PSG Coach Galtier Sees Hope of Turning around Bayern Deficit

PSG coach Galtier sees hope of turning around Bayern deficit. AFP
PSG coach Galtier sees hope of turning around Bayern deficit. AFP
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PSG Coach Galtier Sees Hope of Turning around Bayern Deficit

PSG coach Galtier sees hope of turning around Bayern deficit. AFP
PSG coach Galtier sees hope of turning around Bayern deficit. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier said he was hopeful his side could still qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League despite losing 1-0 at home to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday.

"It might seem a banal thing to say but tonight nobody is through and nobody is out. I am daring to hope that we will be fresher in three weeks and if we can play the way we played in the last 25 to 30 minutes then we can beat Bayern," said Galtier.

Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the game in Paris against his former club, finishing from an Alphonso Davies cross eight minutes into the second half, AFP said.

PSG were poor for long spells but improved towards the end after Kylian Mbappe came off the bench on his return from a thigh injury and injected pace and direction into the Parisian attack.

Mbappe twice had goals disallowed for offside, with his second attempt eight minutes from the end from a Nuno Mendes cutback only being ruled out because of a highly marginal call.

"The return leg will be in three weeks so we can hopefully get more players back for then and be fresher," added Galtier, who had to contend with Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi coming off hurt at half-time.

"We can't say how long he will be out. Achraf had an intense World Cup where he played on through the pain and it was already difficult at Monaco (a 3-1 defeat on Saturday) where he couldn't start," he said.

"We took the risk this time but he developed a muscle problem early on.

"Unfortunately we conceded just as we were preparing for Kylian to come on. We had two or three chances and sadly it was not enough but the last half an hour gives us hope."

The second leg will be played at the Allianz Arena on March 8.



Georgian Teenager Salia's Dream Comes True with Newcastle Move 

Vakhtang Salia, a Georgian footballer who plays as a forward for Dinamo Tbilisi and will officially join Newcastle United on his 18th birthday in August 2025, controls the ball during a match against Samgurali Tskaltubo in the Georgian top football league, in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Vakhtang Salia, a Georgian footballer who plays as a forward for Dinamo Tbilisi and will officially join Newcastle United on his 18th birthday in August 2025, controls the ball during a match against Samgurali Tskaltubo in the Georgian top football league, in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Georgian Teenager Salia's Dream Comes True with Newcastle Move 

Vakhtang Salia, a Georgian footballer who plays as a forward for Dinamo Tbilisi and will officially join Newcastle United on his 18th birthday in August 2025, controls the ball during a match against Samgurali Tskaltubo in the Georgian top football league, in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Vakhtang Salia, a Georgian footballer who plays as a forward for Dinamo Tbilisi and will officially join Newcastle United on his 18th birthday in August 2025, controls the ball during a match against Samgurali Tskaltubo in the Georgian top football league, in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)

Georgian Vakhtang Salia may only be 17-years-old but he will soon be trading Dinamo Tbilisi's training ground for Newcastle United's famous St James' Park stadium.

The striker, known as Vakho, was with his friends when he heard he would be moving to Premier League Newcastle. He will relocate to England near his 18th birthday in August.

For the young prospect, who started playing aged four and debuted for Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia's top flight only a year ago, signing for a Premier League club is a dream come true.

"I couldn't believe it. But I can't believe it right up until now. It's my dream to play there," he said.

Salia is part of a rising generation of young Georgian players who have given the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, a spot on the world football map.

Salia told Reuters that among the players he most admires are Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze, who shone during the Euro 2024 campaign, Georgia's first major tournament. They lost to eventual champions Spain in the last 16.

The Euros saw Georgia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, win 2-0 against a Portugal side captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, another of Salia's soccer idols, in the group stage with goals from Kvaratskhelia and Mikautadze.

Salia also hopes to play for Georgia one day.

"Football in Georgia now is getting bigger," he said. "It's every Georgian's dream for Georgia to play in the World Cup and the Euros. And I hope that I'll play one day in the national team, too."

Dinamo Tbilisi head coach Vladimer Kakashvili said that Salia has every chance of becoming as good a player as his more established countrymen, even if the Premier League is a step up.

"Undoubtedly, today English football is among the best in Europe, where there are very high speeds, very high physical standards, and Vakho will need a certain period to get used to that," he said.

Salia's career at Dinamo Tbilisi so far leaves him well placed to shine in England, added Kakashvili.

"When a footballer joins the main team at such a young age, it shows that he's undoubtedly talented, that he undoubtedly works on himself, and that he is a professional of the highest level," he said.

"I think with his talent, strong work ethic, and dedication, he can play in any competition. It won't be a problem."