Category: UEFA Champions League

• ‘No one gives us a chance … we have to show the fight’

• Champions League first-leg loss was side’s 16th of season

Virgil van Dijk has compared the scale of Liverpool’s task against Paris Saint-Germain to that against Barcelona in 2019 but conceded belief may not be as strong in Arne Slot’s team amid an “unacceptable” season.

Liverpool require another remarkable Anfield comeback to salvage their Champions League aspirations after losing the first leg of their quarter-final against PSG 2-0 on Wednesday. The scoreline flattered the Premier League champions, who were outclassed at the Parc des Princes, yet Van Dijk is “100%” convinced the tie can be transformed on home soil. Memories of Barcelona in 2019 fuel the captain’s conviction.

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Julián Alvarez’s fine free-kick against 10-man Barça sparked Diego Simeone’s first managerial win at Camp Nou

“Diego Simeone has never won at Camp Nou,” says Karen Carney, alongside Cole on pundit duty. And there you have it. No time like the present, that’s what I say.

“It’s beauty and the beast,” says Joe Cole on TNT Sports of the contest that awaits. We know what Atlético are going to do tonight, they’ll “bank in”, make it nasty, they’ll be aggressive, and there’ll be all sorts of shenenigans going on.”

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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s delightful goal was the highlight of a dominant performance from the European champions

“I am beset by dread,” writes Joe Pearson, “and not in the ‘I am the law’ kind of way. Although admittedly PSG are giving off ‘You’re next, punk!’ vibes. IYKYK.”

While Arsenal were busy Arsenaling their way to a worthy but dull Bigger Cup quarter-final first leg win at Sporting on Tuesday, the players of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich released the collective handbrake and performed many high-speed donuts, wheel spins and Rockfords as a pleasing counterpoint to the careful mirror-signal-manoeuvring on display at Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade.

Like a couple of stolen supercars racing each other around a shopping mall in The Fast and the Furious: Bicester Village, these two European heavyweights massively committed to the bit, not unlike a daily football email bogged down in a laboured motoring metaphor.

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The world of soccer throws up no shortage of questions. Today, Graham Ruthven endeavors to answer three of them

There was a time when settling on the best male soccer player in the world was easy. Between 2008 and 2023, the answer was almost exclusively Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Luka Modrić and Karim Benzema disrupted the pair’s Ballon d’Or duopoly in 2018 and 2022, respectively, but the ballot during that period generally only had two names on it.

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Harry Kane’s goal gave Bayern the advantage despite a ferocious late rally from Real in a thrilling first leg

At the end of tonight’s game, a Real Madrid fan will charge onto the pitch, chin Harry Kane and flatten the referee Michael Oliver.

No, of course they won’t. But that is essentially what happened at the end of the first ever meeting between Real and Bayern. The footage is kinda bonkers: watch for the affronted gentleman who sprints into view from behind the goal.

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As the most played fixture in European competition looms once more, we look back on 50 years of thrills and spills

The Champions League’s answer to el clásico resumes in Madrid on Tuesday. Real Madrid v Bayern Munich is the most played fixture in European competition: 28 matches and counting, including 13 knockout ties. Here are six of the best.

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• Lens were opposed to moving the Ligue 1 game

• The top two sides will now play on 13 May

Paris Saint-Germain’s visit to Lens, potentially a crucial encounter in the Ligue 1 title race, has been postponed to give PSG more time to prepare for their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.

The match between the top two teams in France’s top division – PSG lead Lens by a point – was scheduled for 11 April but will now take place on 13 May, three days before the final round of fixtures.

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Theories range from obvious mismatches to Premier League clubs not being able to defend from open play

There were 68 goals in the last 16 of the Champions League, which is not only a lot but goes against the trend of the previous four seasons. What’s going on? Has football suddenly become more attacking again? This surely can’t all be down to Premier League sides struggling to defend against teams who don’t just rely on corners but actually attack from open play, can it?

An average of 4.25 goals a game is highly unusual, particularly given the recent context. Before 2008-09 there was only one season when the knockout phase of the Champions League yielded more than three goals a game; between 2008-09 and 2019-20 there was only one season when goals per game dipped below three. There then followed four campaigns in which the average did not climb above 2.72 (and in 2022-23, it was as low as 2.34), before bouncing back to 3.29 last season (including the playoff round). The playoff round this season produced 3.94 goals per game – and there were no Premier League teams involved; this is not purely an English issue.

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Only two of the Premier League’s last-16 teams made it to the quarter-finals while European giants are coming into form when it matters

Another traumatic week for the self-worth of the Premier League, one in which Europe’s big beasts got into their stride. The defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain, put on a devastating display at Chelsea. Bradley Barcola’s goal, their second, was the highlight of a 3-0 win. Barcelona ran out 7-2 winners over Newcastle, having been level at half-time at 2-2, 3-3 on aggregate. Real Madrid continue to be Pep Guardiola’s great tormentors, with Vinícius Júnior getting both goals at Manchester City. His crybaby celebration was aimed at those City supporters who mocked him after Rodri pipped the Brazilian to the Ballon d’Or in 2024. Bayern Munich continue to look irresistible. Harry Kane scored twice, and Lennart Karl’s strike continued his trajectory as German football’s next big thing in a 4-1 win over Atalanta, a mighty 10-2 on aggregate.

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Two-goal display against Atlético gives Tudor hope his playmaker can inspire strugglers to Premier League safety

The kind of night that saves a season? That might be pushing it. A comeback for the ages was on, then off, then on again for a little while: a flickering traffic light that, like Tottenham’s season to date, stopped ultimately on red. But they will hoover up any morsels of hope at this point and at least, when a considerably sub‑capacity crowd applauded them off at the end, the appreciation was deservedly heartfelt. If the adage goes that a win can work wonders, perhaps Igor Tudor will be able to cajole a brand of magic now that he has finally achieved one.

Most of the inspiration here, on a night when nobody let a customarily depleted Spurs down, came from the sparkly feet of Xavi Simons. His year in north London has taken on the same stuttering pattern, weeks of liftoff and others of inconsequence. He had started Tudor’s first two games, a reward of sorts for the dynamic form that could not ultimately save Thomas Frank, but his new manager’s affections had quickly waned. Recalled to chase an essentially lost cause, Simons’ task was to display the ingenuity and drive that might propel Spurs out of peril in the longer term.

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This game and the entire tie swung on a late first-half penalty … and how

1 min: Gordon dribbles down the left and spins Eric Garcia, who is fortunate not to get booked for a pull of the shirt. But it is a free kick in a dangerous position, just to the left of the Barca box. Tonali to take.

Newcastle United get the ball rolling. Whistles as they pass it about the back.

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• City winger says beating Arsenal would be ‘a good cure’

• Real Madrid won last-16 tie 5-1 on aggregate

Jérémy Doku has said that beating Arsenal in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final would be a “good cure” for Manchester City’s elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid. Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium knocked City out 5-1 on aggregate and Doku is focusing on defeating Arsenal at Wembley.

“It’s a good cure,” the winger said. “We’ll do everything to win that game and to win a trophy. There’s still a lot to play for. We’re in three competitions, three trophies to win. If we do that it’s still going to be a great season.

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“In football anything is possible,” was Pep Guardiola’s rallying cry and while Manchester City failed to pull off a Lazarus act for the ages, this was a definite one-off wonder of a contest that thrilled all witnesses.

Particularly, the first 45 minutes of mayhem headlined by Vinícius Júnior apparently being ruled offside by the referee, Clément Turpin, then onside, which meant Bernardo Silva was then penalised for handball, sent off, and the Brazilian then scored from the spot. Further entertainment also derived from a Guardiola yellow card, Erling Haaland’s equaliser, and a slew of goalmouth incident that mostly continued after the break – including late finishes from Rayan Aït-Nouri and Fede Valverde that were ruled offside, and one from Vinícius that counted.

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Sporting staged a stunning comeback to beat Bodø/Glimt 5-0 after extra time and reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 5-3 aggregate victory in their last-16 tie.

Trailing 3-0 from the first leg in Norway, Sporting attacked from the kick-off and went ahead in the 34th minute when Gonçalo Inácio headed in from Francisco Trincão’s corner.

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Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scored pearlers as Arsenal eased into the quarters, where they’ll face comeback kings Sporting Club

Arsenal v Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal make two changes to their starting line-up in Leverkusen. Ben White comes in at right-back for the injured Jurriën Timber, while Leandro Trossard replaces the benched Gabriel Martinelli. Kasper Hjulmand names the same starting XI.

The comeback’s definitely on now! Geny Catamo sprays a lovely ball down the right wing for Luis Suárez, who delivers an inch-perfect low cross into the middle. Pedro Gonçalves, steaming down the inside-left channel, doesn’t need to break stride before blasting home from 12 yards. Lovely sweeping move!

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