UCL: Dortmund sink Atletico Madrid to reach semi-final as 10-man Barca suffer blow against PSG

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

After trailing 2-1 in the first leg, hosts Dortmund stormed into a 2-0 half-time lead but fell behind again in the tie before Niclas Fuellkrug and Marcel Sabitzer struck in the space of three minutes to put the Bundesliga club through.

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In the same event, French giants, Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the UEFA Champions League semi-final after making a turnaround from the 3-2 first-leg defeat in France.

Two goals a piece from Dembele and Vitinha, and two spot kicks from captain Kylian Mbappe were enough for the Parisians to seal a place in the semi-final with a 6-4 aggregate score.

Barca coach, Xavi Hernandez and defender Ronald Araujo were both given their marching orders.

UCL: Dortmund sink Atletico Madrid to reach semi-final as 10-man Barca suffer blow against PSG

United in hot chase for Osimhen amid transfer speculations

Reports from Malu Mpasinkatu, Italy’s foremost pundit on African football, suggest that Manchester United is actively working on securing a deal for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as the competition to acquire his services intensifies.

This season, Rasmus Hojlund remains Manchester United’s leading goal scorer, netting 13 times across all competitions. However, with his last goal dating back to February 13, the Premier League giants are eager to bolster their attacking options in the upcoming transfer window.

Manager Erik ten Hag’s team has been linked with several top strikers, including Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee, and Osimhen.

Manchester United’s pursuit of the Nigerian striker dates back to last summer, where both Osimhen and Harry Kane were top targets on Ten Hag’s transfer wishlist. However, neither deal materialized, with Kane eventually moving to Bayern Munich and Osimhen opting to stay at Napoli after guiding them to their first Scudetto in thirty years.

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Recent reports suggesting Osimhen’s proximity to a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with a lucrative four-year contract on the table, have spurred Manchester United to revive their interest and potentially hijack the deal.

Speaking on Radio Goal, Mpasinkatu revealed that United is ready to enter a bidding war for the 25-year-old striker.

“From my information, there is talk of [Marcus] Thuram at PSG instead of Mbappe. Osimhen wants to play in the Premier League, and Manchester United and Chelsea are keen on him. As for [Jonathan] David, he could be a suitable replacement for Osimhen, being young yet experienced in European football. Lille may demand a high fee for him, but their sold players have shown good performances elsewhere.”

While Osimhen’s goal-scoring output this season hasn’t matched his previous campaign, where he secured the Serie A top scorer accolade with 26 goals, his contribution of 15 goals and four assists in 27 appearances across all competitions still stands out, especially considering Napoli’s challenges.

United in hot chase for Osimhen amid transfer speculations

EPL: Liverpool suffer title blow in loss to Crystal Palace

Andy Robertson insisted Liverpool will “keep fighting” despite their English Premier League (EPL) title hopes suffering a huge blow as they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Eberechi Eze converted from Tyrick Mitchell’s cut-back to finish off a flowing Palace move early on and the visitors were deservedly in front at the break.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds ramped up the pressure in the second half but, just as in recent games against Manchester United and Atalanta, their finishing let them down as they fell to a first league loss at home since October 2022.

Defeat leaves Liverpool two points behind leaders Manchester City.

“I think we are always still in it. We are still there,” Liverpool full-back Robertson told Sky Sports. “We will keep fighting, keep going to the end, and let’s see where it gets us.