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Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

BRUGES, Belgium: Barcelona fought back three times to snatch a 3-3 draw at Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, equalising for the final time late in the game with an own goal from 20-year-old Belgium defender Joaquin Seys. Barcelona are now 11th in the standings on seven points from four matches while Club Brugge sit 22nd on four points, with both teams still in the hunt for qualification. In a thriller at Brugge’s Jan Breydel Stadium, the home side opened the scoring through Nicolo Tresoldi in the sixth minute, after a quick counter by Carlos Forbs that exposed the vulnerability of Barcelona’s high defense. The 21-year-old jet-heeled Portuguese forward controlled a long ball in his stride to beat the offside trap up the right channel before bursting into the box and crossing low for Tresoldi to score with a tidy finish past the goalkeeper. Barcelona hit right back with Ferran Torres from close range two minutes later but Brugge regained the lead in the 17th minute with Forbs scoring after another quick counter. In an end-to-end encounter with both sides creating several chances, Jules Kounde struck the crossbar in the 27th minute as Barcelona tried to find the equalizer, while Ferran Torres missed from close range right before the break.

Garnacho equalizer saves Chelsea in Qarabag draw

BAKU: Alejandro Garnacho spared Chelsea’s blushes as the Argentine’s equalizer rescued a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday. Enzo Maresca’s side were in danger of an embarrassing loss at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku after falling behind in the first half. Estevao Willian gave Chelsea an early lead but Leandro Andrade equalized before Marko Jankovic converted a penalty to give the Azerbaijani minnows hope of a famous upset. Former Manchester United winger Garnacho came off the bench to bail out the Blues with his composed finish after the interval. Both sides have seven points from their first four matches in the league phase, leaving them in contention for the top eight finish that secures automatic qualification for the last 16. While two-time European champions Chelsea have spent over £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) on new signings in the last three seasons, Qarabag’s total transfer outlay since 2020 is less than £7 million. Despite that financial disparity, Chelsea found it hard to subdue their spirited hosts and they made the five-and-half-hour trip home still without a Champions League away win since October 2022. Mockingly nicknamed “carrier bag” on their disappointing debut in the Champions League group stage eight years ago, Qarabag have proved a surprise package in this season’s competition. They staged a superb comeback to win 3-2 at Benfica, then beat Copenhagen 2-0 at home and Chelsea were the latest to find them a tough nut to crack. Chelsea’s players were kept on UK time while in Baku to mitigate the effects of the four-hour time difference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves at Stamford Bridge, which is less than 72 hours after they return to London. The Blues

Villarreal stunned in 1-0 Champions League loss to Pafos

KOLOSSI, Cyprus: Villarreal fell to a humbling 1-0 defeat away to Pafos on Wednesday, as their dismal Champions League campaign continued after Derrick Luckassen scored to give the Cypriot side their first win of the competition. The Spanish club may be riding high in third place in LaLiga, but remain on one point in Europe, while Pafos move on to five points. Given both clubs’ campaigns so far, a goal fest was never likely.

Klasemen Liga Champions Jelang Matchday 4: 5 Tim Masih 100 Persen

UEFA Champions League (UCL) memasuki matchday 4 di tengah pekan. Berikut klasemen Liga Champions sejauh ini, dengan 5 tim masih menuai hasil 100 persen.

PSG score seven and Barcelona hit six on a goal-filled night in the Champions League

MANCHESTER, England: Paris Saint-Germain scored seven, Barcelona hit six and Erling Haaland struck his 24th goal of the season on an action-packed night in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Former Barca chief Bartomeu accused of disloyal administration

Bartomeu and other former club directors are accused of making unjustified payments between 2015 and 2019Prosecutors have accused Bartomeu of “disloyal administration” and of having “caused damage” to the clubBARCELONA: Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been accused by Spanish prosecutors of disloyal administration, according to documents seen by AFP on Tuesday.Bartomeu and other former club directors are accused of making unjustified payments between 2015 and 2019.According to a court document seen by AFP, the prosecution has accused the former Barcelona president of “disloyal administration” and of having “caused damage” to the club by “failing to fulfil the duties of diligence and loyalty” implied by his role.The former Barca chief, in charge from 2014 to 2020, will have to explain alleged hidden commissions paid, most notably in the club’s signing of Brazil winger Malcom from Bordeaux in 2018 for over 40 million euros ($47 million).Other areas in which there are apparent irregularities include the legal case surrounding the club’s signing of Neymar, and the Espai Barca project to transform the Camp Nou stadium and surrounding area.Current Barcelona president Joan Laporta presented an in-depth report to prosecutors earlier this year, after hiring investigators to analyze how the club had been run in the years prior.Barcelona have been in a tough financial position over the past few years after heavy spending during Bartomeu’s reign, including buying Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann for a combined total cost of more than 400 million euros.A statement issued by Bartomeu’s lawyers said that although he may have “made mistakes” during his reign, there is not “the slightest

Mbappé rewards Madrid’s long journey with hat trick in 5-0 win at Kairat Almaty in Champions League

ALMATY: Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick as Real Madrid shrugged off any travel weariness in a 5-0 win at Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The 15-time European champions traveled nearly 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) to play the game in the eastern Kazakh city, Kairat’s first home match in the competition. The enthusiasm showed with Dastan Satpayev testing Thibault Courtois after just 13 seconds and Jorginho trying his luck a minute later. Mbappé settled any visiting nerves by dispatching a penalty in the 25th after goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza had brought down Franco Mastantuono. Mbappé went close again before the break but ultimately the visitors appeared content to let the ball circulate without forcing the initiative too much. The second half started in the same vein until Courtois caught the Kairat defense out with a long clearance and Mbappé lobbed the ball over Kalmurza in the 52nd for his second goal. Kairat might have had a way back into the game when Dani Ceballos was penalized for an apparent foul on Valery Gromyko, but referee Marco Guida changed his mind after a VAR review. Arda Güler sent Mbappé though for his third goal in the 73rd, when the France star completed his fourth hat trick in the competition.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad lose second straight game in Asian Champions League Elite

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad fell to a second straight defeat in the Asian Champions League Elite, losing 1-0 to Al-Ahli Dubai on Tuesday. Iranian midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi scored the only goal in Jeddah, heading in a corner after 40 minutes to silence the home fans of the Saudi Pro League champion and two-time continental winner. Al-Ittihad, which fired coach Laurent Blanc three days earlier, remain without a point after two games. Elsewhere, Qatar’s Al-Sadd drew 1-1 with Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates. FC Seoul defeated Thailand’s Buriram United 3-0.

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UEFA Champions League Sport News

Battling Barcelona earn 3-3 draw in thriller against Brugge

Garnacho equalizer saves Chelsea in Qarabag draw

Villarreal stunned in 1-0 Champions League loss to Pafos

Klasemen Liga Champions Jelang Matchday 4: 5 Tim Masih 100 Persen

PSG score seven and Barcelona hit six on a goal-filled night in the Champions League

Former Barca chief Bartomeu accused of disloyal administration

Mbappé rewards Madrid’s long journey with hat trick in 5-0 win at Kairat Almaty in Champions League

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad lose second straight game in Asian Champions League Elite