He had a tiff with Mancini after being dropped and then refusing to come off the bench against Bayern. Both have since claimed it was more of a miss understanding I wouldn't care about that as he'd be the main man for us. Studge and Benteke (as it looks, would prefer Pierre or even Vietto) would have to fight it out to partner him with Origi another option. Obviously I'm hoping we don't sign Ings and that Balotelli, Lambert, Borini and Aspas and ****off
Im hoping Mila Kunis comes to mine and locks me in the bedroom with her for a 24 hours session... i think my dream is more realistic then yours
Messi fits for this game?. please log in to view this image Lionel Messi scored another wonder goal as Barcelona moved a step closer to completing the treble on Saturday night with a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.
please log in to view this image As the build-up for the UEFA Champions League final heats up, Gianluigi Buffon has played down Juventus' hopes against Barcelona. Juventus takes on Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Saturday. Here we look at Monday's build-up. Buffon: Juve has less than 35 percent chance of winning Gianluigi Buffon has never won the Champions League in his illustrious career and the veteran appears to be pessimistic over his chances of lifting the trophy this weekend. The Italy international says Juve had a "35 percent chance" of beating Real Madrid in the semifinals and believes the odds of doing the same against Barca are even slimmer. Iniesta final place in the balance While Buffon has played down Juve's hopes, there has been news of a potential boost for the Serie A champion's chances. Reports in the Spanish media suggest that Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta's place in the final is in the balance due to an injury he suffered in the Copa del Rey showpiece against Athletic Bilbao. Iniesta has reportedly not torn a muscle in his calf but could still be left out by coach Luis Enrique if the problem is deemed serious enough. Messi would not be able to score goals like that in Italy - Chiellini The world marveled at Lionel Messi's magical solo opener in that 3-1 win over Bilbao. However, Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini seems distinctly unimpressed. The center back said: "Messi would not be able to score goals like that in Italy. At the moment he is the God of football. The offensive play in Spain is great but we defend better here in Italy." Chiellini will have to back those words up in the German capital if Juve is to stop Barca's remarkable talisman. No problem shaking hands with Suarez - Chiellini One of the biggest storylines surrounding this encounter concerns the aforementioned Italy international and Barca forward Luis Suarez, who left his mark on Chiellini during last year's World Cup by biting his shoulder. Suarez was famously banned from football for four months but the pair quickly made up. And Chiellini states there will be no hard feelings during their first meeting since that incident. He said: "I've no problem in shaking his hand; everyone who knows me would know that." I want to repay Barca - Messi With all the trophies Barca has won as a result of Messi's brilliance, most would suggest the Argentina forward owes nothing to the club. Messi does not see it way, however, and has one mission ahead of the final. "We know it won't be easy because Juventus is a great team and anything can happen," Messi toldUEFA.com. "I grew up at this club and want to do so much for them in light of everything they've done for me." Juve can beat Barca - Van Basten Netherlands legend Marco van Basten has plenty of knowledge of Italian football and winning Europe's top competition, having lifted this trophy twice with Milan. And, while Juve is the heavy underdog, Van Basten feels Massimiliano Allegri's men are capable of a surprise. He told Sky Sports: "The good thing for Juventus is that they are a team that understands and reads the flow of the game. So if they feel they need to defend they have the discipline to defend, but if they have the possibility to attack they will go forward. That's what gives them the chance to beat Barca." Rakitic calls for calm It seems implausible that a team as experienced as Barca would lose composure on the big stage but, amid the hoopla of a potential treble for the Catalans, midfielder Ivan Rakitic has been quick to warn against such an eventuality. "We can let our emotions run wild if we get our hands on the trophy," he toldFIFA.com. "But there's a match to play first." Juve preparing for penalties The news that an Italian team is preparing for penalties will shock nobody. And Allegri confirmed that Juve will be ready should it hold out for 120 minutes. "We can also end up shooting penalties," he said. "We have to be prepared, there is a chance, but I think it is difficult for this match to end up on penalties." Juve lost to Milan on penalties in its last Champions League final in 2003 after a 0-0 draw that did not live long in the memory. Morata ready to do it for Real Alvaro Morata did not celebrate either of his goals over the two legs as he helped knock out former club Real Madrid. But it is tough to imagine him being so reserved should he net in the final against the Spanish capital club's archrival. He told Cadena SER: "I'll try to win, because of what it means for Real Madrid fans as well."
Ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has picked his best XI from the competition this season. Read on to see who made his team – and who he’d put in charge to manage them… please log in to view this image Juventus can build a return to their glory days around Paul Pogba so he should stay put, says club legend David Trezeguet Juventus young gun Paul Pogba is a target for several top European clubs Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and PSG among clubs linked to him Juve face Barcelona in the Champions League final on Saturday in Berlin Former striker David Trezeguet said Pogba is best to stay where he is By MICHAEL GADD FOR MAILONLINE please log in to view this image 24 trophies in 17 years... but will there be one more to add for departing Xavi? please log in to view this image
Wow. What a player and gentleman. One of the few players in the history of the game who makes it look effortless. Simplicity at it's finest.
Yeah Im sure he would prefer a round of Golf and Sunshine compared to a cold night in Russia on Thursdays.
Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out of Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona due to a calf tear. please log in to view this image
that is huge news. i would say betting on barca as a result is not gambling it is printing money. i see 8/13 on paddy power and a ridiculous 4/1 on betfair as a promo to new customers (100 limit)... thats better than stock trading lads... 5k bet i reckon (if i had it)
Michael Ballack: ‘Barcelona’s front three are a little bit like divas’ The former Germany captain talks about the pressures of playing in a Champions League final, Chelsea’s chances of doing better in Europe next season and why Pep Guardiola is the right man for Bayern Munich please log in to view this image Michael Ballack: Juventus can hurt Barcelona - but must shut them out first. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian I Is that discipline orchestrated by Andrea Pirlo in the middle? Partly, but it’s not just down to Pirlo. I’ve played a lot of games against Italian teams and I’ve always found them the most difficult to confront. Matches against sides from Serie A can be unattractive at times because the Italians are so shrewd. Tactically, they are schooled from such a young age in Italy, so it’s not just Pirlo who organises their game. All the players, when you play for an Italian team, are capable of adapting to circumstances. You might look at Italian football, and see it has been so long since they had a side in the latter stages of this competition, and be surprised to find Juventus in the final. But they are a clever side who have been building up to this moment. please log in to view this image FacebookTwitterPinterest Michael Ballack can only watch as Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane scores the brilliant winning goal to defeat Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final at Hampden Park. Photograph: Gerry Penny/EPA One of the players whose progress has been so marked over recent years has been Paul Pogba. As a former midfielder, can you offer an assessment of the France international’s recent progress? He’s good to watch, a player with his physical ability, getting into the box, scoring goals, doing an amazing job everywhere on the pitch. They have two players like this, actually, with Arturo Vidal [the other]. You need this kind of player in your team, particularly alongside someone like Pirlo who maybe does not run quite as much. When you consider that, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see them in the final – they have midfielders of this kind of talent who hold the entire team together, players at the peak of their physical fitness. Pogba is a great talent. How good could he get? Well, he’s already playing for a big club. On the other hand, there are probably a few bigger names in world football at the moment. But he’s young and he is growing fantastically at Juventus. The environment is good for him, for his mentality. But, as a player, you are a little bit restricted in Italian football. Individually, I don’t think we will see him at his best in Italy. If he plays in Spain, Germany or England, maybe we’ll see even more from Pogba, depending on the team he chooses in the future. There’s still room for him to grow. He’s not the finished article as yet. Their attacking focus is Carlos Tevez, a player you came up against while he was at West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City. Is he as much of a nuisance to play against as he appears from the outside? It’s a joy for any coach to have a player like him in your team. He creates trouble. He spreads anxiety and chaos in the opponents’ defensive organisation, drifting from left to right, going everywhere on the pitch, dropping back into midfield. I don’t see him at his best as a No9. I like him dropping back a bit, getting at Sergio Busquets in this game. With the ball at his feet, he’s able to go past two or three players, and has the strength to run 30m with the ball. He is very smart around the box. His Argentinian blood helps him. He takes the hits and everything that comes your way when you’re in there among the defenders, and that’s why he must be a joy to play with and so horrible to play against You played in two Champions League finals, with Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 andChelsea in 2008. As a player, how do you cope with the build-up to a game of this magnitude? Do you realise you are facing a potential career-defining moment? It does take time. You leave the pitch after the final and you want the next season to start immediately. Or at least something to provide a distraction. In 2002 I changed clubs, after three years playing for Bayer Leverkusen. I had had those three disappointments over the last three weeks of the season – losing the title to Dortmund, the domestic cup final to Schalke and then the Champions League final to Real – but I moved to Bayern Munich which helped me a lot in the head. It was a new challenge, a new environment, and new targets. In football, if you have a big break after a disappointment you can stew on things, and that hurts you. If you’re playing for a big club like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Chelsea, the chances are another opportunity will come your way, even the next year. But, from my perspective, it’s not easy. I played in the Champions League constantly for 12 or 13 years in my career, and I reached only two finals. I know how difficult it is to get to that point. You came so close with Chelsea in Moscow, when you lost to United on penalties. But the following season you missed out in the semi-finals after the infamous second leg at home to Barcelona when the referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, appeared to deny your team clear-cut penalties which might have won the tie. How did you deal with that? http://www.theguardian.com/football...entus-barcelona-champions-league-final-berlin
i think all are undeestimating the barca midfield and i feel the front 6 as a whole will kill juve with pressing. the bayern barca game was a complete turn around from when barca were thrashed by bayern a couple years back. barca are better than under guardiola imo this one is a clear barca win
