Category: UEFA Champions League

The league phase has begun. From Olise’s brilliance to Sabah’s pub cleaner turned quiz contestant turned manager, there was plenty to talk about

The league phase has been previewed as Barcelona’s first step toward reclaiming a crown last lifted in 2015, with disappointments aplenty since. Lionel Messi claiming just one Champions League title in the last decade of his time at Camp Nou is the starkest statistic. The player anointed as Messi’s successor, Lamine Yamal, is already a European and world champion for Spain, so this is the next frontier. A soggy Wednesday evening at Camp Nou saw Hansi Flick’s team show their attacking chops remain of the highest quality in a 5-1 defeat of Feyenoord. The club presidential regime of Joan Laporta continues to pull levers to confound financial experts, with Gabriel Jesus, one of the summer’s arrivals, scoring his first Barca goal. Yamal got on the scoresheet via a scruffy free-kick after Raphinha had reminded there are further dimensions to that all-star attack, his first goal of his pair two sending Feyenoord defenders skidding.

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Forward’s spurned opportunity to level the match proved decisive in the Champions League newcomers’ loss to Manchester United

Football – like much of life – can be a story of what might have been, and on 39 minutes Joy-Lance Mickels had an experience that was a sliding doors moment for the centre-forward and Sabah that may haunt a long time.

Azerbaijan’s champions were trailing to Matheus Cunha’s opener when Kaheem Parris spiralled the ball up to the far post of Manchester United’s goal. The lurking Mickels had a gilded chance, unmarked and close-in, yet when the delivery dropped, the 32-year-old snatched at his header and the ball fell wide.

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• Ismail Kartal tells reporters he will leave ‘never to return’

• Club president: ‘I am his senior, I told him to continue’

The Fenerbahce head coach, Ismail Kartal, announced his resignation on Thursday after ⁠his team drew 1-1 at home to Roma in the Champions League – but minutes ⁠later, the club ⁠president ​said Kartal would stay in the job.

Kartal shocked the post-match press conference by claiming he was ⁠leaving Fenerbahce “never to return”. The 65-year-old added that he was taking the drastic decision “to clear the way for the club” – but the Fenerbahce president, Aziz Yildrim, quickly moved to play down his manager’s remarks.

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• Bayern Munich 5-0 Bodø/Glimt, Como 4-1 Leipzig

• Lens win 3-2 at Slavia Prague with last-gasp double

Bayern Munich opened their Champions League campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Norway’s Bodo/Glimt.

The six-times winners were frustrated before half-time by Bodo/Glimt but cruised once Jamal Musiala smashed in the opener two minutes into the second period and the floodgates opened.

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Goals from Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko and Lisandro Martínez gave United a comfortable victory in their opening game

It’s also worth noting that Patrick Dorgu starts at left-back tonight, for the first time under Carrick. Bought for Ruben Amorim, really he’s a specialist wing-back – not a defender because his awareness isn’t great, nor his ability to pass the ball out from the back, nor a winger because he lacks finesse and one-on-one ability – he starts at the back tonight mainly because Shaw is rested and there’s no better option. But if he’s to have a future as a starter, it feels much more likely it’ll be at the back than in attack – though, as we’ve seen he’s got a worldie in him.

Thinking more about that United defence, this is a big evening for Leny Yoro. He was pretty good in his first season at Old Trafford, but didn’t get to play much last; ultimately, Carrick couldn’t afford to risk him because he had a formula that worked – Maguire and Martinez, plus fast counters – with points to win and a job to secure.

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Valdas Dambrauskas takes Sabah to Manchester United after journeying from Lithuania and a game show win, via London pub work

Valdas Dambrauskas can reel off the questions and answers without a moment’s pause. Who won the first Academy Award for best actor in 1929? It was Emil Jannings, even if someone else might have been tempted to go with Charlie Chaplin. Which country publishes the highest number of daily newspapers? India was the clear winner. Can you name the nation that produces the most electricity per capita in the world? His family, watching back home, clasped heads in hands but he was right: back then, in 2002, the answer was his native Lithuania.

It was enough to win Dambrauskas about £725 in his appearance on Six Zeros – A Million, the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? “At that time it was quite big money,” he says. “I could have bought a flat in my home town; it was a very difficult period there and they were almost free. But my plan was to go to England and follow my dream to become a coach, and that’s how it started.”

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• Brazilian scores twice in 5-1 victory at Camp Nou

• Torres scores hat-trick as PSG thump Slovan Bratislava

Raphinha let his goals do the talking after being omitted from the Ballon d’Or shortlist, striking twice as Barcelona eased to a 5-1 win over Feyenoord in the Champions League.

The Brazilian was a surprise omission from this week’s 30-strong list of candidates for the prestigious award but brushed any disappointment aside to continue his early season hot streak at a rain-soaked Camp Nou. The forward finished brilliantly in the third minute and added a second just before the hour mark to down the Eredivisie side and take his tally to eight goals in six outings at the start of the campaign.

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Martin Ødegaard’s goal proved enough for Arsenal to start their campaign with three points

2 min: Arsenal are wearing red shorts. Full marks for considering those with colour blindness, and acting with compassion. It doesn’t look good, mind. It’s just not Arsenal.

After a moment to remember the victims of the devastating floods in Nepal, Arsenal get the ball rolling. A blistering atmosphere at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona; did anyone expect anything else?

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Liverpool came from behind to beat Atlético, while PSG walloped Slovan Bratislava and Chelsea won a wild League Cup tie with Leeds

In Barcelona, by the way, Shaqueel van Persie has come on for Feyenoord, making his European debut. Any idea who his old fella is?

On which point, have you seen Liam van Nistelrooy’s running gait?

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• United play Sabah, then Manchester City on Sunday

• ‘To win the Champions League was the ultimate’

Michael Carrick is excited to lead Manchester United on their return to the “magical” Champions League but admitted playing on Thursday night was “not ideal” with the derby on Sunday.

United welcome Sabah to Old Trafford after a two-year Champions League absence. The Azerbaijani club are making their debut among Europe’s elite, having been in existence for less than a decade.

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• Forward says incident was ‘a little interesting’

• Heading practice with Alf Inge helped with opener

Erling Haaland has claimed Pablo Rosario “grabbed my bottom” during Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Porto on Tuesday. The incident occurred in the 92nd minute, with Haaland having scored City’s goals. The forward and midfielder grappled, went to ground and were booked after being separated.

“I was really keen on a hat-trick and it seemed like he was very eager to stop me from getting it,” Haaland told Norway’s TV 2. “It was a little interesting, that – you’ll be seeing a picture where he’s grabbing my bottom. It’ll be interesting to see that picture.”

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Villa’s new centre forward Nicolas Jackson scored the decisive goal as they held firm to win a thriller in Bruges

Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice have been nominated for this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or while Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood have been nominated for the women’s award.

The 30 men’s and 30 women’s nominees were revealed by France Football magazine on Tuesday, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on 26 October. Ousmane Dembélé, who won the men’s award last year, has been nominated again, as has his France teammate Kylian Mbappé, who made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for all-time World Cup goals (22) at this summer’s tournament.

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Real Madrid edge Inter 2-1, while there are 3-2 wins for Borussia Dortmund over Villarreal and Real Betis at Lille

Inter, meanwhile, look solid. They’ve won three from three in Serie A, and will, I think, look to clutter the centre of the pitch. That’s another reason I’d like to have seen Diomande on from the start, but Mourinho has – unusually for him – done without a defensively-minded midfielder. I’m looking forward to seeing how Curtis Jones does, as I think he’s a good player who’ll thrive with regular selection and greater responsibility. And there’s no disputing the danger Inter offer up front; I don’t fancy either Madrid centre-back against Thuram and Martinez.

Our main focus here, though, will be on Madrid v Inter. Mourinho’s men lost at Betis last weekend, and are without the suspended Eduardo Camvinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler. As such Trent Alexander-Arnold comes in on the right of the central three – a move I doubt Aurelien Tchouameni likes all that much. I can’t say I think Alexander-Arnold is much use in that position – as Gary Neville once noted, most right-backs are failed midfielders – but he’s capable of creating something from nothing. I guess I’d quite like to see Yan Diomande on the right, but i’m not surprised Mourinho wants the extra body in midfield that Brahim Diaz can become.

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While it is not uncommon for Scottish Premiership sides to perform their own version of Brexit in August, something of a nadir seems to have been reached this time around. On Tuesday night, Celtic soiled the sheets against Lask in a spectacular act of self-sabotage, somehow contriving not to qualify for Bigger Cup’s league phase from a tie they led 4-0 on aggregate at one stage. While their humiliation was widely viewed as one for all of fitba, fans of Rangers won’t have shed any salty tears. However, their delight at the status of laughing stock visited upon their bitter rivals was hideously diminished when their own representatives from Ibrox travelled to Czechia, apparently under a banner that read “Haud our bevvies!”

Congratulations to the Reader Formerly Known as Phil Taverner on his letter o’ the day (Thursday’s letters). Not only did the name change bring him instant brand recognition, but, like ‘Sávio’ joining Spurs, it guarantees that any success from here on will be prizeless” – Justin Kavanagh.

Did Phil Taverner write both letters so he’d have a 100% chance of the prizeless win? If so, can I change my name to Phil Taverner?” – Julie Bebb.

May I be one of the 1,057 readers protesting against the display of not one, but two letters from Noble Francis yesterday. This is outrageous and flies in the face of established editorial standards! Also, in the spirit of Monty Python: I am Noble Francis, and so is my wife” – Rasteen Nowroozi.

Re: Thursday’s opening bombshell – ‘The transfer window isn’t an actual window.’ Mind blown! Thank you Football Daily for uncovering the truth” – Steve Mintz.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. 

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• Celtic lose to Lask in qualifier from 4-0 up on aggregate

• ‘That’s my team and that’s my responsibility,’ O’Neill says

Martin O’Neill has admitted Celtic’s Champions League qualifying collapse from 4-0 up ranks as one of his most painful nights as the club’s manager.

Celtic held a four-goal aggregate lead against Lask on Tuesday when Callum McGregor scored in the 21st minute in Austria, building on a 3-0 first-leg victory, and appeared to be cruising into the league stage. But they lost 5-1 on the night after extra time to go out in extraordinary fashion.

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