The Thrill of European Football Leagues

This blog has become a sports niche blog and if you have noticed in the recent posts that I had, 90% of it, I have been writing about sports and majority of it is on a sport that I haven't played a single game ever in my life. I have been writing updates, news and previews about football since March 2011 from the La Liga to Serie A that extends towards the European Champions League games with a brief stopover in the Premier League.

But most of what I wrote is about my favorite team Real Madrid, which you might notice that I have been very biased at some point. There’s just so much to say about the Los Blancos especially their rivalry against Barca and take note that there have been four El Clasico that happened in less than a month. They met each other in three different league games starting from their second Clasico in La Liga going to the finals of Copa del Rey and it ended at their Champions League semifinal meeting that provokes unwarranted circumstances.

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Most of the European League at this time is almost finish and there are only two or three games left to go but only in Serie A that a definite champion is proclaimed already whatever is the outcome of Inter Milan’s game. Even if they will win, there are no enough points to surpass city rival AC Milan in claiming the Scudetto for the first time since 2004. It is even sweeter for they stopped the 5 year reign and dominance of Inter in the domestic league.

Other interesting matches to watch are the games of ManU and Chelsea and Barca against city rival Espanyol. The odds are, if ManU wins it will set them six points clear from Chelsea and needed one more point to claim a record breaking 19 Premier League trophies with two more games remaining. While Barca on the other hand, if they win, it would be near impossible for Real Madrid to catch them up and they can claim the La Liga trophy with a draw at Levante mid of this week.

AC Milan Clinch Serie A Title

AC Milan did not prolong the agony of waiting for another game to be crowned Serie A champions. The Rossoneri did not waste time in ending the five year dominance of city rival Inter Milan by clinching the Scudetto with a 0-0 draw at Roma. Milan won the Italian title for the first time since 2004 in just several minutes ago. Although Inter still has three more games left and if they win in all of its remaining matches, they could still tie AC Milan in 78 points (even if they lose in their last two games) but Milan holds the tie breaker advantage by sweeping both their league matches.

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The Serie A title is decided by the head-to-head record if teams finish level on points unlike in the Premier League that uses goal difference in deciding in case there’s a need for tie breaker.

While in Spain, Real Madrid kept their slim chance of claiming the La Liga title with a thrashing 6-2 win at Sevilla and hoping Barcelona will lose at home against city rival Espanyol on 8 May. A Barca loss will give the Los Blancos another day of hope knowing that there are still nine more points left to grab. If Barcelona won, the slim chance will become so dim that it is near impossible for Real to catch up unless Barca loses in their last three games. Which is very unlikely to happen for they only lost twice this season and with the kind of form they are playing they probably will win two major trophies this season.

Pacquiao VS Mosley: Who Will You Pick

The time has come for Pacquiao and Mosley to face each other in the square ring at MGM Grand on Saturday 7 May, Sunday in some part of the world. After months of endless hype, finally we will see one of the greatest fights in boxing history.

Who will you pick then?

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The oddsmakers in the gambling town of Las Vegas made PacMan a 6-1 favorite to beat Mosley and defend his WBO welterweight title but Sugar Shane dismissed any suggestions that he is past his prime and was in decline but not to mention that he is 39 years old already. Although some critics would say that there could be surprises in the early rounds and in fact, Mosley has said that it’s going to get very interesting, very quick. Whether Mosley is not in a decline and not too old to fight Pacquiao, we must understand that having slow reflexes against Pacquiao is a big problem knowing that he has a lightning fast hands and very quick to evade counter punch. And before you knew it, he is already long been gone and out of reach. I don’t know if Mosley can keep up with that which brings to another question.

But there are more on what boxing gloves Manny are wearing on the fight night than the fight itself. He will use a pair of yellow boxing gloves that symbolizes hope to end poverty. Which Manny have said, that his biggest fight is how to end poverty in the Philippines.

Nonetheless, whatever is the outcome of the fight tomorrow; Pacquiao is guaranteed to earn $20 (whooping) million price money and remember that’s not to include the share of the pay per view that could possibly even reach up to $1.5 million sales.

And one more thing though, Pacquiao VS Mosley is not the only important sport to watch tomorrow. The Rossoneri is trying to take the Scudetto for the first time since 2004 with even just a draw against Roma.

European Football News and Previews

The Champions League game last night between Manchester United and Schalke came into conclusion in a fantastic fashion of football skills. Although it has long gone decided who would be in the finals after ManU defeated their opponent 2-0 at Veltins Arena. And I thought the game at Old Trafford would just be a formality considering that there are several key players who did not show action and was left to rest for their upcoming Premier League match with Chelsea on Sunday, 8 May. The game is crucial for both teams since ManU is only 3 points clear from the Blues.

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Any slip up could mean disastrous to any of the two but more importantly to the Red Devils. Aside from protecting the 3 points lead, it will also be the deciding factor if Chelsea won and both emerge victorious in their own remaining 2 games. In that case, Chelsea will have an advantage since they could move ahead in goal difference as they are currently tied at 38. But the way ManU are playing last night’s Champions League match, they played a superb and nearly flawless game by thrashing Schalke 4-1. More so that the Red Devils is unbeaten at Old Trafford this season and they have defeated Chelsea in the Champions League quarterfinals and a draw in their first game at Stamford Bridge.

But the Blues are not quite ready to hand over the Premier League title yet, for they have the momentum at their side. The fact sheets would tell that they are unbeaten in their last 11 games and on a 5 games winning streak.

Nonetheless, it is not the only game that a must see match for AC Milan is also banking for its first Scudetto since 2004. And they could clinch it on Saturday by just a draw at AS Roma despite having 2 games more left to play after that as goal difference does not apply in Serie A but the head to head record, instead. A draw will tie them with Inter, granting the Nerazzurri will win their remaining 3 games, but the Rossoneri had a head to head advantage by beating them in their 2 games.

The European football has been jumped packed with superlative football actions starting last month in La Liga with the rare four El Clasico.

Serie A - The Race for the Scudetto Goes on

In the past five years when Inter brought home the Scudetto and dominated all opponents, there are only 2 teams competing for the top position. And with six more games left to play, (statistically) there are six teams competing for this season’s Scudetto and the point’s difference is very close. Any single mistake could be a big thing and possibly not claiming the silverware. There are still 18 points left to grab and with this game so tight, every team is aiming for a win each time they play and every single game is so important.

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Despite Roma being at the bottom of the six, it is still possible for them to take home the Scudetto although a very slight chance. While the top three teams only holding a slight advantage too with a single game slip up could cause them to lose the lead. At the moment Milan is on a three point lead from Napoli, who took advantage of Inter’s loss last week at the hands of city rival Milan.

In the next two games of AC Milan is crucial since they will be playing the lower tier teams and that would mean additional 6 points. And for the next four games Milan will be playing without the suspended (again) Ibra. And I think it will go down the wire at the very last game of the season before a champion could be decided.

Go Rossoneri…!