Manchester United claim vital Champions League victory, Bellingham strikes again for Real Madrid

Manchester United's Andre Onana celebrates with Sergio Reguilon after saving a penalty missed by FC Copenhagen's Jordan Larsson during their Champions League Group A match at Old Trafford. (Reuters)
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Updated 25 October 2023
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Manchester United claim vital Champions League victory, Bellingham strikes again for Real Madrid

  • Before kickoff at Old Trafford, United held a minute’s silence in memory of Bobby Charlton after the Red Devils legend died on Saturday at the age of 86
  • Arsenal beat Sevilla in the rain in Spain and Harry Kane was on target as Bayern Munich won a tough assignment against Galatasaray

PARIS: Andre Onana’s last-gasp penalty save secured a vital Champions League win for Manchester United against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday, while Jude Bellingham scored again for Real Madrid in their victory over Braga.

Elsewhere, Arsenal beat Sevilla in the rain in Spain and Harry Kane was on target as Bayern Munich won a tough assignment against Galatasaray.

Before kickoff at Old Trafford, United held a minute’s silence in memory of Bobby Charlton after the Red Devils legend died on Saturday at the age of 86.

They marked the occasion by claiming their first points in Group A as Harry Maguire’s 72nd-minute header secured a 1-0 win.

The result keeps alive their chances of advancing to the last 16 but they needed Onana to produce a brilliant save from Jordan Larsson’s 97th-minute penalty to see the game out.

The spot kick was awarded when Scott McTominay caught Mohamed Elyounoussi as he tried to hook a ball clear in the box, but Larsson — whose father Henrik briefly played for United in 2007 — could not convert the chance.

“It is incredible and a great night. Especially in the dying second when you concede a penalty, but a brilliant save from Andre Onana,” coach Erik ten Hag told broadcaster TNT Sports.

United are now back in contention to qualify but Bayern look set to run away with the group after making it three wins out of three with a 3-1 victory in Istanbul.

Kingsley Coman’s early opener for the German champions was canceled out by a Mauro Icardi penalty on the half-hour mark.

But Bayern pulled away in the second half, with Kane finishing in the 73rd minute to restore the visitors’ lead with his 11th goal in 12 games for his new club.

He then set up Jamal Musiala to wrap up the win.

Bayern have now won 16 consecutive matches in the Champions League group phase and have not lost at this stage in over six years.

“I don’t know how many group stage matches I’ve done as a coach, but it’s always super difficult — so it’s great to find ourselves with nine points after three matches,” said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel.

Madrid, the record 14-time European champions, also have three wins out of three in Group C after Rodrygo and Bellingham scored in a 2-1 victory over Braga in Portugal.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti was taking charge of his 200th game in the competition and he saw Rodrygo open the scoring on 16 minutes before Bellingham fired in just past the hour mark.

It was the England midfielder’s third goal in as many Champions League games for his new club, and his 11th in 12 matches altogether since signing from Borussia Dortmund.

Alvaro Djalo pulled one back for Braga, but Real can secure qualification for the last 16 when they host the Portuguese side next.

Napoli are second in the group after a 1-0 win at Union Berlin, who are still without a point.

Giacomo Raspadori scored the only goal in the second half as the Italian champions won without star striker Victor Osimhen.

In Group B, Arsenal bounced back from losing 2-1 to Lens in France in their last game as they beat Sevilla by the same scoreline on a sodden surface at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Gabriel Martinelli ran clear to open the scoring in first half stoppage time and a fantastic strike by Gabriel Jesus made it two.

Nemanja Gudelj pulled one back for Sevilla but last season’s Europa League winners have won just twice in 13 games in this campaign.

“There are not many teams to have won here in the last ten years in Europe and we’ve done it,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports.

Lens are second, a point behind Arsenal, after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at home to PSV Eindhoven with Elye Wahi canceling out Johan Bakayoko’s opener.

Last season’s beaten finalists Inter Milan are joint top of Group D with seven points after defeating Red Bull Salzburg 2-1 at San Siro.

Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty won it for Inter after Alexis Sanchez’s opener was canceled out by young Israeli Oscar Gloukh.

Real Sociedad are level with Inter thanks to a 1-0 win over Benfica in Lisbon secured by a Brais Mendez goal.

Benfica are still without a point and staring at an early exit.


Chelsea, Lyon and Roma stay perfect with victories in Women’s Champions League

Updated 18 October 2024
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Chelsea, Lyon and Roma stay perfect with victories in Women’s Champions League

  • Lyon defender Wendie Renard stole the show as her header found the back of the net early on in her 118th game in the competition
  • Chelsea struck early in another winning performance under new coach Sonia Bompastor, who joined from Lyon

LONDON: Chelsea, Lyon and Roma all stayed perfect in the Women’s Champions League by cruising to away victories on Thursday.

Roma routed Galatasaray at Istanbul 6-1, Chelsea beat Twente in the Netherlands 3-1 and eight-time champion Lyon won 2-0 at Wolfsburg.

Real Madrid claimed their first victory of the campaign by easing past Celtic 4-0.

Roma and Lyon both have six points in Group A. Two-time champions Wolfsburg and Galatasaray, the first Turkish team to reach the group stage, have no points.

In Group B, Chelsea lead with six points, with Madrid and Twente on three and Celtic last bottom without a point.

Renard strikes on Popp’s day

Wolfsburg striker Alexandra Popp made her 100th competition appearance — becoming only the second player to reach the mark but it was Lyon defender Wendie Renard, the only one who has played more, who stole the show.

Renard’s header found the back of the net early on in her 118th game in the competition.

US international Lindsey Horan netted from the penalty spot in the second half.

Lyon are the competition’s record eight-time champion but last won the trophy in 2022. It was runner-up last season to Barcelona.

Roma rout

In a matchup between the Italian and Turkish champions, Roma dominated in Istanbul.

Summer signing Hawa Cissoko scored in the seventh minute to mark her debut game in the competition. The France defender who transferred from West Ham headed home off Manuela Giugliano’s corner.

Valentina Giacinti made it 2-0 in the 24th minute when she was left unmarked near the spot to head in Verena Hanshaw’s cross.

Giugliano failed to convert from the spot in the first-half stoppage time but Emilie Haavi got Roma’s third with a right-footed blast past goalkeeper Gamze Yaman early in the second.

Giugliano finally found the back of the net from close range for a 4-0 lead before Andrea Staskova scored the consolation goal for the hosts. Roma substitutes Marta Pandini and Alice Corelli also scored.

Blues win again under Bompastor

Chelsea struck early in another winning performance under new coach Sonia Bompastor, who joined from Lyon.

Agnes Beever-Jones put the Blues ahead with a long-distance deflected strike in the seventh minute and Maika Hamano made it 2-0 a short time later by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Olivia Clark from outside the area.

Substitute Guro Reiten added the third in the second from the spot just past the hour mark.

On Saturday, Chelsea beat city rival Arsenal 2-1 in the Women’s Super League.

Real Madrid bounce back

Real Madrid scored three second-half goals in 11 minutes against Celtic in Group B.

The Spanish team had lost to Chelsea 3-2 in the first round and drew with Atlético 1-1 in the Madrid derby over the weekend.

Caroline Weir fired a long-range left-footer from outside the box into the far top corner in the seventh minute.

The visitors kept if close until the 72nd minute, when Signe Bruun headed home the second goal followed eight minutes later by Caroline Moller’s lob of goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty for a 3-0 lead. Linda Caicedo then converted from the penalty spot.

It’s back-to-back losses for Scottish club Celtic, making their debut in the group stage. They have yet to score.
 


Inter Miami star Lionel Messi bags inaugural MARCA America award

Updated 18 October 2024
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Inter Miami star Lionel Messi bags inaugural MARCA America award

  • The award recognizes Messi’s championship-laden career — one with a record 46 trophies won for club or country, and at least 56 other awards on the individual level
  • For Messi, no title outshines the 2022 World Cup with Argentina that helped cement his legacy among the sport’s greatest players

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida: Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi added another award to his collection on Thursday.

Messi became the first recipient of the MARCA America Award, presented by the Spain-based media company. The award recognizes Messi’s championship-laden career — one with a record 46 trophies won for club or country, and at least 56 other awards on the individual level.

“It has been quite the journey,” the Argentine superstar said in Spanish during a moderated question-and-answer session at Chase Stadium, Inter Miami’s home field. “We have experienced so many beautiful things but also complicated moments. In 20 years not everything is beautiful. You cannot win all the time.”

For Messi, no title outshines the 2022 World Cup with Argentina that helped cement his legacy among the sport’s greatest players. However, the 37-year-old Messi has won plenty and still feels the drive to continue adding titles. Similar to his titles with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Messi already has helped Inter Miami win hardware since he joined the MLS club in July 2023.

Although limited to 18 MLS matches this season because of an ankle injury and national team commitments, Messi has 17 goals and 15 assists to help lead Miami to the 2024 Supporters Shield. Miami will have home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs which begin next week.

“I was able to achieve the biggest prize, which is the World Cup,” said Messi, who had three goals and two assists in a 6-0 Argentina romp past Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. “It is the trophy all of us want when we start playing and I managed to fulfill my dream. We won many titles in Barcelona, Paris. Now we are here with the objective to fight hard for another title.”

Messi’s contract with Inter Miami runs through next season. And, after his recent goal-scoring performance on Tuesday, Messi could remain energized in his commitments with Argentina through the next World Cup cycle.

“I still have a deep love for this sport and I will continue to aspire to win more titles,” Messi said. “At this level, you have to enjoy things day by day.”

Inter Miami has one regular-season match left, coming at home Saturday against New England. If Inter Miami win it would set the MLS single-season points mark with 72, one more than New England had in 2021.


Real Madrid up and running in Women’s Champions League with Celtic thumping

Updated 17 October 2024
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Real Madrid up and running in Women’s Champions League with Celtic thumping

PARIS: Real Madrid bounced back from their opening loss to Chelsea by thrashing Celtic 4-0 in the Women’s Champions League on Thursday, while Roma made it successive wins by putting six past Galatasaray.
Scotland international Caroline Weir curled home a brilliant left-footed strike from outside the box into the top corner to give Real Madrid a seventh-minute lead.
The hosts had to wait until the 72nd minute to double their advantage against a stubborn Celtic through Signe Bruun’s header.
Caroline Moller came off the bench and added a wonderful third with a 30-yard lob, before Colombian star Linda Caicedo rounded off the scoring with a penalty.
Real Madrid, bidding to avoid a third straight group-stage exit, moved level on three points after two matches with Chelsea and Twente, who meet later Thursday, in Group B.
Six different players scored as Roma continued their flying start to Group A with a 6-1 rout of tournament debutants Galatasaray in Istanbul.
Wolfsburg, who lost to Roma in their first game, host record eight-time champions Lyon later.


Monaco aiming to last in Ligue 1 title fight with PSG

Updated 17 October 2024
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Monaco aiming to last in Ligue 1 title fight with PSG

  • The principality club were thrilling champions in 2017 with a teenage Kylian Mbappe in their ranks
  • They were runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season

PARIS: Monaco have had a fine start to the season at home and in Europe, and are hoping to last the pace in the Ligue 1 title race ahead of a stiff test of their credentials against Lille this weekend.
The principality club were thrilling champions in 2017 with a teenage Kylian Mbappe in their ranks but have not managed to repeat those heroics despite four podium finishes in the seven seasons since.
However, they were runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season and went into the recent international break top of the table, two points clear of the reigning champions.
Under Austrian coach Adi Huetter, Monaco have won six of their seven Ligue 1 matches so far, the sole exception being a 1-1 draw at home to Lens, when they were denied victory by a stoppage-time penalty.
They have also got off to a good start in their first Champions League campaign in six seasons, beating Barcelona 2-1 at the Stade Louis II before coming from two goals down to draw at Dinamo Zagreb.
Monaco have been helped by some sound close-season recruitment, in particular the arrival of young Senegal star Lamine Camara in midfield to make up for the sale of French international Youssouf Fofana to AC Milan.
The emergence of exciting young talents Eliesse Ben Seghir and Maghnes Akliouche is significant too, while the departure of prolific captain Wissam Ben Yedder may ultimately be beneficial.
Ben Yedder, who scored 98 Ligue 1 goals in five seasons, is currently on trial for sexual assault and is battling alcoholism.
The next week will say much about Monaco’s long-term prospects however, with Lille’s visit on Friday followed by a Champions League meeting with Red Star Belgrade and then a derby against Nice.
“It is a fact that we have started the season very well but it was the same situation at this point last year,” Huetter pointed out. Monaco were top after seven games last season.
“We have some big opponents coming up and for me Lille are one of the best teams in the league.”
Eight-time champions Monaco have also been dealt a blow with the news that United States striker Folarin Balogun will be out for two months after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the team’s last game, a 2-1 win at Rennes.
This weekend’s opponents Lille, champions in 2021, are fifth and recently beat Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The trip to the Mediterranean for them will be followed by a journey to Spain to play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

The midfielder, 31, was so impressive on Brest’s run to a surprise third-place finish last season that he was named in Ligue 1’s team of the year.
An untimely injury — a stress fracture of the fibula — prevented him from leaving the Brittany club during the close season when a lucrative move to a more glamorous name seemed on the cards.
He then played no part in Brest’s first eight games of this campaign but returned as a substitute in their last match, against Le Havre two weeks ago.
Now he is in line to feature in Saturday’s Brittany derby against Rennes — a club he might have joined last season — and will hope to start in Wednesday’s Champions League clash against German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

21 — Leaders PSG have scored 21 goals in Ligue 1 so far this season, an average of three per game, suggesting Kylian Mbappe’s departure is not being too keenly felt.
6 — PSG’s Bradley Barcola is Ligue 1’s top scorer with six goals. He also scored for France in this month’s Nations League action, netting in a 4-1 win over Israel.
4 — Mason Greenwood has gone four games without scoring after netting five goals in his first three appearances for Marseille.

Fixtures (times GMT)
Friday
Monaco v Lille (1845)
Saturday
Brest v Rennes (1500), Saint-Etienne v Lens (1700), Paris Saint-Germain v Strasbourg (1900)
Sunday
Le Havre v Lyon (1300), Auxerre v Reims, Nantes v Nice, Toulouse v Angers (all 1500), Montpellier v Marseille (1845)


Klopp ‘aura’ will boost Red Bull, says Leipzig coach Rose

Updated 17 October 2024
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Klopp ‘aura’ will boost Red Bull, says Leipzig coach Rose

  • Rose said his addition was “a real bonus and a great signing“
  • “His aura and expertise will benefit and help us”

BERLIN: RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose said Jurgen Klopp, who has been appointed head of football at parent company Red Bull, had the “expertise and aura” to boost the club.
Former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz boss Klopp is set to start a new role as head of football operations at Red Bull, which owns the RB Leipzig, Salzburg and New York clubs, from 2025.
Rose, who played under Klopp at Mainz for six years and has previously spoken about his influence on his coaching career, said his addition was “a real bonus and a great signing.”
“His aura and expertise will benefit and help us,” Rose told the Bundesliga website. “He didn’t just win titles but also went through tough times.
“We were relegated at Mainz. He didn’t win the title in his first or second year at Dortmund.
“Even at Liverpool he had to go about working on developing things, putting together a squad that suited him. And that paid off in the end.”
Klopp won back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before moving to Liverpool. At the Reds, Klopp won several major trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League.
Leipzig host Klopp’s former side Liverpool, now managed by Arne Slot, in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“I think everyone knows who Kloppo is,” added Rose. “I’ve got a good feeling about it.”
Klopp’s appointment has however caused controversy, particularly in Germany where some fans are critical of the energy drink brand’s ownership of Leipzig, as well as multi-club models in general.