Champions League

BAYERN MUNICH fans have expressed their anger at football postponements caused by Queen Elizabeth II’s death by unveiling a banner.Supporters of the Bundesliga giants pleaded for “respect” during their Champions League clash against Barcelona at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich fans unveiled this banner during their Champions League clash against BarcelonaCredit: Getty
Julian Nagelsmann’s side ran out 2-0 winners against the Blaugrana to show why they are one of the competition’s favourites.
And along with creating a hostile environment for the travelling Barca players, Bayern fans were also making a noise by protesting the impact of Her Majesty’s passing on football.
British football came to a standstill last weekend as the public mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
And European games have also been affected, with Rangers’ Champions League match with Napoli at Ibrox having to be pushed back by 24 hours to Wednesday.
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Meanwhile Arsenal’s Europa League home tie against PSV Eindhoven on Thursday has been called off due to a shortage of police officers.
And Bayern supporters have taken it upon themselves to comment on the disruption it is causing fans.
The Bayern faithful held up a banner behind a goal to issue their support for fellow fans affected by postponements.
The banner read: “Last minute match delays and bans because of a Royal’s death!? Respect fans!”
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According to ESPN, Rangers’ delay to face Napoli has been central in Bayern fans’ anger.
The clash in Glasgow will now have no away supporters, with Rangers fans also not allowed to attend the return fixture in Naples.
Bayern supporters are known to be vocal on social and political topics related to football.
In March 2017, they unveiled a banner and covered the Emirates pitch with toilet paper to protest about ticket prices for their trip to Arsenal.
And they also covered the Anderlecht pitch with fake money a few months later in another protest about how expensive it is to watch matches.
They did the same when they travelled to Anfield in February 2019 to face Liverpool in a banner which read: “The greed knows no limits.”
The following month, Bayern were fined after fans displayed a banner criticising VAR in a sign that said: “Modern football kills emotion. F*** VAR! F*** UEFA!” More

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI endured a nightmare return to the Allianz Arena as he was shown up by Leroy Sane. The Polish striker made the switch from Bayern Munich to Barcelona this summer after forcing through his exit but looked like he was still playing for his old side as he refused to stick the ball in the Bavarians’ net.
Robert Lewandowski forgot his shooting boots at his old groundCredit: Getty
Leroy Sane sealed the win with his superb solo effortCredit: Getty

Bayern chiefs publicly slammed the Nou Camp side for the mega-money £42.5million transfer amid their horror financial woes.
And it appeared Julian Nagelsmann pumped a bit of extra fire into his Red Arrows attack as they blew their former team-mate and his Barcelona side away in a sensational second half.
Barcelona were by far the better side in the first 45 and in reality should have led but simply could not take their chances – Lewandowski twice fluffed his lines on a ground he scored for fun in for eight seasons.
The first saw a volley fly just over before Noussair Mazraoui denied him blasting home with a last-ditch block.
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But Bayern boss Nagelsmann worked his magic at half-time as he became the first manager to win his first three Champions League matches against the Spanish side following two 3-0 wins last season.
Five minutes after the break, Joshua Kimmich’s enticing inswinging corner was met by the bullet header of Lucas Hernandez.
The Frenchman was completely unmarked after Marcos Alonso switched off and thumped his effort past the helpless Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
And within four minutes Sane’s brilliance made it 2-0 in style.
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Jamal Musiala showed neat footwork then slotted a simple-but-effective pass for Sane to run on to.
The former Manchester City winger took it in his stride and used his lightning pace to burst through the middle of Barcelona’s static defence and tucked into the corner.
The finish was deft but had just enough on it to trickle over the line as Jules Kounde desperately tried to race back and clear.
Barca looked lost for ideas but were almost back in the game – only for Pedri’s clever dink to clip against the wrong side of the post.
But for Lewandowski, it was a night to forget – except for the classy cheers he received from the home fans as he came out for the warm-up while they booed the rest of Xavi’s stars.
Lewa barely got a sniff from Dayot Upamecano or Hernandez.
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And his big moment did come, the seven-time Bundesliga golden boot winner dumped a woeful free-kick into the middle of the wall to sum up his game.
The only slight dampener on another memorable European night for Bayern Munich was Sane storming down the tunnel as he sulked at being brought off for record-breaking teenager Mathys Tel.
Noussair Mazraoui denied Lewandowski with a fine blockCredit: Alamy
Lucas Hernandez broke the deadlock when he was left unmarked from a cornerCredit: Getty
Sane fired into the corner after a lovely pass from Jamal MusialaCredit: Getty
Hernandez celebrated wildly after his bullet headerCredit: Reuters
Pedri looked to have pulled one back for Barca but hit the postCredit: AFP More

JURGEN KLOPP needed a reaction after the worst night of his Liverpool career.It was not spectacular or particularly convincing but the beleaguered Liverpool manager saw his team dig deep and deliver a huge victory.
Joel Matip scored at the death to earn Liverpool victoryCredit: Reuters
Matip rose tallest to nod home from a cornerCredit: Getty
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring at AnfieldCredit: EPA
Six days after a night of humiliation and a 4-1 battering at Napoli, a largely frustrating evening was sealed with a winner from Joel Matip.
It seemed as though Klopp’s team could have played all night without getting a second goal but in the 89th minute, Matip appeared to nod in a header.
Ajax thought they’d cleared that off the line but goal-line technology confirmed it was well over.
And so maybe, this is lift-off for Liverpool but there is still a hell of a lot of improving to do.
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Liverpool were frustrated in the final third with Ajax defending really well. 
But Klopp, understandably, looked relieved at the end.
Equally, at least Mo Salah scored although even his early goal was not enough for him to look back to his best.
Salah has struggled since a crushing loss against Senegal in a World Cup play-off at the end of March.
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He had struck just six times in the subsequent 22 games, with seven of those matches – and two goals – coming this term.
Even so, the player who signed a big, fat contract in the summer is still some way short of what he has achieved.
Aside from the result, the other hope – as requested by Klopp 24 hours earlier – was that the fans would observe the minute’s silence.
It was only a minority of fans who spoiled it but they were noisy enough for Portuguese official Artur Dias to blow his whistle after just 25 seconds.
Yet a powerful start was then followed by an opening goal and you would have bet on a comfortable home win.
Playing intricate football is all well and good but sometimes, just hammering the ball up the pitch is just as effective.
That is exactly what keeper Alisson did as his long punt was met by Luis Diaz who did exceptionally well in leaping above Jurrien Timber.
Diogo Jota, preferred to both Bobby Firmino and Darwin Nunez, steered the ball into the direction of a scampering Salah.
He used his right foot to take the ball into the area and then used his left to smash an unstoppable shot past Ajax keeper Remko Pasveer.
For Salah, it was his first goal in eight Champions League matches, going all the way back to a 2-0 win at Inter Milan in February.
Diaz, one of the few Liverpool players enjoying a good season, should have made it 2-0 but pulled a shot wide.
Salah was then denied by some decent defending from former Manchester United left-back Daley Blind.
Yet despite being in complete control of the game, Liverpool were then left to wonder how on earth they let Ajax back into the game.
It was a good goal following a terrific, patient build-up.
Not for the first time, fingers were pointing at Trent Alexander-Arnold.
He was guilty of ball watching and failed to pick the run of Steven Berghuis behind him.
The winger, who failed to make a single League start for Watford in a brief spell from 2015, attempted to pick out Steven Bergwijn but found Ghanaian Kudus and he hammered an absolute belter of a shot via the underside of the bar.
It was as powerful a shot as you will ever see.
Alisson might arguably be the best in the world but he was not keeping this thunderbolt out of the net.
Even so, Liverpool did not seem rattled.
Van Dijk found himself unmarked at a couple of corners but on each occasion, his effort was blocked by Ajax keeper Pasveer, who also delivered a double save to deny Alexander-Arnold.
With 25 minutes left, and very little happening in the second half, Klopp made his changes with Nunez and Firmino introduced to spark some life into the attack.
Ajax came close when an unmarked Blind wasted a simple header.
Once again, Alexander-Arnold was all over the place.
And with a few minutes left, Nunez wasted Liverpool’s big chance by failing to score.
Keeper Pasveer then got a touch to a cross from Nunez which was enough to divert the ball beyond Diaz who would have definitely scored.
Salah’s shot was deflected wide via the post for a corner and from Kostas Tsimikas’ corner Matip rose to score.
With the trip to Chelsea on Sunday now postponed, Liverpool’s next match is against Brighton on October 1, one you would expect and the next match is at home to Rangers three days later.
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By beating Ajax, at least the pressure is off.
For a few weeks, at least.
Mohammed Kudus levelled the scores with a left-footed thunderboltCredit: Alamy
Kudus celebrates after netting at AnfieldCredit: Reuters More