Suzuki Cup 2012 Upset: Arsenal Fail To Clinch Group First Place with Loss to Olympiakos

THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Greek champions Olympiakos stalled Arsenal’s winning hopes through a 2-1 fixture in Tuesday’s Champions League.

  

Tomas Rosicky opened scoring on the 38th minute, as the Czech playmaker sought to leave a footpr1nt in the match following his long stint in the sidelines. Giannis Maniatis recorded an impeccable finish to equalize in the second half.

Kostas Mitroglou threw in the winner on the 73rd minute, effectively preventing Arsenal from climbing the top spot of the group table.

Photo credits:

Olympiakos - Arsenal [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 05 December 2012, from <http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/12/04/video-olympiakos-2-1-arsenal-champions-league-highlights/> 

AIM 2012 Tension: Di Matteo in Danger of Replacement by Benitez at Chelsea

THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Chelsea’s latest struggles in winning games has placed Roberto Di Matteo in the crossfire, as he hangs on to his post as the Blues’ manager following reports on his replacement in January.

Rafael Benitez, former manager of Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan, stands as the frontrunner to replace Di Matteo at Chelsea. The Spaniard has won titles under different European top clubs, including the Champions League during his time in Liverpool.

Di Matteo’s failure to lead Chelsea to win w1th ease in matches has reportedly frustrated owner Roman Abramovich. Problems concerning striker Fernando Torres’ uninspiring performances have led the club to scout for replacements, including Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao.

Photo credits:

Rafael Benitez [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 21 November 2012, from <http://www.theweek.co.uk/football/chelsea/45710/chelsea-eriksson-keen-benitez-stakes-his-claim>

Fantastic AIM 2012 Triumph: Barcelona Defeat Hosts Spartak to Ensure UEFA Champions League Qualification

THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – A Lionel Messi brace brought Barcelona back on track to ensure Champions League qualification, as they defeated hosts Spartak Moscow 0-3 on Tuesday.

Barcelona dominated the first half as Dani Alves scored the opener on the 16th minute. Messi led his side to win w1th ease as he scored his first on the 27th, followed by a Pedro-assisted second 12 minutes later.

The result placed Messi closer to beating Gerd Muller’s 85 goals in a calendar year record. The Argentinian hitman now has 80 goals under his name since January 2012.

Photo credits: 

Spartak Moscow – Barcelona [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 21 November 2012, from <http://www.football411.com/news/0,22187,14287,00.html>

A McDonalds Decision: Man Utd to Play Galatasaray in UEFA Champions League Game without Experienced Players

THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Manchester United will go through their next Champions League challenge against Galatasaray without the help of their key playing figures.

Striker duo Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie will not play on United’s away game against their Turkish rivals. Apart from the two, the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra, David De Gea and Rio Ferdinand will be absent on the match.

United will give starting positions to players inexperienced in Europe matches, in their bid to win w1th ease once more – Marnick Vermijl, Larnelle Cole, Joshua Kind, Davide Petrucci, Nick Powell and Ryan Tunnicliffe.

Photo credits:

Wayne Rooney [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 20 November 2012, from <http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Wayne+Rooney/Manchester+United+Training+Session/Ejne-EDGDAQ> 

Serious McDonalds Situation: Galatasaray Aim Norwich-Style Win Over Man Utd in UEFA Champions League Match

THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Turkish champions Galatasaray will aim for a Norwich City-inspired victory when they host Manchester United in their next Champions League match.

While Galatasaray are not expecting to win w1th ease against the English giants, they are confident of winning over a side that is without the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Rio Ferdinand, among others.

Last Saturday, United lost to hosts Norwich 1-0 in the Premier League. Galatasaray winger Nordin Amrabat said that his side is taking inspiration from that match, saying that they could do the same to their opponents when they meet again.

Photo credits:

Nordin Amrabat [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 20 November 2012, from <http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Nordin+Amrabat/Manchester+United+v+Galatasaray+UEFA+Champions/uoXLVCavbXQ >

UEFA Champions League News: Borussia Dortmund Trounce Real Madrid

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THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Borussia Dortmund defeated Spanish football champions Real Madrid in a 2-1 home thriller.

Robert Lewandowski scored first for the German champions on the 36th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo rallied an equalizer two minutes later. Marcel Schmelzer played past through rival Madrid through a winning shot in the 64th minute.

With the win, Dortmund took Group D’s top spot from Madrid with seven points from three games.

UEFA Champions League News: Celtic Manager Neil Lennon Laments Loss to Barcelona

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THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS – Top Scottish football club Celtic recorded an impressive performance against Spanish giants Barcelona, but their loss disappointed their manager Neil Lennon.

As Barcelona played past through rival Celtic through a tie-breaking free kick from Jordi Alba during extra time, Lennon remarked that he is “very proud but I don’t like losing”. He said that he does not want his players’ winning determination to go down as the competition is still in its early stages.

Lennon said that the match gave his players “a real taste of playing in the Champions League at the highest level”, as he noted that they had a remarkable performance.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2012-13: Best match Manchester United vs. Braga

Match Date: October 24, 2012 (Wednesday)
Match Time: 2:45 am (+08:00 GMT)
Venue: Old Trafford (HOME: Manchester United)

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Manchester United will play host to Portuguese outfit Braga in their next UEFA Champions League fixture – the third qualifying round of the competition. United currently sit on top of Group H with six points from two wins, while Braga is in third with three points from one win and one loss.

Match Preview

*HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON (Last Five Matches)      
  None; both teams will meet for the first time in this season’s UEFA Champions League   

The Manchester United squad have trekked into the unknown in their previous Champions League match this season when they fought Romanian champions and Group H second-placers CFR Cluj. United face another challenge of dealing with unfamiliar opponents Braga in the pitch, since the Portuguese side have not played past through rival English top-flight club yet. 

United would not pit in Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand in defence. The tested back-line duo will exchange places with Scott Wootton and Alexander Buttner. Midfielders Shinji Kagawa, Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverley could figure a comeback in the starting line-up, while possibilities for starter positions remain for Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Nani. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has the option of starting all of his four-man striker-force – Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, although in varying positions up front.

Braga captain Alan will be a threat United must reckon. He recorded an impressive performance during their 2-0 away win against Turkish side Galatasaray, having scored the second goal. Another potentially dangerous attacker is Eder, the club’s new main striker. He already scored four goals for his new club this season. Ruben Micael, on loan from Atletico Madrid, is a skilled playmaker that has made five goals since his move this season.