UEFA Champions League
‘It is my fault’, admits Xavi as drowning Barcelona are held 3-3 by Inter
Robert Lewandowski scored two late goals to save Barcelona from elimination in the Champions League in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday at Camp Nou.
The Polish forward dragged Xavi Hernandez’s side level at 2-2 in the 82nd minute and then again at 3-3 in stoppage time with a towering header, after Robin Gosens put the Italians ahead with one minute remaining.
Barcelona’s Champions League fate is no longer in their own hands though and they still face a second consecutive group-stage elimination if Inter Milan win at home against eliminated Viktoria Plzen on Oct 26.
Being on the verge of another early knock-out is a bitter blow for the Catalans, who hoped a summer signing spree, including Lewandowski from Bayern Munich, could restore their position among Europe’s elite.
“They were our errors tonight, we had the game in our hands, we had it in Munich, we had it in Milan and we had it here today,” bemoaned Xavi.
“We’re depending on another team to go through. They are our mistakes, we have to improve them. That’s the reality. The (improvement) process is longer than we thought in Europe.
“There are other competitions, La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Super Copa. We have to insist, persist, believe.”
The hosts made the early running but Lautaro Martinez flashed a warning shot into the side netting on the counter-attack, with Inter sitting deep but ready to spring forward.
Lewandowski, in search of his first goal in three games, had a header cleared off the line and at the other end, Edin Dzeko hit the crossbar.
Raphinha was frustrated after skewing a volley wide but his work rate proved crucial when Barcelona broke the deadlock. The Brazilian winger chased a ball down in the corner and fed Sergi Roberto, who cut the ball across for Ousmane Dembele to blast home from close range.
Inter stewed on the goal at half-time and quickly produced one of their own, netting in the 50th minute after Gerard Pique played Nicolo Barella onside and the Italian rifled home.
The Inter midfielder snuck behind Pique, who waved a cross past him, towards Marc-Andre ter Stegen, not reading Barella’s movement.
The defender, 35, was starting his first Champions League game of the season, with Barcelona paying the price for Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen’s injuries.
“They didn’t come out switched on enough in the second half, that is a coaching error,” said Xavi.
“When you draw at home with these fans, with this atmosphere, it is my fault. I am angry. My feeling is that this competition has been, and is still being, cruel with us.”
It was another of the team’s veterans who gave the ball away for Inter’s second goal, with Sergio Busquets conceding possession with a stray pass. Hakan Calhanoglu found Martinez, and the Argentine striker left Eric Garcia for dead and slammed home via the post.
“We made errors that at this level, you cannot make,” admitted Garcia.
Eventually Lewandowski got his goal with a deflected strike at the second attempt after substitute Alejandro Balde found him in the area.
Gosens thought he had handed Inter qualification and eliminated Barca when he struck late on from Martinez’s cross, on yet another counter-attack, but Lewandowski had other ideas.
The striker’s towering header saved Barcelona from certain elimination, but their future in the competition still hangs by a fraying thread.
“I think that Barca are a very great team with a great coach. The problem is that Barca met an Inter in these games, an Inter at the right level, organised, determined,” said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi.
“In the second half, we played well and we deserved to win the game. We created many chances, we hit the bar, there were some very big saves.”
There is little time for Barcelona to pick themselves up and dust themselves down. On Sunday, Real Madrid beckon at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga.
–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
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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
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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
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