Tag: champions league

Bayern Munich to face PSG, Real Madrid vs Liverpool in Champions League last eight | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Holders Bayern Munich will face the team they beat in last year’s Champions League final in this season’s quarter-finals after being paired with Paris St Germain in Friday’s draw.
In the other standout tie of the last eight 13-time champions Real Madrid face six-time winners Liverpool in a repeat of the 2018 final won by the Spanish club.
Runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, seeking their first Champions League title, will play Borussia Dortmund with the winners to face Bayern or PSG in the semi-finals.
There is also the prospect of an all English semi-final after Chelsea were drawn to play Porto with the prize for the winners a clash with Real Madrid or Liverpool.
The Qatari owners of PSG have invested fortunes into trying to conquer the Champions League and came tantalisingly close last season when they reached the final only for Bayern’s Kingsley Coman to break their hearts with the only goal in Lisbon.
Since then manager Thomas Tuchel has gone and been replaced by Mauricio Pochettino who took Tottenham Hotspur to the 2019 Champions League final where they lost to Liverpool.
Pochettino now faces a daunting task if he is to deliver the prize the Parisian club desire so badly.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern reached the quarter-final for a record 19th time by cruising past Lazio 6-2 on aggregate and will provide a formidable barrier.
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence crumbled long ago but if anything can rouse the Anfield club it is a clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Juergen Klopp’s side are languishing in sixth place in the Premier League, 25 points behind Manchester City, and with no guarantee of a top-four finish they might need to win a seventh European crown just to get back in the competition.
Chelsea, unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard, may feel they have got the easier option in Porto who they have beaten in five of their eight previous meetings.
Yet while Chelsea’s clinical defeat of Atletico Madrid in the last 16 was impressive, so was the way Porto knocked out Juventus in a thriller and the Portuguese side will take that belief into their clash with the London club.
Should Chelsea and Liverpool both progress it would be the fourth time they have met in the Champions League semis.
Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi owners have made winning the Champions League the priority in their masterplan and will feel this could be their year.
After a sluggish start to the season Pep Guardiola’s side have dominated the Premier League and with that title virtually in the bag will be able to focus on Europe.
They sealed a fourth successive quarter-final berth with a 4-0 aggregate win over Borussia Moenchengladbach and have not conceded a goal in the competition for 11 hours 35 minutes.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , , ,

Did Atletico give glimpse of what could follow in Spain? | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Atletico Madrid’s aberrant ouster from the Champions League to a suddenly slick Chelsea, is perhaps both picture and trailer of what is and what could be a revealing season in Spain. Eleven games to go, a comfortable ten-point lead more than halved in no time and Atleti, famed working class battlers of the Spanish game, are suddenly showing the fear of the finish line.
Simeone’s side made Chelsea look a lot better than they have become under Thomas Tuchel. In doing so, they have also sparked a now-valid argument that Spanish clubs are probably no longer the monsters they once were across Europe. With Barcelona too gone and Real Madrid limping on, the rise of Mbappe and Haaland imminent, the debate over this alarming dip in standard – and loss of appeal – will rage once the season winds down.
For now, was it the fear of the looming domestic scrap that made Simeone give up on Europe so feebly? With a small, tight squad, he would be wary of an advancing Barcelona, who dug deep and eked out a streak to be within striking distance as they lock horns in the penultimate week of the season. Add to that, that tricky laid-back guile of Zidane and Real Madrid in the distance, and Atletico probably would have thought it best to preserve their resources to defend their Liga lead than expend it on the continent – another manifestation of a less rich club navigating the home stretch. Atletico had a budget of just 253m euros this season. For all their financial goof-ups, Barcelona still enjoyed 382.7m euros, while Real Madrid had 468.5m.
Atletico’s early surge, as Barca squabbled and Real sought new vision, was in large part to the ambition of Luis Suarez, seeking a vindication in his typical underdog fashion, almost making him the story of the season. In the 149 minutes over two legs against Chelsea, he had a mere two shots at goal. He hasn’t had a Champions League goal all season, but with 18 goals in 24 games so far in the Liga, his was the impetus that Atleti rode on at home.
Once top of the charts, the Uruguayan has since relinquished the top scorer spot to Messi – old friends, now rivals – and both seek personal redemption of sorts this season. Messi was adamant to leave Barcelona, Suarez was off-loaded unceremoniously. Now, as one seeks to cancel the other out, in Spain, a chasing pack sputters and a runaway leader finds himself lacking in pace.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , ,

Flick reveals clear-the-air talks at Bayern Munich | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


BERLIN: Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick revealed he has had clear-the-air talks with the club’s sports director Hasan Salihamidzic amid reports of simmering tensions between the pair.
Holders Bayern cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday as a 2-1 home win over Lazio sealed a 6-2 aggregate win in their last 16 tie.
Bayern are in the last eight of the Champions League for a record 19th time in the competition’s history.
Off the field, there is said to be a power struggle brewing between Flick and Salihamidzic.
Flick said the pair met to settle their difference on Wednesday.
“We both approached each other and sorted it out in the best interests of the club. It was a short conversation and we are very optimistic for the future,” said the Bayern coach.
Flick said the talks were important for “both of us, for the team and the club”.
Bayern are four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and into the last eight in Europe on an unbeaten run of 19 Champions League matches spanning two years.
Yet midfielder Joshua Kimmich admitted tension between the club’s bosses was an unwelcome distraction for the players.
“Of course, you hear what is written and discussed externally,” Kimmich told Sky after the win over Lazio.
“At the end of the day, with the success we’re having right now, it would be nicer if things were calm and we didn’t give internal fuel to the outside world.
“But it doesn’t put much of a strain on us as a team. On the field, you don’t notice any unrest from the outside.”
Flick has also been heavily linked to the role of Germany head coach with Joachim Loew set to step down after this summer’s European championships.
Flick was Loew’s assistant coach when Germany won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
One of the reported disagreements between Flick and Salihamidzic was over the amount of game time given to reserve goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel.
The 24-year-old is said to have been signed from Schalke on a free transfer with an offer by Salihamidzic of at least ten appearances for Bayern per season.
However, Nuebel made only his third start all season in Wednesday’s home win over Lazio as first-choice Manuel Neuer was sidelined with a cold.
Nuebel is said to be chasing a loan spell at French side Monaco.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , ,

champions league: Chelsea march into Champions League quarters with win over Atletico Madrid | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


LONDON: Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2014 as Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri were on target to give coach Thomas Tuchel’s rejuvenated team a 3-0 aggregate win.
Ziyech squeezed the ball under Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 34th minute of the last-16 second leg as he connected with a cross from Timo Werner who had raced down the left after being fed by fellow German Kai Havertz.
The three players involved in the goal had come under pressure after falling short of expectations since they arrived as big-money signings at Stamford Bridge last summer.
Substitute Emerson made sure of the victory with a 94th-minute strike on the break for Chelsea’s second goal.
Atletico were left to rue referee Daniele Orsato’s decision not to give a penalty when, with the score at 0-0, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta underhit a back pass and put his arm around Yannick Carrasco who went down in the box.

The leaders of Spain’s La Liga struggled to pierce Chelsea’s defence with the tireless N’Golo Kante providing extra protection from midfield.
Coach Diego Simeone hauled off Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in the 59th minute and replaced him with Angel Correa to little effect as he failed to repeat his feat of 2014 when he masterminded a Champions League semi-final win over the Blues.
The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Stefan Savic was shown a red card in the 82nd minute for elbowing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the chest at a corner.
The win left Chelsea unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January. He has engineered a turnaround founded on a defence that has let in only two goals under the German, who led Paris St Germain to last year’s final.

“This is another top performance with a deserved win,” Tuchel told BT Sport although he conceded he had been a “bit frightened” by the penalty scare.
“They tried to press up very high in the first half but they opened up some spaces in the back of the midfield and we could exploit it and then scored a fantastic goal. It gave us a lot of confidence,” he said.
Simeone said Chelsea deserved the win. “The first game was more even but today they were superior to us. We tried to press them high and make it hard for them to play out from the back and we managed that occasionally,” the Argentine said.
“I won’t look for excuses and whether or not it was a penalty. The referee made his decision. They were better than us and when your opponent is better you have to congratulate them.”



[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

champions league: Ruthless Bayern Munich complete job against Lazio to ease into Champions League last-eight | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


MUNICH: Holders Bayern Munich cruised through to the Champions League quarter-finals for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons after beating Lazio 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday to secure a 6-2 aggregate victory.
Leading 4-1 from the first leg in Rome, Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, his 39th goal of the season in all competitions, to virtually end Lazio’s hopes.
The German champions took their foot off the gas before substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, having replaced Lewandowski, added the second goal in the 73rd minute. Marco Parolo headed a late consolation for Lazio.
Bayern joined fellow German side Borussia Dortmund in the last eight and Lazio’s exit means no Italian team will compete in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Juventus and Atalanta having also gone out at the last-16 stage.
“It was important for me that we won the game,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick said.

“Lazio defended well but I think the win was deserved. Our attack is so strong and we play a high-risk game. It’s important that we keep playing like this and defend from the front to put our opponents under pressure.”
Alexander Nuebel replaced the ill Manuel Neuer in goal for Bayern, but with Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi surprisingly leaving the club’s top scorer Ciro Immobile out, the stand-in keeper was rarely rested.
Although Lazio were facing a near impossible task – no side in European Cup history has progressed from a knockout tie after losing the first leg by three or more goals at home – Bayern named a strong starting side.

A clumsy challenge from Vedat Muriqi on Leon Goretzka gifted Bayern the penalty which Lewandowski converted, his fifth Champions League goal of the season, and the rest of match was a cruise for the Bundesliga leaders.
Lewandowski went within inches of his 40th of the season in the second half before being withdrawn and Choupo-Moting found the net two minutes after coming on, ensuring Bayern made it 19 games unbeaten in the Champions League.
Parolo did give Lazio something to take back to Italy in the 82nd minute when he headed home from Andreas Pereira’s free kick, but Bayern never looked in any danger of making a surprise exit.

“We did well, the boys were in the game then we conceded a goal from a penalty,” Inzaghi said. “We exit with honour after six matches unbeaten in the group.
“We were sorry for the first leg but I think we played a good match here.”



[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , ,

Chelsea Beat Atletico Madrid to March Into Quarters

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


Chelsea and Atletico Madrid (Photo Credit: Twitter)

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid (Photo Credit: Twitter)

Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri scored on the night as Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 aggregate win to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.

  • Reuters LONDON
  • Last Updated:March 18, 2021, 07:30 IST
  • FOLLOW US ON:

Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2014 as Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri were on target to give coach Thomas Tuchel’s rejuvenated team a 3-0 aggregate win.

Ziyech squeezed the ball under Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 34th minute of the last-16 second leg as he connected with a cross from Timo Werner who had raced down the left after being fed by fellow German Kai Havertz.

The three players involved in the goal had come under pressure after falling short of expectations since they arrived at Stamford Bridge in big-money signings last summer.

Substitute Emerson made sure of the victory with a 94th-minute strike on the break for Chelsea’s second goal.

Atletico were left to rue referee Daniele Orsato’s decision not to give a penalty when, with the score at 0-0, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta underhit a back pass and put his arm around Yannick Carrasco who went down in the box.

The leaders of Spain’s La Liga struggled to pierce Chelsea’s defence with the tireless N’Golo Kante providing extra protection from midfield.

Coach Diego Simeone hauled off Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in the 59th minute and replaced him with Angel Correa to little effect as he failed to repeat his feat of 2014 when he masterminded a Champions League semi-final win over the Blues.

The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Stefan Savic was shown a red card in the 82nd minute for elbowing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the chest at a corner.

The win left Chelsea unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January. He has engineered a turnaround founded on a defence that has let in only two goals under the German, who led Paris St Germain to last year’s final.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , ,

Guardiola admits pressure to win Champions League at Manchester City | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


LONDON: Pep Guardiola admits he has felt under pressure to win the Champions League since becoming Manchester City manager after they qualified for the quarter-finals for a fourth successive year.
The Premier League leaders sealed a 4-0 aggregate win against Borussia Moenchengladbach in Budapest on Tuesday after a 2-0 victory in the second leg, courtesy of goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan.
The Champions League is the one major prize that has eluded Guardiola since he arrived at the Etihad in 2016.
“Since the first year I arrived they told me that you have to win the Champions League,” said the City boss, who won Europe’s elite club competition twice as Barcelona manager.
“It is always on our shoulders but I’m not concerned about that. If you deserve it in football, you go through. If you don’t, you don’t.”
City, who have never been crowned European champions, are chasing an unprecedented quadruple in the current campaign.
They look almost certain to win a third Premier League title in four seasons, face Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday and play Tottenham in the final of the League Cup in April.
“I’m more than incredibly impressed and delighted for our players in this tough year for everyone in society,” said Guardiola.
“Being 14 points clear in the Premier League, in the final of the League Cup, quarter-final of the Champions League and going to play to get to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
“This is more than winning one quarter-final or one last-16 game. It means that in nine to 10 months, every three days, you are there — and this is the best title you can get.
“Of course for the prestige for all of us, because we are here to win like all other clubs, we have to try in the end to lift some titles,” added the 50-year-old Catalan.
City already had one foot in the last eight before they returned to the Hungarian capital to complete the job they started against Moenchengladbach at the same venue three weeks ago.
Early strikes from De Bruyne and Gundogan put the match beyond the reach of the Bundesliga club.
The matches were moved to Budapest because of coronavirus travel restrictions.

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , ,

Manchester City: Manchester City stroll past Borussia Moenchengladbach into Champions League quarterfinals | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


BUDAPEST: Manchester City marched into the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth straight season after a 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory.
First-half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan secured a comfortable victory in another impressive display from Pep Guardiola’s side in the home leg, played in the Hungarian capital due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
De Bruyne blasted City ahead in the 13th minute with an unstoppable left-footed drive into the top corner after being set up by Riyad Mahrez — the team’s 100th goal in all competitions so far this season.
The in-form Gundogan put the tie beyond any doubt five minutes later with a confident finish after Phil Foden had broken from midfield at pace and then found the German with a perfectly weighted pass.
City, who have not conceded a goal since the opening game of the group stage in October, more than 11 hours of football, were in total command at the Puskas Arena and playing at their fluent best.

De Bruyne was a constant threat, Foden a livewire and Bernardo Silva effective, often in the “false nine” role with Guardiola leaving Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling on the bench.
The German side, who began their Champions League campaign with such promise, have hit an awful run of form since coach Marco Rose announced he would leave the club to join Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season and this was their seventh straight loss in all competitions.
City should have made the result even more emphatic after the break with Mahrez missing several chances but the Premier League leaders were able to ease off and make changes with the outcome long determined.

“It was a good performance, in control for the 90 minutes. We moved the ball quick, played really well again. A lot of players with quality who don’t lose the ball. I am delighted to be in the next stage,” said Guardiola.
City, who have won 24 of their last 25 matches on all fronts, have fallen at the last eight in each of their three appearances at that stage under the Spanish coach.
The club have reached the last four only once, in 2015/16 under Chilean Manuel Pellegrini.
The draw for the rest of the competition is held on Friday.



[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Real Madrid make light work of Atalanta to reach Champions League quarterfinals | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


MADRID: Real Madrid easily overcame Atalanta 3-1 at home in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday to stroll into the quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate.
Karim Benzema scored a sixth goal in five games to put the 13-times European champions in charge after 34 minutes following a poor kick out by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello which was intercepted by Luka Modric.
Captain Sergio Ramos put Real further at ease when he converted a penalty on the hour, although the Italian side managed to get one goal back thanks to a free kick from Luis Muriel in the 83rd.
But any hope they had of making a recovery was quickly dashed a minute later by a low strike from Real substitute Marco Asensio.
Real, who were knocked out in the last 16 by Manchester City last term and Ajax Amsterdam the season before, reached the last eight for the first time since 2018.

Zinedine Zidane’s side will be the only Spanish team left in Europe’s elite club competition unless city rivals Atletico Madrid overturn a 1-0 deficit at Chelsea on Wednesday.
“The most important thing was to get through as we hadn’t done that the last two years,” said Modric.
“We have to take each game as it comes and see how far we get but tonight we showed that there’s a lot of hunger still in this team and I hope we can go very far.”
The draw for the rest of the competition is on Friday.

HIGH PRESSING
Atalanta had pulled off away wins over European giants Liverpool and Ajax in the group stage and nearly got off to an ideal start when Robin Gosens met a Muriel cross in the third minute but was thwarted by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The Serie A side continued to harass Real with their high pressing but the hosts slowly managed to pass their way out of trouble thanks to the experienced heads of midfield duo Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Real found the breakthrough on the night thanks to some high pressing of their own which saw Modric stick out a leg to block Sportiello’s poor kick and then square the ball to Benzema, who calmly stroked it into the net.
“This was a very demanding game,” added Modric. “Atalanta are a very physical team and press you all over the pitch without stopping. I think we played well from the start and we’re very happy to make it to the quarter-finals.”

Real’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr should have added to their lead after a superb move involving left back Ferland Mendy but after doing the hard part to coast past Atalanta’s defence he missed the target from close range.
He made amends by bursting into the area and drawing a foul in the box by Rafael Toloi, allowing Ramos to blast the spot kick beyond the outstretched Sportiello and effectively end the tie as a contest, scoring his 101st goal for the club.
“We came out onto the pitch with the ambition to win the game, to dominate the ball and control the play and we did that and had chances to score even more goals,” said Ramos. “There’s still a long way to go this season but this is the right path.”



[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Ronaldo warns ‘true champions never break’ after European flop | Football News – Times of India

[ad_1]

Read More/Less


MILAN: Cristiano Ronaldo warned that “true champions never break” as he turned his focus to Juventus‘s Serie A match at Cagliari on Sunday after their early Champions League elimination.
“True champions never break! Our focus is already in Cagliari, in the Serie A struggle, in the Italian Cup final and in everything that we can still achieve this season,” Ronaldo said on Instagram, the first time he has spoken since Juventus crashed out of the last 16 to Porto.
“More important than the number of falls you take in life, is how fast and how strong you get back on your feet.”
Ronaldo’s future at Juventus is in the spotlight after a third Champions League failure since he was signed for 100 million euros ($117 million) in the summer of 2018 from Real Madrid.

“It’s true that the past belongs in museums (I should say!), but fortunately, football has memory… and so do I,” the 36-year-old continued.
Ronaldo is the record scorer in the competition with 134 goals, and has lifted the trophy five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
But the Portuguese forward failed to score in either leg of a knockout round for the first time in 16 years.

He added: “History can’t be deleted, it’s written every single day with resilience, team spirit, persistence and lots of hard work. And those who don’t understand this, will never achieve glory and success.”
Juventus are third in Serie A — 10 points behind leaders Inter Milan — but with a game in hand as they target a 10th consecutive league title.
They are also through to the Italian Cup final.
“Ronaldo is fine, it’s normal that he is disappointed the other night like the whole team,” said coach Andrea Pirlo before Sunday’s game in Sardinia.
“Ronaldo trained well, he recovered to play tomorrow.
“It is normal for there to be rumours after the elimination because he is the most important figure in the world of football together with (Lionel) Messi and always makes people talk about him, but let’s remember that he has always done well, scoring over 90 goals in 100 games.
“It may happen that he doesn’t score in a match and it happens to the others too, but with him it makes more noise.”
Pirlo added: “We trained together and went back to work. We will face a Cagliari team that has recently changed its coach and has immediately achieved excellent results.
“So it will be an important match and it will take great pride and team spirit for us to play a good match.”

[ad_2]

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Leave a comment , , , , , ,
1 2