Feb 13th-14th : Barcelona lose but still head La Liga

A round-up of the football action in Spain over the weekend.

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Barcelona

Barcelona suffered their first Primera Liga loss of the season on Sunday, slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Pep Guardiola's men were second best for long periods against an Atletico side who established a 2-0 lead inside 23 minutes thanks to a clinical Diego Forlan strike and a wonderful free-kick from Simao Sabrosa.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic halved the deficit within four minutes but Atletico deservedly held on to secure an impressive win and do city rivals Real Madrid a huge favour in the title race.

Xerez 0-3 Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice on his return from suspension as Real Madrid scored midwway through the second half to beat bottom club Xerez 3-0 away and put the pressure on Barca.

Real dominated virtually throughout on a stodgy pitch, but had to be patient as Xerez held out for more than an hour.

Alvaro Arbeloa finally put Madrid in front after 64 minutes, before Ronaldo's quick brace finished off the spirited Andalusians.

Sporting Gijon 1-1 Valencia

Valencia came from behind to secure a point at Sporting Gijon in a 1-1 draw, but were unable to find a winner.

Sporting Gijon put their recent woes behind them as they took a fifth-minute lead through Diego Castro.

And Valencia, despite constant pressure which saw them twice rattle the woodwork, were unable to find a way through until Juan Mata's leveller 14 minutes from time.

Sevilla 1-0 OSasuna

Sevilla moved back into the Champions League qualifying spots with a 1-0 win against Osasuna.

But it was another unconvincing perfornace, however Sevilla grabbed the only goal came after 35 minutes courtesy of the prolific Luis Fabiano.

Spanish La Liga Top Six

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   22 17-4-1 53:13  55 
Real Madrid 22 17-2-3 53:15  53 
Valencia    22 12-7-3 39:21  43 
Sevilla     22 12-3-7 33:24  39 
Mallorca    21 11-4-6 35:23  37 
Deportivo   22 10-5-7 24:24  35

Stumble It!

Feb 6-7th : Spanish top three all win in La Liga

The race in Spain remains a two club affer as Barcelona remained five points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the summit after both teams won.

Barcelona 2-1 Getafe

Barca maintained their impressive home record with a 2-1 victory over Getafe - despite finishing the game with nine men following the dismissals of Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez.

Pique was sent off for a cynical lunge on Rafa Lopez after 24 minutes, although Barca were already a goal to the good by then thanks to Lionel Messi's brilliant early strike.

Pep Guardiola's side never really looked in danger, despite Pique's departure, and their dominance finally paid off as Xavi all but sealed a 17th league win of the season in the 67th minute.

Roberto Soldado's stoppage-time penalty pulled a goal back for the visitors after Marquez was sent off for the foul on Kepa Blanco which led to the spot-kick.

Real Madrid 3-0 Espanyol

First-half goals from Sergio Ramos and Kaka put Madrid in control, and substitute Gonzalo Higuain added a brilliant third late on as Manuel Pellegrini's men made it 11 out of 11 at the Bernabeu.

In Saturday's early game in Spain, first-half goals from Ever Banega and David Villa saw Valencia cruise to a 2-0 home win over struggling Real Valladolid to boost their hopes of a return to the Champions League.

Banega struck after eight minutes and Villa added the second just before the half-hour mark to secure the three points for Unai Emery's side and consolidate third place in La Liga after 21 rounds of matches.

Valenica 2-0 Valladolid

Valencia cruised to a 2-0 home win over struggling Real Valladolid to boost their hopes of a return to the Champions League.

Banega struck after eight minutes and Villa added the second just before the half-hour mark to secure the three points for Unai Emery's side and consolidate third place in La Liga after 21 rounds of matches.

Spanish Liga Top Six Standings

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   21 17-4-0 52:11  55 
Real Madrid 21 16-2-3 50:15  50 
Valencia    21 12-6-3 38:20  42 
Mallorca    21 11-4-6 35:23  37 
Sevilla     21 11-3-7 32:24  36 
Deportivo   21 10-5-6 24:22  35

Stumble It!

23-24 Jan : Weekend wrap-up of Spanish La Liga

Valladolid 0-3 Barcelona

On Saturday night Barcelona's routine 3-0 win at struggling Valladolid saw Pep Guardiola's side finish the first half of the Primera Division campaign unbeaten.

In establishing their unbeaten run, the Catalans became only the fifth side to accomplish such a feat, previously achieved by Madrid, Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.

And they did so with comfort against a poor Valladolid outfit.

Xavi and Dani Alves struck within the space of two minutes halfway through the first period to give Guardiola's men full control of proceedings, and Lionel Messi added a third shortly into the second period to wrap up a comfortable victory.

Real Madrid 2-0 Malaga

Cristiano Ronaldo scored both goals before being sent off as Real Madrid kept the gap to leaders Barcelona at five points with a 2-0 victory over Malaga on Sunday.

Ronaldo had struck twice in quick succession in the first half to put Madrid on their way to a 10th consecutive home win this season, but he was then handed his marching orders in the 70th minute.

Ronaldo was shown a straight red card after catching Patrick Mtiliga in the face with a flailing elbow as he attempted to escape from the Malaga defender - but the 10 men of Madrid held on for a crucial three points.

Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 Athletico Bilbao

Deportivo La Coruna boosted their hopes of qualification for next season's Champions League with an excellent 3-1 win at home to Athletic Bilbao.

Filipe gave the Galicians the lead in acrobatic style, but fell awkwardly and suffered a nasty twist to the ankle which left him in excruciating pain and will leave him sidelined for several months at least.

Another Brazilian, Juca, doubled Depor's lead 10 minutes later, and although Athletic were given hope by Diego Colotto's own-goal, Pablo Alvarez rounded off what was a deserved win for the home side with the third in the closing stages.

Sevilla 1-0 Almeria

Former Almeria striker Alvaro Negredo took advantage of a huge stroke of luck to sink his old club and help Sevilla end a run of four successive Primera Division defeats with a 1-0 victory.

Negredo netted the only goal of this Andalusian derby in the 10th minute after visiting captain Santiago Acasiete's attempted back-pass got stuck in a puddle.

Acasiete picked up a pass from his goalkeeper Diego Alves on the edge of the box, but when he tried to play the ball back, it stopped in a pool of water midway between the two, and Sevilla midfielder Dirnei Renato nipped in to poke the ball inside where Negredo tapped into an empty net.

Spanish La Liga

Team        Pl  W D L  Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   19 15-4-0  49:10  49 
Real Madrid 19 14-2-3  44:14  44 
Valencia    19 11-6-2  35:18  39 
Mallorca    19 10-4-5  33:21  34 
Deportivo   19 10-4-5  23:19  34 
Sevilla     19 10-3-6  29:21  33

Stumble It!

Barcelona comfortable on top of Spanish La Liga table

Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of the Primera Division to five points as they beat Sevilla 4-0 to take advantage of a slip by Real Madrid.

Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla
Barca could not get past a stubborn Sevilla defence in the first half at the Nou Camp, but the floodgates opened after Julien Escude's own goal broke the deadlock five minutes into the second period.

Substitute Pedro added the second after 70 minutes, before Lionel Messi netted in the 85th and 90th minutes to notch his 100th and 101st goals for the club.

Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Real Madrid
Fernando Llorente's early header proved the difference between the sides as Athletic Bilbao pulled off a shock win over Real Madrid in the Primera Division on Saturday night.

Spain striker Llorente nodded home from a corner after just two minutes and the home team held on for a fine win, Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz denying the visitors with a string of great saves.

Valencia 4-1 Villarreal
Valencia closed to within three points of Real Madrid with an entertaining win over 10-man local rivals Villarreal at the Mestalla on Sunday night.

Ever Banega opened the scoring early on and David Villa doubled the lead from the penalty spot, with Kiko earning a red card for a foul on the striker.

David Silva made it three 11 minutes after the break and, although a defensive mix-up led to Nilmar reducing the deficit, Villa deservedly capped the performance with his second goal.

Real Mallorca 2-0 Deportivo La Coruna
Real Mallorca made it nine home wins out of nine and climbed into the Champions League places with a 2-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Mallorca, who have also won both of their Copa del Rey games at their Ono Estadi fortress this term, took the points thanks to two goals in seven minutes just after the break through Mario Suarez and Gonzalo Castro.

The victory means Mallorca, who started the day one place and one point behind fourth-placed Depor, swap positions with the Galician side.

Spanish La Liga Top Six Standings

Team        Pl  W D L  Fr Ag Pts 
Barcelona   18 14-4-0  46 10  46 
Real Madrid 18 13-2-3  42 14  41 
Valencia    18 11-5-2  35 18  38 
Mallorca    18 10-3-5  32 20  33 
Deportivo   18  9-4-5  20 18  31 
Sevilla     18  9-3-6  28 21  30

Stumble It!

Barca, Madrid and Valencia all win in Spain

Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to a 5-0 win at Tenerife as the Catalan giants ended the weekend as they started it; holding a two-point lead at the top of the Primera Division.

Messi's contribution was a wonderful hat-trick - the third goal an impudent chip from the edge of the area.

Carles Puyol also got on the scoresheet with home defender Ezequiel Luna adding a late fifth with an unfortunate prod past his own goalkeeper.

Real Madrid beat Real Mallorca 2-0 to remian in second place.

Madrid had greater difficulty with the snow in the capital than they did with a toothless Mallorca side.

But despite the wintry conditions, Manuel Pellegrini's men strolled to victory with goals from Gonzalo Higuain - a sublime 25-yard curling effort - and Esteban Granero.

Valencia had a comfortable 3-1 win at Xerez to strengthen their hold on third position.

Xerez, who have now accumulated just seven points from 17 games, threatened a surprise when Carlos Calvo cancelled out Juan Mata's opener.

But Valencia upped their game to outplay their valiant, if limited, opponents. David Silva restored their lead and a fine solo effort from Carlos Marchena settled matters.

CLUB        Pl  W D L  GD Pts 
Barcelona   17 13-4-0 +32  43
Real Madrid 17 13-2-2 +29  41  
Valencia    17 10-5-2 +14  35 
Deportivo   17  9-4-4  +4  31 
Sevilla     17  9-3-5 +11  30 
Mallorca    17  9-3-5 +10  30 

Stumble It!

Spain on Sunday : Real Madrid Held - Mallorca win at home again

Osasuna 0-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid missed the chance to catch Barcelona at the the top of the Primera Division table by failing to beat Osasuna in a goalless draw.

Requiring victory in Pamplona to go above their Catalan rivals Barca on goal difference, the visitors were limited to long-range efforts in a poor first half.

Madrid had a penalty appealswaved away in first-half stoppage time after Cristiano Ronaldo theatrically went to ground (that's code for dived like a swan) while attempting to make space for himself on the edge of the box.

Mallorca 2-0 Athletic Bilbao
Mallorca preserved their unblemished home record with a fine 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao and moved up to fourth place in the table after 16 rounds of the championship.

The visitors proved hard to break down in a goalless first half, but Mallorca took control in the second period, running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Julio Alvarez and Aritz Aduriz.

A tasty win and good payout again for the spreadsheet ;-)

Spanish Primera Top Six

Team        Pl  W D L Fr Ag Pts
Barcelona   16 12-4-0 37:10  40
Real Madrid 16 12-2-2 40:13  38
Valencia    16  9-5-2 28:16  32
Mallorca    16  9-3-4 30:18  30
Sevilla     16  9-3-4 27:15  30
Deportivo   16  8-4-4 19:16  28

Stumble It!

Manchester City owner now wants to buy Real Madrid

Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been sensationally linked with a billion pound swoop to buy Real Madrid.

According to reports in Spanish newspaper AS (which admitedly does routinely print a load of bullsh!t and acts as a Real Madrid publicity machine), Sheikh Mansour has been prompted to set up a meeting with Real President Florentino Perez early in 2010, and he is reportedly prepared to pay 1 billion euros for the La Liga giants.

The Madrid newspaper, however, say that such a deal would be near impossible because the club would need the permission from their shareholding fans to change its legal statutes, which would then pave the way for any deal to go through.

Real Madrid currently have two of the world's most high profile players in Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo on their books, but had to go into significant debt in order to pay ther transfer fees.

But reports that suggest Sheikh Mansour is willing to take on all the debts and could entice the Real Madrid fans to back the surprise bid.

Stumble It!

Champions League Draw - Man United get AC Milan, Chelsea face Inter, Arsenal v Porto

AC Milan v MAN UTD
Porto v ARSENAL
Lyon v Real Madrid
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
Inter Milan v CHELSEA
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
Stuttgart v Barcelona

The first-leg ties will be played on 16, 17, 23 or 24 February. The return games will be played on either 9, 10, 16 or 17 March.

Stumble It!

Champions League Group stages complete - 16 teams for second round named

The lineup for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round was completed on Wednesday when the group stage concluded with holders Barcelona, Inter Milan, VfB Stuttgart and Olympiacos taking the final four places.

Generally, the group winners are the stronger section with the five shorted priced sides in the Winners group, but with Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon and Bayern Munich lurking as dangerous runners-up opponents.

Group winners
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Bordeaux (FRA)
Manchester United (ENG)
Real Madrid (ESP)
Chelsea (ENG)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA)
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Sevilla (ESP)
Arsenal (ENG)

Group runners-up
------------------------------
Bayern Munchen (GER)
CSKA Moskva (RUS)
AC Milan (ITA)
FC Porto (POR)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Internazionale Milano (ITA)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Olympiacos (GRE)

Knockout Draw
------------------------------
The draw will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland at 12.00CET on Friday 18 December.

The UEFA Champions League first knockout round first-leg ties will take place on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010 (with two games each day) with the second legs to be played on 9/10 and 16/17 March.

Outright Winner Betting Odds :
------------------------------
Barcelona 4.50 @ Betfred
Chelsea 5.00 @ Eurobet
Real Madrid 7.00 @ Bet365
Manchester United 9.00 @ Ladbrokes
Arsenal 11.00 @ Eurobet
Internazionale Milano 17.00 @ Eurobet
Sevilla 21.00 @ Centrebet
Bayern Munchen 23.00 @ Centrebet
AC Milan 23.00 @ Bet365

Stumble It!

Copa Del Rey : Alcoron 4-0 Real Madrid ... WTF ?

Coach Manuel Pellegrini was "very embarrassed" after Real Madrid were crushed 4-0 by third tier village side Alcorcon in the Spanish King's Cup.

Real Madrid fielded a strong team but were 3-0 down to the Segunda Division B club by half-time in the round of 32 first leg.

"There's no reason or explanation for how the team performed. We hope our fans can forgive us," said manager Pellegrini. Real director general Jorge Valdano also apologised to fans but backed under-fire Pellegrini.

"It's difficult and I know how the Madrid supporters must be feeling," Valdano stated on the club's website

Of course the Spanish Cup is played over two legs, and captain Raul has faith his team can make things right in the return meeting against Alcorcon in a fortnight's time. But still ... 0-4 ...

The defeat was Madrid's third loss in their last five competitive games after defeats to Sevilla in La Liga and by AC Milan in the Champions League, and that run has heaped the pressure on new coach Manuel Pellegrini.

Real Madrid's team of shame on Tuesday night was :
Dudek
Arbeloa
Albiol
Metzelder
Drenthe
Diarra
Granero
Van der Vaart
Guti H.
Raul
Benzema

Stumble It!

Arsenal set the Standard after 3-2 win in Liege

After Arsenal came back from two down to beat Standard Liege in Belgium, they were backed up into 5th favourite to win the Champions League.

The Gunners were 2-0 down inside five minutes but goals from Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen and Eduardo turned the match on its head and sparked wild celebrations from the visiting fans.

Liverpool meanwhile slipped back after battling to an uninspiring 1-0 win over Hungarian side Debrecen, while Inter Milan and Barcelona held their positions after battling to a 0-0 draw in Milan.

Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are vying for favouritism at a best of 4/1 and 5/1.

But English teams occupy the four of the next places in the betting, with Chelsea shortest at 6/1, Manchester United 15/2, Arsenal 11/1, and both Inter Milan and Liverpool on offer at 12s.

BEST OUTRIGHT ODDS FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE :
5.00 FC Barcelona @ Eurobet
6.00 Real Madrid @ Betfred
7.00 Chelsea @ Bet365
8.50 Manchester United FC @ Victor Chandler
12.00 Arsenal @ Betfred
13.00 Internazionale Milano @ Paddy Power
13.00 Liverpool @ BetFred
26.00 AC Milan @ Victor Chandler
29.00 Bayern Munich @ Ladbrokes

Stumble It!

Champions League draw kind to English clubs

The four English clubs in the Champions League were handed favourable draws for the group stage of the competition.

Arsenal have been drawn against AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos and Standard Liege in Group H.

Last season's finalists Manchester United take on CSKA Moscow, Besiktas and Wolfsburg in Group B.

Liverpool are top seeds in Group E and face Olympic Lyon, Fiorentina and Debrecen.

Chelsea are the ranked club in group D and will play Porto, Atletico Madrid and APOEL Nicosia.

Remaining Groups :

Group A
Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa

Group C
AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zurich

Group F
Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dinamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan

Group G
Sevilla, Glasgow Rangers, Stuttgart, Unirea Urziceni

Stumble It!

FRANCK RIBERY SAYS : IT'S REAL MADRID OR NOTHING

FOOTBALL: Franck Ribery has told Bayern Munich that he wants to leave and join Real Madrid.

Franck Ribery has told Bayern Munich that he wants to leave the club and join the new generation of "galacticos" at Real Madrid.

The France international has been at the centre of a long-running saga over the past six months, with Real and Premier League champions Manchester United chasing his signature.

Bundesliga runners-up Bayern have remained adamant that they will not be selling £30m rated Ribery, but their star asset has now announced his desire to move away from Germany.

The 26-year-old wants to follow Raul Albiol, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in agreeing a big-money, summer move to the Bernabeu, delivering another transfer blow to United.

Sir Alex Ferguson chased Benzema, but the Frenchman snubbed Old Trafford and Ribery looks set to do the same.

"I have made up my mind, I want to leave," Ribery told L'Equipe. "It will be Real or nothing."

Stumble It!

RONALDO DECIDED ON REAL MADRID MOVE LAST SUMMER

FOOTBALL: Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he made up his mind to leave Manchester United last summer

Madrid conducted a long and public pursuit of Ronaldo last year but it proved ultimately unsuccessful as the 24-year-old remained at Old Trafford.

But despite staying in the Premier League, and helping United retain their title, Ronaldo claims he made up his mind to leave after the Champions League triumph over Chelsea a year ago.

"After we won the European Cup. I thought there is no more I can achieve here," the Portuguese player told the News of the World.

"And when you have done all you can, you know it is time for a new challenge. I stayed one more season and it was nice to make it three titles in a row but it was my dream to play for Madrid."

Stumble It!

UNITED ACCEPT REAL MADRID'S £80M RONALDO BID

FOOTBALL: Manchester United have accepted an £80million bid for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

Manchester United have finally caved in to Real Madrid's repeated attempts to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.

United confirmed on Thursday morning they had accepted an £80million bid for the world player of the year, with a world-record deal expected to go through by June 30.

The news had been expected given that Real stated on Wednesday night talks were under way and now it is only a matter of finalising the player's personal terms before he completes a dream move to the Bernabeu.

A United statement read: "At the request of Cristiano - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player."

Stumble It!

KAKA COMPLETES REAL MADRID MOVE

FOOTBALL: Real Madrid have completed the signing of Kaka from AC Milan on a six-year contract.

The Spanish giants confirmed the eagerly-awaited capture of the 27-year-old Brazilian superstar in a brief statement on their website late on Monday night.

Kaka, currently on international duty with Brazil in his homeland, underwent a medical in Recife earlier on Monday before putting pen to paper on a six-year deal.

The transfer fee is expected to be new world record at around £56million, eclipsing the £48million Real paid Juventus for Zinedine Zidane in the summer of 2001.

Stumble It!

Madrid and Turin derby matches centre stage this Saturday

Real Madrid are trying to make makes el Derbi Madrileno their 11th successive league win in the Primera this weekend.

Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid, well aware that Atletico devlivered a heavy blow to title rivals Barcelona last weekend, with a 4-3 stunning victory that cut Barca's lead at the top to a mere four points.

The two city rivals meet on Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu.

RELATED LINKS :
Real Madrid 1.79 at Globet, Atletico Madrid 5.10 at PinnacleSports
See all the Live Spanish football betting Odds at Bookielabrat.

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Serie A will share the derby spotlight over the week-end, when Juventus will face historic rivals FC Torino.

The Old Lady will need every win they can get, to close the seven-point gap that separates them from league leaders Inter Milan.

But Torino's run of five matches without defeat may spell trouble for Claudio Ranieri's men, who are also preparing for Chelsea's Champions League visit next week.

Expect plenty of tension at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening.

RELATED LINKS :
Torino 3.49 at PinnacleSports, Juventus 2.35 at Centrebet,
See all the Live Italian football betting Odds at Bookielabrat.

Stumble It!

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar regrets Real Madrid move

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is reported to be considering his future at Real Madrid just a few weeks after joining the Spanish club.

The Dutch striker is unhappy after being omitted from their revised squad eligible to compete in the latter stages of the Champions League and not playing in the domestic La Liga either.

Huntelaar is quoted as saying "I can't stand this situation anymore ... they have neither included me for the Champions League nor do they want to play me in La Liga."

"Juande Ramos does not have any confidence in me. I want to leave Madrid. I can't bear this."

Stumble It!

Champions League Knockout Draw : Italy vs England x 3

The champions league draw for the last 16 was made in Nyon on Friday and it has thrown up some mouthwatering clashes as English clubs face three Italian opponents ...and Real Madrid as well.

Manchester United will face Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos will return to England with Real Madrid as they take on Liverpool, with the second leg to be played at Anfield.

Arsenal will have the first leg at home as they play AS Roma, while Chelsea will clash against Juventus who are managed by former boss Claudio Ranieri for their .

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT DRAW
Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v FC Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v Roma
Inter Milan v Manchester United

The ties will be played on 24/25 February and 10/11 March as the Champions League knockout phase begins.

Stumble It!

Barcelona v Real Madrid - Special bets

Real Madrid visit bitter rivals Barcelona on Satueday evening with their new coach Juande Ramos and Betfred have priced up a number of special bets on "El Classico".

Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been enduring a torrid time this season and two markets have been opened up for punters who think he might have a tough time :

"Casillas Catastrophe 1" is for Barcelona to score four or more goals, which they have done on an incredible nine occasions already this season, and the Betfred price for that to happen again is 11/2.

"Casillas Catastrophe 2" is for the goalkeeper to commit a foul that results in a penalty and that eventuality is a 7/1 chance at BetFred.

You can also bet on whether Real Madrid will have a player sent off in the match and it's 7/2 that the visitors are reduced to 10 men, as they were against Sevilla last weekend when Arjen Robben’s red card meant he misses this match.

Betfred spokesman Jon Wilde said: "Bernd Schuster's last act as Real coach was to say he didn't think the Galacticos could win in the Nou Camp and it could be a long 90 minutes for Real.

"Casillas is expected to return to the side after seeing his understudy Jerzy Dudek keep a clean sheet against Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League, but he will need to improve on his poor form in such a big game."

Check out all the options at BetFred Bookmakers.

Stumble It!

Sevilla beat Real Madrid to move into 4th spot

Sevilla survived a spirited fightback from champions Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to win 4-3 in the Primera Liga on Sunday.


Adriano Correia gave Sevilla a third-minute lead and although Raul pulled one back in the 19th minute, Ndri Romaric and Frederic Kanoute had the visitors 3-1 up at half-time.

Gonzalo Higuain and Fernando Gago levelled for Real midway through the second half, but a red card for Arjen Robben took the wind out of their sails, and Renato headed the winner six minutes from time.

Real Madrid's third defeat in four league matches left them fifth in the standings with 26 points from 14 matches, nine behind leaders Barcelona who they play at the Nou Camp next weekend.

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Barcelona hammered Valencia 4-0 on Saturday, and are now 6 points clear at the top with 35 points after second-placed Villarreal were held 3-3 at home by Getafe.

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Valencia are third with 27 points ahead of Sevilla on goal difference.

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Deportivo Coruna overcame Malaga 2-0 at home. Malaga keeper Inaki Goitia let Angel Lafita's free kick slip through his hands after 65 minutes and Mexico striker Omar Bravo netted the second from the penalty spot soon after.

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Real Valladolid came back from three down to draw 3-3 at Osasuna with Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche's powerful header securing a point five minutes from time. Valladolid are eighth with 20 points.

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Osasuna slipped back to the foot of the table after Recreativo Huelva claimed their first win since the opening day of the season, twice coming from behind to beat Real Mallorca 3-2 away.

Stumble It!

Round 12 : Barcelona held by Getafe but still three points clear

Barcelona needed a second half equaliser from Seydou Keita to rescue a point as the leaders were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Getafe in the Primera Liga on Sunday.

Barca have 29 points from 12 games, which leaves them three points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid and four in front of Villarreal.

Real Madrid beat Recreativo Huelva 1-0 at the Bernabeu while Villarreal were upset 0-3 at home by Real Valladolid.

Fourth-placed Valencia are ahead of Sevilla on goal difference with 24 points after thew two sides drew 0-0 at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.

Stumble It!

Berbatov and Robinho both move to Manchester !

The Premier League transfer window closed on Monday night - and it was Manchester City who had the biggest news.

City were bought by an Abu Dhabi consortum at midday, and the Shieks immediately proved that they've got pot-loads of spare cash by successfully pitching a £30m+ big for Real Madrid's Robinho ... and gettting him !!

In other (minor) news - the sulky Bulgarian Berbatov did eventually move to Manchester United for £30m too - and Spurs agreed to drop the "Tapping-up" case against Sir Alex Ferguson.

PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER MOVES :
In:
Blackburn (Bunn),
Everton (Saha, Nash),
Hull (Cousin),
Liverpool (Flora, Gulacsi, Riera),
Man City (Robinho),
Man Utd (Berbatov),
Newcastle (Gonzalez, Xisco),
Portsmouth (Belhadj),
Sunderland (McCartney),
Stoke (Higginbotham),
Tottenham (Pavlyuchenko, Corluka, Campbell),
West Brom (Donk)

Out:
Bolton (Dzemaili),
Fulham (Zakuani, John, Smertin),
Liverpool (Finnan, Voronin),
Man City (Corluka, Vidal),
Man Utd (Saha, Campbell),
Portsmouth (Cranie, Christophe),
Sunderland (Higginbotham),
Stoke (Parkin),
Tottenham (Berbatov),
West Ham (McCartney),
Wigan (Bouaouzan, Nash, Sibierski)

There may be more announcements in the morning - but Arsenal fans should be aware that it appears the Mr Wenger simply decided to have an early night.

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Europes best clubs ready for UEFA Champions League Draw

Sixteen teams gained automatic entry to the competition proper and the same number came through the third qualifying round on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Making their debut in the group stage are UEFA Cup holders FC Zenit St. Petersburg, CFR 1907 Cluj of Romania, the first Belarussian qualifiers, FC BATE Borisov, and the inaugural Cypriot entrants Anorthosis Famagusta FC.

In all, 17 nations are represented in the draw, the ceremony for which will include the UEFA Club Football Awards.

English sides dominate the seedings for the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage draw which will take place from 18.00CET on Thursday at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum.

POT ONE
Manchester United FC (ENG, holders) 107.996
Chelsea FC (ENG) 124.996
Liverpool FC (ENG) 118.996
FC Barcelona (ESP) 117.837
Arsenal FC (ENG) 110.996
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) 99.380
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) 96.934
Real Madrid CF (ESP) 93.837

POT TWO 92-66 points
FC Bayern Munchen (GER), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Villarreal CF (ESP), AS Roma (ITA), FC Porto (POR), Werder Bremen (GER), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR), Juventus (ITA)

POT THREE 63-51 points
Olympique de Marseille (FRA), FC Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS), FC Steaua Bucuresti (ROU), Panathinaikos FC (GRE), FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), Celtic FC (SCO), FC Basel 1893 (SUI), Fenerbahce SK (TUR)

POT FOUR 49-1 point
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), ACF Fiorentina (ITA), Club Atletico de Madrid (ESP), FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU), Aalborg BK (DEN), Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP), FC BATE Borisov (BLR)

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Preseason wins for Chelsea, Arsenal, Hamburg and Ajax

Nicolas Anelka scored four times as Chelsea tore apart a weakened Milan team 5-0 in their pre-season friendly.

Without Kaka or Ronaldinho, the Italians fell behind to Frank Lampard's second minute opener, and were never in the game as the Blues emphatically settled the third-place play-off in the Railways Cup.

There were four goals for Anelka during a game where Milan looked barely interested, especialy after finding themselves 0-3 down at halftime.

In London, a near-full strength Arsenal beat Real Madrid 1-0 at the Emirates, with Emmanuel Adebayor scoring the winner in the second half.

Unlike yesterday's match against Juventus, Arsene Wenger chose a strong side - led by captain William Gallas, with Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor also featuring, and home start for summer signing Samir Nasri on the left of midfield.

Hamburg won the Emirates Cup with a 3-0 victory over Juventus taking them to 7 points in the mini-league that also awards a point for each goal scored.

Sunderland lost 1-0 at home to Ajax. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the only goal in the 80th minute at the Stadium of Light.

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Football transfer rumours

Another in the (almost) regular transfer rumour round-up series, with Spurs in the spot light today.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Robbie Keane is set to complete an £18m transfer to Liverpool within the next 48 hours.
(Source = Daily Telegraph)

Tottenham have accepted a bid of around £3m from Blackburn Rovers for their goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
(Source = The Independent)

Andrei Arshavin's agent has insisted the Russian would be interested in leaving Zenit St Petersburg for Tottenham. Although remember that he's also claimed that both Barcelona and Arsenal would be ideal places for his player.
(Source = Daily Mail)

But Arshavin risks pricing himself out of any move to England with wage demands of £100,000+ a week - that's £5.2 million a year.
(Source = Daily Mirror)

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out making offers for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and/or Chelsea's Didier Drogba.
(Source = Daily Mail)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has told Liverpool to get on with their move for Gareth Barry or they will be barred from signing him.
(Source = Daily Mirror)

While others say that O'Neill has offered Gareth Barry a truce - along with a place in Villa's Intertoto Cup squad for the Odense match - and is ready to bury the hatchet after telling the England midfielder: "I want you to stay".
(Source = The Sun)

GOONER : We should know if this is true by Sunday as playing inn the Intertoto will make Barry ineligible for Europe any other club in 2008-09 and make him far less saleable.

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More Transfer rumours ...

Continuing the (almost) regular series ...

Cristiano Ronaldo has fails to clear up speculation over his future by saying he could still leave Manchester United. When quizzed by ESPN he said: "What do you want me to say? That I'm going or I'm staying? I don't know about the future, only God knows it. I can't say any more."
( Gooner Truth Rating = 5/10 :: Source = ESPNsoccernet)

Chelsea's world record bid to sign AC Milan forward Kaka could cost the Blues anything from £50m to £120m with 10% going to the player himself, but the Serie A side say he is not for sale.
( Gooner Truth Rating = 1/10 :: Source = Everyone)

Chelsea are also apparently interested in Real Madrid forward Robinho after his agent revealed the club have proposed a firm offer.
(Gooner Truth Rating = 5/10 :: Source = Sunday Telegraph)

Juventus are ready to launch a £15m bid for Arsenal's Robin van Persie, who they see as an ideal replacement for Pavel Nedved.
(Gooner Truth Rating = 1/10 :: Source = News of the World)

And in the massively over-hyped and not nearly as good as you and your agent think you are section of the day Emmanuel Adebayor says that he will deign to stay at Arsenal if the Gunners offer him £100,000-a-week.

F*ck off Ade - no-one is interested in your delusions.

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Thursday's Transfer Rumours

It looks like being another month or so until "REAL" football kicks off - so I'm going to continue the football transfers rumours series.

ARSENAL lead off today with a whole lot of talk ..

Arsenal midfielder Alex Hleb has agreed a four-year-deal with Barcelona and is set to sign for £15m - or perhaps €15m. No-one seems quite sure.
(Source = The Sun)

Arsenal are also likely to waive goodbye to Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva to Greek side Panathinaikos.
(Source = Blog Arsenal Analysis - but now picked up by a lot of papers)

On the positive side Arsenal will complete a £11.5m deal for Marseille's Samir Nasri now that the new French tax year has begun.
(Source = The Sun)

Newspapers then start totally making it up when claiming that Arsenal have bid £19m for Andrei Arshavin but his club Zenit St Petersburg want £24m.
(Source = Star)

The Gooners are also rumoured interested in 22-year-old Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, who is rated at £8m by his club River Plate - and this sounds more like Wenger to me.
(Source = The Sun)

Chelsea are also well covered in the rumour market ..

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has personally blocked Inter Milan's attempts to buy midfielder Frank Lampard.
(Source = half a dozen sites)

While on paper says that Lampard has told friends he is determined to leave Chelsea and says it is time for him to go.
(Source = Daily Express)

Didier Drogba still wants to leave Stamford Bridge, even though there hasn't been much interest - with Milan keeping very quiet ...
(Source = Daily Star)

And Chelsea were interested in Brazil forward Robinho but have been told by Real Madrid that it will cost £30m to sign .
(Source = Daily Star)

Liverpool fans are also kept informed - although the news is not so positive ..

Liverpool were interested in signing Valencia's David Villa but have been put off by the massive £32m price tag and instead are looking at Spanish international winger David Silva.
(Source = The Sun)

Benitez's transfer funds are also in doubt after Juventus said that they will not pay £15m for midfielder Xabi Alonso. That could affect Liverpool's chances of raising the cash to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.
(Source = The Sun again)

Finally two snippets from mighty ManYoo ..

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has pontificated again about "player slavery" and said Manchester United they should let winger Cristiano Ronaldo join Real Madrid.
(Source = FIFA website)

Manchester United look to have lost another Portuguese employee in the form of assistant boss Carlos Queiroz, who took over as Portugal manager on Wednesday evening.
(Source = Daily Star)

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Premier League Transfer gossip

Warning most of this is pure bollocks!

As the summer grinds on - and very little major transfer action actually is happening - I thought that I would start a daily thread of the various rumours - with their sources.

The cynical webmasters amongst you might think that i'm just trying to up the hits on this blog ... and you might be right !!
:-)

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has boasted to Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal that Cristiano Ronaldo has already signed for the Spanish club.
(Source = just about every newspaper)

Frank Lampard looks to be on his way out of Chelsea as owner Roman Abramovich has refused to sanction the new five-year deal the midfielder is demanding.
(Source = The Sun)

AC Milan claim Arsenal have written a letter to them offering to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, but don't want to pay the £35m fee that the Gunners want for the striker.
(Source = The Sun again !)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has set Gareth Barry's price at £17m plus defender Steve Finnan. Wow!
(Source = Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is trying to do a cut-price £6m deal for Real Zaragoza's Argentine forward Pablo Aimar.
(Source = Daily Mirror)

Everton are tracking Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito as David Moyes considers potential replacements for unsettled striker Andy Johnson who might move to Wigan. (Source = several)

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Ronaldo wants to move to Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo says he hopes to "complete his dream" of moving to Real Madrid, despite Manchester United insisting he is "not for sale".

The Portuguese winger has stated his intention to "take advantage of a great opportunity". "Everybody knows what I want but things don't only depend on me. I am not the person who decides but I hope to complete my dream."

Ronaldo stated that he made up his mind before the Champions League final that he wanted to leave United for Real. And he revealed that Luiz Felipe Scolari, about to take over at Chelsea after Portugal's exit from Euro 2008, advised him to make the move.

"It is a dream, a step forward," Ronaldo replied when asked about the prospect of playing at the Bernabau. "For me, it is a great opportunity and, as Scolari says, that train passes by only once and we have to take advantage of it."

Ronaldo indicated he will make a public statement about his plans over the next few days. He said he had not spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson, who is on holiday in France, during his participation in Euro 2008.

And he insisted he is not worried about upsetting the United manager, who he is set to meet for talks about his future following Portugal's exit against Germany on Thursday.

"It is my opinion," added Ronaldo. "That is why I don't mind if people get upset. It is my decision. It is what I want."

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Real Madrid can win league title against Osasuna

The champagne was temporarily put on ice at the Bernabeu after Villarreal beat Real Betis last week, but this weekend the destination of the league title is in Real Madrid's hands.

Real Madrid will collect their 31st Spanish championship if Villarreal fail to beat Getafe on Sunday or they win their match at Osasuna.

Real's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder is confident the team will not have to wait any longer to celebrate the title.

"I want to win the league against Osasuna and I'm sure we are going to do it" he said earlier this week on Spanish TV. "Villarreal aren't going to slip up but neither are we and so we will be champions this weekend."

Osasuna, however, have plenty to play for and are likely to prove difficult opponents. They are just two points above the relegation zone and cannot afford to lose any points if they are to avoid the drop.

Goalkeeper Ricardo will be able to play after his red card against Valencia was overturned on appeal, but centre forward Dady is a doubt.

Real are likely to be strengthened by the return of Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who should get a run after a six-week absence following ankle surgery, but playmaker Guti is a doubt because of a strained knee ligament.

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2008-9 Pre-season : Real Madrid and Juventus

Arsenal will host European heavyweights Real Madrid, Juventus and Hamburg in the pre-season Emirates Cup in August.

The Emirates Cup - which is being staged for the second year - will be held on August 2nd and 3rd at the Emirates Stadium. The trophy is decided on a league basis - with three points for a win plus an extra point for every goal scored.

"We are delighted at the calibre of the three visiting teams to this year's Emirates Cup" said Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman.

In the first season Arsenal won the pre-season trophy playing against Valencia, Inter Milan and Paris St Germain.

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Real Madid line up Mourinho - but dont tell anyone

Real Madrid have strongly denied reports in the Spanish press claiming the club are hoping to appoint former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.

Marca and El Mundo Deportivo on Friday claimed that Real were set to move for Mourinho as the reigning Spanish champions had lost faith in coach Bernt Schuster following Madrid's exit from the last 16 of the Champions League at the hands of Roma.

But the club released an official statement denying this and saying that they were perfectly happy with Schuster.

(Gooner says - yeah right!)

On Thursday Mourinho told a press conference in Valencia: "I am free, I don't have pre-contracts or a gentlemen's agreement. I don't want to take someone else's seat, but I would like to coach a top team in Italy or Spain."

(Gooner says - yeah right!)

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Hang onto your hats - it looks like the managerial roundabout rumours are starting early.

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Money talks - 11 clubs turnover GBP 100m +

Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have established themselves in the world top five of highest-earning clubs, according to a new report.

They made £580m between them last season and Deloitte, the business consultancy which compiles the Football Money League, believes their revenues will only increase as English clubs as a whole seek to maximise their money-making potential abroad.

A ninth Premier League title combined with a run to the Champions League semi-finals and a £14m-a-year shirt sponsorship deal helped United earn £212.1m in 2007. Chelsea made £190.5m in the same period and Arsenal took £177.6m, mainly from corporate revenue which doubled to £91m in their first season at the Emirates Stadium.

There are six English clubs in the top 20, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United being the others. Financial analysts expect more to follow in 2008 because of this season's £300m Premier League broadcast deal.

The rich list 2008

1 (1) Real Madrid £236.2m
2 (4) Manchester United £212.1m
3 (2) Barcelona £195.3m
4 (6) Chelsea £190.5m
5 (9) Arsenal £177.6m
6 (5) AC Milan £153.0m
7 (8) Bayern Munich £150.3m
8 (10) Liverpool £133.9m
9 (7) Internazionale £131.3m
10 (12) Roma £106.1m

11 (15) Tottenham Hotspur £103.1m
12 (3) Juventus £97.7m
13 (11) Lyon £94.6m
14 (13) Newcastle United £87.1m
15 (16) Hamburg £81.0m
16 (14) Schalke £76.9m
17 (-) Celtic £75.2m
18 (-) Valencia £72.4m
19 (-) Marseille £66.6m
20 (-) Werder Bremen £65.5m

Last year's position in parentheses

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Real Madrid raid for Robben and Heinz !!

Real Madrid have been busy in midweek while fans and players have been focusing on the international scene - swooping for two major signings.


Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze has agreed to join Real Madrid according to a statement on the Real Madrid website, which has been confirmed by Man Utd. It said the clubs had agreed a fee and Heinze will sign a four-year contract.

Heinze will undergo a medical in Madrid before completing the move which will see him replace veteran Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who left the Bernabeu in the summer.

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Meanwhile Arjen Robben is poised to complete a move to Real Madrid after the Spanish champions agreed a fee with Chelsea. Chelsea announced that the transfer had been settled subject to the Dutchman agreeing personal terms on a five-year deal and passing a medical.

The transfer fee is thought to be in the region of £21m.

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Real Madrid completed a busy day by agreeing to the sale of Cicinho to Italian club AS Roma. They're determined to defend their La Liga title.

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Beckham finishes at Real Madrid with La Liga title.

Real Madrid 3-1 Real Mallorca

I'm not a huge David Beckham fan - but I've been impressed with the way he's handled himself since the last World Cup and I can say that I was pleased to see Real Madrid clinch the La Liga title on the final day.

Beckham didn't actually have much influence on proceedings today, as he was substituted off midway through the second half with Real Madrid still 0-1 down after they fell behind when Fernando Varela broke the offside trap to score on 17 minutes.

His replacement was Arsenal loan player Jose Antonio Reyes who immediately scored with his first touch, to ease the panic that was running through the home side.

Then in the 80th minute Mahamadou Diarra's downward header trickled over the line after a double deflection off goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya and defender Basinas before Reyes curled in a delightful third goal from the edge of the area with about 5 minutes left.

(As a Gooner I can hope that will raise his standing in Spain and lift his value - as Arsenal look for a buyer for the homesick Spaniard)

But in the end today was not about Reyes, it was about Real Madrid finally claiming some silverware after four long seasons, and sending off Beckham and Brazillian left-back Roberto Carlos in style.

The scenes of celebration at the final whistle spoke volumes for the depth of feeling at the club - for both the achievement - and the quality of the departing players.

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Real Madrid big favourites to win Spanish League Title

Real Madrid are now a best 1/9 at bet365 to win La Liga after Saturday's dramatic penultimate round of matches.

Trailing twice and with title rivals Barcelona winning against Espanyol, Real's title hopes looked to have been ended for yet another season.

But ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal forced a 2-2 draw and a last-gasp equaliser for Espanyol at the Nou Camp ensured Real Madrid go into the final round of games next Sunday top of the table.

Madrid are level on points with Barca but in front on head-to-heads, so a home win against 12th-placed Real Mallorca will guarantee a title for the first time in four years at Real Madrid.

Barcelona are now considered almost out of the running and are priced at a huge 6/1 (7.00) at Paddy Power. Barcelona are away to bottom club Gimnastic in their final fixture.

Seville's title hopes remain alive but only just after their 0-0 draw goalless draw with Real Mallorca. They go into the final weekend two points off the pace and it's 50/1 that the other two slip up and they sneak through by scoring a home win over Villarreal.

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