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.



McLaren Has Ominous Pace, Lewis Hamilton Has Work to Do: 5 Takeaways from F1’s Season-Opener 

Oscar Piastri (L) of McLaren and Lando Norris (R) of McLaren in action during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 March 2025. (EPA)
Oscar Piastri (L) of McLaren and Lando Norris (R) of McLaren in action during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 March 2025. (EPA)
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McLaren Has Ominous Pace, Lewis Hamilton Has Work to Do: 5 Takeaways from F1’s Season-Opener 

Oscar Piastri (L) of McLaren and Lando Norris (R) of McLaren in action during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 March 2025. (EPA)
Oscar Piastri (L) of McLaren and Lando Norris (R) of McLaren in action during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 March 2025. (EPA)

Lando Norris heads to the second round of the Formula 1 season in China with a lead over champion Max Verstappen after winning a thrilling race in Australia.

Ahead of Sunday's race in Shanghai, here are five takeaways from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix:

McLaren is the team to beat

Without the rain and the safety car, the Australian Grand Prix might not have been much of a contest. The two McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri quickly built a lead of more than 15 seconds to Verstappen in third early in the race. The McLarens were also three-tenths of a second faster than anyone else in qualifying. So much for preseason predictions that this year could be exceptionally close between multiple teams.

Norris acknowledged McLaren are favorites but warned the team shouldn't get complacent. “If you start thinking things are good and groovy, that’s when you get caught,” he said. “We will have races where we struggle.”

Hamilton and Ferrari have work to do

Lewis Hamilton briefly led on his Ferrari debut. Unfortunately for the seven-time champion, a strategy blunder meant Ferrari left Hamilton and his new teammate Charles Leclerc on dry tires in increasingly heavy rain. “Missed a big opportunity,” Hamilton told Ferrari over the radio. Hamilton finished 10th, two places behind Leclerc.

Hamilton and Ferrari may need to work on their communication. After more than a decade working with Peter “Bono” Bonnington at Mercedes, Hamilton was frustrated at regular radio updates from his new engineer Riccardo Adami. “Leave me to it, please,” he said repeatedly.

Lawson's old teammate may be his closest rival

No one expected Liam Lawson, in his 12th career F1 race, to beat his four-time champion teammate Verstappen. However, Lawson also underperformed compared to Yuki Tsunoda, his old teammate, after being picked over Tsunoda for the Red Bull seat. Lawson qualified 18th and made little progress before crashing out. Tsunoda qualified fifth and was competitive, though a team strategy error meant he finished 12th. If Lawson doesn't improve, Red Bull could face even more scrutiny of its decision to pick him.

Antonelli is the standout rookie

Formula 1's biggest rookie class in years struggled — with one big exception. The 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the second-youngest driver ever to score F1 points, behind only Verstappen, as he finished fourth with a strong drive from 16th.

Of the other drivers starting their first full F1 seasons, Lawson, Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine's Jack Doohan crashed out, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar crashed before the start and Haas' Oliver Bearman was the last finisher in 14th.

Teamwork helps

Williams make its mark Alex Albon benefited from his new teammate as he finished fifth for Williams' best result since 2021. Carlos Sainz, Jr. crashed out early but joined the team staff on the pit wall to offer Albon advice over the radio on how best to handle the rapidly changing weather. “We’re a very bonded team,” Albon said.