Liverpool boss Arne Slot described Paris Saint Germain’s visit as the second of “three finals” in a week, but has warned much more is needed from the Premier League leaders to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
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The Reds escaped the Parc des Princes with a 1-0 lead last week despite being battered by the French champions, who came up against an inspired Alisson Becker in the Liverpool goal.
The Brazilian number one said his nine-save display was the “performance of his life”.
Never before have Liverpool won the first leg of a European tie away and let the lead slip at Anfield.
However, Slot is taking nothing for granted based on what he saw from PSG. Luis Enrique remained upbeat his side are “going to do it” despite suffering a first defeat in 23 games.
Adding to Slot’s concern was the lethargic first 45 minutes from his side against rock bottom Southampton in Saturday’s 3-1 win that forced the Dutchman into three half-time substitutions.
The Saints, who have won just nine points from 28 games all season, took a shock lead into the break before Darwin Nunez and two Mohamed Salah penalties turned the game around to stretch Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League to 15 points.
The League Cup final against Newcastle is also around the corner on Sunday with Slot very much on track for a treble in his first season in charge.
“The first of three finals,” he said of the victory over Southampton. “I do hope the next two finals we will play a bit better than the first one.
“The only good thing in the first 45 minutes was that they saved their energy (or PSG) and didn’t run at all. It was maybe the first time this season I saw this tempo.
“When I look at the game against PSG, we need to go one step up in terms of intensity. But if I compare it with the game today (Saturday), we need to go three, four, five, six or seven steps up in terms of intensity if we want to have any chance of reaching the next round.”
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– ‘Going for us’ –
Salah conceded that he had rarely seeing his manager so furious as he was during a half-time tirade that helped the turn the Southampton game around.
“The manager was like going for us,” said the Egyptian. “That’s something you need sometimes.” Slot has had little reason to lose his cool in his first nine months as Jurgen Klopp’s successor.
But he has shown his ruthless side when needed to keep Liverpool on course for just the fourth treble for an English side that would include the league title and Champions League.
Harvey Elliott scored the smash-and-grab winner in Paris with his first touch after replacing Salah, who had a rare off night.
Nunez’s work rate was questioned by his coach after disappointing displays against Wolves and Aston Villa, when he missed a glorious chance to win the game, last month.
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The Uruguayan has bounced back to deliver the assist for Elliott at the Parc des Princes and then sparked the fightback against Southampton with his first goal in 11 games.
Many believed Nunez would have been one of those sacrificed by Slot’s triple half-time change, but he rewarded his manager’s patience.
“I always hate the idea, if we need to score goals, to take someone off that can score a goal,” added Slot.
“That’s also the life of a number nine – you go from missing a chance to scoring an important goal.” After a pummelling in Paris, Slot is determined Liverpool do not make the same mistake in their quest for a seventh European Cup.
The English champions did snap a five-game losing streak but did little to boost confidence ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool by conceding three times in the final 15 minutes.
Pep Guardiola admitted his star-studded squad were “fragile” and lacking in confidence after the worst run of his managerial career, while a shock stat was exposed.
We lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course, we need a victory,” he said to Prime Video.
“The game was good for the confidence, we were playing at a good level and then for the first time something happened, we have problems.”
Manchester City became the first team in the history of the Champions League to be leading by three goals as late as the 75th minute, before failing to win.
Two goals from Erling Haaland, either side of Ilkay Gundogan’s deflected effort, looked set to restore some order for City.
But the defensive frailties that have been the root cause for a staggering collapse in recent weeks was exposed in the closing stages.
Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko hit back to salvage a vital point for the Dutch giants.
A draw leaves City with plenty of work to do to reach the knockout stages with trips to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain to come in their next two Champions League games.
Only the top eight progress directly to the last 16 with a place in the top 24 of the 36-team table enough to reach the playoff round.
City drop to 15th on eight points from five matches, just one point ahead of Feyenoord in 20th.
Guardiola reacted to a first home defeat for two years in a 4-0 humbling by Tottenham on Saturday by making three changes.
Jack Grealish, Matheus Nunes and Nathan Ake came into the starting line-up but it still took City time to find their rhythm.
Nerves around a far from full Etihad Stadium were frayed when Igor Paixao wasted a big chance to give the Dutch giants the lead.
Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Manchester City and Feyenoord at City of Manchester Stadium on November 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Instead, City got the break they needed when Haaland was fouled inside the box from a corner.
The Norwegian missed from the penalty spot in City’s 4-1 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon last time out in the Champions League.
This time Haaland was clinical and smashed the ball into the net in relieving his frustrations of recent weeks.
Gundogan’s volley from the edge of the box that deflected in off Hancko gave City breathing space early in the second half.
Haaland then slid in to meet Nunes’ cross for his 46th Champions League goal in 44 appearances in the competition to seemingly put City on easy street.
But there was a sting in the tail for the home side after Josko Gvardiol’s slack backpass allowed Moussa in to round Ederson and fire in from a narrow angle.
Guardiola held his head in his hands in response and worse was to come when Ederson failed to deal with Jordan Lotomba’s near-post effort and the ball fell kindly for Gimenez to make it 3-2.
More kamikaze defending gifted Feyenoord an equaliser as Rico Lewis played Paixao onside. He eased around the onrushing Ederson and crossed for Hancko to head into an unguarded net.
City have now conceded two or more goals in six consecutive games for the first time since 1963.
There was still time for more drama as Grealish’s shot came back off the crossbar in City’s search for a late winner.
Instead they had to settle for a point that will feel just as damaging as the previous five defeats for a side so used to winning.
ARSENAL’S RUTHLESS ROUT
Arsenal extended their revival with a ruthless 5-1 rout of Sporting Lisbon to bolster their bid to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side ended a three-match winless run in all competitions by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League last weekend.
And the Gunners built on that success with an even more dynamic display at the Jose Alvalade stadium.
Gabriel Martinelli gave Arsenal an early lead and Kai Havertz increased their advantage before Gabriel Magalhaes struck just before halftime.
Goncalo Inacio got one back for Sporting, but Bukayo Saka’s penalty underlined the gulf in class between the teams.
Leandro Trossard netted late on to give Arsenal five away goals in a Champions League game for the first time since 2008.
Arsenal’s third win in five Champions League matches this season lifted them into seventh place, with the top eight teams in the revamped tournament earning automatic qualification for the last 16.
Sporting’s first defeat in Europe’s elite club competition this season leaves them below Arsenal on goal difference.
Arsenal are nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after their dip, but this swaggering effort suggested they are finally back in the groove.
Arteta had challenged Arsenal to make a statement against Sporting and they responded in emphatic fashion.
The north Londoners’ first away win in the Champions League in six attempts was a welcome tonic after a 1-0 loss at Inter Milan in their last European fixture.
Arsenal’s impressive performance was all the more notable as Sporting had crushed Manchester City 4-1 in their final Champions League game under Ruben Amorim, who has since taken charge of Manchester United.
Joao Pereira has replaced Amorim as Sporting boss but he was unable to maintain their unbeaten start to the season as the Portuguese champions were defeated for the first time in 19 games in all competitions.
Thomas Partey of Arsenal celebrates victory with teammate Bukayo Saka after the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 26, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It took just seven minutes for Martinelli to put Arsenal ahead. Jurrien Timber’s low cross was perfectly weighted and the Brazilian slid in to apply the finish inside the six-yard box.
In stark contrast to City’s capitulation at Sporting earlier in November, Arteta’s men were in complete command.
They picked the Sporting defence apart again in the 22nd minute as Thomas Partey’s incisive pass picked out Saka’s run beyond the hosts’ creaky off-side trap.
Saka guided a pinpoint pass into the Sporting area and Havertz timed his run immaculately to slot home from close range.
Sporting finally forced a save from David Raya when 17-year-old Geovany Quenda unleashed a fierce strike that the Arsenal keeper tipped over.
But Gabriel bagged his first Champions League goal on the stroke of halftime. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess was on show as the Brazilian defender rose highest to power his header past Franco Israel from Declan Rice’s inswinging corner.
Gabriel marked the goal with a cheeky celebration as he mimicked the eye-covering gesture used by Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres when he scores.
That inflammatory gesture briefly woke Sporting from their slumber and Inacio reduced the deficit two minutes after halftime.
Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori went to sleep at a corner and Inacio took advantage to volley past Raya from close range.
Sporting needed another goal quickly to put Arsenal under genuine pressure, but instead it was the visitors who struck again in the 65th minute.
Ousmane Diomande’s lunge tripped Martin Odegaard in the area and Saka drilled his penalty into the corner of the net.
Trossard put the seal on Arsenal’s demolition job in the 82nd minute, nodding home after Israel spilt Mikel Merino’s shot.
BAYERN BEST 10-MAN PSG
A first-half header from Kim Min-jae guided Bayern Munich to a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, damaging the French side’s hopes of progressing in the Champions League.
The centre-back scored after an error from PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, starting ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who spilt the ball into Kim’s path.
The South Korean’s effort was enough to decide the rematch of the 2020 Champions League final — won by Bayern by the same scoreline — and all but extinguishes PSG’s hopes of a top-eight finish and avoiding the playoff round.
Ousmane Dembele picked up a second yellow for an unnecessary challenge with half an hour remaining, with Bayern successfully shutting up shop as a result.
“It was an extremely intense game,” Leon Goretzka said to Amazon Prime. “You could see in the starting XI they were going to try and hold onto the ball and to test us with their pressing — and we pushed to the end and it’s nice we could be rewarded.” With just three games remaining, even making the knockouts is not a given for the French champions, who are in 26th spot — two outside the playoff placings.
PSG host Manchester City in January along with facing tricky away trips to Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart.
Bayern’s top-eight hopes look rosier after the win, which extended their run of clean sheets to seven straight games in all competitions.
Bayern now sit 11th and take on relative European minnows Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava in their remaining games.
Both sides came into the game unbeaten and six points clear in their domestic leagues but in dire need of points in Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender #05 Marquinhos (L) and Paris Saint-Germain’s Portuguese midfielder #87 Joao Neves react after losing the UEFA Champions League, League phase – Matchday 5, football match between FC Bayern Munich Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Munich, southern Germany, on November 26, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)Source: AFP
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany opted for the speed of Leroy Sane over the creativity of France winger Michael Olise up front.
PSG boss Luis Enrique made five changes to his side but most notable was his decision to stick with goalkeeper Safonov, rather than Donnarumma, who had played all but one Champions League game this season.
Luis Enrique defended his call before the game, telling reporters: “I make my choices based on what I see on the pitch and what’s best for the team.” The decision appeared to pay off early, with Safonov responsible for good saves from Jamal Musiala and Sane inside the opening 12 minutes.
Kingsley Coman, the PSG academy product who scored the only goal in the 2020 final, almost broke the deadlock shortly afterwards, dribbling through five defenders and blasting just wide.
After PSG had a few opportunities of their own, including Joao Neves’ long-range effort whistling past the goalpost on 33 minutes, the Russian goalkeeper made a mistake which led directly to the opener.
Joshua Kimmich swung in a corner on the 38-minute mark which Safonov spilt. And Kim took advantage to power a header into the net for the first Champions League goal of his career.
Bayern were happy to let the game come to them in the second half but Dembele’s second yellow — his first had come for dissent — took the steam out of PSG’s hopes of a comeback.
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BARCELONA HIT BREST FOR THREE
Robert Lewandowski scored his 100th Champions League goal as Barcelona beat Brest 3-0 to climb provisionally second in the Champions League group standings on Tuesday.
The veteran striker slotted home from the spot in the 10th minute to fire the Catalans ahead and reach his milestone, adding a second late on after Dani Olmo’s goal to inflict the French side’s first defeat.
After dropping points in their last two outings in La Liga, coach Hansi Flick had urged his players to “eliminate” mistakes in their game and Barca produced a solid display.
They got off the mark quickly when Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot clumsily clattered into the back of Lewandowski after the forward controlled Pedri’s cross on his chest.
The striker dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty clinically to open the scoring after 10 minutes and bring up his century.
It made Lewandowski only the third player to reach that milestone in the competition, behind former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, on 129, and former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140.
Under Flick, the forward’s form has improved significantly this season, reaching 22 goals in 19 appearances between La Liga and the Champions League.
The 36-year-old has made 125 Champions League appearances with Barcelona and before that German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
“I am very happy, many years ago I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
“For me the most important thing is that we try to win every game, if I can score, then that’s the perfect solution.
“I don’t know how many games we have left before the end of the year but we have to win them all and rest over Christmas.” Barcelona were still without teenage star Lamine Yamal, recovering from an ankle problem, but Raphinha was busy on the right and the Catalans dominated proceedings.
They did not create many clear chances though until Fermin Lopez forced a fine save from Bizot with a diving header.
The Dutch goalkeeper made amends for his earlier mistake by denying the Spaniard with his leg.
Pedri and Gavi of FC Barcelona smile following the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between FC Barcelona and Stade Brestois 29 at Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys on November 26, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Lopez again came close early in the second half when Lewandowski put him in with a neat flick but Bizot was alert to save his low effort.
Playmaker Olmo had an effort scrambled off the line by Brendan Chardonnet as Barcelona sought to put the game to bed.
The former RB Leipzig midfielder eventually grabbed the second in the 66th minute when he received Gerard Martin’s pass in the box, showing some nifty footwork to dodge Chardonnet and beat Bizot at the near post.
Brest thumped RB Salzburg 4-0 and had dropped just two points from their first four matches despite sitting in mid-table in Ligue 1, but were brought down to earth at the Olympic Stadium.
Mathias Pereira Lage drilled home to momentarily delight nearly 3,000 travelling supporters but their joy was curtailed when the linesman raised his flag for off-side.
Barca substitute Pablo Torre should have netted Barcelona’s third when he intercepted a pass with just the goalkeeper to beat, but fired wide.
Instead the job fell to Lewandowski and he rolled home his 101st Champions League goal with aplomb, beyond Bizot’s outstretched arm.
Brest fall a few places down the table but their strong start to the campaign means they are well placed to secure at least a playoff spot, while Barcelona are aiming to reach the last 16 directly.
Flick’s side travel to last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund next, before visiting Benfica and hosting Atalanta.
A Hakan Calhanoglu penalty gave Inter Milan a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday, while a 93rd-minute winner ensured Atletico Madrid left Paris with all three points.
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The Italian champions remain undefeated in the competition this season and sit fifth on 10 points at the midway point of the new league phase format.
“I think we played a great game against a strong side who play with great intensity,” said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi.
Arsenal, on the other hand, experienced defeat for the first time in Europe this season and lie three points and seven places behind their opponents.
The match at the San Siro looked set to go into the break goalless until a penalty was signalled against Mikel Merino after Mehdi Taremi’s flick deviated the ball into the Arsenal player’s raised hand from close range.
Earlier in the first half, Merino felt he was denied a penalty when Sommer connected with his head as he punched clear Gabriel Martinelli’s cross, but VAR did not see enough to overturn the on-field decision.
“We were very harshly done by,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.
“There is no deflection, nothing you can do in the box, so can he get away from it?”
Arteta continued in the post-match press conference: “We were told at the start of the season that wasn’t a penalty. That was clear. Today it was a different story. But OK. They decide that is a penalty.
“But if that is a penalty then the one on Mikel Merino where he punches him in the head has to be a penalty, 1,000 per cent. These are the margins in this game and it’s very, very difficult to accept.”
Inter Milan’s Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer makes a save in front of Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino. Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFPSource: AFP
Calhanoglu stroked home the resulting spot-kick three minutes into first-half injury time.
Yann Sommer and Denzel Dumfries combined on the line to deny Gabriel Magalhaes a leveller shortly before the hour.
Arsenal cranked up the pressure in the second half but were unable to break down Inter’s solid defensive block as the Premier League side fell to a second defeat in four days.
Barcelona beat Red Star Belgrade 5-2 in Serbia to claim sixth spot in the standings.
The Catalans took the lead on 13 minutes via a stooping header by defender Inigo Martinez.
But Red Star struck back just prior to the half-hour when Silas Mvumpa sprang the Barca offside trap and lifted the ball past Inaki Pena.
Robert Lewandowski effectively ensured Barca stayed in the automatic qualification spots with a quick-fire double either side of the break.
Raphinha and Fermin Lopez then netted, before Felicio Milson curled in a late consolation for the hosts.
Atletico stunned PSG 2-1 in the French capital as Angel Correa’s stoppage-time winner gave the Spaniards a second Champions League win this term.
“Paris played very well, they attacked the whole match, but we were confident, we worked hard in defence and as a team, and we got our goal at the end to claim victory,” Correa said to Movistar.
The loss means the French champions sit in the elimination zone with one win and a draw from four, with matches against Manchester City and Bayern Munich to come.
Warren Zaire-Emery sent PSG ahead with a dinked finish past Jan Oblak on 14 minutes, before Nahuel Molina drilled in an equaliser four minutes later.
The home team pressed as the match wore on but left themselves exposed as Oblak’s throw found Antoine Griezmann on the break and the Frenchman’s pinpoint pass landed at the feet of Correa, who cut in and finished past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Jamal Musiala struck in the 67th minute to get Bayern Munich’s stuttering campaign back on course with a 1-0 win at home to Benfica.
The six-time winners’ record of two wins and two defeats leaves them mid-table with four matches remaining.
After making his debut in the competition in just his second match back after a long injury lay-off, the England centre-half gifted Brugge a penalty in the 51st minute after he picked up a short goal kick taken by Emiliano Martinez.
Hans Vanaken stroked home from 12 yards to drop Villa to eighth. Brest continued their excellent start to life at European football’s top table, a 2-1 win at Sparta Prague taking them to fourth place.
Second-half strikes by Ademola Lookman and Nicolo Zaniolo gave Europa League champions Atalanta a 2-0 win at Stuttgart.
RB Leipzig picked up their first points of the campaign with a 3-1 victory in the Netherlands against 10-man Feyenoord.
Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine defeated Young Boys 2-1, condemning the Swiss side to a fourth consecutive defeat in the competition.
UEFA Champions League results
Club Brugge 1 (Vanaken 52-pen) defeated Aston Villa 0
Shakhtar Donetsk 2 (Zubkov 31, Sudakov 41) defeated Young Boys 1 (Imeri 27)
Bayern Munich 1 (Musiala 67) defeated Benfica 0
Feyenoord 1 (Hadj Moussa 81) lost to Salzburg 3 (Konate 45+2, 58, Guindo 86)
Inter Milan 1 (Calhanoglu 45+3-pen) defeated Arsenal 0
Paris Saint-Germain 1 (Zaire-Emery 14) lost to Atletico Madrid 2 (Molina 18, Correa 90+3)
Red Star Belgrade 2 (Silas 27, Milson 84) lost to Barcelona 5 (Martinez 13, Lewandowski 43, 53, Raphinha 55, Lopez 76)
Sparta Prague 1 (Olatunji 90+2) lost to Brest 2 (Fernandes 37, Kairinen 80-og)
Stuttgart 0 lost to Atalanta 2 (Lookman 51, Zaniolo 88)
Kylian Mbappe is being investigated for rape by Swedish police, according to a newspaper report in Sweden following a visit by the Real Madrid star to Stockholm, which Mbappe denounced as “fake news”.
After Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that an alleged rape had been reported to police but did not say who was accused, Expressen newspaper said 25-year-old Mbappe was the suspect.
“According to information obtained by Expressen, police are investigating the star who is reasonably suspected of rape and sexual assault,” the newspaper wrote.
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Swedish law enforcement differentiate the level of suspicion as either reasonable or probable, with reasonable being the lower degree of suspicion.
Mbappe’s entourage, when contacted by AFP, said it had no knowledge of a legal complaint made against him.
The French international was not selected for his country’s latest round of Nations League matches, so visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last Thursday.
They dined at a restaurant before going to a nightclub, according to the Aftonbladet report. Mbappe and the group left Sweden on Friday.
The newspaper said a rape was committed “in Stockholm city centre”, citing a formal complaint made to police on Saturday that it had seen.
Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed after the alleged victim had sought medical attention but did not say who was named in the accusation.
Later, Expressen reported that Mbappe was the suspect.
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Mbappe himself claimed in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there was a link between the Aftonbladet report and his hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday in his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says are unpaid wages.
Mbappe claims he is owed 55 million euros (A$90 million) by the Qatari-owned French champions.
“FAKE NEWS !!!!. It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” Mbappe posted.
A prosecutor investigating the accusation told AFP: “A probe is under way into a crime that was reported on October 10 in the centre of Stockholm.”
– ‘Slanderous’ –
Swedish police declined to give any further details.
“In general, if we have received a complaint and decided to conduct interviews and we make it known (to the public), those involved in the case may take actions that delay and complicate the investigation,” said police spokeswoman Carina Skagerlind.
Aftonbladet published photos on its website on Monday showing police officers in front of the hotel where Mbappe and the group with him had stayed.
Mbappe’s entourage said in a statement sent to AFP: “Today, a new slanderous rumour is starting to spread across the web from the Swedish media Aftonbladet.
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“These accusations are completely false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable.
“In order to put an end to this methodical destruction of (the) image (of Kylian Mbappe), all necessary legal action will be taken to re-establish the truth and pursue any person or media involved in the moral harassment and defamatory treatment that Kylian Mbappe is suffering repeatedly,” the statement added.
A source close to Paris Saint-Germain told AFP it would “ignore” Mbappe’s claim that there was a link between the report in Sweden and his dispute with the club.
Mbappe joined Madrid in the summer after seven years at PSG. He has become one of the world’s highest paid players after a stellar career. He joined Pele as the only teenager to score in a World Cup final when France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the 2018 edition and was voted Best Young Player of the tournament.
Four years later in Qatar, he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina but finished on the losing side as Lionel Messi’s side won in a penalty shootout.
Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French champions Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, with Real Madrid widely expected to be his next destination.
The announcement brings an end to a prolific association with his hometown team, which began when he signed from Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros.
“I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe, 25, said in a video posted on social media.
“I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”
PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title, their 10th in the last 12 seasons, and the Qatar-owned club will pick up the trophy after Sunday’s game against Toulouse, which will be their last of the campaign on home turf.
Luis Enrique’s side were eliminated from the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals on Tuesday when a 1-0 loss in the second leg at home sealed a surprise 2-0 aggregate defeat.
It means Mbappe will be denied the send-off he had hoped for in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1 and will end his seven-year spell at PSG without ever having won Europe’s elite club competition.
Mbappe informed PSG privately in February of his intention to depart when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
The 2018 World Cup winner had never confirmed publicly he was leaving, though, far less said where he will be going next, but it appears certain that he is bound for Real Madrid.
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“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said Mbappe.
“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.
“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that … but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”
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Mbappe’s arrival in the capital as a teenager in 2017 came after he had helped Monaco win the league title.
After initially joining PSG on loan, his transfer fee became — and still is — the second largest in football history.
It came just weeks after PSG paid a world-record 222 million euros to sign Neymar from Barcelona.
PSG have dominated French football since their 2011 Qatari takeover, but despite also adding Lionel Messi to their line-up for two seasons, European success has remained tantalisingly out of reach for a club that has spent billions on some of the world’s best players.
The closest they came was the 2020 Champions League final defeat by Bayern Munich, when PSG academy graduate Kingsley Coman scored the winning goal against his former club.
The defeat to Dortmund this week ruled out the prospect of Mbappe facing his likely future employers, 14-time European champions Real Madrid, in this year’s final.
Mbappe did not find the net in that tie but has scored 43 goals in all competitions this season, with 26 of those coming in Ligue 1.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans burn flares as they gather outside Parc des Princes, home to PSG, after Mbappe’s announcement.Source: AFP
He will still hope to add to his club-record tally of 255 goals for PSG and win another medal in the French Cup final on May 25 — Mbappe has so far won six Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and the now defunct League Cup twice in his seven years at his hometown team.
After Sunday’s game, PSG will complete their league campaign with away matches at Nice and at relegation-threatened Metz, before Mbappe wraps up his career with the club in that Cup final in Lille.
Mbappe was frozen out at the start of the campaign with the club putting pressure on him to sign a new deal or agree to be sold rather than simply run down the last year of his contract.
His relationship with PSG boss Luis Enrique has also come under the spotlight since he told the Qatar-owned club of his plans to leave earlier this year.
Now the worst-kept secret is out and Mbappe’s departure follows that of Messi and Neymar at the end of last season, which left PSG in a period of transition, but the loss of the France captain is an even greater blow.
Ciro Immobile gave Lazio a slender lead in their Champions League last 16 tie with under-fire Bayern Munich after netting the only goal in a 1-0 win in Wednesday’s first leg.
Italy forward Immobile slotted home the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 69th minute at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to pile pressure on Bundesliga champions Bayern.
The spot-kick was won by Gustav Isaksen who was clattered by Dayot Upamecano with a rash tackle which earned the France defender a red card and left Bayern a man down for the final 20 minutes.
Immobile’s strike came days after he netted his 200th Serie A goal and allowed a raucous Lazio home crowd to dream of a first quarter-final in Europe’s top competition in 24 years.
Lazio won the Italian title in 2000, when they fell to Valencia in the last eight, and in order to emulate that star-studded team Maurizio Sarri’s side still need to hold out in Bavaria next month.
It would be an upset, given Lazio sit just seventh in Italy’s Serie A.
However Bayern are a club in a slump and a toothless display in the Italian capital will do nothing to help embattled coach Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel is under pressure as Wednesday’s defeat came after a 3-0 thumping at Bayer Leverkusen which left Bayern five points off the pace in the German title race.
The Champions League looked like Bayern’s last chance at a trophy this season but Immobile put those hopes in serious doubt.
The referee had no choice but to brandish a red card.Source: Getty ImagesBayern Munich’s French defender #02 Dayot Upamecano (R) reacts after he received a red card.Source: AFP
MBAPPE STRIKES AS PSG LOOK TO END CURSE
Kylian Mbappe scored the opener as Paris Saint-Germain took a big step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.
The mediocrity of PSG’s first-half performance at the Parc des Princes may have had their supporters fearing another in a long line of disappointing results down the years in the Champions League knockout stages.
But Mbappe, who is expected to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, broke the deadlock from close range just before the hour mark.
Bradley Barcola’s well-taken goal in the 70th minute then made it 2-0 to give the French champions a comfortable cushion to take to Spain for the return early next month.
“We were in great difficulty in the first half but we knew that would be the case,” PSG captain Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus.
“The coach gave us an earbashing at halftime and I think that helped because the attitude was much better in the second half.
“The first part of the job is done. We know how important it is to win at home but it is not finished. We need to keep the same mindset between now and then, keep playing well in the league and then go there and play well to secure our qualification.”
Mbappe opened the scoring.Source: AFP
There was big pressure on PSG coming into this tie after they had gone out in the last 16 of the Champions League in five of the last seven seasons.
Another early exit from the competition this season would be a monumental setback for the Qatar-owned club, especially as Real Sociedad were appearing in their first Champions League knockout tie in two decades.
They also made the trip to Paris having failed to score a goal while failing to win any of their last four games in all competitions.
In addition to that, they were missing captain and top scorer Mikel Oyarzabal as he recovers from injury.
PSG, who gave a Champions League bow at left-back to 20-year-old Brazilian January signing Lucas Beraldo, were aiming to extend a run of 16 games unbeaten in all competitions stretching back to early November.
PSG’s Spanish head coach Luis Enrique gave his team a halftime spray.Source: AFP
PSG eventually broke the deadlock on 58 minutes as Ousmane Dembele’s corner from the right was helped on by Marquinhos towards the back post where Mbappe turned it in.
It was a 31st goal of the campaign in all competitions, and a fourth in the Champions League, for the France captain who is widely tipped to move to Real Madrid after this season.
Luis Enrique’s side did find the net again 20 minutes from the end when Barcola collected a ball on the left, skipped away from Hamari Traore on his way into box and then slotted the ball past Remiro for his first ever Champions League goal.
La Real could not find a way back into the game as their run without a goal stretched to five matches.
They now have something of a mountain to climb when they entertain PSG in San Sebastian on March 5, although supporters of the French side will remain wary given the way they have collapsed at this stage of the competition in recent years against Barcelona and Madrid, among others.
Football’s biggest transfer saga has taken a massive twist with a bombshell report claiming Real Madrid has pulled out of the race for French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
The 24-year-old, who finished third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or – football’s highest individual honour – has long been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeau.
But CadenaSER reports that the Spanish giants have now ruled out a bid for the talismanic Paris Saint-Germain forward at the end of the season – even if he is available on a free transfer.
That would put Premier League clubs on red alert over a bombshell transfer swoop for one of the world’s finest players.
Mbappe has been Madrid’s number one transfer target for the last two seasons, and appeared close to a move in 2022 and again this year.
PSG this week suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season, losing 2-1 to AC Milan.Source: AFP
The Paris star had a monumental fallout with the French champions in the off-season after refusing to sign a contract extension on his current deal, which expires at the end of the present season and would see PSG lose the star player in June 2024 without receiving a transfer fee.
Mbappe’s refusal to extend his contract was widely seen as the player pushing for a move to Madrid. Indeed, PSG insiders revealed that the club believed he already had an agreement in place to move to the Spanish club on a free transfer in 2024.
PSG responded by dropping him from all first-team duties – forcing him to train with other unwanted players or juniors, leaving him out of the pre-season trip to Japan, and exiling him from the senior squad’s dressing room. He was also removed from the list of first-team players on the club website and banners featuring his face taken down from the exterior of the stadium.
They were suddenly willing to sell their star man (rather than lose him for free 12 months later) – and even accepted a world-record fee of £259m from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Mbappe rejected that move, seemingly hoping Madrid would move up their timeline and sign him immediately.
Madrid were unwilling to make a move – though they had a figure around £100 million set aside – unless the player publicly declared his intention to leave PSG for Madrid.
Mbappe refused, and his icy standoff with PSG thawed when Neymar left for Saudi Arabia and Mbappe’s good friend Ousmane Dembele signed from Barcelona.
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Madrid – and particularly manager Carlo Ancelotti – were reportedly furious at what they viewed as a backflip from the French superstar.
Nevertheless, Mbappe moving to Madrid in 2024 was viewed as a near-certainty.
The player was expected to sign a one-year contract extension with PSG with a guarantee that he would be sold in 2024. Other reports stated that Mbappe would not sign a new contract, but would instead waive a massive loyalty bonus included in his PSG contract.
90min claimed that Mbappe would give up an €80 million (£68m) bonus he is owed over the course of the season (before tax, that would be a saving of €100m (£85m) for PSG).
In the past fortnight, there were widespread reports that Madrid were already in negotiations over a contract with Mbappe.
But Madrid shut down those reports in a strongly-worded statement that read: “Given information in the media about negotiations between the player Kylian Mbappe and our club, Real Madrid state that this information is categorically false. Negotiations have not taken place with a player who belongs to PSG.”
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And today, a bombshell report from CadenaSER claimed that Madrid have totally ruled out a move for Mbappe due to three main reasons.
The first is Mbappe’s massive wage demands, with the Frenchman demanding a reported salary of €20 million per year – more than double the €9m per season that Madrid’s new star signing Jude Bellingham earns (per the report).
With Mbappe turning 25 next month, he would also be a departure from their transfer policy that priorities younger signings.
That includes an already-finalised deal for Brazil’s superstar teenager Endrick, who will sign in June 2024 for a reported transfer fee of 35 million euros plus another 25 million euros in add-ons.
Look at the major transfers Real Madrid has landed recently: 20-year-old Jude Bellingham and 19-year-old Arda Guler this transfer window, Aurelien Tchouameni (then 22) last year, and Eduardo Camavinga (then 18) the season before.
Mbappe – who turn 26 midway through next season – would be a major departure from a clear long-term squad-building approach.
The third reason that Madrid has walked away from a move, per CadenaSER, is that signing Mbappe would cause division with fans and inside the club, given the controversy and drama that has surrounded his drawn-out transfer saga – particularly his perceived backflips on a move to Madrid in both 2022 and this recently-closed transfer window.
While Mbappe’s frosty relationship with the PSG hierarchy has thawed in recent months, for the star to commit his long-term future to the Parisians would still come as a major shock.
His stats this season are typically outstanding: 10 goals and an assist in 10 league games so far, on the back of a stellar 2022 World Cup showing as he led France to the final, where he scored a hat-trick in the defeat to then-PSG-teammate Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Mbappe walks past the 2022 World Cup trophy in Qatar.Source: Getty Images
It seems likely Mbappe will still look for a fresh challenge at season’s end – and Premier League clubs are now in pole position to swoop.
According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea and Liverpool are keenly interested. Cashed-up Chelsea have embarked on a remarkable spending spree in the last year but could finance a move by offloading talent, while Liverpool could look to cash in on Mohamed Salah, who is a top target of Saudi clubs and would fetch a hefty transfer fee.
The biggest issue will be Mbappe’s monster wage demands, with only Saudi Pro League teams able to comfortably match his desired salary given they operate without financial fair play restrictions.
With Barcelona strapped for cash and unlikely to make an attempt for his services given his Madrid links, and Bayern Munich having gone all-out to sign Harry Kane, it looks like Premier League heavyweights are the most likely destination – unless Mbappe pulls yet another U-turn and remains at PSG after all.
While the Madrid transfer saga appears to be over, Mbappe’s future will almost certainly be one of the biggest storylines of the season and the transfer window that follows.
Newcastle enjoyed a dream return to the Champions League at St James’ Park as Paris Saint-Germain were humbled in a 4-1 victory for the Magpies on Wednesday.
Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar scored the goals as Newcastle made their first home game in Europe’s elite competition for 20 years a night to remember.
Eddie Howe’s men move to the top of what is considered the toughest Champions League group in this season’s draw.
Newcastle have four points from their opening two games, one more than PSG, while Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan picked up their first point in a 0-0 draw in Germany.
The first ever clash between the clubs pitted the sporting interests of Saudi Arabia and Qatar head-to-head.
A Saudi takeover two years ago has transformed Newcastle’s fortunes in similar fashion to how the influx of cash from the Middle East has made PSG the dominant force of French football over the past decade.
PSG boss Luis Enrique warned before the game that Newcastle were the side no one wanted from the fourth pot of seeds and the Premier League side showed why.
Despite being acutely aware of Newcastle’s threat, Luis Enrique boldly stuck with a star-studded front four featuring Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani.
It could have been very different for the French champions had Dembele’s sweetly-struck volley form Mbappe’s cross found the net rather than flying inches wide early on.
But once the home side, roared on by a raucous 52,000 fans, got their claws into the visitors, they did not let go.
PSG were though architects of their own downfall with the opening goal on 17 minutes.
A slack pass by Marquinhos was intercepted by Bruno Guimaraes to give Alexander Isak a clear sight of goal.
Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a fine save to deny the Swede, but Almiron was on hand to curl into the far corner.
– Burn has moment to savour –
For all the hundreds of millions splashed on big names from around the globe from both sides, there was a fairytale surrounding the source of the second goal.
Burn grew up watching Newcastle from the St James’ stands and has worked himself up from starting his career in the sixth tier of English football with Blyth Spartans to the highest level of European football.
Donnarumma could not prevent the giant defender’s header from close range crossing the line six minutes before half-time.
But PSG were unhappy that a lengthy VAR review to check the goal did not rule it out for a handball by Jamaal Lascelles in the build-up.
Any hope of a PSG fightback after the break was snuffed out within five minutes of the restart thanks to another of Newcastle’s local lads.
Newcastle enjoyed a dream return to the Champions League at St James’ Park.Source: Getty Images
Longstaff raced onto Kieran Trippier’s pass and drilled a low shot under Donnarumma, who should have done much better.
However, the French champions did at least show some spirit to limit the damage. Teenage midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery impressed in a daunting environment and his dink over the Newcastle defence was perfectly judged for Lucas Hernandez to head into the far corner.
But Newcastle sealed a famous win in style in what they will believe is just the start of a journey towards Champions League glory one day.
Schar strode forward from central defence before unleashing a blistering strike into the top corner from outside the box.
By contrast, PSG are still waiting to conquer Europe and this was another stark reminder of how far off they are from the favourites for the competition.
Off to their worst Ligue 1 start of the Qatari era, PSG have now won just four of Luis Enrique’s first nine games in charge.
ALVAREZ AND DOKU STRIKE LATE TO PUSH CITY PAST LEIPZIG
Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku came off the bench to grab late goals and push Manchester City to a 3-1 victory at RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Facing Leipzig in the Champions League for the third straight year, City dominated from the start, Phil Foden slamming in the opener after some impressive lead-up play from teenage wing-back Rico Lewis.
Clearly outclassed in the first half, Leipzig struck back immediately after half-time, Lois Openda scoring after a sweeping counter attack to equalise.
But with Leipzig focused on talisman Erling Haaland, who scored five in 60 minutes the last time these sides met, it was the Norwegian’s understudy who scored the crucial goal, curling in City’s second just five minutes after being introduced.
Doku sealed the win with a goal in injury time.
Manchester City claimed a 3-1 victory at RB Leipzig.Source: AFP
MILAN PLAY OUT SECOND STRAIGHT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STALEMATE IN DORTMUND
AC Milan were held to a second successive goalless draw in the Champions League at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday to slip to third in Group F.
Stefano Pioli’s Italian side, semi-finalists last season, created the better chances but failed to convert them, just as in their opening 0-0 draw with Newcastle at the San Siro.
Dortmund drop to the bottom of the early standings, one point behind Milan and three adrift of early leaders Newcastle after their 4-1 victory over second-placed Paris Saint-Germain.
The Germans are also yet to score in the competition this term after losing 2-0 to PSG at the Parc des Princes.
Donyell Malen shot wide twice early on while Julian Brandt hooked an overhead effort over the cross bar as Dortmund started strongly.
But the best chance of the first half fell to the visitors in the 37th minute, as a stretching Olivier Giroud pounced on a loose ball but could only steer his close-range shot over the bar.
Milan pushed for a winner in the second half, with Theo Hernandez heading an excellent opportunity wide eight minutes from time.
Away midfielder Tijjani Reijnders came even closer in the 87th minute, curling narrowly off target as the visitors were forced to settle for a point.
TORRES SCRAPES BARCA IMPORTANT WIN AT PORTO
Ferran Torres’s strike earned Barcelona a tense 1-0 win at Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday in coach Xavi Hernandez’s 100th game in charge.
Barcelona have been eliminated in the opening stage in the past two editions but this hard-fought triumph on the road puts them in a strong position as Group H leaders to avoid a third consecutive strike-out.
Ferran Torres’s strike earned Barcelona a tense 1-0 win at Porto in the Champions League.Source: AFP
Xavi said the trip to the north of Portugal would be the hardest group game and his team had to dig deep, surviving a penalty which was cancelled after a VAR review and an offside goal in the gripping final stages.
Barca midfielder Gavi was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card as the Catalans clung on desperately to secure victory.
Xavi selected youngster Lamine Yamal on the right wing, making him the youngest starter in Champions League history at 16 years and 83 days.
The teenager showed some bright sparks in the first half but largely Porto were on top, cutting through a Barcelona midfield shorn of the injured Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
Barcelona holding midfielder Oriol Romeu endured a tough night, with Porto harrying him at every possible moment, roared on by a packed Dragao stadium.
Brought in from Girona to replace Sergio Busquets, the job is proving a big one for the former Southampton and Chelsea man to handle.
He was fortunate to avoid a yellow card in the first half but his team-mates Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo and Gavi went into the book — along with coach Xavi.
Mehdi Taremi appealed for a penalty early on after Jules Kounde took a handful of his shirt in the area but it would have been soft.
At the other end Joao Felix was involved in Barcelona’s best attacking moments, to a cacophony of whistles from Porto fans who had not forgotten his Benfica past.
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The Eagles beat Porto in the Portuguese Clasico last week, which Felix said would only motivate his old rivals even further.
However Porto midfielder Romario Baro lost concentration just before half-time and it proved costly for his side, who had more than held their own.
Romario’s under-hit pass was easily stolen by Ilkay Gundogan, who threaded through Torres.
The Spanish forward, who replaced injured hitman Robert Lewandowski earlier in the first half, rolled home a low strike under Diogo Costa.
– Backs to the wall –
Jules Kounde and Joao Felix were booked early in the second half as Barcelona did everything they could to keep Porto at bay.
French centre-back Kounde made a sublime challenge to knock the ball away from Pepe from behind as he was poised to shoot, after running through on Barcelona’s goal.
Taremi headed narrowly off target from Romario’s cross after Torres gave the ball away in midfield and Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved from Galeno at with his feet at the near post.
The German stopper made an even better save from Galeno with 20 minutes remaining, flinging himself full length to his left to tip the Brazilian’s effort to safety.
Referee Anthony Taylor awarded Porto a penalty with 10 minutes to go after Cancelo handled in the box, but after a VAR review, cancelled the decision for an earlier handball by Stephen Eustaquio.
Taremi then scored a brilliant overhead kick as Porto turned the screw but he was offside as he met winger Pepe’s cheeky scooped pass, with Barcelona holding on for the three points, despite Gavi’s late dismissal.
PEDRO STRIKES LATE TO LIFT LAZIO AS CELTIC CRASH
Lazio kick-started their Champions League campaign with a last-gasp 2-1 win against Celtic as Pedro netted in the final seconds of Wednesday’s clash in Glasgow.
Maurizio Sarri’s side arrived at Parkhead under a cloud after a wretched run in Serie A.
But Lazio banished the gloom in the most dramatic fashion when Pedro headed home with just moments left to stun raucous Parkhead into silence.
Celtic took the lead through Japan striker Kyogo Furuhashi’s first Champions League goal.
However, the Scottish champions’ hopes of winning on home soil in the Champions League group stage for the first time in 10 years were dashed.
Matias Vecino headed Lazio’s equaliser before the interval and former Chelsea winger Pedro produced the late plot twist.
Sarri’s men are languishing in 16th place in Serie A and looked vulnerable for long periods in the east end of Glasgow.
But once again they bagged a priceless late goal in Europe’s elite club competition after goalkeeper Ivan Provedel’s stoppage-time equaliser in their opening group game against Atletico Madrid.
Following a defeat against AC Milan at the weekend, Sarri had criticised the state of his squad in the wake of what he deemed a poor transfer window.
This gritty display was hugely encouraging against that troubled backdrop, leaving Lazio second in Group E on the same points as leaders Atletico.
Celtic have not claimed three points from a Champions League home game since a 2-1 win over Ajax in 2013.
Lens hand Gunners their first loss | 00:40
The Hoops have gone three more group campaigns without a win in front of their own supporters since then and the wait will go on at least until they host Atletico on October 25.
Beaten at Feyenoord in their opening group game this season, Celtic have won just one of their last 23 Champions League group games and face an uphill task to qualify for the last 16.
– Sting in the tale –
Revved up by the vociferous support of the sell-out crowd, it took just 12 minutes for Celtic to make the breakthrough with a flowing move.
Daizen Maeda stroked his pass to Matt O’Riley, who cushioned a first-time ball towards Kyogo.
Timing his run perfectly, Kyogo clipped a cool finish under Provedel from 10 yards to spark wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands.
With Lazio unable to establish any momentum, Sarri cut a frustrated figure, waving his arms in anger as pass after pass went astray.
But Sarri’s men snatched an equaliser against the run of play to ease their coach’s angst in the 29th minute.
It was a sloppy goal for Celtic to concede as they failed to clear a corner and Alessio Romagnoli headed down for Vecino to nod home from close range despite Joe Hart’s attempt to claw the ball off the line.
Celtic were back on the offensive when O’Riley arrived unmarked in the area to test Provedel with a low effort from Kyogo’s pass.
Reo Hatate nearly restored Celtic’s lead on the hour with a driven free-kick that Provedel parried away.
Luis Palma thought he had won it in the 81st minute when he drilled home from Maeda’s flick, but a VAR check ruled the Celtic substitute was offside.
There was a painful sting in the tale for Celtic as Lazio stole the points in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Cameron Carter-Vickers lost possession and Matteo Guendouzi’s perfectly weighted cross picked out Pedro, who rose highest to loop his header into the far corner from six yards.
Manchester United will face Bayern Munich and Harry Kane in this season’s Champions League while Friday’s group stage draw also placed Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United together.
Bayern and United will be favourites to advance from Group A, which also includes FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray, the Turkish champions.
The ties between the Bundesliga champions and the Old Trafford club will evoke memories of the most famous meeting between the sides, in the 1999 Champions League final won 2-1 by United after a remarkable late comeback.
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England captain Kane, who recently moved to Germany from Tottenham Hotspur, tweeted a picture of the finalised groups on Thursday, saying: “Can’t wait for this.”
“It’ll be fascinating to see Harry Kane back in the UK,” former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves said on TNT Sports.
“I’m sure they [Manchester United] would have loved to have had him but he probably cost a little bit too much.”
Group F looks to be the toughest of all with Saudi-owned Newcastle facing AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund as well as Qatar-backed PSG.
Newcastle are appearing in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years and their lack of recent pedigree in Europe’s elite club competition meant they were left lurking dangerously among the sides in pot four for the draw.
“It’s a super group of death, three great teams – PSG, Dortmund, the yellow wall, and AC Milan,” Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales said.
Having held on to Kylian Mbappe, French champions PSG will be expected to advance to the last 16 but Newcastle will hope to finish ahead of Dortmund and a Milan team that got to the semi-finals last season.
“It’s an extremely tough group, we can’t hide from that, but hey, we take it,” Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke told Sky Germany.
“We hope we can achieve something exceptional.”
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Fresh from winning the Champions League last season for the first time, City could hardly have asked for a kinder draw as they will take on RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys in Group G.
Pep Guardiola’s side can be expected to rack up the goals against the champions of Serbia and Switzerland, while City hammered Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate in the last 16 last season.
Back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, Arsenal will face Europa League winners Sevilla, 1988 European Cup winners PSV Eindhoven and Lens of France in Group B.
PSV, who beat Rangers 7-3 on aggregate in the play-offs to reach the group stage, faced Arsenal in last season’s Europa League.
Lens are back in the Champions League for the first time in two decades but they have history with Arsenal.
The French side beat the Gunners 1-0 at Wembley in the Champions League group stage in 1998, while Arsenal came out on top when the teams clashed in the UEFA Cup semi-finals the following season.
City seal victory with late Rodri strike | 00:54
Real Madrid, the record 14-time champions who won the trophy in 2022, were drawn with Italian champions Napoli in Group C, which also features Braga of Portugal and Champions League debutants Union Berlin.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti spent 18 months in charge of Napoli between 2018 and 2019.
Meetings between the teams have been rare, but Real beat the Napoli of Diego Maradona in the first round of the old European Cup in 1987.
Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona will take on Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp of Belgium in Group H.
Antwerp’s only appearance in Europe’s elite club competition before this season came in 1957/58, when they lost to Real Madrid in the first round.
Ukrainian champions Shakhtar will play home games in the competition this season in the German city of Hamburg.
Last season’s runners-up Inter Milan are in Group D with Portuguese champions Benfica, Red Bull Salzburg and Real Sociedad of Spain.
Scottish champions Celtic will face Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio in Group E.
Feyenoord, the Dutch champions, beat Celtic in the 1970 European Cup final. The first round of matches will be played on September 19 and 20, with the group stage concluding on December 13.
This is the last season of the group stage under the current format, which has been in place for two decades.
Next season UEFA will introduce an expanded group stage featuring 36 teams, up from the current 32, with every club playing eight matches instead of the current six in a format known as the “Swiss system”.
DRAW FOR UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUPS STAGE
Group A: Bayern Munich (GER), Manchester United (ENG), FC Copenhagen (DEN), Galatasaray (TUR)
Group B: Sevilla (ESP), Arsenal (ENG), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Lens (FRA)
Group C: Napoli (ITA), Real Madrid (ESP), Braga (POR), Union Berlin (GER)
Group D: Benfica (POR), Inter Milan (ITA), Salzburg (AUT), Real Sociedad (ESP)
Group E: Feyenoord (NED), Atletico Madrid (ESP), Lazio (ITA), Celtic (SCO)
Group F: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), AC Milan (ITA), Newcastle United (ENG)
Group G: Manchester City (ENG), RB Leipzig (GER), Red Star Belgrade (SRB), Young Boys (SUI)
Group H: Barcelona (ESP), Porto (POR), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Royal Antwerp (BEL)
SCHEDULE
Matchday one: September 19-20
Matchday two: October 3-4
Matchday three: October 24-25
Matchday four: November 7-8
Matchday five: November 28-29 Matchday six: December 12-13
Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.
The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.
“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.
“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.
“Al-Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia. This gives me a feeling that it is the right decision for me at the right time with the right club. I love winning and scoring goals, and I plan to continue doing that in Saudi Arabia and with Al-Hilal.”
Brazilian forward Neymar. Photo by Saudi Pro League / AFPSource: AFP
Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of AU$375 million, a few weeks before they recruited Kylian Mbappe.
The Brazilian scored 118 goals in 173 matches for PSG, winning five Ligue 1 titles and three French Cups, but his time at PSG was blighted by a catalogue of injuries.
Although he helped the club to the 2020 Champions League final, which they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich, he was sidelined for key games.
Neymar underwent surgery on his right ankle in early March, only returning to join PSG on their pre-season tour of Asia.
However, he no longer figured in new coach Luis Enrique’s plans and was immediately linked with a move to Al-Hilal, where he will earn “100 million euros a season”, according to a source close to the negotiations. However, other reports suggest Neymar will pocket around $541 million over the course of his two-year contract.
PSG will not come close to recouping the fee they paid for Neymar but will still pocket close to 100 million euros as well, according to the same source.
“It is always difficult to say goodbye to an amazing player like Neymar, one of the best players in the world,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in a statement from the French champions.
“I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, and what he has contributed to our club and our project over the last six years. We had a great moment and Neymar will always be a big part of our history.”
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward Neymar. Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFPSource: AFP
Al-Hilal have traditionally been one of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs and have been crowned Asian Champions League winners on four occasions.
They are also one of the four clubs — along with Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad — owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Al-Hilal are coached by Portugal’s Jorge Jesus, who is in his second spell at the club, while the squad currently boasts four international players recently lured from Europe — Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Neymar’s Brazilian compatriot Malcom.
Last month Al-Hilal made a 300-million-euro bid for Mbappe, though the striker reportedly refused to meet with officials from the team.
Neymar’s departure from PSG follows that of Lionel Messi who now plays for Inter Miami in the United States.
It comes barely 48 hours after Mbappe was reinstated to PSG’s first team, ending a stand-off over a contract dispute that had rumbled on for several weeks between the France captain and the Ligue 1 club.
French media reported Mbappe made Neymar’s departure one of the necessary conditions for him to sign a new contract in 2022, when the former was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid.
While Mbappe is now back in the fold, for the time being at least, Neymar has instead added himself to a growing list of high-profile players who have accepted the Saudi riches on offer.
The deal brings an end to an indifferent relationship with PSG, a club he wanted to leave to return to Barcelona in 2019 before signing a contract extension until 2027.
Paris were open to Neymar leaving last season, but his estimated salary of 30 millions euros a year put off any potential buyers.
He started the season strongly but was hit by the latest in a series of ankle injuries at the World Cup in Qatar, where he equalled the late Pele’s Brazil record with his 77th international goal.
