SAINT-DENIS, France: Goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved twice in the shoot-out as France beat Croatia 5-4 on penalties on Sunday after their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie had ended 2-2 on aggregate, sealing a place in the last four in June.
Les Bleus won 2-0 on the night with goals in normal time by Michael Olize and Ousmane Dembele at the Stade de France to wipe out their deficit from Thursday’s first leg.
With no further scoring in extra time the tie went to penalties, where Maignan saved from both Martin Baturina and Josip Stanisic, while Franjo Ivanovic also missed for the visitors.
Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez both failed to convert for the hosts, but Dayot Upamecano scored when he became the seventh France player to step up, sparking scenes of celebrations on the pitch and in the crowd of 77,502.
“We woke up thinking it could be a great night. We were convinced we were going to do something great,” captain Kylian Mbappe told broadcaster TF1.
“And we know when it comes to penalties that we have a goalkeeper who can make the difference.”
France, who won the Nations League in 2021, will now take on title-holders Spain in the semifinals in Stuttgart in Germany on June 5, with the winners advancing to the final in Munich three days later.
Germany will face Portugal in Munich in the other last-four tie.
“Getting to the final is an objective,” Mbappe added. “These are the kind of matches you want to play in and there is a title up for grabs.”
Croatia, who lost on penalties to Spain in the final of the last Nations League in 2023, will now instead start their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup in June.
They will go into qualifying Group L with the Czech Republic, Montenegro, the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar, who they will face first on June 6.
“It was a very difficult night for us. We were not able to repeat our performance from the first leg,” admitted Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic.
“It is good experience for us for the future. The aim now is to get to the World Cup and I think we can do it.”
France’s progress to the final stages of the Nations League means they will not begin their World Cup qualifying campaign until September, when they will be in Group D with Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan.
Both sides were eyeing silverware in the Nations League and Croatia held the upper hand after triumphing 2-0 in the first leg in Split.
Nevertheless France, whose coach Didier Deschamps will step down in 2026 after 14 years in charge, were hoping for a comeback similar to their famous recovery against Ukraine in a World Cup qualifying play-off in 2013.
They won that after overturning a 2-0 first-leg loss with a 3-0 victory in the return at the Stade de France.
Here Deschamps made five changes from the first leg, with Bayern Munich duo Upamecano and Olize among those coming into the team.
They pinned Croatia back from the off in this latest repeat of the 2018 World Cup final won by the French, but it took them until the 52nd minute to get the breakthrough.
Olize was the scorer, finding the net with a marvellous free-kick from just outside the box following a foul on Mbappe, for his first goal in a France shirt.
Mbappe then saw his shot from Dembele’s low cross flash just wide on 75 minutes before the hosts levelled the tie on aggregate 10 minutes from time. Mbappe found Olize and his cutback was swept in first-time by Dembele.
France took the momentum with them into extra time where Mbappe twice forced saves from Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Mbappe has now failed to score in his last seven games for his country and has found the net just once in his last 10 appearances in a France shirt, from a penalty against Poland at Euro 2024.
The Real Madrid superstar did score in the shoot-out, however, converting France’s first penalty.
Aurelien Tchouameni, Randal Kolo Muani and Desire Doue also scored for the hosts before Upamecano’s winner.
France beat Croatia on penalties to reach Nations League semifinals
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France beat Croatia on penalties to reach Nations League semifinals
- Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez both failed to convert for the hosts, but Dayot Upamecano scored when he became the seventh France player to step up, sparking scenes of celebrations on the pitch
Sinner singes Lehecka, Pegula prevails on overcast day at French Open
- Lehecka drew loud cheers when he finally got on the board but Sinner continued his Roland Garros masterclass
- Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva outclassed Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1
PARIS: World number one Jannik Sinner pummelled Jiri Lehecka at the French Open to reach the fourth round while third seed Jessica Pegula took a longer route with a battling victory over 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday.
As grey skies enveloped Roland Garros after the temperature soared a day earlier, an unrelenting Sinner turned up the heat on Lehecka at Court Suzanne Lenglen to win the opening 11 games of their clash without any response.
Lehecka drew loud cheers when he finally got on the board but Sinner continued his Roland Garros masterclass and eased to a 6-0 6-1 6-2 victory and booked a clash with Andrey Rublev, who advanced after injured Frenchman Arthur Fils pulled out.
Vondrousova is also no stranger to injuries, her latest being a shoulder problem after her Wimbledon title defense ended in the first round last year, and the Czech looked to be finding her best form again on Parisian clay.
She won the opening set of her match on Court Philippe Chatrier but American Pegula proved too good when it mattered to close out a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win and will face the winner of the all-French clash between Elsa Jacquemot and Lois Boisson.
’LUCKY CHARM’
Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva outclassed Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 at Court Suzanne Lenglen and the sixth seed attributed the comfortable win to a colorful drawing a young supporter left for her on her bench.
“Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her, because it’s my lucky charm,” added sixth seed Andreeva, who became the youngest woman to complete 10 Roland Garros singles match wins since Swiss two-times runner-up Martina Hingis.
Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa would have wished for a bit of luck to force a third set against a dominant Daria Kasatkina but instead crashed 6-1 7-5 to the Russian-born 17th seed who now represents Australia.
“I was ready for a difficult match,” said Kasatkina, who can expect another big test against Andreeva next.
“I knew if she got a chance, she would take it straight away. That’s what happened in the second set. This is where things got tight. But I’m really proud of myself and how I handled the situation.”
Three-time champion Novak Djokovic takes on qualifier Filip Misolic in the evening session seeking his 99th match victory at Roland Garros and equal his tally at the Australian Open, where he has 10 titles.
Russian teen Andreeva eases into French Open last 16, to meet Kasatkina
- She next plays Australian Daria Kasatkina, ranked 17, for a place in the quarter-finals
- She has climbed to a career-high ranking of sixth this season and became the youngest ever winner of a WTA 1000 title in Dubai in February
PARIS: Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva eased into the last 16 at the French Open on Saturday with a straight-sets win over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.
The 18-year-old, seeded sixth at Roland Garros, sealed a 6-3, 6-1 win in 78 minutes on her first match point.
She next plays Australian Daria Kasatkina, ranked 17, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Kasatkina got past Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-5 in their third round match which lasted one hour 33 minutes.
“I knew she’s a very tricky player, she plays very interesting and makes it a little uncomfortable for me so I struggled in the beginning,” said Andreeva of her first meeting with world number 31 Putintseva.
“I practice against her so knew what to expect. I’m happy with the way I played today.”
Andreeva converted five of her eight break point chances, being broken once with 18 unforced errors to 16 for her rival.
Andreeva, who reached the semifinals last year, is hoping to become the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam title since her compatriot Maria Sharapova’s famous 2004 Wimbledon triumph.
She was still having to do school work during her run in 2024, which included a shock quarter-final win over Aryna Sabalenka.
She has climbed to a career-high ranking of sixth this season and became the youngest ever winner of a WTA 1000 title in Dubai in February, before securing another at Indian Wells.
Andreeva is hoping for another strong performance at Roland Garros, with both Sabalenka and reigning champion Iga Swiatek in the other half of the draw.
Kasatkina, 28, competing in Roland Garros for the tenth time, reached the semifinals in 2022.
‘We’re going in there to win it’: Manchester City chairman targets FIFA Club World Cup success
- In part 2 of his review of the 2024-2025 season, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak looks forward to the FIFA Club World Cup and and the developments taking place across City Football Group
ABU DHABI: Manchester City’s chairman, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, has provided his annual review of the season to the club’s official online channel. In part 2 of the interview he reveals the team’s desire to retain the FIFA Club world Cup taking place in June and discusses the developments taking place across City Football Group. Here are some of the highlights.
On the FIFA Club World Cup…
“Well, as the defending champions coming into this new format, of course, we’re very excited. We’re very excited to come in as champions. The format actually, I really like it.
“This is a very, very serious competition. I think, in the summer, the whole world will be watching this with a big number of the top teams in the world will be competing in this tournament.
“I can assure you we’re going to give it our best shot. We’re going in there to win it. This is the beginning of the new season, not the continuation of last season.
“The team will take the rest that they will take right now, and then they start pre-season and then immediately straight into the Club World Cup.”
On Manchester City’s North Stand redevelopment…
“It’s coming up very fast. It’s going to be a great addition to the campus. Once we start the new season, everybody will start physically seeing it a lot clearer.
“The hotel is also coming up nicely. It’s moving very, very fast, but we’re happy with the contractors on the ground. This is going to be a game changer. You will see over these next 12 to 18 months. This is going to be a game changer for the campus and for the club.”
On NYCFC…
“Well, more than the foundation, the work is fully now in full effect. Construction is happening at a fast pace. This is going to be an incredible stadium. We’re very excited about what we’re doing in New York, what we’re doing for that community in terms of a proper football stadium, with a team that now is closing in on 10 years.
“It’s been a great journey. And they’ve earned (it). They deserve a stadium, and finally, they’re going to get it. And we have now a line of sight of when it’s going to be finished and it’ll be transformative for football fans in New York, for our fan base, and really at a time where football is booming in America.”
On City Football Group…
“It’s developed very well. We look at City Football Group as a group, but then each team individually and each team gets the attention it requires and gets a lot of attention from the whole leadership team.
“There’s individuality with each club. Depending on where they are around the world, each one has its own requirements. But overall, one of the things that gives us confidence is how many similar models now are following our CFG model.
“There are a lot of other groups now that are pursuing what we have built at City Football Group, which tells you there’s an appreciation that this is a good model and it’s a model that’s effective.”
Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan face off in the Champions League final
- European club football’s biggest prize is at stake between two teams that have felt the pain of falling at the last hurdle in recent years
- Inter was a losing finalist against Manchester City in 2023 and PSG lost in its only final against Bayern Munich in 2020
MUNICH: Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan go head-to-head in the Champions League final in Munich on Saturday.
European club football’s biggest prize is at stake between two teams that have felt the pain of falling at the last hurdle in recent years.
Inter was a losing finalist against Manchester City in 2023 and PSG lost in its only final against Bayern Munich in 2020.
After spending billions of dollars and signing some of the sport’s greatest players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, PSG is still waiting to win its first Champions League title. Those superstars have now departed, but coach Luis Enrique has assembled one of the most exciting squads in Europe, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia filling the void left by that trio.
Enrique is aiming to win the competition for the second time as a coach, having lifted it with Barcelona in 2015, and would become the seventh coach to win the trophy with different teams.
“The motivation for me is to win the Champions League title for the first time for PSG,” he said. “That is the gift I want to give the people, the club, the city.”
Inter was looking for a treble just over a month ago, but is now left with the Champions League as its only possible trophy. It lost the Italian title by a point and was knocked out of the Italian Cup in the semifinals.
“These players in these four years did a lot — won a lot and lost sometimes. It happens. But we all gave our all, everyone. We are proud to be Inter,” coach Simone Inzaghi said. “I dreamed of playing the Champions League final. I didn’t do it as a player, but thanks to this group of players I’ve been in two finals as a head coach.”
Inter has won the Champions League or European Cup on three occasions, most recently in 2010.
When does the Champions League final begin?
The match at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. local time.
Alcaraz fights into French Open last 16 as Swiatek, Sabalenka progress
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz survived a scare to book his place in the French Open last 16 on Friday, with defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka also through to the fourth round at Roland Garros.
Second seed Alcaraz won 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 against 69th-ranked Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in the night session to keep his title defense on course.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz arrived as the favorite at Roland Garros after securing the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open trophies in the build-up to the clay-court major.
But his fluctuating performances in the past two rounds have given his rivals reason to believe he is vulnerable.
“Today I honestly didn’t enjoy it that much. I suffered quite a lot,” said a relieved Alcaraz, who came from a break down in the fourth set to seal victory.
“That’s why doing a really good result in a Grand Slam is really difficult because you have to maintain a really high level for three to four hours.”
The 22-year-old next meets American 13th seed Ben Shelton who eased past Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
Swiatek kept her bid for a fourth consecutive French Open title on track, coming through 6-2, 7-5 against Romania’s world number 60 Jaqueline Cristian in sweltering conditions.
Swiatek broke the 60th-ranked Cristian twice in a comfortable first set, but she was pushed a lot harder by her rival in the second and had to save six break points.
“She really stepped up in the second set. I had to step up as well. It was an entertaining match,” said Swiatek, hoping to become the first woman to win four successive Roland Garros titles since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago.
The 23-year-old Pole will next play 12th seed Elena Rybakina after the Kazakh dispatched 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2 in a clash of big hitters.
Swiatek has a 4-4 record against Rybakina but has lost both previous meetings on clay. However she was relieved at avoiding Ostapenko, who is 6-0 against her.
A grinning Swiatek suggested earlier she had no preference as to her last-16 opponent before asking: “Am I a good liar?“
“Let’s say it doesn’t matter, really. Oh, my God. I couldn’t play poker,” joked the world number five who has not won a title since last year’s French Open.
Sabalenka produced a dominant display in a 6-2, 6-3 win over 34th-ranked Serbian left-hander Olga Danilovic.
But the Madrid Open winner, whose best result at Roland Garros was a semifinal in Paris two years ago, insisted the pressure was on Swiatek.
“Let’s just leave it on Iga since she won it, what, three times in a row,” said Sabalenka.
The 27-year-old Belarusian next plays 16th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova who ousted Danish 22nd seed Clara Tauson 7-6 , 6-4 in their third-round tie.
Zheng Qinwen ended the run of Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4.
The Chinese eighth seed has now won nine successive matches at Roland Garros following her run to Olympic gold last year.
Zheng is through to the fourth round in Paris for the second time and will next play Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova who brushed aside Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-3.
Italian fourth seed Paolini eased past Ukrainian lucky loser Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-4, 6-1.
Runner-up last year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Paolini next plays Ukrainian 13th seed Elina Svitolina who dug deep to see off American Bernarda Pera 7-6 , 7-6 .
Eighth seed Musetti won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 against Argentine Mariano Navone as he follows on from his runner-up finish in Monte Carlo and semifinal runs in Madrid and Rome.
But the Italian dropped his first set in Paris against world number 97 Navone.
“I’ve grown up a lot. A match like this I don’t know if I would come back a few years ago,” said Musetti.
“The heat was pretty tough to manage. But happy to find a way to turn around the match.”
Musetti next plays Rune who was two points from defeat in the fourth set before rallying past France’s Quentin Halys 4-6, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
American Tommy Paul, the 12th seed, got past Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 , 3-6, 6-3 and meets Australian Alexei Popyrin, the 25th seed, who beat Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-4, 7-6 , 7-6 .
Arthur Fils, the 14th seed, withdrew ahead of his third-round match on Saturday, extending the host nation’s wait for a first men’s champion at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983.
