Champions League news

• ‘I don’t accept mediocrity’: Slot urges Liverpool to improve before Bologna tie

  01-10-2024 19:08
  
  Manager critical of team’s mistakes in win at WolvesSlot prepares for first Anfield European nightArne Slot has said he will not accept mediocrity at Liverpool and every player who wears the famous red shirt must attain the highest standards.Liverpool went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Wolves on Saturday but their new head coach remains critical of aspects of the performance. Slot will become the first Liverpool manager or head coach to win eight of his opening nine matches s
  
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• Champions League review: Resurgent Real and Weston McKennie’s gem

  13-12-2024 11:00
  
  It was a mixed round for Europe’s biggest clubs. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of actionReal Madrid: Are the serial champions finally stirring? The holders have been sleepy and tetchy amid the new format as the problems of assimilating Kylian Mbappé play out in public. But in a vital 3-2 away win over Atalanta, Mbappé played his part, scoring a fine goal before leaving with an injury. That left the stage open for Real’s other modern Galá
  
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• Juventus go off script to leave City searching for their forgotten lines | Nick Ames

  12-12-2024 00:57
  Even the reliable elder statesmen can’t help Pep Guardiola’s side move a game closer to a shock Champions League exitThree minutes into the second half of a game that had very rarely threatened to defrost, Kyle Walker looked up and slid a simple 10-yard pass for Kevin De Bruyne. There was space on the right and here was the most routine opportunity to get things moving. Nobody would think twice about a combination near halfway between teammates who, over tens of thousands of rehearsa
  
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• ‘It’s the target’: Guardiola lowers sights to Champions League playoffs after defeat

  12-12-2024 00:45
  
  City likely to have to settle for February playoffGündogan suggests squad are low on confidencePep Guardiola admitted Manchester City must scrap to secure the best-case scenario of a Champions League playoff tie in February after seeing their latest defeat, a 2-0 reverse to Juventus, all but scupper their chances of automatic progress to the last 16.City have now won once in 10 games and were well beaten in Turin despite dominating large chunks of the match. Now-familiar failings at both en
  
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• Local boy Myles Lewis-Skelly gets Arsenal buzzing on the biggest stage | Ed Aarons

  11-12-2024 23:57
  
  The 18-year-old left-back excelled on his Champions League debut and showed he could be ready for more responsibilityIt was the moment Myles Lewis-Skelly must have been dreaming about all of his young life. Making his full Champions League debut at left-back because of a defensive injury crisis, the 18-year-old born in Islington and raised in Arsenal’s Hale End academy for the past decade could easily have panicked when he was confronted by a charging Eliesse Ben Seghir just after the half
  
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• Juventus 2-0 Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened

  11-12-2024 23:28
  
  Manchester City slipped to a seventh defeat in 10 games as Juventus ended their run of draws thanks to two second-half goals3 mins: City have had the ball for almost all the game thus far, and they eventually work it to De Bruyne on the right. Di Gregorio catches his cross.1 min: City have kicked off, and immediately gone route one, Ederson pumping a long ball downfield and winning a throw-in as a result. Continue reading...
  
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• Arsenal 3-0 Monaco: Champions League – as it happened

  11-12-2024 23:22
  
  Arsenal moved into third place in the table thanks to two goals from Bukayo Saka3 min: Monaco are winning most of the early duels. Arsenal not quite up to speed yet. On the touchline, Mikel Arteta claps his hands by way of encouragement.1 min: Ødegaard loses the ball within nanoseconds and Monaco go on the attack. Ben Seghir has a run at the Arsenal defence, but there’s no way through. A very early sign that Monaco aren’t here simply to make up the numbers. Continue reading...
  
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• Saka inspires Arsenal to beat Monaco and boost automatic qualification hopes

  11-12-2024 23:14
  
  It would normally be over by now, the Champions League group stage done and dusted, and yet Arsenal know they must go again for two more ties; a test of their physicality, the depth of their reserves, as well as their resolve.The idea is to attack the extra games in January and make sure they do not have to play two more in the playoff round in February; to zoom straight into the round of 16. It continues to look pretty good. Continue reading...
  
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• Vlahovic sparks Juventus to leave Manchester City deep in trouble

  11-12-2024 23:12
  
  Missing in action during the past six torrid weeks: Manchester City’s ­pizzazz. It was absent here again, in the latest moping performance that has become the recognisable face of Pep Guardiola’s formerly supreme team.There is now a surreal element about City’s plunge. Sides go on ­losing runs – sure they do – but for this champion group to lose for a seventh time in 10 games and extend their disturbing run to a meagre solitary victory in the sequence is baf
  
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• ‘Best club in the world’: Joe Gomez happy to have stayed at Liverpool

  11-12-2024 18:00
  
  Konaté injury gives defender a chance after lack of gamesGomez nearly went to Newcastle in the summerJoe Gomez says he is “blessed” to be at Liverpool after a summer in which the prospect of leaving was real. The England defender, who made his first Champions League start of the season at Girona on Tuesday, admits it has been difficult to sit out but he is relishing the chance to play after an injury to Ibrahima Konaté. “I love the club, I love being here,”
  
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• With the US and Saudi Arabia growing in power, Uefa and co must adapt to survive | Philipp Lahm

  11-12-2024 12:00
  
  The organisation of sporting competitions needs reform to put the north and east of the continent back on the mapEurope must realise that the world does what it wants. In politics as in football. Fifa, founded 120 years ago in Paris, is moving to the US. It recently removed Zurich as its headquarters from its statutes and relocated 100 jobs to Miami. And in 2034, the World Cup will take place in Saudi Arabia. Europe is now discussing how to deal with guest workers, human rights and democracy.How
  
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• Oil gives you wings: PSG, Red Bull Salzburg and a bad advert for football

  11-12-2024 11:00
  
  Luis Enrique’s side can be quietly hopeful of Champions League progress after deathly meeting of pop-up teamsIt has often been said that the point of art is to ask the essential questions. Why does this thing exist? Why is this process happening? And is there any way of making it stop? In this context Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 defeat of Salzburg at the Red Bull Arena on Champions League match-day six was undeniably a work of art.At the end of a fretful but still relentlessly soporifi
  
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• ‘Diversity is our weapon’: inside Monaco’s eclectic football approach

  11-12-2024 09:00
  
  Arsenal’s Wednesday opponents reveal how an integrated policy of buy young, pay well, sell high works for them and their sole sister club, Cercle BruggeMonaco’s training ground, carved into a hillside above the principality, overlooks the Côte d’Azur. It is the sort of glamorous setting expected for a football team in one of the world’s richest corners. Fifteen nationalities file out of the changing rooms and on to the pitch to be coached by an Austrian, driving hom
  
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• Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid, Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa: Champions League – as it happened

  10-12-2024 23:21
  
  Aston Villa went third with a thrilling win in Leipzig while Real Madrid won a similarly exciting affair against AtalantaIf Paris Saint-Germain take an early lead at Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday they may wonder whether to stick or twist. The new Champions League format has, at least in part, been designed to ensure Europe’s superpowers have fewer opportunities to fail, so their position risks embarrassment. They will not even qualify for the playoff round in February unless they improve on
  
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• Bellingham gives Atalanta too much to do as Real Madrid show they are back

  10-12-2024 23:13
  
  Rumours of Real Madrid’s imminent Champions League demise had, it turns out, been exaggerated. So had suggestions Kylian Mbappé makes a poor fit for Carlo Ancelotti’s side if an emphatic opening goal is anything to go by, although his later departure with an injury means the question marks will linger. Ultimately the holders could feel relieved at hauling themselves back into contention for an automatic knockout spot and the fact Atalanta, intense and vibrant to the last, were
  
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• Ross Barkley’s lucky break edges Aston Villa past Leipzig in five-goal thriller

  10-12-2024 23:03
  
  After Jhon Durán scored, with another ludicrously powerful strike, he celebrated by showing the Aston Villa supporters the palms of his hands, as if to say: “Calm down, what else did you possibly expect?” Perhaps it explains why Unai Emery, hands in the pockets of his long black puffer coat, was unmoved. Another substitute, Ross Barkley, ultimately earned victory with stoppage time looming, however, after RB Leipzig twice pegged Villa back, Loïs Openda and Christoph Baumg
  
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• Girona 0-1 Liverpool: Champions League – as it happened

  10-12-2024 22:08
  
  Mohamed Salah’s second-half penalty was enough to maintain Liverpool’s 100% record in the group stageBeyond the goalies, two changes from the Newcastle game for Liverpool.Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai in, Alexis Mac Allister out altogether and Jarell Quansah benched after a difficult night on Tyneside. Continue reading...
  
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• Slot unhappy despite Salah sinking Girona to make it a perfect six for Liverpool

  10-12-2024 21:03
  
  Liverpool’s perfect Champions League continued and a new record was completed with a sixth win and a fifth clean sheet. Arne Slot’s side have now not conceded since the third minute of the opening night at San Siro, their best ever run in Europe. They also have their goalkeeper back, and on a cold night at Montilivi those things were related. Mohamed Salah’s penalty secured a 1-0 victory against Girona, but this was also about Alisson who made five saves on his return to help v
  
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• Goalless draw at Dinamo Zagreb takes dominant Celtic closer to playoffs

  10-12-2024 21:01
  
  Received wisdom before kick-off at Stadion Maksimir was that this was the ideal time to face Dinamo Zagreb. Celtic proceeded to prove this campaign is not the one in which to play them in the Champions League. While there will be a tinge of frustration from Brendan Rodgers that a draw was all that could be collected from a fixture in which they were the superior team, capitulation in Dortmund early in this campaign continues to look irregular.Celtic are again a serious team at elite level in Eur
  
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• ‘He’s earned it’: Kieran Tierney set to make Arsenal return against Monaco

  10-12-2024 18:54
  
  Left-back has not played for club in 16 monthsArteta lacking in defensive options in Champions LeagueKieran Tierney is set to feature for Arsenal for the first time in more than 16 months after Mikel Arteta revealed he expected to be without several key defenders for Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Monaco.Thomas Partey, Jurriën Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhães did not train with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and Arteta said “some of them prob
  
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• Are Champions League goalfests down to new format or deeper disparities?

  10-12-2024 09:00
  
  Eye-catching thrashings have been a feature of the revamped competition, but the cause is up for debateIf Paris Saint-Germain take an early lead at Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday they may wonder whether to stick or twist. The new Champions League format has, at least in part, been designed to ensure Europe’s superpowers have fewer opportunities to fail, so their position risks embarrassment. They will not even qualify for the playoff round in February unless they improve on 25th place and, w
  
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• Arne Slot confirms ‘outstanding’ Alisson fit to start for Liverpool against Girona

  09-12-2024 21:47
  
  Brazilian goalkeeper has been sidelined since OctoberLiverpool coach keen to avoid Champions League playoffAlisson could make his Liverpool return against Girona in the Champions League at Montilivi on Tuesday night after Arne Slot confirmed that he is ready to start again.The Brazilian goalkeeper has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace at the start of October. But he completed training on Monday morning, flew to Spain with the team and the Liverpool head coach
  
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• Unai Emery urges Aston Villa to ‘break our limit’ against RB Leipzig

  09-12-2024 21:42
  
  Victory will aid chances of place in knockout stageVilla face team yet to win a point in league phaseUnai Emery has urged Aston Villa to “break our limit” by enhancing their chances of advancing automatically to the Champions League last 16 with victory against RB Leipzig. Villa, in Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since 1983, can take a major step towards the knockout phase if they can defeat the Bundesliga side, who have not registered a point af
  
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• Amorim says he will be ‘judged on the place we finish’ at Manchester United

  01-12-2024 18:23
  
  Manager wants to focus on performance not resultsAmorim says Rashford ‘can play so much better’Ruben Amorim has said he will be judged on Manchester United’s finishing position after Sunday’s 4-0 defeat of Everton lifted them to 19 points, four behind Brighton in the final Champions League berth.Two goals each from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee gave the Portuguese victory in his first home league match and afterwards he was asked if Champions League qualification is
  
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• Champions League review: pain for PSG but Inter and Arsenal on rise

  28-11-2024 16:23
  Europe’s finest head-scratching struggles go on. We hand out honours and dishonours from the latest round of actionInter: The 2023 finalists are second in the table and yet to concede a goal. They are yet to score many either, notching only seven goals in their five games. The latest victims of Simone Inzaghi’s smooth, efficient machine were RB Leipzig, whose own calamitous pointless campaign continued with a 1-0 defeat. An own goal from Castello Lukeba decided it after a wicked free
  
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• Slot praises Liverpool academy talents for their role in ‘special’ Real Madrid win

  28-11-2024 01:18
  
  Kelleher, Jones and Bradley ‘outstanding’, says manager‘It is a fair result,’ says Real manager Carlo AncelottiArne Slot hailed a statement Liverpool win against the team that have tormented them in the Champions League and said the basis for it came from the club’s academy players. The manager watched Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo score the goals in a 2-0 win against Real Madrid, which moved Liverpool back to the top of the table with a blemish-free record aft
  
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• Conor Bradley’s raw energy too much for Mbappé and wins roar of approval | Barney Ronay

  28-11-2024 01:14
  
  The young Liverpool full-back produced a brilliant tackle to deny the Real Madrid star in the night’s defining imageWith 30 minutes gone at Anfield there was a moment of home-crowd theatre that would stand as the defining image of this 2-0 Liverpool victory, perhaps even of Conor Bradley’s young career to date, and which also produced surely the loudest and most visceral roar of the night. And let’s face it, who doesn’t like a loud and visceral roar.It came from
  
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• Emery has tools to fix Aston Villa but overloaded Watkins needs support | Jonathan Liew

  28-11-2024 01:02
  Hosts’ struggle to break down Juventus showed extent of the burden being shouldered by England forwardSo. A football match definitely happened. This much at least we can be sure of. I have a lanyard, a programme and a set of cryogenically frozen fingers to verify that fact. Other people were here too, I think. I can sort of remember noises. Vague rasping noises. Disappointed noises. The noise you make when you’ve paid £97 to watch Federico Gatti make back-passes.But alread
  
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• Champions League roundup: PSV’s dramatic late comeback stuns Shakhtar

  28-11-2024 00:47
  
  Dutch side win 3-2 from 2-0 down after 87 minutesMonaco 2-3 Benfica, Red Star Belgrade 5-1 StuttgartPSV staged a dramatic Champions League comeback against 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk in Eindhoven, winning 3-2 from two goals down in the 87th minute.The visitors went in front after just eight minutes from a quick breakaway, with Yukhym Konoplia setting up Danylo Sikan, whose shot squeezed beyond PSV keeper Walter Benítez. Oleksandr Zubkov doubled Shakhtar’s lead with a superb curling fin
  
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• Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid: Champions League – as it happened

  27-11-2024 23:28
  
  Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored but Kylian Mbappé and Mohamed Salah both failed to score penaltiesThis is not the only game tonight, of course. Join John Brewin for the tantalising encounter that is Villa v Juventus.Gareth Bale is a pundit tonight for TNT. Presenter Laura Woods points out that the Welshman’s record at Anfield is not the best: Continue reading...
  
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