Hertha Berlin beat Man Utd on penalties in Nike Academy Cup

Manchester United's hopes of winning the Nike Academy Cup 2015 ended in disappointment after defeat in an end-of-match penalty shoot-out to Hertha Berlin at St George’s Park on Sunday.

After a 3-3 draw in normal time, the lads from the German capital netted all three of their spot-kicks but only Andy Kellett was successful for the Reds.

Hertha had produced a excellent contest.

United’s 3-0 win over AS Monaco on Saturday, coupled with Hertha’s success against Nike Academy by a similar score, meant this match would decide the destination of the Europa League-lookalike trophy.

It was an early start for United and Hertha, with the game having a 10:00 BST kick-off, but on a damp and miserable Staffordshire morning, there was plenty of get up and go from both sides.

There was also a liberal sprinkling of goals to embellish an entertaining first half.

Ashley Fletcher gave United the lead, in the 16th minute, after Hertha’s keeper Nico Wiesner had blocked Matthew Willock’s shot.

But then Hertha hit back with two goals inside six minutes from Tashin Cakmak and Tim Gelleski.

It appeared that United had a battle on their hands, but within five minutes the Reds were back in front with a pair of goals from midfielder Liam Grimshaw.

The teams were certainly giving the small throng of onlookers plenty of goals to appreciate and, just before half-time, Farid Abderrahmane struck to send the teams in at the break level pegging on three goals apiece.

As regards goalscoring, the game went off the boil as the second half unfolded, but both teams were still making chances.

Skipper Tom Thorpe went close to getting on the end of speculative through ball and then Tashin Cakmak rattled one of United’s posts with a well-struck shot.

The rain, which had been falling down from the sky in torrents for most of the morning, finally started to ease as the game reached its closing stages.

By that time, the goal glut that had been an enjoyable feature of the first half had also dried up, with fewer and fewer genuine chances being produced.

So it was down to the dreaded penalty shoot-out and it was Hertha who proved more accurate from the spot.

Bayern Munich Stars Disappointed With Germany's Performance Against Georgia

​Germany beat Georgia 2-0 in Tbilisi in Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier to stay in second place in Group D, but several Bayern Munich stars were disappointed with the overall level of performance from the reigning world champions.

"I think the key to our success was that we spent a lot of time in their half. We didn't always play the right pass and we lost the ball too often," Thomas Müller told DFB.de after the game.

Müller and Marco Reus scored Germany's goals in the first half of the clash, but the Bayern forward felt that more could have been done to kill the game off after the break.

"In the second half we could have made it easier for ourselves. I have mixed feelings because we started strongly but didn't manage to score after the break. However, it is nice to climb up the table," he said.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was pleased to be starting his first game since being named as Philipp Lahm's replacement as captain, but generally agreed with his club-mate's analysis.

"We kept a clean sheet, which was our aim, but it was difficult to find space against them," the 30-year-old explained.

"We made a few mistakes in their half, but we won the game anyway. We need to improve and will now concentrate on the games against Gibraltar and Scotland."

Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer added, "We aimed to defend well and we managed that. It wasn't a virtuoso performance but we have improved since Wednesday (against Australia)."

Manager Joachim Löw was delighted with what were a vital three points, especially with Poland dropping points against the Republic of Ireland and Scotland winning.

"If you looked at the table ahead of the game you would have seen that we had to win today," he commented.

"I was happy with how we played in the first half. We combined well and looked dangerous. After the break we were a bit sloppy and made a few mistakes. Georgia stayed deep and made it difficult for us."

International friendly: Deutschland 2-2 Australia

International friendly, Fritz-Walter-Stadion - Germany 2 (Reus 17, Podolski 81) Australia 2 (Troisi 40, Jedinak 50)

Nothing could separate the world and Asian champions at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion as Germany and Australia played out a 2-2 friendly draw.

The Socceroos were playing their first game since coming out on top in the Asian Cup on home soil back in January and they will be further buoyed by their latest result.

It was Germany who opened the scoring through Marco Reus after he slotted home a Sami Khedira pass - and Joachim Loew’s men looked for a period like they might run away with the match.

Australia, however, weathered the storm and despite the home team dominating much of the play, they were soon level before the break through James Troisi, who headed home Matt McKay’s dangerous cross into the box.

A famous win looked like it might be on for the Socceroos as Mile Jedinak edged them in front with a free-kick after the restart, but substitute Lukas Podolski ensured Germany’s late pressure was not in vain as he converted Andre Schuerrle’s delivery from close range to level proceedings.

Bayern Munich to Beat Manchester United to £15m Italian Defender Matteo Darmian

​Bayern Munich plan to snatch Torino defender Matteo Darmian from under the noses of Manchester United, according to ​the Express.

Bayern are tracking the £15m right-back as a replacement for captain Philipp Lahm who, when fit, has spent much of the campaign playing in midfield.

United are also keen to strengthen in that area and have identified the Italy international alongside Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne and Tottenham's Kyle Walker.

The Red Devils could be forced to step up their interest in the England pair with Bayern reportedly ready to make their move for Darmian.

The 25-year-old has played 23 times in Serie A this season and has also impressed during the club's run to the Europa League's last 16.

GLADBACH INFLICT FIRST HOME DEFEAT OF SEASON ON BAYERN

Raffael beat Manuel Neuer twice

Matchday 26 ended with a surprising result in the Allianz Arena. Borussia Mönchengladbach beat record champions FC Bayern München 2-0 and strengthened their grip on a Champions League spot. Raffael’s brace (30’ & 77’) won the game for the visitors.

Bayern started strongly and created early chances through Robert Lewandowski (3’) and Arjen Robben (6’). The Bavarians saw plenty of possession early on but were unable to capitalise. Gladbach were dangerous on the counter but Bayern’s defence, marshalled by Holger Badstuber, stood firm. Raffael put Borussia in front shortly after the half hour mark. His powerful volley from Patrick Herrmann’s cross was dropped into his own net by Manuel Neuer.

Raffael completes his brace

David Alaba’s deflected effort before the break almost brought Bayern back into the game. After the interval the hosts continued to see plenty of the ball but were unable to convert any of their chances. Müller and Boateng had chances to equalise whilst at the other end André Hahn’s powerful effort was tipped onto the post by Neuer.

Juan Bernat had Bayern’s best chance with 15 minutes left on the clock but it was turned behind by Yann Sommer. Moments later the fohlenelf doubled their lead. Stunning play from Christoph Kramer was finished off emphatically by Raffael. The final chance of the game fell to the home side but Sommer kept Lewandowski and Müller at bay.

Roberto Di Matteo: It was a close game

Roberto Di Matteo:

It was a close game. We were a little better in the opening stages and had a good chance to go in front through Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. We made too many mistakes in our build-up play though and weren’t really able to control proceedings. We had a few goalscoring opportunities, but perhaps we were a little too nervous at times and didn’t make the right decisions. Leverkusen pressed well and made life difficult for us. We’re obviously very disappointed considering the result.

We should have got a penalty in the final few minutes. It was a clear handball from Roberto Hilbert from my point of view. You’ve seen things like the back-pass in the second half given before as well. Things didn’t go our way. 

We still have eight games and we have to pick up as many points as possible. As long as qualifying for the Champions League is possible, we will do all we can to make it happen. We still believe we can do it.

Roger Schmidt:

We’re very happy that we‘ve won this challenging game. The whole team can feel very proud of today’s result. A victory wasn’t a foregone conclusion because Schalke are very strong at home. Both sides had goal scoring opportunities; however, I think that over the 90 minutes, we deserved to win. The fact that the team are able to be so focused after the Champions League exit is fantastic. We’ve proven over the last few weeks that our team has developed and become much stronger. It’s no coincidence that we’re not conceding many goals at the moment. The team has worked hard to develop a solid defence. 

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING: GERMANY OFF TO WINNING START AGAINST SLOVAKIA

Germany take the initiative in the four team group

The Germany U17s have started the elite stage of qualifying for this summer’s European Championship in Bulgaria (6th-22nd May) with a win. Christian Wück’s side won their opening game 3-0 against Slovakia in Wetzlar. On Monday (11:00 CET) Germany will face Ukraine, before returning to Wetzlar on Thursday to place Italy (11:00 CET).

The team, captained by Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Passlack, put a lot of pressure on Slovakia in the first half, but couldn’t create any real chances. The floodgates opened in the second half when Johannes Eggestein scored in the 46th minute, before Passlack doubled the score from the penalty spot five minutes later. Eggestein sealed the comfortable 3-0 victory in the 72nd minute with his fifth goal in just his seventh game for the U17s.

First goal made things easier

"In the first half my team were still very nervous and made things difficult. After the first goal things became a lot easier for them. Our link up play improved drastically after that," said Germany manager Christian Wück, who also had praise for the fans. "The fans supported us brilliantly. We’re very happy with the win here against Italy."

In the qualifiers here in North Hessen, Germany can secure their passage to the finals as either one of eight group winners or seven group runners up.

Wückt has a good team at his disposal, with only four players having made less than five appearances for the U17s. "I have 18 players that have all established themselves as regulars. Because of that there were one or two who just fell short of the cut when I picked the squad. The quality of this age group made it very difficult for me to select my squad," explained Wück.

Important European qualifiers for S04 players

Several S04 players will be in action with their respective national teams in the first international break of 2015.

Höwedes and Germany will face Georgia on Sunday (29.03.) as they attempt to secure a place at the 2016 European Championship in France. The reigning World Champions are aiming to come away with three points from Tbilisi to improve their current position in Group D. Germany have taken seven points from four games and are third in the table, three points behind group leaders Poland. Ireland, currently in second place, also have seven points. Germany will face Australia in a friendly on Wednesday (25.03), ahead of the crucial match against Georgia. 

“World Champions against Asian Cup Champions – that’s a fantastic clash to start 2015. The game against Australia provides us with a welcome opportunity to warm up ahead of the important game in Tbilisi against Georgia,” explained Germany manager Joachim Löw. 

Huntelaar and the Netherlands will come up against Turkey on Saturday (28.03.). Having only taken six points from four games, the team are in a tricky position because the Czech Republic, current group leaders, have won all their games so far and second-place Iceland have more points and a better goal difference. The Schalke striker can look forward to a top-class encounter against the reigning European Champions. The Netherlands will face Spain on Tuesday (31.03.). Both the Spain and Turkey games will take place in Amsterdam. 

Fuchs and his Austrian teammates are on track to qualify for the next stage of the European Championship. The team has taken ten points from four games and will hope to add another three to their tally when they face Liechtenstein on Friday (27.03). The team will pit themselves against World Cup participants Bosnia and Herzegovina in Vienna four days later. The likelihood of qualifying for the European Championship currently doesn’t look great for Nastasic. Serbia have only collected one point from a possible nine and must beat Portugal on Sunday (29.03) to stand a chance of progressing. 

Leroy Sane, along with U19 captain Thilo Kehrer, has been included in the Germany U19 squad for the Elite Round of the UEFA European U19 Championship. The team will face Slovakia, Ireland and the Czech Republic. 

Hertha BSC win 1:0 in Hamburg

HSV are edging closer towards the relegation zone

Joe Zinnbauer’s Hamburger SV side are being dragged deeper into the relegation dogfight. The Bundesliga’s only ever present side are in serious danger of losing that accolade after today’s 1-0 defeat to Hertha BSC. Sebastian Langkamp scored the winner in the 84th minute.

HSV are now six games without a win and could find themselves in relegation spot by the end of the weekend. On the other, Hertha are now unbeaten in four and have climbed to 13th in the table and are six points clear of the drop zone. Cléber was sent off for the hosts shortly before the goal was scored.

Van der Vaart returns

HSV impressed early on and created chances but failed to capitalise; they’ve only scored 16 goals all season. As the game progressed Hertha created the most dangerous chances and they took the lead shortly before the end when Langkamp headed home Marvin Plattenhardt’s free kick.

Zinnbauer’s line up for this relegation six-pointer was surprising. Captain Rafael van der Vaart returned to the starting line-up, having missed four games. Former Hertha striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga was on the bench; Ivica Olic was the lone striker.

The hosts started at a furious pace and created chances early on. Thomas Kraft tipped Zoltan Stieber’s deflected effort behind and Cléber headed wide from the resulting corner (6’). Van der Vaart (15’) and Olic (19’) also had chances to give them the lead.

Adler relatively untested between the sticks

Hertha didn’t create much in the opening exchanges; their only threat came from set pieces. As the first half progressed Pal Dardai’s side started to stamp their authority on the game and caused the Hamburg backline some problems. Goalkeeper René Adler, who replaced the suspended Jaroslav Drobny, was rarely tested, however.

HSV are edging closer towards the relegation zone

Things didn’t change too much after the break. Valentin Stocker (61’) and Salomon Kalou (64’) had chances to put the visitors in front, however, the best chance of the game fell to HSV’s Olic but he couldn’t convert (69’). That miss ultimately proved costly as Langkamp converted late on to win the game for Hertha.

BADSTUBER AND GÜNDOGAN RETURN TO LÖW’S SQUAD

Badstuber's last appearance for Germany came against Sweden on 16th October 2012

The Germany national team’s first squad of 2015 features 16 World Champions. Joachim Löw has named 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers for the friendly on Wednesday against Asian Champions Australia in Kaiserslautern (20:30 CET) and the EURO 2016 qualifier in Tbilisi against Georgia on Sunday, 29th March (18:00 CEST).

The squad will be led by captain Bastian Schweinsteiger of FC Bayern, who is back in the DFB-Team for the first time since the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina following injuries. “Bastian is our captain, he has tremendous leadership qualities. We need him both on and off the pitch,” said manager Joachim Löw. “Having him back is a huge bonus for us. I’m confident that he can kick on from his good performances in the Bundesliga and Champions League with FC Bayern.”

Badstuber’s last international was in October 2012

Alongside Schweinsteiger, two long-term injured players have also returned to the national team setup: Holger Badstuber (Bayern München) and Ilkay Gündogan (Borussia Dortmund). Badstuber has won 30 senior caps for Germany, with his most recent one coming way back on 16th October 2012 in Berlin during a 4-4 World Cup qualifying draw against Sweden. The Munich man barely kicked a ball in 2013 and 2014 after a cruciate ligament tear and a total of four operations on his knee, but has been playing regular football again since early 2015.

Gündogan currently has eight international caps to his name, with his last one coming on 14th August 2013 in Kaiserslautern during a 3-3 friendly draw against Paraguay. The Dortmund midfielder also scored in that game. Gündogan missed the 2014 World Cup win ongoing back problems. He made his return for BVB on 8th October last year in a Bundesliga meeting with Köln.

Löw “moved to see Holger and Ilkay back on the pitch”

“The pair have a long period of suffering behind them,” said Joachim Löw on returnees Badstuber and Gündogan. “I was moved to see Holger and Ilkay back on the pitch again and I’m impressed at how quickly they have returned to their high standards. It’s remarkable just how well they have dealt with the situation. They have worked hard for months and never lost their optimism, despite a number of setbacks.”

The Germany boss said that they have been called up for a different reason though: “Their involvement in the squad isn’t in recognition of them fighting their way back though; it’s a reward for their recent performances. We’ve always kept in touch with both players. It will be nice to welcome them back to the squad and we can now look to the future with the two of them instead of looking back.

“World Champions against Asian Champions – a great way to kick off 2015”

Mesut Özil (Arsenal) and Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) have also returned to the squad. Both missed the European Championship qualifiers against Poland, Ireland and Gibraltar, as well as the friendly with Spain towards the end of 2014 due to injuries.

The upcoming game against Australia is the fifth meeting between the two nations. Germany have come out on top in three encounters, with the Aussies winning once. Löw has good memories of the 2010 World Cup opener in particular. The DFB-Team won 4-0 against the Socceroos back then in Durban in what was the manager’s first World Cup game in charge of the national team.

A meeting with Paraguay on 13th August 2013 was Gündogan's last Germany game

“World Champions against Asian Champions – it’s a great way to kick off 2015 on the international stage,” said Löw. “The meeting with Australia is also a welcome opportunity for us to get into our rhythm ahead of the important game in Tbilisi against Georgia. I watched a few of Australia’s games at the Asian Cup and I was impressed. They are well organised and very solid. They conceded just three goals in the entire tournament, which speaks for itself. However, we want to give the supporters in Kaiserslautern a good game and pick up some momentum for the Georgia match by winning.”

Germany victorious in every meeting with Georgia

The DFB-Team have won all three of their previous clashes with Georgia. The teams last met on 7th October 2006 in Rostock. Germany won the game 2-0, with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Ballack scoring the goals. Former Frankfurt player Kachaber Zchadadse’s side currently sit fifth in the EURO 2016 qualifying group with three points to their name. Meanwhile, Germany are level on points with Scotland and Ireland (7 each), with Poland leading the group (10 points). The group winners and runners-up qualify for the finals together with the best third-placed side of the nine groups. The eight remaining third-placed teams will enter the play-offs with four more spots at the tournament in France up for grabs.

“It’s an unfamiliar situation for us,” said Löw on how things stand in Group D at the moment, “but it’s not a problem. Our sensed are heightened; we know what we have to do and can’t afford any more slip-ups. We want to pick up three points in Tbilisi and that is exactly what we’re demanding of ourselves. I have complete faith that my players are aware of the situation and are capable of dealing with it. We’re confident, but we won’t underestimate Georgia. If we remain serious and show our quality on the pitch then we will come away from Georgia with the win.”

After the games against Australia and Georgia, the DFB-Team will begin their preparations for fixtures in June. Germany will first play a friendly against USA on 10th June in Cologne, before a EURO 2016 qualifier against Gibraltar in Faro on 13th June.

Hummels: "Our performance level dropped in the second half"

Disappointment was the predominant feeling amongst the Borussia Dortmund players after their Champions League exit in the last 16. The team was left with nothing and were beaten quite convincingly, 2-1 in the first leg and 3-0 in the second leg, by Juventus. Borussia Dortmund captain and Germany international Mats Hummels spoke to DFB.de about the team’s exit, missed goal scoring opportunities and the upcoming challenges. 

DFB.de: Mats Hummels, how do you explain the 3-0 loss to Juventus?

Mats Hummels: The first half was okay but in the second half, our performance level dropped. We conceded possession way too easily and too often. We deserved to lose by such an emphatic margin in the end. We know that we simply didn’t play well and deserved to be knocked out. I don’t think that anyone could question how dominant and technically superior Juve were in the second half. We couldn’t get back into the game. 

DFB.de: Did you think that your Champions League campaign would come to an end tonight? 

Hummels: We knew that we could be knocked out. I didn’t imagine beforehand that it would be as a result of such a disappointing second half performance. If the result is documented somewhere in the programme in 15 years time, nobody will remember if we were unfortunate or not to lose. 

DFB.de: Combining the results from both legs, it finished 5-1 on aggregate. Is this proof that BVB currently aren’t good enough for the quarter-finals? 

Hummels: Let’s put it this way: we weren’t good enough to tear the competition apart and really challenge this year. Everybody has seen that. We didn’t play well except for the first half in Turin. The 5-1 aggregate is possibly due to the fact that we had to take some risks to try and get a result. At the end of the day, the end score isn’t important; what matters is that we’ve been knocked out. 

DFB.de: What was the team’s main problem during the game? 

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Hummels: "Our performance level dropped in the second half" 

Hummels: We tried to use a short passing game but also some riskier passes and dribbling moves to break through Juve’s defence. We rarely managed to achieve this though. I think that we also then started to lose our belief. Sometimes we opted to pass instead of going for goal. Once or twice we tried our luck from distance; this is what we were restricted to against a team who defended so deeply. 

DFB.de: How much did conceding an early goal influence the game? 

Hummels: Going 1-0 down early on hurt us. Tevez’s finish was world class! However, the three players around him could have applied more pressure. It’s not every day though that you see such a pure strike. We can’t deny that it was a real shock for us. We had a period of the game afterwards when we could really put them under some pressure but we didn’t create enough goal scoring opportunities. 

DFB.de: How come you couldn’t carve out so many chances? 

Hummels: There are different reasons for this. We didn’t get enough bodies in the box when we had crossing opportunities. It even became tricky to get a shot on goal from distance. I think that there are certain elements of our game that we need to work on. 

DFB.de: After the loss and Champions League exit, how much confidence will the team have going into the upcoming games? 

Hummels: We’ll have to wait and see. You can quickly build and lose self-confidence. We realised this for ourselves when we won in Freiburg after a really poor run of results. At once we regained some self-confidence. It could happen again in Hannover; however, it won’t come easily. We need to work hard for it. 

DFB.de: How sad are you that you won’t feature again in the Champions League for at least another year and a half? 

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Hummels: "Juve were dominant and superior technically" 

Hummels: We’re obviously disappointed; it’s hard to imagine. The Champions League is a fantastic competition which we have thoroughly enjoyed, with the exception of tonight’s game. I have fond memories, particularly of home games. It’s a pity that we won’t be able to be a part of it for a while. It’s down to us to bring Champions League football back to Dortmund.

'Harmless' Dortmund Disappoint Coach Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp described his Borussia Dortmund side as "harmless" after they failed to register a single shot on target in their Champions League last-16 defeat to Juventus, ​media reports.

Dortmund trailed Massimo Allegri's side 2-1 going into their second leg tie at Signal Iduna Park, but their away goal gave them considerable hope of progressing to the quarter finals.

Instead, the hosts were blown away by their superior opponents who delivered an early sucker-punch through Carlos Tevez' third-minute wonder strike.

Dortmund laid siege to the Bianconeri box for much of the first half but were unable to convert their pressure into chances and eventually succumbed to second-half goals from Alvaro Morata and Tevez again.

​"We were too harmless. If you don't shoot on goal, you can't score," Klopp said.

"We can't blame the ball, because it flew fairly well, as you could see with the goal Tevez scored.

"Every minute the opponent gained in confidence and we ended up having none.

"Juve were simply better than us, but they also had the perfect start after three minutes."

Captain Mats Hummels agreed that Dortmund failed to recover from their early setback, allowing Juventus to dominate the second period and cruise into an unassailable lead.

"The early goal we conceded was surely a shock for us. You can't deny that," Hummels added.

"For almost the entire match we failed to create any noteworthy chances.

"In the second half we completely lost our rhythm and in the end the scoreline was deserved.

"We can't claim that we were at the same level as Juventus."

Borussia Dortmund 0-3 Juventus: Tevez Grabs a Brace as Juve Breeze into the Quarter-Finals

Juventus striker Carlos Tevez scored twice as the Italian Serie A champions comfortably saw past a lacklustre Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. 

The visitors took the lead minutes into the game through Tevez, which made Dortmund's task of progressing even harder. Juventus took a 2-0 aggregate lead (1-0 on the night) into the break and their German counterparts showed little signs of getting themselves back into the last-16 clash. 

Borussia Dortmund v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Round of 16

The first-half saw the Old Lady miss several opportunities to double their lead. Stephan Lichtsteiner and Alvaro Morata came close in the opening 45 minutes of action, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side were held to just a solitary goal for their efforts.

After the break, Juventus continued their pursuit to get some daylight between them and Dortmund. Morata and defender Giorgio Chiellini had chances to add the the Italian’s lead, but were wasteful in front of goal when it mattered.

The former did finally tuck away one of his chances, however, in the 69th minute. Morata doubled Juve’s lead mid-way through the second half to all but seal the tie and Dortmund’s fate. Carlos Tevez scored his second of the game and Juventus’ third to seal an impressive away win for the Serie A giants. 

Borussia Dortmund v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Round of 16

Dortmund will be disappointed to have been humiliated in their own backyard, but Juve have shown they could go far in the competition now, and Tevez looks in fine form to get them there.

Kolasinac makes comeback for U23 side

A further step towards his Bundesliga comeback: Sead Kolasinac made his return to Royal Blue colours on Saturday (14/3), featuring in his first competitive game since his cruciate ligament rupture in the match in Hannover at the start of the season.

Kolasinac gained 75 minutes of game time in the Regionalliga derby away to Rot-Weiss Essen but was unable to prevent a 1-0 defeat. A penalty from Baier early on was the difference at the Essener Stadion. The Royal Blues carved out numerous opportunities thereafter but were unable to put the ball into the back of the net. “It’s annoying when you create so many chances away from home and don’t score,” said a visibly disappointed manager Jürgen Luginger after the game.

Kolasinac started at the left side of the defence and swapped with Borgmann in the second half to move forward as an anchorman. Kolasinac had a decent outing until his substitution in the 76th minute for Nietfeld.

Bayern Munich Join PSG In Race To Sign Branislav Ivanovic

German champions Bayern Munich are monitoring developments on the future of Chelsea full back Branislav Ivanovic.

Reports last week claimed the Serbian was attracting interest from Paris Saint Germain ahead of the summer transfer window, though Bayern are now ready to make their interest known too. Manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly ready to offer Brazilian centre back Dante as a possible sweetener in the deal, given he is struggling to break into the team at the moment.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wants Ivanovic to stay with the club, but speculation is beginning to intensify given the 31-year-old has just 16 months remaining on his current contract. 

The Blues will need to address the future of Ivanovic over the coming months in order to stop clubs being able to negotiate pre-contract terms with the player - given they will be able to do so from January next year.

Kalou Faces Huge Fine for Vandalising Berlin Wall

​In a piece of bizarre yet in some ways unsurprising news that broke this morning, former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou is reportedly facing a huge fine after being snapped appearing to vandalise the Berlin wall with a hammer and chisel, ​media reporting.

The 29-year-old is currently plying his trade in the city after signing for Hertha Berlin on a season-long loan deal from french side Lille, and the attacker has enjoyed a prolific spell in Germany - scoring 6 times in 12 starts.

However, the Ivory Coast international made the headlines for the wrong reasons on Monday morning after being caught breaking off a piece of the historic monument for himself.

​​The Wall is a protected monument in Germany, having initially been constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in order to divide East and West Berlin, and it did so for 28 years from 1961-1989.

It was granted its protected status upon the fall of the GDR in 1991, and vandalism of the monument carries a heavy fine of up to 10,000 Euros.

Upon seeing the image of Kalou, a deeply offended Kani Alavi - chairman of the artists initiative the East Side Gallery (who reportedly own the copyright to the graffiti on the wall while ever the Wall belongs to the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough of Berlin) - immediately made an official complaint to the police regarding what he branded disrespectful behaviour:

"When I saw the pictures, I almost fell off the couch," Alavi told German Press.

"We have a well-paid celebrity increasing his market value at the expense of a monument. Without respect. And the public television mixes with it. I am deeply disappointed."

"Just because there are no security guards, that does not mean that you can do what you want there. If he had been doing that at the Brandenburg Gate, the player would have been arrested."

Despite demonstrating he's a dab hand with hammer and chisel, Kalou was unable to carve a way through Premier League defences quite so effectively, having averaged under a goal every 3.5 games for in 6 years at Stamford Bridge.

Holger Badstuber Jokes He Didn't Know How to Celebrate After First Ever Champions League Goal

​Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber has revealed he didn't quite know how to react when he headed in his team's fifth goal in the 7-0 demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk this week - his first in the Champions League and only his second ever for the first-team.

"It was a fantastic feeling. I don't score very often. I really didn't know how I should celebrate," the 26-year-old joked to Bayern's website afterwards.

"But the goal was just the icing on the cake, it was much more important that we made the next round," he continued. "If you've come away from the first leg with a dangerous result but go on to complete the job at home, it's obviously a great weight off your shoulders."

Badstuber is one of a number of home-grown players in the Bayern squad, rising through the ranks with Thomas Müller. But where Müller has become one of the biggest names in Europe, Badstuber has seen his career ravaged by injury.

He missed the entirety of the 2013/14 campaign and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reserved special praise for the way his player has come back to action.

"He's my personal hero. If you've had the year and a half he's had but keep coming back. He deserves all the support he's getting from the south terrace," Rummenigge said.

Ilkay Gundogan Delaying Decision Over New Borussia Dortmund Contract

​Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly stalling on signing a new contract at Borussia Dortmund, with suggestions that he finds the prospect of a potential move to the Premier League an attractive one.

The 24-year-old only signed an extension in April, but that deal expires in 2016 and according to BILD he isn't ready to commit his long term future to Dortmund just yet.

The German publication also cites interest from Manchester United as a likely reason behind his decision to delay. Any refusal to sign a new deal would leave Dortmund little choice but to sell this summer, with a fee of £16m having previously been suggested.

Gundogan has been linked with a move to Old Trafford ever since helping Dortmund reach the Champions League final in 2013, while Arsenal are another English club rumoured to be have been interested in the past.

He spent the majority of the 2013/14 campaign sidelined with a back injury. However, since a making a return to full fitness this season, the German international has been a regular in the side once more.

DFB Pokal quarter-final round

FC Bayern reached the next stage by overcoming Braunschweig at the Allianz Arena and are now facing tough opponents in the quarter-final.

Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, 1899 Hoffenheim, SC Freiburg, VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach are the six teams from the Bundesliga that have made it to the next round. The seventh team comes from the third division. Arminia Bielefeld qualified for the quarter-final by defeating Werder Bremen 3:1.

The DFB Cup quarter-final pairings will be drawn on Sunday at 6:00 pm CET by former German women’s football player and 2003 World Cup winner Nia Künzer. ARD-Sportschau will be broadcasting the draw. The matches will be played on 7th and 8th April.

Pep Guardiola Rules Out Manchester City Move

​Pep Guardiola has ruled out a move to Manchester City and hopes to stay at Bayern Munich for many years to come.

The Spaniard had been touted as a potential replacement for City's under-fire manager Manuel Pellegrini, with the Blues on the verge of a Champions League exit and unlikely to retain their Premier League crown.

City chiefs Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain worked closely with Guardiola during a fruitful spell at Barcelona, fuelling talk of a reunion.

But the 44-year-old, whose contract at the Allianz Arena expires in 2016, has dismissed the speculation.

"Manchester City? I hope to stay at Bayern Munich for a long time," he said, per ​Manchester Evening News.

"I have a contract with this wonderful club and aim to fulfil that. I have not received any offers.

"We will see what happens after next year. I am very happy at Bayern."

Guardiola is on course to lift his second Bundesliga title in as many seasons in Bavaria, and his side are a win away from progression to the Champions League's quarter final stage.

Jurgen Klopp: I Thought Reus Had a Broken Leg

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp admits he thought Marco Reus had broken his leg in Tuesday night's win over Dynamo Dresden in the DFB-Pokal.

Reus was left in a heap following a tackle from Dennis Erdmann, which the referee deemed not to be a foul, as Ciro Immobile struck twice to send last season's runners-up through to the quarter finals by a 2-0 margin.

Further examination revealed the talisman had suffered only bruising to his knee, but it didn't stop Klopp from venting his frustrations at the officials, Erdmann, and even his own medical team.

"If it is really just a bruise with Marco, this has been a good night," he told ​Media.

"I looked so angry because everybody looked at me like he had a broken leg. I am a simple person and if everybody looks at me like his leg is broken, I believe that.

"I hope next time they will inform me sooner when it's just a bruise."

On the tackle itself, Klopp added: "I already said this before - you do not do things like that. Look, the ball is far away, Marco wants to pass Erdmann and he hits his knee into his thigh. Totally unnecessary.

"There was a similar situation with Hefele, where he elbowed Ciro Immobile and that led to a cut. That wasn't penalised either. But if Marco just has a bruise, we can be happy in the end.

"Ultimately we have won and we are in the next round."

Dynamo Dresden 0-2 Borussia Dortmund: Ciro Immobile double fires Jurgen Klopp's men into German Cup quarter-finals

Borussia Dortmund's Ciro Immobile struck twice in the second half to secure a 2-0 victory at third tier Dynamo Dresden and a place in the German Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The Italian, criticised for a lack of Bundesliga goals this season, pounced on a cross-field pass from Dynamo's Michael Hefele to snatch the lead five minutes after the break on a bumpy pitch that resembled a ploughed field in parts.

Dortmund struggled to play the flowing football that has seen them win their last four league matches and Mats Hummels almost gifted Dynamo an equaliser when his back pass bounced awkwardly and was intercepted before Mitch Langerak saved.

Dynamo Dresden goalkeeper dives to stop Borussia Dortmund's Vasquez Ramos from advancing
Dortmund's substitute striker Adrian Ramos almost got a second but his shot squeezed past a defender and hit the near post before rolling along the line and being cleared.

However, Immobile scored again when he slotted in from a Jakub Blaszczykowski cutback in the box at the final whistle.

The only negative for Dortmund was the loss of winger Marco Reus, who missed much of 2014 with a string of ankle injuries, midway through the first half when he limped off.

Earlier, Bayer Leverkusen's Hakan Calhanoglu rescued his side from embarrassment with a sensational free kick to steer them to a 2-0 extra-time win over second tier Kaiserslautern.

The Turkey international fired a shot around the wall from 25 metres past keeper Marius Mueller towards the end of the first half of extra-time to break the visitors' resistance.

Stefan Kiessling added a second goal 10 minutes later after Leverkusen struggled for most of the game.

Fellow Bundesliga club Hoffenheim had a much easier task against second division Aalen with Eugen Polanski and Germany international Kevin Volland on the scoresheet, while Freiburg beat visiting Cologne 2-1 to also reach the last eight.

Holders Bayern Munich are in action on Wednesday against Eintracht Braunschweig.