SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Kylian Mbappe lethally fired Paris Saint-Germain into the Champions League quarter-finals with a brace in a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad on Tuesday, his team cruising through 4-1 on aggregate.
Coach Luis Enrique has slashed Mbappe’s minutes in recent weeks after the player told the club he would leave at the end of the season, but the France captain proved he will be vital if PSG are to finally win the competition for the first time.
The electric Mbappe was impossible for Real Sociedad to shackle and his strikes after 15 and 56 minutes left the Ligue 1 leaders with a simple night in the north of Spain.
“We are very happy, it was the objective,” Mbappe told Canal Plus.
“We wanted to qualify but today we also wanted to win and give ourselves a bit of an easier game. That is what we did.
“We had a clear game plan. We managed to score early and, above all, we managed to avoid getting into any major difficulty.”
Heavily linked to Real Madrid, the determined Mbappe gave La Liga’s defenses a glimpse of what horrors may await them next season.
The forward, who also netted in the first leg, fired over in the opening stages and then blazed past Hamari Traore to set up Bradley Barcola, but Alex Remiro denied him from point-blank range.
It was not so much that Real Sociedad did not heed the warning but simply could not stop the 25-year-old.
Played into the box but wide of goal, Mbappe produced the opener from thin air.
With a couple of clever touches he sent Igor Zubeldia scrambling and opened up enough space for a shot, which he whipped into the far corner from a tight angle.
Mbappe’s vicious strike pulled part of the netting away from the post and players had to wait until it was fixed for play to resume.
They might not have bothered — the contest was effectively over.
Mbappe stretched PSG’s lead 11 minutes into the second half, racing in behind the defense from the halfway line.
The striker shaped another shot to the far post but then tricked Remiro by sweeping home at the near for his sixth goal in eight Champions League matches this season.
Real Sociedad began to throw all they had at PSG, but it was too little, too late.
Substitute Ander Barrenetxea had a goal ruled out for a tight offside moments after coming on.
Gianluigi Donnarumma made a superb save to thwart Benat Turrientes, as the hosts searched for a consolation goal which eventually came at the death.
Donnarumma palmed away a cross into the middle of the box and Mikel Merino was in the right place at the right time to fire home.
“We competed, but against a team of this level and with a player ... Mbappe, who each time he gets it in transition it’s almost a goal...” Merino told Movistar.
“I hope this club gets to have nights like these again.”
With one victory in 10 matches across all competitions, La Real are battling to reach next season’s Europa League.
One of few negative notes for PSG was a booking for defender Achraf Hakimi, which will rule him out of the quarter-final first leg.
PSG, in the last eight for the first time since 2021, will worry about that later — this was a night to celebrate Mbappe’s genius, despite the clock ticking down on his days in Paris.
“(Mbappe) is the best player in the world in the final third when running in on goal, unstoppable, invincible,” Luis Enrique told Movistar.
“He was very good, but just like all his team-mates — this is a team and we need everyone.”
Mbappe double fires PSG past Real Sociedad to Champions League quarters
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Mbappe double fires PSG past Real Sociedad to Champions League quarters
- Played into the box but wide of goal, Mbappe produced the opener from thin air
Kovac sets sights on Champions League spot as Dortmund welcome Wolfsburg
- Dortmund, who were 11th earlier this year, have turned their season around after Kovac took charge in February and now sit sixth
- “We’re within striking distance again,” Kovac said
BERLIN: Resurgent Borussia Dortmund will seek the help of their crowd as the 12th man when they host mid-table Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga with a Champions League spot within reach after a difficult campaign, manager Niko Kovac said on Friday.
Dortmund, who were 11th earlier this year, have turned their season around after Kovac took charge in February and now sit sixth, three points behind Freiburg who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot.
“We’re within striking distance again,” Kovac said ahead of Saturday’s match at the 81,365-capacity Westfalenstadion.
“The game is very important. We’re focusing on our opponents, because we’re dependent on the other teams and we have to do our homework ... It’s about showing the same energy as in the last few games.
“If we play our game like we have in recent weeks, I’m convinced that we can unleash a force with the crowd that Wolfsburg will find difficult to counter.”
Dortmund have taken 13 points from their last five games to climb the table and have three games left to salvage their campaign.
If not the Champions League, they can still qualify for the Europa League, with RB Leipzig in fifth — a point above Dortmund.
Kovac also managed Wolfsburg between 2022 and 2024 and the Croatian is wary of the Lower Saxony side, even though Dortmund have a superb record against them at home.
Dortmund have not lost in their last 11 Bundesliga home games against Wolfsburg, winning nine. Wolfsburg have scored just one goal at Westfalenstadion since the 2016-17 season.
“They’re dangerous from set pieces and in transition. We have to be careful there,” Kovac said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone (at Wolfsburg) again but we also know the importance of the game. Friendships will be put aside for 90 minutes.”
PSG’s injured Dembele to miss Strasbourg trip, eyeing return for Arsenal
- Dembele is PSG’s top scorer this season with 33 goals in all competitions
- “Tomorrow he won’t play, that’s for sure,” Luis Enrique told reporters
PARIS: Paris St. Germain forward Ousmane Dembele will miss their Ligue 1 trip to Strasbourg with a hamstring strain, manager Luis Enrique said on Friday as the French side look to have him back for next week’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Arsenal.
Dembele is PSG’s top scorer this season with 33 goals in all competitions and also netted the winner in their 1-0 first leg victory at Arsenal, but the 27-year-old came off in the 70th minute, going straight down the tunnel with an apparent injury.
PSG confirmed he had a hamstring strain and that his “condition is progressing well,” with further assessments to be conducted in the coming days.
“Tomorrow he won’t play, that’s for sure,” Luis Enrique told reporters, while also declining to confirm if he will rotate his squad with the Ligue 1 title already in the bag.
“We’re going to do what we’ve been doing up to now, with the same idea. Nothing has changed.
“The most important thing is that every minute spent wearing the PSG jersey is useful for matches in other competitions.”
PSG lost their chance to go an entire league season unbeaten when they suffered a 3-1 defeat by Nice last weekend.
Luis Enrique’s side can still finish the season unbeaten on the road but the Spaniard has no interest in that record as they prepare to face Arsenal on Wednesday and Reims in the French Cup final later this month.
“It’s a match we’re preparing for in the Champions League, in the Coupe de France, not for the unbeaten record,” he said.
“It would be great to win the match in Strasbourg, but the motivation is to prepare for the Champions League match, not to break an unbeaten record.”
PSG have fallen in the Champions League knockout stages in recent years and have the opportunity to return to the final for only the second time as they chase a treble.
“We want to achieve this objective of playing this final, but there is still the semifinal second leg,” said Luis Enrique, who previously won the treble coaching Barcelona.
“There is not much time to rest, you have to manage all of this. We, the coaches, go for the best. I’ve been a top-level coach for several years and it’s part of the job.”
Mahrez calls on Al-Ahli to embrace opportunity in Asian Champions League final
- “When you play in this type of competition you are ready to win, especially when you play at home,” said Mahrez
- “We have a good opportunity to bring the first Champions League to Al-Ahli”
JEDDAH: Al-Ahli winger Riyad Mahrez has called on his teammates to avoid complacency as the Saudi Pro League side look to win the Asian Champions League Elite title for the first time on Saturday with victory over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale.
The Jeddah-based club, who have the advantage of playing the final in front of their own fans at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, will be making a third attempt to lift the trophy after final defeats in 1986 and 2012.
But while a squad boasting high-profile signings such as Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Ivan Toney and Franck Kessie will go into the decider as favorites, the Algeria winger emphasized the need to embrace the opportunity provided by the occasion.
“When you play in this type of competition you are ready to win, especially when you play at home,” said Mahrez.
“We have a good opportunity to bring the first Champions League to Al-Ahli and we will give everything.
“Of course the opponent is not an opponent that we play every week, it’s from Japan and it’s a different team. We have seen them play and we know what approach we can have.
“The most important is to give everything and to enjoy it because maybe some people think finals are every season, but some people might only play one final in their career. So we have to give everything to win the trophy for Al-Ahli.”
Mahrez, 34, is no stranger to success, having been part of the Manchester City side that won the treble of UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 2023 as well as four other English league titles, including with Leicester City in 2016.
He was also a key part of Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations success in 2019 but is looking to claim his first silverware since switching to Al-Ahli from City last year.
“This is a trophy in another continent, in Asia,” said Mahrez, who has scored nine times in the competition so far.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play in teams that have won a lot of trophies with big players. When you play, any trophy, any cup you play for is always exciting.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I really want to win a trophy with this team, this club and I’ll give everything tomorrow.”
Maguire revels in ‘Harrydinho’ tag after United’s Europa League win
- Maguire set up Casemiro’s header with some brilliant dribbling skills and a pinpoint cross
- The night had fans calling Maguire “Harrydinho” on social media
MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Harry Maguire received rave reviews for his masterful performance as a makeshift forward in their Europa League victory on Thursday with many comparing the team’s oft-maligned center-back to Brazil great Ronaldinho.
Maguire set up Casemiro’s header with some brilliant dribbling skills and a pinpoint cross that opened scoring in United’s 3-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their semifinal tie.
The night had fans calling Maguire “Harrydinho” on social media, while Maguire’s assist was the top post on Reddit Soccer on Friday. The top comment read: “Yer a winger, Harry!“
Teammate Amad Diallo posted a hilariously-morphed photo of Maguire’s face with Argentine great Maradona’s flowing hair on his Instagram.
“What a winger! I don’t think he even knew he had that in his locker,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored twice.
“Harry is a much more confident man now. When he is playing, his position is becoming more strong, he is a very good leader and we hope he keeps improving.”
Maguire channelled his inner Ronaldinho when he twice stopped and changed direction before blazing past Mikel Jauregizar to deliver the cross.
“The shimmy, the chops, I had to look twice,” former Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend told the BBC.
United boss Ruben Amorim also heaped praise on the 32-year-old defender.
“Sometimes there are moments in our life and Harry has had difficult moments,” the Portuguese said. “Everything he does is good for the team, so we have to enjoy.”
Maguire downplayed the accolades, although admitted he enjoyed his moment of brilliance.
“I found myself attacking the back post, I think (Alejandro Garnacho) Garna passed me the ball, it was nice to do a bit of dribbling and put in a great cross,” he said.
“We had a lot of bodies in the box and they must have trusted me to put in the cross. It was a nice feeling and it was a great header in the end.”
Amorim’s men, who are having a miserable season domestically but are the only unbeaten team in any European competition this season, host the second leg next Thursday at Old Trafford.
The winners will face Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo/Glimt in the final, with Spurs leading 3-1 from their home leg.
How Kawasaki Frontale banished continental woes to face Al-Ahli in AFC Champions League Elite final
- Saudi Arabia’s last team standing will welcome rejuvenated Japanese opponents on Saturday night in Jeddah
AUSTRALIA: Football works in mysterious ways at times and that is certainly the case for Kawasaki Frontale and their exploits on the continent.
For five seasons between 2017 and 2021 under the guidance of Toru Oniki they almost completely dominated the J. League, winning four league titles and finishing fourth in the only year they missed out.
When you include their third-place finish in 2016, for a six-year stretch they never finished outside the top four. They were Japan’s premier domestic football club by some distance.
But when it came to Asia, they floundered. Think of the internet meme comparing a dog built like a bodybuilder and a small pup, and that encapsulates the exploits of Kawasaki in Japan as opposed to Asia.
In six continental campaigns from 2017 to 2023, their best finish was a quarterfinal in 2017 when they squandered a 3-1 lead from the first leg to lose 4-1 in the second leg to fellow J. League side Urawa Reds, who subsequently went on to win the title.
It was a loss that exposed a soft underbelly, something that had been a criticism of the team for the decade prior, having come so close but never managing to get over the line for a maiden J. League title.
They finished runners-up in 2006, 2008 and 2009, and third in 2013 and 2016.
That loss in the quarterfinal of 2017 came just months before they clinched their first J. League title, which seemed to flick a switch in their mentality, at least in Japan, anyway.
On the continent they continued to struggle.
In 2018 and 2019 they failed to get out of the group stage, winning just two of 12 games in the process. Another group stage exit followed in 2022, bookended by Round of 16 appearances in 2021 and 2023.
But it fell well short of expectations for a side so dominant in arguably Asia’s best league. And which had overseas and national-team stars like Kaoru Mitoma, Kengo Nakamura, Shogo Taniguchi, Hidemasa Morita, Ao Tanaka, Miki Yamane, and Reo Hatate.
It was a squad stacked with talent, but having lost so many to European football Kawasaki have returned to the pack in recent years, struggling to maintain their excellence, with back-to-back eighth-place finishes.
At the end of last season, Oniki moved to Kashima Antlers (who are currently top of the table in Japan) and was replaced with Shigetoshi Hasebe, a more pragmatic-minded coach from Avispa Fukuoka.
So football being as it is, of course it is this season of change and transition that has Kawasaki on the precipice of achieving what they never could during their dominant reign — being crowned Kings of Asia.
After finishing second in the League Stage of the East Zone, they found their way past Chinese heavyweights Shanghai Shenhua in the Round of 16 but arrived in Jeddah with very little expectation upon them.
They needed extra time to sneak their way past perennial Qatari champions, Al-Sadd. A semifinal clash against Al-Nassr’s bevy of international stars was expected to be their end point, but would still have been considered a success given their current status as a club.
Hasebe and his troops had other ideas, however.
Perhaps able to play without the burden of expectation, which seemed to weigh heavily on the shoulders of Al-Nassr, it was Frontale who were able to take control and look the most at ease.
Tatsuya Ito’s sensational volley opened the scoring, and after Sadio Mane equalized, it was the pressing of Ito that created the opportunity for their second. Yuto Ozeki, part of a new generation of stars beginning to emerge, finished off, for a surprise lead going into half-time.
When the ageless Akihiro Ienaga scored to make it 3-1, very few could believe what they were seeing. With a starting XI having just one foreign player and an attack featuring players of 19 and 20, with another 20-year-old in the heart of defense, this should not have been possible.
“Our two young players stepped up,” Hasebe said after the game of Ozeki and Soma Kanda, who are both so inexperienced that neither even has a Wikipedia page.
“They may still be developing but they’ve gained experience at the under-20 level. Their main job was to contain (Al-Nassr midfielder Marcelo) Brozovic but they also contributed well going forward.
“Discipline and attitude were key tonight. I’ve spoken with the players regularly to instill this mindset and they responded well. Everyone showed great commitment. This is the football we’ve been working towards.”
Also speaking after the game, goalscorer Ito said this was as much a victory for Japanese football as it was for Kawasaki.
“This isn’t just important for our club, it means a lot for the J. League as well. It shows the level of Japanese football. Before the game, the manager told us we came here to change things and make history. I hope we can complete that mission in the next match.”
Having made it this far against the odds, there would be few willing to say they now cannot go all the way and create that history, and in the process become the seventh Japanese club to lift continental silverware.
It is the type of unpredictability that makes football the game we all love. Sometimes it does not make sense, but that is also what makes it so beautiful.
