Key events
Xavi Simons didn’t get the foul earlier but he plays a lovely one-two with Archie Gray before curling the ball into the bottom right corner from just outside the D. Spurs are showing some serious fight.
GOAL! Tottenham 2-1 Atlético Madrid (agg 4-6) – Simons 52
Hello, hello – we’re not done just yet.
Spurs appeal for a foul on Simons in the buildup by the goalscorer … but the goal stands.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-1 Atlético Madrid (agg 3-6) – Alvarez 47
Atlético go on the counter … Lookman cuts in from the left, finds Alvarez, he turns by the penalty spot and wallops the ball into the top left corner!
Peadar de Búrca writes:
Hi there Taha, we used to have a player on our Galway Sunday league team who everyone called Joe Cool. He didn’t score all our goals, but he scored the really important ones. He took the penos, the free kicks and if we were a goal down in injury time, he popped up with the equalizer. The odd occasions when Saturday night was a bit much and he didn’t make the game the next day, well…we played like a plastic bag full of chopped ham. So, basically what I’m saying is Szoboszlai is Joe Cool.
Is this a roundabout way of saying Salah shouldn’t have taken the penalty?
Half-time scores
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Bayern Munich 1-0 Atalanta (agg 7-1)
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Liverpool 1-0 Galatasaray (agg 1-1)
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Tottenham 1-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 3-5)
Salah misses for Liverpool!
Liverpool 1-0 Galatasaray (agg 1-1): Up steps their legendary forward … and it’s a poor effort, lacking power and direction as Cakir moves to his left and boots the ball away.
Liverpool have a penalty!
Szoboszlai is in the game again … winning a spotkick! Jakobs looks to clear the ball for Galatasaray inside the area and Szoboszlai, charging him, goes down rather dramatically after getting there.
Tottenham 1-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 3-5): It’s Vicario’s turn to make a cracking stop, adjusting well after Simeone’s volley deflects off Romero. Joe Hart nearly explodes in the commentary box.
Tottenham 1-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 3-5): Tel’s causing Atlético some problems – he cuts in from the left and launches a stinging effort from outside the area, searching for the bottom right corner – Musso makes a fine save to push it away.
Forty minutes gone in our three games and, while it’s pretty much wrapped up in Munich, we’re on in the other two. Toby Alderweireld is in London to watch two of his old clubs.
Tottenham 1-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 3-5): Um, are Spurs looking good here? Tel, on the left, gets on the end of a finely worked move and shoots at the keeper from a tight angle … he probably should have opted for a ball across goal, with two teammates waiting for a tap-in.
Liverpool 1-0 Galatasaray (agg 1-1): Slot’s side are all over Galatasaray, but let’s just rewind to that Szoboszlai finish, opting for timing over power with that strike. Just a gorgeous bit of work.
Matt Dony writes in:
Yes, it’s been a difficult season for Liverpool. But how much worse would it have been without Szoboszlai? He just keeps on maincharactering his way to being the difference.
Atlético switch off with a pretty basic move from Spurs. Tel receives from a throw on the right, picks out Muani – peeling off to the back post – and the Frenchman heads in.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 3-5) – Kolo Muani 30
Do we have a game?
Mac Allister takes the corner from the left, sends it to the edge of the area, where the lurking Szoboszlai emerges to nail a beautiful, first-time sidefooted finish into the bottom left corner. Liverpool are level.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Galatasaray (agg 1-1) – Szoboszlai 25
Straight from the training ground!
GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-0 Atalanta (agg 7-1) – Kane pen 25
There’s a VAR check for a potential handball … and Bayern have a penalty. Harry Kane’s effort is saved! But the keeper came off his line after diving to his right and the England captain gets to retake. No dramas: he slots in for his ninth goal of this European campaign.
Tottenham 0-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 2-5): Pedro Porro stands over a free-kick on the left … but his ball in lacks depth. Time for a Dragusin long-throw … and the move ends with Tel firing a shot straight at the keeper.
Liverpool 0-0 Galatasaray (agg 0-1): Whenever I turn to Anfield, it’s Liverpool on the attack. Galatasaray have had a few players go down and Osimhen is still finding it tough with that strapped forearm.
Tottenham 0-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 2-5): Atlético are causing bother down their right wing through Marcos Llorente but Spurs have a corner … Tel whips in twice but Musso commands his area well enough.
Liverpool 0-0 Galatasaray (agg 0-1): Liverpool have started with a decent burst of energy, Ekitiké zipping around to launch a low but easily saved effort at goal. Osimhen’s right forearm is bandaged up and he’s back on for the visitors.
Liverpool 0-0 Galatasaray (agg 0-1): Osimhen is down for Galatasaray … it looks as if he’s hurt his right wrist.
Tottenham 0-0 Atlético Madrid (agg 2-5): Diego Simeone rocks his all-black suit and directs from the touchline … and his side have a goal disallowed! The flag goes up for Ademola Lookman’s tap-in at the back post. Spurs aren’t out of it just yet.
Liverpool 0-0 Galatasaray (agg 0-1): Salah takes a tumble in the area inside two minutes but there’s no penalty shout as Ekitiké launches a curling effort wide for the hosts.
Peeeep!
We’ve kicked-off in Munich, London and Liverpool.
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Bayern Munich v Atalanta (agg 6-1)
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Liverpool v Galatasaray (agg 0-1)
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Tottenham v Atlético Madrid (agg 2-5)
Ian Copestake writes in:
I have taken delivery of shiny new headphones so I can get closer to the misery. But if misery it be then the Liverpool players will have brought it on Slot, not the other way round. The manager does not want them to play as slowly as they do in too many games but still it keeps happening. If it happens tonight then the shame is on them, not him.
As does Andrew Goudie:
How on earth are Liverpool going to score two goals? Two free kicks from Szoboszlai?
It’s a European night at Anfield – that’ll surely get things moving, right?
Harry Kane’s captaining Bayern Munich tonight. I knew he was having a ridiculous season, but I haven’t looked at the numbers for a while: he’s got 45 club goals in 38 appearances, with eight in eight Champions League games. He’s two shy of 50 goals in the competition. Tidy.
Over in Barcelona, the hosts are trying to get to double digits.
Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitiké are back for Liverpool after starting on the bench against Tottenham on Sunday.
The suspended Richarlison is missing for Spurs, with Kolo Muani to lead the line. Dominic Solanke was a doubt for this one and he’s not included in the squad. Jan Oblak is not in Atlético’s XI.
Bayern Munich v Atalanta teams
Bayern Munich: Urbig, Stanisic, Kim, Tah, Bischof, Goretzka, Pavlovic, Karl, Guerreiro, Díaz, Kane
Subs: Bärtl, Prescott, Upamecano, Gnabry, Jackson, Ito, Laimer, Ofli, Manuba, Pavic
Atalanta: Sportiello, Kossounou, Hien, Scalvini, Bellanova, Pasalic, Éderson, Bernasconi, De Ketelaere, Sulemana, Scamacca
Subs: Carnesecchi, Rossi, Bakker, Samardzic, De Roon, Raspadori, Djimsiti, Kolasinac, Zalewski, Ahanor, Zappacosta, Krstovic
Tottenham v Atlético Madrid teams
Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Spence, Simons, Sarr, Gray, Tel, Muani
Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Danso, Udogie, Bergvall, Gallagher, Olusesi, Kyerematen, Rowswell
Atlético Madrid: Musso, Molina, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri, Simeone, Llorente, Cardoso, Lookman, Alvarez, Griezmann
Subs: Esquivel, De Luis, Giménez, Koke, Sørloth, Baena, Almada, Lenglet, Pubill, Vargas, González, Díaz
Liverpool v Galatasaray teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Ekitiké, Wirtz
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Robertson, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha
Galatasaray: Cakir, Boey, Singo, Bardakci, Jakobs, Torreira, Lemina, Sallai, Gabriel Sara, Yilmaz, Osimhen
Subs: Sen, Guvenc, Icardi, Sané, Akgun, Elmali, Gündogan, Kutucu, Asprilla, Ayhan, Gurpuz, Lang
Preamble
Away we go, with three more Champions League last-16 ties to complete. One is almost certainly done, with Bayern Munich 6-1 up as they prepare to host Atalanta. Spurs’ first-half collapse against Atlético Madrid means they’re three goals down – chuck in their turmoil in the league and it’s incredibly hard to see a way back … but maybe Igor Tudor’s playing this on repeat in the dressing room.
Realistically, we’ve got to focus on Liverpool’s meeting with Galatasaray, the tightest of the lot, the Turkish side 1-0 up after Mario Lemina’s goal at Rams Park. Arne Slot has got some heat on him but, as Jonathan Liew points out, how much of this is really on him?
Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, still in the Champions League, and have accumulated more league points since the start of last season than anybody bar Arsenal. On the other hand, Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League, on the verge of elimination from the Champions League, and on pace to drop 22 points from last season.