Saturday, May 25, 2013

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? 

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. 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Project Pen tribute

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

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Casillas' birthday wish comes true as Mourinho leaves Madrid

And so the Special One finally departs the Bernabeu. What better day to do it on than the birthday of club captain, and feud-er in chief, Iker Casillas?

The pair had a rocky relationship this season, with Casillas' Spain team-mate and Barcelona rival Xavi lambasting Mourinho for his "terrible" treatment of the keeper.

But late on Monday, Real Madrid announced that they were parting company with Mourinho by mutual consent, and the manager is set to join Chelsea within the next two weeks.

So, happy birthday to Iker Casillas, who got exactly what he might have wished for.