While the days might have passed since Barcelona’s humiliation out in Portugal, the inquest is well underway around Catalonia and drastic changes are more than needed for the fading Spanish giants.
Hit with what turned out to be a humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich and already watching giving his marching orders by the Nou Camp hierarchy, there still remains a string of questions surrounding future.
With some feeling that his record-breaking tenure at Barcelona might be drawing to a close after what has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the former European champions, where do the bookmakers think that the Argentinian genius could be heading over the coming months?
Any Argentinian side 9/2 with
Although many feel that arguably football’s…
Manchester United will on Wednesday meet Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Old Trafford, evoking memories of some wonderful European encounters.
The two heavyweights first met in 1984 with an incredible two-legged tie in the Cup Winners Cup setting the benchmark for what was to follow.
Here, Omnisport examines five of the best meetings between the clubs.
Manchester United 3 Barcelona 0 (European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final, second leg, March 21, 1984)
Still talked about by United fans of a certain vintage as one of the best nights in the club s history. Having lost the first leg 2-0 at Camp Nou, United were heavy underdogs but a Barcelona side containing Diego Maradona and Bernd Schuster were overwhelmed amid a frenzied …
Although this season’s EFL Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool might steal centre stage on Sunday afternoon, there are a string of heavyweight European showdowns on the cards.
So, for those of you who are looking to stick on a Sunday flutter, we have found a couple of intriguing betting markets that are worth keeping an eye out for.
16:30 Borussia Dortmund vs Hoffenheim
Although Borussia Dortmund might still find themselves facing a real scrap in their bid to punch another lucrative top-four finish this season, the German giants are enjoying a recent purple patch. While Sunday’s hosts might have accepted that a title charge is firmly off the table in 2024, BVB are unbeaten in all of their previous 10 appearances across all competitions.
Getting…
Ferran Torres scored his second Champions League goal for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola s side eased to a 3-0 win over Marseille.
Playing in a central role in the absence of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, Torres – who had netted in the 3-1 win over Porto in City s opening Group C outing – broke the deadlock when he was teed up by Kevin De Bruyne in the 18th minute.
City were well worthy of their lead, though Guardiola may be concerned that his team failed to turn their dominance of possession into clear-cut opportunities until Ilkay Gundogan settled the contest.
De Bruyne grabbed his second assist of the game – and moved onto 88 for his City career – with nine minutes remaining, teeing up Raheem Sterling to complete a routine win.
W…
Real Madrid reached the Champions League last 16 and eased the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane with a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Karim Benzema netted two first-half headers to settle the contest in the Spanish capital, which Madrid had to win to make certain they did not crash out at the group stage of the competition for the first time.
Gladbach slipped into second spot in Group B with their defeat, but Inter s draw with Shakhtar Donetsk means the Bundesliga side join Los Blancos in the next round.
This was billed as a must-win contest not only for the 13-time European champions hopes of competing for the trophy, but also for Zidane, whose future came under intense scrutiny after last week s loss to Shakhtar.
There was a clear response t…
Paul Pogba will not be a big loss to Manchester United should he leave, according to club great Paul Scholes.
Pogba announced at the end of the 2018-19 season that he wanted to depart Old Trafford, with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez recently confirming he tried to sign the France midfielder.
But a move failed to materialise and Pogba started the new Premier League campaign at United, though he is currently injured.
Scholes suggested the club may have asked Pogba to give them another year, similar to before Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to join Madrid in 2009.
I think it s quite clear he wants to move on, said Scholes, a 13-time Premier League winner during his career-long association with United.
He wanted to go to Real Madrid, fo…
Emma Hayes is determined to enjoy the thrill of a title race going to the wire in her final days as Chelsea boss.
Following their defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League, Chelsea s hopes of winning a trophy to mark Hayes final season in charge looked slim heading into the run-in of the WSL season.
Yet Manchester City s defeat to Arsenal, combined with an 8-0 victory for Chelsea over Bristol City last time out, has left the Blues in with a great chance.
With the goal difference having swung in Chelsea s favour, victory over Tottenham on Wednesday would see Hayes team go into the final day of the WSL season in top spot.
And while the pressure is on, Hayes is eager to have fun as she soaks in her final matches of a 12-year tenure.
I m going to e…
Prediction: Correct Score 2-2
Odds:
Bookmaker:
The race for the La Liga title could take a dramatic twist this weekend with the latest installment of El Clasico.
Real Madrid host Barcelona at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano with the two teams second and third respectivaly in the current standings. With Atletico Madrid now holding just a one-point lead at the top of the table, a victory in El Clasico looks as crucial as ever.
Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane s me head into the game in truly stunning form. Los Blancos have won their last five matches in all competitions after their 3-1 victory against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, whilst they have extended their unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions. That is their longest run without a…
Gianluigi Buffon has confirmed he will leave Juventus but the Italy great says he might not be ready to retire.
The 43-year-old returned to Juve in 2019 following a season away at Paris Saint-Germain and has been second choice to Wojciech Szczesny since.
Buffon s announcement on Tuesday arguably did not come as a surprise; however, the fact he is still contemplating playing on may have raised some eyebrows.
If he does continue his playing career, whoever his next employers are will certainly be able to count on plenty of experience and knowhow.
Buffon is one of the sport s few stars who have played top-level football into their fifth decade.
Here are seven other legends who set an example for Buffon to follow with their remarkably long careers in…
Thomas Tuchel wants his Bayern Munich side to rediscover their inner child when they take on Real Madrid on Wednesday.
After last week s 2-2 draw in Munich, Bayern will have to beat Madrid in their own back yard if they are to reach the Champions League final at Wembley.
With Bayer Leverkusen ending Bayern s 11-year Bundesliga dominance by securing the league title last month, the six-time European Cup winners have only one trophy left to fight for this season.
Tuchel spent several minutes talking to his players in an empty Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday and said that he told them they needed to find extra motivation within themselves.
It is important to connect with your own inner child. When we were little we played these games in the garden. So now we a…