UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL RESULTS | REAL SOCIEDAD - REAL MADRID GAMES

UEFA Champions League Group matches continued tonight with Spanish Football Clubs Real Sociadad & Real Madrid with their respective matches. Bad news away in the Ukraine for Real Sociedad & good news for Real Madrid with their home duty. Here is a brief summary of events, the final results-scores & all the goalscorers.

Ukrainian Club Shakhtar Donetsk won 4 - 0 Real Sociedad in their Group A match. The home team managed to grab second place - for now - of the Group & get ahead by 1 point over German Club Leverkusen. Sadly the loss by Real Sociedad puts them last on the Group table which eliminates them from the next rounds of Champions League & unfortunately also does not make the Spanish Club eligible for the Europa League competition.

Too many mistakes by the Real Sociedad defence allowing Shakhtar to score relatively easy goals, plus Shakhtar player Douglas exploded mid second half to put on his magic & sink further a demoralized Real Sociedad as they saw their European dream fade out. The goals came in the following manner:

• Luiz Adriano 37th min 
• Alex Teixeira 48th min
• Douglas 68th min ( brilliant goal)
• Douglas 87th min 

The Ukrainians play their qualification into the next round of Champions gainst Bayern Leverkusen in the last Group game. Shaktar needs a draw or a win , while a win by the Germans puts them through!

Real Madrid hosted fellow Group B Club Galatasaray with the Turks needing a win to keep firm their Champions League hopes. However the final result was a 4 - 1 victory to Real Madrid who ran over Galatasaray in the 2º half with only 10 men as Sergio Ramos saw a red card mid 1ºst half. Galatasaray are third with 4 points with Juventus second with 6 points, & both will meet in the last Group game where only a victory will suffice for Galatasaray. Real Madrid guarantees the top spot of Group B with 4 victories & 1 draw & currently 13 points.

Real Madrid was without Cristiano Ronaldo & this allowed young Jese a run, but that was short lived when Ramos was sent off leaving his team with 10 men. Jese was sacrificed for another youngster defender Nacho. 

The game started with Bale missing a "sitter" in the 3rd min which he later made up with a screamer free-kick goal in the 37th min to open things up for the Spanish Club. However, Galatasaray answered immediately after Drogba superbly found Bulut who equalized in the 40th min. Things looked equal at this point with Real Madrid still finding themselves in a disadvantage but the Turks "strangely" disappeared thereafter. They nearly redeemed themselves in the 2º half  but Casillas made a huge save from a Drogba header.

The second half saw Di Maria, Isco, Bale, Illara & Xabi Alonso ( on for Casemiro ) all lift in their game with a special mention to defender Arbeloa who "starred" & was pivotal. Alvaro Arbeloa scored the second goal in the 51st min, missed a close one soon after & then set up the third for Di Maria in the 62nd min. The last goal was an Isco "gem" with some class individual dribbling ( plus some luck ) that culminated in his goal & the Real Madrid 4th in the 81st min.

It was an amazing finish from a team down 10 men & surprising to watch the ineffectiveness of Galatasaray under such circumstances. The Turks now play Juventus for the prized second place of Group B were only a victory serves Galatasaray while the Italians have margin to at least go through with a draw. 

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GALATASARAY 1 REAL MADRID 6 | REAL SOCIEDAD 0 SHAKHTAR D 2 | UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP MATCH RESULTS

The long awaited UEFA Champion League season kicked off tonight with two Spanish Football Clubs represented for Group game duties. Real Sociedad hosted at home Ukrainian Club Shaktar D in Group A, while Real Madrid travelled to Turkey to play Galatasaray in their Group B obligations. 

Here is a brief summary of the main events, with all the final results-scores plus the goalscorers.

Turkish Club Galatasaray lost 1 - 6 to Real Madrid. An "unreal" & distorting scoreline because Galatasaray were severally punished in a night were they deserved more reward. The Turks started very well with maximum pressure on all fronts that put the Spaniards on the back foot most of the first half. In fact, I would say that the first half was mostly Galatasaray & what let them down was their lack of ability of converting their numerous opportunities in front of goal. Part of the lack of effectiveness was thanks to Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas who started & made a fabulous save from a Felipe Melo shot early in the 6th min. The bad news for Casillas was that he injured himself in the 1st min when he clashed with team-mate Sergio Ramos defending a ball. Casillas was substituted for Diego Lopez who in turn later made his own brilliant saves to keep out the Turks & Real Madrid alive.

In the only real chance for Real Madrid, a Di Maria long pass found Isco who magically control the ball, lost his opponent & scored the first in the 33rd min. This action was to precisely illustrate the story for the rest of the match: Galatasaray failed to convert their chances, while Real Madrid nailed theirs. 

Luck then went against Galatasaray when Pepe & Drogba clashed for a ball & the latter fell badly on his shoulder which forced him to be substituted & this changed around the team set-up & tactics which was to be paid dearly later in the second half.

The second half saw Galatasaray push hard to find an equalizer, but once again a single piece of individual magic in the Real Madrid midfield found Benzema alone who sprinted in the 54th min to score the second. From here the "wind was pushed out" of the Turks & Cristiano Ronaldo began his personal show of goals & assistances. 

The Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo got the third for Real Madrid in the 63rd min, a his second & teams fourth in the 67th min, an assistance later to allow Benzema to score his second & teams fifth in the 81st min & lastly his HAT-TRICK in the 90th min & Real Madrid sixth goal.

Galatasaray rightly got a consolation goal when Bulut tipped a pass into the net in the 84th min.

Final result 1 - 6 with Real Madrid getting the three points, top spot of Group B. Great game from Di Maria, excellent Ronaldo as expected, very nice work from Modric, Benzema worked hard & Gareth Bale looked good when he came on mid second half as he assisted with his pass a Ronaldo goal & tried his luck as well during the time he was on.

Different outcome at San Sebastian where Real Sociedad hosted Shakhtar Donetsk & lost 0 - 2 in their Group A match. The Spaniards played well the first half creating chances, but the Ukrainians were physically stronger & waited for their chances to arrive.

Real Sociedad lessened in their intensity & ball control as the match advanced & Shakhtar pounced when given half the chance mid second half when Teixeira scored in the 65th min & then again in the 87th min.

The Spaniards claimed a penalty in this game but the truth is they were fairly defeated by a more stronger, patient & experienced Champions League team.

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REAL SOCIEDAD POSSIBLE STARTING TEAM 11 VS SHAKTHAR | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Champions League is back & for many its great news as we are talking the "Best Football in the World". Spanish Football Club Real Sociedad returns to the European Football elite after an 8 year absence hosting tonight at their home ground Shakthar Donetsk.

Spanish Sports paper "Sport" have made up the below image which highlight their speculated & possible starting 11 line ups for tonight.

The possible starting 11 team line-up for Real Sociedad against Shakthar is

Bravo, Estrada, Mikel, Iñigo Martinez, De La Bella, Xabi Prieto, Markel, Zurutuza, Carlos Vela, Griezmann & Seferovic.

As said, they are speculated starting line-ups & may well change before kick-off. Good luck to Real Sociedad.
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SHAKHTAR D 0 FC BARCELONA 1 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINAL 2nd LEG RESULT

SPANISH FOOTBALL has its first Club in the next phase of CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, concretely in the  Semi-Finals, after FC BARCELONA won their away 2º leg Quarter Final clash against SHAKTAR D 0 - 1 (6-0 aggregate).

Lionel Messi Champions League 2011

FC Barcelona  didn´t really risk & played a comfortable match which started with the home side on fire,  but they faded out as the match went on. Once again plenty of chances for Shakhtar D with a good Barça goalie Valdes, but as the already mentioned many a time saying goes..."if you don´t take your chances you´ll lose". LIONEL MESSI scored the only goal & the match winner in the 43rd min adding another mark to his already impressive tally of goals for this season.

FC Barcelona now awaits for the semi-finals their opponent, which should be - if nothing "strange" occurs - Real Madrid which takes a 4 - 0 1ºst leg advantage to Tottemham to attempt to seal their "meeting" with Barça.
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FC BARCELONA 5 - SHAKHTAR DONETSK 1 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Q-FINAL 1º LEG RESULT

Just back from watching the FC BARCELONA 5 - 1 victory over SHAKHTAR DONETSK in the 1º st leg Quarter Final CHAMPIONS LEAGUE clash. The "ticket" for the semi-finals is practically assured for Barça & if Real Madrid manages to secure yesterdays 4-0 advantage over Tottenham,  we will be destined for a Barça- Real Madrid semi-final Champions "clasico" of global dimensions. 

Barca steam rolls Shakhtar

Lets get straight in with the scorers, INIESTA ( 2nd min ), DANI ALVES (33rd min), PIQUE (52nd min), KEITA (60th min) & XAVI ( 85th min). The consolation goal for the visitors came via RAKITSKIY (58th  min). 

Dani Alves/photo efe

FC Barcelona Coach Guardiola warned everyone pre-match of the potential & the danger of the Ukrainian Club. He wasn´t wrong considering the overwhelming result in favour of Barça. Yes, Barcelona was awesome & certainly are currently the "Best Team in the World". But what if luck had favoured Shakhter D tonight? What if they had managed to score all those opportunities? Interesting questions that "mean shit" post match & now with a glorious & deserved smile on everyone's face at "Camp Barça".


Tonights match was another example of the "Iron Law" of Football in action. If you don´t take your chances you will end up losing, & if its Barcelona the opponent you will be hammered!

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FC BARCELOLA TRANSFERS CHYGRNSKIY BACK TO SHAKHTAR WITH A 10M€ LOSS

A complete failure; one cannot cosmetically hide the fact that FC BARCELONA signed defender DMYTRO CHYGRNSKIY for 25M€ & has today made official that they have sold back to SHAKHTAR DONETSK the defender for 15M€, that is, a 10M€ loss.

The player signed back for his old Club for 5 years. The new FC Barcelona administration under new President Sandro Rosell justified the operation under economic terms – the need for funds in the short term - & from a technical point of view as Coach Guradiola expressed he did not see the need for the player next season. The defender played very litte , didn’t adapt to the Barça game & was heavily criticised for a few bad performances last season. Tweet

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