Champions League

JAMIE CARRAGHER might be a Liverpool legend, but it was Micah Richards left red faced after their onscreen exchange last night.
Appearing on CBS Sports, Carragher was trying to conjure up omens that it will be his old side’s year in the Champions League – despite their poor league form.

Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards often appear together on Sky and CBS Sports

Carra first pointed to the likelihood of Manchester City winning the league, observing that the last time that happened… Liverpool won the Champions League.
He then observed that last time Everton made it into the top four in 2005, Liverpool also secured European glory.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both crashed out of the Champions League before the quarter-final stage this week.
And Carragher, 43, was delighted to point out that the last time this happened, in 2005, his side won the whole thing.

He then told presenter Jules Breach: “I can just feel it.”
Incredulous, fellow pundit and ex-Manchester City star Richards asked: “Feel what?! What can you feel?”
To which Carra cheekily replied: “It’s just something in your bones – you wouldn’t know, you’ve never won the Champions League!”
With the studio in fits of giggles, good sport Richards joked: “Touche! I’ll just go now, shall I?”

Richards, 32, has been a welcome addition to football punditry this seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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The gang had just watched Jurgen Klopp’s side put their terrible form to one side, by beating RB Leipzig 2-0 in temporary home Budapest.
Late goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane secured comfortable 4-0 aggregate progression against last year’s semi-finalists.
After the game Klopp told the BBC: “The only reason you play in the Champions League is to win, but we are not silly.
“We wait for the draw. It will be tough whoever we get. We are [dangerous opponents] but it is nothing really. I don’t want to create headlines about our hopes.
“We didn’t have momentum in the Premier League but we have games to get that back and that would help us in the Champions League.”

Goals from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane saw Liverpool through against RB LeipzigCredit: AP:Associated Press
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BRUNO FERNANDES has come to Cristiano Ronaldo’s defence following Juventus’ shock Champions League exit last night.
The Italians were stunned by 10-men Porto in Turin as the visitors progressed to the quarters on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw.

Bruno Fernandes has come to Cristiano Ronaldo’s defence as Juventus’ Champions League exitCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Fernandes insists Ronaldo is not solely to blame for the last-16 defeat to PortoCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The defining moment came in extra time when Sergio Oliveira’s free-kick flew under Ronaldo’s outstretched leg and past Wojciech Szczesny’s outstretched hands.
Ronaldo has since come under fierce criticism for failing to stand his ground in an attempt to block the long-range strike – instead jumping and turning his back.
And with Juventus also in danger of losing their nine-season Serie A title streak to Inter Milan, there are even question marks over Ronaldo’s future at the club this summer.
However, Manchester United star Fernandes insists his Portugal team-mate remains one of world football’s best players.

And Juve’s defeat cannot be blamed on Ronaldo when there were ten other players on the field wearing the famous black-and-white strip.
Fernandes told Gazzetta: “Ronaldo? Cristiano is one of the greats in the history of football.
“His mentality inspires those who practice this sport. He has won a lot, but no one can win alone.
“I understand that his presence in Juve had created enormous expectations for the Champions League.

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“But when a team loses, they lose as an entire squad, not a single player.
“I’m not surprised (by the result). Porto has a winning mentality, plays aggressive football and I expected them to create problems for Juventus.”
Meanwhile, Juve boss Andrea Pirlo bemoaned the Porto free-kick that condemned his side to another early elimination.
He said: “We choose the players to go in the wall. It had never happened before that they’d turn around. Maybe they felt it was so far out that they didn’t sense the danger.

“It was a mistake, it usually doesn’t happen, the players didn’t feel it was a dangerous situation and conceded a goal.
“When you make four big errors over two legs in the Champions League Round of 16, you can get eliminated.
“We didn’t get it wrong when Porto were down to 10, as all we could do was try to spread them out by moving the ball side to side and packing the penalty area with bodies. That is how the goals arrived.
“It will take a few days to cancel this game from our minds, but then we must face every game with the right attitude, realise we’re still only in March and have time to climb the Serie A table.”
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CRISTIANO RONALDO and Lionel Messi will BOTH be forced to watch the Champions League quarter-finals on the telly for the first time since 2005.
Ronaldo’s Juventus crashed out on away goals to Porto before Messi failed to inspire Barcelona to another memorable comeback against Paris Saint-Germain.

As Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe continue to send shockwaves around Europe with their goalscoring performances, there is certainly a feeling that the guard is starting to change.
But how do Messi and Ronaldo compare in the Champions League?
Between them, they have lifted the trophy nine times in 15 years – Messi four, Ronaldo five.
In each of the other years, the eventual champions have knocked out one of them on their way to glory, with Bayern Munich the most-recent example in emphatic fashion last season.

Ronaldo made his Sporting Lisbon debut earlier than his long-term rival but his side did not qualify for the tournament in 2002-03, meaning he made his bow in 2003-04 with Manchester United.
But Sir Alex Ferguson’s side lost to a Porto team managed by a certain Jose Mourinho who went on to the win it.
The 2004-05 season was Messi’s first in the Barcelona senior side and, before this week, was the last time neither player reached the last eight.
It was a time when YouTube and Google Maps launched, Charles and Camilla married, Shayne Ward won The X Factor and Brangelina became a thing.

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All four of Messi’s European triumphs have come at Barcelona including in 2009 against Ronaldo’s Manchester UnitedCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

Ronaldo won his fifth Champions League at Real Madrid in 2018 before joining JuventusCredit: AP:Associated Press

Barca were knocked out by Chelsea while AC Milan got the better of United before losing to Liverpool in the final.
Messi got his hands on the famous cup in 2006, although he didn’t play in the final against Arsenal, before Ronaldo did so two years later after United beat Barca in the semis thanks to Paul Scholes’ wondergoal.
They met in the 2009 final when Barca beat the Red Devils in Rome and then two years later as Messi inspired a semi-final win over Ronaldo’s Real Madrid before seeing off United again.
That was the last time they played each other in the competition until the group stages this season – Ronaldo missed the tie in Turin due to coronavirus but inspired Juventus to the top of Group G with two goals at the Nou Camp in their 36th head-to-head clash.
Since then, though, Barcelona have won the Champions League just once – in 2015 – while Ronaldo and Los Blancos have picked up four in that time, including a hat-trick between 2016 and 2018.
Messi’s Catalan giants suffered dramatic exits to Roma, Liverpool and Bayern before this season’s defeat to PSG.
For Ronaldo, he left Real in 2018 for a new challenge at Juventus with the Old Lady desperately hoping he can inspire them to European glory for the first time since 1996.
But so far, they are yet to get beyond the quarter-finals with shock defeats to Ajax, Lyon and now Porto.

The pair met at the Nou Camp this season with the Portuguese star scoring twice in a 3-0 Juventus winCredit: AFP or licensors

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PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN star Marquinhos has revealed how Mauricio Pochettino’s ‘hot’ half time team talk helped the French side keep their nerve against Barcelona.
PSG booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions’ League with a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Marquinhos has revealed how Maurico Pochettino helped PSG keep their nerve against BarcelonaCredit: AFP

PSG dumped Barcelona out of the Champions League with a 5-2 aggregate win to advance to the last-eightCredit: EPA

However, Lionel Messi proved he might just be human after all by fluffing his lines on the stroke of half-time when he missed a crucial penalty.
A goal then would have put Barcelona 2-1 up at the break and really tested the bottle of Poch’s Parisians, four years after the most famous comeback in the competition’s history.
On that famous night Barca smashed PSG 6-1 at the Nou Camp to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit, digging out three goals in a never-to-be-forgotten final seven minutes.
Last night’s task was even more ridiculous as they attempted to overcome a 4-1 first-leg loss – on enemy territory this time.

However, Pochettino’s inspired rallying cry to his troops at the interval helped to ease any fears, according to Brazilian defender Marquinhos.
The 26-year-old told RMC Sport: “We’re not going to give away all the secrets.
“It was hot, it reflected the difficult moments we had, we lacked a lot in the defensive phase, they took advantage with their full-backs.
“He asked for more engagement, with little videos. This is what made the difference.”

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Pochettino, who led Tottenham to the Champions League final two years ago, admitted afterwards he was pleased with how his side responded to his words.
The Argentine, 49, said: “We suffered a lot in the first half, we struggled with the first pass.
“Psychologically it was a test because we talked a lot about the past. In the second half we showed a different face.
“What is clear is that we thought too much in the first half. We were thinking too much about qualifying, that’s what I told the players.
“I asked them to play. Of course I was not happy, I told the players that, but sometimes it happens and we were more combative in the second half.
“The important thing is that we are through. We must put negative thoughts away from us.”
Poch and his side are now eagerly awaiting the draw for both the quarters and the semi-finals on March 19.
The last eight ties are scheduled to be held on April 6/7 (first legs) and April 13/14 (second legs).
PSG return to action in Ligue 1 on Sunday when they host Nantes as they aim to look to close the two-point gap on leaders Lille.
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