Champions League

JESSE LINGARD’S schoolboy error sent Manchester United to a dramatic defeat in their Champions League opener.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made some questionable substitutions and tactical changes as United fell apart following Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s red card for an ankle-high challenge.
Jesse Lingard gifted Young Boys their winner in the 95th minuteCredit: AP
Young Boys levelled before Lingard’s underhit backpass allowed the hosts to grab a 95th-minute winner.
But the manager blamed the referee, the astroturf pitch and United’s indiscipline as his side imploded in Switzerland after Cristiano Ronaldo broke the deadlock.
Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were both surprisingly subbed after 72 minutes with the scores level.
Solskjaer said: “The game had gone 70-odd minutes, they’ve both been running a lot Saturday and in this game, the AstroTurf takes its toll, we wanted Nemanja Matic’s experience and Jesse’s legs.
“Cristiano’s exceptional but we have to look after him and it felt like the right moment to take him off.”
United were 1-0 up when French ref Francois Letexier waved away Ronaldo’s appeal after he was bundled over in the box.

FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS

Solskjaer also questioned Wan-Bissaka’s 35th-minute sending off for a challenge on Christopher Martins.
The Norwegian felt his right-back’s poor challenge stemmed from the ball skipping up on Bern’s astroturf pitch.
Soskjaer added: “Cristiano should have had a penalty and it should have been a red card.
“He shoves him with his arm and he’s one on one with the keeper but he probably didn’t do it as he’d have had to send him off and that’s sometimes what you get with young refs.
“It’s hard to argue against the referee [for the red card] but then he didn’t go through his ankle, he hit him on the top of his foot.
“But it was never reckless or malicious.
“Maybe it was inexperience to go through without the ball but the boy wasn’t going to be injured. And it makes it difficult after that with ten men.
Lack of concentration, make mistakes and you get punished, you get doneOle Gunnar Solskjaer
“That’s a little bit the astroturf, Aaron gets a touch that’s too far and he gets the ball but he follows through.”
Solskjaer has now lost SEVEN of his 11 Champions League matches in charge of United.
Indiscipline cost them last season as they went out at the group stage.
And they shot themselves in the foot again last night through Wan-Bissaka’s red card and Lingard’s underhit backpass, which allowed Jordan Siebatcheu to score the winner.
Solskajer added: “Discipline is a huge part of the game.
“Lack of concentration, make mistakes and you get punished, you get done.
“We did that last year, we conceded two sloppy counter-attacks against Istanbul Basaksehir and lost this game in the last second.

“Jesse wants to play it safe and misplaces the pass, concedes the goal, that happens in football.
“Harry Hindsight is a very good player, if Jesse gets that chance again he turns, swivels and boots the ball the other way.
“Aaron’s normally a very, very astute tackler, one of the best in the world, so we know we’ve given ourselves a more difficult task now, we did last year when everyone thought we were through after two games.”
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended his decision to sub Ronaldo off after 72 minutesCredit: AFP
The Swiss side celebrated their last-ditch winner wildly as they stunned the Red DevilsCredit: Getty
Solskjaer reacts to Man Utd’s defeat against Young Boys More

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI scored in his 18th straight game as sorry Barcelona’s post-Lionel Messi European era got off to a pitiful start. The fallen giants had not lost their opening group game since Faustino Asprilla’s hat-trick for Newcastle in 1997. 
Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 3-0Credit: Getty
Thomas Muller also netted as Bayern dominated at the Nou CampCredit: Reuters
And with ex-Toon flop Luuk de Jong running through treacle up front, the Catalans have more chance of re-signing Messi than landing their sixth Champions League title. 
Thomas Muller’s first-half deflected shot was his 49th in the competition and made it seven goals in six games against the Spaniards. 
And Lewandowski’s brace continued his remarkable run, notching his mind-boggling 29th goal in those 18 games.  
It could, and should, have been more with Ronald Koeman’s side mauled from start to finish – failing to muster a single shot on target. 
Starting their first Champions League campaign without Messi since 2004, Barca were out for revenge in their first meeting with Bayern Munich since the infamous 8-2 mauling 13 months ago.  
But the Bavarian beasts soon took charge of an alarmingly one-sided clash with Leroy Sane denied by a canny combination of Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s right hand and face. 
Barcelona looked lost in their first European game with Lionel MessiCredit: Reuters
Lewandowski scored for the 18th successive Bayern Munich gameCredit: Getty

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Teenage sensation Jamal Musiala was next but had his low effort heroically blocked by veteran Gerard Pique.  
The reward finally came 34 minutes in when Muller’s 25-yard shot took a wicked nick off Eric Garcia and wrong footed Ter Stegen. 
Ter Stegen kept the hosts in it six minutes after the break with a strong right foot to save from Sane. 
But minutes later Lewandowski, 33, made it two, poking into an empty net after Musiala’s rocket came back off the post. 
Messi’s replacement Luuk de Jong struggled up top for BarcaCredit: Getty
Ronald Koeman will need to find new solutions if he wants to make a dent in Europe this termCredit: EPA
And the Polish hit man was on hand late to smash into the top corner after Serge Gnabry clattered the woodwork. 
Reflecting on the result, Barca boss Koeman said: “I can’t complain – Bayern showed they have a better team. 
“Of course we would have liked to compete better, but this is what we have available. We have to be realistic. 
“We have the squad we have and very young players, and in two or three years they will be very good.

FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS

“But we have too few players from the highest level.”
Captain Pique added: “Now we are who we are. We are going to end up competing, but it will be a difficult year.  
“We might not be favourites but it’s okay, look at Chelsea last season.”
Lionel Messi tipped to return to Barcelona and retire after winning Champions League with PSG by Riquelme More

ROMELU LUKAKU struck the blow which means Chelsea escape the embarrassment of falling flat on their big night out as European champions.The unstoppable new striker finally broke the deadlock with 21 minutes to go for his fourth goal in as many games since re-signing in the summer.
Romelu Lukaku leapt highest to power in a header against ZenitCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
It was the first Champions League goal the Belgian had scored for Chelsea – and fourth overall since his returnCredit: Getty
But it cannot mask a frustrating night for Chelsea who had hoped to sparkle under the lights and steamroller Russian cannon fodder to kick off the defence of their Champions League crown.
Lukaku’s headed winner was only the second shot on target for the team everybody wants to slap down in Europe this season.
The team which claimed the biggest prize in world club football strolled out to fizz-popping fireworks and the belief they would stroll to an easy win.
Instead, the fans were treated to football’s equivalent of soft rain falling on to the embers of a dying bonfire.
For boss Thomas Tuchel, who warned against his team getting complacent following their epic triumph in May, it was a tough night.
It is not unusual to see a fully grown German man slapping his thighs and shouting at the top of his voice.
BETTING SPECIAL – GET £50 IN FREE BETS WITH WILLIAM HILL

However, this was not Tuchel enjoying a traditional night of entertainment back in his homeland while dressed in leather shorts.
This was Chelsea’s manager smacking his long, spindly legs in frustration as his team’s defence of the Champions League title fell way short of expectations.
With knee raised, arms waving, clapping above his head to try to drag some life out of his players, Chelsea’s spectacular start to the season hit the buffers.
What was supposed to be a giant party interspersed by a rollover match, the awkward Russians stood up to the previously ruthless Blues for more than an hour.
In that time, only waspish winger Hakim Ziyech managed to pierce the Zenit defence with a shot that was comfortably saved.
And it comes to something when centre-half Antonio Rudiger becomes one of the most potent attackers with his crazy run three minutes later.
It was almost as if the powerful defender had seen enough and took matters into his own hands.
Taking possession of the ball just his side of the centre circle, Rudiger ploughed his way upfield more than 50 yards, with a dizzying dribble that looked like Ronaldo.
Sadly, when it came to doing the business end with his eyes fixed on the Zenit goal, Rudiger reverted to type and shot like Ronaldo’s mum from just inside the box to send the ball wide.
That kind of sums up the night Chelsea endured: never really in trouble but never really in control either.
MOUNT MISSING
Even though Tuchel recalled some of his big guns to add some sparkle to a fixture that struggled to get the juices flowing, despite the occasion.
Mason Mount starting in any team, whether for Chelsea or England, should make for a minimum level of swashbuckle and attacking style.
But even the rakish forward struggled to impose his individual quality on the game for a sustained period – at least during the first half.
Tuchel’s other devilish winger Kai Havertz, the guy who scored the goal to win the Champions League for Chelsea, was rested but it was a pretty much first choice line-up other than that.
Yet the Russians’ impressive organisation, resoluteness in defence and surprising composure going forwards, made it a far less comfortable evening than it should have been on paper.
It is early days in the season on both the domestic and European fronts.
But having targeted £97.5million of investment into formidable striker Lukaku, it is already unusual for them to endure a whole 45 minutes without mustering a shot on target.
The most notable threats from Tuchel’s champions in the first half were forcing Zenit keeper Stanislav Kritsyuk into pawing away a couple of swerving balls as they drifted aimlessly on to his patch in the six-yard box.
Tuchel will not have enjoyed what he saw last night but will obviously be pleased that his team got off to a winning start in a long campaign.
He wants his players to have even more hunger than last season. He is demanding that winning the European Cup against Manchester City does not make them subconsciously sit back on their laurels.

It is something he will re-iterate to them tomorrow when the squad rocks up at the Surrey training ground for a warm down and a debrief.
Chelsea could only manage two shots on target all night against the weakest team in their group – and at home.
Even Lukaku, who is scoring for fun at the moment, shot feebly wide when put through in the dying minutes of the game.
Jorginho was presented with his Uefa men’s player of the year award from president Aleksander CeferinCredit: Getty
Edouard Mendy required attention after a nasty collision with Artem DzyubaCredit: Reuters
Ben Chilwell, left, came off the bench to make his first appearance of the seasonCredit: Reuters
Mason Mount struggled to make an impact on the gameCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Thomas Tuchel admits Chelsea aren’t favourites for Champions League despite last year’s victory More

JESSE LINGARD was consoled by captain Harry Maguire after his gaffe handed Young Boys a last-gasp winner against Manchester United.The Red Devils midfielder endured a torrid time when he came off the bench to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in Switzerland.
Jesse Lingard was consoled by Man Utd captain Harry Maguire after his match-losing gaffeCredit: EPA
Lingard had just six touches – one of which (circled) resulted in Young Boys’ last-gasp winnerCredit: Opta
Lingard – who has only made three substitute appearances for United this season – looked understandably rusty in an unfamiliar false-nine role as the ten-man Red Devils looked to cling on for a point.
Despite playing for over 20 minutes, Lingard had just SIX touches on the ball.
He managed just ONE completed pass to a team-mate, losing possession five times.
And Lingard’s final touch proved to be United’s undoing, as the England ace teed up Theoson Siebatcheu to fire past David De Gea with a horror back pass.
The Young Boys sub made no mistake as he clinched a 2-1 victory, sparking wild scenes at the Wankdorf Stadium.
Lingard, who spend the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, looked devastated at the final whistle, knowing he had cost his side a crucial point.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
And it was captain Maguire who consoled Lingard, before launching a passionate defence of his team-mate.
The Red Devils skipper said: “That’s football. People make mistakes – we’re not blaming Jesse.
“I’m sure everyone on that pitch today has made a mistake. I’m sure Jesse will pick himself up.
“It’s the first game in the group. We’ve got many games to bounce back and we must do. 
“We’ll try and pick up three points in our next game and build momentum from there.
“We started the second half well. I think the changes helped us defend crosses a lot better. 

FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS

“We couldn’t really control the box with a back four. They didn’t really have any major chances. It’s disappointing to take at the end.”
Reflecting on his decision to bring Lingard on for Ronaldo, who had scored his third goal in two games earlier on, boss Solskjaer insisted: “The game had gone 70-odd minutes, they had been running a lot on Saturday and today.
“We wanted Nemanja Matic’s experience to keep hold of the ball and Jesse Lingard’s legs.”
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
Wayne Rooney says Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson jumped over desk to get at Roy Keane More