Tag: Champions League

The Arsenal women are beginning to believe that anything is possible – inside and out

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One of those nights was at the Emirates Stadium. One evening played to the tune of “ooos” and “ahhs” from a breathless crowd, grown men jumping and clinging to each other in excitement. This is what faith does to people. These are reactions that cannot be faked, but are a product of what people see and how it relates to them. And the fans who turned out on Wednesday night to watch Arsenal beat Bayern Munich 2-0 and seal their place in the Champions League semi-finals certainly felt that bond.…

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Real Madrid’s response to Barcelona’s defeat: disappointment, and upcoming decisions

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In the 76th minute, with a 1-1 score on the scoreboard and thinking there was not much to lose, Carlo Ancelotti went for Real Madrid’s one-time La Liga goal. The Italian introduced a triple change, with Aurelien Choameni, Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos replacing Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Luka Modric. In other words, the most expensive midfielder (80 million euros plus 20 million euros in variables) in the club’s history, and two players whose contracts expired on June 30 and have not yet been renewed, entered the field. The…

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Real Madrid 1 Liverpool 0: Klopp’s team limps – who can stop the champions?

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Liverpool may have been masters of European comebacks in the past, but their luck ran out at the Bernabeu on Wednesday as Real Madrid relieved them of a place in the Champions League quarter-finals. Trailing 5-2 from an impressive first leg at Anfield, Liverpool needed just three goals to take the tie to extra time and never seemed capable of this kind of upset. That meant the defending champions advanced to Friday’s quarter-final draw, leaving Jurgen Klopp’s side to focus simply on trying to salvage one of the top four…

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Liverpool have nothing to lose against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 – Jurgen Klopp

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Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool will embrace their status as “complete outsiders” and have nothing to lose as they attempt another Champions League miracle against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Klopp’s men trailed 5-2 from the first leg at Anfield, but managed to overturn a three-goal deficit in the semi-final against Barcelona four years ago. Arguably more of a challenge than that for European champions Carlo Ancelotti, Klopp struck a defiant tone – three weeks after he admitted the tie was effectively over after seeing Liverpool crumble after a 2-0 lead.…

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Paris Saint-Germain’s latest Champions League failure: The inside story

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When Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi addressed the club’s staff in January, he was feeling optimistic. Buoyed by a World Cup in his home country that had finished with a final for the ages illuminated by two of the club’s star players, he wanted his employees to share in his confidence. “Two-thousand and twenty-three will be our most successful year for PSG,” he declared. But little more than a week into spring, PSG are out of the Champions League and have lost more matches in 2023 than in the…

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Richarlison is upset about Tottenham’s minutes and says he was told he would start against Milan: ‘This season has been awful’

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison says his season has been “sloppy” after not being given enough minutes on the pitch. The 25-year-old also said he was told he would start the Champions League last-16 second leg against AC Milan on Wednesday if he passed a fitness test – only to be left on the bench. Richarlison seemed to hit a ball against Antonio Conte, Tottenham coach, adding: “There was no explanation again. Let’s see what he tells us tomorrow.” The Brazilian was introduced in the 70th minute against AC Milan but…

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Dortmund’s injuries show a lack of depth in the squad as luck eventually runs out

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At first, there was anger. “The penalty and the recovery were scandalous,” said Borussia Dortmund advisor Matthias Sammer, who watched the match as an analyst for German television. “This is out of order.” Midfielder Emre Can was more outspoken. “The referee is responsible (for Dortmund’s disqualification).” That’s it. He was arrogant. Our defeat was undeserved. We lost because of the referee.” Blaming a higher power and nagging for ills is a human reaction as old as the hills, and one can forgive visitors for their frustrations. Chelsea’s penalty for Marius…

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Graham Potter celebrates with Todd Bohle after Chelsea reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League

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Chelsea manager Graham Potter says he has spoken to the club’s co-owner Todd Boyle after his “special” Champions League last-16 victory over Borussia Dortmund. The 47-year-old Potter has been under pressure at Chelsea after a poor run of form saw him win only once in 11 games in January and February. But Chelsea bounced back with a 1-0 win over Leeds United on Saturday and followed that up with a memorable 2-0 win over Dortmund at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. That result was enough to see them through to the…

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Bayern Munich’s decline gives rivals hope – and a race for the Bundesliga title

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At the start of March, only five points separated the top five in the Bundesliga. Friday night’s encounter between Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig will be a throwback to a bygone era: For the first time in 11 years, Bayern Munich will not be involved in a match between true title contenders at this late stage in the season. In March 2012, Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund were well on their way to winning their second consecutive title, with Bayern only third behind Borussia Mönchengladbach, coached by Lucien Favre. Even Schalke was…

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Orenstein: Retiring VAR chief, Arsenal teenager signing Haaland expected to join Nike

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It was another season of refereeing in the Premier League, but also change at PGMOL, the body responsible for match officials in the English professional game. Notably, Howard Webb returned from the US and Canada to become Chairman of the Jury this past August – with General Manager Mike Riley leaving after 13 years in control of operations. Most recently, Lee Mason, the first video assistant referee (VAR) in the league, left the organization after being fouled in the 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Brentford on February 11. The changes…

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