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Tag 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

UCL: Werner penalty kick gives RB Leipzig win at Tottenham Hotspur

Werner
London, Feb. 19, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Timo Werner’s second half penalty kick gave a dominant RB Leipzig a deserved 1-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie on Wednesday.

Werner slotted past Hugo Lloris in the 58th minute after Ben Davies had fouled Konrad Laimer, putting the Bundesliga high-flyers in control ahead of the second leg on March 10.

In their first appearance in the tournament’s knockout stage, RB Leipzig could have taken a larger advantage back home to Germany but for poor finishing and saves by Lloris.

Tottenham, runners-up last season, were outplayed for the majority of the game with Patrick Schick and Werner wasting several chances for RB Leipzig while Angelino was denied by the woodwork.

Handicapped by having no recognised strikers in the absence of injured Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Tottenham struggled as an attacking force.

However, Giovani Lo Celso was impressive and almost equalised with a free-kick against the post.

RB Leipzig’s intensity dropped late on and Lucas Moura headed wastefully over for Tottenham who now face a tough task to keep their Champions League hopes alive. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

Atletico Madrid edge Liverpool after vintage defensive display

Display
Madrid, Feb. 19, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) UEFA Champions League holders Liverpool will need to summon another famous European comeback at Anfield next month after they were beaten 0-1 away to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Spain midfielder Saul Niguez struck the only goal of their last 16 first leg game in the fourth minute by bundling into the net from close range following a corner kick.

It was their traditional weapon of choice in recent years.

Liverpool have won 25 of 26 English Premier League (EPL) games this season and are on course for a record-smashing title win.

But they missed a series of chances to equalise in the second half, with Mohamed Salah and team captain Jordan Henderson coming closest to scoring.

Juergen Klopp’s side play at home to Atletico Madrid on March 11 in the return leg at Anfield.

That was where they produced an incredible 4-0 win over FC Barcelona in last year’s semi-final second leg fixture after losing the first match 3-0.

Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Tuesday’s venue, was however the scene of Liverpool’s 2-0 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in last year’s final.

But they faced a very different type of atmosphere this time around.

Clouds of billowing red smoke greeted the Atletico Madrid bus when it arrived at the ground as the home supporters stoked up a scorching atmosphere throughout the game.

It helped to give their side a lift in the middle of their worst season in recent memory.

Diego Simeone’s men have looked nothing like the sides which reached the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals.

The Argentine manager’s side had not challenged Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s duopoly of La Liga for most of this campaign.

Now they trail league leaders Real Madrid by 13 points.

But on Tuesday they produced a vintage defensive display.

They sat deep and barely gave Liverpool any space for their attacking trident of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane to work their usual magic.

Mane was fortunate not to be sent off late in the first half after clashing with Sime Vrsaljko while on a yellow card.

He was swiftly substituted by Klopp for Divock Origi, who scored the second goal in last year’s final.

The Senegalese caused little disquiet to Atletico Madrid’s towering defenders, yet Salah should have levelled with a header which went wide of the near post.

Henderson also narrowly missed the target from inside the area later on.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

Haaland sensational in giving Borussia Dortmund 2-1 win over PSG

Haaland
Dortmund (Germany), Feb. 19, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Borussia Dortmund teenager Erling Haaland scored twice in eight minutes on Tuesday to lead his German club to a 2-1 victory over Paris St-Germain (PSG).

In their 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg game in Dortmund, the Norwegian stabbed in from close range after a quick-fire passing move in the 69th minute.

The 19-year-old who joined in the winter has already netted eight times in five Bundesliga matches.

He then thundered in an unstoppable shot for his second goal in the 77th, two minutes after PSG’s Brazilian forward Neymar had levelled for the French champions.

Haaland, the first Borussia Dortmund player to score in his first league, German Cup and Champions League matches, has reached 10 goals in seven games in Europe’s elite competition this season.

These included eight for Salzburg in the group stage, and it is faster than anyone.

He is only the second teenager to net 10 Champions League goals, after Kylian Mbappe, and is the first teenager to score 10 in a single campaign in the competition.

“I still need to improve, keep working,” Haaland said. “I want to go far in the Champions League. With the second goal I enjoyed the moment.”

PSG, who were eliminated at this stage of the competition in the previous three seasons, had fit-again Neymar and Mbappe back in the starting line-up.

But they were almost completely shut out by an extremely efficient Borussia Dortmund backline.

In a cautious first half, the French side had the slight advantage in possession.

But Dortmund carved out the only real chance after 27 minutes with a curled shot from Jadon Sancho.

Mbappe and Neymar were kept under tight surveillance.

Borussia Dortmund defenders Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek —- on his 350th appearance for the club in all competitions —- and Dan Axel Zagadou denying the pair any space to manoeuvre.

The Germans’ main firepower, Haaland, was also shackled for about an hour before he finally found some space to complete a quick Borussia Dortmund move.

PSG, who will be without Marco Verratti and Thomas Meunier for the return leg after they picked up bookings, drew level through Neymar.

The Brazilian found the net after a fine run down the right by Mbappe.

He also later hit the post.

But the visitors could do nothing when 17-year-old substitute Giovanni Reyna found Haaland at the edge of the box.

The in-form forward released a fiercely-struck left foot effort that gave PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas no chance.

The return leg is in Paris on March 11.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

UCL: Bayern seal last-16 berth with win over Olympiakos

 

Berth

Munich (Germany), Nov. 6, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Bayern Munich clinched their place in the Champions League last 16 by beating Olympiakos 2-0 at home on Wednesday thanks to second-half strikes from Robert Lewandowski and Ivan Perisic.

Playing their first game since coach Niko Kovac was sacked after the humiliating 5-1 drubbing at Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern out-played the Greek champions and Lewandowski finally broke the deadlock in the 69th minute.
The Polish striker prodded home a cross from Kingsley Coman from close range to score his 21st goal of the season in all competitions.
He thus set interim boss Hansi Flick on the way to victory in his first game since being put in temporary charge.

Croatian winger Perisic slammed the ball home with his first touch less than 60 seconds after coming off the bench to seal the win.

Bayern top Group B with 12 points from four games and will be confirmed as group winners if Red Star Belgrade’s match with Tottenham Hotspur later on Wednesday ends in a draw. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/DOE/AFA

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Edited by Dianabasi Effiong/Felix Ajide

 

Sport

Martinez scores, misses penalty kick as lacklustre Inter Milan scrape win

Lacklustre
Milan (Italy), Oct. 24, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Forward Lautaro Martinez scored one goal and missed a second half penalty kick as a lacklustre Inter Milan scraped their first win in their UEFA Champions League group on Wednesday.

They beat former champions Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to achieve this.

The Argentine broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, scoring from close range after Stefan de Vrij’s pass sent him clear of the defence.

Martinez however missed a chance to seal the match with eight minutes left when his penalty kick was saved by Roman Buerki.

In the end, it did not matter as Antonio Candreva added a second for Inter in the 89th minute after Borussia were caught on the break.

The result left the two sides level on four points from three games in Group F.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Lyon goalkeeper’s blunder hands Benfica 2-1 victory

Blunder
Lisbon, Oct. 24, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) An 86th minute blunder by Olympique Lyon goalkeeper, Anthony Lopes, handed Benfica Lisbon a late goal for a 2-1 victory on Wednesday.

The result threw the UEFA Champions League Group G wide open.

Pizzi scored the winner after Lopes inexplicably threw the ball straight into the player’s path.

He then had no problem firing in from 25 metres for their first win in this season’s competition.

Rafa Silva had grabbed a fourth minute lead for the hosts but his injury a little later deprived Benfica of their main attacking threat.

There was little in terms of attacks from the visitors under new coach, Rudi Garcia, until Memphis Depay volleyed in the equaliser at the far post in the 70th minute.

Benfica hit the post in the 85th minute but were gifted the winner by Lopes a little later.

Benfica climb to three points, one behind Lyon and Zenit St Petersburg.

RB Leipzig, who beat Zenit 2-1 earlier on Wednesday, are top on six points. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Liverpool end away jinx but Klopp didn’t enjoy win in Genk

Liverpool
Genk (Belgium), Oct. 24, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Liverpool produced a devastating attacking display to beat Racing Genk 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday but manager Juergen Klopp said he had not enjoyed it.

Two goals, the second a beauty, by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, playing in his first game in the competition for 18 months, and silky strikes from Sadio Mane and Mo Salah gave the scoreline a convincing enough look.

Yet there were moments of unease for the European champions as they won away in the group phase for the first time in two years.

Genk were unfortunate to have a Mbwana Samatta effort ruled out in the first half and spurned several other chances to equalise before Liverpool took charge.

Such are the standards that Klopp has now set, however, that he was not entirely impressed in spite of his side moving second in Group E with six points, one behind Napoli.

“I didn’t enjoy the game too much, but I enjoyed the result a lot,” said Klopp, whose side’s 17-match winning streak in the Premier League ended in a 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Sunday.

“We’ve had two away games that were both difficult for different reasons. I don’t know where we are at the moment. I know where we have to be on Sunday (against Tottenham Hotspur).

“There were good moments. We started well but lost a lot of easy balls, unexpected balls. Of course, those are the most difficult to defend against. Our first goal was brilliant — all four goals were brilliant.”

Klopp has an embarrassment of attacking riches with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return yet another option.

He struck a clinical opener after two minutes and his 57th-minute goal to double his side’s lead, a non-chalant clipped effort with the outside of his right foot, was a gem.

It was Liverpool’s 200th Champions League goal but even Oxlade-Chamberlain got a “can do better” report.

“Ox was like the game was. The goals were brilliant, but he can do much better and he knows that,” the German said.

“He’s had a lot of time out and he lacked a bit of rhythm in some moments, but the goals were lovely. It was a big step.”

Liverpool have now won 25 of their last 30 matches in all competitions.

The way they made a potentially tricky night into a relatively smooth one was a sign of the confidence and winning mentality now ingrained in the squad.

“In the years before we would have drawn it, maybe even lost, but it’s all OK. It was intense, we needed concentration,” Klopp added. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

UEFA Champions League: Napoli held goalless by Genk

Draw
Brussels, Oct. 3, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Napoli paid the price for playing a weakened side as they dropped UEFA Champions League points in 0-0 draw away at Racing Genk on Wednesday.

After beating holders Liverpool in their opening Group E game, coach Carlo Ancelotti left out Lorenzo Insigne and dropped Dries Mertens to the bench against the Belgian champions

Genk had conceded six goals in their opener against Salzburg.

Arkadiusz Milik made only his second start of the season in attack and his rustiness showed as he struck the woodwork twice.

He also missed three more good chances from close range as the home side led a charmed life in front of their own supporters.

Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who moved from Genk to Napoli five years ago, had an effort from a corner kick cleared off the line just before half-time.

Team captain Jose Callejon missed from close range early in the second half.

Mertens, one goal shy of equaling Diego Maradona’s record of 115 for Napoli, was brought on just before the hour mark.

He took 15 minutes to get into the game before being denied with two quick efforts.

With seven minutes left, a slip in the Napoli defence presented Ianis Hagi, son of the Romanian great Gheorghe, a chance to score.

But he fired his effort over from inside the penalty area.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Zenit St Petersburg beat Benfica 3-1

Win
St Petersburg (Russia), Oct. 3, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Zenit St Petersburg stayed on course to reach the UEFA Champions League knockout stage on Wednesday with a 3-1 home win.

This was after strikes by Artem Dzyuba and Serdar Azmoun along with a Ruben Dias own goal helped them to beat Benfica in Group G of the competition.

The result put Zenit top of the standings on four points from two games, ahead of Lyon on goals scored after the French side beat RB Leipzig 2-0 away.

Leipzig have three points and Benfica none.

Dzyuba fired Zenit ahead in the 22nd minute with a clinical finish from 12 metres after Benfica defenders lost possession when they tried to break out of their own half with casual one-touch passing.

Zenit dominated and doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Diaz diverted a Vyacheslav Karavaev effort into his own net with the goal being awarded after a Video Assisted Referee (VAR) check.

Iran forward Serdar Azmoun made it 3-0 with a deft finish from inside the penalty area after another darting break by the home side.

Substitute Raul de Tomas grabbed a late consolation for the visitors, who threw men forward in the dying minutes.

But Zenit’s defence held firm. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Super subs give Manchester City 2-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb

Substitutes
Manchester (UK), Oct. 2, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Manchester City made it two wins out of two in the UEFA Champions League Group C on Tuesday.

This was after goals from substitutes Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden gave Pep Guardiola’s side a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb.

It was a game that could easily have ended in frustration, with Dinamo defending deep and effectively, but it turned on the introduction of England international Sterling in the 56th minute.

The Croatians frustrated the Premier League champions with some excellent defending in the first half.

All Manchester City could manage from their domination was Ilkay Gundogan’s shot against the bar in the 21st minute.

This was after an earlier effort from Sergio Aguero had been well dealt with by Dinamo goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

David Silva screwed a shot wide after the ball fell to him inside the area.

But Manchester City did not create enough from the amount of possession they enjoyed.

Guardiola’s side attacked almost exclusively down the left, where full-back Benjamin Mendy was allowed plenty of space.

But it was either the delivery into the box let them down or the Dinamo defence stood firm.

Riyad Mahrez on the right flank saw too little of the ball and Manchester City failed to really use the full width of the field.

They were too often getting involved in “five-a-side” contests on the edge of the box.

The introduction of Sterling increased the tempo and width of Manchester City’s play and it was the England international who broke the deadlock in the 66th minute.

He turned in a low cross from Riyad Mahrez after a superb diagonal pass from Rodri.

Dinamo tried their luck in the final stages but were caught on the counter.

In stoppage time Sterling broke and slipped the ball wide to Foden who confidently drove home.

Manchester City move on to six points from their opening two games after winning their first match 3-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk, while Dinamo have three points.

“They defended so well, even the goal from Raheem the defender was there.

“I didn’t expect them to play so deep, they only shot on target at set-pieces, but they did what they did so well,” said Guardiola, who praised Sterling for his improved finishing.

“He’s a player who is always there, he has this talent he loves to score goals, you always have that feeling.

“We had chances but they defended really well and that’s why it was difficult to score a goal,” he said.

“I think still he can improve his finishing. Today the pass for Phil was perfect.

“Still, there is a gap to be even more clinical. But it’s important that all the time he’s there and that’s why he’s been able to score the goals,” Sterling said.

Foden’s instant impact, with his goal coming four minutes after he came on, left Guardiola feeling sorry that he was unable to find more minutes for the talented 19-year-old.

“I know, he deserves to play, I want to give him minutes, I’m unfair to him. I’m sorry but he has (Kevin) De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri (ahead of him).

“I know the best way is for him to play minutes but he’s so young.

“I don’t know many players of his age (who) have played so many minutes. He’s going to be incredible in the future but it is what it is.”(Reuters/NAN)

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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)