Sports

5 reasons Bayern will beat Arsenal in UEFA Champions League

Published

1 year ago

The irrepressible Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala plus a terrific Champions League tradition are factors that give Bayern Munich the upper hand in their quarter-final encounter with Arsenal. bundesliga.com explains why the Bavarians will make the final four…

1) Shining stars

Harry Kane will be dominating all the headlines ahead of the tie for good reason – he returns to North London and the rivals of his former club Tottenham – after a historic debut Bundesliga season. Given the frequency Kane has burst nets in Germany and Europe in the current campaign, it is worth taking a step back and underlining just how incredible his recent form has been.

A brace against Lazio sparked a run of six goals in three matches before the March international break. Along with the chance of being the highest scorer ever in a Bundesliga campaign, Kane is in a leading pack of four players on six Champions League goals – with Erling Haaland, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé – and further strikes against Arsenal could see him become the elite competition’s top scorer this season.

Manuel Neuer needs just one more clean sheet to be the UEFA Champions League’s most successful goalkeeper ever. –
Arsenal are in for a shock if they focus their defensive efforts on stifling Kane, however. Attacking livewire Jamal Musiala is also in the form of his life – with nine goal involvements in his last eight games.

With the evergreen Thomas Müller – who reached 700 appearances for Bayern at the weekend – artfully pulling strings and Serge Gnabry returning from a long injury break to score twice from the bench before the international break, Bayern are brimming with star firepower eager to make their mark on their quarter-final.

2) Seasoned side

Another factor that tends to show at this stage of the competition is the value of experience. Having reached at least the quarter-final stage in each of the past four seasons, the advantage in this area is very clearly on Bayern’s side against Arsenal – who have not gone this far in the Champions League since 2010.

While Kane needs just three more goals to pull level with Wayne Rooney as the Champions League’s highest-scoring Englishman (with 30 goals), there is little chance of him catching Müller anytime soon with the German boasting 54 strikes in the competition – a tally surpassed only by six players in history.

Manuel Neuer tied Iker Casillas for the most clean sheets taken by a goalkeeper in Champions League history with his 57th shutout against Lazio in the last round – and needs to play five more times to break into the all-time top 10 for appearances in the competition (with Müller in sixth and on the brink of the top five). Joshua Kimmich, Kingsley Coman, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry all boast in excess of 40 appearances on the Champions League stage – leaving Arsenal with their work cut out in mastering unfamiliar territory against such seasoned pros.

3) Eyes on the prize

Bayern’s hopes of claiming a 12th successive Bundesliga title in May are all but at an end, with the 16-point gap to leaders Bayer Leverkusen meaning the UEFA Champions League is their only remaining realistic route to silverware this season.

Bayern and Thomas Tuchel have been there and done it before – with seven players who started the Munich side’s 2020 UEFA Champions League final win still at the club, while Tuchel got his hands on the illustrious trophy the following year with Chelsea.

Thomas Müller celebrates after scoring to make it 5-1 in Bayern’s first leg against Arsenal the last time they met in the UEFA Champions League in the 2016/17 edition’s last 16. – imago sportfotodienst
With Arsenal locked in a tense, three-way English Premier League title battle with Manchester City and Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Mikel Arteta can afford no such luxury of focusing his side’s efforts on the huge quarter-final clash.

4) Marvellous memories

Bayern boast a strong seven wins in 12 encounters with Arsenal over the years, with the most recent meetings giving even more cause for cheer. Remarkably, the past three matches have all been won by the Bundesliga side with the same convincing scoreline: 5-1.

Neuer kept goal and Müller scored twice in the first of that terrific trilogy in 2015 – while the Raumdeuter netted again to score his side’s fifth in the first leg of a 2017 last-16 encouter, before Bayern ran out winners by the same scoreline in London in the return tie.

Few would venture to forecast such a thumping win for Bayern at an Arsenal side enjoying a magnificent season, but the history can give Bayern added confidence – and when Bayern are at their best, there are barely any sides capable of stopping the free-scoring machine.

5) London calling

The Bundesliga giants do like a trip to the English capital and have more often than not come away from their visits to London smiling. Bayern are unbeaten in six of their last nine games there, having won four and drawn two of those. In a wider geographical sense, Tuchel’s team have already enjoyed success against English opposition just this season, with FCB twice beating Manchester United in the Champions League group stages. In terms of Bayern’s overall record against English opponents, the German side’s impressive numbers read: W27 D18 L16.

Sports

BREAKING: Osimhen wants more money as Al Hilal bid rejected

Published

1 week ago

David Moore, News Editor

BREAKING: Osimhen wants more money as Al Hilal bid rejected

The Victor Osimhen transfer saga has taken a fresh twist, with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal reportedly tabling an offer for the Napoli striker.

Manchester United are among the clubs rumoured to be interested in the 26-year-old, who is widely expected to leave the Serie A outfit on a permanent basis this summer.

Osimhen spent the 2024/25 season on loan in Turkey with Galatasaray, where he scored 26 goals and registered five assists across 30 Super Lig appearances, helping them clinch the league title with two games to spare.

He has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, and this summer is no different, with Old Trafford touted as a potential destination for the Nigeria international. However, it now appears that Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal are moving to steal a march on European clubs.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Sky Sports Deutschland and Turkish transfer expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Osimhen would rather accept a slightly lower salary and stay at Galatasaray if it means playing in the Champions League next season.

This is a problem because while they might be able to offer €21m in wages, the transfer fee is still well below that €75m mark.

Both had been hoping that Premier League clubs would step in, but just like last summer, they have been curiously shy about coming forward with big offers.

It has previously been reported that Osimhen’s release clause stands at around €75 million, but Napoli’s eagerness to part ways with the striker could weaken their negotiating position, especially after they allowed him to leave on loan last season when no clubs were willing to meet the asking price.

Romano adds that Al Hilal are also in contact with the player’s camp over personal terms, though it remains unclear whether they can reach an agreement with Osimhen or Napoli. The Saudi side will be participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, giving them extra incentive to wrap up the deal quickly.

As for United, Matheus Cunha has already arrived from Wolves, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as another key target. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Rasmus Hojlund, another striker addition could be on the cards, hence the reported interest in Osimhen and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Sports

PHOTOS: Lookman visits Tinubu in Lagos with CAF footballer of the year award

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

PHOTOS: Lookman visits Tinubu in Lagos with CAF footballer of the year award

Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, was hosted by President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos on Friday.

The 27-year-old footballer visited the president with his 2024 CAF footballer of the year award.

Last December, Lookman was named the continent’s best player — following the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the prize in 2023.

The winger won the award after an impressive 2023/24 season for both club and country. He scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions that season for Atalanta. He also scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.

His latest visit to Nigeria comes after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, where he helped Atalanta finish third in the Serie A. He scored 20 goals across all competitions for the club.

Sports

Gateway Games: ‘We were paid N50,000’ – Ogun athletes lament unfulfilled promise by Gov Abiodun

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

Gateway Games: 'We were paid N50,000' - Ogun athletes lament unfulfilled promise by Gov Abiodun

Events scheduled for Wednesday at the 22nd National Sports Festival gradually commenced, nearly four hours behind schedule, following the reopening of the games village at Babcock University by protesting Ogun State athletes, as reported by PUNCH Online.

The athletes had earlier blocked the gates of the games village, leaving several participants stranded in protest over unpaid allowances. They began their demonstration as early as 5:30 am and reopened the gates at 12:43 pm.

According to PUNCH Online, the athletes received payments of N40,000, as promised by Governor Dapo Abiodun, along with an additional N140,000 as their festival allowance.

However, the athletes insisted that the agreed allowance was N210,000, calculated at N15,000 per day over a 14-day period.

“We were paid N50,000 this morning, which was the governor’s promise, but to our surprise, they started paying N140,000 as the festival allowance instead of the agreed N210,000,” one of the athletes lamented.

Meanwhile, prior to the start of the sports festival, Governor Abiodun pledged cash rewards of N2.5 million for every gold medallist from the state, N1.5 million for silver, and N1 million for bronze medallists.

Ogun State currently holds third place on the medals table with 48 gold, 38 silver, and 47 bronze medals.

Sports

Highest Paid Player: Vctor Osimhen to replace Ronaldo at Al Nassr; Salary details emerge

Published

3 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

Highest paid player: Osimhen to replace Ronaldo at Al Nassr

Recent developments have emerged regarding the transfer speculations surrounding Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.

The Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr has entered the competition to acquire the Napoli striker, potentially targeting him as a successor to Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

ThePapers.ng reports that Osimhen is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world with a proposed €45m yearly salary from Al Hilal.

Fresh prophecy reveals what will happen to Wike after Tinubu’s tenure

But a fresh update has emerged as Ronaldo already stated he is leaving Al Nassr.

“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all,” he posted late Monday night.

This statement comes as Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr approaches its end this summer.

The timing of his message has fueled rumors about a potential departure from the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 25th goal of the season, bringing his tally to 99 goals for Al Nassr, but his efforts were insufficient to secure victory.

A source from Italy Told Thepapers.ng that Napoli could receive a huge transfer offer to fend off Ah Hilal’s initial bid as Al Nassr has seen Osimhen as the right replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

“Napoli wants money, and I can tell you now that representatives of Al Nassr are already in talks with Napoli to buy Osimhen with more money in offers. They are ready to pay more transfer fee and offer Victory a close salary range of Ronaldo,” the source said.

After an impressive tenure in Turkey, where he scored a record-breaking 36 goals, Osimhen is set to transition to a new club for the upcoming season. It has been made clear that he will not extend his loan at Galatasaray and will be departing from Napoli permanently this summer.

Last summer, Osimhen came close to transferring to another Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahli. However, negotiations fell through at the last moment when Napoli raised their asking price, creating an obstacle that prevented the deal from materializing.

Fresh prophecy reveals what will happen to Wike after Tinubu’s tenure

Sports

€45m yearly salary: ‘Victor going to Saudi’ – Osimhen to become highest paid in the world?

Published

3 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

€45m yearly salary: ‘Victor going to Saudi’ – Osimhen to become top earner after Ronaldo

ThePapers.ng can authoritatively report that Napoli’s star striker, Victor Osimhen, is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world.

This potential transition is fueled by a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, which plans to significantly exceed the salary proposal currently being offered by Galatasaray, where Osimhen has been on loan this past season.

According to insider information from within Osimhen’s camp, the striker feels assured and secure in his value as a player, especially given the significant offers being presented to him. He recognizes that he has nothing more to prove on the pitch, making this forthcoming move an exciting opportunity in his career.

“Victor is going to Saudi Arabia, he has nothing to prove again, European football can wait, but I can tell you that in a few days, the deal will be done,” one of his confidants told Thepapers.ng.

Sports

FULL LIST: 8 English clubs with most European silverware

Published

3 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

FULL LIST: 8 English clubs with most European silverware

Tottenham have double the number of European trophies as Arsenal after winning the Europa League, but where do they rank among England’s other top clubs?

Winning European silverware is seen as the pinnacle for many English clubs, but some have been more successful than others over the years.

Taking all European trophies into consideration, here are the eight English clubs that have won the most European silverware.

Note: when teams are tied on the same number of trophies, we’ve ranked them by their most recent European title.

8. Nottingham Forest – 3 European trophies
Following their recent draw against Leicester City, Forest qualified for Europe for the first time in 29 years.

They are already a club steeped in European history, having previously won back-to-back European Cups in the late seventies and early eighties.

Forest also won the UEFA Supercup in 1979-80, taking their overall European trophy count to three.

European trophies won: 2x Champions League, 1x UEFA Supercup

7. Aston Villa – 3 European trophies
Seeing Aston Villa competing in Europe once again just feels right, doesn’t it?

Along with winning the European Cup in 1982, they’ve also won the UEFA Supercup and Intertoto Cup, taking their overall tally to three European trophies.

With a manager like Unai Emery currently at the helm, we wouldn’t be surprised if they add another trophy to their collection in the near future.

European trophies won: 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Supercup, 1x Intertoto Cup

6. West Ham United – 3 European trophies
While West Ham have never won the Champions League like Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa, they have won a European trophy in recent times.

Jarrod Bowen scored the decisive goal as David Moyes’ team beat Fiorentina in the 2023 Europa Conference League final.

“I dreamed of scoring but to score the winner in the last minute, I thought I was going to cry. I’m just happy, I can’t put it into words,” Bowen said after winning European silverware.

Along with winning the Conference League, the Hammers have also won the Cup Winners’ Cup and Intertoto Cup.

European trophies won: 1x Conference League, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1x Intertoto Cup

5. Manchester City – 4 European trophies
City won their first piece of European silverware in 1969-70 when they beat Gornik Zabrze in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final.

Since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, they’ve added another three European trophies to their cabinet, taking their overall tally to four.

Arguably, their greatest ever achievement was winning their first-ever Champions League in 2022-23, thanks to a Rodri second-half strike against Inter Milan.

European trophies won: 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup

4. Tottenham – 4 European trophies
After winning the Europa League, Tottenham have now tied level with Man City on four European trophies.

While Ange Postecoglou’s side have fallen far below expectations in the Premier League this season, all will be forgiven after their triumph in Bilbao.

It’s the third time that Tottenham have won the Europa League/UEFA Cup, having also won it in 1972 and 1984.

Given they’ve also won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962-63, that takes their overall tally to four European trophies.

For those wondering, Arsenal have only won two European trophies during their club’s history.

European trophies won: 3x Europa League/UEFA Cup, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup

3. Manchester United – 8 European trophies
The Red Devils had the chance to win their ninth European trophy, but ultimately fell short against Spurs in the final.

Coincidentally, the Europa League was the last European trophy that they’ve won. Jose Mourinho guided them to victory in 2017, beating Ajax in the final.

The vast majority of United’s European success came under Sir Alex Ferguson as he won six European titles during his tenure at the club, including two Champions League titles.

However, it was Matt Busby who won United’s first-ever European title, guiding them to the European Cup in 1968.

European trophies won: 3x Champions League, 1x Europa League, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup

2. Chelsea – 9 European trophies
Chelsea have the chance to win their 10th European trophy next week when they take on Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final.

The club have always had a knack for winning European silverware, even when they’ve not been at the peak of their powers domestically.

With two Champions League trophies, two Europa Leagues and several other European titles, they are England’s second most successful club on the continent.

European trophies won: 2x Champions League, 2x Europa League, 2x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup

1. Liverpool – 14 European trophies
Having won 14 European trophies, Liverpool are by far England’s most successful club on the continental stage.

They’ve won a whopping six Champions Leagues and have also won three Europa Leagues, four Super Cups and one Club World Cup.

Given the level they’re currently playing at, we wouldn’t be surprised if Arne Slot adds another European title to their collection in the next year or two.

European trophies won: 6x Champions League, 3x Europa League, 4x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup