Barcelona seized the initiate in their Champions League quarter-final with Paris St Germain after Andreas Christensen’s header secured a 3-2 win from a thrilling first leg at Parc des Princes.

Substitute Christensen, who won the competition with Chelsea in 2021, nodded home an Ilkay Gundogan corner just two minutes after coming off the bench to add to Raphinha’s double.

PSG trailed at the break following Raphinha’s opener but looked well placed to take a lead to Spain next week when quick-fire strikes from former Barca forward Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha turned a topsy-turvy tie in their favour early in the second period.

Luis Enrique’s Ligue 1 hosts hit the woodwork either side of Raphinha’s second before Christensen settled an engrossing encounter between two heavyweight clubs.

Kylian Mbappe was largely subdued as his quest to become a European champion before leaving the French capital in the summer suffered a setback.

With former PSG and Barcelona forward Ronaldinho and France manager Didier Deschamps among those watching from the sold-out stands, the hosts had the better of the cagey opening exchanges.

Yet the visitors grew into the contest and went closest to an early breakthrough.

PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced to race out of his box to deny Raphinha before Nuno Mendes cleared Robert Lewandowski’s goal-bound header off the line following Gundogan’s corner.

Mbappe had made little impact at that stage but suddenly came to life, culminating in Kang-In Lee stinging the palms of visiting keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Gianluigi Donnarumma endured a shaky start to the match, particularly from crosses, and he failed to convince as Barcelona snatched the lead eight minutes before the break.

A flowing move which began deep in Barca territory led to the Italy keeper diving at the feet of Lewandowski following a dangerous delivery from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal but his slight fingertip touch fell kindly for Raphinha to fire his first Champions League goal high into the unguarded net.

PSG boss Enrique was the last man to lead Barcelona to Champions League glory – in 2015 – and he was left with plenty to ponder at the end of an underwhelming first half for the hosts.

The Spanish coach’s half-time team talk clearly did the trick as PSG raced out of the blocks in devastating fashion.

Dembele, who left Barca last summer having cost almost £100million from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, seized on a loose ball in the away team’s 18-yard box and chopped his way past Frenkie de Jong to lash a powerful left-footed effort into the roof of the net.

Vitinha turned the tie on its head just three minutes later, taking a touch to control a precise pass from Fabian Ruiz before calmly slipping the ball beyond Ter Stegen.

Momentum was firmly with the home side and shell-shocked Barca were fortunate not to fall further behind in the 55th minute when Bradley Barcola’s effort flicked the top of the crossbar after brushing the fingertips of Ter Stegen.

PSG were left counting the cost of that near miss just seven minutes later when the away side drew level.

Donnarumma conceded possession with a poor clearance and Barca substitute Pedri made an instant impact with an inch-perfect lofted pass which was expertly dispatched on the volley by Brazil forward Raphinha.

Dembele fired against the right post as PSG pushed to regain the lead before decisively falling behind again 13 minutes from time.

Corners had been a problem for the home side all evening and the unmarked Christensen took advantage by heading home Gundogan’s inviting delivery from inside the six-yard box.

West Brom beat already-relegated Rotherham 2-0 at The Hawthorns to consolidate their place in the Championship play-offs.

Brandon Thomas-Asante and John Swift secured the win as the Baggies took full advantage of slip-ups by the chasing pack.

The major talking point came in the lead up to Swift’s goal from the penalty spot. Referee Geoff Eltringham adjudged defender Lee Peltier to have handled the ball despite clearly being outside of the penalty area.

Rotherham initially negated Albion’s efforts to make an early breakthrough. Swift had an opportunity when he met Tom Fellows’ low centre from the right but he guided his effort over the bar.

Thomas-Asante then was played in, over the top, by Swift, but the striker forced his shot wide from a tight angle.

West Brom went ahead midway through the first half. Celtic loanee Mikey Johnston sent Adam Reach racing down the left and he delivered a sharp low ball for Thomas-Asante, who could not miss from a couple of yards out.

Rotherham, having fallen behind, might have allowed the floodgates to open but they themselves began to play with more purpose.

Hakeem Odoffin sent a deep cross from the right which Cafu ambitiously met on the volley but ultimately hammered his half chance well over the bar.

West Brom doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time, however, in the most controversial of circumstances. Thomas-Asante leathered a shot from around 25 yards out which appeared goalbound, only for the ball to strike Peltier.

Referee Eltringham paused for a moment before pointing to the spot – despite Peltier appearing to be a number of yards outside of the penalty area.

The decision was greeted with disbelief by The Hawthorns and understandable bemusement by Rotherham, who had assistant head coach Rob Kelly booked for his protests. Swift duly converted to hand the hosts a half-time cushion.

Rotherham returned to the field undeterred and so easily could have pulled one back immediately when Sebastian Revan burst into the penalty area and laid the ball off for his captain Oliver Rathbone, who fizzed a shot just wide of Alex Palmer’s post.

Revan himself then tested Palmer but the Millers were grateful to their own keeper Viktor Johansson, who stopped Thomas-Asante adding to West Brom’s tally after he was superbly played in by Johnston.

The hosts’ top scorer then blazed an effort over the bar from six yards out in what was his final act before he made way for the returning Josh Maja in the closing stages.

Derby’s push for automatic promotion to the Championship took a hit after they drew 0-0 away at mid-table Wycombe.

The Rams, who have three matches remaining, stay in second but sit just two points ahead of Bolton, who have a game in hand.

The visitors nearly took the lead in the opening two minutes when a Ryan Tafazolli header almost crept past his own goalkeeper, Franco Ravizzoli.

This started an onslaught of Derby attacks as Corey Blackett-Taylor missed an open goal from a Conor Washington cross inside six minutes.

The latter then had his attempt blocked by Jack Grimmer 10 minutes later before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s resulting corner nearly snuck in, but Ravizzoli tipped the set-piece over.

Wycombe had several chances but nothing that tested Joe Wildsmith in the Rams goal as Beryly Lubala and Kieran Sadlier fired their attempts wide of the mark.

The second half was on a knife-edge, as Joe Low and Gideon Kodua had Wycombe’s best attempts, with Conor Hourihane and James Collins going close for Derby in the final few moments but to no avail.

Swansea eased any lingering relegation concerns by beating Stoke 3-0 to leave the Potters hovering perilously above the Championship drop zone.

Liam Cullen poked Jamie Paterson’s cross beyond Daniel Iversen to put Swansea ahead in the 19th minute before Matt Grimes doubled the hosts’ lead after 53 minutes with a penalty after Luke McNally tripped Ollie Cooper.

Josh Key capped off a fine victory for Luke Williams’ men with his second goal of the campaign after 73 minutes as Swansea claimed a first win in four, ending Stoke’s three-game unbeaten run and leaving them three points above the bottom three.

The Swans started on the front foot as former Stoke defender Josh Tymon teed up Jay Fulton who drilled well wide.

The hosts should have gone ahead in the 13th minute as Paterson left Ki-Jana Hoever spinning before picking out Fulton who could only rifle against the post from 10 yards.

But Swansea did take the lead soon after following a quickly taken free-kick.

Captain Grimes fed Paterson who had acres of space to cross to Cullen who poked home his seventh of the season from close range.

Cullen had a chance to double his side’s lead moments later when Grimes intercepted Michael Rose’s wayward clearance, although the Welshman could only volley over from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Stoke struggled to threaten in the torrid south Wales rain, with Wouter Burger heading wide from Million Manhoef’s corner just before the half-hour mark.

The Potters thought they had equalised in bizarre fashion just seconds later though when Rose chipped into the Swansea box.

Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth gathered the ball before losing control after an unintentional collision with Niall Ennis who duly poked into the net, although the goal was swiftly disallowed by referee Keith Stroud.

After a slow start, Steven Schumacher’s men found a foothold in the contest, with Manhoef flashing an effort wide.

And they spurned a fine chance to level proceedings in the dying seconds of the first half when Ennis played Manhoef through on goal, although Harry Darling recovered to force the Dutchman to fire wide from an acute angle.

They were ruthlessly punished for not taking their chances as Swansea doubled their lead with a penalty after the break.

McNally tripped Cooper on the edge of the area, and Grimes stepped up to rifle into the roof of the net from the spot.

Cullen almost got his second of the night from a well-worked corner routine minutes later, although his deflected effort trickled inches wide.

But Swansea got their third late on as Jamal Lowe danced up the left wing, teeing up Key whose first touch took him beyond Rose before unleashing a fierce effort into the net.

Ipswich missed out on the chance to take over at the Sky Bet Championship summit but did move up to second after they were held to a goalless draw at home to Watford.

After promotion rivals Leicester and Leeds dropped points on Tuesday, victory for Kieran McKenna’s men would have been the perfect tonic to Saturday’s 1-0 loss at bitter foes Norwich.

However, Tom Cleverley’s Watford proved stubborn opponents and Town had to settle for a point, which does lift them above Leeds with four games left in the battle to secure automatic promotion.

Ipswich were eager to bounce back from their East Anglian derby defeat and McKenna made four changes but watched his team almost fall behind after eight minutes.

Watford youngster Yaser Asprilla tried his luck from by the halfway line although, much to the relief of goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky, it sailed a few inches over.

Town dominated possession and created their first chance when the recalled Harry Clarke burst forward and passed into Kieffer Moore, who teed up Nathan Broadhead but his low effort was saved by Daniel Bachmann.

Moore went close himself after 28 minutes when Kayden Jackson raced away down the right but his cross was swept wide by the Bournemouth loanee.

Ipswich impressively fashioned another chance eight minutes later when Hutchinson passed out wide to Broadhead, whose left-footed strike hit the inside of the post and rolled across the goal line to safety.

The Hornets were on the ropes and the next opportunity for the hosts was inadvertently blocked by Broadhead, who got in the way of a Jack Taylor shot.

After Bachmann had watched Ipswich lay siege to his goal, the Austrian stopper sprung into action three minutes before half-time with a superb save to deny a flying header by Moore from Clarke’s cross.

It ensured it was goalless at the break but Watford provided a reminder of their threat early in the second period when Asprilla sent in a dipping effort that Hladky could only parry away.

McKenna had seen enough and made a triple substitution with 26 minutes left.

The tension around Portman Road was palpable and gaps started to open up but Hladky thwarted Jamal Lewis’ low effort before Ipswich captain Sam Morsy slid in to deny Ismael Kone’s follow-up.

Town substitute Ali Al-Hamadi had a late shot deflected wide before Watford almost stole the points but Hladky batted away Edo Kayembe’s speculative effort deep into stoppage-time.

Tommy Conway netted a first-half brace as Bristol City increased Blackburn’s relegation fears with a thumping 5-0 Championship win at Ashton Gate.

The striker capitalised on a bad error by Dominic Hyam to race clear and shoot low past Aynsley Pears for his 10th goal of the season in the 24th minute.

Seven minutes later Conway sent Pears the wrong way from the penalty spot after a mistake by Callum Brittain had led to Hyam bringing down Mark Sykes inside the box.

Substitute Anis Mehmeti capitalised on yet more weak defending by Hyam to fire in the third in the 73rd minute and another replacement, Nahki Wells, drilled home a 78th-minute penalty after Blackburn substitute Kyle McFadzean had handled.

Wells completed the rout with a stoppage time tap-in from Harry Cornick’s cross and the thrashing left hapless Rovers just three points above the drop zone with four games to play.

City head coach Liam Manning made three changes, bringing in Ross McCrorie, Joe Williams and Conway for Matty James, Mehmeti and Wells.

They faced a Blackburn side featuring goal machine Sammie Szmodics, eager to show Ashton Gate fans his skills after a disappointing spell as a City player in 2019.

The hosts made a blistering start, Scott Twine twice going close in the opening six minutes. The midfielder shot wide from a short Haydon Roberts free-kick and then had an acrobatic volley blocked.

Blackburn flickered as an attacking force as City goalkeeper Max O’Leary dealt with two tame efforts from Dilan Markanday and one from Joe Rankin-Costello.

But the home side looked more threatening and Conway’s opening goal came as no surprise. They could have been out of sight at the break as Rovers continued to make sloppy defensive errors.

After the penalty, Conway was presented with a hat-trick chance by Harry Pickering’s short back-pass, but was denied by a sprawling Pears save.

Sykes had chipped wide when clear through the middle and Manning’s men looked altogether sharper than their mistake-prone opponents.

Blackburn head coach John Eustace reacted by making four half-time substitutions, sending on John Buckley, McFadzean, Andy Moran and Ben Chrisene for Markanday, Tyrhys Dolan, Scott Wharton and Rankin-Costello.

Still the next goal effort of note came from the home side after 69 minutes when Jason Knight shot wide at the end of a slick move.

A better chance fell to Szmodics two minutes later, but he could only shoot wide after good control on the edge of the box. Manning responded by sending on Mehmeti, Wells and Cornick for Twine, Sykes and Conway.

Within seconds Mehmeti had settled any doubt about the outcome and Wells’ two late goals put the icing on the cake of City’s biggest Championship win of the season.

Birmingham missed the chance to climb out of the Championship relegation zone as Josh Bowler’s 65th-minute goal snatched victory for Cardiff and left the Blues a point from safety.

Gary Rowett’s side had the opportunity to win successive home matches and jump above Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield in the table, but Bowler’s fourth goal of the season instead left them second bottom with just four games to play.

The home side had just one shot on target in the match as they struggled to create many clear-cut chances against their mid-table opponents.

Birmingham chairman Tom Wagner was in attendance after the news on Tuesday that the club plan to leave St Andrew’s for a new stadium by August 2029.

He witnessed an uneventful start to the game before Blues midfielder Juninho Bacuna’s effort deflected behind for a corner after 10 minutes.

That sparked the game into life as Koji Miyoshi’s low strike hit a post for the hosts before Cardiff’s Yakou Meite tested John Ruddy, with the goalkeeper gathering the shot at the second attempt.

Miyoshi’s reverse pass to Bacuna engineered another chance for Birmingham but the midfielder’s effort was comfortably claimed by Ethan Horvath.

Ruddy then had to make another save to deny Meite. Karlan Grant charged up the pitch and Meite took the ball off the winger on the edge of the box and struck a powerful effort on goal, which the goalkeeper pushed clear.

The hosts came close at the other end soon after when Jordan James curled a first-time strike narrowly wide of both the stretching arm of Horvath and the post.

Birmingham started the second half brightly but lacked a cutting edge in the final third.

A well-drilled Cardiff outfit was frustrating the hosts and the Bluebirds looked happy to play on the counter-attack.

That plan duly worked when Bowler fired past Ruddy at his near post from half-time substitute Rubin Colwill’s cross to give them the lead.

The pressure intensified on Blues to get a goal and Rowett made a triple substitution to try and change his sides fortunes, but Ruddy had to deny Grant to stop the visitors doubling their lead.

Grant then saw an effort deflect just over the crossbar.

Rowett threw on two more subs in the closing stages as his side chased a late leveller, but Cardiff held on for all three points.

Peterborough boosted their automatic promotion hopes with a 3-0 triumph that sent Port Vale plunging back into the relegation zone.

The hosts ended a frustrating first half on a high when Joel Randall’s 25-yard thunderbolt sailed past helpless keeper Connor Ripley – courtesy of a double deflection off Vale men Rhys Walters and Alex Iacovitti – to hand them the lead seconds before the break.

Randall, Ephron Mason-Clark, Ricky-Jade Jones and Kwame Poku had all squandered good chances before Ripley pulled off a fine save to deny Archie Collins, but the following corner – taken short by captain Harrison Burrows to Randall – led to Posh hitting the front.

Burrows followed up his EFL Trophy final heroics with another goal as Posh doubled their lead 11 minutes in the second half.

The captain struck for the 12th time this season when he sent Ripley the wrong way from the spot after Ryan Loft’s pull on Josh Knight.

And Burrows was again involved when Posh put the result beyond doubt in the 86th minute as his left-wing cross was headed into his own net by the unfortunate Iacovitti.

Vale fell back into the bottom four on goal difference as they failed to manage an attempt on target until second half stoppage time when substitute Uche Ikpeazu’s blast was spectacularly tipped over by Jed Steer.

Jarrad Branthwaite says there is no point “wasting energy” by dwelling on the situation following Everton’s latest Premier League points deduction.

The Toffees were hit by their second points deduction of the season, losing a further two points, for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

Everton, who were docked six points earlier this season for breaking PSR rules in the assessment period up to the 2021-22 season, have been handed another penalty for the three-year cycle to 2022-23 after admitting a breach of £16.6million.

The punishment drops them one place to 16th in the Premier League table, two points above the relegation zone with a game in hand on three of the four clubs below them.

An independent commission was unable to decide on whether there was a further breach relating to costs of £6.5m. That case will be heard at an unspecified date and the PA news agency understands any resulting penalty is likely to be applied next season.

“It’s obviously a bit of a downer on what’s been a positive couple of games,” Everton defender Branthwaite told Sky Sports News.

“But it’s the same as when we got the first points deduction, there’s not a lot we can do about it.

“We can only put in performances on the pitch and try to rectify that by winning games from now until the end of the season to keep us safe.

“If you sit and dwell on it there’s no point just wasting energy. We’ve got to focus on ourselves as a team and what we can do from now until the end of the season to win as many games as possible to keep us in the Premier League.”

Branthwaite’s team-mate Dwight McNeil added: “We had a meeting and we got told we’d had two points deducted but it happened not so long ago and the next four games after that we were excellent.

“I think it helps with the experience we’ve got in the group. A lot of us have been in this position before, so that always helps.

“We never wanted to be here but we are and now we’ve got to get ourselves out of it and we are confident we can do that.”

Everton are back in Premier League action on Monday when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Aberdeen have claimed VAR is having a negative impact on Scottish football after discovering officials effectively “guessed” that their stoppage-time winner at Livingston should be disallowed following a technical failure.

The Dons saw their hopes of a cinch Premiership top-six finish disappear when Bojan Miovski’s goal was disallowed for an offside against Angus MacDonald in the build-up.

Aberdeen argued their “relative public silence” on VAR issues was “no longer tenable” following talks with the Scottish Football Association on the decision and hearing transcripts from the match officials.

The talks revealed the video assistants were unable to calibrate the lines because of a camera failure, instead freezing the footage to determine by eye, as is allowed by the VAR protocols. Video assistant Matthew MacDermid decided MacDonald was offside.

The SFA later produced retrospective footage to prove the right decision had been made in the end.

An Aberdeen statement read: “The Scottish FA accepted there is no conceivable way the VAR could tell definitively the deepest position of Livingston midfielder Daniel McKay’s body, because from the only angle available – the 18-yard box camera on the Main Stand side – the lower half of McKay’s body is completely obscured from view, blocked by other players.

“Even if his full body was visible, it’s impossible to determine who was closest to the goal line with no on-pitch ‘markers’.

“Therefore, it was acknowledged by all in attendance at the meeting that the VARs had to effectively guess on what that position might have been based on the limited information available to them, and that was the basis on which to overrule the on-field call of the assistant referee, who did not raise his flag.

“It is our strong belief that in such an instance, and for the integrity of the game, the match officials should stick with their original on-field decision without the strength of evidence to overturn that and essentially re-referee the passage of play.

“This course of action was chosen ahead of asking the referee himself to look at the freeze frame and make a determination, which is permitted under the protocols when it’s a matter of opinion rather than factual, or more appropriately, in absence of a definitive outcome from the camera, sticking with the on-field decision, and giving the benefit of the doubt.”

The club added: “What this situation demonstrates, in our opinion, is that the version of VAR that Scottish football has, or more accurately, can afford, is not suitable for the purpose in which it is intended.

“It perfectly highlights the limitations in the technology, the inappropriate implementation, the consistency of decision-making, and the negative impact on the overall experience for the match-going supporter.

“This is, of course, not an issue that we believe is in any way exclusive to Aberdeen FC.

“We are not being partisan because we believe a decision, or at least a process, has not been at all effective at the weekend.

“We acknowledge there have been occasions where we ourselves have been fortunate to have benefitted from some of the observations and limitations raised.”

Aberdeen pledged to continue playing an active role in the ongoing review of VAR’s use in Scotland and try to improve the output.

They added that they did not believe VAR is “enhancing the game in this country”.

The SFA later stated that Hawkeye’s review confirmed that the relevant camera had suffered a “loss of calibration”.

A statement added: “During the review, Hawkeye were able to reprocess the data through their system and draw the calibrated offside lines from the disallowed goal, which showed Angus MacDonald to be in an offside position.

“The VAR made the decision using the technology that was available and this decision was validated by Hawkeye’s retrospective recalibration conducted as part of their review.”

Rangers have accused Dundee of “negligence and unprofessionalism” after their cinch Premiership match at Dens Park was postponed again.

The game has been rescheduled for next Wednesday night – April 17, with an 8pm kick-off – after referee Don Robertson deemed the waterlogged pitch unplayable following a second inspection of the day at 3.30pm.

It is the second time the game has been postponed – the first came last month, 90 minutes before the scheduled kick-off.

It is also the fifth time Dundee’s pitch has fallen foul of the weather this season and Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell claimed his side’s game on Saturday should not have gone ahead after the pitch passed a 1pm inspection.

Rangers have written to the Scottish Professional Football League, who may have to delay the publication of the post-split fixtures with Dundee, Motherwell and Hibernian all in the running for the final top-six place.

A statement read: “The negligence and unprofessionalism demonstrated by Dundee Football Club, where they have repeatedly breached SPFL rules, continues to have a damaging effect on the top professional league in the country.

“In a week where record TV viewing figures were recorded for a match in the same competition and this evening’s game due to be televised again by Sky Sports, this episode is deeply embarrassing and has also been eminently avoidable.

“Rangers expects the SPFL to take proportionate and decisive action in accordance with its rules and the club will continue to make representations to them in the strongest possible manner.

“The club has been repeatedly putting forward solutions to the SPFL, which have not been taken up. It has again proposed a solution to the preparation and execution of this rescheduled fixture and is awaiting a response from the SPFL.

“The club considers that this matter has been handled incorrectly throughout by both Dundee and the SPFL.

“At this time, we sympathise fully once again with our supporters, approximately 4,000 of whom were looking forward to attending tonight’s game.

“Having already been left hugely inconvenienced and out of pocket by the first postponement last month, it is entirely unacceptable and disrespectful on the part of Dundee FC to have allowed this situation to have developed again.”

Dundee claimed one section of the pitch was the problem.

Their statement read: “Thank you to all of our wonderful supporters, staff and contractors who have helped us with the pitch in the last week. Unfortunately one area of the pitch was deemed unplayable due to the heavy rain this afternoon.”

Dundee will secure a top-six place on Saturday if they beat Aberdeen at Pittodrie and even a draw could suffice if Motherwell get a result against Hibernian, but otherwise the fixtures will need to wait.

SPFL chief operating officer Calum Beattie declared that both clubs had been informed of the prospect of an April 17 game last month should the match be postponed a second time.

Beattie added: “In the last week we have explored other possible options with both clubs but none of them were deemed to be better than our original contingency plan.

“This decision gives this vital fixture the very best chance of being played in front of both sets of supporters and also gives us a week to finalise further contingency planning in the event that the weather unexpectedly deteriorates in the interim.

“There is currently an ongoing disciplinary process regarding pitch issues at Dens Park and the latest developments will form part of those enquiries.”

Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier had little doubt fellow former Tottenham man Harry Kane would mark his hotly-anticipated return to north London by once again scoring against Arsenal.

Spurs’ all-time record scorer converted a first-half penalty in Tuesday evening’s Champions League quarter-final first leg to claim a remarkable 15th career goal against the Premier League leaders.

The spot-kick, awarded for William Saliba’s trip on Leroy Sane, added to Serge Gnabry’s finish to put Bayern ahead following Bukayo Saka’s early opener before Leandro Trossard levelled the tie at 2-2.

Dier shared the role of pantomime villain with England captain Kane at Emirates Stadium and was unsurprised to see his long-time team-mate register a 39th goal of an outstanding individual campaign.

“The stats would suggest he would (score),” said Dier. “You expect him to get a goal pretty much anywhere to be honest.

“It was a great penalty and Leroy did unbelievably to get it.

“It’s going to be a great second leg. We’re looking forward to it. We’re gong to do everything to go through.”

Asked about receiving relentless jeers from a raucous home crowd, Dier replied: “We were both expecting it, so it’s nice. It’s part of football. It’s something to enjoy.”

Bayern have endured a disappointing Bundesliga season by their own high standards and are on the cusp of relinquishing the title for the first time in 12 seasons.

Unbeaten runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen could take the crown from Thomas Tuchel’s side before next week’s return match with the Gunners.

Continental glory is Bayern’s only chance of salvaging their campaign and Dier feels the six-time European champions’ pedigree could prove pivotal.

“Obviously the club has an incredible history in the Champions League and we have a lot of players in the team that have won the Champions League that have incredible experience in the competition,” said the 30-year-old.

“That gives you confidence and as a club.

“The demands are always to win every game and win Champions Leagues and titles. So this is the normal pressure of a club like this. The expectation is to always try to win.”

Federico Valverde admits Real Madrid will need to draw on all their Champions League-winning experience to see off Manchester City in the quarter-finals.

The two clubs, meeting in the knockout stages for the third successive season, played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg of their last-eight tie at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

The competition’s record 14-time winners now face a tough battle to see off the holders at the Etihad Stadium.

City have not lost in 30 Champions League outings at home in a sequence stretching back to September 2018 and thrashed Real 4-0 at the ground last year.

Valverde, who secured the draw with a fine late volley, said: “There’s always a first time.

“You always have to believe, to have conviction, us especially. We are the first to believe it can be done.

“We have to work hard, every player has to give everything in every ball and if we all pull in the same direction I think we can do it.

“It’s very even. We’re two of the best in the Champions League. They have that plus of playing at home, but we’re going to fight, as we always do.

“We have lots of players who have won five Champions Leagues. We have to make that count.”

Valverde was frustrated Real did not claim an advantage, having led 2-1 at half-time.

“The draw feels like last year, like a defeat,” the Uruguay international said. “It’s not a good result because we would have liked to win.”

A football fan has been given a conditional discharge and a three-year banning order after tragedy chanting at a match between Manchester United and Everton.

Mark Finnigan, 24, from Liverpool, was witnessed making a hand gesture which could be interpreted as related to the Munich air disaster, a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Eight Manchester United players were among the 23 people killed in the 1958 plane crash.

The spokesman said Finnigan, of Ilchester Road, pleaded guilty to the use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress at the Old Trafford Premier League match on March 9.

He appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and was sentenced to a conditional discharge of six months and given a three-year football banning order, police said.

Inspector Gregg Anderton, of GMP’s specialist operational planning unit, said: “Finnigan was witnessed by an officer to turn towards the home crowd and make a hand gesture which he later accepted could be interpreted as being related to the Munich air disaster.

“Finnigan was removed from the ground and arrested on suspicion of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm, or distress under the Public Order Act.

“We are reiterating the message that any kind of gesture or comments from any supporters to other clubs in relation to tragedy chanting will not be tolerated and is completely unacceptable.

“I would also like this to be a strong warning for any supporters attending future fixtures in Greater Manchester that if you engage in this behaviour, GMP officers will do everything possible to bring you in front of the courts.”

Last month, Manchester United and Liverpool joined forces to launch an initiative aimed at eradicating tragedy chanting.

Leandro Trossard believes a “top level” performance is required to topple Bayern Munich after salvaging Arsenal a 2-2 draw from a captivating Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Gunners substitute Trossard levelled with 14 minutes remaining on Tuesday evening to leave the tie perfectly poised ahead of next week’s return match at Allianz Arena.

Former Arsenal forward Serge Gnabry and ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane had turned the contest in Bayern’s favour following Bukayo Saka’s early opener.

“They have showed how they can hurt us so we need to work on that for next week,” Trossard told his club’s website.

“If we are at our top level, we can beat them. Hopefully we can finish it there.

“The confidence is really high. We’re playing so well the last weeks, months and it’s just nice that we had the equaliser.

“It was a perfect goal for us and it was a great feeling.

“It’s so important to go to Munich and have that result, so it’s all to play for.”

Ben White wasted a golden chance to double Arsenal’s lead after Saka’s 12th-minute strike sparked wild scenes at Emirates Stadium.

A defensive lapse allowed Gnabry to equalise before England captain Kane converted from the penalty spot when Leroy Sane’s mazy run was halted by the dangled leg of William Saliba.

The Premier League leaders were later given a let off when Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg opted not penalise a bizarre handball by Gunners defender Gabriel inside his own 18-yard box.

Trossard capitalised on the fortune by clinically finished his 13th goal of the season following fine work from fellow replacement Gabriel Jesus before Arsenal were denied a last-gasp penalty when Bukayo Saka went down under a challenge from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Mikel Arteta’s men were left with contrasting emotions at the end of a breathless affair.

“It’s a mixed feeling, I would say,” said the 29-year-old Belgium forward.

“We started so well the first half – the first 15, 20 minutes we could have been up by three goals – and then you can see their quality, especially up front they have individual quality.

“They are so strong on the counter attack and that’s where they hurt us. At the end, we’re happy with the equaliser and we have to do it there. It will be a tough game.”