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Champions League: Bayern drown out the noise, and was this the worst penalty award ever?

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Champions League: Bayern drown out the noise, and was this the worst penalty award ever?

Football very rarely goes to plan.

AC Milan’s new strike force were supposed to quickly start scoring a lot of goals. Feyenoord selling their best player was supposed to mean their season was over. Bayern Munich were supposed to crumble away from home again. Oh, and VAR was supposed to eradicate horrendous refereeing decisions.

As you can see from last night’s Champions League play-off knockout clashes, the sport rarely fails to disappoint when it comes to predictability.

Here Tim Spiers analyses the key talking points from Wednesday evening’s matches.

That penalty decision…

“Football is becoming a completely different sport. Football is now going in a direction that has nothing to do with the game… I don’t know the rules anymore and I certainly don’t like it.”

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What on earth could have happened to leave one of European football’s most highly respected managers so utterly dismayed?

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini was rendered angry and bereft by the decision to award Club Brugge a 91st minute penalty in the first leg of their play-off in Belgium. You could understand why.

Behold, one of the worst penalty decisions you are ever likely to witness…

Video for UK readers

“Listening to footballers and coaches, they all have a completely different idea of ​​fouls,” an exasperated Gasperini added. “The tragedy is the contacts: everyone dives to steal and win a yellow or a penalty.”

To recap, a decent tie was winding down to a 1-1 draw, probably a satisfactory result for both sides, when the clocked ticked over 90 minutes and into three minutes of stoppage time.

A seemingly harmless pass went into the box, which Atalanta defender Isak Hien had under control, chased by Brugge striker and Swedish compatriot Gustaf Nilsson.

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As Hien jostled for position, his arm appeared to slightly catch Nilsson, who went to ground. There was barely an appeal from the home fans or any Brugge players, but a penalty was given.

Hien was in disbelief, kneeling on the ground, head in hands. Six Atalanta players surrounded the referee in protest, while Gasperini gestured with not one but two hands, in a manner only Italians can reasonably pull off.


Incensed Atalanta players confront referee Halil Umut Meler (Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)

VAR Pol van Boekel (from the Netherlands) somehow upheld the decision made by Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler who, after not showing a card all match, booked three Atalanta players (Hien, plus Rafael Toloi and Juan Cuadrado for arguing) in the confusion that followed.

Nilsson got up and scored the penalty, at which point Gasperini whipped off his jacket and stormed down the tunnel before the match had even finished.

Atalanta’s incensed players continued their protests after full-time and security had to escort some of them off the field.

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Gasperini addresses the media after the game (Lars Baron – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

“Those who follow football know that it is not a penalty,” midfielder Marten De Roon said, while even Brugge player Hans Vanaken conceded they were “a bit lucky”.

“It’s just ridiculous,” added Atalanta’s Belgian attacker Charles De Ketelaere, who was returning to his old club for the first time, while calling the referee “arrogant”. “If you ask 100 people, I think out of 100 none would say that was a foul.”

Well, funny you should say that Charles, because one of those 100 people clearly wasn’t former referee Christina Unkel, who kept things tight in the referees’ union.

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Next week’s return leg in Bergamo is tantalisingly poised, then, while next month’s Sweden international get-together should be pretty interesting for Nilsson and Hien, too…

Fab Four flounder

They have been dubbed the Fab Four — a fearsome, fantastic attack that can fire Milan up the Serie A table and deep into the Champions League knockout stages.

USMNT star winger Christian Pulisic, flying wide man Rafael Leao, skilful genius Joao Felix and prolific Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez, four hugely talented players who, in tandem, could prove to be one of Europe’s most electrifying strike forces.

Joao Felix joined on loan from Chelsea last week while Gimenez was signed from Feyenoord, where he had scored 16 goals in 19 games this season, for £26.7million.

And here the Fab Four were in Rotterdam of all places, the home of Feyenoord, unleashed as a quartet for the first time.

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The result? Feyenoord 1 AC Milan 0. And Milan’s expected goals (xG) tally for the night? Precisely 0.57.

Fab Four? How about The Four Flops?


A disappointed Pulisic departs the fray in Rotterdam (Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

OK, it’s only one match and they will need time to gel, but this was certainly an underwhelming evening for Milan’s front players, three of whom were subbed off before the night was done.

Sergio Conceicao’s struggling side could have avoided all this had they won away at Dinamo Zagreb in the final round of group games, but ended up losing 2-1 in Croatia, reflecting what has been a hugely inconsistent season for a team that lies 17 points behind leaders Napoli in Serie A.

Out in Rotterdam they created precious little with an XI that included no Italian players, in what was a fairly incident-free encounter.

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Well, except for one that goalkeeper Mike Maignan will instantly want to forget…

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Pulisic’s Milan suffers first-leg loss to Feyenoord in UCL playoff

Who needs a manager?

This was quite a result for Feyenoord, whose fans must have been fearing the worst given recent turbulent events at the club.

Manager Brian Priske, who succeeded Arne Slot in the summer when the 46-year-old left to manage Liverpool, was sacked just two days before the visit of Milan.

Priske had actually won his final game in charge at the weekend, a 3-0 derby victory over Sparta Rotterdam, but Feyenoord are a lowly fifth in the Dutch Eredivisie, went out of the Dutch Cup to PSV last week and were spanked 6-1 by Lille on Matchday 8 of the group stage, when a victory in France would have seen them finish in the top eight.

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Given recent results — and the sale of best player Gimenez to Milan, a transfer which happened after the draw was made for the play-off round — Feyenoord’s supporters could be forgiven for thinking their club was waving a white flag for this tie.

Step forward Maignan, Milan’s France international goalkeeper, with this absolute howler in the third minute of the match.

Nothing much seemed to be on when Igor Paixao cut inside from the left and sent a fairly harmless-looking effort low towards the keeper’s near post, but Maignan, not helped by horribly wet conditions in the Netherlands, pushed the ball into the net.

Video for UK readers

Video for U.S. readers

That was pretty much that for the night, other than Paixao smacking a shot off the bar in the second half, and attempting another from the half-way line.

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Feyenoord’s xG of 0.58 was only fractionally better than that of Milan on what was a fairly dull evening. But, after the week they just endured, that was absolutely fine with Feyenoord.

Bayern hush Parkhead

They may be enjoying themselves at the top of the Bundesliga, eight points clear of Bayer Leverkusen, but Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich have still shown vulnerabilities this season — especially on the road when faced with an intimidating away atmosphere.

They have only dropped nine points in the league, but seven of those have been lost away from home. In the Champions League they won all four home group games but lost three of four on the road, including at Aston Villa and Feyenoord where the volume was turned up to 11.

Football atmospheres don’t get much louder than Celtic Park on a big European night, so this was a serious test of Bayern’s European credentials. The pre-match noise was so ear-splitting that Celtic defender Alistair Johnston nodded his approval as the decibels went above jet engine levels when the teams lined up before kick off.

When former Bayern youngster Nicolas Kuhn put Celtic in front after just 25 seconds, they could probably hear the noise in Munich. However, that was correctly ruled out for offside and Bayern slowly turned the screw in Glasgow, establishing some dominance in the din and then clinically scoring either side of half time to take charge of the tie.

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Michael Olise’s strike was one to savour…

Video for UK readers

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And then a criminally unmarked Harry Kane volleyed in from close range for his 29th goal from 29 appearances this season to quell the Celtic Park roar. That was the 19th goal he has scored beyond Kasper Schmeichel for club and country — five more than he has managed against any other goalkeeper.

Brendan Rodgers’ side rallied impressively in the final stages, with Daizen Maeda’s header keeping their hopes alive, but they will need a minor miracle in Germany next week to progress to the last 16.

Card appeal dashes a dream

The Champions League is supposed to be a competition where dreams are made.

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However, for Monaco’s Libyan midfielder Moatasem Al-Musrati, his competition debut turned into a nightmare against Benfica.

The 28-year-old, who is on loan from Besiktas, was on a booking when he saw team-mate Breel Embolo unceremoniously dumped to the floor by Benfica defender Alvaro Carreras.


Denis Zakaria (left) comforts Al-Musrati as he departs the field (Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Al-Musrati thought it was a foul and Italian referee Maurizio Mariani agreed, blowing his whistle. Al-Musrati, though, wanted more than that; he wanted Carreras booked and so gently gestured the universal sign language for “show him a card, ref” in the official’s direction.

Nope, can’t do that. Second booking and then a red, Al-Musrati was off. He will now miss the second leg, and with Monaco 1-0 down you have to wonder if the on-loan midfielder will play again in the Champions League this season. Or perhaps ever again.

On the flip side, Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis is very much living out his Champions League dreams, scoring his sixth goal in the competition this season to give Bruno Lage’s side a crucial advantage going into the return leg in Lisbon next week.

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Video for UK readers

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Pavlidis scored when this fixture was played in the group stage, too (Benfica won 3-2), as well as scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona and adding another against Juventus.

Only six players have scored more in 2024-25 and it’s an exclusive list — Serhou Guirassy (10), Robert Lewandowski (nine), Raphinha (eight), Erling Haaland (eight), Vinicius Jr (seven) and Kane (seven).

What happens next?

Wednesday’s results

Club Brugge 2 Atalanta 1
Celtic 1 Bayern Munich 2
Feyenoord 1 Milan 0
Monaco 0 Benfica 1

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Next week’s second legs

Tuesday, February 18
Atalanta (1) vs Club Bruges (2)
Bayern Munich (2) vs Celtic (1)
Milan (0) vs Feyenoord (1)
Benfica (1) vs Monaco (0)

Wednesday, February 19
Paris Saint-Germain (3) vs Brest (0)
PSV Eindhoven (1) vs Juventus (2)
Real Madrid (3) vs Manchester City (2)
Borussia Dortmund (3) vs Sporting CP (0)

Eight teams will advance to the last 16, to join Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa.

The draw for the last 16, quarter-final and semi-final will take place on Friday February 21.

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(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Knicks hand Mamdani-backed candidate cease and desist letter for using team’s logo in campaign: report

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June 27, 2026

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Knicks hand Mamdani-backed candidate cease and desist letter for using team’s logo in campaign: report

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A New York Senate candidate who has been backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reportedly been issued a cease-and-desist letter by the New York Knicks for using the championship team’s logo as part of her campaign.

Promotional stickers read, “I voted for Aber Kawas,” using the Knicks logo, with the team’s name replaced with “Kawas.”

According to the New York Post, the Knicks demanded that the campaign “immediately remove all promotional materials incorporating Knicks Intellectual Property, including but not limited to the unauthorized Advertisements, and cease any further use of Knicks Intellectual Property.”

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Aber Kawas, Youth Activities Director for the Arab-American Association of New York, speaks at a rally in Columbus Circle protesting proposals to restrict Muslim arrivals to the United States. (Andy Katz/Corbis)

“Neither the Knicks nor NBA [Properties] have authorized the Campaign to use Knicks Intellectual Property in any way, including the Unauthorized Advertisements, which are likely to mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks,” Brian N. Warner, senior vice president and head of legal for Madison Square Garden Sports, said in the letter, according to the outlet.

“The Campaign’s activities in this regard constitute, among other things, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, false association, and unfair competition.”

The Knicks and Mamdani have had beef that began last year when Mamdani’s mayoral campaign also used the Knicks logo in a similar fashion to Kawas. Mamdani was given a cease-and-desist letter, and the Knicks made it clear they were not endorsing anyone in the race, which Mamdani won.

The White House then used the Knicks logo in a post shortly after last year’s election to say, “Trump Is Your President.” The Knicks reached out to the White House, which then removed the post.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani gives New York Knicks player Jalen Brunson the keys to the city during the Knicks’ championship ticker tape parade in New York City on June 18, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

NYC CANCELS KNICKS NBA FINALS WATCH PARTY OVER TRUMP VISIT AS MSG FIRES BACK

Knicks owner James Dolan and Mamdani also had a back-and-forth earlier this month about Knicks watch parties during the team’s championship run. The two came face-to-face at the championship celebration last week at City Hall, when Mamdani name-dropped Knicks legend-turned-Dolan rival Charles Oakley during a reminiscent speech about the Knicks, while Dolan took one final parting shot at the mayor and stiffed him in a photo op.

“I don’t need your vote. I don’t need to quote to you what happened. If you’re real Knick fans you know it already,” Dolan said.

Dolan did announce that the Knicks would go to the White House to visit President Donald Trump, who attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Knicks would be the first NBA team to visit Trump.

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Kawas, the Muslim daughter of illegal immigrants, is now the Democrat nominee for New York’s Senate District 12 and is also a socialist. She recently came under fire for rejecting the notion that Muslim Americans need to apologize for 9/11, an attack “a couple of people did.”

Aber Kawas, a Palestinian American community organizer and democratic socialist running for New York State Assembly District 34, and Rep. Claire Valdez attend a demonstration in New York City demanding a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments in Long Island City on May 7, 2026. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu)

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“I’ve always been outspoken about the wrongful scapegoating of Muslim Americans, both before and after 9/11, and in this interview I was speaking about the harmful notion that Muslims should have to apologize for an act of violence they have nothing to do with,” Kawas told Fox News Digital Thursday morning.

Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

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Cameron Carr on Lakers acquiring him draft night: ‘It didn’t feel real’

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9 hours ago

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June 27, 2026

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Cameron Carr on Lakers acquiring him draft night: ‘It didn’t feel real’

NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting selected somewhere between 15 and 20 in the first round on Tuesday night.

Ending up with the Lakers later in the draft, however, was more than Carr could have asked for.

The Lakers acquired his draft rights from the New York Knicks, who took the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard with the 24th pick, in a multiple-team deal in which L.A. sent the draft rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who was taken 25th, and cash considerations to New York.

As he sat for his introductory news conference Friday, dressed in all black, Carr shared what his thoughts were when he found out he would be playing for the Lakers.

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“I’m going to the Lakers! It was more of an exciting thing,” he said. “It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivated to work.”

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, met Carr at the facility on Friday but didn’t speak with the media during the news conference.

It meant Pelinka couldn’t be asked about Austin Reaves agreeing to re-sign with the Lakers on a four-year, $185-million deal, or about how conversations are going with free agent LeBron James.

But NBA rules prohibit team officials from commenting on anything during the free agency moratorium, which won’t be lifted until July 6.

So, this day was all about the 21-year-old Carr and how impressed he was being in the Lakers’ building.

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“Walking in the building, first thing you notice is the rich tradition of the people that have been here before you,” Carr said. “It’s a moment of happiness. As a kid, you always dreamed of walking across that stage and accomplishing everything you wanted to. Man, it just felt good to walk in the gym and look at the people that came before me. Now I’m in their shoes.”

Carr was viewed by NBA scouts as athletic with his 42½-inch vertical leap and as having a good jump shot.

During his sophomore season at Baylor, Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks in 34 games. He shot 49.4% from the field, 37.4% from three-point range and 80.1% from the free-throw line.

But Carr quickly talked about how playing defense will be his calling card with the Lakers.

“Stepping into an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier,” Carr said. “I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them, and run in transition. But first things first is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant or a plus on the defensive end as someone they would like to guard the best player.”

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Carr always had his dad, Chris Carr, to lean on during his journey as a basketball player. Having him as a mentor was so beneficial because his father spent six seasons in the NBA. His most famous moment came in 1997, when he became the runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the slam dunk contest.

Now father and son have something else in common: making the NBA.

“I’ve always wanted to be better than him,” Carr said. “I’ve always been behind, so I want to show he’s put a lot of work in me becoming a better man. So I feel the only way I can credit him and show I’m thankful for him is by putting in the work and using it every single day. He was a heck of a player, so it’s some big footsteps I’ve got to follow and a long journey.

“It’s good motivation. My ‘why’ is just to be better and show people I’m better than a lot of people that are put in front of me. I feel like that’s the chip on my shoulder, or the fire under my feet.”

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2026 World Cup Group Scenarios: What Remaining Teams Need To Advance To Round of 32

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18 hours ago

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June 27, 2026

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2026 World Cup Group Scenarios: What Remaining Teams Need To Advance To Round of 32

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The World Cup group stage can get complicated quickly. 

With 48 teams participating for the first time ever, FIFA instituted new tiebreaker rules to determine the top two in each group along with the eight highest third-place finishers.

Below, FOX Sports Research has broken down what each team needs to advance, what results would send them through, and which scenarios could leave their fate hanging in the balance. 

Here’s where every group stands heading into the next round of matches, and the simple scenarios for them to advance.

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Note: Below scenarios are through all games played on June 25. Additionally, three points is now the minimum required for teams to advance as one of the eight third-place teams.

GROUP A SCENARIOS

  • Mexico won the group and will face a third-place team from either Group C or E in the Round of 32 in Mexico City on June 30.
  • South Africa finished as runner-up in the group, and will play Canada on June 28 in Los Angeles.
  • South Korea finished third, and currently ranks eighth among the third-place teams.
  • Czechia cannot advance to the knockout stage.

Mexico celebrates after securing the top spot in Group in the win vs. South Korea.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

GROUP B SCENARIOS

  • Switzerland won the group and will play a third-place team from either Group G or J in the Round of 32 in Vancouver on July 2.
  • Canada finished as runner-up in the group and will play South Africa on June 28 in Los Angeles.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina finished third, and will play USA in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara.
  • Qatar cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP C SCENARIOS

  • Brazil won the group and will play Japan on June 29 in Houston.
  • Morocco finished as runner-up of the group and will play the Netherlands on June 29 in Monterrey.
  • Scotland finished in third, and currently ranks tenth among third-place teams.
  • Haiti cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP D SCENARIOS

  • USA won the group, and will play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara.
  • Australia finished as runner-up of the group and will play Egypt on July 3 in Arlington.
  • Paraguay finished in third, and will play Germany on June 29 in Foxborough. 
  • Türkiye cannot advance to the knockout stage.

Folarin Balogoun of the U.S.

GROUP E SCENARIOS

  • Germany won the group and will play Paraguay on June 29 in Foxborough.
  • Ivory Coast finished as runner-up of the group and will play Norway on June 30 in Arlington.
  • Ecuador finished in third, and clinched a spot as a third-place team.
  • Curaçao cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP F SCENARIOS

  • Netherlands won the group and will play Morocco on June 29 in Monterrey.
  • Japan finished as runner-up of the group and will play Brazil on June 29 in Houson.
  • Sweden finished third, and will play France on June 30 in East Rutherford.
  • Tunisia cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP G SCENARIOS

  • Belgium won the group and will play a third-place team from Group A, I, or J on July 1 in Seattle.
  • Egypt finished as runner-up of the group and will play Australia on July 3 in Arlington.
  • Iran finished in third and currently ranks sixth among the third-place teams.
  • New Zealand cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP H SCENARIOS

  • Spain won the group and will play the runner-up of Group J on July 2 in Los Angeles.
  • Cape Verde finished as runner-up of the group and will play Argentina on July 3 in Miami. 
  • Uruguay cannot advance to the knockout stage.
  • Saudi Arabia cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP I SCENARIOS

  • France won the group and will play Sweden on June 30 in East Rutherford.
  • Norway finished as runner-up of the group and will play Ivory Coast on June 30 in Arlington.
  • Senegal finished in third, and clinched a spot as a third-place team.
  • Iraq cannot advance to the knockout stage.

GROUP J SCENARIOS

  • Argentina won the group and will face Cape Verde on July 3 in Miami. 
  • Austria will advance with a win or draw; in a draw, the runner-up will be decided by tiebreakers.
  • Algeria will advance with a win or draw; in a draw, the runner-up will be decided by tiebreakers.
  • Jordan cannot advance to the knockout stage.

Lionel Messi of Argentina.

GROUP K SCENARIOS

  • Colombia has advanced.
  • Colombia will win the group with a win or draw.
  • Portugal will advance with a win or draw, and will win the group with a win.
  • Uzbekistan can advance with a win, but it is not guaranteed.

GROUP L SCENARIOS

  • England will advance with a win/draw.
  • England will win the group with a win AND a Ghana draw/loss.
  • Ghana will advance with a win/draw.
  • Ghana will win the group with a win AND an England draw/loss.
  • Panama cannot advance to the knockout stage.

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