The fortunes of Glasgow Rangers have taken a terrible tumble since the start of May. Three months ago, the Ibrox side were eyeing a historic quadruple, but in the end settled for only two trophies- the Scottish FA and League Cups. Unable to capture the UEFA Cup, and with the reputation of their supporters sullied by ugly behavior in Manchester during the match, Rangers also saw the Scottish Premier League title slip away to crosstown rivals Celtic on the final day of the season. That loss meant Rangers had to face two rounds of Champions League qualifying, rather than enjoy direct passage to the group stages.
Shockingly, Rangers couldn't even pass the first hurdle as they fell 2-1 today to Lithuanian champs FBK Kaunas to lose on aggregate by the same score. The defensive mindset that worked so well for Walter Smith's men in last season's UEFA Cup run was in play again as Rangers protected a 1-0 lead. Even tied 1-1 late, Rangers were still headed through on away goals. But a shocking tally by Linas Pilibaitis (you know him, right?) three minutes from time sent the hosts on to round three.
The loss carries disastrous consequences for Rangers. Not only do they miss out on the lucrative Champions League, but by losing in round two, they don't even get a consolation UEFA Cup berth. That means no European football in 2008-09 for one of Scotland's top two sides, and the resulting lack of financial gain could tip the balance even further to Celtic. However, a full schedule of games down the stretch was one of the reasons Rangers coughed up last year's domestic league title. Now, with no obligations outside of Scotland this season, Rangers may benefit from increased rest and focus.
Showing posts with label Glasgow Rangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glasgow Rangers. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Champions League: Round Two Qualifying
The second round of Champions League qualifying starts Tuesday. Twenty-eight sides will be in action tomorrow and Wednesday, with the reverse fixtures to follow next week. Teams debuting at this stage include Turkish side Fenerbache, led by new coach Luis Aragones, and Scottish double cup winners Glasgow Rangers. On Friday the draw for the third-leg qualifying will be watched closely by the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus and Marseille, all of whom join the action at that stage beginning August 12th.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Scotland: Title Hat Trick for Celtic
Celtic captured the Scottish Premier League title today in a race that went down to the final 30 minutes. Even on points and trailing by four on goal differential, Rangers needed to better the result of their crosstown rivals. With Rangers visiting Aberdeen and Celtic at Dundee United, both matches were scoreless into the 60th minute.
Aberdeen struck first with a 63rd minute goal from Lee Miller. Nine minutes later, Celtic's Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink put the title away with his 20th goal of the season. Rangers Nacho Novo was sent off after Aberdeen had taken a 2-0 lead, adding a cruel ending to Rangers end-of-season tumble.
Celtic won their last seven to capture their third-straight SPL title, two of those wins coming against Rangers. Vennegoor of Hesselink's 90th minute goal on April 16 gave Celtic a 2-1 win against their Old Firm rivals, a goal that proved to be the turning point in the title race.
The strain of chasing the League, Scottish Cup and UEFA Cup proved to be too much for Rangers. They won only three of their last eight league games, dropping the UEFA Cup along the way. Their last chance to add a trophy to their League Cup comes in Saturday's Scottish Cup Final against Division One Queen of the South.
The league title earns Celtic a ticket to the group stages of next year's Champions League. Rangers will have to navigate the last two rounds of qualifying if they are to return there as well.
Aberdeen struck first with a 63rd minute goal from Lee Miller. Nine minutes later, Celtic's Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink put the title away with his 20th goal of the season. Rangers Nacho Novo was sent off after Aberdeen had taken a 2-0 lead, adding a cruel ending to Rangers end-of-season tumble.
Celtic won their last seven to capture their third-straight SPL title, two of those wins coming against Rangers. Vennegoor of Hesselink's 90th minute goal on April 16 gave Celtic a 2-1 win against their Old Firm rivals, a goal that proved to be the turning point in the title race.
The strain of chasing the League, Scottish Cup and UEFA Cup proved to be too much for Rangers. They won only three of their last eight league games, dropping the UEFA Cup along the way. Their last chance to add a trophy to their League Cup comes in Saturday's Scottish Cup Final against Division One Queen of the South.
The league title earns Celtic a ticket to the group stages of next year's Champions League. Rangers will have to navigate the last two rounds of qualifying if they are to return there as well.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Scotland: Down to the Final Day
The Old Firm will head to Thursday's final day of play tied atop the Scottish Premier League. Thanks to a 3-0 win over St. Mirren, Rangers drew level with Celtic at 86 points. Walter Smith went with an attacking lineup in the hopes of running up the score and cutting into Celtic's seven-goal lead in goal differential. Still up four after today's play, Celtic should be safe if the tiebreaker comes into play.
Both sides will be on the road Thursday; Celtic are away to Dundee and Rangers visit Aberdeen. Celtic have yet to surrender a goal to Dundee this year, winning two of their three meetings. Their most recent contest was a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park on March 12. Rangers won both home contests against Aberdeen, but their December 23 trip to Pittodrie Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw.
Both sides will be on the road Thursday; Celtic are away to Dundee and Rangers visit Aberdeen. Celtic have yet to surrender a goal to Dundee this year, winning two of their three meetings. Their most recent contest was a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park on March 12. Rangers won both home contests against Aberdeen, but their December 23 trip to Pittodrie Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Scotland: Advantage Celtic
Celtic took a major step towards defending their Scottish Premier League title today without setting foot on the pitch. Glasgow Rangers drew 1-1 at Motherwell, giving Celtic the opportunity to win the title in their final match. Rangers trail Celtic by three points, but have only one game at hand with two to play. If Celtic win their Thursday match away to fourth-placed Dundee United, they should capture the league on goal differential, assuming Rangers win their last two. Celtic currently lead their city rivals by seven in that department.
The strain of Rangers crowded fixture list seems to be catching up with them. Today's match was the third in a stretch of six matches in 15 days, and came three days after their devastating loss in the UEFA Cup Final. Christian Dailly's 29th minute tally put Rangers up at the half, but Chris Porter drew the sides level five minutes after the break.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
UEFA Cup Aftermath
It was probably too much to hope that the 100,000+ Glasgow Rangers fans in Manchester for yesterday's UEFA Cup Final would behave themselves, especially after their squad lost 2-0 to Zenit St. Petersburg. However, the real trouble was sparked not by the defeat, but by a video screen at one of the public viewing parties that failed to work.
The Daily Mail has all the details, pictures, even a security camera video. You'll see that local police dogs had more bite than the Rangers offense.
The Daily Mail has all the details, pictures, even a security camera video. You'll see that local police dogs had more bite than the Rangers offense.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
UEFA Cup Final Live Blog
This afternoon I'll be taking a first crack at live blogging during the UEFA Cup Final between Glasgow Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg. An estimated 120,000 Rangers fans have descended on Manchester, so the atmosphere inside the City of Manchester Stadium will no doubt be electric. Enjoy.
Final: 2-0 to Zenit. A well-deserved victory for the Russians, as they were the more attractive side on the evening. Rangers defended bravely, but it was clear that one goal was going to be enough for Zenit. It's the first European title for Zenit St. Petersburg. There will be a lot of sad fans in Manchester; hopefully they'll make a peaceful return to Glasgow.
93rd minute: Ball game. The Rangers defense breaks down and Zyrianov slots home on the final play of the game for a 2-0 Zenit St. Petersburg win.
90th minute: Brief moment of possession in the box for Darcheville, but he fails to get off a decent attempt. Moments later the ball lands on Novo's foot 15 yards out, but he severely overhits what may be Rangers' last chance.
88th minute: Zenit continuing to dominate possession late and with all the offensive subs Rangers have brought on, their defense looks less composed, surrendering another corner.
87th minute: Last Rangers sub is Boyd coming on for Whiattaker. It's go for broke time for Rangers.
80th minute: Rangers second sub is McCulloch coming on for Hemdani. Rangers have shown nothing since the goal and an equalizer is looking like a long shot.
77th minute: Offense for defense as Nacho Novo comes on for Papac for Rangers. Just before the sub, Zurianov missed a chance to put the game away, firing off the left post.
76th minute: Rangers will have to push forward in the final 15 minutes, and that may lead to counter opportunities for Zenit. The crowd in Manchester are understandably quiet at this stage, save for a few faint cheers from the Zenit fans.
72nd minute: Zenit finally break the Rangers defense on a fabulous give and go from Denisov to Arshavin and then back to Denisov, who cooly slots it home for a 1-0 lead for Zenit St. Petersburg.
63rd minute: Alexander comes way out of net to play a long clearing pass, and Arshavin moves right around him to break in on goal. Two Rangers defenders recover and Papac heads clear Arshavin's shot which, had it come sooner, probably would have been a goal.
62nd minute: Consecutive corners for Zenit (they lead in corners 6-1), but both times the well-organized Rangers defense hold their ground.
54th minute: Wild scramble in the Zenit box, as both Darcheville and Ferguson are denied from in close, and then Zenit get away with an obvious hand ball. Zenit eventually clear off the post and Rangers first corner is harmless. Nice to see the Scots offense finally coming to life.
50th minute: More of the same to start the second half; possession but without any real threats from Zenit, although the Russians do seem to be picking up the pace.
Half: We head to the half. Typical Rangers game; stingy defense with only a couple counter opportunities. Zenit will need to be more creative offensively in the second half, but definitely seem more likely to break the deadlock.
45th minute: Rangers get away with a hand ball, as Arshavin's cross hits Broadfoot in the hand. Instead, it results in the fourth corner for Zenit, which again fails to produce a quality scoring opportunity.
44th minute: First set piece from Rangers is a free kick from 20 yards out. Thomson's blast strikes the wall and is cleared by Zenit. The shots of the nervous Rangers fans prior to the kick indicate they don't expect too many more opportunities like this.
42nd minute: Rangers are doing a nice job cutting off the shooting lanes. Tekke looked like he had a great chance at the top of the box, but Rangers stopped him from teeing up a shot.
41st minute: While the crowd is extremely pro-Rangers, the pace of the game and Zenit's dominance in possession have definitely quieted the masses.
37th minute: A rare offensive challenge from Rangers leads to a cross to Whittaker, but his header is well over the bar.
36th minute: Zenit with another good free kick opportunity, just outside the box on the right. Curious cross from Arshavin fails to generate a quality chance.
32nd minute: As much as this game has been played in Rangers own end, Zenit have had few quality chances. This is Rangers style; frustrate the opponent and wait for the counter attack.
24th minute: Rangers Kevin Thomson has been whistled for two hard challenges. Neither earned a yellow, which would indicate the Swedish referee, the same official who manned the Liverpool-Arsenal Champions League quarterfinal second leg, will be letting a lot go tonight.
23rd minute: First shot on the bench of Rangers boss Walter Smith, who kinda looks like the dad from Frasier.
22nd minute: First corner for Zenit. They play the short ball and Rangers are able to clear.
19th minute: Depending on who you ask, possession right now is 50-50 (Soccernet) or 63-47 to Zenit (FSC). I'd say the FSC stat is more accurate.
17th minute: More pressure from Zenit and a nice cross finds the head of Faitzulin, but sails over the bar.
14th minute: The broadcasters are discussing Rangers' quest for the quadruple, including their upcoming Scottish Cup Final against Queen of the South, which sounds like it should be a riverboat on the Mississippi.
12th minute: Zenit have the first set piece opportunity, but Sirl's effort from about 40 yards out is harmless.
7th minute: First offensive pressure from Rangers results in a nice run by Darcheville, but his cross for Ferguson is broken up by the recovering Zenit defense.
4th minute: Terrible giveaway from Rangers captain Barry Ferguson leads to a breakaway for Arshavin, but his strike is off the side netting.
2nd minute: Zenit dominating the early possession; an offsides negates a long ball opportunity.
Pre-Kick: Starting line-up for Rangers includes Neil Alexander in goal, Broadfoot, Weir, Cuellar, Papac and Whittaker on defense, Hemdani, Davis, Thomson and Ferguson in the midfield and Darcheville as the lone striker. Unfortunately, this means my favorite Rangers player, Nacho Novo, is on the bench.
Starters for Zenit are Malafeev in goal, Krizanac and Aniukov along the back, Sirl, Shirokov, Zyryanov, Faitzulin, Denisov and Tymoschuk in the middle, and Tekke and Arshavin up front.
Rangers are in their traditional all blue and Zenit in all white as we get started.
Final: 2-0 to Zenit. A well-deserved victory for the Russians, as they were the more attractive side on the evening. Rangers defended bravely, but it was clear that one goal was going to be enough for Zenit. It's the first European title for Zenit St. Petersburg. There will be a lot of sad fans in Manchester; hopefully they'll make a peaceful return to Glasgow.
93rd minute: Ball game. The Rangers defense breaks down and Zyrianov slots home on the final play of the game for a 2-0 Zenit St. Petersburg win.
90th minute: Brief moment of possession in the box for Darcheville, but he fails to get off a decent attempt. Moments later the ball lands on Novo's foot 15 yards out, but he severely overhits what may be Rangers' last chance.
88th minute: Zenit continuing to dominate possession late and with all the offensive subs Rangers have brought on, their defense looks less composed, surrendering another corner.
87th minute: Last Rangers sub is Boyd coming on for Whiattaker. It's go for broke time for Rangers.
80th minute: Rangers second sub is McCulloch coming on for Hemdani. Rangers have shown nothing since the goal and an equalizer is looking like a long shot.
77th minute: Offense for defense as Nacho Novo comes on for Papac for Rangers. Just before the sub, Zurianov missed a chance to put the game away, firing off the left post.
76th minute: Rangers will have to push forward in the final 15 minutes, and that may lead to counter opportunities for Zenit. The crowd in Manchester are understandably quiet at this stage, save for a few faint cheers from the Zenit fans.
72nd minute: Zenit finally break the Rangers defense on a fabulous give and go from Denisov to Arshavin and then back to Denisov, who cooly slots it home for a 1-0 lead for Zenit St. Petersburg.
63rd minute: Alexander comes way out of net to play a long clearing pass, and Arshavin moves right around him to break in on goal. Two Rangers defenders recover and Papac heads clear Arshavin's shot which, had it come sooner, probably would have been a goal.
62nd minute: Consecutive corners for Zenit (they lead in corners 6-1), but both times the well-organized Rangers defense hold their ground.
54th minute: Wild scramble in the Zenit box, as both Darcheville and Ferguson are denied from in close, and then Zenit get away with an obvious hand ball. Zenit eventually clear off the post and Rangers first corner is harmless. Nice to see the Scots offense finally coming to life.
50th minute: More of the same to start the second half; possession but without any real threats from Zenit, although the Russians do seem to be picking up the pace.
Half: We head to the half. Typical Rangers game; stingy defense with only a couple counter opportunities. Zenit will need to be more creative offensively in the second half, but definitely seem more likely to break the deadlock.
45th minute: Rangers get away with a hand ball, as Arshavin's cross hits Broadfoot in the hand. Instead, it results in the fourth corner for Zenit, which again fails to produce a quality scoring opportunity.
44th minute: First set piece from Rangers is a free kick from 20 yards out. Thomson's blast strikes the wall and is cleared by Zenit. The shots of the nervous Rangers fans prior to the kick indicate they don't expect too many more opportunities like this.
42nd minute: Rangers are doing a nice job cutting off the shooting lanes. Tekke looked like he had a great chance at the top of the box, but Rangers stopped him from teeing up a shot.
41st minute: While the crowd is extremely pro-Rangers, the pace of the game and Zenit's dominance in possession have definitely quieted the masses.
37th minute: A rare offensive challenge from Rangers leads to a cross to Whittaker, but his header is well over the bar.
36th minute: Zenit with another good free kick opportunity, just outside the box on the right. Curious cross from Arshavin fails to generate a quality chance.
32nd minute: As much as this game has been played in Rangers own end, Zenit have had few quality chances. This is Rangers style; frustrate the opponent and wait for the counter attack.
24th minute: Rangers Kevin Thomson has been whistled for two hard challenges. Neither earned a yellow, which would indicate the Swedish referee, the same official who manned the Liverpool-Arsenal Champions League quarterfinal second leg, will be letting a lot go tonight.
23rd minute: First shot on the bench of Rangers boss Walter Smith, who kinda looks like the dad from Frasier.
22nd minute: First corner for Zenit. They play the short ball and Rangers are able to clear.
19th minute: Depending on who you ask, possession right now is 50-50 (Soccernet) or 63-47 to Zenit (FSC). I'd say the FSC stat is more accurate.
17th minute: More pressure from Zenit and a nice cross finds the head of Faitzulin, but sails over the bar.
14th minute: The broadcasters are discussing Rangers' quest for the quadruple, including their upcoming Scottish Cup Final against Queen of the South, which sounds like it should be a riverboat on the Mississippi.
12th minute: Zenit have the first set piece opportunity, but Sirl's effort from about 40 yards out is harmless.
7th minute: First offensive pressure from Rangers results in a nice run by Darcheville, but his cross for Ferguson is broken up by the recovering Zenit defense.
4th minute: Terrible giveaway from Rangers captain Barry Ferguson leads to a breakaway for Arshavin, but his strike is off the side netting.
2nd minute: Zenit dominating the early possession; an offsides negates a long ball opportunity.
Pre-Kick: Starting line-up for Rangers includes Neil Alexander in goal, Broadfoot, Weir, Cuellar, Papac and Whittaker on defense, Hemdani, Davis, Thomson and Ferguson in the midfield and Darcheville as the lone striker. Unfortunately, this means my favorite Rangers player, Nacho Novo, is on the bench.
Starters for Zenit are Malafeev in goal, Krizanac and Aniukov along the back, Sirl, Shirokov, Zyryanov, Faitzulin, Denisov and Tymoschuk in the middle, and Tekke and Arshavin up front.
Rangers are in their traditional all blue and Zenit in all white as we get started.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
UEFA CUP Recap
It will be Zenit St. Petersburg against Glasgow Rangers on May 14 for the UEFA Cup in Macnchester after both squads advanced through Thursday's semifinal second leg. Zenit dispatched Bayern Munich with ruthless efficency, winning 4-0 at home to take teh semifinal 5-1 on aggergate. Pavel Pogrebniak opened the scoring with the first of his two goals in the 5th minute as Zenit advanced to their first ever European final.
The fact that Bayern lost came as no surpise; they had not been at their best in their last three UEFA Cup ties and needed a miracle to get past Getafe in the quarters. Still, the depth of the loss was shocking to see from the soon-to-be Bundesliga champs.
There were far fewer goals in the Rangers-Fiorentina tie. The teams remained scoreless after 210 minutes and settled matters in a shootout, which Rangers won 4-2. Fiorentina dominated the match, outshooting the visitors 28-7, and later accused their conquerors of playing less than attractive football to force a goalless draw. For Glasgow, dreams of a quadruple remain very much alive but it will be a busy month of may for the squad. They still have six league matches left, as well as the Scottish Cup Final of May 24. Rangers will be boosted by a huge crowd advantage at City of Manchester Stadium when they face Zenit for the UEFA Cup.
The fact that Bayern lost came as no surpise; they had not been at their best in their last three UEFA Cup ties and needed a miracle to get past Getafe in the quarters. Still, the depth of the loss was shocking to see from the soon-to-be Bundesliga champs.
There were far fewer goals in the Rangers-Fiorentina tie. The teams remained scoreless after 210 minutes and settled matters in a shootout, which Rangers won 4-2. Fiorentina dominated the match, outshooting the visitors 28-7, and later accused their conquerors of playing less than attractive football to force a goalless draw. For Glasgow, dreams of a quadruple remain very much alive but it will be a busy month of may for the squad. They still have six league matches left, as well as the Scottish Cup Final of May 24. Rangers will be boosted by a huge crowd advantage at City of Manchester Stadium when they face Zenit for the UEFA Cup.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday Euro Roundup
It was a fairly uneventful Sunday across Europe- Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all won easily today to put themselves in position to wrap up league titles next week. Lyon, which drew yesterday with Caen, can also join the party next week with their seventh-straight French Ligue 1 title.
The issue remains in doubt in Scotland, however, as Celtic rallied past Rangers at Celtic Park, 3-2, to post a secpnd home victory in 12 days over their crosstown rival. Normally Celtic's five-point lead in late April would be cause for celebration, but Rangers are in the unusual position of having three games in hand, so retain the advantage.
A cracking affair with European implications saw Everton draw 2-2 with Aston Villa in a match that saw three goals in the final 10 minutes. Aston Villa twice battled back from a goal down to remain three points behind Everton for fifth in the Premier League, a spot that carries with it a UEFA Cup berth. The draw also meant Liverpool officially clinched fourth and a spot in the Champions League for next year.
The issue remains in doubt in Scotland, however, as Celtic rallied past Rangers at Celtic Park, 3-2, to post a secpnd home victory in 12 days over their crosstown rival. Normally Celtic's five-point lead in late April would be cause for celebration, but Rangers are in the unusual position of having three games in hand, so retain the advantage.
A cracking affair with European implications saw Everton draw 2-2 with Aston Villa in a match that saw three goals in the final 10 minutes. Aston Villa twice battled back from a goal down to remain three points behind Everton for fifth in the Premier League, a spot that carries with it a UEFA Cup berth. The draw also meant Liverpool officially clinched fourth and a spot in the Champions League for next year.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
UEFA CUP Recap
Today's UEFA Cup semifinals followed a similar form to the Champions League semis- a 1-1 draw, a 0-0 draw, and a devestating own goal that shocked the home fans.
The own goal came in Munich, where Zenit St. Petersburg were able to forge a 1-1 draw. Just as John Arne Riise did two days earlier, Ferreira Lucio headed a cross into the back of his own net in the 62nd minute. That disaster wiped out Bayern's early advantage that came when Franck Ribery followed up on his own missed penalty kick to open the scoring in the 19th minute.
Munich has been down this road before- drawing 1-1 with Getafe at home in the first leg of the quarterfinals before pulling out a miraculous 3-3 draw on the road. The hero of that fixture, Luca Toni, missed today's game due to card accumulation, and his return will be vital to the Germans' chances next week.
In Glasgow, Rangers posted their seventh home shutout of their European season in a scoreless draw against Fiorentina, Rangers, who played without the suspended Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson, have been strong away from home this season and fancy their chances of getting a result in Italy and advancing to the final.
Oddly enough, we could see at Russian side playing the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester, while a team from Manchester heads to Russia for the Champions League final.
The own goal came in Munich, where Zenit St. Petersburg were able to forge a 1-1 draw. Just as John Arne Riise did two days earlier, Ferreira Lucio headed a cross into the back of his own net in the 62nd minute. That disaster wiped out Bayern's early advantage that came when Franck Ribery followed up on his own missed penalty kick to open the scoring in the 19th minute.
Munich has been down this road before- drawing 1-1 with Getafe at home in the first leg of the quarterfinals before pulling out a miraculous 3-3 draw on the road. The hero of that fixture, Luca Toni, missed today's game due to card accumulation, and his return will be vital to the Germans' chances next week.
In Glasgow, Rangers posted their seventh home shutout of their European season in a scoreless draw against Fiorentina, Rangers, who played without the suspended Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson, have been strong away from home this season and fancy their chances of getting a result in Italy and advancing to the final.
Oddly enough, we could see at Russian side playing the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester, while a team from Manchester heads to Russia for the Champions League final.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Glasgow Derby
Another great chapter today in one of Europe's fiercest rivalries- the Old Firm derby between Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers. Celtic grabbed a much needed 2-1 home win, with two of the goals coming from some of the greatest names in European soccer. Rangers drew level on a 55th minute goal from Nacho Novo, but Celtic netted a 90th minute winner courtesy of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.
The win breathes some life into Celtic's bid for a third-straight Scottish Premier League title, but Gordon Strachan's men will undoubtedly need another win when the teams meet again at Celtic Park on April 27. That match is sandwiched between Rangers' UEFA Cup semifinal fixtures against Fiorentina, a schedule that should provide Celtic an advantage. For now, Rangers maintain a one point lead over their rivals, but have two games at hand.
Elsewhere today, Valencia salvaged an otherwise disappointing campaign by capturing the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over Getafe.
The win breathes some life into Celtic's bid for a third-straight Scottish Premier League title, but Gordon Strachan's men will undoubtedly need another win when the teams meet again at Celtic Park on April 27. That match is sandwiched between Rangers' UEFA Cup semifinal fixtures against Fiorentina, a schedule that should provide Celtic an advantage. For now, Rangers maintain a one point lead over their rivals, but have two games at hand.
Elsewhere today, Valencia salvaged an otherwise disappointing campaign by capturing the Copa del Rey with a 3-1 win over Getafe.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Cup Craziness
It's time to start handing out the domestic cup hardware starting Wednesday as Spain's Copa del Rey final gets the cup final season into full swing. Spain is one of many countries where this year's cup competitions were full of surprises. Wednesday's final will see Getafe take on Valencia in Madrid. Valencia are in the midst of a miserable campaign. After finishing in the top four of La Liga in three of the last four seasons, including a title in 2004, Los Che have dropped to 16th and are fighting to avoid relegation. Getafe, currently in 12th, will look to shake off the disappointment of last week's UEFA Cup loss to Bayern Munich as they seek their first Copa Del Rey for the second straight year.
Saturday's German Cup final in Berlin will pit a pair of traditional powers, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Bayern will be seeking their record 14th German Cup and are in line for a Bundesliga, German Cup, UEFA Cup treble. Dortmund will be seeking their third German Cup and their first since 1989.
In other cup action:
Italy: The two-legged Coppa Italia semifinals kickoff Wednesday with Roma facing Serie B side Catania and Inter meeting Lazio. The final is May 24 in Rome.
England: Portsmouth and Cardiff City meet May 17 for the FA Cup, although the story of the tournament has been Barnsley, which knocked off Liverpool and Chelsea before falling to Cardiff in the semifinals.
Holland: Feyenoord will be at home to face Roda JC in the April 27 final.
Scotland: Division One side Queen of the South stunned Aberdeen 4-3 last Saturday to advance to their first Scottish Cup final. Queen of the South will face the winner of Sunday's semifinal between Glasgow Rangers (eyeing a European record eighth domestic treble) and St. Johnstone on May 24.
Saturday's German Cup final in Berlin will pit a pair of traditional powers, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Bayern will be seeking their record 14th German Cup and are in line for a Bundesliga, German Cup, UEFA Cup treble. Dortmund will be seeking their third German Cup and their first since 1989.
In other cup action:
Italy: The two-legged Coppa Italia semifinals kickoff Wednesday with Roma facing Serie B side Catania and Inter meeting Lazio. The final is May 24 in Rome.
England: Portsmouth and Cardiff City meet May 17 for the FA Cup, although the story of the tournament has been Barnsley, which knocked off Liverpool and Chelsea before falling to Cardiff in the semifinals.
Holland: Feyenoord will be at home to face Roda JC in the April 27 final.
Scotland: Division One side Queen of the South stunned Aberdeen 4-3 last Saturday to advance to their first Scottish Cup final. Queen of the South will face the winner of Sunday's semifinal between Glasgow Rangers (eyeing a European record eighth domestic treble) and St. Johnstone on May 24.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
UEFA Cup Final Four
While the UEFA Cup has slipped in stature over the past decade, this year's competition has produced some memorable fixtures, none greater than Bayern Munich's thrilling 3-3 draw at Getafe last week that sent the presumptive Bundesliga champs into the semifinals. Trailing the Spanish newcomers 2-1 on aggregate, Franck Ribery's 89th minute tally stunned the home crowd and sent the teams into extra time. Down a man for most of the match, Getafe scored twice in the first four minutes of extra time and appeared on their way to victory. But an opportunistic Luca Toni scored in the 115th and 120th minutes to put Bayern through on away goals after the teams finished 3-3 on aggregate.
Following a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2007, Bayern Munich have dropped only two league matches this season and remain the favorites to raise the trophy in Manchester, Their semifinal opponents will be defending Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg, currently a distant 11th in the league, but authors of an impressive 4-2 aggregate win in the quarters against Bayer Leverkusen.
On the opposite side, Glasgow Rangers, well on their way to the Scottish Premier League title, face Fiorentina, currently holding down fourth place in Serie A. Both advanced with impressive 2-0 road victories in the quarterfinals- Rangers away to Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina taking down Dutch champs PSV Eindhoven.
Bayern and Fiorentina are my picks to advance to the final.
Following a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2007, Bayern Munich have dropped only two league matches this season and remain the favorites to raise the trophy in Manchester, Their semifinal opponents will be defending Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg, currently a distant 11th in the league, but authors of an impressive 4-2 aggregate win in the quarters against Bayer Leverkusen.
On the opposite side, Glasgow Rangers, well on their way to the Scottish Premier League title, face Fiorentina, currently holding down fourth place in Serie A. Both advanced with impressive 2-0 road victories in the quarterfinals- Rangers away to Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina taking down Dutch champs PSV Eindhoven.
Bayern and Fiorentina are my picks to advance to the final.
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