Real Madrid v Liverpool

Champions League Group B

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

4-11-2014 @ 19.45 GMT

How are the two sides current form?

Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last seven matches in the La Liga, as well as they are unbeaten in the Champions League Group B, so far. Cristiano Ronaldo is here, there and everywhere at the moment scoring 17 goals in ten La Liga matches and will be a mouthful for Liverpool.

Liverpool are struggling in the Premier League this season and seems to be unable to follow up on last seasons impressing play. They are currently third in the Champions League group with three points for three matches.

What are the probable line-ups?

Real Madrid are struggling with injuries as Jesé, Sami Khedira, Illarramendi, and Daniel Carvajal are all out with injuries. Fabio Coentrao is back from injury but is doubtful for the match. Liverpools injury list is long as well with Jose Enrique, Daniel Sturridge, Mamdou Sakho, John Flanagan and Suso sidelined.

Worth keeping an eye on

Real Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo - Cristiano Ronaldo is here, there and everywhere these days. The Portuguese has played well the last many seasons, but this season he has been incredible. He alone can send Liverpool out in the dark.



Liverpool: Simon Mignolet - The Belgian goalkeeper has to play his best against Real Madrid, if Liverpool is to have any chance. 

What to expect from this match?

Real Madrid seems unstoppable this season and Liverpool is just another bump in the way towards the Champions League title. Liverpool needs a miracle if they are to get points on Santiago Bernabeu. There is no doubt that Real Madrid will play their usual quick attacking play, and the Liverpool defend will have to play a match above the standards shown in the Premier League this season. I have no doubt; Real Madrid will win this match.

What are the odds?

Real Madrid: 1/4 (Coral)

Draw: 33/5 (Matchbook)

Liverpool: 12 (Boylesport)

Tuesday 15th April - Swansea in-fight

It emerged, on Tuesday, that Swansea players once again have been in a fight during training. In January it was revealed that Chico Flores had picked up a brick during a row with Monk, back when monk was still active as a player. Just two weeks after Laudrup was sacked. Since then, Monk has taken over as an interim-manager, and now  the dressing room has been ripped apart by in-fighting between the players once again. According to the Daily Mail, Monk had organised a training game trying to get the Hull defeat out of the system. However, the plan was undermined by a training ground fight involving not less than six first-team players. To make the situation even worse for Monk, Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins witnessed the clash. 

Nicolas Anelka's West Bromwich Albion career ended Friday night when the French nomad was sacked for "gross misconduct." The striker was given a five-match ban and a £80,000 fine by the FA for the quenelle gesture he mad at Upton Park in December. Just hours before he was sacked, he Anelka announced that he was terminating his playing contract with the club, but it turned out he was sacked. His hunt for a new club might turn out to be a hard one as FIFA is considering a global ban for the 'quenelle.'

Sunday March 15 - Mourinho

Aston Villa won against Chelsea on Sunday, but it was Willian, Ramires and Mourinho who stole the picture. First, Willian was sent off after two yellow cards, then Ramires, rightful, was sent off before Mourinho was asked to leave the bench for arguing with the ref. William only had himself to blame after receiving a second yellow card for a cynical challenge to stop a Delph run. Ramires challenge was not much better, and finally Mourinho felt the referee was against him. Mourinho was yesterday charged for improper misconduct.

Sunday March 15 - Zlatan breaks PSG record

The Swede took his season tally to a club-record with 40 goals in the 2-0 win against St Etienne. Ibrahimovic surpassed Carlos Bianchi's record from the 1977-78 season where the Argentine scored 39 goals. Zlatan surely is one of the best strikers in the world, but credits have to be given to the team behind him and the league he is playing in. Many still believes that Zlatan could be playing in a much better league than the French. However, the Swede can now add another record to his long cv.

Monday March 16 - Lionel Messi breaks Barcelona record

He is only 26 but have already made his 25th hat-trick for Barcelona on Sunday. As it wasn't enough, the hattrick helped the Argentinian to become Barcelona's all-time leading scorer when he helped his side to a 7-0 win over Osasuna. Messi have now scored 371 goals and eclipsed the record set by Paulino Alcantara who scored 369 goals in 356 appearances between 1912-1927. This is the sixth consecutive season in which the Argentinian has scored 30 goals, and currently on 18 goals this season.

Tuesday March 17 - Ronaldo is set to break record

After Real Madrid's Champions League win against Schalke on Wednesday, where Ronaldo scored twice the Portuguese is only 2 goals away from breaking the Champions League goalscoring record. The record holder at the moment is Ronaldo's rival from Barcelona with 14 goals. However, with 13 goals on the account Ronaldo is more than likely to take the Champions League goalscoring record this season.

Since Blackpool's Stanley Matthews won the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1956, only five British

British players have been praised in the past, with not less than 21 players in top three over the years, before the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or merged and kept the French name in 2010. Since then,  no British player or any foreign Premier League player have been able to make it into the crucial top.

Given the Premier League is valued as one of the best in the world it is incredible that the players are unable to make it when it comes to Ballon d'Or. It is not like there aren't any players with the potential: Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Luis Suarez, Frank Lampard, Robin van Persie etc. However, it seems that one of the criteria for competing for the award is to be able to score goals. A lot of goals.

The last three years Lionel Messi have won the award twice and Ronaldo once. The other positions have been shared between Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta. The last three years, all the players, have been from the Spanish La Liga - Surprise! This year Franck Ribéry is mingling among Ronaldo and Messi to become the world's best footballer. However, chances are that it will be the small Argentinian or the Metrosexual Portuguese that will run with the title.

The difference between the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga is easy to see. While English football is more tactical (it is beginning to be more attacking), Spanish football is almost all attack - More or less. While the Premier League is more competitive between a number of clubs, the Spanish is almost always a battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Funny enough, their two star players are fighting for the Ballon d'Or, as well. Now, with Ribéry in play does that mean that the German league is better than the English?

Well, Bayern Munich and Dortmund were the Champions League finalist last season and many football fans are starting to see the 1. Bundesliga as better than the English Premier League. So in some way, the German league is better than the English. That said, the money in the PL and the prestige is higher than the German, and I think all small boys dream of playing in England. However, it seems as if a player dreams of winning Ballon d'Or he should join every other league than the PL.

"Suddenly things started to go my way, and I got a youth contract when I was 15, and was selected for some DBU [Danish FA] gatherings. I was promoted to the U17 squad a year earlier than normal, and again for the U19, so I have always been a year ahead,” Lissau says.

”It has always been a good way to put extra pressure on myself. I have always felt that I was good enough, and so did my coaches. It has helped me develop and add physical pressure on me, which I have been happy for,” Lissau says.

“It has been a mix of me feeling I still can develop in Næstved and some education, as well. There is a great setup with Næstved College, uniting football and school. At the same time, I don’t feel the right offer has come yet.”

“He is a great in the switch of play, he has a great run with the ball, a great right leg and a player with a good pace."

“It might sound paradox, but he is not a MVP or anything on the team. Just like any other young player he faces opposition; he can play two good matches and then not show anything in the next two. He had a period on the bench and came back strengthen back.”

Michael Laudrup continued his impressing season in Swansea, bringing the League Cup Trophy to Swansea. The Dane has a history of leaving clubs faster than a Mario Balotelli can get a booking; is he leaving Wales?

Laudrup is a legend in European football, and a legend will always be surrounded by rumours. Latest, Laudrup was on his way to Real Madrid, then Manchester City but Wales seems to be the place for the Dane.

Despite having a history of changing between European clubs, the Swansea manager has already said that he is ready to sign a new contract with the Welsh club. The latest results show that Swansea play style and Laudrup's name are a great mix that might get far. However, a lot needs to happen before the Welsh will be found in top three of the Premier League.

The question is if the manager will get an offer he cannot refuse. Manchester City and Real Madrid might be able to give the Laudrup free hands to buy who ever he wants. However, the pressure on the two teams might just be too much for the Dane. Furthermore, in Swansea Laudrup has the board's confidence and he will have to screw up big time to lose his seat in Wales.

The League Cup was Laudrup's first big trophy since leaving Brøndby in 2006, and he will be thirsty for more. At the moment,  Swansea is the place for Laudrup and here he has the impact he wants to have; latest bringing in Morten Wieghorts to the staff. The next season will be even more interesting than this as Laudrup will have to show that this was not just a  one time performance. Then, we can talk about Manchester City and Real Madrid.

A very unlikely transfer has been rumoured by the Daily Star today.

According to the tabloid, Leicester's Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is a target for Real Madrid. José Mourinho has instructed his goalkeeping coach to find alternatives to the Spanish keeper Iker Casillas.

However, the Spanish club is also keeping an eye on Real Zaragoza's Roberto, 26, and Osasuna's Andres Fernandez,25.

Even though, Schmeichel has a past in Manchester City, Notts County and Leeds United, as well as a number of Danish youth national matches he has not achieved the same success as his father.

Peter Schmeichel was the safety man in Manchester United for eight years playing 292 matches and scoring three goals. Furthermore, he won the Premier League five times, the League Cup once, the FA Cup three times and the Champions League once. His Denmark career gave him 129 matches and one goal.

His son, Kasper, has been called up for the Danish national team but is still missing his debut. He was voted Leicester's player of the season last campaign, but still hasn't won any trophies.

Rumours also sends Iker Casillas to English football, should Mourinho bring in a new goalkeeper.

 

 

Nicolaj Ritter moved around between minor clubs in North Jutland, before joining Aalborg BK. However, before his youth career was even started he joined the FC Midtjylland Academy, where he played together with last week’s talent Mads Hvilsom.

 

Ritter joined Midtjylland at the age of fifteen, and thereby had most of his youth in the club. Here, he won two Danish youth Championships and participated in several international cups. It was also in Midtjylland Ritter found his way to the Danish youth national team. However, his senior debut was to be in another club. Last summer, the winger joined Silkeborg IF: 

 

 

In the new club, Ritter went from being nobody to be in the starting XI. His debut in the best Danish league came, ironically, in the 2-1 win against his former club FC Midtjylland. However, the break trough is still to come, but one of the team mates in Silkeborg – former Bolton striker Henrik Pedersen – is sure this is the season for Ritter. The young winger is happy for the trust in him:

 

 

Silkeborg coach Keld Bordingaard ensures that the break through is not impossible for Ritter, but he can’t “promise either Henrik or Ritter that it will happen.”

Since his transfer to Silkeborg, Nicolaj Ritter has been a part of the Danish U19 national team as well as the U20, where he had his debut this year. It is a dream for the young player, to play for the Danish senior national team, however; it is not something he worries about at the time. Instead, Ritter dreams to transfer to a foreign club one day: 

 

“If I have the chance in a couple of years, it is defiantly an opportunity. I would really like to experience life as a Dane in a foreign club.”

Ritter would prefer to play in the Dutch or Spanish league, and has Real Madrid as his favorite team. However, right now the talent keeps his feet on the Danish ground, and his coach urges him to stay there:

 

Keep an eye on: Andreas Retz Laudrup

    

               Age: 21 (10-11-1990)      

          Position: Striker - Left Wing

              Club: FCN (FC Nordsjælland),

                    Danish Superliga

             Debut: 23-04-2009

                    against Brøndby If,

                    Danish Superliga

International Caps: Denmark U21:

                    6 Match(es)

                    2 Goal(s)

                    Denmark U20:

                    1 Match(es)

                    0 Goal(s)

                    Denmark U19: 2 Match(es)

                                 0 Goal(s)

                    Denmark U18: 3 Match(es)

                                 0 Goal(s)

                    Denmark U17: 5 Match(es)

                                 0 Goal(s)

                    Denmark U16: 2 Match(es)

                                 0 Goal(s)

             Value: £450.000 (transfermarkt.co.uk)

“As soon as the name Laudrup is being mentioned, you think of especially Michael and Brian. People, conscious or unconscious, compare Andreas with his father and uncle. It is a heavy burden for a young player, but Andreas is aware of how it is and has become much stronger as well as a lot better in tackling this than he was before”.

“What I have seen from Andreas Laudrup is very positive. He has the right ingredients to become a star player”.

“Andreas is still a young player, and he is in a good club [FC Nordsjælland] at the moment, with a great environment, where they are good at developing young players. He has already of first team experience in the Danish Superliga, and he needs more of it before he can take the next step”.

“He has his best forces in the offensive play. When he has players around him whom he can play combination plays with, then he is really dangerous for the opponent because he has  quick feet and at the same time he knows where his teammates are. What he is working a lot with and what he is putting in his play is to be more decisive in the matches and thereby bringing himself or his fellow player in a position to finish at goal”.

 

For: The well honoured Frenchman is the most winning manager ever in Arsenal, and perhaps Wenger could bring some of his luck and mentality to the team. Arsène Wenger joined Arsenal in 1996 and did not only revolutionise Arsenal but also English football. However,the revolution seems not to have reached the English national team.

Wenger has a long tradition of bringing talents to Arsenal and give them their breakthrough. With Wenger as manager for England, players as Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck, could perhaps take it to the next level and develop into attackers of European class.

Against: If the Football Association decides to try and get Le Professeur as manager for the England team on of the main questions will be if Arsenal is willing to let him go. Arsène Wenger is the spirit of the club, and it would probably cost a fortune to buy him free. Even if, the FA should have the luck to buy him free, I doubt Wenger is willing to leave Arsenal as it has been a life work for him and he will probably not get the same power in the FA as he has in the club.

Another question is if the national team is ready for a manager as Wenger with his attacking 4-1-4-1 formation instead of the often used 4-4-2.

José Mourinho