Thursday 13 March 2014

F1 season preview

In part one of our big season preview, Will Gray looked at how changes in engines and aerodynamics will impact on performance this year. Here we look in more depth at the field of drivers...
DRIVER CHANGES
The driver merry-go-round has been spinning hard for this season with all but two teams fielding either semi or fully new line-ups for 2014. The lead drivers have mostly stayed put but there are a few new second drivers arriving that could make things pretty interesting.
At Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen returns to replace the outgoing Felipe Massa in a move that will give lead man Fernando Alonso something to sweat about, while at Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo is determined to rattle a few cages alongside champion Sebastian Vettel if he can, having replaced the retired Mark Webber (who incidentally joins BBC’s broadcast team).
Lotus will feel the loss of Raikkonen as they bring in Pastor Maldonado to partner Romain Grosjean having missed out on signing Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, who joins Force India instead alongside McLaren reject Sergio Perez, with Adrian Sutil moving on to Sauber. Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi both stay put at Marussia.
Williams have an exciting line-up teaming talented Finn Valterri Bottas with experienced Ferrari manFelipe Massa, who is now champing at the bit after being let off the Ferrari reins and has been heavily praised for his pre-season feedback by team tech chief Pat Symonds.
The three new rookies are also all worth watching. There’s the young but mature Dane Kevin Magnussen alongside Jenson Button at McLaren; talented Swede Marcus Ericsson alongside returning Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi at Caterham; and fast Russian Daniil Kvyat alongside Jean Eric Vergne at Toro Rosso.
But it could be stability that wins the day as Mercedes, the form team in testing, field an unchanged line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in what, if managed well, has the potential to become a dream partnership this season.
(Click photo to expand)
CALENDAR CHANGES
It seems F1 is always going to new places these days, and this time it will be the turn of Russia to welcome the circus with open arms at the inaugural Sochi street race.
Taking place on October 12, it will run around the venues of the Winter Olympic Park and is the culmination of a long-running effort to get the sport onto Soviet soil.
Austria, meanwhile, will make a welcome return as the sport heads back to the old A1-Ring, now owned by Red Bull, for the first time since 2003, albeit on a heavily revised circuit.
Bahrain will switch to a night race while India and Korea both get the chop and Mexico and the Grand Prix of America in New Jersey both missed the final 19-race cut having been on what was an initial 21-race list.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
The changes make predicting F1 in 2014 a virtual impossibility, but based on pre-season testing the things to look out for early on in the season will be...
Mercedes reliability: Mercedes look to be the pace setters if they can finish. They have run plenty of laps, but on some occasions when they have pushed the limits they have hit trouble. They appear to be not only fast but also consistent on longer runs - but will they stay the distance?
Williams pace: Williams are dark horses this season. An experienced engineering team, a neat if simple car and a switch to Mercedes engines has put them on top of the pile in winter testing. But were they flattering to deceive again to give ambition and drive to the launch of their new partnership with Martini or are they really going to be running at the front?
Red Bull comeback: Write Red Bull off at your peril. The reigning champions may be on the back foot right now, but they know their problems and it’s hard to see them languishing lower down the order for too long. It’s a cooling issue, and once that is solved the car looks to be on the money.
Fireworks at Ferrari: Ferrari could have a challenge on their hands. The car looks neat and the engine has shown well, but in the little we’ve seen it doesn’t seem to be quite on a level with Mercedes yet. That will put extra pressure on the men in the driving seat – and with Alonso and Raikkonen together that could create fireworks. If will be to F1’s benefit if they can light off each other positively and reach another level, but if they don’t it will be intriguing to see who wins the battle.
Early mid-grid surprises: This is the time for the small teams to shine. With reliability expected to be an issue early on, and some top teams in trouble, the likes of Force India, Sauber and even Marussia could spring a surprise by running further up the order than normal. But they better make hay – because as always, the cream (and the better financed) will always rise to the top.
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Paper Round: Brazil striker set for Chelsea or Spurs

Brazil striker Hulk is to choose between Chelsea or Tottenham in the summer; Mesut Ozil's shocking display against Bayern Munich has been explained; and Gianfranco Zola may be about to return to management - here are the main stories making headlines in today's newspapers.

Hulk free to join Chelsea or Spurs: Zenit St Petersburg have agreed to let Brazilian striker Hulk leave the Russian club in the summer, leaving him free to join either Chelsea or Tottenham. The Daily Express reports that Hulk was not happy to see Italian coachLuciano Spalletti sacked by Zenit earlier this week after having already asked the club not to stand in his way if he gets an offer to leave this summer. The paper claims that a bid in the region of £40m would be enough to secure the player's services.
Paper Round's view: £40m would seem like a lot of money for a player who has been plying his trade in Russia for the past year and a half. That said, he's not been doing too badly over there, scoring at a rate of just about a goal every other game. And consider agent Shandor Varga's great quote on the subject: "English clubs still have the highest chance of acquiring him. For the UK's leading teams €50m (£40m) is not much money." And consider that Hulk was reportedly photographed in London the other day. Chelsea and Tottenham are both in London. It's all adding up, despite the monstrous amount of money being talked about.
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Ozil played injured for almost entire half: Mesut Ozil played through the pain of a serious hamstring strain for 43 minutes of Arsenal's draw with Bayern Munich on Tuesday, claims the Daily Telegraph. The Germany midfielder, who was withdrawn at half-time with the knock, was later lambasted for his performance but his lacklustre display may have been down to the fact he suffered the injury in just the second minute of the match. The paper reports that Ozil had never previously endured a similar muscular injury and actually believed that it was getting better, and that he was adamant he would have never given up and was actually playing through considerable discomfort.
Paper Round's view: Ozil's performance was truly dire and while it was common knowledge that he was injured after having been hauled off at the break, it was not clear just how much of the match he had played with the problem. It this report is to be believed and he did play pretty much the entire half in quite some pain, perhaps he can be forgiven for such an awful showing? In fact, should he not be lauded for his determination and desire to play on rather than pilloried and made a scapegoat? Interestingly, of the three papers which really stuck the boot in yesterday, the Daily Telegraph was one. The other two - the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror - have no word on this latest development.
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Ozil still wanted at Arsenal: Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports that Arsene Wenger has held heart-to-heart talks with Ozil and reassured him that he is central to Arsenal's plans. The Gunners boss has spoken with the Germany international, told him his door is always open and been encouraging about how important he is to his long-term vision for the club, according to the report. Wenger has also told Ozil the demands of the Premier League will be easier for him to handle next season.
Paper Round's view: This is hardly surprising: Wenger's not going to give up on the player he spent £42 million on that easily. And maybe, in the light of some of the vitriolic things that have been written about Ozil of late, all he needs is his manager to put an arm around his shoulders and reassure him everything will be okay. Wenger himself has been subjected to pressure during recent times, so he of all people should know the value of seeing through rough times.
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Chicarito going nowhere: Javier Hernandez's agent has denied claims the Mexico international is planning to leave Manchester United for Inter Milan this summer and insisted there are no exit talks plans with David Moyes. The Daily Star reports that, despite rife speculation that the striker would swap Old Trafford for the San Siro in a deal that would also include 19-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic going the other way, Hernandez is staying put.
Paper Round's view: He might have started just four Premier League games under Moyes this season, but doesn't tell the whole story of Chicarito's importance to United. He's never been first choice at Old Trafford and most likely never will be, but his impact from the bench and as a squad player is crucial to the club. He accepted that role right since he arrived from Guadalajara in 2010; whether his stance has recently changed and he thinks it is time to further his career elsewhere remains to be seen, but his agent's comments - for what they're worth - are certainly encouraging for United fans wanting to see him stay.
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Zola may return to management at QPR: Gianfranco Zola is being considered as an option should Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp quits at the end of the season, the Daily Telegraph reports. There are big question marks over whether Redknapp will stay on at Loftus Road should the club miss out on promotion while, regardless of results, a knee problem could force the 67-year-old to review whether he wants to continue in management. Zola, who resigned as manager ofWatford in December having lost out in last season’s play-off final, is known to be liked by QPR chairman Tony Fernandes, who has already stated he wants to work with the Italian.
Paper Round's view: Zola's one of the game's true nice guys and it would be great to see him back in management. Whether QPR is the place for him though is questionable. The way the club has been run is shocking and losses of £65.4 million last season could mean a big fine or a transfer embargo. That would lead to major cuts in the current squad of 30 first-team players - hardly an enviable situation to walk into for Zola. He should give that some serious thought if approached by Fernandes.

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WTA Tour needs more female coaches, says legend

Top female tennis players may be doing themselves a disservice by hiring male coaches instead of women, according to former great Billie Jean King.

The American said she was baffled why players on the WTA Tour are never tempted to break the mould and tap into the vast knowledge of the likes of Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert or even herself for that matter.
"I've coached (former player) Tim Mayotte and a couple of others, but nobody ever asks us," the 70-year-old told the BBC in an interview at Indian Wells.
"It's a big mistake because we are a great resource, and they should ask. Nobody ever comes to me and says 'Will you help me with my game?' any more.
"The last one to ask me to help was Martina Navratilova when she was playing her last few years of singles." Navratilova retired in 2006.
While age may be against King and the 57-year-old Navratilova becoming coaches, it appears odd that the more-recently retired players have not moved into coaching.
Of the current women's top 20, none have female coaches although Germany's Wimbledon runner-upSabine Lisicki has an informal relationship with former world No.1 Martina Hingis.
Marion Bartoli, who beat Lisicki in the final but has since retired, also worked with compatriot Amelie Mauresmo for a while having been coached throughout her career by father Walter.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki split with Thomas Hogstedt in January sending the WTA rumour mill into overdrive as to who the fading Dane will turn to next, just as it did when Maria Sharapova ditched former men's world No.1 Jimmy Connors after just one match last year.
Wozniacki is working with fellow Dane Michael Mortensen who helped China's Li Na win the French Open in 2011, but whether that becomes a long-term arrangement will depend on whether the 23-year-old can rediscover her old form.
The coaching merry-go-round will continue throughout the months ahead and the one certainty is that the vast majority of women will continue working with male coaches.
Among the men, it is no surprise to see the likes of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer working with Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg respectively - men who were all dominant in a previous era.
King says there needs to be a cultural shift in attitudes for the situation to change on the women's side.
"We've been taught that we're not as good at things. That's the way world culture works," said the 12-times grand slam singles champion who has been a driving force behind equal prize money for women.
"I don't think it ever crosses their mind. And a lot of people don't like to be controversial - everything's branding today. I didn't worry about that so much."
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Zabaleta sees red as Messi and Alves end battling City's hopes

Champions League last 16 second leg, Camp Nou - Barcelona 2 (Messi 67, Dani Alves 90+1) Manchester City 1 (Kompany 89); Barcelona win 4-1 on aggregate.

Lionel Messi helped to finalise Manchester City's departure from the Champions League with the opening goal in a 2-1 win at the Camp Nou that carried Gerardo Martino's Barcelona into the last eight 4-1 on aggregate.
The Argentina forward showed his trademark alertness when he picked the pocket of Joleon Lescott to lift the ball over Joe Hart on 67 minutes and into the net from a hopeful Cesc Fabregas pass. Messi has now scored more Champions League goals for a single club than any other player with a haul of 67.
The visiting side ended the night with 10 men after Pablo Zabeleta was sent off for complaining about an awful decision by the French referee Stephane Lannoy with 10 minutes remaining.
Substitute Edin Dzeko - on for the injured Sergio Ageuro at half-time - was clearly fouled by Gerard Pique in the home area, but the match official decided otherwise to the disbelief of the City players and the visiting bench.
Lannoy reacted by showing the protesting Zabaleta a second yellow card, but there was still time for two more goals. Vincent Kompany bundled the ball home in the final minute, but Dani Alves handedBarcelona the win on the night when he scored from Andres Iniesta's pass a minute into stoppage time.
City had several chances to make life uncomfortable for the home side, but could not find a finish that much of their energy had hinted at for large swathes of the night. In the end, the 2-0 loss at home three weeks ago was too much of a hurdle to overcome.
KEY MOMENTS
8' - MESSI DENIED PENALTY: Messi takes a tumble in the City box. Appeals for a penalty, but referee doesn't want to know about it. Caught late by Lescott. Should have been a penalty.
11' - KOMPANY CLEARANCE: Messi races into the City box. Ball breaks off Hart, who can't collect. Fortunately for City, it breaks kindly for Kompany to make the clearance. Hart almost embarrassed there. Should have collected that loose ball.
17' - NEYMAR GOAL WRONGLY RULED OUT: Neymar tucks the ball into the gaping net, but an offside flag goes up. Not sure if he was offside or his team-mates. Looks to be another fortuitous call in City's favour.
35' - HART SAVE: Neymar manages to give Kolarov the slip. Lescott can't get back, but Hart dives to nudge the ball wide of his goal. Decent stop.
36' - MORE HART HEROICS: Another save by Hart to deny Xavi from eight yards out. City amost paying the price for going to sleep at the wrong moment.
39' - BRILLIANT CITY ATTACK: Stunning move by City. Toure into Silva, whose backheel fell perfectly for Nasri, but he could only drive the ball into the arms of Valdes. Real chance for City to snare the opening goal.
43' - FERNANDINO HEADS OFF HIS LINE: Hart left stranded in his box. Forced to confront Neymar from the Messi pass. Neymar goes beyond the England goalkeeper, but his shot is headed off the line by Fernandinho. Brilliant defending in the end by City.
52' - VALDES DENIES DZEKO: Valdes with a brilliant one-handed stop to claw the ball over the bar from Dzeko's header. Delightful cross from Kolarov. City so close to the opening goal.
55' - ZABALETA EFFORT: Another chance for City after a surging run by Kolarov, but Zabaleta this time hooks a volley wide from 12 yards or so. Just couldn't direct the ball on goal. Chances here for the visitors.
67' - MESSI OPENER: Ball breaks into the path of Messi from the Lescott error, and he lifts the ball over Hart. Awful error by Lescott. A 1-0 lead for Barca.
79' - RED CARD FOR ZABALETA: Dzeko clearly taken out of the action late by Pique, but no penalty. A shocking decision by the referee. Was a penalty. Dreadful decision. Zabaleta walks for protesting.
89' - KOMPANY EQUALISER: Kompany bundles the ball into the net from the Dzeko header. Milner with the header. Barca appealed for offside, but think the City skipper was onside. 1-1 on the night.
90+1' - ALVES WINNER: Alves scores for Barcelona. Iniesta plays provider. A second goal in six matches in the Champions League for Alves. City's 10 men badly exposed. Barca 2-1 clear on the night. 4-1 on aggregate.
KEY STATS
City have been shown two red cards in consecutive Champions League games after not collecting any in their first 18 games in the competition.
Lionel Messi has now scored 67 goals in the Champions League, more goals in the competition for a single club than any other player.
Lionel Messi has matched his Champions League goal total from last season, but in five appearances compared to 11 in 2012-13.
Sergio Aguero made just six touches in the first half against Barcelona.
Opta
TALKING POINT: Where now for Manchester City? Well, they head for Hull City on Saturday lunchtime. Gone are the hopes of a quadruple. Now City can only chase a Premier League and League Cup double. If they fail to wipe out the nine-point gap between themselves and Chelsea, this season will go down as a failure given the squad at Manuel Pellegrini's disposal.
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MAN OF THE MATCH
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City): The difference in class between Kompany and Lescott is all too obvious. A magnificent performance from Kompany, who is one of, if not the best defender in world football with his pace and ability to read the game.
PLAYER RATINGS
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés 7, Piqué 6, Mascherano 6, Jordi Alba 6, Daniel Alves 7, Fàbregas 7, Xavi Hernández 7, Iniesta 7, Busquets 6, Messi 8, Neymar 6. Subs: Sergi Roberto 6, Alexis Sánchez 6.
Manchester City: Hart 7, Kompany 8, Zabaleta 7, Lescott 5, Kolarov 6, Milner 6, Nasri 6, Silva 6, Fernandinho 6, Touré 7, Agüero 5. Subs: Jesús Navas 6, Negredo 6, Džeko 6.
THE MATCH IN A TWEET
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PSG complete comfortable aggregate win over Leverkusen

Champions League, Parc des Princes – Paris Saint-Germain 2 (Marquinhos 13, Lavezzi 53) Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Sam 6); PSG win 6-1 on aggregate.

Paris Saint-Germain progressed to the Champions League quarter finals with a 2-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen gave themselves hope with a goal on six minutes, when Sidney Sam headed in a Giulio Donati cross from the right wing. But that promptly disappeared when Marquinhos thundered in a header from a corner seven minutes later.
There was another chance for the German side when Christophe Jallet conceded a penalty, pulling back Eren Derdiyok in the box.Simon Rolfes struck his penalty firmly, but it was an easy save forSalvatore Sirigu to beat away.
Either side of the penalty, PSG had chances as Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit the bar, and Edinson Cavani shot against Bernd Leno from point blank range.
PSG went ahead on 53 minutes when Lucas Digne pulled the ball back for Lavezzi to take one touch to finish at the near post.
Bayer responded by going close with shots from Giulio Donati and Derdiyok, both bringing saves from Sirigu, but the match essentially ended when Emre Can performed an obvious dive and received a second yellow card, allowing PSG an easy finish.
KEY EVENTS
6’ – SAM GOAL -  A Donati cross from the right wing is powered into the corner of the back post as Sam is left unmarked.
13’ – MARQUINHOS EQUALISER – The corner is swung in from the right and Marquinhosthunders in his header that Leno can only get a hand to but not stop crossing the line.
19’ – IBRAHIMOVIC HITS THE BAR – In space in the box, Ibrahimovic does brilliantly to chip the ‘keeper but it bounces off the woodwork.
27’ – ROLFES PENALTY – After Jallet pulls back Derdiyok, Rolfes has his penalty pushed away as Sirigu dives left.
38’ – CAVANI CHANCE – Spinning his marker after receiving a pass from Ibrahimovic, the striker shoots straight against Leno’s legs.
53’ – LAVEZZI GOAL – Digne finds Lavezzi’s run into the box with his low pass from the left wing, and the striker fires into the near side of the goal.
55’ – SIRIGU SAVE – Donati has space on the right of the box, but his fierce shot is palmed away.
68’ – CAN IS OFF – His second yellow, this for diving, Can leaves the pitch for a woeful attempt at deception.
84’ – PASTORE CHANCE – From close range, Javier Pastore smashes his shot against the ‘keeper’s chest.
KEY STATS
Paris SG are unbeaten in their last 28 home games in European competition.
Paris SG are unbeaten in their last six Champions League knockout games (W3 D3).
Paris SG are also unbeaten in their last six games against German clubs (4 wins, 2 draws), in all competitions.
Bayer Leverkusen have never progressed further than the last 16 of the Champions League since they were finalists in 2002.
Bayer Leverkusen have lost their last seven games in the Champions League knockout stages (6 goals for, 24 against).
Paris SG have scored in each of their last 16 Champions League games. The last time they failed to find the net was in Porto on 3 October 2012.
Leverkusen have never scored more than three goals away from home in the competition (in 36 outings).
TALKING POINT
How far can PSG go? They played well in the first leg, demolishing Bayer, but found it hard to get going in the second leg. The only way they can be assured of doing themselves justice is finding a way to rid themselves of any complacency. That job is the manager's, who has not yet proved his credentials at the highest level.

3D Highlights: Paris Saint-Germain v Bayer Leverkusen

PSG progressed to the Champions League quarter finals with a 2-1 victory against Baye…

MAN OF THE MATCH
Marquinhos (PSG): On a night when his fellow defenders struggled to provide a solid base for the home side, Marquinhos defended resolutely and also equalised for his side.
PLAYER RATINGS
PSG: Sirigu 7, Jallet 6, Marquinhos 7, Thiago Silva 6, Digne 6, Pastore 5, Cabaye 5, Rabiot 5, Cavani 6, Ibrahimovic 6, Lavezzi 6. Subs: Camara 6, Menez 6, Lucas 6.
Leverkusen: Leno 6, Donati 6, Wollscheid 6, Toprak 6, Guardado 5, Rolfes 5, Reinartz 6, Can 5, Sam 6, Derdiyok 6, Castro 5. Subs: Heung-min 6, Brandt 5, Wagener 6.
THE MATCH IN A TWEET
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Murray joined by Wawrinka on Indian Wells scrap heap

Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka suffered his first loss of the year and joined Andy Murray in making an early exit from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, but Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals.

After winning his first 13 matches in 2014, Wawrinka's streak came to a shuddering halt when he was beaten 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1 by South AfricanKevin Anderson.
"It wasn't really on my mind that he had won Australia," said Anderson, whose next opponent is Federer.
"It feels great to beat somebody who obviously has just won a Grand Slam."
His surprise loss came just hours after Murray was knocked out by Canada's Milos Raonic, one of the biggest servers in men's tennis.
Despite winning the first set, Wimbledon champion Murray was unable to contain the raw power of Raonic, who triumphed 4-6 7-5 6-3 in a little over two hours.
Raonic had won two of his previous three matches against Briton Murray and he improved on his head-to-head record with another impressive display built around his booming serve.
He blasted 15 aces past his bewildered opponent, who is one of the best returners in the game, and won a staggering 83 per cent of points when he landed his first serve.
Murray did break Raonic's serve in the opening set and again in the deciding third to lead 2-1 but lost the next four games in a row against the 6ft 5in tall Canadian.
"To get broken two consecutive times in that situation isn't good enough. I played poor tennis at that stage. I didn't make enough balls and I missed some really easy shots," Murray said.
"It's tough to win matches like that, because against him, he obviously wins a lot of free points with his serve. So over the course of the set, if you give up enough unforced errors on basic shots, then with the amount of free points he gets on his serve, that's going to add up to a negative result."
Although he has not yet made it past the fourth round of any Grand Slam, the 23-year-old Raonic has been steadily climbing the rankings since he announced his arrival by winning the 2011 San Jose Open and being named as the ATP's newcomer of the year.
He won two more titles in 2012 and again in 2013 and made his first Masters finals in Montreal last year.
His next opponent in the quarter-finals will be Ukrainian giant killer Alexandr Dolgopolov who followed up his upset victory over Rafa Nadal on Monday with a comprehensive 6-2 6-4 drubbing of Italy's Fabio Fognini.
"I think the most important thing is obviously my serve and the beauty of that is nobody can affect me," Raonic said.
"The ball is in my hand, and I serve it up and I toss it up when I want to. It's going to be about controlling the centre of the court, sort of stepping up, and when I do get ahead in the points, staying ahead."
In a tournament full of surprises, Federer struck a blow for the old world order with a 6-4 6-4 win over German Tommy Haas.
The only player left in the men's draw with a higher ranking than world number eight Federer is Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who was due to play Marin Cilic in Wednesday's feature night match.
John Isner kept American hopes alive with a 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3 win over Spain's Fernando Verdascowhile Latvia's Ernests Gulbis defeated Spain's Roberto Bautista 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2.
A third Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, was sent packing by Frenchman Julien Benneteau, losing 6-3 7-6(4).
BNP Paribas Open results
Fourth round
Julien Benneteau (France) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3 7-6(4)
7-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 11-Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-4 6-4
12-John Isner (U.S.) beat 30-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3
17-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 3-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1
20-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Roberto Bautista (Spain) 7-6(0) 4-6 6-2
10-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 5-Andy Murray (Britain) 4-6 7-5 6-3
28-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) beat 13-Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2 6-4
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Wednesday 12 March 2014

Mascherano warns of Aguero danger

Javier Mascherano has warned that Manchester City top scorer Sergio Aguero has the ability to “destroy” Barcelona and believes his fellow countryman is one of the world’s top five forwards.
• Curtis: The river runs dry
• Palmer: Aguero gives City hope
Barcelona face City at the Nou Camp on Wednesday with a 2-0 lead after February’s first leg, which Aguero missed because of a hamstring injury. But the 26-goal striker is fit again and his Argentina teammate Mascherano, who could find himself charged with stopping his compatriot, is wary of the danger he possesses.
"Sergio is someone I know well and for me is one of the five best strikers in the world," Mascherano told a news conference on Tuesday. "Given space he is the type of player who can destroy you so we have to ensure he doesn't get that space and doesn't feel comfortable."
While Aguero has not scored in two appearances since recovering from injury, City have struck 122 times this season. And, as they need to score at least two more in the Nou Camp, Mascherano is predicting they will be particularly positive.
He added: "I think we are going to see Man City go all out to attack. That is the way they normally play and with the result they'll need to do that more than ever.”
Barcelona have lost three of their last six matches but Mascherano laughed off talk of decline.
He said: “It is March now, there are still about two months of the season left and we have a great chance of achieving great things. Wait until we are dead to kill us, but we are not dead yet.”
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Why Oxlade-Chamberlain was Arsenal’s silver lining

Squawka pick out one positive on a night when Arsenal's Champions League hopes went up in smoke for another season...
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Arsenal have been knocked out of the Champions League by a Pep Guardiola side for the third time after Bayern Munich negotiated their way to a 3-1 aggregate win.
They could have scored another had it not been for Lukasz Fabianski's fantastic late save from Thomas Mueller's late penalty.
Arsenal were penned back throughout much of the game and struggled to build momentum moving forwards which allowed Bayern to assert their intimidating dominance on the ball. The Germans completed almost 600 passes while the Gunners just edged past 200. It was another tough night for Arsenal with only a handful of positives to cling on to as they crashed out of Europe in the last-16.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of them, though. The England international has been in fine form recently and managed to carry it into this huge game, showing no fear on the ball and giving Arsenal a boost every time he picked up possession.
The young Englishman has missed the majority of the season with a knee injury but looks fresh now after returning to action in January. He offered the Gunners an outlet last night as one player who was prepared to pick the ball up and run straight at Bayern Munich.
He went on plenty of runs and completed a staggering 10 take-ons. A fantastic number that gets even better when you take into account that he only attempted 10. To complete that many in a single match is rare but to enjoy a 100% success rate is even rarer.
Oxlade-Chamberlain started out wide with Santi Cazorla playing next to Mikel Arteta in midfield. However, it was soon evident that the small Spaniard could not handle the constant movement and passing around him so Arsene Wenger swapped him with Oxlade-Chamberlain. He settled into his new position with ease and was quite easily the Gunners' best player in the Allianz Arena.
Arsenal did not see much of the ball but, as you can see from his heat map, Oxlade-Chamberlain got forward a lot and even went on a long, mazy run, beating four Bayern players before being fouled just outside the penalty area.
Due to Bayern's dominance he only completed 20 passes from an attempted 27. His tackling was not his strong point, either, as he failed to win both tackles he contested.
He did have one shot, too, which Manuel Neuer saved well.
It was a familiar feeling for Arsenal, being knocked out at the same stage of Europe's premier club competition, but Bayern dominated over both legs and, on balance, fully deserved to advance to the quarter-finals.
The positive light for the Gunners, though, was the performance of Oxlade-Chamberlain in the centre of the park. He was superb and looked a lot older than he is, showing fearlessness and composure on the ball to bring it out of play and attempt to build attacks.
It was hard for him to build momentum but he kept trying and looked like the only player who could take the pressure off the side inside their own half and take the ball forward.


Wenger simply must start Oxlade-Chamberlain in central midfield more often - he genuinely looked at home in the heart of the action alongside seasoned professionals such as Bastian Schweinsteiger.
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