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Sunday 15 April 2018

April 15, 2018

Bayern Munich star injured; could miss Real Madrid clash


Ten days before the important Champions League clash with Real Madrid, potential disaster has struck at Bayern Munchen.

Bayern's star midfielder, Arturo Vidal, was forced to leave the training session after suffering an injury that looked serious, as the Chilean was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

According to Bild, Vidal fell to the ground and immediately placed his hand on the knee. Unfortunately for Bayern Munich, it's possible that Vidal will miss the first leg against Real Madrid, if not even worse.
April 15, 2018

MOURINHO REACTS TO WEST BROM DEFEAT

Jose Mourinho felt his Manchester United team "deserved to be punished" in Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion. 


The Reds slipped to a surprise loss against the relegation-threatened Baggies at Old Trafford, courtesy of a second-half header from Jay Rodriguez.

Read the thoughts of the boss in his post-match interview with Sky Sports...

‘WE DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED’
“I think we were deservedly punished because we were masters in complication. Players didn’t want to or couldn’t play simple. Everything was slow, everything was one more touch, one more flick, one more trick, one more turn, ball lost and no continuity or fluidity in our football. I don’t think we deserved to lose but we gave them the opportunity to win the match by being solid in defense and smelling a chance in a set-play which they did.”

DID THE WIN OVER CITY AFFECT THE PLAYERS?
“I know them [my players], I smell, I have a lot of experience and that’s not me because I won eight titles and I’m not in the moon because I won against Manchester City – a match that is only three points. But I saw lots of people in the moon because we won against Manchester City like winning against Manchester City was the most important thing of the season. I won too much to just be happy with one big victory and during the week I was trying to fight that because I was feeling and you could see the difference of attitude in some players today compared to other weeks. Masters of complication – we complicated our football since the beginning and gave West Bromwich Albion the chance to feel quite comfortable in their football.”

WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A PENALTY IN THE FIRST HALF

Saturday 14 April 2018

April 14, 2018

Furious as Zinedine Zidane blasts 'robbery' claims and bemoans 'anti-Real Madrid' critics

The Santiago Bernabeu boss has had enough of people claiming that the club 'stole' Juventus' spot in the Champions League semi-finals


Zinedine Zidane has angrily attacked claims of a "Real Madrid robbery" in their dramatic and controversial Champions League quarter-final victory over Juventus on Wednesday night.

The Blancos were given a stoppage-time penalty that has divided football fans over whether it was deserved, which Cristiano Ronaldo scored following Gianluigi Buffon's red card for protesting the decision.

Zidane, whose Madrid side drew Bayern Munich in the next stage of the competition on Friday, thinks some of the vitriolic reaction has been excessive and questioned the motives of those who have.
"I don't mind if people give their opinions about the penalty," he told reporters on Saturday afternoon. "But I'm angry with the robbery accusations.

"People are upset with our achievements. There are people who are anti-Real Madrid.

"But nobody is going to change the history of the biggest club in the world. They can say or write what they want.

"It's not normal, all this debate around the penalty. It's all too much."

When asked about criticism from Giorgio Chiellini, Gianluigi Buffon, Pep Guardiola and Arturo Vidal, Zidane suggested that a "negative obsession" is distorting the conversation about who deserved a spot in the last four the competition alongside Liverpool, Bayern, and Roma.

"Well, everybody can defend their business," he continued. "But you can't talk about a robbery.

"There's a kind of negative obsession with us. We can't be the best after the Juventus home game and then be the ones who robbed them."

Jupp Heynckes' side now stands between the reigning champions and third successive final, and the French coach is anticipating a tough challenge against this season's Bundesliga winners.
"Bayern is better this season," Zidane added. "This season it will be harder than ever against them.

"James Rodriguez will come with an extra motivation. He's having a great season. Our chances of knocking out Bayern is 50/50." 

Real Madrid is back in action on Sunday against Malaga in La Liga and return to European football on Wednesday, April 25 with a trip to the Allianz Arena.
April 14, 2018

Pep Guardiola says Man City could slip up and hand Man Utd Premier League title

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his side could still slip up and allow Manchester United to win the Premier League title.


The city needs five points from their remaining six Premier League matches to secure the title ahead of Saturday evening's game against Tottenham, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
They travel to Wembley on the back of three straight defeats, having lost 5-1 to Liverpool over two legs in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and 3-2 to Jose Mourinho's United last weekend.
Guardiola is not ruling out further slip-ups from his side and used examples from Spanish football and the NBA to prove his point.

"It can happen," Guardiola said. "Football is emotional. We can only try to focus and win at Tottenham and then Swansea.

"The fact is that since November or December we were already champions. When I heard pundits and fans in November they said it's all done, it's impossible for City to drop points. In one week we lost three games, that happened.


"We are able to win the two games [we need to confirm the title] and we will do that. We handled the pressure between the good and bad moments for the entire season, not just in this period.

"Dealing with the end of season pressure is good for our future. We have to handle that. If we are not able to in the end and United win the league then all we can say is 'congratulations'.

"Of course it can happen, I assure you. Real Madrid, many years ago, lost six games in a row and didn't win the league. Of course, it can happen, no doubts about that. The players know that I don't need to tell them.

"Never before in the NBA had one team in the final recovered from 3-1 down. One year ago Cavaliers won 4-3 against Golden State Warriors, winning three games in a row.

"It's in hour hands, that is a good advantage. If we lose it will be in the same way we tried to play against United and Liverpool. Congratulations to the opponents if they beat us."
There have been suggestions that City's run of losses could be down to Guardiola's demanding style of play, but he rejected those claims saying the issues with his side are mental rather than physical.

He added: "No, I don't think so. Of course, it is tough but it is tough for everybody in the Premier League. It's not unusual for a team to win a lot of games and when they lose people ask 'what happened? We did not expect Manchester City to lose'.

"The way we run is not a problem. You have to understand that when [Mohamed] Salah scores his goal it is not a physical reaction [it's mental]. That is normal, they are human beings.

"But if we score the second goal or we score two or three goals you would see how they run and how aggressive they are. The condition for itself I think doesn't exist. The way we play we believe in.

"The problem is we shot three shots on target against Liverpool at home, that is the problem."
April 14, 2018

Coutinho and Suarez see Barcelona to La Liga history

Ernesto Valverde's side proved too strong for Valencia in their latest outing and have set a new record of 39 games unbeaten in the Spanish top-flight
Barcelona has made La Liga history, with a 2-1 victory over Valencia seeing them stretch their record-breaking unbeaten run to 39 games.



Ernesto Valverde’s side entered the meeting with Los Che having matched the historic sequence of Real Sociedad’s legendary side who went 38 matches without a defeat in 1979 and 1980.

Barca’s class of 2017-18 now stand alone at the pinnacle of Spanish football, with domestic dominance being secured in some style.
A seven-game unbeaten run at the end of last season was not enough to see them pip Clasico rivals Real Madrid to the La Liga crown, but it did provide a platform on which to build.

A change in the dugout has made little impact at Camp Nou, with Valverde having picked up the baton dropped by Luis Enrique and run with it.


His side has yet to come unstuck in league action this term, with 32 games now safely negotiated.

The latest of those saw them overcome Valencia on home soil, with Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti getting the goals.

January signing Philippe Coutinho also starred for the Blaugrana, providing the assists for both efforts on the day.
Barca is now 14 points clear at the top of the table, ahead of a Sunday outing for closest challengers Atletico Madrid, and are edging their way ever closer to another title triumph.

It remains to be seen whether they can navigate the entire campaign without suffering defeat, but they have already re-written the history books and can be rightly proud of their efforts.

A remarkable run of form means that you have to turn the clock back to April 8, 2017, to find the last time all-conquering Barca came away with nothing in a La Liga fixture.
April 14, 2018

Moses escapes as Chelsea name 9 players to leave Stamford Bridge with Conte


Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich is set to carry out a massive clear-out at the club.

Nine first-team players will compulsorily depart the club in the summer, alongside manager, Antonio Conte.
A top source at Stamford Bridge told The Telegraph that The Blues who are currently without a technical director since the departure of Michael Emenalo would face the prospect of finding a viable replacement for the position.

The newspaper reports that some senior members of the squad who Abramovich feels had underperformed this season will leave.

However, Nigeria’s Victor Moses is safe from those mooted for the possible departure.

The players on Abramovich’s list include Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Michy Batshuayi, Kurt Zouma and even January signing, Olivier Giroud.
Conte’s future at the club has been up in the air for much of the season and things had further sullied after the 3-1 defeat to Tottenham at the Stamford Bridge last weekend.

Moses signed a two-year contract extension with Chelsea in March 2017 and the deal could keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2020-2021.

April 14, 2018

Guardiola blasts Manchester United, Chelsea for rejecting VAR


Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has accused Manchester United and Chelsea of being among the clubs that rejected the introduction of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the Premier League next season.

Guardiola, speaking after the decision was made official, claimed City voted in favor of VAR.
“I think Manchester City agreed to it but the other top teams, United and Chelsea I think, they didn’t want it,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said.

In a statement after a shareholders’ meeting on Friday, the Premier League noted: “The decision came after comprehensive discussions regarding the progress made in VAR trials in English football, and key learnings from the many competitions using it elsewhere.

“The clubs recognized and are grateful for the substantial developments made by PGMOL Managing Director Mike Riley and his team.

“The clubs agreed that advanced testing will continue to the end of Season 2018/19 to make further improvements to the system, especially around communication inside the stadium and for those following at home and around the world.”

April 14, 2018

Conte reveals those who must take blame for Chelsea’s poor season


Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, has insisted he is not solely to blame for their dismal title defense.

According to him, the players and the club must also take responsibility.
The Blues’ top-four hopes are all but over, after falling 10 points behind fourth-placed Spurs.

Chelsea has just the FA Cup left to salvage something from their season and they face Southampton in the semi-final.

“If we don’t qualify for the Champions League it means that we have to divide the fault with the players.

“This is not the first time. Two years ago the same happened at Chelsea. I didn’t see many players leaving then. We made a lot of mistakes this season – me, my staff, the players and the club.
“Whether we win or lose, we must be ready to share the responsibility,” Conte told a news conference on Friday.

April 14, 2018

Move over Morata! Comeback hero Giroud shows he should start for Chelsea

Chelsea's miserable 2018 looked certain to continue as they trailed Southampton 2-0, but substitute Olivier Giroud instigated a stunning late comeback


Olivier Giroud inspired crisis-hit Chelsea to a stunning 3-2 comeback win at Southampton on Saturday, scoring twice off the bench to show Antonio Conte exactly why he should now be a first-team starter.

Alvaro Morata once again disappointed as Chelsea’s lone frontman, as Southampton led 2-0 after an hour of play. And it was only when Giroud replaced Morata, who has now been subbed three games in a row, that the away side turned the game on its head.

A stunning header and a laser-sharp finish from the former Arsenal frontman were more than his colleague managed all game, while Eden Hazard also got his 16th goal of the season as Chelsea scored three times in the final 20 minutes. It was the first time Chelsea had won a Premier League game from 2-0 down since 2002 when they beat Charlton 3-2.
For much of the game, it was Chelsea rather than Southampton – their goals scored by Dusan Tadic and Jan Bednarek - who looked like the relegations strugglers. The Blues had only won three times in 2018 ahead of the match and they looked bereft of confidence for an hour.

Chelsea's problems remain despite a rare moment to shout about, but their positive result was much needed as Arsenal and even Burnley are threatening to overtake them in the fifth position. There is now a seven-point gap between Chelsea and the final Champions League position, but a top-four spot still looks incredibly unlikely with just a month of the season remaining.

This term we have witnessed one of the Premier League's limpest title defenses but at least Chelsea can feel more confident going into next week’s FA Cup semi-final where they will again play Southampton.
Giroud would be right to demand that he starts that game ahead of Morata. Indeed, Conte needs to drop his struggling £58 million signing from Real Madrid and unleash the former Arsenal striker from the first minute. 

Morata may be a club record buy but the Frenchman is outperforming him. Morata’s 13-game goal drought damaged Chelsea massively and he has been a big factor in the club's failures this season.

He is also battling to get into Spain's squad ahead of the World Cup. Meanwhile, Giroud is a certainty for France's squad and he is showing exactly why in a different blue shirt. Now it is time for Conte to recognize reality, too.

April 14, 2018

Why Chelsea defender Rudiger has been frozen out by manager Conte

The Blues defender has been given a frosty response from his head coach after a post-match interview where he seemingly questioned his tactics


Chelsea boss Antonio Conte left out Antonio Rudiger for his side's 3-2 win at Southampton as punishment for the tactical criticism of his side's collapse at Stamford Bridge last weekend against West Ham United.

The Germany international, 25, had been one of Chelsea's top performers before he was left out of Saturday's comeback victory, with Gary Cahill starting alongside Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Rudiger is understood not to have been rested for a midweek match against Burnley and an FA Cup semi-final, nor is he carrying an injury.
Conte was happy that his players showed "great heart" to come back, but gave a frosty response about Rudiger's omission from the matchday squad.

"No [there is no injury], it was a tactical decision," Conte told reporters at St Mary's Stadium.

This came just a week after Rudiger's comments appeared to call into question Chelsea's ability to see out games after Javier Hernandez's goal denied them another win last week.

"I think in the second half we [could] finish the game [off]," Rudiger said last week. "But like the last few months, we didn't and we [conceded].

"For me, it's not easy to explain. I don't understand why after 1-0 we always drop and let the opponent get more ball possession."

David Luiz could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Ethan Ampadu is certain to not play again. This might see Conte quickly reintroduce him back into the fold after this weekend's absence.

Meanwhile, Southampton manager Mark Hughes was unhappy that Marcos Alonso had escaped a red card after a high boot caught Shane Long on the back of his calf at the end of the first half.

The Southampton manager faces Chelsea again next Sunday in the FA Cup and has called for the player to receive a retrospective ban after referee Mike Dean appeared to miss the incident.
"It was a poor challenge, a really poor challenge," Hughes said. "It should have been a red card, clearly. I am disappointed that the officials didn't see it. They were all within a 10 or 15-meter radius. I think between the referee, linesman or fourth official that one of them should have seen it.

"It was a poor tackle, it was a tackle that thankfully had no drastic consequences for Shane. Thankfully he is okay, he just got a rake down the calf. Clearly, with Chelsea down to 10 men and us in the first half on the ascendancy, it is a slant on the game really.

"Those are key moments and referees have got to get them right, maybe that's why the [Premier League] referees are not at the World Cup this year."