UEFA Champions League
LIVE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: RB LEIPZIG 2-1 ATLETICO MADRID
It’s all over! Leipzig are in the semifinals for the first time in their history!!!!
It’s 2 minutes beyond the added time.
Yellow card – Gimenez
We’re over the allotted 5 minutes of added time, but still we play on… free kick to Leipzig, and surely that’s it?
90+5 min: Atletico Madrid are throwing men forward now, but they’re running out of time. There’s a Leipzig man down complaining of cramp
FIVE MINUTES ADDED TIME:
GOAL! RB Leipzig 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Adams)
88 min: It’s a great flick around the corner from Sabitzer for Angelino, who finds substitute Adams in the middle. He takes a long range shot, and it takes an awful deflection to go past Oblak and into the goal!
GOAL! RB Leipzig 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Adams)
88 min: It’s a great flick around the corner from Sabitzer for Angelino, who finds substitute Adams in the middle. He takes a long range shot, and it takes an awful deflection to go past Oblak and into the goal!
GOAL!!!!!!OAL! RB Leipzig 2-1 Atletico Madrid (Adams)
Atletico Madrid have scored in each of their last 19 games in all competitions – last enjoying a longer scoring run in 2012 (24 games).82 mins
SUBSTITUTIONS
RB Leipzig 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Goalscorer Dani Olmo is off and is replaced by Patrik Schick and Christopher Nkunku comes off for Amadou Haidara.
João Félix has scored four goals in his three European quarter-final appearances, having hit a hat-trick for Benfica against Eintracht Frankfurt in last season’s UEFA Europa League first leg.That spot kick made it six goals from six penalties for him in senior football – the last three in UEFA club competition.
81mins:
Under 10 minutes to go
Remember, there are no second legs. This one’s going to extra time if the teams can’t be separated in the next 9 minutes
78MIN: Substitution: Adams (in) – Laimer (out) (Leipzig).
77 min: Leipzig now have to come again, as it looks like Atletico are content to sit back again
Subs: Atletico: Morata comes on for Costa
Leipzig: Adams comes on for Laimer
PENALTY KICK!!!
PENALTY TO ATLETICO MADRID
It’s that man Joao Felix! He plays a one-two with Costa and he’s into the box, brought down around the penalty spot just before he takes a shot
63 min: Felix wins a free kick for his side
Yellow card – Lodi
61 min: Lodi knocks the ball past his man in the box and he goes down!
No contact whatsoever, and he’s given a yellow card for diving
58 mins
SUBSTITUTION
RB Leipzig 1-0 Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone twists after just 13 minutes of the second half played.
Hector Herrera is off and £113m Joao Felix joins the attack.
58 mins
SUBSTITUTION
RB Leipzig 1-0 Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone twists after just 13 minutes of the second half played.
Hector Herrera is off and £113m Joao Felix joins the attack.
Gooooal!
Olmo (Leipzig) scores!
GOAL! RB Leipzig 1-0 Atletico Madrid (Olmo)
51 min: Finally! They work it well, and Olmo finds some space in the box to guide a header straight past Oblak, who can’t get near it with his outstretched hand
2nd Half KICK-OFF
RB Leipzig 0-0 Atletico Madrid
We are back under way in Lisbon.
Post update
45+2 mins
Half Time
Post update
RB Leipzig 0-0 Atletico Madrid
RB free-kick though.
41 mins: RB Leipzig 0-0 Atletico Madrid
Marcos Llorente rolls his way towards the advertising hoardings after an excellent tackle by Dayot Upamecano. He’s OK despite giving the appearance his career was over.
Atletico have a corner but it’s cleared.
39 mins
Post update
RB Leipzig 0-0 Atletico Madrid
As if by magic, the blood has disappeared from the head of Marcel Halstenberg while Stefan Savic has a big bandage wrapped around his head.
We continue.
39 mins
RB Leipzig 0-0 Atletico Madrid
As if by magic, the blood has disappeared from the head of Marcel Halstenberg while Stefan Savic has a big bandage wrapped around his head.
We continue.
Ouch! That looked like it hurt and Savić is bleeding heavily. That kind of full-blooded commitment is exactly what Simeone demands from his players.
35mins: Medical attention:
Savic and Halstenberg are down after they come together at speed, their heads knocking together. The ref stops the match so they can be checked out
Savic looks the worst out of the two, and Felipe is warming up just in case
28 min: Diego Simeone is waving his imaginary yellow card as one of his men is once again brought down unfairly. The referee has kept his cards in his pocket so far though
26 min: RB Leipzig are able to swing a cross in though, and it’s a very good one, aimed at the tall defenders who had come forward right into that corridor of uncertainty, but Atleti get it clear
MATCH SO FAR RB LEIPZIG 0-0 ATLETICO MADRID
· Atlético face Leipzig in #UCL quarter-final
· Simeone’s side force 2 saves from Gulácsi
· Bright opening from Nagelsmann’s men
· Winners face Paris in semi-finals
21 mins ;RB Leipzig 0-0 Atletico Madrid
Crucial clearance by German defender Marcel Halstenberg from Yannick Carrasco’s free-kick to the far post – Marcos Llorente was lurking behind the RB man.
Atletico are right back in this match after RB’s earlier good spell.
19 min: Another free kick for Atletico Madrid in a decent position. Their players have been getting free in the box so far thanks to zonal marking.
Carrasco teases one in, and Saul is waiting for it before Halstenberg gets it clear
19 min: Another free kick for Atletico Madrid in a decent position.
15 min: The VAR check is taking a while, and in the meantime Leipzig are on the attack down the middle. It’s switched out to the left side, but the cross is headed away by Savic.
No penalty, by the way, after a three minute check
12 min: Lovely work from Carrasco and Lodi down the left, and the shot fizzes in towards Gulacsi’s near post, who parries it away for a corner.
Saul Niguez gets in a little tangle with the keeper and goes down in the box looking for a penalty, VAR are checking
4mins: Halstenberg (Leipzig) misses the target.
Giménez heads the corner clear and, from a second cross from the left, the ball falls to Halstenberg, who volleys a decent opportunity well over the far angle of Oblak’s goal from inside the penalty area on the right. This has been a positive start from Leipzig, looking confident and energetic.
2mins: Diego Costa (Atlético) is flagged for offside.
Atletico kicked off.
Leipzig make seven changes from last outing. Atlético bring in four from last match. German side make quarter-finals debut. Winners face Paris in semi-finals
KICK-OFF: The match is under way.
A minute’s silence will be observed before kick-off to honour all victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.
TEAMS ARRIVE ON THE PITCH
RB Leipzig are out onto the pitch first, followed by Atletico Madrid separately making their way onto the pitch to promote social distancing
COVID -19 PROTOCOLS
There are a lot of rules in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus during the Champions League knockout stages.
Portugal is playing host to the rest of the competition, and two-legged ties are a thing of the past.
Each squad has been allocated a hotel and training area that is separate from the rest of the teams, and you need permission to leave.
There’s rigorous testing in place, and if you can’t field a squad of 13 healthy players, you automatically lose 3-0.
Each club has been allocated 210 bottles of water to use per day, and warm-ups cannot be done inside penalty areas in order to protect the pitch.
Action continues tonight in the UEFA Champions League as german side, RB Leipzig face La Liga side, Atletico Madrid.
It is the third match of the quarterfinal series. Both teams coincidentally overcame Premiership sides, Tottenham and Liverpool.
Diego Simeone ‘s Atletico Madrid will be hoping to make another final having seen Real Madrid exit in the last round, as their rivals caused them heartache in the 2014 and 2016 finals.
RB Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga will be hoping to continue their impressive form without Timo Werner who helped them to this stage, now that he has signed for Chelsea.
RB LEIPZIG
Starting XI: Gulacsi, Angelino, Upamecano, Sabitzer, Poulsen, Klostermann, Nkunku, Halsternberg, Olmo, Laimer, Kampl
Subs: Mvogo, Tschauner, Orban, Haigara, Forsberg, Adams, Lookman, Schick, Mukiele, Novoa, Borkowski, Wosz
ATLETICO MADRID
Starting XI: Oblak, Lodi, Gimenez, Savic, Trippier, Carrasco, Saul, Koke, Herrera, Llorente, Costa
Subs: Adan, Arias, Felipe, Hermoso, Sanchez, Thomas, Lemar, Vitolo, Toni Moya, Joao Felix, Morata, Saponjic
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was overjoyed as his side reached the Champions League final for the second time in their history on Tuesday, saying there had been a huge positive shift in energy and belief following crucial results over the last week.
A tap-in from captain Bukayo Saka just before halftime and a ninth clean sheet in this season’s competition gave Arsenal a 2-1 aggregate semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid.
They now face either holders Paris St Germain, who knocked them out in last season’s semi-finals, or Bayern Munich in the Puskas Arena in Budapest on May 30 — a week after they hope to have sealed a first Premier League title for 22 years.
Arteta, who had sprinted onto the pitch at the final whistle to hug his players and then ran to the home fans for a series of oles, said it had been an “incredible night”.
“I cannot be happier, prouder for everybody that is involved in this football club,” Arteta told reporters. “We have all been so aligned on the desire and ambition that we had.”
The victory means Arsenal have also equalled their club record for most wins in a single season, according to Opta. They have now won 41 games across all competitions, matching the 55-year-old record set in the 1970-71 campaign
Arteta said he had never experienced such a raucous build-up and atmosphere both inside and outside the stadium during his time at the Emirates, and that his side now had the bit between their teeth again.
Arsenal’s season appeared to be faltering a few weeks ago but having overcome Atletico and seen Premier League title rivals Manchester City stumble the previous night, the North London side are within touching distance of a first English title since 2004 and potential European glory.
“It’s great. Everybody can feel a shift in energy and belief in everything,” Arteta said.
“Let’s use it in the right way and understand that the margins and the difficulty of what we are trying to achieve is huge, but we have the ability and conviction today, that is for sure.”
Arsenal’s midfield engine, Declan Rice, also said the side had regained their momentum.
“We have kind of turned a corner again. We went through a stage where we weren’t performing at our best. We were a bit sloppy in our play, but we have found a new way to play again,” Rice told Amazon Prime.
“When you have got confidence in football it is everything. I know everyone is focused.”
Rice also underscored the longer-term progression Arsenal have made and the importance of their league game against his former side West Ham United at the weekend.
“We have kept building – we have kept pushing each other. This competition and the Premier League. We have gone full throttle,” Rice said.
“Sunday now is a massive one.”
-Reuters
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Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone spent almost the entire second leg of his side’s Champions League semi-final defeat by Arsenal prowling his technical area, gesticulating at his players and seemingly kicking every ball.
As his hopes of taking the club to the final for the third time in his 15-year reign faded late on in their 1-0 loss at The Emirates, his emotions got the better of him and, not for the first time while wearing a suit, he was booked.
But the 56-year-old Argentine was a model of composure later as he reflected on a 2-1 aggregate defeat for his team, who found resilient Arsenal too tough a nut to crack.
“I feel calm, I feel peace, I think the team gave absolutely everything,” he told reporters. “(Arsenal) took their big chance in the first half and they deserved it.”
Simeone’s side struggled to open up an Arsenal defence that kept a ninth clean sheet in this season’s Champions League, and the Spaniards were left to rue the opportunities they spurned in the second half of the 1-1 draw in Madrid last week.
“In the first leg, we could have won it , but we were not clinical enough,” he said. “We gave it all, and now we have to accept the place that we are in. I’m proud of where we are.”
Simeone was generous in his praise of Arsenal — a team who boast many of the attributes — defensive discipline and an ability to win ugly — once associated with his sides.
“I think (manager) Mikel Arteta has done an incredible job at Arsenal … I’m really pleased for them, they deserve it,” Simeone said.
It proved to be a night of heartbreak for Atletico’s French forward Antoine Griezmann, whose dream of bowing out in a Champions League final before his move to Orlando City in the MLS was shattered.
“He has been an amazing player. We are sad not just for him but for all the fans of Atleti too,” goalkeeper Jan Oblak said. “Everyone was looking for this final, but we didn’t reach it, so it’s a difficult moment.”
-Reuters
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UEFA Champions League
Heineken Elevates Champions League Fever with Exclusive Lagos Viewing Experience
All roads lead to Ilubirin this week as Heineken curates a premium, invitation-only viewing experience for the decisive semi-final second legs of the UEFA Champions League.
Set against Lagos’ iconic waterfront skyline, the event brings together top executives of Nigerian Breweries Plc, captains of industry, cultural influencers and select football fans for what organisers describe as a reimagined matchday experience—where football meets lifestyle, networking and curated entertainment.
Unlike conventional viewing centres, the Ilubirin activation is designed as an immersive social experience.
Guests will enjoy a blend of live football, music, interactive engagements and high-level networking, all in a setting crafted to foster connection and shared passion. It also serves as a build-up to the Champions League final on May 30, offering a glimpse of what promises to be an even grander showcase.
Fans Have More Friends” comes alive as supporters stand united behind their club at the Heineken Watch Party during a UEFA Champions League night.
Speaking ahead of the event, Maria Shadeko, Portfolio Manager for Premium Beer at Nigerian Breweries, said the initiative reflects the brand’s commitment to raising the bar as the tournament reaches its climax.
“As the competition gets bigger, the experience also gets better. We have seen how football connects people across different spaces, and for the semi-finals, we are creating a premium environment where those connections can thrive,” she said.
The Lagos gathering follows a successful series of activations in Port Harcourt, Aba, Owerri and Abuja under Heineken’s global “Fans Have More Friends” campaign—each delivering a fusion of football, music and shared fan moments with growing attendance.
Fans soaking in the atmosphere during a vibrant Heineken Watch Party for the UEFA Champions League final in Lagos last season.
On the pitch, the stakes are equally compelling.
Tuesday’s clash sees Arsenal FC host Atlético Madrid after a finely poised 1–1 first-leg draw. Nigerian interest will centre on Ademola Lookman, who could become the first Nigerian since John Obi Mikel in 2012 to reach the Champions League final—though divided loyalties are expected given Arsenal’s strong fan base in Nigeria.
On Wednesday, Bayern Munich face Paris Saint-Germain in another finely balanced encounter after a dramatic 5–4 first-leg result in favour of the French champions.
“These are the moments that define football,” Shadeko added. “Fans may support different teams, but they come together for the experience. That shared energy is what this campaign represents.”
With tension building on the pitch and a carefully curated atmosphere off it, the Ilubirin experience promises more than just football. It offers a convergence of sport, culture and premium hospitality—an evening where every pass, every goal and every shared reaction becomes part of a larger story.
As the road to the Champions League final narrows, Heineken’s Lagos showcase ensures that for its guests, the spectacle will be felt far beyond the screen.
Follow @heinekenng to get more information on how to attend the match viewing experience.
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