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Tag 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League

  • Mar, Thu, 2020
Sport

Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Juventus vs Lyon postponed due to coronavirus

Postponement
Nyon (Switzerland), March 12, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Manchester City’s 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg tie with Real Madrid next week has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

European football’s governing body UEFA, while disclosing this on Thursday, also said the Juventus’ match against Olympique Lyonnais in the same competition and also billed for next week was also affected.

Real Madrid had said earlier on Thursday that it had sent all of the members of its football and basketball teams home into quarantine.

It had said this became necessary after one of the sports club’s basketball players tested positive for the coronavirus.

Also, Juventus defender Daniele Rugani tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, leading the Italian club to quarantine their entire squad.

“Following the quarantine imposed on players of Juventus and Real Madrid, the… matches will not take place as scheduled,” UEFA said on Twitter.

Both matches were due to take place on Tuesday.

Manchester City have a 2-1 lead from the first leg in Madrid on Feb. 26 while Juventus trail Lyon 1-0.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Mar, Thu, 2020
Sport

PSG oust Borussia Dortmund to banish last 16 round demons in empty stadium

Demons
Paris, March 12, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Paris St-Germain (PSG) put their UEFA Champions League last 16 round traumas behind them as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals.

But no fans were in the stadium to witness the achievement.

Having lost 1-2 in the first leg, Neymar and Juan Bernat scored before half-time to secure a 3-2 aggregate win for PSG after a game played behind closed doors.

This was due to the coronavirus, which has infected 2,281 people and killed 48 in France.

The result eased painful memories of 2017, when PSG were eliminated 6-5 on aggregate by FC Barcelona after letting slip a 4-0 advantage.

Also, last season they lost to Manchester United on away goals after a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

The French champions reached the last eight for the first time since 2016 as Borussia Dortmund finished with 10 men following Emre Can’s sending-off in the dying minutes.

Over 3,000 ultra fans gathered near the Parc des Princes before kick-off, after being granted authorisation by the police.

Demonstrations were being considered an exemption to the ban of gatherings of more than 1,000 as French authorities try to contain the coronavirus, which has infected 2,281 people and killed 48.

They lit firework and their chants could be overheard in the stadium before, during, and after the game as the players went to the top of the Auteuil stand to cheer with them.

“Our only virus is Paris SG,” a banner in the empty arena read.

“It was a perfect game,” said centre back Marquinhos, who with Presnel Kimpembe marshalled the PSG defence.

“We now need to keep the same mindset for the remainder of the competition.”

PSG were without captain Thiago Silva, who had not fully recovered from a hamstring injury, while Kylian Mbappe started on the bench after suffering from a sore throat.

The French side dominated possession and had the first clear chance when Edinson Cavani’s cross shot from Di Maria’s through ball was deflected by goalkeeper Roman Buerki.

Neymar put the hosts ahead in the 28th minute as he headed home Angel Di Maria’s free-kick for his 35th goal in 57 matches.

He made his presence count with this, after missing the return leg against Manchester United through injury last season.

Bernat doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time by flicking Sarabia’s attempt past Buerki.

PSG pressed high after the break while Erling Haaland, who scored a double in the first leg, never looked likely to add to his 10 UEFA Champions League goals this season.

Thorgan Hazard and Axel Witsel made way for Julian Brandt and Giovanni Reyna as Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre looked to freshen up his attacking line.

(PSG) were suddenly on the back foot.

A brawl erupted two minutes from time after Can fouled Neymar and pushed the Brazilian to the ground.

Can was sent off while Di Maria picked up a yellow card which means the Argentine will be suspended for the first leg of PSG’s quarter-final.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Mar, Thu, 2020
Sport

Liverpool knocked out of UEFA Champions League by Atletico Madrid’s extra-time triple

Extra-time
Liverpool (UK), March 12, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Holders Liverpool crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in the last 16 round on Wednesday after Atletico Madrid struck three times in extra time.

The Spanish side earned a shock 3-2 victory at Anfield to go through 4-2 on aggregate, after having won the first leg 1-0 at home about two weeks earlier.

After falling 2-0 down on the night, substitute Marcos Llorente struck twice in extra time.

Alvaro Morata added a late third to ensure a famous victory for Diego Simeone’s side against a Liverpool team unbeaten in their last 25 home games in European competition.

Liverpool broke through two minutes before half-time when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain burst to the byline.

He pulled back a cross to Georginio Wijnaldum who powered an angled header into the bottom corner.

After the interval, Liverpool peppered Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak but the Spaniards survived.

They almost pulled off a last-minute shock when a header from Saul Niguez was ruled out for offside.

Liverpool took the lead in the tie four minutes into extra-time, with Roberto Firmino heading against the post and then driving home the loose ball.

Yet then it all went wrong for Juergen Klopp’s side —– a dreadful pass out from goalkeeper Adrian straight to Joao Felix, gifted Atletico the ball.

Llorente punished the Liverpool goalkeeper for his error with a precise shot into the far corner.

Llorente then produced a carbon copy finish as Liverpool’s defence backed off following good work on the counter from Morata.

This effectively ended Liverpool’s hopes of defending their European crown.

Morata put the icing on the cake in the final moments after a breakaway.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Mar, Tue, 2020
Sport

FC Barcelona vs Napoli Champions League decider to be played without spectators

Match
Barcelona (Spain), March 10, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) FC Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg match with Napoli scheduled for March 18 will take place without spectators due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

A club spokesman said on Tuesday that, for the match which will take place at Camp Nou after a 1-1 draw in Napoli, no supporters will be allowed to enter the stadium.

Other games in the competition this week —- Paris St-Germain (PSG) vs Borussia Dortmund and Valencia v Atalanta —- will also be played behind closed doors.

“The UEFA Champions League match scheduled for March 18 between FC Barcelona and Napoli will be played at Camp Nou behind closed doors,” said FC Barcelona in a statement.

The Spanish Health Ministry had said sports fixtures expected to draw crowds from zones designated as high-risk for coronavirus, such as northern Italy, would be played without spectators.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Joseph Edeh and Olawale Alabi)

  • Mar, Mon, 2020
Sport

PSG vs Borussia Dortmund match to take place behind closed doors

Match
Paris, March 9, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) This week’s UEFA Champions League clash between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Borussia Dortmund will take place behind closed doors.

The development is due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, the Paris police authority said on Monday.

The game is scheduled for Paris’ Parc des Princes stadium on Wednesday.

It will see hosts PSG go into the second leg fixture 1-2 behind, having lost the first tie in Dortmund.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Thu, 2020
Sport

Sluggish Juventus slump to surprise defeat at Olympique Lyonnais

Defeat
Lyon (France), Feb. 27, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Juventus’s hopes of reaching the UEFA Champions League last eight suffered a blow when the two-times European Cup winners slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday.

Midfielder Lucas Tousart scored the only goal in the opening half of the last 16 first leg fixture to give Lyon a deserved win.

They are bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.

It was Lyon’s first victory over the Serie A leaders, who suffered their first defeat in the competition this season.

Juventus lacked quality, with Cristiano Ronaldo rarely getting into scoring positions, and they will need to improve in the return leg on March 17 if they are to progress.

About 2,700 Juventus fans travelled from Piedmont, a region neighbouring the coronavirus-hit Lombardy, as the game went ahead as planned in spite of concern over the virus.

On the pitch, Lyon were at their best, with Houssem Aouar and new signing Bruno Guimaraes inspiring their team.

“We were not the favourites and rightfully so, but we believed that we could unsettle Juventus,” said midfielder Aouar.

“But let’s not get carried away, there’s one full game left.”

Juventus have only won four of their last eight competitive matches and captain Leonardo Bonucci pointed out that the team had improved.

“We messed up our first half. Sometimes it happens,” he said. “We gifted one half and they scored at a moment when they were good at hurting us.”

After a cagey start, Lyon made a clear chance when Karl Toko-Ekambi’s header at the near post from Aouar’s corner kick hit the crossbar.

Aouar then burst into the area and delivered a cutback which Tousart placed into the top corner from close range to put the French side ahead after 31 minutes.

Juve were at the time down to 10 men as Mathias De Ligt was getting treatment for blood on his head after being accidentally stamped on by team mate Alex Sandro.

The visitors threatened through Ronaldo but the Portuguese shot just wide at the end of a counter-attack as Juve looked short on confidence.

The Italian side increased the pressure after the interval as Lyon tried to sit back and hope to hurt Maurizio Sarri’s team on the break.

Paulo Dybala went close for Juve with a volley, substitute Gonzalo Higuain wasted a couple of chances and Dybala had a goal ruled out for offside as Lyon held firm.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Thu, 2020
Sport

De Bruyne leads remarkable Manchester City comeback win against Real Madrid

Comeback
Madrid, Feb. 27, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Manchester City pulled off a stunning late fightback to beat hosts Real Madrid 2-1 in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg fixture.

In the game which had Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos sent off, Kevin De Bruyne kept his cool to beat Belgium team mate Thibaut Courtois from the penalty kick spot.

His goal in the 82nd minute gave Manchester City the lead, after Gabriel Jesus had headed home a cross from De Bruyne to pull the visitors level in the 78th minute.

Isco had given Real Madrid the lead on the hour mark following a sweeping counter-attack, but the 13-times European champions’ night soon unraveled.

It culminated in Ramos being sent off for hauling down Jesus in a bid to prevent a third Manchester City goal.

Ramos will be suspended for the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on March 17.

Manchester City’s influential defender Aymeric Laporte was forced off injured in the first half, another setback in a season marked by fitness troubles.(Reuters/ NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

Griezmann goal earns FC Barcelona draw at spirited Napoli

Draw
Naples (Italy), Feb. 26, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Antoine Griezmann’s second half equaliser handed FC Barcelona a vital away goal and a 1-1 draw at Napoli in their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg meeting on Tuesday.

A superb curling strike from Dries Mertens put the home side in front in the first half.

The goal helped the Belgian to draw level with Marek Hamsik as Napoli’s all-time top scorer in all competitions with 121 goals.

But Barca breached a well-drilled Napoli defence after the break when Griezmann fired in a Nelson Semedo cross.

The visitors ended the game with 10 men after Arturo Vidal was sent off late on for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession.

The two sides, who were facing each other for the first time, will meet again at the Camp Nou for the second leg on March 18.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

Bayern Munich whip Chelsea 3-0 for sweet revenge

Revenge
London, Feb. 25, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Two second half goals in less than three minutes from Serge Gnabry and one from Robert Lewandowski earned Bayern Munich a thumping 3-0 victory at Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League fixture.

The last 16 first leg game on Tuesday in London saw the German champions sharper and livelier than their hosts, and they piled on the pressure from the start of the match.

The stats showed they enjoyed 63 per cent possession, and it was a bad night for Chelsea, whose home form under Frank Lampard has been suspect all season.

Their misery was complete in the 83rd minute when wing back Marcos Alonso was sent off for violent conduct after he caught Lewandowski in the face with his arm.

For former Arsenal forward Gnabry, his goals on Tuesday were his fifth and sixth in London in the Champions League this season.

He scored four in Bayern Munich’s 7-2 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur in the group stages.

The first against Chelsea in the 51st minute involved a one-two between Gnabry and Lewandowski.

The prolific Pole cut back from the edge of the area when Chelsea’s retreating defence expected him to shoot, and it left Gnabry with an easy finish from less than 10 metres.

Chelsea, run ragged most of the evening, had barely got their breath back when Lewandowski and Gnabry exchanged passes halfway down the pitch before Gnabry raced away to score.

Lewandowski, clearly enjoying himself, got among the scorers in the 76th minute after a stirring run from Canadian full back Alphonso Davies.

The Germans had also wasted a series of chances in the first half.

Thomas Mueller, one of three players who figured in Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League final victory over Bayern in Munich, went closest in the 35th minute.

He thumped the bar with a header from another Lewandowski cross.

Tuesday’s win will prove a measure of revenge for that unlikely Chelsea victory.

The Germans will feel fully confident of progressing when they welcome the London side for the second leg on March 18.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

 

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

UCL: Atalanta fairytale continues as Italians thrash Valencia

Fairytale
Milan (Italy), Feb. 19, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Atalanta continued their dream debut UEFA Champions League campaign on Wednesday with a 4-1 win over Valencia in an entertaining last 16 first leg meeting at San Siro in Milan.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Serie A side raced into a two-goal lead by half-time with goals from Hans Hateboer and Josip Ilicic, while Valencia were denied by the post.

Remo Freuler’s curling strike and a second goal for Hateboer looked to have ended the tie as a contest.

But substitute Denis Cheryshev gave the Spanish visitors a faint glimmer of hope with an away goal.

Two-time runners-up Valencia will host the Serie A side at the Mestalla Stadium in the return leg on March 10.

Atalanta qualified for Europe’s top club competition for the first time with a surprise third-place finish in Serie A last season.

It was achieved in spite of having the 14th-highest wage budget in the division.

Playing their home games at Milan after their Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia failed to meet UEFA standards, they got off to a nightmare start by losing their opening three group games.

But a home draw with Manchester City followed by wins over Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk was enough to send them to the knockout stages.

More than 45,000 fans travelled to Milan for Wednesday’s game, 51 kilometres away from Atalanta’s hometown of Bergamo, which has a population of just 120,000 people.

They began in confident fashion, coming close to the opener after just eight minutes when Mario Pasalic burst into the box and saw his curling shot superbly saved by Jaume Domenech.

The hosts found the breakthrough when Hateboer met an Alejandro Gomez cross at the back post and slid in a finish from close range.

The goal drew a response from Valencia, who were inches away from an equaliser when Ferran Torres smashed a shot against the post from a tight angle.

Goncalo Guedes’ effort also flew wide, just beyond the outstretched foot of Eliaquim Mangala.

But the Italians doubled their lead three minutes before the interval when Ilicic gathered the ball on the edge of the area and smashed a right-footed drive beyond Domenech.

The chances continued to flow in the second half and a third goal arrived when Freuler whipped a sublime finish into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Valencia striker Maxi Gomez squandered a glorious chance, firing a shot into the scrambling Pierluigi Gollini’s grasp with the goal gaping.

Yet the Dutch international Hateboer struck again after 63 minutes, beating the offside trap on the right wing before driving forward and firing home a finish.

Valencia eventually took one of their chances to notch an away goal.

A lazy pass from Jose Luis Palomino was pounced on by substitute Cheryshev, who drilled a shot into the bottom corner with his first act of the game.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)