The Pep Guardiola Reaction That Went Viral- Manchester City and Real Madrid played arguably the most entertaining match of this season’s UEFA Champions League semi-finals first leg. At the home of the English champions, both sides went toe to toe, trading blows in the only way both the teams know how to: unleashing their attacking weapons to devastating effect. Manager Pep Guardiola was totally ready for the challenge from Carlo Ancelotti’s side. While City ultimately came up victorious courtesy of a 4-3 win, Real Madrid is by no means dead and buried, after a game in which they gave a very good account of themselves, in spite of being battered and bruised on every opportunity that their opponents had the ball.
It felt like it was only a matter of time before City ran away with it. But just when it looked like City would ease away with the game, profligacy reared its ugly head, and City began to miss chances with alarming regularity, prompting some really angry gestures from Pep Guardiola, especially when Riyadh Mahrez missed a clear-cut chance, when it seemed that Foden was in a much better place to score. The Reaction Of Pep Guardiola To The Panenka Penalty Was PricelessAs the game progressed, Real got in the game, and the game see-Saeed back and forth, until the 4th goal, where it seemed like City finally could breathe with a cushion. But that was not to be, as out of nothing, Madrid was given a penalty, and up stepped Benzema. Noe Benzema had just come off a game where his penalty was saved. City keeper Ederson was well aware of the fact and must have surely studied his penalties, but even was not prepared for what happened next. Benzema stepped up and calmly dispatched the penalty with the “Panenka”, and the entire stadium was in shock. While Carlo Ancelotti went for a moulder reaction of telling his players to calm down and keep their heads in the game, Pep could not quite believe what just happened. After the penalty went in, Pep literally could not believe what he has seen. Call it shock, call it a warning bell, or grudging admiration towards the goal, but his reaction meant that this was a man who just cannot seem to miss this point in time. The crouch. The head grab. the facial expressions. All this points out to a manager who knows that until Benzema is in the opposition, and until he is on the pitch, neither the game is over, nor his team is out of the woods. Because the maverick Frenchman always finds a way. from https://thefootballlovers.com/pep-guardiola-benzemas-panenka-penalty/
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Lionel Messi has struggled to produce his best form in his first season in Ligue 1. Despite having a below average season compared to his usual standards, the Argentine forward has been ranked as the third best player in Europe this season in a controversial set of ratings. Ever since his arrival to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona last summer, Lionel Messi has failed to make the mark that he was expected to make at the club. The forward has scored just four goals in Ligue 1 but has managed to provide 13 assists for PSG. He just scored a title winning goal for PSG last weekend in a 1-1 draw against Lens. According to one of the major stats website whoscored.com, Messi has been ranked as the third best performer in European football’s top five leagues. And that too despite having so many difficulties this season. These rankings are based on the average match ratings for all the players in the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga. The ratings are given to the players after the match based upon statistics such as goals, assists, clean sheets, pass success percentage and man of the match performances. It will come as a big surprise for all football fans and pundits that Lionel Messi comes third on the list with an average match rating of 7.71 out of 10. At the top of the rankings is the Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, with an average match rating of 7.93. The Polish striker has scored 33 goals in 31 league games this season and that helped him top the list of the best performing footballer in Europe. At second place in the list is Messi’s PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe with an average match rating of 7.91. The French striker has managed to bag 22 goals in 31 league games for PSG. The list of the top 10 performers in Europe are as follows: 1. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 7.93 2. Kylian Mbappe (PSG): 7.91 3. Lionel Messi (PSG): 7.71 4. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 7.68 5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): 7.68 6. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich): 7.63 7. Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig): 7.62 8. Ousmane Demeble (Barcelona): 7.60 9. Neymar (PSG): 7.59 10. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund): 7.56 One of the most surprising things about this list was that Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo was not even in the top 10 performers despite being one of the leading scorers in the Premier League. Thus, the list was deemed as controversial by many football fans. What are your thoughts on the rankings? Let us know! from https://thefootballlovers.com/lionel-messi-has-been-ranked-as-the-third-best-performing-player-in-europe-this-season/ The Perfect Antonio Rudiger Replacement- With confirmation coming across that Antonio Rudiger will be leaving Chelsea in the summer for pastures anew, the search for a new centre-back has begun in right earnest. While losing the German, who was such a key cog in the wheel for this Chelsea side, what is done is done, and it is time to look ahead to the future and find a player with the right calibre and the skillset to fill that void left after Rudiger’s departure. And the work has already begun behind the scenes, with the recruitment team making a list of potential targets which the club can look to bolster the defence. They want to find the perfect Antonio Rudiger replacement and sign him soon.
The Perfect Antonio Rudiger Replacement Has Been Found For ChelseaGvardiol has made a very good name for himself after starring for Croatia in the Euro 2020 campaign, with his stock rising highly after some of the composed performances he put in the heart of that defence. He began his football career in Croatia, with local side NK Tresnjveka, before being taken by the Dinamo Zagreb youth system. After learning his tricks and trades from there, he made his debut for the first team in 2019. After making 52 appearances for the club, he was snapped up by the German outfit RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021 after a very good Euro tournament where his performances belied his tender years. Since joining Leipzig, he has been one of the standout defenders in the Bundesliga, with his metrics right up there with some of the best in the league. After 42 appearances for the club, Gvardiol is one of the leading defenders in the league when it comes to forward pressures applied at 11.78/90. He has a very healthy tackle per 90 rate as well, as well as interceptions, and successful blocks per 90.
Only time will tell whether this defender can become the perfect Antonio Rudiger replacement or not. He will surely want to move to a big club like Chelsea and make a name for himself. Let’s wait and watch!! from https://thefootballlovers.com/tuchel-perfect-antonio-rudiger-replacement/ It’s tough being Mauricio Pochettino at this point in time, as PSG could be set to sack Pochettino. First, you capitulate big time, after holding a comfortable lead on the way to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, resulting in another exit from the round of 16. Then, when it was looking like he was all but certain to get the Manchester United job. his dream job, the one that he had his heart set upon for a long time. And just when it was looking like the job was his for the taking, the Red Devils decided that Erik Ten Hag was the right choice for the club, giving the Argentine a gut a punch. So Pochettino would have liked to stay at PSG, where he would have wanted to continue to get the results. And just when he reached a personal milestone, as well as the club’s, winning the Ligue 1, there are now reports that he is going to be sacked, with his departure now imminent. However, it PSG does sack Pochettino, that would be bad news for his admirers. With the 1-1 draw against Lens confirming them as Champions, there has been a lot of scrutiny over the manager and the squad after their unceremonious exit from the Champions League. Now that the league has been secured, there have been various reports circulating that the club has been working on his departure. The Argentine remains in a very uncertain position, with his contract up at the season end, making him a free agent, and with no clubs in real need of a manager, it will be very interesting to see what will his next move be. The Latest Update Regarding The Future Of Pochettino, Will PSG Sack Pochettino?Various reports claim that Pochettino is not ready to continue as manager of the club. This is due to the inability to impose his training methods on the squad who are more a collection of individuals rather than a proper team, with quite a lot of them playing in their own way rather than the way the manager wants. It is also said that the club is also not too eager for him to continue as manager, with them framing an appropriate departure plan for the Argentine. This could mean that the French champions may sack Pochettino and bring in a replacement. It is been revealed that the club wants to sack Pochettino, paying him a compensatory pay-off amounting to 12.6 million pounds to him and his coaching staff if they have to sack him. The pressure to succeed after getting some of the most high-profile signings in the history of the club, with the likes of Messi, Ramos, Donnarumma, and Hakimi, he has been believed to have underachieved, and that seems to be the final nail in his coffin. It is believed that Antonio Conte has put up his hand to be the nest PSG manager. The current Spurs manager has been believed to be approached by the French club, with a 2 year deal on the cards. Zinedine Zidane is also said to be one of the targets that they are looking at.
from https://thefootballlovers.com/psg-set-to-sack-pochettino/ Everyone expected the game between Manchester City and Real Madrid to be one of the classics in Champions League history. And the game did not disappoint one bit. The Champions League semi final between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium was nothing short of entertaining. The game didn’t even allow the fans a breather from the first minute to the last, as Kevin de Bruyne scored the quickest goal in a Champions League semi final, scoring within two minutes of the opening whistle. Pep Guardiola got his starting XI spot on and Gabriel Jesus, continued his fantastic goal scoring form, made it 2-0 in the 11th minute. It was a clinical finish past Thibaut Courtois, after controlling the cross from de Bruyne and spinning away from David Alaba. Manchester City looked to be in perfect control of the game and on the lookout for more goals. However, just before half time, Karim Benzema put one goal back for the Los Blancos and showed that they were not going to go down without a fight. This was his 13th goal of the tournament and eighth of the knockout stages so far. As the second half started, Manchester City began piling up the pressure on the Real Madrid defenders, creating many chances, but failing to convert quite a few. However, Phil Foden made sure his effort went in, after he headed a perfect cross from the substitute Fernandinho. This restored the two goal lead for the Blues. Minutes later, Real Madrid fought back once again. Vinicius Junior showed off a brilliant turn of pace to get past Fernandinho, and drove into the penalty box, curving the ball into the net. This was one of the most pulsating games of football ever. And yet, the party was not over. Bernardo Silva struck a beautiful shot from outside the area to make it 4-2, after the referee had played a perfect advantage. The Real Madrid players and goalkeeper were all stunned as they were waiting for the foul to be given. The Los Blancos did not give up hope quite yet. After a cross came in, Laporte handled the ball, and the referee pointed towards the penalty spot. Benzema scored the coolest of penalties, when he chose to Panenka the ball down the middle. As Man City pushed to restore their two goal lead towards the end of the game, Real Madrid held on and took home a one goal deficit after a classic night of Champions League football. All is on the line at the return leg at the Bernabeu. Madrid will throw plenty at them at the Bernabeu, there is no doubt about that. One goal is nothing when a club has Karim Benzema as their striker. from https://thefootballlovers.com/man-city-edge-past-real-madrid-in-a-seven-goal-thriller-in-champions-league-semi-final/ Real Madrid is the undisputed king of the UEFA Champions League. The 13-time winners of the biggest European honour are the aristocrats of this competition, with their seats at the head of the table always safe from the pretenders who aspire for the throne. Time and again they have shown the continent what it takes to be an all-conquering force on the continent, winning the title with alarming consistency after a drought for that elusive 10th Champions League title. Once the Decima was captured, they went on a dynastic run once again, winning 3 on the bounce, and walking themselves into the history books once again. However, number 13 has proved to be a little unlucky for the Spaniards, as the side has endured a drought which is coming up to 4 years now. The Los Blancos now once again find themselves in familiar settings, after making the semifinals and setting themselves a date with Manchester City. The Pep Guardiola side has been a juggernaut and is considered to be the favourite to go to Paris along with fellow English side Liverpool. Real Madrid will be wary of the threat City possess and know that they will have to be at their best if they have to overhaul them across two legs. The Latest Update Given Ahead Of The Champions League ClashBut they have a few injury problems of their own ahead of this Champions League clash, with some of their key players being classed as major fitness doubts for the first leg against City at home in the Bernabeu, especially after two key players were withdrawn due to injury in their last league game against Osasuna. Manager Carlo Ancelotti, in his press conference, was speaking about the players who would be available for the City game and shed light on the fitness of certain players. While he started off with some positive news after saying that Ferland Mendy has been training with the squad and will be available for selection for the Champions League match. He further added that David Alaba and Claudio Casemiro are injury doubts ahead of the game. While Alaba scored the opening goal in the victory, he was withdrawn later on in the game due to a suspected hamstring injury. Casemiro, on the other hand, has been missing from action ever since the 3-2 second-leg defeat against Chelsea. Both are key members of the squad, and while they have been named in the squad to face the English side, whether they will be starting or not will have to be seen. in other / defender Eder Miltao will be returning from suspension and will be available for selection.
from https://thefootballlovers.com/real-madrid-suffer-double-champions-league/ In a recent interview, media man and influencer Piers Morgan revealed that he spoke to Manchester United talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to make the move to Arsenal if he leaves his current club. The player has made it clear that he wants to move if the Red Devils fail to qualify for the Champions League. Morgan thought that Cristiano Ronaldo was ‘the best player on the pitch’ when the two sides met at the Emirates. He wants the Portuguese attacker to join the Gunners, as he told talkSport. The game ended in a 3-1 win for Arsenal, who dominated most of the match and pulled off yet another brilliant result, helping them keep their hopes of a top-four place alive.
Arsenal Does Need A Top Striker But Signing Cristiano Ronaldo; Seriously?Piers Morgan has some strange takes on football and Arsenal in general. The man who has been obsessed with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the past few months may now have found a new hobby. He has almost 8 million followers on Twitter and doesn’t seem to be too fond of the manager. With the team needing an elite striker, Cristiano Ronaldo is his go-to man at present. He is not getting any younger, which has been the key ideology of Arsenal’s signings this summer. They have gone for long-term prospects and a 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t fit that plan. It is highly unlikely that Ronaldo would want to move to a rival Premier League club, this late in his career. He has been loyal to Manchester United and that seems to be his only club in England. If he did want to move, there were rumours in the summer of interest from Manchester City. Eventually, those were downplayed by Pep Guardiola, who decided to utilize a false-nine instead. With that being said, the future of Ronaldo is still uncertain and there is no confirmed destination yet for the talismanic forward. There will be quite a few clubs keen to have him within their ranks. However, his high wages and other demands could be a problem for the club that does end up signing him eventually. Let’s wait and watch how this transfer saga ends!! from https://thefootballlovers.com/piers-morgan-cristiano-ronaldo-arsenal/ There were talks on Social Media about the potential exit of Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea at the end of the season, with Real Madrid wanting to sign him. Blues’ boss Thomas Tuchel had confirmed that the player would be leaving at the end of the current campaign as well. The player has been missing from the first-team squad at present due to an injury as well. With that being said, it is now confirmed that the player’s next destination is indeed La Liga giants Real Madrid. The La Liga toppers have been keen to add more quality to their squad. They are going really strong in the league at present and will want to push for more in Europe as well. With that being said, Carlo Ancelotti will be happy to have the German international amongst his ranks now. He has been a solid defender for the past few seasons and has helped Chelsea grow from strength to strength, winning multiple titles with the Londoners. His addition will only give Real Madrid hope of doing well in all competitions next season. Despite that, they are just getting started, as they want to add many more ranks amongst their ranks, with some of the stars leaving the club as well. What A Brilliant Signing For Real Madrid Who Are Trying To Turn Things Around Under AncelottiReal Madrid had a few quiet seasons in Europe in recent times and has now been trying to make things happen once again. They are trying to get rid of their deadwood and add more quality to their squad. With that being said, the Chelsea man will give them some stability and leadership at the back. He was one of the key figures in the Blues’ Champions League-winning campaign. The only reason that the 29-year-old defender left west London was due to the instability surrounding Chelsea. With the whole campaign against removing Roman Abramovich from Chelsea and the politics that followed, a lot of players could consider moving on from the club. This could be the start of something major if the club is not sold quickly. It is being suggested that the player has agreed on a four-year deal with the club from the Spanish capital. Real Madrid is also said to be targetting right-back Reece James for the upcoming transfer window. New ownership coming in at the London-based club could make things better. For now, it will be interesting to see how Antonio Rudiger performs for Thomas Tuchel’s side, knowing that he is off to Real Madrid in the summer. from https://thefootballlovers.com/real-madrid-complete-rudiger-deal/ Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has slammed Mikel Arteta regarding a controversial penalty decision in the game between Manchester United and Arsenal. It was an important match between Arsenal and Manchester United in the top four race. The Gunners have secured three important points from this match to keep them ahead of their competitors. The Gunners were awarded a penalty in the first half. According to Paul Scholes, Mikel Arteta influenced the referee and VAR to give the decision in their favour. He has encouraged the crowd to put pressure on the referee. Paul Scholes has called this action totally unacceptable in the field. Nketiah has scored from an open play. However, he has been in an offside position at the time of the goal. However, during the buildup, there has been a clumsy challenge by Alex Telles on Bukayo Saka. VAR has checked it and awarded the penalty to the Gunners. Bukayo Saka has not made any mistake to put it in the net to secure a lead of two goals for his side. Paul Scholes Was Not Happy With Mikel Arteta And He Let His Feelings Be KnownNuno Tavares scored the first goal of the match against Manchester United in the third minute of the match, making manager Mikel Arteta a happy man. Bukayo Saka has been instrumental in creating chances for the Gunners during this goal. After taking the two-goal advantage, Granit Xhaka secured the win for Arsenal with a long-ranger in the 70th minute. Bukayo Saka was subbed off at the 74th minute because of an injury. Saka’s injury can prove to be crucial for the Gunners in this end portion of the league where they need to keep the momentum for the next five matches. At this point in time, nothing is working for Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo has pulled one goal back. Manchester United have also been awarded a penalty in this match. However, Bruno Fernandes has missed the penalty and Manchester United has lost a brilliant chance to make a comeback in this match. It has not been clear why Bruno Fernandes has taken the spot-kick while having Cristiano Ronaldo there on the field. Bruno Fernandes’ miss has been costly for them. Manchester United will now face Chelsea in the next game. Chelsea has almost secured their berth in the Champions League next season with a slender 1-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday. The Gunners are sitting firmly at the number four position with 60 points in 33 matches so far. After so many years, Arsenal will certainly cherish a top-four finish this season. The credit should go to Mikel Arteta for creating such a good team with youngsters. Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard have been phenomenal for them this season. Mikel Arteta and co. got the job done once again on a tough night. On the other hand, Manchester United are at the sixth position in the league table with 54 points in 34 matches. Tottenham Hotspur is also in the top four race along with these two clubs. They are in the fifth position with 58 points in 33 matches. So, they should also be there in the hunt till the end. from https://thefootballlovers.com/paul-scholes-calls-mikel-arteta-a-disgrace/ The Robert Lewandowski Saga- FC Barcelona’s La Liga title hopes are all over for this season as Xavi Hernandez’s side are 15 points behind their rivals Real Madrid. Lionel Messi’s absence has been a major issue for them and they are missing an X factor which was needed. Barcelona is trying to sort it out next season by signing Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski as the iconic Polish striker is their number one target this summer. The 33-year-old is entering the last phase of his career and his contract talks at Bayern are currently on hold. His current contract is expiring in the summer of 2023, and he will be free to negotiate deals with other clubs from 1st January, next year. Barca is desperate for his signature and wants to spend a good sum of money to bring him to the Nou Camp. Not only that, Barca is expected to offer the ‘Lionel Messi role’ to Lewandowski at their club. Currently, there are many doubts and questions about Lewandowski’s next possible move. Can The Calatan Giants Convince Robert Lewandowski To Come To The Nou Camp?Bayern is expectedly leading the title race in Germany once again and is clear 12 points at the top of the table. But they have recently faced a shock elimination in the UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals, after losing against Villareal despite Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the second leg. This is the seventh successive season for the Poland striker where he has touched the 40 goal landmark, and it was his 47th goal in this campaign. Reportedly he has told Bayern that he doesn’t want to extend his contract with the Bundesliga giants and at this point of his career, Robert Lewandowski is looking for a new challenge. TVP Sport claims that Barcelona is ahead to sign Lewandowski, however, there are many other clubs who will be desperate to sign him as well. Chelsea is a club who are also struggling with their number 9 slot as Romelu Lukaku has not lived up to the expectations after signing back with the current Champions League winners for a record transfer fee. Thomas Tuchel will also try to bolster his attack by signing a proven goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski. He has surely another 2 to 3 years of top-level football left in him which can sort out goal-scoring problems for the Blues. Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn has hinted that things are currently not sorted with Lewandowski’s contract talks at Bayern as he thinks that it will require some time for coming to a decision. “Currently we are in contact with him, we are talking, we want him to stay for as long as possible,” Kahn explained. He added, “It is not a game. We have to consider our economic conditions. The top players sometimes think about trying other things and it takes a while to convince them.” Asked if Lewandowski is not happy at Bayern, Kahn added: “Tell me if there’s a player who is not happy and has scored 30 to 40 goals a season.” from https://thefootballlovers.com/robert-lewandowski-offered-messi-role/ |
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