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UEFA Champions League

PAST ENCOUNTERS OF CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE GLADIATORS

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BY APESIN ADEMOLA.

With the set-up for the first knockout  stage of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League completed, some clubs are paired against familiar foes.

Liverpool v Bayern München

Last year’s finalists Liverpool had played seven times against Bayern München , prevailing two times, sharing honours on four other occasions with the German champions winning only once.

Their last match-up in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup on August 24, 2001, which English Premier League current leaders won 3-2.

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In 1981, Liverpool played goalless with Bayern in the first leg of the European Cup semi-final and edged the Germans out on away goal rule having played 1-1 in Munich.

Liverpool’s current manager Jürgen Klopp will be up against a familiar side in the Round of 16 this time. He hasfaced Bayern more than any other team in his managerial career with 29 matchesso far, winning nine, drawing four and losing the rest.

AFC Ajax v Real Madrid

Ajax had played 12 times against Real Madrid in the Champions League and the European Cup competitions with the defending champions recording seven wins, one draw and four losses.

Ajax triumphed over Real Madrid in the semi-final of the 1972/3 European Cup, which the Dutch team eventually won, Ajax beat the Spaniards 2-1 in the first leg at Amsterdam and won in Madrid 1-0 with Juventus falling 0-1 in the final.

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Their other matches were at the group stage of the Champions League, the recent face-off being five years ago.

Olympique Lyonnais v Barcelona

In six Champions League matches against Lyon, Barcelona have won four times and drawn the remain.

Both teams first met at the preliminary group stage in the 2001/2 editions which the Catalans won 3-2 away and 2-0 in Barcelona.

In 2007/8 season, Barcelona were paired in Group E along with Lyon, Rangers and VfB Stuttgart. Although the Spanish club won 3-0 at home and battled 2-2 in the return leg, the two teams qualified to the knockout stages.

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On the way to winning the Champions League in the 2008/9 season, Barcelona faced Lyon in the Round of 16 forcing 1-1 draw away and emerging victorious 5-3 at home.

Atlético Madrid v Juventus

Both teams were paired in the same Group A of the 2014/5 UEFA Champions League. Atlético won the group and the Old Lady also progressed to the second round as runners-up.

In their head-to-head in that group , the LaLiga side won the first leg 1-0, while the return leg in Turin ended goalless.

Both teams had also clashed in the semi-final of the 1964/5 edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup with the home team winning each of the two legs 3-1, while Juventus won the decisive fixture by the same margin.

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Schalke 04 v Manchester City

Both teams are yet to meet in the Champions League.

In other European competitions, they have had three encounters with the current English champions winning two and losing the other.

In the semi-final of the 1969/70 UEFA European Cup Winners Cup on April 1, 1970, Schalke 04 prevailed 1-0 at home, while City won the second leg 5-1. Manchester City eventually won the trophy that season.

The last match between both clubs was a decade ago in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup, Manchester City victorious 2-0 at the one-match group stage.

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Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund

Spurs and Dortmund were in the same group in the last episode of this competition. The English club won 3-1 at home and 2-1 in Dortmund to win the group and eliminate the German side who finished third.

Their other match-ups were in the Europa League in the 2015/16 season. Dortmund won home and away 5-1 aggregate.

AS Roma v FC Porto

FC Porto sent Roma out of the Champions League in last season’s play-off phase. The Portuguese club, who had won the competition two times, played 1-1 at home but beat Roma 3-0 in the return leg in Rome.

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Manchester United v Paris Saint-Germaine

These teams don’t have any previous match-up in competitive matches.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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UEFA Champions League

David strikes as Lille end Real’s long unbeaten run

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Champions League - Lille v Real Madrid - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France - October 2, 2024 Lille's Jonathan David scores their first goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday, ending the 15-times European Cup winners’ 14-game unbeaten run in the competition.

Jonathan David converted from the spot three minutes into first-half stoppage time to hand Real, who had not lost in their previous 36 matches in all competitions, their first defeat since January.

The result put Ligue 1 side Lille on three points from two games in the new format of Europe’s premier club competition.

Real, who won their opening match against VfB Stuttgart, are also on three points.

“On the penalty, I try to focus, to keep calm to take a good shot but I’m confident when it comes to taking penalties,” David said. “It has not sunk in yet but it’s a memorable night.”

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Real keeper Andriy Lunin said his team had lacked their usual aggression.

“It’s difficult to analyse right after. (We lacked) aggression, creativity, in the end, what we always have,” he said.

“To fight a bit more. In the second half we showed more desire, but in the first half we were worse, that’s obvious. We want to win because we know what colours we’re playing in. But that’s OK. Courage, keep working and prepare for the next game.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s side started with Kylian Mbappe, who joined from Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain in June, on the bench after the France captain picked up a muscle injury last week.

Real’s Vinicius Jr. had the first chance with a low shot in the sixth minute as the visitors controlled the pace and the second came when Endrick’s close-range attempt was blocked by Lucas Chevalier.

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Lille went close to opening the scoring after 26 minutes when Andriy Lunin made a spectacular double save to deny David, first from the forward’s header, then by tipping away the Canadian’s follow-up shot.

Their relentless pressure paid off in stoppage time when Eduardo Camavinga handled Edon Zhegrova’s free kick.

A VAR review ensued and David confidently converted the resulting penalty.

The hosts continued to apply pressure in the second half, refusing to sit back and wait as Real enjoyed possession, cutting off the supply to England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Ancelotti sent Mbappe and Luka Modric on to replace Endrick and Eder Militao and Lille survived a late Real onslaught to hang on for the victory.

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-Reuters

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UEFA Champions League

Ancelotti makes no excuses after Real’s shock defeat at Lille

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Champions League - Lille v Real Madrid - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France - October 2, 2024 Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti before the match REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Defending champions Real Madrid failed to show the best version of themselves in a shock 1-0 Champions League defeat at Lille on Wednesday and must accept the criticism that comes their way, manager Carlo Ancelotti said.

Lille pressed relentlessly and took the win courtesy of a Jonathan David penalty in first-half stoppage time to hand Ancelotti’s team their first defeat in all competitions since January.

Real Madrid – record 15-times Champions League winners – have three points after two matches following their opening win over VfB Stuttgart.

“Everything was pretty bad. We did badly with the ball, although the team was quite compact in the first half, it was difficult for us to recover the ball, it was difficult for us to make transitions,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We tried to be a little more aggressive, but it was difficult for us. So… We have to look at things with a cool head, not throw everything away. But obviously we have to improve.

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“I am very sincere. The criticism for today’s game is fair, correct and we have to accept it because it is like that. We have not shown a good version in this game.”

Ancelotti said Lille “deserved” to win despite Real’s improved showing in the second half of the match.

“It was difficult for us to get into the game at the level of intensity, at the level of duels, at the level of clarity of play,” the Italian added.

“Obviously, the game could have been tied because we had opportunities at the end, but it wasn’t deserved.

“So we have to learn, as it happened the last time we lost a game, learn from what we have to improve, which is quite clear. I think it’s not very complicated.”

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Real, who are second in the LaLiga standings with 18 points, next host third-placed Villarreal on Saturday.

-Reuters

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UEFA Champions League

Lookman shines as Atalanta outclass Shakhtar

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Champions League - Shakhtar Donetsk v Atalanta - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - October 2, 2024 Atalanta's Ademola Lookman in action with Shakhtar Donetsk's Alaa Ghram REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw

Ademola Lookman scored one goal and was heavily involved in the other two to drive Atalanta to a 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday as the Italians outclassed their Ukrainian opponents in Gelsenkirchen.

Atalanta have four points from two games, having held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw in their opening match, and Shakhtar remained on one point, after they played out a scoreless draw in the first game against Italian side Bologna.

Atalanta went ahead in the 21st minute when Lookman curled a cross into the area which found Berat Djimsiti in front of goal and he controlled the ball before poking it past the keeper.

Atalanta doubled the lead a minute before the break when Sead Kolasinac squared a pass to Lookman in the middle of the area and the Nigerian struck a first-time shot through the legs of his marker Marlon Gomes into the bottom corner of the net.

The game was all but over as a contest three minutes into the second half after Lookman played the ball out wide to Davide Zappacosta and his cross into the six-yard box was headed home by Raoul Bellanova.

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At 3-0, Lookman, who also hit the crossbar in the first half, was taken off with over half an hour to play, his work done for the night and the tie ended with the same scoreline as the last time the sides met in the Champions League in 2019.

-Reuters

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