UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP FINAL RESULTS | ATLETICO DE MADRID - FC BARCELONA

Two Spanish Football Clubs - Atletico de Madrid & FC Barcelona - had UEFA Champions League Group match duties. Here is a brief summary of events, the final results - scores & the goalscorers.

Austria Vienna hosted Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid in their Group H match with the Spaniards winning convincingly 0 - 3 & remaining top of the Group with 9 points. The surprise was the start in the initial XI line-up of Atletico of Diego Costa who made a "miracle" recovery from his ankle injury.

The inclusion of the Spanish-Brazilian was fundamental as he scored two of the three goals for Atletico de Madrid, the first in the 20th min & his second in the 53rd min. Before the Diego Costa goals team-mate Raul Garcia opened up the scoreline in the 8th min to set the Spaniard on course. 

The only "bad news" was the muscle injury to Atletico de Madrid left back defender Luis Felipe who left the second half to team-mate Insua who put in a good second half.

Excellent game for Atletico that practically gives the Club a foot into the next stage of Champions League.

AC Milan hosted FC Barcelona for their Group I match which finished in a 1 - 1 draw. A game that could have gone either way with two very distinctive styles of Football shown by the respective teams. AC Milan started surprisingly with Kaka which gave a clue that their strategy was to defend, pressure & look for the counter-attack. While FC Barcelona stayed loyal to their habitual ball domination & passing style hoping to find the Messi - Neymar combination upfront.

The outcome was a fairly even game, with both sides neutralizing each other most of the time except for mistakes that turned out to be crucial & decisive in the result. The first mistake was a tremendous misunderstanding between Barça defenders Mascherano & Pique that allowed Robinho & Kaka to work the first Milan goal in the 9th min thanks to a knock in by Robinho from a Kaka pass. The second mistake was a lost ball by Milan midfielder Monteolivo which saw Barça combine & find Messi who scored in the 23rd min. 

From here Milan had some very clear chances to score again, one from Robinho that can´t be explained how he missed,  & Barça had their opportunities while one from Adriano comes to mind that can´t be explain either how it was not converted. In the end both side settled for the draw. 

Milan will be very happy ( great match from Kaka by the way ) as they optimized their resources to the maximum, while Barcelona will not be so happy as once again the "defensive wall / counter-attack" strategy of the opponent showed "weaknesses" that are becoming habitual.

Tomorrow UEFA Champions League continues with Real Sociedad & Real Madrid in action in their respective Groups.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | FC BARCELONA - ATLETICO DE MADRID POSSIBLE STARTING 11 TEAM LINE UPS

UEFA Champions League ( Round 3 ) Football returns tonight with two Spanish Football Clubs in action: FC Barcelona & Atletico de Madrid. As habitual with Spanish Sports daily "Sport", they provided a pre-match infograph of the teams & their speculated possible starting XI line-ups.

FC Barcelona travels to AC Milan for their Group H match. Barça tops the Group with 6 points & Milan is second with 4 points. Important match for both if they wish to consolidate their Group & open up distance over their rivals. The Italians are not having their best season & are the underdogs for this encounter, plus there is a cloud over the state of form with Mario Balotelli, although some think its being over exaggerated by Milan in a psychological pre-match tactic. 

The speculated FC Barcelona starting 11 team line-up is:

Valdes, Alves, Pique, Mascherano ( Puyol ), Adriano, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Alexis, Messi & Neymar.

Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid travels to Vienna to play Austria Vienna in their Group G match. Atletico de Madrid currently tops the Group with 6 points while Austria Vienna is third with 1 point. For the home side a victory is extremely important to stay alive in the competition while Atletico could put a foot into the next stage of Champions League with  a victory.  The only doubt with Atletico is with its inform player Diego Costa who is suffering injury & is doubtful, although there is a slight chance he may make it. Just in case, Adrian is available to take the position.

The speculated Atletico de Madrid starting 11 team line-up is

Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Felipe Luis, Mario Suarez, Gabi, Koke, Arda Turan, Diego Costa ( Adrian ) & David Villa. 

In both cases, the teams are speculations & may easily suffer changes before the games. From here we wish luck to both Spanish Football Clubs tonight.

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SPAIN 2 GEORGIA 0 | RESULT GROUP I WORLD CUP QUALIFIER | SPAIN SECURES BRAZIL TICKET

The Spanish Football National Team won 2 - 0 Georgia in their Group I qualifier to take the three points, the Top spot of the Group & a direct ticket to defend their World Champions title in the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil .

A couple of changes in the starting XI by Spanish coach Del Bosque giving Iker Casillas the goalie spot, bring back Juanfran to the right back position, Navas as winger, Alvaro Negredo as a "pure Nº9" & youngster Alberto Moreno debuting as the left back.

As expected Georgia put 10 men in to defend but Spain changed a bit its usual play to concentrate more down the wings & thus open up the opposition. The Spanish ball possession touched 85 % at times & this only gave Georgia the "counter-attack" option. The visitors had three clear chances with dangerous counters in which Spanish goalie Iker Casillas had to intervene in the first to keep his goal virgen.

The first goal came in the 25 th min with a touch ball combination between Pedro, Iniesta & Negredo. The second came in the 60th min when Juan Mata ( on just a few minutes ) fired in a loose ball in the goal area. 

Spanish Coach Del Bosque gave a run to Koke & Isco to watch Spain wrap things up in front of the local supporters who celebrated the World cup qualification.

Overall a better match for Spain than against Belarus last Friday, but the rival was at a less level & thus one cannot judge accurately the improvements. Either way, the objective was achieved & Spain now has months to fine tune their squad & their game in order to attempt the difficult feat of defending their World Champ title.

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SPAIN 2 BELARUS 1 | WORLD CUP 2014 GROUP I QUALIFIER GAME RESULT

The Spanish Football National Team took a mayor step forward to qualifying themselves for the upcoming FIFA 2014 World Cup after defeating 2 - 1 at home Belarus in their Group I match. A game that made Spain work hard to find their goals & the three points.

The news was the inclusion from the start of Victor Valdes as goalkeeper & the debut of Swansea forward Michu. Both played in line with the match, Valdes had relatively little work to do - expect at the end - & Michu could not shine "trapped" in the defensive Belarus wall. 

Most teams have basically figured out a way to play against Spain, that is put 10 men in defence & wait for a Spanish mistake to counter-attack. This gives the ball on a platter to Spain which dominates with possession but they bounce off the rival wall. The Spanish frustration was such that Spanish Coach Del Bosque resorted after half time to just 3 defenders pushing an extra man up front ( took off defender Monreal for Iniesta ) in the style of FC Barcelona ex-Coach Guardiola.  

It took 60 mins to open up the Belarus can & that came after a ball fumbled in the goal square to  have Xavi Hernandez smash it into the net.  This calmed the nerves of the Spanish Team & the second came in the 77th min when Alvaro Negredo ( on for Michu ) headed a Sergio Ramos pass.

Spanish Coach Del Bosque them changed the midfield to give Koke a run & in the "settling period" Belarus took advantage of a field mistake to score their only goal from Kornilenko in the 88th min. A last minute game "scare" for Spain.

Important win for Spain that gives them half a ticket for Brazil that can be totally secured as mathematical Top of the Group team by beating Georgia next Tuesday.

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SPAIN WINS 0 - 2 FINLAND | GROUP I WORLD CUP 2014 QUALIFIER

Tonight World Cup 2014 Group I qualifier with Finland hosting Spain. The Spanish Football National Team comfortably won an awkward & sticky Finland team 0 - 2. Big step for Spain towards securing the Top spot of their Group & thus allowing them to automatically qualify for Brazil 2014. Group second placed France also helped out drawing 0 - 0 with Georgia & thus allowing Spain to open up a 3 point gap. 

Spanish National Selector & Coach Vicente Del Bosque surprised many putting on Iker Casillas as the starting goalie over the in form Victor Valdes. A decision which I personally do not share & that will keep the debate going on back in Spain. Del Bosque also surprised putting on Atletico de Madrid midfielder Koke ahead of Arbeloa as right back. But these decisions overall will not be much talked about as firstly, Koke put in a good performance, Spain won & Finland did not trouble the Spanish goal enough to test out Casillas.

Spain played their ball dominating Football while Finland put 10 men into defence & awaited counter-attacking opportunities. This type of tactical set-up lead to a "boring" & "frustrating" match to watch as Spain kept smashing into the Finland wall. The home team did have "runaway" chances but failed to finish & were extremely inaccurate.

The two goals for Spain came primarily from the superior quality of the Spanish players & team which were rewarded for their consistency. The first goal came in the 17th min when  Cesc Fabregas found Jordi Alba who scored. The second came late in the game when substitute forward Alvaro Negredo receive a ball from another substitute Jesus Navas in a 85th min counter-attack that was converted by the Manchester City player. 

In conclusion, not a brilliant game, nor beautiful to the eye, but a victory that gives three important & value points keeping Spain top of Group I

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SFS FLASHBACKS | SPAIN 1 FRANCE 1 | VIDEO

Here is a Spanish Football Flashback to the first Group I game played in Madrid between Spain & France 5 months ago. The match ended in a 1 - 1 draw with goal from Sergio Ramos , a missed penalty from Cesc Fabregas & a mistake in the midfield by Spanish defender Juan Fran that allowed a French counter-attack that Giroud converted to equalize for France in the end of the match.



The similarities are surprising with the last Friday Group I game against Finland that also ended in a 1 - 1 draw. Spain dominating the game,  not converting their multiple chances, Sergio Ramos scoring ( on both occasions ) & a defensive lapse by Spain in the last moments of the game that allowed the rival to equalize.

History cannot repeat itself in Paris this time around next Tuesday.

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FRANCE vs SPAIN | POSSIBLE STARTING 11 TEAM LINE UPS

Important match for the Spanish National Football Team next Tuesday against France. The current European & World Champions need to win & get the three points to take the Top position of Group I. The first placed Nation gets a direct ticket for the 2014 World Cup competition in Brazil, while second placed has to play a "knock-out" tie with other second Group placed European Nations. This last option is full of risk & is best be avoided.

The debate in Sports media & around coffee tables is which will be the starting 11 team line-ups for France & Spain. Difficult to say as both Coaches are sure to be holding a card or two up their sleeve. But we can attempt to figure it out by intuition & with facts. In the case of Spain we can already eliminate from the team Jordi Alba injured & David Silva who will be side-lined after receiving a yellow card against Finland. Continuing with Spain Xabi Alonso & Xavi Hernandez will definitely be back, so we can more or less put forward a Spain starting 11 team. 

In the French case I think that Coach Deschamps will confide & make limited changes ( if any ) & stick with the starting 11 team that gave his side a convincing 3 - 1 victory over Georgia last Tuesday.
Possible starting 11 team line-up for France:

Lloris; Jallet, Varane, Sakho, Clichy; Valbuena (Remy), Matuidi (Sissoko) Pogba, Ribery (Ménez, m.78); Benzema & Giroud.

In the Spanish case, things are not so clear. One of the big lessons of the Finland game last Tuesday was that 85-90% of ball possession means nothing if you can´t score goals. Spanish Coach Vicent Del Bosque has been using the "false striker" tactic many a time & it seems the novelty effect has worn out. Spain called up 23 players & it called my attention the lack of true strikers in his list, Spain may pay for their over emphasis on midfielders.

Having said,  this Spain is a much better team with much better players than France in all positions. It´s not the first time that talent & class has saved the day & Spain will recover two World Class "maestros" of the ball in Xavi Hernandez & Xabi Alonso. The question is if Spain will start with a Number 9, or alternatively place David Villa as the Number 9 & give a start to a quick winger like Pedro or Jesus Navas to break a possible French defensive wall. One thing is clear Spain will need goals.

This is my speculated possible starting 11 team line up for Spain:

Victor Valdes, Arbeloa, Pique, Ramos, Monreal, Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, David Villa & Jesus Navas (Pedro).

In all cases, all options are being well noted & studied by the two Coaches who are the true experts. I take it for granted that little will both be surprised as they to have calculated all the possible variations & possible tactics. What I can say with absolute certainty is that next Tuesday game between France vs. Spain will be one of the Top encounters of any of the Groups in action. A game not to be missed.

Good luck to both sides.

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WORLD CUP QUALIFIER GROUP I RESULT | SPAIN 1 FINLAND 1

Spain ended their Group I 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifying match tonight in a 1 - 1 draw result against Finland. Not the result expected nor was it wanted as Group rival France defeated Georgia 3 - 1 & go top spot of the Group with 10 points , 2 more over Spain with 8 points. This puts unwanted pressure on Spain & into a must win situation when they meet France next Tuesday in Paris. 

The question must be asked,  & hopefully analysed by the Spanish Coaching team; what effectiveness does having 85% of ball possession give the Spanish team along with + 15 corners & + 20 shots at goal that ends with only one goal to show for it & with Finland equalizing? 

This is a recurring problem with opponents having studied the World & European Champions & finding an antidote to their familiar game. The obsession of Spanish Coach Vicente Del Bosque to play without a true forward ( Number Nine ) works sometimes but its novelty effect has gone. The rivals ( especially lesser on paper ) choose to put 10 men in their defensive line to "comfortably watch" time after time Spain crash into their wall. In a slip or lack of concentration opponents counter-attack to try their luck. Unfortunately while their rivals study Spain, the latter seems to forget experience from past rivals & fall into the same trap again & again: letting go of clear victories with their opponents reaching the Spanish goal square once & scoring ( sometimes more). 

The first half was 90% Spain, but it was frankly boring & frustrating as the National side got nowhere. Scoring goals is the objective of Football & the reason for winning & Spain was null with both.  

The second half saw Spanish Coach Del Bosque change Cazorla for Pedro to open the wings & it seemed to help. From a fixed play 100th capped Spanish defender acting as Captain tonight Sergio Ramos headed the opening goal in the 49th min. It seemed everything was back on course & following the script,  but as seen many a time before, Spain did not finish off & tie up things & in a lapse allowed Finland to take a bet & counter, a bet that paid dividends as they equalized via Pukki in the 78th min.

This shook Spain into reacting as they needed to win to be able travel to France at least in equal Group classification terms. A number 9 was brought on with Negredo & Mata to find some alternatives & depth. It nearly worked as Spain came close had it not been for the determined Finnish defence & their goalkeeper. Nerves, anxiety & frustration was the price paid towards the end for Spain for failing in effectiveness earlier. Touching the ball & having possession 85% of match time means nothing if you cannot score & score well to knock out your "lesser" opponent.

Special mention to Andres Iniesta who was brilliant & deserves acclaim & Sergio Ramos for his 100th cap & solid performance with goal included. Lastly, congratulations to Finland which knew their limited capacities, their strengths & kept to their game plan. In the end Finland was super effective with 15% of the ball possession. Now this needs some study by Spain.

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WORLD CUP 2014 | SPAIN vs FINLAND | POSSIBLE STARTING 11 TEAM LINE-UP FOR SPAIN

Tomorrow the Spanish National Football Team plays the first of two important 2014 Brazil World Cup Group I qualifiers. Their opponents will be Finland & they both will play in the Northern city of Gijon where the Spanish squad was greeted tonight by 17.000 local fans who watched the training session.

Spanish National Selector & Coach Vicente Del Bosque has already said publicly that FC Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes will start ( stepping in for the injured Casillas ) along with Club team-mate David Villa. However Del Bosque may have shown all his cards & his strategic field placement & preference of playing without a true Nº9. The training session highlighted 11 "marked" players which could make up the starting 11 line-up for Spain against Finland tomorrow night. The prediction is:

Valdes; Arbeloa, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Cazorla, Busquets, Iniesta; Silva, Cesc & Villa.

This is speculation,  although local Football observers say that it is a good expected fit.

Tomorrow will also be special for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos who will enter the 100 cap Club for Spain. Tomorrow will be his 100th game that the defender puts on "La Roja" ( The Red shirt). Congratulations.

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SPAIN 1 FRANCE 1 | GROUP I WORLD CUP 2014

SPAIN drew 1 - 1 against FRANCE in their Group I WORLD CUP 2014 qualifier. Bad night overall if you consider that Spain lost the match in the last moment & two players went off injured. To add to all this, Spain failed a penalty & luckily for them, France was disallowed a possible on-side goal that avoided a true "shock" result.

Sergio Ramos

The first half was a Spanish monologue of possession Football - up to 75% - & created many chances. France was pushed into their own half & hardly went forward while the Spanish Football Team was basically running riot.

The first sign of "bad luck" was the injury to David Silva, which with hindsight some may consider an omen of things to come. SERGIO RAMOS put Spain ahead in the 25th min after hitting the post & then getting onto a pass from a team-mate.

From here everything went downhill slowly, CESC FABREGAS missed a penalty & France grew in confidence. So much so that they were unlucky to have been disallowed a goal by Menez that would have put France in a draw at half time

Cesc Fabregas

In the second half Spain was pushed & counter-attacked out of the match. Defender Arbeloa was substituted injured & that changed the field set-up. France left behind the defensive mode & went ahead looking for the goal. Now Karim Benzema & Ribery were in control & Spanish goalie Iker Casillas making important saves along with the defenders to keep Spain breathing & alive.

Ribery

Then in the 94th min with French substitute GIROUD just on, Spanish defender Juan Fran lost a stupid ball in the Spanish half to which France controlled found Ribery who ran at the defence  crossed & found the head of Giroud who scored the equalizer. Spain was shot in the head, Football speaking. 

A deserved goal & draw as France was the dominating team in the second half while Spain for some unknown reason lost control.

For the Real Madrid fans, bad match as well. If the Spanish Club lost Coentrao to injury with Portugal & Marcelo with Brazil, tonight Arbeloa went off injured along with Frenchman Benzema. Four key players during FIFA duties.

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GEORGIA 0 SPAIN 1 | GROUP I WORLD CUP 2014 QUALIFIER

The road towards the Brazil & FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 competition began tonight for the current World & European Champions SPAIN against GEORGIA in their Group I qualifier. The SPANISH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM won 0 - 1 with a very late goal. 

Xavi

The match was suffered, frustrating & nervous as Georgia put up an authentic wall of defenders in which Spain kept crashing into without any result. The frustrations grew as time went by & even desperation began creeping into the Spanish game.

Spanish Football Coach Del Bosque reacted taking off a defender ( Arbeloa ) for Cesc Fabregas & even put defender Pique up foward in an attempt to find the much desired goal.

Soldado

The match prize & valuable goal finally came when Cesc Fabregas crossed from the wing & found ROBERTO SOLDADO in the box who put the ball into the net in the 85th min. Relief as Spain knew that a victory was very important for the long road ahead in this Group qualifying phase.

Valuable three points tonight, a hard night at the office for Spain.

Details:

Georgia 0: Loria (Kvaskhvadze, min. 73); Lobjanidze, Khizanishvili, Amisulashvili, Kvirkvelia; Kashia; Targamadze (Dzalamidze, min. 64), Daushvili, Kankava, Okriashvili; & Mchedlidze (Sirbiladze, min. 79).

Spain 1: Casillas; Arbeloa (Cesc Fábregas, min. 80), Piqué, Ramos, Jordi Alba; Busquets (Pedro, min. 57), Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Iniesta, Silva (Cazorla, min. 64) & Soldado.

Goal: 0-1, min. 85: Soldado.

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