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Liverpool face Real Madrid in Champions League last eight-quarter finals

March 20, 2021 No Comments

Liverpool will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Manchester City have been drawn against Borussia Dortmund, while Chelsea play Porto and defending champions Bayern Munich take on Paris St-Germain, the team they beat in last year’s final.

In the semi-finals, the winner of the Real Madrid v Liverpool tie will face Porto or Chelsea and Manchester City or Dortmund will take on Bayern or PSG.

The two-legged quarter-finals will take place on 6-7 and 13-14 April.

The first legs of the semi-final will be on 27-28 April with the return ties on 4-5 May.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah had to go off with a shoulder injury after a challenge with Sergio Ramos during the first half of the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid

Liverpool and Real Madrid met in the 2018 Champions League final with the Spanish club, who have won the competition a record 13 times, winning 3-1.

The two teams have played each other six times in Europe’s top competition, with both winning three games apiece, including Liverpool’s 1-0 victory in the 1981 final.

Their only previous meeting in a knockout tie came in the last 16 in 2009, with Liverpool winning 5-0 on aggregate.

Premier League leaders Manchester City have only met Dortmund twice. Those games came in the group stage of the Champions League in 2012, with the English side drawing 1-1 at home and losing 1-0 in Germany.

City, who are aiming to win the competition for the first time, remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple and could face England winger Jadon Sancho, who left the club in 2017 to join the German side.

Football

‘We don’t deserve to leave so soon’ – Griezmann reveals Barca regret after Champions League exit to PSG

March 11, 2021 No Comments

The Blaugrana were extremely wasteful in the last 16 as their hopes of qualifying for the quarter finals evaporated

Antoine Griezmann has revealed the regret in Barcelona’s dressing room after their inability to cash in on first-half chances doomed them to a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16.

The forward said the team deserved better following its “big” second-leg performance that ended 1-1 despite the Catalans owning 72 per cent of possession and putting 10 shots on target.

In addition to an array of opportunities from open play, including one that saw Sergino Dest have an effort tipped on to the post, Lionel Messi had a spot kick blocked by Keylor Navas.

“We don’t deserve to leave so soon in Champions League, neither do the fans, but that’s the way it is,”

“They didn’t know how to defend,” the attacker added to RMC Sport. “There is this incredible goal from Leo and then the penalty. But Navas was amazing.

“We played a big game, especially in the first half.

“We can have regrets about going there. It’s a shame but that’s how it is, this is football, this is the Champions League.

“We have [Messi], we have possession, we knew we were going to have chances but we didn’t know how to put them [away]. There is still a long way to go to finish the season.”

Griezmann also commented on his inconsistent playing time of late at Barcelona, dismissing speculation he’s unhappy.

“Sometimes I am on the bench, sometimes I play 90 minutes,” he said. “I am at the service of the team. I’m trying to have fun and prepare well for the end of the season including the Euros because we have a big competition ahead of us with the national team.”

Football

Liverpool 0 — 1 Chelsea

March 4, 2021 No Comments

Chelsea strengthened their case for Champions League qualification and harmed champions Liverpool’s own top-four hopes as Mason Mount’s goal gave them victory at Anfield.

The Blues were the better side and had an early Timo Werner finish disallowed by the video assistant referee for a fractional offside.

But Mount did give them the lead before the break, cutting inside for a low finish.

Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty, but N’Golo Kante was ruled not to have handled on purpose in the box.

Chelsea, who are now 10 games unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel, move up to fourth in the Premier League, with 47 points from 27 games.

Liverpool, who have now lost five in a row at home in the Premier League having not suffered defeat in 68 games at Anfield before that, are four points worse off in seventh.

Football

‘PSG are very lucky to have Neymar’ – Lucas Moura backs Brazilian to lead another Champions League charge

October 20, 2020 No Comments

The Brazil international winger, who is now on the books at Tottenham, considers his fellow countryman to be a “top player”

Paris Saint-Germain are “very lucky to have Neymar”, claims Lucas Moura, with a “top player” expected to lead another Champions League charge from the Ligue 1 title holders this season.

The Brazil international came agonisingly close to delivering European glory for the French giants in 2020.

They fell at the final hurdle against treble-winning Bayern Munich, but will be back for more in the current campaign and are due to open their quest for glory in a home date with Manchester United on Tuesday.

Neymar will be called upon to provide attacking inspiration once again in that contest, with fellow countryman Lucas backing a man he has played alongside at club and international level to push PSG into contention for more major honours.

A man who spent five years at Parc des Princes before linking up with Tottenham in January 2018 told Le Parisien of Neymar’s talent: “He’s progressing every season. He’s an impressive player. He started his career almost at the top but he continues to achieve great things. He’s a top player.

“Paris is very lucky to have Neymar. Of course, he will help them again this season, he wants to win the Champions League with PSG. There is nothing more to say.”

While Neymar remains on the books at PSG, the French giants have parted company with two other experienced South Americans.

Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani left the club as free agents over the summer, with both now in English football at Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.

Lucas is pleased to have another compatriot in London with him and believes a prolific Uruguayan frontman will deliver at Old Trafford once he is up to speed in the Premier League.

The Spurs forward added: “I’m happy for Thiago. He’s closer to me here in London. I’m happy for him, he’s one of the best defenders in the world, I’ve always said that. He plays for a great team.

“I’m happy for him and for Cavani too. It will undoubtedly be more difficult for him to play in the Premier League. There are a lot of great players.”

As PSG prepare to begin their latest continental campaign against United, Lucas and Spurs have progressed through the Europa League qualifiers to reach the group stage, where they will face LASK on Thursday.

Football

Champions League group stage: Barcelona paired with Juventus, Man United face PSG & draw in full

October 1, 2020 No Comments

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face off for the first time since the latter’s move to Turin from Real Madrid two years ago

Barcelona will face Juventus in the group stage of the Champions League after they were paired together in Group G in the draw, which took place in Geneva on Thursday.

The heavyweight fixture will see Cristiano Ronaldo come up against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi for the first time since his move to Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018.

The two men, who have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them, enjoyed a historic rivalry in La Liga, and will resume hostilities in Europe’s elite competition next month.

Barca and Juve have been joined in Group G by Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros, the Hungarian outfit who beat Celtic en-route to qualifying for the main draw for the first time in their history.

Meanwhile, Manchester United‘s return to the Champions League has been marked with a draw against last year’s Champions League finalists PSG, RB Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir in Group H.

Reigning champions Bayern Munich will play Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow in Group A for a place in the knockout stages, having got their hands on the trophy for the sixth time by beating PSG 1-0 in Lisbon on August 23.

Group D will see 2018 winners Liverpool, who suffered a surprise early exit at the hands of Atletico last term, square off against Ajax, Atalanta and Midtjylland.

13-time winners Real Madrid have been dealt a tough hand in Group B alongside Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Manchester City were handed a more favourable draw against Porto, Olympiacos and Marseille in Group C, as they bid to win the competition for the first time in their history once again.

The last English side to qualify from the Premier League were Chelsea, who will play Europa League winners Sevilla, Krasnodar and Rennes, who will be making their first appearance on Europe’s biggest stage, in Group E.

In Group F, Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio and Club Brugge will do battle, with the 2020-21 edition of the Champions League set to kick off on October 20/21, with fixtures continuing through to early December to decide who will reach the last 16 stage.