#and what if our opponent is once again Bayern...

[raulfernandez]

Guys this is reminding me more and more of 2012/13 and I do not like it

[kevkesblog]

Translation: Interview with Julian Brandt before the DFB Cup Final (May 12, 2021)

Mister Brandt, what would it mean to win the DFB Cup and your first big title in professional football?

 Ju: A DFB Cup final is a new situation for me. I’m really looking forward to it – even without the atmosphere being like it usually is. I have a real motivation to win this final. It would be something special for me. Many players in our team have already won the DFB Cup before. It would be very important for the team and the club to hold something like that in their hands again.

 What personal memories do you have with the DFB Cup final?

 Ju: Since I’m a Bremen native I remember in 2009 when Werder Bremen won the cup I was in Berlin myself – not in the stadium, but in the city. My friends and myself were very happy after Bremen won the final against Bayer Leverkusen. Now I play the DFB Cup myself for a few years now and follow the finals closely.

 You stood in a DFB Cup semi-final with Bayer Leverkusen back in 2018 however you lost 2-6 against Bayern Munich. Has this been among your most bitter defeats?

 Ju: Of course you want to advance once you’re so close to the final. We even played a quite good game. However Bayern just had more quality and we didn’t have a chance against them. It was disappointing not reaching the final. It should always be your goal. But I hope I can play another final or two in the future.

 How do you assess the opponent RB Leipzig?

 Ju: They are quite good in the way how they play football. They go deep and do a good pressing. It’s a trademark of RB Leipzig. If a player loses a ball, everyone else tries to get the ball back. They are a very athletic team with many young players, who have an extremely good quality. And they have a very deep bench with many good players. If I think about how they were able to sub against Bremen in the semi-finals – Benjamin Henrichs or Emil Forsberg – it shows a great strength. They deserve to be on second place in the Bundesliga this season.

 Is there a favorite in the final?

 Ju: No. I think they are both good teams and everything can happen.

 Borussia Dortmund played an moody season. How do you assess this season?

 Ju: (thinks) I think times are special right now. It’s a new environment for every team to play in an empty stadium and to readjust to new hygiene plans every now and then. Some team deal with it fine other are having more problems. We belong to those team who struggled with it. We miss the fans extremely. 80,000 fans in the stadium do unleash some energy with our players. Those few percentages were missing. Those are – with a few minor exeptions – among the main reason for your season. At least we made it into a final and we have a chance to win a title and make it somewhat a golden season. And I really hope many things will change for the new season – not only in terms of football but also in our private lives of all people. I think if the normal life returns – also the easiness with BVB returns as well.

 Coach Terzic could crown his time as head coach with the DFB Cup before he’ll return to the bench as assistant coach. How important is it that he remains with the team in the future?

 Ju: You do have a different relationship with him, since he has already been assistant coach for a few years under Lucien Favre. And the good relationship stayed once he had taken over. On one hand you are a little looser with him on the other hand he is now the head coach. He helps us extremely. He can ignite a fire within our team from game to game. I think everybody is happy that he will stay with the team despite everything he has already achieved. Because lets be honest: once you tasted being head coach, perhaps you want more. However he loves the club and identifies with Borussia Dortmund.

 Lets talk about you again. You said once about your parents putting a lot of emphasis on being grounded and not losing ground. But isn’t that difficult sometimes if you are a national player at the age of 20?

 Ju: I think I never had a phase were I lost ground. At least that’s not what my family or friends told me. However its not easy all the time. I can understand that there are players, officials or coaches who like all the surroundings and it makes them better. Its unavoidable sometimes. Once success arrives and everyone patting you on your shoulder, the media hype starts, your mind has to deal with it first. It takes time. You can get crazy with it. I have always surrounded myself with family and friends. There has never been a reason to change. You become older and so you put more emphasis on different things in life unlike if you are 19 or 20 years old.

 Where have you put more emphasis on earlier than today?

 Ju: You went partying after the weekend as a 18, 19 or 20 year old after you scored a goal and made a good game. You get interested in new things. You basically get thrown into a pond as a young player. You want to try-out everything once. All your teammates drive great cars or wear expensive clothes. You are trapped in this system for a short time. However you wake up after a while and say: okay some things are cool, other stuff is unnecessary. For example I feel my contact for family and friends has become more important. I also spend more time in the gym then I did as a 19 oder 20 year old. And I pay more attention to what I eat. And somehow the time has ended where driving a fast car was something I was keen to do. I have a vespa roller in Cologne and sometimes that’s enough.

You just turned 25. Do you have a feeling about the public still treating you like a youngster?

 Ju: That was the case two or three years ago, perhaps. It changes a bit right now. However: I still have to play the youngster in Dortmund whenever we play eleven vs eleven. But I realize how time runs. I’m already in this business for eight years. Yet I still feel fresh. I don’t really follow closely what the media writs about me, so I can make any judgement in that regard.

 You almost played all national teams from under-15 to under-21 up until the first team. You played 35 games for them so far. What help has this been for you career?

 Ju: First of all, it was an extremely nice time. Every year I got some new experiences – whether it was the EURO-Cup with the under-17 or the under-20 World Cup in New Zealand. You get to know many people over the years, which you meet later on. For example: I became under-19 European champions with Marcus Sorg – and now he is assistant coach at DFB with the first national team. There have also been really nice characters like Horst Hrubesch. I’ve made many new experiences. It helped me a lot.

 Source: dfb.de

[goretzkastuff]

11FREUNDE | Interview

Leon Goretzka, on Tuesday you play against your ex-club, the VfL Bochum, in the 2nd main round of the DFB Cup. How did you hear about the lot?

For years, I was hoping for that! This had already begun in Schalke times, but unfortunately God left a team early, so the chances were small. When the game Bochum was drawn against Bayern, my mobile immediately rang and did not stop for a day. Of course the game is something very special.

You have posted a photo with the sub-line #wokannichticketsbuy. How many have you got together by now?

I went to all the official channels to get some tickets. My father even called shortly after the draw at VfL Bochum and there you have completely resolved explained that I had already grazed everything. Fortunately, we were able to get some tickets, even if the requests of the family, friends and companions are of course many times higher.

Could you pass on your own season ticket? Are they still there?

Unfortunately, I do not have my own season ticket, it just was not worth it anymore. But my dad has one more. Even though he has now reached an age in which he likes to make himself comfortable in the box. You can treat him that.

Kick-off is at 20 o'clock. Floodlight anne Castroper - you can only congratulate, right?

Regardless of what this game means to me, it is a really nice lot. This is going to be an extraordinary atmosphere, a piece of first division football that returns to Castroper Street. And that is what people in the region yearn for.

How do you track VfL Bochum?

If I can, I watch every game. Being in the stadium has become logistically difficult, but sometimes I can do it. In the second league yes, unfortunately, many games take place on Fridays and Mondays - then it works out, at least for me.

You lived five minutes from the stadium. How much stadium atmosphere spilled over to your parents' house?

I must confess: The five minutes came about because we lived close to the highway and Dad drove mostly (laughs). So I could not see the floodlights from home. The house still exists and is my retreat whenever I am in Bochum.

You switched to VfL Bochum as a six-year-old. Do you still remember your first training?

At the age of three, I started playing in the F-junior of Werner SV. At that time there were still the F2 youth from VfL, against which we often played and I seem to have noticed. My dad blocked the switch for the first three years because he thought that was crazy. It was something totally special for me. I was a fan of VfL since I was in my first game. Just the moment when I received the original training clothes - that was overwhelming.

With whom you then appeared on the smaller sports fields and were admired by the opponents. Did you already feel like a star at the age of six?

We looked upwards. To Schalke, Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen. They had even better clothes, because the chapel was even bigger. Because I have to feel at home, and was torn from a familiar environment, it was difficult for me in the first weeks at VfL. I missed the guys from the WSV. At the same time, that was the reason why I stayed with the VfL for so long.

Is there a person that you immediately connect to VfL Bochum?

The most intense time I had under Christian Britscho, who was my U17 coach. I was in the junior year and our troupe has played a great season. As a complete outsider we have become Westfalen Cup winner. That was the hottest year! Sebastian Brune, the goalkeeper and Tim Kosien, the right-back, are still among my best friends. I lived with Tim in a shared apartment in Bochum when my professional career began.

What are you looking forward to when you return?

On the people. On the stadium aisle. From the cabin, it goes through the catacombs to the square, just before separating the ways of the teams. You walk up the small narrow concrete steps on the left and right, you see the first people, as soon as you look up, you look into the bright floodlight and hear the warm-up music.

Small test. If we were singing - do not worry, we will not sing - but if we sing, "Deep in the west, where the sun is dusty ...". (buzzing) "Is it better, much better than you believe?" That's too easy! Bochum - Grönemeyer. The plate runs with me almost every day at home. (Laughs.)

Herbert Grönemeyer, who sings the text in the original, was recently attacked because he spoke at a concert against right-wing extremism.

They said in May, after racist incidents at the match in Wolfsburg, a sentence that was nominated for the Football Award of the Year. Shortly before I had to go to the press conference, I saw this video (this video is about, ed.). I was still sitting in my room and I was genuinely shocked. I'm usually not upset easily, but that hit me and I started thinking. When I came into contact with racism myself. How my teammate has to go. And so I came to the sentence.

They said: "I am a child of the Ruhr area. One answers to the question of nationality with Schalke, Dortmund or Bochum."

And I did not say that sentence to be nominated for a prize. I wanted to make clear what I expect from the people in Germany. In my everyday life, the coexistence of different cultures has always been in the foreground. At my school, the proportion of foreigners was 80 percent, but that was never an issue - and that was a good thing. Our question has always been: who are you a fan of?

How did the reactions within the team turn out?

After the press conference, I received many reactions. "Hats off!" Some people said. And especially Leroy, to whom I have a special relationship since Schalke, who went to the same school in Wattenscheid, was extremely pleased that I show clear edge. We have to be active, we must not keep away, we have to confront racists with what is said.

This clear edge let miss the crew nine months earlier at the World Cup and in the case of Mesut Özil. Do you have to be accused in retrospect?

Such a tournament is of course a special case. But it is perfectly right that we are talking about it now. We were not consistent enough. But you must not forget that we are first and foremost footballers. It is too much to expect any international to play the role of a politician. Of course, we have to live up to our role model. But we are primarily measured by whether we are successful on the pitch.

It is said that many players in the World Cup squad were unaware of the size of the topic during the tournament.

I mean that. In some cases, individuals were not clear enough how big topics are or can become in public. And yes, it is true, within the team the topic was not very present during the World Cup.

You once said, "Football is not a profession for me, it's passion." They played 42 games last season. For three years you play almost without a break. How do you keep your passion?

There is no more weekday on which no football is shown. And that has an impact: viewers are less emotional, do not go immediately. Football at 15.30 is therefore no longer the highlight that it should be. There are still these special moments, but unfortunately they have become rare.

They are considered extremely willing to learn. After a year at Bayern: In which areas have you improved?

What I was hoping for came true: I learn a lot during training. The daily level is higher and that was the main reason why I changed. Because the team makes me better again. I make a walk and my teammates recognize that and - and that's important! - can then play the necessary passport. After that, I was extremely desperate. For the fact that I played mainly as a defensive six, I was able to expand my Torgefahr. And that's just because at Bayern the last pass arrives above average.

From a personal point of view, you have experienced a terrific first year at Bayern. For the first time champion, for the first time cup winner. Nevertheless, there was a crisis mood after the season around the club. Niko Kovac was questioned. How did you experience this contrast?

At a club like FC Bayern everything and every day is questioned. It's part of the business and the maxim of getting as many titles as possible every year. It's a contrast to grow as a team if we get that mood right.

You did not disturb that?

I did not come straight from the quietest club in the Bundesliga. At Schalke, we felt that crisis talks were held every three months. When we had our weak phase here in Munich at the beginning of the season, I felt like I had a small advantage in this situation. The colleagues were spoiled (laughs).

Are you still glad that you are not alone at FC Bayern?

Not at all. I like to take on responsibility, that even distinguishes me.

Shortly before the cup match you are back in the squad. After two months injury time. How did your healing process go?

Pretty chaotic, to be honest. A strange story. I had played a really good preparation, felt physically great. And get a horse kiss before the final training of the opening game. When I came home, the thigh was inflated to an unimaginable extent. (Includes with both hands the thigh.) A really thick leg! We wanted to be conservative, I took a break for two weeks. Here at the Bayern all did an extremely good job.

That's why you were back in the squad and are...

...drove to the national team in September. After a relaxed session, it is re-inflated at night. Since it was clear that a vessel is injured and unfortunately it must be operated on.

How did you experience this time emotionally?

It was extremely annoying because there were ups and downs. I had already worked up again and then had to go under the knife. Especially the time after surgery is painful and tedious. I was just waiting for the leg to swell up. When the strings were pulled, it got better and better. Fortunately, I was able to train again with the ball relatively quickly. The moment when I was allowed to wear the football boots again was the best.

You are German champion, cup winner, Confed Cup winner. What is there still a game on Tuesday evening against the home club?

Everything. It was a huge wish of mine every time the draw came. When I started my career at VfL at the age of 17, I was tense before every game. Nervous. I was so busy with myself that I could not enjoy the atmosphere. When I came back as a spectator, I first realized how awesome it would be to run aground again in Bochum. After my move to Schalke, a friendly match was arranged as part of the transfer to fill the stadium. However, that day I was injured.

Now the starting situation seems similar.

And that's why I'm pretty sure I'll be perfectly fit for the day. (Grins.)

Translation by me. I tried my best.

[all-about-cr7]

Interview with ITV Portugal (Part 1)

Video: click Translation of some main statements (sources: x  x x and my translation)

"During this vacation I went with Junior to the house, a little pension, where I was living in Lisbon (during the Sporting Academy times). His reaction was: 'Papa, did you really live here?' He couldn't believe it."

"Nowadays it’s all easy, the houses, the car and everything but to become a great footballer you can’t think that everything falls from the sky. It’s not the talent that reaches you, you have to grab it. You have to work hard & that’s what I’m trying to make my kids understand."

“I am where I am because of Sir Alex Ferguson. I learned so much from him. He did what he always said he would, he always kept his word. I learned to give him that same respect in return. I owe a lot of my success in football to him & i am forever grateful for that.”

(market value) “It's difficult to calculate. Today, they bet a lot on potential. The football business has changed. Leaving aside the case of Joao Felix, any player is worth 100 million nowadays, even without having shown anything. There's more money now. A centre-back and goalkeeper could be worth 70-80 million. I don't agree with that but that's the world we live in. I have to respect that."

"We (family) were never hungry, we had a normal life because my siblings worked so hard and my parents too. I didn't have brand-name clothing like I have today but I've always been well dressed and clean.”

(talent was enough to succeed?) "All Nobel laureates, whether for medicine or peace, are great workers. They all had great talents but they always worked hard. So if I didn't work hard I wouldn't be where I am today."

“I never thought to win a Ballon D’Or, let alone two, three, four or five. But if you ask me if I would like to win another, I will not be hypocritical and say no. Of course I would. Every year I want to win the Champions League, the League and the Ballon D’Or. And I work hard for that. The point is this: I always work to earn things, collective trophies to reach the individual ones later. This is my way of looking at football and my motivation to get up in the morning.”

"The Juventus project has enticed me. I played against them many times in the quarterfinals or semifinals. it was always a team that I liked, that always struggled. Juve has always been a fighting team, it's the best in Italy, one of the best in the world. It was a new challenge. I had won in England, Spain and could win in Italy. No player had ever done that but I did it and hit another record."

"I don't like being in the comfort zone. At Real Madrid I was too comfortable, I had already won so much that each new title was just one more, and the routine always the same. Obviously leaving Real Madrid was difficult because I spent 9 years there, 60% of my career was there, so you feel it. But I came to a different challenge and I'm very happy to be here. I wanted a new challenge."

"Win the Champion League with Juventus? All clubs always want to win it. Many people think that having the best players can win you the Champions League, but it's not always like that. Money is not everything; it helps, of course, but it is not everything. It's also about luck, or the opponents you're drawn with and whether or not a team has many injuries, as it was a problem for Juve last season. I believe we could have gone through against Ajax, but there were two or three players that if they were available our chances would have been much higher."

“Everyone wants to win the UCL, us included, but we mustn’t treat it as an obsession. We must let things take their course and go step by step. After that, we must remember that money doesn’t make the teams great. Look at how many years Barca, ​​Bayern or PSG haven’t won the UCL."

"The match against Atletico Madrid in Turin?I didn't believe I was going to score three goals, but I knew Juventus could win because when playing at home Juventus is a very strong team. I remember playing for Real Madrid here and it was very difficult; one of the hardest places to score goals. For that game against Atletico I felt that we would turn arounbd the situation and we managed it.”

"It was a big change to go from Madrid to Turin, but I had no major difficulties adapting. Italian is not a difficult language. I speak Spanish well, I speak English, and everyone at the club also speaks English and Spanish, so it wasn't too hard.”

“I was worse in accepting defeat a few years ago. If we lost, sometimes I didn’t have dinner, I’d go straight to my room and left it only the next day. With maturity, I learned that football isn’t the most important thing in life.”

"My motivation is my obsession for success, I admit it. But it is a good obsession. I know I'm already in the history of football. I know that I'm one of the best in my field but that is not by chance. I could end my career next year but I could also play until I'm 40 or 41. It's about the challenge. I still feel motivated to win individual and collective trophies, and if I wasn't, I would end my career.”

“I have everything I want, I have an excellent family, I have spectacular businesses. From a financial standpoint, I'm very well. I don't need football to live well. I will live well all of my life."

"What I always say to myself is to enjoy the moment. My present is excellent and I have to continue to enjoy myself. I look at it as projects and the enthusiasm [they bring.]"

"2018 was possibly the hardest year for me. Not professionally, but personally. When people question your honour, it hurts. It was probably the hardest year I had. When they play against your honour it's hard. But once again, I was proven innocent. My friends and family knew that I was innocent, but it was very hard.“

- Part 2 of the interview to follow -

[hardnetterika]

FA Cup betting tips / odds and predictions

Fa cup odds paddy power - Premier League: Today's best odds boosts for Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City

Following the draw for the FA Cup 4th and 5th Rounds fa cup odds paddy power Monday night, fa cup odds paddy power bookmakers have been very busy. Knowing the draw for the next two rounds rather than just the one has allowed bookmakers to make an even more informed prediction as to this year's winners of the oldest club competition in world football.

We're going to take a look at the draws for the 4th and 5th Rounds of the FA Cup and provide you with the very latest odds available for the potential winners of the competition.

The only other all Premier League affair will be between Southampton and Arsenal, fa cup odds paddy power the Saints get through their postponed 3rd Round tie at home to Shrewsbury, and Fulham vs Burnley.

There are a few other possible all Premier League ties on offer, Wolves could play Southampton or Arsenal, Everton might get the home advantage against Spurs and Leicester could play host to Brighton in the 5th Round. City are away at League Two side Cheltenham and if they get through that tie as expected they would be away at Swansea or Notts Forest on the 5th round. Two lots of Championship opposition would Lampard and his players down to the ground, as the fa cup odds paddy power is more than familiar with that division.

Mourinho's men put in a thoroughly professional performance against Marine in the last round and are still in with a chance of securing both cup competitions and maybe even the Premier League title. Spurs are away at Championship strugglers Wycombe Wanderers in the 4th round and could face a trip to Goodison Park in the following round. New players only. Should the Citizens be able to tame Erling Braut Haaland and reach the semi-final stage of the European Published here, they are guaranteed to be facing tough opponents considering that Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich lie in wait.

However, the entrance of League One read more here League Two outfits adds a new level of competition to the 36 teams from the lower leagues. Skelmersdale United are the lowest ranked team competing in this round. Some of the standout fixtures are:.

This is an all-League One affair but there is a huge gap between Oxford and Peterborough in the league standings. The two are at the opposite ends of the table with Peterborough flying high after 18 points from eight games. League One Sunderland are at home to Mansfield and they hope find here preserve their excellent first-round record. Mansfield are struggling in the League Two while Sunderland are aiming for a promotion spot but such circumstances end up bringing a great fight from the lower ranked outfits.

This is an iconic David vs Goliath contest with two divisions separating Wigan and Chorley. The Latics also have home advantage, but their form has been dreadful as seen by FA Cup tips.

Wigan are without a win in the last five games and their last success came against Doncaster at the start of October. The FA Cup predictions once again have to deal with a match that pits a top ranking team fa cup odds paddy power a lower league opposition. Since the FA Cup consists of so many rounds, you will not be short on options for this form of wagering.

Fa cup odds paddy power the subject of the number of games being played, a lot of punters like to make an accumulator bet for one single round. Here you can combine as many games as you wish, and since the FA Cup is a bit of a graveyard event for big teams, you could shoot for some upsets in the hope of decent returns. The Foxes have reached the quarter-finals in two of the last three seasons, being beaten by Chelsea both times, but are the underdogs to book a trip to Wembley after being drawn against Man Utd in the quarter-finals.

FA Cup betting tips: Sunday March 21 best bets

Sheffield United, which is going to be relegated, was no match for Leicester City in defeat. The Foxes won the expected-goals xG battle by a 4. Against Manchester United, Leicester City will likely continue to play osds three center backs and fullbacks Fa cup odds paddy power Pereira and Timothy Castagne bursting down the wings.

However, their last four games have featured some impressive results.

Best FA Cup Odds for 2021 inc. Outright Winner

According to FBref. The win over Milan was inspired by the halftime introduction of Paul Pogba and a lackluster attack from the Italian side. We are committed fa cup odds paddy power our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to overs and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose. If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline onor visit begambleaware.

[apricotstone47]

Wontorra Interview with Erik Durm complete

W: Welcome to the Unitymedia digitaltalk. Today with BVB-star Erik Durm. We are very happy that he is here with us today, [turns to Erik] because you were inured for a long time and you had your comeback to the squad this weekend. First question: How are you feeling and what was it like to be back in the squad ?  

E:I'm feeling fine and of course I was very happy to be back in the squad. Sadly this was my third long-term injury ,so its even nicer to be finally back again. This counts for me but as well for my family and friends  they are all happy that I'm back again. (unimportant stuff) W: As I said, 140 days are a very long time. How did you deal with that, not able to do anything. How did you tackle this challenge and how did you distract yourself or maybe even work off ? E:  Well it is more work off than distract myself. But as I said this was my third time and I wanted to be out of Dortmund, so I went to Munich for my reha and that was really good for me. Both physically and mentally. My family and friends often visited me and I was in regular exchange with our other injured players. It was helpful for everyone of us to share their “Misery” with the others. So it was good. W: Now that you are back: What are your personal targets for 2018 ?  E: I think I’m saying this ,every year but I want to stay healthy and without any injuries... with everything else I will see what comes. And it would be of course cool if we would reach the Euroleague final. But, and that is something I’ve learned in the past three years: the health is the most important thing. W: Sunday Dortmund played 0-0 against Wolfsburg. It was your first game on the bench. How would you evaluate this match ?  E: Yeah... both teams had their problem entering the match. But nethertheless  we played forward and we had two to three very good chances. We can live with that point, especially because the other teams played a little bit for us as well. Now it is our turn to beat Berlin on friday and take the three points hime, and then we are good in the table. 

W: During your injurytime a lot of things have changed here in Dortmund. Peter Stöger, thats how the new coach is called. Now that you have trained under him and collected first impressions... what is your feeling about him ?  E: He is a very pleasant, good coach. He have a lot of fun in the training right now, and I think that is good for all of us. But I want to say that Peter Bosz was also a very nice guy and a very good coach. But sadly it didn’t worked out very well at the end, for whatever reason. - Therefore we are happy that we have Peter Stöger now. By now I can’t tell much about him, for obvious reasons, but I know that it makes a lot of fun to train on the pitch with him.  W:  The next tasks for the team are Berlin away and then Freiburg at home. What are the targets the team set themselves for this matches ?  E: Of course we want to win both of the games to get 6 points, so we can take back the second position behind Bayern again. Thats our big goal and I believe that we have the squad to make this. Especially because more and more injured players are coming back. I’m positiv that we can make this.  W: Dortmund’s new player, Manuel Akanji, what is he like ? Did you meet yet ?  E: He is a very calm guy, like everybody from Switzerland I think. He is nice, a good boy and the two trainings we had together, he trained well. He seems to be down to earth. That is all I can tell by now.  W: During our talks the first questions arrived from the fans. Lets talk a bit about you. What do you like to do here in Dortmund ?  E: Oh.. privat... ehm... the obvious stuff... doing much with friends, like playing a small billiard-tournament, I like to stay at home, to relax and to watch a bit netflix. Nothing spectacular.  W: Its a big discussion topic, that former football players had a bit more freedom. Because todays players are under more pressure, people expect more from them, in sport way. What are you thinking of this ?  E: I believe so. Football got even more professional in recent years, and I am saying this with the hope that i wont hurt anybody. [Nobby Dickel enters the conversation and says to Erik: “ Well now i listen very carefully Erik”] - Yes Nobby, well I think we today are a bit more professional than you back then. [Nobby: I dont believe so] And thats why I think, an I#m speaking for me and my team, we don't really need this going out and drinking and partying. [Nobby: But It ca help sometimes ? To get your head free or to calm down when you are a bit angry?] Yes maybe but for me.... I have to be honest I dont like it.. and I am happy about this. [Nobby: Maybe we two should go out some day ?] W: So if you cant tell us something about the clubs and pubs here in Dortmund, because your are not familiar with then, you can tell us something about the atmosphere in this stadium. We all now, the atmosphere here is unique. The fans want to know how you experience this on the pitch.  E:Of course we can hear the fans when we are playing. I mean you are sometimes in like a tunnel, when you have the ball on your foot or when you into the game but i hear them when I run to the side line for a throw in. Or I hear them when the match is paused for a bit. I still get goosebumps, especially when I look at the Südtribüne. It was also a good feeling being back on the bench, and experience this again. - I think for a football player there is nothing more beautiful then coming in our stadium, going onto this pitch. And of course it is even more beautiful if you are able to play for this team. And get the support. W: What were your three Top-Moments here in the Signal Iduna Park ?  E: (thinks for a longtime) For me, of course the match were I scored my first Bundesliga goal against Hertha BSC Berlin. To be honest i was a bit shocked that I’ve scored that goal, I wasn't prepared for this and strangely enough I ran away from the Süd.. I ran towards Schmelle because I didn't know where to go and what to do..... And the other two ....Derby wins.Because of the atmosphere....Any my first championsleague home match  against Marseille.  W: This are really special moment. Now we have the first fan question. Who is your [football] idol ? [laughs] And there is Nobby Dickel waving. But you can be honest Erik. E: After Nobby... my first idol was Luis Figo when I was a little boy... W: [interrupts] Excuse me but I have to tell a personal story here. I met him once in a holiday. He was in the same hotel and I was so excited that i went to him like a groupie and asked for a picture with him.He is really such a big player.... E: I would have done it like this too..... I think. But like I said as a kid i idolized him because he was so good at Real Madrid and I think that was my first jersey wich my dad has bought me. A Real Madrid Figo jersey. Furthermore I was a big FC Kaiserslautern fan back then and of course Miro Klose was a hero for me.. that why it was so special for me to play the world cup with him. Those two..... and Nobby... those three are my big idols W: You brought up the World Cup, maybe you could look back and tell us how you experienced this summer ?  E: I still didn't processed all the experiences I`ve made, there was no time for this. It was such an extreme year. I was retrained from striker to right back and right wing, had my first championsleague game, like I told earlier, a year later I was able to go to Brazil and we won there and became World Champions. For me, my family and for my friends it was something like the highlight of a carrier. Many things changed after that. I was world cup winner and everybody knew it, so they measured me on this. It wasn’t easy for me. Also because this year Dortmund didn't play well. I think we were on place 18 back then... again an extreme. It wasn't easy to deal with this positiv and negativ extremes.  W: Now in 2018 we have a World cup again. What do you think ? How possible is it for the german national team to become world champion again ? 

E: I think we are one of the top-favorites. We have really good players and I believe it will become hard for Löw to pick the right players for Russia. Germany is a tournament team and thats why I think that we are top favorites alongside France and Spain.  W: What would be your dream final ? 

E: Difficult.... Germany against France with a happy end for us.

W: Who is the best player you’ve ever played with ? 

E: First of all I play with so many really really good players together. Though I have to say that Ousmane Dembélé was really special with his technique, speed and his understanding of the game. So I think he is the best Player I’ve ever played with. He made things in training, where I felt.. yeah.. a bit stupid to be honest when I was his  opponent. Because he is so good...  W: A really nice story. Why BVB and not FSV ? 

E: I assume with FSV they mean Mainz. Mainz was my youth club. I was in the A-youth.. and the Coach and the Vice Coach from Wolfsburg, which we played on the weekend, were my first coaches in Mainz. Mainz wanted to keep me back then, but they had a few problems with the headquarters and we couldn't reach the same level, and then Dortmund contacted me. As Kloppo went trough the door, shook my hand and told me that there is also a chance for me playing Bundesliga in Dortmund, I knew that I wanted to play for Dortmund.  W: You said you shot your first Bundesliga goal agains Berlin. Maybe you can score your next goal against Hertha  next weekend ? Would be a good time.  E: Yes the time would be good, but first I have to get in the squad. This is the most important thing for me. The coach has good options and we have a lot of fit players. I will be happy If I’m in the squad and its important for us to take the three points back home.  W:And to stay healthy. Thank you very much Erik for this open talk

[wsmith215]

Jones Knows: Back second-half goals for Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig at 4/1 | Football News

Our tipster is back; so is Super 6 with a Bundesliga twist this week…£50,000 is up for grabs!

Last Updated: 15/05/20 3:56pm

Borussia Dortmund are backed to put on a second-half show

The return of the Bundesliga has tempted our tipster Jones Knows out of his betting lockdown and he’s got eyes on a 4/1 shot this weekend.

Anyone else tired of watching sport knowing how it’s going to end? Yes, ‘Agueroooo’ scores. Europe produce a Miracle at Medinah. Gareth Southgate misses that penalty. I’m over the re-runs now.

Knowing the result is not why we fell in love with this great game.

Of course, the lack of our traditional means of entertainment is truly put into perspective by the unrepresented and worrying times we find ourselves in.

But, in the distance, there is a beacon of light in the form of the Bundesliga.

The oasis in the desert where we can sip on a drop of hope and respite from our strange world. It’s something to grasp for.

It’s not perfect and might not return as the game we once knew but, boy, it’s nice to crack open the betting brain, get the juices flowing and analyse football matches not knowing how they’re going to end.

The unpredictability. How I’ve missed you. I’ll never take you for granted again.

Although it’s been a while, remember, whatever I tip, I back. We’re in this together.

1pt on the second half to produce the most goals in Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke & RB Leipzig vs Freiburg (4/1 with Sky Bet) – bet here!

The way my brain looks at the challenge of making profitable betting decisions centres on my ability of utilising knowledge of a certain subject while backing those thought processes up with data analysis. Once you’ve combined the two to present the possibility of that scenario occurring you’ve then got to analyse whether the level of probability against the odds offered by the bookmaker in question. Still with me?

Sticking to that won’t put you far wrong, but we’re in uncharted waters here. My basic knowledge of the Bundesliga gives me no edge like it would with the Premier League and we’re also dealing with football not in the same form. No matter how much my punting juices are racing, the current situation is tempering my enthusiasm for a confident wager.

You can follow all the Bundesliga action live on skysports.com. Get your fix with minute-by-minute coverage and reports from the weekend’s biggest games, starting with the Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke on Saturday, kick-off at 2.30pm.

Playing behind closed doors won’t impact the game as much as people would like think though. Having a fierce competitive nature is what has got most professional footballers to the top – as long there is three points on the line and their reputations are on show to the watching world, then expect usual levels of bite in these matches, despite the eerie atmosphere.

It’s proven very difficult to have a strong view in terms of predicting outcomes of matches when there are so many unknowns. Will the form hold up? I’m going to be swerving the result markets for a few weeks yet in order to understand the pattern of the matches and to collate some new data to analyse.

My main area of concern for trusting the previous form before the suspension is regarding the general fitness of players and their ability to perform to their optimum.

Players have been back training for over a month with all having to adhere to the 11-point list of guidelines regarding social distancing handed down from the DFL. Some players have trained in masks, players haven’t been allowed to be put into 11 vs 11 match scenarios and even cardboard cut-outs have been used in some sessions to simulate opponents.

Bundesliga returns on Saturday – but with a difference

Just from a simple physiological perspective, players aren’t going to be fully prepared or anywhere near ‘football fit’ enough to maintain performance levels for 90 minutes.

This is the basis of my angle for this weekend.

The lack of match practice factor has opened my eyes up to a theory that these first few matches of the Bundesliga will produce lots of action in the final stages of games as players, despite the introduction of the five substitutes rule, will begin to mentally and physically tire.

This should result in defensive mistakes and more goalscoring opportunities late on.

Finding a market to exploit this, admittedly, half-baked theory, has been a challenge but Sky Bet’s offering of ‘most goals in the second half’ has got me interested with every price on every match this weekend available around Evens.

I’ll be backing that outcome in each match of every game with small stakes and I’ll take a cheeky stab at the 500/1 on offer for all nine matches to produce most goals in the second half – you’ll find the bet by scrolling through the RequestABet section.

But my main recommendation for the purpose of this column is to advise taking advantage of the 4/1 for Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke and RB Leipzig vs Freiburg both to produce the most goals in the second half in the hope the rip-roaring strike forces at Dortmund and Leipzig feast upon a host of defensive slips as the game progresses.

Both Dortmund and Leipzig, who are heavily odds-on to win this weekend, made a habit of scoring second-half goals before the season was curtailed. Of the 68 goals scored by Dortmund this season, 45 of those have come after half-time – working out at 63 per cent and Leipzig have netted 35 goals after the break, the third most in the Bundesliga behind Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

Whether looking at past data really counts for much in a set of opening fixtures that could be ripe for a weird narrative is open to debate but if there is to be defensive vulnerability due to a lack of match fitness, these two attacks are suitably armed to be ruthless in their finishing.

Tread carefully though. And enjoy.

Super 6 is back – with a Bundesliga twist!

Can you predict the six correct scorelines for a chance to win £50,000? Play for free!

Augsburg vs WolfsburgHoffenheim vs Hertha BerlinBorussia Dortmund vs SchalkeFortuna Düsseldorf vs PaderbornRB Leipzig vs FreiburgEintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia M’gladbach Join Sky Bet Club and track your progress towards a £5 free Bet

Opt in and bet £25 or more before 23:59 on Sunday. Free bets credited by 7pm on Monday.

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[kevkesblog]

Translation Throwback Series (Part II): Julian Brandt Interview (September 10, 2014)

This is an interview during Julian’s first major injury where he wasn’t able to play. He talks about his injury, his love for Werder Bremen and he also talks about Marco Reus and his english skills.

Mr. Brandt, thank you for not having canceled our interview appointment despite your injury. How are you?

Ju:       It is slowly going upwards for me again. It was a shock, of course. But it could have gotten worse too. I'll be back in a few weeks.

How bitter is it, as a native of Bremen to be absent against Werder Bremen?

Ju:       Very bitter. It would have been even worse if the match were in Bremen. I would have been annoyed.

Are you still a Werder fan?

Ju:       Of course. then you can not forget that, if you were born there. I myself was standing in the fan curve - in the really good times of Werder with Diego, Özil and all the others. It’s a club close to my heart.

Did you have Werder posters in your room at that time?

Ju:       I did not have so many posters, but a jersey for almost every season - and I got the gloves from Frank Rost as a small child. They were the size of my whole leg. That was a great time.

As a "Werder fan" – are you sad that the glorious times are over in Bremen?

Ju:       It's a pity. Werder had a great standing in the Bundesliga, they were just behind Bayern at the time. I'm currently a bit sorry for the Bremen fans. They always try to cheer on their team to victory. The people in the fan curve are fine. That's why I hope for them that they are at least back in the top half of the Bundesliga standings.

There are many stories why you didn‘t choose Werder but  Wolfsburg instead during your youth. So what’s the true story?

Ju:       My heart told me to go to Werder. But then Wolfsburg put forward an offer and I looked at it. I was offered such outstanding perspectives there, so my head said: Wolfsburg is better for me at this moment. Which turned out to be true. But I'm still young, maybe I will eventually land at Werder.

Who do you know from the current Werder team?

Ju:       A few youth players who have not yet come into action in the Bundesliga. And of course Davie Selke from the U19 national team. I would like to play against him. I will definitely say hello when I see him.

How often are you in Bremen these days?

Ju:       I just went to the Ailton game. I sat with my family over the fan curve. It was really funny, looking at him playing again.

Let's get to Leverkusen: Why is Bayer so strong this season?

Ju:       It’s crazy! We grew together. We do more stuff outside of football, that was not the case last season. Everyone runs for everyone. The coach did a good job there. And of course we have super individual players.

You have already mentioned coach Roger Schmidt: What distinguishes him?

Ju:       He is a great guy. He talks a lot to the players. We like his system of play. It is very special - maybe comparable to Dortmund. Nobody else is playing this system in the league.

How would you describe this system?

Ju:       It's a modern form of counterpressing. The coach once said that it would be better for us if the opponent has the ball.

Something you do not have to understand that at first, right?

Ju:       That's right. But it really makes sense, because we fight the ball so deep in the opponent's half by counterpressing so that we immediately create opportunities. That's our strength.

You have only been playing for Leverkusen since January and played in the Bundesliga and Champions League as a 17-year-old. Can you even grasp this rapid development?

Ju:       Sometimes you really have to rub your eyes. It's a dream.

It is always said that the jump from youth to professional football is extremely big. How did you feel?

Ju:       It's a big jump, sure. But you also need a bit of luck. Like with me. I benefited from Sydney Sam‘s injury. If you are then subbed, of course you have to be there. That worked for me.

What's the most fun in the Bundesliga?

Ju:       Playing in front of so many spectators. If you get to play in Dortmund in front of 80,000 people, then you get no fear, but it's just endless fun.

How hard is it to stay on the ground?

Ju:       My parents would make me very, very clear, if I would get some sort of star behaviour. In addition, we have no players in Leverkusen with that kind of behaviour, so you can adapt well.

Where do you have to improve?

Ju:       The old topic of defensive work continues to be my top priority. I do too little from my scoring chances which personally annoys me. I have to be cooler with that.

It is said that Marco Reus is your role model. Who did you like in Bremen?

Ju:       Marco Reus is not a role model for me, but one of my favorite players. We play the same position. Of course, I'm looking at this style of play. And of course Diego was my favorite player at Werder. I believe he had 480 jerseys from him (laughs). When I moved to Wolfsburg, I even had the honor to train with him. This guy is just amazing.

Do you still have contact with him?

Ju:       I actually talked to him back then - in English. And then I was really surprised how well I speak English (laughs). But we don‘t have any contact anymore.

Do you occasionally talk to your teammate Karim Bellarabi, who is also from Bremen, about Werder?

Ju:       Of course. He is also looking forward to this game. He was also in Bremen on the weekend and is highly motivated.

Will he score on Friday?

Ju:       Karim has exploded this summer, I would expect everything from him.

How do think will the score be after the game?

Ju:       I hope it will be a victory for us.

Wouldn’t you be a bit sad as a Werder fan?

Ju:       Let's put it this way: If I could ever allow a team somehow to score and make points against us, then Werder.

Source: Julian Brandt Interview for Kreiszeitung

[junker-town]

6 reasons why Arsène Wenger should have been Bayern Munich’s new manager

Wenger won’t be taking over FC Hollywood, but it would have been glorious if he did.

Arsène Wenger is not going to be the next manager of Bayern Munich. He’s just joined FIFA as their Chief of Global Football Development, which sounds very grand and appropriate. Well done to him.

But! This does not change the fact that Arsène Wenger absolutely should have been the next manager of Bayern Munich, for this would, we’re fairly confident, have made the world a significantly better place. Let’s close our eyes and imagine our way into that other world ...

It might be interesting, liking Bayern

Bayern Munich: easy to admire, tough to love. That’s fair, right? Admirable: they win a lot, they frequently look good while doing it, and more than a few brilliant footballers have been made in Bavaria.

Unloveable: well, they aren’t exactly shy about leveraging their vast fortunes to maintain their primacy. It can often feel as if there are two kinds of brilliant footballer in the Bundesliga: those who play for Bayern Munich, and those who are about to. Plus, you know, they win a lot.

Wenger, even if only there for half a season, would act as a nice counterweight to all that. Obviously he wouldn’t have any impact on the club’s overall policy, but at least he’d be a friendly, twinkling face to take the edge off FC Hollywood. And his Bayern side would, we can safely assume, be a delight going forward and a quite different sort of delight at the back. Something for everybody.

Ultimately, it’s hard to want anything too terrible to happen to Wenger these days, because he’s transcended the normal rules of football partisanship and ascended to a higher plane. He’s become the Platonic form of the Good Uncle. And if Bayern are going to win, as they usually do, then it might as well be under the auspices of somebody that you wouldn’t mind ruffling your hair.

Congratulations to Borussia Dortmund on their new manager, José Mourinho

Commiserations to Jadon Sancho on his new manager, José Mourinho.

Serge Gnabry: a reckoning

Serge Gnabry joined Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal in 2011, as a 16-year-old, and he left in 2016, turning down a contract extension in search of first-team football. Since then, he’s found his way into Bayern’s squad, into the German national team, and into that conversation about “good footballers that might get even better” that basically runs in the background all the time.

And so, wouldn’t it be lovely to see him back with his own boss. I made it! You made it! You always believed in me! I always believed in you! We did it! We did it! So many of football’s reunification stories are based on former colleagues coming together again as opponents; wouldn’t it be nice to have a genuine reunion for once?

Unless, of course, it turns out that Wenger secretly hated him all along, and poor Gnabry gets sent on loan to West Brom again. And hey, that would be quite fun too. He’s pretty good, these days. He’d stomp the Championship.

Somebody you love, somebody you miss, will come back

Thinking about it, Wenger loves a reunion. Thierry Henry’s return — older, wiser, bearded — stands as the most notable, but he brought Mathieu Flamini back as well for another go around the midfield. And that was a lot funnier.

Flamini is off saving the world through biochemicals, and Henry’s well-retired now. So which other classic Wenger players might be available for a quick spell in Bavaria?

Alex Song’s at something of a loose end, after making six appearances for FC Sion’s B team last season. Theo Walcott’s in and out at Everton. And hey, Carlos Vela’s just finished his season in the USA. Get them all in. Even if they don’t play, a house just doesn’t feel like a home until you’ve got a few long-beloved pictures up on the wall.

Bayern would lose 5-1 to themselves in the quarter-finals of the Champions League

There are iron laws that drive the operations of the universe. We may not understand them, seeing only the effects, but they are there in the background, ensuring the whole thing holds together and moves inexorably onwards.

So it may not make any sense, on the surface, watching Robert Lewandowski hammer the ball at his own net over and over again. It may not be clear why, exactly, Manuel Neuer keeps jumping out of the way.

And you won’t be alone in being puzzled. The faces of the players will be written with confusion and terror, as their bodies betray them. The opposition will be torn between laughter and sympathy. The fans will seethe and roil.

But Wenger will be calm. He knows. It’s all just as it has to be.

And then … and then

Yes, Wenger just got a new job. He should quit. If Wenger goes to Bayern, then he’s got a decent chance of winning his first league title since 2004. That’s how Germany tends to go, after all. That’s how Niko Kovac kept his job so long.

And come this summer, it seems reasonably likely that Arsenal will once again be looking for a manager. Somebody that plays attractive football. Somebody that will get the club. Somebody that knows the Premier League. Somebody with a history of winning and a present of winning. Somebody with a love-hate relationship with large anoraks. Somebody … you see where this is going, right?

Oh, what a beautiful world we could have had. What the hell even is a “Chief of Global Football Development” anyway?

[goetzeus]

BVB Feiertagsmagazin w/ Julian Weigl (03/03/17) - English translation

Nobby: Welcome, Jule! Nice to see you again. The past week has been exciting. First there was this really satisfying win in Freiburg and then the game in Lotte got cancelled. Be frank: Have you ever seen a pitch like that? Or played on one?

Julian: No, neither. It was quite adventurous when we arrived. On the bus on the way to the match it started raining heavily and then it started snowing and I was already thinking "Oh, dear!". My 1860 colleagues had already told me that the pitch wasn't really good during their match and when we were on it we saw that it would've been really, really hard to somehow play football. And of course it also would've been dangerous. You skid into opponents, you don't have any footing, muscular injuries would easily have happened. But to come back to your question: I have never seen anything like it.

Nobby: Was it really that deep? Because we only saw the grass and it looked green.

Julian: Yeah, that's typical. If you look at it from above or further afar, it looks quite okay but the pitch really was extremely soaked. We already sank in about 5cm with normal shoes. Yeah, it wasn't like it seemed at first sight.

---INTERLUDE---

Nobby: Julian, it's your second season with Borussia Dortmund and your second European Cup season and you basically always play. How do you do that?

Julian: Well, first of all I'm happy and grateful to get to be on the pitch so often. I just try to do my best and help the team whenever I play and in the past few games it worked out quite well for us, and me. Yeah, even in my second year I still feel very, very comfortable here and it's a lot of fun.

Nobby: One can tell. (both laugh)

Julian: That's nice.

Nobby: What's the difference between double fixture weeks and normal weeks. How does that become noticeable during training?

Julian: Obviously, there's a difference. During double fixture weeks you don't train a lot because you try to recover from the last game. We actually always train in groups because the part of the team who didn't play needs to have a workout that's equal to a match and the other part shouldn't do too much because they just had a game. During normal weeks, like now, you can train as a whole group and do tougher sessions. That's good to practise some stuff and to stimulate competition because it's difficult for the ones who are a bit behind if you never train with the first choice line-up. It's easier for the others and they have a better chance during normal weeks. And it also benefits the whole group from time to time to all be together.

Nobby: And you have fun during training?

Julian: Yes, we definitely do have fun. I think that's what characterises us. We have enough jokesters so yeah, we have fun.

Nobby: Tomorrow you're up against Leverkusen. This year Leverkusen is, once again, full of surprises. You don't know what'll happen with the team this weekend. How can you even prepare for such a team?

Julian: It's true that they're full of surprises but I think we still can prepare really well for them because Leverkusen always play in their usual style, no matter if it goes well or badly. They do have an exact philosophy on how they want to play and that's very unpleasant, for an opposing team, because they press forward and never give you any time to breathe. They always try to defend forward and be attacking and that's what we need to analyse. We still have video analysis and we will think of a certain plan and I think, especially here at home, we want to perform like we did, play like we did in Freiburg. I think that was one of our best matches this year...

Nobby: Definitely!

Julian: ...and yeah, we want to build on that.

---INTERLUDE---

Nobby: Obviously, a home victory is the main objective. And, of course, a clean sheet. You, as a defensive artist...

Julian: If that's what you want to call me. (laughs) Of course, we want to keep a clean sheet. I'm excited to see if Roman Bürki does that. We obviously will help him and do our best and yeah, I'm just happy to play in our stadium again, with our Süd. I think we can just do our thing and try to continue our home run.

Nobby: On Saturday, you had your second consecutive clear win and that's surely something that'll give you confidence for the upcoming weeks and double fixture weeks.

Julian: Yes, absolutely! We planned to do a lot before the game against Freiburg, we wanted to perform like we always do at home this season, with the right amount of vigour and to play our game and that was exactly what we did. We defended very, very well, we didn't give them any chances except for one big one and have created numerous chances for ourselves in the front. We really could have won with more goals but that's the way it is. Three goals are still fair enough and we deserved to win. I believe this game can push us forward but of course we need to up the ante against Leverkusen.

---INTERLUDE---

Nobby: Because of the postponement of our Pokal match we are now in this unusual situation in which we already know the opponent of the semifinal if we manage to proceed against Lotte. What did you think when you saw the draw? Or when you saw the opponent?

Julian: Ultimately, I don't care who we play against because I think if we want to go to the final or win the Pokal we have to go past everyone else, anyway. That we would get Bayern if we go through, that's just the way it is. Of course, I would've wanted a home match but I think we can talk about that when we've won the next match in the Pokal. We still have some time until then and it's just no good to be annoyed at the draw...

Nobby: First we need to defeat Lotte.

Julian: Exactly! Win against Lotte and cope with the next tasks in the Bundesliga and then I'm convinced that we'll have a chance, no matter who we play against. We've already defeated Bayern this season so they're not invincible.

Nobby: You know how it works, that's good.

Julian: True. (both laugh)

[linwoodharbison-blog]

FIFA 18 Vs PES 2017 Comparability

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Let the games start - sign as much as play here! PES 18 however is heading back to its roots and they are focusing purely on game play expertise making it a unique football gaming experience. However we were able to move it again to the central defenders, broad midfielders, in addition to simply knock it back to the opposite forward. The Frencham excels in defending the back line together with his 81 defending and eighty four physical score. But wait, this yr is proving to be an thrilling yr for players as a result of we are all wanting forward to Sony and Microsoft's next technology console releases, the PS4 and Xbox 720 respectively, later this 12 months. A daring dribbler, he was the star of his nation's most interesting era and in addition scored twice in 1978 as they made it to the second stage. The second participant may then do what they want with the ball (go or dribble).

If you’re a fan of Final Group mode, you could remember of legends: extraordinarily uncommon playing cards with former skilled footballers that may actually add pep to your workforce - not to say making your opponent jealous. So what are you able to do if you’re at the stadium surrounded by these morons with their horns? You may resolve to buy your favourite Spain’s capital tickets online because of our safe and / or guaranteed on-line getting system. The codes are sent immediately and you may entry the web App. If you are caught someplace to pass a degree or you are in trouble to become a prime participant, use our FIFA Cell Football Cheats by defending data Encryptor to guarantee maximum protection and minimal threat. And look at that improvement - from a Bronze fifty four for Fulham on FIFA 15 to his most current card… he really ought to be Gold though. Despite it being FIFA 18 in title, it runs on a distinct engine and lacks the bells and whistles that embrace it.

[diaz734shannon]

Odds on Man City to Win Quadruple in /

Manchester city quadruple odds - Manchester City's Quadruple Dream And The Odds Of It Actually Happening

That may sound bizarre given we haven't seen him, but think about who scored those goals for Manchester United at the end of that Treble-winning season - two strikers. They've done our site they've done without their best striker, and credit to them. In Cup final football, manchester city quadruple odds football, he's the sort of player you need.

There's a reason no team has done it, despite seeing huge eras of dominance from teams. To be so relentless, have that edge oddss every game, and have things go for you, that's not football. They haven't fulfilled their potential in that competition, and Guardiola, by his qquadruple admission, has changed tactics to manchester city quadruple odds those games and got it wrong.

The Citizens are hoping to make it into the Champions League semi-finals for the second time in four seasons and face English rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the last eight. Manager and player appear to be taking queues from one another, as Guardiola earlier emphasised that it's at this stage of the season campaigns tend to come apart, via Goal:.

Then there's the Champions League, where Guardiola 's men have been drawn against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals. Despite their impressive form this season, it's worth noting that City manchester city quadruple odds only made it past this stage once in their history.

Manchester City: Guardiola's team 14/1 to win unprecedented quadruple

Should they knock Dortmund out in the last eight, City would encounter either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, presenting perhaps their toughest test of the remaining sides in the competition. Please check your junk folder if you do not see our email in your inbox.

William Hill. Indeed the major positive for City in their current position and given their quadrulpe aspirations is that they can now afford to focus on other competitions, with a game against mid-table Leeds in the middle of two legs against Dortmund in the Champions League manchester city quadruple odds potentially allowing for rotation.

Again, another opportunity quuadruple Guardiola to use his very talented squad. Chelsea and Leicester are the toughest opponents City have left to face in the league this season, making the four-game swing that United - who would also need to win every match - require near enough impossible.

They are unbeaten throughout the last four seasons in the Carabao Cup and find themselves in a strong position to retain the trophy once again when they face Tottenham at Wembley in April. City will be further helped by Spurs' inconsistent performances this season, summed up by their shock Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb.

You won't find many people willing to back Manchester city quadruple odds Mourinho's side explanation win this final based on current showings, giving City a cup to go manchester city quadruple odds their spot at the top of the Premier League.

Man City Betting Odds

While City have taken the domestic cups qiadruple under Guardiola, they were unable to retain the trophy last season but now find themselves in a strong position for success. It's a strong pool manchester city quadruple odds remaining teams manchester city quadruple odds, and while they have been the best in England this season, they mancheeter now beat Chelsea in the final four - and Thomas Tuchel's side will be no pushovers.

When the draw was being carried outCity may have been privately be hoping for a meeting with either Southampton or Leicester, but what's for certain is that a very tough task now lies in wait if they're to face one of those side's in the final on May

[eastbridge-sb]

Champions League Match Previews – 22nd October Tuesday

Club Brugge v PSG

A few weeks ago we opposed goals in Paris Saint Germain’s visit to Galatasaray and it paid dividends with the French capital club running out narrow 1-0 winners. I’m inclined to get against another strangely large goal line as they make the much shorter 180 mile trip North to Bruges.

Remarkably the Belgian outfit managed to get themselves 2-0 up at the Bernabeu in matchday 2 only to be pegged back to 2-2 by the time of the final whistle. Nevertheless, the Blau-Zwart came back with an unexpected point and are therefore yet to lose in this tournament after a 0-0 stalemate with Gala on the opening gameweek.

Phillipe Clement’s charges remain unbeaten in all competitions this season and can really make a game of this clash. It’s an athletic team, full of energy and they can get about the pitch. Even though key men from last season in Danjuma, Wesley and Marvellous Nakamba have made the switch to the premier league, they continued their decent form.

Les Parisiens top the table with two wins from two and are in a fantastic position already due to the other big gun, Real Madrid, failing to convince thus far. A 3-0 win over the Galacticos in a star-studded encounter was deserved and it was an impressive clean sheet more than anything. Thomas Tuchel was a canny operator in the transfer market with the moneybags club focusing on defensive recruits to bolster their generally top heavy side. Now there’s a great deal of balance and stability at the Parc Des Princes, something we haven’t been able to say for a few years.

With the likes of Idrissa Gueye and Ander Herrera coming in they have a good shield infront of the defence. Tuchel is usually known for his attacking philosophy but that alteration to a more measured and pragmatic approach has ultimately been a large contributing factor to their strong start to the season. In 12 games in all competitions so far they have won 10, what’s more, all of those 9 wins have been ‘to nil’.

9 of their 12 games have seen 3 goals or fewer and with the absence of Neymar, who picked up another injury on international duty, a large portion of their goal threat is removed. With that in mind I’ll gladly gobble up the 1.780 on under 3 goals on the asian lines. This bet would see us take a full stakes win should fewer than 3 goals be scored but throws in the caveat that if exactly 3 goals are scored then the bet is voided and stakes returned, the only way we would lose money is if 4 or more goals be scored.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation: Under 3.00 goals at 1.780

Shakhtar Donetsk v Dinamo Zagreb

I’m loving the look of group C this season, it’s a really intriguing battle for second place between Shakhtar, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta. The Ukranians went down 3-0 at home to Man City on matchday 1, a result that didn’t surprise many. They then went to Italy to take on Atalanta and they came back with a vital 3 points courtesy of a last gasp Manor Solomon strike as they picked off the attacking La Dea outfit on the break. The woodwork was hit twice in that game and Josip Ilicic missed a penalty. We put up over 2.5 as a strong selection and although it only copped due to a last minute strike the data told us it was more than fair with an expected goals output of 4.23 been posted.

In that game against City and expected goals figure of 3.29 was accrued so that deservedly broke the 2.5 line as well and I’m keen to take that approach as Zagreb make the trip North-East. The Croatian champions surprised many with a 4-0 demolition of an impressive Atalanta side on opening day, they outperformed their data on that occasion but their xG for figure of 2.52 is still seriously impressive. Somehow Atalanta failed to score but the Italians produced an xG output of 1.79 themselves so there are holes in this defences.

They were under the cosh against Pep Guardiola’s side last time out and were fortunate just to concede the two goals as the Modri gave up an xG of 3.73. If their opponents were more clinical in front of goal it could’ve been a lot worse.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in three of the four combined UCL games between this pair and an average of 3.9 expected goals per game has represented just how open and expansive this group is. I expected it to be a group with plenty of goalmouth action and that’s certainly the case, the bookies have not really pushed out the lines though and the 1.850 on over 2.5 has to be a play again here.

Asian Total Goals Betting Recommendation: Over 2.50 goals at 1.850

Olympiakos v Bayern Munich

I don’t think any of us could believe our eyes when Bayern Munich took Spurs to town a few weeks ago. It was a tale of classic Germany efficiency from the Bavarians, scoring 7 from an expected goals of just 1.24. Ruthless.

That kind of scenario happens once every blue moon and although it was a frighteningly good lesson in finishing, I’m going to rule it as an outlier due to it’s simply unsustainable nature. In fact, Die Roten lost the xG battle so it was a freak result, it sounds daft but on another day Spurs would’ve won that game.

I’m still yet to be convinced that Nico Kovac is the man for the job at FC Hollywood. They lost their last game before the international break at home against an under-strength Hoffenheim side and they have a tricky looking trip to Piraeus to take on a robust Olympiakos team. Erythrolefki have won 5 and drawn 1 in the Greek Super League this season, conceding just twice in that run. They’ve got a job on their hands to at least get third place and drop into the Europa League, something that teams in countries with lesser footballing pedigree value highly, after going down 3-1 in Belgrade against Crvena Zvedza.

It was a pretty non-descript first half in that game but they were 1-0 up at the break, however a sending off in the 57th minute gave the impetus to Red Star who took advantage to win 3-1. That means this game grows in importance and I wouldn’t be massively surprised if they caused a few problems for the German Champions.

Bayern have 6 points out of 6 and a need for a win from their point of view isn’t necessarily essential, Spurs found it tough going in the atmospheric Karaiskakis Stadium and I think they’ll give their visitors a stern test. The underlying shot data in that game with Spurs concluded that a draw was a fair result and I hope they can be competitive once again on Tuesday night. We can back ‘The Legend’ at 1.830 with a +1.5 start on the asian handicap and I think that’s worth a punt. We profit if the hosts avoid defeat or lose by a single goal.

Asian Handicap Betting Recommendation: Olympiakos +1.50 at 1.830

Preview by: TomLove_18

Get the best lines with the most competitive odds for your Champions League picks though the best sports betting broker or through VOdds today!

The post Champions League Match Previews – 22nd October Tuesday appeared first on Eastbridge.

source https://eastbridge-sb.com/uefa-champions-league-match-previews-221019/

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Pep Guardiola chasing a trophy full house to leave Tottenham potless

As Pep Guardiola turned his mind to the closing stages of the Champions League and a trilogy of games against Tottenham, he wondered about the status of the FA Community Shield.

Its equivalent in Germany or Spain would be a major piece of silverware without debate but in England, Guardiola has discovered, it is dismissed as a virtually meaningless friendly.

"Nobody counts it, I don't know why," he said, as he joked about swerving the Shield in August if Manchester City are involved as champions or FA Cup winners – or both. "Why? Because it doesn't count! It will be longer holidays in summer and we will be fresh for the League and Champions League. "

Pep Guardiola has full faith in his Manchester City side to complete a clean sweep of trophies this season

Manchester City claimed the first trophy of the season by beating Chelsea in the Community Shield back in August

The significance, at this stage of the season, is that City are in pursuit of an unprecedented clean sweep or all sizes available.

They won the Shield in August and the Carabao Cup in February. As Guardiola finds himself fielding questions about a Quadruple, he thinks he is chasing a Quintuple.

"Always we had the feeling we won two titles so far, we have three to play," added the City boss. "So that's what we believe."

At Spurs, where they have won one trophy this century – a League Cup in 2008 – they must be long for these types of conversation.

Guardiola, if he is to count various Super Cups in his collection, can boast 25 trophies as a manager, while Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is still searching for his first.

Pochettino may have been out in charge at Espanyol and Southampton rather than perennial winners such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but his final chance of this season comes in the biggest competition of all.

Manchester City boss Guardiola last won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2011 – but hasn't lifted it since

Guardiola hasn't won the Champions League since 2011 when Barca beat Manchester United in the final at Wembley. City have never been European champions and in this era, when they seem determined to sweep all before them, it feels like an important statement to make.

Last season they were foiled by Liverpool, losing 3-0 in the semi-final first leg amid the fervor of Anfield after an attack on their team bus in the streets around the stadium.

Again on a big European night, they face domestic rivals who know them well. Tottenham fans are brimming with emotion on their return to White Hart Lane and the prospect of a first Champions League fixture at the new, 62,000-capacity stage which they opened with a win against Crystal Palace last Wednesday.

'In the Champions League, in all the away games, the fans support the team more than ever, "Guardiola said. "It's the second time Spurs play at home, so we know exactly what we are going to face.

" It's in our hands how we handle it. If we want to make a step forward as a club, as a team, we have to know how to handle these situations. If we don't, it's because we're not prepared to go through. "

Mauricio Pochettino has drawn on the psychology of returning home to gain an advantage for Tottenham Hotspur

Pochettino has drawn on the psychology of this return to a spiritual home where they barely dropped a point in 2016-17. The last time Manchester City visited White Hart Lane was Guardiola's first defeat in the job, after his season started with 10 straight wins.

'We were leading the Premier League and when we lost I said now I understand how difficult "It will be to qualify for the Champions League," Guardiola said. 'It was our first season together. We are a better team than in that time, but I am not a guy who thinks too much about the memories. "

Tottenham consider themselves a stronger team, too. They have been inactive in the transfer market but young players have matured.

No-one would suggest they are a one-man team any longer. Not even Guardiola, who once infuriated Pochettino by calling Spurs 'the Harry Kane team'.

Guardiola insisted he does not see Tottenham as' the Harry Kane team "after previous comments annoyed Spurs

" No, I can't say that, Mauricio will be angry with me, "said the City boss. 'My colleague misunderstood me at the time. It was to express an opinion about Tottenham in that period when Harry Kane scored, I don't know, eight goals in three or four games. That's why I said it.

'I know Tottenham Hotspur is not just Harry Kane. The club is strong. It's an incredible team but, of course, Harry Kane – who can deny him? He's No 9 for the England team, an incredible striker and everybody knows it.

'He has everything. Right, left movements, keep the ball, set the ball intelligently, when he drops deep, in the box he is clinical. "

Pochettino's team emerged from a tough group after taking only one point from three games and overcame Dortmund with a 3-0 win in the first leg of the last round, without Kane.

Finally, they are where they wanted to be – in their new £ 1billion home in the Champions League. They may have preferred different opponents but this is their moment just as much as it is City's. This is Pochettino's moment as much as it is Guardiola's. Even if he trails far behind in the silverware charts.

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MOSCOW | The Latest: James Rodriguez could be fit to play England

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/63AyXm

MOSCOW | The Latest: James Rodriguez could be fit to play England

MOSCOW— The Latest on the World Cup (all times local): 6:20 p.m.

Switzerland doesn’t want to be caught napping early in its World Cup round-of-16 match against Sweden.

The Swiss have twice conceded the opening goal in Russia — first in their 1-1 draw with Brazil and again against Serbia — when Switzerland became the first team at this World Cup to win after going a goal down.

Coach Vladimir Petkovic says that “we have to be ready to play really from the get go in such a way to have the initiative on our side.” Switzerland takes on Sweden in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The winner faces either England or Colombia in the quarterfinals.

The Swiss team is without the heart of its defense, with captain Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schaer suspended after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament. ___ 6:15 p.m.

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman says James Rodriguez could be fit to play against England in the World Cup round of 16.

The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder was substituted with a calf muscle problem during Colombia’s 1-0 win over Senegal last week and has undergone medical scans which Pekerman says shows he “doesn’t have a serious injury.”

Pekerman says “we hope of course that he will be able to play” but he won’t guarantee Rodriguez will be in the starting lineup and “the team is quite stable” even without him.

If Rodriguez can’t play, Pekerman says Sevilla’s Luis Muriel will step in as he did against Senegal. ___ 6:10 p.m.

Neymar has scored in the 51st minute to give Brazil a 1-0 lead over Mexico in the World Cup round-of-16 game at Samara.

The Brazil forward slid toward goal and tapped in after Willian sprinted down the left and fired in a low cross.

The goal made Brazil the World Cup all-time scoring leader with 227 goals, surpassing Germany with 226.

Mexico made a change at halftime, replacing 39-year-old defender Rafael Marquez with Miguel Layun.

Marquez is playing in his fifth World Cup, and was the first player picked in a starting 11 at five World Cups. ___ 5: 45 p.m.

Mexico and Brazil are tied 0-0 at halftime in their World Cup round-of-16 match at Samara Stadium.

While Mexico controlled the possession early, Brazil appeared to have the best scoring chances.

Neymar’s right-foot shot was stopped by Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa only moments before the Brazil playmaker rolled a pass to Philippe Coutinho, who fired over the goal in the 26th minute.

The Mexicans were playing to reach the elusive fifth game at the World Cup, meaning the quarterfinals. El Tri has not been able to get past the round-of-16 for the last six tournaments.

Brazil is a five-time World Cup champion, the most recent in 2002. ___ 5:15 p.m.

Rafa Marquez has become first player to be included in the starting lineup at five World Cups. The veteran defender was used off the bench earlier in the tournament in Russia but started for Mexico in its round of 16 game against Brazil and FIFA noted his record at kickoff.

And, according to international analytics company Opta Sportsdata, Marquez (39 years, 139 days) is the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup knockout match since Stanley Matthews started for England against Uruguay in 1954 at the age 39 years, 145 days. Marquez made his World Cup debut in a 2-1 win over Croatia on June 3, 2002 in Niigata, Japan. ___ 5 p.m.

It’s a case of do or dye in Samara.

Brazil star Neymar’s blond highlights from the group stage are gone, and he’s back to his natural color for the round-of-16 match Monday against Mexico.

But his Mexico counterpart, Javier Hernandez — better known as Chicharito — has arrived in Samara Stadium as a bleached blond. Some opined on social media that Chicharito was trolling Neymar to try and get inside his head before the match. ___ 4:25 p.m.

The Croatia squad has wasted no time getting to the coast of the Black Sea to begin preparations for its quarterfinal match against Russia.

Just hours after edging Denmark in a penalty shootout, Croatia left behind Nizhny Novgorod and arrived in Sochi on Monday afternoon, well ahead of Saturday’s match against the tournament hosts. Croatia was scheduled to have a light practice Monday night. Several teams have come to Sochi early to prepare for the combination of heat and humidity. For Croatia it makes even more sense with its base camp for the tournament north of St. Petersburg.

Croatia is in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1998, when it placed third. ____ 4:10 p.m.

Tite has called in Filipe Luis to replace Marcelo for Brazil’s World Cup round of 16 game against Mexico.

Marcelo had back spasms in the opening minute of Brazil’s last group match against Serbia and didn’t recover in time to return to the starting lineup. Luis went on as a substitute at left-back against Serbia and retains that spot.

Mexico’s Hector Moreno was unavailable because of yellow card accumulation and has been replaced by Hugo Atala. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio also added 39-year-old defender Rafael Marquez to the starting lineup. Lineups:

Brazil: Alisson, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Filipe Luis, Paulinho, Willian, Fagner. Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa, Carlos Salcedo, Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Hugo Atala, Rafael Marquez, Andres Guadrado, Edson Alvarez, Hirving Lozano, Jesus Gallardo. ____ 3:20 p.m.

While Uruguay sweats on striker Edinson Cavani’s fitness ahead of the quarterfinal against France, Les Bleus must cope without influential midfielder Blaise Matuidi in Friday’s eagerly-awaited match.

The 31-year-old Matuidi, who has 70 international appearances, is suspended and assistant coach Guy Stephan acknowledges his experience and fighting spirit will be sorely missed against a rugged Uruguay side.

Stephan says “Blaise has the ability to hassle (opposition players), he always looks to stop the opponent, and he’s very good at defending but also at attacking.”

Looking ahead to the Uruguay game, Stephan anticipates “a huge battle” against Cavani’s in-form side.

Cavani scored twice in the 2-1 win over European champion Portugal in the round of 16, but limped off with a leg injury in the 70th minute. ____ 2:50 p.m.

On the eve of the biggest match of his international career, Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist could be forgiven for having one eye on what’s going on back home.

Granqvist’s second child is due on Tuesday — the same day that Sweden plays Switzerland in the last 16 of the World Cup. The center back has no plans yet to leave the team but hasn’t ruled out returning to Sweden if he needs to.

“My wife (Sophie) is doing great, no changes so far,” Granqvist said Monday. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I’m fully focused on the game tomorrow and my wife is very strong.”

When asked about the situation, Sweden coach Janne Andersson said “we will deal with that when we get there.” Switzerland forward Breel Embolo has returned to Russia after going home to attend the birth of his first child.

Denmark’s players paid for a private jet for teammate Jonas Knudsen so he could fly home from the World Cup to see his newborn daughter during the group stage, while England midfielder Fabian Delph is currently back home for the birth of his third child. ___ 2:20 p.m.

The Kremlin is comparing celebrations of Russia’s World Cup win over Spain to those for its victory over Nazi Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov says, “what I’ve personally seen was in many ways probably comparable to the events of May 9, 1945,” when the Soviet Union marked the wartime victory.

Putin did not attend the game, but Peskov says he was supporting Russia from afar. The only game Putin has seen in person is Russia’s opening 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia, which he watched alongside the Saudi crown prince and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. ___ 1:25 p.m.

Denmark’s former goalkeeper, who’s also the father of the current goalie, is praising the team after it was eliminated from the World Cup in a penalty shootout.

Peter Schmeichel tweeted Monday that he “can’t be more proud of my country, my son, his teammates, all the staff and our fantastic national coach.”

He adds that the Danes “will realize how well we did” once “all the tears have dried out.”

His son Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty late in extra time Sunday night against Croatia and stopped two more spot kicks during the decisive shootout. But Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic saved three penalties to eliminate Denmark.

The 54-year-old Peter Schmeichel played for Manchester United and was in goal when Denmark beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the semifinals of the 1992 European Championship. Denmark went on to win that title. ___ 1:15 p.m.

Denmark midfielder William Kvist says he is retiring from the national team.

Kvist punctured a lung and broke two ribs in the Danes’ World Cup-opening win against Peru. He was forced to go back to Denmark for treatment and tests but later returned to the team.

He played in 81 games for the national team, scoring two goals. He announced his decision on his Facebook page, writing, “thank you for many good years.”

Kvist formerly played for Fulham and Stuttgart and will continue his club career with Copenhagen. He told Denmark’s public broadcaster he had hoped to play in every game for the Danes in the World Cup, but “nevertheless, I still feel that I have won something by getting back to the team.”

Denmark was eliminated by Croatia in a penalty shootout on Sunday night. Another Denmark midfielder, Michael Krohn-Dehli, also announced after the game that it would be his last for the national team

By Associated Press