2015-03-01 - MEBET365 - FREE Tips For Betting, Football Bet of the Day

Is the treble on for Barcelona?

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The two most successful sides in Copa del Rey history will meet in May's decider. Will it be the perfect pre-UEFA Champions League final warm-up for FC Barcelona?</span><br />
<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">No team gets near Real Madrid CF's haul of 32 Liga and ten UEFA Champions League titles, but there is one competition they have never quite managed to dominate: the Copa del Rey.</span><br />
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On Wednesday evening FC Barcelona and Athletic Club negotiated their semi-final second legs meaning that, on 30 May, Spain's two most successful cup sides will meet in the 111th Copa del Rey final. Barcelona have won the competition 26 times, Athletic 23 (with Madrid on 20 from a record 39 appearances in the decider) and this season's showpiece represents something very different for either club.</div>
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The Copa del Rey is also an opportunity for Luis Enrique to cut his teeth in his first cup final as a coach – perfect preparation for a possible UEFA Champions League decider in Berlin seven days later. The 44-year-old, a cup winner three times as a player with Barça and Madrid, has real cause for optimism. "This is very positive and it's great we're in the final," he said after completing a 6-2 aggregate triumph over Villarreal CF. "Now we have to win it."</div>
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The Blaugrana have history on their side. In seven previous final tussles with Athletic they have won five, including three-goal successes in the last two, in 2009 and 2012. Gerard Piqué is guarded, though. "Athletic have always done well in the cup and even though they are not doing as well as usual in the league, they are very difficult opponents," he warned.</div>
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Is the treble on for Barcelona?

The two most successful sides in Copa del Rey history will meet in May's decider. Will it be the perfect pre-UEFA Champions League final...

10:27

Angel Di Maria : Louis van Gaal’s biggest headache

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Angel Di Maria’s form is a serious concern for the Dutchman as he navigates his fifth-placed side through the tightest top four race in years.</div>
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The $116m August arrival from Real Madrid – seemingly operating in some sort of parallel universe – started his career in England brilliantly before quickly fading away since the turn of the year.</div>
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Di Maria’s confidence reached a new low on Thursday, dragged off after 57 wasteful minutes against Newcastle. It came days after van Gaal unceremoniously hauled him off at half time against Sunderland and, alarmingly, on both occasions, United’s play improved with him sitting in the stands.</div>
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His numbers against Newcastle reflected that of a Sunday park battler, not the Barclays Premier League’s most expensive ever player.</div>
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He made 33 passes at a completion rate of just 64 per cent. On top of that, just a quarter of his crosses found their target while a dribbling success rate of 33 per cent is well off the standard he showed in a glittering season for Real Madrid in 2013-14.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: LiberationSerifItalic, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: LiberationSerifBoldItalic, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s gone wrong and how does Louis van Gaal solve a problem like Angel Di Maria?</span></span></div>
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Like Wayne Rooney, Di Maria has been a victim of his own ability, played in a variety of positions by van Gaal since arriving at Old Trafford.</div>
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In the majority of games he’s featured on the left of a midfield three, and it’s there he’s shown his best, scoring three times and supplying four assists in his first six games.</div>
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He’s been given a run on both flanks, though had little effect as a right winger against Sunderland and Newcastle in recent times.</div>
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Di Maria has also played as an auxiliary striker, a position he experienced little joy in due to Radamel Falcao’s own personal struggles in front of him.</div>
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Without doubt, Di Maria’s best performances have come when he’s run with the ball from deep, but with question marks over United’s defence, playing Di Maria in the centre can leave the Red Devils exposed. With Michael Carrick returning from injury in the win over Newcastle, perhaps Di Maria could be deployed in front of the Englishman and Daley Blind, who both offer stability sitting in front of a back four.</div>
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Angel Di Maria : Louis van Gaal’s biggest headache

Angel Di Maria’s form is a serious concern for the Dutchman as he navigates his fifth-placed side through the tightest top four race in yea...

10:08

Kroos: I joined Madrid for Ancelotti

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sted Friday, March 06, 2015 by Goal.com</div>
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<strong><em style="display: block; overflow: hidden; width: 626.21875px;"><img alt="Kroos: I joined Madrid for Ancelotti" border="0" height="347" src="http://www.7msport.com/news/upload_img/20150306/747822_heroa_2015030610042849.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="500" /><br />The Germany international has made it clear that he has a much better relationship with the Italian than he had with Pep Guardiola at Bayern</em></strong></div>
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Toni Kroos has revealed that the presence of Carlo Ancelotti was one of the main reasons behind his decision to leave Bayern Munich for Real Madrid ahead of the 2014-15 campaign.<br /><br />The Germany international endured a frosty relationship with Pep Guardiola during their time at Bayern, yet he has made it clear he is having no such problems with Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu.<br /><br />"Ancelotti's also one of the reasons I came here – I think it's normal to talk with the coach before taking that step," Kroos told the official Uefa website.<br /><br />"He gave me a positive impression and told me Madrid would be even stronger with me in their ranks. It was obviously a good conversation.<br /><br />"He trusted me from the beginning in a position where I hadn't played that much, which was nonetheless in midfield. I enjoy playing in this position.<br /><br />"Our relationship is good. We communicate a lot before each game. We discuss how I have to approach each game according to the opponent we're facing. I still don't know every team that well, which is normal. But he tries to fill in the gaps."<br /><br />Kroos has made 39 appearances in all competitions for Madrid so far this term, scoring once.</div>
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Kroos: I joined Madrid for Ancelotti

sted Friday, March 06, 2015 by Goal.com The Germany international has made it clear that he has a much better relationship with the Ital...

19:29

Arsenal Given Green Light To Make £60m Serie A Striker Move

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<strong><em style="display: block; overflow: hidden; width: 626.21875px;"><img alt="Arsenal Given Green Light To Make £60m Serie A Striker Move" border="0" height="313" src="http://www.7msport.com/news/upload_img/20150306/Alvaro-Morata-Juventus_2015030609500592.png" style="border: 0px;" width="500" /><br />Spanish hit man could finally be heading to London after all.</em></strong></div>
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Arsenal have been given the go ahead to make a move for Juventus striker Alvaro Morata after the Serie A giants have expressed a desire to let him go, according to the Metro.<br /><br />Morata was linked with a move to the Emirates last summer, but instead opted to head to Turin where his late season form has caught the eye of Arsene Wenger.<br /><br />Madrid made sure to install a buy back option in the striker's deal, but reports close to the Spanish capital claim that Los Galacticos are keen to pass.<br /><br />Instead, Real and Juve have agreed to allow him to move to either Arsenal or Liverpool depending on which side coughs up £60m.<br /><br />Morata undoubtedly has a bright future in the game, but at £60m he may prove to be out of either side's price range.</div>
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Arsenal Given Green Light To Make £60m Serie A Striker Move

o Spanish hit man could finally be heading to London after all. Arsenal have been given the go ahead to make a move for Juventus strik...

19:27

Halilhodzic likely to coach Japan

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<strong><em style="display: block; overflow: hidden; width: 626.21875px;"><img alt="Halilhodzic likely to coach Japan" border="0" height="281" src="http://www.7msport.com/news/upload_img/20150306/w638_h359_at__35253_2015030610123212.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="500" /><br />The Japanese Football Association confirm that former Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic will likely become the national team coach once salary negotiations have been finalized.</em></strong></div>
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Masahiro Shimoda, the JFA's technical committee chairman, says the association is expected to approve the deal at a meeting of its executive board on March 12.<br /><br />Japanese media reported that the 62-year-old Bosnian will be paid an annual salary of $2.2m (£1.44m).<br /><br />Japan's previous coach, Javier Aguirre, was fired in February over concerns that allegations of his involvement in a match-fixing scandal would interfere with qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.<br /><br />Halilhodzic had great success with Algeria guiding them, for the first time, into the knockout stages of the World Cup in Brazil last year.<br /><br />He resigned after the tournament, vowing never to forgive the press for their treatment of him.<br /><br />Halilhodzic recently quit Turkish side Trabzonspor in November following poor results.</div>
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Halilhodzic likely to coach Japan

o The Japanese Football Association confirm that former Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic will likely become the national team coach once ...

19:24

Can Juventus return to the top of European football?

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          Juventus will head to the Westfalenstadion with a 2-1 lead 
over Borussia Dortmund next time out in the Champions League, but may 
yet regret the wastefulness and lack of concentration that saw them miss
 the opportunity to build a bigger lead.<br />

Speaking recently iconic Old Lady midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi 
stated: “I know the ferocity with which Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli 
wants to return to the highest level. In terms of history, tradition, 
stadium and results, Juventus are behind only Bayern Munich, Barcelona 
and Real Madrid.”<br />

If the Turin team (10/1 with Coral to reach the Champions League final) are to retain their prestige in the face of falling Serie A attendances, they must make bigger waves on the European stage.<br />

Set to lift a fourth successive league title after establishing a 
nine point lead over closest rivals Roma, winning the Scudetto will not 
satiate the club’s hunger for much longer if they are to regain their 
place amongst the elite.<br />

The potential for Champions League success will be key for Juve to 
keep attracting top talents, but the Old Lady have not lifted Europe’s 
premier cup competition since 1996.<br />

It is a situation that needs improvement, but how can the Italian 
giants keep pace with Premier League and La Liga clubs of greater 
resources?<br />

<strong>Defensive improvements</strong><br />
Juve may boast evergreen Gianluigi Buffon in goal, but Europe often 
provides faster and more physical tests for the Old Lady’s defence than 
Serie A sides. In that sense, rearguard recruitment could certainly do 
with an overhaul.<br />

Luring veterans such as Patrice Evra to the club is not sufficient, 
and Juve should consider their backline as deserving of blockbuster 
signings as their offence. <br />

Without Giorgio Chiellini, whose uncharacteristic slip allowed 
Dortmund the chance to briefly draw level last time out, Juventus lack 
real power and are susceptible on the break. Perhaps investing in top 
young talents and competing for the likes of Raphael Varane and Aymeric 
Laporte should rise up the Old Lady’s list of priorities.<br />

<strong>Keeping hold of superstar names</strong><br />
There’s no escaping the fact that Serie A is not the draw for top players that it once was, back in the league’s 90’s heyday. <br />

However, Inter Milan have shown in recent seasons that Italian clubs can still compete for the Champions League. <br />

That famous Nerazzurri side subsequently lost key draw Jose Mourinho,
 however, and fell away from the pack. Juve must do better and resist 
the temptation to become a selling club.<br />

Snapping up Paul Pogba from Manchester United was a real coup, but 
the biggest challenge will be to cling on to the France international, 
as other sides start circling.<br />

The Old Lady boast two exciting and complete midfielders in powerful 
Pogba and excellent Arturo Vidal, who are understandably coveted by 
other clubs.<br />

It is the powerful partnership of Vidal and Pogba, in tandem with 
evergreen Andrea Pirlo, that has seen Juve take Serie A by storm over 
the past few seasons and losing either would be a huge blow.<br />

Tacchinardi also weighed in on this issue, stating: “Juve have dire 
need of Pogba, just like they do of Carlos Tevez. When you take them out
 the team, the whole team suffers.<br />

“You don’t win games with the Tacchinardis of this world, but with 
those like Zidane. At just 21 years old, Pogba’s already doing stellar 
things. If Juventus can get enough money to buy three top players, 
selling him may be okay.”<br />

This over-reliance on the likes of Pogba, top scorer Carlos Tevez and
 Vidal illustrates that Juve may need to become more of an ensemble, 
lest one of their big names have an off-day.<br />

Champions League finalists and winners of recent years, including 
Inter, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid highlight the need for Juve to 
adopt an ‘all for one’ team-focused approach. Unless they have the money
 for a Real Madrid-style splurge.<br />

A real top-drawer forward or attacking midfielder to partner or 
support Tevez, which is no slight on the reliability of Fernando 
Llorente or promising Alvaro Morata, could really provide the Old Lady 
with an extra edge in attack. <br />

Should Kevin De Bruyne become available this summer, the Belgium star could prove a perfect fit, but Juve (outsiders at 22/1 to win the Champions League) would have to pull out all the stops to land such a talent ahead of their richer rivals.</div>

Can Juventus return to the top of European football?

Juventus will head to the Westfalenstadion with a 2-1 lead over Borussia Dortmund next time out in the Champions League, bu...

17:21

Are Manchester City still in good Kompany with Vincent?

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          Manchester City, 6/1 with Coral to win the Premier League title,
 dropped captain Vincent Kompany for their 2-0 victory over Leicester, 
following a series of errors from the 28-year-old which arguably cost 
them favourable results against Liverpool and Barcelona.<br />

Coach Manuel Pellegrini summed up the situation: “We will work 
Thursday and Friday then after the weekend we will start preparing for 
the next game.<br />

“It was not a difficult decision [to drop Kompany] because we needed 
to refresh the team and I decided, thinking about a lot of things. We 
will see what happens in the next game. We have the weekend free but on 
Monday we will start thinking about the next game.<br />

“Always when you don’t have the result you need, the next game is 
very difficult and that is why today the most important thing was to win
 the three points. After that we played a normal game, we dominated, had
 good possession of the ball and it was important for the team to keep a
 clean sheet and try to dominate the game from the beginning.”<br />

Having been a key component in City’s two Premier League title wins 
in 2011/12 and 2013/14, Kompany is likely to be given as much assistance
 to get himself back to full potential as possible. On his day, the 
Belgian is among the best in his position in the world, though even top 
players are entitled to bad patch.<br />

Eliaquim Mangala, City’s big money summer signing from Porto, and 
faithful Pellegrini retainer Martin Demichelis started at the back 
against the Foxes, and prevented them from sniffing out any 
opportunities, keeping a clean sheet in the process.<br />

There was no hint as to whether Kompany would return for the next 
game against Burnley at Turf Moor on March 14, though Pellegrini’s aim 
of freshening up the side certainly worked. <br />

Following their Clarets clash, City travel to Barcelona for the 
second leg of their Champions League last 16 game against the Catalan 
kings, with Pellegrini’s men 14/1 to make it to the quarter-final stage at the very least, though must hope they can first overturn a 2-1 deficit.</div>

Are Manchester City still in good Kompany with Vincent?

Manchester City, 6/1 with Coral to win the Premier League title, dropped captain Vincent Kompany for their 2-0 victory over...

17:19

Marco Reus contract extension boosts desperate Borussia Dortmund

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          Borussia Dortmund, 5/2 chances with Coal to win their Champions League last 16 first leg away at Juventus, have been bolstered by the news that star forward Marco Reus has extended his contract with the club until the summer of 2019.<br />

This comes in spite of Jurgen Klopp’s team occupying a spot in the 
Bundesliga’s bottom three after a nightmarish first half of their 
domestic campaign. Dortmund’s dearth in German football comes in stark 
contrast to their European adventure, however, where they lost just once
 en route to reaching the knockout phase of the Champions League.<br />

By committing his future to the side whose academy he spent a decade 
in (1996-2006), Reus appears to be rejecting overtures from Real Madrid.
 Los Blancos have been strongly and consistently linked with a swoop for
 him.<br />

In recent years, the likes of compatriot quartet Christoph Metzelder,
 Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos have all played for the 
Bernabeu outfit, but it seems Reus prefers his hometown team. He even 
said as much.<br />

“I am very happy with my decision for Borussia Dortmund,” said Reus. 
“Dortmund is my hometown and Borussia is simply my club. I look forward 
to a successful future with our team and our fantastic fans behind us. 
There is plenty to do and I want to really get stuck in.”<br />
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Marco Reus contract extension boosts desperate Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund, 5/2 chances with Coal to win their Champions League last 16 first leg away at Juventus, have been bolster...

17:11

Five Bundesliga trailblazers who could set Premier League alight

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          Many a Premier League pundit and supporter will have been disappointed to read reports that Marco Reus has penned a new deal with struggling boyhood club Borussia Dortmund, increasing his rumoured release clause and making a summer switch unlikely.<br />

Fear not though fans, as the Bundesliga boasts many top talents that 
are currently dazzling German audiences but could make the move to 
English shores. Here, Coral writers pick five alternative and brilliant 
Bundesliga players to be had.<br />

<strong>Ricardo Rodriguez (Left back, Wolfsburg)</strong><br />
Linked with Manchester United last summer, Wolfsburg’s rampant left back
 Rodriguez could soon find himself a top target for a raft of elite 
European clubs.<br />

The Switzerland star impressed for his nation during the World Cup 
and has since continued to shine at club level, providing six assists 
and two goals. Rodriguez recently signed a contract extension with Die 
Wolfe, but new deals rarely mean much these days; just ask Swansea City 
about Wilfried Bony.<br />

An asset in offence, flying full back Rodriguez would suit Brendan 
Rodgers’ attacking aspirations perfectly at Liverpool. Strong, tenacious
 and able to contribute curling crosses and threatening set pieces, he 
possesses all the attributes to become a top class Premier League 
player.<br />

<strong>Gotoku Sakai (Right back, Stuttgart)</strong><br />
Despite often leaving a lot to be desired in defence, adaptable 
attacking full back Sakai possesses obvious potential going forward.<br />

Always keen to overlap with widemen and burst down the flanks, the 
23-year-old Japan international would seem to be an ideal Arsene Wenger 
recruit. <br />

With the Emirates outfit well-stocked in his position, however, 
Southampton could be an alternative destination for determined Sakai, 
with Ronald Koeman’s defensive nous potentially the making of the 
swashbuckling Blue Samurai star, should he need to replace Nathaniel 
Clyne.<br />

<strong>Max Meyer (Attacking midfielder, Schalke)</strong><br />
Most of the hype surrounding Schalke’s starlets has previously focused 
on Julian Draxler, whilst deep-lying playmaker Leon Goretzka seems to 
have stolen the title of hidden gem.<br />

Perhaps the player with the most potential from Roberto Di Matteo’s men, however, is versatile attacking midfielder Meyer.<br />

Like some of the best in his position, the young maestro is adept at 
creating space and squeezing through passes in tricky situations.<br />

This season, Meyer added a decisive goal to send Gelsenkirchen club 
Schalke through to the Champions League knockout stages to his list of 
achievements, hinting at a bright future. <br />

If Arsenal (12/5 to win the FA Cup)
 decide to offload one of their stars in summer, young Meyer’s ability 
to link play would see him fit the Gunners like a glove. Long-term, he 
may replace ageing names likes Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky.<br />

<strong>Kevin de Bruyne (Attacking midfielder, Wolfsburg)</strong><br />
Easily the highest-profile player on this list, brilliant De Bruyne is 
an obvious choice to return for the Premier League. Since leaving 
Chelsea, the Belgium international has illustrated his ability to 
instigate attacks with ease and propel both country and club forward.<br />

With eight Bundesliga goals and 11 assists this term, De Brunye is 
both top scorer and supplier for Die Wolfe, making him a true bargain 
buy.<br />

Manchester City and rivals United have already been tipped to bring 
the match-winner back to England and could well make the Blues rue their
 decision to offload.<br />

<strong>Son Heung-Min (Forward, Bayer Leverkusen)</strong><br />
Despite a bout of illness, exciting attacker Heung-Min was hungry for 
goals at the Asian Cup, with his return to the starting XI propelling 
the Taegeuk Warriors into the final.<br />

Two of the talented 22-year-old’s extra-time strikes sank Uzbekistan 
in the quarter-finals, whilst his last ditch equaliser saw South Korea 
run Australia close for the trophy.<br />

Clearly destined for a bigger stage than Leverkusen can provide, 
Heung-Min’s pace and nose for goal would see him a certain star for the 
likes of Liverpool (5/1 to lift the FA Cup) or United, who both require extra potency up top.<br />
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Five Bundesliga trailblazers who could set Premier League alight

Many a Premier League pundit and supporter will have been disappointed to read reports that Marco Reus has penned a new deal w...

17:09

Munich marksman Lewandowski a potential Premier League target

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          Bayern Munich, 11/4 favourites to win the Champions League,
 were held to a goalless draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in their recent last 
16 encounter, with striker Robert Lewandowski failing to earn a place in
 the starting line-up.<br />

Bavarians boss Pep Guardiola opted to leave out his Polish poacher, 
instead starting with a pacey front three of Mario Gotze, Thomas Muller 
and Arjen Robben.<br />

Such a decision proved to be costly as the German league champions 
were held to a shock stalemate in Ukraine, with the Munich manager 
eventually being forced to introduce Lewandowski into proceedings, with 
only 15 minutes left to play. <br />

Like in many of his previous outings, the Pole was unable to make an 
impact as his side stumbled to their second draw in four matches.  <br />

The Poland international arrived at the Allianz Arena last summer 
from bitter Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer, 
after previously helping Jurgen Klopp’s side reach a Champions League 
final in 2012, where he tasted defeat at the hands of his eventual 
employers. <br />

Despite his prowess in front of goal, Lewandowski has endured a 
frustrating year in Germany, scoring just once and being forced to play 
out of position in several games.<br />

In Bayern’s recent 8-0 thumping of German opponents Hamburg, the Pole
 was deployed from an unfamiliar wide position, but still managed to net
 his only strike so far this calendar year. <br />

The 26-year-old’s recent struggle, along with uncertainty over 
Guardiola’s long-term future, has led to suggestions that the former 
Dortmund hitman could depart next summer, joining other recent 
high-profile stars to have left such as Toni Kroos, Xherdan Shaqiri and 
Mario Mandzukic.<br />

With several big names having previously set off to seek regular 
first-team action elsewhere, Lewandowski could soon become the next 
frustrated forward to go down that increasingly familiar road. <br />

The clinical centre forward would provide Premier League outfits such
 as Manchester United or Liverpool with an astute attacking outlet, with
 his great goalscoring attributes. <br />

United’s Dutch boss Louis van Gaal may require a new striker soon, 
with Radamel Falcao’s loan spell set to end, with a permanent deal 
looking very unlikely. <br />

Brendan Rodgers’ Reds could also benefit from the Poland 
international’s abilities, with their current crop of forwards 
stuttering this term. <br />

Despite not displaying his usual freescoring antics this season, 
Lewandowski has still managed to strike 14 times in 31 appearances.<br />

Although, it seems the transition from Dortmund to Munich has been a 
tough test, with the forward having fired in 27 times last term and an 
incredible 36 in the previous campaign, proving there has been a slight 
decline in his form in front of goal. <br />

However, The Warsaw-born star will aim to help fire Munich to further
 Bundesliga success this season, with his side also hoping to reclaim 
their European crown from Spanish giants Real Madrid.<br />

Guardiola’s misused marksman Lewandowski is 50/1 to finish as this season’s Champions League top scorer, having struck twice already in group games against Manchester City and Roma.<br />
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Munich marksman Lewandowski a potential Premier League target

Bayern Munich, 11/4 favourites to win the Champions League, were held to a goalless draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in their recent ...

17:06

Borussia Dortmund determined to continue revived run

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          Borussia Dortmund finished second to Bayern Munich in last 
season’s Bundesliga campaign and were toppled by their German rivals in 
the 2013 Champions League final, but this term they have endured an 
almighty fall from grace.<br />

The Black and Yellows, 28/1 with Coral to win Europe’s elite club competition this year,
 have faltered throughout the season, sinking into the relegation places
 after a series of disastrous defeats and underwhelming performances, 
before recently making a crucial revival.<br />

Jurgen Klopp’s Bundesliga battlers secured an important 3-2 victory 
over fellow fallen giants Stuttgart in their last league outing, 
securing three consecutive triumphs for the first time this season to 
move further away from danger. <br />

Dortmund are now occupying 12th position in the table, following a 
hat-trick of rejuvenated results, climbing three points clear of the 
relegation zone, having spent time at rock-bottom during the prolonged 
winter break.<br />

As well as their recent resurgence in form, a new long-term deal for 
star man Marco Reus has been an incredible boost to Klopp’s side, with 
midfield maestro Ilkay Gundogan also set to commit his immediate future 
to dynamic Dortmund. <br />

To turn form and fortunes around at such a late stage of the campaign
 could be seen as another success for German manager Klopp, as he 
currently takes charge of the Westfalenstadion outfit for a seventh 
consecutive season.<br />

In recent campaigns, Dortmund have devastated top sides with their 
courageous counter-attacking abilities, helping them to clinch 
back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.<br />

However, a fatal switch in tactics could have been a key to their 
previous dramatic downfall, with Dortmund’s possession statistics 
significantly higher this season than in any of their last four league 
campaigns, when they finished in second place each time. <br />

Their previous struggle possibly shows that a swapping of a preferred
 high-energy approach for possession-based gameplay ultimately effected 
Dortmund early in the campaign, with Klopp claiming he eventually had 
time to work on their style during the winter period.<br />

“We’ve now been able to work on so many things that we had no time to
 go over even once in the summer,” said Klopp. “We weren’t able to work 
tactically one single time because the lads first had to get into decent
 shape.”<br />

After recovering from their domestic dip, optimism is now very high 
at the club, with a European place for next season still within their 
grasp, and Champions League success possible this term.<br />

Klopp’s gallant side face dominant Serie A leaders Juventus in the 
round of 16, with Dortmund hoping to transfer their domestic revival on 
to the European stage.<br />

Despite their poor run of form before the winter break, the Black and
 Yellows impressively finish top of Group D with just a single defeat, 
while netting 14 times. <br />

Meetings with the Old Lady have been rare, but the last proved to be 
memorable for the German outfit, having claimed a 3-1 Champions League 
final victory over their Italian opponents in 1997.<br />

Given that this season’s showcase event is being held in Munich, 
Klopp’s revived team will be even more motivated ahead of their latest 
clash. <br />

Dortmund will hope to call upon past successes as a good omen, as 
well as their league resurgence, to clinch further European glory, and 
are even-money to qualify for the quarter-finals this year.<br />
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Borussia Dortmund determined to continue revived run

Borussia Dortmund finished second to Bayern Munich in last season’s Bundesliga campaign and were toppled by their German rivals ...