Finishing the 19/20 Season | FM20/FIFA20

[pfeifere1]

Damn that's going to be a great finish in the Bundesliga!

[treva]

Quote: Originally Posted by pfeifere1

Damn that's going to be a great finish in the Bundesliga!

Comfortably the best of all the leagues. Leipzig and Dortmund have to play each other but Bayern have three fairly comfortable fixtures vs Werder Bremen, Freiburg and Wolfsburg.

[treva]

April
Primeira Liga Update



Benfica and Porto neck-and-neck in title battle



Results

4 April
Pacos de Ferreira 2-1 Belenenses | Amaral (23), Denilson (28) - Cassierra (10)
Santa Clara 0-0 Portimonense | Afonso sent off (81) - Tabata sent off (89)
Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0 Moreirense | Amoah (pen 16), Andre (22)
Famalicao 0-3 Braga | Eduardo (3, 49), Palhinha (64)

5 April
Boavista 1-0 Vitoria Setubal | Tagliapietra (21)
Maritmo 1-1 Gil Vicente | Correa (90) - Lima (75)
Sporting 2-0 Tondela | Acuna (4, 50)
Desportivo Aves 0-4 Porto | Nakajima (6), Luis (13, 62), Marega (29)
Rio Ave 0-1 Benfica | Jota (23)

10 April
Gil Vicente 1-3 Desportivo Aves | Baraye (77), Gomes sent off (44) - Mouandilmadji (28), Banjaqui (82), Milos (83)
Tondela 1-1 Pacos de Ferreira | Toro (90) - Castanheira (33)
Moreirense 1-2 Famalicao | Nuno (11) - Martins (4), Guga (31)
Belenenses 0-0 Sporting

11 April
Portimonense 1-0 Maritmo | Ali (3), Sa sent off (64)
Braga 2-0 Vitoria Guimaraes | Horta (11), Eduardo (30)
Benfica 4-0 Santa Clara | Seferovic (5, 53), Sousa (17), Tavares (25) - Sanusi sent off (49)
Vitoria Setubal 1-0 Rio Ave | Ghilas (pen 47), Mano sent off (62)
Porto 4-0 Boavista | Marega (7, pen 36), Luis (48, 57)

17 April
Sporting 4-0 Gil Vicente | Coates (12), Sporar (14), Mathieu (52), Paulista (74)
Rio Ave 2-1 Braga | Lopes (20), Al Musrati (51) - Silva (12)

18 April
Boavista 0-1 Santa Clara | Rashid (24)
Desportivo Aves 2-0 Moreirense | Yamga (59), Fernando (61)
Maritmo 1-1 Benfica | Joel (29) - Sousa (86)
Pacos de Ferreira 1-2 Porto | Denilson (17) - Luis (25), Telles (45)

19 April
Belenenses 0-2 Tondela | Koffi sent off (86) - Jaquite (22), Richard (90)
Vitoria Guimaraes 2-1 Vitoria Setubal | Bonatini (13), Wakaso (62) - Mansilla (21)
Famalicao 2-0 Portimonense | Anderson (12), Schiappacasse (87)

21 April
Moreirense 0-0 Sporting
Santa Clara 1-2 Maritmo | Carlos Jr (72) - Xadas (4), Joel (6)
Braga 1-0 Desportivo Aves | Paulinho (87), Sequeira sent off (29)

22 April
Porto 1-0 Belenense | Soares (71)
Vitoria Setubal 1-1 Pacos de Ferreira | Valente (15) - Denilson (13)
Benfica 3-0 Boavista | Seferovic (17), Vinicius (67, 70)
Gil Vicente 0-2 Rio Ave | Taremi (7, 22)
Tondela 1-1 Famalicao | Richard (13) - Goncalves (82)

23 April
Portimonense 0-3 Vitoria Guimaraes | Evangelista (7), Davidson (23), Bonatini (24)

25 April
Sporting 2-1 Santa Clara | Vietto (15), Bolasie (66) - Crysan (3)
Pacos de Ferreira 1-2 Braga | Santos (78) - Horta (24), Ruiz (31)

26 April
Belenenses 0-1 Moreirense | Nuno (10)
Boavista 1-3 Maritmo | Cardozo (43), Dulanto sent off (18) - Nanu (58), Joel (71), Pelagio (85)
Desportivo Aves 1-2 Vitoria Setubal | Jailson (57) - Bessa (52), Modesto (75)
Tondela 1-2 Porto | Murillo (19) - Oliveira (26), Marega (80)
Famalicao 0-2 Benfica | Pizzi (33), Taarabt (73)

27 April
Rio Ave 0-1 Portimonense | Boa Morte (84)
Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0 Gil Vicente | Davidson (9, 57) - Soares sent off (53)

Highlights

This is going to go down to the wire as Portugal's two giants Porto and Benfica sit neck-and-neck with just three games to go. Porto had the better month in April winning all of their five matches, whilst Benfica's draw away at Maritmo allowed their rivals to join them level on points.Benfica have Vitoria Guimaraes and bottom side Desportivo Aves to play before hosting Sporting on the final game of the season. Porto also have to play Sporting, as well as Braga on the final day of the season, with Moreirense in between.

During April there were no real changes in the top half but down the bottom Tondela and Maritmo both jumped up three places, leapfrogging Gil Vicente, Boavista and Belenense who all dropped down towards the danger end. With only two sides facing relegation, though, it's between Sesportivo Aves, Portimonense, who doubled their win tally for the season in April, Pacos de Ferreira and Belenenses.

Table

[treva]

April
Eredivisie Update



Ajax hold slender lead with two games to go



Results

4 April
PSV 1-0 Heracles | Malen (2)
Sparta Rotterdam 1-1 Heerenveen | Joosten (23) - Ejuke (77)
VVV 0-2 Willem II | Cattermole sent off (43) - Pavlidis (35), Saddiki (80)
AZ Alkmaar 3-2 Vitesse | Druijf (4), Idrissi (29), Boadu (34) - Linssen (22, 57)
Utrecht 1-0 Groningen | Gustafson (46)

5 April
RKC Waalwijk 1-1 Feyenoord | Reijnders (48) - Berghuis (76)
ADO Den Haag 0-0 Emmen
Ajax 2-0 Zwolle | Neres (65), Marin (pen 68)
Twente 2-1 Fortuna Sittard | Vuckic (13), Lang (24) - Passiack (2)

8 April
AZ Alkmaar 3-1 Feyenoord | Wijndal (16), Ouwejan (23), Margaret (72) - Ozyakup (19)

9 April
Utrecht 2-1 Ajax | Kerk (56), van der Maarel (86) - Tadic (29)

10 April
Groningen 2-1 Heerenveen | Lundqvist (22), Postema (59) - van Bergen (46)

11 April
Vitesse 0-0 RKC Waalwijjk
Feyenoord 1-2 VVV | Jorgensen (5), Haps sent off (39) - Opoku (56), Sinclair (73)
Heracles 1-3 AZ Alkmaar | Dessers (10) - Boadu (23), Druijf (56), Idrissi (88)
Willem II 2-1 ADO Den Haag | Saddiki (2), Kohlert (47) - Immers (6)

12 April
PSV 3-1 Sparta Rotterdam | Rosario (13), Ihattaren (16), Malen (59) - Smeets (39)
Emmen 0-3 Ajax | Ziyech (1), Huntelaar (7), Marin (74), van de Beek sent off (78)
Fortuna Sittard 1-0 Utrecht | Dianessy (44)
Zwolle 1-2 Twente | Ghoochannejhad (33) - Cantalapiedra (42), Vuckic (77)

21 April
AZ Alkmaar 2-1 PSV | Boadu (24), Vlaar (52) - Malen (26)
Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 PEC Zwolle | Rayhi (21), Ache (52) - van Duinen (27)

22 April
ADO Den Haag 1-1 Feyenoord | van Mil (79), Malone sent off (86) - Kokcu (6)
RKC Waalwijk 1-3 Willem II | Drost (77) - Queiros (22), Ndayishmiye (36), Pavlidis (43)
Groningen 1-0 Fortuna Sittard | Postema (82)
Utrecht 0-1 Heracles | Osman (85)
Heerenveen 0-1 Emmen | Woudenberg sent off (56) - Adzic (7)

23 April
Twente 2-0 VVV | Vuckic (33), Cantalapiedra (64)
Ajax 2-1 Vitesse | Alvarez (1), Huntelaar (33) - Matavz (9)

25 April
Fortuna Sittard 1-1 AZ Alkmaar | Dammers (9) - Boadu (32)
PSV 0-0 Utrecht
Emmen 0-2 RKC Waalwijk | Mulder (8), Elbers (78)
Feyenoord 2-2 Groningen | Botteghin (65), Sinisterra (90) - Postema (22), Lundqvist (35)
Zwolle 0-1 Heerenveen | Espejord (72)

26 April
Heracles 1-1 Twente | Drost (87) - Lang (6)
VVV 2-0 ADO Den Haag | Opoku (55), Darfalou (64)
Willem II 0-5 Ajax | Marin (7), Ziyrech (10), Tadic (11, 80), Promes (12), Onana sent off (61)
Vitesse 1-2 Sparta Rotterdam | Buitink (48) - Smeets (7), Joosten (13)

Highlights

With two games there are just two points separating Ajax and AZ Alkmaar at the top of the Eredivisie table. Alkmaar finished the month unbeaten but a draw to Fortuna Sittard cost them the lead in the title race as Ajax smashed Willem II 5-0 the next day to regain top spot. Ajax play VVV next before a final day trip to Fortuna Sittard, whilst Alkmaar play Utrecht at home before travelling to Emmen.

In the race for third PSV leapfrogged Feyenoord in what was the only change in the top half of the table during April. Down the bottom there were several changes as Fortuna Sittard and FC Twente did their survival hopes the world of good with a solid month. RKC Waalwijk have given themselves a chance of avoiding automatic relegation, although they are already resigned to a playoff at the very least. As it stands Zwolle and ADO Den Haag will be fighting it out with the challengers from the Eerste Divisie although the pair could still drop Fortuna Sittard down if results go their way.

Table

[treva]

Champions League SF 2nd Leg



PSG reach first ever Champions League final where they'll face Bayern Munich

PSG have finally reached a Champions League final after holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the semi final at the Parc des Princes.

The French giants have been striving for Europe's top prize ever since Qatari investors pumped millions into the club and they are now within touching distance after a nervy but successful night under the lights in Paris.

Barcelona needed to not only overturn a defeat from the first leg but also the fact that PSG had three away goals to their name, meaning unless they could match them they'd need to win by two clear goals.

The away side started positively as you would expect, driving forward in waves with PSG looking to hold onto their clean sheet for as long as possible. Lionel Messi came within inches of scoring a spectacular volley as the ball bounced off the inside of the post and across the goal mouth before being cleared by the PSG defence.

Keylor Navas, a familiar opponent for many of the Barcelona eleven, was at his very best to deny Messi and Arturo Vidal, keeping the scores level as the game headed into the latter stages.

However, the pressure finally told as Barcelona took the lead with 9 minutes to go. Vidal played a ball into Messi whose first time pass avoided the diving Idrissa Gueye and found Antoine Griezmann just outside the area. The French striker's vicious first time shot flew past the outstretched Navas and into the top corner to give Barcelona a lifeline.

With Barcelona now throwing everything at PSG to try and snatch a dramatic late winner, the hosts hit them on the counter. Neymar's pass to Edinson Cavani gave the striker a chance to shoot. His effort was blocked by Jordi Alba but the ball looped up into the air, tempting Marc-Andre ter Stegen to come for it. Neymar reacted too quickly for him, however, reaching the ball before the German goalkeeper to nod home the equaliser that would secure PSG's place in the final.

They will meet five-time Champions League winners Bayern Munich after they defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the second leg to go through 4-2 on aggregate.

The highlight of the four semi final matches came in the 24th minute at the Allianz Arena when Leon Goretzka scored an outrageous goal to open up Bayern's aggregate lead to 3-1. Serge Gnabry's right footed cross took a wicked deflection on its way into the box where Goretzka was waiting. Having to adjust his position with the flight of the ball now behind him, Goretzka unleashed a sublime overhead kick that was struck with so much power that it left Ederson with no chance in the City goal.

That had deflated the visiting side who were looking to claim their first Champions League final appearance themselves. When Rodri clattered through the back of Joshua Kimmich inside the area just four minutes before the break the dream was all but over for another year. Robert Lewandowski stepped up and smashed his penalty into the top corner to extend their lead.

There was at least one moment of joy for the travelling fans as Riyadh Mahrez pulled one back after the break to give City a glimmer of hope. David Silva's ball forward set Sergio Aguero free. Looking up he spotted Mahrez free at the back post and drilled a low cross hard across the face of the goal. Mahrez scuffed his first attempt, hitting it straight at a sprawling Manuel Neuer, but fortunately for him it fell back to him and he made no mistake with the second chance.

Despite that giving City a chance to get into the match, Bayern then controlled the match from that point onwards and limited City to just a handful of half chances.

Bayern and PSG have faced off just eight times in their history, with only two meetings since 2001. PSG lead the head-to-head 5-3 but have always favoured home soil, winning all of their matches at home against the German champions. The two clubs will meet at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on 30 May to crown the 2020 Champions League winners.

Goretzka's stunning overhead kick helped Bayern Munich book a place in the final

Results

Bayern Munich 2-1 Man City
Goretzka (24), Lewandowski (pen 41) - Mahrez (51)
Bayern Munich win 4-2 on aggregate

PSG 1-1 Barcelona
Neymar (87) - Griezmann (81)
PSG win 4-3 on aggregate

[treva]

Europa League SF 2nd Leg



United bag late winner; Leverkusen overturn first leg deficit

Manchester United's Odion Igahlo scored a last minute goal to knock out five-time Europa League champions Sevilla.

For 179 minutes of the semi final tie both teams were unable to find the back of the net, but a mistake from Sevilla goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík gifted United a golden opportunity in the final minute of normal time, one Igahlo was not going to waste.

Sevilla had been largely disappointing on home soil despite coming into the match having never lost a Europa League semi final match at home.

Bruno Fernandes, who has been a revelation since joining the Manchester club in January, wasted a golden opportunity in the first half after weaving his way into the box only to drag his shot wide.

Half time came and went with little action of note, until midway through the second half the away side again threatened to take the lead, this time striking the post. Fernandes' flick with the outside of the boot set Anthony Martial in and he unleashed a first time shot that looked destined to find the bottom corner. Vaclík's incredible reactions allowed him to get the slightest of touches on the ball, deflecting it onto the inside of the post. Still not out of the woods, the ball preceded to roll the entire length of the goal line before being hacked away to safety.

Sevilla's fortunes would end in the dying moments of the game as Vaclík turned from hero to villain. His sloppy distribution allowed Daniel James to intercept and set Igahlo in on goal behind the defence. From a tight angle the Nigerian striker made no mistake, sending the travelling fans into pandemonium.

It will be only the second time United have contested the Europa League final, winning their only previous visit 2-0 against Ajax in 2017.

They face Leverkusen who overcame a first leg deficit to fly through to the final with four goals at home. It didn't take long for them to squash Istanbul Basaksehir's lead, Moussa Diaby smashing the ball into the roof of the net from close range on five minutes.

Basaksehir didn't let that get them down, though, and they had a vital away goal to move back ahead in the tie just seven minutes later. Enzo Crivelli's Cruyff turn created some separation between him and the full back before whipping in a delightful ball that curled away from the goalkeeper. Irfan Kahveci held off the defender to meet it on the volley and knocked it into the net before getting sandwiched by both goalkeeper and defender.

Leverkusen were gifted a way back into the match on the stroke of half time as Alexandru Epureanu dived in unnecessarily on Wendell giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. However, Kai Havertz, usually reliable in front of goal, saw his penalty pushed round the post by Mert Günok.

The hosts came out after the break and levelled things up, although they still needed another goal to go through because of Basaksehir's away goal. The goal came through a perfectly worked free kick as Wendell laid it off to Karim Bellarabi on the edge of the box before the German winger smashed it into the top corner.

With 14 minutes to go Leverkusen had their lead in the tie, albeit in rather fortunate circumstances. Diaby's through ball set Lucas Alario through one-on-one with the keeper, who made an impressive save from close quarters. However, the ball bounced back off the defender trying to chase Alario and fell back into the Leverkusen player's path with an open goal in front of him.

Basaksehir knew another away goal would be enough but Leverkusen put an end to their hopes in the 86th minute. After Bailey had beaten his man down the left he drilled a low cross that just evaded the dive of Günok and found Havertz five yards from goal. He made no mistake this time, putting Leverkusen into their second ever Europa League final and first since 1988.

Bellarabi's fantastic strike pulled Leverkusen level on aggregate early in the second half

Results

Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 Istanbul Basaksehir
Diaby (5), Bellarabi (52), Alario (76), Havertz (86) - Kahveci (12)
Leverkusen win 4-2 on aggregate

Sevilla 0-1 Man United
Ighalo (89)
Man United win 1-0 on aggregate

[stlducks]

PSG finally get over the hump. I'm pulling for both German teams to win the European cups.

[treva]

May
League One Update



Coventry hold on to claim League One title



Results

3 May
Accrington 2-1 Wycombe | Zanzala (24, 86) - Kashket (65)
Wimbledon 0-2 Coventry | Kastaneer (29), O'Hare (69)
Blackpool 2-2 Doncaster | Gnanduillet (8, 24), Howe sent off (29) - Sheaf (18), Anderson (39)
Burton 1-3 Portsmouth | Sbarra (38) - Pitman (9), Harrison (24), Raggett (85)
Gillingham 2-0 Bristol Rovers | Akinde (pen 9, 12)
Ipswich 2-0 MK Dons | Huws (21), Edwards (66)
Lincoln 3-1 Rochdale | Scully (4, 41), Morrell (74) - Henderson (17)
Oxford 3-0 Bolton Wanderers | Taylor (15), Woodburn (20), Moore (43)
Peterborough 2-0 Tranmere Rovers | Toney (2), Dembele (56)
Rotherham 3-0 Sunderland | Clarke (17), Smith (22), Adelakun (63)
Southend 2-0 Shrewsbury | Kelman (24, 28)

Highlights

Coventry City held off the challenge of Rotherham United to clinch the League One title to put them back into the Championship for the first time since 2012. They beat Wycombe 2-0 on the final day of the season, whilst Rotherham smashed Sunderland 3-0, to end the campaign one point ahead of their rivals. Peterborough United beat Tranmere Rovers on the last day of the season to leapfrog Fleetwood Town in the automatic places on goal difference. Fleetwood will face Sunderland in the playoffs despite the latter's final day loss. Oxford United jumped up two spots to make the playoffs after victory against bottom placed Bolton and will face Doncaster Rovers in the playoffs.

Bolton and Southend go down, despite Southend winning on the final day of the season.

Table