football Archives

Surprises as the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2020/2021 Season Opens

On Tuesday 29th October, and Wednesday 21st October, the first leg of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League season playoff. We witnessed the return of Europe’s most thrilling football competition and the art of top soccer athletes.

The group stages of the tournament began with surprises and might just end with some more. In this article, we go over some of the unexpected match results from the UEFA champions league 2020/21 opener and matches to watch out for in the group stage:

Paris Saint Germain vs. Manchester United

Perhaps the only surprise from this encounter was the fact that PSG could still lose to Manchester United after their performance last season. The men from Paris made it to the finals last season but fell behind to Bayern Munich in a 1-0 contest.

Two seasons ago, Manchester United beat PSG 1-3 at the Parc des Princes stadium; everyone thought the Parisians would make a statement in this match with a win. But they fell behind 2 goals to 1 to the Reds.

Chelsea vs. Sevilla

Ok, not much surprise, but here is a match where a 300 million Euro Chelsea squad faces a firepower Sevilla and it ended 0-0. Fans were left a bit disappointed and so are we.

Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Real lost 0-1 to newly-promoted Cadiz last week in La Liga Santander; so it came more like a shock when Shakhtar put them 2-3 to the sword again at home.

Fans all over social media brought Real Madrid’s manager Zinedine Zidane under fire. But we feel the manager can only do much. With these results, Real Madrid needs a total squad rethink.

Pretty much every other game produced expected or near results, especially Bayern Munich who pounded Athletico Madrid 4-0 as a warning of their intent to retain the European Champions crown.

Now, let’s see the top group matches that you can’t afford to miss:

Barcelona vs Juventus: The long-awaited Messi vs. Ronaldo meeting after 3 years since Christiano Ronaldo left La Liga would finally happen. Twice!
Athletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich: The Germans already drew first blood with their 4-0 victory over their Spanish rival. But all roads lead to the Wanda Metropolitano for the return leg.
Manchester United vs PSG: Neymar and Mbappe have still got a chance to prove to Europe that Manchester United is not superior to the entire French football.
Sevilla vs Chelsea: The return leg of this encounter would hold at Seville and we can’t wait to see it! Perhaps, this is one of the most anticipated encounters after Barcelona vs Juventus.
Real Madrid vs Inter Millan: These two giants would meet in the third week of the tournament. A big one. We would get to finally see Zidane take on Conte in a European competition.

To catch all these actions live on your television, subscribe your GOtv or DStv with VTpass, either on the web or mobile app. We’ve got you covered!

Keeping Up With The Ball? 5 Things to lookout For in 2020-21 Football Season

New seasons of the English Premier League (EPL), Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Seria A and French Ligue un are back.

Just last week, Crystal Palace knocked Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford, bringing back the ‘anything can happen’ tingles of the premier league.

In Germany, current UEFA champions and Bundesliga winner, Bayern Munich kickstarted their new season with an 8-0 slaughter of Schalke. Jeez!

Christiano Ronaldo pulled in a late one on the 88th minute as Juventus cruised 3-0 over Sampdoria in Seria A season opener. Guess the race for who’s best between him and his long time rival, Lionel Messi has just begun.

Speaking of Messi; he is yet to record a goal this season as FC Barcelona is just concluding pre-season ahead of 2020-21 La Liga.

Something to look out for, right? Or perhaps, we should look with awe into Ligue Un where Paris Saint Germain sits 8th on the league table haven lost two early matches. Hmmm. . .

With so much cooking up in Europe’s top 5 leagues, here are 5 things to look out for as the 2020-21 season unfolds:

Messi-Barca Ripple

The over-broadcasted news about Messi leaving FC Barcelona would most likely be felt all season long. Every move made by the Argentine would surely be scrutinized in the light of this.

Although reports state that Messi is willing to play one more season with Barcelona, all eyes are on him. Would he punish Barca for refusing to let him go or would he deliver yet another stunning result this season?

Bayern for another UEFA title?

Following a strong year for Bayern Munich last season, experts are predicting the German against might bag themselves yet another UEFA Champions League title; that is if they continue playing as they are currently.

The early 8-0 trashing of strong rivals, Schalke last week already shows Bayern’s intent. And with a solid squad of young talents, an ambitious coach and passionate fans, those predictions might just come true.

Liverpool on the hot seat

Current EPL champions are starting the season in a position all previous EPL winners do find themselves; – defending the title. Jurgen Klopp managed to pull a stunt for the reds last season by winning the title for Liverpool’s after a 30-years old title draught.

Now, he finds himself defending the title against strong contenders; the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea; a team that just spent $300 million on boosting their squad.

Another UEFA, Another Barca, Another Drama?

Barcelona has become the object of mockery in UEFA Champions League following 4 consecutive humiliating exists. The latter being an 8-2 trashing at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The club has shown spirit, however, in starting a new sporting project; signing new talents, urging old legs out, bringing in a more fitting manager, shifting some powers is management, etc; but fans around the world would never forget Barca’s UEFA Champions League woes.

Another UEFA, another Barca!

New Phase for Juventus?

When Christiano Ronaldo joined Juventus, it was solely to help them win the UEFA Champions League. 3 years down the lane, that is yet to happen.

Juventus had to sack Maurizio Sarri following a disappointing season in 2019-20 UEFA and appointed Andrea Pirlo as new manager. Is this the new face to lead Juventus into European glory once again?

To catch all of the footballing action this season, simply subscribe your GOtv, DStv or StarTimes. Non-stop entertainment waiting for you! Renew TV subscription with VTpass.

Champions League Resumes 7th August, Finally

When major football leagues (EPL, La Liga, Seria A, and Bundesliga) resumed; fans got their tint of hope of possible Champions league resumption. Although the date of resumption was announced by UEFA 3 months ago, the feeling of ‘it’s finally here!’ can’t be really shaken off.

After a five-months hiatus due to the global pandemic, the UEFA Champions League and Europa League resume August 7th, 2020 in order to play out the pending matches of this troubled season.

Subscribe your GOtv, DStv or Startimes now

However, things would take a different shape. UEFA set out two mini competitions to solved the puzzle of travelling amidst the pandemic. Uncompleted round of 16 matches would be played out in host stadiums on 7th and 8th of August. Then from 12th August, all roads lead to Lisbon, Portugal where quarter-final matches would be played in knockout form. Oops, no home and away.

Here’s a timeline of UEFA Champions League activities:

7-8 August: Round of 16-second legs (host home stadiums)
12-15 August: Quarter-finals (Lisbon)
18-19 August: Semi-finals (Lisbon)
23 August: Final (Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon)

So put on your soccer shoes, yank out the popcorn and enjoy. Major round of 16 ties includes:

Barcelona vs Napoli: It was honors when this two first met in a 1-1 draw at Naples. The Spanish giants would be at home advantage when they host Napoli at the Camp Nau
Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Current Spanish champions fell at home to City in the firs encounter. They face an uphill task coming back against Gurdiola’s men at the Etihad.
Juventus vs Lyon: Lyon leads 1-0 in this encounter. The men from Turin would be better prepared to host their opponent who play away this time around.
Bayern vs Chelsea: This is perhaps the center of attention. With Chelsea trailing 3-0 from the first leg; it’s looking bleak for the Blues when they finally face Bayern in Germany.

It’s really juicy as it sounds, we can’t wait! You can latch unto the action by subscribing your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes now. Don’t be told of what’s going down. And when you’re not watching football, relax into the drama of the on-going Big Brother Naija Season 5!

VTpass always got you covered.

English Premier League Set to Resume

Fans of the Barclay’s Premier League are in for a treat tonight as the league official resumes; after 100 days hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 92 games left to play would be packed into 40 days which would see the current season end by 26 July. Aston Villa v Sheffield United will kick off the English top-flight’s return; however, it’s the match between Manchester City and Arsenal tonight that got fans in a frenzy.

Here are a few things you need as the action returns:

No 12th man

As with Bundesliga and La Liga, all matches would be played behind closed doors. Not more than 300 people (staff, players, tech crew, etc.) would be allowed into stadiums. However, teams are setting virtual fans in place to ensure TV viewing isn’t boring at all.

Renew your DStv subscription now. Don’t miss the action

One-minute silence

To remember all those who died during the pandemic, one-minute silence would be observed before the starting of each game.

No Players’ names on shirts for a while

For the first 12 matches after resumption, players’ names on their shirts would be replaced with ‘Black Lives Matter‘ to commemorate with the death of George Floyd and the campaign against racism.

Liverpool eyes the trophy after 30 years

The Reds sits 25 points clear off second-place Manchester City and are 3 wins away from been crowned EPL Champions 2019/2020 season. Liverpool would most definitely be full of action as they campaign to clinch the trophy for the first time since 1990.

Fight for Top-4

All eyes would be fixed on Manchester United and Chelsea as each battle for a place in the top four. Ahead of both is Leicester City and Manchester City and below them, just 2 points under United is the formidable Wolves.

Social distancing and other hygiene

Players would have to maintain social-distancing during goal celebrations. They are not to spit, shake hands, or come near referees. Coaching staff on the sidelines are equally under instruction not to come within two meters of the fourth official.

Catch all the actions!

Subscribe your DStv on VTpass to catch all the actions live and in HD. You don’t want to be told. Now once again, we can all tune in every weekend to watch goals and delicious passes. Click to renew your DStv subscription now! We’ll see you on the football side of life.

Where to Watch German Bundesliga on StarTimes

The German football league, the DFL, recently resumed on May 16, 2020, after more than two months on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic; which was bad news for StarTimes subscribers.

As a strategic partner, StarTimes resumed broadcast of all Bundesliga matches live and exclusive in Africa right from the first re-opener between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke.

According to StarTimes Sports Director, Shi Maochu; “It has been a very tough period for football around the world. We are very happy to have StarTimes bring back live football in Africa, and even more, as Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world.”

He also noted that the league had been halted since early April due to the coronavirus pandemic and Bundesliga is the first and only major football league to be back in action.

Fans know to expect goals from Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski who has been exceptional this season with over 40 goals to his name, and Dortmund’s 19 years old sensation, Erling Haaland, widely regarded as a goal machine.

Premier League clubs-target Timo Werner remains in sterling form for RB Leipzig and would continue to disrupt the transfer market if he continues to score goals.

Barcelona’s loanee, Philippe Coutinho is set to miss some actions for his side, Bayern Munich, due to injury. All eyes would be watching Jadon Sancho perform his magic for Dortmund.

Where to watch Bundesliga on StarTimes

Catch all matches live and in HD on StarTimes’ 5 sports channels. Subscribe your StarTimes decoder now to never miss any minute of the live-action!

Top Bundesliga action going down tomorrow includes:

Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich (2:30 PM) and Borussia Dortmund vs Hertha Berlin (5:30 PM).

Renew StarTimes subscription online and instantly with VTpass, Nigeria’s leading online payment platform.

Follow VTpass on social media: Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.

A BRIEF ON THE CHELSEA AND BARCA MATCH

Just yesterday, Chelsea and Barcelona came together at the UEFA in a match that is nothing short of classic. The match, which started around 8:45 pm Nigerian time, was one match that put every football fan in high spirits. And the match lived up to its reputation in terms of delivery and results. So that at the end of the thrilling faceoff, both teams conceded one goal each. Here is a brief of the match as it went down at Stanford Bridge, the home base of Chelsea. But first, you wouldn’t want to miss any match during this UEFA season. Not for any reason. But there are situations you might not be able to readily control. Bad timing, no TV subscription, no data, no electricity. Well, you can trust VTpass to fix these problems for you.

With VTpass, you can make payments for your electricity bill, airtime, data, TV subscription very conveniently and quickly. So right from where you are, you can settle these bills in just three easy steps:

Log on

Select

Pay

Now, that you know you can watch your UEFA matches without any glitch, let us see how the Chelsea and Barca faceoff fared

For the first half, Barcelona exhibited quite a lot of talent and stunt so that they went on to dominate possession. However, it was Chelsea that came as close to the net as possible. Eden Hazard made an early attempt when he flashed a shot over the bar. Wilian also hit the bar from outside the box twice in the 34th and 41st minutes consecutively. Barca lost a chance in the 16th minute when their Paulinho headed wide.

The second half nearly continued in the same pattern as the first. But with Chelsea’s well-defensive organisation, Wilian was able to break the sequence and score a goal when he scored from the edge of the box.

At this point, Barcelona was put in a spot and Messi, who soon spotted an error of a poor pass from Christensen Andersen, soon closed up the gap.

All in all, Chelsea played a brilliant game against their contender. And Messi had the good fortune of banking a goal against Chelsea for the first time ever. So yes, it was a well-played match on both sides.

You wouldn’t want to miss any more of this brilliant matches due to hiccups about payments and availability. Why not log on to vtpass.com right now to pay your electricity bills and your GOTV, DSTV and Startimes subscriptions. You can, as well, buy your MTN, GLO, Airtel, 9mobile data and airtime by logging on to vtpass.com or downloading the VTpass app on Google Play Store. With VTpass, you can embrace the spirit of football and let it soar.

CHELSEA AND BARCELONA FACEOFF

Now and always, the UEFA League brings together clubs from various parts of the world in drilling matches. And this year’s matches have been no exception. As for more reasons than one, the matches have they been quite spectacular. Also, having several clubs from several other leagues play on the same field is nothing short of thrilling. But there is really nothing like having an English club play against a Spanish club. Well, this is what is about to go down today in today’s match. But the teams playing are no mere English or Spanish clubs. They are top contenders in their various leagues. In no plain words, we are talking about the Chelsea-Barcelona face-off that is happening live today. Just by paying attention to the build-up before the match, it is easy to tell just how spectacular it would be.

Now, you wouldn’t want to miss this match for any reason in the world. But then, things happen. You go to work and come home to find that your TV subscription has not been renewed. Or maybe you are caught in traffic. And you somehow tried to renew your data subscription just to stream the match, but the network is killing. Worse still, you are already in the middle of the match, and your data or TV subscription expires. Now, this can be some sore eyes situation.

Well, you do not have to worry about this anymore. With VTpass, you can successfully watch the Chelsea vs. Barcelona match without any hiccups. This is because VTpass makes it so very convenient to renew your TV subscription, electricity bills, airtime and data. In three easy, quick steps, you can get to make the match really accessible to you. All you need do is log on, select and pay.

And yes, VTpass is less susceptible to the glitches of bad technological services. So, you can be sure that today’s battle between these two top contenders will be in the palm of your hands. So, go on and log on to vtpass.com or download the VTpass app on Google Play Store and renew your data or TV subscription.

NEW CHANNELS ON GOTV MAX

On October 1st, 2017, Multichoice launched a new kind of package to go along with many packages they have. Gotv Max, the new unveiled package or bundle promises a lot of better channels for a paltry sum of #3800. So, with the new exciting channels on Gotv Max, you can recline in comfort and have a nice TV time. What’s more, you can be all the more comfortable when you do not have to travel miles to pay your bills. And this is very much possible with VTpass on your hands. VTpass makes it possible for you to pay your online bills with ease and convenience through vtpass.com. So that by logging on to this site, you get to make payments for your DStv, GOtv, Startimes subscriptios=ns. Also, you can settle your electricity bills, pay for your airtime and data right on this platform.

And good enough, you can now download the VTpass mobile app for Android on Google Play Store. This helps for more easier and faster transactions. Now, you are on the Gotv Max package, what exciting channels might you as well be missing out on?

Discovery Family

Discovery Family is the channel for every member of the family whatever the time of the day. So, it tells tales of big cats, cute pets, outrageous experiments and family stories.

Fashion One

Fashion One has a lot to offer the fashionable, stylish and sophisticated audience. For one, there are contents covering the latest entertainment gist, lifestyle news and events. Spice Tv is yet another lifestyle channel.

Super Sports

Now, on Gotv Max, you have access to all and any of the super sports channels available. And this includes Supersports Blitz, Supersports Select, Supersports select 1, Supersports Select 2, Supersports Select 3, and Supersports Select 4.

Jim Jam

The kids have the opportunity to a whole lot more fun with Disney Junior and Jim Jam.

Planet Radio TV

And for the music hippies, there are a whole lot of music channels to stay down on. Soundcity TV, Afro Music English and Planet Radio TV are only but a few.

News Platforms

On Govt Max, you find various local and international news platforms like CNN, Al Jeezera, BBC and the likes.

Also, entertainment and movie channels are very much replete on the Gotv Max package. So, you can treat yourself to all of the fun you need. And to renew your TV subscription as fast as possible, all you have to log on to vtpass.com. Also, you can download the VTpass mobile app which is available on Google Play Store.

2018 WORLD CUP: NEWSREEL

Every four years, several national teams unite together on several green fields across the world for one purpose. And that’s to bring home the glory and prize of the FIFA world cup. And every four years, Nigeria has participated in this memorable event. Most times, they have failed to impress a lot of Nigerians with their performance. But it seems the Nigerian football body is going all out this time to propel the Nigerian team into winning. So, you would want to get in tune with the preparations of the Super Eagles for the 2018 world cup. And you can conveniently do this by visiting vtpass.com for your data and airtime.

But in the meanwhile, the Nigerian Football Federation is showing quite as much support for the Super Eagles. For one, they intend to pay players and officials the sum of $2.4 million for the World cup in Russia. Not only that, the NFF has also agreed to remit the other benefits and due payments to the game players. So, this action is a retrospective of the 2014 world cup when issues regarding the pay row led to a poor performance on the part of the Nigerian team.

It looks like a lot is going on for the Super Eagles. This is not only in terms of the money doled out to them, but there is quite a lot going on for them on the field. On one hand, the team beat Zambia to qualify for the World cup just as they had a tie with Algeria in a recent friendly. And there is the recent victory against Argentina in an International friendly.

In appraising this match, Orji Kalu, the former governor of Abia State, had this to say:

“The well-deserved victory of the Super Eagles against the Argentine team is inspiring and worth celebrating. The Super Eagles’ players have demonstrated uncommon soccer sagacity.”

It is evident that more than all these, a whole lot is going to go down for the Super Eagles as well as other teams in the 2018 world cup. You wouldn’t want to miss any of the action that is bound to unfold. Log on to vtpass.com now to make quick and convenient payment for your airtime and data. Also, you can pay your electricity bills and DSTV, GOTV and STARTIMES subscriptions by simply coming on to vtpass.com.

NIGERIA VERSUS ARGENTINA FACE-OFF: HIGHLIGHTS

On the fourteenth of November, 2017, Nigeria played an international friendly against Argentina. Beating Argentina to a four-two, it was one unanticipated victory and a sweet one for Nigerians all over. Although many insisted that the absence of Leo Messi on the Argentinean side had a telling impact on the match, it was nonetheless a glorious day for the massive Nigerian supporters. Of course, for those who did not renew their cable TV subscription, it might be quite difficult to get the very best of this match. You can conveniently and quickly renew your TV subscriptions by logging on to vtpass.com. VTpass gives you easy online access to the payment of your everyday bills.

To relatively measure the victory of this past international friendly, it would be good to shed light on the past face-offs between Nigeria and Argentina. So, these are the highlights of the face-off between Nigeria and Argentina.

Ever Banega and Sergio Aguero scored two-goals for Argentina after 36 minutes.

Then, Kelechi Iheanacho struck back with a goal for Nigeria.

It was 2-2 after the first half. But seven minutes into the second-half, Alex Iwobi gave Nigeria two more goals. So, this brought it to a 4-2 victory.

Also, you would want to know that prior to this time, Nigeria has lost most matches to Argentina. Here is a throwback to our previous face-offs:

25 Jun 1994	Argentina v Nigeria	L	2-1	FIFA World Cup
10 Jan 1995	Nigeria v Argentina	D	0-0	FIFA Confederations Cup
02 Jun 2002	Argentina v Nigeria	L	1-0	FIFA World Cup
12 Jun 2010	Argentina v Nigeria	L	1-0	FIFA World Cup
01 Jun 2011	Nigeria v Argentina	W	4-1	International Friendly
06 Sep 2011	Argentina v Nigeria	L	3-1	International Friendly
25 Jun 2014	Nigeria v Argentina	L	2-3	FIFA World Cup
14 Nov 2017	Argentina v Nigeria	W	2-4	International Friendly

Get the best of FIFA World Cup 2018 as it unfolds in Russia. Stealthily follow the progress of the Nigerian Super Eagles as they move through several stages and offer us sizzling suspenseful plays. So, to do this, you have to constantly, regularly and quickly renew your DSTV, GOTV and STARTIMES subscriptions. And this you can successfully do with vtpass.com. VTpass is an online payment platform that affords you the opportunity to make payment for your daily services. And this too in three steps. You can pay your electricity bills, cable TV subscriptions, MTN, AIRTEL, GLO and 9MOBILE airtime and data services in these three steps:

Log on

Select

Pay.

So, go on to enjoy Russia 2018 in style, for VTpass is right behind you.