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Tag: first-half goals

  • ‘Worst team in history of Man Utd’: Amorim’s slams Red Devils; City hit battlers for six: PL Wrap

    ‘Worst team in history of Man Utd’: Amorim’s slams Red Devils; City hit battlers for six: PL Wrap

    Manchester United slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton as Old Trafford remembered the legendary Denis Law on Sunday, while Tottenham’s troubles also persisted as they lost 3-2 at Everton.

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    Manchester City roared back into form with a 6-0 thrashing of Ipswich, while Nottingham Forest’s unlikely title challenge goes on after a 3-2 victory over Southampton took Nuno Espirito Santo’s men level with second-placed Arsenal.

    – ‘We are worst team in history of Man Utd’: Amorim –

    Ruben Amorim made the astonishing admission that his Manchester United flops are the worst team in the club’s history after Sunday’s dismal 3-1 defeat against Brighton.

    United crumbled to a sixth loss in 11 Premier League games since Amorim arrived from Sporting Lisbon to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag.

    “We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United,” Amorim said after his side’s wretched display at Old Trafford.

    “I know you want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines.”

    Man UTD legend passes away aged 84 | 00:39

    Amorim’s side are languishing in 13th place and although they are 10 points above the relegation zone, they are far from certain to avoid being dragged into the survival struggle on the evidence of Sunday’s display.

    Yankuba Minteh set the tone for United’s moribund performance with an early opener for Brighton.

    Bruno Fernandes equalised with a penalty before half-time, but second-half goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter left United in turmoil.

    United have suffered six home league defeats this season, their most from their opening 12 matches of a season since 1893-94.

    They have also lost 10 of their 22 league games this season, the earliest into a top-flight campaign that they have hit double figures for defeats since 1989-90.

    “Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is for me. We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that,” Amorim said.

    While United have not been dragged completely into the fight for survival just yet, Amorim must find a way to get results to avoid the pressure on him becoming intolerable.

    The 39-year-old arrived at United in November, hailed as one of Europe’s brightest young coaches.

    But his preferred 3-4-3 formation is not suited to the players in United’s squad.

    Yet, while he admitted he is only thinking of avoiding relegation now, the Portuguese coach refuses to change his philosophy.

    “I am not going to change, no matter what. I know we can succeed but we need to survive this moment. I am not naive. We need to survive now,” Amorim said.

    United’s latest calamity came on the day the club paid a sombre tribute to Denis Law after their legendary striker passed away aged 84 on Friday.

    Postecoglou: ‘Spurs need reinforcements’ | 01:11

    – ‘Everybody is underperforming’ –

    Law is immortalised in a statue of United’s ‘Holy Trinity’ alongside Bobby Charlton and George Best outside Old Trafford.

    Fans laid scarves and flowers at the statue in tribute to the third highest scorer in United’s history and took part in a minute’s applause for Law prior to kick-off.

    What transpired after that would have shocked Law to his core as Amorim’s team once again failed to live up to the storied history of the 20-time English champions.

    “In nine games in the Premier League, we won two,” Amorim said. “Everybody here is underperforming, no matter what the circumstances.

    “We are underperforming and have to accept that. It’s unacceptable to lose so many games, for any Premier League club, imagine Manchester United.

    “So it’s a really hard moment but we have to continue, we have to continue, there is no other way.”

    United have lost six of their last seven league games against Brighton in an indication of how far they have fallen since last winning the title in 2013.

    Amorim’s side host Rangers in their next game on Thursday in the Europa League, with the manager desperate for a positive result to change the mood.

    “I knew it was going to be hard to put a completely new idea in the moment, but when you lose games and don’t win three games in a row it becomes really hard,” Amorim said.

    “So that’s why I’m telling we are going to suffer because I will continue to do the same.

    “I am just here to help my players, but we need to understand we are breaking all the bad records.”

    Haaland signs monster deal with City | 01:21

    – Foden stars as Man City hit Ipswich for six –

    Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City climbed to fourth in the Premier League with a 6-0 rout of struggling Ipswich on Sunday.

    Foden netted either side of Mateo Kovacic’s eye-catching goal as City blew Ipswich away with three first-half goals at Portman Road.

    Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and James McAtee netted after the interval as City enjoyed their biggest league win this season.

    Pep Guardiola’s side have won three of their last four league games as they begin the long climb back to respectability after a dismal start to the season.

    Sterner tests lie in wait for City, including a vital Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and looming Premier League clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal.

    But this was the kind of confident display City used to make look routine during their march to four successive English titles.

    Winning is almost certain to prove beyond them as they trail leaders Liverpool by 12 points.

    Guardiola will settle for restoring City’s pride this term as he rebuilds a team that suddenly grew old and inconsistent before his eyes.

    Haaland, who has scored 112 goals in just 127 appearances for City, this week committed himself to the club until 2034 when he signed a new nine-and-a-half year deal.

    But Kyle Walker was again absent from the City side amid reports that AC Milan are ready to bid for the unsettled England right-back.

    In City’s first visit to Portman Road for 23 years, the champions emphasised how powerful they can still be at peak form.

    – Ruthless City –

    Haaland scored a hat-trick when City beat Ipswich 4-1 in August and he threatened to net in the opening moments in Suffolk.

    Kovacic’s pass split the Ipswich defence and sent Haaland clean through on goal, but the Norway striker’s shot was pushed away by Christian Walton.

    Kovacic fired wastefully over after a flowing move carved open the Ipswich rearguard again.

    Omari Hutchinson almost put Ipswich ahead against the run of play with a stinging strike from just inside the area that hit Haaland and flashed just over.

    But City’s pressure was rewarded in the 27th minute when Doku and Kevin De Bruyne combined to set up Foden for a clinical close-range finish.

    Foden turned provider as ruthless City doubled their lead three minutes later. Kovacic strode onto Foden’s pass on the edge of the area and smashed a superb low strike past the flat-footed Walton for his first goal since October.

    Guardiola’s men were rampant and they struck again three minutes before half-time.

    Set free by Doku, De Bruyne raced into the area and cut the ball back for Foden, whose shot from five yards evaded Walton’s weak attempted save.

    The England forward’s fifth goal in his last four games maintained his recent improvement.

    City have scored 25 first-half goals in 22 games, more than any other team in the Premier League this season.

    Ipswich were powerless to stem the tide. Doku danced through their defence to score City’s fourth with a low shot that hit Dara O’Shea on its way past Walton in the 49th minute.

    City showed no mercy and Haaland joined the party in the 57th minute. Jack Clarke conceded possession and Doku teed up Haaland to drill past Walton for his 22nd goal in all competitions this season.

    McAtee came off the bench to bag City’s sixth in the 69th minute, the 22-year-old looping a header over Walton from Kovacic’s cross.

    Forest were equally rampant in the first 45 minutes to cut the gap on leaders Liverpool to six points and consolidate their lead in the race for a place in the Champions League next season.

    Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood netted before the break. Southampton salvaged some pride in the second period through Jan Bednarek and Paul Onuachu but they remain on course for an immediate return to the Championship, 10 points adrift of safety.

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  • Reds run rampant to extend lead; City bounce back to mark Pep’s major milestone – PL Wrap

    Reds run rampant to extend lead; City bounce back to mark Pep’s major milestone – PL Wrap

    Liverpool moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title as a 5-0 thrashing of West Ham opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

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    Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota were on target for the rampant Reds in east London as they ended the year as huge favourites to deliver just a second league title in 35 years.

    Nottingham Forest are the surprise closest challengers in second, but Arsenal and Chelsea can close the gap when they are in action later in the week.

    Arne Slot has repeatedly stressed nothing can be won yet with Liverpool still one game shy of the halfway mark in the Premier League.

    But the Dutchman’s succession of Jurgen Klopp continues to look flawless after a 23rd win in 27 matches in all competitions.

    Slot was able to recall Diaz, who had been rested for the 3-1 win over Leicester on Boxing Day, and it was the Colombian who opened the floodgates on 30 minutes at the London Stadium.

    Diaz’s intended pass into Curtis Jones rebounded back into his path off a West Ham defender and he dispatched his shot low into the corner.

    Mohammed Kudus was inches away from an equaliser when his effort came back off the post.

    Spurs blow golden chance to down Wolves | 00:49

    But another heavy home defeat puts Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui back under pressure after a four-game unbeaten run.

    Two goals in four minutes just before half-time killed the game as a contest. Salah’s delightful turn helped tee up Gakpo to roll in his ninth goal in 14 games.

    The Egyptian then curled in at Alphonse Areola’s near post, with some help from the West Ham goalkeeper, to hit the 20-goal mark for the eighth consecutive season since joining Liverpool in 2017.

    Speculation over Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s futures has not derailed Liverpool’s flying start under Slot.

    All three could discuss a move to a foreign club on a free transfer next season within days, but remain focused for the moment on winning a second Premier League title together.

    Rumours over Alexander-Arnold’s potential move to Real Madrid have resurfaced again in the Spanish media over the past week and the England international showed why he is a man in demand with a thunderous strike that deflected in off Max Kilman.

    Jota’s appearance as a substitute was further evidence of the extra firepower Liverpool enjoy over their title rivals.

    The Portuguese set the seal on a dominant win with the finish for the fifth goal, but had another sumptuous Salah assist to thank for it.

    Salah jinked his way beyond three West Ham defenders before laying the ball to Jota for his 13th Premier League assist of the season to go with 17 goals in 18 games.

    EPL powerhouses fail to fire | 02:11

    ‘JUST RELIEF’ FOR PEP

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said relief was his overriding emotion after a 2-0 victory at Leicester secured just a second win in 14 games for the crisis-hit English champions on Sunday.

    Savinho and Erling Haaland struck either side of half-time as City ended a run of eight away games without a win.

    The performance was still far from the standards that Guardiola’s side have set in winning an unprecedented four consecutive English top-flight titles.

    But the effusive celebrations of Haaland’s header 16 minutes from time showed that three points was all that mattered for the visitors to at least temporarily halt their remarkable slump in Guardiola’s 500th game in charge “It is not enjoyable right now, it is just relief. We have done incredible things for many years,” said Guardiola.

    Arsenal keep pressure on Liverpool | 01:27

    “We have done a lot of things that will be in the memory forever and maybe this period, which feels like a 100 months, will make us realise how nice it was and hopefully we can come back, maybe not be what we were but more close than now.” “Today we won and this is what we needed for our minds and souls.” Victory lifts City up to fifth but they are still 14 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

    After a bright start to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s reign, Leicester have lost their last four to fall into the bottom three.

    The Foxes were left to rue not taking their chances to inflict more misery on a City side still showing a clear lack of confidence.

    Any time the home side crossed into City territory in the first half they appeared a major threat.

    Jamie Vardy would surely have won a penalty had he not strayed offside before being brought down by Stefan Ortega, while James Justin’s header hit the post after a goalmouth scramble.

    City, though, got the crucial opening goal on 21 minutes.

    Jakub Stolarczyk should have done better than to parry Phil Foden’s long-range effort into the path of Savinho, who swept the rebound into the roof of the net for his first City goal.

    Chances continued to come and go for Leicester early in the second half. Justin should have levelled but his mishit finish from close range allowed Manuel Akanji to clear off the line.

    Vardy then had the biggest chance to level when he prodded over Stephy Mavididi’s brilliant in-swinging cross.

    “We created those moments in a great way, there was some excitement going on,” said Van Nistelrooy, himself a prolific goalscorer in his playing days.

    “As a striker, you know you need a bit of luck in taking those chances, but that is where the game is decided.” However, Leicester were hit by a City sucker punch to end the defending champions’ miserable run on the road.

    Savinho was the creator this time as his cross perfectly picked out Haaland who powered home his 19th of the season, ending a four-game goal drought for the Norwegian.

    “It’s always a relief when you score, it was an important goal to go 2-0 up,” said Haaland.

    “It’s been a difficult time, now it’s New Year’s — five or six days till the next game. It’s the longest time in a long period so we can rest a little bit.”

    FOREST MOVE TO SECOND, SPURS DRAW

    Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest beat Everton to win their fifth straight Premier League match, leapfrogging Chelsea and Arsenal.

    Chris Wood chipped over Jordan Pickford for the opening goal in the 15th minute after being set up by Anthony Elanga.

    Wood turned provider for Forest’s second, which came just after the hour mark when Morgan Gibbs-White lashed home to make it 2-0.

    Nuno refused to get carried away, saying: “We are enjoying it, we are especially enjoying because our fans are enjoying with us.

    “Nothing changes, we cannot change. We have to realise we didn’t achieve anything.”

    Injury-hit Spurs were on track to end a torrid December on a high after first-half goals by Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson cancelled out Hwang Hee-chan’s brilliant opener for Wolves.

    Tottenham captain Son Heung-min also squandered a 43rd-minute penalty, but it did not appear to be too costly until substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen smashed home in the 87th minute.

    “I’m the person in charge, so of course it hurts,” said Postecoglou, whose team have won just one of their past seven Premier League matches.

    “When I see how hard they are trying, it hurts even more because you want them to get a reward and I think today they deserved a reward for their efforts.”

    New Wolves manager Vitor Pereira remains unbeaten, with two wins and a draw in his first three matches in charge.

    Crystal Palace won just their second home league game of the season, seeing off bottom club Southampton 2-1, thanks to goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Eberechi Eze.

    Dango Ouattara scored an 89th-minute leveller as Bournemouth drew 2-2 at Fulham. Chelsea and Manchester United are in action on Monday, with Arsenal travelling to Brentford on Wednesday.

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  • ’Not acceptable’: Ange’s whack for Spurs star as struggles continue; Man Utd’s stunning comeback

    ’Not acceptable’: Ange’s whack for Spurs star as struggles continue; Man Utd’s stunning comeback

    Dejan Kulusevski equaliser and a stunning stop from Fraser Forster saved Tottenham’s blushes as Ange Postecoglou’s side drew 1-1 with Rangers in their Europa League clash in Glasgow.

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    The result takes Spurs to 11 points from six games, and they sit ninth, only on goal difference out of the top eight, who automatically progress to the knockout rounds, with two league phases matches to come in the new year.

    A draw means Tottenham remain winless in their last three Europa League contests, and they have only won once in their last eight matches in all competitions, but for much of the night, things looked like they would play out much worse.

    “It’s fair to say we’re in a bit of a struggle,” Postecoglou said post-match.

    The Australian manager has been under intense scrutiny this week after back-to-back Premier League losses, and the former Celtic boss’ heart must have been in his mouth when Rangers were through on goal in the 86th minute.

    Cyriel Dessers barged his way past several defenders to get a shot away, but Forster stayed big and pulled off a brilliant piece of goal keeping, not for the first time in the match, to tip the ball wide and deny the home side.

    Only a minute later, the Ibrox descended into raptures as Dessers found the back of the net this time, but the celebrations were short-lived as the linesperson’s flag was up, and replays showed he was well offside.

    Those chances for Rangers were brewing all night, whereas Kulusevski’s equaliser seemingly came from nowhere.

    Spurs were patiently playing the ball around at the back for more than a minute before attacking down the right and Kulusevski took matters into his own hands to score in the 75th minute.

    The Swede cut back, found fellow substitute Dominic Solanke in the box, continued his run, received the ball back from Solanke and slotted it home with a left foot, first-time shot from near the edge of the penalty area.

    Things were looking dire for Tottenham before Kulusevski’s brilliant run as they went unpunished for their sloppiness in the first half, but it took less than two minutes after the break for Rangers to finally capitalise on yet another Spurs error.

    They coughed up the ball in midfield, and right back James Tavernier broke down the right-hand side, whipped a beautiful, curling ball in the box to pick out front man Hamza Igamane in the box, and the Moroccan slammed the half-volley into the bottom corner.

    The third-placed side in the Scottish Premiership looked more threatening for most of the evening, and the home supporters relished watching their team take it up to an English side.

    It was the first time Spurs has travelled north to face Rangers in a competitive fixture since the 1960s, and the last time the blue half of Glasgow hosted a Premier League outfit, they were humiliated 7-1 by Liverpool.

    That was in a Champions League contest in 2022 when Mohamed Salah came off the bench to score a stunning six minute hat trick, and it was arguably the most disastrous night of decades of heartbreak against English opposition in European competition, having not beaten a team from south of the border since getting the better of Leeds United in 1992.

    For most of the freezing cold evening, it appeared as if that streak might be broken but Rangers ultimately did not make the most of the 15 shots they took, six of which were on target.

    Both sides looked like they would be made to pay for their sloppiness with the ball throughout the first half as they each had threatening opportunities on the counter attack, but lacked the poise to finish.

    It was a back-and-forth, end-to-end contest with Tottenham having more of the ball but their makeshift defence looked incredibly vulnerable at times.

    Teenager Archie Gray, who typically plays right back, started alongside Ragu Dragusin as a central defender due to Spurs’ injury woes but it was goal keeper Forster who repelled Rangers’ attacks best with two excellent first half saves.

    The former Celtic shot stopper was booed and jeered extensively by the home fans, but kept his cool to tip a bullet from Nedim Bajrami over the bar in the 10th minute before ensuring they headed to the sheds deadlocked with an excellent save with his feet from a Vaclav Cerny shot in the final minute of the half.

    Rangers came out hard and finished the opening stanza the better of the two sides, while Tottenham controlled the middle period of the opening half.

    The home side lost centre back John Souttar, who is the brother of Socceroo Harry, in the 34th minute to a groin injury and it appeared as if a change at the back might open things up for Spurs.

    They had their chances but only one of their six first half shots was on target, and that was a tame shot from Son Heung-min, who started up front with Timo Werner, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson sitting behind him, in a change of formation from Postecoglou.

    The much-maligned Werner was benched at half time for goal scorer Dejan Kulusevski, while Johnson last an hour before making for Dominic Solanke, and Postecoglou took the unusual step of publicly expressing his frustrations with Werner post-match.

    “He wasn’t playing anywhere near the levels he can. It’s not acceptable to me. I told him that. He’s a senior international, a German international,” he said.

    “In the moment we’re in now, I need everyone to be at least going out there and giving the best they can. What he produced wasn’t acceptable. I expect more from the senior players like him.”

    Spurs seem to be in a funk in attack, and with a trip to Southampton, a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United and a visit from Premier League leaders Liverpool before Christmas, they will need to break it fast to get back to winning ways.

    Chelsea down Astana in Conference League | 00:42

    SUPER SUBSTITUTE INSPIRES MAN UTD COMEBACK

    Second-half substitute Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to earn a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.

    The hosts took the lead shortly after half-time, but Hojlund levelled on 62 minutes, six minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford, when the Danish striker tapped in Amad Diallo’s deflected shot.

    Two minutes from time, he beat Plzen goalkeeper Martin Jedlicka again with a clinical finish, turning around his marker after United captain Bruno Fernandes had found him inside the box with a clever free-kick.

    Matej Vydra, a former Watford, West Brom, Reading, Derby and Burnley forward, opened the scoring for the hosts with a close-range finish three minutes after half-time.

    Pavel Sulc found Vydra facing an empty net after he had intercepted United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s pass inside the box.

    Hojlund double guides United to victory | 00:58

    The goal was a wake-up call for United manager Ruben Amorim, who made three replacements in its wake, including Hojlund.

    “It was not a great game,” said Amorim, before praising the substitutes. “They changed the game. They are there to do that so I’m pleased with that.”

    He added he was happy with the outcome: “It was important not to give up so that is a great message.”

    The former Sporting Lisbon boss replaced the sacked Eric ten Hag in November, but the chilly evening in Plzen showed United still have some way to go.

    Both teams came into the match with nine points from five Europa League games, and they took time to find their pace.

    Fernandes had the first shot on target half an hour into the game, but Jedlicka parried his low right-footed effort from the edge of the box.Onana watched Cheick Souare’s shot curl just past the top corner of his goal two minutes before the break.

    United substitutes Mason Mount and Antony were denied by Jedlicka in the second half, with Mount failing to beat the ‘keeper twice from close range.

    But Hojlund turned the match on its head to put United in a strong position for direct qualification to the last 16.

    “We didn’t have so much time to work on this type of game. We were controlling the game but didn’t have the pace (in the first half),” said Amorim.

    “We want to improve and we want to improve really fast,” he added. United next face Rangers at Old Trafford on January 23.

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  • 98th-min penalty chaos as PSG steal draw; Man City’s epic comeback: CL Wrap

    98th-min penalty chaos as PSG steal draw; Man City’s epic comeback: CL Wrap

    Manchester City fought back brilliantly to win 3-2 at home after conceding two first-half goals to RB Leipzig in a thrilling Champions League battle for top spot in Group G.

    The victory keeps City’s perfect start to the group stage alive with 15 points from five games, assuring them of progressing to the knockouts in top position, while Leipzig are also guaranteed to progress.

    Meanwhile, there was shocking penalty drama as PSG secured a controversial late draw with Newcastle thanks to a 98th-minute Kylian Mbappe penalty.

    City complete epic second half comeback | 00:46

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    HAALAND MAKES HISTORY IN CITY COMEBACK

    Erling Haaland became the fastest player to score 40 Champions League goals as he kickstarted City’s epic comeback from two goals down.

    Leipzig’s goals both came from Lois Openda and in similar fashion – catching out City’s high defensive line (and errors from Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias) with rapid counter-attacks before finishing clinically.

    After the second goal, Sky Sports’ Ben Ransom said: “Another horror show from a Manchester City centre back. This time Ruben Dias is embarrassed by Openda as he doesn’t deal with the through-ball.

    “The RB Leipzig striker still has plenty to do and he manages to put Josko Gvardiol onto his backside before finishing. Not many here expected this.”

    Manchester City spurned a host of big chances in the first half, before Dias was substituted at halftime by a clearly frustrated Pep Guardiola.

    Two more changes ignited the comeback, with Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez entering the contest – and the latter then had an immediate impact, playing the ball to Phil Foden who teed up Haaland for a 40th Champions League goal in 35 appearances.

    Foden turned from provider to scorer with a brilliant goal of his own in the 70th minute after controlling a pass from Josko Gvardiol with an excellent first touch before finishing through the goalkeeper’s legs.

    Leipzig nearly retook the lead six minutes later when Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho raced away and put the ball in the back of the net, but he was called back for off-side.

    City poured forward and completed a brilliant comeback in the 87th minute when substitute Julian Alvarez blasted home from close range.

    Substitute Jeremy Doku fed it from the left side of the box to Foden, who again showed excellent control in the box to find Alvarez, who paused before thundering it home.

    It was Alvarez’s fourth Champions League goal in as many appearances this season.

    City celebrate the winner.Source: AFP

    PSG STRIKE CONTROVERSIAL LATE PEN IN THRILLING DRAW

    Elsewhere, a controversial late penalty for PSG earned them a draw against Newcastle in a blockbuster Group F encounter.

    Alexander Isak opened the scoring for Newcastle with simple finish when PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma parried a Miguel Almiron shot straight into the path of the attacker.

    Newcastle keeper Nick Pope then made a stunning save in the second half to deny 21-year-old Bradley Barcola from close range, before there was penalty drama as Anthony Gordon collided with PSG’s Achraf Hakimi – but the referee did not award the French side a penalty, and VAR agreed.

    PSG denied group deciding penalty? | 00:41

    Barcola – a 45 million euro signing – then blazed over the bar with a volley from close range in stoppage time, one of four big misses from the young gun as PSG simply couldn’t find the back of the net despite their dominance.

    Newcastle defended desperately, but deep into stoppage time their hopes of a famous win were cruelled when the referee awarded a hugely controversial PSG penalty for a Tino Livramento handball.

    The ball was deflected off the 21-year-old’s chest into his elbow – with his arm outstretched. Mbappe finished from the 12-yard dot for PSG in the 98th minute.

    While the penalty was controversial, PSG dominated proceedings, with 31 shots and over 70 per cent of possession.

    “It’s horrible, horrible,” former Socceroo Craig Foster said of the penalty decision on Stan Sport.

    Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side would have been eliminated with a defeat here, so at least they remain in contention, while avoiding a third defeat in five group games allows PSG to hold off the threat of a first elimination from the Champions League before the last 16 in the Qatar era.

    They have regularly struggled to impress in the Champions League in the last decade, but never as much as this season, and Mbappe’s late goal — his 17th of the season — got them out of jail here.

    Mbappe scored after a controversial penalty. Credit: Getty Images/Stan Sport.Source: Supplied

    Also in the same group, Olivier Giroud missed an early penalty for AC Milan before Borussia Dortmund scored through a penalty of their own.

    Milan equalised later in the first half through Samuel Chukwueze, before Dortmund struck twice in the second half to run away with the game. 19-year-old English gun Jamie Bynoe-Gittens made it 2-1 in the 59th minute before Karim Adeyemi sealed the win – and progression from the group.

    Dortmund have been criticised for their domestic form but are top of Group F on 10 points thanks to their third straight win in the competition, which came against a Milan team off-form and riddled with injuries.

    Milan reached the semi-finals last season but sit bottom of the group on five points and have a job on their hands to progress.

    Dortmund now lead the group with 10 points ahead of PSG (7), Newcastle (5), and AC Milan (5).

    PSG play Dortmund in the final group game, while Newcastle face Milan.

    Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates the penalty goal.Source: AFP

    BARCA END KNOCKOUT DROUGHT

    Barcelona came from behind to beat Porto 2-1 as Portuguese duo Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix both netted to turn the game on its head after Brazilian winger Pepe opened for Porto.

    The former Benfica pair pounced against their old club’s rivals to ensure Xavi Hernandez’s team would not face a humiliating group stage exit as they did in both of the last two seasons.

    Defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg in their previous European match made Barca nervous, with poor performances domestically adding to their jitters.

    However despite conceding first, Cancelo quickly levelled and he set up Felix in the second half for the winner.

    Xavi shook up his side with Cancelo switching to left-back and Oriol Romeu dropped for Ilkay Gundogan after Barcelona’s 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, the latest in a string of sub-par displays.

    Ronaldo praised for ultimate honest act | 00:46

    CELTIC DUMPED OUT BY LATE BRACE

    Ciro Immobile shot Lazio to the verge of qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League with a late brace in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over eliminated Celtic.

    Italy forward Immobile struck twice in the final 10 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to move Lazio top of Group E, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid who are at third-placed Feyenoord later on Tuesday.

    Lazio will be through to the next round if Feyenoord fail to beat their Spanish opposition as the Dutch outfit are four points behind the new group leaders.

    Immobile’s double, which took his all-competitions tally for the season to seven, confirmed Celtic’s exit from Europe’s top club competition.

    Brendan Rodgers’ side will finish bottom of Group E following the defeat which left the Scottish champions with a single point from their five group matches.

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  • Brighton hit six in epic demolition; wild seven-goal thriller stuns: PL Wrap

    Brighton hit six in epic demolition; wild seven-goal thriller stuns: PL Wrap

    Brighton crushed Wolves 6-0 to improve their prospects of qualifying for Europe, while Crystal Palace effectively sealed their Premier League survival with a 4-3 win against struggling West Ham on Saturday.

    Beaten on penalties by Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, Brighton can erase that painful loss if they make it into the Europa League or Europa Conference League.

    The eighth-placed Seagulls remain in contention to do just that after recording their biggest win of an impressive season that already includes victories over Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

    Roberto De Zerbi’s side went ahead in the sixth minute at the Amex Stadium through Deniz Undav’s close-range effort for his first Premier League goal.

    Pascal Gross struck in the 13th and 26th minutes, the second of his goals a spectacular volley that arrowed into the top corner.

    Pascal Gross hit a stunner.Source: Getty Images

    Danny Welbeck’s header gave Brighton four first-half goals for the first time since 2016.

    The former Manchester United player scored again shortly after the restart and Undav’s second was dinked finish in the 66th minute.

    “We suffered a lot in the last two games. This answer today was fantastic. I have no doubt about the level of the people inside the dressing room,” De Zerbi said.

    “The most important is not to lose our DNA and style. We deserve to achieve our target, Europe, but we shall see.”

    At Selhurst Park, Palace moved 11 points clear of the bottom three thanks to goals from Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Zaha, Jeff Schlupp and Eberechi Eze.

    Roy Hodgson’s team have won four of their six matches since the manager returned for a second spell at the club in place of the sacked Patrick Vieira.

    “The sword has been removed from my head, it’s been removed from the players’ heads,” Hodgson said of Palace banishing their relegation fears.

    “There is no reason for me to believe that the other teams are going to get 12 points from four games and we are going to get nothing. I believe we’ve done enough.”

    Roberto De Zerbi has worked wonders with BrightonSource: Getty Images

    – ‘Galling’ loss for West Ham –

    Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio and Nayef Aguerd were on the scoresheet for West Ham.

    But a second successive defeat leaves David Moyes’ men five points above the relegation zone with daunting fixtures against Manchester City and Manchester United looming next week.

    “I didn’t think we played well. Crystal Palace showed more quality than we did,” Moyes said.

    “The thing I pride myself on is that my teams are normally pretty hard to beat. Today we weren’t hard to beat and we weren’t hard to play against. That’s probably the most galling bit for me.”

    Crystal Palace Manager Roy Hodgson was stoked after his side’s clutch win.Source: Getty Images

    Fourth bottom Nottingham Forest suffered a late collapse in a 2-1 defeat at Brentford.

    Danilo marked his 22nd birthday by lashing Forest ahead from close-range in first half stoppage-time.

    But Brentford equalised in the 82nd minute when Ivan Toney’s free-kick bounced past a weak attempted save from Keylor Navas.

    Toney’s 20th top-flight goal this season was followed by Josh Dasilva’s lethal finish four minutes into stoppage-time, leaving Forest just one point above the relegation zone.

    “It’s a tough one to take. We fell short on the two goals and it’s cost us,” Forest boss Steve Cooper said.

    “There is no lack of togetherness, fight or will. We have to keep going.”

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