The Elusive La Decima

Last night’s curtain opener for the 2013 Champions League season has produced a remarkable number of goals and I believe it broke the record of goals scored by teams with 30 goals in one night of matches. And it was the Merengues and CRon who leads the pack as they hammered Galatasaray right in their own turf at the Turk Telekom Arena despite the hostility and dominance of the home side. And for the fact that history is not on Real Madrid’s side as they have lost in two occasions when they have played away against Galatasaray.

For the first 32 minutes, Galatasaray and the home crowd put the Los Blancos on the back foot with relentless pressure and testing Real’s defenders with so many opportunities on goal. It was even aggravated with Iker Casillas leaving the match with an injury on his rib that he sustained after colliding with Sergio Ramos. But if you cannot convert those opportunities at the back of the net especially against a team like Real Madrid then you’re going to suffer at the end. And that exactly what happened after 33 minutes when Isco delivered the first of Real Madrid’s 6 goals of the night.

From then on, Galatasaray seems struggling to impose their game plan after falling behind and it became worse when Drogba was pulled off after sustaining a shoulder injury. As if the Turkish Champions fighting spirit were drained when Benzema double Real’s lead and Ronaldo do the rest as he grabbed his 21^st hat trick for Real and set up one more easy strike for Benzema. So with the score of 6-1 at the very first game of the competition, Real Madrid made a statement of intent to the rest of the team. But will that be enough to finally capture the elusive La Decima?

Image from corazonblanco.com

Champions League Group Stage Draw

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Watch the 2013 UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw happening right now at Monaco. Visit the link below to see the live online streaming at a very clear reception.

LIVE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW.

The 2013 European Football Season

August is fast approaching and in fact, we are already in the last week of July. So for all the football fans out there it only means one thing. The 2013 European football season is almost around the corner. And every club out there has strengthened their squads by acquiring the services of great football players around the globe during the summer transfer window. As of the moment many clubs got what they wanted and many known players will be playing under different jersey when the 2013 season will kick off mid of August.

Although there are lots of surprises as to what club players went after the recently concluded season but intriguing stories came out as well to coaches of big clubs in Spain, France, Germany and UK. It all started with Guardiola moving to Bayern Munich early this year then Jose Mou’s rumored homecoming to Chelsea has been materialized. And Ligue 1 champions (PSG) lost their coach after the season and was released to Real Madrid while ManU has a new coach after Sir Alex Ferguson resigned after capturing United’s 20^th Premier League championship.

More to it and just very recently, Tito Vilanova, Barca’s manager, announced his resignation before the season even started because of health reason. I’m not sure how critical it was for Barcelona’s already troubled games especially when they are dismantled by the Bavarians in the Champions League semi-finals. Not to mention that they are also beaten twice by arch rival Real Madrid in just a span of 5 days and their 2013 season is quite interesting to follow and that also includes Monaco in the Ligue 1.

NB: Image from wikipedia

The Most Anticipated Champions League Matchup

February was a busy day for football clubs who are able to reach the highest football competition in Europe. So last February and as I have said in my previous post that it is much better to watch the most anticipated Champions League matchup between the giants Real Madrid and Manchester United in a better resolution and much wider screen. Although I don’t like the result as my favorite team wasn’t able to capitalize their home advantage yet it is a deserving outcome against another hungry team across the Atlantic. 

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Real Madrid is pursuing “La Decima” in this tournament to seal and add to their already dominant record of nine Champions League titles as coach Jose Mourinho, who on the other hand, has a quest of his own to become the first and only man to win three Champions League titles with three different clubs. And last night’s 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu give Manchester United a crucial away goal ahead of the second leg in three weeks’ time at Old Trafford. 

And true to what Mourinho had proclaimed earlier, the match, indeed, lived up to what he claimed as “the match the world wanted to see” as both teams created so many chances to extend their lead but with goalkeeping brilliance and luck, it ended in a 1-1 draw. And stat says, ManU progressed in 17 of 19 European Cup knockout ties when they don’t lose in a first leg away match while Real Madrid have won only one of their last five games in England.

The Champions League Season: Third Day

After the first two games of the Champions League last week, the pressure is on for Bayern Munich and Malaga as no visiting teams lost in those games. And earning an away win or even just scoring goal is vital for each team in advancing to the quarterfinals. It is very crucial for every visiting team to score since away goals matter so much when teams are tied on aggregates. There’s no need for an extra time to play when both teams end up tie on aggregates considering that an away goal holds stronger than home goals. 

And Malaga became the first visiting team to lose in the round of 16-matchup as they succumbed to their defensive style of game. Although Porto, on the other hand, dominated an overwhelming ball possession in what was a one sided match but they struggled to breach the defensive stance of Malaga and only managed a slim advantage going to the second leg at La Rosaleda in three weeks. Yet it is enough for a win as they prevented an away goal from the visitors. 

In the other game, Bayern Munich showed why they are on top of Bundesliga, with a massive 15 points lead, as they comfortably demolish Arsenal right at their own turf. It did not take that long for Bayern to thrash Arsenal and they are already down 0-2 after just 21 minutes. It became another miserable day for The Gunners after they were defeated by second-tier Blackburn for the FA Cup fifth-round at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday and subsequently knocked out of the FA Cup. Arsenal is facing an uphill battle at the Allianz Stadium as The Bavarians only lost once this season and it was still late October 2012 when they lost to Leverkusen.

The World is waiting for Real-United Matchup

I guess I don’t have to say it that you have to mark your calendar on 13 February 2013 and you must not forget what you must do when your clock turns 1945GMT because as the Special One have said that the Champions League round of 16 clash between Real Madrid and Manchester United is what the world is waiting for. It is the matchup that the world wants, added Mourinho. 

It is perhaps the most anticipated match between Premier League and La Liga giants and probably much better to outshine the Champions League finals, but that was just me saying. ManU has never lost a single game since the start of 2013 and are victorious in 13 of their 17 past games. While the Los Blancos, on the other hand, perhaps are still enjoying their roller coaster ride of the season by winning those big matches just like what they did to Sevilla last Saturday and then dropping the ones against lowly clubs on the table. 

And so Mourinho continue that people are not waiting for any other game, so you better not miss out what the world is waiting for as Real Madrid and Manchester United face each other in the last 16 first leg tie at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, 13 February 2013, 1945GMT. As both teams are desperate to win their Champions League showdown but the obsession is much for Real as they seek to extend their record 9 Champions League titles.

Results of the Champions League Last 16 Draw

Finally the Champions League last 16 draw is out and some experts have predicted the results as it was drawn with seeming accuracy. There are reports a few days back that PSG players don’t want or would like to avoid facing Real Madrid at this early stage of the pairings. We all know that there are weaker teams included in the list and I think only Porto is fortunate enough not to face a much stronger opponent. Whereas, Real Madrid has to face the giant of the Premier League, ManU, which could be the most talk pairs when the games restarts on 13 February 2013.

The in-form Barca faced Milan and I’m sure they won’t face that much defiance as Milan is struggling to find their rhythm when Ibra and Thiago Silva moved to big spending PSG. That goes also to last season’s runner-up Dortmund as they are paired with Shakhtar Donetsk. PSG may do as well as Valencia is not also doing well in La Liga this season and have some inconsistent matches. In the end, champions Real Madrid and ManU has much thrill to watch although the former is still struggling at La Liga but they have great games in the knockout stage considering that are in the group of Death.

Image from The Times.

The Champions League Saga

The Champions League last 16 teams were identified just a few days back and history is written in record books when the defending champions, Chelsea, became the first team to be knocked out of the elimination. They only manage to grab third place despite winning a big margin in their last match because Juve won in a slim margin although they can still play in the second tier, the Europa League.

While Man City continued their dreadful and pathetic games in the European League by not winning a single match in the elimination and eventually are at the bottom of group D which they associate as the group of death. For the main reason that teams picked in the group are either previous champions or defending champions of their respective leagues.

And as the Champions League season took a break in the grueling European matches, the date for the draw of the last 16 teams is just several days away. We will know by 20 December who will be paired with the best and greatest teams as Barca tries to get back in getting more silverware. Real Madrid on the other hand, is trying to add another Champions League trophy to their already illustrious history with a record nine UEFA Champions League trophies.

For the meantime, while waiting for 20 December, let's just watch Manny Pacquiao slug it off again with Juan Manuel Marquez in the Pacquiao vs Marquez 4.

Image from wikimedia commons.

The World of Football was brought to Standstill

I have watched live football in a 40” LCD and sleep late so I won’t just read the results on the news the day after. It was a very important game that I watched but the result is not good because it is not what I wanted it to be or perhaps, the one I expected. And with it, the world of football within me was brought to standstill including the urge to write. Not that I have nothing to write or had a writer’s block because I have so many pending topics to scribble but don’t have the motivation.

Anyway, this post was supposed to be posted two days ago right in the aftermath of Real Madrid’s stunning loss to Bayern Munich (at least to me). Although the Bavarians is a strong team but after a good start by the Los Blancos in the first half, they just can’t seem to find another goal that would seal the match and send them in the finals. Instead they were beaten by the resilient Bayern in another intense and nerve wreaking penalty shootout when the tied score can’t be decided with extra time added.

It started with CRon, Kaka follows when they both send the ball right where Neuer moved or was he just able to read where it goes? Two great players both had World Footballer of the year under their names yet blundered when their goals needed it most. Then Ramos finished it (another strong player) when he let the ball fly way above the crossbar instead of at the back of the net. Although Casillas did save Ronaldo and Kaka when he made his own great saves but three is perhaps to much for him to do and that’s where they lost (1-3) in penalty shootout. And Bayern Munich became the first team to ever play the Champions League finals at their own stadium.

A Champions League without Barcelona

This isn’t a belated April Fool’s story and we all know what Barca can do on the pitch. And it is so hard to neglect their impeccable record of trophies in the past three years alone. Not to mention winning as many championship trophies in all competitions and if you aren’t following Blaugrana’s games then I will spell it out.

Since Josep Guardiola took over as Barcelona’s manager in 2008 season, he became the all-time record holder of most titles won as a coach at FC Barcelona. It was an impressive achievement as Barca won their 12th trophy out of 15 possible in just three years. And it seems that they are not ready yet to relinquish their ways of winning more trophies as the 2011 season is nearing its conclusion.

12 May 2012 is the last day of La Liga games yet Barcelona is trailing 6 points from fierce rival Real Madrid with 8 more games left to play. It isn’t an impossible task considering that they haven’t lost a game since their last La Liga defeat against Osasuna. On the other hand, Madrid hasn’t lost a game either since their last defeat in the second El Clasico (Copa del Rey quarter-finals) at the Santiago Bernabeu. Although they slipped up with 2 successive draws mid of last month but they have demolished Osasuna at their own turf where Barca tasted its second loss in La Liga.

Then the elite of European football clubs reached for the last four. Barca will face the resurgent Chelsea while Madrid will go head to head against the surge of in form of Bayern Munich. Yet many have said that the latter is set up so perfectly that they are the only team who has a chance to upset the defending champions at their Allianz Arena. Mourinho already predicted that Chelsea has no chance of reaching the Champions League finals and it is very much unlikely to be a Real Madrid – Chelsea final. Perhaps, it could be Bayern – Barcelona but I am biased after all and I still want Madrid to be in the finals despite being the underdogs and have only won once against the Barcelona of Guardiola.

NB: Image from wikimedia commons.

Messi Beats 10-man Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s chance for a treble has farther lost its grip as the Los Blancos succumb to the pressure during its first leg semifinals Champions League game at the Bernabeu, losing 0-2 in the third El Clasico. Although they have taken already the Copa del Rey but they are also 8 points behind Barca in La Liga with only 5 more games left to play. And going to Nou Camp, on 3 May for the second leg, down by 2 goals is hard to imagine if Real still has hope of advancing to the finals at Wembley. What disturbs me is Real finished the match again with 10 men on the pitch and eventually was beaten black and blue by Barca.

It seems that Iker is not Paul eventually. He slipped for the first time in his predictions or was it caused by other factors such as the referee, who have given Pepe a straight red card. That also triggers the sending of Mourinho to the stands. Would the game be the same if Real Madrid is not short handed? I doubt but not very certain also because Champions League competition is a different level. But we have seen Real Madrid fought back with a 1-1 draw last 16 April and eventually diffuses Barca’s resilience in the Copa del Rey finals, three days back and claim Mourinho’s first silverware in Real Madrid. Aside from it is the third Clasico, what is common amongst the three is Real finished the game again with 10-man for the fourth time. There have been several reactions about game officials officiating, favoring Barcelona’s way and mainly the reason why Mourinho was sent off.

I wonder if Barca will be able to score those two goals if it was against 11 men on the pitch. Barcelona is the best team right now but many would refute for they might just be good actors in acting diving. Those were just hypothetical but nonetheless were shared by many others. The return leg next week on 3 May is a difficult stride for Real Madrid to overcome since they will be playing without Ramos and Pepe and a tactician who can’t be on the bench.

Champions League Semifinals - Third El Clasico

The Champions League finalist are starting to shape up with ManU’s 2-0 win away at Schalke gives them the upper hand in the return leg on 4 May at Old Trafford. While tomorrow’s third El Clasico has been predicted by Iker (the Octopus) for Real Madrid to win the first leg at the Bernabeu. So far, with Iker’s predictions in the recent Clasicos came out with good outcome and is a perfect 2 out of 2 correct results. He may have predicted correctly the previous two games but tomorrow’s game is a different story.

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Barcelona would slug it out again after losing in the Copa del Rey finals at the Mestalla but they struggled in beating Osasuna in their La Liga game last Saturday. While archrival Real Madrid hammered Valencia 6-3 at their own turf when they came back in the Mestalla after winning the Copa del Rey three days earlier.

The Copa del Rey win was the first silverware for Madrid under Mourinho. It is also their first win against Barcelona in seven attempts. Losing to Barcelona came to a halt after a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu for the first of four El Clasicos. And they are hoping that tomorrow’s third Clasico will roll on the winning ways against their archrival. I want to see the Merengues in the Champions League finals at Wembley Stadium but the Blaugranas are trying to do the same. Or I would say, take revenge for they were eliminated by Mourinho (with Inter) in the same stage last season.

Quatro El Clasico Had Just Started

With the first of the four Clasico between bitter rival Barcelona and Real Madrid ended in 1-1 draw, it would still be difficult to gauge who will emerge winners in the next three important games in two different competitions. Both teams will see action again at mid-week in the finals of the Copa del Rey and the remaining two games, for the Champions League semifinals.  Although Barca had an upper hand in last Saturday’s game but Real fought back relentlessly in the second half with just only 10 men and salvage a draw.

The draw put Barca closer in winning a third straight La Liga title and preserved their 8 points lead with only 6 games remained. Although, mathematically, there are still 18 points for grab but the remaining 4 games of Barcelona are against those from the lower half of the table. While Real Madrid has 3 games against top five teams and on top of it, the Blaugrana’s has been defeated only once this season and have drawn 4 times. So, the Los Blancos should win all of their remaining games and hoping Barca will slip up and at least get a draw in five games. Which I believe is less likely to happen.

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I believe at the moment Jose Mourinho is concentrating on winning his first silverware with Madrid in the upcoming Copa del Rey finals on Wednesday and also in their Champions League semifinals showdown in the next two weeks. Perhaps, Real Madrid had boosted their confidence with their 1-1 draw in the second Clasico despite playing with only 10 men in the second half. And Barca was unable to capitalized and beat 10-man Real Madrid. But the next three games were in a different level of competition and I believe, of greater magnitude as well.

See you on 20 April (Copa del Rey) and 27 April / 3 May (Champions League semifinals).

Second El Clasico - The Classic Derby

Tomorrow's second Clasico is not just an ordinary El Clasico for there are so many at stake whoever emerges victorious in the derby. More so for Real Madrid who has been demolished by Barcelona in their first Clasico last 20 Nov 2010 at Camp Nou. The second Clasico will be a barometer in their next three encounters and El Clasico will no longer be just a local engagement but was brought to a higher level in the European competition.

Real Madrid will not just seek revenge from their 0-5 demolition, they will also have a psychological edge going to the Copa del Rey finals four days later. Then there are more things to prepare for another classic matchup in the Champions League semifinals. The pride of the Merengues is at stake in the four El Clasico. If ever Real Madrid won on 16 April, they will cut the lead of Barcelona in the Primera Liga in 5 points and there are 6 more games left to go. If Barcelona won the second Clasico, it will further bury Real Madrid and extend the gap for 11 more points. And if that’s the case may be then the Los Blancos and Jose Mourinho are less likely to achieve the treble that they are much longing to have.

Whoever is your bet for tomorrow’s second Clasico, I want to see the Los Blancos in the finals of the Champions League. But what hampers on their way is the hard fact that Real Madrid haven’t won the El Clasico for 2 years now.

El Clasico Extends to Champions League

The line for the Champions League semis has been drawn already and it is confirmed that Los Blancos and the Blaugrana are going to face each other not just in the local league. They are going to test each other in the European competition as well and they will meet four times in less than a month. They're going to start it with the second Clasico this coming weekend and will be followed by the finals in Copa del Rey then the first leg of the Champions League semis will start in the Bernabeu on the 27th of April. Comes 3rd May, is the second semis leg and this time will be at the Camp Nou.

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The El Clasico derby is no longer confined in Spain and it have been extended outside of its boundaries, the Champions League. This is very interesting to watch since Real Madrid has been demolished by Barca at Nou Camp but that was in the first Clasico yet. I believe what will be the outcome of the second Clasico matters in the outcome on the succeeding games ahead. One of them will face ManU or Schalke, who are also trying to out-clash each other in the other semifinals slot which will start on 26 April at Veltins-Arena and will be finished at Old Trafford on the 4th of May.

Although I want to see Real Madrid to advance in the finals but it is quite difficult to just dispatch Barca that easily. It is possible for ManU and Barca for a two-peat.

Deciding Day for Champions League Second Semifinalist

The second string of semifinalist to be had just started and upon writing this post it's already half way in the first half and nothing happened yet. In Real and Hotspur's side, it seems the latter is doing good in their game of trying to over come a 4-0 deficit even though it's a difficult but they are trying and not losing any hope. One bad thing though is that, so far in the history of European competition, no teams has overturn a 4-0 deficit. So it's a challenge for Tottenham to defy the odds and beat Real Madrid and face Barcelona in the semis (which I doubt).

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On the other game between Schalke and Inter, the latter needs to produce at least 4 goals to keep up with its own deficit. They were defeated in the San Siro, 5-2, in the first leg. It is indeed a lot to make and before I finished this post, Raul had just made a GOALLL...! And the hope of advancing to the semis is fading slowly for Inter. They now need 5 goals to survive and perhaps upset Schalke but it is unlikely to happen at the moment. The relentless attacking of Schalke is producing some juice while Inter is a different team right now after Mourinho relinquish his post, leaving the treble last year behind. Inter was never been the same since the departure of Mourinho.

So you hang in there and let's watch the second half for its starting already.

Deciding Day for Champions League First Semifinalist

ManU versus Chelsea and Barca versus Shakhtar, four teams are vying for the first two slots for Champions League semifinals. They are playing later tonight in their second leg quarterfinals. Chelsea was humbled by ManU in the first leg right in their own turf and they will go to the Old Trafford to try to overturn the 1-0 deficit. While Barca will visit Shakhtar with high hopes of going through without any trouble after a 5-1 demolition of Shakhtar in Camp Nou. After Barca’s win last week, many believe that and think that they are just waiting for the results of Real Madrid’s game with the Hotspur tomorrow and that they are already assured to reach the semifinals.

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On the other hand, Madrid will visit the White Hart Lane tomorrow to try to secure and wrap up the game after thrashing the latter at the Bernabeu, 4-0 and it’s almost certain that they are already out of the competition. Tottenham needs a miracle to upend their big deficit in Madrid to reach the semis while many reports suggest that Madrid can remain complacent ahead of their second Clasico meeting three days later. Then they will meet again at the finals of the Copa del Rey four days later. While it is a stiff uphill climb for Tottenham to upset the Los Blancos and history is not in their side either. No team has overturned a 4-0 first leg defeat in European competition. It seems that both Real and Barca are certain to face each other again in the Champions League semis. And if that’s the case may be then Barca and Madrid will be facing each other four times within a month starting from its second Clasico this weekend.

I want to see Chelsea in the semis but it’s hard to beat ManU at Old Trafford. And I think Shakhtar’s day in the Champions League have been decided already.

16 April 2011 : Not Just Second Clasico

For the El Clasico fans and followers, mark your calendar as 16 April 2011 is the date that everyone should not miss. It is not just the second Clasico but it could be the deciding factor if Real can still catch up the chase with Barca in the championship race. If Real wins, statistically, the race is still on but judging with the way Barcelona have been playing and the 8 points gap is doubtful and near impossible to overcome.

What’s more interesting is that four days later they will face each other again in the finals of the Copa del Rey. So, who ever get the three points on 16 April will have a psychological edge going into the next big games.

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And you think the thrill and excitement just ends right there?

With both teams thrashing their respective opponents in the Champions League first leg quarters by a considerable big margin then there’s a big possibility that both teams will face each other again for the third time in just one month. It could be the fourth Clasico then. It will be decided and wrap up midweek next week whether they will meet each other again in the semis.

If Madrid lost again this weekend’s second Clasico, it is virtually impossible for the Los Blancos to overtake the Blaugrana even if they are going to fight for it until the end. There are only six more games left and the road for the treble is not in Real Madrid’s side for they still have games against top five teams.

Triple Barca - Real Derby Imminent

With Barca's thrashing over Shakhtar Donetsk in their own Champions League quarterfinals first leg, it is now imminent that the Blaugranas and Los Blancos will be meeting each other for at least three times this month. They will face separate opponents first later this week on Saturday (9 April) before the second El Clasico will happen at the Bernabeu. Real was demolished by Barca when they have visited them at Nou Camp for the first Clasico. At the moment, Real is trailing Barca by 8 points after an upset at their own turf by a lowly team Sporting while there are already 8 more games left.

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The result of the second Clasico will have a possible impact in the coming games that they're going to have. Four days after the second Clasico, they will meet again for the Copa del Rey finals. Who will win on 16 April will have a psychological edge in bringing home The King's Cup silverware. Then on 26-27 April is the Champions League semifinals game and possibly both teams will meet again based on the recent results by demolishing their own opponents. Real hammered Tottenham with a 4-0 score while Barca had demolished Shakhtar by a 5-1 score.

I cannot wait to see all those games happened and I am already excited in this situation. And the triple Barca - Real derby can no longer be stopped anymore.

El Clasico Derby Extended...

Later tonight Barcelona will see action against Shakhtar Donetsk at Camp Nou in their first leg Champions League quarterfinals. A win by the Blaugranas will give them a boost for a possible semifinal showdown with the Los Blancos. If that would be the case then their 2010 rivalry will let them face each other for at least three times in the weeks to come.

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Two of them will happen in the next two weeks. The first one will be the on 17 April for the second El Clasico and this time will be held at the Bernabeu and you know what happened in the first Clasico. Next encounter will be 4 days later for the final of the Copa del Rey (The King's Cup). And late this month for the first leg of their (possible) Champions League semi-final clash.