English sides seek redemption from Champions League reality check
The Straits Times
Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle United failed to muster a win between them in the last 16, first legs. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MANCHESTER – Kings of the league phase, England’s six Champions League sides were made to look like paupers in the first legs of the last 16 as they failed to muster a win between them.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have seemingly insurmountable mountains to climb, even with home advantage this week, as they trail by three goals against Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid respectively.
Liverpool and Arsenal will expect to still get past Galatasaray and Bayer Leverkusen, while Newcastle United are dreaming of shocking Barcelona in the Camp Nou after outplaying the Spanish champions in a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.
But after unprecedented domination of the early stages of the competition, AFP Sport looks at the reasons behind a reality check for the English Premier League’s best.
The Premier League’s financial advantage over Europe’s other major leagues, thanks to far more lucrative television rights deals, has not been reflected in the latter stages of the Champions League for some time.
Only three of the last 13 Champions League winners have come from England.
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March 15 - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reprimanded Pakistan batter Salman Agha for his reaction to a controversial run-out in the second One-Day International against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
INDIAN WELLS, California, March 15 - Daniil Medvedev said his Indian Wells semi-final win over Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday would prove nothing more than a temporary setback for the Spaniard, and that he and Jannik Sinner were playing at a totally different level from the rest of the tour. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS, March 15 - France head coach Fabien Galthie hailed Louis Bielle-Biarrey as a “lethal weapon” following in the footsteps of Antoine Dupont after the winger’s four-try masterclass helped secure a dramatic Six Nations title-clinching victory over England on Saturday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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The 52-year-old sits atop the leaderboard with Joaquin Niemann heading into the final round. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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Victory also ensured their direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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