Tag: Champions League

Leo Messi dismantles Bayern, makes the Camp Nou explode with tremendous goal

It took him 77 minutes, but when Lionel Messi finally ended Manuel Neuer’s goalkeeping masterclass in the first leg of Barcelona and Bayern Munich’s Champions League semifinal, he set fire to the whole school.

Just three minutes after his opening goal, he did this — turning Jerome Boateng into a pile of dust and chipping Neuer to realize what he couldn’t quite do in the World Cup final last summer. But beyond that simplistic description of events, there are no words to fully capture what Messi did in that moment. Just watch.

Giorgio Chiellini showing first symptoms of Suarezitis

Juventus held on for a scoreless draw in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Monaco to advance on a 1-0 aggregate, but amidst the celebrations is deep concern. Early in the match, defender Giorgio Chiellini displayed his first symptom of Suarezitis, which he contracted when Luis Suarez bit him at last summer’s World Cup.

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Zlatan gracefully accepts defeat to Neymar and Barcelona

Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from suspension to stand on the pitch and watch Barcelona dispatch PSG from the Champions League in tidy fashion. It was yet another indignity at the Camp Nou for the former Barca player, who also lost there in the group stage this season and was eliminated from the quarterfinals there on away goals two years ago.

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Bayern go above and beyond their fans’ giant “Never give up!” tifo message to dismantle Porto

I hate to say I told you so, but I totally 100% told you so. Bayern came back from a shock 3-1 loss to Porto in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal to beat them 6-1 in the second leg (five Bayern goals scored before halftime). This was Pep Guardiola’s plan all along.

Before the match, worried Bayern supporters urged their team to “Never give up!” with a giant tifo at one end of the Allianz Arena, but an hour later their domination of Porto made that assertion look comical. It was so overwhelming that even Guardiola himself couldn’t watch the devastation he had wrought.

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Luis Suarez provokes the wrath of Zlatan

During the first leg of PSG and Barcelona’s Champions League quarterfinal, Luis Suarez nutmegged David Luiz and went on to score twice in a span of 13 minutes. Twice he did this! Twice!

Though Barcelona went on to concede a late own goal in the 3-1 away win, Luiz’s greatest embarrassment since last summer’s World Cup, naturally was the focus of the night. After all, Suarez even appeared to literally spank his bottom at one point.

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