Champions League news

• Manchester United 0-1 Barcelona: Champions League quarter-final, first leg – as it happened

  10-04-2019 23:55 via theguardian.com
  A Luke Shaw own goal gives Barcelona a slender advantage in their Champions League quarter-final tieRead Paul Wilson’s match report from Old TraffordBarney Ronay on the genius of Lionel Messi 10.55pm BSTRelated: Manchester United defence proves no match for Messi’s footballing third eye | Barney Ronay10.23pm BST “There were pluses and negative. We started sloppy and a bit nervous. But after their goal we did well ... At times it felt like a proper Man Untied team. We got wide,
  
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• Manchester United defence proves no match for Messi’s footballing third eye | Barney Ronay

  10-04-2019 23:43 via theguardian.com
  Even on a relatively poor night, the greatest club footballer of all time was impossible to tameIt is the sign of a truly great player: even when you beat him, stifle him, beat him back for an hour, he still somehow ends up winning the day. There was a degree of amusement before this Champions League quarter-final first leg at Chris Smalling’s suggestion he was looking forward to facing Lionel Messi; that the greatest club footballer in the history of the game should “bring it on&rdq
  
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• Jordan Henderson credits England for Jürgen Klopp pushing him forward

  10-04-2019 23:29 via theguardian.com
  • Liverpool midfielder has impressed in No 8 role• Henderson ‘could speak my mind’ with Liverpool’s managerJordan Henderson believes his performances on England duty convinced Jürgen Klopp to grant his wish to return to a more natural midfield role at Liverpool.The Liverpool captain produced a commanding and creative display as a No 8 at home against Porto as the Premier League leaders took control of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday. Klopp offered
  
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• Ajax 1-1 Juventus: Champions League quarter-final, first leg – as it happened

  10-04-2019 23:13 via theguardian.com
  Ajax dominated the Champions League quarter-final against Juventus, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal was equalised by David Neres to leave the final score 1-1Read Nick Ames’s match report from Ajax 1-1 JuventusRead Paul Wilson’s report from Man Utd 0-1 Barcelona 10.13pm BST And with that, we’ll leave things for the evening. A terrific game, and one that sets up next week’s return in Italy very nicely indeed. Thanks for reading, and have a splendid evening.10.12pm BST He
  
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• Ronaldo ruthless for Juve but Neres leveller gives Ajax fighting chance

  10-04-2019 23:07 via theguardian.com
  Never mind the gaping difference in budgets; never mind the fairytale narrative that has captivated Europe. Ajax could not beat Juventus but, in one sense, they achieved what they set out to do. They made this a clash of equals, just like the European Cup finals the sides contested in 1973 and 1996, and will be far from cowed by going again in Turin next Tuesday. Related: Advantage Barcelona as Manchester United’s Luke Shaw scores own goalRelated: Ancelotti back in London with fond memorie
  
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• Advantage Barcelona as Manchester United’s Luke Shaw scores own goal

  10-04-2019 22:59 via theguardian.com
  After Paris in the last round Manchester United are going to take some convincing that this result need necessarily be conclusive, and they will travel to Catalonia next week with hope. In their hearts they must know that Barcelona are not Paris Saint-Germain, however, and unless they can find a way to assert themselves in Camp Nou by seeing more of the ball and using it to greater effect they could end up with the treatment they handed out to Lionel Messi: a bloodied nose. Related: Manchester U
  
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• Manchester United v Barcelona: Champions League quarter-final, first leg – live!

  10-04-2019 21:23 via theguardian.com
  Minute-by-minute updates from the 8pm BST kick-offYou can email Paul here or tweet him hereAjax v Juventus – join Nick Miller for live updatesLive scoreboard: the latest from Wednesday’s matches 8.23pm BST 22 min: Rashford jinks past Arthur and lets fly from 25 yards. He hits it with plenty of power but not enough precision, so it whizzes several yards over.8.22pm BST 20 min: Shaw booked for obstructing Messi. For that he gets a yellow that rules him out of the second leg. And on tha
  
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• Ajax v Juventus: Champions League quarter-final, first leg – live!

  10-04-2019 21:23 via theguardian.com
  Minute-by-minute updates from the 8pm BST kick-offYou can email Nick here or tweet him hereManchester United v Barcelona – join Paul Doyle for the latestLive scoreboard: the latest from Wednesday’s games 8.23pm BST 21 mins: WhoScored? currently has the possession split at 56%-44% in Ajax’s favour, which I’m quite surprised about. Ajax have seemed to be in more control than that.8.20pm BST 18 mins: Ziyech again! Some absurd quick, one-touch passing from Ajax in the Juve ar
  
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• Ilkay Gündogan says Manchester City are too nervous in Champions League

  10-04-2019 15:11 via theguardian.com
  • Midfielder feels City were ‘not brave enough’ at Tottenham
  • Gündogan admits players ‘always make the wrong decisions’Ilkay Gündogan has offered a scathing assessment of Manchester City’s mentality in the Champions League, describing them as too nervous, too error-prone and too vulnerable to setbacks.Gündogan started the 1-0 defeat by Tottenham in the quarter-final on Tuesday – a first-leg performance he felt was marked by over-eager
  
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• Manchester City can overcome Spurs in second leg, says Fernandinho

  10-04-2019 14:00 via theguardian.com
  • Midfielder backs Pep Guardiola’s more defensive tactics
  • ‘We have all the conditions to play better and win the game’Fernandinho is confident Manchester City can turn around their 1-0 Champions League quarter-final deficit against Tottenham and he argued that their more defensive than normal approach in the first leg had achieved its ends.Pep Guardiola changed his system by playing two holding midfielders rather than one at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – he
  
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• Manchester United 'need to step up game' against Barcelona, says Solskjær – video

  10-04-2019 12:48 via theguardian.com
  The Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, has said that his side need to perform at their best level to have a chance of beating Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final. Solskjaer also insisted it is not impossible for his team to stop Lionel Messi: 'He is one of the best individual players ever. He’ll be difficult to stop but it’s never impossible'Manchester United must be streetwise against Barcelona, says Solskjær Continue reading...
  
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• Pep Guardiola last won a big European away in 2011. Is he overthinking? | Jonathan Wilson

  10-04-2019 11:30 via theguardian.com
  Manchester City’s loss at Spurs took his run without a quarter- or semi-final victory to 10 games. It feels more than a blipEight years ago Pepe was sent off and Lionel Messi scored two goals, one of them brilliant, as Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League. It was an apocalyptic night, the climax of that run of four clásicos in 17 days (although there was the second leg still to come) that came to define José Mourinho’s first season in Spa
  
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• Pep Guardiola last won a big European away game in 2011. Is he overthinking? | Jonathan Wilson

  10-04-2019 11:30 via theguardian.com
  Manchester City’s defeat at Tottenham took his run without a quarter- or semi-final victory to 10. It feels like more than a blipEight years ago Pepe was sent off and Lionel Messi scored two goals, one of them brilliant, as Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League. It was an apocalyptic night, the climax of that run of four clásicos in 17 days (although there was the second leg still to come) that came to define José Mourinho’s first season i
  
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• Luis Súarez: the ‘clumsy’ enigma who always delivers for Barcelona

  10-04-2019 10:59 via theguardian.com
  The Uruguayan faces Manchester United, under scrutiny but with the backing of his coach, who calls him ‘priceless’Luis Suárez succeeded where everyone else failed. There were five minutes remaining against Atlético Madrid on Saturday night and it was still 0-0 when he received the ball, shifted his weight and bent it in a wide, fast arc beyond the goalkeeper in off the far post. It was the 31st shot Jan Oblak had faced from outside the area this season and the first to
  
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• ‘It’s good for the Champions League’ – Ajax aim to upset Juventus

  10-04-2019 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Erik ten Hag’s bewitching young side take on Juventus on Wednesday night aiming to continue the fairytale run that has seen them eliminate Real MadridFor Ajax, any visions of Juventus spool straight to memories of the one that got away. In May 1996, Louis van Gaal’s team were on the verge of becoming the first to retain the European Cup in its modern form. They met the Serie A champions in the final at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico and took it to penalties despite going behind. Destin
  
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• Mauricio Pochettino fears Spurs’ Harry Kane could be out for season with injury

  10-04-2019 01:46 via theguardian.com
  • Spurs striker injures ankle in clash with Fabian Delph
  • ‘We hope he can recover but it doesn’t look good’ Related: Son’s solo effort secures win for Spurs after Lloris saves Man City penalty Mauricio Pochettino’s happiness at overseeing a 1-0 Champions League victory over Manchester City was tempered by the loss of Harry Kane to yet another ankle ligament injury – the Tottenham manager fears it will rule him out for the remainder of the season. Re
  
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• Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp: ‘The game is still on. We have to go to Porto and fight’

  10-04-2019 01:34 via theguardian.com
  • Liverpool manager remains despite 2-0 lead
  • ‘The atmosphere will be really tough and intense’Jürgen Klopp said Liverpool still have a fight on their hands to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League despite this comfortable win over Porto at Anfield. Related: Liverpool cruise to victory over Porto after Naby Keïta’s flying start Twitter: follow us at @guardian_sport Related: James Milner shows the intensity Liverpool will need for run-inContinue read
  
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• Supercharged Son jolts City to show Spurs can prosper without Kane

  10-04-2019 01:26 via theguardian.com
  The South Korean is quicker and more likely to dribble or power on behind the last defender and it may suit Tottenham to have him as their main striker in ManchesterWho needs Harry Kane anyway? This is not an entirely serious question. The correct answer is, of course every club team in elite European football. But not always Tottenham Hotspur. As Kane limped off after 55 minutes of this Champions League quarter-final Mauricio Pochettino’s team were once again asked to perform without thei
  
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• Mauricio Pochettino fears Harry Kane could be out for rest of the season – video

  10-04-2019 00:55 via theguardian.com
  Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane’s ankle injury – sustained in Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Manchester City – could rule the striker out for the rest of the season.The Argentinian believes City are ‘still the favourites to win the Champions League’ despite Tottenham’s advantage going into the second leg of the quarter-finals while opposing manager, Pep Guardiola, says his City side were ‘so solid’ and ‘controlled the game’, despite
  
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