STEPHAN EL SHAARAWY’S first-half brace set Roma on the way to a resounding 3-0 win over Chelsea that displaced their visitors at the top of Champions League Group C.
Antonio Conte’s reigning Premier League champions would have secured a last-16 spot with a win but that appeared a tall order from the moment El Shaarawy opened the scoring after 39 seconds.
The former AC Milan forward scored spectacularly to sink Bologna 1-0 in Serie A last time out and his rasping opener was another goal to remember.
For his second, El Shaarawy owed much to the charity of Antonio Rudiger, the Chelsea defender who endured a forgettable return to his former club, before Diego Perotti brought the house down with another stunning long ranger after the hour.
Roma were the side to come back from a hefty deficit when the sides drew 3-3 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago but Chelsea were not such willing dance partners and must now dust themselves down for a crunch clash with Manchester United this weekend.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are on the brink of an early exit from the Champions League after 10-man Qarabag battled to a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Thomas Partey’s second-half equaliser and the 59th-minute dismissal of Pedro Henrique was not enough to keep the Azerbaijani outfit from holding the LaLiga heavyweights to another stalemate.
Qarabag also defied a numerical disadvantage to register their first ever point in the competition when the teams met two weeks ago, although both sides finished with 10 men here as Stefan Savic received his marching orders for a second yellow in the closing stages.
The visitors looked set to take an easier route to a new slice of history when Spanish midfielder Michel headed them into a 1-0 lead at half-time.
Thomas responded with a spectacular equaliser in the 56th minute and Henrique’s sending off for a high boot on Diego Godin appeared to be the help Atletico needed to close the gap on second-placed Chelsea.
Instead, they were yet again frustrated by the underdogs and will need maximum points, and favours elsewhere, to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
In Group D, former Olympiacos manager Ernesto Valverde endured a frustrating return to Greece as Barcelona’s 100 per cent record in this season’s Champions League came to an end with a 0-0 draw.
Having won the Greek Superleague three times, completing the domestic double twice, across two spells in charge of the home team, Valverde was warmly welcomed back to the Karaiskakis Stadium.
However, after beating another of his ex-clubs in Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, the Barca boss was denied a second successive win over old employers as the La Liga leaders surprisingly drew a blank in Greece.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both failed to take excellent chances as the Catalan club – who lost Sergi Roberto to a right hamstring strain – failed to score for the first time since a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on 16 August.
Still, the result extends their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games, while they remain firm favourites to win Group H after Juventus and Sporting CP battled out a 1-1 draw in Lisbon.
Elsewhere, Layvin Kurzawa hit a second-half hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a dominant 5-0 win over Anderlecht at the Parc des Princes.
Unai Emery’s side have been in imperious form in Group B and have won all four of their games, scoring 17 goals and conceding none.
They now have an unassailable nine point lead over third-placed Celtic after their 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, but will want maximum points from their final two games against those sides to confirm top spot.
Neymar missed a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the first minute before Marco Verratti’s first goal of the season after 30 minutes broke the deadlock.
The world’s most expensive player then scored his 11th goal since his move from Barcelona with a fine long-range finish on the stroke of half-time.
Kurzawa then stole the show in the second-half, scoring his first career hat-trick to add a deserved gloss to the scoreline.
The only negative for PSG will be Edinson Cavani’s failure to get onto the scoresheet, which brings his run of scoring in seven consecutive Champions League matches to an end.
Tuesday’s Champions League results:
Group A
- Basel 1-2 CSKA Moscow
- Manchester United 2-0 Benfica
Group B
- Celtic 1-2 Bayern Munich
- PSG 5-0 Anderlecht
Group C
- Atletico Madrid 1-1 Qarabag
- Roma 3-0 Chelsea
Group D
- Olympiacos 0-0 Barcelona
- Sporting CP 1-1 Juventus
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Why are clubs raising prices when they are making a fortune on TV money?
In fairness to Mingolet, he showed solidarity with supporters and downed tools on the 77th minute aswell.
To make more money Ron. They will have no doubt done analysis that they will still sell at higher prices. Simple supply and demand and they don’t give a shit that they are pricing life long fans out of it. The tripe being served up on the pitch is doing more damage to the business than ticket prices ever will.
@cathal, what did he do now?
I think Mignolet downed tools a long time ago! Sakho was shocking for the 2nd goal. Firmino continues to improve, the one good thing to come out of another shambles at the back.
Businesses that peruse a policy of profit maximisation often get burned in the end(think Eircom and cable link). The worst thing is that the fans actually add to the TV product so the clubs should be subsidizing. Plus this TV money might not be around forever, they need to keep the fans in side not give them the two fingers.
The ticket prices for Munster rugby is keeping fans away. Instead of protesting they just don’t buy the tickets. Can only push prices so high before the “fans/consumer” pushes back.
Protest is meaningless. They know there will be people pay it anyway. Even if that means keeping the real fans out. They don’t care. It’s the premiership, greediest league in the world.
The premier league with just end up with a bunch of millionaire prawn sandwich fans(cough…..Arsenal).
Fans are becoming irrelevant. The money clubs earn from ticket sales or merchandise pales in comparison with the money earned from TV money.
More money obviously.
People will fly from around the world to watch Liverpool can’t say the same for Munster.
Well it’s been going that way for quite a while now Ron. It’s why the premier league was created. More money more money.
Fans create atmosphere, buy tv packages, merchandise, no fans = doomsday
The premier league will end up like the italian league with half empty stadiums if they price the real fans out. Look at Ac milan one of the biggest names in world football and they are going to build a 45000 seater stadium to move into when they leave the san siro
Charge fans more, pay prima donna kids and these agents more money…… It should not be just Liverpool fans boycotting… All clubs should do same, it affects all… Hard to do at grounds though where it is different fans every week……
I can’t believe Ron Koeman is commenting on the Journal.ie whilst currently in the dugout
Not Newcastle United, no one wan’t poxy wonga shirts :(
What a sorry state for English football. Working people priced out of the game they love
Stephen, that’s what I can’t understand. Support your own. Why support a foreign team ? Baffling to me. But, there is people travel from all over the world to watch not only Munster but Leinster, Connacht , Ulster, their county hurling and and football teams, their league of Ireland clubs. Difference is they have ties with those teams.
So you’re against Irish fans going to see foreign teams yet you are not against Irish players going to play for foreign teams?
It’s a players profession.
the more and more football I watch the less and less im interested lately. money has ruined the game.
Bit of a generalisation there Ron as you won’t find many prawn sandwiches in the north bank. The owners at Liverpool are fully aware that Liverpool are one of the best supported teams in the world and as a result demand always exceeds supply. The owners are out to make the most they can from the brand and in fairness they are not the worst. Or would you rather have Hicks and Gillette back?
There’s plenty football available where it’s not like that. German and Argentinian football is where it’s at for many, and technically the Spanish game is unreal. Pass and move and not a pinball machine aka the EPL!
Class comment Cathal…I like you
Is there a point to your very unoriginal comment? Its great that fans organized this… At yours, they tried, but all the fans at the last game said they would not be back for 2-3 years anyway.
Great to see the pool keeper left as well
Looks like the players left with them
Fair play, Pool fans. When life-long supporters can”t afford to bring their kids to games, there’s a big problem.
In 30 years of supporting Liverpool I dont think I have ever seen a worse first choice keeper.
Brad Friedel was atrocious during his Liverpool stint.
Tough call with so many to choose from.
Friedel, James, Westerveld, Mignolet etc
Grobbelaar…
Couldnt agree more Paul. He is costing points now on a regular basis.
Friedal was brilliant when he left Liverpool, had a great career.
What about Calamity James?
Friedel was great after Liverpool. He was the bench warmer for James and then Westerveld though.
Or team Paul.
dudek had his moments
Friedel was great after Liverpool. He was still terrible at Liverpool.
The IFFHS list of best goalkeepers of the 20th century rank him at 40. PFA team of the season one year also. Top shot stopper & always a gent when he didn’t play. David James was the worst L’Pool keeper’ by a long cross.. Sorry shot
He should up the tickets to £90, at least they’ll hold on to fans for the full match.
I wish the Irish had the same guts towards the Government as you people in Liverpool. Fair dues to you and i hope you win against those greedy b.,tards.
Both player prices and wages have ruined football
No wait don’t go !!!! Flopp’s on his way in an ambulance to celebrate the draw with the fans
Cost them the match, distracted players and stadium went quiet cause of this.
It’s the fans fault they drew ? That’s a good excuse. Surely it is because they are only an average side is the reason ?
Highlights value of fans? Raising tickets to make 2million more in revenue. Maybe buy one less 15million forward and reduce ticket prices. £77 is crazy for a football match. £40 is too much in my mind.
Anto, thats the best excuse I’ve heard in life since, “the dog ate me homework.”
Fans from other clubs should do the same.
Crap protest. Complain about the price of tickets, buy tickets, go to match, leave 3/4 of the way through after paying the increased ticket price ??
Mad suggestion….why not bother buying the tickets in the first place ?? Morons.
The increases do not kick in until next season. Moron
Eh, season tickets are paid for either way so showing up and leaving is the only way for them
Read the 3rd paragraph. Even without this new increase they believe they are paying exorbitant prices already yet still go along to leave .
Surely the best protest is to stay away !!
Dave, Im sorry but that is a stupid comment. Firstly was it only season ticket holders protesting? Secondly 10,000 empty seats before the match is a better protest than going and leaving like that during the match.
Swathes of fans leaving early is a very visual protest and brings attention to the protest.
I think it looks stupid and I’m sure the players appreciate their support. But thats my opinion, I understand your view but not sure it’s the right way. Not sure either way is right.
So you’re saying it’s stupid to suggest that a protest organised by Liverpool based LFC supporters clubs would consist of season ticket holders?
Also, fact of life for you, everybody thinks the price they are paying now for most things is too high. But when that price goes up again that’s the issue.
Couldn’t agree more, difference is that if it gets too high for me I won’t go.
So it was only season ticket holders ? No one else sees it as a problem?
Never said it was only season ticket holders but I know there were a lot of them and also a lot of disabled people left as their tickets are set to go up by 21%. Season ticket holders are being moved to cheaper seats for the same price while their old sears will be sold at £77 a game.
It’s a €104 for a season ticket for bayern Munich one of the biggest clubs in the world with world class players but they refuse to rip their fans off unlike the english clubs which will end up with half empty stadium’s cause people won’t hav the money,sad state of affairs
Bayern subsidise away champions league tickets to their fans because of the crazy English prices.
Mainly at Arsenal
Absolutely not a Liverpool fan but totally support this.
There’s always an “appendix” to the Liverpool story :-)
I’m sure you know what you are slobbering about, pity nobody else does
Never liked Liverpool fc but there supporters are the best of the best no surprise that. They walked if you say it do it
What a crowd of stupid morons
what for leaving or attending? Simon.
Yes…
This is why I love the people and the city of Liverpool
No way to treat the best fans in the world and yes it had a huge bearing on the match like as if the life blood was draining from a team that had 100% possession. As for Minolet how he has achieved an other 5 year contract beats me.
Everyone thinks their own fans are the best in the world
I’m a United fan and I don’t mean this as a dig bur I know many former Liverpool “fans” that have given up on them. The ones that are still there love that club and yes are some of the beat fans in the world. Now I need to wash myself with a scouring pad
And would many man u fans have deserted them considering they play like stoke and they are the second best team in Manchester?
No doubt there are a few but I fail Sotomayor see what this has to do with me complimenting Liverpool fans
*to wow, I think my phone is Spanish
British football is all about business.
Manchester United PLC and other businesses are only in it to make money.
If 22 grown men kicking a ball around a field is your thing then join a local team or setup your own.
#SupportYourLocalTeam
#gofukyourself…..
Mo money mo problems