Recently, the warriors of Naples have fought many battles and lost the important ones. The 3-0 spanking by Juventus and the 3-1 loss at the Signal Iduna are results that have not gone down well with the Sky Blue army. Matchday six of the UCL is the biggest game of the season for Rafa Benitez
Arsenal will push for that 3rd consecutive victory in the Champions League this season, as they host last year’s finalist Dortmund at the Emirates on Tuesday. Wenger’s men continued from where they left off before the International break fixtures in the league; by thrashing Norwich to retain top spot on the log. The Gunners
“Super-Bayern uberrollen Manchester” rejoiced the headline in the German newspaper Bild on Thursday morning, celebrating how Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, on his 100th day in charge of the club, rolled-over Manchester City in a manner reminiscent of how the coach’s Barcelona dominated teams in such an unforgiving manner. While Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben may
In the last few years, it’s looked increasingly difficult to close the gap between La Liga’s big two – Barcelona and Real Madrid – and the rest of the pack. However, it now looks like Atletico Madrid are doing just that. With players like David Villa and Adrian in the ranks, things are looking up
English champions, Manchester United, are a club in disarray, and David Moyes will be delighted to have the opportunity to put his domestic troubles to one side and concentrate on European affairs. The game will act as respite for their new manager, despite his admission this week that his squad is not strong enough to
A hard fought draw against an abstruse Sunderland team saw Arsene Wenger’s team exit the Stadium of Light with all three points in the bag. The Gunners started the game brightly, and barely 10 minutes into the half, debutant Mesut Ozil teed Oliver Giroud to fire Arsenal to an early lead. The German international was
The post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has been filled with twists and turns up until this point. The favoured one, David Moyesis about to embark on his first MAJOR EUROPEAN adventure tonight when Steffan KeiSling’s Leverkusen visit Old Trafford for the first time in 11 long years. The draw has pitted a European powerhouse with three
It’s that time of year again! That Champions League time of year. And for Zenit Saint Petersburg, it’s yet another chance to show Europe just what this club can do. After stunning the continent to claim the UEFA Cup and Super Cup in 2008 Zenit has struggled in European competition, failing to make the quarter
After Romelu Lukaku’s successes with West Bromwich Albion last season, many expected him to play an increased role at Stamford Bridge this season, under the reinstated Jose Mourinho. The signs were good during pre-season with the Belgian getting a fair amount of game-time and looking ready for the coming season. However, rumours started to circulate
Sometimes I wonder who writes these scripts. You know, Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola returns from his sabbatical and Mourinho is back at his ‘beloved’ Chelsea. What happens next? They face-off in Europe for a very important ‘winner takes-all’ game. Whoever is victorious will not only smile home with the trophy, but also the upper hand in
As the international football season wraps up, it is a very tough time for a lot of fans. If a season was terrible, the end can seem a welcome relief. And if your team was outstanding, it can be great to see a wonderful run end well. In either case, you’re left counting the days
Surprise package: Galatasaray Many looked at Galatasaray’s team at the start of the Champions League season thinking they were a team with a few decent players, but nothing that would create any real waves in Europe’s elite club competition. In reality, they surprised many after a disappointing start where they only had one point
When Bayern Munich dismantled Barcelona, the world became aware that a new super power has emerged. Jupp Henyckes has steadily turned the Reds of Bavaria into the heavy weights of European Football. However, to make it stick at least for the time being, Dortmund (again) stand in the way of FC HOLLYWOOD. The very same
An enthralling and exciting semi-final slam awaits us. Four European giants, who play some of the most brilliant football ever seen throughout, battle it out for the chance, the opportunity to take the most prestigious club competition on the continent. Who are the favorites? Who are the underdogs? Here’s our world-class (somewhat) preview of what
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona are the final four out of the 32 teams that qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Borussia Dortmund replace Chelsea if you take last season’s semi-finalists into context. Real, Barca and Bayern have been consistent over the last two seasons and their qualification
Real Madrid will be looking to finish the Gala job when they travel to the Turk Telekom Arena tonight. Fatih Terim and his boys will be looking to salvage some pride at least. A three goal deficit against a great team like Real Madrid is impossible to overcome. Although, impossible is nothing. They could borrow
In previous years, the Champions League has tended to get more and more dramatic as it goes along. However, this year, both the group stage, and the round of 16 have been full of drama with world class teams Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Arsenal, last year’s winners Chelsea, to name just a few, already being
Last season, Tottenham were very close to securing a Champions League spot after they were 13 points ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal at one point. You could sense the white side of North London hungry for a place in the UEFA Champions League. The 10 points gap between Tottenham and Arsenal increased after the high-flying Spurs
The modern day game of football does not present many happy tales. However, in the case of Malaga one side is attempting to buck the trend this season and present all observers with a positive outlook on the game. Before even a ball was kicked this season the outlook seemed rather bleak for a side
Manchester United were the third English team to be knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after losing at home to Madrid in the most surprising manner, after winger Nani was sent off for a rash challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa. To most United fans, it wasn’t a red card and the referee should have been
Jose Mourinho said the world’s eyes would be on his Real Madrid side’s captivating win over Manchester United on Tuesday night, but that would have been a discredit to events over in Germany where Borussia Dortmund are offering their own brand of entertainment. As Madrid battled into the quarter-finals of the Champions League at Old
The return leg of the massively anticipated battle between two of the World’s most appreciated and successful clubs goes down tonight at the Theatre of Dreams. With the tie in the balance at 1-1, the war is expected to be keenly contested and excellently played out. Visitors, Real Madrid have been unbelievable in the past
Defeats in football are some of the most saddening moments for both the fans and the players of the losing side. This is especially the case when your team is losing to a rival team. In this review of top 5 football (soccer) defeats, a defeat is rated highly if it involved a big goal
While the aftermath of Arsenal’s dismantling by Bayern Munich on Tuesday night will centre around Arsene Wenger’s future and his evolutionary odyssey that continues to edge ever close to an end, it cannot be overlooked that the side who left north London victorious had just made a genuine case that this could be the year
The Giuseppe Meazza was agog with indescribable excitement and pride upon the final whistle of the eagerly awaited clash between hosts AC Milan and runaway La Liga leaders, Barcelona. Not only had the team in red, black and white defeated Barcelona, they also ensured that the blessed trio of Xavi-Iniesta-and Messi were kept absolutely quiet.