Showing posts from 2020

Real Madrid's games will be played without fans

LaLiga confirm the next two match days will be played behind closed doors LaLiga has notified clubs that, in accordance with information from the Higher Sports Council (CSD) and in response to the health crisis surrounding the coronavirus, all Primera and Segunda División games will be played behind closed doors for at least the next two weeks, starting today. This means Real Madrid-Éibar, set for Friday the 13th of March, and Real Madrid-Valencia on Saturday the 21st of March, will be played without fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. According to LaLiga information, stadium access will be strictly limited to the following groups: Players, coaching staff and match officials. Both teams' board of directors. Technical staff with functions strictly related to holding the games, up to a maximum of 100 people. LaLiga delegates, match directors, anti-doping officials and healthcare personnel. Integrity officials, public and private security agents, guards for the appropri...

Adrian interview: "Chelsea tie is the first of three finals in a row" Tonight's FA Cup tie with Chelsea is the first of three successive 'finals' across eight days in three different competitions, according to Adrian. Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge for a fifth-round encounter having eliminated Everton and Shrewsbury Town to reach this stage. An opportunity to bounce back in the Premier League, after last weekend’s defeat against Watford, follows at home to Bournemouth, before the Reds will attempt to overturn a deficit against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Adrian underlined the importance of this run of matches as the goalkeeper sat down with Liverpoolfc to preview the cup contest at Chelsea. Read our interview with the Spaniard below… Firstly, the weekend game. How would you assess the mood in the dressing room after the defeat at Vicarage Road? As always, being together and have the mentality to work harder than we did. It’s part of the g...

Reaction to FC Köln vs FC Bayern

Thomas Müller: We turned in a superb display in the first half. It was a feast for the eyes RB Leipzig beat Werder Bremen 3-0 on Saturday, taking the lead in the Bundesliga overnight, but Bayern gave the right answer and reclaimed top spot. Munich never left any doubt as to who would leave the pitch as winners, at times outplaying FC Köln in the 4-1 win, their fourth away victory in a row. "We turned in a superb display in the first half. It was a feast for the eyes," said Thomas Müller. Bayern all but put the game to bed in the first half. "We could have scored up to ten goals today," added captain Manuel Neuer. Reaction to Köln v Bayern Hansi Flick: "We played very well in the first half. We're very satisfied with our performance. I'm annoyed by the second half, our display wasn't as serious as before." Manuel Neuer: "Nobody had expected we'd get off to such a start. We had expected Köln to fight harder. We also made ruthless...

Fran Kirby on her Chelsea FC Women absence Fran Kirby has spoken for the first time about the medical condition which has kept her out of the Chelsea Women team since November. The 26-year-old made the last of her four appearances for Chelsea this season as a substitute in November's 1-0 win over Manchester United after missing the start of the campaign because of injury. Following that game Kirby was diagnosed with pericarditis, a condition which is uncommon in athletes and refers to inflammation of the pericardium (the fluid-filled sac that surrounds your heart). Normally it is caused by a viral infection and manifests with symptoms typically including sudden onset of sharp chest pain, fever, nausea, shortness of breath and weakness. Those who contract pericarditis can recover quickly but for others – including our England international – it can take months with Kirby revealing she was sleeping 15 hours a day during the early stages of the illness and taking anti-inflammator...

Gossip: City among clubs 'circling' Adama Traore? Are City really one of the clubs ‘circling’ Wolves’ Adama Traore? And who is the Oscar-winning director who counts Kevin De Bruyne as a dream dinner guest? All this, plus reaction to City’s 1-0 win over Bristol Women and Pep’s Champions League dream… TRANSFER GOSSIP Birmingham Mail: City among top clubs circling Traore? “Virtually every elite club in Europe is reportedly interested in signing Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Adama Traore. “The 24-year-old has come into his own under Nuno Espírito Santo at Molineux this season and is now one of the most feared players in the Premier League. “His performances have attracted plenty of attention with his former club Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all linked with moves in the transfer market. “Traore, who only cost £18million from Middlesbrough in 2018, is bound to command a colossal transfer fee with some reports even suggesting Wolves have ...

FC Bayern ready for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

FC Bayern ready for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim FC Bayern host TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in the DFB Cup round of 16 on Wednesday evening. Following an excellent start to the new year, the Reds want to maintain that momentum and seal their place in the quarter-finals. The situation Three games, three wins, 12 goals scored, one conceded - Bayern's record so far in 2020 makes for impressive reading. The German record champions also reclaimed top spot in the Bundesliga on Saturday, so they can go into the first midweek fixture of the year with plenty of confidence. "We want to build on our performances in the first three games of the year. The players have more confidence in their ability again," said Hansi Flick in Tuesday's press conference. The clash with Hoffenheim is Bayern's first home game in the cup this season. After beating Energie Cottbus 3-1 in the first round, the holders saw off VfL Bochum 2-1 in the second round thanks to two late goals. The opposition Hoffenhe...

Neil Critchley on Villa lessons, Jones and Elliott and Shrewsbury analysis Neil Critchley hopes his youthful Liverpool team will show that they learned lessons in defeat by Aston Villa when they take on Shrewsbury Town. The U23s boss will lead a young Reds side in Tuesday night’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against League One opposition at Anfield. Critchley was in charge as a team of Academy players lost a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Villa Park in December - and he wants to see evidence that his players absorbed the experience of how that tie unfolded this time around. “I was really proud of the performance and I thought we never gave up our way of playing, but at the end I also couldn’t help feeling a little bit disappointed as well,” Critchley told Liverpoolfc.com of that night. “Two reasons: one is, I thought 5-0 was a harsh scoreline, I thought it was cruel, I didn’t think we actually deserved to get beat by that scoreline. But also the lesson we have to learn is: yes, the m...

Real Madrid Castilla 1-1 Langreo

Real Madrid Castilla 1-1 Langreo Marc Gual, who made his debut as a madridista, got the equaliser for the reserves in the second half after having a goal rulled out for a dubious offside. Real Madrid Castilla picked up a point at the Nuevo Ganzábal against Langreo. The task became difficult for the Whites in the 25th minute after Marc Nierga's goal, but debutant Marc Gual levelled the match up after the break. Raul's side are now unbeaten in their second consecutive match and will face Las Palmas Atletico at the Di Stefano in their next game. The reserves took to the field in a t-shirt in support of Pedro and were good in possession from the start and were very incisive on the flanks. It was Martin who tried his luck from distance with two efforts, but both shots were stopped by Adrian. In the 12th minute, a new attack by the Whites ended with César claiming for a penalty after an incident in the area. Despite Real Madrid's initiative, the Asturian team took the lead in...

Real Zaragoza vs Real Madrid: Copa del Rey Real Madrid confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night after beating Real Zaragoza 4-0 at the Estadio La Romareda, yet afterwards Zinedine Zidane was keen to single out Lucas Vazquez for some praise. The winger is often on the receiving end of criticism from a section of Los Blancos' supporters, but he is clearly a player the Frenchman trusts. "The important thing is what I think of him," Zidane said of Lucas in his post-match press conference. "He has all of my love. I believe in him because he's a lovely boy who gives his all on the pitch. "Then people can give their opinion and we have to accept it. "He is a player who has come through the academy and people want to see their players giving everything on the pitch and Lucas gives it. "I'm happy for his goal, for Vinicius [Junior]'s goal, for Karim [Benzema]'s goal..." Luka Jovic started u...

Arteta on the win, Saka, Nketiah: Press conference Mikel Arteta was a happy man after we secured our third win under him to reach the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup. Afterwards, he faced the media to discuss the victory, our youngsters' performances, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and more. This is what he said: on making it to the fifth round... I am very pleased. I knew it was going to be tough here. We played a really young squad today and I wanted to see the reaction. I'm very pleased because I saw a lot of things that I really liked. on the injury to Mustafi... They're going to assess him between today and tomorrow but when a player has to come off, normally with a central defender - hopefully I am wrong but - normally it's not good news. on whether it makes a move for Pablo Mari more necessary... No. We had a very clear intention of what we wanted to do in the market with the resources we have and if we can do it, fine. But his fitness [Mustafi's fitn...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Man Utd boss says there is 'no quick fix' at Old Trafford Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says there is no "quick fix" to improve his squad. Pressure is mounting on Solskjaer to make January signings after Wednesday's 2-0 home defeat by Burnley. It was a second straight Premier League loss and the players were jeered. "We've had one proper transfer window and we're trying to do something now," said Solskjaer, who took over - initially on an interim basis - in December 2018. During the summer transfer window, United spent over £130m on defenders, bringing in Harry Maguire from Leicester City and Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace, and also signed winger Daniel James from Swansea City. Solskjaer referenced the squad-building at Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp took charge in October 2015, with the Reds now 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League and the reigning European champions. "Jurgen K...