ade it back to the Champions League final a year after win

ade it back to the Champions League final a year after win

30.03.2018 13:21

MADRID -- Real Madrid is relying on the successful formula of a year ago as it attempts to become the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles, betting on the same stars who triumphed last season.Confident that it already has what it takes to repeat as champion, Madrid bypassed high-profile signings after clinching its 11th European trophy last year, limiting its moves to players not in the starting lineup entering the new season.Madrids only significant addition ahead of its Champions League debut against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday was young forward Alvaro Morata, who spent two seasons with Juventus and played for Spain at Euro 2016. It also brought back Marco Asensio from his loan at Espanyol, a midfielder who has been playing well and also made it to Spains national team. Several players left, including Jese Rodriguez to Paris Saint-Germain, but none who had been playing regularly among the starters.There should be no major changes to the starting lineup from the team that defeated Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout in last seasons final.Were in very good shape ahead of the Champions League. Weve got many players who are back and available and thats key, midfielder Luka Modric said. Weve got an impressive squad. In every position weve got two or three players and were very happy with that.Many of Madrids title rivals added new players, but Madrid president Florentino Perez and coach Zinedine Zidane didnt feel the need to go shopping for more top players even though a one-year signing ban from FIFA was looming for breaking rules protecting underage players. The ban went into effect after this summers transfer window.The squad again will be led by the likes of Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.The team is looking good and solid, Ronaldo said after Madrid routed Osasuna 5-2 in the Spanish league on Saturday. Weve started well and I hope we can continue to do well.Madrid started the new season on the right foot, winning the UEFA Super Cup and its first three Spanish league games to take the early lead in the competition it hasnt won since 2012.There are a lot of games coming up and weve got very good strength in depth and good players, Zidane said. Well be looking to continue this good run.Madrid was drawn into Group F in this years Champions League, which also has Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw.---HISTORYOnly four teams ever made it back to the Champions League final a year after winning the title: Milan in 1995, Ajax in 1996, Juventus in 1997 and Manchester United in 2009.Milan was the last team to win consecutive European titles, before the new Champions League was created in 1992-93. The Italian team did it in 1989-90. Ten years earlier, Nottingham Forest won back-to-back titles in 1979-80. Liverpool had consecutive triumphs in 1977-78. Benfica and Inter Milan also won back-to-back titles.Bayern Munich won three in a row from 1974-76, and Ajax did the same from 1971-73. Real Madrid won the first five European competitions, from 1956-60.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/tales-azzoni NHL Jerseys Cheap . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. Cheap NHL Jerseys . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. http://www.chinajerseysnhl.com/ . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Cheap NHL Jerseys China . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. NHL Jerseys Wholesale . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. TORONTO -- Team Russia was without veteran forward Pavel Datsyuk against Team Finland on Thursday because of a minor injury.Datsyuk, 38, sustained a lower-body injury during Wednesdays practice and left the ice. Russia needs to beat Finland in order to advance to the semifinals of the World Cup of Hockey. If Finland wins, then Team North America, a team of 23-and-under players, will advance to the semifinals.dddddddddddd.In Datsyuks absence, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who has started all three games for Russia in this best-on-best tournament, will need to be on top of his game against Finland. He has stopped 70 of 75 shots so far. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Authentic Jerseys ' ' '


Melden Sie sich an, um die Kommentarfunktion zu nutzen


Xobor Xobor Blogs
Datenschutz