Tag Archives: Champions

Champions League Final Build Up. Robben Expects Inter to Attack, Inter Expects Mourinho To Go

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champs league 300x225 Champions League Final Build Up. Robben Expects Inter to Attack, Inter Expects Mourinho To GoGerman champions Bayern Munich lock horns with their Italian counterparts Inter in the first UEFA Champions League final to be played on a Saturday and both sides are eagerly anticipating the biggest game of the season excluding the World Cup.

Dutch wizard Arjen Robben has stated he expects Inter to start the game with attacking intentions, but pointed out that Bayern have to play their own game if they are to be successful at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I don’t expect Inter to defend as much as they did against Barcelona, though of course they also had a player sent off,” Robben was quoted as saying by the official UEFA website.

You Can Bet On This Outcome Now: Inter v Bayern Champions League Final

“We have to play our own game. We can’t change our tactics. We’ve played the whole season the same way and that’s what we will do in the final as well. On the day you have to sometimes be a bit lucky, but at least you have to be sharp in front of goal and the chances you get you have to take.

“The main goal for Bayern was to win the league and that’s what we did. But now we’re in the final of the Champions League and you have to try to win it. You have to give all on this day and I think we will see 22 players who will play for their lives.”

Meanwhile the speculation regarding Joes Mourinho’s future after the Champions League final has hit override with reports of Inter Milan lining up Liverpool’s Rafa Benitez to replace the ‘Special One’ should he depart for Real Madrid. Mourinho has poured more fuel on the fire by once again stating his dislike for Italian football and his desire to have two-to-three days to think about his future after the Champions League final. So as Inter fans brace themselves for life without Mourinho they can take comfort in the fact that Frank Ribbery will definitely be suspended for the final after UEFA upheld his ban

You can bet on the Champions League final with PartyBets.com, Inter Milan are favourites at 2.30 with the Germans available at 3.20.

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Palermo v Sampdoria: The Champions League Place Showdown

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Sampdoria 300x200 Palermo v Sampdoria: The Champions League Place ShowdownAlthough Inter Milan and AS Roma are both in the race to lift this season’s Scudetto they are both likely to win comfortably at home on Sunday. The match that carries the most significance for the winners on Sunday will be the clash between 4th placed Sampdoria and 5th placed Palermo.

The winner of this match will only have to win their final game of the season to be guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League and with the millions of pounds of revenue it generates it will be a great achievement for either of these two clubs.

Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini has described the clash as more of a “final” than a league game.

Pazzini said: “It will be ‘the game’, a real final. We have a little advantage thanks to the two extra points in the table, but if we were to play for a draw we would make a bad impression.

“For this reason we will go to Palermo and try and win.”
Sampdoria has won every one of their last 5 games and is the form team in Serie A at the moment.

Palermo boast one of the leagues best strikers in Fabrizio Miccoli who is the third highest scorer in Serie A with Sampdoria’s Giampaolo Pazzini being 4th.

The two sides are very evenly matched and a very tight affair should be expected on Sunday. There may well be only a couple of goals in it so the under 2.5 market at 1.90 looks a good bet.

Sampdoria have shown how good they are with a recent win away to league chasing Roma and they will be able to wrap up fourth place this Sunday as well. Back a 1-0 win for Sampdoria at 8.00 with PartyBets.com.

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Can Inter Milan win Coppa D’italia, Serie A + Champions League treble?

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samuel Etoo Inter Milan Can Inter Milan win Coppa Ditalia, Serie A + Champions League treble?Roma and Inter will take a timeout from their fierce battle for the Scudetto, to try and bring the Coppa D’italia home to their fans.

An historic treble is well and truly on for Inter Milan this season and Wednesday night sees the acid test as they attempt to lift the first of a trio of titles they can win this season along with Serie A and the Champions League.

You can bet on this outcome: Inter Milan to win Coppa D’italia, Serie A + Champions League treble

Inter have not been able to achieve the treble so far in their history and have won the Coppa Italia on only five occasions. The last time they won the cup was in the 2005-06 campaign when they beat Roma 4-2 on aggregate in the final.

Roma have won the Coppa Italia nine times and, alongside Juventus are the most successful side in the history of Serie A. This week the Giallorossi have a good chance of pushing themselves ahead of the Bianconeri by claiming the trophy for a 10th time.

Inter Milan will be without Brazilian defender Lucio through injury, whereas Wesley Sneijder and Pandev are also set to miss the final due to injuries they are yet to recover from.

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John Arne Riise and Mirko Vucinic are currently struggling with minor injuries but they should be fit to play the final. Coach Claudio Ranieri will probably start Luca Toni on the bench whilst playing Francesco Totti as the lone striker.

It promises to be an entertaining match, with both sides still in the running for the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia final will be a highly charged affair. Roma may feel a home advantage as the final is at the Stadio Olimpico but Inter know how to push out results as demonstrated against Barcelona. If Inter Milan can score the first goal tonight, then they may well win their first trophy of the season.

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Huddlestone eyes Champions League chance

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tom Huddlestone is eager to secure the fourth spot in the Premier League to ensure Spurs get the chance to compete in next season’s Champions League (Tottenham Hotspur 4/5 to secure a Top 4 Finish).

Huddlestone was a member of the Spurs side who narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot four years ago and the midfielder admits he felt a ‘feeling of desolation’ on missing out on the chance to play in the Champions League that he is determined to put right.

Liverpool and Aston Villa both slipped to defeats at the weekend which ruled both out of the running for a top four finish, leaving just Manchester City and Spurs to contest the final spot in the Premier League’s top four.  City and Spurs face each other on Wednesday in a tie that could ultimately decide who gets the opportunity to compete with Europe’s elite next season, indeed if Spurs manage to take all three points at Eastlands they will have sealed fourth spot (Spurs 13/5 to win at Eastlands).

If Spurs fail to beat City but come away with a point they will have to equal or better City’s result on the last day of the season.  The Londoners travel to Turf Moor to face already relegated Burnley, while City travel to West Ham who have secured their Premier League status for another term.

Most punters, pundits and fans would expect Spurs and City to see off Burnley and West Ham respectively in their final games meaning the tie at Eastlands could essentially decide who finishes fourth.  City’s record at home over the course of the season has been impressive, Roberto Mancini’s side have won 12 of their home games and only lost twice, while Spurs’ form on their travels has been fairly mixed with six victories, six losses and five draws.

However, Huddlestone is eager to put the pain of missing out on the Champions League four years ago well and truly behind him by securing a top four finish this season.  The midfielder claims his team-mates are fired up for the showdown at Eastlands and are eager to fight their way into Europe’s top competition.

Huddlestone has already played a major part in Spurs’ fight for fourth, the midfielder scored a stunning goal at the weekend as the north London outfit recorded a narrow 1-0 victory over Bolton at White Hart Lane to ensure they remained in fourth ahead of their trip to Manchester.  The former Derby midfielder will be hoping to hit the back of the net at Eastlands on Wednesday, where Spurs will attempt to become just the third side to come away from Eastlands with all three points.

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Bayern Munich Bag Champions League Final Berth

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Bayern Munich champions league 300x225 Bayern Munich Bag Champions League Final BerthBayern Munich are through to the Champions League final after their 4-0 aggregate win over Lyon on Tuesday.

  • You Can Bet On This Cup Final: Champions League Final

Bayern secured a comfortable 3-0 away win against Lyon to seal their place in the final at the Bernabau in May. So what chance do Bayern Munich have against the finalists of either Inter Milan or Barcelona? If you ask their star man Arjen Robben that question his response is only one team:

“I want to play Inter, definitely,” Robben told Sky Sports.

“It’s better for us as a team. We can have difficulties against Barca, but it’s also because I want to play against Mourinho and Sneijder.”

Speaking about Bayern’s performance against Lton, Robben also told the press:

“We were much the better team. We played a great game,” he added. “We didn’t sit back and wait for them to come.

“We played aggressively, with attacking football and didn’t let them come into the game. We played well.

“I’m very proud. Very proud of the team and happy to reach the final. It’s a great season.”

The hard work mixed with flashes of brilliance from Robben and French winger Frank Ribery has paid off for them this season. The German side will take to the pitch at the Bernabau as the underdogs regardless of their opponents in May, but one thing is for sure is that they shouldn’t be written off. No side who reaches the Champions League final should ever be written off early.

You Can Bet On This Cup Final: Champions League Final

Bayern Munich are currently 2.75 to be crowned Champions of Europe with PartyBets.com.

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How Ribery-less Munich Can Reach Champions League Final

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champions league trophy1 How Ribery less Munich Can Reach Champions League FinalTuesday night sees Lyon and Bayern Munich clash in the Champions League semi-final second leg. Despite between them having eliminated Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United along the way to the last four whoever reaches the final at the Bernabeu will do so as the underdogs.

Bayern Munich were involved in a taxing league game on Saturday as they scraped to a 1-1 draw away to Borussia Monchengladbach to keep them top of the league but level on points with Schalke.

Martin Demichelis and Daniel van Buyten were both taken off during the game due to injury and this may leave the German’s extremely short defensively come Tuesday night.

To add to Bayern’s woes, Franck Ribery is suspended after getting a red card in the first leg and Croatian international Danijel Pranjic will also miss out after receiving three yellow cards throughout the competition.

With no Ribery to call upon, Arjen Robben, more than ever, will have to step up and be counted. The Dutch winger claimed the only goal in the first leg and he has a good record at scoring winning goals in second leg knockout ties already this season having dumped Fiorentina and Manchester United out the competition with screamer goals.

Overall, Lyon will start slight favourites to win on the night, and will hope to benefit from not having played at the weekend with top marksman Lisandro Lopez (6.50 to score first) nice and fresh for this contest.

The Argentinean striker has been quoted saying: “It’s clear. The team must change their attitude and their mentality for the next match on Tuesday. We didn’t play enough when we had the ball. We were waiting in our own half too much. At 11 against 11 we had chances to attack more but we didn’t hurt our opponent enough and definitely not at 10 against 11. You saw a team that played too defensively. We have to correct the tactics and show a more positive spirit to go for victory.”

Claude Puel’s side have claimed some great victories at Stade Garland this season, seeing off teams such as Real Madrid and Bordeaux. Attack has to be the obvious way to go with a supportive home crowd willing them on to a place in the final at the Bernabeu.

Expect Lyon to be the better side on the night, but just like at Old Trafford, Bayern Munich will do enough to eliminate their French opponents.

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Inter Milan v Barcelona Champions League Semi Final

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samuel Etoo Inter Milan Inter Milan v Barcelona Champions League Semi FinalThe Nerazzurri host Barca at the San Siro in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on Tuesday night.

It’s a tie that captures the imagination as both teams consist of some of the world’s best players and both boast two of the best and most dapper managers in Europe in the form of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.

Both managers already have winner’s medals in this competition already, Mourinho as coach of Porto in 2004, and Guardiola from last year. It is likely one of them will make it two medals this year as the winner of this semi-final will undoubtedly be favourites against either Bayern Munich or Lyon in the final.

A nice sub-plot to this fixture will be the matchup between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto’o. Barcelona and Inter Milan agreed an incredible deal in the summer which saw Ibrahimovic join Barcelona for 46 million euros plus Samuel Eto’o in exchange. That deal raised many eyebrows as some would consider Eto’o to be the better striker of the two alone.

Eto’o seems to be fired up for this clash and has been speaking to the press about his desire to put one over on his former team mates.
“We all dream of beating Barcelona, and if I score at the San Siro then I will celebrate it”, he is quoting as saying to the press.

Samuel Eto’o is 7.00 to score the first goal on Tuesday with Ibrahimovic’s odds being slightly shorter at 6.00 for the opening goal.

Both sides are having to fight hard on the domestic front with Barcelona being held to a goaless draw by city rivals Espanyol on Saturday night and Inter Milan sitting a point behind Roma who went top after a 2-1 win over Lazio on Sunday. Inter will have had an extra day’s rest over Barcelona which may give them an advantage as a long season reaches its climax with massive games coming thick and fast for both sides.

This fixture was played out earlier in the competition as both sides were drawn in the same group. The game at the San Siro ended 0-0 with both defences managing to nullify the opposition attacking threat. A similar outcome is likely this time too, with Barcelona being content to take a draw back to the Nou Camp with them. Back a tight affair to end 1-1 at 6.50 with PartyBets.com.

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Champions League Final Line In Sight for Man City

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MAn City hold champions league positionRoberto Mancini’s men took a step closer to fourth place with a convincing 5-1 home demolition of Birmingham on Sunday.

The Manchester outfit made it 14 goals in three matches as Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez both struck braces to push their goal difference above that of rivals Tottenham – which could prove crucial come May.

A relatively dull first half sprung to life with four goals in five minutes following a quick fire double for Tevez, a reply from Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome and a neat finish from Adebayor.

Tevez’s first came from a 38th minute spot kick after Birmingham’s Scott Dann was adjudged to have felled Adebayor in the area.

The Argentinean’s second, just two minutes later, resulted from a corner that Nedum Onuoha initially thought he had scored from, however, replays showed that Tevez got the final touch to make it 28 goals for the season.

Birmingham pulled one back in the 42nd minute through a Cameron Jerome header after James McFadden had sent in a teasing cross.

But just one minute later Adebayor restored the two goal cushion by latching onto a delivery from winger Craig Bellamy.

Alex McLeish’s men came out for the second half with a renewed impetus but failed to break down the Man City defence.

And with the game entering the closing stages, Birmingham’s failure to find the net was punished by a Nedum Onuoha blast that made the score 4-1.

The Midlands team were merely playing for pride when Adebayor sprung the offside trap to secure a 5-1 victory and with it, snatch away any of the pride that Alex McLeish’s side had hoped to maintain.

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