Paris, May 7, 2024 Agence France Presse: Mats Hummels headed in the only goal as Borussia Dortmund stunned Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semifinal second leg on Tuesday, winning 1-0 on the night and advancing 2-0 on aggregate to next month’s final at Wembley.
Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response, the home side all out of luck as they hit the woodwork four times in total.
Dortmund, who sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, were never expected to go so far and will be underdogs in the June 1 showpiece regardless of whether they face their old rivals Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday.
It will be their first final since 2013 when, remarkably, the match was also played at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund lost to Bayern.
Hummels played in that final and here, 11 years later, he was the hero as Dortmund built on the advantage given to them by Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal in the first leg.
“It’ll take us a bit of time to realize that, but we’re looking forward to it extremely,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told broadcaster Amazon Prime of getting to the final.
“We did it somehow, making it to London.”
The story of this semifinal, however, is as much about PSG’s failure in another crunch knockout tie in the competition.
They have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe.
He will leave when his contract expires after this season and had been hoping to play his last game for the club in the June 1 final.
Instead PSG will be left to reflect on how they failed to get their hands on the biggest trophy of all during Mbappe’s seven years at his hometown team.
“We were not clinical enough. They scored two goals, one from a corner and one from a long ball. We created lots more chances, many more than them, but we didn’t take them,” PSG captain Marquinhos told Canal Plus.
“We got so close and we wanted to get to the final. But we had to win tonight and be more clinical, and we were not.”
PSG’s last two semifinal appearances both came during the pandemic, meaning this was the first time they had hosted a match at this stage of a European competition with fans in 29 years, since losing to AC Milan in 1995.
Luis Enrique’s team had won 2-0 at home against Dortmund in the group stage and were safe in the knowledge that a repeat of that performance would be enough.
The PSG coach made one major selection decision, dropping Bradley Barcola and bringing in Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. That meant moving Mbappe from the middle onto the left wing.
Dortmund would have been bracing themselves for an onslaught from kick-off, but that did not transpire.
Mbappe took only seven minutes to produce his first attempt, yet his volley was easily saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
The hosts had most of the possession but struggled to get Mbappe into the game, the France captain often looking isolated on the wing.
In fact it was Dortmund who had the best chance of the first half, when Karim Adeyemi led a counterattack before seeing his shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It felt as though the hosts needed to change something or risk going out with a whimper.
They should have been ahead two minutes after the restart, when Ramos touched on a ball driven into the box by Mbappe, but Warren Zaire-Emery contrived to hit the post from close range.
That was to prove crucial as Dortmund struck moments later.
PSG cheaply conceded a corner, and Julian Brandt’s delivery from the Dortmund right was headed in by Hummels.
Ramos swept a shot over on the hour mark before Nuno Mendes became the second PSG player to strike the right-hand post, this time with a powerful shot from distance.
It was starting to look as if it would not be PSG’s night, and Luis Enrique realized he had to act as he sent on Barcola and Marco Asensio for Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, moving Mbappe through the middle.
Dortmund sent on an extra defender in the hulking Niklas Suele and they withstood everything PSG threw at them while also being helped by the frame of the goal.
Kobel turned Mbappe’s shot onto the bar on 86 minutes and Vitinha also rattled the woodwork but Dortmund hung on to book their date in London.
Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final
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Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final

- Hummels struck five minutes into the second half
- Dortmund will face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final in London
Messi brace sets up Miami’s 2-1 MLS victory over New England

- The 38-year-old Argentine star has scored two goals in each of his last four MLS games to become the first MLS player to score multiple goals in four straight games
- With the victory Miami climbed from sixth to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts: Lionel Messi scored twice in the first half of Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Wednesday, continuing a run of form unprecedented in Major League Soccer.
The 38-year-old Argentine star has scored two goals in each of his last four MLS games to become the first MLS player to score multiple goals in four straight games.
He launched the streak in late May with two goals in a 4-2 win over Montreal then had two in a 5-1 victory over Columbus.
Miami then paused their MLS campaign to compete in the Club World Cup — where Messi scored one goal in four matches and Miami were eliminated in the round of 16 by Paris Saint-Germain.
Javier Mascherano’s team returned to MLS action on Saturday with a 4-1 victory at Montreal — also fueled by a brace from eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.
In all Messi has 14 goals in 15 MLS games, putting him two behind leading scorer Sam Surridge, who has appeared in six more games for Nashville than Messi has played this season.
Messi put Miami up 1-0 in the 27th minute at Gillette Stadium, taking advantage of a Revolution miscue and firing a left-footed shot from the heart of the area.
The Argentinian star doubled the score 11 minutes later, charging onto a long through ball from Sergio Busquets and curling a left-footed shot beyond the reach of Slovenian goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic.
Veteran goalkeeper Oscar Ustari also starred for Miami, coming up with six saves before Spaniard Carles Gil managed to put one by him, picking off Tadeo Allende in the 79th minute and rifling in a shot from outside the box.
With the victory Miami climbed from sixth to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. On 35 points, they are seven points behind leaders FC Cincinnati but with three fewer matches played after their Club World Cup break.
Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group

- After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win
ST. GALLEN, Switzerland: France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the center of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.
PSG inflict humiliating defeat on Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

- Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd
EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semifinals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.
Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.
The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.
Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.
After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real here was striking.
PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club a year ago.
The France captain was hoping for a different outcome against the team for whom he scored a club record 256 goals, and the defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
But PSG have improved without Mbappe and are now such a well-oiled machine that they appear unstoppable — it would be a big surprise if they failed to beat Chelsea.
Luis Enrique was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.
Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.
The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.
But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.
Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real ‘keeper saved at the forward’s feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.
Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.
Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 34th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.
A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their own net a minute later.
Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.
But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.
PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.
Sweden reach Euro 2025 knockouts with 3-0 win over Poland

- The win also guaranteed Germany’s berth in the last eight after they beat Denmark
- Germany and Sweden occupy the top two spots in Group C on six points and meet in Zurich on Saturday to decide who will win the group
LUCERNE: Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani scored one goal and made another as her side cruised into the knockout stages of the women’s European Championship with a 3-0 win over Poland on Tuesday that eliminated the Poles.
The win also guaranteed Germany’s berth in the last eight after they beat Denmark earlier on Tuesday, with the Danes joining Poland in exiting the competition after both lost their opening two matches.
Germany and Sweden occupy the top two spots in Group C on six points and meet in Zurich on Saturday to decide who will win the group after Sweden’s aerial bombardment from the wings proved too much for the Polish defense.
Asllani and Madelen Janogy both hit the woodwork with early headers before striker Stina Blackstenius nodded home a cross from her captain in the 28th minute to break the deadlock.
The Swedes were well aware of the threat posed by Poland captain Ewa Pajor and kept her well-shackled for much of the game.
On the few occasions she did get the ball, the Polish fans rose to their feet in anticipation, but the Sweden defense was quick to snuff out any danger.
Playing in her 201st senior international, Asllani made no mistake in the 52nd minute as she ghosted through the middle before burying Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s cross past Kinga Szemik.
Blackstenius wasted a number of good chances to add to her tally as Sweden’s aerial attack continued, and substitute Lina Hurtig added their third goal with yet another header, this time from a corner, to round out the scoring in the 77th minute.
The closest the Poles came to scoring was in stoppage time when Ewelina Kamczyk fired a long-distance shot that smacked off the far post, but the Swedes were never threatened as they secured their spot in the quarter-finals.
“Great to win by 3-0, Poland are a tough opponent. We were determined and aggressive and it feels like it was exciting. Great to score goals,” Asllani said before sending a warning to Sweden’s German rivals ahead of Saturday’s showdown.
“We just wanted to win and score as many goals as possible. We want to win against Germany, we don’t want a draw. It’s been a dream start, but we’re focusing on the next one now,” she said.
Joao Pedro brace sends Chelsea into Club World Cup final

- Joao Pedro refused to celebrate after either goal against the club with whom he started his career and made 36 top-team appearances before moving to England with Watford in 2020
EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: New signing Joao Pedro scored twice on his first start as Chelsea eased to a 2-0 win over Fluminense on Tuesday to seal a spot in the final of the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian striker opened the scoring in lethal fashion in the 18th minute of the last-four clash at the MetLife Stadium and struck again shortly before the hour mark as Chelsea set up a showdown with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final.
Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion last week for a reported £60 million ($79 million), the 23-year-old cut short a holiday and made his debut off the bench in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras.
He was then given his first Chelsea start up front here in place of the suspended Liam Delap.
Joao Pedro refused to celebrate after either goal against the club with whom he started his career and made 36 top-team appearances before moving to England with Watford in 2020.
The result ends Fluminense’s impressive run at the tournament after the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, beat Inter Milan in the last 16 and knocked out Manchester City’s conquerors Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals.
With their exit go the prospects of a South American winner of the first 32-team Club World Cup, with Chelsea claiming back-to-back victories against Brazilian opposition to reach the final.
As always seemed most likely, the trophy will be claimed by one of Europe’s superpowers, with the final now guaranteed to be between two of the last five winners of the UEFA Champions League.
“It is a great achievement. It has been a fantastic season — top four in the league, (winning) the Conference League and now in the final in this competition. We are so, so happy,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told broadcaster DAZN.
“Now finally it is the last game of the season, we can say that, and hopefully we can win the tournament.”
Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi had described his team as the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to the enormous difference between their budget and those of the other three remaining sides.
This game ultimately proved to be a step too far for their team, captained by 40-year-old former Chelsea center-back Thiago Silva.
“This was a wonderful Club World Cup,” said Portaluppi.
“There is no crying over spilled milk now. We wanted to get to the final for our fans but we leave with our heads held high, and go back to our reality stronger now than we were before.”
Chelsea were without the suspended Levi Colwill and Delap but Moises Caicedo returned after a ban.
The Premier League side were simply too strong for their opponents in a game watched by 70,556 fans on a hot afternoon just outside New York City.
They went ahead thanks to a wonderful strike by their new forward, who controlled the ball on the edge of the box after Silva had cleared a Pedro Neto cross.
Joao Pedro took a touch and curled a shot beyond veteran goalkeeper Fabio into the far corner, before holding up his hands apologetically toward the Fluminense fans behind the goal.
The team from Rio de Janeiro were an intermittent threat, and Hercules — match-winner against Al-Hilal in the last eight — almost equalized in the 25th minute.
He played a one-two with German Cano and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but Marc Cucurella cleared off the line.
Fluminense were then awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the interval when a set-piece delivery by Rene struck the arm of Trevoh Chalobah in the box.
However, French referee Francois Letexier overturned the decision following a VAR check.
“Had we been awarded the penalty we would have scored and it would have been a different story,” said Portaluppi.
Chelsea got their second on 56 minutes, just after Fluminense had sacrificed one of their three center-backs to send on an extra attacker.
Enzo Fernandez released Joao Pedro on the break, and the forward produced another clinical finish in off the bar.
There were chances for Chelsea to score further goals after that, but the new boy’s double strike sufficed with the only potential black mark on the day the knock which forced Caicedo to limp off before full-time.