Napoli vs Real Madrid Champions League - 07-03-2017

Napoli vs Real Madrid - Competition: UEFA Champions League
 

Dries Mertens scored twice as Napoli beat rivals Roma 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico last Saturday and reduced the gap from the Giallorossi to 3 points. Prior to that, they lost to Atalanta in Serie A and Juventus in the Coppa Italia. The Partenopei have won nine, drawn three and lost two league matches in front of their own supporters. In the Champions League group stage this season three home fixtures delivered a 4-2 win over Benfica, 3-2 defeat to Besiktas and 0-0 with Dynamo Kyiv.
Dries Mertens is a doubt with a calf problem, though should be fit to feature here. Arkadiusz Milik would be the substitute should the Belgian miss out. Midfielder Allan has recovered from a thigh injury and is available to play but he is likely to be benched as Maurizio Sarri is expected to play with Amadou Diawara, Piotr Zielinski and Marek Hamsik in midfield, behind the front trio that will surely include Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon.       
Real Madrid team coasted to a 4-1 win over Eibar at the weekend and .head to Italy with a two-goal cushion thanks to a 3-1 first-leg victory at the Bernabeu. Zinedine Zidane's men will be wary of that goal they conceded on their home turf because away goals count double in this competition and they are yet to keep a clean sheet in the 2016/17 Champions League. They conceded 10 goals during the group stage – the joint worst record among the last 16.
Ronaldo has recovered from a knock and is expected to start while Gareth Bale is also available after missing the Eibar match through suspension. Raphael Varane is Zinedine Zidane's only injury issue ahead of their trip to Napoli, with Pepe partnering Sergio Ramos at the heart of the defence. Karim Benzema is likely to start as central forward while Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos will play from the off in the middle of the park.
 

Probable lineups:

SSC Napoli: Reina – Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam – Zielinski, Jorginho, Hamsik – Callejon, Mertens (Milik), Insigne

Real Madrid: Navas – Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo – Kroos, Casemiro, Modric – Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.

 

Date: 7 March 2017
Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT
Venue: Stadio San Paolo, Napoli 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AS Roma vs Napoli Italian Serie A - March 4, 2017

Roma vs Napoli - Competition: Italian Serie A
Date: 4 March 2017 - Kick-off Time: 14:00 GMT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma

AS Roma lost their Italian Coppa Italia meeting with rivals Lazio (2-0) in midweek but they did manage to win 3-1 at in form Inter Milan last weekend, a result that consolidated their 2nd place in the Serie A standings, 7 points below league leaders Juventus. The Giallorossi have a 100% record at home in Serie A so far and have scored an average of three goals per game at the Stadio Olimpico, conceding just 0.67 in return. The 'Wolves' have won three of the last four meetings between these two sides, including a 3-1 victory at the San Paolo earlier this season.
Luciano Spalletti is not expected to change what seems to be his favourite XI despite a heactic schedule. The only change could see Juan Jesus replacing Antonio Rudiger in the three man backline. The in-form Radja Nainggolan and Mo Salah will support the lone striker Edin Dzeko up front, while the Brazilian duo Emerson and Bruno Peres will play as wing backs. Alessandro Florenzi is still nursing his knee injuries and will be ruled out from this clash.

SSC Napoli team are aiming to bounce back after suffering two defeats in a week, a 0-2 home loss in Serie at the hands of Atalanta and a 3-1 defeat against Juventus in the Coppa Italia semifinal 1st leg in Turin. As a result, the Partenopei have earned just one win in their last four games, considering they lost 3-1 to Real Madrid team at the Santiago Bernabeu in Champions League. The 'Azzurri' have won 5 of their last 6 away matches, scoring at least 2 goals in each match.
Dries Mertens is favourite to start in the attacking trio, while Lorenzo Insigne could be the one that makes room for Arkadiusz Milik if he is given a start here. In midfield, Amadou Diawara is favoruite over Jorginho for a starting berth as playmaker, with Piotr Zielinski and Marek Hamsik sure starters. Brazilian midfielder Allan is still on the sidelines due to his groin injury, whereas Lorenzo Tonelli is another unavailable player for the visitors.

Roma last 5 matches:

12/02/17 Crotone 0 – 2 AS Roma
16/02/17 Villarreal 0 – 4 Roma
19/02/17 Roma 4 – 1 Torino
23/02/17 Roma 0 – 1 Villarreal
26/02/17 Inter 1 – 3 AS Roma 

Napoli last 5 matches:

04/02/17 Bologna 1 – 7 SSC Napoli
10/02/17 Napoli 2 – 0 Genoa
15/02/17 Real Madrid 3 – 1 Napoli
19/02/17 Chievo Verona 1 – 3 Napoli
25/02/17 Napoli 0 – 2 Atalanta 

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Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid Champions League - 21-02-2017

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid
Competition: UEFA Champions League
Date: 21 February 2017 - Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT
Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen

 

Bayer Leverkusen team head into this first leg on the strength of back-to-back Bundesliga wins over Frankfurt (3-0) and away at Augsburg (3-1). Anyway, manager Roger Schmidt has been under pressure from recent sections of the Leverkusen support for a series of underwhelming performances which saw them drop to 9th spot in the Bundesliga standings. In UCL the German outfit made it through to the knockout stage without suffering a single defeat. They won two of their six games, drawing the other four, and finishing runner up to Monaco with Tottenham in third position.
Talented midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will miss the match due to suspension while defenders Jonathan Tah and Joel Abu Hanna are both sidelined. That could see Aleksandar Dragovic feature alongside Omer Toprak at the heart of the defence with Benjamin Henrichs and Wendell as full backs. Lars Bender is a doubt while Stefan Kiessling and Chicharito Hernandez will spearhead the attack.

Atletico Madrid team go into the match in good form having extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to four games with a 4-1 rout of Sporting Gijon at the weekend with Kevin Gameiro scoring a hat-trick.  They are also unbeaten in their last seven games away from home, though four of those have been draws. In UCL, the Rojiblancos won five of their group games, losing their final match which was effectively a dead rubber. Their outstanding defense remained resolute throughout as they allowed just two goals in this competition, which was tied for the best defensive record in the stage.
Defender Juanfran, midfielders Tiago and Augusto Fernandez are out through injury while Diego Godin is available to play. First-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak is back from his two-month absence following a shoulder surgery. Anyway, Miguel Angel Moya will start between the posts. Up front, Kevin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann will lead the line, with the likes of Saul Niguez, Yannick Carrasco, Gabi and Koke favourites to start in midfield.

Probable lineups:
Bayer Leverkusen: Leno – Henrichs, Toprak, Dragovic, Wendell – Aranguiz, Kampl – Bellarabi, Brandt, Havertz – Chicharito.
Atletico Madrid: Moya – Vrsaljko, Savic, Gimenez, Filipe Luis – Gabi, Saul Niguez, Koke, Carrasco – Griezmann, Gameiro.

Bayer Leverkusen last 5 matches:

22/01/17 Leverkusen 3 – 1 Hertha BSC
28/01/17 Leverkusen 2 – 3 M’gladbach
03/02/17 Hamburger SV 1 – 0 Leverkusen
11/02/17 Leverkusen 3 – 0 Eintracht Fran…
17/02/17 Augsburg 1 – 3 Bayer Leverkusen

Atletico Madrid last 5 matches:

01/02/17 Atletico Madrid 1 – 2 Barcelona
04/02/17 Atletico Madrid 2 – 0 Leganes
07/02/17 Barcelona 1 – 1 Atletico Madrid
12/02/17 Atletico Madrid 3 – 2 Celta Vigo
18/02/17 Sporting Gijon 1 – 4 Atletico Madrid

 

 

 

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AS Roma 4-1 Torino Highlights 2017 Serie A

Roma vs Torino - Competition: Italian Serie A

Edin Dzeko and Mohammed Salah are among the scorers as AS Roma team beat Torino team 4-1 In Italian Serie A.

Roma 4-1 Torino:

10' Edin Dzeko 1-0 // 17' Mohammed Salah 2-0 // 65' Leandro Daniel Paredes 3-0 // 84' Maxi Lopez 3-1 // 90' Radja Nainggolan 4-1 

Date: 19 February 2017
Kick-off Time: 17:00 GMT
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Roma  

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Bayern Munich vs Arsenal 5-1 Highlights 15-02-2017 UCL

Bayern Munchen vs Arsenal - Competition: UEFA Champions League

Arsenal’s chances of qualifying for the quarters Final Of Champions League are as good as over following a heavy defeat in Munich against Bayern Munchen team.

Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE):

11' Arjen Robben 1-0 // 30' Alexis Sanchez 1-1 // 53' Robert Lewandowski 2-1 // 56' Thiago Alcantara 3-1 // 63' Thiago Alcantara 4-1 // 88' Thomas Mueller 5-1

Date: 15 February 2017
Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munchen









 

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Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona 14-02-2017 Champions League

PSG vs Barcelona - Competition: UEFA Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain team have won nine and drawn one of 10 matches in all competitions since the start of the year, scoring 29 goals and conceding just four times. They crushed Bordeaux 3-0 in Ligue 1 at Matmut Atlantique on Friday and climbed into second place in the league standings. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona clashed in the quarter-finals back in 2015, with Luis Enrique's men running out 5-1 winners on aggregate after a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes. The French outfit have never kept a clean sheet against Barcelona in nine matches.
Italian international Thiago Motta is out through suspension and Adrien Rabiot is expected to deputise in midfield. Marco Verratti finally made his much-anticipated return from a calf injury last weekend. Edinson Cavani will be probably flanked by Angel Di Maria and Lucas Moura up front, with Julian Draxler providing a further option. Neither Javier Pastore nor Grzegorz Krychowiak are completely up to speed following a spell on the sidelines.

 FC Barcelona team have lost just one of their last 22 matches in all competitions and are coming off a 6-0 thrashing of Alaves in La Liga BBVA last Saturday. In La Liga Barcelona are in second spot and with ground to make up on Real Madrid who are one point better off and they have two games in hand. They have a W8-D2-L0 record in their last 10 matches with 31 goals scored and only six conceded. In UCL the Blaugrana finished top of Group C with an impressive six-point edge over Man City,  scoring 20 goals in 6 group stages.
Luis Enrique will recall the likes of Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Full-back Alex Vidal has been ruled out and this will see Sergio Roberto start at right-back. Javier Mascherano is also missing due to a thigh injury and Samuel Umtiti is favourite to partner Pique at the back. Of course, the likes of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar will start up front.

Probable lineups:

Paris Saint-Germain: Trapp – Aurier, Marquinhos, Silva, Kurzawa – Verratti, Rabiot, Matuidi – di Maria, Lucas, Cavani

FC Barcelona: ter Stegen – Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba – Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta – Messi, Suarez, Neymar

PSG last 5 matches:

29/01/17 PSG 1 – 1 Monaco
01/02/17 Rennes 0 – 4 PSG
04/02/17 Dijon 1 – 3 PSG
07/02/17 PSG 2 – 1 Lille
10/02/17 Bordeaux 0 – 3 PSG

Barcelona last 5 matches:

29/01/17 Real Betis 1 – 1 Barcelona
01/02/17 Atletico Madrid 1 – 2 Barcelona
04/02/17 Barcelona 3 – 0 Athletic Club
07/02/17 Barcelona 1 – 1 Atletico Madrid
11/02/17 Deportivo Alaves 0 – 6 Barcelona

Date: 14 February 2017
Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT - 20:45 CET
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris

 

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Chelsea vs Arsenal 04-02-2017 English Premier League

Chelsea vs Arsenal - Competition: English Premier League 2016-17
 

Chelsea team lost 3-0 to Arsenal in September but since then the Blues have won 15 out of 17 in the Premier League and now comfortably top the league standings with a 9 points gap over 2nd placed Tottenham and Arsenal team. Antonio Conte's men enter this clash on the back of a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Liverpool in midweek. They have won their last 8 home matches in the top flight and have collected all the three points without conceding in seven of their 10 home games since switching to a back three defense.
Eden Hazard is doubtful due to a physical problem but the Belgian should recover in time. Pedro is in line to earn a recall on the right of the front three after Willian got the nod last Tuesday. David Luiz is still struggling with a knee injury. Should the Brazilian miss out, John Terry will probably fill the void.  Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso are expected to continue in the wing-back positions.

Arsenal team, fresh off that 5-0 English FA Cup hammering of Southampton, slipped slipping to their first home league defeat since August at the hands of Watford (1:2) in midweek. This result ended a seven-match unbeaten streak which included six wins and a draw. The Gunners have also only lost two of their last 21 away games in all competitions and have scored nine without reply in their most recent two. Defeat would leave Wenger's side 12 points adrift of the league leaders while even a draw would leave them with a lot to do in the final 15 games of the season.
Aaron Ramsey is ruled out for three weeks with a calf injury and could be replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who should overcome a minor knee problem. Olivier Giroud’s starting place appears in some doubt, with Alexis Sanchez perhaps in line to return to the lone striker role, allowing Theo Walcott to return out wide. Arsene Wenger could be also tempted to start Welbeck off the back of his incredible performance against Southampton last weekend. Santi Cazorla remains sidelined, Granit Xhaka is suspended, while Mohamed Elneny remains out through injury.

Date: Saturday, 4th February 2017 - 12:30 GMT
Stadium: Stamford Bridge.

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