Champions League: #ManCity need leap of faith against Real Madrid

Until this season Manchester City's progression in the Champions League could be measured in baby steps but on Tuesday they can make a huge leap forward when they host Real Madrid in their first European semi-final for 45 years.

The Abu Dhabi-backed English club have already broken new ground this season, moving past the last 16 stage that proved their limit for the past two seasons having failed even to survive the group stage prior to that.

In seeing off Paris St Germain, who have similar financial muscle, in the quarter-finals they delivered a powerful statement of intent to reach their first semi-final since a European Cup Winners' Cup defeat by Chelsea in 1971.

Champions League: Chelsea, Roma stay alive; Bayern humiliates Arsenal

The late goals by Chelsea and Roma earn both crucial victories in the Champions League on Wednesday, improving their chances of advancing to the knockout stage. Chelsea defeated Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in London thanks to an 83rd-minute free kick by Willian, while Miralem Pjanic’s 80th-minute penalty gave Roma a 3-2 home win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Zenit St. Petersburg secured its place in the round of 16 with a win at Lyon, while Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto and Olympiakos also won on Wednesday, staying on track to advance.

Arsenal remains in trouble and is on the brink of elimination after losing 5-1 to Bayern Munich in Germany.

BREAKING: Arjen Robben rules out move to Manchester United after Louis van Gaal offers him a place at Old Trafford

Arjen Robben rules out move to Manchester United after Louis van Gaal offers him a place at Old Trafford

Old Trafford-bound coach tells Dutch television the Bayern Munich forward is welcome to follow him to Manchester next season.


Robben has ruled out the possibility of joining Manchester United. Robben has been linked with United ever since it was announced that Louis van Gaal would be taking over at Old Trafford after the World Cup.

Robben told Dutch broadcaster NOS following Holland's 3-0 win over Brazil that Van Gaal had offered him a place in the United squad next season.

Chelsea, PSG agreed on terms for transfer of David Luiz

Chelsea confirm David Luiz has passed a medical and agreed terms with PSG ahead of £50m switch 

Brazil international, David Luiz will become the world's most expensive defender as Chelsea Football Club and Paris Saint-Germain have agreed on terms for the transfer of the player to the French club.

The move is now subject to David Luiz agreeing personal terms with PSG and passing a medical examination as PSG medical staff flew to Brazil for medical at the World Cup hosts' training base on Fridayafter Chelsea gave green light.

Brazil 2014 World Cup: Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal unveiled 30-man provisional list

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal unveiled his provisional 30-man FIFA World Cup squad, with Paris Saint-Germain right-back Gregory Van der Wiel a notable absentee.

Van Gaal has decided against taking a risk with a player who has been suffering with tendinitis in recent weeks. The absence of the 26-year-old means only eight members of the 30-man squad featured at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when the Netherlands lost to Spain in the final.

Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and defenders John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen are also missing but Wesley Sneijder is there, despite Van Gaal recently expressing doubts as to the condition of the Galatasaray play-maker.

Cristiano Ronaldo Emerges Highest Goal Scorer ever in Champions League

Real Madrid Star and World football best, Cristiano Ronaldo has broken Lionel Messi's goals record for a single Champions League season following his double in Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old's two goals in his side's superb second-leg victory at the Allianz Arena took his tally for the 2013-14 season to 16. He has now netted one more than Messi's previous record, with the Argentine registering 14 times in 11 games during the 2011-12 tournament.

Champions League: Bayern Munich 0-4 Real Madrid (Agg: 0-5)

Result: B Munich 0-4 R Madrid (Agg 0-5)

                    Ramos (2) and Ronaldo (2) for Real
                    Booked Alonso out of CL final
                    Real to face Chelsea or Atletico

During the course of tonight's match, Bayern Munich made 656 passes compared to Real's 287. More tellingly, however, is the performance of each side's star player. Cristiano Ronaldo scored two and helped to create another while Franck Ribery failed to even put a single cross into the box.

"It will be fascinating to see how the Bayern Munich hierarchy respond to this. As for Carlo Ancelotti, I don't think he will be going anywhere. They'll be happy with him at Real for another year.

How Bale Destroyes Lionel Messi To Settle Copa del Rey final

It may have cost a reported $134 million to bring Gareth Bale to Spain, but on Wednesday he scored a priceless goal as Real Madrid beat archrivals Barcelona 2-1 to win the Copa del Rey. The Welshman, who was signed from Tottenham Hotspur in September 2013, produced a stunning solo strike to give Real their first trophy under Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Real's triumph condemned Barca to three successive defeats for the first time since January 2003 and crushed the Catalan team's final realistic chance of winning silverware this season.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS: Chelsea draw Atletico Madrid, Jose Mourinho’s men meet the conquerors of Barcelona

Chelsea will face Atletico Madrid in their semi-final encounter, with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois set to be pitted against his employers as Jose Mourinho bids to claim another Champions League title.

Champions League draw what the stats say: Real, Chelsea, Atletico and Bayern discover their semifinal opponents on Friday. Draw (10:45 BST)

Real, Chelsea, Atletico and Bayern discover their semifinal opponents on Friday. Draw (10:45 BST)

                                 Stats

         Atlético Madrid (ESP)

European Cup semifinal record: W1 L2
Last semifinal appearance: 1973/74 (2-0 on aggregate v Celtic FC) 
This season: W8 D2 L0 F22 A5
Top scorer: Diego Costa 7
European head-to-heads
v Real Madrid W1 D0 L2 F3 A4
v Chelsea W1 D1 L1 F6 A7
v Bayern W0 D1 L1 F1 A5

Boko Haram kill 2 watching Champions League matches in Yobe State

The Nigeria Police has on Thursday confirmed that the Boko Haram Islamists gunmen stormed a packed viewing centre in Yobe state and shot dead two people watching Champions League matches. The football viewing centre was showing the two quarter-final matches between defending champions Bayern Munich and Manchester United, and Atletico Madrid-Barcelona, on Wednesday when it was attacked.

The attack happened in Potiskum, a hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Yobe State police commissioner Sanusi Rufa’i confirmed that the Islamist Gunmen came in a car and opened fire outside the viewing centre and sped off, saying that one person died on the spot while another died later at the hospital. Several other people were injured, some critically.

Champions League: Police officers dragged Ribery away from Manchester Airport [PHOTOS]

Bayern star,Franck Ribery left Manchester Airport in the grasp of a police officer as Bayern Munich FC arrived ahead of their Champions League tie with Manchester United.

He may have been shadowed towards the team coach but it wasn’t because of any misdemeanours and more of a way to get him safely through the crowd that had gathered.

Bayern play at Old Trafford on Tuesday night and go into the quarter-final as huge favourites having already wrapped up the Bundesliga title.

UEFA just Bans Bayern Munich

It was surprising when we learnt that the European football governing body, UEFA, has ordered Bayern Munich to close part of their stadium for their Champions League match at home to Manchester United next month.

According to UEFA disciplinary committee decision, the Champions League defending champions will have to shut “Sector 124″ of the Allianz Arena for the quarterfinal second leg match holding on April 9.

It declined to give more details about the cause of the ban, although media photographs showed a group of fans with a homophobic banner aimed at Arsenal.

Apart from the stadium ban, the German club were also fined 10 000 euros ($13 800).



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Champions League Quarter-finals: PSG vs Chelsea FC, Bayern Munich Against Manchester United

Defending Champions Bayern Munich will take on Manchester United in the standout tie of the Champions League quarter-finals after the draw at UEFA house in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday. Pep Guardiola's men are keen to become the first club in the history of the competition to successfully defend their title, but will have to deal with the struggling Premier League champions first, with the first leg scheduled to take place at Old Trafford.