Champions League

Subterms

    More stories

    • 250 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Arsenal 3 Zurich 1: Nobbs scores a stunner and Hurtig nets her first Gunners brace as WSL leaders thwart Zurich

      by

      JORDAN NOBBS belted in a wondergoal and capped her first Champions League start of the season in style as Arsenal survived a Zurich fightback. Lina Hurtig bagged a brace as the Gunners marked their 100th game in the contest with a 3-0 victory at the Emirates.
      Jordan Nobbs’ superb strike saw her net her first Champions League group-stage goal this termCredit: Getty
      Lina Hurtig scored twice against Zurich in her first start for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Arsenal are now two points clear at the top of Group C after two wins in two games and a convincing victory watched by a 5,397-strong crowd.
      They have been beaten just once in their last 14 games played at home with their last loss occurring against Chelsea in the FA Cup in April.  
      Meanwhile, former Gunners boss Joe Montemurro steered Juventus to a 1-1 draw with Lyon with the French giants third with just a point from two outings. 
      Jonas Eidevall made seven changes to the Arsenal side that hammered the tournament record winners 5-1 with Vivianne Miedema returning to his first 11. 
      The Gunners gaffer, whose team have played three games in eight days, gave starts to Nobbs, Mana Iwabuchi, and Hurtig who shone in her first start for the club. 
      Eidevall said: “I thought with us coming off a pretty tight playing schedule it was important for us to change the squad at this moment.
      Read More Sports Stories
      “I expected Zurich to be a little bit lower but we had to work a little more to break them down.
      “Jordan’s first goal was a prime example of her finding the right moment to go forward to attack.
      “This game really came at a moment where we needed to trust the whole squad.
      “It’s the Champions League so everything is at stake and I hope the players feel that and that trust in them.
      “When you put players on in a Champions League game it’s because you trust them.
      “I’ve been really happy with how people have been training and how the spirit has been.”
      Most read in Champions League
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Arsenal’s game took place hours after Gunners’ Prem centre-back Pablo Mari was flown to hospital after being stabbed at a supermarket in Milan.
      The defender, 29, on loan at Serie A side Monza, is one of five people reported to have been attacked around 6:30 pm local time this evening.
      Eidevall added: “He is at the hospital and is alright under very sad conditions.
      “I hope he and all the other victims are as good as possible following this event.
      “I hope they can all feel the love from the Arsenal family. No person should go through things like that.”
      Jonas Eidevall’s side are now top of Group C ahead of their November duel with JuventusCredit: Reuters
      Germany legend Inka Grings, who with Beth Mead holds the record for the most goals scored at a Euros, said her Zurich side would do all they could to stress the in-form Gunners. 
      The last match between the clubs saw the Swiss side thrashed 7-2 by the WSL leaders in 2008 with Kim Little netting a hat-trick. 
      The Swiss outfit sought to frustrate their opponents from the get-go. 
      And for the first 36 minutes, they held out congesting space in the final third whilst intercepting and blocking passes when they could. 
      But their resistance was finally broken when Nobbs struck a stunning 37th-minute volleyed goal following a superb cross from Steph Catley. 
      Eidevall’s, aces who face West Ham next, doubled their advantage close to halftime with Iwabuchi teeing up Hurtig’s headed effort following some delightful footwork. 
      The second half saw Zurich look to pull one back quickly with Seraina Piubel firing wide after evading Jen Beattie. 
      Seraina Piubel netted a second-half goal for Zurich at the EmiratesCredit: Reuters
      And the forward, who has found the net five times so far this term eventually got her wish with 13 minutes of normal time remaining.
      Her shot past keeper Kaylan Marckese sparked Zurich players’ celebrations on the touchline. 
      But their joy was shortlived as the hosts restored their two-goal advantage with Stina Blackstenius’ cross turned home by Hurtig.
      And the Arsenal striker fired an injury-time effort over the bar before her side saw out the win. More

    • 175 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      How Dream Team bosses should react to the duality of Tottenham under Antonio Conte

      by

      TOTTENHAM are in a rather curious state right now.On the one hand, the outlook looks very positive: they are third in the Premier League and top of their Champions League group.
      There can be no doubt whatsoever that the club have made progressive strides under Antonio Conte and the fact that only Man City and Arsenal have scored more league goals this season suggests the fans have been suitably entertained.
      However, there is an alternative view that not all is as rosy as it may seem to casual observers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and this duality is asking questions of Dream Team managers.
      Conte has improved Spurs but his approach has also been criticised at times
      The truth is that, while 23 league goals is a good tally, Spurs’ football has often been passive and uninspiring.
      This month, the Lilywhites failed to muster much of a threat in defeats to Manchester United, Newcastle and, most painfully, Arsenal – their rivals’ status as league leaders may also be skewing perceptions in north London.
      Their place at the top of their Champions League is also a precarious one with Sporting CP and Eintracht Frankfurt both one point behind and Marseille another point behind them – a slip up in France next week would be fatal.
      There is a sense Spurs are far too reliant on (£7.2m), who has done brilliantly to score ten goals in 12 league outings.
      Erling Haaland (£9.4m) is dominating the scoring charts at Manchester City but the difference is that Pep Guardiola’s side have many strings to their bow, divert too much attention to the Norwegian No9 and you’ll be ripped apart by Kevin De Bruyne (£7.2m), Phil Foden (£5.8m), etc.
      Whereas limiting Kane effectively shuts down Spurs’ entire attacking thrust, which stems predominantly from counterattacks anyway.
      Kane is Dream Team’s third-best player with 86 points to his name
      Football clubs do not employ Conte in the name of aesthetic beauty, they do it to improve results and the Italian has delivered on that promise so far.
      Still, the nature of football is that supporters are not as forgiving of draws and defeats when they perceive the tactics to be overly cautious.
      There are other frustrations too: Hugo Lloris (£3.7m) is increasingly capable of the ridiculous as he is the sublime, Emerson Royal is an unintentionally (£3.1m) amusing figure (see his no-look pass straight out of play against Sporting), Yves Bissouma (£1.3m) looks a shadow of the player he was at Brighton, and Son Heung-min (£5.7m) has been rendered surprisingly ineffective for reasons that are unclear.
      The South Korean No7 has been one of the most consistently excellent performers in the Premier League since his move to English shores and last season he reached new heights when he matched Mohamed Salah’s (£7.9m) total of 23 goals to share the Golden Boot.
      This campaign, he’s scored three league goals and they all came in the space of 13 minutes against a horrendously disorganised Leicester.
      42.4% of Son’s 66 Dream Team points came with that flurry against the Foxes and a further 18 were collected with a brace against Frankfurt.
      There’s nothing wrong with a player who deals in occasional gigantic hauls but the fact he’s blanked in 11 of his 17 fixtures is a concern.
      Son has frequently cut a frustrated figure this season
      Dejan Kulusevski (£3.5m) and Richarlison (£3.6m) have both suffered injuries but their respective points-per-game averages of 2.4 and 2.5 are modest at best.
      Cristian Romero (£3.4m) and Ivan Perisic (£3.4m) were both relatively popular selections prior to Game Week 1 but neither have lived up their billing, at least not yet.
      With 41 points to his name, Eric Dier (£4m) can hold his head high, as can unexpected gem Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£3.1m, 53 points), who has been unusually productive in the final third with three goals and three assists in all competitions.
      Whether the combative Denmark international, more commonly known for his donkey work, is likely to maintain his lofty position in the rankings is a question Dream Team gaffers should answer with a stiff dose of pragmatism.
      Truthfully, all the while Son’s struggles continue, Kane and Dier seem the only viable Spurs assets capable of ticking over at a healthy rate in the coming weeks.
      A fully-fit Kulusevski is an enticing prospect but Dream Team managers would be wise to wait for a glimpse of the Swede’s condition and form upon his reintroduction before committing to a transfer.

      Most read in Dream Team More

    • 288 Shares119 Views

      in Soccer

      Watch Lionel Messi ‘scare millions’ of fans ahead of World Cup as he pulls up in Maccabi Haifa game… but then ties laces

      by

      LIONEL MESSI scared football fans around the world when he pulled up during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash this week.The Argentine is set to feature in his fifth and almost certainly final World Cup when he travels to Qatar next month.
      When this happened with Messi, I just paused from how shocked I was and almost dropped my phone. Literally thought it was over. Man scared millions just to tie his boot 😭😭pic.twitter.com/19ipikdWGY— Ziad is NOT in pain  (@Ziad_EJ) October 26, 2022

      Lionel Messi appeared to pull up hurt
      The Argentine seemed to signal that something was wrong
      It turned out he just needed to tie his shoelace
      But fans hoping to see Leo have one final crack at winning it had an almighty scare during PSG’s routine 7-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa this week.
      In the 72nd minute, with the score comfortable at 6-2, Messi appeared to pull up when fouled.
      He immediately sank to his haunches, signalling that something was wrong.
      In this moment, it appeared he may have suffered a catastrophically timed injury.
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      But a second later the grimace disappeared from Messi’s face… because it turned out he just needed to tie his shoelace.
      The 35-year-old remained on the field for the duration of the game, having been in devastating form.
      He became the oldest man to ever grab two goals and two assists in a Champions League game, with some reports even claiming his tally had beaten Pele’s much-debated career record for combined goals and assists.
      While Messi is in brilliant form, his millions of fans will just hope to see him healthy going into the World Cup finals… with plenty of top players having recently received the devastating news that they will miss the tournament.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      The likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Diogo Jota have already been ruled out of the World Cup with injuries.
      While Manchester United star Raphael Varane left the field in tears after pulling up during his side’s clash with Chelsea last week… knowing his World Cup hopes were hanging in the balance.
      Reece James faces a tight race to be fit enough for England, while Kalvin Phillips could also miss out.
      Messi, 35, is set to lead his country at one final World Cup in QatarCredit: AFP More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Antonio Conte banned from Tottenham’s crunch Champions League clash in Marseille in huge blow after VAR-rage red card

      by

      ANTONIO CONTE will be banned for next week’s crucial Champions League match at Marseille.The Spurs boss will also not be allowed to directly communicate with his players or staff or enter the dressing room next Tuesday.
      Antonio Conte was sent off after VAR ruled out Tottenham’s winner against SportingCredit: Reuters
      It comes after he was sent off by referee Danny Makkelie in the closing stages of Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Sporting for blasting the decision to disallow Harry Kane’s stoppage-time strike.
      A red card shown to an official in a Uefa competition carries an automatic one-match suspension.
      Conte will have to sit in the stands of the Stade Velodrome, where Spurs need a draw to qualify for the last 16.
      Article 69 of Uefa’s disciplinary regulations states: “A team manager/coach or other team official who is sent off or suspended from carrying out his function may not be in the technical area or communicate directly with the team’s players and/or technical staff during the match.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “In addition, a team manager/coach or any other team official who is suspended from carrying out his function may not enter the dressing room or tunnel before or during the match.”
      Spurs can appeal, and are still deciding whether or not they will.
      The club are also awaiting confirmation from Uefa as to the exact reason for the red card.
      But Conte is also in danger of further punishment once referee Makkelie has handed in his match report for the Group D fixture.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Conte was still seething when he spoke afterwards and Uefa may also investigate his post-match comments.
      During his short press conference, the 53-year-old accused VAR of being dishonest, creating “big damage” and insisted it would not have disallowed Kane’s goal had it been for a “top team, in an important game” before he walked out after one question.
      The England captain sparked wild celebrations with a 95th-minute winner which would have sealed Spurs’ last-16 Champions League spot.
      Emerson Royal headed the ball against a Sporting defender but Kane was deemed to be offside.
      And, after a four-minute video review, ref Makkelie disallowed it. More

    • 225 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Watch referee grin in Eric Dier’s face as furious Tottenham stars demand explanation for Harry Kane’s disallowed goal

      by

      REFEREE Danny Makkelie appeared to grin at Tottenham ace Eric Dier during protests from Antonio Conte’s men after Harry Kane’s late winner against Sporting Lisbon was chalked off as offside.Spurs came back from a goal down when Rodrigo Bentancur cancelled out the North Londoners’ former academy graduate Marcus Edwards’ opener.

      Referee Danny Makkelie appeared to grin as Tottenham stars complainedCredit: BT Sport
      Tottenham ace Eric Dier complained after Harry Kane’s winner was overruledCredit: Rex
      Tottenham star Harry Kane’s last-gasp goal was ruled out as offsideCredit: EPA
      But Conte’s side still needed to win to top their Champions League group and thought they did just that in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time.
      Ivan Perisic delivered a superb cross from the left and found Emerson Royal at the far post.
      Emerson got a header that was deflected by Sporting’s Flavio Nazinho towards the path of Kane who beat Antonio Adan from close range.
      However, the home crowd’s cheers soon turned into jeers as VAR looked into a potential offside.
      Read More on Football
      It took three long minutes for the referee and VAR team to decide that the England international’s goal didn’t count.
      Tottenham stars were infuriated at full-time as Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and coach Cristian Stellini confronted Makkelie.
      Cameras caught the exchange and the ref was so confident with his decision that he smiled in front of the incensed Spurs aces insisting he made the right call.
      Makkelie was heard saying: “It was offside.”
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Dier responded: “But why?! Why?! The ball went backwards!”
      Tottenham now need to win at Marseille in their final group stage match on Tuesday to seal first place in Group D with Sporting and Eintracht Frankfurt just a point behind.
      The French giants are also just two points behind the North Londoners, who won’t have Conte in the dugout as he was sent off at full-time last night. More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Fans all say the same thing as Robert Lewandowski greets ex-Bayern team-mates in dressing room after 3-0 Barcelona loss

      by

      FOOTBALL fans believe Robert Lewandowski wants to return to Bayern Munich after speaking to his former team-mates on Wednesday.The striker left the German champions in the summer to move to Barcelona.
      Fans joked that Robert Lewandowski wants to return to Bayern MunichCredit: Getty
      And he has played against his former side twice in the Champions League this season, losing both games.
      Barca were knocked out of Group C before losing 3-0 to Bayern, where Lewandowski greeted Thomas Muller and other ex-team-mates.
      Muller said it was nice to see Lewandowski and fans reacted to their meeting by suggesting the Barcelona star wants to return to the Allianz Arena.
      One supporter said: “He wants to play for us so bad.”
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Another wrote: “Trying to sneak on the plane back to Germany.”
      And a third said: “Now he wants to go back to Munich.”
      A fourth fan joked: “The security had to escort Lewy out after he tried to sneak on the Bayern bus again.”
      Other fans dismissed Muller’s suggestion Lewandowski is an ambitious player because he joined a Barca side less likely than Bayern to win silverware.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      Muller said after meeting Lewandoswki post-match: “”It’s always nice to see Lewy again.
      “But of course you sympathise with him when you know what an ambitious player he is.” More

    • 213 Shares129 Views

      in Soccer

      Watch incredible video of Porto stars’ celebrations after watching Atletico Madrid’s 99th-minute pen miss on PLANE home

      by

      THIS is the incredible moment Porto celebrated reaching the Champions League knockout stages while on a PLANE.Group B became one of the most fiercely-contested tables when underdogs Club Bruges booked their place in the next round last week.
      Porto celebrated on a PLANE as Atletico Madrid missed a late penaltyCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      Boss Sergio Conceicao joined in the fun as Porto made the knockout roundCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      It left Porto, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen scrambling to secure the second spot.
      And Porto did their bit last night by beating Bruges 4-0 in Belgium in the early kick-off.
      A draw between Atletico and Leverkusen later on would have been good enough to send Porto through.
      And things were heading in the right direction with the scored tied at 2-2 with just seconds left.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      But disaster struck in the Spanish capital when Atletico were awarded a 99th minute penalty AFTER the final whistle had blown.
      Video footage has now emerged showing the Porto players and staff watching the spot-kick on their phones while flying back home.
      Yannick Carrasco stood over the ball as the Portuguese champions held their breath.
      But his effort was dramatically saved by Leverkusen goalie Lukas Hradecky.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      Yannick Carrasco fluffed his lines in Atleti’s 2-2 draw with Bayer LeverkusenCredit: Reuters
      Antoine Griezmann’s rebound was then headed on to the bar.
      And a final shot at goal was brilliantly cleared off the line by a Leverkusen defender before the final whistle blew.
      Watching live on the flight, the Porto stars and staff – including boss Sergio Conceicao – burst into wild celebrations.
      There was plenty of hugging, yelling and jumping as the final whistle went at the Metropolitano, confirming Porto’s place in the knockout stages.
      Footy fans certainly found the scenes entertaining.
      One wrote on Twitter: “Just amazing!”
      Another said: “This is sensational.”
      Read More on The Sun
      One noted: “Great stuff!”
      Another added: “Good job the pilot wasn’t a Porto fan.” More

    • 225 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Incredible moment Barcelona fans ask players to come back onto the pitch as they applaud Champions League flops

      by

      BARCELONA fans were in fine voice as they applauded the players following their Champions League exit.The Blaugrana were knocked out of the Champions League group stage for the second year running following Inter Milan’s win over Viktoria Plzen.
      Barcelona players were called back onto the pitch following defeat to Bayern MunichCredit: Getty
      Barca are out of the Champions League but the ultras wanted to show their supportCredit: Getty
      The players showed their appreciation to the fansCredit: AP
      Xavi will manage Barca in the Europa League for the second year runningCredit: Getty
      The final nail in the coffin came last night as Barca were beaten 3-0 by Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.
      But rather than boo the team off or show their disdain, the home fans called their players back onto the pitch.
      Supporters of the Gol Nord behind one of the goals then clapped, sang and waved their flags with pride as the players watched on.
      It was a jovial atmosphere with hundreds of fans sticking around long after the final whistle.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      A Champions League exit is a huge blow for the Spanish giants, who are now set to enter the Europa League for the second year running.
      But the fans wanted to provide a morale boost to the players with plenty left to fight for this season.
      Xavi’s side trail LaLiga leaders Real Madrid by just three points and have lost just once in the league.
      Barca will also be one of the biggest teams in the Europa League along with Arsenal and Manchester United so could fancy their chances of winning the competition.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      They ended the last campaign without silverware and Xavi will be determined not to replicate that failure this season.
      Success in the Europa League could also be vital to the club’s finances, since the early Champions League exit means a reported shortfall of around £18m.
      That is before the additional loss of ticket sales and TV revenue is taken into consideration, too. More