GARETH BALE SUFFERS SPRAINED KNEE

Real Madrid have confirmed that Gareth Bale has suffered a sprain to his right knee. The squad also announced that Keylor Navas also sustained an injury.
"Following the tests carried out on Gareth Bale, he has been diagnosed with a joint strain in his right knee. His recovery will continue to be assessed," the club stated on its website.

Alex Iwobi Loses Out On Arsenal Goal Of The Month

Alex Iwobi has missed out on winning Arsenal’s Goal of the Month award for April 2016, with Chile star Alexis Sanchez picking up the accolade.

The Nigeria international had made it to the shortlist for his strike against Watford in the Premier League and was nominated alongside Bellerin, Walcott, Ozil, Koscielny and Welbeck for the most eye-catching goal scored by an Arsenal player last month.

In the official club poll, Alexis’ first goal v West Brom claimed 37 percent of the votes, Welbeck’s strike against Norwich came second (18 %) and Alexis’ second v West Brom was the third best as voted on by the supporters of the Gunners.

Iwobi was just outside the top three, finishing in fourth place with five percent of the votes.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE: THE FINAL WILL BE 50-50

The Real Madrid icon gives his thoughts on the semifinal win over Manchester City.

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"We suffered and we knew we would but in the end we made the final and we are happy with the effort of all the players."

"They deserve it. We are happy."

"The fans are always special in the Bernabeu and they have been with the players from the first minute to the final. That always helps. In a difficult game, like in a semifinal of the Champions League, we had to suffer and so did the fans till the end."

"(Cristiano Ronaldo) like always. He is dedicated to what he does and he has also done defensive work. Like always it was the work of the entire team that has let us achieve this."

"I'm happy with what is happening to me. I'm enjoying it because I like what I do and that is what is most important.

Who will win the Champions League Final: "Like always, there is (no favorite). It can go 50-50.

"We will enjoy it now, but tomorrow back to thinking about game on Sunday."

UEFA Champions League 2nd Leg Semi-final. REAL MADRID ARE NOW QUILIFIED TO GO AGAINST ATL MADRID IN THE UEFA Champions League Final 15/16

Real Madrid will take on capital rivals Atletico in a repeat of the 2014 Champions League final after beating Manchester City 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Zinedine Zidane's men have a shot at claiming the club's 11th European crown at San Siro on May 28, having followed up last week's cagey goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium with a considerably more impressive showing in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday.
Madrid – boosted by Cristiano Ronaldo's return to fitness, but still without Karim Benzema –capitalised on yet another injury setback for City captain Vincent Kompany to take a first-half lead when Gareth Bale's delivery looped in off Fernando.
Manuel Pellegrini, seeking to ensure it was not his final European game at the helm, needed a response from his side in the second half, but saw City spend most of it on the back foot.
Sergio Aguero was kept quiet and Kevin De Bruyne, so key in the last-eight triumph over Paris Saint-Germain, was also uncharacteristically subdued on a night that promised so much and yet delivered so little for City, whose best run in the competition came to a grinding halt.
For Madrid, though, there will be an opportunity to again do battle with an Atletico team who are challenging them, and leaders Barcelona, for the Liga title as Diego Simeone's men seek revenge for their Lisbon heartache of two years ago.
City suffered an early blow when Kompany pulled up injured inside the opening 10 minutes, the captain forced off to be replaced by Eliaquim Mangala.
The visitors had to adapt quickly as Madrid pressed forward, the first chance falling to talisman Ronaldo, whose header from Dani Carvajal's searching cross comfortably cleared Joe Hart's crossbar.
But the England goalkeeper could do nothing when Bale's right-footed cross clipped Fernando's outstretched leg and sailed into the net via the far post in the 20th minute.
The visitors sought a quick response to quieten a jubilant home crowd, with Jesus Navas escaping down the right and firing in a low cross that Keylor Navas confidently claimed.
An offside flag denied Pepe, who thought he had turned in the second nine minutes before half-time when he got on the end Toni Kroos' set-piece delivery.
City still had time to fire a first-half warning shot as Fernandinho's powerful drive struck the base of the left-hand upright in the final minute of the opening period.
With City up against it, manager Pellegrini – a beaten semi-finalist with Villarreal in the 2005-06 edition of this competition – needed a response from his side, but there were ominous signs early in the second half.
Jese Rodriguez's lung-bursting run left City players trailing in his wake, only for a poor attempted cross to let the Spaniard down, while Hart brilliantly denied Luka Modric from close range and kept out Ronaldo's header all within 10 minutes of the restart.
Raheem Sterling was introduced from the bench for Yaya Toure as Pellegrini looked to increase City's attacking focus for the final 30 minutes, but it was Madrid who continued to look the more likely.
Bale hit the crossbar with a header and Ronaldo blatantly handled the ball into the net when the rebound was chipped back towards him.
City, needing only one goal to progress to the final, threw on Kelechi Iheanacho in the closing stages and had their spirits momentarily lifted when the otherwise anonymous Aguero sent a shot dipping narrowly over the target, but that was as close as they came.
A greater challenge surely awaits Madrid in Milan a little over three weeks from now, with Atletico –conquerors of Bayern Munich in the other semi-final – having taken four points of Zidane's side in the league this season.

COULD THIS BE TRUE. Could the Buddha be behind Leicester City’s EPL success?

The Premier League’s top team, founded in1884, began the season as relegation, not title contenders.
They hey were at the bottom of the league table back around Christmas 2014- one year later, they found themselves at the opposite end and haven’t looked back. It’s literally been like a movie.Their season has been a true feat of history. In over 100 years of play, they’ve never won the English soccer top flight (the modern Premier League).They’ve never qualified for the Champions League. Their best English top flight finish was as the 1928-29 season’s runners-up. In a competition bankrolled by billions of dollars in oligarch and financier wealth, little Leicester City, backed by a 330,000-person population, is on the verge of overcoming 5000/1 odds to win the Premier League title.
However, there has been misconceptions on how the Foxes managed to reach this unbelievable position.At a special shrine surrounded by Buddhiststatues and hangings installed by Mr Vichai – the monks, led by ssistant Abbott Phra Prommangkalachan, offer the playerswhat they call “spiritual support”.That support continues during the team’s away games, such as today’s, when the monks chant and pray for the team at their temple in Bangkok’s Chinatown district, where the Leicester’s billionaire owner has been a devotee for several years.
See photos below:

Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy exchanges pleasantries with a monk

A monk poses with a Leicester city banner at a shrine

A monk in a prayer session with a Leicester City player

Monk displays a Bhuda customized Leicester Citybanner

A monk, discussing with a Leicester City official

A monk writes at the entrance to the dressing-room on the Foxes

A monk inscribing on a Leicester City banner

Some players of Leicester in a sacred session with monks

A group of monks visits the King Power Stadium

A monk greeting a Leicester City’s player. 

ATLETICO MADRID BACK IN FINAL AFTER HOLDING ON TO AWAY GOALS AGAINST BAYERN MUNICH

Antoine Griezmann scored a crucial away goal to send Atletico Madrid into the Champions League final despite a 2-1 semi-final second-leg defeat to Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Atletico held a 1-0 aggregate advantage from the first leg at Vicente Calderon, but Xabi Alonso cancelled it out when his free-kick found the back of the net following a deflection off Jose Maria Gimenez.

Bayern had been relentless in their pressing and were offered the chance to lead the tie for the first time when referee Cuneyt Cakir awarded them a penalty following Gimenez's foul on Javi Martinez.

However, Thomas Muller, back in the line-up after being benched for the meeting in Madrid, was denied from the spot by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Muller's failure to convert proved to have a huge cost, with Griezmann racing away early in the second half and slotting a disguised shot beyond Manuel Neuer at his near post.

Robert Lewandowski's 74th-minute header made it 2-2 on aggregate, but, after Fernando Torres was kept out from the spot by Neuer following a controversial penalty decision, it was not enough to offer Pep Guardiola - who suffered a third straight semi-final exit at the Bayern helm - the chance to sign off his tenure in Bavaria with a shot at the Champions League title.

Bayern controlled possession from kick-off, but, after Lewandowski headed wide in the 12th minute, Gabi offered a reminder of the threat posed by Atletico when he forced Neuer into a routine save with a powerful drive from 25 yards.

Guardiola's side were unperturbed and Jerome Boateng – starting a second successive match after returning from three months out at the weekend – picked out Muller's diagonal run into the box, who, rather than shoot, teed up Lewandowski for a shot that was blocked by the onrushing Oblak.

Lewandowski and Philipp Lahm missed further chances as Bayern applied relentless pressure, and they finally broke through in the 31st minute.

Augusto Fernandez conceded a free-kick near the edge of the box for a foul on David Alaba and Alonso drilled the resultant set-piece into the back of the net with the help of a deflection off Gimenez that wrong-footed Neuer.

Despite being rejoined in the centre of defence by Diego Godin, things got worse for Gimenez two minutes later when he was adjudged to have fouled Javi Martinez inside the box while defending a corner, conceding a penalty.

The centre-back was shown a yellow card by the referee, but Oblak bailed him out by diving to his right and saving Muller's spot-kick, bouncing back to his feet to block Alonso's follow-up.

Franck Ribery and Simeone were involved in a physical confrontation before the half-time whistle, but tempers were quickly cooled.

Simeone replaced Fernandez with Yannick Ferreira Carrasco at half-time and eight minutes later Atletico had their crucial away goal.

A brilliant pass from Torres released Griezmann on the counter-attack, and the France international guided a cool finish beyond Neuer.

Lewandowski set up a tense final 15 minutes when he powered a header into the back of the net after Arturo Vidal nodded Alaba's delivery from the left back across goal.

Torres had the chance to wrap the game up when he was sent tumbling by Martinez and the referee pointed to the spot, despite initial contact appearing to be made outside of the box.

The former AC Milan striker had his penalty saved by Neuer to the keeper's right, and Oblak produced a great stop from Douglas Costa's deflected strike with two minutes remaining to ensure Diego Simeone's side will have another chance to claim the Champions League title, having lost to arch-rivals Real Madrid in the 2013-14 final.

Now the Spanish Club quilified for the UEFA Champions League Final 15/16.

ATLETICO MADRID TAKE ADVANTAGE TO GERMANY AFTER 1-0 WIN OVER BAYERN MUNICH

Diego Simeone's men took the lead through Saul Niguez and held on late despite intense Bayern pressure.

Saul Niguez scored one of the great Champions League goals to give Atletico Madrid a 1-0 semi-final lead over Bayern Munich after a pulsating first leg at the Vicente Calderon.

Outgoing Bayern coach Pep Guardiola declared before the match that his decorated spell in Bavaria will be defined by how this European campaign concludes following last-four losses to Real Madrid and Barcelona in the past two seasons.

And it could be another tale of misery against teams from his homeland for the Manchester City-bound tactician, who could only look on as Saul crowned his breakthrough season with a sensational solo goal in the 11th minute.

Bayern were second best as the tenacious brilliance of Diego Simeone's side held sway in the first half.

The visitors looked to mount a response after the break as David Alaba struck the crossbar from long range, while Fernando Torres was denied by a post as Atletico sought a greater cushion.

94' | 1-0 | FINAL WHISTLE! Great win! We will g to Munich with the advantage of one goal.