Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri - AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has compared Mario Balotelli to his side's former talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Balotelli joined the Rossoneri in January, and he has since scored seven goals in his first six games for the club, leading Allegri to compare the 22-year-old with the Paris Saint-Germain star.

“He’s similar to Ibrahimovic both physically and technically, but he can get better because he’s playing with continuity here," Allegri said at a press conference. "Balotelli still has to improve a lot as a center forwardgiven his potential, but he has all the right ingredients to do it." 

Balotelli just like Ibrahimovic, says Allegri

After a disappointing start to the campaign, which included the sale of star players such as Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain, Milan now finds itself third in Serie A, two points adrift of Napoli in second.

Allegri admits he is thrilled by the progress shown by his side, but has warned it cannot afford to rest on its laurels just yet.

“The squad is young and I’m happy with the work that the club has done," Allegri said. “If we get into the Champions League, without having to pre-qualify, it’ll have been a good year. One thing is for sure, if we’re to get where we want to be, we’ll need a lot of points.”

On the topic of his own future, Allegri added that he plans remain with Milan beyond the 2013-14 campaign.

“I’m very happy to be at Milan and hope to stay at this club for the long term. For that to happen we need results so let’s hope the team can give us some satisfaction," Allegri said.

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Paper Round: Carroll offered Anfield lifeline

Premier League - Paper Round: Carroll offered Anfield lifeline - Andy Carroll, marginalised and loaned out of Liverpool by manager Brendan Rodgers, has an opportunity to return, claims the Daily Mirror.

But any Liverpool comeback, the paper adds, would be contingent on two things - Carroll accepting a role as an impact substitute, and undergoing a personalised medical programme.

The report says the £35m man, who is spending the season at West Ham United, has not done enough to convince the Hammers to sign him up full-time.

That might come as something of a surprise to those who watched the 24-year-old torment West Brom at the weekend with a powerful brace of goals, but he only has five goals in 21 appearances this season and has also battled with injuries.

Eurosport - West Ham's English striker Andy Carroll celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at Upton Park in east London on March 30, 2013 

West Ham have an option to buy as part of their loan agreement, but appear to be looking elsewhere, with Wilfried Bony rumoured to be the striker they want to lead the line next season.

Rodgers and Carroll are set to talk about his Anfield future, and if the target man agrees to a personalised fitness programme and a limited role within the team, he has a chance to resurrect his career with the club.

Tottenham are another club with a striker shuffle in mind – the Daily Star says that they are set to negotiate with Aston Villa over the £15m sale of Christian Benteke.

While Spurs know Villa’s bargaining position will be weakened if the Belgian’s club are relegated, the flip side is that he could be the subject of a bidding war, with several top clubs impressed by his performances this season.

In addition, the paper breathlessly adds, Emmanuel Adebayor could be on his way out of White Hart Lane, Jermain Defoe’s injury worries mean that Spurs would be prepared to sell him for the right price, while Leandro Damiao remains a target.

The Wayne Rooney to Paris Saint-Germain story remains on the back pages – The Sun boasts a ‘world exclusive’ that Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants him to join him in Paris.

“If he wants to be part of the best project in football then there is only one club to sign for,” Ibrahimovic reportedly said.

“Only he knows the decision he is going to make in the summer but the project we are trying to build here is clear.

“We are not content with being the dominant force in France, we want to be the top club in Europe as well.

“I can understand why the owners are interested in Rooney — he is in the top 10 of strikers in Europe.”

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, says that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all ready to swoop for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany should the defender’s row with his manager escalate to the point that the Belgian wants out of the club.

Right then - you've now read a couple of hundred words about what’s in the papers without mention of Paolo Di Canio. Feels good, right? We're afraid that feeling of relief ends here, however.

As much as Di Canio fatigue is setting in, Paper Round's job is to tell you what’s in the papers, and many of the back pages are leading on his belated clarification that he is not, nor has ever been, a fascist.

End of the saga, then?

Not quite.

The Sun brings us Rio Ferdinand’s view on Di Canio – and he reckons the Italian is an ‘absolute idiot’.

Or at least, he did once – in his 2006 autobiography.

When you think about it, using quotes in a 2006 autobiography to counter a quote from 2005 dragged up again this week is actually strangely fitting.

Elsewhere the Daily Mail ask why the Italian was at the funeral of an Italian terrorist bomber, and why he has a tattoo of Benito Mussolini.

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, brands his appointment at Sunderland as the ‘most botched recruitment in Premier League history’, suggesting that this story will run and run – at least until there’s some football to play.

Eurosport – 2 hours 23 minutes ago

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Champions League - PSG snatch late draw at home to Barcelona

Champions League - PSG snatch late draw at home to Barcelona - Champions League quarter-final, first leg, Parc des Princes - Paris Saint-Germain 2 (Ibrahimovic 79, Matuidi 90) Barcelona 2 (Messi 38, Xavi 89 pen.) - Lionel Messi scored once again but went off injured before Blaise Matuidi netted with the last kick of the game to give Paris Saint-Germain a 2-2 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Matuidi's deflected effort was somehow leaked through by Victor Valdes after over four minutes of time added on in an eventful last-eight first-leg tie.

Xavi had restored Barcelona's lead from the penalty spot in the 89th minute shortly after Zlatan Ibrahimovic cancelled out Messi's first-half opener.

Messi, however, did not come back out for the second half after tweaking his hamstring moments before the interval.

Messi's fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano also sustained an injury, of a more serious nature. He left the pitch on a stretcher later in the game with a ligament tear in his right knee.

Despite the disappointing finish to their away leg and an inconsistent performance by their usual high standards, Barcelona very much sit in the driver's seat in the race to the last four with two away goals and the excellent Matuidi suspended for the trip to Camp Nou.

It did not take Barcelona very long to establish a stronghold on the ball, but the home side came with a disciplined gameplan to combat the tiki-taka suffocation – and it almost reaped big rewards.

Eurosport - Paris St Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L) celebrates with Blaise Matuidi after scoring against Barcelona during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, April 2, 2013 (Reuters)

After weathering early Barca control and easing into their formation - complete with former England captain David Beckham in a central midfield role in place of Thiago Motta - PSG had the first real chance of the contest when Ezequiel Lavezzi galloped into the danger zone and sent his shot across Victor Valdes and onto the far upright.

Javier Pastore was next to come close to breaking the deadlock as the Ligue 1 leaders continued to pick off their guests on the break, and only a good stop from Valdes kept his low drive out on the quarter-hour mark.

The keeper had to be alert again four minutes later when Ibrahimovic pulled rank on Beckham to take a 20-yard free-kick. He too went low and across Valdes, who once again met the strike well.

But having found himself well marked for the opening half hour, Messi began to grow into the game and found his 59th Champions League goal in 77 appearances on 39 minutes, courtesy of his side’s best player at that point, Dani Alves.

Alves’s exquisite lofted assist picked out Messi’s run perfectly after PSG had only half-cleared a corner, and the Argentine’s low volleyed finish across Salvatore Sirigu was befitting of the set-up.

After holding off the PSG back line to send another effort just past the top corner, however, Messi required a trip to the sidelines for an injury to his leg.

Though he returned for the dying embers of the half, Messi would be taken off by the Barca management team – which included Tito Vilanova in his return from a 10-week medical absence – with Cesc Fabregas on in his place.

Though the former Arsenal man helped keep the away side on top early in the second 45, PSG soon began to push them back once more after Alexis Sanchez blew a golden chance for 2-0 on 63, taking one touch too many six yards from goal.

And as Barcelona defended their lead into the closing stages, frustration at dealing with heavy pressure and a number of contentious decisions got the better of them.

Ibrahimovic may have been offside when he converted the loose ball after Valdes saved a Thiago Silva header, but 1-1 had been coming for some time.

Nonetheless, it appeared to be mission impossible for Carlo Ancelotti’s men when Sanchez was brought down in the box by Sirigu in the 88th minute and Wolfgang Stark pointed to the spot.

Xavi converted from 12 yards in Messi’s absence but there would be one late twist just as Herr Stark was ready to blow for full-time.

Ibrahimovic showed good vision to head an awkward cross into the path of Matuidi, and though his low strike came off substitute Marc Barta’s leg it really should have been kept out by Valdes.

Instead, the ball flapped past the limp hand of the goalkeeper and the French big-spenders will head to Catalonia hoping to pull off a massive result and reach the semi-finals.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain): Once again, PSG's defenders shone on the European stage and none more so than the Brazilian who helped prevent a typical Barcelona scoreline despite the real test yet to come at Camp Nou.

PLAYER RATINGS

PSG: Sirigu 7; Jallet 5, Alex 7, Silva 8, Maxwell 5, Moura 7, Beckham 6, Matuidi 8, Pastore 7; Lavezzi 7, Ibrahimovic 7. Subs: Menez 6, Gameiro 5, Verratti 5.
BARCELONA: Valdés 7, Alves 8, Mascherano 7, Piqué 6, Alba 6; Busquets 7, Iniesta 7, Xavi 8; Villa 6, Messi 7, Sanchez 5. Subs: Bartra n/a, Fabregas 7, Tello 6.

By Liam Happe - @liamhappe | Eurosport – 6 hours ago

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Fakta-fakta Menarik Jelang PSG Vs Barcelona

Fakta-fakta Menarik Jelang PSG Vs Barcelona - Duel seru bakal tersaji di Stade de France, Rabu, 3 April 2013, dinihari nanti. Pemuncak klasemen Liga Prancis dan Liga Spanyol akan saling berhadapan. Paris Saint-Germain, klub bermaterikan pemain bintang, akan berhadapan dengan Barcelona, klub yang dianggap sebagai tim terbaik dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Berikut fakta-fakta menarik yang menghiasi pertandingan PSG melawan Barca.

-PSG tak terkalahkan dalam 23 pertandingan kandang di kompetisi Eropa. Kekalahan terakhir PSG di kandang terjadi ketika takluk 4-2 dari Hapoel Tel-Aviv, dalam laga penyisihan grup Piala UEFA, pada November 2006.

-PSG sudah sembilan kali menjamu tim asal Spanyol. Rekor mereka adalah lima kali menang, tiga kali imbang, dan sekali kalah.

Pemain Paris Saint Germain meluapkan kegembiraannya, setelah pertandingan 16 besar Liga Champions berakhir 1-1 di Paris (7/3). PSG lolos ke babak selanjutnya karena menang agregat 3-2. AP/Christophe Ena

-Barca sudah 14 kali tampil dalam pertandingan perempat final kompetisi Eropa. Barca merebut 12 kemenangan dan hanya menelan dua kekalahan.

-Kekalahan terakhir Barca di babak perempat final terjadi pada musim 2002/2003. Ketika itu Barca dikalahkan Juventus. Sementara kekalahan tandang terakhir di babak perempat final terjadi pada musim 2001/2002.

-Barcelona telah tujuh kali bertandang ke markas klub Prancis, dengan rekor tiga kemenangan, dua kali kalah, dan sisanya berakhir imbang.

-Stadion Stade de France memiliki kenangan indah buat Barca. Di tempat itu, Barca sukses mengalahkan Arsenal 2-1, dalam partai final Liga Champions 2005/2006.

-Gelandang PSG, Thiago Motta, adalah pemain didikan akademi Barca. Selama enam musim bermain di tim senior Barca, pemain internasional Italia itu sukses merebut dua gelar Liga Spanyol, satu Liga Champions, dan dua Piala Super Spanyol.

-Maxwell bergabung dengan Barca pada 2009, dan kemudian hijrah ke PSG pada Januari 2012. Maxwell tampil dalam 57 pertandingan di Liga Spanyol dan merebut dua gelar Liga Spanyol, tiga Piala Super Spanyol, satu Liga Champions, dua Piala Super Eropa, dan dua Piala Dunia Antarklub.

-Zlatan Ibrahimovic menghabiskan musim 2009/2010 di Barca. Pemain asal Swedia itu merebut satu trofi Liga Spanyol, satu Piala Super Spanyol, satu Piala Super Eropa, dan satu Piala Dunia Antarklub.

-Eric Abidal dan Alex Song memulai karier profesonal di Liga Prancis. Abidal pernah memperkuat AS Monaco, Lille, dan Olympique Lyon. Sementara Song memulai kariernya bersama Bastia.

-Pemain tertua Liga Champions di musim ini, David Beckham, pernah tujuh kali melawan Barcelona. Beckham, ketika itu berkostum Real Madrid, merebut tiga kemenangan, sekali imbang, dan tiga kali kalah ketika melawan Barca.

tempo.co : Selasa, 02 April 2013 | 20:12 WIB

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