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Champions League 1999 2000 Valencia Lazio

Quarter final 

First Leg

Valencia, estadio Mestalla

5 April 2000

48.000 attendance

Arbitro:  Nielsen

Valencia:    Canizares, Angloma, Djukic, Pellegrino, Carboni, Angulo, Farinos, Gerard, Kily Gonzales, Sanchez (80' Oscar), C. Lopez - n.e. Bartual, Fagiani, Bjorklund, Gerardo, Albelda, Vlaovic - All. Cuper

Lazio:    Ballotta, Pancaro, Negro, Mihajlovic, Gottardi, Stankovic (61' Sergio Conceição), Simeone (75' Salas), Veron, Almeyda, Nedved, Inzaghi (67' Boksic) - n.e. Mondini, Sensini, Lombardo, Marcolin - All. Eriksson

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Primera Division 2010 2011 Barcelona Santander on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 20
22nd january 2011: 

barcelona v. racing santander

Pep Guardiola's boys are aware a sound victory will be the perfect remedy for midweek's defeat against Betis, the second one this season.
Racing's captain Pedro Munitis is banned from performing for the next two games, having been booked twice last week at Athletic's Cathedral. His absence will greatly diminish Racing Santander's offensive firepower.

At least midfielder Manuel Arana might return to the starting eleven for this clash, assuming the responsiblity of driving teams cruise in FC Barcelona.
Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola knows that whatever doesn't kills you makes you stronger, and for that reason he believes the last game against Betis has left behind a positive impact on his team.

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P.L. 2010 2011 Newcastle Tottenham on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 24
22nd january 2011: 

newcastle united v. tottenham hotspur

Pienaar could start his Spurs career on the substitute’s bench while Redknapp must decide whether to recall Jermain Defoe after the striker started as a substitute for the goalless draw against Manchester United.
Spurs have been pursuing Newcastle’s Andy Carroll but the England striker remains a doubt with a thigh muscle strain that has kept him out of the last four games, including three in the Premier League.
But during his absence, Newcastle have avoided  defeat and taken seven points from a possible nine.

In December, Newcastle lost 2-0 to a Spurs side that could even afford to lose Younes Kaboul to a red card in between the goals.
They will also be without the suspended Cheik Tiote, sent off at Stevenage in the FA Cup, and Ryan Taylor (ankle) and Hatem Ben Arfa (broken leg).
Spurs arrive without Tom Huddlestone (ankle), Ledley King (groin), Jamie O’Hara (back) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin).

P.L. 2010 2011 Arsenal Wigan on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 24 22nd january 2011: 

Arsene Wenger has warned his Arsenal players fully intend to "go for it" as they target an unprecedented quadruple.

The Gunners host Barclays Premier League relegation-battlers Wigan on Saturday looking to maintain the momentum from a 3-1 midweek FA Cup third-round replay win at Leeds, which followed the 3-0 drubbing of bottom club West Ham.

Next week Arsenal, who last won a trophy in 2005, take on npower Championship strugglers Ipswich in the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit and stay on course for Wembley, while a place in the last 16 of the FA Cup is there for the taking against League One Huddersfield.

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Campionato 2010 2011 Milan AC Bari on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

fifth round
20th january 2011:
ac milan v. bari

Tonight's match, though, will be a wholly different ball game as Milan cannot afford to commit mistakes. The Round of 16 tie against Bari in the Coppa Italia looks to be an easy enough fixture on paper but this is a Cup game and the Diavolo will have to be careful.

One suspects that Bari could have done without playing an extra match this week. With just 14 points from 20 matches, the Galletti are rooted to the bottom and tonight's trip to Milan is an unnecessary and almost enforced distraction.

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Blue Samouraïs : Asian Games 2010 & Asian Cup 2011

 

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Coppa Italia 2010 2011 Roma Lazio on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

fifth round

19th january 2011: 

roma v. lazio

Roma coach Claudio Ranieri hopes his side continues to enrich their seasonal ambitions by beating city rivals Lazio in Wednesday's Coppa Italia derby. A place in the quarter-finals is at stake, and despite an intense focus on challenging for the Scudetto, Ranieri reminded his men that the Coppa Italia will not be pushed aside. "It's not a real derby, but we can feel it, and we want to win," Ranieri told the press.

"I have rediscovered my team and we have been trying to climb point after point to win the Scudetto.
"Favourites for tomorrow? There is no favourite for the derby. We are playing well, but so are they.  "There is happiness and enthusiasm in the dressing room. Everyone wants to be there, and those teams with the most quality get there in the end. "I expect a win tomorrow as Roma are aiming to win every competition they are involved in."

Coppa Italia 2010 2011 Napoli Bologna on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

coppa italia 2010/11

fifth round
18th january 2011: napoli v. bologna

Napoli are in the middle of what could eventually turn out to be one of their most successful seasons in recent years as the Partenopei are second in the Serie A table and just four points behind leaders Milan.

The suggestion is that Walter Mazzarri's side are not strong enough for the Scudetto but for a club steeped in aesthetics, one suspects that they would carry on believing in the improbable for the time being.
To accentuate their campaign with more romance, Napoli will aspire to embark on a long Coppa Italia run. Today the Azzurri begin their journey with the visit of Bologna in Naples and would be expected to win. Furthermore, Mazzarri's team have already played the Rossoblu at the Stadio San Paolo this season and on that occasion in the league in November they won 4-1.

Sudamericano Sub-20 Perou 2011 : Brasil Paraguay

Group B

18 January 2011

The U-20 continental tournament for South America, the 2011 South American Youth Championship is being held in Peru from 16 January to 6 February 2011. There are some serious qualifying stakes to this tournament, with invites to the 2011 U-20 World Cup, the 2011 Pan American Games, and the 2012 Summer Olympics on the line. The tournament begins with a group stage, with the 10 teams divided into two groups. The top three from each group will qualify for a final group stage, which will be played over 5 matchdays between 31 January and 12 February. The top four finishing teams earn trips to both the U-20 World Cup and the Pan American Games, and the top two teams also get spots in the 2012 Olympics.

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Bundesliga 2010 2011 Kaiserlautern Köln MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

bundesliga 2010/11
matchday 18
16th january 2011:

kaiserslautern v. köln

 It’s well known already FC Koln were struck by the H1N1 virus and 5 important players were stuck by it and will be out for at least a week. They are defenders Miso Brecko, Youssef Mohamad, Brecko and Giannoulis, along with midfielder Jajalo, the latest on that list, all of them important and the first 3 even regulars.  They will have to play an improvised defense under these circumstances, with midfielder Pezzoni converted to a defender, Eichner making his debut and Schorch making his second appearance this season. Until Sunday, it wouldn’t be a surprise to have more players added on the unavailable list.

Lautern also will have to deal without two important players: defender Bugera and midfielder Tiffert, but their problems aren’t even close to Koln’s. They were strong at home in autumn while Koln barely managed to win 4 points on the road. I believe The hosts will take full profit of Koln’s situation and their attack is strong enough to penetrate that improvised defense.

Championnat de France 2010 2011 Marseille Bordeaux on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 20

16th january 2011: 

Olympique de Marseille reçoit dimanche à 21h au Stade Vélodrome les Girondins de Bordeaux  en conclusion de la 20e journée de Ligue 1. En difficultés avant la trêve, l’OM et le FCGB espèrent renouer avec le succès ce soir.

Les Marseillais ont connu une fin d’année 2010 laborieuse. En championnat, les hommes de Didier Deschamps n’ont plus gagné depuis 5 matches  (une défaite et 4 nuls). Pour leur premier match officiel en 2011, les Phocéens ne se sont pas rassurés puisqu’ils ont été sortis, dimanche dernier, en 32es de finale de la Coupe de France par Evian-Thonon-Gaillard (3-1), pensionnaire de Ligue 2. Après les neuf rencontres de la 20e journée hier, Marseille se retrouve 7e au classement avec 29 points, à six longueurs de Lille, le leader.

  De toute son histoire, Bordeaux n’a donc pas ramené souvent trois points de la cité phocéenne. D’ailleurs, et à l’image de Marseille, le FCGB n’a pas connu beaucoup le succès ces derniers temps. Les cinq dernières rencontres des Girondins en Ligue 1 se sont soldées par des scores de parité. Si Bordeaux ne gagne pas souvent, Bordeaux ne perd pas non plus. Les protégés de Jean Tigana sont invaincus depuis 9 matches.

Campionato 2010 20111 Lecce Ac Milan on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 20 
16th january 2011: lecce v. ac milan

 With Leonardo seemingly already making an impact as Inter coach, AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri will no doubt remind his charges that, despite having a nice cushion at the summit of the Serie A table, they need to keep their eye on the ball. And that starts with their trip to the Stadio Comunale Via del Mare to face Lecce on Sunday evening.
In all truth, though, the Giallorossi shouldn’t be able to contain AC. Despite their shock victory in Rome against Lazio in their latest fixture, Lecce have struggled this season, commensurate with which they are currently languishing in eighteenth place in the league table. And they were giving a thumping by the Rossoneri when they locked horns in both sides’ opening match of the current campaign at the San Siro, losing 4-0.

Milan are far from impregnable, as Udinese demonstrated when leaving the Giuseppe Meazza with a point last weekend, a thrilling game which ended 4-4. However, Allegri’s men have generally looked strong this season – the strongest they have looked for a while – and Alexandre Pato, Antonio Cassano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, not to mention Robinho, offer the Diavolo so much strength in depth up front. AC simply have too much firepower for the likes of Lecce.

Pato, who is on the radar of many of Europe’s top clubs, particularly that of Chelsea, will surely form part of the likely three-pronged attack that Allegri will deploy, having scored twice in the Udinese spectacle, while the 21-year-old put three past Antonio Rosati when Lecce visited the San Siro in August, and the young striker is worth backing at a standout 9-2 with bet365 in the first goalscorer market.  

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P.L. 2010 2011 Sunderland Newcastle on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 23
16th january 2011: 
sunderland v. newcastle united

There’s a sense of expectation around this particular Wear-Tyne derby, what with Newcastle battering their local rivals 5-1 in the reverse fixture (as if anyone needed reminding) and the fact that there hasn’t been a goalless draw between the sides in Premier League history. In addition, Newcastle have only failed to score in one of their last nine games. Oh, and their last outing in the Premier League was a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham United.

Although there are usually goals in this fixture, more often than not it’s Newcastle getting more of them in recent history. Sunderland triumphed over their rivals back in the 2008-09 season, but that was their sole victory at home against Newcastle since 1980. If Sunderland want to avenge their heavy defeat at St. James’ Park, they will have to rewrite recent history.
The Black Cats also have some catching up to do in terms of all-time results as well. Sunday’s meeting will be the 143rd between the sides with Newcastle coming out on top 56 times, Sunderland winning 44 times, and 46 draws. That said, there could hardly be a better time to do it as Newcastle are without their top scorer and arguably their best player of the season in Tiote.

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Primera Division 2010 2011 Villareal Osasuna MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 19
15th january 2011: 

Wednesday evening’s Copa del Rey match against Sevilla proved to be a frustrating affair for Villarreal, who were held to a rare home draw by the Andalucian side. Had Juan Carlos Garrido’s side not been going so well in the league, that result would have been a particular disappointment, but presently the Yellow Submarine are moving at full steam ahead to try and claim third spot.

Survival for Osasuna in the top flight this season is by no means a foregone conclusion, and the Pamplona side have endured an alarming slump over the winter that has brought their participation in the Primera Division into question. Over the course of the last six games, they’ve failed to win a single match, maintaining any forward momentum only by three draws.

Bundesliga 2010 2011 Wolfsburg Bayern on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

bundesliga 2010/11
matchday 18 

15th january 2011: 

wolfsburg v. bayern münchen

After months and months of speculation, Edin Dzeko finally left Wolfsburg last week. While much media focus has been over how the brilliant striker will fit in at Manchester City, in Germany, the questions have been raised as to how Wolfsburg will manage without their departed captain and historical top scorer.

Many among the Bayern faithful will recall Arjen Robben’s first match for die Roten. Just days after signing from Real Madrid, the Dutchman came on as a second half substitute and scored a fine brace to cap off a 3-0 victory away to Wolfsburg.

Now, after missing spending six months on the sidelines with a hamstring tear, Robben returns to Bayern as a “new signing” of sorts. And now, he plays his first game of the season against none other than Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena.

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Copa Del Rey 2010 2011 "El Derbi Madrileño"Real Madrid Atletico Madrid

copa del rey 2010/11
quarterfinals 
First and Second Leg

The Copa del Rey may not always take top billing for Real Madrid, but Jose Mourinho indicated from the beginning of the competition that he intends to win this crown. If the Portuguese was having any second thoughts about deploying a strong side in the tournament, a derby fixture against Atletico Madrid will compel him to focus firmly on Thursday evening’s quarter-final first leg encounter. Los Blancos remain on the coattails of Barcelona in the Primera Division, and even a difficult encounter against Villarreal on Sunday evening could not break their momentum. There may have been a good deal of controversy involved, but there could be little doubting the importance of Madrid’s 4-2 success, during which they twice had to recover from behind.

A storm is brewing at the Vicente Calderon, where Atletico Madrid are perceived to be under performing in the Primera Division. Under pressure coach Quique Sanchez Flores was left frustrated by Monday night’s 4-1 humbling against Hercules in Alicante. From the outset, los Colchoneros were second best, and Jose Antonio Reyes’ late goal was scant consolation on a bleak evening for the capital side.
“I believe my players can do big things... I am confident in them,” Flores told the press prior to Thursday’s encounter against Real Madrid, retaining great faith in his side. “All these years we have not won at Real Madrid can act as a stimulus.” After a great start to the season, Atleti are rather coming apart at the seams. Only two wins have been gleamed from their last six Primera Division encounters, of which four were played against sides in the bottom half of the table. During this period, they’ve also been embarrassingly eliminated from the Europa League.

P.L. 2010 2011 Blackpool Liverpool on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 19 (rescheduled)

12th january 2011: 
blackpool v. liverpool

The latter days of Roy Hodgson’s bitter reign on Merseyside saw him lose the fans completely, as the club’s supporters roundly chanted for his head by calling for the appointment of the legendary Kenny Dalglish.
One could very well argue that the results may not have been a true reflection of the former Fulham manager’s capability, as he was unable to mould the squad to his liking by flexing some muscle in the transfer window. But the Merseysiders have parted ways with the 63-year-old now, and have given the fans what they wanted - King Kenny.Dalglish’s return to management after a decade-long hiatus began in poor fashion as a controversial penalty coupled with the sending off of his skipper Steven Gerrard ended in a defeat to bitter rivals Manchester United - which in turn meant that the Reds were knocked out of the FA Cup.
However, the feel good factor around the club will have trickled down into the squad as well, and could in turn translate into a positive performance on the pitch...

Championnat de France 1987 1988 Matra Racing PSG

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Primera Division 2010 2011 Real Madrid Villareal

week 18 9th january 2011: 

real madrid v. villarreal

Undoubtedly, the game of the weekend, Jornada 18 pits Real Madrid against Villarreal, the 2 former sides of Pellegrini. Villarreal have returned to their attacking best, the same form which made them a force to be reckoned with under Senor Pellegrini. The prime example of this was the 4-2 humdinger against Valencia which was played out at El Madrigal.

This Villarreal is made of some stern stuff and showed tremendous mental strength to come back from 2-0 down and win 4-2 to advance to the next round in Copa del Rey.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, were humbled by Levante. Although the match consisted of mainly substitutes, it showed a worrying trait of this Real Madrid side that the substitutes are not good enough to handle even the La Liga strugglers.

Earlier this season, Villarreal were universally praised for daring to take the game to Barcelona and losing only because Barcelona had a team which can play ‘blindfolded’.

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Liga 2010 2011 Real Sociedad Sevilla

8th january 2011 

The Andalucian visitors have started the new year on a high and will attempt to carry the momentum in the Basque country too...

With 23 points from 17 matches, Sevilla are four points off a Europa League slot and a further four behind Valencia, who occupy the final Champions League berth. The Rojiblancos' away form, though, is rather disappointing as of the eight matches on the road, they have won just three and lhave ost five.

However, striker Luis Fabiano believes that Sevilla are returning to their best and enthuses, "We had a bad run but now we are winning, there's still a lot of work to do and we have to improve many things, but Sevilla are returning little by little."

venue: anoeta, donostia-san sebastián, país vasco (spain)

Fa Cup 2010 2011 Stevenage Newcastle united on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

third round proper 8th january 2011: 
stevenage v. newcastle united

When the FA Cup third-round draw was made, the whoops of delight emanating from Stevenage could be heard almost as clearly as the sighs of disappointment from Tyneside. Thirteen years after non-league Stevenage Borough made global headlines by holding Newcastle to a fourth-round draw, before suffering a 2-1 defeat in the replay at St James' Park, Graham Westley's League Two side were given a chance to upset the Magpies again.

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P.L. 2010 2011 Newcastle West Ham on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 22

5th january 2011: 

newcastle united v. west ham united

Newcastle will be looking to cement their place in the top half of the table with a home win, and three points could see them move up to eighth place in the table and pushing for a Europa League spot. However, results going against them could see them drop as low as 13th in the table.

West Ham have finally hit a good vein of form with two wins and two draws from their last four games which has seen Avram Grant save his job, at least for now, by steering the club away from the bottom of the table up to 16th. Another win for the Hammers could see them further improve their position to 13th in the table, however if teams below them manage to pick up points it could be a return to the foot of the table for the Irons.
Newcastle won the reverse fixture at Upton Park earlier in the season 2-1 with goals from Kevin Nolan and Carroll as West Ham scored with their only shot on target of the game through Carlton Cole.

P.L. 2010 2011 Wolverhampton Chelsea on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 22 5th january 2011: 

wolverhampton wanderers v. chelsea

Another crucial game for Chelsea following the disappointment of Sunday when they trailed 2-1 to Villa, led 3-2 then were held to a 3-3 stalemate by an added time goal from Ciaran Clark.  Chelsea have 10 fewer points than they did after 20 games last season and have won just one of their last eight games in the Premier League.

Chelsea have not lost at Molineux since January 1983 in the old Second Division. Their last defeat there in the top division was in March 1975 – when they were hammered 7-1.

Wolves, after the famous victory at Anfield, returned to type with a 2-0 defeat at West Ham on Saturday, a result that sent them back to the foot of the Premier League.

Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, cannot use Michael Mancienne, on loan from Chelsea, but unlikely to be fit anyway. 

P.L. 2010 2011 Blackburn Liverpool on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

week 22 5th january 2011: 
blackburn rovers v. liverpool

Blackburn Rovers could be without several senior players. Grant Hanley is now a doubt after being replaced at half time during the 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, with a calf injury, while Brett Emerton will miss most of this month due to Australia’s Asia Cup campaign.Liverpool should restore Steven Gerrard to the starting eleven after the captain began the 2-1 win over Bolton from the bench.
Joe Cole, who scored the winner at Anfield, could be given a rare start but Jamie Carragher (shoulder) and Jay Spearing (ankle) are still missing.  

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READINGS : It didn't Came home

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