LONDON: Harry Kane got his customary goal against Arsenal on his return to north London, but Bayern Munich couldn’t leave with the win this time.
Leandro Trossard’s second-half equalizer rescued a 2-2 draw for Arsenal against Bayern in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals Tuesday after Kane had scored against his old rival yet again.
Trossard rolled in a low shot in the 76th minute to cancel out Kane’s first-half penalty and leave the teams evenly balanced ahead of next week’s second leg.
“It was a tough game. Of course we are never happy when we don’t win,” said Kane, who now has a competition-high seven goals in the Champions League this season and 15 against Arsenal in his career.
The hosts had taken a 12th-minute lead through Bukayo Saka and dominated the early stages until former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry made it 1-1 in the 18th following a mistake by defender Gabriel.
Kane then put Bayern ahead from the penalty spot in the 25th, but two of Arsenal’s substitutes combined for the equalizer as Gabriel Jesus teed up Trossard in the area.
“We started so well. We could have scored two or three goals after taking the lead,” Trossard said. “You can see what kind of quality Bayern Munich have to hurt us.”
The last time these two teams played, Bayern routed Arsenal 10-2 on aggregate after two 5-1 wins in the round of 16 in 2017. There was, however, a sense that things would be very different this time as Arsenal is top of the Premier League while Bayern is having its worst Bundesliga season in more than a decade and has ceded the title race to Bayer Leverkusen.
But Kane, who scored a record 14 goals in north London derbies between Tottenham and Arsenal before joining the German powerhouse this season, made sure Bayern returns to Germany with at least a slight advantage for the second leg at home next Wednesday.
Kingsley Coman nearly scored a 90th-minute winner for Bayern, but his flick-on from close range hit the post, while Saka had a penalty appeal turned down in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
The game went ahead as scheduled despite an alleged Islamic State terror threat against Champions League matches this week, and there were no incidents at the Emirates before or during the game.
In the other quarterfinal Tuesday, Real Madrid and Manchester City drew 3-3 in Spain.
Bayern got the draw despite playing without any away fans in the stadium because of a UEFA sanction against the club, which meant Arsenal was able to fill all 60,000 seats with home supporters.
And that crowd was raucous after a strong start for Arsenal.
The opening goal came when Ben White teed up Saka inside the area and the England winger rolled a low shot between two defenders and inside the far post, out of reach of the diving Manuel Neuer.
White had a great chance to double the lead in the 16th after Bayern failed to clear the ball and Kai Havertz set up the defender in the area, but his shot went straight at Neuer.
Soon after, a sloppy Arsenal mistake led to the equalizer.
Gabriel turned the ball over in midfield to give Bayern a quick counter, and Leon Goretzka slipped the ball through for Gnabry to slide in and slot the ball past goalkeeper David Raya.
Bayern was then awarded the penalty when William Saliba tripped Leroy Sane in the box, and Kane — who was greeted by a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball — sent Raya the wrong way before rolling the ball into the right corner.
“In the Champions League you cannot give anything to the opponent,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “We have given them two goals today.”
Raya saved two penalties in a shootout against Porto in the round of 16, which had given Kane plenty of material to study before the game.
“It was one of them where I have done a bit of research of his games against Porto,” Kane said of Raya. “It was nice to see him go early and make it easier for me.”
After Trossard’s equalizer, there was still some late drama as Saka had a chance to round Neuer deep into stoppage time but collided with the goalkeeper and went to the ground. However, referee Glenn Nyberg waved play on and replays suggested Saka stuck his leg out to initiate the contact.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, was fuming that his team didn’t get a second penalty for handball when Raya played a short goal kick to Gabriel, who inexplicably picked up the ball and retook the goal kick.
Tuchel said Nyberg told his players that Gabriel had made “a kid’s mistake” and that he wouldn’t give a penalty for that in a Champions League quarterfinal.
“This is a horrible, horrible explanation,” Tuchel said.
Arsenal rescues 2-2 draw with Bayern in Champions League after Kane scores against old rival
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Arsenal rescues 2-2 draw with Bayern in Champions League after Kane scores against old rival
- The hosts had taken a 12th-minute lead through Bukayo Saka and dominated the early stages until former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry made it 1-1 in the 18th following a mistake by defender Gabriel
Sensational Barca destroy Dortmund in Champions League mismatch
- The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double
BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski hit a brace to help a devastating Barcelona rout Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a one-sided Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.
Hansi Flick’s Barca are a step away from reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2019 and extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches.
The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double
Teenager Lamine Yamal was an unstoppable force throughout and deftly prodded home Barcelona’s fourth as Dortmund collapsed.
Barca, who last lifted the trophy in 2015 are aiming to seal a final four clash against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich when they visit Germany next Tuesday.
“I think we played very well but we have one more game to go... we always want to play our football and we want to play it there and we will win,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
Flick warned his team that the job was not done yet.
“You never know what will happen, football is a crazy sport, we have to play like today,” he said.
The coach selected his typical side, with only one decision to make — he opted for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in attacking midfield to support the dynamic forward trio.
La Liga leaders Barcelona seized control from the start, opening the scoring after 25 minutes.
Lopez whipped a free-kick to the back post, with Inigo Martinez nodding the ball toward Pau Cubarsi, who turned it toward goal.
The young defender’s effort beat Gregor Kobel and was heading over the line before the tournament’s top scorer Raphinha slid in to make sure, claiming his 12th goal.
The Brazilian winger faced a nervous wait while VAR worked to confirm his strike was onside.
“I was worried on the first goal if I was offside, it’s good that it was valid,” said Raphinha.
“I touched the ball before the line and I apologized to Cubarsi, he told me not to worry, he would count it as an assist.”
Serhou Guirassy spurned a couple of big chances for the visitors to level before the break.
With Dortmund’s first slick attacking move of the game, the forward, who has 10 goals in the competition, was played in but snatched badly at a bouncing ball with just Wojciech Szczesny to beat.
Unsurprisingly Niko Kovac’s Dortmund came to regret Guirassy’s misses, with Lewandowski netting his 10th of the tournament early in the second half.
Yamal clipped a cross to Raphinha, who looped a header over to Lewandowski at the far post to nod home from virtually under the crossbar three minutes after the interval.
Lopez struck the post and lashed inches over as Barcelona searched for a third to kill the tie off. It arrived after 66 minutes, with Lopez teeing up Lewandowski to drill home at the near post.
This was the former Dortmund striker’s 29th goal in 28 matches against his old club, and his 99th in a Barcelona shirt since joining in 2022.
“I am very happy, 99 goals for the club,” added Lewandowski.
“In my head I always have not just winning, but helping the team with my qualities, goals.
“I think strikers always have to think about goals.”
Yamal, who had toyed with Dortmund’s defense all night, deservedly got on the scoresheet as the visitors left themselves wide open and Raphinha sent the youngster through on goal.
The only worry for Barca was Yamal asking to be replaced in the final stages, although he was smiling as he was afforded an ovation.
“He’s fine, he had played too many minutes (lately),” explained Flick.
Barca are aiming for a potential quadruple this season and on this evidence, they will take some stopping.
Dortmund were left licking their wounds.
“We weren’t cohesive enough, and what’s more, we made simple mistakes — at this level they are punished harshly,” Dortmund’s Emre Can told DAZN.
“I think we can do better, even if (the Barca attackers) are so good, I know that.”
Kvaratskhelia’s wonder goal helps PSG beat Aston Villa 3-1 in 1st leg of CL quarterfinals
- Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front four minutes after the break and left back Nuno Mendes added a third goal in stoppage time with a fine finish of his own
PARIS: A wonder goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia upstaged a brilliant curling shot from teammate Désiré Doué as Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
After Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute, the 19-year-old Doué drew PSG level four minutes later with the 12th goal of his breakthrough season.
Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front four minutes after the break and left back Nuno Mendes added a third goal in stoppage time with a fine finish of his own.
“I think the result reflects the difference between us and them,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, whose side has greater firepower and showed more of a threat going forward. “Our objective is to keep the ball and be aggressive in attack.”
Kvaratskhelia’s was the goal of the night.
He sprinted down the left from just over the halfway line and then mesmerized Villa’s defense in a blizzard of quick feet and superb balance.
Advancing at pace with the ball seemingly glued to his right foot, he then wrong-footed defender Axel Disasi with a sudden change of direction, before rolling the ball onto his left foot in one smooth motion and blasting an unstoppable shot over the head of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
“For a coach like me it’s so great to have a player like him, with his mentality. He scored a brilliant goal,” Luis Enrique said about Kvaratskhelia. “We tried to sign him last summer and it didn’t work out. We signed him (in January) when we didn’t really expect to. He’s got everything to be part of our project.”
The return leg is next Tuesday.
In Wednesday’s other game, five-time champion Barcelona crushed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 with veteran striker Robert Lewandowski scoring twice either side of goals from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
Kvaratskhelia belongs in such elite company.
His goal was exactly the kind of effort that earned the flying Georgia winger the nickname ” Kvaradona ” when he was playing for Napoli, in reference to soccer maestro Diego Maradona — the Italian club’s greatest ever player — and prompted PSG coach Luis Enrique to spend 70 million euros (then $72 million) on him in the winter transfer window.
Shortly after Kvaratskhelia’s goal, Martinez made a great save low to his right against Achraf Hakimi’s powerful shot as PSG poured forward looking for a third goal.
Villa was at this stage of the competition for the first time since 1983 and dealt well with early pressure before taking the lead with a well-worked goal.
Bustling captain John McGinn won the ball in midfield and advanced before picking out Marcus Rashford, the forward who scored a stoppage-time winner here for Manchester United six years ago. Rashford fed Youri Tielemans overlapping down the left and he pinged a cross to the back post where Rogers was left unmarked to tap in.
The lead was brief as Doué picked up the ball on the left of the penalty area, skipped past two players and curled the ball into the top right corner.
“He’s got everything he needs to become a great player,” Luis Enrique said. “He really doesn’t need much space to dribble.”
Martinez played long balls early on to test PSG’s defense, but he was soon called into action with a flying save from Dembélé’s angled strike in the eighth minute.
He couldn’t do much about the goals that beat him, however, with Nuno Mendes showing a forward’s touch when he latched onto Dembélé’s pass, cut inside a defender and deftly guided the ball in.
“We’ve watched their last few games and know how deadly and sharp they’ve been,” Rogers said. “They’ve put the world on notice now.”
But Villa coach Unai Emery believes he can still eliminate the club he coached from 2016-18.
“I believe we will win next week,” he said. “Villa Park is our home.”
Arsenal stun Real Madrid as Rice delivers free-kick masterclass
- Incredibly, Rice had never scored a free-kick in his career before the first of his missiles hit the back of the Real net
LONDON: Arsenal stormed to a stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid as Declan Rice’s free-kick masterclass left the Gunners within touching distance of a place in the semifinals.
Rice scored two majestic free-kicks in the second half of the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Merino added Arsenal’s third goal before Real’s Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for kicking the ball away in the closing minutes to leave the Spanish giants in disarray.
The brilliance of Rice’s brace cannot be understated, with even Real keeper Thibaut Courtois — usually so inspired on Champions League nights — unable to get anywhere near the England midfielder’s thunderbolts.
Incredibly, Rice had never scored a free-kick in his career before the first of his missiles hit the back of the Real net.
It was no more than Arsenal deserved for a mature performance that exposed injury-hit Real in ruthless style.
Mikel Arteta’s men will travel to the Bernabeu for the second leg on April 16 as firm favorites to advance to a semifinal tie against Paris Saint-Germain or Aston Villa, who meet in their quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.
The Gunners have not reached the Champions League semifinals since 2009, but that target is now within their grasp after an evening that will go down as one of the most memorable in the club’s storied history.
Arteta had labelled the clash with Real as the “biggest night” of his career as he urged his players to write their own history by winning Arsenal’s first Champions League crown.
They rose to the challenge so successfully that even Arteta might have been surprised.
Arsenal trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by 11 points and look destined to finish as runners-up for a third successive season.
But the Champions League now offers Arteta genuine hope of a first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, providing they can finish the job in Madrid next week.
Beaten by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals last season, Arsenal’s only Champions League final appearance ended in defeat against Barcelona in 2006 — a run that included a last 16 victory over Real.
For Real, it was a chastening defeat as the 15-time European champions were punished for the flaws that had already seen them beaten 10 times in all competitions this term as they lag four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Jude Bellingham was largely anonymous and Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior posed only sporadic threats after a promising start.
Vinicius Junior threatened in the opening stages, curling wide after Mbappe picked him out inside the Arsenal area.
Mbappe’s electric pace took him clear of the Arsenal defense in another lightning raid, but the France star shot straight at David Raya.
Arsenal showed no signs of being cowed by Real’s star-studded attack and Rice’s towering header from Jurrien Timber’s cross forced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois, who scrambed across to keep out Gabriel Martinelli’s effort from the rebound.
Mbappe lashed into the side-netting from an acute angle, but Real were unable to match Arsenal’s intensity in the second half and the Gunners deservedly took the lead in the 58th minute.
Rice stepped up 25 yards from goal and whipped a sublime free-kick around the Real wall and into the far corner.
It was a stunning strike that even former Real defender and set-piece maestro Roberto Carlos, watching from the Emirates stands, would have been proud of.
Arsenal almost struck again in a remarkable sequence that saw Courtois save Martinelli’s blast before Merino’s shot from the rebound was hacked off the line by David Alaba and Courtois again denied Merino.
Real were on the ropes and Rice landed another devastating blow in the 70th minute, lashing an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner from 20 yards as Courtois grasped at thin air.
As the ecstatic Arsenal fans roared “Declan Rice, we got him half praise,” that reference to his £105 million fee didn’t seem like hyperbole for once.
Arsenal weren’t finished yet and Merino put Arsenal in dreamland five minutes later with a clinical finish from 12 yards as the Emirates turned into a roiling red sea of celebration.
Late Frattesi strike gives Inter edge over Bayern in Champions League
- The late goal consigned Bayern to their first home defeat in the Champions League since 2021, a run of 22 matches
MUNICH, Germany: An 88th-minute Davide Frattesi goal took Inter Milan to a 2-1 win at Bayern Munich on Tuesday, giving the Italians the edge after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Undermanned Bayern, nursing a bulging casualty ward, set the tone in the first half-hour, with Michael Olize and Harry Kane narrowly failing to break through.
Inter opened the scoring on the 38-minute mark when Marcus Thuram’s clever back-heel found Lautaro Martinez who blasted home.
The Italians maintained control until Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, days after announcing a summer departure after 25 years at the club, scored the equalizer with a typical poacher’s finish with five minutes remaining.
Not content to be spectators to a Bayern fairytale ending, Inter broke on the counter just three minutes later, with Carlos Augusto finding Frattesi, who scored Inter’s second.
Inter, defeated in the final by Manchester City two seasons ago, have their noses in front in their bid to make the last four of the competition.
The late goal consigned Bayern to their first home defeat in the Champions League since 2021, a run of 22 matches.
Semi-finalists last season, Bayern’s preparation for the game was hampered by an injury crisis. The German giants were particularly hard hit in defense, with England veteran Eric Dier and Kim Min-jae the only two fit center-backs.
Inter had their own injury woes in the rematch of the 2010 Champions League final but welcomed the news that Alessandro Bastoni, subbed off at halftime in Serie A on Saturday, was fit to start.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany replaced the injured Jamal Musiala by moving left-back Raphael Guerreiro to the number 10 position behind Kane, leaving veteran Mueller on the bench.
The hosts dominated the opening half hour, with Olize carving up the Inter defense at pace, but without finding the breakthrough.
Olize flashed just wide with seven minutes gone, hit a shot straight at Yann Sommer on the quarter-hour mark and found Kane to head at the ‘keeper shortly after.
The English-born France international dribbled through Inter’s defense to create Bayern’s best chance of the opening half, finding an unmarked Kane but the England captain hit his effort against the far post.
Inter’s forays into Bayern territory were brief but their confidence grew.
The Italians were ahead shortly before half-time, Thuram backheeled blind to Martinez who blasted into the top of the net.
Once ahead, Inter found the control which had eluded them earlier, managing the tempo and the tone of the match.
With 56 minutes gone, Bayern’s rookie goalkeeper Jonas Urbig kept Martinez out with a superb reflex save at the near post.
Kompany brought Mueller on with 15 minutes remaining and the Bayern veteran seemed to have given the match a fairytale ending in typical fashion, catching the Inter defense napping to tap in at the far post.
The goal was just the third Inter have conceded in 11 games in Europe this season.
Three minutes later however, Inter broke on the counter, Augusto finding Frattesi to guide home.
Australia in ‘limbo’ without permanent coach as Asian Cup looms
- The World Cup semifinalists have been coached by interim boss Tom Sermanni since September as Football Australia continues its search for a long-term replacement
MELBOURNE: Australia remain without a permanent coach less than a year before hosting the Women’s Asian Cup, leaving players frustrated with a team in “limbo.”
The World Cup semifinalists have been coached by interim boss Tom Sermanni since September as Football Australia continues its search for a long-term replacement.
Steph Catley, who captained the Matildas to a 2-0 win over South Korea in Newcastle on Monday, praised Sermanni for creating an “amazing culture” at the team.
But she said the uncertainty over his successor made it hard for them to build for the Asian Cup next March.
“We’ve got a year to build — well, less than a year now, but that’s what it’s about,” Catley told reporters.
“It’s hard as a playing group when you’re in limbo a little bit.
“You haven’t got clear direction in how we’re going to play moving forward.”
Joe Montemurro, the head coach of French women’s powerhouse Lyon, is linked with the role and confirmed to Australian media last week he had been in discussions with Football Australia.
Catley, who was coached by the Australian at Melbourne City and English club Arsenal, said she had “no idea” about it.
“He’s obviously in a role right now so I don’t really know how that works,” she said.
“He’s a great coach. I’ve had him a couple of times and he’s doing well over there at Lyon (but) I’m not picking the coach.
“We’ll wait and see and hopefully it gets done sooner rather than later.”
