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      in Soccer

      Chelsea boss Hayes says Covid ‘stress’ affected players after Blues suffer Champions League knockout

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      EMMA HAYES was ‘gutted’ to see Chelsea suffer a shock Champions League group stage exit with Wolfsburg thumping her aces 4-0. And the Blues boss reckons the Covid surge – wreaking havoc across the sport in recent weeks – may have affected the mindset of her players.
      Chelsea fell to their second defeat in a week following their 4-0 loss to WolfsburgCredit: Reuters
      Tabea Wassmuth scored two of the goals that led to Chelsea’s exit at the contest’s group stageCredit: Rex
      A clinical Tabea Wassmuth brace was among the efforts that helped the German giants stun the WSL champs, avenging their March quarter-final loss to last term’s finalists.  
      The result comes in a week that has seen two Chelsea stars – Ann-Katrin Berger and Drew Spence – test positive for coronavirus.
      After the game, Hayes said: “I’m gutted for the players because we all know that was nowhere near a performance that represents my team.
      “I’ve got players being sick, they’ve got diarrhoea, they’re exhausted, and maybe some of that mental anxiety plays a part in it.
      “But I just feel like this was deja vu and we’re here again 12 months on after a really, really bad Covid outbreak at exactly the same time last year.
      “I think that played a major part in our performance tonight.”
      Chelsea’s loss to Wolfsburg comes days after a Conti cup game between Manchester City and Leicester called off due to a number of Covid-19 cases in City’s squad.
      On how the virus has affected her side, Hayes added: “We had 20 cases last year that saw my entire team struck off and unable to go home to see their families.
      “They don’t earn hundreds of thousands of pounds every week. A few days ago, we had two players struck down with Covid.
      “Our heads are all over the place. We are human beings.
      “The stress, the anxiety, the worry of having to perform in a game when you’re thinking, ‘I just want to go home. I haven’t seen my family, I’ve been to an Olympics. Oh, no, another Christmas alone.
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      “I’m not making excuses for the players, but I can tell you in the last three days their heads have been all over the place.”
      The Blues defeat was compounded by the WSL aces’ losing skipper Magda Eriksson to injury early on in the second half
      At our usual best we wouldn’t be 4-0 worse off against a teamEmma Hayes
      And the result means the Blues have now gone three matches without scoring.
      Hayes added: “We’ve had lots of fantastic moments. In this club and this is not one of them.
      “When you’re faced with having to get the right result everything has to be so right and unfortunately it was not.
      Svenja Huth netted a brace for the Women’s Bundesliga leaders to help them reach the Champions League quartersCredit: AP
      “At our usual best we wouldn’t be 4-0 worse off against a team.
      “My team has been amazing for so long. Now’s not to leave each other we have to stick together in a really, really tough moment.”
      Chelsea came into the game needing to draw or win to book their place in the competition’s quarters.
      But Wolfsburg harried their visitors from the get-go with Svenja Huth latching onto a rebounded ball from a Shanice van de Sanden shot to put the hosts 1-0 up in the 16th minute.
      Fran Kirby prompted a comfortable save from Almuth Schult moments later before the German side doubled their lead.
      They did so with skipper Huth bagging her brace with a 23rd-minute tap-in past Zecira Musovic.
      Sam Kerr hit the woodwork near the half-hour mark shortly before Pernille Harder forced a save at the near post.
      Hayes looked to boost her attack by bringing on Ji So-yun close to half-time in place of Sophie Ingle.
      And the South Korea playmaker tested Schult from distance shortly before the whistle.
      The second spell saw Chelsea attempt to up the tempo of their play with a Kirby shot prompting a fine save from the keeper.
      Emma Hayes hopes to see her side bounce back from their loss and Champions League exitCredit: Reuters
      And they were forced to bring on Aniek Nouwen in place of Eriksson with the captain still the effects of her awkward landing earlier.
      The Blues’ efforts to fight their way back took a huge dent with Wassmuth slotting the ball past Musovic after Huth’s flicked on header around the 60th minute.
      And the Bundesliga goal ace sealed the 4-0 victory smashing in her second with around a quarter of an hour of normal time left.
      The German title-chasers saw out the win to book their place in the contest’s last eight with Chelsea having lost two of their last three games across all competitions. 
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      in Soccer

      Eden Hazard could make shock transfer return to Lille after Chelsea legend’s struggles at Real Madrid, says club chief

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      EDEN HAZARD could make a shock return to Lille in January after reportedly being placed on the transfer list at Real Madrid.The winger joined the Spanish giants in 2019 for a huge fee of £89million but has failed to live up to expectations.
      Real Madrid are willing to let Eden Hazard go in JanuaryCredit: AP
      He has not scored a goal in the 12 appearances he has made so far this season, with the club reportedly willing to let him leave in the next window.
      Now, Lille president Olivier Letang about the possibility of a return to the club for the 30-year-old.
      When speaking to L’Equipe Letang said: “A return of Hazard to Lille? It is not impossible to see it here.
      “I go to Spain if necessary. It may seem impossible.
      “Obviously, Hazard is an incredible player with a lot of quality.
      “Right now, he is a Real Madrid player and is under contract with Real Madrid every day.”
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      Hazard made his professional debut for Lille in 2007 and remained at the club until he signed for Chelsea in 2012.
      He scored 50 goals during his five-year spell at the French club and helped them win a league title and the Coupe de France in the 2010-11 season.
      Whilst a return to France is possible, the winger will have to lower his wage demands if Lille are to have any chance of taking him back.
      Hazard has already been linked to a number of clubs this season with offers from teams such as Belgian Minnows KVS Westerlo and Fenerbahce.
      A move back to England is also a possibility after he was linked to West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea.
      Belgium manager Roberto Martinez recently revealed that Hazard is ‘unhappy’ at Real Madrid due to his situation in a hint he is looking to leave the club. More

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      in Soccer

      Man Utd can copy Chelsea and win Champions League with superstar squad under Rangnick, claims Saha

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      MANCHESTER UNITED could be serious contenders for the Champions League trophy this year under new boss Ralf Rangnick, according to Louis Saha.The former United striker believes that the club can follow in the footsteps to Chelsea, who won the title last season with Thomas Tuchel.
      Louis Saha celebrates with Cristiano Ronaldo after winning the Carling Cup in 2006Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Chelsea won the Champions League in May, only four months after Thomas Tuchel took over as managerCredit: PA
      Tuchel took over the Blues in January and completely turned things around at the club, winning the Champions League only four months after signing.
      Saha is confident that the Red Devils have the squad to go on and win the competition this year, and that Rangnick can get the best out of his players.
      Speaking to Bookmakers the Frenchman said: “With the type of players Manchester United have, yes I think they can win the Champions League.
      “But they need to find the right form.
      “In cup ties, you have to show up and be good on the day and the bigger the side you face, the stronger you have to be mentally.
      “If you can do that, anything is possible.
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      “When you don’t have the right spirit or attitude, or you overthink things or don’t have the right tactics, you are in trouble.
      “But you can find all that with a change of management.
      “We saw Chelsea do it last season when they brought in a new manager and won the Champions League.
      “It happens, and when things click – as it did with Chelsea – big things are possible.”
      Saha also believes that Rangnick will be an important figure at United for years to come.
      Ralf Rangnick has made an immediate impact at Man UtdCredit: PA
      He said: “I definitely think he’ll be a part of a long-term project.
      “I don’t think the Premier League title is reachable this year, so it’s about building a strong squad, full of people committed to the club.
      “That will be the most important thing.”
      Cristiano Ronaldo re-joined Manchester United in the summer but has been subject to criticism for his performances and lack of involvement on the pitch.
      However, Saha has argued that his former teammate is still United’s main man and that others should be facing the judgements: “Cristiano should not be worried about his place because he’s scoring goals and saving the team, along with the goalkeeper.
      “I think it’s the other players who should be worried about their place, not Cristiano.
      “At 36, he’s still doing his magic, so I’m surprised people are questioning him.”
      Ronaldo has been United’s top goalscorer this season, netting 13 times in 18 games and also earning two assists.
      The Reds are due to face Athletico Madrid in the next round of the Champions League which will be a tough test for Rangnick’s side. More

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      in Soccer

      Hoffenheim 4 Arsenal 1: Gunners suffer Champions League group stage scare before reaching contest quarters

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      HOFFENHEIM scored three goals in four minutes to embarrass Arsenal in the Champions League – but the Gunners still qualified from their group. Chantal Hagel scored twice as the German side capitalised on some rare sloppy passing to punish the WSL leaders.
      Hoffenheim netted three goals in quick succession in a 4-1 drubbing of Arsenal at the Dietmar Hopp StadiumCredit: Zuma Press
      Chantal Hagel scored twice but Arsenal still progressed to the quarter-finalsCredit: Zuma Press
      Hoffenheim needed to beat the visitors by at least five clear goals to leapfrog to second and knock the Gunners out.
      But Jonas Eidevall’s aces overcame the wobble to book their place in the competition’s final eight with league rivals Chelsea facing Wolfsburg on Thursday.
      Arsenal had a couple of decent chances to go 1-0 up early.
      Vivianne Miedema sending a shot narrowly wide of the post 15 minutes in following a Beth Mead cross.
      The hosts then took the lead through 19-year-old Jule Brand, who coolly slotted home after a well-timed pass from Gia Corley.
      Arsenal levelled minutes before halftime with Mana Iwabuchi forcing an own goal from Laura Weinrother following Martina Tufekovic’s save of a thumping Mead shot.
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      The second half saw Hoffenheim turn up the heat to stun the visitors with three rapid goals.
      Chantall Hagel put the Germans ahead in the 55th minute as the Gunners conceded possession.
      Sarai Linder whipped in a low cross for her team-mate to poke the ball home.
      Hagel notched her second moments later, intercepting a Jen Beattie pass to put the hosts 3-1 up.
      And Gia Corley – who had been one of Hoffenheim’s biggest threats in attack – headed in their fourth following a 59th-minute cross from a Brand.
      The quickfire trio left Hoffenheim needing two goals with 30 minutes to play, but Arsenal regained their composure to shut up shop.
      The Gunners had a chance to pull one back with Miedema heading the ball over the bar in the 72nd minute.
      And the Netherlands star and Jordan Nobbs forced a classy double save from Tufekovic in the game’s final moments before Hoffenheim bowed out of the competition.
      Gia Corley and Jule Brand were both on target for HoffenheimCredit: Zuma Press
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      Real Madrid ‘will not announce secret Mbappe transfer until after PSG tie out of respect for Champions League opponents’

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      REAL MADRID will keep their proposed Kylian Mbappe transfer swoop under wraps until after they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, it’s claimed.Mbappe’s move to Real now seems to be a foregone conclusion and as his contract with PSG is up in the summer, the 22-year-old can finalise his switch to Spain in January.
      Real will reportedly keep their deal with Mbappe under wraps until after they face PSG in the Champions LeagueCredit: Rex
      But the two European juggernauts will play each other in the Champions League early next year which means Mbappe will have to face his potential future team-mates before completing his transfer.
      PSG and Los Blancos had managed to avoid each other initially but the last-16 draw had to be re-done following an epic balls-up by Uefa that Real had protested against as they were happy with their original opponents Benfica.
      However, the second draw went ahead and now Carlo Ancelotti’s side will have to prepare to contain Mbappe and Co over two legs in February and March.
      And to make sure that the focus is solely on the salivating tie, Real now plan to keep tight-lipped on the developments in Mbappe’s move to the Bernabeu, AS report.
      AS claim that Real are aware of the wrath PSG fans will aim towards the French youngster throughout their Champions League clash if his move is made public, so they’ve decided to hold back on any announcements until the game has been put to bed.
      At this stage, all Real care about is that Mbappe has agreed to join them and helping him get to Spain mentally unscathed from the pressure surrounding the move, AS went on to say.
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      A source from Real said, reported by AS: “The important thing is the maturity of Kylian.
      “He knows how to carry this pressure and we will help him carry it. There is no rush to sign before or after.
      “We know that he has made a firm decision and that is what is really important.”
      This view on Mbappe’s transfer has been echoed by L’Equipe, who also believe the French prodigy will put pen to paper with Real once their European tie with PSG is done and dusted, irrespective of the outcome.
      However, despite the uncertainty surrounding his PSG future, Mbappe’s yet to rule out staying in the French capital.
      Although he was initially fuming that PSG didn’t let him leave in the summer, Mbappe revealed he’s currently happy at the club.
      At this stage, all he could confirm is that he will be playing for a big club next season.
      But whether that’s with PSG or Real remains to be seen. More

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      Watch moment Champions League draw is ruined before bungling Uefa chiefs wrongly claim Man Utd can NOT face Atletico

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      THIS is the moment Monday’s Champions League draw was ruined.Bumbling Uefa chiefs wrongly drew Manchester United against Villarreal before incorrectly claiming the Red Devils could NOT face Atletico Madrid.
      Uefa wrongly drew Man Utd against Villarreal before incorrectly claiming they could NOT face Atletico Madrid
      The initial draw was such a farce, it eventually had to be redone later in the day.
      United were initially drawn against Paris Saint-Germain – setting up a mouth-watering clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
      And in a comical twist of fate, Ralf Rangnick’s men got Atletico once the process was followed correctly.
      The first gaffe came when ex-Arsenal winger Andrey Arshavin pulled out United’s ball to face Villarreal.
      But that tie could not stand as they were both in Group F and therefore not eligible to meet in the last 16.
      An initial redraw was ordered and United’s crosstown rivals Manchester City were then selected to play Unai Emery’s side.
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      But then, for no reason whatsoever, United were not put in the mix to face Atletico.
      Footage shows Atletico’s ball selected before a Uefa official starts collecting the balls of their potential opponents to be put in the ‘opponent’ draw pot together.
      But for some reason, he neglected to pick up a Man Utd one so it was then impossible for the teams to be drawn against each other.
      Realising their error amid complaints from the likes of Diego Simeone’s side after the full draw had been completed, Uefa stunningly ordered a complete re-draw.
      ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      Man Utd’s opponents switched from PSG to Atletico while City got Sporting and Liverpool got Inter Milan.
      Remarkably, Chelsea drew French champions Lille again.
      Later in the day, Uefa were slated for blaming the botched draw on a ‘technical problem’.
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      Champions League Last 16 draw LIVE REACTION: RE-DRAW sees Man Utd vs Atletico Madrid, Liverpool to meet Inter – latest

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      THE CHAMPIONS League draw has been RE-DRAWN – with Manchester United now facing Atletico Madrid.Uefa chiefs investigated the original draw after a mix up involving United’s ball.
      The Red Devils had drawn PSG in the initial draw.
      Elsewhere, Chelsea face Lille, Liverpool meet Inter Milan and Man City taking on Sporting Lisbon.

      TV/ live stream: BT Sport/ BT Sport YouTube
      First legs: February 15/16/22/23
      Second legs: March 8/9/15/16

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      Follow ALL of the latest from the draw below…
      UEFA GAFFE
      Uefa have been slated after botching today’s Champions League last-16 draw.
      One fan joked: “I’m moving to the Super League. Adios.”
      While another noted: “Why are Arsenal fans commenting on European Competitions?”
      A third quipped: “Software? Literally just a dude manually putting out the balls.”
      FANDEMIC
      Fans were left fuming after being hit in the pocket by Uefa’s decision to conduct a re-draw this afternoon.
      That’s because many had already booked flights following the initial pairings on Monday morning.
      A Real Madrid supporter moaned: “I already booked my ticket to Lisbon, pay me back with damages.”
      While a Man United fan protested: “I cant believe it, me and my friends have booked tickets to paris due to the Champions league draw, and now you are telling me I wasted £150 on flights and hotels due to the corrupt uefa.”
      DE GEA COMEBACK
      Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is set for a return to his former home as well.
      De Gea will be facing his ex-club Atletico Madrid in the Champions League’s Last 16.
      The Spain international graduated from Atletico’s academy and was called up to the senior squad in 2009.
      The 31-year-old was then signed by United two years later
      RAMOS RETURNS
      Sergio Ramos is set to return to the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League!
      But Ramos won’t be donning the Real shirt, neither will he be wearing the captain’s armband.
      Instead, the centre-back will be coming back as a Paris Saint Germain player and an opponent for the first time since 2005 when he played for Sevilla.
      That is if the 35-year-old isn’t facing any fitness problems and he actually makes Mauricio Pochettino’s squad
      REAL RAGE
      Real Madrid were unhappy with the decision to redraw, claiming that the error occurred after they had already been redrawn against Benfica.
      At least they’ve been given a favourable tie this time.
      Oh, sorry.
      .Credit: The Mega Agency
      PANIC STATIONS!
      Michael Owen on BT Sport just now spotted what he thought was another blunder.
      Villarreal were not given the option of facing Liverpool and nobody was fully sure why. Surely not another balls up?
      It was later clarified that Villarreal and Inter Milan could not play Real Madrid and Juventus because of group mixes and country mixes.
      Think Michael got that wrong and we can breathe a sigh of relief.
      FOR BETTER FOR WORSE
      All in all, not a huge deal changed for the English teams.
      Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea will still be fairly happy with their draws.
      Man Utd still have a tough draw. But this time they have Atletico Madrid and not PSG.
      ONE MORE TIME FOR LUCK?
      I’ve really enjoyed both draws, shall we do it again?
      Joking, of course.
      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW IN FULL

      Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
      Sporting Lisbon vs Man City
      Benfica vs Ajax
      Chelsea vs Lille
      Atletico Madrid vs Man Utd
      Villarreal vs Juventus
      Inter Milan vs Liverpool
      PSG VS Real Madrid

      First leg – February 15/16/22/23
      Second leg – March 8/9/15/16
      PSG VS REAL MADRID
      PSG are last out again… and a blockbuster tie for them again!
      INTER MILAN VS LIVERPOOL
      Jurgen Klopp’s men are off to the San Siro again after playing AC Milan in the group stage.
      That could’ve been worse because PSG were still in the hat.
      VILLARREAL VS JUVENTUS
      ATLETICO MADRID VS MAN UTD
      Woah. After Man Utd were apparently excluded from potentially facing Atletico earlier.
      A tough tie for Ralf Rangnick’s men, but probably better than PSG.
      CHELSEA VS LILLE
      It’s happened again. Chelsea have Lille.
      A big sigh of relief from all at Stamford Bridge.
      BENFICA VS AJAX
      SPORTING LISBON VS MAN CITY
      Pep won’t be too displeased there. Man City had a good draw before, and they’ve got a good one again.
      SALZBURG VS BAYERN MUNICH
      First tie out of the hat.
      No Liverpool for the Austrian side, they get Bayern instead.
      HERE WE GO AGAIN
      We’re back again. With an apology from Giorgio Marchetti.
      “I apologise for the fact we have had to gather again to do the draw.
      “As many of you will have noticed there were some errors made in the initial draw caused by a malfunction in software.”
      OK, let’s get on with it now.
      TAKE TWO
      Come on Andrei, you got this.
      .Credit: Getty
      A REMINDER
      The first legs will take place across four nights in February – 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd.
      Second legs are set for the following month on March 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th.
      After that, we’ll have the draw for the last-eight and semis. Let’s hope the Prem teams are still going strong.
      Unseeded teams will be home in the first leg, seeded teams home in the second leg.
      LET’S GO AGAIN
      Right, pretend this morning never happened.
      Here are the teams today.
      Seeded: Ajax, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Lille, Man City, Man Utd, Real Madrid.
      Unseeded: Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Chelsea, Inter Milan, PSG, Salzburg, Sporting Lisbon, Villarreal.
      GUARDIOLA REACTS
      Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola described UEFA’S gaffe as a “fair” mistake.
      Guardiola said: “You want an assessment about the draw? It is going to happen again.
      “It is fair. It was a mistake. These things can happen, to managers, players and UEFA too.
      “It is fair. It would be a mistake not to repeat, there would [be] suspicions”
      WHAT WE KNOW
      The Champions League draw for the Round of 16 will be redone after an error during the procedure.
      First, Villarreal were paired up with Manchester United, whom they faced in the group stage.
      And then it appears like United weren’t included in Atletico Madrid’s pot as potential opponents in the Last 16.
      Thus, the draw will be done all over and all teams will be eligible, including Real Madrid who were initially drawn with Benfica.
      UEFA issued the following statement: “Following a technical problem with the software of an external service provider that instructs the officials as to which teams are eligible to play each other, a material error occurred in the draw for the Uefa Champions League Round of 16.
      “As a result of this, the draw has been declared void and will be entirely redone at 1500 CET (14:00 GMT)”
      “DELIGHTED”
      Former Manchester United ace Oeen Hargreaves claims his former club will be “delighted” with the draw being redone.
      The Red Devils were originally paired up with Paris Saint-Germain.
      Hargreaves told BT Sport: “United will be delighted. Let’s see what comes up.
      “Some fans are going to be delighted but some will be very annoyed”
      LINEKER REACTS

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      Michael Owen convinced Uefa botched SECOND Champions League draw after Liverpool blocked from playing Villarreal

      by

      MICHAEL OWEN expected a THIRD Champions League draw as he wrongly believed Liverpool were mistakenly prevented from getting the chance to play Villarreal.Villarreal were the sixth group runner-up to be picked out with Liverpool, Juventus and Real Madrid the only group winners remaining.
      Michael Owen was left bemused after Liverpool were prevented from playing Villarreal

      But with Inter Milan also still in the hat it meant Liverpool could not be involved in the Villarreal draw.
      That is because Inter could not play fellow Italian side Juventus, nor Real Madrid because they were in the same group.
      But Owen missed that completely in his analysis of the draw on BT Sport.
      He said: “I thought it was (wrong again).
      “It could easily be me but I can’t think of a reason why Liverpool, at the end it says they (Villarreal) can only play one team.
      “And I’m sure Liverpool could have played them as well. They weren’t in their group.
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      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
      “The only way is if none of the other teams could have played the other two teams, then Liverpool had to.”
      As a result of the rules in place, Liverpool will travel to the San Siro once again this season.
      Their first leg against Inter will take place in February, with Villarreal taking on Juventus.
      Real were paired in a glamour tie against Paris St Germain, who finished as runners-up to Manchester City in Group A.
      But Los Blancos will not be happy with that outcome having protested the need for a second draw after initially landing Benfica in the error-filled first draw.
      CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVE – LATEST UPDATES More