European Football’s 2015/2016 Top Five, Teams, Goal scorers, Assist Merchants And Bad Boys…

Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2015/2016) the story so far…,

We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.

Please note that this is based on results as at the 9th of December 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other…,

Serie A Table

R Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

1 Inter Milan 15 10 3 2 18 9 +9 33

2 Fiorentina 15 10 2 3 30 12 +18 32

3 Napoli 15 9 4 2 28 12 +16 31

4 Roma 15 8 4 3 30 18 +12 28

5 Juventus 15 8 3 4 22 11 +11 27

Top Scorers

R Player Team Goals

1 G. Higuain Napoli 14

2 C. Eder Sampdoria 10

3 N. Kalinic Fiorentina 9

4 P. Dybala Juventus 9

5 L. Insigne Napoli 7

Assists

Player Team Assists

R. Saponara Empoli 5

G. Bonaventura AC Milan 5

R. Meggiorini Chievo 5

M. Pjanic Roma 5

L. Insigne Napoli 5

Disciplinary (bad boys)

Player Team Yellow card Red card

M. Iturra Udinese 8 0

M. Pinilla Atalanta 5 1

Mauricio Lazio 5 1

A. Struna Palermo 5 1

K. Koulibaly Napoli 6 0

FC Barcelona
photo credit: Nathan Rupert
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Spanish Primera Division Table

R Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

1. Barcelona 14 11 1 2 34 13 +21 34

2 Atl.Madrid 14 10 2 2 20 6 +14 32

3 Real Madrid 14 9 3 2 32 12 +20 30

4 Celta Vigo 14 7 4 3 25 22 +3 25

5 Villarreal 14 7 3 4 18 15 +3 24

Neymar
photo credit: Marc Puig i Perez
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Top Scorers

R Player Team Goals

1 Neymar Barcelona 14

2 L. Suarez Barcelona 13

3 I. Agirretxe R. Sociedad 11

4 C. Ronaldo Real Madrid 10
A. Aduriz Athletic Bilbao 10

Gareth Bale
photo credit: DSanchez17
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Assists

Player Team Assists

G. Bale R. Madrid 5

Nolito Celta Vigo 5

R. Soldado Villarreal 5

Neymar Barcelona 5

M. Asensio Espanyol 5

Disciplinary (bad boys)

Player Team Yellow card Red card

G. Escalante Eibar 10 0

E.Bailly Villarreal 6 1

Recio Malaga 7 0

N. Cases Sporting Gijon 7 0

S. Mustafi Valencia 7 0

German Bundesliga Table

R Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

1 Bayern Munich 15 13 1 1 43 8 +35 40

2 B. Dortmund 15 11 2 2 42 20 +22 35

3 B. Monchengladbach 15 8 2 5 31 23 +8 26

4 Hertha Berlin 15 8 2 5 20 18 +2 26

5 Wolfsburg 15 7 4 4 24 17 +7 25

Top Scorers

R Player Team Goals

1 P. Aubameyang B.Dortmund 17

2 R. Lewandoski B. Munich 14

3 T. Muller B. Munich 13

4 Y. Malli Mainz 8
M. Reus B. Dortmund 8

Assists

Player Team Assists

D. Costa B. Munich 9

Raffael B. Monchengladbach 8

H. Mkhitaryan B. Dortmund 7

M. Ginter B. Dortmund 6

S. Kagawa B. Dortmund 6

Disciplinary (bad boys)

Player Team Yellow card Red card

S. Die Stuttgart 6 1

G. Xhaka B. Monchengladbach 4 2

Wendell B. Leverkusen 6 0

H. Seferovic E. Frankfurt 6 0

C. Fritz W. Bremen 6 0

French Ligue 1 Table

R Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

1 PSG 17 14 3 0 40 8 +32 20 45

2 Angers 17 8 6 3 16 9 +7 30

3 Caen 17 9 2 6 20 18 +2 29

4 Monaco 17 7 6 4 24 23 +1 27

5 Lyon 17 7 5 5 21 16 +5 26

Zlatan Ibrahimovic PSG
photo credit: Nazionale Calcio
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Top Scorers

R Player Team Goals

1 Z. Ibrahimovic PSG 12

2 B. Moukandjo Lorient 11

3 M. Batshuayi Marseille 5

4 E. Cavani PSG 9

5 H. Ben Arfa Nice 7

Assists

Player Team Assists

A. Di Maria PSG 6

Z. Ibrahimovic PSG 6

W. Khazri Bordeaux 5

M. Batshuayi Marseille 4

J. Seri Nice 4

Disciplinary (bad boys)

Player Team Yellow card Red card

G. Sio Rennes 7 1

A. Biyogo Poko Bordeaux 5 2

S. Boufal Lille 6 1

J. Lemoigne Ajaccio 6 1

R. Bensebaini Montpellier 7 0

English Premier League Table

R Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts

1 Leicester City 15 9 5 1 32 21 +11 32

2 Arsenal 15 9 3 3 27 13 +14 30

3 Manchester City 15 9 2 4 30 16 +14 29

4 Manchester United 15 8 5 2 20 10 +10 29

5 Tottenham Hotspur 15 6 8 1 25 12 +13 26

Top Scorers

R Player Team Goals

1 J.Vardy Leicester 14

2 R. Lukaku Everton 11

3 R.Mahrez Leicester 10

4 O.Ighalo Watford 9

5 O. Giroud Arsenal 8

Mesut Ozil
photo credit: Brian Sikorski
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Assists

Player Team Assists

M. Ozil Arsenal 12

R. Mahrez Leicester 7

D. Silva Man City 6

K.D Bruyne Man City 6

Deulofeu Everton 6

Disciplinary (bad boys)
Player Team Yellow card Red card

A. Tettey Norwich 7 0

J. Colback Newcastle 6 0

Lucas Liverpool 6 0

J. Milner Liverpool 6 0

C. Adam Stoke 4 1

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund and Dante of Munich compete for the ball photo credit ar.fifa.com

Top Goal Scorers in Europe

R Player Team Goals

1 P. Aubameyang B. Dortmund 17

2 R. Lewandoski B. Munich 14

J. Vardy Leicester 14

Neymar Barcelona 14

G. Higuain Napoli 14

Most Assist in Europe

R Player Team Assists

1. M. Ozil Arsenal 12

2 D. Costa B. Munich 9

3 Raffael B. Monchengladbach 8

4 R. Mahrez Leicester 7
H. Mkhitaryan B. Dortmund 7

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game Week 15)

This is Game week 15 of our Bookies corner where we help Punters forecast on the best matches to put their money on.

Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:

Italian Serie A

Bologna Vs Napoli – Napoli win:

Napoli have been impressive this season with just 1 defeat in 14games and currently the table toppers after their latest feat which was a win against Scudetto favourites Inter Milan at the Stadio San Paolo to extend their run of straight wins to 5 in all competition.
Bologna will have it tough albeit on their home turf against high flying Napoli who have not lost in 18 matches. Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain is in the form of his life scoring 12goals in 14 games.
I see Napoli getting the victory in this game against 18th placed Bologna.

Inter Milan Vs Genoa – Inter Milan win :

Genoa will be travelling to the San Siro stadium where they have not been able to get a victory since 1994 and on the back of just one win from their last 5 games. It’s also worth noting Mancini’s Inter are wounded lions at the moment after loosing their last game to League Leaders Napoli which was their first defeat in 8 matches.
The Nerazzurri will be looking to get inspiration up front from Mauro Icardi and Jovetic to get them the victory.

French Ligue 1

Bastia Vs Monaco – Monaco Win or draw:

Monaco have not been as dominating as they have been in recent years in the Ligue Un. With a fringe squad and a bunch of average players they would be lucky to make the Champions league place at the end of the season. A trip to Bastia could prove tricky as they have won only 1 of their last 5 games which included a hard-fought 3-all draw at the Stade Velodrome against Marseille.

I expect Monaco to get something out of this game and put a dent to Bastia’s current run of only defeat in their last 5 games.

St Etienne Vs Rennes – St Etienne Win:

The perennial Dark horses of the Ligue Un in recent years, St Etienne will host 9th placed Rennes who are 3 points behind them. St Etienne have recently been on a bad run with just a win in 5 matches in all competitions but to be fair to them they have come against relatively tough opposition facing Lyon, Marseille, Rosenborg, and Lille during this period. I expect Christophe Galtier’s men to get back to winning ways and get all 3 points at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

English Premier League

Arsenal Vs Sunderland – Arsenal win :

The Gunners are having their usual mid- season injury crisis with key players picking up injuries at the same time. Sanchez, Koscienly,Carzola, Walcott, Rosicky, Coquelin, Welbeck and a couple more players are injured for arsenal. There has been very few good news coming from the arsenal medical department and the Physio’s treatment table of late but there has been indications Koscienly and Walcott could play a part in this fixture against Sunderland. Arsenal will depend on the fine form of their assist-master Ozil who has been linking up well with their attackers and creating goals therby creating a new premier League record of assists in consecutive games.

The Black cats have currently jumped out of relegation waters with an impressive back to back wins under new manager Sam Allardyce. I see Arsenal getting the win at the Emirates staking their claim for their title push.

West Brom Vs Tottenham – Tottenham win :

Tony Pulis would be fired up for this one after back to back games against London clubs, winning against Arsenal and getting a point at West Ham. He will be looking on to spur his team to a victory against Spurs another London club,Pochettino’s men haven’t lost in 13 league games since the opening day and made Chelsea labour for a goalless draw last game. I believe this new look Tottenham with Harry Kane back in form will be too strong for West Brom and they will get the victory against the baggies.

Spanish La Liga

Gary Neville photo credit, pixgood.com

Valencia Vs Barcelona – Barcelona win:

This would be the first game after the Neville brothers re-United at Valencia since after their playing days together at Manchester United.‎ They couldn’t have wished for a tougher opposition to kickstart thier la liga campaign as the catalans will come visiting at the Mestalla. Barcelona have been scoring goals without remorse and even put 6 past their King’s Cup opponents without needing the services of Neymar, Messi or Suarez who are the most inform trio in Europe’s top 5 leagues. Valencia would have their work cut out against Luis Enrique’s team who they have managed to defeat only once in their last 6 games together. I expect Barcelona to get maximum points away from home.

Athletic Bilbao Vs Malaga – Athletic Bilbao Win:

In form Bilbao will finally return to play infront of their home fans at the San Mames after playing 4 consecutive away games in all competitions and winning their last 3 consecutively. They would need goal scoring veteran Aduriz to kill off Malaga after his run of 10goals in 13 matches this season.
18th place Malaga are still wallowing in relegation waters after a bad run of 4 consecutive defeats in their last 5 matches. The Lions of San Mames led by coach Ernesto Valverde should be able to get a win in front of their home fans.

German Bundesliga

Wolfsburg Vs Dortmund – Both Teams score (BTTS):

An exciting game at the Volkswagen arena as the 2nd placed Dortmund will be battling 3rd placed Wolfsburg. The home team would be hoping to close the wide gap of 7points in between them. There has been goals from both teams in 5 of their last 6 games against each other and I expect that to continue on saturday. Wolfsburg have been scoring a lot of goals this season, finding the net 40 times in 13 Bundesliga matches. Especially with the form of Gabonese Striker Aubameyang who has 17goals in 14games and the best shot conversion ratio in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
These two teams are difficult to separate but I expect a lot of goals and I see both teams getting on the score sheet.

Borussia Dortmund

Ingolstadt Vs Hoffenheim – Under 2.5goal:
It’s been a dream start to life in Bundesliga for newly-promoted Ingolstadt who are currently 11th on the log after an impressive 5 wins and 4 draws in their 14games so far. Hoffenheim are rooted to the bottom of the table after picking up 1 win all season. These 2 teams are not fond of scoring a lot of goals as the home team have scored a dire 10 goals in 14 games, the lowest in the league while the visitors have scored 15 goals in 14 games. I don’t expect an explosive end to end game with lots of goals, I believe both teams will score less than a total of 3 goals in this game.

Paul Ayorinde’s (@el_pauleta) predictions:

Italian Serie A

Lazio V Juventus- Double chance on Juventus:

Lazio continued their bad form last weekend when they lost to by a lone goal to Empoli while Juventus continue their resurgent as they trashed Palermo 3-0 away from home. I expect Lazio to be fired up for this match but I tip Juventus to get at least a point at Stadio Olimpico on Friday night.

Inter Milan V Genoa- Inter win:

10-man Inter Milan lost 2-1 against Napoli on Monday night in an unlucky fashion while Genoa snatched a draw at home against newcomers Carpi. I am expect Mancini’s men to get back to winning ways this weekend. I tip Inter Milan to win at the San Siro on Saturday night.

English Premier League

Swansea City V Leicester City- Double chance on Leicester:

Swansea continued their poor form last weekend losing by a lone goal against Liverpool while Leicester got a well-deserved draw against Manchester United. Swansea have picked up just 1 point in their last four premier league games, so I don’t expect them to be much of a threat against Leicester on Saturday. I tip Leicester City to get at least a point at the Liberty stadium.

West Bromwich Albion V Tottenham- Double chance on Tottenham:

West Brom picked up a point at West Ham on Sunday while Tottenham played out a goalless draw against Chelsea at the weekend to extend their unbeaten run to 13 Premier League matches. West Brom are on a good run of form, so i expect this match to tough for Tottenham. I tip Tottenham to get a point at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

Newcastle V Liverpool- Liverpool win:

Newcastle continued their abysmal form losing 5-1 against Crystal Palace in Game week 14 while Liverpool defeated Swansea 1-0 at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s men are in rich-vein of form after defeating Southampton 6-1 in the League Cup. I tip Liverpool to win convincingly at St James’ park on Sunday.

Spanish LIGA BBVA

Valencia V Barcelona- Barcelona win:

Valencia lost away from home last weekend to struggling Sevilla in a match that ended the reign of Nuno Espirito Santo while Barcelona continue their winning run defeating Real Sociedad 4-0 at Camp Nou. I expect Barcelona to be too strong for Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday. I tip Barcelona to win in an entertaining match.

Lionel Messi
photo credit: Marc Puig i Perez
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Deportivo La Coruna V Sevilla- Double chance on Deportivo:

Deportivo defeated Las Palmas away from home in Game week 13 while Sevilla got a lone goal victory against Valencia. Deportivo have lost just one game in their last five Liga BBVA matches, so i tip them to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

German Bundesliga

Cologne V Augsburg- Double chance on Cologne:

Cologne played a goalless draw against Darmstadt last weekend while Augsburg also played a goalless draw against Wolfsburg. I expect the match to be tight because both teams give extra details to defending. I tip Cologne to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

Wolfsburg V Borussia Dortmund- Both teams to score(BTTS):

Wolfsburg played a goalless draw with Augsburg last weekend while Dortmund defeated Stuttgart 4-1. In the last 3 Bundesliga meetings between Wolfsburg and Dortmund at the Volkswagen Arena both teams got on the score sheet, so I expect the trend to continue this weekend. I tip Both teams to score at Volkswagen Arena on Saturday night.

French Ligue 1

Ajaccio V Nantes- Double chance on Ajaccio:

Ajaccio continued their impressive form with an away win at Montpellier on Wednesday while Nantes held Olympique Lyon to a goalless draw on Tuesday night. I tip Ajaccio to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

Spanish La Liga Gets 2.6 Billion Euro Deal

Happy Days are here again for Liga BBVA Clubs as the League announced a new domestic Tv deal worth 2.65 billion euros for 3 seasons.

The English Premiership still remains the league with the biggest Tv deal in the world with a deal worth approximately 6.9 Billion Euros. But this new Spanish League deal is a welcome development, following a law that was passed earlier on in the year that makes it mandatory for all the clubs to collectively bargain for this type of deals.

The two top teams in the Liga BBVA used to get the largest chunk of such deals before leaving whatever was left to the other clubs, but this new arrangement will see more money get to the other clubs in the top flight of the Liga, while performance in the last five season will also influence how much each club will eventually get.

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Dani Alves vs Cristiano Ronaldo
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The Segunda Division will also get ten percent of the Tv deal money a development that will see many more spanish clubs empowered to do more in the transfer market and this can only augur well for the Spanish game.

Benzema’s lawyer blasts French PM Valls over Les Bleus comment

Karim Benzema’s lawyer says it was “surprising” to hear French Prime Minister Manuel Valls suggest that his client should not play for the national team again in the wake of the Mathieu Valbuena blackmail case.

Karim Benzema of France
Photo Credit: FIFA

Valls said on Tuesday said that a player whose conduct was not “exemplary” should no longer be considered for Les Bleus selection.

Benzema is set to talk about his situation for the first time on French television on this evening.

Benzema’s lawyer Alain Jakubowicz questioned Valls, who is known to be a big fan of Barcelona.

“Is it the supporter of Barca or the prime minister who’s spoken about a leading player of Real Madrid?” Jakubowicz told Le Parisien.

Karim Benzema
photo credit Action Lovers
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He added: “More seriously, I’m surprised, in the dramatic context in France (after the November terror attacks) that the prime minister of the republic might give an opinion in a very peremptory manner on a matter that he knows absolutely nothing about. I think he has other things to deal with.”

Jakubowicz also revealed that Valbuena’s evidence before a judge was not as damning as the Lyon midfielder’s interview with Le Monde would lead people to believe.

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game week 14)

Bookies corner returns for week 14 action after some teams have participated in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League Competitions. Some teams however have been on break during this period and it could be an advantage as the various league actions resume in the top 5 leagues.

Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:

French Ligue 1

PSG VS TROYES – PSG WIN: Runaway league leaders PSG have been tearing apart opponents as the matches come by, a 5 nil away win against Swedish team Malmo was the latest of their onslaught as the attacking force of Ibrahimović, Cavani, Lucas Moura and Di Maria have been unstoppable so far this season. They are yet to taste defeat in the league this season, a record shared with Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich in the top 5 leagues.
This would be a comfortable home win for the Parisians at the Parc des Princes where they have not lost a league game since May 2014.

ANGERS VS LILLE – UNDER 2.5 GOALS: There have been less than 3 goals scored in 13 of the last 14 games involving Lille this season. Having scored just 8 league goals in 14 games they also don’t give away so many goals as they have only conceded 9 goals so far. Their opponents Angers also don’t score much as they have scored just 12 goals in 14 games conceding 9 goals in the same time. Both teams are joint second on the least goals conceded so far this season with table toppers PSG conceding a mere 7 goals.
I see this as a low scoring game, though the result could go either way and I predict a total of less than 3 goals would be scored in this match.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard takes on Norwich City’s Jonny Howson
photo credit: Ben Sutherland
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English Premier League

TOTTENHAM VS CHELSEA- TOTTENHAM WIN/DRAW: Only one team has defeated Spurs so far this season, it was a 1 nil defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening day courtesy of an own goal. Since then Pochettino’s men have been unbeatable playing 12 matches without loosing including a 4-1 win against Man City . Chelsea on the other hand have had a season to forget as they languish in 15th place and holding the record of the worst start by a defending champion. They have only won 4 matches all season loosing 7 matches and have spent most of the season battling relegation rather than fighting to retain the league title. I don’t see Chelsea getting a win at White Hart Lane as a resurgent Harry Kane who is a nemesis to the Chelsea defence would pose a lot of threat going forward for Tottenham

MANCHESTER CITY VS SOUTHAMPTON- MANCHESTER CITY WIN: Pellegrini’s men have had a blip in form recently, failing to win in any of their last 3 matches collapsing like a pack of cards in front of their home fans against Liverpool last time out thus leaving them 2 places away from the top of the table. Southampton have had a rollercoaster season winning 5 matches in 13 games, a trip to the Etihad stadium would be coming at a wrong time when they are just gathering momentum having lost just 1 game in their last 5 matches. I see Manchester City with a fit Sergio Aguero grinding out a win and putting pressure on the league leaders Leicester City.

Italian Serie A

ROMA VS ATALANTA – ROMA WIN: 4th placed Roma have not done much wrong in the Serie A this season and the Scudetto favourites are just 3 points away from top spot. Rudi Garcia’s men never look like loosing in front of their home fans and they are yet to loose at the Stadio Olimpico this season despite playing tough oppositions like Juventus, Barcelona, Bayern Leverkusen and arch rivals Lazio. Atalanta has only 1 away win all season, so a trip to the Stadio Olimpico which has become a fortress would be an uphill task. I tip Roma to get a win inspired by the good form of Salah, Iturbe, Dzeko and Pjanic who have played well for them this season.

PALERMO VS JUVENTUS WIN- JUVENTUS WIN: The old ladies had a night mare start to their scudetto defence this season but they seem to have gotten their season on an upward thrust as they are unbeaten in their last 5 matches in all competitions including a win against English Giants Manchester City in a crucial top of the table clash in the Champions League. Star striker Dyabala would be returning to face his old side and eyes would be on him if he would be able to sting his former team. Palermo haven’t been in the best for this season with just 4 wins from 13 games, they have also failed to win against Juventus in their last 6 matches. I believe Juventus will do enough to get a win away from home, their firepower will be too much for Palermo to contain.

FC Barcelona
photo credit: Nathan Rupert
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Spanish La Liga

BARCELONA VS REAL SOCIEDAD – BARCELONA WIN: Barcelona are the most inform team in Europe’s top 5 leagues at the moment putting different clubs to the sword and scoring a lot of goals even during the absence of star player Lionel Messi. Suarez and Neymar have carried the burden of leading the club to glory as they have not lost in their last 9 games scoring 32 goals in the process including 4 goals against Real Madrid and 6 goals against Roma. Sociedad have just parted ways with Coach David Moyes and have lost 3 of their last 5 games. The deadly trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar will all be available for selection in this match and I expect them to inspire Barcelona to another dominating victory at the Camp nou where Soceidad have not won in 14 matches.

SEVILLA VS VALENCIA- BOTH TEAMS SCORE: This is a game where both teams usually score each other as they are known to attack. In the last 6 matches between these two sides both teams have failed to score only on one occasion. Unai Emery’s men are in a very bad form at the moment winning just 1 of their last 5 matches which was surprisingly against Real Madrid. Valencia have not been too fantastic themselves, currently sitting 7th on the log 4 points and 4 places above their opponents Sevilla. This is a difficult game to call, but I see both teams getting on the score sheet.

Borussia Dortmund

German Bundesliga

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS STUTTGART- DORTMUND WIN: After 7 straight victories, 2nd placed Dortmund suffered a shock defeat in their last league game away at Hamburg in a game many felt they would get a result. The yellow submarines would be playing against relegation strugglers Stuttgart at the Segunde Igunda Park in front of their ever present and loud supporters. I expect them to get back into winning ways with an emphatic victory and putting pressure on Bayern Munich. Stuttgart are facing a team they are yet to win against in 6 league meetings.
With the form of attackers Reus, Aubameyang and Kagawa, I expect the BVB to get a solid win in this fixture.

BAYERN LEVERKUSEN VS SCHALKE 04- DRAW: Bayern Leverkusen played out a shambolic and disappointing draw against BATE Borisov in the Champions League and it would be a tough ask for them to quickly get such a horrid game behind them quite quickly. They still have a chance to progress from their group albeit against “Almighty Barcelona” in their last group game at home, so that could influence their performances in other competitions prior to that match. Schalke are currently sitting 7th on the log just behind their opponents with both teams on 20 points. It is difficult to tear these two teams apart so I would be going for a brave draw.

Florentino Pérez Backs Benitez Despite Fans Prostest…

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has given under-pressure Manager Rafa Benitez a vote of confidence after the 1-4 humiliation at the Santiago Bernabéu by bitter rivals Barcelona.

Real Madrid Fans protested the loss with some fans calling on Pérez to resign, some critics have called for early elections but the Real Madrid president as rejected such calls claiming that the protest was spearheaded by the Club’s Ultras whom he believes should be kept out of the stadium due to their “violent nature”.

On Benitez Pérez said: “Rafa Benítez is the solution, the manager has my full support”

The Real Madrid president accompanied by the members of the club’s board of directors said: “Rafa has just started his job here, let him keep working, and he will achieve his objectives.”

Football pundits and analyst were expecting Benitez to get the sack after a recent slump in form which as seen the Madrid team loose two games on the bounce to Sevilla and Barcelona.

Pérez also denied plans to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to PSG stating that he had no such plans as Ronaldo is an integral part of the Los Blancos.

Rafa Benitez,
photo credit: Caricato da Serg Stallone
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Benitez took over from Carlo Ancelloti who was fired in the off season and he definitely got his job cut out for him with Barcelona Currently on top of the Liga with 30 points from 12 games while Real Madrid are currently 3rd with 24 points the same number of games Rafa Benitez Might get the same treatment as Ancelloti.

Real Madrid will next play Eibar away on Sunday, Nov 29 2015.

Lionel Messi Back In Full Training With Barcelona

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi returned to full training on Monday five days before the first Clasico of the season, the club said.

Messi has not played since tearing a ligament in his left knee back in September.

“The session included Leo Messi, who is continuing his recovery from the left knee injury he picked up on Sept. 26,” Barcelona revealed.

Also back in training is Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic who has been injured since November 4th.

Lionel Messi
credit: hy.wikipedia.org

Barcelona go into this weekend’s El Clasico leading Real Madrid by three points, with Atletico Madrid a further point behind in third.

Forwards Luis Suarez and Neymar have held fort for the Catalan giants in the absence of the Argentine and his return will definitely be a welcome development, some doubts still surround his availability for El-Classico.

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game week 12)

The bookies corner returns with match forecasts on league games after the UEFA fixtures at mid-week. Some teams had their fine form dented, some regained their scoring ability while some teams picked up wins that could turn around their season.

Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:

English Premier League

Manchester United’s Old Trafford a.k.a The Theatre of Dreams, photo credit http://www.guts.com/en https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

Manchester United Vs West Brom – Manchester United win:

Manchester United have been on a “yoyo run” recently, with their first win in 5 games coming on Tuesday night against Russian club CSKA Moscow. They drew the other 4 games including a shocking goalless draw against 2nd tier Middlesbrough in the league cup where they were eventually knocked out on penalties. I see them turning their fortunes around after this recent win and Tony Pulis’ West Brom would not be able to stop the Red Devils at old Trafford especially on a run of 3 defeats from their last 5 games.

Liverpool Vs Crystal Palace – Liverpool win:

New manager Jurgen Klopp has brought in the attitude and effectiveness of a German team into this Liverpool side and it has been obvious in all his games in charge. His philosophy of gegen pressing (counter-pressing) was also evident as he made a statement with a rousing win at Stamford Bridge against a troubled Chelsea side where they haven’t won in 6 previous attempts. I see the Reds following up their good run with another win against Crystal Palace under manager Jurgen Klopp who is yet to taste defeat after 5 games.

Italian Serie A

Sampdoria Vs Fiorentina – Both teams to score:

The viola have been in impressive form this season currently topping the Serie A table scoring 22 goals in 11 games. It would be a difficult game travelling to 9th placed Sampdoria who have only lost 3 league games so far this season. I believe both teams would get on the score sheet in this match.

AC Milan Vs Atalanta – AC Milan win :

Milan coach Mihajlovic still has a lot to prove at the San Siro in his first season, but it’s safe to say he isn’t far from the summit, currently 6th placed on the table and 5 points away from the top spot. The San Siro is without doubt a fortress and will be an advantage for the Rossoneri against Atalanta who have failed to win in their last 3 away games. Milan are also on a good run of form winning their last three matches ,they will come out with maximum points in this game.

Spanish La Liga

Celta Vs Valencia – Both teams to score:

Celta have been the surprise package of the season currently 3rd on the table behind Real Madrid and Barcelona with just 3 points separating them from 1st position. They have had a good season with surprise wins against Barcelona and their only defeat in the last 5 games was against league leaders Real Madrid. Celta have scored 21 goals in 10 games while host Valencia have scored 11 goals, with Valencia’s attacking threat of Rodrigo, Negredo and Alcacer. I believe both teams will get on the score sheet in this game.

Neymar
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Barcelona Vs Villarreal – Barcelona win:

Luis Enrique’s men have easily survived life without injured super star Messi. Neymar, Suarez and wonder kid Sergio Roberto have led the team to superb form with 4 wins in their last 5 games. Villarreal have been impressive so far this season as well but a trip to Camp Nou at a time when Barcelona are trying to displace Real Madrid from the top of the table before the El Classico would be too much to handle for the Yellow Submarines. I expect Barcelona to keep up their winning form as the El Classico draws closer.

German Bundesliga

Bayern Munich Vs Stuttgart – Bayern Munich Win both Halves:

Bayern suffered a shocking goalless draw away at Frankfurt in their last league match which ended their perfect run into the new season. The result however didn’t loosen their tight grasp on the Bundesliga as they are still on top of the log with 5 points ahead of 2nd placed Dortmund. Pep Guardiola and his men showed signs of their strength and dominance with a resounding 5-1 victory over Arsenal. I believe Stuttgart who are just above the relegation zone on goal difference stands no chance of stopping a barrage from the Bavarians as I expect Bayern to win the first half and the second half.

Bayern Leverkusen Vs Cologne – Bayern Leverkusen win :

Schmidt’s Leverkusen have showed so much resilience in the last 5 games scoring a lot of goals but conceding too, they have scored 17 goals in the last 5 games in all competitions conceding 12 goals. A 4-4 draw and 3-2 defeat to Roma, a 4-3 win against Stuttgart and a 6-0 win against second-tier Viktoria Koln in the DFP Pokal were among the games. The addition of Mexican striker Chicharito has been a bargain so far this season and Leverkusen would be better off if they can just shut it at the back. I see Bayern Leverkusen winning against Koln who have only won 4 games so far this season.

French Ligue 1

Caen Vs Guingamp – Under 2.5 goals: Guingamp have only scored 2 goals or more in only two of their last 5 games. While Caen have not scored more than 1 goal in any of their last 5 games. This stat isn’t uncommon in the French league as the fans are used to lack of goals when the smaller teams play each other. I expcect this to be a cagey game with less than 3 goals from both teams but the result can swing either way.

Lyon Vs St Etienne – Lyon win or draw‎(Double chance):

Lyon were treated to a lacklustre home defeat in the Champions league when they played Russian Champions Zenit. They can keep up the push for the Ligue Un with a win against top 4 contender St Etienne. Lyon currently sit in 2nd place and 10 points behind run away leaders PSG and they need to prove their title challenging credentials against an highly rated opponent. I give Lyon win or draw at home on Sunday. ‎

Paul Ayorinde’s (@el_pauleta) predictions:

Italian Serie A

Roma V Lazio- Double chance on Roma:

Both sides were involved in shock results last weekend as Roma were unable to unlock a stubborn Inter Milan defence, while Lazio were humiliated in front
of their home fans by AC Milan. I expect the Rome Derby to be an open and entertaining match,but I tip Roma to get at least a point at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Napoli V Udinese- Napoli win:

Napoli were held when they visited Genoa on Sunday afternoon, while Udinese also held an in-form Sassuolo side to a goalless draw. I am tipping Napoli to get back to winning ways this weekend.

English Premier League

Leicester City V Watford- Double chance on Leicester:

Leicester City continued their Blistering form when they defeated West Brom at the Hawthorns in Gameweek 11. Watford also got a win against high-flying West Ham last weekend. Both sides are in
excellent form and i expect this match to be exciting all through. I am tipping Leicester City to get at least a point at home on Saturday.

Arsenal V Tottenham- Both teams to score(BTTS):

Arsenal picked up an excellent win away at Swansea in Gameweek 11 while Spurs
picked up a comfortable win against Aston Villa on Monday night. Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Laurent Koscielny are both doubtful for the North London Derby,so i expect Arsenal to struggle defensively and Tottenham are unbeaten in the league since Game Week 1. I am tipping both teams to score in an entertaining derby at the Emirates on Sunday.

Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal Vs Liverpool
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Aston Villa V Manchester City- Man City win:

Aston Villa lost 3-1 against Tottenham on Monday night while Manchester City defeated Norwich last weekend. It will be Remi Garde’s first match as Aston Villa manager but I expect the attacking prowess of Pellegrini’s men to be too much for the the Villians. I am tipping Manchester City to get an away win on Sunday.

German Bundesliga

Borussia Monchengladbach V Ingolstadt- Monchengladbach win:

Monchengladbach continue their excellent form when they defeated Hertha Berlin away from home last week while Ingolstadt held Schalke 04 to a 1-1 draw away from home. Ingolstadt are very strong defensively but I expect Monchengladbach’s attack to be too strong for them. I am tipping Borussia Monchengladbach to win convincingly on Saturday.

Bayern Munich V Stuttgart- Bayern Munich win and Over 2.5 goals:

Bayern Munich’s 100% winning run in the league ended last week against Eintracht Frankfurt while Stuttgart picked up an home win against Darmstadt. I am tipping Bayern Munich to win convincingly at Allianz Arena on Saturday.

French Ligue 1

Lille V Bastia- Under 2.5 goals:

Lille played a goalless draw against Nice last weekend while Bastia won at home against Caen 1-0. Lille has scored 4 goals at home this season while Bastia have scored just 3 goals away from home. I expect this match to be a low-scoring encounter. I tip both sides to score less than 3 goals in this match.

Spanish Liga BBVA

Atletico Madrid V Sporting Gijon- Atletico Madrid win:

Diego Simeone’s men played a 1-1 draw against Deportivo La Coruna last weekend while Sporting Gijon defeated Malaga 1-0 at home. I expect Atletico Madrid to get back to winning ways this weekend, so i am tipping them to get a slim home win on Sunday.

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Dani Alves vs Cristiano Ronaldo
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Barcelona V Villarreal- Barcelona win:

Barcelona defeated Getafe 2-0 last weekend while Villarreal defeated Sevilla 2-1 at home. This match promises to be an entertaining encounter with lots of goals but i tip Barcelona to get a slim home win at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Newfanzone Bookies Corner (Game Week 10)

This is Game week 10 of our Bookies corner where we help Punters forecast on the best matches to put their money on.

Ademola Adejuwon’s (@demydemo) predictions:

Arsenal vs Everton- Arsenal Win:

The Gunners have been in fine form of late and have not conceded a goal in their last 3 games. Alexis,Walcott and Ozil have been fantastic for the Gunners this season as they unlock any defence with their trickery,pace and Intelligence. The Toffees lost at home last time out scandalously to Manchester united and they will look to at least get a point away to Arsenal to show that they can compete for a place in Europe this season. The Gunners might be too good for Everton as I see them taking all three points in this encounter.

Manchester United vs Manchester City-Both teams to score (BTTS):

Manchester United’s Old Trafford a.k.a The Theatre of Dreams, photo credit http://www.guts.com/en https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

The Manchester derby would be fierce this weekend as all three points is important for both teams in the title race. The two teams have a mixture of youth and experience; Sterling, De Bruyne, Yaya Toure & Wilfred Bony for City while Martial, Schweinstieger, Mata & Rooney for the Red Devils. Manchester City have scored 11 goals in their last two EPL Fixtures which shows how deadly they are offensively and with Mata and Martial Manchester too will definitely get a goal or two in this game.

Spanish La Liga

Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid- Both teams to score(BTTS):

Celta Vigo are giant killers and they’ve been doing excellently in the league. The last big side they hosted (Barcelona) were walloped 4-1. Rafael Benitez’s side have been shrewd at the back with good and dogged defending. Nolito have been a handful this season but the firepower of Ronaldo & co might be too for the Celta Vigo side. A safe pick is that Both teams will surely get Goals.

Barcelona vs Eibar- Barcelona win:

Barcelona welcome Eibar to the camp Nou. The Catalans have struggled to get goals after the injury to their talismanic forward Messi. The defending Champions now look to Suarez and Neymar for goals. Neymar was immense last time out in the league and the Brazilian alongside Rakitc and Suarez would definitely ensure Barcelona get all three points against Eibar at the Camp Nou.

Atletico Madrid vs Valencia: Atletico Madrid double chance:

This is the biggest game in the LaLiga this weekend as Champions league campaigners Atletico Madrid and Valencia face each other at the Vincente Calderon. Atletico have not been doing too bad in the league though with the kind of squad they have they ought to be ontop of the league with the dwindling form of rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid. Diego Simeone knows how to prepare his team for big games like this and expect them to at least get a draw against a good Valencia side.

German Bundesliga

Bayern Munich vs Cologne- Bayern Win and over 2.5:

Bayern Unbeaten run finally came to a halt on Tuesday when they were humbled at the Emirates against Arsenal. In the league, Bayern have been invincible and with 7 points above second place Borussia Dortmund they looked to have wrapped up the league title. Pep will want to get back to winning ways after that blip against Arsenal so we might expect a mauling of Cologne at the Allianz Arena.

Borussia Dortmund vs Augsburg– Dortmund win:

Dortmund have been on a relatively poor run after their explosive start to the season. Tuchel’s side welcome Augsburg to the Signa Iguna park and they know that a win against Augsburg will still give them a chance to go at the league title. Aubameyang will once again lead their forward line and the Gabonese have hardly disappointed so far this season.

Moenchengladbach vs Schalke- Both teams to score (BTTS):

Moenchengladbach form in the league have been poor compared to last season when they qualified for the Champions league. They host Schalke this weekend in what might probe to be the game of the week this season. Both sides are inconsistent and very unpredictable. A safe pick would be Both team to score as they would both come out to attack each other from start to finish.

Italian Serie A

Juventus vs Atlanta- Juventus Double Chance:

Juventus have not scored a goal in their last two games which will come has a worry to coach Massimilliano Allegri. The Italian Champions are in the lower end of the table and need to start winning games if they want to defend their title or qualify for the UCL. Atlanta are a bogey side for the big teams but with Dybala,Morata and Zaza Juventus should at least get a draw at home to Atlanta.

Fiorentina vs Roma- Fiorentina Double Chance:

In form Fiorentina hosts Roma in the Serie A this weekend. Montella’s team would want to bounce back from their defeat to rivals Napoli in the league by defeating another title contender Roma who have been inconsistent this season . Fiorentina are good as a unit and it would be difficult for Roma to break them down especially away from home.

Paul Ayorinde’s (@el_pauleta) predictions:

Italian Serie A

Fiorentina V Roma- Both teams to score(BTTS):

This match promises to be a cracker and the game of the week in Serie A. Fiorentina lost 2-1 in Naples last weekend while Roma thrashed Empoli 3-1 in Rome. I am tipping both teams to score in an entertaining match at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday.

Palermo V Inter Milan- Double chance on Inter:

Palermo recorded their third win of the season last weekend while the Nerazzurri played out a 0-0 draw with rivals Juventus. Inter Milan has been in top form this season and i expect Mancini’s men to get at least a point at Renzo Barbera on Saturday night.

Spanish Liga BBVA

Barcelona V Eibar- Barcelona win and over 2.5 goals:

Eibar played a 1-1 draw against Sevilla last weekend while Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at the Camp Nou. Barcelona are getting their “groove” back and I expect them to get an high-scoring victory against Eibar on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid V Valencia- Double chance on Atletico Madrid:

Atletico Madrid got a vital win against Real Sociedad away from home last weekend while Valencia thrashed Malaga 3-0 at the Mestalla. Atletico Madrid are very strong at home and i expect them to get a least a point at home when they play Valencia on Sunday.

German Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen V Stuttgart– Bayer Leverkusen win:

Bayer Leverkusen’s last two games have ended in draws and expect them to step it up this weekend and get a win against struggling Stuttgart. I tip Bayer Leverkusen to get a win at the BayArena on Saturday afternoon.

Borussia Dortmund V Augsburg- Dortmund win:

Borussia Dortmund got back to winning way last weekend, Augsburg are struggling this season and have won just one match in the last 5 matches. I am tipping Borussia Dortmund to win at home on Sunday.

French Ligue 1

Reims V Monaco– Double chance on Monaco:

Reims have lost their last two matches and it will be difficult game for them when they host Monaco at home on Sunday. I tip Monaco to get at least a point at Stade Auguste Delaune II

English Premier League

Leicester City V Crystal Palace– Double chance on Leicester:

Leicester City fought back from 2-0 down to rescue a point against Southampton in Gameweek 9 while Crystal Palace lost 3-1 at home against West Ham. I expect Leicester City to continue their good form this weekend. I tip the home team to get at least a point on Saturday.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard takes on Norwich City’s Jonny Howson
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West Ham V Chelsea- Both teams to score(BTTS):

West Ham picked up an impressive win at Crystal Palace last weekend while Chelsea won at home against Aston Villa. This match promises to be an exciting one with lot of goals. I predict both teams to score at Upton park on Saturday.

Bournemouth V Tottenham– Tottenham win:

The Cherries lost 5-1 away from home last weekend while Tottenham played a 0-0 draw at home against Liverpool. Bournemouth have been struggling in the past weeks, so i expect Tottenham’s attack of Kane, Njie and Eriksen to be too strong for the BPL newcomers. I predict Tottenham to get a slim win away from home on Sunday.

Referee pressured to support Real Madrid in Clasico – Lawyer

A Liga BBVA assistant referee has told anti-corruption officials he was pressured by the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) to support Real Madrid in the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona in November.

Jacinto Vicente, the lawyer of the unnamed official, told Barcelona based newspaper Sport that a formal complaint has been made to the public prosecutor’s office in Barcelona, with the assistant referee told to “prejudice the interests of one of the clubs, Barcelona.”

According to Spanish radio network COPE,the copy of the document presented by Vicente, reads: “In this context, in the middle of September, with two months still to go [before the Clasico], a referee said to my client he had received, and I quote, ‘an instruction directly from someone inside.’

“The guidelines said that they could be the refereeing team for the Clasico even though it has still not been named, nor will it be until closer to the date between Madrid and Barcelona on Nov. 21. In the case that they were designated the game, it was indicated that they must try to referee the game in a certain manner, in more certain terms, to prejudice the interests of one of the clubs, Barcelona.”

The case began with the assistant referee allegedly receiving a phone call in mid-September from the match official he usually works with.

Vicente’s document reads that the match official was told “it would be more convenient if the most difficult decisions in this game are not taken by the main referee, as it generates more controversy in the media but by [my client] the assistant. If the decisions are made by the assistant, it was considered, less controversy would be generated and it would also dilute more quickly. In addition, it was also stated that this practice has already been tested in 2014-15 and that, precisely, on that occasion the main referee was exposed and criticised by the media. For that reason, it was convenient to be more subtle.”

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Dani Alves vs Cristiano Ronaldo
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The assistant referee alleges that CTA spokesman Jose Angel Jimenez Munoz de Morales phoned him a few days after the first call in September, told him the CTA knew of his refusal to follow instructions, and advised him to do as told or else face the end of his refereeing career.

The assistant referee says that he did not record the phone conversation because he didn’t expect it, but that the number of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) switchboard had shown up.

Jacinto Vicente told Barcelona based newspaper Sport: “One person let me know about a referee that had a problem and wanted to talk with me. It’s deducible that he is not from Barcelona (because if he was he would not have been chosen for the game). For a professional reason I had to go to Barcelona, where I met with him. He explained everything that had occurred and wanted to go public with the pressure being put on him because it’s the only way to clean up Spanish football and the only way to change a closed system. I advised him that it was not the best solution to publish the claims, but that the normal thing to do would be to report it to the police. It scared him because he didn’t want his name to come out. If it does, he could have a serious professional problem. I told him that he should speak with the police first and the prosecution. On October 19 I got in contact with the police and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor began investigating the case.”

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015: Qatar wins Longines Challenge Cup in another Furusiyya Final thriller

Qatar won the aptly-named Longines Challenge Cup at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain tonight where, once again, the competition was a cliff-hanger to the very end. And, for the second day in a row, course designer, Spain’s Santiago Varela, set them a super-tough track that tested judgement, jumping ability and nerve in equal measure.

The winners finished on a nine-fault scoreline while Australia, Brazil and France shared second place when all three sides posted a total of 12 each. Once again the one-round format produced a class filled with unpredictability, the result eventually decided by the very last horse-and-rider combination into the arena.

The Furusiyya series is not just about crowning the best Nations Cup team of the year however, it is also about drawing new nations into the fold and encouraging their participation and development. So it was exciting to see Egypt, who at one stage look set to create a real sensation, sharing fifth place with the much more experienced Italian side when both finished on 13 faults at the end of day.

First into the ring

The 11-nation startlist consisted of the teams that didn’t qualify for tomorrow’s second round of the Furusiyya Final, and they competed in reverse order of merit following yesterday’s competition so Poland and Spain were the first two countries into the ring. It was immediately evident that Varela’s course would be no walk in the park when Polish pathfinder, Msciwoj Kiecon, was eliminated for a fall, although Spain got off to a promising start when Manuel Fernandez Saro’s Santiago de Blondel was clear all the way to the final vertical.

The oxer at fence two hit the ground on numerous occasions and there were plenty of faults at the open water at fence six and the following planks. However the triple combination at 10 was the bogey of the competition, and Qatar’s chances appeared to have been dashed from the outset when Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani’s mare, Vienna Olympic, stopped at the middle element after a mistake at the oxer on the way in, and then hit the final element at her second attempt to rack up a total of 19 faults.

Brazil, in stark contrast, got off to the ideal start with a foot-perfect run from Pedro Veniss and Quabri de L’Isle. There were three riders in contention for a €50,000 bonus if they could match the clear round they produced yesterday with another one tonight. And when the other two faulted, it was Veniss who scooped the lot.

In with a chance

A mistake at the second element of the double at five prevented Egypt’s Karim Elzoghby from taking his cut of the extra cash, but after a great ride by Mohamed Talaat (Connaught) who returned with just a single time fault, the Egyptians were in with a chance of finishing with just five faults if last-line rider, Sameh El Dahan, could leave all the fences up with Suma’s Zorro. In a contest in which the anchor riders were under the most immense pressure however, 12 faults put paid to that.

The French were looking well out of contention until Kevin Staut posted one of just four clears on the night when last to go for his side with Reveur de Hurtebise, and Edwina Tops-Alexander did exactly the same for Australia with a big performance from Heidi du Ruisseau Z. Her team-mate, Jamie Kermond, was the third of the bonus bidders, but lost out with mistakes at the water and the penultimate oxer at fence 12. However second-line Australian, Jessica Brown, has been a sensational find this week. Almost unknown before riding into the ring yesterday with her lovely grey gelding Casco, she once again looked like a very elegant Pony Clubber as she popped around the track for just four faults with the greatest of ease.

Closing stages

It was the teams from Qatar and Brazil who battled it out in the closing stages, third-last to go, Bassem Hassan Mohammed producing a pivotal anchorman clear that ensured Sheikh Ali’s 19 faults could be dropped and leaving Qatar on a finishing total of nine faults. Khalid Mohammed Al Emadi (Tamira IV) picked up four at the last element of the triple combination and Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi and Gunder returned with five on the board after lowering only the very last.

However if the Brazilians could drop the eight faults picked up by Felipe Amaral, who replaced Rodrigo Pessoa in today’s team, then they would be carrying only the single error made by Doda de Miranda and AD Living the Dream. So as Marlon Modolo Zanotelli cantered into the arena there was a huge air of expectation.

Last to go, he could afford a fence down, while a time fault would leave his country on level-pegging with the Qataris. The crowd held their breath when Rock ‘n Roll Semilly hit the first element of the triple combination, but they gasped when the pole rolled off the top of the following triple bar, and with four more faults at the final fence it was all over.
Team Qatar were the winners, while the Brazilians had to settle for runner-up spot alongside the French and Australians.

Day of history

The man who clinched victory for his country, Bassem Hassan Mohammed, described his side’s success as “a big day of history for Qatar, and I’m really happy for this!Congratulations to the Qatar Equestrian Federation, to all my team and my family. I don’t think anything could be better than this at this moment!” he said with delight afterwards.

Asked if he was nervous with so much hanging in the balance as he was going in to jump he replied “to be honest I didn’t know the result before I went in – what I knew was I really had to jump a clear round and that’s what I had in my mind and I made it!” And he praised his lovely grey mare. “I don’t think there is a word to describe California today, she really flew, she really jumped super, I’m really happy for me, for her, for everybody!” he said.

Chef d’Equipe, Willem Meeus, said “I’m very proud of my riders and the whole team. This year we have competed in three Nations Cups and we’ve won two of them. We’ve been working hard for the last three years, with the help of Jan Tops, to get to a high level”, he explained.

Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani was able to put the disappointment of his round behind him. “Today I put my team in a bad position, but the other riders fought back and did really well. We missed getting into the final tomorrow but we didn’t give up, and now we are really happy”, he said.

For the teams that have qualified for the second round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final however, tomorrow is a whole new day as all eight teams restart on a zero score. There’s still a lot more action to play itself out before the 2015 Furusiyya title-holders are crowned tomorrow night.

Team Qatar, winners of tonight’s Longines Challenge Cup at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 in Barcelona, Spain: (L to R) Chef d’Equipe Willem Meeus, Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi, Khalid Mohammedd Al Emadi, Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, Hamad All Mohamed Al Attiyah and Bassem Hassan Mohammed. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Result, Longines Challenge Cup:

1. Qatar 9 faults: Vienna Olympic (Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani) 19, Tamira IV (Khalid Mohammed A S Al Emadi) 4, Gunder (Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi) 5, Eurocommerce California (Bassem Hassan Mohammed) 0.

2. France 12 faults: Flora de Mariposa (Penelope Leprevost) 8, Number One D’Iso Un Prince (Nicolas Delmotte) 4, Quod Coeur de la Loge (Roger Yves Bost) 8, Reveur de Hurtebise HDC (Kevin Staut) 0.

2. Australia 12 faults: Quite Cassini (Jamie Kermond0 9, Casco (Jessica Brown) 4, Fedor (Scott Keach) 8, Heidi du Ruisseau Z (Edwina Tops-Alexander) 0.

2. Brazil 12 faults: Quabri de L’Isle (Pedro Veniss) 0, Premiere Carthoes BZ (Felipe Amaral) 8, AD Living the Dream (Doda de Miranda) 4, Rock /n Roll Semilly (Marlon Modolo Zanotelli) 12.

5. Italy 13 faults: Admara 2 (Emanuele Gaudiano) 4, Gitano v Berkenbroeck (Juan Carlos Garcia) 12, Silverstras (Lorenzo de Luca) 1, Catwalk Z (Piergiorgio Bucci) 8.

5. Egypt 13 faults: Vingino (Abdel Said) 8, Connaught (Mohamed Talaat) 1, Amelia (Karim El Zoghby) 4, Suma’s Zorro (Sameh El Dahan) 12.

Louise Parkes

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 – Round 1: Brilliant Belgians Top First Round At Furusiyya 2015 Final

FEI YouTube: https://youtu.be/WV99DKEslN8

The Belgian team came out on top in the super-tough first round of the €2.3 million Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) today. With only eight places up for grabs for Saturday’s second and deciding round, there was a ferocious battle between the 19 competing nations, and some heroic performances from sides that didn’t make the cut.

Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, the defending champions from The Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland claimed the remaining qualifying spots in that order, and the stage is now set for a spectacular finale on Saturday night.

The testing course set by Spain’s Santiago Varela produced only seven clear rounds from a starting field of 76 horse-and-rider combinations, and the penultimate triple combination claimed a huge number of victims. A total of 33 horses faulted here, and at least 24 of those left the middle element on the floor. All four members of the French team picked up penalties at this one, and the country that won the first Furusiyya Final back in 2013 finished well down the line in 16th place on their final tally of 24 faults.

The countries that just missed out were Qatar, Mexico and Brazil who shared ninth place on a 16-fault scoreline at the end of the day, and it was interesting to note that three of the rare clear rounds were posted by riders from countries that finished outside the qualification zone. Pedro Veniss got Brazil off to a perfect start when fault-free with Quabri de L’Isle, while both Australian pathfinder Jamie Kermond (Quite Cassini) and Egypt’s anchorman Karim Elzoghby (Amelia) did likewise – the latter two countries sharing 12th place at the end of the day.

Fair but unforgiving

Varela’s course was fair but unforgiving, riders having to plan every step of the way in order to leave all the timber intact and to avoid exceeding the 81 seconds time-allowed. The pressure really began on the roll-back to the planks at fence five which was followed by a big double, and then a right-bending line to the open water. As the Spanish course designer explained afterwards however, the majority of mistakes later on the track were created by loss of control after the open water which was followed by a big oxer and then a turn back to a two-metre-wide triple bar.

“It was six (strides) to the vertical after the triple bar and oxer, but the majority of the riders went on seven and some upset the balance of their horses” he explained this evening. Many paid the price at the blue oxer at fence 11, the front pole kicked out time and again before riders turned down the final line.

Every element of the triple combination at 12 saw plenty of action. “It was at the end of the course, and the jump in was a bit short”, Varela said. The red poles at the vertical second element were further complicated by a water tray below them which distracted some of the horses. The course wasn’t only difficult to ride, Varela said it was also difficult to build. “We only had the warm-up competition and then a 1.60m class – I think it was a fair course with faults everywhere from the start to the end. The question today was not to win, it was to be in the eight teams that qualify for Saturday” he pointed out.

Judy-Ann Melchior and As Cold as Ice Z helped Belgium take top spot in today’s first round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP). (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Impossible to predict

It was impossible to predict how the competition would play itself out until the very end as each rider had only one chance to get things right, but the British looked secure having posted a nine-fault scoreline by the end of the third-rider rotation, while Christian Ahlmann’s opening clear with Taloubet Z helped seal Germany’s eight-fault total. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson did the same for Sweden when third to go for his side, but the Dutch had a bit of a moment when one of their dream-team combinations – Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Verdi – collected 17 uncharacteristic faults. However with a foot-perfect run from the superstar partnership of Jeroen Dubbeldam and Zenith they finished with 10 on the board after five-fault efforts from both Jur Vrieling (VDL Zirocco Blue) and Gerco Schroder (Glock’s Cognac Champblanc), and the defending Furusiyya champions still look well set to continue on the glory trail they have been following over the last year.

The final placings were undecided to the very end however, the Americans heaving a huge sigh of relief that at last, after missing the cut at the previous two Furusiyya Finals, they are through on a nine-fault finishing score while the Irish and Swiss claimed the last two places when posting scores of 13 and 15 faults respectively.

Clear winners

The clear winners today however were the Belgians who confidently cruised home with a final tally of five faults thanks to a fantastic last-to-go clear from newly-crowned European silver medallist, Gregory Wathelet.

Their pathfinder, Olivier Philippaerts (H&M Armstrong van de Kapel) made a mistake at the planks at fence five, but, next to go, Judy-Ann Melchior, collected only a single time penalty with the ever-reliable Cold as Ice Z. Jos Lansink fell victim to the middle part of the combination with For Cento, but Wathelet’s clear sealed it in style.

Wathelet said afterwards “for sure I am really happy about my clear round, but today my team was really good and they made it easy for me! There was not so much pressure when I was going in so I could ride a nice, quiet round. I’m happy for my team, and I hope we can keep it this way for Saturday. We will try to do the same on Saturday but it is a whole new day. Our goal was to be in the top eight this evening, and the main thing is we succeeded in that” he said stoically.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) from 24 to 27 September, visit http://www.csiobarcelona.com or contact Press Officer Isabel Suter, isuter@rcpolo.com, +34 760 258 222.

Result:

1. Belgium 5 faults: H&M Armstrong van de Kapel (Olivier Philippaerts) 4, As Cold as Ice Z (Judy-Ann Melchior) 1, For Cento (Jos Lansink) 5, Conrad de Hus (Gregory Wathelet) 0.
2. Germany 8 faults: Taloubet Z (Christian Ahlmann) 0, Fibonacci (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) 5, Cornet d’Amour (Daniel Deusser) 4, Chiara (Ludger Beerbaum) 4.
2. Sweden 8 faults: H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 4, Tinkabell (Angelie von Essen) 21, Unita Ask (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 9, Cantinero (Henrik von Eckermann) 4.
4. Great Britain 9 faults: Diva ll (Ben Maher) 1, Spirit T (Jessica Mendoza) 4, Utamaro D’Ecaussines (Joe Clee) 4, Cassionato (Michael Whitaker) 13.
4. USA 9 faults: Nouvelle (Laura Kraut) 1, Barron (Lucy Davis) 12, Ohlala (Lauren Hough) 4, Cortes C (Beezie Madden) 4.
6. Netherlands 10 faults: SFN Zenith NOP (Jeroen Dubbeldam0 0, VDL Groep Verdi (Maikel van der Vleuten) 17, VDL Zirocco Blue (Jur Vrieling) 5, Glock’s Cognac Champblanc (Gerco Schroder) 5.
7. Ireland 13 faults: Molly Malone (Bertram Allen) 5, MHS Going Global (Greg Broderick) 5, Good Luck (Cian O’Connor) 4, All Star (Denis Lynch) 4.
8. Switzerland 15 faults: Quorida de Treho (Romain Duguet) 1, Clooney (Martin Fuchs) 9, Bonne Chance CW (Janika Sprunger) 16, Castlefield Eclipse (Paul Estermann) 5.

Facts and Figures:

Team Belgium came out on top in the first round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 which took place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) this afternoon.

The prestigious Club, which was the Jumping venue for the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, is celebrating its 104th anniversary fixture this year.

The Furursiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 consists of three competitions.

Today’s opening class was a one-round competition in which all 19 qualified nations lined out.

Tomorrow’s Challenge Cup is open to the 11 teams that did not finish in the top eight today.

Saturday’s third and final competition is open to the eight top teams in today’s event. It is a one-round competition with the possibility of a jump-off only for first place.

7 clear rounds from starting field of 76 horse-and-rider combinations in today’s competition.

The 8 nations that have qualified for Saturday night’s final round are Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland.

Louise Parkes