• Pep Guardiola urges Manchester City’s Phil Foden to push for England recall

    Foden scores twice in 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund‘No one in the world doesn’t know about his quality’Pep Guardiola said that “no one in the world” could deny Phil Foden’s quality and urged Manchester City’s playmaker to push himself to be recalled by Thomas Tuchel for England after he scored twice in the 4-1 home Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.Foden’s sumptuous strikes, on 22 and 57 minutes, were complemented by a raspi
  • ‘That level is not enough’: Guardiola wants more despite City win in Madrid

    Head coach said City must improve away from home‘Knowing the players we will be better’Pep Guardiola was able to celebrate a 2-1 Champions League victory at Real Madrid on Wednesday night – a result that does not come along too often. But the Manchester City manager was clear that his team would have to raise their performance levels in the knockout rounds if they are to repeat their triumph of 2023 in the competition.It was a night when the pressure intensified on the Madrid m
  • Real Madrid show fight but another setback leaves Xabi Alonso’s future on knife-edge | Sid Lowe

    The hosts battled against Manchester City but a second successive home defeat pushes manager towards exitOn the night they were going to sack him, Xabi Alonso watched his team rise against their fate and perhaps his, but fall again. He listened to the fans whistle and the final whistle, embraced the man who had been his mentor and then, defeated for the second time in four days here, disappeared straight down the Bernabéu tunnel without looking back. Real Madrid had taken the game to Manc
  • Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened

    City came from behind for a deserved win that puts Real coach Xabi Alonso under further pressure1 min: A fierce old atmosphere in the Bernabéu. It’s Real Madrid in the Champions League after all. It’s Real Madrid versus a Pep team. And then …Hats off to Erling Haaland, who goes out of his way to say hello to a couple of the tiny mascots and give them a high five. Once he goes off down the line, the little lads embrace each other with excitement, their day made. So sweet
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  • Champions League: Mourinho’s Benfica swat aside Napoli while PSG draw blank

    Ajax win 4-2 at Qarabag; Juventus edge out PafosCopenhagen stun Villarreal; Bodø/Glimt hold DortmundBenfica’s Richard Ríos scored one goal and set up another to seal a vital 2-0 victory against Napoli on Wednesday, boosting the Portuguese side’s hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage.The result reignited Benfica’s European campaign, clinching a second consecutive win after a poor start and lifting them to six points and up to 25th place, just one po
  • Champions League: Club Brugge 0-3 Arsenal, Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle, and more – as it happened

    Arsenal eased to a 3-0 win in Bruges, Newcastle conceded a late goal at Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica beat Napoli 2-0Athletic Bilbao: Simon, Areso, Vivian, Yuri, Boiro, Jauregizar, Ruiz de Galarreta, Berenguer, Sancet, Nico Williams, Guruzeta.
    Subs: Santos, Padilla, Gorosabel, Vesga, Lekue, Gomez, Serrano, Rego, Hierro, de Luis, Selton Sanchez, Inaki Williams.PSG: Safonov, Zaire Emery, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Fabian, Barcola, Mayulu, Kvaratskhelia.Subs: James, Marin, Zabar
  • Grimaldo’s late strike for Leverkusen denies Newcastle comeback victory

    Eighty-eight minutes had passed and Newcastle fans were already in party mode when Alejandro Grimaldo collected Ibrahim Maza’s pass and concluded a move he had initiated courtesy of a glorious run and dummy.As the Spain left wing-back’s shot slid beneath Aaron Ramsdale’s body and his Bayer Leverkusen teammates celebrated an arguably deserved equaliser, North Rhine-Westphalia suddenly felt a much colder place for Eddie Howe’s players. Continue reading...
  • Haaland seals Manchester City win at Real Madrid to leave Alonso on brink

    For Xabi Alonso, the slide towards the abyss has looked sudden from the outside. Everything was fine at the beginning of November, results for Real Madrid excellent. Since when precious little has gone his way. The manager desperately needed something here. When this latest game eluded him, it was easy to fear the worst. Time is not a commodity afforded to men in his position.Alonso has now won twice in eight matches in all competitions and the pain was deep, the frustration given an extra twist
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  • Madueke and Martinelli magic makes it perfect six for Arsenal at Club Brugge

    This was an evening of notable milestones for Arsenal and Gabriel Martinelli, although there was no smile broader than Noni Madueke’s. The England forward was subjected to a ridiculous online petition that opposed his move across London from Chelsea in the summer. But on a rare appearance on the right flank as Bukayo Saka was given a welcome rest, Madueke scored a fantastic individual goal before adding a second after half-time to set up a comfortable victory for Mikel Arteta’s side.
  • Arne Slot full of praise for Liverpool efforts after gritty win against Inter

    ‘We couldn’t have asked for more,’ says managerSlot skirts around the Mohamed Salah issueArne Slot said Liverpool’s players gave everything he could have asked after they put Mohamed Salah’s absence aside to inflict a first European home defeat on Inter in more than three years.The Liverpool head coach conceded that Dominik Szoboszlai’s decisive 88th-minute penalty – awarded for a shirt pull by Alessandro Bastoni on Florian Wirtz – would probably n
  • Champions League: Koundé double boosts Barcelona, Greenwood lifts Marseille

    Bayern beat Sporting to move level with Arsenal at topAtlético come from behind to burst PSV’s bubbleJules Koundé’s two quickfire headers helped Barcelona to fight back and edge past Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Champions League at Camp Nou on Tuesday, marking a much-needed win for the Catalan side.After a draw against Club Brugge and a defeat by Chelsea, Barcelona found their stride to climb to 14th in the standings, level on 10 points with several teams, as they aim
  • Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea, Tottenham 3-0 Slavia Prague: Champions League as it happened

    Chelsea slipped to defeat in Bergamo, Spurs earned a welcome home win and Barcelona fought back to deny FrankfurtBarcelona (4-3-3): Joan García; Koundé, Cubarsí, Gerard, Balde; Eric García, Pedri, Fermín López; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha (c).
    Subs: Ter Stegen, Szczesny, Torres, Rashford, Christensen, Casadó, de Jong, Bernal, Torrents, Dro Fernández, Bardghji.Eintracht Frankfurt (4-4-1-1): Zetterer; Kristensen, Koch (c), Theate, Brown; Doa
  • Inter 0-1 Liverpool: Champions League – as it happened

    Dominik Szoboszlai’s late penalty gave Liverpool a deserved victory after a strong performance in MilanIt’s a great fixture to look forward to. Like I said yesterday when people asked, not that many did, I told them how well Inter have started the season, that they made two of the last three finals.[On his team selection] At this moment in time I have 13 outfield players with Champions League experience available. If you don’t have wingers available, apart from Rio [Ngumoha] wh
  • Szoboszlai steps up in place of Salah to sink Inter as Liverpool fans sing Slot’s name

    First the Liverpool hierarchy protected Arne Slot’s authority by axing Mohamed Salah from a daunting Champions League assignment in Milan. The Liverpool team then followed suit by inflicting Inter’s first European home defeat since September 2022. A brooding superstar with a bruised ego watched from afar while Liverpool fans serenaded Slot at San Siro.Salah might well have taken the decisive 88th-minute penalty had he not talked himself out of the trip to San Siro, another legend of
  • Spurs ease pressure on Frank as Simons rounds off easy win against Slavia Prague

    Son Heung-min was back at the club he served with such distinction for 10 years and the former Tottenham captain will perhaps conclude that finding meaning in much the new version of the Champions League has to offer before the knockout stages arrive is far from straightforward.This was something of a non-event in terms of competitiveness, so much so that it would be a mistake to assume Tottenham are on their way to becoming a winning machine at home. They did not have to extend themselves to se
  • Chelsea’s top-eight hopes hit by Atalanta after De Ketelaere seals comeback win

    There were no answers to Chelsea’s search for consistency here. Instead they supplied more evidence that they lack the resilience for a Champions League tilt that may now have to be tackled the hard way. This damaging late defeat completed a grim week on the road and had implications for the longer-term picture. They are staring down the barrel of a February playoff that could stretch Enzo Maresca’s side, active almost year-round, to the very limit.Atalanta twice punished weak defend
  • ‘A good place to prove yourself’: Guardiola peps up Manchester City for Bernabéu test

    Manager stresses transitional phase of reshaped squadMadrid defeat could spell end of Xabi Alonso’s tenurePep Guardiola has challenged his reshaped Manchester City team to prove they can thrive against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.The City manager goes back to one of Europe’s grandest venues for the Champions League game on Wednesday night without many of the stalwarts who have been at the heart of the numerous battles between the clubs in recent years. Continue reading...
  • Arteta fears Arsenal trophy hunt could be hindered by ‘dangerous circle’ of injuries

    Declan Rice ruled out of Club Brugge match with illnessMax Dowman to miss several weeks with ankle injuryMikel Arteta fears that Arsenal’s quest for silverware this season could be undermined by a “dangerous circle” of mounting injuries and an unforgiving fixture list that he believes are placing huge demands on his squad.Arteta confirmed that Declan Rice has not travelled to Belgium for Arsenal’s Champions League meeting with Club Brugge on Wednesday because of illness,
  • Tottenham’s Pride flag moved on ‘security grounds’ after Slavia Prague request

    Czech club made request to Uefa for flag to be movedProud Lilywhites: ‘The flag will fly. It will still be seen’Proud Lilywhites, Tottenham’s official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, has expressed disappointment after the club’s rainbow flag was moved for Tuesday’s home fixture against Slavia Prague.The flag to show support for the LGBTQ+ community is displayed in the north-east corner of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, close to the away fans. It has been moved to the so
  • Xabi Alonso fights for Madrid future in latest edition of modern classic

    Los Blancos host Manchester City on Wednesday with head coach’s job on the line after one win in five league games“This is a team, it is a club, and we all go together hand in hand,” Xabi Alonso insisted, protesting perhaps a little too much. “When you’re Real Madrid coach you’re ready,” he added on the morning before Manchester City return to the Santiago Bernabéu for the latest of a very modern classic against one of the many managers who made h
  • Garnacho happy to have taken ‘a step forward’ by swapping United for Chelsea

    Forward says he is ‘building confidence’ with MarescaManager praises Atalanta before Champions League tieAlejandro Garnacho has said that he has no regrets about the manner of his departure from Manchester United, and that it was a straightforward decision to “take a step forward” by ­joining Chelsea last summer.Garnacho has had a steady, rather than sparkling, first few months since he joined Chelsea in August. His relationship with Ruben Amorim had collapsed by the
  • Champions League review: Arsenal erupt, PSV stun Liverpool and Benfica revive

    Arsenal rout Bayern to stake a claim as Europe’s best, Liverpool spiral again, Benfica revive under Mourinho, and Estevão dazzles on a crowded week of stars• Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run and claim to be the best team in European football were both punctured at the Emirates. Arsenal were rampant against an opponent who have handed them so much pain in the past. The Gunners opened the scoring through their habitual set-piece goal, Jurriën Timber fulfilling the role of
  • Newcastle to lodge Uefa complaint over ‘unacceptable treatment’ of fans at Marseille game

    Supporters ‘targeted with pepper spray and batons’French police used ‘excessive tactics’, claim NewcastleNewcastle are to complain over the “unacceptable treatment” their fans endured after Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Marseille in the Champions League. The Premier League club accused French police of using pepper spray, batons and shields to subdue supporters in the wake of Tuesday night’s loss at Stade Vélodrome.A club statement said: “We
  • Can Arne Slot revive this Frankenstein’s monster of a Liverpool side? | Barney Ronay

    New players have come in, too many of them, and that has meant a dilution of the collective will instilled by Klopp Before this game Arne Slot had announced that he was “almost confused”. Which does at least raise some tantalising questions. Mainly, what is this Liverpool team going to look like when he gets there, when a state of full confusion is finally attained, when even Slot’s confusion stops being confusing and reveals its diamond-cut final form. Continue reading...
  • Declan Rice cranks up volume to show he is Europe’s best player right now | Nick Ames

    The driving force behind the continent’s standout team resembled four players in one as Arsenal put their old nemesis Bayern Munich to the swordShortly before the goal that left Arsenal’s supremacy in no doubt, Harry Kane embarked upon a lonely jaunt up their left flank. Much like the majority of Bayern Munich’s attacking endeavours, it ended almost as soon as it had begun. In common with a sizeable percentage it was terminated by Declan Rice, who thundered in and took the ball
  • Champions League roundup: Mbappé hits four at Olympiakos, Atlético stun Inter

    Real Madrid edge home 4-3 in GreeceGiménez heads home in injury time for AtléticoKylian Mbappé scored the second-fastest hat-trick in the Champions League as he helped himself to all four goals in Real Madrid’s 4-3 win at Olympiacos.The La Liga leaders were trailing to Chiquinho’s early strike at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis before Mbappé intervened with a seven-minute treble after 22, 24 and 29 minutes. Continue reading...
  • Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich: Champions League – as it happened

    Arsenal dismantled an excellent Bayern side to maintain their 100% record in the Champions League this seasonMike Arteta, Arsenal manager, speaks to TNT about his selection choices:The headaches are going to be a little bit harder. Cristhian Mosquera and Myles Lewis-Skelly deserve to play. We have to manage the squad and the load that we have. We have a game every three games. Continue reading...
  • PSG 5-3 Tottenham, Liverpool 1-4 PSV, and more: Champions League – as it happened

    Vitinha was the star of an eight-goal thriller in Paris, while Liverpool’s abysmal run of form continued as PSV routed them at AnfieldAll across the continent, teams line up to hear Zadok the Priest get his usual Uefa-sanctioned kicking. Poor Zadok’s a-cold! All of which is a roundabout way to say that we’ll be off in a minute. Big night coming up.TNT have a quick word with Thomas Frank before kick-off. “There is one game in front of us, that’s PSG … if you l
  • Vitinha’s PSG hat-trick blows Spurs away as Frank changes fail to solve riddle

    There was no shame in this defeat for Tottenham, which represented progress after the north London derby disaster at Arsenal on Sunday. There were measures of encouragement for the crucial Premier League home game against Fulham on Saturday, most notably in the shape of Randal Kolo Muani, the striker who is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.Kolo Muani set up Richarlison for 1-0 and scored with a stinging volley for 2-1. There would be another for him before this wild Champions League tie was over
  • Arne Slot’s woes deepen as awful Liverpool are thrashed by PSV at Anfield

    Nine defeats in 12 games. The worst run in 71 years. By a team that coasted to the Premier League title last season and were then supposedly upgraded to the tune of almost £450m. Unbelievable, as Arne Slot would say. His Liverpool are stuck in reverse and his position could be under serious threat unless a way out is found soon.PSV Eindhoven were the latest beneficiaries of woeful Liverpool defending and aimless attacking play as the Dutch side inflicted a comprehensive defeat on Slot&rsqu

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