Champions League Round of 16 Draw Sees Real Madrid Face PSG

As the Champions League approaches the knockout stages UEFA has drawn the ties for the round of 16, with French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain facing holders Real Madrid. Having just collected his latest Ballon d'Or last week in Paris, Ronaldo looks to stop Neymar and PSG's European title aspirations early in the tournament. Other notable matches from the draw feature Antonio Conte's Chelsea drawn against FC Barcelona, along with group-topping Tottenham Hotspur drawn against Juventus FC.

Champions League Round of 16 Draw

Juventus - Tottenham Hotspur
FC Basel - Manchester City
FC Porto - Liverpool
Sevilla - Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain - Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk - AS Roma
Chelsea - Barcelona
Bayern Munich - Besiktas

The Europa League round of 32 draw also took place, with German giants Borussia Dortmund drawn against Atlanta, who in their past two Europa League matches defeated Everton 5-1 and Olympique Lyonnais 1-0. Arsenal have been served up Swedish side Ostersund, while Olympique Lyonnais will have to overcome Villarreal in order to come closer to playing the Europa League final at the Stade de Lyon.

Europa League Round of 32 Draw

Borussia Dortmund - Atlanta
FC Nice - Lokomotiv Moskva
FC Copenhagen - Atletico Madrid
Spartak Moskva - Athletic Bilbao
AEK Athens - Dynamo Kyiv
FC Celtic - FC Zenit
Napoli - RB Leipzig
Crvena zvezda - CSKA Moskva
Olympique Lyonnais - Villarreal
Real Sociedad - FC Salzburg
Partizan - Viktoria Pizen
FCSB - Lazio
FC Ludogorets - AC Milan
Astana - Sporting CP
Ostersund - Arsenal
Olympique Marseille - Sporting Braga

The Champions League round of 16 kicks off on the 13th of February with Juventus hosting Tottenham and FC Basel hosting Manchester City.

Big Names, Big Money

As the summer transfer window has finally drawn to a close, there is definitely plenty to talk about. While the ludicrously spending Premier League was definitely the center of attention as the transfer market neared its closing, there were plenty of very intriguing exchanges all across Europe. There's is a ton of dealings to talk about, so it's best to get started with the biggest of names.

The deal which everyone awaited with trepidation was that of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. It took 95 million Euros from the Galacticos to secure the left winger, who will be giving Ancelotti a few things to think about tactically. While the most obvious solution to the coach's problems would be to put Bale on the left wing and push Ronaldo to the center, what remains of Benzema? Does the Frenchman become your supersub? And that's without considering Modric and Di Maria, both left footed players which will be forced to adapt after the arrival of the latest Galactico.

While the price tag on Bale could be considered a little exaggerated, Tottenham have spent just about every penny reinforcing their squad in just about every way possible. Roberto Soldado and Roma's Argentine wonderkid Erik Lamela were the priciest of Tottenham's additions, both costing 30 million Euros each. Behind them are Paulinho, Eriksen, Capoue, Chiriches, and Chadli; all of which are exceptional additions to a side which is looking to reinvent itself after losing its most influential player. Yet there's a few important questions Spurs should be asking themselves, whether the new players can mesh together quickly enough, and whether amongst all of these additions perhaps just one defender (Chiriches) might not be enough? Only time will tell, but if Tottenham manage to seal any possible defensive worries then perhaps there's a side ready to compete for a place in the top three.

As Arsenal fans eyed their cousins full of envy throughout the window, in the final day Wenger finally found a player worth signing. None other than Mesut Ozil, the former Real Madrid man left the Bernabeu for around 50 million Euros, becoming both the most expensive German and Arsenal's most expensive signing yet. A truly fantastic signing for a side which has been searching for some stability. While the recent victory over Tottenham shows signs of recovery, with the insertion of Ozil into the team Arsenal should find even more ways to pick apart defences with their entrancing style of play. Yet the question looms, does this new signing solve Arsenal's problems? I can't say that it will, but if anything it's a definite distraction from them. An uplifting end to what seemed to be a dismal summer for Arsenal fans.

And if we're going to talk about big names, it seems nearly impossible not to mention Kaka's fabled return to AC Milan. The Rossoneri were able to nab the Brazilian for free, and it's being reported that the player took a fairly hefty cut to his wages just to return to the club with which he found the most success. While returning AC Milan legends haven't always been as successful as fans might have hoped (Shevchenko being the most obvious example), it seems like Kaka's return will give exactly what the side needs to prosper in this upcoming season. After having sold Kevin Prince Boateng to Schalke 04 for 12 million Euros, Milan needed a midfielder with creativity to support the young Balotelli and El Sharaawy. Who better than Kaka?

Are you convinced by these transfers? Have these clubs properly strengthened their squads, or are they too focussed on flashy attacking players? What was your favorite transfer of this summer? Share your thoughts on the transfer window below!

Schalke Stun Inter Milan in 5-2 Away Victory

Edu scored two goals against Inter Milan

It really is rare seeing eleven goals scored in just two matches. Thanks to some brash decision-making, poor defending and wonderful moments of brilliance, fans got to see two amazing matches between Schalke 04 and Inter Milan and Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. The final scores of the matches were a spectacular 5-2 win for Schalke 04, and a dominant 4-0 win for Real Madrid.

In Milan, Italian fans at the San Siro were very disappointed with their team's display. Although Inter Milan were a goal up after just 24 seconds, things ended up poorly for the nerazzurri. It was Stankovic's brilliant first time strike from Neuer's clearance which flew into the empty net. The Serbian scored from just past halfway, without the ball bouncing even once on the ground during his spectacular volley. While Stankovic's goal might've been the best I've seen this season, Matip's scrappy effort equalized for Schalke about 15 minutes later.

Milito putting Inter in front 2-1, but only temporarily...

At 1-1, Inter continued to push forward, and eventually restored their lead with Diego Milito scoring from a well crafted move which finished in the Argentine's tap-in. But yet again, Inter saw their hard work disappear when broke through the disorganized backline and shot at Julio Cesar. While the Brazilian keeper saved the shot, Edu quickly tapped-in the rebound to send the teams equal at halftime with the score at 2-2.

While the Italian fans expected a reaction in the second half from Inter, it was quite the opposite. Schalke came out and scored three with Raul and Edu both getting goals, along with an unlucky own goal for Andrea Ranocchia. The match finished 5-2 for Schalke, a truly amazing away display from the Germans. Inter now need to travel to Germany in the second leg and win by at least four goals if they want to progress, something which seems very difficult with their shaky back-line.

Kevin McCarra Talking About the Champions League Draw

I'm a very big fan of the Guardian's football section, mainly because they offer excellent insight into soccer/football from around all of Europe. Of course, being an English newspaper they tend to focus a bit more regarding English clubs and the Premier League.

Here's a short video of Kevin McCarra, the Guardian's chief football writer talking about the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw along with Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Jose Mourinho. If you're interested in more insight from the Guardian's expert panel of football writers and correspondents, I suggest you try listening to the Guardian's Football Weekly podcast.

What do you think, could Jose Mourinho be sacked if he fails to win the Champions League this season? I'd personally give him at least two years to work his magic, but maybe Florentino Perez has other ideas. And what about Chelsea, could this be the year that Abramovich's big spending pays off? Share your comments below!

UEFA Champions League 2011 Quarter-Final Draw

As this season approaches crunch-time, we're seeing some teams really step up their game for the Champions League. The holders Inter Milan knocked out Bayern Munich after a well-fought 3-2 victory in the return leg at the Allianz Arena. Real Madrid finally broke their seven year curse of never managing to reach the quarter-finals. And Tottenham magnificently overcame a staunch AC Milan side in their debut season of the European tournament. It has truly been a thrilling competition.

Many say that while the semi-finals and the final are extremely important, it's the quarter-finals which are often the most exciting. And so, after the UEFA draw in Nyon, we have the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals. The team on the left  (Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, and Inter Milan) will play the first leg (which takes place April 5th or 6th) at home, and the return leg away from home. 

Real Madrid - Tottenham Hotspur

Barcelona - Shakhtar Donetsk

Chelsea - Manchester United

Inter Milan - Schalke 04

The semi-final draw looks will be the winner between Real Madrid v Tottenham against the winner of Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk, and the winner of Chelsea v Manchester United will face the winner of Inter Milan v Schalke 04. This sets us up perfectly for a possible Barcelona v Real Madrid semi-final, which would truly be a spectacle. Share your thoughts regarding the draw below!

Harry Redknapp Looking to Keep Pre-Season Promise

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp

At the start of the season, Harry Redknapp told Tottenham fans that despite the obvious potential for distraction which comes with participating in the Champions League, his mission brief was simple: to finish in the top four and to continue the club's development from mid-table also-rans to genuine title contenders. So far his plan is almost going to plan as they currently occupy fifth-spot, but are well-placed to take advantage of any slip-ups by either Manchester City, or by their main rivals Chelsea.

The fact that Spurs are still in Europe will actually act as a boost – both for the fans and for the playing squad – for the duration of their Premiership campaign. Belief is absolutely sky-high in the camp at the moment, and although defeat against a side as seasoned as Milan wouldn't have been catastrophic for morale, the euphoria that was felt around White Hart Lane come the final whistle on Wednesday night was exactly the sort of sight you'd expect to see at the ground. This is a team of players who are becoming a real force to be reckoned with, and anyone looking to bet on football should remember this.

Dawson and Gallas celebrating

The season that Spurs are enjoying – described by manager Harry Redknapp as being like an "impossible dream" – does not solely revolve around their adventures in Europe of course; they are still also excellently placed to finish fourth. Such an occurrence would be a fitting end to a landmark campaign in which they proved to all the doubters that it is not only the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea who can balance both domestic and continental demands. Something the Betfair football predictions suggested they may not do.

Spurs finally possess the strength in depth to cope with either injuries or suspensions – a point highlighted by their defence's ability to shift and evolve as they accommodated lengthy spells on the sidelines for the majority of their household names. The signings of both Rafael Van der Vaart and Steven Pienaar this season have only strengthened an already impressive attacking unit which already featured a vast array of talented players. Spurs will have to treat every game from now until May as a virtual cup final if they are to claw back the three point lead held over them by Chelsea, but they finally have the quality and the belief needed to make up the yards.

Italian Troubles In Europe: Napoli Out of Europa League

Being a big fan of Italian football, I find it slightly sad watching a constant decline for Italian teams when they play in European competitions. It all started with AC Milan's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur: an ugly game, with Tottenham deservedly winning at the San Siro. After that, the Roma train-wreck crumbled against Shakhtar Donetsk, conceding three away goals in their 3-2 loss at the Stadio Olimpico. Then came Leonardo's turn at the San Siro, and while Inter Milan played well against Bayern Munich, the Germans pulled off a last minute goal to win 1-0. Finally came Napoli, the culmination of this disaster set of matches in Europe for Serie A clubs. A 0-0 draw in the first leg at the San Paolo against Villarreal seemed like a decent result, yet Mazzarri's team was unable to produce the goods away in Spain. A 2-1 comeback from Villarreal silenced any hope of Italian glory in the Europa League.

The Serie A has become like an old acquaintance, slowly falling behind the pack. Some remember the better days while most don't really care about this decline. While Inter Milan won the Champions League last season, it wasn't a victory for Italian football, it was a victory for a few individuals. A victory for Massimo Moratti, a victory for Wesley Sneijder, and especially a victory for Jose Mourinho. It seems like in the records of time, few will remember as an Italian side won the Champions League last season, most will remember it as, "Mourinho showed he was the best, again".

Some say it is the style. They say that the Serie A is too defensive nowadays, and against other European sides this method of play doesn't work. Yet every weekend I see a swashbuckling Roma side, lose 5-3 or 4-3. I see a scintillating Palermo team which plays wonderful football through the nimble feet of Javier Pastore. I see a free-flowing Napoli, with the trio of Hamsik, Lavezzi, and Cavani tearing through defences with rapidity and grace. I see it all in the Serie A, so why don't I see it in Europe?

It seems like fear to me. When a big challenge arises, the Italian instinct seems to be to close up. We don't see Maicon charge up the right wing anymore, instead he (along with the other fullbacks) will be cautious. Instead of seeing passes going towards the opponents goal, we see lateral passes from the defence, too afraid to move forward and maybe lose the ball. Sadly this can eventually become ugly. Tension creeps in as the clock ticks down. After a rough challenge, all of a sudden some Italian pride springs up, and the players argue like madmen with the referee. They yell at him, surround him, tug his shirt, yet the match continues as it was. It continues with an Italian side, too fearful to create anything.

The recent results in the Champions League and Europa League are all very negative. It seems like we could have no Italian teams in European competitions after the return leg of the Champions League. AC Milan need to overcome a spirited Tottenham, Roma need to wake up from their management nightmare to defeat Shakhtar Donetsk, and Inter need to finish the opportunities they create to knock out Bayern. Could it all happen, and three Italian teams progress to the next stages? I doubt it. For fans of Italian football, we'll be lucky if we see one team progress to the next round of the Champions League. A sad demise it has been for the Serie A.

Tottenham Get Crucial 1-0 Away Win Against AC Milan

Creator and scorer celebrating

The way which Tottenham have gone about their business in the Champions League is wonderful. Instead of watching a lifeless match at the San Siro, we got to see Tottenham win away from home in their fearless and adventurous style.

While the final score was 1-0, Tottenham were continuously working the ball in from the flanks, exploiting AC Milan's weak fullbacks. In the first half AC Milan seemed lifeless. Letting Aaron Lennon and Rafael van der Vaart dominate with almost no difficulty.

There were two injuries during this match, one to Abbiati and one to Corluka. Abbiati was replaced by Marco Amelia in the 17th minute after a strange corner in which Abbiati must have clashed his head against something. It seems like he had trouble standing, and apparently he has been diagnosed with a minor trauma to the head. Throughout the match, Corluka was pumping in crosses for Crouch until the 57th minute when Flamini swung in with a two-footed tackle, injuring and forcing Corluka to be substituted. The Frenchman should have been sent off with a red card, yet he only received a yellow. Corluka on the other hand was on crutches with a protective cast, watching Jonothan Woodgate make his return for tottenham.

Tottenham continued to hassle AC Milan, with Sandro and Palacios holding the midfield well. Crouch probably should have put away a few good chances, but the lanky striker ultimately decided the game in the second half. The Milan midfield was sluggish, with Seedorf unable to create, and Gattuso only able to pick fights with Tottenham's coach Joe Jordan (a former AC Milan player).

Corluka crumpled on the ground after Flamini's terrible tackle

The second half was slightly more entertaining. AC Milan were more dynamic with the introduction of Pato who replaced Seedorf, yet Tottenham were fearless as ever against the rossoneri. While the match became entertaining for a while, it slowly became more and more tense, with fouls and arguments (mostly from the home side) overtaking the actual play.

Yet Tottenham were intent on scoring an away goal. A quick counter-attack with Lennon running from the Tottenham half all the way to Milan's box, blazing past Yepes with no trouble. From there, Lennon delivered a delightful ball on the ground for Crouch to slot past Amelia.

It was nice seeing such a hardworking side reap the rewards. The 80th minute goal was the proper punishment for the incompetent Milan side, which did its best to react in the final minutes. Ibrahimovic managed to get a goal, but it was disallowed because of his blatant shove to Dawson - as he tried to make space for himself - before scoring it. In the end, it was the central defender Mario Yepes who came closest to score for Milan, but Gomes made a fantastic one-handed save to stop the goal-bound header.

Peter Crouch scoring the only goal of the match

An entertaining match which has major repercussions for AC Milan. Tottenham on the other hand must be extremely satisfied with the result, and hope that they can contain the rossoneri at White Hart Lane. What were your thoughts on the match? Share your comments below!

Manchester United Edging The Title Race

With Christmas nearly upon us, the Premiership race is still far from being all wrapped up. At the midway point in the season, there are still five teams with a realistic chance of finishing as this season's champions. Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea were always expected to be at the front of the queue, but the big three are being pushed all the way by Tottenham and Manchester City.

Many expected Spurs to struggle with the demands of balancing their domestic duties along with their debut season in the Champions League. That hasn't been the case though for Harry Redknapp's men, and Spurs are sitting a mere seven points off the top of the league as well as impressing in Europe. Despite their impressive form so far this season, it's doubtful they can keep it up till the end. Next season could be a different story though.

Man City certainly have the players capable of winning a Premier League in the future, but this season again looks to be a bit early for this ever-evolving squad of superstars. It looks as though the best Roberto Mancini's side can really hope for this campaign is that vital fourth place and Champions League football next year. There still doesn't seem to be the team spirit needed at the club for them to mount a genuine title challenge and the football betting reflects this.

That leaves the 'Holy Trinity' once again battling it out for the Premier League crown. Unless the situation at Stamford Bridge changes quickly, Chelsea don't look capable of retaining their title. Carlo Ancelotti's side have suffered a remarkable slump in form recently and can count themselves extremely lucky to still be in the race, due to the mixed form of their rivals.

Last Monday's match between Manchester United and Arsenal could prove to be a sign of what this title race may bring. The Gunners have at times this season, finally looked like the finished product but when it comes to the crunch games they still a little way behind United, as Sir Alex's team ground out a 1-0 win. The Manchester United betting tips now suggest they are now in with a serious shout of taking the title.

Wayne Rooney is still finding goals hard to come by, but the England striker has looked unplayable at times since his return form his break. It’s a case of when, not if, Rooney finds his scoring boots and when that happens United will have everything needed to regain their crown.

Matches to Watch This Weekend: El Clasico

Pique and Marcelo fighting for the ball in last season's Clasico

What bigger match is there right now than El Clasico? While the Milan derby was interesting, El Clasico is where the best of the best face each other. While it's not technically "this weekend" (El Clasico is taking place on Monday this season), it's still going to be probably the biggest club match of this season. But it's not all about La Liga this weekend, there's a massive match in the English Premier League between the Champions League qualified Tottenham Hotspur, and a resurgent Liverpool. In Serie A, Ibrahimovic and his magic will strike fear into a Sampdoria team which relies on Giampaolo Pazzini to score goals. So here are three matches that I recommend you watch over the weekend!

The unstoppable Lionel Messi

Barcelona - Real Madrid

Who isn't interested in seeing the two best footballers of our generation, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, go head to head, supported by their magnificently talented teammates? El Clasico is probably the biggest club match which will take place in a long time, and it looks like one of the most even match-ups too. With Jose Mourinho and his tricky ways on one side, and Josep Guardiola's beautiful football on the other, it's almost impossible to predict the result. Although it's not my prediction, the Spanish prime minister, Luis Rodriguez Zapatero predicts a 4-2 win for Barcelona. Make sure to tune in to this match on Monday!

Tottenham Hotspur - Liverpool

Tottenham have been playing wonderfully this season, and having just qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, the team will be looking to defeat Liverpool at home this weekend. Liverpool on the other hand have been blowing hot and cold, the team hasa played fantastically at home, but whenever they travel away, it's a different story. So at first it seems like a Tottenham win, but the team could be tired after having just played in the Champions League, and Roy Hodgson's well drilled Liverpool team will be able to take advantage of this. While I predict a tight 2-1 win for Tottenham, I think that Liverpool will cause problems for Spurs, but not enough to end their fantastic form which has been a constant this season.

Sampdoria  - AC Milan

Sampdoria have been without their star forward Antonio Cassano for some time now, and it looks like the team is beginning to adjust. Last weekend it was Giampaolo Pazzini who took Cassano's place scoring a hat-trick to help his side defeat Lecce 3-2, away from home. But Sampdoria are still relatively shaky, and an in-form Zlatan Ibrahimovic could tear their defence to shreds. AC Milan qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League in the midweek, and the week before they defeated Fiorentina, both games had fantastic goals by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The big Swede seems unstoppable right now, so I certainly expect AC Milan to score, we'll just have to see how many. I expect a 3-1 win for AC Milan, with Ibrahimovic and Ronaldinho sharing the goals.

I hope you've enjoyed this little weekend preview, and in case you don't know, Soccer Wrap Up now has a Youtube channel! The videos will mostly be about soccer cleats, whether it be looking at ones which I already have, or previewing cleats which are coming out in the future. Here's a video of ours below, previewing Adidas's 2011 cleats. Enjoy!

7 Players Who Made the Difference in the Champions/Europa League

Instead of doing the usual wrap up where I tediously go mention every score of every game in the Champions and Europa League, of which there are 40 in total every midweek. I've decided that when there's midweek action in European tournaments, I'll be mentioning the most influential players which played in the tournaments. It'll usually be seven (could be more, could be less) players who truly made a difference in their Champions/Europa League games, and as the competitions progress out of the group stages, I'll focus more on match reports.

So here we go:

Gareth Bale


Gareth Bale was the one-man team when Tottenham played against Inter Milan at the San Siro. Although his side was 4-0 down by halftime, thanks to an impressive display by Inter, accompanied by Tottenham's keeper Gomes being sent off, Bale managed to give the European champions a scare. He made an amazing run and finished wonderfully past Julio Cesar for his first around the 51st minute, and then in the final minutes of the match, he scored another similar goal, and then another great strike to end the match 4-3! He's truly become a fast, physical, and complete player who dominates the left flank for Tottenham, it'll be interesting if there might be any offers coming Tottenham's way for the Welshman around January.


Philippe Coutinho


Another player from the fantastic 4-3 match played out between Inter and Tottenham, and while he didn't have a massive impact like Bale did, Coutinho was instrumental in the match. The 18 year-old Brazilian didn't look out of his depth at all among all the star players and veterans which surrounded him, he was calm and composed, and he provided moments of individual brilliance. He kept possession with his smart passing, was always in the right spot to help teammates, and he was a constant threat for Tottenham. Although he didn't score, he provided Eto'o a fantastic through pass for Inter's fourth goal which the Cameroon forward finished a little sloppily. One to watch for the future, without a doubt.


Lionel Messi


While nobody can doubt the talent of this little Argentinean, it seemed like he'd had a slight dip in form recently. But it was Lionel Messi who singlehandedly secured three points for Barcelona against Copenhagen in their 2-0 over the Danish side. While we're used to seeing Messi curl in his shots with finesse, he showed that he has power in his shot as well with his first goal. A spectacular strike which flew up into the top left hand corner to give Barcelona the lead at the Camp Nou. His second goal wasn't as fantastic, just a simple tap-in, but still, Messi has shown that he can single-handedly dominate games yet again just like last season.


Adebayor


Adebayor has often been criticized for being slightly lazy, but he was wonderful for Manchester City in their 3-1 win over Lech Poznan at Eastlands. In fact he scored all three goals for the English side, it was his first which was the best: a delightful spin past a defender and a perfect finish around the keeper. His second was a pinpoint header from David Silva's cross, and his third a tap-in from another one of Silva's crosses. A truly wonderful hat trick, and the situation becomes all the more interesting for Adebayor, especially because Manchester City will be facing Arsenal over the weekend...


Hulk


Porto had to travel away to Besiktas, all the way in Istanbul for a difficult match, but having Hulk in their team made things a lot easier for the Portuguese side. Things started well for Porto, Falcao headed in from a corner to give them the lead, but their central defender Maicon was sent off before halftime for a silly foul. But that didn't matter to Hulk, the Brazilian scored two phenomenal goals, both of them being tracked by defenders as he finished with flair past the keeper. And while Porto were winning 3-0 with only ten men, they eventually got another sent off! Fernando was sent off when he got his second yellow card, and Besiktas managed to pull a goal back at the end of the match.


Maurice Edu


Rangers faced Valencia at Ibrox Stadium in Scotland, and my choosing the American, Maurice Edu, as one of the influential players this matchday is slightly ironic. Things were going perfectly for Rangers when Edu headed in from a corner before halftime, a good goal for Rangers who haven't scored too many in the Champions League so far. But it was to be a sad day for Maurice Edu, because in the second half a low cross flicked off of his head and into the back of Rangers's net. An unlucky own goal which caused the match to end 1-1 for Rangers, who happen to be second in their group, behind Manchester United, and above Valencia and Bursaspor.

Jose Mourinho

While Jose Mourinho isn't a player, I felt like I had to include him in this list. The other massive clash in the Champions League which took place was Real Madrid - AC Milan, and while the 2-0 scoreline didn't illustrate much dominance from Mourinho's side, they were much better than the Italians. It seems like Jose Mourinho is the man who knows how to take vengeance on people, he's had his revenge against AC Milan, and mainly Ibrahimovic who snubbed him at Inter to go to Barcelona. I fully expect Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid to be drawn against Inter in one of the later stages of the competition, and guess what, I think he's gonna win. That's the type of guy he is.

I hope you've like this new format of reviewing the European midweek games, please share your thoughts below!

English teams win as Barcelona slips up to Rubin Kazan

The Champions League is providing plenty of interesting stories, for example, do you remember Vincent Enyeama? He was the Nigerian goalkeeper in the 2010 South Africa World Cup, and he basically stopped Messi from scoring his first goal of the World Cup.

Well, Enyeama became the third goalkeeper ever to score in a Champions League match when he slotted in his penalty for Hapoel Tel-Aviv. In that match, where Lyon won 3-1, we also saw a superb strike by Michel Bastos. This was an amazing volley from outside of the box which curled into the top right-hand corner, watch it if you want to see something mesmerizing.

Chamakh and Rosicky awkwardly hugging after the second goal

Partizan - Arsenal


Speaking about keepers, Fabianski put in a great performance for Arsenal away against the Serbian side Partizan. Arsenal started with an amazing goal by Andrei Arshavin, Jack Wilshere provided the sublime assist for the Russian, rolling the ball backwards for Arshavin to slam into the back of the net. After that, Cleo equalized for Partizan from the penalty spot, making the sides go into halftime equal.

It was in the 71st minute which Arsenal grabbed the winner, Chamakh clumsily hoofed in the second. And then in the 82nd minute Squillacci grabbed his first goal for Arsenal, a header which Samir Nasri set up from a corner.  But Fabianski truly proved his worth, he saved a penalty to make sure the Serbian side didn't find an equalizer, and then made some great interventions, stopping any chance of a consolation goal for Partizan.

Gareth Bale scoring the fourth goal for Tottenham

Tottenham - Twente

And Tottenham also won, the Spurs defeated Twente 4-1 in a match with penalties galore. First we saw Rafael van der Vaart have his penalty saved by Mihaylov, but the Dutch midfielder made up for his mistake by scoring a great volley in the 48th minute. Then in the 51st minute Tottenham was given another penalty, this time the Russian Pavlyuchenko stepped up to take it, and he found the back of the net. 

After that, things took a turn for the worse for the Spurs, van der Vaart was sent off after receiving a second yellow card due to some silly tackling, and then Twente pulled one back to make it 2-1. But Tottenham were resilient and were awarded another penalty! Pavlyuchenko stepped up again, and scored again, making it 3-1. The match was practically over, and when Gareth Bale scored in the 85th minute, the Tottenham fans were celebrating their first win in the Champions League.

A cool cucumber

Chelsea's match against Olympique Marseille had probably one of the best taken penalties I've ever seen. The English side won 2-0,  the first goal was Terry flicking in at the near post from a corner, but the second was a lesson on taking penalties. It was Anelka who took it, and he practically skipped during the run-up, casually bouncing his way toward the ball until he coolly sent Mandanda the wrong way.

Manchester United managed a 1-0 win against their main group rivals Valencia, and it was Javier Hernandez/Chicarito who scored the late winner. Macheda squared the ball to the young Mexican, and somehow Hernandez managed to finish the ball into the bottom corner with two defenders attached to him. But maybe the United's opposition is Rangers, the Scottish side won 1-0 at Ibrox Stadium against Bursaspor. This puts them top of the group, sharing the first place with Manchester United.

Messi made his return for Barcelona

But it's not all about the English! We saw Jose Mourinho win thanks to a late goal by Angel Di Maria. Real Madrid were having difficulty breaking down Auxerre, although they were solid at the back, something generic of Mourinho's teams. But the Argentinean broke the deadlock in the 81st with a volley from inside the box.

However the Blaugrana didn't win in Russia when the faced Rubin Kazan, Barca's ultimate bogey team. The match ended 1-1 with both teams scoring penalties, Noboa scored for Rubin and Villa scored for Barcelona. And there was some good news for the Catalan fans, Messi returned after his injury, the Argentine replaced Javier Mascherano in the second half.

Among these results, we also saw Inter Milan destroy Werder Bremen 4-0 at the San Siro. Samuel Eto'o scored a hat trick, taking advantage of the very shaky German defence. And the other side of Milan could only draw with Ajax. AC Milan conceeded first when Suarez broke down the rossoneri defence by nutmegging Nesta and squaring the ball to El Hamdaoui who scored. But the magical Swede Zibra saved AC Milan yet again, an awkward close-range volley equalized against his former team, with the match ending 1-1.

My favourite picture with Eto'o about to score against a flying keeper

Roma managed a 2-1 win against Cluj with Mexes scoring first from a corner, and then Borriello scoring a fantastic volley to make it 2-0. Cluj got a consolation goal with Rada in the 78th minute, but they weren't able to equalize. And last years finalists Bayern Munich won 2-1 against FC Basel. The Germans conceded first when Frei scored in the 18th minute, but Bayern came back thanks to a double by Schweinsteiger, winning 2-1.

What were your thoughts on the Champions League? Comment below!

Crouch hat-trick defeats Young Boys in Champions League qualifiers

Hat-trick finished with a penalty

While there have been rumors regarding a possible departure from Tottenham for Peter Crouch, it seems like those possibilities have faded ofter his hat-trick against the Swiss Young Boys. A resounding 4-0 victory from Harry Redknapp's Spurs which lets them move on to the group stages of Europe's elite competition. The aggregate of that tie was 6-3 for Tottenham Hotspur, who in the first leg lost 3-2 in Switzerland.

As for the other Champions League ties, here's the aggregate scores with the teams who will proceed bolded. And if the aggregate score is a draw, that means that the team proceeded thanks to away goals:

Zenit St. Petersburg - Auxerre 1-2
Rosenborg - Copenhagen 2-2
Sparta Praha - Zilina 0-3
Young Boys - Tottenham Hotspur 3-6
Dinamo Kiev - Ajax 2-3
Salzburg - Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-4
FC Basel - Sheriff 4-0
Partizan - Anderlecht 4-4 (finished with penalties)
Sporting Braga - Sevilla 5-3
Werder Bremen - Sampdoria 5-4 (finished in extra time)

Full of upsets and fantastic games, the best probably being Werder Bremen who at the return leg scored a late away goal to take the match to extra time, then they finished it off with another goal after having played badly for the entire match. A huge upset is Portuguese side Sporting Braga knocking out Sevilla, with an extravagant 4-3 win in Seville. We also saw Shevchenko score a penalty for Dinamo Kiev, but it was useless in the end because the Ukrainian sie was knocked out by Ajax.

Tommorow there will be a gigantic list of Europa League fixtures,and then there will be the draw for the group stages of both the tournaments. As soon as the draw happens, you can check here to find out the groups of the Champions League and the Europa League.

Premiership starts with United and Chelsea on another level

Berbatov scored?!

The Premiership has started, now all of the preseason enigmas will slowly be solved until we finally realize who's the best team in England.

While Chelsea hasn't changed much from last season, they're still a very powerful team, and they could retain the title if they continue like they started. Manchester United has left me a very good impression, I think that they're going to win the title this year, an emerging Rooney, along with Nani, and great subs like Hernandez and Macheda who know how to score goals. As for Arsenal, while they've reinforced with Chamakh and Koscielny (smart signings yet again from Mr. Wenger), they still don't seem able to compete with physical clubs.

As for Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City, they'll be fighting it out for the fourth spot, and in my opinion it's this battle that will be the most exciting. While for me it will probably be Manchester City that will reach the fourth spot this season, Roy Hodgson's Liverpool doesn't seem weak at all.

But now, enough of my thoughts, lets see what happened the first day of the Premiership:

Liverpool haven't appealed against Cole's red card

Chelsea hammered West Bromwich Albion 6-0 with Didier Drogba scoring a hat-trick, Drogba scored a hat trick on the last day against Wigan last season, and now one on the first day against West Brom. Manchester United had little trouble with Newcastle, Berbatov scored in the 3-0 victory which included silky smooth one-touch passing along with Javier Hernandez's debut in the Premier League. Arsenal and Liverpool drew 1-1 with Roy Hodgson's team playing much better, but when Joe Cole was harshly sent off with a direct red, the match became tough for the reds. N'Gog opened the scoring, putting Liverpool ahead with just 10 men, but then Pepe Reina scored the own goal of the season, worse than Green at the World Cup. Reina's blunder gave Arsenal a lucky point, but Hodgson refuses to blame individuals for the draw. Wigan were defeated 4-0 by newly promoted Blackpool, a fine show of attacking football from Holloway's side which demolished Roberto Martinez's team at the DW Stadium. Tottenham and Manchester City drew 0-0 and so did Bolton against Fulham, the only goal-less matches this season so far. And the surprise result has to be Blackburn defeating Everton 1-0 at Ewood park, it was Kalinic who secured Blackburn the win.

When will it end?

It was exciting, it was scintillating, and it was full of goals, there were 26 goals scored in the first day of the Premiership, a very positive statistic. And the league already has controversy mixed in well, Blackpool 2nd in the table, can they continue? Joe Cole gets a red on the first day for the reds, a harsh decision from Atkinson to say the least. Chelsea dominate, will they be unbeatable this season? Bellamy has left City to go on loan to Cardiff, and Joey Barton won't shave until Newcastle get their first win in the Premier League, oh dear... What are your thoughts on the first day of the Premier League? Comment below!

Inter Milan win Coppa Italia, Marseille win French Ligue 1, and more

Just a quick update with midweek action starting with silverware being dealt out in Italy and France.

Coppa Italia


Inter Milan won the Coppa Italia (Italian FA Cup) 1-0 over Roma in the final with a wonder-goal by Diego Milito. But what you should look out for this match is Totti's wild kick at Balotelli, here's a video with the kick below. There was also a fan who after the final whistle ran onto the field and charged towards Cambiasso, but he was quickly stopped.




Ligue 1


Marseille have won the Ligue 1 in midweek after winning 3-1, but also thanks to Lyon who managed to defeat 2nd placed Auxerre 2-1, giving Marseille the title mathematically. This is the first time in 18 years that Marseille win the French title Lyon on the other hand get closer to Champions League football for next season.

Premier League

In the English Premier League, Tottenham beat Manchester City in the battle for fourth 1-0 thanks to a rather late goal by Crouch. The game was fantastic full of chances for both sides, and the Spurs goalkeeper Gomes should be commended for some fantastic saves. With this win Tottenham are assured Champions League football next season and they could even overtake Arsenal for third place if the Gunners lose and Tottenham win on the final day of the season.

La Liga


In La Liga everything remains the same with both Barcelona and Real Madrid winning in midweek, keeping Los Blancos still one point from the Catalans. If there's one place Barcelona will slip up it'll probably be this weekend against Sevilla who will be fielding Luis Fabiano, and Barcelona could be without their center-back Gerard Pique for that important game.

Tottenham win derby 2-1 and Inter crush Juventus

Just some mid-week action wrapped up for you on SWU, two fantastic derbys (North London and the Italian derby) and many more results. Also, expect a change in the layout of the blog soon, it should look clearer and more professional with a new template.

Tottenham Hotspur - Arsenal

Tottenham finally win an extremely important North London derby against Arsenal at White Heart Lane, being a bit of a Spurs fan myself, I was glad to see them pull off a deserved win over the Gooners. The scoring started in the 10th minute when Almunia punched a ball right to the young starter Rose, giving the boy a chance to viciously volley the ball past Almunia. The second came from Gareth Bale right after halftime, a routine finish for the man whose had a terrible time these past couple of years. Bendtner got a consolation goal for Arsenal, a simple tap in after all of Gomes' heroics to stave off a returning Van Persie. Arsenal had plenty possession, but Tottenham were solid and made sure to not concede anything to the Gunners.

Inter Milan - Juventus


Inter Milan had few problems taking care of Juventus at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, when Sissoko was sent off, Juventus had to go all defensive, and were still unable to hold off Inter. But the goals arrived late, Eto'o wasted two sure goal opportunities, and Diego Milito was left unmarked at the back post, only to header the ball wide. Maicon grabbed the first goal, he picked the ball up after a corner from outside the box, juggled it quickly and sublimely volleyed it past Buffon, a sure contender for goal of the season. Eto'o also grabbed a goal late on, tapping it past Buffon making sure that the nerazzurri got an important win over Juventus in the derby d'Italia.

In Spain, both of the top two won, Real Madrid came back against Almeria from a goal down partially thanks to an amazing goal from Cristiano Ronaldo; the Portuguese man wove through the Almeria defense before a brilliant stepover to mesmerize a defender followed by a great left foot finish, a true solo effort (check the goal out and highlights of La Liga at Livin La Liga). Barcelona kept their three point lead after a 3-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna, although Messi had a quiet game, his teammates didn't, Bojan, Pedro and a rocket volley by Yaya Toure led to a comfortable win for the Catalans. The relegation battle is heating up in La Liga after all three at the bottom nabbed wins (leaving the situation exactly the same it was before), currently Deportivo Xerez are bottom with 26 points, then Valladolid with 28 followed by Tenerife at 29.

In England, three other midweek matches were played (not including the North London derby), Wigan and Portsmouth drew 0-0, a result which helps drag down Wigan only 5 points away from  the relegation fight. Aston Villa and Everton drew 2-2, Tim Cahill grabbing a brace as the little Australian continues to elude defenders this season, but Jagielka gave Villa the draw after scoring an unfortunate own goal in the 90th minute of the match. Chelsea solidify their position at the top of the table after winning 1-0 against Bolton, Anelka grabbed the only goal, and although the blues weren't convincing they got the win.

What do you think of the midweek action? What will happen this weekend? Comment below!

Messi gets another hat-trick and Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1

This week was massive in La Liga and the Premiership, Serie A not so much due to AC Milan's inability to take 1st place, and while Real and Barcelona continue to be tied, Manchester United are looking to get their fourth Premier League title in a row.

Manchester United - Liverpool


A match which could've propelled Liverpool closer towards fourth place, and it seemed like they would be able to after Fernando Torres scored a great header in the 5th minute, helping Liverpool take the lead at Old Trafford. This didn't last long as Valencia tried to dribble around a physical Mascherano, Valencia goes down and Howard Webb sees it as a penalty. Rooney steps up only to have it saved, but the Englishman quickly tucked away the rebound, tying things up for Manchester United. After the interval, Manchester United came out with more attacking conviction, and eventually in the 60th minute, Darren Fletcher was able to strike a cross which Ji-Sung Park performed a Gullitt like diving header for the winner. Giggs makes his return, securing the squad, and while Sir Alex celebrates his two point lead at the top, Rafa Benitez complains about Manchester United's penalty.

In England, Chelsea continue their slump of poor results after a 1-1 draw away against Blackburn Rovers, everything seemed fine when after just 6 minutes Drogba scored, but Chelsea's diamond formation lacked width and eventually led to El-Hadj Diouf score the equalizer. Manchester City find some good form after a 2-1 win over Fulham, City was leading after 7 minutes with Santa Cruz's tap in, and then Tevez doubled the scoreline. Fulham came back with Murphy scoring a penalty, and the final minutes of the match were a bit too tense for a City that should've taken more chances. Tottenham stay in fourth spot after a great win against Stoke City, Gudjohnsen volleyed in the first in the 46th after replacing Pavlyuchenko, Stoke had Whitehead sent off, but they equalized with Etherington's penalty. Gudjohnsen created the winner for Kranjcar who lashed the ball into the back of the net, keeping the Spurs in a Champions League spot by two points. Portsmouth pull of a fantastic 3-2 win over Hull City, being 2-1 down in the 88th, Pompy had O'Hara curl in a fantastic free kick, and a minute later Kanu scored an epic winner for Portsmouth who are bottom with 13 points.

In Spain, Real Madrid came back to win 3-1 against Sporting Gijon, first Barral scored putting Gijon in front, but after Van der Vaart tapped in Ronaldo's saved free kick, and Xabi Alonso headed in the second, and Higuain slotted a good finish in, the match seemed finished. Mallorca keep their bid for Champions League football strong after a 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid, Atleti had Raul Garcia sent off, and Perea scored an own goal, making the match impossible to win. Valencia pulled off a 2-0 win over Almeria thanks to David Silva's genius, first the Spaniard created Mata's goal, then scored from the ground his own, keeping Valencia four points away from Mallorca. Three more fantastic goals came from Lionel Messi in Barcelona's 4-2 win away at Real Zaragoza, Messi has scored 11 in his last 5 matches, but Messi's three goals were almost challenged by Colunga. Colunga scored two in the 85th and the 89th, possibly preparing Zaragoza for a fantastic comeback, but Ibrahimovic netted a penalty in the dying minutes of the match to put the result in the bag for Barca.

In Italy, Cassano returns to his great former self after scoring a fantastic chip over Juventus' keeper Chimenti to allow Sampdoria to defeat Juventus 1-0, and the two revelations of the season, Bari and Parma, played each other and finished 1-1. Inter Milan drew 1-1 against Palermo, giving AC Milan a chance to take the top spot, but the rossoneri were only able to draw 1-1 with Napoli. The team which benefited the most from Inter's slip was Roma which won 4-2 against Udinese, a fantastic Vucinic hat trick along with a goal from Toni helped bring Inter only four points away, and next weekend they could bring the deficit to one as they'll play Inter Milan at the Stadio Olimpico.

What do you think about this weekend's results? Comment below!

Premiership Wrap Up - Tottenham's Kranjcar nabs 3-0 win over Manchester City

The Premiership's double week was fantastic, causing some upsets and switches, but here are the biggest results.

A match with probably the two biggest challengers for fourth, Tottenham prove their solidity while revealing Manchester City's cracks with a fantastic 3-0 victory. Kranjcar scored the two most valuable goals; the first in the 37th minute (followed by Defoe's goal), and the third in the 90th, putting the killer nail in Manchester City's coffin.

Burnley continue their fantastic results with a draw against Arsenal, and although both teams played well, the draw seemed the right result. At the end of the match, Arsene Wenger (Arsenal manager) complained about the pitch and other conditions of Burnley's Turf Moor. Arsenal show their inconsistency with the injuries the squad has, and Burnley prove that they can stay in the Premiership.

Manchester United had no trouble with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford, a 3-0 victory lets them stay right next to table leaders Chelsea. But much of the conversation came about the fact that Wolverhampton sent what could be described as a 2nd or 3rd string team out on the field. After beating Tottenham, many thought Wolves would try to upset the Red Devils but Mick McCarthy sent an entirely different team up to Manchester, upsetting many traveling fans.

The rest of the results are:

Liverpool 2-1 Wigan
Chelsea 2-1 Portsmouth
Bolton 3-1 West Ham United
Birmingham 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland 0-2 Aston Villa
Hull City 3-2 Everton

What do you think of these Premiership results? Comment below!

Major European Leagues Wrap Up: El Clasico and More Fantastic Matches

This week was full of massive games, every major league had at least two gigantic clashes, providing for spectacular footy for all us fans to watch.

Barcelona-Real Madrid EL CLASICO


An extremely important game for both teams, Real Madrid wanted to solidify their lead over Barcelona, while the Blaugrana wanted to catch up to Los Blancos. A game that resulted in two sending offs and one important goal, Barcelona didn't eed Ibrahimovic for 50 minutes, then on he comes to score the goal five minutes later. A spectacular ball in by Dani Alves gives the magnificent nose the perfect chance to slap it in with his left foot. Kaka directed Real Madrid spectacularly, providing great assists which his teammates didn't take advantage of, including Cristiano Ronaldo. But the man of the match? Had to be Carlos Puyol, the spectacular captain had at least 5 critical interventions, including spot on slide tackles in his own box. Busquets is sent off because of accumulation of yellow cards, and the second half seems a bit more fair, a tired Ronaldo was replaced by a lazy Benzema, and Lass is sent off  in the final minutes as Real realize what chances they missed.
Final score 1-0


Arsenal-Chelsea


Chelsea secures their title hopes while Arsenal now start to realize the physical weakness of their side in this match. Drogba started the scoring in the first half with Vermaelen quickly following with an own goal, the ball bounced off the Dutchman's knee baffling Almunia for good. As the second half kicks off Arsenal's Arshavin is denied a goal by an alleged foul by Eduardo on Cech. The gooners are playing their beautiful football, but they aren't creating any dangerous moments for the Chelsea defense. Chelsea put the icing on the cake with a free kick wonderfully transformed into a beauty by Drogba. The consequences of Van Persie's injury are starting to dawn on the Arsenal side, and it seems that Wenger might decide to start spending some money for a striker during the January transfer window.
Final score 0-3

Genoa-Sampdoria DERBY DELLA LANTERNA


One of Italy's biggest rivalries, Genoa and Sampdoria fought it out over the weekend with some disappointments and some revelations. Genoa take the lead in the 10th minute thanks to a penalty taken by Milanetto, but in the 44th minute Biava is sent off because of accumulation of yellow cards, leaving Genoa in ten men to fight off the Cassano driven Blucerchiati. But the ten man Genoa is able to put another one past Castellazzi, Rossi scores after half time and Rossi on the Sampdoria side is sent off soon after, leaving both sides in ten men. Another penalty for Genoa and the result seems final, Palladino scores to make it 3-0, and two minutes before the final whistle Cacciatore is sent off for Sampdoria, showing the massive effects of this huge match against Genoa.
Final score 3-0


Aston Villa-Tottenham Hotspur


Probably one of the biggest matches for the crucial fourth and final Champions League spot ends in a 1-1 draw full of chances for both teams, Tottenham having most of them. Aston Villa start off well, and in the tenth minute Agbonlahor is somehow able to get the ball over the line from a corner. And many would expect the home-side would push to get another, but Aston Villa sit back and let Tottenham unleash an attacking onslaught, Kranjcar dominates the games tempo and is dangerous from anywhere around the pitch with insidious volleys which Friedel does well to save. Eventually after lots of hard work Dawson nabs the goal for Tottenham, giving an important point to Tottenham which allows them to move third in the table above Arsenal.
Final score 1-1

Inter Milan-Fiorentina


Inter Milan show their dominance in Serie A with yet another great win in Serie A with a disallowed goal and many chances missed. With Balotelli not even on the subs bench, Quaresma replaces him in a 4-3-3 with Diego Milito and Eto'o in the trident, Quaresma plays a fantastic match but has to be taken out after a nasty tackle in the 73rd minute by Mancini. Samuel has a goal disallowed for no known reason and Inter Milan dominate the game with many wasted chances, but eventually Diego Milito is taken down in the penalty area and he buries the penalty, giving Inter Milan the crucial victory goal which allows the nerazzurri to take a 7 point lead over AC Milan.
Final score 1-0


What do you think of this weekend's action? COMMENT BELOW!