Barry's Blog

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE MAN UTD 5-0 CLUB BRUGE agg 6-1 FABULUS FRED   Well, this is pretty tough for Fernandes. The referee is going over to look at the monitor to review the red card. Fernandes has already been standing over the ball for minutes. Fernandes calmly sent the Mignolet the other way with a stuttering run and rolled his penalty into the net.  Excellent play from Fernandes who threw in about three dummies before launching a beautiful lofted ball to Mata on the right side by the post. Mata cut back to Ighalo who was in the perfect position to slot the ball into the net. Kossounou was nabbed on the ball by Fernandes, who immediately found Fred with a pass. A great dribble from Fred, who picked out McTominay just outside the box.  Good work from Luke Shaw, who pressed Mitrovic, picked up the ball and found Lingard. Lingard carried the ball forward and cut back for Fred, who had an easy finish. A lovely pull back from Chong, with Fred burying a brillian...

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LYON 1-0 JUVENTOS TOUSART ON TOP  It wasn’t the prettiest of strikes, but Lyon and their supporters won’t care. The ball was crossed into the centre from the left by Houssem Aouar and Lucas Tousart leapt to shin a volley past Szczesny and inside the far post. https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2020/feb/26/lyon-juventus-champions-league-last-16-first-leg-live?page=with:block-5e56d71c8f08e1332474ad32#liveblog-navigation MY OPIONION This was a bit of a shock result similar t5o what happened last week with Athletic but I do think the French side were worth the win in this match. Juventos played very poorly but know that when they get back to Turin they have a chance   REAL 1-2 MAN CITY DE BRUM DEADLY  Madrid take the lead on the hour as Isco converts from close range following a clever pass from Vinicius. Otamendi was guilty of losing possession in a dangerous area, and the home side have taken full advantage to scor...

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CHELSEA 0-3 BAYERN LEWENDOWSKI LETHAL Gnabry plays a cute ball round the corner to release Lewandowski into the box on the left. He shapes to shoot from an angle, but then snaps a low pass across the face of goal for Gnabry, who has kept running and slams the ball home.  Neuer launches long down the left. Gnabry plays a simple mid-range one-two down the flank with Lewandowski, enters the box and strokes a perfect shot across Caballero and into the bottom right. Davies goes on another sizzling run down the left, skipping past Christensen’s desperate lunge with ease, and he’s away. This time his cross is fantastic, rolled across the face of goal. Lewandowski isn’t going to miss from six yards, and slams into the bottom right. Alonso is booked for holding out his arm and poking it around Lewandowski’s head. That looked premeditated; Alonso’s a lucky boy.   Actually, not so lucky. The referee goes over to the VAR monitor, takes one look, and ...

PREMIERSHIP MAN U 3-0 WATTFORD GREENWOOD GIVES   Penalty to Manchester United ... Fernandes rushed into the box, out came Ben Foster and, despite the Watford goalkeeper shaking his head in disbelief, there is only one outcome for the referee Martin Atkinson. Watford had looked so content.Nicely done. Bruno Fernandes watches Ben Foster dive to his right, so promptly rolls the ball to the Watford goalkeeper’s left.  A brisk move, and a superb, nerveless finish. Martial scoops the ball over Ben Foster after initially being repelled by the Watford goalkeeper. The move itself was exquisite, as United clicked into gear with some wonderful one-touch football. Martial’s first effort was saved but he kept his cool and cheekily dinked the ball over Foster to double United’s advantage. A sumptuous finish, in off the crossbar. Greenwood carries the ball out from his own half after Hughes loses possession and drives forward. He skips past one cha...

6 NATIONS ENGLAND 24-12 I2 IRELAND DEADLY DALY  Back come England through a big Lawes carry, and the fast recycling allows Youngs to kick a grubber around the corner and Ford and Farrell flood through onto it, Sexton makes a mess of it after a difficult bounce in the in-goal and Ford gobbles it up to score. He also adds the extras.  There was nothing to see as far at the TMO was concerned and the try is given! Ireland are so discombobulated they can’t even field kick properly at present The attack fizzles out and Farrell points at the posts as the ref comes back for the penalty. The captain slots it and that is the perfect flourish to end an utterly dominant first half for England. Murray charges at the line from the scrum, and as England are pinged again for offside the ball is worked right to Henshaw who powers over from short.   England take the lineout in the corner and Cowan-Dickie finds Launchbury at the front, They peel and drive and the Exeter hoo...

EUROPA LEAGUE LAST 32 FIRST LEG CLUB BRUGES 1-1 MAN U MARTIAL MOVEMENT Brugge are moving the ball so quickly in the final third and, minutes after their first goal, they are already after a second. Quite a poor miss from Rits at the end of another great move from the home team. Brugge defender Mechele received a throw in from a completely neutral position but he clearly didn’t realise how close Martial was. As he let the ball run past him, Martial sprinted forward and nicked the ball, dribbling free and then finishing with plenty of composure.  https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2020/feb/20/club-brugge-v-manchester-united-europa-league-last-32-live?page=with:block-5e4ed1758f08e133247470f0#liveblog-navigation MY OPINION This was a poor game for United as this would have been a tie they would have expected to breeze past but the fact that Buuges can score a goal so early in this match is the difference between United going through or not it was only one match ...

FA PREMIERE LEAGUE WEST HAM 0-2 MAN CITY RODRI RUNNNING ll that pretty passing, and City take the lead with a simple corner. De Bruyne clipped it to the near post, where the unmarked Rodri leapt to flick the ball across goal and into the net. West Ham had nobody on the far post. The ball was going in anyway but Laporte made sure, and I suspect it will eventually go down as his goal. De Bruyne played a good return pass  to Bernardo Silva in the area and kept running. Bernardo twisted back outside Cresswell, at which point De Bruyne called shotgun and slid the loose ball past Fabianski at the near post. https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2020/feb/19/manchester-city-v-west-ham-premier-league-live?page=with:block-5e4d96988f086a28115aece8#liveblog-navigation MY OPINION The hammers were able to defend very well in this match but when City got their breaks we saw the sense of quality at least in the second goal. I do think that West Ham are going to need to get a b...

UEFA CHAMPUIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT ROUND OF 16 ATHLETICO 1-0 LIVERPOOL NIGUEZ NIFTY The corner came in from the right, the ball seemed to clank off the shins of Fabinho standing near the six-yard box and roll towards Liverpool’s goal. Niguez was quickest to react, pouncing on the loose ball to fire past Alisson into the bottom left-hand corner from two or three yards out. https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2020/feb/18/atletico-madrid-liverpool-champions-league-live?page=with:block-5e4c45f48f0811db2fafa1bb#liveblog-navigation MY OPINION Liverpool conceded this goal to a VAR decision for offside but there was also a decision that should have went there way a penalty for them but the ref refused to acknowledge it and this could be the end of their European season. I don’t think anyone seen this result coming but Athletico were awesome defensively. Take that to Anfield it’s nearly over for the reds DORTMOND 2-1 PSG HAPPY HAALAND  A fine move, a good cross from ...

FA PREMIERE LEAGUE WOLVES 0-0 LEICESTER ESPERINTO SANTO EXITES AS WOLVES DESERVE WIN Just before half-time, Willy Boly looked to have opened the scoring for the hosts after a short corner routine but his close-range header was ruled out with Pedro Neto judged to be offside in build-up. Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury was sent off 14 minutes from the end of normal time after collecting two bookings in the second half. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51409676 MY OPINION Leicester have shown ion matches like this why they are where they are in the league table and I think they are going to find it difficult to move up them few new levels need to compete in Europe whether Europa and Champions league. Wolves will compete for fifth with all that they have got this season SOUTHAMPTON 1-2 BURNLEY VYDRA VENUM It won’t be easy for Saints, that is. Wood powers his way down the left and wins the first corner of the game. Westwood takes, and curls it towards the nea...

GLASGOW GRAND PRIX MENS POLE VAULT 1 Amanda Duplants Sweden World Record 2 Sam Kendricks USA 3 Ben Broders Belgium National Record WOMENS 1500 METRES 1 Jemma Reekie GB 2 Dawit Seyan Palestine 3 Rafabe Afri Morocco MENS 400 METRES 1 Akeem Bloomfiekld Jamaica 2     Obe Igbowe USA 3 Yousaf Karam Kuwat WOMENS HIGH JUMP 1 Yaroslava Mahuchikn Ukrane 2 Bethan Partrage GB 3 Airine Palystyne Lithonia MENS 1500 METERES 1 Bethwell Bergwin Kenya 2 Maclin Lewansdowski Poland 3 Jesus Gomes Spain WOMENS 400 METRES 1 Jessie Knight GB 2 Justyna Swiety Poland 3 Liossanne De Wiie Netherlands WOMENS 60 METRE HURDLES 1 Alana Talay Belarus 2 Nia Ali USA 3 Christena Clemos USA WOMENS LONG JUMP 1 Maryna Bekh Ukrane 2 Khaddi Sagnia Sweden 3 Jasmine Swayers US MENS 60 METRE HURDLES 1 Andy Pozzi GB 2 Yahoub al youha Kuwait 3 Milan Trajovic Cyprus WOMENS 60 METRE 1 Shelly Anne Frasier Price Jamaica 2 Murielle Ahourne Ire...

Night 2, February 13 Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham Rob Cross 7-5 Nathan Aspinall Rob Cross showed that he had got the experience to kill off Nathan Aspanill in this match but he was not at his best. He could go up a few more levels which is a concern for others as he can get to them top levels Gerwyn Price 6-6 Michael Smith This was definitely a surprise by the Welshman as he would have expected to get the win. Gerwin Price is considered one of the best players in the world but6 Smith has a habbit of going up and down in levels Gary Anderson 6-6 Peter Wright Gary Anderson showed with this result that his win over Gurney was no fluke and looks to be one in contention at the end of the season. Peter Wright is always a quality player and shows Anderson is near the top Glen Durrant 6-6 Fallon Sherrock This was a disaster for Durrant as he would have expected to get the win here. It is a thing that there is a woman competing in this tournamen...