التصنيف: Football

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Portugal’s 3-1 Win Over Luxemburg Made Portuguese Coach Fernando Santos Furious

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Portugal’s 3-1 win over Luxemburg lifted catapulted it to the top of Group A in its World Cup qualifying campaign. With seven points in hand, Portugal now stands at level with Serbia, but Luxemburg has to contend at third position with three points.

But Fernando Santos wasn’t satisfied with his team’s performance….

While the Portuguese team was celebrating their victory, their coach Santos was chiding his boys in the media. He said that they wasted the first 30-minutes playing at a walking pace with no intensity on either pitch. And that he had to ask the players that they won’t win the game on quality alone and they had to add intensity to their game.

Santos warned his boys that if they rely on their quality, any opponent could cause them difficulties. He said that in the second half they won every ball. They played with intensity and suddenly found that Luxemburg was a different team.

What made Fernando Santos furious?

Luxemburg was full of confidence after winning 1-0 at Ireland and it soon took lead over the European Champions when Gerson Rodrigues glanced a header at Portugal on the half-hour mark. But Portugal took more time in even equalizing the score.

The first goal for Portugal came in the second minute of the added time of the first half when Diogo Jota sent the ball into Luxemburg’s goalpost. Cristiano Ronaldo came running with Joao Cancelo to score the second goal in the 50th minute of the game. And the final goal was scored by substitute Joao Palhinha in the 80th minute.

Source:- https://bit.ly/3sCkLUI

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Football News & Politics Sports

Germany Won Its First World Cup Qualifying Match With Iceland By 3-0

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In an outstanding start to FIFFA World Cup Qualifiers, Germany won its first match with Iceland with 3-0 goals. It was the first match of Germany in 2021 and they made their mark at the beginning of the year. Germans will now play with Romania on March 29.

What does this victory mean for Joachim Low?

Joachim Low has announced that he would step down as head coach of Germany after summer’s Euros and as head coach, he had overseen 189 matches including 31 matches across three World Cup qualifying campaigns. And Germany wanted to give a memorable farewell to their world cup winning coach.

How the three goals were scored?

The first goal was quick within three minutes into the game when Joshua Kimmich jumped the ball over the Iceland defense to Serge Gnabry who played it back for Goretzka to score the first goal.

Kimmich again chipped in to pass the ball to Leroy Sane who was down the left and a fine shot by Sane was turned into the second goal in the seventh minute by Kai Havertz.

Germans scored their third and the last goal of the match in the 56th minute when Ilkay Gundogan turned an opportunity into a goal with the help of Serge Gnabry who plays as a winger in the team.

Did Iceland get an opportunity to score a goal?

The only opportunity Iceland had when their midfielder Runar Sigurjonsson had a wide shot to the German goal but the shot was blocked wide off the German center back Antonio Rüdiger.

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Football News & Politics Sports

Portugal Beats Azerbaijan 1-0 With Secret Hand From Azerbaijan

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It was a rusty display of football by Portugal while playing their World Cup qualifier at home with Azerbaijan. Though they kept possession of the ball for maximum time and attempted a series of attacks, but couldn’t succeed. And the only goal they scored was due to the fault of Azerbaijan.

How did Portugal get its goal?

It came in the 37th minute when Maksim Medvedev entered to end a deadlock their goalkeeper was in and accidentally sent the ball into their own goal. The goalkeeper Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev who was stuck in the deadlock couldn’t even imagine in his dreams that their player will make this mistake.

How many opportunities did Portugal miss?

Portugal team made a total of 29 attempts at goal and out of which 14 shots hit the target but none resulted in a goal. Even their star player that is an all-time scorer Cristiano Ronaldo looked frustrated in the evening. He had eight attempts to the goal but none converted into a goal. In one attempt, he went closest to the goal during a late free-kick but Mahammadaliyev tripped that shot. It was the second time in four games at his home stadium that Ronaldo failed to score goals.

Who was the star player of the game?

Azerbaijan goalkeeper Shahrudin Mahammadaliyev was undoubtedly the star player. It was he who neutralized the Portugal attack. He remained busy throughout the evening keeping his goalpost safe from Portugal. But he couldn’t save the only goal from his teammate.

Source:- https://bit.ly/2PuYvNB

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Real Sociedad vs Barcelona 1-6: See How The Seven Goals Were Scored

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It was a thrilling performance by Barcelona that was playing under the Anoeta curse but it looked that the curse turned into a blessing for the Barca who scored 6 goals against 1 by Real Sociedad. 

The First Goal….

Barca got a breakthrough after an extended period of pressure from the host. In the 35th minute, Antoine Griezmann picked a rebound shot by Ousmane Dembélé saved a great shot by Jordi Alba but Antoine Griezmann to score the first goal of the match.

The Second Goal….

The match was in the 43rd minute when Lionel Messi played a perfect ball to Sergiño Dest who lost no time in scoring the second goal of the match.

The Third Goal….

In the 53rd minute, Jordi Alba gave a hurried shot to Dest to allow the American to score his second and the third goal for Barca.

The Fourth Goal….

In the 56th minute, Lionel Messi picked the ball from Busquets and shot it into the goalpost for his first and the fourth goal for Barca.

Goal Disallowed….

Ousmane Dembélé played a nice shot past Remiro but the goal was disallowed as he was far offside and the same had been confirmed by the VAR.

The Fifth Goal….

But nothing could stop Ousmane Dembélé in the 71st minute when the Frenchman took a beautiful solo run to deliver his second and fifth goal for Barca.

The Sixth Goal….

The Real Sociedad scored got its only goal in the 77th minute when Barrenetxea displayed a fantastic game.   

The Seventh Goal….

Captain Lionel Messi scored the sixth and the last goal of the match in the 89th minute when he … Read the rest

Football News & Politics Sports

Mislav Orsic Of Dinamo Zagreb Beat Tottenham Hotspur With 3-0 Hat Trick

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Mislav Orsic shattered all hopes of Tottenham Hotspur of reaching the quarterfinals by striking a hat-trick on the Thursday match. Dinamo Zagreb won the match by 3-0 leaving the Spurs surprised at their ouster.

Where was Tottenham Hotspur standing in the league?

Jose Mourinho’s team had a 2-0 advantage from the first leg when they entered the second leg of the Europa League and were hoping to reach the quarterfinals. But Dinamo Zagreb proved to be a tough nut to crack despite the controversy surrounding their coach Zoran Mamic.

The first half of the match was tepid

There was no progress in the first 45 minutes of the game as the Spurs looked listless. Both the teams retired to their respective dressing rooms at the end of the first half. But there was some action on the part of the host in the second half. The Spurs found it difficult to check Mislav Orsic who scored three goals to give Dinamo Zagreb a clear lead over Tottenham Hotspur.

Was Mislav Orsic the real hero of the match?

Mislav Orsic told reporters that he thought that everyone was a hero that night because they all breathed as one in an unforgettable match. He further said that they were gutted after a 2-0 defeat in London because they felt they had that in them to do better and they couldn’t put a foot wrong that night.

Who will Dinamo Zagreb play in the quarterfinals?

Zagreb will play with the team that will win Friday’s Europa League match. They had entered the quarterfinals with a lead of 3-2 wins.

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Football News & Politics Sports

Why Was Zinedine Zidane All Praise For Midfielders Over Real’s 3-1 Win Over Atalanta?

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Real Madrid’s sweeping victory over Atalanta made it easy for them to enter the quarterfinals of the competition. They were playing the second leg of their UEFA Championship League last-16 tie and they needed to win the match. And they did so by beating Atalanta with 3-1. It was a big feat for Real Madrid after 2018.

Midfielders did the job

Real players displayed excellent football but it was the midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos that were the real stars. Real manager Zinedine Zidane praised his midfield generals by calling Modric and Kroos the double pivot and said that they were phenomenal that night. He further said that Modric was 35 but he didn’t show that on the ground. The manager praised Modric as an exceptional player.

What did Modric say about his age?

The midfielder Modric said that he was 35 but he felt like he was only 27. He further said that one shouldn’t look at the age. It was all about how players perform on the ground, regardless of age. He was hungry for more, to continue playing at the highest level and he felt great, maintained Modric.

Who were the goal scorers?

The first goal came in the 34th minute when Karim Benzema shot the ball directly to the goalpost. It was his sixth goal in five matches. Sergio Ramos scored the second goal in the 60th minute and substitute Marco Asensio scored the third goal in the 83rd minute soon after Luis Muriel scored the only goal for Atalanta.

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Barcelona V/s Huesca Was A Record Setting Match For Lionel Messi

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Lionel Messi emerged as the star player for Barcelona in the Monday match against Huesca. He was part of Ronald Koeman’s starting XI but Koeman was proud of Messi and he even praised him for his game.

It was a record-setting night for both Messi and Barca….

Barca won the Monday match with Huesca with a decent 4-1 score that helped Barcelona reach a little closer to the La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid. At 59 point, Barca is now four points behind Atletico. Also, it is the only unbeaten team in league play in Europe’s top-five leagues since 2021 began.

For Lionel Messi, it was a night of setting records. He scored two crucial goals to in the 13th and 90th minute. His first goal in the match was his 20th in the La Liga in his 13th season. With this goal, he became the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to accomplish the feat.

Lionel Messi set another record of appearing in all competitions for the club with Barcelona legend Xavi at 767. Also, he got many appreciations and praises from his manager Ronald Koeman who even went to the length of thanking god for Messi was with them.

What did Ronald Koeman say about Lionel Messi?

Ronald Koeman said that Messi was the most important person in Barca’s history and he thanked goodness that Messi was them. He further said that he thought that Lionel Messi had shows once again that he was the best. The first goal of Messi was fantastic and he deserved to be important that the team.

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Arsenal Enters Quarter-Finals Of Europa League With 3-1 Win Over Olympiacos

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Arsenal registered an impressive win against Olympiacos to get a smooth entry into the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The Gunners delivered 3 goals with stunning action and received only one. But the talking points of the match were about the opportunities missed.

What was the talking point of the match?

The Gunners revealed their true spirit but at the same time, they exposed their darker side. They were like both an angel and a demon. Whether it is ball possession or strike, Arsenal dominated the field but they look scattered in the field. There was little coordination between Arsenal players.

First is the selection of team….

Mikel Arteta decided to play with the team that drew 1-1 with Burnley in the Premier League. But he replaced Gabriel Magalhaes and Hector Bellerin came in for Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers to strengthen his team’s position.

In the first half….

Martin Odegaard was quick to assume the moment at 34th minute when he landed the ball into the net. Jose Sa looked quite helpless at the sudden strike.

In the second half….

As said, Arsenal made multiple mistakes and one of those mistakes was to allow Olympiacos a goal. That was clearly a miscommunication between Dani Ceballos and Bernd Leno that resulted in a goal for Olympiacos.

Martin Odegaard looked aggressive….

He tried many attempts but most of the times he was trying to fit into the team. He tried giving many passes but couldn’t coordinate with others resulting in mistakes.

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Salah And Mane Took Liverpool To The UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals

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Liverpool’s 2-0 victory during the round of 16 second leg over RB Leipzig on Wednesday paved its way UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. But it wasn’t a smooth advance as RB Leipzig looked more dominant till the 70th minute of the game.

Goalless first half

RB Leipzig was successful in warding off the relentless press of The Reds but it couldn’t break Liverpool’s high defensive line. It failed in making any meaningful attack on The Reds despite keeping the possession of the ball for maximum time in the first half. Liverpool made a comeback into the third-quarter of the first half but the opportunities were missed due to lack of finishing. So, both the teams failed to get any breakthrough in the first half.

RB Leipzig changed its strategy in the second half

RB Leipzig brough attacker Alexander Sortloth into the game in the second half. He was replaced midfielder Kevin Kampl. It also made minor changes but the results achieved with the changes had little impact on the game. At one moment, Hwang Hee-Chan and Justin Kluivert came too close to scoring a goal but Alexander Sortloth shot the ball off the post.

Liverpool turned the game in last minutes

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Football News & Politics Sports

United Was All Praise For Crystal Palace After The Wednesday Draw

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Manchester United finished second on 51 points from 27 games after the Wednesday match with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The match ended on a draw despite both the contestants getting plenty of opportunities to score goals. United is 14 points behind Manchester City that still has a derby game at hand. But Crystal Palace stands on the 13th with only 34 points.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemed most disappointed

It was a third successive 0-0 draw in all competitions for United. They failed miserably despite having their best striker Edison Cavani who missed the last four games due to a muscle injury.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that it was disappointing. They were just a little bit off. He further said that if the team weren’t on spot, they won’t win games. Palace had always made hard for United.

United has just came into their form after winning Real Sociedad with 4-0 after a goalless Stalemate with Chelsea. But the Wednesday match again pushed the United into uncertainty. They lost the edge they are known for.

Manager Solskjaer accepted that Palace is a good team and that Palace made United play the way they want to. He said that in the second half they never got going.

Opportunities missed in the game

The first opportunity came for United in the 14th minute with Cavani skied a close-range shot over the bar. The second chance was missed in the 44th minute when Joel Ward denied Cavani a tap-in from three meters.

Palace missed an opportunity in the 90th minute when Patrick van Aanholt was engaged one-on-one with United goalkeeper but Dean Henderson came to … Read the rest