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Rampant Benfica Smash Simeone’s Atletico In Champions League

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Atletico Madrid fell to a humiliating 4-0 Champions League defeat at Benfica on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone’s side were thoroughly outplayed and outfought in Lisbon and the Portuguese side triumphed emphatically to record a second win in two matches in the competition.

Bruno Lage’s team went ahead through Kerem Aturkoglu’s 13th minute strike, with former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria extending the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half.

Alexander Bah headed home the third from a corner in the 75th minute and Orkun Kokcu completed the rout with another penalty late on.

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Atletico have now won just one of their last 10 Champions League away matches and barely troubled Benfica at the Estadio da Luz.

Rojiblancos goalkeeper Jan Oblak and defender Axel Witsel endured a tough evening back at their old stomping ground, as Simeone’s team displayed an uncharacteristic lack of grit.

“This is nothing good and I can’t say much more than that — today we weren’t up to it and it was a bad game, the worst game of the season,” Oblak told Movistar.

“We started a first half badly again and in the second we didn’t react like we have in other games.

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“Today it’s clear we did not compete in this game, and that can’t be, how come? Tiredness, I don’t know… looking for excuses now has no sense.”

Atletico fought hard to snatch a point from Sunday’s derby draw against rivals Real Madrid but showed little of that spirit on Wednesday.

Fredrik Aursnes won the ball back high up the pitch for the opener, squaring for Akturkoglu to fire past Oblak.

Atletico’s Samuel Lino hit the crossbar with a wayward cross in response and it was as close as the three-time Champions League runners-up came.

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Vangelis Pavlidis clipped the outside of the post for Benfica before the interval but they did not have to wait much longer to stretch their lead.

Simeone made a triple change at half-time, including Alexander Sorloth and Conor Gallagher coming on, while the quiet Antoine Griezmann and captain Koke made way.

Former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher stood on Pavlidis’ foot to concede a penalty and Di Maria sent Oblak the wrong way from the spot.

The Argentine winger should have scored again but Oblak denied him as he ran through on goal.

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Bah escaped Gallagher to head home a corner to confirm Benfica’s victory, while Kokcu slotted in another penalty after on loan Burnley striker Zeki Amdouni was tripped.

Atletico return to their Metropolitano stadium for their next European match, against French side Lille — who beat defending champions Real Madrid — while Benfica host Dutch outfit Feyenoord.

AFP

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Just in: Man city wobbles after 3-0 lead as Feynoord from behind equalises

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Manchester City’s players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games.

Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw.

“They are disappointed. Of course we understand it,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “They are completely right to express what they feel.”

After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th to leave the home crowd stunned.

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While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on.

Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head.

According to stats supplier Opta, it was the first time in Guardiola’s managerial career that his team had failed to win a game after leading 3-0. It said it was the first time City had failed to win from that position since 1989.

“We lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course we need a victory,” Guardiola said. “The game was good for the confidence, we were playing a good level, but the first time something happened we had problems.”

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A win would have moved City up to fifth in the Champions League standings, but the draw left it 15th with three games remaining in the first phase of the competition.

The top eight teams advance to the round of 16, while teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a playoff.

City’s players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers from the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium.

“If you are 3-0 up at home you can never give it away like this. It is what it is at the moment. The only thing we can do is fight back and stay strong,” City defender Nathan Ake said.

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City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival.

“We will learn for the future. It has been and will be a tough season for us and we have to accept it,” said Guardiola, who had a cut on his nose during the game. He said it had been caused when he scratched it with his fingernail.

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UCL: Vinicius slams UEFA as he misses Liverpool vs Real Madrid clash

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Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has hit out at UEFA after picking up an injury that rules him out of Wednesday night’s Champions League clash at Liverpool.

The LaLiga champions have confirmed that Vinicius has a hamstring problem and will miss the next three weeks of action.

The Brazilian has now lashed out at the packed fixture list.

Vinicius took a full part in their 3-0 win against Leganes on Sunday but will not travel to Merseyside due to “an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg.”

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In a message on social media, Vinicius pointed the finger of blame at executives behind a hectic fixture schedule that has most notably seen UEFA expand the Champions League by at least two matches, writing: “Crazy calendar. Time to recover.”

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will also be without Lucas Vazquez and Aurelien Tchouameni for the match.

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Mohamed Salah Speaks On Dumping Liverpool Amid Contract Delay

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Mohamed Salah, Liverpool forward says he is “disappointed” by the club’s failure to offer him a new contract – and looks more likely to leave than stay.

The 32-year-old, Liverpool’s top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions, is out of contract at the end of the season.

Salah scored twice in the 3-2 win against Southampton on Sunday, including the winner from the penalty spot, to take Liverpool eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The Egypt forward, who joined the Reds from Roma in 2017, told reporters, external after the win at St Mary’s: “We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club.

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“I’m probably more out than in.”

Asked if he was disappointed that he is yet to receive an offer, Salah said: “Of course, yeah.

“I’m not going to retire soon so I’m just playing, focusing on the season and I’m trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I’m disappointed but we will see.”

Liverpool have not publicly commented on Salah’s remarks.

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A club source told BBC Sport that contact between Liverpool and Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, is ongoing and has been positive.

Only Manchester City forward Erling Halaand has scored more Premier League goals than Salah this season, with the Egyptian netting 10 times in the top flight.

According to Opta, Salah’s goals and assists have been worth 17 points to Liverpool this season – the most of any player in the division.

Salah signed a three-year contract extension with the club in 2022, with that deal set to expire in the summer.

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“You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this,” said Salah.

“I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end it is not in my hands or the fans’ hands. Let’s wait and see.”

Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and club captain Virgil van Dijk are out of contract at the same time as Salah.

Liverpool rejected a £150m offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in September 2023 and multiple sources have reported that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) remains interested in bringing Salah to the Saudi Arabia Pro League.

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Following a 3-0 win against Manchester United in September, Salah said he treated the game as if it was the “last time” he would play at Old Trafford.

After scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory against Brighton this month that took Liverpool top of the table, Salah wrote on X: “No matter what happens, I will never forget what scoring at Anfield feels like.”

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