Real banking on Ronaldo goal power against City

MADRID, Real Madrid are hoping the fit-again Cristiano Ronaldo can lead them into the Champions League final although strike partner Karim Benzema remains a doubt for Wednesday's return match with Manchester City.

Ronaldo completed a full training session on Monday for the first time since injuring his hamstring against Villarreal on April 20 and is expected to start the semi-final second leg against City who were held to a 0-0 home draw in the first game.

Benzema, who is also nursing a hamstring problem, could only do running exercises on Monday.

The 10-times European champions scraped a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday without their two top scorers.

Portugal marksman Ronaldo took no part in last week's tie in Manchester while France forward Benzema went off at halftime. Although Real had the better chances they were noticeably lightweight up front in the second period.

The club's all-time leading scorer Ronaldo has 47 goals in all competitions this season.

His hat-trick in the quarter-final second leg against VfL Wolfsburg overturned a two-goal deficit from the first match, averting an embarrassing exit for Zinedine Zidane's side.

City coach Manuel Pellegrini made eight changes to his team against Southampton on Sunday, in preparation for the trip to Madrid, but the plan backfired as they lost 4-2.

The Chilean was unapologetic about resting some of his players as his side look to reach a first Champions League final.

"I would do exactly the same again because we have an important game on Wednesday," said Pellegrini.

Real are eyeing their 14th final appearance, 60 years after defeating Stade de Reims 4-3 to win the inaugural competition.

The Madrid heavyweights have progressed in seven out of eight European ties after being held to a goalless draw in the first leg, losing only to Spartak Moscow in the 1991 European Cup quarter-finals.

Real are also unbeaten in their last four Champions League matches at the Bernabeu against English opposition.

"Home advantage will help. The fans have to support us, we're counting on them and I'm sure they won't let us down," said midfield anchorman Casemiro.

"When they get behind us they help a lot. Manchester City have to feel that the Bernabeu is strong."

 

Monk leads Thai fans in lauding fantastic Foxes

The Buddhist monk who has blessed Leicester City's players and stadium was Tuesday swift to congratulate the Foxes after they sealed one of the biggest sporting shocks in history.

Phra Prommangkalachan, who has travelled to the once unfashionable Midlands club several times with the club's billionaire Thai owner, said he prayed all night for a famous Premier League title win.

It was secured after Tottenham Hotspur could only manage a 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

"I prayed for them from 2am till 4am (local time during the Chelsea-Spurs match)... but the victory does not come from me, it's from the team and the goodness of the owner," he told AFP.

The Foxes, virtual unknowns in Thailand until they were bought by duty-free magnate Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 2010, have seen their popularity snowball during the title run-in.

Supporters at the downtown headquarters of Vichai's King Power firm spoke of their joy at the Thai link to a win in the Premier League which is assiduously watched in the kingdom.

"I am very pleased for my boss (Vichai)... Leicester's success will make Thailand famous around the world," Songkran Sae-Li, 38, a security guard at King Power told AFP.

While the majority of people in Thailand, which is six hours ahead of UK time, had been asleep as Spurs threw away a two-goal lead to hand Leicester the title, commuters were later keen to wax lyrical on a famous victory.

"I feel happy for Leicester... the team is small and it's the first time that they are the champion," said Twin Wichaidith, who has supported the team for five months, as he travelled on Bangkok's metro system.

"This will make Thais watch football more and the team will have more fans," he added.

The Foxes have seen their Thai fanbase grow from a smattering of die-hards to everyone's favourite second team.

English Premier League giants Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea traditionally draw a strong following.

But in a country where success engenders quick loyalty, Leicester can expect to see a surge numbers.

Shirts have already sold out and boozy big-screen events at the King Power complex in Bangkok have seen several hundred supporters gather each week to watch matches screened live.

Photographs lifted from social media of Leicester's players wildly celebrating victory were emblazoned across the "Siamese Foxes" fans' Facebook page.

Comments on the page, which has more than 500,000 followers, praised Vichai's ownership.

But some attributed the win to the supernatural powers of Buddhism in a deeply religious country.

"There goes the team that just won the league, the team that got sacred water sprinkled from a Thai temple," Huge Boripat wrote in Thai.