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Showing posts with the label Champions League

A nervy night in North London sees Arsenal progress

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Arsenal 0 - 0 Sporting (Arsenal won 1-0 on aggregate) Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals after a tense goalless draw with Sporting. Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of Kai Havertz’s late strike in Portugal, Mikel Arteta’s side did enough to progress and book their spot in the last four. Watch | Pre match atmosphere Arsenal began on the front foot and saw plenty of the ball early on, but it was Sporting who created the clearer openings before the break. Francisco Trincao and Pedro Goncalves both threatened, while a misplaced pass from David Raya briefly invited danger. The closest moment arrived when Geny Catamo struck the post with a well-taken volley after being picked out by Maxi Araujo. There was an undercurrent of anxiety around the stadium as the contest wore on, with Arsenal protecting a narrow lead following their Premier League defeat by Bournemouth last weekend. Sporting continued to probe ...

Dembele scores twice as PSG overcome Liverpool

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Liverpool 0 - 2 (PSG won 4-0 on aggregate) Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain overcame Liverpool to secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals Author | William G Stadium | Anfield PSG arrived at Anfield with a two-goal cushion but were pushed hard in a raucous atmosphere before Dembele struck in the 72nd minute with a superb left-footed finish. He added a second in stoppage time to seal the tie. Driven on by the crowd, Liverpool searched for another famous European comeback, but Arne Slot’s side could not find a way past the reigning European champions and, for the second successive season, were eliminated by PSG. Liverpool's players couldn't take advantage of a raucous Anfield atmosphere After a subdued display in Paris, where they lost 2-0, Liverpool were much improved at Anfield and posed more of a threat, though ultimately fell short. Slot handed Alexander Isak his first start since December and again left Mohamed Salah on the bench. Salah was intro...

Atletico Madrid survive Barca fightback to progress

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Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Barcelona (Atletico Madrid won 3-2 on aggregate) Atletico Madrid withstood a spirited Barcelona revival to reach the Champions League semi-finals Author | Jack L Stadium | Metropolitano Pre-match atmosphere Trailing 2-0 from the first meeting, Barcelona struck early. Lamine Yamal reduced the deficit inside five minutes, sliding his finish beneath Juan Musso after a loose touch from former Barcelona defender ClĂ©ment Lenglet. The tie was level 19 minutes later. Ferran Torres collected Dani Olmo’s pass and sent a precise left-footed effort into the top corner, briefly silencing the home support. That quiet lasted only moments Marcos Llorente surged down the right and picked out Ademola Lookman, who finished to restore Atletico’s advantage on aggregate. Barcelona had earlier passed up the chance to extend their lead on the night, Musso reacting sharply to deny FermĂ­n LĂłpez from close range with an outstretched block. View from the away end Torres believed he had added...

Liverpool look to keep their season alive

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Liverpool v PSG preview Liverpool face an almighty task to reach the Champions League semi-finals as they welcome Paris Saint-Germain Author | William G Stadium | Anfield A 2-0 loss in last week’s quarter-final first leg leaves Arne Slot’s side facing elimination at the hands of the reigning champions, who also ended the Reds’ European hopes last season. Liverpool's season hangs by a thread after PSG defeat. Some immediate reaction from European Super Football below ⬇️ eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/2026/04/live... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 9 April 2026 at 06:49 Victory against Fulham at the weekend, combined with Chelsea’s defeat by Manchester City, has sharpened Liverpool’s hopes of returning to Europe’s top table next season. Yet their more immediate task is far more exacting: containing one of the continent’s most formidable attacks while finding the net at least twice themselves. As Arne Slot acknowledged, the challenge...

Liverpool's season hangs by a thread after PSG first-leg loss

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PSG 2 - 0 Liverpool Liverpool's Champions League hopes are hanging in the balance after a demoralising defeat by reigning European champions Paris St-Germain Author | William G Stadium | Parc des Princes Desire Doue's deflected strike looped over the head of Giorgi Mamardashvili to give the Ligue 1 leaders the lead, before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled their advantage with a moment of brilliance. It means the Reds, who failed to register an attempt on target, have it all to do to stay in the competition in the quarter-final second leg at Anfield next Tuesday. After suffering a four-goal mauling by Manchester City in their previous game, Liverpool appeared to be on a damage limitation exercise and started with a five-man defence in the French capital. Watch | PSG fans unveil TIFO pre match. Footage from StanSportsFC But PSG took the lead in the 11th minute - and dominated throughout - amid another muddled performance by Arne Slot's side that raised more questions than answer...

Kane's class proves decisive for Bayern against Real Madrid

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Real Madrid 1 - 2 Bayern Harry Kane marked his return from injury with a fine strike as Bayern seized the initiative in their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid Author | Ed  Stadium | Santiago Bernabeu Kane, watched by England head coach Thomas Tuchel, was back in action after the minor issue that ruled him out of the friendly against Japan and Bayern’s Bundesliga victory over Freiburg. The 32-year-old England captain was relatively quiet in the opening half, though he played a part in the move that led to Bayern’s opener, finished calmly by former Liverpool forward Luis Diaz four minutes before the interval. Watch | Highlights of the match from TNT Sports Kane underlined his quality shortly after the restart, driving a precise right-footed effort into the bottom corner beyond Andriy Lunin. Neuer was very important for the Bundesliga leaders The Bayern number one produced four important saves, three of them denying Kylian Mbappe, while Vincent Kompany’s side threate...

Late winner gives Arsenal first-leg lead

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Sporting 0 - 1 Arsenal  Kai Havertz struck in stoppage time to give Arsenal a slender advantage over Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final Author | DJ Stadium | Estádio JosĂ© Alvalade Introduced after the interval, Havertz reacted quickest late on to guide the ball beyond Rui Silva and hand the Premier League leaders a narrow lead ahead of the return at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal arrived under scrutiny following successive defeats, their first such run of the season, and there were early signs of unease when Maxi AraĂşjo rattled the crossbar after being released by an incisive pass from Ousmane Diomande. Watch | Highlights from Arsenal’s official YouTube account Despite controlling possession for long spells in the opening half, Arsenal struggled to fashion clear openings. Their best chance came in unusual fashion as Noni Madueke struck the bar directly from a corner. Sporting remained dangerous on the break They went close again when AraĂşjo surged forward ...

Barca thrash Newcastle to end Geordie Champions League dream

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Barcelona 7 - 2 Newcastle United (Barcelona won 8-3 on aggregate) A rampant Barcelona swept Newcastle United aside to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Author | Anthony Gates  Stadium | Nou Camp Eddie Howe had urged his players to embrace, rather than be overwhelmed by, the atmosphere at the Nou Camp in this last-16 second leg. For a time, they did just that. Newcastle showed resilience in a breathless first half, twice drawing level through the pace and composure of Anthony Elanga. His finishes cancelled out early efforts from Raphinha and Marc Bernal, ensuring the visitors remained firmly in the contest. Even after Lamine Yamal converted a penalty in stoppage time to edge Barcelona 3-2 ahead, the tie still felt alive at the interval. It unravelled quickly after the restart FermĂ­n LĂłpez extended the lead before Raphinha and Lewandowski took control, the latter striking twice to underline the gulf in clinical edge. What had been a contest became a procession, ending Newcas...

Positive signs for Tottenham despite Champions League exit

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Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 2 Atletico Madrid (Atletico Madrid won 7-5 on aggregate) Spurs claimed a deserved victory against Atletico Madrid but fell short in their attempt to overturn a three-goal deficit. Author | Greg S  Stadium | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium The home side were left with too much to do after a calamitous 5-2 first-leg defeat in Madrid, one of four losses in five matches since Tudor replaced Thomas Frank. There were, however, further signs of progress. Following the 1-1 draw at Liverpool, this was another encouraging display in an absorbing second leg, offering hope as attention turns to the more pressing task of avoiding relegation from the Premier League. Needing an early foothold, Spurs began brightly and took the lead on the half-hour when Randal Kolo Muani headed in an inviting cross from Mathys Tel for his fourth goal of the campaign. Tel soon had the chance to unsettle the visitors further after racing through on goal, but Juan Musso, deputising for the injured Ja...

Arsenal’s quadruple hopes remain alive

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Arsenal 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen (Arsenal won 3-1 on aggregate) It was a relatively straightforward night for Arsenal as their quadruple dreams stay alive. Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Goals from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice guided Arsenal to a comfortable win over Bayer Leverkusen, as the Gunners booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. They will face Sporting in the last eight after the Portuguese side produced a remarkable turnaround, overturning a three-goal deficit to score five against Bodo/Glimt. Arsenal began the tie level on aggregate with the German side, following Kai Havertz’s late penalty in last week’s 1-1 draw, and ensured Leverkusen never settled during a dominant first half. Gabriel twice threatened from Arsenal’s trademark corners, but Leverkusen goalkeeper Janis Blaswich produced a pair of fine saves to keep the score level. He was left with no chance for the opening goal, however, as Eze controlled the ball on the edge of the area, turned s...

It was just too easy for PSG against Chelsea

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Chelsea 0 - 3 PSG (PSG won 8-2 on aggregate) This was Chelsea’s joint-heaviest defeat in a two‑legged European tie Author | Lewis W Stadium | Stamford Bridge Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring after just six minutes, with Bradley Barcola doubling PSG's lead with their second shot of the game in the 14th minute. That goal meant Chelsea needed to score 4 without reply to take the tie into extra time, effectively ended it as a contest, and substitute Senny Mayulu piled further misery on Chelsea in this last‑16 meeting. Chelsea responded with a burst of attacking intent, with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Trevoh Chalobah all involved as they pressed for a way back. Yet it was Paris Saint-Germain who struck again. After Moises Caicedo was dispossessed in midfield, PSG broke with purpose. Bradley Barcola took a fine first touch on his weaker left foot before sending a half-volley into the top corner to double the advantage. Chelsea continued to threaten, carving ...

Bellingham and Mbappe back for Real Madrid's Man City trip

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Champions League Preview | More ominous signs for Man City.  Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have returned to Real Madrid's squad for their Champions League last-16 second leg at Manchester City on Tuesday. Author |  Macca Mbappe was diagnosed with a left knee sprain at the beginning of March and has been missing from Real's line-up since his side's La Liga game against Osasuna on 21st February. Kylian MbappĂ© and Jude Bellingham have both been named in Real Madrid's travelling squad to play Manchester City in their Champions League round-of-16 second leg game on Tuesday. [image or embed] — ESPN FC ( @espnfc-m.bsky.social ) 16 March 2026 at 10:21 Bellingham sustained a hamstring injury less than 10 minutes into a league game against Rayo Vallecano on 1 February and left the field in tears. He had initially been expected to miss about four weeks, but the injury was found to be more significant than first thought. It had also raised doubts about Bellingham's avai...

A bad couple of days for Premier League sides in the Champions League

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Where did all go wrong? Two draws and four defeats for Premier League sides in the Champions League Author | Josh T Real Madrid’s ruthless dismissal of Manchester City summed up a chastening 24 hours for the Premier League, with its claim to be the world’s strongest league placed under uncomfortable scrutiny. City now face a daunting task to keep their Champions League hopes alive after suffering a similar, though less chaotic, fate to Tottenham, who were beaten 5-2 by Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital a day earlier. Federico Valverde’s superb first-half hat-trick has left Real firmly in command of the tie, the Spanish champions carrying a 3-0 lead into the second leg of this last-16 encounter. The result capped a sobering run of outcomes for England’s leading clubs, all of whom now have work to do to preserve their involvement in Europe’s premier competition. The ok, the bad and the ugly for other sides Chelsea also unravelled after the interval, slipping to the same scoreline as...

Spurs humiliated in Madrid as bizarre night deepens season of misery

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Atletico Madrid 5 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur  We try to summarise a chaotic night for Spurs as their nightmare season continues Author | Greg S Stadium |  Metropolitano Tottenham’s calamitous campaign reached another bleak chapter as goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky endured a torrid 17 minutes before being substituted in a chastening Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid. Handed a start ahead of Guglielmo Vicario, the 22-year-old Czech twice lost his footing in the opening stages, gifting goals to Marcos Llorente and Julian Alvarez.  In between those awful moments, Micky van de Ven also slipped, allowing Antoine Griezmann to add a third, before Robin Le Normand struck a fourth after just 23 breathless minutes. Tottenham’s last 6 results... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @eurosuperfootball.bsky.social ) 11 March 2026 at 07:38 It was a chaotic opening spell for the away side Pedro Porro briefly halted the onslaught with a goal for the visitors, but the respite w...

Atalanta stun Dortmund with remarkable comeback

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Atalanta 4 - 1 Borussia Dortmund (Atalanta won 4-3 on aggregate) Atalanta scored a dramatic last-gasp penalty to complete a remarkable comeback against Borussia Dortmund  Author | Jack L Stadium | New Balance Arena Facing a daunting task after a 2-0 defeat in Germany, the hosts tore into the tie with first-half goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta to draw level on aggregate.  The momentum continued after the break when Mario Pasalic made it 3-0 on the night in the 57th minute. There was to be some late drama Dortmund appeared to have forced extra time when Karim Adeyemi curled in a crucial goal to restore parity overall, but the drama was not done. Deep into stoppage time, Ramy Bensebaini caught Nikola Krstovic with a high boot in the penalty area as the Atalanta forward attacked a cross following an error by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. After a VAR review, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez awarded a penalty and showed Bensebaini a second yellow card. Lazar Samardz...

Bodo/Glimt just keep on defying the odds

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Inter Milan 1 - 2 Bodo/Glimt (Bodo/Glimt won 5-2 on aggregate) Another extraordinary night for a club that keeps on defying the odds  Author | Ed  Stadium | San Siro Inter entered the knockout round play-off as three-time winners of the competition and with a commanding 10-point lead at the top of Serie A, status that made them overwhelming favourites for the tie. But Bodø/Glimt, still in their winter off season, have built a reputation for confounding expectations during their debut campaign in the UEFA Champions League and delivered another landmark result. Having already beaten Manchester City and AtlĂ©tico Madrid in the group stage, they added Inter Milan to the list with a 3-1 victory in the first leg. They faced a barrage of attacks from the home side in the second leg Inter peppered the Bodø/Glimt goal in the first half but the visitors remained resolute, repelling most of the pressure with Nikita Haikin alert to anything that did reach the target. The goalkeeper p...

Galatasaray will take a three goal lead to Turin

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Galatasaray 5 - 2 Juventus  Galatasaray will head to Turin with a commanding lead after a breathless comeback victory over Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off. Author | Ed Stadium | RAMS Park The Istanbul side trailed 2-1 at the interval but responded with authority after the break, turning the tie on its head to move 3-2 ahead by the hour through strikes from Noa Lang and Davinson Sánchez. Juventus had earlier mounted an impressive revival of their own, Teun Koopmeiners scoring twice in a 17-minute first-half spell after Gabriel Sara had given the hosts an early lead. Any hopes of restoring control evaporated in the second half.  Juan Cabal, introduced at the interval, was dismissed just 21 minutes later for a second booking, leaving the visitors short-handed and increasingly vulnerable. Galatasaray sensed the opportunity and pressed relentlessly. Lang capitalised on slack defending to claim his second of the night before Sacha Boey str...

Late drama sees Benfica stay alive in the Champions League

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Benfica 4 - 2 Real Madrid Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an extraordinary 98th-minute equaliser to propel JosĂ© Mourinho’s Benfica into the Champions League play-offs after a remarkable victory. Author | Ed Stadium |  Estádio da Luz The defeat leaves the Spanish giants facing the play-off round themselves, having slipped from third to ninth following their loss at the Estádio da Luz. There remains a strong possibility the two sides will meet again, with Benfica also required to negotiate the additional knockout stage. For a long moment it appeared Benfica would be eliminated in the cruellest fashion, heading out on goals scored despite leading 3-2 deep into stoppage time. One final free-kick, however, offered a last lifeline. Trubin was sent forward and the Ukrainian goalkeeper timed his run impeccably, powering a header beyond Thibaut Courtois to ignite rapturous scenes in Lisbon. The win was Mourinho’s first against his former club and ensured Benfica progressed despite losing ...

Man City recover to pick up memorable Champions League win

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Real Madrid 1 - 2 Manchester City Man City came from behind to claim a superb Champions League win at Real Madrid, piling further pressure on Xabi Alonso as the home manager’s position grows increasingly fragile. Author | Macca Stadium | Santiago BernabĂ©u Alonso has been under scrutiny after a poor domestic run and reports of a cultural disconnect with his squad, and the glare will intensify after his side failed to preserve an early lead. Real were dealt a setback before kick-off when top scorer Kylian Mbappe was deemed fit only for the bench. The France captain ultimately played no part as his team fell to a dispiriting defeat. City almost endured a disastrous opening when Matheus Nunes brought down Vinicius Jr inside two minutes. The referee initially awarded a penalty, only to change it to a free-kick on the edge of the area after a VAR check. Federico Valverde’s driven effort from the set piece deflected just wide, while Vinicius soon curled a delicate effort past the far post...

Arsenal ease to win in Belgium

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Club Brugge 0 - 3 Arsenal Noni Madueke struck twice as Arsenal swept past Club Brugge to preserve their perfect Champions League record. Author | DJ Stadium | Jan Breydelstadion Mikel Arteta made five changes after the defeat at Aston Villa and it was one of those introduced who made the early difference. Madueke drifted past a defender before unleashing a fierce effort from 20 yards that clipped the underside of the bar on its way in. Club Brugge threatened briefly before half-time as Christos Tzolis and Aleksandar Stankovic forced sharp stops from David Raya, but Arsenal reached the interval with their lead intact. Madueke added his second just after the restart, heading in Martin Zubimendi's precise delivery, before Gabriel Martinelli curled in a fine third midway through the half to seal a comfortable evening. There were further reasons for encouragement Gabriel Jesus returned after 342 days out with an ACL injury and 16-year-old Marli Salmon was handed a senior debut. Jesus ca...