Tag: UEFA Champions League

Arsenal’s bid to reach the Champions League final ended in failure as they were beaten by Paris St-Germain on a night of drama at Parc des Princes.

The Gunners’ attempt to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit ran aground on another magnificent display by PSG’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Italian, outstanding in the first leg at Emirates Stadium, delivered a repeat performance with a series of stunning saves to keep Arsenal at bay early on.

He made an outstanding stop from Gabriel Martinelli, then an even better save from Martin Odegaard’s low long-range drive as PSG were rocked back.

PSG cashed in to take the lead on the night when Fabian Ruiz collected Thomas Partey’s headed clearance to flash a 20-yard finish past Arsenal keeper David Raya with the help of a slight deflection after 27 minutes.

In thrilling encounter, Donnarumma produced another stunning save to deny Bukayo Saka, before Raya got in on the act by saving Vitinha’s poor spot-kick after Myles Lewis-Skelly was penalised for handball.

Partey was the culprit when PSG extended their lead after 72 minutes, losing possession before Achraf Hakimi scored on the turn.

Saka did finally beat Donnarumma with an angled finish four minutes later, but it was not enough to spark a comeback, although he then shot over an open goal, and PSG will now meet Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich.

Brave Gunners empty-handed again

Arsenal delivered a top-class display in Paris, but the bitter truth is they could not deliver enough of the “magic moments” manager Mikel Arteta had demanded and their barren run without a trophy now extends to five years.

They stunned PSG and their supporters with a blistering early salvo, but Declan Rice headed a great chance wide before Donnarumma again broke their hearts and hopes of a comeback.

Arteta could not have asked for more from his players against this talented PSG team, who beat Manchester City in the league phase, then eliminated Liverpool and Aston Villa in the knockout rounds.

Arsenal could not turn their early domination into the goal that would have applied pressure on a nervous PSG in those opening stages, leaving them at risk from the danger Luis Enrique’s side possess.

And so it proved with Georgian genius Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hitting the post and Bradley Barcola forcing a fine save from Raya before Ruiz broke the deadlock.

How Arsenal cried out for a natural striker when they had control. Emergency striker Mikel Merino provided a focal point but little else in terms of attacking threat.

Arsenal’s players, understandably, looked crestfallen as Parc des Princes was engulfed in wild scenes of celebration.

Arteta now has to lift them to ensure they finish in the Premier League’s top five and return to the Champions League next season.

Can PSG finally break Champions League curse?

Donnarumma’s name echoed around Parc des Princes as PSG celebrated reaching only their second Champions League final.

And rightly so, because the giant Italian goalkeeper has been just as instrumental as PSG’s brilliant attack in their thrilling run to Munich.

There was talk that Donnarumma’s indifferent form earlier this season might result in him being dropped for the last 16 second leg at Liverpool, but head coach Luis Enrique kept faith – and how he has been rewarded.

He was outstanding in the penalty shootout win at Anfield before producing a virtuoso individual display at Villa Park, then shining in both games against Arsenal.

PSG deserve their place in Munich, where they hope they will finally find their Holy Grail, and bring the Champions League trophy back to Paris.

They lost their previous final against Bayern Munich in 2020, but Luis Enrique’s side have moved on the “Bling Bling” era of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to benefit from a reconstructed team ethic.

Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and the rest of this emerging young PSG team will grace the Champions League final, a mouth-watering prospect after Inter Milan’s sensational win against Barcelona over two legs.

Barcelona are through to the Champions League semi-finals with a 5-3 aggregate win, despite losing 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday with Serhou Guirassy hitting a hat-trick.

Holding a 4-0 lead after a dominant performance in Catalonia, the visitors were made to sweat as Dortmund and Guirassy nearly pulled off a stunning turnaround.

Guirassy put Dortmund in front with a Panenka from the spot with 11 minutes gone and headed them two goals clear early in the second half.

Dortmund sensed a sensation but Barcelona hit back, Fermin Lopez forcing Ramy Bensebaini into an own goal with just over half an hour remaining.

Guirassy reignited Dortmund’s belief with a third on the 76th-minute mark and the final stages may have been different had Julian Brandt not been offside before scoring with 11 minutes remaining.

Despite losing their first competitive game in 2025, Barcelona are through to the semis, keeping their dream of a remarkable treble alive, 10 years after last completing the feat by winning the Champions League in Berlin.

Barcelona, considered title favourites, will face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the final four.

Clearly outclassed in the first leg, Dortmund will take inspiration from Tuesday’s performance, not least the goalscoring form of Guirassy.

The 29-year-old Guinean, who has spent most of his career bouncing between the first and second divisions in Germany and France, now has 13 Champions League goals this season, more than any other player.

Despite a big first-leg lead, Hansi Flick made good on his pre-match pledge to continue attacking, opting against resting any of his attacking trident of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal or Raphinha.

With coach Niko Kovac admitting Dortmund needed a “miracle” to reach the semis after the debacle in Catalonia, the hosts’ task got a little harder when captain and centre-back Emre Can was ruled out with injury just before the match.

But Dortmund raced out of the blocks, Guirassy and strike partner Maximilian Beier going close inside the opening 10 minutes before Pascal Gross was the victim of a clumsy foul in the box by Wojciech Szczesny.

Guirassy stepped up to the spot and was nerveless, calmly unleashing a Panenka to get the hosts underway.

Dortmund sliced Barcelona open repeatedly without reward until half-time but made it count four minutes into the second-half, Guirassy heading in a Ramy Bensebaini assist from a corner.

With Dortmund’s 81,355-strong Westfalenstadion smelling blood, Barcelona’s familiar response was to send their attack down the right and the move paid off almost immediately.

After Yamal’s cross was half-cleared, Fermin Lopez found himself in the teenager’s channel, whipping a pass towards Lewandowski which Bensebaini hit into his own net.

With Barcelona content to control possession as the clock wound down, Guirassy relit the hosts’ hopes when he scored his third in the final quarter of an hour, blasting in from close range after some delightful dribbling from teenage winger Julian Duranville.

The home fans erupted when Brandt scored three minutes later, but the midfielder was offside, allowing Barcelona a breather.

Barcelona managed to hold on despite waves of energetic Dortmund attacks in the final stages to remain on track for the treble.

Paris Saint-Germain survived a second half onslaught to beat Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate and reach the Champions League semi-finals despite a 3-2 defeat on Tuesday.

The French champions were cruising towards the last four when full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes struck in the first 27 minutes to add to their 3-1 first leg lead.

Youri Tielemans pulled a goal back for the English side before half-time and two goals in two minutes from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa transformed the tie early in the second period.

PSG were thankful to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for keeping Unai Emery’s men at bay and preventing another famous collapse in the Champions League knockout stages.

Villa boss Emery was in charge of PSG when Luis Enrique’s Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first leg deficit with a dramatic 6-1 win in 2017.

Luis Enrique again emerged victorious over his compatriot but was the one this time given a scare of blowing a seemingly unassailable lead.

Villa had not experienced a European night like this since 1983 and there was an embarrassing moment for the hosts before a ball was kicked as the Europa League anthem was played instead of the famous pre-match hymn of the Champions League.

Desire Doue’s stunning strike to begin PSG’s fightback from 1-0 down in last week’s first leg was not enough for him to retain his place in the side.

But Luis Enrique’s decision to start Bradley Barcola was justified when he sprinted down the left and Emiliano Martinez spilled his cross into the path of Hakimi, who fired home the opener on 11 minutes.

Another blistering break from the visitors cut Villa open as Ousmane Dembele squared for left-back Mendes to stroke in his fourth Champions League goal of the season and second of the tie.

– Royals in raptures –

Villa’s refusal to give up the fight was rewarded when Tielemans’ deflected effort pulled a goal back before half-time.

Villa fanatic Prince William and his son George were among the home support that were in raptures as what seemed an impossible fightback came closer to reality.

McGinn’s deflected effort flew into the top corner to restore parity on the night at 2-2.

Emery’s decision to start with Marcus Rashford up front ahead of top scorer Ollie Watkins was a controversial one before kick-off.

Rashford has been reborn since a January loan move from Manchester United.

The England international was denied a goal by a stunning save from Donnarumma.

But from the resulting corner, Rashford nutmegged Fabian Ruiz, skipped past Vitinha and cut the ball back for Konsa to slot in at the near post.

A PSG side that looked imperious in the first 45 minutes were suddenly all at sea as Villa missed a series of chances to take the game to extra time.

Donnarumma produced another brilliant save to prevent Tielemans’ header finding the top corner.

Marco Asensio then had the chance to net against his parent club only for Donnarumma to fly out from his goal to block.

Konsa should have headed in another enticing Rashford delivery.

But Rashford’s removal for Watkins proved a turning point as PSG restored control and should have added to their lead in the closing stages as Martinez saved from Hakimi and Doue.

Willian Pacho blocked Ian Maatsen’s goalbound effort in stoppage time to deny Villa at the death.

But they have surpassed expectations in their first experience of the elite level of European football for over four decades.

For PSG, their quest to win the competition for the first time goes on and they have rarely had a better opportunity to end that wait.

Arsenal are their likely semi-final opponents as the Gunners take a 3-0 quarter-final, first leg advantage away to holders Real Madrid on Wednesday.

On the other half of the draw Barcelona will face either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in a heavyweight clash.

But PSG are arguably the continent’s form side and with the Ligue 1 title long since sewn up, can focus entirely on conquering Europe in Munich on May 31.

Raphinha was once again Barcelona’s hero as they claimed a narrow win over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, despite going down to 10 men.

The Brazilian capitalised on a defensive error to drive forward and slot in the bottom corner in the 61st minute, notching his 25th goal of the season and ninth in the Champions League campaign.

Raphinha also came to the rescue for five-time winners Barca in January when the two sides met in the league group phase, scoring a 96th-minute winner in a nine-goal thriller.

Meeting again at this knockout stage of the competition, Barcelona had to play with 10 men from the 22nd minute after teenager Pau Cubarsi brought down Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis on the edge of the penalty box but, as the last man, received a straight red card.

The Portuguese hosts thought they had a penalty in the 82nd minute after the otherwise faultless Wojciech Szczesny brought down Andrea Belotti, but the spot-kick was overturned for offside in the build-up.

Barcelona held on to take a narrow lead to the Camp Nou for the second leg on Tuesday 11 March (17:45 GMT).

Szczesny’s redemption after Lisbon horror show

It was a frantic, dramatic encounter back in January when the two sides last met in Lisbon and Raphinha’s winner settled the outcome at 5-4.

The opening period showed promise of a similar enthralling tie as Kerem Akturkoglu’s drilled shot forced Szczesny into an early save, before Dani Olmo went close at the other end.

Anatoliy Trubin made a brilliant triple save, denying both Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal before catching the final attempt.

But Benfica had chances up against Barcelona’s high defensive line, which ultimately resulted in Cubarsi’s last-ditch challenge on Pavlidis and the 18-year-old’s early dismissal.

The red card turned the tie into a scrappy affair with neither side able to make their shots count as the first half concluded under a cloud of smoke from the home fans’ pyrotechnics.

Pavlidis, who scored a hat-trick in that 5-4 defeat and has scored 10 goals in his last seven appearances in all competitions, should have put Benfica ahead early in the second half.

But he scooped over the bar from Alvaro Carreras’ cutback, before Barca keeper Szczesny made a brilliant reaction save moments later to deny the Greek forward.

The home side were dominant in the second half and recorded 15 shots with five on target, but it was forward Raphinha who struck the decisive blow to give Barcelona a slim advantage with their only second-half effort on target.

A late flurry of corners for the hosts made for a tense finale and Szczesny produced another fine save from Renato Sanches, a stark difference from his horror show in January where he was at fault for two of Benfica’s four goals.

The Polish stopper was fortunate the late penalty award was overturned by the offside decision and it left Benfica with a tough task in the return.

For La Liga leaders Barca, an assured and professional performance extended their unbeaten run to 16 in all competitions.

Bayern Munich have one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a Harry Kane double helped them to comfortable win against 10-man Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Kane gave the hosts an early breakthrough in the all-German meeting before Jamal Musiala doubled their lead by capitalising on a mistake from Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar.

The visitors went down to 10 men after a second yellow for Nordi Mukiele just past the hour mark, then Kane scored his 31st goal of the season from the penalty spot to seal the victory.

It only took Bayern nine minutes to draw first blood as Kane popped up in front of Mukiele to head home a perfectly-weighted cross from Michael Olise.

The visitors almost found a way back when Dayot Upamecano’s dreadful backpass was intercepted by Jeremie Frimpong inside the box, but Bayern captain Manuel Neuer came to his team-mate’s rescue with a brilliant save to deny Leverkusen a swift equaliser.

Vincent Kompany’s side were denied a second as Musiala headed Joshua Kimmich’s corner against the crossbar.

After being outplayed in the first half, Leverkusen’s hopes of a comeback in the second were dashed when Kovar let a Kimmich cross slip through his gloves for Musiala to poke into an open goal.

Mukiele was then dismissed for a reckless challenge on Kingsley Coman before Kane was dragged down to the floor by substitute Edmond Tapsoba during a corner.

Referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot after a video assistant referee (VAR) review and the England captain made no mistake from 12 yards to pull the Bundesliga leaders further ahead.

“This is the Champions League, this is the biggest game of all,” Kane told TNT Sports after the game.

“We’re playing against a team who have had an unbelievable couple of seasons. If we don’t carry it on, then it doesn’t mean anything.

“We’re here to send a message not just to everyone but to ourselves.”

Kane’s nine-goal haul is the most by an English player in a single Champions League campaign and the joint-most in a European Cup campaign alongside Dennis Viollet, who scored nine goals for Manchester United in 1956-57.

The 31-year-old also has nine goals in the Champions League knockout stages now, with Frank Lampard (15) and Wayne Rooney (14) the only Englishmen ahead of him in that regard.

He has now scored more goals across all competitions than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues since he joined Bayern (75).

Seventeen of them have come in the Champions League, which is also more than any other player in the competition in that time.

Former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger told BBC Match of the Day: “Kane was instrumental to the win. I have seen him when he is quiet and doesn’t score and people say has he reached a peak already. But his record speaks for itself, he is so important.”

Athletic journalist Rory Smith, added: “There is a genuine debate at times over his mobility. There was a game against Frankurt recently he missed and Bayern looked more fluid.

“But he is such a reliable goalscorer even if he detracts from the fluency of the team a bit, how do you keep him out?”

The second leg at BayArena will take place on Tuesday, 11 March (20:00 GMT).

It was a night where everything that could have gone wrong for Leverkusen, went wrong.

Xabi Alonso’s side came into the game having not lost to Bayern this season – earning two draws in the league and a win in the German Cup in December.

But their decision to leave Patrik Schick and Victor Boniface on the bench and play without a recognised striker left the German champions without an outlet on the few occasions they made some progress in the opposition’s half.

Individual mistakes also did not help Die Werkself as Mukiele was far too passive in the box to allow Kane to head in the early opener.

Alonso’s decision to pick Kovar in front of Lukas Hradecky to guard the Leverkusen goal will also be scrutinised after the Czech shot-stopper’s error let Bayern double their advantage in the second half.

Their misery was compounded when Mukiele planted his studs on Coman’s calf from behind, leaving the referee with no option but to dismiss him for a second bookable offence.

Tapsoba’s introduction to shore up the 10-man side also backfired as the centre-back put his arms around Kane to bring him down and conceded the penalty from which the striker sent them three goals clear.

“It’s the first leg, we can’t get carried away and we know what type of team they are, next week will be tough,” the former Tottenham star said.

“There was a lot of talk around the last game. We came into it fresh and it’s where the game was won. We made it difficult for them. Tuesday will be no different. We have to be ready.”

Only Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (34 goals) has scored more for a club in Europe’s big five leagues this season than Kane.

In the end, Leverkusen were fortunate not to fall further behind on a forgettable night as Bayern substitute Joao Palhinha brushed the woodwork in the stoppage time.

“A lot went against us today, but that was our own fault. We didn’t have good control and made big mistakes,” Leverkusen boss Alonso said.

On the other hand, Kompany’s only concern on an otherwise spotless night was an injury to Neuer, who was replaced by Jonas Urbig in Bayern goal.

The draw for the knockout playoff round of the revamped UEFA Champions League is here.

This stage marks a critical juncture in the competition, shaping the path teams must take to advance further.

But which teams are involved? Why do league phase rankings matter? And when is the next draw? Here’s everything you need to know.

When is the Champions League Draw for the Knockout Playoff Round?

The draw is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 31, at 6 a.m. ET / 12 p.m Nigeria time at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

Clubs in the Champions League Draw for the next rounds

Only the 16 teams that finished between 9th and 24th place in the league phase are involved in this draw.

The top eight teams have already secured direct entry into the Round of 16 while teams finishing 25th to 36th are eliminated from the competition.

Does where you finished in the league phase matter in the draw?

The final league standings determine the knockout matchups, unlike previous seasons where open draws were used. The new seeding system ensures that the highest-ranked teams do not face each other until the latter stages, preserving competitive balance.

For example:

Liverpool and Barcelona, having finished first and second, cannot meet until the final.
Arsenal and Internazionale, placed third and fourth, cannot play against Liverpool or Barcelona until the semifinals.
Unexpected placements—such as Manchester City (22nd), Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid finishing lower than expected—have led to early heavyweight clashes.
Man City (22nd) must face either Real Madrid (11th) or Bayern Munich (12th).
PSG could meet Barcelona or Liverpool in the Round of 16 if they progress.
The knockout playoff draw: how does it work?

The draw will follow a structured pairing system:

Teams are paired based on their final positions (e.g., 9th vs. 10th, 11th vs. 12th, and so on).
Each pair is drawn into opposite halves of the knockout bracket.
Example: Real Madrid (11th) and Bayern Munich (12th) cannot meet until the final.
Paired teams have two possible opponents before the draw.
Example: Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will face either Celtic (21st) or Man City (22nd).
Unseeded teams (17th-24th) are drawn first, determining their place in the bracket.
Seeded teams (9th-16th) are drawn next, ensuring that a lower-ranked team faces a higher-ranked team.
The higher-seeded teams play the second leg at home.
Will there be country protection?

No. Clubs from the same country can face each other starting from this round. For instance, PSG could face AS Monaco or Brest.

Teams may be drawn against an opponent they already faced in the league phase, including their most recent Matchday 8 rival.

When is the knockout playoff round fixtures
First legs: February 11-12, 2025
Second legs: February 18-19, 2025 Each team will play one match on a Tuesday and the other on a Wednesday.
What happens to the top eight clubs?

Once the knockout playoff round is complete, the top eight league finishers will still have four possible opponents for the Round of 16.

Example: Liverpool and Barcelona could face PSG, Benfica, Monaco, or Brest.
These teams will be assigned based on the outcomes of the playoff round, ensuring fair distribution across the bracket.
When will the draw for the round of 16 hold?
Date: Friday, February 21, 2025
Format: The top eight teams will be drawn into the bracket, ensuring that Liverpool and Barcelona remain in separate halves.
Schedule:
First legs: March 4-5, 2025
Second legs: March 11-12, 2025
The knockout bracket will then be locked through to the final.