Champions League Archives - Page 5 of 6

Pep Guardiola says his players are exhausted after Man City reach third straight Champions League semi-final

April 20, 2023 No Comments

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that his players are exhausted after they secured their place in the semi-final round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. The Cityzens saw off Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday to book their place in the next round, where they will meet holders Real Madrid. The result means that Guardiola’s side remains on course to win the treble this season. However, the manager says their success is taking its toll on his players. “We are exhausted,” he told newsmen via GOAL. “I don’t know how we recover to play against Sheffield United [in the FA Cup semi-final]. Now is a tough moment for the game on Saturday,” he told BT Sport. “Three years in a row in the semi-finals of the Champions League. We struggled in the first half. Upamecano broke all the lines down our left side, and we struggled with Coman. We were fortunate before the penalty miss, they had one or two chances, and anything could happen, but we defended really well.” Read more: Southampton will DEMAND £50million for James Ward-Prowse ahead of the expected summer The Premier League holders will play 13 more matches in all competitions if they reach the FA Cup final and beat Real Madrid. Manchester United remain the only English team to win the treble, but the Etihad side will fancy their chances of achieving that feat in the current campaign. Meanwhile, Guardiola will be expected to heavily rotate his side when they face Championship side Sheffield United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday at Wembley.

Bayern Munich will ‘try everything’ to sell Sadio Mane this summer

April 17, 2023 No Comments

Bayern Munich reportedly wants to sell Sadio Mane this summer after he punched teammate Leroy Sane during a furious confrontation last week. The Bavarians signed the Senegal international just last summer from Liverpool but are already ready to sell him a year after due to his discipline record. The ex-Liverpool star punched his teammate Leroy Sane after Bayern’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League last week, with the altercation leading to the German winger suffering a cut on his lower lip. Read more: Saka apologises for COSTLY PENALTY miss Bayern suspended Mane for one game and handed him an undisclosed fine for indiscipline. However, according to new reports by Bayern expert Florian Plettenberg via Sky Germany, the fine is the highest fine in their history. “Our information is that it is an amount that goes far beyond €300,000 (£260,000), so it’s a very, very sensitive fine for Mane,’ the journalist said. Bayern earns close to £17million a year at Bayern, so that sum is almost equivalent to a week’s wage. While that is just a little scratch for Mane, whose charity works in Senegal is huge, the talk of Bayern terminating his contract at Allianz Arena could unsettle him. After leaving Liverpool for a new challenge, returning to the transfer crossroads less than 12 months after committing to a new adventure is not something anyone would love. According to Plettenberg, Bayern are ready to sell him already, just a few months after he arrived as their marquee summer signing. “From what I’m hearing, Bayern will try everything to offload Sadio Mane in the summer,” he said. “From a sporting point of view, Thomas Tuchel has no plans with Mane as he doesn’t fit his system. This is my information. The player is seen very critically internally.”

Chelsea confident of beating Man United and PSG to Victor Osimhen’s signing despite the absence of Champions League football

April 14, 2023 No Comments

Chelsea reportedly believes they can win the race for in-demand Napoli striker Victor Osimhen even without the allure of Champions League football next season. The Blues have made the Nigerian marksman their top striker target for 2023 after months of scouting, and club officials are preparing what will likely be a club-record bid to take the 24-year-old to Stamford Bridge. Osimhen is one of Europe’s most talked about strikers this season, with his 21 goals in 23 games for Serie A leaders Napoli propelling them to their first Scudetto title in over 30 years. The 24-year-old is also on the radars of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, who are all understood to have made contact with the striker’s representatives. But according to a report by 90min, Chelsea believes they can outbid their rivals and convince Osimhen to move to London even without the promise of Champions League football next season. The Blues are currently sitting outside the top half of the Premier League and are almost certain to be knocked out of the UCL after a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. Read more: Alexis Alexis Mac Allister’s father put clubs on alert after statement on sons’ Brighton future They believe that moving to London will interest Osimhen as it will allow him to follow in the footsteps of his childhood idol, Ivorian striker Didier Drogba, fondly remembered as one of Chelsea’s all-time greatest players. The only hindrance to a possible deal for Osimhen will be money, as Chelsea are on the brink of breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rule unless they can move on some players. However, the Stamford Bridge side are ready to do just that, with the likes of Conor Gallagher, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech all set to be sold to fund the move this summer.

Lionel Messi slammed by Saudi club president

March 30, 2023 No Comments

Lionel Messi has been criticised by the President of Saudi Arabian professional football club Al-Tai, who has declared that he will never sign the Argentinian for his club. The PSG star is arguably the biggest active player in the world and will be a dream signing for any side. However, he is out of contract with his current club at the end of this season and is wanted by some clubs, including his former club Barcelona. Read more: Wenger and Ferguson inducted into the EPL Hall of Fame Major League Soccer side Inter Miami are also considered keen on his services after they made an unsuccessful attempt to sign him last summer. Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al-Ittihad and Al Hilal are also looking to snap him up, having seen the success the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo has brought to fellow league rivals Al Nassr. However, not everyone in the Saudi Arabian Pro League is excited about signing Messi–at least not Turki Al-Dabaan, the president of Saudi side Al-Tai. Al-Dabaan says he would not sign the Argentina international for his club because of his performance in PSG’s Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. PSG and Messi suffered another disappointing exit from the Champions League after they were beaten 3-0 on aggregate by Bayern in the Round of 16 clash early In March. “I do not want to sign a world-class player in my team who is saturated and watches the match from the stadium like Messi in front of Bayern Munich,” Al Dhabaan told Saudi Arabian TV channel SBC.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

February 21, 2023 No Comments

High-flying Napoli will travel to Germany this Tuesday to face Europa League defending champions Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the knockout round of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season. The German side qualified for this tournament stage by narrowly finishing second in Group D, one point behind Tottenham. They recorded three wins in their group (D1, L2) while scoring seven goals and conceding eight. Read more: Torino vs Cremenose: Preview and Expert Football Prediction They come into this game on the back of a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen at the weekend, which kept them close to the Bundesliga top four. Head coach Oliver Glasner was able to rest some key players with this game in mind, so he will be desperate for his big hitters to make the difference in this fixture. Haven suffered just four defeats across their last 30 European home games (W17, D9, L4), plus a respectable record against Italian opponents on the European stage (W6, D3, L2); Frankfurt will be confident going into this game. However, Napoli is not a soft side. On the contrary, the Italian side are one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment. They will travel to Deutsche Bank Park in supreme confidence after three straight wins, with clean sheets and 2+ goal margins that have left them 15 points clear at the top of Serie A. The visitors scored the highest goals in the Champions League group stage (G20) and can be backed to at least find the net in Germany. However, despite their form, victory here would go down in history as only their second on German soil at the tenth attempt (W1, D3, L5). Meanwhile, all six of Napoli’s previous Champions League round of 16 games (W1, D1, L4) have seen both teams score. So we can expect goals from both teams here.

Modric wants to stay at Real Madrid despite Jude Bellingham’s links

February 21, 2023 No Comments

Veteran Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric wants to stay at Real Madrid despite his side’s links to Borussia Dortmund wonder kid Jude Bellingham. The 37-year-old, who has won five Champions League trophies and three Spanish league titles since joining Real Madrid from Tottenham eleven years ago, signed a one-year extension with the Spanish champions at the end of last season. But he is approaching the end of his contract and still needs to determine whether this will be his last season with the La Liga club, especially considering his age. Read more: Manchester United want to sell Scott McTominay Speaking about his future, the veteran midfielder revealed he hasn’t spoken to Madrid about an extension, even if he wants to remain at the club. “About my new contract, I can’t tell you anything about it as I’ve not spoken to the club yet,” said the Croatia international. “You don’t have these conversations mid-season. I’m very relaxed. I’m not annoyed by it whatsoever. “It’s a bit boring getting asked that question because it’s the same answer. I want to carry on here, I want to stay, I feel good, and I want to continue as part of Real Madrid. “I’d like to deserve to stay on my own merit, not that someone gives it on a freebie. “No one has given me anything for free in my career, and I don’t want that to happen now.

AC Milan target Reims loanee Florian Balogun after an impressive spell in France

February 11, 2023 No Comments

Florian Balogun is subject to strong interest from Serie A champions AC Milan this summer after his impressive loan spell in Ligue 1. The forward joined French side Reims on loan from Arsenal and has impressed throughout the campaign. He currently sits top of Ligue 1’s goal charts with 14 goals from 21 appearances, which has attracted AC Milan’s interest. Read more: Tottenham and Manchester United target Bastoni According to the Daily Mail, the Serie A giants may attempt to land him in the summer to strengthen their attack. Milan previously wanted to sign Balogun while he was still in the Arsenal youth academy but couldn’t land him then, as Arsenal were unwilling to sell. But with his performance in France, Milan’s interest has been strengthened. However, the Rossoneri are not the only team credited with an interest, with Marseille and Villarreal also monitoring him.

Bernado Silva eager to leave Manchester City this summer

February 3, 2023 No Comments

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has reportedly asked his club to allow him to leave this summer. The Portugal international has been the subject of speculation since last July and could have joined Barcelona last summer. But City were not interested in selling the player and held firm despite strong pressure from Barcelona. However, according to reports in Spain, the 28-year-old will ask to leave this summer and is prepared to listen to approaches from Barcelona or Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola loves the player and wants him to stay. But as seen with the loan departure of João Cancelo, Guardiola isn’t one who will keep a player against their wish. Should the player insist on leaving and the right offer comes, City will be open to selling. Should Silva leave, City will speed up their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham. The Premier League giants are also interested in Leicester City’s James Madison, while a move for Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell has also been mooted as a cover for Cancelo.

Manchester United want to sign Federico Valverde in the summer

February 3, 2023 No Comments

Manchester United reportedly want to sign Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde this summer. According to reports in South America, the Red Devils will make a fresh bid for the Uruguayan in the summer after failing to sign him in the January transfer window. Manchester United lost influential midfielder Christian Eriksen to a three-month injury just before the winter window closed. To cover for the Danish international, they approached Real Madrid for the 24-year-old, but Los Blancos were uninterested in parting ways with the player, who is a vital part of the team. Read more: PSG blame Chelsea for Hakim Ziyech’s failed loan deal However, according to El Nacional, Erik ten Hag’s side will return for Valverde in the summer, with an €80m bid on the table for the player. United and Real Madrid did business last summer when the Spanish side sold long-time midfielder Casemiro to them. But it appears that another deal is imminent this summer if El Nacional is to be believed.

PSG blame Chelsea for Hakim Ziyech’s failed loan deal

February 2, 2023 No Comments

Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier has blamed Chelsea for his side’s failure to sign Hakim Ziyech on loan on the last day of the January transfer window. The French giants moved to sign Ziyech from Chelsea but failed at the last minute due to paperwork issues. However, the PSG coach has absolved his side of blame in the failed move, maintaining that the ‘responsibility’ did not lie with his side as they have a ‘quality workforce’. Read more: Thiago Silva disappointed about Jorginho’s decision to join Arsenal Speaking about the situation after the French side’s win over Montpellier on Wednesday, Galtier said: “From the moment we released Pablo Sarabia to join England, we targeted players who could play on the right side. For various reasons, which I won’t go into, we couldn’t make the player we had targeted. “I have a quality workforce. The young people will have their say. Obviously, in a very busy schedule, you have to be careful with injuries and fatigue, but there you go. I’m satisfied with the squad I have. “Unfortunately, we could have reinforced it following the departure of Pablo, but we couldn’t. I believe that the responsibility does not lie with our club. That’s how we move forward. That’s how it is. That’s life; we look ahead. “We wanted to replace Sarabia with a player able to evolve on the right side. Unfortunately, Ziyech was not done, and these are the hazards of the transfer window. It must be accepted. The responsibility does not lie with PSG, as I know.”

Pep Guardiola says his players are exhausted after Man City reach third straight Champions League semi-final

Bayern Munich will ‘try everything’ to sell Sadio Mane this summer

Chelsea confident of beating Man United and PSG to Victor Osimhen’s signing despite the absence of Champions League football

Lionel Messi slammed by Saudi club president

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Modric wants to stay at Real Madrid despite Jude Bellingham’s links

AC Milan target Reims loanee Florian Balogun after an impressive spell in France

Bernado Silva eager to leave Manchester City this summer

Manchester United want to sign Federico Valverde in the summer

PSG blame Chelsea for Hakim Ziyech’s failed loan deal

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