‘We never make it easy,’ says relieved Alexander-Arnold

AFP

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted Villarreal made life “really difficult” as Jurgen Klopp’s side battled through to a third Champions League final in five years on Tuesday.

The Reds led 2-0 from last week’s semi-final first leg at Anfield, but first-half goals in Spain from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin levelled the tie on aggregate.

A much improved Liverpool regained control in the second half at La Ceramica where goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane gave them a 3-2 win on the night and a 5-2 aggregate victory.

“We never seem to make these Champions League semi-finals easy for ourselves. Difficult, really difficult,” Alexander-Arnold told BT Sport.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

“We came here and they played very well first half. We regrouped at half-time and got the game by the scruff of the neck. We did what we needed to do.”

Liverpool are bidding for an unprecedented quadruple, but looked in danger of losing a match by two goals for the first time this season after an uncharacteristic opening 45 minutes.

“We never played football that first half and didn’t pick up any second balls. They played the game they wanted to and we allowed them to do that,” said Alexander-Arnold.

“Second half we came out and controlled the ball better. One bad half over two legs, we can concede that to get the job done.”

Six-time European champions Liverpool will play Premier League rivals Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final in Paris on May 28.

20250301_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha lead Barça to a 4-1 aggregate victory over Benfica

Young talent Lamine Yamal and Brazilian forward Raphinha secured Barcelona’s spot in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Benfica (4-1 on aggregate) on Tuesday at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc.

Raphinha (11’) opened the scoring for Barça after a brilliant assist from Yamal. However, Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi (13’) quickly leveled the match with a header from a corner kick. Yamal restored the lead (27’) with a stunning goal, and Raphinha sealed the victory (42’) just before halftime.

Determined to avoid any surprises, Barcelona started aggressively, with early attempts from Yamal and Lewandowskisignaling their intent to dominate. All goals came in the first half, securing a convincing win and a place in the next round.

Sports

Manchester United knocked out of FA Cup after penalty shootout loss to Fulham

Another disappointment for Manchester United: the defending FA Cup champions were eliminated in this edition’s round of 16, losing in a penalty shootout (4-3 after a 1-1 draw) to Fulham on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Swede Victor Lindelof and Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee were the ‘Red Devils’ who missed their shots against goalkeeper Bernd Leno, sending the ‘Cottagers’ to the penultimate round of the oldest football competition.

The elimination is a heavy blow for a United team that is currently struggling in the Premier League, where they sit in a lowly 14th place.

Now, the Europa League, where they will face Real Sociedad in the first leg of the round of 16 next week, appears to be their only chance to lift a trophy this season. Last year, the FA Cup, in which United triumphed in the final against their neighbors Manchester City, was the competition that saved their campaign. The previous season, they had reached the final, finishing as runners-up.

Sports

The prince is back: Neymar’s homecoming to Santos draws thousands of fans

Neymar was greeted by thousands of fans at his childhood club, Santos, on Friday, with a concert at the local stadium and a sign that read, “The Prince is Back.”

The Brazilian star’s private jet landed in São Paulo from Saudi Arabia in the morning, but Neymar requested a few hours of rest before being flown to Santos by helicopter.

The 32-year-old forward is expected to sign a short-term contract with Santos as he aims to regain his standing in Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Posters saying “The Prince is Back” were being sold for 10 reais (about $1.50) around the 20,000-seat Vila Belmiro Stadium, located on the outskirts of São Paulo.