Atletico Madrid v Barcelona - Preview

Simeone and Atletico - Getty Images

Fernando Torres is adamant he was wrongly sent off in the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona. The Atlético Madrid striker is suspended from Wednesday’s second leg following his dismissal in the 35th minute at the Camp Nou for a double booking, shortly after giving his side the lead.

Barcelona took advantage of having an extra man, Luis Suárez’s second-half double setting up a 2-1 win that Atlético must overturn without Torres at the Vicente Calderón.

“I’m convinced the second yellow card was not a card, I felt a mix of impotence and frustration,” Torres told the Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Tuesday, when describing his foul on the midfielder Sergio Busquets.

“When I see it again I see a slip-up. It’s not a kick nor a late tackle. The only argument is that it was an action that could have been avoided. My ambition to make it 2-0 ended up harming the team.

“I’m certain that with 11 players we would have won. The following days after the game were difficult. It took two days to get over what happened. The moments after the sending off were the worst of my career. I just wanted to be alone.”

Torres has two months left on his loan contract with Atlético, his boyhood club for whom he played between 2001 and 2007 until moving to Liverpool. He later played for Chelsea and Milan before returning to Atlético on loan from Milan in January 2015.

Although he did not give details on where his immediate future lay, the 32-year-old said he wanted to emulate the former Deportivo La Coruña veteran Juan Carlos Valerón and the Roma captain, Francesco Totti, by extending his stay with Atlético. “I would love to be the Valerón or Totti of Atléti but today more than ever is not the time to talk about that,” he said.

Diego Simeone

Being Atlético means being tenacious, competitive, never giving up and overcoming difficulties. We know there are better teams than us. But we know we can compete against Barcelona.

We try to improve what we are doing [against Barça] game after game. We will try to find an angle and see if we can get at them and win.

The excitement and enthusiasm around this match is fantastic, but I don't think the Barcelona players will be surprised by the atmosphere because they are used to it.

Koke is a very important player for us. He has great vision. The team has had a freshness and an energy about it of late, and that's down to having a player like him in midfield.

Luis Enrique

We are treating this like any quarter-final – I don't feel it's the biggest match of our season. We have a small advantage and we will try to win here too to make sure of the result. This team was made for matches like this. Yes, it's always difficult against Atlético, but it's all about doing things well, which is what we try to do every match. We'll need to play really well.

There is always room for improvement. It's not fair to think that victories or defeats are because of two or three players. I'm just as guilty for any defeats because I am the coach. I'm very happy with Arda Turan's performances and Gerard Piqué is fine.

Tomorrow will be difficult like any UEFA Champions League tie, particularly so against Atlético since they know us so well. There is no doubt we are going to compete. We love to see the Vicente Calderón full but if there's any team able to play in this atmosphere it is Barça. I hope we can see a great spectacle.

Related articles

• Cruyff's impact on Catalunya
• Man City ready to fight Juventus for signature of Spanish international midfielder
• Manchester City squad assessment: With Pep Guardiola on his way, who's in and who's out at the Etihad Stadium?
• Barcelona to play Atletico in Champions League quarter-finals
• Liverpool FC The Jury: 'The decision to substitute Lovren at half-time baffled'
• Barcelona to establish a football academy in Nigeria

Paris Saint German v Manchester City - Preview

PSG meet Manchester City

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is fit to play against Paris St-Germain in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

England international Hart, 28, has been out since injuring a calf in the 1-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester United on 20 March.

He took part in training on Tuesday before travelling to Paris.

"Hart has had medical and physical tests and has no problems to play," said manager Manuel Pellegrini.

City are in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time and face a team that has reached this stage of the competition in four successive seasons.

Pellegrini is not planning to take a cautious approach.

"We are not coming to Paris to draw 0-0. We'll play our usual way," he added. "Both teams have a chance to continue to the next stage and that chance is 50-50 for each team."

PSG boss Laurent Blanc does not believe his side are favourites to progress to the last four, but says City are "behind" the French champions in Europe.

"Manchester City had the same project a bit before Paris St-Germain," said the former Manchester United defender.

"They managed to win their domestic league, which is not an easy task, and some other titles, but maybe in Europe maybe they're a bit behind us."

Blanc suggested the Premier League's intensity has hampered the ability of English sides to pose a stronger challenge for European trophies.

Only Manchester United (2011) and Chelsea (2012 and 2014) have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League since 2010.

"Maybe England is more competitive but I don't see many English teams in the semi-finals of the European competitions over the last five or six years," said Blanc.

"Maybe they have reached a further level in terms of fatigue. You need to find a right balance. There are problems in every domestic league."

City midfielder Yaya Toure will miss the game with a heel injury, while forward Raheem Sterling is sidelined by a groin problem.

PSG's former Manchester United forward Angel di Maria is available after being rested for Saturday's 4-1 win over Nice.

Laurent Blanc

I have excellent memories of Manchester from when I was playing for Manchester United. We used to drive by the City training ground on the way to ours, but I think it's no longer there.

The city itself has transformed a lot. It used to be very post-industrial, but it has flourished into quite a charming place now. On the sporting front, City are reducing their deficit to United and becoming a great club again – let's not forget they were strong in the 1970s.

They say experience can make the difference in ties such as this and that every detail counts. After the draw, some were relieved and said it was a good one for us as we avoided the two giants, Barcelona and Bayern. I strongly warned my players not to listen to that. Those who say that don't understand anything about football.

We'll be up against a team with quality and quality in depth – their squad overall has much more quality than ours. These will be two difficult and delicate games.

Manuel Pellegrini, City manager

It'll be difficult but I believe we have a chance. Paris are a very good team, with a project similar to Manchester City in a sense, trying to grow year by year. Both teams have an opportunity to push on. I don't think there's a clear favourite in this tie.

It was important this season for us to win our group for the first time, and then we won in the round of 16 for the first time. We will see what happens against Paris.

Joe Hart has worked without any problem for the last few days and we tested him today. There's always a risk when a player returns from injury, but I don't think there's a problem with him playing.

Paris now hold a 25-point lead over second-placed Monaco (the record is 17) and Ibrahimović, on 30 league goals, has twice as many as anyone else in the division this term.

City returned to form and remain in the Premier League's top four after a quick start against a team they had last visited 16 years ago in England's third tier. Fernando opened his goal account for the campaign and, back from injury, Kevin De Bruyne volleyed in his first goal since 26 December.

Related articles

• Manchester City Can Handle PSG Believes Citizens Midfielder
• Liverpool - Over The Wall
• Manchester City trigger release clause for Manchester United target Aymeric Laporte - reports
• Official PFA Facebook page for Robin van Persie sees huge growth as Premier League fever spreads.
• Man Utd Next Boss: 10 Replacements For Louis Van Gaal
• Man United expect to sign Feyenoord striker Tahith Chong - source

Barcelona Beat 10 man Atletico

Suarez scores against Atleti

Luis Suárez scored two second-half goals to lead Barcelona to a 2-1 comeback victory over 10-man Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Fernando Torres opened the scoring in the 25th minute but quickly went from hero to villain for Atlético when two reckless tackles saw him sent off in the 35th minute.

Atlético resisted the defending champions’ push for an equaliser until Suárez scored an opportunistic goal in the 63rd minute.

Suárez put Barcelona ahead after 74 minutes when he played Dani Alves wide before directing the Brazil defender’s cross past goalkeeper Jan Oblak with an unstoppable header.

The win comes three days after Real Madrid ended Barcelona’s Spanish record 39-match unbeaten streak with a 2-1 win at Camp Nou.

The hosts' run of six straight wins against the Rojiblancos was in doubt when Fernando Torres netted his first UEFA Champions League goal for Atleti, but a red card for the striker soon after tilted the balance their way. Suárez tapped in an equaliser just after the hour before heading in the first-leg winner, but this quarter-final tie is far from over.

The first half was all about Torres: the good, the bad and the ugly. His goal was a peach, running through a gaping hole in the Barcelona back line and collecting Koke's lovely dinked pass before firing nervelessly between the onrushing Marc-André ter Stegen's legs.

A clumsy yellow card soon followed but that swinging arm looked graceful compared to the ungainly tackle on Sergio Busquets that earned a second booking. There were still ten minutes of the first half remaining yet Barcelona, seeking redemption after Saturday's home loss to Real Madrid, struggled to make inroads.

They had had their chances, with Neymar and Lionel Messi both passing up openings they might ordinarily have snapped up, but the home side were blunted. Luis Enrique must have spent the interval with a whetstone because as the second period got under way his players were razor-sharp.

With the tempo ratcheted up, Neymar curled an shot against the bar and Filipe Luís, Juanfran and Diego Godín all made desperate last-ditch challenges. Messi sent an acrobatic effort centimetres wide and finally Suárez found a way through, deflecting in Jordi Alba's volley.

A second duly followed, a header to complete a lovely move of one-touch football, yet Atlético restricted the damage and this tie is still in the balance.

The brains of the visiting team, midfielder Koke played superbly in a first half in which Ter Stegen's brilliant save from Antoine Griezmann kept the holders alive. But after Atleti went down to ten, the power and irresistibility of the home side took over, Andrés Iniesta their ever tireless and nerveless orchestrator. Meanwhile Suárez, as he did here against Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal, proved that having a striker for whom the goalmouth is magnetic is the difference between winning and losing.

Most teams struggle to cope against Barcelona with 11 men, but for the second time in little more than two months Atlético played at the Camp Nou with numerical inferiority. That they threatened with nine men in January's Liga meeting, and with ten here, is testimony to their tactical nous, fitness and collective fortitude. And if their Herculean efforts earned little moments of fortune in keeping the score down, perhaps it is evidence of the old refrain that 'the harder I work the luckier I get'.

Part of the allure of this competition is that no club has successfully defended the UEFA Champions League title. 

This quarter-final is still open and what the first leg made clear is that the distance between the sides, even after so many Atlético defeats, is paper-thin. 

Related articles

• Leo Messi fights Cristiano Ronaldo in 'Barcaman v Suuuuperman' (442oons Video)
• Barcelona Review: All Season In One Game
• Manchester City hope Guardiola can lure Messi to England
• Barack Obama and Lionel Messi: US President's daughters wanted to meet Barcelona star in Argentina
• Watch out, Arsenal! Barcelona send Champions League warning with Getafe rout despite Lionel Messi penalty miss and no Luis Suarez
• Lionel Messi Surpasses 300 Goals in the Spanish League

Juventus Comeback Stuns Bayern

Getty Images

Juventus came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 home draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich.

Goals from Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben either side of half-time looked to have put Bayern in control of the tie. But Paulo Dybala pulled one back and the substitute Stefano Sturaro equalised to ensure Juventus will go into the second leg on 16 March with optimism.

The pre-match team news focused on both team’s defences, with Juve switching to a back four in the absence of Giorgio Chiellini while injury-hit Bayern paired the inexperienced Joshua Kimmich with the versatile David Alaba in the centre. The full-back Philipp Lahm made his 100th Champions League appearance.

Mario Mandzukic scuffed an early shot for Juve before, at the other end, a rather better-struck 25-yard volley from Arturo Vidal was beaten away by Gianluigi Buffon. Mandzukic stretched to reach strike partner Dybala’s cross but could only divert the ball over the bar.

Bayern missed an extraordinary opportunity in the 13th minute when Lahm cut the ball into the box and Robert Lewandowski drew the keeper but squared the ball behind Müller, who could not get the ball out of his feet and his weak shot was cleared off the line by Leonardo Bonucci.

Vidal got away with a possible handball when Paul Pogba stabbed the ball into the Bayern area.

Robben fired over from the right side of the penalty area before Müller was again unable to bring the ball under control in the box.

Buffon fumbled Juan Bernat’s innocuous shot but Bonucci scrambled the ball away, and Robben then headed Douglas Costa’s corner wide.

Bayern continued to dominate, though, and it told before half-time as Costa’s volleyed cross deflected off Andrea Barzagli and Müller stroked home.

Massimiliano Allegri sent on Hernanes for Claudio Marchisio at half-time but the desired impact was not forthcoming as Robben made it 2-0 10 minutes into the second period. Thiago Alcântara’s pass sparked a three-man breakaway and Lewandowski, who got away with a foul on Bonucci in the buildup, used Müller as a decoy and fed the winger, who cut inside and curled a left-foot shot around Bonucci and Buffon.

Dybala saw a free-kick deflected over the bar but the Bayern pressure kept coming and Lewandowski sent a diving header wide.

Out of nowhere, though, Juve pulled a goal back when Kimmich’s error presented the ball to Mandzukic and he slid it through for Dybala to take a touch and finish.

Mandzukic was fortunate to escape punishment after twice pushing his head towards Lewandowski as the two squared up but it did not disrupt Juve’s new-found rhythm, Juan Cuadrado denied by Manuel Neuer’s fingertips and Pogba curling just over.

Allegri sent on Sturaro in the 69th minute and Alvaro Morata in the 75th and these changes paid off immediately, as Morata headed Mandzukic’s pass nicely across the six-yard box for a lunging Sturaro to finish via the crossbar.

Barzagli cleared Robben’s cross away from Lewandowski and when Muller delivered from the other side, it was just too far in front of the Poland striker. Mehdi Benatia then headed over from Thiago’s corner.

Bonucci’s shot was straight at Neuer and the Bayern substitute Franck Ribery, who on Sunday returned from 11 months out, was unable to pick out Lewandowski as the match finished with no further score.

Related articles

• Juventus vs. Bayern Munich lineups: Bavarians field 0 central defenders
• Juventus vs Bayern Munich match report: Paulo Dybala inspires draw after Juve were two down in Turin
• Champions League: Juventus fight back from 0-2 down to draw with Guardiola's mighty Bayern
• Juventus 2-2 Bayern Munich: Sturaro rescues Juve in dramatic draw [VIDEO]
• Juventus comes back to draw 2-2 against Bayern in CL last 16
• Allegri expects goals, but would settle for Bayern draw

Arsenal v Barcelona - Preview

Getty Images

Luis Enrique will be waving his magic wand over his much-lauded attacking trio when Barcelona take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

The reigning European champions head to north London having won 16 of their last 18 games in all competitions and with their front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar already scoring 91 goals between them this season.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger labelled Barcelona as not far from perfect when addressing the media ahead of the game — calling the three-pronged attack a collection of “top, top class” players.

And Enrique, looking to mastermind a first win for the Catalan giants at the Emirates Stadium, says he only has to say the magic words to get his wish from his star names.

“I tell them ‘abracadabra’ and the magic sparks — that is all I do!” he said.

“I always work really hard and I always had the chance to have plenty of good strikers in my squad, it is quite simple, quite easy.

“In some situations you don’t even have to wish what you would like them to do, they already do it. We have to work hard so our midfielders can give them the ball.

“We all have the same targets and we know how difficult it is to achieve those targets. I’m delighted with those three and also with the squad.

“I have three great players, they are the chosen ones, they are eager to win and every two or three days they have new motivation. I see them training and I’m delighted to be their manager.”

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic is one of the players tasked with feeding the ball to Messi, Suarez and Neymar to allow them to set about bamboozling defences.

The Croatia international likened his team-mates to children playing the sport - given how much joy having a ball at their feet gives them.

“We are really happy about having those three in our squad,” he said.

“It makes you really proud and I wouldn’t say that they never rest or they never stop playing in a game, I would say that if they didn’t play they wouldn’t like it.

“They are like children playing football and it would be like taking the ball away from them (to rest them). We must try to help them be better, those three players make us a different team and hopefully they make us better.

“We have to focus on what we do and we are really delighted to play with Messi, Suarez and Neymar.”

While Wenger opted to completely rest the likes of Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil for Arsenal’s 0-0 FA Cup fifth-round stalemate against Hull on Saturday, Enrique kept his main men in the side which beat Las Palmas in the Primera Division.

He did make changes to his side but insists he will run the risk of upsetting supporters by playing his key men if and when he desires.

“Yes and I did them, I rotate,” Enrique replied when asked about a lack of alterations on Saturday.

“I made the decisions that I thought were best for my team. I’m a decision maker and I make decisions constantly every two or three days, whether my decisions are liked or not is something I can’t control.”

Related articles

• Andrea Pirlo: Arsenal's Mesut Ozil has vision like nobody else in Europe
• Sports › Saints stalemate dents Arsenal title bid
• Asamoah Gyan Is Still the Highest Earner In China
• Decisive Weeks Ahead
• Arsenal: Andrea Pirlo heaps praise on Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil
• Messi surpasses triple century of Liga goals

Juventus v Bayern Munich - Preview

Getty Images

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola is not concerned by a host of defensive injuries ahead of their Champions League last-16 tie at in-form Juventus.

Guardiola is without centre-backs Javi Martínez (knee), Jerome Boateng (groin) and Holger Badstuber (ankle).

It means that midfielder Joshua Kimmich and full-back David Alaba could form a makeshift partnership.

"We don't have any central defenders, that's how it is. We've got to avoid conceding set-pieces," Guardiola said.

"They are maybe the best team in Europe from set-pieces."

Guardiola won the Champions League twice as a manager at Barcelona, and is seeking to lift the trophy for the first time with Bayern before he heads to Manchester City next season.

He takes his team to face a Juventus side who reached last season's final and who had won 13 consecutive games in all competitions before a Serie A draw at Bologna last Friday.

Gianluigi Buffon says Juve are a lot more assured than when they last lost to Bayern at home in 2013

Massimiliano Allegri's team are also on a 16-game unbeaten run at home in the Champions League.

They will be without Giorgio Chiellini (calf) and Alex Sandro (thigh), who were left out of their squad, but Mario Mandzukic has shaken off a calf problem with Allegri saying that the former Bayern forward and midfielder Sami Khedira would start.

Juventus suffered a rare home defeat by Bayern in 2013 but goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said: "We'll be up against a very strong team with very few, if any, weaknesses. But we're also on the up. We're a lot more self-assured than we were three years ago."

Bayern are eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and are unbeaten in 10 games.

Guardiola added: "Juventus didn't start the season well, but things are working well now with their style of play so it's going to be an interesting game.

"We'll try to play well and score a few goals, which won't be easy because they have not been conceding."

Related articles

• Bayern short at the back as Juve match looms
• Bayern's Guardiola short at the back as Juve loom
• Bayern Munich's injury list is 'no accident,' claims expert
• Arturo Vidal Rejected Manchester United to Join Bayern Munich
• Manchester City Signs Pep Guardiola to a Three-Year Deal
• Guardiola makes Suarez top target ahead of Manchester City move

Draxler Goals Help Wolfsburg

Getty Images

Julian Draxler scored two classy goals to lead Wolfsburg to a 3-2 away win over Champions League newcomers Gent in their round of 16 first leg match. At 22, Draxler confirmed himself as the new creative force of a team that had been struggling, scoring just before and just after half-time. On the hour mark, Max Kruse finished off another smooth move with a goal that made it seem like the second leg would be little more than a formality.

Minute-by-minute report: Wolfsburg led 3-0 and almost made it four, but Gent woke up in the final 10 minutes, scoring twice to keep the tie alive before next month’s second leg in Germany. Alan Smith watched it.

But Gent’s Sven Kums scored from 18 yards in the 80th minute and Kalifa Coulibaly, with a close-range header, made the game still closer nine minutes later – meaning that new life has been breathed into the Belgian side’s prospects of causing another big shock in the competition.

Wolfsburg defended high from the start and harried Gent’s midfield throughout, belying the host side’s robust home reputation. Draxler, though, made all the difference. In the 44th minute, he first swivelled around a defender and sprinted down the left sideline before working a perfect one-two with Vieirinha and finishing the move off with a low shot past Matz Sels.

His second goal, in the 54th minute, was perhaps even better. Latching on to a bad backpass, he beat the last defender, Stefan Mitrovic, with a ball through the legs before chipping over Sels into the empty net.

It was an important payoff from Wolfsburg’s most expensive player and also showed his promise for the German national team. Draxler was brought in after Kevin De Bruyne moved to Manchester City, but the German side has been struggling for much of this season and is currently eighth in the Bundesliga.

Still, Draxler’s performance showed that a struggling team in the German league still presents a massive challenge for a Champions League newcomer like Gent. Regardless, Wolfsburg were frustrated with the late goals that left Gent still with an outside chance in the return game. “We shifted a gear back,” said Draxler. “That was our mistake.”

The Belgian champions were euphoric about reaching the knockout stage, but struggled from the kick-off. Gent, who won their first league title last year, have charmed everyone with open attacking play but, even though Wolfsburg’s defence was hit by suspension and injury, they were only able to thrill the home fans at the 20,000-capacity Ghelamco Arena in the last 10 minutes.

Related articles

• Champions League: Real Madrid inch towards quarters as Ronaldo, Jese power 2-0 win over Roma
• Manchester City EDS thump Liverpool to make their case for more game time
• Julian Draxler double sees Wolfsburg home against Gent [VIDEO]
• Tactical Analysis: Athletic Bilbao 5-2 Eibar | Bilbao blow away the 4-4-2
• Ronaldo breaks Roma resistance as Real win 2-0
• Alessandro Florenzi: 'Result is not fair"

Ronaldo Roma Rocket Gives Zidane Win

Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 12th Champions League goal of the season as Real Madrid took a firm grip on their last-16 tie with a 2-0 first leg win at AS Roma on Wednesday.

The record 10 times European champions took the game to Roma, but were frustrated in the first half as the hosts kept men behind the ball, while looking to catch Real out on the break.

Ronaldo, however, ended their resistance when he took a fine pass from Marcelo on the left edge of the box and his shot deflected off Alessandro Florenzi and looped over goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny into the net just before the hour mark.

Substitute Jese added the Spanish team’s second four minutes from full-time with a solo run into the box and shot across the face of goal and inside the far post.

Two minutes earlier, Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas came out sharply to save at the feet of Stephan El Shaarawy after one of Roma’s fast and dangerous counter-attacks.

Ronaldo might have had a second goal a quarter of an hour from the end but his header at the far post was just wide from James Rodriguez’s superb cross.

Karim Benzema then saw his goalbound shot from another James cross hit Lucas Digne in the head.

At the other end, Roma substitute Edin Dzeko hit the side-netting with a header and Real were relieved when the home side were not awarded a penalty after a tackle by Dani Carvajal on Florenzi.

Related articles

• Levante 0-2 Barcelona: Luis Suarez scores late as Barca open three point gap at top of La Liga
• Barcelona ties all-time club record of 28 games without loss
• Why Lionel Messi is not Representing Argentina in the Rio Olympics
• Revealed! The 10 highest paid players in world football - includes one shock new entry
• Messi the favorite, but could Neymar jump Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or voting?
• Global Soccer: An Aggressive Atlético Madrid Runs Out of Tricks in Barcelona