Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi will be making their return to Celtic Park in the group stages of the Champions league this season after the Spanish giants were drawn in the same group along with Celtic.
This is an extremely tough group for Celtic since they will also have to play against AC Milan and Ajax. Between AC Milan and Barcelona alone, there are 12 Champions league titles and they are formidable opposition to say the least. Despite this, Celtic can draw confidence from the recent performance against Barcelona when they managed to stun the Spanish giants at home. Read more »
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has said that new Manchester city signing Jesus Navas is very similar player to Gareth Bale. Tottenham star Gareth Bale has been linked with almost every major club in the world after a string of impressive seasons with the Premier league outfit. He is valued in excess of £ 50 million by his club, who are resisting the advances of Real Madrid to sell him. Navas has been signed for a much lesser transfer fee. He has cost Manchester city around £ 20 million in transfer fees, and this is his first move from Sevilla.
The former Sevilla winger has been unable to secure a move away from his hometown club due to an extreme case of homesickness. Iniesta reckons that Navas will have been spoken of in the same breath as Bale if he did not have such a problem. Navas has also been unable to achieve a lot at international level due to this inability to travel with the squad. The 27-year-old winger recently reached the final of the Confederations cup with Spain. Iniesta has said that Navas is one of the quickest players he has ever seen.
This coupled with his poise and elegance on the ball make him a complete player.
“He’s going to cause the defences in the Premier League a real problem when he plays for City. Jesus has so much speed, and his feet are so quick, that it becomes nearly impossible to stop him without fouling him. The only player that I can compare him with that is already playing in England is Gareth Bale,” said Iniesta. Navas managed to win only his 28th International cap during the Confederations cup. Iniesta has said that City have truly secured themselves a truly special player, who will be able to push them towards league success.
Barcelona have been draw against German giants Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the Champions league this season. Midfielder Andres Iniesta has said that it is a thrilling tie and one that he cannot wait to play in. The 28-year-old has said that he expects Bayern Munich to provide a tough competition. Hence, the fans should not be already thinking about an El Clasico in the final of the Champions League this season. Real Madrid will be playing against Borussia Dortmund in the other semi-final. Madrid are the favourites to progress from this tie.
Iniesta has said that it is always nice to be close to a final because it provides the team with an opportunity to win a title. However, they should not be looking too far ahead because Bayern Munich are one of the favourites to win the competition this season. The German club has had a relatively easy passage into the semifinals, but that is partly down to the incredible strength of the team. Many regard Bayern to be the complete team in the Champions League this season.
Iniesta has praised the strength of Bayern by saying that they have strong players across the field, while their bench is also extremely strong as well.
“Man, if I were a fan I would not be so nervous, whilst with the adrenaline it should stop. A final should be exciting, it should be looked at as it is, it is something big to get to play it and there is nothing so nice as to win another title. Today, however, I do not think about that, just of the semi-finals, which will be very difficult. Do we face them with fear? No, unapologetically, full of confidence and trusting that if we do things as we should then we will be in the final, we have our chances,” said Iniesta.
The Spanish club Barcelona face an uphill task in their efforts to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, as they have suffered a shock 2-0 defeat in the first leg against the Italian club AC Milan. This has left Milan with the requirement of even a drab 0-0 draw to go through into the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Barcelona have been one of the most successful clubs in this competition over the last few years, as they have lifted the trophy two times. Even though they are currently top of the Spanish league by a massive 13 points, they are on the verge of being knocked out of the European competition. Read more »
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September 11, 2013 3:28 am | 
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