Istanbul Basaksehir vs Besiktas Prediction & Match Preview

Istanbul Basaksehir vs Besiktas
Turkey – Super Lig
Date: Friday, 14 February 2020
Kick-off at 17:00 UK/ 18:00 CET
Venue: Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium (Istanbul).

Both teams are considered to be amongst the best in Turkey, and have surely done justice to their tags this season as well. However, Basaksehir have been the better between the two for last several seasons, and they do have the home advantage this Friday. Finally, consider the struggles of Besiktas in away games, and we have a winner in Istanbul.

Istanbul Basaksehir vs Besiktas Head-to-head (h2h)

• Basaksehir are on a ten-match scoring run against this opponent.
• 15 of the previous 19 match-ups had goals from both teams.
• Not a single away win has been posted in the past six years.
• Istanbul are on a three-game winning run at this venue.
• Nine of the former twelve encounters at this stadium had goals from both teams.

Istanbul Basaksehir vs Besiktas Prediction

Istanbul held the toppers of the table Sivasspor to a 1-1 draw the last match-day on the road. After their slow start to the season, Basaksehir are making a gradual climb to the pinnacle, where they believe they belong.

Besiktas meanwhile recorded a 3-0 victory at home against Gaziantep the prior game week. However, the former had the home advantage, and they had taken on a newly-promoted club. Likely, it cannot be considered as a win worthy of a celebration. They do have their form on the road to worry about, as of now. 

In fact, Besiktas had lost five of their past six away games, and this whole season, they have recorded a total of just four wins on the road – and, all these wins had come against teams from the bottom tier of the table. They were also winless in seven of their preceding eleven overall match-ups.

On the other hand, Basaksehir were unbeaten in 27 of their previous 30 overall fixtures, and were so in 15 of their prior 17 at home. Importantly, they are on a three-match winning run in h2h clashes at home, and have lost only once at this venue against this opponent in the prior 12 years.

Likely, expect a victory for the hosts Istanbul Basaksehir. However, Basaksehir had failed to keep a clean sheet in 12 of their last 14 overall fixtures, and in 18 of their prior 22 home games. 

Meanwhile, Besiktas are on a ten-game scoring streak this season, and scored twice or more in seven of their former nine games. Finally, 15 of the last 19 overall h2h games, and 9 of the last 12 at this venue had goals from both teams as well. As such, expect the upcoming encounter to produce goals from both teams as well.

Istanbul Basaksehir vs Besiktas Betting Tips

• Draw No Bet: Istanbul Basaksehir @ 1.50 (1/2)

• Both Teams to Score @ 1.70 (7/10).fffffff

Monaco vs Montpellier Prediction & Match Preview

Monaco vs Montpellier
France – Ligue 1
Date: Friday 14th February 2020
Kick off at 19:45 UK/ 20:45 CET
Venue: Stade Louis II.

Whisper it but Monaco may just have found some form under new coach Robert Moreno, who going into their last game against Amiens there were rumours that Monaco were going to ask Leonardo Jardim back for a 3rd time!

But after Monaco beat Amiens 2-1 that story has cooled off. Whilst it was a good away win for Monaco, one should be reminded that they were heading for defeat and were 1-0 down with just a few minutes left before Ligue 1 top goalscorer Wissam Ben Yedder equalised and Islam Slimani got the injury time winner.

It is easy to forget that Monaco do have very good players when their form has not been so good. This latest win though has moved the club up to 7th place and they are just 5 points from a top 4 finish.

At home Monaco have won 7 of their 12 games but have lost 2 of their last three at Stade Louis II.

Montpellier are in 5th place and have two more points than Monaco so there is the chance that the hosts will overtake them with a win. Montpellier’s last game ended in a 1-0 win over Saint Etienne and they come into this match unbeaten in their last two games.

Away from home Montpellier have had no fun though and have won just once so far this season. Their last away game ended in a 5-0 defeat against PSG and they have lost 5 and drawn 5. Based on away form only the club would be in 16th place.

Monaco vs Montpellier: Head to Head

In the league last season Montpellier won at Stade Louis II, the final result finishing 2-1 but it was their only win here in the 2010s.

The last 3 meetings have seen both teams to score.

Monaco have not beaten Montpellier in the league in the last 5 games.

Monaco vs Montpellier: Prediction

What was interesting in last weekend’s match was Moreno having Cesc Fabregas start from the bench and after the huge impact he made in assisting for the winning goal after only being on the pitch for five minutes surely he will start this game?

Monaco have some really good players and if this game was away from home Montpellier would be the pick here but they club have been really disappointing on the road and this won’t be an easy ground for them to come too.

Having said that we need Monaco to show more passion and hopefully the last-minute win at Amiens has got the team playing well again.

Monaco vs Montpellier: Bet Tips:

• Monaco to beat Montpellier at 1.80 (4/5)

• Anytime goalscorer: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco) at 2.00 (1/1)

• Monaco to score 2+ goals at 1.83 (5/6).

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt Prediction & Match Preview

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany – Bundesliga
Date: Friday, 14 February 2020, Kick-off at 19:30 UK / 20:30 CET
Venue: Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund)

The Eagles fly off to Signal Iduna Park hopeful of maintaining their good run when they face thrillingly hectic Borussia Dortmund in Friday’s Bundesliga skirmish.

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Match Preview

Borussia Dortmund were beaten 4-3 in a crazy clash in Leverkusen after being twice ahead in a frenetic Bundesliga encounter, leading first 2-1 and then 3-2 but ultimately leaving the BayArena empty-handed.

It was their first league defeat of the year (second in a row following shocking loss to Werder in DFB Pokal) but ultimately without grave consequences for the Black & Yellows; they’re still 3rd team of the Bundesliga, still in the title race as Bayern drew with Leipzig last Sunday and sit just four points away.

Lucien Favre’s men are to this day undefeated at Westfalen with seven victories and three draws under the belt in front of their own crowd, with the latest two being just a show of brute force and their limitless attacking potential in 5-0 and 5-1 drubbings of teams unlucky to come their way.

Timothy Chandler and Filip Kostic were the real heroes last Friday as both scored twice, helping Eintracht Frankfurt beat Augsburg 5-0 at the Commerzbank-Arena to maintain their unbeaten start to 2020.

This made for their third league victory in the New Year (fourth overall, if we include the cup) as their push for the top half and continental football continue; currently at 9th, seven points behind first certain Europa League attendee, this run of theirs must be sustained for a little while should they wish to get into the promised land.

To do so, Adi Hütter must change their approach on the road. Frankfurt remains one of the worst traveling sides in Germany though to be completely honest, the Eagles seems to be learning from their mistakes; four out of their total seven points won on excursions has been collected in the last month.

Two important players MIA for Borussia as Julian Brandt and Marco Reus both set to miss Frankfurt clash. Thomas Delaney is uncertain but will likely be in the team on Friday.

Gelson Fernandes, Nils Stendera, Lucas Torró and Marco Russ won’t be on a bus heading to Dortmund while the jury’s still out on David Abraham, who recently returned to training ground.

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Head-to-head (h2h)

• Overall Stats (96 games): Borussia Dortmund 47 wins, 19 draws, Eintracht Frankfurt 30 wins.
• Borussia have 34-6-7 record at home versus The Eagles.
• Delaney’s late own goal got Frankfurt a well deserved point in exhilarating 2-2 draw back in September.
• BVB are on a seven-game unbeaten streak v Eintracht.
• Both teams have trouble keeping a clean sheet: Frankfurt failed to do so in the last eight previous encounters v Die Borussen, who succumbed in previous nine.
• Our hosts were first on scoresheet in previous seven h2h meetings.
• Both sides have scored in last eight showdowns.
• Seven out last eight encounters between the two ended with more than 2.5 goals.

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Prediction

Even with two important players missing, Borussia is a huge favorite for this one. And since their win doesn’t pay as much, we are going with goals.

In five of Dortmund’s last six home games, most of the goals have been netted after the break, with similar observation being made for Eintracht on travels; seven times in last eight outings which is more than enough for me to back them to do so again.

Using the same logic, I’d like to make bit of a ballsy proposition; three or more goals scored during second half. Just another day at the office for Dortmund since they’ve fulfilled this margin in the last six games in front of their Yellow Wall but we might need some assistance from the Eagles. Hence the ballsy part.

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt: Betting tips

• Half with Most Goals: Second Half @ 1.90

• Over 2.5 goals in the Second Half @ 2.62.

Valencia vs Atletico Madrid Prediction & Match Preview

Valencia vs Atletico Madrid
Spain – LaLiga
Date: Friday, 14 February 2020
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Estadio de Mestalla (Valencia).

Valencia will be confident with their win over Barcelona earlier in the league. However, with Diego Simmons on the other side, the host does know it will not be a walk in the park for them even with a home ground advantage.

• Valencia form: 23 matches – 10 wins – 7 draws – 6 losses – 37 points.
• Atletico Madrid form: 23 matches – 10 wins – 9 draws – 4 losses – 39 points.

Valencia is at the edge of the promotion batch in the 7th place while Atletico Madrid is at the 4th spot in the league table.

Valencia vs Atletico Madrid Head-to-head (h2h)

• ATM has been unbeaten in their prior ten overall fixtures.
• Six of the Indian’s recent ten wins were as the host.
• Both teams scored goals in their last three matches.
• Their previous encounter ended in a 1-1 draw at Madrid.

Valencia vs Atletico Madrid Match Preview

Valencia has been hit by a dip in form in their overall fixtures. The host is on a two-game losing streak in their matches in all major competitions. They have failed to pick up a win in six of their last ten games.

In their previous match, Valencia lost 0-3 away at Getafe; failing to score for the first time within their last ten clashes.

On the other hand, Atletico Madrid is back to their winning ways with the 1-0 win over Granada. They were on a five-game winless streak before comprising of matches in all major contests.

Another three points would push the Los Rojiblancos in the top four spots in the league table as Sevilla is closing in on them. Meanwhile, a defeat will put Valencia above them in the table.

Valencia vs Atletico Madrid Prediction

For the opening statement, let us go through the home ground advantage for Valencia. The host is one of the top-performing teams at home in the league.

They are one of the three sides that have an unbeaten record at home this season other than Barcelona and Real Madrid.

With 7 wins and 5 draws in 12 home matches, Valencia is looking strong to finish it off at Estadio de Mestalla. On the contrary, Atletico Madrid has 3 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses in their 11 away fixtures so far in the campaign.

Diego Simeone has had troubles with his team on the road. They are on a two-game losing streak in their away games in the league.

To top it off, Atleti’s last away win in the league was against Real Betis in late December.

To conclude, we can see that Atletico Madrid is not so dominating in their away games.

Hence, the home team can probably create more chances in the game. Since their last two h2h encounters held here has ended in a draw, the chances of a draw are also in the cards.

Hence, the punters can go with a double chance favoring Valencia in the match. Valencia has scored 19 goals in 12 appearances at home and Atletico has slotted in 8 goals in 11 away matches.

As such, we cannot expect many goals but probably a total score of over 1.5 goals in ninety minutes.

Valencia vs Atletico Madrid Betting tips

• Double chance: Valencia or Draw @ 1.50 (1/2).

• Over 1.5 goals @ 1.50 (1/2).

Hull City vs Swansea Prediction & Match Preview

Hull City vs Swansea City
England – Championship
Date: Friday, 14 February 2020
Kick-off at 19:45 UK / 20:45 CET
Venue: KCOM Stadium (Hull).

Winless in their last four Championship fixtures here, Hull City will be hoping to end their dismal losing streak, no later than this Friday.

However, with Swansea known to be adamant on the road, it looks like the hosts are in for a tough set of ninety minutes.

Hull City vs Swansea Head to head (h2h)

• Their previous meeting witnessed Swansea pull off a 2-1 win.
• All but one of their past five games have featured fewer than 2.5 goals on the charts.
• Both teams have found the back of the net together in five of their last eight encounters.
• Only one of their previous ten clashes have ended as a tie.
• Swansea have registered the win in three of their past ten meetings. (W-3, D-1, L-6)

Hull City vs Swansea Prediction

Hull City made a swift return to losing ways earlier this week after Blackburn slotted three unanswered goals past them on the road. The defeat was their fifth in six games, while their only other clash ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw.

To be frank, the hosts are yet to show any signs of conviction in their campaign. With just forty points in the bag, the home team are currently sitting fifteen on the ladder, seven points adrift of ninth-placed Swansea.

Meanwhile, the visitors have been erratic in their clashes as of late too. Their last game at home saw them held to a less than entertaining stalemate alongside QPR, prior to which, Derby took them down with a narrow 3-2 scorecard.

Be that as it may, the visitors have looked sharp in their outings this season. Impressively, they have salvaged at least a point in twelve of their previous fifteen trips on the road.

In sharp contrast, Hull have been at the losing end in each of their past four games here. Taking into account that they failed to get the better of this foe in the reverse fixture as well, Swansea are the front runners to come away with all three points in this one.

However, the guests have not secured the bragging rights in any of their last four visits to this stadium. Given that the visitors have also shared the spoils in seven of their outings so far, it will be safer to back a Draw no bet this week.

Furthermore, Swansea have not looked organized in their own defensive third, especially on the road. In fact, they have conceded a goal or more in eight of their previous ten outings in all competitions.

On the other hand, despite losing out on the win, Hull have consistently found the back of the net in each of their past two games here. Considering that their last two h2h meetings at this venue have also witnessed both teams get their names on the scoresheet together, expect neither side to keep a clean sheet intact come Friday.

Hull City vs Swansea Betting tips

• Draw no bet: Swansea @ 1.60 (3/5)

• Both teams to score @ 1.66 (2/3).

Wolves vs Leicester Prediction & Match Preview

Wolves vs Leicester
England – Premier League
Date: Friday, 14 February 2020
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Molineux Stadium (Wolverhampton).

It will be an interesting clash at Molineux when Wolves host the Foxes in the Premier League. While the host relies on their home ground advantage, Leicester City will rely on their overall league performance.

With both teams coming in hot, we can expect a goal fiasco at Molineux Stadium.

Form Comparison

• Wolves: 25 matches – 8 wins – 11 draws – 6 losses – 35 points.
• Leicester: 25 matches – 15 matches – 4 draws – 6 losses – 49 points.

The team from Wolverhampton is 9th in the standings while Leicester is third.

Wolves vs Leicester Head-to-head (h2h)

• The team that hosts have stayed unbeaten in their last eight fixtures.
• Wolves have recorded four of the recent five wins.
• The host is unbeaten at home in the last four fixtures.
• Their previous encounter ended in a goalless draw.

Wolves vs Leicester Match Preview

Wolves kept cool in their previous time out, against Manchester United as the match ended in a goalless draw at the Old Trafford. However, the host managed only three wins in their last ten fixtures across all major contests.

The Wolves are on a three-game winless streak at home with their recent home match ending in a defeat. To make it worse, the 3-2 win over Manchester City in later December was their prior win at home.

Their gaffer, Nuno Esperito favors the 3-5-2 formation. It gives Wolves solidity at the back with three center halves vigilantly guarding the backdoor and two wingbacks shuttling down the flanks. They are defensively strong but it is not sure whether they can hold the Foxes.

With a massive 49 points in the league, Leicester City is 15 points above the hosting contingent in the Premier League table.

Leicester City did show some promise in the league and a good challenge for Liverpool. But their eight-game winning streak in the campaign was halted with a draw to Norwich at home. Thereafter, the Foxes went on to lose four of their ten league matches.

The Foxes will be visiting after a 2-2 draw on the road with Chelsea in their prior clash in the campaign. With just three losses in their last ten away fixtures in all major competitions, Leicester will probably hope to head back home with something from the match.

Brendan Rodgers believes in his teams keeping possession of the ball and playing a flowing passing game with the ball always moving. Defensively, he likes his team to put a lot of pressure on the opposing team with more involvement in counter-attacks.

Considering Wolve’s strong defensive line and Leicester strong pressing, we can expect a close encounter to unveil at Molineux.

Wolves vs Leicester Prediction

Even though Wolves have secured the bragging rights at home in the past four meetings with the Foxes, Nuno has not faced Brendan’s team at home yet.

The host will be at a backhand as Wolves are struggling at home this season with just four wins out of 12 home matches.

Leicester has not held back their guns when playing away from home. They have marked seven wins in their 12 away fixtures in the league this season.

In their prior h2h encounter, both teams deemed it hard to find a goal in the match. But with their increased urgency for points, we can expect some fireworks in the game.

For the punters, finding a full-time winner will be hard. Hence, it will be safer to go with a double chance in the game. Since Leicester is in a better position than Wolves in the Premier League table, the punters can go with the Foxes to probably win if it doesn’t end in a draw.

As such, it will be safe to go with a double chance favoring Leicester City in the clash which is sizing to be with a probable BTTS in ninety minutes.

Wolves vs Leicester Betting tips

• Double chance: Draw or Leicester @ 1.50 (1/2).

• Both teams to score @ 1.80 (4/5).

LIVE: Egypt's Zamalek v Tunisia's Esperance (African Super Cup)

Stay tuned as match between Zamalek and Esperance in the African Super Cup is due to start at 18:00 Cairo time (GMT+2)

13:00Esperance de Tunis coach Moine Chaabani confirmed his team's readiness for the African Super Cup game against Zamalek.

"We will face Zamalek three times in three weeks. Esperance are ready for the African Super Cup game and the players are ambitious to win the title," Chaabani told Tunisian newspaper Assabah.

12:00 Zamalek coach Patrice Carteron confirmed that the game against Esperance will be difficult as the Tunisian side have dominated their group in the Africa Champions League.

"I respect Esperance as a big team in Africa and I respect their coach Moine Chaabani," Carteron said ahead of the game.

"The game will be difficult despite the departure of the influential players from Esperance squad but the Tunisian team still performing well in all competitions," the Zamalek coach added.

11:30 Egypt's Zamalek, who won the Confederation Cup last season, are set to face Africa Champions League winners Esperance of Tunisia in Qatari capital Doha on Friday.

Venue: Thani Bin Jassim Stadium (Doha, Qatar)

Referee: Vector Gomes (South Africa)

Check the match preview here

All times are GMT +2 (Cairo local time)f

Jürgen Klopp's Sadio Mane and James Milner fitness update

Liverpool could welcome Sadio Mane and James Milner back into the fold for Saturday’s Premier League encounter at Norwich City.

The duo returned to full training at Melwood this week after recovering from respective muscle injuries sustained in January and may come into contention at Carrow Road.

Indeed, Jürgen Klopp confirmed during his pre-match press conference only Xherdan Shaqiri, Nathaniel Clyne and Paul Glatzel are currently sidelined from his squad.

Na Argentina, Fortaleza perde chances e é derrotado pelo Independiente na Sul-Americana

Na noite desta quinta-feira (13), no Estádio Libertadores de América, o Fortaleza fez sua estreia numa competição internacional fora de casa contra o Independiente, tradicional equipe argentina, pela Copa Sul-Americana. Após dominar a primeira etapa com as melhores chances, leão sofre gol na segunda etapa e precisará reverter o placar jogando no Castelão. Gol dos argentinos foi marcado por Leandro Fernández.

Para o jogo, o Fortaleza contou com o apoio de seus torcedores, que viajaram até a argentina para ver e apoiar a equipe fora de casa. O Independiente precisava vencer para diminuir a pressão sofrida após sair derrotado no último jogo pelo seu rival Racing, no Clássico de Avellaneda.

Leão feroz

Apesar de jogar fora de casa, o Fortaleza iniciou o jogo sem sentir a pressão e teve as melhores chances da primeira etapa. Logo no início do jogo, aos 6’, Osvaldo limpou a marcação e chutou encobrindo o goleiro Campaña. Já aos 35’ foi a vez de David desperdiçar mais duas grandes chances para o tricolor. Após falha da defesa argentina, Osvaldo fez belo lançamento para o atacante, que finalizou a primeira vez em cima do goleiro e no rebote mandou por cima do gol.

O jogo esquentou quando, ao 35’, as duas equipes tiveram um jogador expulso, cada. Sanchez Miño, que já havia recebido cartão amarelo, se desentendeu com o zagueiro do Fortaleza, Juan Quintero. O atleta tricolor empurrou o adversário e ambos foram expulsos, o zagueiro de forma direta.

Quem não faz, leva!

O famoso ditado futebolístico não podia ser mais verdadeiro. Logo aos 5’ da segunda etapa, o Independiente abriu o placar com Leandro Fernández. O atacante aproveitou a troca de passes do time da casa e finalizou com força, sem chances para Felipe Alves. Após sofrer o gol, o Fortaleza seguiu atacando, mas não era noite do ataque leonino.

Mais chances de gols foram desperdiçadas por Osvaldo e cia. Uma delas, de maneira inacreditável. Romarinho, já sem goleiro e de frente para o gol, errou o chute, que parou nas mãos de Campaña, ainda caído na jogada. Com a derrota por 1 a 0, o Leão segue vivo, mas precisará reverter o resultado jogando no Castelão, no dia 27.

PSG without Neymar, Mbappe held 4-4 by lowly Amiens

Philippe LECOEUR via www.imago-images.de

Amiens' Serhou Guirassy scored an injury time equaliser on Saturday to secure a roller-coaster 4-4 draw with a Paris Saint-Germain side without Neymar and Kylian Mbappe ahead of next week's Champions League last 16 tie at Borussia Dortmund.

Relegation-haunted Amiens had been on course for a shock win when they surged into a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes before the French champions clawed their way back to lead 4-3 on the back of Tanguy Kouassi becoming PSG's youngest scorer in 44 years.

Brazil forward Neymar has been sidelined since February 1 with a rib injury while France World Cup winner Mbappe was rested ahead of Tuesday's trip to Germany.

PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said the world's most expensive player remained a doubt for the first leg tie.

"For Tuesday I don't know. I have to wait until tomorrow's training session," Tuchel told broadcaster Canal+.

"Everybody's talking about the match so for that we can feel it's in our heads and we have been a little bit distracted by it.

"We showed a reaction, our quality, and our mentality was really good, we deserved to win," he added.

PSG move 13 points clear of second-place Marseille while the home side remain in the relegation zone and without a league win since November 2.

The hosts' boss Luka Elsner made two changes to his side from last Saturday's loss to Monaco as Haitam Aleesami and Bongani Zungu started instead of the suspended Thomas Monconduit and Bakaye Dibassy.

Former French youth international Guirassy opened the scoring after nine minutes before ex-Chelsea midfielder Gael Kakuta doubled the lead 20 minutes later.

Fousseni Diabate, on-loan from Leicester City, made it 3-0 on the 40-minute mark after his low effort was deflected by PSG captain Thiago Silva.

Midfielder Ander Herrera cut the league strugglers' lead seconds before half-time with a side-footed volley.

Tuchel made two changes at the break with Marco Veratti and Marquinhos replacing Idrissa Gueye and Silva.

Teenager Tanguy Kouassi scored his first senior goal after an hour from a Julian Draxler header to become PSG's youngest goal scorer since Lionel Justier in 1976.

The 17-year-old holding midfielder, who remains on an academy contract with the Parisians, equalised five minutes later from an Angel Di Maria as PSG pushed on.

The visitors thought they had completed a huge comeback as Juan Bernat found Mauro Icardi at the back-post and the on-loan forward hit his 19th goal of the season.

But after one minute of injury time, Guirassy was fed by winger Quentin Cornette to equalise for his eighth effort of the campaign.

On Sunday, second-placed Marseille head to Lille in fourth.

On Friday, attacker Islam Slimani claimed a 1-0 victory for Monaco at Montpellier.

Toluca festeja 103 años de vida

El tercer equipo mas ganador del futbol mexicano se fundó un 13 de febrero de 1917 en la capital del Estado de México, Manuel Hekel y Román Ferrat fueron los encargados de crearas adelante el proyecto futbolístico que más adelante llevaría por nombre Deportivo Toluca, con el fin de tener un equipo de futbol que representara al estado de México, uno de los pioneros antes de la era profesional.

• La llegada a primera

En 1953 Toluca alcanzaría uno de sus mayores logros hasta ese momento, el equipo se encontraba en segunda división, alcanzó el campeonato de la categoría de plata para ascender a la primera división, de ahí, los Diablos han sido de los pocos equipos que nunca han descendido en la historia del futbol mexicano.

• 10 títulos en 103 años

Quizá Toluca no tenga los mismos reflectores que los llamados “4 grandes” lo cierto es que el Deportivo ha logrado hacer su propia historia a base de títulos. El respeto del futbol de nuestro país se lo ha ganado con eso, siendo campeón y teniendo platillas de época.

El primer campeonato llegó en la temporada 1966 – 67, de la mano del histórico Ignacio Trelles comenzaría esta gran época gloriosa, quedando en primer lugar solo por arriba del América Con 41 puntos. La segunda estrella vendría al año siguiente, en 1968 lograrían el bicampeonato.

Tuvieron que pasar 7 años para que Toluca volviera a alzar el titulo de liga, en la 74 – 75, ya en el formato de liguilla vencieron al León. La década de los 80 fue muy obscura para el cuadro escarlata, pero llegaría la década de los 90, finales, arribaron las grandes leyendas y los campeonatos.

• Los veranos del Toluca.

1998 sería el resurgir de los Diablos tras vencer en el Verano al Necaxa en la bombonera, el equipo de la década caía ante la escuadra que dominaría la siguiente década. Para el siguiente torneo de Verano, el infierno volvería a arder en una de las finales mas dramáticas, venciendo en tanda de penales al Atlas.

El 2000 fue la consagración de la sexta estrella, el rival, Santos, un equipo que quería emular lo que estaba haciendo los “choriceros”. Siendo líderes del campeonato y metiendo un mínimo de 5 goles en todas sus eliminatorias en liguilla. Toluca venció 7 – 1 en el global a Santos Laguna.

El mejor torneo que ha tenido el cuadro del Estado de México sin duda fue el Apertura 2002, sumó 41 puntos quedando en segundo lugar, José Saturnino Cardozo fue campeón de goleo con 29 “dianas” en 19 juegos. En la final se enfrentaron con un viejo conocido, Monarcas Morelia, después de perder la ida 1 – 0, ganaron en el Nemesio Diez por global de 4 – 2.

El octavo campeonato llegó en calidad de visitante, era el Apertura 2005, el rival, Monterrey; el primer capítulo quedaría 3 – 3, el regreso fue un contundente 3 – 0 para los escarlatas.

La novena se consiguió en el Apertura 2008, para variar, en una dramática serie de penales, pero esta vez el rival fue Cruz Azul. La serie terminó 7 – 6, los Diablos se convertían en el tercer equipo mas ganador en México.

Toluca y Santos volverían a protagonizar una final del futbol mexicano, esta vez en el Bicentenario 2010, pero ahora la definición no fue tan contundente, ya que se definió en penales, con marcador de 4 – 3 en la serie, el decimo campeonato llegaba al a vitrinas del deportivo.

• Máximos ídolos

El Deportivo Toluca se ha caracterizado por tener grandes jugadores a lo largo de su historia, pero no solo la gente en el campo ha sido referente e ídolo para el club, también los directivos han hecho que la grandeza de los Diablos perdure.

Nombres como: Ignacio Trelles, Ítalo Estupiñán, Carlos María Morales, Vicente Sánchez, Hernán Cristante, Paulo Da Silva, Enrique Meza, Antonio Naelson “Sinha”, el “diablo mayor” Vicente Pereda, José Saturnino Cardozo y los mas importantes Valentín y Nemesio Diez.

Esto es el Toluca, 103 años de uno de los equipos con mas historia en el futbol mexicano.

Mane strikes as Liverpool overcome Norwich to open up 25-point lead

Shaun Brooks via www.imago-images.de

Sadio Mane struck as Liverpool overcame Storm Dennis and feisty basement club Norwich 1-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to 25 points on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's champions-elect were short of their fluent best in windy conditions at Carrow Road but returned immediately to winning ways after their winter break.

Liverpool have gone 43 top-flight matches unbeaten, just six matches behind Arsenal's record of 49 games in 2003-04 and are sprinting towards their first league title for 30 years.

They have earned 103 points from the past 105 available to them in the Premier League, winning 34 of their past 35 matches.

"They caused us a few problems but overall I thought it was another good performance and we got the goal to get us the three points," Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson told Sky Sports.

"You're probably bored of me saying it but we're one step closer, it's just about focusing on the next game," he added. 'We've just got to keep doing what we've been doing all season, never change that."

The result leaves Daniel Farke's Norwich rooted to the bottom of the table, six points behind 19th-placed Watford. They look set for an immediate return to the Championship despite their battling performance.

Klopp brought back midfielder Naby Keita for his first start in a Premier League match since December and Mane was on the bench as Liverpool started with confidence.

The champions-elect controlled possession in the early stages without creating many clear-cut openings but Norwich managed some brief spells of attractive passing football themselves.

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino was particularly impressive, producing an exquisite piece of skill to control a long Jordan Henderson pass before the ball was stolen off his toes as he shaped to shoot.

But despite a few scary moments, Farke's men kept Liverpool quiet and came close to snatching the lead themselves.

Lukas Rupp got in behind the Liverpool defence and controlled a long ball over the top. He opted to pass to his left to Teemu Pukki but Alisson Becker produced a superb save, clawing the ball away at the feet of the Finnish striker.

Liverpool were quickly on top again in the second half but struggled to create clear chances until Keita tested Tim Krul from distance in the 58th minute.

The Anfield giants laid siege to the Norwich goal but frustration mounted as the home side somehow kept the score at 0-0.

Moments later Keita should have done better when he reacted quickly to a rebound off Krul but the goalkeeper dived to his right to deny the Guinea international.

Alexander Tettey almost caught Becker out on a rare Norwich foray into the Liverpool half, thundering a shot against the near post as the home crowd roared their team on.

Just when it seemed Norwich could become only the second team this season, after Manchester United, to deny Liverpool all three points, Mane broke the deadlock.

The second-half substitute controlled a long ball from Henderson with his right foot in the 78th minute before lashing home with his left.

Pukki had a late chance to equalise but shot straight at Alisson as Liverpool held on for their 25th win in 26 Premier League matches.

Defending champions Manchester City, reeling from a potential two-season European ban for breaching fair play rules, are in second place in the table but have no chance of winning a third straight title.

European champions Liverpool can turn their thoughts to the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Bielsa buoyed as Leeds win to revive promotion push

John Patrick Fletcher via www.imago-images.de

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa said his side were now better placed to cope with the pressure of pushing for promotion to the Premier League after a much-needed win over Bristol City on Saturday.

Luke Ayling's goal against his former club was good enough to give Leeds all three points as the fallen English giants enjoyed just their second win in seven league matches.

Victory moved Leeds to within four points of Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Only the top two at the end of the regular season in the second-tier Championship are guaranteed promotion.

Leeds, last crowned champions of England in 1992, have endured a 16-year exile from the top flight.

They squandered automatic promotion late last season and then missed out on the third and final promotion place following a defeat in the play-off semi-finals.

But Bielsa insisted Leeds were a better side for having suffered those disappointments.

"We are now experienced in every type of situation in the Championship," he said.

"I feel we have more resources to manage the different kinds of matches."

The veteran Argentinian manager added, however: "But I cannot forget this season we were winning 3-0 and drew the match (against Cardiff).

"This was a fair win. We attacked well, we missed a lot of chances."

Victory was made all the better for Leeds by the fact it helped them open up a three-point lead over third-placed Fulham, who suffered a shock 3-0 loss at home to bottom-of-the-table Barnsley.

Cauley Woodrow opened the scoring against former club Fulham with a 24th-minute penalty before Jacob Brown and Woodrow again were on target at Craven Cottage as Barnsley secured a first win in five league matches.

West Brom saw their lead trimmed after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.

Matty Cash's added-time equaliser saw Forest secure a draw at The Hawthorns after West Brom had twice led through Callum Robinson and a Tobias Figueiredo own-goal.

But Kyle Bartley's own-goal and Cash's late effort saw Forest to a draw.

West Brom manager Slaven Bilic refused to be downhearted, saying: "I told the guys I'm going to be disappointed and they're frustrated, but if we continue like this, with the same patterns, focus, energy and quality, then we really have a good chance to do what we want to do."

Brentford moved above Forest into fourth place on goal difference a 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Blackburn closed to within three points of the play-offs thanks a 2-0 win over Charlton

Elsewhere, Queens Park Rangers came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at home to Stoke.

Derby were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield while Millwall won 1-0 at Preston.

But Sheffield Wednesday remained without a win since Christmas after going down 3-0 at home to Reading. The beaten Owls finished with 10 men after Osaze Urhoghide collected the team's fifth red card of the season for two bookable offences.

Leeds close on Championship leaders West Brom

Mark D Fuller via www.imago-images.de

Luke Ayling's goal against his former club was good enough to give Leeds a 1-0 win over Bristol City on Saturday that saw the fallen English giants revive their bid for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

This was just Leeds' second win in seven league matches and saw them move to within four points of Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Victory was made all the better for Leeds by the fact it helped them open up a three-point lead over third-placed Fulham, who suffered a shock 3-0 loss at home to bottom-of-the-table Barnsley.

Cauley Woodrow opened the scoring against former club Fulham with a 24th-minute penalty before Jacob Brown and Woodrow again were on target at Craven Cottage as Barnsley secured a first win in five league matches.

Only the top two at the end of the regular season are guaranteed promotion to English football's lucrative top flight and West Brom saw their lead trimmed after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.

Matty Cash's added-time equaliser saw Forest secure a draw at The Hawthorns after West Brom had twice led through Callum Robinson and a Tobias Figueiredo own-goal.

But Kyle Bartley's own-goal and Cash's late effort saw Forest to a draw.

West Brom manager Slaven Bilic, however, refused to be downhearted after seeing his side drop two points.

"I told the guys I'm going to be disappointed and they're frustrated, but if we continue like this, with the same patterns, focus, energy and quality, then we really have a good chance to do what we want to do," he said.

Brentford moved above Forest into fourth place on goal difference a 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Blackburn closed to within three points of the play-offs thanks a 2-0 win over Charlton

Elsewhere, Queens Park Rangers came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at home to Stoke.

Goals from Sam Clucas and Tyrese Campbell gave Stoke a first-half lead at Loftus Road but QPR were level by the break through Jordan Hugill and Ebere Eze as four goals were scored in 11 minutes.

Bright Osayi-Samuel and Ilias Chair were on target after the interval as QPR completed a fine comeback.

Derby were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield while Millwall won 1-0 at Preston.

But Sheffield Wednesday remained without a win since Christmas after going down 3-0 at home to Reading in a match where the beaten Owls finished with 10 men after Osaze Urhoghide collected their fifth red card of the season for two bookable offences.

Meanwhile Ryan Tunnicliffe's first goal of the season was enough for Luton to win 1-0 at Middlesbrough.

Карпаты официально заявили о готовности создания Народного клуба

ФОТО ФК КАРПАТЫ14 ФЕВРАЛЯ 2020, 13:08

Футбольный клуб Карпаты переходят в собственность общины города Львова. Данное заявление опубликовано на официальном сайте "зелено-белых".

Вчера, 13 февраля, Львовский горсовет единогласно проголосовал за проект принятия Карпат под муниципальное финансирование и создания Народного клуба, при условии, если права на клуб бесплатно будут переданы городу.

Пресс-служба "львов" объявляет о готовности осуществления данного проекта и выражает благодарность в адрес мэра Львова Андрея Садового и городского депутата Григория Козловского.

Также Карпаты официально сообщили, что корпоративные права будут бесплатно переданы в собственность территориальной общины города.

Две тактических тренировки

Погода в Сочи наладилась: во время двух сегодняшних тренировок красно-белых на Центральном стадионе имени Славы Метревели ярко светило солнце.

Оба занятия были посвящены главным образом работе над тактикой. Доменико Тедеско и его помощник Андреас Хинкель подробно объясняли футболистам, как им необходимо действовать в различных игровых ситуациях.

Сбор в Сочи продлится до 17 февраля. Послезавтра «Спартак» встретится в товарищеском матче с ереванским «Араратом». Матч пройдет в закрытом для зрителей и прессы режиме

Eight football fans die in Peru road accident

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A bus carrying Ecuadoran football fans plunged into a ravine Saturday while heading home from a Copa Libertadores game in Peru, killing at least eight, authorities said.

The bus, which had left from Lima, fell 15 meters (50 feet) from a stretch of the Panamerican Highway in northern Peru and the impact of the fall ripped away its roof, police said. Nearly 40 people were injured.

The bus was carrying supporters of a team called Barcelona de Guayaquil, which played the Peruvian side Sporting Cristal on Thursday in Lima.

Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno expressed his condolences on Twitter and pledged government help for the injured and the families of the deceased.

Peru's highways are notoriously hazardous because of their many dangerous curves, poor maintenance, insufficient signage, drivers that speed and scanty police presence.

Traffic accidents on those roads claim an average of nine lives a day, according to government figures.

That is more than the number of fatalities from street crime, even though the latter ranks first in polls of what Peruvians are most concerned about.

Barcelona's Alba suffers injury blow ahead of Napoli clash

Enric Fontcuberta via www.imago-images.de

Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba hobbled off in the 20th minute of the Spanish champions' La Liga game against Getafe on Saturday with an apparent right thigh injury.

The 30-year-old left the field wincing in pain and was replaced by Junior Firpo.

It is the third injury for the Spain international this season, having spent two spells on the sidelines with injuries to his left thigh.

Quique Setien's Barca visit Napoli in their Champions League last-16 first leg on February 25, before the return game on March 18.

The Catalans led their third-placed opponents 2-0 at half-time at the Camp Nou.