Tag: UEFA Champions League

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SHAKTAR 2-0 REAL MADRID: SHAKTAR GRAB COMFORTABLE HOME WIN AS ZIDANE’S MEN DROP TO THIRD ON GROUP B TABLE.

Real Madrid’s Champions League hopes are hanging in the balance after they lost 2-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, leaving them third in Group B with one round of games remaining.

The 13-times European champions went behind in the 57th minute when Shakhtar substitute Dentinho capitalised on a lapse in concentration by Raphael Varane to score in an empty Olympic Stadium, where Madrid won their last Champions League in 2018.

Israeli forward Manor Solomon then wrapped up the home side’s shock win over the Spaniards in the 82nd with a solo run on the counter and finish into the bottom corner.

Dentinho came on in the first half to replace striker Junior Moraes, who was injured after being hauled down by Varane in a bid to prevent the forward racing towards goal unchallenged.

Shakhtar, who beat Madrid 3-2 away in October, are second in Group B on seven points, level with Zinedine Zidane’s side but above them due to their superior head-to-head record.

Real host leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach next week in their final game when Shakhtar visit bottom side Inter Milan.

Madrid’s run of qualifying from the group stage for a record 23 consecutive seasons is in serious danger but Zidane vowed to fight on, dismissing suggestions he could resign as he did in May 2018 after lifting a third straight Champions League crown.

“I’m optimistic. This is a difficult moment but we need to show our character now and stand tall,’ he said.

‘What happened today is a real shame because we did not deserve it but we have to win our next game. We’re going to believe in ourselves and we’re going to fight, you can be sure about that,’ he added at the post-match news conference.

The Spanish champions pulled off a 2-0 win at Inter in their last European game while the Ukrainians were hammered 4-0 away to Gladbach, though Zidane’s side were brought back to earth with Saturday’s shock 2-1 home loss to Alaves in La Liga.

Real were missing record signing Eden Hazard after another injury to the Belgian and were still without captain Sergio Ramos, though they were boosted by the return of Karim Benzema.

They looked the better side before the interval and nearly scored an early goal when Marco Asensio hit the post from a tight angle, but the second half belonged to Shakhtar who savoured another upset win over the kings of European football.

Shakhtar’s Solomon said: ‘It’s been a great match and great result for us. Six points in two games against Real is a dream come true. Now we have a good chance to qualify for the knockout stage but we have a very tough game with Inter ahead of us.’

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I’M NOT QUITTING: ZIDANE VOWS TO REMAIN AT MADRID DESPITE RUN OF POOR FORM.

Zinedine Zidane says he wants to fight on as Real Madrid manager after a 2-0 Champions League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk left the team’s chances of qualifying for the round of 16 in serious doubt.

Second-half goals from substitutes Dentinho and Manor Solomon saw Madrid beaten for the second time by the Ukrainians, after they opened their European campaign with a 3-2 home defeat in October.

The result in Kiev put Shakhtar level on points with Madrid, with both teams nervously eyeing Tuesday’s other Group B match between Borussia Monchengladbach and Inter Milan.

The final matchday on Dec. 9 sees Madrid host group leaders Monchengladbach, and Shakhtar travel to Inter.

“No. Not at all. I won’t resign,” Zidane said in his postmatch news conference, when asked if he was considering his future. “We’ll keep going. … In the first half we were really good. I think we deserved to score first, that would have changed things. Their goals hurt us a lot.”

Madrid have now lost five of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with La Liga defeats to Cadiz, Valencia and Alaves combining with home and away Champions League losses to Shakhtar to leave Zidane under significant pressure.

“We’ve had complicated moments and we always will,” Zidane said. “We’re on a bad run of results. That’s the reality. But we have to keep going. … I think we prepared well, we played a great first half. We have one game left and we have to win and think about going through.”

Madrid now face a testing run of fixtures, as they go away to top-four contenders Sevilla in La Liga, face Monchengladbach in a must-win Champions League clash, and then face Atletico Madrid in the derby, all in a week.

“I feel strong. I’ll give everything, as always, I think the players will too,” Zidane said. “The other day [against Alaves] we didn’t deserve to win. I think today we played a good game, but that’s football. We have to keep our heads up and think about the next game. When you’re on a bad run there’s no alternative … we have to show our character and our pride.”

While Karim Benzema returned to the team Tuesday night, Madrid are still waiting for captain Sergio Ramos to recover from injury, and Eden Hazard was ruled out for three weeks Monday because of a thigh muscle problem.

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PORTO 0-0 MANCITY: PEP GUARDIOLA’S SIDE HELD TO A DRAW AS GABRIEL JESUS LATE GOAL CANCELED OUT BY VAR.

Pep Guardiola has spent the past few days telling his Manchester City squad to forget about the notion of Premier League rotation now they are match sharp.

So with Champions League qualification already sealed, Tuesday night effectively acted as a trial for tasks to come.

Seven of them had watched on as City slapped five past Burnley and the challenge was to force a way into the team for Fulham. Or more pertinently, the one heading for Old Trafford in just over a week’s time.

Ultimately they carved enough chances to maintain their 100 per cent record but those all arrived rather late on a fairly dry night.

It will certainly be interesting to see how many have enhanced their chances following Guardiola’s first goalless draw in Europe since 2015. Despite all that, the City boss appeared happy enough.

‘They showed me today that everybody s fit, everybody is ready,’ he said with bite.

‘So I can trust these players who played today and Burnley. They have competition between them now. That is good news.’

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MON 2-3 INTER: ROMELU LUKAKU BRACE KEEPS INTERMILAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES ALIVE.

Internazionale forward Romelu Lukaku scored twice in the second half to secure a 3-2 win at Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday and keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive with Group B still wide open with one round of games left.

The Belgium international has proved a lifesaver for Inter, having also scored twice, including a last-minute equaliser, in their 2-2 draw with the Germans in Italy on the first matchday.

Lukaku fired home for a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute at Borussia Park and tapped in his second goal nine minutes later to make it 3-1, with Inter now needing a win in their last group match against Shakhtar Donetsk to have any chance of advancing.

“You need to be a great group [of players], otherwise you don’t come here and win against this Borussia side in great form,” said Inter coach Antonio Conte.

“We had a great performance, we fully deserved to win. We just could avoid some risks at the end but we are still alive and this is what counts the most.”

Gladbach are top on eight points, one ahead of Shakhtar and Real Madrid after the Ukrainians earlier beat the visiting Spaniards 2-0. Inter are bottom on five. All four teams will battle to reach the last 16 on the final matchday.

Inter were rewarded for their strong start with Matteo Darmian slotting the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 17th minute.

The Germans found their footing after half an hour and, despite frantic shouts of “calma, calma” from Inter coach Antonio Conte echoing across the empty stadium, the Italians lost their grip on the game.

Alassane Plea headed home the equaliser in first-half stoppage time but as the hosts edged closer to a second goal after the break, Lukaku struck with a powerful shot across the area into the far corner.

He then completed a quick move with an easy tap in.

Monchengladbach were not done yet and Plea cut the deficit in the 76th while eight minutes later the Frenchman had an effort disallowed by VAR for an offside in the area.

“We’d have liked to get points from this game. We didn’t manage that and we’re very disappointed,” said Gladbach coach Marco Rose, who was furious over the offside decision.

Asked what he had told the referee in an agitated manner at the end of the game, Rose replied: “Merry Christmas.”

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ATLETICO 1-1 BAYERN: THOMAS MULLER LATE STRIKE EARNS THE GERMAN GIANTS A POINT.

Thomas Müller came off the bench to win and convert a late penalty for Bayern Munich as they held Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, preventing the Spanish side from booking their place in the knockout stages.

Bayern were already guaranteed their spot in the Last 16 as Group A winners, meaning coach Hansi Flick had the luxury of rotating his squad at the Wanda Metropolitano: Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka were rested, with Müller, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Benjamin Pavard on the bench.

A much-changed line-up – including teenagers Jamal Musiala and Bright Arrey-Mbi – rather struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages, although Leroy Sane should have done better than blast over the bar after neat work from Douglas Costa.

Atletico soon took control of proceedings and went ahead midway through the half, when Joao Felix stabbed home Marcos Llorente’s cross at the near post. Musiala almost drilled in a world-class effort from outside the area after ghosting past Mario Hermoso, but the home side continued to enjoy the lion’s share of the chances, and could have increased their lead by the break.

Diego Simeone’s men picked up where they left off in the second half, with Felix and Yannick Carrasco going close, although Lucas Hernandez almost brought Bayern level against his former club, heading over from a corner.

Flick made a triple substitution just after the hour mark, bringing on Müller, Gnabry and Chris Richards, and the tide soon began to turn in the visitors’ favour. Müller went close on 74 minutes when Gnabry scooped a ball into the Atletico area, but home keeper Jan Oblak was able to clear the danger.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, however, the Bayern No.25 was brought down inside by the area by substitute Felipe and the referee awarded a penalty. Müller dusted himself off and slammed it home, meaning that the reigning European champions remain unbeaten in this competition since a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in March 2019.

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LIVERPOOL 1-0 AJAX: CURTIS JONES SECOND HALF GOAL SECURES CRUCIAL WIN FOR KLOPP SIDE.

A fine Curtis Jones goal was enough to give Liverpool a 1-0 win over Ajax with the victory confirming the Reds’ progression into the Champions League knockout stages as group winners.

The game got off to a pulsating start with Jones hitting the post five minutes in. Ajax had several chances of their own in the first half with Champions League debutant Caoimhin Kelleher being kept busy in the Liverpool goal.

After the break, the Reds managed to poke their noses in front with two academy graduates combining; Neco Williams swung in a looping cross and a stranded Andre Onana could only watch as Jones provided a cute finish from the angle to put the Reds 1-0 up.

After substitute Roberto Firmino missed a gilt-edged chance, the Reds had Kelleher to thanks late on with the Irishman, making a point-blank save to deny Klaas- Jan Hunteelar’s header.

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Jurgen Klopp has no regrets despite Atalanta BC loss

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had no regrets over the selection gamble which backfired in a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atalanta and insisted he would do it again.

The Reds boss made five changes from Sunday’s victory over Leicester, including altering three of his back four, and paid for it with a first defeat at Anfield in 90 minutes since Chelsea triumphed there in September 2018.

It was Klopp’s heaviest loss in 137 matches at Anfield, the Reds’ worst since losing 3-0 to West Ham in August 2015, and the first time since data began to be collected in 2003 that they failed to record a single shot on target in a home Champions League game.

Even the return of Mohamed Salah after his positive Covid-19 test could not lift the side out of their torpor as second-half goals from Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens ensured there would be no option for Klopp to rest players in both of their final two group games.

“We made five changes, it was very important we did that, and in the end it didn’t work out and that is part of the deal. I would do it again,” he said.

“(We had) no real rhythm, first half was not a good game at all, they were not good as well. We spoke about it but second half it didn’t look like it (would change) and that is why we changed early.

“A second before we could change (Klopp was in the process of making a quadruple substitution) they scored the first goal, in a space which we knew they tried to use and we couldn’t defend in that moment.

“We had better football moments but not good enough. If you don’t have a shot on target that is never a good sign.”

Victory over Ajax next week would still guarantee safe passage and with December’s schedule, Klopp will want to avoid the nightmare scenario of having something to play for with the final game against Midtjylland.

“If I would think like this then it would be great. It is tricky, sounds easy to beat Ajax but with all the challenges we face in this country on top of the normal challenges we face already,” he added.

“My concern isn’t that I think about Ajax; we go in a few hours to play Brighton. When this game is over we start to think about Ajax.”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, whose side were beaten 5-0 in the reverse fixture three weeks ago, hailed the win as the club’s most prestigious.

“Obviously this is something which will be written in the pages of history,” he said.

“They haven’t lost a Premier League game in 64 matches. This is perhaps our biggest ever victory in our history, certainly our most prestigious.

“We were more solid in defence this time around because the defence was better protected with more players in midfield.

“This is the solution we opted for as we thought it was appropriate for this game.”

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Champions League roundup: Real Madrid pick up vital win while Liverpool lose at home

Atalanta rebounded from their 5-0 thumping by Liverpool three weeks ago as goals from Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens gave the Serie A side a shock victory over the Reds in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Liverpool were merciless in Bergamo earlier this month and could have guaranteed their passage to the knockout stages with a fourth successive Group D victory, but they were out of sorts at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp made five changes and the gamble backfired as Ilic turned in Papu Gomez’s cross from the left on the hour before Gosens side-footed home a Hans Hateboer header in the 64th minute to give Atalanta a 2-0 win.

They became the first team to win at Anfield in 90 minutes since Chelsea in September 2018 on an evening where Liverpool failed to register a shot on target even though Mohamed Salah returned to the starting line-up.

Atalanta leaving Merseyside with a surprise win threw the group wide open as the Italian side moved to within two points of group-topping Liverpool, with Ajax doing likewise after overcoming pointless FC Midtjylland 3-1.

After a goalless first half, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui were on-target within five minutes of the restart in Amsterdam before David Neres struck midway through the second period.

The visitors pulled one back through Awer Mabil’s penalty but finished the contest with 10 men following Erik Sviatchenko’s red card in time added-on.

Phil Foden scored the only goal as Manchester City secured their place in the last-16 yet again with a 1-0 victory over Olympiacos in Greece.

The 20-year-old turned home from a Raheem Sterling flick in the 36th minute as City maintained their 100 per cent record in Group C and reached the last 16 with two matches to spare.

The Greek champions were stubborn opponents at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus but City, who created a number of clear-cut opportunities, were never in danger of slipping up.

Porto have one foot in the knockout stage after overcoming Marseille 2-0 in a tempestuous affair in France, where both sides finished the match with 10 men.

Zaidu Sanusi opened the scoring for the visitors by netting a rebound for his first Porto goal six minutes from half-time although Marseille were given a boost when Marko Grujic was sent off midway through the second half.

Moments later though, Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi was given his marching orders after a foul on Moussa Marega in the area, leading to Sergio Oliveira slotting home from the spot in the 72nd minute.

Eden Hazard’s seventh-minute penalty plus Achraf Hakimi’s own goal just before the hour mark gave Real Madrid a 2-0 Group B victory at Inter Milan.

The Serie A side had Arturo Vidal sent off after the Chilean midfielder picked up two yellow cards within seconds of each other, the second after appearing to square up to Premier League referee Anthony Taylor.

Madrid remain one point behind Borussia Monchengladbach, who maintained their place atop the group with a 4-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Lars Stindl’s penalty was followed by goals from Nico Elvedi, Breel Embolo and Oscar Wendt.

Bayern Munich guaranteed they will finish top of Group A as they overcame Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 for their fourth successive win – which came despite the dismissal of Marc Roca.

Robert Lewandowski’s opener and and own goal from Maximilian Wober gave the Bundesliga giants a cushion, and shortly after Roca’s dismissal, Leroy Sane added a third. Mergim Berisha claimed a consolation for Salzburg.

Elsewhere in the group, Atletico Madrid drew a blank against Lokomotiv Moscow.

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DIOGO JOTA NAMED CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK.

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has won the Champions League Player of the Week award following his hat-trick against Atalanta BC.

The No.20 continued his stellar form in front of goal with a treble in the Group D tie to help the Reds to a 5-0 win that maintained their 100 per cent record.

Jota won an online poll for the prize, seeing off competition from Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach), Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) and Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla).

The Portugal international has four goals in total in this season’s tournament.

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LEIPZIG MAKE FANTASTIC COME BACK TO BEAT 9-MAN PSG.

RB Leipzig fought back to beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at home in a pulsating Champions League Group H clash on Wednesday that kept them on course for a round-of-16 spot while putting the French side, who finished the game with nine men, in a precarious position.

Angel Di Maria had given PSG an early lead, but he then missed a penalty and goals from Christopher Nkunku and Emil Forsberg turned the encounter on its head.

The outcome left Leipzig second in the group on six points from three games, the same tally as leaders Manchester United who beat them 5-0 in the previous round but suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir earlier in the day.

Third-placed PSG, who beat Leipzig 3-0 in last season’s one-off semifinal in August, have three points, level with bottom of the table Basaksehir.

PSG made a bright start as Di Maria gave them a sixth-minute lead, threading the ball past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with the outside of his foot from close range after he was put through by Moise Kean.

That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors, who had Idrissa Gueye and Presnel Kimpembe sent off in the second half for two bookable fouls.

It all started going downhill for last season’s Champions League runners-up after Gulacsi superbly saved Di Maria’s 16th-minute penalty given after Kean’s shot struck centre back Dayot Upamecano on the arm.

Di Maria and Kean then had goals ruled out for offside in quick succession before Nkunku levelled out of the blue in the 42nd minute with a crisp low shot from the edge of the area following good work by Angelino.

Forsberg missed a gilt-edged chance for Leipzig early in the second half but made no mistake with a 57th-minute penalty awarded after defender Kimpembe handled a seemingly innocuous Angelino cross.

From there on things only got worse for PSG as Gueye was sent off in the 68th minute and Kimpembe also received his marching orders in stoppage time, as the visitors ran out of steam.

PSG showed plenty of attacking flair in the opening half but ultimately missed injured forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as well as striker Mauro Icardi, with midfielders Julian Draxler and Marco Verratti also sidelined.

Forsberg was delighted Leipzig ground out what may turn out to be a priceless win in their bid to reach the knockout stages.

“It was an important goal and an important win,” the Swedish forward said.

“I’m proud of the team and the performance. It’s not easy to play against such a top team, but we played with courage. We were hungry and desperate to win, which I think you could see on the pitch today.”