2011-12 European Club Football/Soccer Thread

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues' Cup and League Cup Tournament FT Scores: April 14, 2012

From ESPN Soccernet, Sky Sports and other sites

Scottish Premier League
Scottish Cup: 2011-12 William Hill Scottish Cup
Semifinal Fixtures from Hampden Park, Glasgow
From ESPN Soccernet

Aberdeen 1-2 Hibernian

French Ligue 1
French League Cup: 2011-12 Coupe de la Ligue
Final from Stade de France, Saint-Denis: Saturday April 14
From Ligue1.com and ESPN Soccernet

It's a three-peat in the Coupe de la Ligue for Marseille.

Marseille won their third straight French League Cup with a 1-0 win over Lyon after extra time.

Evaeyerson Brandao scored the only goal of the game in the 105th minute as Didier Deschamps' side became the first side to win three straight French League Cup titles.

Lyon 0-1 Marseille

Portuguese Liga
Portuguese League Cup: 2011-12 Taca da Liga
Final from Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra: Saturday April 14
From Soccerway.com

Benfica 2-1 Gil Vicente

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 15, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Spanish La Liga
Valencia failed to extend their lead for third place after Espanyol crushed them 4-0.

Sergio Garcia had two assists on the four Espanyol goals scored by Cristian Gomez, Kalu Uche, Joan Verdu and Alvaro Vasquez.

Fortunately for Unai Emery and Los Che, Malaga failed to leap frog them after a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad.

Isco game Malaga a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute before Xabi Prieto equalized in the 49th minute.

Sociedad GK Claudio Bravo had five saves despite playing with 10 men when Sociedad defender Mikel Gonzalez was sent off after two bookable offenses.

Real Betis moved another step closer towards safety after a 1-0 win over Osasuna.

Ruben Castro scored the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute.

Osasuna's Raul Garcia was ejected for a bad foul on Jefferson Montero in the 61st minute.

Real Zaragoza gave their La Liga survival hopes a jolt after a 1-0 win over Granada.

Tomislav Dujmovic scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute.

The only sour note for Zaragoza was Ruben Michael seeing dead red thanks to a bad foul on Odion Ighalo in stoppage time.

Fernando Llorente's 13th minute strike was good enough for Athletic Bilbao in their 1-0 win over Mallorca in their UEFA Europa League semifinal tuneup.

Radamel Falcao's 22nd La Liga goal of the season helped Atletico Madrid had a successful UEFA Europa League tuneup with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.

Finally, Villarreal and Racing Santander ended 1-1.

Hernan Perez gave the Yellow Submarine a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute before a Lautaro Acosta equalizing header denied Villarreal a win.

Espanyol 4-0 Valencia

Málaga 1-1 Real Sociedad

Real Betis 1-0 Osasuna

Real Zaragoza 1-0 Granada

Villarreal 1-1 Racing Santander

Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Mallorca

Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Atlético Madrid

German Bundesliga
Borussia Monchengladbach moved one win away from UEFA Champions League playoff round qualification with a 3-0 whitewash over Cologne.

Juan Arango and Marco Reus each had a goal and assist with Tony Jantschke completing the rout for M'gladbach as they moved another step closer to a Top 4 finish.

Freiburg and Hoffenheim had a goalless stalemate.

Borussia Monchengladbach 3-0 FC Cologne

SC Freiburg 0-0 TSG Hoffenheim

French Ligue 1
Lorient stunned current French Ligue 1 leaders Montpellier 2-1 to throw a monkey wrench in Montpellier's title plans.

Henri Bedimo scored an own goal in the 69th minute to give Lorient a 1-0 lead. 8 minutes later, Joel Campbell doubled the lead.

Olivier Giroud got Montpellier on the board in the 78th minute, but the current leaders can't find the equalizer.

Paris Saint-Germain failed to capitalize to pull themselves into a first place tie when they had a 1-1 stalemate against relegation-threatened and former Ligue 1 champions Auxerre.

Nene gave PSG a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute, but Auxerre equalized with four minutes to go when Anthony Le Tallec tied the game.

Defending champions Lille kept their slim French Ligue 1 title hopes alive thrashing AC Ajaccio 4-1. Eden Hazard had a goal and assist to take his French Ligue 1 tallies to 15 goals and 13 assists on the season.

Joe Cole, Gianni Bruno and an own goal from Yoann Poulard complete the scoring for Rudi Garcia's side as Lille trails Montpellier by seven points with six games remaining.

AS Nancy Lorraine 2-2 Bordeaux

Lille 4-1 AC Ajaccio

Lorient 2-1 Montpellier

Sochaux 1-0 Dijon FCO

St Etienne 2-1 Brest

Valenciennes 0-3 Evian Thonon Gaillard

AJ Auxerre 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain

Dutch Eredivisie
janttje and his favorite Dutch Eredivisie side are getting closer to another title.

Ajax Amsterdam moved six points clear of AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven with four matches to go after a 3-1 triumph over De Graafschap.

Derk Boerrigter scored a brace and Christian Eriksen completed the scoring for Frank de Boer's men as Ajax close in on another title.

FC Groningen 0-1 Roda JC Kerkrade

Ajax Amsterdam 3-1 De Graafschap

FC Utrecht 4-2 VVV Venlo

Vitesse Arnhem 1-0 ADO Den Haag

SC Heracles Almelo 1-1 RKC Waalwijk

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues' Cup and League Cup Tournament FT Scores: April 15, 2012

From ESPN Soccernet, Sky Sports and other sites

Scottish Premier League
Scottish Cup: 2011-12 William Hill Scottish Cup
Semifinal Fixtures from Hampden Park, Glasgow
From ESPN Soccernet

There won't be a Celtic Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup double this season.

Heart of Midlothian sent Celtic packing from Hampden Park in the second semifinal 2-1 to set up a Scottish Cup final against Hibernian.

For Neil Lennon's side, Hearts denied the Hoops a chance for their 36th Scottish Cup win.

It started brightly for the underdogs when Rudi Skacel gave Hearts a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute.

But with four minutes to go, Gary Hooper thought he forced extra time with his equalizer.

However, Hearts made Celtic crestfallen when Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas fired a shot that struck Joe Ledley's arm giving Hearts a penalty. Craig Beattie stepped up a fired his spot kick past Fraser Forster to give Hearts a 2-1 lead into stoppage time.

Celtic had chances to find an equalizer and could've had a penalty when a shot deflected off Heart defender Adam Webster's arm, but played continued and Hearts hanged on to win and eliminate Celtic's chances of a mega Domestic Double.

Celtic 1-2 Heart of Midlothian

[BroadwayBomber55]

Italian Serie A news

New schedules announced for Round 33 of Serie A after the death of Livorno midfielder on loan from Udinese Piermario Morosini who died on a suspected cardiac arrest during a Serie B match against Pescara
http://www1.skysports.com/football/n...-Serie-A-games

Morosini's tragic death video RIP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7C7nAEQCAA

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 16, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Spanish La Liga
Getafe were rampant against Sevilla after destroying them 5-1.

Alvaro Negredo gave Sevilla a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute before Getafe ran riot.

Miku bagged a brace. Pedro Rios added a goal and two assists. Miguel Torres Gomez and Medhi Lacen completed the rout.

Getafe 5-1 Sevilla FC

French Ligue 1
Stade Rennes 3-1 Nice

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

First Leg Fixtures: April 17-18, 2012

From UEFA.com, Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Note: Away goals rule applies.

It's the final four in the UEFA Champions League tournament.

Will Lionel Messi and Barcelona stay on track for their third European Cup in their last six UCL appearances or will Chelsea get their revenge after Barca eliminated them back in 2009 via the away goals rule in controversial fashion?

Will Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid get their chance to be in the final and be the first team to win 10 European Cups or will Arjen Robben and 4-time winners Bayern Munich play in the final in their own backyard?

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012
2:45 ET Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2012
2:45 ET Chelsea v Barcelona

[BroadwayBomber55]

BB55's Primer - 2011-12 UEFA Champions League semifinals: Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid

One team wants to play in the UEFA Champions League final in their own backyard while the other wants to reach the final at Munich's Allianz Arena to try to become the first team in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history to win 10 tournaments.

Something's gotta give.

For European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, it is a rematch of their 2007 R16 encounter when the 4-time European winning Bavarians eliminated the 9-time winning Los Blancos 4-4 on aggregate.

For Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes, he faces off against the team he won a UCL title with back in 1997-98.

With the German Bundesliga title slowly slipping from their grasp, Bayern Munich go into this tie with two trophies at stake.

For Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and company, they need to prove to the football world they can beat really good teams since they have yet to beat Barcelona since the Copa del Rey final last April as they're winless against the Catalans in four matches.

I think the key for this tie centered around Bayern Munich's defense led by captain Philipp Lamm, Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber stopping Real Madrid's strikeforce of Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema.

Lamm has his job on Ronaldo while the defense and midfield led by Bastian Schweinsteiger have to keep an eye on Higuain, Benzema, Angel di Maria and Mesut Ozil.

Also, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have a chance to step up their games and try to cause havoc on a very stingy Real Madrid defense who have allowed only six goals in UCL play.

Prediction: Which Bayern Munich team will show up? When they're healthy and clicking, they are a colossus beast as shown in UCL play. But their two losses to Borussia Dortmund in German Bundesliga play can give them some worries in their psyche.

I think Bayern needs to beat Real Madrid in both legs to have a shot. However, their shaky defense will be tested against the likes of Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain and Los Blancos.

Their defense and the combo of Robben and Ribery are the keys for the Bavarians if they want to play in the final in their own backyard.

But in a tough tie like this, it is hard for me to pick against Mourinho and Los Blancos especially with the second leg at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

BB55's Final Verdict: Real Madrid over Bayern Munich

[EvanJ]

Bayern Munich had twice as many goals in a 2-1 win and Real Madrid had twice as many yellow cards, 6 to 3. In England clubs get fined if they get six or more cards.

[BroadwayBomber55]

After watching Bayern Munich's slender 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, I think Jupp Heynckes' side's chances of playing the UCL final in their own backyard is a possibility.

Before the tie in my primer, I said that Bayern need to beat Los Blancos in both legs to have a shot. They completed part 1.
http://forums.nyyfans.com/showthread...=1#post7482985

Sure, the away goal that Mesut Ozil scored gives the Bavarians a cause for concern and Jose Mourinho's side have lost only twice in all competitive competitions so far both to Barcelona, but if Mario Gomez keeps scoring and Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben playing well, the Bavarians have a shot of playing in the UCL final in Allianz Arena.

[BroadwayBomber55]

BB55's Primer - 2011-12 UEFA Champions League semifinals: Chelsea vs. Barcelona

This is the most intriguing tie of the UCL semifinals.

Chelsea vs. Barcelona part deux.

The last time these two teams met in the semifinals back in 2009, the second leg was marred in controversy where Chelsea led 10 minutes in through Michael Essien's wonder volley and could've had penalties galore including two legit handballs from Gerard Pique and Samuel Eto'o where Tom Hennig Ovrebo let play continue.

That prompted Didier Drogba to use his 'Disgrace' rant after Chelsea were eliminated through Andres Iniesta's stoppage time strike to give the Catalan's an away goal and advanced to the UCL final in Rome via the away goals rule.

Four years later, they meet again and this time, the second leg is at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.

Let's see if Drogba, Fernando Torres, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Chelsea learned their lesson.

There's no question that Barcelona are having a great renaissance under Pep Guardiola, but they can be beat.

How does Chelsea do it?

What do Liverpool in 2006/07, Manchester United in 2007/08 and Inter Milan in 2009/2010 all have in common? They beat Barcelona over two legs in UCL knockout stages despite having less possession and scoring chances.

Advice for Chelsea?

1. Be sound and compact at the back with your goalkeeper being huge.

Liverpool came up trumps in the first leg in Barcelona in 2006/07 with Pepe Reina making some huge stops.

Patrice Evra and Wes Brown were beasts in the second leg with Owen Hargreaves and Ji-Sung Park giving United more work rates to keep up with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

In 2009/10 with Mourinho in charge of Inter Milan, the Nerazzurri had Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta helping out the back four clogging up the middle with Messi by running with the Argentine wizard and his fellow Ballon D'or partners in crime in Iniesta and Xavi.

2. Chelsea need to finish off their chances with authority.

Liverpool scored two away goals inside the notorious Camp Nou thanks to Craig Bellamy and John Arne Risse.

Even though Cristiano Ronaldo missed a two-minute penalty in the first leg and missed more chances, Paul Scholes was the only one on target in the 14th minute and Sir Alex Ferguson needed his defense to come up huge to thwart off Barca's wave of attacks to advance to the final in Moscow.

In the first leg at the San Siro in 2009/10, Inter Milan scored three goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito and their team neutralized Messi and took Xavi's passing lanes away.

In Chelsea's case in 2009, Didier Drogba five minutes into the second half danced around one or two Barca defenders in the box and had his shot saved by Victor Valdes that could've gave Chelsea a 2-0 lead.

3. Try to win both legs especially at the Camp Nou.

If Chelsea go for a 0-0 draw like Real Madrid tried and failed to do at the Santiago Bernabeu last season in the first leg, Barcelona will tear them up to shreds.

If Barca takes a lead heading back into the Camp Nou, they know how to close it out.

So for Roberto Di Matteo, try to win both legs.

As for the Catalans, they have a point to prove. Sure, Barcelona are still alive for their second mega European treble in the last four seasons, but no team has ever repeated as European Cup champions since AC Milan did in 1990.

And with Gerard Pique and Dani Alves banged up and Eric Abidal recovering from liver surgery, Guardiola has some concerns at the back where Drogba, Torres, Lampard and Juan Mata would like to blitz.

But Guardiola counters with Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez who can pick apart the banged up CFC defense.

Prediction: Chelsea need to play the tie of their lives to pull off a huge upset. A banged up defense with Terry, Gary Cahill and also David Luiz out make Messi and company lick their own chops. The CFC strikeforce led by Drogba and Torres need to keep goal for goal with Barcelona.

In 2009, Chelsea gave Barca all they can handle, but can't hold on a few more minutes and didn't find their shooting boots for a second goal and let Iniesta score an important away goal.

This time, Di Matteo will have his biggest test as caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea have nothing to lose.

In the end, I think Barca has too much firepower and a good enough defense to pass up on another opportunity for a possible second mega European Treble in four years.

BB55's Final Verdict: Barcelona over Chelsea

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

First Leg FT Scores: April 18, 2012

From UEFA.com, Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Chelsea completed Part 1 of their revenge tour against Barcelona.

Roberto di Matteo's side answered the critics in their 1-0 win over the defending UEFA Champions League titleholders at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea weathered the Barca storm despite Pep Guardiola's men having a 24-4 edge in shots and 6-1 on target.

However, Chelsea GK Petr Cech made all six saves and the Chelsea back four led by John Terry, Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill clogged up the middle and Barca's passing lanes.

Didier Drogba scored the only goal of the game before halftime.

A rare mistake by Lionel Messi as his errant pass was intercepted by Frank Lampard who finds Ramires over the top who barged into the area and fed the Cote D'Ivoire striker who caught Barca in a 2 v. 1 situation to poke it home to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.

Messi and the Catalans threw everything at Chelsea including the kitchen sink, but Cech stopped all six Barca shots on target including Messi and Carles Puyol's header. Cahill, Terry, Cole and the Chelsea players also blocked some shots.

In the dying seconds, Pedro hit the post and an unmarked Sergio Busquets fired his shot way over the bar as Barca tried to score an away goal.

In the second leg next week at Camp Nou, Chelsea can advance to their first UCL final since 2008 if they avoid defeat or lose by one goal of a score of 2-1 or greater.

As for Barcelona, they need to win by two clear goals to keep their UCL repeat alive.

Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 18, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

French Ligue 1
Lyon's Top 3 chances for UEFA Champions League football next season took a massive blow after Toulouse downed them 3-0.

Francois Sirieix led the upset with a goal and assist with Emmanuel Riviere and Umut Bulut chipping in with goals.

Toulouse GK Ali Ahamada also had a five-save clean sheet as Toulouse pulled into a tie for fourth with Lyon.

Loïc Remy's 26th minute penalty rescued Marseille in their 1-1 draw against Caen.

Frédéric Bulot gave Caen a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.

But Alexandre Raineau conceded a penalty with a handball in the area where Remy pounced from the spot.

Marseille 1-1 Caen

Toulouse 3-0 Lyon

Greek Super League
AEK Athens 0-0 Atromitos

Asteras Tripoli 0-2 Panathinaikos

Ergotelis 0-1 Levadiakos

Giannina 0-4 Olympiakos

Kerkyra 4-1 OFI Crete

Panetolikos 5-1 Aris Salonika

Panionios 1-1 FC Xanthi

PAOK Salonika 2-0 Doxa Dramas

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Europa League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

First Leg Fixtures: April 19, 2012

From UEFA.com, Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Note: Away goals rule applies.

It's the all-Iberian Final Four in the UEFA Europa League.

Three La Liga teams are in the mix. Will there be an all-Spanish La Liga final?

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012
3:05 ET Atlético Madrid v Valencia
3:05 ET Sporting Lisbon v Athletic Bilbao

[BroadwayBomber55]

BB55's Picks: 2011-12 UEFA Europa League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

Picks in Bold.

Atlético Madrid v Valencia

Sporting Lisbon v Athletic Bilbao

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Europa League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

First Leg FT Scores: April 19, 2012

From UEFA.com, Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

2010 UEFA Cup/Europa League winners Atletico Madrid are one step closer from earning their second trip to the UEFA Europa League final in three tournaments after a 4-2 win over 2004 winners Valencia.

Radamel Falcao scored twice inside the Vicente Calderon to take his UEL goal tally to 10 in the tournament.

Diego chipped in with two assists and Miranda and Adrian also scored for Atleti.

But Unai Emery's men never gave up and scored two away goals to take with them to the Mestalla.

Jonas grabbed one before halftime for Los Che and a header from Ricardo Costa in stoppage time gave Valencia hope where a 2-0 win or a 3+ goal win will take them to Bucharest while Atleti need to only avoid defeat or lose 5-3 or greater.

Meanwhile, the third La Liga team in action, Athletic Bilbao lost 2-1 to Portuguese Liga side and one of Portugal's legendary Big Three clubs Sporting Lisbon.

Jon Aurtenetxe gave Marcelo Bielsa's men an away goal in the 54th minute.

Bilbao GK Gorka Iraizoz had five saves.

But Sporting CP bounced back with Emiliano Insua tying the game at 1 with a header in the 75th minute.

Diego Capel scored the go-ahead tally with 10 minutes to go to take to San Mames with a slender 2-1 lead.

Atlético Madrid 4-2 Valencia

Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Fixtures: April 20-25, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Scottish Premier League
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
7:30 ET St Johnstone v Dundee United
10:00 ET Heart of Midlothian v Rangers
10:00 ET Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Aberdeen
10:00 ET St Mirren v Dunfermline Athletic

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
9:00 ET Motherwell v Celtic
10:00 ET Hibernian v Kilmarnock

Spanish La Liga
It's El Clasico Part Deux that highlights the fixtures in Spanish Primera Liga this weekend as Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
12:00 ET Mallorca v Real Zaragoza
12:00 ET Sporting Gijon v Rayo Vallecano
2:00 ET Barcelona v Real Madrid
4:30 ET Sevilla FC v Levante

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
6:00 ET Granada v Getafe
6:00 ET Real Sociedad v Villarreal
10:00 ET Racing Santander v Athletic Bilbao
12:00 ET Atlético Madrid v Espanyol
3:30 ET Valencia v Real Betis

MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012
3:00 ET Osasuna v Málaga

Italian Serie A
Big games for both AC Milan and Juventus.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
12:00 ET Chievo Verona v Udinese
12:00 ET Parma v Cagliari
2:45 ET Catania v Atalanta
2:45 ET Napoli v Novara

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
6:30 ET Fiorentina v Internazionale
9:00 ET AC Milan v Bologna
9:00 ET Cesena v Palermo
9:00 ET Genoa v Siena
9:00 ET Lazio v Lecce
2:45 ET Juventus v AS Roma

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012
12:30 ET Atalanta v Chievo Verona
12:30 ET Cagliari v Catania

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012
6:30 ET Novara v Lazio
9:00 ET AS Roma v Fiorentina
9:00 ET Lecce v Napoli
9:00 ET Palermo v Parma
9:00 ET Siena v Bologna
9:00 ET Udinese v Internazionale
12:00 ET AC Milan v Genoa
12:00 ET Cesena v Juventus

German Bundesliga
One more win and Borussia Dortmund clinched their second straight German Bundesliga title.

And will Kaiserlautern say bye bye to Germany's top flight?

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012
2:30 ET Mainz v VfL Wolfsburg

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
9:30 ET FC Cologne v VfB Stuttgart
9:30 ET Hertha Berlin v Kaiserslautern
9:30 ET Nurnberg v Hamburg SV
9:30 ET TSG Hoffenheim v Bayer Leverkusen
9:30 ET Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
12:30 ET Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Monchengladbach

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
9:30 ET FC Augsburg v Schalke 04
11:30 ET Hannover 96 v SC Freiburg

French Ligue 1
SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
1:00 ET Brest v Stade Rennes
1:00 ET Caen v St Etienne
1:00 ET Dijon FCO v Lille
1:00 ET Evian Thonon Gaillard v Toulouse
1:00 ET Montpellier v Valenciennes
1:00 ET Nice v AJ Auxerre
3:00 ET Bordeaux v Marseille Chaban-Delmas

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
Time Home Away Venue
11:00 ET AC Ajaccio v AS Nancy Lorraine
11:00 ET Paris Saint-Germain v Sochaux
3:15 ET Lyon v Lorient

Dutch Eredivisie
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012
2:00 ET NAC Breda v Roda JC Kerkrade

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
12:45 ET Heerenveen v Vitesse Arnhem
1:45 ET De Graafschap v SC Heracles Almelo
1:45 ET RKC Waalwijk v FC Utrecht
2:45 ET Excelsior v Twente Enschede

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
6:30 ET ADO Den Haag v Feyenoord Rotterdam
8:30 ET AZ Alkmaar v VVV Venlo
8:30 ET PSV Eindhoven v NEC Nijmegen
10:30 ET Ajax Amsterdam v FC Groningen

Portuguese Liga
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012
3:15 ET Paços de Ferreira v Braga

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012
12:00 ET Benfica v Maritimo
2:15 ET Guimaraes v Uniao Leiria
4:15 ET FC Porto v Beira Mar

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
11:00 ET Feirense v Vitoria Setubal
11:00 ET Gil Vicente v Rio Ave
2:15 ET CD Nacional de Madeira v Sporting Lisbon

MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2012
3:15 ET Académica de Coimbra v Olhanense

Greek Super League
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012
12:00 ET Aris Salonika v Kerkyra
12:00 ET Asteras Tripoli v Panionios
12:00 ET Atromitos v Olympiakos
12:00 ET Doxa Dramas v AEK Athens
12:00 ET FC Xanthi v Ergotelis
12:00 ET Levadiakos v PAOK Salonika
12:00 ET OFI Crete v Giannina
12:00 ET Panathinaikos v Panetolikos

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 20, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

German Bundesliga
Mainz earned another season of German Bundesliga football with a goalless draw against Wolfsburg.

Mainz peppered eight shots on target, but Wolfsburg Diego Benaglio stopped them all.

Mainz 0-0 VfL Wolfsburg

Dutch Eredivisie
NAC Breda 0-3 Roda JC Kerkrade

Portuguese Liga
Paços de Ferreira 1-1 Braga

[BroadwayBomber55]

BB55's Primer - El Clasico Part 2: Barcelona v. Real Madrid, Camp Nou, Barcelona

It is a big game for both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Not only these El Clasico rivals are coming off defeats in UEFA Champions League play, these two are in line for the La Liga title.

Pep Guardiola's Catalans edged them out in both the Supercopa de Espana and Copa del Rey via aggregate and Barca would like to keep the pressure on the Madristas for the title with a win that can take them one point behind Jose Mourinho's men.

It is also a tuneup for both clubs since they both face do or die situations in the second leg in their UEFA Champions League semifinals.

Both Guardiola and Mourinho will rely on their key talisman who are also chasing the Pichichi trophy as La Liga's top goal scorer as both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each have 41 goals in La Liga play this season.

BB55 says Barcelona will win with these two things:
1. Other players need to help out Messi.
Why? Messi has 63 goals in all competitive matches this season, but what Chelsea did at Stamford Bridge during UCL semifinal play mid-week is that they're compact at the back not allowing many passing lanes and closed in on Messi very hard when he receives the ball. That's why losing the likes of David Villa hurt Barca because he can make a sneaky run and Messi's quick fire passing can spring others free. Whether it's Alexis Sanchez, Pedro, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi or Andres Iniesta, they need to make those runs past the Real Madrid defense so that Messi's quick passing ability can spring them free.

2. Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano.
Why? Busquets is the shield of the Barcelona back four and he needs to stay in the pitch to help out the back four in containing the likes of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. As for Mascherano, he can also be versatile as a makeshift center half with Carles Puyol playing in one of the wing back positions in place of Eric Abidal, who is another big loss for Barca in the back and with Gerard Pique banged up, Pep will look to Masch to do the job and help out Busquets and the Barca defense.

BB55 says Real Madrid will win with these two things:
1. Both Pepe and Sergio Ramos need to stay out of bookings
Why? Pepe can be a match winner for Real Madrid with his aerial ability and tough tackling, but his temper and demeanor can also make him a match loser for Real Madrid like he did in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals against Barca when he was sent off for his tackle on Dani Alves and also stamping Messi's hand in the second leg of their Copa del Rey Quarterfinal first leg encounter against Barca in January. As for Ramos, he's coming back to the scene of the crime of his La Liga encounter in November 2010 for his fracas at the end of the game in the 5-0 Barca rout after fouling Messi and shoved Puyol with his hand on the face and driving him to the ground. Mourinho also has a dilemma on who to start on containing Dani Alves' forward bombings between Marcelo and Fabio Contreao.

2. Get in Barcelona's face: take the game to them and finish with authority.
Why? What Chelsea showed against Barca in mid-week is that they're compact at the back and their goalkeeper came up huge for them. But they also caught Barca on the counterattack. And in two games vs. Barcelona in the Camp Nou in both the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana, Real Madrid pressured Barca up the pitch and ran with Barca giving them fits and taking advantage of their own chances on goal. Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain, they can finish with aplumb and Real Madrid will need these three and others to be on target.

Prediction: A worldwide derby that is tough to call. With Real Madrid needing to avoid defeat to maintain their four-point lead or greater, they need to settle in very quickly and try to get the late knockout punch. For Barcelona, they will need to go for it since they need a win, but attack with care since they can't get reckless against a scoring beast in Real Madrid.

All the pressure is on Barca in an attempt to win their second mega European Treble in four seasons.

However, with Camp Nou being a fortress under Guardiola, I think that despite Real Madrid coming in with a lead even if they lose to Barca, Barca's home advantage and their hot streak in La Liga play is a little too good to pass up. I say Barca win by the skin of their teeth over Real Madrid in a back-and-forth clash.

BB55's Final Verdict: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 21, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Scottish Premier League
St Johnstone 0-2 Dundee United

Heart of Midlothian 0-3 Rangers

Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0-2 Aberdeen

St Mirren 4-4 Dunfermline Athletic

Spanish La Liga
Real Madrid opened up a seven-point lead over Barcelona with a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou in El Clasico part two.

Sami Khedira took advantage of Victor Valdes' miscue off a corner to pounce and give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

Cristian Tello missed some chances when his shots were nowhere on target.

But Barcelona equalized when Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to make it 1-1 in the 70th minute.

However, Real Madrid re-took the lead three minutes later as Mesut Ozil delivered a great ball to open space where Cristiano Ronaldo collects and slotted it home off a tight angle.

Barcelona looked for an equalizer, but to no avail as Real Madrid dealt a massive blow to the Catalans' chances for a fourth straight La Liga title.

Real Zaragoza's chances for La Liga survival took a big blow after losing 1-0 to Mallorca.

Víctor headed in a Gonzalo Castro cross for the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute.

Sporting Gijon boosted their La Liga survival hopes with a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano.

Gastón Sangoy gave Gijon a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.

Mikel Labaka tied the game at 1 for Rayo.

However, Rayo were down to 10 men when Labaka was sent off in the 76th minute for a terrible foul on Mate Bilic.

Bilic punished Rayo when he scored four minutes later.

Rayo defender Casayo was sent off with three minutes to go after two bookable offenses.

Levante and Sevilla drew 1-1 as both teams failed to gain ground for a Top 4 finish.

It started raining tennis balls as Sevilla pitch was filled with them one minute in.



Álvaro Negredo gave Sevilla a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute before Arouna Kone equalized for Levante in the 27th minute.

Sevilla had a penalty with three minutes to go when Javi Venta fouled Jose Antonio Reyes in the area.

But Negredo's spot kick was saved by Levante GK Gustavo Munua for one of his four saves.

Mallorca 1-0 Real Zaragoza

Sporting Gijon 2-1 Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid

Sevilla FC 1-1 Levante

Italian Serie A
Napoli boosted their UCL hopes with a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Novara.

Edinson Cavani scored his 20th goal of the season in the 21st minute with Paolo Cannavaro doubling Napoli's lead in the 37th minute as Napoli grabbed three vital points.

Udinese's UCL hopes were dealt a blow with a goalless stalemate with Chievo Verona.

Catania blanked Atalanta 2-0.

Alejandro Gómez and Felipe Seymour struck for the Elephants.

Parma crushed Cagliari 3-0.

Sebastian Giovinco gave Parma a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute before Parma sealed the game with two penalties.

The first was in the 73rd minute when Radja Nainggolan fouled Jonathan in the area.

Sergio Floccari struck it home from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 Parma.

Stefano Okaka Chuka won and scored a penalty in stoppage time after Michael Agazzi toppled him over in the area.

Chievo Verona 0-0 Udinese

Parma 3-0 Cagliari

Catania 2-0 Atalanta

Napoli 2-0 Novara

German Bundesliga
Congratulations to Jurgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund won their second straight German Bundesliga title after a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Ivan Perisic headed in a Marcel Schmelzer free kick cross in the 23rd minute to make it 1-0 Dortmund.

Robert Lewandowski found Shinji Kagawa on a fast break in the 59th minute to seal the win for Dortmund who became the first team since Bayern Munich in 2006 to win back-to-back titles.

Bayern Munich had to settle for second with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen.

Naldo gave Bremen a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute before getting the Bavarians on the board with an own goal in the 75th minute. Franck Ribery grabbed the three points with a winner in stoppage time.

Hertha Berlin's relegation play-off chances suffered a blow after Kaiserlautern, already relegated, edged them 2-1.

First-half goals from Oliver Kirch and Andrew Wooten were good enough for Kaiserlautern even though Peter Niemeyer got Hertha Berlin on the board with 30 minutes to go and Thomas Kraft kept Hertha in it with six saves.

However, Niemeyer was sent off after two yellow cards.

Andre Schürrle's 80th minute goal was good enough for Bayer Leverkusen in their 1-0 win over TSG Hoffenheim.

Cologne's bid for survival took a massive blow in a 1-1 draw against Stuttgart.

Lukas Poldolski finds Slawomir Peszko to give Cologne a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute before Cacau equalized for Stuttgart in the 71st minute.

Hamburg moved another step closer towards safety with a 1-1 draw against Nurnberg.

Heung-Min Son gave Hamburg a 1-0 lead in the 59th minute before Daniel Didavi equalized for Nurnberg five minutes later.

Hamburg GK Jaroslav Drobny had to leave the game due to injury in the 24th minute and was replaced by Sven Neuhaus.

FC Cologne 1-1 VfB Stuttgart

Hertha Berlin 1-2 Kaiserslautern

Nurnberg 1-1 Hamburg SV

TSG Hoffenheim 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Werder Bremen 1-2 Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach

French Ligue 1
Montpellier moved into first place outright in the French Ligue 1 standings after a 1-0 triumph over Valenciennes.

Souleymane Camara scored the only goal of the game in the 5th minute as Valenciennes GK Nicolas Penneteau prevented an onslaught with five saves.

Lille gave their slim French Ligue 1 title hopes a boost with a 2-0 victory over Dijon.

Eden Hazard scored a goal and assisted on Rio Mavuba's opening strike in a game where three players saw dead red with Dijon's Abdoulaye Meite and Bennard Kumordzi and Lille's Idrissa Gana Gueye were ejected for bad fouls.

Jussie's brace and Cedric Carrasso's six saves lifted Bordeaux to a 2-1 victory over Marseille.

Fabián Monzón's 36th minute penalty helps Nice add another nail to former Ligue 1 champion Auxerre's Ligue 1 coffin in a 1-0 win.

Brest 0-1 Stade Rennes

Caen 1-4 St Etienne

Dijon FCO 0-2 Lille

Evian Thonon Gaillard 2-1 Toulouse

Montpellier 1-0 Valenciennes

Nice 1-0 AJ Auxerre

Bordeaux 2-1 Marseille

Dutch Eredivisie
Nacer Chadli's injury-time winner lifts Twente Enschede to a 1-0 win over Excelsior and kept Twente's UCL hopes alive.

Heerenveen 1-1 Vitesse Arnhem

De Graafschap 2-3 SC Heracles Almelo

RKC Waalwijk 0-2 FC Utrecht

Excelsior 0-1 Twente Enschede

Portuguese Liga
Benfica 4-1 Maritimo

Guimaraes 3-2 Uniao Leiria

FC Porto 3-0 Beira Mar

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 22, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Scottish Premier League
Motherwell 0-3 Celtic

Hibernian 0-1 Kilmarnock

Spanish La Liga
Valencia boosted their chances to keep third place with a 4-0 crippling over Real Betis.

Roberto Soldado led the charge for Los Che with a goal and assist.

Jonas, Sofiane Feghouli and Pablo Piatti were also on target for Unai Emery's men.

Athletic Bilbao keeps pushing for a UCL place with a 1-0 win over Racing Santander.

Gaizka Toquero scored the only goal of the game in the 12th minute as Los Leones puts Racing Santander on the brink of relegation.

Atletico Madrid is also chasing for a Top 4 spot after a 3-1 win over Espanyol.

Arda Turan bagged a second-half double and Diego Godín added a goal and assist for Atleti.

Granada boosted their chances for survival with a 1-0 win over Getafe thanks to Franco Jara's 18th minute goal.

Villarreal boosted their chances for survival with a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad.

Marcos Senna gave the Yellow Submarine a 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute before Carlos Vela denied Villarreal a win with four minutes to go.

Granada 1-0 Getafe

Real Sociedad 1-1 Villarreal

Racing Santander 0-1 Athletic Bilbao

Atlético Madrid 3-1 Espanyol

Valencia 4-0 Real Betis

Italian Serie A
Juventus opened up a three-point lead over AC Milan for the Serie A Scudetto.

Juve thrashed AS Roma 4-0 at Juventus Arena.

Arturo Vidal scored with both feet in the first eight minutes to give Juve a 2-0 lead.

Roma GK Maarten Stekelenburg was sent off in the 29th minute for a bad foul on Claudio Marchisio in the 29th minute. Backup GK Gianluca Curci saved Andrea Pirlo's penalty, but Pirlo scored on the rebound to give Antonio Conte's side a 3-0 lead.

Marchisio scored Juve's fourth goal in the 52nd minute to complete the rout.

Meanwhile, the Rossoneri had a 1-1 draw against Bologna at home.

Gaston Ramirez gave Bologna a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.

Bologna GK Federico Agliardi had four saves and Milan were down to 10 men after Daniele Bonera had two bookings with eight minutes to go.

But Zlatan Ibrahimovic saved the Rossoneri in stoppage time to keep Milan's Scudetto chances alive.

Milan shotstopper Christian Abbiati had five saves.

Lazio's chances to solidify third took a blow after a 1-1 draw against relegation threatened Lecce.

Francesco Matuzalem gave Lazio a 1-0 lead with eight minutes to go despite Lecce GK Massimiliano Benassi had six saves.

Valeri Bojinov denied Lazio a win in stoppage time to help Lecce steal a point.

Genoa's slump continues after a 4-1 vaporizing at home to Siena.

Franco Brienza's double and Mattia Destro's goal and assist led Siena's charge to the Top 10 and send Genoa closer to the drop zone.

Nicolàs Bertolo's goal and assist and Matías Auguste Silvestre equalizer helps Palermo put another nail in Cesena's Serie A coffin with a 2-2 draw.

Mario Santana and Vincenzo Rennella struck for the basement side Cesena.

And Inter Milan were held goalless against Fiorentina. La Viola came the closest to winning with a penalty in the 69th minute after Julio Cesar fouled Andrea Lazzari in the area.

But the Inter goalkeeper saved Adem Ljajic's spot kick.

Fiorentina 0-0 Internazionale

AC Milan 1-1 Bologna

Cesena 2-2 Palermo

Genoa 1-4 Siena

Lazio 1-1 Lecce

Juventus 4-0 AS Roma

German Bundesliga
Augsburg held Schalke 04 to a 1-1 draw to move four points clear of Cologne for 15th place.

Sebastian Langkamp gave Augsburg a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored his 25th goal of the season in the 35th minute to give Schalke a point and moved two points ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach for third.

Hannover 96 and SC Freiburg had a goalless stalemate.

FC Augsburg 1-1 Schalke 04

Hannover 96 0-0 SC Freiburg

French Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain kept pace with Montpellier for the Ligue 1 title with a 6-1 pulverizing over Sochaux.

Nene had two goals and assist while Javier Pastore and Thiago Motta added a goal and assist for Carlo Ancelotti's men.

PSG trail Montpellier by two points with five matches remaining.

Lyon edged Lorient 3-2.

Bafetimbi Gomis the hero off the bench for Lyon in the 84th minute.

AC Ajaccio 0-0 AS Nancy Lorraine

Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 Sochaux

Lyon 3-2 Lorient

Dutch Eredivisie
Ajax Amsterdam moved another step closer towards retaining their Dutch Eredivisie title after a 2-0 win over FC FC Groningen.

Derk Boerrigter and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson were on target for Frank de Boer's men as they move six points clear with three matches remaining.

AZ Alkmaar stay in second after a 2-1 victory over VVV Venlo thanks to goals from Brett Holman and Jozy Altidore.

PSV Eindhoven created a log jam for UCL spots after a 2-1 win over NEC Nijmegen.

Second-half strikes from Jetro Willems and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink trumped NEC's Navarone Foor's 7th minute opener.

Feyenoord Rotterdam edged ADO Den Haag 2-1 to move into a second-place tie with AZ.

Goals from Ruben Schaken and Guyon Fernandez were good enough for Ronald Koeman's side.

ADO Den Haag 1-2 Feyenoord Rotterdam

AZ Alkmaar 2-1 VVV Venlo

PSV Eindhoven 2-1 NEC Nijmegen

Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 FC Groningen

Portuguese Liga
Feirense 1-0 Vitoria Setubal

Gil Vicente 0-0 Rio Ave

CD Nacional de Madeira 2-3 Sporting Lisbon

Greek Super League
Olympiakos are the Greek Super League champions.

Aris Salonika 1-1 Kerkyra

Asteras Tripoli 2-0 Panionios

Atromitos 0-2 Olympiakos

Doxa Dramas 1-1 AEK Athens

FC Xanthi 4-2 Ergotelis

Levadiakos 4-3 PAOK Salonika

OFI Crete 0-2 Giannina

Panathinaikos 4-0 Panetolikos

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues FT Scores: April 22, 2012

From Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Spanish La Liga
Malaga moved three points clear of Levante for fourth after a 1-1 draw against Osasuna.

Juan Francisco Martínez gave the Pamplona side a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute before Santi Cazorla equalized in the 67th minute for Manuel Luis Pellegrini's side.

Osasuna 1-1 Malaga

Portuguese Liga
Académica de Coimbra 0-1 Olhanense

[BroadwayBomber55]

Glasgow Rangers FC owner banned for life by Scottish FA and SFA also place a 12-month transfer embargo on the club
http://www.skysports.com/video/inlin...698661,00.html

Rangers to appeal SFA decision
http://www1.skysports.com/football/n...r-quick-appeal

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

Second Leg Fixtures: April 24-25, 2012

From UEFA.com, Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

It's do-or-die time for both El Clasico rivals.

For Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi and defending and 4-time European Cup/UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona, if they want to keep their dreams of retaining the UEFA Champions League trophy like AC Milan did in 1989 and 1990, they need to beat Chelsea by two clear goals at home after losing the first leg by a goal in London just like they did against Arsenal in the Round of 16 clash last season.

As for Roberto di Matteo's men, they just need to avoid defeat or lose by a 1-goal scoreline with away goals chipped in like 2-1.

Meanwhile, 9-time winners Real Madrid head to the Santiago Bernabeu looking to advance to Munich to try to win their 10th European Cup. However, Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Los Blancos need to over this year's UCL final hosts and 4-time winners Bayern Munich. Like Barca, Real Madrid need to win their second leg by two clear-goals. Los Blancos can also win 1-0.

As for Arjen Robben, Mario Gomez, Franck Ribery and the Bavarians, they can either avoid defeat or lose by a 3-2 scoreline or greater by one goal to advance.

Will there be a El Clasico UEFA Champions League final? Stay tuned.

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012
2:45 ET Barcelona v Chelsea
First Leg FT Result: Chelsea 1-0 Barcelona

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012
2:45 ET Real Madrid v Bayern Munich
First Leg FT Result: Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Knockout Stage

Semifinals

Second Leg Team News: April 24, 2012

From UEFA.com, Sky Sports and ESPN Soccernet

Barcelona v. Chelsea (Agg. 0-1), Camp Nou, Barcelona
Chris Murphy: TEAM NEWS:

Barcelona: Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Mascherano, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Cuenca, Messi, Sanchez, Fabregas. Subs: Pinto, Dani Alves, Thiago, Keita, Pedro, Adriano, Tello.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Meireles, Mata, Lampard, Ramires, Drogba. Subs: Turnbull, Essien, Torres, Malouda, Bosingwa, Kalou, Sturridge.

[BroadwayBomber55]

First Substitution: Chelsea

In: Jose Bosingwa
Out: Gary Cahill

Cahill pulled a muscle in the wet Barca turf after Alexis Sanchez burned him.

Gutted for the former Bolton Wanderers center half.