Football: Iran and Iraq qualify for last 16 with easy wins

ABU DHABI • Carlos Queiroz has warned that Iran can only get better, after Sardar Azmoun struck twice in the 2-0 win over Vietnam yesterday to ensure they qualified for the last 16 of the Asian Cup.
Iraq joined them in the knockout stages by beating Yemen 3-0 in Sharjah before the two rivals, both on six points, clash on Wednesday to determine the Group D winners.
"The two teams have played very well, fought hard," said coach Queiroz after the match with Asean champions Vietnam, who lost 3-2 to Iraq in their opener.
"However, I believe we can play stronger. We played with only 60 to 70 per cent of our ability.
"But the result is very good. I predicted from the start that Vietnam are a difficult team and it is not easy to score many goals into their net."
Iran, looking for their fourth title and their first since 1976, could have scored four or five but for some poor finishing in Abu Dhabi.
Saman Ghoddos and Mehdi Taremi went close, before Azmoun rose to head home a Ghoddos cross after 38 minutes.
The Rubin Kazan forward then lashed in his third goal of the tournament from the edge of the box 20 minutes from time to give Iran a ninth successive first-round victory dating back to 2007. Iran, joint-favourites with South Korea for the Cup, crushed war-torn Yemen 5-0 in their opener.
Queiroz said: "The next few matches are always important. Now, we will really look forward to that match with Iraq."
In Group C, South Korea and China ensured their places in the last 16 on Friday after beating Kyrgyzstan 1-0 and the Philippines 3-0 respectively.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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ASIAN CUP

North Korea v Qatar: Singtel TV Ch114 & StarHub Ch208, 6.50pm Oman v Japan: 9.20pm Turkmenistan v Uzbekistan: 11.50pm

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Iran-Iraq War. The first ban was imposed in 1980 after an Olympic qualifying play-off between Iraq and Kuwait in Baghdad, where the match referee was attacked by enraged home fans and members of the Iraqi team after the Malaysian official's decision to award a match changing penalty to the Kuwaitis that led to Iraq losing 3-2.
Asian Cup: 'proud' Son Heung-min sparks South Korea to easy

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Football: Iran and Iraq qualify for last 16 with easy wins

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AFC Asian Cup 2019: Vietnam and their road to the quarter-finals, the story so far. But for those who have followed the trajectory of the Vietnam national team in recent times, this quarterfinal
Iraq & Football: A Remarkable Story of a Sport Lost & Found

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Iran and Iraq are neighboring countries, sharing a long history. In the contemporary era, especially during the reign of Saddam Hussein, the two countries had bad relations and fought the Iran-Iraq War for 8 years. In 2001, for the first time in decades, an Iran-Iraq match was not held at a neutral venue.
Iran - Football - BBC Sport

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 13, 2019, with the headline 'Iran and Iraq qualify for last 16 with easy wins'. Print Edition | Subscribe Topics:
Football: Iran and Iraq qualify for last 16 with easy wins

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Iran's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup last 16 ended as they lost to already-eliminated Bosnia-Hercegovina - BBC (June 25, 2014) Iran coach expects easy win
AFC Asian Cup 2019: Charting Vietnam's journey to the

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The home of Iran Football on BBC Sport online. Includes the latest news stories, results, fixtures, video and audio.

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Iraq's Olympic side draw 0-0 with Iran at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran to ensure that they topped Group C of the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers. Abdul-Ghani Shahad's team will be aiming to finish in the top three of that tournament in order to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Iraq national football team - Wikipedia

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Asian Cup: 'proud' Son Heung-min sparks South Korea to easy win over China as Iran fire blanks
Iran Football Headlines - آخرین اخبار فوتبال ایران

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Football: Iran and Iraq qualify for last 16 with easy wins ABU DHABI • Carlos Queiroz has warned that Iran can only get better, after Sardar Azmoun struck twice in the 2-0 win over Vietnam yesterday to ensure they qualified for the last 16 of the Asian Cup.
Iraq National Football Team

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Football in Iraq was lost under Uday Hussein. Under his oppressive regime, football that is usually a conduit for relief became strangled. Without offering players the dream to leave the country and constantly threatening players after losses with torture and death, Iraqis were given little incentive to dream and to play for the national football squad.
Iran national football team - Wikipedia

Manchester City in ‘advanced talks’ to hijack Manchester United’s £90m transfer for Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon – reports

Manchester City are in advanced talks to hijack Manchester United’s move for £90million transfer target Bruno Fernandes, according to reports.

The Sporting Lisbon midfielder has enjoyed an incredible season in the Primeira Liga, scoring 31 goals and adding 17 assists.

Such form has naturally lead to speculation about his future and it was assumed United were the frontrunners for his signature.

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However, reports from Goal suggest rivals City are now in the driving seat after talks with super agent Jorge Mendes about the 24-year-old.

Although Mendes does not represent Mendes at this moment, City are hoping the prestige of the Portuguese will be enough to sway the star.

Sporting were hoping to generate £90million from Fernandes’ sale, but it is understood City will offer £50million and two players – either on loan or permanent deals.

Eliaquim Mangala, Aleix Garcia, Douglas Luiz and Marlos Moreno are thought to be four of the players potentially moving the other way.

And Mendes has reportedly met City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain on a number of occasions to broker the terms of a summer deal.

Meanwhile, City star and fellow Portugal international Bernardo Silva has called Fernandes a ‘great player’.

Silva added: “He has had a fantastic season with many goals, many assists that are not normal for a player of his position, he has the best numbers and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season.

“He is a player who can play in other championships.”

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Liverpool news: Adrian Durham claims Reds are 'bottlers' if they miss out on Premier League title and Dean Saunders is not happy access_time Posted on April 26, 2019 by BLOGGERPARUNG Manchester City climbed a point clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Man United this week.
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Transfer news and football gossip: Pogba ‘a big problem’ at Man United, Hazard’s bumper Real Madrid deal, Guardiola to take over at Juventus?

talkSPORT.com round up all the latest transfer news and football gossip from Thursday’s papers and online…

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Eden Hazard will be offered £400,000-a-week by Real Madrid in a bid to lure the forward away from Chelsea. (The Sun)

Cristiano Ronaldo would welcome the appointment of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as coach of Juventus. (Marca)

Roy Keane has said France midfielder Paul Pogba is a “big problem” at Manchester United. (Sky Sports)

United have set up an ‘emergency pay-off fund’ for the players they wish to offload this summer. (The Sun)

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be patient in his attempt to sign a midfielder this summer until he knows for certain whether Ander Herrera will stay. (Teamtalk)

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is set to be named PFA Player of the Year ahead of Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling. (Evening Standard)

Tottenham face a dilemma over whether to sell Christian Eriksen this summer. The Danish playmaker has just over a year left on his £75,000-a-week contract and Real Madrid and Inter Milan are watching him closely. (Daily Mirror)

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Arsenal have set a date for potential new signing Gabriel Martinelli to make his debut, after agreeing a deal with Ituano to sign the 17-year-old Brazilian. (Yahoo Brasil)

Manchester City are considering a move for 19-year-old Benfica defensive midfielder Florentino Luis. (The Guardian)

West Ham and Leicester City are both interested in £26m-rated AC Milan and Turkey winger Hakan Calhanoglu. (Daily Star)

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Leeds United news: How the club’s dreadful April record is threatening to ruin another season

Leeds’ automatic promotion hopes are in tatters after a 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Easter Monday.

Sheffield United are three points clear of Marcelo Bielsa’s men and have a far superior goal difference, heading into the final two matches of the season.

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The Whites face in-form Aston Villa next, who have remarkably won their last 10 league games, thus their chances of finishing in the top two look somewhat slim as things currently stand.

The omens don’t look good for Leeds as they seek to end a 15-year exile from the Premier League.

Over the past three seasons, April hasn’t been a happy month for the Yorkshire outfit – winning just four of the 18 games they’ve competed in.

While Leeds picked up back-to-back victories against Preston and Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month, the wheels have well and truly come off their promotion dream since then.

A 2-1 defeat at home to 10-man Wigan on Friday was followed up with the disappointing result at Griffin Park just three days later.

Take a look at the hapless run in full below…

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Kevin De Bruyne will reportedly miss the rest of the Premier League season as Manchester City go head-to-head with Liverpool for the title. De Bruyne was forced to leave the pitch during City's defeat of Tottenham on Saturday, which returned Pep Guardiola's side to the top of the table.
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Leeds United complete signing of Sweden Under-21 forward How many minutes have likes of Leeds and Villa given to youth this season. How Leeds' dreadful April record is threatening to ruin

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Leeds United news: How the club's dreadful April record is

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AGE DON'T MATTER The likes of Reece James and Mason Mount have benefited hugely from more game time this season When promotion is at stake, the chance to make it into the play-off places or avoid relegation, clubs may feel giving young players a chance in the first team is too much of a risk.
As the club's terrible April record is threatening to ruin

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NOT ALL WHITE The Yorkshire team, which is three points from second place Sheffield United, seems to crumble during the final series of games. Leeds hopes for automatic promotion are in tatters after the 2-0 defeat at Brentford on Easter Monday.
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Baku city guide: What Arsenal and Chelsea supporters can get up to in Azerbaijan’s vibrant capital ahead of Europa League final

Playing in the Europa League can take you to places in Europe which aren’t particularly on the beaten track, so the fact that this year’s final is being played in Baku is arguably appropriate.

Arsenal and Chelsea will contest the showpiece match in the capital city of Azerbaijan on Wednesday night – a game you can listen to LIVE on talkSPORT – but the location has attracted plenty of criticism.

Getty Images - Getty

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Firstly, both clubs were only given a ticket allocation of 6,000 each even though Baku’s Olympic Stadium has a capacity of 69,870.

However, both Arsenal and Chelsea have been forced to send some tickets back as fans have found it difficult to find a way to Baku, which is situated almost 2,500 miles away from London.

It’s not just fans who are staying behind either.

Gunners midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not travel to Baku due to fears over his safety as Azerbaijan and his homeland Armenia are embroiled in a century-long conflict.

Getty Images - Getty

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  Fans start petition to move Europa League final from Baku to Wembley

  
  

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So there’s been plenty of controversy surrounding Baku but the show must go on.

And we at talkSPORT.com have had a look at some interesting facts about Baku, as well as what the city has on offer to the travelling Arsenal and Chelsea fans who have made the long trip.

Factfile

• Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan and is the lowest-lying capital city in the world (28m below sea level).


• It is the biggest city in the Caucasus region, and also has the largest urban base on the shores of the Caspian Sea. It is nearly 2,000km from both Moscow and Istanbul. It is further east than Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.


• The Olympic Stadium, completed in 2015, is a host stadium for the European Championship in 2020 (three Group A matches and a quarter-final).


• Baku launched a bid to host the 2016 and 2020 summer Olympics but were eliminated at the first stage by the International Olympic Committee.

Google Maps

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Where to stay

If you’re planning to go to the final and haven’t sorted out a place to stay, then you ought to get your skates on.

But there are plenty of hotels and hostels being advertised in Baku, some for as little as £2 a night!

However, the city has undergone a great deal of development over the past few decades so there are some nicer places to stay, with the Sapphire Hotel charging £920 a night for one person. Breakfast is included but it is located around 14 miles from the stadium.

Getty Images - Getty

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Culture

For those of you into your history, fans can take a look at the walled old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It boasts the 15th-century Shirvanshahs Palace, home to the Shirvanshah dynasty that ruled the region between the ninth and 15th century.

At night, a number of Baku’s modern buildings are illuminated, including the city’s iconic Flame Towers which are certainly a sight for sore eyes.

Getty Images - Getty

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There is also a National Park (Milli Park) which runs parallel to Baku’s seafront.

Eating and drinking

And for those of you who consider yourself a foodie, there are similarities between Azerbaijani cuisine and Turkish and Iranian dishes.

A classic meal in Azerbaijan is pilaf, a rice dish flavoured with saffron and mixed with meat or vegetables.

As for drinks, The Independent recommends The Dalida and The Old School Cafe to get your range of local delicacies and adventurous alcohol.

Old School Cafe Facebook

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However, the Foreign Office warns: “Muggings do occur from time to time after dark in the centre of town around the western bars and clubs.”

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Antoine Griezmann set to join Barcelona for £104m as forward

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Transfer news and gossip column: Everton could lose TWO stars, Rodgers eyes former Liverpool man, Tottenham target Benfica ace transfer news and football gossip
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Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk crowned PFA Players

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Paul Pogba and David de Gea 'demand new Man Utd deals to offset top four failure' Mirror.co.uk 22:46 19-Apr-19 David De Gea and Paul Pogba demand pay rise amid Champions League fears Stretty News (Weblog) 22:18 19-Apr-19
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Football: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines

LONDON (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri declared the Kepa Arrizabalaga controversy was over after the Chelsea goalkeeper began to make amends for his Wembley mutiny with an impressive display in Sunday’s (March 3) 2-1 win at Fulham. 
Sarri’s side took the lead through Gonzalo Higuain before Calum Chambers equalised at Craven Cottage.  In an incident-packed first half, the much-maligned Jorginho restored Chelsea’s lead with his first goal since the opening weekend of the season. 
Chelsea were indebted to Kepa for a series of superb saves that preserved their lead after the break, lifting the sixth-placed Blues within two points of fourth-placed Manchester United, with a game in hand. 
Sarri had dropped Kepa for Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Tottenham on Wednesday as punishment for the Spaniard’s refusal to be substituted during last weekend’s League Cup final defeat against Manchester City.  But Sarri had insisted Kepa remained his “first choice” and the world’s most expensive keeper returned in place of Willy Caballero after his one-game demotion. 
Revealing he didn’t tell Kepa he had been recalled until a team meeting on the day of the game, Sarri said: “He played very well. It was a normal decision. He made a big mistake, he paid for it. Now the situation is closed. 
“I can kill him, but I don’t think it is right. With another man I could have done it in another way, but I know him well. 
“He has a good mentality. His behaviour during the week was very good. 
“Kepa is a man. He was able to react very well, as we have seen today.”
Sarri believes Chelsea’s revival this week, coupled with Tottenham’s poor form, has made the top-four chase even tighter.  “We had a great opportunity today. Now we are only two points from the top four. We have to fight to the last minute of the last match,” he said. 
“We are fighting. In the last four matches I think we did well.”
Despite an improved display in caretaker manager Scott Parker’s first game following the midweek sacking of Claudio Ranieri, second-bottom Fulham have lost eight of their past nine league games and sit 10 points from safety. 
Kepa’s return almost started in embarrassing fashion when he made a complete hash of catching Kevin McDonald’s cross in a swirling wind, the ball slipping through his grasp as he was challenged by Ryan Babel. 
It would have been an open goal for Babel, but the Fulham winger was slow to react and Kepa scrambled back to dive on the ball.  Chelsea made the most of their escape to take the lead in the 20th minute.  Willian’s pass picked out Cesar Azpilicueta’s run down the right and Chelsea’s captain whipped over a cross that Higuain met with an instinctive volleyed finish. 

Kepa to the rescue  

It was Higuain’s third goal in eight games since the Argentine striker joined on loan from Juventus in January.  Kepa redeemed himself with an acrobatic save to keep out Aleksandar Mitrovic’s volley from Ryan Sessegnon’s cross. 
But from the resulting corner, Chelsea were punished for an awful piece of defending as Fulham grabbed a 28th-minute equaliser. 
Chambers was left totally unmarked when Fulham took the corner quickly, Babel picking out his team-mate at the far post for a well-taken finish.  Three minutes later, Eden Hazard was the catalyst for Chelsea’s second goal with an incisive run into the Fulham area, the Belgian laying the ball back to the Jorginho, who guided a superb strike into the top corner from 18 yards. 
Fulham were finding it impossible to stifle Willian and Azpilicueta down the right and the pair combined to tee up Higuain, whose powerful strike drew a brilliant one-handed save from Sergio Rico.  Exploiting the space left by Fulham’s creaky defence, Hazard and Willian both tested Rico with low drives soon after the restart. 
Even with the perennially inconsistent David Luiz left on the bench, there were still moments of uncertainty from Chelsea at back.  Mitrovic blasted just over from 20 yards and Tom Cairney’s long-range effort forced a good stop from Kepa. 
Joe Bryan forced Kepa to make another solid save and the Spaniard was firmly back in Sarri’s good graces by the time he repelled Mitrovic’s late header.  Sessegnon thought he had equalised in stoppage-time, but the winger’s goal was ruled out for offside.

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Jorginho fired Chelsea to a 2-1 win at struggling Fulham on Sunday as Blues keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga began to make amends for his Wembley mutiny with an impressive display. Maurizio Sarri's side
Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines - IsportNG

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Premier League: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa Arrizabalaga shines Description: Eden Hazard was the catalyst with an incisive run into the Fulham area, the Belgian laying the ball back to the Jorginho, who guided a superb strike into the top corner from 18 yards.
Premier League: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa

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Jorginho fired Chelsea to a 2-1 win at struggling Fulham on Sunday as Blues keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga began to make amends for his Wembley mutiny with an impressive display. Maurizio Sarri's side

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Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines - Daily Monitor

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Jorginho fires Chelsea to victory as recalled Kepa shines 04/03/2019 Oman Observer London: Maurizio Sarri declared the Kepa Arrizabalaga controversy was over after the Chelsea goalkeeper began to make amends for his Wembley mutiny with an impressive display in Sunday's 2-1 win at Fulham.
Watch: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines

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Football: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines Chelsea's Jorginho celebrates scoring their second goal at Craven Cottage, London, Britain, on March 3, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS
Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines - guardian.ng

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Jorginho fired Chelsea to a 2-1 win at struggling Fulham on Sunday as Blues keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga began to make amends for his Wembley mutiny with an impressive display. Maurizio Sarri's side
Jorginho fires Chelsea to victory as recalled Kepa shines

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Latest Football Gist Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines Chelsea were indebted to Kepa for a series of superb saves that preserved their lead after the
Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines - Afriupdate

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Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines against Fulham Maurizio Sarri's side took the lead through Gonzalo Higuain before Calum Chambers equalised at Craven Cottage.
Premier League: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa

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Football: Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines

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Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines. the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Chelsea at Craven Cottage in London on March 3, 2019. Jorginho fired Chelsea to
Jorginho fires Chelsea as recalled Kepa shines against Fulham

Liverpool vs Barca FREE live stream: How to watch tonight’s Champions League clash without paying extra

Liverpool take on Barcelona tonight out to pull off a miracle and reach the final of the Champions League.

The Reds lost 3-0 at the Nou Camp in the first-leg of their semi-final clash with the Spanish giants last week to leave them on the brink of exiting the competition.

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To make their task even harder, Jurgen Klopp’s side will be without key attacking duo Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino this evening.

Anfield has experienced many magically European nights but Liverpool will need the most extraordinary one ever if they are to overcome Barcelona and reach the final.

Barcelona vs Liverpool: Kick off time

The Champions League semi-final second-leg will take place at Anfield on Tuesday, May 7 with kick off at 8pm.

Ex-Liverpool star Luis Suarez and a double from Lionel Messi secured Barca’s stunning win last Wednesday.

Barcelona vs Liverpool: TV channel and live stream

The clash will be shown live on BT Sport 2 with coverage underway from 7pm.

BT Sport subscribers can live stream this fixture via their computer, mobile and tablet.

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EE phone customers can also watch the action via the app with a FREE three-month trial.

All you have to do is text SPORT to 150 to get use of the app and free casting to your TV.

talkSPORT will also be running a live blog of all the action this evening.

Barcelona vs Liverpool: Line-ups

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Milner, Shaqiri, Mane, Origi.

Subs: Mignolet, Wijnaldum, Lovren, Gomez, Sturridge, Brewster, Woodburn.

Barcelona: ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Vidal, Sergio Busquets, Rakitic, Messi, Suarez, Coutinho.

Subs: Cillessen, Nelson Semedo, Arthur, Malcom, Umtiti, Vermaelen, Alena.

Referee: Cuneyt Cakir

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Liverpool vs Barca FREE live stream: How to watch tonight's Champions League clash without paying extra The Reds need a miracle tonight in their Champions League semi-final clash By Marc Williams
Liverpool vs Barcelona live stream FREE: How to watch tonight

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Barcelona vs Liverpool FREE live stream: How to watch without paying extra plus TV channel, kick-off time and line-ups It's a huge night of Champions League semi-final action this evening By Marc
Tottenham vs Liverpool live stream FREE: How to watch TONIGHT

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How to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham. Coverage of tonight's Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham will be shown live on BT Sport 2 (Sky 414, Sky HD 868, BT TV 409, Virgin Media 532), with the pre-match build-up starting at 6pm and kick-off set for 8pm.
Watch Champions League final FREE: How to live stream

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Liverpool vs Barcelona live stream FREE - how to watch tonight's Champions League showdown without paying a penny. BT Sport 2 will be showing the Champions League clash live, with coverage
Barcelona vs Liverpool FREE live stream: How to watch without

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Liverpool vs Barca FREE live stream: How to watch tonight's

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How to watch Tottenham vs Liverpool: live stream Champions League final 2019 for free and from anywhere now If you're a Spurs or Liverpool fan - or if you just love the game of football - it's time to get yourself in front of a screen.
Barcelona vs Man Utd FREE live stream: How to watch TONIGHT'S

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Watch Champions League final FREE: How to live stream Tottenham vs Liverpool without paying a penny The Champions League finalists have been confirmed and it's an all-Premier League affair as
How to watch Tottenham vs Liverpool: live stream Champions

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Barcelona vs Man Utd FREE live stream: How to watch TONIGHT'S Champions League game for free The Red Devils will target another comeback from a first-leg deficit after Shaw's own goal is the
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Tottenham vs Liverpool live stream FREE: How to watch TONIGHT'S Champions League final without paying a penny LIVERPOOL and Spurs face off in Madrid after both sides enjoyed epic runs to the Champions League final.
Tottenham vs Liverpool live stream FREE: Watch Champions

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Tottenham vs Liverpool live stream FREE: Watch Champions League final tonight without paying a penny thesunbest 0 June 1, 2019 6:53 pm LIVERPOOL and Spurs face off in Madrid after both sides enjoyed epic runs to the Champions League final.
Champions League Final FREE live stream: How to watch

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How to live stream Tottenham vs Liverpool from outside your country. Further down this page, we have details on the Champions League final viewing options in the likes of the US, Canada, Australia
How to watch Tottenham vs Liverpool: live stream Champions