UEFA Champions League
SHAKHTAR DRAW PROPELS MANCHESTER CITY TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16
Manchester City booked their place in the Champions League last 16 for a seventh successive season despite a lacklustre 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola’s side were well below their best at the Etihad Stadium, but Ilkay Gundogan’s second half strike put them on course to wrap up first place in Group C with one game to spare.
Although Manor Solomon equalised for Shakhtar, Atalanta’s win over Dinamo Zagreb ensured City can’t be knocked off top spot.
With the group clinched, Guardiola has the bonus of being able to rest players for the trip to Zagreb on December 11. That is especially important as the Zagreb fixture comes between vital Premier League matches against Manchester United and Arsenal.
While City won’t give up their Premier League title without a fight, Liverpool are in such a strong position that Europe could provide Guardiola’s best hope of a major prize this term.
Guardiola won the Champions League twice as Barcelona boss but the last of those triumphs came in 2011. He hasn’t gone past the quarter-finals with City.
Returning to the knockout stages was a first step toward ending that frustrating streak, but Guardiola will know injury-hit City have plenty of room for improvement.
City made a sloppy start and were almost caught out when a long punt into their half prompted Ederson to rush off his line.
When the City keeper completely missed his attempt to clear, Shakhtar’s Mateus Tete charged into the penalty area, only for Fernandinho to block the shot with a superbly timed last-ditch slide.
Moments later, Ederson made a better dash off his line to clear after another Shakhtar raid threatened to open City up.
City’s limp opening was at least partially due to the absence of the club’s record goalscorer Sergio Aguero, sidelined for several weeks after injuring a thigh in Saturday’s win over Chelsea.
Gabriel Jesus started in place of Aguero, but the Brazilian, who has scored five goals in eight starts this season, was largely anonymous.
Rodri had City’s first sight of goal, but the midfielder’s shot was too close to Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov.
Ponderous for much of the half, City gradually found some rhythm and Nicolas Otamendi’s header from Angelino’s cross forced an agile save from Pyatov, while Gundogan’s deflected effort looped wide.
City have opened talks with Raheem Sterling about a new long-term contract that would reportedly make the 24-year-old one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League.
Sterling’s place among the world’s elite is without question, but this wasn’t the England winger’s best night. He did perk up to create a chance that Jesus was unable to take early in the second half.
City finally conjured a move befitting their ability, cutting through the Shakhtar defence to take the lead in the 56th minute.
Kevin De Bruyne was the catalyst with a swift surge and pass into Jesus in the Shakhtar area. Jesus did well to control and poke the ball across to Gundogan.
The German midfielder took a touch before slotting into the bottom corner from 10 yards. Even that wasn’t enough to paper over the cracks for sluggish City and Shakhtar equalised in the 69th minute.
Tete slipped his pass to the overlapping Dodo and his cut-back from the touchline drew a lethargic response from the City defence, allowing substitute Solomon to fire home from close-range only four minutes after coming on.
David Silva almost restored City’s lead seconds later, but the substitute’s shot was cleared off the line by Serhiy Kryvtsov.
-AFP
Tickets for the men’s Champions League final in Budapest will start at 70 euros ($80) with a lottery deciding the allocation for the general public, UEFA said on Monday.
The final will be on May 30 at Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital.
Fans will also be able to attend the women’s Champions League final at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium on May 23 for as little as 20 euros, with tickets on sale from Monday for all UEFA club competition finals.
The pricing structure stands in contrast to major international tournaments such as the World Cup and the European Championship, where ticket prices are typically far higher and have drawn criticism from supporters.
Applications are open through UEFA’s ticket portal, with sales for the Champions League final closing on March 19.
Tickets will then be allocated through a lottery once the rather than sold through first-come, first-served sales or dynamic pricing models increasingly used at major sporting events.
UEFA said the majority of tickets for the four finals will go to supporters of the participating teams and the general public, with more than 40 percent of capacity for the Champions League final reserved for fans in the two lowest price categories.
Prices for the Europa League final in Istanbul on May 20 start at 40 euros, while the Conference League final in Leipzig on May 27 begins at 25 euros.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Atletico Madrid tore Tottenham Hotspur apart in a stunning first-half blitz on Tuesday, powering to a 5-2 victory in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and leaving the Premier League side with a mountain to climb in London.
The visitors’ 22-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky endured a night to forget on his first appearance since October and only his third of the season.
Two costly errors from the Czech helped Atletico race into a commanding lead, and he was substituted in the 17th minute by manager Igor Tudor immediately after Atletico’s third goal.
Marcos Llorente struck after six minutes when Kinsky slipped while playing the ball out, and Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the 14th when Micky van de Ven also lost his footing.
A minute later, Julian Alvarez walked in the third after Kinsky miscued a clearance, the earliest a team has gone three goals up in a Champions League knockout match.
After Kinsky was replaced by Guglielmo Vicario, Atletico added a fourth when Robin Le Normand’s header crossed the line following a rebound from Griezmann’s free kick. Tottenham defender Pedro Porro reduced the deficit after 26 minutes.
Alvarez then raced from his own half to score the hosts’ fifth goal in the 55th before Dominic Solanke punished an error by Atletico keeper Jan Oblak, which gifted Spurs a second goal.
“We’re very happy with the win and the three-goal lead, but there are still 90 minutes left to play on their home turf,” Alvarez told Movistar Plus.
“We know what this competition is like. Every detail counts, it’s not going to be easy, but we want to be in the quarter-finals.”
ATLETICO SEIZE CONTROL
Diego Simeone’s Atletico side needed barely a quarter of an hour at the Metropolitano stadium to seize control, scoring three times in nine chaotic minutes as Premier League strugglers Spurs unravelled spectacularly.
The rout began in the sixth minute when Kinsky slipped onto his backside while attempting to play out from the back, gifting possession to Alvarez. The Argentine squared for Llorente, who steered a tidy finish just inside the left post.
Eight minutes later, defender Van de Ven also lost his footing trying to control a routine pass, leaving Griezmann free to burst into the area and drill a low shot past Kinsky.
A minute later, Kinsky completely fluffed a first-time clearance from a back-pass, allowing Alvarez to stroll the ball into an unguarded net.
Atletico’s three goals marked the earliest a team has gone three ahead in a Champions League knockout match, and the damage was far from complete.
Tudor reacted by sending on regular keeper Vicario, but the Italian had little time to settle.
In the 22nd minute, he pushed out a Griezmann free kick only as far as Le Normand, whose close-range header was initially clawed away before the referee, alerted by goal-line technology, awarded Atletico their fourth goal.
TOTTENHAM TRY TO RESPOND
To their credit, Spurs responded swiftly. Porro surged down the right in the 26th minute, collected a lateral pass from Richarlison and fired past Oblak to reduce the arrears.
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero then struck the post with a header from a corner before halftime as the visitors sought another lifeline, while Griezmann sliced wide from close range with the goal at his mercy.
Any hope of a sustained Spurs comeback was extinguished 10 minutes after the break. With the away side committed forward, Atletico broke at speed from a defensive corner.
Griezmann’s delightful touch released Alvarez from inside his own half and the forward sprinted clear before sliding a low finish beyond Vicario for his second and Atletico’s fifth.
There was still time for another twist.
In the 76th minute Oblak miscontrolled the ball while attempting to play out from the back, presenting halftime substitute Solanke with possession and the striker rifled home to give Spurs the faintest glimmer of hope.
Yet the evening belonged emphatically to Atletico, who carry a three-goal advantage into next week’s return leg in London after a display that punished every Tottenham misstep.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
UEFA Champions League
Heineken Brings “Fans Have More Friends” Campaign to Nigeria for Champions League Round of 16
As the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League gets underway, Heineken is bringing fans together in Nigeria through its global “Fans Have More Friends” campaign.
The initiative will see premium match-viewing experiences hosted in Lagos at select venues, including GreenHouse on Olu Holloway Road, Ikoyi, and Hunger Games on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, during match days on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to organisers, the events are designed to offer more than just live football coverage. Fans attending the viewing parties will enjoy live music performances, interactive “predict and win” games, branded merchandise giveaways and a steady supply of Heineken throughout the night.
The programme aims to transform match nights into full entertainment experiences that blend football, music and social interaction among supporters.
Every goal comes with excitement!
Maria Shadeko, Portfolio Manager for Premium Beer at Nigerian Breweries Plc, said the campaign reflects the deep connection between football and social life in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, Champions League nights are about connection,” Shadeko said. “Friends come together, strangers become friends, and everyone shares the same emotions from kick-off to the final whistle. Through Heineken’s ‘Fans Have More Friends’ platform, we are celebrating that spirit of togetherness.”
While the festivities unfold off the pitch, attention will also turn to the action across Europe as the knockout stage produces several high-profile encounters.
Among the headline ties is the clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC, while Newcastle United face FC Barcelona. Elsewhere, Galatasaray SK will meet Liverpool FC, and Atlético Madrid will battle Tottenham Hotspur.
Heineken rewards a loyal fan in ‘Predict and Win’ contest at one of the viewing experiences on a match night
Another standout fixture pits Real Madrid against Manchester City, a contest many fans consider worthy of a final. Bayern Munich will take on Atalanta BC, Bayer Leverkusen face Arsenal FC, while Sporting CP meet Bodø/Glimt.
Nigerian fans will also have a strong interest in the tournament through local stars playing key roles for their clubs. Victor Osimhen is expected to lead the attack for Galatasaray against Liverpool, while Ademola Lookman will aim to shine for Atlético Madrid in their tie against Tottenham.
Across Lagos and other Nigerian cities, Champions League match nights have become social gatherings where supporters of different clubs watch together, debate tactics and celebrate goals.
Shadeko said Heineken’s campaign is designed to capture and amplify that shared passion.
“Fandom has a unique way of bringing people closer,” she said. “When you watch a big match with others, the experience becomes bigger and more memorable. That is what we are creating with these match-day experiences.”
As the Champions League anthem echoes across Europe and the Round of 16 drama begins, fans in Nigeria will gather once again to share the excitement, with Heineken adding its own flavour to the match-night experience
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
FIFA Cancels Thousands of Hotel Rooms in World Cup Host Cities Amid U.S. Immigration Concerns
- World Cup4 days ago
World Cup Fans, Players And Officials Face $15,000 Visa Bonds to Enter U.S.
- CAF Champions League1 week ago
Ten-man Zamalek hold on in dramatic Otoho clash to reach semi-finals
- AFCON1 day ago
AFCON to Expand to 28 Teams as CAF Unveils New Competition Calendar
- World Cup7 days ago
Absent Giants: Big Football Nations Missing from the 2026 World Cup
- AFCON1 day ago
CAF May Sanction Senegal Over AFCON Trophy Parade
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
NFF Extraordinary Congress to Set Stage for September Elections in Yenagoa
- AFCON1 week ago
Guinea FA Dismisses ‘Walkout’ Claims in 1976 AFCON Clash with Morocco