UCL 2022/23 | In last-4, Man City meets Real test, Inter sets up Milan clash

His 48th goal for Manchester City this season.

Erling Haaland scored again on Wednesday for City to advance to a Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid with a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their quarterfinal.

Norweighian forward missed a first-half penalty but atoned by sealing City’s progress with a 4-1 win on aggregate by scoring on a counterattack in the 57th minute, just after Bayern missed a good chance at the other end.

Bayern’s lack of confidence after losing the first leg 3-0 in Manchester showed as it failed to take advantage of numerous chances.

“We really wanted to take the lead in the first half,” said Joshua Kimmich, who scored Bayern’s consolation from the penalty spot in the 83rd.

“We had a few chances, very, very good chances, and we needed the lead against City to make them nervous. It’s obviously easier for them when they can keep it scoreless for a long time. It’s very annoying … I’d like to have experienced the second half if we’d scored in the first.” The penalty was awarded after City defender Manuel Akanji was cited through VAR for handball.

Bayern counterpart Dayot Upamecano was also penalised for handball when Ilkay Gündogan’s cross grazed the bottom of his arm in the 35th, but Haaland blasted that spot kick just over the bar.

Kevin De Bruyne played Haaland through to settle it early in the second half when the unfortunate Upamecano slipped as he tried to recover.

“We played very well in the difficult moments, we were very compact and we didn’t give Bayern much,” De Bruyne said.

“At the other end, we got one chance. And when we scored the goal, it was much harder for Bayern.” City did little in manager Pep Guardiola’s return to the club he led to three consecutive Bundesliga titles between 2014-16, but the visitors didn’t need to thanks to their commanding lead from the first leg and Bayern’s lack of efficiency.

It is the Bavarian powerhouse’s third consecutive quarterfinal exit since winning the tournament in 2020 and the second competition it has been knocked out of in as many weeks following Freiburg’s win over Bayern in the German Cup quarterfinals.

Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidžic fired Julian Nagalsmann as coach last month as they felt the team was in danger of missing its targets for the season. Tuchel has since only seen the team win two from six games across all competitions. Bayern still leads the Bundesliga by two points from Borussia Dortmund with six rounds remaining.

Bayern fans held a huge banner toward the end of Wednesday’s game criticising Salihamidžic and Kahn saying “Targets may be missed — the club’s values not!” Bayern had made an encouraging start only to be let down with final crosses going astray and poor finishing.

Leroy Sané had the best early chance when Jamal Musiala sent him through but the Germany winger sent his shot just wide of the far post.

Referee Clement Turpin upset the home team when he showed the last defender Upamecano a red card for bringing down Haaland, who was offside. Turpin rescinded the red card after the linesman flagged the offside, then booked Tuchel for his ironic applause.

Tuchel was sent off late with his second yellow card for protesting another decision, while his assistant Zsolt Löw was shown a direct red card.

Manchester City is bidding to win the Champions League for the first time. It would be Guardiola’s first since winning as Barcelona coach in 2011. City will play Madrid, the defending champion, away for the first leg of their semifinal in May. Madrid beat City 6-5 after extra time in their semifinal last year.

“To win this competition, you have to beat them,” Guardiola said. 

Inter advances past Benfica, sets up Milan semifinal in CL

Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg football match between Inter Milan and Benfica at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
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The Milan clubs are set to meet again in another Champions League semifinal a decade after their last encounter in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition.

Inter Milan drew 3-3 against Benfica on Wednesday to complete a 5-3 aggregate victory over the Portuguese team. That came a day after AC Milan prevailed against Napoli in their quarterfinal.

After Nicolò Barella’s opener for Inter, Fredrik Aursnes restored some hope for Benfica shortly before halftime. But Lautaro Martínez and substitute Joaquín Correa netted in the second half to help Inter reach its first semifinal since José Mourinho led it to the treble of the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup in 2010.

Inter nevertheless managed to relinquish a two-goal lead as António Silva and Petar Musa netted late on for Benfica.

“bviously I am happy, and I am happy for the boys because it is an important and historic achievement,”Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said.

“We’ve come a long way, from a very, very difficult group.

“With regards to the goals, their forward did well on the second goal and on the third goal we heard a whistle and so several players stopped. Of course I would have wanted to have won 3-2 and I’m more disappointed for the boys but we were already through to the semifinal and there was that whistle that we heard on the bench too … we would have deserved the win.” The Nerazzurri will face its city rival in a repeat of the 2003 semifinal. AC Milan won that on away goals and went on to beat Juventus in the final.

“It’s a very special match, we know what it means to play a match of this sort,” Inter forward Martínez said.

“Now we have to pick up points again in Serie A and then we’ll think about the Champions League.

“I play this sport to win everything.” Real Madrid will face Manchester City in the other semifinal after the English team drew 1-1 at Bayern Munich on Wednesday to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

Both Inter and Benfica came into the match at San Siro on a poor run of form.

Inter had only won one of its past eight matches in all competitions — the first leg in Lisbon — while Benfica had lost three straight matches for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Inter had been criticised for not making the most of its numerous goalscoring opportunities — and had only scored two goals from open play in its past seven matches.

But the Nerazzurri took the lead with their very first chance, in the 14th minute, as Barella rode a tackle and played a one-two with Martínez before curling a delightful effort into the top left corner.

Benfica faced an uphill task and Inter was yet to concede in the knockout stage. The Nerazzurri had the ball in the back of the net again in the 33rd minute but it was disallowed for a slight nudge by Martínez on Gilberto.

Moments later, Barella did well to acrobatically clear a cross with Benfica top goalscorer Gonçalo Ramos lurking.

However, a defensive lapse saw Benfica get back into the quarterfinal seven minutes from the break as Aursnes got in front of Denzel Dumfries to head in Rafa Silva’s cross from the right.

Buoyed by that goal, Benfica continued to press but it was Inter that scored in the 65th minute, to all but put the outcome beyond doubt.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan cut a pass in from the left to Federico Dimarco, who crossed for the easiest of finishes as Martínez prodded it into the roof of the net from point-blank range.

And Correa capped a brilliant night for Inter by curling in off the right post two minutes after coming off the bench.

António Silva headed in a free kick for the visitors with four minutes remaining to add some respectability to the scoreline, before Musa drilled through a sea of legs in stoppage time to at least end Benfica’s losing run.

“We are disappointed because I think at the start we showed that we still believed we could reach the semifinal,” Benfica coach Roger Schmidt said.

“We started very well but after the first goal it was difficult because that makes everything even more difficult.

“I think our team showed a very good attitude today, very good focus and very good mentality … we tried to push in the second half but then we conceded a goal and I think we were also not very lucky with the decisions.” 

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5 players who are most likely to win the Ballon d’Or in 2028

The Ballon d’Or award is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual accolade in football. First presented by French news magazine France Football in 1956, the award recognizes the standout male footballer deemed to have performed best over the previous season. In its current format, the top 100 journalists from FIFA’s top 100 nations cast their votes to determine the Ballon d’Or winner.

With 12 Ballon d’Or awards shared between them, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the two brightest stars in the history of the award. Messi, with seven wins, holds the record for most Ballon d’Or wins, and by the looks of it, the World Cup winner could add another to his collection this year.

Brilliant as the pair are, even they cannot escape Father Time, meaning a new era is set to dawn sooner rather than later. Today, we will make a fun prediction of the post-Messi-Ronaldo era, check out which players could go on to win the award in the coming years.

Now, without further ado, let’s take a quick look at five players who could win the Ballon d’Or award five years from now, in 2028.


#5 Jude Bellingham

Borussia Dortmund v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund v Sport-Club Freiburg – Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund’s 19-year-old central midfielder Jude Bellingham is one of the most sought-after players in the world right now. The England international, who is currently being chased by Liverpool and Real Madrid, could leave Dortmund in a big-money switch in the summer.

Bellingham is a gifted central midfielder who not only knows how to do damage higher up the pitch but can also hold down the fort. Bellingham has a penchant for scoring goals and his composure is beyond his years. Considering he picks the right club and continues his development, he could be one of the favorites for the 2028 Ballon d’Or.

Bellingham has scored 20 goals and provided 23 assists in 115 appearances for Dortmund in all competitions so far. In international football, he has one goal and two assists to his name in 22 games.


#4 Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid CF v Atletico de Madrid - Copa Del Rey Quarter Final
Real Madrid CF v Atletico de Madrid – Copa Del Rey Quarter Final

Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Junior has already become a superstar. The 22-year-old left-winger scored the winner in the 2022 Champions League final against Liverpool and finished in eighth place in the 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings.

In full flight, Vinicius Junior is a force to be reckoned with. He possesses blistering pace, has the innate ability to beat players in one-on-one duels, and works tirelessly from start to finish. For the Whites, Vinicius Junior has scored 49 goals and claimed 49 assists in 201 appearances across competitions. For Brazil, on the other hand, Vinicius Junior has scored twice and claimed two assists in 20 games.

QUE GOLAÇO DO VINÍCIUS JÚNIOR!!!!VINÍ JR 🥵😳⚡https://t.co/CAx1rFKMNa

Real Madrid and Brazil are two of the most ambitious teams in football and regularly find themselves competing for the biggest trophies. Considering the fact that winning the most prestigious accolades helps an individual greatly in the Ballon d’Or race, the odds are in Vinicius Junior’s favor to win the cherished award sooner rather than later.


#3 Pedri

Girona FC v FC Barcelona - LaLiga Santander
Girona FC v FC Barcelona – LaLiga Santander

Lionel Messi won six of his seven Ballon d’Or awards as a Barcelona player, with the club arming him with all the right ingredients to become an icon. Central midfielder Pedri could follow in Messi’s footsteps and bring the prestigious accolade to Camp Nou in the future.

At only 20 years of age, Pedri has already emerged as a natural leader in Barcelona’s midfield. He is confident with the ball at his feet, knows how to dictate the game’s tempo, has a knack for splitting defenses open with throughballs, and can also score. Since joining from Las Palmas in July 2020 (after a loan spell), Pedri has scored 15 goals and claimed seven assists in 102 games across competitions.

Pedri posted and deleted this story with a circle around his No. 8…He posted it after Barcelona went 8 points clear of Real Madrid 😅 https://t.co/Ba85mL5JjQ

With age on his side and great icons to learn from, Pedri has every right to fancy himself lifting the prized accolade in 2028.


#2 Erling Haaland

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City - Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City – Premier League

The Ballon d’Or award has a knack for favoring goalscorers, and Manchester City goalmachine Erling Haaland is one of the best in the business. Only 22 years of age, the Norwegian has demonstrated lethal finishing in two of Europe’s top five leagues: Germany’s Bundesliga and England’s Premier League.

Before joining Manchester City for a €60 million fee in the summer of 2022, Haaland scored a staggering 86 goals in 89 appearances in the Bundesliga. The strong and pacey center-forward has caught England by storm, scoring 25 goals in only 20 Premier League appearances. He has already shattered a few important Premier League records, becoming the quickest to score 20 league goals (14 games) and four hat-tricks (19 games).

Erling Haaland is still running away with the Premier League Golden Boot ⚽️ https://t.co/p6MEy30F60

Considering he manages to keep injuries at bay, he could easily be posing with the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 2028.


#1 Kylian Mbappe

SL Benfica v Paris Saint-Germain: Group H - UEFA Champions Leagu
SL Benfica v Paris Saint-Germain: Group H – UEFA Champions Leagu

Kylian Mbappe, 24, is already hailed as one of the best players in the world, chances are, he will only get even better in the coming days. The Frenchman has proven himself to be a model athlete and has shown admirable mental fortitude in the last few years, making him the most likely to win the Ballon d’Or in the future.

The PSG superstar, who won the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, possesses blistering pace, is a competent creator, and a lethal finisher. Mbappe has already scored 36 goals and provided 23 assists in 66 appearances for his country. At PSG, he has bagged 196 goals and claimed 94 assists in 243 appearances across competitions.

If he manages to maintain his run of form and racks up a few important trophies, he could land a Ballon d’Or or two by the time 2028 comes around.

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5 midfielders with the best passing ability in Europe this season (2022-23)

Midfielders form the backbone of a football team. They dictate the speed of the game, bring players into the fold, and carve open defenses by playing inch-perfect through balls into dangerous areas. Midfielders seldom enjoy the glory attackers do, but without them, the entire system tends to fall apart.

The top five European leagues have the privilege of fielding some of the most gifted midfielders on the planet. Many of the said world-class footballers have dazzled onlookers with their crisp passes this season, and today, we will briefly review their performances.

Now, without further ado, let’s take a swift look at the five midfielders with the best passing ability in the 2022-23 season:


#5 Toni Kroos — Real Madrid

Athletic Club v Real Madrid CF - LaLiga Santander
Athletic Club v Real Madrid CF – LaLiga Santander

For close to a decade, Real Madrid maestro Toni Kroos has reigned as one of Europe’s most efficient players. The German central midfield player is not as adventurous as some of the other names on this list today. However, when it comes to dictating play, there is hardly anyone better than the Real Madrid no. 8.

Kroos is adept at playing short passes and keeping the opposition on their toes. He also has the innate ability to switch play to wide areas with his long balls and is rarely dispossessed under pressure. In the 2022-23 La Liga season, Kroos averages 74.5 accurate passes (95% accuracy) and 6.3 accurate long balls (86% accuracy) per game. Overall, Kroos has played 15 La Liga matches this term, scoring twice and claiming two assists.

In the Champions League, he claimed two assists in five group-stage matches. There, he averaged 86.5 accurate passes (95% accuracy), eight long balls (87% accuracy), and 2.2 key passes per game.


#4 Joshua Kimmich — Bayern Munich

FC Bayern München v Eintracht Frankfurt - Bundesliga
FC Bayern München v Eintracht Frankfurt – Bundesliga

Bayern Munich’s right-back turned central midfielder Joshua Kimmich has been in red-hot form in the 2022-23 season. The Germany international has featured in 18 games in the Bundesliga this season, scoring thrice, providing three assists and creating six big chances. Kimmich averages 2.7 key passes, 70.4 accurate passes (89% accuracy), and 5.4 long balls (74% accuracy) per game in the Bundesliga.

Con este GOLAZO de Kimmich, el Bayern empató al Köln en los minutos finales del partido 🤩🤯. https://t.co/Prr3ogu3Kp

In the Champions League group stage, Kimmich claimed three assists and created four big chances in five games. He averaged 68.2 accurate passes (91% accuracy), 4.2 accurate long balls (68% accuracy), and 2.2 key passes in that round.


#3 Luka Modric — Real Madrid

Real Madrid v Valencia CF - Super Copa de España
Real Madrid v Valencia CF – Super Copa de España

Despite being firmly on the wrong side of 30, 37-year-old central midfielder Luka Modric has been one of Real Madrid’s best players this season. The Croatian superstar has been immaculate with his distribution, has worked harder than most, and has created goalscoring opportunities quite frequently.

In the 2022-23 La Liga campaign, Modric has featured in 17 matches, scoring twice, creating five big chances, and providing two assists. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder averages 1.3 key passes, 43.8 accurate passes (90% accuracy), and 2.4 accurate long balls (77% accuracy) per game.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalist also looked sharp in the group stage of the 2022-23 Champions League, scoring twice in four games. He averaged 56.2 accurate passes (90% accuracy), 3.2 long balls (59% accuracy), and 0.8 key passes each game.


#2 Kevin De Bruyne — Manchester City

Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier League
Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Premier League

Arguably the best midfielder in the world right now, Manchester City ace Kevin De Bruyne is in a league of his own. Not only can he dictate the tempo of the game with his short passes in the middle of the park but also do damage with his defense-piercing passes higher up. An in-form De Bruyne can take on any midfield unit in the world and come out on top.

Since the start of the 2022-23 Premier League season, the Belgian has played 19 games, scoring thrice and providing 11 assists. He has created 20 big chances, the most in Europe; and played 20 accurate through balls. The midfielder averages 44.95 passes per game in the Premier League.

16 – Kevin De Bruyne has provided more assists in all competitions this season than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues (16), with seven of these assists resulting in Erling Haaland goals. Blueprint. https://t.co/fpMKWpiRYk

The former Chelsea man has been impressive in the UEFA Champions League as well. In the group stage, De Bruyne played four games, claiming three assists, creating two big chances, and averaging 2.5 key passes per game.


#1 Martin Odegaard — Arsenal

Arsenal FC v Manchester United - Premier League
Arsenal FC v Manchester United – Premier League

Arsenal are currently sitting at the top of the 2022-23 Premier League table, and their captain, Martin Odegaard, has emerged as the team’s best performer. The former Real Madrid man has been reliable in possession, exhibited immaculate vision, and unlocked defenses with his slide rule through balls.

In the English top flight this season, the Norwegian midfielder has scored eight goals, provided five assists, and created 10 big chances. He averages 34.8 accurate passes (82% accuracy), 2.2 key passes, and 1.6 accurate long balls (64% accuracy) long balls per game.

Mikel Arteta rarely deployed him in the group stages of the 2022-23 Europa League season. He averaged only 37 minutes over six games, starting only two matches. He created two big chances and averaged 1.3 key passes per game.

PSG at only 5th! Paul Merson ranks his 5 favorites for the Champions League this season. Click here

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“Showed what he’s about” – England star wowed by Argentina captain Lionel Messi’s ‘unbelievable’ performance against Mexico 


England attacker Jack Grealish was awestruck by Lionel Messi‘s performance for Argentina in their thrilling 2-0 victory over Mexico at the FIFA World Cup.

Argentina went into the game against Le Tricolor on 26 November, knowing that a victory was vital as they lost their FIFA World Cup opener 2-1 to Saudi Arabia.

Everyone was stunned by La Albiceleste’s poor performance in the first half, with many criticizing Lionel Messi’s display.

However, the Argentine icon took the game by the scruff of the neck and fired home an incredible 64th-minute strike to send his side on their way to victory.

The impressive young Enzo Fernandez grabbed Argentina’s second in the 87th minute, but it was yet another night when Lionel Messi made headlines.

The win was vital for Argentina as it propelled them to second place, one point behind group leaders Poland, who they face in their final group game on 30 November.

Grealish was interviewed ahead of England’s clash with Wales on 29 November and was among those left mesmerized by Messi.

He told talkSPORT:

“I watch all the games to be honest. We have screens all over the place and it’s just nice to have games on all day. I watched Messi, unbelievable. He just showed what he’s about in that second half but then again so did Mbappe.”


Lionel Messi reacts to Argentina’s win over Mexico

Lionel Messi to the rescue
Lionel Messi to the rescue

The pressure had grown on Argentina following their shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia.

It went down as one of the biggest shocks in FIFA World Cup history, and Lionel Scaloni’s side were in dire need of bouncing back against Mexico.

Following their victory over the north Americans, Messi spoke of his relief at securing a win as they are now back on track in Group C.

He said (via the Guardian):

“We lived with discomfort given the defeat in the opening match [against Saudi Arabia] was something we didn’t expect.

He continued,

“The days felt very long and we were eager to have the chance to turn it around. We knew it was a critical game. Luckily we had the option to win and it was a weight off our shoulders, a reason for joy and peace of mind because it is all down to us again.”

If Scaloni’s men beat Poland, they will qualify as Group C winners for the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup.

Lionel Messi is set to come up against Barcelona frontman Robert Lewandowski in what is now a mouthwatering encounter at Stadium 974.

Poll : Who will top Group B in FIFA World Cup 2022?

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