The knockout stages are here, and there were plenty of storylines to digest. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of action
Feyenoord
Continue reading...Ratcliffe is being cast as Scrooge but Glazers made Manchester United’s mess | Jamie Jackson
Time will tell if the Ineos chief’s severe cost-cutting pays off, but this is a club that has been mismanaged for years
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is making drastic cuts to Manchester United’s operation for fear that the club are on a fast-track to bankruptcy. Whether such seismic concerns are legitimate or unfounded, it reflects a tale of off‑field financial woe that matches the club’s 12 years in the title‑contending wilderness.
The failure to reel in a 21st championship or make a genuine challenge for one is a direct corollary of slow decline and mismanagement under Malcolm Glazer, and then his six children after his death in 2014.
Continue reading...Championship: Argyle ride Cup fever to rout Millwall as Eustace joins Derby
- Hardie the hero again as Plymouth move off bottom
- Sunderland, Burnley and Sheffield United march on
The FA Cup giantkillers Plymouth roared to their second memorable win in three days to climb off the foot of the Championship table. Ryan Hardie, the penalty hero against Liverpool on Sunday, scored twice in a thumping 5-1 victory against Millwall.
Joe Bryan’s own goal gave Argyle the lead and another Hardie spot-kick put them two up. Home Park was buzzing again when Mustapha Bundu added the third eight minutes after half-time and Hardie grabbed his second before Bryan pulled one back.
Continue reading...Everton’s Tarkowski thwarts Liverpool as final Goodison derby ends in brawl
Four goals, four red cards, one mass brawl plus enough controversy, fury and entertainment to elevate the fixture way above the Premier League norm; the Merseyside derby bid a fitting farewell to Goodison Park.
David “Mystic” Moyes had predicted the 120th and final Goodison derby would, by the nature of an emotionally charged occasion, be explosive. James Tarkowski triggered a detonator under the old place. The Everton captain volleyed in a stunning 98th-minute equaliser to ensure Liverpool went seven points clear in the title race rather than nine.
Continue reading...Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich: Champions League playoff round, first leg – as it happened
Michael Olise and Harry Kane gave Bayern Munich the edge going into the second leg against Celtic, who pulled one back through Daizen Maeda
Justin Kavanagh emails: “Great photo of Rod! He’s certainly got the gladrags on tonight, but does that bandage on his right fist suggest he’s already had some handbags? If so, it probably won’t be the last we’ll see at Celtic Park tonight in what should be a quite tasty match. Don’t spare the Rod, Bhoys.”
The main plan for Celtic here is to keep it tight early on against one of the most exciting front fours in Europe. You do not get many Musiala-type players in the Scottish Premiership.
Continue reading...MLS unveils new jerseys for 2025: Miami’s Euforia, Crew’s ‘Goosebumps’ headline
All 30 Major League Soccer teams are unveiling new jerseys this week ahead of the 2025 season. Here's a look at each.
Bayern’s Scottish adventures: from wrath against Raith to a shock at Aberdeen
Before the German club face Celtic in a Champions League playoff we recount a rich history that goes back decades
Given Bayern Munich’s lengthy and storied history in European competition, it may come as no surprise that they have jousted with Scottish clubs over several decades. But the variation and drama attached to many of those fixtures gives cause for contemplation as the German team return to Glasgow for a Champions League playoff against Celtic.
Bayern are heavy favourites to progress, largely because of the economic tilt towards clubs of their standing in the modern era. It was not always thus, however, as a glance at the record books outlines.
Continue reading...‘It’s just bad decisions’: Guardiola rues late goals as City slip to Madrid defeat
- City conceded twice in final six minutes of 3-2 loss
- ‘Everyone has to take accountability – I take it’
Pep Guardiola admitted that Manchester City cannot be competitive if they continue to concede late goals as they did when surrendering an 86th-minute lead in Tuesday’s 3-2 home defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff first leg.
City held the advantage at the Etihad Stadium through Erling Haaland’s 80th-minute penalty, with the striker’s 19th-minute opener having been cancelled out by Kylian Mbappé on the hour. Yet Guardiola’s side collapsed as the final whistle approached.
Continue reading...Championship roundup: Leeds rout Watford as Farke hails ‘poetry in motion’
- Leads win 4-0 away to surge five points clear at top
- Preston and Coventry boost playoff hopes
Daniel Farke hailed Leeds’s “top level” forwards after the emphatic 4-0 win at Watford increased their lead at the Championship summit to five points.
Dan James opened the scoring in the 20th minute after latching on to a misplaced pass from Edo Kayembe. The Wales winger made it 2-0 eight minutes later when Watford were caught out by a swift counterattack. Manor Solomon saw a shot deflected in for the third before half-time, with Joël Piroe slotting in the fourth midway through the second period after Watford were undone with some quick passing in tight spaces.
Continue reading...Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Champions League playoff player ratings
Erling Haaland impressed despite defeat and Jude Bellingham showed up when his team needed it most
Ederson Brilliant low second-half save from Kylian Mbappé before Erling Haaland strike. Sharp saves early on but poor clearance makes the No 1 culpable for Brahim Díaz’s equaliser. 6
Continue reading...Champions League: Guirassy cuts down Sporting, Juventus edge ahead of PSV
- Dortmund win 3-0 in Portugal; Mbangula lifts Juve
- Dembélé takes Brest apart to show PSG are contenders
Serhou Guirassy scored one and set up another in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 victory at Sporting in their Champions League playoff first leg to put last year’s finalists in the driving seat for a spot in the last 16.
The top scorer in this season’s Champions League headed in his 10th goal of the competition on the hour mark before providing Pascal Gross with a perfect assist to double the lead in the 68th minute.
Continue reading...Manchester City 2-3 Real Madrid: Champions League playoff round, first leg – as it happened
Jude Bellingham’s injury-time winner shattered an ailing Manchester City, who led twice through Erling Haaland
2012-13 (group stage)
Madrid 3-2 City
City 1-1 Madrid
City 0-0 Madrid
Madrid 1-0 City (agg: 1-0)
Madrid 1-2 City
City 2-1 Madrid (agg: 4-2)
Madrid 1-1 City
City 4-0 Madrid (agg: 5-1)
Madrid 3-3 City
City 1-1 Madrid (agg: 4-4; pens: 3-4)
Continue reading...Rodgers keen for Celtic to use home atmosphere and ‘hurt’ Bayern Munich
- Scottish side welcome ‘football royalty’ on Wednesday
- Hosts boosted by Daizen Maeda return after ban appeal
Brendan Rodgers wants Bayern Munich to experience “hurt” at Celtic Park after taking pride in his team’s European improvement this season.
Bayern’s visit to Glasgow marks the first time since 2013 that Celtic will play knockout Champions League football, with Rodgers contemplating his most significant scalp yet. Celtic are the heavy underdogs to see off the German giants over two legs but Rodgers has challenged his players to keep the tie competitive before they head to the Allianz Arena next week. Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig and Young Boys have already been defeated at Celtic Park this season, with the hosts unbeaten in their last half-dozen home European games.
Continue reading...Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida gets a pay cut because of antiquated MLS rules
Maya Yoshida started more games and played more minutes than anyone on the Galaxy roster last season. And for that his reward was a pay cut. He's not happy about that.
Real Madrid prepare for Manchester City with ‘total emergency’ in defence
An injury crisis means Carlo Ancelotti must get creative in the Champions League playoff against Manchester City
Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, Éder Militão and Marcelo were in the team photo before the Madrid derby at the Bernabéu on Saturday night. A seriously impressive defence, it was just a pity they weren’t playing. Instead, Marcelo was there so they could pay homage to the full-back, who won 25 trophies with the club, in the week he announced his retirement. The other four had come to join him and support their teammates. None were dressed in white; all are injured.
All of which would be bad enough, but it was about to get worse. The following afternoon, having been named in the squad to travel to Manchester, the captain pulled out too. In the past fortnight Lucas Vázquez had missed visits to Valladolid and Leganés as a precaution but eventually he too fell, calling from home after Sunday’s training session to say something wasn’t right in his thigh. He was the backup, a midfielder at full-back, albeit one who has played there for so long now that it has become his default role. There have been 36 injuries at Madrid this season, 26 of them muscular.
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