Monday, April 29, 2013

The end of tiki-taka? The Spanish teams dominated possession against their German opponents in Europe this week but an 8-1 aggregate scoreline tells its own story. Adam Bate looks at the reasons for the perceived power shift and points to teamwork rather than individual brilliance. Pressing over passing...

Robert Lewandowski was the hero for Dortmund but there was more to their success than that

"What a player he is," yelled Gary Neville as Robert Lewandowski completed his amazing hat-trick against Real Madrid. It was some performance, for which the Polish striker will quite understandably take the headlines. But above all, Dortmund's 4-1 win - like Bayern Munich's 4-0 victory over Barcelona 24 hours earlier - was the triumph of a cohesive team philosophy.


The Real Madrid players recognised it. Young centre-back Raphael Varane told UEFA immediately after the game: "We went down to a very aggressive team who were compact and gave us no space. Lewandowski played really well and we failed to stop him. But it's more a team failure than an individual one."
Football makes heroes of individuals. When Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo score more than 100 goals each over the course of just two seasons, that much is inevitable. And yet, both men - yes, even Ronaldo - know the game well enough to appreciate they operate as part of a whole. And that whole failed to function against Germany's finest this week.
Lionel Messi was left frustrated as Barcelona were thrashed by Bayern Munich
As ever, the possession football was in evidence. Real dominated against Dortmund with 56 per cent of the ball, while Barca enjoyed a whopping 66 per cent of possession in their four-goal defeat in Munich. Those statistics have led some to report the death of tiki-taka football. But in a sense it is misleading.
Even after being outpassed by Barca on Tuesday, Bayern have still enjoyed more of the ball than any team to reach the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League. Indeed, they are the only team other than Barca to dominate more than 60 per cent of the ball in the top five leagues in Europe this season. It isn't that passing football doesn't work, it's that it needs to be accompanied by pressing.
Pep Guardiola: Philosophy
Barcelona have become synonymous with the possession game, but that is arguably the symptom rather than the cause. As Sir Alex Ferguson noted as they ascended to the top of the European game under Pep Guardiola: "What has changed is the pressing and the areas in which they press the ball. That is what Guardiola has brought to the team."
Pressing high up the field was at the heart of their success. "We play in the other team's half as much as possible because I get worried when the ball is in my half," explained Guardiola. The logic is simple: "If we recover the ball here we have to run only 30 metres up to the opponents' goal. If we recover the ball in the defence we have 80 metres separating ourselves from that objective."
With Guardiola no longer there to guide his students, it appears almost as though some of the players have misunderstood the root of their success. The focus on retaining possession has continued but, without the necessary tempo both with and without the ball, there is a danger of the philosophy descending into parody.
The warning signs were there even towards the end of Guardiola's reign. As Jonathan Wilson wrote inThe Guardian: "Rather than just let his Barca wither away, rather than face the prospect of their philosophy being overcome... Guardiola sought to stave off the entropic imperative by exaggerating what had made Barca great, by holding possession even longer, by getting even more men forward."
What Barcelona failed to do on Tuesday was win the ball high up the field, as was their trademark at their peak. They tried to do so but their efforts were disjointed. It requires energy. Energy some of their players did not have. Messi, seemingly struggling for full fitness, was uncharacteristically lethargic throughout and completed just seven passes in the attacking third against Bayern Munich.
Jose Mourinho: His team could not cope with the aggression of Borussia Dortmund
In contrast, Dortmund were full of energy against Real Madrid. "On every individual battle on the pitch they were stronger than us, they were more aggressive physically, they were more aggressive mentally," Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. "We lost easy possession, easy possession and we couldn't cope with their counter attack and with their transition."
Dortmund's pressing, particularly in the midfield zones where Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric were so conspicuously rushed, was remarkable. It was notable how often this was done through partnerships - whether it was Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski on the right or Ilkay Gundogan and Sven Bender in the centre. Their teamwork made Real look slow.
Unlike Bayern, it has long been evident that Dortmund utilise a different approach and coach Jurgen Klopp fuelled the fire for a clash of styles in the Bundesliga next season when stressing he could not compete with Guardiola for the attention of Mario Götze. "I cannot preach football based on quick transitions and now start playing tiki-taka," explained Klopp on Tuesday.
In truth, the lesson of this week was not so much about which approach is right. The message to be taken is that it doesn't matter what philosophy you have as long as you stick to it and everybody works together. At the highest level of the game, if you don't do that - no matter how good the individuals in your team are - then you're unlikely to find success.

Falcao backed for Chelsea move German media claim striker will follow Mourinho to Stamford Bridge

Falcao: Backed for Stamford Bridge switch


Chelsea have been backed in to odds-on to sign Radamel Falcao with Sky Bet, amid speculation that the Colombia striker and Jose Mourinho have both agreed moves to Stamford Bridge.
Various German media reports have suggested that the Blues have already moved to acquire the Atletico Madrid striker on the request of Mourinho.
The talk has been supported by Sky Bet reporting a run of bets on Falcao heading to West London, prompting the odds on a move tumbling from 6/1 to 1/5.
The 27-year-old has scored 25 goals for Atletico this season to propel them to third in La Liga, just three points adrift of rivals Real Madrid, but has a release clause of just over £50million in his contract.
Meanwhile, a proposed return for the 'Special One' has been mooted for some time, with Mourinho having repeatedly revealed his desire to return to the Premier League.
A return to Chelsea has been odds-on for over a month but further backing on Wednesday night, when Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League hopes were significantly dented with a 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, saw the price for a second stint at the Bridge cut to 2/7.
Sky Bet's Chris Spicer said: "It is difficult to decipher whether the backing is really from those in the know or just people buying into the reports, but the amount of stakes we have seen has certainly warranted a significant shift in odds.
"Manchester United were previously backed in to favourites to sign Falcao following speculation in the Spanish media that a deal had been agreed, so it certainly would not be unprecedented for foreign media speculation followed by subsequent backing to prove misleading."

Andre Villas-Boas wants Tottenham stay after links to Real Madrid


Andre Villas-Boas: A possible contender if the Real job becomes available.

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is flattered to be linked with a possible upcoming vacancy at Real Madrid but says he is k Real will be looking for a new boss if Jose Mourinho departs, as expected, in the summer, and Villas-Boas could be a contender, having done well at Spurs this term.
However, Villas-Boas only arrived at Tottenham last summer and is keen to stay in the one place for longer than he has become accustomed to, having not lasted long at Chelsea last season.
"The fact he (Mourinho) made it public that he is looking for an exit has ended up with a lot of speculation," said Villas-Boas.
"It's very flattering but I think at the moment everybody is being linked with the Real Madrid job, because there are now lots of coaches around."
Andre Villas-Boas
"It's very flattering but I think at the moment everybody is being linked with the Real Madrid job, because there are now lots of coaches around.
"For me it is always an honour but I am completely focused. I have a contract, I was given an opportunity, and I was extremely grateful.
"It's different. At the moment I am very, very focused on trying to get another year at one club, the same club!
"When everybody signs a contract you are expected to do it until the end."
During his spell in charge of Porto, Villas-Boas said he would like to manage in Brazil at some point, and he says that is still very much in his thoughts.
"Yes, that's the case," he said. "I definitely want to manage in Brazil." een to remain at White Hart Lane.


Champions League: Cristiano Ronaldo a doubt for Borussia Dortmund clash

Cristiano Ronaldo: Madrid talisman a doubt for Dortmund game


Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as an injury doubt for Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.


Ronaldo missed Real's 2-1 derby win over Atletico on Saturday with a thigh injury which he suffered in the 4-1 defeat in the first leg in Germany in midweek.
The Portugal forward did not train with his team-mates on Sunday either, working alone with Madrid's fitness team as he bids to get close enough to 100% to feature in the return contest.
Madrid's hopes of overcoming their three-goal deficit would clearly not be helped by the absence of a player who leads the Champions League scoring charts with 12 goals - Ronaldo has scored in their last six European matches.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Mourinho defiant as Real crash in Dortmund

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has
insisted his side can still reach the
Champions League final, despite being
routed 4-1 at Borussia Dortmund in the
first leg of their semi-final.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski netted
all four of Dortmund's goals to strengthen
the possibility of an all-German final at
Wembley on May 25, but Cristiano
Ronaldo's away goal gives Real a slim
second-leg life line.
After Bayern Munich's 4-0 hammering of
Barcelona on Tuesday in the other semi-
final, Borussia followed the German
champions' example and floored their
Spanish opponents at Dortmund's Signal
Iduna Park.
Advertisement
Mourinho's team now face an uphill battle
at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in
Tuesday's return leg, but with Real chasing
a tenth European title, the 50-year-old
self-styled 'Special One' has promised they
will put up a fight.
" I have learnt that anything can happen in
football, it will be tough next week, but
nothing is impossible and my footballers
will try to show that next Tuesday," said
Mourinho.
" The best team by far won.
" Individually and collectively Dortmund were
better and deserved their victory.
" They were first to every ball and were far
more intense than us.
" We found it hard to hold onto possession
when they pressed, but we can come
back."
Real only narrowly avoided suffering their
worst defeat in international competition -
AC Milan beating them 5-0 in what was
then the European Cup in the 1988/89
campaign - but Dortmund coach Jurgen
Klopp advocated caution.
" We have to force ourselves to stay
focused, we still need to go to Madrid,
which will be no walk in the park," said
Klopp.
" We scored some great goals and played
really well, but we have to go to Fortuna
Duesseldorf , in the Bundesliga, then Madrid
for the second game and there is still a lot
to do."
Klopp quickly poured water on any notion
his side are now favourites to win the
Champions League for the second time in
their history after their 1997 triumph.
" I don't have the feeling we're favourites,
we produced an exceptional game against a
fantastic team ... we just want to reach
the final," said Klopp.
" Nothing is decided, it's just halftime. We
don't have much experience this far in the
tournament and we will have to work
unbelievably hard in Madrid.
" The only thing I know, which is great, is
that my team will not go there and want to
defend ."
Klopp had promised his players would not
be destabilised by the news on Tuesday
that 20-year-old midfield star Mario Goetze
was to join Bayern Munich next season and
his prophecy proved correct.
The night belonged to Lewandowski who
stole the limelight with the opening goal,
then added a second-half hat-trick to
became the first player to score four goals
in a Champions League semi-final.
" We have taken only the first step, but of
course we are happy ," said Lewandowski.

Mourinho defiant as Real crash in Dortmund

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has
insisted his side can still reach the
Champions League final, despite being
routed 4-1 at Borussia Dortmund in the
first leg of their semi-final.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski netted
all four of Dortmund's goals to strengthen
the possibility of an all-German final at
Wembley on May 25, but Cristiano
Ronaldo's away goal gives Real a slim
second-leg life line.
After Bayern Munich's 4-0 hammering of
Barcelona on Tuesday in the other semi-
final, Borussia followed the German
champions' example and floored their
Spanish opponents at Dortmund's Signal
Iduna Park.
Advertisement
Mourinho's team now face an uphill battle
at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in
Tuesday's return leg, but with Real chasing
a tenth European title, the 50-year-old
self-styled 'Special One' has promised they
will put up a fight.
" I have learnt that anything can happen in
football, it will be tough next week, but
nothing is impossible and my footballers
will try to show that next Tuesday," said
Mourinho.
" The best team by far won.
" Individually and collectively Dortmund were
better and deserved their victory.
" They were first to every ball and were far
more intense than us.
" We found it hard to hold onto possession
when they pressed, but we can come
back."
Real only narrowly avoided suffering their
worst defeat in international competition -
AC Milan beating them 5-0 in what was
then the European Cup in the 1988/89
campaign - but Dortmund coach Jurgen
Klopp advocated caution.
" We have to force ourselves to stay
focused, we still need to go to Madrid,
which will be no walk in the park," said
Klopp.
" We scored some great goals and played
really well, but we have to go to Fortuna
Duesseldorf , in the Bundesliga, then Madrid
for the second game and there is still a lot
to do."
Klopp quickly poured water on any notion
his side are now favourites to win the
Champions League for the second time in
their history after their 1997 triumph.
" I don't have the feeling we're favourites,
we produced an exceptional game against a
fantastic team ... we just want to reach
the final," said Klopp.
" Nothing is decided, it's just halftime. We
don't have much experience this far in the
tournament and we will have to work
unbelievably hard in Madrid.
" The only thing I know, which is great, is
that my team will not go there and want to
defend ."
Klopp had promised his players would not
be destabilised by the news on Tuesday
that 20-year-old midfield star Mario Goetze
was to join Bayern Munich next season and
his prophecy proved correct.
The night belonged to Lewandowski who
stole the limelight with the opening goal,
then added a second-half hat-trick to
became the first player to score four goals
in a Champions League semi-final.
" We have taken only the first step, but of
course we are happy ," said Lewandowski.

Real Madrid 1 -Dortmound 4

Comfortable win for dortmound

Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: Halftime score 1-1, Ronaldo equalizes late for Madrid

B orussia Dortmund scored early and then
withstood some pressure late in the half
before taking a 1-0 lead into the locker
room at halftime. Robert Lewandowski's
sliding goal in the 9th minute is the
differnece
BVB came flying out of the block early
coming close to a goal before finding the
back of the net before the ten minute mark
of the first half.

blog Managing Madrid
in the 7th minute Sven Bender sprung
Marco Reus on the counter attack with a
tremendous tackle that freed the midfielder
through the middle. Reus sliced into the
Madrid area, going right around Raphael
Varane before forcing a save from Diego
Lopez , who could only parry the ball to the
left . Robert Lewandowski just missed
getting on the rebound but he would not
miss a couple minutes later.
Ilkay Gündogan, who had a strong frist
half, found Mario Götze wide on the left in
the 9th minute with a quick pass. Götze
made a cut back up-field and found
Lewandowski at the far post for a sliding
redirect past Lopez . Lewandowski had
blown by Pepe in the Madrid box and there
was nothing Lopez could do to stop the
Polish international from staking Dortmund
to an early 1-0 lead.
Madrid settled down after the goal and
their increased possession allowed them to
slow down the tempo and start creating
some chances.
Cristiano Ronaldo generated Madrid's first
real attacking moment of the game in the
24th minute, earning a free kick from 30-
yards out. After his now famous stare
down of the dead ball, Ronaldo launched a
shot that curled over the wall and forced
Roman Weidenfeller to parry the ball away.
The keeper handled it well and the danger
was cleared by Dortmund.
Marco Reus went down after some contact
with Varane inside the Madrid box but the
referee wanted nothing to do with it.
Distracted by the non call, Dortmund were
punished for the lapse in concentration as
Mats Hummels made an ill-advised back
pass that was picked up by Gonzalo
Higuain who raced into the BVB box.
Higuain waited patiently for Ronaldo to
catch up before crossing to the striker for
an easy finish, giving Madrid a precious
away goal right before the halftime break.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Mourinho names his eleven for the match against Borussia Dortmund

“Diego Lopez, Ramos, Varane, Pepe,
Coentrão, Khedira, Alonso, Özil, Higuain,
Cristiano Ronaldo and hopefully Di Maria
will play tomorrow”, confirmed the
Portuguese coach
Mourinho gave his starting eleven for
today’s clash against Borussia Dortmund at
the press conference ahead of the match.
When asked whether Diego Lopez or
Casillas would play, the Real boss replied:
“Diego Lopez, Ramos, Varane, Pepe,
Coentrão, Khedira, Alonso, Özil, Higuain,
Cristiano Ronaldo and hopefully Di Maria,
who’s had a good day because his
daughter was born but it’s been rough
because it wasn’t an easy situation for him
or his family, will play. We hope he’s
ready to play”.

Barcelona vs Bayern Muninch

Barcelona:0 - Bayern:4

a comfortable win for bayern

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bayern Munich-Barcelona Preview: Bavarian giants out to draw first blood in heavyweight duel Jupp Heynckes' high-flying side welcome the Blaugrana to the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night for the first leg of a blockbuster semi- final between two European powerhouses

Bayern Munich striker Mario
Mandzukic will miss the
Champions League showdown
against Barcelona through
suspension.
Philippe Lahm, Javi Martinez and
Bastian Schweinsteiger should all
return to the starting line-up after
being rested for Saturday's 6-1 win
over Hannover, but long-term
injury victims Toni Kroos (groin)
and Holger Badstuber (knee)
remain absent.

Bayern will be our toughest challenge this season, admits Barcelona assistant Roura

Barcelona assistant coach Jordi
Roura knows the Catalans face the
sternest test of their Champions
League credentials at Bayern
Munich on Tuesday night.
The Spaniards, who have won the
trophy twice in the past five years
and are into their sixth straight
semi-final, arrived in Munich
needing only to glance at the
Bundesliga table to realise what
they are up against.
With 81 points, 20 more than their
nearest rivals and fellow
Champions League semi-finalists
Borussia Dortmund, just one defeat
in 30 matches and 89 goals scored
compared to just 14 conceded,
Bayern's domestic record is
frightening.

Champions League: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi fit to play Bayern Munich in semi-final

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi
has recovered sufficiently from a
hamstring strain to feature in
Tuesday's Champions League
semi-final first leg at Bayern
Munich, sporting director Andoni
Zubizarreta said today.
The Argentine World Player of the
Year sat out Saturday's 1-0 La
Liga win at home to Levante and
has not yet been given the all-
clear by medical staff but was
included in the squad for the clash
at the Allianz Arena.
"Messi is with the team and he is
able to compete, although that's a
decision for the coaching staff,"
Zubizarreta said on Barca's
website (http://
www.fcbarcelona.es).
"We will not forego having the best
possible team on the pitch," added
the former Barca and Spain
goalkeeper.
Barca host Bayern for the return
leg on May 1 and the successful
side will meet Borussia Dortmund
or Real Madrid in next month's
final at London's Wembley
stadium.

Bavarian Nights, European Glory: Munich – Barça

They’re the best team in the world.
They can stop anyone in their
tracks with a possession-based
game, high-pressing on defense,
and a cutting edge on the offensive
end. It doesn’t just look pretty, it
is also so effective that they’re the
highest scoring team in the
league. Which team am I talking
about, Barcelona or Bayern
Munich? It probably depends on
who you ask, but the majority will
probably say the Bavarians, simply
because they’re obliterating their
domestic competition and looking
great while doing it.
What Barcelona fans will want to
hear is that they’ve still got Xavi,
Iniesta, and Messi. They’ve got
Pique, Alba, Alves, and Busi.
They’ve got Cesc and Alexis.
They’ve got Victor Valdes. And
they’ve got a certain someone
named Eric Abidal. Another guy
named Tito Vilanova strides in
front of the bench. That’s not a
team to be trifled with. Sure,
they’re banged up, but that name
in the middle of the list–Messi–is
a name for opponents to fear no
matter how hurt his hamstring is.
Whatever the issues in the PSG
game, whatever happened in the
1-0 against Levante, the team will
have to play more like the first leg
against PSG than the second in
order to have a chance. The issues
have to be put behind them, weak
back line and all. Possession
doesn’t have to be vertical nor
sterile. It can be the possession
we’ve come to know and love:
circulating, jabbing, circulating
more, jabbing again. Eventually a
hole will be created while the
opposition is worn down by the
constant defense. The question has
become one of too much
verticality, too many quick
transitions given up to a team
unable to press as its harriers are
caught above their defenders,
sterile in possession because they
rely on instant genius.
The thing is, if Bayern Munich
thinks they have that lighting in a
bottle well and truly corked — and
make no mistake, Jupp Heynckes
talks a big game about this —
they’re insane. It’s not just Messi
who is capable of magic, though
he is the principle wizard; Andres
Iniesta is a mago in his own right.
Whatever your opinion of him,
Alexis is capable of the darting run
off the ball to unlock a defense.
Xavi will always be metronomic,
always steady, always looking for
that killer pass or, if needed, that
finishing touch.
The teeter to this totter, though, is
that Bayern has lots of lightning
stored up as well. They’re capable
of dramatic routs, like their
complete dismantling of Hannover
6-1 on Saturday, while they’re
capable of methodical destruction,
like in their Champions League
quarterfinal against Juventus.
They could easily win a domestic
double (they’ve already got the
league title wrapped up) and
there’s no doubt they’re fully
capable of winning the third Triple
in history.
Barcelona : Valdés, Pinto, Dani
Alves, Piqué, Fàbregas, Xavi, Villa,
Iniesta, Alexis, Messi, Thiago, Dos
Santos, Bartra, Sergio, Pedro, Jordi
Alba, Montoya, Abidal, Song, Tello,
Oier.
Adriano is missing through
suspension while Masche and Puyi
are out through injury. For Munich,
Bastian Schweinsteiger is coming
off an injury while Mario
Mandzukic is still not 100%. Will
Javi Martinez get a chance to
show Barcelona why it should
have purchased him instead of
trusting Busquets? The likelihood
is no, but the potential is there, I
suppose! Robben and Ribery will
have to be very sure of themselves
in front of goal or they may very
well find themselves looking down
the barrel of a couple of away
goals.
In the end, this should be a tense
affair rather than the open-and-
insane PSG second leg: it has
draw written all over it. Probably
not 0-0 as that doesn’t benefit
either side a lot (technically it is
better for Munich), but 1-1 sound
about right. 2-2 if the teams
decide to really attack in the last
half an hour. The real fireworks
should come in the second leg,
when there is a clear winner and
loser from particular outcomes.
Bayern will want to put things to
rest in the first leg, of course, but
giving Barcelona space through
the middle is just asking for long-
term trouble. Even a 2-1 loss
wouldn’t make Barcelona panic, so
that’s very much a possibility It
should be noted that Bayern
Munich have a tremendous defense
record, having allowed just 14
goals in their 30 league matches.
Barcelona have allowed 33. Still,
with 99 goals to their credit, the
Catalans are hardly an impotent
offensive threat. Munich have 89
goals, so they’re actually
averaging fewer goals per game.
Official Prediction : 2-2. There’s
just too much attacking talent on
hand to not see goals. Despite
Munich’s sterling defensive record,
Messi scores something ludicrous
for such a injured little tyke. And
Iniesta gets on the end of an
Iniestazo that could be big news
later on.

Chelsea Stars Painted Blue in Controversial Kit Advertisement

For Chelsea fans who want to pre-
order an Adidas 2013-14 home kit,
a leap of faith will be necessary, as
the company is advertising the
new jersey without actually
showing it.
Instead, Adidas has released a
promo with various Chelsea
players doused in blue paint.
Check it out below:
At this point, it remains pure
speculation on my part that
Tobias Funke landed himself a gig
in advertising and found a positive
outlet for his Blue Man Group
aspirations with this campaign.
The blue-paint idea is a pretty cool
concept, even though it's slightly
terrifying. In this picture below,
David Luiz, Fernando Torres and
Eden Hazard could just as easily
be new alien villains in the latest
series of Doctor Who.
Image via Adidas
Then again, the Doctor would
probably just note that blue paint
is cool .
While its unlikely Adidas would run
this ad campaign and then make
drastic changes to the uniform,
there is a sect of practical fans out
there who probably won't fork over
$90 without seeing what they've
purchased first.
On the other hand, the Adidas
campaign is brilliant in that the
company is essentially saying,
"Hey, if you're a big enough
Chelsea fan, the blue will be
enough for you. You don't need to
actually see the jersey to know you
want it. That's how passionate you
are."
Thus, Chelsea fans find themselves
facing an interesting dilemma.
Does my practical side win out, or
am I such a nut for the Blues that
I'll just fork over the cash, knowing
this kit will still be the Chelsea
blue I know and love?

Monday, April 22, 2013

Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: Why Defense Will Determine Who Advances

Defense will determine whether
Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid
advances to the UEFA Champions
League Final.
Defense? Why defense? We want
goals. I know that's what you're
thinking. But ultimately, you know
I'm right.
Good defense will send either
Dortmund or Madrid to Wembley.
And here is why.
Both teams were drawn into Group
D at the beginning of the
Champions League season. Group
D was dubbed the Group of Death.
As we all know by now, Dortmund
went undefeated, and won the
group.
We can draw on the things we
learned from the matches between
the two sides to help us try to
figure out what may happen when
these two face off again.
Dortmund won the first matchup
2-1 in Germany. Marcel Schmelzer
and Robert Lewandowski provided
the goals for the Germans while
Cristiano Ronaldo scored Madrid's
lone goal.
The second game ended in a 2-2
draw . Dortmund received goals
from Marco Reus and an own goal
from Alvaro Arbeloa. Pepe and
Mesut Ozil scored for Madrid.
Goals were not easy to come by in
either of these matches for both
teams. I expect it will not be easy
in the semifinals either.
With players like Reus and
Ronaldo, scoring should be
abundant. But it has not been.

Dortmund's defense has been solid
throughout the Champions League.
The team has only allowed two
goals, three times in a total of 10
UCL matches.
Bottom line: it's difficult to get
through Jurgen Klopp's defense.
Meanwhile, Madrid has been
almost as impressive with its
defense. The team has conceded
two goals, four times in its 10
matches and three goals in one.
Here is another interesting fact:
Real has had one clean sheet in its
10 Champions League matches.
Dortmund has had four.
While the star forwards have been
playing well, the defenses have
been playing even better.
Neither Ronaldo nor Robert
Lewandowski will determine the
fate of their teams. Look for Mats
Hummels or Pepe to affect the
outcome.
However, both teams are coming
into these upcoming matches with
some injuries to their back lines.
Madrid's Marcelo picked up an
injury against Real Betis this past
weekend and will most likely miss
the first leg of the Champions
League. Jose Mourinho's squad
will also be playing without Alvaro
Arbeloa because he is suspended.
It is a toss up as to whether Fabio
Coentrao will return.
With some of its veterans missing,
Madrid will have to turn to its
young stars like Raphael Varane
and Nacho Fernandez. Both great
players, but how will they handle
the pressure?
Dortmund will head into its
Champions League matches with a
healthier back line. Mats Hummels
who missed a matches a few
weeks ago is fully healthy again.
Marcel Schmelzer suffered a
broken nose on March 30th but
has been playing with a mask.
Klopp will have a full defense at
his disposal.
The only problem he may face is
determining which of his defenders
to play. Neven Subotic and Felipe
Santana are both in form. Santana
received minutes while Hummels
was out. He will likely be benched
despite having scored the game-
winning goal against Malaga to
get to the semifinals. Dortmund's
strongest back line will be
available. Subotic, Hummels,
Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek
will most likely start.
It appears that Dortmund may
have the advantage, but both
teams have seen some changes
since meeting at the end of 2012.
Neither have their domestic league
title to play for. The sole focus is
the UCL title.
Instead of thinking of this game as
a match between offensive powers,
it will be smarter to look at it
through a defensive point-of-view.
We've heard it time and time
again. Defense wins
championships. In this case,
defense will get either Borussia
Dortmund or Real Madrid to the
UEFA Champions League Final.
Expect a low-scoring affair.

Cristiano Ronaldo signs new deal ahead of Dortmund trip

Real Madrid soccer superstar
Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed a
personal endorsement deal with
Jacob & Co.
The Portuguese forward is set to
appear in a new campaign for the
New York-based watchmaker as it
moves to make him the long-term
face of its brand. The 28-year-old
will appear in a print advertising
campaign in May and make his
first public appearance for Jacob &
Co in Monte Carlo July.
"I've been a customer and fan of
the brand for a long time so it is a
natural fit," said Ronaldo. "I
always used Jacob watches, even
before I knew [founder] Jacob
[Arabo]. The brand absolutely
stands for leadership in creativity.
As a collector of the world’s finest
watches, it's obvious [to me] how
much passion Jacob & Co has for
quality."
Cristiano Ronaldo invests in
Portuguese start-up
50 Most Marketable 2012 -
Cristiano Ronaldo
Jacob & Co chairman Chris Del
Gatto added: "I think it signifies a
complete relaunch of Jacob & Co.
He is one of the most famous
soccer players in the world, but
more than that he's one of the
most respected athletes in the
world. He has attributes that we
really feel mirror the Jacob & Co
brand."
Ronaldo's Real Madrid side
continue their quest for a long-
desired tenth European title when
they travel to Borussia Dortmund
for the first leg of their Uefa
Champions League semi-final on
Wednesday.

The Real Madrid president has vowed to pay the Portuguese whatever it takes to make him stay at the club beyond 2015, when his current deal expires


Real Madrid president Florentino
Perez is adamant that the club will
be able to renew Cristiano
Ronaldo 's contract at the club.
The Portuguese forward's current
deal expires in 2015 but the
champions' hopes for an extension
were dealt a blow when he
admitted that he was unhappy at
the club in September
.
The 28-year-old has since been
linked with a return to Manchester
United, whom he left in 2009 to
join the Spanish capital club, but
Perez remains confident of keeping
his star man at the Santiago
Bernabeu.
"Keep calm, we are going to renew
with Cristiano Ronaldo. The club
are going to pay him," he told
Blancos fans at a meeting.
Jose Mourinho's side face
Borussia Dortmund in a European
semi-final first leg in midweek and
have a Copa del Rey final with
Atletico Madrid approaching and
Perez says he is happy with the
way things are going.
"Real Madrid are having a great
month with the Champions League
and the Copa del Rey final," he
continued.
"Being the president of this club is
difficult but so is being the coach.
We must learn to live with it. We
can discuss it between us, but we
have to stay together.
"Criticism helps us."
Cesc Fabregas' late goal against
Levante ensured that Madrid
remain 13 points behind Barcelona
with six games to go - an
unrealistic mountain to climb if
they are to retain their Primera

The Real Madrid president has vowed to pay the Portuguese whatever it takes to make him stay at the club beyond 2015, when his current deal expires


Real Madrid president Florentino
Perez is adamant that the club will
be able to renew Cristiano
Ronaldo 's contract at the club.
The Portuguese forward's current
deal expires in 2015 but the
champions' hopes for an extension
were dealt a blow when he
admitted that he was unhappy at
the club in September
.
The 28-year-old has since been
linked with a return to Manchester
United, whom he left in 2009 to
join the Spanish capital club, but
Perez remains confident of keeping
his star man at the Santiago
Bernabeu.
"Keep calm, we are going to renew
with Cristiano Ronaldo. The club
are going to pay him," he told
Blancos fans at a meeting.
Jose Mourinho's side face
Borussia Dortmund in a European
semi-final first leg in midweek and
have a Copa del Rey final with
Atletico Madrid approaching and
Perez says he is happy with the
way things are going.
"Real Madrid are having a great
month with the Champions League
and the Copa del Rey final," he
continued.
"Being the president of this club is
difficult but so is being the coach.
We must learn to live with it. We
can discuss it between us, but we
have to stay together.
"Criticism helps us."
Cesc Fabregas' late goal against
Levante ensured that Madrid
remain 13 points behind Barcelona
with six games to go - an
unrealistic mountain to climb if
they are to retain their Primera

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Jose Mourinho Confident Of Chelsea Return And Plans Signing Of Borussia Dortmund Star

Jose Mourinho would make Robert
Lewandowski a prime target if he
rejoins Chelsea this summer.
The Daily Express claim that Jose
Mourinho is already planning his
transfer targets if he returns to
Chelsea next season.
The Real Madrid manager is likely
to leave his post at the Bernabeu
at the end of the season, and is
said to be open to a return to
Stamford Bridge, where he enjoyed
great success between 2004 and
2007.
Roman Abramovich has a number
of candidates in mind to replace
interim manager Rafael Benitez
next year, and despite falling out
with him in his first spell at the
club, Mourinho is up there with
Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini and
Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp
on his list.
Mourinho is already preparing for
next season, and wants to make
Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski
his main target. The Polish striker
is sought after by a number of top
clubs around Europe, and would be
available for around £24million.
Manchester United have been
linked with Lewandowski as well,
but reports emerged yesterday that
Bayern Munich were currently the
favourites to sign him from
Dortmund in the summer.
Chelsea, however, are arguably in
need of strikers more than either of
those teams, due to the continued
poor form of £50million flop
Fernando Torres and with Demba
Ba the only other option upfront.
Romelu Lukaku is on loan at West
Brom, but his future probably lies
away from the Blues as he has
been linked with a move to
Swansea City.

Quality of Depth Has Bayern Well- Positioned to Beat Barcelona

On Thursday—three days after their
4-0 demolition of Nurnberg—
Bayern Munich dispatched
Wolfsburg from the DFB Pokal to
the tune of 6-1. Two days after
that, they made eight changes to
their starting XI and proceeded to
thump Hannover by the same
scoreline.
No matter which players line up for
Bayern Munich these day,s it
seems the result is exactly the
same—a fact that must have
Barcelona quivering in advance of
Tuesday’s Champions League
semifinal first leg against the
Bundesliga champions.
No team in world football has the
quality of options available to
Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes,
and this season no manager has
rotated his squad as adeptly as
the 67-year-old.
Each player on the roster, it
seems, is out to prove something
every time he steps onto the pitch.
And given the ability of the player
he’s replacing, or has been
replaced by, the old “fighting for
places” cliché would seem an
appropriate explanation.

On Saturday, for example, Claudio
Pizarro played in the Toni Kroos
role behind the lone striker (Kroos
is out with an adductor injury) and
proceeded to score two goals while
setting up two others. He, Thomas
Muller and Kroos himself have
operated in the position in recent
weeks, and there has hardly been a
drop-off when one has come in for
another.
Just ahead of Pizarro against
Hannover was Mario Gomez, who
was making only his eighth
Bundesliga start of the season. But
he scored twice at AWD-Arena and,
with six goals in his last three
matches, is Bayern’s form striker.
Nevertheless, Mario Mandzukic will
likely get the start against
Barcelona next week.
Franck Ribery, who was rested in
the DFB Pokal match, found the
back of the net against Hannover
as well—his low, hard shot beating
Ron-Robert Zieler to the far post
after an accurate pass from
Pizarro.
The 6-1 win represented the eighth
time Bayern had managed at least
five goals in a match this season,
and with an incredible 81 points
from 30 matches, lead second-
place Borussia Dortmund by a
shocking 20 points with four
rounds to play.
Not that there’s been a title race
since somewhere around
Christmas.
Rather, it’s all about the treble
now for Bayern, and to that end,
their squad rotation—made to look
so smooth because of the quality
from top to bottom—will only serve
to help them accomplish the feat.
The first leg against Barcelona
represents the next step toward the
treble for Bayern, and with Philipp
Lahm, Dante, Bastian
Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez,
Arjen Robben and Mario
Mandzukic rested from the start
against Hannover, they couldn’t
hope to be in a better position
going into one of their toughest
matches of the season.

Bayern boss Uli Hoeness investigated for tax evasion According to German magazine Focus, the Munich public prosecution office is looking into the 61-year-old Hoeness' financial affairs, while no details of the sums involved have been divulged.

Berlin: Bayern Munich president Uli
Hoeness is being investigated for
possible tax evasion after
declaring an off-shore account in
Switzerland, it was reported on
Saturday.
According to German magazine
Focus, the Munich public
prosecution office is looking into
the 61-year-old Hoeness' financial
affairs, while no details of the
sums involved have been divulged.
"I filed a voluntary disclosure
about the account to my
accountant at the tax office in
January 2013," said Hoeness, who
has said he is working closely with
the authorities.
"I trust fully on the work of the
authorities involved in the case
and ask for there to be respectful
refrain from further enquiries," said
Hoeness.
Bayern host Barcelona in the
Champions League semi-final, first
leg on Tuesday as the German
champions bid to reach their third
European Cup final in four years.

Champions League football could tempt Bale to the Bundesliga

Gareth Bale has emerged as Pep
Guardiola's No. 1 target when he
joins Bayern Munich in the
summer, with the Sun reporting
Tottenham will be tempted into the
sale of their star by a £30 million
offer. It is reported Guardiola has
long been an admirer of Bale and
has been scouting the Welshman
for some time. Although Spurs
insist the winger is not for sale,
Bayern will join Real Madrid in
bidding for Bale and he may seek
a move if the Londoners fail to
qualify for next season's
Champions League.
Edinson Cavani could become the
highest-earner in English football
next season if Manchester City can
agree terms with Napoli for the
forward's signature. The Daily Mail
reports that City are prepared to
offer Cavani £13.3 million-per-
year to move to England and the
deal may be too good to refuse for
the Serie A side. City's attempts to
secure the Uruguayan have been
halted by his hefty release clause,
but key negotiators at the Etihad
are hopeful of getting that
significantly reduced. Cavani's
salary would trump that of both
Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney.
£256,000 a week. Not bad, eh?
But City won't have it all their own
way as they chase down Cavani,
with the Mirror reporting French
side Monaco are hopeful of making
a play for the 26-year-old. The
Ligue 2 leaders have the funds at
the ready after being taken over by
Russian billionaire Dmitry
Rybolevlev and will give City,
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid
fierce competition.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Bale and Ronaldo would tear defences to pieces! Luis Suarez touts Spurs winger for Madrid move

Spain's only ever Ballon d'Or
winner Luis Suarez believes if Real
Madrid managed to pair Spurs
winger Gareth Bale and Cristiano
Ronaldo together then the duo
would 'tear defences to pieces'.
The Welsh wizard, currently facing
a race against time to be fit for
Sunday's home match with
Manchester City after an ankle
injury, has been consistently linked
with a move to the Spanish giants
and if Spurs were not to qualify for
the Champions League this
season, Real could launch a bid.
Suarez, voted Europe's best
footballer in 1960, thinks Real
should break the bank to sign
Spurs' crown jewel and said
Ronaldo playing alongside Bale
would be a frightening prospect for
defences.
Go get him: Luis Suarez says Real
Madrid should sign Spurs' Gareth
Bale

Mourinho: Klopp talks too much

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho
says that Borussia Dortmund boss
Jurgen Klopp talks too much,
ahead of the first-leg of their
Champions League semi-final.
Both sides have already faced each
other twice in this season's
competition, with BVB winning 2-1
at home in the group stages,
before drawing 2-2 at the Santiago
Bernabeu.
And with Klopp enjoying the
superior head-to-head record
between the pair on the back of
those results, Mourinho has
questioned why the German coach
has opted to discuss their next
European encounter so much in
the build-up to the game.
"I have said a little bit about
Dortmund and that's enough. Since
the day of the draw, Klopp talks
every day," he told reporters.
"I will talk about Dortmund this
Tuesday. We have been working on
this match for the past two
weeks."
Klopp recently attempted some
possible mind games of his own
by suggesting that Mourinho's trip
to watch Dortmund defeat Greuther
Furth 6-1 last weekend was a
pointless exercise.
“Mourinho will return home with
reports that will be useless to him
in two weeks time," he added.
“I don't know if Madrid will be
afraid of us after what happened in
the group stage.
"He left after the 5-0 and didn't
see our weaknesses. But if he
wanted to see whether [Mario]
Gotze can play on the left, he can
call me."
The first leg takes place in
Dortmund on Wednesday, with the
return fixture at the Bernabeu on
April 30.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Should this manager even consider Chelsea?

The Express has reported that Jose
Mourinho could stay at Real
Madrid for one more year, meaning
that Chelsea will have to wait to
land their ex-manager.
We look at whether Mourinho
should even make the trip back to
London.
Yes
Jose Mourinho has repeatedly
stated his desire to return to the
Premier League, and what better
place to go to then a club he
already knows and a fan base that
already loves him.
Leaving under a cloud of
speculation would have hurt the
manager, and he will be keen to
set everything right with Chelsea.
This could be his last chance to do
so.
He has unfinished business with
Chelsea. Winning the Champions
League, something that eluded him
in his spell at Stamford Bridge,
would be his main aim.
The lure of winning the
competition with his beloved
former club could prove too good
to resist.
No
They say never go back – with
good reason. You only have to
look at what happened with Kevin
Keegan at Newcastle and Kenny
Dalglish at Liverpool to understand
how easily a legend can fall from
grace.
Mourinho has never won the
Champions League with Real
Madrid. Assuming that Madrid
don’t win it this year, it will add to
his tally the amount of clubs that
he hasn’t been able to bring
European glory to.
Will his conscience and his ego
allow him to walk away from
Madrid without the biggest prize in
European football.
Roman Abramovich is still pulling
the strings at Chelsea. He is still
making bizarre, big money
signings of players that don’t
deliver the goods. This puts
pressure on the manager, and
creates bad harmony in the
dressing room.
He left under dubious
circumstances the first time, what
makes him think that the
relationship can be repaired, and
that the owner wont invade his
transfer policy once again?

Messi & Barcelona 'awaiting Neymar's arrival'

Barcelona's South America
representative Andre Cury has
openly professed the club's desire
to recruit Santos forward Neymar,
insisting the players are eagerly
awaiting his arrival.
Although both parties have
remained coy on the prospect of a
deal for the Brazil international to
move to Spain, Cury has suggested
it is only a matter of time before
an agreement is reached.
Neymar has assured Santos he will
see out his current contract and
not leave Brazil until after next
year's World Cup, although the
club are attempting to secure his
services on a long-term contract.
Cury told Radio Globo that
Barcelona are "extremely
interested in Neymar" and is
confident the Catalan giants will
make a serious offer in the
summer.
"He is top of the wish list for
planned signings and our players
are aware of this," Cury said. "At
Barcelona we do not usually sign
many players, and he is our first
choice. When he decides to leave
Santos, we will be ready.
"But, if possible, we will start
negotiations this summer. Messi,
Xavi and Iniesta are already
awaiting him with open arms."
Cury continued his praise of
Neymar by claiming the 21-year-
old's arrival at the Camp Nou
would relieve Lionel Messi of some
pressure, similar to the
Argentinean's influence after
Brazilian attacker Ronaldinho left
the club in 2008.
"Neymar coming to Barcelona will
put an end to two types of
overdependence: dependence on
Neymar at Santos, as he would
have left, and overdependence on
Messi at Barcelona, as we would
then have another player at his
level," Cury added.
"In two or three years Messi will be
able to pass on the Barcelona
baton to Neymar, just like
Ronaldinho passed it to him, even
if this happened in a way that was
not altogether pleasing to us -
Ronnie left the club and we would
have liked him to have stayed."
Neymar once again responded to
the rumours from the Barcelona
camp, thanking them for their
interest despite stating he is not
yet ready to make a decision on
his future.
"Who is not a fan of Barcelona?"
he told Sport.es . "I'm happy and I
appreciate their affection and
support. Regardless of whatever
team I sign for, I'm one of the
happiest people in the world...
When my family and I are ready,
we will be happy to speak, but for
now I ask for calm."

Monday, April 15, 2013

Athletic Bilbao 0 Real Madrid 3: Ronaldo at the double to make it 50 for the season in comfortable victory

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 49th
and 50th goals in all competitions
this season as Real Madrid won
3-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Ronaldo opened the scoring with a
dipping free kick just two minutes,
his twelve direct goal from a free
kick since signing for Real back in
2009.
He then towered a header from
close range to double the lead in
the 69th minute, before completing
the masterclass after passing for
Gonzalo Higuain to net a third
seven minutes late.

'We have a great player in
Ronaldo,' Madrid midfielder Xabi
Alonso said. 'We hope our
dependence on him isn't
noticeable. He is so competitive.
He wants to play every game and
score as many goals he can.
'We got a great result tonight that
lets us continue in second place.'
Radamel Falcao scored twice as
Atletico Madrid continued their bid
for a top-two finish in the Primera
Division with a comprehensive 5-0
home win over Granada.
Falcao, who was the centre of
more transfer speculation this
week with Manchester United
mooted as a possible destination
this summer, struck in the 27th
and 47th minutes to take his tally
to 30 in all competitions this
season.
Diego Costa, Raul Garcia and
Filipe Luis were also on the
scoresheet as Diego Simeone's
men made it 14 wins from 16
league matches at the Vicente
Calderon this season.
The win also keeps the pressure on
City rivals Real, who are three
points clear with seven matches
left.

Real Sociedad are a further 11
points back in fourth as their
outstanding run of form continued
with a convincing 2-0 win away to
Rayo Vallecano.
Two goals by Imanol Agirretxe in
the opening 14 minutes set the
Basque side on their way to victory
and although they took their foot
off the gas somewhat in the
second half, they were always in
control of the game.
It was their fourth win in their last
seven and they are four points
clear of Malaga and Valencia.

Real Madrid To Sign Shirt Sponsorship Deal With Emirates Worth More Than $39M A Year

Real Madrid's kit will soon take on
a new look as Emirates Airline
agrees to $39M annual
sponsorship deal.
A senior official at Dubai's
Emirates Airline said that the
airline "is set to sign a shirt
sponsorship deal with Real
Madrid" worth up to €30M ($
39.3M) a year, in the latest high
profile sports investment by the
Middle East carrier, according to
Rory Jones of the WALL STREET
JOURNAL. The official said that a
deal "is expected to be signed in
the next three to four weeks and
the Emirates logo will appear on
the La Liga club's shirts for a
duration of between four and six
years." Emirates "has an
agreement with Real Madrid to
advertise on its sign boards at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, as
well as some hospitality rights."
The airline "is also the shirt
sponsor" for EPL side Arsenal,
Ligue 1 club Paris St. Germain and
Serie A club AC Milan ( WSJ, 4/14 )
. In Dubai, Ashley Hammond
reported Emirates airline has
confirmed that it is "in shirt
sponsorship negotiations" with
Real Madrid. An airline
spokesperson said, "Yes, we
confirm that we are talking to Real
Madrid about shirt sponsorship,
but the contract is not finalized
yet" (GULF NEWS, 4/14 ). MARCA
reported the club "will sign an
official sponsorship deal with Fly
Emirates" on April 30. Real's new
deal "is the most expensive in the
club's history" (MARCA, 4/12 ). In
Abu Dhabi, Ola Salem reported the
sponsorship "will not effect
Emirates' deals with other
teams"

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Barcelona-Bayern Munich and Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund in Champions League semifinals

The group formations are shown
on an electronic panel after the
draw of the games of the UEFA
Champions League 2012/13 for
the semi-finals and final of the
2012/13 UEFA headquarters in
Nyon, Switzerland, Friday,11 April
2013.
By Associated Press, Published:
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 12:47 PM ET
Aa
NYON, Switzerland — It’s a Spain
vs. Germany double bill in the
Champions League semifinals.
Barcelona will play Bayern Munich
and Real Madrid will face Borussia
Dortmund as Friday’s draw kept
the Spanish and German teams
apart.
“I find it very thrilling to be playing
against the best team in Europe,”
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge said.
Seeking its fourth title in eight
years, Barcelona opens at Bayern
on April 23 in a matchup of
runaway league leaders, then hosts
the second leg on May 1. Real
Madrid starts at Dortmund on April
24 and is home on April 30.
The draw avoided a rematch of the
foul-filled 2011 semifinal between
the Spanish powers, won by
Barcelona on 3-1 aggregate.
Real Madrid defeated defending
champion Dortmund 2-0 in the
1998 semifinals, winning the first
leg 2-0 at home.
“I don’t have to repeat that Real is
a difficult opponent, but from the
three possible opponents Real is
the only one we’ve beaten this
season,” Dortmund coach Juergen
Klopp said.
The winners meet in the final on
May 25 at London’s Wembley
Stadium, where Barcelona beat
Manchester United in the 2011
final.
In the second-tier Europa League,
Chelsea meets Basel and
Fenerbahce plays Benfica. The
Swiss and Turkish teams are hosts
for the first leg April 25, and the
second legs are May 2.

Friday, April 12, 2013

No, Windows is not dying (although Microsoft is strangling it) On the heels of Gartner's latest gloomy predictions for the PC market, it's amazing how people can twist numbers around.

It's always amazing how people
interpret the stats from the
market research firms and tell
you what to think of them. Today
is a pretty good lesson in lies,
damned lies, and statistics.
Gartner issued a report that
predicted worldwide devices,
which includes PCs, tablets and
mobile phones, will grow 9% this
year to 2.4 billion devices, and
will reach 2.9 billion by 2017.
RELATED: Microsoft's
relationship with Samsung gets
ugly
Surface tablet compared to Zune,
Kin in brutal analyst assessment
Not surprisingly, that growth will
come largely from smartphones
and tablets. The two will account
for 2.07 million devices sold this
year and 2.6 million devices by
2017, which makes for 57%
compound annual growth.
PCs and Ultrabooks, which are
split into two groups, will enjoy a
CAGR of 20%, with Ultrabooks
poised to really take off in 2017
and make up for decline in PC
sales.
So, of course, out comes the
doom and gloom. " Microsoft
Could Be Obsolete By 2017:
Gartner Report " said an
irresponsible Yahoo Finance
article. " Microsoft threatened as
smartphones and tablets rise,
Gartner warns, " claimed The
Register.
Really? Where did you see that in
Gartner's report?
The fact is, Gartner expects
Microsoft to be second to
Android devices come 2017,
mostly on the strength of PC
sales, not smartphones. It will go
from 354 million devices this year
to 504 million devices in 2017.
I don't see obsolescence, I see
growth, just not as fast as
Android. And Android is growing
because it's free. Slap it on a
white box phone or tablet from
China and it's one more to the
pile.
The report doesn't take into
account two major threats to
Android: 1) fragmentation, which
is driving developers crazy, and
2) Tizen, the Samsung/Intel
smartphone OS project. I don't
know if it will set the world on
fire, but it sure has the potential
to fragment it.
The PC market is a mature one.
These days, almost every
household I know has more PCs
than people, but fewer phones.
Most people only need one phone
line. Still, feature phones are
about half the market in the U.S.
and most of the market
worldwide, so of course there is
room to grow that PCs don't
have. And it's very hard to sell
people on upgrades when PCs
are working fine, and Windows 7
seems much more palatable than
Windows 8.
None of this excuses Microsoft. It
seems to have blown its
relationship with Samsung, which
was not a good move, and the
Asian PC suppliers are near open
revolt over Windows 8. Windows
RT appears to be stillborn and
Windows Phone 8 is loved by the
people who have one, but too few
to make it a success.
Plus, there is growth to be had in
the PC market if you chase it. A
few weeks back, Gartner issued
its Q4 PC sales report, and
Lenovo was up while the rest
were down. Lenovo competes
aggressively on price and margin,
but it also offers a full warranty
for people who downgrade to
Windows 7, and they created
their own Start button software
for Windows 8 customers. So
there are some vendors who
know how to sell a PC.
The slowdown in PC sales is
undoubtedly in part due to
Windows 8 leaving a bad taste in
people's mouths. There are other
reasons that are beyond
Microsoft's control, but
competition is not one of them.
Microsoft's greatest enemy is
Microsoft. Not Apple, not Google
and not Samsung. And it's doing
a pretty good job of hurting itself
with its misguided Windows 8
policies. But it also has the
ability to stop it.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Power Ranking the Champions League Semifinalists

And then there were four. Borussia
Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real
Madrid and Barcelona are your
2012-13 Champions League
semifinalists, and the greatest club
competition in football is headed
for quite the climax.
Dortmund and Madrid booked their
spots on Tuesday, seeing off
Malaga and Galatasaray,
respectively, in the quarters. Barca
and Bayern joined them with two-
legged triumphs against Paris
Saint-Germain and Juventus,
respectively.
Who plays who in the last four will
be revealed in Friday's draw, with
the possibility of a Clasico
matchup between Barca and
Madrid looming large and also an
all-German affair between
Dortmund and Bayern.
Some will be hoping the two
Spanish and two German teams
are kept apart.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Missing Messi, Barcelona Vs PSG, Leg 2 QF Champions League 2013

Barcelona hopes to recover Lionel
Messi from injury with its
Champions League quarterfinal
against Paris Saint-Germain
poised 2-2, but Cesc Fabregas'
first career hat trick over the
weekend showed they have a Plan
B just in case.
If Messi can't heal a right
hamstring he pulled during the
last week's first leg in Paris,
Barcelona may opt to use
Fabregas in the position of "false
nine" that has proven to be
successful with the Spanish
national team.
Fabregas filled in perfectly for the
absent Argentine in the 5-0 rout of
Mallorca, with forward Alexis
Sanchez also making his claim to
start against PSG with a brace and
two assists for the former Arsenal
midfielder.
Also in the last eight, newly
crowned German champion Bayern
Munich will take its 2-0 advantage
to Juventus, after nine-time
champion Real Madrid visits
Galatasaray and Malaga is at
Borussia Dortmund.
"When you don't have a player like
Messi, it's obvious that you have a
problem," Barcelona assistant
coach Jordi Roura said. "(But) the
squad has shown that it has
enormous quality."
Barcelona can rely on its strong
home record to reach its sixth
straight semifinal. The Catalan
side hasn't lost at Camp Nou in
European competition since Oct.
20, 2009, when it fell 2-1 to Rubin
Kazan, and PSG must win or get a
draw of three goals or more to
move on.
PSG proved it can unsettle
Barcelona from its gutsy first-leg
performance steered by striker
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who canceled
out Messi's opener before setting
up Blaise Matuidi's last-gasp
equalizer.
Ibrahimovic's big body up front
will again be PSG's main threat
against a defence that has been
hit by injuries. Center backs Carles
Puyol and Javier Mascherano are
both out, leaving coach Tito
Vilanova with the option of either
little used Marc Bartra or a
recycled defensive midfielder to
pair with Gerard Pique.
Barcelona got a boost Saturday by
the return of Eric Abidal as a late
substitute a year after he
underwent a liver transplant, but it
is unlikely he is in condition to
play against PSG.
PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti also has
health worries. Defender Thiago
Silva has a knee injury and sat out
Saturday's 2-0 victory against
Rennes. Thiago Motta and Alex are
also doubts.
"Everyone knows it will be difficult,
I don't know how much chance we
have to progress," Ancelotti said.
"We have to be tough. We're not
going there to defend, we can't
afford to. We have to be brave,
because to get to the semifinals
we have to win."
Bayern curtailed Saturday's
Bundesliga title celebrations to
remain focused on its upcoming
trip to Juventus.
Jupp Heynckes' side clinched the
championship with a record six
games to spare by beating
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0, but there
were none of the traditional "beer
showers" that usually accompany
German title celebrations.
"We're not at the finish line yet,"
said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.
"There's a long way to go because
we still have big targets."
Juventus was dominated for most
of last Tuesday's first leg, and was
lucky to escape Munich only 2-0
down.
Mirko Vucinic scored two goals as
Juventus beat bottom club
Pescara 2-1 on Saturday to
maintain its march to a second
successive Serie A title.
"We really want to have a great
game so this dream can continue,
even though we know it will be
very difficult," Vucinic said. "But
believing in dreams doesn't cost
anything, we will do everything to
try and turn the result around. We
have to treat the game as if it was
a war."
Juventus' task is made more
difficult by personnel problems.
Midfielder Arturo Vidal and
defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who
both started in Munich, are
suspended, and striker Sebastian
Giovinco is injured.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who
was criticized after the first leg,
was benched Saturday with the flu
but will almost certainly be back.
Madrid put one foot into the
semifinals with a 3-0 victory over
Galatasaray at the Santiago
Bernabeu from goals by the
scoring trio of Cristiano Ronaldo,
Karim Benzema and Gonzalo
Higuain.
Ronaldo went on at halftime to
score one goal and set up another
in Madrid's 5-1 rout of Levante on
Saturday.
"The series isn't over, although 3-0
is a good advantage," Ronaldo
said. "If we go with the ambition
to score a goal, we will go through
fine."
Malaga struggled to hold on for a
0-0 draw against the sprightly
Dortmund in their first meeting
thanks to Willy Caballero's sound
goalkeeping and the German side's
lack of finishing touch.
Malaga and Dortmund both rested
several of their first-choice players
over the weekend.
Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini
went home to Chile after
Saturday's 4-2 loss at Real
Sociedad to attend his father's
funeral.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 'We must learn from Galatasaray defeat'

Real Madrid forward Cristiano
Ronaldo has urged his side to
learn from their 3-2 defeat to
Galatasaray in the Champions
League on Tuesday evening.
Despite losing, los Blancos
progressed to the semi-final of the
tournament with a 5-3 win on
aggregate, but Ronaldo feels that
the side must not let complacency
creep in for future games after his
side came closer than expected to
squandering their 3-0 lead from
the first leg last week.
"This match will serve as an
example for us in the future,"
Ronaldo told Uefa.com .
"We're happy to get through after
this difficult game. They made
things hard but in reality we were
the ones who made things
complicated for ourselves."
Madrid are aiming to win their
10th European Cup this season

Liverpool and Arsenal chase Iker Casillas?

Liverpool are Arsenal are
reportedly set to battle it out for
the signature of Real Madrid
goalkeeper Iker Casillas this
summer.
The Spanish stopper has fallen
behind Diego Lopez as first choice
at Santiago Bernabeu and both the
Reds and the Gunners are
monitoring Casillas's situation in
Madrid, according to The Metro.
Depsite denials from los Blancos
boss Jose Mourinho , several
reports have suggested that the
pair have fallen out this season
which has led to the signing of
Lopez in January, and Casillas will
be allowed to leave for the right
price this summer.
Arsene Wenger recently questioned
the mentality of current Gunners
keeper Wojciech Szczesny ahead of
their Champions League exit at
Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile reports have persisted
all season that Reds boss Brendan
Rodgers is prepared to sell his own
No.1 Pepe Reina at the end of the
campaign, with Barcelona linked
with the Spaniard.
Casillas was part of the Spain
squads that won the 2010 World
Cup and Euro 2012.

Mourinho reacts to second leg loss

Post-match reaction from Turkey
after Real Madrid progressed into
the semi-finals of the UEFA
Champions League despite a 3-2
loss to Galatasaray in the second
leg of their quarter-final tie.
Real Madrid reached the
Champions League semi-finals for
the third successive season after
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on
Tuesday in a 3-2 loss to
Galatasaray following a second-
half resurgence by the Turkish
team.
Madrid advanced 5-3 on
aggregate but only after conceding
three goals in a 16-minute span to
raise Galatasaray's hope of pulling
off what would have been an epic
comeback.
Ronaldo appeared to have eased
Madrid into the next round with
his eighth-minute opener.
And the Portugal forward scored
again in stoppage time, but not
before Galatasaray came alive with
Emmanuel Eboue's 57th-minute
leveller.
Galatasaray midfielder Wesley
Sneijder scored in the 71st before
Didier Drogba added another goal
a minute later.

Luka Modric to Fill in for Xabi Alonso

Luka Modric has seemingly earned
a place in Real Madrid’s starting
XI after his brilliant game against
Levante. With Xabi Alonso banned
for the clash against Galatasaray,
everything indicates towards the
Croatian international as being the
former Liverpool midfielder’s
replacement.
The Blanco’s assistant, Aitor
Karanka, has all but confirmed
that Modric will start against the
Turkish team in the post-match
Levante press conference. “It was
a good game for Pepe and Modric
to get more playing time and gain
more confidence before the game
against Galatasaray.”
Modric has proven what he can
provide to the team in white
throughout the season. His
decisive performances have been
quite important for Real Madrid,
like the Copa del Rey first leg
against Barcelona at the Bernabeu,
the victory against Barcelona in
the League, and the comeback at
Old Trafford.
Even Xabi Alonso has to thank him
for being a great partner in the
midfield. It’s proven now that
Alonso and Modric are the most
creative midfield partnership in the
team, as Real Madrid have never
lost when both of them have been
in the starting line-up. This has
happened 5 times in total, 4 in the
League and one in the Champions
League.
Levante, Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao
and Celta were the teams who
suffered a defeat against Real
Madrid in the League with Modric
and Alonso on the field. In the
Champions League, Real drew
against Borussia Dortmund at the
Santiago Bernabeu (2-2) with both
of them playing alongside each
other again.
Modric has contributed more
fluency to the team when playing
with Xabi Alonso, but this time he
will have to fulfill the task of
guiding Real Madrid’s play. We all
know Modric doesn’t make the
most of his qualities while playing
in Alonso’s position, but he’s still
the best option in the squad.
However, in Turkey, Modric will
have a good chance to prove he
can be one of Real Madrid’s main
men and remain a crucial part of
the team, as he was against
Manchester United.

Real Madrid line up swoops for Gareth Bale and Sergio Aguero .

REAL MADRID are set to up their
efforts to sign Tottenham's Welsh
wizard Gareth Bale in a £50million
deal - and he could be joined at
the Bernabeu by Sergio Aguero.

Madrid chiefs are looking into the
possibility of signing Bale after
Gonzalo Higuain yesterday fuelled
further speculation linking him
with a move away from the club.
The Spanish giants are also
interested in bringing former
Atletico Madrid ace Aguero back to
Spain - and they could offer up to
£40million for the Manchester City
frontman.
Spanish website fichajes.com
claim that Higuain and Karim
Benzema could both be on their
way out and that president
Florentino Perez is keen to find
some big-name replacements.
They add that Bale, 23, would set
Madrid back €60m (£51.2m) while
Aguero would be a "more
affordable" €45m (£38.4m).
The Wales international has been
in incredible form this season,
bagging a remarkable 22 goals, 17
of which have come in the Premier
League.
Bale signed for Spurs in 2007 after
learning his trade at Southampton.
Aguero, 24, arrived at Manchester
City for £38m in July 2011 and
netted the goal that won the club
the Premier League title last year.

'I will always be Turkish' - Why Ozil is worshipped in Istanbul

With a clash between Turkey and
Germany in Berlin finely poised at
1-0 with just over 10 minutes
remaining, Mesut Ozil raced onto a
through-ball and calmly slotted
the ball home, prompting a chorus
of boos from the away fans.
It would be easy to assume that
Ozil was despised by the nation of
his descent due to his decision to
represent the Nationalelf but the
Real Madrid star has a dedicated
group of admirers within Turkey
who have tracked his career since
his early days.
After leaving Westfalia 04 as a
child amid fears of his ability to
compete physically, he eventually
made his debut with Schalke.
Three good seasons with the
Gelsenkirchen outfit won him a
move to Werder Bremen and the
question of his nationality began
to rear its head.

Madrid into semis despite 3-2 loss at Galatasaray

ISTANBUL — Real Madrid reached
the Champions League semifinals
for the third straight season on
Tuesday despite losing 3-2 at
Galatasaray following a second-
half resurgence by the Turkish
team.
Madrid needed a double from
Cristiano Ronaldo to advance 5-3
on aggregate, but only after
conceding three goals in a 16-
minute span to raise Galatasaray's
hopes of pulling off what would
have been a remarkable comeback.
Ronaldo looked to have wrapped
up the quarterfinal series by
scoring in the seventh minute for a
4-0 overall lead, requiring
Galatasaray to score at least five
goals to advance.
The Portugal forward scored again
in stoppage time for his 48th goal
- including a competition-high 11
in the Champions League - in 47
matches this season. But only
after Galatasaray came alive
following Emmanuel Eboue's 57th-
minute leveler.
Galatasaray forward Wesley
Sneijder scored in the 71st, before
Didier Drogba added another goal
a minute later. Both previously
played under Madrid coach Jose
Mourinho - Sneijder at Inter Milan,
Drogba at Chelsea.
Madrid was hanging on at this
stage as the crowd, whipped up
into a fervor, urged Galatasaray
on.
"During a few minutes, the tie was
open when it shouldn't have been
after we had gone ahead," said
Mourinho. "But when they play
with this passion, and not just
with 11 but with 50,000, anything
is possible."
Madrid right back Alvaro Arbeloa
was sent off in injury time after
being booked twice.
Also on Tuesday, Borussia
Dortmund beat Malaga 3-2 to win
their quarterfinal.
It will be Madrid's 24th semifinal
appearance in Europe's top-tier
club competition, although the
team has been eliminated at that
stage the past two years. It will be
the fourth straight year Mourinho
has reached the final four, having
led Inter to the title in 2010.
Madrid completely dominated the
match until Eboue's equalizer,
which awakened Galatasaray's
attack and transformed the match
from a placid stroll to a frantic
contest largely staged in Madrid's
last third.
"We're happy for the classification,
mission complete," Ronaldo said.
"This match will serve as an
example for us in the future. In
football you cannot just give
chances away. It was our own
fault that the game almost got out
of hand."
Ronaldo opened last week's first
leg with a goal in the ninth minute
to set Madrid on course, and he
bettered that by two minutes
Tuesday as the nine-time winners
search for their first European Cup
since 2002.
Making a tough challenge even
more difficult, Galatasaray was
without suspended top-scorer
Burak Yilmaz, responsible for eight
of the team's 11 goals in the
tournament. But after a tepid first
half, veterans Sneijder and Drogba
proved they were worth their winter
signings.
Madrid is feared for its deadly
pace and firepower on the break,
but its opening goal was a product
of a passing combination, helped
by Galatasaray's porous defense.
Ronaldo slipped along the six yard
box, just staying onside to expertly
redirect Sami Khedira's cross into
the far side of the net with his
right foot after Mesut Oezil had
played his fellow Germany
midfielder clear on the side.
Ronaldo almost set up a second
goal in the 24th when his nifty
back-heeled pass left Angel Di
Maria unmarked in the area, only
for goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
to palm the rising shot and send it
high and wide.
Ronaldo looked sure to double
Madrid's advantage in the 57th
but uncharacteristically stumbled
and sent Di Maria's pass by the
post with Muslera beaten.
Seconds later, Eboue equalized
with a blistering blast from the
edge of the area into the top
corner of the net following a pass
by Sneijder.
The goal ignited the crowd and
Madrid's nerves started fraying.
Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao
came close to gifting Sneijder a
goal when his poor clearance
across his own area gave the
Netherlands midfielder a golden
chance, but he angled his strike
wide.
Sneijder made up for his miss with
a beautiful touch to tap a pass
beyond Raphael Varane, rounding
the defender before slotting the
ball home.
Drogba, who had until then been
little trouble for Madrid's defense,
expertly flicked in Nordin
Amrabat's low cross with the back
of his right heel while facing away
from goal and fending off Varane
to send the home fans wild.
"Our halftime team talk was on the
desire not to lose the game and
this brought the victory,"
Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim
said. "After the third goal, we
started to dream about the
semifinals."
Galatasaray pushed for another
goal - needing two more at that
time due to Madrid's away goal -
but the visitors soaked up the
pressure.
Ronaldo polished off his team's
qualification to the next round
three minutes into injury time by
converting substitute Karim
Benzema's pass.
"Maybe we could not knock Real
Madrid out of the competition but
I think we deserve the respect of
the whole world," Terim said. "We
need to keep our heads high."

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Real Madrid open to offers for Manchester United transfer target Manchester United transfer news: Real Madrid will consider bids for Angel Di Maria

Manchester United will face
competition from Paris St Germain
for the summer signing of Real
Madrid star Angel Di Maria,
according to the Daily Express.
Reports in Spain claim Madrid
president Florentino Perez is open
to the idea of selling Di Maria at
the end of the season, with Gareth
Bale thought to be the club's
top target to replace the Argentina
international.
Di Maria has blown hot and cold
this term, and Jose Mourinho is
believed to be frustrated with the
inconsistency of his performances.
United have question marks
hanging over the future of their
own wide-man Nani, and the
Portuguese winger could make way
for Di Maria.
But big-spending Paris St Germain
have the financial muscle to
match, and potentially even better,
Sir Alex Ferguson - as they did
last summer with Lucas Moura.
Di Maria was excellent last season
as Real Madrid won their first
league title since 2008, but he's
struggled this term.
He's managed just four assists and
four goals in 25 league
appearances, while his pass
completion percentage is one of
the lowest in the team at 71 per
cent.
The Argentine will likely still have
a big role to play as Mourinho's
side look to triumph in the
Champions League, but this could
be his final season at the
Bernabeu.
Paris St Germain face a tricky
second leg at the Nou Camp
following their first-leg 2-2 draw
at the Parc des Princes.