Aston Villa have qualified for the Champions League for the first time after top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur lost to Manchester City on Tuesday.

Tottenham had been the only team who could have overtaken Villa into fourth before Tuesday, but are now five points behind Unai Emery’s side with one game remaining.

Villa have not reached Uefa’s premier club competition since it rebranded from the European Cup to the Champions League in 1991-92.

They last played in the European Cup 41 years ago in 1982-83 having won the competition the season before.

Villa did finish second and fourth in the Premier League in 1992-93 and 1995-96 respectively, but in both those seasons only first was good enough to reach the Champions League.

Source: BBC

Kylian Mbappe scored on his final home appearance as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Sunday but the French champions suffered a surprise 3-1 defeat against Toulouse on the night they picked up the Ligue 1 championship trophy.

Mbappe confirmed in a video posted on social media on Friday that he would be leaving PSG when his contract expires at the end of the season, ending a seven-year association with the club.

Real Madrid is expected to be the next destination for a player whose departure from Paris had been an open secret since February, when he privately informed the club of his intention to move on.

Mbappe wore the captain’s armband and opened the scoring early on against Toulouse to take his tally for the season to 44 goals goals in all competitions.

However, Thijs Dallinga quickly equalised for the visitors against a PSG side which showed 10 changes to the team knocked out of the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals in midweek, with Mbappe the only player to keep his place.

Yann Gboho put Toulouse ahead with a brilliant strike in the second half, and Frank Magri wrapped up the win in stoppage time as PSG suffered just their second Ligue 1 loss this season, and their first in 27 games since September.

Mbappe has now scored 256 times for PSG, a club-record tally, since signing from Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros ($194 million).

His tally of 191 goals in France’s top flight — including 16 with Monaco at the beginning of his career — puts him in seventh place in the all-time list. Coach Luis Enrique described the 25-year-old as “a club legend” when he spoke to media on the eve of the game.

Jeers

PSG had indicated that celebrations after Sunday’s match would be dedicated to their title triumph, rather than any specific tribute to Mbappe himself.

There were even some jeers from the crowd for the striker when the teams were read out before the game, although a huge display was unfurled before kick-off at one end of the stadium depicting Mbappe in a trademark pose with his arms folded.

The Qatar-owned club had already wrapped up a record-extending 12th French title, and 10th in the last 12 years, before hosting a Toulouse side who were themselves safe from any lingering threat of relegation.

PSG’s Champions League disappointment means Mbappe will leave the club without ever having got his hands on European football’s greatest prize.

With Mbappe, PSG were runners-up in 2020 and have since reached the last four on two further occasions, but the France captain will now hope to finally get his hands on the trophy at his next club.

PSG can still finish the season by completing a clean sweep of domestic honours, as they face Lyon in the French Cup final in Lyon on May 25.

As well as Ligue 1, they have also already won the Champions Trophy, France’s equivalent of a Super Cup.

Luis Enrique’s team will complete their league campaign with a visit to Nice on Wednesday before going to Metz on the final day of the season next Sunday.

Source: AFP

Real Madrid produced a spectacular comeback with “heart” against Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League final on Wednesday with Joselu striking twice in the dying minutes, earning them a 2-1 win to progress 4-3 on aggregate.

Alphonso Davies smashed the visiting German giants ahead in the second half but record 14-time winners Madrid produced a sensational comeback with Joselu netting in the 88th and 91st minutes.

Spanish champions Real Madrid face another German side, Borussia Dortmund, in the Wembley final on June 1, after they stunned the team they call their “black beast”.

“It’s something magical, there’s no explanation,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, revelling in another electric night in the Spanish capital.

Journeyman striker and back-up option Joselu, on as a late substitute, wrote his name in Madrid’s history books with his last-gasp brace, giving Europe’s comeback kings another night to remember.

“(The comeback) was with feeling and with heart, as the coach told us — you have to win games with heart,” said Joselu.

Madrid had enjoyed the better of the match but it seemed Davies’ superb strike had set up a repeat of the 2013 all-German final in London.

Instead Joselu consigned Bayern to a first trophyless season since 2012, his first goal coming after a handling error from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had superbly kept Madrid at bay until that point.

“(Before that) there were world class saves after world class saves, but that can happen, it’s football,” said Bayern defender Matthijs de Ligt.

High-intensity

Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel made three changes from the first leg, benching veteran Thomas Mueller and Leon Goretzka but the hosts dominated the opening stages.

Monment to forget: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer makes a mistake and Joselu brings Real level.

Neuer produced a superb double save to stop Madrid nosing in front, tipping the electric Vinicius Junior’s effort on to the post and then saving Rodrygo’s follow-up.

Bayern’s Serge Gnabry limped off injured with Davies replacing him before England captain Harry Kane’s first flash of danger, but Andriy Lunin pushed his vicious volley around the post.

Neuer palmed away a Vinicius free-kick as the teams ended a high-intensity, relentlessly frantic first half level.

The second period was just as fraught, with Davies’ cross deflecting onto the roof of Lunin’s goal.

Vinicius was unplayable down Madrid’s left and Rodrygo prodded his low cross agonisingly wide of the far post.

The 38-year-old Neuer made superb saves to deny both Brazilian forwards again before the hour mark as Madrid ratcheted up the pressure.

However just as in Munich, when Los Blancos were at their strongest, Bayern pounced.

Canada international Davies cut inside from the left and smashed a shot beyond Lunin into the far top corner after 68 minutes.

Madrid thought they had levelled moments later through Nacho but after a VAR review the strike was ruled out as the defender had grabbed Joshua Kimmich’s face before shooting.

Tuchel took off Kane, still chasing the first trophy of his career, in the final stages to try and hold on to victory but it slipped through his fingers as Madrid produced more indelible European memories.

Referee ‘mistake’

Ancelotti, sacked by Bayern in 2017, has kept Madrid’s squad players engaged and committed to the cause all season and it paid dividends at a crucial time.

Neuer, who had been sublime to this point, fumbled what appeared a simple Vinicius strike and substitute Joselu gratefully bundled home from close range.

“We had one foot in London, we saw ourselves going through to the final,” lamented the goalkeeper.

With Bayern reeling Madrid struck again, decisively. It was Joselu once more, the striker on loan from second-division side Espanyol, turning home after Antonio Rudiger cut the ball back to him.

The goal was ruled offside but officials overturned the decision after review, and after nearly 15 minutes of stoppage time, Madrid earned the chance to go for their 15th Champions League trophy.

“There have been a lot of times we have looked dead and buried, but we have that mentality of never say die,” said Real midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Bayern were left raging at full-time after De Ligt netted but play had been stopped beforehand for an offside flag against Noussair Mazraoui.

“I don’t want to say that it’s always the referee’s mistake with Real Madrid, but that made the difference today,” grumbled De Ligt, saying play should have been allowed to continue.

“It’s bitter, completely bitter,” said Tuchel.

Source: AFP

Mats Hummels headed in the only goal as Borussia Dortmund stunned Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final second leg on Tuesday, winning 1-0 on the night and advancing 2-0 on aggregate to next month’s final at Wembley.

Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response, the home side all out of luck as they hit the woodwork four times in total.

Dortmund, who sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, were never expected to go so far and will be underdogs in the June 1 showpiece regardless of whether they face their old rivals Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday.

It will be their first final since 2013 when, remarkably, the match was also played at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund team lost to Bayern.

Hummels played in that final and here, 11 years later, he was the hero as Dortmund built on the advantage given to them by Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal in the first leg.

The story of this semi-final, however, is just as much about PSG’s failure in another crunch knockout tie in the competition.

They have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe.

He will leave when his contract expires after this season and had been hoping to play his last game for the club in the June 1 final.

Instead PSG will be left to reflect on how they failed to get their hands on the biggest trophy of all during Mbappe’s seven years at his hometown team.

PSG’s last two semi-final appearances both came during the pandemic, meaning this was the first time they had hosted a match at this stage of a European competition with fans in 29 years, since losing to AC Milan in 1995.

They were favourites to reach their first Champions League final since 2020, despite their defeat in Dortmund six days earlier.

Woodwork to rescue

Luis Enrique’s team had won 2-0 at home against the same opponents in the group stage and were safe in the knowledge that a repeat of that performance would be enough.

The PSG coach made one major selection decision, dropping Bradley Barcola and bringing in Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. That meant moving Mbappe out of a central position and onto the left wing.

Dortmund would have been bracing themselves for an onslaught from kick-off, but that did not transpire.

Mbappe took only seven minutes to produce his first attempt, yet his volley was easily saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

The hosts had most of the possession but struggled to get Mbappe into the game, with the France captain often looking isolated on the wing.

In fact it was Dortmund who had the best chance of the first half, when Karim Adeyemi led a counterattack before seeing his shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It felt as though the hosts needed to change something or risk going out with a whimper.

They should have been ahead two minutes after the restart, when Ramos touched on a ball driven into the box by Mbappe, but Warren Zaire-Emery somehow contrived to hit the post from close range.

That was to prove crucial as Dortmund struck moments later.

PSG cheaply conceded a corner, and Julian Brandt’s resulting delivery from the Dortmund right was headed in by Hummels.

Ramos swept a shot over from a Vitinha pass on the hour mark before Nuno Mendes became the second PSG player to strike the right-hand post, this time with a powerful shot from outside the box.

It was starting to look as if it would really not be PSG’s night, and Luis Enrique realised he had to act as he sent on Barcola and Marco Asensio for Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, moving Mbappe through the middle.

It was a disappointing night for Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe

Dortmund responded by withdrawing Jadon Sancho and sending on an extra defender in the hulking Niklas Suele.

They withstood everything PSG threw at them but were also helped by the frame of the goal, with Kobel turning Mbappe’s shot onto the bar on 86 minutes and Vitinha then rattling the bar too.

Source: AFP

Real Madrid clinched the Spanish title on Saturday for the fourth time in 12 years, beating Cadiz 3-0 before previous champions Barcelona lost 4-2 at Girona.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side romped clear of last season’s winners and shock challengers Girona to clinch their record-extending 36th La Liga trophy.

AFP Sport breaks down the keys to Los Blancos’ domestic success this season:

Brilliant Bellingham

Nobody expected Jude Bellingham to have such an instant impact in Spain after his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

The England international quickly established himself as a key player in attacking areas for Madrid with ten goals in his first ten league matches, replacing the departed Karim Benzema.

Although his numbers have dipped in the second half of the campaign, Bellingham remains Los Blancos’ top scorer with 18 in La Liga, and Ancelotti also regularly exalts his strong work ethic.

Catalan capitulation

Barcelona looked revitalised last season under Xavi Hernandez, but the champions struggled badly in the first half of the season.

Their previously rock-solid defence gave way with alarming regularity and Madrid’s consistency, falling to just one defeat in the whole campaign to date, made their march to the title feel an inevitability.

Barcelona found new life after January but it was too little, too late for Madrid’s arch-rivals.

Mentality masters

Real Madrid are admired for their never-say-die attitude and assuredness in big matches. In their key La Liga battles against Girona and Barcelona, they triumphed on every occasion.

Ancelotti’s side hammered Girona 3-0 in September in a show of strength and then crushed the Catalan minnows 4-0 in February to completely deflate their title bid.

Against Barcelona, Bellingham delivered stoppage-time winners in both league match-ups, firing Madrid to a 2-1 away triumph in October and a 3-2 victory in April at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And when Madrid were not playing well in some of the lower-key matches, they managed at least to draw. “To win a league, the games you can’t win, you can’t lose either,” noted Ancelotti.

Durable defence

Real Madrid were dealt multiple set-backs this season in defence with Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and David Alaba all sidelined with long-term injuries. Despite that, they boast the strongest record at the back in La Liga.

Antonio Rudiger has raised his level to marshal the defence, while right-back Dani Carvajal is in arguably the best form of his career.

Defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has dropped into the back line without fuss when required and always looked solid despite playing out of position.

Madrid’s squad players have also contributed in key moments, with Lucas Vazquez shining at right-back in the recent Clasico.

Carlo’s calls

Madrid coach Ancelotti has got his biggest decisions right this season. The coach’s first call was to deploy Bellingham as part of a three-pronged attack with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, a role which his previous bosses had not envisioned for him.

The Italian managed Rodrygo’s issues in front of goal well, keeping faith in the Brazilian, who made a point of celebrating with his coach after ending his drought in November.

Ancelotti has slowly phased out ageing great Luka Modric while still calling on him at the right times.

He kept squad players including Brahim Diaz and Joselu involved and hungry and both scored against Cadiz on the day Madrid won La Liga.

Source: AFP

Barcelona coach Xavi will remain at the club until at least the end of his contract in June 2025 after changing his mind that this would be his last season.

The 44-year-old announced in January he would step down as boss this summer.

But, with president Joan Laporta keen for him to remain, the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder has performed a U-turn.

Laporta said: “We know that he made some statements in the middle of the season, but today we have the good news that he is staying and he has conveyed to me the enthusiasm and confidence he has in the project.”

Xavi took charge in November 2021 after leaving Qatari club Al Sadd and guided Barca to the Spanish title in his first full season in charge in 2022-23.

However, they are 11 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with six games left to play in the current campaign.

Barcelona exited the Champions League last week following a quarter-final defeat by Paris St-Germain.

Xavi, who won 25 honours during an illustrious playing career at Barcelona, had said he felt “liberated” following the announcement that he would step down from the role at the end of the season.

When he announced he was leaving after defeat by Villarreal, he felt he was not being protected by the club and there was no clear direction.

But since that moment, when Xavi felt able to take a more relaxed approach, the team’s results improved.

They went 10 games unbeaten in the league before losing 3-2 at Real Madrid on Sunday.

A meeting took place in Laporta’s house on Wednesday and the pressure from the club for him to stay was obvious.

If Xavi is unable to improve the team by the end of the 2024-25 season, Barcelona will look to persuade one of the high-profile managers out of contract then – including Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta.

Source: BBC

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Monday the club will demand a Clasico replay if they can prove officials made a mistake by not allowing Lamine Yamal’s “ghost goal”.

The champions fell to a 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday in a match which featured multiple controversial incidents, leaving their arch-rivals 11 points clear at the top of La Liga.

The most debated was 16-year-old winger Yamal’s first-half flick from a corner which may have crossed the line before Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin pushed it away.

Without goal-line technology in Spain, officials used VAR to try and confirm if the ball had crossed the line but could not be certain it had and so play continued with the score level at 1-1.

Laporta demanded the Spanish football federation and the refereeing committee send Barcelona all footage of the incident and audio recordings of the officials’ conversations.

“If, once the documentation has been analysed, the club understands that there was an error in the assessment of the play, as we think there was, we will take all the necessary steps to reverse the situation, without ruling out any legal action that may be necessary,” said Laporta in a video published by Barcelona.

“If it is confirmed that it was a legal goal, as we believe it was, we will go further and ask for a replay of the match, as has happened in another European match due to a VAR error.”

Laporta was referring to a match between Anderlecht and Genk in January in the Belgian top flight which was replayed following a misapplication of the laws of the game.

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said Sunday it was a “disgrace” that Spanish football did not have goal-line technology.

Laporta also criticised a general “misuse” of VAR, saying there appeared to be “contradictory criteria” for its intervention depending on the teams involved.

Barcelona had two penalty appeals turned down during the Clasico defeat for what they said were fouls on Yamal and Fermin Lopez.

Source: AFP

Borussia Dortmund fought back to beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 in their quarter-final second leg on Tuesday, securing a 5-4 aggregate victory and a first Champions League semi-final since 2013.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, goals from Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen had Dortmund 2-0 up at half-time.

Visiting coach Diego Simeone made three changes at half-time including bringing on Angel Correa and his energy told immediately, Mats Hummels conceding a poor own goal before the Argentine netted to put Atletico back ahead in the tie.

But those goals brought a sluggish Dortmund back to life, with Niclas Fuellkrug and Marcel Sabitzer each scoring in a three-minute period to send the Bundesliga club through.

Former winners Dortmund, fifth in the German top flight and struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League, will next face Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final at Wembley on June 1.

The home side should have been level in the tie after three minutes but Sabitzer took an extra touch with the goal beckoning, allowing Atletico to cover.

Just moments later, Atletico had a major chance of their own, as Alvaro Morata raced through one-on-one with the goalkeeper but chipped the ball well wide of the post.

Buoyed by an 80,000-strong home crowd trying to one-up last week’s atmosphere in the Spanish capital, Dortmund pushed and prodded, with Karim Adeyemi blasting straight at Jan Oblak.

Dortmund broke through after 34 minutes, Brandt collecting a Hummels chip and shooting on the turn, the ball bouncing through Oblak’s hands.

The home side were ahead in the tie just five minutes later, Maatsen threading in from an acute angle after he was given space to run in the Atletico box.

With Simeone sensing his chances of qualifying for the semis for a fourth time as Atletico boss slipping away, he shuffled his deck at half-time, making three changes including hooking the ineffective Morata for Correa.

Dortmund’s wobbles suddenly returned, letting the visitors back into the tie.

Hummels turned Mario Hermoso’s header into his own net from an Atletico corner under little pressure and with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel waiting to save.

Atletico smelt blood and could have levelled when Correa dragged the ball just wide.

The World Cup winner made up for his miss on 64 minutes when he cut through a penalty area crowded with yellow shirts and smacked the ball in, sending Atletico in front on aggregate.

The goal jolted Dortmund back into action and Edin Terzic’s men scored twice in three minutes to retake the overall lead.

Fuellkrug headed in a Sabitzer cross and the Austrian midfielder then got a goal of his own, shooting through the Atletico defence and into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, grabbing Dortmund a famous victory.

Source: AFP

Real Madrid and Champions League holders Manchester City shared a pulsating 3-3 draw in a rollercoaster quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Bernardo Silva put City ahead with a low free-kick but Ruben Dias’ own goal and Rodrygo Goes helped Madrid dramatically and swiftly fight back.

Manchester City’s own quick-fire double in the second half through Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol stunned the record 14-time winners, but they snatched a draw through Fede Valverde’s scorching volley.

The thrilling match was played in the shadow of a threat by Islamic State to target every quarter-final first leg, with a heavy security presence around the Santiago Bernabeu.

Spanish officials said 2,000 police were to be deployed, but the match was played without incident off the field. On it, there was plenty under the closed stadium roof, which produced a thunderous atmosphere.

Guardiola omitted influential playmaker Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian said he was unwell shortly before the game, opting for Mateo Kovacic in midfield alongside Rodri Hernandez.

The former Barcelona coach also chose Stefan Ortega in goal over the experienced Ederson, only just back from a thigh injury, while Gvardiol overcame a fitness doubt to start.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back over Nacho Fernandez and an early rash challenge from the Frenchman paved the way for City’s opener.

Tchouameni clumsily hacked down Jack Grealish after 33 seconds and was booked, meaning he will miss the second leg.

From the free-kick Silva punished Madrid further, catching goalkeeper Andriy Lunin out at his near post with a low effort which skidded home.

Lunin was sluggish to react and although he got a hand to the ball he could not keep it out.

Ancelotti, coaching a record 200th Champions League match, claimed his team lacked courage and personality when they were crushed by City in last seasons semis, but they showed mental strength to quickly turn the game on its head.

This kind of feat is Madrid’s wont in the Champions League, and they produced two goals in two minutes, reminiscent of their stunning 2022 semi-final comeback against City thanks to Rodrygo’s brace.

Dias deflected the first into his own net as he tried to block Camavinga’s long-range piledriver, and Rodrygo slipped home the second after Vinicius Junior played him in, aided by another deflection, off Manuel Akanji.

The Brazilian sliced wide at the end of a slick Madrid transition, aided by a Vinicius backheel, as Los Blancos demonstrated how dangerous they are on the counter-attack.

A breathless first 45 minutes was followed by more of the same, in a tie increasingly dubbed a Champions League “Clasico”.

Rodri headed over for the visitors and Vinicius blasted over the top before City sprang their own comeback and extended their unbeaten run to 26 matches.

Foden pulled his team level with a superb strike, arced into the top corner from the edge of the box.

The England international is enjoying his finest goalscoring campaign with this perfectly placed effort his 22nd across all competitions.

With Antonio Rudiger shackling Erling Haaland, City got a goal from an unlikely source to lead five minutes later.

Defender Gvardiol’s ferocious bending effort from distance left Lunin no chance and silenced the Bernabeu — but not for long.

Valverde’s brilliant volley from Vinicius’ cross zipped past Ortega to level the score and leave the game deliciously poised for the second leg on April 17.

Source: AFP

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday his team played without courage or personality when Manchester City knocked them out of the Champions League last season, ahead of another showdown with the English champions.

Pep Guardiola’s side thrashed Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in last season’s semi-finals and Ancelotti called on his players to show more mental strength this time around.

Record 14-time winners Madrid host reigning champions City at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in a mouthwatering quarter-final first leg clash.

“We played without courage, without personality — courage and personality are fundamental in this type of game, we lacked them in the second leg,” Ancelotti told a news conference.

After a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital Madrid crumbled to a bruising 4-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

Ancelotti said his players have to be mentally strong against City but admitted he was nervous before the game.

“The important thing is to be at our best, the mental aspect is very important,” continued Ancelotti.

“In terms of courage and personality, we’ve had time to prepare for the game, we’ve prepared very well, and I am confident that we will give our best and we’ve got the quality to compete.”

Despite having won the competition four times, twice with AC Milan and twice with Madrid, more than any other manager, Ancelotti admitted his own tension before the clash.

“(I’m) very nervous, before a game on a personal level it’s all suffering,” said the coach.

“Defeat is suffering and victory is relief, not happiness… suffering and stress keep you alive, it’s gasoline for me.”

Last season Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger kept Erling Haaland and his team-mates relatively quiet in the first leg but Ancelotti did not start the German in the Etihad thrashing.

“(The first leg) was a good game and we stopped Haaland getting passes,” Rudiger told reporters.

“The coach didn’t apologise (for dropping me) and doesn’t need to, I accept it, even though it was hard to accept.

“Now for this game the plan is to try and control dangerous players like Phil Foden, (Kevin) De Bruyne and, of course, Haaland.”

Rudiger said he would treat the battle against the Norwegian hitman as if it was personal.

“It’s about the team, but I will take that duel as if it’s personal, as a defensive player against a super striker like Haaland,” he added.

Source: AFP