CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS | REAL MADRID & AT MADRID

Champions League tonight with REAL MADRID & ATLETICO DE MADRID in Group matches. Here are brief summaries, along with goalscorers & the final results.

REAL MADRID hosted PARIS ST GERMAIN & although both teams have secured the pass to the next stage of Champions League, Real needed to win to keep alive their chance to take top spot of their Group. Above is the starting XI team for Real Madrid.

A great first 45 minutes from Real Madrid. The Spanish Club controlled the game, showed a high level of intensity that has not been seen for a long time in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real played the ball at a very high speed and created plenty of goal opportunities of which PSG goalie Keylor Navas stopped literally a "goal bath". Tremendous Hazard, a genius Benzema and midfielder Valverde was everywhere.

Same tonic in the second half with Real Madrid dominanting. However, an injury to Hazard & the substitution of Valverde allowed PSG to get more ball control & find spaces. Neymar who came on at the start of the 2ºhalf bettered the PSG attack. When Real Madrid was 2-0 up a mix up between Varane & Real Madrid goalie Courtois allowed Mappe to score & towards the end with a more relaxed Real Madrid Paris St Germain sub Sarabia equalized two minutes later. Gareth Bale hit the post from a free-kick in the last minute.

Great game from Benzema, Hazard, Marcelo & Valverde for Real Madrid, while for PSG Navas was the goal savior & Mbappe was dangerous.

Final result

REAL MADRID 2 - PARIS ST GERMAIN 2 

Goalscorers:
1 - 0 (17') Benzema
2 - 0 (79') Benzema
2 - 1 (81') Mbappé
2 - 2 (83') Sarabia

ATLETICO DE MADRID travelled to Italy to play JUVENTUS FC. The objective was a win for the Spaniards in order to secure their pass into the next stage of Champions League without depending on fate or third parties.

Above is the Atletico starting XI team.

Juventus FC ended the first half 1 - 0 up in a very close & contested match thanks to a genius of Dybala, who was the best player in the first 45 min. 

Alvaro Morata had a golden chance towards the end, although it was off-side. There was also a great opportunity for Angel Correa who combined well with Joao Felix but opted for the center instead of the shot. Atletico de Madrid now must win Lokomotiv to secure their pass onto the next stage of Champions League. If Atletico does not, it will depend on what Leverkusen does against Juventus FC which has already the Top Group spot and has nothing to play except their pride. Atletico played a fair game, but faced a Juventus team which defended very well and took advantage of a genius of Dybala.

FINAL RESULT

JUVENTUS FC 1 - ATLETICO DE MADRID 0

Goalscorer:
1 - 0 Dybala 45m +  

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FC BARCELONA VALENCIA CF | UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS

UEFA Champions League 2019-2020 kicked off this season with Group games scheduled with Spanish Clubs FC BARCELONA & VALENCIA CF down for their Group duties. Here is a short summary of the main events along with goalscorers & the final results.

Interesting starting XI for Barça tonight with Arthur & 16 year old Ansu Fati in the line-up. Above in the image is the full 11 names. 

An equalled first half for both teams with Borussia Dortmund having more occasions, especially a golden chance by Reus that was stopped by Barça goalie Ter Stegen. FC Barcelona had good periods of control of the ball, specially when Brazilian midfielder Arthur took command. Said this, Borussia Dortmund was not overwhelmed by Barça & managed to counterbalance the situation & created their goal opportunities.

The second half converted Barça goalie TER STEGEN in "Man of the Match", he solely avoided that his team lose tonight with some magnificent saves. The Barça goalie stopped a REUS penalty in the 56th min. Later Borussia Dortmund hit the bar. 

Messi came on to play 30 mins after a long stint out through injury but he could turn the wave. Tough night for Braça in Germany, nearly lost to Borussia

Lastly, bad news for Barça was the injury to Jordi Alba.

FINAL RESULT: BORUSSIA DORTMUND 0 FC BARCELONA 0

VALENCIA CF travelled to London to play Chelsea FC in an unsettling fashion after their Coach Marcelino was fired last week & replaced by Celades. The new Coach has not the full backing of the Senior players & their is a "bad vibe" in the air. However, tonight they pulled things together to give a good image & get the 3 points.

Below is the starting XI team for Valencia CF:

The first half did not have a clear and defined dominator. Valencia CF started defensively allowing Chelsea FC to control while looking to launch their counter-attacks. As the game progressed Valencia gained in confidence & pushed forward reaching more often the area of Chelsea goalie Kepa. Chelsea FC although with more game control did not show signs of danger & did not trouble the Spanish team. Chelsea only troubled Valencia Cf a couple of times, one with a Willian goal opportunity.

The second half allowed fans to witness an entertaining match with chances going to both teams. However, it was Valencia CF through their forward RODRIGO that scored in the 73rd min with a rehearsed tactical play having Captain Parejo involved.

Chelsea won a penalty in the 85th min but ROSS BARKLEY missed hitting the crossbar. Valencia held out &, must I say, surprised. Well done!

FINAL RESULT: CHELSEA FC 0 - VALENCIA CF 1

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | MIXED RESULTS FOR SPANISH CLUBS

Two Spanish Clubs were down tonight for CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1º leg Quarter Final matches with mixed results. Here is a brief summary of events along with final results & all the goalscorers.

REAL MADRID defeated JUVENTUS 0 - 3 away to take a healthy & very advantageous situation back to Madrid for the 2º leg return match. Real Madrid was superior even when Juventus has pressuring upfront & creating goal chances in the 1º st half. However, Real Madrid turned the game totally around in the 2º half with CRISTIANO RONALDO doing some magic & the red card (second yellow) to DYBALA which left Juventus at a serious numerical disadvantage.

Real Madrid hit the bar twice ( Kroos & Kovacic) & missed some other great opportunities, while Juventus had some "killer" opportunities in front of goal in the 1º st half that Real Madrid goalkeeper Kaylor Navas stopped in tremendous fashion.

But the differential factor tonight was again CRISTIANO RONALDO who since has changed position to Centre Forward & adapted his style has become a total "goal scoring machine". Perhaps at this moment CR7 is the most inform, effective & lethal player in the goal square on the Planet. The Portuguese forward put Real Madrid in front in the 3rd min with a flick-touch from an Isco wing pass that silenced the Italians. Juventus reacted with grit & spirit to regain their stance & created many interesting & close goal opportunities. The Italians could not convert their chances while the Real Madrid defence with their goalkeeper did their job to minimise the possible damage.

But in the 2º nd half while Juventus was still pounding away at the Spanish defensive line a counter-attack by Real Madrid gave witness to an incredible overhead goal from CRISTIANO RONALDO in the 64th min that sank the Italian moral. The frustration was transferred onto midfielder Dybala who was sent off with a second yellow card & sank further the Italian endeavour to stay floating. It was not long after that Real Madrid found their third goal through MARCELO in the 72nd min to virtually shut things for tonight. Juventus managed to pull from spirit to attempt to find at least a goal but was foiled by Real Madrid defence & goalkeeper again. 

Excellent win away to Real Madrid which will lift their confidence levels further.

SEVILLA FC lost 1 - 2 to BAYERN MUNICH in a historic night for the Spanish Club in Champions League. Sevilla played well especially the 1º st half but was unlucky with the two German goals while Bayern pulled from their much greater experience in this competition. The Bayern Munich quality players came to light in the critical moments of the match to steer them onto victory & with two important away goals.

Sevilla got ahead first in the 32nd min when SARABIA scored but Bayern Munich managed the equalizer in the 37th min when Sevilla winger JESUS NAVAS managed an own goal. The Germans maintained the calm & withstood the Spanish pressure until THIAGO scored the second & definite goal for the Germans in the 68th min.

Sevilla will travel to Munich for the return match with hopes still active but at some disadvantage. Not all is lost. 

Tomorrow the remaining Spanish Club in Champions League FC BARECLONA will play AC ROMA at the "Camp Nou".

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2017-18 | MOST VALUABLE CLUBS & PLAYERS

Champions League 2017-2018 kicks off tonight & Spanish Sports paper "Marca" highlights the fact with this spectacular front cover today (below). Four Spanish Football Clubs are represented: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atletico de Madrid & Sevilla FC, with Barça playing Juventus FC & At.Madrid playing AC Roma tonight. Real Madrid & Sevilla FC have their Group games scheduled tomorrow.

However, website "Transfermarket" publish on their site the "Economic value" of the Clubs & Players that will participate in this seasons Champions League. Economic figures given by the website that you can agree with or not. Real Madrid & FC Barcelona are the most valuable Clubs, first & second respectively, with At.Madrid in 9th position & Sevilla FC in 16th.

Economic Value of Football Clubs in Champions League : Top 32

In terms of players Lionel Messi is Nº1 with 120M€ followed by Cristiano Ronaldo & Neymar at 100M€...

Economic "market" value of Top Football Players in Champions League according to "transfermarket"

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FC BARCELONA ELIMINATED BY JUVENTUS | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Bad news tonight for Spanish Football as FC BARCELONA has been eliminated from Champions League after drawing 0 - 0 in tonights 2º leg return match with JUVENTUS FC. The Italians won the tie with an overall 0 - 3 aggregate score managed in the 1º leg. There was hope of a comeback by Barça, but Juventus are not PSG & are more experienced & solid defensively. The Italians gave a "Masterclass" of defending & match management that included "time" & "critical moments".

FC Barcelona did have their chances, & plenty. The Italians were more "conservative" tonight & waited in their area looking for the ocasional counter-attack. Barça dominated the ball, made more passing & naturally, more attacking. Neymar, Suarez, Messi, Alba, Sergi Roberto...all had very clear opportunities but were not on target, apart from the Juve defenders with goalie Buffon solving the "moments". 

As time went on, & time became scarce, the nerves set in & every action was more rushed for the Spanish team. Spaces appeared all Barça pushed forward & Juve made the occasional dangerous incursions into Barcelona´s goal area to also have their goal opportunities. In the end the Italian control of the situation & the final whistle confirmed the elimination of FC Barcelona.

The final 4 teams left in Champions League are Atletico de Madrid, Real Madrid CF, Monaco & Juventus FC. Next Friday UEFA celebrates the draw for the semi-finals & we hope both Spanish teams don´t meet to allow a possible all Spanish Final. I say possible, as anything can happen & will happen.

Congratulations to Juventus FC!

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REAL MADRID & ATLETICO MADRID REACH SEMIS OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Champions League 2º leg Quarter-Final night & two Spanish Football Clubs are in the semi-finales stage after eliminating their respective rivals. Real Madrid makes Champions League History being the only Club to reach the last 4 teams (semi-finals) 7 times in a row consecutively. While Atletico de Madrid again gets themselves in the "Elite" category of European Football, in the top 4 Clubs.

REAL MADRID defeated BAYERN MUNICH 4-2 (6-3 on aggregate) after extra-time &, have to mention, with Bayern Munich down to 10 men after Vidal was sent off with a red card in the 84th min. The Vidal sending off was possibly "the turning point" that tipped the balance in favour of Real Madrid as the tremendous physical effort by the Germans was too much by this point to cover the extra ground.

However, this match had some excellent headlines: HAT-TRICK by Cristiano Ronaldo, Masterclass of goalkeeping by Neuer, Spectacle performance by Marcelo, the explosion of a future Football star Asensio, the goodbye of Xabi Alonso, great performance from Thiago, penalty & own goal & referee decisions that impacted negatively on both sides (hand-balls & offsides). 

In a nutshell an outstanding game of World Class Football.

The goals fell in the following manner:

• Lewandowski (penalty) 52nd min, 0 - 1
• Cristiano Ronaldo 75th min , 1 - 1
• Sergio Ramos (own goal) 77th, 1 - 2 
• Cristiano Ronaldo 104th min , 2 - 2
• Cristiano Ronaldo 108th min, 3 - 2
• Asensio 111 th min , 4 - 2

For Bayern Munich a disappointment for sure, but an impressive performance that pushed Real Madrid to the limit, & they had the tie in their hands. The Germans made proud the Club & their supporters with their attacking Football, taking up the initiative in all moments & for their fighting spirit. Would not have expected anything less from this great Football Club. They should leave feeling proud of the efforts & performance.

In the end its the final details & decisions that always tips the balance of the result & tonight was no less. 

LEICESTER CITY drew 1 - 1 with ATLETICO DE MADRID & was eliminated on aggregate 1-2. Deserved tie win & result for the Spanish Football Club which played better relatively on the night although as expected suffered some "tense moments", especially when Leicester drew.

The goals came from:

• Saul 26th min, 0 - 1
• Vardy 60th min , 1 - 1

When things got difficult towards the end of the match for Atletico they pulled from experience & stood firm to the English attacks & attempts of goals to take the tie & get themselves into the semi-finals of Champions League.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | REAL MADRID 3 - NAPOLI 1

UEFA Champions League matches tonight with Spanish Football Club Real Madrid in action against Italian Club Napoli in the 1º leg away game in Madrid. Final result 3-1 for Real Madrid which goes into the 2º leg with a handy advantage. 

Just result as Real Madrid was the better team most of the match. There were the typical scares for this type of Top level Football, one being the early goal by Napoli. Italian forward Insigne whipped a long range shot that bounced & caught Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas "asleep" & off his line.

A surprise goal in the 7th min that caught everyone off guard & it seemed that the Italians were to do big things. On the contrary, Real Madrid took control and commenced their comeback.

The equalizer came from Benzema who headed in a Carvajal cross in the 16th min. The second goal came in the 48th min through a pin point shot from Toni Kross, with the third a "screamer" volley from Casemiro in the 53rd min. 

Three goals, enough for the victory & half way to the Q/Final stage. I say half-way because there is the return match in Italy that could bring surprises. But if things follow their normal course Real Madrid should solve this elimination.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | PSG 4 - FC BARCELONA 0

UEFA Champions League Football returned tonight with Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona travelling to Paris for their 1º leg away game against Paris St Germain. The final result a crushing 4 - 0 defeat at the hands of the locals which put in a brilliant performance to put Barça on the verge of elimination.

FC Barcelona will need to defeat PSG in the 2º leg 5 - 0, with the French not scoring at all to keep themselves alive. Watching tonight's match & the performance by Barça, a difficult endeavour indeed.

Paris St Germain over ran, out played, out strengthen, out smarted & out scored the Spaniards in a disastrous night for the visitors. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were not seen & did not contribute at all, zero. Neymar showed glimpses of light, but was held & kept under control while Barcelona lost the midfield from the kick-off.

Without the midfield, Barça was lost & could not feed their forwards. Instead the French controlled & spent most of the night in the half of Barcelona. Names to mention as outstanding: Varatti, Rabiot, Matuidi, Drexler, Di Maria, Cavani ... basically the whole PSG team. 

Little to say about FC Barcelona as they were unrecognised and suffered the "medicine" they usually serve out to other teams. They did hit the bar in the late part of the match through Umtiti, but little more; that "life-saver" drifted pass them as well.

Harsh result for Barça that will send shock-waves Worldwide, while an impressive & well worked victory for the French. Excellent & almost perfect match from them tonight. 

Final Score: Paris St Germain 4 - FC Barcelona 0
Goalscorers:

• Di Maria (free-kick) , 19th min
• Drexler, 40th min
• Di Maria, 55th min
• Cavani 71st min

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | SPANISH TEAMS WEDNESDAY RESULTS

UEFA Champions League continued tonight with the last two Spanish Football representatives in action. Here are their final results along with the goalscorers.

Atletico de Madrid defeated 1 - 0 Bayern Munich in their Group game. Deserved victory for At. Madrid which created more opportunities although they failed to convert into more goals. They had numerous shots at goal, Fernando Torres hit the post & Griezmann missed a penalty in the 83rd min.

The only goal of the match, & the winner, came in the 35th min when Yannick Carrasco fired home to beat Bayern goalkeeper Neuer.

Bayern had their chances but At. Madrid goalkeeper Oblak was solid & alert, while defenders Savic & Godin were outstanding. Great overall teamwork from the Spanish team with a perfect tactical set up that did not allow the Germans space or time to breathe.

Important victory for Atletico & a psychological table fist smashing gesture that injects moral & confidence for the rest of the Group games. 

Borussia Monchangladbach lost 1 - 2 to FC Barcelona in their Group encounter. The Germans got ahead first in the 34th min through Hazard & had the Spaniards on the back foot. But the individual talents of Barça came to the surface & they managed to pull the team back together. Without the magic of Messi , Barça had to work harder to create their goal chances.

The goals however came in the 63rd min when Arda Turan equalized, & the winner came in the 73rd min through defender Gerard Pique.

Good play by the Germans, but Barça managed to turn things around.
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SPANISH FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TUESDAY RESULTS

UEFA Champions League games with two Spanish Football Clubs in action with Group duties. Here are all of the corresponding final results of the Spanish Clubs along with the goalscorers.

German territory is traditionally not an easy destiny for Spanish Football Clubs in the way of results. Real Madrid has always found it stiff in their visit with tonight being no different. The final result Borussia Dortmund 2 - Real Madrid 2, a just result with the Germans being very awkward & solid.

Real Madrid has some important players out of form. Karim Benzema should have not played at all - terrible - with Morata a better option. Although Cristiano Ronaldo scored he is below his usual best & was so & so. Sergio Ramos has to do more work as he made some elementary mistakes tonight which are unacceptable. Best players for Real Madrid was goalkeeper Keylor Navas, even if the first Dortmund goal was his fault with a bad punch-out, along with Modric who was outstanding with Toni Kroos & defender/goalscorer Varane. 

For Borussia a good team effort, very quick & dangerous in their attacks. Castro was active, Dembele dangerous, Ambameyang had goal in his mind & substitute Schurrle drove in the late equalizer. The German will be happy with their effort & the result.

Real Madrid experience their 3rd draw result in a row. Disappointing from their perspective, too many mistakes from key players & some stars should not be playing at all with other more capable on the bench. Said this, how do you sit Ronaldo?

Goals:

• Cristiano Ronaldo 17th min, 0 - 1
• Ambameyang 43rd min, 1 - 1
• Varane 69th min, 1 - 2
• Schurrle 86th min, 2 -2

Sevilla FC turned on a great 2º half to win 1 - 0 French Club Olympique Lyon. Bad first half from Sevilla with their crowd booing them off. However, things changed in the 2º half.

Sevilla opener & winner came in the 52 min through Ben Yedder. Later Sevilla FC missed a penalty that Vietto flew over the bar. Lyon hit the post to add excitement & the end become a see-saw event.

Sevilla held out with true courage. Great result for them. 

Tomorrow Champions League continues with the remaining two other Spanish Football Clubs in action: Atletico de Madrid (Bayern Munich) & FC Barcelona ( B.Mglad).

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LIST OF THE BEST PLAYERS UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015-2016

Ex-players & Coaches like Ioan Lupescu, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jean-Paul Brigger, Ginés Meléndez, Mixu Paatelainen, Thomas Schaaf, Peter Rudbaek, Savo Milosevic, David Moyes & Mircea Lucescu are the experts that have chosen for UEFA the Ideal Best Team for this Champions League season 2015-2016. Said differently the 18 Best Players for Champions League.

Goalkeepers

Oblak (At.Madrid), Neuer, 

Defenders 

Godin (At.Madrid), Juanfran (At.Madrid), Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid)

Midfielders

Gabi (At. Madrid), Koke (At.Madrid), Iniesta (FC Barcelona), Kroos (Real Madrid), Modric (Real Madrid)

Forwards

Griezmann (At.Madrid), Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona), Messi (FC Barcelona), Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) & Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

As you can see, dominated by Spanish Football based Footballers, mainly from Real Madrid & Real Madrid. Fc Barcelona has three players included in the above list.

Prestigious French Sports paper "LÉquipe" give their list of "Best Champions League XI" season 2015-2016. See below diagram:

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REAL MADRID WINS ITS 11 TH EUROPEAN - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CUP

Spanish Football Club Real Madrid defeated fellow city & country Club Atletico de Madrid 5-3 (1-1 after 90 mins) in the penalty shoot out of the Final of the UEFA Champions League. 

Its the 11th European Cup for Real Madrid & it furthers their legendary heritage in this competition. At. Madrid losses its 3rd final in "unlucky" circumstances & also lengthens its "bad streak" in this competition. 

Either team deserved to win, both played to their limits but the penalty shoot out is like a "casino" & a miss by At. Madrid defender Juanfran - hitting the post - was the equilibrium breaker. The winner came from Cristiano Ronaldo who seems to be destined to shine in these important Football occasions.

Real Madrid started well & scored first when a free kick flicked on by Bale found Sergio Ramos in the 15th min to score. After closer look the Real Madrid defender was off-side but the goal stood. From here onwards At. Madrid slowly pulled themselves back into the game & took control.

In the 2º half Atletico Coach Simeone made an important substitution putting on Carrasco for Augusto. This gave Atletico more punch up forward eventual winning a penalty which unfortunately Griezmann missed hitting the bar. Not phased Atletico continued attacking & the equalizer came from a Jaunfran pass that found Carrasco in the far post in the 79th min.

The match went into extra-time & players from both teams began falling like flies with muscle cramps & from fatigue. Players from both teams like Bale, Modric, Koke, Luis Felipe ... were basically out of action while the fresh substitutes like Vazquez, Danilo, Carrasco etc pulled the cart. Few more opportunities not taken appeared for both teams that ended in the "dreaded" penalty shoot out stage.

The equilibrium breaker was when Atletico defender Juanfran failed his penalty hitting the post. This allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score the winner straight after to take Real Madrid onto its 11th European-Champions League title.

Congratulations to Real Madrid, & very proud of Atletico Madrid. The overall winner is Spanish Football.

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REAL MADRID - AT MADRID POSSIBLE STARTING 11 LINE-UPS

The day before & the Champions League Final 2016 in Milan between Real Madrid - Atletico Madrid is hot & occupying the main sections of the World Sports media. One of the main debates is the speculated start 11 line-ups of both sides, with Football experts debating which players will make up the opening squads.

We can speculate & believe these are the most likely starting 11 line-ups for Real Madrid & Atletico Madrid:

REAL MADRID : Navas, Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo & Gareth Bale.

ATLETICO MADRID: Oblak, JuanFran, Savic, Godin, Luis Felipe, Augusto, Saul, Gabi, Koke, Fernando Torres & Griezmann.

The Real Madrid speculated starting 11 looks fairly reasonable & correct, while the only doubt is with At.Madrid in whether Savic or JM Gimenez will start along side Godin in defence.

Kick off time 20.45 hours Saturday, a Final not to be missed.

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ATLETICO MADRID INTO FINAL & ELIMINATES BAYERN MUNICH | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid eliminated tonight German Club Bayern Munich from the Champions League competition to win a place in the Final. The final result of the 2º leg return match of the Champions League semi-final was 2 - 1 for Bayern Munich, but the away goal & the 2 - 2 aggregate result was enough for Atletico.

Hard fought out match with two clear heroes for Atletico de Madrid, goalkeeper Oblak who stopped a penalty from Muller in the 1º st half & Antoine Griezmann who scored the goal away worth double in the 53rd min.

It was obvious that Bayern Munich would go all out to get the result & the tie. The Germans boxed in the Spaniard most of the 1º st half with a Xabi Alonso free-kick goal in the 30th min included. Shortly after while Bayern was on a roll a penalty was called in the 33rd min. Muller had the chance to put the semi-final firmly in the hands of the Germans but Oblak stopped it, or Muller failed. Either way it was an important turning point that was to change the course of things around.

In the 2º half Atletico Coach Simeone made his "master move" & decision, to take off a defensive midfielder Augusto & put on an attacker Carrasco. Atletico changed from 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 system which made Bayern move back more within their area. Atletico had decided to change from defending exclusively to take the game in the German area. The move paid off when Griezmann combined with Griezmann in a 1 - 2 touch action that left the French alone with only Neuer to beat, which he did in the 53rd min to score.

The away goal now forced Bayern to score twice if they were to survive, & the Bayern attacks began again its advances. Ribery was dangerous, Alaba was outstanding, Vidal a nuisance but very active & Lewandowski always dangerous. Atletico sinned by again falling back in defence to wait for Bayern & they paid a second German goal when Alaba found the head of Vidal who headed into the path of Lewandowski in the 73rd min. 

Nervous & tense moments, Atletico was brave enough to attack a tiring Bayern defence which committed penalty on Fernando Torres in the 83rd min (fouled by Martinez). However, Fernando Torres had his penalty attempt stopped by Bayern Munich goalie Neuer & the Germans were still alive. 

The remaining 10 mins was Bayern attacks after attack, but At. Madrid held firm till the final whistle to go into the Champions League final.

Tomorrow we will know the other finalist when Real Madrid hosts Manchester City in their 2º leg return semi-final.

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AT MADRID 1 BAYERN MUNICH 0 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI - FINAL RESULT

Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid won 1 - 0 German giant Bayern Munich in tonight's 1º leg Champions League semi-final clash. Brilliant & emotional game that had everything & much more. The semi-final tie is still wide open as the Spaniards must travel to Munich for the 2º leg match next week, but the sensations are good for Atletico

Atletico Madrid overpowered Bayern Munich in the first 15 minutes of the game. Their pressure was intense & were awarded with an 11th min goal from youngster Saul. A player who has came of age & has earned himself to be a serious candidate for the Spanish National Team for the upcoming Euro 2016 Championship. Spanish team Coach & Selector Vicente del Bosque was in the crowd watching & must have been delighted with the performance of Saul & his outstanding goal. 

In the second half Bayern Munich showed why they are a top class Football act as they dominated most of the last 45 min. Bayern Brazilian winger Costa is a class act along with team-mates Alba & company. The Germans put under siege the Spanish area & here appeared another name, Atletico goalkeeper Olbak who was outstanding. Two close calls, Alaba hit the bar while Fernando Torres hit the post. Both actions which could have radically changed the course of this semi-final. 

Lastly, the defensive exhibition from Atletico de Madrid during the German Blitzkrieg in the second half was a "Masterclass". A defensive wall which repelled everything thrown at it, standing firm, with every player showing solidarity & intensity. A theoretical lessen that many Coaches will be studying & we were privileged to witness tonight in motion. Mention here to the tireless Atletico midfielder Augusto, along with Central defender Gimenez & Savic. In all fairness it was a total & collective supreme effort.

Now off to Munich to settle the tie, hope we get the same level of game as tonight.
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MAN. CITY 0 REAL MADRID 0 | CHAMPIONS SEMI-FINAL 1º LEG RESULT

Champions League 1º leg semi-final with Manchester City drawing 0 - 0 with Spanish Football Club Real Madrid. A relative small victory for Real Madrid as they did not allow Man. City to score while keeping options open for the return leg at home at the "Santiago Bernabeu Stadium".

The result for the Spaniards was even better because they managed it without Cristiano Ronaldo who could not recover in time over his thigh injury & without Benzema all the 2º half who went off injured.

Manchester City was very dangerous the first half gaining a higher percentage of ball possession & managing to get into the goal zone more often. Real Madrid was sloppy, inaccurate in their passing & giving away the ball too often. The turning point for worst for Man.City was the injury to David Silva which took the "magic" out of the team. The English squad then took on a more "orthodox" approach of defending & looking for the counter-attack.

The second half went to Real Madrid which bettered as time went hitting the bar through Jese & forcing English goalkeeper Hart to make two match savers, one from a Casemiro corner header & another a point blank Pepe shot.

In the end both teams played out to fight another day. But watching this game although both teams have very good options still available to pass onto the final, Real Madrid looks more superior.

Outstanding performance from Real Madrid defenders Pepe, Marcelo  & Carvajal, Casemiro was solid, Modric was the play maker & always dangerous, while Bale got better towards the end. 

Tomorrow the other Spanish Football representative plays German giants Bayern Munich at home in their 1ºst leg Champions League semi-final match. 

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AT MADRID-BAYERN MUNICH | REAL MADRID-MAN CITY | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The Champions League semi-finals match ups have been drawn & the result are some fabulous matches coming our way. 

Real Madrid, in theory received the better result "getting" Manchester City, while the other Spanish Football Club Atletico Madrid meets German giant Bayern Munich.

At this end of the "business" all teams are tough nuts to crack. Atletico has a "historical thorn" to pull out with Bayern Munich which will motivate them more than usual. Real Madrid are favourites against Manchester City but the English will be spirited & Real Madrid can be unpredictable & irregular as proven all this season.

Great European Soccer action coming our way.

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REAL MADRID 3 WOLFSBURG 0 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT

Real Madrid has managed to turnaround a two goal deficit from the 1º leg into a 3 - 0 win tonight against Wolfsburg. Magical Champions League 2º leg return game that made vibrate fans & spectators alike. Its the 6th year straight that Real Madrid manages to get themselves into the semi-final stage of Champions League (3-2 ON AGGREGATE)

But if there is one name to highlight, that is Cristiano Ronaldo who scored all three goals - 16th, 17th & 77th min - & with full repertoire: feet, header & free-kick. The HAT-TRICK man lead his team onward in possibly his best exhibition in a long time. With him the work of Karim Benzema was outstanding with the Frenchman unlucky not to have scored himself. Midfielder Modric was all class, along with team-mate Casemiro who was omnipresent & Carvajal who was pivotal in the early goals.

The Germans had their chances, with some very clear opportunities that they will be remembering after the match. They lost star player Draxler in the 31st min & this was an obvious blow for them as Draxler was their danger man. Special mention for Wolfsburg goalkeeper Benaglio who was excellent making some vital saves & keeping his team alive. Said this the desired away goal, although looked for & very close, did not arrive for the Germans.

Tomorrow another magical night of Champions League when two Spanish Football Clubs, Atletico de Madrid & FC Barcelona fight out their own elimination clash. The latter takes over to Madrid 2 goals while Atletico has a valueable away goal that could give them the key. Match not to be missed.
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WOLFSBURG 2 REAL MADRID 0 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1º LEG RESULT

German Club Wolfsburg gave the surprise result defeating Real Madrid 2 - 0 in the 1ºst leg of their Quarter-Final Champions League match. Real Madrid was brought back down to Earth after defeating FC Barcelona in Liga last Saturday. Nothing like that victorious side tonight against Wolfsburg which had their ideas very clear & were super effective with their chances.

Germany has never been historically a good territory for Real Madrid, but tonight the team may have also suffered from over-confidence. The Real Madrid defence was poor & right-back Danilo had another terror night as his flank was an open door. Much of the blame was German midfielder Drexler who put in an excellent match being a constant danger & creating scoring chances for his team.

Very few Real Madrid players stood out, except Garath Bale who was outstanding trying hard & being dangerous. The Spaniards will claim the German penalty was not,  a Cristiano Ronaldo goal looked legal & that a possible penalty was executed on Bale which was not called. The fact is they were cleverly outplayed by Wolfsburg which now sits comfortably with a 2 goal advantage, while Real Madrid faces the real possibility of being eliminated. 

Real Madrid must score 3 goals in the return match & without the Germans scoring any goals. A feat at this moment against the odds as the Spanish looked mediocre tonight. Added to this,  Karim Benzema went off injured.

Goals tonight:

• Rodriguez 17th min (penalty) 1 - 0
• Arnold 24th min 2 - 0

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FC BARCELONA 2 AT. MADRID 1 | 1ºST LEG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULT

FC Barcelona has won 2 - 1 Atletico de Madrid tonight in the 1ºst  leg of their Champions League quarter-final match with Atletico down to 10 men from the 35th min. The referee Brych proved why his one of the fastest "yellow card" handler in European Football showing up to 10, including a red (double yellow) card to Atletico Fernando Torres. Said this he overlooked showing others as well, fortunate because he could have single handedly destroyed this match.

Atletico de Madrid took the iniciativa from the first minute, pressuring Barcelona with Torres, Carrasco & Griezmann very active up front. FC Barcelona touched the ball but was neutralized in attack while Atletico looked for the counter-attack. In one such occasion midfielder Koke found team-mate Fernando Torres who scored in the 25th min.

Hyped up, Torres sinned by turning "amateur" & losing his discipline earning himself two yellows, the last a red card in the 35th min that left his team down to 10 men. A infantil Footballing mistake that would turn the match over to FC Barcelona & place Atletico de Madrid into a defensive posture for the rest of the match. 

"Smelling blood", & the Atletico de Madrid defence stretched to limits, FC Barcelona began their dangerous incursions into the goal square. Luis Suarez then appeared on the scene & scoring his teams two goals - 62th min & 73rd min - to put Barça ahead & tip the balance their way.

The merit of Atletico de Madrid was to halt the Barça advances & hold off till the end with a valuable away goal advantage to fight another day. Barcelona has to travel to Madrid to play the 2º nd leg match & are far from safe. 

This is were Barcelona has been accused lately by some Football observers, that they fail to "finish off" their opponents - the important opponents. Although Barça has currently the upper hand in this tie, Atletico still has the door wide open to turn things around in the return clash. 

Tomorrow the remaining Spanish Club still to play Real Madrid is on show against Germans Wolfsburg.

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