Player Of the Week : Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira

Date of Birth: 21st of March 1980

Place of Birth:Port alegre ,Brazil 

Position : Attacking Midfielder,Forward

Attributes: Dribbling,Creativity,Vision,Freekicks,Pace

Ronaldinho Gaucho as his known in brazil , is one of the most talented and intelligent players to have ever played the game. the man could dribble ,pass,Cross,shoot,and run like the wind. he was the complete attacking player. he was unselfish ,and possessed a flair that would always entertain the crowd. he famously received a standing ovation form the Real madrid fans,after his brilliant performance saw barcelona beat their arch rivals by 5 goals. 

The two time FIFA player of the year winner , played a integral part in brazil 2002 team that won the world cup. and helped barcelona to two la liga wins ,and a champions league trophy. he recently added the copa libertadores medal to his cabinet with Atletico Mineiro. 

What Wiki Says about him 

Ronaldinho's football skills began to blossom at the of age 8, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.^[8] He developed an interest in futsaland beach football, which later expanded to organized football. His first brush with the media came at the age of thirteen, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team.^[10] Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.^[11][12]

Ronaldinho's 2005 Nike advertisement, where he is given a new pair of boots and then proceeds to juggle a football and appears to repeatedly volley it against the crossbar of a goal and recover it without the ball touching the ground, went viral on YouTube, becoming the site's first video to reach one million views.^[13] Ronaldinho joined forces with the United Nations to educate the public about AIDS in 2011, and on June 2013, he launched his own line of condoms named Sex Free.^[14]

Ronaldinho became a father for the first time on 25 February 2005, after Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes gave birth to their son, who was named João after Ronaldinho's late father.

What youtube Says about him 

Ronaldinho Gaucho Quote embedded in a photo ,for your pleasure.

There is his secret guys, improvisation , and quick thinking,. which basically says ,dont think about what you want to do , until its actually time to do it. 

Want to see your favorite player as our player of the week, write to us or leave comment below. 

Player of the Week : Xavi Hernandez

Xavi Hernandez 

The passer,The conductor and The director

There are not alot of players who have qualities such as The spanish International.The man can general a midfield like no other , he can pass , shoot , dribble and control the pace of the game ,in any situation, and he do it looking as cool as a cucumber.

A product of la masia's prestigious academy , Xavi is considered by many to be the finest midfielder of his generation.remaining loyal to the catalan Club barcelona Fc, Xavi has made 700 appearances for the club ,scoring 80 goals .Looking at his appearance to goal ratio,you will see there is nothing extraordinary there , but xavi is not in the game to score goals.The midfield artist is  into the assist game,he relishes the chance to create goal scoring opportunities for his team mates. kind of like what a quarter back does in American Football.except he does it without a helmet , and nobody is looking to take his head off with diving eagle flight tackle.

what wiki says about him 

Xavi has won more trophies (25) than any other Spanish player in history. He won the World Soccer Player of the Year award in 2010. Xavi has received five Ballon d'Or nominations, and finished in third place in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was runner up to Messi for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. He has been awarded the IFFHSWorld's Best Playmaker award for 4 years: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Xavi has been included in the UEFA Team of the Year for 5 years (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), and has been voted into the FIFA World XI on 6 occasions: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. At Euro 2012, with his 2 assists in the Final, Xavi became the first player to register assists in 2 separate Euro finals, having set up the lone goal in the Final 4 years earlier.^[11] He was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2012.


What youtube says about him 





the video above is prof that Xavi , blends a big jar , of spidey sense pills with a xray vision and heat seeking missile vision enhancer every morning for breakfast. Xavi is also a very modest and humble man ,unlike some of the other super star players out there, a Real Madrid jersey wearing portuguese national in specific ;) ;).

Where is he now ?

He still conducting and creating master piece goals for barcelona , and will be present in the world cup 2014. with players like xavi Spain have a very good shot at landing the most sought after trophy in soccer. and yes he already has one of those, he won it in 2010!


Xavi Quote embedded in a fancy edited pic for ur viewing pleasure 

He likes spaces , I can understand why as playing in small area condensed with defensive midfielders can do that to a man.

there you guys this weeks player , Xavi hernandez , he wins trophies , creates goals , and loves empty spaces. he dreams of of one day visiting mars , so that he can kick the ball into empty spaces all the time.

Elche Vs Barcelona Match Preview 11th May 2014

Goliath Meets David In A Must-Win Match

Kick Off: Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero,Elche,Today 18:00 BST

Defending champions Barcelona take on Elche in a must-win match for them. Barcelona are three points behind top team Atletico, their drubbers in Champion League quarter finals. Breathing fire on their tale with a lag of just one point are arch rivals Real whom they lost the Copa del Ray finals to.
Barca have 3 wins, a draw and a loss in their last 5 games, with big name players like superstar striker Messi, they are the clear favourites too. But on the other hand, new, small but dynamic Elche are quite formidable at their home ground Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero where they haven’t lost a single match for the last 5 months. In their last 5 games, they have had two losses, two wins and one draw. Presently they stand midtable at14th place with 39 points.

Barcelona's Deadly Duo , must come to their team rescue 

Barca will go all out for a clear victory. Gerardo Martino's men know they can still retain their title if they win this match and Atletico loses theirs. Then Barca will take home the trophy on better goal difference.
Fran Escriba’s Elche, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They are well past relegation and if they somehow manage to beat the Barca, they will move up a place or two in rankings. Elche are strong defenders and have conceded just 47 goals in the tournament till date, and only 2 of these have been hit at the home ground.
On the other hand, in the reverse fixture, Barcelona had trounced Elche 4-0 with a hat trick from Alexis Sanchez. They will hope for a rerun of the same story.

Star Players to watch out for

For Barca, it is the star forward, the one-and-only Lionel Messi, the 4-time Ballon d’Or winner who inspite of not being at his best has scored 28 goals already. Messi has also been in news for urging his team mates to go all out and catch the title by the skin of their teeth.
$70 million purchase Brazilian Neymar has been a disappointment of sorts in his first season with Barcelona.

Injury and team news

Barca will miss Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Neymar- all first teamers and all down with injuries.
Elche will miss goalkeeper Tono and defender Botia, both serving suspension.

Final score prediction

Elche : 0   Barcelona 2 

Match forecast
Expect to see Barca pass the ball around a lot making Elche chase. They know that Elche’s defense is solid.
Watch out for Elche too, they might just do the unexpected to take wind right out of Barca’s sails at their home turf. Escriba is certainly hoping to do so.

Written By : Namita Jain

Real Madrid Vs Bayern Munich Match Preview

Bundesliga Champions visit The Santiago bernabeu in their quest to retain the champion’s league trophy.

Kick off : 19:45 BST Santiago Bernabeu,Madrid ,Spain

Bayern Munich have somewhat been unstoppable this season, they swept aside opposition with ease in the Bundesliga with score of 4 – 0 and 5- 0 on many occasions with their slick passing style ,and were crowned champions of the German league on march a full month before the end of the season . Bayern have managed 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 champion’s league away games and visit Madrid with great confidence in their manager Joseph Guardiola, who knows how stop the white footballing machine very well. Guardiola football philosophy is one of ball possession, aggressive pressuring off the ball, and quick pass and movement. This system paid off well against Real Madrid when he was manager of then invincible Barcelona team that won him 16 trophies in 4 seasons. Although he has beaten real in many occasions in the recent years, he was still aware of the los Blanco’s danger and had the following to say about the game:

"I was unbeaten here but with another club.”It's always difficult to beat Madrid and we will not do so without playing extremely well. Player for player they are the most difficult rival we could have drawn. There is no one in football at the moment with a squad like Madrid's”

Joseph Guardiola Remains Unbeten in Madrid ,and is considerd by many to be the best football manager in the world at the moment 

Real Madrid currently 3^rd on the la liga standings  have great hope in players  like Cristiano Ronaldo ,and Gareth Bale  who scored the winning goal against Barcelona in the Copa Delray final earlier this month. Many doubted the welsh wizards ability when Madrid paid London based club totenham Spurs 85 million euros for his services ,but he has managed to convince doubters wrong ,and will look to further enhance his reputation by putting a good performance in tonight’s match . Madrid have won the champions league trophy 9 times and have been struggling to get the 10^th trophy for many seasons now and will look to climb a step closer to the dream by putting away the tournament favorites away tonight . Ronaldo will be looking to set a new Champions League record of 15 goals for a season, if he is fit enough to play that is, the best player in the world as some like to call him, has not been fit enough to play 2^nd of April, he will look to make a successful comeback by getting on the goal scoring sheet tonight when he faces what some call the best team in the world at the moment.  

Real's hope realies on theses two , the most Expensive players in the world with a combined transfer fee of 170 million dollars 

Injury news

Bayern are hopeful that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be fit to start after missing the weekend win over Braunschweig due to a calf injury.Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez are both available after missing the second leg of the quarter-final win over United through suspension.Left-back David Alaba has returned to training after sitting out the weekend game due to illness, but Daniel van Buyten has withdrawn from the squad, and Thiago Alcantara, Diego Contento and Xherdan Shaqiri are injured.

Real coach Ancelotti will make a late decision on whether to start Ronaldo, but insists he will not pick the Portuguese star if he has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury. Ronaldo has not played any competitive football since Real's 3-0 quarter-final first-leg win over Borussia Dortmund on April 2, but returned to full training on Monday.

Gareth Bale has overcome illness to be available, while Fabio Coentrao will start at left-back in place of Marcelo, who is not 100 per cent after a hamstring problem.

Final Score Prediction

Real Madrid: 2        Bayern Munich: 0 

Atletico Madrid Vs Chelsea Match Preview

Chelsea travel to Spain in order to face off against the la liga's  Top dog ; Atletico Madrid, in the semifinals of the champion’s league.

Kick off at  Vicenze Calderon Stadium 19:45 BST

Realistically, no one expected Chelsea to go through the quarter finals, after Paris saint Germaine had put 3 past them in the first leg of the quarter finals. They showed great resilience and spirit, when they came back for a 2 goal deficit in the second leg and knocked the French giants out of the competition, thanks to goals from Andreas Shurle, and Demba Ba. They are currently second in the premiere standings with 75 points are chasing Liverpool in the title race. They haven’t shown a great away form this season, managing only 2 wins in their last 5. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at times blamed the lack of able strikers for his team’s poor away form this season, but the opposing team’s manager Diego Simone has praised Chelsea’s strike force ,saying they possess world class strikers in there team ,who are a danger to any team. I suspect his history with Chelsea’s Fernando Torres may have clouded his judgment to some e extend. Fernando Torres form this season can be labeled many things but saying his world class is a bit of an exudation. Will Torres’s return to his boyhood clubs ground will a dream or a nightmare? We will just have to wait and see.

Atletico Madrid has had no such problems this season. They possess a potent strike force in Spanish Internationals Diego Costa who is subject to a possible transfer between the two clubs , and David Villa. They have put away Opposition with ease this season, thanks to their lethal partnership in front of the opposition goal. Atletico Madrid defied all odds when they knocked 3 times champions Barcelona Out of the competition, and by doing so proved to be worthy adversaries.

Both theese strikers have a lot to say in this game ,one is the light of hope for his team ,the other overlooked ,and dismissed . (Imagecredit:footzoo.com)

Team Injury news

Diego Simeone has been boosted by the news that midfielder Arda Turan is fit.The Turkey international had been sidelined with a groin injury suffered during the quarter-final first leg against Barcelona and his return will ease the pressure on playmaker Koke.Costa will lead the Atletico line, while on-loan goalkeeper Courtois will line up between the posts after UEFA made it clear that there could be no deal preventing him from facing his parent club. (Chelsea)

Samuel Eto'o was left in London with a knee injury , but Eden Hazard, who has not played since suffering a calf injury in the quarter-final win over Paris St Germain, did travel with the squad on Monday.Cech is included in a 20-man squad party after missing Saturday's shock home defeat by Sunderland in the Premier League through illness but Branislav Ivanovic is suspended, so Cesar Azpilicueta may play at right-back and Ashley Cole could return on the left.Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah are ineligible after playing for other clubs earlier in the competition.

this game is a difficult one to call, both teams play a great passing game ,and possess great skill on the ball.the team with arial power is likey to gain an advantage ,in this case chelsea,but athletico are a great counter attacking team , and can expose chelsea's lack of pace in defence . 

Final Score /Prediction

Atletico : 2                  Chelsea : 1 

It’s the 3rd classic of the season, and the La liga Giants Fight for the Copa Del Rey Trophy

 The two title hopefuls and la liga giants of the Spanish footballing league meet for the 3^rd time this season in the first leg of Copa Del ray final show down  today 16 April  20:30 BST  at the Mastalla stadium today  in the beautiful city of Valencia.

The Los blancos currently 2^nd with 79 points and trailing Atheltico Madrid by 3 points in the la liga standing. Barcelona hot on their tail with 78 points and with a better goal difference. Barcelona have managed to beat real Madrid in their last two meetings this season  with a score of 4- 3 and 2 -1 respectively ,and are looking likely to do it again ,as long as their defense can stand against Gareth bale ,and Angels di Maria’s attacks form the flanks. This game promises to be one of full action speedy counterattacks and creative football forms both sides. Real Madrids super expensive signing is expected to step up and prove his worth, while Barcelona’s messiah, Lionel messi who was criticized  for his poor performance in the quarter finals of the champions league will look to once again prove why many consider him the best footballer who ever lived . Barcelona will look to score as many goals in order to deacrese the chances of their rivals getting back into the game in the second leg, which will be held at the Santiago Bernabeu  Stadium (Real’s  home turf)  in Madrid on the 19^th . 

One will miss the game entirly,while the other will look to inspire his team to victory  (Image credit :ronaldo7.com)

Injury news /probable line ups

Real Madrid will be without their talented talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese International and last year’s ballon Dore winner will not take part in the mouth watering and exciting fixture due to a hamstring injury. While Barcelona’s 1^st pick defender Gerrard pique will be out carrying a pelvis injury (Shakira might be to blame for this !) the shaggy haired Spanish international puyol is likely to start partnering argentine international and midfielder by trade ,Javier Macherano.

Score Prediction

Barcelona 3         Real Madrid 1 

A great compilation of soccer skillzz!, Put together by the English TV Show Soccer AM

Soccer has just published another one their great soocer Show boat monatges . Soccer Am is one of favorate tv shows ,they cover all the hapennigs of the English league with  a corky and humoris prospective . 

you can catch this show on the Sky sports channel every saturday morning, this show has a great follwoing  I my self certainly enjoy watching it . 

The video below includes the best of europan  leagues players show boating their great footballing skills, my personal favorite  got to be Neymar Jr bamboozeling Athletico Madrids Thiago in champions league quarter finals  ! To have the odasity to try that in that kind of stage !! this kid is Bannnas !!  

Which one of these is your favorite? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment. 

The Blaugrana Face Underdog Levante For The Opening Game of Their Season.

Barcelona are all geared up and ready to start another exciting season, having gone through a management change.  All eyes are on newly appointed manager Gerardo Martino, will he step up to the challenge and deliver? Or will Barcelona be looking for a new manger before Christmas?  And not to forget Barcelona newly acquired super star Neymar, who will be looking to dazzle Europe, it will not be easy as the multi-talented Brazilian will be playing alongside, the world’s best. The new boss could hand a competitive debut to Brazil international, who signed from Santos in May in a move worth €57 million.  Barcelona looked promising during the person tour winning 4 games out of 6 played, with the one and only Lionel Messi as top scorer. The two teams kick off Sunday 18^th of August 17:00 GMT time at the famous Camp Nou stadium. 

Barcelona faced off against   some of Europeans best in their pre season tour.

Injury News 

The Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will be rested, as the team faces a hectic schedule in the coming week. Former arsenal Captain Francis Fabregas will also miss the game due a sprained ankle.  Levante  manager   may not be able to call on the services of Ruben Garcia and Papakouli Diop, with both struggling for fitness. Levante finishes 11 last seasons, and have never won a game in Camp Nou.

Line Ups

Barca are likely to line up with  the usual 4-3-3 formation with a  Victor Valdes in goals , Daniele Alves, Pique,Puyol ,and Jordi Alba in defence , Sergio Basques, Andres Inesta and Xavi in midfield , and  Neymar playing up front along Side Sanchez and Pedro . Barcelona typically will look to hold possession of the ball, feeding the ball to the sides and back in just behind levantes 18 yard box, look out for Neymars trickery as he will be looking to open his scoring account early.

 Levante most likely look to deploy the 4-2-3-1, sitting deep and looking to pounce on Barcelona with quick counter attacks. Likely starters for levante are Navas in goals, Karbelas, Navarro, Rodas ,and Vyntra in defence. Ibora, , Jordi Xumetra , Ivanschitz ,Valdos ,Rios,and  Aqua Fresca  paying the lone striker role upfront .

Predicted  Final Score

Barcelona : 3     Levante : 1 

One Goal Down ,and Fresh Out of Defeat,Its Go Hard or Go Home For FC Barcelona

Pep Guardiolas men are not having a good week, tasting defeat in front of 90,000 fans at  their home stadium to Real Madrid on Saturday night. Messi’s and co will relish the chance to bounce back, and Tuesdays fixture provides the ideal stage. Chelsea enters camp nou with a goal advantage, Barcelona nee only  to score 2 goals and keep a clean  to reach the final. Barcelona has not lost three games in row since 2003, and are looking to extend that recorded even further. Defeat to real Madrid came as a shock to many of us, Barcelona were unlucky at times but the waste-fullness of some Barcelona  players in front of opponents goal  proved to be the catalyst in  defeat to their nemesis . I’m sure the Catalan clubs manager Pep Guardiola will instruct his team to be more accurate and clinical in front of goal come Tuesday . as in recent years everyone has got  use to the sight of Barcelona easliy slotting one one one chanced into the opponents  goal. Chelsea managed a goalless draw in the emirates stadium, holding arsenal off and securing a crucial away point. Chelsea lost once in 14 games . Chelsea care taker manager certainly make some changes to the line up from the weekend with the old guard (Terry, Lampard, Cole, Cech, Drogaba) almost certain to get a chance to complete the revenge mission. 

I usually go into statistics at this point, but we all know it useless since this two recently played each other and their condition more or less remains the same.

The deciding factors at this point remain tactics and the the players who will take part as well as the ones who don’t .  Lionel Messi will need to step up and be counted, and finally end his goal drought against the London club. Messi is now goals less in the last two games his played ,although he has already netted 63 goals this season in total. he is now a goal behind Cristiano  Ronaldo in the pi-chichi race. 

Chelsea defense was impressive in the first leg .Ashley Cole and Ramirez manged to keep Barcelona Left back  Dani Alves quiet ,and Mikel and  Frank Lampard made nuisance of themselves in the middle of the field to stop the fluied movement of Barcelona passing game . this proved vital in shutting out Barcelona . it remains to be seen whether they will deploy the same tactics this time round.

Barcelona Legend Johan Cryuff had the following to say about the fixture in his weekly column for a Dutch news paper:

"I still think Barcelona will beat Chelsea on Tuesday, Despite the fact that Barcelona have now lost two games in a row, I expect another good game from them at Camp Nou”

"You can't compare the loss against Real Madrid to the defeat versus Chelsea. Barca created plenty of chances in London, but failed to convert any of their opportunities. There were hardly any serious chances against Madrid, because the simple things went wrong”

Chelsea defended very well in the last time the two teams met 

Roberto Di Matteo is currently sweating the availability of drogba  who missed the game against arsenal due to swollen knee, if Drgogba does not recover in time ,Chelsea are likely to call upon Fernando Torres’s  services, who is the only player to have tasted victory over Barcelona at the camp Nou from his playing days in athletic  Madrid . 

Probable Line Ups

Gerard pique is likely to return to team after missing 5 games, a falling out with pep Guardiola semd him down the pecking order. he will be eager to prove his worth ,and will look ro prove a point . Cesc Fabregas who was rested against Madrid is likely to return with Alexi Sanchez   being called back to the starting 11 after making a substitute appearance against Real Madrid.

Valdes
Alves, Puyol, Pique, Adriano 
Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta
Sanchez, Messi, Fabregas

Barcelona will have to try and break the impressive Chelsea backline. with Sanchez lurking in the 18 yard box and Messi in possession of the ball it’s a very do able task.  If Barcelona manage to score Chelsea will have to come out of their own half and actually try to attack Barcelona, this however might give Barcelona the advantage to counter. 

If fit is certain that Drogba will start the game, Michael l Essien played a full 90 minutes arsenal and its likely for Miel to replace him in the Center of the feild.

Cech
 Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole
       Mikel, Meireles
Ramires, Lampard, Mata
           Drogba? /Torres

Chelsea will most likely sit back and  soak up all the pressure before  hitting Barcelona on the counter, just like the reverse fixture in the Stamford Bridge .if they concede a goal, ashlye Cole and Juan mata are likely to attack the flanks , and try to provide aerial crosses for  the forward to hit . Chelsea will try to use their physical advantage over the Catalan opponent. 

Final Verdict

Barcelona                                      Chelsea

3                                                            1

Barcelona Aim to Win, As Real Madrid Look to Further Cement Their place on top Table

Well folks, it’s finally here, El grande Classic, Barcelona host their arch rivals and current league leaders Real Madrid on Saturday. Both clubs were subjected to shock loses in the first leg of champions league semi finals. Real Madrid conceded a late goal, while Barcelona failed to score after falling behind in the first half against London Club Chelsea Fc. Saturday represents the second instalment of el Classico action in 2011/2012 season, and the pressure is on Pep Guardiola's men to pick up all three points at Home ground. Barcelona currently are on a streak of 54 games unbeaten at home. Real Madrid has managed 4 wins out of the last 5 games played in the primera division, scoring 17 goals in total and with only 4 goals conceded. Barcelona on the other hand has won 5 out of 5 scoring 14 goals and conceding 2 goals in the process. Barcelona managed an easy victory the last time the two sides met at the Bernabeu Stadium in the Spanish Capital.Karim Benzema Put the hosts ahead scoring the fastest goal in elclassico history when he capitalized on Victor Valdes mistake. The lead didn’t last long though, as Chilean Forward Alexi Snachez equalized for the Blaugrana in the 30^th minute. An unlucky own goal from real Madrid defender Marcelo and a strike from Francis Fabregas ensured the Catalans leave the capital with all 3 points.

The superiority of one player over the other has been widely disputed among soccer fans

All eyes will be on the two superstars Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Former Chelsea manager and Luis Philippe Scolari was quoted saying in a recent interview:

''The only bad thing about Cristiano's life is Messi. If it wasn't for Messi, Cristiano would be the best player in the world for five consecutive years."

Indeed the two players have been neck and neck in the goal scorer’s chart each managing 41 goals in the domestic league. Athletico Madrid Striker Ramdel falcao stands third with 22 goals; this is a great indication of the two player’s quality. The two of them on the same field is no doubt a great spectacle. It’s a game not to be missed.


Injuries and line ups
Oddly we are spared the customary, Mourinho show before the game as the Portuguese manger is not looking to give anything away in regards to tactics.
Barcelona midfielder Xavi had the following to say regarding the match (crunch sports.com):
Madrid has played in various ways but we have not changed out style of play in any game. "We have always wanted the ball in order to have those long possessions that help us control the game and, from there, try to win the match. 

"We cannot change our game now. We have done it against all rivals, and against Madrid at their home, too."So, we will try to attack more so than ever, having the ball more than ever and go on the attack more than ever to win the match."

Madrid manager has a full squad to call upon for the big occasion, Xabi Alonso returns after serving a suspension. While Ricardho carvalho and, French international Lassana Diarra remain out due to injury.
Alexi Sanchez picked up a knock in the champions league clash on Wednesday and remains doubtful to make an appearance. Pep Guardiola will also be without first pick left back Eric abidal as the defender is currently recovering from surgery.

Probable Line Ups

Valdes
Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Puyol
Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta
Fabregas, Messi, Pedro

Barcelona will be looking to systematically expose Real Madrid s defense, with Messi lurking behind defenders at every chance, the real defenders will need to be on their toes, as messi and co are experts at beating the offside trap.

Real Madrid

Casillas Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo Khedira, Alonso Ronaldo , Ozil,Di Maria Benzema

Real Madrid central defenders will have their work cut out for them, as Master tactician Jose Mourinho would have surly watched Chelsea nullify the barca attack by crowding the center, it most likely that  he  instructs  his players  to sit deep and hit on the counter.  Ramos or Pepe are likely to be sent off as it’s become a customary event in recent years.

Final Verdict

Barcelona  are very consistent on the way they play ,and insist on sure passes , quick one tows and deadly pace on the counter ,they are what most experts call a compete team . Their advantage over real Madrid is the fact that Barcelona defend as a team, where real Madrid wingers are reluctant to track back, exposing the flanks. This leaves much space for players like Danni Alves and Adriano, who both posses a great attacking threat. So considering these facts I see another victory for Barcelona over their arch rivals at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona                                        Real Madrid

                                   4                                                      2

Barcelona visit the Stamford Bridge as Chelsea Eye Revenge

The London club has had an adventures journey to the semi finals. Losing 3-1 to Napoli in the first leg of the last 16, many ruled them out completely. With the revitalization of the 50 million pound man Fernando Torres ,and the reinstatement of frank Lampard in the starting 11, Chelsea have found their winning formula again. Even David Louiz has managed to break free from the kid who was controlling him with an Xbox joy stick, and managed to put in some world class performances.

All eyes will be on  Lionel Messi who’s currently scored 14 goals in the competitions’ equaling Gerd Muller’s long standing record.Barcelona have won all away games in the European competition  this season . The argentine has never been able to score against the blues in the 6 times his played them in the European competition. Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 10 games in the domestic league, scoring 26 goals. They currently sit second in the primera divisions standing table, trailing Real Madrid by 4 points.

Iniesta's 93 rd minute strike took barca to the finals back in 2009

Chelsea have not lost a home game in the European competition this season, and will look to stretch their record on Wednesday when they meet the Catalan juggernaut. The two clubs have met in the same stage of the competition before in 2009 with Barcelona managing a controversial victory. Didier Drogba famously named it a freaking disgrace; consequently he was banned for three games. Then match official Mark Over Boo is still living under a rock after a abysmal performance, it was reported that he still receives hate mail from Chelsea fans all over the world.  

Cech
Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole
Mikel, Lampard
Ramires, Mata, Kalou
Torres

 Chelsea will likely sit deep trying to absorb Barcelona’s attacks, and try and hit them on the counter, one thing Chelsea will try to do is control possession of the ball which is very difficult against a team like Barcelona.

Barcelona

Barcelona have a healthy and fit sqaud to call up on. Dani Alves , Gerard Pique ,Sydou Keita and Ibrahim Afellay  are all back in the squad . It’s unclear whether the enigmatic manager Guardiola will go for a 4-3-3, or 3-4-3.

Valdes,
Puyol, Mascherano, Pique
Alves, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta
Sanchez, Messi, Pedro

Barca will try to pass their way into the box, with Chelsea s leaky defence; I expect to see at least one penalty awarded to the Catalan team. Look out for the classic inesta – messi one twos round the 18yard box.

Final Verdict

Chelsea                                     Barcelona

0                                                     1

Can Ronaldo and Co stop the Catalan Juggernaut?

And finally it’s here ,the meeting of the two giants in the world of football ,it’s been reported that over 200 million watch this fixture every year . The big two of the Spanish la liga. The el Classico is more than just a football match it about way of life the battle of the social classes .Barcelona a fan owned club who breed the majority of their  players  from the local talent pool versus Real Madrid , a club historically tied to Spanish royalty who spend millions and millions to bring in international stars from all over the world . some of the greatest players in the world  have taken part in this derby , di- Stefano, Eusebio, Zidan, Rivado, Cruyff, Ronaldinho,some say this is the golden era of football and the current Barcelona starting 11 may be the greates ever.

It's a chance for Real Madrid to get revenge for last December's 3-1 league defeat to the Catalans, when goals by Alexis Sanchez, Xavi and Fabregas made sure of Pep Guardiola's eighth victory in these ties in as manager.

Barcelona remember the well the last time the two sides met in the copa del ray  .it was the 20^th of april last year the 107^th final .

Barcelona were top of the league with Mourinhos slick passing fast moving 11 tailing . Real managed to  snatch victory in the dying minutes of extra time with CR7 as the protagonist. He had been criticized for not performing in big games, ronaldo scored total of 51 goals for real Madrid that season ,37 in the laliga with leo messi managing 31 goals .

Real currently top the league 46 points ,Barcelona trail 5 points behind ,Ronaldo has already scored 21 goals in the la liga , with leo messi traihling at 19 .

One major factor remains to be the tactics used by the two mangers , mourinhos has in the past shown that he is willing to use defensive tactic’s when necessary ,so do not be surprised to see Ronaldo as a lone forward with Ozil and di -maria in the center and left side of the field . however Karim benzema has been on great form and he will defenetly be looking to cement his place in the starting 11. this may result in Ronaldo playing the flank where he will have more space to run at the barca defence . guardiolas men will be looking to retain possession of the ball, and try to sneak the ball in to the real penalty box .messi poses major threat when in postion of the ball outside the 18 yard box .expect to see  real s pepe  throw  in some hard tackles messi's way ,barca are without the influential Spain international David villa who is out for the rest of the season with knee injury however guradiloas has a rich pool of talented players he can call up on when in need  , it’s between  alexi sanchez , thiago alcantara , and cesc fabregas to start.

We’re in for some real entertainment tonight with both side having incredible attacking power ,im predicting  2-1 win for Barcelona and off course the customary red card for pepe or one his fellow full backs .expect to see José mourinho throw a couple of cheap shots at  the match official after the game .

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