PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain were confirmed as Ligue 1 champions on Sunday without playing after closest challengers Monaco lost 3-2 away to Lyon.
Monaco’s defeat gave PSG an unassailable 12-point lead at the top of the table with three games remaining and means they are champions for a French record-extending 12th time.
PSG could have clinched the title on Saturday with a win at home to struggling Le Havre, but in the end they needed a 95th-minute equalizer to snatch a 3-3 draw.
However, after that game coach Luis Enrique insisted his side had won the league “without any doubt,” as they were 12 points clear with only 12 points left to play for, and also boast a far superior goal difference to that of Monaco.
The principality club’s loss in Lyon nevertheless makes PSG’s coronation official, and sets them up for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg away to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Monaco had taken the lead inside the opening minute in Lyon thanks to a Wissam Ben Yedder goal, but Alexandre Lacazette equalized for the hosts and Said Benrahma put them ahead before the half-hour mark.
Ben Yedder struck again to bring it back to 2-2, only for substitute Malick Fofana to net a late winner for Lyon, who are still hoping to qualify for Europe.
PSG have won 10 of their 12 titles in the last 12 seasons, a record which goes to show how the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011 has utterly transformed them and the face of French football as a whole.
They are on course for a clean sweep of trophies this season, with the French Cup final against Lyon to come on May 25 and the French Champions Trophy already in the bag.
Luis Enrique’s side are also hoping to see off Dortmund and win through to the final of the Champions League on June 1.
Paris Saint-Germain win Ligue 1 title after Monaco defeat
https://arab.news/vg8pe
Paris Saint-Germain win Ligue 1 title after Monaco defeat
- Monaco’s defeat gave PSG an unassailable 12-point lead at the top
Chelsea to face Barcelona in Women’s Champions League semis after Man City fightback
LONDON: Chelsea’s women overturned a two-goal first leg deficit to beat Manchester City 3-0 and set up a Champions League semifinal meeting with holders Barcelona on Thursday.
Earlier, Barca mauled Wolfsburg 6-1 in Catalonia to complete a 10-2 aggregate thrashing.
In the final of four meetings between City and Chelsea in the past 12 days, the English champions wasted little time in gaining revenge for a rare defeat in last week’s first leg.
The Blues had turned the tie around before half-time as Sandy Baltimore blasted into the top corner before Nathalie Bjorn headed in from a corner to level the tie at 2-2 on aggregate.
Lauren James then pounced on a sloppy City pass to tee up Mayra Ramirez for the winning goal.
Chelsea remain on course for a quadruple in Sonia Bompastor’s first season in charge.
They beat City 2-1 in the League Cup final earlier this month to begin the quartet of meetings, are into the semifinals of the FA Cup and have an eight-point lead at the top of the Women’s Super League.
However, they face the most daunting challenge in women’s football next month in trying to dethrone Barcelona.
Chelsea’s quest to win the Champions League for the first time has come undone against the Spanish champions in three of the past four seasons.
Pere Romeu’s side have gone on to win the tournament on all three occasions and set a record by reaching a seventh consecutive semifinal.
After a shock first ever women’s El Clasico defeat by Real Madrid on Sunday, Barca showed no mercy against the side they beat to win the 2023 final.
Salma Paralluelo’s quickfire double built on Barca’s 4-1 first leg lead before Esmee Brugts smashed home the third from outside the box.
Substitute Claudia Pina continued the rout after the hour mark as she beat Anneke Borbe too easily at her near post.
Lineth Beerensteyn pulled one back for the visitors after Barca stopper Cata Coll was lured out of her goal but could not clear the ball effectively.
Pina scored a fine second with a free-kick which flew in off the post, with Mapi Leon following suit from even longer range to wrap up Barcelona’s rout in stoppage time.
Arsenal will face eight-time winners Lyon in the other semifinal for a place in the final in Lisbon on May 24.
Barca bolster Liga title bid by winning match they didn’t want to play
BARCELONA: Barcelona swept to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Osasuna to move three points clear at the top of La Liga despite their discontent at having to play their match on Thursday.
The Catalans’ appeal against the rescheduling of this game was rejected but Hansi Flick’s side, unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions, still made light work of Osasuna, 14th.
Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo netted in the first half with Robert Lewandowski on target after the break.
Barca were without key winger Raphinha as he played for Brazil on Wednesday in South America in World Cup qualifying but cruised at the Olympic stadium regardless.
Flick was happy with the victory but said an injury to Olmo meant it came at a cost.
“We have three points more but we paid a really high price with the injury of Dani,” Flick told reporters.
“We don’t know how long he will be out but if it’s two weeks, he’ll miss a lot of games and if it’s three weeks even more.”
The match was originally due to be played on March 8 but was postponed after a Barcelona club doctor died.
Some players, including France’s Jules Kounde, played 120 minutes on Sunday for their countries before returning for the game.
“It’s a lack of respect to the club to select this date,” Kounde told DAZN.
“We’re not machines and to play our game and give the fans what we want, we need rest.”
Flick put veteran striker Lewandowski on the bench, deploying Torres in his place to excellent effect.
“Every game is a final, so today’s was a final, it was important for us,” Torres told DAZN.
Barcelona controlled the game from the start, taking the lead through Torres after 11 minutes.
Frenkie de Jong led the way as Barcelona moved the ball around smartly, with Alejandro Balde receiving it on the left.
The full-back, in fine form, sent a dangerous low ball into the six-yard box where Torres darted in to stab home.
The Spaniard should have added a second when teenage star Lamine Yamal clipped a fine ball over the top for him but Sergio Herrera saved well.
The goalkeeper brought down Dani Olmo to concede a penalty for Barcelona’s second midway through the first half.
Herrera saved Olmo’s spot kick, low to his right, but a re-take was ordered after an Osasuna player encroached, and this time the playmaker made no mistake.
Olmo was taken off hurt a few minutes later, with Flick angry on the sidelines at the situation, as Barca face an intense run of nine games in 28 days across all competitions, starting with this victory.
Torres whipped a free-kick against the crossbar with Barcelona remaining dominant, as midfield maestro Pedri Gonzalez controlled the game.
The second half was a low key affair as Barcelona were content with their lead, until Lewandowski came on for Torres, hungry to get in on the action.
The veteran Polish striker nodded home from Fermin Lopez’s cross at the end of a quick break to extend Barca’s lead and his own at the top of Spain’s scoring charts with 23 league goals.
Barcelona’s win helped them put daylight between themselves and champions Real Madrid, while Atletico, third, are seven points behind.
Barca host Girona on Sunday in a Catalan derby, while Atletico visit Espanyol and Real Madrid welcome Leganes on Saturday.
Vicente Moreno’s Osasuna are without a win in their last seven games across all competitions.
“We’re not doing well, for a long time we’ve been down in the dumps,” said Osasuna’s Ruben Garcia.
“We faced a team that rolled over the top of us, we have to recognize that and try to do better.”
Kenya probes goalkeeper match-fixing allegation
- The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed it was aware of videos circulating online involving goalkeeper Patrick Matasi
- “FKF upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities,” the Kenya football board said
NAIROBI: Kenya opened a match-fixing investigation Thursday following allegations that a national team goalkeeper helped rig an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed it was aware of videos circulating online involving goalkeeper Patrick Matasi which raised concern about the possibility of match manipulation.
“FKF upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities,” the Kenya football board said in a statement.
“We reaffirm our zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and are committed to safeguarding the credibility of our competition.”
The secretly filmed online amateur video seen by AFP shows an unnamed man talking to Matasi over a plan to fix a match in return for cash.
The former AFC Leopards and Tusker goalkeeper, who also had a playing stint with Ethiopian side Coffee Sports Club, played in Kenya’s 4-1 loss to former African champions Cameroon in a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Yaounde last October.
The defeat dimmed Kenya’s hopes of qualifying for the finals in Morocco, and led to the resignation of the team’s coach Engin Firat.
Matasi was dropped from the team by the new coach Benni McCarthy and did not feature in the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon.
Kenyan football has been hit by the dark shadow of match-fixing malpractices in the recent past with 14 players and two coaches suspended by the FKF in January 2023 following a tip-off about cheating in the national league.
In February 2020, FIFA banned four Kenyan-based players — one for life — over an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches.
Five Kenyan referees were also later suspended over the same scandal.
The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, an independent think tank, warned that match-fixing had infiltrated multiple levels of Kenyan football from grassroots competitions to the professional leagues.
“This has left a trail of disillusionment among fans and undermined the integrity of football and could lead to loss of public trust and confidence in the football industry,” the organization said in a January 2024 report.
Mbappe, Vinicius among Real Madrid stars facing UEFA conduct probe
- “A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players,” UEFA said
- Spanish media reports suggested Real Madrid players are being scrutinized
MADRID: UEFA opened an investigation into four Real Madrid stars including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on Thursday for alleged “indecent conduct” during their Champions League last 16 win over Atletico Madrid.
Madrid’s two superstar forward, as well as defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Dani Ceballos, face potential punishment ahead of their quarter-final first leg clash at Arsenal on April 8.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players,” said the European football governing body in a statement.
Spanish media reports suggested Real Madrid players are being scrutinized by UEFA for the manner of their celebrations after the win.
UEFA and Real Madrid did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Record 15-time champions and current holders Madrid beat their rivals on penalties at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium on March 12 after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
The night ended in controversy after Atletico forward Julian Alvarez had a penalty controversially disallowed in the shoot-out for supposedly touching the ball twice.
Leverkusen throw down gauntlet to Bayern in title tussle
- Defending champions Leverkusen host 16th-placed Bochum on Friday
- Bayern host a St. Pauli side who are one spot but five points above Bochum
BERLIN: With eight games remaining in the Bundesliga season, Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso promised his side would “fight until the end” in their chase of league leaders Bayern Munich.
Defending champions Leverkusen host 16th-placed Bochum on Friday and will draw to within three points of Bayern if they win.
A day later, Bayern host a St. Pauli side who are one spot but five points above Bochum.
Normally reserved and circumspect, Alonso was bullish in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, saying the game was “super important... now the goal is clear, to fight until the end.
“We can reduce Bayern’s lead to three points tomorrow. We want to put as much pressure on them as possible.”
Leverkusen’s 4-3 win over Stuttgart two weeks ago, in which they came from 3-1 down to win with a stoppage-time goal, was reminiscent of last season’s incredible late-game heroics on their way to the Bundesliga title.
Alonso also revealed that injured midfielder Florian Wirtz, originally slated to return in April, would be back “sooner than expected,” giving Leverkusen extra incentive to keep the race alive.
“He feels better. He’s close. We don’t want to be conservative with Flo — we want to go full throttle, take risks. If he can play a little earlier, we’ll take that risk.”
While Bochum and St. Pauli may be 16th and 15th respectively, the lowly table placings of Leverkusen and Bayern’s opponents this weekend do not tell the full story.
Since Dieter Hecking took over as coach in November, Bochum have beaten Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, while fighting to draws against Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
Bochum’s hopes will be buoyed by Hecking announcing he has extended his deal by two seasons at the club until 2027 — provided they beat the drop.
Bochum sit in the relegation play-off position with 20 points, 19 of them accrued since Hecking took over.
Promoted St. Pauli’s bid to stay in the top division is built on an outstanding defense.
St. Pauli have conceded just 30 goals this season, better than every side in the top flight bar Bayern and surprise package Mainz.
In November, Bayern needed an incredible Jamal Musiala strike from outside the box to break down their stubborn opponents in a 1-0 win.
Bayern’s task will be made harder by the long-term absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano, who both look set to be out for the season due to injuries picked up on international duty.
In the off-season, Stuttgart spent a combined 48 million euros ($51 million) to sign strikers Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic, but their shrewdest forward acquisition — Nick Woltemade — cost nothing at all.
The 1.98-meter tall Woltemade, who arrived on a free transfer from Werder Bremen, was expected to be a clear third in the forward pecking order, but has become Stuttgart’s most reliable source of goals in recent months.
Woltemade has eight goals in his past 14 league games, but his showing on Tuesday, where he scored a hat-trick for Germany’s Under-21 side against Spain, has German media asking if he is ready for a call-up to the senior team.
Asked if he would want to play in the European Under-21 Championship or for Julian Nagelsmann’s side in June’s Nations League, Woltemade said: “I don’t think they overlap... I’ve got enough power for both.”
1 — Stuttgart have won just one of their past eight league games.
3 — Augsburg last conceded a league goal on February 1 and have only let in three in 2025 — the lowest mark in Europe’s top five leagues.
4 — Borussia Dortmund have not beaten Mainz in four games, including their infamous final-day 2-2 draw in May 2023 that handed Bayern the title.
Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Bayer Leverkusen v Bochum (1930)
Saturday
Bayern Munich v St. Pauli, Holstein Kiel v Werder Bremen, Borussia Moenchengladbach v RB Leipzig, Wolfsburg v Heidenheim, Hoffenheim v Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v Stuttgart (1730)
Sunday
Freiburg v Union Berlin, Borussia Dortmund v Mainz (1630)
