Football / News / Sports

Europa League playoff draw in full: Barcelona to face Man United for a place in Round of 16

The Europa League might be considered Europe’s second-tier continental competition, but there is a tie in this season’s playoff round worthy of global attention.

Barcelona, who dropped out of the Champions League after finishing behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in their group, will face Manchester United in a two-legged tie in February.

Serie A giants Juventus are also involved at this stage and will face Nantes, while Jose Mourinho’s Roma will take on Salzburg.

The winners of the playoff ties will progress to the Europa League last 16.

Europa League knockout playoffs draw, fixtures and schedule

The winners from the playoff round will advance to the Round of 16 and will be matched up against a group winner. All eight Europa League group winners earned a bye straight to the Round of 16.

The playoff matches will be played in February. The draw for the last 16 will take place on February 24.

Match 1st Leg 2nd Leg
Barcelona vs Manchester United Feb 16 Feb 23
Juventus vs Nantes Feb 16 Feb 23
Sporting CP vs Midtjylland Feb 16 Feb 23
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes Feb 16 Feb 23
Ajax vs Union Berlin Feb 16 Feb 23
Bayer Leverkusen vs Monaco Feb 16 Feb 23
Sevilla vs PSV Feb 16 Feb 23
Salzburg vs Roma Feb 16 Feb 23

*Teams in bold are seeded and will play the second leg at home

Teams qualifying from Europa League group stage

First-place finishers earned a bye to the Round of 16, while second-place finishers must take part in the playoff round.

Europa League
Group		 1st Place
(Group Winners)		 2nd Place
(Group Runners-up)
A Arsenal (ENG) PSV (NED)
B Fenerbahce (TUR) Rennes (FRA)
C Real Betis (SPA) AS Roma (ITA)
D Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) Union Berlin (GER)
E Real Sociedad (SPA) Manchester United (ENG)
F Feyenoord (NED) Midtjylland (DEN)
G SC Freiburg (GER) Nantes (FRA)
H Ferencvaros (HUN) AS Monaco (FRA)
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Football / News / Sports

Real Madrid Take El clasico win against Barcelona

Real Madrid welcomed Barcelona to the Bernabeu with plenty to lose at the top of the La Liga table, but Los Blancos emerged with all to gain as goals from Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde, and Rodrigo secured a 3-1 victory.

Instead, it’s Barcelona who leave Madrid with yet another black eye, following the midweek Champions League calamity that likely sees them out of Europe’s top competition. Xavi’s sorrows are compounded after suffering through similar defensive mistakes to the ones made against Inter just days prior.

With the victory, Real Madrid take control of the La Liga title race, moving three points clear at the top of the standings. Barcelona are passed, only in the lead on goal differential before kickoff at the Bernabeu.

Karim Benzema was the first on the scene for Madrid, bagging the opener just 12 minutes in. He made way for others in the team, as big-game star Federico Valverde doubled the lead past the half-hour mark with a solid long-range strike.

After halftime, Barcelona pushed hard to get back in the game, and Real Madrid hung on until Ferran Torres brought the visitors back within one after great work from Ansu Fati. Yet it was not to be, as Real Madrid ran to victory as Rodrygo deposited a dubious penalty in stoppage time to secure the points.

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona final score

1H 2H Final
Real Madrid 2 1 3
Barcelona 0 1 1

Goals:
12th min — RMA — Karim Benzema
35th min — RMA — Federico Valverde
83rd min — BAR — Ferran Torres
90+1 min — RMA — Rodrygo (pen)

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona post-match analysis

Toni Kroos, Luka Modric run midfield in El Clasico

The two midfield stars for Real Madrid were yet again showing their ageless beauty as they completely ran Barcelona’s midfield off the pitch.

Toni Kroos was instrumental in the opening goal, somehow managing to deliver a pinpoint through-ball while being dragged back by a helpless Sergio Busquets. He finished 49-of-55 passing, including 6-of-8 on long balls and …

Football / Sports

Calhanoglu secures crucial Champions League win over Barcelona

Inter Milan secured a timely Champions League win at the San Siro as Hakan Calhanoglu’s fine strike eased the hosts over the line to a 1-0 win against Group C rivals Barcelona.

Both sides created chances in a busy opening in Milan, with Joaquin Correa seeing a penalty call rejected by VAR, before Calhanoglu stepped up to power the home side in front just before the interval.

Barcelona did look to react after the restart, with Ousmane Dembele posing a constant threat on the counter attack, and Pedri’s equaliser chalked off by VAR.

However, it is Inter who gain a crucial advantage in the group, as they look to overpower Barcelona, in the race for second place, behind Bayern Munich.

Gritty Inter dig in for Inzaghi

Inzaghi came into the game under real pressure, after picking up just eight points in Serie A this season, and three in the Champions League.

Reports from Italy have questioned his long term future at the San Siro but his players produced a battling performance for their manager.

Next week’s trip to the Camp Nou is likely to decide second place in Group C and Inter travel to Catalonia with a key advantage.

Calhanoglu’s superb winner will grab the headlines on the night, but Andre Onana’s crucial stops, and the defensive marshalling of Milan Skriniar, kept Barcelona at bay, to give the former Italian international some breathing space.

Lewandowski’s off-night blunts Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski has been sensational in his first few months as a Barcelona player with 12 goals across all competitions ahead of this tie.

His excellent goal secured a 1-0 win at Mallorca last weekend but he struggled to get into the flow of the contest against a well drilled Inter back line.

Skriniar did brilliantly to restrict him in their one-on-one battles with Dembele providing the visitors main outlet.

Xavi stuck with him in the closing stages, but he was unable to steer home a late chance, from Dembele’s set piece, on a rare blank for the Polish international.

Inter Milan

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Football / Sports

Champions League group stage draw: Tough tests for Liverpool and Man City as Bayern and Barcelona meet again

The group stage draw threw up some stellar ties, with Bayern in a group with Barcelona and Inter, while Liverpool and Manchester City were given tough starts to their campaigns.

Liverpool and Manchester City face challenging autumns while Bayern will look to continue their recent dominance over Barcelona in a mouth-watering section that also includes Inter after the draw for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage was made in Istanbul, Türkiye on Thursday.

Champions League group stage draw

Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
Group B: Porto, Atlético, Leverkusen, Club Brugge
Group C: Bayern, Barcelona, Inter, Viktoria Plzeň
Group D: Frankfurt, Tottenham, Sporting CP, Marseille
Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, Salzburg, Dinamo
Group F: Real Madrid, Leipzig, Shakhtar, Celtic
Group G: Man. City, Sevilla, Dortmund, Copenhagen
Group H: Paris, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa

Teams were divided into four pots based on their UEFA club coefficients. One team from each of the pots was then drawn into the eight groups, A–H. There were a few caveats: no team could play a club from their own association, and sides from the same association were paired to ensure they play on different nights.

 …

Music / News

Shakira risks prison if she does not reach an agreement with Barcelona tax authorities

Shakira could find herself in the dock for alleged tax fraud, after deciding not to reach a plea bargain with the prosecutor’s office.

The president of the Union of Treasury Technicians, Carlos Cruzado, spoke on a late night talk show about the singer’s case. She has been charged with six tax offences.

“She runs a very great risk being charged with six tax offences, with the penalties that this could entail,” Cruzado said.

Could Shakira go to prison?

Cruzado said he was surprised that the singer risked going to trial with a sentence that could even land her in jail.

“It is very likely that before the trial she will reach an agreement, because most of her tax offences are aggravated and with penalties that could reach up to six years in prison for each of the offences,” Cruzado said.

If not, “it is very likely that she could find herself with problems”.

Signs of a crime

The expert said that the authorities have consistent evidence and each of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which filed the complaint, and the judge who admitted it and the Barcelona Provincial Court “see signs of a crime and the need to prosecute it”.

However, he points out that the mitigating factor is that she paid the amount claimed by the tax authorities.

Shakira swears her innocence

On Wednesday it was reported that the Colombian singer rejected a deal offered by the Barcelona prosecutor’s office to avoid being tried for defrauding the tax authorities of 14.5 million euros and has decided to go on trial for tax fraud, as she is “fully confident” of her innocence, according to EFE.

Shakira considered the prosecutor’s proposal as disproportionate and contrary to her interests. She accuses him of being “intransigent” and of resorting to “undue means to exert pressure”.

And although the possibility of reaching a deal remains open until the day of the trial, everything points to the singer finally sitting in the dock.…

Football / Sports

Barcelona sign Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen on free transfers

Barcelona have confirmed the signings of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.

Kessie, 25, has joined Barca on a four-year deal after his contract expired with Milan on June 30.

The midfielder has a €500 million release clause in his new contract, which runs to 2026. Barca will present him on Wednesday.

The Ivory Coast international’s move to Camp Nou ends his five-year stay at the Rossoneri where he made 224 appearances and scored 39 goals.

Kessie strengthens coach Xavi Hernandez’s options in midfield and will compete for a place in the team with Sergio Busquets, Pedri, Gavi and Nico Gonzalez.

After moving to Italy with Atalanta in 2015 and following a loan spell with Cesena, Kessie joined Milan on loan in 2017 before making the move permanently in 2019.

He played a central role this season as Milan won a first Serie A title in 11 years, scoring six times in 31 appearances, including one against Sassuolo last weekend as the league was wrapped up.

Meanwhile, Denmark international Christensen, 26, joins Barca after his contract expired with Chelsea last month.

The defender’s move to Camp Nou brings an end to his 10-year stay at Chelsea, where he made 161 first-team appearances.

Christensen strengthens the centre-back options for the club that includes Ronald Araujo, who recently signed a new long-term contract, Gerard Pique and Eric Garcia.

Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza all remain at the club, too,

After making his senior debut for Chelsea in 2014, Christensen completed a two-year loan spell at Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach between 2015 and 2017.

He has featured regularly under several different coaches since returning to Stamford Bridge, helping the club win the Europa League in 2019 and the Champions League in 2021.…

Football / Sports

Toothless Barca crash out of Champions League with 3-0 loss at Bayern

Barcelona crash out of the Champions League following defeat at Bayern Munich, failing to make it past the group stage for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

For the first time in 20 years, FC Barcelona have failed to make it out of the Champions League group stage, being bounced from the competition by mighty Bayern Munich on Wednesday in a 3-0 defeat on Wednesday in Matchday 6. With Benfica beating Dynamo Kiev, Barcelona needed to go to Munich at get a win against a team that has thoroughly demolished them over the last few seasons, and they didn’t even come close to competing. Bayern led 2-0 at the break, and the 3-0 score was generous all things considered as Bayern dominated both the ball and the chances.

Thomas Muller scored the winning strike in the 34th minute on a goal-line-technology-confirmed goal before Leroy Sane produced a wonder strike from 30 yards out just prior to the break. Jamal Musiala made it 3-0 after the hour mark, slamming the door shut on any unlikely comeback the Spanish team had in mind.

The victory meant nothing to Bayern as they had already locked up first place in Group E, while Benfica qualified for the knockout stage as the runners-up. Barca will continue their European journey in the Europa League, a competition they haven’t participated in since 2004 when it was called the UEFA Cup.

1. This is a Barca in transition and Xavi isn’t to blame

This was Xavi’s second UCL game in charge as the boss of Barca, and he isn’t to blame. The months of atrocious planning and play with Ronald Koeman at the helm has led to this. While Barca have the name, they obviously don’t have the game. This is a club in full rebuild mode looking to reach some level of competence since Lionel Messi’s departure. This was not the desired result, obviously, but it does present them another route to quality for the UCL. That, of course, would require them to win the Europa …

Football / News / Sports

Messi signs two-year contract with PSG

Lionel Messi has finally signed his eagerly anticipated Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) contract to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona and sends PSG into a new era.

PSG said in a statement that the 34-year-old Argentina star signed a two-year deal on Tuesday night with the option for a third season.

“I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain,” Messi said.

“Everything about the club matches my football ambitions. I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here. I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes.”

No salary details were given but Messi is set to earn approximately 35 million euros ($41m) net, according to the Associated Press news agency, who spoke to a person with knowledge of the negotiations on condition of anonymity before the contract was signed.

“I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris Saint-Germain and we are proud to welcome him and his family to Paris,” PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.

“He has made no secret of his desire to continue competing at the very highest level and winning trophies, and naturally our ambition as a club is to do the same.”

Messi will wear the number 30, as revealed in a video by the club, the number he had when he began his professional career at Barcelona between 2004-2006.

Throngs of PSG fans gathered at Le Bourget Airport in Paris to welcome Messi, who was wearing a T-shirt that read: “Ici c’est Paris” (This is Paris).

The words are a long-familiar refrain from a favored fan chant at Parc des Princes stadium, where Messi will be presented to them before kickoff of Saturday night’s game against Strasbourg.

Such was the fans around his arrival that police had to push back to stop metal barriers from toppling over at the airport as fans surged forward to …

Football / Sports

Aguero joins Barcelona on a free Transfer

Sergio Aguero, Man City’s record goalscorer with 260 goals, is departing the Etihad after a decade at the club; Argentina forward joined from Atletico Madrid in 2011; injuries and illness restricted his appearances in final season at City; 32-year-old unveiled by Barca on Monday

The forward was presented in a Barca kit and greeted the media on Monday evening after completing a medical in the afternoon prior to signing a two-year deal.

Aguero will move to Barcelona on a free transfer but the Catalan club have said Aguero’s buyout clause is set at €100m (£86m). He will officially become a Barcelona player on July 1 after his City contract expires.

Aguero’s departure from the Etihad was announced at the end of March after Pep Guardiola informed City’s record goalscorer of the club’s decision not to renew his deal.…