UEFA Champions League
PSG rally from early deficit to beat Monaco 3-2 away in Champions League playoff
Champions League holders Paris St Germain overcame a horror start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away in the first leg of their knockout round playoff tie on Tuesday.
Desire Doue came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for the hosts.
The 20-year-old Doue replaced Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals plus set up one for Achraf Hakimi.
Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle that raked down the shin of Vitinha with the referee upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the touchline VAR screen.
PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16.
However, the European champions were in all sorts of trouble after 56 seconds when their fullback Nuno Mendes had a stray cross-field pass cut out in midfield, handing Monaco a first attack with Golovin chipping for Balogun to head home from close range.
Monaco looked to be in the driving seat as Balogun netted a second goal after Maghnes Akliouche’s cleverly weighted pass allowed the American striker to outsprint PSG captain Marquinhos and score.
PSG WASTE PENALTY OPPORTUNITY BUT STILL WIN
Their fortunes were still looking good despite a defensive slip by Wout Faes, which led to the defender pulling back on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and giving away a 22nd-minute penalty, but Vitinha’s effort was saved by Philipp Kohn.
But the tie swung as Doue came on for Dembele and scored with his first touch in the 29th minute with a left-footed effort after being teed up by Bradley Barcola. The goal was confirmed after a VAR check denied Monaco’s claims for a foul on defender Vanderson in the buildup.
Doue’s rifling shot in the 41st minute was parried away by Kohn, but Hakimi reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2 before the break.
Golovin’s dismissal in the 48th minute left Monaco on the back foot as the visitors then dominated proceedings and should have had more than just the 67th-minute winner from Doue – another superbly struck shot that flew into the goal from the edge of the penalty area.
“I didn’t feel I had to show something starting on the bench, I tried to play as usual. Tonight it paid off. I was able to score, to help the team. That’s my job,” Doue said.
“The coach makes his choices, he thinks about putting the best players in the team. Tonight he fielded this starting eleven, which is very good. Whether it’s a defeat or a victory, it’s always a team effort.”
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery missed a couple of good chances and Hakimi came close to a late fourth goal when his 86th-minute angled effort went close across the face of the goal.
“Disappointment is the overriding feeling,” said Monaco captain Denis Zakaria. “We went into this match with the aim of winning, but we didn’t manage to do it today. We still have our chances. We’re going to Paris and trying to win there.”
-Reuters
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Vinicius Jr scored a sublime second-half winner as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in their Champions League playoff first leg on Tuesday, a night overshadowed by the Brazilian accusing Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racist slur at him.
The alleged incident occurred moments after Vinicius had curled Real ahead five minutes into the second half at the Estadio da Luz, before referee Francois Letexier halted the match for 11 minutes under FIFA’s anti-racism protocol.
Television pictures showed the Argentine winger covering his mouth with his shirt before making a comment that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly suffered racism in Spain during matches.
The atmosphere turned hostile after the match resumed, with Benfica manager Jose Mourinho sent off in the 85th minute after two bookings as Real secured a slender advantage to take back to Madrid for the return leg.
“It is unbelievable that, with dozens of cameras in the stadium that none could have caught (Prestianni’s) racial slur, but if you cover your mouth to say something, that says a lot,” Real captain Federico Valverde told Movistar Plus.
“According to my teammates who were close, they heard something very ugly. Many people have been fighting against racism in football, Vinicius is one of them. I’m proud of him and his great game.”
Prestianni denied the accusation and said the Brazilian misheard him.
“I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players,” he wrote on his Instagram account.
Benfica began on the front foot but the visitors gradually assumed control while the hosts appeared content to counter-attack, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois producing a stunning one-handed save to keep out a 25th-minute strike from Fredrik Aursnes.
Real finished the first half strongly and only goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s brilliance kept the score goalless at the break, as he produced stunning saves to deny Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler.
UNSTOPPABLE CURLING SHOT
The breakthrough came five minutes after the restart. Mbappe burst forward and fed Vinicius on the left. The Brazilian cut diagonally towards the box, shifted inside and unleashed an unstoppable curling shot into the far top corner.
Vinicius celebrated by dancing with the corner flag and was booked by Letexier for an excessive celebration.
As the forward argued with the referee, he became involved in a heated exchange with Prestianni, with Vinicius and several teammates suddenly running towards the referee.
Letexier crossed his arms in front of his face to activate FIFA’s protocol and stopped the match. Real’s players threatened to leave the pitch as tensions flared before play eventually resumed 11 minutes later.
The crowd became frustrated, with Vinicius loudly booed whenever he touched the ball and the broadcast camera appeared to show an outraged Mbappe calling Prestianni “a bloody racist” to his face several times after the game resumed.
Tempers flared again in the 85th minute when Vinicius fouled Richard Rios. Mourinho stormed towards the fourth official demanding a second booking for the Brazilian but was himself cautioned for his protests.
An incensed Mourinho continued remonstrating and was promptly shown a second yellow card.
Mourinho told Movistar Plus he had spoken to both Vinicius and Prestianni and could not be biased against either player.
But he criticised Vinicius for his goal celebration.
“I don’t want to say that I’m 100% in favour of Prestianni; but I can’t be impartial and say that what Vinicius has told me is the truth. I can’t, I don’t know,” the former Real Madrid manager said.
“Vinicius … scored a goal that only he or Mbappe could score. Afterwards, he should have just celebrated with his teammates instead of getting in the face of 60,000 people in this stadium.
-Reuters
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Vinicius Jr scored a sublime second-half winner as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in their Champions League playoff first leg on Tuesday, a night overshadowed by the Brazilian accusing Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racist slur at him.
The alleged incident occurred moments after Vinicius had curled Real ahead five minutes into the second half at the Estadio da Luz, before referee Francois Letexier halted the match for 11 minutes under FIFA’s anti-racism protocol.
Television pictures showed the Argentine winger covering his mouth with his shirt before making a comment that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly suffered racism in Spain during matches.
The atmosphere turned hostile after the match resumed, with Benfica manager Jose Mourinho sent off in the 85th minute after two bookings as Real secured a slender advantage to take back to Madrid for the return leg.
“It is unbelievable that, with dozens of cameras in the stadium that none could have caught (Prestianni’s) racial slur, but if you cover your mouth to say something, that says a lot,” Real captain Federico Valverde told Movistar Plus.
“According to my teammates who were close, they heard something very ugly. Many people have been fighting against racism in football, Vinicius is one of them. I’m proud of him and his great game.”
Prestianni denied the accusation and said the Brazilian misheard him.
“I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players,” he wrote on his Instagram account.
Benfica began on the front foot but the visitors gradually assumed control while the hosts appeared content to counter-attack, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois producing a stunning one-handed save to keep out a 25th-minute strike from Fredrik Aursnes.
Real finished the first half strongly and only goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s brilliance kept the score goalless at the break, as he produced stunning saves to deny Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler.
UNSTOPPABLE CURLING SHOT
The breakthrough came five minutes after the restart. Mbappe burst forward and fed Vinicius on the left. The Brazilian cut diagonally towards the box, shifted inside and unleashed an unstoppable curling shot into the far top corner.
Vinicius celebrated by dancing with the corner flag and was booked by Letexier for an excessive celebration.
As the forward argued with the referee, he became involved in a heated exchange with Prestianni, with Vinicius and several teammates suddenly running towards the referee.
Letexier crossed his arms in front of his face to activate FIFA’s protocol and stopped the match. Real’s players threatened to leave the pitch as tensions flared before play eventually resumed 11 minutes later.
The crowd became frustrated, with Vinicius loudly booed whenever he touched the ball and the broadcast camera appeared to show an outraged Mbappe calling Prestianni “a bloody racist” to his face several times after the game resumed.
Tempers flared again in the 85th minute when Vinicius fouled Richard Rios. Mourinho stormed towards the fourth official demanding a second booking for the Brazilian but was himself cautioned for his protests.
An incensed Mourinho continued remonstrating and was promptly shown a second yellow card.
Mourinho told Movistar Plus he had spoken to both Vinicius and Prestianni and could not be biased against either player.
But he criticised Vinicius for his goal celebration.
“I don’t want to say that I’m 100% in favour of Prestianni; but I can’t be impartial and say that what Vinicius has told me is the truth. I can’t, I don’t know,” the former Real Madrid manager said.
“Vinicius … scored a goal that only he or Mbappe could score. Afterwards, he should have just celebrated with his teammates instead of getting in the face of 60,000 people in this stadium.”
-Reuters
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Galatasaray delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday to dismantle 10-man Juventus 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff, with Noa Lang and Gabriel Sara starring in a scintillating display.
The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute when Brazilian Sara struck a thunderous long-range shot that left goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio with no chance.
However, Juventus equalised almost instantly when Teun Koopmeiners reacted quickly after Pierre Kalulu’s header was saved by Ugurcan Cakir, converting the rebound in the 16th minute.
The Italians edged ahead in the 32nd minute as Koopmeiners doubled his tally with a driven shot from outside the box after Weston McKennie found him.
In a growingly tense encounter, Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti received a yellow card for dissent shortly before halftime, adding to the visitors’ frustration.
Galatasaray equalised just after the break when Lang slotted home a rebound from Baris Alper Yilmaz’s effort. The Turkish side then regained the lead on the hour mark as Davinson Sanchez turned in a precise Sara set-piece.
Juventus’ troubles mounted in the 67th minute when substitute Juan Cabal was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge, leaving his side to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
Galatasaray capitalised on the numerical advantage and increased their lead in the 75th minute. Victor Osimhen produced a sublime assist, threading the ball to Lang. The Dutch winger expertly fired a right-footed shot from the centre of the box, leaving Di Gregorio rooted to the spot.
The home side added a fifth in the 86th minute. Osimhen created another chance, setting up substitute Sacha Boey, who smashed a fierce shot to seal a resounding victory for the Turkish side.
Galatasaray’s win gives them a commanding advantage heading into the second leg in Turin on February 25.
-Reuters
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Vinicius earns Real 1-0 win at Benfica in match marred by racism row
PSG rally from early deficit to beat Monaco 3-2 away in Champions League playoff
Vinicius earns Real 1-0 win at Benfica in match marred by racism row
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