Long-serving Chelsea defender John Terry will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, the English Premier League club said on Monday.

The 36-year-old former England international played more than 700 games for Chelsea and has been their most successful captain.

&quot;John has given us more than two decades of dedicated and exceptional service,&quot; Chelsea said in a statement.

&quot;In that time he has displayed the utmost pride at wearing the Chelsea shirt.&quot;

Terry made the third-highest number of appearances for Chelsea, captained them a record 578 times and scored 66 goals.

&quot;After 22 years there is so much to say and so many people to thank at this great football club,&quot; Terry said.

&quot;From coaches, team-mates and staff to the fans who have given me so much support down the years, I can&rsquo;t thank you enough,&quot; he added.

&quot;I will decide on my future in due course, but for now I am committed to helping the team achieve success this season.&quot;

Terry has made only four Premier League starts this season as Chelsea have moved to the top of the table, four points clear with six games remaining.

&quot;I will, of course, always be a Blue and am desperate to end my final season as a Chelsea player with more silverware,&quot; Terry said.

&quot;I&#39;ve always been conscious that I depart at the right time, in the right way, and I feel that the end of this season is the right time for the club and I.&quot;

Terry, who made his Chelsea debut in 1998, won the 2012 Champions League, four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Europa League.

He played 78 times for England.

(Reuters)

Terry made the third-highest number of appearances for Chelsea, captained them a record 578 times and scored 66 goals

Long-serving Chelsea defender John Terry will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, the English Premier League club said on Monday. The 36-year-old former England international played more than 700 games for Chelsea and has been their most successful captain. "John has given us more than two decades of dedicated and exceptional service," Chelsea said in a statement. "In that time he has displayed the utmost pride at wearing the Chelsea shirt." Terry made the third-highest number of appearances for Chelsea, captained them a record 578 times and scored 66 goals. "After 22 years there is so much to say and so many people to thank at this great football club," Terry said. "From coaches, team-mates and staff to the fans who have given me so much support down the years, I can’t thank you enough," he added. "I will decide on my future in due course, but for now I am committed to helping the team achieve success this season." Terry has made only four Premier League starts this season as Chelsea have moved to the top of the table, four points clear with six games remaining. "I will, of course, always be a Blue and am desperate to end my final season as a Chelsea player with more silverware," Terry said. "I've always been conscious that I depart at the right time, in the right way, and I feel that the end of this season is the right time for the club and I." Terry, who made his Chelsea debut in 1998, won the 2012 Champions League, four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Europa League. He played 78 times for England. (Reuters)

John Terry to leave Chelsea at end of season

The explosives used in the attack on the bus of football team Borussia Dortmund may have come from supplies belonging to the German armed forces, a newspaper cited a source involved in the investigation as saying on Saturday.

It is still unclear who carried out Tuesday&#39;s attack. German prosecutors have doubts about the authenticity of letters that suggested Islamist militants were behind it and Bild newspaper cited an investigator as saying right-wing extremists were probably responsible.

&quot;The explosives in the pipe bombs, which were filled with metal pins, might have come from the stocks of the German armed forces but that&#39;s still being checked,&quot; newspaper Welt am Sonntag cited a source involved in the investigation as saying.

The source also said that specialist knowledge was required to use the military detonators, which are not easy to get.

A spokeswoman for the federal public prosecutor&#39;s office declined to comment on the report.

The players&#39; bus was heading to their stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on Tuesday when three explosions occurred, injuring Spanish defender Marc Bartra and delaying the match by a day. Dortmund said on Twitter on Saturday Bartra had been released from hospital.

Welt am Sonntag said police thought further attacks were possible, citing a document sent to regional police headquarters as saying that soccer games, rock concerts and cultural events were particularly at risk.

It said regional police wanted to have a greater presence if necessary and use dogs trained to sniff out explosives.

Joachim Herrmann, interior minister of the state of Bavaria, told the same newspaper Bavaria planned to use more video surveillance, especially in crime hotspots and in public places - a controversial issue in Germany, where memories of the Nazi Gestapo and the Stasi security police still linger.

Joachim Thomas, chairman of the association of German stadium operators, told Welt am Sonntag he believed full-body scanners would be used at entrances to stadiums in future.

Arnold Plickert, GdP police union&#39;s deputy chairman, said police were overstretched already and did not have enough staff to keep watch over a team&#39;s hotel night after night so clubs would have to provide extra security staff if they wanted that.

Dortmund are due host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for a game at 1330 GMT on Saturday.

Bild cited Axel Hellmann, a member of Eintracht&#39;s executive board, as saying it had boosted security for the match. Dortmund police posted a picture on Twitter showing an armed officer outside the stadium, saying they had provided more security inside and out.

Bild said experts from the federal interior ministry and the interior ministries of Germany&#39;s states had discussed security for major events during a telephone conference on Wednesday and had decided checks at entrances to events should be boosted.

There was no immediate comment from the federal ministry.

(Reuters)

Bild newspaper cited an investigator as saying extremists were probably responsible and added the materials probably belonged to the army

The explosives used in the attack on the bus of football team Borussia Dortmund may have come from supplies belonging to the German armed forces, a newspaper cited a source involved in the investigation as saying on Saturday. It is still unclear who carried out Tuesday's attack. German prosecutors have doubts about the authenticity of letters that suggested Islamist militants were behind it and Bild newspaper cited an investigator as saying right-wing extremists were probably responsible. "The explosives in the pipe bombs, which were filled with metal pins, might have come from the stocks of the German armed forces but that's still being checked," newspaper Welt am Sonntag cited a source involved in the investigation as saying. The source also said that specialist knowledge was required to use the military detonators, which are not easy to get. A spokeswoman for the federal public prosecutor's office declined to comment on the report. The players' bus was heading to their stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on Tuesday when three explosions occurred, injuring Spanish defender Marc Bartra and delaying the match by a day. Dortmund said on Twitter on Saturday Bartra had been released from hospital. Welt am Sonntag said police thought further attacks were possible, citing a document sent to regional police headquarters as saying that soccer games, rock concerts and cultural events were particularly at risk. It said regional police wanted to have a greater presence if necessary and use dogs trained to sniff out explosives. Joachim Herrmann, interior minister of the state of Bavaria, told the same newspaper Bavaria planned to use more video surveillance, especially in crime hotspots and in public places - a controversial issue in Germany, where memories of the Nazi Gestapo and the Stasi security police still linger. Joachim Thomas, chairman of the association of German stadium operators, told Welt am Sonntag he believed full-body scanners would be used at entrances to stadiums in future. Arnold Plickert, GdP police union's deputy chairman, said police were overstretched already and did not have enough staff to keep watch over a team's hotel night after night so clubs would have to provide extra security staff if they wanted that. Dortmund are due host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for a game at 1330 GMT on Saturday. Bild cited Axel Hellmann, a member of Eintracht's executive board, as saying it had boosted security for the match. Dortmund police posted a picture on Twitter showing an armed officer outside the stadium, saying they had provided more security inside and out. Bild said experts from the federal interior ministry and the interior ministries of Germany's states had discussed security for major events during a telephone conference on Wednesday and had decided checks at entrances to events should be boosted. There was no immediate comment from the federal ministry. (Reuters)

Dortmund bus attack explosives may belong to Germany military: Report

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg.

Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions&#39; level.

Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other.

Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer&#39;s legs for the winner 13 minutes from time.

Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday&#39;s attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort.

There was a large police presence and inside the stadium, there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund&#39;s ordeal in the preceding 24 hours.&nbsp;

Bayern suffered a blow before kick-off when top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 38 goals this season, dropped out with a bruised shoulder and Thomas Muller deputised as striker.

Bayern were also missing injured Germany defender Mats Hummels against Real&#39;s formidable BBC attack - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.

Bayern went ahead on 25 minutes when playmaker Thiago Alcantara swung in a corner from the right which Vidal powered through Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas&#39;s hands.

The Chile midfielder could have added a second when he headed Arjen Robben&#39;s cross wide of the post soon after.

Real made a poor start, rarely threatening Germany&#39;s goalkeeper Neuer, back after minor foot surgery a fortnight ago.

A strong drive from Ronaldo on 41 minutes which Neuer blocked having palmed a Benzema header onto the woodwork with 18 minutes played were their best first-half chances.

Vidal could have finished with a first-half hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty after Dani Carvajal&#39;s handball from a Franck Ribery shot.

However, the Chilean smashed the spot-kick high over the crossbar.

It was a miss Bayern were soon to regret.

Real were level two minutes after the break when Carvajal found space on the right and fired in a cross which Ronaldo volleyed past Neuer.

Bale, who has laboured with an ankle injury recently, came off on 58 minutes and Real raised the tempo after he trudged off.

Having already picked up a yellow card for pulling Ronaldo back on 58 minutes, Martinez was shown a red for again fouling the Portugal captain just three minutes later.

Real&#39;s superstar then hit the winner as substitute Marco Asensio, on for Bale, put in a low pass for Ronaldo to tap the ball home between Neuer&#39;s legs.

Real defender Sergio Ramos had the ball in the Bayern net with time running out, but the goal was ruled offside but the Spaniards have the upper hand for the second leg at home next Tuesday.

(AFP)

Real Madrid made a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg. Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions' level. Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other. Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's legs for the winner 13 minutes from time. Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday's attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort. There was a large police presence and inside the stadium, there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund's ordeal in the preceding 24 hours. Bayern suffered a blow before kick-off when top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 38 goals this season, dropped out with a bruised shoulder and Thomas Muller deputised as striker. Bayern were also missing injured Germany defender Mats Hummels against Real's formidable BBC attack - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo. Bayern went ahead on 25 minutes when playmaker Thiago Alcantara swung in a corner from the right which Vidal powered through Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas's hands. The Chile midfielder could have added a second when he headed Arjen Robben's cross wide of the post soon after. Real made a poor start, rarely threatening Germany's goalkeeper Neuer, back after minor foot surgery a fortnight ago. A strong drive from Ronaldo on 41 minutes which Neuer blocked having palmed a Benzema header onto the woodwork with 18 minutes played were their best first-half chances. Vidal could have finished with a first-half hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty after Dani Carvajal's handball from a Franck Ribery shot. However, the Chilean smashed the spot-kick high over the crossbar. It was a miss Bayern were soon to regret. Real were level two minutes after the break when Carvajal found space on the right and fired in a cross which Ronaldo volleyed past Neuer. Bale, who has laboured with an ankle injury recently, came off on 58 minutes and Real raised the tempo after he trudged off. Having already picked up a yellow card for pulling Ronaldo back on 58 minutes, Martinez was shown a red for again fouling the Portugal captain just three minutes later. Real's superstar then hit the winner as substitute Marco Asensio, on for Bale, put in a low pass for Ronaldo to tap the ball home between Neuer's legs. Real defender Sergio Ramos had the ball in the Bayern net with time running out, but the goal was ruled offside but the Spaniards have the upper hand for the second leg at home next Tuesday. (AFP)

Ronaldo hits 100th European goal as Real win at Bayern

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team&#39;s bus.

Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net.

Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time.

German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday&#39;s attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra.

Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post.

One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe&#39;s knee and into the net.

Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele&#39;s path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal.

It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie.

Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki.

The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres.

(Reuters)

Kylian Mbappe bundled Monaco ahead on 19 minutes with Sven Bender heading into his own net to compound Dortmund's problems

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team's bus. Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net. Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time. German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday's attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra. Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post. One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe's knee and into the net. Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net. Thomas Tuchel's double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro's cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele's path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal. It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie. Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki. The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres. (Reuters)

Champions League: Monaco beat Dortmund 3-2 day after bus attack

Tiemoue Bakayoko&#39;s superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesday&#39;s 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals.

Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side&#39;s second just before the half hour.

Leroy Sane&#39;s 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar&#39;s free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win.

Monaco go through to Friday&#39;s draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager.

&quot;We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there,&quot; Guardiola told BT Sport.

&quot;In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we&#39;ll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition.&quot;

Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarter-final through suspension but was delighted to advance.

&quot;It&#39;s an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn&#39;t expect this,&quot; he said.

&quot;Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going.&quot;

The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain.

Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure.&nbsp;

Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year&#39;s quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals.

And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe&#39;s most promising talents amid Monaco&#39;s thrilling pursuit of the French title this season.

Fast start dazzles City

Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe&#39;s crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva&#39;s driven low cross just a minute later.

City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over.&nbsp;

Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes.

Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City&#39;s this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero.

Mbappe&#39;s electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling&#39;s hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero.

The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area.

Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left.

Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie.&nbsp;

However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The two sides were 6-6 on aggregate after both the home and away match but Pep's side had to go on the away goals rule

Tiemoue Bakayoko's superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesday's 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals. Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side's second just before the half hour. Leroy Sane's 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar's free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win. Monaco go through to Friday's draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain's shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager. "We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there," Guardiola told BT Sport. "In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we'll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition." Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarter-final through suspension but was delighted to advance. "It's an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn't expect this," he said. "Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going." The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain. Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure. Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year's quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals. And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe's most promising talents amid Monaco's thrilling pursuit of the French title this season. Fast start dazzles City Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe's crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva's driven low cross just a minute later. City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over. Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes. Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City's this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero. Mbappe's electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling's hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero. The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area. Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left. Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie. However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. (AFP)

Monaco beat Man City 3-1, enter Champions League quarter-finals

Back from the depths of despair Leicester City once again scaled improbable heights with a tumultuous 2-0 victory over Spanish club Sevilla to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Skipper Wes Morgan&#39;s 28th minute effort and Marc Albrighton&#39;s precise shot after the break saw Craig Shakespeare&#39;s team overturn the 2-1 defeat they suffered in former manager Claudio Ranieri&#39;s final match in charge.

Sevilla missed a penalty and had Samir Nasri sent off as their hopes of a first ever quarter-final in the Champions League evaporated inside a rocking King Power Stadium.

Leicester, who are battling relegation in the Premier League, have now won all three games since Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Shakespeare.

Sevilla, who had not conceded an away goal in this season&#39;s competition, piled forward in the closing minutes but Champions League debutants Leicester held firm on a tumultuous night.

It looked ominous for Leicester in the early exchanges as Sevilla sought an away goal that would have put them in complete control of the tie.

Leicester keeper Schmeichel was forced into a great save to keep out Nasri&#39;s stinging shot after the former Manchester City player turned neatly in the box.

Sevilla struggled to find their passing rhythm though as Leicester worked tirelessly to press their opponents.

A well-organised Leicester looked increasingly dangerous from set pieces and it was from a Riyad Mahrez free kick that they took the lead with skipper Morgan bundling the ball into the Sevilla net with his thigh.

Ahead on away goals the situation played perfectly into Leicester&#39;s hands as they sat deep and broke quickly with Jamie Vardy always a threat on the counter-attack.

Sevilla began the second half with more purpose and came within a coat of paint of equalising in the 54th minute when Sergio Escudero&#39;s dipping effort from 30 metres beat Schmeichel but struck the underside of the crossbar.

It proved a pivotal moment as less than a minute later the ball dropped kindly for Marc Albrighton just inside the penalty area and he was allowed time and space to dispatch a left-foot shot past Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico.

Just when Sevilla were beginning to pin Leicester back in their own area Nasri needlessly got himself sent off after squaring up to Vardy with both players bumping foreheads.

Nasri received a second yellow card while Vardy, an irritation all night to Sevilla, was cautioned.

Sevilla were handed a lifeline almost immediately though when Schmeichel clattered into Vitolo and the referee awarded a penalty. N&#39;Zonzi was handed the task of putting Sevilla back into the tie but his weak kick was saved by Schmeichel. 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Leicester, battling relegation in the Premier League, have now won all three games since Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Shakespeare

Back from the depths of despair Leicester City once again scaled improbable heights with a tumultuous 2-0 victory over Spanish club Sevilla to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday. Skipper Wes Morgan's 28th minute effort and Marc Albrighton's precise shot after the break saw Craig Shakespeare's team overturn the 2-1 defeat they suffered in former manager Claudio Ranieri's final match in charge. Sevilla missed a penalty and had Samir Nasri sent off as their hopes of a first ever quarter-final in the Champions League evaporated inside a rocking King Power Stadium. Leicester, who are battling relegation in the Premier League, have now won all three games since Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Shakespeare. Sevilla, who had not conceded an away goal in this season's competition, piled forward in the closing minutes but Champions League debutants Leicester held firm on a tumultuous night. It looked ominous for Leicester in the early exchanges as Sevilla sought an away goal that would have put them in complete control of the tie. Leicester keeper Schmeichel was forced into a great save to keep out Nasri's stinging shot after the former Manchester City player turned neatly in the box. Sevilla struggled to find their passing rhythm though as Leicester worked tirelessly to press their opponents. A well-organised Leicester looked increasingly dangerous from set pieces and it was from a Riyad Mahrez free kick that they took the lead with skipper Morgan bundling the ball into the Sevilla net with his thigh. Ahead on away goals the situation played perfectly into Leicester's hands as they sat deep and broke quickly with Jamie Vardy always a threat on the counter-attack. Sevilla began the second half with more purpose and came within a coat of paint of equalising in the 54th minute when Sergio Escudero's dipping effort from 30 metres beat Schmeichel but struck the underside of the crossbar. It proved a pivotal moment as less than a minute later the ball dropped kindly for Marc Albrighton just inside the penalty area and he was allowed time and space to dispatch a left-foot shot past Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico. Just when Sevilla were beginning to pin Leicester back in their own area Nasri needlessly got himself sent off after squaring up to Vardy with both players bumping foreheads. Nasri received a second yellow card while Vardy, an irritation all night to Sevilla, was cautioned. Sevilla were handed a lifeline almost immediately though when Schmeichel clattered into Vitolo and the referee awarded a penalty. N'Zonzi was handed the task of putting Sevilla back into the tie but his weak kick was saved by Schmeichel. (Reuters)

Leicester reach Champions League quarter-finals after beating Sevilla

A first-half penalty from Paulo Dybala helped fire Juventus into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after a 1-0 win sent the Serie A champions through 3-0 on aggregate.

Porto coach Nuno Espirito Santo had hailed Juve&#39;s 20-game unbeaten home run in Europe as he played down the Portuguese side&#39;s chances of overturning a 2-0 first leg defeat at the Estadio do Dragao.&nbsp;

And the 43-year-old was right not to talk up their chances.

Despite enjoying plenty of possession in a first half that saw the hosts squander a number of chances, their bid ended when right-back Maxi Pereira saw red after handling Gonzalo Higuain&#39;s goal-bound shot five minutes before the break.

Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot and Argentinian playmaker Dybala stepped up to drill into the bottom-right corner as Iker Casillas dived the other way.

Juventus stretched their unbeaten home record in Europe to 21 games -- the last time they suffered a home defeat in Europe was a 2-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, in the quarter-finals, in April 2013.

However, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri warned his side must improve, whoever they are drawn against in the last eight.

&quot;We&#39;ll need a different kind of performance when we come up against better sides,&quot; he said.

&quot;In the second half, with 11 against 10, we did the opposite of what we achieved in Oporto.&quot;

Juventus won 2-0 in Portugal thanks to goals from Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves after Alex Telles was sent off on 27 minutes.

Nuno lamented his side&#39;s failure to score a &quot;deserved&quot; goal, but said: &quot;The expulsions in both games changed everything for us, and when you&#39;re playing against a big side like Juventus it becomes difficult.

&quot;They&#39;re one of the top four or five sides in Europe.&quot;

Casillas record 
 
Allegri deployed an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Higuain lead the Turin giants&#39; attack.

But it was Dybala, whose only previous Champions League goal this campaign came in a 4-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb last September, who had the majority of the chances.

The Argentinian had spoken on Monday of his desire to add to his tally in Europe, but fired wide twice in the opening stages as the hosts set the tone.&nbsp;

At the other end, Brazilian Francisco Soares curled directly into Gianluigi Buffon&#39;s arms, but it was one of too few opportunities for the visitors.

Mario Mandzukic&#39;s header was smothered by Spanish goalkeeper Casillas, who was making a record 175th appearance in European competition.

The imposing Croatian forward went closer with a header whistling wide of the far post from a corner, before Pereira flew to save Higuain&#39;s shot with his hand after Alex Sandro&#39;s header was parried by Casillas.&nbsp;

That left the visitors a man down and Dybala made no mistake from the spot to claim his third goal in the competition.

&quot;I felt more pressure taking the penalty against AC Milan than tonight,&quot; said Dybala, who hit a crucial, last-gasp winner in a controversial 2-1 league defeat of Milan on Friday.

&quot;I&#39;m happy with the goal, but also with the win and the fact we&#39;re through.&quot;

Juve could have had a second goal just after the restart but Casillas produced a fine reflex save at his near post to stop a wayward header by Porto midfielder Danilo.

Minutes later Buffon rushed out to close down Soares after he escaped Sandro to fire an angled shot wide of the &#39;keeper&#39;s far post.

Allegri replaced Juan Cuadrado with Pjaca for the start of the second half and the Croatian starlet saw an angled effort spin past Casillas&#39;s far post after he controlled well under pressure on the edge of the area.&nbsp;

Higuain, on 66 minutes, then fired just wide after holding off two markers in the area in what was Juve&#39;s last real chance to add to their tally.

(AFP)

Juventus stretched their unbeaten home record in Europe to 21 games

A first-half penalty from Paulo Dybala helped fire Juventus into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after a 1-0 win sent the Serie A champions through 3-0 on aggregate. Porto coach Nuno Espirito Santo had hailed Juve's 20-game unbeaten home run in Europe as he played down the Portuguese side's chances of overturning a 2-0 first leg defeat at the Estadio do Dragao. And the 43-year-old was right not to talk up their chances. Despite enjoying plenty of possession in a first half that saw the hosts squander a number of chances, their bid ended when right-back Maxi Pereira saw red after handling Gonzalo Higuain's goal-bound shot five minutes before the break. Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot and Argentinian playmaker Dybala stepped up to drill into the bottom-right corner as Iker Casillas dived the other way. Juventus stretched their unbeaten home record in Europe to 21 games -- the last time they suffered a home defeat in Europe was a 2-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, in the quarter-finals, in April 2013. However, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri warned his side must improve, whoever they are drawn against in the last eight. "We'll need a different kind of performance when we come up against better sides," he said. "In the second half, with 11 against 10, we did the opposite of what we achieved in Oporto." Juventus won 2-0 in Portugal thanks to goals from Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves after Alex Telles was sent off on 27 minutes. Nuno lamented his side's failure to score a "deserved" goal, but said: "The expulsions in both games changed everything for us, and when you're playing against a big side like Juventus it becomes difficult. "They're one of the top four or five sides in Europe." Casillas record Allegri deployed an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Higuain lead the Turin giants' attack. But it was Dybala, whose only previous Champions League goal this campaign came in a 4-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb last September, who had the majority of the chances. The Argentinian had spoken on Monday of his desire to add to his tally in Europe, but fired wide twice in the opening stages as the hosts set the tone. At the other end, Brazilian Francisco Soares curled directly into Gianluigi Buffon's arms, but it was one of too few opportunities for the visitors. Mario Mandzukic's header was smothered by Spanish goalkeeper Casillas, who was making a record 175th appearance in European competition. The imposing Croatian forward went closer with a header whistling wide of the far post from a corner, before Pereira flew to save Higuain's shot with his hand after Alex Sandro's header was parried by Casillas. That left the visitors a man down and Dybala made no mistake from the spot to claim his third goal in the competition. "I felt more pressure taking the penalty against AC Milan than tonight," said Dybala, who hit a crucial, last-gasp winner in a controversial 2-1 league defeat of Milan on Friday. "I'm happy with the goal, but also with the win and the fact we're through." Juve could have had a second goal just after the restart but Casillas produced a fine reflex save at his near post to stop a wayward header by Porto midfielder Danilo. Minutes later Buffon rushed out to close down Soares after he escaped Sandro to fire an angled shot wide of the 'keeper's far post. Allegri replaced Juan Cuadrado with Pjaca for the start of the second half and the Croatian starlet saw an angled effort spin past Casillas's far post after he controlled well under pressure on the edge of the area. Higuain, on 66 minutes, then fired just wide after holding off two markers in the area in what was Juve's last real chance to add to their tally. (AFP)

Dybala fires Juventus past depleted Porto into Champions League quarter-finals

&nbsp;Juventus&nbsp;edged closer to the Champions League quarter-finals after second-half goals from substitutes Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves earned them a 2-0 away win at 10-man Porto in a one-sided last 16 first-leg tie on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Porto&#39;s downfall was partly self-inflicted after left back Alex Telles received a red card in the 27th minute following two senseless bookings in the space of 90 seconds, leaving the home side to play over an hour against the Serie A leaders with 10 men.

Despite holding&nbsp;Juventus&nbsp;at bay for 72 minutes, Porto&#39;s resolve was broken when Miguel Layun deflected Paulo Dybala&#39;s pass into the path of Pjaca who slammed a first-time effort past Iker Casillas.

Dani Alves made sure of victory two minutes later when he controlled Alex Sandro&#39;s cross with his chest before finishing calmly as&nbsp;Juventus, who are still in the Italian Cup, boosted their hopes of a maiden treble ahead of the second leg in Turin on March 14.&nbsp;

&quot;We can be happy as it&#39;s a really good result, but to be honest after the first-half red card, we had to win this game,&quot;&nbsp;Juventus&nbsp;midfielder Sami Khedira told BT Sport.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s absolutely not over,&quot; he added. &quot;We&#39;re happy with tonight but in three weeks we&#39;ll need to be careful as Porto are angry and have nothing to lose.&quot;

Juventus&nbsp;were expected to face a stern test in Portugal, but while they imposed themselves from the early stages and controlled the first half, Porto were content to remain deep and absorb pressure.&nbsp;

The visitors struggled to forge the clear openings that their dominance deserved, although the lively Dybala fashioned the best chance of the first half with a thumping effort from outside the box which grazed the post.

Telles&#39;s minute and a half of madness quashed any lingering Porto ambition and prompted coach Nuno Espirito Santo to withdraw striker Andre Silva,&nbsp;scorer of four Champions League goals this season,in response.

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri left out Leonardo Bonucci from the squad, after the pair&#39;s dispute during Friday&#39;s victory over Palermo, and while&nbsp;Juventus&nbsp;were untested at the back, they missed the centre back&#39;s creativity and probing long balls.

The breakthrough eventually came from the bench, as Allegri introduced Pjaca and Dani Alves to offer dynamism and directness and the pair repaid their manager with goals to end Porto&#39;s 20-game undefeated home streak.

(Reuters)

Porto's downfall was partly self-inflicted after left back Alex Telles received a red card in the 27th minute

Juventus edged closer to the Champions League quarter-finals after second-half goals from substitutes Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves earned them a 2-0 away win at 10-man Porto in a one-sided last 16 first-leg tie on Wednesday. Porto's downfall was partly self-inflicted after left back Alex Telles received a red card in the 27th minute following two senseless bookings in the space of 90 seconds, leaving the home side to play over an hour against the Serie A leaders with 10 men. Despite holding Juventus at bay for 72 minutes, Porto's resolve was broken when Miguel Layun deflected Paulo Dybala's pass into the path of Pjaca who slammed a first-time effort past Iker Casillas. Dani Alves made sure of victory two minutes later when he controlled Alex Sandro's cross with his chest before finishing calmly as Juventus, who are still in the Italian Cup, boosted their hopes of a maiden treble ahead of the second leg in Turin on March 14. "We can be happy as it's a really good result, but to be honest after the first-half red card, we had to win this game," Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira told BT Sport. "It's absolutely not over," he added. "We're happy with tonight but in three weeks we'll need to be careful as Porto are angry and have nothing to lose." Juventus were expected to face a stern test in Portugal, but while they imposed themselves from the early stages and controlled the first half, Porto were content to remain deep and absorb pressure. The visitors struggled to forge the clear openings that their dominance deserved, although the lively Dybala fashioned the best chance of the first half with a thumping effort from outside the box which grazed the post. Telles's minute and a half of madness quashed any lingering Porto ambition and prompted coach Nuno Espirito Santo to withdraw striker Andre Silva, scorer of four Champions League goals this season,in response. Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri left out Leonardo Bonucci from the squad, after the pair's dispute during Friday's victory over Palermo, and while Juventus were untested at the back, they missed the centre back's creativity and probing long balls. The breakthrough eventually came from the bench, as Allegri introduced Pjaca and Dani Alves to offer dynamism and directness and the pair repaid their manager with goals to end Porto's 20-game undefeated home streak. (Reuters)

Champions League: Juventus beat 10-man Porto 2-0

Manchester City came out on top in an epic Champions League battle against Monaco as late goals by John Stones and Leroy Sane secured a 5-3 victory in a last 16 first-leg thriller on Tuesday that had goals galore and a missed penalty.

City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level thanks to Radamel Falcao&#39;s header and then went ahead with a powerful finish from 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe five minutes before halftime.

South American poachers Sergio Aguero for City and Falcao, who also missed a penalty, then traded blows with Aguero equalising for 2-2 and then 3-3 after Falcao&#39;s exquisite chip gave Monaco the lead for the second time at The Etihad.

City, however, then pulled clear as Stones tapped in at the far post and Sane rolled the ball into an empty net to give City a two-goal advantage ahead of the return on March 15.

City manager Pep Guardiola had called Monaco &quot;killers&quot; in the box before the game and while they showed just why they are European football&#39;s most deadly assassins, they were embarrassingly fragile at times at the back.

They were behind after 26 minutes when Sterling tapped home after Sane dazzled down the left and teed up the England winger.

Route back

Monaco were handed a route back into the match after 32 minutes following an error by City&#39;s Willy Caballero, the first of the night&#39;s goalkeeping blunders.

He gave the ball away with a poor clearance and the visitors worked it to Fabinho whose devilish cross was headed home by former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Falcao, who has found his best form again since returning to France.

City were denied a penalty by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz when Aguero appeared to be upended by keeper Danijel Subasic before Monaco grabbed the lead through Mbappe.

The 18-year-old was released through the middle and lashed his finish into the top corner past Caballero.

The visitors should have extended their advantage soon after the restart but Falcao&#39;s tame penalty was saved after Nicolas Otamendi had been penalised for catching the Colombian as he tried to convert Benjamin Mendy&#39;s cross.

City swiftly made Monaco pay as Aguero ended a six-game goal-drought thanks to a Subasic howler. Sterling slid the ball through and the Argentine fired straight at the keeper but it squirmed out of his hands into the net after 58 minutes.

Parity was short-lived, however, as Falcao turned City defender Stones before lifting an exquisite chip over the stranded Caballero to make it 3-2 to the principality club.

Aguero levelled once more when he volleyed home from 12 metres after a corner and City took the lead when Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s set-piece was turned in by Stones at the far post.

The final twist in one of the most entertaining encounters in the competition&#39;s recent history came when Aguero rolled the ball into the path of Sane who tapped into an empty net.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level and then went ahead

Manchester City came out on top in an epic Champions League battle against Monaco as late goals by John Stones and Leroy Sane secured a 5-3 victory in a last 16 first-leg thriller on Tuesday that had goals galore and a missed penalty. City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level thanks to Radamel Falcao's header and then went ahead with a powerful finish from 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe five minutes before halftime. South American poachers Sergio Aguero for City and Falcao, who also missed a penalty, then traded blows with Aguero equalising for 2-2 and then 3-3 after Falcao's exquisite chip gave Monaco the lead for the second time at The Etihad. City, however, then pulled clear as Stones tapped in at the far post and Sane rolled the ball into an empty net to give City a two-goal advantage ahead of the return on March 15. City manager Pep Guardiola had called Monaco "killers" in the box before the game and while they showed just why they are European football's most deadly assassins, they were embarrassingly fragile at times at the back. They were behind after 26 minutes when Sterling tapped home after Sane dazzled down the left and teed up the England winger. Route back Monaco were handed a route back into the match after 32 minutes following an error by City's Willy Caballero, the first of the night's goalkeeping blunders. He gave the ball away with a poor clearance and the visitors worked it to Fabinho whose devilish cross was headed home by former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Falcao, who has found his best form again since returning to France. City were denied a penalty by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz when Aguero appeared to be upended by keeper Danijel Subasic before Monaco grabbed the lead through Mbappe. The 18-year-old was released through the middle and lashed his finish into the top corner past Caballero. The visitors should have extended their advantage soon after the restart but Falcao's tame penalty was saved after Nicolas Otamendi had been penalised for catching the Colombian as he tried to convert Benjamin Mendy's cross. City swiftly made Monaco pay as Aguero ended a six-game goal-drought thanks to a Subasic howler. Sterling slid the ball through and the Argentine fired straight at the keeper but it squirmed out of his hands into the net after 58 minutes. Parity was short-lived, however, as Falcao turned City defender Stones before lifting an exquisite chip over the stranded Caballero to make it 3-2 to the principality club. Aguero levelled once more when he volleyed home from 12 metres after a corner and City took the lead when Kevin De Bruyne's set-piece was turned in by Stones at the far post. The final twist in one of the most entertaining encounters in the competition's recent history came when Aguero rolled the ball into the path of Sane who tapped into an empty net. (Reuters)

Champions League: In epic battle, Man City beat Monaco 5-3

Bayern Munich crushed Arsenal 5-1 in their Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, scoring three goals in a dazzling 10-minute spell in the second half to extend their record to 16 consecutive home wins in the competition.

Thiago Alcantara struck twice and Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben and substitute Thomas Mueller were also on target as the Bavarians, struggling for form recently, inflicted Arsenal&#39;s first defeat of the season in Europe&#39;s premier club competition.

Alexis Sanchez had equalised for the visitors, scoring on the rebound after Manuel Neuer saved his 30th-minute penalty. 
The sides meet for the second leg in London on March 7.

Bayern, who knocked out Arsenal at this stage of the competition in 2005, 2013 and 2014, got off to a perfect start.

Robben was left with far too much space and the Dutchman did not hesitate, advancing with his trademark move down the right before curling an unstoppable left-foot shot into the top corner of David Ospina`s goal.&nbsp;

Arsenal were briefly rattled by the early goal but almost levelled when Neuer spilled Mesut Ozil`s free kick.

They did better three minutes later when they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Lewandowski.

Neuer saved Sanchez&#39; spot-kick but the Chilean sneaked in among three Bayern players to lash the ball home from close range.

The game looked to have lost its pace early in the second half before Bayern suddenly stepped on the gas to fire three goals past the English side.

Philipp Lahm floated a perfect cross into the box and Lewandowski rose high above defender Shkodran Mustafi to drill in a header in the 53rd minute.

The Poland striker set up Thiago with a perfect flick for Bayern`s third goal three minutes later and the Spaniard grabbed his second with a low drive.

The English team have lost in the last 16 in each of last six seasons and Bayern missed several chances before Mueller struck two minutes from time as the German champions took a huge step towards a sixth successive quarter-final appearance.

(Reuters)

The hosts inflicted Arsenal's first defeat of the season in Europe's premier club competition

Bayern Munich crushed Arsenal 5-1 in their Champions League round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, scoring three goals in a dazzling 10-minute spell in the second half to extend their record to 16 consecutive home wins in the competition. Thiago Alcantara struck twice and Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben and substitute Thomas Mueller were also on target as the Bavarians, struggling for form recently, inflicted Arsenal's first defeat of the season in Europe's premier club competition. Alexis Sanchez had equalised for the visitors, scoring on the rebound after Manuel Neuer saved his 30th-minute penalty. The sides meet for the second leg in London on March 7. Bayern, who knocked out Arsenal at this stage of the competition in 2005, 2013 and 2014, got off to a perfect start. Robben was left with far too much space and the Dutchman did not hesitate, advancing with his trademark move down the right before curling an unstoppable left-foot shot into the top corner of David Ospina`s goal. Arsenal were briefly rattled by the early goal but almost levelled when Neuer spilled Mesut Ozil`s free kick. They did better three minutes later when they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Lewandowski. Neuer saved Sanchez' spot-kick but the Chilean sneaked in among three Bayern players to lash the ball home from close range. The game looked to have lost its pace early in the second half before Bayern suddenly stepped on the gas to fire three goals past the English side. Philipp Lahm floated a perfect cross into the box and Lewandowski rose high above defender Shkodran Mustafi to drill in a header in the 53rd minute. The Poland striker set up Thiago with a perfect flick for Bayern`s third goal three minutes later and the Spaniard grabbed his second with a low drive. The English team have lost in the last 16 in each of last six seasons and Bayern missed several chances before Mueller struck two minutes from time as the German champions took a huge step towards a sixth successive quarter-final appearance. (Reuters)

Champions League: Bayern Munich thrash Arsenal 5-1

Benfica made Borussia Dortmund pay for missing a host of chances, as the Portuguese side snatched a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward Kostas Mitroglou&#39;s 13th goal in his last 13 games.

Greece international Mitroglou flicked the ball into the net to open the scoring in the 48th minute and Benfica then held on against their misfiring opponents to take a slender lead into the second leg in Dortmund on March 8.

Benfica, who have now not conceded a goal at home for 383 minutes, kept another clean sheet thanks largely to keeper Ederson, who denied the Germans with a string of superb saves.

Dortmund, who had netted a record 21 times in the group stage, missed a second-half penalty through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who also squandered several other scoring chances on a night to forget for the Gabon striker.

&quot;We ended up scoring a goal in a situation we had been working for,&quot; said Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. &quot;In order to play such teams one has to be prepared to suffer at the limit. We had our problems getting out of our own half to attack.

&quot;Now we know what we have to do in the return leg. Scoring a goal there will have a huge impact,&quot; the Portuguese said.

Benfica, who had striker Jonas ruled out through injury just before kickoff, got off to an explosive start but Dortmund began to dominate possession and gradually slowed the game down.

The visitors, looking to counter their lacklustre domestic form with European success, missed a huge chance when Aubameyang, the Bundesliga&#39;s leading scorer, fired over the bar after an outstanding through ball from Ousmane Dembele in the 10th minute.

Benfica captain Luisao was making his 500th club appearance and was kept busy at the heart of the Benfica defence, with Dembele sneaking into the box and forcing a superb save from keeper Ederson in the 23rd.

Aubameyang then missed another good opportunity before the break and Benfica were quick out of the blocks again after the restart with Mitroglou doing well to control a Luisao header and then beating keeper Roman Buerki from close range.

Aubameyang almost drew Dortmund level in the 53rd and then had a penalty, awarded for a handball on the hour, saved by Benfica&#39;s Brazilian keeper.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel put Aubameyang out of his misery by substituting him soon after and following a sensational save from Ederson with six minutes left, the hosts held on to celebrate the victory.

(Reuters)

The Portuguese side snatched a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward Kostas Mitroglou's 13th goal

Benfica made Borussia Dortmund pay for missing a host of chances, as the Portuguese side snatched a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward Kostas Mitroglou's 13th goal in his last 13 games. Greece international Mitroglou flicked the ball into the net to open the scoring in the 48th minute and Benfica then held on against their misfiring opponents to take a slender lead into the second leg in Dortmund on March 8. Benfica, who have now not conceded a goal at home for 383 minutes, kept another clean sheet thanks largely to keeper Ederson, who denied the Germans with a string of superb saves. Dortmund, who had netted a record 21 times in the group stage, missed a second-half penalty through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who also squandered several other scoring chances on a night to forget for the Gabon striker. "We ended up scoring a goal in a situation we had been working for," said Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. "In order to play such teams one has to be prepared to suffer at the limit. We had our problems getting out of our own half to attack. "Now we know what we have to do in the return leg. Scoring a goal there will have a huge impact," the Portuguese said. Benfica, who had striker Jonas ruled out through injury just before kickoff, got off to an explosive start but Dortmund began to dominate possession and gradually slowed the game down. The visitors, looking to counter their lacklustre domestic form with European success, missed a huge chance when Aubameyang, the Bundesliga's leading scorer, fired over the bar after an outstanding through ball from Ousmane Dembele in the 10th minute. Benfica captain Luisao was making his 500th club appearance and was kept busy at the heart of the Benfica defence, with Dembele sneaking into the box and forcing a superb save from keeper Ederson in the 23rd. Aubameyang then missed another good opportunity before the break and Benfica were quick out of the blocks again after the restart with Mitroglou doing well to control a Luisao header and then beating keeper Roman Buerki from close range. Aubameyang almost drew Dortmund level in the 53rd and then had a penalty, awarded for a handball on the hour, saved by Benfica's Brazilian keeper. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel put Aubameyang out of his misery by substituting him soon after and following a sensational save from Ederson with six minutes left, the hosts held on to celebrate the victory. (Reuters)

Champions League: Benfica beat wasteful Dortmund as Mitroglou scores again

Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired yet again in the round of 16 following Monday&#39;s draw.

The teams met at the same stage in 2005, 2013 and 2014 with the German champions winning on all three occasions - 3-2 on aggregate in 2005, on away goals after a 3-3 draw in 2013 and 3-1 in 2014.

Paris St Germain will also try to break a jinx when they face Spanish champions Barcelona, who knocked them out in the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2014.

Holders Real Madrid, who like Bayern finished as runners-up in their group and will therefore play the first leg at home, were given a tricky clash with Serie A side Napoli.

The draw also produced a potential grudge match as it pitted Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid, whose respective coaches Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone were involved in an ugly touchline spat when the sides met two seasons ago.

On that occasion, Atletico went through on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw.

Arsenal may feel this could be their best chance to beat Bayern, whose domestic and European form has not been as dominant as in recent seasons.

&quot;We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season, which is testament to Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time,&quot; club secretary David Miles said.

&quot;The fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them.&quot;

Serie A champions Juventus were drawn against Porto in a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Winners&#39; Cup final which the Italian side won 2-1.

Sevilla and English champions Leicester City will meet for the first time as will Manchester City and AS Monaco.

Benfica and Borussia Dortmund will renew their rivalry after a 52-year wait, the sides having previously met in the 1963-64 European Cup.

(Reuters)

Holders Real Madrid were given a difficult tie against Napoli as were Spanish champions Barcelona who take on Paris St Germain

Arsenal will have another chance to beat Bayern Munich in a Champions League knockout tie after the sides were paired yet again in the round of 16 following Monday's draw. The teams met at the same stage in 2005, 2013 and 2014 with the German champions winning on all three occasions - 3-2 on aggregate in 2005, on away goals after a 3-3 draw in 2013 and 3-1 in 2014. Paris St Germain will also try to break a jinx when they face Spanish champions Barcelona, who knocked them out in the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2014. Holders Real Madrid, who like Bayern finished as runners-up in their group and will therefore play the first leg at home, were given a tricky clash with Serie A side Napoli. The draw also produced a potential grudge match as it pitted Bayer Leverkusen against Atletico Madrid, whose respective coaches Roger Schmidt and Diego Simeone were involved in an ugly touchline spat when the sides met two seasons ago. On that occasion, Atletico went through on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw. Arsenal may feel this could be their best chance to beat Bayern, whose domestic and European form has not been as dominant as in recent seasons. "We are through to the knockout stage for the 14th consecutive season, which is testament to Arsene Wenger and the teams throughout that time," club secretary David Miles said. "The fans will think we have got the rough end of the draw again - at some stage the tide has got to turn and we will beat them." Serie A champions Juventus were drawn against Porto in a repeat of the 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup final which the Italian side won 2-1. Sevilla and English champions Leicester City will meet for the first time as will Manchester City and AS Monaco. Benfica and Borussia Dortmund will renew their rivalry after a 52-year wait, the sides having previously met in the 1963-64 European Cup. (Reuters)

Champions League last 16: Arsenal paired with Bayern Munich, City get Monaco

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday at the age of 36, calling time on an emblematic career.

Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-town club Liverpool, 12 as captain, and won nine honours including the 2005 Champions League before finishing his career with an 18-month stint at LA Galaxy.

&quot;Following recent media speculation surrounding my future, I can confirm my retirement from playing professional football,&quot; Gerrard said in a statement.

&quot;I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy.&quot;

Although the Premier League title famously eluded him, Gerrard did win two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield.

His finest hour came in Istanbul in May 2005, when he inspired Liverpool to come from 3-0 down against AC Milan at half-time of the Champions League final to win the club&#39;s fifth European Cup in a penalty shootout.

In total he made 710 appearances for Liverpool, the third-highest total behind Ian Callaghan and former team-mate Jamie Carragher, scoring 186 goals.

Gerrard made 114 appearances for England, a tally bettered only by Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, and scored 21 international goals.

He appeared at six major tournaments, captaining England at the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. 
&quot;I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career,&quot; Gerrard said.

&quot;I am proud to have played over 700 games for Liverpool, many of which as captain, and to have played my part in helping the club to bring major honours back to Anfield, none more so than that famous night in Istanbul.

&quot;At an international level, I feel privileged to have won 114 England caps and to have had the honour of captaining my country.&quot;Gerrard has been linked with a coaching role at Liverpool and the club`s manager, Jurgen Klopp, said he would be welcomed back with open arms.

&quot;The door is always open for him,&quot; Klopp told a press conference.

&quot;If he wants to make a different career to his former career then we want to help him.&quot;

Gerrard, who has confirmed he turned down an approach from English third-tier side Milton Keynes Dons, said he would take his time before announcing his next move.

&quot;I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be,&quot; he said.

&quot;I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon.&quot;

Gerrard said he could no longer ignore the physical signs that his best days were behind him.

&quot;The body starts talking to you, the pains and the aches get more regular, the way you feel out there on the pitch changes,&quot; he told BT Sport.

&quot;Important people in the game who I trust and have a lot of respect for have said to me: &#39;Always go with a tiny bit left. Never overstay your welcome and play on too long where it becomes embarrassing.&#39;

&quot;I can feel that`s not too far away, so now`s the right time.&quot;

Asked if he would like to pursue a career in coaching or punditry, he said: &quot;I think I`d like to do a bit of both.&quot;Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard joined Liverpool&#39;s academy at the age of nine and made his first-team debut aged 18 as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in November 1998.

After quickly establishing himself as a dominant force in Liverpool`s midfield, he made his England debut against Ukraine in May 2000.

He got his first taste of silverware under Gerard Houllier in the 2000-01 season, when Liverpool won a treble of FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup honours.

He launched Liverpool`s fightback against Istanbul with a glancing header and scored a 35-yard thunderbolt the following season to inspire his side to victory over West Ham United in the FA Cup final.

Twice strongly linked with moves to Chelsea, he elected to stay with Liverpool, but apart from a third League Cup crown in 2012, the rest of his career proved fallow in terms of silverware.

Liverpool looked to be on course for the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers in 2014, only for a calamitous slip by Gerrard in a match against Chelsea to clear Manchester City&#39;s path to the title.

He followed in Beckham`s footsteps with a late-career stint in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy.

&quot;Ability-wise, he was the best midfielder I`ve ever seen,&quot; said former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy. 
Liverpool tweeted simply: &quot;Legend.&quot;

(AFP)

Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-town club Liverpool, 12 as captain, and won nine honours including the 2005 Champions League

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday at the age of 36, calling time on an emblematic career. Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-town club Liverpool, 12 as captain, and won nine honours including the 2005 Champions League before finishing his career with an 18-month stint at LA Galaxy. "Following recent media speculation surrounding my future, I can confirm my retirement from playing professional football," Gerrard said in a statement. "I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy." Although the Premier League title famously eluded him, Gerrard did win two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield. His finest hour came in Istanbul in May 2005, when he inspired Liverpool to come from 3-0 down against AC Milan at half-time of the Champions League final to win the club's fifth European Cup in a penalty shootout. In total he made 710 appearances for Liverpool, the third-highest total behind Ian Callaghan and former team-mate Jamie Carragher, scoring 186 goals. Gerrard made 114 appearances for England, a tally bettered only by Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, and scored 21 international goals. He appeared at six major tournaments, captaining England at the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. "I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career," Gerrard said. "I am proud to have played over 700 games for Liverpool, many of which as captain, and to have played my part in helping the club to bring major honours back to Anfield, none more so than that famous night in Istanbul. "At an international level, I feel privileged to have won 114 England caps and to have had the honour of captaining my country."Gerrard has been linked with a coaching role at Liverpool and the club`s manager, Jurgen Klopp, said he would be welcomed back with open arms. "The door is always open for him," Klopp told a press conference. "If he wants to make a different career to his former career then we want to help him." Gerrard, who has confirmed he turned down an approach from English third-tier side Milton Keynes Dons, said he would take his time before announcing his next move. "I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be," he said. "I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon." Gerrard said he could no longer ignore the physical signs that his best days were behind him. "The body starts talking to you, the pains and the aches get more regular, the way you feel out there on the pitch changes," he told BT Sport. "Important people in the game who I trust and have a lot of respect for have said to me: 'Always go with a tiny bit left. Never overstay your welcome and play on too long where it becomes embarrassing.' "I can feel that`s not too far away, so now`s the right time." Asked if he would like to pursue a career in coaching or punditry, he said: "I think I`d like to do a bit of both."Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard joined Liverpool's academy at the age of nine and made his first-team debut aged 18 as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in November 1998. After quickly establishing himself as a dominant force in Liverpool`s midfield, he made his England debut against Ukraine in May 2000. He got his first taste of silverware under Gerard Houllier in the 2000-01 season, when Liverpool won a treble of FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup honours. He launched Liverpool`s fightback against Istanbul with a glancing header and scored a 35-yard thunderbolt the following season to inspire his side to victory over West Ham United in the FA Cup final. Twice strongly linked with moves to Chelsea, he elected to stay with Liverpool, but apart from a third League Cup crown in 2012, the rest of his career proved fallow in terms of silverware. Liverpool looked to be on course for the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers in 2014, only for a calamitous slip by Gerrard in a match against Chelsea to clear Manchester City's path to the title. He followed in Beckham`s footsteps with a late-career stint in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy. "Ability-wise, he was the best midfielder I`ve ever seen," said former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy. Liverpool tweeted simply: "Legend." (AFP)

Football: Liverpool great Gerrard calls time on career

Arsenal&nbsp;and Paris St Germain&#39;s hopes of topping Champions League Group A were still in the balance after they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Emirates on Wednesday.

Lucas&#39;s deflected 77th minute header earned PSG a point when it had looked as though a comical own goal on the hour from Marco Verratti would settle the contest between the joint group leaders.

Edinson Cavani gave the French champions a deserved early lead and they looked comfortable until Olivier Giroud equalised with a penalty seconds before the interval.

The two teams, both of whom are already assured a last-16 spot, remain locked on 11 points from five games going into their final fixtures.

(Reuters)

Arsenal?and Paris St Germain's hopes of topping their group are still in the balance

Arsenal and Paris St Germain's hopes of topping Champions League Group A were still in the balance after they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Emirates on Wednesday. Lucas's deflected 77th minute header earned PSG a point when it had looked as though a comical own goal on the hour from Marco Verratti would settle the contest between the joint group leaders. Edinson Cavani gave the French champions a deserved early lead and they looked comfortable until Olivier Giroud equalised with a penalty seconds before the interval. The two teams, both of whom are already assured a last-16 spot, remain locked on 11 points from five games going into their final fixtures. (Reuters)

Champions League: Arsenal, PSG play out entertaining draw

Leicester&nbsp;kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium&#39;s Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham.

Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.

They join last year&#39;s runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare.

Leicester&#39;s success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone.

&quot;We&#39;re on another journey. I don&#39;t know where, but we&#39;re excited!&quot; Ranieri said afterwards.

Referring to his side&#39;s poor league form the Italian added: &quot;Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge.

&quot;We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn&#39;t easy today but we did it,&quot; said Foxes&#39; Algerian star Mahrez.

The Colombian&#39;s strike was the first goal&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;have conceded in the tournament to date.

As&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe&#39;s top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process.&nbsp;

Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao&#39;s early spotkick.

But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners.&nbsp;

In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs&#39; loss.

Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled.

Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, &#39;home&#39; advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen.

Kane said those games sank them.

&quot;I&#39;m gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with.

&quot;We will look back and say it was the home games were we should&#39;ve been better,&quot; the striker told BT Sport.

Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s former club Sporting Lisbon.

Raphael Varane gave the &#39;meringues&#39; the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real.

The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time.

&quot;We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May.

&quot;When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim&#39;s goal,&quot; Zidane told &nbsp;beIn Sports.

Record goalfest

Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland&#39;s Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter.

The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval.

Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot.

Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain.

Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the &#39;Old Lady&#39; of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. &nbsp;

Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively.

(AFP)

Leicester and Real Madrid join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern and Dortmund in the next round

Leicester kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium's Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham. Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. They join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare. Leicester's success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri's side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone. "We're on another journey. I don't know where, but we're excited!" Ranieri said afterwards. Referring to his side's poor league form the Italian added: "Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League." Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge. "We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn't easy today but we did it," said Foxes' Algerian star Mahrez. The Colombian's strike was the first goal Leicester have conceded in the tournament to date. As Leicester celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe's top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process. Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao's early spotkick. But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners. In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs' loss. Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled. Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, 'home' advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino's side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen. Kane said those games sank them. "I'm gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with. "We will look back and say it was the home games were we should've been better," the striker told BT Sport. Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Sporting Lisbon. Raphael Varane gave the 'meringues' the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real. The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time. "We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May. "When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim's goal," Zidane told beIn Sports. Record goalfest Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland's Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter. The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval. Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot. Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain. Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the 'Old Lady' of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively. (AFP)

Champions League round-up: Leicester continue fairytale run, Real through to last 16

Leicester City missed the chance to book an early spot in the Champions League&#39;s knockout stages as they survived some nervy moments to secure a goalless draw with FC Copenhagen in Group G on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Having won their previous three group games, the Premier League champions stood on the brink of reaching the last 16, but Copenhagen denied them the victory they needed, while improving their own qualification hopes.

&nbsp;

The Danish side&#39;s only previous loss in 27 competitive games was a 1-0 reverse to Leicester in their Champions League clash two weeks ago, and on several occasions they threatened to take all three points on home turf.

&nbsp;

Their best chance came in the 70th minute when Leicester defender Christian Fuchs cleared Benjamin Verbic&#39;s effort off the line as the home side pressed forward while the visitors&#39; keeper Kasper Schmeichel made a smart save from Andreas Cornelius in the dying minutes.

&nbsp;

Riyad Mahrez was once again the most influential creative presence in Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side, but the Foxes had to settle for a draw on a chilly night in Copenhagen.

&nbsp;

With the top two qualifying for the knockouts and two rounds of group matches remaining, Leicester top the standings with 10 points from four games, while Copenhagen are third on five, two behind Porto, who beat Club Bruges 1-0.

&nbsp;

&quot;If you win you are more satisfied, but you have to respect the opponent,&quot; said Ranieri, before adding that his side were still in a very good position at the top of the group.

&nbsp;

Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken rued several missed chances that left his team with just one point from two tight games against Leicester.

&nbsp;

&quot;After 180 minutes the only thing I am left with is that we didn&#39;t put it in the net. Leicester created two or three chances over 180 minutes,&quot; Solbakken told reporters.

&nbsp;

The Danes started well, playing at a high tempo and forcing a succession of free kicks and corners in the first half to keep Leicester on the back foot, but the final delivery into the box was often poor.

&nbsp;

Leicester were not much better in attack and as both defences flung themselves into the path of the ball to block shots, neither goalkeeper had much to deal with.

&nbsp;

Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater combined to create an excellent chance for Leicester in the 58th minute but there was nobody on hand to steer the ball home as the latter rifled it across the face of goal.

&nbsp;

The Danish champions almost stole the win late on as striker Cornelius rose highest to send a downward header into the bottom left corner.

&nbsp;

Yet Schmeichel, playing his first competitive club game in the city of his birth, reacted quickly, pushing the ball away smartly to maintain Leicester&#39;s unbeaten record and secure a fourth straight clean sheet in the competition.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)&nbsp;

The Premier League champions stood on the brink of reaching the last 16 but Copenhagen denied them the victory

Leicester City missed the chance to book an early spot in the Champions League's knockout stages as they survived some nervy moments to secure a goalless draw with FC Copenhagen in Group G on Wednesday. Having won their previous three group games, the Premier League champions stood on the brink of reaching the last 16, but Copenhagen denied them the victory they needed, while improving their own qualification hopes. The Danish side's only previous loss in 27 competitive games was a 1-0 reverse to Leicester in their Champions League clash two weeks ago, and on several occasions they threatened to take all three points on home turf. Their best chance came in the 70th minute when Leicester defender Christian Fuchs cleared Benjamin Verbic's effort off the line as the home side pressed forward while the visitors' keeper Kasper Schmeichel made a smart save from Andreas Cornelius in the dying minutes. Riyad Mahrez was once again the most influential creative presence in Claudio Ranieri's side, but the Foxes had to settle for a draw on a chilly night in Copenhagen. With the top two qualifying for the knockouts and two rounds of group matches remaining, Leicester top the standings with 10 points from four games, while Copenhagen are third on five, two behind Porto, who beat Club Bruges 1-0. "If you win you are more satisfied, but you have to respect the opponent," said Ranieri, before adding that his side were still in a very good position at the top of the group. Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken rued several missed chances that left his team with just one point from two tight games against Leicester. "After 180 minutes the only thing I am left with is that we didn't put it in the net. Leicester created two or three chances over 180 minutes," Solbakken told reporters. The Danes started well, playing at a high tempo and forcing a succession of free kicks and corners in the first half to keep Leicester on the back foot, but the final delivery into the box was often poor. Leicester were not much better in attack and as both defences flung themselves into the path of the ball to block shots, neither goalkeeper had much to deal with. Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater combined to create an excellent chance for Leicester in the 58th minute but there was nobody on hand to steer the ball home as the latter rifled it across the face of goal. The Danish champions almost stole the win late on as striker Cornelius rose highest to send a downward header into the bottom left corner. Yet Schmeichel, playing his first competitive club game in the city of his birth, reacted quickly, pushing the ball away smartly to maintain Leicester's unbeaten record and secure a fourth straight clean sheet in the competition. (Reuters)

Champions League: FC Copenhagen 0-0 Leicester City

Mateo Kovacic&#39;s late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin&#39;s powerful finish.

&nbsp;

UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia&#39;s opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured a historic start.

&nbsp;

Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match.

&nbsp;

Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to sidefoot home.

&nbsp;

Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before halftime, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th.

&nbsp;

Real are second in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who qualified by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Real travel to Sporting on Nov. 22, where a point will also see them through. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years.

&nbsp;

Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swiveling to hook the ball into the top corner.

&nbsp;

The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory that would have qualified them for the last 16, but Legia hit back before the break with Odjidja&#39;s wonderful goal.

&nbsp;

Radovic then took advantage of slack Real defending to drive at the defence and let fly from the edge of the box, sending the ball under Keylor Navas.

&nbsp;

Aleksandar Prijovic hit straight at Navas but barely a minute later made amends by laying the ball off to Moulin to crash the ball in off the post.

&nbsp;

Real&#39;s blushes were saved barely two minutes later though by Kovacic, who has taken on new importance in the absence of compatriot Luka Modric.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)&nbsp;

Mateo Kovacic's late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before the draw

Mateo Kovacic's late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium on Wednesday. Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin's powerful finish. UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia's opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured a historic start. Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match. Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to sidefoot home. Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before halftime, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th. Real are second in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who qualified by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Wednesday. Real travel to Sporting on Nov. 22, where a point will also see them through. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years. Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swiveling to hook the ball into the top corner. The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory that would have qualified them for the last 16, but Legia hit back before the break with Odjidja's wonderful goal. Radovic then took advantage of slack Real defending to drive at the defence and let fly from the edge of the box, sending the ball under Keylor Navas. Aleksandar Prijovic hit straight at Navas but barely a minute later made amends by laying the ball off to Moulin to crash the ball in off the post. Real's blushes were saved barely two minutes later though by Kovacic, who has taken on new importance in the absence of compatriot Luka Modric. (Reuters)

Champions League: Real Madrid held to 3-3 draw against Legia Warsaw

Gonzalo Higuain converted an early penalty for Juventus and then missed a sitter before Olympique Lyonnais hit back late in the game to grab a 1-1 draw in their Champions League match on Wednesday.

Corentin Tolisso&#39;s 85th-minute header, the first goal that the Italian champions have conceded in four games in Group H, kept alive the French side&#39;s slim hopes of reaching the last 16 and kept Juve waiting for at least one more game to book their spot.

Juventus are second with eight points, two behind leaders Sevilla, and should still progress, while Lyon have four.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was angry with his team for trying to grab a late winner instead of settling for the draw.

&quot;We ran too many risks towards the end and we could have undermined our whole campaign in the Champions League,&quot; he said. &quot;You go to war when there&#39;s a chance of winning; you don&#39;t go to war when there&#39;s a chance of losing.&quot;

Juve were gifted an early lead when Higuain burst down the left and found Stefano Sturaro who was clumsily pushed over by Mouctar Diakhaby.

The Argentine stepped up and sent Anthony Lopes the wrong way from the spot.

However, Higuain turned villain shortly before halftime when he scooped the ball over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy after Mario Mandzukic had won possession off a defender and set him up with a glorious opportunity.

In between, Claudio Marchisio sent a low drive agonisingly wide from just outside the penalty area.

Juventus, who won 1-0 in Lyon two weeks ago, appeared to sit back after halftime and the visitors enjoyed plenty of possession although they struggled to turn it into genuine chances.

Already missing Giorgio Chiellini from their so-called &#39;BBC&#39; defence, Juventus also saw Leonardo Bonucci limp off in the 67th minute when he had to be replaced by Mehdi Benatia.

The revamped defence were caught out with five minutes left when Rachid Ghezzal delivered a superb free kick into the Juve area which was attacked by three players, with Tolisso getting there first to head past Gianluigi Buffon.

Juventus threw themselves forward in search of a late winner and Lyon threatened to snatch the points when Alexandre Lacazette ran on to a through ball but Buffon did well to narrow the angle.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Higuain converted an early penalty but?missed a sitter before the match with Olympique Lyonnais game ended in a 1-1 draw

Gonzalo Higuain converted an early penalty for Juventus and then missed a sitter before Olympique Lyonnais hit back late in the game to grab a 1-1 draw in their Champions League match on Wednesday. Corentin Tolisso's 85th-minute header, the first goal that the Italian champions have conceded in four games in Group H, kept alive the French side's slim hopes of reaching the last 16 and kept Juve waiting for at least one more game to book their spot. Juventus are second with eight points, two behind leaders Sevilla, and should still progress, while Lyon have four. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was angry with his team for trying to grab a late winner instead of settling for the draw. "We ran too many risks towards the end and we could have undermined our whole campaign in the Champions League," he said. "You go to war when there's a chance of winning; you don't go to war when there's a chance of losing." Juve were gifted an early lead when Higuain burst down the left and found Stefano Sturaro who was clumsily pushed over by Mouctar Diakhaby. The Argentine stepped up and sent Anthony Lopes the wrong way from the spot. However, Higuain turned villain shortly before halftime when he scooped the ball over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy after Mario Mandzukic had won possession off a defender and set him up with a glorious opportunity. In between, Claudio Marchisio sent a low drive agonisingly wide from just outside the penalty area. Juventus, who won 1-0 in Lyon two weeks ago, appeared to sit back after halftime and the visitors enjoyed plenty of possession although they struggled to turn it into genuine chances. Already missing Giorgio Chiellini from their so-called 'BBC' defence, Juventus also saw Leonardo Bonucci limp off in the 67th minute when he had to be replaced by Mehdi Benatia. The revamped defence were caught out with five minutes left when Rachid Ghezzal delivered a superb free kick into the Juve area which was attacked by three players, with Tolisso getting there first to head past Gianluigi Buffon. Juventus threw themselves forward in search of a late winner and Lyon threatened to snatch the points when Alexandre Lacazette ran on to a through ball but Buffon did well to narrow the angle. (Reuters)

Champions League: Higuain hero and villain as Juve blow early lead

Borussia Moenchengladbach have accused Bundesliga bosses of favouritism towards Bayern Munich as they face a successive Friday night match, three days after a mid-week game in Europe.

Gladbach were held to a 1-1 draw home to Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday and play Hertha Berlin away in a key Bundesliga match on Friday.

It is the second time in quick succession Gladbach have been given a short turn-around by the German Football League (DFL) after they drew 0-0 with Frankfurt last Friday, three days after a German Cup win home to Stuttgart.

Borussia, 11th in Germany&#39;s top flight, are struggling for form and are winless in their last four German league games.

&quot;I have to say, what were the league thinking giving a Champions League side a game directly on a Friday?&quot; Max Eberl, Gladbach&#39;s director of sport, asked magazine Kicker.

&quot;That would never happen to Bayern Munich. I have never heard of Bayern playing on a Friday after a Champions League game.

&quot;They always play on Saturdays and Sundays. Borussia Moenchengladbach must now run out at Hertha Berlin. I find that extremely unfortunate.&quot;

Following their Champions League draw Gladbach remain third in Group C, three points behind Manchester City, who they host in three weeks&#39; time in a must-win clash.

Eberl is realistic about his side&#39;s chances of progressing to the knock-out stages with Pep Guardiola&#39;s City and Barcelona in pole position to reach the last 16.

But the Germans are still mathematically in contention and third at least carries automatic qualification for the Europa League, if it comes to that.

&quot;We still have matters in our own hands and can go into the winter break (in January) in the Europa League,&quot; said Eberl.

&quot;Bold fans have dreamt of &#39;a final&#39; against Manchester City, but that was not in our heads against Celtic.&quot;

(AFP)

Gladbach were held to a 1-1 draw home to Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday and play Hertha Berlin on Friday

Borussia Moenchengladbach have accused Bundesliga bosses of favouritism towards Bayern Munich as they face a successive Friday night match, three days after a mid-week game in Europe. Gladbach were held to a 1-1 draw home to Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday and play Hertha Berlin away in a key Bundesliga match on Friday. It is the second time in quick succession Gladbach have been given a short turn-around by the German Football League (DFL) after they drew 0-0 with Frankfurt last Friday, three days after a German Cup win home to Stuttgart. Borussia, 11th in Germany's top flight, are struggling for form and are winless in their last four German league games. "I have to say, what were the league thinking giving a Champions League side a game directly on a Friday?" Max Eberl, Gladbach's director of sport, asked magazine Kicker. "That would never happen to Bayern Munich. I have never heard of Bayern playing on a Friday after a Champions League game. "They always play on Saturdays and Sundays. Borussia Moenchengladbach must now run out at Hertha Berlin. I find that extremely unfortunate." Following their Champions League draw Gladbach remain third in Group C, three points behind Manchester City, who they host in three weeks' time in a must-win clash. Eberl is realistic about his side's chances of progressing to the knock-out stages with Pep Guardiola's City and Barcelona in pole position to reach the last 16. But the Germans are still mathematically in contention and third at least carries automatic qualification for the Europa League, if it comes to that. "We still have matters in our own hands and can go into the winter break (in January) in the Europa League," said Eberl. "Bold fans have dreamt of 'a final' against Manchester City, but that was not in our heads against Celtic." (AFP)

'Wouldn't happen to Bayern', fumes Gladbach boss

Mateo Kovacic&#39;s late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium on Wednesday.

Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin&#39;s powerful finish.

UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia&#39;s opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured a&nbsp;historic start.

Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest-ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match.

Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to sidefoot home.

Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before halftime, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th.

Real are second in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who qualified by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Wednesday.

Real travel to Sporting on Nov. 22, where a point will also see them through. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years.

Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swivelling to hook the ball into the top corner.

The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory that would have qualified them for the last 16, but Legia hit back before the break with Odjidja&#39;s wonderful goal.

Radovic then took advantage of slack Real defending to drive at the defence and let fly from the edge of the box, sending the ball under Keylor Navas.

Aleksandar Prijovic hit straight at Navas but barely a minute later made amends by laying the ball off to Moulin to crash the ball in off the post.

Real&#39;s blushes were saved barely two minutes later though by Kovacic, who has taken on new importance in the absence of compatriot Luka Modric.

(Reuters)

Mateo Kovacic's late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3

Mateo Kovacic's late strike avoided embarrassment for Real Madrid as the European champions surrendered a two-goal lead before drawing 3-3 with Legia Warsaw in an enthralling Champions League game played amid an empty stadium on Wednesday. Croatia midfielder Kovacic capped a fine individual display by rifling in the equaliser in the 85th minute after Legia had come from behind in the Group F encounter to take the lead in the 83rd through Thibault Moulin's powerful finish. UEFA had ordered the game to be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble overshadowed Legia's opener against Dortmund, meaning only several hundred visiting Real supporters witnessed the thriller that featured a historic start. Gareth Bale gave Real the lead in the Polish Army Stadium in just 57 seconds with a thunderous strike from outside the area to record the fastest-ever goal scored by Real in a Champions League match. Karim Benzema doubled their advantage in the 35th, taking advantage of a Bale cutback to sidefoot home. Yet Legia hit back with a brilliant piece of skill and finish from Vadis Odjidja five minutes before halftime, while Miroslav Radovic completed a shock comeback by the hosts with an arrowed toe poke into the bottom corner in the 58th. Real are second in Group F on eight points, two behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who qualified by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Wednesday. Real travel to Sporting on Nov. 22, where a point will also see them through. Legia are out but can still challenge Sporting for third place to reach the Europa League last 32 after taking their first point in the competition for 21 years. Bale, who signed a new five-year contract with the European champions in midweek, got the game off to a flying start by swivelling to hook the ball into the top corner. The Wales international teed up Benzema later in the half with the help of Kovacic and Real looked set to cruise towards a victory that would have qualified them for the last 16, but Legia hit back before the break with Odjidja's wonderful goal. Radovic then took advantage of slack Real defending to drive at the defence and let fly from the edge of the box, sending the ball under Keylor Navas. Aleksandar Prijovic hit straight at Navas but barely a minute later made amends by laying the ball off to Moulin to crash the ball in off the post. Real's blushes were saved barely two minutes later though by Kovacic, who has taken on new importance in the absence of compatriot Luka Modric. (Reuters)

Champions League: Real Madrid 3-3 Legia Warsaw

Coach Pep Guardiola was left thrilled after Manchester City revived their Champions League bid by beating his old club Barcelona 3-1 in a gloriously open Group C encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Ilkay Guendogan scored twice and Kevin De Bruyne netted a superb free kick in a magnificent display from the home side that ended Barcelona&#39;s 100 per cent record and made handsome amends for City&#39;s 4-0 drubbing at the Nou Camp two weeks ago.

Guardiola&#39;s men now have seven points from four matches, two behind leaders Barca. Borussia Moenchengladbach are on four points after drawing 1-1 with bottom club Celtic.

City&#39;s victory looked unlikely when Lionel Messi followed up his hat-trick in the game at the Nou Camp with a dazzling opener on the counter-attack in the 21st minute and Barca were in control before Guendogan cashed in on a Sergi Roberto mistake.

In a game peppered with fine attacking and dubious defending, City then ran Barca ragged as the exceptional De Bruyne netted in the 51st minute before helping set up Guendogan&#39;s second after 74.

City&#39;s best Champions League night left Barca frustrated as they failed to gain the win that would have sealed their place in the knockout stages for a 13th successive season.

The home side&#39;s big night started brightly as Raheem Sterling appeared to be brought down in the box by Samuel Umtiti only to be booked, harshly perhaps, for diving.

Then, in a devastating counter-attack initiated by Javier Mascherano when he broke up a City thrust in his own box, Messi found Neymar on the left before marauding down the field to latch on to the Brazilian&#39;s pass and claim his 90th Champions League goal.

Barca looked poised to take over, threatening a second goal until Sergi Roberto stroked a pass carelessly across his own defensive line, allowing Sergio Aguero to intercept and feed Sterling who crossed for Guendogan to tap the ball in.

A poor touch from Sterling stopped him putting City ahead at the start of the second half but they did not have to wait long to go ahead as De Bruyne&#39;s free-kick dipped over the wall and beat the despairing dive of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

De Bruyne came close to adding to the lead as the hosts flooded forward.

Barca should have equalised when a stray back pass from John Stones led to Andre Gomes hitting the bar when it seemed easier to score.

City, though, earned reward for their domination and some wayward defending by the visitors when De Bruyne&#39;s pass cut them apart and set up Jesus Navas to whip in the cross that eventually fell to Germany midfielder Guendogan who hammered his fourth goal in two games.

(Reuters)

Coach Pep Guardiola's men now have seven points from four matches, two behind leaders Barca

Coach Pep Guardiola was left thrilled after Manchester City revived their Champions League bid by beating his old club Barcelona 3-1 in a gloriously open Group C encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. Ilkay Guendogan scored twice and Kevin De Bruyne netted a superb free kick in a magnificent display from the home side that ended Barcelona's 100 per cent record and made handsome amends for City's 4-0 drubbing at the Nou Camp two weeks ago. Guardiola's men now have seven points from four matches, two behind leaders Barca. Borussia Moenchengladbach are on four points after drawing 1-1 with bottom club Celtic. City's victory looked unlikely when Lionel Messi followed up his hat-trick in the game at the Nou Camp with a dazzling opener on the counter-attack in the 21st minute and Barca were in control before Guendogan cashed in on a Sergi Roberto mistake. In a game peppered with fine attacking and dubious defending, City then ran Barca ragged as the exceptional De Bruyne netted in the 51st minute before helping set up Guendogan's second after 74. City's best Champions League night left Barca frustrated as they failed to gain the win that would have sealed their place in the knockout stages for a 13th successive season. The home side's big night started brightly as Raheem Sterling appeared to be brought down in the box by Samuel Umtiti only to be booked, harshly perhaps, for diving. Then, in a devastating counter-attack initiated by Javier Mascherano when he broke up a City thrust in his own box, Messi found Neymar on the left before marauding down the field to latch on to the Brazilian's pass and claim his 90th Champions League goal. Barca looked poised to take over, threatening a second goal until Sergi Roberto stroked a pass carelessly across his own defensive line, allowing Sergio Aguero to intercept and feed Sterling who crossed for Guendogan to tap the ball in. A poor touch from Sterling stopped him putting City ahead at the start of the second half but they did not have to wait long to go ahead as De Bruyne's free-kick dipped over the wall and beat the despairing dive of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. De Bruyne came close to adding to the lead as the hosts flooded forward. Barca should have equalised when a stray back pass from John Stones led to Andre Gomes hitting the bar when it seemed easier to score. City, though, earned reward for their domination and some wayward defending by the visitors when De Bruyne's pass cut them apart and set up Jesus Navas to whip in the cross that eventually fell to Germany midfielder Guendogan who hammered his fourth goal in two games. (Reuters)

Champions League: Manchester City beat Barcelona 3-1

Manchester City must play &quot;perfectly&quot; to beat Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, according to manager&nbsp;Pep&nbsp;Guardiola whose side suffered a 4-0 thrashing in the Nou Camp this month.

City won for the first time in seven games in all competitions on Saturday, crushing West Bromwich Albion 4-0 in the Premier League, but Guardiola knows his former club represent a far greater challenge.

&quot;I have never thought that we can&#39;t win a football match and I never will. Even when we lost 4-0,&quot; Guardiola told a news conference on Monday.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult and we know we need to play almost perfectly to win - and if not, we will congratulate them and move on.

&quot;Winning the last game helped a lot but the Champions League is much different. Tomorrow we have another chance against the best.&quot;

While Barcelona can secure progress to the knockout phase at the Etihad on Tuesday, City are in a battle with Borussia Moenchengladbach for second spot in Group C.

Another loss to the Catalans would leave their progress in real jeopardy.

&quot;For them it&#39;s not a final, for us it is like a final,&quot; said Guardiola, who is yet to taste defeat at home since taking over at Man City, said.

&quot;There is just three games left. We dropped points in Glasgow (Celtic) and we have to recover those points.&quot;

City&#39;s cause is not helped by injuries with the right back area particularly worrying.

Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta are both unavailable, meaning Guardiola has to choose between Fernando, who played there for the first time against West Brom, and 19-year-old Pablo Maffeo.

&quot;We have to think we&#39;ve not got right backs,&quot; Guardiola said. &quot;We have one who recently played there and one who is 19.&quot;

Striker Sergio Aguero will start, however, after being surprisingly left out of the away clash.

The Argentine scored twice against West Brom and looked close to being back to his best.

&quot;When he is happy of course all the team is happy,&quot; Guardiola said.

A loss to the blaugrana team tonight would jeopardise City's chances of progressing to the next round of the Champions League

Manchester City must play "perfectly" to beat Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, according to manager Pep Guardiola whose side suffered a 4-0 thrashing in the Nou Camp this month. City won for the first time in seven games in all competitions on Saturday, crushing West Bromwich Albion 4-0 in the Premier League, but Guardiola knows his former club represent a far greater challenge. "I have never thought that we can't win a football match and I never will. Even when we lost 4-0," Guardiola told a news conference on Monday. "It's difficult and we know we need to play almost perfectly to win - and if not, we will congratulate them and move on. "Winning the last game helped a lot but the Champions League is much different. Tomorrow we have another chance against the best." While Barcelona can secure progress to the knockout phase at the Etihad on Tuesday, City are in a battle with Borussia Moenchengladbach for second spot in Group C. Another loss to the Catalans would leave their progress in real jeopardy. "For them it's not a final, for us it is like a final," said Guardiola, who is yet to taste defeat at home since taking over at Man City, said. "There is just three games left. We dropped points in Glasgow (Celtic) and we have to recover those points." City's cause is not helped by injuries with the right back area particularly worrying. Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta are both unavailable, meaning Guardiola has to choose between Fernando, who played there for the first time against West Brom, and 19-year-old Pablo Maffeo. "We have to think we've not got right backs," Guardiola said. "We have one who recently played there and one who is 19." Striker Sergio Aguero will start, however, after being surprisingly left out of the away clash. The Argentine scored twice against West Brom and looked close to being back to his best. "When he is happy of course all the team is happy," Guardiola said.

Manchester City needs to play 'perfect' football to beat Barcelona: Guardiola

Bayern Munich broke their three-game winless streak with an emphatic 4-1 win at home to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday in the Champions League with winger Arjen Robben outstanding.

Thomas Mueller and Joshua Kimmich put Bayern ahead at the Allianz Arena before Luciano Narsingh netted for Eindhoven before the break, but Robert Lewandowski made it 3-1 on the hour mark.

Robben, who created two goals, capped an eye-catching display with a fourth goal as Bayern got their Group D campaign back on track after their 1-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid three weeks ago.

&quot;We started well and created good chances to go 2-0, we weren&#39;t that dominant and we had to be careful at the back. They showed what they can do on the counter,&quot; said Robben.

&quot;We dominated in the second and deserved the high win.&quot;

After talk from the German media of a &#39;mini-crisis&#39;, following three games without a win in all competitions, this was the result and performance Bayern needed.

But the German league leaders were aided and abetted by an Eindhoven defence which left acres of space to exploit, especially early on, allowing Bayern 28 shots on goal, while the Dutch managed only eight in reply.

Robben, 32, scored his first header in the Champions League, but credited the goal to Thiago Alcantara&#39;s superb chip.

&quot;It was nice to get the header, but it was down to the beatiful pass from Thiago, he deserves the credit,&quot; said Robben.

Bayern remain second in Group D, three points behind leaders Atletico, who won 1-0 at Rostov, while Eindhoven are third with a single point.

Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti had hinted at changes from the side which drew 2-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, a Bundesliga performance chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had branded &quot;unacceptable&quot;.

Lewandowski was the only change to the starting line-up in a 4-3-3 formation as Mueller switched to the wing and Kingsley Coman dropping to the bench.

Eindhoven coach Phillip Cocu made two changes from their 1-1 Dutch league draw with Heracles Almelo as Netherlands striker Narsingh and Mexico winger Andres Guardado returned.

Bayern needed just 12 minutes to take the lead thanks to quick thinking from Mueller and Robben, who fired in a short pass from a corner.

Eindhoven goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet parried Mueller&#39;s shot, but the Germany international snapped up the rebound and slotted home off his right foot.

&quot;It&#39;s my eighth season playing with Thomas,&quot; explained Robben.

&quot;I often know what he&#39;s going to do, and we work on things like that in training and we used the chance well.&quot;

Bayern exploited the space Eindhoven generously gave them at the back.

David Alaba&#39;s cross clipped a defender, but Kimmich tracked the looping ball to header over the line on 21 minutes for his seventh goal in eight games.

Eindhoven then tightened their defence and started to attack.

Uruguay winger Gaston Pereiro had the ball in the Munich net on their first meaningful attack on 39 minutes, but the goal was incorrectly ruled off side.

The Dutch clawed one back two minutes later when Narsingh&#39;s superb shot from outside the area crashed in off the post to the annoyance of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to make it 2-1 at the break.

Lewandowski fired wide in the first two minutes after the break, but only Neuer&#39;s reflex save denied Pereiro at the other end.

Just as PSV were gaining momentum, Bayern extended their lead.

Robben beat two defenders before Zoet parried his shot before Lewandowski headed in the rebound on 59 minutes.

Zoet&#39;s saves, to deny Alaba and Mueller, kept the score respectable before Thiago Alcantara&#39;s chip saw Robben nudge the ball over the Eindhoven keeper on 84 minutes. 
 
(AFP)

Bayern remain second in Group D, three points behind Atletico, while Eindhoven are third with a single point

Bayern Munich broke their three-game winless streak with an emphatic 4-1 win at home to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday in the Champions League with winger Arjen Robben outstanding. Thomas Mueller and Joshua Kimmich put Bayern ahead at the Allianz Arena before Luciano Narsingh netted for Eindhoven before the break, but Robert Lewandowski made it 3-1 on the hour mark. Robben, who created two goals, capped an eye-catching display with a fourth goal as Bayern got their Group D campaign back on track after their 1-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid three weeks ago. "We started well and created good chances to go 2-0, we weren't that dominant and we had to be careful at the back. They showed what they can do on the counter," said Robben. "We dominated in the second and deserved the high win." After talk from the German media of a 'mini-crisis', following three games without a win in all competitions, this was the result and performance Bayern needed. But the German league leaders were aided and abetted by an Eindhoven defence which left acres of space to exploit, especially early on, allowing Bayern 28 shots on goal, while the Dutch managed only eight in reply. Robben, 32, scored his first header in the Champions League, but credited the goal to Thiago Alcantara's superb chip. "It was nice to get the header, but it was down to the beatiful pass from Thiago, he deserves the credit," said Robben. Bayern remain second in Group D, three points behind leaders Atletico, who won 1-0 at Rostov, while Eindhoven are third with a single point. Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti had hinted at changes from the side which drew 2-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, a Bundesliga performance chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had branded "unacceptable". Lewandowski was the only change to the starting line-up in a 4-3-3 formation as Mueller switched to the wing and Kingsley Coman dropping to the bench. Eindhoven coach Phillip Cocu made two changes from their 1-1 Dutch league draw with Heracles Almelo as Netherlands striker Narsingh and Mexico winger Andres Guardado returned. Bayern needed just 12 minutes to take the lead thanks to quick thinking from Mueller and Robben, who fired in a short pass from a corner. Eindhoven goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet parried Mueller's shot, but the Germany international snapped up the rebound and slotted home off his right foot. "It's my eighth season playing with Thomas," explained Robben. "I often know what he's going to do, and we work on things like that in training and we used the chance well." Bayern exploited the space Eindhoven generously gave them at the back. David Alaba's cross clipped a defender, but Kimmich tracked the looping ball to header over the line on 21 minutes for his seventh goal in eight games. Eindhoven then tightened their defence and started to attack. Uruguay winger Gaston Pereiro had the ball in the Munich net on their first meaningful attack on 39 minutes, but the goal was incorrectly ruled off side. The Dutch clawed one back two minutes later when Narsingh's superb shot from outside the area crashed in off the post to the annoyance of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to make it 2-1 at the break. Lewandowski fired wide in the first two minutes after the break, but only Neuer's reflex save denied Pereiro at the other end. Just as PSV were gaining momentum, Bayern extended their lead. Robben beat two defenders before Zoet parried his shot before Lewandowski headed in the rebound on 59 minutes. Zoet's saves, to deny Alaba and Mueller, kept the score respectable before Thiago Alcantara's chip saw Robben nudge the ball over the Eindhoven keeper on 84 minutes. (AFP)

Bayern Munich break winless streak with 4-1 win over Eindhoven

Vincent Aboubakar headed a late goal, his second of the game, to give Besiktas a shock 3-2 win away at Napoli in the Champions League after the Serie A team had twice come from behind and missed a penalty along the way.

An early goal by Adriano gave Besiktas the lead, Dries Mertens equalised on the half hour and Aboubakar put the Turkish side back in front before halftime in the Group B game.

Lorenzo Insigne&#39;s penalty was saved by Fabricio in the 50th minute but Napoli were awarded another spot kick 19 minutes later and substitute Manolo Gabbiadini converted.

Gabbiadini also had a goal disallowed for offside before Aboubakar got behind the Napoli defence to head home in the 86th minute, leaving Napoli with six points in Group B and the Turkish side with five.

Napoli, beaten in their last two games, fielded Mertens as a false number nine to replace injured striker Arkadiusz Milik.

The Belgian had two early chances but Besiktas went ahead with their first chance in the 12th minute when the unmarked Adriano turned in Ricardo Quaresma&#39;s low cross at the far post.

Mertens levelled from close range after half an hour, only for Aboubakar to pounce on a dreadful pass from Christian Maggio and plant his shot past Pepe Reina.

Napoli were awarded their first penalty soon after halftime but Insigne saw his shot saved by Fabricio. However, substitute Gabbiadini, who replaced Insigne shortly afterwards, made no mistake from another spot kick in the 69th minute.

Napoli seemed poised to take all three points but instead the Cameroonian Aboubakar snatched an unlikely win for Besiktas. 
 
(Reuters)

Aboubakar gave Besiktas a shock 3-2 win in the Champions League match

Vincent Aboubakar headed a late goal, his second of the game, to give Besiktas a shock 3-2 win away at Napoli in the Champions League after the Serie A team had twice come from behind and missed a penalty along the way. An early goal by Adriano gave Besiktas the lead, Dries Mertens equalised on the half hour and Aboubakar put the Turkish side back in front before halftime in the Group B game. Lorenzo Insigne's penalty was saved by Fabricio in the 50th minute but Napoli were awarded another spot kick 19 minutes later and substitute Manolo Gabbiadini converted. Gabbiadini also had a goal disallowed for offside before Aboubakar got behind the Napoli defence to head home in the 86th minute, leaving Napoli with six points in Group B and the Turkish side with five. Napoli, beaten in their last two games, fielded Mertens as a false number nine to replace injured striker Arkadiusz Milik. The Belgian had two early chances but Besiktas went ahead with their first chance in the 12th minute when the unmarked Adriano turned in Ricardo Quaresma's low cross at the far post. Mertens levelled from close range after half an hour, only for Aboubakar to pounce on a dreadful pass from Christian Maggio and plant his shot past Pepe Reina. Napoli were awarded their first penalty soon after halftime but Insigne saw his shot saved by Fabricio. However, substitute Gabbiadini, who replaced Insigne shortly afterwards, made no mistake from another spot kick in the 69th minute. Napoli seemed poised to take all three points but instead the Cameroonian Aboubakar snatched an unlikely win for Besiktas. (Reuters)

Aboubakar gives Besiktas dramatic win over Napoli

Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick in as many Champions League games to give Barcelona a 4-0 win over Manchester City as Pep Guardiola and Claudio Bravo endured harrowing returns to the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

A slip by Fernandinho allowed Messi to round former team mate Bravo and open the scoring in the 17th minute and the keeper completed a miserable night by getting sent off in the second half for handling outside the area after losing the ball.

The magical Messi hammered in his second from the edge of the area after turning two City defenders and pounced on a Luis Suarez lay-off to complete his treble in the 69th minute.

Barca substitute Jeremy Mathieu was then dismissed for two bookable offences. Neymar had a late penalty saved by substitute Willy Caballero but the Brazilian made amends by scoring the fourth goal in the 89th minute. 
 
(Reuters)

Messi scored his goals in the 17th, 61st and 69th minutes

Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick in as many Champions League games to give Barcelona a 4-0 win over Manchester City as Pep Guardiola and Claudio Bravo endured harrowing returns to the Nou Camp on Wednesday. A slip by Fernandinho allowed Messi to round former team mate Bravo and open the scoring in the 17th minute and the keeper completed a miserable night by getting sent off in the second half for handling outside the area after losing the ball. The magical Messi hammered in his second from the edge of the area after turning two City defenders and pounced on a Luis Suarez lay-off to complete his treble in the 69th minute. Barca substitute Jeremy Mathieu was then dismissed for two bookable offences. Neymar had a late penalty saved by substitute Willy Caballero but the Brazilian made amends by scoring the fourth goal in the 89th minute. (Reuters)

Messi's hat-trick drives Barcelona to 4-0 win over Manchester City

Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form.

Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe&#39;s elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game.

Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time.

With Porto winning 2-1 away to Club Brugge in the group&#39;s other game, Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side now know a win away to Copenhagen in their next match on November 2 will secure a place in the last 16.

&quot;We&#39;re in a good position now,&quot; said Ranieri.

&quot;We knew it would be tough. Copenhagen tried until the end. It was difficult at the start, but the performance was good.&quot;

In Bruges, Jelle Vossen put the home side in front early on but Miguel Layun lashed in the equaliser midway through the second half and Andre Silva scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot.

For Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas it was a 92nd win in the Champions League, allowing him to surpass Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez and establish a new record.

Leicester&#39;s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur found themselves hanging on for a point as they claimed a 0-0 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in Group E.

A Vincent Janssen header that came back off the bar was the closest Spurs came to scoring at the BayArena.

The home side piled on the pressure in the second half but Javier Hernandez was denied by a brilliant save on the line by Hugo Lloris and Stefan Kiessling missed a great chance late on.

&quot;We can be pleased with the point,&quot; said Lloris.

&quot;The game turned in the second half, Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think the draw is a good result for us.&quot;

Just three points separate all four teams in the section, but it is Monaco who are on top after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at CSKA Moscow.

Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, on loan from Monaco, scored against his parent club in the 34th minute but Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors late on.

Trouble mars Madrid win

Reigning champions Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Legia Warsaw in Group F after supporter violence marred the build-up to the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries following clashes outside the stadium before kick-off.

When the game began, Vadis Odjidja struck the post for the visitors before Gareth Bale fired in the opener and a Marcelo shot went in off Tomasz Jodlowiec.

Miroslav Radovic pulled one back from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 before the interval and substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata added further goals in the second half.

Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side are level on seven points at the top of the group with Borussia Dortmund, who were 2-1 winners over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang burst through for an early opener and a superb Julian Weigl strike made it 2-0 but Dortmund were hanging on after Bruno Cesar reduced the deficit midway through the second half.

In Group H Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score a late winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 in France.

Gianluigi Buffon was in fine form for the Italian champions as he saved a first-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty, while Juve had Mario Lemina sent off early in the second period.

But Cuadrado netted the winner 14 minutes from the end as the hosts failed to make their man advantage count.

&quot;I should thank Mario Lemina for his sending-off because I thought we played better with a man less,&quot; said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri.

They are level at the top of the group with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Samir Nasri netting the only goal.

(AFP)

Riyad Mahrez helped Leicester win their third straight game while Real Madrid romped to a 4-1 win over Legia Warsaw

Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form. Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe's elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game. Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time. With Porto winning 2-1 away to Club Brugge in the group's other game, Claudio Ranieri's side now know a win away to Copenhagen in their next match on November 2 will secure a place in the last 16. "We're in a good position now," said Ranieri. "We knew it would be tough. Copenhagen tried until the end. It was difficult at the start, but the performance was good." In Bruges, Jelle Vossen put the home side in front early on but Miguel Layun lashed in the equaliser midway through the second half and Andre Silva scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot. For Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas it was a 92nd win in the Champions League, allowing him to surpass Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez and establish a new record. Leicester's Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur found themselves hanging on for a point as they claimed a 0-0 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in Group E. A Vincent Janssen header that came back off the bar was the closest Spurs came to scoring at the BayArena. The home side piled on the pressure in the second half but Javier Hernandez was denied by a brilliant save on the line by Hugo Lloris and Stefan Kiessling missed a great chance late on. "We can be pleased with the point," said Lloris. "The game turned in the second half, Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think the draw is a good result for us." Just three points separate all four teams in the section, but it is Monaco who are on top after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at CSKA Moscow. Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, on loan from Monaco, scored against his parent club in the 34th minute but Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors late on. Trouble mars Madrid win Reigning champions Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Legia Warsaw in Group F after supporter violence marred the build-up to the game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries following clashes outside the stadium before kick-off. When the game began, Vadis Odjidja struck the post for the visitors before Gareth Bale fired in the opener and a Marcelo shot went in off Tomasz Jodlowiec. Miroslav Radovic pulled one back from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 before the interval and substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata added further goals in the second half. Zinedine Zidane's side are level on seven points at the top of the group with Borussia Dortmund, who were 2-1 winners over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang burst through for an early opener and a superb Julian Weigl strike made it 2-0 but Dortmund were hanging on after Bruno Cesar reduced the deficit midway through the second half. In Group H Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score a late winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 in France. Gianluigi Buffon was in fine form for the Italian champions as he saved a first-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty, while Juve had Mario Lemina sent off early in the second period. But Cuadrado netted the winner 14 minutes from the end as the hosts failed to make their man advantage count. "I should thank Mario Lemina for his sending-off because I thought we played better with a man less," said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. They are level at the top of the group with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Samir Nasri netting the only goal. (AFP)

Champions League: Leicester maintain perfect record; Real, Dortmund post wins

&nbsp;

Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to snatch a late goal as they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter on Tuesday.

The Germany international lashed the ball high into the net from inside the area to level in the 87th minute after Raphael Varane had restored Real&#39;s advantage in the 68th.

The France defender&#39;s goal made up for an earlier slip that allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s 17th minute opener towards the end of the first half.

Dortmund and Real each have four points with the Germans top on goal difference, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0.

&quot;My players played very well and I think we deserved a little more but this is not a bad result,&quot; Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference after a third successive draw following two in la Liga.

&quot;We suffered a little because Dortmund pressed us a lot, although we knew we were coming to a difficult ground against a difficult opponent.

&quot;The annoying thing is we have now drawn three games but we&#39;re going to turn this around. We&#39;re not going to stop.&quot;

Electric Start

The hosts made an electric start at the Westfalenstadion after Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Buerki with an early free-kick as Gonzalo Castro and Aubameyang each shot straight at Real stopper Keylor Navas and Ousmane Dembele fired over.

Just as a Dortmund opener looked inevitable, Real struck from a perfectly executed counter-attack involving Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which Ronaldo finished off by arrowing the ball into the far corner.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s side stuck with their game plan of pressing Real high and hitting them with lightning speed, although their equaliser came from a free-kick.

Navas, making his first appearance of the season for Real, weakly punched Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s shot at team mate Varane and the ball trickled towards the goalline where it was helped across by Aubameyang.

The home side kept up the tempo after the break, although Real also grew in confidence.

Bale and Benzema wasted chances before Varane put Zidane&#39;s side ahead again, tapping home after Benzema had crashed a shot against the bar.

Dortmund again raised their game, though, and while Navas turned away two shots from lively substitute Emre Mor, he was powerless to keep out Schuerrle&#39;s rocket.

Dortmund and Real each have four points, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0

Borussia Dortmund's Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to snatch a late goal as they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter on Tuesday. The Germany international lashed the ball high into the net from inside the area to level in the 87th minute after Raphael Varane had restored Real's advantage in the 68th. The France defender's goal made up for an earlier slip that allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo's 17th minute opener towards the end of the first half. Dortmund and Real each have four points with the Germans top on goal difference, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0. "My players played very well and I think we deserved a little more but this is not a bad result," Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference after a third successive draw following two in la Liga. "We suffered a little because Dortmund pressed us a lot, although we knew we were coming to a difficult ground against a difficult opponent. "The annoying thing is we have now drawn three games but we're going to turn this around. We're not going to stop." Electric Start The hosts made an electric start at the Westfalenstadion after Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Buerki with an early free-kick as Gonzalo Castro and Aubameyang each shot straight at Real stopper Keylor Navas and Ousmane Dembele fired over. Just as a Dortmund opener looked inevitable, Real struck from a perfectly executed counter-attack involving Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which Ronaldo finished off by arrowing the ball into the far corner. Thomas Tuchel's side stuck with their game plan of pressing Real high and hitting them with lightning speed, although their equaliser came from a free-kick. Navas, making his first appearance of the season for Real, weakly punched Raphael Guerreiro's shot at team mate Varane and the ball trickled towards the goalline where it was helped across by Aubameyang. The home side kept up the tempo after the break, although Real also grew in confidence. Bale and Benzema wasted chances before Varane put Zidane's side ahead again, tapping home after Benzema had crashed a shot against the bar. Dortmund again raised their game, though, and while Navas turned away two shots from lively substitute Emre Mor, he was powerless to keep out Schuerrle's rocket.

Dortmund's Schuerrle denies Real Madrid victory in thriller Champions League match

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi.

Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic.

The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute.

Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, dominated the game but were made to work hard for their second group win that put them on six points.

The hosts, who managed just one shot on target but gave the Spaniards a run for their money, have zero, having lost both matches so far and ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions.

Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points.

Barca coach Luis Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, all of whom were rested in the 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon at the weekend.

Despite the absence of Messi, replaced by youngster Paco Alcacer, it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar&#39;s shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes.

Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide.

The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling the ball home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared.

Gladbach gradually grew in confidence but struggled to get past a Spanish wall when they tried to venture forward.

They scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass.

The Brazilian&#39;s injury in the 48th minute and his substitution took out most of the Gladbach pace.

The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer from a Suarez shot to tap in from close range and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory.

(Reuters)

Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi. Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic. The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute. Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, dominated the game but were made to work hard for their second group win that put them on six points. The hosts, who managed just one shot on target but gave the Spaniards a run for their money, have zero, having lost both matches so far and ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions. Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points. Barca coach Luis Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, all of whom were rested in the 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon at the weekend. Despite the absence of Messi, replaced by youngster Paco Alcacer, it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar's shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes. Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide. The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling the ball home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared. Gladbach gradually grew in confidence but struggled to get past a Spanish wall when they tried to venture forward. They scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass. The Brazilian's injury in the 48th minute and his substitution took out most of the Gladbach pace. The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer from a Suarez shot to tap in from close range and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory. (Reuters)

Champions League: Barcelona beat Gladbach 2-1

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will return to action for Real Madrid&#39;s La Liga game with Villarreal on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said. 
 
Ronaldo, Real&#39;s all-time top scorer, missed Sunday&#39;s 2-0 win at Espanyol with a sore throat while record signing Bale was out with a hip injury sustained in the Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon. 
 
&quot;They are both well, they trained normally and are both 100 per cent,&quot; Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the&nbsp;game with Villarreal, who are unbeaten this season having won two and drawn two of their four games. 
 
The return of Bale and Ronaldo means Zidane will be able to start with his first choice front three, Bale, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, for the first time in a league game this season. 
 
Veteran defender Pepe, however, will miss out after finishing the Espanyol game injured and goalkeeper Keylor Navas has still not recovered from surgery on his Achilles. 
 
Real are top of La Liga and are the only team in the top flight to have won all four of their opening games. 
 
Despite equalling a La Liga record of 16 consecutive wins last Sunday in beating Espanyol, however, Zidane&#39;s side have been criticised by Spanish media for their uninspiring performances. 
 
The European champions needed an 89th-minute equaliser and a stoppage-time winner to beat Sporting last week in the Champions League&nbsp;and had nervous moments against Espanyol before Benzema sealed the points. 
 
Zidane, however, shrugged off the negative comments. 
 
&quot;Criticism is expected here, you know when you are a player or coach here that you will face greater demands than anywhere else, you know that when you sign for Real Madrid,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;You can always improve whether you&#39;re a player or a coach but we are doing pretty well,&quot; the Frenchman added. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re going to try and improve our play and keep a clean sheet. But we know we&#39;ll have a very difficult game at home, against a very good side who are unbeaten, so we&#39;ll have to prepare for the game well.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo missed Sunday's 2-0 win at Espanyol with a sore throat while Bale was out with a hip injury

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will return to action for Real Madrid's La Liga game with Villarreal on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said. Ronaldo, Real's all-time top scorer, missed Sunday's 2-0 win at Espanyol with a sore throat while record signing Bale was out with a hip injury sustained in the Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon. "They are both well, they trained normally and are both 100 per cent," Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the game with Villarreal, who are unbeaten this season having won two and drawn two of their four games. The return of Bale and Ronaldo means Zidane will be able to start with his first choice front three, Bale, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, for the first time in a league game this season. Veteran defender Pepe, however, will miss out after finishing the Espanyol game injured and goalkeeper Keylor Navas has still not recovered from surgery on his Achilles. Real are top of La Liga and are the only team in the top flight to have won all four of their opening games. Despite equalling a La Liga record of 16 consecutive wins last Sunday in beating Espanyol, however, Zidane's side have been criticised by Spanish media for their uninspiring performances. The European champions needed an 89th-minute equaliser and a stoppage-time winner to beat Sporting last week in the Champions League and had nervous moments against Espanyol before Benzema sealed the points. Zidane, however, shrugged off the negative comments. "Criticism is expected here, you know when you are a player or coach here that you will face greater demands than anywhere else, you know that when you sign for Real Madrid," he said. "You can always improve whether you're a player or a coach but we are doing pretty well," the Frenchman added. "We're going to try and improve our play and keep a clean sheet. But we know we'll have a very difficult game at home, against a very good side who are unbeaten, so we'll have to prepare for the game well." (Reuters)

Ronaldo and Bale to make Real return against Villarreal

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri wants more from his title-winning squad this season and is eager to see how his team will compete against Europe&#39;s top clubs in their Champions League debut. 
 
Ranieri led the 5,0000-1 outsiders to a historic league title last season and they have been drawn in Group G along with Porto, Club Bruges and FC Copenhagen. 
 
&quot;Last season was wonderful but I want more. Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality,&quot; Ranieri told the club&#39;s website. (www.lcfc.com) 
 
&quot;Now that the teams have been drawn that excitement is building even more and although it won&#39;t be easy against great champions like Porto, like everyone, I&#39;m curious to see how my players perform. 
 
&quot;It will be tough, but we come into this competition to win games and we want so much to progress into the knockout stages.&quot; 
 
The Italian conceded that his side would be underdogs. 
 
&quot;For this reason we must fight for everything,&quot; he said. &quot;I want to see my players fight against the best in Europe. 
 
&quot;Every team in the competition will fight like champions and we must give 100 percent to make our supporters proud. 
 
(Reuters)

Ranieri had led the team to a historic league title last season

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri wants more from his title-winning squad this season and is eager to see how his team will compete against Europe's top clubs in their Champions League debut. Ranieri led the 5,0000-1 outsiders to a historic league title last season and they have been drawn in Group G along with Porto, Club Bruges and FC Copenhagen. "Last season was wonderful but I want more. Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality," Ranieri told the club's website. (www.lcfc.com) "Now that the teams have been drawn that excitement is building even more and although it won't be easy against great champions like Porto, like everyone, I'm curious to see how my players perform. "It will be tough, but we come into this competition to win games and we want so much to progress into the knockout stages." The Italian conceded that his side would be underdogs. "For this reason we must fight for everything," he said. "I want to see my players fight against the best in Europe. "Every team in the competition will fight like champions and we must give 100 percent to make our supporters proud. (Reuters)

Leicester manager urges players to deliver in Champions League

Bayern Munich crushed Champions League newcomers Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday with two goals from youngster Joshua Kimmich to kick off their Group D campaign and set a competition record with their 13th consecutive home victory. 
 
The 21-year-old Germany international struck twice in the second half after striker Robert Lewandowski converted a 28th-minute penalty and Thomas Mueller added another goal on the stroke of half-time to kill off any chances of a Russian comeback. 
 
Kimmich&#39;s two goals in eight minutes confirmed his fine scoring form for club and country after he grabbed his first ever league goal last week and also netted in Germany&#39;s World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Juan Bernat swept home Bayern&#39;s fifth in the 90th minute. 
 
The Russians, making their first group stage appearance, defended well for the first 20 minutes but were eventually overrun by the Germans, who beat Manchester United&#39;s previous record of 12 consecutive home victories in the competition. 
 
Bayern, who gave new coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the competition, next play Atletico Madrid, who beat them in last season&#39;s semi-finals. They also face PSV Eindhoven in their group. 
 
(Reuters)

21-year-old Joshua Kimmich struck twice in the second half confirming his fine scoring form for Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich crushed Champions League newcomers Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday with two goals from youngster Joshua Kimmich to kick off their Group D campaign and set a competition record with their 13th consecutive home victory. The 21-year-old Germany international struck twice in the second half after striker Robert Lewandowski converted a 28th-minute penalty and Thomas Mueller added another goal on the stroke of half-time to kill off any chances of a Russian comeback. Kimmich's two goals in eight minutes confirmed his fine scoring form for club and country after he grabbed his first ever league goal last week and also netted in Germany's World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Juan Bernat swept home Bayern's fifth in the 90th minute. The Russians, making their first group stage appearance, defended well for the first 20 minutes but were eventually overrun by the Germans, who beat Manchester United's previous record of 12 consecutive home victories in the competition. Bayern, who gave new coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the competition, next play Atletico Madrid, who beat them in last season's semi-finals. They also face PSV Eindhoven in their group. (Reuters)

Bayern romp to 5-0 win over Champions League newcomers Rostov

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