Real Madrid pulled off one of the great Champions League comebacks on Wednesday as Karim Benzema scored a breath-taking hat-trick to upstage Kylian Mbappe and dump Paris Saint-Germain out in the last 16.

Madrid were set to be the latest victims of another Mbappe masterclass at the Santiago Bernabeu after the 23-year-old ran them ragged for the best part of an hour and fired in to put PSG 1-0 up on the night, 2-0 ahead on aggregate.

But Madrid came storming back as Benzema capitalised on a mistake by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and then scored an incredible double in two minutes, the third coming just eight seconds after PSG had kicked off.

When the full-time whistle confirmed their 3-2 aggregate victory, many of Madrid’s players dropped to their knees and looked up to the sky, as much perhaps in disbelief as joy, after completing one of the most memorable turnarounds in the club’s recent history.

All eyes were on Mbappe, who was the only player to be cheered by Madrid’s fans before the game as they were gifted an up-close preview of the player they hope will be theirs this summer.

Mbappe delivered, scoring a superb goal, not to mention a spellbinding second that was disallowed for offside when he bamboozled Thibaut Courtois with a magical dummy-finish.

To think he might not even have been 100 per cent here after a knock in training on Monday temporarily put his involvement in doubt.

But what looked set to become an exhibition of the world’s deadliest player instead became another remarkable European night for Real Madrid, who showed again why they consider this to be their competition.

Madrid clearly wanted to hit PSG hard form the start, with Dani Carvajal leaping and waving his hands at the crowd in an attempt to generate a wave of noise.

For a while, it worked, Vinicius Junior tearing down the left and Fede Valverde bulldozing through Mbappe, but the surge was brief. PSG killed Madrid’s momentum, pushed them back and took complete control.

Mbappe sped clear for the first time in the eighth minute, Neymar curling a ball into the space on the left. The stadium held its breath, Mbappe made space but this time hit Courtois.

Madrid dropped off but ceded control. Mbappe nipped past Eder Militao and Courtois saved. A lovely interchange between Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti gave Neymar a sight of goal but Courtois was there again.

PSG were comfortable now, dictating the play and sensing the trepidation. Madrid had openings, Benzema curling just wide, but all over the pitch they looked slower, heavier, more cumbersome.

Modric shines

Messi skipped through and scooped wide before Mbappe had his first of two goals ruled out, driving into the corner only to see the flag raised.

The goal, though, felt inevitable and in the 39th minute, it came. Carvajal lost the ball upfield and with Madrid committed, Neymar arced another brilliant pass over the top.

By the time he reached it, Mbappe only had David Alaba in front of him and as he shaped to bend into the far corner he instead fired early, whipping a deadly shot past Courtois and inside the near post.

Madrid tried to reset at half-time but Mbappe carried on where he left off with a brilliant, but disallowed, goal.

He fooled Courtois with an astonishing dummy shot, beating the Belgian without even touching the ball and slammed in. The flag went up but the stadium was astounded.

The game was becoming less a contest, more an Mbappe exhibition but then Benzema, out of nowhere, dragged Madrid back into the tie.

He chased Nuno Mendes’ backpass to Donnarumma, who skewed under pressure. Vinicius was able to collect and cut back to Benzema, who slotted home.

Suddenly, there was hope again, the crowd on their feet roaring Madrid on. Vinicius shot over when the ball cannoned kindly to him in the box. Luka Modric tracked Messi and slid him into touch.

It was Modric who inspired Madrid’s second too, a scintillating run through midfield allowing Vinicius to race clear down the left. He scooped back inside to Modric, whose exquisite reverse pass found Benzema, who finished.

Madrid were level on aggregate, the goal confirmed after a check from VAR. Then eight seconds later, incredibly, they were ahead. PSG squandered possession from kick-off, Rodrygo released Vinicius and Marquinhos’ attempted clearance found Benzema, who steered into the corner.

“This is how Madrid win,” the fans began to sing. They fell quiet when Messi stood over a free-kick in injury time but the ball curled over and the cheers began again.

Source: AFP

Barcelona and a rejuvenated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Europa League specialists Sevilla will spearhead Spain’s challenge in the last 16 of the competition on Thursday.

Sevilla host English side West Ham in the first leg while Barcelona take on Turkish club Galatasaray at the Camp Nou, in two of the most attractive ties of the round.

Five-time European champions Barcelona are still adjusting to the unfamiliar surroundings of the continent’s secondary competition after crashing out of the Champions League in the group stage for the first time in 18 years.

They face Galatasaray at Camp Nou on the back of their best run of the season after four victories in a row, including an impressive 4-2 win away at Napoli in the previous round.

They sit third in La Liga and have not lost in the league since December, boosted by a busy January transfer window in which they signed Aubameyang from Arsenal as well as Ferran Torres and Adama Traore.

Aubameyang and Torres have scored seven goals between them in Barca’s last five games.

“We have four wins in a row and this hasn’t happened for a long time,” said coach Xavi Hernandez on Sunday. “The players believe in what we are doing. We are on the right path.”

The Europa League is still Barcelona’s only realistic hope of winning a trophy this season and there remains a defensive fragility that will offer opponents encouragement.

But Barca will be heavy favourites against a Galatasaray side that have struggled recently, winning only twice in their last 15 matches.

Europa League kings

Sevilla, who have won the Europa League four times in the last eight seasons, will face a West Ham side who are battling for a trophy.

The Hammers’ chances of finishing in the top four of the Premier League are slipping away, with Arsenal now firm favourites to secure the final Champions League spot and Tottenham and United still battling too.

West Ham captain Mark Noble said his team’s fighting performance in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last Saturday would restore belief after a rocky patch in which they were also knocked out of the FA Cup.

“That performance will give us a lot of belief and hopefully we can take that into the Europa League now,” Noble said on the club’s website.

“It’s exciting and hopefully we can perform like that because Sevilla are a top team and we are going to need to perform well.”

The shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will hang over Thursday’s matches with the tie between Spartak Moscow and RB Leipzig cancelled, although the Football Union of Russia lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday seeking to overturn UEFA’s ban on its club playing in European competition.

Wednesday (1745 GMT unless stated)

FC Porto (POR) v Lyon (FRA)

Real Betis (ESP) v Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

Thursday

RB Leipzig (GER) v Spartak Moscow (RUS) – cancelled

Sevilla (ESP) v West Ham (ENG)

All at 2000 GMT

Atalanta (ITA) v Bayer Leverkusen (GER)

Barcelona (ESP) v Galatasaray (TUR)

Rangers (SCO) v Red Star Belgrade (SRB)

Sporting Braga (POR) Monaco (FRA)

Source: AFP

Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich on Wednesday confirmed he is to sell the Premier League club, pledging that proceeds will go to victims of the war in Ukraine.

The billionaire believes it is in the “best interest” of the Champions League holders if he parts ways with the club he has transformed since his purchase in 2003.

“As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart,” Abramovich said in a statement.

“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners.”

It is a seismic moment for English football after nearly two decades of Abramovich’s team consistently challenging for the sport’s top honours.

Chelsea have won 19 major trophies in the Abramovich era, including their first two Champions League crowns and five Premier League titles.

But the 55-year-old’s reign will come to an end in the the fall-out from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The British government have yet to order sanctions against Abramovich, who is said to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Chelsea owner’s concern about potential seizing of assets is understood to have sparked his move to off-load the Blues.

Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and USA investor Todd Boehly, a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, are reported to be two of the parties now preparing a joint bid for Chelsea.

Wyss, 86, told Swiss newspaper Blick he had been offered the chance to buy the London club because Abramovich wanted “to get rid of Chelsea quickly” before potential political sanctions took hold.

It is believed Abramovich’s asking price for Chelsea will be around £3 billion ($4 billion), with American bank the Raine Group reported to have been asked to handle the sale.

– Privilege of a lifetime’

Chelsea’s debt to Abramovich currently stands at around £1.5 billion but he will not ask for loans to be repaid, while he is also said to be set to sell his London property portfolio.

Abramovich, who made a rare appearance to watch Chelsea win the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi recently, has pledged to donate any net proceeds from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.

“The sale of the club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process,” Abramovich said.

“I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid. This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and club.

“Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.

“The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.”

Abramovich paid £140 million to buy Chelsea from Ken Bates, using his vast wealth and the shrewd appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager to shatter Manchester United and Arsenal’s stranglehold on the Premier League.

As well as Premier League and Champions League glory, Chelsea won the FA Cup five times, the Europa League twice and the League Cup three times under Abramovich.

Abramovich, who announced the impending sale less than an hour before Chelsea’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Luton, admitted relinquishing ownership was a painful decision.

He hopes to make one more visit to Stamford Bridge before the curtain falls on his 19-year reign.

“Please know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, and it pains me to part with the club in this manner,” Abramovich said.

“However, I do believe this is in the best interest of the club.

“I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person.

“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements. Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.”

Source: AFP

Tyson Fury says he will retire after next month’s defence of his WBC title against fellow British heavyweight Dillian Whyte in London, stating he has “nothing to prove”.

The unbeaten two-time world champion was expected to face the winner of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, the holder of the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, in a unification bout should he beat Whyte.

But after Tuesday’s news conference to promote the fight on April 23 at Wembley Stadium, Fury, who has hinted at walking away from boxing before, said he would be “fully retired after the fight”.

“What I want to do after boxing is chill on a beach, drink pina coladas, drive Ferraris and live on boats and that’s it,” said the 33-year-old. “That’s what I’ll do.”

When asked if he harboured ambitions of challenging Joshua or Usyk, he reaffirmed that he would be retiring “100 percent”.

“(I’m a) two-time undisputed champion, 150 million in the bank, nothing to prove to nobody,” said the self-styled “Gypsy King”.

Fury accused Whyte of “showing the white flag” in the press conference after the challenger failed to attend the event at Wembley.

Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren was also scathing about Whyte’s “disgraceful” absence.

Whyte, the mandatory challenger, is believed to be preparing for the fight in Portugal and, according to Warren, rejected the offer of a private jet to fly to London for the event.

Fury, who staged a mock face-to-face with his absent challenger, said: “I’ve got a new name for him. He is called ‘Frillian White Knickers’, because he is as soft as it says in the title.

“He has shown his colours today. He gets upset and causes a ruckus, now he has given me that much more confidence.

“I’m not concerned because this is the Tyson Fury roadshow, it’s never about the opponent.”

Source: AFP

Liverpool have claimed the 1st domestic trophy of the season after edging out Chelsea in the Penalty shootout at Wembley.

It was a neck and contest as neither side managed to open the scoring during the regulation time and then extra time. So the match went into a penalty shootout, where both teams scored all their first 10 penalties, putting the fate of the match into the hands of their keepers.

Caoimhin Kelleher made it 11 from 11 for Liverpool but Kepa Arrizabalaga blazed wildly over the top as the high-class showpiece was decided by the finest of margins after 21 successful attempts. With the victory, the Merseyside Reds won the trophy for the first time since 2012.

Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich said Saturday he was handing over the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club to the trustees of its charitable foundation.

The move comes with Russia under intense scrutiny following its invasion of Ukraine this week.

Billionaire Abramovich, who took over at Stamford Bridge in 2003, said in a statement: “During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities.

“I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.

“I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.”

It is understood Abramovich took the decision in order to protect Chelsea from continued links to the wider global political situation as war rages in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, using parliamentary privilege, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran named him as one of 35 “key enablers” to Russian leader Vladimir Putin who should be sanctioned.

Source: AFP

PARIS has been confirmed as the replacement for St Petersburg for the 2022 Champions League final.

Uefa convened for a meeting this morning and made the announcement after pressure from major Champions League sponsors.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a backlash against European football’s governing body, who are sponsored by gas supplier Gazprom, whose name is also on the 64,000-capacity stadium in the Russian city.

Chelsea are on the verge of losing experienced defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen for FREE this summer.

However, the West London outfit are reportedly interested in a move for Wolves defender Max Kilman, following his impressive performances this season.

Kilman is a boyhood Blues fan and could be open to the move if he hears the club are in for him.

Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe is said to have been offered whopping £1m-a-week wages to stay with PSG.

The Frenchman has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, who he scored a winner in the Champions League against last week.

Source: The Irish Sun

Kylian Mbappé scored a stunning individual goal in stoppage time to give Paris St Germain a 1-0 home victory over Real Madrid and spare Lionel Messi’s blushes after he had missed a penalty in their Champions League last-16, first leg on Tuesday.

It took PSG 94 minutes to find the winner with a brilliant run by Mbappé, who danced in between two defenders and calmly slid the ball into the far corner to earn PSG a deserved victory after they had dominated the encounter.

PSG missed several chances and were thwarted by Real keeper Thibaut Courtois, who denied Mbappé on several occasions before superbly pushing away Messi’s spot kick in the second half.

“It was a great game for us and I’m always ready to help my team, there are no distractions,” said Mbappé, who has now scored 13 goals in his last 13 Champions League matches.

“We have to be humble and the second leg is still open. It will be a hard game but we will have the advantage and are very confident.”

Real Madrid finished the game with zero shots on target while PSG had eight, with almost 60% of possession.

Real will be without Casemiro and Ferland Mendy for the second leg at home on March 9. The pair were both shown yellow cards and will be suspended for collecting three yellows in the competition.

“Our counter-attack didn’t work today,” Courtois told reporters. “It’s hard to lose but the second leg is wide open. We have to win and we will try to do it in front of our fans, what is a great advantage.”

Courtois repeatedly frustrated Messi and Mbappé. His best save came early in the second half when Messi stepped up for the penalty after Mbappé had been fouled inside the area by Dani Carvajal. The Belgian stretched low to his left to stop the Argentinian’s shot with his hand.

But 30 minutes later Mbappé found the winner and Courtois could only watch as the ball went through his legs and into the corner of the net.

“Mbappé is the best player in European football,” Real manager Carlo Ancelotti said. “We didn’t play well but we are not dead yet.”

Source: REUTERS

Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino does not believe Kylian Mbappe’s future will be influenced by their Champions League last 16 tie with Real Madrid.

Mbappe’s contract with PSG expires in the summer and while the 23-year-old French international is widely expected to join Real Madrid, he suggested in December he could yet stay in France.

Real play the first leg of the last 16 tie at Parc de Princes on Tuesday.

“I don’t think that such an important decision depends on a game, or a tie,” Pochettino told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Thursday night.

“He is an intelligent, mature boy, with a tremendous ability to analyse and know perfectly well what he wants for his future.

“He has many people around him who I’m sure will advise him in the best way. So I don’t think that’s the case. I see him calm, focused on doing the best possible for PSG. You have to respect him. He will make a decision after the tie.”

The match is the blockbuster tie of the round, with Lionel Messi up against Madrid for the first time since leaving Barcelona while Sergio Ramos could be up against his former club, although the veteran defender is struggling with a calf injury.

“Leo is a genius, one of those players that emerges once in a hundred years,” said Pochettino.

“I think he comes into this decisive part of the season in his best moment. I have no doubt that he is going to show the best version of himself.”

Pochettino said Ramos has “suffered some relapses”.

“We will see if he is available, and if not for the second leg,” Pochettino added.

Neymar is also a doubt, after missing the last 11 games with an ankle injury.

“His recovery has been fantastic, I think he’s close to coming back,” said Pochettino. “The next few days will be key.”

Source: AFP