TheDailySoccerNews.com

In-demand Russia boss Guus Hiddink is being tipped for the Bayern Munich hot seat amid growing unrest at the Bundesliga giants.

Louis van Gaal could lose his job if the German side are knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Bayern are third in Group A with just four points from four games as they prepare to face Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. Things are not much better in the German league, in which Van Gaal’s seventh-placed side have won just five of 13 matches.

The poor performance has led to criticism of former Barcelona boss Van Gaal from directors and senior players such as Philipp Lahm.

Bayern accept that star player Franck Ribery and others may leave if they cannot compete with Europe’s finest and former Chelsea boss Hiddink has been identified as the man to turn around their fortunes. (continue reading…)

Sir Alex Ferguson has taken his attack on referees into Europe after Manchester United lost their 23-match unbeaten home record in the Champions League with a 1-0 loss to Besiktas. (continue reading…)

Barça and Inter Milan go head to head on Tuesday evening in the Camp Nou. Here are some of the facts and figures that may influence that match.

- Barça have never lost two European home games in a row.
- This will be the second time Inter Milan has visited the Camp Nou for a Champions League match. In the 2002-03 season they lost here 3-0 in the group stage. However, in the 50’s and 60’s the teams met here twice in the Fairs Cup, with one victory apiece.

- There are six players still active for Barça and Inter Milan who took part in that last meeting on 26th February 2003: Xavi, Puyol and Motta (/now Inter) for Barça, and Toldo, Córdoba and Zanetti for Inter.

- Barça haven’t come up against an Italian club since 2006, when they defeated AC Milan in the CL semi-finals to reach the Paris Final against Arsenal. (continue reading…)

BARCELONA - José Mourinho was in a calm mood in the Camp Nou’s press room as he previewed Tuesday’s night pick of the UCL Matchday 5 ties. “Even if we didn’t need points, for me a Champions League game is always a Champions League game, Barça are always Barça and I’m approaching this difficult game with happiness and serenity,” said the Inter coach.

“The only doubt I have for tomorrow is Sneijder. He still hasn’t trained. Two or three days ago I thought there would have been encouraging developments, but there haven’t been. He’s still doubtful, but it’s a doubt I want to dispel tonight after the training session. It’s not something I want to carry over to tomorrow. My preparations for the match won’t depend on the presence of Messi. Chivu will play on the right, so it’s Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, then the others… I have forgotten them. Zanetti? He’s important, he’s the history of Inter.”

For the second time this season, Mourinho and the Nerazzurri will see their ex-companions Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Maxwell. “What will I say to Zlatan? We will give each other a hug before the game and another after, as always,” said Mourinho. “This match will be difficult from every point of view because Barça are strong as a team and individually, because this isn’t a normal stadium - it’s a voice of one hundred thousand people who want to play and win, who put real pressure on everyone, even the referee, for whom it’s not easy to make decisions. (continue reading…)

Inter Milan manager, José Mourinho, told reporters on Monday evening that he was not worried whether or not Messi plays on Tuesday night. And he claimed to have his own starting line-up more or less decided.

José Mourinho entered the press room just after 5 o’clock. Before that he had been spotted walking around the stadium dressed in an Inter tracksuit and accompanied by his assistants.

No concern over Messi
It remains unclear whether Messi will recover from his injury problems in time for the match. But Mourinho assured reporters that he was not losing any sleep over the matter. “If Messi plays or not, nothing changes”. Whether it’s Messi, Iniesta or Pedro, the Inter defender will be Chivu. (continue reading…)

Diego Milito might prefer Lionel Messi to take no risks with his groin injury this week and to miss FC Barcelona’s enthralling Matchday 5 meeting with FC Internazionale Milano, noting that his Argentina team-mate is “the best, most decisive player in the world”.

Quick recovery
The Inter striker knows Messi well from their time together with Argentina, and is well aware of the damage he can do in the UEFA Champions League. Barça’s main man picked up a minor groin strain in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Athletic Club Bilbao and his presence in what could be a decisive Group F meeting will remain in doubt until kick-off. Milito wishes Messi a quick recovery but knows that his participation or absence could be a deciding factor.

‘Extraordinary’
“Without a doubt Messi is the best, most decisive player in the world,” argued the Inter striker, who has scored nine goals in thirteen matches in all competitions this season. “Leo can win a game on his own at any moment because he’s extraordinary. Playing with him every weekend must be a joy (continue reading…)

Rafa Benitez spoke of his disappointment following the 1-1 draw with Lyon on Wednesday evening - but insisted Liverpool can still qualify for the Champions League knockout stage.
Ryan Babel fired the Reds into an 83rd minute lead at the Stade Gerland, but Lisandro Lopez struck an equaliser for Les Gones with just seconds of normal time remaining.

In order to progress into the last 16, Liverpool must now beat both Debrecen and Fiorentina, and hope the Italians drop points at home to Lyon next time out.

“We are really disappointed because it was a great opportunity for us,” Benitez told his post-match press conference in France.

“We had some chances, but again it was a late goal against Lyon that made a massive difference.

“Clearly it is difficult for us to qualify, but not impossible. We have to win our game and see what happens in the game with Fiorentina and Lyon. Then we will approach the last game.

“We have a chance and the main thing is to play well against Debrecen and then see what the situation is for our last match.” (continue reading…)

Rafa Benitez is confident Fernando Torres can avoid the need for an operation as the boss prepares to include the striker in his plans for Wednesday’s crunch clash with Lyon.
The Spain international is being eased back into action as he continues to recover from a groin injury - and Benitez insists he will continue to play it safe with the fitness of the Reds’ No.9.

“We know Fernando has a problem, and we have to manage it,” the boss told his pre-match press conference in France.

“The positive thing is that he is improving, and he is in less pain each time he plays and trains.

“Hopefully if we can continue doing well with him, he will not need an operation - that is our idea.

“Now it is a question of how he feels and what will happen if he plays.

“I talk to the players after every training session and every game. After United, he needed four days to be ready again. After Fulham, he told me he was much better but still feeling something.

“Yesterday he was better still and hopefully tomorrow he will be even better.” (continue reading…)

AC Milan and Real Madrid ensured an interesting last two matches in their Champions League group with an entertaining 1-1 draw at San Siro. With Marseille winning the other fixture, against FC Zurich, three of these teams still have it all to fight for in terms of the knock-out rounds.

he touch-paper on Europe’s most eagerly awaited clash of the evening was lit around the half-hour mark, when the guests took a deserved one goal lead. However, los Merengues’ dominance was not for the lasting as Milan equalised five minutes later through a hotly contested penalty kick. By the time the half-time whistle came around, referee Brych had a hard time keeping the opposition players from each others’ throats.

Twenty-nine minutes had elapsed when Kaka showed San Siro what it was missing, elegantly evading Massimo Oddo and Clarence Seedorf, before dispatching a shot goalwards. Dida could not handle the bobbling ball and Karim Benzema stroked in his first Champions League goal for his new club from the rebound. (continue reading…)