Champions League

Subterms

    More stories

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      Jude Bellingham ‘saves Reece James from red card’ in Dortmund’s clash against Chelsea

      by

      REECE JAMES was spared from being sent off in Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to Dortmund… thanks to rival player Jude Bellingham. The Chelsea star was already on a booking when Borussia Dortmund were awarded a free-kick in the second half.
      Reece James could have been sent off for blocking a Borussia Dortmund free-kickCredit: Getty
      But Bellingham stopped his side taking the free-kickCredit: Getty
      With the act sparing his countryman from being sent off and a second leg suspensionCredit: PA
      Bellingham put in a strong display against the Blues
      James then stood over the free-kick to block it from being taken swiftly.
      If the ball had been kicked at James and blocked, he would have received a second yellow card and been sent off, meaning he would also be suspended for the second leg.
      Fortunately for James, Bellingham stopped the free-kick from being hit at the Chelsea defender, sparing him as he halted the restart.
      On commentary, Bellingham was praised for saving James from a red card.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Reacting to the act, one fan online said: “Jude Bellingham did a favour to Reece James. Could have made James get a red card.”
      A second fan said: “Respect.”
      Meanwhile, a third wrote: “Reece James is such a star player, Bellingham should of gotten his second yellow card smh (shake my head) 🤦🏾‍♂️.”
      A fourth joked: “The bromance really is strong.”
      Most read in Champions League
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Despite Bellingham sparing his compatriot in that instance, the England midfielder did not spare the Blues from defeat at Signal Iduna Park.
      Dortmund won 1-0 with the goal coming as Karim Adeyemi picked up the ball in his own half and carried it the full length of the pitch before rounding Kepa Arrizabalaga and slotting the ball into the net.
      The Blues pressed for an equaliser and had the ball cleared off the line late in the second half, but were ultimately unable to find their shooting boots.
      Chelsea owner Todd Boehly will reportedly move “heaven and earth” to land Bellingham in the summer and the 19-year-old’s good sportsmanship will not hinder that opinion one bit. More

    • 238 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea player ratings: Felix shows glimpses of class but lacks finishing touch with Ziyech and Mudryk off the pace

      by

      CHELSEA will welcome Borussia Dortmund to Stamford Bridge needing to turn their Champions League fortunes around. Graham Potter’s struggling Blues huffed and puffed but were blown away by a quick counter attack.
      Hakim Ziyech looks on in defeatCredit: PA
      Karim Adeyemi’s opener on 63 minutes was enough to separate the sides in the last 16 first leg.
      And here, Jack Figg rates Chelsea’s performers in Germany.
      Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6
      Down well on 57 minutes to hold onto Brandt’s low effort but could not put off Adeyemi, who rounded him to finish.
      The Spaniard had a rather quiet game with Dortmund recording just two shots on target – with one going in.
      READ MORE ON Chelsea
      Reece James – 6
      Produced an excellent surging run on 52 minutes which resulted in a free kick he saw well saved.
      Wasn’t able to get forward as much as he would’ve hoped with scorer Adeyemi a constant threat down Dortmund’s left.
      Reece James battles with with Borussia Dortmund’s Salih OzcanCredit: Reuters
      Thiago Silva – 6
      Produced a great block on 25 minutes to deny Adeyemi and read the game well.
      Worked nicely with Koulibaly and was helpless for Dortmund’s breakaway winner.
      Most read in Football
      Kalidou Koulibaly – 7
      Good overall performance by the outcast centre-back, covering and positioning himself well.
      Almost levelled after his effort inside the box beat keeper Gregor Kobel only for Emre Can to clear off the line.
      Kalidou Koulibaly had his effort saved off the lineCredit: EPA
      Ben Chilwell – 6
      Linked up well with Mudryk on the left with the pair showing nice chemistry.
      Looked a lot more positive down the left than Marc Cucurella has in recent matches.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 5
      Partnered Fernandez in the holding pair and struggled to impose his physicality or make impactful runs on the ball.
      It still looks as though his best position is still yet to be determined.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek looks on after Chelsea concededCredit: Rex
      Enzo Fernandez – 6
      Proving to be a stellar anchor in Chelsea’s midfield but playing too deep to make an impact in the final third.
      Did his best to halt Adeyemi in a one-on-one situation but the winger beat him to open the scoring.
      Mykhailo Mudryk – 5
      Twice lost the ball with a needless flicks in the first half but did show quick feet and nice link-up play with Chilwell.
      Chelsea will be hoping he gets on the ball a bit more and gets at defenders to create scoring opportunities as he lacked a real threat.
      Mykhailo Mudryk struggled to make an impactCredit: Reuters
      Hakim Ziyech – 4
      Almost anonymous on the right and looked totally disinterested at times.
      Seems the player is still not over his failed deadline day move to PSG and one would question how many more starts he gets under Potter.
      Joao Felix – 6
      Linked up well with his wingers and midfielders but did miss a golden chance inside box leaning back from Ziyech’s cutback on half hour mark.
      Had another gaping opportunity with seven minutes to go but he struck right into the keeper’s arms.
      Joao Felix saw chances go to wasteCredit: AP
      Kai Havertz – 4
      Looked largely isolated leading the line despite rare cameos with Felix.
      He looks more comfortable dropping deep, stressing Chelsea’s need for a true No9.
      Read More on The Sun
      Subs
      Marc Cucurella (for Chilwell 70 mins) – Came on to give Chilwell some rest bite but the full-back faces a fight back into the starting 11.
      Mason Mount (for Mudryk 70 mins) – Didn’t really get much time to make a change in the game.
      Mason Mount came off the benchCredit: Getty More

    • 188 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Dortmund 1 Chelsea 0: Toothless Blues on brink of Champions League KO after Adeyemi wondergoal

      by

      ENZO FERNANDEZ was made to look like a £106 million carthorse as Chelsea’s last hope of a trophy took a knock.The most expensive signing in English football was left trailing in a straight sprint as Borussia Dortmund nosed ahead in the race for a place in the Champions League quarter finals.
      Misfiring Chelsea’s Champions League hopes are in the balance after defeat in GermanyCredit: Getty
      Karim Adeyemi scored the only goal as Dortmund beat the Blues 1-0Credit: Reuters
      The goal was against the run of play and will be a shattering blow to boss Graham Potter after his team produced an impressive performance apart from one momentary lapse.
      It is not a disastrous result against one of Europe’s most in-form sides but it could have been so much better.
      Chelsea hit the bar through Joao Felix and Reece James twice went close from a free kick and a powerful shot in the second half.
      Kalidou Koulibaly also had a shot cleared off the line by ex-Liverpool midfielder Emre Can.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      But failing to score again underlines how much Potter needs a man in his team with a killer instinct in front of goal – a basic requirement he just doesn’t have at the moment.
      The way in which Dortmund burst clear from defending a corner to score less than 15 seconds later through winger Karim Adeyemi is also a concern.
      A hoofed clearance found the Germany star waiting barely thirty yards from his own byline only for him to embark on a lung-busting toe-to-toe race with Fernandez towards Kepa in the Chelsea goal. And there was a clear winner.
      Fernandez, signed late on transfer deadline day and billed as the marquee signing of Chelsea’s season, simply could not keep pace.
      Most read in Champions League
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      Eventually, Adeyemi rounded Potter’s stranded keeper and rolled the ball into the net with chest heaving to give the boys from the Bundesliga a handy advantage going into the March 7 return game.
      Chelsea will be slight underdogs to go through in the second leg next month unless Potter can find someone who puts the ball in the net for fun.
      The spirit is there, the energy and the new signings are starting to settle in.
      Chelsea certainly did not travel to northern Germany looking to sit tight for the draw. Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix looked lively from the start.
      And a spell of sustained pressure as the game edged towards 20 minutes resulted in the ball nestling in the back of Dortmund’s net.
      But captain Thiago Silva handled instead of heading the corner and got a booking as a reward.
      Thiago Silva had a goal ruled out for handball, and got booked for his troublesCredit: AP
      Joao Felix came close to scoring but saw his effort hit the barCredit: Getty
      Interestingly, that was the third time in two games that Chelsea have had goals disallowed.
      If they could only learn the handball and offside laws of the game there wouldn’t be nearly as much clamour for the club to sign a striker.
      It was much the same story when Felix, one of the bright spots of Potter’s team, found himself with a clear shot at goal on 32 minutes.
      A neat ball across the 18 yard line gave the Portuguese forward time and space to pick his spot, only he blasted his shot way over the bar.
      At least wasting chances wasn’t exclusive to the visitors with Adeyemi blazing high from a similar position just a minute later up the other end.
      Felix was unlucky when the next opportunity presented itself, however.
      Drifting through the middle of the box under pressure from the defence he clipped the ball over the keeper only for the ball to cannon back off the crossbar.
      Chelsea’s last European match was a 2-1 home win over Dinamo Zagreb on November 2.
      Adeyemi punished Chelsea when he broke clear on the hour markCredit: Reuters
      The German buried his effort after skipping past Kepa ArrizabalagaCredit: Getty
      In the meantime, they have won only two matches, beating Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. Hardly a ringing endorsement of Potter’s short time in charge so far.
      But now the mad, adrenaline rush of the January transfer window is starting to subside, there is a feeling that Chelsea are starting to emerge from the frenzy of signing eight new players – despite this setback.
      Three of the new buys were in the starting line up at an immense stadium, brim full with 81,000 fans providing a test of nerve for everyone involved.
      There were five at West Ham on Saturday when Chelsea would have been out of sight after half an hour but for two offside goals.
      Even so, the energy of the young players is having a slow but steady positive effect on the team.
      No shots on target in the first half does not reflect how they went on the front foot and were unfortunate not to be ahead at such a tough gig.
      Dortmund were on a roll with six straight wins prior to last night. They are not to be taken lightly, particularly in their own yard – one of the world’s best and most intimidating arenas.
      Read More on The Sun
      Potter can be encouraged that his team did not get a hiding and feel good that Chelsea are just a goal down and mounted a significant opposition to Dortmund amid incessant noise.
      But he will also be concerned that his star man was made to look so ponderous on the back foot particularly after a spell of sustained Chelsea pressure. More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Borussia Dortmund 1 Chelsea 0 LIVE RESULT: Adeyemi’s sublime solo strike sinks Blues in Champions League first leg

      by

      CHELSEA have it all to do at Stamford Bridge having lost to Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League first leg.The Blues came close to scoring tonight through Joao Felix who hit the crossbar.
      And Kalidou Koulibaly who saw his deflected effort cleared off the line.
      However, Karim Adeyemi’s sublime solo turned out to be the difference maker in Germany.

      RESULT: Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Live stream: BT.com
      TV channel: BT Sport 1
      Dortmund XI: Kobel, Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro, Can, Brandt, Bellingham, Ozcan, Adeyemi, Haller
      Chelsea XI: Kepa, James, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, Chilwell, Loftus-Cheek, Enzo, Ziyech, Felix, Mudryk, Havertz

      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FREE BETS AND OFFERS
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      That’s all from us!
      Thank you so much for joining us for this game, it was a cracker as we expected!
      If you haven’t quite got your football fix for tonight, then catch a bit more as we reflect on Manchester City’s win over Arsenal, which sees them go to the top of the table!
      Goodnight!
      Man of the match
      It’s really tough to choose a man of the match from that game, as there were so many good performances.
      We are going to go for Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel.
      He was solid in goal, and punched away every corner that came his way, as well as pulling out stunning stops to deny Reece James on two occasions and Enzo Fernandez.
      Thiago Silva was brilliant at the back for The Blues, and Adeyemi’s goal made the difference, but the score could well have been in Chelsea’s favour had the Swiss stopper not been in net.
      Who was your man of the match?

      Elation for Dortmund!
      While Chelsea were unfortunate not to score, you have to give credit to Dortmund, who did everything necessary to get the result tonight.
      Captained by Jude Bellingham who was brilliant as usual, they put in the fight, determination and dirty work where needed to leave Germany with a 1-0 lead.
      It was a great counter attack that separates the two teams, with Karim Adeyemi being too quick for Enzo Fernandez and too sharp for Kepa, as he rounded the Spaniard and slotted it home with aplomb.
      Adeyemi’s goal is the difference between the sides heading to LondonCredit: Reuters
      Disappointing for Chelsea
      Chelsea will be disappointed with a 1-0 loss away in Dortmund tonight, as they could so easily have scored not just one, but a couple of goals.
      Kalidou Koulibaly had a shot cleared off the line by Emre Can, and Joao Felix hit a curling effort over the bar before Enzo Fernandez was sensationally stopped by Gregor Kobel at the death.
      There were some bright sparks for The Blues, as Mykhailo Mudryk looked exciting and Thiago Silva was solid as ever.
      Ultimately, they lost this one because they were missing that natural finisher, that Erling Haaland.
      It is still on a knife-edge for the return leg at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea are far from out of this one.
      Perfectly poised, some would say…
      Chelsea were missing a natural number nine tonightCredit: Reuters
      FT. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      That’s all for this one, and the yellow wall erupts as Chelsea lose to Borussia Dortmund.
      Adeyemi scored the winner as Bellingham captained Dortmund to a 1-0 win that they will take to Stamford Bridge.
      90+4. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Chelsea need to get the ball forward, and quickly with just one minute remaining.
      Cucurella lofts a cross into the middle, but there is no one in the middle to attack it again.
      The ball works its way out to Enzo Fernandez on the edge of the box, who smashes a shot towards the top corner, great save from Kobel!
      90+2. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      10 yellow cards this evening, six for Dortmund and four for Chelsea.
      90. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Ryerson, Sule and Mount all get booked, which means Ryerson will miss the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
      89. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      It’s all kicking off on the benches here in Dortmund.
      A foul on Mason Mount led to a huge scrap on the sideline after it kicked off between Niklas Sule and a member of the Chelsea staff.
      86. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Salih Ozcan gets a yellow card for a shove on Joao Felix, and Chelsea have a free-kick in a dangerous position.
      Ziyech hits hit, and it flails wide.
      84. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Another chance for Joao Felix, saved by Kobel!Chelsea are piling on the pressure with Ziyech now, but it is cleaned up by Emre Can, who has been brilliant.
      82. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Mason Mount does well to win a foul for Chelsea, and Dortmund are defending really deep now and hitting The Blues on the break.
      80. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Dortmund have bought on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens for his Champions League debut.
      They go straight on the attack with Modeste, but his shot is high over the bar.
      78. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Cleared off the line by Emre Can!
      Koulibaly hits a shot on goal which takes a deflection and looks to be rolling over the line!
      In slides Emre Can, who gets it clear!A matter of inches away from an equaliser!
      76. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Dortmund are being penned in at the moment, but they get a breath of fresh air as Reece James is ruled offside on the attack.
      74. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Plenty of time for Chelsea to get back on level terms here.
      They are being patient, but it is again the lack of a real clinical finisher that is letting them down once more…
      72. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Hakim Ziyech is booked for Chelsea, and Dortmund make another change.
      Marius Wolf is off for Julian Ryerson.
      70. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      There are two changes for Chelsea…
      Mason Mount on for Mykhailo Mudryk.
      Marc Cucurella on for Ben Chilwell.
      68. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      First change of the night for Dortmund, and Sebastian Haller is replaced by Anthony Modeste.
      66. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      It’s a great counter attack from Dortmund and Adeyemi, who showed his electric pace to get into the box and take it round Kepa.
      Chelsea so nearly opened the scoring themselves with a chance for Ben Chilwell, who headed the ball back across goal before it was cleared.
      64. Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea
      Karim Adeyemi opens the scoring!
      A quick counter attack, and Adeyemi beats Kepa before rolling it into an empty net!
      Great finish!
      62. Dortmund 0-0 Chelsea
      Mix up on the edge of the box when Chelsea come forward, a lack of communication between Enzo and Mudryk leads to the former hitting a half-volley wide of the goal.
      60. Dortmund 0-0 Chelsea
      Chilwell wins a corner again for Chelsea, which will be whipped in by Joao Felix…
      Punched away again by Kobel.
      58. Dortmund 0-0 Chelsea
      Great save from Kepa this time.
      Dortmund get forward and work it to Brandt on the edge of the box, his shot is low and hard, but stopped by Kepa.
      56. Dortmund 0-0 Chelsea
      Reece James takes the free kick and forces a great diving save from Kobel!
      First shot on target of the game goes to Chelsea.
      Load more entries… More

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Chelsea could have star-studded XI of OUTCASTS that would challenge for Premier League title next season including Mount

      by

      CHELSEA owner Todd Boehly is creating a squad for the ages, at least in a financial sense. Consequently, with the the Blues’ starting XI being upgraded, the quality of those in reserve has been improved too.
      Here’s how Chelsea could line up next season
      SunSport have taken a look at three ways Chelsea could line up next season after Neymar was sensationally linked with a summer transfer.
      A report earlier today suggested the Boehly has flown to Paris for talks to sign superstar Neymar.
      It comes after the 31-year-old had an argument with PSG chief Luis Campos.
      And now Chelsea have entered discussions to try and sign the superstar, DESPITE already splashing out an unprecedented £600million on transfers in the last two windows.
      READ MORE ON CHELSEA
      In addition, RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku is already set to join the club having undergone a medical in September.
      With the pair’s introduction and both liking to play behind the striker, the best way to accommodate them both could be to push Nkunku out wide in support of Joao Felix, whose loan deal at Chelsea could be made permanent in the summer.
      Providing N’Golo Kante can remain fit, he will partner British transfer record signing Enzo Fernandez in midfield, while Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell and Reece James sit in the defence ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
      Looking beyond the starting XI shows a very strong team of outcasts.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      How Chelsea’s star studded reserves could line up
      This side would include the likes of Champions League winner Mason Mount and serial Premier League winner Raheem Sterling.
      In this hypothetical XI, the two Englishmen would be joined by January signings Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto.
      Meanwhile, Champions League final goalscorer Kai Havertz would lead the line while Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibably marshal the centre of defence in front of Edouard Mendy.
      Marc Cucurella, Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher would come in to complete the XI ahead of a number of other stars still at the club.
      The likes of Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Armando Broja, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos would fill out the rest of the squad alongside a number of academy players.
      Among these would be Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Hutchinson and Gabriel Slonina.
      Senior stars Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech would also still be at the club, but the trio have all been linked with the exit door at Stamford Bridge in the upcoming summer. More

    • 188 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Man Utd Champions League winner looks unrecognisable after taking huge role in Xavi’s Barcelona rebuild

      by

      A MANCHESTER UNITED Champions League winner looks completely unrecognisable after taking a huge role in Barcelona’s rebuild. The former attacking midfielder works as a sporting advisor for the Catalan giants.
      This ex-Man Utd star looks unrecognisable in his new role at BarcelonaCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Gone is his long and wavy light-coloured hair as he now dons a bald look.
      The 49-year-old featured for Man Utd across four seasons at the club.
      In total, he made 58 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals.
      During his time at Old Trafford he won the 1996/97 Premier League and 1998/99 Champions League.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      He also had a spell at Barcelona, playing 54 times for the club.
      The Dutchman also had spells at Celta Vigo, Deportivo Alaves and Espanyol.
      After hanging up his boots he managed the Ecuadorian national team and Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
      Despite his vast football career, some will best know him for being the son of a legend of the game.
      Most read in Champions League
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      That’s because his old man was Johan Cruyff, widely regarded as one of the greatest players and managers ever.
      Jordi Cruyff is now working at his and his dad’s old club Barca, helping current boss Xavi imprint his style.
      Man Utd are set to play the LaLiga outfit in the Europa League play-off round.
      Cruyff was in attendance at the draw and admitted he struggled to control his excitement for the game when he found out.
      On his father’s legacy and pressure to live up to him, he told The Telegraph: “You compare mortal with an immortal, a legend with a normal player.
      “I know if people love to compare then it’s stressful because you can never win.
      I think I had that stress in Spain when I was younger and when I went to Man Utd that’s where I felt liberated from all this – in my opinion – stupidity.
      “I still have it almost on a daily basis, the older generation they still have tears when they see me, they want to talk.
      “They just have a necessity to say something about my father and people still have tears in their eyes. I hear it. I’m proud.”
      Jordi Cruyff won the Premier League at Man UtdCredit: PA:Empics Sport More

    • 238 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      PSG fans full of ‘respect’ for Neymar but slam Lionel Messi as video from Bayern Munich defeat goes viral

      by

      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN fans praised Neymar but slammed Lionel Messi after Tuesday’s loss to Bayern Munich.Christophe Galtier’s men lost 1-0 to Bayern at Parc des Princes after former PSG star Kingsley Coman’s winner on 53 minutes.

      Paris Saint-Germain fans praised Neymar after the loss to Bayern MunichCredit: Getty
      Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi got slammed after the Champions League clashCredit: Getty
      Despite the result, a number of the French champions’ supporters sang Neymar’s praises.
      But some were not happy with Messi’s performance in their first leg of the Champions League Last 16.
      This comes after a clip went viral showing the Brazil international pressing the German champions’ defence and chasing the ball.
      But the Argentina captain was nowhere to be found as he was sitting way back while Neymar was going after Yann Sommer and his back three.
      Read More on Football
      One PSG fan tweeted: “Messi nowhere to be found. Much respect for Neymar who actually cares can’t even blame him.”
      Another commented: “Messi doesn’t care anymore, he think [sic] in PSG they will carry him too, but unfortunately there is no [Kylian] Mbappe.”
      A third said: “This is what I mean about Messi’s workrate [sic] when pressing.”
      This fan posted: “Neymar needs to stop this Messi service. He is trying to make him relevant and in doing so is ruining his own reputation.”
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      And that one tweeted: “This alone made him [Neymar] my man of the match.”
      But of course there were also PSG fans who rushed to Messi’s defence insisting they were happy with his performance as he wasn’t to blame for the defeat.
      Neymar, however, was also congratulated for taking the initiative to greet the PSG ultras at full-time despite the disappointing result.
      The forward was also the one who beckoned Messi to accompany him. More

    • 238 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      How Man Utd lined up last time they beat Barcelona with just two players from ENTIRE SQUAD still playing

      by

      MANCHESTER UNITED head to the Nou Camp aiming to beat Barcelona for the first time in FIFTEEN years.Erik ten Hag’s side drew the Spanish giants in a blockbuster Europa League play-off tie.
      Manchester United beat Barcelona most recently in 2008Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      United have lost their last four meetings with Barca – the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals and the 2019 quarter-finals.
      But they got the better of Frank Rijkaard’s men in the semi-finals in 2008 to book their place in the final, where they beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.
      The first leg ended 0-0 in Spain before a 1-0 win back at Old Trafford on April 29.
      Paul Scholes scored a stunning effort to seal the tie, letting fly from 25 yards to beat Victor Valdes – although the midfielder later admitted it was a miskicked slice.
      READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS
      Now, though, just two members of United’s entire squad from that memorable night are still playing professional football.
      Those two are Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently left the Red Devils again for Al-Nassr, and unused sub Danny Welbeck, still in the Premier League with Brighton.
      Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes up front alongside Carlos Tevez.
      Scholes lined up in the middle of the park with Michael Carrick, who is now trying to lead Middlesbrough to promotion in his first managerial job.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      Nani and Park Ji-Sung were the wide men under Sir Alex Ferguson with a back four of Owen Hargreaves, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown and Patrice Evra.
      Edwin van der Sar was in goal with Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs and Mikael Silvestre coming off the bench.
      Tomasz Kuszczak, Anderson and John O’Shea remained on the bench alongside Welbeck.
      For Barca, Lionel Messi is the only member of the squad still with a club, and a Champions League one at that with Paris Saint-Germain, with Bojan recently leaving Vissel Kobe.
      Among the starters for the Catalan club in Manchester were Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Yaya Toure, Samuel Eto’o and now-manager Xavi – while Thierry Henry came off the bench.
      Paul Scholes scored the only goal of the Champions League semi-final tieCredit: PA
      Cristiano Ronaldo came out on the winning sideCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Lionel Messi is the only player from the two squads still an active Champions League playerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More