Thierry Henry’s Insight on Real Madrid’s Champions League Dominance:

Thierry Henry explains the secret behind Real Madrid’s success in the Champions League

Real Madrid’s dominance in the UEFA Champions League is attributed to the difficulty teams face in stopping them in two-legged matches.

Henry, an Arsenal legend who faced Real Madrid during his career, highlighted the challenge opponents encounter when trying to halt Madrid’s progress.

He mentioned that both opponents and their fans often underestimate Madrid’s capabilities, leading to disappointment for the rivals.

“When people talk about Real Madrid, they use a lot of ‘IF’. How Leipzig didn’t score more, how they had little of the ball vs City”, Thierry Henry told CBS Sports.

“It doesn’t matter. You think you have them, you don’t. That’s why they have 14 Champions League.”

Real Madrid is close to clinching their 15th UEFA Champions League title.
They have not suffered any defeats in the tournament this season.

In the semi-finals, they drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich on Tuesday, April 30.
The second leg is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, at the Santiago Bernabéu.

A win, similar to their victory against Manchester City in the quarter-finals, is all they need to advance.
If they progress past Bayern Munich, they will face either Paris Saint Germain or Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on June 1, 2024.

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) in collaboration with the Sports Ministry have announced two key appointments ahead of the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Tobi Amusan to Carry Team Nigeria’s Flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Games are set to officially open on Friday, 26th July 2024 in the world-renowned city of love, Paris.

In a statement released by Tony Nezianya, who will serve as the Press Attaché to the team, it has been confirmed that Tobi Amusan of the athletics team will be the Nigerian flag bearer, while Anuoluwapo Opeyori of the badminton team will take on the role of the General Team Captain.

Tobi Amusan, the reigning world champion in the 100m hurdles, will be one of Nigeria’s brightest medal prospects in Paris.

Earlier this year, Amusan set a world-leading time of 12.40 seconds (with a 0.9m/s wind), highlighting her impressive form heading into the Olympics. She narrowly edged out two-time world champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica, who finished second with a time of 12.46 seconds.

Anuoluwapo Opeyori, on the other hand, is an experienced badminton player who has been representing Nigeria since 2017.

The 26-year-old won the African Championships and African Games in the singles event in 2019 and also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

As the General Team Captain, Opeyori will play a crucial role in providing leadership and guidance to the Nigerian team contingent in Paris, drawing on his international experience to inspire his teammates to achieve their best results.

The decision to appoint Amusan and Opeyori to these prestigious positions reflects the high expectations the country has for its athletes at the upcoming Olympic Games.

Both individuals have demonstrated their skills on the international stage and are ready to spearhead Nigeria’s pursuit of success in Paris.

Jose Mourinho  has identified the following as the three strongest national teams ahead of UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany:

Euro 2024: Jose Mourinho Names His Three Strongest Teams

Portugal
France
England

He believes that one of these teams will win the tournament. However, Mourinho also mentioned that other strong teams like Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, and Italy could potentially win the competition, indicating that an unexpected country might emerge victorious.

“For me, it’s one of the three strongest teams – Portugal, France and England”, Jose Mourinho told Vila do Conde on Wednesday, May 1, when asked to predict the forthcoming European Championship.

“Surprises can happen, yes. But looking at the quality and quantity of players, I think Portugal has to go there to win.”

The UEFA Euro 2024 will start on June 14, 2024, at the Allianz Arena in Munich and will conclude on July 14, 2024. Italy is the current reigning champion of the tournament after defeating England in 2021 at Wembley Stadium.

England is considered one of the favorites to win the tournament due to their star-studded team. However, they face tough competition from France, who finished second in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Former Nigeria football captain, John Mikel Obi has talked up his successful spell at Premier League giants, Chelsea

Mikel spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge winning multiple titles, including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one Champions League and one UEFA Europa League.

Prior to his arrival at Chelsea, the former midfielder was inactive for around a year due to the transfer struggle between the Blues and Manchester United.The midfielder later moved to Chelsea on June 2, 2006.

“It was a massive relief. Obviously, it was going on for a year almost, I couldn’t play for any club because of the whole saga,” he told the obionepodcast.

“But after that was settled, it was a massive relief for me and I joined the club that I really wanted to play for, which was Chelsea. And I just couldn’t wait to be unveiled as a Chelsea player, because it was taking such a long time to get settled.

“But after that was done, you know, I was happy to be here. Amazing career. Had won everything to be to be won. And my memory here is absolutely fantastic. I will never, never trade it for anything.”

Borussia Dortmund from the German Bundesliga triumphed over Paris Saint-Germain from the French Ligue 1 in both legs of the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final: Borussia Dortmund Knock Out PSG

During the first leg in Germany on Wednesday, May 1, Borussia Dortmund secured a victory with a 36th-minute goal from 31-year-old German forward, Niclas Füllkrug.

In the 1-0 defeat, Kylian Mbappe’s absence was notable, leading many to believe it was a stroke of luck. This trend continued in the return match at Parc des Princes on May 7, as Mbappe couldn’t prevent Borussia Dortmund from advancing to the Champions League final. Despite a goalless first half, Borussia Dortmund scored in the 50th minute through Mats Hummels, securing their victory.

The game ended with Borussia Dortmund defeating PSG 2-0, crushing PSG’s dream of winning the Champions League title. Dortmund will now face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on June 1, 2024. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, currently tied 2-2 on aggregate, will play in Spain on Wednesday, May 8 at 8 p.m.