Soccer Latest Highlights

Barcelona vs Estudiantes 2-1
Dec 19, 2009 5:00 PM GMT
Stadium: Sheikh Zayed, Abu Dhabi
Referee: Armando Archundia (México)
Score: (Barcelona) 87' Pedro, 109' Messi L (Estudiantes) 37' Boselli M.
Man of the match: Messi L. (Barcelona)

King Of The World

The Blaugrana meet Estudiantes in a bid not only to complete the best year ever contested by a club side, but also to become Europe's third consecutive winners, following in the footsteps of AC Milan and Manchester United.

Barca last competed in this contest in 2006 when they fell against Internacional of Brazil. That was a bitter disappointment, and perhaps the beginning of the end of the Frank Rijkaard era. Fans will hope that things will change under Pep Guardiola.

For Estudiantes, this tournament is old hat, at least in its former incarnation. The Intercontinental Cup saw the La Plata side win against Manchester United in the notorious 1968 final, before losing the two subsequent finals.

All in all, it's a fitting end to what has been so far an intriguing tournament - the first to be hosted in the UAE. Here's hoping that the final is suitably exciting.


FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

WON 3-1 (n) Atlante (Club World Cup, Dec 16)
WON 1-0 (h) Espanyol (Liga, Dec 12)
WON 2-1 (a) Dynamo Kyiv (Champions League, Dec 9)
WON 3-1 (a) Deportivo (Liga, Dec 5)
WON 2-0 (a) Xerez (Liga, Dec 2)

Estudiantes

WON 2-1 (n) Pohang Steelers (Club World Cup, Dec 15)
DREW 0-0 (h) Chacarita Juniors (Apertura, Dec 3)
DREW 1-1 (a) River Plate (Apertura, Nov 28)
LOST 1-0 (h) Colon (Apertura, Nov 25)
WON 3-1 (h) Tigre (Apertura, Nov 20)


TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Andres Iniesta is out of the final after sustaining an injury against Atlante in the semi-final. Yaya Toure may enter the lineup in his stead, alongside Sergio Busquets. Xavi will provide the invention to Messi, 'Ibra' and Pedro - or perhaps Henry - further forward.

Probable Starting XI: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal; Toure Yaya, Sergio Busquets, Xavi; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Pedro.

Estudiantes

Marcelo Carrusca is a long-term absentee up front, while Nunez may drop to the bench as Estudiantes look to shore up the wide areas.

Probable Starting XI: Albil; Rodriguez, Cellay, Desabato, Diaz, Re; Brana; Veron, Benitez, Perez; Boselli.


PLAYERS TO WATCH



Barcelona
Lionel Messi. A hero to Argentines as much as he is to Barca fans, there will still be no love lost between Estudiantes and the little forward. Fresh from winning the Ballon d'Or, he has a great chance to cement his place in history.

Estudiantes
Juan Sebastian Veron is the most recognisable player to non-Argentine spectators, and there's a good reason for that. The former Manchester United man still has it despite his advanced age, and will be key to unlocking the Barca defence.


PREDICTION

As in the semi-final, Barca may start slowly, but will eventually lift their sixth trophy of the year, despite spirited opposition from the 'rat stabbers'.

Barcelona 3-1 Estudiantes


Author: Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com

The Croatian playmaker lit up the Lane again with a two-goal display including a fine solo effort in injury time to clinch the 3-0 victory.

Jermain Defoe added the second goal as we improved our fifth position in the Barclays Premier League - we're now just two points behind Arsenal and Villa as we prepare for the trip to Blackburn on Saturday.

"It was a great feeling to score the goals but it's easier to score goals and play well when you are in a team of great footballers," said Niko.

"The team performance means individuals will play well and one day it will be me, another day it will be someone else.

"It's just important that, as a team, we continue to play well and to prove we really do have that quality to break into that top four."

Niko said it was vital to bounce back from Saturday's defeat against Wolves. "Yes, and just as important to win the games against the teams contending for the top four," he said.

"We've played some great football throughout the season and although the last two away results were disappointing, the performances were good and we believe we deserved to win those games.

"Against Wolves, it was one of those days. We needed a reaction and got that.

"It was a massive win, great to get back to winning ways and hopefully we can continue this form from here."

Author: Tottenham FC Offical site

Fiorentina and Bayern contrived to avoid each other in Europe for decades, but the clubs will now meet for the second time in two years. In the 2008-9 Champions League group double-header, Munich won 3-0 at home and drew 1-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. The clubs have were paired again on Friday, this time in the first knockout round of this season’s competition.

The key men for Luca Toni’s former club are strikers Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino, although the pair have not played together all that often this term. Coach Cesare Prandelli favours a 4-5-1 formation with Gilardino as a lone striker, backed by an attacking line of three featuring Mutu, Italy international Marco Marchionni, and Peruvian Juan Vargas.

In characteristic Italian style, Fiorentina are happy to play on the break off a solid defensive platform. Of all the teams through to the last sixteen, the men from Florence had the lowest figure for possession of the ball (46 percent). However, Prandelli’s side scored 14 goals in their six matches, a total beaten only by Real Madrid (15). Fiorentina beat Liverpool twice (2-0 at home and 2-1 away) in winning Group E from Lyon, Liverpool and Debrecen.

“It’s a well-assembled young team with star strikers. We mustn’t underestimate them,“ warned Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. However, Fiorentina lie a disappointing ninth in Serie A after 16 games. A defensive record of just 15 goals conceded is one of the best in the section, but Gilardino, Mutu & Co have mustered a mere 18 goals between them so far, while leaders Inter have struck nearly twice as often (35).

Coach Prandelli’s job looks secure - he has guided his side to three fourth-place finishes and one fifth spot in the last four seasons – but President Andrea Della Valle, who took over when the club were compulsorily relegated to the third tier seven years ago, bore the brunt of fan and media anger early in the season. Caught in a hail of criticism for selling Felipe Melo to Juventus, Della Valle quit in September. Vice-president Mario Cognini currently heads the club in an acting capacity.

Despite their problems in domestic competition, Fiorentina have blazed a trail in the Champions League, qualifying for the last sixteen for the second time in their history. The club’s greatest successes are the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1961), two league titles (1956, 1969), and six cup triumphs (most recently in 2001).

The Italians will be utterly determined to progress to the last eight at Bayern’s expense. Bayern must be sure not to underestimate the Tuscan outfit, as Louis van Gaal warned: “Last season’s results against Fiorentina count for nothing any more.“

Author: Bayern Munich Offical site

It is easy for a Chelsea supporter to recognise how selling Gianfranco Zola at his peak might be a mistake, and today Carlo Ancelotti admitted his error as Parma manager.

The pair will be in opposing dugouts at Upton Park on Sunday, but back in 1996, Ancelotti was Zola's manager at Parma, the club he left to come to Stamford Bridge.

'I did a mistake with him because I wanted to play 4-4-2 and I put him on the right, and he would like to stay in the centre like a striker,' Ancelotti recalled. 'In that period there was this discussion, Chelsea arrived to offer him a good contract and he decided to come.

'I think it was a mistake because it was my first experience in Serie A and I was not able to change the system, I preferred to maintain the system I knew well, and for this Gianfranco had a different decision. But a lot of time has gone and now we have a good relationship. I think he had a fantastic experience at Chelsea and all the fans remember his performance.'

Zola is currently having a tough time at West Ham, with the club entrenched in the relegation zone, yet Ancelotti believes the Blues legend has what it takes to drag them clear.

'I think that Gianfranco is not living a good moment but he has a quality to improve, West Ham have a lot of problems with injuries but we have to pay attention on this game because it is a derby and they will put very good spirit in this game, we have to pay attention,' the manager warned.

'When you play teams at the bottom you have to because they will do their best to win. We saw against Portsmouth that they created a lot of difficulties for us, and we have to pay attention to West Ham.

'We have to respect every team - every team has character and quality and determination, not just the teams in the top but also the teams that don't want to go down to the second division.'

Author: Chelsea Offical site

Didier Drogba, Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho will all return to the starting line-up against West Ham on Sunday, says manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian is able to welcome his top scorer back after Drogba sat out Wednesday's 2-1 win against Portsmouth, while Cole and Carvalho are back in after being rested in midweek.

'I don't want to change a lot of things about the next game, Carvalho returns to play and I have to take a decision on midfield,' Ancelotti said. 'Mikel or Ballack I want to do recovery and Joe Cole will return to play.

'Drogba is good, he trained yesterday and today is fit and he will be ready for Sunday. Alex didn't train today but will train tomorrow and the other players stay well. For Sunday we also have Sturridge, who is doing a very good job, two fantastic weeks in training, and will be ready to play.'

Missing however is Michael Essien, whose hamstring injury looks likely to rule him out of Chelsea action until as late as the end of January, owing to the African Cup of Nations which begins on January 10, with the Ghanaian likely to be called away by his country before the end of the year.

In other news, Ancelotti dismissed media speculation linking us with Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero.

'It is not true because we don't sign a contract with any players, at this moment we do not think to buy Aguero,' said the 50-year-old.

Author: Chelsea offical site

Manchester City vs Sunderland HIGHLIGHTS 4-3 Dec 19, 2009 3:00 PM GMT Stadium: City Stadium Scorer: (Manchester City) 4' Santa Cruz R., 12' Tevez C., 36' Bellamy C., 69' Santa Cruz R. (Sunderland) 16' Mensah J., 24' Henderson J., 62' Jones K. Top of the match: Bellamy C. (Man City)

Since that performance City have been held at Bolton and soundly beaten at Tottenham, allowing their close rivals for the vital fourth place to leapfrog and leave the Blues eighth going into tomorrow's game with Sunderland.

City's manager declared: "We’re back at home after two difficult fixtures away - and we’ve got to get back to the level we produced against Chelsea. We’re more than capable of doing that.

"We’ve just come through a period in which we’ve beaten Arsenal and Chelsea, and also shown great spirit and courage in difficult circumstances against Bolton to come back three times.

"Whether that had a negative impact on what we were able to produce at Tottenham, who knows? We’ve picked the bones out, but sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say: 'We weren’t good enough on the night.'

"The games where that’s been the case have been few and far between this season. We’ve been pleased with what we’ve produced in the vast majority of the games.

"We were missing a number of key personnel but we don’t want to sound as if we’re making excuses. We’ll get more people back at the weekend, and see if we can improve on what we produced."

Hughes, who lost Joleon Lescott before the Spurs game, added: "We had a setback with Joleon we hadn't anticipated. We’re going to have to look at what we’ve got at the back in terms of cover.

"But you’re going to get injuries and you’re going to get suspensions at certain times in the season. It’s how you deal with them. You don’t use them as an excuse for losing."

Author: Peter Ferguson

It’s not an easy draw because Milan have a lot of experience in the competition. We just need to remember what happened three years ago and make sure we use that experience to win the two games. I think we are ready to play against AC Milan.

I remember it was a very frustrating tie. We won 3-2 at home but we didn’t play very well. In the second game I was suspended and watched it on TV. It was very difficult to see my team lose 3-0 in that way. After that game we had more experience and we won the year after. We want to do the same again by using our experience. Now we are ready for that type of game.

I am happy for Beckham because he did a lot for Manchester United and I know he wanted to play again at Old Trafford. I will say welcome home to him but I will make sure he doesn’t have an easy game! I like him because I have met him and he is a good person, a real gentleman. He’s a professional and that is why Milan wanted him. I like that type of player and he has one of the best right feet in the world. However, I will make sure he has a bad game!

I’m sure all his old team-mates who are still here are looking forward to welcoming him back, but I’m looking forward more to playing against Milan rather than just David Beckham, because Milan are more than just one man. When we played Barcelona everyone was talking to me about Messi, but I was just thinking about their whole team. I’m happy for him but I will concentrate on winning the game.

We are confident that we can reach our third final in a row. Our aim is to win it every year. I remember my target was to win the Champions League at least three times in my career. I’ve already won it once but I’ve also lost two finals. I’m still upset at losing those finals, especially last year. I will try to use my anger to make sure we get there again, but this time go one better and come back with the trophy.

Author: M Nichols, G Thompson

FC Barcelona’s medical team released a statement in Abu Dhabi that read: “The tests carried out this afternoon confirm that the player has suffered a muscle tear in his left leg.”

The midfielder suffered the blow in the game against Atlante in midweek and had to be substituted for Bojan Krkic. At the end of the game it was felt that he may have a chance of recovering in time to appear in the final, but that has now been ruled out.

With the timeframe for Iniesta’s return being set at around two weeks, he now faces a challenge to be back in action for the first game of the New Year, which takes place on Saturday, January 2 against Villarreal in Camp Nou at 20:00.

Despite being unable to play in the game against Estudiantes, Iniesta will be able to attend the FIFA World Player of the Year gala in Zurich, Switzerland on Monday. He is one of the five nominations for the award.

Author: www.fcbarcelona.cat