UEFA Champions League 2011/2012

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Barcelona's Iniesta defiant after 'painful loss' to Osasuna
The Catalans' hopes of retaining their Spanish title are in tatters after their shock 3-2 defeat in Pamplona and the midfielder believes that they now need to focus on Europe

AC Milan have one game against Udinese to sort themselves out because on current form they are going to lose to Arsenal
The Rossoneri appeared to be building momentum ahead of the Derby della Madonnina but since losing to Inter the flaws that were evident at the start of the season have resurfaced

Bayer Leverkusen's Gonzalo Castro admits Barcelona are favourites in Champions League clash
The versatile wing-back is optimistic his German side can attain a good result in the home game against the Catalans, but feels it will be very difficult to progress

Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy aiming for Champions League qualification and cup success as season enters final stages
Welshman believes the time is right for the Reds to revive their Premier League run and continue on their quest for a possible cup double as injured and suspended players return

 

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Ballack still bitter at Bayern for blocking Barcelona move
Speaking ahead of Leverkusen's Champions League last 16 meeting with the Catalans, the former Germany captain admits that he would have loved to have moved to Camp Nou

Ibrahimovic unperturbed by lack of Champions League success
The Sweden international has never gotten his hands on the biggest prize in European club football but he remains proud of what he has achieved in the game up to this point

Ridvan Dilmen claims Uefa & TFF held secret talks
The ex-Turkey international believes that Fenerbahce will be able to compete in Europe even if they are found guilty of match-fixing

'The dream is qualification to the quarter-finals,' - APOEL boss Ivan Jovanovic targeting Olympique Lyonnais upset
The Cypriot side are the first team from their nation to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, but the Serb trainer feels they can go even further yet

Manuel Friedrich insists Bayer Leverkusen should not have too much respect for Barcelona
The experienced defender is eagerly anticipating the Champions League round of 16 tie versus the Catalans, and has urged his team-mates to belief in themselves

AC Milan trio Alessandro Nesta, Alexandre Pato & Kevin-Prince Boateng resume training ahead of Champions League clash with Arsenal
The Rossoneri have received a boost on the injury front ahead of their European last 16 tie with Arsene Wenger's men at the Giuseppe Meazza on Wednesday

Arsene Wenger calls for focus ahead of Thierry Henry's final Arsenal appearance in Champions League clash with AC Milan
The boss has called for concentration ahead of the "massive game" at San Siro, adding that the legendary striker would have been a success without his influence on his career

Benfica's Javi Garcia ruled out of Champions League trip to Zenit
The Spanish midfielder is still nursing an injury and will not be able to take part in the first-leg of the last-16 tie in Russia

Bayer Leverkusen's Ballack ruled out of Barcelona clash
The experienced midfielder has picked up a muscular problem, and won't be match fit in time for the European match on Tuesday night against last season's winners

Busquets included in Barcelona squad for Bayer Leverkusen clash
The holding midfielder misses the Catalans' last two games due to injury, but is set to make his comeback

 

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Ballack still bitter at Bayern for blocking Barcelona move

Speaking ahead of Leverkusen's Champions League last 16 meeting with the Catalans, the former Germany captain admits that he would have loved to have moved to Camp Nou

Feb 13, 2012 5:30:00 PM

By Mark Doyle

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Michael Ballack has admitted that he is still annoyed with Bayern Munich for reneging on their promise to allow him to join Barcelona in 2004.

The former Germany captain has revealed that the Bavarians had accepted an offer from the Catalans for his services only for then general manager and current president Uli Hoeness to pull the plug on the deal after that summer's European Championship in Portugal.

"Yes, it's a shame that in 2004 I could not complete my transfer," Ballack confessed during an interview with Mundo Deportivo.

"We had reached an agreement with the club and we had the approval of Uli Hoeness but I was ultimately thwarted in signing that summer.

"After Euro 2004 Hoeness told me that I was not transferable and prevented my move.

"Of course, I was angry and disappointed that Bayern had given the OK to my departure to Barcelona, which was all agreed.

"Sometimes I think of what it would have been like to play with [Lionel] Messi, Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta and Barca's other stars.

"I was very excited about the idea of coming. In 2006 I ended up at Chelsea on a free transfer, so Bayern did not see a euro for me."

Ballack had been set to face Messi and his colleagues with current club Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night but the veteran midfielder has been ruled out of the Champions League clash with a muscular problem.

 

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Now the real show begins - How the Champions League knockout phase can make or break a club

Feb 13, 2012 1:30:00 PM

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By KS Leong

From the backstreets of Buenos Aires and Bloemfontein to the exclusive academies of Barcelona and Beijing, people from all walks of life have access to, and can enjoy, the beautiful game. At the elite level, however, it's all about the money.

Deloitte’s latest edition of the Football Money League highlighted the importance of finance and illustrated how success off the pitch intrinsically, if not eventually, leads to success on it. In the transfer market, cash injections at clubs such as Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain and Anzhi Makhachkala have challenged the convention that the best players only join the perennial superpowers.

If a club cannot count on a billionaire CEO from the Middle East or Asia, or cannot lure away the marketing brains at Real Madrid or Bayern Munich then the most vital source of revenue is the Champions League.

Qualifying for the knockout phase has become a minimum requirement for the traditional big guns; primarily so that they can challenge 15 other teams to become Europe’s best team and also to claim the biggest chunk of Uefa’s prize money. However, for the dark horses and the underdogs still in the running, it provides an opportunity to stage a fairtytale run deep into the competition and gives an equal shot at the financial rewards.

Last season, Tottenham, and to a larger extent, Schalke demonstrated how lucrative the latter stages of Europe's richest competition can be. Schalke jumped six places in the Money League, to 10th, and their revenue skyrocketed from €139.8 million to €202.4m thanks largely to their romp to the semi-finals.

They pocketed €39.75m from Uefa and their broadcast revenue more than doubled that of the previous year. The exertions in European competition on the part of Spurs and S04, however, impacted their domestic performances. Both finished the season in modest places and failed to retain their Champions League slots.

2010-11 TOP CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EARNERS - Teams that made the knockout phase -

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CLUB	GROUP STAGE	KNOCKOUT STAGE	MARKET POOL	TOTAL
Manchester United	€11.2m	€16.1m	€25.89m	€53.19m
Barcelona	€11.2m	€19.5m	€20.32m	€51.02m
Chelsea	€11.2m	€ 6.3m	€27.02m	€44.52m
Schalke	€10.8m	€10.5m	€18.45m	€39.75m
Real Madrid	€11.6m	€10.5m	€17.18m	€39.28m
Inter	€10.0m	€ 6.3m	€21.68m	€37.98m
Bayern Munich	€11.2m	€ 3.0m	€18.36m	€32.56m
Tottenham	€10.4m	€ 6.3m	€14.43m	€31.13m
Roma	€10.0m	€ 3.0m	€17.08m	€30.08m
Arsenal	€10.4m	€ 3.0m	€16.58m	€29.98m
AC Milan	€ 9.6m	€ 3.0m	€13.19m	€25.79m
Marseille	€10.4m	€ 3.0m	€11.68m	€25.08m
Valencia	€10.4m	€ 3.0m	€10.65m	€24.05m
Lyon	€10.0m	€ 3.0m	€ 9.65m	€22.65m
Shakhtar Donetsk	€11.2m	€ 6.3m	€ 3.78m	€21.28m
Copenhagen	€10.0m	€ 3.0m	€ 8.24m	€21.24m

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If Schalke were the big financial winners last term, then Manchester United are the big losers this time round. United were the top earners in the 2010-11 Champions League, despite losing the final to Barcelona in Wembley. But their failure to advance past the group stage this campaign is expected to cost them a significant amount in their revenue. Indeed, Deloitte predicts that they will lose ground on their Money League rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona in next year’s edition, with the gap, currently at €88.8m to Madrid, expected to exceed €100m.

Emerging from the group stage, however, doesn't immediately guarantee largesse. In last season’s prize distribution, Shakhtar Donetsk and Copenhagen made it out of their groups but earned less than Panathinaikos, who failed to progress to the knockouts. The reason for this disproportion is because performance-based prize money in the Champions League only makes up a small cut of the earnings. It’s the share of the television revenue, or market pool, that determines the big winners and losers.

2010-11 TOP CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EARNERS - Teams that fail to make the knockouts -

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CLUB	GROUP STAGE	MARKET POOL	TOTAL
Panathinaikos	€8.0m	€14.37m	€22.37m
Bursaspor	€7.6m	€12.45m	€20.05m
Rangers	€9.2m	€ 9.32m	€18.52m
CFR Cluj	€8.4m	€10.01m	€18.41m
Werder Bremen	€8.8m	€ 8.65m	€17.45m
Rubin Kazan	€9.2m	€ 4.56m	€13.74m
Auxerre	€8.0m	€ 5.72m	€13.72m
Spartak Moscow	€9.6m	€ 4.11m	€13.71m
Twente	€9.2m	€ 4.23m	€13.43m
Ajax	€9.2m	€ 3.12m	€12.32m
SC Braga	€9.6m	€ 2.24m	€11.84m
Benfica	€4.0m	€ 3.03m	€11.83m
Basel	€8.8m	€ 2.19m	€10.99m
Hapoel Tel-Aviv	€8.8m	€ 1.30m	€10.10m
FK Partizan	€7.2m	€ 1.31m	€ 8.51m
MSK Zilina	€7.2m	€ 0.21m	€ 7.41m

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Chelsea exited at the quarter-final stage last term, but they raked in more money than any other club – including Man Utd and Barcelona – in the market pool. Schalke and Real Madrid both reached the semi-finals and despite a money-spinning Clasico showdown for the Spaniards, they couldn’t quite match the German side’s intriguing affairs against Inter and United.

Shakhtar were the joint-second best performers in the group stage and were duly rewarded to the tune of €11.2m, and despite going further than the likes of AC Milan, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, their paltry television revenue saw them earn just a shade over €1m more than Bursaspor, who lost five of their six group outings and shipped in 16 goals.

The number of surprise packages in this season’s knockout rounds could potentially cause another unpredictable market pool distribution. Basel have already raised plenty of eyebrows by eliminating Manchester United. If they can oust Bayern, and go far, they could be this year’s success story. The same goes for Bayer Leverkusen and CSKA Moscow, both of whom could generate mass appeal among TV audiences if they stun Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively in the last 16, as could Napoli if they continue their English giant-slaying run and add Chelsea to their Manchester City scalp.

Realistically, there is unlikely to be a lot of interest in the fate of APOEL, this season's Cinderella side. They could suffer the same misfortune as Shakhtar and Copenhagen when the time comes for Uefa to hand out the cheques. While there is no guarantee that an appearance in the Champions League knockout rounds will secure a bigger share of the earnings from Uefa, remaining involved in the competition beyond December has become a necessity to boost a club's financial health.

If the money distribution breakdown from last season's tournament is anything to go by, just qualifying for Europe's blue-ribbon club competition has become more important than ever. But it's the progression to the knockout stage - or failure to - which can make or break a club's fortunes.

 

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Champions League preview: Lyon v APOEL

13 February 2012

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Lyon are hoping to use the embarrassment of a 2-1 home loss to Caen as motivation when they host APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League.Remi Garde's side missed a chance to go third in the league after their slip-up against the lowly Caen, but can bounce back in the first leg of the round of 16 Champions League tie on Tuesday.

The fixture will mark the ninth year running that the French giants have made the last 16 and club president Jean-Michel Aulas is hopeful that reflection on Saturday's defeat will give them the impetus to win."It is a disappointment. We're coming down to earth with a bump," Aulas told the club's official website.

"We have to look into what went wrong and use this for the Champions League on Tuesday. We have to question ourselves on all levels." Garde has often relied on youngsters throughout the season and that is one of the reasons given for the club's surprise defeat. But the Lyon boss may be required to call on at least one of his young prospects again with 18-year-old Samuel Umtiti likely to replace injured Croatian defender Dejan Lovren.

Lyon only booked qualification for the last 16 after a freak 7-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the last group match which saw them leapfrog Ajax Amsterdam on goal difference.And they will be a tough nut to crack on home soil, having lost just five of their last 42 home fixtures in the Champions League. APOEL Nicosia have been this season's Champions League surprise packets though and will go into the away leg quietly confident.

After wins over two legs against Skenderbeu Korce, Slovan Bratislava and Wisla Krakow in qualifying, the Cypriot side finished on top of a group containing 2010-11 Europa League winners Porto, 2008-09 UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit St Petersburg.They have been in good form in the Cypriot league and a five-match unbeaten run sees them sitting second on the table.

APOEL only scored six goals in their six group stage fixtures and they will need to be resilient at the back to get any sort of result in France. Injuries to defensive pair Marcelo Oliveira, Paulo Jorge and William Boaventura's suspension have left Ivan Jovanovic's side short at the back in recent times, although former Chelsea midfielder Nuno Morais deputised well at the back in the club's most recent league fixtures.

 

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Champions League preview: Bayer Leverkusen v Barcelona

13 February 2012

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Bayer Leverkusen will be hoping to extend their impressive home record in the Champions League when they host Barcelona on Tuesday.The Bundesliga outfit progressed from Group E in second place, thanks to three home wins against Chelsea, Valencia and Genk.

Robin Dutt's side have won seven of their last eight matches at the BayArena in Europe's premier club competition, but that will be tough to extend against last year's Champions League winners. Leverkusen have been in poor form domestically though and have won just one of their last six Bundesliga fixtures.

With just 28 goals in 21 league fixtures, Leverkusen's lack of goals has hurt them on the table and the likes of Eren Derdiyok (six goals), Stefan Kiessling (four) and Andre Schurrle (two) have failed to be prolific in front of goal. In their six Champions League fixtures, their eight goals have been scored by seven players with Derdiyok the only player to have netted on multiple occasions.

And against a Barcelona side that are averaging four goals per game on the road in this season's Champions League, Dutt's men simply must score goals if they want to progress over two legs. Leverkusen's bid to make the last eight for the first time since 2001-02 - when they lost the final to Real Madrid - suffered a blow when it was revealed veteran midfielder Michael Ballack will miss the first leg with a calf injury.

The German international suffered the injury in training on Sunday, while Derdiyok and Sidney Sam have also been ruled out.Barcelona will recall midfielder Sergio Busquets back into their squad after a knee injury while the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta will be fresh after sitting out Saturday's shock 3-2 loss at Osasuna.

Cesc Fabregas was only called on for the last 20 minutes in that match as Barca boss Pep Guardiola kept his eye firmly on the Champions League tie in Germany.The defeat means the Catalans are now 10 points behind Real Madrid in the race for the La Liga title, meaning Guardiola's attention is likely to shift to the Champions League permanently as they attempt to be the first side to retain the trophy since AC Milan in 1990.

Barcelona have not lost in Germany in their last seven attempts, with a 2-1 defeat at Leverkusen in 2001 being the last time they suffered defeat in the country.

 

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Champions League preview: AC Milan v Arsenal

14 February 2012

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Arsenal forward Thierry Henry is not thinking of personal glory as he prepares to play his last game for the club against AC Milan on Wednesday.The first leg of the round-of-16 Champions League tie at the San Siro pits the Gunners - who sit fourth in the English Premier League - against the Serie A table-toppers.

Henry's impact at Arsenal has been profound, with the New York Red Bulls loanee having scored three goals in six substitute appearances for the club.But the Arsenal legend, who has scored 229 goals for the club, insists the focus is not about him and all about the team as he makes his final appearance before heading back to the United States.

"I have not thought about it," Henry said."I just want to help Arsenal on the night. I am an Arsenal player for one more game. Milan is Milan. It is another type of game and it is never easy to win away in the Champions League."Henry's injury-time winner at Sunderland on Saturday handed Arsenal a hugely important three points, but midfielder Aaron Ramsey's goal with 15 minutes to play was also vital.

And the Welsh midfielder said his side are determined to be aggressive in Milan."If we can go (to Milan) and get a few goals and then come back to the Emirates then that's going to be a fantastic result for us," Ramsey said."Hopefully, we can get a couple of goals and keep them out as well."

Ivorian Gervinho is unlikely to be rushed back into Arsene Wenger's squad for the match after his country lost the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final in a penalty shootout against Zambia on Sunday, while Abou Diaby (muscle problem), Andre Santos and Jack Wilshere (both ankle) remain on the sidelines.

Arsenal will be hoping to bounce back from their 3-1 loss at Olympiakos in their last Champions League fixture but they did finish top of their group, something Milan could not manage with the presence of Barcelona.The Italians failed to win any of their last three matches in the group stage but will hope their home ground advantage will give them the edge over the English Premier League outfit.

Milan have been in indifferent form lately, with their 2-1 win at Udinese on Saturday snapping a run of three matches without a win.They are likely to be without Alessandro Nesta and Alexandre Pato despite the pair returning to training while Mark van Bommel and Zlatan Ibrahimovic should return from suspension.

Both sides were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season but that will change over the course of the next three weeks, with Wednesday's match sure to be pivotal in the outcome.

 

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Champions League preview: Zenit St. Petersburg v Benfica

14 February 2012

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Benfica's 11-match winning streak in all competitions will come under threat when they travel to Russia to meet Zenit St. Petersburg.The first leg of the round-of-16 Champions League tie will see the leaders of both the Portuguese and Russian top flights collide on Wednesday.Jorge Jesus' Benfica are five points clear of Porto atop Liga Sagres after a superb run of form.

The free-scoring side have hit the back of the net in their last 38 competitive fixtures; the last time they failed to score was in a 1-0 Europa League loss in the second leg of their semi-final against Sporting Braga.The form of Oscar Cardozo has been crucial, with the Paraguayan having bagged 20 goals for the club in all competitions this season, including 11 in his last 10 appearances.

Spanish forward Rodrigo has 13 goals this season, and with five in his last four matches he also enters the match in red-hot form.Benfica's terrific record in the Champions League this season will give them further confidence, with the Portuguese outfit one of just three sides to go through the group stages undefeated.

Another battle that Benfica face is the freezing weather in Russia, which is sure to play into the hands of the first-leg hosts.Forecasts suggest the temperature will be below minus 10 degrees, which will surely make life difficult for the visitors.

Zenit have not been in especially good form this season in Europe and they have not played a competitive match since snaring a point in a goalless stalemate at Porto on December 6.Prolific striker Alexander Kerzhakov will be Zenit's main threat having netted 16 goals from 22 league appearances this season.

Portuguese playmaker Danny will miss out for Zenit due to a knee injury, as will Vyacheslav Malafeev (calf) and Domenico Criscito (food poisoning).Benfica are likely to be without Javi Garcia (knock) but Emerson and Luisao (thigh) should feature.

 

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Champions League: Bayer Leverkusen 1 Barcelona 3

15 February 2012

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Barcelona moved closer to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in their round-of-16 first-leg clash on Tuesday.Home side Leverkusen did well to limit the Catalans' opportunities in the first half at BayArena, but Alexis Sanchez broke the deadlock on 41 minutes to give the champions a crucial edge at the interval.

Leverkusen responded positively after the break, and drew level through Michal Kadlec, but Sanchez restored Barca's lead in the 55th minute.Lionel Messi scored a critical third for the Catalans late on, leaving Leverkusen with a mountain to climb on their trip to Camp Nou.

The hosts were content to sit back and defend early on, as Barca took the majority of possession in the first half.But for all their time on the ball, the visitors found it difficult to break down their opponents, who rarely ventured out of their defending half.Play opened up for Barca on 13 minutes as Sanchez found space on the right to send a low cross towards Messi, but Daniel Schwaab was alert to the danger and made a sliding intervention to concede a corner.

The visitors looked likely to head to the interval frustrated, but with four minutes left to play in the opening half, they found a chance to counter-attack and took the opportunity clinically.Messi was the provider for Sanchez as the Argentine floated a lovely ball over the top, and his team-mate coolly slotted his finish into the lower-left corner of the net.

In need of a goal, Leverkusen played far more positively in the second half, and were rewarded on 52 minutes as Kadlec rose to nod Vedran Corluka's cross into Victor Valdes' net.The sides would only remain level for three minutes, however. At the other end, Cesc Fabregas threaded a well-weighted ball to Sanchez, who rounded Bernd Leno before sliding home to restore the visitors' lead.

The German side again responded aggressively, and came within an inch of restoring parity for a second time. Renato Augusto tested Valdes' once before playing in Gonzalo Castro, who had his low shot tipped onto the post by the goalkeeper in the 64th minute.Barca soon regained their composure in defence, and almost made it 3-1 thanks to a flash of brilliance from Messi with 18 minutes to play.

The talismanic forward beat two defenders near the by-line before chipping Leno, but his shot clanged off the post.Both sides had chances for late goals, with substitute Stefan Kiessling's header forcing a good save from Valdes before Sanchez was denied his hat-trick as Leno made a spectacular diving stop.But Messi put the result beyond doubt with two minutes to play as he extended his leg to redirect Dani Alves' cross into the net.

The result sees Barcelona take a two-goal lead into the second leg of the fixture, which will be played at Camp Nou on March 7.

 

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Champions League: Lyon 1 APOEL 0

15 February 2012

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An Alexandre Lacazette goal helped Lyon to a hard-fought 1-0 win over APOEL in their round-of-16 first-leg clash in France on Tuesday.Remi Garde's men endured nearly an hour of frustration as they chipped away at the visiting defence without success, until surprise starter Lacazette struck with a deflected effort on 58 minutes.

APOEL rarely threatened in attack as they defended stoutly throughout, and it took them until the dying stages to manage a shot on goal at Stade de Gerland.The hosts were prepared for the stubborn Cypriots, but their inability to break down a well-organised defence meant that long periods of the first half were dour.

It took Lyon nearly 25 minutes to offer a genuine threat, with Michel Bastos' shot from range deflected narrowly over.Lyon's efforts were typically from range, with the lively Lacazette drawing the best save of the first half with his shot from the corner of the area needing to be turned over by Dionisis Chiotis five minutes from the interval.

After the break, the game opened up marginally, and it was to the advantage of the Ligue 1 outfit.Lyon were starting to get frustrated, only for Lacazette to send a powerful shot into the net via Paulo Jorge's boot.The forward cut in from the left hand side before seeing his effort fortuitously deflected over the top of Chiotis.

Lyon squandered a chance to double their advantage as Bastos shot wide having escaped behind the defence down the right.Keen to find a second goal to give them added insurance, the home side continued to threaten.Jimmy Briand, on for Lacazette, crossed wonderfully for Ederson, but the Brazilian's header skimmed the post and went wide.

Chances in the latter part of the match were rare, though substitute Yoann Gourcuff did head a tricky chance off target from a Bastos cross.With only a couple of minutes remaining, the visitors finally managed their first shot on goal.Gustavo Manduca came off the bench and struck from the edge of the box, but Hugo Lloris tipped it over.

Neither side will be disappointed with the 1-0 outcome, with both outfits feeling they still have a chance of qualification ahead of the second leg in Nicosia on March 7.

 

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Mascherano refusing to look beyond Bayer Leverkusen
The Catalans have built up a commanding first-leg lead over the Bundesliga outfit but the Argentine midfielder insists that qualification for the last eight is far from assured

Pep Guardiola insists Gerard Pique is untouchable at Barcelona
The 41-year-old has stressed that the centre-back is still a key player for the Catalans and revealed that he didn't feature on Tuesday in order to keep him fit for the weekend

Zenit St Petersburg can overcome injury worries against Benfica, says Luciano Spalletti
The Italian tactician is backing his side to cope with a long injury list as they prepare for the visit of the Portuguese giants in the Champions League round of 16

Dennis Bergkamp: 'Arsenal are predictable, weak and lacking a winning mentality'
The former Gunners striker condemns the current side as lacking in diversity, quality and character in comparison to the famed 'invincibles' who won the club's last title in 2004

Barcelona star Messi equals record for Champions League goals scored away from home
The Argentine attacker has once more added his name to the record books as he netted in the away game against Bayer Leverkusen in Europe's elite football competition

Wenger considering playing Alex Song as an emergency centre-back for Arsenal's Champions League clash with AC Milan
Gunners boss set to stick with Thomas Vermaelen at left-back despite the availability of fit-again Kieran Gibbs, who is expected to be on the bench

Chelsea are not in crisis, but missing out on Champions League would be a disaster, says Jose Bosingwa
The Portuguese full-back has backed his teammates and his manager to pull through a difficult situation and says the team will keep on challenging to finish in the top four

Barcelona's Lionel Messi breaks competition record with 19th strike in knockout games
The Argentine, still only 24, surpassed Raul and Andriy Shevchenko with his late strike away to Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger calls for his team to avoid the 'crisis' in English football ahead of 'vital' week for club
The Frenchman says his side must carry their momentum into the clashes with Milan and Sunderland, while tipping the departing Thierry Henry to sign off in style at the San Siro

Fabregas admits Barcelona were 'boring' against Bayer Leverkusen
The former Arsenal star has acknowledged that the Catalans were less spectacular than usual, but felt they employed the right tactics against the German side

Dani Alves urges Barcelona to finish the job at Camp Nou against Bayer Leverkusen
The Brazil international has voiced his satisfaction with Tuesday evening's win over Leverkusen, but is determined not to get complacent for the second-leg clash

Arsene Wenger raises concerns over quality of AC Milan pitch ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash
The Giuseppe Meazza turf at has recently been re-laid, prompting the Frenchman to discuss his fears over its quality, while suggesting his side will look to win in Italy

Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola rues final passes and misuse of first-half space
The Catalan coach believes his side could have done better in the first 45 minutes, but admitted he was happy as the champions ran out 3-1 winners over Bayer Leverkusen On Tuesday

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wary of threat from AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The Frenchman believes the Swedish striker is a 'great player' who is capable of big game performances, with the two sides set to meet in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday

Lyon boss Remi Garde regrets not scoring more goals in 1-0 Champions League victory over APOEL
The French outfit's coach hopes his side will not live to regret missed opportunities as his charges prepare for the return leg in Cyprus

Alexis looks ahead to 'difficult' second leg as Leverkusen boss Dutt laments showing Barcelona 'too much respect'
The German boss admitted defeat as the home side suffered a night to forget with Guardiola's men running riot, while Sanchez and Busquets expressed joy with their dominant display

'I don't know if I can stop Arsenal's Robin van Persie' - AC Milan's Thiago Silva
The Rossoneri centre-back has spoken of his side's need to be on top form to stop the Gunners, who will attempt to repeat their famous 2-0 knock-out victory from 2008

Massimo Taibi: Ibrahimovic key for AC Milan against Arsenal
The former Rossoneri goalkeeper feels the outcome of the tie rests in the hands of a player who has often been accused of failing to perform on the grandest stage in club football

AC Milan coach Allegri: Arsenal not a one-man team
Many pundits feel that the Gunners have become too reliant on their Dutch forward, but the Rossoneri coach believes that there is much more to the north London side's attack

Dani Alves: Barcelona will never be allowed to play a final at the Santiago Bernabeu
Real Madrid are against staging a clash between the Catalans and their Basque rivals at their home ground because of the alleged anti-Spanish feeling among some of their fans

AC Milan midfielder Seedorf: Arsenal are 'one of the sides to beat' in the Champions League
The 35-year-old midfielder has praised the Gunners ahead of Wednesday's home clash, as he reveals the joys of winning Europe's most prestigious club competition

Arsenal's Thierry Henry not thinking of personal glory ahead of Champions League clash with Milan
The striker is set to head back to the USA with the New York Red Bulls after his loan spell ends but states that team performance is more important than another goal for him

 

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

15.02.2012 09:44:16

Reinartz: "Messi is peculiar"

Leverkusen - Following their 3-1 home defeat at the hands of titleholders Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League second round first leg tie on Tuesday evening, Bayer Leverkusen's hopes of progression are looking decidedly slim. In a remarkably frank post-match interview, defender Stefan Reinartz went as far as to compare their chances with those of winning the lottery...


Question: Stefan Reinartz, how was the match?

Stefan Reinartz: Difficult. Unfortunately Barcelona gave us a bit of a runaround, but that was to be expected. We were limited mainly to defending in the first half but we didn't let much through until their opener. We weren't able to make much of an impact going forward. After the break we tried to be a bit more offensive and pushed forward more. It was good to see that we created some decent opportunities. We could easily have made it 2-2, but in the end Barcelona were just that bit better.

Question: DId Leverkusen show the reigning champions too much respect?

Reinartz: We weren't particularly bad. It wasn't as if Barcelona created chance after chance - they hardly had any before the first goal. It certainly wasn't the worst we've played. Even so, we were hoping to be more effective on the counter. That didn't really happen in the first half, but we improved in the second.

Question: Did conceding again so soon after equalising break the team's confidence?

Reinartz: No, I don't think so. We had our best period of the match after they went 2-1 up. We had two or three chances, including the shot against the post by Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling's header. The wake-up call was the first goal. From then on we tried to play football and got more involved in the game. We played more openly and with more courage.

Question: Shortly before the end you attempted to foul Messi, but didn't manage to catch him. Is even fouling him difficult?

Reinartz: I had to be a bit more rustic and try to foul him. I tried to trip him, but it wasn't enough.

Question: Is there any way of predicting what Messi will do?

Reinartz: It's a bit peculiar with him. Sometimes he stands around doing nothing and you don't think he wants the ball or even wants to play. Then he suddenly explodes, especially in situations where he's outnumbered. He has some incredible skills. Otherwise, he spends 80 minutes of the match trudging about like a moody school kid. You'd never guess he was such a great footballer.

Question: What makes it so difficult to play against Barca?

Reinartz: We tried to get forward in the second half, but it's hard to press Barcelona because they still create chances by playing their way out of it. Most teams approach them like we did in the first half - Catenaccio-style.

Question: How will you approach the second leg? With excitement? Hope?

Reinartz: We'll definitely enjoy it, but we lost 3-1 at home. It's a bit like if we were to play the lottery tomorrow. Our chances are about the same.

Question: What have you taken from the game ahead of this weekend's Bundesliga match against Augsburg?

Reinartz: Tired legs.

Recorded by Tobias Gonscherowski

 

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Champions League: Zenit St Petersburg 3 Benfica 2

16 February 2012

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Zenit St Petersburg ran out 3-2 winners over Benfica in a thrilling Champions League round-of-16 first-leg clash at the Petrovsky Stadium.Maxi Pereira opened the scoring for the visitors 20 minutes in on Wednesday, but Roman Shirokov hit back for the hosts seven minutes later to have things level at half-time.

Sergei Semak gave Zenit the lead at the 71-minute mark, but a goal from Oscar Cardozo three minutes from the end seemed to be enough to secure a draw for Benfica.Shirokov, however, had other ideas and rounded off his brace one minute later to hand the Russian club the advantage before the return leg in Portugal on March 6.

Conditions were well below freezing, and with the home side playing their first competitive match in two months, it was no surprise that the first half unfolded in fits and starts with both teams struggling to establish a rhythm.Perhaps befitting the tone of the opening exchanges, it was a scrappy goal from Benfica that broke the deadlock after 20 minutes.

A free kick by Cardozo was fumbled by goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov, which gave Pereira an empty net in which to poke home the rebound.Zenit were not fazed by the setback, and went on the offensive moments later through Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who forced Benfica goalkeeper Artur to block his effort.

Artur could do nothing about the equaliser in the 28th minute, however, after an inviting cross by Tomas Hubocan was volleyed superbly by Shirokov into the bottom corner.Neither side was able to maintain the momentum for long, and the match settled into a lull as the first half drew to a close. Things did not get much better after the interval, with both sides content to err on the side of caution as the second half progressed.

Cardozo was able to spark things into life in the 69th minute when he managed to squeeze a shot towards goal, forcing Zhevnov into an awkward scrambling save.Two minutes later Zenit took the lead for the first time after another well-worked goal. Kerzhakov raced down the right to hook the ball towards Vladimir Bystrov, and his low cross found fellow substitute Semak, who turned the ball home with a clever flick.

Kerzhakov was at it again a few minutes later when he was found in space inside the area, but the forward elected to blast the ball into the side netting instead of cutting back for one of his better-placed team-mates.With three minutes to go, Benfica grabbed an equaliser through Cardozo after a fumble by Zhevnov allowed the Paraguayan the simplest of finishes from barely a yard out.

But the drama was not done there, and Zenit regained the lead a minute later after a failed clearance by Pereira and a spill by Artur allowed Shirokov an open goal to give the Russian outfit a slender advantage heading into the second leg in Lisbon.

 

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Champions League: AC Milan 4 Arsenal 0

16 February 2012

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Arsenal face elimination from the Champions League after being mauled 4-0 by AC Milan in their round-of-16 first-leg match at San Siro on Wendesday.Kevin-Prince Boateng opened the scoring after 15 minutes, while a brace from Robinho either side of half-time put the result beyond doubt before a late penalty from Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Arsenal with a mountain to climb in the second leg at the Emirates on March 6.

The attacking trio of Boateng, Ibrahimovic and Robinho immediately looked threatening.After Clarence Seedorf was forced off due to injury early on, Ibrahimovic beautifully controlled a pass into the path of his replacement, Urby Emanuelson, but the Netherlands midfielder skewed his shot from inside the box over the crossbar.It did not take long for Boateng to do significantly better.

Picked out by Alberto Nocerino's chipped pass, the Ghana midfielder engineered a brilliant volley from the right-hand side of the penalty area that hit the crossbar on its way in.Arsenal soaked up pressure for much of the first half, but there was little the visiting defence could do seven minutes before half-time, when Ibrahimovic broke away from what looked like an offside position down the left-hand side.

The 30-year-old nudged the ball past Bacary Sagna and delivered for the arriving Robinho, who headed beyond Wojciech Szczesny.Only a desperate challenge from Sagna prevented Ibrahimovic from converting with a diving header from close range, as Milan ended the half very much in the ascendancy.Thierry Henry, playing his last game for Arsenal before the end of his loan spell, was introduced in place of Theo Walcott at the break.

If Wenger was hoping for any kind of fairytale farewell, he was brought back to reality four minutes after the restart when Robinho, taking advantage of Thomas Vermaelen's slip, latched on to Ibrahimovic's pass across the edge of the box and fired past Szczesny from 20 yards. Milan began to enjoy themselves with the security of a three-goal cushion, Philippe Mexes feeling confident enough to dribble ambitiously out of defence on more than one occasion, until Robin van Persie fired them a warning shot after 65 minutes.

The Netherlands forward met Henry's flick with a sweetly-struck volley that Christian Abbiati did very well to turn around the post.Massimiliano Allegri was quick to react, introducing an experienced head in the form of Massimo Ambrosini to shore up the Milan midfield as Arsenal began to enjoy more of the ball.

Ibrahimovic has taken plenty of criticism during his career for his perceived underachievement in these types of matches, but he was magnificent here and created himself a deserved goal as the game drew to a close. Drawing a clumsy challenge from Johan Djourou in the penalty area after some typically elegant close control, the Swede coolly converted from the spot to rub salt into the Arsenal wounds.

 

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Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny refusing to throw the towel in despite heavy Champions League defeat
The Polish goalkeeper is still hopeful of pulling off an unlikely comeback after his side were dealt a 4-0 thrashing by AC Milan in the first-leg of the first knockout stage

Silvio Berlusconi confident AC Milan have overcome 'British taboo' after mauling of Arsenal
The Rossoneri chief has voiced his delight with the 4-0 win, whilst stating that Massimiliano Allegri's men are better than Juventus and that he never wanted Carlos Tevez

Arsenal's Robin van Persie is a fantastic player, declares Adriano Galliani following AC Milan's 'perfect game'
The Rossoneri vice-president stated his admiration for the Dutchman, but also praised the Italian champions for their domineering display in the 4-0 Champions League win

Arrivederci Van Persie - Milan humiliation spells beginning of the end for Dutchman's time at Arsenal
The Gunners' 4-0 defeat at San Siro demonstrated that the 28-year-old Netherlands striker will need to look elsewhere for silverware during the prime years of his career

Bayer Leverkusen director Rudi Voller slams Friedrich & Kadlec for swapping shirts with Barcelona star Messi
The former Germany international has expressed his dismay with the defenders' behaviour, and has confiscated their memento from their Champions League clash

AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic stresses Champions League tie against Arsenal is not over yet
The Sweden international has expressed his satisfaction with his side's 4-0 win on Wednesday night, but added that the Scudetto holders are not assured of a quarter final place

Paul Scholes dismisses Manchester City's future Champions League ambitions
The veteran Manchester United midfielder argues that their bitter rivals were undone this season in Europe's premier competition due to their 'arrogance'

Arsene Wenger rues Arsenal's 'worst night in Europe' against AC Milan
The Gunners manager refused to blame the San Siro pitch for the heavy 4-0 defeat, admitting that while the re-laid surface was a "disaster", so was his side's performance

Allegri feels AC Milan should have scored fifth goal against Arsenal
The Rossoneri coach was over the moon with his side's performance in Europe on Wednesday, but felt that they could have carved out an even bigger first-leg advantage

Mark van Bommel: Arsenal tie is not over yet
The experienced midfielder declared that the tie is still an open affair and underlined he will not return to PSV if Louis van Gaal takes over at the club

Arsene Wenger slams ‘poor’ Arsenal performance and rules out Champions League progression after Milan thrashing
The Gunners fell to a 4-0 defeat at San Siro on Wednesday, with the Frenchman stating his side were 'never in the game' as Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic were all on target

'AC Milan can win the Champions League,' says Urby Emanuelson
The Dutch midfielder believes that the San Siro club are in contention for the prestigious title if the squad stay injury-free until the end of the season

Arsenal shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny hails Zlatan Ibrahimovic while lamenting 4-0 loss to Milan
The Swedish striker scored a penalty following a Robinho brace and a scorching strike from Kevin-Prince Boateng, as the Gunners suffered a Champions League night to forget

'Benfica played with dignity; it was a shame we suffered the third goal,' says Jorge Jesus
The Portuguese coach rues the freezing conditions and the poor state of the pitch, noting his side are capable of securing a good result in the second leg

Guardiola plays down significance of 'Inter' scarf
The former Spain midfielder's current contract with the Catalans expires at the end of the season and has been linked with taking over the Nerazzurri in the past

Arsenal fans clash with Italian police ahead of AC Milan match
Around 200 Gunners supporters were involved in a scuffle, throwing cans and bottles, as local officers sought to intervene in an altercation with the home side's faithful

 

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Arsene Wenger slams ‘poor’ Arsenal performance and rules out Champions League progression after Milan thrashing

The Gunners fell to a 4-0 defeat at San Siro on Wednesday, with the Frenchman stating his side were 'never in the game' as Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic were all on target

Feb 15, 2012 11:23:00 PM

By Oliver Platt

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has slammed his side's "poor" performance at San Siro on Wednesday as the Gunners were hammered 4-0 by AC Milan in their Champions League last-16 first leg clash.

Goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed victory and almost certainly progression for the Italian champions against a below-par Arsenal team.

"It's very difficult to take the performance we've given tonight," Wenger admitted to Sky Sports.

"Defeat can happen sometimes when you play well, but I felt that defensively, especially, offensively and as a unit, we were poor. We were beaten and never in the game. It's a big shock."

Wenger conceded that he could not help but be concerned by the way his side defended against Milan, with his team's goalmouth breached twice in both halves.

"It's a big concern because we were always in trouble with the same problems – [passes] over the top, slow reading the game, slow to respond, beaten in challenges – it was a big problem for us the whole night," he said.

"We have to take our pain and regroup for the next game."

Progression in the Champions League, Wenger added, would be almost impossible, but the Frenchman hoped his team could at least deliver an improved performance at home.

"Statistically, it's too big [a deficit to recover from]," he said.

"We'll try, but there is very little hope there. The result is massive for them – a massive advantage and very difficult to turn around.

"We'll give it our best and I feel that we can't be worse than tonight, anyway."

Centre-back Laurent Koscielny was withdrawn due to injury in the first half, adding to Arsenal's injury problems in defence, with Per Mertesacker suffering ankle ligament damage against Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

"I don't know [how bad it is]," Wenger said. "It looks like a knee problem, but I haven't spoken to the medical people yet.

"He is certainly out for the weekend, and that's another injury in defence. We lost Mertesacker, we lose Koscielny tonight, and that's a big concern."

The 62-year-old would not be drawn into blaming the officials for the loss, with Johan Djourou penalised for fouling Ibrahimovic in the penalty area in the second half. The Swede also appeared to create Milan's second goal from an offside position.

"I haven't seen [the penalty] well," Wenger said. "It looked generous.

"I was more concerned with the offside for the second goal, but we were in position to change the game very early – we lost balls where you cannot afford to do so and at this level, it's always exposed."

 

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Silvio Berlusconi confident AC Milan have overcome 'British taboo' after mauling of Arsenal

The Rossoneri chief has voiced his delight with the 4-0 win, whilst stating that Massimiliano Allegri's men are better than Juventus and that he never wanted Carlos Tevez

Feb 16, 2012 11:30:00 AM

By Livio Caferoglu

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Silvio Berlusconi is hopeful AC Milan have finally dispelled their woes against Premier League clubs in the Champions League, after consigning Arsenal to a 4-0 defeat on Wednesday.

The Serie A holders had been knocked out by English sides at the second round stage for the past four years, but are now well on their way to halting their fruitless run following a comfortable first-leg win at San Siro - a feat the former Italian prime minister could only revel in.

"Indeed, British clubs had become a taboo for us, even though the national team have not won [trophies] for many years," Berlusconi told Sky Sport Italia. "However I'm confident [we can break it].

"You have to be happy when you win so convincingly. It was a great performance, made of all beautiful things."

The outspoken executive then revealed he was never keen on bringing Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez to the club, despite Adriano Galliani's well-documented pursuit of the attacker's services in January, claiming Massimiliano Allegri has sufficient options in attack.

"I never called for the arrival of Tevez. We have the boy by the name of Egypt [El Shaarawy], and then we took the striker from Catania [Maxi Lopez], who is a true centre forward; combative, a cool guy."

The 75-year-old concluded by expressing his admiration for current European champions Barcelona, before sending a warning shot to league rivals Juventus, whom he feels are inferior to Milan.

"I like the game exhibited by Barcelona. I prefer Barca to Real Madrid, despite the latter being ahead in La Liga. As a team, we are superior to Juventus," Berlusconi boasted.

The return leg at the Emirates Stadium is scheduled for March 6, as Arsenal look to overturn an unlikely four-goal deficit.

 

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Arsenal fans clash with Italian police ahead of AC Milan match

Around 200 Gunners supporters were involved in a scuffle, throwing cans and bottles, as local officers sought to intervene in an altercation with the home side's faithful

Feb 15, 2012 6:26:00 PM

By George Ankers

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Arsenal fans have clashed with Italian police in the build-up to their Champions League match away to AC Milan.

Around 200 Gunners fans are believed to have thrown cans and bottles at the law-enforcement officers, who had arrived to break up some trouble between opposing fans.​

Police confirmed that they have quelled the trouble, which occurred in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele area, with attention now turned to the situation in and around San Siro.

The Arsenal supporters reportedly also threw alcohol and verbal abuse at their opposite numbers and attempted to chase them into a local arcade before the authorities intervened.

In the clashes that followed, one English fan is claimed to have suffered a head injury with another arrested before order could be restored.

The scuffles are said to have taken place in the Piazza Duomo, where fans were gathering in anticipation of Wednesday evening’s first leg of the clubs’ first knock-out round tie.

 

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'Benfica played with dignity; it was a shame we suffered the third goal,' says Jorge Jesus

The Portuguese coach rues the freezing conditions and the poor state of the pitch, noting his side are capable of securing a good result in the second leg

Feb 15, 2012 7:57:00 PM

By Luis Mira

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Benfica coach Jorge Jesus believes that his side deserved a draw in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 away at Zenit St. Petersburg.

The Portuguese club thought they had secured a positive result from their trip to Russia when Oscar Cardozo slotted home from close range in the 87th minute, but Roman Shirokov's goal just one minute later gave Zenit a slight advantage for the return trip.

Jesus says that Benfica deserved a better result and stressed that his side are capable of beating Zenit at the Estadio da Luz.

"Even worse than the temperature was the state of the pitch," he told RTP. "Zenit are used to these conditions.

"Benfica played with dignity, it was a shame that we suffered the third goal. The tie is open and we have all the conditions to beat Zenit in front of our supporters.

"We leave Russia defeated, but not convinced. After what we did today, we believe that can go through."

The Portuguese coach then rued the injury to Rodrigo in the first half and the yellow card to Pablo Aimar, which will rule the Argentine out of the second leg.

"Rodrigo suffered a rough tackle and we are unsure about the extent of the injury," Jesus added.

"His substitution changed our plans, also because Aimar, who replaced him, was shown a yellow which he did not deserve.

"I wanted to avoid using him because he is an important player in home games. We will miss him.

"We have a different playing style with him, but we can have a great game at home and go through."

Benfica host Zenit at the Estadio da Luz on March 6.