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      Heartbreak as punter loses out on £36k win off incredible accumulator after Man City draw and turning down HUGE cashout

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      ONE punter was left heartbroken as he missed out on a whopping £36,000 thanks to Manchester City’s draw.Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the first half and led at RB Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 first leg thanks to Riyad Mahrez’s finish.
      Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at RB LeipzigCredit: Getty
      It was heartbreak as this incredible bet fell shortCredit: Twitter
      But Joski Gvardiol headed in a crucial header to earn a 1-1 draw – and no doubt leave the gambler gutted.
      To make matters worse, City were somehow denied a stonewall penalty in injury time despite a blatant handball that VAR didn’t even check.
      The Twitter user and Tottenham fan, Connor, shared his five-fold accumulator an hour before kick-off in Germany.
      He had placed £300 at 120-1 – with returns of £36,057.65.
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      The four horses he had backed – 2-1 Patient Dream and 7-4 Seigneur Des As at Ludlow, 2-1 Fleurman at Newcastle and 13-8 The Connector at Punchestown – all came in.
      And that left Connor with a decision to make – bank on City to do the business at Leipzig with odds of 17-20 to get the win.
      Or he could cash out for a cool £17,754.28 before a ball was kicked to save himself the stress of sitting through the European clash.
      According to Footy Accumulators on Twitter, he opted to stick it out, even once he was offered a £28,000 cash out.
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      Fans were divided on his tactics and gave differing advice.
      One said: “Take and run don’t risk it.”
      Another wrote: “Please take the money that already is life-changing – why risk £28k for an extra £8k?”
      But a third added: “Keep going City look good.”
      And a final user replied: “Minerals. Go for it.” More

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      Pep Guardiola compared to Hull legend Phil Brown after holding team talk on pitch at full-time of RB Leipzig draw

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      PEP GUARDIOLA has been compared to Hull legend Phil Brown after giving his team a talking to on the pitch after the game. Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.
      Pep Guardiola was furious with Man City’s performance against RB LeipzigCredit: EPA
      He then kept his players on the pitch for the post-match team talkCredit: Reuters
      It drew comparisons to Phil Brown at Hull CityCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      And a furious Guardiola kept his players out of the dressing room to lecture them on the pitch.
      It has seen the Spaniard draw comparisons to Brown, who famously gave a half-time team talk to his players on the pitch in 2008.
      Fans online rushed to comment on the similarity.
      One user wrote: “Pep grilling his boys on the pitch. Bro thinks he’s Phil Brown.”
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      A second said: “Pep giving it some of the old Phil Brown on the pitch after the final whistle.”
      A third commented: “Also, did I just see Pep pull a Phil Brown? Things going very wrong at City…”
      A fourth added: “Pep Guardiola taking notes from Phil Brown? 🤔.”
      One cautious responder remarked: “Didn’t Hull’s season nosedive after he did that?”
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      Ironically, Brown’s famous team talk happened with Hull losing 4-0 at half-time at the Etihad. It seemed to have an impact as they drew the second half 1-1, losing the game 5-1.
      City had a second half to forget again in Leipzig. Riyad Mahrez saw his first-half effort cancelled out by a Josko Gvardiol header.
      However, City were denied a penalty after Benjamin Henrichs appeared to handle the ball in stoppage time.
      The second leg will be held at the Etihad on March 14.
      In the meantime, Guardiola will take his side down to Bournemouth in hopes of maintaining their Premier League title push. More

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      Inter Milan team-mates Andre Onana and Edin Dzeko have extraordinary on-field bust-up in Porto clash as pals intervene

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      INTER MILAN pals Andre Onana and Edin Dzeko had a fiery bust-up on the pitch against Porto.Goalkeeper Onana had to be held back by team-mate Hakan Calhanoglu as he shouted at Dzeko.

      Hakan Calhanoglu had to step in as Andre Onana shouted at Edin DzekoCredit: Getty
      Dzeko started the dispute by telling Onana to stop moaning at the refCredit: Getty
      The row came in the second half of Inter’s 1-0 Champions League win over Porto.
      Onana appeared to be upset with Dzeko after the striker told him to stop moaning at the referee.
      The striker wanted Onana to get on with play and he was met by a wild outburst from the Cameroonian.
      Onana seemed to tell Dzeko to “shut up” and gesture towards him angrily.
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      Calhanoglu was on hand to defuse the situation and put his hand over Onana’s mouth.
      Despite the row, a Romelu Lukaku goal in the 86th minute gave the Italians a one-goal advantage heading to Portugal for the second leg.
      It comes just days after Lukaku and team-mate Nicolo Barrella clashed during the game against Udinese.
      Lukaku struck a late winner against Porto and Onana also played a huge role in the victory as he produced a wonderful double save to keep the scores level.
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      The keeper recently got into trouble over a confrontation with his own team at the World Cup.
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      Cameroon manager Rigobert Song reportedly sent Onana home following a dispute over his playing style which resulted in a shouting match.
      Onana then decided to retire from international duty, announcing he had fulfilled his dream of playing for his country. More

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      ‘This game is rigged’ – Man City denied CLEAR last-gasp penalty after handball in dying seconds of RB Leipzig draw

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      MANCHESTER CITY fans were left fuming after being denied a penalty deep in stoppage time against RB Leipzig.With the score level at 1-1, the ball appeared to strike Benjamin Henrichs on the arm in the Leipzig box.
      Manchester City were denied a late penalty against RB LeipzigCredit: BT Sport

      As Rodri headed down a Riyad Mahrez cross into the box, the Leipzig man appeared to instinctively put his hands up.
      And replays suggested Henrichs clearly made contact with the ball with his hands.
      City stars immediately put their own hands up, appealing for a penalty to be given.
      But referee Serdar Gozubuyuk was unmoved and blew for full-time just moments later.
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      The match finished 1-1 after Josko Gvardiol’s towering header cancelled out Mahrez’s opener.
      But fans on social media were left fuming at being denied a late penalty.
      One wrote on Twitter: “This game is so rigged.”
      Another added: “That is one of the worst I’ve seen.”
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      A third fumed: “What a farce.”
      And a fourth said: “That was as blatant of a handball as it gets at the end of the game. City have been robbed.”
      BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand was also in agreement.
      He said: “That’s handball. He’s tried to push it away.”
      Ferdinand added: “I think the City players’ reaction tells you all you need to know there. They all react and they all go to the referee.”
      Ex-Prem ref Mark Halsey’s analysisMANCHESTER CITY should have been awarded a last-gasp penalty at Leipzig.
      I felt it was a deliberate handball by Benjamin Henrichs to stop Rodri’s header.
      Henrichs moved both of his arms towards the ball and pushed it away. Rodri’s header was not at pace so I couldn’t believe what Henrichs was doing.
      Dutch referee Serdar Gozubuyuk did not point to the spot and VAR official Pol van Boekel did not intervene.
      VAR can check a penalty shout even after the final whistle.

      Former Premier League referee Peter Walton claimed on BT Sport after the game that VAR did not even check the incident.
      Walton said: “The VAR did not check it. I have a monitor linked with Uefa that tells me when VAR are checking incidents.
      “This particular incident wasn’t checked, and I’m surprised it wasn’t.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Meanwhile, City boss Pep Guardiola said: “I didn’t see it, so I cannot talk, but I know what happened in these situations.”
      Guardiola held a team talk on the pitch at the full-time whistle – echoing shades of Hull boss Phil Brown at the Etihad in 2008. More

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      RB Leipzig 1 Man City 1: Pep’s men let lead slip to leave tie on knife edge and English teams without a last-16 win

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      THOR blimey! Leipzig boss Marco Rose nicknamed his former striker Erling Haaland after the God from Norse mythology.
      Manchester City have it all to do in the return leg at the EtihadCredit: Getty
      Riyad Mahrez scored the opening goal with a classy finishCredit: Rex
      Josko Gvardiol towered over Ruben Dias to head RB Leipzig levelCredit: Getty
      But Josko Gvardiol not only kept him quiet – he also came up with a hammer blow of his own in the second half.
      The Croatia World Cup star’s thunderous header cancelled out a brilliantly-worked first-half goal from Riyad Mahrez.
      And it means Manchester City still have work to do in three weeks’ time if they are to claim their traditional place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
      Pep Guardiola will be frustrated as his team do not seem to have learned their lesson.
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      Just like at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, they failed to kill the game off when they were completely on top and gave their opponents a chance.
      You could say they ran out of energy at the hands of Red Bull.
      Leipzig fans unfurled a banner saying ‘We’re on our way to Istanbul’ – with the final due to be played in the Turkish capital on June 10, they were not just here to make up the numbers.
      And their recent form shows why they were confident with just one defeat in their last 20 matches dating back to early October.
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      Rose’s men like to play on the counter-attack and let their opponents come on to them – yet it has proved to be highly effective.
      It made for an interesting clash of styles with City – who love to have the ball – completely dominating the ball in the opening half hour.
      Creating chances was another matter with their main man Kevin de Bruyne back home in Manchester due to illness.
      Haaland – who has scored more against Leipzig than any other team with six goals in four games – did not get much of a look in.
      An Ilkay Gundogan header from a Mahrez corner was straight at home keeper Janis Blaswich.
      Rodri skied an effort high over the bar after a well-worked move while Mahrez fired a free-kick into the wall.
      City were knocking on the door and just before the half-hour mark they finally ground down the home side to take the lead.
      Xaver Schlager gave the ball away to Jack Grealish whose pass was tickled into the path of Mahrez by skipper Gundogan.

      The Algerian burst into the box and finished coolly with that deadly left peg of his – sweeping his shot past Blaswich.
      It was a 20th goal in this competition for Mahrez, only four other African players have achieved that total.
      Having sat back for the whole game until then, Leipzig now had a dilemma and City had the opportunity to effectively kill off the tie.
      Rodri got in at the back post from a corner but nobody was there to touch in his header back across goal – as it bounced just out of Haaland’s reach.
      Then Grealish – who was once again catching the eye – cut in from the left and curled a 20-yard effort inches over with Blaswich nowhere near it.
      It was as one-sided a first half as you are likely to see at this stage of the competition – with the 2020 semi-finalists barely getting a look in.  
      Although right on half-time, Leipzig finally had an effort on goal as former Chelsea man Timo Werner shot straight at Ederson.
      Having reached the final in 2021 and come within seconds of doing the same last year, City look an accomplished side on the European stage now.
      It was all going swimmingly for City in the first halfCredit: EPA
      Gvardiol celebrated after scoring against one of the teams who want to sign himCredit: Getty
      They were clearly in the mood to finish this tie as soon after the re-start, Gundogan crossed for Mahrez but his goalbound shot was blocked by Schlager.
      Yet just like at Forest at the weekend, City had not turned their dominance into a substantial lead – and Leipzig finally came to life.
      Half-time sub Benjamin Henrichs landed a header on the roof of the net and then fired wide when he was put through on goal by Dominik Szoboszlai.
      Andre Silva twisted one way then the other to get in down the left but Ederson made himself big and got down to make the save.
      Rose needed someone to finish these chances off and midway through the second half he threw on his main man Christopher Nkunku.
      The French forward – who is expected to join Chelsea in the summer – scored a hat-trick when these teams met at the Etihad 18 months ago.
      While committing more men to attack, Leipzig were vulnerable at the back and Grealish played through Haaland but he dragged his shot wide.
      But the home side got the goal their efforts deserved as a corner was played short and Marcel Halstenberg sent over a delicious outswinging cross.
      Ederson hesitated and was caught in no man’s land as Gvardiol climbed over the back of Ruben Dias to nod home the equaliser.
      City could have re-taken the lead as Gundogan’s shot was pushed away by Blaswich – once again just out of the reach of the on-rushing Haaland.
      Read More on The Sun
      And they felt they should have had an injury-time penalty when Benjamin Henrichs put his hands up to block – no doubt Haaland would have been confident of burying the spot-kick.
      But it was typical of the Norwegian’s evening. Even Norse Gods have off nights.
      Benjamin Henrichs escaped an apparent blatant hand ballCredit: BT Sport
      Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure on the sidelinesCredit: EPA
      Jack Grealish was on the end of some robust challengesCredit: Getty More

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      I had night of my life for Man Utd… then a pregnant woman knocked at my door the next day, reveals ex-star

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      DANNY SIMPSON has opened up on the time a woman turned up on his doorstep claiming to be pregnant with his child – hours after he played in the Champions League for Manchester United.After progressing through the club’s academy, Simpson made eight appearances for the Red Devils.
      Danny Simpson (second from right) came through the academy at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      Simpson played eight first team games for the Red DevilsCredit: Getty
      One of those came against Roma in the Champions League in December 2007.
      He played 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw in the group stages, the same season United went on to lift the trophy in Moscow.
      Then, the day after his big night at the Stadio Olimpico, Simpson was told he was going to be a father at the age of 19.
      The claim turned out to be false, and Simpson has now spoken on the effect that period of time had on his life.
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      The now 36-year-old told the Under The Cosh podcast: “People don’t know this but I don’t mind saying it. I played Roma away in the Champions League, drew 1-1, think [Gerard] Pique scored.
      “Next day, my apartment buzzer has gone. ‘Hello?’ Ah it’s… I won’t say the name, but I was like ‘oh yeah, come in’.
      “This girls turned up at my door, five months pregnant, telling me I’m the dad.
      “So imagine, I’ve just played the Champions League, biggest night of my life, drew 1-1, got [Francesco] Totti’s shirt, come home buzzing, all my mates are buzzing, and then 24 hours later some bird is telling me she’s pregnant.”
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      The outing against Roma ended up being Simpson’s last game for Manchester United.
      While he went on to win the Prem title with Leicester in 2015-16, Simpson described that period of his life at United as “madness”.
      Simpson ended up joining Ipswich on loan in March 2008, before having further loan spells at Blackburn and Newcastle before he left Old Trafford for good in 2010.
      He continued: “When you’re playing you think you can deal with it. I’m a kid [at the time], I’ve got this lawyer saying she wants this house and this and that.
      “Cut a long story short, had the test and obviously it wasn’t mine. It was a mad four to six months. Madness.”
      Simpson revealed he didn’t tell boss Sir Alex Ferguson, but Rio Ferdinand was there “helping” him to get through a difficult period.
      He added: “Rio was helping me with that one. It was mad, when that test came, the results come through, it was mad.
      “I was on tele the night before playing against Roma – one of the best nights of my life, playing for United in the Champions League against Roma and Totti, Ludovic Giuly, I played some top players and I had a good game – and then next day a big bomb [was dropped] on me.”
      Simpson has not played since leaving Bristol City in March 2022. More

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      RB Leipzig vs Man City LIVE SCORE: Erling Haaland STARTS in Champions League last-16 clash – TV channel, stream

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      MANCHESTER CITY get their Champions League campaign back underway with a huge clash at RB Leipzig TONIGHT.City eased through their group to qualify for their last-16 match-up with the German side.
      Pep Guardiola is still searching for his first Champions League trophy with Man City and his first since 2011.
      City have been a inconsistent in the league this season as they find themselves in a title race with Arsenal.

      Kick-off: 8pm
      TV channel: BT Sport 1
      Live stream: BT Sport website and app
      Leipzig XI: Blaswich; Klostermann, Orban, Gvardiol, Halstenberg; Laimer, Schlager; Werner, Szoboszlai, Forsberg; Andre Silva
      Man City XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Haaland, Grealish

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      Watch Erling Haaland inspect Champions League ball in training before Man City’s quarter-final clash with RB Leipzig

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      ERLING HAALAND gave the Champions League ball a once over in Manchester City training ahead of Wednesday’s clash with RB Leipzig.City travel to Germany to take on the Bundesliga side, with the second leg scheduled for March 14 back at the Etihad.

      Erling Haaland carefully inspected the new Champions League ball in trainingCredit: Sky Sports via Twitter / @footballdaily
      He appeared to show something on the ball to a Manchester City staff memberCredit: Sky Sports via Twitter / @footballdaily
      Haaland spent some time checking out the ballCredit: Sky Sports via Twitter / @footballdaily
      The new Champions League ball has been a hit with fansCredit: Getty
      Pep Guardiola and Co haven’t played in the competition since November 2 and, ahead of their return, Haaland took a good long look at the new Champions League ball.
      The 22-year-old goal machine was spotted in City training nonchalantly flicking up a ball before spending some time checking out the new design.
      He moved it around in his hands before walking over to a member of City’s staff and appearing to show it to them.
      After a brief chat he dropped the ball back to the ground and got a feel for it with his feet.
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      It’s unclear what exactly caught Haaland’s eye, but football fans on social media are certainly fans of the new design.
      Many took to Twitter to heap praise on Adidas for the ball, which will be used in this year’s Champions League final, as well as the knockout rounds.
      One wrote approvingly: “That’s a piece of art for real.”
      And another said: “Now that’s magical.”
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      Haaland himself will be looking to conjure up some magic with the new ball.
      He scored five goals in four games in the Champions League group stages, and will be eager to continue that form in the knockouts.
      Despite their recent success, the Champions League continues to elude City.
      But with Haaland leading the line, City are well fancied to end their European curse this season. More