Tag: UCL

  • UCL: Why we defeated Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield – Ancelotti

    UCL: Why we defeated Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield – Ancelotti

    Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti has stated reasons why his side defeated English club side, Liverpool by 5-2 at home.

    Liverpool had gone ahead 2-0 in the first 15 minutes before Madrid rallied back to score 5 goals past them in a thrilling encounter.

    Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool’s two goals while, Vinicius Jr,. Karim Benzema and Elder Milotao all scored for Real Madrid.

    But Madrid fought back to level in the first half with a Vinicius Jr brace.

    “We improved our defensive game because in the first half we suffered a lot of pressure from Liverpool.

    “Their players up front were very dangerous. Our players were very accurate,” Ancelotti said.

  • UCL: Bayern Munich stun PSG 1-0 at Parc des Princess

    UCL: Bayern Munich stun PSG 1-0 at Parc des Princess

    French Side, Paris Saint Germain PSG’s hopes of winning its first UEFA Champions League trophy suffered a great blow after losing 0-1 to German Champions Bayern Munich at the Parc de Princess on Tuesday night.

    It was a huge win for the visitors as they take a one goal lead to the Allianz.

    Bayern showed class and were  very much the better team for the first hour in the thrilling encounter.

    PSG came into the game once Mbappe was on but you don’t beat Bayern Munich with half an hour of football. They were flat before he came on and will need to improve for the second leg.

    French boy Kingsley Coman  scored Bayern’s goal in the 53rd  of the encounter.

    A Lovely ball from Davies into the box found an  unmarked Coman who wasted no time before latching on to the ball and putting it past goalie, Donarumma.

    Bayern have won the title 6 times and are now gunning for their seventh one but still has one more hurdle to scale before booking a quarter-final ticket.

     

     

  • PSG VS Bayern: Messi, Mbappe return for crunchy UCL tie

    PSG VS Bayern: Messi, Mbappe return for crunchy UCL tie

    Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi will be making a return to the second round of this year’s Champions League last -16 first leg tie against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

    Mbappe was expected to be out for three weeks after suffering a thigh injury earlier this month.

    The French forward  trained on the eve of Tuesday’s heavyweight contest, a repeat of the 2020 final,which Bayern won 1-0.

    “We’re not sure yet whether he will be on the match sheet,” said PSG boss Christophe Galtier on Monday.

    Galtier added: “Kylian did the whole session today. We made the decision that he would train with everyone today.

    The 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina Lionel Messi who has received treatment for a hamstring problem, has also been named in the PSG squad.

     Mbappe and Messi return to the PSG side  will be a huge boost for Paris St-Germain, who have lost their past two domestic matches.

    The Ligue 1 leaders have never won the Champions League and PSG know they must raise their game to get past Bayern, the six-time European champions.

     Bayern Munich have been   unbeaten in all competitions since 17 September. 2022.Forward Thomas Muller is relishing two games against PSG, with the return leg in Germany on 8 March.

    “Two very good teams with very good players,” said Muller, a two-time Champions League winner, when asked about the tie.

    “Sadly one cannot go through to the next round. A big game of football.”

  • UCL:  Worst Champions League clubside in history revealed

    UCL: Worst Champions League clubside in history revealed

    Scottish clubside and last season Europa League finalist, Rangers FC have been branding the worst Champions League team in history.

    Rangers were beaten 3-1 at the Ibrox stadium on Tuesday night, having previously lost all five games in the group.

    The team could only manage two goals all through the competition one against Liverpool and the other in the match versus Ajax on Tuesday.

    They recorded the worst group stage performance by any club since the Champions League was rebranded in 1992.

    This record was held by Croatian side, Dinamo Zagreb, having finished bottom of their group with no points and a -19 goal difference in 2011/12.

    Viktoria Plzen also equalled Dinamo Zagreb’s record on Tuesday evening as they finished bottom of Group C with a goal difference of -19.

    Rangers are presently second on the Scottish premier league table just four points behind leaders Celtic.They have won 9 games, drawn two and lost just 1.

  • UCL: Liverpool thrashed, Bayern, Barcelona grab three points

    UCL: Liverpool thrashed, Bayern, Barcelona grab three points

    Robert Lewandowski scored a hattrick in Barcelona’s 5-1 demolition of Viktoria Plzen of Czech Republic on Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League night.

    The Poland international struck three times against Viktoria Plzen to continue his fine form since joining the club and also etch his name into the history books in Europe’s top competition.

    Goals from Franck Kessie and Ferran Torres completed the rout but Jan Sykorra pulled one back for the visitors.

    Lewandowski is the first player in Champions League history to net hat-tricks with three different clubs.

    Meanwhile, Liverpool were thrashed by Napoli in their first Champions League Group A game on a night to forget in Italy.

    Napoli scored two goals inside 21st minute of the encounter and scored the third on the stroke of half time to put the game beyond Liverpool.

    Piotr Zielinski put Napoli ahead from the spot in the fifth minute after Victor Osimhen had hit the post.

    Andre-Frank Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone extended Napoli’s lead, before Zielinski scored again after the break.

    Bayern’s Leroy Sane helped himself to a brace as the German side  defeated  Inter Milan 2-0.

    Another English representative, Tottenham Hotspurs won its first game upon return to the UEFA Champions League.

    Richarlison scored twice as Tottenham beat 10-man Marseille 2-0 to continue their impressive season.

  • UCL: Chelsea suffer shock loss at Dinamo Zagreb

    UCL: Chelsea suffer shock loss at Dinamo Zagreb

    Two-time winners Chelsea began their Champions League campaign with a shock defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.

    The Croatian champions have a woeful record in this competition – winning just five of 43 games before this meeting – but they stubbornly held on after taking a first-half lead.

    The dangerous Mislav Orsic netted the 13th-minute winner, running through from the halfway line and beautifully dinking a finish past the advancing Kepa Arrizabalaga.

    Dinamo came agonisingly close to a second but Stefan Ristovski’s thunderous, long-range effort was superbly tipped onto the bar by Arrizabalaga.

    Deadline-day signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was handed his Chelsea debut and, although the ex-Arsenal skipper had a goal ruled out for offside, he largely looked off the pace.

    Armando Broja replaced Aubameyang just before the hour mark, but the Albanian had little impact in an overall disjointed performance from Thomas Tuchel’s men.

    Chelsea launched a late onslaught on Dinamo’s goal and the hosts were relieved to see Reece James’ low shot rattle the foot of the post with five minutes remaining.

    BBC

  • BREAKING: 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League group stage decided

    BREAKING: 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League group stage decided

    FC Barcelona will face Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League group stage following the draw made on Thursday.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League draw which was held in Istanbul, Turkey, looked to be the meanest of all, as holders Real Madrid will take on RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in a seemingly-easy group.

    Real Madrid captured a record-extending 14th European crown when they beat Liverpool in last season’s final. On paper, Carlo Ancelotti’s side should have few problems in making the last 16 from Group F.

    However, FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski will take on his former side in the group stage after the five-times champions were drawn with Bayern Munich in Group C. They have been drawn along with Inter Milan and Viktoria Plzen.

    Manchester City forward Erling Haaland will also face his former employers as the English champions were drawn in Group G with Borussia Dortmund. Sevilla and FC Copenhagen completed the group.

    Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) begin their quest for a maiden trophy in Europe’s elite club competition in a tricky Group H with Juventus, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa. Last season’s runners-up Liverpool meet Ajax Amsterdam, Napoli and Rangers in Group A.

    See full group line up below:

    ????? ?

    • ?? Ajax
    • ??????? Liverpool
    • ?? Napoli
    • ??????? Rangers

    ????? ?

    • ?? Porto
    • ?? Atlético
    • ?? Leverkusen
    • ?? Club Brugge

    ????? ?

    • ?? Bayern
    • ?? Barcelona
    • ?? Inter
    • ?? Plzeň

    ????? ?

    • ?? Frankfurt
    • ??????? Tottenham
    • ?? Sporting CP
    • ?? Marseille

    ????? ?

    • ?? Milan
    • ??????? Chelsea
    • ?? Salzburg
    • ?? Dinamo Zagreb

    ????? ?

    • ?? Real Madrid
    • ?? Leipzig
    • ?? Shakhtar
    • ??????? Celtic

    ????? ?

    • ??????? Man. City
    • ?? Sevilla
    • ?? Dortmund
    • ?? Copenhagen

    ????? ?

    • ?? Paris
    • ?? Juventus
    • ?? Benfica
    • ?? M. Haifa

    TNG reports that the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League group stage will begin earlier than usual on Sept. 6 and end ahead of this year’s World Cup finals which take place in Qatar from Nov. 20.

    The competition’s knockout stages begin in February, with the final taking place in Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium in June 2023.

  • UEFA announces new offside tech for upcoming Champions League

    UEFA announces new offside tech for upcoming Champions League

    The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced that a new offside technology known as Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) would be used in the upcoming Champions League season.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports UEFA as saying that the SAOT will premiere at the UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid CF and Eintracht Frankfurt, which will take place on Wednesday 10 August at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium (kick-off 21:00 CET).

    The European football governing body disclosed that SAOT, which will feature a ball with a sensor inside that will send VAR data to support fast and accurate offside calls, will be used as of the group stage in the upcoming UEFA Champions League season.

    The new system will operate thanks to specialised cameras which are able to track 29 different body points per player. A total of 188 tests have been performed since 2020, including all matches in last season’s UEFA Champions League, the knock-out stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and the complete UEFA Women’s EURO final tournament, as well as the other club competition finals.

    “UEFA is constantly looking for new technological solutions to improve the game and support the work of the referees. This innovative system will allow VAR teams to determine offside situations quickly and more accurately, enhancing the flow of the game and the consistency of the decisions. The system is ready to be used in official matches and implemented at each Champions League venue,” UEFA Chief Refereeing Officer, Roberto Rosetti confirmed.

    Earlier, the UEFA Referees Committee appointed Michael Oliver (England) to referee the 2022 UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid CF and Eintracht Frankfurt.

    The 37-year-old official has been an international referee since 2012, and officiates regularly at UEFA club competitions and international matches. He was also selected as a referee for UEFA EURO 2020, where he took charge of three matches, including the quarter-final between Switzerland and Spain.

    “Michael Oliver will be assisted by countrymen Stuart Burt and Simon Bennett. Donatas Rumšas (Lithuania) will act as the fourth official. The VAR role has been assigned to Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Poland), and he will be assisted by his fellow countryman Bartosz Frankowski, as well as Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins (Portugal),” a statement on UEFA.com reads.

  • UCL final: Hurting Liverpool “will come again” – Klopp says as Real Madrid celebrate

    UCL final: Hurting Liverpool “will come again” – Klopp says as Real Madrid celebrate

    Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool’s players were hurting after their UEFA Champions League final match defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday in Paris.

    But he declared the Reds “will come again” after the narrow reverse.

    Klopp added next year’s final in Istanbul was already a target, advising supporters: “Book the hotel!”

    A 1-0 loss to Real Madrid at the Stade de France meant Liverpool were left with FA Cup and EFL Cup triumphs.

    That is what they have to show for a season in which they threatened an unprecedented quadruple.

    Manchester City denied them the English Premier League (EPL) title on the competition’s dramatic final day last Sunday.

    Now, it was UEFA Champions League specialists Real Madrid who toppled them on Saturday to claim their 14th European crown, with Vinicius Junior netting a second-half winner.

    “Everyone in the dressing room, nobody feels it was a great season at the moment,” Klopp said after the loss. “We probably need a few minutes for that, maybe hours.”

    He said two decisions had gone against Liverpool by “the smallest margin possible,” but did not specify which incidents he was referring to.

    “We played a good game, not the perfect game,” Klopp added. “We had a lot of shots but not the clearest, only three or so where [Thibaut] Courtois made top saves.

    “Then we conceded a goal… Vinicius was there and that was it.”

    Klopp said Liverpool tried “absolutely everything” after he had told his players to “be more brave in the second half.”

    Vinicius struck just before the hour mark, and Liverpool huffed and puffed.

    But they were not at their best as Real Madrid repelled the threat of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, with Courtois outstanding as the last line of defence.

    The Belgian made nine saves in the match, the most on record by a goalkeeper in a single UEFA Champions League final (since 2003/2004).

    Klopp added he was alone among the Liverpool contingent in being able to put the game swiftly into perspective.

    “It’s not hard. I have that already, but I’m the only one in the dressing room,” he said.

    “I know it’s not the success you want to have, but I have the strong feeling we will come again. That’s how it is, because the boys are competitive.

    “We have an outstanding group together and will have again an outstanding group next year. Then we go again. We obviously have to try a bit more often than others but no problem.

    “Where’s it next year? Istanbul? Yeah, book the hotel.”

  • BREAKING: Heartbreak for Liverpool as Madrid win Champions League title

    Liverpool’s hopes of being crowned champions of Europe for a seventh time ended in heartbreak at the hands of Real Madrid in Paris.

    Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr, who was played onside by Trent Alexander-Arnold, scored the only goal of the final as Real sealed a Champions League-La Liga double.