Bayer Leverkusen fired two goals past Germany’s World Cup hero Manuel Neuer on Saturday to stop the goalkeeper claiming a slice of Bayern Munich history and boost their Champions League hopes. . Neuer went into the game seeking one more clean sheet to beat Oliver Kahn’s record of 19 Bayern games in a season without conceding a goal. But Bayern soon regretted fielding a weakened side as they prepare for a Champions League semifinal on Wednesday against Barcelona. . Leverkusen’s Turkish international Hakan Calhanoglu fired a direct free kick from 25 metres through the Bayern wall and past Neuer. .…
Author: David F.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick maintained Real Madrid’s La Liga title aspirations as they ended Sevilla’s 34-game unbeaten run at home with a 3-2 win on Saturday. . Victory kept the European champions just two points behind Barcelona with three games to play after Luis Suarez scored his first hat-trick for the Catalans in a 8-0 humiliation of relegated Cordoba. . “It was not easy to win here and we have managed it. We are very happy and we keep fighting,” said Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti. . “It is not by coincidence that they haven’t lost for 34 games at…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal showed the world a frustrated figure after his team lost 1-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, their third successive defeat in the Premier League. . The optimism engendered by victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City has been dispelled by defeats to Chelsea, Everton and West Brom and United’s hopes of finishing fourth are again hanging in the balance. . “We knew in advance that they’d park the bus, we have to deal with that,” Van Gaal told the BBC. . “In the second half we had enough chances, you…
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi announced on Thursday he is to be a father again by posting a picture of his pregnant partner on social media. . The four-time Ballon d’Or, 27, took to Instagram to post a picture of his son, Thiago, kissing Antonella Roccuzzo’s stomach with the message: “Can’t wait to welcome you into our world!!! We love you! Thiagui, mum and dad.” . Local press in Argentina had been speculating about Messi’s future fatherhood since February with newspaper Clarin saying the couple already knew they were due to have a baby boy who would be named Benjamin. .…
Time is elapsing but Queens Park Rangers manager Chris Ramsey remains sure his relegation-threatened side can revive their fortunes, starting with a Premier League victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. . QPR, in 19th place, have four games remaining to avoid the trapdoor to the Championship but travel to Anfield having not won there in the league since a 3-1 victory in 1991. . “We know it’s going to be difficult but we’re all up for it,” Ramsey told a news conference on Thursday. . “The players were a bit deflated at the start of the week because they…
The tight battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League is set for a feisty finish with Leicester City, Burnley and Queens Park Rangers hoping to avoid becoming the first promoted sides in 17 years to all go down. . The only time since the Premier League’s inception in 1992 that all three sides who came up from the second tier were immediately relegated was in the 1997-98 campaign when Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace all failed to beat the drop. . Bottom side Burnley have won just one of their last 13 league fixtures, but despite their struggles…
Jerome Boateng says Bayern Munich has to improve for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal, first-leg, at Barcelona or not bother travelling to Spain following their “careless” German Cup exit. . Bayern’s dreams of repeating their 2013 treble of European, league and cup titles this season were ended when they were knocked out of the German Cup semi-finals on Tuesday by Borussia Dortmund on penalties. . The defeat came just two days after winning the Bundesliga title. . Having taken a first-half lead through Robert Lewandowski, Bayern dominated until the 70th minute when Dortmund brought on attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan. . The…
As Petr Cech gets ready to move on to pastures new Chelsea’s long-serving goalkeeper believes the Premier League champions elect are beginning a new era of trophy gathering. . Cech is expected to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after being usurped by Thibaut Courtois but he was back in action on Wednesday as Chelsea beat Leicester City 3-1 to move to within two points of the title. . Victory at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday will give Cech a fourth Premier League winners’ medal since he joined the club at the beginning of the Roman Abramovich…
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson apologised on Thursday after a bizarre personal attack on a journalist during a post-match news conference following his team’s Premier League defeat by Chelsea. . Pearson was angered by a question regarding criticism of his relegation-threatened squad this season and called the reporter “an ostrich” before storming out of the press conference after Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat. . But speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the 51-year-old Pearson said sorry. . “Apologies,” Pearson said. “They wheel us out and I was not happy about losing. . “I react. Is it pressure? It might be. It’s…
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expects Leicester City to retain their Barclays Premier League status, and has paid tribute to ‘phenomenal’ legendary midfielder Esteban Cambiasso ahead of the leaders’ away game at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday. . Leicester were bottom of the table for 140 days but an impressive run of four consecutive victories has seen them climb out of the relegation zone. . Saturday’s 1-0 win at bottom club Burnley lifted them to 17th, a point clear of danger, although they now face a Chelsea side 10 points clear at the top of the table. . Chelsea’s 0-0…
Stephen Keshi says he will need the full support of Nigerians to succeed as head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria. . The 53-year-old trainer signed a contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that will see him take the reins of the national team until 2017. . He has now called on Nigerians to throw their weight behind his project as he looks to return the national team to the table of top hitters in world football. . “To succeed we all need to come together as one because Nigeria belongs to us. This is not Stephen Keshi’s…
Lukas Podolski broke his Inter Milan duck in style, scoring with a fantastic strike from outside the area, to give them a 2-1 victory at nine-man Udinese in Serie A on Tuesday. . Inter also benefited from a penalty which infuriated Udinese, while Antonio Di Natale scored for the hosts to join Roberto Baggio as Serie A’s joint-sixth leading all-time scorer with 205 goals. . The first half ended goalless but Udinese were reduced to 10 men in the 40th minute when Maurizio Domizzi, already booked for dissent over a corner, was given a second yellow card for a late…
Pep Guardiola admits fatigue ended Bayern Munich’s chances of winning three trophies in one season after losing their German Cup semi-final by missing all four penalty kicks in a shoot-out against Borussia Dortmund. . Just two days after being crowned German league champions for the 25th time, Bayern were knocked out of the domestic cup as Tuesday’s semifinal finished 1-1 after extra-time before Dortmund claimed a 2-0 victory on penalties. . The defeat came at an extra cost as striker Robert Lewandowski is doubtful for next Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final at Barcelona after suffering a fractured cheekbone and concussion, while…
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes his side is impossible to defend against when his star attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are as efficient in front of goal as they were in Tuesday’s 6-0 hammering of Getafe. . The three now have a combined 102 goals between them in all competitions this season after Messi and Suarez each scored twice, while Neymar and Xavi also found the net to move the Catalans five points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. . “It is another day to congratulate the team because these types of…
Bayern Munich’s legend Arjen Robben is out for the season after tearing a muscle in their German Cup semifinal defeat by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday while Robert Lewandowski broke his jaw and nose and suffered concussion. . The injuries come days before Bayern travel to Barcelona for next week’s Champions League last four clash, dealing a major blow to their hopes of lifting the trophy on home soil with the final scheduled to be played in Berlin in June. . “Arjen Robben suffered a torn muscle in his left calf and his season is over after only making his comeback…
Atletico Madrid are not aware of a possible transfer ban after Spanish media reported Fifa were set to bar the club and city rivals Real Madrid from the next two windows. . Fifa had decided to sanction the pair over similar breaches of rules on the transfer of foreign Under-18 players that last year led to a ban for La Liga rivals Barcelona, according to the reports, which did not identify the source of the information. . “We have no information regarding that,” an Atletico spokesman said on Wednesday when asked about the reports. . “We collaborated with Fifa in…
Liverpool’s poor pre-season transfer dealings have come back to torture them with Brendan Rodgers admitting his side have lacked the quality to finish in the Premier League’s top four. . Monday’s tepid 1-0 defeat by relegation-threatened Hull City left Liverpool in fifth place and all but ended their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. . That represents a sharp decline from last season when the goals of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge propelled the club to within a whisker of a a first English league title since 1991. . Rodgers was powerless to stop Uruguayan Suarez joining Barcelona for…
Former star striker Alan Shearer is afraid that Newcastle are heading towards relegation from the Premier League on the back of terrible loss of form. . A former skipper at the northeast club, Shearer was stunned by Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Swansea at St James’ Park which was the Magpies’ seventh straight loss, their worst ever run in the top flight. . That loss left them 14th with 35 points, just five ahead of arch-rivals Sunderland in 18th with four games to go. . “Have no doubts about it – Newcastle are now in real danger of going down,” Shearer…
Arsene Wenger believes there is not much between his team and Chelsea after the Gunners held the Premier League champions-elect to a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. . A point away to their London rivals saw Chelsea edge closer to the title, which they could secure by the end of the week should they both win at Leicester City on Wednesday and defeat Crystal Palace in front of the Blues’ faithful at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. . Arsenal, although level with second-placed Manchester City, are still 10 points behind leaders Chelsea with five league games of the…
Chelsea will take another massive step towards the Premier League title should they win at relegation-threatened Leicester City on Wednesday but boss Jose Mourinho expects their opponents to stay up whatever the result. . Leicester, who were bottom from the end of November until last week, have climbed out of the drop zone after winning their last four matches and Mourinho said on Monday he was surprised they were ever there in the first place. . “I was surprised with their bad position. For me they are a good team with good players. We played them very early in the…