Sports

Mbappe silence as Barca edge PSG in UCL quarter-final

Published

1 year ago

Andreas Christensen headed the winner as Barcelona beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 at the Parc des Princes in Wednesday’s first leg

Barcelona came from behind to claim a dramatic 3-2 first-leg win at Paris Saint-Germain in another thrilling night of Champions League quarter-final action.

After a bright PSG start, Barcelona took control of the tie and Raphinha scored his first Champions League goal when Gianluigi Donnarumma spilled Lamine Yamal’s cross.

PSG were booed off the pitch as the half-time whistle blew at the Parc des Princes but Luis Enrique switched his team’s shape and it led to a stunning turnaround immediately after the restart.

Ousmane Dembele struck a thunderous finish to equalise against his former club and with the momentum now with the hosts, Vitinha cut through Barcelona just two minutes later to give PSG the lead.

But there would be another dramatic comeback, as Raphinha connected with an exquisite volley to drag Barcelona level. Andreas Christensen then came off the bench to head the winner from a corner, giving Barcelona a narrow advantage ahead of the return leg next week.

Here’s what we learned from another thrilling night of Champions League action

Another thrilling night in the Champions League, but where was Kylian Mbappe? After the drama at the Emirates and Bernabeu last night, the Parc des Princes staged another stunning quarter-final first leg as Barcelona came from behind to beat PSG and take a lead back to Spain.

There were brilliant attacking performances all over the pitch, particularly from Barcelona forward Raphinha – as the former Leeds attacker scored his first Champions League goals, including an exquisite volley from Pedri’s chipped through ball. At the other end, Ousmane Dembele took charge to lead the fightback after half-time, scoring a rocket of an equaliser against his former club.

Mbappe, though, was largely anonymous, barely having a touch let alone an electric dribble or chance apart from a late, late shot that deflected wide. A burst of pace rescued the ball from the byline, just before Dembele lashed into the roof of the net, but that was it and Jules Kounde, Mbappe’s international teammate, did an outstanding job in marking him.

Mbappe is expected to leave PSG at the end of the season, and if this was his last Champions League appearance in Paris, it was a flat way to go out.

Another hugely disappointing night for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, with defensive frailty at the heart of the problem once again in a big knockout tie.

At the centre of it was goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who never looked comfortable dealing with crosses as Barcelona targeted the Italy international with a series of inswinging deliveries early on. Donnarumma did not cover himself in glory when he spilled Yamal’s cross, leading to Raphinha’s opener, and he then failed to command his box late on as Christensen headed Barcelona into the lead. It had been coming.

There were problems in front of Donnarumma, too, caused by a terrific all-round centre-forward display from Robert Lewandowski. The 35-year-old was excellent with his back to goal, winning his duels with Marquinhos and Lucas Beraldo, turning brilliantly to take three PSG players out of the game in the move that led to Raphinha’s opener.

As for PSG, where was the defensive resilience and solidity? It has cost the Parisians in the Champions League once again.

This was a night for the impact substitute. Both Xavi and Luis Enrique were able to change the rhythm and momentum of the game with their substitutions, leading to an absorbing contest between the managers on the touchline, as well as the players on the pitch.

Barcelona manager Xavi more than held his own against his former Barca boss Enrique, and his choice of starting line-up allowed the visitors to take control of their quarter-final. Xavi also switched up his tactics, going direct to Robert Lewandowski, who PSG could not deal with in the opening stages.

But Enrique took action at half-time, seizing control back from Barcelona as he took off the ineffective false nine Marco Asensio and brought on Bradley Barcola. The move freed up Dembele to lash in his stunning equaliser, before Vitinha gave PSG the lead just two minutes later.

Xavi then replied with his own adjustment, taking off Lamine Yamal and bringing on Pedri to help steady Barcelona in midfield. The change produced an instant impact – as the former Kopa Trophy winner set up Raphinha’s equaliser with a wonderful chip over the PSG defence.

Then came yet another twist. Barcelona had been causing PSG problems all night with their inswinging corners, so the introduction of a tall centre-back in Andreas Christensen was Xavi’s next move, and the defender soon headed Barcelona back into the lead.

What a night this was for Barcelona’s legendary academy, La Masia, as history was made at the Parc des Princes. Lamine Yamal, at 16, became the youngest player to start a Champions League quarter-final. Pau Cubarsi, at 17, became the second youngest, as he lined up at the heart of the defence.

Yamal has been a breakout star this season, already playing a starring role for the Spanish national team, so it was Cubarsi who arguably made the biggest impression with a remarkably assured and confident display at centre-back. Cubarsi was composed on the ball and rarely put a foot wrong. Barcelona have another gem on their hands.

Pedri also deserves a mention. The 21-year-old has had a terrible time with injuries since he broke through to the first team as a teenager two years ago, so his assist for Raphinha’s equaliser was a wonderful reminder of his own talent.

Sports

BREAKING: Osimhen wants more money as Al Hilal bid rejected

Published

1 week ago

David Moore, News Editor

BREAKING: Osimhen wants more money as Al Hilal bid rejected

The Victor Osimhen transfer saga has taken a fresh twist, with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal reportedly tabling an offer for the Napoli striker.

Manchester United are among the clubs rumoured to be interested in the 26-year-old, who is widely expected to leave the Serie A outfit on a permanent basis this summer.

Osimhen spent the 2024/25 season on loan in Turkey with Galatasaray, where he scored 26 goals and registered five assists across 30 Super Lig appearances, helping them clinch the league title with two games to spare.

He has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, and this summer is no different, with Old Trafford touted as a potential destination for the Nigeria international. However, it now appears that Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal are moving to steal a march on European clubs.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Sky Sports Deutschland and Turkish transfer expert Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, Osimhen would rather accept a slightly lower salary and stay at Galatasaray if it means playing in the Champions League next season.

This is a problem because while they might be able to offer €21m in wages, the transfer fee is still well below that €75m mark.

Both had been hoping that Premier League clubs would step in, but just like last summer, they have been curiously shy about coming forward with big offers.

It has previously been reported that Osimhen’s release clause stands at around €75 million, but Napoli’s eagerness to part ways with the striker could weaken their negotiating position, especially after they allowed him to leave on loan last season when no clubs were willing to meet the asking price.

Romano adds that Al Hilal are also in contact with the player’s camp over personal terms, though it remains unclear whether they can reach an agreement with Osimhen or Napoli. The Saudi side will be participating in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, giving them extra incentive to wrap up the deal quickly.

As for United, Matheus Cunha has already arrived from Wolves, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has emerged as another key target. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Rasmus Hojlund, another striker addition could be on the cards, hence the reported interest in Osimhen and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Sports

PHOTOS: Lookman visits Tinubu in Lagos with CAF footballer of the year award

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

PHOTOS: Lookman visits Tinubu in Lagos with CAF footballer of the year award

Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, was hosted by President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos on Friday.

The 27-year-old footballer visited the president with his 2024 CAF footballer of the year award.

Last December, Lookman was named the continent’s best player — following the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the prize in 2023.

The winger won the award after an impressive 2023/24 season for both club and country. He scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions that season for Atalanta. He also scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.

His latest visit to Nigeria comes after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, where he helped Atalanta finish third in the Serie A. He scored 20 goals across all competitions for the club.

Sports

Gateway Games: ‘We were paid N50,000’ – Ogun athletes lament unfulfilled promise by Gov Abiodun

Published

2 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

Gateway Games: 'We were paid N50,000' - Ogun athletes lament unfulfilled promise by Gov Abiodun

Events scheduled for Wednesday at the 22nd National Sports Festival gradually commenced, nearly four hours behind schedule, following the reopening of the games village at Babcock University by protesting Ogun State athletes, as reported by PUNCH Online.

The athletes had earlier blocked the gates of the games village, leaving several participants stranded in protest over unpaid allowances. They began their demonstration as early as 5:30 am and reopened the gates at 12:43 pm.

According to PUNCH Online, the athletes received payments of N40,000, as promised by Governor Dapo Abiodun, along with an additional N140,000 as their festival allowance.

However, the athletes insisted that the agreed allowance was N210,000, calculated at N15,000 per day over a 14-day period.

“We were paid N50,000 this morning, which was the governor’s promise, but to our surprise, they started paying N140,000 as the festival allowance instead of the agreed N210,000,” one of the athletes lamented.

Meanwhile, prior to the start of the sports festival, Governor Abiodun pledged cash rewards of N2.5 million for every gold medallist from the state, N1.5 million for silver, and N1 million for bronze medallists.

Ogun State currently holds third place on the medals table with 48 gold, 38 silver, and 47 bronze medals.

Sports

Highest Paid Player: Vctor Osimhen to replace Ronaldo at Al Nassr; Salary details emerge

Published

3 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

Highest paid player: Osimhen to replace Ronaldo at Al Nassr

Recent developments have emerged regarding the transfer speculations surrounding Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.

The Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr has entered the competition to acquire the Napoli striker, potentially targeting him as a successor to Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

ThePapers.ng reports that Osimhen is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world with a proposed €45m yearly salary from Al Hilal.

Fresh prophecy reveals what will happen to Wike after Tinubu’s tenure

But a fresh update has emerged as Ronaldo already stated he is leaving Al Nassr.

“This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all,” he posted late Monday night.

This statement comes as Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr approaches its end this summer.

The timing of his message has fueled rumors about a potential departure from the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 25th goal of the season, bringing his tally to 99 goals for Al Nassr, but his efforts were insufficient to secure victory.

A source from Italy Told Thepapers.ng that Napoli could receive a huge transfer offer to fend off Ah Hilal’s initial bid as Al Nassr has seen Osimhen as the right replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

“Napoli wants money, and I can tell you now that representatives of Al Nassr are already in talks with Napoli to buy Osimhen with more money in offers. They are ready to pay more transfer fee and offer Victory a close salary range of Ronaldo,” the source said.

After an impressive tenure in Turkey, where he scored a record-breaking 36 goals, Osimhen is set to transition to a new club for the upcoming season. It has been made clear that he will not extend his loan at Galatasaray and will be departing from Napoli permanently this summer.

Last summer, Osimhen came close to transferring to another Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahli. However, negotiations fell through at the last moment when Napoli raised their asking price, creating an obstacle that prevented the deal from materializing.

Fresh prophecy reveals what will happen to Wike after Tinubu’s tenure

Sports

€45m yearly salary: ‘Victor going to Saudi’ – Osimhen to become highest paid in the world?

Published

3 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

€45m yearly salary: ‘Victor going to Saudi’ – Osimhen to become top earner after Ronaldo

ThePapers.ng can authoritatively report that Napoli’s star striker, Victor Osimhen, is on the brink of a significant career move that could position him as the second-highest-paid footballer in the world.

This potential transition is fueled by a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, which plans to significantly exceed the salary proposal currently being offered by Galatasaray, where Osimhen has been on loan this past season.

According to insider information from within Osimhen’s camp, the striker feels assured and secure in his value as a player, especially given the significant offers being presented to him. He recognizes that he has nothing more to prove on the pitch, making this forthcoming move an exciting opportunity in his career.

“Victor is going to Saudi Arabia, he has nothing to prove again, European football can wait, but I can tell you that in a few days, the deal will be done,” one of his confidants told Thepapers.ng.

Sports

FULL LIST: 8 English clubs with most European silverware

Published

3 weeks ago

David Moore, News Editor

FULL LIST: 8 English clubs with most European silverware

Tottenham have double the number of European trophies as Arsenal after winning the Europa League, but where do they rank among England’s other top clubs?

Winning European silverware is seen as the pinnacle for many English clubs, but some have been more successful than others over the years.

Taking all European trophies into consideration, here are the eight English clubs that have won the most European silverware.

Note: when teams are tied on the same number of trophies, we’ve ranked them by their most recent European title.

8. Nottingham Forest – 3 European trophies
Following their recent draw against Leicester City, Forest qualified for Europe for the first time in 29 years.

They are already a club steeped in European history, having previously won back-to-back European Cups in the late seventies and early eighties.

Forest also won the UEFA Supercup in 1979-80, taking their overall European trophy count to three.

European trophies won: 2x Champions League, 1x UEFA Supercup

7. Aston Villa – 3 European trophies
Seeing Aston Villa competing in Europe once again just feels right, doesn’t it?

Along with winning the European Cup in 1982, they’ve also won the UEFA Supercup and Intertoto Cup, taking their overall tally to three European trophies.

With a manager like Unai Emery currently at the helm, we wouldn’t be surprised if they add another trophy to their collection in the near future.

European trophies won: 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Supercup, 1x Intertoto Cup

6. West Ham United – 3 European trophies
While West Ham have never won the Champions League like Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa, they have won a European trophy in recent times.

Jarrod Bowen scored the decisive goal as David Moyes’ team beat Fiorentina in the 2023 Europa Conference League final.

“I dreamed of scoring but to score the winner in the last minute, I thought I was going to cry. I’m just happy, I can’t put it into words,” Bowen said after winning European silverware.

Along with winning the Conference League, the Hammers have also won the Cup Winners’ Cup and Intertoto Cup.

European trophies won: 1x Conference League, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1x Intertoto Cup

5. Manchester City – 4 European trophies
City won their first piece of European silverware in 1969-70 when they beat Gornik Zabrze in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final.

Since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, they’ve added another three European trophies to their cabinet, taking their overall tally to four.

Arguably, their greatest ever achievement was winning their first-ever Champions League in 2022-23, thanks to a Rodri second-half strike against Inter Milan.

European trophies won: 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup

4. Tottenham – 4 European trophies
After winning the Europa League, Tottenham have now tied level with Man City on four European trophies.

While Ange Postecoglou’s side have fallen far below expectations in the Premier League this season, all will be forgiven after their triumph in Bilbao.

It’s the third time that Tottenham have won the Europa League/UEFA Cup, having also won it in 1972 and 1984.

Given they’ve also won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1962-63, that takes their overall tally to four European trophies.

For those wondering, Arsenal have only won two European trophies during their club’s history.

European trophies won: 3x Europa League/UEFA Cup, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup

3. Manchester United – 8 European trophies
The Red Devils had the chance to win their ninth European trophy, but ultimately fell short against Spurs in the final.

Coincidentally, the Europa League was the last European trophy that they’ve won. Jose Mourinho guided them to victory in 2017, beating Ajax in the final.

The vast majority of United’s European success came under Sir Alex Ferguson as he won six European titles during his tenure at the club, including two Champions League titles.

However, it was Matt Busby who won United’s first-ever European title, guiding them to the European Cup in 1968.

European trophies won: 3x Champions League, 1x Europa League, 1x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup

2. Chelsea – 9 European trophies
Chelsea have the chance to win their 10th European trophy next week when they take on Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final.

The club have always had a knack for winning European silverware, even when they’ve not been at the peak of their powers domestically.

With two Champions League trophies, two Europa Leagues and several other European titles, they are England’s second most successful club on the continent.

European trophies won: 2x Champions League, 2x Europa League, 2x UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup

1. Liverpool – 14 European trophies
Having won 14 European trophies, Liverpool are by far England’s most successful club on the continental stage.

They’ve won a whopping six Champions Leagues and have also won three Europa Leagues, four Super Cups and one Club World Cup.

Given the level they’re currently playing at, we wouldn’t be surprised if Arne Slot adds another European title to their collection in the next year or two.

European trophies won: 6x Champions League, 3x Europa League, 4x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup