Champion's League: Round of 16

1^st leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 starts in a couple of hours.  I can’t really comment on the 16 teams left since I’m way out of touch when it comes to the current status and standing of the football clubs in Europe.  I used to follow the Champions League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundasliga but stopped the year my favorite team, Juventus FC was relegated.  I have just recently revived my interest in European Football.   So I’ll just point you to great links that offer pre-match highlights, team info and match predictions.

AC Milan vs Tottenham

3:30AM on Feb 16 @ Ball’s Channel

If I were to choose between the two teams, I’d go for Inter Milan.  Why?  Two reasons.  One, they were one of my favorite teams, back when I used to follow the Champions League. Second, Filippo Inzhagi.  He was also one of my favorite players back then.  He used to play for Juve, at a time when the club was still at the top of their League.  Anyway, I’m happy to know that he hasn’t retired yet and he’s still in top form as he is the 2^nd top goal scorer in this season’s Champions League, for their club at least. 

Looking at the rest of AC Milan’s line up, it’s good to know that other than Inzhagi, there are some of the players from way back who are still around like Nesta, Zambrotta and Seedorf who are still around.  I was expecting all these new batch of great players.  Other players of note in AC Milan are Robinho, Pirlo and Ibrahimovic.

For Tottenham, players of note are van der Vaart, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.

More at:

Tottenham turn attentions to other Milan giant 

Tottenham's Rafael Van Der Vaart: We Can Beat Milan In Champions League

Champions League preview: Milan v Tottenham

 

Valencia vs Schalke

5:30AM on Feb 16 @ Ball’s Channel

Not much I can say for both teams yet.  We’ll see how the match ends.  If I were to choose from the two… hhhhmmmmm…. Maybe Valencia?  Although, I do like Raul who is now playing for Schalke (so this is where he went, after leaving Real Madrid.  I love how he celebrates his goal, kissing his wedding ring)

Players to watch for Valencia: David Navarro, Joaquin, Ever Banega, Roberto Soldado

Players to watch for Schalke: Raul, Jefferson Farfan, Jurado, Christoph Metzelder

More at:

Soldado ready to go for Schalke jugular

Champions League Special: Valencia – Schalke Key Personal Battles

Raul wants happy Homecoming

Champions League preview: Valencia v Schalke

Shakira moving to Spain to be closer to Piqué?

Rumors are all a-buzzin’ again as Shakira put out an indefinite lease on a luxury villa on the city outskirts of Barcelona.

Last August 2010, she split with her fiancée of 11 years, Antonio De La Rua, son of the former president of Argentina.  Just around that time, gossip surfaced linking the sexy singer to the FC Barcelona defender, Gerard Piqué when the footballer was spotted exiting the same hotel in Ibiza that Shakira had been staying in for a couple of days.  There were reports on secret rendezvous and that they were even seen kissing in a restaurant.  Both camps denied the affair.

grainy picture of both Shakira and Piqué in the same hotel, “proof” that they were supposedly there at the same time

Now, the Shakira-Piqué rumours are back in the public attention as it’s speculated that she’s moving to Spain to be closer to Piqué.  Neighbors as are saying that they have spotted the couple walking the dog and going inside the house

Interestingly, this was not only the juicy rumour the sexy football hunk was involved in last year.  A photo of him and his Barcelona team mate, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was found the picture in a Facebook group called "Yo También Me Quedé Traspuesto/a Al Ver La Foto De Ibra Y Piqué" ("I, Too, Was Transfixed By the Ibra and Piqué Photo).  It shows the two of them sharing a very tender and loving moment outside the team's training facilities.  It has caused people to speculate over the nature of their relationship.

could it be photoshop? or just a weird camera angle? or is there really something going on between them?

Ibrahimovic is already married, with children.  Piqué has been linked to the Welsh beauty and Bollywood actress, Lisa Lazarus when he was just starting his career at Manchester United.

 Liza Lazarus Miss UK 2008 and represented UK in Miss Universe 2008

Going back to the Shakira-Piqué rumor, only time will tell if these two are really an item. 

The two meet when during the shooting of the Waka-waka video, the official track of the 2010 World Cup.

Wait for the 11:11 mark to see Piqué.

Champions League: Arsenal 2 - 2 Barcelona

Never will have an away draw in the Champions League tasted so bitter. The first half of this match was men against boys. Barcelona battered Arsenals goal, and only a mixture of Manuel Almunia, goal line clearances and poor finishing stopped Barca going in at the break 4 or 5 to the good. Xavi and Sergio Busquets were sublime in the centre, pulling Arsenal from side to side in search of the killer pass. And when they weren't in possesion, the intensity with which they harried Arsenals players off the ball was immense. It was a shame Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic weren't as astute infront of goal. At one point it was a seige as Barca had about four clear chances to open the scoring in 30 seconds, only to see every shot repelled by Almunia and his defence. Pep Guardiola said he's never seen his team play so well. They were simply irresistable.

Strangely, Barca lost a bit of their va va voom after the break, yet they found themselves two up after only 15 minutes. Two brilliantly taken goals from Ibrahimovic. His first was a sublime finish, although Almunias rush of blood to the head more than helped him out. The second was pure power after a Xavi pass had set him free. At this stage it looked like Barca were home and dry, but the introduction of Theo Walcott galvanised the gunners. The young winger collected Bendtners cute pass to fire past Valdes after 70 minutes. Then with only 5 minutes left, the tie was turned on its head by a Carlos Puyol challenge on Cesc Fabregas in the box. It appeared at first as a harmless tangling of legs but the ref gave the penalty and sent Puyol off. On closer inspection the ref was spot on. Cesc aggravated his old injury whilst slamming in the penalty, but misses the second leg regardless after earning a yellow card for a late challenge on Busquets. Gerard Pique and Puyol also miss out at the Camp Nou through suspension. The quarter final looked done and dusted for Barca, but they now have work to do next week. Still, they have to be overwhelming favourites to go through.

Ibrahimovic saves Barcelonas blushes against Osasuna

Barcelona 2 - 0 Osasuna

(1-0) 72' Ibrahimovic, (2-0) 88' Bojan

Underfire Zlatan Ibrahimovic strolled out of Messis shadow to rescue his team from a potentially league-threatening draw against Osasuna.  While the watching world reached for the superlative dictionary during the week, as plaudits flew in from all angles to praise his teammate, Zlatan was left to mull over his numerous gaffes in the Aragonese capital. He and his team were made to suffer today as the visitors strangled the life out of Barcelona during a physical first 45 minutes, whilst also offering hope to the rest of the world that Leo Messi can be stopped. Messi didn't have a bad match by any stretch of the imagine, yet such are the standards that he sets himself these days, anything less than a hattrick doesn't warrant any special mention.

Jose Antonio Camacho, a Real Madrid man at heart, came to the Camp Nou set on  causing an upset. His 4-3-3 formation was a welcome change to the 'park the bus' tactics that many visiting teams adopt in this neck of the woods. With Nekounam and Puñal his loyal footsoldiers in the centre, Barca struggled to find any rhythm as Osasuna didn't leave a blade of grass unturned. The best chance of the half fell to Krisztian Vadocz, but up against the one-on-one master, Victor Valdes, there was only ever going to be one winner as the Barca keeper came to his sides rescue once again. Osasunas two full-backs, Monreal and Azpilicueta caused Dani Alves and Maxwell plenty of headaches down the wings, and as the players walked off for half-time, Barcelona were surely pondering how they could break this wall of white shirts down.

Whatever Guardiola said at the break worked, as Barca came out in determined mood, with Andres Iniesta at the forefront. Even so, Osasuna were in no mood to cave in as they stuck to the tactics that had served them so well in the first half. As the minutes ticked away, it was looking increasingly desparate for the Catalans. But up popped Ibrahimovic, who was in the right place at the right time to finish off a flowing move that involved Iniesta and Maxwell, with the latter sliding a perfect pass across goal, which only required the big Swede to stick out a leg. Cue a collective sigh of relief and plenty of swearing in Madrid. Messi provided his customary moment of magic, creating an inch of space just outside the area which allowed him to curl against the post, before Iniesta turned creator to set up sub Bojan for another of his late cameo goals. It wasn't pretty but it was effective, as Barca now look to Getafe to do them a huge favour tomorrow in the Coliseum.

Valencia 1 - 0 Malaga
(1-0) 13' Villa

Tenerife 2 - 2 Villarreal

(0-1) 46' Nilmar, (1-1) 60' Nino, (2-1) 76' Culebras, (2-2) 88' Rossi

Real Valladolid 0 - 0 Espanyol

Racing Santander 0 - 0 Mallorca

Almeria 1 - 0 Real Zaragoza

(1-0) 61' Uche

Champions League: Barcelona get vital away goal in Stuttgart

Stuttgart 1 - 1 Barcelona
(1-0) 26' Cacau, (2-0) 52' Ibrahimovic

Barcelona will leave Germany relatively content with their nights work, but it could easily have been a different story were it not for Victor Valdes and poor finishing from Stuttgart during a rampant opening half. Barcelona had no answer to Stuttgart in the first 45 minutes, with the Barca players looking shellshocked at their total lack of possession as they soaked up some incessant pressure. Rafael Marquez struggled badly against Cacau, Messi was swarmed off the ball, Xavi left his wand at home, Pique could easily have given away a penalty and Ibrahimovic cut a lonely figure upfront. Jens Lehmann (one of footballs most hated men?) was up to his usual tricks, whilst teammate Alexander Hleb was on a one-man mission to obiterate his former employers. Striker Cacau headed in the opening goal after 26 minutes, with Valdes to thank for keeping it that way until half-time.

But whatever Pep Guardiola said at the break, it worked as Barca reappeared a different side. And it only took them 7 minutes to score that vital away goal as Zlatan Ibrahimovic found space inside the area to slot in at the second attempt from close range; his first goal in this years Champions League. From then on Xavi and Messi saw plenty of the ball, but there were to be no clear openings and so Barca enter the second leg with the clear advantage. It can only go one way at the Camp Nou.

Barca through to FIFA World Club Cup final: Atlante 1 - 3 Barcelona

Barcelona are on the verge of the six-trophy haul, but they had to come from behind to seal their place in saturdays final of the 2009 FIFA World Club Cup in UAE. Guillermo Rojas took advantage of some hesistant defending from Barca in the 4th minute to lob the ball over Victor Valdes and nick it into the net just before the ball went out of play. Marquez and Puyol forgot the basic rule of defending and let the ball bounce after a hopeful punt upfield and it proved costly. But from that moment on it was a procession, and Barca could have easily ended up sticking six past Atlante.

Guardiola had to wait until the 34th minute before his side got back on level terms, when Sergio Busquets slotted past keeper and defender from inside the area following a Xavi corner. Judging from the celebration there is a mini-Busquets on the way. Dani Alves and Ibrahimovic both had chances to put Barca infront, before Leo Messi came on and turned the game on it's head with a sterling goal. The little genius had only been on the pitch a minute when he raced onto an exquisite pass from Ibra, took it past the goalie and squeezed a shot between defenders and into the net. Absolutely glorious.

Ten minutes later the game was over, and little Pedro entered the history books as they only player in football history to have scored in 6 different tournaments in one year (La Liga, Spanish Cup, Champions League, Spanish Supercup, European Supercup and now the FIFA World Club Cup). That's one for the pub quizes in a few decades time. The goal itself was another work of art, with Iniesta winding his way into the area, swaying one way then the other before delivering the killer pass to Pedro, who was left with the relatively simple task of firing past Vilar. So job done and Juan Sebastian Veron and his team, Estudiantes of Argentina, await in Saturdays final. I'd place a considerable amount of cash on Barca making it six out of six for 2009, and what an achievement that would be.

Xerez 0 - 2 Barcelona: Ibracadabra waves his wand (Highlights)

I'm sure it didn't look too pretty on TV, but up close and personal you can turely appreciate the quality Barcelona have, even when they don't play particularly well. Xerez, to their eternal credit, pushed the reigning European champions and it wasn't all plain sailing for Guardiolas team. But two moments of ruthless execution stole the three points and Xerez were left to rue a couple of break-aways that promised much but delivered little. The match had a cup tie feel about it, and at times in the first half, I thought we could have an upset on the cards. The crowd were in full song and, having only just negotaited Real Madrid three days earlier, Barcelona sent out a team missing Messi, Iniesta and Ibrahimovic.

The first half was largely uneventful, with neither side creating too much and you could tell Barcelona just wanted to get the job done and get out. Xavi knocked the ball around as nonchalantly as ever. Yaya Toure protected his back four admirably. But in truth Renan had little to deal with. Bojan and Pedro were both dissapointments, as I was expecting a lot more from the Barca youth players, but neither got into the game. Thierry Henry flitted in and out, and Xerez got to half time with the scores level and the upset was still on.



But all hope was banished within the first 30 seconds of the second half. Francis was caught horribly out of position, Maxwell pounced and sent over a cross which Henry slammed into the net off his forehead via Renans hand and the underside of the bar. It was awfully bad luck for the Xerez fullback, as he had an outstanding match. The home side huffed and puffed and even had a few chances on the counter (which the linesman got horribly wrong on each occasion, one was about three metres off!) but they hesitated each time and the chances went as soon as they were created. They simply didn't have the class to punish the lapses of concentration from Chygrynsky and Marquez. Then came on the big boys. Messi, then Iniesta and finally Ibrahimovic. And it was game over, as they party tricks came out. Messi had a couple of magical runs, one which led to an audacious backheel which Alves failed to convert. The new winner of the Ballon D'Or then struck the post with a fierce shot inside the area. Xerez were spent, visibly gulping air as they chased shadows.

Then two minutes into injury time Ibrahimovic settled the match. And what a goal it was. I was still a little aggrieved from having to pay extra for the match, but that goal was worth it alone. Messi sent the big Swede clear and the finish was delightful: a dinked chip from just outside the area which curled over Renan and into the net. World class. Xerez left the stadium to a raptuous applause and they deserved it. But for Guardiola it was three points well earned, and they now lead Madrid by five. For Xerez, next saturday Atlético Madrid are the visitors, and if they don't want to let a gap open up between them and the rest, a win is obligatory. On this performance it's not out of the question.

UEFA Europa League Results 02.12.09

Valencia 3 - 1 Lille (Joaquin x2, Mata)

Levski Sofia 0 - 2 Villarreal (Rossi, Senna)

LA LIGA SUNDAY: El Clasico Highlights

BARCELONA 1 - 0 REAL MADRID

It was never going to be another 6-2, however much Barca wanted it to be, and so it proved. It was all about the three points, and it was Barcelona who made it three Clasico wins in a row thanks to a second-half bullet from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a monumental performance from captain Carlos Puyol. Real Madrid can count themselves unlucky as they restricted Barca to a handful of chances and flooded a midfield that Iniesta and Xavi could never quite take control of, but it was their failure to take advantage of their chances and a ludicrous second half decision from their manager which cost them dearly.

Ronaldo early miss

Cristiano Ronaldo had a fantastic opportunity to open the scoring early in the first half, but with the whole goal to aim for, he found Victor Valdes' right boot and the chance was gone. A fit Ronaldo would surely have stuck it away. Kaká created that chance with a devastating diagonal run, and there were other moments of class from the Brazilian, but he really needs to offer more if he is ever going to justify his pricetag, especially in games of this magnitude. Personal highlights of a tense first half were Thierry Henry being caught offside literally a thousand times, the ongoing verbals between Dani Alves and that hilarious ginger linesman who never fails to entertain, Iniesta getting angry (I'd never seen it before) and a green laser being pointed in the face of Cristiano; what's that all aboot?  Real Madrid had strangled the life out of Barca and looked dangerous on the break. It was looking rosy for Pelligrinis white army.

Zlatan to the rescue

But on came Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the second half, and six minutes into his Clasico debut he had put his team infront. And what a goal it was. Pique robbed Ronaldo in the Barca box and the ball was quickly moved forward. It was eventually laid out wide for Alves and he floated a trademark pinpoint cross in from the right which Ibrahimovic (56') met first time with a volley which shot past Casillas. Sheer quality. But moments later Sergio Busquets  made the game unnecessarily difficult when he was sent off for a silly second yellow, which infuriated Guardiola, and suddenly  it looked like Real might get something from the game.

Pelligrini lost his marbles?

Luckily for Barca, Pelligrini was having none of it. Ronaldo was looking dangerous everytime he got the ball. They were a man up, 1-0 down with twenty minutes left and beginning to turn the screw. What do you do? Take Ronaldo off of course. The man from Maderia didnt looked tired or injured, so I don't buy any of this prior warning from Dr Van Dijk that he could only play 60 mins. He could rest him next week against Almería at home, tonight he was vital. The manager will be lynched by the press and I dare say he deserves it. On the pitch Puyol was a rock with three match saving blocks from Higuain twice and Marcelo. Benzema came on and had a chance from a corner but he skied it. Messi and Pique could have put Barca out of sight but missed sitters. Five minutes from time Alonso hit a corner stright out of play. Unforgivable and Florentino looked to the heavens, so he might. 280 million euros and his team still can't beat Barca. Lass was then sent off for his second yellow and all Madrids hopes trudged down the tunnel with him.

So Barca take the first Clasico of the season and with it top spot in La Liga. It was by no means a vintage Barca performance, but it was a game full of technical excellence on behalf of both sides and Madrid can take heart from a solid showing. Ibrahimovic won the battle of the summer signings, and we will now have to wait until April 2010 for round two. It can't come soon enough for Real Madrid.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Pictures

Zlatan Ibrahimovic PosterZlatan Ibrahimovic Football PictureZlatan Ibrahimovic Best WallpaperZlatan Ibrahimovic PhotoZlatan Ibrahimovic Zlatan Ibrahimovic Best PictureZlatan Ibrahimovic Best Football Player