Manchester United’s task on Thursday night at Old Trafford is to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Liverpool in the Europa League. If Louis van Gaal’s side upset the odds, they will be through to the quarterfinals of the competition — they also have an FA Cup quarterfinal replay against West Ham United on the schedule — and progression in the Europa League would keep alive their hopes of a place in the Champions League next season. Amid the doom and gloom among some supporters, history offers some positive omens. Here are the occasions when United lost a European first…
Author: David Folami
It’s often said that defence is the best form of attack, but to win football games, a team needs to score more goals than it concedes. That Chelsea excelled in this area in winning the Premier League last season was largely attributable to the form and function of two key players, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. In 2014-15, midfielder Hazard scored 14 Premier League goals and assisted on nine more, and striker Costa scored 20 goals and assisted on a further three. By comparison, in the top flight this season to date, Hazard had failed to score and recorded four…
Chelsea striker Diego Costa will not face any action over the gesture he made to Everton supporters during Saturday’s FA Cup defeat at Goodison Park. The Football Association had given Spain striker Costa until 6 p.m. on Wednesday to explain the gesture at half-time in the match, which Chelsea lost 2-0. A charge, and a one-match ban, could have followed, but the FA tweeted a statement that read: “Having considered the evidence and Diego Costa’s observations in relation to a gesture made towards Everton supporters, the FA is satisfied no further action is required.” Costa has until 6 p.m. on…
Ryan Giggs says Manchester United’s players should be relishing the high-pressure games against Liverpool and Manchester City this week. United have the daunting task of overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit when they host Liverpool in the Europa League on Thursday, and then they must aim to close the gap on the Premier League’s top four when they travel to Manchester City on Sunday. Giggs, currently working as Louis van Gaal’s assistant, told BBC Radio Manchester that he would have relished those matches during his long and distinguished playing career with the club. The Welshman said: “If I was playing, I’d…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that his side can handle the atmosphere at Old Trafford, when facing Manchester United away in the Europa League on Thursday, and can control it with their performance. The German added that he is “not scared” and that training at the venue on Wednesday night — which Uefa rules allow them to do – will be a help. Klopp’s men are 2-0 ahead on aggregate after the first leg at Anfield in the last 16 clash against Louis van Gaal’s men. Klopp said: “It’s one of the best things in football you can do, to…
Louis van Gaal has said Manchester United owe their fans “a big result” against Liverpool in the Europa League on Thursday. United boss Van Gaal urged supporters to believe in the possibility of a comeback from 2-0 down in the round-of-16 second leg game. “We owe always the fans a big result because they are paying to see that,” Van Gaal told his prematch news conference on Wednesday. “We have to deliver. But, in sport, you can lose and win. That you have to accept. “The challenge to beat Liverpool, being 2-0 down, is a big challenge. We have to…
Juventus are forced into three changes as they look to oust Bayern Munich from the Champions League at the Allianz Arena. The Serie A champions kick off in Germany with their round-of-16 tie poised at 2-2, but are without Paulo Dybala and Claudio Marchisio after they picked up injuries while Giorgio Chiellini remains out. Daniele Rugani, Mario Mandzukic and Kwadwo Asamoah all drop to the bench from Friday’s 1-0 win at home to Sassuolo, with Stephan Lichtsteiner, Patrice Evra, Hernanes, Paul Pogba and Alvaro Morata coming into the starting XI. Allegri told Mediaset television on Tuesday: “Juve have a big…
And midfielder Ander Herrera believes that despite United’s indifferent form – which has seen them fail to win any of their last three games – another comeback is possible. Indeed, United’s recent record against the Merseysiders has seen them win their last two home Premier League meetings with an aggregate score of 6-1. “Since I have been at Manchester we have played five times against them and won four times,” Herrera said. “Two times we have played them at home, we won clearly. I think we were the better team. I think we have very good examples of the way…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has told his players and the club’s supporters to believe they can successfully fight back from 2-0 down to knock Liverpool out of the Europa League and reach the quarterfinals. United were outplayed by their arch rivals in last week’s last 16, first leg clash at Anfield, giving them an uphill battle to keep alive their hopes of winning the competition and qualify for next season’s Champions League. But Van Gaal insists the lead is not insurmountable and hopes to repay United’s fans for a season of frustration at Old Trafford on Thursday as…
Super Eagles forward Aaron Samuel has promised goals against the Pharaohs of Egypt in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying match in Kaduna on Friday, March 25. The big striker, who plays for CSKA Moscow in Russia’s elite division alongside captain Ahmed Musa, has been included in the list of 21 overseas-based professionals called up by coach Samson Siasia for the double-header against the Pharaohs. “Goals will not be a problem when we take to the pitch in Kaduna. We have bigger stars than the Egyptians. “There is nothing to fret about. I have heard what the Egyptians…
Jurgen Klopp insists neither he nor Liverpool are scared as the club look to make good on a 2-0 first-leg lead and see off Manchester United for a place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. United will be desperate to overturn the deficit from the first leg when the arch-rivals meet at Old Trafford on Thursday. But Klopp was adamant that Liverpool, who outclassed United at Anfield last week, must be “brave and aggressive” in the second leg after twice losing to their old foes in the Premier League this season. “It’s football. The ball is round. Anything can…
Hours before Wednesday’s Champions League clash at home to Juventus, Bayern Munich had to apologise after a graphic posted on their Twitter account was misinterpreted as having links to a Nazi-era concentration camp. The Bavarian giants’ official Twitter feed posted an image of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, their Allianz Arena stadium and the end of a train track under the text “Here is the end” written in Italian. The graphic was intended to jokingly suggest the Italian team’s exit after the last 16, second leg clash in Munich. The sides drew 2-2 in the first leg in Turin three weeks ago.…
Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai has said that the Boko Haram insurgency will soon be history. Buratai gave the assurance on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, during a visit to Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi in Ibadan, The Nation reports. “We will soon overcome the insurgency that once threatened peace and security in some parts of the country,” Buratai said. “I’m using this opportunity to again solicit the support of the public in the provision of information on any suspicious acts or criminal activities. “The army will adopt a long term surveillance and intelligence gathering to stop Boko Haram…
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government will deal with all sponsors of violence in the country. Buhari made the comment in reaction to the increased spate of killings in Rivers State. The president’s remarks were contained in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. “We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have given the security services clear directives in this regard,” Buhari was quoted as saying. “We will show that violence in any form will no longer be tolerated before, during or after elections,”…
14 people have been reported dead in Maiduguri, Borno State after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in a mosque during morning prayers. The explosion occurred today, March 16, 2016, at a mosque in Umarari Village, a suburb of the state capital, Premium Times reports. “The bomb attack occurred this morning in Umarari village, just after Mulai Leprosy Hospital, outside Maiduguri, along the Biu-Maiduguri highway,” an official of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Alhaji Danbatta said. “It was a suicide attack: the bomber sneaked in while the worshippers were observing the morning congregational prayer. We evacuated 14 corpses and 21…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has described as the recent audit report presented by the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) alleging that the Corporation failed to remit N3.235 trillion of the Federal Government coffers in 2014 as “erroneous.” In the 2014 audit report of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) submitted to the National Assembly on Monday, March 14, the auditor-general, Samuel Ukura, had revealed series of financial discrepancies in NNPC, saying domestic crude oil sales were under-remitted to the federation account. Responding to Ukura’s claims, the group executive director and chief financial officer of NNPC, Isiaka…
Ahead of the Rivers state senatorial rerun elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has recruited 24,930 adhoc staff, 379 collation officers and 37 returning officers for the elections. The election, which will be conducted in three senatorial districts, 12 federal constituencies and 22 state constituencies, is scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 19. The rerun election is in compliance with the appeal tribunal which nullified the earlier polls. Meanwhile, giving the recent deadly political violence in Rivers, the Nigeria Police has deployed 6,000 personnel to the state. Speaking in Abuja at a joint press briefing with the Independent National…
The source of livelihood of about two million youths in Kano state is threatened as ‘pure water–producing companies in the state face closure. According to the secretary-general of the state chapter of Association of Sachet Water Producers of Nigeria, Muktar Tata, many of the companies have folded up already due to the increase in price of polythene used for packaging the commodity. While speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, March 16, in Kano, Tata said prices of the material, which sold for N480,000 per tonne in January, had increased to N1.1 million. “The situation has forced the closure of about 60…
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state on Wednesday, March 16, expressed confidence that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will bounce back to reckoning by the end of its convention in May 2016. He stated this in Akure, Ondo State, when he received the party’s National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff. “I am sure that by the time we finished our convention in May this year, our great party will bounce back to reckoning and we will easily win all elections in the future,” the Governor said. Mimiko also attributed the party’s victory in virtually all the recent re-run elections to Sheriff’s…
Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, has ordered state Head of Service, Mr Moses Atakpa to proceed compulsory leave for 30 days. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, made the announcement while addressing journalists on Wednesday, March 16, in Lokoja, the state capital. According to Fanwo, the leave took effect from Tuesday, March 15. He said most senior director in the service will act in Atakpa’s absence. Pulse recalls that Bello had asked the 38 permanent secretaries in the state civil service to proceed on a similar 30-day compulsory leave early last month while some were sacked.