Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels insists his side would soon return to the Champions League after exiting Europe with an emphatic 3-0 defeat at home to Juventus. . A brace from Carlos Tevez and an Alvaro Morata tap-in at Dortmund on Wednesday put Juve into the quarterfinals and sealed a 5-1 win on aggregate in the last 16 tie. . Tevez blasted home a third-minute thunderbolt when he was left unmarked on the edge of the area which gave Dortmund a mountain to climb virtually from the kick-off. . With Dortmund currently 10th in the league, they also face an uphill…
Author: David F.
Goal-scorer Alvaro Morata insists Juventus fear no-one in the draw for the Champions League’s quarterfinals after their emphatic 3-0 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. . Carlos Tevez scored twice as Juventus sealed a 5-1 win on aggregate in the last 16 tie as he and Morata, who had each scored in the 2-1 first-leg win, again did the damage in Dortmund. . Just as he had done in Turin, Tevez gave his side an early lead with a breath-taking strike to catch out the Dortmund defence. . After setting up Morata for a tap-in on 70 minutes, Tevez added…
Bayern Munich put the finishing touches on a perfect week’s work as they defeated Werder Bremen 4-0 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to 14 points. Pep Guardiola’s side made it three wins in seven days, scoring 14 goals and conceding just one, as they not only padded their lead in the domestic flight but also qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals. . German international striker Thomas Mueller grabbed his fifth goal in a week with a left foot shot past Raphael Wolf to put the champions 1-0 in front on 24 minutes at…
Kevin De Bruyne set VfL Wolfsburg on the way to an easy 3-0 Bundesliga win over lowly Freiburg on Sunday that moved them closer to a place in the Champions League next season. . The Wolves strengthened their grip on second spot with 53 points from 25 games, nine clear of Borussia Moenchengladbach who went back into third place with an equally straightforward 2-0 victory over Hanover 96 in Sunday’s other game. . Wolfsburg remained 11 points behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich who thumped Werder Bremen 4-0 on Saturday. . The Wolves showed no signs of fatigue following their Europa…
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann is back in training and could return between the posts for Saturday’s important Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen. . Faehrmann had his first full training session on Tuesday since partially tearing a cruciate knee ligament two months ago. . No 2 Fabian Giefer is still nursing a groin problem and third-choice teenager Timon Wellenreuther has been inconsistent in his appearances over the past weeks. . Schalke are fifth in the standings, one place and three points below Leverkusen and five points behind Moenchengladbach in the fight for Champions League berths. The top three gain direct entry…
Super Falcons head coach, Edwin Okon has named his final 18-man squad for the All Africa Games (AAG) qualifying match against mali on Saturday at the Stade Modibbo Keita in Bamako. . The winners of the two-legged encounter will automatically qualify for the football event of the upcoming quadrennial multiple sports fiesta in Congo Brazzaville. . Falcons captain, Evelyn Nwabuoku, Francisca Ordega, Osinachi Ohale, Ini Umotong, Ibubeleye Whyte, Chinwendu Ihezuo, among others made the final cut. . Okon said the players were chosen on their merit and will certainly deliver the goods against the West African foes. . “Fitness level…
Smouha coach Helmy Toulan insists Sunday’s 0-1 loss to Enyimba is not a bad result. . The “Blue Wave” lost narrowly to the People’s Elephants who struck via Raphael Boumsong in the 56th minute of the first leg, first round Caf Champions League contest. . Toulan said he prosecuted Sunday’s game with reserve players as he was forced to make do without the services of no less than ten of his first team players. . “I am satisfied because I did not play this game with ten of my first team players. . “I am talking about extremely outstanding players…
Brown Ideye and Anthony Ujah have been recalled to the Nigerian men’s national team, the Super Eagles, for two international friendly matches after recent snubs by the selectors. . The two strikers were part of the Nigerian squad to the 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup in Brazil but were excluded from the team to the 2014 World Cup in which the Super Eagles were eliminated in the second round by France. . Ideye last featured in an international for Nigeria in the 2-2 draw against Italy in November 2013 when he came on as substitute for Victor Moses. . But his…
Super Eagles goalkeeper and captain Vincent Enyeama will most likely win his 100th senior cap for Nigeria with his inclusion in the 28-man squad for the friendly ties against Bolivia and South Africa. . The three-time Fifa World Cup star presently on 99 caps heads a list that also includes Godfrey Oboabona, Kenneth Omeruo, Ogenyi Onazi and Ahmed Musa. . In-form England-based duo Odion Ighalo and Brown Ideye, Germany-based Anthony Ujah and Leon Balogun as well as China-based Aaron Samuel, who scored two goals in the futile campaign for a place at the 30th Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial…
El-Kanemi Warriors captain Bamai Bukar is confident his side will improve as the 2014/15 season progresses. . Bukar was busy in the midfield when his side travelled to Kwara United, but ended on the losing side. . “We have new players in the team and we’re working to play as a team. The team will make progress,” he told supersport.com. . Mustapha Ibrahim reduced the tally with a beautiful goal from outside the box after Kwara United led 2-0 during the break. . Top stars like Reuben Ogbonnaya, Emmanuel Ajia, Obioma Arinze and Joel Djondang, among others, left El-Kanemi for…
Carlos Tevez scored twice and set up another as Juventus crushed Borussia Dortmund 3-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals for only the second time since 2006 with a 5-1 aggregate victory. . The Argentine forward drilled in from distance after three minutes and then set up Alvaro Moratafor their second goal 20 minutes from time. Tevez added his second late in the game with the Germans well beaten. . Serie A leaders Juventus, unbeaten in their last 12 matches away from home in all competitions, were never threatened by toothless Dortmund who had high hopes of…
A Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona completely outclassed Manchester City as an Ivan Rakitic strike secured a 1-0 win on Wednesday that sent the Spanish giants into the Champions League quarterfinals 3-1 on aggregate. . Messi has been in blistering form for the Catalan side and he delighted the home fans in a packed Nou Camp as he relentlessly teased the City players with his party tricks. . Holding the advantage from the first leg, Barca could afford to sit back and hit the Premier League side on the break. . City struggled badly in defence against Barca’s pace and movement, with…
A first-half goal by Ivan Rakitic was enough to see Barcelona end English interest in the Champions League on Wednesday as they beat Manchester City 1-0 in their last 16 second leg clash for a 3-1 aggregate win and a place in the quarterfinals. . Former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez scored a double in the night’s other game as Juventus pulled off an impressive 3-0 win away at 2013 finalists Borussia Dortmund to win 5-1 on aggregate. . For Tevez it represents quite a turnaround in fortunes in the competition, having gone six seasons without a Champions League goal,he…
Ghana coach Sellas Tetteh expects a tougher test from Zambia when the Black Satellites play their second game at the 2015 African Youth Championship. . The young Chipolopolo come into the second Group B encounter wounded after an opening day defeat to mali and will fight it all for their survival in the Caf U-20 Championship. . The Black Satellites did well to brush South Africa aside with two goals but their second half performance against the Amajita has been well-criticized by officials and fans. This, coach Tetteh is demanding improvement from his lads as ensuing games will prove tougher.…
Former Nigerian captain and winger, Henry Nwosu, has called for caution as Flying Eagles confront Ghana’s Black Satellites. . Flying Eagles will engage the Ghanaian opposite in the semifinals of the ongoing Orange African Under-20 Championship in Senegal on Wednesday at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium, Dakar. . Nwosu who acknowledged the age long rivalry between both countries insisted that Flying Eagles must avoid complacency to win the expected difficult clash against Ghana. . “The AYC semis clash between Nigeria and Ghana is certain to be tough as both countries know each other inside out, the rivalry is as old…
Treble-chasing Barcelona are exactly where they want to be as they prepare for two matches this week that could make or break coach Luis Enrique’s first season in charge. . Barca have won 16 of their 18 matches in 2015, their only blemishes defeats to Real Sociedad and Malaga in La Liga, and are in with a chance of repeating 2009’s historic haul of Champions League and Spanish League and Cup. . Enrique’s men take a 2-1 lead into Wednesday’s Champions League last 16, second leg at home to Manchester City, and will be at least a point clear of…
Barcelona’s Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen is on track to return to action next month after being unable to make his debut for the club due to a hamstring tear that needed surgery. . Vermaelen got injured at last year’s World Cup in Brazil, before he signed for Barca, prompting some to question why the club completed the deal to sign the 29-year-old from Arsenal. . In a message on his Facebook page, Vermaelen said on Tuesday that he had recently started running again and urged Barcelona fans to be patient. . “Everything is going according to plan, therefore I am…
Hull have until next Tuesday to answer a charge by the Football Association for failing to control their players in Saturday’s stormy Premier League goalless draw with bottom side Leicester. . The club is being held to account for several Hull players objecting angrily to referee Jon Ross booking Alex Bruce for a physical tackle on Riyad Mahrez. . “Hull City have been charged by The FA for failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion,” read the FA statement. . “The allegation relates to an incident which occurred in or around the 68th minute of their…
Nigeria’s Under-20 football team, the Flying Eagles, beat their Ghana counterparts 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the final of the 2015 Africa Under-20 football championship in Senegal. . Ghana started well, creating chances at will and denying the Nigerians any space. . However, it was the Flying Eagles who drew first blood in the 23rd minute through a set piece. . Captain Musa Muhammed whipped in an excellent corner kick from the left and Obinna Nwobodo did well to connect with a header when backpedaling from the goal, exemplifying pin-point accuracy as the Nigerians took the lead, somewhat against the…
Real Madrid will need to play with intensity for 90 minutes and not just the first half if they are to have a chance of beating Barcelona in Sunday’s La Liga ‘Clasico’, according to Real coach Carlo Ancelotti. . Ancelotti praised his side for their performance before the break in Sunday’s 2-0 win at home to Levante but said he was concerned by the way his players relaxed and let the visitors off the hook in the second period. . A Gareth Bale double, his first goals in 10 matches, had put Real in control by halftime and they appeared…