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
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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.



Morocco Fans Celebrate ‘Justice’ After AFCON Title Decision, but Appeal Worries Linger

A man holds a Moroccan newspapers following CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Rabat on March 18, 2026. (AFP)
A man holds a Moroccan newspapers following CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Rabat on March 18, 2026. (AFP)
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Morocco Fans Celebrate ‘Justice’ After AFCON Title Decision, but Appeal Worries Linger

A man holds a Moroccan newspapers following CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Rabat on March 18, 2026. (AFP)
A man holds a Moroccan newspapers following CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in Rabat on March 18, 2026. (AFP)

Moroccan fans have welcomed their team's ‌controversial coronation as Africa Cup of Nations champions, though some urged caution as Senegal prepare to challenge the ruling that has sent shockwaves through African football.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared Morocco champions on Tuesday after ruling Senegal forfeited the January 18 final in Rabat by walking off the pitch for 14 minutes in protest at a potentially decisive penalty awarded against them.

Although Senegal later returned and secured a 1-0 extra-time victory, CAF's Appeal Board reversed the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory.

The Senegalese Football Federation said it would appeal the "unprecedented and unacceptable" ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), while the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said the "strict application" of the rules ‌would help African ‌football.

Reactions within Morocco were largely positive, with supporters hailing the ‌ruling ⁠as overdue justice.

"The ⁠surprise was that a fair decision was actually made, but if we look at the reasoning behind it, it is logical and does justice to the team that truly deserved the title. It also sets a precedent - walking off the pitch because a match is slipping away is not acceptable," said Abdelmalek Hamza, a fan in Casablanca.

"The decision was taken firmly, and the national team and the Moroccan people deserve this victory and ⁠this title."

Rabat-based Oussama Ouaddich, who attended the tournament, welcomed the ‌verdict, saying: "I am overjoyed. We deserved this trophy. After ‌a brutal injustice, justice is finally rendered to Morocco."

CAUTION AMID LEGAL CHALLENGE

However, some fans remained ‌cautious with a potential appeal to CAS still pending.

"Honestly, I am not happy yet. ‌We need to wait and see what happens with the appeal. The decision is not final," said Imane Fakhir, a university student.

Omar Fallouji, a football fan in Casablanca, added: "Thankfully, CAF was fair to us, and I hope the trophy will be given to us after the ‌Senegalese team appeal to CAS."

Others expressed little concern over the appeal.

"The Cup was stolen from us. CAF's decision corrected the situation ⁠and made justice ⁠to the Moroccan people," said Mohammed Akherraz, a lawyer in Rabat.

"Appealing the decision... is only to gain time but it is a right that would not alter the result."

Some Moroccans highlighted the need to avoid escalating tensions with Senegal.

"As a Moroccan, yes I am proud. But what I want even more is for this not to become a wound between our peoples," said Bilal Jouahri, an entrepreneur in Rabat.

"Let the lawyers, the committees, the institutions do their work. The anger and insults serve nobody. Football lives on emotion, but emotions pass. It is just a game and should not fuel hate," he added.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe defended the ruling on Wednesday, saying it was important that decisions by the organization's disciplinary and appeals bodies were respected while Senegal's players ridiculed the decision on social media.


Real Madrid Faces Atletico in Key La Liga Derby as it Tries to catch Barcelona

16 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold with team mates practice during a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match against Manchester City. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa
16 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold with team mates practice during a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match against Manchester City. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa
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Real Madrid Faces Atletico in Key La Liga Derby as it Tries to catch Barcelona

16 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold with team mates practice during a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match against Manchester City. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa
16 March 2026, United Kingdom, Manchester: Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold with team mates practice during a training session at the Etihad Stadium, ahead of Tuesday's UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match against Manchester City. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/dpa

Real Madrid’s bid to catch Barcelona and win La Liga faces a critical test in the Spanish capital derby this weekend.

Real Madrid hosts Atletico Madrid on Sunday trailing Barcelona by four points with 10 rounds remaining.

A win ensures Real stays close to Barcelona or even gains ground on the front-runner if Hansi Flick's side were to stumble against Rayo Vallecano earlier on the same day, The AP news reported.

But a Real loss combined with a Barcelona victory would put Barcelona in a strong position to successfully defend its crown.

Real, Atletico and Barcelona are all feeling good after eliminating English opponents in the Champions League round of 16 this week.

Key matches Real will be seeking some vengeance for the 5-2 drubbing Atletico dealt it in their first league meeting at Metropolitano Stadium in September.

That result started the downfall of then-coach Xabi Alonso.

Real has had some more bad losses under Álvaro Arbeloa but Alonso’s replacement got a huge boost after his team handily defeated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

Atletico is in third place in La Liga and a full 13 points behind Barcelona.

Atletico’s 7-5 aggregate win over Tottenham in the Champions League this week set up a European quarterfinal with Barcelona next month.

Barcelona will be heavily favored to dispatch Rayo at Camp Nou after it blasted Newcastle 7-2 on Wednesday.

Players to watch Raphinha is on fire after five goals in his last two games for Barcelona. He netted a hat trick in a 5-2 win over Sevilla in the last round and added two goals against Newcastle.

Kylian Mbappé played the last 20 minutes against City after missing several games with a knee injury. Arbeloa will now have to decide if his star striker is ready to start against Atletico or if it is best to use him off the bench.

Out of action Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tore a muscle in his upper right leg against City, meaning Andriy Lunin will be between the posts against Atletico.

Atletico goalie Jan Oblak is doubtful for the derby after a muscle injury in his torso ruled him out of the last game.

Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García also left the midweek Champions League game with an injury scare, but his club said on Thursday he was fine and will be available for Rayo.


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)
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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."