Champions League: Real wins Clash of Titans

The unstoppable force of Real Madrid met the immovable mass of Juventus tonight in Cardiff. The best attack versus the best defence. In the end the result was 4-1, a well deserved victory after  galactic display of football skills.

Champions League: Real wins Clash of Titans. 60616.jpeg

Real Madrid 4 Juventus 1

Ronaldo 20, 64 Mandzukic 27

Casemiro 61

Asensio 90

Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his third final, making history; Real Madrid passed the 500 goal milestone in the Champions League. Juve came off the blocks strong and Navas made an important save on 7'. The feeling was that Real had to do something soon to avoid being sewpt away. They did. They organized the channels from defence to attack, Marcelo being instrumental throughout the game.

Before tonight

Real Madrid European Championship/Champions League (11); UEFA Cup (2) European Super Cup (2); Intercontinental Cup (3); FIFA Club World Cup (2)

Juventus European Championship/Champions League (2); Cup-Winners' Cup (1); UEFA Cup (3); European Super Cup (2); Intertoto Cup (1); Intercontinental Cup (2)

Europa League: Manchester's Moment of Mourinho Magic

José Mourinho for the second time with a second club wins the Europa League, Manchester United beating Ajax 2-0 in the final, Pogba and Mkhitaryan the executors of the goals. José Mourinho wins his fourth UEFA trophy.

Manchester United 2 Ajax 0

Paul Pogba 18

Henrikh Mkhitaryan 48

9 shots blocked, 8 off target, ball possession 67% against 33%, 5 corners to 1...Ajax threw it all at United, but was playing against the game's greatest fox, José Mourinho. Ball possession 33%, 6 shots, 4 on target, 1 off, 1 blocked, 2-0.

Manchester United and Ajax now share 14 major European trophies between them. Prior to tonight's game, United held five trophies:  Three European Cups/Champions League Cup (1967-8, 1998-9, 2007-8), 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1990-1) and one Super Cup (1991). Now, the Europa Cup.  José Mourinho won the Portuguese Premier League with FC Porto twice, 1 Portuguese Cup, 1 Supercup, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Champions League. With Chelsea he won 3 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cups, 1 Community Shield. With Internazionale, he won 2 Serie A titles, 1 Italian Cup, 1 Super Cup, 1 Champions League. With Real Madrid he won La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey and 1 Supercup. With United this season before tonight's game he had won 1 League Cup (EFL) and 1 Community Shield. Now, the Europa Cup.

AFC Ajax held 8 trophies: Four European Cups/Champions League trophies (1970-1, 1971-2, 1972-3, 1994-5), 2 Super Cups (1973, 1995), 1 UEFA Cup (1991-2) and 1 Cup Winners' Cup (1986-7). The manager, Peter Bosz, has one Eerste Divisie (Dutch second tier of the Championship, one level below the Premier League or Eredivisie) with Heracles Almelo (2004-5). This season, Bosz took Ajax to second place in the Dutch Premier one point behind Feyenoord after taking over in July 2016.

Europa League: United versus Ajax

The UEFA finals are Champions League Juventus against Real Madrid and in the Europa League, Manchester United against Ajax. United beat Celta Vigo 2-1 over two legs (1-0 and 1-1) and Ajax saw off Lyon

Europa League Semi-Finals second legs

Manchester United 1 Celta Vigo 1  First Leg Celta 0 United 1

Fellaini 17                    Roncaglia 85

Aggregate: United 2-1

Lyon 3 Ajax 1 First Leg Ajax 4  Lyon1 Agregate: Ajax 5-4

Lacazette 45+1, 45 (pen.)      Dolberg 27

Ghezzal 81

First legs

Celta Vigo 0 Manchester United 1

                      Rashford 67 (set piece)

Celta saw a little more of the ball (54% to 46%) and worked the ball, at home, slightly more than United. However in practical terms, United had 5 shots on target against Celta's 2; United saw three shots saved, against 1 for Celta.  Celta keeper Sergio Álvarez saved shots from Rashford, Mkhitaryan and Lingard in the first 45 minutes. But...Celta coach Eduardo Berizzo was up against the Master, José Mourinho, who does his homework. Good news for Mourinho? The Man of the Match was Paul Pogba!! The goal came from a free kick, outside the area.

Champions League: Wednesday May 3

Monaco 0 Juventus 2

                 Higuain 29, 59

Europa League: Wednesday May 3

Ajax 4                        Lyon 1

Traoré 25, 71             Valbuena 66

Dolberg 34

Younes 49

Champions: Real versus Juve

Juventus beat Monaco over the two legs with an aggregate of four goals to one, winning 2-0 away in France and 2-1 at home. Tomorrow Atlético de Madrid takes on arch rivals Real Madrid, winner of the first leg by three goals to nil.

Atlético 2                               Real 1

Saul Ñíguez 12                  Isco 42

Griezmann 16 (pen)

First leg Real Madrid 3 Atlético de Madrid 0 Aggregate Real 4 Atlético 1

Champions League: Juventus books place

Juventus beat Monaco over the two legs with an aggregate of four goals to one, winning 2-0 away in France and 2-1 at home. Tomorrow Atlético de Madrid takes on arch rivals Real Madrid, winner of the first leg by three goals to nil.

Juventus 2 Monaco 1 First leg Monaco 0 Juventus 2 (Aggregate Juventus 4-1)

Mandzukic 33 Mbappé 69

Dani Alves 44

Monaco did not come to Turin defeated, despite the two goal lead Juve took home from France. Ball possession gave the away side an advantage of 53% to 47% although Juventus had 6 shots on target against Monaco's 2. However, Monaco had 5 shots off target against the home side's 4, saw 4 shots blocked against Juve's 5 and had 8 corners against 6.

Conclusion: Juventus is a very strong contender for the Champions League title this season. Against whom we shall see tomorrow.

UEFA Semi-Finals First Legs complete

In the Europa League, Celta Vigo lost narrowly at home to José Mourinho's Manchester United, while Ajax has the advantage in the other tie. In the Champions League, it's Real Madrid and Juventus ahead against Atlético and Monaco. United is back, Mourinho's magic can once again be seen.

Europa League: Thursday May 4

Celta Vigo 0 Manchester United 1

                      Rashford 67 (set piece)

Celta saw a little more of the ball (54% to 46%) and worked the ball, at home, slightly more than United. However in practical terms, United had 5 shots on target against Celta's 2; United saw three shots saved, against 1 for Celta.  Celta keeper Sergio Álvarez saved shots from Rashford, Mkhitaryan and Lingard in the first 45 minutes. But...Celta coach Eduardo Berizzo was up against the Master, José Mourinho, who does his homework. Good news for Mourinho? The Man of the Match was Paul Pogba!! The goal came from a free kick, outside the area.

Champions: Real versus Juve? Europa: Ajax versus United?

Higuain gave Juve a 2-0 away lead against a Monaco side which has started to place itself in the elite of European soccer. In the Europa League, Ajax is back, with a 4-1 win against Lyon. Unless Lyon wins by three goals in the second leg (not impossible) Ajax will face the winner of the Manchester United versus Celta Vigo tie.

Champions League: Wednesday May 3

Monaco 0 Juventus 2

                 Higuain 29, 59

Europa League: Wednesday May 3

Ajax 4                        Lyon 1

Traoré 25, 71             Valbuena 66

Dolberg 34

Younes 49

Played Tuesday

Champions League Semi-Final: Ronaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to deliver a three-goal advantage to Real Madrid against Atlético.

Real Madrid 3 Atlético Madrid 0

Cristiano Ronaldo 10, 73, 86

Real attacked more, dominated the game (61% of ball possession against 39%), had 16 shots against Atlético's 4. A hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo underlines the incredible form of this record-breaking player. Real versus Juve in the final?

European matches: The semi-finalists are...

Champions: Juventus, Monaco, Real and Atlético Madrid. Europa: Manchester United, Celta Vigo, Lyon, Ajax. Real Madrid and Manchester United to meet in the next Euro Super Cup? Bottom line and common denominator: Mourinho.

Europa League Quarter Finals

Manchester United 2 Anderlecht 1 (First Leg 1-1.Aggregate: Manchester United 3-2)

Mkhitaryan 10   Hanni 32

Rashford 107

Genk 1 Celta Vigo 1 (First Leg 2-3 Aggregate: Celta win 4-3)

Trossard 67  Sisto 63

Besiktas 2 Lyon 1 (First Leg 1-2 Aggregate: 3-3 Lyon win on penalties 6-5)

Talisca 27, 58       Lacazette 34

Schalke 3 Ajax 2 (First Leg 0-2 Aggregate: 3-4 Ajax win in extra time)

Goretzka 53    Viergever 111, Younes 120

Burgstaller 56

Caligiuri 101

Champions League Quarter Finals

Second legs

Barcelona 0 Juventus 0 (Aggregate: Juventus 3 Barcelona 0)

Monaco 3 Borussia Dortmund 1 (Aggregate: Monaco 6 Dortmund 3)

Mbappé 3,         Reus 48

Falcao 17

Germain 81  

Real Madrid 4 Bayern Munich 2 (Aggregate: Real 6 Bayern 3)

Ronaldo 76, 105, 110   Lewandowski 53 (pen.)   Ramos (o.g.) 78

Asensio 112

Leicester City 1 Atlético Madrid 1 (Aggregate: Leicester 1 Atlético 2)

Vardy 61    Saúl Ñíguez 26

Champions League Quarter Finals (Last 8) First Legs

Juventus 3 Barcelona 0 (Played Tuesday)

Dybala 7,22

Chiellini 55

Barça actually had more shots, 15 to 14, but the home side had eight on target against three. Barça saw 4 shots blocked (against 2) and had far more ball possession, away in Italy, 66% to 34%. This tie is far from over and it would not be the first time Barcelona has turned around a seemingly impossible disadvantage at home. In March Barcelona beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 at home after trailing 4-0 in the first leg, winning the tie 6-5.

Wednesday April 12

Borussia Dortmund 2 Monaco 3 (rescheduled from Tuesday due to bomb blast)

Dembélé 57                   Mbappé 19, 79   S. Bender 35 og

Kagawa 84

A lightning counter attack and a Bender header into his own goal saw Monaco leave the field on half-time 2-0 ahead. The home side came back with a move involving Guerreiro, Aubameyang, Kagawa and Dembélé but Mbappé, man of the match, put Monaco 3-1 ahead, showing his class as he intercepted a pass (Piszczek to Papasthathopoulos) and fired past the keeper. Kagawa reduced on 84', receiving an assist from Ginter, setting himself up and firing home. Dortmund needs to win by two goals in Monaco.

Bayern Munich 1 Real Madrid 2

Vidal 25   Cristiano Ronaldo 47 77

The first man to score in 100 Champions League club competition games, Cristiano Ronaldo, answered his critics with a brace, away, at Bayern. OK Vidal missed a penalty in the first half and Bayern had a man sent off (Javi Martínez, 61'). But Bayern have to beat Real...in Madrid.

Atlético Madrid 1 Leicester City 0

Griezmann 28 (pen.)

Atlético 15 shots, Leicester 6, Atlético 4 shots on target, Leicester zero; the home side had 4 shots saved, the visitors, three; Atlético had a ball on the woodwork and had eight corners to 1.

Europa League Quarter Finals

Manchester United drew away at Anderlecht, Celta beat Genk, Lyon beat Besiktas, Ajax beat Schalke. Any team could make it through in the second leg

Anderlecht 1 Manchester United 1

Dendoncker 86     Mkhitaryan 37

United went into the break ahead but four minutes from time, a header from Dendoncker levelled the match, dominated by United with a ball possession of 60% to 40% and 16 shots to 11, although the hosts had 6 shots blocked to United's 5. A close match will follow at Old Trafford next week. Mourinho in the semis? Probably.

Celta Vigo 3 Genk 2

Sisto 15          Boëtius 10

Aspas 18      Buffel 67

Guidetti 38

Lyon 2 Besiktas 1

Tolisso 83 Babel 15

Morel 85

Ajax 2 Schalke 0

Klaasen 23 (pen,), 52

The competitions so far

Champions League Matchdays 1 to 6

https://english.pravda.ru/news/society/136367-champions_six/

https://english.pravda.ru/news/society/136372-fc_porto/

Last 16

https://english.pravda.ru/news/society/137113-champions/

Europa League Matchdays 1 to 6

https://english.pravda.ru/news/society/136378-zenit_krasnodar/

Europa League Last 16

https://english.pravda.ru/news/society/137127-europa_league/