Champions League

Subterms

    More stories

    • 200 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Top 10 fastest players in the Champions League revealed… and Arsenal star surprisingly makes the list

      by

      THE ten fastest players in this season’s Champions League have been revealed with an Arsenal star among them – despite the Gunners not even being in the competition.The group stage of Europe’s elite club competition wrapped up last week – with a number of big clubs failing to make the last 16.
      The fastest players in the group stages of the Champions League have been revealedCredit: Rex
      Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk topped the list with a top speed of 36.6kmhCredit: REUTERS
      Uefa’s statisticians kept tabs on all the players throughout the group stage, monitoring their speed and distance covered.
      A number of well-known speedsters, unsurprisingly, made the top ten.
      But an unfamiliar name stunned footy fans by finishing joint top of the speed rankings – which were judged by kilometres per hour.
      Shakthar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk – who has courted interest from a number of clubs, including Arsenal – topped the list with a top speed of 36.6kmh.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele also clocked the same speed but came in second place.
      AC Milan and Real Madrid aces Rafael Leao and Federico Valverde claimed third and fourth place with speeds of 36.5 and 36.3kmh respectively.
      Gunners star Nuno Tavares – who is on loan at Marseille – was the fifth-fastest player in the group stage with a speed of 36.2kmh.
      Alphonso Davies, Karim Adeyemi and Moussa were the sixth, seventh and eighth fastest in the group stages – racking up respective speeds of 36.2 and 36.1kmh.

      Arsenal star Nuno Tavares – who is on loan at Marseille – came in at No.5 on the listCredit: GETTY
      Most read in Football
      PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
      Benfica and AC Milan stars Rafael Silva and Theo Hernandez closed out the top ten with speeds of 35.9 and 35.7kmh respectively.
      Mudryk’s placing atop the list of speedsters set Arsenal fans’ chins wagging, with one saying: “Never seen a game in which Mudryk has played in but every time I see something related with this year’s UCL his name pops up.
      “So, fair to assume he’s the next big thing.”
      Another said: “I’ve had my eye on Mudryk for a while (Madrid plays Waxtap every year and sounds like Modric).
      “He seems destined for a bigger team, the guy plays with intensity.”
      Read More on The Sun
      And another said: “Seeing Mudryk’s name quite frequently these days.”
      One remarked: “Mudryk to [Kylian] Mbappe: Look at me, i’m the captain now!” More

    • 213 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Jordan Henderson forced to get Champions League tattoo alone after Trent Alexander-Arnold was BANNED by his mum

      by

      JORDAN HENDERSON was forced to get a Champions League inspired tattoo alone after Trent Alexander-Arnold was BANNED by his mum.The Liverpool captain had been planning to commemorate his Champions League winner’s medal from 2019 with an appropriately themed tattoo.
      Jordan Henderson posed for his new tattoo alongside artist Tommy MontayaCredit: Instagram @tommymontoy
      Henderson revealed team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold was banned from getting a tattoo with himCredit: Reuters
      Henderson and Alexander-Arnold have been crucial parts of Liverpool’s success in recent yearsCredit: The Times
      And while he follow through with it, Hendo revealed that he would have been joined by team-mate Alexander-Arnold were it not for a last-minute intervention.
      Speaking to the Daily Mail, Henderson revealed: “The days after beating Tottenham in the Champions League final were a blur. 
      “We returned to Liverpool for an open-topped bus parade with the trophy the following day. Within the week, I was in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s room in Portugal. 
      “We were there for the Nations League finals. We’d just had a training session with England, but our heads were still in the Estadio Metropolitano, and Trent had an idea.
      READ MORE ON LIVERPOOL
      “‘Let’s get tattoos!’ he said. ‘We should get the Champions League trophy tattooed on our calves.’
      “I haven’t got many tattoos. Just ones of my kids, which are on my ribs. Straight away, I said I was up for it, though.
      ‘”You’ll do it, too, right?’ I said. It was he who had suggested it, after all. ‘One hundred per cent,’ he said.”
      Henderson explained that he had arranged for former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger to help them book in their tattoos due to his expertise on the matter.
      Most read in Football
      PLAY OUR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP FANTASY FOOTBALL GAME TO WIN A SHARE OF £50k
      And with everything then arranged, Henderson added: “I pulled up outside his (Trent’s) villa at 11am.
      “I thought he might be waiting, but it was quiet. I waited for a bit, then he came out. He was looking a bit sheepish.
      ‘”Come on, get in,’ I said. He said ‘I can’t come’.”
      ‘”You what?’ My face dropped. ‘What do you mean, you can’t come?’
      “‘I can’t come because my mam says I’m not allowed,’ he said.
      “‘You f****** what?’ I said. ‘Get in the car, man. We’ve got to go. ‘Are you serious? Your mam says you can’t get a tattoo?’
      “It turned out that Trent had mentioned the tattoo to his brother, Tyler, who had mentioned it to his mam, and she had rung Trent up and basically said, ‘You’re not getting a tattoo. End of.'”
      And that was the end of that. Henderson posted a photo of the tattoo alongside artist Tommy Montaya, which in another world would have included his Liverpool team-mate as well.
      This season Liverpool have been enduring a far more turbulent time on the pitch, sitting down in eighth in the Premier League.
      Read More on The Sun
      However they do remain in contention for another Champions League trophy – facing Real Madrid in the Last 16.
      Off the pitch Anfield has been rocked by the news that the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, has put them up for sale. More

    • 213 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Liverpool drawing Real Madrid is VERY bad omen for Jurgen Klopp due to amazing Champions League fact

      by

      LIVERPOOL should be nervous about their Champions League draw due to their recent record against teams from Madrid.Jurgen Klopp’s side were drawn against Real Madrid after finishing second in their group, despite picking up 15 points.
      Jurgen Klopp has exclusively been knocked out of the Champions League by Madrid based clubs since becoming Liverpool managerCredit: Getty
      Finishing behind Napoli left them on the harder side of the draw as they would have to face teams that won their group, like the La Liga giants.
      While the fans of the Anfield club will be looking for revenge for their two final defeats to Real Madrid, one person has pointed out a weird coincidence since the German manager was appointed.
      Journalist Colin Millar wrote: “With Jürgen Klopp as manager, Liverpool have exclusively been knocked out of the Champions League by clubs from Madrid.
      “The one season they didn’t play a club from Madrid, they won the Champions League – in Madrid.”
      READ MORE ON LIVERPOOL
      In the last two season, Liverpool have been knocked out by Real Madrid, once in the quarter-finals and in the final earlier this year.
      In 2019/20, Liverpool were beaten in both legs by Diego Simone’s Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
      The season before that, Liverpool avoided playing a club from Madrid and beat Tottenham in an all-Premier League final, which happened to be played in the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
      The previous year, Liverpool was beaten in the final by Real Madrid, and before that Klopp had not managed them in the competition.
      Most read in FOOTBALL
      PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW FOR FREE WITH £100k IN PRIZE MONEY
      Klopp’s side will be hoping that the ominous omen means very little and will be able to overcome Carlo Ancelotti’s side and progress to the next round.
      In the meantime, Liverpool will be focused on winning their two games before the break for the World Cup in Qatar.
      Up first is a Carabao Cup clash against Derby County which will be followed by a league fixture against Southampton at Anfield. More

    • 238 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Champions League draw sparks Prem fixture chaos with NO remaining spots for Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and Man City games

      by

      PREM chiefs were left with a further fixtures headache after the Champions League last 16 draw.League bosses had hoped to be able to catch up some of the outstanding matches postponed in the wake of The Queen’s death in September.
      Liverpool are facing a fixture pile up following the Champions League drawCredit: EPA
      Manchester City still need to play their postponed home game against TottenhamCredit: Getty
      Tottenham’s trip to Manchester City and Liverpool’s visit to Chelsea were both called off over the mourning fortnight.
      But with Spurs and Liverpool pooled in the same “half” of the Champions League draw for TV purposes, those matches cannot now be rescheduled until the back end of March.
      If Tottenham and City had been paired together, it would have allowed them to play their postponed game at the Etihad in February or early-March.
      But the draw means there are now no free weeks until approaching the end of the season.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      That’s because their last-16 ties will be played across four weeks, with the Carabao Cup and the possibility of FA Cup replays filling up that period.
      At least City’s game against Arsenal, which was postponed so the Gunners could fit in their delayed Europa League tie with PSV, can now be pencilled in for the week starting February 13, with the match due to be screened by Amazon Prime rather than BT Sport.
      Manchester United, two fixtures behind, have no vacant dates so far available for their matches against Crystal Palace and Leeds.
      This comes after Erik ten Hag’s side could only finish second in their Europa League group, meaning they have two extra games to come against Barcelona in the play-off round.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      United needed to beat Real Sociedad by two goals and were on course to do exactly that when Alejandro Garnacho swept home his first professional goal.
      But the Red Devils could only match the Spanish club’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford back in September and paid the ultimate price when they were drawn against Barca. More

    • 263 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Tottenham fans all saying same thing after drawing AC Milan as Peter Crouch pleads ‘take me back’ to iconic 2011 clash

      by

      IF there’s one former Tottenham player who knows all about beating AC Milan, it’s Peter Crouch.The ex-England striker was part of the Spurs team who sent the reigning Serie A champions crashing out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage nearly 12 years ago.
      Peter Crouch scored the winner for Tottenham in their last 16 Champions League tie in 2011Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      AC Milan and Tottenham will come up against each other in FebruaryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      And after the two clubs were paired with each other in this morning’s draw, Crouch pleaded ‘take me back’ on Twitter to his memorable winner at San Siro.

      Tottenham fans responded to Crouch’s tweet, with one saying ‘what a finish’ while another simply said ‘unbelievable’.
      One supporter even questioned him for not celebrating with Aaron Lennon, who assisted him, and Crouch replied ‘I regret that but it’s not everyday you notch the winner in the San Siro’.
      Antonio Conte’s side will be praying for a similar outcome when they travel to Milan in February.
      READ MORE ON TOTTENHAM
      But they’ll be hoping for a far less stressful evening than their most recent European fixture.
      That’s because Spurs needed an injury-time victory in Marseille to book their place in the knockout stages, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s last-gasp winner securing their place at the top of the group.
      Naturally, drawing Milan was always going to bring back memories of when the north Londoners progressed 1-0 on aggregate in 2010-2011.
      Travelling to Italy without Ledley King and Gareth Bale, while Luka Modric was only on the bench, Harry Redknapp’s team defied the odds to beat an AC Milan side that included several big-names.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Thiago Silva, Clarence Seedorf, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all started the game, while Alexandre Pato was amongst the subs.
      Despite their array of attacking talent, Milan weren’t able to find the net over the two legs and it was Tottenham who progressed following a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane. More

    • 263 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Liverpool fans all saying the same thing after club is put up for sale and Real Madrid draw in Champions League

      by

      LIVERPOOL fans have joked that the club has been put up for sale as a response to their Champions League draw.The Reds were drawn against Real Madrid in the round of 16, the club that has beaten them in two recent finals of the tournament.
      Liverpool will play against Real Madrid in the round of 16 in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty
      News had broke that the owners FSG are inviting offers for the club after deciding after 12 years it is the right time to sell up.
      Fans have started to joke that the move is an attempt to try and avoid owning the club during another potential defeat to the LaLiga side.
      One said: “John Henry desperate to avoid watching another undeserved defeat to Real Madrid in the UCL, then.”
      Another tweeted: “Amazing that Liverpool get Real Madrid in the champions league then get put up for sale lol.”
      READ MORE ON LIVERPOOL
      A third said: “Wait so Liverpool owners put the club up for sale after finding out they have to play Real Madrid again in the Champions League?”
      A fourth added: “Liverpool have been put up for sale exactly when they saw they play against Real Madrid.”
      A fifth shared: “FSG really saw Liverpool draw Real Madrid and decided to put that club up for sale. They knew when they were out of the Champions League, the fans were gonna come after them.”
      The first defeat came in the 2018 final in Kyiv when Gareth Bale scored a stunning brace in the 3-1 win.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      The second defeat to Real was in last season’s final as Vinicius Junior’s solo goal was enough to give his side their 14th title.
      Liverpool was also knocked out at the same stage in 2020/21 when they lost 3-1 on aggregate over the two legs.
      Overall, the Reds have only beaten Madrid three times across their nine meetings in the competition, losing five and drawing one.
      The first leg between the two sides will take place at Anfield on February 14 next year before the second leg on March 7. More

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      Liverpool get horror Champions League last-16 draw against Real Madrid as Chelsea face tricky tie with Borussia Dortmund

      by

      LIVERPOOL will face Real Madrid in a Champions League knock-out rematch of last season’s final.The clash of the two Euro giants, with 20 triumphs in the competition between them, was one of two thrilling highlights of the last 16 draw in Nyon.
      Liverpool have been handed a horror tie against Real MadridCredit: Alamy
      Klopp is set for a reunion with Real Madrid boss Carlo AncelottiCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      In the other, Bayern Munich take on PSG’s all-stars in a repeat of the 2020 Final, won by the German side.
      But the other three Prem sides avoided their worst outcomes and have genuine chances of reaching the quarter-finals.
      Manchester City, desperate to land the trophy for the first time, were in the first tie drawn, against RB Leipzig.
      The Germans recovered from a 4-0 home thrashing by Shakhtar Donetsk in their opener to go eliminate Celtic and go through with Real.
      Read More In Football
      Spurs will travel to the San Siro to play AC Milan, a game which will raise positive memories for Spurs fans of both recent and older vintage.
      Bill Nicholson’s Tottenham knocked Milan out of the Uefa Cup quarter-finals en route to winning the trophy in 1972, thanks to a double by Steve Perryman.
      And in their first Champions League campaign in 2010-11, a Peter Crouch goal in Italy was the only strike of the last 16 tie Spurs edged through.
      Like City, Chelsea also drew German opposition with a trip to take on the Yellow Wall and Jude Bellingham’s Dortmund.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Champions League round of 16 draw in full
      But just weeks after Real President Florentino Perez moaned about the limited number of occasions his side have met Liverpool as he pushed once again for the establishment of a European Super League, he will get his wish.
      Madrid are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Liverpool, with six wins – including the 2018 and 2022 Finals – and a solitary draw since Fernando Torres led a 4-0 Anfield evisceration of the Bernabeu outfit in 2009.
      Los Blancos edged the Reds 1-0 in Paris back in May to lift Europe’s top prize for a record 14th time.

      Pep Guardiola’s City smashed Leipzig 6-3 in last season’s group stage before losing 2-1 in a “dead” match notable for Kyle Walker’s red card.
      And City will be hoping history can repeat itself in the knockouts this year with their ranks now bolstered by Erling Haaland.
      Chelsea, remarkably, have never met Dortmund in a competitive game but Bellingham is certain to be the centre of attention.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Blues are one of a number of teams battling it out for England star Bellingham’s signature.
      Bellingham, 19, has starred this season, scoring four goals in just five Champions League outings.
      Chelsea have been drawn to face Borussia DortmundCredit: Getty
      Tottenham play AC Milan, who boast ex-Arsenal and Chelsea star Olivier Giroud in their ranksCredit: Getty
      Manchester City will take on Timo Werner and RB LeipzigCredit: Getty More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Champions League last-16 draw LIVE REACTION: Liverpool face Real Madrid, Spurs play AC Milan and Chelsea vs Dortmund

      by

      LIVERPOOL will face Real Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League in a repeat of last year’s final.Real knocked out three English teams in last year’s competition.
      Chelsea will play Borussia Dortmund, while Tottenham face AC Milan and Manchester City go up against RB Leipzig.

      Draw in full: RB Leipzig vs Man City, Club Brugge vs Benfica, Liverpool vs Real Madrid, AC Milan vs Tottenham, Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli, Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea, Inter Milan vs Porto, Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich.
      First legs: February 14/15 and 21/22, 2023
      Second legs: March 7/8 and 14/15, 2023
      Europa League draw on straight afterwards as Manchester United learn their fate

      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      First time for everything
      Chelsea will be facing Borussia Dormtund for the first time ever in European competition.
      It will also be The Blues first meeting with German opposition since facing Bayern Munich in 2019/20.
      Leipzig react
      RB Leipzig have reacted to the news of their draw with Man City, and it’s good to see they have their sense of humour.
      The German side posted a hilarious Simpsons meme that perfectly sums up the situation.

      An old foe for Spurs
      Antonio Conte will return to Italy against a familiar opponent in AC Milan.
      Ivan Perisic, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski and Christian Romero will also be familiar with this Milan team due to being imports from the Serie A in recent years.
      However, as a club, Tottenham have only ever played the Italian giants twice.
      Those games came back in 2011 when Peter Crouch scored the only goal over a two-legged last-16 clash between the teams.
      Hopefully, there will be a few more goals when the teams square up again next year.
      Wary City
      With drawing Leipzig, City will need to be wary of one man in particular; Christopher Nkunku.
      The reason? He is one of just three players to have scored a hat-trick against Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
      The other two names in that list are Lionel Messi and Jamie Vardy who managed the feat twice.
      That being said, back in 2021 when Nkunku managed his trio City did smash double that past the Leipzig defence.
      2020 final repeat
      The other headliner tie is between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
      The pair have regularly tussled in out in the latter stages of the competition in recent years.
      Bayern edged out PSG in the 2020 final thanks to a Kingsley Coman strike.
      But in their most recent encounter PSG knocked Bayern out in the quarter-finals thanks to scoring more away goals – a rule no longer in place in the competition.
      Grudge match
      With the draw made there are some tasty grudge matches set to take place.
      Liverpool will no doubt be after revenge after Real Madrid beat them in the final last year.
      Vinicius Jr’s goal and a Thibaut Courtois masterclass kept The Reds at bay that night.
      But over two legs the tie may turn out differently.
      Champions League draw
      Let’s have a quick recap of the Champions League Last 16 draw:
      RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
      Club Brugge vs Benfica
      Liverpool vs Real Madrid
      AC Milan vs Tottenham
      Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli
      Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea
      Inter Milan vs Porto
      Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
      Champions League draw
      And that is Paris Saint-Germain vs Bayern Munich
      Champions League draw
      Paris Saint-Germain are set for a big match…
      Champions League draw
      Inter Milan vs Porto
      Champions League draw
      Inter Milan are up next to find out their opponent
      Champions League draw
      Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea
      Champions League draw
      Borussia Dortmund are up next
      Champions League draw
      Eintracht Frankfurt vs Napoli
      Champions League draw
      Eintracht Frankfurt are the next team to learn their fate
      Champions League draw
      AC Milan vs Tottenham
      Champions League draw
      AC Milan are up next
      Champions League draw
      Liverpool vs Real Madrid!!!
      What a pairing!
      Champions League draw
      Here come Liverpool
      Champions League draw
      Club Brugge vs Benfica
      Champions League draw
      Club Brugge are the next team out
      Champions League draw
      RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
      Champions League draw
      RB Leipzig are the first team drawn
      Champions League draw
      Former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid star Hamit Altintop comes out to help with the draw.
      The Turkish legend represents his country as the Champions League Final takes place in Istanbul
      Champions League draw
      UEFA deputy General Secretary Giorgio Marchetti takes the floor as we approach the floor.
      Marchetti also praises all the Champions League Last 16 qualifiers
      Load more entries… More