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      Aston Villa hero Marco Asensio WILL face parent club PSG in Champions League quarter-final thanks to little-known rule

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      ASTON VILLA star Marco Asensio WILL be able to play against his parent club Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final.The 29-year-old joined Villa in January on a six-month loan from the French giants.Marco Asensio can face PSG in the Champions League quarter-finalCredit: GettyAsensio has made a stunning start to life in Birmingham, scoring two last night to seal last-16 victory over Club Brugge.The strikes took his goal tally to seven in eight games.Villa face PSG in the next round and the Spanish midfielder is eligible to play.Players are banned from facing their parent side in the Premier League but this rule does not apply in the Champions League.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLUefa regulations state teams do not have “any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match”.Villa had the rule go against them earlier this season when on loan man Samuel Iling-Junior came on at Villa Park for Bologna in the league phase.Looking ahead to the quarter-final, it is not just Asensio who will be looking to haunt his old employers on April 9 and 15 as boss Unai Emery used to manage the Parisians from 2016 to 2018.But fans reckon it is written in the stars for the ex-Real Madrid star to score the winner, with one saying: “That would be absolutely beautiful.”Most read in Champions LeagueCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsAnother added: “Asensio knocking out PSG in the next round of the Champions League is the sort of s***housery I’m all up for.”He already has Champions League pedigree, having lifted the trophy three times at Real Madrid.Awkward moment Aston Villa keeper refuses to move out of net and let kids take penalties at half-time of Crystal Palace clash More

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      Unai Emery and rival manager make ‘classy’ agreement rarely seen in football but fans say ‘shouldn’t be allowed’

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      ASTON VILLA cruised through their Champions League last 16 clash with Club Brugge.The Villans came into the second leg 3-1 up and any chance the Belgians had of coming back disappeared when Kyriani Sabbe was sent off for a last man challenge on Marcus Rashford in the 17th minute.Unai Emery embraced the Club Brugge manager as the agreement was madeCredit: X @footballontntMarcos Asensio fired the Villans to a very comfortable winCredit: GettyVilla then went on to win the second leg 3-0 with a double from Marcos Asensio and a goal from Ian Maatsen.And such was the ease with which Villa advanced to the quarter-finals that the two managers decided there was no need for any stoppage time to be played.As the clocked ticked to 90 minutes, Unai Emery could be seen approaching Brugge counterpart Nicky Hayen before the pair then shared a hug.And then on 90 minutes and two seconds, the referee blew the final whistle.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSFans then took to X to hail the “classy” decision.One wrote: “Classy stuff between those managers. Sometimes the losing manager can easily take this as an insult so more props to them.”Another posted: “An actual sensible decision for once.”However, other fans suggested that the pair of managers shouldn’t have been allowed to choose how much stoppage time was played.Most read in FootballCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsOne stated: “When was it allowed to wipe out injury time if both managers say so?”Another fan wrote: “They can just do that???”Awkward moment Aston Villa keeper refuses to move out of net and let kids take penalties at half-time of Crystal Palace clash And a third posted: “Shouldn’t be allowed. Yellow/red cards, injuries, goals/assists for statistics all can occur in stoppage time. “You wouldn’t have let PSV just call off their game tonight altogether, so this shouldn’t happen either.”Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw with PSV after hammering the Dutch side 7-1 in the Netherlands in the first leg.And interestingly, a significant incident did occur in stoppage time of a tie which the Gunners had long since won.Player of the Match Raheem Sterling picked up a 93rd minute booking, which will see him banned for the first leg of the quarter-final against Real Madrid.Aston Villa, meanwhile, will face PSG following the French side’s penalty shootout win over Liverpool at Anfield. More

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      Reason Kylian Mbappe ‘REFUSED to take penalty’ revealed as he walked away before horror Vinicius Jr miss

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      REAL MADRID were left breathing a sigh of relief after seeing off Atletico on penalties following a 2-2 aggregate draw.Kylian Mbappe was one of the players who coolly converted his spot kick in the shootout – but he was reportedly unwilling to take one during the game.Kylian Mbappe reportedly refused to take Real Madrid’s penalty during the matchCredit: GettyVinicius Jr then stepped up and missed completelyCredit: EPABut Mbappe redeemed himself for any refusal to take a spot kick by scoring in the shootoutCredit: AlamyVinicius Jr then stepped up in Mbappe’s place after the World Cup winner was fouled by Clement Lenglet.And the Brazilian blasted the ball so far wide that it may well have missed if there were two goals.But after the match, Guillem Balague claimed that Mbappe is still the designated penalty taker.The LaLiga TV reporter said: “Real Madrid won a penalty but Kylian Mbappe was not right. He struggled with his ankle and with a toenail that is coming off.READ MORE REAL MADRID NEWS”You had the penalty missed by Vinicius Jr in normal time. Mbappe said to Vinicius, ‘I don’t feel like kicking this, I am not ready’ and walked away from it, Vini took it and it went high.”Balague also said: “There was a typical exchange of strong words in the tunnel after the match, but nothing different to what happens after every match.”However, it was not clear if he was referring to an exchange between the Real Madrid and Atletico players or among the Real Madrid squad internally.Vinicius was subbed off in extra time and therefore unable to take a penalty in the shootout – a decision that appeared to have paid dividends for Carlo Ancelotti.Most read in FootballCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsMbappe, Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde all scored with well-placed spot kicks before Lucas Vazquez saw his kick saved by Jan Oblak.But Toni Rudiger then stepped up to score the fifth penalty and win one of the most controversial shootouts in history for Real.Mum of Thibaut Courtois’ love-child reveals fear they will be made homeless over unpaid mortgage despite his huge salaryJulian Alvarez slotted Atletico Madrid’s second penalty into the roof of the net but VAR then adjudged the Argentine to have kicked the ball twice before it went in, meaning the kick had to be marked down as a miss.Marcos Llorente then blasted his penalty onto the bar which gave Rudiger the chance to win it.Ironically, the man who replaced Vinicius Jr – fellow Brazilian Endrick – was also taken off penalty duties by Carlo Ancelotti.The Italian said: “We had a doubt, who should have taken the penalty between Endrick or Rudiger. “We wanted Endrick, but then I saw his face and decided Rudiger was the better option.” More

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      Furious fans hurl bottle at Jude Bellingham after Champions League controversy.. but Real Madrid star responds perfectly

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM silenced yobs who hurled a bottle at him after Real Madrid sealed a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.Real defeated rivals Atletico Madrid 4-2 on penalties on Wednesday in the second leg of their Last-16 encounter with Bellingham, 21, scoring from the spot before Antonio Rudiger secured qualification.Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham had objects hurled at him after beating Atletico MadridCredit: RexBellingham silenced yobs by heading away a plastic bottle that was thrown at himLos Blancos made it through despite a nervy encounter that saw the star midfielder’s England team-mate Conor Gallagher tying the aggregate on 2-2 just a few seconds after kick-off.Atletico couldn’t add to their 1-0 lead and thus the crunch derby went to pens where Bellingham kept his cool to help the reigning European champions advance to the next round.The ex-Birmingham star then led celebrations at the Metropolitano Stadium.That didn’t sit well with some home fans who started hurling objects at Bellingham and his team-mates.Read More on FootballBut a viral clip caught the Real star maintaining his composure with a brilliant reaction that showed his true class.The ex-Borussia Dortmund star saw a plastic bottle flying towards him and went on to head it away like he usually does on set pieces – a lot of which lead to a goal.Bellingham’s hilarious reaction and incredible resilience went viral with amazed fans storming social media.One fan tweeted: “What a video!”Most read in Champions LeagueAnother commented: “Absolute GOAT.”A third wrote: “Man redirected that bottle like it was a last-minute corner kick.”Jude Bellingham says ‘The Referee Made a Mistake’ giving red card This fan said: “Craziest reaction by Bellingham.”And that one stated: “Legend!” More

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      ‘Historic robbery’ – Fans furious as Julian Alvarez’s penalty controversially ruled out after Real Madrid protests

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      FOOTBALL fans were left furious after Julian Alvarez saw his penalty shootout goal ruled out following a VAR intervention.Conor Gallagher’s early goal for Atletico Madrid after 27 seconds had forced extra-time and penalties with holders Real Madrid during the second leg of the Madrid derby Champions League last 16 clash.Julian Alvarez saw his penalty shootout kick against Real Madrid controversially ruled outCredit: RexVAR ruled out the kick on grounds of a double touch before it went inCredit: ReutersBoth sides were unable to find a decisive winner, with Vinicius Jr blazing a spot-kick over the bar in the second half, so a shootout was needed to separate the teams at the end of more than 210 minutes of action.With the away side kicking first, the first three penalties were all scored.Ex-Manchester City star Alvarez then stepped up for his sides second penalty at the Wanda Metropolitano.Catastrophe struck as the Argentine slipped during his run-up, but his effort still managed to find its way into the net.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, VAR seemed to spot something wrong with the kick.And upon a review, Alvarez saw his goal ruled out for an extraordinary double touch.Atletico scored their next penalty through Angel Correa, but were sent crashing out of the competition by their neighbours once again when Marcos Llorente saw his kick saved by Thibaut Courtois.Fans were left fuming about the inexplicable intervention by VAR, accusing it of favouring the 15-time European Champions.Most read in FootballCheltenham 2025 – all you needOne fan on social media said: “Football will never see anything like this again. A historic robbery has taken place at the Metropolitano with the whole world watching. Payments have come in clutch.”A second said: “Cancelling a penalty because there might have been a double touch is abhorrent. At the very least, Álvarez should be given a chance to retake it. Carlo Ancelotti to step down as Real Madrid boss”But if there isn’t even clear-cut evidence of a double touch, why nullify it? There’s no other way to put it: it’s anti-football.”A third added: “The Julian Alvarez penalty kick is all the evidence we needed towards proving that Real Madrid has some pact with the devil in the Champions League.”Atleti boss Diego Simeone was incandescent as ever when discussing the intervention, asking reporters to raise their hand if they saw the apparent double touch.He then shouted: “Did anyone here see Julián touch the ball twice? Raise your hand! Come on, come on! Raise your hand! Nobody’s raising theirs, ready! Next question…”However, slowed-down replays from of the incident showed there was indeed a slight double-touch.Football lawmakers, IFAB, clearly write in the laws of the game that the double touch of a penalty kick is forbidden.Law 14.2 states: “The kicker touches the ball again before it has touched another player; an indirect free kick (or direct free kick for a handball offence) is awarded.”Law 10, which clarifies the rules around shootouts, also adds: “If the kicker is penalised for an offence committed after the referee has signalled for the kick to be taken, that kick is recorded as missed and the kicker is cautioned.”Real Madrid’s progression into the quarter-finals sees them play Arsenal, who were eliminated at this stage by Bayern Munich last season.The first leg will commence at the Emirates on April 8, with the second leg commencing the following week on April 16.These two clubs have remarkably only met once before in the Champions League in 2005/06.Arsenal emerged as 1-0 victors over a two-legged semi-final thanks to Thierry Henry goal early in the second half at the Bernabeu.READ MORE SUN STORIESThat season was the last time the Gunners made it to the final of the competition.The winner of the tie will play one of Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa for a spot in the final at the Allianz Arena. More

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      Brutal moment Antoine Griezmann ‘ends Jude Bellingham’s career’ with five seconds of pure genius

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      ATLETICO MADRID star Antoine Griezmann went viral after two stunning dribbles on Real Madrid and England superstar Jude Bellingham in the Champions League.The Madrid rivals faced off on Wednesday in the second leg of their Last-16 encounter at the Metropolitano Stadium with Griezmann and Bellingham starting for each side.Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann went viral after dribbling Real Madrid superstar Jude BellinghamCredit: GettyGriezmann put together five seconds of absolute genius against BellinghamBellingham was floored twice by Griezmann in the Champions LeagueAnd the France international left fans in awe with five seconds of absolute genius against the star midfielder.First, the playmaker unloaded the ball immediately before the ex-Birmingham star came for him with a sliding challenge down the attacking third.Griezmann got the ball back on the right flank and the England international returned for more.And that was when the Atletico star appeared to have nutmegged Bellingham.Read More on FootballGriezmann left fans absolutely stunned as they stormed social media.One fan tweeted: “Griezmann just ended Bellingham’s career.”Another commented: “Griezmann just bodied Bellingham.”A third asked: “Griezmann what did you just do to Bellingham?”Most read in Champions LeagueCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsThis fan said: “Griezmann pocketing Bellingham.”And that one stated: “What has Griezman just done to Bellingham?”Jude Bellingham says ‘The Referee Made a Mistake’ giving red card Bellingham, though, had the last laugh despite Atletico tying the aggregate with a 1-0 victory thanks to Conor Gallagher’s opener in the first few seconds after a 2-1 loss last week at Santiago Bernabeu.Real won 4-2 on penalties with the ex-Borussia Dortmund star scoring from the spot, while Griezmann came off in the dying minutes of the second half as he was replaced by Alexander Sorloth. More

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      Declan Rice ‘cancels’ his celebration just seconds after scoring in Arsenal’s draw with PSV

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      DECLAN RICE hilariously “cancelled” his goal celebration for Arsenal against PSV Eindhoven.The midfielder was on the score sheet as his Gunners side drew 2-2 with their Dutch opponents at the Emirates.Declan Rice ‘cancelled’ his own celebration against PSVThe ace was all smiles as he called time after scoring against PSVIt saw Arsenal seal a 9-3 aggregate win in their last-16 Champions League tie.And it marked another goal for Rice following his strike in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Manchester United.The England star pounced in the 74th minute to rescue a point at Old Trafford.As soon as the ball hit the target, Rice celebrated with passion while away fans partied in the corner.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, teammate Gabriel Martinelli gave Rice a rollicking as he reminded him there was still time to play and victory was not in the bag.Rice immediately ended his celebrations before running back into his own half for the restart.And on Wednesday, he poked fun at his United incident when he found the target against PSV.After scoring, Rice ran towards supporters while pumping his arms.Most read in Champions LeagueCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsBut he quickly stopped in his tracks before jokingly shaking his head and walking away calmly with a smile on his face.Fans certainly found the incident hilarious.Jamie Carragher forced to leave CBS Sports studio midway through show after falling illRice had been told off for celebrating his equaliser against Man UtdCredit: AlamyOne said: “He was trying to be humble.”Another declared: “Fair play that.”One noted: “What a humble geezer.”Another added: “That’s hilarious.” More

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      Liverpool are at the end of an era and face a major squad overhaul despite tearing up the Premier League

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      IT’S a strange thing to say about a team cantering towards the Premier League title — but Liverpool are reaching the end of an era.Five players remain from the team which secured the club’s sixth European Cup against Tottenham in 2019.Virgil van Dijk admits he doesn’t know if he’ll be stayingCredit: GettyMo Salah has also revealed little about his future beyond this seasonCredit: RexTrent Alexander-Arnold has been strongly linked with Real MadridCredit: GettyAnd all of them might have played their final Champions League match at Anfield in Tuesday’s defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.Boss Arne Slot did not appreciate being asked about that on TV immediately after the penalty shootout loss to the French champions.But skipper Virgil van Dijk admits he has “no idea” where he will be playing next season, while fellow out-of-contract stars Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also tight-lipped on their futures.The form of Andy Robertson, another of Klopp’s 2019 winners, has fallen off a cliff, with Slot prioritising a left-back upgrade this summer.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd Alisson — who kept Liverpool in the PSG tie with an extraordinary display in his team’s 1-0 first-leg win — is also under threat.Georgian keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who arrives from Valencia this summer, is regarded as his eventual replacement.It means the last vestiges of Jurgen Klopp’s 2019 European champions could soon be swept away.It would be ludicrous to suggest too much doom and gloom at Anfield as Slot’s side romp towards only their second Premier League title and with Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle up next.Most read in FootballArne Slot could have a tricky summer in the transfer marketCredit: RexCheltenham Festival betting offers and free betsKlopp’s midfield revamp worked a treat the summer before last — with Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai all tearing it up in the Premier League.Now similar overhauls may be needed in defence and attack — with two key defenders out of contract, along with goal-machine Salah.Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez’s shootout miss accentuated the fact the  Uruguayan isn’t good enough at the highest level.Liverpool manager Arne Slot says his team were ‘lucky’ to beat PSG Liverpool have been awarded nine penalties in the league this season — no other club besides Bournemouth has had more than four.And yet spot-kicks proved their undoing against Luis Enrique’s impressive side.PSG’s superiority over two legs showed the Premier League isn’t as mighty as we like to think.There is now a high probability of no English club in the Champions League semi-finals for a second straight season.The fact Liverpool are poised to win the title by a double-figure points margin yet were outplayed for three-quarters of the PSG tie was a wake-up call for the domestic game.This after Real Madrid had hammered our four-in-a-row champions Manchester City in the play-off round.In the aftermath of Tuesday’s exit, Slot was moaning about the “unfairness” of having to face PSG so early in the competition — having topped the 36-team qualifying group.Yet that has always been the nature of knockout football.Incoming Giorgi Mamardashvili is regarded as Alisson’s successorCredit: GettyHuge doubts remain about Darwin Nunez’s striking qualitiesCredit: RexPSG, along with Real and City, struggled in Europe before Christmas and ended up unseeded.Enrique’s side were supposed to arrive at the sharp end of the Champions League undercooked due to a lack of domestic competition. But perhaps it was Liverpool.This has not been a vintage  Premier League season, with City in meltdown, Arsenal ravaged by ­injuries and indiscipline, Chelsea severely inexperienced, while Manchester United and Tottenham have disappeared without trace.Slot’s first season in charge will be rightly considered a roaring success whatever happens in Sunday’s showpiece at Wembley.But with Alexander-Arnold likely to miss out through injury, Ibrahima Konate a doubt and the entire team having played two hours of high- intensity football before the misery of a shootout defeat, Newcastle will fancy their chances a hell of a lot more than they did before Tuesday.READ MORE SUN STORIESLiverpool’s players will still get to parade the Premier League trophy in front of a packed Anfield for the first time at some point in April or early May — their previous title win having come during the Covid pandemic.Yet the team which defends that title next season might look very ­different indeed. More