Source : ABC NEWS
Atletico Madrid tore Tottenham Hotspur apart in a stunning first-half blitz, powering to a 5-2 victory in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and leaving the Premier League side with a mountain to climb in London.
The visitors’ 22-year-old goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, endured a night to forget on his first appearance since October, and only his third of the season.
Two costly errors from the Czech helped Atletico race into a commanding lead, and he was substituted in the 17th minute by manager Igor Tudor immediately after Atletico’s third goal.
Loading Twitter content
Marcos Llorente struck after six minutes when Kinsky slipped while playing the ball out, and Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the 14th when Micky van de Ven also lost his footing.
A minute later, Julian Alvarez walked in the third after Kinsky miscued a clearance, the earliest a team has gone three goals up in a Champions League knockout match.
After Kinsky was replaced by Guglielmo Vicario, Atletico added a fourth when Robin Le Normand’s header crossed the line following a rebound from Griezmann’s free kick. Tottenham defender Pedro Porro reduced the deficit after 26 minutes.
Alvarez then raced from his own half to score the hosts’ fifth goal in the 55th before Dominic Solanke punished an error by Atletico keeper Jan Oblak, which gifted Spurs a second goal.
“We’re very happy with the win and the three-goal lead, but there are still 90 minutes left to play on their home turf,” Alvarez told Movistar Plus.
“We know what this competition is like. Every detail counts, it’s not going to be easy, but we want to be in the quarterfinals.”
Liverpool becomes giant-killers Galatasaray’s latest victim
Liverpool and captain Virgil van Dijk (left) endured another frustrating evening away at Galatasaray. (Getty Images: Burak Kara)
Galatasaray secured a 1-0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of its Champions League last-16 clash last night, thanks to an early header from Mario Lemina in a compelling contest, with both sides having goals disallowed late on.
Despite early pressure from Liverpool, Lemina put the Turkish side ahead after seven minutes, diving to head home after Victor Osimhen nodded a corner back across the goal.
The hosts maintained the momentum after the early goal, with Giorgi Mamardashvili producing several superb saves in the Liverpool goal.
Loading Twitter content
Just after the hour mark, Osimhen tapped the ball into an open net, but Liverpool was spared as Bariş Alper Yilmaz had been offside in the build-up.
As the clock ticked down, the visitors, in manager Arne Slot’s 100th match in charge, began to create chances that forced Galatasaray onto the defensive, with keeper Uğurcan Çakir producing a superb save to deny Hugo Ekitike’s chipped effort.
Liverpool did find the net in the 70th minute, forcing the ball over the line following a goalmouth scramble, but the effort was ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, with the ball seemingly striking Ibrahima Konaté’s hand before ricocheting into the net.
Liverpool will host Galatasaray in the second leg on March 18.
Newcastle denied by last-second Yamal penalty
Lamine Yamal denied Newcastle what would have been a well-deserved first-leg victory with a 96th minute penalty. (Getty Images: Molly Darlington)
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal struck from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game to salvage a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, cancelling out a late strike from Harvey Barnes.
Newcastle appeared set to take a slender advantage into the second leg after Barnes scored in the 86th minute when he volleyed home Jacob Murphy’s cross.
But elation for the home fans turned to heartbreak when Malick Thiaw brought Dani Olmo down in the box in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The 18-year-old Yamal, who had been quiet all night, fired the penalty into the bottom corner as goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale dove the wrong way.
“Really tough,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told TNT Sports. “I thought we were outstanding, a really good performance against a very good team. We kept the intensity up, which is very difficult to do against them for so long in the game.
“The moment at the end obviously takes that in a negative light … I don’t want that to override the 93 minutes beforehand where we played so well.”
Newcastle’s Joelinton thought he had scored earlier in the second half when he smashed home the rebound of Barnes’ shot off the post, but the linesman quickly raised his flag for offside.
The second leg is at Barcelona on March 18.
Reuters
