Mes Que un Club - Luis Enrique

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Luis Enrique, remains convinced his faltering team will end their winless run and retain the La Liga title after seeing their treble dreams dashed.

They have surrendered a nine-point lead over second-placed Atlético Madrid after losing their last three games and are now above them only thanks to a superior head-to-head record. Barça, whose Champions League defence was ended by Atlético in the Champions League quarter-finals last week, are also just one point in front of Real Madrid.

However, Luis Enrique remained positive before the trip to Deportivo La Coruña on Wednesday, after which they will have just four games left in the title race.

“I’m convinced we’re going to win the league, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be sat here,” he said. “I like adversity, that’s how I am. I want to turn this around, win tomorrow and put on a show. I want to delight the fans who are behind us and can’t explain this situation.

Luis Enrique did not give any reasons for the dramatic loss of form, which has seen his side go from 39 games unbeaten in all competitions to losing four of their last five games.

“We are on a negative run but we don’t need to exaggerate. If it’s due to psychology, then we have the best psychologist around [at the club],” he added.

“We’re clinging on to our players and their attitude and their way of competing. We have had moments like this before, we know how to cope with pressure. But we’re playing against teams that can punish us with few chances.

“If the teams with the best players always won, football would be boring.”

Luis Enrique was also unapologetic for deriding a reporter who had asked him about the team’s fitness levels after Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat by Valencia.

"I have nothing to apologise for. I didn’t show anyone a lack of respect,” he said. “Journalists have also shown me a lack of respect. This is my style, I don’t care if you don’t like it.”

Barcelona, who had hoped to repeat the treble they won last season, will be without influential centre-back Gerard Piqué at Deportivo through suspension. He is set to be replaced by Marc Bartra, who has made just three league starts this season.

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Many Paths on the Road to Milan

Milano 2016 - UEFA

It could be that Josep Guardiola wins the silverware in Milan in May for Bayern Munich and then moves to Manchester in the summer seeking to recover the same said Champions League trophy, for his new club Manchester City. Adding to the already secured trophies for his former employers, and boyhood club, FC Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. Should he fail to overcome the semi-final opponents and not win the trophy for his German employers this will all be anecdotal irony and Guardiola head off to will set up new objectives for the Etihad Stadium team. 

And based on recent results and the close calls with Juventus in the last sixteen, and to some degree Benfica in the quarterfinals, Bayern need to get sharper to enable Pep completes his Bavarian mission – and capture the last piece of his jigsaw for Bayern – absent since his predecessor Jupp Heynckes brought it home from Wembley in 2013.

But perhaps the draw will throw up another configuration and see Real Madrid renew their European battle with the Bavarians, who over the years, have usually proved an unsurmountable hurdle to Florentino Perez’s ambitions. In 2012 Jose Mourinho’s ambitions were ended in the Santiago Bernabeu by the Munich team following penalties, with Dortmund ending their hopes a season later. In Lisbon in the 2014 Final, Atletico Madrid were the injury time victims for a Carlo Ancelotti Madrid team who had already reeked revenge on Bayern in the semi-final. 

Last season Bayern and Madrid avoided each other with both teams falling at semi-final stage to Barcelona and Juventus respectively. A return meeting for Bayern - with Pep at the helm - in Madrid would recall bygone memories of Old Clasico epics. As well as bring Xabi Alonso back to his alma mater having left the club a few seasons ago for Germany.

For Pep though a fate worse than death might have been that feared meeting with Barcelona in the final four. However, Diego Simeone demolished that demon at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday night and so its odds on Bayern will meet one of the Madrid teams. Back in 1974 Bayern and Atletico Madrid met in the Champions League final at the Heysel Stadium with the German team – not surprisingly - winning the first of their three European Cups that May evening. Their side a “de facto” German international team that just a few weeks later would lift the World Cup Jules Rimet trophy in Munich. Also captained by Franz Beckenbauer and featuring Munich stars Paul Breitner, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Gerd Mueller, Uli Hoeness and Sepp Maier. 

With Atletico Madrid showing more modestly perhaps, Heredia from Argentina, Miguel Reina - father of Liverpool keeper Pepe- and the legendary Spanish 2008 EURO winning coach, Luis Aragones, also in the playing ranks. It proved a long night for Atleti then in Brussels and they lost by four goals. A result which would be unlikely to be repeated under Simeone’s defensive system.

With Manuel Pellegrini the intrigue would be a return to the club which fired him after losing La Liga to Barcelona by a mere three points in 2009 – despite amassing a total of 96 points in La Liga that year and beating the previous Real Madrid record set by John Toshack. Which was then surpassed in by José Mourinho in the 2011–12 season. For City to snatch a victory, from the jaws of Perez, would no doubt please Pellegrini should it come to pass - and secure passage to that Final in Milan as a result. It would also sit nicely with his Premier League silverware secured in 2104. 

Should Pellegrini draw Simeone then it will be a nationalistic grudge between Argentina and Chile which at many levels is already tension filled enough - without the added pressure of a Champions League semi-final to play. The advantage on this occasion being that Atletico know their way to a final, having done so two seasons ago. But for Manchester it would be a new journey. Yet one they seem to be adapting to very easily it would seem thus far this season.

Zinedine Zidane like Guardiola has won a Champions League medal as a player. But has yet to add the title to his managerial resume to equal the Catalan player's achievement. The Frenchman winning his title at Hampden Park against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and Guardiola winning his at Wembley when Johan Cruyff was his Barcelona manager a decade earlier. Also in that Barca team was Txiki Beguiristain, Director of Football at Manchester City, and the man credited with turning Pep's head towards the Blue side of the city, rather than Old Trafford. 

For Zidane the task is probably the least complicated as his job is already on the line on a weekly basis - according to the Madrid sports dailies. Much as it was after the defeat in the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. With only a mild relief on offer when Real Madrid surprisingly won the Clasico in Camp Nou to edge closer to a chance at La Liga. Faced with that pressure Zidane will have no favoured options given his managerial career was launched prematurely with the firing of Benitez in January.

On Friday in Nyon all these possible encounters will be decided with the likelihood being that City and Bayern will meet. It’s newspaper headline waiting to happen.

OSM - All rights reserved

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Barcelona Suffer Another Defeat

Barca boss Luis Enrique - Getty Images

The sense that Barcelona are beginning to unravel following their third consecutive league defeat was reinforced by the short-tempered press conference Luis Enrique gave after Sunday’s home defeat to Valencia.

A journalist for the Diario Gol website, Victor Malo, asked the manager whether the physical preparation at the club might be to blame for the recent bad results, according to sport-english.com.

Luis Enrique responded by saying: “What was your surname?”

When the journalist replied “Malo” –meaning “bad” in Spanish – the manager said: “Correct, next question.”

Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Valencia allowed Atlético Madrid to draw level at the top of La Liga with Real Madrid only one point behind the leading pair, capping a disastrous week for the Catalan side.

On top of their declining league form, Barcelona were also knocked out of the Champions League by Atlético, ending hopes of going for a second successive treble.

There could be more problems in store for Barça after Neymar allowed his frustrations to spill over at the end of the Valencia game.

The Brazil striker, who had earlier been booked, was filmed apparently slapping or poking the Valencia full-back Antonio Barragán before running off towards the tunnel.

Marca reported that Neymar also threw a bottle of water at the defender, which missed, before shouting: “Shut up, I earn 10 times more than you!”

Barcelona’s stuttering title bid suffered a setback when they lost 2-1 at home to Valencia on Sunday, while Atlético Madrid moved level on points with the La Liga leaders after a comfortable win over Granada.

Barça have 76 points along with Atlético, who knocked the holders out of the Champions League in midweek, and remain top only due to a superior head-to-head record.

Atlético earlier eased to a 3-0 home win over Granada after Fernando Torres grabbed his fourth goal in as many games with Koke and substitute Angel Correa also on the scoresheet.

Real Madrid, whose coach Zinedine Zidane said in February that the title race was over, thrashed Getafe 5-1 away on Saturday and stand just one point behind the leading pair.

An own goal by Barça midfielder Ivan Rakitic put Valencia ahead after 27 minutes at the Camp Nou and Santi Mina added a second just before half-time to stun the Barça supporters.

Lionel Messi scored his 500th career goal to reduce the deficit after 64 minutes but the struggling hosts, who have squandered a nine-point lead, could not find an equaliser.

Despite Barcelona registering a third successive league defeat for the first time since 2003, Luis Enrique remained upbeat about his team’s chances of winning the title. “We’ve got a marvellous challenge, if we win the five games remaining we will be champions,” he said.

“Of course, our credit has run out and we are aware of the challenge. We’re going to approach it like a Barça player always does, with our heads held high.”

Barça humiliated a Valencia side coached by Gary Neville 7-0 in the Copa del Rey in February but had a much tougher time against successor Pako Ayesteran’s side and went behind when Guilherme Siqueira’s cross bounced off Rakitic and beyond Claudio Bravo.

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No Blancs for Zlatan at Etihad

Zlatan

Laurent Blanc has warned Manchester City that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is determined to end their Champions League campaign at the Etihad Stadium.

Ibrahimovic is the chief obstacle standing in City’s way as they attempt to reach the Champions League semi-finals at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Sweden striker had a mixed night in the first leg of their quarter-final in France last week, scoring and hitting the bar but also missing a penalty and spurning another good chance in the 2-2 draw.

Ibrahimovic, 34, has had a fine season, scoring 30 goals in Ligue 1 for the runaway champions. He is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move to England, most recently with City’s rivals Manchester United.

Blanc expects him to be at his sharpest at the Etihad Stadium. He said: “We’re always a bit surprised when Zlatan misses a chance but when you’re a top goalscorer like him, you can miss a couple. Unfortunately for us he missed them in that game. He still scored, though, and he’s someone who is extremely demanding of himself.

“He wants to show something else tomorrow [Tuesday], he wants to be more clinical in front of goal. If we create as many chances as the first leg, I think his conversion rate will be a lot higher.”

PSG showed plenty of attacking impetus at the Parc des Princes as they recovered from a goal down to take the lead and, when Ibrahimovic hit the woodwork, it seemed they would win convincingly.

But both sides were prone to errors and Fernandinho pounced on one from PSG to equalise and keep the tie alive.

Blanc, who could have the midfielder Marco Verratti back after almost eight weeks out with a groin injury, knows improvements are necessary. He said: “We’ve analysed the first game and looked at the errors we made. There was too wide a gap between players, we were not compact enough and opened too much space for City.

“When you think of the players they’ve got, particularly going forward, they can create problems for a lot of teams, not just us. We need to perform at the highest possible level, a higher level than the first game.

“PSG are capable of qualifying but we know how difficult it will be. I would still like us to create as many chances as we created last week because I am pretty sure we would score a fair few more.”

Also hoping to make an impression will be Ángel Di María, on his first return to Manchester since his unhappy spell at United last season. United signed the former Real Madrid winger for a club-record £59.7m in 2014 but he was allowed to leave to join PSG last summer.

Blanc said: “I don’t think Ángel has anything to prove. He’s going to be under pressure, like we all will. He joined us to bring his experience in the competition – he has won the Champions League.”

Di María himself hopes PSG can get back to their best. The Argentinian told the club’s website, www.psg.fr: “We need to play the way we know how – control the ball, attack and take the chances that come our way. That’s how we’ve won our matches up until this point. It’s our style.”

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Wolfsburg v Real Madrid - Preview

Zidane before Wolsfburg match 

Zinedine Zidane says Real Madrid will approach Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Wolfsburg "like a final".

The Frenchman said Saturday's 2-1 win over La Liga leaders Barcelona has already been forgotten.

"We cannot relax. We are not untouchable and Wolfsburg are able to hurt us," said Zidane.

"Wolfsburg have fought hard and deserve to be here. It will be a tough match but we are well prepared."

While Real closed the gap on league leaders and rivals Barca to seven points at the weekend, Wolfsburg lost 3-0 to Bayer Leverkusen, their third game without a win in the Bundesliga.

Seven points adrift of fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, they are in danger of missing out on next season's Champions League.

"They may have had problems in the Bundesliga, but this is a completely different competition," said Zidane.

"They have a fast attack so we have to be alert."

Zidane is expected to name the same team which started against Barcelona, with Raphael Varane the only injury absentee at the Volkswagen Arena because of a calf problem.

Cristiano Ronaldo's late goal secured a 2-1 win at Barcelona, ending the league leaders' 39-match unbeaten run

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking said "motivation won't be a problem" for his side, who are appearing in their first Champions League quarter-final.

"We have a big chance to perform on a great stage. Nobody thought we could get this far," he said.

"Real Madrid have a great squad with top-class players. They are one of the favourites for the title and one of the top clubs in Europe.

"But we will try to annoy them and I think my team can do that."

Wolfsburg are without left-back Sebastian Jung, who tore a knee ligament in the previous round against Gent and is out for the season, while midfielder Daniel Caligiuri has a groin problem.

Dieter Hecking, Wolfsburg coach

Since we were drawn against Real Madrid, we've been really excited. But is it the biggest match in our club's history? I think there have been other great games, though maybe this is the one with the most attention. It is extraordinary for every one of us and we want to demonstrate why we are still in this competition.

I don't know right now if Naldo will be able to play. We have to talk to the doctor and also the player. He wants to play, but now it's up to me if I trust him. I don't share the speculation that he will definitely play.

Zinédine Zidane, Real Madrid coach

It will be a tough match but we are well prepared. We will approach it like a final, we cannot relax: the win against Barcelona is already forgotten. We are in good shape and the team are focused – that is the most important thing for me.

More than anything, I want my players to concentrate on their own strengths. It gets more and more difficult, round by round, but if we work as a team we can win trophies.

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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.

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Bayern Munich v Benfica - Preview

For the second year running, FC Bayern München must overcome Portuguese opposition in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League as SL Benfica look to reach a first semi-final in more than 25 years.

The teams have met in three previous ties – and not only have Bayern won them all, they have gone on to reach at least the final of the competition on every occasion. The sides were first paired in the quarter-finals of the 1975/76 European Champion Clubs' Cup, a goalless first leg in Lisbon preceding Bayern's 5-1 win in Munich in which Bernd Dürnberger and Gerd Müller each scored twice and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge got the other Bayern goal.

Bayern went on to defeat AS Saint-Étienne 1-0 in the final at Hampden Park, Glasgow – therefore claiming the trophy for the third year in a row.

It was a similar story when the teams met again in the 1981/82 European Cup second round, the first leg in Lisbon again ending scoreless. Once again Bayern ran out comfortable victors at home, thanks mainly to a Dieter Hoeness hat-trick. Paul Breitner got the other in a 4-1 victory.

Again Bayern progressed to the final, although this time they missed out on the trophy, going down 1-0 to Aston Villa FC in Rotterdam.

Jürgen Klinsmann was the standout performer the last time the teams' paths crossed, in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup third round. The striker scored all four goals in Bayern's 4-1 home first-leg victory, then added two more in a 3-1 Lisbon success with Andreas Herzog contributing the other.

Bayern went on to the final and beat FC Girondins de Bordeaux 5-1 over two legs. Klinsmann finished with 15 goals for the season.

Five-time winners Bayern have featured in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in each of the last four seasons. Their European Cup quarter-final record is W17 L9.

Bayern have been unstoppable at home in this season's UEFA Champions League, winning all four games – although they needed extra time, and a recovery from 2-0 down, to beat Juventus in the round of 16 second leg. They won their home group games against GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC with an aggregate score of 14-1.

Twelve months ago, Bayern went down 3-1 at FC Porto in the quarter-final first leg but turned the tie round spectacularly with a 6-1 second-leg success in Munich.

That Porto defeat ended Bayern's 15-match unbeaten record against Portuguese opposition. Their overall record is now P24 W14 D8 L2 F55 A18; at home it is W9 D2 L0. They have won alll nine of their previous two-legged knockout ties against Portuguese opposition.

Bayern's only other defeat by a Portuguese club was also against Porto, in the 1987 European Cup final. Ludwig Kögl gave Bayern a 25th-minute lead at Vienna's Praterstadion, but late goals from Rabah Madjer (77) and Filho Juary (81) snatched away the trophy.

This is Benfica's first UEFA Champions League quarter-final since a 3-1 aggregate defeat by Chelsea FC in 2011/12. Their overall European Cup quarter-final record is W8 L8.

Benfica reached the final on the last two occasions they survived this hurdle – in 1990 and 1988.

Júlio César was in the FC Internazionale Milano side that beat Bayern 2-0 in the 2010 UEFA Champions League final in Madrid. The goalkeeper also helped the Nerazzurri win 3-2 in Munich in the following season's round of 16, going through on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw. Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm, Arjen Robben and Thomas Müller were in the Bayern side.

Arturo Vidal was in the Juventus team beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Benfica in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League semi-finals.

Benfica's Greek international striker Kostas Mitroglou holds German citizenship and had spells in the youth ranks at MSV Duisburg and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Mitroglou scored twice in Greece's 2-0 friendly win against David Alaba's Austria on 14 August 2013.

Robert Lewandowski has scored 13 times in 14 club appearances in 2016. He has registered ten of Bayern's 20 league goals since the winter break. The Poland forward has 44 goals in 47 outings for club and country in 2015/16.

Lewandowski's 25th Bundesliga goal this term, one more than his previous best total for a league campaign, earned Guardiola's men a 1-0 victory at 1. FC Köln on 19 March. With that effort against Köln, Lewandowski surpassed Luca Toni as the scorer of the most Bundesliga goals by a foreign player in a single season for the Bavarians.

Benfica have won 19 of their last 20 games in all competitions, the exception being the 2-1 home loss to Porto on 12 February. 

Jonas has managed 18 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions this calendar year. He has played the last 11 minutes of Brazil's 2-2 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw against Paraguay on 29 March – his first international appearance since September 2012.

Renato Sanches made his senior international debut on 25 March, coming on as a substitute in Portugal's 1-0 home loss to Bulgaria. He also featured against Belgium four days later.

Victor Lindelöf earned his first caps for Sweden in their 2-1 loss to Turkey and the 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic. 

Luisão (out since 21 November, broken left arm) suffered a setback in training and underwent surgery on the injury for a second time on 8 February.

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