PSG VS MANCHESTER UNITED : CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

CAN MANCHESTER UNITED REPEAT THEIR HEROICS AT PARC DES PRINCES?

Manchester United face their toughest Champions League group stage test, as they travel to parc des princes for their first outing in the Champions League. United face last season's runner-up Paris Saint-Germain, who are favorites for this game. Eighteen months ago these two sides meet for the first time, with the Psg taking the first leg comfortably with goals from Kimpembe and Mbappe. United came to Paris with several key first-team players missing, and they did the unexpected and won the tie as a last-minute Marcus Rashford penalty secured a spot for the red devils in the last-8.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester United: Key facts & stats

Manchester United have only lost twice in 22 Champions League openers, Juventus in 1996 and PSV in 2015, While winning 13 and 7 resulted in draws. United can become the first team to win twice at Parc des Princes, the Parsian side has only lost 7 times in 53 games at Parc des princes. Manchester United have to improve their record against the French side in the UCL group stage, having failed to win any but one of their six games played. The last time they won against the French was in 2000, beating Bordeaux 2-1. This the first time Manchester United is facing French opposition in the group stage, Since 2005/06 when they faced Lille: lost one and drew the other one. Since the defeat by Manchester United at Parc des princes, Psg hasn't lost in 4 home games. Not since December 2004 have they lost a group game on home turf either: a 24-match run which includes 19 wins.

Team News

Captain Harry Maguire has also been left out of the squad due to a slight hamstring injury. Mason Greenwood is a major doubt, however, having been left out of the squad to face Newcastle due to an unspecified fitness issue. While Cavani and Bailly are also unavailable.

PSG are some way off full strength elsewhere, though, with Tuchel claiming that he may only have 11 fit players for United's visit. Mauro Icardi, Juan Bernat, Thilo Kehrer, Leandro Paredes, and Marco Verratti will all miss the match through injury, while Marquinhos, Julian Draxler, and Danilo Pereira are major doubts after sitting out at the weekend.

Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions): LWWWWW

Manchester United form (all competitions): LWWWLW

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Paul Pogba will be hopeful of a recall to the starting XI after being dropped at the weekend, adding another subplot to the story given the speculation that PSG are interested in the Frenchman. There could also be a debut for another deadline-day arrival in Alex Telles, while Solskjaer may consider handing Dean Henderson the gloves in the Champions League in order to keep him happy with more first-team football.

Scott McTominay can play at center-back as he has usually done it for Scotland. Last game against Newcastle when Mata drifted inside and Wan-Bissaka was told to hold the width. It was Mctominay that dropped in Wan-Bissaka's position and did a pretty good job. Not only Scott can play in this position his passing ability will also play a pivotal part.

McTominay playing in a deeper role and helping in the build-up.

Martial has been suspended for the league games and is available for the Champions League, he might be given the role over Ighalo.

Don't be surprised if Fred or even Van de Beek starts in place of Pogba.

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:

Navas; Florenzi, Diallo, Kimpembe, Kurzawa; Herrera, Marquinhos, Rafinha; Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe

Prediction: PSG 2-2 Manchester United

Ole's Manchester United have a terrific record against a team that doesn't play low block. PSG will come into this match looking to get revenge against the English side. Despite PSG stellar attacking qualities, it's their defense that might hold them back. Don't be surprised if Manchester United snatch a win. 

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WHY ERLING HAALAND IS THE NEXT GREAT STRIKER?

 Erling Haaland is so good, he might be the greatest striker by the time he retires!

Why is Erling Haaland so good? Does this question always come to your mind, whenever you see Haaland score another goal? Well, it must! 

Before answering your questions let me just amaze you a little more with some crazy Erling Haaland stats - just take a look.

Now that you have seen how incredible Haaland has been, let's find out what makes the Norwegian Wonderkid so good.

1. Physicality 

With a tall frame of 6'4", Haaland makes a great marker to hit on long balls unlike Reus, Gotze, or previous striker Alcacer who had been previously used by Dortmund as strikers. 

Whenever Dortmund is under pressure they can always look to play long with Haaland up top. This would give them a chance to quickly changing defense into attacks without losing possession too often.

2. Pace

It's not a surprise that the first thing we talk about is his pace. Erling Haaland is fast, seriously fast which makes the life of defenders that much more difficult when they want to mark him. One thing that Klopp's Liverpool taught us that, the pace can be the most lethal weapon to open up the opposition's defense. You don't need to be skillful but you should know when to use your pace to get the better of the opposition.

Haaland uses his pace to exploit the space behind the defenses also it allows him to drop deep while build-up without worrying about getting back to Position.

3. Clever Movements.

Before we talk about Haaland's fantastic finishing we must first know how he gets into those positions to finish. 

His movements without the ball are deceptive. He always tends to confuse the defenders. Let us take this goal for an instance -

Here he was first moving towards the far post giving the defender the impression that he has to mark the far post but then he cleverly changes his direction towards the near post, becoming unmarked.

Here Haaland is waiting for the through ball but to keep himself onside he chooses to go for a curved run, the defender was unable to understand whether he wants to run beyond him or in front of him which in turn delays his reactions.

4. Attacking the Space.

"Football is all about finding space when attacking and reducing it while defending."

         — Jurgen Klopp.

Probably Haaland's most destructive weapon is his ability to find and attack the space. He searches for space everywhere including space between and also behind the defense.

Football has changed a lot, and nowadays it has become a norm to keep a high backline, thus leaving huge spaces between the last defenders and goalkeepers to exploit. Great goalscorers can make perfectly timed run behind the defense and scoring goals. Erling Haaland is no different. 

These images show us how Haaland places himself between the defenders and waits for his teammate to release the ball and then he makes use of his pace.

Here Haaland cleverly placed himself in an open space, when the ball came in he attacked it and Koulibaly couldn't win the header, result -Haaland scored.

5. Link-Up plays

It doesn't matter how good you are if you aren't a team player, football is of course a team game. Thus understanding teammate's movements their passing styles and linking up with them to create chances is an important attribute of a good attacker.

In this instance, Haaland plays a pass to a teammate and then attacks the space to receive the return pass, and then scores a brilliant goal.

Here is another brilliant example of how Haaland has a great understanding of his teammate's movement. Haaland changes his direction of run once he recognizes that his teammate is going wide to create space, he then attacks that space.

6. Passing to teammates in spaces.

Haaland wouldn't have succeeded so much if he only looked to score himself. He understands the need to play in teammates who are in space.

7. Dropping deep to help in the build-up.

Haaland constantly drops deep in games to provide himself as an extra passing option in midfield. This helps the team as he gives a numerical advantage in the midfield during build-ups without compromising in attack as he is lightning fast to get back into Position.

8. Pressing

Every manager dreams of having a forward who does more than just attack, they love those who work hard without the ball too. 

Erling Haaland is one such striker who just doesn't only look to score goals but he works hard to win the ball back.

Talking to BVB tv Alex Witsel said "Erling's working hard defensively, against Bremer, he was dropping back and winning the ball in the midfield, its a fighting spirit we perhaps didn't have so much in the first half of the season."

9. Long Range shooting.

Shooting from a long-range isn't a compulsory trait for a striker. A striker should be clinical from inside the box but its always an advantage if you can score from outside the box as well. 

Haaland's second goal against PSG in Champions League 2019/20 is a perfect example, how long Range shooting can add to his goal tally in the future.

10. Poacher.

How often do we talk about strikers who score tap-ins into open goals or goals from close ranges? Well, those players are poachers, it is an art to be present in the right position at the right time. Poachers are the most optimistic creatures present on a Football pitch, they smell goal, they anticipate where to be to receive the ball and score.

Haaland too, along with all other exceptional abilities, has the ability of a perfect poacher just like Mo Salah or Cristiano Ronaldo. He is always the first to react to any opportunity. Thus scoring a huge number of goals from close ranges but don't consider that to be luck, its persistence, and anticipation that leads to the goal.

12. Ice Cool Finishing.

Most of you readers must be wondering why didn't I mention this at the top? Surely the one thing that is most exceptional about Haaland is his FINISHING.

Well before, he uses his calm cool head to slot the ball past the goalkeeper, he uses all the above-mentioned traits to get into this situation.

Nothing is more important than finishing, every team needs one to score the goals and Dortmund has probably got the best young finisher in the world.

If you have watched Erling Haaland play for Dortmund or Rb Salzburg you will find out how Haaland doesn't just follow one technique to score goals. Sometimes he uses powers to give the keeper no chance and other times he just gently lifts it over him. He even uses cheeky back-heels or curls in his shots. He has a wide range of finishing which is again another brilliant attribute to have.

Conclusion - A Complete Forward

With Football being so tactically advanced, you can find several different types of forward ranging from Target Man to the poacher, Deep-lying forwards to advanced forwards to False 9.

But Erling Haaland is a mixture, he is everything, he is a complete Forward for the modern game. He uses Physicality like a target man, has goal-scoring instincts like a poacher and he even drops between the lines to link up with wingers and play as a deep-lying forward.

He is as deadly a striker can be.

What makes Erling Haaland so good?

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Clash of titans : Champions league final 2020

Newbies vs The Old Guard : Battle for Europe' supremacy !

It took us a lot longer than initially planned but -- Season finale is finally here, 2019/20 is set to be concluded with a heavyweight clash between Bayern Munich and PSG. Matches don't come more enticing than this. Final between two teams that love to attack and are littered with match-winners-- it is a showdown that guarantees goals. PSG earned their spot after beating Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, and RB Leipzig. They have gradually looked more dangerous and free-flowing over the past weeks of knock-out football. Bayern Munich has been a machine, they rolled past Chelsea with ease, obliterated Barcelona in quarters and easing past Lyon in the semi-finals. It's a clash between the dominant side from their respective leagues ( France and Germany). PSG became the 41st side to reach Champions League final and, will be hoping to lift the trophy for the first time in their history. Meanwhile, Bayern reached their 11th Champions League final and is seeking to win it for the sixth time in their history.

BAYERN MUNICH

Bayern is the favorites to win this tie. They have won ten in a row scoring 42 goals. This team looks to be in a mission to win, they have been dominant no matter the opposition. Lewandowski is in the form of his career, banging in goals for fun. Bayern Munich is pretty good and is the complete team. Attack supplemented by Gnabry and Müller alongside the best player currently, that's a frightening sight. Müller himself described himself as "Raumdeuter"(it means something like an interpreter of space). He is instrumental to the way Flick sets his team up. In his idiosyncratic way, he is central to the Flick style. From midfield to defense Bayern is stacked up with world-class players. They can easily up the tempo in this game which, PSG midfield should match the tempo --if they want to be crowned champions.

PSG

PSG have Neymar, Mbappe, Icardi, and Di Maria, Yet they are the underdogs in this final. They are coming against a Bayern side that functions very well from defensive end to attacking end. They must be at their best if they want to beat Bayern Munich. Bayern plays a high line that will suit the PSG attackers. Bayern's full-back love to bomb forward and their midfielders aren't used to a player running off them. Leon Goretzka will be important but it will come down to pace. Alaba is quick, he isn't quick enough for PSG's attackers. Expect some scintillating counter-attack from PSG.

PREDICTION :  PSG 3 - 2 BAYERN MUNICH

Bayern are favorite to win the tie, but PSG have enough fire power to hurt the German champions. It has to be the defence for Bayern which will be their undoing. Messi should have scored against them and was furious at himself, which then changes the format of the game. Bayern killed them in the end, but they do give away chances. Serge Gnabry looks unreal and Bayern look strong. It has been a massive effort from both of these sides and it is a treat to have them in the final. Kylian Mbappe is also on the edge of being the next superstar for a while. Winning Champions will no doubt proper him in that category.  Along with brilliance of Neymar, it might be too much for Bayern to handle.

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Champions League Night!

PREDICTION TIME: RB LEIPZIG VS PSG

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RB Leipzig vs PSG

As I would like to say Money v Money, both of the team are financially backed -- by multi-billionaire owners. But the PSG are the ones who will feel more pressure than their German counterpart. Leipzig beat Atletico to reach the semis, they tore Simeone's well-drilled team apart. Played some wonderful football, they are the underdog --With nothing on the line for them, they might fancy taking on PSG. On the other hand, PSG must be fancy themselves to reach the finals for the first time in their history. With the likes of Neymar, Mbappe, and Icardi leading the charges, without a shimmer of doubt, they fancy the chance of winning this year. For Leipzig, this is there first ever knockout experience in Europe's premier club competition. They lacked a cutting edge for the most part and had a good fortune with Adams' shot that took a massive deflection to outwit Jan Oblak. PSG was far from at their best against Atalanta, with Neymar in particular, with his shooting boot off the mark. But they possess the firepower necessary to work their way out of tricky positions.

RB Leipzig

UEFA ranking: 32

This season: P9 W6 D2 L1 F17 A9

How they got here: Group G winners, 4-0 agg Tottenham (R16), 2-1 Atlético (QF)

Last five games: WWLDW

Top scorer: Timo Werner, Marcel Sabitzer (4)

Last season: Europa League group stage

European Cup best: semi-finals (2019/20)

PSG

UEFA ranking: 7

This season: P9 W7 D1 L1 F22 A5

How they got here: Group A winners, 3-2 agg Dortmund (R16), 2-1 Atalanta (QF)

Last five games: WDWWW

Top scorer: Mauro Icardi, Kylian Mbappé (5)

Last season: round of 16

European Cup best: semi-finals (1994/95, 2019/20)

PREDICTION: RB Leipzig 1 - 2 PSG

Highly-rated Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann will no doubt be relishing the chance to tactically outwit former mentor Tuchel, but this may prove a step too far for his side as PSG look to make the final after so many high-profile failures on Europe's biggest stage.

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Champions League: Preview

In details : Champions League Semi-final 2019/20

What a quarter-final, we witnessed everything. Comebacks, late goals, giant-killing -- Quarter-finals lived up to the hype. In the first game of the quarter-final we nearly saw Atalanta reaching the semis they were a few minutes away, a late PSG comeback sent them packing home. The story keeps on getting better for RB Leipzig,  formed a little over a decade ago, Now they are competing with big boys for the biggest club competition.  Bayern Munich battered Barcelona 8-2 to reach the semi-finals. They inflicted Barcelona a hammering blow, they might need time to come back from this-- But for Bayern, they go from strength to strength. It looks like they are the favorites for the title this year. Lyon shocked the whole footballing world, no one expected them to get past Juventus. But here they are and now and they can't be taken easily.

RB Leipzig vs PSG

As I would like to say Money v Money, both of the team are financially backed -- by multi-billionaire owners. But the PSG are the ones who will feel more pressure than their German counterpart. Leipzig beat Atletico to reach the semis, they tore Simeone's well-drilled team apart. Played some wonderful football, they are the underdog --With nothing on the line for them, they might fancy taking on PSG. On the other hand, PSG must be fancy themselves to reach the finals for the first time in their history. With the likes of Neymar, Mbappe, and Icardi leading the charges, without a shimmer of doubt they fancy the chance of winning this year. For Leipzig, this is there first ever knockout experience in Europe's premier club competition. They lacked a cutting edge for the most part and had a good fortune with Adams' shot that took a massive deflection to outwit Jan Oblak. PSG was far from at their best against Atalanta, with Neymar in particular, with his shooting boot off the mark. But they possess the firepower necessary to work their way out of tricky positions.

RB Leipzig

UEFA ranking: 32

This season: P9 W6 D2 L1 F17 A9

How they got here: Group G winners, 4-0 agg Tottenham (R16), 2-1 Atlético (QF)

Last five games: WWLDW

Top scorer: Timo Werner, Marcel Sabitzer (4)

Last season: Europa League group stage

European Cup best: semi-finals (2019/20)

PSG

UEFA ranking: 7

This season: P9 W7 D1 L1 F22 A5

How they got here: Group A winners, 3-2 agg Dortmund (R16), 2-1 Atalanta (QF)

Last five games: WDWWW

Top scorer: Mauro Icardi, Kylian Mbappé (5)

Last season: round of 16

European Cup best: semi-finals (1994/95, 2019/20)

PREDICTION : RB Leipzig 1 - 2 PSG

Highly-rated Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann will no doubt be relishing the chance to tactically outwit former mentor Tuchel, but this may prove a step too far for his side as PSG look to make the final after so many high-profile failures on Europe's biggest stage.

Betting odds and tips

• RB Leipzig to win: 4/1
• Draw after 90 mins: Between 3/1 & 16/5
• PSG to win: 4/5
• Over 2.5 goals: 8/11

Bayern Munich vs Lyon

Both results Bayern and Lyon got were shocking, no one expected Lyon to win against Man City, whereas for Bayern. Everyone expected Bayern to reach the semis but -- They did it in such a way that everyone was left amazed. They didn't stop even after it was virtually impossible for Barca to comeback. Lyon hammered a blow to a Man City side that was chasing their first-ever Champions league crown. They now have knocked out two big teams Juventus and Man City. Bayern will surely be looking to reach their 12th final. This Bayern team is one the best in the world, despite their heroics against City. Bayern might be a task a little bit out of their reach. In knocking out both Juventus and City, Rudi Garcia's team have now proved themselves a highly dangerous outfit that should not be underestimated. However, it is simply impossible to pick against a team as confident and incisive as Bayern after watching that 8-2 destruction of Barcelona.

BAYERN

UEFA ranking: 2

This season: P9 W9 D0 L0 F39 A8

How they got here: Group B winners, 7-1 agg Chelsea (R16), 8-2 Barcelona (QF)

Last five games: WWWWW

Top scorer: Robert Lewandowski (14)

Last season: quarter-finals

European Cup best: winners x5 (most recently 2012/13)

LYON

UEFA ranking: 17

This season: P9 W4 D2 L3 F14 A11

How they got here: Group G runners-up, 2-2 agg Juventus (away goals, R16), 3-1 Manchester City (QF)

Last five games: WLDLL

Top scorer: Memphis Depay (6)

Last season: round of 16

European Cup best: semi-finals (2009/10, 2019/20)

PREDICTION : Lyon 1-3 Bayern Munich

The Bavarians are unbeaten in their last 19 matches across all competitions and have already scored a whopping 39 goals in just nine European outings this season, boasting considerable threats all over the pitch.Expect Lyon to produce another valiant performance, but Bayern will surely have enough to set up a final date against either domestic rivals RB Leipzig or Paris Saint-Germain next weekend at Benfica's Estadio da Luz.

Betting odds and tips

• Lyon to win: Between 12/1 & 13/1
• Draw after 90 mins: 7/1
• Bayern to win: 1/4
• Over 2.5 goals: 4/11

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As big as it gets: Two European powerhouse go head to head

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich: How Messi, Barca ended up Champions League underdogs, How will Champions League fixture play out tonight?

Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona in the Champions League. Has any game epitomized the elite world of football any better than a match between Die Roten and the Blaugrana? The clubs have met eight times before in the grandest stage of European football, each meeting a classic. History favors Bayern, as they have won six of these meetings while Barca has only won two. However, both teams have their fair share of accomplishments.

Why are Barcelona the underdog?

It's quite simple, really. Barca have been inconsistent since play resumed in June while Bayern have been the strongest team in the world, which obviously makes them the favorite. Forget that Bayern have won 19 games in a row -- they are actually unbeaten in their last 24 games and are conceding 0.54 goals per game while scoring 65 goals in those games. They've been dominant, have blown opponents out of the water and are arguably the strongest team left standing. While Bayern have been perfect, Barca have lost to Osasuna and drawn Celta Vigo down the stretch to concede the league title to their bitter rivals. Bayern can break you down if you play fantastic defense, but if you give them space, they will ruthlessly hurt you. Barca must be careful.

What must Barca do to beat them?

Defensively, Barca have to be very cautious because Bayern can beat you in a variety of ways. Keeping shape, staying compact defensively and tracking runners will be crucial. Just look at the positioning of Jordi Alba here in the 3-1 win over Napoli last week in the round of 16 second leg. Do that against Bayern, and they will exploit it. He's in the red circle, and the blue circle is where he should be.

But of course, you can't win if you don't score. Barca should feel confident in seeing a good bit of the ball, but it won't come easy. While Lionel Messi has the magic to turn a game on its head at any moment, chances are something else will have to give. Be it an unexpected, strong showing from Antoine Griezmann or Luis Suarez playing like it's 2016, who will step up alongside Messi? For that to even matter, the defense must come to play. It's hard to envision a Barca team having to focus on defense first, but Bayern posses more of a threat than any team Quique Setien's team has faced this season. Barca will get their chances, and they'll get forward to impose their will, but Bayern will probably get more opportunities, and Barca's defense has to be perfect. Barca have to limit mistakes and play with caution to have any chance of moving on.

PREVIEW

The only two previous winners of either the Champions League or European Cup still left in this year’s competition are Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Both have been crowned champions of Europe five times and they face off at the Estadio da Luz in Friday’s hotly-anticipated quarter-final.After a disappointing 1-1 draw with Napoli in the first leg of the last-16 tie Barcelona were able to show their class with a 3-1 win in the second leg last week, thanks to a goal and an assist from their talisman. However with a trophy-less season looming, rumours suggest that defeat to Bayern Munich on Friday could be the final nail in the coffin for Setién.

The first part of Bayern Munich’s 2019/20 season followed much of the same pattern as the Blaugrana's. The Bavarians picked up the DFB-Pokal in their last competitive game of the season with a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen and are now just three matches away from the treble. Barcelona are currently the only club to have won two European trebles but Bayern could draw level with them if Flick can match the feat of Jupp Heynckes’ 2012/13 side.Central to their chances is the form of Robert Lewandowski, who was a losing Champions League finalist for Borussia Dortmund in 2013. The Polish striker is playing the best football of his life at the age of 31 and has an incredible Champions League record this campaign. He has scored 13 goals in just 7 games to leave him four short of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013/14 record for most goals in a single Champions League season. With three goals and four assists against Chelsea in the last round he was involved in all seven of Bayern’s goals and he has looked unplayable at times this year.

The two sides with most European pedigree come head-to-head on Friday and history suggests that the winner has a good chance of being crowned champions of Europe again. They met in the quarter-finals in 2008/09 and in the semi-finals in 2012/13 and 2014/15. On each of those occasions, the victor has gone on to lift the trophy.

Injuries and suspensions

Barcelona

Barcelona were without midfielders Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal for their second leg match against Napoli but both should be available for selection against Bayern, with the former very likely to start. Samuel Umtiti has definitely been ruled out due to a knee injury while Ousmane Dembele faces a race against time to be fit enough for a place on the bench. Martin Braithwaite was left out of Setién’s Champions League squad list so will not feature.

Barcelona Champions League form: W-W-W-L-W-W

Barcelona form (all competitions): W-D-W-W-D-W

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich have been boosted by the return to training of Kingsley Coman and Jerome Boateng, who both missed last weekend’s win over Chelsea. Boateng will almost certainly return to the heart of the defence alongside David Alaba, while Coman will compete with Ivan Perisic for a place on the left of Bayern’s attack. Benjamin Pavard is out of this game due to a ligament injury but Bayern hope to have him fit to play some part in their Champions League campaign, should they progress past Barcelona.

Bayern Munich Champions League form: W-W-W-W-W-W

Bayern Munich form (all competitions): W-W-W-W-W-W

 Prediction : Barcelona 1-2 Bayern Munich 

This is an incredibly difficult match to call for a number of reasons, and a lot will depend on how both teams cope with the newly-structured competition. Both managers will feel that they can cause problems in the final third, but Bayern's form is staggering - unbeaten in all competitions since early December  and I am finding it difficult to back against Hansi Flick's side, ultimately backing them to record a 2-1 success. Lionel Messi has proved too much for Bayern to handle in the past but it is an enormous ask for him to turn the tie in Barcelona’s favour. Bayern remain the logical choice, but with Messi there is always a chance.

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VAR(Video assistant referee) explained

Is Football Getting Slower and More Fair?

The video assistant referee (VAR) is an assistant referee in association football who reviews decisions made by the head referee with the use of video footage and headset for communication.Following extensive trialling in a number of major competitions, VAR was first written into the Laws of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 2018. Operating under the philosophy of "minimal interference, maximum benefit", the VAR system seeks to provide a way for "clear and obvious errors" and "serious missed incidents" to be corrected. FIFA officially approved the use of VAR for the 2018 FIFA World Cup during the FIFA Council meeting on 16 March 2018 in Bogotá. This tournament became the first competition to use VAR in full (at all matches and in all venues).

When is VAR used?

GOALS

The role of the VAR is to assist the referee to determine whether there was an infringement that means a goal should not be awarded. As the ball has crossed the line, play is interrupted so there is no direct impact on the game.

PENALTY DECISIONS

The role of the VAR is to ensure that no clearly wrong decisions are made in conjunction with the award or non-award of a penalty kick.

RED CARD INCIDENTS

 

The role of the VAR is to ensure that no clearly wrong decisions are made in conjunction with sending off or not sending off a player.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

The referee cautions or sends off the wrong player, or is unsure which player should be sanctioned. The VAR will inform the referee so that the correct player can be disciplined.

These stats were gathered by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) across a study of almost 972 games that took place in 20 different national authorities worldwide.Interestingly, across matches covered in the study, the system was only called into action in just third of the games. Approximately two-thirds of games did not revert to VAR at all, even though the facility was ready and waiting to be used. The breakdown is as follows:

• 69.1% of matches covered did not need VAR replays
• Only 5.5% of games where VAR was brought into play needed more than one review
• 57.4% of VAR incidents related to penalty decisions and goals scored
• 42.1% were in connection with red card situations
• Mistaken identity calls were negligible 

In terms of the average VAR intervention time in a single match, it is approximately 55 seconds. This pales into insignificance with other match events such as:

• Corner kicks - 3 mins 57 secs
• Free kicks - 8 mins 51 secs
• Goal kicks - 5 mins 46 secs
• Making substitutions - 2 mins 57 secs
• Throw-ins - 7 mins 2 secs

With so many questionable decision made by VAR. Many fans and pundits were left baffled by VAR. Everyone believes in VAR but work is needed on implementation. VAR will not achieve 100 per cent accuracy, but will positively influence decision-making and lead to more correct, and fairer, judgments. In July 2020, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) transferred the responsibility of VAR to FIFA. IFAB will continue to work closely with FIFA, especially in terms of the VAR protocol, related Laws and qualification requirements. With two different sets of referee being involved in decision making and review. Mostly the decision made initially by field referee's are not changed. The VAR may advise the referee to change his decision, but the final call must always be the referee's. With increased use of the RRA(Referee Review Area), which will be used for subjective decisions in the three key areas -goals, red cards and penalty kicks. Decision made by referees won't be full of mistakes as compared to past season.

Who is in the VAR room?

There will be a lead official, who will make judgements on all reviews. There will also be an assistant official, who continues to watch the live game while the lead handles a review. The third person is the Hawk-eye operative, who controls the technology and is independent of the decision-making process.

Verdict

It's not perfect and there's been a few mistakes or perceived errors.Anything new that's brought into the game, there's going to be teething problems.A lot of the decisions  are still subjective calls.So there's still a 50-50 on which way people go. Given time it'll come good, despite the criticism players and fans have now become more accustomed to it.

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Champions League Setback : Will Champions League be disrupted?

Atletico Madrid confirm two positive coronavirus tests ahead of Champions League clash

Spanish football side Atletico Madrid on Sunday reported two positive coronavirus tests, just four days before they face RB Leipzig in Portugal for a place in the Champions League semi-finals."On Saturday, all members of the first team and the club's party to Lisbon underwent tests as required by UEFA protocols to participate in the quarter-finals of the Champions League," said a club statement. "Among the results known today, two positives have appeared and they are self-isolating in their respective homes."Atletico Madrid said UEFA as well as the Spanish and Portuguese football and health authorities have been informed and that a fresh round of tests will be carried out on the squad and support team.

The club did not disclose the names of those infected.It said in a statement that the entire group that was set to go to Lisbon will be tested again before the team can travel, and that the team's schedule is being altered to allow the new tests.

Earlier this week Atletico had to cancel a friendly of their women's team after a positive test within the group. Atletico Madrid is now experiencing the consequences. What remains to be seen is how serious those consequences will be.Isolation, and canceled training sessions, would put them at a competitive disadvantage against RB Leipzig. Business as usual, however, could leave them susceptible to the St. Louis Cardinals or Miami Marlins scenario, where one case quickly became four, and eventually became 20 baseball players and coaches who’d contracted COVID-19. A similar outbreak, of course, would end Atleti’s season.

They will have to test all 93 people in their group again on Monday, which was supposed to be the day they make their way across the border to Lisbon for the concluding stages of Europe’s premier club tournament.It’s possible that Diego Simeone’s side will have to wait for the next batch of results to come back before they are cleared to travel.Should more tests come back positive, it will leave Los Rojiblancos and UEFA with some difficult decisions to make.

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Champions League Night!

Prediction time : Round of 16

As smooth as it gets, Spectacular gameplay from Europe's elite. Man city and Real Madrid played wonderful game, likewise Juventus and Lyon also played out a enthralling game of football. With all quarter-finals game decided bar one, which will be decided tonight. Barcelona have an away goal advantage over Napoli, Frank Lampard's side trail 3-0 against the German giants. It's only inevitable that Bavarian giants progress to next round.  

Barcelona vs Napoli

Barcelona welcome Napoli to Camp Nou on Saturday evening as Quique Setien's men aim to salvage their season by progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals. Success in Europe looks a long-shot given the current state of the club both on and off the pitch, yet a team with so many talented players can never be completely written off. Napoli, for their part, won the Coppa Italia but finished in a disappointing seventh in Serie A and so head to Catalonia with little to lose and everything to gain. Talisman Lionel Messi, widely considered to be the greatest player of all time, has been the glue that has held the Catalan club together. Yet this season especially, an aging team without an apparent identity has seen performances and results fall apart, regardless of Messi's exploits. Barcelona welcomes a rejuvenated Napoli to the Camp Nou for their round of 16 second leg, with the scores delicately poised after the 1-1 draw in Naples. Defeat would undoubtedly be a disaster and would present Barcelona with its first trophy-less season since 2007-08.Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez are likely to lead the line, though, and it's expected that he'll set out with a 4-3-1-2 formation.On the other side of things, all eyes are on Lorenzo Insigne as his participation is in doubt, his fitness is a concern and he may not be ready to play.Whatever happens with their captain, Napoli know they need to score to have any chance of progressing.

Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal, Ousmane Dembélé, Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite, Arthur (out)

Napoli Outs & Doubts: Nikola Maksimovic (out), Lorenzo Insigne (doubt)

Barcelona form guide: W-W-W-L-W

Napoli form guide: W-L-W-L-W

Prediction: Barcelona 2-1 Napoli

All things considered, one should expect a closely contested fixture which is expected to go right down to the wire. Barcelona, though, should be able to come out on top, if only just, due to the Messi factor.Barcelona’s run of 35 home Champions League games without defeat (W31 D4) is the second-longest in the history of the European Cup/Champions League, behind Bayern Munich’s 43-game run between 1969 and 1991.

Barcelona vs Napoli Latest Odds

The 1-1 score-line from the first leg in Italy means the job is far from done for Barca, yet they remain overwhelming favourites, priced at 9/25 (1.36) with bet365 to qualify for the last eight and at 61/100 (1.61) to win in 90 minutes.
Napoli are unbeaten away from home in the Champions League this term, drawing in Genk and Liverpool while recording a win in Salzburg. Gennaro Gattuso's men are offered at 17/4 (5.25) with the draw at 16/5 (4.20).

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea 

Bayern Munich return to action after a month long break against Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in the Round of 16. Even though Hansi Flick’s men lead 3-0 from the first leg of the tie, the Bavarians will be wary of slip ups against a depleted Blues side that have nothing to lose. Chelsea will be hoping to pull off a miraculous Champions League comeback when they travel to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich. Frank Lampard’s men went down 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg way back in February, a home deficit that no team has ever overcome in Champions League history.When you consider Bayern have not lost since January and are on a 23-game unbeaten streak with 17 straight wins, it almost seems like mission impossible. Don't expect the Bavarian side to rest many key players, rather put this one away early and then make some changes. This is a strong a talented side, and with Chelsea's injury issues, this one might already be over. This just feels like a game where the Blues will need a bit of good fortune, maybe even more. An own goal, a penalty kick, or for Bayern to have a nightmare performance  perhaps even a combination. The Blues have the quality to get into the tie, but the defensive issues and goalkeeper woes make it seem unlikely. 

Bayern Munich Injuries/suspensions: Kingsley Coman ,Benjamin Pavard 

Chelsea Injuries/suspensions: Christian Pulisic , Cesar Azpilicueta , Pedro, Willian (nobody knows), Jorginho , Marcos Alonso 

Bayern Munich form :W-W-W-W-W-W

Chelsea form : L-W-W-L-W-L

Prediction : Bayern Munich 3-1 Chelsea

Although Chelsea's players are mentally tough individuals, it's too hard to look beyond a Bayern Munich victory. It may have been a different scenario had the likes of Pulisic been available, but it seems impossible for Chelsea's defence to not concede and smash three-four goals at the same time against the German powerhouse. Adding the fact Bayern are unbeaten against Chelsea in their last 5 games winning 3 and drawing 2.

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea Latest Odds

Having lost four of their last six away matches in all competitions, they are 13/2 (7.50) outsiders with bet365 to at least reduce that deficit by pulling off a shock win.

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