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Costa: I´m getting kicked, but I stay strong and noble
13 February 2015
Diego Costa's ban for stamping on Emre Can is over, but the Chelsea striker insists he is the one who has come in for rough treatment.
Diego Costa's three-match ban for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can last month is over, but the Chelsea forward feels he has been the recipient of rough justice on the field.
The Spain international was punished by the Football Association following the League Cup triumph at Stamford Bridge, a decision that left Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho somewhat unhappy.
And Costa was not best pleased himself, with the 26-year-old speaking out to defend his style of play, while suggesting he is the one on the wrong end of some aggressive play.
"If you check my records, you will find out that I've never caused a bad injury to any player," he told Sport Magazine. "The bottom line is that sometimes the little things I do on the pitch provoke exaggerated reactions.
"But if you rewind a bit and go through what they did to me, you may have another point of view.
"I consider myself a player who fights and gives everything on the pitch. Those who know me and appreciate those values understand what I say.
"I am getting used to getting kicked more than before. Premier League defenders are really strong and physical.
"In England, the referees don't call many fouls, as opposed to Spanish football. Consequently, you must be really strong all through the 90 minutes.
"Some of the kicks I suffer in England would be punished with a red card in Spain. My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time."
Costa's side face Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, a competition he reached the final of with Atletico Madrid last season.
An injury crisis at PSG looks set to sideline at least four key squad members for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Laurent Blanc admits there is little chance that the quartet of players injured in Paris Saint-German's 2-2 draw with Caen will recover in time to face Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League.
Ligue 1 champions PSG appeared on course to go top of the table thanks to first-half goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi at the Parc des Princes.
However, the capital club endured awful luck with Yohan Cabaye coming off early in the first half and centre-back Marquinhos being replaced at half-time.
The situation worsened when Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura both picked up injuries in the second half after all three substitutions had been made, and Caen's numerical advantage told as late goals from Emiliano Sala and Herve Bazile rescued a point for the visitors.
As well as the psychological blow of dropping late points, Blanc must also contend with a depleted squad ahead of Tuesday's last-16 first-leg tie with the runaway Premier League leaders in Paris.
"I am not a doctor but it seems very complicated to recover for Tuesday," Blanc said.
"It is the first time that I have seen such a frantic scenario, it is still very rare to end a game in these circumstances.
"It started with the injury of Cabaye, followed by another at half-time and others again late in the game.
"In the end, we are left with four wounded, probably [out on] Tuesday."
Blanc was more hopeful that Blaise Matuidi would be okay to play despite a knee complaint, while stating Javier Pastore remains a risk with a calf injury.
Deja vu in the air as European giants face off again in Champions League
Knockout stage has a very familiar look to it as top clubs take each other on in last 16, starting with a Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea rematch
Laurent Blanc's PSG side have struggled for form domestically of late, but he and defender David Luiz (right) will renew acquaintances with English Premier League leaders Chelsea on Tuesday night. Photo: EPA
The UEFA Champions League will have an air of familiarity about it when it resumes this week with 11 of the clubs who reached the last 16 stage a year ago involved again.
To add to the sense of déjà vu, three of the ties will be repeats from last season's knockout stages with holders Real Madrid facing Schalke, Manchester City playing Barcelona and Paris St Germain taking on Chelsea.
Ten of the 16 sides also reached the same round two seasons ago and, as usual, the big five leagues dominate with 13 clubs hailing from either the English, Spanish, German, French and Italian leagues.
With only two matches per evening, the round of 16 will not be complete until March 18 but PSG get the ball rolling when they host Chelsea today in a repeat of last season's quarter-final, which Jose Mourinho's team won on away goals.
The clash pits David Luiz, now with the French side, against his former club.
Paris St Germain defender David Luiz (left) goes up against his old team. Photo: AFP
The French champions, aiming to reach the last eight for the third season in a row, have a 32-match unbeaten home run in Europe although they are currently third in Ligue 1, hugely disappointing considering their financial resources.
They stuttered again on Saturday when they were held 2-2 at home by Caen after a spate of injuries left them with nine men and they conceded two goals in the last two minutes.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be looking to transplant his team's domestic superiority onto the Champions League. Photo: Reuters"
We're a little bit in trouble at the moment, but from Sunday morning we'll have to focus on Chelsea and convince ourselves that we can challenge them," said coach Laurent Blanc.
Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukrainian champions for the last five seasons, will be thrown in at the deep end when they host Bayern Munich in today's other game, their first competitive match since early December.
Bayern Munich themselves struggled to get into gear following their own winter break in Qatar but blew away the cobwebs on Saturday with an 8-0 drubbing of Hamburg SV.
Pep Guardiola has seen his Bayern Munich side overcome a blip in their progress towards another Bundesliga championship. They meet Shaktar Donetsk on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
The game will be in Lviv to escape the conflict in eastern Ukraine where Donetsk is held by Russian-backed separatists.
Shakhtar have failed to win their last four home matches against Bundesliga sides and their last success was against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1980-81 Uefa Cup.
The good news for the Ukrainians is that they have managed to hold on to Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano, the competition's top scorer with nine goals, despite interest from AS Roma.
Schalke 04's match at home to Real Madrid tomorrow will bring back unhappy memories for the Bundesliga side after they were thrashed 6-1 by the Spaniards at the same venue at the same stage of the competition one year ago.
Real Madrid have been a little out of sorts in the Spanish Primera Liga of late, but Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti will be demanding some improvement as his team faces Schalke on Wednesday night. Photo: EPA
The Royal Blues also lost 5-0 at home to Chelsea in the group stage and only scraped through thanks to a hugely controversial 4-3 win over Sporting Lisbon.
Real, on the other hand, won all six games as they topped their group by an 11-point margin from Basel.
Swiss champions FC Basel, who qualified at the expense of Liverpool in the group stage's only genuine surprise, host Porto in this week's other tie.
Porto, unbeaten in both the group stage and final qualifying round, are favourites, especially after Basel parted company with midfielder Marcelo Diaz and Serey Die in the transfer window.
The following week includes the highlight of the round as Manchester City meet Barcelona (February 24), a repeat of last season's round of 16 tie which the Catalans won 4-1 on aggregate.
On the same evening, Serie A champions and current leaders Juventus host Borussia Dortmund, whose European form has been a stark contrast to their domestic performances.
Arsene Wenger's Arsenal meet his old team Monaco next Wednesday (Feb 25). Photo: EPA
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will face his old club AS Monaco in a competitive match for the first time and Bayer Leverkusen host last season's runners-up Atletico Madrid in the February 25 ties.
Paris Saint-Germain - Chelsea Preview: Injury-hit hosts seek Champions League revenge
By Peter Thompson
Feb 16, 2015 11:09:00
Laurent Blanc lost four key players to injury against Caen on Saturday, disrupting preparations for a resumption of hostilities with Jose Mourinho's men
Thiago Silva has urged Paris Saint-Germain fans to stir up an intimidating atmosphere when the injury-hit Ligue 1 champions attempt to gain Champions League revenge over Chelsea.
A late Demba Ba goal at Stamford Bridge ensured Chelsea knocked PSG out of the competition on away goals at the quarter-final stage last April.
Laurent Blanc's side held a 3-1 lead after the first leg at the Parc des Princes but the current Premier League leaders produced a stirring second-leg fightback and progressed courtesy of goals from Andre Schurrle and Ba - both of whom have since left the club.
PSG's preparations for Tuesday's first leg of the round-of-16 tie in the French capital were rocked by a dramatic 2-2 home draw with Caen on Saturday, which could prove costly in the Ligue 1 title race and also leaves Blanc with a depleted squad.
Yohan Cabaye (groin), Marquinhos (hamstring), Blaise Matuidi (knee), Serge Aurier (thigh) and Lucas Moura (hamstring) all sustained injuries as PSG finished the game with nine men after making all of their substitutions.
Caen struck twice late on to add insult to injury and PSG captain Silva has called on their supporters to play their part when Blanc's men try to secure a first-leg advantage over Jose Mourinho's side.
The Brazil defender told reporters: "It was a really bizarre game [against Caen]. I really can't understand what happened. We were playing really well and then we suffered those injuries, four for us [Matuidi is expected to be passed fit after suffering a knock] and two from Caen.
"We need to stay positive and think about Tuesday. We have a very important home match against Chelsea.
"We need all our supporters behind us. It will be very difficult for us and I hope our supporters will get behind the team because we will need them for this crucial match. We are a lot stronger when we have our supporters pushing us on."
David Luiz scored an own goal when Chelsea were beaten in Paris last season and the Brazil defender will hope to find the back of the Chelsea net again after leaving the London club to join PSG in a big-money move back in June.
Chelsea make the trip to France after a weekend off having been dumped out of the FA Cup by Bradford City in January and they will be striving to end PSG's 32-game unbeaten home record in Uefa competition.
Mourinho's side hold a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League and are in the hunt for three trophies, as the Portuguese attempts to become the first manager to win the Champions League with three clubs.
Diego Costa has been serving a domestic suspension but Chelsea's leading scorer will be available and recent signing Juan Cuadrado is also eligible to make his European debut for the club.
Chelsea, who have reached the last eight of the Champions League in six of the last eight seasons, will check on the fitness of midfielder John Obi Mikel (knee).
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich: Bayern back in the groove ahead of European return
15 February 2015
Bayern Munich return to UEFA Champions League action against Shakhtar Donetsk in fine form, having dispatched Hamburg 8-0 on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola could hardly have asked for better preparation for Bayern Munich's UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg with Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
The Spaniard saw the Bundesliga champions return to top form with Saturday's 8-0 hammering of Hamburg, claiming his side are now "back in the groove" following a sluggish return after the winter break.
Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller both grabbed braces at the Allianz Arena to help set Bayern up for their return to European action.
The Ukrainian champions have not beaten Bundesliga opposition at home in the Champions League since 1980, and Philipp Lahm knows his side "have to make the next round".
"Bayern’s minimum target is always the quarter-finals," he added after the draw for the last 16 was made.
Guardiola could see Xabi Alonso (hamstring) join Lahm (ankle), Javi Martinez (knee) and Thiago Alcantara (knee) on the sidelines but still has plenty of strength in his squad.
The cause for Mircea Lucescu's hosts will also likely be made all the more tricky by the fact that they have not played a competitive fixture since December's 1-1 draw with Porto.
Shakhtar - without suspended midfielder Taras Stepanenko - do not get their domestic title defence back under way until later this month but Luiz Adriano, the Champions League's leading goalscorer this season with nine, is confident there will be no signs of rustiness from his team-mates.
"[Bayern] are still in a different rhythm of the game. Bayern play matches every three to four days, whereas we played several friendly matches during a month-and-half," the Brazilian told the club's official website.
"However, they were not easy and for us it is also a good training session. I can say that the team are now in excellent physical condition.
"We have a few more training sessions left before the game. I think we can come fully prepared to face Bayern."
Bayern have not found Ukraine a happy hunting ground in recent years, with just one win, one draw and three defeats from their visits to the country.
Lucescu's side have also been given backing by former player Henrikh Mkhitaryan to cause an upset.
He has witnessed first-hand the quality that Bayern have at their disposal, and the Borussia Dortmund playmaker feels his former club have the capabilities to take a positive result into the second leg in Munich on March 11.
"Every game starts at 0-0. I’m sure that Mircea Lucescu’s team have every chance to beat Bayern," he told his former club's website.
"Shakhtar are a great team with decent players. If the Pitmen play the way they are capable of, Bayern will have a lot of problems."
Basel v Porto: Sousa out to thwart team he almost joined as a player
16 February 2015
Having almost joined Porto as a player, Basel coach Paulo Sousa is working on masterminding their exit from the UEFA Champions League.
Basel coach Paulo Sousa almost signed for Porto during his days as a player, but will now be doing all he can to knock the Portuguese outfit out of the UEFA Champions League.
Having started out in his homeland with Benfica, Sousa's illustrious playing career saw him win this competition on two occasions with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, and the 44-year-old remains one of only three men to have won back-to-back finals with different clubs.
After leaving Dortmund in 1997, Sousa played for Inter, Parma and Panathinaikos before calling it a day following a stint at Espanyol.
Sousa revealed this week that, on more than one occasion, he came close to joining Porto, who visit Basel in the first leg of their last-16 clash on Wednesday.
"I was close to signing for FC Porto, it's true," he told A Bola. "There was that possibility before and after Espanyol.
"However, in the latter case, I was even closer to return to Benfica.
"The only contact I had with the president of FC Porto was when I arrived at Juventus. He was in Italy to see how the ticketing worked at the club and in Italian football and then we had the opportunity to talk.
"He acknowledged the admiration he had for me and said he wanted to see me play at FC Porto, which made me very happy. But it never happened."
Basel progressed as runners-up from a tough group that also contained Real Madrid, Liverpool and Ludogorets Razgrad, while Porto were comfortable in topping Group H, but coach Julen Lopetegui knows his players must be at their best.
"This [Porto] is a team that deserves its qualification for the knockout stages following a group in which they beat Liverpool," he told UEFA.com. "This team gave Real Madrid a hard time in Switzerland.
"They have experience and also did very well last season. It's a team packed with talent.
"We have to be at our best in terms of intensity and concentration if to have a chance to qualify."
Both clubs have only reached the Champions League quarter-finals on one previous occasion, with Basel - who will be without the suspended Fabian Schar - suffering a 7-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich when they last reached the round of 16 in 2012.
Porto, meanwhile, have lost just one of their last 14 European fixtures at home and away.
Schalke v Real Madrid: Holders return to happy hunting ground
16 February 2015
European champions Real Madrid return to Schalke's Veltins-Arena this week almost a year after hitting six past their Bundesliga opponents.
Real Madrid return to Schalke in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday just short of a year since recording a 6-1 victory at the same stage in last year's competition.
Carlo Ancelotti's men hammered their Bundesliga counterparts at the Veltins-Arena in the last-16 first leg a year ago on their way to a historic 10th European title.
Schalke have since changed their coach, with Roberto Di Matteo now the man charged with helping Schalke past their Spanish opponents and into the quarter-finals.
While Di Matteo will be without the likes of Julian Draxler (hamstring), Leon Goretzka (hamstring) and Jefferson Farfan (knee), former Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos - now at Real - warned of the challenge his team-mates will face.
"There are five or six teams that can win the Champions League and we are one of them," he told UEFA outlets.
"We will try to win it but it will be very difficult because how you do in the knockout ties depends very much on your form that day.
"It won't be easy. Schalke are enjoying success in the Bundesliga. They are well organised, they drew in Munich and are strong at the back.
"With their new manager they have become extremely solid in defence. We have injuries so this will be a tough challenge, but our aim is to qualify to the next round."
Real - who lead La Liga by a point from Barcelona - boast a nine-match winning streak in the Champions League and have won seven of their last nine away games in the competition.
Ancelotti's men are bidding to become the first side to retain the Champions League trophy and, despite the absences of James Rodriguez (toe) and Luca Modric thigh), Sidney Sam is under no illusion as to the threat Real will pose.
"They have a world-class squad full of big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and many more," he told Schalke's official website.
"If we defend in a compact manner, we will make life difficult for any team in the world. We have good players too. I'm certain that we're going to have chances.
"It's a new season, a new situation. I think we are more stable as a team this year.
"Our fans believe in us, we believe in ourselves - these are key features should we wish to succeed against Real."
Sam made his comeback from a long-term leg problem in Schalke's 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, while Real could welcome back Pepe this week following a rib injury.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas could miss his side's UEFA Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain with the flu.
Cesc Fabregas is battling illness ahead of Chelsea's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg versus Paris Saint-Germain but manager Jose Mourinho is hopeful the midfielder will play.
Fabregas started on the bench against Everton in the Premier League last week after hurting his hamstring against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup at the end of January, but the Spaniard is now struggling with the flu.
At Chelsea's final training session in London before their match in Paris on Tuesday, Fabregas was fully covered, including a woolly hat on his head and snood around his neck.
Mourinho insisted it is just a "little problem" but it remains unclear how Chelsea's midfield will look against PSG.
"We have only little problems, not everybody is perfect," Chelsea's manager said.
"Oscar has a problem, Fabregas was ill, Willian still has a little feeling from the Liverpool game, but everybody wanted to try and I would say that only [Jon Obi] Mikel is completely out.
"We are a different team with Fabregas, I'm not saying better or worse, I'm saying different. The team grew up from pre-season with him on the team and the team went in a certain direction with a style of play.
"Without him, we lose some control, some possession, we become the same team, well organised, good in transition. But with him, we control the game better, we have more control of the game. We have possession of the ball because of the nature of the style of player he is."
Jose Mourinho brushed aside talk about Paris Saint-Germain's busy schedule, citing Chelsea's own hectic fixture list.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has laughed off suggestions that Paris Saint-Germain could be fatigued ahead of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.
The Premier League leaders visit the reigning Ligue 1 champions in the first leg in Paris on Tuesday for what represents PSG's sixth game in 18 days.
For Chelsea, it is only a fourth in that time period, but Mourinho pointed to PSG's mid-season break as a mitigating factor.
"When the French players were on holiday we played five games in 10 days so don't speak to me about game accumulation," he said in a media conference on Monday.
Mourinho also confirmed that top scorer Diego Costa will return to Chelsea's starting line-up, after missing the last three domestic games for a stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can.
"Yes, I start him," he said. "I don't think it's good for a player to be three weeks or three matches without starting a game."
The Portuguese refused to be drawn on whether Thibaut Courtois or Petr Cech will start in goal and is unsure about Real Madrid and Bayern Munich being given the tag of favourites to win the tournament.
"No. I don't agree, at all. I don't agree because the Champions League is a space for surprises," he said.
Chelsea faced PSG in the quarter-finals last year, when a late Demba Ba strike saw them through on away goals following a 3-1 defeat in Paris and a 2-0 victory in the return leg.
Blanc promises competitive XI after spate of injuries
16 February 2015
Laurent Blanc has promised a fully fit and competitive Paris Saint-Germain side for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Despite their injury worries, Laurent Blanc has refused to use fitness issues as an excuse ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League meeting with Chelsea on Tuesday.
Yohan Cabaye, Serge Aurier, Lucas Moura and Marquinhos all went off injured during Saturday's Ligue 1 draw with Caen, with only the latter in with a chance of featuring in the last-16 first-leg clash.
Whoever plays, Blanc expects the XI he puts out to be competitive.
"We will be without Yohan Cabaye, Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura," he told reporters.
"We will wait for end of training to see who's fit to play. Three won't be there and after practice there will be news on any others.
"Let's see how they feel and whether they feel ready because you can't play such a big game if you're not 100 per cent fit.
"The starting XI will be 100 per cent fit and competitive. [Thiago] Motta has experience and we really need him to be fit, [the Chelsea game] will also be a great test of maturity to for Marco Verratti. I think he will answer positively."
The quartet of injuries compounded a difficult day on Saturday as PSG threw away a two-goal lead in the latter stages against Caen, leading to criticism in the French media.
"Saturday was a catastrophe but every time something's negative at PSG I'm always held responsible," added Blanc.
"I'll happily take responsibility if it means my team is more focused but everything that can happen I'm always responsible - C'est la vie.
"If you say you worry about me giving everything for the team tomorrow then that's the way it's going to be but I'm disappointed you guys think that."
Shakhtar Donetsk face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last 16 with coach Mircea Lucescu keen for his side to become "heroes".
Mircea Lucescu is well aware that his Shakhtar Donetsk side are massive underdogs heading into their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich, but has challenged them to become "heroes".
Lucescu's men have not played a competitive game since mid-December, when they finished the group stages of Europe's premier club competition with a 1-1 draw against Porto.
Bayern, by comparison, travel to Lviv – the alternative venue for the match due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine – for Tuesday's first leg off the back of an 8-0 Bundesliga win over Hamburg last weekend.
The odds are firmly stacked against the Ukrainian champions, as Lucescu knows only too well.
"We will be heroes if we beat Bayern and qualify for the next stage," said the long-serving head coach, who has been in charge since 2004.
"Our last competitive game was 10 weeks ago and also you know about the conditions we have been working in during this season.
"Almost everyone will tell you Bayern are going to qualify for the quarter-finals, especially after their 8-0 win in the last league match.
"Bayern have played four competitive games this year so their coach knows very well the potential of his players, while we have only played friendlies and we will only see our players' condition [on Tuesday].
"Bayern are clear favourites. They are one of the best teams in the world, with a great coach who loves his work very much.
"For the last two years, he has changed Bayern and made them play as a 'latin' side. He is creating a unique team."
Bayern Munich are odds-on favourites to beat Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League, but Pep Guardiola will take nothing for granted.
Pep Guardiola expects another tough test from Mircea Lucescu's Shakhtar Donetsk when Bayern Munich head to Ukraine for their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday.
The fixture in Lviv will be Shakhtar's first competitive fixture of 2015, while Bayern have found their feet after the Bundesliga's mid-season break and smashed Hamburg 8-0 on the weekend.
However, Guardiola remains guarded against a side he has previously come unstuck against, and one that possesses this season's top scorer in the Champions League, Luiz Adriano.
"I respect Shakhtar and their coach Mircea Lucescu very much," he said.
"This is a very smart coach who has created one of the best teams in Europe.
"I played against Shakhtar five times with Barcelona and although we had a really amazing squad it was always so difficult.
"You may remember the UEFA Super Cup match when we scored only in extra-time. Once they defeated us at home.
"I told my players: 'If you beat Shakhtar then you can be very proud because they really are one of the top teams.'
"They have a great striker in Luiz Adriano. Douglas Costa, Marlos, Taison, Alex Teixeira are all great players.
"And I have special words for their captain Darijo Srna. I have watched him a lot for club and country. He would be a talisman in any team in the world."
Guardiola expects to have Xabi Alonso available to call upon. The Spanish playmaker sat out Bayern's thrashing of Hamburg due to a thigh injury.
The goalkeeper is anticipating an "intense atmosphere" in Germany and is expecting a closer encounter than last season's tie
Iker Casillas believes Schalke will want revenge for their thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid in last season's Champions League when the sides meet again on Wednesday.
The Santiago Bernabeu side claimed a 9-2 aggregate victory over Schalke in last year's round of 16 on their way to lifting the trophy.
However, Casillas is not expecting an easy ride this time around against the Bundesliga's fourth-placed side.
"It will be very difficult," the Madrid goalkeeper told the Uefa website. "The atmosphere in Germany will be very intense.
"They are aware that they have an opportunity to get revenge and we expect a tough game. The fact that we faced them last year does not benefit us. If anything, it gives them an advantage.
"It would be a mistake to think that playing in Gelsenkirchen will be easy and that we'll repeat what happened last year.
"Quite the opposite: we have to be careful and go there with humility. It will be a very tough tie."
Ahead of the trip to Germany, Casillas praised the way one of Madrid's own German stars, Toni Kroos, has settled into the club.
"This season, some players who were important to our style of play left the club," he added.
"Others arrived and have become key elements of the team, like James [Rodriguez] or Toni Kroos. The statistics are there to see and demonstrate that.
"Kroos feels very comfortable with the ball. He looks to move it, pass it quickly from right to left."
"He's quick and young. He has being playing to a top level for a long time, so I think that Real Madrid were right to sign him, above all when you take into account his age.
"He has already shown that he can be key in the midfield."
Lucescu: Shakhtar's Brazilians want revenge on Bayern
By Joe Wright
Feb 16, 2015 17:02:00
The veteran coach says a number of his star players want to set the record straight in the Champions League after their nation's World Cup humiliation at the hands of Germany
Shakhtar Donetsk boss Mircea Lucescu says his side's Brazilian stars want to avenge the World Cup thrashing by Germany when they take on Bayern Munich.
The host nation were humiliated in the semi-finals of last summer's tournament by the eventual winners, who triumphed 7-1 en route to lifting the trophy.
Bayern stars Thomas Muller, Philipp Lahm, Jerome Boateng, Manuel Neuer and Bastian Schweinsteiger all started that victory against Brazil, and Lucescu - who boasts Brazilians including Douglas Costa, Alex Teixeira and Luiz Adriano in his side - says a win for Shakhtar would go some way to laying the World Cup ghosts to rest.
"We have 13 Brazilians who dream of revenge against Bayern’s German players for their national side's World Cup defeat," Lucescu told a press conference.
"We will be heroes if we beat them and qualify for the next stage.
"Bayern are clear favourites. They are one of the best teams in the world, with a great coach who loves his work very much. For the last two years, he has changed Bayern and made them play as a 'latin' side. He is creating a unique team."
Shakhtar skipper Darijo Srna insists his team-mates will not be overawed at the prospect of facing Pep Guardiola's charges this week.
"It’s great that we’ll play in Lviv against one of the best teams in the world. We are not afraid," he said.
"We know a lot about Bayern but I think every football fan in the word knows this team very well. Of course, they are favourites but anything can happen in football.
"We are positive about the upcoming game. We hope to get a good result for our club and for our fans who are in a difficult situation in Eastern Ukraine. This is additional motivation for us."
Inexperienced Real Madrid defender Nacho has taken a cheeky swipe at UEFA Champions League opponents Schalke.
Real Madrid defender Nacho and Schalke forward Sidney Sam talked up their respective teams' attacking prowess ahead of Wednesday's first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.
Last season, Real thrashed Schalke 9-2 on aggregate at the same stage of the competition on their way to an unprecedented 10th Champions League/European Cup title.
Based on that result, Nacho claimed Real are confident of scoring away to Schalke again this week.
"Of course. We know the potential we've got, whether we're playing home or away," he told Marca on Monday
"We know that the players we have up front offer us so much. If I had to wager, I'd bet on Real Madrid scoring."
The aggregate victory last year included a 6-1 triumph at Schalke's Veltins Arena and Nacho, who played in the 3-1 second leg win but missed the match in Germany, claimed that the Bundesliga club are probably "still smarting" from their home loss.
"The Veltins Arena is a fantastic ground where the crowd really get behind their team and cheer them on. It gives you that extra motivation to play a good game and get a positive result," Nacho said.
"Schalke are surely still smarting [from the 6-1 loss at home] and will be fired up to get revenge for last year's result."
Nacho has missed just nine minutes of Real's past three matches in La Liga and looks set to start against Schalke but, for a 25-year-old with only five previous Champions League starts, to make such comments could be considered cheeky.
But he was not the only confident individual on Monday with Sam hinting that Real are defensively frail.
Schalke may have been held scoreless by Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday but Real have only kept one clean sheet in their past five games - on Saturday against Deportivo La Coruna - and Sam is convinced the home side will have chances to strike against their Spanish opponents.
"They have a world class squad full of big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and many more," the 27-year-old German told Schalke's website.
"[But] if we defend in a compact manner, we will make life difficult for any team in the world.
"We have good players too. I'm certain that we're going to have chances."
Sam played down his team's failure to score against Frankfurt, maintaining Schalke created enough opportunities to win the game.
"We played well before the break and had chances but we weren't clinical enough," he said.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are not Champions League favourites - Mourinho
Feb 16, 2015 20:36:00
The coach insists the Spanish and German league leaders are not the most likely sides to win the European competition and expressed his worry over Diego Costa's sharpness
By Liam Twomey at Parc des Princes
Jose Mourinho insists Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are not the favourites to win this season's Champions League.
Chelsea are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in the first-leg of their second round tie in Europe's most prestige competition as they look to maintain a strong campaign this season.
However, Madrid, the reigning world and European champions, along with 2012-13 Champions League winners Bayern, are said to have one of the strongest cases to win the competition this year.
However, the Portuguese coach believes none of the 16 teams currently in the tournament can be ruled out just yet.
"I don't agree at all that they're favourites, because the Champions League always has space for surprises," he told reporters.
"You go through the last decade and see teams winning the competition who you expect to win, but you also have teams you don't expect to win. You can balance it almost 50-50.
"You have three or four teams people would not be expecting. I really don't know the candidates when it goes to the knockout stage. At the moment there are 16 candidates for me."
Diego Costa, who has not played for the Blues since last month's League Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool, having served a three-game suspension for stamping on Emre Can, is expected to start in midweek, but Mourinho is worried about his sharpness.
"Yes, I will start him, but I don’t think it’s good for a player to go three matches without starting a game," he added. "I don’t think he's in the best condition.
"But at the same time Loic Remy and Didier Drogba played in the last three matches. It’s obviously important for them to get minutes and have confidence and I know I have them both ready."
The Blues boss also refused to clarify whether Thibaut Courtois would regain his starting spot in goal against PSG after replacement Petr Cech produced an impressive performance against Everton on Wednesday.
"Courtois doesn’t know if he will play or not, so I can’t tell you. He has to hear it from me, not from the media.
"But I repeat, Chelsea has the two best goalkeepers in the Premier League, and for me it’s an easy job. I’m very happy with both. Every time one plays the team is very confident because they know they have a top goalkeeper."
Schalke are focused on exposing the few frailties in Real Madrid's game in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, says Roberto Di Matteo.
Roberto Di Matteo is not intimidated by the propsect of facing UEFA Champions League holders Real Madrid on Wednesday, and hopes to cause them a few headaches.
The two sides come together for the second successive season in the competition as the knockout stages get underway, with Schalke keen to avoid a repeat of last season's 9-2 aggregate defeat.
Schalke come into the game having seen a five-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga come to an end against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, but Di Matteo is confident that will not affect their confidence at the Veltins Arena.
"We're playing the title holders, but our goal going into the match is still to come away with a win," he said.
"We want to exploit the few weaknesses in Real Madrid's game
"Of course they are the favourites. They are the holders, but still, we are out to win.
"It will be a test to see how far we've come in the last weeks and months."
The former Chelsea head coach – who won the Champions League with the English club in 2012 – is understandably wary of Cristiano Ronaldo, acknowledging the tough task Schalke face in stopping the Portugal international.
Di Matteo added: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenal player who is always capable of deciding a match on his own.
"Even is his form is not as stellar as usual, he can still decide a game on his own."
EXCLUSIVE: The Madrid icon talked about the Champions League tie against former club Schalke, his dreams of returning to the Bernabeu and Real's difficult start to 2015
By Ives Galarcep
Legendary striker Raul is looking forward to the Champions League last-16 clash between Real Madrid and Schalke 04 and wants both of his former teams to win their home legs.
“Real Madrid are favourites but Schalke could possibly win,” Raul, 37, told Goal from the training ground at the New York Cosmos facility at Hofstra. “Schalke was a beautiful experience for me.
“I’d like Schalke to win in Gelsenkirchen, and Madrid to win in Madrid, and for the better team to go through.
“I spent most of my career at Real Madrid, but I had two very special years at Schalke and I have a lot of affection for the club.”
The ex-Spain striker, who now plays for New York Cosmos, was expected to see out his career in Madrid before joining Schalke in 2010. He has since played for Al-Sadd in Qatar and was coaxed out of retirement in 2014 to sign up for the Cosmos project after their 2013 rebirth in the North American Soccer League.
But he has been tipped to return to Real in a non-playing capacity and admitted that the lure of the Bernabeu interests him – just not at the moment.
“Real Madrid is my home and if I have the opportunity to go back and do something important, or something that really appeals to me, I’ll do it,” he added. “I went back a year ago with Al-Sadd and, after three or four years away, to still feel loved by the people in Madrid was very emotional for me.”
“But now I’m focused on a very exciting project here with the Cosmos. I think there’s a long road of discovery ahead in the United States. Soccer is getting stronger in this country, little by little.
“I could possibly stay here for four or five years. Who knows what could happen at Real Madrid in that time? Who knows how things might change?”
In the first months of 2015, Real Madrid endured a difficult spell. Having won 22 matches in a row at the back end of 2014, the European champions lost three and drew one of their first 10 games of the year.
The biggest humiliation came at the hands of city rivals Atletico Madrid, who triumphed 4-0 at Vicente Calderon on February 7.
“Atletico were the better team, but in La Liga it was just three points,” Raul explained. “Real Madrid can still win the league, but every loss to Atletico hurts.
“There’s only one way to get out of a bad run and that is to concentrate and work hard. Whether you win, five, 10 or 20 matches in a row, you can’t relax. It’s the same with a loss – you can’t let it bring you down. Seasons are 10 months long and what matters is to get to the last two to three months in your best form.
“Every season has its bad patches. Barcelona had one, but now you see them playing very well. Earlier in the season people were saying they were a disaster, but they weren’t really so much of a disaster.
"It’s a process and I’m sure Real Madrid will compete and be in the fight in the end.”
