Forget the Oscars: Barcelona's high-octane Champions League clash with Chelsea at the Nou Camp tonight should provide all the ingredients for an epic Hollywood drama.
Barca won't be rolling out the red carpet for Jose Mourinho and his players after a controversial first-leg two weeks ago when Chelsea defender Asier Del Horno's sending-off overshadowed the Spanish side's 2-1 win.
Del Horno was red-carded at Stamford Bridge for a dangerous challenge on Argentine Lionel Messi, prompting Mourinho to remark that the Barcelona forward had indulged in theatrics.
Mourinho was given a hostile reception on arrival in Barcelona on Sunday and, with Chelsea needing to win and score at least twice to progress to the last eight, the pressure is on the English champions.
Mourinho acknowledged his team was in a difficult position ahead of the game, but suggested it could still reach the last eight for the fourth straight time.
"Barcelona are in a situation where they wouldn't expect to be," Mourinho said. "The winning team has an emotional advantage and is playing at home. How many times in football have things changed?"
Meanwhile, Champions League debutants Villarreal will be confident of overcoming Rangers at the Madrigal after a 2-2 first-leg draw.
The Spaniards have statistics in their favour. They are unbeaten in the Champions League this season and have kept a clean sheet in 13 out of 16 games at home in Europe, conceding just four goals.
Argentine Juan Pablo Sorin is doubtful with a calf injury, so Italian Alessio Tacchinardi is likely to partner Marcos Senna in the centre of midfield.
Rangers' task is made harder by the absence of Croatia striker Dado Prso, who is serving a one-match ban.
The Scottish champions, who have won only three of 21 Champions League away games, are battling to contain a flu virus and injuries to Belgian Thomas Buffel, Danish forward Peter Lovenkrands and Tunisian midfielder Hamed Namouchi.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB