Angel di Maria admits he has failed to deliver in recent weeks.

Angel di Maria has admitted that his form at Manchester United has dropped in recent weeks.

United's record signing made a blistering start to his career in the Barclays Premier League but believes his recent struggles are just part of the settling in process.

Di Maria told MUTV today: 'I've had a couple of games where things haven't gone as well as they could have.

'I think it's part of that settling in process to the English game.

'I started off quite well but I think that made expectations then rise and everyone thought that I would just carry on in the same way, but football is like that, sometimes you have these ups and downs.

'It took me a while to settle in fully in each of the countries where I've played before.

'But I just have to keep working hard and focusing on what I want, which is to do as well as I possibly can.'

Last weekend's defeat at Swansea has left United hanging on grimly to the fourth Champions League place and ahead of Saturday's game at home to Sunderland, Di Maria has revealed that the mood at the club has been subdued.

'It's been OK,' he said.

'It's not quite as good as usual because you're not as happy as when you have won a game.

'But we have tried to keep our spirits up knowing that we have to keep fighting hard and aiming at staying as high up in the league table as we can.

'We were fortunate in the sense that not all of the teams just behind us won, so it meant that we could remain in the Champions League places and battling to climb higher in the table.

'We'd come off the back of a decent run of results, improving gradually along the way, these things can sometimes happen, not only to us.

'Chelsea had been going well recently but then drew their last game, it happens to everyone.

'It was unfortunate to lose a game after we'd been ahead, but now we have to concentrate on what we've been doing well in order to pick up that positive vibe once again.

'I think the season has been going quite well.

'We're in fourth place, fighting for a Champions League spot, which was the main aim, bringing Manchester United back into that competition.

'We've got a tough game coming up in the FA Cup against Arsenal, so we are there or thereabouts in both competitions, fighting hard to achieve something big.'

Source:Dailymail.

Jack Wilshere undergoes 'minor' ankle surgery, reveals Arsene Wenger.

Arsene Wenger has revealed that Jack Wilshere has had a fresh surgical procedure to relieve some irritation on his injured ankle, which means he will be out for an additional two weeks.

Wilshere, who was out for three months after damaging ankle ligaments against Manchester United in November, only returned to the bench last weekend against Crystal Palace.

But to support the ligaments in his recovery, doctors inserted tiny pins with studs in his ankle area – and these have now been removed. 

Wenger said: ‘He has little surgery on the ankle, a minor procedure as the studs on his ankle were irritating him.

'It was planned to be done at the end of the season but because it was an irritation, it was done now.’

Fellow midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini have returned to normal training but are ‘not completely ready’ according to Wenger while Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy remain three weeks away from returning to fitness. 

Source:Dailymail.

Arsenal's predictable tactics gave us a 'simple plan' to exploit claims Monaco striker Dimitar Berbatov.

Dimitar Berbatov has revealed how Monaco beat Arsenal with a simple plan to punish the spaces left by their predictable commitment to attacking flair and speed.

‘To be honest, we were not surprised,’ said Berbatov, scorer of Monaco’s second in a 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, which leaves Arsene Wenger’s team on the brink of a Champions League exit.

The 34-year-old Bulgarian knew what to expect after seven-and-a-half years in the Barclays Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Fulham.

‘Arsenal have very quick players and when they go forward they leave a lot of space at the back,’ said Berbatov. ‘We knew that and we had prepared well and took advantage of it. We knew their weaknesses and we exploited them and I think everyone can agree that we deserved our win.

‘Our team is very young but very talented. It is not only about age but about class. If you prepare well and do what your coach says, you can see the result. We believed we could do something. This is for everybody.’

Wenger bemoaned his team’s ‘suicidal’ defending, which leaves them with the task of scoring at least three times against Monaco in the second leg in the Stade Louis II, next month.

Even so, Berbatov refused to accept the tie was won. ‘This is Arsenal, so it’s not over,’ he warned. ‘It is a long way away. We have other games to prepare for first.’

Source:Dailymail.

Jose Mourinho may be right, Chelsea ARE hard done by.

Not a conspiracy — but it turns out Jose Mourinho may have a point about Chelsea, penalties and Barclays Premier League referees after all.

Statistical analysis provided by Opta shows an incredible discrepancy between the number of penalties Chelsea receive in Champions League games and the amount they are awarded in domestic league competition.

In seven UEFA fixtures this season, Chelsea have won four penalties, at a rate of one every 1.8 matches. Very high. In the Premier League, this skips to just two penalties in 26 games, at a rate of 13.

What makes the statistic so curious is that, for the other clubs, the rate at which penalties are won in the Premier League and Champions League barely differs.

Manchester City and Liverpool also find it harder to win penalties in the Premier League but only by a variation of 0.2 and 0.5 respectively. 

Arsenal actually find it almost twice as easy to earn penalties in the Premier League as they do in Europe, but even then the gap between the competitions only equates to 3.3 matches.

Yet Chelsea take a whopping 11.2 additional games to win a penalty in the Premier League, compared to their European form.

It represents the first corroborative evidence that Mourinho’s fears his team are getting a raw deal may have substance.

It makes no sense that the team that has won most Premier League matches, has the best goal difference and ties with Manchester City for the most goals scored, is not picking up as many fouls in the penalty area. 

Chelsea and Manchester City have both scored 56 league goals this season. That’s a lot of attacking play. 

Yet while City are awarded a penalty every 3.7 games, such an opportunity for Chelsea comes around once every 13. Maybe Mourinho is aware of this anomaly and it is fuelling his belief that there is a campaign against his team.

Those not wrapped in Chelsea blue will still find it hard to believe that there is a conspiracy against the league leaders — who would be behind it and what would be the purpose?

Yet, certainly, numbers as illogical as this will merely confirm the feeling at Stamford Bridge that they have been unfairly treated too often this season, and it could cost them with the gap at the top now down to five points.

Yes, the margins are small. Had a foul on Diego Costa at Burnley and another on Cesc Fabregas at Southampton been spotted — both players were wrongly booked for diving instead — then Chelsea’s aggregate would have fallen to 6.5 in the league, still high but at least in the ball park.

A ratio of 13, however, suggests a flawed process, worthy of conversation between the club and referees’ chief Mike Riley. 

Something is not right. Not a conspiracy, but without doubt it doesn’t add up.

Source:Dailymail.

Diego Costa insists he will NEVER CHANGE his combative style.

Diego Costa is determined to maintain the physical style which made him one of Europe's most feared centre-forwards but he admits the memory of Emre Can and the three-match ban is playing on his mind.

Costa agrees with Jose Mourinho, who claimed his 17-goal top-scorer was off the pace due to the suspension imposed retrospectively by the Football Association for the stamp on Liverpool's Can.

Chelsea's Spain international striker is without a goal since mid-January and without a cup goal this season as he prepares for his first Wembley appearance, in the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

'When I was at my best, I had that suspension and I still don't know why it happened,' said Costa. 'I'm running a little bit behind, trying to do my best, working hard and hopefully I'll be 100 per cent. 

'The truth is I didn't even know how many games it was since I scored. It doesn't worry me. What worries me is to be in the best physical form to score goals.

'I know now that I have to be a little bit more careful, because it's not the same when I do something as it is when someone else does it.

'Something I do is talked about much more than another player. I have to be extra careful but I'm never going to change the way I play. That's what got me here. That's the way I play.'

Tottenham's former Sevilla centre half Federico Fazio understands the aggressive nature of Costa's game. The pair clashed in Spain and will meet again at Wembley.

'I don't have a problem with any defenders,' said the Chelsea striker. 'I've always played against great defenders. Fazio is great. It's going to be a very good duel and I'm hoping to be on the winning side.'

Spurs won 5-3 when the teams met at White Hart Lane on New Year's Day, although Costa preferred to recall a 3-0 Chelsea win from earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge.

'There's no revenge or anything like that, just a final and we want to win,' Costa said. 'It's an important game whatever way you look at it. Never mind the opposition. We all know we have the quality to win.

'What gives it more importance is it's my first final at the club. So I will go in with the mentality and have the motivation to come away with the trophy. It's a historic stadium which has hosted games and players of great prestige. It's going to be my first game there and I'm hoping to do my best. It's important to play on great stages like this.

'I joined a club like Chelsea to win titles. As we say, finals are not to play them, they are to win them. I'm hoping I can get my first title with Chelsea. It will be a beautiful experience.'

His last final did not go to plan. Atletico were beaten 4-1 after extra time by Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Lisbon and Costa limped off in the ninth minute with a recurrence of a hamstring problem.

Source:Dailymail.

Chelsea announce mega shirt sponsorship deal after agreeing lucrative five-year term with The Yokohama Rubber Company Ltd.

Chelsea have announced The Yokohama Rubber Company as their new official shirt partner in a near £40million-a-year agreement which vindicates owner Roman Abramovich holding out for this mega deal.

The five-year contract is the second highest kit endorsement ever signed by an English club – only behind Manchester United’s £53m agreement with Chevrolot – and is more than double the annual value of Chelsea’s 10-year partnership with Samsung, which expires at the end of the season.

Chelsea had a £25m offer from Turkish Airlines on the table for months , but demanding Abramovich wanted a lot more. The Yokohama contract leapfrogs Chelsea above Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the shirt sponsorship table as well as helping with UEFA financial fair play rules.

It is also a notable triumph for Chelsea’s commercial chief Christian Purslow , the former Liverpool managing director, brought in last October after the departure of Ron Gourlay to re-structure Chelsea’s commercial department and find that big-money shirt sponsor.

Purslow’s first move was to bring in outside agency HTH, formed by two ex-Manchester United commercial executives, to help in the hunt which has reaped huge rewards.

Yokohama, who manufacture tyres, also sponsor NBA teams Boston Celtic and the San Antonio Spurs. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said: ‘It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Yokohama as our new Official Shirt Partner and we look forward to a successful relationship with them.

‘Chelsea and Yokohama are a perfect fit. Both are global organisations with a focus on performance and innovation, as well as having huge ambition and an unwavering culture of success.

‘We believe that Yokohama will play a key role in helping us drive our global expansion in international markets such as the US, where they have operated with distinction for many years. Also, of course, Chelsea having such an esteemed and historic Japanese company as our partner enables us to accelerate our development in their home market too.

‘We are also looking forward to working with Yokohama on our community projects around the world through the Chelsea Foundation, when together we can use the power of sport as a force for good.

‘I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Samsung, with whom we have had a successful and rewarding relationship since 2005. Chelsea has demonstrated through that 10-year partnership that we can play a critical role in helping our partners achieve their global growth objectives. We look forward to accomplishing similar success with Yokohama.’

Source:Dailymail.

Robin van Persie could be out for up to a month.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has damaged his ankle ligaments.

Manager Louis van Gaal is expected to confirm the injury at his lunchtime press conference on Friday.

United are still to establish how long the striker will be out for although it may be around three to four weeks. 

Van Persie left Swansea's Liberty Stadium on crutches last Saturday with his right ankle in a protective boot and had scans at the start of the week.

The 30-year-old picked up the injury as he fell awkwardly while putting over a cross late in the 2-1 defeat.

United had used all three substitutes and Van Persie was reduced to a walking role around the pitch as United pushed for a late equaliser.

Source:Dailymail.

Tyler Blackett signs new £20,000-a-week deal.

Tyler Blackett has signed a new Manchester United deal until 2017, with the option of a further year. 

The highly-rated youngster is the last of three priorities from the club's academy to sign a contract extension after Jesse Lingard and Patrick McNair.

United have reached an agreement with the Manchester-born 20-year-old which will see his weekly wage rocket from £2,000 to £20,000.

'I'm thrilled to have signed my new contract. I have supported United all my life and have been here since I was eight years old,' Blackett told the club's official website on Thursday.

'To come through the Academy and make my debut this season was a dream come true. 

'I want to keep improving within the first-team squad with the help of the manager, coaches and the players around me.' 

United boss Louis van Gaal added: 'I am delighted that Tyler has signed a new contract. He is another young player that has risen through the Academy system to break into the first-team squad this season. 

'Tyler has great potential and I believe he is at the right club to continue his development and progression to become a great defender.' 

Source:Dailymail.

Nani open to United stay.

Portuguese winger Nani says he loves Manchester United and is
open to the possibility of staying at the club when his
season-long loan with Sporting Lisbon expires.
Nani rejoined Sporting until the end of the season as part of the deal that brought Argentine defender Marcos Rojo to Old Trafford last summer.
But the 28-year-old, who has scored four goals in six European
appearances for Sporting this term, says he is keen to remain at Old Trafford provided conditions are right.
"I love Manchester United," Nani told The Guardian.
"The only decision I made (last summer) was to play more and be me again, because I lost a lot of things there last season due to injuries and the change of manager.
"You never know the future. It depends on a lot of things. If United want me to stay then with a different mentality I think we can work well next season but there are a lot of things to discuss."
Nani broke down in tears after scoring a sensational volley in the 2-0 Portuguese Liga win against Gil Vicente last Sunday.
He said the goal had meant a lot to him for personal reasons,
revealing Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward sent him a congratulatory message after the strike.
"I receive some texts from Ed Woodward," Nani said. "He texted me about the goal and the great season I am having here."

Source:Skysports.

Theo Walcott seemingly involved in altercation with Arsenal supporters after Champions League defeat.

Theo Walcott was seemingly involved in an altercation with Arsenal supporters following his side's humiliating Champions League defeat by Monaco at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

After the final whistle the England international shared a tight embrace with Monaco defender Aymen Abdennour before swapping shirts with the Tunisia international.

It was a move that irked the supporters that had bothered to stay until the end of the match, who appeared to vent their frustrations in the direction of Walcott.

The forward apparently responded by gesturing towards the Arsenal fans motioning with his hand to suggest the criticism did not affect him.

After such a shambolic display Walcott's reaction is likely to be received with further anger from the home faithful who booed their team off the pitch.

The Gunners were beaten 3-1 by the Ligue 1 side and now face a mammoth task to reach the last eight of the competition when they play the second leg in three weeks' time.

Source:Dailymail.

England consider calling Jordon Ibe to keep him from Nigeria's clutches.

England are set to fast-track Liverpool starlet Jordon Ibe in to the senior set-up to keep him from Nigeria's clutches.

The 19-year-old has burst onto scene in recent weeks following a string of impressive displays for the Merseysiders since returning from a loan spell at Derby.

Ibe has represented England for the Under 18s, Under 19s and Under 20s and is now set for a call up into Gareth Southgate's Under 21 set-up.

However, Ibe is eligible to play for Nigeria through his father and the Super Eagles have begun the process of trying to convince the teenager to turn his back on England.

Despite playing for England at junior level, Ibe is eligible to play for Nigeria until he plays a competitive international for the senior side.

Nigeria's interest has not gone unnoticed by the England set-up, who are eager not to lose Ibe.

And the FA will consider fast-tracking Ibe into the senior set-up in the coming months in an attempt to convince him his international future remains with England, particularly if he continues in his rich vein of form.

Roy Hodgson is unlikely to give Ibe a call up for the March internationals against Lithuania and Italy.

But the clashes against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia in June could see Ibe drafted in to the senior set-up provided he maintains his performance level. 

Source:Dailymail.

Arsenal vs Monaco & Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid Champions League starting lineup.

Arsenal starting XI: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ozil, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud.

subs: Szczesny, Gabriel, Monreal, Chambers, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott

Monaco starting XI: Subasic, Fabinho, Abdennour, Wallace, Elderson, Toure, Dirar, Joao Moutinho, Kondogbia, Berbatov, Martial.

subs: Stekelenburg, Kurzawa, Diallo, Matheus Carvalho, Bernardo Silva, A. Traore, Ferreira-Carrasco

Bayer Leverkusen: Leno, Hilbert, Papadopoulos, Spahic, Wendell, Castro, Bender, Bellarabi, Calhanoglu, Son, Drmic.

Subs: Kresic, Reinartz, Rolfes, Kiessling, Boenisch, Brandt, Donati.

Atletico Madrid: Moya, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Siqueira, Gabi, Tiago, Saul, Turan, Mandzukic, Griezmann.

Subs: Oblak, Mario Suarez, Raul Garcia, Jesus Gamez, Torres, Cani, Gimenez.

Kick off: 8:45 pm.

Luis Suarez reveals boos from Manchester City fans helped inspire his Barcelona brace.

Luis Suarez has revealed the boos aimed in his direction from Manchester City fans inspired his double for Barcelona on Tuesday night.

The frontman scored twice as Barcelona earned a 2-1 Champions League last-16 first leg win at the Etihad Stadium.

Suarez, who split opinion among football fans during his two-and-a-half years playing for Liverpool in the Premier League, says the hostile reception he received on his first return to England since his £75million summer move, spurred him on to score.

Speaking to UEFA.com, Suarez said: 'Obviously it is pleasing, first of all to be able to help the team with important goals in a Champions League knockout game [and] of course to come back to England and [win] against a team you're always motivated to play against.

'There are certain types of players like me who get more inspired, more motivated when fans boo them - it helps motivate you a bit more.' 

Part of Barcelona's fearsome trio alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suarez opened the scoring on 16 minutes as he fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Joe Hart after the ball had landed kindly for him in the box.

The Uruguay international then doubled the lead for Luis Enrique's side on the half-hour mark, sliding in to convert Jordi Alba's left-wing cross before Sergio Aguero replied in the second half for the hosts with 20 minutes to go.

Source:Dailymail.

Carlo Ancelotti and Iker Casillas celebrate Real Madrid milestones.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and keeper Iker Casillas had reason to celebrate in training on Wednesday as they were presented with commemorative shirts for reaching milestones with the club.

Ancelotti was marking his 100th game in charge at the Bernabeu, while Casillas was celebrating his 500th La Liga game between the sticks, both of which came during the 2-0 victory away at Elche on Sunday.

Madrid's boss, who was presented with a shirt with his name and '100' on the back by club president Florentino Perez, has won the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the World Club Cup during his century of games in charge.

Ancelotti also recorded his 78th win in the game against Elche to help him eclipse Jose Mourinho as the most successful Real Madrid manager after 100 games. The former boss, who was in charge at the Bernabeu between 2010-13, recorded 77 victories in his first 100.

Third on the list is legendary figure Miguel Munoz, who won 70 of his first 100 - as well as three European Cups as a player and two as a manager between 1955-66. Fourth is Jose Villalonga (64 wins) and fifth is Leo Beenhakker (63).

Casillas, meanwhile, marked his 500th La Liga game with a clean sheet at Elche and was also presented with a shirt by Perez. The Spanish goalkeeper has been a regular at Madrid since making his debut in the 1998-99 season.

'I am thankful, this record is not easy to get being a Real Madrid player, maybe in another club it would have been easier,' said Casillas, after the game on Sunday. 'I never thought about reaching a certain number.'

While Ancelotti added: 'I think that if we've done well in my first 100 games, then we'll try to do even better in the next 100.'

Casillas has come under increased scrutiny this season after a series of high-profile errors. He has come under pressure from summer signing Keylor Navas while the club have also been linked with Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.

However De Gea, 24, is closing in on a new long-term deal at Old Trafford and manager Ancelotti has made clear he is more than happy with his current goalkeeping options.

Source:Dailymail.

Berbatov: We can shock Arsenal.

Dimitar Berbatov says he will use his insider knowledge to help "underdogs" Monaco cause an upset against Arsenal in the
Champions League at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Berbatov knows Arsenal well from his time in the Premier League with Tottenham, Manchester United and Fulham and the veteran striker is confident that his side can beat the Gunners and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The 34-year-old, who played against Arsenal in seven north London derbies for Spurs between 2006 and 2008, as well as scoring a brace for Fulham in the 3-3 draw at the Emirates Stadium in November 2012, said: "We know it is going to be a difficult game.
"We will be the underdogs, but we came for a good result, have
prepared well and hopefully we can achieve it.
"I spent a couple of years here and have told my team-mates this will be a tough game.
"Being back here is great for me, playing in this stadium.
"I have had some good moments here, scored a couple of goals, and also had some bad moments.
"It is nothing new to me. I know the games, I watch them on TV,
Arsenal are playing very well.
"They are a team who work a lot of passes, try to play the
combinations football the way it should be played. They play on the counter with quick players and very technical.
"Maybe this will be new for some of my team-mates, but I have
explained to them that it will be difficult, so they need to do their
homework, and our coach will prepare us for the game.
"Hopefully we can do what we came here to do."
Berbatov has scored seven goals for Monaco this season and feels settled in the principality.
"I don't think (that I have changed my game) otherwise it is not going to be me," Berbatov said.
"I play the way I play, you probably know I have never been the
quickest player around, but always try to be quick in my mind.
"When you get a bit older, you gain more experience and you try to put it to good use, to help yourself in different ways and also the young players.
"My job is to help my team-mates and my team, with my goals, my assists and advice to the young players because in our team we have a lot and they have a great future ahead of them."
Berbatov added: "You win together and lose together as a team, if we can play as a team, not like individuals, then we have a chance."
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim is also confident that his side will rise to the challenge against Arsenal in the first leg at the Emirates.
"Clearly a number of teams were hoping to draw Monaco, but it does not mean that we have less ambition going into this game," said the Portuguese coach, whose side beat Arsenal in the pre-season Emirates Cup.
"We managed to qualify top of our group, and although we do not start this game as favourites, that should not stop us playing as we have.
"We will try to be solid and not allow Arsenal's midfield and key
attacking players to unbalance us."

Source:Dailymail.

Nemanja Matic ban reduced to two matches after Chelsea appeal.

Nemanja Matic's three-match ban has been reduced to two after an appeal but Chelsea claim they are 'appalled' by the Football Association's ruling.

An independent commission reduced the suspension after examining the evidence from the incident which took place during a 1-1 draw against Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Matic was dismissed for violent conduct after retaliating to a high tackle by Ashley Barnes, which Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho described as 'criminal' and 'career ending'.

Roger Burden, chairman of the Regulatory Commission, explained the reduction took into account the 'level of force' used by Matic, who will miss Sunday's Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur and a Barclays Premier League game against West Ham.

Burden said: 'In reaching this decision the members of the Regulatory Commission rejected the mitigation advanced by Nemanja Matic in respect of the provocation and tackle he received which led to his act of violent conduct.

'The violent response of Mr Matic to the nature of the tackle cannot be condoned and does not vindicate his subsequent actions. The members of the Commission did, however, accept the mitigation in respect of the level of force used by Mr Matic and the nature of the contact he made with Mr Barnes of Burnley FC.

'Having made those considerations we determined that the standard punishment of a three-match suspension would be clearly excessive and, therefore, ordered that the suspension be reduced to two matches.'

Chelsea were quick to react to the judgement with a statement on their website, headlined: 'Chelsea appalled with the FA's decision on Matic.' It added the board were 'extremely disappointed and frustrated' by the FA's decision not to reduce the ban further.

The statement added: 'There has been universal condemnation of the reckless challenge made by Ashley Barnes on Matic and it is the club's view that he has been unjustly punished with a two-match ban for his reaction to a career-threatening tackle.

'It is Chelsea's opinion that referees and the football authorities must do more to protect players at all levels of the game from dangerous challenges. This decision also clearly demonstrates a need for consistency and fairness in the disciplinary process.

'The club awaits The FA's written reasons, prior to commenting further.'

Source:Dailymail.

Manchester City vs Barcelona & Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund Champions League starting lineup.

Manchester City starting XI: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Aguero

subs: Caballero, Sagna, Mangala, Fernandinho, Lampard, Navas, Bony.

Barcelona starting XI: Ter Stegen, Dani Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta, Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Barca subs: Bravo, Xavi, Pedro, Rafinha, Sergi Roberto, Adriano, Mathieu  

Juventus starting XI

Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal, Tevez, Morata.

Borussia Dortmund starting XI

Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer, Gundogan, Sahin, Mkhitaryan, Reus, Aubameyang, Immobile.

Kick off: 8:45 pm.

Ronaldo announces return to football with Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Four years after his retirement, Brazil legend Ronaldo has revealed he will return to the pitch with American club Fort Lauderdale Strikers.   

The 38-year-old who enjoyed a storied career with some of the biggest clubs in world football, including Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, is a major shareholder in the North American Soccer League (NASL), which is widely viewed as the USA's second tier below the MLS; however, there is no promotion or relegation system over there.   

'It's going to happen,' Ronaldo told Lance! magazine, 'I have already said so. But it's going to be a bit later, in the play-offs.'

The two-time World Cup winner has now begun a strict training programme and diet in order to get himself back to professional fitness.    

'For now, we are organising it all, but I am going to have a weight goal,' he said.  

Ronaldo bought a major stake in Fort Lauderdale Strikers in December 2014 and vowed to 'be very involved with the management of the team,' insisting he had 'already started to make introductions that will certainly help us to turn the Strikers into a global powerhouse.'

Formerly Miami FC, the club was relaunched as the Strikers in 2011. 

Ronaldo is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 62 goals in 98 games for his country.   

Was it really a divine intervention by Jesus?

The return to form of Raheem Sterling, a change in formation and the emergence of Philipe Coutinho have all contributed to Liverpool's upturn in form. 

However the real reason why Brendan Rodgers' side are now sixth in the Premier League and just two points off the Champions League places, is altogether more powerful and biblical. 

For Liverpool have not lost since Jesus (or a man dressed as Jesus) appeared at Anfield.

The divinely figure showed his support for Rodgers during the club's 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield back on December 21.

The point left Liverpool in 10th, nine points off the top four, and Rodgers facing growing criticism over their stuttering start to the season.

However, since Jesus' appearance at Anfield, Liverpool have not lost in 10 Premier League games - winning seven and drawing three.

Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday and will be hoping their divine intervention continues as they look to continue their push for a Champions League spot. 

Source:Dailymail.

Emmanuel Adebayor takes £360,000 Rolls-Royce to Tottenham training.

Emmanuel Adebayor might not be attracting much attention on the pitch but the out-of-favour Tottenham striker was sure to be turning heads when he turned up for training on Monday.

The Togo forward arrived in style when he drove a £360,000 Rolls-Royce to the club's Enfield base as the team began preparations for the second leg of their Europa League tie with Fiorentina on Thursday night.

Adebayor posted a picture to his official Instagram page of him standing next to the Phantom Drophead Coupe model on Monday before setting off for training.

'This morning's ride to training, travel in style and ready to work! Have a good week guys,' Adebayor wrote on Instagram.

Jack Wilshere misses Arsenal training ahead of Monaco clash.

Jack Wilshere missed Arsenal's pre-Monaco training session on Tuesday morning as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.

The England midfielder was absent from first-team training, but is understood to have worked in the gym.

The club insist, however, that Wilshere has not suffered an setback from the injury that kept him out for four months.

Wilshere made his return to the bench at the win at Crystal Palace on Saturday, but remained an unused substitute.

January signing Krystian Bielik trained with the first-team this morning.

Arsenal face Monaco in the Champions League last-16 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Source:Dailymail.

Thomas Vermaelen suffers injury setback as Barcelona defender looks unlikely to make debut before end of the season.

Thomas Vermaelen has suffered a setback in his bid to make his Barcelona debut before the end of the season.

The defender who Barcelona bought from Arsenal in the summer for £15m is yet to start for his new club and needed surgery in Finland on a thigh problem last December.

He was back in light training with Barca physio Xavi Linde but has had to stop because of muscle pain.

Barcelona’s then Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta was sacked in January in part for his failure to sort the club’s central defensive shortage. 

He signed the Belgian international despite his terrible luck with injuries in the previous two years and the fact that he arrived injured after he suffered problems with his right hamstring during the World Cup.

On the day of his presentation Zubizarreta said the player was ready to perform immediately and that he had no concerns over his fitness but despite playing in a friendly alongside Luis Suarez against the Indonesia Under-19 team in September he broke down again in November.

Even when the club decided he would need surgery they maintained that the player could make it back before the end of the season. The latest setback puts that return date in doubt.

Source:Dailymail.

Luis Enrique insists Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique's trip to the casino is not a big deal.

Luis Enrique has brushed aside Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi's trip to a casino hours before Barcelona's crucial Champions League date with Manchester City and insists it is not an issue.

Pique and Messi, along with Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas, were pictured leaving Casino de Barcelona shortly before the squad was due to depart for Manchester. Coming so soon after Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat to Malaga, it has caused a furore.

When Pique was asked by Spanish journalists if he had anything to say, the former Manchester United defender replied: ‘No. It is my private life. I just had a nice night.

And Enrique brusquely dismissed a question that the World Cup winner had done anything wrong, stressing that Pique and the rest of his squad remain focused on taking a step towards the Champions League quarter-finals.

Enrique said: ‘No gossip. Not interested. Only football. At this club, you sometimes need something extra to decorate the tree of life.’

Barcelona has won 11 consecutive games prior to the defeat to Malaga and it once again raised questions about how Barcelona’s players are gelling with Enrique but Pique denied there had been in-fighting.

‘No, there is no problem between us and the manager,’ he said. We get on fine, the relationship is good. We don’t have to worry about it. It is just one defeat, it is behind us now. We have shown how we can play here in the past.

‘When you lose a game you get doubts arising. We need a good result. We know this team can play to a great standard. The fans will be right behind City. We will have to take the game to them. I’m sure we will get a decent result here.’

It was put to Enrique whether Barcelona had relaxed against Malaga, in preparation for the trip to Manchester, but that was met with another stony face from the manager.

‘’We did not relax,’ said Enrique. ‘We were well prepared and we would never go into a league game thinking about a Champions League match. There was no difference in the tactics.’

These sides met at this stage last season but Enrique is expecting a difficult match. He respects City and is expecting Barcelona to be pushed to the limit to preserve their record of having reached at least the quarter-finals for the last eight years.

          

Source:Dailymail.