Man Utd 1 - 2 Real Madrid

Manchester United's Champions League ambitions ended in controversial circumstances that left manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his players enraged at Old Trafford.

United looked on course for a place in the quarter-finals at Real Madrid's expense after Sergio Ramos's own goal just after half-time gave them a platform to build on the 1-1 draw from the first leg at the Bernabeu.

The tie was transformed by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir's decision to send off Nani for an aerial challenge on Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa after 56 minutes - a red card that reduced Ferguson and his players to fury.

Jose Mourinho's side, a subdued force until then, took advantage ruthlessly with two goals in three minutes from ex-Tottenham midfield man Luka Modric and former United golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo to move into the last eight.

United responded superbly with a typical late rally that brought a series of fine saves from Real keeper Diego Lopez, but events midway through a dramatic second half settled the destiny of an enthralling game.

Ferguson's body language after Nani's dismissal screamed anger and injustice and he had good reason to feel United could well have been taking their place in the latter stages until the referee's intervention.

Mourinho now moves on towards his target of a third Champions League with three different clubs while United must concentrate on domestic matters as they close in on a 20th title with a commanding 12-point lead in the Premier League and a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Ferguson's decision to drop Wayne Rooney was another of the bold selection decisions the Scot is adept at taking - he also gave Ryan Giggs his 1,000th professional appearance - and he was rewarded with a first half display that mixed strict defensive discipline with attacking threat on the break.

Ronaldo received a rapturous reception that echoed around Old Trafford, responding with a wave and a tap of the hand on his heart in return.Real's superstar was kept at arm's length in the first half, wasting a free-kick then being frustrated by a fine challenge from United captain Nemanja Vidic when he finally found space in the area.

And Vidic came closest to breaking the deadlock in an engrossing contest when his header hit the post from a Giggs corner, with Danny Welbeck being ruled offside as he attempted to turn in the rebound.

Welbeck's energy and movement was a feature of United's play but he was unable to turn in an inviting rebound when Lopez failed to hold Robin van Persie's initial effort.

Real suffered a blow towards the end of the first half when the dangerous Angel di Maria pulled up holding his hamstring and was replaced by Brazilian Kaka.

United did make the breakthrough three minutes after half-time when Nani won the ball back from Raphael Varane as he failed to clear in the area and his cross took the faintest touch off Welbeck before Ramos deflected the ball past Lopez.

It was reward for United's efforts - but events were to suddenly conspire against them and take this tie beyond their control after 56 minutes.

Nani went into a high challenge with Arbeloa but his eyes were on the ball throughout and United were stunned when referee Cakir waited for the Portuguese to get back on his feet before producing the red card.

Ferguson raced into his technical area to protest while United's players surrounded the official to no avail - United's manager then turning to all parts of Old Trafford and raising his arms and clenching his fists to plead for even louder support.

It came but the sense that the game had taken a crucial turn against United was underscored as Real struck to make the most of their numerical advantage with two quick goals.Mourinho's reaction to the red card was to replace Arbeloa with Modric, who took the opportunity to put his struggles at the Bernabeu behind him at the worst possible time for United with a fine equaliser after 66 minutes.

He showed a fine change of pace on the edge of the area before swerving a 20-yard shot past United keeper David de Gea and into the net via the post.

And, inevitably, Ronaldo made his impact with Real's second three minutes later, turning in Gonzalo Higuain's cross from a tight angle at the far post. His celebrations were muted but the travelling Real supporters packed into a corner of Old Trafford were ecstatic.

Rooney was introduced for Tom Cleverley as United showed the spirit and fight that is their trademark as they tackled an impossible task.Lopez saved crucially from Michael Carrick and Van Persie while Rooney shot over and into the Stretford End from 10 yards.

The keeper also saved acrobatically from another Vidic header although Real remained dangerous on the break with Kaka hitting the post and Ronaldo bringing saves from De Gea.

A night of frustration was summed up by jeers aimed at the referee at the final whistle, jeers that soon turned to applause for United's disappointed players.

Gareth Bale An Inspiration - Andre Villas-Boas

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas said Gareth Bale was an inspiration to his team-mates after the Wales winger's brilliant late winner sealed a 3-2 victory over West Ham.

Bale opened the scoring and capped a fightback from 2-1 down with a dipping last-minute shot from outside the area."He inspires people and he is a direct influence on every single player," said Villas-Boas.

"Players like this take responsibility at key moments, he is tremendous."Bale's stunning brace followed recent winners against Lyon, Newcastle and West Brom and a superb solo equaliser against Norwich.It took his tally to eight goals in his last six games for Tottenham and to 19 for the season in all competitions.

"He's starting to get a liking for scoring late goals," added Villas-Boas. "The player continues to make the difference and he was tremendous once again."He is enjoying his football, when you see him joyful on the pitch he gives you rewards."Asked if Bale should win the PFA Player of the Year award, Villas-Boas added: "I think so, it would be truly deserved, but it's not up to me to make that consideration."You have to recognise he's having a tremendous season. So probably a contender, he is for us, hopefully he can get there."

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce, whose side were leading 2-1 until Gylfi Sigurdsson's 76th-minute equaliser, was similarly effusive in his praise for Tottenham's match-winner."We've one man to thank for tonight's result and that's Gareth Bale," he said. "He's the difference and his wonder goals are continuing."I can't say I've ever seen anyone score so many in such a short time. I think that's the best of the lot, and there's not a lot you can do about it at that stage of the game."Bale refused to take sole credit for a victory which boosts Tottenham's chances of Champions League qualification, lifting them above Chelsea into third in the table ahead of Sunday's derby meeting with Arsenal."It's not about me, it's about the team and we played really well," he said. "We obviously wanted to get the three points to keep our Champions League hopes alive."With Tottenham currently four points above fifth-placed Arsenal, Villas-Boas added: "The north London derby is going to be very passionate, and if we can put Arsenal seven points away it will be a big step for us."We know we need a bigger gap than at the moment to keep them away."

Premier League Weekend Preview (09/02/13 - 11/02/13) + Predictions!

Fellani scored the winning goal against United on the Opening Day

There are 10 Premier League games this weekend, with 7 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday and 1 on Monday. Two of the stand out ties include Tottenham vs Newcastle and Man United vs Everton. All of the games are the reverse fixture from the opening game of the season

The early game sees Tottenham come up against Newcastle. The Toon Army will be on a massive high after securing a dramatic win against Chelsea last weekend. Tottenham closed the gap on Chelsea to just 1 point thanks to the shock win for Newacstle. In the reverse fixture on the opening day, Newcastle grabbed it 2-1. AVB may have a struggle picking a striker, as Defoe is injured and by Saturday, Adebayor will have only just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and may not be able to start, leaving the manager with very limited options up-front. Prediction: Tottenham 1 - 0 Newcastle

One of Sunday's games sees Manchester United host Everton in the game where in the first game of the season Everton pulled off a massive shock against the current leaders, taking the game 1-0. However, United have been in incredible form recently and seem untouchable, and have now opened up a 9 point gap over closest rivals Manchester City. Everton have had a great start to the season, which is unusual for the Merseyside club as they normally have a great end to the season. The Toffees currently sit in 5th, just 1 point clear of nearest contenders Arsenal. Prediction: Man United 2 - 1 Everton

Manchester City travel to the South Coast to play Southampton where the new manager is still settling in at the club, and doesn't speak a word of English and requires a translator with him at all interviews! Since the new appointment, The Saints have picked up 2 draws and a loss (to Man United) in his 3 games in charge, which is not disastrously bad. Manchester City will be extremely disappointed with falling 9 points behind United at the top of the table after a 2-2 draw with Liverpool at home, and were lucky to get that, with a catastrophic error from 'Pool keeper Pepe Reina. This fixture on the opening day was a thriller, City nicking it 3-2. The sky blues fell 2-1 behind but clawed it back thanks to goals from Dzeko and Nasri in the last 20 minutes to secure the 3 points. Prediction: Southampton 0 - 3 Man City

Carragher to hang up boots

West Brom travel to Anfield to play Liverpool. In this fixture last season, The Baggies pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory over The Reds. In the game, Odemwingie scored a penalty but has today been charged two weeks wages over his crazy antics on deadline day. Liverpool was saddened earlier in the week by Carra's announcement that he will retire at the end of the season. Liverpool have drawn 2-2 in the last 2 games, at Arsenal and Manchester City, showing definite progression from earlier on in the season but lack the edge to grasp games but its neck and come through with a victory. Prediction: Liverpool 2 - 0 West Brom

Chelsea host Wigan after their shock defeat to Newcastle last week. Wigan will be looking to climb out the drop zone with a win. I feel that Chelsea's confidence will be low which may just enable Martinez's men to grab something from the game. Chelsea won the reverse game earlier on in the season 2 - 0. Prediction: Chelsea 2 - 2 Wigan

Fulham travel to Norwich where on the opening day of the season, they won 5-0 at home, where Petric scored twice on his debut. Norwich will be looking to do much better than they did at Craven Cottage but have not won in their last 8 league games. Prediction: Norwich 1 - 1 Fulham

The other 5-0 victory of the opening day of the season went to Swansea, winning 5-0 at QPR. Since then, Rangers have appointed Harry Redknapp who has had a huge impact at the club. Swansea have, in recent weeks, become known as 0-0 specialists, and lost 1-0 to West Ham last week. Prediction: Swansea 1 - 0 QPR

Elsewhere, Stoke host Reading and will hope to stop a comeback from The Royals. Prediction: Stoke 3 - 1 Reading. Also, Sunderland host Arsenal, Sunderland have had a rise in from in recent weeks and will hope to continue this. Prediction: Sunderland 1 - 3 Arsenal. Finally, West Ham travel to Villa Park in a battle of the Claret and Blues. Prediction: Aston Villa 1 - 1 West Ham.

Sturridge Out Of England Squad Against Brazil (+Prediction)

Daniel Sturridge has been ruled out for Wednesday's friendly against Brazil at Wembley. The striker picked up a thigh injury during the game at The Etihad.

The Liverpool forward reported for duty on Sunday evening at St.Georges Park, but could not take any further action on Monday and has returned to Merseyside for further treatment on the thigh injury he sustained during his man-of-the-match performance against Premier League champions Manchester City. In the game, Sturridge scored a great goal from 25 yards to beat England team-mate Joe Hart and did not celebrate against his former club.

The game against Brazil will be a good test for the England squad to see how much the team have progressed and a good way to assess the realistic chances of winning the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil. It will be a great test as Brazil are the favourites to win the tournament therefore if England can pull off a result it will indicate that we are capable of competing with the big guns of International football.

Defoe also withdrew earlier on in the week after sustaining an ankle ligament injury during the win over West Brom. This means that Roy Hodgson only have the United duo - Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck to play up top in the game against Brazil although can play Walcott through the middle after showing that he can deliver there for Arsenal, with his best ever goalscoring season for the Gunners only 25 games into the season.

It is yet to be known whether replacements will be called up. Contenders include Le Fondre, who has arisen as Readings super sub as of late or Ricky Lambert, the reliable Southampton forward.

Prediction: Although I don't want to say it, I feel that England can not currently compete with the power of Brazil, with the great attacking players that they have such as Neymar, Pato and Hulk. With that, they also have great defenders including Thiago Silva and Dani Alves. Judging on England's last performance against a big team, (Italy in the Euros) I don't think they will get one over on the Brazilians. Score Prediction: England 1 - 2 Brazil

Sorry if that let's anyone down but that's what I THINK the score will be, of course I hope for a victory and I hope the lads wearing the Three Lions can prove me wrong! Comment below what you think the score will be.

Also, feedback on my score predictions for Sunday's games:

West Brom vs Spurs

Predicted Score: WBA 0 - 2 Spurs

Actual Score: WBA 0 - 1 Spurs

Manchester City vs Liverpool

Predicted Score: City 1 - 1 Liverpool 

Actual Score: City 2 - 2 Liverpool

Good predictions from my point of view, got both results right, just a matter of the amount of goals! Claiming a victory there!

Super Sunday Preview + Predictions! - 03/02/2013

This Sunday we will see two games. The first of which is West Bromich Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur, the second being Manchester City vs Liverpool.

The first game sees West Brom host Spurs. West Brom had a great start to the season but have somewhat slowed down in recent weeks and have not won in all competitions since Boxing Day, losing away to Everton 2-1 in their most recent outing. Spurs have also been in relatively disappointing form as of late, not winning in the league since January 1st, although in this time, they secured a vital point against top of the table Man United. The North London club drew away to Norwich last week and recently were knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship side Leeds.

Much of the focus on West Brom has been about the Odemwingie saga now known as "the transfer that never was" after he attempted to push a deal through with QPR without The Baggies permission. West Brom currently sit in 9th after a steady decline down the table, earlier on in the season they were sitting in the top 4. Spurs currently are in the top 4 and will be looking to close the gap on Chelsea to just 1 point after they were stunned by Newcastle in a 3-2 defeat thanks to a Sissoko double.

My prediction for this game is an away win, because I feel that Tottenham are a better side overall and I also think that the controversy surrounding Odemwingie could affect West Brom and they'll need to be at their best to beat this Spurs side. I predict the final score to be West Brom 0 - 2 Spurs.

The second game, is the game to watch in my opinion and sees Liverpool travel to Man City. Liverpool will be disappointed from midweek after throwing away a 2 goal lead after dominating up to the hour mark. Brendan Rodgers said earlier in the week that the top 4 is still a realistic target for Liverpool this year. If that were to happen I would feel that The Reds need to get at least a point out of this game. Liverpool could give a debut to Brazilian international Coutinho after his £8m transfer from Inter Milan earlier in the week.

Manchester City will be aiming to bounce back after their shock midweek goalless draw at QPR. Manchester City did not make any big name signings in this transfer window but did say a big name leave the club in the form of Mario Balloteli's move to boyhood club AC Milan. Many fans may see this as a good thing rather than a big thing as the Italian brought a lot of controversy to the Manchester club.

City currently sit 2nd and are already falling by the wayside in terms of the title race, 7 points a drift. If rivals United win in the late game at Fulham on Saturday and City lose on Sunday, they will be 10 points a drift and clawing that back would seem a very tall order. However, last year the Champions were 8 points behind with less games left, so, you can never write them off. Liverpool currently sit in 7th, 6 points adrift of nearest rivals Arsenal.

My prediction for this game is a 1-1 draw as I see the teams as evenly matched, with Liverpool being in good form in the last month or so, despite being knocked out of the FA cup by Oldham. However, Man City have kept a clean sheet in their last 6 games in all competitions but I feel that deadly partnership of Suarez and Sturridge can break that defence with Vincent Kompany not playing due to injury.

You can catch both the games on Sky Sports. Check back to El Senores for more football news, results, speculation and more!

Premier League Weekend Preview - 02/02/2013

Saturday's early game sees QPR entertain Norwich in what QPR must approach as a must win game, and will be full of confidence after picking up a point against champions Manchester City in midweek. Norwich have recently been on bad form, but did pick up a point against high-flying Spurs which will give them confidence too. Samba and Townsend come straight into the Rangers side for their debuts, while Jenas only makes the bench. Lucciano Becchio also starts on the bench for Norwich.

The biggest game of the weekend sees Liverpool travel to the Etihad. City will be looking to close the gap on United to 4 points, or if United win on Saturday against Fulham retain the gap to 7 points. Liverpool, will be looking for a win to avoid being adrift of the Champions League spot by up to 10 points. The reds will be disappointed with the result at Arsenal midweek after throwing away a 2 goal lead, whilst City will also be disappointed after only managing a point against bottom club QPR. City captain Vincent Kompany will miss the game through injury.

Elsewhere, Ba will go back to his former club Newcastle after making his £7m move to Chelsea. Chelsea will be looking to close the gap on City whilst Newcastle will look to distance themselves from the relegation spaces after a poor first half to the season.

Reading will host Sunderland and will be hoping to not need their comeback heroics that they have shown in recent weeks after climbing out of the relegation zone after a late dramatic double from Adam Le Fondre to secure a vital point against Chelsea. Sunderland have been in good form themselves and could break into the top half with a win or a draw.

Man United travel to London to face Fulham in the evening game on Saturday, these sides recently met in the FA Cup where United brushed Fulham aside with ease to progress with a 4-1 victory. However, Fulham are  home this time and will hope to put on a better performance. This game will see Berbatov face his former club after having moving from United for £4m and has been in great goal scoring form in recent weeks.

Arsenal will host Stoke, where Arsenal have won their last 10 against Stoke at home. Arsene Wenger could give a debut to deadline day signing Monreal, after his £8.5m move from Malaga. Arsenal could move up to 5th with a win and be 2 points behind bitter rivals Spurs.

Spurs themselves will travel to West Brom, where the club has been caught in the wrong kind of media attention over the behaviour of Peter Odemwingie on deadline day where he tried to push through a move with QPR without the clubs permission.

West Ham will host Swansea, both clubs made no new signings on deadline day, although Graham did make a move away from Swansea. Swansea could climb up to 7th with a win.

Aston Villa have been in terrible form recently, dropping into the relegation zone and being knocked out of the League Cup by League 2 Bradford and travel to high-flying Everton. Everton crucially could break into the top 4 with a victory over the midlands club.

Finally, Wigan entertain the Saints in a big game for both clubs, where both will see as a must-win. Wigan are lingering in the relegation zone and have 2 teams around them both on 20 points. A win will see them climb out, where a win for Southampton will see them distance themselves further from the drop.

Here is a full list of the weekend games:

Saturday 2nd February

12:45 - QPR vs Norwich

15:00 - Arsenal vs Stoke

15:00 - Everton vs Aston Villa

15:00 - Newcastle vs Stoke

15:00 - Reading vs Sunderland

15:00 - West Ham vs Swansea

15:00 - Wigan vs Southampton

17:30 - Fulham vs Man Utd

Sunday 3rd February

13:30 - West Brom vs Tottenham

16:00 - Man City vs Liverpool - Game to watch!

January Transfer Deadline Day Round-Up (with full list of transfers)

It is January 31st and we all know what that means, its transfer deadline day! Many clubs have been active during this window and many have stayed active today. 

No surprise to see QPR being one of the most active clubs, having today signed Chris Samba for a club record fee from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala on a four-and-a-half-year deal. Harry Redknapp said this about the centre-half's move "Chris is just what we need. He's a monster. He's great in the air, quick, a leader, strong, fantastic in both boxes, hard as nails."

The highest profile move has to be David Beckham joining PSG until the end of the season. There was some speculation that he was to join Arsenal, but he opted for the Paris club. He will reunite with Carlo Ancelotti who was manager at Milan during Beckham's first loan spell there. Astonishingly, Beckham will play for free, his entire salary will be donated to local children's charities. Beckham said he was very 'excited' about the new idea and that he thought it was 'very special'

Danny Graham has left Swansea and has joined Sunderland on a three-and-a-half-year deal for a transfer fee of £5million. Life has been difficult for Graham this season, with Michu stealing much of the thunder Graham had last season. In recent weeks, Graham has been in goal scoring form but made it clear that he would like a move away from the Welsh club. The move is likely to encourage 'Black Cats' fans as the north-east side have been somewhat struggling for goals this season aside from those coming from their likely source Steven Fletcher.

Other stand out activities include Luciano Becchio moving from Championship Leeds to Premiership Norwich, which can be tricky for lots of players. Balloteli's move to AC Milan was finalised today. Urby Emanuelson from AC Milan to Fulham on loan, a promising signing for the London club. Today also saw Louis Saha being released from Sunderland, there is still time left at this point for him to make a last minute move somewhere


Danny Graham - Swansea to Sunderland, permanent

Alexander Doni - Liverpool to Botafogo, permanent

Daniel Pacheco - Liverpool to SD Huesca, loan

Godsway Donyoh - Manchester City to Djurgardens IF, loan

Urby Emanuelson - AC Milan to Fulham, loan

Christopher Samba - Anzhi Makhachkala to QPR, permanent

Luciano Becchio - Leeds to Norwich, permanent

Heurelho Gomes - Tottenham to Hoffenheim, loan

Karl Sheppard - Reading to Shamrock Rovers, loan

Paul Scharner - Hamburg to Wigan, loan

Mario Balotelli - Manchester City to AC Milan, permanent

Louis Saha - Sunderland, released

Kevin Mbabu - Servette to Newcastle, permanent

Stanislav Manolev - PSV Eindhoven to Fulham, loan

Ryan Mason - Tottenham to Lorient, loan

Monreal Joins Arsenal For £8.5m

Arsenal yesterday left it very late to complete the deal for Nacho Monreal from Malaga and has now signed a long-term deal. The left-back is a full Spanish international having 9 caps alerady to his name. Monreal will link with his old Malaga team-mate Santi Cazorla who joined Arsenal in the summer.

Arsene Wenger felt the need to bolster his defence, especially after Kieran Gibbs suffered on injury on Wednesday night during the thrilling encounter with Liverpool, which finished 2-2. Gibbs is expected to be out for 3-4 weeks, and with the performance by his replacement, Andres Santos, it was clear the Gunners needed a new left-back as Santos had a shocker, and was partly at fault for Liverpool's second goal by Jordan Henderson midweek.

This is likely to strike some confidence into Arsenal fans towards Arsene Wenger as it shows that the manage does at least sometimes dip into his pocket. For many years Wenger has been criticized for not spending enough, which at times as infuriated Arsenal supporters.

Arsene Wenger said this about the Spaniard's late deadline day move: "He is a technically gifted player, a good crosser in the final third and strong in the air. Monreal will add quality to our squad and of course, to our defensive unit. We all look forward to him playing for us."

20/06/2012 Portugal v Czech Republic Match Report

We have now reached the knockout stages of the Euro's with the first match being the winners of Group A (Czech Republic) against 2nd place finishers of Group B (Portugal). The stage was set for a magical night that never really happened.

Portugal 1 - 0 Czech Republic

The match was similar to Poland v Greece over 2 weeks ago now, the fixturet was not the most exciting but due to its nature as the first knockout match of the competition there was great anticipation, with Ronaldo the main talking point to see if he could carry on the extrodinary form he found last match.

However it was not from Portugals fault the match failed to excite, the Czech's playing style was, they wanted to play utilising a strong defence and midfield to silence the Portugese while playing counter attacking football to threaten their defence. However this didn't work as planned, it meant that by the end of the match the Czechs had failed to have a single shot on target and had spent almost all of the match in their own third of the pitch.

But Portugal did look strong, they used their attacking full backs to free Nani and Ronaldo who kept very open roles throughout the match, they had sparks of magic that just needed to be finished, however luck didnt look to be going their way with Ronaldo hitting the post twice after some great shots. This all changed however in the second half where Ronaldo made a darting run into the box to get infront of the defender to capitalise on a perfectly hit cross from Joal Moutinho.

They carried onto attack in a similar style but failed to do so, yet it was not until the 85th Minute it seemed the Czechs actually realised they would need to really attack to not be sent home, however it was much to little much to late as Portugal held strong to seal the victory.

A good victory for the Portugese who will look to progress although already reaching a respectable position.

Euro 2012 17/06/2012 Group D Match Report

4 days had passed and the whole of England would yet again have all eyes on the TV to see the Brits face bogey team Sweden who we had never beaten in a competitive competition, however that could have all changed with the Swedes falling short against the Ukraine and Zlatan not looking at his best despite a strong season.

England 3 - 2 Sweden (Group D)

Englands lineup was different to that played against France, the Ox was dropped and the formation was  changed to 4-4-2 to allow Carroll to be a classic No 9. However they would have to be wary of the likes of Zlatan and Melberg.

When the match went underway England started positively but were extremely sloppy with passing and this lead to easy throws for the Swedes and them gaining possession after long strings of wasted passing from England. However it didn't take long before a beautiful pass from playmaker Gerrard fell perfectly for Andy Carroll who made no mistake in blasting it into the net with a classic header. This really put the mood up as England worked well keeping the ball and making good runs utilising Welbeck.

This all changed after the first half though.Both teams went back out and after such a poor performance from Sweden, England would look to cruise through the second half. However when Andy Carroll gave away one of the many free kicks that he caused in the 49th minute, and a Zlatan powerhouse kick at the wall rebounded only for him to attempt an audacious scissor kick that feel kindly to Melberg, who managed to hit the ball against the post only for it to fall on Glen Johnson's stomach and into the net. This stunned England and it was only a matter of time before Melberg scored again with an unmarked header sailing past Hart causing questions on the English defence.

However Theo Walcott was brought on later on in the match and boy did he look fine. The ball fell kindly to him from a corner and he made no mistake in placing it into the net, with the Swedish keeper not being able to see the ball until the very last second. He then made a darting run before crossing the ball into Welbeck, who did a sublime finish using his heel to place the ball in the net and giving England a dramatic victory they really needed.

Ukraine 0 - 2 France (Group D)

France would be top of the group if they gained a good result against the Ukraine, but that would be easier said then done after the co hosts showed real determination to beat the Swedes beforehand.

However the main drama of the match came from the rain, lightning and thunder became so severe that they were forced to stop play and wait over 30 minutes for play to resume. Apart from that it was a fairly boring game, France scored twice with goals from Menez and Cabaye and the Ukraine looked weak and without spirit. France will hope to do well against Sweden but the Swedes will be playing for pride and may cause a shock result.

Euro 2012 14/06/2012 Group C Match Report

More Euro 2012 News

All of the teams in group C still had it all to play for, with Croatia being the only team taking the full 3 points from last weeks matches. The Republic of Ireland would need a win to stay in the tournament but it looked unlikely with world champions Spain being their opponents. While Croatia played Italy, which if Italy lost it would make Croatia the first team to qualify for the knockout stages.

Spain 4 - 0 Ireland (Group C)

It was fair to say that Spain didn't seem too troubled to be facing the Irish despite needing a win to be in a good place to qualify. This confidence from the Spanish, would be their downfall said the Irish who's fantastic support carried on to brighten the tournament. However minutes in it seemed the luck of the Irish never really happened.

Only '3 Minutes into the match after some troubled Irish defending from a David Silva run meant Torres saw just enough of the ball to pounce, and that he did with a storming run from the edge of the box to steal the ball, dart past the defenders and power the ball about Given, showing a real determination to score that was only seen back in his Liverpool days.

The Spanish were not done yet, and to say they held a good amount of possession would be an understatement, thy completely controlled it for the whole match, whenever the Irish managed to grab the ball from them they hunted them down, doubling up on players to ensure they had the ball back. And this playing style worked as well as it always does for them. Despite missing some good oppurtunites in the first half they really peformed after half time.

David Silva grabbed the second goal from a poor punch away by Given falling to Silva's feet in the area, who calmly picked his place and casually rolled it through Dunne's legs and past the fingertips of Given. They carried on attacking until the ball fell to Torres of all people, but unlike the Torres of old he confidently charged at Given, and despite finding the ball trapped under his feet managed to calmly slot the ball past him. Fabregas then came on to replace Fernando who received standing applause, and Cesc then rocketed another one in for the Spanish. Making sure the Irish get sent home early, that honestly was always expected.

Italy 1 - 1 Croatia (Group C)

Italy would face yet enough hard match after gaining the much needed point against Spain, they faced a Croatian side who looked strong after battering an out of form Italy. The match kicked off with Italy creating chances from the start with playmaker Pirlo putting in yet another great performance to help the Italians. 

Croatia stayed quiet and Italy made good use of that with a beautiful Pirlo free kick that soared into the top corner in the '39th minute. This didnt come as a suprise as Italy were playing good football and were set to beat the Croatians for the first time ever. However the Italians became complacent in the second half and Modric became a key player by attacking more, and this payed off when Mandzukic scored after a Chiellini misjudged the flight of the ball. It was a soft goal to concede but the point suited the Croatians better and they settled for it seeing the game out for 1-1.

Check in for more Euro updates.

Euro 2012 13/06/2012 Group B Match Report

More Euro 2012 News

Group B or better known as the group of death was surprisingly dismal when the all of the teams met last Sunday and it was important for the Netherlands and Portugal  needing a result to avoid two consecutive defeats and failing to qualify. So the matches were crucial.

Portugal 3 - 2 Denmark (Group B) 


Ronaldo needed to improve from his performance against Germany if he was going to prove himself one of the best footballers in the world, and their couldnt be a better way to do so then by giving Portugal the 3 points they needed. But when the match kicked off it looked to be a repeat of last week. He made good runs to push his team forward but failed to pick out the crucial passes and his shots seemed to always be sailing wide.

However things changed for Portugal when Pepe capitalised with a strong back post header to silence the Danes in the '24th Minute, they carried on to attack before they doubled the lead with a Postiga tucking in a goal at the near post only 12 minutes later.

The Portugese looked home and dry with Denmark possessing great talent to hold a lead but not to come back into a game when losing. Despite this Bendtner scored in the '41st minute to send both teams into the dressing rooms at half time with mixed feelings, the Danes dissapointed to concede 2 early goals and the Portugese nervous to hold the lead.

The second half carried on similar to the first half with both teams playing well but Ronaldo was honestly dreadful, missing 1 on 1's and deciding to shoot when passing was always the better option. This motivated Denmark and they managed to score in the '80th minute with Bendtner scoring a thumping header that raised the roof. The game looked set for a draw when substitue Varela changed everything. After a cross from Nani, Varela went for a thumping volley but miss hit it terribly, yet was still given the time to control the ball and hit the ball cleanly with his right foot into the net. Portugal were understandably ecstatic as a win puts them in a good position to qualify after a shock performance from the Netherlands.


Netherlands 1 - 2 Germany (Group B)

The biggest match to be played in the group stages of the tournament went under way with equally strong teams battling it out, with the Netherlands however needing the win more than anyone. Germany took control though and silenced the Holland playmakers that posed the greatest threat. Robin Van Persie was given little oppurtunites and it was actually the other in form striker Mario Gomez who struck first with an absolutely sublime spin and finish past Stecklenburg to put the Germans ahead in style in just the '24th minute. The dutch looked shakey from then on and Gomez didnt hesitate to exploit that with a headed goal 14 minutes later.

In honesty the style of Netherlands play was their downfall with the dutch not able to commit men forward to play the ultra attacking football they do so well, due to the Germans having such a strong counter attack. However Van Persie scored a brilliant goal to give them a ray of hope in the '73rd minute. However the Germans didnt wait to stamp down on that with the stereotypically efficient play used to full effect to see the match out as a win for them.

Netherlands will need to beat Portugal by 2 goals to get through, that is if the Germans beat the Danes which looks likely, meaning its all to play for. Check in for Euro updates.

Euro 2012 12/06/2012 Group A Match Report

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Every team has now played, trying to excel and grasp a precious place in the knockout stages, but the next matches they will play are crucial and will map out who will make it through. Starting with Group A.

Czech Republic 2 - 1 Greece (Group A)

The Czech's were looking for a win to turn around the disaster that was their performance against Russia last week. However if they were ever going to grab points the best bet would be underdogs Greece who's display in their first match was as bad as theirs, despite the Greeks taking a point.

Things couldn't have got off to a better start for the Czech's, 2 goals up inside 6 minutes Jiracek and Pilar meant the match was set to be a whitewash. They played with confidence stringing together impressive passing while dominating possession. Personally i expected them to score even more but Greece grew throughout the match and managed to hold themselves together for the rest of the half. However in terms of attacking they remained dismal. Samuras who has truly flopped so far had no impact and that carried on as the second half began.

However the match changed completely in the '53rd minute after a seamlessly harmless shot from the Greeks slipped past Petr Cech's gloves to fall straight into the feet of Gekas, a true howler that Gekas easily capitalised upon and gave Greece a glimmer of hope.

The match carried on with the Czech's playing more defensively to keep the lead, a situation they should never allowed to happen. But with the Greek's not finding any more luck the match remained 2-1 giving Czech Republic a chance of qualifying if they can beat Poland later on in the week.

Russia 1 - 1 Poland (Group A)

Russia would want to seal a place in the knockout stages by beating Poland despite them being in their home country, the grudge match led to violence that sweeped the city but for more on that read Senor Notica's informative article.

So the match went underway and Russia looked strong taking control while Poland sat back. Lewandowski carried on to give the hosts hope of goals with some strong shots, but it was Russia who took the lead 8 minutes before half time with youngster Dzagoev slotting home a good goal to silence the country.

However the Polish looked strong as they went into the second half with a strong attacking attitude, Russia looked shakey and it became clear that if the Poles pushed they might be able to take a result from the match, that they really did need. Then it happened for them, and nobody deserved the aclaim of scoring for the Polish than Blaszczycowski who is a Polish icon after his harsh growing up, seeing his father murder his mother. But it was him who scored a perfectly hit shot from outside the area curving straight into the corner that set the stadium alight and gave Poland the point they so desperately needed to stay in the competition they spent to long preparing for. That is how it ended 1-1 with a great game that was probably the most exciting of the tournament so far.

Check back for more.

Euro 2012 11/06/2012 Group D Match Report

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Group D, needless to say its the most important. England turned on their TV's with somewhat lowered hopes that England would really perform against French rivals in a true historical grudge match, although with modern day players grudge matches not truly meaning the same as they would as early as 20 years ago. But we watched the match and prayed.

England 1 - 1 France (Group D)

England set up in a 4-4-1-1 formation that matched the Frenches. Roy Hodgson made a strong lineup when considering his injury difficulties, with the only surprises being young Arsenal star Oxolade Chamberlain instead of Liverpool's Stuart Downing who carries a lot more experience in the role of Left midfield and would have to help Cole cover Ribery. Welbeck also started instead of Carroll that leads me to think that Hodgson is already looking  ahead to 2014 by giving such inexperienced players such critical important matches.

France with the same formation had a very strong midfield and attack that England needed to control with the likes of Nasri and Benzema, and it became clear when the match kicked off that that's what they would try to do. Despite having a lack of possession throughout the match England played well to control the French and counter attack with The "Ox" and Young. However surprisingly it was Manchester City's Jolean Lescott who put us in front with a strong header in the 30th minute after a Gerrard free kick raising hopes of a new England for the Euros.

However the lead only lasted 9 minutes before Lescotts Manchester team mate Nasri equalised with a strong long shot that beat Hart at his near post, this definitely lowered Englands spirit and until the second half they failed to perform. The second half was dominated by the French with them keeping the ball in England's half and threatening a defensive British squad. The match failed to excite after halftime and sadly England couldn't take the 3 points they desired, but El Senores will be of course backing them all the way.

Sweden 1 - 2 Ukraine (Group D)

The Ukraine would be the last country to play, together with Sweden. And the fans really showed their anticipation with outstanding support for the hosting country that made the match a great occasion, and the football matched it.

Both teams started promisingly playing free flowing football that created great chances for both squads, the finishing however was letting them down especially when Ibrahimovic sent a header wide despite the open net. However the Swede's still went on to score first when Ibra managed to score, the goal however remains contreversial with a Ukraine player injured as they played on.

However everything changed when Shevchenko netted 2 in under 10 minutes for the Ukraine making the whole country and tournament come alive. The Ukraine held onto the lead despite shakey moments in the closing seconds and puts them in a promising position to qualify.

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Euro 2012 10/06/2012 Group C Match Report

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Euro 2012 carried on with Group C and D playing on Sunday and Monday, these groups are competitive and every match would have a great impact on who qualifies.

Spain 1 - 1 Italy (Group C)
Defending Euro and world cup champions Spain looked to beat previous winners Italy who, with the current team they now posses would be looking to reach at least the quarter finals. Despite this it was regarded one of the biggest group matches to be played and the crowd were buzzing as the match went underway. Spain set up in a 4-3-3 formation with most surprisingly no striker playing in the team.

The match started with Spain as expected dominating possession but I couldn't help but feel that Del Bosque's gamble of starting without a striker had backfired as it seemed Spain were able to get into great shooting opportunities but the 6 Midfielders starting felt anxious to pull the trigger at Buffon. It carried on that way throughout the first half but things changed later on in the match after substitutions were made.

Di Natale came on for Mario Balotelli who missed a glorious opportunity made for him by a Sergio Ramos mistake, although angry to be subbed the decision worked as Di Natale made a cool finish past Casillas in the 61st minute. Fernando Torres was picked in front of Llorente and straight away had a great chance but failed to finish looking more like his early days at Chelsea then the small pocket of form he found near the end. However Cesc Fabregas was able to equalise after some well worked passing by the Spanish and the match finished this way with both teams looking okay with the fact they would settle with a draw.

Republic of Ireland 1 - 3 Croatia ( Group C)
Ireland had finally made it to a major tournament after missing out for many years, but they had arrived in Poland and the Ukraine and boy did they know about it. With Ireland's support as strong as any other countries they would tackle Croatia who would be hoping to leap to the top of Group C after Spains draw with Italy.

Croatia definitely looked the stronger team with the likes of Modric and Jelavic. But would be up against Keane and Dunn who needed to perform to guide the Irish to a win. The game started disastrously for Ireland with Mandzukic heading home a goal in only the '3rd Minute and silencing the crowd which had been chanting for days. Despite this the Irish didn't drop their heads and actually managed to equalise with a strong header from St Ledger in the '19th Minute.

Things were looking up and although Croatia were dominating the Irish were holding strong and made it to half time with the score tied. When the second half went under way it went as badly as the first began for the Irish. Nikica Jelavic of Everton scored past Given on what looked to be an offside position. The Croatians then went on to add another to their tally with Mandzukic's header hitting the post only to rebound off of Givens forehead for an own goal. The Irish were distraught and although having such passionate fans the Euro's look bleak for the Irish with Spain and Italy yet to come.

Euro 2012 09/06/12 - Group A and B Match Report

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Euro 2012 has kicked off with style, we are currently 3 days into the tournament and it sure has already been eventful, but in the matches you wouldn't have expected...

Poland 1 - 1 Greece.  (Group A)

Poland v Greece had a slightly heightened expectation than would normally be expected as it was of course the opening match to the tournament. Greece were predicted to struggle being the lowest scoring team in qualifying but put on an standard performance when looking at the weakness of their squad.

Borussia Dortmunds Lewandowski put the Polish ahead with a strong downwards header past a flailing Chalkias, and throughout the first half they looked promising and in retrospect of the score should have been more clinical in order to seal a victory. However in the 2nd half Greece grew in confidence and managed to grab a somewhat lucky goal with Salpingidis. Both Szczesny and Papastathopoulos showed red, however Greece's red card was due to two very weak yellow cards. This means both will receive at least a 1 match ban.

Russia 4 - 1 Czech Republic. (Group A) 

Russia would look to top group A being the strongest team out of the bunch, and started on track for that with a comfortable win other the Czech's captained by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. CSKA Moscow youngster Dzagoev started his brace with a strong shot which could have been dealt with better. Shirikov made it 2, capitalising on a through ball straight through the defence to calmly slot it past the Chelsea veteran.

Pilar scored a surprise goal against the run of play to scare the Russians into wrapping up the match, and Dzagoev definately did so as he scored again in the 79th Minute before Roman Pavlyuchenko used trickery and strength to slam home another. Putting them leaders of Group A.

Netherlands 0 - 1 Denmark (Group B)

This match was the first for one of the top 6 clubs to show their class with Holland entering the tournament with high expectations after having the world cup snatched away from them by Iniesta, they faced a Danish side who didn't look much of a threat to such a technically gifted side like the Netherlands, they started the match playing a comfortable and relaxed playing style, they kept possession and should have scored. However the Danes striked first as Krohn-Dehli neatly tucked the ball through Stecklenburgs legs and changed the whole game. Denmark defended strongly as Sneijder continued to attack with perfect passes that really threatened the defence. However the game remained 1 - 0 providing the first shock of the tournament, however Holland fans stated "I think we are considered to be better than we really are, we don't expect to win". 

Germany 1 - 0 Portugal (Group B)

Germany against Portugal was the big match to watch, both sides had considerably less pressure on them after the Netherlands result but there was still a very apparent feel of anticipation as the game kicked off. However the match turned out to be disappointing, Germany dominated possession with Portugal playing counter attacking football with Nani and Ronaldo, however opportunities ran dry and it was not until Mario Gomez scored a strong header in the 73rd minute that Portugal really pressured the favourites. Despite their efforts improving Germany's defence held strong and the match remained 1-0. Putting Germany in a good place to top the group.

Check back tomorrow for a 3 day match report.

Transfer Updates - 06/06/12

Chelsea's new star signing.

Transfer Updates:

- Chelsea officially unveiled their new 32 Million pound singing of Belgium youngster Eden Hazard from Lille.

- Manchester United are in the process of finalizing details with Japanese midfielder Sinji Kagawa after an extrodinary season for Borussia Dortmund, for a deal set to cost in the region of £13 Million.

- Brazillian legend Ronaldinho looks set to join Athletico Menerio on a short loan basis after splitting with Flamengo publicly after disagreements over playing times.

- Paul Lambert will try to sign Grant Holt back from former club Norwich after admitting he admires the player. The deal looks likely after Holt handed in a transfer request due to the change in manager last week.

- Porto's main man Hulk is becoming more likely to be Chelsea's next big signing in Roman Abromovich's revamp of the squad. Although staying quiet himself about the transfer reports state 90% of the paperwork is complete and the rest will be sorted in the upcoming week.

- Robin Van Persie still refuses to talk about his future with Arsenal until after Euro 2012 is finished. The dutch striker has remained loyal to the club for 8 years, but Arsenals Andre Santos is unsure whether his teammate will be a part of the club next season.

- Mancini is keen to keep hold of Tevez and is distancing himself from links between City and Napoli striker Edison Cavani, the Manchester club look to have a unusually quiet summer, most likely selling players such as Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz.

- Chelsea right back Branislav Ivanovic's future with the Blues looks uncertain with interest from Italian club Napoli and Real Madrid. The Serbian international expressed his love for Chelsea but could be tempted to a different future despite claims from his agent he will remain loyal to the pensioners.

Euro 2012 Coming Soon!

The Euro 2012 logo is a flower made up of a football!

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With Euro 2012 less than 48 hours away tension is Building across Europe as the second biggest footballing competition gets set to entertain the world for the upcoming month. Although the choice of Poland and the Ukraine as host countries have sparked worldwide controversy due to racism, it will still undoubtedly decide the true class of players, meaning we are set for exciting footballing performances.

Despite all nations involved entering the tournament with high expectations, 3 countries remain the bookies favorites to snatch the title, The Netherlands who are undergoing a brilliant spell during friendlies headline with striker Robin Van Persie looking to carry on the form he has shown this year for Arsenal, Germany who will be hungry to win after not failing to grab a major tournament since Euro 1996 in England, and Spain who are looking to defend their title after a hugely successful 4 years having not only a majority of the best players in the world, but redefining the way Europe play football.

However although the trio look set to steal the show, underdogs are never ignored during the Euro's after Greece's suprise success in 2004. England will enter with somewhat lowered hopes after being crippled with injury's and star player Rooney missing all group matches due to a red card against Montenegro in October. Portugal will also have a lot to prove as they try to show themselves to be a strong footballing country despite having such a poor international record, this year however is especially important with Cristiano Ronaldo looking to finally perform for his Country and do what Lionel Messi has failed to do so far by influencing a major tournament.

France will be working hard to eradicate the disastrous display in South Africa and are not to be laughed at, with M'Villa returning from injury and Benzema finding the net consistently this season for Real Madrid its clear to see they will play attacking football hoping to outscore their opponents. While Hugo Lloris and Ribery remain strong forces for opposition to handle.

All other countries will admittedly be looking to settle for a respectable position rather than look to contend with some of the worlds greatest, yet Euro 2012 still looks to be as exciting as ever and all of us here from El Senores will be highly anticipating Thursday.

So no matter what country you support sit back and enjoy the spectacle, and make sure to check back in on Saturday for updated scores and opinion.