Champions League

ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta delivered a sobering reality check after his side crashed out of the Champions League last night.The Gunners fell 1-0 to Bayern Munich in Germany courtesy of Joshua Kimmich’s bullet header.Mikel Arteta spoke after Arsenal’s Champions League exitCredit: GettyThe Gunners were beaten 1-0 in MunichCredit: GettyThe result, coupled with last week’s 2-2 draw in North London, saw Arsenal fall at the quarter-final stage.Arteta, 42, subsequently admitted that he could not lift his players’ spirits in the dressing room.The Spaniard then went on to add that it could be a long time before they are able to go all the way in the Champions League.He said: “The players are gutted in the dressing room. I cannot find the right words to lift them, I wish I could. We have to go through it.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”We tried against a team that had a lot of experience, the margins across the tie have been very small. We made a mistake defending the box and we conceded a goal.”The club hasn’t been in the Champions League for seven years, and in the first year back [we are expected to] play in the semi-final and final.”We all wanted that, so badly, but you can see with many other clubs it takes six or seven years to get to this stage. We were very close, that’s the reality.”Arsenal’s attention will now turn fully towards the Premier League.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERThe Gunners fell two points behind champions Manchester City last weekend after losing 2-0 at home to Aston Villa.Their supporters were subsequently blasted by the likes of Rio Ferdinand after the Emirates emptied in the closing stages.Bayern Munich’s private training session leaked as Thomas Tuchel appears to plan shock tactical tweak against Arsenal Arsenal will continue their quest for Prem glory by travelling to Wolves on Saturday night.Arteta continued: “It’s not going to go away (the pain) certainly tonight, but I can guarantee you by tomorrow we’re fully focused on Wolves and everybody is lifted.”What we still have to play for is beautiful. I said before it’s time to be next to these players.”It’s easy to be behind them and praise the players and talk nice things when we win 10 in a row and one draw.”The moment is now to be behind them and be next to them.”Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel believes that Arsenal are not far away from mixing it with Europe’s big boys.He said: “They (Arsenal) are there. For me, they are an elite team. It was a very, very close result.”Maybe what they miss a little bit is a bit more experience in these knockout stages.”I would not judge them now on this week where some of the results are a bit complicated, but in my opinion they are an elite team.”Thrilled former Tottenham striker Harry Kane told TNT Sports: “(It was) an unbelievable win. It’s been a tough season for us.”We’ve had to fight and grind it out at times. We knew we could make the difference with our fans at home.”It was a tough game, a tight game. It was a great goal from Josh. To reach the semi-finals is a great achievement for us and we can enjoy it.The expectation here is to try and win the Champions LeagueHarry Kane”I think in these types of games the first half is always a bit cagey. We said at half-time we wanted to up the tempo, be aggressive.”We had a couple off the post and could have made it easier for ourselves but these games are always tough and you just have to get through them.”The expectation here is to try and win the Champions League. “We won the league for 11 years in a row so maybe there was a bit of tempo missing.READ MORE SUN STORIES”That can’t happen. Now we have to enjoy the Champions League and try to get ready for Saturday.”Bayern will face Real Madrid in the semi-finals, after the Spanish league leaders knocked Manchester City out on penalties following a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.Harry Kane was thrilled with his side’s winCredit: GettyThomas Tuchel gave his verdict on Arsenal after the tieCredit: Getty More

THOMAS TUCHEL produced a tactical masterclass to see Bayern Munich into the Champions League semi-finals.Joshua Kimmich bagged the only goal on the night to send the Germans through 3-2 on aggregate after a hard-fought win on home soil.Thomas Tuchel oversaw a famous Bayern Munich win against ArsenalCredit: GettyBayern are the third club Tuchel has led to the Champions League semi-finalsCredit: EPAJoshua Kimmich won it with a bullet headerCredit: ReutersIt is the third different club he has taken to the last four – joining an elite group of managers.Only Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola had accomplished the feat before this evening.Tuchel, 50, was a runner-up with Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 and won the trophy with Chelsea a year later.He accomplished his latest feat despite the fact he is set to leave Bayern at the end of the season following his struggles to compete with high-flying Bayer Leverkusen.READ MORE FOOTBALLMikel Arteta’s Premier League title contenders were expected to be the better team over two legs but came up against a stubborn opponent.As was hinted at in a training-ground leak, Tuchel decided to play two left-backs – Noussair Mazraoui and Raphael Guerreiro – from the start and drop Thomas Muller, which allowed him to shut down Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSA delighted Harry Kane told TNT Sports: “It was an unbelievable win. It’s been a tight season for us, we’ve had to fight and grind.”Today was that. We knew we could make the difference with our fans. It was what we expected, a tough game, a tight game.Most read in Champions League”It was a great goal from Josh to make the difference, then it was about defending.”We can enjoy this one. The first half was cagey but we upped the tempo.Jamie Carragher reveals Micah Richards ‘nearly QUIT’ CBS Sports after Champions League final snub”These games are tough and we have to find our way through them. The expectation is to try to win the Champions League, maybe there was some tempo missing in the Bundesliga.”That can’t happen next season, it’s going to be a tough game in the semi-final, whoever we play.”Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Tuchel’s former club PSG are the other teams in the last four.Can you name the famous fathers? More

FANS have hailed Thomas Tuchel’s tactical tweak that “took Bukayo Saka out of the game” against Arsenal.The German coach masterminded Bayern Munich’s 1-0 triumph over the Gunners at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.Bukayo Saka endured a frustrating night against Bayern MunichCredit: AFPJoshua Kimmich scored the only goal of the game to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory and set-up a Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, who beat holders Man City on penalties.Arsenal barely laid a glove on Bayern throughout the second leg and their talisman Saka was subdued throughout.His stats made for grim reading afterwards as he failed to register a shot, create a chance, complete any dribbles and also registered zero accurate crosses.We revealed earlier how Tuchel, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, was planning to spring a tactical surprise.READ MORE ON ARSENALWith regular full-back Alphonso Davies suspended, one of either Noussair Mazraoui or Raphael Guerreiro was expected to replace him.However, Bayern’s pre-match training saw the pair both feature as Tuchel plotted a way to stop Saka from being Arsenal’s main driving force.And the 50-year-old coach followed through with that idea by starting the pair as they doubled up on the danger man.It was Mazraoui that played at left-back with Guerreiro playing higher up, offering him protection from midfield.Most read in Champions LeagueCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnd the plan could not have worked out any better – and supporters were quick to praise Tuchel afterwards.One wrote on X: “People saying Saka ghosted didn’t watch the game. Tuchel took Saka out of the game with his tactics.”Arsenal’s top targets in the summer transfer windowA second post read: “After seeing what Saka did with Alphonso Davies, Tuchel decided to pin him with 2 LBs and Mazraoui absolutely did that job well.”A third fan said: “Thomas Tuchel masterclass – kept Saka quiet and in turn Arsenal quiet.”“Tuchel did his homework on Saka,” claimed another one.A fifth wrote: “Guerreiro and Mazraoui absolutely locked up Saka this game. Seen nothing from him at all.”While a sixth added: “Thomas Tuchel with a tactical masterclass today starting two full-backs on the left wing to keep Bukayo Saka locked down.“Through 75 minutes, Saka has 0 shots and 0 chances created. Just 19 accurate passes & 32 total touches…”Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted afterwards that his side missed a moment of magic: “Yes. Had to be. A mistake from them or a magic moment, that is what unlocks the tie.“We didn’t manage to win it at the end and we could have won. At moment we were better than them and had a lot of moments of dominance.“That spark around the box is what you need in these ties to get the victory.”He added: “The club has been without Champions League football for seven years.“The first time you want to be in it, then you want to be in the semi-finals and finals.“We all want it so badly, but you see in many other clubs it takes six, seven years to get to that stage. But we were very close, that is the reality.”Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Martin Keown told TNT Sports: “Hugely disappointing. Just feel as though we didn’t really lay a glove on them in this second tie.“It was there if we wanted it and Bayern came out with the resolve, direct, and posed much more of a threat than Arsenal did.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I think the cautiousness of the game really helped Bayern to sort of, ‘okay, let’s change gear in the second half,’ and Arsenal never really did that. They contained Arsenal. “It was just such a flat performance.”Thomas Tuchel’s decision to play the two men worked wondersCredit: Getty More

ANTONIO RUDIGER struck the winning penalty to leave Manchester City’s bid for another treble in tatters.The Spanish giants spent much of the night camped in their own half in another gripping clash with their rivals.Real Madrid knocked Man City out of the Champions League on penaltiesCredit: ReutersIt was heartbreak for City as their dreams of a second successive Treble endedCredit: ReutersPep Guardiola had talked before the game on whether he was going to take a gamble on the fitness of skipper Kyle Walker.The veteran has spent three-and-a-half weeks on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury on England.But he was missed in the first leg as his old sparring partner Vinicius Jr enjoyed too much space so the City boss decided to take the risk.It was September 2018 last time City lost a Champions League game at their fortress – a record for English clubs.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd you have to go back to November 2022 – before a ball had been kicked at the Qatar World Cup – for the last time anybody won here.So City would have hoped their thrilling draw in the Bernabeu eight days ago gave them the base to reach the semi-finals for a fourth straight time.Real Madrid though are not 14 time winners for nothing – they have made a habit of squeezing through in ties when they look doomed.And sure enough after a cagey start to the game, the visitors struck first.Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERJude Bellingham’s brilliant control and spin from Dani Carvajal’s pass opened things up and his pass sent Vinicius Jr away down the right.His low cross reached fellow Brazilian Rodrygo whose first effort was miraculously saved by another countryman Ederson.Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozersThe rebound fell kindly for him though and he made no mistake in slamming it home at the second time of asking.It was the wide man who broke City hearts with two stoppage time goals in the Bernabeu two years ago – and here he was at it again.Just like in Spain eight days ago, City found themselves behind around the quarter hour mark – and with some serious work to do.They pushed hard for an equaliser as Bernardo Silva’s cross was headed over by Haaland.The Norwegian then looped a header on to the bar from a Kevin De Bruyne cross and Silva somehow bundled the rebound wide from close range.Madrid still looked a huge threat on the break though and Walker showed why his manager picked him by getting back to block an effort from Carvajal.Most of the chances were coming at the other end – even though Madrid were dealing with City’s threat well.Andriy Lunin made a spectacular stop to deny De Bruyne while Jack Grealish saw his low effort deflected past the post.The Three Lions ace was catching the eye for City and it needed a perfectly timed last ditch tackle from Antonio Rudiger to direct his effort into the side netting.Unlike Phil Foden on the other wing, Grealish was seeing plenty of the ball and he drew a foul from Carvajal which earned the veteran Spaniard a second yellow card.The second half began in a similar way.Lunin was also called into action soon after the re-start to keep out long range efforts from Grealish and Phil Foden.Rodrygo put Real ahead at the EtihadCredit: PAThe winger gave the visitors a huge boostCredit: PANacho pushed the ball past his own keeper then had to desperately clear off his own line under pressure from Haaland.It was beginning to look like it was not going to be City’s night.A pre-match display in the stands depicted Foden at the wheel of a bus bound for Wembley. It felt like Madrid had brought one of their own to the Etihad – and parked it.But Guardiola made a change by throwing on Jeremy Doku in place of Grealish – and it paid dividends as he ran at Carvajal – who was on a tightrope with a yellow card.His low cross was blocked by Rudiger but only into the path of De Bruyne who fired into the roof of the net from a narrow angle.While City had not been at their best, the equaliser was the least they deserved.Kevin de Bruyne levelled in the second halfCredit: AFPThe goal took the game to extra timeCredit: ReutersNow Madrid were hanging on and KDB could have won it when he somehow slammed a cross from Akanji over the bar. By his standards, it was a sitter.Extra time saw Foden unable to sort his dazzling feet out in time to get a decent connection on Doku’s low cross.And at the other end, Walker once again showed he had Vinicius in his pocket by giving the Brazilian flyer a head start and then catching him in the box.Madrid were finally posing an attacking threat though and Rudiger scooped a shot over the bar from six yards after a rare slip by Akanji.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn the shoot-out, City were briefly ahead as Ederson saved from Luka Modric – but Lunin did the same from both Bernardo and sub Kovacic.Even though Foden and Ederson himself scored their kicks, the Brazilian keeper could not get to Rudiger’s kick and City were out.Mateo Kovacic missed his penalty in the shootout alongside Bernardo SilvaCredit: ReutersAntonio Rudiger netted the winning penaltyCredit: AP More