Page 9 - Uefa Champions League

UCL: Villa gives away bizarre penalty for handball to gift Club Brugge win

Aston Villa's winning run in the Champions League ended after a bizarre penalty incident that coach Unai Emery described as the "biggest mistake" he's ever seen in his career. The mental lapse by defender Tyrone Mings, who on Wednesday conceded a spot kick by picking up the ball with his hand after a short goal kick by goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez, gifted Club Brugge a 1-0 win. Villa had won its first three games without conceding a single goal in the club's first appearance in the elite competition since it was the defending champion 41 years ago. "His mistake is completely strange. It's the biggest mistake I witnessed in my career," Emery said. "It has only happened one time in all my life. Today." A similar incident did happen already in the Champions League last season but a penalty kick was not given that time. In the quarterfinals, Arsenal defender Gabriel went unpunished for picking up a short pass from goalkeeper David Raya in the first leg against Bayern Munich. Bayern'

Barcelona's attack keeps clicking; earns another big Champions League win

Barcelona showed its attacking prowess yet again in another big Champions League win. The Catalan club routed Red Star Belgrade 5-2 on Wednesday, marking the seventh straight match in all competitions that it as scored at least three goals. Hansi Flick's team has averaged four goals per match in that run of victories. Robert Lewandowski netted twice to extend his scoring streak to 15 goals in his last 10 matches with the Catalan club, while an in-form Raphinha also scored for Barcelona, taking his recent Champions League tally to eight goals in his last six appearances. "We played very well again today," said Lewandowski, who took his tally in the competition to 99 goals. "We had the match under control and got the three points." Barcelona leads the Champions League in goals scored with 15 in four matches. "We knew that Barcelona were in good form before the match, winning the clasico' and scoring a lot of goals," Red Star midfielder Timi Elsnik said. "It was quite a challenge b

UEFA Champions League: Inter Milan vs Arsenal live time, streaming

Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side shrugs off the disappointing 0-1 Premier League loss to Newcastle and gets back to winning ways against a challenging Inter side away from home.

UEFA Champions League: PSG vs Atletico Madrid live time, streaming

Both sides will be facing each other for the first time in their history and will look to get a win on the night to start the head to head record in their favour.

Champions League highlights: Sporting CP thrash Manchester City 4-1

Erling Haaland was upstaged by another striker from Scandinavia in the Champions League. While Haaland missed a penalty for Manchester City, Viktor Gyokeres converted two spot kicks as part of his hat trick for Sporting in a 4-1 win for the Portuguese team. Gyokeres, a Sweden international, is one of the hottest strikers in Europe at the moment and now has 21 goals in 17 games for Sporting this season. Haaland is widely regarded as the best striker in the world but he couldn't put away his penalty after a handball. He stepped up and smashed his effort against the crossbar in the 69th. At the other end, Gyokeres converted his in the 48th to make it 2-1 and did so again in the 80th to make it 4-1 to Sporting.

Amorim heading into Man United job on back of huge win over Man City

Call him the new Alex Ferguson. Ruben Amorim endeared himself to fans of Manchester United, the team where he'll soon be coach, by leading current club Sporting Lisbon to a 4-1 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday. Ahead of his final home game in charge of Sporting after more than four years, Amorim quipped that United fans will think that the new Alex Ferguson has arrived if he was able to lead Sporting to victory over City one of the favorites for the European title. While that might be too strong after all, Ferguson is regarded as one of soccer's greatest managers after his trophy-laden spell at Old Trafford from 1986-2013 United supporters might be thinking they finally have a coach who can bring the good times back to a club that has lost its way since Ferguson's departure more than a decade ago. Someone who can take on and beat City's esteemed manager Pep Guardiola, too. He's so much better than me at the moment, Amorim said, but I believe a l

Champions League 2024: Ancelotti 'worried' after another poor show by Real

There were plenty of jeers at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Before the match, when the Champions League anthem was played. And after the match, when Real Madrid saw its 15-game unbeaten run at home in the Champions League come to an end. Madrid fans still appeared upset by Vincius Jnior not winning the Ballon d'Or ceremony, and also with yet another poor performance by the team. Madrid followed up its 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish league "clasico" with a 3-1 defeat against AC Milan in the Champions League, and coach Carlo Ancelotti didn't hide his concerns. "We need to be worried, we are not showing the best version of ourselves," Ancelotti said. "We are not compact as a team and we need to change that. We lack order in the team and, as a result, we're conceding too many goals." Madrid, the European powerhouse that has a record 15 Champions League titles, has now conceded seven goals in four matches in the competition, with its other loss coming in a 1-0 defeat at Lille. I

Champions League 2024 highlights: Liverpool routs Bayer Leverkusen 4-0

Arne Slot vs. Xabi Alonso had the makings of an epic battle. In the end it was the Liverpool coach who cruised to victory against the man many believed was destined to take over at Anfield this season. A hat trick from Luis Diaz and a goal from Cody Gakpo saw Liverpool beat German champion Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday and further endear Slot to the Merseyside club's fans, who joyously sang his name at the end. People singing for a manager is not that common, at least not in Holland, Slot said. It all seems so easy for the Dutchman, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer and has led Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and now the Champions League after an outstanding start to his reign. That's win number 14 from his 16 games in charge, but this felt particularly symbolic, given his rival in the opposition dugout. Slot seems too level-headed to have concerned himself with the subplot of facing Alonso, who is arguably the most sought-after young co

UEFA Champions League: Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen live time, streaming

Xabi Alonso is set to return to his former club as a visiting manager. Alonso was part of the Reds' UCL-winning campaign in 2005.

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs AC Milan live match time, streaming

Ancelotti has won multiple Champions League titles with Real as well but hasn't had the best start to this season, with the new format presenting unique challenges for the 15-time winners.

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 points table, top 5 highest goal-scorers

This season of UCL is sporting a new format with all 36 teams in the same group instead of the conventional eight groups of four teams each

Rodrygo doubtful for 'El Clasico' after muscle injury in Champions League

Real Madrid forward Rodrygo is doubtful for Saturday's clasico against Barcelona after leaving Tuesday's Champions League match because of a muscle injury. Rodrygo was substituted by Aurlien Tchouamni in the 85th minute of Madrid's 5-2 come-from-behind victory over Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said it is unlikely Rodrygo will play against Barcelona. The Brazil forward is expected to undergo further tests before Saturday's home game. Madrid trails Barcelona by three points in the Spanish league standings. Rodrygo had ice wrapped around his right leg after leaving the field Tuesday. The injury came just before Rodrygo assisted in Madrid's third goal by Lucas Vzquez, which put the team ahead after a 2-0 deficit in the first half.

Aston Villa enjoying dream start to 1st UCL campaign, get 3rd straight win

Three straight wins, no goals conceded and top of the league on maximum points. Aston Villa's first ever appearance in the Champions League couldn't be going any better. Villa's 2-0 home win over Bologna on Tuesday maintained the 100% start to the English team's first campaign in Europe's top club competition since 1983 when it was called the European Cup, which Villa won in 1982. What we are building here is amazing, said Villa captain John McGinn, one of the scorers against Bologna at a rocking Villa Park. Villa opened with a 3-0 win at Swiss outsider Young Boys and then beat German giant Bayern Munich 1-0 in its first home game of the revamped competition. Halfway through the third round of league games, Villa is in first place and no other team has nine points. We are playing seriously, we are playing focused, responsible and the team is progressing and mature in everything, said Villa manager Unai Emery, who took charge two years ago with the team just above the relegation

Bayern, Man City continue winning streaks in Women's Champions League

Bayern Munich and Manchester City extended their winning starts in the Women's Champions League group stage, while Arsenal and Barcelona rebounded from early-season setbacks with big victories. One day after Arsenal's coach Jonas Eidevall resigned, the team took just one minute to score in a 4-1 win over Norwegian team Vlerenga. United States defender Emily Fox's goal after exactly 60 seconds set Arsenal on its way for interim manager Rene Slegers. Arsenal lost 5-2 in Munich one week ago and Bayern impressed again, winning a rain-soaked game 2-0 at Juventus. The statement win last week was Man City beating Barcelona, but the two-time defending champion was back in dominant form in a 9-0 drubbing of Sweden's Hammarby. Man City rallied from an uneasy spell either side of halftime at St. Plten to win 3-2 in Austria, sealed by an 80th-minute header by Mary Fowler. Arsenal revival Arsenal's start to October had been about as bad as it gets. Winless in two home games in the English Wom

Barcelona Femeni targets third straight title in Women's Champions League

Barcelona will go for its third straight Women's Champions League title with a squad boosted by Poland's star striker Ewa Pajor and with Aitana Bonmat and Alexia Putellas playing on new contracts. The group stage of the European club competition begins Tuesday and the Catalans are trying to become only the second team after Lyon to win three titles in a row or reach five straight finals. Barcelona beat Lyon in last season's final, when Ballon d'Or winners Bonmat and Putellas scored a goal each. Both had their contracts with the club extended ahead of the new season, and now they will have Pajor as a teammate. Pajor, who joined from Wolfsburg, was the competition's top scorer in 2022-23 as the German club reached a final that it lost to Barcelona despite a goal by her. In her nine seasons with Wolfsburg, Pajor won 14 titles and scored 136 goals despite a series of injuries. She was not able to win a Champions League crown even though she played in three finals and was part of a run

UEFA Champions League highlights: Bayern, Real suffer shock away defeats

Unai Emery's side presented a difficult challenge for the Bavarians, who couldn't get past keeper Emiliano Martinez on the night.

UEFA Champions League matches on Oct 2: Liverpool, Real, Bayern in action

With Kylian Mbappe included in the traveling squad for the Real Madrid's UCL clash on Wednesday, the fans could be seeing a surprise comeback from injury for the 25-year-old forward.

Borussia Dortmund fans blast 'UEFA mafia' for Champions League changes

Borussia Dortmund fans have made their opposition to Champions League reforms clear with a huge tifo blasting European soccer's governing body UEFA. The supporters displayed the words UEFA mafia behind one of the goals before Tuesday's match against Scottish team Celtic, above a banner saying You don't care about the sport all you care about is money! Another banner above showed a website link making clear the banners referred to Champions League reforms. This season UEFA has changed the structure to Europe's premier competition to add four more teams. The group stage has been scrapped for a league system with each of the now 36 participating teams playing eight opponents once in a first phase of the competition. Also before Tuesday's game, Celtic fans flew Palestinian and Lebanese flags.

UEFA Champions League highlights: ARS beat PSG; City, Barca get first wins

Premier League outfit Arsenal secured a comfortable win against French heavyweights Paris Saint Germain (PSG), as Mikel Arteta's men won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium to get their first win of UCL 2024

UEFA Champions League 2024: Arsenal vs PSG live match timings and streaming

Both sides have met just twice over the years, and both games ended in a draw. With nothing to separate the teams, this game will surely tip the scales in favour of one or the other.