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      ‘I’m going to fail’ – Pep Guardiola fears ‘nothing will be enough’ even if he WINS Champions League with Man City

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      PEP GUARDIOLA has insisted that he will eventually fail as Man City manager.The Spaniard has enjoyed tremendous domestic success since joining the club in 2016, winning multiple Premier League titles.
      Pep Guardiola has suggested that people think the club should have won the Champions League alreadyCredit: AFP
      He has also helped the club to four EFL Cups and one FA Cup, but has not had the same success in European competition.
      Since taking over, City have reached the final of the Champions League once, in 2021, but they were beaten by Chelsea.
      However, three of their exits from the competition have come in the quarter-finals.
      The other two exits came in the semi-finals and the last 16.
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      This season, many view City as the favourites to finally win the tournament.
      But Guardiola believes that even if his side does get their hands on the trophy that his time will still be judged as a failure by those outside of the club.
      The former Barcelona boss believes that many think that the Citizens should have won the tournament on more than one occasion since he took charge.
      He said: “People say because we have this name or whatever [City should win it], but I always have the feeling it’s so difficult to do that [win the Champions League].
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      “Every season it’s more and more difficult.
      “We want to do our best and get to the quarter-finals but what is going to happen is going to happen.
      “At the end of the day, our destiny is already written.
      “Sometimes we have been close, sometimes not.
      “Whatever I have done personally in the past or in the future, I am going to fail. Nothing will be enough.”
      City face RB Leipzig tonight in Germany for their first leg of the round of 16.
      The Citizens will be without star players Kevin de Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte due to injury.
      Guardiola said: “Losing both [is a blow].
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      “Kevin didn’t feel right after the game against Nottingham Forest and yesterday Ayme didn’t feel good. It happens sometimes.”
      John Stones will also miss the match. More

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      ‘Don’t pass to him’ – How Vinicius Jr has overcome brutal put-down to become one of world’s best

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      IT was just over two years ago that Karim Benzema’s critical remarks of Vinicius Jr went viral. With Real Madrid trailing 1-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League group stages in October 2020, Benzema gathered his team-mates in the tunnel for a private chat.
      Vinicius Jr in full-flight regularly leaves full-backs in a dazeCredit: Rex
      A young Vinicius Jr had plenty of pressure on his shoulders after his £38m move from FlamengoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But his damning words were picked up by cameras and quickly went around the world.
      The Frenchman was seen telling Ferland Mendy: “Don’t play with him. On my mother’s life, he is playing against us.”
      While no player was specifically named, the world quickly realised it was a stinging rebuke young winger Vinicius Jr, then just 20.
      Opta stats later showed Benzema indeed did not make a single pass to the Brazilian in the second-half, with Los Blancos coming back to draw 2-2.
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      Despite the public humiliation, Vinicius Jr has gone from strength to strength in his incredible career and refused to let that humiliation hold him back.
      Tuesday night’s devastating, two-goal performance against Liverpool was just the latest outstanding showing from the 22-year-old.
      Reds fans will be sick of the sight of him after he also got the winner in last season’s Champions League final, despite Jurgen Klopp’s side being the better team.
      Vinicius Jr’s relationship with Benzema also appears entirely repaired with the pair part of a spell-binding Real Madrid attack that appears able to conjure up goals using willpower alone.
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      Some eyebrows were raised when the Spanish giants dished out £38m to sign him in 2018 from Flamengo when he was just 16.
      His reputation as the next big thing out of Brazil had led Madrid officials to take the plunge on his signature.
      It proved to be a wise investment and Vinicius Jr has developed into one of world football’s most effective and skilful wingers.
      His speed and ability to dazzle opponents with his footwork and intelligence has seen him clock up goals and assists with ease in LaLiga.
      Liverpool fell apart after Vincius Jr and came to life at Anfield last nightCredit: AFP
      He has also had to show enormous mental resolve as he battles issues off the pitch.
      Vinicius Jr finds himself the repeated target of racist attacks from opposition fans and even some pundits.
      Things took a particular twisted turn earlier this year when Atletico Madrid fans hung an effigy of the player from a bridge.
      Vinicius Jr has lashed out at LaLiga for not doing enough to tackle discrimination.
      He has also been at war with trainer brand Nike over his long-term agreement with them.
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      Away from those issues, the speedy winger will be looking to add to his already bulging portfolio of medals, which includes one Champions League, two LaLiga titles, two Club World Cups and one Super Cup.
      With Real Madrid hunting Barcelona in La Liga and among the favourites in Europe, more silverware could follow to add to the growing legend of Vinicius Jr. More

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      RB Leipzig’s hilarious two-word response as Man City trio miss Champions League clash

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      RB LEIPZIG left football fans in stitches with their response to three of Manchester City’s players being ruled out of their Champions League clash on Wednesday evening.Pep Guardiola’s men travel to Germany to take on the Bundesliga side in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
      John Stones, Kevin de Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte will all miss the clash with RB LeipzigCredit: The Times
      Leipzig responded brilliantly on social media
      And a trio of their biggest names have been left out of their squad for the game.
      Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte have all been deemed unavailable for the midweek tie.
      This was music to the ears of Leipzig supporters as their hopes of causing an upset grew marginally larger.
      And the club’s official Twitter account hilariously reacted to the news.
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      They responded to a tweet confirming the three players’ absence by saying: “Beer anyone?”.
      Stones came off in the first half of Man City’s FA Cup win over Arsenal last month and has not featured since.

      De Bruyne and Laporte have also been ruled out due to injury and illness.
      Yet despite Guardiola’s selection headache, his team remain the firm favourites to progress through to the quarter-finals.
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      Man City reached the 2021 final before being beaten 1-0 by Chelsea.
      They were then eliminated in the last four nine months ago, dramatically losing to Real Madrid 6-5 on aggregate.
      Guardiola is still attempting to win City their first European crown.
      The Spanish boss, 52, has not won the Champions League since he was in charge of Barcelona in 2011.
      Laporte has not been included in Man City’s squad for the Leipzig clashCredit: Getty More

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      PSG confirm Neymar has suffered ankle ligament damage just weeks before sister Rafaella Santos’ birthday

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN have confirmed that Neymar has suffered ankle ligament damage – just weeks before his sister’s birthday.The Brazilian has developed a curious habit of missing matches around his younger sibling Rafaella’s March 11 birthday.
      Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed Neymar has suffered ankle ligament damageCredit: AFP
      Neymar’s sister Rafaella celebrates her birthday on March 11
      And now the forward, 31, could be out of action again after sustaining the blow in PSG’s 4-3 Ligue 1 win over Lille on Sunday.
      Neymar scored the second goal in the victory but was carried off in tears early in the second half after colliding with Lille’s Benjamin Andre and rolling his right ankle.
      A PSG statement said: “Additional tests today have confirmed that Neymar Jr has sprained his ankle, with some ligament damage.
      “He will undergo further tests at the start of next week.”
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      PSG have a trip to bitter rivals Marseille on Sunday before hosting Nantes on March 4 and then travel to Bayern Munich for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie trailing 1-0.
      Neymar went into this year having been absent from games in seven of the last nine seasons around Rafaella’s big day and could be about to miss even more as the club refused to put a timescale on his absence.
      He did appear last year as he lined up against Real Madrid and Bordeaux last week but was booed by his own supporters.
      Neymar has traditionally been injured or suspended at this time of year.
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      In 2014 he was merely an unused substitute, although in the following two seasons he picked up suspensions around Rafaella’s birthday.
      During his final year at Barcelona he was suffering from a muscular injury.
      Neymar missed the rest of his first season in Paris after fracturing a metatarsal in February 2018, also suffering a similar issue the following campaign.
      In 2020 he was back in action, playing and even scoring against Dortmund in a Champions League clash on March 11.
      And in 2021 he missed a PSG Ligue 1 match due to a muscular issue. More

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      Liverpool star brutally savaged by L’Equipe with rating WORSE than Alisson despite keeper’s blunder

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      BRUTALLY harsh critics L’Equipe singled out one Liverpool star for an especially harsh grilling – handing him with a worse rating than blunder keeper Alisson. Jurgen Klopp’s side were destroyed by Real Madrid 5-2 in their Round of 16 Champions League tie.
      Alisson made a massive blunder that gifted Real Madrid their second goalCredit: Alamy
      Vinicius Junior was named a man of the match by L’EquipeCredit: Getty
      Liverpool went 2-0 up but blew their lead, with goalkeeper Alisson to blame for Real’s second when his shoddy clearance hit Vinicius Jr and dropped into the goal.
      Yet the stopper’s performance was not worst on display according to the French newspaper.
      They handed Alisson a 3/10 while Joe Gomez scored just a 2/10.
      L’Equipe tore into the 25-year-old’s display writing: “Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly regret having put him in place of Joel Matip.
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      “The English defender, who was very feverish in defence, was involved in all the goals conceded.
      “He is too easily erased by Vinicius for the first and he puts Alisson in difficulty with his back-pass on the second.
      “He causes the free-kick which results in the third, he deflects the ball on the fourth and is very apathetic on the fifth.
      “Klopp ended his nightmare by replacing him with Matip in the 73rd minute.”
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      On Alisson’s nightmare night, L’Equipe said: “He commits a serious blunder, which allows Real to equalise at 2-2, at a time when Liverpool gave the impression of managing the match.
      “Apart from a splendid save on a curled shot from the Vinicius in the first half, the Reds goalkeeper failed to be decisive during this shock, proving to be totally helpless on the three goals conceded in the second half.”

      The rest of the Liverpool squad were also harshly rated with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho, Stefan Bajcetic and Cody Gakpo all getting 4/10s.
      Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson and Darwin Nunez both got fives and Mohamed Salah received a six.
      In contrast, Vinicius got the highest with a nine and Karim Benzema scored an eight.
      Thibaut Courtois got a 3/10 after his shocking blunder for Salah’s goal.
      In the dugout, Klopp rated at just a three and Carlo Ancelotti a seven.
      Liverpool travel to Spain for the second leg on March 15.
      Joe Gomez got a shocking 2/10 ratingCredit: Getty
      Here is how L’Equipe rated Liverpool and Real Madrid’s individual performancesCredit: L’Equipe More

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      Watch Jamie Carragher’s incredible reaction as Darwin Nunez’s backheel goal interrupts his TAKEAWAY

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      JAMIE CARRAGHER was put through an emotional grinder during Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid.The former Red was watching on for CBS as part of his pundit work and felt the full force of disappointment as Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead in the Champions League tie.

      Jamie Carragher went through all the emotions during Liverpool’s clash with Real MadridCredit: Twitter – @CBSSportsGolazo
      He was still eating when Darwin Nunez scoredCredit: Twitter – @CBSSportsGolazo
      But was left unimpressed when Vinicius Jnr equalisedCredit: Twitter – @CBSSportsGolazo
      He was then tinted to black and white as Madrid pulled awayCredit: Twitter – @CBSSportsGolazo
      A video published on Twitter showed his reactions to each goal in the game.
      As Darwin Nunez netted a surprisingly early opener, Carragher was caught off guard as he and his co-pundit Micah Richards were still tucking into their takeaway dinner.
      Through a mouth full of food, Carragher exclaimed: “How about that!!”
      For Mohamed Salah’s goal, in which the attacker pounced on an error from Thibaut Courtois, Carragher appeared to hit back at someone claiming that Liverpool had some form of luck previously.
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      While slamming his hands on the table with joy, he yelled, “Was that lucky?”
      However, that is when the happiness ended after Vinicius Jnr fired in Madrid’s first goal, Carragher complained: “F****** hell lads.”
      And after the Brazilian equalised following a mistake from Alisson, he said: “Just pass it lads do the simple thing, don’t try to be clever.”
      For Madrid’s next three goals, Mad World by Gary Jules starts to play as Carragher’s face is faded to back and white.
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      The look across Carragher’s face spoke a thousand words as he was left unimpressed with the scoreline at Anfield.
      The video went viral on social media as fans loved watching Carragher being put through the wringer.
      He even responded to the clip by saying: “I love football & hate football!”
      While one fan commented: “That’s made my morning 😂.”
      A second tweeted: “He passed through all the stages of ecstasy and agony, in a space of 46 minutes.”
      A third wrote: “Accurate representation of me last night 😂😂.”
      A fourth said: “This is football heritage 😂.”
      A fifth added: “All the emotions being a Red.” More

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      Man Utd fans demand Victor Osimhen transfer this summer after scoring AGAIN for Napoli in Champions League win

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans have begged the club to sign Victor Osimhen after his latest goal for Napoli.The striker is in red-hot form and continued his scoring streak for the Italian side against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
      Manchester United fans are desperate for the club to sign Victor OsimhenCredit: Getty
      Osimhen opened the scoring in the first half as Napoli beat 10-man Frankfurt 2-0 in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, with another United transfer target Kolo Muani receiving a red card.
      And United fans only had eyes for one man after the match – Osimhen.
      He has fired Napoli to the top of Serie A with 18 goals in 19 league games, while he also has two goals in Europe.
      The Red Devils have been linked with his signature but it could take a club record £115million for Napoli to consider selling.
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      But many United supporters believe Osimhen is worth every penny so have called on the club to pull out all the stops to sign him.
      After the Nigerian scored against Frankfurt one fan wrote: “Man Utd NEED to sign Osimhen he’s unbelievable.”
      Another added: “Osimhen always proving why we should sign him.”
      A third said: “Osimhen scores. Deadly striker. Man Utd needs you my man.”
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      And another commented: “United should do anything to get Osimhen this summer.”
      Osimhen is believed to have a £107m release clause in his contract and United could look to activate it if they fail to sign Harry Kane. More

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      Darwin Nunez’s flicked stunner for Liverpool vs Real Madrid overshadowed by Norwich star namesake with ‘goal of season’

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      DARWIN NUNEZ scored an outrageous flicked goal for Liverpool against Real Madrid on Tuesday.But he was overshadowed by his namesake, Norwich ace Marcelino Nunez, who scored a stunner of his own against Birmingham.

      Darwin Nunez scored a sublime flicked goal for Liverpool against Real MadridCredit: Rex
      Marcelino Nunez scored a stunner of his own for NorwichCredit: Reuters
      Liverpool summer signing Darwin put the Reds in front at Anfield with a sublime flicked finish past Thibaut Courtois from a Mo Salah pass.
      But Marcelino’s effort to put the Canaries ahead in their Championship clash against Birmingham was even better.
      Footage of the goal was posted to Twitter, with fans quick to crown it as “goal of the season”.
      A clearing header from Birmingham defender Kevin Long dropped invitingly for the 22-year-old to hit on the volley.
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      And hit it he did, smashing an incredible first time effort into the back of the net from outside of the box.
      Fans on social media were left in awe by the wonderstrike.
      One wrote: “Nunez may have just scored the goal of the season for @NorwichCityFC.”
      Another added: “Goal of the season in the Norwich game from Nunez. Outrageous dipping volley from 25 yards.”
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      Meanwhile, others joked that Marcelino’s effort trumped Darwin’s flicked finish at Anfield.
      One quipped on Twitter: “The real Nunez has just scored the goal of the season #NCFC.”
      And another account joked: “Best goal from Nunez tonight.”
      Marcelino then netted his second of the evening to put the Canaries two goals ahead.
      And while Norwich won their game against Birmingham 3-1, it was a humbling night for Liverpool.
      The Reds threw away a two goal lead to lose 5-2 at Anfield, giving themselves a mountain to climb in the second leg at the Bernabeu on March 15. More