Champions League review: English teams disappoint, Valverde dazzles and Simeone’s last dance?

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Real Madrid’s first-half destruction of Manchester City was chastening. Arsenal’s drab 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen showed Mikel Arteta’s team will require more than set pieces to prevail in the competition.That Bayer’s goal through Robert Andrich came from a corner was an irony celebrated by the German club’s social media account.

Barring a comeback to match Barcelona’s 6-1 second-leg remontada defeat of PSG in 2017, the Champions League season is over for Serie A clubs, after Atalanta were thrashed in Bergamo by Vincent Kompany’s team. Palladino remained unrepentant: “If we got here it’s because of the mentality and therefore I would play like this again.” Kompany is reaching for the highest standards at Bayern, saying, “We could have even scored one or two more goals.”There has been speculation – unsubstantiated – this season will be Diego Simeone’s last at Atlético Madrid.

“I hope he stays at Atléti for many years,” Simeone said.Player of the weekA first-half hat-trick by Federico Valverde secured Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday. “Everything a Real Madrid player should be is Valverde, he deserves a night like this.” Valverde’s captain’s performance wrecked Pep Guardiola’s strategy of taking the game to Madrid.They said it“I don’t really want to compare players because they’re different – but I played with Kevin De Bruyne and was lucky to watch him come through as a young player then become a superstar.