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Falcao: Atletico defeat to Rubin was strange
Feb 15, 2013 6:45:00 PM
The Colombian striker has won two successive Europa League titles, but he was powerless to stop the Russian club winning the first leg of their last 32 tussle 2-0
| Bet: | Returns: | Rubin £15.50 | Draw £38.00 | Krasnodar £62.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Rubin £16.20 | Draw £34.00 | Krasnodar £55.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Rubin £15.71 | Draw £34.00 | Krasnodar £50.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Rubin £15.50 | Draw £38.00 | Krasnodar £65.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Rubin £15.70 | Draw £37.50 | Krasnodar £55.00 |
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Radamel Falcao has branded Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 home defeat to Rubin Kazan on Thursday as "very strange".
Goals from Gokdeniz Karadeniz and Pablo Orbaiz gave the visitors an unexpected victory in the first leg of their clash with the reigning champions of the competition.
Falcao, who won the trophy with Atletico last season and Porto the campaign before, believes he and his team-mates lacked luck in the last 32 bout.
"It was a very strange game,” he told reporters. "They created their goal and ended well.
"But they hardly had any space to create opportunities and attacked very little. We lacked their fortune."
The Colombian striker refused to criticise Diego Simeone's decision to send up goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo for a corner late in the game, which was the cause of Rubin Kazan’s second goal, and remained optimistic ahead of their away leg.
"Those situations are decided on the field and now we have to think it over," he added. "I believe we can overcome the deficit, it is not impossible."
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Live!
Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
8:53 PM BST
The latest from the Bayern bench is that centre-half Jerome Boateng is struggling with a slightly bruised thigh. He's keen to play on, but that's obviously one to watch. Should he be forced off, one imagines Van Buyten will come on in his place.
8:49 PM BST
The second half is just under way, but just to give you the thoughts of three-time World Referee Of The Year Markus Merk, who is working the game for Sky Germany tonight. He feels that Ribery's elbow on Lewandowski during the first half could easily have been construed as deliberate by match official Nicola Rizzoli.
"Ribery was very lucky," he argued. "If the referee judges this as an intentional act, he can easily give a red card. I cannot understand why a player like Franck Ribery behaves like this in a Champions League final."
"Ribery was very lucky," he argued. "If the referee judges this as an intentional act, he can easily give a red card. I cannot understand why a player like Franck Ribery behaves like this in a Champions League final."
8:43 PM BST
Jay Jaffa is watching the game surrounded by German fans and he's picked up what he has described himself as a tremendously "precise" prediction from one supporter.
"We've had boos, moans and groans throughout the half from fans unhappy with Bayern's resurgence. The loudest cheers of all have been saved for Roman Weidenfeller though, after two exceptional saves from Arjen Robben. There's no doubt, in this pub at least, that the support lies with Dortmund and a friendly chap named Andreas believes BVB will come out on top, insisting: 'We will get stronger as the game goes on and Lewandowski will score in the final 10 minutes.' About as precise a prediction as you can get!"
"We've had boos, moans and groans throughout the half from fans unhappy with Bayern's resurgence. The loudest cheers of all have been saved for Roman Weidenfeller though, after two exceptional saves from Arjen Robben. There's no doubt, in this pub at least, that the support lies with Dortmund and a friendly chap named Andreas believes BVB will come out on top, insisting: 'We will get stronger as the game goes on and Lewandowski will score in the final 10 minutes.' About as precise a prediction as you can get!"
8:40 PM BST
Bayern have really come into the game and have had some great chances, but, for my money, Dortmund shaded that opening 45 minutes. They also shaded the poll Goal ran on Facebook earlier. We asked you who would win at Wembley tonight and 55 per cent of you sided with the underdogs. It really will be fascinating to see if Klopp's men can pull this off in the second half, which is just five minutes away.
8:36 PM BST
Half-time at Wembley and we're still scoreless. Quite how is beyond me, because both sides have had some wonderful chances but both Neuer and Weidenfeller have proven unbeatable up until this point. It really does look like it's going to take something special to break the deadlock.
Arjen Robben has looked the man most likely, having had two one-on-ones already, but Goal Germany's Tim Rohn says the Dutchman has annoyed his team-mates no end during that opening 45 minutes.
"There were two chances in which Robben should have passed into the middle. But he decided to take both himself - without success. Mandzukic was furious on one occasion, while Muller just shook his head. Robben's selfishness pleases only Dortmund's fans."
Arjen Robben has looked the man most likely, having had two one-on-ones already, but Goal Germany's Tim Rohn says the Dutchman has annoyed his team-mates no end during that opening 45 minutes.
"There were two chances in which Robben should have passed into the middle. But he decided to take both himself - without success. Mandzukic was furious on one occasion, while Muller just shook his head. Robben's selfishness pleases only Dortmund's fans."
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