Arsenal to overturn 1-0 deficit when they host Porto
At risk of yet another premature exit from the Champions League, Arsenal seek to overturn a 1-0 deficit when Porto arrive at the Emirates for the second leg of their last-16 battle on Tuesday evening.
Mikel Arteta‘s men were on the cusp of taking a respectable goalless draw back to base from the opening encounter, only to be undone by an astounding last-minute strike from Galeno.
An uncharacteristically toothless Arsenal departed the Estadio do Dragao without managing a single shot on target – not since 2011 had they achieved that unwanted feat in the Champions League – but Arteta has got the response he was looking for from his troops, who woke up on Sunday sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table.
Arteta seeks the winning formula which will prevent Arsenal suffering an eighth successive Champions League exit at the last-16 stage, and the Spaniard witnessed his side win all three of their group games with 12 goals scored and zero conceded during the autumn.
Seeking to ensure that history does not repeat itself on the North London soil, the Portuguese powerhouses arrive in the English capital on the back of a morale-boosting set of domestic results of their own, including an unbelievable 5-0 destruction of reigning Primeira Liga champions Benfica on March 3.
Each of Porto’s previous three visits to the Emirates Stadium has seen the Portuguese side suffer defeat without scoring a goal,
Porto’s defensive mastery may have won out against Arsenal’s futile attacks in the first leg, but the Gunners should have learned some valuable lessons from that encounter and have been a different beast in Europe in front of their own fans thus far.
The visitors will have had an extra day to recuperate from their domestic exertions, but they are still unable to shake their hoodoo on English soil, so we have faith in Arsenal to lift their own Champions League curse and put their ball in the pot for the quarter-final draw.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Barcelona, Napoli set up titanic tussle today
With their Champions League last-16 tie finely balanced after its first leg, Spanish champions Barcelona and their Italian counterparts Napoli meet at Montjuic on Tuesday.
Both sides’ star striker was on target in Naples, where it ultimately ended 1-1 – setting up a titanic tussle in Catalonia.
Forever linked by Diego Maradona, last month Barcelona and Napoli convened at the stadium that now bears his name, after both made it rather unconvincingly through the Champions League’s autumn group phase.
Barca’s Robert Lewandowski turned back the clock to produce a fine finish as the hour-mark approached – moving within seven goals of his century in Europe’s top club competition – before the hosts’ main marksman Victor Osimhen levelled matters on 75 minutes, in his first appearance since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Knocking Napoli out of Europe for the third time in five years would see the Catalan club make a first quarter-final appearance since 2020 – and results since Xavi announced his forthcoming departure suggest they can progress again this season.
Following Friday’s 1-0 win over Mallorca, secured by Lamine Yamal‘s superb second-half winner, Barcelona are unbeaten in eight matches and – despite sustaining a number of injuries – have kept clean sheets in each of the last three.
Still trailing behind old foes Real Madrid in La Liga’s title race and also out of the Copa del Rey, Barca are surely relying on landing Europe’s top prize if they are to avoid ending a difficult campaign without silverware.
Napoli, meanwhile, are burdened by a history of failing to recover from first-leg setbacks in UEFA competition, having been eliminated the last 11 times they have failed to take a lead into an away leg. Napoli have also won five of their eight Champions League away games since the start of last season – as many as in the previous 21 – and should not be underestimated, despite missing the spark that made Spalletti’s side so special.
Having claimed countless La Liga points via goals scored after the 70th minute, even if improving Napoli manage to find the net at Montjuic, the Blaugrana can rely on such spirit to see them over the line and into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Lecce sack manager after headbutting Verona striker
Lecce have sacked manager Roberto D’Aversa after he headbutted Verona striker Thomas Henry following Sunday’s 1-0 loss in Serie A.
D’Aversa, 48, and Henry both received red cards for their part in the incident which took place as tempers flared after the final whistle.
The Lecce boss admitted his actions were “inexcusable” when speaking after the game at Stadio Via del Mare.
Lecce announced D’Aversa had been “relieved of his duties” on Monday.
The club put his dismissal down to “the events that occurred at the end of the Lecce-Verona match”.
Sunday’s loss saw Lecce drop to 15th in Italy’s top flight, two places below Verona, with just a one-point cushion to the relegation zone.
Lecce have won just one of their last 12 league fixtures, losing nine during that stretch.
They appointed D’Aversa to replace Marco Baroni last summer.
D’Aversa previously spent time in charge of Virtus Lanciano, Parma and Sampdoria.
Credit: bbc.com
