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And Porto will play…..Europa League draw provides some stardust
There was the usual hushed silence and then sudden intake of breath heard in Nyon on Friday, though not for the Champions League Round of 16 draw but the first two ties of the Europa League Round of 32.
Holders Porto will play mega-rich Manchester City, they were the first two names out of the little plastic balls when UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino was finally able to open the second after Davor Suker had tried and failed, and Ajax Amsterdam will take on Manchester United.
So what about the Champions League draw? Well, here it is in full:
Olympique Lyon v APOEL Nicosia
Napoli v Chelsea
AC Milan v Arsenal
Basel v Bayern Munich
Manchester City will struggle to offload pricey Tevez
It is quite conceivable Carlos Tevez will still be at Manchester City in February.
For all the talk of his City career being over, after the Argentine was accused by manager Roberto Mancini of refusing to come on in a Champions League game in September, no concrete offer has been forthcoming.
AC Milan are interested in cover for Antonio Cassano, out for months after heart surgery, but are keeping a lid on spending and only want a loan deal in the January transfer window.
City only want to sell Tevez and Milan’s proposal does not appeal. But City don’t have many other options if they want to recoup tens of millions of pounds in transfer fees.
Inter Milan could do with another forward and president Massimo Moratti said “we’ll see” when asked about Tevez.
Inter too are reining in costs with Financial Fairplay on the horizon and Moratti doesn’t want to spend big, seemingly ruling out his club in the pursuit of Tevez unless City relent and accept a loan with a view to a permanent move.
Juventus have yet to show their hand but with the side finally riding high in Serie A again after two seasons of woe, it could be dangerous to upset the apple cart in January by recruiting a personality like Tevez. How much Juve have to spend is also in doubt.
This post looks to be coming quite true, we’re 2 weeks into the window now and a deal looks far off for Tevez!
http://www.simplisticdesigns.co.uk
Balotelli courts maturity not Milan
Mario Balotelli has got into more scrapes than a bad teenage skateboarder but the maturing Italy striker has finally found some inner peace and his game is therefore flourishing.
A goal and commanding performance in Friday’s 2-0 friendly win in Poland followed other good displays for Manchester City, notably the 6-1 hammering of Manchester United at Old Trafford.
After scoring in that derby he revealed a T-shirt which read “Why always me?”, a question the colourful character also used to pose while playing at Inter Milan.
He is rarely allowed to speak publicly by PR men scared at what the 21-year-old will say next but in one post-match interview in Serie A in January last year, the forward made himself a comedy hero among many Italian fans.
“These things always seem to happen to me,” he said after picking up a needless yellow card in an Inter game at Chievo Verona which meant a suspension.
His self deprecation pricked ears and TV viewers across Italy thought he might finally be growing up.
However, in what was then typical style and with the interview apparently over, Balotelli suddenly lurched back into the shot and said: “I want to say one thing. Every time I come here to Verona this crowd disgusts me more and more.”
Have City knocked United off their perch?
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was quick to say that his team’s 6-1 mauling of arch-rivals United meant little more than another three points in the bag, but the Italian must surely be hoping it could signal a shift in the balance of power.
Having knocked Liverpool off their perch when they won a record 19th league title last season, United now face the prospect of playing second fiddle to City in England and Manchester, should their heaviest defeat to their neighbours in 56 years prove to be more than just a temporary setback.
Ferguson and several pundits wasted no time in pointing out United were undone after central defender Jonny Evans was sent off for a professional foul early in the second half.
But City were already on top at that point and earned their extra man on the pitch by carving United open with a defence-splitting pass — which left Evans only with the alternative of letting Mario Balotelli run through on goal.
Fielding his unpredictable compatriot Balotelli instead of Edin Dzeko up front turned out to be a masterstroke by Mancini, much like his entire strategy which worked to devastating effect.
Any hopes of a trademark United comeback when Darren Fletcher made it 3-1 vanished after late substitute Dzeko scored a brace to throw the blue half of Manchester into raptures, prompting Ferguson to adopt an unfamiliar line in his post-match reactions.
“We just kept attacking. It’s alright playing with the history books but common sense has to come in at times. With the experience we had at the back, we should have realised that and settled for what we had when it went to 4-1,” Ferguson told the club’s official website (www.manutd.com).
This was definitely as surprise as to the actual score line of the game. However, we have all seen the class of City before and they have obviously showed that they have it with this game. Granted United went down a man very early in the second half, this was a game that will change the opinions/confidence of both teams. Man City on the way up, Man U on the way down!
Champions League predictions
Well the first round of Champions League group results were fairly predictable, except for Trabzonspor winning at 2010 champions Inter Milan of course.
Here’s my attempt at predicting the scores in this week’s action. If you agree or disagree then please leave a comment below. Don’t worry, registering takes about five seconds.
Playing on Tuesday
Group A
Bayern Munich v Manchester City
City obviously pose a big threat but Bayern have been in such good form I can’t see an away win. 1-1
Napoli v Villarreal
What is Arsenal’s future?
By Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade
It is a bit early to single out Manchester rivals United and City as the only title contenders this season, but it appears highly likely that Arsenal will not be among the chasing pack now headed by the new-look Liverpool and Chelsea.
What is more, the 8-2 hammering the Gunners suffered at Old Trafford suggests that Arsene Wenger’s side might even struggle to finish in the top six, unless the Frenchman can swiftly turn around their fortunes.
Crippled by early injuries to some regular starters and even more so by the departure of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Arsenal were so off the pace for most of the match that their fans will want to forget as soon as possible.
With the team’s vertebrae boiling down to inconsistent and injury-prone Dutch striker Robin Van Persie, Wenger faces a mammoth task of rebuilding his side which is now a far cry from the 2003-4 Invincibles who won the league title without losing a match and stretched their unbeaten record to 49 games the following season.
Ironically, that remarkable run ended in a 2-0 defeat by United at Old Trafford and signaled a decline which seems to have culminated in Sunday’s humiliation.
The 2005 FA Cup is the only silverware Arsenal have managed since and adding a fourth league title to his trophy cabinet always looked unlikely for Wenger after the Gunners swapped the intimidating atmosphere of dilapidated Highbury for their glittering new palace, the Emirates Stadium, in 2006.
Can’t win with kids? United just did.
“You can’t win anything with kids,” said former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen of Manchester United’s young team in 1995. Alex Ferguson’s troops went on to win the Premier League that season in 1996.
Are we about to see a similar outcome in the 2011/12 season after Ferguson hauled off the experienced trio of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick with United 2-0 down to rivals Manchester City before they staged a second-half comeback to win the Community Shield 3-2 on Sunday?
Centre backs Phil Jones and Jonny Evans coped well with City’s vast array of attacking talent, while Carrick’s replacement Tom Cleverley was pivotal in the move that led to Nani’s sublime equaliser, pinging passes with Wayne Rooney around the box.
Rooney even called them “young”, the England man himself only 25.
Another youngster is new keeper David de Gea, who was far from convincing in the first half but saved smartly from David Silva in the second period and will need some time to convince any early doubters that he is the man to fill the boots of Edwin van der Sar.
The Premier League season is now just a week away, and while Ferguson has been quick to point out the limited significance of any pre-season matches he will be quietly confident after another typical United comeback.
Picture: Manchester United’s Chris Smalling (L) celebrates scoring with Tom Cleverley during their FA Community Shield soccer match against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London August 7, 2011. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Soccer Break Wednesday – Will you watch the Europa League final?
Will you be watching the Europa League final later on Wednesday? Do you even know who is in the final? Does it annoy you that such a tough competition gets undervalued because of the unstoppable rise in popularity of the Champions League?
Anyway, enough questions. Venue: Dublin. Teams: Porto and Braga, two very contrasting Portuguese clubs. This could be one hell of a game, so watch it.
Porto will of course seek to get back to the heights of 2003 and 2004, when they followed their UEFA Cup triumph over Celtic with Champions League glory. But lose, and Braga winning would cap a remarkable season for the minnows. Either way, the signs are good for Portuguese football, in contrast with the country’s economy.
Right, transfer speculation now. Goalkeeper Shay a Given to leave Manchester City despite Champions League football next season? And how about unsettled Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe?
Ligue 1 leaders Lille are poised to capture the French title, but do you really know anything about them? Read here for an expert analysis of their season and prospects next term.
And finally here’s a superb feature on the young Dutch players ready to take the game by storm.
Discuss all these topics and other stories in world soccer on the Reuters Soccer Facebook page. And please feel free to send us recommendations for your pick of the day’s stories.
Soccer Break Tuesday – Blatter unbeatable?
Short and sweet today. Is Sepp Blatter really “unbeatable” ahead of the June 1 election for the FIFA presidency?
It would appear so, though under his leadership the sport’s governing body has come under fire for alleged corruption.
That said, you have to admire his workrate. He is no ordinary 75-year-old.
Some transfer speculation now, and with Ligue 1 leaders Lille set to all but clinch the title on Wednesday will they be agitated by rumours that star man Eden Hazard could leave?
And how about Everton’s Leighton Baines to Manchester City for 25 million pounds? Money is no obstacle for the Manchester side as they prepare to sail into uncharted waters in the Champions League next season.
This article says City need to focus on actually winning trophies, not annoying fierce city rivals United and trying solely to beat them.
Finally, a piece on what relegation means to teams leaving the top flight. West Ham United went down last Sunday, and two more clubs will follow suit next Sunday. Who are you backing to stay up?
Soccer Break Monday – Manchester united?
A united Manchester after both football sides won major honours on Saturday? No chance. Both City and United will parade the streets in open-top bus parades, just a week apart.
Read here for a roundup of all things European football over the weekend, during which titles were won, tears were shed, and more trophies were dropped.
Yes, Sergio Ramos spilling the King’s Cup in Spain was not a one off, though worryingly Ajax and Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, touted as a possible Man United replacement for compatriot Edwin van der Sar, was the culprit.
Eleswhere Barcelona fans and players have been throwing red peppers after clinching the La Liga title, read here for an explanation. Who look the stronger going into the Champions League final, Barca or United?
Finally, he swore on live television after his side’s FA Cup victory on Saturday, but are people now warming to Mario Balotelli?
Discuss all these topics and other stories in world soccer on the Reuters Soccer Facebook page. And please feel free to send us recommendations for your pick of the day’s stories.
Picture: Manchester City fans celebrate after their team defeated Stoke City in their FA Cup final soccer match at Wembley Stadium, in London May 14, 2011. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
