Ronaldo calls in Bale reinforcements as Neymar joins forces with Messi

 

Barcelona struck fear into the hearts of Real Madrid as they stole a march on their Liga rivals by beating them to the signature of Santos starlet Neymar.

The Brazil international had been a long-term target for both clubs, with two teams having had bids accepted by his native side, but Barca won the day and secured the much-vaunted forward.

With Neymar set to link up with Lionel Messi at Camp Nou, it may be time for Cristiano Ronaldo to call for backup as talk of a move by Los Blancos for Tottenham star Gareth Bale rumbles on... 

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Robben finally hits Champions League jackpot

 

Arjen Robben has endured his fair share of disappointment in major finals in the past.

The Dutchman has twice suffered defeat in the Champions League final with Bayern Munich, against Inter in 2010 and Chelsea in 2012.

And the forward was also on the losing side in the 2010 World Cup as the Netherlands were defeated by Spain.

But Robben finally hit the jackpot in the Champions League last night, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the closing stages to finally shake off that 'loser' tag.

"It was a special feeling," Robben told reporters. "I didn't want to be remembered in my career as a loser.

"It's harsh to say but every time in second place is not what you want. It was so important to win the trophy this time. We needed to do it and we deserved to do it." 
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Pole position: Monaco race ahead of PSG with James and Moutinho signings

 

Monaco announced the biggest deal of the summer so far - and we're only a few days into it - with their €70 million (£59.5m) capture of Porto's James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho.

Their first foray into the market has put down a marker in France, where Paris Saint-Germain romped to the Ligue 1 title, and should signal a new superpower on the continent.

And, with the Monaco Grand Prix also taking place this weekend, mega-rich owner Dmitry Rybolovlev impressively diverted attention to the footballing side of the principality.

With Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao likely to also be signing for Claudio Ranieri's side on Monday, Monaco could be nudged further ahead of PSG in the headline-grabbing stakes. 
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Can Dortmund stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut?

 

The Champions League final at Wembley Stadium is just a day away, and the big question is: can Borussia Dortmund stop the Bayern Munich juggernaut?

Jupp Heynckes' side has been simply unstoppable this season, romping to the Bundesliga title with a record points tally, booking a place in the DFB Pokal final against Stuttgart and demolishing the mighty Barcelona over two legs on their way to the final.

Dortmund, meanwhile, surprised many by negotiating their way out of a group featuring Manchester City, Ajax and Real Madrid, before eliminating the Spanish giants in the knockout stages.

Jurgen Klopp's men finished a staggering 24 points behind Bayern in second place in the league, but both domestic meetings between the two have ended as 1-1 draws.

Can Klopp mastermind a victory over the German powerhouse, even without the injured Mario Gotze? 
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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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Project Pen tribute

 

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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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