Germany
Ivica Olić and Bayern Munich continued their fine form smashing on last year's champions, Wolfsburg, 3-1 in front of 30,000 at Volkswagen Arena. Ivica started and played only the first half, assisting on Daniel van Buyten's goal in the 26th minute of play. In the 10th minute of play, Ivica broke the offsides trap, cut back a defender in the box and flopped. Yes, Ivica flopped! Referee Manuel Gräfe reached for his pocket and pulled out a yellow card for the 30 year old former Dinamo Zagreb and Hamburg striker.
Bayern have now strung together ten straight victories and have lost only once in their last 15 competitive matches. Bayern.de caught up with Ivica this week. Here is the interview.
Danijel Pranjić appears to be in the dog house in Munich as the 28 year old Croatian international was an unused substitute for a third consecutive match on Saturday against Wolfsburg and has yet to start in 2010. Danijel has 1 goal and two assists in 12 appearances for the Bavarian Giants. Bayern play twice this upcomng week, so we should see Danijel make an appearance for Bayern.
Josip Šimunić returned from his yellow card suspension and put on a solid performance for Hoffenheim, registering a 2-1 victory over Hannover. Hoffenheim was desperate for a win after going winless so far in 2010.
Joe is turning 32 in a few weeks and still remains a valuable figure in defense for Hoffenheim. Does Joe deserve a starting spot in an aging Croatian defense, or should Croatia be looking for fresh new blood for Euro 2012?
Hamburg and Mladen Petrić were in action against Zvonimir Soldo and Cologne on Sautrday in front of 50,000 fans at Rhein Energie Stadion. Marcell Jansen opened up the scoring for Hamburg in the second minute, after Faryd Mondragon failed to clear a Petrić bullet. Mladen would then break the offsides trap in the 36th minute of play, scoring off a beautiful Jansen cross.
Mladen would give Hamburg a 3-1 lead, scoring off a penalty kick in the 51st minute of play. Faryd Mondragon went right and Mladen went power straight down the pipe. It wasn't a pretty penalty kick, however, a goal is a goal. The Hamburg defense would later fall asleep and fail to keep a two goal lead, splitting the points with Cologne with a final score of 3-3.
Ivica Banović came on in the 71st minute of play for Freiburg, holding on to a 0-0 draw against Schalke and ending a four game losing streak. Freiburg has stopped the bleeding, however, has only scored once in their last six games. Banović is being watched by Croatia and don't be surprised to see him get called up by Slaven Bilić to face Belgium on March 3rd.
Ivan Rakitić started and played the full 90 for Schalke in a scoreless draw at Freiburg in front of 24,000 at Badenova Stadion on Saturday. Ivan picked up a stupid yellow card in the 87th minute of play, but has started and gone the distance in all four Schalke games of 2010. Great to see Ivan getting minutes, however, he hasn't reached the scoring sheet in 2010.
England
Tottenham Hotspur once again had double duty this week as they played Leeds United on Wednesday in a FA Cup 4th Round replay at Elland Road and then Aston Villa on Saturday in Premiership action at home. Niko Kranjčar and Vedran Ćorluka got the start and played the full match against Leeds as Luka Modrić stayed on th bench as an unused sub. A Jermain Defoe hat trick was good enough for the Spurs as they won the match 3-1 and will now face off against Bolton in the Fifth Round at the Reebok on February 14th.
Kranjčar only managed one shot on goal as he patrolled the left flank during the match. This means that he is back to full strength and has recovered from the minor knock he sustained a week ago. Manager Harry Redknapp decided to use Ćorluka for the replay to ensure a victory as Ćarli was given the day off in the original 2-2 draw.
On Saturday, Tottenham took on Aston Villa at White Heart Lane in a pivotal Premiership match. This time, Luka Modrić played the full match alongside Vedran Ćorluka while Niko Kranjčar watched from the bench. Tottenham should have won the match as they controlled the ball 55% of the game and managed 33 shots all together; five being on frame. It ended in a 0-0 draw dropping the Spurs down to fifth in the Premiership standings as Liverpool won. They have only won one match in their last five. Tottenham, it's time to win some games if you want to compete for a Champions League spot!
Modrić got in the mix late as he found himself open for a few shots on goal. Nothing developed as his chances were blocked by defenders or Villa goalie Brad Friedel. Ćorluka also had some nice crosses from the right flank.
Nikola Kalinić played the full 90 minutes for the Blackburn Rovers in their away match against Stoke City on Saturday. Stoke easily took care of the Rovers in a 3-0 victory. Kalinić didn't manage one shot on goal the entire game. Still good to see him playing the entire game though. He and his teammates have cooled off since that Wigan win a few weeks ago.
Eduardo was substituted during the second half of Arsenal's 0-0 draw at Aston Villa. He missed the game against Manchester United and won't be available for the trip to Chelsea. "Eduardo is already ruled out," said Wenger on Thursday. -Arsenal.com
Eduardo is still out with a thigh muscle problem and missed Arsenal's second consecutive game as the Gunners lost to leaders Chelsea 2-0 on Sunday. He should be good to go next week though.
Ivan Klasnić was not part of Bolton's squad for a second straight week as they played out a scoreless draw with Fulham. It seems that new manager Owen Coyle doesn't have a plan for Klasnić as he recovers from an ankle injury. (Thanks to DF for the info.)
Remember that Klasnić is only on loan with Bolton until the end of this season. He for sure will not stay with Bolton, but will he remain in England or go back to Germany? Because Killer still has something left in the tank.
Italy
Struggling Livorno put up a valiant effort against Juventus with the game ending in a 1-1 draw from the Armando Picchi Stadium. Dario Knežević had a stellar game for his side with a Goal.com rating of 6/10 stating, "The Croatian defender neutralized Del Piero and Amauri upfront and did not make any glaring errors." Despite the draw, Livorno flirt with the relegation zone. They sit in 17th place of the Serie A standings going into next weekend's home contest against Bologna.
A small crowd of 11,000 was on hand at the Artemio Franchi Montepaschi Arena to witness Sampdoria walk away with a 2-1 victory over lowly Siena. Mato Jajalo started the contest for Siena but left the game early in the 41' of the first half for reasons unknown. Siena remain at the bottom of the Serie A standings as they head into next weekend's match at Chievo Verona.
Genoa defeated Chievo Verona 1-0 from the Comunale Luigi Ferraris with nearly 25,000 fans in attendance. Ivan Jurić started the match for his Genoa side but came out in the 60'. Realistically, will the aging Jurić be a part of the Croatian National Team come September or has he played his last match under Slaven Bilić?
Genoa move up to 8th place in the Serie A standings heading into next weekend's match at Juventus.
Igor Budan was an unused substitute in Palermo's 2-1 victory against Parma.
France
Dejan Lovren started and played the full 90 in his third consecutive match for Lyon in a 0-0 draw at Toulouse on Sunday. Dejan looks to be fitting in quite well with Les Gones, however, needs to cut back on his fouls, committing a total of ten in the last two games. Dejan is still used to the HNL style of play. Great to see him starting and going the distance the past three contests.
Vedran Runje made two nice saves in a relatively easy stroll in the park for Lens in a 2-1 home victory over Le Mans on Saturday. Vedran was on his way to a sixth clean sheet this season, when luck wasn't on his side in the 84th minute as Modibo Maíga scored off a deflection. With the win, Lens looked to have sealed their place in Ligue 1, 14 points above the relegation zone.
Henri Bedimo Nsame, arriving from Chateauroux, made his debut for Lens on Saturday and didn't fail to impress. He was responsible for setting up Lens' first goal after running up the flank and crossing in a beauty, leading to the first goal. Even though Runje has been next to amazing this season for Lens, the arrival of Bedimo should ease off a little pressure off the 33 year old Croatian international.
Belgium
Visitors Club Brugge played Zulte-Waregem to a 1-1 draw on Sunday from the Regenboog Stadion. Ivan Perišić played the entire match for his side, who continue to remain in second place of the Belgian Jupiler League as the travel to KAA Gent next weekend.
Spain
Sporting Gijon were defeated by Almeria 3-1 from the Estadio Mediterraneo with 12,000 spectators on hand. Mate Bilić started the match but was subbed out in the 58' for teammate Miguel de las Cuevas. The loss keeps Sporting Gijon in 13th place of the Spanish Primera standings heading into next weekend's home contest against Valencia.
Turkey
Trabzonspor defeated Manisaspor 3-0 from the H. Avni Aker Stadium in Turkish Super League action. Hrvoje Čale once again played the entire match for his side in yet another fantastic performance on defense while Drago Gabrić entered the contest in the 83' for Serkan Balci to slowly work his way back to full match fitness after picking up an injury a few weeks ago.
Čale has been earning a lot of minutes in the past few weeks for Trabzonspor and has been making a good impression on his coaching staff and teammates. With the exception of a 4-3 loss at the hands of Galatasaray, Trabzonspor have allowed two goals or less in games in which Čale was featured on defense. Will Hrvoje be ready to start on defense for Croatia come September when EURO 2012 qualification begins?
Trabzonspor remain in 6th place as they are away next weekend at Bursaspor.
Next Matches:
Tuesday, 2/9
Bolton at Manchester City, Hoffenheim at Werder Bremen(DFB Pokal),
Wednesday, 2/10
Liverpool at Arsenal, Tottenham at Wolverhampton, Hull City at Blackburn, SpVgg Greuther Fürth at Bayern Munich(DFB Pokal), Schalke at VfL Osnabruck(DFB Pokal), Olympique Marseille at Lens(Coupe de France)
Saturday, 2/13
Lens at Lyon, Borussia Dortmund at Bayern Munich, Hamburg at VfB Stuttgart, Hoffenheim at VfL Bochum, Palermo at AS Roma, Valencia at Sporting Gijon
Sunday, 2/14
Tottenham at Bolton (FA Cup), FC Cologne at Schalke 04, Freiburg at Frankfurt, Genoa at Juventus, Bologna at Livorno, Siena at Chievo Verona, Club Brugge at KAA Gent
Monday, 2/15
Trabzonspor at Bursaspor
~Denis Svirčić and Ante Kvartuč reporting from San Pedro, California and Ivica Peroš reporting from the "Big Apple"
20 comments:
Mate Bilic and Nikola Kalinic need a goal sooner rather than later. Klasnic is injured by the way. He has a ankle injury. Coyle says he's not sure when he will be back could be few weeks, but feels he will be fresh after the break. I think Bolton really need him back as Davies and Elmander aren't scoring.
Getting bored of seeing Budan on bench. He prob should have go out on loan at another Serie A club.
Pranjic is not in the dog house at Bayern.
Holger Badstuber is a defender developed through the Bayern academy. When Demechelis was injured, he covered for him. However, when he returned, Van Gaal shifted him to LB.
He's a highly rated player in that academy. Put it this way.........Bayern cut some dead wood this winter x-fer window......Pranjic is still safe.
No reason to play Pranjic while Bayern keeps winning games.
@ Michael - Couldn't agree more. Pranjic isnt in the dog house, he just hasnt settled, combined with the fact that Bayern are now rolling. Why would Louis want to mess up a winning formula? Holger Badstuber as well as Thomas Muller have been revelations this year for Bayern. Pranjic is in the same boat as Anatoliy Tymoshchuk. The Bayern team has been rolling ever since they switched Lahm to right back. With Robben and Lahm running up and down the right wing, defenses cant guard that. Once Ribery comes back to starting on the left wing, Bayern can make a serious run in the Champions League. Pranjic will have to keep his head up and make the most of an opportunity that comes his way. He may be sitting on the bench for allot longer.
@ DinamoFan - Kalinic, as well as the Blackburn team as a whole should first try and hit the target. I checked the game casts for the past 2 matches and it looks as if not one shot has hit the target in 2 straight games. That is pretty damn pathetic.
It kills me to see Kranjcar on the bench for Tottenham. I think he is a much more versatile player than smoto Bentley. Bentley is put in the game for his "great crossing ability and set play delivery" which hasn't been that great at all. I believe Niko not only could carry that load, but he also seems to just open up the field more. They need to figure something out there.
And I know you're not hating on Petric, but saying that "it wasn't a great free kick"...do you want him to chance hitting the top corner everytime. I mean straight down the pipe is usually a good option because statistically the keeper is usually aiming for one of the sides. Poor guy hasn't scored twice in a game for awhile, give him so love. haha (just giving you guys a hard time)
I just want to see the international team play again, I'm very interested to see what the staff and talent do.
@ Lyon Kit Designer
Those are the nastiest away kits I have ever seen! What were you thinking?! If anyone should kill themselves, well....
Remember, Pranjic was brought in with Bayern expecting Ribery to leave. That and the surprise development of Muller has pushed Pranjic to the bench. I assume that LvG has a use for him since he kept him while sending Braatheid and others away. His solid performances in the CL probably handed him a lifeline.
Once again, Bolton couldn't score (tues v Man city), so whatever reservations Coyle has about Klasnic will likely be put aside. Still, I doubt he'll stay at Bolton. If he can finish the season with at least 10 league goals he'll be in good stead for a transfer to a decent club.
Lovren was basically solid at LB even though he was obviously dis-oriented playing there. At this point, Puel will be less concerned with Lovrens excessive fouling than with the rest of his game. After watching him these last few matches, I've no doubt he'll come good.
I think Bolton realised now that a lot rests on Klasnic. Davies and Elmander clearly don't have the goals in them. Klasnic seems to have need a break. Coyle wants a different squad of players, but from what he has Klasnic is critical.
Klasnic won't be at Bolton - i think both sides have been suggesting its just a year. I think Klasnic will do enough by June to attract a decent Bundesliga side.
modric and kranjcar should be playing together. they know eachother soo well. and have extreeme abilities of opening up the midfield and creating scoring oppritunites
@ chris
i completely agree. what they are doing now is obviously not working. Redknapp should realize why Bentley was on the bench for so long before.
Neither Luka Modric or Niko kranjcar can play right midfeild in EPL. Both were tried out there recently and brought negative results as they have no pace and the game is stifled from that position. Bentley has been doing okay.. Niko had a good chance last night against Wolves and didn't take it. Modric i'm sure would be playing but they are easing him back gently. I'm not keen to see Kranjcar on the bench, but at the end of the day there is competition in Spurs squad - English fans would says its harsh that Jenas is benched, Russia fans would say Pav is unlucky to be benched and look at Bassong he's been benched as well recently. Niko has to accept it. Bentley for a start will head out the team once Lennon returns. Right midfield is Lennon position so even if Niko went over there it'd only be temporary.
The bad decision was selecting Gudjohnsen who in my opinion is past it. Spurs shouldn't be taking 31 year olds who can't score in the French league. With Gudjohnsen at Spurs its like when Redknapp took Suker to West Ham in his 30's. Yes just like Suker, Gudjohnsen was a great player, but that was ages ago. He's been warming the bench ever since he left Chelsea.
I agree 100% with Chris and TGC, Kranjcar and Modric should be starting together. Bentley did nothing at all when he started. I can make better corner kicks than him. Kranjcar is a better playmaker and dead-ball kicker. He also makes more great shots on net. I guess Redknapp doesn't give a damn about making that 4th spot. Why is he making such strange moves now? Tottenham have been playing like shit lately.
I have watched a video not so long ago where Niko Kranjcar himself says no coach has ever said they got the best out of him on right midfield. You need to remember - this is England, not Croatia. Yes Kranjcar is rated in England, but no way will Spurs ever play him ahead of Lennon. The only change Spurs could possibly make is take out one of Huddlestone or Palacios and put Modric in central mid. I understand perfectly why Bentley is in the team - its to supply width. Kranjcar never tries to hit the by line and cross. It works on the left as Bale or Essou Ekoto raid down the line behind him and are excellant crosses of the ball - but can you see Vedran Corluka doing the same. If Niko and Luka played in the same side on the flanks the game would become very narrow. That type of game does not suit Peter Crouch who need crosses from wide position. Against Wolves Kranjcar had a key chance and didn't take it. I think there was nothing wrong with Redknapps decision - though he perhaps should have started Luka over Niko. His mistake was in selecting Eidur Gudjohnsen who is sadly at the Ricky Hatton Stage.
Yes, the Gudjohnsen signing was stupid. They (Tottenham) really need a great young striker, or maybe play Pav more or they need to change their tactics of relying too much on headers from Crouch and take their offence to the ground level and not the air. Yes, I understand Crouch is tall but I've seen too many misses from his head. It seems Redknapp's only tactic lately is to lob a shot for Crouch to head in. Too many misses lately that lead to costly turnovers. Corluka should quarterback the ball more and Modric should set it up for the strikers. Both are excellent passers/playmakers. Back to Kranjcar-Tottenham are a better team when he's on the field. That's the bottom line. I closely watched Bentley play and Kranjcar is way better. The team has so much potential but it's wasted. Wolves, Hull, etc are all gong show matches.
naaaahhh. kranjcar is the best option on the left. and Luka in the middle. The mid field is weak without luka. kranjcar is nastay on the left when he cuts in and curves those shots in. and modric is better than those other bums in the middle. and you can still put bentley at right mid.
and kranjcar should be taking free kicks and corners not bentley
With respect to Luka playing central mid - i think that's an avenue Spurs have not tried just yet.. He played there with Jenas under Juande Ramos, but Jenas and Modric are the same type and not strong defensively so that's why it failed then. However if he played alongside a physically strong guy like Palacios or Huddlestone it might be a different story. I think Modric alongside Palacios could possibly work. Though Modric will have to get used to getting in there where the boots are flying. But yes that's something they could try.
i think they should try kranjcar in the middle. Hes a very strong player but of coarse he would need to hustle more and play more defense. I just feel he doesn't get the ball enough. Where did he play with Portsmouth?
Part of the problem for Spurs is that they play with two CM's who can't create and who are inneffective offensively- they rely upon Modric or Kranjcar to drift infield from the left to supply creativity. Sides have figured this out and have effectively stifled Spurs attack. The middle of the park ends up congested and- without Lennon- Spurs resort to sending hopeful crosses into the box from closer to the halfway line than the byline. That said, I can't for the life of me understand Redknapps refusal to play Pavluchenko.
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