Coachless Rennes Stuns Ligue 1 Leader PSG and Ends Winless Run

Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
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Coachless Rennes Stuns Ligue 1 Leader PSG and Ends Winless Run

Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)

Coachless Rennes stunned Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at home and snapped a five-game winless run on Friday.

The home side fired coach Habib Beye on Monday after its early season gains looked to be slipping away, and it was a firm underdog against PSG, which came to Brittany after winning all seven of its last league fixtures.

But Rennes hit the post early on and it got a reward for its confident start after 33 minutes. Jordanian midfielder Mousa Al-Tamari charged forward on the counterattack and found enough space between two defenders on the edge of the penalty area to curl in a superb opener, The Associated Press reported.

PSG came into the game but was hesitant in front of goal and Esteban Lepaul doubled Rennes' lead midway through the second half. The prolific center forward rose highest to bullet a header past Matvey Safonov for his 11th goal of the season.

Former Rennes player Ousmane Dembélé pulled one back for PSG two minutes later but Breel Embolo restored Rennes' two-goal cushion in the 81st when he finished off another counterattack.

PSG remained atop the table but second-placed Lens can take over if it beats Paris FC on Saturday.

Rennes moved above Lille into fifth place.

Monaco beats Nantes

Monaco overcame lowly Nantes 3-1 for its fourth league game without defeat.

Monaco rose three places to seventh after a horrendous run of seven losses in eight league games from the start of December to mid-January.

Ivory Coast winger Adingra scored in the 25th and 28th minutes and Denis Zakaria added a third after half an hour — his first goal of the season — to put Monaco in the driver's seat.

Fabien Centonze pulled a goal back on the stroke of halftime for Nantes.

Although Aleksandr Golovin’s dismissal after 65 minutes gave Nantes a man advantage for most of the second half it could not muster a fightback.

Nantes was second from bottom of Ligue 1, equal on points with third-from-bottom Auxerre.

With a third of the season remaining, the gap between the bottom three and the teams above them was an intimidating eight points.



Liverpool Close on Champions League but Salah Limps off

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
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Liverpool Close on Champions League but Salah Limps off

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)

Liverpool moved ever closer to securing Champions League football next season with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday but will be hoping Mohamed Salah has not played his final game for the club.

Salah limped off in the second half at Anfield holding his hamstring with less than a month of his glittering career with the Reds remaining.

"It's too early to say but we all know Mo and how hard it is for him to leave the pitch," said Liverpool boss Arne Slot. "We have to wait and see how bad it is."

Two goals in five minutes just before half-time tightened the grip of Slot's men on a top-five finish.

British transfer record signing Alexander Isak scored his first goal since returning from a leg break as he smartly controlled Alexis Mac Allister's wayward effort on goal and swiveled on the ball to volley it past Dean Henderson.

Andy Robertson then marked one of his final appearances at Anfield with a fine finish at the end of a lethal Liverpool counter-attack after third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman had denied Palace an equalizer.

Salah went to ground just before the hour mark holding the back of his left leg and was given a standing ovation as he made way for Jeremie Frimpong.

Daniel Munoz reduced the Eagles' arrears in controversial fashion as Liverpool wanted the game stopped with Woodman down injured.

"It was a lot more nervy because of the goal. I don't think we deserved to concede it in that fashion," added Slot.

"Is there a game we play where there isn't a talking point about the referee?"

But Florian Wirtz secured the three points deep into stoppage time with just his fifth Premier League goal since a £100 million ($135 million) move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Victory moves Liverpool up to fourth and opens up an eight-point lead on sixth-placed Brighton with just four games of the season remaining.


Report: Brazil’s Militao Risks Missing World Cup with Hamstring Injury

Real Madrid defender Eder Militao (C) leaves the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, 21 April 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid defender Eder Militao (C) leaves the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, 21 April 2026. (EPA)
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Report: Brazil’s Militao Risks Missing World Cup with Hamstring Injury

Real Madrid defender Eder Militao (C) leaves the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, 21 April 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid defender Eder Militao (C) leaves the pitch during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, 21 April 2026. (EPA)

Real Madrid's Brazil defender Eder Militao is at serious risk of missing the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury, sources close to the club and the national team told Reuters.

Real confirmed in midweek that Militao felt a twinge in a challenge shortly before halftime ‌in Tuesday's ‌win against Alaves and ‌signaled ⁠straight away to be ⁠replaced.

While Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa initially struck an optimistic tone after the game, an MRI scan later revealed a muscle injury to the hamstring in Militao's left ⁠leg.

Spanish radio COPE first reported ‌it was a ‌recurrence of the injury he sustained ‌in December, which could require surgery ‌and rule him out of the World Cup, which starts in less than 50 days. Reuters has confirmed that ‌report with several sources.

The 28-year-old now faces an anxious wait. ⁠Sources ⁠told Reuters a final decision will be made and announced on Monday, when Militao undergoes a new series of examinations with Real's doctors to determine the next steps.

The latest blow marks another setback for the Brazilian center back, who has endured a succession of injuries in recent seasons, including ACL tears in back-to-back years.


Real Madrid’s Mbappe Suffers Hamstring Issue at Betis

 Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)
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Real Madrid’s Mbappe Suffers Hamstring Issue at Betis

 Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Betis v Real Madrid - Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain - April 24, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts. (Reuters)

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe suffered a "muscle overload" in his left hamstring during the team's 1-1 draw at Real Betis in La Liga, a club source told AFP on Friday.

Mbappe asked to be substituted in the final 10 minutes of the game, which left his side eight points behind league leaders Barcelona.

The France captain's problem does not appear to be serious, pending further tests, easing any potential concerns ahead of the World Cup this summer.

"I have no idea (how Mbappe is), he had some discomfort and we will see how it develops in the coming days," said coach Alvaro Arbeloa when asked by reporters about the forward, Madrid's top goalscorer, after the game.

On Wednesday Barcelona's teenage winger Lamine Yamal suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out until the end of the season, although he is expected to be fit to play at the World Cup for Spain.