Brown to exit Glasgow
0 1 Frenchman gets acrobatic to give Tuchel’s men edge
KELLY BROWN will stand down from his role as forwards coach at Glasgow Warriors after Sunday’s match against Leinster for family reasons, just eight months after his appointment was announced.
“Relocating during the pandemic has been a real challenge,” explained the former Scotland back-row, who returned to Scotstoun last summer after 10 years as a player and academy coach with Saracens. “We moved north in the summer and since arriving my family have struggled to settle in Glasgow. An opportunity has come up down south and for the wellbeing of my family we have taken the decision to return.
“My family’s happiness is my number one priority and we have taken the difficult decision to return to London to be closer to where my children grew up and where their friends are.
“Glasgow Warriors will always have a special place in my heart, and I’d like to thank Glasgow and Scottish Rugby for the opportunity and understanding they have shown towards my family and me,” added Brown, who spent three seasons as a player at Scotstoun between 2007 and 2010.
GEORGE SESSIONS
OLIVIER GIROUD produced another Champions League special to hand Chelsea the advantage in their last-16 tie with Atletico Madrid after a 1-0 first-leg win in Bucharest.
The Blues forward grabbed his sixth goal in the competition this season with an overhead kick in the 68th minute but it was only awarded after a lengthy VAR review.
It was thoroughly deserved for Thomas Tuchel’s side, who dominated for large parts and extended their unbeaten run under the German to eight games since his arrival on January 26.
A negative was bookings for Mason Mount and Jorginho, which rules them out of the second leg, but Atletico boss Diego Simeone knows his team will need to score at least twice next month to go through in normal time.
Callum Hudson-Odoi was a surprise name in the Blues starting line-up for this tie hosted in Romania due to coronavirus travel restrictions enforced by the Spanish government.
The England international had lasted only 31 minutes following his half-time introduction at Southampton on Saturday, but manager Tuchel played the youngster at right wing-back.
Chelsea’s night started on a poor note when inside 60 seconds Mount was booked for a foul on Joao Felix, meaning he will be suspended for the second leg at Stamford Bridge next month.
Edouard Mendy almost contrived to pile more misery on the visitors after a heavy touch in the penalty area but Saul was unable to make the most of the goalkeeper’s mistake.
After early pressure from Atletico, including a dangerous Luis Suarez centre across the face of goal, the Premier League side started to dominate possession and a long-range effort from Marcos Alonso represented the first shot on target from either side.
It was routine for Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who had gone seven matches without a clean sheet and was forced into more strenuous action six minutes before the break as Timo Werner’s strike from a tight angle was well saved.
Goalless at the interval, Simeone would have been the happier of the two managers with numerous absentees including England fullback Kieran Trippier due to suspension.
Not long after Suarez saw an effort deflected wide by Andreas Christensen, Joao Felix fired an overhead kick off target following Cesar Azpilicueta’s poor headed clearance in a sign Atleti were set to be more adventurous in this half.
Jorginho became the second Chelsea player to be ruled out of the second leg in the 64th minute when he brought down Joao Felix, but four minutes later the away side were able to break the deadlock in style.
Alonso got forward well and his cross was deflected into the path of Giroud, who produced a superb overhead kick from 12 yards which beat Oblak and found the bottom corner. It was immediately ruled out for offside, but after a lengthy VAR review it was adjudged Atletico centre-back Mario Hermoso had got the decisive final touch.
Giroud’s 11th goal of the season and sixth in this competition gave Chelsea a away goal in the tie and Tuchel reacted instantly with the introduction of N’Golo Kante and Hakim Ziyech with 16 minutes left.
Reece James followed them on to the pitch soon after, with Hudson-Odoi taken off after 80 minutes on this occasion.
While Atletico pushed for an equaliser, Simeone made the surprise decision to take off Joao Felix and they suffered a second consecutive defeat.
It gives Chelsea the upper hand ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge on March 17, where the Blues will aim to make the quarter-finals for the first time in seven years.
Elsewhere, Jamal Musiala became the youngest English scorer in the Champions League as holders Bayern Munich thrashed Lazio in Rome.
The 17-year-old finished smartly from outside the box to also become Bayern’s youngest scorer in the competition.Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with his 72nd goal to overtake Raul as the tournament’s thirdhighest scorer. Leroy Sane added a third and then forced an own goal, before Lazio responded through Joaquin Correa.