Injured Gotze ready to 'do a Terry' at Wembley

 

Mario Gotze is in a win-win situation on Saturday at Wembley. Regardless of who triumphs out of Bayern and Dortmund in the all-German Champions League final extravaganza, Gotze can gatecrash either party.

It has been confirmed that the 20-year-old Bayern Dortmund Bayern Dortmund (??) playmaker will miss out on appearing in the game at the home of English football as he lost his battle to recover from a thigh injury but that doesn't mean he has to miss out on the post-match celebrations, just ask John Terry.

The Chelsea skipper has built up a reputation for popping up in the right place at the right time, in full strip, of course, when the ticker tape begins to fall and with Gotze swapping BVB for Bavaria in the summer, he may just be tempted to get involved in the celebrations, whatever the outcome. 

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Bayern & Dortmund given licence to thrill

 

There are only three days until the Champions League final, with two excellent German teams ready to take the field in London.

With Bayern's buying up of star players - including Dortmund's main-man Mario Gotze - one could be forgiven for seeing the Bundesliga champions as some sort of supervillain.

Will Dortmund, led by "Klopp... Jurgen Klopp..." be ready to shoot down Jupp Henyckes' side? Or, after being defeated in the final in two of the previous three years, is it a case of 'You Only Lose Twice' for Bayern?

One thing is for sure: both teams have a licence to thrill! 
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Heynckes and Klopp play Guess Who

 

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich faced off in a Bundesliga dead rubber on Saturday afternoon in a dress rehearsal for the Champions League final later this month.

But both BVB boss Jurgen Klopp and die Roten manager Jupp Heynckes played around with their team selections, carefully avoiding giving too much away ahead of their European encounter.

Star players such as Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek, Marco Reus and Sven Bender were rested for the home side, while Bayern made eight changes from the team that beat Barcelona in midweek.

And so with both managers keeping their cards extremely close to their chest, who knows how the teams will line up at Wembley... 

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Madrid need Ronaldo magic to keep Champions League dream alive

 

After a whirlwind 4-1 pasting from Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Real Madrid are on the ropes.

Their dream of 'La Decima' needs a miracle to be revived and Jose Mourinho will be turning to his talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, for inspiration as the Santiago Bernabeu hosts the crucial return fixture.

Will the Portuguese be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat or will BVB make Madrid's trophy hopes disappear? 
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Robin Hood Lewandowski makes mockery of Madrid

 

Robbing from the rich to give to the poor. That's what Jurgen Klopp said his side were doing after their thrilling 4-1 demolition of Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

It has been a trying couple of days for Klopp after the news broke of Mario Gotze's impending move to fierce rivals Bayern Munich, but in Robert Lewandowski, the Borussia manager truly has an astonishing marksman.

The Polish striker took down Jose Mourinho and his side with ruthless finishing as he bagged all four goals for the hosts in front of a rapturous Dortmund crowd. 
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German giants ready to trip up Clasico duo

 

Both the Spanish and the German sides have been kept apart in the Champions League semi-final as Bayern Munich have been paired with Barcelona, while Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund.

Many have predicted a Clasico final, although the form of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in Europe this season could result in a upset for those hoping for an all-Spanish affair at Wembley in May.

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Dortmund - Malaga given Hollywood finale

 

In one of the most enthralling endings to a Champions League tie, Dortmund secured a place in the semi-finals after two injury-time strikes saw off Malaga.

Joaquin and a superb Robert Lewandowski effort set up a tense second half but it was the Spanish club who looked set for a semi-final spot after Eliseu struck in the 82nd minute.

But there was more to come from the match as Marco Reus netted in the 91st minute before Felipe Santana popped up with the decisive goal just moments before the final whistle.

"Up until now, our story has been like a Hollywood movie - hopefully it will have a Hollywood ending," Dortmund defender Neven Subotic told Uefa.

"This is the craziest moment in all of my footballing career. It has been a special match for everybody - for us and the fans." 
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Champions League elite prepare for quarter-final battle

Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw served up four intriguing clashes as Europe's elite continue their hunt for a place at Wembley in May.

Barcelona have been paired with Paris Saint-Germain, which will see Zlatan Ibrahimovic face his former club, although the Swede is suspended for the first leg.

Last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich face a tricky tie against Serie A champions and current leaders Juventus.

Jose Mourinho will be reunited with two of his former players in Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder as Real Madrid take on Galatasaray.

While in the final tie of the round, Malaga will be in action against German champions Borussia Dortmund. 
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Rooney headed for Old Trafford trapdoor

 

The writing appears to be on the wall for Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.

Reports emerged on Thursday suggesting the striker will be shown the Old Trafford trapdoor by Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer, after the Scot dropped the 27-year-old for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

Rooney is reportedly reluctant to leave, though his fashion-conscious wife Coleen may well be pleased with links to Paris Saint-Germain.

United, meanwhile, have reportedly turned their attention to Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski. 
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Last 16 hopefuls eye Champions League glory

 

The Champions League round-of-16 stage commences on Tuesday as Europe's elite attempt to forge a path to the final at Wembley.

The standout tie this week sees Cristiano Ronaldo come up against his former club for the first time as Real Madrid host Manchester United on Wednesday evening.

Elsewhere, Serie A champions Juventus are in action against Celtic, Valencia play Paris Saint-Germain, while two sides who impressed in the group stage, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund, square off at the Donbass Arena on Wednesday. 
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Nuri Sahin runs back to Borussia Dortmund after Liverpool nightmare

 

Nuri Sahin had been expected to spend an entire season at Liverpool, on loan from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

But, after a disappointing start and entirely forgettably spell, the Turkey international has cut his Anfield stay short.

Sahin is not bound for Madrid, though. The midfielder is on his way back to his former club Borussia Dortmund, to be reuinited with Jurgen Klopp, who has watched his once star player toil since leaving Germany.

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Hart saves the day for Manchester City

 

Manchester City had Joe Hart to thank on Wednesday as the England goalkeeper produced a superb performance in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund.

The City shot-stopper was in top form at the Etihad making several sensational saves as the German champions took the lead through Marco Reus and threatened to add many more in a dominant second-half showing.

Ultimately it was Mario Balotelli who showed nerves of steel to net a late, late penalty and salvage a draw for the Premier League champions, but there was no denying that the real hero was City's No.1.
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Mancini & Mourinho to do battle in Group of Death

 

Manchester City will face Real Madrid in this season's Champions League "Group of Death" that also contains the champions from Holland and Germany.

Roberto Mancini's men were drawn in Group D alongside Jose Mourinho's La Liga winners in Monaco yesterday, along with Eredivisie champions Ajax and Bundesliga holders Borussia Dortmund.

City will be cursing their luck, especially after being drawn in the least enviable group in last season's tournament, playing Napoli, Villarreal and eventual runners-up Bayern Munich before finishing third.

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Kagawa's sun rising at Manchester United

 

The news broke on Tuesday that Manchester United have launched a bid for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa.

The 23-year-old has scored 39 goals in 71 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's men as they have won back-to-back Bundesliga titles.
No wonder then that Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to do all he can to snag the Japan international ...

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Humble pie

 

With Borussia Dortmund on the brink of claiming their second successive Bundesliga title, Jurgen Klopp has been vocal in stating that Bayern Munich should recognise the achievements of their rivals.

The Bavarian giants, and especially president Uli Hoeness, have been critical of the Signal Iduna Park side in the past and the relationship between the two clubs is now more strained than ever.

However, with BVB on the verge of defending their title, the Bayern Munich president may have to follow Klopp's advice and finally "take off his hat to BVB's performances"...

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Oh! Dortmund

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