Posts Tagged ‘Champions League’

The teams are equally strong and Liverpool is constantly building pace towards them so they don’t want to lose in the middle of nowhere and advised to hold their nerve. Manchester united is boosting towards premiership title and with a number of record under their name. The most prominent is goal keeper Edwin van der SAR set new record of without conceding goal from 1212 minutes. The outstanding performance by goal keeper who is a prominent figure of club since he joined Manchester united and holds regular position in final eleven with great courage and nerve. Manchester united has reputation of wining in champions’ league with record of 12 home match victories consecutively and most FA cup titles. Manchester united were first English club who won champions league by beating Benefica. It is richest club among world’s most famous club in list and only club in history of soccer which won a treble in season which means they won premiership title and FA cup title and third most prominent and famous European Champions league title during one season.Manchester united player Cristiano Ronaldo is awarded FIFA player of the year award due to his magnificent performance and he played vital role in victory. The club is going to make another record which is a title won by a club and that is number up to 18. Manchester united is on top with 56 point in 24 games and 2 points difference from second number Liverpool with a game in hand which is still to play. Sir Alex Ferguson is focus and determine as he always handle his club with same reputation and 17 win with 75 % success rate is awesome. The tougher companion Chelsea are facing hard time and having 7 point behind and a game in Manchester hand possibly made it 10 point lead over board when they are going to play against Fulham on 18th of this month and you should get actions from live soccer scores websites. Do not miss any of exciting Manchester united matches for rest of season and soccer results are available which show you accurate soccer news.Manchester united is waiting for their important matches of FA challenge cup into fifth round with derby and couple of league matches before carling cup final with Tottenham Hotspur. The red devils are back into action soon in couple of week with Inter Milan in hot European championships league second round. Jose Mourinho ex-Chelsea manager is up front with Inter Milan to face Manchester united and Italian giants are considered dangerous this season with Jose Mourinho and they are leading in Italian Serie A. with their current record Manchester is well deserve on track to win both competition and considered favorite to win premier league. The most prominent and desired match in European champions league is Manchester united VS inter Milan on 24th February.Enjoy the action of these two teams on with updated soccer livescore information on ScoresPro.com.

Soccer jerseys are now one of the most popular sportswear items in the world and this is purely down to the massive and ever increasing popularity of the sport. Soccer really has become the number one supported sport in the world which has increased fans interest in different soccer jerseys.  Every team has at least a home and away jersey but many often have a 3rd jersey, usually used for playing in some sort of competition like the Champions League.

Most fans buy at least one of the jerseys for their club sometimes getting the name and number of their favourite players on the back of their jersey, or indeed their own custom name and number. What has been increasing though is the interest in not just your teams but also other teams jerseys from around the world, with Premiership soccer jerseys in particular being very popular at the moment largely due to the fame of players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres.

The top teams in the world usually change their jerseys either every year or every two years meaning that the designs are always having to change. One of the biggest changes we have seen over the last few years is the move towards synthetic materials for making jerseys. Soccer jerseys had previously been made of cotton but this stuck to players when they began to sweat so new materials have been developed for the jerseys that make them absorb less moisture which makes it more comfortable to wear whilst playing soccer.

Major international competitions like the World Cup are major sporting events on the soccer calendar and give fans the chance to support their country.  International soccer jerseys are very popular throughout the competitions as it allows fans to show their support for their country or their favourite player.

The top football jersey manufacturers in the world are Nike, Adidas, Umbro and Puma but more and more manufacturers are starting to come on the scene most notably the like of Lotto and Canterbury have began to grab themselves a foothold in the market.

With the soccer season just finishing we are just about to get to the time of year when the new jerseys are getting released. A lot of the new soccer jerseys will be available for pre-order at the moment with the official release date likely to be towards the end of June for most shirts.

He’s the best player in the world and one of the best in football history. He’s content and that’s why he’s playing the way he is”. Leo joined Barca as a youth team player back in 2001 during which he won a host of trophies. He also played a leading role in the club’s recent unprecedented title treble – the Primera Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. Scoring 38 goals in the three competitions, and helping with 16 assists, Messi is now a popular choice to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as FIFA World Player of the Year this December.

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The striker’s contract with Barca was to expire in 2014, but he signed a new one that keeps him with the club until 2016, which will probably be the best years in his career. Ending all speculation, Leo claimed, “I want to spend all my career here, in Barcelona, if it’s possible. I would love to finish at Barcelona. This contract is a result of everything that happened last year and of what I have done since coming into the first team. I am simply one more person in this spectacular group of players, where there is a team that is very nice, very united and in which I am simply part of continuing to win things”. According to the new deal, Messi’s release clause increases from 150million Euros to 250million Euros.

Laporta declared, “This is the best news Barca can receive today. It is important to have a player with his human qualities and his football ability. This deal recognizes all that he gives to Barcelona. It is impossible to imagine the team without a player like Messi. We expect Leo to retire here with Barca.” This announcement was expected for some time now and coach Pep Guardiola joined in to express his delight, “It’s an immense piece of news for the club and for the player that Messi is renewing his contract, as it also was when Victor Valdes and Xavi did so. People go to football to see the best and that’s what they are. It’s a privilege for Barca to have some of the best footballers like Messi.”

Next on the club president’s list is captain Carles Puyol, whose services he also hopes to retain at Camp Nou. There have been rumors that the captain is not too happy ever since Barca acquired Ukrainian defender, Dmytro Chygrynskiy. Laporta asserted, “I am convinced that Puyol is keen to end his career at Barca. But I also understand that a player of his age examines the possibility of having an experience outside of Spain.” Let’s see how the cookie crumbles over the next couple of months.

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Signed Real Madrid Shirt
Personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo
This Real Madrid home shirt was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in permanent black ink an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons in Madrid on November 22, 2009.

Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the world. After winning the Champions League and Premiership with Manchester United he moved to Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £80 million.

The shirt comes in presentation packaging with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Ronaldo signing the shirt. Only a limited edition of these shirts was signed by Ronaldo making it a highly collectable piece of sports memorabilia.
Buy Cristiano Ronaldo signed real madrid shirt now

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Manchester United Champions League Winner Shirt

£249.99


This Manchester United shirt was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in permanent black ink an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Portuguese striker in Manchester on February 13, 2009.The shirt comes with special embroidery commemorating the magical night in May 2008 in Moscow when Man Utd overcame Chelsea to win the Champions League. Ronaldo scored the Red Devils' only goal with a towering header to fulfil his dream of becoming a European champion... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Manchester United Shirt - Champions League Away Kit 2008-09

£199.99


This Manchester United away shirt with Champions League numbering was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the United and Portugal striker in Manchester on February 13, 2009.On the front of the shirt is a badge commemorating the 40th anniversary of United's European Cup victory in 1968 when they famously wore a blue change kit while defeating Benfica 4-1 at Wembley.Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Manchester United Photo - Premiership Winner 2007-08

£99.99


This fantastic photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the United and Portugal winger in Manchester on February 13, 2009.The number seven scored an incredible 31 league goals as United romped home to the Premiership title, and this image captures his joy on being presented with the trophy.He is currently the number one player in the world and has enjoyed an incredible 12 months, winning the Premiership,... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Manchester United Photo - Champions League Winner 2007-08

£99.99


This fantastic photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Portuguese forward in Manchester on February 13, 2009.It shows the number seven holding the Champions League trophy after Utd had beaten Chelsea to become European Champions for the third time. Ronaldo scored the Red Devils' only goal on that incredible night in Moscow, rising above the Chelsea defence to power home a header.He is currently the... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Manchester United Photo - Champions League Final Goal

£99.99


This fantastic photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Portuguese forward in Manchester on February 13, 2009.It shows the number seven after he had scored the Red Devils' only goal on that incredible night in Moscow, May 2008, when United overcame Chelsea to become European Champions for the third time.Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the world and has enjoyed an incredible 12 months,... More

Edwin Van Der Sar Signed Manchester United Photo: Kissing The European Cup

£64.99


This photo was personally signed by Edwin van der Sar in a private signing session on October 9, 2008 in Manchester. It shows the Dutch goalkeeper lifting the Champions League trophy for Man United in Moscow on May 21, 2008.The tie went to extra time then penalties after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea's Frank Lampard had cancelled each other out in normal time. John Terry needed only to score Chelsea's fifth penalty to take the trophy to Stamford Bridge for the first time, but,... More

Edwin Van Der Sar Signed Manchester United Photo: The Save That Won The Champions League

£64.99


This photo was personally signed by Edwin van der Sar in a private signing session on October 9, 2008 in Manchester. It shows the Dutch goalkeeper saving Nicolas Anelka's penalty to win the Champions League final for Man Utd in Moscow on May 21, 2008.The tie went to extra time then penalties after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea's Frank Lampard had cancelled each other out in normal time. John Terry needed only to score Chelsea's fifth penalty to take the trophy to Stamford... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Shirt

£249.99


This Real Madrid home shirt was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in silver ink at an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons in Madrid on November 22, 2009.Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the world. After winning the Champions League and Premiership with Manchester United he moved to Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £80 million.The shirt comes in presentation packaging with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid Shirt Signed On The Front

£249.99


This Real Madrid home shirt was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in permanent black ink an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons in Madrid on November 22, 2009.Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the world. After winning the Champions League and Premiership with Manchester United he moved to Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £80 million.The shirt comes in presentation packaging with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Away Shirt

£249.99


This Real Madrid away shirt was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in permanent black ink an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons in Madrid on November 22, 2009.Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the world. After winning the Champions League and Premiership with Manchester United he moved to Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £80 million.The shirt comes in presentation packaging with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Portugal Home Shirt 2008-10

£249.99


This Portugal home shirt was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in permanent black ink an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the outrageously talented striker in Madrid on November 22, 2009.Ronaldo is currently the number one player in the world. After winning the Champions League and Premiership with Manchester United he moved to Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £80 million.The shirt comes in presentation packaging with an official... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Football Boot - Nike Mercurial Vapor IV Citron

£249.99


This Nike Mercurial Vapor IV boot, in Citron, was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in a private exclusive signing session organised and carried out by icons.com in Madrid on November 22, 2009.Cristiano is currently the number one footballer in the world after his record-breaking 80 million pound transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid.These boots come with a certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Cristiano signing. More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Football Boot - Nike Mercurial Vapor V

£249.99


This Nike Mercurial Vapor V boot, in Orion Blue, was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in a private exclusive signing session organised and carried out by icons.com in Madrid on November 22, 2009.Cristiano is currently the number one footballer in the world after his record-breaking 80 million pound transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid.These boots come with a certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Cristiano signing. More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Photo: The Unstoppable Free-Kick

£99.99


This beautiful photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the United and Portugal forward in Manchester on November 22, 2009.The Madrid number nine has become known for his trademark free-kicks, which bend and swerve so viciously that they are at times virtually unstoppable.The photo is 16 by 12 inches and comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Ronaldo signing. It is very rare... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Photo: Unveiled At The Bernabeu

£99.99


This beautiful photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Real Madrid and Portugal forward in Madrid on November 22, 2009.It shows the world's best player being unveiled at the Bernabeu after his record-breaking £80 million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid. An astonishing 80,000 fans turned out to greet the striker on Monday, July 6, 2009, which heralded a new era of galacticos.The... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Photo: Goal Celebration

£99.99


This fantastic photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Real Madrid and Portugal forward in Madrid on November 22, 2009.It shows Cristiano celebrating after scoring against Xerez in the Spanish La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday September 20, 2009.The photo is 16 by 12 inches and comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Ronaldo signing. It is very rare... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Photo: In Action

£99.99


This superb photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Real Madrid and Portugal forward in Madrid on November 22, 2009.It shows Cristiano running with the ball during a match at the Santiago Bernabeu in one of his first games for the club.The photo is 16 by 12 inches and comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Ronaldo signing. It is very rare that Ronaldo agrees to a private... More

Cristiano Ronaldo Signed Real Madrid Photo: What A Goal!

£99.99


This beautiful photograph was personally signed by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Real Madrid and Portugal forward in Madrid on November 22, 2009.It shows Cristiano celebrating after scoring for Madrid against Xerex in La Liga and has been signed in silver pen.The photo is 16 by 12 inches and comes with an official certificate of authenticity featuring an image of Ronaldo signing. It is very rare that Ronaldo agrees to a private... More

Edwin Van Der Sar Signed Manchester United Photo: Champions League Winner

£64.99


This photo was personally signed by Edwin van der Sar in a private signing session on October 9, 2008 in Manchester. It shows the Dutch goalkeeper towering over John Terry after the Chelsea captain missed the penalty that would have won the Champions League.The tie went to extra time then penalties after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard had cancelled each other out in normal time. John Terry needed only to score Chelsea's fifth penalty to take the trophy to Stamford Bridge for... More

Xabi Alonso Signed Real Madrid Shirt

£199.99


This official Real Madrid replica shirt was signed by Xabi Alonso in silver ink at a private signing session organised and carried out by Icons in Madrid on January 28, 2010.Alonso signed for Madrid for £30 million in the summer of 2009 and has rapidly established himself as a key player at the Bernabeu, where he feeds the likes of Kaka, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo with his incisive passing.The shirt comes in presentation packaging with an official certificate of authenticity featuring... More

Signed Manchester United home shirt: 2009-10
Personally signed by Ryan Giggs
This Manchester United home shirt was personally signed by Ryan Giggs in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Man Utd and Wales winger in Manchester on November 19, 2009.

This is Man United’s current jersey and the one in which Ryan continues to add to his record number of appearances for the club. Ryan is a legend at United having won a record 11 Premiership titles and two Champions League winners medals. He is the ultimate one-club man, and a real fans’ favourite.

 The signed United shirt would make a perfect gift for any Man U fan. But now the Ryan Giggs Signed Manchester United Shirt&lt

Ryan Giggs Signed Man Utd Photo: Record Eleventh Premiership

£49.99


This superb print shows Ryan Giggs lifting the Premiership trophy on May 16, 2009, for a record 11th time. Manchester United saw off strong challenges from Chelsea and Liverpool, finally securing the trophy at Old Trafford against Arsenal. In doing so, United won the league title for the 18th time, equalling Liverpool's long-held record.Giggs played a vital role throughout the season, and many observers felt he was the outstanding player in the Premiership over the course of the... More

Ryan Giggs Signed Manchester United Shirt

£179.99


This Manchester United home shirt was personally signed by Ryan Giggs in an exclusive signing session organised and carried out by Icons with the Man Utd and Wales winger in Manchester on November 19, 2009.This is Man United's current jersey and the one in which Ryan continues to add to his record number of appearances for the club. Ryan is a legend at United having won a record 11 Premiership titles and two Champions League winners medals. He is the ultimate one-club man, and a real fans&... More

Once again there are three English Clubs in the semi finals of the Champions League and all three have arrived playing some of the best football of their respective seasons. Under normal circumstances, bookmakers would make an English Club winning the Trophy an ‘odds on’ bet, but such is the talent of the Barcelona team, that they are finding it difficult to take them on, therefore, it is the Spaniards who are currently favourites to win the most prestigious trophy in European football.
Barcelona under coach, Josep Guardiola, have been breaking record after record this season. They have become a goal machine, scoring five times or more in nine matches and have broken the La Liga scoring record in the process with stillseveral games remaining in the season. If Guardiola is the inspiration off the pitch, then it is surely the brilliant Argentinian, Lionel Messi, who is the inspiration on it.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United might well be officially the best player in the world, but Messi is for many the unofficial version and will undoubtedly claim the crown from Ronaldo later in the year. Messi controls the tempo of the team and it appears that everything he touches turns to gold, whether it be shooting, passing, dribbling or just space making. There has not been one team this season who has found the answer to controlling him and if one is not found soon, then Barcelona may as well be given the trophy now and none of the remaining English sides will fancy facing him or his team mates, particularly Chelsea who face barca in the Semi Finals.
Chelsea will be the first of the English teams to take on them in the forthcoming semi final. They play the first leg at Nou Camp and Barcelona have already been installed as odds on favourites to win the leg. Chelsea however, under coach Gus Hiddink are a rejuvenated outfit, with a defence that on its day is second to none. They have players of the calibre of Michael Essien, who they will place on Messi in the same way as he was placed to great affect against Steven Gerard of Liverpool in the quarter final first leg at Anfield where they won convincingly 3-1.
If Essien can negate the threat of Messi then Chelsea will be in with a great chance to shock the footballing world, particularly as their key striker, Didier Drogba and key midfielder, Frank Lampard are back to their scoring best.
In the other tie, Manchester United will take on old rivals Arsenal in a two leg all English tie that quite frankly could go either way. United, barring a little glitch last month have been the most consistent and efficient team in the Premier League this season, while Arsenal, who have been injury hit have now got back most of their key players and are on a long run of 19 unbeaten games.
Whatever the outcomes of both matches, it is fair to say that the best four teams in Europe have all justified their presence and all are extremely capable. However, it looks like Barcelona will justify the faith of the Bookmakers and win the trophy for the third time in their history. However, with five fascinating games to go, including the final in Rome on 27th May their are sure to be plenty or twists and turns and excitement for the fans.

The return of Florentino Perez as chairman of Real Madrid sees the policy of signing big-name stars – or galacticos – back at the Bernabeu as Los Blancos look to challenge Barcelona in the La Liga and on the European stage. Last season was Barcelona’s most successful in a long time a Josep Guardiola – in his first year as manager – led the Catalan spearheaded by Lionel Messi to success in La Liga, the Champions League and the Spanish domestic cup – the first time a Spanish club has won those three trophies in one year. Perez has signaled his intent to challenge Barcelona early on by breaking the world record transfer fee twice. First, the Brazilian Kaka was signed from AC Milan for £56million before Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo was bought for £80m. This mirrors Real Madrid’s transfer activity when Perez first took over the club in 2000, when he signed Luis Figo for a then record fee of £37m before breaking that record the following year when he purchased Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for £46m. As well as Kaka and Ronaldo, Real Madrid has confirmed the signing of Raul Albiol, the Valencia centre back. In his previous tenure, Perez was criticised for his buying policy as he tended to focus on attacking players too heavily and, indeed, the sale of defensive midfielder Claude Makelele to Chelsea is seen by many to be the downfall of Real Madrid after a promising start to Perez’s presidency. The 2008-09 season saw Barcelona lauded for playing attractive, attacking football and as well as winning a historic treble, the club beat fierce rivals Real Madrid 2-6 in the El Clasico derby – this is the most goals scored by Barca in this fixture and the biggest win since the 1970s when Johan Cruyff led Barcelona to a 0-5 win. Before the start of the season, a motion of no confident was raised club president Joan Laporta who narrowly survived the attempt to oust him. Spurred into action, he made major changes to the playing staff and brought in former player Guardiola to take charge of them. This brought great success to the club and many eyes are looking to the Catalan club to see what their next move is. By the end of June, they had yet to make any additions to their squad although journalists had written about many players taking Barcelona flights to join the Spanish and European champions as they look to fend off a new challenge from Real Madrid.

The Sporting Index traders have priced up the outright Champions League win index and have installed the two big Spanish sides as the favourites. The current champions, Barcelona, did spread bettors a big favour last season, comfortably winning La Liga, as well as producing an assured performance to beat Man United in the final in Rome. Their spread, before a ball has been kicked, is set at 42-45 (100 points for the winner, 75 for runner-up, 50 for losing semi-finalist, 25 for losing quarter-finalist and 10 for last 16) and they will be many people’s idea of the winner again this time around. However, their arch rivals Real Madrid will also carry a lot of spread bettors’ cash after getting through a shed-load of the stuff themselves this summer to bring in the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema and Alonso. Manuel Pelligrini’s side are next best in the index with a 38-41 point spread, but the problem for those who fancy either of these sides on the spreads is that no individual country has won back-to-back competitions for 20 years. Milan were the last club (and Italy the last country) to win it two years in a row back in 1990, so spread sellers of the big Spanish two have some reason for optimism.

Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to have a big bearing on Real Madrid’s European ambitions and those punters following Madrid on the spreads will be hoping the Portuguese winger can give Los Blancos their 10th European Cup success. If they do make it to the final, it is more than likely that they will face an English side – possibly his old club Man United. Following a break of five years without an English side contesting the final after United won it in 1999, one or more of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or United have been involved in the last five. Madrid, on the other hand, have had a very disappointing recent record in Europe’s most important competition, failing to make it to the final since they last won it courtesy of Zidane’s wonder strike in 2002. Spread bettors following them will have to take a huge leap of faith that the new Galacticos can prove themselves up to the mark.

Although England are the equal second most successful nation in the competition, patriotic spread punters will be aware that all of the last four runners-up have been from Blighty. That isn’t too bad though for those buying them on the outright win index and the Sporting Index market makers make the next four in the list England’s very own Big Four. Chelsea, although never having won the competition, are joint second favourites with a 38-41 point spread, Man United are next best at 34-37, with Arsenal 30-33 and Liverpool 29-32. Spread bettors are normally far too sensible to follow random patterns, but in the last five years, the winners have been from: England, Spain, Italy, England, Spain… If the pattern is to continue, Inter Milan are the most likely Italian team to lift the prize and their spread has been set at 25-28.

Several European teams are getting prepared for the next qualifying round which is going to be held this next weekend. Portugal and Sweden are going to play this Saturday October 11th and while Portugal recovers their all star player Cristiano Ronaldo, Sweden on the other hand, has lost almost half of their top players because of injuries.

The match is going to be held at the Rasunda Stadium, in Sweden, where the local team has only lost one game in 10 years.

Portugal, which is part of the UEFA Group 1, currently is at the 4th place of the group with three points after beating Malta 4-0. However, after that they were beaten at home by Denmark 3-2. The 3 teams in the group placed above Portugal are Denmark, Albania and Sweden, all of them with four points after two games.

“From here on in it’s going to be difficult and we can’t lose any more games like we did against Denmark,” said Ronaldo “I can assure you we’ll be looking for three points in Sweden,” he added. “I want us to play our usual game and make the Swedes defend and cause them headaches…”.

Ronaldo was a doubt since he underwent an ankle surgery after the Euro 2008. In Portugal lineup, there are some important players missing too. Deco, who plays with Chelsea, has a torn muscle and cannot play. Midfielder Maniche, winger Simao Sabrosa and central defender Ricardo Carvalho are also sidelined with injuries.

However, for Sweden the picture is even worse, Strikers Henrik Larsson and Markus Rosenberg, defender Olof Mellberg, and midfielders Christian Wilhelmsson, Tobias Linderoth and Anders Svensson are out of the team due to injuries as well.

On the other hand, for UEFA Group 5 in the qualifying round, there are a lot of concerns about injuries too for the games of this weekend. For the Spanish coach, Vicente del Bosque, the mayor concerns are Sergio Ramos and Andres Iniesta who had both leg injuries. Nevertheless, there are also some good news for the team, some of the players that were injured are now back, such as Carles Puyol, Carlos Marchena and Raul Albiol, and some others are expected to be back later.

Del Bosque is considering on making some other changes in the midfield since two of the players are sidelined. But after all, they are very confident with the work that the team has been doing since they consider that they cannot be playing better than right now and that they are targeting the most important title. Spain is facing Estonia this coming Saturday and they are planning to do their best at this game.

Xavi Hernandez also expressed that he is pleased with the team, “Without a doubt, we all feel more appreciated, more important across the world. We just needed to win something,” Xavi said. “Myself, personally, I feel better prepared, stronger.” Some other teams are getting prepared as well, since most of the second round qualification matches are going to be held during the weekend. Certainly this will be a very exciting weekend and we will be anxious to see the results.