks like the player that everyone believed he could be for United, but Sanchez he hasn't been able to unlock that code yet, but you can't expect a manager to go in an unlock every code on every player. He's done what he can at the moment, but Sanchez is still searching for that form."

While Sanchez has continued to flounder since Mourinho's sacking, United's record signing Pogba has flourished under Solskjaer's leadership, with Ferdinand suggesting the critics who wrote off the French World Cup winner were misguided.

"It wasn't about him not trying hard enough," said Ferdinand, as he reflected on a first half of the season that saw Pogba lose his way after persistent reports of a bust-up with manager Jose Mourinho.

"Play the players in their best positions and you get the best results, simple as that. Everyone says he can't defend, but people always look for what he can't do. Why not look for what he can do.

"He is great at starting passages of play, he's great at playing that final pass and the asset for a goal, he's great at getting on the end of things. That's what he's doing now. If you compare how times he runs into the box to how many times he did that before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived, it would be very different.

"That tells you why he getting goals, why he is getting shots on target, why he is getting assists, why he is being effective in the final third. It's not rocket science what he's doing now.

"Paul Pogba is a leader and he is going to warm into that role in the coming years under the guidance of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sanchez ruled out of Man Utd action 'for six to eight weeks'


Alexis Sanchez faces up to two months on the sidelines according to Chile national team doctor Pedro Onate, who analysed the knee injury the forward sustained in Manchester United's win over Southampton.

Sanchez was replaced after 52 minutes of the 3-2 victory at Old Trafford following a challenge from Saints defender Jan Bednarek and United's own medical staff have yet to provide a prognosis.

But Onate said that exams of Sanchez's condition showed he had suffered distention of the medial ligament, which would take a number of weeks to heal.

Onate told El Mercurio: "There won't be any problems for him to be at the Copa [America], because he'll be out for between six and eight weeks."Alexis may even play again before that time. Plus, there's a long way to go until the Copa America."The distention of the medial ligament is an annoying injury, but it's not so complex."

United will be without Sanchez as they travel to Paris Saint-Germain for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, where they hope to overturn a 2-0 deficit.Sanchez has made just eight Premier League starts for the club in 2018-19, scoring once.

The 30-year-old winger has endured a difficult period at Old Trafford since arriving from Arsenal in January 2018, struggling to live up to expectations and suffering a worrying loss of form in front of goal.

Five goals from 41 appearances across all competitions are not the kind of numbers English football fans have come to expect from Sanchez, who became one of the Premier League's most revered players during his four-year spell at the Emirates Stadium.

In his absence, caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be forced to play a flat 4-4-2 formation against PSG, with Fred and Andreas Pereira in line to start.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

No Sanchez,No Mata,No Lingard,No Martial,No Herrera,No Matic

Get well soon guys!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho would have 'no problem' returning to 'iconic' Real Madrid


Jose Mourinho would have "no problem" returning to Real Madrid as coach, stoking the rumours linking him as a potential successor to Santiago Solari.It has been a turbulent season for both Mourinho and Madrid, as the Portuguese manager lost his job at Manchester United in December, while Los Blancos have underwhelmed under two coaches.

Solari took charge of Madrid in October last year, and although he has overseen a moderate improvement from the end of Julen Lopetegui's brief spell, in no way have they caught the imagination of supporters.

Consecutive Clasico defeats to Barcelona in Madrid's last two outings have seen many people write off Solari's chances of retaining the job next season.And Mourinho, who enjoyed reasonable success in a chaotic three-year spell at Madrid until 2013, has opened the door to a return to Santiago Bernabeu.

When asked if he would go back to a former club, Mourinho told beIN SPORTS: "To a club that I have been before? If I think the right club, the right structure, the right ambitions, I will have no problem at all."I think it's really a reason of pride when a club where you worked before wanting you back. They [Madrid] are the iconic club, I think so, you know, [they have won] 13 Champions Leagues [titles]."

Mourinho certainly does not look back on his time at Madrid with regret, though he appears to feel the end of his spell with United was frustrating."The only club where I feel that is in relation to Manchester United," he added."The moment I left with what I think I could have achieved and the improvement of a few things, but all the other clubs I have the best possible feeling, which is I gave everything."

Madrid are next in action on Tuesday as they look to shrug off their Clasico reverses and book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by seeing off Ajax.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Never say die' - Young confident Man Utd can pull off famous PSG win


Ashley Young says Manchester United's 'never say die' attitude will help see them through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.

United head to France this week for the second leg of their last-16 showdown against the Ligue 1 giants, with a 2-0 deficit to overcome after a damaging defeat at Old Trafford in February.

Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe grabbed the goals for PSG in a first-leg showdown dominated by the visitors, which also saw Paul Pogba sent off late on for the hosts.

The talismanic midfielder joins the likes of Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera on United's list of notable absentees for the return leg, with caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer facing another major selection headache.

Despite the club's mounting injury woes, the Red Devils have managed to maintain their unbeaten domestic run under Solskjaer in recent weeks, securing a 3-2 home win against Southampton last time out.

That victory saw United move back into fourth place in the Premier League and Young believes that the team spirit running through the squad will be key to an unlikely turnaround against PSG."It was a massive result after seeing the Arsenal and Tottenham game,” said Young. “We had to keep the pressure on them and keep winning games.

"It was tough, but I think it just shows the team spirit we've got and the desire to get back into games and win games.“We showed that we've got that resilience to keep going right to the final whistle.“We know what we're capable of. People can write us off. People were writing us off at the start of the season and people are writing us off now. It's no different."

Solskjaer has overseen a superb run of 12 wins from 15 matches across all competitions since succeeding Jose Mourinho in December and he is now the favourite to land the permanent manager's job.

The only blot on the Norweigian's record so far was the loss to PSG and his team are major underdogs heading into their latest European outing.

Young, who is expected to retain his place in the starting line up at right-back, went on to add that the players are well aware of the size of the task at hand, but he has 'faith' that a strong defensive setup could help secure a famous victory.“Obviously it's going to be tough," Young continued. "It's not going to be easy.

We've got to go over there, win the game and score goals.“I've got every faith if we defend well and if we create the chance that I know we can do, we can win the game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba eyed Barcelona move in the past but won’t leave Man Utd now – Pires


Paul Pogba may have eyed a move to Barcelona in the past, claims Robert Pires, but the “best player at Manchester United” is now being backed to stay put and calm any exit fears at Old Trafford.

Serious questions were asked of the France international’s future heading towards the January transfer window.A return to Juventus was mooted by many, including some of those in Turin, while long-standing interest from the likes of Barca and Real Madrid resurfaced.

In the end, the removal of Jose Mourinho from United’s managerial hot seat presented Pogba with the clean slate he craved and he has gone on to flourish under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 25-year-old is enjoying his football again and, having become a talismanic presence for the Red Devils, is being backed to remain in his current surroundings for the foreseeable future.

Fellow Frenchman and World Cup winner Pires told bwin of the mercurial midfielder: “I think Paul Pogba is the best player at Manchester United and has always had the potential to become the best midfielder in the world.

“Pogba has played very well and been almost unstoppable since Solskjaer arrived at the club. He has been given more freedom, he’s encouraged to take more risks without fear and is playing further up the pitch.“He’s a very good athlete and it’s not surprising to see him play like this when he is allowed to do so.

“It’s difficult to understand why Mourinho limited him so much when it’s clear to everyone how many attributes he has. He is an all-round midfielder who is also a leader in the dressing room.“I don’t think Manchester United fans need to worry about Paul Pogba leaving the club.

“I think there was a time when he was eyeing a move to Barcelona and I wouldn’t be surprised if his agent still is, but the best thing Pogba could do would be to stay at Manchester United.“I think he can continue to improve so much more at a club where he has stability and can be the main man on and off the pitch.”

Pogba is tied to a contract at United through to 2021, with that agreement including a 12-month option if no long-term extension is agreed before that point.He has 14 goals to his name this season – a personal best return – and is helping Solskjaer’s side to chase down a top-four finish in the Premier League and FA Cup glory.

The Red Devils also remain in the Champions League for now, but Pogba will play no part in the return date of a last-16 encounter with Paris Saint-Germain having been sent off during a 2-0 first-leg defeat at Old Trafford.

 

[ThisaraMalintha]

No Sanchez,No Mata,No Lingard,No Martial,No Herrera,No Matic

Get well soon guys!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2019.03.05

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2019.03.05


AGG
(0-3)

Dortmund Vs Tottenham

AGG
(2-1)

Real Madrid Vs Ajax

​

 

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Real Madrid 1 Ajax 4 (3-5 agg): Three-year reign ends as holders are humbled

Real Madrid's dismal run of form continued as Ajax won 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to dump the Champions League holders out of the competition for the first time since 2014-15.

After winning Europe's elite club tournament in three consecutive years under Zinedine Zidane, a tough first campaign since the French icon's departure was capped in remarkable fashion on Tuesday in a 5-3 aggregate loss.

Madrid fell apart in the first half and saw their 2-1 first-leg lead overturned in the opening 20 minutes by goals from Hakim Ziyech and David Neres as Ajax ran riot.


The irrepressible Dusan Tadic added another with a controversial second-half strike, leaving Madrid requiring three goals to stay in the competition, and although Marco Asensio got one back, a fourth home defeat in a row never looked in doubt as Lasse Schone made it four.

With two of those reverses coming at the hands of bitter rivals Barcelona last week before this humbling, pressure will undoubtedly build on head coach Santiago Solari's position.

The unmarked Raphael Varane headed against the crossbar inside five minutes, but Ajax settled into the contest thereafter and two superb pieces of creative play from Tadic swiftly wiped out Madrid's away goals.Tadic first darted in behind Nacho Fernandez to square for Ziyech to sidefoot into the bottom left corner and then the Serbia international left Casemiro in a spin and played in Neres for a calm finish.

Ajax passed up further chances before a horrible half for the hosts was compounded by injuries to Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior in quick succession.Substitute Gareth Bale, jeered off the pitch against Barca, was again whistled by his own supporters and almost gifted Ziyech a third goal before striking the post at the other end.

Madrid scarcely improved after the restart and Tadic was rightly the man to put the tie beyond them, slamming into the top-left corner before a lengthy delay as VAR finally advised the referee that the ball had not gone out of play earlier in the move.

A belated response saw Asensio slide a finish beyond Andre Onana, but there was no let up in Ajax's attacking ambition and a glorious Schone free-kick caught out the scrambling Thibaut Courtois, before a frustrated Nacho was sent off in stoppage time.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid v Ajax wei kiyala hithuwema nathi result ekak​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund 0 Tottenham 1 (0-4 agg): Kane sees Spurs cruise into quarter-finals

Tottenham qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010-11 after Tuesday's 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund secured a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Mauricio Pochettino's men held a commanding lead ahead of their trip to Signal Iduna Park and, although the hosts piled on the pressure in the first half, Hugo Lloris proved a reliable last line of defence before Harry Kane ultimately put the tie to bed.Dortmund did everything they could to breathe life into the second leg in the opening period, but they came up against an inspired Lloris, who made a string of vital saves, most impressively to thwart Mario Gotze and Julian Weigl.

Spurs then took full advantage just after the interval, Kane confidently dispatching a one-on-one to become the club's all-time leading scorer in European competition with 24 goals.

Dortmund spent much of the early stages in the ascendancy and looked destined to take an 11th-minute lead when Marco Reus was released into the area, but Jan Vertonghen produced a perfectly timed last-ditch tackle.A rare chance fell to Spurs on the break 20 minutes later, but Son Heung-min missed the target under pressure from Marius Wolf with just Roman Burki to beat.

Spurs came under siege soon after, but they remained unscathed as Lloris produced fine saves to deny Weigl, Gotze and Jadon Sancho all within a few minutes.

Any hope built up by Dortmund's first-half performance swiftly vanished after half-time, however, as Moussa Sissoko fed Kane with a first-time pass and the England striker confidently fired past Burki.

Dortmund crafted one final chance a minute from time, but the outcome summed up the match, as Lloris blocked Paco Alcacer's effort, enabling Spurs to cruise into the last eight.

Pochettino will surely focus his attentions on their European campaign now that their Premier League title tilt is all-but over.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Real Madrid made me a better manager and person


Jose Mourinho says he has "fantastic" memories of his time at Real Madrid and believes the club made him a better manager and person.

Mourinho – who was dismissed by Manchester United in December – spent three years in charge of Los Blancos until 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.The Portuguese has been linked with a return to the club at the end of the season to replace Santiago Solari, who has struggled since taking over from Julen Lopetegui in October last year.

Mourinho appears to be keen on a reunion at the Santiago Bernabeu and was fulsome in his praise of the club when asked about his time there."I have fantastic memories," he told Deportes Cuatro.

"Working at Real Madrid is a unique experience and different to the rest of the clubs I have been at."We did fantastic things and we won the league in a unique way. We also had bad moments, I made mistakes, but the experience made me a better manager and person."

The comments come in the wake of Mourinho saying he would have "no problem" returning to the "iconic club".He added that his only regret in his career is how his time ended with Manchester United, insisting that he gave it all with each of his other clubs while adding that he was satisfied with his tenures.

Mourinho has done little to dampen speculation that he will return to the Spanish giants, again stating that he would have no issues going back to a club that he has previously coached."I wouldn't have a problem going back to Madrid, Porto, Chelsea, Inter or any team that I have managed," he explained.

"It's a nice feeling when someone wants you when you have already been there, but Chelsea is the only team that asked me to go back after a previous spell at the club, nobody else."

Real Madrid take on Ajax on Tuesday in the second leg of their Champions League clash following a 2-1 opening leg victory Manchester United, meanwhile, face difficult odds against Paris Saint-Germain having lost 3-0 in the first leg of their own tie.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'It was a bad knee injury' - Man Utd boss Solskjaer provides Sanchez update


Manchester United will be without Alexis Sanchez for four to six weeks after he suffered a "bad" knee injury, caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed.

The Chile international was forced off in the second half of United's game against Southampton on Saturday after he went down under a challenge from defender Jan Bednarek.And scans later revealed he had suffered a distention of the medial ligament, ruling him out of Wednesday's Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking ahead of that second leg in Paris, Solskjaer said: “He might be out for, it was a bad knee injury, so if it is four weeks or six weeks. Hopefully, he will recover quickly.”

After losing the first leg 2-0 at Old Trafford, Solskjaer has named five youngsters in his squad for the return game at Parc des Princes and left out Jesse Lingard and France international Anthony Martial.Teenagers Tahith Chong, Mason Greenwood, Brandon Williams, Angel Gomes and James Garner have all travelled to France.

“I think every young player at this club is dreaming of having the impact Rashy’s [Marcus Rashford] had," Solskjaer continued. "Tomorrow night might be a chance for some of the young ones.“Brandon, full-back, can play both sides. It is the first time he has travelled with us, he didn’t expect to come.”Striker Rashford burst on to the scene in 2016 at the age of 18 when Louis van Gaal was in the Red Devils' hotseat.

He scored five Premier League goals in 11 appearances that campaign and earned himself a spot in the England squad for the 2016 European Championships.

If United fail to gain a footing in the away leg and overturn the two-goal deficit, Solskjaer could be likely to give some game time to the youngsters.The first leg remains the only game Solskjaer has lost since taking over in December, having led a considerable turnaround in the Reds' form.

Should he steer United to a quarter-final spot, Solskjaer's chances of being offered the permanent job this summer could increase dramatically given the disappointing performance at Old Trafford.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Never mission impossible' - Solskjaer sure Man Utd can pull off PSG comeback


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists Manchester United can make history by overturning a 2-0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe secured victory for the Ligue 1 champions at Old Trafford last month and left United needing to produce something remarkable in the French capital in order to turn the tie around.

None of the previous 34 teams to lose the first leg of a Champions League knockout match at home by two or more goals have ever progressed to the next round.

To make things even tougher, the Red Devils are without the suspended Paul Pogba and a string of first-team players due to injury, with Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Alexis Sanchez are all absent.

As a result Solskjaer has included a number of youngsters in his travelling party, including 17-year-olds Mason Greenwood and James Garner.However, the United interim boss is refusing to be downbeat and still believes his side are capable of mounting a dramatic comeback.

"Never... never mission impossible,” the Norwegian told reporters. “It is a difficult test, but we can do it. We need the first goal and we need to stay in the game. Anything can happen. We need a good plan.

“Everyone knows we can do it, we’ve done it. Last year Juventus lost 3-0 to Real Madrid and then went 3-0 up in second-leg, PSG vs Barcelona [in 2017]. There are so many examples of teams who can change results like this.

To make things even tougher, the Red Devils are without the suspended Paul Pogba and a string of first-team players due to injury, with Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Alexis Sanchez are all absent.As a result Solskjaer has included a number of youngsters in his travelling party, including 17-year-olds Mason Greenwood and James Garner.

However, the United interim boss is refusing to be downbeat and still believes his side are capable of mounting a dramatic comeback."Never... never mission impossible,” the Norwegian told reporters. “It is a difficult test, but we can do it. We need the first goal and we need to stay in the game. Anything can happen. We need a good plan.

“Everyone knows we can do it, we’ve done it. Last year Juventus lost 3-0 to Real Madrid and then went 3-0 up in second-leg, PSG vs Barcelona [in 2017]. There are so many examples of teams who can change results like this.

“But then we went to Chelsea and Liverpool and didn’t concede so we know we can keep clean sheets.“We analyse games but in the heat of the moment we made a couple of mistakes and when you make small mistakes you get punished.

“You can get away with it in the Premier League but can’t in the latter stages of the Champions League.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea appeal to FIFA over two-window transfer ban


Chelsea have lodged an appeal with FIFA against their ban from signing players during the next two transfer windows.FIFA announced in February that the ban had been imposed on Chelsea for alleged breaches of regulations regarding the acquisition of players under the age of 18.

At the time, Chelsea were quick to announce their intention to appeal the decision, stating the club 'categorically refutes' the findings of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee.

A statement released on the club’s official website read: “Chelsea FC has today received a decision from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee concerning alleged breaches of the FIFA Regulations that relate to the international transfer of players under the age of 18.

“The decision imposes a transfer ban of two consecutive registration periods and a fine of 600k Swiss francs.“Chelsea FC categorically refutes the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and will therefore be appealing the decision.

“The club wishes to emphasise that it respects the important work undertaken by FIFA in relation to the protection of minors and has fully cooperated with FIFA throughout its investigation.

“Initially, Chelsea FC was charged under Articles 19.1 and 19.3 in relation to 92 players. We welcome the fact that FIFA has accepted that there was no breach in relation to 63 of these players, but the club is extremely disappointed that FIFA has not accepted the club’s submissions in relation to the remaining 29 players.“Chelsea FC acted in accordance with the relevant regulations and will shortly be submitting its appeal to FIFA.”

FIFA has now confirmed an appeal from Chelsea and said in a statement: "Any decision on the sanction remaining in place during the appeal process is to be taken by the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee."

World football's governing body had previously charged the Premier League club over 29 of their deals involving young players, while also accusing them of “several other infringements relating to registration requirements for players”.

An official statement released by FIFA upon announcing the decision of the transfer ban read: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the English club Chelsea FC and The Football Association for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

“Chelsea was found to have breached art. 19 of the Regulations in the case of twenty-nine (29) minor players and to have committed several other infringements relating to registration requirements for players. The club also breached art. 18bis of the Regulations in connection with two agreements it concluded concerning minors and which allowed it to influence other clubs in transfer-related matters.

“The Disciplinary Committee sanctioned Chelsea with a ban on registering new players at both national and international level for the next two (2) complete and consecutive registration periods. This ban applies to the club as a whole - with the exception of the women’s and futsal teams - and does not prevent the release of players.“Additionally, the club was fined CHF 600,000 and given a period of 90 days to regularise the situation of the minor players concerned.”

Chelsea, who already have a £58 million ($74m) deal in place to sign United States international Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund over the summer, will now await the outcome of their appeal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Solskjaer: Man Utd would rather win 4-2 than play for 2-0 at PSG


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised Manchester United will go on the attack against Paris Saint-Germain in a bid to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.

PSG outplayed United 2-0 at Old Trafford last month to take complete control of their last-16 tie and Solskjaer's side will be without inspirational midfielder Paul Pogba due to suspension.Anthony Martial is a major doubt and midfielders Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic are also both expected to miss the trip to the French capital due to injury.

United's hopes of a Champions League comeback appear slim but Solskjaer, who scored an injury-time winner against Bayern Munich to seal their dramatic success in the 1999 final, is backing his side.

"We can't write games off, we've been fantastic away from home," Solskjaer told United's official website. "We're not going to go out without giving a fight.

"We're going to go out there and enjoy the game. We know it's a difficult place to come and they played really well at Old Trafford, so it's a great challenge for our players to go out there and show what they can do."We'd rather win 4-2 than try to get a 2-0. We've got to get to half-time better off than we are now. If you can get to 1-0 at half-time then anything can happen in the second half.

"Against PSG, in the last 20 minutes, I know they were 2-0 up so they were happy, but I thought we held our own and Victor [Lindelof] back there marshalled the troops, so we can go there and score a goal and make it chaotic in the last 15 or 20 minutes.

"He's a big, big plus. His performances have risen and really improved. He's playing more on the left side; he started really well on the right side with Phil Jones, now Chris Smalling has come in and done really well, so he's has loads of partners to play with. I think he's easy to play with for the other centre-backs because he's so reliable."

United have won all eight of their matches away from home in all competitions since Solskjaer was installed as the temporary replacement for Jose Mourinho."It's an incredible achievement by the players," Solskjaer added. "They go into away games now knowing that we can defend well and we've got pace on the counter.

"They've been very confident away from home so hopefully we can take that to Paris because we have to - we're playing against top, top players."