Milan, Italy | AFP | UEFA on Monday opened an investigation into Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal celebration after scoring a hat-trick in Juventus’ Champions League comeback win against Atletico Madrid last week. European football’s governing body said Ronaldo was facing charges of “improper conduct” after he mimicked Diego Simeone’s crotch-grabbing ‘cojones’ gesture in last Tuesday’s 3-0 …
Read More »Premier League’s ‘fab four’ dominate Champions League quarter-finals
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Brexit, what Brexit? All four English entrants are still in Europe. For the first time in a decade the Premier League reigns supreme, providing half of the Champions League quarter-finalists for Friday’s last-eight draw. Liverpool were the last to book their ticket, with a hugely …
Read More »Allegri counting on goal-king Ronaldo to save Champions League dream
Turin, Italy | AFP | Cristiano Ronaldo has scored so many goals he gives Juventus “a great advantage” insisted coach Massimiliano Allegri as the Italian side look to overturn a two-goal Champions League deficit against Atletico Madrid in their last 16, second leg tie in Turin on Tuesday. “Cristiano has a lot of goals in …
Read More »‘Get ready to come back!’ – Ronaldo carries Juve hopes against Atletico
Turin, Italy | AFP | Juventus’ Champions League hopes are hanging on Cristiano Ronaldo pulling off another sensational comeback as the Italians trail 2-0 to defensive specialists Atletico Madrid going into the last 16, second-leg tie in Turin on Tuesday. “We didn’t expect to lose the first leg 2-0, but anything …
Read More »Did VAR get big calls right? Debate rages on after Champions League drama
Paris, France | AFP | Neymar called the decision that led to Paris Saint-Germain being dumped out of the Champions League a “disgrace”, while elsewhere on Wednesday Roma were left raging — both clubs are out of Europe and both feel cheated by controversial VAR calls. “It’s a disgrace. They …
Read More »We can go all the way,’ says Solskjaer after United’s last-gasp PSG stunner
Paris, France | AFP | Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his side “can go all the way” in the Champions League after Marcus Rashford’s dramatic stoppage-time penalty gave them a stunning 3-1 win away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday as they improbably reached the quarter-finals on away goals. A seriously depleted United looked …
Read More »De Gea’s career crossroads a danger to Man Utd’s revival
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester United’s solitary defeat 16 games in to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s caretaker reign in charge against Paris Saint-Germain exposed the gulf the English giants still have to bridge to become a European powerhouse once more. But that the Red Devils travel to Paris on Wednesday trailing only 2-0 from …
Read More »Three great Champions League comebacks
Dortmund, Germany | AFP | Borussia Dortmund must overturn a 3-0 first-leg defeat when they host Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday in their Champions League last 16, second leg. Only three teams — Barcelona, Roma and Deportivo La Coruna — have managed to overturn a deficit of three goals or more in a knockout-phase tie in …
Read More »Ramos charged by UEFA with drawing deliberate booking
Paris, France | AFP | Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos was charged by UEFA on Tuesday for “receiving a yellow card on purpose” during their Champions League last-16 tie with Ajax. The Spaniard was booked for a tackle on Kasper Dolberg in Real’s 2-1 first-leg victory in Amsterdam on February 13, two minutes after Marco …
Read More »Three things we learned from Liverpool v Bayern Munich
Liverpool, United Kingdom | AFP | Liverpool were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday. Here are three things we learned from a hard-fought Anfield stalemate: Klopp frustrated by Bayern again Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was back in conflict with Bayern after spending …
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