Premier League Review – 3rd Round of Matches

Posted by admin

The last two weeks of Premier League had many goals in, but that was taken a hit this weekend with only 22 goals were scored in the 10 Premier League matches. Nonetheless, it was still another entertaining week of football.

Blackburn 1-2 Arsenal – A deserved win for the visitors in a tricky tie. Theo Walcott showing his pace scored to put Arsenal 1-0 up. El Hadji Diouf set up Mama Diouf to equalise just 7 minutes later. After an even first half, Arsenal were the better team after the interval. Andrey Arshavin scored just minutes after the restart and Blkackburn struggled to get back into the game. A good win for Arsenal, as no team in the top 3 won here last season.

Blackpool 2-2 Fulham – The first Premier League game at Bloomfield road ended up with both teams sharing the points. Bobby Zamora headed in to give the visitors the lead, but a great fightback from Blackpool allowed them to score 2 goals in the space of 6 minutes, with an own goal from John Pantsil followed by a goal from Luke Varney. Ethuu equalised late on, but both teams will be happy with the point.

Chelsea 2-0 Stoke – Chelsea carried on with their winning form, however they didn’t manage to score 6 this weekend. Lampard missed a penalty as early as the 10th minute. However, Chelsea didn’t dwell on this, and scored 20 minutes later to take the lead, with a goal from Malouda. Drogba sealed the win with a penalty 15 minutes from time, as Stoke made Chelsea work hard for their victory.

Tottenham 0-1 Wigan – The biggest shock of the weekend came at White Hart Lane, as Wigan managed to keep a clean sheet and take all 3 points. Tottenham were the better team for the majority of the game but couldn’t make the most of their opportunities. Wigan had good spells in the second half and Rodallega score 10 minutes from time to give Wigan the win, and bring Tottenham back down to earth.

Wolves 1-1 Newcastle – The points were shared in this fixture, as both teams will be pleased with their start to the season so far. Ebanks-Blake scored a fantastic goal to give the home side the lead at half time. Andy Carrol equalised for the away side, with a glancing header from a free kick. 13 yellow cards were given in this feisty game, as both teams tried their hardest to get all free points.

Manchester Utd 3-0 West Ham –  The home side cruised to victory in this fixture as West Ham never looked like getting any points in all truth. Wayne Rooney opened the scoring in the 33rd minute from the penalty spot to end his drought. Second half goals from Nani and Berbatov finished off the game and Man Utd successfully bounced back from last week.

Bolton 2-2 Birmingham – One of the most entertaining ties of the weekend, ended in a draw and both sides remain undefeated. Roger Johnson put the visitors 1-0 up within 4 minutes, and then he got slapped later on in the half, resulting in Jussi Jaaskelainen getting sent off. Birmingham doubled their lead just after the break, with a goal from James McFadden. However, Bolton refused to give in, as a penalty from Kevin Davies and a fantastic free kick from Robbie Blake tied the game.

Liverpool 1-0 West Brom – Liverpool made hard work of their victory on Sunday afternoon. Liverpool failed to create many chances but a great volley from Torres won the game for the home side in 66th minute. James Morrison was sent for Albion as they failed to get back into the game.

Sunderland 1-0 Manchester City –  Another shock of the weekend had occurred as Tevez’s open goal miss proved to be extremely costly. Manchester City should have gone into the half time break with a few goals under their belt, but were paid to rue missed chances. A Darren Bent penalty in the last minute secured Sunderland’s first win of the season, and City’s first defeat, and goal conceded.

Aston Villa 1-0 Everton – Aston Villa bounced back after a dreadful week which saw them lose 6-0 to Newcastle and knocked out of Europe to Rapid Vienna. A Luke Young strike in the 7th minute was enough to see off Everton. However, Everton had dominated most of the game but failed to put the ball back into the net. Aston Villa now have taken 6 points from their first 3 games, as Everton are in the relegation zone with just the 1 point.

Read More »

Premier League Preview – 3rd Round of Matches

Posted by admin

We are beginning to see what teams are capable of this season, as the fans decide who will struggle this season and who will achieve. Another week has passed and Premier League action will see more entertaining matches this weekend.

Blackburn v Arsenal (12:45 Saturday) – Blackburn has always provided tough tasks for Arsenal in the past, and this match will be no different. Blackburn won this fixture last season 2-1. Arsenal won 6-0 in their last game, and will be confident going into this fixture. However Sam Allardyce’s men will be strong opponents.

Blackpool v Sunderland (3:00 Saturday) – Blackpool will host Fulham in their first ever home Premier League tie. Fulham are undefeated so far this season, whereas Blackpool was brought back down to earth last week following their 4-0 win on the opening day of the season. Both teams will fancy their chances in this fixture, as this should be a close game.

Chelsea v Stoke (3:00 Saturday) –  High-flying Chelsea have won their first two games of the season 6-0, against Wigan and West Brom. Stoke, on the other hand, have lost both of their Premier League games, and this match will certainly be harder. The last fixture between these too, finished 7-0 to the home side, Chelsea. The same could happen again going on current form.

Tottenham v Wigan (3:00 Saturday)  – Tottenham return to Premier League action after securing their place in the Champions League group stages in midweek. Wigan have had a shocking start to the season, losing both of their Premier League games at home, 4-0 and 6-0 to Blackpool and Chelsea respectively. Tottenham won this fixture 9-1 last season, and would love for a repeat here.

Wolves v Newcastle (3:00 Saturday)  – Both teams have had decent starts to the season. Wolves have taken a promising 4 points from their opening two games. Whereas Newcastle bounced back from their defeat at Old Trafford, by thumping Aston Villa 6-0 last weekend. Another game which will be close to call.

Man Utd v West Ham (5:30 Saturday) – West visit Old Trafford, after losing their first two games of the season to Aston Villa and Bolton. Manchester United will want to bounce back after they dropped points at Fulham last week from a winning position in the 89th minute. Despite beating Man Utd 3 times in a row back in 2007/2008, West Ham have lost every game since.

Bolton v Birmingham (1:30 Sunday) –  Both teams sit on 4 points and pleased with their opening two games of the season. Bolton are hard to beat at home, and beat Birmingham in this fixture last season. However, Birmingham are capable of winning at most places in the Premier League, and will be aiming for 3 points this Sunday.

Liverpool v West Brom (3:00 Sunday) – Liverpool qualified for the Europa League group stages in midweek, with a weakened team, but their main players in Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will be back when they host West Brom. Despite being beaten 6-0 by Chelsea; West Brom earned 3 vital points at home to Sunderland. Liverpool will want to recover from their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Sunderland v Man City (3:00 Sunday) – Sunderland have been underperforming so far this season, as they have only taken 1 point from their games, but were expecting to take more against the likes of West Brom and Birmingham. Man City are one of two teams not to concede a goal this season, as they have kept clean sheet against Tottenham and Liverpool. They will want to continue where they left off from Monday night, where they beat Liverpool 3-0.

Aston Villa v Everton (4:00 Sunday) – Aston Villa have had a week to forget, as they were hammered by Newcastle, followed by their exit of the Europa League to Rapid Vienna. Everton’s start has also been a disappointment following opening day defeat from Blackburn and then dropping points at home to Wolves. Both teams need to kick start their season, with a win here.

Read More »

Premier League Review – 2nd Round of Matches

Posted by admin

Another fantastic week of Premier League has passed us, including three 6-0 victories and an overall goal tally of 38 goals scored.

Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool – Convincing win for the home side as they struck 6 past newly promoted Blackpool. Walcott opened the scoring, before Arshavin slotted in from the penalty spot, with that decision involving a red card for Blackpool’s Evatt. Walcott went on to score two more to complete his hat-trick and goals from Diaby and new boy Chamakh sealed the emphatic result.

Birmingham 2-1 Blackburn – Pedersen missed a chance from the spot to give the visitors the lead, however N’Zonzi scored 4 minutes later to put them a goal ahead. Two goals from Gardener on the 57th and 71st minute turned the game around for Birmingham as they collect all three points from this game.

Everton 1-1 Wolverhampton –  Everton’s slow start continued as they were held at home to Wolves. Cahill scored two minutes before the interval, and home fans expected them to go on from there. However Ebanks-Blake equalised with Wolves first shot on target and the teams shared the points, with Everton still waiting for their first win of the season.

Stoke 1-2 Tottenham – A Gareth Bale brace put Spurs 2-1 up at half time; with the second being a cracking finish. Fuller scored for Stoke in between Bale’s goals, but Stoke failed to equalise in the second half. Stoke felt they scored in the last minute, but the referee believed that Crouch saved it off the line, however camera angles now suggest it went over the line.

West Brom 1-0 Sunderland  – New signing Odemwingie scored with 9 minutes from time with a great finish to give the promoted side their first 3 points of the season. Sunderland will be disappointed to only take 1 point from their opening 2 games.

West Ham 1-3 Bolton – A Carlton Cole penalty miss for the hosts was the start of misfortunes as Upton Park. Upson own goal followed by Elmander gave Bolton a 2-0 lead. Noble pulled a goal back from the penalty spot but Elmander scored again to finish their opponents off. The visitors take the 3 points here, and have beaten West Ham seven times in a row.

Wigan 0-6 Chelsea – Clinical champions Chelsea scored from every shot they had on target as goals from Malouda, Anelka (2), Kalou (2) and Benayoun to win 6-0 at Wigan. Wigan have scored none this season and conceded 10, so problems are occurring at the DW stadium. This was the first game in Premier League history to have no corners.

Newcastle 6-0 Aston Villa –  Newcastles opening home game in their return to the Premier League could not have been better. A hat trick from Andy Carrol, a brace from Nolan and a scorcher from Barton demolished Aston Villa. The visitors missed a chance from the penalty spot to put them 1-0 up, and suffered deeply from Carew’s miss.

Fulham 2-2 Manchester United –  An entertaining game at Craven Cottage as the team share the points. Scholes shot from outside the area gave the visitors the lead. Davies equalised just after half time, as Fulham improved their performance. An own goal from Hangelaand gave United the lead with 8 minutes to go. Nani had the chance to put United 3-1 up, missed the penalty was saved. Hangelaand made up for his error as he equalised for Fulham with a header in the 88th minute.

Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool –  The weekend finished with this fascinating fixture between City and Liverpool who both have title aims this season, and Champions League being a minimum target. Barry put the home side 1-0 up. Then Tevez scored from 1 yard out and then from the penalty spot to put City in a comfortable 3-0 lead. Liverpool will need to bounce back from this defeat, as for City, their optimism will be lifted from this victory.

Read More »

Premier League Preview – 2nd Round of Matches

Posted by admin

One week has already passed in this season, and all fans up and down the country are eagerly anticipating this week’s fixtures.

Arsenal v Blackpool (3:00 Saturday) – Surprisingly, before this game kicks off Blackpool are second whilst Arsenal are in mid table. However, Arsenal still remain overwhelming favourites for this fixture. If Blackpool can reproduce what they did last week, they will still need a bit of luck along the way to take any points away from the Emirates.

Birmingham v Blackburn (3:00 Saturday) – Birmingham scraped a draw at Sunderland last weekend whilst Blackburn picked up from where they left off last season, with an impressive victory at home to Everton. Another close game is to be expected when these two will kick off on Saturday.

Everton v Wolves (3:00 Saturday) –  Everton started their season with a defeat to Blackburn last week, as Wolves won their opener at home to Stoke. Everton are favourites to win this however, and cannot afford to drop points at home in these type of games.

Stoke v Tottenham (3:00 Saturday) –  Tottenham will need to bounce back to their defeat in midweek with a tricky visit to Stoke. Stoke lost last weekend, but their last two seasons have proved that their home form is impressive, and they will hope to continue that this season, starting with Tottenham on Saturday.

West Brom v Sunderland (3:00 Saturday) – The only positive with West Brom’s visit to Chelsea last weekend is that they don’t have to go there again this season. They lost 6-0 and the fans are hoping for a result this week. Sunderland dropped two points last week at home to Birmingham, throwing away a 2-0 goal lead. This match should be a close one.

West Ham v Bolton (3:00 Saturday) –  Another close game to call, as neither team scored last week. However, Bolton earned a point against Fulham, whereas a dismal display saw West Ham beaten 3-0 last week at the hands of Villa.

Wigan v Chelsea (5:15 Saturday) –  Bottom will face top in this fixture. Wigan was embarrassed by Blackpool last week as Chelsea romped to a 6-0 victory over West Brom. Chelsea is expected to win this, but Wigan won this fixture last year, anything can happen.

Newcastle v Aston Villa (1:30 Sunday) – An intriguing fixture in between these two. Newcaslte lost 3-0 to Manchester United, whilst Villa won the same score line against West Ham. It will be hard to predict the outcome of this match.

Fulham v Manchester United (4:00 Sunday) – Manchester United have lost this fixture in their last two visits. Fulham will provide a stern test to the title contenders, as Mark Hughes will want to leave where Hodgson left off.

Manchester City v Liverpool (8:00 Monday) – Another mouth watering clash, as Liverpool travel to the City of Manchester Stadium.  Both teams drew their opening game against north London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham. Both teams will aim to win this game, to state their ambitions for this season.

Read More »

Can Mourinho Stop Barcelona?

Posted by admin

Barcelona are ranked the best team in the world at this current time and that there are few which can disagree with it. Players like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta tear apart every other team with their “tika taka” style of football where it seems nearly impossible to take the ball from them if you are the opposition. Barcelona won every trophy possible in the 2009 season and were considered one of the best teams of all time. They retained the league title last season, but were no longer the current champions of Europe. Barcelona were knocked out by Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan, the manager that also knocked Barcelona out in 2005 with Chelsea. Inter Milan went on to win the trophy with a 2-0 victory against Bayern Munich in the Santiago Bernabeu, the home of Real Madrid, his new club. Mourninho has to do more than beat Barcelona in two legs; can he finish above them after 38 league games? We’ll find out this season.

Mourinho has the talent of the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Higuain, Casillas and Sergio Ramos along with new signings such as Di Maria, Khedira and Carvalho which is more than enough quality to challenge for all trophies this season. Real Madrid continuously sign big names and make a dream team of superstars with flair, however this always seem to materialise and managers are often sacked and replaced. Mourinho’s record speaks for itself, winning all the major trophies in Portugal, England and Italy with Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively.  Mourinho has also reached European success winning the Europa League (UEFA Cup back then) with Porto in 2003, then the Champions League with the same team the following season. Mourinho then added to this with a Champions League triumph with Inter this year.

Mourinho learned his trade when he was part of Barcelona staff in 1996 and now he aims to stop this Barcelona force. He has everything he needs in his armoury to achieve this difficult task. Mourinho has already said he believes Real Madrid will be in their peak in the second season he is in charge. So whether he can stop the likes of Messi, Villa and Iniesta in the first season, only time can tell. Madrid couldn’t have asked a better manager in charge, who tries to take the pressure of his players to get the very best of them, and he is the man to control all of the players ego’s and make each player work hard for the club, to reach success for one of the world’s biggest club, if not the biggest.

Read More »

Will Rafa continue in Mourinho´s footsteps?

Posted by admin

It’s not long until Serie A is starting once again, and everyone is speculating who will win the leage this time around. As usual, Inter Milan are the favourites, as they are looking to win the title for the 6th time in a row. This means can Rafa Benitez increase Inter Milan’s title winning streak. Inter Milan start their season on the 30th of August, which is a Monday night, with a trip to Bologna.

After 6 full seasons at Liverpool, Rafa Benitez’s time had come to end after a disappointing season in charge in his final year. Out in the Champions League group stages, followed by Europa League semi finals, as well as finishing 7th in the league, it was a season to forget for Rafa and people associated with Liverpool. Benitez has a new challenge now, and has become in charge of a club which is as big as, or even bigger, than Liverpool. Jose Mourinho was rumoured to be unhappy in Italian football for the majority of last season, and once he won the treble last season, it was inevitable for him to leave. He joined Real Madrid immediately, leaving Inter Milan searching for a new manager. Rafa Benitez was then to take over from “The Special One” and much of the talented squad which one the treble; the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Lucio, Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito.

It will be very difficult for Rafa to match what Mourinho last season, as he guided them to Champions League glory for the first time since 1965. However, the majority of fans will be expecting Rafa won to continue the success domestically and win their 6th successive title. Rafa Benitez has proved he can manage at the highest level. He first major success was winning La Liga with Valencia on two occasions. His move to Liverpool had many ups and downs. Despite finishing 5th in their opening season, Liverpool went on to win the Champions League in a stunning fashion. However, his way of managing was criticised from time to time. Benitez often used squad rotation a lot which wasn’t to the fans appreciation, and occasionally substituted star players such as Fernando Torres to the bemusement of the fans. However Benitez tactics was praised in the Champions League as they progressed to the latter stages of the competition many times. Benitez had arguably his second best season when Liverpool challenged Manchester United all the way for the title, but only falling short towards the end. Will Rafa be a success at Inter? Not long until Serie A starts!

Read More »

Can Anyone Stop Bayern Munich?

Posted by admin

Last year was a good year for German football.  The national team won a lot of admirers for a fantastic World Cup showing, tearing apart England and Argentina. Bayern Munich reached the Champions League final, the first time for a German side in 8 years. The Bundesliga also had an average attendance of 41,802 fans per game, higher than any other league. The new season starts this Friday with Bayern Munich facing Wolfsburg, which begs the question; can anyone stop Bayern Munich?

Impressively won the German double last season, and was one match away from something incredible; winning the treble. Manager Louis Van Gaal wants his sides to play open attractive football for the entertainment of the fans which often brings success in matches too. The squad which includes wingers Frank Ribery and Arjen Robben offers more than any other German side. World Cup players who sparked the tournament up for Germany, including Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and captian Philip Lahm. Bayern are aiming for their 23rd league title, and with the squad and manager, who could possibly stop them?

The closest team to Bayern last year was Schalke 04, who finished 2nd, only 5 points behind Bayern. This position has allowed them to qualify directly into the Champions League. Schalke have made two eye catching transfers in the summer. They have brought in Real Madrid legend Raul and out of favour Metzelder from the same club, in order to try and claim the Bundesliga title. Schalke played Bayern in a pre season friendly, and Raul scored 2 goals as they defeated them. Bayer Leverkusen were on top of the league last Christmas, as they didn’t lose in 24 league games, only to falter and move down the league.

Woflsburg, now managed by Steve McLaren are another threat to Bayern’s title. They have spent 23.4million Euros, more than any other German club. More than half of it was spent on Denmark international Simon Kjaer from Palermo, who has a bright future ahead of himself. German international Arne Freidrich has joined Wolfsburg from relegated Hertha Berlin, to tighten up the defence. Freidrich had an impressive World Cup, and McLaren will be hoping for the same to come this season. Werder Bremen cannot be ruled out, having finished in the top 3 for the last 4 seasons. The loss of Mesut Ozil may knock their chances of sustaining a title challenge. The Bundesliga is back this weekend!

Read More »

Bundesliga Opening Weekend Preview

Posted by admin

One of Europeans top leagues gets underway this weekend as German sides all wish to get off to a good start.

Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg –  The opening game of the season kicks off on Friday night at the Allianz Arena. Current champions host the team they took the title from. McLaren’s Wolfsburg want to challenge for Bayern’s trophy and are tipped to be close challengers. Bayern fans are hoping for last season’s successes to be repeated.

Borussia Monchengladbach v Nurnberg – The home side here finished in mid table, and never looked in serious danger of going down. Nurnberg had to win a playoff to survive relegation last year; their fans are hoping their team doesn’t put them through the same this year.

FC Cologne v Kaiserslautern –  Both sides are relegation candidates this season, which means this will be a vital start to the season for one of these teams. Cologne player Podoski is the star player and hoping to bag in many goals this season.

Hannover 96 v Eintracht Frankfurt – After narrowly avoiding the drop last season, the host here will want to start a lot better than they did last year. The visitors finished in a strong mid table position and will hope to push for European places.

Freiburg v St. Pauli – Relegation candidates face each other on the opening game of the season, as newly promoted St. Pauli will want to forget their dismal showing in the German cup last weekend. Freiburg will want to improve on last year’s showing.

Hoffenheim v Werder Bremen – Bremen face a difficult trip to Hoffenheim on their opener. Being in Champions League action midweek will potentially make it harder than it already is. Hoffenheim were pleased with a mid table finish last term.

Hamburg v Schalke 04 – One of the most appealing fixtures of the weekend, as 2nd place Schalke travel to a capable Hamburg side. Schalke, with new signing Raul, will want to challenge for the title, after falling 5 points short last year.

Mainz v Stuttgart – The away side will be hoping for a top 5 finish this season as after narrowly missing out last year. Mainz overachieved last season and finished a respectable 9th position. Will be a close game to call.

Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen – The final game of the week is another cracker on the opening weekend. 4th and 5th of last season will play out an even game, and another close game to call. Both sides will hope to reach a Champions League spot, and be dark horses for title glory next May.

Read More »

British Teams in Europa League First Leg

Posted by admin

The Europa League playoffs start tonight, including interest of 7 British teams. Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City of England as well as 3 Scottish teams; Celtic, Dundee Utd and Motherwell. There is also New Saints, a representative of the Wales league.

Rapid Vienna v Aston Villa –  Villa travel to Austria with a weakened squad with injuries of Carew, Agbonlahor, Collins and Cuellar, as well as the suspended Dunne. However, Villa are favourites to progress, and will hope to take a decent result to Villa Park next week. The teams played last season which Rapid Vienna won with the tie on away goals, as it finished 2-2.

FC Timisoara v Manchester City –  Balotelli may make his first appearance for his new club as he replaced Roque Santa Cruz in the travelling squad. Joe Hart is expected to keep his place in goal, ahead of Shay Given. Manchester City’s opponents are unknown to many, but City should have no trouble in qualifying to the next round.

Liverpool v Trabzonspor – Only injury doubts for Liverpool is Javier Mascherano and Daniel Agger who suffered injures against Arsenal on Sunday. Liverpool are home for the first leg, but should fancy their chances of taking a comfortable lead into the second leg. Fernando Torres may start, as he starting to regain full fitness.

Celtic v Utrect – Celtic lost to Braga in the Champions League, leaving them to play their European football in this competition. Celtic are strong favourites of winning this game, and could end up going far in the tournament, if they improve on last year’s performances. Celtic will hope to put that defeat to Braga in the Champions League behind them.

Odense BK v Motherwell – The Scottish side haven’t got the glamorous tie they were hoping for, but in this match they should have an chance of progressing against the Denmark side.

Dundee UTD v AEK Athens – Dundee were glad to be faced against the experienced Greek team. Manager of Dundee Utd, has said he wishes to take advantage of the fact that AEK are still yet to start their season, giving Dundee more sharpness.

CSKA Sofia v New Saints – The home team here are strong favourites to qualify as the Welsh side are not giving much of a chance. However, the second leg is at home, and any acceptable result tonight will give them a slight chance in the return leg next week.

Read More »

Champions League Review – Wednesday Qualifying Matches

Posted by admin

Another entertaining night in Champions League ensued as 15 goals were scored in the 5 playoff matches. Each team played this evening trying to achieve the same goal; to reach the Champions League stages.

Basel 1-0 FC Sheriff – Basel will take a lead when they travel to Moldova next week. Basel were strong favourites in this fixture and will be slightly disappointed they didn’t win by more of a margin. The first half ended goalless as Sheriff frustrated the hosts. However, it took only 9 minutes for the home side to score, with a goal from Stocker. Erokhin was sent off for the away side with 5 minutes of the game to go, and then things got worse for the visitors as they gave away a penalty in the last minute. Unfortunately for Basel, they were unable to extend their lead from the spot and the match finished 1-0.

Braga 1-0 Sevilla – Sevilla were expected to go through, but now face a tough task as they lost the first leg in Braga. 62th minute strike from Matteus won the game for the home side to create one of the shocks of the night. Sevilla then pressured for an equaliser but the likes of Fabiano were unable to equalise on a frustrating night for the Spanish side. Sevilla will now need to turn the match around on home turf next week.

Partizan Belgrade 2-2 Anderlecht –  The visitors will be the happier of the two sides after this encounter as they managed to draw, whilst scoring two vital away goals. A crazy 15 minutes saw Anderlecht take the lead with a goal Gillet on 56 minutes. However two goals from Cleo and a bizarre own goal by Lecjaks put Partizan 2-1 up. It didn’t take the Belgium side to respond, as Juhasz equalised just one minute later. Anderlecht will now be favourites to progress.

RB Salzburg 2-3 Hapoel Tel Aviv –  An action packed match was enjoyed thoroughly more by the away side as they take a lead into the next leg, with 3 away goals. The Nigerian goalkeeper Enyeama unbelievably stepped up to score a penalty for the visitors with 3 minutes of the game gone.  Salzburg equalised with a fantastic strike on the 28th minute. However, the side from Israel took a 3-1 lead with goals from Ben Sahar and Shecter. Wallner pulled pack a goal for Salzburg from the penalty spot, as the game finished 3-2.  Hapoel Tel Aviv will be delighted with their performance, and the result to go with it.

Werder Bremen 3-1 Sampdoria –  The German side will be slight favourites going into the second leg with a 3-1 victory tonight; however it could have been better. The first goal came 5 minutes after the interval, as Fritz scored a thunderbolt to give Bremen the lead. Lucchini then fouled an opposition player as he was sent off for a second bookable offence, and a penalty was awarded. Frings made sure from the spot to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. The margin was extended as Pizzaro scored just two minutes later against 10 men. Being 3-0 down, Sampdoria’s chance of progression was looking bleak, however despite having 10 men, they pulled an away goal back with a header from Pazzini. The goal scored in the last minute will give them a slight chance next week in the return leg.

Read More »
« Older Entries