SPORT UPDATE

Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by PSG on Wednesday Chelsea's defeat by PSG on Wednesday was a shock for all involved, but fans of other Premier League teams were concerned at how it may impact that fourth Champions League place. Here, we explain whether those fears are justified .... Will the Premier League always get four Champions League places? No. That coveted fourth place in the Premier League – occupied by Arsenal for three of the last four years – has been a privilege since the 2001/02 season. For fairness, UEFA hand out Champions League places depending on how a particular country has performed in the last five years. At its height, the Premier League had eight Champions League finalist in eight seasons between 2005 and 2012, winning three. But events of the last two-and-a-half years have threatened to ruin all that hard work… Why are people now saying the Premier League could soon lose a Champions League spot? Everton could be England's only hope in Europe come next week English clubs' underwhelming record in Europe this season was highlighted when Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by PSG on Wednesday night. Liverpool went out at the group stage and were then knocked out of the Europa League round of 32, Arsenal must overcome a 3-1 first-leg deficit at Monaco, Manchester City go to Barcelona 2-1 down, and Everton are the only side left in Europe’s secondary competition. Which countries get which places? Currently, the top three ranked countries – Spain, England and Germany - are given four Champions League places, while the three countries below - currently Italy, Portugal and France - are given three. The countries are ranked on a coefficient score, based on 'points' gained from performance in the Champions League and Europa League. How is this coefficient score calculated? The coefficient is calculated by working out an average score for the country, which is gained by dividing the number of 'points' obtained by the total number of clubs representing a country (for example, England have seven clubs this season). That resulting number is then added to the results of the previous four seasons to calculate the coefficient. How do you gain 'points'?

Still with us? Good. Each team gets two points for a win and one point for a draw, though points are halved for matches in the qualifying and play-off rounds. Clubs that reach the last 16, quarter-final, semi-final or final of the Champions League, or the quarter-final, semi-final or final of the Europa League, are awarded an extra point for each round. In addition, four points are awarded for participation in the group stage of the Champions League and four points for qualifying for the last 16. So how many points have we got this season? Chelsea have gained 20 points, Arsenal 19.5, Man City 15, Everton 12, Liverpool 10, Tottenham 11 and Hull 2.5, meaning up to now England have scored 90 points. Dividing that by seven gets you 12.857, England’s current coefficient score for the season. How does this compare to other countries this season? England’s score of 12.857 is currently fourth-best; Spain have 14.642, Germany 13.857 and Italy 13.833. France trail England in fifth with 10.250. So where are England in the overall rankings when taking into account the past five seasons (including 2014/15)? England are currently second in the overall coefficient ranking – the one that counts - with 79.677 points over the past five seasons. That's 18.357 (2010/11) + 15.250 (2011/12) + 16.428 (2012/13) + 16.785 (2013/14) + this year's 12.857. Spain are top with 94.427, while Germany are just behind England with 77.415. Could anybody overtake England this year? Manchester United reached the 2011 Champions League final, losing out to Barcelona It is virtually impossible for England’s closest challengers, Italy, to overtake this year. They are currently just over 14 points behind England in the overall standings. To put that into context, in the whole of the 2013/14 season, Italy gained 14.166 points, while England gained 16.785. However, with the 2010/11 season dropping off the coefficient list next season, the gap will narrow considerably. With Manchester United reaching the final in 2011, England gained 18.357 points to Italy’s 11.571, meaning Italy will gain just under seven points. The most points scored in a single season in the past five years was Spain's 23 in 2013/14 when both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid reached the Champions League final, as well as Sevilla beating Benfica in the Europa League final. So Italy are the biggest threat to the Premier League's fourth spot? Yes – and they still have six teams playing this season. Juventus are 2-1 up in the Champions League last-16 as they travel to Dortmund, while Torino, Roma, Fiorentina, Napoli and Inter Milan remain in the Europa League. However, it would take a few years of rapid decline for Italy to overtake England in the coefficients. What can Everton do to help the situation? Everton could be England's only hope in Europe come next week A Champions League or Europa League win usually gains a country around five points (depending on qualifying-round participation) towards that season’s overall coefficient, so an Everton victory come May would be extremely useful for England. It’s not all about the Champions League teams being eliminated – Europa League is just as important for the coefficient. Worst-case scenario: what’s the earliest the Premier League could realistically lose its fourth Champions League place? To wildly predict the future, England’s fourth place will not be affected for the 2015/16 season, should be protected for the 2016/17 season, but may come under threat for the 2017/18 season - but only if Italian clubs consistently out-perform English clubs across both European competitions for the rest of this season and next season.

Samuel Eto'o wanted to buy a watch. It was in London that he decided to purchase one particular model, one which cost $15,000. For a former Premier League footballer, a hero in his native Cameroon, and one of the most successful African footballers of all time, the prospect of buying a watch was hardly the most daring of ordeals. So after taking a glance at the watch and getting out his credit card, he says he asked the sales assistant for some help. "I asked the saleswoman -- who was also black like me -- 'Could you show me that watch please?' "First, I saw her turn and look at her coworkers like, 'Uh, what should I do?' "Eventually, she let me see the watch. I looked at it and said, 'OK, I'll buy it.' "I took out my credit card and when she went to go run it through the machine, she came back and said that it was declined. "I asked her, 'Was it declined or did you not want it to be accepted?' because this has happened to me many times and she told me, 'No, it was declined.'" Eto'o, who played in London with Chelsea last season, called his brother who was nearby and it was he who brought a new credit card so the transaction could be completed. While Eto'o does speak English, his brother has a far wider vocabulary and was able to ask just what had occurred moments earlier. "My brother can afford this and the way you're treating him shows that you think just because he's black, he can't afford this watch," said the sibling. Eto'o then takes up the story, saying the lady in the store said she was wary of him because "we had some Nigerians in the store the other day who came with fake credit cards." "If one of my own makes a mistake, they judge us all. Tomorrow, if a white man in Africa makes a mistake, we should judge all white people? No! "The security guard from Senegal kept trying to justify what the lady said and I asked him where he's from. When he told me, I said, 'Ahh. If I gave you my name, you will recognize who I am?' "He shrugged and I said, 'I'm Eto'o.' He went, 'Nooooo! Just yesterday, my wife and I were talking about you! Can I take a picture with you and send it to my wife?' "I said, 'Yes, we can take a picture, but you made a mistake because you can't judge people by the color of their skin,' so he told me it wasn't because of our color. "I told the lady, 'In my next interview, I'm going to tell them about this and I'll name the store so everyone can know that you treat people differently here,' added Eto'o referring to the saleswoman. "She then realized that I could have reported what she had just done, but it was a mistake. It was a mistake of her to categorize. "I don't think she's a racist person, but she stereotyped all black people as 'those people'." Eto'o tells this story to demonstrate his belief that racism is not just football's problem but one that society as a whole must combat. The Cameroon international has played across the world in England, Italy, Spain as well as a spell in Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala. He says he has experienced racism on and off the field, most famously during his time playing for Barcelona. In 2006, during a game against Real Zaragoza, Eto'o was subjected to "monkey chants" -- and the forward came close to walking off the pitch. He says it was only because of persuasion by his teammate Fran that he stayed on and helped his side to a 2-0 victory. In 2010, while playing for Inter Milan at Cagliari, Eto'o was again subjected to racist chanting which caused a three-minute stoppage to the contest. The referee addressed both captains while a message was also broadcast inside the stadium warning supporters the game would be abandoned if the chanting did not stop. Eto'o went on to score the only goal of the game as Inter triumphed 1-0. "You have to understand that football is just a reflection of what we have in society," said Eto'o. "It's not that football is here and society is here -- no, it's a reflection of what goes on in society. "Football is a great opportunity for certain people, who sometimes think they're better than you or different than others, to express their views as right ... or as a chance to hurt other people. "The first time I experienced racism wasn't on a football pitch, but the truth is that I never thought that that could happen to me on a football pitch because football is a passion, it's a feeling that touches millions of people. "Sometimes, the fact that you're a footballer makes you think that racism can't happen to you because you bring that passion and you express a lot of things. "When it happened to me, I couldn't believe it and in that moment, I decided to walk off the pitch." Eto'o, now 34, believes there has been progress within the game in recent years and has decided that it is safe enough for his children to return to stadiums. In 2007, he said he did not want his kids having to watch him being booed and subjected to racist abuse. "I said that back then because racist incidents almost seemed to be fashionable," Eto'o explains. "When you arrive at a football ground, this is going to happen -- when there's a black player, this will happen. "In that moment, I said, 'No, my kids aren't going to go and see that because it will be very difficult to explain.' "If you tell a child, go to the right and you'll get a reward, he'll always go to the right because he wants the reward. A child comes to see his father play, have fun, make people happy and what does he see? "He sees people booing his father for being black, they make monkey noises, they throw bananas at his teammates and all that. "But we see more and more that authorities are fighting, people are increasingly against what happens in football grounds and in society is getting better." Eto'o was presented with the European Medal of Tolerance from the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation following a ceremony in London earlier this week. For a man who has won three European Champions League titles, his assertion that this particular award is his "biggest" gives an insight into Eto'o's mindset in dealing with the scourge of racism. "It's the most important," Eto'o said of the award. "It's something that affects us all and to recognize the little work that I've done, the truth is that I'm very, very happy because you can win the Champions League, you can win championships, you can score goals, but to represent a fight that affects millions and millions of people ... it's one of a kind." Eto'o also defended Russia's record of dealing with racism, despite FIFA, the sport's world governing body, expressing its concerns over how the country's authorities deal with the problem. According to a report published earlier this month by the FARE network, an anti-racism body, and the Sova Center, which conducts research on nationalism and racism, there were more than 200 cases of discriminatory behavior within the Russian game over two seasons. The fans of CSKA Moscow, one of Russia's most famous clubs have been serial offenders in terms of racism with UEFA, the game's European governing body, handing out punishments on numerous occasions. Yet, Eto'o, now playing in Italy with Sampdoria, retains fond memories of Russia. The four-time African Player of the Year joined Anzhi in 2011 following a deal which made him the highest paid player in the world on a reported salary of $13 million a year. He scored 36 goals in 71 appearances before joining Chelsea in 2013 -- but he rejects any suggestions that Russia is a hotbed for racism ahead of the 2018 World Cup. "At the World Cup in Russia, you'll see that there won't be incidents like this," he added. "I hope there aren't because I've played there and I had a great time there and I know the efforts that the Russians are making to try to improve certain things that have happened there, and we have to support these efforts. "Football is beautiful. Football is beautiful because whether you win, draw or lose, you can go and shake your opponent's hand whether they're white or black or red or blue. "This is football. This is where football wins, but when there are incidents like this, it's shameful, but it doesn't mean this will happen in the World Cup just because it's in Russia "I was there and I lived a beautiful experience."

VAN GAAL: I WILL LEAVE IF I LOSE PLAYER SUPPORRT. Louis van Gaal feels he has the backing of his Manchester United players but says he would quit if the squad lost faith in his philosophy. Rumours have emerged of unrest among some players at Old Trafford, with former Netherlands international Willem van Hanegem accusing his countryman of "mistreating" Ryan Giggs, Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria . But Van Gaal believes he has the support of the dressing room, claiming the chemistry within his squad is right, with United clinging onto the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot, but the 63-year-old admits that a premature exit from the club would be on the cards were things to change. "When I think the chemistry between the players and the manager is not good enough anymore, then I go," Van Gaal said ahead of Sunday's showdown with Premier League rivals Tottenham. "I am in my first season here and I can still win the title, but that will probably go to Chelsea. "What we have to do is continue in our process. But we have been in the top four longer than Arsenal this season. That is true." Van Gaal, who signed a three-year deal in July, added: "When I see this chemistry between myself and my players, then I don't have any doubts. "Of course, we have disappointing moments but we can survive and we have confidence to qualify for the Champions League. "I remember when I went to AZ, a very minor club in Holland. In my first season we were second, in my second season we were third and in my third season we finished 11th. "I said to my players that I would go away. But the players then came to my house to ask me to stay, and so did the board. So I said, 'Okay, I will stay.' And, in the fourth year, we were champions."

FLYING EAGLE SURVIVE IVORIAN SCARE. Nigeria U20 played a 2-2 draw with Cote d’Ivoire U20 in the last Group A game of the African Youth Championship on Saturday. Goals from Christian Pyagbara and a second half penalty from captain Musa Muhammed were all the Flying Eagles needed to end the preliminary round unbeaten and they will now face either Mali or Ghana in the semi final of the championship on Wednesday. The match played at the Stade Caroline Faye, M'Bour saw Anderson Niangbo put Ibrahim Kamara's side, who needed a win, ahead in the fourth minute after drilling a shot past goalkeeper Ojo Olorunleke after beating his markers. 13 minutes to the half time break, Chris Bedia put the Young Elephants ahead after as Olorunleke goofed his lowly placed shot even as Muhammed's run towards clearing the line proved abortive. Kamara's side could have made it 3-1 in the closing of the first half but Anderson's effort went over the cross bar as they Flying Eagles found it difficult to penetrate their opponent's backline. On resumption of the second half, Nigeria mounted pressure on Cote d'Ivoire and got rewarded as Muhammed was fouled in the penalty area as referee Mutaz Abdelbasit Khairalla from Sudan had no chance than to point to the penalty spot. Muhammed stepped up to send goalkeeper Aboubakar Diabagate the wrong way for the leveller and his third of the competition. Both teams struggled to get the match winner as the game drew to a close with Cote d'Ivoire kissing the AYC goodbye. With this result, Manu's boys finished Group A with seven points as hosts Senegal finished as runners up after edging Congo 4-3 at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar with Sidy Sarr netting a brace.

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BARçA COMPLETE PREMIER LEAGUE EXPOSURE. The assertion that Premier League clubs have massively underachieved in Europe for far too long can no longer be challenged. For a country which has led the way off the pitch in its marketing of the modern game to fail so spectacularly on it is nothing short of unforgivable. The wonderful thing about football is that you can have all the pioneering business models and record-breaking broadcasting contracts in the world and it will still mean absolutely nothing if you do not deliver on the field. The most lucrative domestic competition the Premier League may well be, but it has delivered the most laughable collection of European performances this season. And we shouldn’t be surprised. In the past decade, 20 English clubs have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Yet only two went on to win the competition, with one of those triumphs – Manchester United’s in 2008 – coming against domestic rivals. When Premier League clubs have faced a big European night in less familiar surroundings, they have generally fallen flat on their faces. The winning mentality has been severely lacking for some time, with Arsenal typifying the culture of glorious failure which permeates throughout English football. In four successive last-16 ties they have left the continental stage patting themselves on the back for their second-leg performances in losing efforts, ignoring their culpability for spectacular first-leg failures. In the heat of battle they have an atrocious record, only managing to play their natural game when all is already lost. But they will no doubt finish in the top four of the Premier League again, and once more their mediocrity will be celebrated. Next season they will probably qualify from their group only to freeze when the going gets tough. That is the Arsenal way. In fact, it is the English way. No introspection, just an accentuating of irrelevant, miniscule positives.

EAGLE'S FLYS TO FINAL Nigeria U20 have booked a place to the final of the 2015 African Youth Championship after defeating eternal rivals Ghana 2-0 in the last four of the tournament played at the Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium on Wednesday evening. Obinna Nwobodo's first half header plus captain Musa Muhammed's second half penalty ensured the Flying Eagles caged the Ghanaians who came to the game with the intention of avenging their defeat to Manu's team during the build up to the tournament. Ghana had the first chance of the game as Yaw Yeboah’s freekick was palmed away by impressive Joshua Enaholo. The Black Satellites remain in charge till Nigeria got the lead through Obinna Nwobodo in the 22nd minute. Ifeanyi Matthew corner kick met the head of Obinna, and the ball will hit the post before rolling into the net for the opener. Flying Eagles almost got the second goal immediately as Taiwo Awoniyi failed to convert a very glaring chance. Goalkeeper Enaholo was to his side rescue on 39 minutes saving Aboagye’s goal-bound shot after Tetteh had headed his way inside the Nigeria penalty area. Just before the break, Ifeanyi was unlucky to see his curling free-kick miss target by inches as his team went into recess with a narrow lead. On resumption of the second half, Tetteh’s team attacked the Nigerians in their numbers with Aboagye, Yeboah and Tetteh all having shots at goal but Enaholo was at his best. Captain Musa Muhammed converted his penalty kick in the 70th minute past Ghana goalie Michael Sai after Patrick Asmah fell Ifeanyi for a penalty on 70 minutes. Nigeria will now face the winner between Mali and Senegal in the second semi final game billed for Sunday at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar.

NIGERIA TO FACE SENEGAL IN AYC FINAL: Nigeria U20 team will face hosts Senegal in the final of the 2015 African Youth Championship billed for the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar on Sunday. The Flying Eagles dimmed the Black Satellites 2-0 in the first semi final while Senegal upstaged pre tournament favorites Mali 2-1 in a thrilling last four encounter on Thursday. A brace from Moussa Kone got Les Lionceaux past the Eaglets whose consolatory strike was gotten by Alassane Diallo. Manu Garba’s side had defeated the hosts 3-1 in the competition’s opening game with Taiwo Awoniyi netting a double. Ghana will face Mali in the third place match billed for the same Stadium. It was the first time a Senegalese team had reached the final of a major continental championship since 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali, where the Teranga Lions lost to Cameroon on penalties.

CLASH OF THE TITANS: UCL QUATER FINAL. Real Madrid's worst nightmare was confirmed on Friday when they were drawn in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against bogey side Atletico. Carlo Ancelotti's men may be the defending champions - a title earned by beating Atleti 4-1 in last season's final - but they have failed to beat their city rivals in six attempts this season across La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa. The most recent clash ended 4-0 in Atletico's favour. Madrid will get another chance to record a victory when they meet in the first leg at the Vicente Calderon on April 14. The return at the Bernabeu takes place eight days later. Barcelona will resume hostilities with Paris Saint-Germain after being the first two clubs out of the pot in Nyon. The pair met in the group stage with the French champions inflicting a 3-2 defeat on Barca before Luis Enrique's men extracted a degree of revenge by winning 3-1 at Camp Nou. Of the three favourites to claim the trophy in Berlin on June 6, Bayern Munich will be the happiest with Friday's outcome. Pep Guardiola's men were drawn against Porto, conquerors of Basel in the last round, with midfielder Thomas Muller admitting the draw "could have been worse". Juventus will also fancy their chances of progressing having been paired with Monaco. The principality side survived a second-leg pummelling by Arsenal to scrape into the last eight and will take on a Juve side which is not only running away with Serie A but also proved much too strong for Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

ATHLETICO MADRID WANT TO SIGN CAVANI, SAYS COACH. Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint-Germain , according to coach Oscar Ortega. The 28-year-old has been heavily linked with a possible summer switch to the Vicente Calderon in recent weeks, with compatriot and former Atleti striker Diego Forlan claiming he would make a perfect signing . Cavani has failed to score in his last eight Ligue 1 matches for PSG, including in Friday's 3-1 victory over Lorient, which came courtesy of a Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick. Ortega, a member of Diego Simeone's coaching team, has now confirmed the Spanish champions would relish the chance to sign the forward. He told Radio 1010 : "Yes, there is [interest] and I would love to be able to sign him. For us, and for him, too." Ortega also hailed the burgeoning understanding between experienced centre-back Diego Godin and young compatriot Jose Gimenez. "Diego has had a magnificent year and is one who has maintained the level of last year," said Ortega. "His performance has been very good and we feel it a lot when he isn't playing. "Gimenez is our golden boy. We are looking after him because he is a player with tremendous potential."

FLYING EAGLES SEEK SEVENTH AYC TITLE. The stage is set for six-time Africa U20 champions, Nigeria and hosts, Senegal to battle it out in the final of the 20th African Youth Championship at the Senegalese football cathedral - the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar. This much awaited clash will be the second time that the teams have faced each other at this year’s tournament, with both countries emerging from the same Group A. Senegal’s hopes of winning their first title seemed to have faded in thin air when Garba Manu's boys humiliated them 3-1 in their opening match with Taiwo Awoniyi leading the rout in Dakar. But Joseph Koto’s team has recovered superbly to crush subsequent opponents for a place in Sunday’s final tipped to be a closely contested affair. Setting the record of a ninth appearance in the final of this competition, Nigeria will be aiming for a record seventh title after failing to achieve the feat in the last edition. On the road to this stage, Nigeria scored 11 goals and conceded four while Senegal have scored nine and conceded nine. The game is expected to kick-off at 8.30pm Nigeria time.

BARçELONA 2 vs 1 MADRID - LIVE COMMENTARY - Barcelona significantly move four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish Primera Division thanks to a narrow 2-1 victory at Camp Nou. Jeremy Mathieu gave the hosts the lead in the first half with a bullet header, but Ronaldo clawed Ancelotti's men back into contention with a predatory finish. The match winner proved to be Luis Suarez, whose excellent first touch and accomplished finish eventually won the match. I'm Martin Macdonald, thanks for joining us, see you next time! - FULL TIME! BARCELONA WIN THE CLASICO! 90' + 2' - Real Madrid don't look to have anything left out there and Barcelona are cleverly and patiently keeping the ball in the final third through Messi and Suarez. Looks to be all over! 90' - Three minutes of added time allocated by the referee and Barcelona are just attempting to run down the clock any time they can, but Madrid are swiftly winning back possession in the middle of the park. The Blaugrana are on the verge of winning the Clasico! 88' - Substitution Luka Modric Lucas Silva (Real Madrid CF) 88' - This is going to be attack versus defence for the remaining minutes here as Real Madrid camp Barcelona inside their own half. The visitors are probing for any potential openings but Barca have squeezed the space in front of the box. Are we in for a grandstand finish?! 86' - VITAL SAVE FROM CASILLAS! Alba goes on a penetrating run through the middle and ends up bursting into the box before finding himself one-on-one with the keeper, who makes a solid stop from the stabbed strike of the left-back! The Blancos captain has just kept his side in with a shout! 85' - Substitution Neymar Rafinha (Barcelona) 85' - Third and final change from Enrique now and it is a conservative one as he withdrawn an attacker for a midfielder. Neymar is the player coming off and entering the action is Rafinha, who doesn't make the best first impression as he cheaply surrenders possession to Benzema. 83' - Suarez twists and turns inside the area and gives Carvajal the run around before shifting on to his left foot and lashes a shot-come-cross along the six-yard box. It is absolutely begging to be smashed home for Barca but the attempt ends up evading everyone and going behind for a goal kick! 81' - Kroos receives the ball from Modric in a deep position inside his own half. The German spots the run of Ronaldo and drives a pass over the Barcelona defence for the Portuguese, who bursts a gut to try and get on the end of it. In the end Bravo is quick off his line and collects into his hands just before the edge of the area. 80' - Substitution Andrés Iniesta Luján Xavi (Barcelona) 80' - Substitution Isco Jesé Rodríguez (Real Madrid CF) 79' - Both sides utilise their squad again with another change each. Iniesta is the man coming off for Barcelona and he'll be replaced by Xavi, who may be playing in his last ever Clasico. For Real Madrid, it is Jese Rodriguez introduced in place of Isco. 77' - Real Madrid are running out of time here if they still have aspirations of claiming all three points. A point would not be a disaster, but they have certainly played well enough that they would have an argument they deserve all three. Bravo not being tested enough in the last 20 minutes or so! 76' - Substitution Ivan Rakitic Busquets (Barcelona) 75' - Luis Enrique follows suit and makes his opening change of the match. Sergio Busquets comes on to replace Rakitic, with both players being given a warm applause by the Camp Nou faithful. Let's see if the substitute can aid Barca in dominating that midfield area. 74' - Real Madrid make their first change of the match and it sees Pepe come off to be replaced by Varane. A curious substitution from Ancelotti, but perhaps he doesn't trust the Portuguese not to get sent off. He, like a lot of others, is sitting on a booking. 73' - Substitution Pepe Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid CF) 73' - MESSIIIII!! HOW CLOSE WAS THAT?! The Argentine goes on a signature run through the middle and drifts past one, two, three challenges before curling a lovely strike towards the top corner. It looks in all the way but just doesn't bend enough in time to find the net! Almost a wonderful goal! 71' - Yellow Card - Daniel Alves (Barcelona) 71' - Barcelona contently keep the ball inside the final third as they look to force Madrid into making a mistake. The visitors seem happy to let Barca have it for the moment, but Bale, Benzema, and Ronaldo are lingering ominously on the halfway line waiting to counterattack. 69' - Alba goes on an overlapping run down the left-hand side and eventually latches on to a pass from Neymar. The former Valencia full-back typically hits the byline and stands a cross into the box, but Casillas proactively comes off his line to claim the ball out of the air. 67' - What a fantastic goal that would have been by Neymar! The Brazilian picks up the ball inside his own half and cleverly cuts across the path of the Madrid challengers who are on a yellow card, knowing they can't touch him. He moves further forward and eventually finds himself on the edge of the box, but ends up firing a strike a few yards over the bar! 65' - Yellow Card - Andrés Iniesta Luján (Barcelona) 65' - Yep, you guessed it, another yellow card! The next entry into the booking saga comes in the form of a late Iniesta challenge on Carvajal near the touchline. Nothing malicious in it, but the Barcelona captain deservedly receives a caution. That is 10 players out of 22 booked now - extraordinary. 64' - Yellow Card - Isco (Real Madrid CF) 63' - It is raining yellow cards at Camp Nou now and the latest player to come on the wrong side of the referee is Isco, who takes out Neymar with a late challenge. The Spaniard will now miss Real Madrid's next match, which is against Granada. Plenty of players on booking walking on egg shells out there! 61' - Yellow Card - Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) 61' - Ronaldo and Mascherano get involved in a spat inside the Barcelona half after a poor challenge from the Argentine. The former Manchester United man reacts with a small kick out, which prompts the Barca defender to go down clutching his face. It is all rather embarrassing really and the referee sorts the situation out by awarding a yellow to the midfielder for the initial tackle. 59' - Barcelona definitely look to be buoyed by taking the lead again, but a similar pattern emerged in the first half and Real Madrid managed to bounce back quickly with an equaliser. Do Los Blancos have a hero out their to claw them back into contention? 57' - That goal probably came against the run of play, but Barcelona won't mind! Real Madrid need to come back from behind again, and it certainly won't be easy as the Camp Nou is now bouncing! 56' - Assist - Daniel Alves (Barcelona) 56' - Goal - Luis Suárez (Barcelona) GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLL FOR BARCELONA! AND IT'S LUIS SUAREZ! Dani Alves moves forward unopposed out from the back and launches a lovely pass in behind the defence for the Uruguayan, who shakes off the attentions of Pepe to dash forward and hit a precision strike into the bottom left corner! Two-one! 54' - Having said that, Barca have so much attacking firepower and with their new slightly more direct style of play, they are always capable of snatching a goal out of nowhere. Madrid slightly the better team currently though. 53' - Good start to the second half from Ancelotti's men here. It is only some heroics from Bravo which have denied Real Madrid at early lead after the break, and Barcelona just need to buck up their ideas slightly in the middle of the park at the moment. 52' - Yellow Card - Luka Modric (Real Madrid CF) 51' - Modric goes into the book now and it is for an extremely cynical trip on Messi, who had turned up the acceleration of his run to dangerously bear down on the Madrid goal. Just about the most deserved yellow card you're ever likely to see, and Barca get the free kick. 49' - Rakitic displays some impressive trickery to get beyond Isco and then picks out Neymar with a superb pass over the top of the Madrid defence. Barcelona find themselves in a two-versus-one situation at the back but Pepe saves the day by covering across to win possession from Neymar. 48' - Yellow Card - Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid CF) 48' - SAVE BY BRAVO! Ronaldo and Benzema once again link up superbly on the edge of the box and the move ends with the Frenchman bursting into the penalty area and squeezing out a right-footed strike, but the Chilean makes a solid stop to his right! Lovely stuff from Los Blancos! 47' - Iniesta latches on to a loose ball inside the centre circle and attempts to thread a pass down the channel for the unmarked Neymar, but it is a rare miscue from the Barca captain as he sends possession straight to Pepe. The Camp Nou crowd give a small grumble at that missed opportunity. 46' - The second half of the Clasico is under way! - Half time at Camp Nou. There has been nothing between Barcelona or Real Madrid so far as be head into the break in the Clasico all-square at 1-1. Jeremy Mathieu opened the scoring 19 minutes in with a powerful header and Barca looked to be cruising, but Madrid rallied and eventually clawed one back thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo. Quality on show all over the park, but some poor fouls and some diving going on as well. More goals in the second half please! 45' - Yellow Card - Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF) 44' - The yellow cards are coming thick and fast now and, rather unsurprisingly, it is Sergio Ramos who is the latest name to go into the book as he hacks away at the feet of Messi deep in the Barcelona half. Needless and cynical, and a deserved booking. 42' - What a vital touch from Bravo! Ronaldo picks up the ball down the left wing and typically cuts inside on his right foot before pinging a rasper of a strike towards the top corner! It looks destined to find the back of the net but the Barca keeper retreats and just manages to tip over the bar! What a goal that would have been! 40' - GOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLL FOR REAL MADRID! WAIT! NO! OFFSIDE! Ronaldo rises high inside the box and flicks on a cross to the feet of Bale, who drifts in to slide a strike past Bravo, but the linesman had his flag up! That looked very, very tight! Was it Ronaldo or Bale who was penalised?! Inconclusive! 38' - Bale has plenty of space ahead of him and accelerated forward at high pace before taking a slightly heavy touch into the box. Ronaldo is waiting unmarked at the back post but Madrid fail to take advantage as Pique comes in with a perfect last-ditch challenge to deny the Welshman. Brilliant defending. 37' - Yellow Card - Jordi Alba (Barcelona) 37' - Yellow Card - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF) 37' - Jordi Alba is subsequently booked by the ref for his protests at Ronaldo's dive. Daft reason to receive a yellow. 36' - Ronaldo looks to burst into the box with a powerful run, and ends up going down with very little contact despite some attention from Mascherano. The referee fails to fall for the antics of the Ballon d'Or winner, and quickly issues him with a booking for simulation. 34' - Pepe strides out of defence before looking for a forward-thinking pass. The former Porto defender is swiftly stopped in his tracks though as Rakitic comes in with a very late challenge which catches him right on the back of the calf. Pepe coming on the end of some rough treatment from Barca! 32' - Moments before that goal, Neymar missed a golden opportunity at the other end of the park as he snatched at a strike from a few yards out. Real Madrid took full advantage and eventually clawed back an equaliser! The Brazilian will definitely regret not converting that chance! 31' - Assist - Karim Benzema (Real Madrid CF) 31' - Goal - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF) GOOOAAALLL!!! GOOOAALLLL!! GOOAALLLL FOR REAL MADRID! THE VITAL EQUALISER FOR LOS BLANCOS! Ronaldo sends a pass into the feet of Benzema inside the box, who wonderfully flicks the ball back into the path of the Portuguese. Ronaldo makes no mistake and stabs a strike past Bravo! Sensational build up! One-one! 29' - Suarez goes down a little too easily down the right wing whilst under pressure from Isco and Sergio Ramos and the Madrid duo don't take too kindly to the Uruguayan's theatrics. Stick to playing football, Luis! 28' - Yellow Card - Luis Suárez (Barcelona) 27' - The latest player to go into the book is Suarez and it is for a pretty nasty, late challenge on Pepe after the Madrid man cleared the ball up the park. Pepe is down clutching his leg and the referee wastes no time in presenting the Barca man with a yellow card. There was never really going to be too many pleasantries between those two was there? 26' - Marcelo goes on a marauding run down his flank before cutting inside on his right foot, evading a couple of challenges on the way. He tries his luck with a strike at goal, but Mathieu is on hand to make a solid block on the edge of the box. The Frenchman effective at both ends of the field so far! 25' - Real Madrid are just enjoying a nice little period of sustained possession at the moment as each touch is being met with jeers from the home crowd, as the Barca faithful hope to pressure them into a mistake. Plenty of nice, short passes from the visitors, but not a lot of penetration into the penalty area. 23' - Rakitic swings a corner kick into the box and Messi collects with an assured touch before laying into the path of Iniesta, but he resulting shot it sent high and wide into the stand, not troubling Casillas. Barca looking confident after that opening goal! 21' - Yellow Card - Pepe (Real Madrid CF) 21' - In almost a carbon copy of the incident which lead to the free kick a few minutes ago, Pepe once again comes right through the back of Suarez around 30 yards out. The Uruguayan certainly makes the most of it, and as a result the Madrid man is arguably unluckily presented the first yellow of the game. What were the odds on that one? 19' - Assist - Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 19' - Goal - Jérémy Mathieu (Barcelona) GOOOAAALLL!!! GOOAAALL!! GOOOAALLL FOR BARCELONA! LOS CULES OPEN THE SCORING! Messi clips the free kick into the box and Mathieu gets ahead of Sergio Ramos to bullet a powerful header into the bottom right corner! One-nil! 18' - Suarez earns a free kick around 30 yards out just after cleverly using his body to force Pepe into the foul. Messi and Neymar step over the set piece as they deliberate as to who will be charged with it. Only one choice, surely? 16' - We get our first real glimpse of Messi as the Argentine goes on a signature jinking run into the central area before sliding a pass into the feet of Neymar. The Brazilian returns the favour with a precision cross towards the penalty spot, but Messi's eventual header goes a sizeable distance wide. He was never really set correctly to get a decent connection. 15' - Real Madrid take a quick free kick as Benzema is released down the left wing, dragging Mathieu out of position in the process. The former Lyon striker looks for support inside the box but is forced back to Kroos as Los Blancos recycle possession cleverly in the middle of the park. 13' - Iscooooooooo! JUST WIDE! The Blancos attacking midfielder collects possession on the edge of the box and takes advantage of the space available to get a right-footed strike away. Decent attempt, but it just flashes wide of the right-hand post! Bravo was certainly struggling to get there! 12' - RONALDO HITS THE BAR! Benzema breaks away to the far post and finds a yard of space before dinking a teasing cross into the opposite post. The Portuguese meets it with a cushioned volley but ends up crashing his attempt off the woodwork from a few yards out! It was a tight angle, but you would expect someone of his quality to convert that chance! 11' - It has been a fairly tepid opening 10 minutes or so as both sides attempt to find their feet and suss out their opposition. Barca, perhaps predictably, enjoying more of the possession, but Madrid looking dangerous as usual on the counterattack. 9' - Bale and Alba get involved in a small tiff near the right touchline as the Madrid man accidentally clips the heels of the Barca left-back. Nothing much in it at all but the referee feels the need to come over and give them a telling off. That should prove to be a pretty interesting duel down that right-hand side between that duo. 7' - Mathieu and Pique get involved in a misunderstanding in the middle of the park and Bale takes advantage to take on a few Barca players with a powerful run into the right channel. He cuts inside and reverses a pass in behind the defence for Benzema, but the subsequent shot from the Frenchman is disappointingly dragged wide. 6' - Benzema lays the ball sideways to Isco and the former Malaga man dashes forward through the middle before looking for Bale with an eye-of-the-needle pass, but Pique is positioned perfectly to make the interception. Very nearly an opening for the Welshman there! 4' - Iniesta is okay to come back into the action after some attention from the physios. It looked a sore one on his right ankle, but he'll attempt to shake it off in order to continue in the Clasico. 3' - Iniesta drives towards goal and exchanged a fabulous one-two with Suarez before hitting the byline and reversing a pass inside. The ball ends up bouncing onto the head of Rakitic and off a Real Madrid leg to go out for a corner kick. Troubling sight for Barcelona though as their captain clutches his ankle after landing awkwardly under the challenge of Carvajal. 2' - Ronaldo's first touch is met with a chorus of boos from the Camp Nou faithful as he opens up his stride with a powerful run down the left-hand side. Dani Alves matches him all the way though and ends up winning possession with a solid challenge. 1' - HERE WE GO! THE CLASICO IS UNDER WAY! - The teams have made their way to the pitch and we are almost ready for kick-of! The Barcelona fans treat us to an outstanding display from the stands. - Barcelona are undoubtedly the form team heading into the match tonight, but recent results rarely hold much significance in Clasico clashes. This was no more so the case than earlier in the season when Luis Enrique's men made an elecric start to the season, only to be defeated 3-1 at Santiago Bernabeu. Who will prove to be the star of the show? - Just the one change for Barcelona and it comes in goal as Claudio Bravo returns to league duty in place of cup keeper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen. Ancelotti makes two alterations for Madrid as Keylor Navas and Lucas Silva are replaced by Iker Casillas and Toni Kroos. - Real Madrid (4-3-3): Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Isco, Modric; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo. - Barcelona (4-3-3): Bravo; Dani Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Rakitic, Mascherano, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi. - TEAM NEWS... - Tonight we will have the honour of viewing two of the most potent attacking trios in world football. It will be Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar, versus Ronaldo, Bale, and Benzema, and with all the talent and goals that come from these players, you get the feeling that whoever shines the most out of these six will have a massive bearing on the overall result. - Naturally, a lot of the focus on tonight's match will be on the two greatest players in the world and regular Ballon d'Or rivals, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese collected that particular individual honour before the turn of the year, but has saw his form slightly suffer in 2015 compared to his usual high standards. The Barca attacker, in contrast, has been in incredible form and has recently overtook his rival in the Liga goalscoring charts, with 32 goals to 30. - The previous Clasico this season saw Real Madrid run out 3-1 winners at Santiago Bernabeu. With Luis Enrique still finding his feet as Barca boss, Los Blancos took advantage and grabbed all three points with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, and Karim Benzema all getting on the scoresheet to seal the victory. This is the last league match between the two sides this season, but it is still a possibility that the Clasico rivals may still do battle in the Champions League, having recently dispatched of Schalke and Manchester City respectively to progress to the quarter-finals. Barcelona will face PSG in the last eight, while Real Madrid will come up against derby rivals, Atletico Madrid, but you wouldn't bet against a semi-final or final meeting between them. - The Blaugrana are in a rich vein of form at the minute and have recorded nine wins out of their last 10 matches. This run has seem them catapult themselves over their Clasico rivals into first place, with Real Madrid having dropped off the pace with poor results against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao. No matter the result this evening we may have a slightly better idea as to who is destined to be crowned champions. - It is perhaps slightly early to discuss this clash as a title decider, but with the points gained and the potential momentum that could be built up with a victory, the eventual champions of La Liga may look back on the Clasico as a pivotal turning point of the season. Barcelona currently top the table with 65 points taken from 27 matches, and Real Madrid are narrowly behind on 64 points, having actually lead for a large portion of the campaign up until recent weeks. - I'm Martin Macdonald, and it is my pleasure to take you through the action. - That's right, it is Clasico time! - Good evening football fans! Welcome to LIVE coverage of the Spanish Primera Division clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid from Camp Nou!

NIGERIA U20 -1 - 0- SENEGAL U20: FLYING EAGLES ARE AFRICAN CHAMPION. Nigeria defeated Senegal 1-0 to win the 20th edition of the African U20 Championship played on Sunday night at the Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar. A first half wonder strike from Bernard Bulbwa was all the highly-talented Nigerians needed to seal a seventh title on African soil.

CHIKWU:: FLYING EAGLES CAN RULE THE WORLD, Former Nigeria player and handler Christian Chukwu has expressed optimism in the Flying Eagles chances of winning the 2015 Fifa U20 World Cup. Manu Garba’s side defeated hosts Senegal 1-0 to win their seventh African Youth Championship title and have been zoned against five-time champions Brazil, Hungary and Korea DPR in the preliminaries of the World Youth Championship in New Zealand. Chukwu said says that their performance in Senegal has left him even more convinced that the Nigeria U20 side will soar when the competition kicks off and advocates for early preparations for the team. “With the quality of players that we have and their understanding, I don’t have any fears about any of our opponents,” he told Goal. “I think we have a Flying Eagles that can emerge as the best team in the world. “Going into the competition, I don’t want us to embark on late preparations. Our football authorities should ensure they are well equipped with top class friendly matches especially with Latin American and Arab teams. “If these are done plus other necessary things, and putting into consideration the cohesion and technical ability of coach Manu Garba and Nduka Ugbade, we will be able to withstand any team that come our way. “Something he tells me that other teams will be very scared of us,” he concluded. Nigeria’s first game will be against Brazil at the Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth on June 1, 2015.