PARIS: Andreas Christensen came off the bench to head in the winning goal as Barcelona won 3-2 away to Paris Saint-Germain in a remarkable first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday.
Raphinha had earlier scored twice for the Catalans at the Parc des Princes, slotting in the opener late in the first half and then volleying in an equalizer to make it 2-2 just after the hour mark.
In between, PSG had turned the game around as they awoke from a poor first-half display by starting in electrifying fashion after the restart with two goals in six minutes, neither coming from Kylian Mbappe.
Ousmane Dembele struck against his old club, and Vitinha briefly put the French giants in front, only for Barcelona to recover in stunning fashion to take control of the tie.
Christensen’s goal, which came just after he had been introduced as a substitute on his 28th birthday, ended PSG’s 27-game unbeaten run and gives Barca a lead to defend at home in the return next Tuesday.
That second leg will be played at Montjuic, the Catalan club’s temporary home, rather than the Camp Nou, the scene of Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 win over PSG in 2017 and of a lethal Mbappe hat-trick in a 2021 meeting of the teams.
The Parisians were widely seen as the favorites coming into this tie, in large part thanks to the presence of Mbappe and Dembele in attack.
Security measures were reinforced at all of this week’s quarter-finals after the Daesh group made threats against stadiums.
But the story of this game ended up partly being about the selection decisions of PSG coach Luis Enrique, who was missing the banned Achraf Hakimi but also omitted teenage prodigy Warren Zaire-Emery and gave Marco Asensio a surprise start.
The importance of the occasion for PSG, back in the quarter-finals having been eliminated in the last 16 in five of the previous seven seasons, was clear with Ronaldinho — a former star for both clubs — doing a lap of honor ahead of the game and home fans putting on a Star Wars display as the teams came out.
But Paris struggled to live up to it, with Mbappe for once unable to deliver in a big game.
Appearing in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in four years and since the departure of Lionel Messi, Barcelona grew into this game and almost went ahead on 20 minutes.
Home goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma came to try to punch away a corner but Robert Lewandowski got there first, only for his header to be cleared off the line by Nuno Mendes.
That was the first wobble from Donnarumma, who did not cover himself in glory as Barcelona went ahead in the 37th minute.
The Italian came out to meet a low ball in from the right by Lamine Yamal but only succeeded in helping it into the path of Raphinha, who gratefully fired into an unguarded net for his first ever goal in the competition.
PSG sent on Bradley Barcola at the break for Asensio, with the substitute going to the right wing and Dembele moving across to an inside-left role close to Mbappe.
The tactical change paid off at once, as PSG drew level three minutes after the restart when Ronald Araujo failed to properly clear Mbappe’s cutback from the byline, the ball dropping to Dembele who rifled a shot high into the net while slipping.
It was just his second PSG goal since moving to the French capital from Barcelona last August.
The home side then went ahead in the 51st minute, Barcola and Lee Kang-in combining on the right before Fabian Ruiz supplied Vitinha, who controlled and prodded in.
Xavi responded with a double change just past the hour mark, as Pedri and Joao Felix entered and Yamal and Sergi Roberto came off, with Raphinha now on the right.
Pedri’s first contribution saw him float a ball forward for Raphinha, who arrived in the middle to meet it first-time on the volley, his shot beating Donnarumma to make it 2-2.
It was breathless stuff, and Dembele almost scored again, sending a shot off the far post just before Barcelona won it.
Donnarumma stayed rooted to his line as Ilkay Gundogan delivered a corner and Christensen headed in.
Barcelona beat PSG in thriller to seize edge in Champions League tie
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Barcelona beat PSG in thriller to seize edge in Champions League tie
- That second leg will be played at Montjuic, the Catalan club’s temporary home, rather than the Camp Nou
Fatigued Barca look to extend lead over Real ahead of Clasico
- “We conceded a lot of goals at home again and it’s unacceptable,” Barca forward Raphinha said
- Flick told reporters: “When you play every three days, it is not easy to work on certain things”
BARCELONA: After Barcelona salvaged their treble hopes in a thrilling Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan, Hansi Flick’s side will turn their attention back to LaLiga where a victory would put them in a strong position before another Clasico.
The LaLiga leaders came from behind twice to earn a 3-3 draw with Inter in the first leg on Wednesday but continued to show defensive frailty.
“We conceded a lot of goals at home again and it’s unacceptable,” Barca forward Raphinha said.
Flick’s side have scored over 150 goals in all competitions this season but a hectic schedule has taken its toll on the home stretch and Barca have kept only one clean sheet in their last five games.
“Of course, every team has its strengths and weaknesses,” Flick told reporters.
“When you play every three days, it is not easy to work on certain things. But at the moment the situation is this: these are things that happen.”
Barcelona have less than 72 hours to rest before they play Real Valladolid on Saturday, an easy fixture on paper since LaLiga’s bottom side were relegated from the top flight last week.
Barca thrashed Valladolid 7-0 in August as the team with just four wins and the worst defensive record (81 goals conceded in 33 games) welcome the leaders with nothing to lose but their pride.
KOUNDE BLOW
Barcelona were dealt another injury blow after Jules Kounde went down with a calf injury against Inter and had to be replaced.
No Barca player has played more minutes in LaLiga and the Champions League this season and the Frenchman had played more than 100 successive games for club and country since November, 2023.
Victory would give Barca a seven-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, whose defensive problems are far worse as they prepare to play Celta Vigo a day later.
Real have nothing left to play for apart from the league title after they lost to Barca in the Copa del Rey final and were knocked out by Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Their recent form has rung alarm bells at the Bernabeu and Spanish media have reported that manager Carlo Ancelotti is on his way out of the club at the end of the season, with Brazil keen on securing his services.
Real must find a way to close the gap or risk handing Barcelona the LaLiga title when they face each other on May 11.
The Spanish giants have faced off three times this season in domestic competitions and Barcelona have come out on top each time, scoring 12 goals.
Third-placed Atletico Madrid kick off the weekend’s action at Deportivo Alaves and although challenging Barcelona for the title is next to impossible with a 10-point gap, they could reel in their city rivals.
Athletic Bilbao are safe in fourth spot for the time being as they focus on the Europa League semifinal first leg against Manchester United on Thursday before a trip to Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Qatar replaces Garcia as national coach with Lopetegui
- Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui signs contract until the 2027 Asian Cup
- Lopetegui’s last two jobs were in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham
DOHA: Qatar appointed former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui as the national coach on Thursday.
Lopetegui, 58, has signed a contract until the 2027 Asian Cup, where Qatar will go for a third consecutive title. His first game in charge is on June 5 at home to Iran, and then in Uzbekistan five days later.
“Ready for a new chapter. Welcome Lopetegui,” the Qatar Football Association wrote on social media. “We’re excited to embark on this journey together.”
Lopetegui replaces fellow Spaniard Luis Garcia, who took the job only last December and whose departure was also announced on Thursday.
“The QFA extends its deepest appreciation to Mr. Garcia for his professionalism and dedication throughout his time with the team,” the QFA wrote on social media.
After poor results in World Cup qualifying, Qatar is fourth in Asia Group A and already out of the running to finish in the top two spots that guarantee a place at the 2026 tournament. But there is still a chance for the 2022 host to qualify for the first time through a playoff route.
Lopetegui’s last two jobs were in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham, where he was fired in January.
Hussein Ammouta U-turn leaves Iraq still without a coach as big games loom
- 7 candidates in the running to be in charge when World Cup qualifiers resume in 5 weeks
AMSTERDAM: No coaching carousel spins faster than those in West Asia.
Since World Cup qualification began in October 2023 all 12 Arab nations in the Asian Football Confederation have changed managers.
The latest tactician to be given his marching orders was Jesus Casas who recently left the Iraq post after two years and five months at the helm.
It was widely tipped that the Iraq Football Association would bring in a big name to replace Casas and lead the team to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.
A leading candidate quickly emerged — Al-Jazira manager Hussein Ammouta who earned plaudits by leading Jordan to the 2023 Asian Cup final.
The Moroccan has strong links to the country’s top brass.
The IFA’s President Adnan Dirjal coached Ammouta at Al-Sadd in the late 1990s. And when Ammouta became manager of the club a decade-and-a-half later he recruited the IFA’s Vice President Younis Mahmoud to lead the line for the Qatari powerhouse.
Everything was set to unveil the 55-year-old this week, according to the Iraqi media and Twitterati. Then it was off, leaving the Lions of Mesopotamia without a manager with less than five weeks before their next World Cup qualifier.
Addressing the media in the aftermath, Mahmoud said there were seven candidates, amongst them three foreigners. He was coy about the details and played up the virtues of having an Iraqi in the role.
“We are still in negotiations and we will announce in the coming days. It could be Ammouta. I don’t know anything about what has been said, I leave these details to (president) Adnan (Dirjal) as he is a former manager and knows more than me.”
It was not supposed to be like this for Iraq. A new board at the IFA led by Dirjal had wanted to put in place a process and foster stability. They had turned to former Spain assistant Casas to overhaul the team.
In spite of his early departure, Casas has the third-longest tenure as Iraqi manager, with only Ammo Baba and Srecko Katenac lasting longer. This indicates why this football-mad nation has underachieved since lifting the 2007 AFC Asian Cup title.
Early success brought the Andalucian time. Winning the Gulf Cup on home soil and ending a 35-year drought won the fans over. A year later, when Iraq was eliminated at the hands of Jordan at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Casas was spared criticism due to the controversial decision by referee Alireza Faghani to send off Aymen Hussein in the final quarter of the match.
The Spaniard also won plaudits due to the team’s expansive style which generated a famous win against Japan at the tournament.
Ten goals in four games at the continental showpiece papered over the fact that The Lions of Mesopotamia did not keep a single clean sheet and conceded an average of two goals a game.
That lack of control precipitated a change of thinking on the bench. Casas’ Iraq reemerged in qualification intent to assert control even if it meant boring supporters to death.
It was effective.
Iraq kept a clean sheet in eight of the 10 World Cup qualifiers contested in 2024. They breezed into round three, collecting 16 of 18 points on offer in a group comprising Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
When round three started, the results kept coming in the form of binary scorelines, with only a 3-2 loss away to Korea Republic breaking up the string of 0-0 draws, and 1-0 wins against Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Palestine.
Iraq sat in sole possession of second place, and an automatic World Cup berth, at the conclusion of Matchday Six in November.
That is when Iraq’s momentum came to a screeching halt. A pitiful defense of their Gulf Cup title in December was a harbinger of things to come.
Team selections became ever more unpredictable, as if Casas was trying to address critics vis-a-vis his lineups. In goal, sometimes Ahmed Bassil would start and others would be excluded from the squad altogether.
Equally bizarre was the chopping and changing of center-backs and midfielders.
Ahmed Yasin and Saad Abdulameer returned from extended international exile to captain the side against Oman and Jordan only to be dropped once again. In defense, Rebin Sulaka has started with seven different center-backs in the space of 12 months.
In a desperate attempt to solve the riddle of who should anchor his defense and pull the strings in attack, Casas changed his formation in what would prove to be his last match at the helm.
Hussein’s 34th minute goal gave Iraq a lead and a switch to a 3-4-3 seemed to be vindicated. Iraq’s defensive frailty however could not be masked like it was in the three other 1-0 wins they had registered in round three.
Palestine pushed and when the equalizer came in the 88th minute so did a mental collapse similar to the one suffered at the hands of Jordan in the Asian Cup Round of 16 encounter.
Following the 2-1 loss, Casas blamed the defeat on a “lack of character” and an inability to see out a result. Whether or not a coaching change will remedy those problems for Iraq is very much an open question.
Casas might have a point about the mental aspect of Iraq’s game. The players, administrators, and media have been engaged in a battle against a perceived conspiracy against them.
Hussein’s first words to the media following the loss to Palestine were used to complain about Amman as a neutral venue and the number of fans in the stands.
Perhaps the favorite tag proved too much for the team and a full embrace of the underdog role while eschewing victimhood is needed.
Iraq can draw on the 2007 Asian Cup win for inspiration when a team led by an interim coach shocked the world.
How Matthias Jaissle weathered a storm to take Al-Ahli to the AFC Champions League Elite final
- The German coach looked on his way out in January when famous journalist touted Massimiliano Allegri for his job
- Al-Ahli stunned rival Al-Hilal with a 3-1 win to reach their third final of Asia’s top club competition
AUSTRALIA: Fabrizio Romano is rarely wrong.
The gold standard on reporting on football’s off-field wheeling and dealing, when Romano says something is happening it is usually just a matter of when, not if.
So when, on Jan. 17, he posted that Al-Ahli had agreed “in principle” to appoint Massimiliano Allegri, and Gabriele Cioffi as interim coach until June, it seemed certain that incumbent Matthias Jaissle would go.
This came on the back of a disappointing start to the season in which they won just three of their first nine games, to all but end their title hopes before the season had even reached the one-third mark.
But at the point of Romano’s postings, Al-Ahli managed to turn their form around, going on to win seven out of nine and surging up the table.
But it seemed like it was too little, too late for the 37-year-old German.
This story, however, has another twist. The Al-Ahli faithful were having none of it. For them, the failings were with those above Jaissle.
So when word came out he was to be moved on, they mobilized to support him. Diehard fans picketed outside Al-Ahli’s training ground, with one banner directed at senior management reading: “Enough failure … LEAVE!”
Within two days of Romano’s tweet, Al-Ahli confirmed that Jaissle would remain as head coach “with full support from the management to achieve the club’s aspirations and future ambitions.”
It was quite an about-face, but one that showed the positive power fans can have when they mobilize in the right way.
Just over three months on from that saga, it is hard to imagine this Al-Ahli side without the German at the helm.
He has guided them to the final of the AFC Champions League Elite courtesy of a demolition of Al-Hilal, the standard bearers of Asian club football, in the semifinal on Tuesday night.
The scoreline was 3-1 but make no mistake this was a demolition and a vindication for the fans and Jaissle.
When he demanded the club sign a left-winger in the summer to replace Allan Saint-Maximin, the club instead signed a striker, in this case Ivan Toney.
Jaissle made his frustrations known through the media, and reiterated his desires ahead of the winter window in January
Twelve days after his position was assured, the club signed Brazilian winger Galeno from FC Porto, which has transformed their season.
Prior to Galeno’s arrival, Al-Ahli had scored 32 goals in 18 games at about 1.78 per game on average. Since the Brazilian’s arrival, they have netted 28 in just 11 games at 2.55 a game.
Galeno gave the squad more balance and structure, and transformed their attacking threat. It is no coincidence that Toney has scored 12 of his 19 goals this season since Galeno’s arrival.
It is what the German knew would happen all along, but his demands to those above him were falling on deaf ears.
Their performance at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Tuesday night was about as close to perfection as Jaissle could have imagined.
Right from the opening whistle, spurred on by the very fans who had saved his job months earlier, Al-Ahli took control.
Their forward pressure was relentless, which was not a surprise coming from a coach schooled in the Red Bull philosophy. Riyad Mahrez pulled the strings as always, and Galeno buzzed about creating havoc.
And Roberto Firmino, consigned to playing in just the ACL Elite after not being registered for the league after Galeno’s arrival, looked every bit the motivational leader wearing the captain’s armband.
At the back, meanwhile, Merih Demiral and Ibanez were ferocious in defense and closed down the spaces in which Al-Hilal’s attacking threats normally like to operate.
While it finished 3-1, it could easily have been more after Al-Ahli hit the woodwork three times, had two goals disallowed and saw a penalty save, all in the second half.
This was a humbling for Al-Hilal who only days earlier had dished out a similar lesson to Gwangju FC in the quarterfinal.
“It was a fantastic evening. I’m so, so proud,” Jaissle told reporters after the game.
“The performance from each player, the team, and the unit — and by unit I also mean the fans in the stadium — it was a totally deserved win.
“These games are usually decided by details. There are some strengths and weaknesses in each team. We tried to identify the best ways to exploit them and they worked perfectly.
“We handled it marvelously and everybody did it in a brilliant way and we managed to achieve a great result. I’m really happy with the way the goals were scored.
“Now we focus on the final. Now we are there and we have to make the final step successful as well.”
As Jaissle and the Al-Ahli faithful celebrated wildly after the game, the dramas of January felt like another lifetime.
Barca fight back against Inter in sensational semifinal draw
BARCELONA: Barcelona and Inter Milan shared a compelling 3-3 draw in a high-octane Champions League semifinal first leg clash on Wednesday.
The Italian side raced into a two-goal lead with superb strikes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, before the unstoppable Lamine Yamal pulled Barca back into it with a sublime solo effort.
Ferran Torres levelled for the five-time champions and although Inter nosed ahead through Dumfries again, a Yann Sommer own goal left the tie on a knife-edge at the halfway stage.
Inter were desperately hoping Thuram would be fit to play after a thigh injury and he showed precisely why, scoring the fastest ever Champions League semifinal goal after 30 seconds.
Barcelona’s Copa del Rey final winning goalscorer Jules Kounde hacked a poor clearance to the edge of the box, and Inter capitalized.
Dutch wide man Dumfries aimed a low cross toward Thuram and Inigo Martinez slipped at just the wrong time, allowing the France striker room to finish with an impudent back-heel flick.
Quadruple-chasing Barcelona seized control and pushed forward, roared on by a nervous 50,000 strong Olympic stadium crowd.
Yamal, on his 100th Barcelona appearance, appealed for a penalty after he was shoved by Alessandro Bastoni and then set up Torres, who fired wide.
The Spaniard, standing in for Barca’s injured top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, lashed a volley narrowly off target.
Against the run of play Inter, whose treble hopes crumbled after three consecutive domestic defeats prior, scored their second, with another fine finish.
Francesco Acerbi nodded on a corner and Dumfries reached the dropping ball first to score with a stunning acrobatic effort.
Barcelona teams over the past few years may have crumbled but Hansi Flick’s youthful side are not burdened by the series of European failures since they last won the competition in 2015.
Least of all teenage wizard Yamal, who pulled Barcelona back into the game just three minutes later with a wonderful individual goal that made him the youngest player ever to score in the semis.
On the eve of the game the Spaniard rejected comparisons to all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, but his goal was straight from the Argentine’s playbook.
Yamal shook off Thuram, floated inside from the right flank and past Henrikh Mkhitaryan into the box, drawing defenders toward him but before they could stop him, stroked an inch-perfect shot in off the left post.
Minutes later Yamal nearly repeated the trick. This time he darted outside, pausing to let Federico Dimarco lunge past him and off the pitch.
From a tight angle the youngster flashed a shot that Sommer tipped onto the crossbar.
High on confidence Yamal set up further chances for Torres and Dani Olmo that went begging, before Barca pulled level.
Pedri hooked a ball into the area for Raphinha to head across goal and Torres to convert from close range after 38 breathless minutes.
Kounde limped off before half-time in a blow for Barca, who also replaced the inexperienced Gerard Martin with Ronald Araujo at the break.
Dimarco hammered over early in the second half before Simone Inzaghi hooked him, after a torrid night up against the relentless Yamal.
Inter took the sting out of the game early in the second half and then sucker-punched Barca, scoring from another corner, with Dumfries’ header bouncing in off Olmo.
Barcelona equalized within two minutes, with Yamal stepping over a corner on the edge of the box, allowing it to run to Raphinha.
The Brazilian’s rasping effort smashed against the crossbar and then in, off the back of the unfortunate diving Sommer’s head.
Pau Cubarsi made a vital recovery tackle to stop Thuram after he got in behind Barcelona’s high line, and Mkhitaryan had a goal ruled out for an extremely tight offside.
Yamal looped a second strike onto the crossbar late on but the sides could not be separated.
The second leg takes place in Milan next Tuesday, with the winner to face Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal on May 31 in the Munich final.
