Defensive lapses cost Manchester City and Barcelona dearly as both teams slumped to notable losses in the Champions League on Tuesday.
In Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as City coach, his team struggled to cope with Bayer Leverkusen’s quick transitions in a 2-0 defeat, while Barcelona had an own goal and a red card in its 3-0 loss at Chelsea.
Guardiola made 10 changes to his starting lineup following Saturday’s loss to Newcastle in the Premier League, with Erling Haaland among those on the bench, but it didn’t have the desired effect.
Alejandro Grimaldo fired home Leverkusen’s first goal with a low shot into the far corner in the 23rd and Patrik Schick headed in a second in the 54th.
Chelsea comfortably beat 10-man Barcelona 3-0 to earn its third league-phase win and move closer to the top.
It was the second loss for Barcelona, which went down a man after defender Ronald Araújo was shown a second yellow card just before halftime.
The hosts scored with an own-goal by Jules Koundé in the 27th, a fine individual goal by 18-year-old Estevão in the 55th and a close-range shot by Liam Delap in the 73rd.
City could have moved atop the table with a win but the night ended with the top three unchanged. Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan all play Wednesday.
Borussia Dortmund rose to fourth and Chelsea is fifth after both won to join City on 10 points, while Barcelona is down in 15th and Juventus improved to 21st with a win as the Italian club tries to turn around its campaign.
Mourinho’s Benfica finally wins
José Mourinho picked up his first Champions League win with his new club Benfica as Samuel Dahl’s early goal set the stage for a 2-0 win over troubled Ajax. It was No. 36 vs. No. 35 in the pre-game standings as the two winless teams met in the Netherlands.
Left back Dahl scored an unstoppable volley on the rebound after Ajax goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros had saved a header from Benfica’s experienced defender Nicolás Otamendi. Leandro Barreiro added a second goal in the 90th.
Ajax has lost all five of its Champions League games and won only one of its last 10 games in all competitions.
Aubameyang shines for Marseille
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in four minutes early in the second half to turn the game around for Marseille in a 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Serhou Guirassy scored two goals as Dortmund routed 10-man Villarreal 4-0 to end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
Juventus won 3-2 on its trip into the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt and needed a stoppage-time winner from Jonathan David after the Norwegian host leveled the score in the 87th.
David scored on the rebound of a shot by Kenan Yildiz, who was brought on at halftime and had a hand in all three Juventus goals.
Canadian forward Promise David scored the only goal as Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise won 1-0 at injury-depleted Galatasaray. The Turkish club was without injured Champions League top scorer Victor Osimhen, and finished with 10 men after 18-year-old defender Arda Ünyay picked up two yellow cards.
Scott McTominay scored the opening goal as Napoli won 2-0 against Azerbaijan’s Qarabag, whose player Kevin Medina seemed to be knocked unconscious by another McTominay shot and was later substituted. Napoli fans commemorated the fifth anniversary of club legend Diego Maradona’s death.
Athletic Bilbao was frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Slavia Prague which leaves both clubs outside the qualifying places after five games.
Man City and Barcelona both lose in the Champions League as Mourinho gets a win
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Man City and Barcelona both lose in the Champions League as Mourinho gets a win
- Chelsea comfortably beat 10-man Barcelona 3-0 to earn its third league-phase win and move closer to the top
- City could have moved atop the table with a win but the night ended with the top three unchanged
Pakistan will boycott T20 World Cup match against India. ICC says decision will damage cricket
- No reason was given for Pakistan boycotting the game against India, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had criticized governing body ICC for “double standards” by refusing to shift Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government says the national cricket team will be allowed to take part in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup but must boycott its group game against arch rival India.
India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the 20-team tournament, which starts Saturday.
Pakistan will play all its games in Sri Lanka — including any in the knockout stage — because of political tensions with India. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a Group A game in Colombo on Feb. 15 in what is often a tournament highlight for fans, broadcasters and organizers alike.
That’s looking in doubt this time.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the government posted Sunday on its official X account. “However, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
No reason was given for Pakistan boycotting the game against India, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had criticized governing body ICC for “double standards” by refusing to shift Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka. Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland for the tournament.
Naqvi was vocal in Pakistan’s support for Bangladesh and left the decision of Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup to the government when he briefed Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on the issue.
ICC criticizes decision
The International Cricket Council said in a statement that it was waiting to receive an official communication from the PCB over the planned boycott, while warning against harming “the spirit and sanctity” of the global events.
“This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the ICC said.
“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan.”
The ICC said its priority is to successfully organize the T20 World Cup and “expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”
The ICC also said it “hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.”
Pakistan’s first match is against the Netherlands on Saturday in the tournament opener in Colombo. It will then take on the US on Feb. 10 and Namibia on Feb. 18.
India would be set to receive two points if Pakistan forfeits their game.
A Pakistan vs. India tournament game attracts huge interest and is a significant source of income, through broadcasters and sponsors, for the ICC.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral cricket series for the last 14 years, but both nations have regularly been in the same group at ICC tournaments.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who led the team to a 3-0 win in the three-match T20 series against Australia on Sunday in Lahore, said he will follow his government’s instructions.
“It’s (boycotting game against India) not our decision, we can’t do anything about it,” Agha said. “We will do whatever our government and the (PCB) chairman say.”
The strained political relations between the two countries spilled onto the cricket field last year when India’s players refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s players during three Asia Cup games, including the final, in the United Arab Emirates.
