UCL: Mbappe inspires PSG to beat Bayern as Chelsea thrash Porto – Newstrends
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UCL: Mbappe inspires PSG to beat Bayern as Chelsea thrash Porto

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Kylian Mbappe scored two goals to help Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to an emphatic 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final first-leg tie at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old French striker scored in the first half and second to punish Bayern’s shaky defence and end the defending European and world club champions’ 19-match unbeaten run in the UCL.

The French champions also became the first team to win a European away match against both Bayern and Barcelona in a single season.

PSG scored with their first attack, thanks to a howler from Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich goalkeeper. The Bavarians’ captain let a Mbappe shot slip through his hands into the net following a PSG fast break in the third minute.

The hosts recovered from their nightmarish start and fashioned several chances of theirs but Keylor Navas, PSG goalkeeper, denied Thomas Muller, Leon Goretzka, and Benjamin Pavard. They were however dealt another sucker punch by PSG in the 18th minute.

A routine corner kick was half cleared and Neymar — with his second assist of the night — picked out an unmarked Marquinhos to control and slot home for a 2-0 lead.

Eric Choupo-Moting was drafted in to fill in for injured Lewandowski, Bayern’s dependable goalscorer, and the Cameroonian finally made one count after previously hitting the bar. The 32-year-old was picked out by Pavard’s cross and his header found the bottom corner in the 37th minute for a 2-1 score line.

Muller had another opportunity before the interval but Navas held the German international’s header to preserve the visitors’ lead at halftime.

A frantic second half began with both sides exchanging chances — Neymar Jr. was denied by Neuer while Navas also saved from both Jerome Boateng and Pavard.

Another header would eventually beat PSG’s Costa Rican shot-stopper, this time Muller meeting Joshua Kimmich’s in-swinger in the six-yard box to equalise 2-2 on the hour.

An undeterred PSG were continually invited by Bayern’s defence and the deadly duo of Neymar and Mbappe combined again to retake the lead in the 68th minute. The Brazilian superstar released the French forward who was afforded time by Boateng in the penalty area to beat Neuer at the near post.

Hansi Flick’s side continued to pour forward with Choupo-Moting, David Alaba and Kingsley Coman all going close but PSG held on to take a 3-2 lead to the second leg set for Parc des Prices stadium next week Tuesday.

Chelsea-Porto match

Chelsea defeated Porto 2-0 in the other match of the night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjan stadium in Spain.

The tie, which was moved to Sevilla’s stadium due to COVID-19 restrictions, was livened up by Mason Mount’s first UCL goal to hand the Blues a 1-0 lead.

Porto, despite missing suspended duo Sergio Oliveira and Medhi Taremi, started the better side and Super Eagles of Nigeria’s Zaidu Sanusi should have put the hosts in front but the full-back blazed high and wide with the goal at his mercy.

Chelsea had several opportunities to double the lead in the second period before Ben Chilwell pounced on an error to round the goalkeeper and tap into an empty net to seal the 2-0 win.

The win sees Thomas Tuchel become just the second Chelsea manager to win his first three UCL knockout stage games.

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Olise scores twice as Crystal Palace trash Manchester United

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Olise scores twice as Crystal Palace trash Manchester United

A Michael Olise masterclass helped Crystal Palace complete a first ever Premier League double over Manchester United and inflict further misery on Erik ten Hag’s team with a 4-0 drubbing in south London.

Olise has been linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford and run amok at Selhurst Park with a dazzling display, scoring twice to move on to nine goals in 12 league starts this season.

Two sparkling efforts by Olise in the 12th and 66th minutes bookended this latest superb result for Oliver Glasner’s side, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell also on target to make it four wins in five for Palace.

It was another sorry display for Ten Hag, though, with Jonny Evans and Casemiro given a torrid night.

Injury-hit United have won only two of their last 10 league matches and could be set for a lowest ever Premier League finish.

United had dropped to eighth after wins for Newcastle and Chelsea at the weekend, while the club’s injury list increased with Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes not available for this clash.

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Evans was fit enough to start, but he endured a nervy opening and had to block an early Olise shot after his own poor clearance before Palace wanted a penalty when Evans challenged Mitchell in the area.

Referee Jarred Gillett, who was wearing a small camera for this fixture to help provide insight into the demands of top-level officiating, ignored the appeals.

However, Ten Hag’s side did not heed the warning of how dangerous Olise can be as he broke the deadlock in the 12th minute.

Olise skipped away from Christian Eriksen and left Casemiro sprawled on the floor by the centre circle before he drilled a shot into the bottom corner, having been given the freedom of Selhurst Park by United’s backpedalling defence

It was a wonderful effort from Olise, but one to forgot for the visitors and a sign of things to come.

Two more Olise efforts were repelled, one accidentally by his team-mate Mateta before Andre Onana saved after another fine Palace move.

A brief response occurred from United with a free-kick by Eriksen deflected over and they had the ball in the net through a Casemiro header after 27 minutes, but it was ruled out as Rasmus Hojlund had barged into Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

It looked the correct decision, although Ten Hag appeared bemused when in discussion with fourth official Graham Scott on the touchline.

Five minutes before half-time and United’s bank holiday trip to the capital went from bad to worse.

Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards combined and the latter passed into Mateta, who sped away from Evans far too easily and unleashed a powerful strike into the roof of the net for his eighth goal in nine appearances.

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United had to wait until the 51st minute to have their first shot on target, but Antony’s 22-yard curler was routine for Henderson.

Casemiro had another goal ruled out 60 seconds later when he knocked in the rebound after heading against a post. The makeshift centre-back had drifted offside before Eriksen’s free-kick.

Those fleeting forays for United only momentarily interrupted the Olise show as his skill should have resulted in a third for Palace, but Eze curled wide.

Mitchell was next to go close as Onana thwarted his near-post effort before Will Hughes had a half-volley clawed away.

United’s respite did not last long as a perfectly-weighted chipped pass by Adam Wharton found Joachim Andersen, who teed up Mitchell for a 58th-minute tap-in.

Not long after Hojlund had calls for a spot-kick turned down, Olise made it 4-0 with 24 minutes left.

Daniel Munoz was too strong for Casemiro and teed up Olise, who brilliantly curled beyond Onana from 16 yards before he celebrated with Glasner.

There would be no hat-trick for Olise as he was replaced in the 85th minute and United avoided further embarrassment in stoppage time when Odsonne Edouard hit a post on a night to remember for Palace.

Olise scores twice as Crystal Palace trash Manchester United

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Boniface scores as Leverkusen continue unbeaten season with 5 -1 win at Frankfurt

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Victor Boniface

Boniface scores as Leverkusen continue unbeaten season with 5 -1 win at Frankfurt

Victor Boniface was on the score sheet as Bayer Leverkusen stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions this season to a whopping 48 games thanks to a 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, ending their five-match losing run in away head-to-heads in the process.

With the league title in the bag, one foot in the UEFA Europa League final and a DFB-Pokal final on the horizon, things couldn’t be going much better for Leverkusen at the moment.

However, given the prospect of an unbeaten league season is still on the cards, there was never likely to be let-up in performance levels, and Leverkusen showed as much inside 15 minutes when Granit Xhaka thundered home from the edge of the area to fire them into an early lead.

Their advantage should have been doubled moments later, too, when Jonas Hofmann unselfishly squared for Exequiel Palacios, but a last-ditch Willian Pacho block kept Frankfurt in the game.

That proved to be a crucial stop as, shortly after the half-hour mark, a short-corner routine ended with Hugo Ekitike steering home Fares Chaibi’s measured delivery in what was Die Adler’s first meaningful attack of the game.

The hosts’ leveller seemed to change the match’s momentum, with Frankfurt in the ascendancy as HT approached, and Omar Marmoush wasted a fantastic opportunity despite being one-on-one with Lukas Hradecky, incredulously blasting his effort into orbit when in acres of space.

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His miss proved costly moments when, on the stroke of half time, Patrik Schick powered home Adam Hlozek’s delivery at the back post.

Only a goal down, Frankfurt were still in the encounter, but they self-imploded shortly after the restart when a moment of madness from Niels Nkounkou saw him pull Nathan Tella’s shirt inside the area. A penalty was duly awarded and, having been denied earlier, Palacios scored to leave the hosts with a mountain to climb.

That became an insurmountable ascent a little under 15 minutes from time when a lightning-quick Leverkusen counter culminated with Hofmann laying the ball on a plate for substitute Jeremie Frimpong to tap home Die Werkself’s fourth.

Damage limitation was all that was left for Frankfurt, but they were unsuccessful in doing so. Ansgar Knauff caught Frimpong in the area, and after a swift VAR check, a penalty was awarded.

Victor Boniface fired home to round off the scoring and leave Frankfurt knowing they still need a win from their remaining two games to mathematically secure a top-six finish.

As for the juggernaut that is Leverkusen, they’re showing no sign of slowing up and even with boss Xabi Alonso in the stands, displayed yet another dominant performance.

They are now level with Benfica’s 59-year European record for the longest unbeaten run in all competitions, and they can write another piece of history against Roma on Thursday.

Boniface scores as Leverkusen continue unbeaten season with 5 -1 win at Frankfurt

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Chelsea thrash West Ham to stay on track for Europe

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Chelsea thrash West Ham to stay on track for Europe

Chelsea strengthened their chances of securing European football next season, cruising to victory against West Ham at Stamford Bridge.

It took just 15 minutes for The Blues to get their noses in front with Cole Palmer reacting quickest to meet a loose ball in the West Ham box.

West Ham almost hit back immediately when Jarrod Bowen’s header crashed back off the crossbar, but it was one-way traffic from then on.

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The Blues doubled their lead on the half-hour mark through Conor Gallagher before Noni Madueke headed in the third six minutes later.

Nicolas Jackson struck twice in the second half to round off a wholly positive afternoon for the Blues.

With just three games left to play, Chelsea’s season seems to be heading for a strong finish as they have climbed up to seventh and sit just two points shy of sixth-placed Newcastle, while West Ham, who have two games remaining, stay ninth.

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