European hits and misses: Hammers can finish Seville’s stranglehold

West Ham can finish the grip of Sevilla

West Ham’s first European encounter in additional than 40 years resulted in a slim 1-0 defeat to European champions Sevilla – however David Moyes noticed sufficient to really feel his aspect might come from behind by one objective in London. Stadium.

Moroccan striker Mounir’s second-half objective, who was solely within the beginning lineup after Ivan Rakitic was injured within the warm-up interval, determined the primary leg in favor of the Spanish group.

The Hammers coach will likely be assured of prolonging his group’s European journey after alternatives have been created however have been rejected in Seville within the absence of Jarrod Bowen. They should be even harder within the second leg.

“A number of occasions in soccer, targets come again, so I hope to get them within the subsequent three video games earlier than the worldwide break,” Moyes mentioned.

“We must be sharper, now we have to be sooner with the ball within the penalty space. We must be extra aggressive, all this stuff to cross the road. We did a variety of good issues tonight, we didn’t take the possibilities we had” .

Moyes has no alternative however to ask the identical group of gamers to play once more this weekend within the Premier League towards Aston Villa, however he will likely be inspired by Sevilla’s document of failing to win away from house on the continent this season.

It says quite a bit about how far West Ham have are available a brief house of time 4 years in the past since they have been crushed 3-0 at house by Burnley in a match marred by floor invasions and protests towards the hosts.

Now, the Hammers deal with the continent’s elite and are out for the membership’s largest evening on the European stage since 1981. Sevilla has scored simply as soon as in 4 away video games in Europe this season. If Bowen passes match for the second leg, they’ve an opportunity to punch to achieve the quarter-finals.
Ben Grounds

Leicester’s continued restoration and Ihanacho add a safety goal

A one-goal win, when Rennes pushed for an equaliser in additional time, would have been a superb evening for Leicester – then they went on and scored a ‘safety objective’.

That is how Kelechi Iheanacho described his very good shot within the 93rd minute to provide his aspect a 2-0 result in take France subsequent week within the second leg.

Mark Albrighton had already hit a piledriver in the course of the first half earlier than the Nigerian added what might be an important objective in Leicester’s bid to achieve the Champions League quarter-finals.

The victory was one other vital step on the trail to their closing revival after a fiery streak that left coach Brendan Rodgers underneath strain. Only one win in seven Premier League matches noticed Leicester withdraw from the highest 4 race whereas Nottingham Forest knocked them out of the FA Cup.

However now they’ve gained their final 4 video games in all competitions for the primary time since January 2023, maintaining three clear sheets in a row, having did not preserve one of their earlier 9 matches. James Justin’s return at right-back undoubtedly helped their trigger on this tie.

Leicester needed to beat Rennes’ advantageous aspect with out talisman Jamie Vardy, however the strikers rose to a mark with Albrighton and Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor, specifically. Batson Dhaka, Vardy’s direct alternative, ran to land to permit the brand new legs of the subs Madison and Ihanacho to trigger hassle of late.

The return leg at Roazone Park will likely be a troublesome problem for Rodgers. Certainly, the standard stereotypes about “solely half the time” had already appeared, however Leicester bought off to a flawless begin.
David Richardson

Rangers impress on the European stage once more

It was one other well-known European evening at Ibrox, however that spherical of 16 match wasn’t over but.

Pink Star had not misplaced within the Europa League this season earlier than this match and their final defeat in any competitors got here again in November, however Rangers entered the sport as the most effective participant and confirmed precisely why.

James Tavernier transformed from the penalty spot after a foul on Ryan Kent on the sting of the penalty space.

Alfredo Morelos doubled the lead earlier than the top of the primary half, then Leon Balogun added the third objective along with his head from Tavernier’s nook.

However the warning indicators stay, because the Serbian aspect canceled three targets for offside and Rangers goalkeeper Alan McGregor saved a strong kick to disclaim Alexander Katai a penalty.

Rangers have struggled in home matches just lately, however after beating Borussia Dortmund, they’re now a step nearer to the quarter-finals.
Alison Conroy

Deja vu for Paris Saint-Germain in Europe

Paris Saint-Germain has been right here earlier than. He made two targets towards Manchester United after the primary leg in 2019, 4 targets forward of Barcelona in 2017. This time it was half an hour left, with two targets in favor of Actual Madrid.

Wednesday’s conflict within the spherical of 16 marked the fourth in 9 video games they have been knocked out within the Champions League after they gained the primary leg – solely Actual Madrid did so typically (six occasions).

The mentality of the star-studded squad was weak – maybe tainted by previous errors – and so they did not get better after Gianluigi Donnarumma’s howling gifted his opening objective to Karim Benzema.

The PSG gamers did not have time to boost their heads after Benzema’s second objective earlier than making it 3-1 on the evening and giving Actual the decisive objective to ship them in.

The Qatari house owners’ seek for the Champions League trophy continues. Even the addition of Lionel Messi in the summertime couldn’t make it previous the Spherical of 16, with the unknown former Barcelona man on his return to Spain.

What awaits PSG is unsure, with massive query marks over the way forward for coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Sporting director Leonardo insists Pochettino stays a part of the undertaking, However the failure to raise the Champions League ended with only one end result for the managers at PSG underneath the present house owners. Simply ask Thomas Tuchel, Unai Emery, Laurent Blanc and Carlo Ancelotti.
Zenny Boswell

Benzema breaks the document and saves Actual

Simply half-hour earlier than the top of the match, Actual Madrid’s destiny appeared inevitable, and I felt that PSG would advance.

However that each one modified, with a second of perseverance from 34-year-old Karim Benzema, whose strain drove Donnarumma to make a mistake that proved the catalyst for an epic return to the Champions League.

His tenacity continued to push Actual Madrid ahead as he netted the ball twice with simply 10 seconds of open play between the 2 targets.

It was an astonishing efficiency from the Frenchman, who took his place amongst Actual Madrid’s kings by beating Alfredo Di Stefano because the membership’s third main scorer, behind solely Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He’s additionally forward of Raul (66) as Actual’s second-best scorer within the Champions League with 67 targets, and solely Ronaldo is forward (105).

On Tuesday evening, 33-year-old Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick within the eleventh minute towards RB Salzburg. A day later, Benzema accomplished a hat-trick in 17 minutes towards Paris Saint-Germain. Who mentioned the quantity 9 is lifeless?
Zenny Boswell

Man Metropolis youth take heart stage

Manchester Metropolis’s goalless draw with Sporting will not stay lengthy within the recollections of those that watched it, but it surely positive was particular to academy alumni CJ Egan Riley, James McCatti and Luke Mbete.

Eagan Riley’s solely earlier look for Metropolis was within the Carabao Cup towards Wycombe Wanderers in September, however right here he was beginning the Champions League knockout match.

The 19-year-old has cleared himself properly at right-back, finishing 58 of 60 passes makes an attempt – giving him a 97 per cent success fee – whereas additionally defending confidently when wanted.

“CJ performed very well,” Guardiola mentioned afterwards. “He did not miss a ball. He is a seven-year-old man – nothing distinctive about something, however that is a superb signal as a defender. He does not make errors.”

Regardless of this, Maktei was the younger trio’s decide after his half-time lead, the 19-year-old appeared immediately comfy in Metropolis’s assault and teamed up well with Gabriel Jesus specifically.

Metropolis have excessive hopes for Makti, who has already performed two Premier League video games this season, and a full of life show on their Champions League arc is additional inspired.

Defender Mbit, 18, did not have a lot time to impress, changing Aymeric Laporte with simply six minutes of regular time remaining, however his lead capped a satisfying evening for the membership’s academy.

Eagan Riley, Makti and Mbiti might not be concerned when the quarter-finals come however Metropolis are hopeful they’ll have necessary roles sooner or later. This expertise ought to serve them properly.
Nick Wright

Liverpool defeat is the most effective

Jurgen Klopp then mentioned: “If there is a recreation we are able to lose, that is the sport.” He was proper. His Liverpool gamers left the sector after being crushed up on the evening by the ten males of Inter, however made it to the Champions League quarter-final safely.

Liverpool was not at its finest convincing. “I did not just like the counter-press”, Klopp mentioned of the way in which his aspect began the sport and Mo Salah additionally appeared to acknowledge the chance that the mentality won’t have been fairly proper from the beginning.

“Perhaps behind our thoughts we felt overconfident for the time being,” Salah mentioned. BT Sport When requested concerning the causes for the reversal after being beforehand unbeaten because the starting of the yr. “We lose a recreation. Perhaps that offers us a bit of enhance.”

Seeing Salah smiling on his method throughout his interview, there isn’t a signal of this annoying momentum. He hit the submit twice however is aware of the margins are small. Subsequent time, perhaps when it is extra necessary, the alternatives can go.

“We did not reap the benefits of our probabilities,” Klopp added. However his gamers obtained a reminder that they aren’t infallible, a examine to emphasize the necessity to preserve working. Defeats don’t come extra helpful. “We deserved within the quarter-finals and that is all that issues to me.”
Adam Bate