Champions League

THOMAS TUCHEL has warned Porto: ‘You don’t want to get in a fight with Antonio Rudiger’.But he’s not the only fearsome scrapper in Chelsea’s side.
Thomas Tuchel has warned Porto they don’t want to get on the wrong side of Antonio RudigerCredit: Rex
Cesar Azpilicueta and Mateo Kovacic have also been named as two fearsome Chelsea menCredit: AFP
Talkative Blues boss Tuchel made no attempt to cover up reports of Rudiger’s training ground bust-up with keeper Kepa the other week.
And now he has revealed more dressing-room secrets after admitting at the weekend that shy Kai Havertz will never be his club’s emotional leader.
Ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League battle with Portuguese bruisers Porto, Tuchel was asked who he will be looking to when things get tough.
And he immediately replied: “You honestly don’t want to be in a fight with Toni Rudiger, with Cesar Azpilicueta or Mateo Kovacic.
“They are emotional guys who are always ready to fight and it’s in their nature to show that on the pitch and to protect the interests of our team.
“When I was a player at a lower level it was always important when there was a lot of tension ahead of the big matches to see who was there with me.
“I am sure our guys will be very comfortable when they look around our dressing-room and see who they can rely on.
“The best thing about this game is that we will all be out there together, pushing hard, hard, hard on the pitch, from the bench and from the stands for the best outcome.
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“We have a minimum of 90 minutes to fight against Porto and that is what we will do.”
Defender Ben Chilwell saw Rudiger’s scrap with reserve keeper Kepa up close and believes the incident has actually strengthened Chelsea’s resolve for the crucial final month of the season.
He says: “I think that incident is a positive because it shows that we are all fighting and competing because we want to be successful.
“When something like that happens it gets brushed under the carpet straight away but it’s very important to have these things to push each other and make us better.
“You can tell that the squad is together because our form has been brilliant since the new manager came in and we are not conceding a lot of goals which shows out unity.”
Chelsea already have one foot in a potential Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid or Liverpool.
But Tuchel warns that there is still plenty of hard work to be done to see off Porto and insists that he won’t look to simply defend the 2-0 lead from last week’s first leg.

He says: “We won’t change our approach for this game because if we start adapting we could easily lose our heads.
“It’s easier for Porto because they know very well that they need to score at least three goals to go through.
“But we can’t go out thinking that it’s good enough to lose 1-0, or maybe to have a draw.
“Why should we enter into that way of thinking? We have a certain way of playing and we should rely on what we do well rather than changing our approach because of the result we had last week.
“Everybody can wreck their heads about it, but our target is to keep our focus and embrace this challenge.
“We have to accept that Porto are a proud club and a very emotional team.
“But if we maintain full focus we can be absolutely self-confident because we have a strong squad and we are always a tough team to play against.”
LIKELY LINE-UPS
CHELSEA (3-4-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; James, Kovacic, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz, Werner.
PORTO (4-4-2): Marchesin; Manafa, Mbemba, Pepe, Sanusi; Corona, Uribe, Oliveira, Otavio; Marega, Taremi.
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Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea were very hungry with the ball after Crystal Palace win More

BAYERN MUNICH have been dealt a huge blow after Robert Lewandowski revealed he will NOT be fit for next week’s crunch Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.The superstar striker, 32, missed last week’s 3-2 quarter-final, first-leg defeat in Bavaria with a knee injury sustained on international duty with Poland.
Robert Lewandowski says he will not be fit to lead Bayern Munich’s Champions League comeback against PSGCredit: EPA
Lewandowski suffered a knee injury on international duty with PolandCredit: Reuters
Kylian Mbappe scored twice at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, with Marquinhos also netting before goals from Eric Choupo-Moting and Thomas Mulller handed Bayern a narrow lifeline.
Despite initially being ruled out for around four weeks, there were hopes Lewandowski could make a miraculous recovery for Bayern’s away leg in the French capital.
But Lewandowski has now confirmed the Champions League holders will have to manage without him once again.
Lewandowski told Sky Sports: “No, [next week] is still too early.
“I’ll do everything I can to get back on the pitch, but only when I feel really good and safe. It’s not a good feeling to sit at home.”
Lewandowski is not the only injury blow for Bayern, with Kingsley Coman doubtful after limping off during Saturday’s 1-1 Bundesliga draw with Union Berlin.
Meanwhile, PSG have been boosted by the return of Italian pair Marco Verratti and Alessandro Florenzi, who both missed the first leg through illness.
Lewandowski has been in sensational form this season, scoring 42 goals in just 36 matches.
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He hit the back of the net an amazing 55 times in the last campaign.
And despite his advancing years, Bayern plan on handing Lewandowski a lucrative new contract.
That’s despite ongoing links with Borussia Dortmund hotshot Erling Haaland, 20, who has 49 goals in 51 games since moving to Germany in January 2020.
Despite being rivals, Lewandowski is a huge fan of the Norwegian.

And he believes the Premier League target – wanted by Man City, United and Chelsea – can become the world’s best striker.
Lewandowski beamed: “Haaland’s a great player, he has huge potential and he’s still very young.
“I see his face and how hungry he is to score goals. In the future, he has a chance to be the best striker in the world.
“Sometimes when everything is going well, it’s really not easy. If you see him, he has scored so many goals and he’s so young.”
Kylian Mbappe interviewed in the snow after PSG win first leg in Champions League against Bayern Munich More

THE linesman who asked Erling Haaland to sign yellow and red cards at Manchester City has been banned from officiating in Romania’s top tier.Uefa blasted Octavian Sovre’s “unacceptable” action in getting the Dortmund striker’s autograph after City’s 2-1 Champions League win.
Romanian linesman Octavian Sovre was caught on camera getting the autograph of Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling HaalandCredit: BT Sport
Octavian Sovre has reportedly been collecting the signatures of top players for five years to give to an autism charity to raise moneyCredit: BT Sport
Cameras spotted Tuesday’s controversial tunnel exchange, which ended with City transfer target Haaland putting his arm around Romanian Sovre.
It has since been reported that Sovre has collected star players’ autographs over the past five years for an autism charity to auction off.
But that cause has not helped the assistant referee from a tough sanction in his home country and an indirect blasting from Europe’s football chiefs.
Sport.ro say the Romanian Referee’s Committee have temporarily suspended him from officiating in top-flight matches.
Sovre will now miss this weekend’s final round of matches in Liga 1.
It follows UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti response of telling refereeing teams not to ask players for autographs.
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Rosetti wrote: “UEFA has strived to get you respected as much as the players and you have helped with that by looking the part: athletic.
“If you want to be respected as much as the players, why would you ask for their autograph or their shirt? Do they ask you for the same? 
“This is simply unacceptable, this is a matter of dignity and don’t forget about the number of TV cameras at UEFA matches. They catch everything.”
BREAKING | The Romanian Refs’ Committee decided to STOP assistant ref Sovre from refereeing for the time being. He will not be part of Hategan’s officiating team on the last round of the regular season in the Romanian first tier. pic.twitter.com/ILsb3Dtqwk— Emanuel Roşu (@Emishor) April 9, 2021

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Erling Haaland signs a YELLOW CARD for linesman as official asks for superstar’s autograph in tunnel More

MASON MOUNT was able to score his sublime first Champions League goal thanks to a training drill with coloured socks in his garage.The Chelsea midfielder, 22, fired Chelsea in front against Porto on Wednesday night in emphatic fashion.
Mason Mount scored his first Champions League goal after a neat touch with his left foot and finishCredit: Reuters

Jorginho fizzed in a pass, Mount took the ball on his left foot and turned brilliantly before firing into the bottom corner with his right.
He said: “I am always working on my finishing. I don’t think you can work on it enough.
“In training, I shoot as much as I can — that’s a part of my game where I think I can improve on and score more goals.”
The goal set the Blues on their way to victory in Seville, with Ben Chilwell adding a second to put one foot in the semi-finals.
But as reported by The Times, the Mount goal was 12 years in the making.
As a ten-year-old, Mount’s talent was clear to see after four years in the Chelsea academy.
But the problem was so was his weakness: his left foot.
That is why dad Tony – a former non-league player and manager – devised the method to improve the left peg.
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After clearing out the family home’s garage and laying down a carpet, the pair played football tennis – working on control and touch.
Mount, though, wore different coloured socks – a red one on his favoured right foot, and yellow on his so-called ‘swinger’ – and was only allowed to use the latter.
The coloured socks strategy is now used by many coaches across the country, including at AFC Wimbledon’s academy.
Many hours of frustrating, enraging, difficult, awkward matches followed but slowly Mount Jr’s left foot was no longer a weakness.
And that was most evident on Wednesday night when he controlled the ball with his left foot, spun and finished.
It will go down as a right-footed goal but would never have happened without his left – the side he has scored two of his six Premier League goals this season with and four on loan at Derby in 2018-19.
The superb control on his left foot allowed the midfielder to get past Zaidu SanusiCredit: Getty
His goal was his first in the Champions League as the Blues put one foot in the semi-finalsCredit: AFP
Mount came through the Blues academy but worked hard with his dad at home as wellCredit: Supplied
He scored four goals with his so-called weaker foot during his loan spell at DerbyCredit: Getty – Contributor

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praises Mason Mount for win over Porto More

MANCHESTER UNITED’S 12-year record unbeaten run in the Champions League remains intact after Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich. The Red Devils went 25 games without loss between September 2007 and May 2009.

They beat Chelsea in the 2008 final for their third European crown and the following year finally lost to Barcelona at the same stage.
It was a stretch that included 15 wins and ten draws, including the one in Moscow as John Terry slipped in the shootout.
Bayern Munich were closing in on matching – and breaking – that 25-match tally.
Since defeat to Liverpool in the round of 16 in 2018-19, the German giants had not suffered defeat in Europe’s elite club competition – until PSG arrived in town on Wednesday night.
The run of 19 matches incredibly included 18 wins and just one draw – a 1-1 stalemate away at Atletico Madrid in the group stages this season which ended their record-breaking tally of 15 successive wins in the tournament.
Among those 18 wins were the 7-2 thrashing of Spurs, the 8-2 humiliation of Barcelona and the 1-0 win over PSG in last year’s final.
This campaign they topped Group A with an aggregate score of 18-5 in their six matches.
But after brushing aside Lazio in the last 16 4-1 away and 2-1 at home, Hans-Dieter Flick’s side, missing the injured Robert Lewandowski, were eventually toppled in the Bavaria snow.
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Kylian Mbappe scored twice either side of Marquinhos’ finish to secure a 3-2 win in the away leg of the mouthwatering quarter-final contest.
This 19-match streak matched Bayern’s own effort from March 2001 to April 2002 – which included a win on penalties in the 2001 final against Valencia.
Ajax also went 19 matches unbeaten between September 1994 and March 1996, lifting Big Ears in 1995.
Three times clubs have gone 16 games without loss.
Barcelona, champions in 2011, managed it from March 2011 to April 2012 under Pep Guardiola.
United won the treble in emphatic fashion when they beat Bayern in the 1999 final – part of the run between March 1998 and September 1999.
Two years later they embarked on another 16-match streak, which ran from October 2002 to October 2003.
That means out of the seven unbeaten runs of 16 or more matches, United’s at the beginning of the 21st century was the only one which didn’t see the team win the Champions League.
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Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw the longest unbeaten run in Champions League history between 2007 and 2009Credit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
Barcelona ended Manchester United’s run in 2009 and enjoyed their own stretch, including the 2011 titleCredit: Hugh Routledge – The Sunday Times
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as PSG beat Bayern in the Bavarian snowCredit: Getty

Kylian Mbappe interviewed in the snow after PSG win first leg in Champions League against Bayern Munich More