May 17, 2013 in front_page, International, La Liga, Most Recent, Other, Premier League, Serie A, World Cup
OnFootball selects its greatest football adverts over the years:
Nike- ‘Secret Tournament’
http://youtu.be/e0MBxEAv-30 Read the rest of this entry →
May 16, 2013 in front_page, La Liga, Most Recent
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
Copa del Rey Final
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Friday 17th May 2013
20:30 GMT
The two Madrid sides face each other in the battle for city supremacy, in the Copa del Rey Final. Jose Mourinho’s side have the home advantage and the obvious threat of Cristiano Ronaldo but in Radamel Falcao, Atletico have one of the world’s best players in their armoury.
Real Madrid preview
Mourinho’s side reached the final after a hugely impressive 4-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona, which included a memorable 3-1 win at Camp Nou. Prior to that they saw off Valencia in the quarter-finals and Celta Vigo in the last-16.
Real have lost just one of their last eight games in all competitions, scoring 15 times in their last five outings. In the Copa del Rey betting market, a Real victory in 90 minutes can be backed at 1.65 while Los Blancos are 1.22 to lift the trophy with Unibet.
Injuries and suspensions
While Mourinho has a fully fit attacking unit to call upon, he has plenty of injuries at the back. Raphael Varane is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, while Alvaro Arbeloa looks set to miss out too. Sergio Ramos should return but is not 100 per cent fit, while Pepe may remain dropped after a falling out with Mourinho.
Atletico Madrid preview
Atletico edged past Sevilla in an exciting semi-final clash, having beaten Betis and Getafe in the previous two rounds. This is their third Copa del Rey Final appearance this century, losing 2-0 to Sevilla in their last final, in 2010.
After a superb start to their La Liga season, Atletico have just dipped slightly, allowing Real to overtake them in second place. Their recent form has been inconsistent, although with one eye on this game that is understandable. Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Barcelona was undeserved but Falcao again proved he is the man for the big occasion by scoring the opener.
Injuries and suspensions
Coach Diego Simeone has virtually a fully fit squad to choose from, as well as no suspensions for the showcase event.
Head-to-head
Atletico haven’t beaten their great rivals since 1999, when a Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink double inspired them to a 3-1 win at Santiago Bernabeu. This season has seen Real win both games, with the attacking trio of Ronaldo, Ozil and Di Maria all influential in the two matches.
Prediction
Expect this to be an open game with plenty of goals. Real’s defensive problems could play into Atletico’s hands but Mourinho’s knack of winning trophies will give his side the edge on the night. A Ronaldo-inspired Real to win in a close-fought contest.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-2 Atletico Madrid
Probable lineups:
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)- Lopez, Essien, Ramos, Albiol, Coentrao, Alonso, Khedira, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo, Benzema
Atletico Madrid (4-4-2)- Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe, Koke, Mario, Gabi, Turan, Costa, Falcao
April 24, 2013 in front_page, La Liga, UEFA Champions League
When AC Milan trounced Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 European Cup final it signalled the end of an era for Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team.
Last night a superb Bayern Munich side defeated the current set of Blaugrana superstars- arguably the greatest side of all time- by the same scoreline, and there is a genuine feeling that the Catalan giants’ period of dominance is over.
Of course it would be stupid to write this side off, especially when the world’s greatest player, Lionel Messi, was clearly hampered by a hamstring injury, but Barcelona have had this coming for a while now. Messi has bailed them out of numerous games in recent months, which has helped mask the frailties within the squad. Read the rest of this entry →
April 23, 2013 in front_page, La Liga, UEFA Champions League
When Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday at the Bernabeu, an array of world-class, household names will be on display.
From Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Xabi Alonso for the Spainard’s, to Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski for the German’s, there are brilliant footballers everwhere you look.
Amid this talent will be a 19-year-old centre-back by the name of Raphael Varane, who looks set to become a footballing phenomenon over the next decade. Read the rest of this entry →
March 21, 2013 in front_page, International, La Liga, Premier League, Serie A
With Michael Owen’s recent retirement leading many to believe he never quite reached his potential as a footballer, here are 10 other examples of great talents who never quite reached the heights many expected of them. Can you think of any others? Read the rest of this entry →
March 5, 2013 in front_page, La Liga, Premier League, UEFA Champions League
Tonight’s showdown between Manchester United and Real Madrid promises to be one of the most entertaining games of the season. There are world-class players on show on both sides, but who has the strongest starting XI when giving each player a mark out of 10?
Loading ...