Champions League

OLIVIER GIROUD was left in hysterics as Jamie Carragher failed to pronounce his name.The French striker was being interviewed after netting the winning goal for AC Milan in the Champions League clash against PSG.
Jamie Carragher struggled to pronounce Olivier Giroud’s nameCredit: Twitter @CBSSportsGolazo
Giroud was left in hystericsCredit: Twitter @CBSSportsGolazo
During the interview, CBS host Kate Addo asked Giroud if he ever gets annoyed at how Carragher pronounces his name.
The former Liverpool star pronounces the striker’s name with a hard “d” at the end of the Giroud.
Giroud did admit that he is not bothered about the pronunciation as he said: “They have been calling me like that for nine years in the Premier League.”
Carragher then asked to be “educated” by Giroud in order to say his name correctly.
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Giroud responded by saying his name in his French accent.
Kate then perfectly pronounced his name while Micah Richards’ attempt saw him get it slightly wrong by over-exaggerating the ‘r’ in Giroud.
It then came to Carragher to have a go and his first attempt as he appeared to say “Olivier Griloud”.
Giroud said: “No, no, not with an ‘L’.”
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Carragher then had another go but again got it wrong as he said what sounded like “Olivier Girwoo”.
Giroud then said: “No not with a W,” leaving the studio in hysterics.
The AC Milan star put in a vital contribution to help his side overcome PSG at the San Siro.
Giroud headed the winning goal in the 50th minute of an exciting Champions League clash.
Former Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek also earned plaudits for his performance.
Meanwhile, former Milan star Gianluigi Donnarumma was pelted with fake money by protesting home fans. More

FORMER England goalkeeper Joe Hart left fans baffled after attempting to save a shot from BEHIND his goal-line.The 36-year-old started between the sticks for Celtic for their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday – a demoralising 6-0 demolition.
Joe Hart attempted to make a save from behind the goal lineCredit: Twitter @PenaCartel
Some fans joked that the goalkeeper ‘glitched’Credit: Getty

However, his goalkeeping methods were called into question when he conceded from a late Saul Niguez shot.
As the midfielder lined up his close-range effort, Hart could be seen retreating into the mouth of the goal.
And by the time he attempted to make the save, the ball had already crossed the line.
Stunned fans took to social media to react, with one person tweeting: “Trying to make saves while yards behind the goal line is certainly a bold strategy from Joe Hart. Surprisingly, it didn’t work.”
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Another added: “I have no idea how he can possibly do this.”
A third fan quipped: “He glitched.”
While a fourth joked: “Joe Hart been playing to much fifa with dodgy keeping skills.”
Atletico Madrid went on to convincingly win the match 6-0, with Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata, Samuel Lino and Saul all scoring.
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Celtic now sit bottom of Group E with just one point from four games.
Hart joined the Scottish side in 2021 after spending a year at Tottenham.
The prime of his career was spent at Manchester City, where he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
After falling out of favour at the Etihad he was loaned to Torino and West Ham respectively before being sold to Burnley. More

RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK has been hailed by fans following his stunning performance against Paris Saint-Germain.The former England and Chelsea man starred in the AC Milan midfield against the Ligue 1 giants in the Champions League.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed against PSGCredit: Getty
He was vital to AC Milan’s winCredit: Getty
He contributed to defence and attack
He saw plenty of the ball
Loftus-Cheek, 27, lined up against stars such as Manuel Ugarte, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery at the San Siro.
But the summer signing was not deterred as he put in a supreme performance which helped Milan to a richly-deserved 2-1 win.
The midfielder was arguably his team’s top performers as he drove the Italian team on.
He also put in a shift defensively as he won the ball back five times and came out on top in nine duels.
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Loftus-Cheek was hailed on social media by excited fans.
One supporter said: “Loftus Cheek owned that PSG midfield yesterday.”
A second posted: “He is class man.”
A third wrote: “Ruben the tank engine, huge difference with him in the middle!”
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A fourth commented: “Bullied Ugarte many times.”
A fifth said: “Absolute monster – protect and keep him fit at all costs.”
Another added: “A whirlwind force through midfield. A sensational watch.”
It was not just fans that spotted the performance, as French media outlet L’Equipe likened his efforts to a “prime Patrick Vieira”.
After the match, the midfielder roasted Micah Richards over his haircut on CBS Sports.
Milan bought Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea during the summer transfer window for just £15million. More

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand was left seething after being handed a Manchester City cake on his birthday.The former defender, who was celebrating his 45th birthday on Tuesday, joined Laura Woods and Joleon Lescott on TNT Sports ahead of City’s Champions League clash with Young Boys when he was handed a cake that was adorned in sky blue.
Rio Ferdinand was handed a Man City birthday cake made by the Etihad staffCredit: TNT Sports
The Man Utd legend joked that it was ‘disrespectful’Credit: Alamy
Woods went on to reveal that it was a gift from the Etihad Stadium, leaving the pundit stunned.
Ferdinand said: “I actually think that’s disrespectful!
“Thank you very much, but it’s the wrong colour! It’s the wrong colour, isn’t it? Can I push it off, shall I let it fall over?”
Fans were left in stitches, with some comparing it to the birthday cake incident that almost saw Yaya Toure leave Man City in 2014.
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Nine years ago, Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk criticised the club for not celebrating the midfielder’s 31st birthday.
He even went as far as suggesting that they were considering a transfer as a result.
Seluk told BBC Sport: “He got a cake but when it was Roberto Carlos’ birthday, the president of Anzhi gave him a Bugatti.
“I don’t expect City to present Yaya with a Bugatti, we only asked that they shook his hand and said ‘we congratulate you’. It is the minimum they must do when it is his birthday and the squad is all together.
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“I hear one newspaper has written that City congratulated him from Twitter but this is a joke. It is better they don’t put anything on Twitter if they are not saying anything to him.
“The club’s owners ate a 100kg cake after winning the Premier League this season but when they and the players were all together, none of them shook his hand on his birthday. It shows they don’t care about him.
“Of course Yaya is upset about this. If this happened to you as a journalist in the BBC and nobody shakes your hand, you will say bye-bye and go to work for somebody else. It is normal.”
While Toure initially denied having a role to play in his agent’s outburst, he then changed his tune and tweeted: “Everything Dimitri said is true. He speaks for me.”
However, the fallout did not escalate any further.
Fans took to X to react to Ferdinand’s birthday cake fiasco, with one person writing: “Nobody let Yaya see this. Could be a catastrophe.”
Another quipped: “Bet Yaya is fuming.”
A third fan added: “We can do them for rivals but not Yaya.”
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While a fourth wrote: “I don’t know whose idea it was but give them a raise. Worth every penny just for the look on his face.”
Man City went on to win the match 3-0 thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. More

ARSENAL host Sevilla in a crucial Champions League clash this evening facing something of an injury crisis.The Gunners could seal qualification to the knockout stages with a win over Diego Alonso’s side.
Mikel Arteta’s side could qualify for the knockout stages tonightCredit: Getty
Martin Odegaard could be unavailableCredit: Getty
But they will go into the game with a depleted squad.
Arsenal could be without SIX key players – including captain Martin Odegaard.
The midfielder sustained a knock during last month’s trip to Seville and has not started a game since.
He made a 20-minute cameo during Arsenal’s Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham last week, but was not deemed fit enough to take part in Saturday’s match against Newcastle.

Mikel Arteta has since admitted that he is “uncertain” whether or not Odegaard will be able to feature against Sevilla.
Another uncertainty among the squad is striker Eddie Nketiah.
The 24-year-old has filled in for Gabriel Jesus as Arsenal’s starting striker since the Brazilian picked up an injury against Sevilla two weeks ago.
However, he did not take part in Tuesday’s training session due to a knock.
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Eddie Nketiah is a doubt for the matchCredit: Getty
Kai Havertz could start as a strikerCredit: Alamy
How Arsenal could line up against Sevilla in the Champions League
Nketiah is now understood to be a doubt for Wednesday evening’s Champions League match.
Emile Smith Rowe is also set to be absent due to injury.

The midfielder impressed on his first Premier League start in 530 days last month against Sheffield United.
He spent the majority of last season on the sidelines with a groin injury and finally returned to the squad in August.
However, in another huge blow he has suffered a knee injury which is set to keep him out for several weeks.
Arsenal have already been short in midfield for a number of weeks, with Thomas Partey also missing.
The 30-year-old, who has made just four Premier League appearances so far this season, is expected to be unavailable until the new year due to a hamstring injury.
But recent reports claim that he has already asked to leave North London in January, meaning he could have already played his last game for the Gunners.
Jurrien Timber is also unavailable until further notice as he continues to recover from an ACL injury.
With several players set to miss tonight’s match at the Emirates, Arteta will have to significantly reshuffle his starting line-up.
Thomas Partey is set to be absent until the new yearCredit: Getty
Declan Rice will likely be joined by Jorginho in midfield, with Fabio Vieira taking up a more attacking role.
That would leave summer signing Kai Havertz free to start as a centre forward.
The former Chelsea star, who played as a No9 on several occasions for the Blues, is expected to be joined by Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in attack.
Luckily for Arsenal, Arteta has a full-strength selection of defenders to pick from.
That means William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko will all keep their places in the starting line-up, with David Raya also expected to start.
Alternatively, out-of-favour Aaron Ramsdale could be handed his Champions League debut amid the Spaniard’s struggles.
Takehiro Tomiyasu may also replace Zinchenko in defence, with Jakub Kiwior potentially stepping in for either Saliba or Gabriel in the middle as the boss rotates his squad.
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If Arteta did decide to keep Havertz in midfield, Rice could be forced back into a holding role while Vieira lines up alongside the German midfielder.
That would likely see Leandro Trossard start in attack, either as a striker or a false nine.
Alternative Arsenal line-up vs Sevilla
Leandro Trossard could be forced to play as a strikerCredit: Alamy More

DAVID BECKHAM did not look best pleased with Thierry Henry as the pair were caught on camera together at AC Milan’s 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain.Last night’s Champions League clash at the San Siro saw the Manchester United and Arsenal legends unite.
David Beckham and Thierry Henry were filmed together at AC Milan’s win over PSGCredit: TNT SPORTS
Henry appeared to have grabbed the final few crisps from the packetCredit: TNT SPORTS
With Beckham appearing to be left ‘fuming’Credit: TNT SPORTS
Video footage before the game showed the pair standing at the side of the pitch.
However, Inter Miami owner Beckham looked fuming with Henry after the Frenchman dipped into his crisp bag.
Beckham, 48, could be seen reacting after Henry took a crisp from the packet.
As he cast an annoyed look towards Henry, the England legend said: “Seriously, you eat all the chips?”.
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His pal gave a nonchalant reaction and continued scoffing the crisps.
Despite Becks’ apparent anger, the duo were surrounded by cameras and were most likely filming a tongue-in-cheek advert for crisp company Lays – equivalent to Walkers in the UK.
Reacting to the video on social media, on fan said: “Lol Beckham fuming with Thierry Henry cos he finished all the crisps 😭.”
A second said: “Looks like they’re filming for an advert 😂 love it though.”
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A third said: “Beckham never saw it coming.”
Another said: “I like their friendship.”
While a fifth fan picked up on Beckham seemingly calling them “chips” rather than crisps, adding: “He called them chips. We lost him guys.”
Beckham later took to Instagram to share a selfie with the France Under-21 boss.
He captioned the snap: “Good to see you my friend… Great being back at a Champions League night in Milan. Two special clubs to me.”
Henry, 46, had swapped CBS Sports duty alongside Kate Abdo and Co for his appearance in Milan.
He was replaced by former Fulham ace Clint Dempsey, who re-enacted his row with Micah Richards in hilarious fashion.
Beckham shared a selfie with Henry to his InstagramCredit: Instagram More