Showing posts with label Uefa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Uefa. Show all posts

Monday, 12 December 2016

UEFA Full Draw: Arsenal face Bayern Munich in Champions League last 16

Arsenal defeated Bayern 2-0 at the home last season but were beaten 5-1 at the Allianz Arena
Arsenal will face Bayern Munich, Leicester City will play Sevilla and Manchester City are up against Monaco in the Champions League last 16.

The Gunners have played the German champions four times in the previous five campaigns and finished behind them in the group stage last season.

The Foxes, in their debut campaign, have a tough test against Europa League champions Sevilla.

Manchester City's opponents Monaco beat Tottenham twice in Group E.

One of the other standout ties of the round puts Spanish champions Barcelona against French champions Paris St-Germain. Barca beat PSG in the quarter-finals en route to winning the title during the 2014-15 season.

Champions and La Liga leaders Real Madrid face Italian side Napoli, who are fourth in Serie A.


Full draw
Manchester City v Monaco
Real Madrid v Napoli
Benfica v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v Arsenal
FC Porto v Juventus
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
Paris St-Germain v Barcelona
Sevilla v Leicester
(First legs to be played on 14 & 15 and 21 & 22 February 2017; second legs on 7 & 8 and 14 & 15 March)
'The tide has got to turn'

Arsenal have been knocked out by Bayern in the three previous occasions they have met in the knockout stage.

Gunners club secretary David Miles told BT Sport: "We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season which is testament to manager Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time.

"But the fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them."

Bayern skipper Philipp Lahm tweeted: "Tough draw as Arsenal is in really good shape. Looking forward to seeing my former colleagues from the national team again!"

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain said that Monaco should not be underestimated.

He added: "Monaco are playing probably the best football in France now.

"In the group of Tottenham and Bayer Leverkusen they were top. They have young players and a lot of talent. They play good football. It is a good draw."

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Porto 5-0 Leicester City UCL Match Results and Highlights (Much-changed Leicester thrashed by Porto)

⚽ Already qualified Leicester City suffered the worst defeat by an English team in the Champions League as Porto recorded an overwhelming victory to join the Foxes in the last 16.

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Leicester City conceded four or more goals in a European game for the first time in their history
Leicester were already assured of progressing as Group G winners before the game and boss Claudio Ranieri made 10 changes to his starting XI.

Porto needed to win to guarantee their place in the knockout stage and made the ideal start when Andre Silva headed home.

The Portuguese side dominated throughout, with Leicester rarely making it out of their own half, and added a deserved second through Jesus Corona's stunning volley.

Yacine Brahimi then scored a brilliant third just before half-time, backheeling Maxi Pereira's cross beyond goalkeeper Ben Hamer, before Silva converted a second-half penalty following Danny Drinkwater's foul.

Diogo Jota rounded off the scoring late on, slotting home after being put through on goal.

The result took some of the shine off Leicester's previous performances in the Champions League this season, but they can now look forward to the draw for the last 16, which takes place on Monday at around 11:00 GMT.
UEFA Champions League: Group G Standings

Match Highlights



Passage to the knockout stage might have been secured before Wednesday's game but Ranieri will still have felt the need for a good performance and result.

While they have exceeded expectations in the Champions League, the Foxes' Premier League title defence has been disappointing and they sit just two points above the relegation zone.

Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have so far been unable to recapture their form of last season and were two of the frontline players not to travel to Portugal. Instead, it was left to Leicester's bit-part players to put on a show.

That, unfortunately, did not happen.

The Foxes had let in just one goal in their five previous Champions League games but looked capable of conceding from every Porto attack. Their defence was disjointed, with Silva allowed to rise too easily for the hosts' first while Corona was left unmarked for the second.

In attack, Shinji Okazaki and Ahmed Musa offered little, with the latter replaced by Leonardo Ulloa at half-time. The change did nothing to improve Leicester's attacking threat as they finished the game without a shot on target, although Ulloa did hit the crossbar late on.

Ranieri would have liked to have seen his fringe players stake a claim for a regular place in his starting XI, but instead their performance may have left the Italian concerned about his side's strength in depth.


'We didn't show our character'

"I have a clearer idea about my players now," said Ranieri afterwards.

"We wanted to see something different, but it was too easy for Porto. We didn't make them fight to score.

"We can lose, but I want us to show our character and our strength. We didn't do that well enough."

What next?

Leicester return to Premier League action this weekend as they look to start their climb up the table. They host Manchester City on Saturday before travelling to Bournemouth on Tuesday, 13 December.

Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund UCL Match Result and Highlights (Dortmund top group with draw in Madrid)

⚽ Marco Reus scored an 88th minute equaliser to give Borussia Dortmund a draw at Real Madrid, ensuring they topped Champions League Group F.

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Borussia Dortmund had won their previous five games in the group

France striker Karim Benzema scored a brace either side of half-time to put Madrid in control.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back, before Reus completed the comeback to snatch first in the group.

Those strikes also mean Dortmund took the record for most goals in a Champions League group stage, with 21.
UCL Table For Group F As It Stands

Match Highlights


Juventus also head into the knockout stages as a top seed, after they beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 at Juventus Stadium.

Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani scored second half goals to ease the Italian champions' passage into the last 16, with Sevilla joining them from Group H, after their 0-0 draw at Lyon.

Copenhagen's 2-0 victory at Club Brugge was only enough to confirm their passage to the Europa League, after Porto's 5-0 drubbing of Leicester City.

Legia Warsaw beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 to leapfrog them in Group F and claim a Europa League spot.

Bayer Leverkusen beat Monaco 3-0, but still finished second behind the French club in Group E.

Manchester City 1-1 Celtic Results & Highlights (Iheanacho cancels out Roberts opener in eventful first half)

Kelechi Iheanacho equalises for Manchester City. DBliss Media
Kelechi Iheanacho equalises for Manchester City  (REUTERS)
Pep Guardiola wanted to get a good look at his young Manchester City players last night, although it ended up being one on the opposite side who will have caught his eye. 

Patrick Roberts has been on loan at Celtic since January after joining City from Fulham the previous summer in a projected £11 million transfer. It is somewhat ironic that his first start at the Etihad Stadium should come against his parent club but the England Under-20 winger needed just four minutes to show Guardiola what he is all about. If Roberts is angling for a move back to City next summer, a fine run and finish was not a bad way to go about things. 



In fact, it was a good night all round for City’s young slickers, with Kelechi Iheanacho cancelling out Roberts’s strike with a rather classy one of his own to provide a timely reminder to Guardiola of his talents with Sergio Agüero ruled out of the next four Premier League matches through suspension.



MATCH HIGHLIGHT




If this was a chance for Guardiola to give some of his youngsters an airing, it was also a welcome opportunity for the City manager to rest his star names ahead of the visit to champions Leicester City on Saturday evening. Leroy Sané was the only survivor from the side that started against Chelsea at the weekend, and while one of those 10 changes was enforced with Fernandinho suspended after his dismissal in the previous Champions League match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Iheanacho was given the nod here over Agüero. 

Celtic had taken an early lead at Parkhead in that thrilling 3-3 draw in September and it was the same again here as City were caught napping. Sané could not control a poor pass out by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, Celtic intercepted, Roberts collected possession and set off inside, sweeping past Gaël Clichy before curling a shot into the far corner, albeit with a slight deflection off Tosin Adarabioyo. 

Four minutes later and City were level. Ilkay Gündogan fed Nolito, who thread a ball through for Iheanacho to chase. Surging away from the lumbering figure of Jozo Simunovic, Iheanacho fired nonchalantly into the top corner.


It was not shaping up to be a good night for defenders with both sides getting behind each other far too easily. Nolito found Pablo Zabaleta, reinventing himself here as a maraudering box-to-box midfielder, with a wonderful first time pass. Zabaleta’s measured pass into the path of Iheanacho was a peach, too, and really deserved better than to be sliced horribly wide. 

That said, Moussa Dembélé should also have done better when slipped in by James Forrest after the Celtic winger had floated past three City defenders with embarrassing ease. These were tough beginnings for Adarabioyo, making his first start in the Champions League for City. He had hurt himself early on when he landed awkwardly after challenging Dembélé for the ball and his movement was briefly restricted afterwards, which helped to explain how Dembélé evaded his attentions only to be wrongly ruled offside as he forced a save from Caballero. 

Iheanacho was later denied with a back-heel from close range. It was a chaotic if lively affair.Both teams had chances to win it in the second half. Nolito found the net but was ruled offside from Jesus Navas’s cross, Sané flashed a free-kick wide and was also denied at close range while Leigh Griffiths, Mikael Lustig and Gary Mackay-Steven all spurned inviting chances for Celtic.


Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Monaco are among the guaranteed group winners City could face in the Champions League Round of 16 but they will be spared a meeting with Bayern Munich or Paris St-Germain who, like them, both finished as runners-up in their respective groups.


Bayern Munich 1-0 Atletico Madrid Results & Highlight (Lewandowski stunner sees off Diego Simeone's men)

Bayern Munich 1-0 Atletico Madrid
Robert Lewandowski Celebrates his goal
Last season's runners-up miss out on the chance to end the group stage with a perfect record as Carlo Ancelotti's side win at home again.

Bayern Munich extended their winning home streak in the Champions League after a 1-0 victory denied Atletico Madrid a 100 per cent record in Group D.

Robert Lewandowski dispatched a superb free-kick on 28 minutes to settle the game as Bayern made it 15 wins in a row in the competition at the Allianz Arena, but they go through to the last 16 as runners-up behind Atletico.



Robert Lewandowski  superb free-kick
Bayern, who exited the 2015-16 competition at the hands of  

MATCH HIGHLIGHT



Diego Simeone's team in the semi-finals in April, were forced to settle for second spot and a potentially difficult assignment in the first knockout round, as the Bundesliga title holders continue their search for consistency under Carlo Ancelotti.

Their performance here will at least be of some comfort to the Italian, who watched his players control the contest, albeit against a visiting team likely to have placed more importance on a trip to Villarreal on Monday, as they seek to make up ground on Sevilla, Barcelona and leaders Madrid in LaLiga.


For Bayern, attention will now turn to the visit of Wolfsburg this weekend, with the indignity of trailing surprise league leaders RB Leipzig weighing heavily on German football's dominant force.


Atleti went close twice in the opening 15 minutes, Yannick Carrasco seeing shots well saved by Manuel Neuer after being set up by Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez respectively.

Douglas Costa issued the hosts' first real warning shot when he called Jan Oblak into action at the goalkeeper's near post following good work from Renato Sanches.

Oblak could do nothing, though, to prevent Bayern taking the lead in the 28th minute, Lewandowski curling home a delightful free-kick after Carrasco clipped the heels of Juan Bernat.

Bayern made all the running after the break, with Stefan Savic called upon to dispossess the goalscorer in a dangerous area soon after the restart, before Arjen Robben had a penalty appeal against the Montenegro defender waved away approaching the hour mark.

Thiago should have scored with 13 minutes to go, somehow contriving to steer his effort over the bar from point-blank range and with the goal gaping after Douglas Costa had reached the byline and cut the ball back.

Ultimately Bayern were not made to regret that miss, with Atleti mustering little threat of note in the closing stages.

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 Manchester City Highlights & Results (Draw ensures Man City qualify for last 16)

⚽ Monchengladbach hosted Manchester City in the Champions League clash on Wednesday.


David Silva scored his first goal for Manchester City since August's Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest
Borussia Monchengladbach gave Pep Guardiola a scare when Raffael put the Bundesliga side in front
➤Manchester City got level just before the break when David Silva squeezed the ball home from a tight angle
➤Gladbach saw their task made more difficult when captain Lars Stindl saw red early in the second half
➤Cuney Cakir levelled things up when he sent off City midfielder Fernandinho just over 10 minutes later
➤Barcelona's win against Celtic meant that City point was enough to guarantee a last 16 spot

UCL Table For Group C As It Stand




David Silva's deft equaliser ensured Manchester City reached the Champions League knockout stage for a fourth consecutive season with a draw at Borussia Monchengladbach.

City trailed when Raffael powered a rising 15-yard drive past Claudio Bravo from a central position.

But Silva slid in at the near post to convert Kevin de Bruyne's low cross before the break.


Match Highlights


City improved after half-time, helped by the dismissal of home skipper Lars Stindl for two yellow cards.

However, the visitors were also reduced to 10 men when Fernandinho was booked for a second time for a needless tug on Raffael's shirt inside the Monchengladbach half.

Despite more space for both sides to exploit, the game failed to open up in the final half-hour.

But the point, coupled with Celtic's home defeat by leaders Barcelona,clinches second place in Group C for Pep Guardiola's men.

The Blues cannot catch the Spanish champions, who are four points clear with one round of matches to play. 

City's defensive problems continue

A common theme has run through the early days of Guardiola's tenure - his team giving away sloppy goals.

And they certainly cannot afford to do that against better Champions League opposition.

England centre-back John Stones has come under significant scrutiny, with critics saying the £47.5m summer signing needs to stop over-playing in his own half.

Although the odd pass went astray here, questions are likely to be raised about whether Stones needed to be stronger in the build-up to Monchengladbach's goal.

The 22-year-old was easily brushed off the ball by Stindl, who picked out Raffael.

The goal means City, who were again without the injured Vincent Kompany, have managed to keep just one clean sheet in their past 12 matches.

"City need Kompany back and firing," said BBC Radio 5 live analyst Mark Lawrenson. "Stones and Kompany playing together would make their defence look completely different."
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Celtic 0-2 Barcelona UCl Highlights & Results (Messi scores twice as Celtic are knocked out of Europe)

Lionel Messi (centre) converted a floated Neymar ball to put the visitors ahead
Celtic were eliminated from European competition as Barcelona won to secure top spot in Champions League Group C.

Lionel Messi struck the opener from Neymar's sumptuous pass, and only a stunning Craig Gordon save prevented Luis Suarez from heading home a second.

Moussa Dembele spurned Celtic's best chance before Messi scored a penalty.

Though Celtic can still draw level on points with Borussia Monchengladbach in third, the German side have a superior head-to-head record.

Brendan Rodgers' side remain on two points, having lost twice to Barca - who opened the group stage with a 7-0 win over Celtic - and at home to Gladbach.
UCL Table For Group C As It Stand



The Scottish champions, who came through two rounds of qualifiers and a play-off to reach the group stage, visit Manchester City on 6 December, when Barcelona host the German side.

City and Barca have qualified for the last 16, with Gladbach dropping into the Europa League in the New Year.

Match Highlights
Messi strikes

Barcelona scored their first goal courtesy of a classic piece of telepathy between Neymar and Messi. Celtic did not seem to be in much danger mere seconds before the ball was in their net. They had nine defenders behind the ball and, seemingly, everything under control.

When Neymar took possession on the left their problems began. Nobody pressed him quickly enough. The Brazilian had time to take a look and size up the situation. What he saw was four Celtic defenders waiting for his cross, then a corridor of space, then another five Celtic men behind the corridor.

Into the space ran Messi, as he does. At the precise moment he began his run, Neymar dinked in his delivery, a thing of weighted precision that Messi lashed past Gordon at his near post.

It could have got worse for Celtic very quickly. Messi put in a cross from the right just before the break and, from point-blank range, Suarez could not put it home. Gordon made a terrific save to delay the pain.
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Arsenal 2-2 PSG UCL Highlights & Results (Arsenal frustrated as PSG move ahead in group)

Arsenal have made it past the group stages for the 14th consecutive season
Arsenal face a struggle to finish top of their Champions League group after they were held to a draw by Paris St-Germain at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners were seeking the win that would put them in pole position in Group A after years of finishing second and six consecutive eliminations in the last 16 in the knockout phase.

And it looked like Arsenal were on their way despite going behind early on to Edinson Cavani's sliding finish from Blaise Matuidi's cross.

Olivier Giroud scored from a penalty just before half-time after Grzegorz Krychowiak fouled Alexis Sanchez. And Arsenal were ahead on the hour when a penalty-box rebound struck Marco Verratti and flew in.

PSG were always dangerous and Lucas' header, which took a touch off Alex Iwobi, gave them a fully-deserved equaliser 13 minutes from time.

Cavani then missed two good chances and although Arsenal and PSG are level on points, the French champions have the advantage on head-to-head away goals with one round of games left after a 1-1 draw between the teams in Paris earlier in the group.
UCL Table For Group A As It Stand

Match Highlights


Cavani bails Arsenal out

Cavani has forged a reputation as one of the world's most formidable strikers - and he was on target here again when he slid in to turn home Matuidi's cross to put PSG ahead after 18 minutes.

The Uruguayan's runs into space are magical but he could have made Arsenal's plight much worse with two glaring second half misses, one when he broke clear and went for a Hollywood chipped finish that David Ospina saved, and a point-blank header he directed wide from Lucas' cross.

Cavani has the record of a quality player - but he let Arsenal off the hook.
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Tuesday, 22 November 2016

Borussia Dortmund 8 - 4 Legia Warszawa UCL Match Highlights & Results (Dortmund & Legia break Champions League goals record)


Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw made Champions League history on Tuesday - with the 12 goals they shared the highest in a single match.

Thomas Tuchel's side beat their Polish opponents 8-4 on a truly memorable evening in Germany.

UCL Table For Group F As It Stands

It surpassed the 11 scored when Monaco beat Deportivo La Coruna 8-3 in 2003.


Match Highlights
There were seven goals in 22 first-half minutes - and Legia ended up as the first side to score four goals in a Champions League match and still lose.


So far, so good for Legia Warsaw as Aleksandar Prijovic opens the scoring for them after 10 minutes
A record-breaking evening:
  • It is the first time in Champions League history that eight players scored in a single match.
  • Dortmund became the fourth team after Liverpool, Monaco and Real Madrid to score eight goals in a Champions League fixture.
  • It was the first match in any European competition with 12 goals since Ajax defeated Luxembourg's Red Boys Differdange 14-0 in the old Uefa Cup on 3 October 1984.
  • Only one match in the history of the European Cup and Champions League has had more goals - that was when Dutch side Feyenoord beat KR of Iceland 12-2 in September 1969.
  • Dortmund have now scored 14 goals against Legia this season - the most by any team against a single opponent in one Champions League campaign.
  • Shinji Kagawa - once of Manchester United - scored two goals in just 76 seconds, the fastest double in Champions League history.
A dream return for Reus

Making his first appearance after six months out injured, Marco Reus decides to join in the party. He scores his first as the clock hits 32 minutes...
Dortmund's Marco Reus celebrated his return after six months out by not only captaining the side but also by scoring a hat-trick.

"I was just happy to be there from the start," said Reus, who missed the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 because of injury.


It was a night of celebration for Dortmund - who became the fourth team to score eight goals in a single Champions League match
"It is how you imagine your perfect comeback. I waited a long time for this and so it is even sweeter. The ball will be signed by everyone and will go on the shelf."

Monaco 2-1 Tottenham UCL Match Highlights (Spurs are out of the Champions League)


Monaco 2-1 Tottenham
Djibril Sidibe and Radamel Falcao celebrate Monaco's opening goal
Tottenham were knocked out of the Champions League as they were comprehensively outclassed by Monaco at Stade Louis II.

Djibril Sidibe's header early in the second half sparked a stunning sequence of three goals in just five minutes that saw Spurs' Champions League hopes swiftly fade, grow and fade again.

Harry Kane's penalty, awarded when Dele Alli was pulled back, put Spurs on level terms but, just 39 seconds later, Monaco had the ball in the net again through Thomas Lemar.

UCL Table For Group E As It Stands

Victory takes Monaco through to the last 16 as deserved winners of Group E ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who earlier drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow.

Tottenham, who have won just one of their five group matches, are three points behind Leverkusen with one game to play, against CSKA on 7 December, but cannot overhaul the German side because of an inferior head-to-head record.

Spurs knew a draw would be enough to keep their hopes alive, but Monaco were by far the better side and only a superb performance by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris - who saved a penalty from Radamel Falcao - spared the Premier League side further punishment.

MATCH HIGHLIGHT



 
The Ligue 1 title hopefuls cut through Spurs with ease from the outset, with full-backs Sidibe and Benjamin Mendy a constant menace. Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer had a night to forget, but it was centre-back partner Eric Dier at fault for Monaco's first-half penalty, lunging in clumsily on Fabinho. Falcao took the spot-kick, but his effort was tame and Lloris saved. The French goalkeeper also made a double save from Mendy and Valere Germain but had no chance with Monaco's opener, the hosts again working the ball with ease to the left flank, from where Mendy crossed for the unmarked Sidibe to head in. 


Kane's penalty four minutes later was the England striker's first Champions League goal, but Spurs' defensive frailties were again exposed straight from kick-off. Monaco required just four passes as they worked the ball seamlessly into the area, where Lemar drilled low past Lloris. Only a quite incredible save from Lloris to keep out Kamil Glik's thunderous strike kept Monaco within touching distance, but a third goal - or indeed a fourth - would not have flattered Leonardo Jardim's hosts. 

Reaction: 'A schoolboy error'

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino on BT Sport: "We are out and we have time to assess and analyse. It is true we feel disappointed but today we missed opportunities.

"I think we made too many mistakes at home at Wembley. We don't deserve to go through to the next round because we didn't show enough quality.

"We will take many things from this defeat, you learn and improve every day. Now we are trying to reduce the gap on the teams above us in the Premier League."

Tottenham striker Harry Kane on BT Sport: "It is disappointing. We got ourselves back in the game at 1-1 and it was schoolboy to concede straight after that.

"We had to try to grind out a win because we were not great - the second goal took the stuffing out of us. I just don't think on the day we were good enough.

"I'm gutted - we wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with. Losing two of our home games in this competition - yes, we played at Wembley this year but it has to be a fortress at home.

"We will look back and say it was the home games were we should've been better."

What's next?

Spurs return to Premier League action with a huge game at leaders Chelsea on Saturday (17:30 GMT), while they complete their Champions League group campaign against CSKA Moscow on 7 December (19:45). Monaco are in Ligue 1 action on Saturday, welcoming Marseille to Stade Louis II.

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