Raphinha believes Barcelona must be proud of their response after they bounced back from Saturday's defeat to Osasuna with a five-star Champions League display.

Barca opened in the Champions League with a 2-1 loss at Monaco two weeks ago and, after a great start to their LaLiga campaign that featured seven consecutive wins, slumped to a stunning 4-2 defeat at Osasuna over the weekend.

Yet Hansi Flick's team were back at their best as they cruised to an emphatic 5-0 win over Young Boys on Tuesday.

Raphinha, who was Player of the Match following a goal and an assist for one of Robert Lewandowski's two strikes, said the result was the confidence boost the team needed to keep improving.

"We knew that with this new Champions League format, after losing our debut at Monaco we needed to hit back quickly and decisively and that is what we did," Raphinha told Movistar Plus.

"The LaLiga loss at Osasuna over the weekend was an added pressure but the team responded well and I'm proud of our performance.

"In this new Champions League, not only every point but also every goal scored counts so the more, the better."

Flick echoed Raphinha's sentiment, even though he knows there is a long way to go.

"We have to start the games a bit stronger. We need to be more dynamic as a team from the start but at least it has been improving as the minutes have gone by," Flick told Movistar Plus.

"Nobody knows how this new Champions League will work but it is always good to have a good goal difference.

"I'm happy with Raphinha who played really well but we can't talk about just one player, the most important is to play as a team. Raphinha can only play this well if his teammates play well too."

In scoring twice, Lewandowski became only the second player to net 50 Champions League goals after turning 30, following Cristiano Ronaldo.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Young Boys 5-0 on Tuesday, bouncing back from their opening Champions League defeat at Monaco.

Hansi Flick's team were beaten 2-1 by Monaco in their first game in the competition's new-look league phase, but there were no surprises when Young Boys visited Montjuic on matchday two.

Lewandowski gave the hosts the lead in the eighth minute by tapping in a low Raphinha cross, following good combination play between the Brazilian and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

After the hosts squandered some decent chances, a quickfire double from Raphinha and Inigo Martinez gave Barca a 3-0 lead, the Brazilian netting a rebound in the 34th minute and Martinez scoring with a towering header less than three minutes later.

Lewandowski got his second and Barca's fourth shortly after half-time, nodding a Martinez corner home from inside the six-yard box, then Young Boys defender Mohamed Camara bundled the ball into his own net while trying to clear Alejandro Balde's cross late on.

Data Debrief: Lewandowski level with Messi

As well as helping Barca to a crucial victory following their matchday one defeat, Lewandowski's double saw him draw level with Lionel Messi as the most ruthless finishers in Champions League history.

He now averages 0.79 goals per 90 minutes in the competition, a figure only matched by Blaugrana great Messi among all players to play a minimum of 50 matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo (0.77 goals per 90), Ruud van Nistelrooy (0.77) and Karim Benzema (0.59) trail Lewandowski and Messi for that metric.

The Poland star has also now scored 51 Champions League goals after turning 30 years old, becoming just the second player to accomplish that feat after Ronaldo (68).

Hansi Flick will not be resting his key players as Barcelona take on Young Boys in the Champions League.

Barcelona's winning start in LaLiga came to a shuddering halt when they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday.

Flick said after that defeat that he had made too many changes.

And while he hopeful midfielder Frenkie de Jong can return as Barca look to bounce back after suffering two losses in 10 days, following their defeat to Monaco in their first Champions League match, he is still set to be without Dani Olmo, Ronald Araujo, Gavi and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

"We will play with the team we believe to be the best in order to beat Young Boys. The first game we lost, yes. But we must not be depressed," Flick told reporters.

"We have to recover our balance after the defeat at Osasuna. We have to build the game with fewer mistakes. Responsibilities must be assumed.

"We need fresh legs and Frenkie's return is great news. Even if it's just for five or 10 minutes. If he gets the chance, he'll play."

Young Boys will arrive in Spain following a 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa in their opening Champions League match at home.

Asked if the five-time European champions have lost respect after their defeat at Monaco, Flick said: "I am positive we can win, we play good football - entertaining football. And if we need to gain the respect of our opponents once again, we're going to work hard on that."

Flick added he is in contact with Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who has reportedly agreed to come out of retirement to help Barca following first-choice Ter Stegen's season-ending injury.

He added: "Yes, I spoke with him, but I'm not going to say anything more. If he signs for Barca in the next few days at the next press conference we can talk about the issue, but not now."

Aston Villa made a fine return to Europe's elite as they began their Champions League campaign with an accomplished 3-0 victory over Swiss club Young Boys on Tuesday.

Villa, European Cup winners in 1982 and playing in UEFA's premier club competition for the first time since 1983, had to survive some early pressure but were good value for their victory once they made the breakthrough.

Youri Tielemans fired Villa in front in the 27th minute after being picked out by John McGinn's deep cross, and Unai Emery's men never looked back from there.

They doubled their advantage 11 minutes later, Mohamed Ali Camara's terrible back pass selling Young Boys goalkeeper David von Ballmoos short and allowing Jacob Ramsey to tap home.

The visitors had goals by Ollie Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran disallowed for handball either side of half-time, but Amadou Onana put the icing on the cake four minutes from time, drilling a superb effort into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards out.

The one concern for the visitors was the sight of star forward Watkins receiving treatment on his ankle following his 60th-minute withdrawal, just four days out from a Premier League derby against Midlands rivals Wolves.

Villa will face sterner Champions League tests in the coming months, with Bayern Munich visiting Villa Park on matchday two and Juventus, RB Leipzig and Monaco also lying in wait.

Data Debrief: Impressive introduction for Rogers

Tielemans, Ramsey and Onana may have scored the goals, but Villa's star of the show was Morgan Rogers, who laid on four chances for his team-mates.

Not only was that the most of any player on the pitch, ahead of Watkins and Young Boys forward Filip Ugrinic (three each), but it is also the most by any Englishman on their Champions League debut since Marc Albrighton for Leicester City in 2016 (four versus Club Brugge).

Villa became the 11th different English side to play in the Champions League since it was rebranded in 1992, but just the fourth to win their first match.

Manchester United (4-2 versus IFK Goteborg in 1994), Newcastle United (3-2 against Barcelona in 1997) and Leicester (3-0 versus Brugge in 2016) also did so. 

Unai Emery is focusing on a new mentality for his Aston Villa side as they embark on their Champions League journey against Young Boys.

Villa are making their first appearance in Europe's top competition since 1982 on Tuesday, having previously won the competition 42 years ago. 

Emery's side will become the 11th different English club to compete in the Champions League, and the first English newcomer since Leicester in 2016-17. 

But the Spaniard has made a name for himself on the European stage, having won the Europa League on four occasions with Sevilla and Villarreal. 

However, Emery's last game in the competition came back in 2022, with his Villarreal side eliminated by Liverpool in the semi-finals of the competition. 

That particular run was the Villa head coach's best run in the tournament, and he is dreaming of going one step further with the Villains. 

"I had dreams when I arrived here to play in the Champions League and be competitive in this competition," Emery told TNT Sports, in an exclusive interview.

"But we are going to set our new mentality, our new objective. Because we are now not comfortable playing in the Premier League and being in the middle.

"We want to be competitive, get in Europe, and be consistent.

"But of course, being consistent and getting into Europe is very difficult in England because it is the hardest league in the world."

 

While reaching the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League last season, Tuesday's match against the Swiss champions will be many of the Villa squad's first taste of Champions League football. 

However, Emery has strengthened his squad with European experience in recent years. 

Pau Torres was part of Emery's side that reached the semi-finals in 2022, while Ian Maatsen played the duration of Borussia Dortmund's defeat to Real Madrid in last year's final. 

And the Spaniard is looking to those two players in particular to help his side navigate the encounter. 

"We have players with experience; Ian Maatsen played last year and he is with us now," Emery continued. 

"Other players played, Pau Torres played in a semi-final three years ago. And I am playing [coaching] in Europe for 16 years in a row.

"My experiences are very important, but the better experience we are trying to use and get is with Aston Villa, with Aston Villa players, with Aston Villa supporters.

"We are always remembering how amazing it was when they won the Champions League [European Cup] in 1982, and for us, it is very important."

One of the talking points ahead of the clash is the artificial surface at the Wankdorf Stadium.

But Emery is resolute that his players will not be using that as an excuse and will adapt to what they encounter.

"We have to accept and we have to adapt to the pitches we are playing," Emery concluded.  

"Of course, usually we are playing on normal pitches, here it is synthetic. But we are going to try to adapt quickly and know what the difference is with the pitch."

Galatasaray were sent crashing out of Champions League qualification after Young Boys' 1-0 away win secured a 2-0 aggregate victory on Tuesday.

Carrying over a slender advantage from the first leg in Switzerland, Young Boys confirmed their passage to the new-look 36-team competition with the play-off success.

Alan Virginius scored the only goal in the 87th minute before Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was sent off for kicking out at the Young Boys substitute as he celebrated.

RB Salzburg are also set for their sixth straight appearance in Europe's top club competition after a 1-1 draw at home to Dynamo Kyiv wrapped up the tie 3-1 on aggregate.

Adam Daghim struck after just 12 minutes for the hosts before Vladyslav Vanat equalised for Kyiv, who were unable to overturn a 2-0 deficit from their first leg at home.

Sparta Prague were the other side to make it through Tuesday's qualifying, thanks to a 2-0 win over Swedish side Malmo that completed a 4-0 triumph on aggregate for the Czech champions.

Anders Christiansen missed a first-half penalty for Malmo before a late spot-kick from Lukas Haraslin and a goal for Albion Rrahmani sealed progression.

Wednesday will see four more sides fight for a place in the Champions League group stage.

A late Filip Ugrinic penalty gave Young Boys a crucial 3-2 first-leg lead over Galatasaray in their Champions League play-off tie after an enthralling contest in Bern.

Ugrinic scored from the spot after Abdulkerim Bardakci was sent off for a handball in the penalty area following a VAR review.

A Michy Batshuayi brace had looked to have boosted Galatasaray's hopes of reaching the Champions League's new league phase, dragging the visitors level after Joel Monteiro scored either side of half-time.

However, Ugrinic's 86th-minute spot-kick gave the Swiss side the advantage as they bid to reach the Champions League proper for a second straight campaign.

Galatasaray remain in the tie ahead of next Tuesday's second leg, though, and will look to hit back in front of a boisterous home crowd in Istanbul.

Data Debrief: Batshuayi shines despite Gala defeat

Despite the disappointment of a first-leg loss, Batshuayi showed his quality after coming off the bench, scoring twice despite having just three touches inside the opposition box.

Monteiro matched him by scoring a brace for Young Boys, also creating three big chances, two more than any other player on the pitch.

 

Manchester City defender John Stones is facing a lay-off after suffering an injury in the holders’ Champions League stroll against Young Boys on Tuesday.

The England international was withdrawn at half-time at the Etihad Stadium.

Manager Pep Guardiola described the loss of Stones as the “deep bad news” from a night when City secured their place in the last 16 for an 11th successive year with an otherwise straightforward 3-0 win.

Guardiola said: “It’s muscular, he is injured, so he’ll be a while out. It is a pity for him because he’s an incredible professional.

“He tried to do it but it’s bad news for us. It’s the deep bad news for tonight.”

The news is a further blow for Stones, who has already missed two months of the season with a hamstring problem.

Fellow defender Manuel Akanji also missed the game after a blow to the back in training but, despite looking “75 years old” in Guardiola’s words, the manager added “hopefully it will not be a big issue and he could be ready for Sunday”.

One player apparently untroubled was Erling Haaland, who made light of the ankle problem that curtailed him on Saturday to score two of City’s goals in a one-sided encounter with the Swiss champions.

Phil Foden also got on the scoresheet as City won their fourth Group G game in succession to secure progress with two games to spare.

Guardiola said of Haaland, who was substituted on the hour: “Yesterday we saw how he moved and how happy he was and he felt good. I said, OK and for us he’s so important.

“After the job was almost done, he took a rest for (the game against Chelsea on) Sunday.”

Guardiola was pleased with his side’s achievement but, with RB Leipzig three points behind, maintained he would not ease up until top spot in the group was secured.

He said: “We’ve already qualified but still the job is not done because we have to finish first. It’s better to have the second leg in the last 16 at home than away because at home we feel confident.

“Still you have a job to do but the first step is done and I’m really impressed.”

It was a miserable night for Young Boys, who ended the game with 10 men after Sandro Lauper was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Coach Raphael Wicky said: “We’re obviously not happy. We’re not happy with the performance we’ve made but we know it’s very difficult to get something here.

“We knew if we want to get a point or a win, we needed to have the perfect game.

“I saw some good stuff in the first half but it’s very difficult to defend against Man City. They always have chances.”

Erling Haaland shrugged off injury to score twice as holders Manchester City reached the Champions League last 16 with a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Young Boys.

The prolific Norwegian took his tally for the season to 15 with a penalty and a long-range strike as City eased past the Swiss champions at the Etihad Stadium to secure their fourth successive Group G win.

Phil Foden also got on the scoresheet as City, securing their place in the knockout stages for an 11th successive season, overran opponents who failed to muster a single shot and had Sandro Lauper sent off in the second half.

Typically, it was Haaland who stole the show having overcome the ankle problem that forced him off against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola could have rested his attacking spearhead with Sunday’s trip to Chelsea in mind but resisted and was rewarded with a clinical performance.

Six changes were made with Jeremy Doku, Rodri and Bernardo Silva among those dropped to the bench, but the returning Foden and Jack Grealish brought further firepower.

City, without getting anywhere top gear, were far too strong for the lacklustre visitors and dictated the game at their will.

Young Boys’ only spark came from their lively fans, who after making a colour-coordinated entrance in black or yellow depending on which tier they were seated, let off fireworks in the second half.

City should have taken an early lead after Mateo Kovavic played in Grealish with a superb through-ball and his cut-back presented Rico Lewis with a gilt-edged chance. Lewis attempted to sidefoot the ball home but Loris Benito cleared off the line.

Kovacic then linked well with Haaland, who was tripped on the edge of the area. Kyle Walker drilled the resulting free-kick at Anthony Racioppi and the keeper got up quickly to deny Foden on the rebound.

The inevitable opener came on 23 minutes after Matheus Nunes was tripped just inside the area by Lauper who – having been booked moments earlier – escaped a second yellow card on this occasion.

Haaland made no mistake as he sent Racioppi the wrong way from the spot.

Haaland threatened to grab his second as he homed in on a Walker cross but a slight deflection off a defender wrong-footed him as he shaped to shoot.

City doubled their lead just before the interval as Foden cut inside from a superb Grealish pass and brushed off a challenge from Ulisses Garcia to drill in from a tight angle.

Haaland added the third early in the second half after a storming break from Lewis, lashing home powerfully on the turn after taking a touch just outside the area.

Young Boys’ woes were compounded moments later when Lauper finally received his second booking following a bad challenge on substitute Nathan Ake.

Haaland was withdrawn just after the hour and City professionally saw out the remainder of the game with Kovacic and substitute Kalvin Phillips having further chances.

Pep Guardiola claimed there is no pressure on Erling Haaland to score more goals after the Norwegian’s double sank Young Boys on Wednesday.

Haaland struck twice in the second half as the holders claimed a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Swiss side in their Champions League Group G encounter on the artificial surface at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium.

The game had been in the balance after Meschack Elia had cancelled out Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener with a superb strike.

Haaland’s goals were his first in six Champions League games while his effort against Brighton on Saturday ended a three-game scoreless run – relative barren spells for a player who plundered 52 in total last season.

Guardiola said: “There is the impression after last season that he has to score seven goals every single game. That is impossible.

“But he is scoring a lot of goals and if people want him to fail because he doesn’t score 50 goals it doesn’t matter. He is always there.

“The second goal was really good and he had other chances. The important thing is to create them.

“Maybe in the right moment of the season he will be there, better than now, but he has already scored a lot of goals and we are really pleased.

“I’ve told him many times I don’t judge him for scoring goals, although I know he wants to score goals. He has the desire to improve and I don’t have doubts about that.”

City’s victory, sealed with a Haaland penalty and a clever late finish, was their third in succession and took them a step closer to the knockout stages.

They could reach the last-16 for an 11th consecutive season with a follow-up win over the same opposition at the Etihad Stadium in a fortnight.

“The result was good and in general it was a really good performance,” said Guardiola, whose side had 26 attempts on goal. “We could have scored more goals but is the important thing is to create the chances.”

Guardiola added that Phil Foden did not play because of a “small problem” while Julian Alvarez, who had a goal disallowed after coming off the bench, was not able to play the full game.

Young Boys coach Raphael Wicky felt his side gave a good account of themselves.

He said: “That courage and passion, we can be proud of what the team delivered, but you need a perfect game against a team like this. We couldn’t do it.

“Perfect means taking your chances and not conceding from set-pieces. We’re disappointed with the result, but we can be proud of the team’s performance.”

Erling Haaland struck twice as holders Manchester City moved a step closer to the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Young Boys.

Haaland put City back into the lead on the artificial surface at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium after Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener had been brilliantly cancelled out by Meschack Elia.

Substitute Julian Alvarez had an effort ruled out by VAR but Haaland made victory certain with a smart finish four minutes from time.

The win was City’s third in succession in Group G and they could now secure their spot in their last 16 for an 11th successive year with a follow-up victory over the Swiss side at home in a fortnight.

There had been much talk over the synthetic pitch in the build-up to the game and heavy rain added another variable element but it proved a free-flowing encounter.

Young Boys started well with Filip Ugrinic forcing a save from Ederson before Rodri headed wide from a corner.

Jack Grealish, who ignored the persistent booing of the vociferous home crowd, teed up Jeremy Doku with a superb first-time ball but the Belgian slipped as he cut inside and Anthony Racioppi saved.

The impressive Swiss keeper denied Haaland soon after but did have a moment of alarm when he spilled a Grealish shot. Matheus Nunes could only poke the loose ball weakly towards goal, however, and Loris Benito cleared off the line.

Doku went close again after switching from the right to left wing but Racioppi brilliantly saved his curling effort and blocked a first-time Rodri shot.

Young Boys had a good spell before the break with first Cedric Itten breaking clear but failing to beat Ederson.

Itten then teed up Sandro Lauper with a neat flick but Nathan Ake got back to block before a powerful Lewin Blum effort was turned behind. Itten went close again from the set-piece as his header dropped narrowly over.

While that made for a lively end to the first half, the game truly burst into life early in the second.

Akanji and Nunes both had chances before City grabbed the lead in the 48th minute. Rodri delivered a cross into the box and Ruben Dias, still forward following a corner, had a header tipped onto the bar by Racioppi. Akanji reacted the quickest to turn the ball in.

City went in immediate search of a second but were caught out after a Haaland shot was saved by Racioppi.

The ball was quickly sent to the other end and played into the path of Elia, who caught Ederson stranded off his line with a superb lob.

Young Boys were firmly back in the game and Itten forced Ederson into an awkward save with a swerving shot.

City stepped up the intensity and were awarded a penalty when Mohamed Ali Camara, moments after being booked, caught Rodri from behind. Haaland stepped up to thump home his 10th of the season.

City thought they had claimed another through Alvarez but his low strike was ruled out for a Grealish handball in the build-up.

It fell to Haaland to complete the job, the striker wrong-footing the defence just inside the box and then lifting into the top corner.

Pep Guardiola accepts Manchester City must adapt to the artificial surface they face in Switzerland this week – but claims “common sense” dictates grass is better.

The holders will play on unfamiliar terrain in their latest Champions League outing on Wednesday when they take on Young Boys on their synthetic pitch at the Wankdorf Stadium.

Guardiola insists there are no complaints on his part, and he has changed his team’s routine to ensure they are prepared.

Normally City do not take up the option available to them of training at the stadium when they play away games in Europe, instead preferring to work in Manchester before travelling.

However, on this occasion City flew to Bern on Tuesday morning and had a run out on the pitch in the evening.

Yet the City manager could not hide the feeling that he would prefer to be playing on a natural surface.

Speaking at a press conference, the Spaniard said: “It is what it is. If UEFA allows games to be played here it’s because it’s in good conditions.

“That’s one of the reasons we never train away but this is an exception. This is why we travel in the morning for the players to feel how the ball runs, how to move left, right, backwards, forwards. That’s why.

“We’ll try it and the players will know it immediately.”

Asked if he was concerned about injuries, Guardiola said: “I don’t know – hopefully not, for both sides, but I don’t know.

“We are not used to it. Any team that plays here is not used to it. It suits the Swiss league and, in the Champions League, the teams that come here have to adapt.

“We will not be the first in this situation. We have to use it as a benefit but the grass is better.”

Asked why, Guardiola said: “Because 99.9 per cent of the teams who play in a high level play on grass, otherwise UEFA and FIFA would decide to play on artificial pitches. It’s common sense, I would say.”

City go into their third match in Group G looking to maintain their 100 per cent record after victories over Red Star Belgrade and RB Leipzig.

Victory in their back-to-back games against Young Boys, who travel to the Etihad Stadium next month, could see City qualify for the knockout stages with two matches to spare.

City have no fresh injury concerns, with long-term casualty Kevin De Bruyne their only notable absentee.

Guardiola also played down concerns about the form of Jack Grealish, who is taking time to get back to his best after a month out with a dead leg.

The City boss said: “I don’t have one doubt about Jack and his quality and what he has done for us since he arrived, especially last season. I’m calm and confident. He is an incredibly important player for us.”

Ten-man Benfica survived a PSV onslaught to join Young Boys and Malmo in clinching a spot in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.

The Portuguese side lost Lucas Verissimo to a second yellow card with 32 minutes played in the second leg at Philips Stadion, yet PSV could not find a way through from any of their 21 shots, eight of which were saved by Odisseas Vlachodimos.

PSV had 73 per cent possession and wasted a huge chance when Eran Zahavi hit the bar with the goal gaping, but their failure to score ensured Benfica went through to the competition proper 2-1 on aggregate following their victory on home soil last week.

Young Boys are also through at the expense of stubborn Ferencvaros side thanks to a 3-2 win in Budapest to complete a 6-4 aggregate victory.

Ferencvaros battled back through goals from Henry Wingo and Ryan Mmaee in the space of nine first-half minutes to cancel out Cedric Zesiger's opener on the day, making it 4-4 on aggregate.

But Christian Fassnacht swung the game back in Young Boys' favour and Felix Mambimbi sealed the win after Aissa Laidouni had been shown a second yellow, condemning Ferencvaros to Europa League football in the process.

Ludogorets must also settle for a place in Europe's secondary competition this term, despite beating Malmo 2-1 in the second leg of their playoff-round tie.

The Swedish visitors held a 2-0 advantage from the reverse fixture and that came in handy when Ludogorets skipper Anton Nedyalkov struck 10 minutes into the match at Huvepharma Arena.

Veljko Birmancevic hit back for Malmo before half-time to restore their two-goal lead and they held on to reach the Champions League group stage for a third time, and first since 2016, despite Pieros Sotiriou's penalty on the hour setting up a nervy finish.

Malmo, along with Benfica and Young Boys, will discover their group stage opponents on Thursday when the draw is made in Istanbul.

The second legs of the other three play-offs involving Brondby, Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Sheriff Tiraspol, Shakhtar Donetsk and Monaco will take place on Wednesday.

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