Suarez Strikes as Barca Down Misfiring Madrid

-

Barcelona are into the Copa del Rey final for the sixth year in a row after a 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday sealed a 4-1 aggregate semi-final victory.

Luis Suarez scored twice in the second half either side of a Raphael Varane own goal to send the Catalans through and keep their treble hopes alive.

Madrid had gone into the second leg with a slight edge following a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou, but they failed to best Marc-Andre ter Stegen with some clear-cut chances in the first half.

Vinicius Junior was the biggest attacking threat in some cagey opening minutes, seeing a shot well blocked by Ter Stegen after earlier having a penalty appeal waved away.

Ter Stegen again came to Barca's rescue 10 minutes before the break, denying Karim Benzema on the half-volley, before Vinicius steered the ball over the bar from Sergio Reguilon's low cross.

However, 50 minutes in, Barca's attack finally came to life. Ousmane Dembele raced away from Dani Carvajal and cut the ball back for Suarez, who side-footed first time past Keylor Navas at the left-hand post.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mbappe⚡ Brace Powers PSG

-
Image
Kylian Mbappe moved onto 51 Ligue 1 goals as Paris Saint-Germain extended their lead at the top of the table to 17 points with a 3-0 victory over Nimes on Saturday. Thomas Tuchel's men saw second-placed Lille held by Strasbourg on Friday and took full advantage to widen the gap at the summit. PSG were far from their fluent best as Nimes threatened early on, but once Christopher Nkunku had calmly slotted home from Marco Verratti's pass there was little doubt who would claim victory. Mbappe could have easily had a hat-trick but had to settle for two in the closing stages to seal the points and reach his personal landmark.
Read more

Cojones' Celebration Lands Simeone Improper Conduct Charge from UEFA

-
Image
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has been charged with improper conduct by UEFA following an incident during the 2-0 Champions League win over Juventus. UEFA did not confirm what action Simeone is being charged in connection with, reports suggest that it is related to him celebrating Atleti's opener by clutching his crotch while gesticulating to the crowd. Simeone attracted criticism from some for the gesture but he apologised after the match, explaining it was directed at Atletico fans, showing them "that we have cojones". "To start [Diego] Costa and Koke after they hadn't played for a month takes balls," he added. The Argentine admitted that it is not the first time he has performed such a celebration. "I did it as a player in Lazio vs Bologna and I did it again to show our fans that we have cojones. It wasn't aimed at the other team, I was turning towards our own supporters, " said Simeone.                        Here is hi
Read more

Former Man Utd Defender To Be New Feyenoord Coach

-
Image
Feyenoord have confirmed Jaap Stam will replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the club’s new coach in the summer. Van Bronckhorst announced in January that he would be leaving his position at the end of the season, with former Manchester United defender Stam being appointed as his successor on a two-year contract. Stam only took charge at PEC Zwolle in December on an 18-month contract, but revealed that he could not turn down the opportunity to coach Feyenoord. “I really enjoy PEC Zwolle, but, for every ambitious coach, if the opportunity arises to work at a club like Feyenoord, you will seriously think about it,” Stam told Feyenoord’s official website. “After good and open conversations with (technical director) Martin van Geel about the possibilities and impossibilities at Feyenoord, I soon found out that I would like to go for this opportunity."
Read more

Chelsea's Kepa Fined a Week's Wages for Substitution Fiasco

-
Image
Chelsea have fined Kepa Arrizabalaga one week's wages for refusing to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. The Spanish goalkeeper went to ground with an apparent injury in the closing moments of extra time, prompting manager Maurizio Sarri to ready penalty specialist Willy Caballero to enter for the impending shoot-out. A messy cross-field exchange ensued as Kepa argued with Sarri - who had to remain on the touchline - over his ability to remain in the game. Chelsea would go on to lose the shootout, with Kepa letting a tame penalty run underneath him to contribute to the defeat.
Read more

Chelsea Appeal to FIFA over Window Transfer Ban

-
Image
Chelsea have lodged an appeal with FIFA against their ban from signing players during the next two transfer windows. FIFA announced in February that the ban had been imposed on Chelsea for alleged breaches of regulations regarding the acquisition of players under the age of 18. At the time, Chelsea were quick to announce their intention to appeal the decision, stating the club 'categorically refutes' the findings of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee. A statement released on the club’s official website read: “Chelsea FC has today received a decision from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee concerning alleged breaches of the FIFA Regulations that relate to the international transfer of players under the age of 18. “The decision imposes a transfer ban of two consecutive registration periods and a fine of 600k Swiss francs. “Chelsea FC categorically refutes the findings of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and will therefore be appealing the decision."
Read more