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Euro 2012 Team of the Week: Sneijder & Ozil debut as Cech & Llorente return
Apr 27, 2012 9:00:00 AM
Each week, Goal.com selects the standout performers from Europe's top leagues, honouring the best players eligible for Euro 2012
| Bet: | Returns: | Dortmund £50.00 | Draw £42.00 | Bayern £17.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Dortmund £48.00 | Draw £33.00 | Bayern £18.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Dortmund £45.00 | Draw £37.50 | Bayern £18.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Dortmund £47.50 | Draw £41.00 | Bayern £17.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Dortmund £45.00 | Draw £37.50 | Bayern £18.00 |
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| Euro 2012 Team of the Week EURO 2012 NEWS |
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| GOALKEEPER |
Petr CECH
Chelsea
& Czech Republic
TOTW Apps: 2
| Chelsea goalkeeper Cech makes his second appearance in a row in our Best XI after two impressive displays for the Blues in the last week. First, he kept a clean sheet in the goalless draw against Arsenal, saving two goal-bound efforts from Robin van Persie. Then, he played a leading role in the 2-2 draw against Barcelona as he pulled off a number of quality stops, while he was not at fault in the Catalans' goals. |
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 Lukasz PISZCZEK Dortmund & Poland TOTW Apps: 4 |
 Holger BADSTUBER Bayern & Germany TOTW Apps: 2 |
 Ashley COLE Chelsea & England TOTW Apps: 2 |
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| Poland international Piszczek is making a name for himself in our Best XI and gets his fourth entry after he turned in an accomplished performance in the 2-0 victory against Borussia Monchengladbach to help his Dortmund side retain their Bundesliga crown. Badstuber enters our defensive trio after helping Bayern Munich past Real Madrid to progress to the Champions League final. The German defender struggled at times against Karim Benzema, but ultimately kept the Frenchman at bay - even if it earned him a booking which will rule him out of the tournament decider. Chelsea left-back Cole completes our three-man defence following a top-notch display against Barcelona in midweek. The England international limited the threat of Isaac Cuenca and made his presence felt down the left flank when he surged forward to help his team-mates in attack. |
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| MIDFIELDERS |
 Yohan CABAYE Newcastle & France TOTW Apps: 1 |
 Wesley SNEIJDER Inter & Netherlands TOTW Apps: 1 |
 Rafal MURAWSKI Lech Poznan & Poland TOTW Apps: 2 |
 Mesut OZIL Real Madrid & Germany TOTW Apps: 1 |
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| Cabaye set the attacking tone in Newcastle's 3-0 victory against Stoke on Saturday, netting a double and assisting Papiss Cisse for another goal to become Man of the Match, and help the club move closer to Champions League qualification. Netherlands international Sneijder made the most of his first start since Andrea Stramaccioni took charge of the team as he grabbed two goals in the 3-1 victory against Udinese, scoring for the first time in six months. He had already shown glimpses of his quality against Fiorentina at the weekend, but could not help Inter break the deadlock after coming off the bench. Poland international Murawski demonstrated that he does not choke under pressure as he set up Artoms Rudnevs for the winning goal in Lech Poznan's 1-0 victory at Legia Warsaw to keep the club in pursuit of the top three in the Polish League. Real Madrid playmaker Ozil pulled the strings in midfield in the 2-1 victory against Barcelona, assisting Cristiano Ronaldo with a pinpoint through pass. Just days later, he set up the Portuguese once again against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. |
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| FORWARDS |
 Nikica JELAVIC Everton & Croatia TOTW Apps: 1 |
 Fernando LLORENTE Athletic Bilbao & Spain TOTW Apps: 2 |
 Yevhen SELEZNYOV Shakhtar & Ukraine TOTW Apps: 1 |
| Jelavic showed just why he is considered one of the most in-form strikers in Europe as he added two more goals to his tally in Everton's nail-biting 4-4 draw against Manchester United, breaking the deadlock with a header before netting again late in the game with a sublime finish. Athletic Bilbao star Llorente returns to our best XI after his Man-of-the-Match performance in the club's 3-1 victory against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League semi-final. The 27-year-old scored one and assisted Susaeta and Ibai for their goals as the Basque side booked a place in the final in Bucharest. Ukraine international Seleznyov scored twice in Shakhtar's 2-1 victory against Tavriya on Saturday to keep the club levelled with Dynamo Kiev at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League table, with only two matches remaining. |
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| TOTAL NOMINEES BY COUNTRY (THIS WEEK) | |
 Spain 11 (1) France 11 (1) Germany 9 (2) Netherlands 8 (1) England 7 (1) Poland 5 (2) Italy 5 (0)  Ukraine 4 (1) |
 Ireland 3 (0) Croatia 2 (1) Czech Republic 2 (1) Greece 2 (0)  Portugal 1 (0) Russia 1 (0) Denmark 1 (0) |
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Make Your Prediction Choose match
Real Sociedad - Real Madrid CF
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Real Sociedad
Real Madrid CF
Prediction Submitted
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Real Sociedad 0-8 Real Madrid CF
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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.
5:23 PM BST
Right, still plenty of time to go until kick-off, so why not get involved in our Champions League quiz on Twitter? Here's one to start you off:
After tonight, how many Champions League/European Cup finals will Bayern Munich have played in?
After tonight, how many Champions League/European Cup finals will Bayern Munich have played in?
5:18 PM BST
Bayern, as already alluded to, are desperate to atone for defeat against Chelsea 12 months ago and one man who knows all about the agony and ecstasy of Champions League finals is former die Roten defender Samuel Kuffour. The Ghanaian beating the ground in fury after seeing his side concede twice in injury time at the end of the 1999 tournament decider against Manchester United remains one of the most memorable images in the competition’s history, so check out our exclusive interview with Kuffour, who would achieve redemption just two years later when Bayern edged out Valencia on penalties.
5:14 PM BST
However, who doesn't feel anything by admiration for Jupp Heynckes? The Bayern coach learned earlier this year that he would be replaced by former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola earlier this summer but did he let it affect him? Not a bit, with Heynckes now on the verge of a historic treble. Worth noting, too, that Heynckes, who led Madrid to the title in 1998 before being replaced by Fabio Capello, has never failed to reach the final of any Champions League in which he has taken part.
5:07 PM BST
Klopp, of course, is the new darling of the football media. It’s pretty damn impossible not to love a man who speaks so passionately - and amusingly - about the game. This week alone he admitted that so distraught was he by the news of Gotze’s imminent departure for Bayern, whom he views as the villain in a James Bond movie, that he had to cancel plans with his wife to attend a movie premiere because he didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. Seriously, how could any real football fan not be a 'Klopptomist'?!
5:03 PM BST
We’re still awaiting the confirmed line-ups but if you’re looking for the likely starting 11s, let me point you in the direction of our match preview. Also, if you want an excellent and entertaining analysis of tonight’s fascinating final, well, how does a James Richardson-hosted debate involving Jonathan Wilson and Paulo Sousa tickle your fancy? The prince of puns, a true titan of tactical thinking and a two-time Champions League winner - a veritable dream team, I think you'll agree.
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