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Champions League Round of 16 Preview 2

Champions League

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February 19, 2018

The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 continues this week!

Tuesday and Wednesday means the second (and final) set of Champions League Round of 16 action. Last week saw Gonzalo HIGUAIN scoring a pair and Sergio AGUERO also finding the back of the net. Here are this week’s matches:

Champions League Round of 16 – Tuesday:

Bayern Munich vs. Besiktas
Chelsea (Willy CABALLERO) vs. FC Barcelona (Lionel MESSI)

Wednesday:

Sevilla (Ever BANEGA, Joaquin CORREA, Guido PIZARRO, Nicolas PAREJA, Gabriel MERCADO) vs. Manchester United (Sergio ROMERO, Marcos ROJO)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. AS Roma (Diego PEROTTI, Federico FAZIO, Jonathan SILVA)

London’s showdown is the big one with Chelsea hosting FC Barcelona. Lionel MESSI has never scored against Chelsea and last time around he missed a crucial penalty kick at the Camp Nou which would have taken them through to the final. Willy CABALLERO will start on the bench for Chelsea.

Lionel MESSI vs. Chelsea – 2006

Diego PEROTTI will look to add to his goal scoring form as AS Roma are away to Shakhtar Donetsk.

Video | Lionel Messi vs. Chelsea (2006 CL). The day Leo Messi truly announced himself to the world. At 18, with so many big names he tore Mourinho’s record breaking Chelsea side to shreds.pic.twitter.com/JjWfMiVydV

— FC Barcelona (@BarcaUniversal) February 20, 2018

In Spain involving Sevilla and Manchester United is the one with the most Argentinians involved, with five players with Sevilla and two with Manchester United.

Diego PEROTTI, Jonathan CALLERI, Angel DI MARIA all score

Roy Nemer

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February 19, 2018

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Diego PEROTTI, Jonathan CALLERI and Angel DI MARIA were all on target this past weekend.

AS Roma’s Argentinian forward found the back of the net for his club in their 2-0 win against Udinese. PEROTTI, who’s been in a few recent Argentina National Team squads under coach Jorge SAMPAOLI, will be hoping to make the Argentina team for next month’s matches against Spain and Italy. Should PEROTTI succeed in doing so, a spot in Russia could be on the cards for the former Boca man.

From one former Boca Juniors man to another, Jonathan CALLERI scored for Las Palmas in their 2-1 loss to Sevilla. The goal was CALLERI’s sixth of the season. During the match, Joaquin CORREA was substituted off due to an injury.

In France, Angel DI MARIA was on the scoresheet as PSG picked up a 5-2 win against Strasbourg to go 12 points clear at the top of the French table. DI MARIA started the match after having not played a minute in their 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Diego PEROTTI goal:

Jonathan CALLERI goal:

Angel DI MARIA goal:

An injury for Gonzalo HIGUAIN forces him off

Latest News

Roy Nemer

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February 18, 2018

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An injury for Gonzalo HIGUAIN has forced him off for Juventus.

A big scare for the current Serie A champions as Gonzalo HIGUAIN limped off early with a suspected ankle injury. It’s getting to the point in the European club season where the matches and coming thick and fast and players’ fitness levels become a concern. For Juventus, their number 9 has gotten hit.

HIGUAIN was substituted off in the 15th minute in the Turin derby. The extent of the injury remains unknown. However, with the Old Lady having just come off a 2-2 draw in the Champions League against Tottenham and the Argentina National Team playing next month, the blow for HIGUAIN is a big one.

This is Gonzalo Higuain’s injury. pic.twitter.com/jHI2rBTBcW

— COYSWeb (@COYSWeb) February 18, 2018

Jorge SAMPAOLI has strongly been rumored to call Pipita up to the team for the matches against Spain and Italy in March. It would mark the first time HIGUAIN has been in the Argentina squad since the June friendly matches against Brazil and Singapore.

Regarding Argentina, a regular under Jorge SAMPAOLI’s reign, Eduardo SALVIO was recently operated on. While the severity of HIGUAIN’s injury remains unknown, we hope he won’t require surgery.

Willy CABALLERO or Franco ARMANI to Argentina squad

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Roy Nemer

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February 16, 2018

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One of Willy CABALLERO or Franco ARMANI is expected to make the Argentina squad for next month’s matches.

The third place goalkeeping position is still up for grabs, with Argentina coach Jorge SAMPAOLI still undecided between Chelsea man Willy CABALLERO and River Plate’s Franco ARMANI, according to TyC Sports. One of the two will make the squad for the matches against Italy and Spain next month.

Willy CABALLERO

In Willy CABALLERO’s case, he has never been capped for the Argentina National Team. Although the former Manchester City goalkeeper did win an U20 World Cup with his country back in 2001 with that legendary squad. He was in excellent form heading into the 2014 World Cup and was knocking on the door of the National Team but then coach Alejandro SABELLA opted to go with a trio of Sergio ROMERO, Agustin ORION and Mariano ANDUJAR in Brazil.

Franco ARMANI

For Franco ARMANI, he’s a Copa Libertadores winner having won it back in 2016 and also has a Recopa Sudamericana medal from 2017 hanging in his cabinet. Agustin MARCHESIN and Geronimo RULLI’s spots in the Argentina National Team just got that much more difficult to maintain.

If you missed int, former Banfield player and Itay capped Ezequiel SCHELOTTO could receive a call-up to the Argentina squad as well for next month.

Oscar USTARI: “We have the best in the world”

Latest News

Roy Nemer

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February 15, 2018

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Argentina international Oscar USTARI gave his thoughts on Lionel MESSI, Argentina and more.

The 2008 Olympic gold medalist with Argentina gave an interview with La Oral Deportiva. USTARI was one of the brightest prospects and one which was touted as the future long term goalkeeper of the Argentina National Team. Here’s what he had to say:

“We have the best in the world, you always have to give Argentina a chance. MESSI was always very noble with me. My son asks me for a photo with MESSI every day. Those of us who had the luck of playing with MESSI are priviledged. At first, MESSI was a little rebellious, he would get angry if things wouldn’t go on as planned.”

“It’s the last World Cup for a lot of these guys. The goalkeeping (position) is well covered. It’s not a coincidence that ROMERO‘s been there for a while now.”

“I don’t know SAMPAOLI but I wish him the best. We all wish that things go well for Argentina because we need it. People have to be a little more patient because there are things that they don’t know about and that take time.”

USTARI was part of the 23 man squad which Jose PEKERMAN picked for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. A young goalkeeper at the time, USTARI was the starting goalkeeper for his country at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing however an injury during the tournament forced him out with Sergio ROMERO ultimately playing the last few matches when the team won gold.

Now 31 and at Atlas, USTARI represented his country twice at senior level with both matches ending in losses. The first was a 2-1 friendly match loss to Norway in 2007 shortly after the Copa America and the second against Brazil in 2012 in a match which consisted only of domestic based players.