UEFA Champions League Thread

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Champions League - Team of the quarter-finals


Neuer (Bayern)



Alves - Chiellini (Juventus) - Godin (Atletico) - Sandro (Juventus)



Messi (Barca) - Pjanic (Juventus) - Kagawa (Dortmund) - Ronaldo (Real Madrid)



Dybala (Juventus) - Mbappe (AS Monaco)

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Bale out of Bayern clash

Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale for Tuesday's Champions league quarter-finals second leg against Bayern Munchen, head coach Zinedine Zidane has confirmed.

Bale was substituted during the second half of last week's 2-1 victory over the Bundesliga champions at the Allianz ArenA and sat out the 3-2 win at Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Saturday.

The Wales forward was sidelined for 3 months due to ankle tendon surgery this season and was also laid low by calf issues last term.

As such, Zidane is not willing to take any unnecessary risks with the 27-year-old.

Madrid have entered a pivotal week in their season, hosting bitter rivals FC Barcelona - who they hold a 3-point advantage over and have played one game fewer than - in what could prove to be La Liga's title decider on Sunday.

While Zidane must do without one of his star attackers, Bayern are set to benefit from the return of Robert Lewandowski after their top scorer sat out the first leg with a shoulder complaint.




http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2...4th-april-2017

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Morgan on track to face Atletico

Wes Morgan is winning his battle to be fit for Leicester City's Champions League quarter-finals showdown with Atletico Madrid, according to manager Craig Shakespeare.

Leicester captain has not featured since scoring in last month's stirring comeback triumph against FC Sevilla in the last 16 due to a back problem.

The Premier League champions are 1-0 down from the first leg and will be without Morgan's regular centre-back partner Robert Huth through suspension.

Shakespeare told a pre-match news conference on Monday that the 33-year-old is progressing well in his bid to lead the hosts out at a sold-out King Power Stadium.

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Champions League - Team of the quarter-finals


Neuer (Bayern)



Alves - Chiellini (Juventus) - Godin (Atletico) - Marcelo (Real Madrid)



Dembele (Dortmund) - Pjanic (Juventus) - Casemiro (Real Madrid)



Dybala (Juventus) - Mbappe (AS Monaco) - Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

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Khedira to miss first leg of Champions League semi-finals

Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira will miss the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals after being booked in both legs of his side's last 8 victory over FC Barcelona.

The 30-year-old was handed a yellow card for a 64th minute lunge on Luis Suarez during Wednesday's 0-0 second leg draw at Camp Nou, which sealed a 3-0 aggregate triumph.

That was Khedira's third yellow of the competition after he had already been booked in last week's Turin first leg and in the away group stages win over FC Sevilla.

However, the other 2 Juve players in danger of suspension - Juan Cuadrado and Mario Mandzukic - avoided the attention of referee Bjorn Kuipers against Barca, ensuring their semi-finals availability, with previous bookings now wiped out ahead of the final 4.

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2/3 mai turul - 9/10 mai returul

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Gimenez doubtful for Madrid clash

Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez is in a race against time to be fit for Tuesday's Champions League first leg semi-finals against Real Madrid after sustaining an adductor muscle injury.

Gimenez was forced from the field in the first half during Atletico's 5-0 rout of Las Palmas in La Liga on Saturday.

The Uruguay international was injured in a challenge with Kevin-Prince Boateng in the 25th minute and replaced by Thomas Partey.

Atletico are now awaiting further tests on Gimenez's left leg to determine the severity of the injury.

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Champions League - Team of the semi-finals


Buffon (Juventus)



Dirar (AS Monaco) - Chiellini (Juventus) - Ramos - Marcelo (Real Madrid)



Alves (Juventus) - Casemiro - Kroos (Real Madrid) - Sandro (Juventus)



Higuain (Juventus) - Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

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Champions League - Team of the semi-finals


Navas (Real Madrid)



Alves (Juventus) - Ramos (Real Madrid) - Chiellini - Sandro (Juventus)



Kroos - Isco - Modric (Real Madrid)



Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - Higuain - Mandzukic (Juventus)

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Brych appointed Champions League Final referee

German Felix Brych has been appointed referee for next month's Champions League Final between Juventus and Real Madrid at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff on Saturday 3 June.

Brych, who has been an international match official since 2007, has taken charge of 5 Champions League fixtures this season - including the round of 16 first leg between FC Porto and Juventus - as well as the Europa League quarter-finals first leg between Anderlecht and Manchester United.

The 41-year-old was part of last summer's EURO 2016 refereeing team. He was the man in the middle for the Sweden-Belgium and England-Wales group stages games as well as the quarter-finals between Poland and Portugal.

Brych was also the referee for the 2014 Europa League Final between FC Sevilla and Benfica in Turin.

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Champions League - Team of the Season


Schmeichel (Leicester)



Alves - Chiellini (Juventus) - Godin (Atletico) - Escudero (FC Sevilla)



Messi (Barca) - Thiago (Bayern) - Casemiro (Real Madrid) - Neymar (Barca)



Sanchez (Arsenal) - Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

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TURUL II PRELIMINAR



11/12 iulie tur - 18/19 iulie retur

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Salzburg and Leipzig both admitted into Champions League

UEFA has confirmed RasenBallsport Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg have both been admitted into the Champions League for 2017-2018.

There were doubts over whether the pair, who are both owned by Red Bull, would be able to compete in European club football's elite competition due to a potential violation of Article 5, which relates to the integrity of the competition.

Salzburg earned their place by virtue of being crowned Austrian champions, while Leipzig finished a stunning debut Bundesliga season by finishing second behind Bayern Munchen.

They will move directly into the group stages, while Salzburg will meet either FC Hibernians or Tallinn in the second qualifying round.

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United without Bailly for UEFA SuperCup

Manchester United will be without Eric Bailly when they face Real Madrid in the UEFA SuperCup due to suspension.

The Ivory Coast defender will also miss the first game of United's Champions League campaign after UEFA confirmed Bailly had been handed a 3-game ban following his dismissal in the second leg of United's Europa League semi-finals win over Celta Vigo last season.

Bailly was sent off at Old Trafford after raising his hand to John Guidetti's face, sparking a brawl which also saw Celta defender Facundo Roncaglia dismissed.

The defender, one of United's most consistent performers last season after joining from Villarreal, served the first game of his suspension in the Final victory over Ajax and will be absent again when Jose Mourinho's men tackle Madrid in Skopje.

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Jones banned after abusing doping officer

Phil Jones has been banned for 2 European matches after UEFA charged the Manchester United defender with "insulting and directing abuse" at a doping officer following his side's victory over Ajax in the Europa League Final in May.

Jones will miss the UEFA SuperCup against Real Madrid in Skopje on 8 August, as well as the first game of United's Champions League campaign, while he was also fined €5,000.

Daley Blind was also charged and fined €5,000 after the defender failed to report immediately to the doping control station after his side's 2-0 win in Stockholm.

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Bolek - Reznik, Hejda, Hajek, Havel - Zivulic, Hrosovsky - Petrzela, Kolar (C), Kopic - Krmencik




Niță - Popescu, Bălașa, Momcilovic, Morais - Pintilii, Teixeira - Enache, Man, Tănase - Alibec (C)

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Balotelli to miss Napoli game

Mario Balotelli is expected to miss the first leg of the Champions League play-offs against Napoli, confirmed Nice coach Lucien Favre.

The teams will go head-to-head for a place in the tournament proper, with the first leg at Stadio San Paolo on 16 August and the return in Nice on 22 August.

"It's very unlikely that Balotelli will be available for the next game against Troyes and he probably won't be ready for Napoli either", said Favre today.

"He is suffering from a knee tendon problem. He needs a whole new mini-pre-season training routine to get back in shape."