Five reasons Real Madrid can win the Champions League

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Madrid (AFP) – Ahead of the start of their 2016-17 Champions League campaign against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, AFP Sports takes a look at five reasons defending champions Real Madrid can conquer Europe for the 12th time:

– It is “their” competition

Understandably given Madrid are by a distance the most successful team in the history of the competition, no club associates themselves more with the history of the Champions League.

A second title in three years took Real four clear of AC Milan as the undoubted kings of Europe and when it comes to big European nights come the springtime, the Santiago Bernabeu is transformed into a cauldron.

A huge part of their success comes from the fact when it comes to balancing priorities at the business end of the season, unlike some others, Madrid always side with the Champions League over domestic duties. Expect this season to be no different.

– Settled squad

Coach Zinedine Zidane and president Florentino Perez insisted Real’s squad was “impossible” to improve upon as they shunned splashing on a Galactico signing in the transfer market.

The return of Alvaro Morata from Juventus was Real’s only significant move, which has left an unusual air of stability at the Bernabeu.

Morata’s arrival also adds depth in one of the few positions that needed strengthening as the Spanish international will battle Karim Benzema to be Zidane’s first-choice central striker between Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale

– Ronaldo nears Champions League century

Top scorer in the competition for the past four seasons and of all-time, Cristiano Ronaldo is Mr. Champions League and has another significant milestone in reach.

The Portuguese is just seven goals short of a century in the Champions League and having hit double figures in Europe for the past five seasons and recently returned to fitness following knee ligament damage, another barrel load of Champions League goals to take him into three figures seems certain.

– Bale eyes glorious homecoming

As if Madrid needed any more motivation to defend their title, one of their superstars has an extra special reason to make it back to the final.

Gareth Bale said he came to Madrid to win the Champions League and has done just that in two of his first three seasons. However, the chance to win it in front of a home crowd in Cardiff on June 3 next year is especially enticing. 

“It would be very nice. I’ve experienced the Super Cup in Cardiff before and it would be amazing to experience an actual Champions League final in Cardiff as well,” said Bale last week.

– Challenge of repeating enthrals

One of the very few feats left for Madrid to conquer in the Champions League is breaking the remarkable 26-year run since the trophy was last retained.

Madrid have tried and failed four times since Milan did it in 1990, but the experience gained from six successive semi-finals means they are better-placed than ever to defend the trophy.

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Real Madrid begin Champions League defence, Leicester make bow

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Paris (AFP) – AFP Sports looks ahead to Wednesday’s Champions League action as Real Madrid begin their defence of the trophy and Leicester City make their debut in the competition (all kick-offs 1945 GMT): 

Group E

At Leverkusen, Germany

Bayer Leverkusen (GER) v CSKA Moscow (RUS)

Third in the Bundesliga last season, Leverkusen go into the group phase for a fourth consecutive year. Finland forward Joel Pohjanpalo scored a hat-trick, with two added-time strikes, in Leverkusen’s 3-1 weekend win over Hamburg. Deeply experienced Champions League performer Mexican centre-forward Javier Hernandez is back for the Germans after breaking a hand when falling down a flight of stairs. Russian champions CSKA, coached by Leonid Slutsky, are on a roll of 14 matches unbeaten in their domestic league. Also in their own fourth straight Champions League campaign, CSKA are on a high after the weekend’s 3-0 win over Terek Grozny in their brand new stadium. Summer signing Lacina Traore scored twice in that game.

At London

Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) v Monaco (FRA)

The match will be played at Wembley, which the visitors may appreciate due to the fact they were thrashed 4-1 in the Europa League at White Hart Lane last season. Spurs are playing at England’s national stadium while they build a new stadium next to their current home. Wembley hosted the finals of the competition in both 2011 and 2013. The hosts made an ultimately failed bid for the Premier League title last year with a thrilling young side led by England internationals Harry Kane and Dele Ali. Their highly rated Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino is regalvanising the side who won 4-0 away at Stoke City at the weekend. Harry Kane ended his goal drought scoring the fourth for Spurs and his first in 10 games for club and country. Monaco go into the tie in buoyant mood as goals from Djibril Sidibe, Adama Traore, Fabinho and Kamil Glik powered them to a 4-1 win at Lille on Saturday. They travel to London as French table-toppers after spending the summer beefing up their defence and cutting off dead wood.

Group F

At Madrid

Real Madrid (ESP) v Sporting Lisbon (POR)

Real begin their quest to become the first club to retain the trophy in the Champions League era with an intriguing home tie against Cristiano Ronaldo’s first club. Ronaldo’s winning penalty in the final shoot-out against Atletico Madrid clinched Real a record 11th title last season. The Portuguese star made a goalscoring return in his first appearance since limping off in the Euro 2016 final 1-0 win over france in Saturday’s 5-2 defeat of Osasuna. Ronaldo’s boyhood club turn up at the Santiago Bernabeu in good shape after a 3-0 win over Moreirense at the weekend maintained their perfect start to the Portuguese season. Under Jorge Jesus they are back in the group stage after losing to CSKA Moscow in the play-offs last season.

At Warsaw

Legia Warsaw (POL) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Dortmund, returning after a one-year absence, edged Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals three years ago en route to the final which they lost to Bayern Munich. The 1997 champions are in Warsaw to take on the first side from Poland in the competition in 20 years. The sides’ only previous meeting was a 2012 friendly when Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski — the Poland striker — scored the only goal. Polish champions Legia, who came through the qualifiers, are appearing in the competition for the first time since 1995/96, when they reached the quarter-finals. Dortmund travel to the Polish capital on the back of a 1-0 upset defeat to Bundesliga newcomers RB Leipzig.

Group G

At Bruges, Belgium

Club Brugge (BEL) v Leicester City (ENG)

After their fairytale Premier League title triumph last season, Leicester begin their maiden Champions League voyage with the short trip to Belgium to face Club Brugge at the Jan Breydelstadion. This will be the Foxes’ first European game since a 3-1 defeat to Red Star Belgrade condemned them to a first-round exit in the UEFA Cup in September 2000. However, for their manager Claudio Ranieri this is the start of a sixth Champions League campaign with a sixth different club. Leicester come into the game on the back of a 4-1 defeat at Liverpool, but Michel Preud’homme’s side also lost at the weekend, going down 1-0 at Waasland-Beveren on Friday. Club Brugge are the only Belgian club ever to have reached the European Cup final, losing 1-0 to Liverpool at Wembley in 1978.

At Oporto, Portugal

Porto (POR) v FC Copenhagen (DEN)

Third in the Portuguese top flight last season, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Porto beat Roma 4-1 in the play-offs to reach the group stage for the sixth season running. The two-time European champions warmed up for this game by beating Vitoria Guimaraes 3-0 at the weekend as Belgian striker Laurent Depoitre made his first start since signing from Gent last month. Copenhagen’s last group-stage appearance came three years ago when they bowed out with just one win in six games. Stale Solbakken’s Danish champions needed to win ties against Crusaders, Astra Giurgiu and APOEL to reach the group stage. They are still unbeaten this season after defeating Odense 2-0 on Saturday with two late goals.

Group H

At Lyon, France

Lyon (FRA) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

Dinamo will be looking for revenge after suffering a 7-1 whipping at home by Lyon in 2011/12, the French club’s biggest victory in the European competition. Lyon, who went as far as the semi-finals in 2010, lost all three home group stage games last season. They have since moved into an impressive new stadium, but coach Bruno Genesio has a selection headache at the moment with several key players including forward Alexandre Lacazette (thigh) and striker Nabil Fekir (knee) on the injury list. A 3-1 loss at home against Bordeaux at the weekend would not have helped morale ahead of the clash with Dinamo, the most successful Croatian club, but who have never progressed beyond the group stage.

At Turin, Italy

Juventus (ITA) v Sevilla (ESP)

Two-time European champions Juventus, the most-fancied Italian side in Europe this season, meet Sevilla for a second straight year in the group stage. Last season Juventus won 2-0 at home and Sevilla won 1-0 in Spain. The Italians warmed up with new signing Gonzalo Higuain scoring twice in a 3-1 Serie A win over Sassuolo in Turin at the weekend and are riding a 17-match unbeaten home run in UEFA competition going back to April 2013. “This is the kind of Juventus side we need for the Champions League, but we have our feet firmly on the ground,” said Higuain after his goal-scoring debut. The Turin side were eliminated in the round of 16 last season by Bayern Munich. Sevilla won the Europa League for a third consecutive time after their group-stage exit and are also coming off a 2-1 Liga win at home against Las Palmas.

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Zidane expects James to remain at Madrid

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Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane closed the exit door on Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez despite leaving the 2014 World Cup’s top scorer on the bench once more for Real’s 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Rodriguez has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu since Zidane took charge in January with Madrid’s latest sensation Marco Asensio joining the likes of Isco, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric ahead of him for a place in Real’s congested midfield.

However, Zidane insisted Rodriguez will remain in the Spanish capital beyond the transfer deadline on Wednesday with even the Premier League’s cash-rich clubs unlikely to match the reported 80 million euros ($ 90 million, £68 million) Real paid for him after the World Cup two years ago.

Rodriguez only came on for the final 21 minutes as Kroos’s fine long-range effort 10 minutes from time salvaged all three points for the hosts despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema from Zidane’s starting line-up through injury.

“I thought James played well. It is not easy to come and have to make the difference,” said Zidane.

“He is going to stay here.”

Kroos’s strike maintained Madrid’s 14-match winning run in La Liga, but victory disguised a sub-standard Real display.

Without Ronaldo and Benzema, Gareth Bale failed to build on his fine start to the campaign with two goals in a 3-0 win at Real Sociedad to start the season.

However, Zidane highlighted the need to win even without shining, particularly with a two-week international break to come.

“It is true that we didn’t shine. In some game we can’t play as we want,” said Zidane.

“We can improve, but I feel calm with how we have started the season. Two league games won and another official game (UEFA Super Cup) won.

“Now there are the international games and many players will leave, but that is something we can’t change.”

And Zidane hailed his players belief to keep going until the end despite being far from their best.

“I am left with the fact the players believed until the end and we achieved what we wanted.”

Spanish international Lucas Vazquez started alongside Rodriguez on the bench and was introduced before his teammate in search of a winner.

And Vazquez was less comprehensive than his coach when questioned whether Rodriguez had played his last game in the white shirt.

“I don’t think it was his last game, but we have to wait and see what happens.”

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Europe’s Top Clubs Alert As Real Madrid Name Price For Creative Star

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PSG are flexing their financial muscles again.

Fresh from losing Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the end of last season, new boss Unai Emery has wasted no time reshaping his squad.

The former Sevilla boss has added Hatem Ben Arfa and Grzegorz Krychowiak to his ranks, and has now agreed a fee with Real Madrid for winger Jese Rodriguez.

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A price of €25m is enough to prise Jese from the Santiago Bernabeu, ending a nine year spell at the club after he joined from Las Palmas as a 14-year-old.

Jese missed out on Spain’s Euro 2016 squad, as Vicente Del Bosque opted to take Lucas Vasquez instead, and had been advised by Zinedine Zidane to leave the club in search of regular first team football.

PSG should be able to provide that, although the Spaniard will have to dislodge either Angel Di Maria or Lucas Moura from the first team.

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Emery is a long term admirer of Jese, having tried to bring him to Sevilla from Madrid three years ago, but being denied as it looked like the speedy attacker may have broken into the first team.

That hasn’t materialised though, and PSG now look certain to sign the 23-year-old.

Whether or not Madrid will insert a buyback clause into his contract like they did with Alvaro Morata is yet to be seen, but it may be a wise move with the amount of players returning to their previous clubs for huge money this summer *cough Pogba, cough*.

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Madrid may use the money to move for Newcastle United’s Moussa Sissoko, as they prepare to give up on the chase for Paul Pogba.

Looks like Real are adopting a more standard approach to transfer business.

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Newcastle And Real Madrid Set For Huge Swap Deal

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Silly season is here, guys.

Paul Pogba is on the verge of sealing a world record return to Manchester United, Gonzalo Higuain has just moved to Juventus for approximately three times his worth, and Real Madrid are chasing Moussa Sissoko.

Wait, what?

Yes that’s right, and to drive down the powerful Frenchman’s price, Madrid are willing to offer Newcastle United two players on loan as part of the deal.

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Newcastle rate Sissoko at £35m after his Euro 2016 performances that left Toon fans around the country asking themselves ‘is that the same lazy bloke that played for us?’

Zinedine Zidane is a fan of the powerhouse, and sees him as a cheaper alternative to Pogba, who seems certain to join Man United in the coming days.

To sweeten the deal, Madrid are planning on offering Newcastle ‘B’ team players Marcos Llorente and Mariano Diaz.

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Zidane rates Mariano particularly highly, and he scored against Chelsea in a pre season friendly last week. The big striker also scored 30 goals in 40 games last season, and Zidane feels a loan spell could help his progression to the first team.

Llorente is a number 10 style attacking midfielder, and the 21-year-old has represented Spain in youth internationals in the past.

The link between Rafa Benitez, Real Madrid makes the loans possible, and Madrid are hoping the price of Sissoko will drop somewhere closer to the £20m mark.

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Newcastle’s Championship season starts on Friday night and Sissoko is not expected to play a part in the away trip to Fulham, even if he’s still at the club by the time the game kicks off.

The Magpies are closing in on Sissoko’s replacement too, with Hull City’s Mohamed Diame undergoing a medical – which was hilariously revealed by someone’s mum on Twitter.

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Benitez has also activated the release clause of Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark, who is also on Tyneside ahead of a £5m move.

The Rafalution continues.

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Atletico Madrid crash to defeat in Australia

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Melbourne (AFP) – Spanish giants Atletico Madrid crashed to a 1-0 loss to A-League side Melbourne Victory on their Australian pre-season tour in Geelong on Sunday.

The European Champions League runners-up fell behind to a goal against the run of play shortly before half-time and were kept scoreless in the second half.

Defender Nick Ansell powerfully headed home off a free-kick from Tunisian Fahid Ben Khalfallah to rock Atletico in the 44th minute.

While manager Diego Simeone rung the changes in the second half his side could not find a way through the determined Victory defence.

It has been a heady 10 days for the twice A-League champions, who beat Italian champions Juventus on penalties in the International Champions Cup last week before claiming another high-profile scalp in Atletico Madrid.

Atletico Madrid, who lost this year’s Champions League final on penalties to cross-city rivals Real Madrid, won their first match in Australia against England’s Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in Melbourne last Friday.

There were several heavy challenges in Sunday’s game with a solid tackle by Uruguayan defender Emiliano Velazquez forcing Victory’s Mitch Austin off the field with a knee injury in the first half.

French defender Lucas Hernandez also limped away after a sliding tackle on Victory midfielder Oliver Bozanic in the second half.

Simeone made a triple substitution midway through the second half in an effort to recharge his team.

But Melbourne counterpart Kevin Muscat took off most of his leading players among six substitutions at one stage, leaving Victory with a largely youth side against the Spaniards in the final stages.

Atletico will return home on Tuesday and will next play Galatasaray in Turkey as part of their pre-season on August 6.

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