TheNewsGuru

Tag: UCL

  • UCL: Dortmund set up PSG rematch after epic win over Atletico

    UCL: Dortmund set up PSG rematch after epic win over Atletico

    Borussia Dortmund are relishing a rematch with Paris St Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.

    This was after knocking out Atletico Madrid in a thrilling tie on Tuesday to set up a meeting with the French side they played in the group stage.

    Dortmund overturned a 2-1 deficit from their quarter-final first leg against Atletico to win 5-4 on aggregate.

    They will now renew their acquaintance with PSG, who beat Barcelona 6-4 over two legs to book their semi-final berth.

    Dortmund coach Edin Terzic feels his side, who won the Champions League in 1997, are now better prepared to face the French champions.

    This was after the Germans lost away and drew at home in the group stage.

    “Our first game against them wasn’t good. In the second game, we adjusted to them better and were closer to victory.

    “I think we’re a better team today than we were against them in the group stage,” Terzic said, following the win over Atletico.

    Midfielder Julian Brandt, who opened the scoring in the first half for Dortmund, could scarcely believe that his side had made it through to the last four after taking a two goal-lead, conceding two goals, and then scoring twice more.

    “It was a crazy game for the fans and for us. A great game for us, for our fans and for all football fans around the world,” he said after receiving his man-of-the-match award.

    “It’s going to be very serious now against Paris. We played well against them at home in the group stage, but not well away. We want to do better now and, of course, reach the final,” he added.

    For striker Niclas Fuellkrug, who also got on the scoresheet, the Champions League semi-finals will be a new experience.

    “I’ve never played at this level before and I’m very proud to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League with my team,” he said.

    “Things will certainly be different against Paris than in the group stage.”

  • Mbappe reacts after helping PSG secure UCL semifinals spot

    Mbappe reacts after helping PSG secure UCL semifinals spot

    Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe has said that helping his hometown club to finally win their first Champions League title is a matter of pride for him.

    This was after he scored twice to help guide his side to a 4-1 comeback win at FC Barcelona and into the semi-finals with a 6-4 aggregate victory on Tuesday.

    Mbappe, who is set to leave PSG in the summer with Real Madrid as the biggest favourite to sign him, told reporters that his future is not in his mind and that his focus is totally on bringing glory to the French capital.

    “I have the dream of winning the Champions League for Paris,” Mbappe told reporters at Barcelona Olympic stadium on Tuesday.

    “I’m proud to be at PSG since the first day. It’s not because there are good times and bad times that my pride takes a hit.

    “The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it’s something special for me who grew up there.

    “To experience an evening like this one as a Parisian, it’s great. We have one more step to go before we reach the final in Wembley, so we need to stay calm.”

    After loosing 3-2 in the first leg in Paris, PSG fought-back down 1-0 at FC Barcelona after the locals went down to 10 men just before the half-hour.

    This was when last man Ronald Araujo was red-carded for fouling Bradley Barcola.

    Former FC Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele equalised for the visitors just before the break while Vitinha and Mbappe finished the job in the second half.

    The result meant PSG would face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals after the Germans beat Atletico Madrid also on Tuesday.

    PSG achieved success having failed to get past the round of 16 in the last two seasons and being pinned against the ropes by a FC Barcelona side who were in the ascendancy.

    The Parisian put on a gritty performance to make the most of the home side’s mistakes and turn the tie around.

    “We beat a great team this evening, but even if we had lost, I would be proud to be Parisian. Now it’s certain that during evenings like this, the pride is even greater,” Mbappe said.

    “We are very happy, we beat a team that we wanted to beat and to be closer to the final.

    “This one is for the fans that came here to support us and those back home. It’s a night to be proud.”

  • UCL: PSG favourite to win trophy despite their 3-2 loss – Xavi

    UCL: PSG favourite to win trophy despite their 3-2 loss – Xavi

    Despite leading Barcelona to defeat them at home,Xavi Hernandez, has insisted Paris Saint-Germain remain favourites to qualify for the semi-final of the Champions League.

    The Manager spoke after his side beat PSG 3-2 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday night.

    Raphinha grabbed a brace and substitute Andreas Christensen headed the winner, to give Barca the edge ahead of the second leg next week.

    PSG are still the favourites,” Xavi said in his postgame news conference.

    “I’m very proud, everything worked well. We have to improve our concentration in the first minutes of the second half.

    “We managed to mature and recover from a match that became very difficult.”

    Barcelona are seeking to reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2019 following back-to-back group-stage exits.

  • UCL: PSG coach reacts after losing to FC Barcelona

    UCL: PSG coach reacts after losing to FC Barcelona

    Paris St Germain manager, Luis Enrique, said he is still confident his team can overcome a 3-2 home loss to FC Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final.

    Enrique hopes PSG can shine against the Spanish side next week to progress.

    Still looking for a first Champions League crown, PSG gave up a 2-1 lead late in the second half on Wednesday against an FC Barcelona side who made the most of the chances they had.

    The result meant FC Barcelona earned a narrow advantage for the return leg in Spain.

    “It is clear that all defeats hurt and annoy, but I believe we played a good game against a very strong team,” Luis Enrique told a press conference.

    “We are only going to change the things that didn’t work, we always have to appreciate what a match of this magnitude means.

    “We’re going to Barcelona with a lot of desire. It’s a positive point of view to think that we can win there. It’s going to be a final for us. I’m confident in my team.”

    Luis Enrique refused to comment on Kylian Mbappe’s performance, as the France captain was shackled by Barcelona’s defence and had little impact on the game.

    The Spanish manager, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015, said his side deserved to win and that Barca were not necessarily favourites even with a win in hand and the home field advantage.

    “We are going to go to Barcelona to fight a war,” he said.

    “I never see the opposition as favourites, whoever they are. In top-level competition, that’s how I see it. And I will continue to believe that we will go to Barcelona to win the game.

    “I repeat. We could have won this game. (Football) is about small details and let’s hope that the small details go our way in the second leg.”

  • UCL: Barcelona stun PSG 3-2 in Paris, Atletico edge Dortmund 2-1 in Spain

    UCL: Barcelona stun PSG 3-2 in Paris, Atletico edge Dortmund 2-1 in Spain

    Barcelona football club on Wednesday defeated Paris Saint German 3-2 to win the first leg of its Champions League quarter-final away from home.

    Raphinha opened the floodlight of goals at the Parc des Princes, but the hosts went in front thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha.

    Barca levelled the game through another Raphinha goal, before Andreas Christensen headed in the winner.

    Elsewhere,  Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino gave Atletico a two-goal advantage over Dortmund.

    Visiting Borussia Dortmund reduced the deficit through  Ivorian striker Sebastien Haller’s smart finish.

    The reverse fixtures in both Spain and Germany will be played next week Tuesday.

     

  • UCL: How Manchester United may qualify for Champions League if they finish outside top four

    UCL: How Manchester United may qualify for Champions League if they finish outside top four

    Newly introduced rule by UEFA could help Manchester United qualify for the Champions League even if they finish on 6th position.

    However, United’s luck is hinged on West Ham’s winning the Europa League and finishing on 5th position on the log according to reports on talkSPORTS

    The Red Devils are currently 11 points adrift from both fourth-placed Tottenham and fifth-placed Aston Villa.

    United have failed to win any of their last three league games and with seven games left to play, a top-four finish is fading into the distance.

    Despite this, Erik ten Hag’s men could still miraculously qualify for the Champions League.

    England are poised to receive an additional spot in next year’s Champions League  due to the expansion of the competition, two leagues will earn an extra place in Europe’s top club competition.

  • UCL: Kane returns to haunt Arsenal as Bayern Munich earn 2-2 draw

    UCL: Kane returns to haunt Arsenal as Bayern Munich earn 2-2 draw

    Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane returned to north London to score his customary goal against Arsenal, as the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie ended 2-2 on Tuesday.

    The former Tottenham Hotspur player, so often Arsenal’s nemesis in north London derbies, stroked home a penalty in the 32nd minute as the Bundesliga side hit back to lead 2-1.

    Premier League leaders Arsenal, playing in their first Champions League quarter-final for 14 years, had gone in front early on with a clinical Bukayo Saka strike.

    But Bayern, whose reign as German champions is as good as over as they trail Bayer Leverkusen by 16 points, showed they remain a European force to be reckoned with.

    Arsenal were stunned as their former striker Serge Gnabry levelled six minutes later and Kane rolled home his 39th goal of an incredible first season for Bayern.

    This was after Leroy Sane was brought down by William Saliba in the box.

    Mikel Arteta’s side ensured they will head to Bavaria next Wednesday full of hope as substitute Leandro Trossard equalised in the 76th minute to leave the tie hanging in the balance.

    The return of Kane, who scored a record 14 goals for Tottenham in the north London derby, to one of his favourite haunts was the big pre-match talking point.

    And he duly silenced the Arsenal jeers.

    “It wasn’t an easy game,” Kane said. “Arsenal are a really good team.

    “They’re top of the Premier League right now so we had to dig deep at times but it’s a good result and hopefully we can make the difference at home.”

    Predictably, Kane was booed every time he touched the ball although the England captain was hardly involved in the early exchanges as Arsenal seized the initiative.

    Six-time champions Bayern, seeking salvation in Europe after a poor domestic season, were handicapped by having no fans inside the Emirates Stadium as punishment for their supporters throwing fireworks in the previous round.

    They went behind in the 12th minute when Ben White played the ball inside to Saka who picked his spot and curled a low left-footed shot beyond Manuel Neuer.

    White should have made it 2-0 soon afterwards but shot straight at Neuer and then Arsenal’s defence, so impregnable in the Premier League of late, suddenly went missing.

    They carelessly lost possession in the 18th minute and Bayern punished them as Leon Goretzka fed a perfect pass to Gnabry who clipped a finish past the on-rushing David Raya.

    Sane was then allowed to run and run from deep before being toppled by Saliba and referee Glenn Nyberg had the simplest decision to point to the penalty spot.

    The 60,000 crowd suddenly went quiet as memories of heavy European defeats by Bayern, notably a 10-2 aggregate defeat in the last 16 in 2017, flooded back.

    It would have gotten worse but for a goal-saving tackle by White on Sane.

    Bayern, with another former Spurs player Eric Dier impressive in defence, looked comfortable after the break.

    Arteta sent on Trossard and Gabriel Jesus just past the midway point of the second half. They combined in the 76th minute as Jesus fed Trossard to slot a low shot inside the post.

    A frantic ending saw Bayern substitute Kingsley Coman strike the post from close range while the game ended with Arsenal screaming for a penalty.

    This was after Saka went down in the area claiming he was fouled by Neuer.

    “We’ve got a draw so the situation is clear, the winner moves on,” Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel said.

    “We need the same devotion, passion and quality as we had tonight – and we’ll get through.”

    Security was stepped up ahead of the game after Islamic State threatened drone attacks on Europe’s top club tournament.

  • UCL: Real Madrid held by Manchester City at home in 6-goal thriller

    UCL: Real Madrid held by Manchester City at home in 6-goal thriller

    Real Madrid and Manchester City played  out a thrilling 3-3 draw in a  Champions League quarter-final clash under the Bernabeu stadium roof on Tuesday.

    The result left the tie between the last two holders of the trophy wide open for the second leg.

    Federico Valverde salvaged a draw for Real Madrid late on after Manchester City had taken a 3-2 lead with sumptuous strikes from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol.

    This was following a Ruben Dias own goal and Rodrygo strike that gave the hosts a halftime lead in Spain’s capital.

    The noisy home crowd had been left stunned after two minutes.

    This was when Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva took advantage of a one-man wall to drill a low free kick from 40 metres just inside Andriy Lunin’s post to give the visitors the lead.

    It was a schoolboy error by the Ukrainian who seemed to have been waiting for a cross and left his right side unguarded.

    He got his hand on the ball but could not keep it out.

    To make things worse, Real midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, playing as an emergency centre back, was shown a yellow card for the foul on Jack Grealish that led to the goal.

    The yellow card for Tchouameni means he will miss the return leg in Manchester next Wednesday.

    Without midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who was left on the bench after illness, Manchester City tried to make the most of Real Madrid’s sloppy start and could have extended their lead.

    However, Erling Haaland was denied by Lunin before Grealish had a shot blocked and Haaland could not capitalise on the rebound.

    Eduardo Camavinga soon helped level the scores after 12 minutes when his long-range strike deflected off defender Dias for an own goal after wrongfooting keeper Stefan Ortega.

    Two minutes later Vinicius Jr delivered a brilliant through ball that Rodrygo took in his stride before his weak shot was deflected off Manuel Akanji’s heel to give the hosts the lead.

    Real Madrid had the momentum and should have extended their lead but were wasteful.

    Rodrygo misfired twice from the edge of the box late in the first half and then Vinicius blasted a close-range strike over the bar early in the second half.

    But just as Real Madrid looked set to grab a third, the visitors levelled in the 66th minute with a stunning Foden strike into the top corner.

    They went ahead as Gvardiol fired home in similar fashion five minutes later for his first City goal.

    Real Madrid were not to be beaten, though, and Valverde produced a glorious volley in the 79th minute to rescue a draw.

    It was indeed another epic Champions League night that left the fans eager for more in the second leg in Manchester next week.

    “We wanted to win and go out with an advantage to the second leg but we conceded goals that should not have happened,” Rodrygo told reporters.

    “We needed to take control of the game and failed at doing that, I think we could have done better. But it is what it is, we must learn and go to the second leg more focused.

    “The tie is wide open and we will go there to make the most of the chances we create,” he said.

    It was another epic encounter as the teams faced each other in a Champions League knockout tie for a third year running.

    Real eliminated City in the 2022 semi-finals but Pep Guardiola’s side gained revenge a year later at the same stage.

    The winners of the tie ended up lifting the trophy both times.

  • UCL: Panic as Isis threatens to attack all quarter-final Champions League venues

    UCL: Panic as Isis threatens to attack all quarter-final Champions League venues

    The Islamic State, (ISIS) has vowed to launch terrorist attacks on Champions League games  holding this week, according to a reports on the Daily Mail.

    However, authorities in Madrid have said that they are aware of the threat and  on red alert

    The Al Azaim Foundation, a media channel that is responsible for spreading messages from ISIS, threatened an attack on all four venues for this week’s quarter-finals.

    The group shared an image threatening to attack the Parc des Princes, the Santiago Bernabeu, the Metropolitan and the Emirates – which will host Arsenal v Bayern Munich tonight – with a message reading: “Kill them all.”

    The authorities in Madrid have activated all of their “response systems” following the supposed terrorist threat, according to reports in Spain.

    Season 2023/24 UEFA Champions League quarter-final  first leg matches will hold  this week with Atletico Madrid facing Borrussia Dortmund in Spain, Arsenal will trade tackles with  Bayern Munich at the Emirate in  England, PSG will slug it out with Barcelona in at Parc de Princess in  France while Real Madrid and Manchester City will battle it out at the  Bernabeu in  Spain.

  • UCL Quarter-final Fixtures: Power Rankings favour Manchester City ahead seven others

    UCL Quarter-final Fixtures: Power Rankings favour Manchester City ahead seven others

    The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League quarter-final  Rabona TV power rankings have been revealed.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the  draw for the last eight of the competition was conducted on Friday, March 15.

    Arsenal will  battle Bayern Munchen while Manchester City take on Real Madrid for the third year running.

    Borussia Dortmund will face Atletico Madrid while PSG will trade tackles with Barcelona.

    But the Power rankings have pitched City ahead of other seven clubsides remaining in the competition.

    See power rankings below…

    1. Man City

    2. Real Madrid

    3. Arsenal

    4. Atletico Madrid

    5. PSG

    6. Bayern Munich

    7. Barcelona

    8. Borussia Dortmund