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      Champions League LIVE RESULTS: Aston Villa edge five-goal thriller in Leipzig, Liverpool beat Girona – latest reaction

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      TUESDAY’S Champions League action has concluded after some thrilling ties around Europe.Earlier, Liverpool continued their perfect record in the competition with a win in Girona, as Mohamed Salah’s penalty was the difference between the two sides. On Tuesday evening, fellow Premier League giants Aston Villa edged a five-goal thriller with RB Leipzig.Elsewhere, Jude Bellingham helped Real Madrid to a 3-2 win over Atalanta – and Bayern thrashed Shakhtar 5-1 despite going 1-0 down early doors.Live stream: discovery+/Amazon Prime VideoTV channel: TNT Sports/Amazon Prime VideoFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow ALL the action from Matchday Six with our live blog below…Still plenty to comeAnother huge card of Champions League action to come tomorrow night, too!Here’s what we’ve got to look forward to:5.45pmAtletico Madrid vs Slovan BratislavaLille vs Sturm Graz8pmMilan vs Red StarArsenal vs MonacoBenfica vs BolognaDortmund vs BarcelonaFeyenoord vs Sparta PragueJuventus vs Man CityStuttgart vs Young BoysCopy linkCopied’Love the competition’Jhon Duran says he’s enjoying the competition to be Villa’s number 9 with Ollie Watkins.And the forward – who turns 21 this week – insists there will be no celebrations with all eyes on scoring this Saturday.He told Amazon Prime Sport: “I am just happy to be here and love the competition with Ollie Watkins. When it is my turn hopefully I can step up and help the team.”We’re so happy to be where we are and we are almost through so we are delighted about that.”I am definitely not going out to celebrate my birthday [on Friday] because my aim is to score to celebrate on Saturday to celebrate.”Copy linkCopied50 upKylian Mbappe scored tonight’s opener for Real Madrid.But he was subbed with an injury in the first half as Madrid’s injury woes continue.It was the Frenchman’s 50th Champions League goal already!On the game, Jude Bellingham told TNT: “Really important for us to get the points tonight. We knew how difficult it would be. It was important we got over the line.”Copy linkCopiedVilla reportBy Graeme BryceAston Villa finally managed to grab the Red Bull by the horns as super sub Ross Barkley snatched a dramatic late win in Leipzig.Villa inspirational sub was only on the park for two minutes when he crashed home a shot which took a wicked deflection off Lukas Klostermann to leave Peter Gulacsi stranded.Villa rode their luck at times and led Leipzig twice – only to let them back in twice.But Barkley’s winner proved just too much for the home side to recover from as Villa stormed into the top eight of the Champions League.If Carlsberg did starts to a football match they would have hand-picked this one for Villa.Unai Emery’s men were in dreamland when skipper John McGinn fired them in front with just two minutes and 33 seconds on the clock.Copy linkCopiedReds reportBy Charlie WyettYou really have to spare a thought for Caoimhin Kelleher – he must be the only pi**ed off person under Arne Slot at Liverpool.Despite helping his team storm to the top of the table in both England and Europe over the last two months, winning 10 games and drawing two, the Irish keeper was booted out of the team the moment No.1 keeper Alisson was fit.Kelleher, who has made it known he wants to leave Merseyside, was forced to sit on the bench here in Catalonia and, predictably, watch Alisson prove why he is surely the best keeper in the world.On a night when Slot’s team under-performed, Alisson proved there was no rustiness in his game with five key saves. Slot’s surprisingly toothless attack was helped by VAR on the hour when it spotted that former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek had stood on the heel of Luiz Diaz.Mo Salah, who barely got a kick all night, delivered a textbook penalty meaning that of Liverpool’s last 23 goals, 20 of them have come in the second half.Copy linkCopiedProgressionBrendan Rodgers was disappointed with the lack of quality up the top end for Celtic as they stuttered to a 0-0 at Dinamo Zagreb.But he reckons the fact there is disappointment in the camp shows how far they’ve come in this competition – despite still not winning away from home.He said: “The positive is we’ve come away from the game defensively strong and didn’t concede. I thought we lacked quality in the final third. The pitch was a little bit tricky.”We had great energy, good commitment. In the Champions League, if you get a clean sheet and take a point away from home and you’re not very happy, that shows how the team has progressed.”Copy linkCopied’Small injury’Unai Emery confirms Jhon Duran replaced Ollie Watkins at half time as the Englishman had a small injury.More on that to come likely – but it proved inspired anyway with Duran doing what he does.Copy linkCopiedHow we standA look at the top of the Champions League table after the halfway point of matchday 6.Liverpool still rolling along clear in front.Aston Villa up to third now after that win tonight!Copy linkCopied’Could’ve been more’John McGinn hailed the Villa substitutes for coming on and making a difference in their big win in Leipzig.The Celtic fan says this one sets them up for games against Monaco and the Hoops.He told Amazon Prime Sport: “It was disappointing losing the offside goal. I think the two goals we conceded were disappointing from our point of view. I thought overall we were the better team and we could have scored more.”We dealt with their problems well and what we needed today was substitutes to come on and make a difference.”It is exciting. We had some disappointing results off the great start and it is great to be in the top three. We have that Monaco game and then a nice one against Celtic.”Copy linkCopiedAngry SlotArne Slot was furious with his Liverpool team even though they maintained their 100 per cent Champions League record.Mo Salah’s second half penalty means the Reds look certain to finish in the top eight and avoid a play-off round in February.But boss Slot, who welcomed back keeper Alisson from injury, tore into his team for not being “aggressive” enough and failing to take control of the game in Spain.The Dutchman said: “I’m really pleased with the first five games, but I’m far from pleased about this performance. Especially two things. “If you play against a team that has such a good idea about football and knows how to bring the ball out from the back like some of the teams we’ve played recently, like City or Real Madrid, you need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them.“But we were so easily outplayed and then this team can cause you a lot of problems. They showed this in their games, in all of the Champions League this season, except PSV Eindhoven. I almost feel sorry for them as they deserve so much more points than the three points they have.“The other part is every time we lost the ball, we were not aggressive enough so every time we lost the ball, they could go almost all the way to our goal and have a shot. We had hardly any control at all over the game. Maybe the second half was a bit better – I’m trying to be positive.”Copy linkCopiedFT – Club Brugge 2-1 SportingClub Brugge do cling on in stoppage time.Huge win for them as the post-Ruben Amorim era continues to stall for Sporting!Copy linkCopiedFull time from Graeme Bryce in LeipzigRB Leipzig were beaten by Villa’s very own RB …. Ross Barkley.Villa’s supersub came off the bench to grab a famous win – although his winner owed everything to a massive deflection.The midfielder won’t care about that however.Leipzig’s sponsors Red Bull might give you wings.But Villa’s RB gives you wins!Copy linkCopiedFULL TIMES!Still playing in Brugge where the second half kicked off late due to a first half injury.But we’re all done everywhere else.Girona 0-1 LiverpoolDinamo Zagreb 0-0 CelticAtalanta 2-3 Real MadridBayer Leverkusen 1-0 Inter MilanClub Brugge 2-1 Sporting Lisbon LATESTRB Salzburg 0-3 PSGShakhtar Donetsk 1-5 Bayern MunichRB Leipzig 2-3 Aston VillaBrest 1-0 PSV EindhovenCopy linkCopied90 – GOAL! Shakhtar 1-5 BAYERNIncredible solo goal from MICHAEL OLISE!He collects the ball 25 yards from goal and beats five defenders to get into the box and 1v1 with the keeper.He fakes a shot to sit the keeper down and cheekily rolls the ball into the back of an empty net. Potential for goal of the night, that. Beauty.Copy linkCopied84 – GOAL! CLUB BRUGGE 2-1 SportingHuge, huge goal in Belgium for the home side!CASPER NIELSEN is off the bench for the matter of a couple of minutes before he’s sent clean through down the right.He shows great pace to stay clear and finishes tremendously well beyond the keeper into the far corner.Copy linkCopied90 – GOAL! LEVERKUSEN 1-0 InterThe deadlock is finally broken in Germany!Mukiele attempts an overhead kick but instead plays it down the right of the area for a team-mate.The ball is flashed across goal and when the kick is missed from a few yards out, it lands at the feet of NORDI MUKIELE who smashes home from six yards out!Copy linkCopied87 – GOAL! Shakhtar 1-4 BAYERN JAMAL MUSIALA wraps it all up!He is down in the area looking for a penalty as Bayern play on. He hops to his feet on the penalty spot when the ball lands at his feet.He feigns to shoot and sits two defenders down before passing into the corner.Copy linkCopied85 – GOAL! Salzburg 0-3 PSGSplendid team goal and DESIRE DOUE has it.PSG work it superbly down the right and when Hakimi looks set to score from eight yards out, he opts to roll it across the six-yard box for Doue to smash into the top corner.Copy linkCopied85 – GOAL! Leipzig 2-3 ASTON VILLAA huge, huge goal for Villa and it’s ROSS BARKLEY who has it!But it ‘s with the help of an almighty deflection.Leipzig struggle to clear it on the edge of their own box and it’s cleared to Barkley 25 yards from goal. He takes a touch and slips as he hits it, it takes a wicked deflection to wrong-foot the keeper and arrows into the opposite corner.Villa won’t care one jot.Copy linkCopiedLatest scoresChampions League latest scores entering the final 20 minutes:Atalanta 2-3 Real MadridBayer Leverkusen 0-0 Inter MilanClub Brugge 1-1 Sporting LisbonRB Salzburg 0-2 PSGShakhtar Donetsk 1-3 Bayern MunichRB Leipzig 2-2 Aston VillaBrest 1-0 PSV EindhovenCopy linkCopiedSecond half view from Graeme Bryce in LeizpigOllie Watkins left the pitch at half-time clutching his thigh and was replaced at the break by Jhon Duran.And the Colombian kid rose to the occasion again as he swept home another stunner to put Villa ahead.He thought he had wrapped up all three points when he tapped home a Matty Cash centre – only for VAR to catch Cash offside.And amazingly Leipzig cashed in on the reprieve to stun Villa with another equaliser as Openda picked out Cristoph Baumgartner whose cushioned volley flew over Martinez to find the top corner of Villa’s net.A big finale is needed now from Villa.Copy linkCopied72 – GOAL! Salzburg 0-2 PSGAnd that looks like game over in Austria!Barcola involved again, sliding in Doue down the left. His cut-back is met by NUNO MENDES who carried on his run and he smashes into the top corner from seven yards.Huge win this!Copy linkCopied69 – GOAL! Shakhtar 1-3 BAYERNNo, no. This CANNOT be a penalty! Madrid’s luck is matched by Bayern’s here. Extremely harsh and maybe a bit of ‘big team’ tax there.Sacha Boey is shutting a shot down and slides in, hitting the turf first and almost as a trip on himself makes contact with a Bayern man.Penalty given but very harsh.MICHAEL OLISE strokes it home.Copy linkCopied65– GOAL! ATALANTA 2-3 Real MadridGame on again after a terrific ADEMOLA LOOKMAN strike!He’s picked out with a switch of play wide on the left.He works it inside onto his right foot away from Lucas and smashes low and hard at the near post, beyond Courtois with sheer power.Copy linkCopied62 – GOAL! LEIPZIG 2-2 Aston VillaStunning finish this and Leipzig – who thought they were 3-1 down a couple of minutes ago – are level!Jhon Duran gives the ball away midway inside Leipzig’s half and the hosts break, via a long ball for Openda.He gets in behind but has to slow up. He does so and waits for CHRISTOPH BAUMGARTNER who is at an angle and delicately volleys back across goal and into the far corner passed a despairing Martinez. Beauty.Copy linkCopied More

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      Man Utd flop rips Luis Diaz’s boot off as he suffers nightmare vs Liverpool’s to gift former rivals winning penalty

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      MANCHESTER UNITED flop Donny van de Beek gifted Liverpool a win after a clumsy foul on Luis Diaz inside the box.The Reds were not at their fluid best against Girona but won 1-0 thanks to Mo Salah’s 63rd minute spot-kick.Donny van de Beek brought down Luis Diaz inside the boxCredit: ReutersThe clumsy challenge resulted in Mo Salah scoring a penaltyCredit: AFPDIaz’s boot was ripped off in the tackleDiaz won the penalty after being fouled in the penalty area by Van de Beek.A clumsy challenge from the midfielder resulted in him bringing down the Colombian.Van de Beek stood on the back of Diaz’s left foot, causing his boot to rip off as the winger fell to the floor.Diaz still attempted a shot despite missing a boot, but slipped as he had no grip wearing just his sock.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSalah stepped up and made no mistake to take his goal tally to 15 for the season.Liverpool continued their 100 per cent record in the Champions League with six wins from six.Fans poked fun at Van de Beek with one saying: “Man Utd flop always costing clubs😭😭”Another added: “Take a man out of Manchester but you can never take out the Manchester United in him.”Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSA third wrote: “Van de Beek left Man United months ago and is still haunting Man United fans.”Van de Beek, 27, made just 62 appearances for United in three years at Old Trafford, of which just 23 were starts.Gary Neville throws DRINK over Carragher after Liverpool blow Newcastle lead as fans say ‘he was gonna go for him there’He was signed for £25million but scored just two goals, and was subsequently loaned out to Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Girona on a permanent basis in the summer. More

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      Girona 0 Liverpool 1: Salah scores from spot and Alisson returns to help Reds keep 100% Champions League record

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      YOU really have to spare a thought for Caoimhin Kelleher – he must be the only pi**ed off person under Arne Slot at Liverpool.Despite helping his team storm to the top of the table in both England and Europe over the last two months, winning 10 games and drawing two, the Irish keeper was booted out of the team the moment No.1 keeper Alisson was fit.Mo Salah’s penalty was the only goal of the game as Liverpool edged a nervy encounter in GironaLiverpool fans were delighted to see Alisson back in business between the sticks after a lengthy injuryEx-Man Utd midfielder Donny van de Beek conceded the penaltyCredit: GettyCaoimhin Kelleher was dropped back to the bench after Alisson was declared fitKelleher, who has made it known he wants to leave Merseyside, was forced to sit on the bench here in Catalonia and, predictably, watch Alisson prove why he is surely the best keeper in the world.On a night when Slot’s team under-performed, Alisson proved there was no rustiness in his game with five key saves. Slot’s surprisingly toothless attack was helped by VAR on the hour when it spotted that former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek had stood on the heel of Luiz Diaz.Mo Salah, who barely got a kick all night, delivered a textbook penalty meaning that of Liverpool’s last 23 goals, 20 of them have come in the second half.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAlisson has delivered some exceptional performances for Liverpool in the Champions League over the years. He will never beat the stoppage time save from Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik in December 2018 which kept Liverpool in the Champions League – and they went on to beat Tottenham in the final.But Alisson has proved that six years later, he has got even better and the only worry are his dodgy hamstrings.There were also moments against the third best team in Spain last year when the 32-year-old was just as good with his feet, playing tight passes with his defenders and at one stage, delivering a brilliant chip over the head of an onrushing player.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSKelleher’s mistakes against Newcastle in the Prem last week came at the worst possible time before Alisson’s returnDespite Kelleher’s fine displays – his only blip was against Newcastle six days earlier – and Alisson was always going to be parachuted back into the team.And he now finds himself back in a team that have still only lost once all season. Mo Salah drops yet another hint about leaving Liverpool win days after admitting he was ‘more out than in’ Four points clear in the Premier League and now looking certain to finish in the top eight of the Champions League. This means they will miss the play-off round with two matches to be played in February.Crucially, the second leg of the games will be played before Liverpool’s scheduled Prem trip away to Manchester City on February 23.While Slot’s team will be able to put their feet up in that week, City – potentially – have a play-off game.Nevertheless, it looks as though City are out of the title race and Liverpool will take some stopping in all competitions.Prime Alisson is back as he put in a Man of the Match performance in SpainSlot also has the added bonus that he will be able to rest any players with aches and strains for the remaining group matches against Lille and PSV Eindhoven in JanuaryBut the Dutchman will be mildly concerned about the performance from his team. In a crowd of around 10,000 – restricted as Uefa do not allow temporary seating – there were just 492 Liverpool fans .To qualify with points, fans had to have been to 27 European away matches including Spartak Moscow in September 2017. Talk about dedication.One player making his 235th Liverpool appearance was Joe Gomez and remarkably, he is still looking for his first goal.He was denied the moment he must be dreaming of in the fourth minute when Paulo Gazzaniga, who had stints at Spurs and Southampton among others, showed good reactions to push a header over the bar.Gazzaniga then kept out a well-hit drive from Darwin Nunez who was then guilty of wasting a couple of other chances in the first half, particularly one before the break. It was exactly the sort of performance from Nunez which makes him such a frustrating player.Joe Gomez was handed a rare start from SlotThe penalty was awarded after Van de Beek stepped on Luis Diaz’s footAlisson was forced to stop former Spurs star Bryan Gil on several occasionsThe best chance of the first game – until the goal – came in Girona’s first attack. Unfortunately for the home team, fell to Daley Blind although it will come as no surprise to United fans that he completely missed the ball from six yards.Alisson saved the follow-up from Alejandro Frances and then threw out a desperate arm to avoid being beaten at his near post by Miguel Gutierrez.The Brazilian kept out an effort from an offside-looking Bryan Gil but his finest moment came before the break when he used both his hands to keep out a decent strike from former Watford midfielder Yaser Asprilla. Just seconds into the second half, Alisson was at it again, saving at his near post to keep out Arnaut DanjumaGirona’s defence certainly had few problems dealing with the Liverpool attack, who looked to have run out of ideas when Diaz fell to the ground after tangling with Van de Beek.Ex-Man Utd star Daley Blind missed the best chance of the first halfFrench referee Benoit Bastien told Diaz to get up as he thought it was a dive. Yet after Andy Robertson’s shot had been saved for a corner, VAR checked over the clash.Bastien was called over to the screen and did not take long before pointing to the spot and Salah stuck away the penalty by sending the keeper the wrong wayREAD MORE SUN STORIESLiverpool avoided any late dramas for yet an 18th win in 21 matches for Slot. When he landed on Merseyside, at no stage did he think it would be this easy. More

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      Four Man City stars including Haaland and Grealish ‘miss penalties against NO KEEPER’ in bizarre training live stream

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      MANCHESTER CITY stars including Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish missed penalties in training… despite NO GOALKEEPER being between the sticks.The Cityzens have struggled for form in recent weeks and now fans have another reason to mock the team.Erling Haaland clipped the post with his effortCredit: Manchester City FCC via X formerly TwitterJack Grealish was also wayward with his effortCredit: Manchester City FCC via X formerly TwitterCity are back in Champions League action on Wednesday as they travel to Juventus, and they decided to live stream a training session.Plenty of fans tuned in to see the stars put though their paces – but the eagle-eyed among them noticed FOUR players completely miss the target with practice penalties.Phil Foden stepped up first and blazed over from 12 yards, before Ilkay Gundogan clipped the post.Grealish then emulated Foden with his attempt before Haaland also appeared to hit the post.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt is possible the City stars were attempting to hit the woodwork with their efforts, but that did not prevent fans from poking fun.One reacted saying: “That team is cursed 😂 Enjoy the Championship.”Another added: “They actually might be cursed 😂😂😂”A third wrote: “I’m crying man 🤣”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd another commented: “Nooo wayyyy!!! 😂”City have won just one of their previous nine matches and face two more huge games this week in Juventus and Manchester United.’Who the f*** do you think you are?’ Man City told after ‘making outrageous bid for Lionel Messi by accident’ More

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      Ange Postecoglou set for fiercest reception yet after boos against Bournemouth and Chelsea – and NOT from Tottenham fans

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      ANGE POSTECOGLOU is braced for a red-hot reception in the Europa League on Thursday – and NOT from Tottenham fans.After enduring personal abuse at Bournemouth last Thursday and more jeers after the Chelsea capitulation on Sunday, the big Aussie now returns to Glasgow.Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is facing a hostile environment by Rangers fansCredit: RexPostecoglou was booed by Tottenham fans after the games with Bournemouth and ChelseaCredit: GettyPostecoglou remains beloved by Celtic fans after winning FIVE trophies in two years – and catching the eye of Daniel Levy.But after snatching the Premiership title from Rangers in two glory-laden years in Scotland, he’ll know exactly what to expect when Spurs arrive at Ibrox for the Battle of Britain.Celtic legend Frank McAvennie told SunSport: “The Rangers fans will give him pelters.“He’ll know that and he’ll know there will be a little bit of humour in there, too.Read More on Football“He’ll be getting the old ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ chants.Ange will take it and he’ll understand why he’s getting it.“Spurs have been magnificent in 20-minute spells – then lost the games.“The players have let him down. They have been guilty of not concentrating for 90 minutes and leaking goals.“But Ange will relish going back to Ibrox for a big game – and one he’ll need to win. I can’t see the Tottenham fans having it if they don’t beat Rangers.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAfter the 4-3 home loss to Chelsea – when they led 2-0 – Postecoglou was cut to 4/1 to be the next Premier League manager to be axed.It’s all a far cry from his two-year spell at Celtic, when we won the Double in his first season and the Treble in 2022/23.Ange Postecoglou reacts to Tottenham’s 4-3 loss to Chelsea Those triumphs – and previous title wins in Australia and Japan – convinced Levy he was the right fit for North London.But his journey to the East End of Glasgow was a far more complicated route filled with plenty of twists and turns.With Neil Lennon gone and Steven Gerrard having ended Hoops’ hopes of a tenth straight title, the Celtic hierarchy wanted a big-name boss in the summer of 2021.They doggedly pursued Eddie Howe, who had left Bournemouth and was yet to join the Saudi revolution at Newcastle United.A deal for Howe appeared close, only to collapse at the last minute and leave Celtic looking elsewhere for a saviour.Postecoglou was in the J-League with Yokohama F Marinos, one of the City Group’s network of clubs.Ange’s Celtic successHe had worked closely with City Group recruitment guru Mark Lawwell, son of Peter – then Celts’ chief executive and now chairman.And Postecoglou’s dynamic style of play ticked several boxes for the Celtic board and their fans.McAvennie recalled: “I was delighted with everything Ange did at Celtic.“Yes, we’ve now got Brendan Rodgers but I still think of Ange from time to time.“And I’m sure Ange thinks of his time at Celtic, too. It did him the world of good.“The pressure of having to win every game at Celtic probably prepared him for the pressure he’s now under at Tottenham.Rough start“People talk about him being in trouble if he loses this game but the same could be said for Rangers manager Philippe Clement.“If he loses to Tottenham then loses to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup final at Hampden on Sunday, the heat will be on him.”Postecoglou faced three Rangers bosses in two years in Glasgow, with Gerrard quitting for Aston Villa, Giovanni van Bronckhorst axed despite winning a Scottish Cup and reaching a Europa League final then Michael Beale appointed.Ironically, he didn’t enjoy the same swashbuckling start as at Spurs 16 months ago.He was knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by a mediocre Midtjylland team before losing his league opener at Hearts.He lost his first trip to Ibrox, albeit he won there later in the season as Celts edged closer to the title – his only victory in four trips across Glasgow.’We Never Stop’By then, he’d returned to the J-League to inject pace and purpose into the side with Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda all signing.Cameron Carter-Vickers had arrived from Spurs, initially on loan, to stiffen the defence in front of Joe Hart.Portuguese winger Jota and Denmark midfielder Matt O’Riley were bought for £8million and later sold to Al-Ittihad and Brighton for £50m.Postecoglou’s ‘We Never Stop’ mantra was adopted by the Hoops’ faithful and became a slogan which underlined every success.McAvennie added: “Ange changed the team completely. He signed players who stepped up to the mark.“He got together with Peter Lawwell at the start and everything just clicked.“We’d never have known about Kyogo, Hatate or Maeda without Ange.“The same could probably be said about Jota, who was in Benfica’s B team. He changed everything about Celtic for the better.”Alas, things have now gone from bad to worse for the big Aussie at Spurs.READ MORE SUN STORIESDefeat in Glasgow would be tougher to take than the rocky reception he’s guaranteed from Rangers fans.But as McAvennie says: “Being a West Ham man myself, I couldn’t care less about Tottenham…”Rangers fans remember Postecoglou’s success with rivals CelticCredit: Getty More

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      Sir Alex Ferguson saved my Man Utd career with 11-word comment after I started going out every night, says Rio Ferdinand

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      RIO FERDINAND has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson intervened to save his career shortly after he joined Manchester United.The defender became Britain’s most expensive footballer when he completed a transfer worth just over £30million from Leeds to Man Utd in 2002.Rio Ferdinand has revealed the Sir Alex Ferguson advice which he believes saved his Man Utd careerCredit: RexFerguson’s advice saw Ferdinand go on to win six Premier League titlesCredit: Getty – ContributorFerdinand likened himself to NBA legend Dennis Rodman when he first arrived at Man UtdCredit: GettyIt would turn out to be money well spent as Ferdinand marshalled the Red Devils to a historic three-peat of league titles and the Champions League in 2008.However, the 46-year-old has revealed how some early man management from Ferguson allowed him to become the legendary figure he now is.Speaking on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the ex-England international revealed how Ferguson gave him a timely reality check by referencing Chicago Bulls great Dennis Rodman.Rodman was known for his party-hard lifestyle, which Ferdinand admitted was a role he fulfilled in the Man Utd squad, until the Scottish boss intervened with an 11-word statement.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHe explained: “At one point it would be me (Being the ‘Dennis Rodman of the team’) as I loved it (Going on a night out) I loved it.”You have to remember that when I was at West Ham it was probably the worst environment to grow up in, it was ‘win or lose, have a booze, if you draw, have some more’.”The team bus on the way home was like a pub, it was unbelievable right, so everyone was drinking, smoking and me and Frank Lampard used to look back going ‘one day we’ll be back there with those guys’ and then I go to Leeds and the professionalism jumps up, but we still went out.”It was ok because there wasn’t a game for 48-hours or more, so we went out at the ‘right’ times, but we went out and had good, solid all-dayers.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”Anyway then I signed with United and, I know from being with England that the United guys liked a drink, but they were really conditioned and professional at the right times, not crazy, like, doing it four times a week.”So I get there and when I first signed I got injured in a pre-season game before the season started and I was out for six weeks. Rio Ferdinand tells Man Utd chiefs to ‘get players out quick’ in sweary rant “I went out every night, I wanted to see what the atmosphere was like, what the vibes were like. “But the manager found out and slowed me down with one comment: ‘You want to stay here? You better watch what you do.'”Ferdinand also took some pointers from the senior stars at the club at the time, adding: “I’d been going out four times a week for six weeks, right, and the people in the restaurants knew my name.”In the bars they knew me and I was getting tables, this that and the other, I really immersed myself in the culture of Manchester like you should do when you go to a new club.”And then I realised if I wanted to be successful, as I’m going in half-cut when training starts thinking ‘ Gary Neville ain’t going out, Scholesy (Paul Scholes) ain’t going out, Roy’s (Roy Keane) not going out, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s not going out’ and the sessions are sharp man.”Every day, I had to curb that and become much more professional, fit in with the guys, and then my game got better and I grew into a better player.”When all was said and done, Ferdinand had won six league titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and Club World Cup with United until he left for QPR in 2014 before retiring a year later.READ MORE SUN STORIESOf English defenders, only team-mates Gary Neville (8) and Wes Brown (7) won more titles in the Premier League era.In all he made 455 appearances for the Red Devils and earned 81 England caps, so Fergie’s advice more than paid out. More

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      Meet Pep Guardiola’s little-known brother who signed Iniesta and Fernando Torres and could offer Man City boss a new job

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      PEP GUARDIOLA is known throughout the world of football as one of the most successful managers of all time.However, while his younger brother, Pere, does not make the same international headlines as the Manchester City boss, he is making his own waves in European football.Pep Guardiola’s younger brother Pere, is making waves of his own in the world of footballCredit: AFPGuardiola is the chairman of plucky Spanish minnows GironaCredit: SEG FootballGuardiola, second from right, has made a name for himself away from coaching and player like his brother hasCredit: GettyAt the age of 48, Pere – pronounced Pera – Guardiola, five years his brothers junior, has helped transform the fortunes of Spanish club Girona.The Catalan club earned a historic spot in the Champions League after finishing third in La Liga last season and will face six-time winners Liverpool in the competition tonight.The minnows have the highly-coveted coach Míchel, and despite only returning to the top flight in 2022, Guardiola believes the club is an incredibly attractive prospect for players.Speaking to Yahoo Sports, he said: “Girona is a very good place for football. The weather is great. The region is good. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”The club itself has a pressure because we live 24-hour football, but the environment and the history there is not that pressure like with big clubs.“But we are starting to have history and we are starting to put pressure because we know the level we want to reach and if we are not doing that we need to question ourselves. “That means this environment is very nice for the lovers of football and there is always a chance for anyone to one day come to Girona and play for Girona or coach Girona. Because the environment is calm.”Guardiola has even joked to his brother that “the day you get bored, you can come and coach Girona,” although he acknowledges this is more of pipe dream than a realistic reality.The two brothers grew up together in the small town of Santpedor, located between Girona and Barcelona, and have a shared philosophy and passion for the beautiful game.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHe credits much of this philosophy to the pioneering player and manager Johan Cruyff, explaining: “OK, in the end, this is a bit Barca philosophy, of Cruyff.”Things don’t happen because they just happen. Things don’t just go the way you think because you have better skills. ‘I won fair and clean,’ says Jose Mourinho as he hits back after Pep Guardiola dig “Things happen because there is a kind of pattern – knowing that if you have a player better than the opponent then you will have more chances. We should never forget it is about the players.”I grew up eating this every day. The coach and sporting director and structure of the club is very important but we need good players. “That doesn’t mean expensive players, but players who can fit in. And we help them to be better.”Because if we don’t play good football it is like throwing a coin in the air. One day you can win; one day you can lose but most of the time you are going to struggle. “Trying to play good football, to control all the departments on the pitch, is going to bring you closer to the win.”However, while Pep was able to make his name as a player at Barcelona, Pere was an attacking midfielder in the lower leagues but soon made a name for himself in football agency by signing up some of Spain most prodigious talents.Guardiola explained: “I was good at getting people together, making things happen, getting them to agree. “I realised when I was growing up that I could do this. I was good at getting the right side to agree with the left side and I enjoyed it and did OK.”I was with Nike for 10, 12 years and started by getting young players to wear Nike boots. I signed Andres Iniesta when he was 14, I signed Fernando Torres when he was 14. “I grew up with them and ended up managing Ronaldo Nazário’s and Ronaldinho’s careers. One was in Madrid and the other was in Barcelona. “Every week, it was Monday, Tuesday in Madrid, Wednesday, Thursday in Barcelona, because I was managing both of them. All of this experience helped me. Then I started my own company as an agent.”When I got to Girona I had scope that definitely helped me to know what’s going on, what agents are thinking, what players are thinking. Now this is one of the things I have done that I like the most.”Guardiola’s involvement with Girona started in 2015 when the club was in danger of going out of business. And he admits he was not looking at the club for investment until then sports director Quique Carcel suggested the idea.But during his time working with the club as an agent, he “started falling in love” before he thought “why not” and purchased the club to save them from insolvency.City Football Group then invested in the club in 2017 with a 47 per cent stake, though with Girona now competing in the same competition as the star team of the franchise, that relationship now has to change.Guardiola said: “City were investing in clubs and we spoke with them and said they could have part of the club in a place where they know.”In the beginning, we could help form the players and then one day they could play for Man City or be sold, like Pedro Porro who went to Sporting. It was to have a stepping-stone club…”Now we are completely separate, but we were always quite independent.”We need to generate a very good squad. We need to see the money and how it is invested – part of it is in the squad, in the new stadium, in the training ground, in the academy. “In the end, we need to forget what people say outside of this. We need to do our plan and we need to keep going.”He added that the long-term goal was to be in La Liga for the next 15 years, with Champions League participation despite their struggles this season being a huge bonus.Despite backing from City Football Group, Girona have been frugal and invested their money wisely, with two of the teams current stars being former Manchester United stars Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek.On the duo Guardiola said: “We have a coach and we play in a way that not everyone fits but some people can fit. “That means that Daley Blind, for example, is a perfect player for us and we are a perfect platform for him. “Van de Beek is a bit like this. He went to United and was unlucky, losing momentum with different coaches and different players and got injured. “He was in teams that were struggling to play attacking football and he needs that type of football. READ MORE SUN STORIES”Now we are in a position that our football fits him very well, the Spanish league fits him very well, knowing that he needed time. “He had two, three years without really playing and every day now you can see he is improving.”While working as an agent for Nike he signed Spanish legend Fernando Torres and Andres IniestaCredit: Getty – Contributor More

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      Dortmund vs Barcelona: Get up to £40 in free bets to spend on football with talkSPORT BET

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