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LIVE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL: PSG 0-1 BAYERN MUNICH
GOAL! PSG 0-1 BAYERN MUNICH
- Neymar’s 60th appearance in this competition ends in heartbreak, five years after he won the trophy with Barcelona.
- FULL TIME! Bayern Munich are the Champions of Europe for the sixth time. They did it in a style., winning 10 matches in a row! Coman’s well-placed header proved decisive against his former club, whose wait for a first success in this competition goes on.
- There are some sporting moments out there as Alaba comforts Neymar and Davies does likewise with Mbappé who stood alone, lost in his thoughts for a couple of minutes after that final whistle.
- Bayern’s sixth European Cup, level with 2019 winners Liverpool and behind only Real Madrid (13) and AC Milan (seven).This adds to Bayern’s triumphs in 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001 and 2013.
Only one game in this season’s Champions League has gone to extra time: Atlético’s 3-2 win at Liverpool in the round of 16. Paris need to find a goal from somewhere soon if they are to force a second
PSG 0-1 Bayern Munich
84min: And another free-kick as Thiago Silva is booked for also bringing down Lewandowski. Coutinho’s shot from the resulting free-kick just curls wide of the near post, but Keylor Navas had it covered
Both sides look to be tiring. They’ve both put so much into this and you sense Bayern are throwing the kitchen sink at getting a second to kill off any Paris hopes, as opposed to trying to hold on to what they’ve got
- Bayern are the top scorers this season with 43 goals now – a total of 18 goals more than any other team. They are two goals behind Barcelona’s record of 45 goals (Barcelona played 16 matches – the final is Bayern’s 11th game).
- Paris have scored at least one goal in each of their last 34 UEFA Champions League matches – the last time they failed to score in was April 2016 vs Man. City. They jointly hold the record with Real Madrid, so an equaliser in this match would see them hold the record outright.
This is not the first time Paris have trailed during this mini-tournament, of course. They were 1-0 down to Atalanta until the 90th minute, when two late efforts sparked a thrilling turnaround. They won’t let their heads drop here.
Paris had kept seven clean sheets in their previous ten UEFA Champions League matches this season but Coman has ensured the record will not be lengthened.
Paris Saint-Germain substitution
65min: PSG have not responded at all and now it’s time for their first change as Marco Verratti replaces Leandro Paredes.
59min: The Champions League final comes alive! PSG fail to properly clear from inside the box, and after Josh Kimmich clips a ball to the back post, Kingsley Coman heads across goal into the bottom corner.
Half-time verdict: Paris
Paris will head into their dressing room with every reason to feel positive about this game so far. Both teams have had excellent chances and enjoyed periods of dominance, with perhaps Bayern’s defence looking the more vulnerable of the two. It all bodes well for the second half!
Half-time verdict: Bayern
No goals to report, but what an exciting half that was! Bayern had more of the ball, but both have had chances to open the scoring only to be denied by goalkeepers on red alert. Bayern are used to scoring early, but have tonight met their match against the best defence in the competition. It’s all poised for a thrilling second half.
HALF TIME
PSG 0-0 BAYERN MUNICH
37 MIN: Marquinhos (Paris) concedes a free-kick for a foul on Lewandowski (Bayern).
Bayern Munich substitution
25min: Looks like Boateng wasn’t fit enough to start the final after all, for the fourth game in a row he departs to make way for Niklas Sule, having been a doubt for the final with a muscle injury.
Bayern looked on top for the opening ten minutes but the last ten have most certainly been Paris’s.
12min: The game is a bit flat at the moment.. much like some of the match balls. Bayern boss Hans-Dieter Flick squeezes a ball after it bounces towards him before informing the match official that it is indeed now a dud
PSG 0-0 Bayern Munich
9min: Kylian Mbappe is tripped on the left flank by Alcantara to give PSG a free-kick but Angel di Maria’s ball in is headed clear at the back post by Alphonso Davies.
************************************************************************PSG are gunning for their first ever UEFA Champions League title while Bayern Munich aim at winning again after their sixth victory. Who carries the day?
- PSG starting XI: Navas, Kehrer, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat, Ander Herrera, Marquinhos, Paredes, Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappe
- Bayern Munich starting XI: Neuer, Kimmich, Boateng, Alaba, Davies, Goretzka, Thiago, Gnabry, Muller, Coman, Lewandowski
African teams will battle for the remaining qualification spots for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup this weekend as the final round of qualifiers reaches its climax across the continent.
In Kampala, Ghana will attempt to protect a slender 2-1 first-leg advantage when they face Uganda’s U20 girls away from home.
Cameroon are also in a strong position ahead of their return-leg clash against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam after securing a 3-1 victory in the first meeting.
Meanwhile, Benin will fancy their chances of advancing when they host Côte d’Ivoire following a 1-1 draw in Abidjan.
Nigeria’s Falconets are equally close to qualification after earning a 2-0 first-leg victory over Malawi ahead of Saturday’s decisive encounter in Lilongwe.
The successful teams will join the global field for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next year.
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The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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By George Akpayen
The finish line is now in sight in this season’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), and much of the talk has centred on the title race and those at the other end of the table, which surprisingly include last season’s champions Remo Stars.
However, there is another race shaping up among the leading top scorers this season, and this could see as many as six or more players going head-to-head in the final six matchdays.
Top contenders in the race for the battle for the golden boot are Enugu Rangers’ striker, Godwin Obaje and Ikorodu City winger Joseph Arumala, who have scored 11 goals apiece.
On the tails of the top-two scoring individuals are Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars), El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Daddy Abdulrahman, Katsina United’s Uche Collins and Emeka Obioma of Abia Warriors, all on 10 goals each.
THE PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
Out of the top-six leading scorers, Obaje, Arumala and Mbaoma have more direct goal involvement. Obaje and Arumala have 11 goals and two assists each, while Mbaoma has 10 goals and assists from 23 appearances, which is the least number of matches featured in among the leading scorers. Mbaoma missed most of the early parts of the season due to bruised ribs.
El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Abdulrahman has made the most appearances among the top-six scorers and has a 12-goal direct involvement (10 goals + two assists).
Obioma is however, the only top-six scorer who is yet to register an assist this season after 26 appearances for Abia Warriors.
Interestingly, Collins is the only top-six scorer who has netted a hat-trick this season so far.
THE CHASING PACK
There is also the chasing pack in the race for the Golden Boot. One of them is Plateau United winger Temitope Vincent Adebayo, who has scored nine goals. Sodiq Ibrahim (3SC), Enyimba striker Chidera Michael, and Igbunu Evwierhurhoma of Warri Wolves.
The variety of players in the chasing pack also makes the race intriguing as they have been consistent goal scorers in recent matchweeks. They are definitely breathing down the necks of the frontrunners.
There are also the outsiders in the race. Jonathan Mairiga of Wikki Tourists, Chidozie Iwundu (Rangers) and Bendel Insurance duo of Kayode Oke, 3SC’s Qamar Adegoke and Alex Oweilayefa – all on eight goals. On seven goals is Kano Pillars legend Rabiu Ali.
WORTHY MENTION
However, Iwundu deserves a big mention among the top scorers as he is the top-scoring defender. He has made 29 appearances for Rangers and has been booked three times and sent off once.
Iwundu’s goalscoring form from his centre-back role has also been important for his club in their title aspirations this season, and his team will hope his form can continue into the final six matchdays.
No doubt, there will be twists and turns for individual glory in a race that is still wide open. Fixture difficulty, favourable run-in, struggling defences and hunger in front of goal are surely going to be among the factors that would decide who wins this race in an unpredictable league. At this point, nothing is guaranteed as all top marksmen are odds-on to claim the top individual prize.
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