Friday, April 20, 2012
Didier leaves the Barca Boys trailing in his wake
In the wake of Bayern Munich's victory over
Real Madrid on Tuesday, all eyes were on Chelsea to inflict similar
punishment of their own in their semi-final first leg against Barcelona.
The Blues were forced to adopt a counterattacking style against the
competition holders, who unsurprisingly dominated possession for the
most part, but in football you must grab your chances - something
Barcelona appeared to take for granted, while Chelsea ensured their only shot of the evening counted for something.
However, their scalp over the Blaugrana would not have been
accomplished without match-winner, Didier Drogba, who netted his third
goal against Pep Guardiola's men. But arguably it will be his
off-the-ball antics, rather than his goal, that will live longest in the
memory. One criticism of the Ivorian is that he tends to fall to the
ground a little too easily, despite his powerful physique, as evidenced
by his countless trips to the Stamford Bridge surface. Still, the
experienced forward had Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano trailing in
his wake throughout the evening!Tweet Follow @omomani
Munich thief leaves Madrid flat-footed
Prior to the first leg of Bayern Munich's Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena, a mystery thief reportedly stole six pairs of boots and some shirts from the visitors' dressing room. Three pairs allegedly belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo, while the others belonged to Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema.
It may have made a difference, as in the end Bayern managed to win the match 2-1 courtesy of a last-minute winner from Mario Gomez, while Ronaldo, along with defenders Sergio Ramos and Fabio Coentrao, endured a night to forget.
Meanwhile, Marca are reporting that Bayern have failed to give any sort of explanation for the theft, despite the fact there are security cameras monitoring the dressing rooms. While it may well be a case of people going to extreme lengths for a piece of Madrid memorabilia, there is the nagging possibility that it was all just a bit of gamesmanship from the hosts.
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It may have made a difference, as in the end Bayern managed to win the match 2-1 courtesy of a last-minute winner from Mario Gomez, while Ronaldo, along with defenders Sergio Ramos and Fabio Coentrao, endured a night to forget.
Meanwhile, Marca are reporting that Bayern have failed to give any sort of explanation for the theft, despite the fact there are security cameras monitoring the dressing rooms. While it may well be a case of people going to extreme lengths for a piece of Madrid memorabilia, there is the nagging possibility that it was all just a bit of gamesmanship from the hosts.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Robben seeks spinach strength
It has not been the best of weeks for Arjen Robben. After missing a penalty in Bayern Munich's potential title-deciding defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last Wednesday, he then failed to inspire his side past Mainz at home on Saturday.
Now the Bavarians face the visit of a far more dangerous outfit in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final: Robben's former club, Real Madrid. The Dutchman has acknowledged that his side will have to be at their best to defeat Jose Mourinho's men and reach the final, which will be played at the Allianz Arena.
For Robben the tie against Real Madrid is also a chance to finally defeat goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who famously denied him in a one-on-one in the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Much like Popeye, the winger could well use a can of spinach to help him through this hardest of challenges ...
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Now the Bavarians face the visit of a far more dangerous outfit in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final: Robben's former club, Real Madrid. The Dutchman has acknowledged that his side will have to be at their best to defeat Jose Mourinho's men and reach the final, which will be played at the Allianz Arena.
For Robben the tie against Real Madrid is also a chance to finally defeat goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who famously denied him in a one-on-one in the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Much like Popeye, the winger could well use a can of spinach to help him through this hardest of challenges ...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Mata's 'ghost goal' spooks Spurs
Juan Mata scored a 'phantom goal' for Chelsea when they beat Tottenham 5-1 at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.
The Spain international's shot didn't seem to cross the line, but referee Martin Atkinson was quick to award the goal that took the Blues 2-0 up early in the second half.
Three more strikes from Ramires, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda followed, but it was the controversial decision to allow the second goal that had fans up in arms, with John Terry admitting after the game that he didn't think the ball had crossed the line.
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The Spain international's shot didn't seem to cross the line, but referee Martin Atkinson was quick to award the goal that took the Blues 2-0 up early in the second half.
Three more strikes from Ramires, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda followed, but it was the controversial decision to allow the second goal that had fans up in arms, with John Terry admitting after the game that he didn't think the ball had crossed the line.
'Donkey' Carroll wins the derby by a head
It was a rare demonstration of the 23-year-old's scoring abilities, as the former Newcastle United striker has, at times, failed to justify his hefty €41 million price tag. But in the Liverpool derby, Carroll's strike proved decisive - a goal he celebrated like he had won the famous Grand National.
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