Champions League

The Race To 100 Champions League Goals

... Barcelona's seven goals in their demolition of Celtic at Camp Nou to take outright possession of the Champions League hat-tricks record that he had shared with Ronaldo. Messi bagged another treble (his fifth in tournament history) in his next outing, against Manchester City, before scoring again in the return leg at the Etihad. Then, after a double at Celtic Park, and a solitary strike against Borussia Monchengladbach on matchday six, Messi moved to 93 goals, just two behind Ronaldo. 'Messi won't leave Barcelona'. Unusually, both men failed to score when the Champions League resumed after the winter break, with Messi even failing to get a shot on target as Barcelona were sensationally routed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. That remarkable reversal means that Messi must make the most of what is likely to be ...

Dortmund Look To Overturn First-leg Defeat Against Benfica

... will come." His central defensive partner, Sokratis, agreed."Against Benfica, we will have to play 300 per cent better than we did against Leverkusen.". Dortmund will again be without long-term absentees Sebastian Rode and Sven Bender, while Mario Götze could be out for the rest of the season after doctors diagnosed a metabolic disorder. Marco Reus will also miss the match after tearing a muscle in his thigh against Leverkusen on Saturday and could be replaced by either André Schürrle or Christian Pulisic, both of whom made an impact off the bench at the weekend. Reus sustained yet another injury on Saturday. But Thomas Tuchel will be encouraged by his squad's strength in depth - 16 of Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga goals this season have come from substitutes, including seven goals and nine assists. Raphael Guerreiro, who was born in France but won the 2016 European Championships with Portugal alongside Benfica stars Eliseu und Rafa Silva, will have an important role to play in midfield. History is also on Dortmund's side. The Black and Yellows have won every one of their five previous home games against Portuguese opposition, including ...

Champions League Betting Tips

... Look at the extended home form in Europe and Barca have won their last 14. Meanwhile, they have won four a in a row since their humbling at the Parc des Princes, scoring 15 goals in the process, so have clearly regained some confidence, while the announcement from manager Luis Enrique that he will quit his post at the end of the season has failed to disrupt them. In fact their recent results have taken them back to the top of La Liga. But while it is possible to say Barca remain in the hunt for a quarter-final place, all I’ve written ignores the fact they were well and truly thumped in the first leg, looking far from the side which had been favourites to lift the trophy since the first ball was kicked back in the autumn. They were ripped apart by a highly impressive PSG display in which Angel Di Maria and Adrien Rabiot played significant parts, while up front Edinson Cavani proved a menace once again. With Thiago Silva now available, you can argue they are stronger (provided Di Maria and Thiago Motta shake off knocks) and while you can ...

English Clubs' Most Memorable Champions League Victories Except Finals

... a winning start in the Champions League group stages. Two months later, Newcastle lost 1-0 at Camp Nou and they went on to finish third in Group C, behind Dynamo Kiev and PSV Eindhoven respectively as Barca finished bottom. Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Manchester City's 5-3 victory over Monaco will live long in the memory of the club's supporters. The Citizens have had a love-hate relationship with the Champions League in recent years due to off-field incidents, but on-field the round of 16 clash was a stunning watch and will go down as one of City's and best remembered performances in the competition. English clubs have provided some entertainment in Europe's top competition since its rebranding in 1992. This got talk SPORT thinking about each club's greatest matches - barring the obvious triumphs in lifting the trophy. From Liverpool to Newcastle, Leeds United to Arsenal , Manchesters City and United and more - click the right arrow, above, to see each club's greatest Champions League matches*. Do you ...

Bayern Munich Set Sights On Final After Dismantling Arsenal

... Arsenal. Bayern Munich repeated the heroics of their first leg, dismantling Arsenal by the same scoreline in London. Arsenal started the match well, but collapsed in the second half after a red card. Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich (2-10 agg.). (Walcott 20' - Lewandowski 55' pen., Robben 68', Costa 78', Vidal 80', 85'). Labeled as Arsenal's European farewell game after the  thumping Bayern Munich handed them in the first leg , the second leg delivered as billed despite a promising start from the hosts. Laurent Koscielny's dismissal in the second half proved a turning point on a night when Arsenal made it seven consecutive seasons without reaching the Champions League quarterfinals. In the first 10 minutes, the home side couldn't reach the ball as Bayern controlled possession, occasionally probing down the right with Arjen Robben. Then Arsenal burst into life, with Theo Walcott nearly nicking an effort past an out-rushing Manuel Neuer before ...

Jose Mourinho Makes Shock Claim About Manchester United's Champions League Hopes

... and if we beat Rostov and we find ourselves in the quarter-final, then we have to think really seriously about the Europa League because in this moment we are still in the last 16. “The last 16 we are still far away (from winning the competition) but when a team gets to the quarter-final draw, you smell the final. “Then in a certain period of the season I have to analyse my team, the players, the conditions of everyone and if I have to make choices, I have to make choices, but choices that I would always share with my owners, with my board. “But it’s not for now, for now it’s just play against Rostov, play against Chelsea, play against Rostov again and then let’s see how we are in all the competitions, and try to make the right decisions.”. Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw have been left out of United’s 20-man squad, Henrikh Mkhitaryan does feature in the group but Eric Bailly is suspended after his dismissal in the last round against St Etienne. United will also have to contend with a poor playing surface in the ...

How Barcelona Can Beat Psg And Reach The Quarter-finals

... is that Barca have already made that big tactical change. In the time since the first leg when PSG had such superiority in the middle of the pitch, Luis Enrique has been experimenting - and, in the last two games against Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo, excelling - with a new formation. PSG will have to be aware Barca can so easily convert to a 3-4-3 or even a 3-4-1-2 with Leo Messi dropping back to do damage. With the way they can use someone like Sergi Roberto or Javier Mascherano to come into midfield from the back now, they have found different ways to create superiority in the middle - and then go at teams. They look so much more creative, so much more adventurous. For me, it has been the main evolution in Luis Enrique’s time at the club, and of course comes just as he announces he’s leaving. That might be frustrating, but there is a clear logic. Sometimes, what happens when you are successful is that you can stand still in the way you reached that success. You become attached to the ...

Man City-stoke Champions League Conflict Unavoidable

... list occasionally make it unavoidable,' a spokesman said. "UEFA itself has exacerbated the fixture challenges that English football faces, taking more Champions League and Europa League dates over the years while our competitions have remained the same.'. Pep Guardiola and Man City play a Premier League match against Stoke on the same night as two Champions League matches. Europe's governing body, meanwhile, will keep a close eye on the issues raised. "We don't comment on specific matches and UEFA reviews potential calendar clashes at the end of the season,' a UEFA spokesman said in a statement. "During the course of a season, we make sure that we are in close dialogue with the respective leagues and national associations.'. Manchester City's game against Stoke was moved after Pep Guardiola's men progressed to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup by beating Huddersfield 5-1 in a replay last week. Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes felt for the inconvenience imposed on their travelling fans. "We were in consultation with the Premier League and Manchester City for some weeks over the dates for this fixture. It does get difficult because of ...

Ranking The Top Players After Round Of 16's 1st Leg

... their 5-1 victory. Manchester City and AS Monaco were in an open battle at the Etihad Stadium; City's Raheem Sterling and Monaco's Bernardo Silva have different mandates starting on the right-hand side of midfield, but both were effective in those roles during an opulent, chaotic 5-3 Manchester City win. Left Midfielders, Left-Wingers and Left-Sided Forwards. 9 of 10. VI-Images/Getty Images. Real Madrid started their first leg with Napoli on shaky ground. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was found out by Lorenzo Insigne, and the hosts found themselves down 1-0. Real found their feet, though, got back into the tie and eventually won the match 3-1. Their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was crucial in that effort. Despite his name unwritten on the scoresheet, the Portuguese attacker was one of the key cogs in manager Zinedine Zidane's machine. Getting out of tricky situations, making the correct pass and finding pockets of time and space, ...