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The draw for the semi-final promised the allure of a flare filled Spanish final or a pragmatic, utilitarian Teutonic tangle. In the end the semis provided several shocks that no one in their wildest imagination could have foreseen.

Borussia Dortmund faced Ronaldo and co at the Westfalenstadion in a clash of efficient and cohesive team ethic versus one man plus very experienced back up that was more than used to Champions` League semi-finals though little beyond that.

Reus gave early notice of Dortmund`s attacking prowess with a shot that Lopez could only parry into the path of Lewandowski but the Pole failed to net the rebound. It was the striker`s last error on a night when he rewrote the Champions` League record books against the club that holds most of them.

Not only did he become the first player to register a Champions` League hat-trick against Real Madrid but he is the first to claim a semi-final treble in the competition. He went one better by adding a fourth to set a record that may never be bettered.

Eight minutes after his earlier failure to capitalise Lewandowski escaped the shackles of Pepe to convert Gotze`s cross at the far post.

With Sven Bender having a blinder in midfield, blunting almost every Madrid attack before it could get going by winning the ball tenaciously, the signs were not good for Jose Mourinho`s men who were involved in a third consecutive CL semi final under the Special One.

Varane tripped Reus but the referee waved away Dortmund penalty claims and inside a minute Ronaldo levelled with his 50th Champions` League goal after a poor Hummels` back pass. An interval score line of 1-1 seemed to indicate Real had weathered the storm but Dortmund carved out a second goal five minutes after the restart when Reus played Lewandowki in to make it 2-1.

Five minutes later the Polish striker was even more impressive when Schmeizer`s miss hit shot fell to him and after a sublime touch to control the ball and drag it away from Pepe Lewandowki completed his historic hat-trick with an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

With the home fans baying for their heroes to at least match the previous evening Bayern tally against Barcelona Dortmund duly obliged and Alonso served up a gift when he up ended Reus in the penalty area and who else but Lewandowski was going to complete a night of personal triumph by converting from 12 yards.

Apart from Lewandowski`s personal achievements on the night the result was the worst ever endured by Jose Mourinho in 106 Champions` League games.

The only blemish on the night for Jurgen Klopp was the flimsiest of lifelines offered by Ronaldo`s landmark away goal. In the post match euphoria of one of the great European nights not enough praise went the way of Dortmund `keeper Roman Weidenfeller. Had he not denied Ronaldo in the dying seconds the second leg would have been less of a cake walk than some anticipated.

Real began the second leg with evident belief that they could overturn a three goal deficit and in the first period carved out more than enough really good openings to have wiped out and surpassed Dortmund`s advantage. Higuain was the main culprit, his mind seemingly elsewhere other than the Madrid capital that night. Unfortunately Madrid wasted all their chances. Some observers may have thought the men in all white were unfazed by their profligacy in front of goal believing they would go on creating until the visitors` defence was breached and then the floodgates would open. Realists knew that as the list of unconverted openings grew so Real`s chance of reaching the final diminished.

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Not surprisingly Real could not maintain their opening onslaught but even the ball boys at the Bernabeau were at warp speed to ensure the ball reached their heroes as quickly as possible.

Then with ten minutes remaining, when many neutrals had probably switched off, the home side went into a distinctly non Real mode. They threw everything at Dortmund including caution to the wind, even throwing that died-in-the-wool `they shall not pass` defender Sergio Ramos up front as a makeshift centre forward.

When Benzema pulled a goal back with seven minutes remaining and then Ramos showed himself to be two or three shades better than a `make shift` striker with a rare goal, the unbelievable looked likely. One more goal would do it.

But Dortmund were not to be denied. Perhaps driven by the prospect of rubbing Bavarian noses even more into the ground at Wembley Klopps men prevailed despite a first Champions` League defeat of the season.

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Arsenal are considering selling Theo Walcott, after negotiations over a new contract with Arsene Wenger broke down according to The Telegraph.

The England international is in the last year of his current deal at the Emirates Stadium, and after watching Robin van Persie demand a transfer elsewhere in the same situation could well leave north London.

The winger is currently earning around £60,000 per week, and the Gunners have offered him a raise up to £75,000 per week.

However, it is believed that Walcott is standing firm for about £100,000 per week, a figure that Arsene Wenger will not part with.

Due to the lack of a solution, Walcott may well be sold before the transfer window closes at the end of the week, with Manchester City and Liverpool accredited with an early interest in the attacker.

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Should Walcott leave he will be the latest in a long line of Gunners players that have negotiated their way out of the club due to an expiring contract.

By Gareth McKnight

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been stealing most of the headlines this season for his incredible form in front of goal.

Despite not being a striker, the wide-man has managed to score 43 goals in 46 games in all competitions, and currently has a four-goal advantage at the top of the charts in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old pipped Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to PFA Player of the Year, and is now one game away from potentially reaching the Champions League final.

Even though Salah has been Liverpool’s goal machine, there is another figure in the team that has been crucial in the scintillating displays.

Roberto Firmino so often has gone under the radar, but this season he has shined by perfecting the false 9 role.

The Brazilian – valued at £45m by Transfermarkt – has contributed with 26 goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions, and is arguably one of the hardest-working players in the Liverpool team.

Not only is Firmino an important component of Klopp’s forward line, he also tracks back and puts in some decent tackles to snatch back possession.

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At the weekend, the 26-year-old committed his future to Liverpool by signing a new long-term deal which led us to ask you whether Firmino is more important to the team than goal-hungry Salah.

Interestingly, the majority of supporters have suggested that the Brazilian’s absence would be felt much more than if Salah were to leave.

Adnan Januzaj was arguably one of the few bright sparks of the miserable David Moyes administration at Manchester United.

In a season where his team struggled, the then 18-year-old took responsibility and along with David de Gea was one of the only players to come out of that nightmare campaign with a better reputation than when it started.

He was managed well by the Scot, used sparingly but still often enough to have a genuine breakthrough season. In his 27 appearances he scored four goals and created countless more; it seemed that United had found their new talisman and he was destined to truly take his place at the top of European football.

12 months later and the Belgian’s career has stalled. From being the new Ronaldo he is now a man on the peripheries under Louis van Gaal. Rather than trusted as a winger he has been shunted around the team, a square peg in an ever growing number of different round holes;  right back, left back, central midfield, number ten and a striker, to name a few.

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The signing of Angel Di Maria always meant it would be difficult for the 20-year-old to command the same sort of consistent role he had enjoyed in the season previous. However, as United’s ever growing injury list continued to extend, he still finds himself no closer to being part of Van Gaal’s plans.

Whether the Dutchman simply doesn’t rate Januzaj or whether he feels other players suit his team more; Van Gaal is clearly not sold on the Belgian. Never was this made clearer than in their home defeat to West Brom; with United chasing the game and needing to break down a resolute Albion, the manager decided that his enigmatic winger was better off sitting on the bench than influencing the game.

It is now four months since his first start and he is now beginning to struggle to get any playing time at all, even finding himself behind the much maligned Ashley Young in the wide man pecking order.

With the signing of Memphis Depay it seems that Januzaj could find his time even more limited at Old Trafford in the coming season, from a man who Gary Neville predicted could be “one of the best players in the world”, it has been a chastening season.

Even in his limited opportunities, he seems a shell of a player that sparkled last term, whether his attacking instincts are being curbed by his pragmatic manager is unknown, but something is certainly awry.

With rumours circulating United were interested in using him as part of the Depay deal, he is clearly not high on their list of priorities. After being given the famous number 11 jersey of Ryan Giggs last summer it seemed for all the world that the stage was set for a new star to take centre stage but he is still stood in the rafters, waiting to make his real entrance.

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If 2014 was a year of hype and excitement surrounding Januzaj, 2015 is one of frustration and missed opportunities. Unless things change 2016 could prove to be his last in a United shirt.

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It was nice while it lasted, but the dream is over…

It was always unlikely that Millwall would make the F.A. Cup final by beating Wigan, but you of course go into the game full of hope. But goals from Shaun Maloney and Callum Mcmanaman secured the Premier League side a final place and a Europa League spot.

It was clear to see KJ’s plan for the game was to try and sit back, hold them off and try and beat them on the counter attack. It was so obvious to see, a tackle wouldn’t go in before Wigan reached the half way line, and a three man centre midfield of a defensive midfielder, and 2 defenders said it all.

All I wanted from the game was the players to give it their all, and make sure Wigan know they’ve been in a battle for their win but first half we didn’t really get that, we gave Wigan far too much respect. In the second half the Lions came out and went for it, for a good 25 minutes there was only one team in it. We tried our best but Premier League class showed through.

I’m still extremely proud of this team for getting that far.

Yet again the result will be overshadowed by the scumbag minority few. It was shown on ESPN that Millwall fans were fighting each other during the game. What was shown was frankly disgusting and anyone who was involved should be banned, making children cry because you want to be a big man isn’t smart or clever.

But, lets remember before the whole “Millwall are scum” routine comes out (Most likely too late) that this was a very small minority, 12 fans were arrested after the events.

So 0.03% of “fans” represent the support at Wembley as a whole? I don’t think so. And I bet you anything that the majority, if not all of the idiots involved in this will not have been at Tuesday nights game against Watford.

After speaking to people who were sitting in the block where this happened, this needs to be asked, where were the police? People were shouting out for the police to get involved, but they did not and they let these troubles happen for a good 15-20 minutes before arriving, surely if they did get involved when it was first needed, maybe it would not have descended into what it did?

Also, the coverage this got was over the top, front pages calling all fans “scum” and saying Millwall fans “shame the country”, a bit over the top?

And lets look at what happened at Newcastle on Sunday, more then double the arrests than at Wembley, but what was the front page of the mirror Monday morning? Millwall of course… Yes Newcastle got a mention, but not the coverage it should have. There’s two reasons for this, one is that you don’t damage the Premier League “Brand” and that it seems to be when it comes to football, the main thing is “No Millwall, No Problem”

Back to matters on the pitch, and after yesterday’s results the Lions now find themselves only 4 points clear of the drop zone, with two games in hand, but they’re at home, we are absolutely terrible at home.

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We somehow managed to get a win against Watford at the Den, on another day they would win 4-0 to the visitors. But luck was on our side as Shaun Batt scored the winner. It couldn’t have happened to anyone else more deserving. Nearly retiring a couple of years back, he’s now played at Wembley and starting to get Championship first team football.

It’s going to be close with any of up to seven teams looking at the trapdoor next season. But to be honest avoiding defeat against Huddersfield Saturday should see us safe.

COYL

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With Michael Carrick set to retire at the end of the season to join the Manchester United coaching staff, Jose Mourinho will be tasked with choosing a new club captain to replace him.

Antonio Valencia has deputised for much of the season but the former Inter manager looks set to embark on a defensive overhaul in the summer, which might see the former Wigan man lose his starting place.

Paul Pogba is another who may have been in the frame long-term but his fractious relationship with Mourinho may well jeopardise those plans, and he could even depart the club during the summer.

United’s fans are clear on who they want the armband to be handed to; David de Gea. With Real Madrid constantly lurking in the background, they want the club to do anything they can to convince the Spanish international to stay.

We’ve taken a look as the Reds fans make their mind up…

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Even though the charges for trophies and wards are still on-going, us football fans always like to have a look at leaked kits at this time of the season. Quite often new strips are on show for the final game of the campaign and for the pre-season tours, so plans from the big manufacturers and teams are firmly in place, and with technology and social media now prevalent, keeping these under wraps is near impossible.

Naturally, a fair few have been leaked already, so we’ve been trawling the internet to get them all in one place for you…

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Arsenal

A few Arsenal offerings have made their way out so far, with a nifty home shirt doing the rounds alongside an… erm… not so nifty third shirt.

The home effort harks back to the days of the ‘Invincibles’, with a slick red and white and gold piping. Puma are again making the shirts, so expect tight, figure hugging jerseys.

While a second shirt is not yet doing the rounds, a weird third shirt is about. The dark blue is slick, but a bizarre gold, turquoise and white triple half stripe somewhat ruins the effort.

Liverpool

Warrior are set to be no more with Liverpool, with another American brand in the shape of New Balance using the Reds as a marquee side to launch themselves in ‘soccer’. The horrible efforts of the past few seasons are gone by the looks of it, with a simple red, white and black trio of jerseys believed to be on the cards… However, on closer inspection, the home shirt seems a little table-cloth inspired.

Man United

The Nike era is over, and Adidas are back with a vengeance at Man United. There seems to be little certain about the Old Trafford side’s new efforts, though, with the only things appearing to be certain is that red, white and black will be the colours – although a navy blue shirt has also been leaked…

Southampton

Only two to offer from the Saints, but they look to be pretty smart. Unlike this season, the Saints have a big brad in Adidas making up their shirts, which has created a slightly more professional feel, and South Coast supporters will be glad to see that the stripes have stayed.

The away effort is a neat green with a black diagonal stripe, which, although slightly camouflage, is smart.

Neither design has a sponsor, but Veho are expected to stay after signing a two-year deal ahead of the current season.

Chelsea

Three slick efforts from Chelsea, all with new sponsor Yokohama prominent. The Blues haven’t really had an ‘out there’ shirt for a while, and the simple designs stay.

The away shirt appears to be the highlight, with a neat red and blue stripe on the end of the sleeves, while the black third shirt has a mini off grey hoop going on.

Newcastle

Newcastle fans look as if they want this season to end now, so some fresh kit designs can get Magpies dreaming of 2015/16. As ever, black and white stripes are in place on the home effrts, but a neat blue colour and detailing separates it from the rest.

However, the possible away shirt is pretty nasty, and appears to be lifted from a goalkeeper in the mid 1990s!

Man City

The reliability of the source for this one is a little patchy, but Man City fans are sure to be hopeful that the kits are real. The home shirt features a lovely, thick white colour, which gives a nice retro vibe to the whole affair. The away shirt is a little more modern, with a deep blue and sky blue affair on offer. Fingers crossed!

Spurs

While the possible home shirt looks smart, the away and third efforts are a little less appealing. The second shirt seems to have a bizarre blue gradient with lime green badges, while hot pink details on a black strip makes up the alternative design. They’re supposedly Nike made, though, which is good!

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West Ham

With The Hammers set for their last season at Upton Park, Umbro are back and a retro vibe looks to be on the cards. There are two nice leaked efforts doing the rounds, with the claret and blue firmly in place.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has become the top summer priority for Italian club Juventus, reported The Express.

The 26-year-old’s future on Merseyside has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months and, along with a £10m bid from Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, the Anfield club will now have to compete with Italian giants Juventus.

The Uruguayan striker, who has scored a league-high 22 goals in 31 Premier League matches, has played a crucial role for the Reds this season, and signed a new contract with Liverpool that keeps him with the club until 2018.

However, as the club faces the possibility of another year without a spot in the Champions League, rumours of the footballer’s exit are circulating more than ever.

Juve, who failed to snatch Suarez last summer, have raised their interest in the forward once again, as their attempts to sign PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic appear to be hopeless.

Suarez, who moved to Liverpool in 2011, is a candidate for PFA Player of the Year and has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season.

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Starting a series with a total of 49 leaves a low base for improvement, but Pakistan’s second innings showed them in a far better light as they ensured the Test would enter a fourth day

The Report by Andrew McGlashan03-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAzhar Ali was lbw to Jacques Kallis and used up one of Pakistan’s reviews•Getty Images

Starting a series with a total of 49 leaves a low base for improvement, but Pakistan’s second innings showed them in a far better light as they ensured the Test would enter a fourth day. At 82 for 4, chasing a huge 480, a swift conclusion was still on the cards before Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq combined in an unbroken century stand including a wicketless final sessionThere will be no concern over the scoreline from Graeme Smith, but maybe just the odd glimpse towards weather forecasts. They are unpredictable, especially for Johannesburg, although do suggest a greater threat of rain over the last two days. Having not enforced the follow-on with Pakistan on the ropes yesterday he will not want any hiccups.South Africa could have been closer to victory, and perhaps savouring a celebratory drink already, if it had not been for two spurned chances in the final session. Firstly Shafiq, on 40, edged Vernon Philander to first slip only for replays to show a clear no-ball. In the next over Misbah cut Jacques Kallis to backward point but Robin Peterson dropped a relatively straightforward chance. Smith started chewing on his gum just that little bit harder.The chances should not remove the fact that Misbah and Shafiq provided an important lesson for the remainder of this series. Pakistan will, weather permitting, still lose here but it was vital that the aura around South Africa’s attack was at least pierced a fraction. The surface had lost some of its spite, and the ball grew softer, but the principles they showed of sound judgement and solid concentration will serve batsmen well in any conditions.It was a proper rearguard from the pair as they dug in either side of tea. The hard work brought rewards, particularly against the slightly erratic Morne Morkel, although both batsmen nearly lost concentration against Robin Peterson when their eyes lit up at something slower.Shafiq is an impressive young batsman, already with an average over forty, had enjoyed a solid 2012 with runs against England and Sri Lanka. He does not mind soaking up the dot balls, but also has a range of shots to take advantage of loose deliveries. His ninth boundary, a square cut, took him to his half-century from 117 balls.He was partnered by a player who adores the chance to drop anchor. Misbah was tested by Dale Steyn in a spell after tea but he left the ball well and drove strongly through the off side. He was less convincing on the pull and, ten minutes before the close, nearly top-edged to deep square-leg. It would have been a horrid waste of his diligence.There was another encouraging performance in the shape of Nasir Jamshed who dominated the early scoring after losing Mohammad Hafeez, caught down the leg side, in the fourth over. He was strong on the drive and through the leg side but had some uncomfortable moments against Morkel before, sensing another boundary for a maiden fifty, pulled Steyn to mid-on.Kallis’ productive match with the ball continued when he trapped Azhar Ali lbw, the batsman wasting a review which bordered on the selfish. The ball was full, nipped back, and struck him in front of middle.Younis Khan could only contribute 15 – and he already survived a mighty close review for lbw on 11 – when he tried to leave Morkel and provided a very thin edge to the keeper. Younis walked and Hot Spot showed a small white mark, but this time the focus was on Morkel’s front foot which was close to a no-ball.South Africa’s innings had lasted for a further nine overs during the morning as Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers added 68 more. De Villiers was at his expansive best, taking balls from outside off through the leg side and also reverse sweeping Saeed Ajmal. The concerns about his workload have certainly been helped by the ability of South Africa’s quicks to skittle a team at least once in a Test.His 11th boundary, slotted through the covers, took him to his hundred from 117 balls. The applause had just died down when Smith stood in the dressing room and waved his batsmen in to begin searching for a quick finish. It did not quite work out that way.

N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said the Indian board will not prepare rank turners for home Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2012N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said the Indian board will not prepare rank turners for home Tests. His comments were made last week, before Gautam Gambhir said India should prepare turners to level the playing field.Speaking on , Srinivasan also said that he was confident the Indian team would bounce back in next month’s ODI tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka.”Our aim is to give fair wickets and not one-sided ones,” he said on being asked whether Indian pitches should be tailored to back the spinners, traditionally one of the team’s strengths. Over the past few years, Indian Test surfaces have generally been slow and low, and produced lots of runs.India have a strong home record, losing only two Tests over the past five years, but are currently on a seven-Test losing streak overseas. Srinivasan insisted that India would not be content with home wins and wanted more away victories. “The intention, whenever our team goes out, is definitely to win. There is no such intention and neither will the BCCI be satisfied with a win at home,” he said. “Not at all. It is our earnest endeavour to win whether at home or outside.”Srinivasan also strongly denied that an overloaded cricket calendar was the reason for India’s poor performance. “If you take the last three years, England and Australia have played more number of days of international cricket than India has. I am including that [the IPL]. And also excepting M S Dhoni, nobody else has played all the days of international cricket.”