Lionel Messi insists Barcelona are staying grounded despite their fine form
Lionel Messi insists Barcelona are staying cautious ahead of the Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Barcelona progressed to the quarter-final of the Champions League with a 3-1 aggregate win over Manchester City on Wednesday, and could go four points clear of Real Madrid with a Clasico win on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled with performances since Christmas
But Messi, who has scored 20 goals in 18 games since the turn of the year, says the club are not getting carried away.
"We are playing well but we cannot get carried away because there is a long way to go," Messi said.
"We have some big games... first against Madrid and then there are the quarter-finals (of the Champions League) where we will face another tough team."
Barcelona vs R Madrid
March 22, 2015
Real Madrid looked in fine form before the Spanish winter break, but have struggled for consistent form since. Nevertheless, Messi admits they are facing a wounded animal at the Nou Camp on Sunday evening.
"I have a lot of respect for Madrid," Messi added. "When Madrid are in this situation it is when they are most dangerous."
"They have great players. We will go out to play our football and look to win but at the same time we need to be wary of them as much as ever."
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville pick their starting XI's for the Super Sunday clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.
Gary Neville says Liverpool are the favourites against Manchester United, but a win for the visitors would be a more defining result.
With just two points between them, the two rivals face off at Anfield on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 from 1pm, eager to get a result to keep their top-four push alive.
Sky Sports pundit Neville played for Manchester United against Liverpool on several occasions during his career, and he knows there will be key match-ups all over the pitch in Sunday’s encounter.
The former full-back spoke to Sky Sports News HQ about this historic fixture…
Gives us a sense of what these games are like…
Neville in action against Liverpool in 1997
It’s always a great fixture. For United, away at Anfield is always special. You don’t get any time on the ball, you definitely feel a different level of anxiety going into the game about what could go well and what could not go well. It’s fast and it’s furious and in a game like Sunday where there’s a lot on it, it makes it even better.
Is this a defining game for both teams?
Sunday’s game now, with the way that it’s set up, I wouldn’t say is a game that defines who is going to finish in the top four, but it will certainly give the team who comes out better from the game a massive boost in confidence.
Liverpool vs Man Utd
March 22, 2015
We always want to say that whoever goes on to win this will do this and that but it’s too far out. Liverpool have still got to play Chelsea and Arsenal, United have got to play City and Chelsea. So you could win the game on Sunday and still be in a position where if you lose all the other games you’re still in trouble.
So while I think it’s a big game, United winning is bigger because a five-point lead is a big gap. If Liverpool win it puts them in a great frame of mind but I still think there’s too long to go. A draw sets it up for the rest of the season. I think United would be content with a draw but I don’t think a draw is the worst result for Liverpool either.
Who goes into this game as the favourite?
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville pick their starting XI's for the Super Sunday clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.
You’d have to make Liverpool the favourites. I know United played well last week but at Anfield and with their fantastic run of form, you’d have to make them favourites. United will have to go there on Sunday and withstand immense pressure, particularly early on in the game. Liverpool have got fantastic energy in that front six and I think are better at United than that. But United have got matchwinners in their team and I think the game is set up well.
Was the 3-0 win over Tottenham a turning point for United?
Wayne Rooney scored in the win over Spurs
You’d hope so if you were a United fan but I think that was a complete bolt out of the blue. The speed of the game was higher than it’s been all season, the directness and the intent to play forward – everything just seemed to be up a gear. It hadn’t been like that in the past few weeks so for it to come like that in a moment when they’d just lost to Arsenal was a massive boost for everyone at United.
But I don’t think you can play as you did at home to Tottenham and then go to Anfield and play the same way. That would be a big mistake, in my opinion. In a perfect world you’d love to go to Anfield, start positively and go a goal up, but how many times has that happened? How many times have United done it? They are few and far between. It would be naive.
United will need to change the way they play. I always felt it was the tightest ground along with The Dell to play at. The crowd were on top of you, the players you were playing against felt on top of you, so you had to be quick in your play and your touch had to be good. You had to know where your next pass was and if you didn’t have that sorted you were going to be in trouble.
How do you think Louis van Gaal and Brendan Rodgers are handling the pressure?
Rodgers and Van Gaal both deserve credit for their sides' recent form, says Neville
I don’t think either manager is panicking. I think they’re both confident in the ability of their team and if they’re not then they’re hiding it well in the interviews they do. You never get the feeling that Louis van Gaal blinks. Brendan Rodgers has backed his team all the way through the season, even when the new signings weren’t fitting in and he’s done brilliantly to get them back in this race because I wondered whether they could play a part in it as they looked defensively weak. I’ve been impressed by Liverpool over these past few weeks and credit must go to Rodgers for what they’ve done.
I think Van Gaal deserves credit too because United haven’t been at their best. At times, they’ve been criticised for their style of play and the speed of their style of play but the fact they’ve recorded over 20 matches and have only lost a few of them is unbelievable.
Where are the key battles on Sunday?
Marouane Fellaini could be key in the midfield battle
The most fascinating thing for me will be the first 15 or 20 minutes when Van Gaal asks the centre-backs to split and for Michael Carrick to go and get the ball. Liverpool will be pressing high and the crowd will be up. Can United get out, will they get dispossessed? I always felt the first 20 minutes was defining at Anfield. You have to get through it.
Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen will be interesting in midfield. How will they play against Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini if they play? How will United cut off those little pockets for the passes into Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho? There are so many things happening during this match for Liverpool and United to contend with.
The biggest thing will be that United will get put under immense pressure in the first 20 minutes and they like to play with a controlled tempo out from the back with the defence splitting. I’m not quite convinced by that as a strategy for winning at Anfield because it’s never worked for United. We couldn’t do it when we were at the top of the league so to think that we’re going to do it on Sunday would be a bit of a mistake.
Jamie Carragher says he wouldn't include Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the starting line-up against Manchester United.
Harry Kane has scored more goals (26) than any other English striker this season
Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been named in the England squad for the first time for this month's European Qualifier against Lithuania and friendly with Italy.
The 21-year-old, who has scored more goals than any other English striker this season with 26 in all competitions, is the only uncapped player called up by manager Roy Hodgson in a 24-man group.
England manager Roy Hodgson says Harry Kane is ready to play for his country after a very good season for Tottenham.
Hodgson praised Kane for having scored 16 Premier League goals during his first full season in Tottenham's first-team, but insisted he is not necessarily assured of a first start for this country.
“I think the whole country has been excited by his rise. He’s been fantastic since he broke into the Spurs team and it would be more of a surprise if he’d not been selected," Hodgson told Sky Sports News HQ.
“He deserves his chance and I’m delighted to welcome him to the fold and help establish him. Like others he’s young and others have gone on to establish themselves, so hopefully he will too.
With England not having any teams left in the Champions League, Roy Hodgson says expectations at Premier League clubs might be too high.
“Gary Neville was recently on a training course with Mauricio Pochettino’s assistant and spoke to him, and I’ve worked with Harry myself when I took the U21s a year or so ago. We know him and what he can do on the field is clear for all to see.
“When you’re in the squad you are good enough to play and you understand the coach thinks you’re good enough too, but there’s competition. We’ve done well since the World Cup, with six straight wins, and those players have done well, so it’s not a case of him saying ‘I’m here so step aside’. They won’t want to.”
"Huge honour to be called up to the England squad! Very proud day for me and my family! Thank you all for the kind messages! #England"
@hkane28 - Harry Kane
Kane's fellow striker Daniel Sturridge also returns to the squad having missed the previous five internationals through injury, and is one of four Liverpool players along with Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson.
Hodgson said: "His form is getting better and better. It takes a while after an absence to get your faculties back but I watched the game on Monday night against Swansea and there were very good signs his sharpness is coming back."
Michael Carrick has also been picked despite not having played for England since October 2013 and there are also chances for youngsters Fabian Delph, Nathaniel Clyne and Andros Townsend.
Roy Hodgson says Joe Hart produced an outstanding display in Manchester City’s defeat to Barcelona.
Hodgson also explained why he had only selected two goalkeepers in the squad, with Stoke's Jack Butland put on standby.
"We regard Jack Butland as the goalkeeper in that position but the U21s have a game on Friday so we would prefer him, if nothing happens to the other two, to stay and play in that game.
"But he will be our third goalkeeper and come with us if something happens to them in training or in the game on Friday evening."
Full squad: Fraser Forster, Joe Hart; Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker; Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Fabian Delph, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Theo Walcott; Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck
James Milner reacts as City were dumped out of the Champions League by Barcelona
Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea all dropped out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage, leaving Everton to battle it out in Europe alone.
But will Premier League side's failures have an impact on the fourth Champions League spot? Here, we explain the murky world of coefficients...
Will the Premier League always get four Champions League places?
No. That coveted fourth place in the Premier League – occupied by Arsenal for three of the last four years – has been a privilege since the 2001/02 season.
For fairness, UEFA hand out Champions League places depending on how a particular country has performed in the last five years. At its height, the Premier League had eight Champions League finalists in eight seasons between 2005 and 2012, winning three. But events of the last two-and-a-half years have threatened to ruin all that hard work…
Why are people now saying the Premier League could soon lose a Champions League spot?
Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by PSG last Wednesday
English clubs' underwhelming record in Europe this season was highlighted yet again this week when Arsenal and Manchester City were both knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage, along with Chelsea the week before.
Liverpool went out at the group stage and were then knocked out of the Europa League round of 32 along with Tottenham, Hull failed to reach the group stages of the Europa League, and Everton are the only side left in Europe’s secondary competition.
Which countries get which places?
Currently, the top three ranked countries – Spain, England and Germany - are given four Champions League places, while the three countries below - currently Italy, Portugal and France - are given three.
The countries are ranked on a coefficient score, based on 'points' gained from performance in the Champions League and Europa League.
How is this coefficient score calculated?
Santi Cazorla of Arsenal looks dejected as Monaco players celebrate progressing
The coefficient is calculated by working out an average score for the country, which is gained by dividing the number of 'points' obtained by the total number of clubs representing a country (for example, England have seven clubs this season).
That resulting number is then added to the results of the previous four seasons to calculate the coefficient.
How do you gain 'points'?
Still with us? Good. Each team gets two points for a win and one point for a draw, though points are halved for matches in the qualifying and play-off rounds.
Clubs that reach the last 16, quarter-final, semi-final or final of the Champions League, or the quarter-final, semi-final or final of the Europa League, are awarded an extra point for each round.
In addition, four points are awarded for participation in the group stage of the Champions League and four points for qualifying for the last 16.
So how many points have we got this season?
Manchester United reached the 2011 Champions League final, losing out to Barcelona
Arsenal have gained 21.5 points, Chelsea 21, Man City 15, Everton 14, Liverpool 10, Tottenham 11 and Hull 2.5, meaning up to now England have scored 95 points. Dividing that by seven gets you 13.571, England’s current coefficient score for the season.
How does this compare to other countries this season?
England’s score of 13.571 is currently fourth-best; Spain have15.785, Germany 14.428 and Italy 15.
So where are England in the overall rankings when taking into account the past five seasons (including 2014/15)?
England are currently second in the overall coefficient ranking – the one that counts - with 80.391 points over the past five seasons. That's 18.357 (2010/11) + 15.250 (2011/12) + 16.428 (2012/13) + 16.785 (2013/14) + this year's 13.571.
Spain are top with 95.57, while Germany are just behind England with 77.986.
Could anybody overtake England this year?
It is virtually impossible for England’s closest challengers, Italy, to overtake this year. They are currently 14points behind England in the overall standings. To put that into context, in the whole of the 2013/14 season, Italy gained 14.166 points, while England gained 16.785.
However, with the 2010/11 season dropping off the coefficient list next season, the gap will narrow considerably. With Manchester United reaching the final in 2011, England gained 18.357 points to Italy’s 11.571, meaning Italy will gain just under seven points.
The most points scored in a single season in the past five years was Spain's 23 in 2013/14 when both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid reached the Champions League final, as well as Sevilla beating Benfica in the Europa League final.
So Italy are the biggest threat to the Premier League's fourth spot?
Everton are now the Premier League's only hope in Europe
Yes – and they still have six teams playing this season. Juventus are into the Champions League quarter-finals, while Torino, Roma, Fiorentina, Napoli and Inter Milan remain in the Europa League.
However, it would take a few years of rapid decline for Italy to overtake England in the coefficients.
What can Everton do to help the situation?
A Champions League or Europa League win usually gains a country around five points (depending on qualifying-round participation) towards that season’s overall coefficient, so an Everton victory come May would be extremely useful for England.
It’s not all about the Champions League teams being eliminated – Europa League is just as important for the coefficient.
Worst-case scenario: what’s the earliest the Premier League could realistically lose its fourth Champions League place?
To wildly predict the future, England’s fourth place will not be affected for the 2015/16 season, should be protected for the 2016/17 season, but may come under threat for the 2017/18 season - but only if Italian clubs consistently out-perform English clubs across both European competitions for the rest of this season and next season.
Manchester City need to make “changes” following their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona on Wednesday night, according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side lost the second leg of their last-16 tie 1-0 at the Nou Camp to exit Europe’s premier club competition 3-1 on aggregate.
And speaking after the match, the former Liverpool and England defender said the Premier League champions were in need of a major overhaul of their first-team squad come the summer.
“It has been a very good squad over the last four years, winning two titles and maybe coming second twice as well, but in the Premier League, not in Europe,” said Carragher.
“And I think it is now time for changes at City as I do not see them getting any better. They need to get some young players in with energy and pace.”
Manuel Pellegrini believes his Manchester City side put in a better second-half performance but ultimately Barcelona deserved to progress
However, fellow analyst Jamie Redknapp does not believe City’s defeat over two legs to Barca will have an impact on whether Pellegrini is still at the Etihad next season.
“I do not think this game will determine what will happen with Pellegrini at the end of the season,” he said.
Rather shock defeats in the Premier League and both domestic cup competitions are more likely to spell the end for the Chilean, according to the ex-Liverpool and England midfielder.
“Losing at home to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, at home to Newcastle in the Capital One Cup and at Burnley on Saturday, they are the results that will affect what will happen to Pellegrini,” Redknapp added.
“If you look at the game last year against Barcelona, they competed much better over the two legs. I think today there was a huge gulf in class and if the goalkeeper had not played as well as he did, it could have been three or four.”
Jamie Redknapp, Theirry Henry and Jamie Carragher analyse Joe Hart's performance at the Nou Camp
And like Carragher, Redknapp also feels City are in urgent need of yet more signings come the end of the campaign.
“It is not a band aid that will solve this, they need major surgery and three or four players to come in and give them an injection.
“Is Pellegrini the man to take the club forward? We talk about naivety in the first game playing 4-4-2 against Barcelona where they got outnumbered and punished, as you cannot play 4-4-2 against them.
“And that is where his legacy will stand, in the big games, and he has not won now in his last 16 games against Barcelona, which is just not good enough as a manager.”
Carlos Tevez celebrates scoring with his team-mates
Juventus beat Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition 5-1 on aggregate.
Carlos Tevez gave the visitors a dream start by scoring from distance after just three minutes, before fellow frontman Alvaro Morata doubled their advantage with 20 minutes to go.
And Tevez made sure of the result by scoring his second goal of the night after 79 minutes as Juve progressed to the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition for just the second time since 2006.
Carlos Tevez scored Juventus' first goal with an incredible long-range effort
The visitors took little time silencing a rocking Westfalenstadion as Tevez unleashed a fiercely struck drive from fully 30 yards out that flew past a startled Roman Weidenfeller in Dortmund’s goal for his sixth goal in just eight Champions League games this season.
However, while the Argentine’s strike was impressive, the goalkeeper will no doubt be disappointed to have been beaten from such a long range out, the first goal Weidenfeller had conceded at home in 216 minutes.
And that stunning strike appeared to knock the stuffing out of Dortmund, at least for the first half of the opening period, as Juve went in search of a second goal to kill off the home team’s resistance.
In fact, Swiss right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner very nearly provided it after 17 minutes with a 35-yard piledriver that forced a nervy looking Weidenfeller into a desperate save, but gradually Dortmund worked themselves into the encounter, helped by an untimely hamstring injury to Juventus playmaker Paul Pogba just before the half-hour mark.
Tevez celebrates with Arturo Vidal
Hard as they pressed in search of the two goals they needed to take the tie into extra time, Jurgen Klopp’s side just could not find a way past a well-marshalled and disciplined Juventus defence.
As the match headed into the second half and the clock continued to tick away, so Dortmund became more desperate, with spaces at the back beginning to appear with increasing regularity.
And Spain international Alvaro Morata should have killed the game as a contest when presented with two glorious chances in the space of five minutes early in the second half, only for Weidenfeller to deny the striker on both occasions with smart blocks in one-on-one situations.
But those two misses were not to prove costly to the Serie A champions as Morata put the tie out of sight after 70 minutes after Tevez broke clear of Dortmund’s malfunctioning back line, before the diminutive forward laid a goal on a plate for his strike partner.
Nine minutes later and Tevez inflicted yet more pain on Dortmund and their fans after fine approach from Argentine midfielder Roberto Pereyra, who slipped his compatriot through on goal before the 31-year-old made no mistake in netting his 23rd goal of the campaign to seal Juve’s place in the quarter-finals.
Everything but the goal. Lionel Messi’s mesmerising performance in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the Nou Camp to eliminate the Premier League title holders from the Champions League was one to remember, writes Adam Bate…
Pep Guardiola’s hands instinctively covered his face in shock as though he’d seen something he shouldn’t. Luis Enrique settled for pirouetting on the spot. James Milner was just dumped on his backside. Lionel Messi can do that to people.
“We’re in the presence of greatness here,” said Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler. “Scandalously good,” added Gary Neville. Jamie Carragher called it an “absolute privilege”, while Jamie Redknapp thought it was “embarrassing” what he’d just seen.
Much of it was delivered in the hushed tones more commonly associated with theatre than sport. And yet, that’s precisely how Messi can make this game look. Genius at play.
Lionel Messi nutmegged James Milner to the delight of Pep Guardiola
When Andres Iniesta spoke of making City “suffer” most observers were content to put it down to the nuances of translation, but there were times on Wednesday night when there seemed to be a cruel streak to his Argentine team-mate. This was death by nutmeg. A matador using the ball as his red rag.
Only Sergio Aguero, a man who has seen the little magician up close since their adolescence, seemed at peace with what he was witnessing. David Silva raged against the Messi machine and Yaya Toure bemoaned his luck.
Lionel Messi completed 11 dribbles against Manchester City on the night
As for Samir Nasri, his petulant kick out at Neymar was the act of a man frustrated by his own impotence in comparison to the maestro. It was as if the man behind the Blackpool Tower had been taken to Paris to see Mr Eiffel’s work and he’d not taken it well.
Lofted pass
The scoreline seemed merely incidental against this backdrop, but the great man did deign to interject in this regard shortly after the half-hour mark, carrying the ball forwards and delivering a lofted pass into the path of Ivan Rakitic for his team-mate to open – and conclude - the scoring.
“He’s one of the best passers of the ball in the world,” said Carragher at half-time, appearing almost bemused by the fact that players as good as Andrea Pirlo, Xavi and Paul Scholes can construct a career out of something that Messi indulges in as a mere hobby.
Lionel Messi was just too good for Manchester City's big names
Another ludicrous ball to Jordi Alba that seemed to anticipate which foot the player’s marker Jesus Navas had placed his weight on let alone the City man’s position, offered the chance for Barca to double the lead. It wasn’t the first or last chance that the home team spurned.
Messi was as guilty as anyone, Joe Hart seemingly relishing his private battle. As a result of the England No 1’s efforts, by the time City’s players trudged from the pitch they would have been forgiven for feeling a modicum of relief as well as disappointment. A hiding had been dodged.
Barcelona vs R Madrid
March 22, 2015
The statistics were almost as startling as the spectacle. Most passes? Messi. Most chances created? Messi. Most shots? Messi. Most dribbles? Messi, breaking his own 2014/15 knockout stage record of 10 – notched up in the first leg - with 11 of them in front of his adoring supporters.
All that was missing was the goal. Messi has scored 20 of those already in 2015. Manchester City as a team have managed only 21. And so the visitors were spared the final indignation of an ‘equalising’ goal. The rest of us got to enjoy a performance to remember.
