15
May
“Back-to-back” European Champs!
“Back-to-back” European Champs!
With the conclusion of what was a very memorable Europa League final (and really, the entire competition was the best it’s been in years) we present to you the top 10 goals of this year’s Europa League season!
Which one was your favorite?
Barring any surprises, Manchester United and Manchester City have the top two positions in the Barclays Premier League locked up. That leaves the final two Champions League spots up for grabs with three teams in serious contention for them. Here’s an overview of the remaining schedule.
Arsenal - 3rd place, 63 points
4 games remaining: Manchester United (H), QPR (A), Wigan (H), Newcastle (A)
Chelsea - 4th place, 62 points
5 games remaining: Swansea (H), Manchester United (A), Tottenham (H), Aston Villa (A), Everton (H)
Tottenham - 5th place, 61 points
5 games remaining: Wigan (A), Southampton (H), Chelsea (A), Stoke (A), Sunderland (H)
All signs point to the match on Wednesday, May 8th between Chelsea and Tottenham at Stamford Bridge to determine if the Blues or Spurs will reign supreme. Who do you think will get it done?
Sour grapes, anyone?
With Malaga officially ruled out for next year’s Champions League campaign, you can understand Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani’s frustration against UEFA.
Following Borussia Dortmund’s victory over the La Liga side on Tuesday night, Malaga’s owner went viral blasting his club’s exit on “racism.”
Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani’s claimed on Twitter that his side had been victims of “racism,” though it was not immediately clear at whom the accusation was directed.
“I’m sorry to go out this way injustice and racism,” Al Thani wrote on his personal account, @ANAALThani. “I hope to open a thorough investigation UEFA regarding the Spanish club out this way. This is not football, but racism.”
You be the judge. Read more here.
Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze was caught in the act of relieving himself during the team’s training at Malaga’s La Rosaleda Stadium prior to their 0-0 draw. The footage has since been broadcasted on Canal+ and Spanish TV.
Even after realizing he was caught on tape, Gotze still finished answering the call of nature before heading back on the pitch.
Think this gives Malaga some added incentive for payback? We’ll have to wait until the 2nd leg match next Tuesday to find out.
Real Madrid had a gameplan, and they executed it to perfection. The Spanish powerhouse was absolutely firing on all cylinders in their 3-0 dismantling of Galatasaray.
Cristiano Ronaldo began the scoring brigade with a perfectly timed chip shot over the oncoming keeper and the momentum stayed with the club for the entire match. As impressive as the Madrid attack was, their defense may have been even better.
Galatasaray has a tough hill to climb in the 2nd leg. They can only hope that their passionate fans can give them a home field advantage in next Tuesday’s match.
Malaga and Borussia Dortmund settled for a 0-0 draw, but there was no shortage of action during Wednesday’s match. There were a total of 14 shots on goal fired between both teams, highlighting the ability of both goalkeepers, especially Malaga’s Willy Caballero.
Mario Gotze was the focal point of Borussia Dortmund’s attack, taking over half of the team’s shots on goal by himself.
The score will be settled next week as the teams travel to Dortmund for the 2nd leg match on Tuesday, April 9th.
Real Madrid v Galatasaray
Real Madrid v Galatasaray
To say Galatasaray fans are on edge about their Champions League match against Real Madrid would be an understatement. After the TV channel Beyaz, located in Galatasaray’s home country of Turkey, had pundits choose Real Madrid to win in Wednesday’s clash, fans and supporters took matters into their own hands.
A contingent of about 40 fans showed up to the TV station to voice their disapproval. Matters escalated quickly, but luckily the fans were not able to get past the security guards into the building. According to a Turkish newspaper, however, one TV station employee was injured and taken to a local hospital.
There are many ways to show your passion, but this is probably not the best one.
