The quarter-finals have been decided with a dash of controversy. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of action
Real Madrid
Continue reading...Atlético Madrid’s torment goes on – Real are the nightmare they can’t wake up from | Sid Lowe
Diego Simeone’s side lost to their city rivals yet again, in a fashion that was unbelievable and yet so very believable
One day, Diego Simeone said, in those quiet moments when they are alone with their thoughts and memories, Real Madrid’s players will think of Atlético Madrid and how they made them suffer. But the real trauma, he knows, will for ever be theirs. In the final moments before this latest European derby, the first at the Metropolitano, a huge mosaic had declared that following Atlético “kills me … and gives me life”. At the end of it, once fate had found another, still crueller way of twisting the knife, of delivering the inevitable, the coach pushed his footballers and his fans together, applauding so hard his hands hurt almost as much as their hearts.
“I am proud of them,” he said afterwards. “I am happy, honestly. I am happy. I am happy. Why? Because we competed in a way that was exemplary. We might not have been able to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League. Sure. Of course. We couldn’t. But they had a bad time of it, every time. They will remember us for a long time. While enjoying having beating us, but knowing and saying to themselves: ‘Facing that lot was messed up, look how hard they made it for us, always.’ Our people leave with the pain of having been knocked out, of course, but knowing that their team gave everything. I go in peace. Losing, but in peace.”
Continue reading...Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (agg 6-1), Arsenal 2-2 PSV (9-3): Champions League last 16, second legs – as it happened
There were no problems for Aston Villa and Arsenal as they both progressed to the quarter finals
“You have to feel for Nathan Butler-Oyedeji,” writes Kieran McKintosh. “He’s 22, still not had a proper first-team appearance, not even scored on loan at Cheltenham or Accrington, and even in a game like this where it basically doesn’t matter who Arteta plays, a defender who is leaving at the end of the season gets a start up top before he does. Ouch.”
I have a feeling the young lad’s long-term future is not at Arsenal.
Continue reading...Atlético Madrid v Real Madrid: Champions League last 16, second leg – as it happened
Atlético were the better side for the most part, but Real did what they always do, with a little help from the eagle-eyed VAR
4 min: … while on the touchline, Diego Simeone tries his level best to retain his supercool. Carlo chewing at his gum with a bit more vigour, though.
2 min: The roof of the Metropolitano, as you’d expect, is currently spinning off towards Catalonia. The poor clearance Griezmann intercepted was by Raúl Asencio. Everyone in Real white looking around at each other stunned!
Continue reading...Now is the time for the real Spurs to stand up … but what is that exactly? | David Hytner
Ange Postecoglou believes pressure can bring the best out of his Tottenham team ahead of their second leg with AZ
When Ange Postecoglou does not like a question, usually from a broadcast journalist, he lets them know in pretty short order, latent hostility to the fore. The one he fielded on Wednesday was always coming.
Tottenham’s season will be on the line on Thursday night when they face AZ Alkmaar at home in the second leg of the Europa League last 16, trailing 1-0 from the first. And after the season Spurs have had, Postecoglou’s second at the club, it is plain that he could really do with a result. So, Ange, win or bust for the season and also for you and your project. How do you feel about that?
Continue reading...Time running out for Liverpool to make themselves serial winners
Premier League almost won but contracts are ending and key players ageing, necessitating a summer of change
It’s the 94th minute at Estádio da Luz in October. Benfica are winning 4-0 and Atlético Madrid are in utter disarray. Zeki Amdouni runs the ball into an entirely unpatrolled Atlético area, gets a free shot from 14 yards and misses a glorious chance to make it 5-0. Nobody cares. Least of all Liverpool, even though this miss will in effect end up, five months later, knocking them out of the Champions League.
Of course, we’re in the realm of the absurd here, although when it comes to the new Champions League format this is a system with margins exactly, and absurdly, this fine. By virtue of this one goal not scored – and of course you could pick out many others – Benfica end up finishing 16th in the 36-team group phase rather than 15th: a position from which they, rather than Paris Saint-Germain, would probably have ended up facing Liverpool in the last 16.
Continue reading...Lamine Yamal bamboozles Benfica as Barcelona advance in name of Carles Miñarro
Barcelona qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals in the name of Carles Miñarro, as a journey they began together continued in his absence.
On Tuesday morning a funeral was held for the club doctor who had died suddenly at the team hotel three days earlier; the same evening, the players he had cared for and who had spent the previous night at the chapel of rest paid homage the only way they really could.
Continue reading...Barcelona 3-1 Benfica (agg: 4-1): Champions League last 16, second leg – as it happened
Lamine Yamal and Raphinha put on an attacking masterclass in the first half to swat aside Benfica and make it to the quarter-finals
Barcelona get the ball rolling. The city so beautiful in the background. Ah, memories of the diving at the 1992 Olympics.
The teams are out. Barcelona are in their famous blaugrana, Benfica in third-choice white/silver/grey with neon yellow trim. A crackling atmosphere at the Olímpic Lluís Companys despite the place not yet totally full, as per Steve McManaman. We’ll be off once a poignant moment is taken to remember Carles Minarro Garcia.
Continue reading...Only Liverpool’s best will be enough to beat ‘complete’ PSG, warns Arne Slot
- Head coach ready for second-leg showdown at Anfield
- Luis Enrique says winners of last-16 tie will make final
Arne Slot believes Liverpool must produce their best performance of the season to finish off “a complete” Paris Saint-Germain team that gave him sleepless nights after the Champions League encounter last week.
Liverpool take a 1-0 lead into the last-16 second leg at Anfield but Slot rates the tie at “50-50” on the evidence of PSG’s display at Parc des Princes. “The result was ours, the performance was for them,” he said.
Continue reading...Real Sociedad 1-1 Manchester United: Europa League last 16, first leg – as it happened
Joshua Zirkzee opened the scoring but Mikel Oyarzabal levelled from the spot in San Sebastian
6 min: A free kick for Sociedad out on the right. Kubo curls it in. Dalot heads half-clear. Barrenetxea returns the ball into the mixer from the left. Too long. Kubo tries again from the other side. He can neither get a cross in nor a shot away. United finally clear their lines.
4 min: Garnacho has started the game on the right. Hojlund fills in on the left with a direct dribble and low cross that’s easily cleared, but the run offers United some early hope.
Continue reading...Harvey Elliott admits to anger and frustration at lack of Liverpool starts
- The ‘chosen one’ scored dramatic first-leg winner at PSG
- ‘I want to play, but need to respect manager’s decisions’
Harvey Elliott has said a starring role as Liverpool’s “chosen one” against Paris Saint-Germain compensated for the anger and frustration he has felt at his limited game-time under Arne Slot.
The Liverpool forward believes his match-winning goal on Wednesday in the Champions League last-16 first leg, scored 47 seconds after replacing Mohamed Salah, underlined the determination of every squad member to contribute this season plus the quality of Slot’s decision-making. But having been restricted to 507 minutes of football, and only 76 minutes in the Premier League, the 21-year-old admits Slot’s outstanding debut campaign has had its challenges.
Continue reading...Champions League review: brilliant goalkeeping and Leverkusen in decline
The last 16 started with a host of intriguing fixtures. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of action
Arsenal
Continue reading...PSG 0-1 Liverpool: Champions League last 16, first leg – as it happened
PSG dominated, creating chance after chance, but came up against Alisson in inspired form, eventually succumbing to Harvey Elliott’s late smash-and-grab winner
2 min: Ruiz hassles Gravenberch down the PSG left but the Liverpool midfielder holds firm and buys a cheap free kick. PSG soon try again, this time down the right, Hakimi nearly getting the better of Diaz, but again the Liverpool player sticks to his guns and Hakimi runs the ball out for a goal kick.
1 min: An instant blast of jeering as Liverpool start with some midfield possession.
Continue reading...Raphinha strikes to give 10-man Barcelona last-16 edge over Benfica
Raphinha struck a second-half winner to give Barcelona a lion-hearted 1-0 victory at Benfica on Wednesday as they overcame a red card for Pau Cubarsí early in the game to steal an advantage in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Barcelona’s teenage defender Cubarsí was given a straight red card for a last-man foul on Vangelis Pavlidis in the 22nd minute, but the visitors hung on with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny putting in a brilliant performance.
Continue reading...Champions League: Bayern Munich 3-0 Leverkusen, Benfica 0-1 Barcelona – as it happened
Harry Kane scored twice for Bayern as Raphina’s goal grabbed a first-half lead for ten-man Barça.
Jeyland Mitchell caught Thuram’s heel – VAR calls over the German ref, and it’s awarded.
Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen teams
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