Tag: UEFA Champions League

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Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern and Atletico reach Champions League quarterfinals

Barcelona hit Newcastle United for seven to reach the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Liverpool overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Galatasaray in their last-16 tie and both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid advanced to the next round.

Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both scored twice as La Liga leaders Barcelona tore apart Newcastle at the Camp Nou, winning 7-2 in the second leg of their last-16 encounter to progress 8-3 on aggregate.

A spectacular match saw Anthony Elanga twice score for Newcastle inside the opening half-hour to cancel out goals by Raphinha and Marc Bernal.

However, the Catalans went back in front when Lamine Yamal converted a penalty deep in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-2 on the night, and they never looked back.

Fermin Lopez ran through for 4-2 early in the second half before Lewandowski added a quick-fire double either side of the hour mark, and Raphinha completed the scoring in the 72nd minute.

“The confidence that we got in the second half was good to see,” said Barca coach Hansi Flick.

It was a chastening defeat for Newcastle and just the third time since 1955 that an English team has conceded at least eight goals on aggregate in a European tie — one of the other occasions was this week, when Chelsea lost 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.

“When the game was effectively over we didn’t react well to that, so it became a very difficult second half,” said Newcastle coach Eddie Howe.

It was also just the third time Barcelona have scored seven in a Champions League game, and Flick’s side can now look forward to an all-Spanish quarter-final next month against Atletico.

Diego Simeone’s men lost 3-2 on the night to Tottenham Hotspur in London, but progressed 7-5 on aggregate thanks to their 5-2 victory last week.

Randal Kolo Muani headed in on the half-hour to give Spurs the lead on the night and suggest a stunning comeback in the tie was possible.

A superb Julian Alvarez strike just after half-time doused the home side’s hopes, even if a fine Xavi Simons effort put Tottenham back in front.

David Hancko headed in Atletico’s second on the night, before Simons converted a last-minute penalty for his second of the game as Spurs rescued some pride by ending a run of eight matches without a win.

Liverpool were too good for Galatasaray, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit against the Turkish side with a comprehensive 4-0 win at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side went ahead on 25 minutes through a lovely first-time finish at a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Mohamed Salah then had a poor penalty saved in first-half stoppage time, but the Egyptian made up for that in style after the break.

He laid on two goals in the space of three minutes, one for Hugo Ekitike and the other for Ryan Gravenberch.

Salah then scored the fourth himself just after the hour, curling a superb effort into the far corner from the edge of the area from a Florian Wirtz lay-off.

It was his 10th club goal this season was also his 50th in the Champions League, and it sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory which takes the Reds through to a quarterfinal against PSG.

That will be a repeat of a last-16 tie a year ago which PSG won on penalties — the French club have won four knockout ties against English opponents since the start of 2025.

“We could (have) won 10-0, but we did a good job. We can be proud,” said Ekitike.

Bayern’s progress against Atalanta was never in doubt after their 6-1 win in the first leg in Italy, and they followed that with a 4-1 success in Munich.

Harry Kane opened the scoring with a retaken first-half penalty — his initial effort had been saved — and then added a brilliant second on 54 minutes.

The brace took the Englishman to a half-century of Champions League goals, as he joined Salah and Thierry Henry on that overall mark — Kane has done it in 66 games compared to 97 for Salah.

Teenager Lennart Karl got Bayern’s third and Luis Diaz the fourth, with Lazar Samardzic pulling one back as the Germans progress 10-2 on aggregate — they now face Real Madrid in a heavyweight showdown.

“We don’t fear anyone,” Kane told DAZN when asked about the prospect of that tie. (JapanToday)

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PSG, Real Madrid and Arsenal march into Champions League last eight

Holders Paris Saint-Germain, record 15-time winners Real Madrid and Arsenal surged into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday, while Sporting produced a brilliant comeback in Portugal to end Bodo/Glimt’s remarkable run.

PSG appear to be coming back into the form which saw them win the Champions League for the first time in their history last season, as the French club crushed Chelsea 3-0 in London to claim a comprehensive 8-2 aggregate victory in their last-16 tie.

Chelsea had been left with a mountain to climb after a late collapse in last week’s first leg, and PSG quickly snuffed out any chance the English club had.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia followed his first-leg double by opening the scoring on six minutes at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr misjudging a long ball on his Champions League debut and then being outmuscled by the Georgian who applied the finish.

Bradley Barcola fired in a brilliant second goal from an Achraf Hakimi assist, and the home fans were streaming for the exits when substitute Senny Mayulu swept in PSG’s third on the night just after the hour.

“We clearly dominated, we are very happy to be in the quarter-finals and I think it is well deserved,” PSG coach Luis Enrique told Canal Plus.

PSG’s fourth victory against English opposition in a two-legged knockout tie since the start of last year sets up a last-eight tie against Liverpool or Galatasaray, who meet on Wednesday at Anfield with the Turkish side leading 1-0 from the first leg.

Two-time European champions Chelsea were not the only English club to be eliminated on Tuesday, with Manchester City losing 2-1 at home to Real as they went out 5-1 on aggregate.

Real led 3-0 from the first leg in Spain, where Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick, and their qualification was never in doubt after City’s Bernardo Silva was sent off on 20 minutes for stopping a goalbound Vinicius Junior shot on the line with his arm.

Vinicius converted the penalty, and Pep Guardiola’s side had too much to do, even if Erling Haaland levelled the scores on the night before half-time with his 30th goal this season.

Real replaced Thibaut Courtois with Andriy Lunin in goal at half-time, and the tie was over long before Vinicius scored again in stoppage time to seal the win on the night.

“All of us players know that the good games are coming and when Madrid play in this competition, everything changes,” said Vinicius, as Real knocked City out for the third season running.

Real are almost certain to face Bayern Munich in a heavyweight quarter-final, with the Germans 6-1 up against Atalanta before Wednesday’s return match.

Premier League leaders Arsenal’s dream of a quadruple remains alive after they beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium for a 3-1 aggregate success.

They had needed a late penalty to draw in Germany last week, and finished the tie off in the return with goals either side of half-time from Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice.

Eze broke the deadlock with a long-range rocket late in the first half and Rice’s composed finish killed off Leverkusen.

“We had four or five situations where we should have scored a third but overall we fully deserved to win and be into the quarter-finals,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta.

His team now face Manchester City in the English League Cup final on Sunday, and will play Sporting in the quarter-finals.

The Portuguese champions produced a superb fightback, overturning a 3-0 deficit from last week’s first leg against Bodo/Glimt by beating the Norwegians 5-0 after extra time in Lisbon.

Goncalo Inacio and Pedro Goncalves scored before a Luis Suarez penalty on 78 minutes forced extra time.

Uruguayan full-back Maxi Araujo gave Sporting the lead in the tie for the first time in the 92nd minute, and Rafael Nel made sure of their progress with the fifth right at the end.

Bodo/Glimt’s fantastic run comes to an end as Sporting reach the quarters of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 1983. (JapanToday)

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Osimhen fires Liverpool second leg warning

Victor Osimhen has warned Liverpool that Galatasaray can “do some damage” at Anfield ahead of the second leg of their UEFA Champions League tie, as the Nigerian striker also attracts transfer interest from Arsenal and Manchester United in a potential €140m deal, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The forward made the comments after Galatasaray secured a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the first leg at RAMS Park, a result that places the Turkish side in a strong position heading into the return leg in England.

Osimhen praised his teammates for their performance against the Premier League club and expressed confidence that the team could produce another strong display away from home.

“Every time we play here it’s so emotional for us. Aside from that, the victory is important,” he said.

“We know next week is going to be really hard, but I believe in this team and the kind of performance we put in against a very good side like Liverpool. I’m optimistic that we can do some damage there at Anfield.”

The striker acknowledged the challenge awaiting the team in the second leg but insisted Galatasaray would analyse their performance and attempt to improve.

“But like I said earlier, it’s not going to be easy. We will go back, look at our mistakes and try to correct them. I’m proud of the boys tonight,” he added.

Osimhen’s performances this season have further enhanced his reputation as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, with the Nigerian contributing 24 goals and assists across competitions.

His form has reportedly drawn strong interest from Premier League clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, with Arsenal and Manchester United among the sides monitoring his situation if he is to be priced away from Galatasaray.

According to SportsBoom, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sees the Nigerian as a key addition to his attack.

“Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reportedly views Osimhen as the ‘final piece of the puzzle’ for his frontline,” the report said.

Arsenal are understood to be seeking a reliable goalscorer to strengthen their title ambitions, while Manchester United are also considering reinforcements in attack as part of a wider squad rebuild.

The report added that pressure from former players could influence United’s pursuit of the striker.

“At Manchester United, the pressure from club legends like Rio Ferdinand is pushing the board toward a more aggressive pursuit. The club have attempted to sway the Nigerian international to Old Trafford on several occasions. Chelsea have also been linked with a move,” SportsBoom said.

Any move for the Nigerian forward is expected to command a fee of around €140m, a figure that would require significant financial commitment from potential suitors.

“If Galatasaray decides to cash in, the asking price sits between €120 million and €140 million; a figure that would shatter every record in the Süper Lig,” SportsBoom added.

For now, however, Osimhen’s immediate focus remains on helping Galatasaray complete the job against Liverpool as they attempt to progress further in Europe’s premier club competition. (Punch)

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Real Madrid batters Man City as PSG sinks Chelsea in Champions League

Federico Valverde scored an unlikely hat-trick as Real Madrid trounced Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie Wednesday, while holders Paris Saint-Germain beat Chelsea 5-2.

Premier League leaders Arsenal snatched a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen to preserve their unbeaten record in Europe this season, while Bodo/Glimt continued their fairytale run with a 3-0 win over Sporting.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s record 15-time European champions avenged their loss to City in the league phase as Valverde struck three times in the first half to hand Madrid full control of the tie despite the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe.

Valverde ran onto a long kick from Thibaut Courtois and dribbled past Gianluigi Donnarumma to slot home and give Madrid the lead at the Santiago Bernabeu against City as the teams met in a knockout tie for the fifth season running.

The Uruguayan midfielder arrowed a low drive into the far corner to double Madrid’s advantage and then completed his hat-trick with a sublime touch and finish after linking up with Brahim Diaz.

City could have suffered an ever heavier defeat but Donnarumma saved a second-half penalty from Vinicius Junior after the City goalkeeper brought down the Brazilian.

PSG have one foot in the quarter-finals after two late goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Parc des Princes.

Bradley Barcola fired PSG in front but Malo Gusto’s scruffy effort skipped past Matfei Safonov to bring Chelsea level.

Ousmane Dembele finished off a clinical counter to restore the lead for the hosts before half-time, only for Enzo Fernandez to reply once more for Chelsea after excellent work from Pedro Neto.

A mistake from Filip Jorgensen saw Vitinha lob the Chelsea goalkeeper to put PSG on top for the third time, with Kvaratskhelia hammering in a superb fourth and then potentially applying the fatal blow for Luis Enrique’s side in stoppage time.

Despite an unprecedented six English teams featuring in the last 16, not a single one won and only two avoided defeat in Europe this week.

Arsenal needed an 89th-minute penalty from Kai Havertz against his former club to snatch a draw away to Bayer Leverkusen.

Robert Andrich headed in a corner for Leverkusen moments into the second half to leave Arsenal, who won all eight of their league phase matches, staring at defeat in Germany.

But Havertz came off the bench and converted from the spot after a foul on Noni Madueke to ensure Arsenal remain favourites to reach the quarter-finals.

“I know how hard it is to come here… and we knew what to expect,” said Havertz.

“We didn’t play our best today. But we’re going home with a good result. We need to step on the gas next week.”

Bodo/Glimt enjoyed another remarkable Champions League night as they swept Portugal’s Sporting aside 3-0 to register their fifth win in a row in the competition.

Sondre Brunstad Fet put Bodo ahead from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark and Ole Didrik Blomberg made it two in first-half injury time.

Kasper Hogh scored his fifth goal in as many European games with 19 minutes remaining to spark wild celebrations for the Norwegian underdogs. (JapanToday)

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Real Madrid 2-1 Benfica (Agg 3-1): Vinicius Jnr the difference maker as Real make last 16

Aurelien Tchouameni believes Real Madrid’s 2-1 win against Benfica to seal a 3-1 win on aggregate in the Champions League knock-out play-offs was a “victory for everyone who stands against racism”.

Vinicius Junior scored the decisive goal to send Madrid into the last 16 of the competition, just eight days after he was allegedly racially abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni in the first leg of the tie.

“This is a victory for everyone who stands against racism,” midfielder Tchouameni said after the victory.

“Many things, I think there are more important things than the match, than football.

“Vinicius keeps his confidence and keeps focused on what he needs to do.”

Prestianni was suspended for the fixture but travelled with the squad to Madrid. The club denied the allegations and Benfica president Rui Costa claimed they would not “permit a racist player within the squad”.

Real fans held up banners with messages of support for Vinicius – who had scored the only goal in Lisbon – before kick-off at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And as the players took to the field, the messages – “No to racism” and “Respect” – were read out.

Benfica made the perfect start, levelling the tie after 14 minutes through Rafa Silva, but Aurelien Tchouameni put Madrid back in charge with a powerful strike from distance.

But the defining moment belonged to Vinicius, who scampered through on goal to seal the deal for the hosts with 10 minutes remaining. He wheeled away in celebration, soaking in the roar from the home support with a dance by the corner flag – a goal that effectively ended the contest and carried emotional weight and significance.

UEFA had imposed a provisional sanction on Prestianni on Monday, ruling him out of the tie, although the Argentinian winger had travelled to Madrid as part of the Benfica squad.

Benfica had appealed against the decision to ban Prestianni, but UEFA dismissed the Portuguese club’s case on Wednesday afternoon.

“Mr Gianluca Prestianni remains provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible,” a UEFA statement read.

UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator (EDI) following the first leg and made a swift decision.

UEFA said on Monday the imposition of a provisional suspension was “without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies”.

The Brazilian left the field and refused to return, resulting in a stoppage in play that lasted 10 minutes of last Tuesday’s first leg.

It came after Vinicius had given his team the lead with a wonderful individual strike, curling the ball home from a tight angle five minutes into the second half.

After celebrating in front of the home fans, he became suddenly and visibly upset about something said to him and immediately informed the referee, who stopped the match.

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, who was roundly criticised for his comments about the incident after the game, did not conduct the usual pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Mourinho appeared to intimate after the first leg that the winger had brought any abuse upon himself with his celebration and said that “a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always”.

Anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out responded by accusing Mourinho of “gaslighting”.

Mourinho was expected to watch the second leg from the stands after being sent off in Lisbon for angrily shouting towards referee Francois Letexier.

Real will play either Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City in the last 16 when the draw is made from 11am on Friday. (SkySports)

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Champions League roundup: Atalanta oust Dortmund, Galatasaray thwart Juventus fightback

Lazar Samardzic slotted home a stoppage-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sending the Italian side into the Champions League’s last 16 with a comeback 4-3 aggregate triumph.

Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area and Samardzic converted the spot kick in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16, with the draw on Friday.

The hosts had to fight back following last week’s 2-0 loss in Germany, and Gianluca Scamacca tapped in at the far post to give them a fifth-minute lead as they got off to a dream start. Dortmund had their share of chances but it was their keeper, Gregor Kobel, who was busiest in the first half, twice denying Nicola Zalewski. He was beaten, however, on the stroke of half-time when Davide Zappacosta’s shot was deflected into the net off Bensebaini to make it 2-0.

The Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi made the save of the match when he tipped Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute, to protect their two-goal advantage. Dortmund went even closer in the 53rd with Maximilian Beier’s shot bouncing off the post. Instead it was the hosts who scored again thanks to Mario Pasalic’s header at the far post to go 3-0 up and take control of the tie.

Dortmund, however, hit back with the substitute Karim Adeyemi adding instant pace to their game and curling his 75th-minute shot into the top corner as the visitors pushed to take the contest into extra time.

But Bensebaini then tried to clear a cross in the box with a backheel, catching the head of Krstovic who went down bleeding. The hosts were awarded a penalty following a lengthy VAR review and Samardzic beat Kobel to send his team through with the last kick of the game.

The Atalanta defender Sead Kolasinac said he went through “a whirlwind of emotions” in the final seconds. “When the referee decided for a penalty, I didn’t know who would take it. All our penalty takers had been substituted, but luckily Lazar converted brilliantly,” Kolasinac told DAZN.

Emre Can, the Dortmund captain, said his error-prone side deserved their elimination. “If you make so many individual errors, it’s going to be difficult to progress… we were very unlucky, but to be honest we didn’t deserve to advance.”

Elsewhere Paris Saint-Germain, the holders, edged out 10-man Monaco to reach the last 16, a 2-2 draw giving Luis Enrique’s side a 5-4 aggregate victory.

PSG won 3-2 away in the first leg last week, but Maghnes Akliouche scored to give Monaco the lead on the night and level the tie on aggregate.

Mamadou Coulibaly’s second-half sending-off for the visitors then proved the catalyst for Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to score for PSG and seemingly finish off the tie, although Jordan Teze made it 2-2 late on.

“At the end, when they scored, we felt stressed and it was scary,” said Désiré Doué, who scored twice for PSG in the first leg. “The objective is to dominate the whole match, but you also have to know how to come back from behind. Next time, we’ll try not to concede a goal, that’s important.”

Galatasaray, meanwhile, fended off a rousing fightback by 10-man Juventus as Victor Osimhen struck in extra time to help earn the Turkish side a 7-5 aggregate victory.

Trailing 5-2 from the first leg, Juventus were given hope by Manuel Locatelli’s first-half penalty but they appeared doomed when the defender Lloyd Kelly was sent off on 48 minutes. Remarkably, the hosts forced extra time with goals from Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie but eventually ran out of steam, Osimhem and Baris Yilmaz scoring late to send Galatasaray through to a meeting with either Liverpool or Tottenham. (Guardian)

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Racists are cowards, says Vinicius Jr

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has stated that “racists are, above all, cowards” after alleging he was subjected to racial abuse during a Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The group-stage tie in the UEFA Champions League was halted for approximately 10 minutes after Vinicius reported the alleged incident to French referee Francois Letexier.

The Brazil international and several of his team-mates briefly left the field during the stoppage.

As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, European football’s governing body, UEFA, has opened an investigation into the allegations.

Vinicius, who has previously been the target of racist abuse during his career in Spain, addressed the incident in a post on social media shortly after the match. “Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote.

Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, who could face a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if found guilty, has denied directing any racist abuse at Vinicius.

In a statement posted on Wednesday, Benfica said they “fully support” Prestianni and described the situation as a “defamation campaign” against the player. The club also released video footage of the alleged incident, arguing that, given the distance involved, Real Madrid players “could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”

“[Prestianni’s] conduct in the service of the club has always been guided by respect for opponents, institutions, and the principles that define Benfica’s identity,” the club said.

Fabrizio Romano on his X handle on Wednesday said TNT Sports, quoted Kylian Mbappe as saying, “I believe Gianluca Prestianni shouldn’t come to the Bernabéu, the best stadium in the world. “He doesn’t deserve it; he shouldn’t play.”

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho said in his post-match interview that he had been told different things by Vinicius and Prestianni regarding the incident.

Mourinho, who managed Real for 178 games between 2010 and 2013, said Vinicius had been disrespectful in his goal celebration and pointed to their legendary striker Eusebio as proof that Benfica is not a racist club.

“The club reaffirms, clearly and unequivocally, its historical and unwavering commitment to defending the values of equality, respect, and inclusion, which are in line with the core values of its foundation and have Eusebio as their greatest symbol,” Benfica said.

Mourinho’s and Benfica’s comments have been criticised by several people, including anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.

Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said both the club and manager had “failed”.

“It’s a natural inclination to want to believe your player, but the reality is they didn’t hear it,” Bhandari told BBC Sport.

“There are only two people who are in that conversation, and two people who could have heard what was said.

“I think the better reaction from a club with Benfica’s fantastic stature would be to say we’re going to cooperate with the investigation.

“This is quite typical after these kinds of discriminatory events. The discrimination is one thing, the gaslighting is another.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and commended Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol.

“There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account,” he added.

“I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism, no to any form of discrimination!” (Punch)

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Liverpool edges Inter in Champions League as Chelsea loses in Italy


Liverpool snatched a 1-0 win away to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday without unsettled star Mohamed Salah, while Chelsea slipped to defeat against Atalanta and Barcelona overcame Eintracht Frankfurt.

Dominik Szoboszlai scored a late penalty as Liverpool snapped Inter’s 18-game unbeaten home run in Europe despite the absence of Salah, who was left out of the squad after his extraordinary public criticism of manager Arne Slot.

Szoboszlai drilled his spot-kick past Yann Sommer two minutes from time at the San Siro after Alessandro Bastoni was punished for tugging the shirt of substitute Florian Wirtz, clinching a much-needed win for the troubled Premier League champions.

“Huge result. We knew we were coming to a tough place, to a team that’s in a good moment. We had to show fight and dig in,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson told Amazon Prime.

A fourth victory in six Champions League games bumped Liverpool up into the top eight to keep them in the hunt for direct qualification to the last 16 as they contend with the fallout of Salah’s weekend outburst.

The Egyptian forward said he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool during the club’s dip in form and no longer had a relationship with Slot.

“A tough situation. We’re talking about one of the greatest players to play for this club,” said Robertson. “Whatever has happened, happened. Internally, we’re all together.”

Chelsea lost 2-1 at Atalanta despite taking a first-half lead when Joao Pedro poked in a cross from Reece James.

Gianluca Scamacca headed Atalanta level after half-time and Charles De Ketelaere, who set up the equaliser, smashed in the winner for the Bergamo-based side on 83 minutes.

“We need to learn. We’re disappointed but we have to be focused on the next game,” Joao Pedro told TNT Sports.

“In the Champions League, if you concede one goal, and then another (soon), it is difficult to come back.”

Atalanta are third with 13 points, two adrift of leaders Arsenal and Bayern Munich, while Chelsea dropped down to 11th place.

Bayern came from behind to beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 as they bounced back from a loss to Arsenal last month.

Hosts Bayern fell behind to a Joshua Kimmich own-goal in the second half but Serge Gnabry and 17-year-old Lennart Karl led the fightback.

Gnabry swept in a corner from close range to equalise and Karl fired Bayern ahead as he controlled a pass and shot past Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva from a tight angle. Jonathan Tah bagged a third to seal the win.

Jules Kounde emerged as the unlikely hero for Barcelona as the France defender scored a pair of headers in a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ansgar Knauff sent the visitors into a surprise lead but Kounde’s brace early in the second half swung the game in favour of Barcelona in their first Champions League match at Camp Nou since 2022.

“We wanted to start at the Camp Nou with a win, it was a tricky game,” Pedri told Movistar.

“We came back in the end, got the three points and we’re happy.”

Tottenham eased to a 3-0 home win against Slavia Prague courtesy of penalties from Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons after David Zima’s 26th-minute own-goal in north London.

Spurs climbed up to ninth and sit just a point behind Liverpool.

Mason Greenwood struck twice as Marseille held on to beat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-2 in Brussels, while Folarin Balogun scored the only goal as Monaco edged Galatasaray 1-0.

Atletico Madrid won 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven with goals from Julian Alvarez, David Hancko and Alexander Sorloth.

Olympiacos earned their first win of the competition as Gelson Martins was on target in a 1-0 victory away to Kairat Almaty, who have just one point in their debut campaign. (JapanToday)

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Salah a ‘‘disgrace’’ for Liverpool outburst – Carragher

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled Mohamed Salah “a disgrace” on Monday after the Egypt star’s stunning outburst at Reds boss Arne Slot.

Salah said he had been “thrown under a bus” and had no relationship with Slot after he was left on the bench for last Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds.

It was the third successive game that Salah had been kept out of the starting line-up by Slot amid the forward’s loss of form this season.

In response to Salah’s astonishing rant to reporters, Liverpool axed the 33-year-old from the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Inter Milan.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher, a 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool, said: “I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game.

“Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst. I don’t think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he has done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it’s choreographed with his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.

“He’s chosen this weekend to do this now, and he’s waited I think for a bad result… everyone involved with the club (feeling) like they’re in the gutter, and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try to get him sacked.”

Salah is a two-time Premier League champion with Liverpool and has also won the Champions League during his iconic eight-year spell at Anfield.

But, although he only signed a new contract in April, Salah hinted he might have played his last game for Liverpool as he prepares to jet off to the African Cup of Nations after their Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield on Saturday.

Salah has been linked with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League and and Carragher added: “What he’s done off the pitch, I think the club have made the right decision in terms of him not going abroad. Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don’t know.

“I hope he does, because he’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever had, but if you continue like that, and statements like that, if he doesn’t play, who knows.” (Guardian)

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Chelsea dominates Barca in Champions League; Man City loses

Chelsea romped to a dominant 3-0 win at home to 10-man Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Pep Guardiola’s much-changed Manchester City went down to their first defeat of the campaign against Bayer Leverkusen.

In a battle between the second-placed sides in the Premier League and La Liga, Chelsea emerged emphatic winners thanks to goals from 18-year-old Estevao and Liam Delap after a Jules Kounde own-goal had given the 2021 Champions League winners a first-half lead.

The visitors played just over half the encounter a player down following captain Ronald Araujo’s dismissal for two bookable offences on the stroke of half-time.

After stalling last time out — Chelsea being held 2-2 by Qarabag and Barca drawing three-apiece with Club Brugge — both sides came into the match at Stamford Bridge looking to get their campaigns back on track.

Victory propelled Chelsea to fifth in the league phase standings on 10 points.

“It’s a big win, especially because the other team was Barcelona,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.

After two Enzo Fernandez strikes were disallowed for offside, the hosts finally took the lead on 27 minutes.

A short-corner routine ended with Marc Cucurella firing the ball across the box. Pedro Neto’s attempted flick towards goal had the Barcelona defenders tying themselves in knots before France international Kounde inadvertently knocked it into his own net.

The game took a decisive turn in the 44th minute when Araujo received a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Cucurella.

Much of the pre-match build-up centred on talk around the young starlets on both sides, but it was Chelsea’s Estevao who stole the show over Barcelona’s Spain winger Lamine Yamal.

A moment of magic by the Brazilian teen put the game beyond the Spanish champions as he received the ball on the right before beating two defenders and lashing it into the roof of Joan Garcia’s net five minutes before the hour.

“I don’t really have any words to sum up how I’m feeling right now,” Estevao told Amazon Prime. “It really was the perfect night.”

Substitute Delap then put the game to bed in the 73rd minute.

A second defeat has the Catalans down in 15th spot, but Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insisted he was “really positive” about their chances of automatic qualification to the last 16.

“We’ve got players coming back now and there are three games to play and nine points to win,” the German said.

Guardiola surprisingly rested the majority of his stars at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Gianluigi Donnarumma all left out of the starting line-up as Man City went down 2-0 to Leverkusen.

A first loss of the campaign for Man City, coming hot on the heels of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle in the Premier League, leaves the 2023 winners on 10 points.

“I take full responsibility, still I think the players that started were exceptional players but we missed something needed at the highest level,” Guardiola said.

“I think playing every two or three days we need to make changes but seeing the result, maybe it’s too much.”

While defeat shall likely not prove fatal to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, it was a chastening 100th European match in charge of City for Guardiola.

Slack defending allowed Alex Grimaldo the chance to put the away side in front in the 23rd minute, before Patrik Schick glanced in a second half-an-hour later. (JapanToday)