Champions League

ATALANTA’S players were left fuming on Tuesday night after the ref blew for half-time EARLY as their striker Luis Muriel was through on goal against Real Madrid.The Serie A side were 1-0 down on the night and trailing 2-0 on aggregate when they thought they had the chance to pull a vital away goal back.
Atalanta’s players were furious when the ref blew for half-time with their striker Luis Muriel through on goal
There was only 44:59 on the clock when Muriel was about to shootCredit: Reuters
With 44 minutes and 59 seconds on the clock, a perfectly weighted through-ball found Muriel beyond the Real defence with just Thibaut Coutois to beat.
But to their dismay, Dutch referee Danny Makkelie decided to blow his whistle and call time on the half before 45 full minutes had been played.
Virtually every member of staff on Atalanta’s bench was up on their feet berating the referee for his scandalous decision.
And fans on Twitter were equally flabbergasted.
One posted: “UEFA’s fraudulence is happening right in front of our eyes. Atalanta had a free shot at goal and the referee blows for half-time.”
Another added: “The referee has completely mugged off Atalanta there.
“How can a ref see a 2 v 1 goal scoring opportunity that’s 25 yards from goal and blow for half-time?!?!”
A fan of Real’s bitter rivals Barcelona added: “VARdrid back at it.”
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UEFA’s fraudulence is happening right in front of our eyesAtalanta had a free shot at goal and the referee blows for halftime— sharp (@TheSharpPicks) March 16, 2021

The referee has completely mugged off Atalanta there. How can a ref see a 2 v 1 goal scoring opportunity thats 25 yards from goal and blow for halftime?!?!#RMAATA— Tom O’Donoghue (@TNODonoghue) March 16, 2021

Karim Benzema had already put Real one up after 34 minutes.
Sergio Ramos virtually wrapped up the tie to make it 3-0 on aggregate with a penalty on the hour mark.
Muriel did manage to pull one back with seven minutes of normal time to go.
But it was too little too late and Marco Asensio’s goal just a minute later was the final nail in the coffin to send Real through to the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.
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ANTONIO RUDIGER has branded Luis Suarez a ‘pain in the a***’.But the Chelsea star admits it will be a ‘joy’ to face the Atletico Madrid ace again in tonight’s Champions League clash.
Antonio Rudiger admits Luis Suarez is a ‘pain in the a***’ to play againstCredit: AP
The Blues won the first leg of the last-16 tie 1-0 thanks to a brilliant bicycle kick from Olivier Giroud.
The crucial away goal has put Thomas Tuchel’s men in the driving seat to reach the quarters.
But Atletico aren’t top of LaLiga for no reason.
Diego Simeone’s men remain one of the best sides in the competition.
And spearheading their charge towards silverware is former Liverpool ace Suarez.
The striker, 34, has netted 18 goals in all competitions this term.
And Chelsea defender Rudiger will need to be at his best to contain Suarez once again when they collide at Stamford Bridge.
Rudiger won the battle in the first leg as Suarez failed to find a way past Chelsea’s back line.
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However, he did manage to get under Rudiger’s skin after PINCHING the German’s thigh following a scuffle for the ball.
Rudiger was enraged at the time as match officials missed the incident.
And the ex-Roma man has now described Suarez as a ‘pain in the a***’ to defend against.
However, Rudiger concedes the hitman is still one of the best in the business, and it will be a ‘joy’ to go up against him yet again.
Rudiger told BT Sport: “He’s a tough player to come up against but personally I like these types of challenges because this guy is a pain in the a*** – excuse my words.
“But he’s a world class player and to battle against a man like him is a joy, it’s why I play football.
“What happens on the football pitch happens and it was not crazy like people try to make out.
“But at the end of the day he has emotions and so do I, he’s eager to go and me too, so you can fight for 90 minutes but when the game is finished you shake hands.
“You don’t need to like each other but you give each other respect and that’s it.”
BT Sport is the only place to watch every UEFA Champions League match exclusively live, including Chelsea v Atletico Madrid live on BT Sport 2 from 7pm tonight. For more info go to bt.com/sport
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MANCHESTER CITY star Sergio Aguero was reportedly heard moaning ‘they never pass me the ball’ after his side’s win over Borussia Monchengladbach.The Argentine played the last 15 minutes of the 2-0 Champions Legaue last-16 second-leg win in Hungary but was allegedly unhappy with his team-mates after the victory.
Sergio Aguero was said to be unhappy with his Man City team-mates after their win against Borussia MonchengladbachCredit: Getty
The Argentine was reportedly heard moaning ‘they never pass the ball to me’Credit: Reuters
Aguero replaced Bernardo Silva on 75 minutes with City leading 4-0 on aggregate and the tie already won.
But the 32-year-old failed to register a shot on target until the full-time whistle and was heard grumbling to a coach after the game, according to ESPN.
Aguero is understood to have said in Spanish: “No me pasan la pelota.”
Which translates to: ‘They don’t pass me the ball.”
It is suggested Riyad Mahrez was particularly prone to shooting rather than laying it on for the City legend in the closing stages.
In January SunSport exclusively revealed Barcelona were considering a free-transfer swoop for Aguero whose contract expires in the summer.
And having scored just three times in 14 appearances since the start of the season after spending much of the campaign injured, this could be Aguero’s last at the Etihad.
Latest reports suggest Barca are ‘very close’ to having an agreement in place to sign the Argentina international on a free at the end of the season,
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Despite continued speculation, Aguero suggested he may still stay at Etihad where he has cemented his place as one of the club’s and the Premier League’s all-time greatest players.
Speaking on Twitch, Aguero said: “They are all writing Barca, Barca, Barca.
“Let’s hold on a little, have a look. Stop. We are still with City.”
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NEVER mind hungry eyes – Manchester City look absolutely ravenous in their pursuit of silverware.Pep Guardiola did not like Oleks Zinchenko talking up the quadruple – as he insists they will have too much on their plate this spring.
Kevin De Bruyne scored the goal of the tie as Manchester City won againCredit: AFP

However they are polishing off pretty much everything that is put in front of them right now.
With a 2-0 lead from the first leg, they could have been forgiven for making a meal of this second leg in Budapest.
But they helped themselves to two superb goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan inside the first 18 minutes to prove there is nothing wrong with their appetite.
It all meant Guardiola’s City move into the quarter-finals for a fourth straight season. Surely this is the year they crack the case and go deeper.
Nobody will fancy facing them when the competition resumes in three weeks time that’s for sure – although Pep will know things now start to get serious.
Nobody really expected them to slip up here. Everything here was stacked against Gladbach who have won only one of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Coach Marco Rose’s announcement that he will leave at the end of the season to take charge of Borussia Dortmund has completely derailed their season.
And they needed to score at least twice here against a team who have not conceded a goal in this competition since September – or in around 10 hours of football.
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Pep Guardiola’s men will be feared in Friday’s quarter-final drawCredit: Reuters
Yet they did have an early chance as Breel Embolo’s deflected shot had to be pushed to safety by Ederson.
Even so, it came as no surprise when City took the lead in the 12th minute – and what a beauty it was.
Riyad Mahrez wriggled clear of his man to find some space on the right and rolled a pass into the path of De Bruyne.
The Belgian allowed the ball to run across his body before unleashing an angled drive into the top corner from 20 yards.
KdB came under fire for his performance in the Manchester derby defeat 10 days ago – he has responded with three goals in his last two matches.
Six minutes later, the tie was over as John Stones played the ball to Phil Foden who turned sharply and set off towards goal.
De Bruyne’s smash lit up Budapest’s Puskas ArenaCredit: Getty
He didn’t seem to even look as he picked out Gundogan who calmly slotted past the advancing Yann Sommer for his 15th goal of an outstanding season.
Guardiola had left Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus on the bench – as well as Raheem Sterling once again.
But when you have midfielders like these, who needs strikers anyway?
The German could have had another as he was picked out by Mahrez but this time Sommer managed to thwart him.
Ilkay Gundogan nudged home the second of the nightCredit: Getty
And so could De Bruyne who sent a 30 yard free-kick that was dipping and curling and had to be tipped over by the Gladbach keeper.
Nobody would have been surprised if Rose’s men had folded but to their credit they did not let their heads drop.
French international Marcus Thuram saw a low shot well saved by Ederson and then teed up Embolo who fizzed a shot across the face of goal.
But in the second-half it was just a question of how many City would win by.
Sommer was on a one man mission to keep the scoreline respectable as he kept out Mahrez on a couple of occasions.
The Algerian has been in top form but this wasn’t quite his night as he also missed the target with a couple of other efforts.
With the tie long since won, Guardiola took the chance to throw on some of his “fringe players” – including Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Sterling and Aguero.
When everyone is fit, the options he has are frightening really.
Pep Guardiola is once again dreaming of a first Champions League title with CityCredit: PA
Monchengladbach were roundly second best throughout the last-16 tieCredit: AP

The England man looked keen to make a point and had a chance when he was played in by De Bruyne but slipped at the vital moment and the chance was gone.
Yet the clean sheet at the other end means they have now gone 11-and-a-half hours without conceding in this competition – the second longest run in its history.
Just three months ago to the day Guardiola called his backroom staff together for a summit meeting after a draw with West Brom and told them he ‘did not like’ this team.
They’ve won all but one of their 25 matches since – it’s fair to assume they have won him over.
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Another class Man City goal! 💥💥Phil Foden with an exquisite turn, driving run and no-look pass 🔥İlkay Gündoğan finishes the move off with composure and Pep Guardiola’s side are on the rampage! pic.twitter.com/cDde81A4cA— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 16, 2021

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THIERRY HENRY loved seeing Erling Haaland taunt Sevilla’s goalkeeper after scoring a penalty.But the former Arsenal striker had a tough time choosing between Haaland and French forward Kylian Mbappe.
Erling Haaland screamed ‘unlucky’ at Sevilla goalkeeper Bono after scoring a penaltyCredit: Reuters
Thierry Henry couldn’t pick between Erling Haaland and Kylian MbappeCredit: AP:Associated Press
Both Haaland, 20, and Mbappe, 22, are lighting up Europe and tipped to take the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo mantle.
The Dortmund striker and PSG forward are being trailed by elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City over potential summer transfers.
Haaland last week screamed ‘unlucky’ in the face of Sevilla goalkeeper Bono after scoring from the spot.
And Henry said he was very happy to see the striker show his personality.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s part of the game. It’s nice to see some characters. The goalkeeper gave him some.”
But the Gunners legend was more reserved when it came to picking between Haaland and fellow Frenchman Mbappe.
He joked: “I can’t go against my fellow countryman.
“It’s very difficult to choose, I think they’re different strikers.
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“What happened to playing with two? What about having the two?”
Manchester City are among the Premier League clubs in the chase for the pair.
And fellow pundit Jamie Carragher said: “I think Man City should go for Haaland.”
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