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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: MAN CITY FACES REAL MADRID TEST
Pep Guardiola faces a resumption of hostilities with Real Madrid after Manchester City were drawn against the Spanish giants in the last 16 of the Champions League, while there will be a rerun of the 2012 final when Chelsea meet Bayern Munich.
The draw was tough for the Premier League sides, with Liverpool landing a two-legged tie against Atletico Madrid.
However Tottenham will be relatively satisfied after drawing RB Leipzig from the group winners.
Finishing top of their group has not done much for City’s hopes, even though they will play the second leg of their glamour tie against Real at home.
Txiki Begiristain, City’s director of football, admitted the difficult task of facing Real, saying: “It’s a difficult one. Real Madrid are the best. We want to be the best so we have to try and beat them.
“It’s always a pleasure to play against Real Madrid. We know them very well. They know our manager.”
Real’s enviable firepower will push City’s defence to the limit, though Guardiola’s links with Barcelona means he will not lack motivation when he comes up against the 13-times European champions.
The City manager beat Real in the semi-finals when he was in charge of Barcelona in 2011 but he lost heavily to them over two legs with Bayern in 2014.
Memories of beating Bayern eight years ago will boost Chelsea when they face the Bundesliga champions.
But while Frank Lampard played in that game, the Chelsea manager will know his inconsistent team will need to find form against the Germans, especially as the second leg will be played at the Allianz Arena.
Liverpool will need to be at their best to deal with Atletico, who are always hard to beat. The European champions have the second leg at Anfield but Diego Simeone’s team have a history of upsetting the odds in Europe.
Atletico director Clemente Villaverde said: “The task is going to be difficult because we have an opponent that are the reigning champions.
“They are the champions, they have all the assets to be called the best team in Europe. We will have to use all our hard work and our experience. We know they are not going to make it easy.”
Tottenham, who finished second to Bayern in their group, will be relieved to have avoided one of the heavyweights.
However Jose Mourinho’s team cannot afford to underestimate Leipzig.
Julian Nagelsman’s side are top of the Bundesliga and have an attack led by one of the best young forwards in Europe, Timo Werner.
Former Spurs defender and their club ambassador Ledley King noted: “It’s a tough task. They play with a lot of pace and intensity and have proved a surprise package.
“It’s a challenge we won’t be taking lightly. I hope that our experience of being in the Champions League will be important. The manager has been there and done it. His experience will rub off on the players.”
Elsewhere, Barcelona will face Napoli, Atalanta meet Valencia, Borussia Dortmund play Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon will take on Juventus.
The draw: Borussia Dortmund v Paris Saint- Germain; Real Madrid v Man City; Atalanta v Valencia; Atletico Madrid v Liverpool; Chelsea v Bayern Munich; Lyon v Juventus; Tottenham v RB Leipzig; Napoli v Barcelona (First legs to be played on Feb 18 and 19, 25 and 26. Second legs to be played March).
Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD had targeted their Group F opener as their best chance to get a win on the board at the Club World Cup, with Brazil’s Fluminense and German side Borussia Dortmund expected to advance from Group F.
South Africa’s Sundowns took all three points with a 1-0 win over the South Koreans and went top of the group after Fluminense drew 0-0 with Dortmund.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
African and Asian teams are not expected to make much of an impact at the new-look 32-team Club World Cup so points are like gold dust for the likes of the Sundowns and Ulsan.
KEY QUOTES
Miguel Cardoso, Mamelodi Sundowns coach: “We prepared tactically and strategically very well, and then we found a commitment between everybody. I think it was clear we made a very wonderful first half. It was important that we could keep the pace and not stray from the game plan in the second half, so that we could score a second goal that for little details or little centimetres, we could not do.”
Kim Pan-gon, Ulsan HD head coach: “We had targeted this game to win because we understand the other two teams in the group, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, are favourites. Our players gave their best efforts in this game and we’re very proud of their efforts. Now we need to recover quickly for the next game.”
-Reuters
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With a year until Mexico makes history as the first three-time World Cup host, the dream of a spectacular showcase is colliding with the practical challenges of modernising the iconic Azteca Stadium for global soccer’s premier event.
Beneath the imposing silhouette of Mexico’s football cathedral – where Pele dazzled with Brazil in 1970 and Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ propelled Argentina to glory in 1986 – construction crews tackle the formidable task of bringing one of the sport’s most storied venues into the 21st century.
The stakes are magnified as the ‘Santa Ursula colossus’ will host the tournament’s opening match, a global spectacle that will focus the world’s attention on Mexico from day one.
Renovations will expand the stadium’s capacity from 87,000 to 90,000, with upgrades centred on meeting FIFA standards through new changing rooms, enhanced hospitality zones, revamped VIP areas and additional seating in spaces previously occupied by boxes and lounges.
While government officials and football administrators envisioned the project as a symbol of national pride, the renovation process has eroded trust between developers, local residents and other stakeholders.
Stadium administrators announced in February that they had secured a 2.1 billion peso ($110.19 million) credit line from local financial group Banorte – along with a controversial new name: Estadio Banorte.
FIFA regulations mean the stadium will be referred to as “Estadio Ciudad de Mexico” during the World Cup, yet the rebranding has sparked a fierce backlash from some fans, who view it as sacrificing football heritage for commercial interests.
HARSH REALITY
The backlash over the stadium’s new name represents only one facet of the mounting tensions. Box and suite holders – some with relationships spanning decades – have threatened legal action after FIFA announced it would commandeer their seats during the tournament, overriding established contracts.
One member of the Mexican Association of Box Holders has already filed a legal challenge to defend access rights.
Beyond the stadium walls, frustration runs equally deep. Residents of Santa Ursula and surrounding neighbourhoods fear that promised infrastructure improvements like pedestrian bridges and transit lines will fail to address fundamental issues including inadequate lighting, water shortages and persistent traffic congestion.
“We’re not the stadium’s backyard,” one local resident told Expansion Politica. “But we’re always treated that way.”
By contrast, Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico’s other two host cities, face fewer obstacles.
Guadalajara’s 48,000-seat stadium, opened in 2010, has already hosted major events including the 2011 Pan American Games, while Monterrey’s 53,500-capacity venue, inaugurated in 2015, needs only minor upgrades – primarily new turf and a pitch ventilation system.
“We’ll install a system to ventilate and oxygenate the pitch before replacing the grass,” said Alejandro Hutt, Monterrey’s Host City Manager. “That will be an important legacy from the World Cup and beyond.”
As construction continues, Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad are building towards a crucial summer, with a Gold Cup title defence ahead and friendly matches against Turkey this week, followed by Japan and South Korea in September.
After failing to advance beyond the group stage at Qatar 2022 – their worst World Cup performance since 1978 – Mexican fans crave more than just a well organised tournament. They want to see Mexico break the ‘fifth-game‘ curse and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986, the last time they were World Cup hosts.
-Reuters
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All contenders are now known for this year’s President Federation Cup grand finale, following Saturday’s elimination of Edo Queens and Ibom Angels in the women’s semi-finals.
Multiple-winners Rivers Angels saw off the stiff challenge of Ibom Angels of Uyo 1-0 in Aba, while Nasarawa Amazons bumped Edo Queens 2-0 in Ayingba.
Cup holders Rivers Angels, who have won the competition nine times, will have their hands full against 2005 and 2019 champions Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia.
In the men’s competition, Abakaliki FC of Ebonyi are getting set to tackle Kwara United FC in the final.
Results of Semi Finals (Women)
- Rivers Angels (Rivers) 1-0 Ibom Angels (Akwa Ibom)
- Edo Queens (Edo) 0-2 Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa)
Results of Semi-Finals (Men)
- Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi) 0-0 Ikorodu City (Lagos) – Abakaliki FC win 5-4 on penalties
- Kwara United (Kwara) 1-0 Rangers Int’l (Enugu)
WOMEN’S FINAL
- Rivers Angels vs Nasarawa Amazons
MEN’S FINAL
- Abakaliki FC VS Kwara United
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