Incredible Nkunku
This time, Gian Piero Gasperini let Oleksiy Miranchuk on the field in the 70th minute, but neither he nor the other reservists could help «Atalanta» save the game, which initially did not go according to scenario. Perhaps the turning point could have come in the second half, when the ball hit the hand of Dani Olmo, who was standing in the “wall”. However, the Spanish referee Mateo Laos analysted the replay for a long time and came to the conclusion that at first there was a hit in the shoulder, so the hosts should not count on a penalty.
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Well, in the team, Domenico Tedesco habitually soloed Nkunku. The pupil of “PSG”, who is hunted by the leading clubs in Europe, opened the scoring, and in the end killed the intrigue, personally earning and then converting a penalty. Therefore, the Frenchman already has 30 goals this season. To appreciate the extent of Nkunku’s progress, you need to know that the 24-year-old midfielder has had the same number of goals in his entire previous professional career.
He only had four shots left to repeat Werner’s club record. As for “Atalanta”, everything is logical. It is difficult to count on serious results if the team already has eight home defeats. This is the worst result of the Gasperini era.
Frankfurt becomes «Bayern»
Eintracht Frankfurt, whose fans have filled the streets of the Catalan capital, is the only team that has not lost to Barcelona over the past month.
And the «Eagles» were not going to be limited to a minimum, shocking the Camp Nou with a bold debut. Eric Garcia filled up Lindstrom in the penalty area, and Kostic confidently converted the penalty. A fourth penalty in two matches is something unbelievable, and statisticians have even calculated that the Catalans have been penalized the same number of times in the previous 55 games.
It appeared to be an accident. Barça were almost constantly on the attack, only Trapp did not have to work miracles at the gate. The Germans, on the other hand, rarely snapped, but aptly, bringing every attack to a blow. Ter Stegen coped with the majority, but Borre shot under the crossbar with such force and accuracy that the goalkeeper had no chance. The Colombian both scored beautifully and celebrated his success touchingly, honoring the memory of the famous compatriot Freddie Rincon, who also played under the 19th number for the national team.
Xavi needed a quick goal after the break, and he almost missed it. But when Aubameyang did not close Dembele’s cross from one and a half meters, it became clear that this was not Barcelona’s day. The second goal of Kostic only confirmed the obvious and extended the German nightmares of the Catalans. After a 3-0 loss to Bayern in December, Xavi said the team had hit rock bottom. Then the rise began, and then – after 15 matches without defeat – a new German horror appeared on the horizon. Considering that Eintracht are now ninth in the Bundesliga, this is a real disaster. And it does not matter that with the score 1:3 and nine added minutes, Barca was obliged to score the second goal. That is, 3:3 was possible, but the hosts did not deserve a miracle. It was a celebration for the 30,000 German fans at the Camp Nou.
British breakthrough
The game in Lyon showed how great the role of one episode is. The hosts could well have opened the scoring, but Toko-Ekambi hit the post, and the meeting went in a completely different scenario. In fact, West Ham secured their place in the semi-final at the junction of two halves. At the end of the first, the master of goals from the “second floor” Dawson drove the ball into the net after a corner. Then Rice scored with a long-range shot, and immediately after the break, the French were sentenced by Bowen, who scored in both matches.
West Ham reached the semi-finals of the European Cup for the first time since 1976.
“Rangers” put on the starting assault. They almost crushed Braga after a goal by one of the most productive defenders in European football, Tavernier, and the Portuguese were lucky that the VAR saw the contact of the ball with the hand of another lateral – Barisic – and canceled Ruf’s goal. However, this and the hit of the Jamaican national team striker in the frame of the gate only delayed the inevitable. The restless Ruf earned a penalty and a red card for Vitor Tormena, while Tavernier scored his 13th goal this season.
It seemed that everything was in the hands of the “Jerseys” and they would easily bring the matter to victory. But Braga decided not to give up. The guests had a slight fright when the referee canceled Ruf’s goal for the second time, and already in the end equalized the score in the British style. Defender David Carmo brilliantly struck his head from a corner, but in overtime the hosts still took their toll. Exhausted in the minority of the guests, Ruf nevertheless finished off, and a second send-off for Braga turned the second half into a formality.
Conference League: Special’s Revenge
José Mourinho, who suffered two defeats in three games with Bodé-Glimt and was content with a home draw in the group round, assured that his team had adequately reacted to the autumn 1:6, the loss of a week ago was an accident, and then the strongest should pass. That is “Roma”.
It remained to confirm the words with deeds, and the game began according to the scenario of the Special. Russian goalkeeper Nikita Khaikin was disoriented by Cristante’s movement, and the goalkeeper hit the ball through the center – exactly on Abraham’s leg.
It became even more difficult for “Bude” after the double of Zaniolo, who jumped out one on one twice. The disqualified coach of the Scandinavians, Kjetil Knutsen, who was supported by two thousand fans who came to Rome by making masks with a portrait of a specialist, was completely sad on the podium. He understood everything. And Zaniolo’s hat-trick – the first European Cup since the time of Francesco Totti, who was present at the game and the youngest in the history of the “wolves” – did not fundamentally change anything. Mourinho’s revenge took place, and the Norwegian fairy tale ended.
A week ago, PSV and Leicester were the only ones to end their match goalless. In Eindhoven, these teams started as if they wanted to compensate for an hour and a half “drought”. It is even surprising that with so many chances, more than half of the time had to wait for the eighth goal of Zahavi this Euroseason, which repeated the record of the Dutch club. But in the end, PSV was ruined by the fact that, instead of building on success, the hosts gradually lost the initiative to the Foxes, and in the end they not only bounced back, but also canceled overtime with the winning goal of defender Ricardo Pereira.
Slavia and Feyenoord seem to have continued the shootout of a week ago, while arranging a competition on scoring errors. Kokchu deprived the Dutch of a quickly obtained advantage, but at the end of the hour of the game, the Prague goalkeeper Mandous answered him. A wild loss led to a mocking goal by Dessers, the author of the double. Veterans helped Marseille. Mandanda, 37, was perfect in goal, while Payet, 35, used Guendouzi’s pass. This is the captain’s 11th goal in European competition, second only to Jean-Pierre Papin (23) and Mamadou Niang (13) in the history of the club.
