Who is this Woman Pictured Below?

A Famous Hertha fan spolighted by Google!

Football fans, even though Google ads have kicked out the IMOTGP blog, we are pleased to report to you who this mysterious woman is in Google's doodle today.

The woman is none other than Hertha Marks Ayrton, a British scientist who would have marked her 162nd birthday today.

Obviously she was born before Hertha BSC was formed in 1892 but she died during the club's early years and was no doubt a supporter of the official club of the IMOTGP blog. We salute Google for their support of Hertha and their support of Hertha ahead of this big weekend with a crunch match versus Bayer Leverkusen!

A Very Special IMOTGP Post: The Plight of Shakhtar Donetsk

Football fans know it's a special occasion today since its time for the Europe League semi-finals. The featured match is between Liverpool and Villarreal, with Jurgen Klopp three matches away from guiding the Reds back to the Champions League. We want to talk about one of the teams in the other match between Shakhtar Donetsk and two-time defending champion Sevilla.

You see, Shakhtar - a perennial European power - has not played in its home city for quite some time. Credit goes to the Guardian's Tim Rich, for spotlighting how it's been nearly two years since Shakhtar last called Donetsk home. That's when pro-Russian separatists seized control of the city in a conflict that rages on endlessly.

The list of players that have come through Shakhtar is impressive. The club made smart purchases of young Brazilian players who were developed into stars.

Captain Darijo Srna told the Guardian: “This team is stronger than the one in 2009. It is stronger mentally, its potential is bigger and they are very motivated. We have lost our homes, our stadium and our fans. We have lost the training ground and we have lost our city. We are one step away from the final and this team deserves respect.

“People who thought Shakhtar would fall apart don’t know our president and they don’t know our club. We have lost I don’t know how many important players – Willian, Fernandinho, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan, [Alex] Teixeira – and we have maintained the same level of play. You have seen how well Willian and Fernandinho have played in England. This club made them.”

Shakhtar has a special place in the heart of the IMOTGP blog since we journeyed there less than a year before the conflict for a Champions League matchup between Shakhtar and Bayer Leverkusen (who play Hertha this weekend in a much anticipated matchup, but we digress).

You can see that the Donbass Arena is truly a marvelous place and your faithful blogger made good friends with Krot, the mole mascot of the club. A gripping match saw stars like Douglas Costa and Fernando and Emre Can all taking part in front of a packed crowd.

And this old mining town wasn't just some football factory.  It featured the famous Donets Basin, amazing parks and even New York Pizza.

Said Srna: "Donetsk was beautiful. It had restaurants, parks, good schools. It was a city of the future. I said when I left that, if we came back, I would kneel down and kiss the street. Now I will kiss every road. Everyone wants a happy ending. Everyone."

A happy ending would be a trip to Basel for a Europa League final. This matchup has history since they met in the UEFA Cup round of 16 nine years ago.  Shakhtar had a 4-3 lead on aggregate in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when this happened:

That's right, goalkeeper Andres Palop scored to level the tie and Sevilla went on to win in extra time and eventually captured the UEFA Cup.  Two years later, Shakhtar captured that trophy for their first piece of European hardware.  These are clubs with plenty of recent tradition, although one is fighting for something more than Europa League glory. They are fighting to give their fans over 700 miles away hope.

This has been A Very Special IMOTGP Post.

No Brooks vs. Chicharito!!

United States football fans looking forward to the US. v. Mexico duel between Chicharito Hernandez and John Anthony Brooks won't get one this weekend.  That's because the oft-injured Brooks is out Saturday due to a shin bruise. He has been injury prone ever since dealing with Jurgen Klinsmann's unusual training sessions in March and Hertha have paid the price.

It's still a huge match between third-placed Bayer Leverkusen and fourth-placed Hertha Berlin, teams that figure to be major contenders in next season's Champions League. Bayer have won six straight and are in imperious form. The key for Hertha will be slowing down Chicharito, hailed as one of the best players in the Bundesliga this season. He had offers to go elsewhere in Europe but chose the Werkself and has revitalized his career.

On the flip side, there are no rumours about any U.S. players headed to major European clubs, not even false rumours. We'd start some but then the IMOTGP blog would lose credibility so we'll stick with the Bobby Wood to Hamburger SV rumours.

IMOTGP commentary: Cheaters? Jamie Vardy, Jay-Z and the meaning of it all

Pot calling the kettle black!

Football fans saw Monday night that Leicester City moved closer to the Premier League title when Tottenham failed to beat Tony Pulis and Weak Bromwich Albion. It means that the Foxes have a seven-point lead with three matches left.

It was important news since reports are surfacing that Jamie Vardy will be suspended for the trip to Man United for the above point and scowl at referee Jon Moss. Vardy was given a second yellow card for diving in the 2-2 draw with West Ham United, and is thus a cheater.

You may be saying, 'Wait a minute, IMOTGP, that man Vardy is pointing at isn't Jon Moss.' You are correct, observant readers. In our photo, Vardy is pointing at another J, none other than famed rap impresario and businessman extraordinaire Jay- Z, aka the Jiggaman, aka Hova, aka many other names.

We know you come to the IMOTGP blog for the hottest stories and there's another cheater in the news besides Jamie Vardy. It's none other than the Jigga himself - alleged to have 'cheated' on his wife, Beyonce, aka Sasha Fierce, aka Queen B. This explosive news rocked social media when 'B' released her incendiary, stunning album Lemonade.

While most media have focused on the infidelity of the marriage between the couple,  we want to explore the idea of cheating itself and why it rankles the masses in comparing these two incidents.

First, Beyonce and Jay-Z. Maybe he enjoyed the company of another woman as alleged. But is that 'cheating?'  Are there laws against such a thing? Sure there are consequences but that's only if you get caught. Oops, sorry Jigga, we guess the jig is up. But must his good name - or names - be sullied in the process? And should we cry for Queen B? Well rest assured, she can now find herself a QB. We know she has eyes for top-level pro athletes.

Speaking of such brings us to one Jamie Vardy, a success story in his own right who shares a similar life background to Jay-Z. One was born in the Marcy section in Brooklyn and worked his way out of the projects while the other grew up as a Yorkshireman through and through in a hardscrabble steel town named Sheffield. Vardy is the latter one.

Vardy played on youth teams before landing at Fleetwood Town, in the Conference Premier - one of the lower levels of English football. He reached the top but those roots of steel stayed with him to this day - just like Jay-Z stayed true to his Brooklyn roots.

So what Vardy did against the Hammers - was it cheating? Yes, because referee Moss saw it as such. But many would have looked the other way, and many times a referee would not make that call whether he was blinded by the Foxes' success, their star man's high-wattage displays on the pitch or maybe just because he was too bored to blow his whistle on another dreary night in England.

On the ethical scale, we believe that media coverage of diving's ills are much too sensationalized. It's not like Vardy tried to hurt somebody. And cheating brings tremendous risks. In other words, and words that Jay-Z can understand, whoever said illegal was the easy way out, couldn’t understand.

So yes, call Jay-Z and Jamie Vardy cheaters if you must. But remember that a wise man once said, "'Hov, how you get so fly?’ I said ‘From not being afraid to fall out the sky.'" Which means if we say sure Jay-Z slept with another woman besides Beyonce and sure Vardy dove we also say you don't reach the highest echelon in the esteemed worlds of rap and Premier League football without pushing the boundaries a bit. And that's all that's going on here.

This has been an IMOTGP commentary.  Thank you and continue to follow us for all your football and pop culture needs.

Liverpool are ready for their trip to the United States!!

Another Merseyside Derby has ended and Liverpool ran riot with a 4-0 victory over that other team in town, which finished with 10 men. It was a master-class by Jurgen Klopp's men, which knocked out heavyweights Borussia Dortmund last week in the Europa League.

Klopp has clearly made his presence felt at Anfield, and you can see him in the United States in California on July 27 and July 30 in some huge matches against Chelsea and AC Milan.

The manager and his charges did their best to promote the tour and honor the trip to Cali by quoting some of Hollywood's classic lines. Check it out, especially Kloppo doing his best to try to decipher 'Jerry Maguire.'

DfB-Pokal Semifinal is here!

He won't be smiling after Wednesday night!

It's simple IMOTGP followers - the biggest football match up to this point is here. The stage is set at one of football's cathedrals - the Olympiastadion in Berlin. That's right  it's a German Cup semi-final between Hertha Berlin and Borussia Dortmund in a real clash of titans. 

Last season, your faithful blogger traveled to the German Cup semi-finals to see Dortmund shock Pep Guardiola's mighty Bayern Munich. The IMOTGP blog never dreamed that one year later, Hertha - led by United States superstar John Brooks - would be in position to reach a first-ever final in their home ground.

The news is already positive since BVB superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not play because he is too scared of Hertha, based on our German translation software. Dortmund was besieged by the public before their departure to Berlin, with teenage sensation Christian Pulisic drawing the most attention and signing autographs for the fans and posing for selfies.

While Pulisic and Dortmund were having fun and greeting the supporters, Hertha were hard at work at training and the IMOTGP blog can assure you that there won't be any smiles on anyone wearing yellow and black Wednesday. Dortmund are devastated after losing to English club Liverpool last week and failed to score the last time they set foot in Berlin. 

The prize for the winner? A date with mighty Bayern Munich in Berlin in the final. Hertha have to play Bayern anyway on Saturday and it is the official position of the blog that Hertha will make it zwei für zwei this week!

Weekend roundup: Pulisic, Jordan Morris score, Fuchs to MLS in 2021

Hello football fans and welcome to this roundup of key action from the weekend. And we start in the Bundesliga, where - you know him, you love him - Christian Pulisic converted in the first half against Hamburger SV in this goal heard around the world.

That goal set Dortmund on course for a resounding 3-0 victory and Pulisic shared his excitement after: "I'm absolutely delighted, it's a very good feeling to score your first competitive goal. Simply outstanding."

It should be noted that Dortmund made wholesale changes after their shock collapse to Liverpool in the Europa League. It came before a huge match before Hertha BSC in the Pokal semi-finals, a match that Pulisic astutely says he does not expect to start.

Hertha are hurting and winless in three, alhough John Anthony Brooks returned for Saturday's 2-1 loss to Hoffenheim. Now Brooks has a big week to prove himself to Europe's elite, facing Dortmund on Wednesday and Bayern Munich on Saturday. IMOTGP predicts to wins for the defender!

Across the pond, Seattle's Jordan Morris showed why he is considered the savior of MLS as he scored his first goal. The Sounders say the party is just getting started. There were other MLS matches as well that were played and some goals were scored!

In England, the title race has heated up with Leicester City's lead over Tottenham cut to five points. It's not as close as the Spanish race which has the top three teams separated by one point but since it's England, we'll say this race is the greatest story in sports.

One of the key players for the Foxes is former Schalke man Christian Fuchs, known for his hilarious YouTube videos. Fuchs recently gave an interview to the Guardian and let this interesting tidbit be known: his family lives in New York and he will move to the States to play. This means the 30-year-old should be eligible to join MLS for the 2021 season when he reaches the minimum age requirement!

And one more item: Union Berlin hotshot Bobby Wood denies he is joining the Hamburg team destroyed by Dortmund. 'Woody' is third in the Zweiteliga with 17 goals.

IMOTGP Commentary: Why you need to root against the U.S. women's team lawsuit!

It has made international news that the U.S. women's team is filing a wage-discrimination complaint against the U.S. soccer federation for equal pay.  Carli Lloyd has eloquently laid out her argument in the above essay, saying the team has won three World Cups and generated $17.7 million of revenue for the federation.

The official position of the IMOTGP blog is that the U.S. women are right in that there needs to be fairer pay for them as far as appearances, matches, etc. etc. But that doesn't mean that we want the U.S. women to win the lawsuit. That's far from the case. Why?

Folks, there's a looming threat here in the United States as far as football and it is evident to us all - Jurgen Klinsmann is sinking the men's team to horrific depths.Why does this matter for the women?

Well there's an obvious point here. Klinsmann is signed as the coach through the 2018 World Cup and is also the technical director. USSF tax returns show that Klinsmann makes nearly $2.5 million. In comparison, women's coach Jill Ellis has an annual base salary of somewhere between $185,000 and $225,000. In fact, Klinsmann's top assistant may make more than the women's coach. But again, why does this matter?

It matters because we have a pressing appointment this summer for the men in Copa Centenario while the women play in the Rio Olympics later on. The U.S. is a horrible team that has to face Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay. The expectation from most football experts is that the U.S. men will embarrass themselves on home soil. Meanwhile, the U.S. women will probably win gold in football-mad Brazil to further prove their point.

As big as club football is in the United States, the men's team has a very high profile to even non-football fans and a flop in the summer would hurt the sport here. It will be obvious that the women deserve higher payments - which should be the case. That also means that it will be very difficult for the federation to buy out Klinsmann's remaining two years - don't believe the laughable rumors that he'll somehow coach Everton, this is our problem.. Which means we are stuck with him through the 2018 World Cup, where you can expect another abject display in which opponents shoot 20-25 times at our goal per match.

It all adds up to an awful situation if these coaches' salaries come up in the discussion. It's why the IMOTGP blog is siding with the federation over the U.S. women so we can get rid of our biggest enemy - Jurgen Klinsmann!

This has been an IMOTGP commentary. The views expressed here are solely that of this blog and are not endorsed by Google.

The Bundesliga says Danke to a Football Flop: Thank You Kobe!

If he only had the talent to truly wear this ...

The Bundesliga took time out of its busy week of European competition to thank a guy who could do no more with a football than you or anyone here at IMOTGP.  That's right, U.S. basketballer Kobe Bryant has retired after an astounding 60-point haul in an amazing victory over Utah Jazz.

Bundesliga stars from across the league thanked the former Los Angeles Lakers great for amazing memories. Bryant is not a Bundesliga fan, but rather that of Barcelona so he actually tasted defeat Wednesday since his match was just a glorified American sports exhibition.

It's well known to U.S. fans that Bryant grew up in Italy and failed miserably at football. He's certainly a great athlete but could not compete in any way, shape or form at football so he did the logical thing: chose an easier sport to play in basketball and became one of the best ever to play that. Of course, he should count himself fortunate that Cristiano Ronaldo didn't choose this easy road too since the similarly ego-driven Ronaldo would no doubt have dominated the NBA had he opted for an easier sport. Ronaldo recently once again shut up critics like Adam Belgeri with a footballing masterclass.

Back to Bryant. He truly did his best to promote the game he was an absolute failure at, and should be commended for this. Here's video of his "footballing ability" for those who need a laugh. On behalf of the IMOTGP blog, we say #DankeMamba for not trying to play the game!

Tennis anyone? How About Grandma?

Why is there a picture of a 69-year-old woman with a tennis racket on the top world football humor blog in Northeastern Illinois?  Really no good reason since we do what we want here at IMOTGP.

But we thought it may interest our readers to learn about 69-year-old Gail Falkenberg, who is somehow allowed to still play minor-league tennis tournaments through a technicality. She recently played 19-year-old Chicagoan Taylor Townsend, who famously reached the third round of the 2014 French Open in her first Grand Slam tournament. The final score? Townsend won 6-0, 6-0.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Falkenberg has lost by that score 19 times since Nov. 2011. She games the system by earning 12 rankings points to become the 327th-ranked amateur player in the United States. 

IMOTGP thinks this is a heart-warming story and wonders if it would be good to have terrible amateurs play the pros in other sports.  We propose a wild-card rotating roster spot in MLS so The Phantom can get in the game and mark superstars like Giles Barnes and Andrew Wenger - both of the Dynamo. You can be rest assured that The Phantom meets the MLS minimum age requirement of 35!

That man again: Pulisic sensational in first derby experience!

Like numerous football outlets, IMOTGP profiled Christian Pulisic not too long ago. Well we are happy to report that with Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel opting to switch up his lineup ahead of a Europa League trip to Anfield, it was the teenage superstar's time to start in Sunday's Revierderby - one of the biggest games in world football.

That's right - one of the biggest games in football and a United States teenager was a starter in it. It's been described as as a ferocious battle known for its 'History of Violence'. For those who don't know, the opponent Schalke FC is considered Hertha's biggest rival. And it's one of the biggest rivalry games in world football.

But we digress since our man Pulisic was simply sensational! He had the visiting supporters jumping for joy as he dominated proceedings with his pace, skill and acumen.

A 2-2 thriller saw Pulisic come off for Ilkay Gundogan in the second half, as BVB pushed for a match winner. Afterward, the talk of the match was not about how Dortmund's Bundesliga title hopes are over or about the goals but was about Pulisic.

Said coach Thomas Tuchel: "In regard to Christian Pulisic and his pace and courage, we found a lot of gaps when on the attack and we were able to play out a few decent chances." That wasn't all Tuchel had to say as he mentioned Pulisic as one of the positives of the match and added more.

Said Tuchel: "He’s a teenager in his first year of professional football. His first two games in the starting eleven were in Leverkusen and here today in Schalke – not the easiest of tasks. It shows our huge appreciation that we see him as a full time player on our team. He was a valuable substitute against Werder Bremen and Liverpool. He has looked really good recently which has been proved today. It is completely normal that he could not have played with this pace and this intensity for over 90 minutes."

Pulisic himself took the time to do an interview with Bundesliga.com and IMOTGP has some of his exclusive comments!

(On starting the derby) "It's always a great time, especially to play in a derby like this, this is my first time. The emotions are all there, it's a really fun game to play in, to be a part of."

(On the nerves of playing in the Revierderby): "Of course, you always have a little bit of nerves, it's a big game, yeah, I'm a young player but I'm confident in myself and just to go out and do what I can do to help the team win. They trust me and I trust all of them."

(On his chance at goal in the 23rd minute): "My eyes kind of lit up, I saw the goal there and at first I was looking for the pass but I knew I had to shoot looked like the goalie got a little bit of touch on it and saved it but yeah, it happens. Hopefully the first goal will come soon."

(On facing Liverpool next): "We're really excited for the challenge against Liverpool, we know it's going to be a great game so we're all really excited about it."

IMOTGP FAKE QUOTE ALERT BELOW

(On Jurgen Klinsmann) "Jurgen is a great coach, way better than Tuchel since he coached Bayern Munich! And who can argue with a fourth-place Gold Cup finish and seven points from four matches in a tough World Cup qualifying group with Guatemala? We feel we are on the cusp of big things in Russia but only if we listen to everything Jurgen says since he has a grand plan to pair me in central defence with Gyasi Zardes."

  

Bobby Wood: A shining star in Germany for the U.S!

We have long known you football fans come here for all the Berlin-based news coming out of Germany, usually to learn about Hertha BSC's chase for the Champions League - one of the top stories in European football.

Well we have some thrilling news for you since none other than Union Berlin star Bobby Wood has scored a brace in a 4-0 thrashing of Paderborn on Friday to set the mark as the United States' all-time single-season top scorer in a German league with 16 goals. He tops Conor Casey's haul of 14 with Karlsruher - better known for their Fanfreundschaft with Berlin's top football club Hertha - in 2003-04. Of course needless to say, no one has come close to scoring that many in the top flight who is from the U.S.

The Bundesliga site noted that US coach-for-life Jurgen Klinsmann congratulated Woody on Twitter. The work of Wood has linked him with several top-flight teams. Union Berlin won't get to the top flight since they are 16 points off the pace for promotion.

In other Berlin news ICYMI, Hertha got an undeserved point against last-place Hannover 96 in a dismal display. Let's not talk about that one. Please don't comment on that match or bring it up on this blog.

Don't come to Germany and not expect a battle!

Fans of the IMOTGP blog know that we consider the Bundesliga the best league on the planet because it is very tough to win an away match in Germany.  This was proven on Sunday when Gladbach beat Champions League candidate Hertha Berlin 5-0.

On Wednesday, Real Madrid came to Lower Saxony fresh off an inspirational 2-1 victory at arch-rival Barcelona. That caused Sergio Ramos to Tweet out a picture of the Real Madrid team, with Cristiano Ronaldo using the occasion to show off his eight-pack abs in a weak attempt to intimidate the Merengues' next opponent, VfL Wolfsburg.

Folks, unlike Ronaldo's abs, Wolfsburg aren't much to look at in the Bundesliga since they sold Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester City. The Wolves are in eighth place in the league and have no hopes of returning to the Champions League, trailing Hertha by 10 points. Obviously Hertha are better than Wolfsburg.

But in the Champions League, last season's German Cup winners have knocked off CSKA Moscow, Manchester United, PSV and Gent at home. And remember what we said at the top - do not come to Germany and not expect a battle. And that's exactly what happened Wednesday when Wolfsburg stunned the football world with a 2-0 victory over mighty Real that in truth should have been worse.

Look it doesn't matter if Ronaldo has a six-pack, an eight-pack or 10-pack. The only six-pack or eight-pack Germans care about comprises of what you see below.

And do you really think German teams are intimidated by abs? Ronaldo should know better from two summers ago about facing top-notch German competition. IMOTGP's Adam Belgeri is not the only one annoyed by Ronaldo. Watch the video below to see what German football thinks of you, CR7!

What is more disappointing in the aftermath are the typical Real Madrid excuses. Said Zinedine Zidane: "Wolfsburg took the lead by doing very little but football is like that. It wasn't about a lack of confidence."

More from Zidane:  "We knew how tough it was going to be and we were prepared for this. But we've had problems with our fitness tonight, due to a hard match against Barcelona."

There were also the typical #nopenal complaints from the pro-Real media.  But even Barcelona got in the fun, and though they should shut up and go about about their business, defender Gerard Pique took this shot at the Madridistas.  And oh yeah, Barca didn't win in Germany this season either. 

Will Brooks come to the rescue this weekend?

Fresh off a 5-0 shellacking at the hands of Fabian Johnson and Monchengladbach, it's time for Hertha BSC to regroup and time is short with a matchup Friday night at home against Hannover 96, the league's worst team with a minus-30 goal difference and 13 losses in their last 14 games.

Easy right? Well nothing ever is for Hertha after losing its last three at home to the 96ers. Hertha has 31 points more than Hannover, but these teams take the fewest shots in the Bundesliga, with 287 for Hannover and 262 for Berlin. And it looks like United States superstar John Brooks is set to miss another game. We'll translate for the non-German speaking readers of the blog that Brooks needs to be cleared for training Thursday to be in contention for the match.

The five-goal haul by 'Gladbach only underscored the importance of one of the football world's rising top central defenders. Said coach Pal Dardai: "Wir haben in Gladbach nicht 0-5 verloren, weil er nicht dabei war." (We've lost 0-5 in Gladbach because he wasn't there).

That's high praise indeed for a top American star, whose next match could be April 16 against relegation battlers Hoffenheim.  In any case, Hertha badly need a maximum of six points from these two fixtures to hold off the hard-charging Gladbach and Leverkusen and claim their rightful place in the Champions League along with other worthy clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Leicester City.

Champions League is back!

Is this jersey a good look for Zlatan?

It's time for the Champions League to resume and many believe that Barcelona are simply unbeatable. Well that wasn't the case this weekend as Real Madrid came from a goal down and stunned the Catalans, celebrating the victory at their arch-rivals homes with this intriguing photo that drew headlines for what we can only assume is the "team camaraderie" shown by the Merengues.

Clearly the race for the Champions League is no longer settled. Back in December, here at the IMOTGP blog we predicted the round of 16 matchups, correctly picking six of eight ties and narrowly getting the upset special of Juventus over Bayern Munich wrong. With that in mind, let's examine the remaining eight teams.

Barcelona v. Atletico Madrid

Not too long ago, the fact that Luis Enrique has won all four matchups with the Atleti since joining Barca would have made this seem like a simple draw for the defending champions. After last weekend, it's not that clear. Diego Godin is returning for Diego Simeone's men and they have renewed confidence. Fernando Torres will get the start Tuesday and we like this tie to go to the wire.

Barca 3, Atletico 2

Bayern v. Benfica

This one seems straightforward and should be. But there's something to keep in mind in that Bayern want to finish this off Tuesday at home since they still have work left in the Bundesliga and a German Cup tie with Werder Bremen.  A big enough victory in the first leg would allow them to let flops like Julian Green take the pitch next week in Portugal. There's also the matter of Robert Lewandowski and Arturo Vidal being one yellow card away from a suspension.

Bayern 6, Benfica 1

Paris SG v. Manchester City

First off, doesn't Zlatan look nice in that jersey above? The guy wants to play Champions League football next year and what better place than one of Europe's top capital cities?  First off, PSG have some bulletin-board material.  Second, City are without Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Joe Hart and definitely have no chance. At least the EPL club have a good sense of humour about this.

PSG 5, City 2

Wolfsburg v. Real Madrid

While Madrid just took down the best team in the world, the Wolves are in eighth place in the Bundesliga and, in their last three matches, failed to beat Hoffenheim and Darmstadt before Friday's 3-0 beating at the hands of Leverkusen. Don't waste your time watching this and watch Thursday's Dortmund-Liverpool match instead.

Real Madrid 7, Wolfsburg 1