Champions League tonight with REAL MADRID & ATLETICO DE MADRID in Group matches. Here are brief summaries, along with goalscorers & the final results.
REAL MADRID hosted PARIS ST GERMAIN & although both teams have secured the pass to the next stage of Champions League, Real needed to win to keep alive their chance to take top spot of their Group. Above is the starting XI team for Real Madrid.
A great first 45 minutes from Real Madrid. The Spanish Club controlled the game, showed a high level of intensity that has not been seen for a long time in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real played the ball at a very high speed and created plenty of goal opportunities of which PSG goalie Keylor Navas stopped literally a "goal bath". Tremendous Hazard, a genius Benzema and midfielder Valverde was everywhere.
Same tonic in the second half with Real Madrid dominanting. However, an injury to Hazard & the substitution of Valverde allowed PSG to get more ball control & find spaces. Neymar who came on at the start of the 2ºhalf bettered the PSG attack. When Real Madrid was 2-0 up a mix up between Varane & Real Madrid goalie Courtois allowed Mappe to score & towards the end with a more relaxed Real Madrid Paris St Germain sub Sarabia equalized two minutes later. Gareth Bale hit the post from a free-kick in the last minute.
Great game from Benzema, Hazard, Marcelo & Valverde for Real Madrid, while for PSG Navas was the goal savior & Mbappe was dangerous.
Final result
REAL MADRID 2 - PARIS ST GERMAIN 2
Goalscorers:
1 - 0 (17') Benzema
2 - 0 (79') Benzema
2 - 1 (81') Mbappé
2 - 2 (83') Sarabia
ATLETICO DE MADRID travelled to Italy to play JUVENTUS FC. The objective was a win for the Spaniards in order to secure their pass into the next stage of Champions League without depending on fate or third parties.
Above is the Atletico starting XI team.
Juventus FC ended the first half 1 - 0 up in a very close & contested match thanks to a genius of Dybala, who was the best player in the first 45 min.
Alvaro Morata had a golden chance towards the end, although it was off-side. There was also a great opportunity for Angel Correa who combined well with Joao Felix but opted for the center instead of the shot. Atletico de Madrid now must win Lokomotiv to secure their pass onto the next stage of Champions League. If Atletico does not, it will depend on what Leverkusen does against Juventus FC which has already the Top Group spot and has nothing to play except their pride. Atletico played a fair game, but faced a Juventus team which defended very well and took advantage of a genius of Dybala.
FINAL RESULT
JUVENTUS FC 1 - ATLETICO DE MADRID 0
Goalscorer:
1 - 0 Dybala 45m +
Last EURO 2002 Group F qualifiers tonight with SPAIN hosting RUMANIA & winning 5 - 0 to secure the Top spot of their Group for direct passage to next years European Championships.
Above is the Spain starting XI.
Below is a summary with goalscorers: Fabian (7 min), Gerard Moreno (32 min), Gerard Moreno (42 min), Rus (own goal 45 min) & Oyarzabal (90 min).
EURO 2020 Group F qualifying match between SPAIN & MALTA played in the city of Cadiz. Spain sits comfortably at the top of the group & wants to win both games, Malta & next Mondays Rumania clash to stay first of Group F.
Here is a brief summary of events, goalscorers & final result.
Spain starting XI line up vs Malta:
Pau Lopez; Jesus Navas, Albiol, Ramos, Bernat; Rodri, Thiago, Cazorla; Sarabia, Gerard Moreno & Alvaro Morata
As expected with Malta last in the Group table & the least strong, Spain dominated all the match with the visitors putting up an ultra defensive line-up. There was up to 6 defenders in-line as Malta hopped to avoid a scandalous result & if lucky find a counter-attack that may have lead to a goal.Malta held out the best they could most of the 1º st half only "halting" Spain down to two goals up to the 45th min.
However, the 2º half was a completely different game with Spain scoring another 5 goals. Two Spanish players debuted in the 2º half; defender PAU TORRES (Villarreal) & DANI OLMO (Dynamo Zagreb) with both scoring a goal in their debut. Good match played by Cazorla (also scored) & Gerard Moreno ( assisted on various occasions & scored a goal).
The final result could have been greater in favour of Spain but they missed more than a dozen goal opportunities, including a disallowed off-side & a post.
FINAL RESULT: SPAIN 7 - MALTA 0
Goalscorers:
1 - 0 (23´) Alvaro Morata
2 - 0 (41') Santi Cazorla
3 - 0 (62') Pau Torres
4 - 0 (63') Pablo Sarabia
5 - 0 (69') Dani Olmo
6 - 0 (71') Gerard Moreno
7 - 0 (85') Jesus Navas
Next Group match for Spain next Monday in Madrid against Rumania.
UEFA Champions League Groups action tonight with ATLETICO DE MADRID at home hosting BAYERN LEVERKUSEN & REAL MADRID away facing Turkish Club GALATASARAY. Here is a brief summary of the main events, goalscorers & the final results.
Above is the starting XI for Atletico de Madrid, a team without Felix Joao who was injured this weekend thus opening a space up for Herreria, & Angel Correa getting a start.
The first 45 minutes were
somewhat bland with nothing really outstanding. Atletico de Madrid began trying
to put on the turbo but fizzled out after a number of goal occasions. From there both followed their plans until they reached the half whistle. Lack of
imagination on both teams.
With things looked the same as the 1º half Atletico needed to move things if they were to shake off the rocky German team. Coach Simeone put on Alvaro Morata & it paid off. In the 78th min LODI crossed & found his teammate MORATA who headed in the eventual winning goal.
An important & very worked victory for Atletico de Madrid.
FINAL RESULT: ATLETICO DE MADRID 1 - BAYERN LEVERKUSEN 0
GALATASARAY hosted REAL MADRID which put forward the above starting XI. Midfielder Valverde & young Brazilian Rodrygo got a start, both played well.
It was a must win situation for Real Madrid, while a black cloud was also hovering the head of Coach Zidane. The Spanish Club started well but quickly fell into old habits allowing spaces in defense & opportunities for the Turks. Real Madrid goalie COURTOIS made two (three) very important saves to keep his team alive. However, Real Madrid reacted in the 18th min when HAZARD found TONI KROOS who shot through the ball with deflection into the net.
From here until the end of the game Real Madrid looked to seal things with a second goal that did not come. They tried, 22 attempts at goal & hit a cross bar from Hazard, this basically summed up the Real Madrid night. Not being able to shut things allowed Galatasaray to attempt the draw & they had their occasions to do just this while Real Madrid was at times risking.
In the end a vital victory away, a sigh of relief for Zidane & more breathing space for Real Madrid to fine tune their goal opportunities & their overall game.
FINAL RESULT: GALATASARAY 0 REAL MADRID 1
