Man City and Inter Milan draw 0-0 in goal-shy Champions League. PSG score late to beat Girona

Man City and Inter Milan draw 0-0 in goal-shy Champions League. PSG score late to beat Girona
Girona’s Paulo Gazzaniga misses the ball as Paris St. Germain’s Nuno Mendes scores their first goal during the sides’ Champions League first round match at Parc des Princes in Paris Wednesday. (Reuters)
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Updated 19 September 2024
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Man City and Inter Milan draw 0-0 in goal-shy Champions League. PSG score late to beat Girona

Man City and Inter Milan draw 0-0 in goal-shy Champions League. PSG score late to beat Girona
  • Just 13 were scored in six games one day after 28 were fired on Tuesday, including nine by Bayern Munich alone
  • A rare Thursday slate of Champions League games will see Barcelona go to Monaco, Atalanta host Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen visit Feyenoord

GENEVA: Where did all the goals go?

The 0-0 draws between Manchester City and Inter Milan in their rematch of the 2023 final, after Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk also could not find a goal, capped an untypically goal-shy evening for the Champions League on Wednesday.

Just 13 were scored in six games one day after 28 were fired on Tuesday, including nine by Bayern Munich alone.

How unusual was this? Two 0-0 draws after just 12 of 144 games to be played in the new league phase is already halfway to the total of four in 96 games one year ago in the group-stage format that is now abolished. The entire competition averaged three goals per game last season.

Paris Saint-Germain and Girona also were heading for a blank until a horrible 90th-minute error by the Spanish debutant’s goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga — spilling a cross by Nuno Mendes through his own legs — gifted a 1-0 win.

“We won’t get to where we want to overnight,” Girona coach Míchel said. “It requires hard work.”

Borussia Dortmund needed late goals from substitutes Jamie Gittens, twice, and Serhou Guirassy with a stoppage-time penalty to win 3-0 at Club Brugge.

The new format has welcomed new faces and long-absent friends in European soccer’s marquee competition.

Sparta Prague rose to the challenge of their first game for 19 years at this stage of the Champions League by beating Salzburg 3-0.

Bologna waited 60 years to return and deserved more for their attacking ambition against Champions League veteran Shakhtar. The Ukrainian champion had a penalty saved in the fourth minute by Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.

Slovan Bratislava was overmatched in their first game since 1992-93, the first season of the Champions League rebrand from the old European Cup, and with Georgia defender Guram Kashia making his competition debut at age 37.

They could not keep out Celtic, who won 5-1 in Glasgow. Ireland internationals Liam Scales and Adam Idah, Japan forward Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, and Arne Engels of Belgium scored for the champion of Scotland.

“The quality of the goals was sensational,” Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers said after just a fourth win in 33 Champions League games for the 1967 European Cup winner.

A rare Thursday slate of Champions League games will see Barcelona go to Monaco, Atalanta host Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen visit Feyenoord.

Six games on each of three straight nights are launching the new format. Now, 36 teams each play eight different opponents through January and are ranked in a single league table to decide which teams advance to the knockout phase.

Man City held in rare home shutout

There was nothing to separate the champions of England and Italy, 15 months after Man City beat Inter 1-0 in Istanbul to lift the European Cup trophy for the first time.

Ilkay Gundogan wasted two late chances for manager Pep Guardiola’s team, failing to convert two headed chances.

It was the first time City had failed to score at home in Europe’s elite tournament since being held 0-0 by Sporting Lisbon in March 2022, and just the second time at home in all competitions since then. The other was a 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League in March.

But the result saw City extend their six-year unbeaten home run in European games to 32, dating to a 2-1 loss to Lyon.

“I’m pleased with our performance, I liked everything,” Guardiola said.

Dortmund keep clean sheet, again, somehow

Dortmund’s defense had a Champions League-best six clean sheets last season on its way to the final, where Real Madrid found two late goals to take the title.

Somehow, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel kept out Brugge despite 18 goal attempts including a close-range shot by Hugo Vetlesen that rattled the cross bar in the 12th minute. Vetlesen’s effort ended a manic series of four shots in a matter of seconds from a corner including a diving save by Kobel.

The Switzerland ‘keeper’s five saves meant Dortmund did not pay for its own wastefulness in front of goal until taking the lead in the 76th from a Gittens shot that deflected off two defenders before looping past Simon Mignolet into the Brugge net.

Salzburg’s heavy load

Few clubs will play more international games this season than Salzburg, under their new coach Pep Lijnders, the former long-time assistant to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

Salzburg had to advance through two Champions League qualifying rounds in August — because their 10-year title run in Austria was ended by Sturm Graz — and will play at least three more games in June at the Club World Cup in the United States.

Salzburg qualified among 12 European teams going to the relaunched FIFA club event because of its consistent results in the past four Champions League seasons, but was upstaged in Prague.

“A few of our players were playing their first game for the club,” Lijnders said. “It’s a new team we need to build it.”

Sparta came through three qualifying rounds, and six games already, to reach this stage and made a sharp start Wednesday scoring within two minutes to set the tone for an easy win.


American sweep! Team USA win all 5 matches in opening session of Presidents Cup

American sweep! Team USA win all 5 matches in opening session of Presidents Cup
Updated 27 September 2024
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American sweep! Team USA win all 5 matches in opening session of Presidents Cup

American sweep! Team USA win all 5 matches in opening session of Presidents Cup
  • It was the third time they shut out the Internationals on the first day, and the first time since 2000
  • International captain Mike Weir had a plan for the opening two days and he didn’t see anything on the course to make any changes for the foursomes matches on Friday

MONTREAL: The Presidents Cup matches were close. The score after the opening session was not.

The Americans clung to a 1-up lead in all five matches Thursday when they delivered shot after shot, putt after putt, until this already lopsided series took a familiar turn.

US 5, International 0.

The Americans swept the first day of fourballs matches at Royal Montreal behind a feisty Scottie Scheffler, late heroics from Xander Schauffele and plenty of help from the putting-challenged International team.

It was the third time they shut out the Internationals on the first day, and the first time since 2000. The Americans went on to an 11-point victory that year.

“We’re excited with our start — high fives, celebrate — and we’re going to keep the pressure on,” US captain Jim Furyk said.

International captain Mike Weir had a plan for the opening two days and he didn’t see anything on the course to make any changes for the foursomes matches on Friday. Adam Scott has never been on a winning team since his debut in 2003, and he wasn’t about to lose hope.

“The best news is there’s tomorrow for us. It’s not over,” Scott said. “We’re going to have to come out, fight really hard, find that gear, win a session and get going in the right direction. The score line looks rough. But I don’t think there was that much difference in it today.”

Three matches reached the 18th green. One ended on No. 17. The shortest match was Scheffler and Russell Henley getting the last word in a 3-and-2 win over Tom Kim and Sungjae Im.

Scheffler and Henley never trailed in what was the spiciest match of an otherwise flat day, the Canadian crowd mostly silent after Mackenzie Hughes, who sat out the first session, chugged a beer on the opening tee to get them going.

Scheffler and Kim are good friends who play plenty of money games in Dallas. On the par-3 seventh hole, the 22-year-old Kim holed a putt from just inside 30 feet and did a pirouette on the green, screaming, “Let’s Go!”

Scheffler matched the birdie from about the same length, and the world’s No. 1 player turned toward Kim and screamed, “What was that?”

It got testy on the next hole when Kim made another long birdie, celebrated wildly and then he and Im walked over to the ninth tee without even watching Scheffler putt.

“It’s the same thing I would have done at home if he had made a putt ... and he celebrated like that. So it’s all in good fun. We enjoy competing against each other,” Scheffler said. “That’s what it’s like out here. It’s fun to compete and fun to represent our country, and at the end of the match you take your hat off and shake hands.

“We’re friends after, we’re not friends during, I guess.”

The Internationals never looked like they would win the session. They weren’t expecting a shutout, either.

Taylor Pendrith, one of two Canadians in the lineup, made birdie on the 12th as he and Christiaan Bezuidenhout squared their match against Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark.

Schauffele and Tony Finau missed 3-foot par putts on the 16th and their opening match against Jason Day and Byeong Hun An was all square.

It could have gone either way. But it only got worse for the Internationals.

Bezuidenhout missed three 7-foot putts in a span of four holes that kept his side from squaring the match. Scott missed a pair of putts from the 12-foot range.

The Americans delivered the goods.

Schauffele atoned for his short miss by hitting his tee shot to 7 feet to a back pin on the par-3 17th for a birdie, and then hit his approach to 3 feet on the 18th to close out the match.

“Tony got the party started on the front nine and he had my back all day,” Schauffele said. “I figured it was my time to have his back.”

Bradley, the Ryder Cup captain for next year who has gone 10 years since his last cup competition, holed a 35-foot putt on the 13th and secured a 1-up win over Scott and Min Woo Lee with a 10-foot putt. Emotions were pouring from him.

“It was 10 years of pent-up energy of not playing these,” Bradley said. “I just had such a blast out there today.”

Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala rallied from a 1-down deficit through 11 holes when Morikawa birdied the 12th and 14th holes. Theegala secured it with an approach to just inside 3 feet. He made the putt, the first time all day he retrieved his golf ball from the cup.

In the anchor match, Patrick Cantlay was relentless as ever and Sam Burns made a 10-foot birdie on the 13th hole that put them 2 up, and Corey Conners and Hideki Matsuyama could never cut into the lead.

The Americans also swept the opening session in 1994. This was the eighth time in the last nine Presidents Cups they had a lead after the first day.

Friday has five foursomes matches. Furyk is keeping two teams together, including Scheffler and Henley, with Cantlay and Schauffele looking to build on their foursomes record.

“The last couple road games have been close,” Cantlay said. “I think it’s a huge statement. I think we need to build on that tomorrow.”


Arsenal, Man City qualify for Women’s Champions League group stage

Arsenal, Man City qualify for Women’s Champions League group stage
Updated 27 September 2024
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Arsenal, Man City qualify for Women’s Champions League group stage

Arsenal, Man City qualify for Women’s Champions League group stage
  • Real Madrid won 3-1 at home to Sporting Lisbon, with a brace either side of halftime by Sandie Toletti and a goal in second-half stoppage time from Alba Redondo
  • Last season’s semifinalists Paris Saint-Germain failed to overturn their first-leg deficit against Juventus as they lost 2-1 at home to the Italians on the night, and 5-2 on aggregate

PARIS: Arsenal and Manchester City both recorded handsome home wins in the second leg of round two qualifying of the Women’s Champions League on Thursday to book their places in the draw for the group stage.

Arsenal welcomed Hacken to Borehamwood trailing 1-0 after suffering defeat on the road to the Swedes last Wednesday.

But strikes by Lia Waelti and new signing Mariona Caldentey inside 40 minutes gave Jonas Eidevall’s side the lead prior to the break.

Beth Mead and Frida Maanum then put the tie beyond Hacken’s reach as Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners.

Manchester City went into their home leg with a comfortable 5-0 advantage after a dominant first-leg display in Paris last week.

A goal after two minutes by England striker Chloe Kelly effectively put an end to any hopes of an unlikely Paris FC comeback, before Khadija Shaw scored just after the half-hour and hour marks to seal a 3-0 win.

“I feel we can go a long way,” said City manager Gareth Taylor.

“I never would say we are going to win it. Getting out of the group stage is going to be our next objective.”

Real Madrid won 3-1 at home to Sporting Lisbon, with a brace either side of halftime by Sandie Toletti and a goal in second-half stoppage time from Alba Redondo easing the Spaniards to a three-goal winning margin over both legs.

Last season’s semifinalists Paris Saint-Germain failed to overturn their first-leg deficit against Juventus as they lost 2-1 at home to the Italians on the night, and 5-2 on aggregate.

Roma emerged 10-3 aggregate winners as they overpowered Swiss side Servette Chenois 7-2 in the return fixture in Geneva.

Dutch club Twente romped into the group stage as they scored four goals in both ties against Croatia’s Osijek on their way to an aggregate win of 8-1.

St. Polten of Austria won 5-0 in Slovenia against Mura to complete an impressive 8-0 aggregate win.

Celtic won 2-0 against visitors Vorskla of Ukraine to go through 3-0 on aggregate.

On Wednesday, two-time champions Wolfsburg, Norwegians Valerenga, Sweden’s Hammarby and Galatasaray sealed their places in the tournament proper.

Lyon, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and holders Barcelona all automatically qualified for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League.

Now that all 16 group-stage spots have been decided, the draw will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.


Tottenham overcome early red card to post 3-0 win in revamped Europa League

Tottenham overcome early red card to post 3-0 win in revamped Europa League
Updated 27 September 2024
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Tottenham overcome early red card to post 3-0 win in revamped Europa League

Tottenham overcome early red card to post 3-0 win in revamped Europa League
  • Ange Postecoglou: The red card was not ideal, we started really sloppily but the reaction afterwards was good
  • Roma allowed a late goal and settled for a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao following the Italian club’s turbulent recent stretch

Tottenham marked their return to European competition after one-year absence by overcoming an early red card to beat Qarabag 3-0 in the revamped Europa League on Thursday.

Defender Radu Dragusin was sent off in the eighth minute for bringing down Juninho to prevent the forward from going in alone on goal. But the hosts opened the scoring just four minutes later.

Brennan Johnson’s angled shot was his third goal in three games. Pape Sarr doubled the advantage early in the second half off a corner kick and Dominic Solanke finished it off on a rebound in the 68th.

“The red card was not ideal, we started really sloppily but the reaction afterwards was good,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou told TNT Sports. “We wanted to press high, even with ten men.”

Johnson also scored in a 3-1 win over Brentford in the Premier League and had a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 victory over second-division Coventry the English League Cup three days earlier.

Tural Bayramov wasted a golden opportunity to score from the spot when the Azerbaijan visitors were 2-0 down.

Travel disruptions forced the game to start 35 minutes late.

Roma blow lead

Roma allowed a late goal and settled for a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao following the Italian club’s turbulent recent stretch that included firing coach Daniele De Rossi.

Aitor Paredes headed in the equalizer in the 85th minute to offset Artem Dovbyk’s first-half goal.

Roma beat Udinese 3-0 in Serie A on Sunday in the first game under new coach Ivan Jurić.

Bilbao winger Nico Williams came on as a substitute for last 30 minutes in his return from an ankle injury.

Ajax clean up

Mika Godts had two goals, Kian Fitz-Jim and Kenneth Taylor added one each for Ajax in a 4-0 rout of Besiktas.

Czech side Viktoria Plzeň scored two late goals from Prince Adu and Vaclav Jemelka to hold high-flying Eintracht Frankfurt to a 3-3 away draw.

Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winner led 3-1 on goals from Hugo Ekitike, substitute Junior Dina Ebimbe and defender Rasmus Kristensen.

Olympiacos, last year’s Conference League champion, started with a 2-0 loss to Lyon in France on second half goals by Rayan Cherki and Said Benrahma.

Braga rallied to beat nine-man Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-1. Romania’s FCSB beat Latvia’s RFS 4-1 in Bucharest.

Fenerbahce, Rangers score early wins

Fenerbahce opened the competition with a 2-1 home win over Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise with both teams finishing the game with 10 men.

Defender Çaglar Soyuncu opened the scoring for Jose Mourinho’s team in the 26th with a half-volley from close range and Christian Burgess’ own goal in the 82nd made it 2-0 for Fenerbahce. Ross Sykes scored in stoppage time for the visitors.

Union defender Kevin Mac Allister received a red card in the 74th and Fenerbahce substitute Bright Osayi-Samuel was sent off in the final minute.

Last season, Fenerbahce eliminated Union in the round of 16 of the third-tier Conference League.

Europe’s second tier is a familiar turf for Mourinho, who led Manchester United to the 2017 title. He took the Fenerbahce job in the offseason. With Mourinho in charge, Roma lost the 2023 final to Sevilla after a penalty shootout.

In another early game, Rangers won 2-0 at Malmo.

The 2022 Europa League beaten finalist didn’t waste time. Nedim Bajrami scored in the opening minute. Ross McCausland scored in the second half.

Rangers lost in the 2022 final to Eintracht Frankfurt. The German club will be in action later Thursday, hosting Czech side Viktoria Plzen.

As in the Champions League, the traditional group stage of the Europa League has been replaced with an expanded league phase with all 36 teams competing in a single standings.

Each Europa League team will play eight games against eight different opponents through Jan. 30.


Fenerbahce and Rangers win their openers in the revamped Europa League

Fenerbahce and Rangers win their openers in the revamped Europa League
Updated 26 September 2024
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Fenerbahce and Rangers win their openers in the revamped Europa League

Fenerbahce and Rangers win their openers in the revamped Europa League
  • Union defender Kevin Mac Allister received a red card in the 74th
  • In another early game, Rangers won 2-0 at Malmö

ISTANBUL: Fenerbahce opened the revamped Europa League with a 2-1 home win over Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise with both teams finishing the game with 10 men on Thursday.
Defender Çağlar Söyüncü opened the scoring for Jose Mourinho’s team in the 26th with a half-volley from close range and Christian Burgess’ own goal in the 82nd made it 2-0 for Fenerbahce. Ross Sykes scored in stoppage time for the visitors.
Union defender Kevin Mac Allister received a red card in the 74th and Fenerbahce substitute Bright Osayi-Samuel was sent off in the final minute.
Last season, Fenerbahce eliminated Union in the round of 16 of the third-tier Conference League.
Europe’s second tier is a familiar turf for Mourinho, who led Manchester United to the 2017 title. He took the Fenerbahce job in the offseason. With Mourinho in charge, Roma lost the 2023 final to Sevilla after a penalty shootout.
In another early game, Rangers won 2-0 at Malmö.
The 2022 Europa League beaten finalist didn’t waste time. Nedim Bajrami scored in the opening minute. Ross McCausland scored in the second half.
Rangers lost in the 2022 final to Eintracht Frankfurt. The German club will be in action later Thursday, hosting Czech side Viktoria Plzeň.
In London, Tottenham’s game against Qarabag was delayed 35 minutes because of a travel disruption. Roma play Athletic Bilbao among other remaining late games.
As in the Champions League, the traditional group stage of the Europa League has been replaced with an expanded league phase with all 36 teams competing in a single standings.
Each Europa League team will play eight games against eight different opponents through Jan. 30.


PSG coach Luis Enrique says bigger Club World Cup ‘exciting’

PSG coach Luis Enrique says bigger Club World Cup ‘exciting’
Updated 26 September 2024
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PSG coach Luis Enrique says bigger Club World Cup ‘exciting’

PSG coach Luis Enrique says bigger Club World Cup ‘exciting’
  • “Once every four years there’s this new, extremely exciting competition. Everyone wants to go to the Club World Cup,” he said
  • The 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15-July 13

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique on Thursday described the expanded Club World Cup, set to feature 32 teams next year, as an “exciting competition” while acknowledging the need to limit player workloads.
“Once every four years there’s this new, extremely exciting competition. Everyone wants to go to the Club World Cup,” he said, amid growing concern from players and coaches alike over the increasing number of fixtures.
The 2025 Club World Cup will be held in the United States from June 15-July 13, with 12 European clubs set to take part in a tournament that has only traditionally involved the six continental champions and host nation.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri warned earlier this month that leading players could go on strike over the number of games they’re being asked to play.
The Spain international is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering ligament damage to his right knee at the weekend.
“Of course those involved must speak,” said Luis Enrique.
“I understand and I agree that the calendar is very busy, particularly that of Manchester City. Ours is less so because we have two fewer teams in our league and therefore four fewer matches.”
“A less hectic calendar would favor everyone,” he added.