PSG Sinks Barcelona with Late Winner in Champions League and Man City Held by Monaco

Paris Saint Germain's Goncalo Ramos celebrates scoring the 1-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League league phase soccer match between FC Barcelona and PSG, in Barcelona, Spain, 01 October 2025. EPA/Siu Wu
Paris Saint Germain's Goncalo Ramos celebrates scoring the 1-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League league phase soccer match between FC Barcelona and PSG, in Barcelona, Spain, 01 October 2025. EPA/Siu Wu
TT

PSG Sinks Barcelona with Late Winner in Champions League and Man City Held by Monaco

Paris Saint Germain's Goncalo Ramos celebrates scoring the 1-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League league phase soccer match between FC Barcelona and PSG, in Barcelona, Spain, 01 October 2025. EPA/Siu Wu
Paris Saint Germain's Goncalo Ramos celebrates scoring the 1-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League league phase soccer match between FC Barcelona and PSG, in Barcelona, Spain, 01 October 2025. EPA/Siu Wu

Goncalo Ramos struck a 90th-minute winner as Paris Saint-Germain sealed a statement win over Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Trailing 1-0 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and without injured star forwards Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, defending champion PSG fought back for a 2-1 victory against one of the favorites to lift the trophy in May.

“It doesn’t matter which of our players are in the team. When they are wearing our shirt, carrying our badge on their shirt, then the amount of attitude and effort is non-negotiable," PSG coach Luis Enrique said.

Manchester City had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Monaco after Eric Dier scored a 90th-minute penalty for the hosts.

Villarreal and Juventus also ended 2-2 after Renato Veiga's late equalizer.
Arsenal beat Olympiakos 2-0, The Associated Press reported.

PSG is still the team to beat PSG's trip to Barcelona was always seen as the standout clash of matchday two. Both teams are expected to go far, with PSG aiming to join Real Madrid as the only other club to successfully defend the trophy in the Champions League era. Barcelona, a semifinalist last campaign, is intent on turning last season's domestic dominance into European triumph.

But despite the anticipation, neither team was at the height of its powers, with so many players missing.

While PSG was without the attacking trio that fired it to victory last term, Barcelona was also missing the injured Raphinha, while Robert Lewandowski was on the bench.

Lamine Yamal was available, but it was Ferran Torres who gave the home team the lead in the 19th minute.

Senny Mayulu leveled the game in the 38th and substitute Lee Kang-in came close to a winner by hitting the post late on.

But there was still more drama to come when Achraf Hakimi squared the ball beyond Barca's defense and Ramos slid in the winner.

It's now two wins from two for PSG at the start of its defense of the title and an early statement against one of its main rivals.

“We lost today, and I don’t like that. We have to accept this defeat and admit that Paris are so good," Barca coach Hansi Flick said. "We are disappointed, the fans are disappointed. We have to accept that we were beaten, but work on getting better.”

Haaland scores 2 but Man City held Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does with two more goals in the Champions League, but it wasn't enough to seal victory in Monaco.

Having become the quickest player to reach 50 goals in the competition last month, the Norwegian looks certain to become the quickest to reach 60. Lionel Messi managed it in 80 appearances. Haaland is on 52 after 50 games.

But that will be of little comfort to Pep Guardiola, who watched his team squander two points by conceding a late penalty that Dier converted to seal the draw.

“It isn’t good enough," Haaland said. "We have to try to win the next game. It is the only thing we can do.”

Hot shot Hojlund Discarded by Manchester United, Rasmus Hojlund is showing the type of form that earned him an $82 million move to Old Trafford in the first place.

He struck twice to earn Napoli a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon. That’s three goals in five appearances — after having scored two in his last 13 games for United.

It certainly helps when he can feed off the kind of service Kevin De Bruyne can deliver and the former Man City playmaker was provider of both of Hojlund’s goals.

Borussia Dortmund routed Athletic Bilbao 4-1 and Bayer Leverkusen was held 1-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven.

Perfect Arsenal Another win for Arsenal and another clean sheet.

The 2-0 victory over Olympiakos was its sixth shutout in nine games this season.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli in the first half and Bukayo Saka in stoppage time maintained Arsenal’s 100% start in the competition.

Another team with a perfect record so far is Qarabag after its 2-0 win over Copenhagen. Abdellah Zoubir and Emmanuel Addai were on target for the Azerbaijani team.

Woltemade scores again Nick Woltemade is doing his best to make Newcastle fans forget about Alexander Isak.

The club-record $93 million signing scored his third goal in four starts for Newcastle to set up the 4-0 rout of Union Saint-Gilloise.

The Germany international was signed to fill the sizable void left by Isak's contentious move to Liverpool. And he has made an instant impact.

His 17th-minute goal at Lotto Park might not have been the prettiest — diverting Sandro Tonali's goalbound shot past Kjell Scherpen — but it got Newcastle off to the perfect start. It also highlighted his useful knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Woltemade has now scored in back-to-back games after his goal against Arsenal on Sunday. He still has some way to go to prove he can replace Isak, who scored 54 goals in 78 Premier League starts for Newcastle, but the early signs are promising after his move from Stuttgart.

Anthony Gordon struck twice from the penalty spot — scoring either side of halftime to put Newcastle in control and substitute Harvey Barnes added a fourth.

More thrills for Juve Last time out, Juventus was involved in an eight-goal thriller against Dortmund that ended in a 4-4 draw with all the goals coming in the second half.

By those standards, the 2-2 at Villarreal was relatively mild. But there was still a late twist as Veiga, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Juve, came up with the equalizer.



Man Utd Boss Carrick Expects Hard Test Against Resolute Bournemouth

Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick in action during the English Premier League match of Manchester United against Aston Villa, in Manchester, Britain, 15 March 2026. (EPA)
Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick in action during the English Premier League match of Manchester United against Aston Villa, in Manchester, Britain, 15 March 2026. (EPA)
TT

Man Utd Boss Carrick Expects Hard Test Against Resolute Bournemouth

Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick in action during the English Premier League match of Manchester United against Aston Villa, in Manchester, Britain, 15 March 2026. (EPA)
Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick in action during the English Premier League match of Manchester United against Aston Villa, in Manchester, Britain, 15 March 2026. (EPA)

Michael Carrick has told his Manchester United side to ready themselves for an awkward encounter away to Bournemouth on Friday as they look to maintain their challenge for a Champions League place.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a resurgence since former United and England midfielder Carrick was appointed caretaker boss in January until the end of the season.

United are now third in the Premier League ahead of their trip to south coast side Bournemouth after recovering from their first loss under Carrick, away to Newcastle, by beating top-four rivals Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday.

Bournemouth, however, are 10th in the table and have made life difficult for United in recent seasons, with December's remarkable 4-4 draw at Old Trafford extending their recent unbeaten run in this fixture.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola, tipped as a possible permanent manager of the Red Devils has not lost in five previous matches against United.

But such has been the club's revival under Carrick, appointed after former United team-mate Darren Fletcher's two-game spell in temporary charge following the sacking of Ruben Amorim, that the Old Trafford hierarchy may well stick with the 44-year-old come the end of the current campaign.

"It's a tough game," Carrick said of Bournemouth, undefeated in their last 10 matches in the Premier League.

"It's a tough place to go. They're on a really good run of form, so, yeah, a difficult game," he also told a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

"We're obviously going down there, we've had a good run and the boys are in good shape but, yeah, always a difficult game. Always has been and probably always will be.

"We know that, they're a really good team, well coached, really well coached, and good energy. We know we'll be in for a game down there on Friday."

United have won just two of their last seven away matches following a last-gasp 2-1 loss at Newcastle.

But Carrick said: "Whether it's home or away, it's not something we kind of look at too much. It's the next game, really."

He added: "It's been nice to be able to win at home and put that in place, and to go and play at Old Trafford with a real feeling of confidence and looking forward to the game and for the supporters to feel that as well and leaving with a good feeling."

Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Lisandro Martinez remain sidelined for Friday's match, but the latter is expected to be available when United return to action against Leeds on April 13.

The international break, lack of European fixtures and an early FA Cup exit mean United have an unusually long, 24-day, wait for a game after the Bournemouth match.

"You've got to be really flexible, you know, to come off the back of it in good shape," Carrick said.

"The boys will have a break, in some way, but we're definitely mindful of it for sure and it's a little bit unique in some ways, having the week after the internationals to prepare for the next game."


Mohamed Salah Sets up Liverpool Against PSG Showdown in the Champions League

 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the field after substitution during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Liverpool and Galatasaray, in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the field after substitution during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Liverpool and Galatasaray, in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP)
TT

Mohamed Salah Sets up Liverpool Against PSG Showdown in the Champions League

 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the field after substitution during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Liverpool and Galatasaray, in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the field after substitution during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 soccer match between Liverpool and Galatasaray, in Liverpool, England, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP)

It has been a season to forget for Mohamed Salah.

But the Egyptian icon fired Liverpool into the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday, scoring his 50th Champions League goal.

But this is still far from vintage Salah. He got a first-half penalty so wrong that it was hard to tell if he was trying an audacious “Panenka” chip or if it was simply a horrible mis-kick. Either way, it was an embarrassing moment just before halftime and all too typical of a campaign in which Salah's powers appear to have diminished.

That all changed after the break when he was at the heart of a Liverpool goal spree that sealed a 4-1 aggregate win over Galatasaray and set up a showdown with defending champion Paris Saint-Germain.

“That tells you about the mental strength of him,” Liverpool coach Arne Slot said.

With Liverpool leading 1-0 at halftime through Dominik Szoboszlai's goal, Salah crossed for Hugo Ekitike to double the advantage. Two minutes later, his fierce shot was saved by Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir and Ryan Gravenberch was there to turn in Liverpool's third on the rebound.

Then came the moment Salah — and the Anfield crowd was waiting for — cutting in from the right, he curled left-footed shot into the far corner from just outside the box.

A “trademark goal” was how Slot described it.

The home fans erupted — chanting their hero's name. He was given a standing ovation when he went off in the second half because of a possible injury.

Salah should have left the field with another goal, but he fired against the bar from close range.

That was a reminder that he is still not at his lethal best and it is uncertain if he ever will be again at the age of 33.

His goal took his tally to 10 for the season — well down on the 34 he scored to inspire Liverpool to the Premier League title last term.

This time last year tensions were rising as he neared the end of his contract and a new deal was still uncertain.

The idea of losing him was unthinkable to many Liverpool fans after watching him help the club to a full set of trophies — including the Champions League and two Premier Leagues — since he joined in 2017.

The problem for Liverpool's hierarchy was whether to risk a lucrative contract extension on a player whose best years were behind him — even on the back of such an outstanding season.

It was never likely he could repeat those feats again, but few would have expected the drop off that has been witnessed this term.

Then there was the very public row with coach Slot after he was dropped leading up the Africa Cup of Nations in December.

The fallout quickly passed, but Salah's form has remained short of his best.

It is still unclear what the future holds for him at Liverpool with one more year on his deal and whether he will see out the contract.

On Wednesday, however, was a reminder of what he can still produce. And in a year in which Liverpool's title defense has unraveled, it still has hope in the Champions League.


Iran Continuing World Cup Preparations but Will Not Play in US, Says Football Chief

President of Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj and Mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani stand next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran September 1, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
President of Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj and Mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani stand next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran September 1, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
TT

Iran Continuing World Cup Preparations but Will Not Play in US, Says Football Chief

President of Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj and Mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani stand next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran September 1, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
President of Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj and Mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani stand next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran September 1, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

The Iranian national team are continuing to prepare for the World Cup finals and have no intention of pulling out of the tournament even if they will not travel to the United States, soccer chief Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday.

Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals, but their participation has been in doubt since the conflict between the country and the United States began in late February.

The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 and is being staged in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their ‌opening-round group matches ‌in the US but Taj said on Monday the Iranian FA (FFIRI) ‌was ⁠negotiating with FIFA ⁠to have them moved to Mexico.

Iran will play Nigeria on March 27 and Costa Rica four days later in Antalya as part of a four-nation invitational tournament that had to be moved from Jordan because of the conflict in the Middle East.

"The national team is holding a training camp in Türkiye, and we will also play two friendly matches there," FFIRI President Taj was quoted as saying by the Fars News Agency on Wednesday. "We will boycott America, but we ⁠will not boycott the World Cup."

Taj was speaking on Wednesday as he ‌welcomed the players from the women's national team back ‌to Iran at the border crossing from Türkiye after their protracted journey from Australia.

All of the ‌delegation, who were in Australia for the Women's Asian Cup, were offered asylum by the ‌host nation because of fears for their safety in Iran. While seven accepted, only two ended up staying.

US President Donald Trump had urged Australia to offer the players asylum and later said that while the Iranian men were welcome to play in the US, it might not be appropriate for their "life ‌and safety".

Trump later stressed any threat to the players would not come from the United States, but Taj -- a former member of ⁠Iran's hardline Revolutionary ⁠Guard -- used the president's statement as grounds for demanding the venue switch.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her country would be open to hosting Iran's World Cup matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in June, but the final say on any venue switch would be FIFA's.

Football's world governing body said it was in contact with FFIRI but was "looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025".

Beau Busch, the Asia-Pacific president of football players' union FIFPRO, said it was FIFA's duty to ensure the safety of everyone involved at the World Cup.

"FIFA have an institutional responsibility to protect human rights," the Australian told Reuters.

"What's critical is that FIFA undertake a really comprehensive human rights impact assessment, and they assess to ensure that every single participant at the World Cup, every player, every fan, can be safe, and that any risks are identified and mitigated effectively."