Tag Archives: miracle

Arsenal in search of a miracle

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Arsenal know they need a footballing miracle if they are to turn around a 4-0 deficit against AC Milan in the second leg of their Champions League knock-out tie at the Emirates on Tuesday (Arsenal 11/10, draw 5/2, AC Milan 5/2 – 90 Minute).

Brave punters can get odds of 25/1 for Arsenal to qualify after their first leg mauling at the San Siro last month. The Gunners were roundly criticised for their display in Italy, which saw goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a brace from Robinho inflict Arsenal’s heaviest ever defeat in European competition (AC Milan – 10/1 Champions League Outright).

With Arsene Wenger’s men following up that game with a limp display against Sunderland in the FA Cup, their hopes of silverware are all but dashed before the start of spring – yet again.

However, despite their woes in cup competitions the Gunners’ Premier League form has actually improved, with boss Arsene Wenger picking up the Manager of the Month Award for February after three wins from three during the month, including a 5-2 demolition of local rivals Spurs.

They then began March with a narrow 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield, meaning they now hold a crucial three-point advantage over fifth-placed Chelsea in the race for a Champions League spot (Arsenal 4/7 – Top-Four Finish).

Robin van Persie grabbed his 30th and 31st goals of the campaign so far at Anfield on Saturday and now has 10 in 11 games across all competitions. The generous odds of 4/1 for the flying Dutchman to score first therefore are too good to be overlooked.

This upturn in form may have come too late to save their Champion League chances this term but it perhaps needs to be noted that they have scored 12 goals in successive home league games, and six of their last 19 home wins in Europe have been won by four or more goals.

A four-goal deficit has never been overturned in the Champions League, though Milan did concede a 4-1 first leg lead when they lost 4-0 to Deportivo La Coruna in the quarter-finals back in 2004.

But while Arsenal will steam forward with the intent to fire themselves back into the tie they have to be mindful that one slip at the back and the tie will be finished off for good. And with the attacking quartet of Robinho, Antonio Nocerino, Boateng and Ibrahimovic all set to start for the Rossoneri, it is hard to see Arsenal keeping a clean sheet.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men are unbeaten in their last five games and are now five points clear at the top of Serie A following last weekend’s 4-0 win against Palermo. After four successive defeats at this stage of the competition, the Serie A giants will not want to let their advantage slip this time around.

With the amount of quality permeating the Milan ranks Arsenal have simply given themselves too much to do in order to qualify. However, a determination to go down fighting and build on their promising league form should ensure goals – but sadly for Arsenal fans they will come at both ends.

A 2-1 Arsenal victory is the pick, priced at 7/1, while a van Persie 2-1 scorecast is priced at 22/1.

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Can Spurs pull off a miracle?

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Tottenham’s Champions League dream seems almost certain to come to an after being thrashed 4-0 at the Bernabeu last week but midfielder Jermaine Jenas believes the north London outfit still have a chance of reaching the last four (Barcelona are the evens favourites to secure the Champions League, Real Madrid 10/3, Spurs 150/1).

It will take a massive effort and a great deal of luck if Spurs are to overcome a four-goal deficit, but Jenas reckons it is too soon to write off their chances.

“If anyone is going to do it, we can,” he told Talksport. “We’ve produced some amazing comebacks already this season.

“There is always a chance. You just don’t know what will happen here. Who is to say they don’t get a player sent off or something like that happens.

“We know we have to go out and score goals, we’ll go all-out to attack and see where it takes us.”

Spurs need to secure a massive 4-0 victory, which is priced at 100/1, if they’re to force the tie into extra time and smashing Real Madrid by such a margin may seem a mighty task, but they’re still good enough to beat the Spanish giants.

Tottenham were reduced to 10 men in the early stages of the first-leg after Peter Crouch was shown his marching orders and from there on in it was never going to be easy in the intimidating home of Spain’s capital club.  However, with home advantage and, hopefully at least, calmer heads Spurs will be desperate to at least restore some pride after their hammering in the Spanish capital and Spurs are 13/8 to win the tie over 90 minutes.

The White Hart Lane side will have to go out on the attack from the off if they’re to stand any chance of extending their European run, but that will of course leave space at the back for Real’s stars to exploit.  The game should see plenty of goals and both teams to score is priced at 8/15, while over 2.5 goals pays out at 8/13.

Former Real man Rafael van der Vaart will be eager to grab a goal against his former employers after his unsuccessful spell with Los Blancos, the Dutchman is 6/1 to score first or 7/4 to grab a goal at any time.

Reigning champions Inter Milan also appear doomed to stumble in the last eight after slumping to a 5-2 defeat at home to Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04 last week.

The Italian outfit have a three goal deficit to recover but will have to score at least four due to the away goals rule, and like Spurs they will have to attack from the start if they’re to stand any chance of retaining their title.

The Nerazzurri are 6/4 to win the match in 90 minutes and 7/2 to be winning at half-time and full-time in the Half-time/Full-time market, both of which could well be worth some consideration considering Inter need to come out flying if they’re to progress further than the last eight.

Schalke striker Raul, who is the leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League from the 1992-93 season onwards with 70 goals, found the net in the first-leg and is 13/8 to help himself to a goal in the second-leg on Wednesday.  The veteran frontman has a fantastic pedigree in European competition and will be looking to get on the score-sheet against the Italian giants in front of the Schalke faithful.

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Coast hoping for a miracle

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Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran ErikssonIvory Coast’s players say they are hoping for a miracle when they face North Korea in their final group G match. (Ivory Coast 1/3 to win the match)

The Portuguese were highly impressive in their 7-0 thrashing of North Korea and will now face Brazil in their final game, fully aware that their superior goal difference puts them firmly in the driving seat to take second qualification spot in the group.

The Brazilians have already qualified for the knockout rounds and are likely to field an under strength team in order to rest their key players for the big matches ahead.

The Ivory Coast have so far been disappointing in the competition opening with an uninspiring performance against Portugal and then losing to Brazil in a bad tempered match which saw Kaka sent off after a seemingly innocuous clash with Abdelkader Keita.

This now leaves the Ivorians, who only have a point to their name so far in the competition, needing to beat the North Koreans by a cricket score and hoping that Brazil can pull off a shock victory to help the Mighty Elephants qualify. (Ivory Coast 16/1 to qualify)

“If we win this match maybe a miracle can happen – only God knows. We will try to win our last match and if we exit, exit with our heads held high. We must believe we can still do it.” defender Artur Boka told reporters.

The Ivorians are in the so-called Group of Death and knew when the draw was made that it would be a struggle to qualify. However, they never believed their task would be so hard and striker Gervinho readily admits that he held his head in his hands during the Portugal’s rout of the North Koreans.”

“Every five minutes when I saw another goal I thought — this is catastrophic and the end for us,” he said.

Boka told reporters that he believed that his side as well as the other African nations had been unlucky not to fulfil the high expectations placed on them ahead of the first finals played on African soil.

“There are teams which in the future will make an impression — we have shown in this competition at least that we know how to play football.”

“We have teams who play good football but found it difficult to finish,” he said, adding hope was not lost for Ghana to progress, the only team from the continent to have won a game in the competition so far.

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Roque ready to keep miracle going

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Roque Santa Cruz has hailed his nation Paraguay (1/2 to qualify from Group F) ahead of this summer’s World Cup and says he is hopeful they can keep the “miracle” going when they head to South Africa.

This will be the fourth time in a row the nation has appeared at the finals of the tournament, their recent qualification record eclipsed only by the two powerhouses of South American football, Brazil and Argentina.

The Paraguayan league gets very few spectators coming to watch the games and matches are often played in front of just a few hundred people.

Despite the likes of Columbia, Chile and Peru having recognised leagues and as such more money to invest in their national team it is Paraguay who have somehow managed to turn out a decent side every four years in time for the World Cup.

In South Africa they will once again be up against nations with much better resources as they try to make a name for themselves.

Santa Cruz, speaking after scoring the winner for Paraguay in their 1-0 victory over North Korea, says it is miraculous Paraguay are able to compete with South American nations, let alone the world’s best.

“It’s a miracle, it’s something Paraguay has been blessed with and we are very proud, coming from such a small country, to be involved in such a great tournament,” Santa Cruz told reporters.

“It’s probably because we are so down-to-earth. The football is not the best, we don’t have a lot of resources, we have don’t infrastructure or stadiums like other countries have.”

The Manchester City forward will be leading his nation in South Africa this summer despite a difficult season back in England where injuries have restricted his participation.

The 28-year-old managed only three goals in the whole of last season as he struggled to hold down a first-team spot when he wasn’t in the treatment room.

However, Santa Cruz (100/1 Top Goalscorer) believes he is over his injury problems and is hopeful he will find the goal regularly enough to help Paraguay achieve their dream of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

“Fitness-wise I feel very good, and it’s good for me to have 90 minutes behind me,” he said.

“Paraguay have never been involved in the quarter-finals, that is what we want to achieve and see if we can go on from there,” he said. “It would be a good World Cup if we could do that.”

Paraguay will certainly fancy their chances of reaching the first knock-out round at the World Cup having been drawn alongside Italy, New Zealand and Slovakia.

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