Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said that his team were made to rue for the missed chances during the opening half of the El Clasico. The Blaugrana had the chance to register a sixth win from seven matches at the Bernabeu but that was not the case with Real Madrid scoring two goals during the second half of the contest.
Speaking after the game, Pique was frustrated with the team’s efforts during the first half and stated that it was the worst Los Blancos side he had played against, he told: “The Madrid side that we faced in the first half was the worst I have played against. They improved after the break and won the game. But we created chances to score in the first half, and if we had scored we could have taken the advantage.” Continue reading Pique rues missed chances in Barcelona’s El Clasico defeat to Real→
Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has said that Lautaro Martinez has plenty of room for improvement amid the recent transfer speculation. The Argentina international has made a sublime beginning to the campaign with seven goals from 13 appearances and he has been lauded for his impressive partnership with Romelu Lukaku upfront.
As a result, he has already been tipped for a bigger challenge with the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United interested but Conte believes the marksman needs to continue working hard and become more selfish in front of goal, he told: “We look to the present to build the future. He is working well and has made good progress. Continue reading Antonio Conte says Lautaro Martinez has plenty of room for improvement→
Former Manchester City star Micah Richards believes Sergio Aguero will miss out on the Premier League Golden Boot this term due to the rotation made by Citizens boss Pep Guardiola. The Argentina international is currently the league’s top scorers with eight goals this term but there have already been a couple of instances where he has started off the bench.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Richards said that Mohamed Salah has a good chance of winning the individual accolade, given he is greedy in front of goal and starts regularly for Liverpool. He added that Aguero is probably the best striker in the Premier League but he may lose out on the award due to Guardiola’s tendency to rotate him with Gabriel Jesus on some occasions. Continue reading Micah Richards believes Sergio Aguero will miss out on the Golden Boot→
Argentina international Lionel Messi has said that he has no regrets after failing to win the Champions League title with Barcelona last season and the Spanish giants will go again in the quest for the European crown. Messi was the standout performer for the Blaugrana last term with more than 50 goals across all competitions, but the club were slightly disappointing on their season objectives as they only managed to win the La Liga title.
Speaking before the Juan Gamper trophy clash against Arsenal, Messi said: “It’s hard to say something after last season, but I don’t regret anything. But I have no doubt that together we are going to fight again for everything. We won eight League titles in 11 years. We do not give it the value it deserves but over the years we will see how difficult it was. This club fights for everything and this year will be no different. We have renewed dreams. Visca Barca and Visca Catalunya!” Continue reading Lionel Messi has no regrets over Champions League failure last season→
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has said that he is confident of the team’s progress to the semi-final stage of the Copa America. The South American nation only scrapped through to the knockout stages after a 2-0 triumph over Qatar in the final group game but Scaloni believes the players will carry some confidence from that result.
Speaking to reporters, he said that the win over Qatar has provided the team with an emotional boost and he is confident that the players can rise up to the challenge presented by Venezuela at the quarter-final phase, he told: “We think we’re good because we came from a win that gave us a significant emotional boost. It’s going to be a difficult game, but we are confident.” Continue reading Lionel Scaloni confident that Argentina can progress against Venezuela→
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that Barcelona are favourites to secure the Champions League title this term as they possess the mesmerising talents of Lionel Messi in their ranks. The Argentina international has another fine season with the Blaugrana where he has contributed 46 goals and 16 assists, and the club head into the semi-final stage of the Champions League as the favourites to win the elite competition.
Speaking to Goal.com, Pochettino indicated that there are generally no favourites to win the competition after witnessing the surprise results at the quarter-final stage. However, he added that the Blaugrana hold the advantage over the rest due to the presence of Messi, he said: “For me there is no favourite if we see what happened in the quarters. But personally, the favourite is the one that has Lionel Messi, and that one is Barca. If it were not like that, there would be 25 per cent chance for each semi-finalist.” Continue reading Pochettino says Barca are favourites for the Champions League title→
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has said that there is no point of resting Lionel Messi ahead of the forthcoming congested schedule for the club. The Catalan giants are set to face Villarreal on the road on Tuesday night and thereafter, they have matches against Atletico Madrid and Manchester United in La Liga and Champions League respectively.
Due to this, there have been suggestions that Messi could be offered a rest for the Villarreal game to keep himself fresh for the forthcoming challenges but Valverde does not believe the same would be worthwhile at the moment. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Valverde said that the upcoming away trip to Villarreal remains of great importance for the club, given a defeat could offer Atletico with the hope of re-entering the title race. Continue reading Ernesto Valverde sees no point in resting Lionel Messi→
Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria has said that he is determined to win something with Argentina after returning to the national team fold. The winger had been ignored by manager Lionel Scaloni following the 2018 World Cup but he has made his comeback to the squad alongside several players including Lionel Messi.
Speaking to Libero, Di Maria admitted that he has always wanted to ply his trade for the national side and he is prepared to give his best for the team. He added to express his desire to win silverware with the South American nation with the Copa America scheduled for the summer, he said: “I always wanted to be (in the Argentina team), I always wanted to stay with the group. Now I have the chance and I want to fight back, to fight and to do my best. Hopefully I get the opportunity to win something once and for all with the Argentina national team. Continue reading Angel di Maria keen to win a trophy with Argentina→
According to reports making the rounds, Moroccan football governing body the Royal Moroccan Football Federation ( FRMF ) has allegedly proposed to pay the Argentine Football Association £850,000 for an Argentina-Morocco friendly, if and only if Lionel Messi plays. The Atlas lions of Morocco n will face off with Argentina in a friendly match on March 26 at Tangier’s grand stadium.
According to Moroccan daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, if Messi doesn’t play in the match Morocco will allegedly pay the Argentine Football Association only £465,000.going by current happenings Messi has not played international football since Argentina were knocked out of the World Cup by France last June, is unlikely to feature in the tie. Argentina head coach has not yet confirmed his squad but the hope in Buenos Aires is that Messi will play against the Venezuela in Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Continue reading ARGENTINA HAVE A LOT TO LOSE IF MESSI DOESNOT PLAY AGAINST MOROCCO→
Chelsea assistant Gianfranco Zola believes Gonzalo Higuain can become an instant hint with the Blues despite arriving at the midway stage of the season. The Argentine completed his much-awaited loan move from Juventus on Wednesday but he could not feature in the League Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham Hotspur after he was registered following the cut-off time.
However, Higuain remains in line to make his debut during the FA Cup fourth round tie against Sheffield Wednesday this weekend and Zola believes the Argentine should hit the ground running from the off, he said: “There are players who need to be rested and it could be an opportunity. We’re talking about a player who has scored not only in Italy but everywhere, also in the Champions League. Continue reading Gianfranco Zola backs Gonzalo Higuain to become an instant hint with Chelsea→
