The tasks facing the British sides in the Champions League this week

By Sports Desk November 06, 2023

The Champions League returns this week with England’s four clubs all hoping to make a big step towards the knock-out stages, while Celtic are in need of a spark to ignite their campaign.

Holders Manchester City can seal their place in the next round with a win, while Arsenal also top their group, but Newcastle and Manchester United have work to do.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the teams the British contenders face in the latest round of fixtures.

Manchester City v Young Boys (Tuesday)

 

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The Swiss Super League leaders will come to Manchester on Tuesday hoping for a night similar to the one they enjoyed on the other side of town back in December 2021. Having already beaten Manchester United 2-1 in Bern, Young Boys earned a point from a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford as Fabian Rieder cancelled out Mason Greenwood’s early goal.

The challenge at the Etihad is likely to be very different, however. City top Group G after opening up with three straight wins, the last of them a 3-1 victory over Young Boys in Bern, and can secure qualification with a win.

Young Boys, the reigning Swiss champions, are playing in the Champions League for the 10th time, and the first since the 2021-22 campaign, when they finished bottom in their group despite taking four points off United.

Since their last meeting with City, Young Boys have played three straight games away from home, and come into the match on the back of a 4-1 league win over Winterthur.

Borussia Dortmund v Newcastle (Tuesday)

Newcastle will travel to the famed Westfalenstadion level on points with Dortmund in the so-called ‘group of death’, Group F, and looking for revenge after losing the reverse fixture 1-0 at St James’ Park.

But Bayern Munich demonstrated it is far from an impenetrable fortress as recently as Saturday, and Dortmund, who have made it to the knock-out stages in eight of their 10 most recent Champions League campaigns, come into the game bruised from a 4-0 home hiding by their rivals.

But Dortmund, the 1997 European champions, are no pushovers in this competition, and have lost only two of their last 10 Champions League group-stage matches, winning four and drawing four.

However, they have struggled for goals in the competition this season, with Felix Nmecha’s goal in Newcastle the only one they have scored in their opening three games, having lost 2-0 to Paris St Germain and drawn 0-0 with AC Milan.

Atletico Madrid v Celtic (Tuesday)

In need of a win to have any chance of getting off the bottom of Group E, Celtic face a daunting trip to take on two-time Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid.

Brendan Rodgers’ side managed to frustrate Atletico at Celtic Park in a 2-2 draw last month. That was the seventh time the two sides have met and the third draw, with Atletico having won the other four matches.

That result saw Diego Simeone’s men surrender top spot in the group to Feyenoord, having taken five points from their opening three fixtures but at least avoiding defeat up to this point.

They were not so lucky in LaLiga at the weekend as a 2-1 defeat at Las Palmas ended a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Copenhagen v Manchester United (Wednesday)

 

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United needed a stoppage-time penalty save from Andre Onana to preserve a 1-0 win when these two sides met at Old Trafford last month, a defeat which left Copenhagen bottom of the group with only one point from their opening three games.

Jacob Nestrup’s side have taken their frustrations out on the Danish Superliga, scoring nine goals in their three domestic games since to take nine points, the most recent win a 4-2 victory away to Randers, results that have kept them top of the table.

The Danish champions began their Champions League campaign in the second qualifying round, routing Iceland’s Breidablik 8-3 on aggregate, but had a harder time seeing off Sparta Prague and Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa on their way to the group stages.

United striker Ramus Hojlund, 20, could come up against 18-year-old twin brothers Oscar and Emil, both part of former club Copenhagen’s squad for the competition, with Oscar having appeared as a late substitute in Manchester.

Arsenal v Sevilla (Wednesday)

Arsenal’s 2-1 win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium last month kept Sevilla winless in Group B and in urgent need of points if they are to find a way through to the knock-out phases.

Sevilla drew their opening two fixtures. They led French side Lens 1-0 at home in their opener courtesy of Lucas Ocampos’ early strike, but had to settle for a point after Angelo Fulgini levelled.

They were pegged back once again in a dramatic conclusion to their trip to PSV Eindhoven, where they were 1-0 up and 2-1 ahead before Jordan Teze snatched a 2-2 draw deep into stoppage time.

Wins have been hard to come by and they have not enjoyed one in LaLiga in their last five, drawing four straight after losing at Barcelona, and that has seen them slip to 15th in the table.

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    Jurgen Klopp was lamented his side's late mistake as Liverpool gave up a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday.

    The Reds were on top after a quick start as Emiliano Martinez gifted them an opener inside the first 61 seconds. Though Youri Tielemans equalised for Villa, Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah put Liverpool back in control.

    Jhon Duran scored twice late on, netting in the 85th and 88th minutes to deny Klopp’s side three points.

    Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the German admitted that though they could not see out the win, he was proud of his team’s performance.

    He said: "It got away from us. We played really good football. We were really good, played a lot of good stuff and caused a lot of problems.

    "Before we changed, we gave them too many chances. It was very intense for the boys. They created too much. They were too often in our box, and we made the changes. Then we made a mistake. It happens but in that moment, it opens the door.

    "They scored an equaliser, and I don't even know how. The character from the boys tonight was outstanding in our situation. We wanted to win the game. In the moment, when we gave away the 3-2, that was really tricky. That's it, that's the story of the game."

    It looked like Quansah’s goal would be the winner for much of the second half, with the young defender heading in his first goal for Liverpool.

    "I've been waiting for that moment," he told the BBC. "I don't score too many goals, so when it goes in the back of the net you just saw the emotion come out I guess.

    "I just tried to get the best contact on it as I could. I'm thankful it went in.

    "The way the crowd celebrated was a surreal moment, definitely one I'll never forget."

  • Emery praises 'special' Duran in Villa comeback Emery praises 'special' Duran in Villa comeback

    Unai Emery has praised "special" Jhon Duran after his late brace secured Aston Villa a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday.

    The Reds looked to be on their way to a 3-1 despite Youri Tielemans’ strike after Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah added to Emiliano Martinez’s early own goal.

    However, Duran's 79th-minute introduction changed the game as the Colombian scored twice in three minutes to salvage a draw.

    Villa needed a win to secure a Champions League spot, but a point keeps their fate in their own hands despite Tottenham having a game in hand against Manchester City on Tuesday.

    Emery was full of praise for his forward, acknowledging how important his goals could be by Sunday.

    Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Jhon Duran is a special player. We have to try and help him. He is a good guy, and he needs a team behind him. He is getting our demands better. He was very clinical and today was important for him.

    "Today we are celebrating with our supporters, we have to push it and keep working and be consistent. We were consistent all the season. The team was being mature and always consistent in our mind. Inch by inch we did it.

    "We are very proud of the season. It is not enough at the moment to get fourth. Even after we scored the two goals, we had chances. We are celebrating the season here with our supporters in Villa Park.

    "We are only thinking of us. We will prepare for our match on Sunday, everything is in our hands."

    Villa were on a three-game losing run going into the Liverpool contest, and John McGinn highlighted the team’s strong mentality to avoid another defeat.

    "It's a brilliant effort towards the end. We got a bit of luck. It's been a tough few weeks with lads coming back and playing through the pain barrier. This place got us going," he told Sky Sports after the game.

    "There's some of us that have never been close to the Champions League in our life. The manager has a no-excuse mentality. People have written us off and we've floated under the radar. We'll have our Man City tops on tomorrow.

    "Big Jhon [Duran] is a bit nuts and is a nightmare to have in your team, but he's got quality. We need to keep his feet on the ground over the next couple of days."

  • Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad: Blaugrana back to winning ways to reclaim second spot Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad: Blaugrana back to winning ways to reclaim second spot

    Barcelona reclaimed second place in LaLiga with a 2-0 home win over Real Sociedad on Monday courtesy of a Lamine Yamal first-half strike and a late Raphinha penalty.

    Yamal put Barcelona ahead in the 40th minute when he coolly slotted home from Ilkay Gundogan's pass after a quick breakaway for his fifth LaLiga goal this season.

    Raphinha's penalty in stoppage time sealed victory for the hosts after a VAR review for handball, leaving the Basque side in seventh place with 54 points, one behind Real Betis in the last Europa League spot.

    Xavi's side leapfrogged Girona to move on to 76 points, one clear of their Catalan rivals who dropped points in Friday's 2-2 draw at Alaves.

    Real Madrid have already secured the league title, sitting on 90 points with three games left.

    Data Debrief: 

    Gundogan got a vital assist for Barcelona's opener, and has been involved in 193 open-play shot-ending sequences in LaLiga this season, more than any other player in the competition.

    Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in both games against Real Sociedad in LaLiga 2023-24 (W2), achieving this in a single season of the competition for the first time since 2006-07, when they also beat them twice. 

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