Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Columbus takes advantage of short-handed NYCFC in first leg

Sportsnet.ca
Columbus takes advantage of short-handed NYCFC in first leg
Columbus takes advantage of short-handed NYCFC in first leg

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Artur started a three-goal outburst in the second half shortly after New York City FC went down a man and the Columbus Crew won the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals 4-1 on Tuesday night.

The Crew were clinging to a 1-0 lead when New York defender Alexander Callens was given a red card in the 52nd minute following a video review of his takedown of Justin Meram. Artur, on a feed from Federico Higuain, capped a four-on-two with his first goal of the season six minutes later. Meram scored his 14th in the 69th minute on a long ball that went under keeper Sean Johnson and Harrison Afful got his first goal in the third minute of stoppage time.

The second leg of the two-game aggregate series is Sunday in New York City. The fifth-seeded Crew had a 2-2 tie in the Bronx on the final day of the regular season.

Ola Kamara put the Crew on the board in the 6th minute with his 19th goal. Pedro Santos surprised unsuspecting defender Rodney Wallace, stealing the ball from behind. He then sent it into the middle of the box to Federico Higuain. Johnson made a diving save but the rebound went right to Kamara for the one-timer.

David Villa scored his 23rd goal for New York in the 78th minute.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper has more Champions League assists than Cristiano Ronaldo this season

Dream Team FC
Bayern Munich goalkeeper has more Champions League assists than Cristiano Ronaldo this season

We feel a bit sorry for Cristiano Ronaldo this season.

The doom-mongers are out despite CR7 scoring 11 goals in 15 games for club and country so far this campaign.

That being said, we’re going to jump on the bandwagon. Sorry Ronaldo fanboys.

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How big are your homemade marrows Crissy?AP:Associated Press

What are we trolling Ronaldo about?

Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper has more Champions League assists than Ronaldo this season.

Not even Bayern’s first-choice. We’re talking about Sven Ulreich, who made just seven appearances under Carlo Ancelotti last season.

#Ulreich a plus de passes décisives en @UEFAcom_fr cette saison que Ronaldo et Messi. #CELFCB #MiaSanMia #LDC pic.twitter.com/pfvwqP8w4g

🎃FC Bayern France🎃 (@FCBayern_France) October 31, 2017

Ulreich’s long ball over the top allowed Kinglsey Coman to put Bayern ahead against Celtic.

It wasn’t the prettiest assist you’ll ever see, but then again Ulreich is paid to keep the ball out of the net rather than help put it in.

Who needs Manuel Neuer?

Take the rest of the season off, Manuel NeuerEPA

To be fair to Ronaldo, he has got five Champions League goals to his name already, so it’s pretty much impossible to assist yourself.

And Lionel Messi only has one to his name as things stand.

So maybe we shouldn’t be so harsh on Ronaldo.

Sven Ulreich for the 2019 Ballon d’Or. Remember where you heard it first.

Sarri rejects comparisons to 'sacred monster' Guardiola

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Sarri rejects comparisons to 'sacred monster' Guardiola
Sarri rejects comparisons to 'sacred monster' Guardiola
Maurizio Sarri has rejected suggestions he can be compared to "sacred monster" Pep Guardiola, who the Napoli coach rates as the best in the world. Serie A leaders Napoli host unbeaten Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, seeking revenge for a 2-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium on matchday three. While 10 wins out of 11 games in Serie A this season has led to Sarri being hailed by fans and the media, the Napoli coach is unwilling to be measured against City boss Guardiola, a two-time Champions League winner. "I cannot compare to him, a sacred monster and the best coach in the world right now," Sarri told reporters on Tuesday. "I like his football philosophy, the idea that his teams always go out with the ball, some movements are [on] the brink of genius and the way City win the ball back in a clean way. "We are talking about one of those coaches who, when they leave the sport, will have changed the way we see football." The squad is hard at work on the training pitch #SSCNCity#UCL#ForzaNapoliSempre #Castelvolturno pic.twitter.com/3xW7dkRT7H — Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) October 31, 2017 Sarri has also been compared to Italian great Arrigo Sacchi by Napoli's Scudetto-winning coach Alberto Bigon, an idea the 58-year-old gave short shrift too. "It's an insult to Arrigo, who changed football and improved all the big players he had," Sarri said. "From [Marco] van Basten to [Franco] Baresi, everyone got better with him. "Anyway, if I stop doing this job now I will not be remembered by anyone - because I have won nothing." Over tickets sold for #SSCNCity #UCL#ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/jPZtcV2Eyu — Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) October 30, 2017 Like Napoli, City have won all but one of their league games so far this season to sit clear at the top of their domestic table. But Sarri is still confident his side can boost their chances of qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League by earning a positive result at the San Paolo. "In football I do not consider anyone unbeatable, all the teams can be beaten in one way or another," Sarri said. "The fact remains that Manchester City are currently the strongest team in Europe, trained by the best trainer in Europe. "What do I want to see tomorrow? I would like to see the fear in the eyes of Manchester City players. It would be a good sign for the team and it would mean that we are doing well."

Too soon to say if Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney will feature for Leinster - coach

Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
Too soon to say if Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney will feature for Leinster - coach
Too soon to say if Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney will feature for Leinster - coach
Leinster backs coach Girvan Dempsey says it’s too soon to say whether Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney will feature for the province in their Guinness PRO14 clash with Glasgow on Friday night.

Bailly backs ´great striker´ Lukaku



Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku is a "great striker" who will keep delivering, his team-mate Eric Bailly said.

Lukaku, 24, made a flying start to life at United with 11 goals in his first 10 appearances for the club after joining from Everton for £75million.

But he has failed to net in United's past five outings, leading to some criticism.

Ahead of his side's clash against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, Bailly was full of praise for the Belgium striker.

"Romelu is a great striker. I have played against him but now I'm lucky to play with him," he said.

"He is very important for us and everybody see how everything's going up for him. I hope he can keep scoring goals and helping us out."

MLS Review: Giovinco magic sees Toronto to first-leg win



Sebastian Giovinco put Toronto on track to reach the Eastern Conference Finals in MLS thanks to his winner against the New York Red Bulls.

The Italian star struck with a 72nd-minute free-kick to secure a 2-1 win for Toronto in the first leg of the semi-final tie at Red Bull Arena on Monday.

Victor Vazquez put away the opener for the visitors in the eighth minute, making the most of a rebound after Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles struggled to deal with a cross.

But the Red Bulls levelled just before half-time, Daniel Royer converting from the penalty spot after Drew Moor brought down Bradley Wright-Phillips.

However, Giovinco delivered again for Toronto, curling in a 30-yard free-kick to seal his side's win.

Sporting - Juventus



This Halloween fixture sees two giants of the European game come head to head. The only spooky thing about this fixture is Sporting Lisbon’s current form in the competition, having lost their last 2 (including 2-1 vs Juve) and they are now desperate for a win to stay in contention.

Sporting are hoping to make amends after the reverse fixture, a hard fought 2-1 loss in Turin 2 weeks ago. Home advantage may be key for the Portuguese outfit in this massive fixture.

Juventus will be favourites for the tie, but Sporting will fancy their chances as domestically they remain unbeaten (8W, 2D) in their first 10 games. Juventus are not exactly pushovers themselves in Italy, coming into this off the back of a convincing 2-0 victory away to AC Milan.

Sporting have gone 4 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.32

Juventus have gone 6 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.32

Manchester United - Benfica



Manchester United are unbeaten in the home European group stage games since a defeat to Cluj in the 2012-13 Champions League.

Benfica arrive at Old Trafford with a poor recent defensive away record in European games. They have conceded 4+ goals in 3 of their last 4 European away games.

Overall, United’s record against Portuguese opposition in European competition is W15, D5, L3 – although two of the defeats were by 4+ goals!

If translated into a league for points per game against English opponents, Benfica have the second best record of the ‘big three’ Portuguese teams: 1.06 per game compared to Sporting Lisbon’s 1.33.

Benfica have lost their last 4 matches. 1 - 1.38

Manchester United are undefeated in their last 3 matches. 1X - 1.07

Manchester United have gone 4 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.19

Manchester United have won their last 3 matches. 1 - 1.38

Celtic - Bayern Munich



13 days after their convincing victory (3-0) at the Allianz Arena, Bayern travel to Glasgow for the reverse fixture at Celtic Park. Bayern’s record in the Scottish capital could surprisingly be better, as they have earned just 1 victory in Glasgow (Celtic: P1, D1 / Rangers: P4, W1, D2, L1).

Taking the 3-0 defeat at PSG into consideration, Bayern Munich are far from unstoppable when playing abroad. In the last 3 years, they have played 18 away ties in the Champions League (CL) and went on to lose half of them (P18, W6, D3, L9).

Every Celtic game in the CL this season has been an annihilation job for one team or the other (lost 5-0 in Paris and 3-0 in Munich, but won 3-0 away to Anderlecht). All the games had over 2.5 goals and none of the game saw both teams score.

The Jupp Heynckes effect is absolutely visible as recent form has helped the team to climb back to the top of Bundesliga (BL) again. The last two games featured victories against chasers RB Leipzig (2-0 at home in the BL and 5-4 after penalty shoot out in Leipzig in the DFB Pokal).

Celtic have gone 6 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.17


Each of the last 5 matches that Celtic have played had over 2.5 goals. Over 2.5 - 1.46


Bayern Munich have gone 15 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.17

Basel - CSKA Moscow



Basel have put themselves in the driving seat for the all-important 2nd place in the group after winning the reverse fixture in Moscow 2 weeks ago (2-0). Another win here will guarantee a place in the next round of the Champions League (CL).

Basel are a somewhat more experienced side in the CL of the two, with 111 games in the competition (W45, D25, L41) while CSKA have played 95 (W30, D23, L42). Basel enjoy a stronger win ratio in the competition (40.54% vs 31.58%).

CSKA, on the other hand, have a major European trophy to their name, lifting the UEFA Cup in 2005.

20-year old striker Dimitri Oberlin has been the standout player for Basel so far in the CL, netting 3 times in as many matches, including 1 against CSKA. Only 4 players in the tournament have more goals (Cavani, Ben Yedder, Ronaldo, Kane).

Basel have gone 4 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.30

CSKA Moscow have gone 8 consecutive matches without a draw. 1/2 - 1.30

Ramos: I get along quite well with Pique



Spain captain Sergio Ramos believes talking about politics hurts the national team, but he revealed he gets along "quite well" with Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

Pique had voiced his support for the controversial Catalan independence referendum, which was met with a heavy-handed response by Spanish police in October.

That stance saw him whistled at by supporters during the international break, but Spain managed to orchestrate wins over Albania and Israel as they sealed a place at the 2018 World Cup.

Ramos said speaking about politics made life harder for the national team, although he insisted Pique's behaviour was excellent.

"It hurts the national team," the Real Madrid star told Onda Cero on Monday.

"I like to enjoy the scenery, the environment... the only thing I always say as captain of the national team is that we must be aware of our every move.

"Pique's behaviour has always been exemplary despite what others may think."

Despite being international team-mates, Ramos and Pique have previously endured a frosty relationship and found themselves involved in public disagreements.

Atletico Madrid - Qarabag



Atletico Madrid can’t afford another Champions League (CL) slip-up when they host Qarabag at the Wanda Metropolitano on Halloween in their most important fixture of the season to date.

Diego Simeone’s men remain winless after their first 3 games and currently sit 3rd in Group C with just 2 points (D2, L1), 3 points behind Roma and 5 behind leaders Chelsea. Atletico have almost no margin for error if they are to reach the knockout stages of the CL for a 5th straight season.

Azerbaijani champions Qarabag, who claimed their 1st point in the competition by holding Atletico to a 0-0 draw, will run out of chances to progress into the last 16 if they lose to Atletico and Roma beat Chelsea.

Deniz Aytekin returns to Spain. The German referee, who was heavily criticised for his performance in Barcelona’s epic 6-1 win over PSG last season, will be the man in the middle for this crucial CL clash.

Atl. Madrid have failed to win any of their last 3 matches. X2 - 8.00

AS Roma - Chelsea


Roma have won only 2 of their last 22 Champions League (CL) matches, including just 1 of their last 8 home games, which was a 3-2 victory against Bayer Leverkusen nearly two years ago.

Eusebio Di Francesco’s side have scored just 5 goals in their last 8 home games in the CL, conceding a total of 17 goals in the process, and failed to find the net in their last 4 matches.
Roma striker Edin Dzeko has scored 3 goals in his last 2 CL matches, with 2 of them coming against Chelsea in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.
Chelsea have scored at least 1 goal in 19 of their last 20 CL matches, including 8 of their last 9 trips away from home, which has resulted in them avoiding defeat in 16 of their last 19 games in the competition.
Antonio Conte’s side have failed to win on their last 5 visits to Italy in the CL, losing to Juventus, Napoli, Inter Milan and Roma, since beating Lazio 4-0 in November 2003.

Chelsea are undefeated in their last 3 matches. X2 - 1.50

AS Roma are undefeated in their last 3 matches. 1X - 1.50

Cavani aiming to pull level with Ronaldo - Champions League in Opta numbers



Tuesday's Champions League action sees a number of European giants looking to book their spots in the last 16.

Manchester United host Benfica at Old Trafford, while Paris Saint-Germain's formidable attack - including the in-from Edinson Cavani - takes on Anderlecht.

Chelsea face a difficult clash against Roma in Italy, with Barcelona and Juventus facing away ties against Olympiacos and Sporting CP respectively.

Here, we look at the Opta numbers behind Tuesday's matches.