PSG Stays Perfect and Clinical Marseille Beats Unlucky Nice in French League

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele (L) celebrates scoring PSG's first goal with Paris Saint-Germain's Slovak defender #37 Milan Skriniar (R) during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) at The Parc des Princes Stadium, in Paris, on September 14, 2024. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele (L) celebrates scoring PSG's first goal with Paris Saint-Germain's Slovak defender #37 Milan Skriniar (R) during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) at The Parc des Princes Stadium, in Paris, on September 14, 2024. (AFP)
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PSG Stays Perfect and Clinical Marseille Beats Unlucky Nice in French League

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele (L) celebrates scoring PSG's first goal with Paris Saint-Germain's Slovak defender #37 Milan Skriniar (R) during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) at The Parc des Princes Stadium, in Paris, on September 14, 2024. (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele (L) celebrates scoring PSG's first goal with Paris Saint-Germain's Slovak defender #37 Milan Skriniar (R) during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) at The Parc des Princes Stadium, in Paris, on September 14, 2024. (AFP)

Ousmane Dembele scored twice and Paris Saint-Germain remained perfect and prolific in the French league after beating Brest 3-1 on Saturday.

PSG stayed in command at the top of the standings with a fourth win in as many games.

Luis Enrique's team has coped with the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid and has 16 goals so far.

Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot managed to keep PSG at bay until Dembele leveled the score three minutes before the interval. Romain Del Castillo put Brest ahead from the penalty spot at the Parc des Princes.

PSG then killed any remaining suspense in the space of 80 seconds when Fabian Ruiz scored in the 73rd with a powerful strike and Dembele completed his brace in the next minute.

Despite the millions of euros invested to build a competitive team since a 2011 takeover by Qatari investors, PSG is still chasing an elusive Champions League title. It will host Girona on Wednesday in Europe's top club competition.

Brest, which also qualified for the tournament with a third-place finish last season, plays Sturm Graz on Thursday.

Maupay scores in first Marseille start New Marseille striker Neal Maupay scored against his former club in a 2-0 win over Nice, which hit the woodwork three times.

On a day when Marseille celebrated its 125th anniversary, Maupay was handed his first start by coach Roberto De Zerbi.

Marseille had just five shots on target and scored twice to remain unbeaten, just two points behind PSG.

Maupay joined from English Premier League club Everton on a season loan with an obligation to buy. He was trained at Nice then went on to play 160 Premier League matches with various sides.

Maupay made up for Marseille’s inadequacies in the first half by converting a rare chance in the 40th minute. He headed the ball home past Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka after a cross from Luis Henrique in the penalty area took a deflection.

Marseille enjoyed most of the possession but Nice was the most dangerous side in the first half and Maupay’s opener came after Melvin Bard volleyed onto the left post.

Nice hit the posts two more times after the interval.

Luis Henrique turned provider early in the second half with a beautiful curled shot into the top left corner after a one-two with Amine Harit on the edge of the box.

Marseille finished the match with 10 men after center back Derek Cornelius took too much time over a free kick and received a second yellow card. Nice camped in Marseille's half in the last 10 minutes but good efforts from Marseille goalie Geronimo Rulli coupled with hard luck kept the visitors at bay.

Monaco stays unbeaten Monaco was a class above Auxerre and secured a deserved 3-0 away win with goals from Thilo Kehrer, Vanderson and Denis Zakaria.

The result moved the Principality side level on points with Marseille ahead of next week's Champions League tie with Barcelona.

Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Leon made a costly mistake after just eight minutes when he fumbled the ball from Kehrer's header and let it in. Auxerre was then forced to take risks and was punished on the counter.

Switzerland midfielder Denis Zakaria was excellent, with one goal and one superb lofted assist for Vanderson.



Barcelona Back Top of La Liga with Levante Win

FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026.  EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026. EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
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Barcelona Back Top of La Liga with Levante Win

FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026.  EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026. EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ

Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 victory over Levante to reclaim pole position in La Liga on Sunday.

After Real Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday Hansi Flick's side moved a point clear of their bitter rivals with a comfortable victory at Camp Nou against the team in 19th.

Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong gave Barca a commanding first-half lead and Fermin Lopez wrapped up the win with a sensational drive late on.

Barcelona were glad to get back to winning ways after a 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg last week and then a 2-1 defeat by Girona on Monday in La Liga.

Despite Flick's calls for improvement in defence, Barca were as open as ever, although Levante's poor finishing meant they could not capitalize, AFP reported.

Bernal sent Barca ahead after good work by Joao Cancelo, who impressed on a rare start after his arrival on loan in January, and Eric Garcia.

Veteran Polish forward Robert Lewandowski could have doubled Barca's advantage but fired into the ground and over the bar when well placed.

Cancelo hit the post with a cross aimed at Lewandowski, before the Portuguese defender carved out the second for De Jong with a similar ball in from the left.

De Jong delivered the finishing touch to give Barca a two-goal lead at the break.

Garcia should have expanded Barcelona's lead early in the second half but nodded wide from Jules Kounde's tempting cross.

Eventually substitute Lopez got a spectacular third, rattling home a long-range effort in off the post.

The midfielder might have added a fourth late on but Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan denied him with a fine reflex save.

Flick was able to bring back midfielder Pedri as a substitute after a month out with a hamstring injury, with the Spaniard likely to be key in the testing weeks ahead.

Earlier Sevilla earned a 1-0 win at Getafe, while third-place Villarreal host Valencia later on.


Bayern to Face Leverkusen in German Cup Semis

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
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Bayern to Face Leverkusen in German Cup Semis

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa

Bayern Munich face a tricky trip to Bayer Leverkusen while holders Stuttgart will host local rivals Freiburg in the semi-finals of the German Cup after Sunday's draw, AFP reported.

Record 20-time winners Bayern made it to the semis this season for the first time since they last lifted the trophy in 2020.

That season, they defeated Leverkusen in the final.

Leverkusen won a league and cup double in 2023-24 and knocked Bayern out of the competition in the last 16 last season.

Stuttgart, who beat third-tier Arminia Bielefeld to win the Cup in May, are four-time winners.

Freiburg, losing finalists to RB Leipzig in 2022, are the only one of the semi-finalists never to have won the trophy.

The semi-finals will take place at the end of April with the final held at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on May 23.


Lackluster Liverpool Snatch Late Win at Forest

22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
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Lackluster Liverpool Snatch Late Win at Forest

22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister struck a winner deep into stoppage-time as his side snatched a scarcely-deserved 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

After a pedestrian 90 minutes in which they barely managed a shot on target, Mac Allister lit the fuse with a stoppage-time effort that was ruled out for handball before rifling home a rebound in the 97th minute to snatch the win.

Liverpool's attacking struggles began before the game when Florian Wirtz suffered an injury in the warm-up, and was replaced by Curtis Jones.

Callum Hudson-Odoi had an early chance for the home side but Alisson stood tall to thwart him, and Elliot Anderson ⁠spurned a couple ⁠of decent chances as the visitors barely threatened at all, Reuters reported.

Liverpool’s best chance in normal time came in the 54th minute when Mohamed Salah headed a deep cross back to Jones, but Forest keeper Stefan Ortega got a foot to his shot to avert the danger, and the home side looked to be headed for a draw in their first ⁠league game under new manager Vitor Perreira.

However, Mac Allister had other ideas and he thought he had given his side the lead in the second minute of stoppage time when the ball cannoned off him and into the net, but a VAR review showed the ball striking his elbow.

Undeterred, Mac Allister latched on to a rebound in the 97th minute and lashed it into the net.

Liverpool are sixth in the table on 45 points, level with Chelsea and Manchester United, who occupy fourth and fifth spots. Forest are 17th on 27 points, two above ⁠the relegation zone.

Liverpool ⁠manager Arne Slot was well aware of how close his side came to losing more ground in the race for Champions League football.

"It was fine margins, we really struggled in the first half. We were the lucky ones, scoring in the extra time," he told the BBC, and though Mac Allister was happy to get the three points, he was far from pleased with how his side performed.

"Mixed feelings, I love scoring, I love winning, but I don't think we played very well. It's always nice when you win," he told Sky Sports.

"We need to analyze what we did well and what went wrong. The intensity wasn't there, but we did what we did to win."