Scott Murray's Blog, page 140

March 10, 2018

France 22-16 England: Six Nations – as it happened

Ireland won the 2018 Six Nations with a match to spare, as the French put paid to England’s hopes at the Stade de France

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France celebrate wildly as England crumple to the turf! French confidence is on the up again ... while England have lost two on the bounce! And it also means that IRELAND ARE THE 2018 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONS!!! A deserved victory for France tonight - they were resilient while England were stodgy - and a thoroughly deserved championship for the Irish. Can they close it out by winning the grand slam next weekend with victory over England at Twickenham? It’s going to be a blast finding out, not least because it’ll be St Patrick’s Day!

6.34pm GMT

80 min +4: But with France reeling, seriously worried that they’ve somehow thrown it away, there’s a knock-on, a yard from the tryline! It’s over!

6.33pm GMT

80 min +3: Beauxis was under a little pressure there, but surely he tried to kick too far upfield. So close to victory and yet so far! And England snaffle possession at this lineout! They’ve set up camp in front of the French sticks!

6.31pm GMT

80 min +2: It’s thrown long. Too long! Beauxis gathers ... but can’t find touch with his kick! England are still alive! This is astonishing! Another penalty for not rolling away! Farrell will surely go for the corner again.

6.30pm GMT

80 min +1: England take their time over this lineout.

6.30pm GMT

80 min: The clock’s up. But after 11 phases, France fail to roll away and it’s a penalty. Farrell slaps a superb kick towards the left-hand corner flag. What a dramatic end to this game!

6.29pm GMT

79 min: England with a few phases just inside the French half. They’re up to six. Something’s got to happen soon!

6.28pm GMT

Over it goes! Just under two minutes left on the clock.

6.27pm GMT

77 min: Well, this is probably it. France go through a few phases, and then England fiddle about in the ruck. Penalty, right in front of the sticks. France will take their time.

6.26pm GMT

76 min: Gomes Sa intercepts a Lawes pass out on the England right, as the visitors look for one last charge. That could be the final crucial moment of this match.

6.25pm GMT

Especially as Farrell strokes a stunning kick between the posts from tight on the chalk!

6.24pm GMT

England win France’s lineout. They set up in front of the sticks. Daly flings a pass wide left. Care, out on the touchline, taps the ball back infield for May, who powers over the line! This isn’t over yet!

6.23pm GMT

73 min: Te’o bursts through the middle, and for a second it looks as though France are in serious trouble. But he throws a poor pass, the ball bounces around in the momentum-ruining style, and France regroup.

6.21pm GMT

72 min: Couilloud and Beauxis are on for Machenaud and Trinh-Duc.

6.20pm GMT

71 min: A sweeping left-to-right French move nearly results in Grosso crossing over by the right-hand flag. He’s held up. France make a big heave for the line. Not quite. England push them a little ways back, and finally they fail to release at the breakdown. Decent defence by England.

6.18pm GMT

69 min: Some nonsense at the scrum. Time is not England’s friend, the hosts are perfectly happy with this.

6.17pm GMT

68 min: Lauret is replaced by Galletier. Care and Watson are replaced by Wigglesworth and Brown.

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67 min: Poirot, Vahaamahina and Guirado are replaced by Priso, Le Roux and Pelissie.

6.13pm GMT

65 min: Cowan-Dickie is on for George. England put together a few phases inside French territory. Ten phases, and then Simmonds fails to release. Penalty, and England’s grip on the Six Nations trophy is beginning to look very weak indeed. Down to the last couple of fingers.

6.11pm GMT

Machenaud takes his time, but it’s worth it. England now have to score twice just for the win; not only that, they’ve only got 17 minutes to score four tries for the bonus point they require.

6.09pm GMT

61 min: France probe a little down the left. England fail to roll away, and this is another penalty for France.

6.08pm GMT

60 min: Joseph comes on for Ford.

6.07pm GMT

58 min: France swap Slimani for Gomes Sa, while England exchange Cole for Sinckler. France escape from the corner by winning the lineout. And Watson comes back on.

6.06pm GMT

57 min: France put ten phases together just inside the England half, but then refuse to release the ball at the breakdown. Farrell kicks majestically for the corner down the left, and England look to have seen out Watson’s yellow card.

6.03pm GMT

55 min: This is extremely scrappy. France lose another of their own lineouts. Daly has a kick charged down. There’s little shape to it. But the home crowd are loving it.

6.02pm GMT

53 min: France collapse the scrum! England were in serious trouble there, but the hosts have let them off. There’s polite. “This is painful viewing,” opines Guy Hornsby. “We’re isolated and weak at the breakdown, with France simply queuing up to pick us off. Given this happened against Scotland, you do have to wonder what on earth we were doing in training for two weeks.”

6.00pm GMT

52 min: Guirado is down getting his right knee looked at. He’ll be OK to continue, it looks like. It’ll be a scrum to France, five metres out. Before that, Launchbury is replaced by Haskell.

5.58pm GMT

51 min: France are very much on the front foot now, against England’s 14 men. Some fancy flinging, left to right. Guirado nearly crosses near the touchline, and they’re four on two, but a flick inside to Fickou doesn’t quite go to plan, and England hold them up on the line.

5.57pm GMT

That whole move was started by Guirado’s burst down the right flank, after which Trinh-Duc hoicked across the field to set up Fall. England are in a wee spot of trouble now, if they want to retain their title this season.

5.55pm GMT

49 min: Watson is yellow carded for a high tackle, and it’s ...

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48 min: Trinh-Duc plays a crossfield kick towards the left-hand corner. Fall gathers, and looks for the line. Watson throws out an arm and tackles him by his neck. This one’s going to the TMO. A penalty try?

5.52pm GMT

47 min: France confuse themselves in the midfield, the ball squirting from the breakdown, allowing Farrell to run off with the ball. But then Itoje fails to release, and France are gifted possession back. This is not a showcase of technical brilliance.

5.49pm GMT

45 min: England set up camp in the French 22. Seven phases, and France are rocking a bit. Vunipola goes down the right, but he runs into Bastareaud. He fails to release, and there goes that pressure.

5.48pm GMT

43 min: All a bit scrappy in the early stages of this half. Bastareaud clatters into Te’o. Then Vahaamahina goes too far, taking Simmonds out. Penalty, and a chance for England to kick for the corner.

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41 min: And now Bonneval is off, with Fickou on.

5.44pm GMT

And we’re off again! England get the party restarted. No replacements at half-time.

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After a couple of minutes of nonsense, the ball eventually comes out of a legal scrum. England fling it hither and yon. But the French intercept. A chance for the home side to tear upfield on the break. But Bastareaud flings a woeful forward pass into touch, a play that just about sums up the half. The whistle goes, and off trot the players. As things stand, Ireland will be the 2018 Six Nations champions in about an hour’s time. England can only stop them by scoring four tries in the second half on their way to victory.

5.27pm GMT

40 min: A lot of faffing in the scrum, as you’d imagine. A penalty here conceded by France would be costly. A lot of faffing.

5.26pm GMT

39 min: Camara knocks on, trying to gather a wild pass on his own 22. If he’d have taken that in, France were in clover down the right. But it’s a scrum to England, and a chance for the reigning Six Nations champions to establish a lead at the break.

5.25pm GMT

No bother! A proper old welt, sent straight down the middle of the field and between the sticks. It’s three from three for Machenaud.

5.23pm GMT

36 min: England are offside in the middle of the park, just inside their own half. France will go for the posts. It’s a fair way out, though.

5.22pm GMT

35 min: May comes haring down the right at great speed. Machenaud stops him in a very comprehensive fashion. A good old-fashioned crunching tackle. The crowd very much enjoyed that.

5.20pm GMT

Over it goes. France are holding on in a stop-start game.

5.19pm GMT

31 min: Bastareaud goes barging down the centre, his power and energy engaging the crowd. France up the tempo. A few phases. France set up in front of the posts, but then there’s a careless knock-on. France were playing a penalty advantage, so they’ll have a belt at the sticks, but that could have been so much better.

5.15pm GMT

No problems there, as England reestablish their six-point lead.

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28 min: A collapsed maul in the middle of the park, and France have conceded another penalty. Farrell will gather the ball and have a crack from 50 metres, just to the right of the sticks.

5.14pm GMT

26 min: Watson threads a kick down the right for May, who bravely reaches the ball under pressure and kicks on towards Daly. Grosso comes across to flop on the ball as it bounces over the tryline. England went truly expansive for the first time this afternoon, and it very nearly paid off.

5.12pm GMT

No problem for Machenaud. France are on the board.

5.11pm GMT

24 min: A few phases for France, just inside the England half. Then Fickou turns on the jets and eats up a good 20 yards down the right. He’s stopped eventually, but England are caught offside. Penalty for France. Before it can be taken, Hughes has picked up an injury and is replaced by Simmonds. Meanwhile Bonneval comes back on for Fickou.

5.08pm GMT

Over it goes, just. The perfect direction and distance. What a clatter he gave that. England are in control of the scoreboard, but they’re still four tries short in their quest to keep the 2018 Six Nations alive until the final weekend.

5.07pm GMT

21 min: Slimani drops a scrum, and it’s another penalty for England. This is out on the halfway line, so Daly will have a dig.

5.06pm GMT

20 min: France do their best to mess up another lineout. Having gathered it, Gabrillagues attempts a long pass inside and it’s nearly intercepted by Robshaw. The England man knocks on, but it was a brave attempt, and that was so nearly a very costly mistake by the French.

5.04pm GMT

18 min: France break away from the back of the scrum. Trinh-Duc tries a chip and chase between the sticks. He’s given that far too much wellie, and he’s never getting to it. Out of play it goes.

5.02pm GMT

16 min: England are penalised for failing to release, and France kick for the corner. Can they finally win a lineout? Oui! France set up in the centre of the field, Camara trying to barge his way through. Not quite. Scrum to France, and a good field position.

5.00pm GMT

15 min: Bonneval has taken an innocent whack from May, and he’s forced to go off. Fickou comes on in his stead.

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13 min: And then England over-elaborate as they fling a few passes wide right, Farrell’s backflick to Daly failing to come off. Grosso intercepts and suddenly France are tearing up the other end! That’s got the crowd going. A few phases in England territory this time. But Slimani mishandles and England can clear their lines. Better from the home side, though.

4.57pm GMT

12 min: France almost immediately cede possession as they lose another of their own lineouts. The first audible mutterings from the home support; their side haven’t put anything together at all yet. England are bossing it in terms of possession and territory.

4.56pm GMT

11 min: England win a lineout on the French 22. Another chance to probe. The home support has gone pretty quiet already. Some more phases. Farrell very nearly bursts clear down the right channel, but Slimani stops him in his tracks. After eight phases, possession is lost by England as they fail to release.

4.54pm GMT

8 min: More possession for England. Farrell sends a little grubber kick down the right. Bonneval intercepts, with May threatening to gather it. He then flicks a preposterous backwards pass inside, allowing George to snaffle possession again. France are struggling to keep hold of the ball in these opening exchanges.

4.51pm GMT

6 min: May glides in from the right and very nearly scuttles through a huge gap in the middle of the French defence. The gap’s closed just in time. But England are putting a few phases together here, pressing France back to their 22.

4.50pm GMT

No bother for England’s stand-in captain. Over it goes. A fast start for the visitors instead, then.

4.49pm GMT

3 min: A scrum collapses in the midfield. Both teams coming in at an angle. The ref awards a penalty to England. Farrell will have a go from 40 yards.

4.48pm GMT

1 min: Tauleigne is sent scampering down the middle. He flings a pass wide left to Grosso, who nearly makes it over for a sensational start for France. But there was a fairly obvious forward pass at the start of the move. The referee was blowing his whistle like billy-o, to no avail.

4.46pm GMT

And we’re off! Trinh-Duc gets the game underway with the opening kick of the match.

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The teams are out! It’s a very aesthetically pleasing scene, France in their bleu, England sporting their white, thousands of tricolores fluttering in the warm Parisian evening sky. A glorious atmosphere at the Stade de France. England belt out God Save... while the home fans give it a blast of La Marseillaise, which is a tune. We’ll be off in a minute or two!

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Breaking news ... Ireland have just beaten the travelling circus troupe known as Scotland 28-8.

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France versus England! A famous rivalry best defined perhaps by this ...

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Published on March 10, 2018 10:37

Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Marcus Rashford was the two-goal hero as United opened up a five-point gap between themselves and their old enemy

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And that’s that! Old Trafford erupts as United close out a victory earned by the brilliance of Marcus Rashford! That’s a huge result in the battle for second place in this season’s Premier League, as United ease five points clear of their bitter rivals. Their excellent first-half performance - alongside Liverpool’s strange first-half non-performance - settled it in the end. Liverpool, once the sting has of defeat has eased off a bit, will take succour in a much-improved second-half display. But Rashford was the difference. With a little help from Jose Mourinho, of course, who has once again done a number on Liverpool.

2.24pm GMT

90 min +7: Darmian comes on for Sanchez. The United fans celebrate the victory they’re sure is coming.

2.24pm GMT

90 min +6: A couple of corners for Liverpool out on the right. From the second, the ball drops to Salah, 12 yards out, level with the right-hand post. Under pressure from Lingard, he skies the shot!

2.23pm GMT

90 min +4: Mane very nearly bursts clear into the United box down the inside-left channel, but he’s crowded out. From the corner, United clear, and they’re tearing up on the break, four on two! Karius comes miles out of his goal and makes an amazing saving tackle in the middle of his own half! He clears, just as it looked as though United were going to strike the final blow.

2.20pm GMT

90 min +2: The Old Trafford faithful are doing their best to get their team over the line. A wonderful noise within Old Trafford. Lukaku threatens to break clear down the left, chasing after McTominay’s pass. Lovren slides in well this time, putting at stop to the striker’s gallop.

2.19pm GMT

90 min: Salah’s corner is punched clear by de Gea. Milner is forced to hack out of play in the midfield, as three red shirts threaten to overwhelm him on the break. But there’s time for Liverpool to recover the situation: six added minutes!

2.18pm GMT

89 min: Valencia is booked on a very athletic high-kick on Mane, who was attempting to burst down the middle. From the free kick, the ball breaks to Wijnaldum on the edge of the box. His shot is deflected wide right. Corner.

2.17pm GMT

88 min: Lingard comes on for Mata, who milks his applause as he departs slowly, in the professional style. He’s been quietly impressive today, as ever.

2.15pm GMT

86 min: Liverpool are pressing. Smalling goes down. The referee stops play. The visitors clearly think they’re being grifted, and for a second it looks like it’s all going to kick off, Bailly and Lallana chief protagonists. But it all calms down quickly enough.

2.13pm GMT

85 min: Sanchez’s corner doesn’t clear the first man, but no matter because Young earns a free kick out no the left flank anyway. Young’s delivery causes Liverpool to collectively flap, and they give up half a chance to Mata. But the ball’s eventually cleared.

2.12pm GMT

84 min: Fellaini has been immense, in both senses, since coming on. His power and bustle earns a corner down the left. It’s United’s first of the game ... and you know how these things usually go. But before it can be taken, Solanke comes on for Robertson. Liverpool are going for broke now.

2.11pm GMT

82 min: Mane strides towards the United box. He thinks about shooting, but attempts a wall pass off Firmino instead. Mane keeps going. He goes down in the area, shoulder to shoulder with Fellaini. It looks clumsy but fair from Fellaini. To be honest, Mane should have shot first time ... or Firmino should have had a go.

2.09pm GMT

80 min: Wijnaldum, who has never scored away from home in the Premier League, comes on for Alexander-Arnold. Young hooks the free kick into the Liverpool mixer. Fellaini goes up for a header. Karius punches clear, and Fellaini was offside anyway.

2.08pm GMT

79 min: Lovren comes sliding in recklessly twice on Fellaini, who is going nowhere down the left. He gets away with the first one, so the second one, which is punished, is beyond stupidity, giving away a free kick in a dangerous position as it does. Before the set piece can be taken, Klopp is bollocked by the referee for over-emoting on the touchline.

2.05pm GMT

77 min: Lallana has the chance to release Robertson into acres on the overlap down the left, but hesitates. He does win a corner, but United are dealing with these easily enough.

2.04pm GMT

76 min: Firmino is robbed by Lukaku in the midfield. United stream upfield, Sanchez very nearly besting Alexander-Arnold down the left. But he can’t find anyone with his eventual cross. Fellaini tries to recycle things on the other flank, but the move peters out.

2.02pm GMT

74 min: Mane looks for the space to shoot on the edge of the United box. The United defence closes like an iron curtain. He has a smack anyway. The ball very nearly deflects to Salah, but at the moment the only way Liverpool look like getting through this packed defence is with a lucky bounce.

2.01pm GMT

73 min: United haven’t done much in attack of late. Lukaku powers down the right and tries to spin and set up Valencia on the inside, but his cushioned pass doesn’t come off.

2.00pm GMT

72 min: De Gea punches the corner clear. Alexander-Arnold tries to win the ball back on the edge of the box, but is penalised for a high boot on Sanchez.

1.59pm GMT

71 min: Firmino crosses from the left. The ball clacks off Valencia, and here comes Liverpool’s eighth corner of the game. United have yet to earn one, for what that statistic is worth.

1.58pm GMT

69 min: There’s a United sub, but it’s not Bailly going off! The big, brave defender limps back on - he looked in serious pain back there. Instead, Rashford is replaced by Fellaini. The home fans aren’t super-enamoured by the switch, though it’s not open revolt or anything. A smattering of concern.

1.57pm GMT

68 min: Bailly looks to have injured himself. Not sure whether he hurt his ankle in the execution of that absurd turn, but he’s down and doesn’t seem as though he’ll be able to continue.

1.55pm GMT

Oh my. This is quite the own goal. Mane nips down the left. He curls hard and low towards the near post. On the left-hand edge of the six-yard box, Bailly tries to clear but swivels and somehow, with his back to goal, backheels powerfully into the bottom left! De Gea gets a hand on it, but can’t keep it out. Game on!

1.54pm GMT

65 min: Salah looks to rip down the right but runs the ball out of play. He waves his arms in the agitated style. Liverpool have come at United hard since the restart, but nothing’s opened up for them. Their frustration is showing.

1.52pm GMT

63 min: Lallana and Salah try to dribble their way into the United box through the centre. That’s just not going to happen. The ball’s laid off for Milner, who looks for the top right from 20 yards. That’s ambitious too, given the time and space he had, and the ball sails serenely over the crossbar.

1.51pm GMT

62 min: A frustrated Oxlade-Chamberlain is replaced by Lallana.

1.50pm GMT

61 min: Liverpool are probing a lot, but nothing’s happening for them in the final third. United are holding their shape like granite.

1.48pm GMT

59 min: Smalling uncompromisingly shoves Salah off the pitch. Salah wants the foul but he’s not getting it. Liverpool have come at United since the restart, but the home side aren’t yielding an inch.

1.47pm GMT

58 min: Of the six goals United have conceded here all season, only one has been in the second half! Step forward Nicolas Otamendi. Liverpool have quite the task here.

1.45pm GMT

56 min: Mane turns on the jets and dribbles with power down the inside-left channel. He flicks inside for Salah on the penalty spot, but once again, just as it looks like United are in trouble, Young turns up to deal with the situation. He’s been immense today.

1.44pm GMT

55 min: Liverpool have started the half very well, as a team in their position had to. Robertson crosses from the left. The ball hits Valencia’s left arm. He’s got enough time to pull it away; you’ve seen those given as well. Gary Neville on Sky calls both of them in favour of Liverpool. Unfortunately for the visitors, the United legend isn’t reffing this game.

1.42pm GMT

53 min: Mane goes tearing at the United back four, keeping them on the back foot. He’s got Salah on his right, but can’t find him with the pass. He arches his back in frustration and screams at the sky. He’s soon having another go, shooting from the left of the D, but de Gea has that one covered.

1.40pm GMT

51 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain has a whack from distance. His effort is low and wide left. But it’s deflected, and that’s a corner. From the set piece, de Gea comes out to punch. Lovren gives McTominay an accidental clack on the back of the neck. And that’s a stoppage for a head injury, relieving the pressure on United. Liverpool are a bit miffed about it, though it’s very hard to see what option the referee had.

1.38pm GMT

49 min: Firmino scoops a ball over the United back line. Salah breaks into the box and very nearly gets the ball under control, but Young is grappling with him, operating on the very edges of legality. The referee waves play on, and Young gets away with it. But you’ve seen those given.

1.36pm GMT

48 min: Alexander-Arnold gets the better of Rashford for once, and his work down the right earns a corner for Liverpool. Van Dijk again wins a header, on the edge of the six-yard box, level with the left-hand post. But he can only flop an effort onto the top of the netting, the ball having sailed harmlessly over the bar.

1.35pm GMT

47 min: Liverpool enjoy some early possession but it’s all in the middle third. Salah tries to get something going with a right-to-left crossfield pass but Robertson can’t gather it.

1.33pm GMT

And we’re off again! Liverpool get the ball rolling for the second half. And here’s the size of their task: Manchester United have never lost a game in the Premier League era from two goals up at home. Nothing in that first half suggests that record is going to change any time soon.

1.23pm GMT

Shameless half-time plug: United and Liverpool weren’t too shabby back in the old First Division days. For some of that hot Tom Watson, Ernest Mangnall, David Ashworth, Matt McQueen, Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish championship-winning action, you could do worse than The Title: The Story of the First Division. (The best bits are about Burnley, mind.)

1.19pm GMT

Liverpool have had plenty of the ball. But David de Gea hasn’t had a serious save to make. Marcus Rashford, with a little help from Romelu Lukaku, has been the difference. The home side look calm and comfortable after executing their gameplan clinically ... as well as playing with no little sass. Liverpool have a lot of problems to solve. As things stand, United will open a five-point gap on their old rivals in the chase for second spot.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: There will be two added minutes of a very enjoyable half for Manchester United.

1.14pm GMT

44 min: Liverpool are desperately looking for a goal before half-time to alter the mood. Firmino and Robertson combine down the left to earn a corner, but from the set piece, Lovren can’t get his header at the near post on target.

1.13pm GMT

43 min: Mane slips a pass down the left for Robertson, who is in acres. He fires a low cross towards the far post. Salah is there, hoping to sidefoot home, but again Young’s antenna comes to the rescue for United. He clears and some very serious danger is gone.

1.12pm GMT

41 min: From the resulting throw, Rashford comes sliding in, studs up, on Firmino. He’s lucky there’s no contact, having already been booked. A two-goal, two-yellow-card double whammy would be something to behold.

1.12pm GMT

40 min: Salah has hardly had a touch. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Firmino try to get the ball out to him with some honest graft down the right, but Young covers well and isn’t to be beaten.

1.09pm GMT

38 min: Valencia, out on the right, sends a beautiful crossfield pass to Sanchez on the left. Sanchez loops into the area, where the entire Liverpool defence have gone AWOL. Mata, who likes a bicycle kick against Liverpool, attempts to flash another into the right-hand side of the net. It’s inches wide of the post. Inches away from game, set and match.

1.08pm GMT

37 min: But this is far from over if Liverpool get the next goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain has an opportunity to slip Mane into the United box down the inside-left channel. He’s got a big window, but the pass doesn’t pass muster, or the nearest United defender. On the touchline, Klopp offers an immediate critique in bullet-point form.

1.06pm GMT

36 min: Bailly spins past Salah with a gloriously elaborate dragback. The skill gets almost as big a cheer as the goal.

1.05pm GMT

35 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain is stripped of the ball by McTominay. He responds by dragging the United midfielder to the ground, and is rightly booked.

1.04pm GMT

33 min: Mourinho leans over United’s red-brick dugout looking very pleased with life. Klopp has the funk on. Thing is, his side haven’t even been that bad, even if you conside the imperfect defending. They’ve been knocking it around nicely. They’ve just been undone by two moments of direct brilliance. Also: United know how to win here.

1.02pm GMT

31 min: Firmino tries to halve the deficit by sending a low fizzer goalwards from 25 yards. Again, it’s a decent enough crack, but straight at de Gea, who isn’t letting anything like that in.

1.01pm GMT

30 min: Lukaku and Sanchez combine with purpose down the right. They very nearly open Liverpool up, but Alexander-Arnold comes across to whack clear. The visitors can’t afford to concede again. United have only conceded six goals at home all season! Meanwhile here’s Adam Hirst: “You spend all that money on a world-class attacking midfielder and a world-class wide forward, yet the solution was there already, right under your nose.”

12.59pm GMT

29 min: Alexander-Arnold has a crack from the right-hand corner of the United box. It’s decent enough, but no better, and De Gea flops on the shot near his right-hand post without much drama.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Rashford is booked for an over-eager slide on Milner. He can have no complaints. Liverpool work the free kick and earn themselves a corner. It’s their fourth of the match. Nothing comes of this one, either.

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Questions about Lovren, who has lost two very decisive headers against Lukaku for both goals. But there’s no time for that right now, as Firmino busies himself down the right and tears off into space. His low cross is hacked out by Smalling for a corner, but van Dijk gets nowhere near this one. Liverpool may be grateful that it didn’t result in a goal kick. given whats happened so far.

12.55pm GMT

It’s almost a carbon copy! De Gea takes a long goal kick. Lukaku helps it on. Mata tries to latch onto the ball on the edge of the box. Van Dijk - who should have made it 1-1 - only half clears and the ball breaks to Rashford on the left. One touch, bang, and the ball’s into the bottom right corner!

12.54pm GMT

23 min: Mane sashays into space from the left, then lays off for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who slides one down the channel for Firmino. For a second, it looks like Firmino will get ahead of Smalling, but the United defender knocks out for a corner. From the set piece, van Dijk stoops at the near post, nipping in ahead of Matic, and surely must score from close range. But the ball clanks off his shoulder and out of play on the left.

12.51pm GMT

21 min: Milner and Mane battle down the right, winning a couple of block tackles against Matic and Rashford. The ball breaks to Milner, who skelps a first-time cross low through the United box. There’s nobody in the middle to take advantage.

12.49pm GMT

19 min: Rashford again seriously worries Alexander-Arnold on the United left. He cuts into the box again. Roberson comes across from the other flank to blooter clear. United sense there could be more action for them down this flank. It could be a long afternoon for young Alexander-Arnold.

12.48pm GMT

18 min: Lukaku eyebrows the free kick away from danger. It’s going out for a corner ... but Firmino gathers on the left, then loops towards the far post. De Gea is all over the place, but the cross is too high for Mane by the right-hand post. Goal kick.

12.47pm GMT

17 min: Mane goes on a dribble down the right. Bailly rather clumsily bundles him over from behind. A chance for Liverpool to load the United box. Milner stands over it.

12.46pm GMT

16 min: Poor positioning by Alexander-Arnold for the goal. Rashford had given him warning earlier, too. But what a finish. Liverpool might not want to consider that United have won all 16 matches in which they’ve scored first this season.

12.45pm GMT

What a goal this is! De Gea takes the goal kick. Lukaku flicks on down the left. Rashford gets ahead of a dozing Alexander-Arnold, and enters the box. He drops a shoulder to the right, diddling the young full back. And then curls a powerful shot into the bottom right! Magnificent! Karius had no chance!

12.43pm GMT

13 min: De Gea and Smalling confuse each other as Salah chases a ball down the right. Smalling takes control eventually and hacks out for a needless corner; that should have been the keeper’s ball. Salah takes the corner himself, and hoicks a dreadful one high over the box and out of play for a goal kick on the other side.

12.42pm GMT

12 min: Matic sends Lukaku into a bit of space down the right. Lukaku should break into the box and cause Liverpool some trouble, but Robertson is over quickly to snatch the ball away and clear. That’s good defending. But United are beginning to grow into this game after a slow start.

12.41pm GMT

10 min: Young launches a long pass down the left for Rashford. Alexander-Arnold manages to usher the ball out for a goal kick, but he only had inches to play with in the end. If the pitch was another yard long, Rashford was nipping round him and along the byline. This could be a defining tussle between two young English stars.

12.39pm GMT

9 min: United enjoy their first extended period of possession. Sanchez has a couple of semi-threatening dribbles down the left, but nothing quite comes off. Liverpool respond with a long hoof upfield, but Mane can’t get on the end of it. All quite hectic at the moment, pretty much as expected.

12.37pm GMT

7 min: It’s a midfield tussle right now, with calm passing at a premium. The crowd is the star at the moment; a glorious derby atmosphere at Old Trafford.

12.36pm GMT

5 min: Can goes on a bustling run down the middle. He overruns the ball though still manages to hoick it away from Valencia. However he catches the United man on the follow through. A foul and an excuse for the pair to tell each other to eff off. The ref tells everyone to simmer down, which to be fair they do quickly enough.

12.34pm GMT

4 min: Liverpool are enjoying more of the ball in these early exchanges. Mane slips a pass down the right for Milner, who whips low towards the near post. Oxlade-Chamberlain wants a sniff but McTominay isn’t having it.

12.32pm GMT

2 min: Liverpool stroke it around the back awhile. Van Dijk gives Karius quite the hot backpass to deal with. The crowd tease the keeper as the ball fizzes towards him, but he deals with it easily enough.

12.31pm GMT

And we’re off! It’s a crisp, clear day in Manchester. United get the ball rolling. Liverpool will be kicking towards the Stretford End in the second half. A bit of head tennis to start. Old Trafford is bouncing!

12.29pm GMT

The teams are out! It’s Manchester United versus Liverpool at Old Trafford, so the atmosphere can be taken as read. As home heroes, United have the right to wear their famous red shirts, forcing Liverpool into their second-choice white-and-green quarters. Klopp gives each of the United players a half-smile as they troop out of the tunnel; most keep their steely gamefaces on and stare the other way, but Mata can’t stop himself giving a polite glance and a micro-nod. He’s one of the game’s gents, isn’t he. Klopp and Mourinho give each other a sporting tap on the back, too. All very nice. Anyway, photos are taken, hands are shaken, and we’ll be off before you know it!

12.05pm GMT

And now Jurgen Klopp, slightly more hyper but smiling nonetheless, has his say: “It’s always the same. You always have to bring through your own skills but you have to respect the quality of your opponent as well. We cannot be blind and go into the game and say come on, let’s play football and enjoy the game ... it will be hard work, United is a group of unbelievably strong players. Mata is on the pitch, and he can change the game completely. Rashford’s speed on the wing changes the game a little bit. Lukaku is always a threat. We have to be really strong with and without the ball. I have tried to find a good set-up for this game, a good mixture.”

11.46am GMT

A relaxed-looking Jose Mourinho speaks to Sky Sports! “Juan Mata offers experience, and has the capacity to move into areas where he can connect our game, because he is very intelligent. Liverpool are a very strong team in fast counter attack, in transition, so the more times we lose the ball, the more chances they have for that transition. If we are more consistent, we try to reduce the possibility of their super-dangerous counter-attack. So let’s see if Mata can help us! They are not the kind of team to sit in a low block waiting for us. Is this aggressive defence? I don’t know. The objective is to be in front of them at the end of the season, not today. We want to win the game. Paul Pogba is injured, yesterday in training. He was in an unlucky situation. I really don’t know when he is back.”

11.40am GMT

The big news for Manchester United: there’s no Paul Pogba. Their record signing is out injured, with Juan Mata, who has given Liverpool no little grief in the past, taking his place as midfield schemer. There are two other changes to the XI named at Crystal Palace on Monday: Eric Bailly replaces Victor Lindelof at the back, while Marcus Rashford comes in at the expense of Jesse Lingard.

Liverpool make five changes to the team that drew with Porto in midweek. Captain Jordan Henderson isn’t risked after suffering a dead leg during the closing stages of that particular non-event; he’s on the bench with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain taking his place. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are restored to the defence, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez dropping to the bench while Alberto Moreno misses out altogether. And Mo Salah returns, Adam Lallana also just one of the subs today.

11.31am GMT

Manchester United: de Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Young, McTominay, Matic, Mata, Rashford, Lukaku, Sanchez.
Subs: Lindelof, Lingard, Carrick, Romero, Shaw, Fellaini, Darmian.

Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Can, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Wijnaldum, Gomez, Henderson, Lallana, Mignolet, Solanke, Matip.

11.15am GMT

This will be the 200th meeting of these grand old clubs. Manchester United are well out in front in terms of victories: 79 to 65. The first match, for the record, was a Test Match play-off in April 1894 between Second Division champions Liverpool and First Division stragglers Newton Heath. Liverpool won the game, played on neutral territory at Ewood Park in Blackburn, 2-0, and with it a place in the following season’s top flight at the Manchester club’s expense. Patrick Gordon and Harry Bradshaw scored the first-half goals that did for the Heathens; the second half was a bit of a non-event, according to this paper, the play being “moderate” because the players were “suffering from excitement”. What price similarly modest, highly strung play today? The more things change, etc.

2.09pm GMT

Here’s something for fans of Manchester United and Liverpool to consider! The last four games between these two famous old clubs have ended 1-1, 0-0, 1-1 and 0-0. Well, at least nobody went home upset. But have a gander back in the day. In the 1895/96 season, Liverpool beat Newton Heath 7-1 at Anfield, then went down 5-2 at Bank Street. In 1907/08, the newly christened United won 4-0 at home, but lost 7-4 at Anfield. In 1927/28, Liverpool gave their fans some very happy holidays with a 2-0 home victory on Christmas Eve, but paid for it with a 6-1 thumping at Old Trafford the following May. So what’s better? A season of dizzying highs followed by headache-inducing lows? Or this?

Actually, don’t answer that, we’d be here all day, and no good can come of it anyway. But the modern trend is not all that. We could do with something to remember! Does either side have it in them to break the recent run of dull draws, and register a resounding victory for the ages?! Well ... maybe.

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Published on March 10, 2018 06:29

March 8, 2018

World Cup stunning moments: Pickles the dog is a very good boy in 1966 | Scott Murray

Police were desperately hunting for leads after the 1966 heist, but it turned out the most important one was tied around a collie’s collar in south London

The Jules Rimet trophy went walkies in March 1966. Upon discovering that the most precious prize in world football had been snatched from under their hapless noses, the folk at the Football Association responded in a manner that couldn’t have been more English had their press release been soaked in weak milky tea. “The FA deeply regrets this most unfortunate incident,” began their clipped, haughty study in brazen understatement. “It inevitably brings discredit to both the FA and this country.”

They’d struck the right tone with that last bit, at least. The FA was way out of the good books for losing the cup. “I’m damned angry!” spluttered Erik von Frenckell, honorary president of the Finnish FA. Abrain Tebet of the Brazilian Sports Confederation was even more strident. “Even Brazilian thieves love football and would never commit this sacrilege! It would never have happened in Brazil.” Oh Abrain! No good will ever come of talk like this.

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Published on March 08, 2018 03:00

March 7, 2018

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Juventus (agg 3-4): Champions League second leg – as it happened

Juve shocked Spurs with a stunning second-half comeback to reach the quarter-finals

Read Daniel Taylor’s match report

12.54am GMT

12.53am GMT

10.55pm GMT

9.38pm GMT

That’s it! Two goals in three second-half minutes have done for Spurs. The Italian champions are through to the quarter finals, while Spurs will have to concentrate on the FA Cup. Tottenham were magnificent in the first half, with Heung-Min Son particularly impressive. They looked in control until Massimiliano Allegri changed Juve’s shape midway through the second, and almost immediately the tie turned in the Old Lady’s favour. Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala were the goalscoring heroes, but Giorgio Chiellini was surely the man of the match, a colossus at the back, thwarting all attempts by Spurs to force extra time. This will hurt Tottenham now, but Juve’s experience in this competition showed in the end ... and should Mauricio Pochettino’s men make the top four of the Premier League again, perhaps this experience will stand them in good stead next year.

9.37pm GMT

90 min +3: Dybala is fouled in the midfield, needlessly by Dembele, and that will probably be that.

9.36pm GMT

90 min +2: Sturaro has a dig. Nope. Spurs go up the other end. Trippier makes good down the right, but his cross is weak and straight at Buffon, who smothers.

9.35pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be three added minutes. Wembley is beyond anxious.

9.35pm GMT

90 min: Kane hists the post! Davies loops in from the left. Kane - who is offside, but the flag doesn’t go up, beats Chiellini in the air and heads down and to the left. The ball bounces up off the turf in slow motion, past the outstretched arm of Buffon. It hits the side of the post and bounces back across the line! Lamela can’t get there first to prod home. Instead, Barzagli hacks clear! So close to salvation!

9.33pm GMT

89 min: Lichtsteiner jogs down the right wing. He’s got no interest in doing anything other than running down time. Tick, tock.

9.32pm GMT

88 min: Eriksen and Llorente take desperate long-distance shots. Both are blocked. Dybala races off upfield, and is brought down by Dembele, who is booked.

9.31pm GMT

87 min: Llorente’s first significant contribution is a foul on Sturaro, one which takes the pressure off Juventus’s defence, and runs some more time off the clock.

9.30pm GMT

86 min: Alli is replaced by Llorente.

9.30pm GMT

85 min: Son keeps a Davies cross from the left alive down the right. That’s brilliant play, because that was surely going harmlessly out for a goal kick. He pulls it back for Eriksen, whose daisycutter flies wide left. Son has been superb tonight. He certainly doesn’t deserve to be on the losing side.

9.28pm GMT

84 min: Higuain, whose goal turned this tie, is replaced by Sturaro. He takes an age to depart, in the professional manner. The crowd holler their critique of this cynical ploy.

9.27pm GMT

83 min: The corner is half cleared by Juve. Son is onto the ball in a flash, and sends a fine low shot inches wide of the bottom left. That wasn’t far away at all, and Buffon is livid with his defence. Son holds his face in his hands in disbelief. So close!

9.26pm GMT

82 min: Davies finds a little space down the left. He curls into the Juve box. Kane is hoping to get on the end of it, but Chiellini clears brilliantly again. Davies has another go from the left. Son chests down on the right. He can’t get a shot away, so lays off for Eriksen, who aims for the top left. The ball clips off Asamoah and out for a corner on the right. Buffon was rooted to the spot there; that ball could have gone anywhere.

9.24pm GMT

80 min: Juve hog the ball awhile. Spurs can’t get a sniff. The seconds whirl by.

9.22pm GMT

78 min: Much better from Spurs! Eriksen sends a ball to the left for Son, who fires it low into the centre. Kane is waiting to sidefoot home from six yards, but Chiellini slides in at the last moment to hack out for a corner. The set piece leads to nothing. What defending by Chiellini!

9.21pm GMT

77 min: Lamela dances his way out of a tight spot near the right-hand corner flag, and whips into the centre. But Chiellini stoops to head powerfully clear. Then there’s a suggestion that Costa handles on the edge of the box while chesting down to control. The referee isn’t interested. Finally Son dribbles purposefully down the left, but his cross doesn’t find a white shirt. Better from Spurs.

9.19pm GMT

76 min: Spurs begin to edge their way into Juve territory, with the visitors happy to sit back and soak things up. Nothing doing right now. This is what Italian sides have excelled at for decades; this is a real test for Tottenham. Wembley is beginning to rediscover its collective voice, urging the home heroes to push on.

9.17pm GMT

74 min: Lamela comes on for Dier.

9.16pm GMT

73 min: One goal for Spurs, of course, will take this tie into extra time. It’s been to and fro pretty much from the first-leg get-go ... so is there another twist?

9.14pm GMT

71 min: All of a sudden it’s Spurs who look ragged. They can’t string two passes together at the moment. Not in the Juve half anyway. They need to clear their heads and quick. Juve have shown them it can be done.

9.13pm GMT

70 min: Higuain should send Costa scooting free into the Spurs box down the inside right, but can’t quite find the pass. Spurs can’t afford to concede again.

9.12pm GMT

69 min: That quick-fire turnaround has sent Wembley into shock. The place was bouncing four minutes ago; now only the Italian fans are making serious noise. On the touchline, Mauricio Pochettino blows his cheeks out. That double whammy has hit him hard. Can his side respond?

9.11pm GMT

Wembley is on edge all right. This is so simple. Higuain takes up possession with his back to goal, 40 yards out. He draws three white shirts, spins, and plays a cute reverse pass down the middle to release Dybala! Dybala has an age to think about it, but races to the area and lashes past Lloris and into the top right! Now it’s Spurs who need to respond, or they’re heading out of the Champions League!

9.09pm GMT

66 min: Spurs are still going through on away goals. But Juve’s change of formation has bolstered their midfield, and there’s been an instant dividend. Wembley is suddenly on edge.

9.08pm GMT

The mood changes instantly! Lichtsteiner races down the right. He crosses. Khedira, on the penalty spot, heads goalwards. The ball sails a little to the left, but Higuain nips in front of Lloris, sticks out a leg, and guides it back into the right-hand portion of the net. Game on!

9.07pm GMT

62 min: Lichtsteiner comes on for Benatia. Juve revert to their back four. Then the first sign of panic all evening by Spurs. Asamoah crosses from the left. Sanchez heads weakly upfield, when Lloris was well placed to deal with the situation. The ball drops to Dybala on the right-hand corner of the box. Dybala goes for the first-time spectacular shot, but gets it all wrong.

9.05pm GMT

61 min: Asamoah immediately injects some pace down the left. He slips the ball to Sandro, who curls into the Spurs box for Higuain. The striker contorts his body in mid-air, kung-fu style, but can only send the ball sailing miles over the bar.

9.03pm GMT

60 min: The champions of Italy make their first change. Matuidi is replaced by Asamoah.

9.03pm GMT

59 min: Pjanic is really pushing his luck. He slides in on Eriksen, late. A free kick, nothing more. The crowd are desperate for a second yellow to be flashed. Spurs get on with it instead, winning a quick corner down the left. The set piece is hit long. Kane tries to meet it at the far post with a telescopic leg, but can’t get any meaningful contact on the ball.

9.01pm GMT

58 min: Eriksen spreads a lovely ball wide left for Son, who cuts inside and looks to caress a curler into the top right. Son gets too much on it; it’s high and wide.

9.01pm GMT

57 min: Barzagli clips the back of Son’s leg. There’s no real need for it. He’s the only Juve defender still to be booked, and that’s still the case. The ref slightly lenient there.

8.59pm GMT

56 min: See also: Alli. He’s booked for a high-studs prod on Khedira. A fair chance this won’t end with 22 men on the field.

8.59pm GMT

55 min: The official attendance is 84,010. Most of them give Pjanic the bird as he gets involved in a silly tussle with Alli in no man’s land. Juve are in danger of losing their heads here.

8.57pm GMT

53 min: Now there are pantomime boos as Chiellini cynically barges into Alli as the Spurs man looks to make off down the left. That was as cynical as they come, because Juve were light at the back and Eriksen was up with Alli, hoping to cause all sorts of trouble. Taking one for the team, in the old-fashioned Italian style.

8.56pm GMT

52 min: Finally they flow forward, and Costa earns a corner down the left. But Pjanic’s dead-ball delivery is risible, hoicked over the box and out of play on the other side. Wembley gives a hearty ironic cheer.

8.55pm GMT

51 min: Higuain faffs around in midfield and has the ball stolen off his toe by Vertonghen. Alli is sent scampering towards the Juve box. He shoots low, hard and wide left. Juve haven’t got going in this second half yet. They can’t afford much more of this.

8.53pm GMT

49 min: Matuidi comes in late on Davies, as the Spurs man looks to launch one long down the left. There’s not much contact, so he escapes a booking, though that was fairly full on. Benatia goes in the book, though, for scraping his studs on Alli’s arse. That’s a poor challenge and - like Pjanic before him - he’ll miss Juve’s next match in Europe, whenever that is.

8.51pm GMT

48 min: Incidentally, this is the first time Juve have trailed in a match since November. November!

8.50pm GMT

47 min: Spurs load the box. Eriksen pulls it back, though, for Vertonghen who loops into the mixer from a different angle. He’d have probably been better shooting.

8.50pm GMT

The teams are back out, and we’re off again! Juve get the ball rolling for the second period, having once again given the ref what for regarding the penalty that never was. Spurs are quickly on the attack, though, Alli brought down to the left of the box by Costa. A free kick in a very dangerous position.

8.40pm GMT

Half-time letter. “When I don’t have a dog in the race, as it were, I tend to side with the team whose strip I like best, from a historical perspective,” writes Simon McMahon. “The Juve kit as worn by Míchel Platini takes some beating ...

8.35pm GMT

And that’s the end of a first half that’s flown by. Spurs have been the better team; the goalscorer Son has been magnificent. The visitors should have had a penalty kick, mind. Anyway, here we are, and unless Juve score at least two goals in the second half, Spurs will be in the quarter finals of the European Cup / Champions League for only the third time in their history!

8.31pm GMT

45 min: A bit of space for Matuidi down the left. He crosses deep for Higuain but the impressive Sanchez is in the way, and in any case the flag goes up for offside.

8.31pm GMT

44 min: Pjanic picks up a yellow card for a noggin-gone wild lash in the direction of Alli. Not sure there was much contact, but that’s not really the point. Juve look rattled, and need to hear the half-time whistle to regroup.

8.30pm GMT

43 min: A free kick for Juve in the Spurs half. Pjanic hooks it into the Spurs box and towards the left-hand post. Sandro meets it with his head, at close range, but it’s wild and high.

8.28pm GMT

41 min: Juventus now have to score twice if they’re to stay in this year’s Champions League! Pjanic tries to pull one of the goals back immediately, with a shot from the edge of the area that sails just wide left.

8.27pm GMT

And now Son gets the luck he deserves! Eriksen plays Alli into the area down the inside-right channel. Alli’s shot is blocked. The ball breaks to Trippier on the right. Trippier hits low into the centre. The ball evades Eriksen, who has kept running, but Son meets it on the left. Son miskicks, but the bobble confuses Buffon and Chiellini and bounces almost apologetically into the net! Son cares not a jot and wheels off with a broad smile!

8.25pm GMT

38 min: Dembele spins out of a tight spot in the centre. He’d get away, too, but Khedira has a handful of his shirt. That should be a booking, but the ref thinks a wag of the finger is enough. Spurs then launch an attack, and the irrepressible Son romps into the box down the left. He lashes a low shot across Buffon and inches wide of the right-hand post. So close!

8.23pm GMT

37 min: Dembele concedes a free kick out on the left for a cheeky handball. A chance for Juve to load the box. The ball’s pumped into the Spurs area, but Sanchez rises highest to clear.

8.22pm GMT

35 min: Sandro is booked for a blatant shove in the back of Trippier. This is heating up nicely in the old-fashioned style.

8.21pm GMT

34 min: Kane tries to flash a spectacular shot into the top right from the left-hand corner of the Juve box. Ambitious, even for him.

8.20pm GMT

33 min: Barzagli and Son tangle in the midfield. Barzagli manages to tread on Son twice, and throw in a cheeky backheel that doesn’t quite connect with his opponent, all the while acting like he’s trying to disengage. The referee didn’t see it, but Son certainly felt it. Ooyah. Now it’s Juve’s turn to get away with one.

8.19pm GMT

32 min: Pjanic launches one long in the hope of releasing Higuain on goal. Sanchez steps up and plays the offside trap perfectly. Spurs go up the other end. Benatia heads clear. Alli meets the dropping ball and fires low from 20 yards. Buffon smothers.

8.17pm GMT

30 min: The first slight lull of the evening. It’s been glorious entertainment so far, the Champions League at its best.

8.16pm GMT

28 min: Dybala turns sharply out on the right wing and makes for the final third. Vertonghen sticks a leg across him and hacks him down. A booking. The Spurs defender looks out of sorts. That lunge on Costa, for the penalty that wasn’t given, was as clear as it gets. They’ve just shown a replay of it, and he had the chutzpah to throw a few you-went-down-easily shapes at Costa after the incident. You’ve got to brazen it out, haven’t you.

8.13pm GMT

26 min: Dier is receiving some treatment after a common-or-garden clatter in the midfield. He looks pained, having fallen awkwardly. He’s up and about again after a while.

8.11pm GMT

24 min: Vertonghen meets the corner with a weak header that sails harmlessly wide right. Benatia had a fistful of his shirt then! On another day, with another referee, etc. This is marvellously eventful and wildly entertaining.

8.09pm GMT

23 min: Dybala has a dig from distance but Sanchez gets in the way. Spurs go up the other end, the super-dangerous Son breezing down the left yet again and shooting the minute he enters the area. The ball’s blocked out for a corner.

8.08pm GMT

21 min: Dier has a whack from 25 yards. His effort dribbles towards the bottom right. Buffon falls on it like a wet blanket. The Juve keeper has been super busy.

8.07pm GMT

20 min: Spurs come at Juve in the wild style. Son very nearly breaks clear into the box down the left. He can’t get a shot away so pulls back for Eriksen, whose shot is blocked. The ball’s worked out right and swung back in. Son meets the cross with a towering header, sending the ball whistling towards the top left. Buffon punches it clear.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: Douglas Costa turns on the jets and burns Vertonghen down the right, and into the area. Vertonghen slides in and takes his man out. It’s a clear penalty, but neither referee nor linesman give it. Juve are beyond livid, and surround the ref, but he’s not for turning. Spurs have dodged a bullet there!

8.02pm GMT

15 min: Spurs are well on top here. Dembele very nearly releases Son down the left with a deft flick, but the ball’s run out for a goal kick. Then Alli slips a pass down the right for Kane, who rounds a rash Buffon on the outside! He’s got a small gap to find the unguarded goal, but the angle’s tight and he finds the side netting. That’s a great chance for a striker of Kane’s quality, though, and so has to go down as a miss.

8.01pm GMT

13 min: Kane has the ball at his feet, just inside the Juve area on the right. Chiellini slides in to block the shot that’s coming. Kane tries to shift the ball and it hits the defender’s hand. There’s a claim for a penalty, but not at great volume. The right decision, as it looked totally accidental, the whole thing happening in a tight space.

7.59pm GMT

12 min: Juve knock it around the back in the old-school Italian style. But Spurs buzz and press, forcing a couple of small mistakes. Nothing comes of them, it’s all a bit scrappy, but that’s some good work by Alli and Eriksen, and it augurs well.

7.56pm GMT

10 min: Son earns the first corner of the evening with a determined bustle down the left. Davies takes. The ball nearly drops to Vertonghen, then Kane, but Chiellini clears. This is fast-paced, open and fun.

7.55pm GMT

9 min: Now Spurs do some final-third probing. Eriksen glides in from the right and loops a pass towards Son, just inside the Juve box on the left. The ball drops, begging to be volleyed goalwards. Son can’t time his whack.

7.54pm GMT

7 min: Spurs betray their nerves for the first time tonight, Lloris putting a simple pass to Son out of play on the left. That allows Juve to probe a little in the Spurs final third. Costa sashays infield from the right and swings a fierce cross towards Higuain at the far post. Too high and too fast, the striker never had a chance. A pinpoint cross would have had Spurs in trouble, though, because Higuain had a little space to work in there.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: Alex Sandro hoicks a long pass down the left with a view to releasing Matuidi into acres of space. Spurs are a bit stretched at the back, but the pass is way too heavy and Matuidi doesn’t have a hope of latching onto it.

7.50pm GMT

3 min: It’s a fast start by Spurs all right. Son makes good down the left but can’t find Kane in the middle. No matter, he’s soon coming at Juve again down the same flank. This time he enters the area and from a tight angle lashes a shot towards the bottom left. Buffon parries with a strong arm, and the ball flies out to the other flank. The danger is over, but Juve are on the back foot here.

7.48pm GMT

And we’re off! Spurs kick off, and try to repeat the grift they pulled on Manchester United. Alli is into the Juve box in short order, but Benatia is wise to it and wins a clearing header. The header clanks off the defender’s arm, and there’s a half-hearted penalty shout. But the referee rightly waves play on. “So should I guarantee a Kane hat trick by calling him a donkey before the match starts?” wonders Gareth Beale, who had a rush of blood during half time of the recent Rochdale MBM. “It worked for Llorente, but then Harry doesn’t need my help - COYS!”

7.46pm GMT

Before we start, a perfectly observed minute’s silence for Davide Astori of Fiorentina, who tragically passed away last weekend. It melts into warm applause. RIP Davide.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! A wonderful atmosphere greets the players at Wembley. It’s a big game, with a noise to match. Spurs are in their famous lilywhite shirts, which means the champions of Italy are forced out of their storied zebra stripes and into second-choice yellow. We’ll be off in a minute, once pennants have been swapped, hands shaken, and the memory of poor old Zadok the Priest treated with terrible disrespect. Whispers suggest Juve are going to give their usual 4-3-3 system a good old shoogle. They’ll be playing three at the back: Chiellini, Benatia and Barzagli, with Douglas Costa and Alex Sandro working hard out on the wings. We’ll see soon enough.

7.33pm GMT

Pre-match words from Mauricio Pochettino! “We are in a very good moment, with good momentum and very good form. But the reality today is completely a different game. We need to show our quality. It was important to get the 2-2 result, it was fantastic. But at this level, against Juventus, you cannot start a game like we started that game in Turin. I hope we start strong, of course, trying to go forward and trying to win the game. Son has showed good quality and the capacity to score goals in the last games. Lamela is also fantastic, it is a very good problem for a manager to have.”

7.20pm GMT

Pre-match admin. If you’re not a subscriber yet - and why not, it’s only been going since 1998 - you could do worse than signing up to The Fiver, our daily email of football chit and soccer chat. Today’s edition will even save you the job of scrolling down the page and reading the preamble to this MBM.

7.15pm GMT

Pre-match listening: While we’re killing time before kick off, we could listen to the pundits on the television yammer on about this match, filling time, always filling time. Or we could cock an ear in the direction of Rob Smyth, Lee Calvert and a host of other experts reminiscing about their (and your) salad days. It’s a no-brainer!

6.55pm GMT

Spurs make two changes to the team they sent out in Turin three weeks ago. Kieran Trippier replaces the suspended Serge Aurier, while Heung-Min Son relegates Erik Lamela to the bench.

Juve make three changes from their first-leg starting XI. Mattia De Sciglio, Mario Mandzukic and Federico Bernardeschi are unavailable; in come Andrea Barzagli, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala.

6.50pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Son, Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Rose, Wanyama, Sissoko, Lamela, Moura, Llorente.

Juventus: Buffon, Barzagli, Benatia, Chiellini, Sandro, Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi, Dybala, Higuain, Costa.
Subs: Szczesny, Marchisio, Asamoah, Rugani, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Bentancur.

11.25am GMT

Tottenham Hotspur are a huge club. A famous club. One of England’s grandest institutions. They’ve got a European pedigree to match, having been the first British club to land a trophy on the continent – the 1963 Cup Winners Cup – and the winners of two Uefa Cups since. But their record in the big one constitutes a gap on the honours board: a narrow semi-final defeat to Benfica in 1962 and a quarter-final thumping by Real Madrid in 2011 is all they’ve got to show in the European Cup. So getting through to the quarters this year would be a feat not to be sniffed at. Mauricio Pochettino’s side may be one of the best teams in Europe right now ... but history can be a burden, so one step at a time.

The quarters are tantalisingly close, though. Spurs may have already beaten reigning champions Real Madrid and done for much-fancied Borussia Dortmund this season, but Juventus still looked quite the hurdle when these clubs were paired in the Round of 16. The Old Lady has made two of the last three finals, after all. And when Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in the first nine minutes of the first leg ... well. But look at how Spurs fought back through Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen! A draw, two away goals, advantage Tottenham. If Europe didn’t know it before, they certainly know now: Spurs are the real deal.

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Published on March 07, 2018 13:43

The Fiver | Antiseptic game management and academic form completion

Real Madrid turned up for work on Tuesday night, had a cup of tea, yawned, scratched their arse, and that was the end of Qatar FC. Meanwhile at Anfield, Iker Casillas, 63, made a couple of regulation saves and Liverpool fans patronised him to within an inch of his life. And that was that for another memorable evening of Big Cup entertainment. More, please, world’s most prestigious club football tournament! And sure enough, there will be more of it this very evening, as Manchester City welcome Basel/Basle/Baarrrrlll/Barzuhl to their home for a textbook display of antiseptic game management and academic form completion. Or maybe City will run in another four goals without reply. Thanks, world’s most prestigious, etc. More, more, more.

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Published on March 07, 2018 07:58

March 6, 2018

Paris Saint-Germain 1-2 Real Madrid (agg: 2-5): Champions League – as it happened

No fuss, no drama, as the reigning champs swat aside PSG and make it to the quarters

11.09pm GMT

9.40pm GMT

That’s it! The 12-time European champions march on! They’re into the quarters, having dealt with PSG easily. Their dream of completing the first European Cup hat-trick since Bayern Munich managed it in the mid 1970s is still on! Meanwhile Paris Saint-Germain’s dream of their first Champions League must wait at least another year.

9.38pm GMT

90 min +3: A lot of flares going off right now. The PSG fans are going out with a bang, even if the players themselves are bowing out with a whimper.

9.37pm GMT

90 min +2: Bale has a hammer from 25 yards. Areola fields it without fuss.

9.36pm GMT

90 min +1: It’s not been Cavani’s evening, despite his goal. He’s found on the penalty spot by Dani Alves, but can’t sort his feet out to get a shot away. The earlier anger’s gone; it’s just dejection now.

9.36pm GMT

90 min: Isco pearls one from distance, looking for the top right. Areola tips it round the post. The corner isn’t worthy of note. There will be four added minutes. PSG just wish it was all over right now.

9.34pm GMT

89 min: The PSG supporters are still giving it their all. None of their players have performed tonight, but they’ve really contributed to a superb atmosphere. Trouble is in the post from Uefa regarding the flares, no doubt, but that’s not the point.

9.32pm GMT

87 min: Vazquez performs a few Ronaldoesque tricks down the right, before larruping an effort high and wide. He earned the right.

9.31pm GMT

86 min: Ramos has a rake from the best part of 30 yards. No! “What’s French for cohesion?” wonders Ruth Purdue. “This is actually a bunch of individuals.”

9.30pm GMT

85 min: Cavani is booked for a late clip on Casemiro. He’s been on a rolling boil all night, so that was kind of inevitable. Diarra comes on for Mbappe.

9.29pm GMT

83 min: The superb Vazquez slips Ronaldo free down the inside-right channel. Ronaldo slashes wide in looking for the top right. Factoring in his quality, he should have scored.

9.28pm GMT

82 min: Isco comes on for Asensio. Kroos attempts a curler into the top right. Ronaldo shoots for the bottom left. Nearly, nearly.

9.27pm GMT

That’s that, then. Any remote hope of PSG fighting their way back into this tie are gone. Ronaldo races down the right. He slips it to Vazquez on the outside. Vazquez fizzes it into the middle. Rabiot hacks clear ... but only half clear. Casemiro takes up possession on the edge of the box. He shoots, and his effort deflects off Marquinhos, over Areola and into the net. Tie over.

9.24pm GMT

79 min: Real take a little of the sting out of the game by stroking it around the midfield awhile, utilising their extra man to run PSG ragged.

9.23pm GMT

78 min: Ramos is booked for a late slide on Pastore in the midfield. It’s a fair decision, he can have no complaints. But he files one anyway.

9.22pm GMT

77 min: Marcelo is sent scampering down the left by Asensio. His cross is deflected high into the air. Areola claims under pressure from Bale. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this match will be an end-to-end nonsense from here on in.

9.21pm GMT

76 min: Changes by both teams. Benzema is hooked and replaced by Bale. Meanwhile Draxler comes on for Di Maria.

9.20pm GMT

74 min: Di Maria is robbed by Kroos in the centre circle. He feeds Benzema, who is alongside Ronaldo on the break. Real are two on one! Benzema opts to go it alone, but upon reaching the box hesitates before shooting. He tries to chip Areola, but gets it all wrong. What a waste! Imagine Ronaldo’s reaction! You can imagine it pretty accurately, can’t you.

9.18pm GMT

72 min: Zinedine Zidane responds by sending on Kroos for Kovacic. There’s a pause before the restart, because the ref still isn’t happy with the flares being set off by the home supporters.

9.17pm GMT

But wait a minute! Di Maria makes down the left. He crosses deep. Dani Alves returns the ball into the centre from the right. Pastore stoops to head goalwards. There’s some pinball, and the ball clanks off Cavani, who doesn’t have much of a clue about what’s going on, but has a goal to his name anyway! Scrappy, but suddenly the ten men just need a couple more to take this to extra time!

9.15pm GMT

69 min: Real Madrid have one foot and four toes in the quarters already, but they nearly polished PSG off for good here. Benzema made off down the left and cut the ball back. The excellent Asensio met it first time, sweeping a shot onto the base of the left-hand post from 12 yards.

9.14pm GMT

68 min: Benzema combines with Marcelo down the inside-left channel. The latter reaches the byline and cuts back for Vazquez, whose effort is blocked. The hosts go up the other end, Pastore slipping a pass down the inside right to release Cavani into the area. Navas comes out to block. Cavani goes over the keeper, and claims a penalty. Thing is, he was miles offside. The flag goes up, and PSG’s frustration keeps on rising.

9.12pm GMT

66 min: A second yellow for Verratti, He tangles with Vazquez in the midfield. He wants a free kick but isn’t getting it. He gets right up in the ref’s grille, and that’s a booking for dissent. And he’s off. What raging stupidity, with his team already in dire straits.

9.10pm GMT

65 min: Marcelo sets Benzema off on a dribble down the left. Benzema tries to trick his way into the area, but only succeeds in confusing himself and sending the ball flying out of play for a goal kick. Shame for Real, because PSG were light at the back and Ronaldo was in the middle.

9.09pm GMT

63 min: Real respond by taking a little of the sting from the game, stroking it around the midfield awhile. Then Vazquez shimmies, shakes his hips, and tries to Steve Nicol his way past Berchiche on the right. The Paris full back isn’t having any of it, sticks to him like glue, and eventually forces Vazquez out of play. Goal kick.

9.06pm GMT

60 min: Pastore comes on for Motta. Berchiche glides down the left and crosses low towards the near post. Cavani nearly turns it in, but Navas isn’t to be beaten. The hosts are desperate, but at least they’re asking a few questions now.

9.04pm GMT

58 min: Ronaldo dribbles into the PSG area from the left and goes over in the cheeky style. A light hand on the shoulder, but nope. He has the good grace to grin sheepishly as he gets back up. PSG go down the other end, Mbappe working hard down the inside-right channel and teeing up Cavani, whose attempted bicycle kick from 12 yards doesn’t quite come off.

9.03pm GMT

57 min: Asensio romps into acres down the left. His low cross into the PSG box is fairly aimless, but there’s a reminder that it won’t take much more for the champions to snaffle another away goal and put this tie beyond all doubt.

9.01pm GMT

56 min: Di Maria wins a corner with another determined run down the left. He takes the set piece himself but Kovacic bangs a clearing header miles upfield.

9.00pm GMT

55 min: Verratti bustles down the inside-right channel and tries to shuttle the ball on to Alves, but the flag goes up for offside. PSG have responded well to conceding.

8.59pm GMT

53 min: PSG now need three goals just to force this tie into extra time. Mbappe tries to tee up Cavani in the middle, as he should have done on 43 minutes, but his cross isn’t all that, and he’s offside anyway. The home fans haven’t stopped singing, incidentally.

8.58pm GMT

And this is closer. Asensio bursts down the left, then checks back before playing a delightful reverse pass down the flank for Vazquez on the overlap. Vazquez loops deep. At the far post, Ronaldo rises like only Ronaldo can rise, and smacks a header down and past the helpless Areola!

8.56pm GMT

50 min: There’s quite a bit of smoke down the PSG end. Ronaldo flashes a shot just wide left from the edge of the box. Close!

8.55pm GMT

49 min: Finally the corner is taken. Di Maria’s delivery is met by Silva, but his eyebrows can only brush the ball well wide of the goal. PSG come again in the very next phase of play, though, Di Maria zipping down the left and pulling back to Cavani, who tees up Motta. Motta leans back and attempts a curler into the top left from the edge of the box. It’s miles over the bar. Dreadful. Half a chance.

8.53pm GMT

48 min: ...well, we don’t know yet, because the PSG fans have let off a lot of flares, and the referee isn’t happy about it. There’s an extended faff.

8.52pm GMT

47 min: On BT Sport, Rio Ferdinand suggested PSG needed to up their game, and come flying out of the blocks in this second half. Dani Alves tries to comply, with a burst down the right, but Ramos stands up to him. However, Di Maria comes again down the left, and earns a corner. From which ...

8.50pm GMT

And we’re off again! Real get the party restarted. No changes. “Neymar would be proud of that non assist to Cavani by Mbappe,” deadpans Paul Fitzgerald.

8.37pm GMT

Half-time highlights from the other game. It’s goalless at Anfield, too. Barry Glendenning has the latest from that one.

8.35pm GMT

The whistle goes, and it’s as you were. PSG still need two goals to go through; Real still search for the away goal that’d make things even more difficult for their opponents. A dramatic second half coming up!

8.33pm GMT

45 min: Di Maria floats one into the Real box from the right. Cavani has no chance of meeting it with his head, and the ball floats out for a goal kick. From the restart, Real faff about, and Navas clatters a dreadful clearance off the back of Cavani’s head as the striker closes him down. The ball flies well wide of the goal, but that could have gone anywhere.

8.32pm GMT

43 min: Cavani is still fuming, but now it’s because Mbappe had been sent clear down the right, and instead of teeing one up for the man in the centre, the young chap’s had a go himself from a tight angle. His effort is saved. Cavani theatrically puts his head in his hands.

8.30pm GMT

41 min: Dani Alves shapes to shoot. Instead he dinks the ball to Verratti on the edge of the PSG box. Verratti slips it right to Di Maria, who slams a low cross towards Cavani at the near post. Navas smothers and saves. Cavani is within his rights to at least go for the ball, but you know how these things always pan out. There’s some pantomime shoving, but nobody’s hurt and we all move on.

8.27pm GMT

39 min: From the corner, Casemiro has a whack from distance. Nope! But that’s been a good couple of minutes for Real, who have responded well to a brief period of PSG pressure.

8.26pm GMT

38 min: The best chance of the match so far, and it’s so simple. Marcelo curls a glorious pass down the left wing to release Benzema into acres. He’s one on one with Areola as he enters the area, albeit from a slightly prohibitive angle. The Paris keeper makes himself big and turns Benzema’s shot into the side netting.

8.25pm GMT

36 min: Benzema buzzes down the left and earns another corner for Real. This one’s taken short, and is a total waste of time. PSG clear. But Real come back at the hosts again. Ronaldo teases them down the left, before switching the play to Vazquez on the right. Another corner. And that one comes to nothing as well. The defences well on top at these set pieces.

8.22pm GMT

34 min: PSG are pressing Real back a bit. Di Maria bustles and hustles on the right. He wins the ball and fizzes it through the Real box. There’s nobody in deep blue and red making a run, taking a chance. Di Maria looks frustrated, and he’s got a point.

8.21pm GMT

33 min: Di Maria whips to the near post in the hope of finding Cavani. Casemiro nips in to intercept, and is shoved in the back by Cavani, an idiotic challenge which releases the pressure on Real, who hadn’t yet cleared.

8.20pm GMT

32 min: The referee is interested in booking Kovacic, though. He slides into the back of Di Maria as the former Real winger makes good down the right. A no brainer of a decision. And a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the right of the Real area.

8.19pm GMT

31 min: Ronaldo dribbles at pace down the left and runs slap-bang into Dani Alves. He wants a penalty, as the coming together occurred just inside the area, but come off it. The referee’s not interested.

8.19pm GMT

30 min: A long ball lumped down the middle by Rabiot. It’s a proper old-school hoof, and it nearly catches Real out as Di Maria brings it down and battles his way down the inside-right channel. His attempt to hook the ball into the centre for

Harford
Cavani is deflected into the arms of Navas. Reeptastic ... and there’s nothing wrong whatsoever with mixing it up a bit.

8.16pm GMT

28 min: A period of pretty possession for Paris ends when Mbappe cuts in from the left and curls towards the far stick. A shot or cross? Difficult to say. It evades Di Maria, coming in from the other side, and sails well wide of the right-hand post. But that was a controlled period of play from the home side, who were pinging it around in the triangular fashion.

8.14pm GMT

26 min: Mbappe tries to do something about it, with a distinctly unscrappy dribble down the middle. His power run is brought to an abrupt halt by Casemiro, 25 yards out. Free kick, which Di Maria takes. It’s deflected over the wall for a corner on the right. The set piece is launched into the mixer. Silva challenges for it. Ramos wins the battle.

8.12pm GMT

24 min: Vazquez turns on the jets along the right wing. He feeds Carvajal on the overlap. Carvajal pulls one back. Vazquez battles for it, and concedes a free kick. It’s gone scrappy again.

8.10pm GMT

22 min: The first lull of a hectic evening. You wouldn’t know it by listening to the crowd, who are still giving it plenty.

8.08pm GMT

20 min: Verratti is booked for stretching into a tackle and clipping Casemiro on the ankle. He can have no complaints, it was a poor, mistimed challenge, though he might want a word with Di Maria, whose loose pass caused the problem in the first place.

8.07pm GMT

18 min: From the ridiculous to the sublime by Ronaldo, who one-twos wonderfully with Vazquez down the inside left. He can’t latch onto the ball in the box, but it breaks to Benzema on the penalty spot. Benzema shoots, but it’s deflected over. From the corner, Ramos sidefoots powerfully from close range, but Areola gets down marvellously to save. Vazquez hooks the rebound out of play. So nearly a crucial away goal for the champions.

8.05pm GMT

16 min: Ronaldo is stopped in his tracks by Dani Alves down the left. Frustrated, he takes a kick out at the PSG full back. Luckily for him, he doesn’t make contact, because the referee would have had quite the decision to make had boot connected with flesh. That was very daft.

8.02pm GMT

14 min: The noise hasn’t stopped for a second at the Parc des Princes. This is what European football is all about. Mbappe zips down the right and looks for Cavani in the middle. His low cross is clanked out for a corner, which ... yeah.

8.00pm GMT

12 min: Di Maria earns PSG’s first corner of the night. He takes it, from the left. That one’s not very good, either. Real tear up the other end on the break. Asensio, on the left, finds Ronaldo in acres on the opposite flank with a spectacular crossfield rake. Ronaldo shuttles the ball inside for Benzema, whose shot from the edge of the box is deflected out for a corner ... which is no good. A nice, open feel to this game, but the set pieces aren’t much to write home about. So far.

7.58pm GMT

10 min: Asensio strides down the left, and loops a cross into the centre. The ball takes a massive deflection off Carvajal, and for a second looks like looping over Areola on an absurd arc and into the top right. But the keeper handles with great confidence on the line as he backtracks at speed.

7.57pm GMT

9 min: The first corner of the game as Lucas Vazquez tears down the right. He takes it himself. It isn’t up to much. This is all very hectic, and there’s not much shape to it. But both teams are on the front foot. Did anyone expect it any other way?

7.56pm GMT

7 min: Di Maria crosses from the right. A rabona. Up the other end, Ronaldo is nearly sent clear down the right after instigating a one-two with a cheeky backheel inside to Vazquez. It could be that sort of game.

7.54pm GMT

5 min: Berchiche snaffles possession in the midfield, and from the left-back position romps diagonally, exchanging passes with Cavani and very nearly bursting into the box down the inside-right channel. Again Ramos is wise to the grift, shepherding the ball back to Navas.

7.53pm GMT

4 min: Still a bit scrappy. Motta launches one long in the general direction of Cavani, but Ramos is wise to the move, and heads clear.

7.51pm GMT

2 min: All a bit scrappy in the early stages. Both teams have a stroke of the ball. A lot riding on this; it might take a while to settle down.

7.50pm GMT

And we’re off! The hosts get the ball rolling. Smoke wafts across the pitch, a couple of firecrackers having gone off. It’s a glorious European atmosphere.

7.49pm GMT

Before kick-off, there’s a minute’s silence in memory of Davide Astori. The Fiorentina captain tragically passed away in his sleep on Saturday night. It’s perfectly observed, bar the interjection of one or two desperate types. Ignore them. Thousands of good people do exactly that, drowning them out with warm, respectful applause. RIP Davide.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! There’s an astonishing atmosphere in the Parc des Princes tonight, as you’d expect with everything on the line. One of the pre-tournament favourites is going out this evening. The home heroes play in their first-choice kit: les Rouge-et-Bleu. The reigning European champions, meanwhile, are los Blancos. We’ll be off before you know it! Meanwhile here’s Matt Burtz: “I went to Youtube to check out the PSG-Real Madrid highlights from 1993 and I think you may have even undersold the comeback PSG put together. Their second and third goals were scored in the 80th and 87th minutes to take a 3-0 lead that would have been sufficient to progress, but Real responded with a tie-equalising goal from Ivan Zamorano four minutes into stoppage time. Enter Antoine Kombouare, who thumped a towering header into the net from a free kick SIX minutes into stoppage time to send PSG through. Me, I hope PSG wins it 2-0 in undramatic fashion today.”

7.05pm GMT

Pre-match reading. Here’s our man Paul Doyle on why PSG boss Unai Emery is currently nursing a quadruple cognac in the last-chance saloon ...

6.55pm GMT

PSG make three changes to the team that went down 3-1 at the Bernabeu. Neymar is injured, while Presnel Kimpembe and Giovani Lo Celso drop to the bench. Club captain Thiago Silva takes Kimpembe’s place in the centre of defence; Lo Celso loses his anchoring role to Thiago Motta; and Angel Di Maria looks to fill Neymar’s creative boots.

Real Madrid make four swaps to their starting XI in the first leg. Nacho, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco drop to the bench; Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic take their places in a slightly more defensive-minded line-up.

6.46pm GMT

Paris Saint-Germain: Areola, Alves, Silva, Marquinhos, Berchiche, Verratti, Motta, Rabiot, Di Maria, Mbappe, Cavani.
Subs: Trapp, Kimpembe, Meunier, Lo Celso, Diarra, Draxler, Pastore.

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kovacic, Vazquez, Asensio, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Kroos, Modric, Bale, Hernandez, Isco.

7.57am GMT

Paris Saint-Germain have been here before. They were in a good position three weeks ago, in the first leg at the Bernabeu, before allowing Real Madrid to score a couple of late ones and tilt this tie away from them. File alongside last season, and another Round of 16 tie, in which they let the mother and father of all advantageous situations slip. Having beaten Barcelona 4-0 at home, they proceeded to capitulate in a wild, uncontrolled fashion at Camp Nou, Barca forward Neymar inspiring a late, late triple-whammy blitz to secure a scarcely believable 6-1 win for the Catalan giants. PSG went home not so much with their tail between their legs as the appendage cut off, chopped into little bits, sautéed, spooned into a foil tray, and popped in a doggy bag to carry home.

But ... Paris Saint-Germain have been here before. Recent history may not be too kind, but hark back a little further and the echoes are more pleasant to Francophile ears. The 1993-94 Cup Winners Cup, for example, when the PSG of George Weah dispatched Real Madrid from the quarter finals. Or what’s this? The quarter finals of the Uefa Cup the year before, when Emilio Butragueño, Iván Zamorano and Míchel secured a 3-1 first-leg home win for Real ... only for Weah and David Ginola to inspire a stunning comeback in the second leg, three goals in the last nine minutes putting the finishing touches to a 4-1 victory that smashed Los Merengues into a million dusty pieces.

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Published on March 06, 2018 13:41

March 3, 2018

Burnley 2-1 Everton: Premier League – as it happened

The Clarets came from behind to deservedly claim victory at Turf Moor.

2.35pm GMT

2.21pm GMT

The whistle goes! Turf Moor erupts! Burnley come from behind to win a Premier League game under Sean Dyche for the very first time, at the 54th attempt! Their 12-game winless streak comes to an end! And Everton’s dreadful record on the road continues: it’s now one win in the last 23, and they’ve lost the last six. Dyche celebrates: his team remain in seventh, up to 40 points at last. Everton meanwhile stay in ninth for now, on 34 points, just seven clear of the drop zone. Which probably isn’t an issue, but, y’know. Sam Allardyce trudges off wearing a wry smile. He knows that’s not good enough from Everton, who were dismal in the second half. If he somehow doesn’t know, the travelling Everton support are putting him straight in the vocal style. Either way, Burnley deserved to win a thoroughly entertaining game: their long wait for a three-point haul is finally over thanks to a storming second-half performance!

2.19pm GMT

90 min +2: Calvert-Lewin dribbles down the left with great determination, riding a couple of tackles. But he can’t do it all on his own. A third tackle puts a stop to his gallop.

2.18pm GMT

90 min: They’ll need to see out three added minutes.

2.17pm GMT

89 min: Bolasie hooks in from the left. Pope again rises to claim. The tension is palpable. Burnley and their supporters have waited so long for a win. Can they get over the line?

2.16pm GMT

88 min: Bolasie’s eager running earns Everton a corner on the left. Turf Moor falls silent; letting that lead slip here in injury time against Southampton is still raw. But Pope claims the set piece without fuss or drama.

2.15pm GMT

86 min: Rooney is bundled over by Lowton as he romps down the left. A chance for Everton to load the box. Rooney takes it himself. The ball’s whipped into the mixer. The referee immediately blows up for shoving. In fact, it’s worst than that, because Williams loses his cool in a tussle with Barnes and sticks his right arm in the striker’s startled boat! The referee flashes red. Williams departs, and doesn’t bother arguing the toss.

2.12pm GMT

85 min: Martina sends a hanging cross into the Burnley box from the left. Pope comes to claim. Calvert-Lewin knocks him over. The clock continues to tick: it’s now Burnley’s friend.

2.10pm GMT

83 min: Bolasie comes on for Sigurdsson. The Everton fans aren’t particuarly taken with that decision, and make their feelings known.

2.09pm GMT

82 min: And there were Everton, suddenly looking dangerous for the first time in this second half. Funny old game, as they used to say on 1980s ITV.

2.08pm GMT

This is so simple! The corner’s launched into the mixer. Wood, at the far post, attacks the ball while Williams stands still. He bashes his header across Pickford and into the left-hand side of the net! Burnley are ten minutes away from their first win since December!

2.07pm GMT

79 min: Burnley respond well, Barnes causing more trouble and earning a corner down the right. Lennon has a shot from the edge of the box. It’s deflected wide left. Another corner. From which ...

2.06pm GMT

78 min: Everton really have stepped it up! Now Sigurdsson latches onto a half-arsed Mee clearance, shifts his feet down the inside-left channel, and tries to guide a shot into the bottom right from 12 yards. It flashes inches wide of the post. He had four blue shirts in the middle, too, waiting for a pass or a rebound. Everton came very close there.

2.05pm GMT

77 min: Suddenly there’s a bit more snap in Everton’s play. Walcott makes good down the right and loops long. Rooney can’t quite rise at the far post. Burnley clear.

2.04pm GMT

76 min: And now Niasse earns a corner on the left. The set piece doesn’t really lead to much, but this is much better from the visitors, who have Burnley on the back foot suddenly. It’s been a long time coming.

2.03pm GMT

75 min: Walcott dribbles into the Burnley box from the right. He’s allowed two attempts at a cross. The second is nearly bundled home at the near post by Sigurdsson, but Lowton challenges superbly to save a certain goal. Rooney tries to keep the move going, and Niasse hooks a wild effort over the bar. Finally, Everton turn up for the second half!

2.01pm GMT

73 min: Mee launches long. Wood brings it down unchallenged. He knocks the ball to the right for Cork, who returns it high into the box. Wood’s header towards the top right isn’t troubling Pickford.

1.59pm GMT

71 min: Westwood strokes a pass down the left for the superb Barnes. Williams doesn’t get very tight, and Barnes has space to curl in a cross. Wood is in the middle, waiting, hoping, but the delivery isn’t up to much.

1.57pm GMT

70 min: The first serious lull of a high-tempo match.

1.56pm GMT

68 min: Everton’s goalscorer makes way: Tosun departs, Niasse comes on.

1.55pm GMT

67 min: Lowton and Barnes combine down the right again, very nearly replicating the equaliser. Williams plays the role of Keane this time. And Pickford makes himself big to save the day. Gudmundsson tries to hammer home the rebound, but it’s eventually deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes of that.

1.53pm GMT

65 min: Two-pass Everton moves are at a premium right now. The equaliser has rattled them, though at least they’ve managed to push the action back into the centre of the park now, as opposed to their own box.

1.51pm GMT

63 min: Here’s another stat from Sky. Burnley’s record under Sean Dyche in the Premier League after conceding first is quite something: played 53, lost 42, drawn 11, won none. Could they get another today and put an end to that frankly weird record?

1.50pm GMT

61 min: The set piece leads to nothing. Turf Moor is bouncing, though. This has been a gloriously entertaining game, with both sides bringing plenty to the table. Burnley are right on top at the moment, though.

1.48pm GMT

60 min: Rooney comes on for Davies. Everton continue to fret. Lennon runs at them, right to left, across the front of the box. He slips the ball to Gudmundsson, who enters the area down the channel, then fizzes a tap-me-in cross through the six-yard box. Coleman nudges it out for a corner before Barnes can meet it.

1.47pm GMT

58 min: Everton are suddenly very ragged. Barnes, Wood, Lennon and Gudmundsson swarm their box from all angles. It’s like the opening credits of Dad’s Army. Everton are in a panic, and for a second a goal looks inevitable. But the ball never quite sits up for a shot, the Burnley players get in each other’s way, and Everton somehow hack the ball clear.

1.45pm GMT

Sky flash up a caption showing that Burnley have only scored 10 goals at home all season, the worst record in the top four divisions. The shame shocks them into action! Lowton curls a beautifully weighted pass down the right flank to send Barnes scampering goalwards. He’s got the better of Keane, who is slow and out of position. Barnes strides into the area, and lashes past Pickford, who for once has no answer. A deserved equaliser!

1.43pm GMT

55 min: A free kick for Everton out on the left, Tosun having been nudged in the back by Tarkowski. Sigurdsson hits the free kick long, and nearly finds Williams coming in at the right-hand post. Nope. But it was close, and a fine delivery. Goal kick.

1.41pm GMT

54 min: Everton stabilise by faffing around in the midfield awhile. It quietens the crowd and gets them up the park a bit.

1.40pm GMT

52 min: Lowton, out on the right, plays a blind pass back infield. Walcott very nearly nips in to intercept - he’d be through on goal had he done so - but Pope comes out of his box to blooter free.

1.38pm GMT

51 min: That’s a fine start to the half by Burnley, though, who clearly aren’t of a mind to take this scoreline lying down. Everton have yet to get going again.

1.38pm GMT

49 min: And he’s at it again from the corner! Mee sends a header flashing towards the top right from close range. Pickford does astonishingly well to stick out a strong hand, keeping the ball out. It does drop to Wood, though, who should tap the falling ball home with his head from close range. But he skims it over the bar.

1.36pm GMT

48 min: Good work from Gudmundsson down the left, and suddenly there’s space for Lennon, coming in from the right. He peals a glorious rising shot towards the top right, but Pickford turns it round the post. Another magnificent save by this excellent young keeper.

1.35pm GMT

47 min: Wood is straight into the action. Lowton sends a long pass down the right. Keane should deal with it, but pressure from Wood on his shoulder forces him into the concession of a corner. From the set piece, Everton fail to clear. There’s a scuffle, and eventually the ball drops to Mee on the edge of the box. He shoots, but it’s into a thicket of players. Blocked. Cleared.

1.33pm GMT

And we’re off again! Everton get the second half underway. One change: Chris Wood, Burnley’s record signing, comes on for Jeff Hendrick. “Surely Julio Caesarean has to be in as a sub goalie?” wonders David Moore. I don’t know why I encourage Millings.

1.29pm GMT

Meanwhile some breaking news ...

1.25pm GMT

Half-time happy birthdays, like they do for little kids over the PA at matches: “Just this past week, it was MBM (and OBO) stalwart Phil Sawyer’s birthday,” begins Mac Millings, 9. “Could I possibly wish him many happy returns and give him, as an unwanted present, my All-time Birth(day) XI?

Gravid De Gea
Congratuleighton Baines
Birth Canalan Hansen
Jaapy Birthday Stam
For Reece a Jolly Good Fellow Oxford
Johnny Rhythm Metgod
Sex Fabregas
Nigel Umbilicallaghan
Condominic Calvert-Lewin
Delivery Alli
Pregnanthony Martial

On the bench: Goalkeeper: David Seaman. Placenta forward: Ovum Rösler.”

1.18pm GMT

And that’s that for the first half. It’s been a blast. An icy blast, but a blast nonetheless. Burnley have probably been the better side, on the balance of play, but Everton have been resolute at the back, and their goal was a thing of crisp, old-school beauty. More of this, everyone, please!

1.15pm GMT

45 min: Burnley push Everton back a bit, but the visitors hold their shape on the edge of their area. There’s no way through.

1.14pm GMT

43 min: Lowton launches a long throw into the Everton area from the right. Barnes barges Martina out of the road and flicks on, but there’s nobody behind him to benefit in the Coleman-Tosun style. Pickford claims.

1.13pm GMT

42 min: This match has been great fun. But it’s slowing down as half time approaches. So here’s Ian Burch with a story to warm the cockles on a freezing day: “About 20 years ago I had the pleasure of watching Orient play Mansfield on a frozen pitch mysteriously passed as fit to play by the ref. A bitterly cold day was enlivened by the appearance of the ponytailed Brian Kilcline for Mansfield. If ever a player was perfect for such conditions it was Killer who spent the match crashing into hoardings and any opponent not afraid to get close to him, not quite as mad as Rick Wakeman’s King Arthur on ice, but not far off.”

1.11pm GMT

39 min: Ward cuts in from the left and is stopped unceremoniously by Walcott, who had his foot up and studs showing, but escapes a booking. The free kick’s looped into the mixer. Lennon gets a touch on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. He pokes the ball across the face of goal, but Mee can’t sort his feet out to slam home! Pickford saves the day again, and Everton breathe out.

1.10pm GMT

38 min: To be fair to Burnley, Coleman had - accidentally but painfully - trodden on Gudmundsson’s ankle. Ooyah, oof. But that’s how it panned out.

1.08pm GMT

36 min: Westwood is correctly booked for clanking clumsily into Davies in the midfield. It’s an obvious yellow, though Westwood isn’t having it, maybe because Coleman had committed a garden-variety foul on Gudmundsson a split second earlier, but the referee waved play on. Play to the whistle.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: Now Barnes swivels past Willams to the left of the Everton D and sends a rising shot towards the top left. Pickford picks it. This is a lot of fun.

1.05pm GMT

34 min: This is a really entertaining game. So much for the dour nonsense that had been predicted by, well, just about everyone. Barnes chases a long ball down the right, but can’t quite get the better of Keane as he attempts an elaborate chip from the edge of the box. Keane blocks. Everton go up the other end, Walcott cutting in from the right. His clipped shot from just inside the area is swallowed by Pope.

1.03pm GMT

33 min: ... Gueye shanks woefully wide from 25 yards. Ah well, if you don’t buy a ticket.

1.02pm GMT

32 min: Cork dallies in front of his own area and has his pocket picked by Walcott. The next totally unnecessary phase of play - from Burnley’s point of view - leads to an Everton corner on the right. From which ...

1.02pm GMT

30 min: Pickford’s astonishing save led to a corner, which led to ... not much. Burnley are certainly pressing for an equaliser, though.

1.01pm GMT

29 min: A world-class save by the sensational Jordan Pickford! Lowton crosses from the right. Barnes meets it in the Keith Houchen style, guiding his header towards the top left. That’s surely flying into the corner of the net! But no. Pickford extends an arm, then all of his fingers, and tips gloriously away. That’s delightful football all round ... but what a save. England’s World Cup keeper, surely.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: It’s end to end stuff. Hendrick has a shot blocked by Gueye. Everton sprint up the other end, Walcott suddenly finding himself free in the box on the left. He’s got blue shirts up with him in the middle, but opts for a cute flick around Pope from a tight angle. The keeper smothers.

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Calvert-Lewin is rightly booked for a desperately late slide on Ward, as he chases a ball he was never likely to get down the right. It’s not a good challenge, catching Ward’s standing leg, but to be fair it looked an issue of poor timing rather than intent.

12.56pm GMT

24 min: Martina makes a nine-course tasting meal of shepherding a ball back to Pickford. Lennon very nearly nips in between defender and keeper, but Everton’s job is eventually completed. Still a sense that the visitors may be vulnerable at the back, even if they’ve just had a huge confidence boost up front. To emphasise this point, here’s a tactical note from Evertonian Gary Naylor: “There are snowmen more mobile than Ashley Williams and with better positional sense than Michael Keane.”

12.53pm GMT

22 min: That goal has seen Everton’s confidence come flooding back. Walcott tears down the centre of the pitch at great speed, and with great purpose. He’s got Burnley’s back line backtracking in panic. He slips the ball to his left. Tosun dribbles into the area, drops a shoulder inside, and looks to curl a low pass into the bottom right. Pope reads it and snaffles, but what a tonic a goal can be!

12.51pm GMT

Cenk Tosun scores his first goal in an Everton shirt! Sigurdsson takes a free kick from the left with the Burnley box loaded. It’s dreadful, easily cleared by the first man. But no worries! Everton recycle possession, feeding Walcott on the right. Walcott whips a cross to the near post. Coleman eyebrows it on. Tosun comes in from behind, and expertly guides a header into the right-hand portion of the net, Pope given no chance! That’s a lovely goal.

12.49pm GMT

19 min: Gudmundsson makes his way into the Everton box on the left. He reaches the byline and fires low through the six-yard box. Barnes stretches to poke home, but Pickford is down to fingertip the ball away from danger. Wonderful goalkeeping. A corner follows, but it comes to nowt.

12.47pm GMT

17 min: Now it’s Burnley’s turn to pass up a glorious chance. Lennon zips past Martina down the right with ease, a beautiful burst of pace and skill. He whips a cross to the far post. It’s half cleared, but the ball falls to Cork, 12 yards out, level with the left-hand post. It’s a harder chance than Walcott’s, but he should still get it on target at least. Again, it flies over the posts in the rugby style.

12.45pm GMT

14 min: From a throw on the left, Sigurdsson dances into the Burnley area. Some lovely tight control. He dribbles to the byline, then cuts back accurately for Walcott, eight yards out. Walcott surely must score. He has to get it on target, at least. But he snatches at his first-time shot, leaning back, and the result is only clinical in rugby union. What a miss. But what delightful play by Sigurdsson. A phantom assist.

12.43pm GMT

12 min: Sam Allardyce is doing quite a lot of shouting on the touchline. He’s not too happy with what he’s seen so far. Gueye cops a bit of flak for not showing at a throw-in.

12.40pm GMT

10 min: Gudmundsson is lively today, though. Now he’s spraying a wild shot into the stand behind Everton’s goal, having latched onto a knockdown by Barnes from a searching right-wing Lennon cross.

12.39pm GMT

9 min: A free kick for Burnley out on the right. A chance to load the box. Everton look collectively fidgety, betraying their current lack of confidence. But Gudmundsson scuffs the delivery, the ball flat, weak and aimless. Everton hack clear with a yawn, no trouble at all.

12.38pm GMT

7 min: The hosts come again, Lowton striding down the right and looping a lovely cross towards the far post. Coleman clears with Barnes lurking. Everton go up the other end and fling in a cross of their own, Martina’s effort from the left too high for Tosun in the centre. But only just.

12.36pm GMT

5 min: Pickford again claims easily, snaffling a Gudmundsson left-wing cross without too much fuss. But Burnley are beginning to show a little bite in attack.

12.35pm GMT

4 min: It’s a little bit scrappy at the moment. Tarkowski nearly gifts possession to Davies in the midfield, but recovers; just as well, because Burnley were light at the back. Then Gudmundsson has a crack at goal from 20 yards, latching onto a poor Keane clearance. His shot has the sting taken out of it by an Everton shirt, and Pickford claims easily.

12.33pm GMT

2 min: Sigurdsson puts Lowton in a spot with a bit of gegenpressing, on the left-hand corner of the Burnley box. The hosts are on the back foot, but Calvert-Lewin charges in to help. He’s way too eager, and commits a silly foul that takes the pressure off the hosts.

12.31pm GMT

And we’re off! The hosts get the ball rolling, and launch it long. Twenty seconds of head tennis. Ward threads a pass down the left with a view to releasing Hendrick, but the flag goes up for offside. A brisk start, to go with the weather.

12.29pm GMT

The teams are out! No pre-match chat today with Sean Dyche, presumably because Sky Sports had a pre-recorded love-in with Burnley supporter Alastair Campbell in the can. The players take to the pitch, which has been painstakingly cleared of snow by the hard-working ground staff. A marvellous job, and a scene of the most wonderful verdancy. It’s still freezing, mind. Zero degrees centigrade ... and it feels like minus five. As noted in the preamble, it’s March. Burnley are in their famous claret, Everton sport their storied blue. We’ll be off in a minute!

12.20pm GMT

Pre-match entertainment. Have you seen the weather out there?

11.46am GMT

Big Sam speaks! “The performance at Watford, while not the best, looked like it was going to end up as a result. From an attacking point of view we got into the final third on 36 occasions and in the penalty area even more so. But we only had seven shots at goal and two on target, so we’re trying to be a bit more creative on the front line. And defensively we were sound apart from the goal we let in. So we have to try to balance the two. Let’s try and be creative and score more. It’s going to be tough against Burnley because they’re very good on their own patch. Michael Keane wants to show how good he is on his return, hopefully he will be solid and sound as he was for Burnley.”

11.42am GMT

Burnley make one change from their recent draw at Turf Moor with Southampton. James Tarkowski replaces Kevin Long in the defence.

Everton make three changes to the XI named for the defeat at Watford. Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin come in to lead the line, while Seamus Coleman returns at right back. Wayne Rooney and Oumar Niasse drop to the bench, while Jonjoe Kenny misses out altogether.

11.31am GMT

Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Ward, Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, Lennon, Hendrick, Barnes.
Subs: Nkoudou, Marney, Vokes, Wood, Lindegaard, Bardsley, Long.

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Williams, Keane, Martina, Davies, Gueye, Walcott, Calvert-Lewin, Sigurdsson, Tosun.
Subs: Schneiderlin, Baines, Bolasie, Rooney, Niasse, Holgate, Robles.

2.54pm GMT

It’s March. A fairly basic observation, it’s true, though one worth making. That’s because Burnley haven’t won a game in the Premier League since early December. That’s an 11-match streak. Everton meanwhile have only tasted victory once on the road in England’s top division since the start of February 2017. That’s one win in 22 away matches. This lunchtime’s fare is something of a hard sell.

Then again, this is a showdown between seventh and ninth. In the chase to be crowned Best of the Rest outside the Big Six ... yeah, I know ... both these famous old clubs are in with a shout, despite it all. The Clarets are somehow clinging onto seventh spot, while the Toffees remain in the top half even though they’ve lost five of their last eight.

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Published on March 03, 2018 06:27

February 28, 2018

Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 Rochdale: FA Cup fifth-round replay – as it happened

Fernando Llorente was Tottenham’s hat-trick hero on a snowy night at Wembley.

10.41pm GMT

9.45pm GMT

And so a wild evening, in more ways than one, comes to an end. Tottenham Hotspur will travel to Swansea City in the quarter finals, while Rochdale return to their League One relegation struggle. Spurs were worthy winners, with Fernando Llorente scoring a perfect hat-trick. Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura were also majestic. But spare a thought for Rochdale, who deservedly went in level at half-time against one of the best sides in Europe. It didn’t quite work out for them in the end, but it’s been a brilliant cup run for the Dale. Heroes all. The latest noise surrounding the pros and cons of VAR won’t obscure that.

9.42pm GMT

Walker-Peters Ricky Villas his way in from the left. He lays off to Alli, who returns the ball with a clever reverse pass down the channel. Walker-Peters is clear in the box. He slams towards the bottom left, and in it goes off Lillis.

9.38pm GMT

90 min: There will be three minutes added for stoppages. It’s been some night, huh?

9.37pm GMT

89 min: Spurs stroke it around the back, running down the clock, their work done. “I’m an American fan of both kinds of football: Jets and Spurs, so I’m used to disappointment,” begins Ron Stack. “VAR is a terrible idea, and not just because it was applied poorly and to Spurs’ detriment on a cold, snowy night. The NFL has baked all sorts of reviews into the game, and it’s horrible. Not only does it make a slow game even slower, it doesn’t make the fans feel better about the outcome. Referees’ mistakes balance out over time. The integrity of the game is not in issue.”

9.35pm GMT

87 min: A corner for Rochdale down the right. McGahey meets it with his head, but his effort is way off target. “I hope the fans who travelled down from the Dale have a better view than me - I can barely see the ball thanks to the snow,” reports John Culkin. “It’s a little sad for the tie to finish looking like a bit of a drubbing, but as a long suffering Dale fan, watching them perform so well, and inspire a little genuine hope that we might pull off something amazing - it has been really brilliant. But VAR can do one.”

9.33pm GMT

85 min: In the interests of VAR balance, and to be scrupulously fair there’s been none in this MBM, here’s Rick McGahey: “Why all this moaning about VAR? Surely if they can get the timing right, it is an improvement. Does everyone long for the days when keepers could pick up a pass from a teammate? For no substitutions? Tennis uses Hawkeye very well, PL seems to be reviewing too many obvious situations with VAR and then lacking a protocol for quick decisions. But why don’t you want something to help refs make correct decisions?”

9.32pm GMT

83 min: A free kick for Rochdale, out on the right. Camps hooks it into the mixer. Henderson tries to recreate Keith Houchen’s diving header that did for Spurs in the 1987 final. It’s straight at Vorm, keeping Vorm, er, warm.

9.31pm GMT

82 min: The magnificent Lucas Moura makes way for Kyle Walker-Peters. Meanwhile several members of the groundstaff storm the pitch and clear the lines of snow with shovels and other appropriate tools. Not before time, you could argue. Much cheering greets them, from both sets of fans.

9.27pm GMT

80 min: “Just imagine what Harry Kane would achieve if Gareth Beale called him a donkey,” coos Cian O’Mahony.

9.26pm GMT

78 min: The snow continues to fall. To the travelling Rochdale faithful’s immense credit, they’re still making a hell of a racket. And they’ll always have Spotland, and that wild, wild, wild first half.

9.24pm GMT

76 min: Cannon is replaced by the 16-year-old Rochdale prospect Dan Adshead. “Who can see the ball?” asks John Addis. “While VAR makes everyone wait in the snow to make the wrong decision, there’s snow all over the pitch and no one thinks to change the now invisible ball to orange. As a famous band once sang, the modern world is rubbish.”

9.21pm GMT

73 min: Lamela curls the free kick over the wall and off the right-hand post. Lillis didn’t move. Just as well, because Alli latches onto the rebound and hits it straight at him.

9.20pm GMT

72 min: Lamela turns on the jets down the inside-right channel, and is blocked by McNulty to the right of the D. I think; there’s a lot of snow on the pitch, obscuring the lines. A free kick in a dangerous position, though.

9.17pm GMT

69 min: Spurs stroke it around the back awhile, causing little trails in the snow. Rochdale will be cursing that half-time whistle.

9.15pm GMT

67 min: No hat-trick for Son, it simply wasn’t meant to be. He’s replaced by Dele Alli. “As a bit of a Spurs fan, can we employ Gareth Beale to slag them off more often please?” asks Eddie George. He should definitely monetise his talent, yes.

9.13pm GMT

The excellent Lucas Moura drops deep and slips a pass down the inside-left channel for Lamela, who hooks low into the centre. Son is free in acres and sidefoots home for his

third
second of the game. He couldn’t miss.

9.12pm GMT

64 min: Kitching is replaced by Thompson.

9.10pm GMT

62 min: Winks is replaced by Dembele. “VAR is not only useless, it’s contrary to the whole spirit of football, which is living in the moment,” argues David Taylor. “Ref mistakes have always happened and always evened out in the long run. And this was fine. It’s only a game, and it’s to be enjoyed. Even if VAR does eventually work the delays will ruin games. As we are now, the delays ruin games and the decisions are still wrong.” Preach on, brother.

9.08pm GMT

61 min: That’s a perfect hat-trick for Fernando Llorente: left foot, right foot, header, no other goals in between. “I’m glad that Llorente has taken my constructive criticism on board and got his finger out,” deadpans Gareth Beale.

9.07pm GMT

Son and Sissoko exchanges passes down the right. Son almost literally skates into the box, reaches the byline, and stands one up to the far post. Llorente, from close range, completes a 13-minute hat-trick!

9.06pm GMT

58 min: Steve Davies, who forced this replay, comes on for the injured Humphrys.

9.04pm GMT

56 min: Done romps down the left and reaches the byline, then nearly finds Humphrys on the edge of the Spurs box with a pullback. Not quite, but there’s a sign that Rochdale aren’t quite finished yet.

9.03pm GMT

55 min: The snow really is belting down now. The Wembley turf is as white as Tottenham’s shirt.

9.01pm GMT

Son and Moura combine sweetly down the inside-right channel, exchanging crisp passes. Moura bursts into the box and crosses low towards the near post. Llorente flicks a casual finish into the net from close range. What a half-time team-talk Mauricio Pochettino must have delivered!

8.59pm GMT

51 min: Llorente goes haring after a long ball down the left. Lillis reads this one well, and blooters it clear from the edge of his area before the Spurs striker can take control. “We’ve watched VAR ruin numerous games in the A-league this season and had it please next to no one,” reports Peter Dawson. “The human factor is that which gets blamed. It seems the human factor will always be there VAR or not, but people can forgive a ref missing something in the moment. But screwing something up with the benefit of replays and a deep breath for some common sense is going to see fans turn away. I wanted VAR to work but it’s a few years away from being ready for the top tiers of football.”

8.58pm GMT

49 min: Lamela slides through the back of Camps, and could very easily be looking at a second yellow. But the referee shows compassion. The Spurs winger wants to watch himself here; he’s in the last-chance saloon now.

8.57pm GMT

48 min: Of course, there’s a little pause before the goal is awarded, because there has to be a VAR check. Eventually the fans are permitted to celebrate, but the moment’s kinda gone.

8.55pm GMT

Moura latches onto a header by Lamela and drives down the middle. The ball’s slipped down the inside-right channel for Llorente, who daintily flicks the ball over the advancing Lillis and into the net! What a start to the half for Spurs!

8.53pm GMT

We’re off again! Spurs get the ball rolling for the second half. The ref demands the kick-off be retaken for encroachment. It’s just one of those nights, huh. “Notwithstanding the absolute farce that has been VAR the first half, Spurs have not been good enough,” writes Gareth Beale. “It’s obvious they are all fringe players as they are not playing like a team. So many misplaced passes and sloppy defending. Llorente has been an absolute donkey up front, losing the ball and falling over constantly. I think we’ll need the first-string again second half in order to win this game.”

8.40pm GMT

Half-time breathing exercise: For those annoyed by VAR, or those annoyed by those annoyed by VAR. Serenity now!

8.37pm GMT

VAR, eh? Heh.

8.36pm GMT

45 min +5: Lamela slides through the back of Camps in the midfield and earns a thoroughly deserved yellow card. Then the referee calls in the VAR, just in case he needs to flash red. He doesn’t. Now that would have put the cat among the pigeons.

8.35pm GMT

45 min +4: The corner is a non-event. Not something you can say about the rest of this weird and wonderful half.

8.34pm GMT

45 min +3: This is one of the weirdest halves of football there’s been for quite a while. For all the VAR nonsense, Rochdale have been brilliant. Now Done is sent scampering down the left wing. He’s got Humphrys and Henderson in the middle, but allows Trippier to close him down before he can get a cross in. He’ll have to settle for a corner.

8.32pm GMT

45 min +1: There will be five VAR-related extra minutes in this half. And Rochdale are inches away from taking the lead in the first of them! Vorm’s clearing kick is charged down. Humphrys takes up possession on the edge of the box and tees up Cannon to his right. Cannon sends a low rasper across Vorm and off the bottom of the left-hand post! So unlucky! That was a magnificent effort!

8.30pm GMT

45 min: Foyth has been all elbows and knees from the get-go. He clatters into Humphrys down the right and earns himself a deserved yellow card.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: The snow continues to fall. A light smattering of white on the pitch now. “Tell JR in Illinois that the new rules in soccer now state that once a goal is scored, a series of men with little understanding of the game are given the task of watching a replay and finding a reason to disallow it,” opines Justin Kavanagh. “VAR stands for Very Ambiguous Reasoning, which these numpties are obliged to employ when reaching said decision.”

8.27pm GMT

41 min: Trippier races down the right. He whips a cross into the mixer. Lamela rises, six yards out, but not quite high enough to meet the ball properly. His header wafts into Lillis’s arms.

8.26pm GMT

40 min: Moura romps down the left. For a second, it looks as though he’s going to work space for a shot, but McGahey steps in to concede a corner. The set piece is a waste of time.

8.25pm GMT

39 min: Trippier, quarterbacking from deep on the right, finds Son clear down the middle. Son can’t quite get the ball out from under his feet, and the chance to tear clear on goal is gone.

8.24pm GMT

38 min: Rose bursts through a huge gap down the left of the park, but can’t find anyone in the centre. “So JR in Illinois is not even sure he’s watching football any more, thanks to VAR,” writes Simon McMahon. “Maybe he will be happier when he finds out who’s performing the half time show tonight.”

8.22pm GMT

36 min: Lamela has a blast from the edge of the box. Lillis parries. Son tries to pick up the rebound but can’t get a shot away. It’s fair to say the atmosphere has got quite a bit warmer in the last 25 minutes or so.

8.20pm GMT

35 min: As if the weather wasn’t trippy enough!

8.20pm GMT

33 min: Never mind the snow; on the bench, Pochettino has a face like thunder. Now a free kick for Rochdale is slipped down the right wing and worked into the Spurs area. Cannon very nearly turns the ball home at the near post, but can’t quite wrap his foot around the ball. Goal kick.

8.18pm GMT

Cannon, out on the right, wedges a glorious pass down the channel. Humphrys beats the offside trap, brings the ball down delicately, shifts a little to his right and past Vorm in one movement, and slams the ball into the bottom right! WOW.

8.16pm GMT

30 min: So the penalty goal’s been disallowed for ungentlemanly conduct! This we find out after another ludicrous wait.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: Son hesitates during his run-up. He stops, then tucks the ball into the bottom right. But it’s no goal, because Son has been penalised for illegal feinting.

8.13pm GMT

27 min: It’s going to be a penalty. VAR is turning football into a farce.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: The referee stands with his finger on his ear like a piss-poor folk singer. The crowd boo.

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Trippier is dragged back by Done, an arm round the neck. The foul starts outside the area, and continues inside it. Trippier falls. He wants a penalty. A free kick’s awarded, but first there’s time for the VAR to take centre stage again. The ref asks him to check.

8.10pm GMT

Spurs score their second goal of the match, and this one’s been generously allowed to stand by the VAR. Lamela jigs in from the right. He feeds Son to the left of the area. Son drops a shoulder, cuts inside, and pearls a lovely shot into the bottom right.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: After a break in play, the referee checks with the VAR about the Lucas penalty shout. He’s not changing his mind. VAR is ruining the rhythm of this year’s FA Cup.

8.08pm GMT

21 min: Lucas Moura tries to barge his way through the centre of the Rochdale defence and into the box. McGahey sticks an arm out and puts a shoulder in. Lucas goes down under light contact. He wants a penalty. He’s not getting one.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Winks curls into the Rochdale box from a deep position on the right. Lamela tries to extend his leg at the far post, in the hope of poking home, but can’t quite reach. This game has a nice end-to-end feel about it. It’s not going to end goalless. Speaking of which ... “What sport am I watching?” wonders JR in Illinois. “I thought a goal was scored and now I don’t understand what is happening. I think I may have to find a different sport to watch.”

8.03pm GMT

17 min: The snow is beginning to come down harder. Lamela dances his way down the left and earns a corner; it comes to nothing. Then Rochdale launch a counter, Done slipping a pass down the left for Cannon to rumble onto. He enters the area and runs the ball out of play, just before cutting back into the centre for the in-rushing Henderson.

8.01pm GMT

14 min: A long ball down the left channel sees Done stride into the Spurs box. He chests down and goes for the spectacular: a shot across Vorm and into the bottom right. He’s not far away at all! The shot squeaks wide of the right-hand post. Henderson was haring in from the other wing, and wasn’t far away from connecting. Brilliant pacy football from Rochdale, and a shot across Tottenham’s bow.

7.59pm GMT

13 min: It’s all very scrappy now. The snow continues to fall. On the touchline, Mauricio Pochettino looks far from happy, and who can blame him. At least the fume will keep him warm.

7.58pm GMT

11 min: Spurs appear shocked at the decision, while Rochdale seem slightly stunned at the largesse of the VAR system. The home side try to launch a few attacks, but that’s taken the wind out of their sails, and coherence is suddenly at a premium.

7.55pm GMT

8 min: ... the goal’s chalked off! Llorente is booked for a supposed light tug on McGahey’s arm. It’s far from a clear and obvious error, it’s far from a clear and obvious foul. The goal should have stood. VAR is nonsense.

7.53pm GMT

6 min: Son dribbles fast and strong down the right. He fires low into the middle. Lillis gets a weak hand to it. Llorente goes in with McGahey. The ball breaks to Lamela, who taps in from a couple of yards. It’s a goal. Or is it? A load of VAR faff. And ...

7.51pm GMT

5 min: Lamela shoots from distance. Deflected. Corner. Llorente heads over from the set piece.

7.50pm GMT

4 min: Rochdale are leaving a worrying amount of space in the centre of midfield. Lamela strides through acres, and very nearly releases Llorente into the area. His pass isn’t all that. Rochdale go up the other end, and once again Foyth dribbles his way into trouble. Humphrys momentarily steals the ball, but Foyth robs it back and gets out of bother with a tasty Cruyff Turn that was out of keeping with the nonsense he’d served up before.

7.48pm GMT

3 min: Rochdale deal with the first major set piece of the evening without much fuss.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: Son drives with great purpose, straight down the middle of the park. He attempts to lay off to Llorente on his left - if he’d made the pass, the striker was clean through - but Delaney gets in between the pair and boots out for a corner.

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! Ian Henderson, Rochdale’s top scorer this season, with six goals in the cup, gets the ball rolling. The Dale launch it long. Foyth gets his feet in a bit of a muddle on the edge of his own area and very nearly gifts the ball to Henderson. But he gets away with it.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! Tottenham Hotspur are in their famous lilywhite, while Rochdale play in their first-choice blue. The visitors have taken a 5,146-strong support to Wembley, a fine turnout on an evening we can most definitely describe as a bit brisk. Understandably, given the snowflakes dancing around in the floodlights and a temperature of minus three - feels like minus nine - the Spurs fans aren’t out en masse this evening. Wembley is not heaving. But that isn’t stopping the Dale faithful giving it plenty. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.34pm GMT

Mauricio Pochettino speaks! “We have a very good squad, they can all play in different competitions. We want to go further in this competition, today is a great opportunity to win. The FA Cup is always difficult away from home, it is difficult to show your real quality and level: look at Manchester City! But we have a chance to play again, at Wembley, and move to the next stage.”

7.22pm GMT

Rochdale boss Keith Hill talks to BT Sport: “We came down here early and have done all our photographs. Now we have to take control of our performances. We’ve prepared really well. We’re certainly not overawed. We’re relaxed, confident and looking forward to it. We’re here to try and beat Tottenham, if we lose I’ll be bitterly disappointed. Our FA Cup form has been amazing.”

7.07pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur: Vorm, Trippier, Foyth, Dier, Rose, Sissoko, Winks, Lucas Moura, Lamela, Son, Llorente.
Subs: Sanchez, Kane, Dembele, Alli, Gazzaniga, Eriksen, Walker-Peters.

Rochdale: Lillis, Rafferty, McGahey, McNulty, Delaney, Done, Cannon, Kitching, Camps, Humphrys, Henderson.
Subs: Ntlhe, Rathbone, Thompson, Inman, Davies, Moore, Adshead.

7.00pm GMT

Only Eric Dier and Erik Lamela survive from the Tottenham XI named at Crystal Palace last Sunday. It’s still a pretty strong team, though, with Lamela joined in the attack by Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Fernando Llorente. Harry Kane and Dele Alli are on the bench.

Rochdale, bottom of League One, name exactly the same team that forced a replay a couple of weekends ago. That means two changes from the team that lost at Wigan last weekend: Scott Wiseman and Ollie Rathbone make way for Joe Rafferty and Stephen Humphrys.

10.10am GMT

As Chas, Dave and the drummer from Chas and Dave once sang: it’s lucky for Spurs when the year ends in one. ♬♭ They first won the cup when the century begun. ♯ ♪ They lifted it in 1901, 1921, 1961, 1981 and 1991. Throw in league titles in 1951 and 1961, plus a League Cup in 1971, and there’s a bona-fide number-44 smash hit right there!

Times change, though, and Spurs haven’t won the cup since the days of Terry Venables, Gazza and Paul Stewart. In the new millennium, it’s luckier for Spurs when the year ends in eight. They won the League Cup back in 2008 and ... well, that’s it, though to be fair our hands are tied with sample size. Bill Nicholson took over in 1958, if you fancy widening it out a bit.

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Published on February 28, 2018 13:48

February 27, 2018

Swansea 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday, La Liga, Football League and more – as it happened

Swansea made the FA Cup quarters for the first time in 54 years on a cold but busy night.

10.04pm GMT

10.00pm GMT

And that’s that. Swansea made a little bit of FA Cup history; Rangers kept on Celtic’s shoulder in Scotland; erstwhile Premier League clubs Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City all made promotion statements; and Real Madrid continued to faff around in La Liga. It’s been a blast. Thanks for reading! Nighty night!

9.57pm GMT

The Swans sail serenely into the quarter finals. It’s their best cup run since 1964, the year they were put out by Preston North End in the semis, as Swansea Town. Now they’ll host either Tottenham Hotspur or Rochdale in the last eight!

9.56pm GMT

The Blades usurp Bristol City in the Championship play-off places. Reading remain in serious danger of being dragged into a relegation dogfight.

9.50pm GMT

Wednesday are applying no pressure whatsoever to Swansea, who look set fair for the quarter finals. It’ll be a fairly shocking comeback if this one goes to extra time, put it that way.

9.48pm GMT

Michael Dawson’s second-half equaliser keeps the Tigers above the Tykes in the relegation struggle. They’re three points above Birmingham in the dropzone, and one ahead of Barnsley in 21st place.

9.45pm GMT

Some results from further down the Football League. In League One, Blackburn Rovers won 3-0 at AFC Wimbledon, Bradley Dack their two-goal hero, Elliott Bennett scoring the other. Rovers move four points clear of Shrewsbury Town at the top. Meanwhile Peterborough United came from behind to beat Walsall 2-1 at London Road. Peterborough are now within touching distance of the play-offs. And in League Two, Coventry City won at Wycombe Wanderers, Marc McNulty’s 82nd-minute penalty the difference. City also have play-off designs.

9.43pm GMT

Nathan Dyer is sent scampering down the right by a clever through ball from Abraham. Dyer enters the area, draws Dawson, and nutmegs the keeper. That’s his third goal of the season, and they’ve all come in the FA Cup.

9.38pm GMT

All of the scoreboard-bothering action at Tynecastle came in the first half. The teams stay in fifth and sixth spots respectively.

9.36pm GMT

So Graeme Murty’s side are now just six points behind Celtic at the top, having played one game more. The champions won’t be too worried, but at least they’re being kept honest by their old rivals. The Saints remain in eighth.

9.30pm GMT

Michael Dawson levels things up in the relegation struggle at the KCOM.

9.28pm GMT

It’s a good night for Sheffield United. Wednesday are losing in the cup, while it appears three points are in the Blades’ bag at Reading. Billy Sharp nets his second to turn the mood sour at the Madejski.

9.26pm GMT

The snow is really falling in Perth now. Craig looks for the bottom-left corner of the Rangers goal from 20 yards, but it’s wide, and with less than ten minutes remaining the only thing that’ll stop Rangers picking up all three points is a short-order snowdrift. Even the Beast from the East couldn’t summon up one of those.

9.18pm GMT

The positive substitution has worked for Swansea! They triangulate prettily down the right. Then Carroll decides to take a pop from distance. He lashes a glorious low shot past Dawson and off the base of the right-hand post. The ball flies along the goal-line and off the left-hand post ... and out! It’s awful luck, because it was a wonderful strike. But Swansea needn’t fret, because Ayew, who has been on the pitch for just over nine minutes, is on hand to sidefoot the rebound powerfully home!

9.15pm GMT

Reading desperately need points, and accordingly have launched a comeback in the early stages of the second half at the Madejski. Omar Richards has halved the deficit.

9.09pm GMT

Swansea make a double change at half time, presumably with a view to getting a result in 90 minutes one way or the other. Olsson and Ayew replace Ki and Routledge. Olsson is quickly linking up with Dyer down the left, nearly releasing the striker into shot-taking territory. Not quite. But there’s an upturn in tempo.

9.05pm GMT

A corner from the right is launched long. Foderingham finds his route to the ball blocked. Kerr rises high at the far post, and plants the simplest header into the net from close range. That’s his first goal for the Saints. And the comeback is, er, on!

9.02pm GMT

It’s fair to say that Graeme Murty’s side have secured the three points at McDairmid Park. Morelos flicks a glorious header home from a tight angle, helping on a cross from the right. Meanwhile poor Murray Davidson’s dismal evening comes to an end: he’s tweaked a hamstring and his race is run.

8.59pm GMT

Mark Duffy makes it two for the Blades just before half time at the Madejski. Meanwhile here’s Chris Smith with an alternative view on Carlos Carvalhal: “Matt Collins may have only just become used to seeing and hearing from Carvalhal and may therefore believe that he’s easy going and fun loving. As a Wednesday fan, let me tell you that he uses it as his form of prickliness when things start falling out of his control. Watch Swansea tumble away once he has to build a squad of his own, and once that happens and people start questioning him (fairly) you’ll see how ‘fun’ he is.”

8.56pm GMT

That breaks an 11-game losing streak for Espanyol against Real. A thoroughly deserved victory, as they were on top for the majority of a poor match. They rise to 13th spot in the Primera División; Real Madrid continue to mooch around in third place.

8.53pm GMT

Espanyol win it with pretty much the last kick of the game! A low cross from the right is met by Moreno, 12 yards out. He shapes like Zidane at Hampden in 2002 - well, OK, maybe a little too much artistic licence there - but he does belt a shot into the right-hand side of the net!

8.50pm GMT

Barnsley defender Adam Jackson has been stretchered off, following a clash of heads with Hull’s Jon Toral at the KCOM Stadium. Play was stopped for over 10 minutes, the incident occurring five minutes before half time. Jackson has only recently returned from a four-month lay-off with posterior cruciate ligament damage sustained against the same opposition back in October. Toral wasn’t able to continue either, but was at least able to make it off the field on his own.

8.46pm GMT

Espanyol are doing all the late pressing in their match against Real Madrid. Moreno is released into the box down the right, but his effort to swish one into the top left gets no curl. Then Sergio Garcia tries to chip Navas from the best part of 50 yards. He’s a saucy one.

8.42pm GMT

Abraham bursts down the middle of the field at the Liberty, with Dyer to his right and Wednesday light at the back. An overhit pass allows Dawson to scamper off his line and claim, though Dyer should really have been put clean through on goal.

8.38pm GMT

Something happens in Swansea! Carroll dinks a little ball into the Wednesday area. Clucas decides to go for the spectacular, and lashes an overhead kick wide left of goal from 12 yards. A half-decent effort, and full marks for ambition, though Abraham was pretty much free in the middle, and a clever cushioned header down by Clucas would have probably resulted in a simple tap-in goal. Still, it’s something. “Watching Carlos Carvalhal’s pre-match interview, I wondered if he’s the only manager around with a ‘Hey guys it’s only a game, let’s enjoy this’ cheery default disposition?” wonders Matt Collins. “It’s a refreshing change from the usual mix of prickly, defensive, sarcastic, brow-beaten etc etc.” Yes, he does appear to have everything in proportion. It’s almost as though he’s worked out that all of this is just meant to be a bit of fun.

8.34pm GMT

Chris Kane of St Johnstone has just been booked for booting David Bates up the seat of his trousers in the comic-book style. Haw. It’s not quite Gemmell on Haller, but you’ve seen red cards flashed for that sort of thing. Rangers, three up at the break, won’t be too fussed, though poor Bates might have to sit on a plump cushion tomorrow.

8.29pm GMT

Sean Goss, on loan from QPR, dinks a delicious free kick over the wall and into the bottom right. Mannus had no chance! A shame Rangers were so poor in the early stages of this season, because they’re in form now, and we might have had a title race.

8.26pm GMT

Gareth Bale tries to flick one home from a corner, but his near-post activity is all pirouette and no power. Meanwhile in Scotland, Jamie Murphy of Rangers embarks on a Gazzaesque burst down the park, but is clipped by Murray Davidson just before he enters the box. Free kick, and a booking for Davidson. Replays show Davidson got some of the ball, so that’s added insult to the two injuries he suffered in the first ten minutes of this game. Not only that ...

8.22pm GMT

Not much going on at Espanyol, or in Swansea. Pity po’ Clocko. The snow’s coming down in Perth, though.

8.20pm GMT

All level at Tynecastle as Steven Naismith finds the net for Craig Levein’s side. Meanwhile Rangers have the ball in the back of the St Johnstone net again, Morelos slamming home from close range after a penalty-box stramash. But Bates had been a-pushin’ and a-shovin’, so the whistle went.

8.15pm GMT

Promotion-chasing Sheffield United want to usurp Bristol City in the play-off places, and they’re going the right way about it. Billy Sharp opens the scoring at struggling Reading.

8.13pm GMT

This is a gorgeous goal. Greg Docherty dinks a clever little ball into the box down the middle. Josh Windass times his run to perfection, and steers an immediate finish into the bottom left past a flat-footed Mannus. That’s cute football.

8.09pm GMT

Hull and Barnsley are both desperate to put some distance between themselves and the Championship dropzone. The early signs tonight are better for Barnsley, who take the lead through Oliver McBurnie.

8.07pm GMT

Espanyol and Real Madrid have started their second-half manoeuvres. The home team are on the front foot early doors, Moreno bothering the top of the bar from a corner. Meanwhile the FA Cup tie between Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday is also underway. An early chance for Butterfield to cause the hosts a few problems with an early free kick down the right. But though the visitors load the box, the delivery is no good whatsoever.

8.00pm GMT

Penalty for Rangers as Morelos chases a long ball and rounds Mannus on the left. The keeper clatters into the Rangers man. He’s booked and it’s a spot kick. Tavernier calmly dispatches it into the bottom right. On the plus side for St Johnstone, Murray Davidson hasn’t suffered any more physical indignities in the last five minutes.

7.56pm GMT

As if pipping them to the 1965 title wasn’t enough, Killie continue to riff on Heart of Midlothian’s pain with an early goal at Tynecastle. Eamonn Brophy gets it.

7.54pm GMT

But not yet! For no sooner is Murray Davidson back up and about, than he’s back on the floor again, clattering accidentally into Josh Windass and taking one upside the head. That’s gotta hurt, to borrow a phrase from George Costanza’s Big Book of Cinema Banter. He’s still good to continue, but the poor guy really has been in the wars.

7.50pm GMT

And that’s the end of a goalless first half in Spain. Now then, what’s happening at a beyond-freezing McDairmid Park? Not much, because Jamie Murphy has just danced all over Murray Davidson’s trouser arrangement, the result of both men stretching into a 50-50. Ooyah, oof. A lot of understandable grimacing and rolling around. Action to follow!

7.45pm GMT

Isco has just whipped a very average free kick over the bar from a dangerous spot just outside the Espanyol box. Seconds earlier, Bale had a good shout for a penalty kick when his low shot from a tight position on the left was blocked by Victor Sanchez, who was skittering around on his arse in the slapstick style, the ball hitting his hand. It was a good save, if accidental, and yes, you’ve seen them given nonetheless.

7.40pm GMT

It’s been 38 minutes of turgid fare at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat. No goals yet. But Gareth Bale’s just gone in the book for hanging out a leg to bring down Darder. He can have no complaints, and to be fair he doesn’t bother making any.

7.36pm GMT

... and the lads at the Liberty ...

Swansea: Nordfeldt, van der Hoorn, Fernandez, Bartley, Roberts, Ki, Carroll, Clucas, Dyer, Abraham, Routledge.
Subs: Britton, Narsingh, Olsson, Jordan Ayew, Mulder, Naughton, James.
Sheff Wed: Dawson, Frederico Venancio, Loovens, Pudil, Hunt, Butterfield, Jones, Reach, Boyd, Rhodes, Lucas Joao.
Subs: Fox, Palmer, Nuhiu, Baker, Wildsmith, Pelupessy, Abdi.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)

7.35pm GMT

The men at the Madejski ...

Reading: Mannone, Gunter, Ilori, van den Berg, Moore, McCleary, Clement, Kelly, Bacuna, Martin, Bodvarsson.
Subs: Evans, Edwards, Barrow, Blackett, Jaakkola, Richards, Smith.
Sheff Utd: Blackman, Basham, Stearman, O’Connell, Baldock, Lee Evans, Duffy, Fleck, Stevens, Clarke, Sharp.
Subs: Moore, Donaldson, Leonard, Lafferty, Holmes, Ched Evans, Lundstram.
Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire)

7.33pm GMT

Now Moreno has the ball in the net, a wild long shot deflecting into his path. He’s free on the penalty spot, and after trapping the ball, tucks it away into the bottom left. The flag goes up for offside, and to be fair to the officials he looked miles off. But replays show there really wasn’t much air between him and Llorente. Real breathe again. They don’t exactly look solid at the back.

7.28pm GMT

Espanyol should be a goal up. Varane’s dismal clearance ended up at the feet of Moreno, who found himself one on one with Navas. A little dink would have sufficed, but instead Moreno went low, and dragged his shot wide left of the target. He’s claiming a corner, insisting Navas made a save, and he may well be right. But he’s not getting it. A terrible miss.

7.19pm GMT

The teams at Tynecastle tonight ...

Hearts: McLaughlin, Randall, Hughes, Berra, Mitchell, Cowie, Cochrane, Adao, Milinkovic, Naismith, Lafferty.
Subs: Irving, Amankwaa, Michael Smith, Hamilton, Callachan, Godinho, Henderson.
Kilmarnock: MacDonald, O’Donnell, Broadfoot, Greer, Taylor, McKenzie, Power, Mulumbu, Jones, Brophy, Tshibola.
Subs: Fasan, Erwin, Findlay, Simpson, Dicker, Kiltie, Wilson.
Referee: Don Robertson

7.17pm GMT

Sergio Ramos has just gone this close at Espanyol. The Real Madrid defender planted his head on a 14th-minute corner, sending the ball whistling inches wide of the top-right postage stamp. Not totally convinced Diego Lopez was getting there, had it been on target.

7.14pm GMT

The team news from McDiarmid Park ...

St Johnstone: Mannus, Kerr, Shaughnessy, Anderson, Comrie, Willock, Davidson, Craig, Alston, Kane, C Williams.
Subs: Johnstone, Millar, MacLean, Wotherspoon, Clark, Gordon, Thomson.
Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Bates, Martin, Halliday, Docherty, Goss, Candeias, Windass, Murphy, Morelos.
Subs: Cummings, Miller, Herrera, Hodson, Bruno Alves, Holt, Alnwick.
Referee: Steven McLean

7.12pm GMT

Some breaking news ... Steve Evans has resigned as manager of Mansfield Town. Evans and his assistant Paul Raynor have left the

Fourth Division
League Two club amid rumours linking them with Peterborough United. Evans has been in charge of the Stags since 2016, leading them to 12th place last season. Mansfield, who are currently fifth, have “reluctantly accepted” the resignations. Their chairman John Radford says: “Whilst I am disappointed by their decision, there are no individuals bigger than Mansfield Town Football Club and the process of appointing a new management team which can lead the club to League One is already under way.” Peterborough host Walsall tonight.

7.07pm GMT

And here’s your Real Madrid XI, embedded below for your leisure and pleasure:

#RMLiga | #RMMovistar
¡Nuestro once inicial para el partido contra el @RCDEspanyol! pic.twitter.com/kXcW5Ntk0q

7.06pm GMT

They’ve just kicked off at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat. Nothing much going on yet. No Karim Benzema or Cristiano Ronaldo tonight for Real, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Here’s the Espanyol starting XI, in super-social-media form:

Ja tenim l'onze de QSF per jugar davant el @realmadrid! Som-hi, som-hi, #RCDE! #EspanyolRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/apJ8I6TCUM

6.56pm GMT

Tonight’s teams from the KCOM Stadium ...

Hull City: McGregor, Aina, Dawson, MacDonald, Clark, Larsson, Irvine, Bowen, Toral, Diomande, Dicko.
Subs: Hector, Marshall, Keane, Campbell, Tomori, Stewart, Grosicki.
Barnsley: Townsend, Cavare, Jackson, Lindsay, Pinillos, Gardner, Joe Williams, Potts, Thiam, Moore, McBurnie.
Subs: Davies, Bradshaw, Moncur, Mallan, Mahoney, Pearson, Yiadom.
Referee: Michael Jones (Chester)

4.37pm GMT

Welcome, one and all, to a midweek Clocko special!

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Published on February 27, 2018 14:00

February 21, 2018

Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United: Champions League – as it happened

It wasn’t much of a match, but United held firm at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

9.36pm GMT

And that’s that. United didn’t really get going tonight, but they’ll be pleased enough with this. Jose Mourinho knows the value of a gritty away display in Europe, just as Sir Alex Ferguson did before him. Vincenzo Montella nods ruefully as he walks to embrace his opposite number, knowing Sevilla didn’t take their chances tonight. It’ll be tougher for them at Old Trafford in three weeks’ time, one suspects.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of two added minutes goes by without much action.

9.33pm GMT

90 min: Banega is replaced by Pizarro. Lukaku probes down the right but can’t work himself any space. United have shown more attacking ambition during the closing stages of this match than at any other point.

9.32pm GMT

89 min: Rashford is bundled over 30 yards from goal. He gets up and takes the free kick himself. He sends a riser towards the top right. It’s flying wide, though it’s not clear that Rico was confident of that outcome, as he dived after it in something of a panic. Goal kick though.

9.31pm GMT

87 min: Rashford cuts into the Sevilla box from the right and very nearly steers a low shot into the bottom left. The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan had its heart in its mouth there.

9.30pm GMT

86 min: Some bedlam in the Sevilla box as, just for a second, it looks like Ramirez has time to shoot from the penalty spot. He can’t get it away. Jesus Navas arrives on the scene and tries to win a penalty with a comically poor dive. Nope!

9.28pm GMT

85 min: Vazquez is to be replaced by Sandro Ramirez, on loan from Everton. Er, hold on, Vincenzo Montella races to the touchline and performs the international mime for no no no no no no no no no no. Ramirez will replace the generally ineffectual Muriel instead.

9.26pm GMT

83 min: Pogba drifts in from the left and chips the ball into the area for Lukaku. The striker brings the ball down with his left arm, spins and batters the ball into the bottom left. The referee isn’t having that sort of carry-on, and the effort is disallowed.

9.24pm GMT

81 min: McTominay loses the ball 30 yards from his own goal. Vazquez thinks about a shot but he’s blocked by Lindelof. Rashford goes up the other end but runs the ball out of play down the right.

9.23pm GMT

80 min: United make their final change of the night, sending on Martial in place of Mata.

9.22pm GMT

79 min: Young flicks a ball down the left in the hope of releasing Mata. Now it’s Sevilla’s turn to showcase their offside trap. This match is petering out.

9.20pm GMT

77 min: Vazquez slips a pass down the inside-right channel to release Correa. Another offside. The crowd are falling a little quiet. United haven’t played particularly well tonight, but they’re well drilled, and are frustrating their hosts.

9.18pm GMT

75 min: Sanchez is replaced by Rashford.

9.17pm GMT

74 min: Vazquez lifts a delicious ball down the right to release Sarabia into the United box. Sarabia tries to curl low into the bottom left, but gives it too much and the ball flies wide. And he’s offside anyway.

9.16pm GMT

73 min: Sevilla are making chances - well, half chances - but they’re not threatening to take one. Muriel jinks down the right and stands one up to the far post. Sarabia rises, six yards out. He tries to steer his header back past de Gea and into the top right, but gets it all wrong. The ball loops over the bar.

9.15pm GMT

72 min: Sarabia again makes his way down the right. He rolls a pass inside for N’Zonzi. Had the Sevilla midfielder taken the ball, he’d have been in a world of space down the inside right. But he lets the ball roll under his foot.

9.14pm GMT

71 min: Sarabia dances down the right and delivers a peach of a low cross through the corridor of uncertainty, just in front of the United six-yard box. Muriel tries to meet it with an outstretched leg, but isn’t getting anywhere near it. De Gea is a picture of studied insouciance. Then again, when is he not?

9.13pm GMT

70 min: Sanchez wheechs down the left and draws four white shirts towards him. He flicks the ball inside for Lukaku, who has McTominay and Pogba to his right. He plays a pass to neither. Half a chance to cause Sevilla some heartache there, with the home side very light at the back. But it’s gone.

9.11pm GMT

68 min: Lukaku’s power earns United a corner down the left. Mata loops it in. The whistle goes for some over-excited shoving, the pressure released on Sevilla.

9.10pm GMT

67 min: No danger for United. Banega wafts a poor effort straight down de Gea’s throat.

9.09pm GMT

66 min: Mata knocks Banega to the ground, 25 yards from goal. A slightly pointless foul, as Sevilla were going nowhere, playing over-elaborate stuff in front of a tight back line. Danger for United.

9.07pm GMT

64 min: Correa dribbles from the left into the United box with purpose. Valencia sticks with him, and the eventual attempt to curl one into the top right is awful.

9.06pm GMT

63 min: Correa threatens to break free down the inside-left channel. Valencia drags him back. Free kick. No booking. Other refs would have had a field day here, but not Monsieur Turpin. The ball’s lumped into the box. Lenglet heads down from the right-hand side of the six-yard box. No power, no bother for de Gea.

9.04pm GMT

61 min: Lukaku flops a weak curler straight into the wall.

9.03pm GMT

60 min: A cacophony of boos and whistles, which can only mean one thing. United are on the attack. Sanchez breaks down the middle and is brought down from behind by Muriel, who should be booked but escapes. It’s a free kick, though, the best part of 30 yards out, in a central position. Lukaku looks as though he fancies this.

9.01pm GMT

58 min: Muriel cuts in from the right and fizzes a low shot wide of the near post. De Gea doesn’t even bother to raise an eyebrow, so sure is he of the ball going wide. That was quite wild forward play.

9.00pm GMT

57 min: Correa makes good down the left, but hesitates upon reaching the United box. He checks, and within seconds the danger is over, because the away side have flooded the area with men.

8.59pm GMT

55 min: Lindelof takes a handful of Vazquez’s shirt in the centre circle. It’s cheeky, and enough to earn him a booking in the crowd’s eyes, but the referee is lenient.

8.58pm GMT

54 min: De Gea plucks the ball from the sky with a yawn. He is such a presence. Sevilla win another corner soon after, but that one’s a non-event too. United will be increasingly happy with the way this is panning out. The home fans are getting a little bit frustrated.

8.56pm GMT

53 min: Young gives the ball away down the left. Matic misses a tackle in the midfield. And suddenly Muriel is bearing down on the United area. He shoots from the edge of the box. The ball’s deflected wide left for a corner.

8.55pm GMT

51 min: Sevilla are seeing a lot of the ball again, but not doing much with it. But suddenly Vazquez performs a little trick down the right to send Lindelof and Sanchez the wrong way. He cuts inside and looks to curl one into the top left from the edge of the box. Wild, wild, wild. That would have been some goal, but you can’t fault him for ambition.

8.52pm GMT

49 min: Pogba, Sanchez and Young play some crisp one-touch stuff down the left and earn a corner. The set piece is hit deep. Mata twists and turns on the right, but can’t find anyone with his chip back inside. An early sign that United may be a bit more determined in attack during the second period; that was a passage played at a much faster pace.

8.50pm GMT

47 min: Correa tears down the left and nearly jets past Valencia. But the United man recovers well and ushers Correa away from danger. Then another phase of attack, as Muriel replicates the Lukaku blooter from the first half. All Sevilla in the very early stages.

8.48pm GMT

And we’re off again! No half-time changes. Sevilla get the ball rolling for the second half.

8.37pm GMT

Half-time reading: Not sure United fans will particularly want to read this, but it’s hot off our production line, so please don’t shoot the po’ messenger.

8.34pm GMT

United are pleased to hear the whistle. The crowd are in good voice now, though Muriel has just missed an absolute sitter. David de Gea, though, eh?

8.34pm GMT

45 min +1: The corner’s cleared, but the ball’s soon coming back at United. Lindelof hesitates on the edge of the area, thinking nobody’s about. Muriel nearly nips in. De Gea saves the day by blootering clear. And there’s time for yet another chance, as NAvas crosses from the right. Muriel must score, the ball dropping on his head, six yards out. But he heads straight at de Gea, whose point-blank stop is nevertheless magnificent!

8.32pm GMT

45 min: De Gea is finally forced into action! The corner’s hit long from the left. Sarabia sends an overhead goalwards. N’Zonzi flick-heads it further on, and De Gea tips majestically over the bar!

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Mata sashays down the left, sent into the Sevilla box after some good play by Pogba. Corner. United seriously over-elaborate, and Sevilla are tearing clear on the break! If Muriel and Escudero play it correctly, shuttling the ball left to right for Sarabia, who is in acres, United are in serious bother. But Escudero’s pass isn’t much cop, and Sevilla have to settle for yet another corner.

8.28pm GMT

42 min: Banega caresses a stunning pass over the United back line to release Correa into the box on the left. Correa hesitates, then tries to trick de Gea with a low curling pass into the bottom right. The keeper’s not to be tricked by that underhit and telegraphed nonsense.

8.26pm GMT

41 min: Sanchez, who has been on a rolling boil for a while, is booked for a totally needless tug on Banega in the centre circle.

8.25pm GMT

40 min: Jesus Navas and Escudero combine to earn Sevilla yet another corner down the left. Yet again, the set piece proves to be a total waste of time. Sevilla are dominating possession and territory, but they’ve yet to make de Gea work in any serious way.

8.24pm GMT

39 min: This is nice end-to-end fun. Escudero creams one at the United goal from distance; Smalling is forced to head behind in spectacular fashion. The corner isn’t all that.

8.23pm GMT

38 min: The first serious save of the night is made. McTominay rasps one goalwards from 25 yards; Rico parries it away from the top left.

8.22pm GMT

37 min: The corner is hoicked in from the right. United half clear. Sarabia has the chance to release Muriel into the box but his pass down the flank is seriously overcooked.

8.21pm GMT

36 min: Matic clips Vazquez’s ankles as the Sevilla man makes his way down the right. It’s a common or garden free kick, but the crowd are demanding yellow-coloured retribution. The referee isn’t of a mind to flash a card. The resulting free kick leads to another corner for Sevilla, though.

8.20pm GMT

34 min: The corner comes to nothing. United got away with one there; Banega had the chance to put them in serious trouble.

8.19pm GMT

33 min: Banega nips ahead of a snoozing Lindelof, 20 yards from the United goal. He’s got a chance to shoot, and men on either side. He slips the ball down the inside left for Vazquez. The pass isn’t good, though Sevilla earn a corner.

8.17pm GMT

31 min: Tempers are beginning to get a bit frayed. Sanchez runs into Mercado in the middle of the park and earns a free kick, the Sevilla man in no mood to give way. The crowd’s dander rises accordingly.

8.15pm GMT

29 min: Correa bundles Lukaku to the ground in the midfield. Sanchez is quite energised by the foul, and persuades the referee into having a word with the Sevilla winger. Nothing more, mind.

8.13pm GMT

27 min: Correa threatens to zip clear of Valencia down the left. But he’s held up. He cuts inside instead, and makes space to shoot from the edge of the box. No real oomph in the effort, though, and the ball dribbles towards the bottom left. De Gea gathers without much fuss.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: The referee has a word with Lenglet and Lukaku, who were playing silly buggers under an aimless high ball.

8.10pm GMT

25 min: But here’s one! And what a chance it is for Lukaku! Sanchez, quarterbacking from deep, wedges a glorious pass down the inside-left channel. It drops onto Lukaku’s left foot, just inside the area. Lukaku leans back and hoicks it miles over the bar.

8.09pm GMT

23 min: Vazquez sends a bouncing balloon down the inside-right channel. United’s defenders don’t really deal with it, but Sevilla’s attackers aren’t on their game either, and the ball eventually reaches de Gea. Clear-cut chances are at a premium right now.

8.07pm GMT

21 min: Escudero earns a corner for Sevilla with a glorious crossfield pass from the left. United clear the set piece, Sanchez beating N’Zonzi as the pair high kick on the edge of the area. Sanchez is caught late by N’Zonzi, who is booked for the clip.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Pogba’s very first act is to charge down the right with some elan. He nearly breaks clear but Escudero knocks him cleanly off the ball.

8.03pm GMT

17 min: Valencia slips a pass down the right for Herrera, who attempts to return it immediately with a clever backheel. The flick is hacked clear. But Herrera’s pulled a muscle with that trick. He goes down, pulls his boot off in frustration, and eventually hobbles off to be replaced by ... Paul Pogba.

8.01pm GMT

15 min: This match is beginning to open up. First Lukaku powers down the inside left and very nearly bursts through three half-arsed challenges and into the box. Not quite, he’s eventually hustled out of it. Just. Then Sevilla go up the other end, Jesus Navas dragging a shot wide left from distance. Never threatening.

7.59pm GMT

14 min: Sevilla triangulate in a very pretty style 25 yards from goal. Correa tries to make space to shoot, but Matic isn’t yielding an inch. Banega bangs one goalwards from 30 yards, well over the bar.

7.58pm GMT

13 min: Sevilla ping the ball around some more. But then Mata steps in to nick it, and from deep slips a fine pass down the middle to release Sanchez into space. For a brief moment it appears Sanchez will tear clear on goal, but Navas is on his shoulder, and fast. He takes the ball off Sanchez just before the United man can enter the box, and clears.

7.56pm GMT

11 min: A little bit more possession for United now, as the match turns into a midfield chess battle. Both sides ping it around awhile, without doing much of note.

7.54pm GMT

9 min: A searching ball by Sanchez down the right earns United their first corner of the evening. Nothing much comes of it, but that’s their first serious sortie upfield so far.

7.53pm GMT

8 min: Sevilla are pressing hard. United are struggling to hold onto the ball when they get it. Again the home team pounce, and Muriel rolls a pass down the right for Sarabia. For a second it looks like the Sevilla captain will tear clear down the channel, but Young sticks to him like glue and slides the ball back to de Gea. Fine defending.

7.51pm GMT

6 min: Correa tries a stepover as he perambulates down the left. Mata comes a-clattering. The home fans don’t like it, demanding some sort of punishment for United’s Spanish star, but the referee gives a free kick and nothing else. And rightly so, it was all a bit pantomime.

7.49pm GMT

4 min: This has suddenly turned into a lively start by Sevilla. Lukaku tries to power upfield but he’s brushed off the ball. The home team go up the other end, and Muriel has a dig from 25 yards. It’s low but not particularly hard towards the bottom left. De Gea gets down well to parry, get up and collect.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: Jesus Navas drives down the right and slips the ball to Sarabia on his outside. Sarabia takes on Young and earns a corner. Banega and McTominay challenge for a high ball. It’s half cleared. Correa probes down the left. United eventually mop up.

7.46pm GMT

And we’re off! United get the ball rolling on a clear night. They launch it long, and it’s out of play by the time six seconds have elapsed. Sevilla give up possession equally quickly. Then the ball’s launched forward into the arms of Rico. Give it a chance, this game will get better.

7.42pm GMT

The teams are out! Sevilla play in their first-choice white with red trim. Manchester United wear second-choice black. There’s an atmosphere all right in the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan; that Jose Mourinho knows what he’s taking about, huh? We’ll be off in a minute or two, once hands are shaken, pennants are exchanged, coins are tossed, and poor old Zadok the Priest has his soul desecrated by Uefa.

7.30pm GMT

Pre-match reading. Sid Lowe gives his verdict on the home heroes welcoming United tonight.

7.21pm GMT

Jose Mourinho speaks! “McTominay is working hard every day, is feeling good and strong. He played the last match for 90 minutes. Paul meanwhile last Saturday wasn’t able to play, and this is the kind of game when a player must feel 100 percent. It is not so much tactical: Paul could fill one of the roles taken today by McTominay and Herrera. But he created some doubts by not playing last Saturday, by his own decision, he was not feeling good and created some doubts.” [BT Sport’s Des Kelly asks whether Mourinho is quite happy to call on Pogba if the situation demands it.] “Three questions in three on Paul? You don’t have other questions? Another one!” [The interview peters out, a little tension crackling in the air] “This is a difficult match. I know the atmosphere very well. I know why they are considered a cup knockout team, it’s because exactly that atmosphere helps them so much to reach their objectives.”

7.13pm GMT

Sevilla: Sergio Rico, Jesus Navas, Mercado, Lenglet, Escudero, Sarabia, Nzonzi, Banega, Correa, Vazquez, Muriel.
Subs: Soria, Carrico, Ben Yedder, Pizarro, Nolito, Roque, Sandro.

Manchester United: de Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, Ander Herrera, McTominay, Matic, Sanchez, Mata, Lukaku.
Subs: Romero, Bailly, Pogba, Martial, Lingard, Rashford, Darmian.

6.53pm GMT

Sevilla make three changes to the side named for their 2-1 win at Las Palmas last Saturday. Ever Banega is back from injury, while captain Sergio Escudero and striker Lusi Muriel also return to the starting line-up. Wissam Ben Yedder and Guido Pizarro drop to the bench, while Miguel Layun misses out altogether, cup-tied having played earlier in the competition for Porto.

The big news for the visitors, meanwhile, is the omission from the starting line-up of Paul Pogba. He returns from his sick bed, having missed the FA Cup win at Huddersfield Town, but only makes the bench. Scott McTominay retains his place in the midfield, alongside the returning Ander Herrera. Also back: captain Antonio Valencia and goalkeeper David de Gea. Sergio Romero drops to the bench, while Luke Shaw and Michael Carrick miss out.

10.37am GMT

Sevilla have a highly decent record against English teams in European competition. They’ve done for two of our clubs in the showpiece of Uefa’s secondary competition, beating Middlesbrough in the 2006 Uefa Cup final, then seeing off Liverpool in the 2016 Europa League final. They also knocked Spurs out of the Uefa Cup at the quarter-final stage in 2007, and seriously embarrassed Liverpool in the groups of this competition last November, coming back from 0-3 down to claim a ludicrous draw.

However, there are entries in the debit column too. Not least a Champions League Round of 16 tie against Leicester City this time last year, in which they crumbled pitifully at the King Power to crash out 3-2 on aggregate. They were also bossed by Manchester City in the 2015-16 groups, 2-1 in Manchester, 3-1 in Seville. For the completist, honours were shared with Arsenal in the 2007-08 Champions League groups, and with Bolton Wanderers in the 2005-06 Uefa Cup groups. So overall, they’re in credit.

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Published on February 21, 2018 13:36

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