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Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City

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Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City

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06 Apr 2016

Wolfsburg vs Real Madrid, 2016 Champions League

Wolfsburg is a city intrinsically linked to Volkswagen. In the 50’s, VW flourished and made Wolfsburg a hotbed for jobs and immigration. Nowadays, VW’s headquarters remain there, and they employ most of the citizens of Wolfsburg. The club’s stadium is named, unsurprisingly, Volkswagen Arena.<br />
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But while most German stadia are known to be packed houses with raucous fans, Wolfsburg is the odd exception. It’s speculated that it’s due to the fact that most locals who don’t work for VW move south and support other clubs. That said, they do pack the house for the big matches, and this will be no exception.<br />
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Okay, end history lesson, onto the football.<br />
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The two biggest surprises of the 2014-15 Bundesliga season were Borussia Dortmund’s months-long lease in the relegation zone, and Wolfsburg’s ascent into second place.<br />
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Kevin de Bruyne and Ricardo Rodríguez ran all over the right and left flanks, respectively, and when de Bruyne left for Manchester City, Wolfsburg’s dynamicism took a hit.<br />
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Call it a hangover, lack of talent, hard luck -- whatever, Wolfsburg’s 2015-16 season has been a disappointment. They sit in eighth place with a paltry plus-two goal difference, and have struggled to find the net the way they did a year ago.<br />
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Wolfsburg vs Real Madrid, 2016 Champions League

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06 Apr 2016

Dinamo Zagreb – Hajduk Split

Dinamo Zagreb – Hajduk Split

Rangers have no new injury worries for the visit of Dumbarton on Tuesday night as they look to rubber stamp the Championship title that has been destined for Ibrox for some time. The silverware was in…

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05 Apr 2016

Bayern Munich v Benfica: Preview

Benfica coach Rui Vitoria accepts his side will have to do it the hard way if they are to progress any further in the Champions League, but has warned quarter-final opponents Bayern Munich against writing them off.<br />
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Having reached at least the semi-final stage of the last four editions of the Champions League, winning it in 2013, Bayern are overwhelming favourites to see off the Portuguese league leaders and keep their hopes of a treble alive.<br />
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But while Vitoria is well aware of the task facing his team ahead of Tuesday's first leg in Munich, he insists they are not going to just roll over for the German giants.<br />
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``Sometimes the only way to neutralise tougher opponents is to recognise their strengths, be aware that it will be a hard match, and understand that to achieve anything you have to go through difficulties and be ready for them,'' he told UEFA.com.<br />
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``We go into this game knowing our opponents are candidates to win the Champions League, but we won't be backing down.''<br />
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Benfica can be proud of what they have already achieved this season after reaching the last eight for the first time in four years, but they are not looking to stop there and have a first semi-final appearance in 26 years in their sights.<br />
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``We know we've done something the club have not been able to do recently,'' added the 45-year-old Vitoria.<br />
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``Any team that makes this stage won't say they don't want to win the competition. We will think about beating Bayern, regardless of how strong they are, but I am also proud to see this team, in a transitional phase, getting so far in the Champions League with such young players.''<br />
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While making the last four would be considered a huge achievement in Lisbon, falling at this stage would be deemed a failure for Pep Guardiola's Bayern.<br />
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Bayern Munich v Benfica: Preview

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05 Apr 2016

Barcelona v Atlético Madrid preview

Gerard Pique says Barcelona do not need to use Saturday's defeat to Real Madrid as a wake-up call ahead of their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid - a match he expects to be even tougher than the Clasico.<br />
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Barca saw their record-breaking unbeaten run come to an end after going down 2-1 to 10-man Real at the Nou Camp, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting an 85th-minute winner.<br />
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It was a chastening defeat against their biggest rivals but, with a six-point lead in the Primera Division, a Copa del Rey final to look forward to and a crunch Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico to play, defender Pique insists there is no need to blow the result out of proportion.<br />
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The Spain international, who headed Barca into a 56th-minute lead against Real, told a press conference on Monday: "We don't need a wake-up call because we already know how difficult and complicated it is to win every game.<br />
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However, Atletico will have fond memories of their last European clash with Barca, having knocked their Spanish rivals out at the same stage of the competition two years ago.<br />
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That is the only time in the last eight years that Barca have failed to reach the semi-finals, and Pique knows just how tough a nut Diego Simeone's side are to crack.<br />
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He said: "We're not scared, but they are having a great season. It's going to be more difficult than Saturday.<br />
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"They are the second best team in Spain, according to the league standings. But in the end it depends on us, that we have the ball, the support of the fans... If everything comes together, we're unstoppable."<br />
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Barca coach Luis Enrique echoed those thoughts, saying: "Atletico Madrid are a top-level team, that's why they are where they are competing with Barca and Madrid despite not having the financial resources.<br />
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"They are going to make life difficult for us regardless of Saturday's result."<br />
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Holders Barca will be without injured defenders Jeremy Mathieu, Aleix Vidal and Adriano for the match, which could see Lionel Messi reach 500 career goals. The Argentina ace is currently on 499 for club and country.<br />
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Atletico will be determined to ensure that does not happen on Tuesday night and they have been boosted by the return to fitness of key centre-back Diego Godin.<br />
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Godin has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury but was given the all-clear to return on Monday.<br />
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Barcelona v Atlético Madrid preview

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05 Apr 2016

SPORT PLUS

Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City

Wolfsburg vs Real Madrid, 2016 Champions League

Dinamo Zagreb – Hajduk Split

Bayern Munich v Benfica: Preview

Barcelona v Atlético Madrid preview

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