UEFA Champions League
ABSENCE OF FANS WILL HELP REAL MADRID AGAINST LIVERPOOL, SAYS RAFA BENITEZ
Real Madrid will benefit more than Liverpool from the absence of fans in their Champions League quarter-final, said Rafa Benitez.
Liverpool face Madrid in Spain later on Tuesday (April 6) before next week’s return fixture at Anfield, where the Merseyside club have struggled in the Premier League this season, with matches taking place without fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Benitez, who managed Liverpool from 2004 to 2010 and had a short spell at Madrid, said it was crucial the English side get a goal in the first leg.
“If they do this then Real have to attack in the second game at Anfield and will then be more exposed in defence,” the Spaniard wrote in his column for The Times.
“When I was manager of Liverpool in 2008-09, we went to the Bernabeu and won 1-0. We knew the next game at Anfield would be important with the supporters. We pressed them from the first minute and scored early before winning 4-0.
“The absence of fans would help Real this time.”
Benitez said that the key to the game would be the tempo.
“If Liverpool can operate with aggression in the middle of the pitch they can make it difficult for Real, who normally do not attack with the speed of Liverpool,” he said.
“Real are precise when they pass and will want to keep the ball. But if they go to the final third, they will be dangerous because they can score different types of goals.
“(Luka) Modric and (Toni) Kroos are quick-thinking players and if they keep the ball, they can find (Karim) Benzema. But if Liverpool can stop Kroos and Modric playing, denying them the chance to pass to the Frenchman, Real will have problems.”
Lamine Yamal became the youngest Barcelona captain at 19 years and 58 days old during the Spanish champions’ 5-1 win over Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday.
First-choice captain Raphinha handed the armband to the Spanish forward when the Brazilian was substituted in the 71st minute.
Bojan Krkic was Barcelona’s previous youngest skipper, having captained the team during a 2010 Copa del Rey match when he was 20.
-Reuters
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- Summary
- Ferran Torres hits hat-trick and Dembele nets twice for PSG
- Arsenal’s Odegaard scores late for away win in Naples
- Liverpool rally from 1-0 down to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1
- Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1 in Wednesday’s early action
New signing Ferran Torres struck a hat-trick as holders Paris Saint-Germain made an emphatic start to the defence of their Champions League crown with a 6-1 home victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday.
Last season’s runners-up Arsenal endured a sterner test at Napoli, but captain Martin Odegaard’s late strike snatched a 1-0 victory while Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield.
There was also success for Portuguese side Sporting, who overturned a fifth-minute deficit to defeat Galatasaray 3-1 in the Portuguese capital.
Ousmane Dembele scored twice before World Cup winner Torres struck three in succession as PSG romped to a routine win over the Slovak side, coached by former Champions League winner Yaya Toure.
The Parisians, chasing a third successive Champions League title, were 5-0 up in 57 minutes, before Suleiman Camara pulled one back. Fabian Ruiz scored their sixth two minutes from time as PSG showed none of the rustiness that has characterised their early season domestic league form.
UEFA Champions League – Paris St Germain v Slovan Bratislava – Parc des Princes, Paris, France – September 9, 2026. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ferran Torres celebrates scoring their fifth goal with Ousmane Dembele REUTERS/Benoit Tessier.
Arsenal, the only club to win all eight league-phase fixtures last season, extended that run in their opening game of the new campaign as Odegaard finished off a series of smart passes with a thunderous 75th-minute shot to win their game in Italy.
“The result probably doesn’t reflect the performance,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “We created many chances against a tough opponent. We had courage. It was a shame we missed so many big chances.”
Liverpool fell behind in the 17th minute when a swift Atletico counter allowed Marcos Llorente to score, but Dominik Szoboszlai levelled five minutes before halftime.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister completed the comeback with a thumping left-footed drive from outside the box in the 50th minute.
“It was ups and downs all the time; they have a good team,” said Szoboszlai of their Spanish opposition. “I think we have a good team as well. We gave everything that we had.”
Galatasaray took an early lead through Goncalo Inacio’s own goal but Geny Catamo equalised for Sporting in the 27th minute amid some poor defending by the Turkish side.
Luis Suarez converted a 57th-minute penalty to put Sporting ahead, and a blistering free kick from Rodrigo Zalazar six minutes later sealed the win.
RAPHINHA DOUBLE AND DEMIROVIC HAT-TRICK
Earlier, Barcelona captain Raphinha scored twice as his side thrashed Feyenoord 5-1 while Ermedin Demirovic struck a 12-minute first-half hat-trick to give VfB Stuttgart a 3-1 home victory over Viking Stavanger.
Karim Adeyemi, Lamine Yamal and Gabriel Jesus were the other home scorers in a rain-soaked Barcelona while Sem Steijn got the Dutch club’s consolation goal.
“There is a long way to go until (the end of the season in) May, but it is true that things look very good because we are training very hard and everyone is hungry,” said Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, as he praised his players.
Demirovic opened the scoring after 20 minutes with a touch at the near post, but Viking, making their first appearance in the group phase, were level two minutes later when Zlatko Tripic finished a swift counter-attack with his left foot.
Demirovic quickly re-established the lead in the 26th minute and then completed the hat-trick with a hooked volley six minutes later.
Another six fixtures are scheduled for Thursday, including three-time European champions Manchester United at home to Azerbaijani debutants Sabah, who came through four preliminary rounds of knockout matches to reach the group phase.
–Reuters
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Shakhtar Donetsk will play their home matches in the Champions League’s league phase at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge this season, both clubs announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian champions have been unable to use their Donbas Arena since Russian-backed forces entered the region in 2014 and were further displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Since leaving Donetsk, Shakhtar have played domestic matches in Kyiv and Lviv, while hosting European fixtures in Hamburg, Warsaw, Gelsenkirchen, Krakow and Ljubljana.
The move to London comes after Chelsea failed to qualify for European competition following a 10th-placed Premier League finish last season, leaving Stamford Bridge available for Shakhtar’s Champions League campaign.
“We are grateful to Chelsea Football Club for the opportunity to host our games at this special venue,” Shakhtar said in a statement.
“Stamford Bridge is one of the most famous stadiums in world football, with an incredible history and atmosphere.
“We are convinced that Shakhtar’s matches in London will provide unforgettable emotions for Ukrainian and English fans.”
Chelsea were formerly owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who was sanctioned by the UK government following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, triggering the sale of the club to a group led by American investor Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Stamford Bridge has a capacity of around 40,000.
“Shakhtar have played in countries across Europe and we look forward to welcoming them to London for their Champions League campaign this year,” Chelsea said.
“We will be working closely with the Shakhtar team over the coming weeks to ensure that matchdays run safely and smoothly for their team and supporters.”
-Reuters
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