UEFA Champions League
Man City beat Leipzig in Champions League nine-goal thriller
Jack Grealish scored a superb first Champions League goal as Manchester City survived Christopher Nkunku’s hat-trick to beat RB Leipzig 6-3 in a pulsating Group A opener on Wednesday (Sept 15).
Grealish admits the lure of playing on the Champions League stage convinced him to leave his boyhood club Aston Villa to join City in a club record £100 million (S$180 million) move in the close-season.
The England winger made the most of his first taste of the tournament’s bright lights with a brilliant solo effort in the second half at the Etihad Stadium.
Grealish also set up City’s first goal for Nathan Ake with a pin-point corner.
While City were snubbed by Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portugal superstar opted to join Manchester United, Pep Guardiola believes the younger Grealish is more than ample compensation and this influential display underlined why.
Nordi Mukiele’s own goal had doubled City’s lead before Nkunku got one back on a memorable personal evening for the French winger.
Riyad Mahrez’s penalty made it 3-1 and Nkunku netted again before Grealish’s moment of magic.
Nkunku’s third was followed by Joao Cancelo’s rocket and a red card for Leipzig’s former City defender Angelino.
Gabriel Jesus rounded off the goal-spree as City celebrated Guardiola’s 300th game in charge in fitting style.
There was more good news for Guardiola as Kevin De Bruyne impressed in his first game back from the ankle injury which had sidelined him since Aug 15.
Guardiola led City to their first Champions League final last season, but the Premier League champions were denied a maiden European Cup crown in a limp 1-0 loss against Chelsea.
Guardiola insists that defeat will serve as the “motor” driving City’s challenge this term and they wasted little time seizing pole position in Group A.
Grealish shines
City were ahead in the 16th minute as Grealish’s corner found Ake and he rose highest for a powerful header that Peter Gulacsi tipped onto the crossbar, only to see it bounce down over the goal-line.
It was Ake’s first City goal since September 2020 and his first ever in the Champions League.
City doubled their lead thanks to Mukiele’s comical blunder in the 28th minute.
De Bruyne tenaciously eluded three Leipzig players and curled a sublime cross towards Grealish that the panicked Mukiele diverted into his own net as he tried to head back to Gulacsi.
Nkunku punished sloppy defending to give the visitors hope in the 42nd minute.
When Emil Forsberg’s cross reached Mukiele at the far post, Ake was guilty of ball-watching as the Leipzig defender nodded towards Nkunku, who dispatched his header past Ederson.
Suitably chastened, City hit back in first half stoppage-time when Lukas Klostermann blocked Ferran Torres’ header with his out-stretched arm and Mahrez smashed the spot-kick into the top corner.
Their defensive flaws remained alarming and Leipzig reduced the deficit again in the 51st minute.
Dani Olmo’s floated cross found Nkunku left unmarked by Ake and he thumped a fierce header past Ederson.
Grealish appeared to have settled City’s nerves in the 56th minute.
Cutting in from the left, Grealish left Tyler Adams trailing in his wake as he curled a brilliant finish into the far corner.
Nkunku completed his hat-trick with a predatory close-range strike from a tight angle in the 73rd minute.
But Cancelo quashed any hopes of a Leipzig fightback two minutes later when he grabbed City’s fifth with a thunderous drive from 25 yards Angelino was dismissed in the 79th minute for a crude foul on Cancelo and Jesus tapped in six minutes later to put the seal on a memorable evening.
-AFP
Paris St Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery became the youngest player to win two Champions League finals after featuring in Saturday’s dramatic victory over Arsenal.
The France international, who came off the bench for extra time in PSG’s 4-3 penalty shootout triumph after a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Puskas Arena, lifted the trophy for the second straight season at the age of 20 years and two months.
Zaire-Emery had already featured briefly in last year’s crushing 5-0 victory over Inter Milan and now surpasses former Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Johan Neeskens, who was 20 years and eight months old when he won his second European Cup final in the 1970s.
-Reuters
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Paris St Germain held their nerve in a cagey Champions League final to retain the title by beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties as Saturday’s nail-biting showdown ended 1-1 after extra time, cementing the French side’s status among Europe’s modern greats.
Arsenal defender Gabriel blasted his spot kick over Matvey Safonov’s crossbar at the Puskas Arena, his miss confirming PSG as the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid completed their three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.
Long dismissed as glamorous underachievers despite vast resources, the Ligue 1 champions have now forged a dynasty under Luis Enrique, marrying attacking brilliance with resilience to establish themselves as the dominant force in European football.
“It’s stronger than last year because we knew before the match just how difficult it would be to play against Arsenal,” said Luis Enrique, whose side had thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 to claim Europe’s elite trophy for the first time.
“As a club and a city, it’s incredible to win, and I think we deserved it over the course of the season. The final was a real battle,” added the Spanish coach.
The outcome left Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice devastated but proud as his side finished their European campaign without losing a match aside from the shootout defeat in the final.
“It’s gutting. It’s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties,” he said. “But we try to take a lot of perspective from how far we’ve come as a group.
“An incredible season. Given it absolutely everything up until this point. We took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery.”
EUROPE’S BIGGEST STAGE
Eleven days after celebrating their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal looked set for a maiden triumph on Europe’s biggest stage after Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener and a first hour spent smothering PSG’s vaunted attack.
However, the final became chaotic once PSG’s Ousmane Dembele equalised with a penalty in the 65th minute, the pace turning frantic before exhaustion took the match to a shootout.
Under Luis Enrique, PSG have won the six shootouts they have contested. The 56-year-old has now won 12 of the 13 one-off club finals he has overseen as a coach.
After brushing aside Premier League opposition on their way to the final by eliminating Chelsea and Liverpool, PSG were facing a much sterner test against an Arsenal team playing their second Champions League final after losing to Barcelona in 2006.
Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead when Marquinhos’ clearance bounced off Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard into the path of Havertz, who raced into the box and fired into the roof of the net.
He is the fourth player to score in two different European Cup or Champions League finals with two different clubs.
It was the nightmare scenario for PSG – trailing so early against the best defence in the competition.
Arsenal lived up to their reputation as the best team without the ball and looked perfectly content with the script, doubling up on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and suffocating the usual danger brought by the Georgian magician on the left flank.
PSG’s Fabian Ruiz was unable to impose his usual rhythm in midfield and, despite monopolising possession for long spells, Luis Enrique’s side struggled to carve out clear-cut chances.
By halftime, PSG had attacked 32 times, Arsenal three times.
Arsenal, however, were flirting with the boundaries with their challenges, and Cristhian Mosquera brought down Kvaratskhelia in the area, with Dembele converting the penalty to equalise with his eighth goal in the competition.
MOMENTUM SHIFTS
The momentum had shifted.
Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres replaced Mosquera, and Martin Odegaard and Arsenal had a more attacking mindset but were exposed to PSG’s counterattacks, and at the end of one of them, Kvaratskhelia sped into the box, only for his left-footed effort to crash onto the outside of David Raya’s post.
After controlling the tempo in the first half, Arsenal played into PSG’s hands as the pace increased significantly, giving too much space to Kvaratskhelia or Bradley Barcola, who replaced the Georgian winger with seven minutes left.
In the 89th minute, PSG came close to giving the final an abrupt end as Vitinha’s shot grazed the top of the net. Barcola also shot over the bar after a counterattack with what would have been the last kick of the game.
With both teams having run out of steam, extra time was a cautious affair, and when referee Daniel Siebert blew his whistle, Arsenal had only managed one shot on target.
Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze missed his penalty before Raya saved Nuno Mendes’ attempt. Gabriel had to score to keep the Gunners’ hopes alive, but, facing PSG’s end, he fired over.
The French side were left to celebrate being European champions once again, with extra-time substitute Lucas Beraldo’s goal in the shootout proving to be the winner.
-Reuters
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Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique hailed his side’s resilience and consistency after the French champions retained the UEFA Champions League title with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Arsenal following a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s final.
The Spaniard said PSG’s performances throughout the season justified their status as European champions despite being pushed to the limit by an impressive Arsenal side.
“Maybe today both teams deserved to win, but the way we played the whole season, I think we deserve to win the Champions League,” Enrique said after the match. “We are very happy and trying to be there next year – why not?”
PSG found themselves behind early after Arsenal struck first, forcing the holders to chase the game for much of the contest.
“The match started in the best way for them,” Enrique noted. “After that, they know how to defend. It was very tough. They are strong physically and very tough.”
The victory secured a second consecutive Champions League crown for PSG, a feat that delighted the coach.
“We are still champions, two in a row, it’s amazing,” he said. “Congratulations to Arsenal. It was very tough. They played great.”
Despite adding another major title to his growing collection, Enrique brushed aside suggestions that he was cementing a legendary status.
“Legend? I’m not interested in that,” he said.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi described the achievement as even more special than the club’s maiden Champions League triumph.
“The first one was special, but winning back-to-back titles is very special for us,” he said. “We want to win again. We don’t want to stop there.”
Midfielder Joao Neves echoed those sentiments, calling his move to Paris “the best decision” of his career.
“We’ve made history at PSG, we’re all delighted,” the Portuguese international said.
Young star Desire Doue also celebrated the historic achievement, insisting the team remains hungry for further success.
“We wanted more than anything to win a second title and make history once again,” he said. “We have to stay humble. We’re going to enjoy first, and after we’re going to work again because we want more.”
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