Fresh from their Copa del Rey heroics, there is another title on the line for Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s men beat their arch rivals Real Madrid 3-2 in Sunday’s final to get their first trophy of what could be a momentous treble for the German in his first season in charge of the club.
Barca are also the overwhelming favourites to pip Real to the La Liga crown with the Catalan club four points clear with five games remaining.
But attentions for now have turned to their fight for a sixth Champions League title as they prepare to host Inter Milan in the first leg of their semi-final.
Visitors Inter conceded just one goal in the inaugural group phase of the competition and are likely to need that defensive solidity when they face the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha – the two standout attackers for Barca with striker Robert Lewandowski sidelined through injury.
The winners will face either Arsenal or PSG in the final in Munich on May 31.
Manchester United conceded 15 goals from their six matches
LONDON-BBC Sports)-Manchester United’s return to the Champions League was part of the body of work that suggested Erik ten Hag was the transformative figure who had blown the cobwebs away from a dilapidated Old Trafford.
It was meant to be proof that United were back where they belonged after the missteps and misery of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho – even though he won the League Cup and Europa League – and latterly Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ten Hag even had tangible success with a League Cup win in his first season, but if this wretched Champions League campaign has been any measure of the current status of Manchester United and their manager, the great transformer is now closer to being a busted flush.
This has been a shocking campaign, a chastening dose of cold reality that saw United finish bottom of a group they would have welcomed when the draw was made, fourth behind Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray.
The Champions League is the most unforgiving of environments. Every United flaw, and they are certainly not short of them, has been brutally exposed from the start.
And it all ended in the most timid of circumstances, a United side who should have come out swinging losing 1-0 to a Bayern side with nothing to play for, Ten Hag’s players mustering a mere one shot on target in the process.
It was all a far cry from the Old Trafford nights of old when supporters were glued to their seats until the final whistle sounded.
Thousands of United fans had given up and left long before the end here and who could blame them?
‘United’s Champions League comeback has been a shambles’
The statistics damn United and underline the lack of organisation, tactical acumen, nous and basic quality that have characterised their Champions League return and most of their season.
United’s four points from six games is their lowest in any Champions League campaign, while the 15 goals conceded is the most by a Premier League side in any group stage of the competition.
All manner of inquests into this dismal failure can be conducted, but the bottom line is this Manchester United side are not fit for the purpose of success – a problem exacerbated by an uncanny knack of blasting themselves in both feet at the worst possible time.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana has had a nightmare campaign, at fault in the 4-3 loss away to Bayern, poor in the home defeat against Galatasaray then quite simply awful in the 3-3 draw with the Turkish side in Istanbul, gifting Hakim Ziyech two goals from routine free-kicks. That was a result that ensured even victory here against Bayern might not have been enough for United.
As it was, United never even threatened to keep their own side of the bargain.
Few tears were shed when goalkeeper David de Gea left United after 12 years last summer, but Onana has done nothing to suggest the Spaniard has been adequately replaced.
United held a two-goal lead before losing 4-3 in Copenhagen and twice held a similar advantage before sharing the points when visiting Galatasaray.
There was a lack of discipline as Marcus Rashford was sent off with United 2-0 up in Denmark, the inexplicable catalyst for a collapse from a position of control to another damaging defeat.
All in all, United’s Champions League comeback has been a shambles.
Old rivals Bayern put them out of their misery. In reality, United’s Champions League return was probably washed up even before a ball was kicked on a miserable, forgettable occasion.
Bayern didn’t even have to break sweat
On a night when United needed to at least show a willing to save themselves, they managed five shots in all. Five shots on a night when victory was a must.
Yes, a first-half groin injury for captain Harry Maguire and a hamstring problem that meant Luke Shaw could not come out for the second half hampered their efforts, but there can be no excuses. This is a desperately poor team when set against the standards Manchester United aspire to.
This was not even a classic Bayern side. Good but not great – certainly not a team you would risk a huge amount on in terms of them winning the Champions League.
Bayern, however, were still able to deal with United without breaking sweat in a game that was actually neither here nor there for Thomas Tuchel’s team. You were left with the impression that if there had suddenly been something riding on this for the Bundesliga champions they would have been able to slip through the gears and dismiss United without too much fuss.
If there were any flashes of pace and urgency, they actually came from the side that did not even need to show it.
The home fans were remarkably patient given the meagre fare on offer. The jeers at the final whistle were more in resignation than anger.
United have proved a few things throughout this ill-fated campaign. None of them good.
Captain Bruno Fernandes (left) is suspended for Manchester United’s next match – away at Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday
Finishing bottom of the group ‘the right outcome’
Manchester United have proved that for now they do not belong in this elite company. Their final position in Group A does not do them a disservice. It is the right outcome. They proved the likes of Bayern, Manchester City and Real Madrid are out of their league.
And at the heart of it all is Ten Hag, facing an increasing struggle to tame this unwieldy football beast, looking more and more like a manager who is sinking, scrambling to make sense of how those slivers of optimism from last season have been so quickly replaced by despair and despondency.
Ten Hag must seek improvement in another unforgiving environment, at Anfield on Sunday against Premier League leaders Liverpool, who inflicted a historic 7-0 thrashing on United last season.
And he will almost certainly have to do it without the injured Shaw and Maguire, along with injured captain Bruno Fernandes.
If United hoped coming back to the Champions League stage would offer confirmation that they were edging back towards the top table, the fact they were not even good enough to secure the safety net of consolation offered up by the Europa League tells them exactly where they actually stand.
Man City are the sixth English side to win the European Cup/Champions League
ISTANBUL-(BBC)-The clock was ticking towards midnight in Istanbul when the moment Manchester City craved finally arrived and this sprawling old metropolis on the banks of the Bosphorus could turn sky blue.
Manchester City have taken a scenic and often desperately painful route to winning the Champions League but the journey reached its destination at last as they were finally able to get their hands on the giant trophy with victory over Inter Milan.
The win also completed the Treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup for Pep Guardiola and his side, joining arch-rivals Manchester United as the only English club to achieve the feat.
For Guardiola, who paced and pawed at the giant technical areas of Ataturk Stadium in agitation throughout an attritional encounter, this was his legacy sealed, his place among the game’s greats secured by Rodri’s 68th-minute winner.
He knew there would always be an unspoken question mark about his time as Manchester City manager until the Champions League was won.
The judgement on his work would always be framed, unfairly or otherwise, around whether he could add to his two victories with Barcelona in this competition – the last in 2011.
The judgement can now be made. No further doubt can be cast on Guardiola’s greatness.
Casemiro has scored four Premier League goals this season and set United on their way with the opener
LONDON-(MaraviPost)-Manchester United booked their Champions League place with a game to spare thanks to a comfortable win over a dismal Chelsea side at Old Trafford.
Casemiro headed the hosts in front, with Anthony Martial sweeping in Jadon Sancho’s pass from close range to double their advantage.
Bruno Fernandes added United’s third from the penalty spot after being fouled by Wesley Fofana.
And another Fofana error saw Marcus Rashford score a fourth before Joao Felix’s late consolation for the Blues, who suffered their eighth defeat in 10 games under Frank Lampard and their 16th overall in a desperate campaign.
The result meant United consigned old rivals Liverpool to Europa League football next season.
It was not all good news for the home side though as Brazilian winger Antony was taken off on a stretcher in tears after suffering a lower leg injury in an innocuous challenge with Trevoh Chalobah – with the FA Cup final against Manchester City less than two weeks away.
Manager Erik ten Hag said: “I can tell you that it’s serious but we have to wait minimum 24 hours and then we know probably more about the status of his injury”.
For Chelsea, their sorry season – their worst in almost two decades – cannot come to an end quickly enough, although their fans have at least retained their sense of humour as they sang “we’ve scored a goal” as they celebrated Felix’s effort.
…….City 4-0 Madrid (Agg 5-1): Bernardo Silva scores twice as City reach Champions League final
Bernardo Silva has now scored 12 goals for Man City in this competition – 10 of those have come in the knockout phase, including each of the last eight
LONDON-(MaraviPost)-On Wednesday night, May 17, 2023, Manchester City delivered a relentless performance laced with outstanding quality to overpower holders Real Madrid and reach the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul.
City have lost two previous semi-finals to Real but they made no mistake here at a joyous Etihad Stadium to now stand one step away from claiming the trophy that has always stayed tantalisingly out of reach for Pep Guardiola’s team.
And their display in a magical first half, in particular, will live long in the memory as the masters of this tournament were left bewildered by City’s brilliance.
According to BBC Sport, it maintained a seemingly unstoppable march towards a treble of Champions League, Premier League – which can be won with victory at home to Chelsea on Sunday – and the FA Cup, where they play Manchester United in the final at Wembley.
Real keeper Thibaut Courtois performed heroics to save two Erling Haaland headers early in the first half but he was powerless to stop Bernardo Silva’s close-range finish after 23 minutes, the Portugal midfielder scoring a looping header for the second eight minutes before half-time.
City faced the occasional threats from Real after the break, Ederson saving well from David Alaba and Karim Benzema, but they were no match and when Manuel Akanji’s header deflected in off Eder Militao 14 minutes from time the celebrations started.
Substitute Julian Alvarez then wrapped up the dominant win with a late strike after latching onto a brilliant Phil Foden pass.
City will play Inter on 10 June as they look to win the Champions League for the first time.
PARIS-(MaraviPos)-Karim Benzema of Real Madrid has been named the 2022 Ballon D’Or winner after an awesome season in which he won the Champions League and La Liga.
Benzema won the award ahead of teammate Thibaut Courtois at an event that took place on Monday October 17,2022 at the Theatre Chatelet in Paris.
He was the clear favorite to take home the illustrious award even before the ceremony.
The Madrid striker had the best chance of being named the world’s finest footballer because one of the innovations of this year’s Ballon d’Or was that journalists voted based on the player’s previous season’s performance rather than what he had displayed during the calendar year (as has been the case since the first edition).
Cristiano Ronaldo was on hand to witness Karim Benzema’s triumph at the award show.
Note that Ronaldo has five Ballon d’Or to his name, four with Real Madrid (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017) and one with Manchester United in 2008.
He is two Ballon d’Or away from his career rival Lionel Messi, who has a record seven.
As for Benzema, he had to beat the likes of Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, and Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona to win his first Ballon d’Or.
Benzema, who is a striker for Real Madrid of La Liga and the France national team, was born on December 19, 1987, in France.
He is a professional football player.
Benzema is a playmaker and prolific attacker who is well-known for his finishing and playmaking.
He is frequently recognized as one of the greatest strikers of all time.
He is the leading assist maker and second-highest goal scorer for Real Madrid all-time.
Benzema changed from a false nine to a lone striker in the wake of Ronaldo’s departure in 2018.
He was named to the La Liga Team of the Season in 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22, received the league’s Best Player award in 2019-20 and 2021-22, and also took home the Pichichi Trophy in 2021-22, all of which considerably elevated his reputation inside the Real Madrid club.
In addition to leading the team in goals and receiving Player of the Season honors, his outstanding career-high performances during Real Madrid’s victory in the 2021–22 Champions League have been recognized as one of the best individual campaigns in the competition’s history.
With Real Madrid, Benzema has amassed 23 trophies, including five Champions League titles, two Copa del Reys, and four La Liga championships.
PARIS-(MaraviPost)-Real Madrid has been crowned king of Europe once again.
For a record 14th time, Real Madrid is the continental champion after holding Liverpool goalless at the Stade de France stadium in a 1–0 victory on Saturday May 28, 2022.
Madrid wins Champions League
Vinícius Júnior’s 59th minute goal proved to be the difference for the Spanish giants, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois earned himself Man of the Match honors with nine saves on the night (a Champions League final record), including multiple spectacular efforts to deny Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah.
Real Madrid’s Champions League run was nothing short of legendary. Real overcame aggregate deficits in stunning fashion in each of the knockout stages against powerhouses like Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City before defeating Liverpool in the final.
Although he didn’t score in the final, forward Karim Benzema stole the show with 10 goals in seven knockout games, including two hat tricks to jump to the forefront of the Ballon d’Or conversation and win the Champions League Golden Boot for this season.
With the win, Carlo Ancelotti becomes the most decorated manager in Champions League history with four titles as a manager, which includes eight years in between wins with Real.
Things got off to a delayed start at the Stade de France as kickoff was pushed back by 15 minutes due to crowd congestion issues with fans still filing into the stadium.
That delay was then extended to over 30 minutes as reports were confirmed saying that police also used pepper spray to control the crowds.
But after a 37-minute delay, the game finally got underway in Paris as fans continued to file in. No shots came from either side in the first 15 minutes, but things started to kick off in the 16th minute with Liverpool pushing the pace.
Pouncing on a couple of quick chances, Salah saw two separate chances saved by Courtois, including one reaction shot directly in front of goal.
Liverpool continued to put the pressure on with a seemingly perfect chance in the 21st minute courtesy of Mané. The winger cut in past two defenders and ripped a low shot that seemed destined for goal.
But Courtois came up with a strong fingertip save that sent the ball off the post and back to the keeper to keep things scoreless.
The chances continued to fall in Liverpool’s favor with Salah getting another quality shot at goal. In the center of the penalty area, the Egyptian star had a dangerous header from a sharp cross but sent the chance directly at Courtois.
Real Madrid appeared to take the lead in the 43rd minute when a scramble in front of goal ended with Benzema sending the ball into the back of net.
After Benzema was played in on goal by a long cross, the French international played the ball back across goal.
The ensuing deflections ended back at Benzema’s feet as he appeared to score. But a lengthy VAR review determined that the forward was offside prior to the deflections from Liverpool’s defenders.
But Real Madrid would be the first to strike in the 59th minute courtesy of Vinícius. The Brazilian winger perfectly timed a back-post run behind Trent Alexander-Arnold and latched onto a low cross from Federico Valverde for the 1–0 lead.
The goal led to a raucous response at the Real Madrid watch party in the Santiago Bernabéu.
Salah came close to equalizing in the 64th minute, but Liverpool was thwarted once again by Courtois as the Egyptian’s curling shot was parried wide.
Just moments later, Courtois cut short another Salah chance after a deflected pass lobbed to Salah at the back post.
Liverpool continued to furiously attack after conceding, adding to its tally of 20 shots to Real Madrid’s three. In the 80th minute, Salah’s shot was deflected by second-half substitute Diogo Jota, but the chance was pushed out for a corner by Courtois.
In the 82nd minute, Courtois came up with another incredible reaction save on yet another Salah chance.
The Premier League Golden Boot winner had an opportune chance at goal, cutting past his defender and sending a shot goal-bound until Courtois’s arm glanced the shot and directed it wide.
In the end, Liverpool’s hopes for a three-trophy haul were ended less than a week after a series of late goals from Man City saw Liverpool miss out on a Premier League title.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid secured the double after it won its 35th Spanish league title earlier this year.
The 2020/2021 Champions League is heading towards the fifth round, and six teams have already guaranteed, but three of those teams have won all games, and two have guaranteed a 1st place finish.
So, with Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Barcelona, Juventus, Sevilla & Chelsea securing their place in the final sixteen – let us take a preview at the top three squads dominating the tournament so far.
The most dominant side in Germany remained top of the Bundesliga and held onto their undefeated Champions League record. A 3-1 thrashing over Red Bull Salzburg landed Bayern a place in the final round of sixteen and a guaranteed 1st place finish.
Bayern Munich held no prisoners in their reverse fixture against Salzburg. It was not quite the 6-2 battering they delivered in the first leg, but a comfortable 3-1 win ended the battle with a 9-3 aggregate score in favour of Bayern.
However, this did not come without a first-half gasp when Salzburg managed to take the lead. The score line did not survive long before Robert Lewandowski levelled the game before the half.
Kingsley Coman found Bayern’s 2nd and Leroy Sane with a headed effort sealed the deal as Marc Roca was sent off, leaving Salzburg with a 10-man squad.
– –
Digging Into the Bookmakers
With two games remaining in the group stage, Bayern’s early qualification allows them to recuperate the winning eleven if needed.
With all results required to secure first place, Bayern has a significant advantage over teams that have not qualified yet but leaving the bookies covering the group stage since there are more teams that could give a surprise and move further on the competition.
Back on to the Bayern, we can find it at 3/1 [4.00] +300 on the available odds to win the Champions League. This price has moved to a better number since the previous fixture. Due to other teams performing well, prices are leveling out.
Barcelona
Through the criticism Barcelona has received in recent months, a bitter-sweet Champions League campaign has seen the Spanish giants win all four matches – including a victory over Juventus. The unfortunate outcome is that Barcelona needs one more win to secure the 1st place position, Juventus has remained hot on their heels winning 3 of 4.
With Lionel Messi leading the way, ignoring the club’s history and achievements would be foolish. They have the talent to penetrate any defence in the tournament and continued to do so with another 0-4 victory against Dynamo Kyiv. Barcelona celebrated as one of three clubs in the contest to have won all four fixtures.
At the Bookmakers & Our Prediction
Barcelona are probably the best wildcard bet to place right now; the current price available will see a dramatic loss in value if they are successful against Juventus for a second time. I anticipate Barcelona will remain in the first-place position but lifting the trophy might be too much to ask for this season.
You can find Barcelona for 17.00 [18/1] +1700, multiply the amount of money staked by seventeen for a large return is not the worst punt given Barca’s current form.
As second-favourites to win the tournament, it is no surprise Manchester City are dominating early-on. This past week saw them join Bayern Munich as one of the only two teams to qualify within four matches.
A midweek fixture against Olympiacos ended with a small scoreline, but do not ignore the big performance. City could have won by 5/6 goals, delivering twenty-one attempts on goal before the final whistle.
Pep Guardiola is yet to claim Champions League silverware at Manchester City and wants nothing more, the more Manchester City drop points in the EPL could only turn their full focus onto the big prize in Europe.
At the Bookmakers & Our Prediction
The bookmakers have Manchester City as the second favourite team to win the tournament. Odds are currently set at 4.5/1 [5.50] +450 still holds value. If an English team should be favoured, Manchester City’s form is enough to claim that title.
Manchester United vs Barcelona UEFA Champions league
Manchester United will need a good result in Spain if they are to reach the last four of the Champions League. The team lost 1-0 by FC Barcelona in the first leg of their quarter-final encounter at Old Trafford.
Luke Shaw’s poor performance after 10 minutes proved decisive. The latter scored an own goal to give Barcelona the edge. Ole Solskjaer opted to line up a back five. He wanted Dalot to draft in and help Luke Shaw deal with Lionel Messi’s attacking skills. But the Barcelona superstar spent little time in one fixed position.
Scott McTominay and Fred shone in Paris in the last round. Ole wanted them again to form the midfield partnership. In fact, there were talks that Barcelona might opt for a safety-first approach. As per several sources, Arturo Vidal would feature as an extra midfield. But the Chilean was among the substitutes. Philippe Coutinho joined Suarez and Messi in attack on his return to England.
Match Highlight
It took Barcelona just 10 minutes to start the move that would lead to the opener. It also took the help of VAR. Luis Suarez was mistakenly flagged offside as he headed Messi’s cross-in off the shoulder of Shaw. That effort went down as Shaw own the goal.
Luke Shaw’s evening got even worst inside 20 minutes. He picked up the yellow card for a foul on Messi. And that would rule him out of the second leg. Manchester United responded well to the goal. Smalling’s robust challenge left Messi with a bloody nose. Would you call this deliberate to disrupt Barcelona’s rhythm? It could be.
Barca started the second half in an even more sluggish form. And Old Trafford sensed an opportunity to get back into the game. Ernesto Valverde introduced Vidal and Roberto to try and wrestle back control. His tactical changes proved to be effective. Ole also sent on Anthony Martial to replace the ineffective Romelu Lukaku.
With five minutes to play, Ole brought on Andreas Perreira for Rashford. But he could not make any impact into the game. In the end, the United’s boss suggested that he was happy to be still in the tie. Yet, this was the golden chance! Barcelona could be much more threatening in the return leg.
Expectation in the Next Match
Ole Solskjaer is dreaming of another striking comeback in the Champions League. But he admitted that they cannot afford to squander opportunities. Barcelona did not deliver a superb performance. Yet, they managed to come away from Old Trafford with a 1-0 win.
Ole knows opportunities will be at premium when the teams meet again at the Camp Nou next Tuesday. He remains optimistic that they can upset the odds. Just like when they overturned a two-goal deficit against PSG.
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The Managers
Ole Solskjaer: “Going to the Nou Camp is going to be a challenge. It would be a greater achievement [than the comeback against PSG]. With the history of Barcelona, they are not used to losing at home, but we can do it, no doubt about it. We know we can carry a goal threat. Whoever is playing up front, we have to provide a bit more ammunition for them.”
Ernesto Valverde: “It was a great header from Luis [Suarez]. He was fighting for every cause. He was getting stuck into the defenders, trying to work really hard. We suffered, they caused us problems in the second half, but we are happy overall with the result.”
Opta Stats
Manchester United lost 3 consecutive home Champions League Knockout games for the first time.
It was Barcelona’s 4th Champions League victory against Manchester United.
Barcelona won 5 of their last 7 away games against English opponents in the competition.
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