Champions League

With another hat trick against Chelsea to put Real Madrid ahead 3-1 on aggregate after the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal series, Benzema ...

Real Madrid Real Madrid Atletico Madrid Atletico Madrid Nov. 2 vs. Nov. 2 vs. Apr. 6 vs. Game 3 La Liga: Benzema has 24 goals and 11 assists in La Liga play alone, leading the league in both categories. Not only is he scoring goals in bunches, he's also assisting chances for teammates, racking up double-digit assist totals as well. But luckily for the Galacticos, they had claimed a 3-1 first-leg win and advanced 6-5 on aggregate. He also has 13 goals in his last seven games across all competitions.

While Madrid's talisman scored a second straight UCL hat trick, Chelsea's main striker started on the bench and failed to impress after coming on.

Tuchel described creating that match-up with his 3-5-2 line-up as "my mistake" and even took the unusual step of turning down an easy opportunity to talk up the prospect of a second-leg revival. And in Lukaku's defence, none of Tuchel substitutions worked particularly well. The awkward truth for Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel is that it was Karim Benzema, a 34-year-old somehow improving with age, turning this Champions League quarterfinal tie perhaps irrevocably in Real Madrid's favour in Wednesday's 3-1 win. Lukaku was signed as the one-man solution but the problem remains. But the individual decisions today were far from our level of standards." "It was very important," said Tuchel of Lukaku's miss.

Some of the brighter recent names to have worn the Spanish royal crown on their uniform: Cristiano Ronaldo. Zinedine Zidane. Sergio Ramos. Gareth Bale. Iker ...

Real Madrid is known for having stellar talent in the clutch. In case it wasn’t clear, Benzema is on an all-time tear. I don’t know; how about yet another unstoppable hat trick for one of the world’s premier strikers? Real Madrid is used to playing meaningful international games in the spring. To finish it past the goalkeeper. They’re also routinely stacked with some of the world’s finest stars.

Holders Chelsea saw off Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals last season. Thomas Tuchel's men are looking for a repeat performance against the ...

— — — — — — Rudiger joins him in Clement Turpin's book for a cynical foul on Valverde. There's a joke about masks to be made there, but I'll leave you to join the dots. It's a dreadful effort in any circumstances but given the scoreline and how Benzema put Madrid in the ascendency, it really is a horror miss. Right-back Carvajal is up in the opposition penalty area, something that persuades Rudiger to toe the ball towards his own goal. Benzema continued his phenomenal recent form to leave Chelsea on the ropes and battered, but Havertz hit back. To continue a theme, there's a wonderful cross and a fine header. Benzema steals in to roll the ball into an unguarded net and make it back-to-back Champions League hat-tricks.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Villarreal are one step closer to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Liverpool defeated Benfica 3-1 and...

Yet it felt like just a matter of time before Benzema would score again, and he did one minute into the second half. He also skyrocketed himself into the top three on the Champions League goals leaderboard and just missed a first-half hat trick with an open look at a potential third. Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz were the ones to find the back of the net in the impressive showing. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/647s2zqN4U Villarreal take the early lead over Bayern 😲

(via @CBSSportsGolazo)pic.twitter.com/eBcAlaqiKP Clinical from Kevin De Bruyne on his 50th #UCL appearance. BACK TO BACK #UCL HAT-TRICKS FOR KARIM BENZEMA, HE GETS A GIFT. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/2a0g1b0we7 Karim Benzema. Two perfect headers in three minutes.

Ridiculous 🤯

(via @TUDNUSA)pic.twitter.com/xrPNHh3W64 Diaz in particular shined with an assist on the Mane goal and his own insurance goal in the 87th minute. Salah is the one in the top five for goals for Liverpool, but they used more of a balanced attack to create a two-goal lead over Benfica in Tuesday's matchup. Liverpool defeated Benfica 3-1 and Manchester City defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal ties on Tuesday, while Real Madrid defeated Chelsea 3-1 and Villarreal defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in their first legs on Wednesday. While much of the attention is on the results as the eight remaining teams battle for the title, there was also a shakeup when it came to the top scorers in Champions League play thus far with Karim Benzema scoring a hat trick for Real Madrid.

VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Villarreal pulled off another surprising Champions League result, this time against sixth-time champion Bayern Munich to boost its ...

The team is playing in the quarterfinals for a record 20th time. Liverpool won the first leg in Lisbon 3-1. First with a low shot from outside the area that hit the post in the 53rd, and 10 minutes later after intercepting a bad pass by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer near midfield and missing his long-range shot into the open net. It was Danjuma’s sixth goal in nine Champions League appearances this season, and seventh in 11 career games in the competition. Villarreal looked in control from the start and Bayern struggled to create significant scoring chances. Villarreal stunned Juventus 3-0 in Italy after a 1-1 draw at home in the last 16.

Team news and form guides for Benfica v Liverpool, City v Atlético, Villarreal v Bayern and Chelsea v Real Madrid.

They did the double over Villarreal when they last met in the Champions League a decade ago, and will be confident of repeating that feat over the next week. As for Bayern, they booked their place in the last eight by beating RB Salzburg 8-2 on aggregate, with seven of those goals coming in the second leg. They have only won one home game in the Champions League , when they beat Young Boys in the group stage, yet are in the last eight. They have now been beaten in three of their last five games in all competitions, dropping down to seventh in La Liga, but they did pull off an impressive 3-0 win at Juventus to book their spot in the quarter-finals. City eased into the quarter-finals with a 5-0 aggregate win over Sporting CP in the last 16. Benfica’s defeat over the weekend was away, but their home form has not been great either – they have only won three of their last seven matches at Estádio Da Luz. However, they have already upset the odds in the Champions League this season, reaching the quarter-finals by beating Ajax 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16.

Here's where things stand in the Champions League as the quarterfinal round begins.

Benfica is likely to bow out against Liverpool in the quarterfinal round. Bayern has a relatively light draw with Villarreal in the quarterfinal, so these odds are likely to improve after this round. This team can defend, which makes its matchup against Chelsea in the quarterfinal round intriguing. Liverpool has been great in the UCL arena under Jurgen Klopp, making back-to-back finals in 2017-18 and 2018-19. These Premier League rivals have gone back and forth in recent seasons to assert their dominance on the sport. The UEFA Champions League has moved into the quarterfinal round, with Benfica-Liverpool and Manchester City-Atletico Madrid kicking things off Tuesday, April 5.

Champions Al Hilal will begin the defence of their Asian Champions League title against Sharjah in Riyadh on Friday but it is the showdown with ...

But Al Hilal will still go into the group phase as favourites to be one of the eight teams from the west of the continent to advance into the last 16. The winners of the five groups and the three best runners-up will advance to the next phase. Al Hilal and Istiklol, who will feature in Group A alongside Qatar's Al Rayyan and Sharjah from the United Arab Emirates, are due to meet in the first of two encounters on April 15 but the landscape has changed in the year since their last clash.

The Champions League bracket from here on out is balanced and rich with intrigue, but which power is most likely to lift the trophy in Paris?

Benfica squeezed past Ajax in an entertaining round-of-16 matchup and survived a group with Bayern (despite being destroyed on two occasions by the German giants). And while it would have preferred Villarreal or maybe even Atlético, Benfica will have to face one of the most in-form teams in the world. Without that win over Manchester United, Villarreal would have never found itself in the Champions League this season, let alone in the quarterfinals after upsetting Juventus. Its trip to Turin last month was more than just an upset—it was a stunning show of force. The one thing Villarreal has going for it is a raucous home crowd from the get-go, and an early goal would go a long way on multiple fronts. And after leading Atlético to his second La Liga title, Simeone will surely go all in on taking down the giants of the European stage in search of the club’s first Champions League title. And in a tie that should be very close (and very entertaining), a lockdown defense is usually what provides the difference. After a nail-biting last-16 tie with Manchester United, Atlético must now head to the more formidable Manchester side in Guardiola’s City, where it definitely cannot look ahead to meeting Chelsea/Real in the semifinal and then potentially Liverpool or Bayern Munich. But is it out of the question? First up is its quarterfinal against a Real Madrid side that turned the tables on PSG in the final half-hour of the tie. Last season in the semifinal, Chelsea used the second leg at home to its advantage with a 2–0 (3–1 agg. Bayern is coming off consecutive four-goal performances in the Bundesliga and has its eyes set on a 10th straight league title, given its nine-point lead atop the table with eight games to go. The journey is difficult with Atlético potentially followed by a semifinal against Real Madrid or Chelsea. And if it gets past them, then Liverpool and Bayern could await in the final. It would be easy to get caught looking ahead to a potential showdown with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the semifinals, but this Bayern team is too experienced and balanced, especially in his high-octane attack. Yet they could both be caught looking ahead at the other in a mouthwatering semifinal that is sure to entertain.

Atlético head to the blue side of Manchester having scored nine goals in eight Champions League matches, and given the un-Simeonean defensive record they've had ...

Ten of Unai Emery’s players have scored non-penalty goals in this season’s Champions League. That’s tied with Manchester City and Chelsea for the most in the competition. Chelsea don’t concede at home in the Champions League, Real Madrid hardly concede away in the Champions League. The rematch of last season’s semi-final might be the most likely 0-0 of the week. Klopp’s players are going to attack in Estádio da Luz, and they’re going to have plenty of the ball. Perhaps that’s what Benfica want: They’re one of two remaining teams to score two goals from fast breaks in the competition. To bring this back around to that 35.7 number at the top, Atléti’s sequences started an average of 34.9 metres from goal away to Liverpool, and their 0.25 xG was their lowest in eight UCL matches. Only 23% of their shots are coming from outside the box, which is the lowest of all 32 UCL teams: To put that in context, the best PPDA for the competition is Ajax’s 7.4 mark spanning eight matches. An even goal difference has gotten them here (nine goals scored and conceded), and an optimist may tell you all it really takes is an even goal difference to keep going at this stage of the competition. Atlético head to the blue side of Manchester having scored nine goals in eight Champions League matches, and given the un-Simeonean defensive record they’ve had in Spain this season, it’s remarkable that’s been enough for this Atlético side to remain in the competition. They were outmatched in the group stage at Anfield, a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in which Jürgen Klopp’s side had a 3.22-0.25 xG advantage. Those are your last eight in the 2021-22 Champions League. No Italian teams, just like the World Cup. Here are the predictions, rankings and a few deeper numbers to consider for the first legs of each tie. City average 5.17 passes per sequence, Atlético are at 2.85. That’s the longwinded way of saying this tie likely has the most contrast in styles among the quarter-finals:

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each changed their surroundings for this season, but the outcome was the same. For the second successive season, ...

Bayern hammered Barcelona 8-2 and saw off Lyon 3-0 in the semis, with Lewandowski scoring a goal in each game. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each changed their surroundings for this season, but the outcome was the same. Still, there was the all-too-familiar image of Messi trudging off ashen-faced after PSG collapsed against his old foes Real Madrid in this season’s round of 16.

Two Major League Soccer teams face off this week in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, as the Seattle Sounders host New York City FC at Lumen Field ...

We’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, Caesars Sportsbook and BetRivers. FuboTV is an over-the-top internet live TV streaming service that offers more than 100 channels, like NFL Network, NBA TV, PAC 12 Networks and news, entertainment and local channels. It’s one of two semifinals, leg 1 CONCACAF Champions League matches scheduled for this week (full schedule below). NYCFC and Seattle have not met since 2019, when New York won 3-0. NYCFC barely slid into the semifinal round. The match starts at 10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1 and TUDN (in Spanish). It can be streamed live on fuboTV, Sling and other streaming services.

1. Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid: Guardiola sticks to the formula. Featured Game | Manchester City vs. Atlético Madrid. Powered by Caesars Sportsbook.

Carlo Ancelotti will need no reminding of what Barcelona did to his side in the second half of El Clasico. Or what Paris Saint-Germain might have done more of in the second leg of their round of 16 tie. Not since their second matchday -- when they beat the rabble that was passing for a Barcelona side at the time -- have they kept an opponent to a half-dozen shots in the penalty area. In victories over Freiburg and Union Berlin, Nagelsmann has reverted back to more classic formations, whether a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, it places enormous strain on Joshua Kimmich and the hope for Villarreal might be that Bayern's No. 6 and Leon Goretzka are struggling with injury. Rapid transitions looked like they could unsettle the Bavarians; they still might, though it is hard to imagine Emery's team being so assertive in the first leg of a Champions League tie. Indeed, even including that famous 3-0 victory in Turin, Unai Emery's side have registered just nine shots on target in their last four games and are seemingly struggling to establish themselves as an attacking force even with Gerard Moreno back in the side. The Greek international has been the hero of Benfica's run and has a case for under-the-radar star of the tournament. For the most part, what City have proven themselves to be is a team capable of dealing with the pressure that is being exerted on them. Ajax had 11 in the Johan Cruyff Arena and it is fair to assume that if Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino get the sort of unmarked headers that Erik ten Hag's side will have they might force Odysseas Vlachodimos to make a save. In the round of 16, Nelson Verissimo's side slowed the Ajax juggernaut to an extent, though winning their second leg 1-0 still necessitated a great display of wayward shooting by Antony and company. He himself acknowledged that the time between winning the league title and the Champions League final gave him time to think. At the moment, there simply is not time for City to stop and think, to give over time on the training ground for varying up the formula. Similarly, the title race has come to be framed as a 14-point lead frittered away by the holders since the turn of the year, with precious few noting that that advantage existed for only one day when City had played two more games than Liverpool.

Can Pep Guardiola curb his overthinking to advance in his quest for an ever elusive Man City Champions League tile.

Manchester City: While City has close to a clean bill of health, Kyle Walker is suspended for the tie while Ruben Dias is still injured. This tournament has been a team effort for Atletico Madrid as they've struggled to score while being their typical stingy defensive selves, scoring and conceding nine goals in the competition thus far. In contrast to a Diego Simeone side that you typically know what you get, Guardiola needs to ensure that his team doesn't tactically self-sabotage as home favorites.

Hello, and welcome to The Athletic's coverage of tonight's Champions League quarter-finals. Liverpool travel to Benfica in a potentially awkward tie, ...

Jose Maria Gimenez has not travelled to Manchester with the Atletico squad. Jurgen Klopp's side have failed to reach the semi-finals since winning the trophy in 2018-19. Benfica's Rodrigo Pinho and Lucas Verissimo are injured, but Swiss international Haris Seferovic is fit.

Liverpool's quest for Champions League glory heads to Portugal on Tuesday night where Benfica await. Who will take the advantage in this quarter-final first ...

For the Champions League, you may wish to choose 'USA' for Paramount+. You can add BT Sport to your package for only £15 a month (plus a £20 joining fee). Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Benfica vs Liverpool live stream rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. Fetch TV, Apple TV, Android TV, most smart TVs, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast also carry the app for smart TV viewing. To begin with, there's a Stan 30-day free trial. Simply use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked. Those on Virgin Media will need the Virgin V6 box and a 4K TV to make sure they're getting the action at maximum resolution. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted. Can the Reds bring their scintillating Premier League form with them to the Portuguese capital? Jurgen Klopp's relentless Liverpool will present by far their toughest challenge yet, but much-admired Uruguayan striker Darwin Núñez could cause problems for them and will be looking to make an impression in the biggest game of his career so far. It's an 8pm GMT kick-off at the Estádio da Luz on Tuesday 5th April 2022. Who will take the advantage in this quarter-final first leg?

The current rules on yellow cards mean that two Liverpool stars are just one yellow away from missing the second leg of the Reds Champions League tie with ...

Benfica have more to worry about than the Reds though, with SEVEN of their players at risk of missing the second leg. Both Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota risk missing the Anfield leg of the tie if they receive yellow cards in tonight's game. The current rules on yellow cards mean that two Liverpool stars are just one yellow away from missing the second leg of the Reds Champions League tie with Benfica.

Jon Eimer has locked in his UEFA Champions League best bets for Benfica vs. Liverpool on Paramount+.

The Eagles are coming off of a disappointing loss in their last league match against SC Braga, but received goals from Darwin Nunez and Joao Mario in the 3-2 loss. A similar tale could be told for Liverpool, which is never in short supply of offense. Benfica picks from soccer insider Jon Eimer. He is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Nunez now has four goals in his last six appearances and has been supported by Goncalo Ramos, who has scored three times during that stretch. A draw is priced at +390 and the over-under is 2.5 goals. The Eagles will get another crack starting on Tuesday when they host Liverpool in the first leg of their 2022 Champions League quarterfinal series.

Man City is hoping this season is the one the Citizens finally reach the promised land, but there's a long way to go, and a quarterfinal date with Atletico ...

Couple that with Atletico Madrid's defensive style — Atleti only conceded eight corners against Man United across both Champions League Round of 16 legs despite conceding much of possession — and it's hard to see Man City getting five or more corners in a half in this match. Even in a 5-0 blowout of Sporting CP, the team managed six corners, while it picked up seven in the home leg, a 0-0 draw. City has been one of the best sides in Europe the past three to five years, but has zero Champions League titles to show for it. Up against the Citizens is Atletico Madrid, which sits third in the La Liga table, well behind runaway leaders Real Madrid but on a great run of league form. While Man City averages 7 corners a game this season across all competitions, the Champions League is a different story. While that will give City reason to worry about Atletico Madrid's fantastic finishing abilities, it also suggests that against a better side, the goals could dry up.

The Rush: Kansas stuns UNC in epic Championship game comeback. The Kansas Jayhawks beat the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 in the NCAA Men's Championship ...

Of the final eight clubs remaining in the UCL, the defending English and Spanish champions square off in the first of two matches on Tuesday.

Atletico Madrid (First Leg) Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals: First Leg (4/5/22) After taking Group A by one point with a 4-2-0 record, they defeated Sporting CP in the first leg of their Round of 16 matchup, and played to a scoreless draw in the second to move onto their fifth-straight UCL Quarterfinal appearance.Atletico is also familiar with heartbreak in the Champions League. After winning their first La Liga title in seven years, Madrid is back in the final eight for just the second time since bowing out in the semifinals in 2017. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)APWith the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals kicking off this week, two of the best clubs in Europe, both defending champions in their respective countries, will do battle in the first of two contests, as Manchester City hosts Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Currently, Manchester City is in a heated race for another English Premier League crown, after winning their third title in four years in 2020-21. Atletico finished with just seven points during group play action, finishing second to Liverpool in Group B. Yet, they were able to take down Manchester United in the Round of 16 by an aggregate score of 2-1.Believe it or not, despite the two clubs’ long histories, this will be the first time the two have ever met on the pitch.Who: Manchester City FC vs. MichiganChevron that denotes content that can open up.

Man City vs. Atletico Madrid updates. 20 minutes to kickoff: There's rarely such consternation over a Simeone line-up, even allowing for Cholo's fairly recent switch from his trusty compact 4 ...

50 minutes to kickoff: As is often the case with a Guardiola XI, who plays where is the big question. 1 hour 40 mins to kickoff: It's that time of year again where all eyes will be on whether Pep Guardiola has a tactical brainwave for a major Champions League game. Some of the scrutiny around Guardiola's tactical calls is a little imbalanced. Paramount+ will also stream the match. 1 hour to kickoff: So, are those "stupid tactics" to quote the man himself? The teams are going through their warm-ups amid a steady stream of Manchester drizzle. 5 minutes to kickoff: The atmosphere in here is ramping up nicely as kick-off approaches. The teamsheets are under half an hour away... As Guardiola would say - and this was kind of his very sarcastic point yesterday - we'll only really know once we see how it all shakes out. You know exactly what you’re going to get from Atletico and Simeone’s players are rigorously familiar with what their coach requires. 2nd minute - City have lined up with Cancelo at right-back, Ake and left-back and Stones and Laporte at centre-back. It was 3-2 midway through the first half, which sounds great but my fingers might fall off if anything like that goes down again.

Manchester City welcome La Liga champions Atletico Madrid to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night for the first of their two-legged UEFA Champions League ...

Prior to kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone have confirmed their respective starting XI's to go head-to-head in some Champions League action under the lights! With Chelsea or Real Madrid awaiting the winner of Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid in the semi-final, it is set to be a fiercely contested tie over the course of two-legs, with the return leg at the Wanda Metropolitano scheduled for next week. However, attentions now quickly turn to the Champions League, and the quarter-final stage with Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid side in town on Tuesday night to try and cause another upset in the competition.

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has reflected on the Blues' Champions League triumph in Porto over Manchester City last season.

"After some time I was back again to the final where I had some of the worst news of my life, which was tuberculosis, since I was in Porto. I didn't play for some time." "It was difficult, it was hard because a year earlier I had lost the final against Bayern (Munich) in Lisbon," he admitted. Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea lifted the competition for the second time in their history.

The Reds face Benfica in their opener while City host Atletico Madrid. On Wednesday, it will be Chelsea hosting Real Madrid in a rematch of last season's ...

Man of the Match pick: Robert Lewandowski. His European record is just unbelievable. While it will be a tight affair, Benzema will pull Real Madrid across the line in victory. While I see Chelsea scoring in the match, he'll keep Real in a match that they likely shouldn't walk away with a victory from. Benzema also has a chance at the golden boot if Real Madrid are to advance in the competition sitting on eight goals in the competition. Most likely to score a goal: Karim Benzema. Although it's an away match, I find it hard to bet against Benzema performing on the big stage, especially after his hat trick with everything on the line against a star-studded PSG side. It's hard to look at this matchup and come away with the expectation that anyone will have a larger say in how things will go than Benzema. With eight goals already in Champions League play, Benzema has been instrumental in Real's performance. Heavy City possession leads to a ton of chances, but a lone goal is enough as they combat Atleti's pressure with crisp passing. If they can keep the ball on the ground and be smart in their distribution, they can limit the chances and get a key clean sheet. The Uruguayan is a tank at the back, but he will have to be super cautious when going up against a tricky and speedy Foden, knowing that one wrong challenge can dig a huge hole. Man of the Match pick: Thiago Alcantara has the technical ability to dominate and dictate this sort of contest and he will be one of the main dangers Benfica seek to neutralize. Given that the Egyptian is under a little scrutiny of late, this could be the sort of game where he makes the difference as a reminder of his quality. Adding to the stakes is the fact that Otamendi is a booking away from second-leg suspension so will be walking a tightrope from the off.

The Champions League format consists of the preliminary round in late June followed by three qualifying rounds and a playoff round. Then six teams advance to ...

Then six teams advance to the group stage and join 26 other teams qualified in advance. In 1992, the competition adopted its current name. The winner was crowned the European club champion.

Can Pep Guardiola curb his overthinking to advance in his quest for an ever elusive Man City Champions League tile.

Manchester City: While City has close to a clean bill of health, Kyle Walker is suspended for the tie while Ruben Dias is still injured. This tournament has been a team effort for Atletico Madrid as they've struggled to score while being their typical stingy defensive selves, scoring and conceding nine goals in the competition thus far. In contrast to a Diego Simeone side that you typically know what you get, Guardiola needs to ensure that his team doesn't tactically self-sabotage as home favorites.

The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League has produced several memorable nights, with so many great individual performances and the first leg of the quarter-finals ...

It turned out to be a stroke of genius from the Spaniard. A mere 79 seconds after stepping onto the pitch, Foden took the game by the horns when he ventured forward in attack on a probing run. Overall, it was a stellar performance from Diaz, whose rampaging runs down the left wing unbalanced Benfica’s defenders and forced them into making a series of mistakes. But for all their domination, the Blues couldn’t find a way to unlock the Spaniard’s defence - at times, it looked like manager Diego Simeone set his team up in a 5-5-0 formation just to frustrate the reigning Premier League champions. A mere 50 seconds into the second half he completed his hat trick, pouncing on an error from Mendy to stunt any chance of a Chelsea comeback. Benzema, 34, now has 37 goals in all competitions in 2021-22 for the Spanish club, and he joined an elite group - alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski - as the only men to score more than 80 career goals in the Champions League. It could have been far worse for the Bavarians if not for Davies, who made a spectacular recovery run to snuff out a clear scoring chance by Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno with a timely block.

Karim Benzema's second consecutive hat-trick bumps up his total although he's still some way behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Cristiano became the first player to reach 100 Champions League goals in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Bayern in April 2017. By the time of what would be his final season in Europe, Raúl’s Champions League tally stood at 71 goals and his record was still intact. After his heroics against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the round of 16 clash, Karim Benzema was at it again at the double...or should I say, treble.

Liverpool are looking to extend their incredible recent run of form as they head to Portugal to face Benfica in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

As Europe's best clubs compete to advance to the final four of the 2021-22 Champions League, we look at how the semifinal matchups are determined in the ...

— — — — — —

Ahead of a potential title-deciding clash in the Premier League, Man City and Liverpool did little to dispute the notion that a Champions League final matchup ...

It was another night that highlighted the quality of the Premier League’s top two—and there could be quite a few more to come, both domestically against each other in England and on the road to Paris, where their burgeoning rivalry could reach its climax. It was a triple substitution from Guardiola that led to the deadlock being broken, as Foden had been on the pitch for less than two minutes when he slid a pass through for Kevin De Bruyne to score with 20 minutes remaining. There was no particularly odd pick here, the only slightly surprising selections being the preference for Bernardo Silva over Phil Foden as the false nine and Nathan Ake being deployed at left back with João Cancelo on the right in the absence of the suspended Kyle Walker.

37 min: A speculative effort from Everton is easily held by Alisson. Benfica will need something here because a two-goal deficit, or worse, ...

Luis Diaz was the last player Benfica supporters inside the atmospheric Estádio da Luz wanted to see race onto a through-ball and produce an emphatic finish ...

"Coming here and winning an away game in the Champions League is tough," Klopp said. Benfica, playing in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016 after eliminating Ajax in the last 16, could easily have been further behind by halftime as Liverpool pressed high and was much sharper with its passing. That built on Liverpool's opener scored by Ibrahima Konaté - the center back's first for the club - off an outswinging corner from Robertson in the 17th minute.

Villarreal also host Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals; Chelsea continue their Champions League title defence against Real Madrid; ...

"It is a team which has been playing four or five years together so I think they have the momentum and know each other very well. It's for the players, the difference will be there." "When you play for Benfica you know every game is important. It was very untypical and killed the game for us," Blues boss Thomas Tuchel said after the game. I'm not going to judge what they do, I'll analyse what to do to get a good result to go to Madrid next week. So now we are here, let's try to get the most [out] of it."

The stakes are rising as the 2021-22 Champions League whittles down to the final four clubs of the competition, with three English and three Spanish sides ...

TBD TBD vs. Villarreal/Bayern Munich vs. Benfica/Liverpool vs. Teams will head straight into a 30-minute extra time session, followed by a penalty-kick shootout if the deadlock persists. The remaining Champions League bracket through to the final follows below.

As the 2022 quarter-finals get underway, questions continue to be asked about the away goals rule that has decided tied games for so long.

So as we get stuck into the latter stages of the tournament, all two-legged ties which end level after the home and away matches have been played will go to extra-time - 15 minutes per half. Introduced in 1965, the away goals rule stated that all goals scored by the visiting team in both home and away legs would count as double if the aggregate score ended level. However, in recent years, teams playing at home would simply focus on avoiding conceding any goals at all - even if it meant putting 10 men behind the ball and defending for 90 minutes.

Between last night's men's national championship in New Orleans, Champions League quarterfinal action today and the Masters and MLB Opening Day coming up later ...

Meanwhile, Utah has fallen off some down the stretch as teams including Dallas and Denver have surged up the standings. If the Bulls want any chance of hosting a first-round playoff series, they desperately need a win tonight. Liverpool has been in pretty much impeccable form since the calendar flipped to 2022, reigniting the club’s Premier League title hopes and opening the door for a run at the Champions League. A tricky trip to Portugal to take on Benfica awaits first, though. • Champions League: Liverpool at Benfica As Sports Illustrated’s Jonathan Wilson wrote when previewing the UCL quarterfinals, Manchester City’s massive budget makes even minor struggles look questionable. March Madness may be over, but this sports week is just getting started.

Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal to give Manchester City a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on ...

"It was a good finish for him and a really important goal for us. The Reds passed the latest test in their bid for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies, with the semifinals now in sight. "The way we played was good because we didn't give anything away," De Bruyne said. It gives us a two-goal cushion, which makes a difference." "It is very hard," De Bruyne said. "We knew it was going to be pretty tough to create some opportunities," De Bruyne said.

With both teams making it past the quarterfinals last year, we'll see which team takes an earlier exit this time around. For updates on this game and more, ...

- Chelsea vs. Craving even more coverage of the world's game? As for Chelsea, they are the reigning Champions League champions after winning last year's final 1-0 against Manchester City.

Chelsea will be without Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi as they host Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge ...

On the Dane's absence, Tuchel revealed that he will be available for Wednesday: "He was out on Saturday (versus Brentford) and this was nothing to do with him personally, it was a tactical decision with a back four and was a matter of characteristic of the players." Hudson-Odoi and Chilwell were not involved in team training at Cobham on Tuesday morning, with the rest of the squad training as normal. Chelsea will be without Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi as they host Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

April 6 – Tickets for the UEFA Women's Champions League final at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on May 21, have gone on sale with Category One tickets priced ...

A total of 180,648 fans attended the eight quarter-final matches. They will face Wolfsburg in the semi-final. They face perennial Champions League winners, at least until last season, Lyon.

Liverpool's charge towards a historic quadruple continued Tuesday as Jurgen Klopp's side ran out a comfortable 3-1 winner away to Benfica in its Champions ...

"Each player in that situation wants to score, and obviously with all the stories around, it's clear that Mo wants to score as well, especially in this moment. "That's all, [it was an] important game for Mo and Sadio tonight. If the game is open, like it was, then you just give a clap and about all the rest, we can speak later. They came through an incredibly tough group and played against one of the most talented teams in Europe with Ajax -- and here they are. However, it wasn't all good news for Liverpool as Mo Salah's recent struggles in front of goal continued. . "We knew in halftime today that it's not done.

Chelsea hosts Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to kick off the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinals, and Pulisic isn't concerned.

He tested positive for covid-19 last week but tested negative on his PCR test Tuesday. It’s now been confirmed that he will fly to England to attend and manage the game from the touchline. They are at the top of the LaLiga standings. Now, they sit in third place on the EPL table.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his side's Champions League quarter-final tie against Benfica “is not closed”, despite winning the ...

It is a cut in the back of his head. If it’s easy then the competition is wrong.” “This tie is not closed,” Klopp said.

Hello and welcome to The Athletic's live coverage of today's football news.The Champions League returned yesterday with Premier League title rivals ...

(Photo: Getty Images) (Photo: Getty Images) •4h ago (Photo: Getty Images) •4h ago (Photo: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals began on Tuesday as two title contenders, Liverpool and Manchester City both took all three points in their ...

2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV 2-0 LIV If they can keep the ball on the ground and be smart in their distribution, they can limit the chances and get a key clean sheet. Man of the Match pick: Thiago Alcantara has the technical ability to dominate and dictate this sort of contest and he will be one of the main dangers Benfica seek to neutralize. Adding to the stakes is the fact that Otamendi is a booking away from second-leg suspension so will be walking a tightrope from the off. It's hard to look at this matchup and come away with the expectation that anyone will have a larger say in how things will go than Benzema. With eight goals already in Champions League play, Benzema has been instrumental in Real's performance.

Villarreal and Bayern Munich face off in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Odds and predictions for Wednesday's affair...

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Villarreal welcomes Bayern Munich to El Madrigal Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET.

On the road as well, it could struggle to break down a Villarreal team that should aim to limit goals rather than keeping up with Bayern's attack. Bayern Munich -190 (bet $190 to win $100) GK Manuel Neuer is among the best in the world. It is led by star F Robert Lewandowski. The 33-year-old has scored 31 goals in 28 appearances this season. It is led by F Gerard Moreno who has scored 8 goals in 15 matches. Bayern Munich odds and lines, and make our best Champions League bets, picks and predictions.

Thomas Tuchel is taking on a modern great in Carlo Ancelotti, but who are the most successful coaches of the Champions League era?

It speaks of Del Bosque’s adaptability and shrewd man-management that the side he took to Hampden Park in 2002 looked somewhat different, with the first Galacticos era in full swing. Guardiola’s failure to win a Champions League at Bayern is a stick his critics regularly use to beat him. Los Blancos dealt compatriots Valencia the first of their consecutive final defeats in Paris thanks to goals from Fernando Morientes, Steve McManaman and Raul. Porto emerged from an upset-laden and chaotic 2003/04 Champions League as the victors after seeing off Monaco 3-0 in the final. Guardiola finally scaled that hurdle again with Manchester City last season, thanks to an authoritative 4-1 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain, but then the freshly crowned Premier League champions ran into Tuchel’s Chelsea. The Rossoneri and Ancelotti had their revenge against the same opponents in Athens two years later, with Filippo Inzaghi scoring both goals in a 2-1 win.

Atletico Madrid failed to record a single official shot against Manchester City.

Atletico, meanwhile, fell into bad habits, subjecting Grealish to the most rough house of treatment in the closing stages. He did it with a quick dart and a slide rule pass, unleashing Kevin De Bruyne in behind to fizz a shot across Jan Oblak, firing the hosts into the lead in the tie. If they do, they will be lucky to escape with the same score as Tuesday night. If there was a brief moment where it seemed City's neuroses in this competition might get the better of them, it faded into insignificance set against those lengthy spells where it was apparent, Atleti could not just sit back and wait for something to happen. One could sense how tired Atletico were in their flurry of counter attacks early in the first half. The levee was only going to hold for so long. Better to have Bernardo Silva coming to the ball as a true false nine. "It was a very tactical game and each of us tried to impose our own game in this one." There is a tendency to look for higher meaning in such boring fare. He may well need favors from a City side that looked firmly in the groove tonight even if it never hit top gear. In the end it did not. La Liga's reigning champions were lucky to escape the Etihad Stadium trailing only to Kevin De Bruyne's 70th minute goal after a game in which they had offered next to nothing beyond the small area in front of their box.

Europe's wealthiest clubs will be able to spend even more after the replacement for Financial Fair Play is approved...

But by the fourth season of enforcement, 75% to 100% of that prize money and TV cash could be deducted for breaching the threshold by the same amount. All the talk of UEFA reconsidering the historic merit places — that would have allowed Arsenal to return to the Champions League this season — has been repelled. City and PSG are yet to win the Champions League, though. UEFA did not seize the opportunity to scale back the enlargement in the wake of the Super League debacle. Just look to Spain to see how much of a difference being in the Champions League can make for a club. The same season saw Valencia bank 60.8 million euros ($66 million) from reaching the Champions League last 16.

Chelsea host Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League quarterfinals with the first leg set for Stamford Bridge under the lights in London.

If he can't go, Davide Ancelotti and Abian Perdomo will be in charge. Craving even more coverage of the world's game? Chelsea: The Blues enter this match healthy aside from Ben Chilwell's knee ligament rupture, which will keep him out until the summer. - Chelsea vs. But this Real team looks like a stronger one after having bounced star-studded PSG in the round of 16. - TV and live stream:CBS and Paramount+

Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro represent arguably the finest Champions League midfield in history. We look at great Barcelona, Manchester United and ...

It was a similar story in a more emphatic 3-1 triumph when the sides met at Wembley two years later, with Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets combining to plonk United on what Ferguson had previously termed the passing “carousel”. Large helpings of luck and fleets of parked buses meant Barca never made it back-to-back European titles under Guardiola, with Inter and Chelsea frustrating them in the 2010 and 2012 semi-finals respectively. But where the likes of Jose Mourinho’s Porto and Chelsea sides had a hard, pragmatic edge, the inimitable Andrea Pirlo brought beauty to the Serie A side’s play. Alex Ferguson’s United had already won a couple of domestic doubles in the mid-1990s but it was his team at the end of the decade that took their achievements global. Pirlo, Gattuso and Seedorf all stayed on, but subsequent last-16 losses to Arsenal, United and Tottenham showed the magic had faded. Veron’s move to United might not have been a success on its own terms, but Ferguson rightly detected the winds of change. After that, Kaka replaced cult hero Rui Costa as the number 10 playing ahead of Ancelotti’s midfield trident and his Milan truly had lift-off. However, Scholes and Keane sat out the final through suspension as a patched-up midfield featuring Jesper Blomqvist found a way past Bayern Munich in unforgettably dramatic fashion. Aided by the abolition of the previously mentioned three overseas rule (no need to bench Peter Schmeichel for a hammering at Camp Nou anymore!), United were able to more easily transfer their form in England onto the continental stage. Another veteran of Arrigo Sacchi’s tenure, the tireless Roberto Donadoni, provided a contrasting threat on the right to Boban on the left. The quartet laid waste to Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ in the 1994 final, where Desailly was brilliantly on the scoresheet. The Rossoneri were hardly short of quality central defensive options, which meant Desailly found himself deployed as a roving, powerhouse midfielder.

Zack Steffen was on the bench for Manchester City, taking a 1-0 lead in their series with Atletico Madrid. Kevin De Bruyne scored City's goal in the 70th minute ...

Copa Libertadores on beIN Sport: Fortaleza vs Colo Colo at 6pm, Estudiantes vs Velez Sarsfield at 8pm, and The Strongest vs Libertad at 10pm. SI’s Jonathan Wilson on Manchester City and Liverpool winning in the Champions League before playing at the top of the Premier League. The NY Times’ Rory Smith explains Atletico Madrid’s bunker approach. The Sounders won 2-1 at Minnesota on Saturday, their second win of the season. Moving to the Concacaf Champions League semifinal first-legs, UNAM Pumas took a 2-1 lead over Cruz Azul at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario. Juan Ignacio Dinenno scored for Pumas in the 37th and first-half stoppage time. “Again, we must enjoy the moment, enjoy that we are here. Wednesday’s soccer news starts with the opening legs of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

Chelsea: The Blues enter this match healthy aside from Ben Chilwell's knee ligament rupture, which will keep him out until the summer. Other than that, there ...

If he can't go, Davide Ancelotti and Abian Perdomo will be in charge. Craving even more coverage of the world's game? Chelsea: The Blues enter this match healthy aside from Ben Chilwell's knee ligament rupture, which will keep him out until the summer. - Chelsea vs. But this Real team looks like a stronger one after having bounced star-studded PSG in the round of 16. - TV and live stream:CBS and Paramount+

VILLARREAL, Spain — Alphonso Davies has been named to Bayern Munich's starting 11 for its Champions League quarterfinal Wednesday against Spain's Villarreal ...

Bayern currently tops the Bundesliga standings. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2022. The illness kept the 21-year-old from Edmonton out of Canada's final six CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches.

Karim Benzema set a new Champions League record for goals scored in a season by a French player after scoring a hat-trick for Real Madrid at Chelsea.

Most Goals In Champions League Season Although Benzema's 11 goals set a new French record, the overall Champions League record for most goals in a season is still held by Cristiano Ronaldo. Most Goals In A European Cup Season By A French Player

While the future of Chelsea football club remains in turmoil off the field, the team suffered a torrid night on the pitch in its Champions League ...

It was a second consecutive hat trick for the Frenchman in this competition, coming after his heroics in the round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain. With the semifinals looking like a distant dream for Chelsea, the home support started to become frustrated but there was still a twist to come in a frantic first half. It was a game that promised to look very different when the draw was made.