..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

'We have to stay calm' - Tuchel plays down Paris Saint-Germain 'crisis' talk


Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel has rejected suggestions that the club are in crisis but concedes that they are experiencing a "difficult phase".The runaway Ligue 1 leaders have now missed two opportunities to wrap up the title after a 2-2 draw at home to Strasbourg on April 7 was followed by a crushing 5-1 defeat to second-place Lille on Sunday.

PSG have another chance to wrap up a second consecutive league title when they travel to Nantes on Wednesday and Tuchel is keen to play down his side's blip in form.

"We have to accept this kind of period in a season," he told a media conference."In the middle there are a lot of positives but there are also complicated, hard weeks."It's not a crisis but a difficult phase. I will take the same crisis next season if it comes with a 17-point lead! We have to stay calm and together.

"It is our goal to be champions very quickly. We had the opportunity to become champions against Strasbourg and Lille, but we couldn't seize it. There are always obstacles to overcome."

PSG will be without the injured Thomas Meunier, Edinson Cavani, Neymar, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva and Angel Di Maria for the visit to 15th-place Nantes, while Juan Bernat and Marco Verratti are suspended.

Tuchel denied that he has any issues with the way players' injuries are being handled by the club's medical staff but did say the workload was becoming difficult for those who can play.After listing the players that will be missing, Tuchel said: "That is not our squad for the quarter-finals for the Champions League, they are our wounded.

"I am not angry. We work hard together. The doctors, physiotherapists and staff are all together. We have to think about each injury individually. I have confidence in them."There are not enough players, that's the reality. If a lot of people are missing the ones remaining have more responsibilities. It's demanding. They're physically and mentally tired. They do not stop."

Brazil superstar Neymar is working his way back from a foot injury sustained in PSG's Coupe de France clash against Strasbourg on January 23, but no timescale has been put on when the world's most expensive footballer will return to full fitness.

Tuchel has confirmed that he is not suffering any lasting pain from the injury and is aiming to return soon."Neymar has no pain," he added. "He is very confident and wants to come back as soon as possible."

 

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Liverpool & Manchester City both deserve to win the Premier League, insists Guardiola


Pep Guardiola believes both Manchester City and Liverpool deserve to win the Premier League title this season.

Manchester City are second in the Premier League on 83 points having played 33 games. Liverpool are two points ahead of them, but they have played one game more and have just four fixtures left to play.

After facing Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday, Guardiola's men have another tie with the same opponents on Saturday, while the Reds travel to Cardiff for their game on Sunday.

City won the Premier League last season with a tally of 100 points, but the season prior to that Chelsea won the league on 93 points which is a tally both sides can exceed and still not be triumphant.

"If we don't win these games this week, we lose both titles," said Guardiola."This season we had an incredible opponent in Liverpool. Usually 84, 85 points is enough to win the title. We both deserve it but only one can get it."

Guardiola's sentiments were reinforced by defender John Stones, who believes this situation helps to bring out the best in the City players."Vincent Kompany made a good point before Palace where these sorts of moments as players bring out the best in us," he said.

"We have got five games left in the league, everything to play for and we’ve got to keep believing and enjoying the pressure."However, the focus at the moment is on the Champions League with City looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat against Spurs.

And Guardiola, who is in his third season in charge of City, is confident his side will perform to their full potential against Mauricio Pochettino's men.

"I don't dream too much about things far away. I want to get to the semi-final," he added. "Whatever happens tomorrow, next season we will be there again in the draw in Monaco in August."I know how focused the players are. The desire to get to the semi-finals. Will it be enough? I don't know.

"I got to the final once with one shot on target, and once I had 33 shots on target and didn't. Football is that game."

 

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Bayern would buy Mbappe immediately if we could afford him - Hoeness


Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness says he would buy Kylian Mbappe "immediately" if the German giants could afford the Paris Saint-Germain star.The 20-year-old striker is this season's top scorer in Ligue 1 with 27 goals from 26 appearances, enhancing his reputation as one of the world's most promising young players.

A World Cup winner with France, Mbappe is seen as a successor to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as one of the best in the game.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness says he would buy Kylian Mbappe "immediately" if the German giants could afford the Paris Saint-Germain star.The 20-year-old striker is this season's top scorer in Ligue 1 with 27 goals from 26 appearances, enhancing his reputation as one of the world's most promising young players.

A World Cup winner with France, Mbappe is seen as a successor to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as one of the best in the game.

They recently spent a club record €80m (£68m/$90m) to sign Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid this summer and Hoeness was surprised by the reaction to the deal.

“I was surprised that our €80 million was criticised so much. Recently, it was still being said that with a cautious transfer policy, Bayern have no chance of breaking into the group of English and Spanish top clubs and Paris Saint-Germain. Now we deliver and people shout: ‘How can you spend €80 million on a player?’ What would people have cried when we bought Kylian Mbappé?

He added: “We believe that the time has come for Bayern to put their hard-earned money on the market to bring back a new, young team to the pitch.”

 

[Sub Zer0]

Juve
United

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leganes 1 Real Madrid 1: In-form Benzema secures point for Zidane's side

Real Madrid missed the chance to get within touching distance of Atletico Madrid as Zinedine Zidane's side were held to a 1-1 draw by Leganes in LaLiga.Atletico's 2-0 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday saw them move five points clear of third-placed Madrid, who had to rely on the in-form Karim Benzema to salvage a draw in a rare Monday outing.

Jonathan Silva's goal had given Leganes a deserved lead late in the first half, but Benzema drew his side level with his 18th LaLiga goal of the season six minutes after the restart.


Youssef En-Nesyri thought he had clinched a famous win for Leganes late on, but the offside flag sparred Madrid's blushes in what was a frustrating outing for the visitors.
Zidane saw his team make a break start, Marco Asensio failing to direct a close-range effort either side of Ivan Cuellar after 10 minutes.

Madrid should have been made to pay four minutes later, only for Martin Braithwaite to head wide from three yards out after getting the better of Nacho, playing in a defence minus the services of the injured Sergio Ramos.But Madrid were punished on the stroke of half-time, Braithwaite teeing up Silva, who gave Keylor Navas little chance with a precise finish to the goalkeeper's right.

Leganes' lead was short-lived, though, Benzema - who had been played in brilliantly by Luka Modric - tucking home at the second attempt from a tight angle following a fine initial save from Cuellar.

Substitute En-Nesyri was rightly flagged offside as Leganes pushed for a winner, with Cuellar on top form at the other end to deny Marcelo and ensure a well-deserved point against their illustrious city rivals.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Watford 0 Arsenal 1: Foster, Deeney errors hand Gunners top-four spot

Arsenal recorded their first away clean sheet in the Premier League this season with Ben Foster's mistake and Troy Deeney's red card contributing to a 1-0 victory for the Gunners at Watford.Unai Emery's side have struggled for form on their travels in all competitions but were gifted three points at Vicarage Road on Monday, moving them up to fourth in the table.

Foster's lapse in concentration saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang score his 18th league goal of the campaign in farcical fashion in the 11th minute, with Deeney then almost immediately dismissed for an elbow on Lucas Torreira.


FA Cup finalists Watford impressed despite being reduced to 10 men, full-back Adam Masina clipping the crossbar with a superb drive in the second half, but they succumbed to their first home defeat of the year.
Watford made the better start only to fall behind in self-inflicted circumstances.Daryl Janmaat played a routine pass back to Foster but the Watford goalkeeper did not spot the advancing Aubameyang and his clearance crashed against the striker and into the net.

Within two minutes Watford were down to 10, Deeney sent off for catching Torreira, although Bernd Leno soon tipped Craig Cathcart's drive on to the post.The Hornets continued to test Leno despite Arsenal's man advantage, with Etienne Capoue's floated free-kick turned away by the keeper.

Foster made a fine block to deny Henrikh Mkhitaryan after the restart, the Armenia international seeming certain to turn home Alex Iwobi's cross with Watford caught short at the back.Masina went closest to earning the hosts what would have been a deserved draw, the defender letting fly with a rising drive that nicked the woodwork.

Arsenal failed to kill the game, Aubameyang missing a chance for his second, but they held on thanks to Ainsley Maitland-Niles' excellent block on Andre Gray to move within a point of third-placed rivals Tottenham.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Navas hoping for Real Madrid stay


Keylor Navas hopes he can stay at Real Madrid next season and fight for the No.1 spot under head coach Zinedine Zidane.

Since returning to the La Liga club, Zidane has rotated his goalkeepers but Thibaut Courtois' injury has allowed Navas to stake his claim.The Costa Rice international was in goal for Madrid's three consecutive Champions League titles won in Zidane's first spell.

But Madrid continue to be linked with a move for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea at the end of the season.Navas had the gloves for Monday's 1-1 draw at Leganes and he is planning to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu – if he is wanted.

"I'm very happy, grateful to God for giving me the chance to be here," Navas said after Madrid's poor form continued, Zidane's side having only won one of their past three Liga games."Whenever I get the opportunity to play I do the best I can. I hope I can stay at Madrid next season. I have a contract and we have to wait and see if anything changes there."

Madrid have endured a trying season and are left without any hope of further silverware this term, as they have been eliminated from both the Champions League and Copa del Rey and trail Barcelona by 13 points in the league.As a result, Zidane has previously admitted motivation is a problem in the squad.

But Navas says he and his team-mates have too much pride and love for the club to not give it their all every week, even if results have not been there.

"It has been complicated season for everybody. We come out with a desire to win and play at our best but the results aren't always going our way, we're all sad for the situation, it's complicated," Navas said. "We're always willing to win and we've got our pride, our love for the shirt is worth a lot more, and we have to demand more wins and better results from ourselves."

"I think at this club every year we're under pressure, so it's no excuse. We have to be ready mentally to face any situation that happens and that's why we're Madrid players."

 

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UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals 2nd Leg Fixtures 2019.04.16

UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals 2nd Leg Fixtures 2019.04.16

AGG
(1-0)

Barcelona Vs Manchester United

AGG
(1-1)

Juventus Vs Ajax

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[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona home nam kohomath lesi nahaHoda fight ekak denna wenawa win karanna nam.Ape forwards lagen nam ada match eke loku deyak balaporotthu wenawaRash,Martial,Lukaku,Lingard & Sanchez godak durata play karai ada match eka

Anything can happen

Good luck Manchester United!
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[Sub Zer0]

Ajax juve ekt awe aprde. final enna tbba 2nntm nthnm

 

[Frosty]

juve juve juuuuuuuve

 

[Sanjeewamilan]

messi scored

 

[Sanjeewamilan]

barcelona 2 - 0 Man United

 

[Heisenberg]

aparade bn.mul goal deka

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Ajax destroying everyone. WTF!!

 

[Frosty]

kawa

 

[Heisenberg]

ashley young sellam kara charter.oita wada hodata sellam karanna thibba

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona 3 Manchester United 0 (4-0 agg): Messi magic and De Gea howler leave Red Devils humbled

Two goals from Lionel Messi helped Barcelona to a 3-0 defeat of Manchester United on Tuesday and a 4-0 aggregate triumph in their Champions League quarter-final tie.

With a 1-0 advantage from the first meeting at Old Trafford, the Catalans took command inside the first 20 minutes thanks to a double from their number 10, the second of which owed plenty to a dreadful mistake from David de Gea.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named an attacking line-up featuring Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, but the blow of those first-half goals seemed to drain any hope of repeating the kind of performance they produced to stun Paris Saint-Germain in France in the last 16.


The tie was firmly put to bed by a sublime goal from Philippe Coutinho, who may get the chance to face old club Liverpool in the semi-finals if they see off Porto on Wednesday.

Rashford prodded a shot against the bar in a positive start from United, but they engineered their own downfall within the space of four minutes.Ashley Young dithered in possession and lost the ball near his own box, allowing Messi to step into space and drill a shot beyond De Gea and into the bottom-left corner.

The United keeper could do little about it, but he endured a calamitous moment 20 minutes in, allowing Messi's tame right-foot shot to squeeze beneath his body and into the net.

De Gea denied a certain Sergi Roberto goal after Messi left Phil Jones chasing shadows, but he was again helpless as Barca struck a third on the hour mark, Coutinho sending a stunning strike beyond his outstretched right hand.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a magnificent 90th-minute save from substitute Alexis Sanchez, but United were well beaten and must now fight to turn around their recent form after a fifth defeat in seven games in all competitions.

 

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Juventus 1 Ajax 2 (2-3 agg): Van de Beek, De Ligt complete incredible comeback

Ajax dumped Juventus out of the Champions League as a stunning 2-1 second-leg victory at Allianz Stadium on Tuesday completed a famous 3-2 quarter-final triumph.

Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt scored either side of half-time to overturn Cristiano Ronaldo's opener and send the Eredivisie side through to the last four of the competition for the first time since 1997.

The Bianconeri appeared on course to progress after Ronaldo, on target in last week's 1-1 draw in Amsterdam, nodded them ahead in contentious circumstances.


But Erik ten Hag's thrilling young side took command thereafter and collected another high-profile scalp having already ended Real Madrid’s reign in the previous round.Ajax lost Noussair Mazraoui, deputising for suspended left-back Nicolas Tagliafico, to an early ankle injury and fortune further abandoned them in the 28th minute.

Leonardo Bonucci's arm to the face of a stumbling Joel Veltman went unpunished despite a VAR review, meaning Ronaldo's thumping header from Miralem Pjanic's corner was allowed to stand.

The equaliser arrived in quick time, however. Van de Beek cushioned Hakim Ziyech's shot and, kept onside by Mattia De Sciglio, tucked away the one-on-one opportunity.

Wojciech Szczesny made two excellent saves, first from Ziyech and then Van de Beek, in a one-sided 20 minutes after the interval, yet the goalkeeper could do nothing about De Ligt's commanding header, the teenage defender soaring above Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani.

David Neres fluffed a golden chance to put the tie beyond doubt and the influential Ziyech had a stunner disallowed for offside as Ajax continued to dominate, with Juve's late appeals for handball against Daley Blind going unheard as the Serie A champions were sensationally knocked out on home turf.

 

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Neville: Manchester United need an entirely new defence


Gary Neville feels Manchester United are in need of an entirely new defence after watching the Red Devils fall to Barcelona in the Champions League.

United lost 3-0 on Tuesday at Camp Nou, completing a 4-0 aggregate defeat in the Champions League quarter-final. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men made some unwanted history in the defeat, with Man Utd suffering their worst ever European knockout-round defeat over two legs.

Neville highlighted two United players he feels can learn from the Barca defeat, while indicating that others are simply not good enough to improve sufficiently.

"For Marcus Rashford, he recognises what the elite level is in terms of club football," Neville told beIN SPORTS. "[For] Scott McTominay, it's a big lesson for him over the two games, he's done well in the games but some of the others, they're not good enough.

"The coaching staff will see there's a massive gulf between Europe's best teams and where Manchester United are at. Manchester United need to revamp their squad - there is no doubt about that. ""[Solskjaer] needs a new defence in its entirety I would say."Tuesday's defeat was the fifth in seven matches for Man Utd after a hot start under Solskjaer, and Neville believes the club's performances in recent weeks are a more realistic indicator of their current level.

"The last few weeks have been a reality check for Manchester United, but tonight makes you feel about how far away they are from being the team they need to be," Neville said.

"I think Ole knew that for the last couple months. The first couple months in the job, everything was rosy, everything was perfect, the players were playing at a level that, to be fair, I'd not seen, they'd not shown."Now we're seeing a bit more of what they're like."

Neville also hit out at midfielder Paul Pogba, who struggled under former manager Jose Mourinho before undergoing a transformation with the arrival of Solskjaer.

"Pogba is now playing how he was pre-Ole's arrival," Neville said."I thought tonight he was really poor, rolling his foot over the ball all the time, playing for himself, not popping up and moving, [he] didn't look interested at times."But he's a great player and he can be a great player, he just has to get his focus back."