Dortmund Denies Malaga

The UEFA Champions League offers some of the most beautiful and magical competitions among Europe's greatest clubs.  In these star-studded events, new rivalries are formed, hearts are broken, and heroes are made.  The second leg of the Borussia Dortmund and Malaga CF showdown has indeed done all three of these things.

The Spanish club had created a strong counterattacking approach against the Germans throughout the match and struck gold twice-- once in the 25th minute and again in the waning moments of the match in the 82nd minute.  All seemed won for Malaga until Borussia Dortmund strung together a magical double within only four minutes of stoppage-time.

In the two legs of this series, Dortmund appeared to lack its elegance and killer instinct that earned them last year's Bundesliga title, not to mention the DFB Pokal.  After a 0-0 first leg at Malaga and a trip back home, the signs were pointing to Malaga to take the series and advance with the away goals they were bound to score.

Lo and behold, Malaga's Joaquin masterfully faked the lunging German defense and netted the first goal in the 25th minute softly past Roman Weindenfeller.

Not to be outdone, Dortmund had its response fifteen minutes later.  Polish international Robert Lewandowski beat goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero after a quick counterattack started with Mario Gotze.  After Dortmund won the ball in their half, Gotze centered the ball to Marco Reus who brilliantly sent the ball on with a no-look back heel to a full pace Lewandowski who coolly eveled the game at 1-1.

Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images

Despite the beautiful leveling, Malaga's attack force that is Joaquin, Isco, and Julio Bapstista kept the pressure in Dortmund's side of the pitch to prevent any more serious attacking chances.

Cue the controversy.

Malaga's Eliseu tapped in a point-blank goal into the empty Dortmund net after a brilliant through ball, but replays show he was clearly a step offside. The goal stood and Malaga seemed to have the series clinched even if Dortmund managed to tie the match.

Borussia Dortmund looked like they were going to fall to Malaga CF after a scrappy but mostly unimpressive series.  Not to go down without a fight, Jurgen Klopp sent his big men, Felipe Santana and Mats Hummels, up to hopefully muscle in a goal.  A poorly defended low cross allowed  Neven Subotic, Felipe Santana, and Marco Reus to clean up and put away the game-leveler.

Despite the excitement, Malaga CF was still through with their two away goals.

Barely one minute later, Robert Lewandowski anxiously sent a cross in from the left that found what appears to have been four offside Borussians.  The ball chaotically bounced within six yards of the box and Felipe Santana, standing on the goal line, pushed the go ahead goal into the net to the delight of the Dortmund fans and the dismay of Malaga fans all around the world.

Malaga's president, Abdullah N Al Thani cried out on Twitter that they faced "injustice and racism" in their last-minute defeat to Dortmund.

Despite the passionate reactions to this beautiful match, we must acknowledge that half of the goals scored were highly controversial.  Officials made crucial errors that have potential to ruin the next matches in the UEFA Champions League.  

In the end, we may have witnessed the birth of a fiery European rivalry between these two talented clubs.  Malaga can head back home with their heads held high and Dortmund may revel in the victory, looking forward to play the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus, or Bayern Munich.  

By: Matthew Sinacore

CR7 Dashes Galatasaray's Semifinal Dreams

What a spectacular show of football it was tonight at Turk Telekom Arena!  Los Blancos played their 2^nd leg against Galatasaray in an away match to a 3-2 loss.  In spite of the loss, the men pull through thanks to the aggregate... and Cristiano Ronaldo.  The Portuguese all-star scored both of Madrid's goals tonight, most notably at the very last second, dashing the home team's dreams of Champions League semifinals.

3 Forwards, 3 Goals, and a 3-0 victory over Galatasary

Los Blancos played against Galatasaray last night to a Champions League showdown, claiming a 3-0 victory over their opponents by way of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gonzalo Higuain.  With his goal, Cristiano sits pretty on top as the top goal-scorer in the competition this season.  The victory of Galatasary brings Real Madrid one step closer to their third consecutive UCL semifinal.  The Bernabéu was alive with fire, the home crowd roaring with song and pride for the men in white.  The crowd itself proved crucial, serving as motivation for the players, aware that their spectators have not seen them lose for 14 months.  It would have been a let down all around to see them fail at home.  

Valencia Edge out 1-0 Win in France

Wednesday Valencia CF made the trip to Lille, France to face Group F cellar dwellers Lille OSC in the final group stage match this Champions League season. Lille came into the game already eliminated from the Champions League while Valencia were already through to the next phase, so neither team had any major incentive to really perform on the day. Valencia knew that if they could win, a draw or defeat for Bayern Munich against BATE Borisov would give VCF first place in the group. However, if both Valencia and Bayern were to get the same result, Bayern would finish first due to the head to head rule (Bayern beat Valencia at the Allianz Arena and drew at the Mestalla). Knowing that the odds of BATE snatching a draw against Bayern at the Allianz were slim and a victory even slimmer, Valencia, realistically, were playing only for pride. Lille had no chance of staying in European competition regardless of the outcome of any Group F matches, but they certainly didn’t want to end their already disappointing campaign with another defeat in front of their home fans. However, such intangible benefits for either club didn’t seem to galvanize them into an entertaining contest as both sides treated spectators to a match that was dull at best. 

Valencia Grind Out 1-1 but Deserved More

On a balmy Tuesday evening, two European superpowers clashed for Group F supremacy in the Champions League. Giants and tournament favorites Bayern Munich made the trip to the Mestalla for their away match against Valencia CF. Earlier that day Lille got their first Champions League win of the season against BATE Borisov, effectively ending the Belarusians’ Champions League dream and the French’s Champions League nightmare. More importantly this result meant that both Valencia and Bayern Munich were mathematically through to the knock out round of the Champions League. There was still all to play for, however, as first and second place in the group were still up for grabs, and both teams would have their sights set on finishing top of the group. The game in the Mestalla was as bitter sweet as it was exciting, and even though Valencia fans may feel hard done, they can still keep their head held high after a hard fought 1-1 draw which saw VCF reduced to 10 men.

Valencia claim 4-0 victory over Belarus's BATE

Wednesday, Valencia CF squared off against dark horses BATE Borisov in a Champions League Group F goal fest. Valencia would be coming into the match having defeated BATE in Belarus by a 3-0 score line, and looking to take control of the group as a victory against BATE would break the three way deadlock for first and second place. BATE; on the other hand, would be looking to avenge their first defeat in the Champions League by turning the tables on Valencia in front of their home fans. BATE had been impressing everyone with their quick counter attacking style, racking up victories against Lille and the mighty Bayern Munich in their first two Group F match days. However, BATE’s poor form against Spanish opposition would continue, as on that rainy night Valencia pulled out a 4-2 win in the Mestalla against the plucky Belarusians.

Mourinho and Özil weigh in on RM's chance of defeating Dortmund

Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in the return leg of their Champions League meet-up, this time at home in the Bernabéu.  20 men have been called up for duty in their fourth fixture in the European competition.

Selección de Real Madrid:

Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adán, Jesús

Defenders: Arbeloa, Varane, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Carvalho, Albiol

Midfielders: Kaká, Xabi Alonso, Álex, Özil, Essien, Modric, Callejón, Di María

Forwards: Cristiano, Pipita

ManCity Fails in the Netherlands

Dutch champions Ajax 3-1 defeated English giants Manchester City last night at home in the Champions League.  Yet another loss and City finds itself very close to disqualifying within the competition.

Mancini, who desperately played his four strikers towards the end of the match, spoke with press.

A loss to Dortmund places RM in 2nd for Group of Death

Tough luck today, Madridistas.  Real Madrid, having once sat on top of the Group of Death, now move to second within the Champions League competition.  Los Blancos  faced Bundesliga giant Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, losing 2-1.  In spite of having greater ball possession, Real Madrid could not translate possession into an equalizer come final whistle.

Crucial Game for Manchester City Against Ajax

"We don’t have experience as a club, but our players do have experience in the Champions” – Mancini

Manchester City arrived in Holland Tuesday morning to prepare for a critical Champions League match against Ajax.  The EPL giants have only obtained a mere one point out of six possible in the past two matches against Real Madrid and Dortmund.

21 Blancos tabbed for duty against Dortmund

Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund in an away UEFA Champions League match at Signal Iduna Park.  This will be the third UCL match for los Blancos in this campaign and the men sit pretty on top as top scorers of the competition.  Mourinho has called upon 21 men for the match against Dortmund, selecting all available first-teamers.  Those who did not make the cut include injured players Fabio Coentrão, Álvaro Arbeloa, and Marcelo.  Coentrão and Arbeloa were absent from training sessions at Valdebebas, continuing their recovery processes.  Today was RM's last training session at home before flying to the German city.

United sits in front of Group H with three points after a 2-1 victory over CFR Cluj

After Saturday's shocking defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, Sir Alex Ferguson grew tired of giving up early goals and decided to change up his tactics against Cluj.  The United manager decided to use his two main strikers, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie, to get some positive response early in the game.

United's starting line consisted of a 4-3-1-2 formation with De Gea in goal, Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Anderson, Fletcher, Cleverley; Rooney, Van Persie, and Hernandez.  Substitutes were Lindegaard, Büttner, Wootton, Nani, Powell, Kagawa, Welbeck.

Although United had a strong squad on pitch, Cluj struck first.  In the 14th minute of play, Modou Sougou set up Pantelis Kapetanos for the opening goal with a low cross, beating Evra down the win, giving the hosts the lead.

Cristiano Ronaldo Leads RM to 4-1 Win over Ajax

Ajax 1-4 Real Madrid

56' Moisander :: 42', 79', 81' Cristiano, 48' Benzema

Sincerest apologies, Madridistas, for the lack of updates on our men, but I am here now.  Real Madrid faced Ajax tonight at the Amsterdam ArenA in their second UCL match of the season.  These two powerhouses have enjoyed varying success within the UCL competition these recent years, where the Spanish giants have racked up a 12-0 aggregate against the Dutch in their past four meetings.  Now while statistics favored Real Madrid, it would have been a grave mistake on Mourinho's men's parts to underestimate their opponents.

Ronaldo Seals The Deal against City with 3-2

Group D of the UEFA Champions League can easily be dubbed the “Group of Death” with its superstar teams (Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, and Borussia Dortmund) stacked against each other. Real Madrid’s game over Manchester City proved just that, with the last 30 minutes of the match feeling like a sudden death that haunted fans of both clubs.

The match began at a steadfast pace, with Real Madrid applying pressure to City’s defense without mercy. The first half could easily be summed up by “Joe Hart vs. Real Madrid”, and for that entire half, the England goalkeeper denied every powerful shot from the likes of Marcelo, Ronaldo, Higuain and Di Maria. Roberto Mancini’s men took a huge blow when Samir Nasri came off with what seemed like a hamstring strain in the 35th minute. Looking at the broader picture, a serious injury for Nasri could mean a jumbled City midfield that would not only suffer against Arsenal on Sunday, but for the rest of their Champions League run. 

Chelsea Upsets Barcelona and the Football World

Chelsea could not have found a more dramatic way to clinch Tuesday’s game, with one of the greatest draws in the club's 107-year history.  With 95,845 strong at Camp Nou, Chelsea went head-to-head with football powerhouse – arguably the best football club in the world – FC Barcelona.  With the odds stacked against them and the football world watching, the boys in blue played a terrific match, in which their heart and their resilience were demonstrated on the field.  Even after being reduced to 10 men on the pitch after the expulsion of captain John Terry halfway through the first half, in addition to being down 2-nil, the Blues fought valiantly and gave tremendous effort.  Their effort would prove fruitful, resulting in Chelsea leaving Camp Nou with a ticket to their second Champions League final.

The first half kickoff belonged to Chelsea, and, within 18 seconds, the Blues would have the ball inside the Barça penalty area, but Ashley Cole’s kick proved too powerful for Ramires.  The match’s first free kick was awarded to the Blues for a foul committed on Juan Mata.  Barcelona would then attack and it would be Lionel Messi’s first chance to score.  However, his attempt would only go as far as hitting the side-netting from inside the area.  The Blaugranas continued to keep the pressure for the majority of the first half.

Real Madrid Exit Champions League But Not Without A Fight

Regular Time: RM (5'[pen.], 14' Cristiano) 2 - 1 (27' Robben) Bayern

Penalties: RM (Xabi Alonso) 1 - 3 (Alaba, Gómez, and Schweinsteiger) Bayern

Tonight was a spectacular night for football and anyone who was there at the Bernabéu will tell you – it was a match to remember.  Real Madrid took on old Champions League foe Bayern Munich in the return leg of semifinals, and while the men fought long and hard, it would be Bayern as the last man standing.  While it breaks my heart to not see los Blancos in the final, all Madridistas should take pride in the valiant display of football and heroics that these men gave us, taking us to a penalty shootout, where we were finally eliminated.

Real Madrid erased their 2-1 deficit from the first leg within the first five minutes of play.  The German side conceded a penalty to the home team when Ángel di María's volley hit David Alaba's arm inside the area – handball.  As predicted, it would be Madrid's #7, Cristiano Ronaldo, who stepped up.  The Portuguese all-star stood alone, looking into the eyes of his opponent, Manuel Neuer, while his men stood behind him and the world watched in anticipation.  One.  Inhale.  Two.  Exhale.  Three.  The Bernabéu erupted in cheers.  Cristiano successfully converted the penalty with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner, which put los Blancos ahead of the match in addition to evening out the aggregate 2-2.  Bayern was unfazed.

Real Madrid: All Set For Bayern

Will Real Madrid pass "Go" on the Road to Munich or remain behind?  This seems to be the question weighing heavily on every Madridista's mind.  Los Blancos are currently riding a post-high wave having beaten Barça at Camp Nou this past Saturday.  However, they must focus on the task at hand.  The men face a 2-1 deficit against Bayern Munich, and while it is nothing to be worried about, the fact remains – they are behind. 

Bayern's away record this season in the Champions League isn't the most convincing.  The German side tabbed wins against Zurich in the qualifiers and against Villarreal in the group stages, but the clash with Napoli ended in a draw.  Their loss against City on the final day was hardly considered a loss, with Bayern already qualified at the top of the group and Jupp Heynckes – the man who saw the Champions League trophy back at Madrid after a 32-year dry spell in '98 – fielding a reserve side.  The loss to Basel came at a time when Bayern hit their low in terms of form.  The return leg showed what Bayern was capable of doing to Basel as Xherdan Shaqiri’s side was destroyed –annihilated – 7-0.

Bayern Defeats Madrid in Round One of Semifinals

Bayern Munich (16' Ribéry, 89' Gomez) 2 – 1 (52' Özil) Real Madrid

Real Madrid played an intense match against old Champions League foe, Bayern Munich, tonight at the Allianz Arena.  Bayern maintained its impressive undefeated record at home against los Blancos, with a dramatic 2-1 victory in the first leg of the UCL semifinals.

Visiting Real Madrid took control early on in the match, French international Karim Benzema with a chance of opening the score sheet, but Bayern GK, Manuel Neuer, saved the attempt.  The Whites had another chance a minute later at the 8' with a header from Cristiano Ronalo, but the attempt was blocked.  The atmosphere of the stadium could only be described as static, the home side frustrated with Madrid's possession.

Bayern began to attack more and eventually netted the opener at the 16', with a right-footed shot to the center of goal from Frenchman, Franck Ribéry, following a corner.  Sergio Ramos had not dealt with Toni Kroos' corner properly, the ball finding its way to Ribéry.  A set piece?  Wonderful.  The Bavarians figured out Real Madrid's weakness.  As they took the lead, José Mourinho looked displeased from the sidelines.

Real Madrid Advance to Semifinals of Champions League

Los Blancos sealed their passage into the UCL semifinals with an amazing 5-2 victory over Cypriot opponents, APOEL Nicosia at the Bernabéu.  Leading this goal fiesta was Portuguese all-star, Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored twice in the 90-minute match.  Also on the RM scoring sheet were Kaká, José Callejón, and Ángel di María.  Team manager José Mourinho implemented a strong lineup against APOEL, which included the rarely seen Nuri Sahin and Raphael Varane as starters, in spite of the 3-0 score in the 1^st leg.

As this Madridista predicted, Real Madrid dominated the game at the get go, Gonzalo "Pipita" Higuaín creating a chance not even two minutes into the match.  The Argentine headed the ball from the center of box, but narrowly missed to the left.  ¡Qué lastima!  Two minutes later, Cristiano's attempt of scoring for the home side was saved in the bottom left corner.  From that moment on until the 26', where Madrid's efforts finally resulted in goal, the men in White had made seven more attempts that were either blocked or saved.

Real Madrid vs. APOEL: Don't Call It A Comeback

APOEL 0 - 3 (74', 90' Benzema, 81' Kaká) Real Madrid

Tonight, los Blancos faced APOEL Nicosia in the first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals at the GSP-Stadion.  It was by no means an easy game, even up against the underdog in this fairytale (that is far from over).  The first half of the match could only be described as sheer frustration and lackadaisical at best for Real Madrid.  In spite of looking so assured in ball possession, plays fell short, balls went wide, and chances were missed.  Even as the men came back from descanso, things did not look so promising as APOEL continued to hold Madrid off.

Gonzalo "Pipita" Higuaín saw the end of boot as he went down at the 53' after being De Jong'd in the ribs.  The Argentine certainly looked like he was in pain – inciting a wave on Twitter of many a Madridista, vowing to avenge him – and was eventually subbed off 10 minutes later by Brasilian teammate Kaká, who seemed to make all the difference in this game.