Liverpool thrash Galatasaray to reach Champions League quarters

Liverpool shrugged off their Premier League malaise to storm into the Champions League quarter-finals by thrashing Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday.

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit for Arne Slot’s men to set up a reunion with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight.

Slot needed a reaction from the English champions after they were booed off at Anfield on Sunday for the latest in a series of lacklustre displays in a 1-1 draw against struggling Tottenham.

Languishing fifth in the Premier League, the Champions League could save Liverpool’s season and Slot’s job.

The Dutchman had given a rest to some of his stars at the weekend and was rewarded with a dominant display that could have resulted in a far more comprehensive scoreline.

Galatasaray’s hopes of causing an upset was dealt a massive blow inside the first few minutes when star striker Victor Osimhen injured his forearm in a clash with Ibrahima Konate.

The Nigerian international was clearly hobbled as he continued on until half-time before being replaced by Leroy Sane.

By that point the Turkish champions’ advantage had already been erased.

Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s outstanding performer in a troubled season and levelled the tie with a cushioned finish from a well-worked corner on 25 minutes.

Galatasaray somehow escaped further punishment before the break.

Salah missed a glorious chance to immediately double the Reds’ lead when he failed to chip Ugurcan Cakir.

Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort flew just over and Cakir repelled another sweet Szoboszlai strike.

The Turkey goalkeeper then saved Salah’s poor penalty after Szoboszlai was upended inside the box.

But the floodgates opened on the visitors in the second half.

Salah atoned for the penalty miss with a inch-perfect pass for Ekitike to slot home.

Two minutes later Gravenberch fired in the rebound after Salah’s initial shot was saved.

Salah has been a shadow of his former self this season, either side of a public bust-up with Slot after being dropped in December.

He could and should have had many more on the night, but did register his 50th Champions League goal in some style with a spectacular strike from Wirtz’s backheel.

Salah also hit the bar before asking to be replaced with an injury concern as Galatasaray offered little resistence to the waves of Liverpool attack.

The Reds face a very different challenge against PSG, who crushed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate to reach the last eight.

Slot has repeatedly spoken in glowing terms of the French champions.

Liverpool came as close as anyone to stopping PSG last season as Luis Enrique’s men emerged victorious on penalties in the last 16 after a titanic tussle.

Kane and Bayern swat aside Atalanta to set up Real clash

Harry Kane scored in each half as Bayern Munich thumped Atalanta 4-1 at home in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, winning 10-2 on aggregate to book a quarter-final date with Real Madrid.

Captaining Bayern in the Champions League for the first time, Kane converted a penalty with 25 minutes played and added another goal early in the second-half, bringing his career Champions League tally to 50 in 66 games.

Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz also got on the scoresheet for the hosts as Bayern again steamrolled the visitors, who picked up a late consolation through Lazar Samardzic.

“I think whenever you have a lead like we did, sometimes it’s easy to be a little bit complacent,” Kane said to DAZN.

“But we said before the game we want to win in the same style that we did in the first leg. It’s sometimes harder to get up for a game like this, but we were there from minute one to minute 95.”

Bayern last faced Real in the semi-finals of the 2023-24 competition, crashing out to two Joselu goals in the dying minutes. Bayern have not beaten the Spanish giants since the semi-finals of the 2011-12 competition.

Few doubted Bayern would progress after their dominant 6-1 win in Bergamo — no team has ever overturned a five-goal deficit — but the Bundesliga leaders were forced to pick a weaker side on Wednesday due to injuries and suspensions.

With Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer and Alphonso Davies injured, Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise suspended, Bayern received some rare good news from the medical department on game day when goalie Jonas Urbig overcame a concussion and was cleared to play.

As the last remaining Serie A side, Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino was realistic, saying pre-match his charges were playing for the pride of Italian football.

The visitors were energetic early but their resistance was broken midway through the first-half when VAR found Giorgio Scalvini handled the ball from close range, bringing Kane to the spot.

The England captain’s first effort was saved but he was given another chance as Marco Sportiello had both feet off his line.

Kane obliged, driving a low shot into the corner for his 15th penalty in all competitions this season.

Urbig was called into action just before half-time, acrobatically saving a Mario Pasalic attempt to keep Bayern in front at the break.

Starting his first match since February, Kane looked fresh and doubled Bayern’s lead with 55 minutes gone, shrugging off the attention of four Atalanta defenders and blasting into the top corner on the turn.

With Atalanta suddenly shaky, Bayern marched up the field and struck again, Diaz threading a pass for Karl to fire across the face of goal and into the corner.

The teenage Bayern forward, tipped by German media for a debut Germany call-up on Thursday, repaid Diaz with 20 minutes left, cutting a high pass over the Atalanta defence to the onrushing Colombian who chipped Sportiello to score.

Like they did in Bergamo, Atalanta got a late consolation when Samardzic headed home from close range with five minutes left.

Atletico survive Spurs scare to reach Champions League quarters

Atletico Madrid held off Tottenham’s bid for an epic Champions League escape as they reached the quarter-finals despite a 3-2 defeat in the last-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone’s side trailed three times in north London but they did just enough to go through 7-5 on aggregate.

Randal Kolo Muani put Tottenham ahead in the first half before Julian Alvarez levelled immediately after the break.

Xavi Simons netted to give spirited Tottenham a glimmer of hope, but David Hancko’s equaliser extinguished any chance of an incredible comeback.

Simons’ stoppage-time penalty came too late for Tottenham to complete their mission impossible.

Atletico will meet Barcelona in the last eight after their Spanish rivals crushed Newcastle 7-2 on Wednesday.

Third-placed Atletico, who recently knocked Barca out of the Copa del Rey, are 13 points behind Hansi Flick’s La Liga leaders.

Simeone’s men will have to improve significantly on this erratic display if they are to reach the semi-finals.

Languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, Tottenham’s European exit leaves them to focus on their bid to avoid the humiliation of relegation.

Igor Tudor’s men are just one point above the relegation zone as they teeter on the brink of playing in the second tier for the first time since 1977-78.

Bolstered by their first win since interim boss Tudor replaced the sacked Thomas Frank, Tottenham host fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest on Sunday in a crucial clash in their fight for survival.

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven this week insisted any reports of players not caring about the club’s precarious situation were nonsense.

Van de Ven slammed suggestions the players have “checked out” and their determined attempt to rattle Atletico suggested Tudor has kept them motivated in the midst of their turbulent run.

Tottenham were 4-0 down in 22 minutes in the first leg in Madrid last week, with Tudor hauling off keeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes following a pair of errors that led to goals.

Atletico survive 

They competed far more gamely this time and Mathys Tel forced an early save from Atletico keeper Juan Musso, who was deputising for the injured Jan Oblak.

Tel carried the greatest threat for Tottenham and his near-post drive was parried away by Musso.

Unsure how to approach a tie that looked over before they even arrived in London, Atletico struggled to find any rhythm for long periods.

Tottenham’s pressure was rewarded in the 30th minute when Tel lofted a superb cross toward Kolo Muani and the French striker punished sloppy marking to power his header past Musso from 10 yards.

Tel should have pulled Tottenham even closer, but his close-range shot was straight at Musso.

Atletico barely threatened until Alvarez’s long-range blast hit the crossbar just before half-time, but they drew level two minutes after the interval.

Tottenham appealed in vain for a foul on Simons and Atletico surged forward, with Ademola Lookman picking out Alvarez for a nimble shot on the turn that flashed past Vicario from 12 yards.

To their credit, Tudor’s team didn’t surrender and Simons struck five minutes later.

Archie Gray scythed through the Atletico midfield, setting up Simons on the edge of the area for a brilliant strike that arrowed into the far corner.

Tottenham scented a miraculous escape and Musso had to make a brilliant save to repel Pedro Porro’s strike before scrambling away another effort from the defender.

Hancko levelled in the 75th minute, getting in front of Gray to head home from Alvarez’s corner.

Fouled by Jose Maria Gimenez, Simons slotted home from the spot in the final minutes, but Atletico survived a tense finale.

Barcelona demolish Newcastle 7-2 to reach Champions League quarters

Barcelona stormed to a 7-2 victory over Newcastle on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, winning 8-3 on aggregate.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha struck twice each for the Catalan giants as Eddie Howe’s side crumbled under a scintillating attacking display from the hosts at Camp Nou.

Lamine Yamal, Marc Bernal and Fermin Lopez were also on target as Hansi Flick’s side ran riot and recorded a landslide last 16, second leg victory.

The five-time champions are dreaming of lifting the trophy again, 11 years after they last won it, and showcased the attacking firepower which could make their ambition a reality.

By contrast Newcastle were hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history but the Premier League side departed bruised and battered.

“With the fans supporting us like that for 90 minutes it’s hard to beat us at home,” Raphinha told Movistar.

Barca led 3-2 at the break after a thrilling first half but after Lopez netted early in the second they romped to victory.

“The confidence that we got in the second half was good to see,” said Flick.

After Joan Laporta was reelected president at the weekend, spirits were high around the club and they came out flying.

They were outplayed in the 1-1 first-leg draw but pledged to improve back on home soil and claimed an early lead through Raphinha.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal turned brilliantly away from Malick Thiaw in midfield, leaving the German defender on the turf and released the Brazilian winger to score.

Barcelona are notoriously fragile defensively though and Newcastle quickly forced their way back into the game.

The Catalan giants were carved open with just a couple of passes between Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes, and Anthony Elanga timed his run right to stay onside and sweep past Joan Garcia.

Three minutes later Barca were back in front with 18-year-old midfielder Bernal turning home from close range after Gerard Martin nodded down Raphinha’s diagonal free-kick.

Yamal was so often Barca’s hero on their run to the semi-finals last season but was guilty of a mistake which led to Newcastle’s second equaliser.

The teenager attempted a backheel in his own final third and gave the ball away, with Elanga profiting at the back post as he turned home Barnes’s cross.

Veteran Polish striker Lewandowski has had a tough season for Barca, looking shorn of confidence, and he spurned two fine chances for the hosts in the first half, with Yamal also blazing over from close range.

The Spain international made amends from the spot to give Barca the lead at half-time when veteran defender Trippier pulled back Raphinha. Ramsdale got his fingertips to Yamal’s penalty, low to his left, but could not claw it out.

Procession 

Raphinha sent Lopez through on goal to bag the fourth early in the second half and it broke Toon spirits.

From that point on Newcastle gave up the ghost and Barcelona scored to their heart’s content.

“Scoring the fourth goal quickly after coming out (for the second half) — that helped us be calm in the game,” added Raphinha.

Lewandowski nodded home from a corner and celebrated joyously, taking off the mask he has been playing with due to an eye-socket fracture.

The goal was liberation for him and the next chance he got he put away too, producing a lethal finish after a superb Yamal assist.

“He’s very experienced player and in these matches he’s unbelievable, one of the best strikers in the box,” said Flick.

“I’m happy for him that he scored two goals today.”

Jacob Ramsey put Barcelona’s seventh on a plate for the swaggering hosts, with a poor pass which Raphinha intercepted and dispatched clinically.

Fans sent a Mexican wave around the stadium, celebrating the biggest win they have had at Camp Nou since it reopened.

“Our performance dropped (in the second half) that was quite clear,” said Howe.

“The two set plays (conceded), those are unforgiveable because you know how good they are in the other aspects of their play.”

Howe said his players were affected “psychologically” by conceding a penalty just before half-time and then by Fermin’s goal early after the break.

“When the game was effectively over we didn’t react well to that either, so it became a very difficult second half,” he added.

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