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Soccer Break Thursday
So Real Madrid finally broke their last 16 jinx and made the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2004 with a solid home performance against Olympique Lyon. Can’t imagine anyone left in the draw would like to face Jose Mourinho’s men when the last eight and semi-final draws are announced on Friday.
Which team would you want? Managerless Schalke 04? Real are divided on that given they would then face former striker Raul. Or Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk? Tottenham Hotspur would appear to be another one of the weaker teams left but at this stage of the competition any side is a threat.
To focus on Real, there are many talking points. Marcelo’s opening goal clearly settled the home support while there is no doubting Mourinho’s effortless ability to succeed.
In Wednesday’s other match Chelsea coasted through against FC Copenhagen, little surprise there. However Fernando Torres was again left waiting for his opening goal at the London club after coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute.
While English teams lead the way in the Champions League with three representatives, in the Europa League Liverpool and Manchester City have an uphill battle to make the quarter-finals. Scotland’s Rangers are also in with a chance but must beware the away goals rule.
Elsewhere in the Europa League, former winners (of the UEFA Cup before it became Europa League) Porto take a 1-0 away leg win to Portugal while Zenit St Petersburg must try and overturn a 3-0 defeat at Twente Enschede.
Ajax Amsterdam and Paris St Germain must also make up for first leg defeats against Spartak Moscow and Benfica respectively.
Soccer Break – Friday edition
Lionel Messi one day, Cristiano Ronaldo the next. It does not get any better than seeing the world’s best players at the top of the their game after Ronaldo’s hat-trick inspired Real Madrid to a 7-0 hammering of Malaga.
There’s plenty to get your teeth into here, while other Real blogs are debating the future of midfielder Kaka. Could you see him in the Premier League?
Back to England, and not good news for Manchester City after Kolo Toure was suspended after testing positive for a specified sample. The former Arsenal man has been key in the heart of City’s defence this season and they will struggle to replace the Ivorian international if he does get a ban.
North of the border, and Celtic and Rangers passionate yet fiery relationship lives on.
Looking ahead to the weekend and there is so much at stake in all the top European leagues. Read our Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 previews to fill you in on what’s going on.
Enjoy the weekend of football action and see you again on Monday to discuss all things soccer.
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Exploding egg just the first of Broadfoot’s troubles
Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot is an unlucky man.
Earlier this month, the 25-year-old Scotland international was taken to hospital after an egg he was microwaving exploded. He was trying to poach the egg but hot liquid squirted out when he opened the microwave door, burning his cheek.
There followed lots of newspaper headlines about him having “egg on his face”.
The player was already ruled out for the rest of the season because of a series of niggles.
Now he has been told he won’t play again until November following surgery on his left foot.
It seems he isn’t a broad foot after all…
Is Scotland’s life ban for Rangers duo too harsh?
Rangers players Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor will no longer be considered for Scotland duty in a shock decision from the country’s FA.
The pair were dropped for Wednesday’s game against Iceland following allegations of a drinking session and were then pictured giving V signs while sat on the bench. Ferguson has also been stripped of the Rangers captaincy.
They have obviously been stupid if the accusations are true but do the punishments fit the crime?
If a future manager wants them back in the squad, I can see the decision being overturned.
When you pay the sort of money footballers earn to people like Barry Ferguson & Allan McGregor you are asking for trouble. They can’t handle it. I quote Alan Sugar “If some of these people were not football players they would likely be in jail” He is probably right. Their attitude is:- Look at me I’m a big shot, don’t tell me what to do. They can kick a bit of plastic about but there is not much between the ears. I would ban them from professional football for all time, they are tramps
Old Firm big fish can’t swim outside small pond
You shouldn’t laugh, but it’s hard not to after the mighty Old Firm, soccer’s biggest domestic bullies, once again found they were not so tough when they are allowed into the big boys’ playground.
Celtic might stick it to Hamilton Academical and Falkirk on a regular basis but AaB Aalborg proved too good for them on Tuesday as a 2-1 win for the Danes ended the Glasgow club’s interest in the Champions League early – again.
Why do Scotland’s finest struggle to make any impact when a similar-sized club like Porto continually do well and Anorthosis Famagusta flourish this year?
The Aalborg defeat should not have come as a shock as Celtic have now managed one draw, and a remarkable 19 defeats from their last 20 Champions League away games.
Barry Robson’s opener last night was their first away goal in the competition for two years but it was almost fated that they should add the Aalborg Stadion to the long list of barren grounds with a Gary Caldwell own goal three minutes from time.
Tuesday’s result also ensured that, despite overcoming their travel travails to reach the knockout phase in the last two seasons, they would finish bottom of their group and not even have a crack at the UEFA Cup, where they reached the final in 2003.
Asked before Tuesday’s game whey Celtic had such a poor return from their Champions League away games, manager Gordon Strachan said: “The other teams have scored more goals than us and we haven’t scored enough. It’s quite simple really.”
Indeed I’m not, nor Danish or, surprisingly, Scottish. I also, as I remember, pass absolutely no comment on Celtic’s performance against Aalborg other than to say they lost via an own goal and therefore “proved too good for them”. A defeat is a defeat and 19 of them and a draw from 20 away games involves a little more than bad luck, I’d suggest. Thanks for posting.
UEFA Cup final to produce another classic?
The UEFA Cup final has thrown together two teams of contrasting styles, pitting free-scoring Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg , managed by Dutchman Dick Advocaat, against a defensively-solid Rangers team guided by Walter Smith.
Will that combination produce yet another classic at the showpiece at the City of Manchester stadium?
The last 10 finals since 1998 have been largely high-scoring affairs – averaging 3.9 goals per match. Who could forget Liverpool’s epic 5-4 win over Alaves, secured with a golden goal in 2001, or Porto’s 3-2 victory over Celtic two years later.
Zenit, even without suspended top scorer Pavel Pogrebynak for the final, have the potential to test the best club defences.
In 16 European games the Russians have rammed in 29 goals, an impressive tally not lost on Smith, who believes Zenit would have more than held their own had they played Champions League football this season.
Zenit will play in Europe’s premier club competition next season, reward for winning the Russian title, but Advocaat must first hatch a plan to overcome a club he knows inside out having guided Rangers to two league titles between 1998 and 2002.
Rangers have found goals hard to come by since parachuting into the UEFA Cup from the Champions League, but with Spaniard Carlos Cuellar, named Scottish Football Writers’ Player of the Year, a rock at the back they do not concede many either.
