Latest news with #LaRemontada
Miami Herald
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Messi, Mascherano draw on historic Barcelona comeback as Inter Miami faces Vancouver
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano is well aware that his star-studded team, led by Lionel Messi, finds itself in a seemingly insurmountable situation heading into the second leg of the Champions Cup semifinal against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night. Miami lost the first leg 2-0 on the road last week and must win by three goals in regulation to advance to the championship game. A 2-0 Miami win would send the match to extra time and potentially penalties. If Vancouver scores even one goal in regulation, a Miami winning margin of two or less would not be enough. Vancouver would get the edge because away goals are the tiebreaker (Note: that rule does not apply in extra time). History is on Vancouver's side. Inter Miami is the fourth MLS team to lose a semifinal first leg by a 2-0 score on the road and none of the other three overcame the deficit. Despite all the odds stacked against Miami, Mascherano insisted he was highly confident his team could pull off the comeback as he fielded questions from the media on the eve of the 8 p.m. match (FS1, TUDN). He reminded reporters that Miami mounted a dramatic three-goal comeback against LAFC to escape the quarterfinals. 'Against LAFC, we scored three goals in the final 60 minutes, this time we have 90 minutes to score three goals,' Mascherano said. 'Obviously, we'd rather be in another situation, but it's futbol. 'Look at what happened to us [Sunday] against Dallas. We had it 3-1, there was no sign that the game would get away from us, and in five minutes they tied it and then they win and we ended up with nothing. Anything is possible.' Nobody knows that better than Mascherano, Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who were part of one of the greatest comebacks in modern soccer history as FC Barcelona teammates. On Mar. 8, 2017, Barcelona overcame a four-goal deficit in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain to win 6-5 on aggregate, the largest comeback in Champions League history. PSG won the first leg 4-0 in Paris and seemed a lock to advance. But with a Camp Nou crowd of 96,290 looking on, Suarez scored in the third minute to give Barcelona the lead. A PSG own goal doubled Barca's lead. Messi scored on a PK at the 50-minute mark to make it 3-0. Edison Cavani closed the gap to 3-1, but then Barcelona scored three unanswered goals. Neymar scored on a free kick in the 88th minute and a made it 5-1 on a controversial penalty kick when Suarez fell in the first minute of added time. That still would not have been enough, but in the waning seconds of the match, Sergi Roberto scored the sixth goal to push Barcelona through. The miraculous result became known as 'La Remontada' (The Comeback). 'That night I learned that nothing is impossible,' Mascherano said. 'Anything can happen. Absolutely anything. We were losing 4-0…until the referee blows the whistle, anything can happen. I can try to relay that as a coach, but I had four teammates who are on this team now and they can, better than anyone, relay that to the rest of the players.' He said elite athletes live for these types of high-pressure games. 'If there is anything athletes like, it's living with this kind of pressure,' Mascherano said. 'It's the reason we play, for the chance to compete and face adversity and try to turn things around. Yes, there is pressure and responsibility, but real pressure is other things in life. This type of pressure, if you know how to manage it, can be positive for us. I am fully convinced we have a chance to advance.' Center back Maxi Falcon echoed his coach's sentiments. 'We are confident we can reverse the result of the first leg,' he said. 'It will be difficult, and there is no margin for error. But if we do a good job, we can move on. In futbol we have short memories. We lost the last match, but we're at home now. It's about making plays for 90 minutes.' The Whitecaps enter Wednesday's game with momentum after going unbeaten in their last four matches with two wins and two ties. Inter Miami, over that same stretch, tied Chicago 0-0, beat Columbus 1-0, and suffered back-to-back losses against Vancouver and Dallas by a combined score of 6-3. Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba sat out the Dallas game to rest for Wednesday, as did several other regular starters. Vancouver manager Jesper Sorensen also made eight changes to his starting XI in Sunday's match at Minnesota. Asked whether Busquets would play a more offensive role against Vancouver in an effort to create more scoring chances for Messi, Mascherano replied: 'Busi will play like Busi. He has complete freedom. Nobody knows better how to play center midfield. We don't have to do anything crazy. Nothing unusual. The fridge is in the kitchen and the sofa in the living room. There is no need to invent things. One or two losses won't change my perspective. I believe in what we do.' Callender injury update Goalkeeper Drake Callender, who started against Dallas after missing much of the season with an adductor injury, felt discomfort in that same area after the match and will not be available Wednesday. Mascherano said Callender will see a specialist. Gressel signed by Minnesota United Inter Miami midfielder Julian Gressel was acquired by Minnesota United off waivers, both clubs announced Tuesday. Gressel is under contract through December of 2026, with a club option for 2027. 'I'm really excited to be here at Minnesota United and to get integrated into the group,' Gressel said. 'I can't wait to get started with the guys and continue the momentum that has been established within the team.' 'We welcome Julian and his family to Minnesota and are excited for him to join our team,' said MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad. 'Julian brings an impressive depth of MLS experience and championship pedigree to Minnesota. He is a proven winner and competitor and our hope is that he will contribute those qualities to our team and continue to push our club forward throughout the rest of this season and beyond.' Gressel joined Inter Miami in 2024, played 32 games and nine assists. He played a vital role with the Miami squad that won the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield trophy, but had not played in any of the league games this season.
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Real Madrid are comeback kings - but history is against them
On three out of the past four occasions where Real Madrid have trailed after the first leg in the Champions League, they have fought back to reach the next round - against Wolfsburg in 2015-26 and in 2021-22 against both Paris St-Germain and Manchester Arsenal can take belief from the fact that this is the joint-largest deficit Madrid have ever trailed by heading into a Champions League second last time they faced such a task was against Borussia Dortmund in the 2012-13 semi-final, when Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win for Jurgen Klopp's side in did win the return match 2-0 in Madrid, but Dortmund progressed to the final on fact, the only time they have fought back from three goals down after a first leg came in their last 16 meeting with Derby County in the 1975-76 edition of the European Cup, winning 6-5 on aggregate following a 4-1 defeat at the Baseball Ground.A deficit of three goals or more has been overturned just four times since the European Cup became the Champions League in team have overturned a four goal-deficit - Barcelona in the game christened 'La Remontada' in 2016-17, when they beat PSG 6-1 at the Nou company Opta gives Arsenal an 89.7% chance of progressing to the semi-finals, and Real have lost five games in the competition this season - a tally that equals a club the full match preview here
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'We are convinced' - but is this a comeback too far for Madrid?
"Anything can happen."Those were the words of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful boss in Champions League history, after his side's 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the first leg of their quarter-final at Emirates Stadium last phrase is a football cliche but, when it comes to 15-time champions of Europe Real Madrid and the Champions League, it is often when they take to the pitch against Arsenal on Wednesday they will have to do something they have only managed once before in Europe's top-tier tournament - come back from a 3-0 first-leg Rice's sensational free-kick double and Mikel Merino's curled strike made it advantage Arsenal heading into the return leg at the Bernabeu."If you look at the game [last week] there is no possibility," said Ancelotti about a potential comeback."But nobody expected Rice would score two goals from set-pieces, so in football anything can happen."The possibility is low but we have to try 100%." Real are comeback kings - but history is against them On three out of the past four occasions on which Real Madrid have trailed after the first leg in the Champions League, they have fought back to reach the next round - against Wolfsburg in 2015-16 and in 2021-22 against both Paris St-Germain and Manchester Arsenal can take belief from the fact this is the joint-largest deficit Madrid have ever trailed by heading into a Champions League second last time they faced such a task was against Borussia Dortmund in the 2012-13 semi-final, when Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win for Jurgen Klopp's side in won the return match 2-0 in Madrid, but Dortmund progressed to the final on fact, the only time they have fought back from three goals down after a first leg came in the European Cup against Derby County in the last 16 of the 1975-76 edition, winning 6-5 on aggregate following a 4-1 defeat at the Baseball Ground. A deficit of three goals or more has been overturned just four times since the European Cup became the Champions League in trailed 3-0 against Barcelona going into the second leg of their 2018-19 semi-final at Anfield, but stormed into the final with four unanswered La Coruna, against AC Milan in 2004, and Roma, in 2018 against Barcelona, are the only other teams to have come back from three goals down after a first leg in the Champions League one team have overturned a four goal-deficit - Barcelona in the game christened 'La Remontada' in 2016-17 - when they beat PSG 6-1 at the Nou Camp. Stats company Opta gives Arsenal an 89.7% chance of progressing to the semi-finals, and Real have lost five games in the competition this season - a tally that equals a club record."Every single time Madrid did a miracle, the preview said it is not possible," said Guillem Balague on the EuroLeagues podcast."But on this occasion, you are talking about a team that don't defend well, there is no architecture in the midfield, there is no patterns. They depend a lot on the individuals, as always. They haven't got a capacity to react."There are so many details that suggest it is not possible for them to turn this around, including the amount of running they do - they ran 12km less than Arsenal [in the first leg]."They are still not players who do the work defensively. They think they can just switch on at any minute and turn any game around, and I don't think that's possible, not with this team." The omens are good for Arsenal As James Horncastle said on the EuroLeagues podcast, there are heavyweights of the European game who are still backing Madrid to progress - including Champions League winners with AC Milan Alessandro Costacurta and Zvonimir Boban, and former Madrid boss Fabio Capello. "Amazing things happen in football, amazing things happen at the Bernabeu," said Horncastle. "I know this Real Madrid side has injuries, it has flaws, it is not balanced."I was not surprised to see in the Italian papers and on Italian TV, that when they were asked to predict who would reach the semi-finals, three pundits - Costacurta, Boban and Capello - still refused to go against Madrid."It still says a lot about Madrid's reputation that it is not something you can take for granted that Arsenal will progress at the Bernabeu."But the omens are good for Mikel Arteta's victory was the 12th time an English side have won by three or more goals in the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie, and every time the English side has gone through to the next Gunners also have a good record when leading after the first leg of a Champions League knockout match - they have progressed from six of the eight ties they have won the opening they remain unbeaten against Real Madrid in European competition, with two wins and a draw, and have not conceded a single goal across their three meetings. But comeback kings say they 'will get it done' After the first leg at the Emirates, Real's England star Jude Bellingham said: "One place where crazy things happen is our house."Speaking at Tuesday's news conference, Bellingham added: "It's a night that's made for Real Madrid."A night that would go down in history but also something that people are familiar with around this part of this world. Hopefully we can add another special night."No Champions League campaign epitomised that more than in 2021-22, when Real pulled off sensational fightbacks against PSG, Chelsea and then Manchester City in one of the most incredible runs in the competition's season they were minutes away from losing their semi-final tie with Bayern Munich before turning things around with two late goals at the both of those campaigns, Ancelotti's side went on to win the competition."We know we're strong at home with our fans," said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. "If we score one or two, quickly... I think it's possible."It is that 'never say die' attitude that has served Real so well over the years.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
PSG end Aston Villa's European run after epic fightback falls just short
Unai Emery will always shudder at mention of La Remontada. It came to define his time as the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, the inexplicable Champions League defeat to Luis Enrique's Barcelona in 2017 after his team had held a 4-0 first-leg lead. Barcelona would end up needing three goals with 88 minutes of the second leg gone at the Camp Nou. They got them for a 6-5 aggregate victory. On an epic night at Villa Park, the roles were reversed – and so nearly to cathartic effect for Emery. His Villa team were magnificent. They refused to believe that this showpiece Champions League quarter-final was over after Luis Enrique's PSG surged into a 2-0 lead on the night for a 5-1 aggregate advantage, the goals coming from their flying full-backs, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. Villa needed four to force extra time. No away goals any more, of course. And when Youri Tieleman got the first on 34 minutes, it was just the start. It was a second half that will live long in the memory of everybody present, Villa's showing cut and thrust to go with their conviction, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa on the scoresheet before the 60 minute mark. They were far from isolated thrusts. PSG have been painted as the best team in Europe in recent months. They were shadows in the second half, Villa producing a performance for the ages. They had the chances to equalise, golden ones. What a story it would have been if Marco Asensio, on as a substitute to face his parent club, had not been denied by Gianluigi Donnaumma in a one-on-one. Or Konsa had not blown a header from a whipped free-kick from the outstanding Marcus Rashford. At the very end, another substitute Ian Maatsen saw a goalbound shot blocked by Willian Pacho. It looked as though Donnarumma was beaten. PSG celebrated that like a goal of their own. They had survived. Just. Emery's one change from the first leg had hinted at pragmatism – Amadou Onana in, Jacob Ramsey out – but it was optimism that ran riot in the home crowd at kick-off time, Prince William among the believers in the stands. Hi Ho Aston Villa was an assault on the eardrums, although it was incongruous to hear the music selector play the Europa League theme tune over the PA system. The atmosphere pulsed, the PSG fans more than playing their part. Hakimi helped to settle PSG because Villa did bring the storm at the outset, Morgan Rogers catching the eye with a couple of swashbuckling runs. Villa pushed through Marcus Rashford but when he was dispossessed by Marquinhos, PSG moved the ball from their right to the left and then up to Bradley Barcola with clinical precision. It was certainly a show of strength from Luis Enrique when he started Barcola ahead of Désiré Doué, one of the stars of the first leg. But as everybody knows, Barcola has tremendous quality and speed. His low cross was behind Pau Torres, who moved towards the ball and then left it for Emiliano Martínez, who had to have seen the ball late and could only push out towards Hakimi. It was on a plate for him. PSG's second also spoke to Luis Enrique's spirit of adventure because once again it was a full-back applying the final brushstrokes to a counterattacking masterpiece. PSG won the ball inside their own area and it was a blur of blue as they moved decisively upfield, Hakimi was prominent before Ousmane Dembélé went square to Mendes. The finish was lovely; a dart away from Matty Cash and a curler that kissed the post on its way in. Villa had flickered at 1-0. Torres blasted too close to Gianluigi Donnarumma while Rogers took a pass from Tielemans and curled just wide. They deserved the Tielemans goal which was teed up by a reverse pass by McGinn after an excellent move involving Rashford. Tielemans's shot flicked home off Willian Pacho. It was feisty and there was uproar when McGinn went down in the area after a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge from Hakimi on 36 minutes. Hard but fair, said the referee José Maria Sánchez. No penalty. Hakimi kicked up and out at McGinn as the pair tangled on the ground and he was very lucky not to make any contact. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion PSG might have had another before the interval only for Fabián Ruiz to scuff his shot slightly when well placed. Emery's transformation of Villa has been remarkable, very much of a piece with the magic he has sprinkled at his previous clubs, especially in Europe. This was the 14th season in 17 that he had competed in the knockout rounds of one Uefa competition or another. He needed the mother and father of all comebacks as the second half started and yet there was no diluting Villa's belief. They continued to bring the intensity, to play their football. The crowd stayed with them, how they stayed with them and by the hour mark, Villa were back in it. PSG squinted into the whirlwind. Rashford exploded to life. He had extended Donnarumma in the 51st minute as PSG panicked at the back and his cut-back for Konsa's low shot for 3-2 on the night followed a nutmeg on Ruiz and a swerve away from Vitinha. Moments earlier, he had extended Donnarumma after a burst inside. That had followed McGinn lighting the touchpaper with a run and shot from distance that looped over Donnarumma. Straight after the Konsa goal, Tielemans almost scored with a header, Donnarumma clawing over. Then Torres could not react in time to direct a header of his own. It was bedlam inside the stadium.
The Guardian
14-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘We have to believe': Emery calls on Aston Villa to produce PSG comeback
Unai Emery urged his Aston Villa players to 'write history' by recording a memorable comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Villa must overturn a two-goal deficit after a first-leg defeat in France and the Villa manager doubled down on his belief that Villa can cause a shock, with Emery adamant the 'fortress' atmosphere at Villa Park on Tuesday can help his side find a winning formula. Emery said PSG's 3-1 lead does not alter the task at hand. 'I have experiences coming back from results, positively and negatively,' he said. 'Now it is something different, we want to write here the history with Aston Villa. Last year [we played] in the Conference League and this year in the Champions League and [now] hopefully for a long time in Europe. My experiences before were different … sometimes losing away and winning at home, sometimes losing at home and winning away. More winning than losing … but I had some negative experiences as well.' Emery was infamously on the wrong end of a comeback when Luis Enrique's Barcelona triumphed 6-1 at the Camp Nou against Emery's PSG in the Champions League in 2017, a humiliating last-16 exit, known as La Remontada, given Emery's PSG won the first leg 4-0. Emery won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2014, his first major European trophy, after recovering from a 2-0 first-leg reverse against Benfica earlier in the competition. Emery added: 'I'm not going to remind the players of those experiences because my idea and my every word with the players inside is sending the message of how we are getting experiences together here with Aston Villa. With the players we are, with the experiences we are adding in our bag last year and this year. As well with the combination we have with our players mentally and as well tactically to play, being so, so demanding in our process to get opportunities and believing to beat PSG. We need to use Villa Park like a fortress. We have felt it a lot of times. We have to believe.' Emery dismissed suggestions PSG could be fresher given they have had a clear run of six days before the second leg, while Villa travelled to Southampton and won 3-0 on Saturday. The Ligue De Football Professionel (LFP), French football's governing body, agreed to reschedule PSG's Ligue 1 match with Nantes, which was originally scheduled for last weekend. 'We have the habit of playing a lot of matches in a row, three matches in a week, and as well they also have this habit,' the Villa manager said. 'They are ready to play. They are rested but for me it's not very relevant.' The England forward Morgan Rogers, a key Villa player this season, echoed Emery's sentiments that the atmosphere could be a secret ingredient in any comeback. 'There's massive belief. Most people wrote us off before the tie. We're excited, under the lights at home, playing in the quarter-finals of this competition … there are not many places better to be. If anyone's going to turn it around, it's going to be us.' Asked about the role of the supporters, Rogers added: 'In the position we're in, the second leg being at home is massive for us. We can create our own atmosphere. We have done it this season in the big games, not just in the Champions League but in our big league games as well. They're a massive boost for us. That energy, that feeling, that vibe is sometimes bigger than the actual game. 'That's what drives you on … you can forget about all the tactics or the intricate stuff we're going to work on, sometimes it's just about that sheer energy and heart and determination within the stadium. Sometimes that can be just enough to pull you through tough moments and get you to where you need to go. We need every bit of support and we'll feed off that 100%. We're excited for the challenge.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Emery had an amusing exchange with a French journalist when asked whether PSG have a weakness at set pieces. PSG have conceded seven Ligue 1 goals from set pieces but just two in the Champions League. 'If I speak about them, maybe tomorrow they will perform fantastically,' he said, smiling. 'They have been successful defensively at set pieces. How? Because they are not conceding a lot of corners, a lot of fouls. They are avoiding the opponent's capacity to threaten them through set pieces because they are not conceding a lot.'
