PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Braga - Guimaraes 4-0 highlights
4' Elderson Echiejile
19' Custodio
77' Lima (pen.)
88' Ukra
Current standings:
1 Porto 20 15 4 1 47-13 +34 49p
2 Benfica 20 15 4 1 47-16 +31 49p
3 Sporting Braga 20 14 4 2 42-16 +26 46p
4 Sporting Lisbon 20 11 5 4 31-16 +15 38p
5 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
Monday 27 February 2012
Sunday 26 February 2012
2012.02.26 - The Results
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
12:30 -- Excelsior - Ajax 1-4 highlights
[0-1] 23' Araz Ozbiliz
x - 26' Edwin de Graaf (m. pen.) - x
[0-2] 45' Siem de Jong
[1-2] 67' Jurgen Mattheij
[1-3] 87' Siem de Jong
[1-4] 90' Jan Vertonghen
14:30 -- PSV - Feyenoord 3-2 highlights
[1-0] 44' Ola Toivonen
[2-0] 66' Dries Mertens
[2-1] 71' Guyon Fernandez
[2-2] 79' Guyon Fernandez
[3-2] 85' Zakaria Labyad
14:30 -- Twente - Utrecht 1-0 highlights
44' Luuk de Jong
16:30 -- AZ Alkmaar - Heerenveen 3-3
[1-0] 25' Jozy Altidore
[1-1] 54' Filip Djuricic
[2-1] 57' Jozy Altidore
[2-2] 76' Bas Dost
[2-3] 81' Luciano Narsingh
[3-3] 83' Erik Falkenburg
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 23 14 6 3 60-28 +32 48p
2 AZ Alkmaar 23 14 4 5 48-24 +24 46p
3 Twente 22 13 6 3 59-23 +36 45p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Bayern - Schalke 2-0 highlights
36' Franck Ribery
55' Franck Ribery
17:30 -- Borussia D. - Hannover 3-1 highlights
[1-0] 27' Robert Lewandowski
[2-0] 54' Robert Lewandowski
[2-1] 60' Didier Konan
[3-1] 90' Ivan Perisic
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 23 16 4 3 50-15 +35 52p
2 Bayern München 23 15 3 5 51-14 +37 48p
3 Borussia M'gladbach 23 14 5 4 37-14 +23 47p
4 Schalke 04 23 14 2 7 50-30 +20 44p
5 Bayer Leverkusen 23 10 7 6 34-29 +5 37p
ENGLAND: Barclays Premiership
14:30 -- Arsenal - Tottenham 5-2 (2-2) highlights
14:30 -- Norwich - Manchester United 1-2 highlights
[0-1] 7' Paul Scholes
[1-1] 83' Grant Holt
[1-2] 90' + 2' Ryan Giggs
16:00 -- Stoke City - Swansea 2-0 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 Manchester City 26 20 3 3 67-19 +48 63p
2 Manchester United 26 19 4 3 63-26 +37 61p
3 Tottenham Hotspur 26 16 5 5 51-30 +21 53p
4 Arsenal 26 14 4 8 53-37 +16 46p
5 Chelsea 26 13 7 6 47-31 +16 46p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
17:00 -- Beira Mar - Setubal 2-3 (0-2)
17:00 -- Olhanense - Gil Vicente 0-0
17:00 -- Pacos de Ferreira - Nacional 0-2 (0-0)
19:15 -- Sporting - Rio Ave 1-0 (1-0) highlights
21:15 -- Porto - Feirense 2-0 highlights
x - 59' Hulk (m. pen.) - x
68' Maicon
72' James Rodriguez
Current standings:
1 Porto 20 15 4 1 47-13 +34 49p
2 Benfica 20 15 4 1 47-16 +31 49p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Sporting Lisbon 20 11 5 4 31-16 +15 38p
5 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Buyuksehir - Antalyaspor 4-0 (1-0)
12:00 -- Genclerbirligi - Sivasspor 3-3 (2-1)
15:00 -- Trabzonspor - Mersin 2-3 (0-1)
18:00 -- Galatasaray - Besiktas 3-2 highlights
[1-0] 15' Johan Elmander
[1-1] 49' Ibrahim Toraman
[2-1] 52' Felipe Melo
[2-2] 73' Semih Kaya (o.-g.)
[3-2] 90' Johan Elmander
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 28 19 6 3 54-21 +33 63p
2 Fenerbahçe 28 16 6 6 47-30 +17 54p
3 Besiktas 28 14 7 7 41-31 +10 49p
SPAIN: Primera Division
12:00 -- Villarreal - Athletic 2-2 (1-0) highlights
16:00 -- Rayo Vallecano - Real Madrid 0-1 highlights
54' Cristiano Ronaldo
18:00 -- Osasuna - Granada 2-1 (2-1)
18:00 -- Real Sociedad - Mallorca 1-0 (0-0)
18:00 -- Valencia - Sevilla 1-2 (1-1) highlights
21:30 -- Atletico Madrid - Barcelona 1-2 highlights
[0-1] 36' Dani Alves
[1-1] 49' Radamel Falcao
[1-2] 81' Lionel Andres Messi
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 24 21 1 2 80-21 +59 64p
2 Barcelona 24 16 6 2 70-18 +52 54p
3 Valencia 24 11 7 6 37-29 +8 40p
4 Levante 24 10 5 9 34-35 -1 35p
5 Athletic Bilbao 24 8 10 6 39-32 +7 34p
ITALY: Serie A
15:00 -- Atalanta - Roma 4-1 (2-1) highlights
15:00 -- Cagliari - Lecce 1-2 (0-1)
15:00 -- Catania - Novara 3-1 (1-0)
15:00 -- Chievo - Cesena 1-0 (0-0)
15:00 -- Siena - Palermo 4-1 (2-1)
20:45 -- Bologna - Udinese 1-3 highlights
[0-1] 38' Antonio Di Natale (pen.)
[0-2] 56' Dusan Basta
[1-2] 81' Panagiotis Kone
[1-3] 84' Antonio Floro Flores
20:45 -- Lazio - Fiorentina 1-0 highlights
36' Miroslav Klose
20:45 -- Napoli - Inter 1-0 highlights
59' Ezequiel Lavezzi
Current standings:
1 Milan 25 15 6 4 49-22 +27 51p
2 Juventus 24 13 11 0 37-15 +22 50p
3 Udinese 25 13 6 6 37-23 +14 45p
4 Lazio 25 13 6 6 39-29 +10 45p
5 Napoli 25 10 10 5 42-24 +18 40p
FRANCE: Ligue 1
17:00 -- Brest - Marseille 1-0 (1-0)
17:00 -- Toulouse - Sochaux 2-0 (1-0)
21:00 -- Rennes - Lille 1-1 highlights
[0-1] 40' Aurelien Chedjou
[1-1] 90' M. Erding
Current standings:
1 Montpellier 25 16 5 4 48-25 +23 53p
2 PSG 25 15 7 3 44-25 +19 52p
3 Lille 25 12 10 3 43-27 +16 46p
4 Saint-Etienne 25 12 7 6 33-26 +7 43p
5 Olympique Lyon 25 12 4 9 41-32 +9 40p
ENGLAND: Carling Cup
17:00 -- Cardiff City - Liverpool 1-1 (1-0), 2-2 (1-1) after extra time, 2-3 on penalties highlights
GREECE: Super League
18:30 -- AEK Athens - OFI 1-1 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Panathinaikos Athens 22 17 3 2 43-16 +27 54p
2 Olympiakos Piraeus 22 16 4 2 48-14 +34 52p
3 PAOK Thessaloniki 22 11 6 5 30-17 +13 39p
12:30 -- Excelsior - Ajax 1-4 highlights
[0-1] 23' Araz Ozbiliz
x - 26' Edwin de Graaf (m. pen.) - x
[0-2] 45' Siem de Jong
[1-2] 67' Jurgen Mattheij
[1-3] 87' Siem de Jong
[1-4] 90' Jan Vertonghen
14:30 -- PSV - Feyenoord 3-2 highlights
[1-0] 44' Ola Toivonen
[2-0] 66' Dries Mertens
[2-1] 71' Guyon Fernandez
[2-2] 79' Guyon Fernandez
[3-2] 85' Zakaria Labyad
14:30 -- Twente - Utrecht 1-0 highlights
44' Luuk de Jong
16:30 -- AZ Alkmaar - Heerenveen 3-3
[1-0] 25' Jozy Altidore
[1-1] 54' Filip Djuricic
[2-1] 57' Jozy Altidore
[2-2] 76' Bas Dost
[2-3] 81' Luciano Narsingh
[3-3] 83' Erik Falkenburg
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 23 14 6 3 60-28 +32 48p
2 AZ Alkmaar 23 14 4 5 48-24 +24 46p
3 Twente 22 13 6 3 59-23 +36 45p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Bayern - Schalke 2-0 highlights
36' Franck Ribery
55' Franck Ribery
17:30 -- Borussia D. - Hannover 3-1 highlights
[1-0] 27' Robert Lewandowski
[2-0] 54' Robert Lewandowski
[2-1] 60' Didier Konan
[3-1] 90' Ivan Perisic
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 23 16 4 3 50-15 +35 52p
2 Bayern München 23 15 3 5 51-14 +37 48p
3 Borussia M'gladbach 23 14 5 4 37-14 +23 47p
4 Schalke 04 23 14 2 7 50-30 +20 44p
5 Bayer Leverkusen 23 10 7 6 34-29 +5 37p
ENGLAND: Barclays Premiership
14:30 -- Arsenal - Tottenham 5-2 (2-2) highlights
14:30 -- Norwich - Manchester United 1-2 highlights
[0-1] 7' Paul Scholes
[1-1] 83' Grant Holt
[1-2] 90' + 2' Ryan Giggs
16:00 -- Stoke City - Swansea 2-0 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 Manchester City 26 20 3 3 67-19 +48 63p
2 Manchester United 26 19 4 3 63-26 +37 61p
3 Tottenham Hotspur 26 16 5 5 51-30 +21 53p
4 Arsenal 26 14 4 8 53-37 +16 46p
5 Chelsea 26 13 7 6 47-31 +16 46p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
17:00 -- Beira Mar - Setubal 2-3 (0-2)
17:00 -- Olhanense - Gil Vicente 0-0
17:00 -- Pacos de Ferreira - Nacional 0-2 (0-0)
19:15 -- Sporting - Rio Ave 1-0 (1-0) highlights
21:15 -- Porto - Feirense 2-0 highlights
x - 59' Hulk (m. pen.) - x
68' Maicon
72' James Rodriguez
Current standings:
1 Porto 20 15 4 1 47-13 +34 49p
2 Benfica 20 15 4 1 47-16 +31 49p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Sporting Lisbon 20 11 5 4 31-16 +15 38p
5 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Buyuksehir - Antalyaspor 4-0 (1-0)
12:00 -- Genclerbirligi - Sivasspor 3-3 (2-1)
15:00 -- Trabzonspor - Mersin 2-3 (0-1)
18:00 -- Galatasaray - Besiktas 3-2 highlights
[1-0] 15' Johan Elmander
[1-1] 49' Ibrahim Toraman
[2-1] 52' Felipe Melo
[2-2] 73' Semih Kaya (o.-g.)
[3-2] 90' Johan Elmander
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 28 19 6 3 54-21 +33 63p
2 Fenerbahçe 28 16 6 6 47-30 +17 54p
3 Besiktas 28 14 7 7 41-31 +10 49p
SPAIN: Primera Division
12:00 -- Villarreal - Athletic 2-2 (1-0) highlights
16:00 -- Rayo Vallecano - Real Madrid 0-1 highlights
54' Cristiano Ronaldo
18:00 -- Osasuna - Granada 2-1 (2-1)
18:00 -- Real Sociedad - Mallorca 1-0 (0-0)
18:00 -- Valencia - Sevilla 1-2 (1-1) highlights
21:30 -- Atletico Madrid - Barcelona 1-2 highlights
[0-1] 36' Dani Alves
[1-1] 49' Radamel Falcao
[1-2] 81' Lionel Andres Messi
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 24 21 1 2 80-21 +59 64p
2 Barcelona 24 16 6 2 70-18 +52 54p
3 Valencia 24 11 7 6 37-29 +8 40p
4 Levante 24 10 5 9 34-35 -1 35p
5 Athletic Bilbao 24 8 10 6 39-32 +7 34p
ITALY: Serie A
15:00 -- Atalanta - Roma 4-1 (2-1) highlights
15:00 -- Cagliari - Lecce 1-2 (0-1)
15:00 -- Catania - Novara 3-1 (1-0)
15:00 -- Chievo - Cesena 1-0 (0-0)
15:00 -- Siena - Palermo 4-1 (2-1)
20:45 -- Bologna - Udinese 1-3 highlights
[0-1] 38' Antonio Di Natale (pen.)
[0-2] 56' Dusan Basta
[1-2] 81' Panagiotis Kone
[1-3] 84' Antonio Floro Flores
20:45 -- Lazio - Fiorentina 1-0 highlights
36' Miroslav Klose
20:45 -- Napoli - Inter 1-0 highlights
59' Ezequiel Lavezzi
Current standings:
1 Milan 25 15 6 4 49-22 +27 51p
2 Juventus 24 13 11 0 37-15 +22 50p
3 Udinese 25 13 6 6 37-23 +14 45p
4 Lazio 25 13 6 6 39-29 +10 45p
5 Napoli 25 10 10 5 42-24 +18 40p
FRANCE: Ligue 1
17:00 -- Brest - Marseille 1-0 (1-0)
17:00 -- Toulouse - Sochaux 2-0 (1-0)
21:00 -- Rennes - Lille 1-1 highlights
[0-1] 40' Aurelien Chedjou
[1-1] 90' M. Erding
Current standings:
1 Montpellier 25 16 5 4 48-25 +23 53p
2 PSG 25 15 7 3 44-25 +19 52p
3 Lille 25 12 10 3 43-27 +16 46p
4 Saint-Etienne 25 12 7 6 33-26 +7 43p
5 Olympique Lyon 25 12 4 9 41-32 +9 40p
ENGLAND: Carling Cup
17:00 -- Cardiff City - Liverpool 1-1 (1-0), 2-2 (1-1) after extra time, 2-3 on penalties highlights
GREECE: Super League
18:30 -- AEK Athens - OFI 1-1 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Panathinaikos Athens 22 17 3 2 43-16 +27 54p
2 Olympiakos Piraeus 22 16 4 2 48-14 +34 52p
3 PAOK Thessaloniki 22 11 6 5 30-17 +13 39p
Why the Fuck Is This Shit Still Allowed?
Go to minute 4 of this video (- see below, the highlights -) to see what I'm talking about.
Even Messi is doing this? What a disappointment!
Barcelona is a great team! Messi is a great player!
How can they be satisfied with a win obtained in such a cheap, retarded, undignified manner?
And what the hell was that moron referee thinking?
This kind of goal should always be annulled and never be allowed!
For fair play, and the good of the game, when the goalkeeper is organizing the wall of team-mates, no opposing player should be permitted to strike the ball.
(Some referees allow it, some don't, supposedly. How can that garbage attitude still be allowed on football pitches? Exaggerating, for effect, here's a comparison: how would it be if some boxing referees allowed the champ to kick the contender in the nuts, and knock him out by surprising him thusly, and some didn't. See what I mean, now? Taking a free kick like that should definitely not be allowed. No team should ever win, courtesy of a goal scored in this way.)
What does this say about Barcelona, now?
That they could not win any other way?
That they were so desperate, as to stoop to a dirt-cheap ploy?
And that Perez Lasa was a coward, who decided to accept Barcelona's trick?
In conclusion, if any official referee sees this: Not only does allowing such a goal mean that you are not making sure that everything is fair, but it also means that you are openly and defiantly encouraging cheating instead of discouraging it.
Highlights:
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona by pomelom
Even Messi is doing this? What a disappointment!
Barcelona is a great team! Messi is a great player!
How can they be satisfied with a win obtained in such a cheap, retarded, undignified manner?
And what the hell was that moron referee thinking?
This kind of goal should always be annulled and never be allowed!
For fair play, and the good of the game, when the goalkeeper is organizing the wall of team-mates, no opposing player should be permitted to strike the ball.
(Some referees allow it, some don't, supposedly. How can that garbage attitude still be allowed on football pitches? Exaggerating, for effect, here's a comparison: how would it be if some boxing referees allowed the champ to kick the contender in the nuts, and knock him out by surprising him thusly, and some didn't. See what I mean, now? Taking a free kick like that should definitely not be allowed. No team should ever win, courtesy of a goal scored in this way.)
What does this say about Barcelona, now?
That they could not win any other way?
That they were so desperate, as to stoop to a dirt-cheap ploy?
And that Perez Lasa was a coward, who decided to accept Barcelona's trick?
In conclusion, if any official referee sees this: Not only does allowing such a goal mean that you are not making sure that everything is fair, but it also means that you are openly and defiantly encouraging cheating instead of discouraging it.
Highlights:
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona by pomelom
Porto Leader Again
After Benfica stumbled yet again, Porto had the opportunity to see that five-point difference from a couple of weeks ago reduced to nothing, if only they could beat 15th-placed Feirense at home.
But it was way harder than Porto fans thought.
The ball would just not go in. When the supporters saw Hulk miss a penalty, after an hour of play, they must have feared the worst.
However, Porto eventually delivered the goods. Two goals, coming in minutes 68 and 72, saw the giants from the north of Portugal go top once again, albeit only on goal difference (3 better than Benfica).
And, wow, next matchday, they will travel to Estádio da Luz, to take on The Eagles. Then, we'll see who's really the leader, and who deserves it more.
Highlights:
FC Porto 2-0 Feirense - Highlights by simaotvgolo12
But it was way harder than Porto fans thought.
The ball would just not go in. When the supporters saw Hulk miss a penalty, after an hour of play, they must have feared the worst.
However, Porto eventually delivered the goods. Two goals, coming in minutes 68 and 72, saw the giants from the north of Portugal go top once again, albeit only on goal difference (3 better than Benfica).
And, wow, next matchday, they will travel to Estádio da Luz, to take on The Eagles. Then, we'll see who's really the leader, and who deserves it more.
Highlights:
FC Porto 2-0 Feirense - Highlights by simaotvgolo12
The Race Is Practically Over
In Turkey, Galatasaray is very close of being crowned champion.
Like Fenerbahce, they were also able to defeat Besiktas, at home. But, unlike Fenerbahce, Galatasaray did not lose this weekend, so they are now, thanks to the 3-2 victory over The Black Eagles, 9 points ahead at the top of the Turkish standings.
Galatasaray took the lead three times, including the last one, and saw those leads shattered two times, by scrappy goals, the second one of Besiktas even being an own goal, from Semih Kaya (in minute 73).
But Johan Elmander was the hero for Cim Bom Bom. Not only did he score the first goal, in the 15th minute, but he also scored the winning goal in the last minute, just when the game seemed destined to end 2-2.
There are only six matches left for each team, and it seems unlikely that Galatasaray will not win more than one half of the points still on the table.
Highlights:
Galatasaray 3-2 Besiktas by coppoccop
Like Fenerbahce, they were also able to defeat Besiktas, at home. But, unlike Fenerbahce, Galatasaray did not lose this weekend, so they are now, thanks to the 3-2 victory over The Black Eagles, 9 points ahead at the top of the Turkish standings.
Galatasaray took the lead three times, including the last one, and saw those leads shattered two times, by scrappy goals, the second one of Besiktas even being an own goal, from Semih Kaya (in minute 73).
But Johan Elmander was the hero for Cim Bom Bom. Not only did he score the first goal, in the 15th minute, but he also scored the winning goal in the last minute, just when the game seemed destined to end 2-2.
There are only six matches left for each team, and it seems unlikely that Galatasaray will not win more than one half of the points still on the table.
Highlights:
Galatasaray 3-2 Besiktas by coppoccop
Feye... Nooo!
Feyenoord Rotterdam, or rather Guyon Fernandez, fought valiantly to come back from 0-2 to 2-2 in Eindhoven. They should have gotten the draw, but PSV's pressure made Feyenoord's defensive players lose their cool. It ended 3-2 for Philips Sport Vereniging.
Labyad's goal, in minute 85, was, pure and simple, a gift from the guests' defense. The PSV player only had to push in the ball, repeatedly mishandled and lost by Feyenoord, when it reached him.
This scrappy, random goal caused Feyenoord to lose 1 point, and PSV to gain 2 more. PSV Eindhoven also stays at the top of the standings thanks to this win.
Moreover, the leaders gain two points over AZ Alkmaar, who could not build on their win in Brussels, in the Europa League, in midweek, and drew 3-3, at home, against Heerenveen. The third-placed team, therefore, also lost two points in their attempt to follow PSV.
If there is another true winner this matchday, it's Twente Enschede. Steve McClaren's team managed to hold out against pushy Utrecht, who even hit the post in the second half. Final score: 1-0 for Twente, Luuk de Jong with the goal (in minute 45).
Ajax also won, beating Excelsion, 4-1, away from home, but, given that PSV won, they gain no ground on the leader.
Labyad's goal, in minute 85, was, pure and simple, a gift from the guests' defense. The PSV player only had to push in the ball, repeatedly mishandled and lost by Feyenoord, when it reached him.
This scrappy, random goal caused Feyenoord to lose 1 point, and PSV to gain 2 more. PSV Eindhoven also stays at the top of the standings thanks to this win.
Moreover, the leaders gain two points over AZ Alkmaar, who could not build on their win in Brussels, in the Europa League, in midweek, and drew 3-3, at home, against Heerenveen. The third-placed team, therefore, also lost two points in their attempt to follow PSV.
If there is another true winner this matchday, it's Twente Enschede. Steve McClaren's team managed to hold out against pushy Utrecht, who even hit the post in the second half. Final score: 1-0 for Twente, Luuk de Jong with the goal (in minute 45).
Ajax also won, beating Excelsion, 4-1, away from home, but, given that PSV won, they gain no ground on the leader.
Glory, Glory...? Or Lucky, Lucky?
They should change that chant about Man. United, that talks about glory, to make it revere the sheer dumb luck that Alex Ferguson 's team has, so often in its history.
Giggs' goal in the last minutes of the Norwich game, which can only be qualified as lucky, is now worth two enormous points in the title race. They could count for a lot in the end, and I wish United would finally stop getting so damn lucky all the time, already.
This is why so many people are disgusted by Manchester United, and, in case somebody doesn't get it yet, let me put it very simply:
Manchester United manages to attain way more trophies than they thoroughly deserve. The number of lucky breaks and goals that go their way is so large, it's astounding.
I could enumerate some of them, and I would always leave too many out. But, to shut up anybody who might contest this, I'd like to evoke that Champions League final in 1999, against Bayern Munich, when they finally slapped the ball around a little in extra time and got the two goals needed to defeat a dumbstruck German team.
All credit to Norwich, for fighting to get a point, though.
But, of course, Man. U.'s stupid luck could not let them fall four points behind City. Not now, when they're going to play Tottenham next. (But, hey, Tottenham loses to Man. U. more frequently than to any other team, do they not?)
Giggs' goal in the last minutes of the Norwich game, which can only be qualified as lucky, is now worth two enormous points in the title race. They could count for a lot in the end, and I wish United would finally stop getting so damn lucky all the time, already.
This is why so many people are disgusted by Manchester United, and, in case somebody doesn't get it yet, let me put it very simply:
Manchester United manages to attain way more trophies than they thoroughly deserve. The number of lucky breaks and goals that go their way is so large, it's astounding.
I could enumerate some of them, and I would always leave too many out. But, to shut up anybody who might contest this, I'd like to evoke that Champions League final in 1999, against Bayern Munich, when they finally slapped the ball around a little in extra time and got the two goals needed to defeat a dumbstruck German team.
All credit to Norwich, for fighting to get a point, though.
But, of course, Man. U.'s stupid luck could not let them fall four points behind City. Not now, when they're going to play Tottenham next. (But, hey, Tottenham loses to Man. U. more frequently than to any other team, do they not?)
What A Day in Holland!
I don't remember the last time a single day (- not even a full matchday -) in Dutch football had so many interesting encounters.
On Sunday, all four scheduled matches involve teams that may have something to say in the title race. Some, more than one.
Even Ajax could get back into the chase, particularly if PSV, Twente and Alkmaar, all playing in separate encounters, fail to win.
Four of these teams, PSV, Alkmaar, Heerenveen and Twente, all have chances of finishing the day on top of the Eredivisie, the last three if other results go their way.
The most mouth-watering matches are, of course, the traditional derby PSV - Feyenoord (with Feyenoord also just four points behind the pace of the leaders), and, of course, second versus third, Alkmaar - Heerenveen.
You know at least two of these teams will drop points. Which ones will it be?
And what if all six drop points?
(...Although, for Ajax's sake, it better not be them, or they could end up eight points behind the leaders, again, and all the hype after the victory against Man. U., at Old Trafford, would all be for nothing.
On Sunday, all four scheduled matches involve teams that may have something to say in the title race. Some, more than one.
Even Ajax could get back into the chase, particularly if PSV, Twente and Alkmaar, all playing in separate encounters, fail to win.
Four of these teams, PSV, Alkmaar, Heerenveen and Twente, all have chances of finishing the day on top of the Eredivisie, the last three if other results go their way.
The most mouth-watering matches are, of course, the traditional derby PSV - Feyenoord (with Feyenoord also just four points behind the pace of the leaders), and, of course, second versus third, Alkmaar - Heerenveen.
You know at least two of these teams will drop points. Which ones will it be?
And what if all six drop points?
(...Although, for Ajax's sake, it better not be them, or they could end up eight points behind the leaders, again, and all the hype after the victory against Man. U., at Old Trafford, would all be for nothing.
| The matches: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12:30 -- Excelsior - Ajax 14:30 -- PSV - Feyenoord 14:30 -- Twente - Utrecht 16:30 -- AZ Alkmaar - Heerenveen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 February 2012
2012.02.25 - The Results
FRANCE: Ligue 1
19:00 -- Ajaccio - Dijon 2-1 (0-0)
19:00 -- Auxerre - Saint-Etienne 0-0
19:00 -- Evian - Nancy 2-0 (2-0)
19:00 -- Montpellier - Bordeaux 1-0 highlights
80' John Utaka
19:00 -- Nice - Caen 1-0 (0-0)
19:00 -- Valenciennes - Lorient 2-0 (0-0)
21:00 -- Lyon - Paris Saint-Germain 4-4 highlights
[0-1] 21' Guillaume Hoarau
[1-1] 34' Bafetimbi Gomis
[2-1] 36' Lisandro Lopez
[3-1] 40' Michel Bastos
[3-2] 45' + 3' Luis de Carvalho Nene (pen.)
[4-2] 58' Jimmy Briand
[4-3] 73' Marcos Ceara
[4-4] 90' + 4' Guillaume Hoarau
Current standings:
1 Montpellier 25 16 5 4 48-25 +23 53p
2 PSG 25 15 7 3 44-25 +19 52p
3 Lille 24 12 9 3 42-26 +16 45p
4 Saint-Etienne 25 12 7 6 33-26 +7 43p
5 Olympique Lyon 25 12 4 9 41-32 +9 40p
ITALY: Serie A
18:00 -- Genoa - Parma 2-2 (0-1)
20:45 -- Milan - Juventus 1-1 highlights
[1-0] 14' Antonio Nocerino
[1-1] 83' Alessandro Matri
Current standings:
1 Milan 25 15 6 4 49-22 +27 51p
2 Juventus 24 13 11 0 37-15 +22 50p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
ENGLAND: Barclays Premiership
16:00 -- Chelsea - Bolton 3-0 (0-0) highlights
16:00 -- Newcastle - Wolverhampton 2-2 (2-0)
16:00 -- QPR - Fulham 0-1 (0-1)
16:00 -- West Brom - Sunderland 4-0 (2-0)
16:00 -- Wigan - Aston Villa 0-0
18:30 -- Manchester City - Blackburn 3-0 highlights
30' Mario Balotelli
52' Sergio Aguero
81' Edin Dzeko
Current standings:
1 Manchester City 26 20 3 3 67-19 +48 63p
2 Manchester United 25 18 4 3 61-25 +36 58p
3 Tottenham Hotspur 25 16 5 4 49-25 +24 53p
4 Chelsea 26 13 7 6 47-31 +16 46p
5 Arsenal 25 13 4 8 48-35 +13 43p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Academica - Benfica 0-0
Current standings:
1 Benfica 20 15 4 1 47-16 +31 49p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
5 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Karabukspor - Ankaragucu 3-2 (1-1)
15:00 -- Manisaspor - Gaziantepspor 0-2 (0-0)
15:00 -- Samsunspor - Bursaspor 0-3 (0-1)
18:00 -- Eskisehirspor - Fenerbahce 2-1 highlights
[1-0] 31' Bulent Ertugrul
[2-0] 56' Diomansy Kamara
[2-1] 75' Moussa Sow
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 28 16 6 6 47-30 +17 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
SPAIN: Primera Division
18:00 -- Betis - Getafe 1-1 (0-0)
18:00 -- Racing Santander - Sporting Gijon 1-1 (0-1)
20:00 -- Malaga - Zaragoza 5-1 (1-1)
22:00 -- Espanyol - Levante 1-2 (0-1) highlights
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 23 15 6 2 68-17 +51 51p
3 Valencia 23 11 7 5 36-27 +9 40p
4 Levante 24 10 5 9 34-35 -1 35p
5 Malaga 24 10 4 10 33-36 -3 34p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Augsburg - Hertha 3-0 (0-0)
15:30 -- Koln - Bayer 0-2 (0-1)
15:30 -- Mainz - Kaiserslautern 4-0 (3-0)
15:30 -- Stuttgart - Freiburg 4-1 (2-1)
15:30 -- Wolfsburg - Hoffenheim 1-2 (0-1)
18:30 -- Werder Bremen - Nurnberg 0-1 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 23 14 5 4 37-14 +23 47p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 22 14 2 6 50-28 +22 44p
5 Bayer Leverkusen 23 10 7 6 34-29 +5 37p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
18:45 -- NAC Breda - ADO Den Haag 4-0 (2-0)
19:45 -- Roda - De Graafschap 0-2 (0-1)
19:45 -- VV Venlo - Heracles Almelo 3-1 (2-1)
20:45 -- NEC Nijmegen - Groningen 4-0 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 22 13 6 3 57-26 +31 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 22 14 3 5 45-21 +24 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
19:00 -- Ajaccio - Dijon 2-1 (0-0)
19:00 -- Auxerre - Saint-Etienne 0-0
19:00 -- Evian - Nancy 2-0 (2-0)
19:00 -- Montpellier - Bordeaux 1-0 highlights
80' John Utaka
19:00 -- Nice - Caen 1-0 (0-0)
19:00 -- Valenciennes - Lorient 2-0 (0-0)
21:00 -- Lyon - Paris Saint-Germain 4-4 highlights
[0-1] 21' Guillaume Hoarau
[1-1] 34' Bafetimbi Gomis
[2-1] 36' Lisandro Lopez
[3-1] 40' Michel Bastos
[3-2] 45' + 3' Luis de Carvalho Nene (pen.)
[4-2] 58' Jimmy Briand
[4-3] 73' Marcos Ceara
[4-4] 90' + 4' Guillaume Hoarau
Current standings:
1 Montpellier 25 16 5 4 48-25 +23 53p
2 PSG 25 15 7 3 44-25 +19 52p
3 Lille 24 12 9 3 42-26 +16 45p
4 Saint-Etienne 25 12 7 6 33-26 +7 43p
5 Olympique Lyon 25 12 4 9 41-32 +9 40p
ITALY: Serie A
18:00 -- Genoa - Parma 2-2 (0-1)
20:45 -- Milan - Juventus 1-1 highlights
[1-0] 14' Antonio Nocerino
[1-1] 83' Alessandro Matri
Current standings:
1 Milan 25 15 6 4 49-22 +27 51p
2 Juventus 24 13 11 0 37-15 +22 50p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
ENGLAND: Barclays Premiership
16:00 -- Chelsea - Bolton 3-0 (0-0) highlights
16:00 -- Newcastle - Wolverhampton 2-2 (2-0)
16:00 -- QPR - Fulham 0-1 (0-1)
16:00 -- West Brom - Sunderland 4-0 (2-0)
16:00 -- Wigan - Aston Villa 0-0
18:30 -- Manchester City - Blackburn 3-0 highlights
30' Mario Balotelli
52' Sergio Aguero
81' Edin Dzeko
Current standings:
1 Manchester City 26 20 3 3 67-19 +48 63p
2 Manchester United 25 18 4 3 61-25 +36 58p
3 Tottenham Hotspur 25 16 5 4 49-25 +24 53p
4 Chelsea 26 13 7 6 47-31 +16 46p
5 Arsenal 25 13 4 8 48-35 +13 43p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Academica - Benfica 0-0
Current standings:
1 Benfica 20 15 4 1 47-16 +31 49p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
5 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Karabukspor - Ankaragucu 3-2 (1-1)
15:00 -- Manisaspor - Gaziantepspor 0-2 (0-0)
15:00 -- Samsunspor - Bursaspor 0-3 (0-1)
18:00 -- Eskisehirspor - Fenerbahce 2-1 highlights
[1-0] 31' Bulent Ertugrul
[2-0] 56' Diomansy Kamara
[2-1] 75' Moussa Sow
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 28 16 6 6 47-30 +17 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
SPAIN: Primera Division
18:00 -- Betis - Getafe 1-1 (0-0)
18:00 -- Racing Santander - Sporting Gijon 1-1 (0-1)
20:00 -- Malaga - Zaragoza 5-1 (1-1)
22:00 -- Espanyol - Levante 1-2 (0-1) highlights
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 23 15 6 2 68-17 +51 51p
3 Valencia 23 11 7 5 36-27 +9 40p
4 Levante 24 10 5 9 34-35 -1 35p
5 Malaga 24 10 4 10 33-36 -3 34p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Augsburg - Hertha 3-0 (0-0)
15:30 -- Koln - Bayer 0-2 (0-1)
15:30 -- Mainz - Kaiserslautern 4-0 (3-0)
15:30 -- Stuttgart - Freiburg 4-1 (2-1)
15:30 -- Wolfsburg - Hoffenheim 1-2 (0-1)
18:30 -- Werder Bremen - Nurnberg 0-1 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 23 14 5 4 37-14 +23 47p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 22 14 2 6 50-28 +22 44p
5 Bayer Leverkusen 23 10 7 6 34-29 +5 37p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
18:45 -- NAC Breda - ADO Den Haag 4-0 (2-0)
19:45 -- Roda - De Graafschap 0-2 (0-1)
19:45 -- VV Venlo - Heracles Almelo 3-1 (2-1)
20:45 -- NEC Nijmegen - Groningen 4-0 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 22 13 6 3 57-26 +31 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 22 14 3 5 45-21 +24 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
Benfica - Probably Second After Tomorrow
Two weeks ago, the Benfica machine was functioning like impeccable clockwork: 15 wins and 3 draws in the Portuguese league, and unbeaten in the Champions League.
After being 5 points up on FC Porto, for a good while, they're now in the position to give up first place, if Porto wins tomorrow, because of the better goal differential of their northern rivals.
The goalless draw at Academica Coimbra did it.
And Academica is a team with zero wins, so far, in 2012.
What happened to Benfica? (There may be more than just one factor, but I think the coach, Jorge Jesus, has no crisis management skills, and he is not able to instill any urgency in Benfica, either.)
He should probably go if Benfica fails to win the title this year, too.
After being 5 points up on FC Porto, for a good while, they're now in the position to give up first place, if Porto wins tomorrow, because of the better goal differential of their northern rivals.
The goalless draw at Academica Coimbra did it.
And Academica is a team with zero wins, so far, in 2012.
What happened to Benfica? (There may be more than just one factor, but I think the coach, Jorge Jesus, has no crisis management skills, and he is not able to instill any urgency in Benfica, either.)
He should probably go if Benfica fails to win the title this year, too.
The Match That Changed the Leader
PSG scored a (minor) victory, a draw and a loss today.
It may sound incredible, but one could certainly argue for all three.
The last-gasp equalizer from the in-form striker Guillaume Hoarau, to make it 4-4 at Stade Gerland, was celebrated as a victory by the Parisian players and staff.
On the other hand, failing to win in Lyon means PSG loses their first-place position, in favour of excellent Montpellier, who managed to get its fifth win in six previous matches today.
The draw, of course, is the actual score.
A very honourable mention should go to Hoarau, who also scored against Montpellier last week, again in the dying moments of the game. That's one player who delivers!
But, although they showed great tenacity to get the point with literally seconds left on the clock, PSG players played a poor game today.
They allowed three goals in six minutes, between minutes 34 and 40, which ruined the game for them.
And Paris Saint-Germain's defense mechanism was a terrible disappointment. (Not even to mention that their attackers missed a sitter or two, or maybe even three, in the second half.)
In addition, Lyon is no longer a team to be feared terribly, as perhaps they were three or four years ago. Caen beat them, in Lyon, just two weeks ago. And Caen is struggling, below mid-table.
So, basically, Paris SG did badly. Ancelotti did badly. And PSG is now second.
It's up to Montpellier now to build on their momentum.
Watch highlights from Lyon - PSG 4-4 here.
Highlights from Montpellier - Bordeaux 1-0:
It may sound incredible, but one could certainly argue for all three.
The last-gasp equalizer from the in-form striker Guillaume Hoarau, to make it 4-4 at Stade Gerland, was celebrated as a victory by the Parisian players and staff.
On the other hand, failing to win in Lyon means PSG loses their first-place position, in favour of excellent Montpellier, who managed to get its fifth win in six previous matches today.
The draw, of course, is the actual score.
A very honourable mention should go to Hoarau, who also scored against Montpellier last week, again in the dying moments of the game. That's one player who delivers!
But, although they showed great tenacity to get the point with literally seconds left on the clock, PSG players played a poor game today.
They allowed three goals in six minutes, between minutes 34 and 40, which ruined the game for them.
And Paris Saint-Germain's defense mechanism was a terrible disappointment. (Not even to mention that their attackers missed a sitter or two, or maybe even three, in the second half.)
In addition, Lyon is no longer a team to be feared terribly, as perhaps they were three or four years ago. Caen beat them, in Lyon, just two weeks ago. And Caen is struggling, below mid-table.
So, basically, Paris SG did badly. Ancelotti did badly. And PSG is now second.
It's up to Montpellier now to build on their momentum.
Watch highlights from Lyon - PSG 4-4 here.
Highlights from Montpellier - Bordeaux 1-0:
The Italian Derby Undecided
AC Milan was fantastic in the first half of this encounter. They should have had three or four goals, as they rolled all over Juventus.
One perfectly valid goal, scored by Muntari, which should have made it 2-0, was wrongly overlooked by the referees. (The linesman on the side where Juventus defended was probably the most guilty of not making sure the goal counted, which it should have, as the ball headed by the Ghanaian player crossed the line by a good distance before being pushed out again by Buffon.)
This is yet another proof - and I'm sure everybody has lost count - that referees are just not good enough to make these decisions without the help of replays or goal-line technology.
In any case, after Antonio Nocerino's goal, a quarter of an hour into the game, Juventus started to play better.
And they improved significantly after half-time.
Maybe one of the big incentives was also that they did not want to have their first defeat this season come at the hands of their biggest rivals.
Alessandro Matri, one of the greatest Italian attacking prospects, had a perfectly good goal disallowed, too, due to offside, in the second half.
After this second error, my opinion is that the linesman on that side very likely did not intend to deprive Milan of a deserved advantage, in the first half, or else he probably would have helped Juventus in the second half. (But he didn't.) No, that guy either needs glasses, or he should be relegated to officiate some smaller matches, where his screw-ups do not matter that much.
But the 27-years old Juventus forward was not to be denied, as he scored with an impressive volley, to make it 1-1, in minute 83.
No team could then deliver the knockout blow.
And Juventus is still unbeaten in matches against Milan this season. (And there's one more to go, in the Coppa Italia semifinal, return leg.)
Juventus remains second, but they could take over first spot if they win their game in hand.
Highlights:
Milan - Juventus 1:1 HD Highlights by FootballKing1992
One perfectly valid goal, scored by Muntari, which should have made it 2-0, was wrongly overlooked by the referees. (The linesman on the side where Juventus defended was probably the most guilty of not making sure the goal counted, which it should have, as the ball headed by the Ghanaian player crossed the line by a good distance before being pushed out again by Buffon.)
This is yet another proof - and I'm sure everybody has lost count - that referees are just not good enough to make these decisions without the help of replays or goal-line technology.
In any case, after Antonio Nocerino's goal, a quarter of an hour into the game, Juventus started to play better.
And they improved significantly after half-time.
Maybe one of the big incentives was also that they did not want to have their first defeat this season come at the hands of their biggest rivals.
Alessandro Matri, one of the greatest Italian attacking prospects, had a perfectly good goal disallowed, too, due to offside, in the second half.
After this second error, my opinion is that the linesman on that side very likely did not intend to deprive Milan of a deserved advantage, in the first half, or else he probably would have helped Juventus in the second half. (But he didn't.) No, that guy either needs glasses, or he should be relegated to officiate some smaller matches, where his screw-ups do not matter that much.
But the 27-years old Juventus forward was not to be denied, as he scored with an impressive volley, to make it 1-1, in minute 83.
No team could then deliver the knockout blow.
And Juventus is still unbeaten in matches against Milan this season. (And there's one more to go, in the Coppa Italia semifinal, return leg.)
Juventus remains second, but they could take over first spot if they win their game in hand.
Highlights:
Milan - Juventus 1:1 HD Highlights by FootballKing1992
Fenerbahce Out of the Title Race?
I'm not even going to bother to say "Wow, what a surprise!", because probably Fener fans have gotten used to their team losing away from home this year. (Perhaps they have gotten used to losing by the exact scoreline 2-1, too.)
This time, Eskisehirspor beat them, and quite deservedly so.
The team from Eskisehir dominated the first half, and twenty-five minutes of the second one, with authority.
Final score: 2-1 (1-0).
Now, Galatasaray could go 9 points up, if they beat Besiktas, on Sunday.
Not the easiest of games for Galata, but being nine points ahead, with just six matches left, would be like the championship is already wrapped up, so I'm sure Cim Bom Bom will try hard to do well.
Highlights:
This time, Eskisehirspor beat them, and quite deservedly so.
The team from Eskisehir dominated the first half, and twenty-five minutes of the second one, with authority.
Final score: 2-1 (1-0).
Now, Galatasaray could go 9 points up, if they beat Besiktas, on Sunday.
Not the easiest of games for Galata, but being nine points ahead, with just six matches left, would be like the championship is already wrapped up, so I'm sure Cim Bom Bom will try hard to do well.
Highlights:
Friday 24 February 2012
2012.02.24 - The Results
GERMANY: Bundesliga
20:30 -- Borussia M. - Hamburger 1-1 highlights
[1-0] 45' Mike Hanke
[1-1] 56' Tolgay Arslan
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 23 14 5 4 37-14 +23 47p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 22 14 2 6 50-28 +22 44p
5 Werder Bremen 22 10 6 6 37-36 +1 36p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Maritimo - Leiria 1-0 highlights
66' Roberto Souza
Current standings:
1 Benfica 19 15 3 1 47-16 +31 48p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
5 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
20:00 -- RKC Waalwijk - Vitesse 1-0 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 22 13 6 3 57-26 +31 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 22 14 3 5 45-21 +24 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
TURKEY: Super Lig
19:00 -- Orduspor - Kayserispor 1-0 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
20:30 -- Borussia M. - Hamburger 1-1 highlights
[1-0] 45' Mike Hanke
[1-1] 56' Tolgay Arslan
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 23 14 5 4 37-14 +23 47p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 22 14 2 6 50-28 +22 44p
5 Werder Bremen 22 10 6 6 37-36 +1 36p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Maritimo - Leiria 1-0 highlights
66' Roberto Souza
Current standings:
1 Benfica 19 15 3 1 47-16 +31 48p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Marítimo 20 11 5 4 30-22 +8 38p
5 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
20:00 -- RKC Waalwijk - Vitesse 1-0 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 22 13 6 3 57-26 +31 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 22 14 3 5 45-21 +24 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
TURKEY: Super Lig
19:00 -- Orduspor - Kayserispor 1-0 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
No Top Spot for Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach could have gotten a temporary share of Bundesliga's top spot today (together with the other Borussia, Dortmund), if they had only beaten Hamburger SV, at home.
And they were up 1-0 at half-time, courtesy of Mike Hanke 's deflection that made Arango's free kick go in, in minute 45.
But then some sloppy defending made it possible for Hamburg's forward Arslan to just poke the ball past goalkeeper ter Stegen, which made it 1-1 (in minute 56).
Borussia M. could not muster enough effort to score a second, showing a worrying lack of consistency exactly when they needed it, and that was the final score, sure enough.
Monchengladbach could now lose second spot to Bayern or Schalke, if either of these teams wins, but could not be passed by both because they are going to play each other.
And, also, Borussia Monchengladbach no longer has the best defense in the league, having just conceded their fourteenth goal, which puts them at the same level as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Highlights:
Borussia Mоnchengladbach - Hamburger 1:1 by FootballKing1992
And they were up 1-0 at half-time, courtesy of Mike Hanke 's deflection that made Arango's free kick go in, in minute 45.
But then some sloppy defending made it possible for Hamburg's forward Arslan to just poke the ball past goalkeeper ter Stegen, which made it 1-1 (in minute 56).
Borussia M. could not muster enough effort to score a second, showing a worrying lack of consistency exactly when they needed it, and that was the final score, sure enough.
Monchengladbach could now lose second spot to Bayern or Schalke, if either of these teams wins, but could not be passed by both because they are going to play each other.
And, also, Borussia Monchengladbach no longer has the best defense in the league, having just conceded their fourteenth goal, which puts them at the same level as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Highlights:
Borussia Mоnchengladbach - Hamburger 1:1 by FootballKing1992
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Olympique Leaves It Late
It took the very last serious action of the game, but Marseille finally managed to put one past inter.
They're going to go to Milan 1-0 up, thank to the Andre Ayew header.
There's not much else to say about this victory, except that both the Marseille forward and the inter defender who should have hit the ball before Ayew failed to do so, and the Ghanaian player just happened to be alert enough to take advantage of a lucky encounter with the ball. That's the goal, in a nutshell.
The contest was very tight, with few chances, and all of this should be saying that the poor form in the national league is still affecting both of these teams.
And any of them, really, could wake up from its, let's call it, hibernation, and play a much better game in the second leg. I'm hoping it will be Marseille. Today, though, none of the teams put up a great performance.
Highlights:
Marseille 1-0 Inter Goal highlights 22.02.2012 by vik2003
They're going to go to Milan 1-0 up, thank to the Andre Ayew header.
There's not much else to say about this victory, except that both the Marseille forward and the inter defender who should have hit the ball before Ayew failed to do so, and the Ghanaian player just happened to be alert enough to take advantage of a lucky encounter with the ball. That's the goal, in a nutshell.
The contest was very tight, with few chances, and all of this should be saying that the poor form in the national league is still affecting both of these teams.
And any of them, really, could wake up from its, let's call it, hibernation, and play a much better game in the second leg. I'm hoping it will be Marseille. Today, though, none of the teams put up a great performance.
Highlights:
Marseille 1-0 Inter Goal highlights 22.02.2012 by vik2003
Basel Again
Despite APOEL's great performance to win their group, Basel is really the surprise team of the tournament, if you ask me.
In the group stage, APOEL faced a pathetic Shakhtar Donetsk, to which they ended up losing at home, a severely weakened FC Porto, and a russian team; and now they're taking on a Lyon on the decline. Basel, on the other hand, had to fight against a Benfica team clearly better than Porto, at the time, and Manchester United. And Basel had to go against, and beat, Man. U., in the very last match of the group stage, to go through. (APOEL couldn't have done that.)
And Basel did great again today.
They beat Bayern. Sure, it was at home, but it is still impressive for such a small team.
The goal came late, but that was a great play, to set it up.
Valentin Stocker put the ball coolly past Neuer, in the 86th minute, to give the Swiss champions the advantage, after a great pass by Zoua Daogari cut right through the German defense.
Bayern had played better in the second half, after seeing Basel hit the woodwork twice in the first half.
Of course, though, the tie is far from over. And Bayern's prowess on their home field is well-known.
Highlights:
www.todayfoot.com B 1-0 B 22/02/2012 by 123dz
In the group stage, APOEL faced a pathetic Shakhtar Donetsk, to which they ended up losing at home, a severely weakened FC Porto, and a russian team; and now they're taking on a Lyon on the decline. Basel, on the other hand, had to fight against a Benfica team clearly better than Porto, at the time, and Manchester United. And Basel had to go against, and beat, Man. U., in the very last match of the group stage, to go through. (APOEL couldn't have done that.)
And Basel did great again today.
They beat Bayern. Sure, it was at home, but it is still impressive for such a small team.
The goal came late, but that was a great play, to set it up.
Valentin Stocker put the ball coolly past Neuer, in the 86th minute, to give the Swiss champions the advantage, after a great pass by Zoua Daogari cut right through the German defense.
Bayern had played better in the second half, after seeing Basel hit the woodwork twice in the first half.
Of course, though, the tie is far from over. And Bayern's prowess on their home field is well-known.
Highlights:
www.todayfoot.com B 1-0 B 22/02/2012 by 123dz
2012.02.22 - The Results
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8-Finals (leg 1)
20:45 -- Basel - Bayern 1-0 highlights
86' Valentin Stocker
20:45 -- Marseille - Inter 1-0 highlights
90' + 3' Andre Ayew
FRANCE: Ligue 1
18:30 -- Caen - Auxerre 2-1 (0-0)
18:30 -- Saint-Etienne - Lorient 4-2 (0-0) highlights
[0-1] 49' Arnold Mvuemba (pen.)
[1-1] 56' Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
[2-1] 68' Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
[2-2] 75' Mathias Autret
[3-2] 88' Bakary Sako
[4-2] 90' Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
18:30 -- Sochaux - Lille 0-1 highlights
76' Nolan Roux
Current standings:
1 PSG 24 15 6 3 40-21 +19 51p
2 Montpellier 24 15 5 4 47-25 +22 50p
3 Lille 24 12 9 3 42-26 +16 45p
4 Saint-Etienne 24 12 6 6 33-26 +7 42p
5 Olympique Marseille 23 10 9 4 34-22 +12 39p
ITALY: Serie A
18:30 -- Siena - Catania 0-1 (0-1)
Current standings:
1 Milan 24 15 5 4 48-21 +27 50p
2 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
20:45 -- Basel - Bayern 1-0 highlights
86' Valentin Stocker
20:45 -- Marseille - Inter 1-0 highlights
90' + 3' Andre Ayew
FRANCE: Ligue 1
18:30 -- Caen - Auxerre 2-1 (0-0)
18:30 -- Saint-Etienne - Lorient 4-2 (0-0) highlights
[0-1] 49' Arnold Mvuemba (pen.)
[1-1] 56' Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
[2-1] 68' Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
[2-2] 75' Mathias Autret
[3-2] 88' Bakary Sako
[4-2] 90' Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
18:30 -- Sochaux - Lille 0-1 highlights
76' Nolan Roux
Current standings:
1 PSG 24 15 6 3 40-21 +19 51p
2 Montpellier 24 15 5 4 47-25 +22 50p
3 Lille 24 12 9 3 42-26 +16 45p
4 Saint-Etienne 24 12 6 6 33-26 +7 42p
5 Olympique Marseille 23 10 9 4 34-22 +12 39p
ITALY: Serie A
18:30 -- Siena - Catania 0-1 (0-1)
Current standings:
1 Milan 24 15 5 4 48-21 +27 50p
2 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
Tuesday 21 February 2012
The Loser Team Strikes Again
How does a top team go from being 1-0 up, and in no danger whatsoever, to losing 1-3 and making even more huge errors in defense than there were goals scored in the entire match?
Yes, this was a comedy of errors.
Mata scored as a result of an error, too, to put Chelsea ahead, but Chelsea made way more of them.
If you were wondering how come Manchester United could come back from 0-3 down against Chelsea, to tie it up, here's how. Napoli could do it, too. (But Chelsea was only able to score one against Napoli.)
And this game also showed the difference between Drogba and Cavani. One is a top-quality forward, with quick moves, excellent reflexes and good team play; the other is Drogba.
But, really, the one who can't get his act together (and get rid of useless players, thus forming a better squad) is Villas-Boas.
Too bad for Chelsea, because with this current team they won't win any more trophies.
Yes, this was a comedy of errors.
Mata scored as a result of an error, too, to put Chelsea ahead, but Chelsea made way more of them.
If you were wondering how come Manchester United could come back from 0-3 down against Chelsea, to tie it up, here's how. Napoli could do it, too. (But Chelsea was only able to score one against Napoli.)
And this game also showed the difference between Drogba and Cavani. One is a top-quality forward, with quick moves, excellent reflexes and good team play; the other is Drogba.
But, really, the one who can't get his act together (and get rid of useless players, thus forming a better squad) is Villas-Boas.
Too bad for Chelsea, because with this current team they won't win any more trophies.
2012.02.21 - The Results
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8-Finals (leg 1)
18:00 -- CSKA - Real Madrid 1-1 highlights
[0-1] 28' Cristiano Ronaldo
[1-1] 90' + 3' Pontus Wernbloom
20:45 -- Napoli - Chelsea 3-1 highlights
[0-1] 27' Juan Mata
[1-1] 38' Ezequiel Lavezzi
[2-1] 45' + 2' Edinson Cavani
[3-1] 65' Ezequiel Lavezzi
ITALY: Serie A
18:30 -- Bologna - Fiorentina 2-0 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 Milan 24 15 5 4 48-21 +27 50p
2 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
18:00 -- CSKA - Real Madrid 1-1 highlights
[0-1] 28' Cristiano Ronaldo
[1-1] 90' + 3' Pontus Wernbloom
20:45 -- Napoli - Chelsea 3-1 highlights
[0-1] 27' Juan Mata
[1-1] 38' Ezequiel Lavezzi
[2-1] 45' + 2' Edinson Cavani
[3-1] 65' Ezequiel Lavezzi
ITALY: Serie A
18:30 -- Bologna - Fiorentina 2-0 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 Milan 24 15 5 4 48-21 +27 50p
2 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
Real Makes Its Own Life Hard
After its players, particularly Ronaldo, missed some few good chances to completely thrash CSKA, in Moscow, Real conceded a goal in the last 30 seconds (of injury time), thereby making the return leg harder.
Cristiano Ronaldo alone had two great chances to make it 2-0 in the second half. Although he scored the go-ahead goal, in minute 28, the Portuguese was not his usual proficient self.
Wernbloom scored the lucky equalizer, deep, deep in injury time.
Mourinho's attitude did not help, either. He tried to defend the result, in the last minutes, taking out Ozil to introduce Albiol, and his move proved far less than inspired. How can such a good coach be so silly sometimes? Why change something that works very well, just because of a theoretical security advantage. (Yeah, sure, maybe Ozil was tired, and not producing as much, but not having to worry about him allowed CSKA to attack more vigorously, didn't it?)
So, there goes Real's perfect record in the Champions League. Now, they have roughly the same record as Barcelona.
The Spanish giants still have the first chance to advance, and they could even do so with a 0-0 scoreline at the Bernabeu, in three weeks' time. And you know they just have got to produce better finishing on their own turf.
Cristiano Ronaldo alone had two great chances to make it 2-0 in the second half. Although he scored the go-ahead goal, in minute 28, the Portuguese was not his usual proficient self.
Wernbloom scored the lucky equalizer, deep, deep in injury time.
Mourinho's attitude did not help, either. He tried to defend the result, in the last minutes, taking out Ozil to introduce Albiol, and his move proved far less than inspired. How can such a good coach be so silly sometimes? Why change something that works very well, just because of a theoretical security advantage. (Yeah, sure, maybe Ozil was tired, and not producing as much, but not having to worry about him allowed CSKA to attack more vigorously, didn't it?)
So, there goes Real's perfect record in the Champions League. Now, they have roughly the same record as Barcelona.
The Spanish giants still have the first chance to advance, and they could even do so with a 0-0 scoreline at the Bernabeu, in three weeks' time. And you know they just have got to produce better finishing on their own turf.
Monday 20 February 2012
Benfica in Crisis
It's amazing how a club goes months and months without losing a game, and then has to accept defeat twice in a span of only days.
After, unluckily, some might say, losing in St. Petersburg, Benfica lost again, this time in the Portuguese league.
Vitoria Guimaraes is the team that must credited for defeating the Lisbon giants.
Guimaraes is not even in the top five. They had lost to Porto and Sporting, on their home field, prior to this match.
But they played well, and they won a respected victory.
Benfica, on the other hand, may just be in a crisis, now.
They're down a goal in their Champions League tie, and they have FC Porto breathing down their necks, just two points behind, in Liga Sagres.
(Should be an interesting finish...)
Highlights:
After, unluckily, some might say, losing in St. Petersburg, Benfica lost again, this time in the Portuguese league.
Vitoria Guimaraes is the team that must credited for defeating the Lisbon giants.
Guimaraes is not even in the top five. They had lost to Porto and Sporting, on their home field, prior to this match.
But they played well, and they won a respected victory.
Benfica, on the other hand, may just be in a crisis, now.
They're down a goal in their Champions League tie, and they have FC Porto breathing down their necks, just two points behind, in Liga Sagres.
(Should be an interesting finish...)
Highlights:
2012.02.20 - The Results
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Guimaraes - Benfica 1-0 highlights
37' Marcelo Toscano
Current standings:
1 Benfica 19 15 3 1 47-16 +31 48p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
5 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
SPAIN: Primera Division
21:00 -- Zaragoza - Betis 0-2 (0-1)
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 23 15 6 2 68-17 +51 51p
3 Valencia 23 11 7 5 36-27 +9 40p
4 Athletic Bilbao 23 8 9 6 37-30 +7 33p
5 Espanyol 23 9 6 8 26-27 -1 33p
TURKEY: Super Lig
19:00 -- Bursaspor - Buyuksehir 2-1 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
21:15 -- Guimaraes - Benfica 1-0 highlights
37' Marcelo Toscano
Current standings:
1 Benfica 19 15 3 1 47-16 +31 48p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
5 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
SPAIN: Primera Division
21:00 -- Zaragoza - Betis 0-2 (0-1)
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 23 15 6 2 68-17 +51 51p
3 Valencia 23 11 7 5 36-27 +9 40p
4 Athletic Bilbao 23 8 9 6 37-30 +7 33p
5 Espanyol 23 9 6 8 26-27 -1 33p
TURKEY: Super Lig
19:00 -- Bursaspor - Buyuksehir 2-1 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
Check Out This Idiot!
I'm not reviewing this FA Cup match -- Liverpool - Brighton & Hove A. 6-1. (Once the competition reaches the semifinal stage, though, I will be discussing it then.)
But right now you really must see, and laugh at, this moronic Brighton defender who, at 1-4, thought he should juggle the ball in his own penalty box instead of just kicking it away as soon as possible.
I don't have to tell you what happened next.
See it here.
People will be laughing at this pathetic excuse for a footballer (- Lewis Dunk is his name -) for a long, long time.
But right now you really must see, and laugh at, this moronic Brighton defender who, at 1-4, thought he should juggle the ball in his own penalty box instead of just kicking it away as soon as possible.
I don't have to tell you what happened next.
See it here.
People will be laughing at this pathetic excuse for a footballer (- Lewis Dunk is his name -) for a long, long time.
Sunday 19 February 2012
2012.02.19 - The Results
FRANCE: Ligue 1
17:00 -- Bordeaux - Lyon 1-0 (1-0) highlights
17:00 -- Saint-Etienne - Rennes 4-0 (1-0) highlights
21:00 -- Paris Saint Germain - Montpellier 2-2 highlights
[1-0] 41' Alex
[1-1] 45' Younes Belhanda
[1-2] 82' John Utaka
[2-2] 88' Guillaume Hoarau
Current standings:
1 PSG 24 15 6 3 40-21 +19 51p
2 Montpellier 24 15 5 4 47-25 +22 50p
3 Lille 23 11 9 3 41-26 +15 42p
4 Olympique Marseille 23 10 9 4 34-22 +12 39p
5 Olympique Lyon 24 12 3 9 37-28 +9 39p
ITALY: Serie A
12:30 -- Lecce - Siena 4-1 (1-1)
15:00 -- Cesena - Milan 1-3 highlights
[0-1] 29' Sulley Muntari
[0-2] 31' Urby Emanuelson
[0-3] 55' Robinho
[1-3] 65' Daniel Pudil
15:00 -- Genoa - Chievo 0-1 (0-1)
15:00 -- Novara - Atalanta 0-0
15:00 -- Roma - Parma 1-0 (1-0) highlights
20:45 -- Udinese - Cagliari 0-0
20:45 -- Palermo - Lazio 5-1 highlights
[1-0] 10' Edgar Barreto
[2-0] 20' Massimo Donati
[3-0] 41' Matias Silvestre
[4-0] 47' Igor Budan
[5-0] 51' Fabrizio Miccoli
[5-1] 85' Libor Kozak
Current standings:
1 Milan 24 15 5 4 48-21 +27 50p
2 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
12:30 -- Groningen - PSV 3-0 highlights
29' Suk Hyun-Jun
51' Leandro Bacuna
74' Suk Hyun-Jun
14:30 -- Ajax - NEC Nijmegen 4-1 highlights
[1-0] 5' Dmitriy Bulikin
[2-0] 8' Jan Vertonghen
[3-0] 27' Dmitriy Bulikin
[4-0] 57' Siem de Jong
[4-1] 69' Rens van Eijden
14:30 -- Utrecht - AZ Alkmaar 3-0 highlights
15' Alexander Gerndt (pen.)
21' Alexander Gerndt
41' Edouard Duplan
16:30 -- Vitesse - Twente 1-4
[0-1] 6' Leroy Fer
[0-2] 65' Luuk de Jong
[0-3] 73' Ola John
x - 81' Bony (m. pen.) - x
[0-4] 83' Nacer Chadli
[1-4] 88' Mike Havenaar
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 22 13 6 3 57-26 +31 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 22 14 3 5 45-21 +24 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
SPAIN: Primera Division
12:00 -- Granada - Real Sociedad 4-1 (1-1)
16:00 -- Athletic - Malaga 3-0 (0-0)
18:00 -- Sporting Gijon - Atletico Madrid 1-1 (1-1)
18:00 -- Mallorca - Villarreal 4-0 (1-0)
19:45 -- Levante - Rayo Vallecano 3-5 (0-1)
21:30 -- Barcelona - Valencia 5-1 highlights
[0-1] 9' Pablo Piatti
[1-1] 22' Lionel Andres Messi
[2-1] 27' Lionel Andres Messi
[3-1] 76' Lionel Andres Messi
[4-1] 85' Lionel Andres Messi
[5-1] 90' + 1' Xavi Hernandez
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 23 15 6 2 68-17 +51 51p
3 Valencia 23 11 7 5 36-27 +9 40p
4 Athletic Bilbao 23 8 9 6 37-30 +7 33p
5 Espanyol 23 9 6 8 26-27 -1 33p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
17:00 -- Feirense - Olhanense 1-1 (1-0)
17:00 -- Leiria - Beira Mar 0-0
17:00 -- Nacional - Academica 4-1 (2-0)
19:15 -- Setubal - Porto 1-3 highlights
[0-1] 3' Marc Janko
[0-2] 26' Fernando Reges
[1-2] 75' Pimenta
[1-3] 79' Silvestre Varela
21:15 -- Sporting - Pacos de Ferreira 1-0 highlights
36' Ricardo Da Silva (o.-g.)
Current standings:
1 Benfica 18 15 3 0 47-15 +32 48p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
5 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Schalke 04 - Wolfsburg 4-0 highlights
10' Raul Gonzalez
15' Klaas Jan Huntelaar
x - 36' Klaas Jan Huntelaar (m. pen.) - x
49' Joel Matip
72' Klaas Jan Huntelaar
17:30 -- Hannover - Stuttgart 4-2 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 22 14 4 4 36-13 +23 46p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 22 14 2 6 50-28 +22 44p
5 Werder Bremen 22 10 6 6 37-36 +1 36p
GREECE: Super League
14:00 -- Giannina - Atromitos 1-2 (0-1)
14:00 -- Panaitolikos - Levadiakos 0-2 (0-2)
16:15 -- Kerkyra - Doxa Dramas 3-1 (1-0)
16:15 -- Olympiakos - Panionios 2-0 highlights
41' Jean Makoun
51' Diogo
18:30 -- PAOK - Aris 0-0
Current standings:
1 Panathinaikos Athens 22 17 3 2 43-16 +27 54p
2 Olympiakos Piraeus 22 16 4 2 48-14 +34 52p
3 PAOK Thessaloniki 22 11 6 5 30-17 +13 39p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Gaziantepspor - Orduspor 1-0 (1-0)
15:00 -- Eskisehirspor - Karabukspor 1-2 (0-1)
15:00 -- Kayserispor - Trabzonspor 3-3 (2-0)
18:00 -- Besiktas - Genclerbirligi 3-2 (0-1) highlights
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
17:00 -- Bordeaux - Lyon 1-0 (1-0) highlights
17:00 -- Saint-Etienne - Rennes 4-0 (1-0) highlights
21:00 -- Paris Saint Germain - Montpellier 2-2 highlights
[1-0] 41' Alex
[1-1] 45' Younes Belhanda
[1-2] 82' John Utaka
[2-2] 88' Guillaume Hoarau
Current standings:
1 PSG 24 15 6 3 40-21 +19 51p
2 Montpellier 24 15 5 4 47-25 +22 50p
3 Lille 23 11 9 3 41-26 +15 42p
4 Olympique Marseille 23 10 9 4 34-22 +12 39p
5 Olympique Lyon 24 12 3 9 37-28 +9 39p
ITALY: Serie A
12:30 -- Lecce - Siena 4-1 (1-1)
15:00 -- Cesena - Milan 1-3 highlights
[0-1] 29' Sulley Muntari
[0-2] 31' Urby Emanuelson
[0-3] 55' Robinho
[1-3] 65' Daniel Pudil
15:00 -- Genoa - Chievo 0-1 (0-1)
15:00 -- Novara - Atalanta 0-0
15:00 -- Roma - Parma 1-0 (1-0) highlights
20:45 -- Udinese - Cagliari 0-0
20:45 -- Palermo - Lazio 5-1 highlights
[1-0] 10' Edgar Barreto
[2-0] 20' Massimo Donati
[3-0] 41' Matias Silvestre
[4-0] 47' Igor Budan
[5-0] 51' Fabrizio Miccoli
[5-1] 85' Libor Kozak
Current standings:
1 Milan 24 15 5 4 48-21 +27 50p
2 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
3 Udinese 24 12 6 6 34-22 +12 42p
4 Lazio 24 12 6 6 38-29 +9 42p
5 Roma 24 11 5 8 37-27 +10 38p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
12:30 -- Groningen - PSV 3-0 highlights
29' Suk Hyun-Jun
51' Leandro Bacuna
74' Suk Hyun-Jun
14:30 -- Ajax - NEC Nijmegen 4-1 highlights
[1-0] 5' Dmitriy Bulikin
[2-0] 8' Jan Vertonghen
[3-0] 27' Dmitriy Bulikin
[4-0] 57' Siem de Jong
[4-1] 69' Rens van Eijden
14:30 -- Utrecht - AZ Alkmaar 3-0 highlights
15' Alexander Gerndt (pen.)
21' Alexander Gerndt
41' Edouard Duplan
16:30 -- Vitesse - Twente 1-4
[0-1] 6' Leroy Fer
[0-2] 65' Luuk de Jong
[0-3] 73' Ola John
x - 81' Bony (m. pen.) - x
[0-4] 83' Nacer Chadli
[1-4] 88' Mike Havenaar
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 22 13 6 3 57-26 +31 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 22 14 3 5 45-21 +24 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
SPAIN: Primera Division
12:00 -- Granada - Real Sociedad 4-1 (1-1)
16:00 -- Athletic - Malaga 3-0 (0-0)
18:00 -- Sporting Gijon - Atletico Madrid 1-1 (1-1)
18:00 -- Mallorca - Villarreal 4-0 (1-0)
19:45 -- Levante - Rayo Vallecano 3-5 (0-1)
21:30 -- Barcelona - Valencia 5-1 highlights
[0-1] 9' Pablo Piatti
[1-1] 22' Lionel Andres Messi
[2-1] 27' Lionel Andres Messi
[3-1] 76' Lionel Andres Messi
[4-1] 85' Lionel Andres Messi
[5-1] 90' + 1' Xavi Hernandez
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 23 15 6 2 68-17 +51 51p
3 Valencia 23 11 7 5 36-27 +9 40p
4 Athletic Bilbao 23 8 9 6 37-30 +7 33p
5 Espanyol 23 9 6 8 26-27 -1 33p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
17:00 -- Feirense - Olhanense 1-1 (1-0)
17:00 -- Leiria - Beira Mar 0-0
17:00 -- Nacional - Academica 4-1 (2-0)
19:15 -- Setubal - Porto 1-3 highlights
[0-1] 3' Marc Janko
[0-2] 26' Fernando Reges
[1-2] 75' Pimenta
[1-3] 79' Silvestre Varela
21:15 -- Sporting - Pacos de Ferreira 1-0 highlights
36' Ricardo Da Silva (o.-g.)
Current standings:
1 Benfica 18 15 3 0 47-15 +32 48p
2 Porto 19 14 4 1 45-13 +32 46p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Sporting Lisbon 19 10 5 4 30-16 +14 35p
5 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Schalke 04 - Wolfsburg 4-0 highlights
10' Raul Gonzalez
15' Klaas Jan Huntelaar
x - 36' Klaas Jan Huntelaar (m. pen.) - x
49' Joel Matip
72' Klaas Jan Huntelaar
17:30 -- Hannover - Stuttgart 4-2 (2-0)
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 22 14 4 4 36-13 +23 46p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 22 14 2 6 50-28 +22 44p
5 Werder Bremen 22 10 6 6 37-36 +1 36p
GREECE: Super League
14:00 -- Giannina - Atromitos 1-2 (0-1)
14:00 -- Panaitolikos - Levadiakos 0-2 (0-2)
16:15 -- Kerkyra - Doxa Dramas 3-1 (1-0)
16:15 -- Olympiakos - Panionios 2-0 highlights
41' Jean Makoun
51' Diogo
18:30 -- PAOK - Aris 0-0
Current standings:
1 Panathinaikos Athens 22 17 3 2 43-16 +27 54p
2 Olympiakos Piraeus 22 16 4 2 48-14 +34 52p
3 PAOK Thessaloniki 22 11 6 5 30-17 +13 39p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Gaziantepspor - Orduspor 1-0 (1-0)
15:00 -- Eskisehirspor - Karabukspor 1-2 (0-1)
15:00 -- Kayserispor - Trabzonspor 3-3 (2-0)
18:00 -- Besiktas - Genclerbirligi 3-2 (0-1) highlights
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 27 14 7 6 39-28 +11 49p
Derby?... I Think Not!
Barcelona kicked the living crap out of Valencia today.
Sure, Piatti's goal (minute 9) gave them hope, for about 13 minutes, but then we got to watch The Messi Show.
Messi scored four consecutive goals on poor Diego Alves.
Messi's goals came in minutes 22, 27, 76 and 85.
Xavi wrapped the victory by scoring Barcelona's fifth, in injury time.
Barcelona - Valencia 5-1 (2-1) was the final score.
Okay, so Barcelona is clearly way better than Valencia, as the 11-points difference between second and third attests. But there seems to be very little Barca can do about Real Madrid, on the other hand. Real stays 10 points ahead.
It's amazing that the difference between first and third - 21 points - is bigger now than the difference between 3rd and 19th (only 20).
Watch highlights:
Barcelona v Valencia by spinolaz
Sure, Piatti's goal (minute 9) gave them hope, for about 13 minutes, but then we got to watch The Messi Show.
Messi scored four consecutive goals on poor Diego Alves.
Messi's goals came in minutes 22, 27, 76 and 85.
Xavi wrapped the victory by scoring Barcelona's fifth, in injury time.
Barcelona - Valencia 5-1 (2-1) was the final score.
Okay, so Barcelona is clearly way better than Valencia, as the 11-points difference between second and third attests. But there seems to be very little Barca can do about Real Madrid, on the other hand. Real stays 10 points ahead.
It's amazing that the difference between first and third - 21 points - is bigger now than the difference between 3rd and 19th (only 20).
Watch highlights:
Barcelona v Valencia by spinolaz
So Close
Montpellier almost made it to the top of Ligue 1. With three minutes left in regulation, at the Parc des Princes, they were still leading 2-1.
After PSG opened the score through a great free-kick strike by Alex, in minute 41, Belhanda made it 1-1 in first-half injury-time.
Bad defending from PSG, just like at the first goal, allowed Utaka to sneak in another header, with 8 minutes left in regulation.
But Ancelotti's team fought back successfully, and got the draw that keeps them in first place, thanks to a Hoarau tap-in following some mesmerizing play by Jeremy Menez in the Montpellier penalty area. Full-time: Paris Saint-Germain - Montpellier 2-2.
Montpellier does not get first place, but they should be inspired by the surprisingly good performance in Paris.
Watch highlights:
After PSG opened the score through a great free-kick strike by Alex, in minute 41, Belhanda made it 1-1 in first-half injury-time.
Bad defending from PSG, just like at the first goal, allowed Utaka to sneak in another header, with 8 minutes left in regulation.
But Ancelotti's team fought back successfully, and got the draw that keeps them in first place, thanks to a Hoarau tap-in following some mesmerizing play by Jeremy Menez in the Montpellier penalty area. Full-time: Paris Saint-Germain - Montpellier 2-2.
Montpellier does not get first place, but they should be inspired by the surprisingly good performance in Paris.
Watch highlights:
Humiliated, But Still on Top
PSV Eindhoven lost at Groningen today.
But the manner in which they lost was not one suitable to a team that is number 1.
Hyun-Jun's first goal (minute 29) can be attributed to somewhat poor defending, but the other two goals were even more disgraceful for PSV to concede.
Bacuna's goal, 6 minutes after half time, came exactly when the team from Eindhoven were pressing the hosts, looking for the equalizer. The counter-attack was brilliantly played, and Bacuna just had to score.
However, the icing on the cake, or the completion of the humiliation, depending on which angle you view it from, was Hyun-Jun's second goal, in minute 74, which was a real spectacle to watch, and funny, too. PSV players simply looked like fools, especially the defender who first lost the ball.
Luckily for PSV, though, Alkmaar also crashed and burned, at Utrecht, so there is no change at the top. At least, not at the moment.
However, Twente can now draw level with the leaders when they play their game in hand, because they won today (and find themselves 3 points behind). And there even seems to be a threat from Heerenveen, who is just two points behind after their win yesterday.
Highlights:
But the manner in which they lost was not one suitable to a team that is number 1.
Hyun-Jun's first goal (minute 29) can be attributed to somewhat poor defending, but the other two goals were even more disgraceful for PSV to concede.
Bacuna's goal, 6 minutes after half time, came exactly when the team from Eindhoven were pressing the hosts, looking for the equalizer. The counter-attack was brilliantly played, and Bacuna just had to score.
However, the icing on the cake, or the completion of the humiliation, depending on which angle you view it from, was Hyun-Jun's second goal, in minute 74, which was a real spectacle to watch, and funny, too. PSV players simply looked like fools, especially the defender who first lost the ball.
Luckily for PSV, though, Alkmaar also crashed and burned, at Utrecht, so there is no change at the top. At least, not at the moment.
However, Twente can now draw level with the leaders when they play their game in hand, because they won today (and find themselves 3 points behind). And there even seems to be a threat from Heerenveen, who is just two points behind after their win yesterday.
Highlights:
Saturday 18 February 2012
2012.02.18 - The Results
SPAIN: Primera Division
18:00 -- Getafe - Espanyol 1-1 (0-0)
20:00 -- Real Madrid - Racing Santander 4-0
5' Cristiano Ronaldo
45' Karim Benzema
73' Angel Di Maria
89' Karim Benzema
22:00 -- Sevilla - Osasuna 2-0 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 22 14 6 2 63-16 +47 48p
3 Valencia 22 11 7 4 35-22 +13 40p
4 Espanyol 23 9 6 8 26-27 -1 33p
5 Levante 22 9 5 8 29-29 0 32p
ITALY: Serie A
20:45 -- Juventus - Catania 3-1
[0-1] 4' Pablo Barrientos
[1-1] 22' Andrea Pirlo
[2-1] 74' Giorgio Chiellini
[3-1] 81' Fabio Quagliarella
Current standings:
1 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
2 Milan 23 14 5 4 45-20 +25 47p
3 Lazio 23 12 6 5 37-24 +13 42p
4 Udinese 23 12 5 6 34-22 +12 41p
5 Napoli 24 9 10 5 41-24 +17 37p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Bayer - Augsburg 4-1 (1-0)
15:30 -- Hamburger - Werder Bremen 1-3 (0-2)
15:30 -- Hertha - Borussia D. 0-1
66' Kevin Grosskreutz
15:30 -- Kaiserslautern - Borussia M. 1-2
[0-1] 10' Patrick Herrmann
[0-2] 14' Juan Fernando Arango
[1-2] 63' Leon Jessen
15:30 -- Nurnberg - Koln 2-1 (1-0)
18:30 -- Freiburg - Bayern 0-0
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 22 14 4 4 36-13 +23 46p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 21 13 2 6 46-28 +18 41p
5 Werder Bremen 22 10 6 6 37-36 +1 36p
GREECE: Super League
16:15 -- Ergotelis - Panathinaikos 0-2
54' Simao
59' Charalambos Mavrias
16:15 -- Xanthi - Asteras Tripolis 0-1 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Panathinaikos Athens 22 17 3 2 43-16 +27 54p
2 Olympiakos Piraeus 21 15 4 2 46-14 +32 49p
3 PAOK Thessaloniki 21 11 5 5 30-17 +13 38p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Ankaragucu - Samsunspor 0-3 (0-3)
15:00 -- Antalyaspor - Manisaspor 2-1 (1-1)
18:00 -- Fenerbahce - Sivasspor 4-2
[1-0] 4' Emre Belozoglu
[1-1] 16' Kivanc Karakas
[1-2] 43' Jan Rajnoch
[2-2] 65' Alex de Souza
[3-2] 67' Alex de Souza
[4-2] 73' Emre Belozoglu
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 26 13 7 6 36-26 +10 46p
FRANCE: Ligue 1
19:00 -- Ajaccio - Brest 0-0
19:00 -- Caen - Evian 2-2 (1-0)
19:00 -- Dijon - Nice 3-0 (1-0)
19:00 -- Lorient - Lille 0-1
77' Mathieu Debuchy
19:00 -- Nancy - Toulouse 0-3 (0-2)
19:00 -- Sochaux - Auxerre 0-0
21:00 -- Marseille - Valenciennes 1-1 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 PSG 23 15 5 3 38-19 +19 50p
2 Montpellier 23 15 4 4 45-23 +22 49p
3 Lille 23 11 9 3 41-26 +15 42p
4 Olympique Marseille 23 10 9 4 34-22 +12 39p
5 Olympique Lyon 23 12 3 8 37-27 +10 39p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Gil Vicente - Braga 0-3
24' Lima
51' Lima
69' Lima
Current standings:
1 Benfica 18 15 3 0 47-15 +32 48p
2 Porto 18 13 4 1 42-12 +30 43p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
5 Sporting Lisbon 18 9 5 4 29-16 +13 32p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
18:45 -- Feyenoord - RKC Waalwijk 1-1
[1-0] 77' John Guidetti (pen.)
[1-1] 87' Robert Braber
19:45 -- ADO Den Haag - Excelsior 1-1 (1-0)
19:45 -- De Graafschap - VV Venlo 1-4 (1-0)
20:45 -- Heracles Almelo - Roda 2-1 (0-1)
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 21 13 6 2 57-23 +34 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 21 14 3 4 45-18 +27 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
18:00 -- Getafe - Espanyol 1-1 (0-0)
20:00 -- Real Madrid - Racing Santander 4-0
5' Cristiano Ronaldo
45' Karim Benzema
73' Angel Di Maria
89' Karim Benzema
22:00 -- Sevilla - Osasuna 2-0 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 Real Madrid 23 20 1 2 79-21 +58 61p
2 Barcelona 22 14 6 2 63-16 +47 48p
3 Valencia 22 11 7 4 35-22 +13 40p
4 Espanyol 23 9 6 8 26-27 -1 33p
5 Levante 22 9 5 8 29-29 0 32p
ITALY: Serie A
20:45 -- Juventus - Catania 3-1
[0-1] 4' Pablo Barrientos
[1-1] 22' Andrea Pirlo
[2-1] 74' Giorgio Chiellini
[3-1] 81' Fabio Quagliarella
Current standings:
1 Juventus 23 13 10 0 36-14 +22 49p
2 Milan 23 14 5 4 45-20 +25 47p
3 Lazio 23 12 6 5 37-24 +13 42p
4 Udinese 23 12 5 6 34-22 +12 41p
5 Napoli 24 9 10 5 41-24 +17 37p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
15:30 -- Bayer - Augsburg 4-1 (1-0)
15:30 -- Hamburger - Werder Bremen 1-3 (0-2)
15:30 -- Hertha - Borussia D. 0-1
66' Kevin Grosskreutz
15:30 -- Kaiserslautern - Borussia M. 1-2
[0-1] 10' Patrick Herrmann
[0-2] 14' Juan Fernando Arango
[1-2] 63' Leon Jessen
15:30 -- Nurnberg - Koln 2-1 (1-0)
18:30 -- Freiburg - Bayern 0-0
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 22 15 4 3 47-14 +33 49p
2 Borussia M'gladbach 22 14 4 4 36-13 +23 46p
3 Bayern München 22 14 3 5 49-14 +35 45p
4 Schalke 04 21 13 2 6 46-28 +18 41p
5 Werder Bremen 22 10 6 6 37-36 +1 36p
GREECE: Super League
16:15 -- Ergotelis - Panathinaikos 0-2
54' Simao
59' Charalambos Mavrias
16:15 -- Xanthi - Asteras Tripolis 0-1 (0-0)
Current standings:
1 Panathinaikos Athens 22 17 3 2 43-16 +27 54p
2 Olympiakos Piraeus 21 15 4 2 46-14 +32 49p
3 PAOK Thessaloniki 21 11 5 5 30-17 +13 38p
TURKEY: Super Lig
12:00 -- Ankaragucu - Samsunspor 0-3 (0-3)
15:00 -- Antalyaspor - Manisaspor 2-1 (1-1)
18:00 -- Fenerbahce - Sivasspor 4-2
[1-0] 4' Emre Belozoglu
[1-1] 16' Kivanc Karakas
[1-2] 43' Jan Rajnoch
[2-2] 65' Alex de Souza
[3-2] 67' Alex de Souza
[4-2] 73' Emre Belozoglu
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 27 16 6 5 46-28 +18 54p
3 Besiktas 26 13 7 6 36-26 +10 46p
FRANCE: Ligue 1
19:00 -- Ajaccio - Brest 0-0
19:00 -- Caen - Evian 2-2 (1-0)
19:00 -- Dijon - Nice 3-0 (1-0)
19:00 -- Lorient - Lille 0-1
77' Mathieu Debuchy
19:00 -- Nancy - Toulouse 0-3 (0-2)
19:00 -- Sochaux - Auxerre 0-0
21:00 -- Marseille - Valenciennes 1-1 (1-0)
Current standings:
1 PSG 23 15 5 3 38-19 +19 50p
2 Montpellier 23 15 4 4 45-23 +22 49p
3 Lille 23 11 9 3 41-26 +15 42p
4 Olympique Marseille 23 10 9 4 34-22 +12 39p
5 Olympique Lyon 23 12 3 8 37-27 +10 39p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Gil Vicente - Braga 0-3
24' Lima
51' Lima
69' Lima
Current standings:
1 Benfica 18 15 3 0 47-15 +32 48p
2 Porto 18 13 4 1 42-12 +30 43p
3 Sporting Braga 19 13 4 2 38-16 +22 43p
4 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
5 Sporting Lisbon 18 9 5 4 29-16 +13 32p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
18:45 -- Feyenoord - RKC Waalwijk 1-1
[1-0] 77' John Guidetti (pen.)
[1-1] 87' Robert Braber
19:45 -- ADO Den Haag - Excelsior 1-1 (1-0)
19:45 -- De Graafschap - VV Venlo 1-4 (1-0)
20:45 -- Heracles Almelo - Roda 2-1 (0-1)
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 21 13 6 2 57-23 +34 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 21 14 3 4 45-18 +27 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
Braga Crushes Gil Vicente
Braga managed to do something Porto and Benfica could not.
Right after their, some would say, shameful defeat against Besiktas in the Europa League, Braga succeeded in beating Gil Vicente, in Barcelos. And they won emphatically, too: 3-0. (Lima scored all three goals.)
Why is this so important?
Well, of course, because Gil Vicente just handed FC Porto their first league defeat of the season, at the same venue, 3-1, and not even Benfica, the unbeaten, run-away leaders of the Portuguese Liga Sagres, could beat Gil Vicente at their stadium.
Nice achievement, but possibly meaningless unless Porto stumbles more than Braga in the remaining matchdays, and The Archbishops manage to snatch the second Champions League spot away from the Oporto giants.
Highlights:
Gil Vicente 0-3 Sp. Braga - Highlights by simaotvgolo12
Right after their, some would say, shameful defeat against Besiktas in the Europa League, Braga succeeded in beating Gil Vicente, in Barcelos. And they won emphatically, too: 3-0. (Lima scored all three goals.)
Why is this so important?
Well, of course, because Gil Vicente just handed FC Porto their first league defeat of the season, at the same venue, 3-1, and not even Benfica, the unbeaten, run-away leaders of the Portuguese Liga Sagres, could beat Gil Vicente at their stadium.
Nice achievement, but possibly meaningless unless Porto stumbles more than Braga in the remaining matchdays, and The Archbishops manage to snatch the second Champions League spot away from the Oporto giants.
Highlights:
Gil Vicente 0-3 Sp. Braga - Highlights by simaotvgolo12
Guess Who's Fourth in France?
Marseille played badly again, in their home game against Valenciennes. They probably played even worse than against Lyon.
They were up 1-0 at half time, but they conceded a silly goal 6 minutes into the second half (Gil cancelled Diarra's early goal in minute 16), and after that all they had was a small chance in injury time when they were lucky enough to hit the post. That was not a big chance, and, had it gone in, it would have been a lucky break.
And, yet, with this point Marseille climbed to fourth in the standings, passing Lyon and Rennes.
For now, that is. Of course, in actuality, they lost the chance to collect two more points, and both Lyon and Rennes could capitalize on that when they play their games.
What's happening with Marseille?
The Champions League encounter between them and inter Milan has got to be the meeting between the teams with the worst run of form in their respective leagues.
Highlights:
They were up 1-0 at half time, but they conceded a silly goal 6 minutes into the second half (Gil cancelled Diarra's early goal in minute 16), and after that all they had was a small chance in injury time when they were lucky enough to hit the post. That was not a big chance, and, had it gone in, it would have been a lucky break.
And, yet, with this point Marseille climbed to fourth in the standings, passing Lyon and Rennes.
For now, that is. Of course, in actuality, they lost the chance to collect two more points, and both Lyon and Rennes could capitalize on that when they play their games.
What's happening with Marseille?
The Champions League encounter between them and inter Milan has got to be the meeting between the teams with the worst run of form in their respective leagues.
Highlights:
Another Failure for Arsenal
It's funny how two games in four days can ruin most of one team's season.
But, considering that that team is Arsene Wenger 's Arsenal, it's not that surprising.
More and more people have surely got to be realizing that Wenger is not doing a good job at the London club.
As of today, they're practically out of the Champions League, as a result of the Milan massacre, and eliminated from the FA Cup by Sunderland, a team that they beat just last Saturday, to reach fourth in the Premier League table, which is all they have left.
Sunderland could have scored more, and no longer made the errors that allowed Arsenal to claw their way back, like in the Premiership game played a week ago.
Even Wenger's freshest discoveries, like Oxlade-Chamberlain, are failing him, as shown by the winger's own goal.
But at least Arsenal is fourth in the league. (Yeah, right, big deal!) I would venture to say that they won't finish there (or above), though.
Highlights from Sunderland - Arsenal 2-0:
But, considering that that team is Arsene Wenger 's Arsenal, it's not that surprising.
More and more people have surely got to be realizing that Wenger is not doing a good job at the London club.
As of today, they're practically out of the Champions League, as a result of the Milan massacre, and eliminated from the FA Cup by Sunderland, a team that they beat just last Saturday, to reach fourth in the Premier League table, which is all they have left.
Sunderland could have scored more, and no longer made the errors that allowed Arsenal to claw their way back, like in the Premiership game played a week ago.
Even Wenger's freshest discoveries, like Oxlade-Chamberlain, are failing him, as shown by the winger's own goal.
But at least Arsenal is fourth in the league. (Yeah, right, big deal!) I would venture to say that they won't finish there (or above), though.
Highlights from Sunderland - Arsenal 2-0:
Bayern No Longer within Touching Distance
Bayern Munich lost two points in the fight for the title. This was partly due to Dortmund's win at Hertha Berlin, but, more importantly, partly due to their own inability to win at Freiburg. The distance between Bayern and the leaders is four points, after this matchday.
Borussia Monchengladbach also won, away at Kaiserslautern, and passed Bayern, who is now in third.
Well, second or third in Germany doesn't really make a difference, because both teams go into the Champions League group stage the following season, but I guess Bayern people always want to be in contention for the title.
Dortmund is looking good, trying to achieve that goal, by the way, even though they sucked big time in Europe.
Highlights from Hertha - Borussia D. 0-1:
HBSC - BVB 0-1 www.rojadirecta.es by kehl3
Highlights from Kaiserslautern - Borussia M. 1-2:
www.todayfoot.com Ka 1-2 Mo 18/02/2012 by 123dz
Borussia Monchengladbach also won, away at Kaiserslautern, and passed Bayern, who is now in third.
Well, second or third in Germany doesn't really make a difference, because both teams go into the Champions League group stage the following season, but I guess Bayern people always want to be in contention for the title.
Dortmund is looking good, trying to achieve that goal, by the way, even though they sucked big time in Europe.
Highlights from Hertha - Borussia D. 0-1:
HBSC - BVB 0-1 www.rojadirecta.es by kehl3
Highlights from Kaiserslautern - Borussia M. 1-2:
www.todayfoot.com Ka 1-2 Mo 18/02/2012 by 123dz
Friday 17 February 2012
2012.02.17 - The Results
TURKEY: Super Lig
19:00 -- Mersin - Galatasaray 1-3
[0-1] 28' Necati Ates
[1-1] 76' Erhan Guven
[1-2] 82' Selcuk Inan (pen.)
[1-3] 90' Necati Ates
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 26 15 6 5 42-26 +16 51p
3 Besiktas 26 13 7 6 36-26 +10 46p
ITALY: Serie A
20:45 -- Fiorentina - Napoli 0-3
3' Edinson Cavani
55' Edinson Cavani
90' Ezequiel Lavezzi
20:45 -- Inter - Bologna 0-3
37' Marco Di Vaio
38' Marco Di Vaio
85' Robert Acquafresca
Current standings:
1 Milan 23 14 5 4 45-20 +25 47p
2 Juventus 22 12 10 0 33-13 +20 46p
3 Lazio 23 12 6 5 37-24 +13 42p
4 Udinese 23 12 5 6 34-22 +12 41p
5 Napoli 24 9 10 5 41-24 +17 37p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
20:00 -- Heerenveen - NAC Breda 1-0
34' Filip Djuricic
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 21 13 6 2 57-23 +34 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 21 14 3 4 45-18 +27 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Rio Ave - Maritimo 1-3 (1-2)
Current standings:
1 Benfica 18 15 3 0 47-15 +32 48p
2 Porto 18 13 4 1 42-12 +30 43p
3 Sporting Braga 18 12 4 2 35-16 +19 40p
4 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
5 Sporting Lisbon 18 9 5 4 29-16 +13 32p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
20:30 -- Hoffenheim - Mainz 1-1 (1-1)
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 21 14 4 3 46-14 +32 46p
2 Bayern München 21 14 2 5 49-14 +35 44p
3 Borussia M'gladbach 21 13 4 4 34-12 +22 43p
4 Schalke 04 21 13 2 6 46-28 +18 41p
5 Werder Bremen 21 9 6 6 34-35 -1 33p
19:00 -- Mersin - Galatasaray 1-3
[0-1] 28' Necati Ates
[1-1] 76' Erhan Guven
[1-2] 82' Selcuk Inan (pen.)
[1-3] 90' Necati Ates
Current standings:
1 Galatasaray 27 18 6 3 51-19 +32 60p
2 Fenerbahçe 26 15 6 5 42-26 +16 51p
3 Besiktas 26 13 7 6 36-26 +10 46p
ITALY: Serie A
20:45 -- Fiorentina - Napoli 0-3
3' Edinson Cavani
55' Edinson Cavani
90' Ezequiel Lavezzi
20:45 -- Inter - Bologna 0-3
37' Marco Di Vaio
38' Marco Di Vaio
85' Robert Acquafresca
Current standings:
1 Milan 23 14 5 4 45-20 +25 47p
2 Juventus 22 12 10 0 33-13 +20 46p
3 Lazio 23 12 6 5 37-24 +13 42p
4 Udinese 23 12 5 6 34-22 +12 41p
5 Napoli 24 9 10 5 41-24 +17 37p
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
20:00 -- Heerenveen - NAC Breda 1-0
34' Filip Djuricic
Current standings:
1 PSV Eindhoven 21 13 6 2 57-23 +34 45p
2 AZ Alkmaar 21 14 3 4 45-18 +27 45p
3 Heerenveen 22 12 7 3 49-31 +18 43p
PORTUGAL: Primeira Liga
21:15 -- Rio Ave - Maritimo 1-3 (1-2)
Current standings:
1 Benfica 18 15 3 0 47-15 +32 48p
2 Porto 18 13 4 1 42-12 +30 43p
3 Sporting Braga 18 12 4 2 35-16 +19 40p
4 Marítimo 19 10 5 4 29-22 +7 35p
5 Sporting Lisbon 18 9 5 4 29-16 +13 32p
GERMANY: Bundesliga
20:30 -- Hoffenheim - Mainz 1-1 (1-1)
Current standings:
1 Borussia Dortmund 21 14 4 3 46-14 +32 46p
2 Bayern München 21 14 2 5 49-14 +35 44p
3 Borussia M'gladbach 21 13 4 4 34-12 +22 43p
4 Schalke 04 21 13 2 6 46-28 +18 41p
5 Werder Bremen 21 9 6 6 34-35 -1 33p
Oh, the Humiliation!
I thought the loss against Novara was the lowest inter Milan could sink.
But, ha, ha, it got worse! Bologna, the team that provided inter with their first win, at the start of the season, took their revenge by winning 3-0 at the San Siro today.
And I suppose inter's title chances are practically zero now. (Ranieri still refuses to step down, by the way, though.)
inter had some good chances, but Gillet was just outstanding in Bologna's goal.
Di Vaio scored two in two minutes, during the first half, while Acquafresca put the icing on the cake with five minutes to go by taking on the entire inter defense and making all the players in it look ridiculous (and then his finish did the same to Julio Cesar).
This loss, in tandem with Napoli's same-scoreline win at Firenze, means that Napoli is now fifth in the standings (although Roma could claim that position with a win at home against Parma).
Highlights from Inter - Bologna 0-3:
inter-bologna by www4444
Highlights from Fiorentina - Napoli 0-3:
But, ha, ha, it got worse! Bologna, the team that provided inter with their first win, at the start of the season, took their revenge by winning 3-0 at the San Siro today.
And I suppose inter's title chances are practically zero now. (Ranieri still refuses to step down, by the way, though.)
inter had some good chances, but Gillet was just outstanding in Bologna's goal.
Di Vaio scored two in two minutes, during the first half, while Acquafresca put the icing on the cake with five minutes to go by taking on the entire inter defense and making all the players in it look ridiculous (and then his finish did the same to Julio Cesar).
This loss, in tandem with Napoli's same-scoreline win at Firenze, means that Napoli is now fifth in the standings (although Roma could claim that position with a win at home against Parma).
From now on, since the difference between inter Milan and the leader(s) is more than 10 points, and will probably grow over the weekend, I will pay no special attention to their matches, and thus scorers and highlights in matches featuring inter will be overlooked, unless they face a genuine title contender (or close the points gap).
Highlights from Inter - Bologna 0-3:
inter-bologna by www4444
Highlights from Fiorentina - Napoli 0-3:
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