Dusan Vlahovic said he was “honoured” to play alongside Angel Di Maria after the Argentina international claimed three assists in Juventus’ Champions League win over Maccabi Haifa.
Adrien Rabiot scored a brace either side of Vlahovic’s cool second-half finish as Juventus triumphed 3-1 to boost their hopes of progressing from Group H on Wednesday, but Di Maria was the star of the show.
At 34 years and 233 days old, Di Maria became the oldest player to record a hat-trick of assists in the Champions League since data began in 2003-04, as well as the first player to do so for an Italian club.
Since Di Maria made his first Champions League appearance in the 2007-08 season, meanwhile, only Lionel Messi can match his tally of 35 assists in the competition.
Asked about Di Maria’s influence by Sky Sports, Vlahovic said: “I don’t know what to say. I am honoured to have the opportunity to play with him, to see him every day, to learn from him. I would like to make the most of my moments with him on the pitch.”
Vlahovic was pleased to see Juventusend a three-match losing streak in the Champions League, but saw room for improvement in his own performance.
“I could do better and do more,” he added. “I had to make better use of the assists of my team-mates, but we won. We have to improve and work with our heads down in silence.
“Attackers live on goals. I am always focused on the team, then the goals come as a consequence.
“If I think I have to do something, I just put weight on myself and I don’t do things with clarity. I have to be more calm and focused.”
Meanwhile, under-pressure Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri praised Di Maria’s display, but was concerned by his team’s lack of control in the final 15 minutes.
“Di Maria is good, the important thing is to get the ball to him, the first and second assists were of excellent craftsmanship,” he said in his post-match news conference.
“The boys immediately realised that you cannot not play for a quarter of an hour. The games must be closed earlier, this does not mean to stop playing, but to play less and be more bad.
“We were too light, then the games are about psychology, and we risked 2-2. This doesn’t have to happen.
“The defensive phase is a mental issue. Everything seemed easy, we gave up as a team. We didn’t foul [ahead of] their goal, that’s not good. Goal difference will also be important.”
Looking ahead to next week’s return fixture in Israel, two-goal hero Rabiot said: “We will have to be concentrated, but with this attitude, I am convinced that we will win. We must continue like this.
“I’m happy to have scored, but it’s more important to win, and tonight we did it well. We played well – a little less in the second half – but we’re on the right path.”
AC Milanmanager Stefano Pioli rued his side’s poor play in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss against Chelsea, saying the kind of mistakes made by his team “cannot be committed in the Champions League”.
The scoring was opened by Chelsea’s big-money signing in the middle of defence, with Wesley Fofanascrapping home a loose ball in the box following a corner in the 24th minute.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Reece James then put the game to bed in the second half with goals in the 56th and 61st minutes respectively, and they were able to restrict the visiting Italians to one shot on target for the entire game.
Pioli lamented his side’s mistakes, saying teams in the Champions League will always punish you.
“Errors? It is true that they cannot be committed in the Champions League,” he told reporters. “We forced choices that weren’t forced. We have lost our distance. It is a pity because, beyond their qualities, we could have done something more.
“It has nothing to do with little experience, it has nothing to do with those who were not there. We had to be more lucid, in ball recovery and aggression, we had to do better.
“The second goal changed our attitude, our mentality. We weren’t able to stay as a team as we usually do. At these levels you pay dearly for these things.”
He added on Sky Sports: “We had to do better. It’s clear that when you make so many technical mistakes you allow opponents to put you in difficulty.
“I think the team was ready to play this type of match. There were spaces to be more precise and we gave too much field to the opponents.
“Defeats must help us grow. The locker room was rightly disappointed and angry, but this will give us great motivation and drive.”
This result leaves Chelsea and Milan both on four points in Group E, trailing undefeated Salzburg (one win, two draws).
The defeat marked the sixth time in the competition that Milan have lost by three goals or more and the first time since March 2014 against Atletico Madrid.
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier said his players held a “feeling of frustration” after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Benfica in the Champions League.
Lionel Messibecame the first player to score against 40 different sides in the Champions League with a superb 22nd-minute strike, but a Danilo Pereira own goal ensured the teams went into half-time level.
Despite the French champions having the better chances in the second half, they failed to find a winner as they took just a point back to Paris, though they remain top of Group H on goals scored.
PSG have now won just once in their last seven away Champions League matches and are without a clean sheet in their last 11 games in the competition, and Galtier told RMC Sport: “There is a feeling of frustration among the players because they have made a lot of effort.
“We had chances in both periods, even if Benfica had some in the first period and that our goalkeeper was busy and efficient. They were quite dangerous.
“We had a fairly good technical mastery with a lot of people up front. In the first half, we didn’t have many chances, even though we scored a wonderful goal.
“In the second half, we asked the boys to have more mobility, more depth and more input from the wings. We had a good second half.”
PSG finished with 15 shots to Benfica’s eight and completed 700 passes, yet for all their firepower were held firm by the team that will visit Parc des Princes next week.
Messi appeared to be a possible doubt for the return fixture, when he made way with 10 minutes remaining for Pablo Sarabia despite PSG chasing a winner, but Galtier eased any fears of an injury.
“After making a sprint, he [Messi] felt tired,” Galtier added. “He came off, because he felt tired and a fresh team-mate was much better at that moment in the game.”
With the World Cupin Qatar starting in a little over six weeks, European football’s biggest clubs are experiencing an even tighter schedule than usual.
While acknowledging the season is a unique one, Galtier warned his players are paying the price for the congestion.
“It’s a very special season, there is fatigue, breakage,” he added. “Today we lost Nuno Mendes and we realise that, in this overloaded calendar, there are a lot muscular incidents and injuries.”
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand declared “we haven’t seen” a player like Jude Bellingham at his age after the Borussia Dortmund teenager helped guide his team to a 4-1 Champions League win at Sevilla.
Bellingham scored one and assisted one as Dortmundeased to victory in Spain on Wednesday, with other goals coming from Raphael Guerreiro, Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt, while Youssef En-Nesyri pulled one back for the hosts.
Bellingham, 19, who captained the Bundesliga side, became just the second teenager to score in the first three games of a Champions League campaign.
The only other player to achieve that feat is his former BVB team-mate Erling Haaland, who did so with Salzburg in the 2019-20 season.
Bellingham’s tally of three Champions League goals this season is already a joint-high among English teenagers for a single campaign, along with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, back in 2004-05.
“What he’s doing in his position at his age, we haven’t seen,” Ferdinand said, working as a pundit for BT Sport.
“The best of our generation, [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard, [Paul] Scholes, [Patrick] Vieira, Roy Keane, they weren’t doing this.
“He’s still got to go on and prove it over a long period of time, but they weren’t doing what he is doing right now [at the same age].
“Influencing games at this level, captaining teams at this level, and mentally this kid’s a beast.”
Fellow pundit and former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole added: “Along with Erling Haaland, he’s the best young player in the world, that’s for sure.
“I watched him play for England over the two [Nations League] games [against Italy and Germany] and he was our best player.
“His dad I believe was a semi-pro footballer so he’s obviously been guided right… When we grew up with Frank [Lampard] and his dad was a footballer obviously, a top footballer, and Frank had this maturity about him… Bellingham’s got that as well, coupled with his undoubted God-given talent and his drive, he’s unstoppable.”
Bellingham has long been linked with a move back to England, having joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020, with Liverpool, Manchester City, United and Chelsea all reportedly keeping an eye on developments, along with LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
“One thing that’s for sure – whoever gets him – is [his] temperament,” Ferdinand said.
“When you’re making big transfers and big moves like that in the spotlight, temperament is a key element you need to get right. This kid has already proved that it isn’t a question mark.”
It’s Champions League time again. AC Milan, after the draw in Salzburg and the home win against Dinamo Zagreb, fly to London to face Graham Potter’s Chelsea. The date is set for Wednesday 5 October 21:00 CEST at Stamford Bridge, for the third match day of Group E. Coach Stefano Pioli and Olivier Giroud presented the match in a press conference the night before:
STEFANO PIOLI
TOMORROW’S CHALLENGE
“It’s a match between two teams that play offensive football, two formations that try to dictate the game. The quality of our opponents is high, so I certainly expect a difficult match. The team is growing, we have to use these experiences to continue on our path. I think this group has already shown that it is mature, every game will allow us to understand our level and to grow further”.
ON CHELSEA AND POTTER
“Chelsea will try to play the game with determination from the start and pace throughout the match. We will have to try to create problems for the opponent and we have the qualities to do that. I know Potter well because I followed Brighton last year, he offers offensive and quality football. They used two different set-ups in the two games with him in charge and that’s a rarity for a coach who has just arrived. We know Chelsea and their characteristics well.”
YOUTH AND INJURY EMERGENCY
“The club has made precise choices by building a young team but with the right blend of experienced players. With young people you need patience, having teammates like Olivier, Simon and Zlatan is a great support for them. The team has to play with its own qualities and give its best without thinking about the absentees. The packed schedule does not help in this situation, but I am accompanied by serious and capable professionals, we will look at how we can improve”.
ISMAËL BENNACER
“There are different types of leaders in a team. Isma leads through his technical ability and character because of the example he sets for his teammates, he always trains at 100 per cent”.
OLIVIER GIROUD
EMOTIONS AS A FORMER PLAYER
“I am very happy to return to this stadium, I have great memories at Stamford Bridge and with Chelsea, where I won the Champions League. We want to show our quality in this competition after winning the Scudetto last season, with humility but also awareness of our ability. I told my teammates that I am proud to come and play here with them”.
BETWEEN CHELSEA AND FORMER TEAMMATES
“The atmosphere will be fantastic and the pitch is flawless. I think we are ready, I expect a close game. I hope I will be welcomed by the fans, I had a good time here and I got on well with the club. I know our opponents having played with them but they have changed a lot tactically.”
SPECIAL MOMENTS AND GOALS
“The World Cup I won with France was crazy emotionally, unique for me, but the Scudetto celebrations with AC Milan were also incredible. We want to do well in the Champions League, I always aim to win and I’m proud of the trophies I’ve won so far, but I want even more”.
Liverpool’s win over Rangers saw Darwin Nunez make his first start since being sent off against Crystal Palace
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez says he has found adapting to English football difficult but the Uruguayan accepts that has been partly self-inflicted.
Signed for an initial £64m, he scored on his Premier League debut, only to be sent off in the next game.
And if it wasn’t for two members of Jurgen Klopp’s coaching team, Nunez, 23, says he would have “no idea” what the Reds’ German boss was saying.
“We don’t talk much,” he said. “I don’t know English, he doesn’t know Spanish.”
Nunez has spent the last two seasons in Portugal with Benfica and two of Klopp’s coaches – Pep Lijnders and Vitor Matos – speak Portuguese.
“They are the translators when Klopp talks to the group,” Nunez told TNT Sports Brasil.external-link “They sit next to me and explain what I have to do.
“If they didn’t explain it to me, I’d enter the field with no idea what to do.
“But the relationship with the coach is that he supports me, gives me confidence and I have to repay that on the field.”
Will Liverpool striker Nunez learn from horror home debut?
‘I have to calm my nerves and talk less’Nunez was sent off against Palace for headbutting defender Joachim Andersen
After serving a three-match ban for his red card against Crystal Palace, Nunez has failed to score in five appearances for Liverpool.
But he made his first start for the Reds in a month on Tuesday, helping them beat Rangers 2-0 in the Champions League.
“The truth is that it was a little difficult to adapt but I believe that, as training and games go by, I will adapt little by little,” Nunez added.
“[After the red card] was a very tough time. I know I made a big mistake and now I’m aware that it won’t happen again.
“I have to calm my nerves during the games, talk less. We all make mistakes and I know it will serve as a learning experience.
“The important thing is to leave my mark on the team, be someone who can always contribute by playing well and, if I don’t score, I have to be calm.
“When the first [goal] goes in, more will go in. I’ve been through that [before] and it’s a little uncomfortable because, in the end, as forwards we live on goals.
“But I’m calm, the coach has always supported me. My team-mates also support me at all times and I will always try to help the team by scoring goals or, even without a goal, try to help the best I can.”
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The Eredivisie champions were reduced to 10 men in the 73rd minute when Dusan Tadic was given his matching orders but they were already trailing 5-1 at the Johan Cruyff Arena at that point.
Mohammed Kudus had opened the scoring for the hosts before goals from Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Piotr Zielinski put Napoli in charge at the break.
Things continued to go from bad to worse in the second half as Raspadori, Khvixha Kvaratskheila and Giovanni Simeone added to the tally to compound Ajax’s misery.
And Schreuder admits the fallen Dutch giants simply cannot compete with Luciano Spalletti’s side and Liverpool, who currently sit first and second respectively in Group A, leaving Ajax facing a shootout with Rangers to drop into the Europa League by securing third place.
He said: “If you look at Napoli and Liverpool you will see they are a size too big for us. That is obvious.
“I don’t think we are good enough as a team at the moment.”
Ajax hammered Rangers 4-0 in their opening Champions League game last month but were brought back down to earth by a 2-1 defeat at out-of-sorts Liverpool.
And with their dominance in the Eredivisie also being tested by league leaders AZ Alkmaar, Schreuder is struggling to live up to the standards set by predecessor Erik ten Hag.
Ajax return to league action at FC Volendam on Saturday before heading to Naples for Wednesday’s rematch with Spaletti’s men.
But Schreuder is not confident about his team’s chances of transforming their fortunes in Europe.
The Dutcman, 49, added: “If you’re realistic, it gets harder and harder [to get out of the group]. We have to win there next week.
“We will have to take a different approach because this is unworthy of Ajax. This is unacceptable. This is unworthy of Ajax.”
Did you know?
Napoli scored six goals in European competition for the first time last night, becoming the first Italian side to do so in a Champions League away match.
They are also the first Italian team score six or more goals in any Champions League game since Juventus beat Olympiacos 7-0 in the group stage in December 2003.
Ajax conceded six goals for the first time in any European match. They are without a home win against a side from Italy in Europe in their last 12 such matches (drawn six and lost six).
Napoli have picked up maximum points from their first three Champions League group stage matches in a single season for the first time in the competition. They have never scored as many goals (13) or conceded fewer (two) after three group games.
Napoli have scored 13 goals in three Champions League fixtures this season — four more than any other side in the competition.
Ajax ace Kudus has scored in each of his three Champions League appearances this season.
Son Heung-min has defended Antonio Conte’s principles following recent criticism aimed the Tottenham head coach’s way for recent results.
After seeing out a 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in the group stages of the Champions League, Spurs are now without a win in their past four away matches in all competitions.
Despite starting the season well, Conte has been questioned for the way he has approached recent fixtures, including a 3-1 defeat to fierce rivals Arsenal in the Premier League.
However, Son does not see this as an issue and stated the importance of sticking with Conte and his ideas.
He said: “We saw last season that nobody believed we would be here right now. Last season nobody believed we’d be in the Champions League.
“The gaffer always wants more, more, more and as [a player] I want to follow his way, or you know what’s coming. If we don’t follow him then you know you struggle.
“We have to follow, there is no option because he’s a winner and I think this is what we do – sacrifice and do the hard things.”
Spurs find themselves in second place of Champions League Group D, with their next European fixture coming against Marseille on November 1.
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has leapt to the defence of team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold amid recent criticism of the right-back’s performances.
Alexander-Arnold has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny following his poor defensive performances in the Premier League and Champions League.
The defender’s mistakes in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, in particular, drew heavy criticism from fans and pundits.
The 23-year-old also failed to feature in either of England’s two Nations League games last week, with Gareth Southgate making it clear Alexander-Arnold is not his first-choice right-back.
But van Dijk, speaking after Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Rangers on Tuesday in which Alexander-Arnold opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick, said: “We know the quality he has and he showed it again today.
“He has been showing it over the last couple of years; he has developed as one of the best right-backs in the country.”
Netherlands international Van Dijk also questioned the culture surrounding player welfare and media scrutiny in English football.
He said: “I’ve been in the UK now for eight, nine years and everyone here is very good to praise a player very high up to the sky and let them fall as hard as they can.
“That’s what we, as players, have to deal with. Everyone is talking about how we should accept it.
“For him to just carry on working – not only him but other players as well – deal with it and show reaction today is what we need, all of us. I think it’s important that we back him.”
Liverpool’s victory against Rangers leaves them second in Group A behind Napoli, who beat Jurgen Klopp’s men 4-1 in the opening group game.
Xavi was “outraged” as his Barcelona side saw a goal disallowed and a stoppage-time penalty not given in their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.
After Hakan Calhanoglu put the Nerazzurri in front in first-half stoppage time at San Siro, Barcelona thought they had levelled when Pedri turned home from close range in the 66th minute.
However, the goal was disallowed after replays showed Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana had tipped Ousmane Dembele’s cross onto Ansu Fati’s arm before Pedri tapped in.
Inter were again fortunate late on, when VAR initiated a penalty check after the ball appeared to strike Denzel Dumfries’ arm in the box. Much to Barcelona’s anger, a spot-kick was not awarded.
Yet all of his frustration was saved for the officials, with Xavi telling reporters: “I am outraged.
“First they explain to us that Ansu Fati handled but another team-mate scored, then with the other incident, it is not clear what happened.
“It is my opinion, I would have liked to speak to the referee, because he did not blow the whistle. At the moment, I am outraged, it is an injustice and it makes no sense.
“Now we still have three finals left, we have already lost in Munich and we start again. But there is indignation.
“In general, it was a great injustice. I can’t hide and say I’m not outraged, it’s a great injustice. The referee should give explanations, instead he goes away and nothing happens. He has to come here and explain.”
Despite what he perceived as poor refereeing from Slavko Vincic, Xavi acknowledged that officiating alone was not to blame for the defeat.
“We struggled in rhythm, in the circulation of the ball and in the last half hour we played better, we found good areas on the wing,” he added.
“We tried, we want to attack and we paid for the first half, we lacked a bit of rhythm. We need to be self-critical, beyond referee decisions.
“The first half was not up to the Champions League. We talked about it at half-time, we needed more rhythm in the exchange of the ball and I think the second half was positive.”
Luciano Spalletti declared “even Diego Maradona will have been proud” after Napoli thrashed Ajax 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Despite falling behind to Mohammed Kudus’ ninth-minute opener in Amsterdam, Spalletti’s side responded with goals from Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Piotr Zielinski putting them 3-1 up at the break.
The visitors’ task was made easier after Dusan Tadic’s second-half dismissal; Raspadori and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia increasing the advantage, before Giovanni Simeone sealed an emphatic victory.
Spalletti referenced the late Maradona after Napoli scored six times in a European game for the first time in their history, whileAjaxsuffered their heaviest defeat in all competitions since November 1964.
“When you go into a stadium like this, with that roar there, it’s not easy to immediately regain the conviction in pressing and recovering after going a goal down,” the Napoli coach told reporters.
“It could have disturbed us a lot, but the team did the things it had to do; they never let themselves be influenced and won a great match.
“More than the result, it is beautiful as the performance shows us our qualities; the boys played important football and will benefit because they have all seen it. They played very good plays, even Maradona will have been proud tonight.”
The record tally of goals in a single #UCL group stage is held by PSG, who scored 25 in 2017-18.
Napoli are 52% of the way to replicating that tally with 50% of their group stage campaign completed. pic.twitter.com/JCcCYgnw0B
Continuing their perfect start to the competition after making it three wins from three, Napoli are three points clear of Liverpool at the halfway point in Group A, and in the driving seat to reach the knockout stages.
“With this victory, we have excellent chances [to qualify], but we have to achieve other results,” Spalletti added. “What gives context is the quality of the opponents who we produced this performance against, they are a great club.”
Jurgen Klopp says it will only be a matter of time before Darwin Nunez gets his first Liverpool goal at Anfield after the striker failed to find the net against Rangers.
Liverpool ran out comfortable 2-0 victors against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in the Champions League, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah on target.
The former Benfica striker’s six efforts were the most a Liverpool player has had without scoring in a Champions League group stage game since Sadio Mane against Salzburg in December 2019 (also six).
Despite just the sole strike to Nunez’s name in the Reds’ first Premier League game of the season at Fulham, Klopp insists the 23-year-old will soon get off the mark at home.
Liverpool 2-0 Rangers
A comfortable evening for Liverpool and a redemptive one for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“I think you can see that. The way the boys moved together up front today was extremely good for just one [training] session,” Klopp said of his attackers responding to a change in shape against Rangers.
“We only had one session, low intensity because we only played recently, so it showed how good a striker he is, getting into these situations. Everybody saw tonight, this will happen.”
Liverpool trail Group A leaders Napoli, who hammered Ajax 6-1 on Tuesday, by three points ahead of a return trip to Rangers next week after visiting Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Diego Simeone says Atletico Madrid must have “peace of mind” despite their poor Champions League campaign to date following a 2-0 defeat to Club Brugge.
Kamal Soweh and Ferran Jutgla were on target as the surprise Group B leaders made it three wins out of three and left Atleti bottom with three games to play.
Fellow rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Porto also sit on three points alongside the LaLiga club, with Brugge holding a six-point advantage at the summit.
Simeone took the positives out of the loss to the Belgian champions at Jan Breydel Stadium, where Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty.
“It was a game well played,” the Atleti head coach told Movistar. “I think we controlled the game we wanted to play. I’m left with a lot of good things.
“There are a lot of Champions League games left to play. You have to have peace of mind, you don’t have to get anxious. Everything is open.”
We didn’t get the win we were looking for for the Atleti fans who cheered us on from Bruges and from their homes. It’s time to get up and keep working to achieve those victories we all wish for. pic.twitter.com/2wuek0WllG
Under pressure Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghiis optimistic that Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League win over Barcelona “marks the beginning of something”.
The Nerazzurri boss has come under fire following his side’s inconsistent start to the season, with Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Roma leaving them with 12 points from eight Serie A games. Inter have conceded 13 goals in those eight games too.
Defeat on Tuesday would have left Inter perilously placed in third in their Champions League group, having lost to Bayern Munich 2-0 at home on the opening matchday.
Instead Inzaghi, amid a school of thought he may lose his job if Inter lost to the Blaugrana on Tuesday, is looking for a new beginning for the Nerazzurri.
“We’d been waiting a long time for this, I am happy for the fans and the club, but we’ve achieved nothing yet, it needs to be a wonderful night that marks the beginning of something,” Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia.
“I wouldn’t say it was unexpected. I said yesterday it was a great opportunity against one of the best teams in the world. We played with aggression, determination, as it’s the only way to beat these opponents.”
Inzaghi, who took over after Antonio Conte’s split with the club following their 2020-21 Serie A title, lifted two trophies last season, the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, but ultimately fell short in the race for the Scudetto to Milan.
“I continue my work, there are moments that happen and I keep my head held high, because my staff, players and the club have done some great things over the last 15 months,” he said.
“I saw a squad that is solid and fights together, otherwise you don’t get a result like this. I am happy, but these lads are the same ones who gave me two trophies just a few months ago and they know more than anyone we now have ground to make up.”
Inter forward Lautaro Martinez promised Tuesday’s result would usher in charge.
“Tonight is a special evening because it was a victory we needed,” the Argentine told Inter TV. “Because of the way it arrived we enjoy it even more.
“We were in a period when the results were not coming, today we needed a win and it has arrived. From here on, things will change.”
Goal scorer Hakan Calhanoglu, who netted his first Champions League goal since September 2016, added: “This game can really shake us up and change our season, because we want to build on it.
“As for qualification, we’ve got to stay calm and take it one game at a time.”
Barcelona’s injury woes have worsened with defender Andreas Christensen suffering a ligament sprain in his ankle in Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.
Christensen was substituted out of the game in the 58th minute after struggling for a few minutes with the issue and Barcelona have since confirmed the left ankle injury.
Christensen’s injury comes ahead of tough games, taking on Celta Vigo in La Liga this weekend, before the reverse fixture with Inter on October 12 and the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 16. The Blaugrana take on Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga after that.
The ex-Chelsea defender was replaced by veteran Gerard Pique, who will likely come into starting calculations.
Christensen has started three LaLiga matches and all three of Barcelona’s Champions League matches this term.
The 26-year Denmark international joins Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay, Hector Bellerin, Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo on the sidelines at Camp Nou due to injury.
LATEST NEWS | Andreas Christensen has a ligament sprain in his left ankle. Further tests will be carried out tomorrow to find out the exact extent of the injury. pic.twitter.com/GC9HkHftJX
Xaviwill not be on a revenge mission when Barcelona face Inter in a “very important” Champions League showdown at San Siro on Tuesday.
Head coach Xavi was in the Barca side knocked out of the Champions League by Inter at the semi-final stage in 2010.
The Blaugrana were beaten 3-1 in the first leg in Milan and failed to overturn that deficit, crashing out after winning 1-0 at Camp Nou against Jose Mourinho’s men, who went on to lift the trophy.
Xavi returns to San Siro with the two sides both having picked up three points from their opening two Group C games, with Barca beaten 2-0 at leaders Bayern Munich last month.
And the former Spain midfielder is motivated by the prospect of qualifying for the last 16 rather than having a score to settle.
He said: “I have no feeling of [wanting] revenge. I come here as a coach this time. I remember that we had to travel by bus [to Milan] because of the volcano, but they were a great team.
“It was difficult for us in the first leg. We lost it here. It was a controversial tie, but this is how it is. It’s a bitter memory for us, unfortunately.”
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is under pressure with his side ninth in Serie A following back-to-back defeats to Udinese and Roma.
But Xavi is not reading anything into the Nerazzurri’s poor form, as he knows they have the quality to turn things around.
“It’s not significant,” he said. “It’s Inter, a very strong team. They have a different system to anything we’ve come across so far.
“They play with two strikers, something you don’t see too much in Spain. They’re a tough opponent, with good dynamics, but that has to be shown.”
Xavi added: “I have it quite clear. Despite the size of the rival, we are clear that we want to dominate. It is an important rival. It is the Champions League. It is not a definitive match, but it is very important for the future of the group.”
Inter have won just two of their 14 European matches against Barcelona, a 2-1 victory in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in January 1970 and that 3-1 Champions League triumph in April 2010.
However, Barca’s only two away wins against the Nerazzurri came 60 years apart, winning 4-2 in the Fairs Cup in September 1959 and 2-1 in the Champions League in December 2019.
Antonio Conte has told Tottenham fans “I’m not stupid” and “I can teach football to many people” in a strong defence of his decision to overlook Djed Spence.
Spence has made only one very brief substitute appearance for Spurs following his move from Middlesbrough in July.
Some Tottenham fans called for the right-back to be given his chance after Emerson Royal was sent off for a reckless challenge on Gabriel Martinelli during a 3-1 north London derby defeat to fierce rivals Arsenal on Saturday.
But Conte made it crystal clear he is not impressed with questions being asked about his approach ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Spurs head coach said: “If we were able to exploit the situation, especially last passes, we would have been able to score many goals against Arsenal.
“Instead, we made really bad mistakes for the last passes because we had the opportunity to go one-to-one, but every team has to think and understand the way to play different games.
“Last season we won 3-0 [against Arsenal], and when you win, the opponent has to explain, but for me it’s important to have a plan, to put my players in the best possible situation to exploit their characteristics.
“Otherwise it can happen that you can concede six, seven or eight goals – in England, that happens a lot of times.
“In my career, it never, never happened because I don’t like to play open, concede a lot of space and concede six, seven or eight goals. I won in England, I won in my past and I think I can teach football to many people.”
He said of Spence: “The fans have to be fans. They can think anything, but I see every day the training sessions. If I don’t decide to pick a player, it’s because maybe he’s not ready.
“We are talking about a young player with a good prospect, but I try to pick the best team. I’m not stupid, I don’t want to lose.
“I try to pick the best team. If they trust me it’s okay, if they don’t trust me then I’m the coach and I need to take the best decision for Tottenham.”
Liverpool face Rangers in a battle of Britain and Barcelona will attempt to apply more pressure on Inter boss Simone Inzaghi with a Champions League victory on Tuesday.
An army of Gers fans will travel south of the border to descend on Merseyside for a Group A clash that will give them another opportunity to secure a first point, with the Reds in second spot behind Napoli.
Bayern will be expected to maintain their 100 per cent record at the expense of Viktoria Plzen, and Serie A table-toppers Napoli travel to Ajax looking to continue their brilliant start to the season.
Ahead of another mouthwatering set of matches, Stats Perform trawls through the Opta data to highlight the most noteworthy facts for each contest.
This will be the first European meeting between Liverpool and the Glasgow giants in a European competition.
The Gers have only won one of their seven away games in England, that being a 2-1 Champions League victory at Leeds United in November 1992 courtesy of goals from Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist. They have suffered six defeats and drawn twice.
Liverpool’s last meeting with Scottish opponents in the European Cup was back in the 1980-81 campaign, winning 5-0 on aggregate against Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen (1-0 away, 4-0 home). The Reds went on to win the competition that year.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won 13 of their past 15 home Champions League group stage matches (D1 L1), scoring 36 goals in process. Their solitary defeat was against Atalanta in November 2020
Rangers have failed to score in their two group games so far. Indeed, only Plzen (2) and Sevilla (3) have had fewer shots on target than the Scottish club (4) in this season’s first two matchdays.
Inter v Barcelona
Interhave won just two of their 14 European matches against Barcelona (D4 L8), a 2-1 victory in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in January 1970 and 3-1 Champions League triumph in April 2010.
Barca’s two away wins against the Nerazzurri came 60 years apart, winning 4-2 in the Fairs Cup in September 1959 and 2-1 in the Champions League in December 2019.
Inter have lost six UEFA Champions League matches against the Catalan giants, their most against a single opponent. Barca have only beaten Celtic (8) more times in the competition.
Barca have lost three of their past four away Champions League group stage matches (W1), as many as in their previous 25 matches on their travels in the competition (W15 D7). Xavi is only the second manager to lose his first two away Champions League matches in charge of Barcelona, along with Louis van Gaal in 1997.
Inter have lost their past two Champions League games at San Siro (0-2 v Liverpool and Bayern). Only once previously have they suffered three consecutive home defeats in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (a run of three between February-September 2011).
Bayern have won all four of their European matches against Plzen, beating them twice in the 1971-72 Cup Winners’ Cup and the Champions League in 2013-14.
Plzen’s two away European matches against Bayern have seen them concede at least five goals on each occasion, losing 6-1 in September 1971 in the Cup Winners’ Cup and 5-0 in the Champions League nine years ago.
Bayern are out to record three wins at the start of a Champions League campaign for a fourth consecutive season. In their opening three games in the previous three seasons and their two games this year, they have won all 11 matches by an aggregate score of 41-7.
Plzen have conceded seven goals in their two Champions League games this season and only kept one clean sheet in their 20 matches in the competition.
Leroy Sane has been directly involved in 14 goals in his past 11 Champions League starts for Bayern (8 goals, 6 assists). The winger could become only the second player to score in Bayern’s first three Champions League games in a season, with Robert Lewandowski (in 2019-20 and 2021-22) being the other.
Napoli have never won away from home in the Netherlands (D2 L3) in any European competition.
Ajax have failed to win any of their past 11 home European matches against Italian opposition (D6 L5) since winning 2-1 against Roma in this competition in December 2002.
Napoli will be looking to win their first three Champions League group stage games for the first time. They are unbeaten in eight matches in the group stage of the competition (W5 D3).
Ajax have won their past four home games in the group stage of the Champions League, scoring four goals in each of the previous three (4-0 v Borussia Dortmund, 4-2 v Sporting CP and 4-0 v Rangers).
Napoli are the top scoring side in the Champions League this season with seven goals. Luciano Spalletti’s side have had more shots (43) and shots on target (19) than any other team.
Other fixtures:
Marseille v Sporting CP
6 – Marseille have lost six of their eight European Cup/Champions League matches against Portuguese opponents (W1 D1).
16 – Marseille have lost 16 of their past 17 Champions League matches (W1), failing to score in 11 matches in this run, including both games this season.
Porto v Bayer Leverkusen
7 – Porto have won seven of their eight home Champions League games against German opposition (D1), winning five in a row.
2 – Leverkusen have only won two of their past 13 away matches in the Champions League (D5 L6), with three of the previous four ending in defeats without scoring.
Club Brugge v Atletico Madrid
3 – Brugge are unbeaten in all three home meetings with Atleti in European competition (W2 D1).
7 – Atleti have never won a European match against a Belgium club in seven attempts (five away, two neutral). They have played more major European games on Belgian soil without winning than in any other country.
Eintracht Frankfurt v Tottenham
4 – Tottenham have lost their past four Champions League matches against German opposition by an aggregate score of 14-3, losing twice to Bayern Munich (2-7 and 1-3) and twice to RB Leipzig (0-1 and 0-3).
3 – Eintracht have won three consecutive European games against English teams (one versus Arsenal, two v West Ham), as many as in their first 14.
Jurgen Klopp says there are no “instant” solutions in football as Liverpool look to bounce back ahead of their Champions League clash with Rangers.
The Reds failed to turn their rough form around upon their return to Premier League action this weekend when they were held to a 3-3 draw by Brighton and Hove Albion.
With just one win in their last four games across all competitions, Klopp’s side – FA Cup and EFL Cup winners last term as well as Champions Leaguefinalists – risk falling short on multiple fronts this term.
But the German feels his side will be able to work out their problems, stating they must “go back to the basics” and that they cannot expect an immediate revival of fortunes.
“We realised after Napoli it was a real low point, and we had to change things quickly,” he stated. “We didn’t play Wolves, played Ajax, then didn’t play Chelsea and couldn’t keep up any momentum from the Ajax win.”
“When you spot a problem and think you have the solution, you expect the solution to be instant and influential, that’s never the case in football.
“When it doesn’t work out, you realise step by step that you have to go back to the basics. We have to be patient again to do the right thing, and then we will be fine again.”
Liverpool’s mixed form has made it hard for new signing Darwin Nunez to have the desired impact after an early season red card, but Klopp is unconcerned over the forward’s personal attributes.
“He is still adapting,” he added. “New players come in and everybody talks about them and wants them to shine immediately and that happens from time to time.
“We had a long talk yesterday and we told him we are completely calm. It’s really important in our situation that he isn’t worrying. The three-game suspension didn’t help him to settle, that’s clear.
“The team isn’t flying and that doesn’t make it easier for a striker, especially a finisher. It’s not that everything is clicking, that is not our situation at the moment.”
Robert Lewandowskihas been blown away by Barcelona’s flood of teenage talent and believes there is no better place for young footballers to blossom.
The 34-year-old Poland captain was brought in from Bayern Munich to provide a quick fix and give Barcelona a reliable goalscorer in the short term.
But there is long-term vision at Barcelona too, with the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati and Alejandro Balde all emerging as first-team players while still in their teens.
Pedri arrived from Las Palmas in 2020 and was quickly assimilated into the senior set-up, bypassing the system at La Masia, the Barcelona academy, because he was considered so advanced already.
Most have come through years of training in the academy system, however, which is churning out top-class footballers at a rapid rate.
Lewandowski counts on such players as team-mates now, and says their style of play, having been training to follow Barcelona principles, is “noticeably distinct” to other youngsters in the game.
“I’m impressed by the fact of how at that age one could be so mature in football,” Lewandowski said, speaking to Polish online sport channel Kanal Sportowy.
“I don’t mean mature mentally. I meant if they thought differently about football. I wouldn’t even compare it, if there are any differences there.
“A man can’t change his age. People abroad who are 18 years old can’t think as it they were 26. People here live and grow in the same way. However, thanks to these academies it’s much easier for them.
“Being well trained at the age of 18 and really talented, they may reach a higher level. Additionally, they’re really familiar with the world of football which Polish players miss.”
3 – Ansu Fati 🇪🇸 (two assists) and Robert Lewandowski 🇵🇱 (one) have combined for more goals than any other duo in LaLiga this season. Connection. pic.twitter.com/fBR1NgfUuV
Lewandowski opened up on a host of themes in the interview, and said he intended to stay involved in sport once his playing days are over.
He might find a coaching role one day, and his experiences in Barcelona should stand him in good stead.
“It’s the best possibility for a young player, to be able to observe experienced football players in order to become one of them in the future,” said Lewandowski.
Such players also point to a bright future for the Spain national team, with the emergence of a possible new golden generation.
At first-team level, Barcelona are attempting to knock Real Madrid off their perch.
Madrid won last season’s LaLiga title and added the Champions League to boot, while Xavi’s mid-season arrival began to turn around a Barcelona team who made a rocky start under former head coach Ronald Koeman.
Xavi’s Barcelona are level on 19 points with Madrid through the first seven rounds of this campaign, and the two current co-leaders will face off at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 16 in the season’s first Clasico.
Lewandowski hit the only goal at Real Mallorca on Saturday, with a hard-fought 1-0 win showing Barcelona have tenacity to complement their more obvious flair.
The close-season recruit said he was “positively astonished” with how intense his early training experiences had been at Barcelona, after last season’s “tough” experience for the club.
Lewandowski is confident Xavi has a firm grip on what needs to be done to turn Barcelona into trophy winners again.
“He’s aware of what went wrong in the last season, in contrary to what he dreamed of, and I see that he wants to make it better,” Lewandowski said.
“Mentally they were really focused, but their bodies couldn’t manage. I think that with every week and every match, we’ll be growing, and I strongly believe that with time it’ll get better.”
After struggling for regular first-team minutes under Thomas Tuchel, Hudson-Odoi took a chance and left Chelsea to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan for the 2022-23 season. The 21-year-old has now revealed that Boehly was involved in the final decision and made sure that a buy option wasn’t included so that he can still have a long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
WHAT HE SAID: Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hudson-Odoi said: “When a club is trying to get a player [on loan], they always want that option to buy at the end of the season. Todd was saying: ‘Listen, we want you back here.’ You’re still on the radar of being wanted by the club. The way he’s trying to set it up, there are a lot of young players he’s trying to buy for the next few years. It shows he wants to integrate the players into the team and help them develop.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Hudson-Odoi may fancy his chances of breaking into Chelsea’s first team when he returns in July next year. New boss Graham Potter has been appointed by Boehly, who has made it clear that he will be focusing on the development of the club’s youth, with Hudson-Odoi in line to benefit despite the fact his current contract is due to expire in 2024.
WHAT NEXT FOR HUDSON-ODOI? After an impressive display vs Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Hudson Odoi will be looking to continue in the same vein of form when Leverkusen face Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on September 30, before their focus switches to a European clash against Porto.
Suddenly, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was up and running. A little uneasily in that suit and those shoes, sliding slightly as he headed down the touchline, but he was. And who could blame him for losing his head?
He knew better than anyone just how big this was, how much of a release, what it really meant, and what lay behind it. How hard it had been to get here. How well the plan had come together — better than even he had dared imagine. Well, him and the man he was now sprinting towards wanting to embrace, to share this moment with.
If the game had been as bad as you might imagine, added time was better than you ever could. After no goals in 90 minutes, for only the second time in Champions League history, three had been scored in added time: a 92nd-minute winner for Atletico that turned out not to be a winner at all, a 96th-minute Porto equaliser via a penalty committed by the man who had scored that “winner” and then, an actual winner in the 101st. Not just any winner; Antoine Griezmann had headed in the latest winning goal anyone had ever scored in the competition.
“This will be the last chance,” the commentator said, and it was. A corner was nodded on by Axel Witsel, and Griezmann was there to score at the far post. He turned and dashed across the south end of the Metropolitano, looking up and all the limbs in the stand, pulling at the badge on his shirt. As a crowd of players grabbed him and everyone went wild, Simeone sprinted from the bench to reach them, skidding round the corner. When he got there, he pushed his way through the crowd, grabbed Griezmann by the face, laid their heads together and, looking him in the eyes, screamed something, holding him hard.
“I love him; he knows the affection I have for him,” Simeone would say later when he had calmed down a little. And when he had hugged him some more. If Griezmann didn’t know before — which is pretty implausible given everything that had happened, all the conversations they had had, the pacts they had forged — he did now.
Victor Osimhen won’t be moving this summer, according to Luciano Spalletti, the head coach of Italian club Napoli, despite rumors linking him to Manchester United.
According to a number of rumors, the Nigerian international might be moving to Old Trafford as Cristiano Ronaldo’s agency is allegedly putting the finishing touches on a potential trade.
With United not qualifying for the Champions League, CR7 is said to be desperate to leave United and Napoli is a considered destination for the Portuguese.
It was gathered that United could offer €100million to Napoli for the Nigeria international, Complete Sportsreports.
“Osimhen gave his response, via his agent, saying he wants to play the Champions League and he wants to play it with this squad.
“He cares about his teammates, he chases down opposition players to help out and is a very strong focal point in attack. Having him at our disposal with that mentality is the best we could ask for.â€
The 23-year-old has scored two goals and recorded one assist in three league appearances for the Partenopei this season.
The final three places in the Champions League group stage will be confirmed on Wednesday.
Scottish giants Rangers travel to PSV Eindhoven with their tie finely poised at 2-2, while Bodo/Glimt hold a narrow 1-0 advantage over Dinamo Zagreb and FC Copenhagen lead Trabzonspor 2-1 after the first game.
All six teams will feel they have a chance of making it into the group draw for Europe’s elite club competition, while the losers will drop into the group stage of the Europa League.
PSV Eindhoven vs Rangers (Wednesday, 8pm)
Last week’s Ibrox showdown ended all square when PSV equalised with 12 minutes to go through Armando Obispo and the Eredivisie side will now believe they can progress to the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2018-19.
Rangers are hoping to end a 12-year absence as they look to follow up on their fantastic run to last season’s Europa League final.
The stats
PSV have won their first two league games in the Netherlands in impressive fashion, kicking off with a 4-1 home victory over Emmen and then hammering Go Ahead Eagles 5-2.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side have had a week to prepare for the second leg and will hope to see off Rangers after edging out Monaco in the third qualifying round 4-3 on aggregate.
The Gers dropped their first points in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend when they were held 2-2 by Hibernian to make it 10 points from a possible 12 at the start of the campaign.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men progressed past Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the previous round thanks to a stunning 3-0 second-leg win at home to wipe out a 2-0 first-leg deficit.
Prediction
Van Bronckhorst has left Alfredo Morelos out of his squad, reportedly due to concerns about his fitness and attitude after the striker was sent off against Hibs on Saturday.
His absence makes what was already a difficult task even harder for the visitors, who will be wary of a PSV side who have hit 20 goals in their six competitive games so far this season.
Rangers have managed 15 goals in their seven games in all competitions and have Antonio Colak in fine form with four goals in his last five matches, so they should at least be able to get on the scoresheet in what may be a narrow overall defeat.
Dinamo Zagreb vs Bodo/Glimt (Wednesday, 8pm)
Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt won the first leg 1-0 on home soil but Croatian opponents Dinamo Zagreb will be aiming to hit back in the return leg at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb.
The stats
A first-leg goal from Amahl Pellegrino separates the sides and means Bodo/Glimt are dreaming of securing a place in the Champions League group stage for the first time in their history.
They have made it this far thanks to wins over KI Klaksvik, Linfield and Zalgiris in the three qualifying rounds and they sit third in the Norwegian top flight, seven points off the top.
Kjetil Knutsen’s side have won six of their last seven league games — the only slip-up in that spell coming at the weekend when they were held to a 2-2 draw by HamKam.
Kjetil Knutsen’s Bodo/Glimt have made a fantastic start to the season
Dinamo Zagreb sit at the top of the table in Croatia, having won five of their first six games this season, and beat Osijek 5-2 at the weekend.
Ante Cacic’s side have made it to the play-off round after beating Shkupi and Ludogorets in the earlier qualifying rounds and are aiming to return to the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Prediction
Bodo/Glimt’s run through the qualifying rounds has been eye-catching but they come up against an in-form Dinamo side who have won their last four home games in all competitions, scoring at least four goals on each occasion.
The visitors have relied on home form to get them this far, losing two of their three away qualifiers and another defeat on the road seems likely to end their Champions League group stage hopes.
Trabzonspor vs FC Copenhagen (Wednesday, 8pm)
Danish champions Copenhagen hold a 2-1 advantage in this tie thanks to goals from Viktor Claesson and Lukas Lerager and now Jess Thorup’s side will look to finish the job in Turkey.
The stats
Copenhagen have not been in the Champions League group stage since 2016-17 while Trabzonspor’s sole appearance in the main draw came back in 2011-12.
Copenhagen are fifth in the Danish Superliga after picking up a disappointing nine points from their first six games, while Trabzonspor won their first two domestic league matches before going down to a 5-2 defeat to Antalyaspor at the weekend.
Prediction
With a slender advantage to defend, the visitors can progress but it could be a nervy and dramatic night in Trabzon.
Copenhagen won 3-0 last time out in the Danish top flight at Lyngby and have scored at least two goals in five of their last six matches overall, so they clearly have the firepower to edge past the hosts in what could be a high-scoring second leg.
This was supposed to be a dream seven days for Real Madrid.
Announce the signing of Kylian Mbappe – arguably the world’s most coveted player – at the start of the week, and win the Champions League at the end of it.
That was the expectation from club president Florentino Perez, who had been ultra confident a deal for the World Cup-winning France forward would be done.
That Mbappe chose to stay at Paris St-Germain has not gone down well. The Madrid press have been apoplectic, to the point that in the early part of this week all coverage was about the non-deal rather than the small matter of Saturday’s final against Liverpool.
The fallout has involved Karim Benzema courting controversy, but may actually end up being good news for some of the Bernabeu club’s key players.
Either way, it has certainly not been the build-up to their bid for a 14th Champions League title that Real Madrid had been expecting.
If Kylian Mbappe sees out his contract at PSG, he will have been at the club for eight years
While Liverpool’s preparations for the Paris final have involved coming to terms with the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League title by a point to Manchester City, the Real Madrid squad have had an entirely different setback to contend with.
There is certainly an element of disappointment coming from within their camp at the failure to sign Mbappe, because many of the group were looking forward to the chance of playing with him, not least because they had been assured his arrival was a done deal.
The Madrid media felt the same, and the main reason for the subsequent furore is that all they had heard recently – or believed – was Perez’s version of events.
According to sources close to the president, everything was agreed. Mbappe had started to look for a property in Madrid, his presentation to the adoring fans was already being organised and Perez had actually said in private meetings and dinners that it was all done.
Perez told everyone the player was counting the days before he came and the rejection over the past eight months of a new contract offer from PSG only served to confirm their beliefs that this was in fact the case.
But Mbappe always said unequivocally that he would make his decision at the end of the season.
Real Madrid told him he had to choose between money and glory, and there has been plenty of talk this week that he opted for money.
Despite what you may have read or heard, in Mbappe’s mind he did not say “no” to Real Madrid, but rather “yes” to PSG and to staying in his native France. That was clear to me when I met him in Paris this week to interview him for BBC Sport.
In the end there was very little to choose between the offers on the table from both clubs, and the player firmly believes he has unfinished business in Paris.
For the 23-year-old, money was of course a factor, but it is also about love – which he has in abundance in Paris – and power, the three things humans crave. The player will now become the focal point of the club and everyone is going to have to adapt to it. And yes, that includes Lionel Messi. Let’s see how that works.
Mbappe is also more than aware of the fact that by the end of his lucrative new contract he will be just 26 and presumably at his absolute peak. Anything can happen then; never say never.
Real Madrid’s current star man, Karim Benzema, is 37 and might not still be at the club when that deal expires. Perhaps that helps explain his bizarre Instagram posting of a picture of Tupac Shakur, with an image in the background of a ‘friend’ of the rapper who supposedly betrayed the artist before his murder in 1996. This was seen as a less-than-subtle signal to highlight Mbappe’s own ‘betrayal’.
The pair are France team-mates, of course, and Mbappe was quick to point out that in his opinion this infantile response had more to do with the powers that be at Real Madrid making mischief than something that had emanated from Benzema himself.
Certainly, Benzema has not been impressed with being embroiled in the saga and it actually took his intervention to change the mood this week.
He effectively pressed the reset button on Tuesday during a Champions League media day, saying the moment was long gone for discussing these minor matters and it was now time to concentrate on the match.
There are two people involved in Saturday’s final who probably won’t exactly be heartbroken at Mbappe’s no-show in Madrid, namely Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Vinicius has played more minutes than any other Real Madrid player this season and has been a standout performer in the Champions League. Rodrygo has been used less regularly, but delivered arguably European football’s moments of the season when he scored twice in the dying moments of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City to keep the tie alive.
More backing for Vinicius, who incidentally was told as a 16-year-old that the club were looking to him rather than Mbappe as its future, is now inevitable. Suddenly his potential importance to the Spanish champions has grown significantly. Vinicius will probably benefit from not having to look over his shoulder.
New contracts for him and Rodrygo are being negotiated as I write. Neither are ‘an Mbappe’, but Real Madrid now realise this is the coat that they must cut their cloth to. They can no longer compete in the buying of superstars and will have to go down the road of signing prodigiously talented youngsters, like the aforementioned pair and also Eduardo Camavinga, turning them into superstars.
The big question now is where does this whole off-field saga leave Real Madrid and its president?
There is no doubt it is time for a reality check for Perez and the club as a whole. Neither are accustomed to coming off second best in any transfer negotiations, but even they have to accept the timing of these huge deals is now in the hands of the players, because Mbappe’s handling of this situation – letting his contract run down and waiting until the end of the season to announce his decision – has changed the transfer landscape.
Perez is a supremely astute leader with a killer instinct, and previous dealings have shown the footballing world that what he and Real Madrid want, they invariably get.
But not any more.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has had questions to answer this week after his confidence that Kylian Mbappe would join the club this summer proved misplaced
The arrival on to the scene of state-linked clubs like Manchester City (Abu Dhabi) and PSG (Qatar) has brought a seismic change to European football. The pecking order has been transformed both on and off the pitch, with the game’s two young superstars deciding to trust their future for the time being at least to these clubs – Erling Haaland to Manchester City and Mbappe to PSG – rather than the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Real Madrid’s inability to get the Mbappe deal over the line means they have not only lost weight and prestige in the market in the eyes of the watching world, but most importantly they have lost face. That is not a nice feeling for a club that regards itself as the most important in the world.
But with all that said, the disappointment of missing out on Mbappe shouldn’t hide the fact Real Madrid are still very well run, with manageable debt despite rebuilding the stadium, with a squad that is evolving and which will get younger this summer.
And let’s not forget they are one game away from completing a La Liga and Champions League double.
When I spent time with them in Madrid on Tuesday they seemed to have the serenity of serial winners, the calm heads of those used to being in major finals. The players entered the biggest week of the season as if they were walking around a beach in flip flops. It is not arrogance. It is the feeling that, in a way, they have nothing to lose – but with the confidence they have a good chance to win.
Yes, they lack that extra dimension that a Galactico would give them in the commercial world.
But how much do they even need one on the pitch itself? We might find out against Liverpool on Saturday.
Real Madrid ended their triumphant league campaign with a draw against Real Betis in their final match before facing Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Carlo Ancelotti named his strongest XI for the game between the La Liga champions and the Copa del Rey winners.
Karim Benzema twice went close to scoring but was unable to add to his 27 league goals for the season.
Gareth Bale, who is set to leave Real Madrid, was not involved in the game.
Real Madrid’s players gave a guard of honour to Copa del Rey winners Real Betis, before……Betis’ players returned the compliment by giving La Liga champions Madrid a guard of honour
Ancelotti’s team wrapped up the title last month with four games to spare but they were unable to end the domestic campaign on a winning note.
They managed just three attempts on target during the 90 minutes, while Betis went close when 40-year-old substitute Joaquin fired narrowly over on his 600th La Liga appearance.
Real Madrid, who finish the league season on 86 points from 38 games, now have a full week to prepare for the Champions League final in Paris on 28 May.
Real Betis are fifth in the table on 65 points although Real Sociedad can draw level on points if they defeat Atletico Madrid at home on Sunday (21:00 BST).
No Bernabeu farewell for Bale
Ancelotti said on the eve of the game that it was important Real Madrid recognise the contribution Bale made to the club and called on fans to give him a fitting farewell in his final home game.
After naming the Welshman in his squad, the Real boss opted not to include him in his 23.
The 32-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of June, has helped the club win four Champions League trophies and scored 106 goals since joining from Tottenham for £85.3m – then a world transfer record – in September 2013.
Bale has been criticised in Madrid for being perceived to be more committed to playing for Wales than Real.
In March, he hit back at Spanish newspaper Marca for a column which described him as a “parasite”.
He has played just seven club games in 2021-22 totalling 290 minutes and scored one goal.
It is exactly 38 years today, December 11, 1993, Asante Kotoko saw off Al Ahly of Egypt to clinch their second CAF Champions League title.
Club legend, Samuel Opoku Nti scored the only goal for the Porcupines at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
The competition was known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs back then.
Kotoko had eliminated Senegalese side ASC Diaraf 3-2 on aggregate to set up the final against Ahly, edged out Nkana FC from Zambia.
In the first leg of the final, Kotoko held Ahly to a scoreless draw at the Cairo International Stadium.
The Porcupines only needed a win to write history in front of their home fans in the second leg. On the day, 50, 000 supporters turned in their colourful red and white colours.
The deciding goal came on the 22nd minute, Opoku Nti connected a sublime cross by John Bannermann. The stadium was deafening after the referee, Mohammed Hansel from Algeria whistled to end proceedings.
Kotoko is the only Ghanaian club to win the competition twice and also to have appeared in the finals 7 times. Their last final was in 1993.
Kotoko line up for the final
Kotoko Line-up: Joe Carr, Ernest Apau, Kwasi Appiah, Seth Ampadu, Addai Kyenkyenhene, Yahya Kasimu, John Bannerman, Papa Arko(Cap), Ebo Mends, Opoku Nti, Isaac Afranie
Subs: Albert Asaase, Francis Agyemang, Akye Erzuah, Ahmed Rockson, Karim Abdul Zito, Akwetey Quaye (JoeTex).
Head coach: Ibrahim Sunday
It is exactly 38 years today, December 11, 1993, Asante Kotoko saw off Al Ahly of Egypt to clinch their second CAF Champions League title.
Club legend, Samuel Opoku Nti scored the only goal for the Porcupines at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
The competition was known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs back then.
Kotoko had eliminated Senegalese side ASC Diaraf 3-2 on aggregate to set up the final against Ahly, edged out Nkana FC from Zambia.
In the first leg of the final, Kotoko held Ahly to a scoreless draw at the Cairo International Stadium.
The Porcupines only needed a win to write history in front of their home fans in the second leg. On the day, 50, 000 supporters turned in their colourful red and white colours.
The deciding goal came on the 22nd minute, Opoku Nti connected a sublime cross by John Bannermann. The stadium was deafening after the referee, Mohammed Hansel from Algeria whistled to end proceedings.
Kotoko is the only Ghanaian club to win the competition twice and also to have appeared in the finals 7 times. Their last final was in 1993.
Kotoko line up for the final
Kotoko Line-up: Joe Carr, Ernest Apau, Kwasi Appiah, Seth Ampadu, Addai Kyenkyenhene, Yahya Kasimu, John Bannerman, Papa Arko(Cap), Ebo Mends, Opoku Nti, Isaac Afranie
Subs: Albert Asaase, Francis Agyemang, Akye Erzuah, Ahmed Rockson, Karim Abdul Zito, Akwetey Quaye (JoeTex).
Head coach: Ibrahim Sunday
Today in history. 11th December 1983.
African Club Cup final. Kumasi
Asante Kotoko 1-0 Ahly
Three passes. Papa Arkoh found John Bannerman who sent in a low cross for Opoku Nti to connect.
Marco Verratti cannot wait for the challenge of Paris Saint-Germain’s first-ever Champions League final, describing the upcoming clash as the “most important 90 minutes” of his life as a footballer.
Despite dominating French football since the arrival of the Qatar Investment Authority in 2011, PSG have yet to see that success pass over to Europe’s biggest club competition.
But after disposing of German duo Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig as well as Atalanta in the knockout stages to date, Thomas Tuchel’s charges now face Bayern Munich in Sunday’s decider with the chance to make history.
Verratti has been at Parc des Princes since moving from Pescara at just 19, and he admits that the final is the biggest game of his career to date.
“The Champions League is always difficult. So far, we’ve had an incredible journey,” the Italy midfielder explained to reporters in Thursday’s press conference.
“We have 90 minutes left, these are the most important 90 minutes of our lives as a footballer and of the history of the club. You have to be prepared.
Verratti missed out on PSG’s quarter-final clash against Atalanta due to a calf injury, but made an appearance off the bench for the final eight minutes of their last-four win and insists that he is nearing a full recovery and hopes to feature on Sunday.
“I’m better, I started again slowly with the team. This injury was a bit hard to digest,” he added.
“I have resumed with the group for 2-3 days and I will do everything to play the match. I was available in the semi-final. It is the coach who will make his decision.”
In his absence former Manchester United star Ander Herrera has come to the fore in the engine room, and Verratti could not be more delighted for his team-mate.
“For us, this is no surprise. We already knew Ander. He’s a very important player,” he explained.
“This season he has had injuries that have kept him from being available on several occasions, but he still gives 100%. He made two incredible matches. We are very happy with what he does, but we do not just finding out about him here.
“He’s 31, he’s already won the Europa League with Man Utd, he’s won the Premier League too. He has shown his many qualities here.”
Bayern Munich will meet Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals after Robert Lewandowski inspired them to a crushing 7-1 aggregate win over Chelsea.
Having established a commanding 3-0 first leg lead at Stamford Bridge back in February, Bayern quickly made it 5-0 on aggregate when Lewandowski – from the penalty spot – and Ivan Perisic scored inside 25 minutes at the Allianz Arena.
Chelsea pulled a goal back through Tammy Abraham after a rare mistake by keeper Manuel Neuer, but Bayern’s class shone through.
Substitute Corentin Tolisso made it 6-1 on aggregate when he volleyed home unmarked inside the six-yard area before Poland forward Lewandowski, who now has 53 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions this season, headed the fourth to finish the match with two goals and two assists.
Bayern will now face Barca in a mouth-watering one-game knockout format in Lisbon on Friday.
We shall discuss about UEFA Champions league statistics History. We shall start with most titles won, Real Madrid have Champions league 13 times, while AC Milan Have won it Seven Times. Liverpool Have won it Six times, while Bayern Munich and Barcelona have won it Five times each.
For the most Matches played, Real Madrid have played the most matches, a total of 437 matches. Bayern Munich is the second on the list, they have played 347 Matches while Barcelona have played a total of 316 matches. Manchester united is the fourth on the list and have played 279 matches. While the fifth placed Juventus have played 277 matches.
Most wins in UEFA Champions league goes to real madrid, they have 262 wins, 61 wins more than the second placed Bayern Munich. The third placed Barcelona have 187 wins, while Manchester united have 14 wins more than Juventus.
The Most defeats also go to Real madrid, they have suffered a total of 99 defeats in UEFA champions league history. Anderlecht, Benfica and Dynamo Kiev have suffered 86, 85 and 84 defeats respectively. Porto have also lost 78 times in Champions league.
The most goals scored goes to real madrid, they have scored 971 goals. While Bayern Munich have scored 705 goals in UEFA Champions league. Barcelona have scored 629 goals in Champions league, while Manchester united have scored 506 goals in champions league. Juventus have also scored 439 goals in champions league.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has proposed two different dates to resume the closing stages of both the 2019-20 African Champions League and the Confederation Cup.
A leaked document has revealed that Caf is targeting two scenarios, with the return to action either starting in late July/early August or in September.
Both competitions should have been finished in May but the semi-final stages were postponed in April as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
In the first scenario, the first legs of the semi-finals would take place between 31 July-2 August with the second legs the following weekend.
The Confederation Cup final would then be played on 23 August, with the Champions League final taking place five days later.
The second scenario earmarks a return for the semi-finals on 4-6 and 11-13 September, meaning the Confederation Cup final would be on 23 September and the Champions League showpiece on 25 September.
The Champions League and Confederation Cup finals had been set to be hosted in Douala, Cameroon, and Rabat, Morocco, respectively as Caf opted for one-legged finals for the first time but it is unclear if this will still happen.
In the Champions League, Morocco’s Raja Casablanca are due to meet Zamalek of Egypt while the other tie is also a Moroccan-Egyptian affair as Wydad Casablanca face record eight-time winners Al Ahly.
Morocco cancelled all football on 14 March and has yet to indicate when the sport will resume, with a decision expected after the country’s lockdown ends on 10 June.
Egypt, which suspended football a day later, has also to decide when to resume football.
Meanwhile, in the Confederation Cup, Guinea side Horoya will face Egypt’s Pyramids while the other tie is an all-Moroccan affair between Renaissance Berkane and Hassania Agadir.
It is also unclear when Guinean football will resume but Horoya is seeking permission to resume training in the coming weeks so that they can be ready for their tie.
Impact on 2020-21
The delay to the current season has a clear impact on the 2020-21 campaign, which would ordinarily have got underway in August.
CAF is now targeting a start in October 2020 with the finals to be played in May 2021, with four different scenarios being discussed if the finals are to take place in May.
These range from cancelling the quarter-final stage of both competitions to playing both the semis and final in the same country.
Cancelling the second preliminary round of the Confederations Cup and playing matches at the same time as the European Championships, which might divert fans’ attention, in June-July 2021 are also being considered.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta admits it is a “no-brainer” the club will struggle to attract top players if they fail to qualify for the Champions League for a fourth successive season.
The Gunners face the possibility of no European football at all next year and the financial ramifications that would entail.
A shock defeat to Olympiakos in the Europa League last 32 has closed off one route to a Champions League return, while they sit 10th in the Premier League.
Manchester City’s appearance in the Carabao Cup final meant Arsenal did not have a league game this weekend but instead head to Portsmouth on Monday night for an FA Cup fifth-round clash.
Winning a record 14th FA Cup could present the best way for Arteta to qualify for Europe as it offers a place in the Europa League.
But the 37-year-old knows the lure of Champions League football is important not only to bring in new faces but also keep hold of key talent like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
“I think it is a no-brainer,” Arteta replied when asked if it was easier to get players to sign when Champions League football was on offer.
“Every player in the world wants to play Champions League and, if you talk about having this option on the table, players are in a much more open way to join this club or to renew their contract or to convince anybody because we want to be in that competition.
“It will be difficult but this is the situation we are in now. We’ve been in that situation because we haven’t performed as well as the other top four clubs have been doing.
“That’s the reality and we have to face that reality face to face and try to make the best decisions.”
The second leg of Manchester City’s last-16 second leg Champions League tie against Real Madrid, scheduled for Tuesday 17 March, has been postponed.
The decision, confirmed by Uefa, comes after the Real Madrid squad went into quarantine because of coronavirus.
The second leg of Juventus’ last-16 tie against Lyon has also been postponed on the same date.
Juve’s squad will spend two weeks in quarantine after defender Daniele Rugani tested positive for the virus.
A Uefa statement said: “Following the quarantine imposed on players of Juventus and Real Madrid, the matches will not take place as scheduled.”
City’s Premier League game with Arsenal was postponed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.
Pep Guardiola’s side hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg against Real in Spain on 26 February, while Juventus trail Lyon 1-0 after the first leg in France.
Lucas Tousart’s first-half goal saw a superb Lyon stun Juventus 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Tousart turned in Houssem Aouar’s cross 14 minutes before the break with Juve momentarily reduced to 10 men while Matthijs De Ligt was treated for a head injury, but the victory was no less than Rudi Garcia’s side deserved.
Their first win over Juventus in their history was underpinned by a textbook defensive performance, which denied the Serie A club a single shot on target across 90 minutes.
It was the hosts who enjoyed the better of the chances for most of the game, with Karl Toko-Ekambi rattling the bar from a corner before Tousart’s opener. Juventus substitute Gonzalo Higuain shot wide from close-range with time running out to ensure Lyon travel to Turin on March 13 enjoying a valuable first-leg lead.
Starting on the front foot, Cristiano Ronaldo almost found Juan Cuadrado at the far post inside four minutes, but that hardly provided an insight into how the half would pan out.
Just as they had at this stage 12 months ago against Barcelona, Lyon looked to be compact without the ball and spring on the break. When one such attack led to their first corner of the game, Toko-Ekambi left the crossbar shaking after meeting Aouar’s excellent corner at the near post.
Ten minutes later, with De Ligt forced off by a cut to the head, an improvised backline was breached when Aouar beat Cuadrado down the left before crossing. With the visitors unsure who was marking who, Tousart ghosted in. His top-corner effort was untidy but it beat Wojciech Szczesny.
Back to their full line-up, Juventus nearly crumbled before the break. A lazy pass back to Leonardo Bonucci was picked off by Toko-Ekambi, who went for power from a tight angle and fired over the crossbar, while the same man was again off target from 25 yards minutes later.
There was always an expectation Juventus would improve – especially with Ronaldo entering the game on the back of scoring in 11 Serie A games in succession – but little changed after half-time, in a second period which lacked goalmouth action but was a display of raw determination from Garcia’s superbly organised hosts.
It took until the 68th minute for a chance of note to drop either way, and it was one Juventus badly needed to take. Paulo Dybala arrived late to sweep Rodrigo Betancur’s cross goalwards, but missed the near post by a matter of inches.
With eight to go, it was a similar story for substitute Higuain. Receiving a perfect pass inside from Dybala, he struggled to get the ball out of his feet and clumsily fired wide from eight yards.
In added time, the visitors had a shout for a penalty when Dybala went to ground with Bruno Guimaraes grabbing a handful of his shirt, but referee Jesus Manzano waved away his protests – and with it, Juventus’ hopes of a first-leg comeback.
Sergio Ramos claimed his share of a rather unwanted record on Wednesday as he saw red during Manchester City’s stunning Champions League comeback.
The Real Madrid captain was largely untested for much of the first hour at Santiago Bernabeu as Pep Guardiola’s men took on an unusually cautious approach to the last 16 tie.
With no recognised centre-forward on the pitch and Gabriel Jesus utilised on the left wing, Ramos was allowed to indulge his attacking instincts, surging into the box shortly after Isco had put the hosts ahead 1-0 and blazing a decent chance over the bar.
When the tables were turned, however, the Spain legend looked shell-shocked, with dimunitive Jesus towering over him to win a header and equalise for Pep’s charges with 77 minutes played.
Barely five minutes had passed before City completed their comeback, Kevin De Bruyne slotting home from the spot to end the club’s recent penalty woes and put the visitors 2-1 up.
And Madrid’s misery was compounded when Ramos chopped down Jesus with the Brazilian was clear on goal, leaving referee Daniele Orsato no choice but to show the red card.
That expulsion took the star up to four in his long Champions League career, a tally that many observers might be forgiven for thinking is on the low side given his notoriously on the limit, antagonistic style of play.
Nevertheless, he now shares in a competition record, with only two other players in history earning as many early baths in Europe.
UEFA handed down the punishment, which includes a €30 million fine (£25m/$33m), to the Premier League giants for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.
A statement read: “The Adjudicatory Chamber, having considered all the evidence, has found that Manchester City Football Club committed serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations by overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016.
“The Adjudicatory Chamber has also found that in breach of the regulations the Club failed to cooperate in the investigation of this case by the CFCB.
“The Adjudicatory Chamber has imposed disciplinary measures on Manchester City Football Club directing that it shall be excluded from participation in UEFA club competitions in the next two seasons (ie. the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons) and pay a fine of € 30 million.
“The decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber is subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If Manchester City Football Club exercises that right the full reasoned decision of the Adjudicatory Chamber will not be published prior to publication of the final award by the CAS.â€
“As noted by the Adjudicatory Chamber, the club has the right to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Therefore, UEFA will not be commenting further on this decision at this stage.”
This season’s final is on 30 May at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, the ground where Liverpool won the epic 2005 match against AC Milan.
Arsenal, Celtic, Manchester United, Wolves and Rangers will find out their Europa League last-32 opponents when that draw takes place at 12:00 GMT on Monday.
Bayern Munich ended the Champions League group stages with a perfect record after a convincing 3-1 victory over Tottenham at the Allianz Arena.
With Bayern and Spurs already assured of a spot in the last 16, the final assignment in Group B was reduced to a dead rubber, but Bayern were in no mood to take their foot off the gas against the side they scored seven past in October.
Kingsley Coman slotted Bayern in front on 12 minutes, and although they were pegged back within four minutes by Ryan Sessegnon’s first Spurs goal, efforts from Thomas Muller and Philippe Coutinho saw the five-time European champions outmuscle a timid Tottenham side.
The victory sees Bayern become the seventh side to win all of their group games in the competition, with attention now turning to Monday’s Champions League draw, where group winners Bayern and runners-up Spurs await their fate in the knockout stage.
With their passage to the knockout stage already secure, both sides made a combined 11 changes ahead of their final group-stage outing.
Bayern were the dominant force in front of their own fans, patiently examining the Spurs defence before coming alive in attack on 12 minutes.
Benjamin Pavard’s back-post volley was saved on the line by Paulo Gazzaniga, who showed quick reflexes to get back to his feet to prevent Thiago Alcantara from converting the rebound.
But there was nothing the Spurs goalkeeper could do two minutes later when Serge Gnabry’s cross deflected into Coman’s path, and the Frenchman slotted Bayern into the lead.
But Spurs were behind for just four minutes, an intricate move ended with the ball rolling into the path of 19-year-old Sessegnon, who capped his first start for Spurs and in the Champions League by rifling home at the near post.
Bayern lost goalscorer Coman to a nasty-looking knee injury on 25 minutes, and shortly afterwards, Thiago missed a glorious chance to restore their lead when he somehow fired wide after Gnabry’s shot rebounded off the post and into his lap.
But Coman’s replacement, Muller, lifted the mood with a poacher’s goal, poking his 198th goal for the club home after Alphonso Davies’s shot bounced off the frame of the Spurs goal.
Gazzaniga denied Coutinho a stunning quick-fire second, tipping the Brazilian’s long-range effort onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time.
Coutinho would go on to register five shots on goal, three of which were on target, before he finally got his reward, curling a low effort beyond the outstretched arm of Gazzaniga to put the seal on a brilliant campaign for Bayern.
Mohamed Salah clinched victory 100 seconds later with an excellent finish from a tight angle.
Jurgen Klopp’s side needed the three points to top the group because Napoli beat Genk 4-0.
The Reds will discover their Champions League last-16 opponents in Monday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland (11:00 GMT). Real and Atletico Madrid are both possible opponents.
Salzburg, who had scored 87 goals in 24 games before this, drop into the Europa League last 32. Their 19-year-old striker Erling Braut Haaland had chances to score but failed to become the first player to score in his first six Champions League appearances.
Chelsea’s qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League will go to the final game after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Valencia.
A win for either side at the Mestalla would have sent them into the knockout stages, and Valencia broke the deadlock in the 40th minute as Carlos Soler slotted home. Mateo Kovacic levelled for Chelsea straight after, but the half ended on a sour note when Tammy Abraham was stretchered off on the stroke of half-time.
Five minutes after the break, Christian Pulisic (50) had a goal ruled out for offside, but the decision was overturned after a lengthy VAR review. Just after the hour mark, confusion reigned when Valencia were awarded a penalty, but Dani Parejo’s effort was well saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Chelsea looked to be heading into the last 16, but there was another late twist when Daniel Wass’ cross (82) pinged into the back of the net via the crossbar to send qualification from Group H into the final game-week in a fortnight’s time, with Chelsea, Valencia and Ajax all in contention for two spots in the knockout stages.
Knowing a win would see them through, Chelsea began the game well and should have scored inside three minutes. Reece James put a sensational cross into the area and picked out an unmarked Willian inside the six-yard box. However, from close range, he could only send his header over the crossbar.
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