PARIS, April 29 — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique admitted his team will likely need to score several more goals away to Bayern Munich next week to be sure of reaching another Champions League final after a remarkable 5-4 victory in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.

“I just asked my staff how many goals they thought we would need next week and we all think we will need to score at least three,” said the Spaniard, who masterminded PSG’s 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in last season’s final.

That allowed them to win the Champions League for the first time in their history and next Wednesday’s semi-final second leg will be their first visit to the Allianz Arena since then.

“Bayern will of course be in their stadium and will be even stronger with their fans behind them but going back there will bring back beautiful memories for us. We want to have the same mentality and will go out to try to win the game.”

Tuesday’s thriller was the highest scoring semi-final match in the modern Champions League era – you have to go back to 1960 to find the last game as prolific at this stage of the European Cup.

That was a 6-3 win for Eintracht Frankfurt away to Rangers, before the Germans lost 7-3 in the final to Alfredo di Stefano’s Real Madrid.

“The intensity of the game throughout was exceptional,” said Luis Enrique.

“We won it and we are very pleased, but at 5-2 we thought we could have had a better result.

“We desverved to win, but we also deserved to draw and lose!”

‘Football is like religion’

A crazy first-half at the Parc des Princes saw Harry Kane give Bayern the lead with an early penalty, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Joao Neves strike for the hosts and Michael Olise then make it 2-2, only for an Ousmane Dembele penalty to put PSG back ahead at the interval.

Kvaratskhelia and Dembele then both scored for PSG before the hour mark, leaving them seemingly out of sight at 5-2, but Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz pulled goals back for Bayern.

That ensures it will be game on next week in Munich, and there is a strong chance this tie could become the most prolific ever in the Champions League.

The record for most goals in a two-legged tie in Europe’s elite club competition is 13, including in last season’s semi-final in which Inter beat Barcelona 7-6 on aggregate.

“I was proud of how we reacted at 5-2. It was incredible how the players fought back,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, who had to watch from the stands due to suspension, an experience he described as a “catastrophe”.

Asked about the attacking approach of the two teams, he added: “Football is a bit like religion – people believe what they believe, and there is not one style of play that is superior to another.

“What happened today was a clash of two similar ideas – normally in these situations you have one team that starts to sit back a bit but neither team wanted to do that and that is why the match was how it was,” he said.

Bayern will hope to overturn their one-goal deficit next week as they look to reach a first Champions League final since 2020.

“It can’t come quick enough,” Kompany said of the return leg.

“There is not much in it and we just need to win the game. The weight of our stadium can make a difference. It is a legendary venue where Bayern have had so many great successes.” — AFP

PARIS, April 29 — Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele scored twice each as Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in an epic first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday – an extraordinary encounter that was the highest-scoring match ever at this stage of the competition.

The first half alone was crazy, with Harry Kane giving Bayern the lead from a penalty, only for Kvaratskhelia to equalise before Joao Neves headed the hosts in front at an enthralled Parc des Princes.

Michael Olise made it 2-2, but a Dembele penalty in first-half stoppage time had the reigning champions back ahead at the interval.

Kvaratskhelia, surely the standout player in this season’s Champions League, and Dembele both then scored again to have hosts PSG seemingly out of sight, only for Dayot Upamecano to pull one back before Luis Diaz made it 5-4.

An unforgettable game – perhaps better even than last season’s semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona – leaves the tie between the continent’s two best teams of the moment wonderfully poised for next Wednesday’s return at the Allianz Arena, with a place in the final in Budapest on May 30 on the line.

“I’m sure everyone who loves football really enjoyed watching that. It was a real pleasure to play in that game, the kind of game we dream of playing in as kids,” PSG captain Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus.

His team will be returning to Munich – scene of their 5-0 win over Inter in last year’s final – with the advantage, but Bayern will be confident they can overturn the narrow deficit at home.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha fights for the ball with Bayern Munich midfielder Konrad Laimer during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg match at the Parc des Princes in Paris on April 28, 2026. — AFP pic

“We fought and we clawed and we’re back in the tie,” Kane told Amazon Prime. “I thought there was amazing defending even though there were nine goals.”

The French champions are seeking to become just the second side in the modern Champions League era to retain the trophy, while the German champions are hoping to reach the final for the first time since 2020, when they defeated PSG to lift the trophy for the sixth time.

Instant classic

Vincent Kompany’s team arrived in Paris having scored 167 goals this season, led by the remarkable Kane and his 53 goals in 45 appearances.

This tie had a lot to live up to, after Bayern’s spectacular win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, but it was an instant classic as both teams showcased their devastating firepower.

Bayern went ahead in the 17th minute as Willian Pacho chopped down Diaz and Kane converted the resulting penalty for his 54th of the campaign.

The visitors won 2-1 here in November in the league phase thanks to a Diaz double and they were the better team early on this time.

But their front-foot approach made them vulnerable to the counter-attack, and PSG’s leveller came just after the midway point in the first half.

The brilliant Kvaratskhelia broke clear of Josip Stanisic down the left before cutting inside and firing into the far corner.

Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz shoots and scores his team’s fourth goal against Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Matvey Safonov during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg match at the Parc des Princes in Paris on April 28, 2026. — AFP pic

A classic Kvaratskhelia goal was followed by Neves heading in Dembele’s corner on 33 minutes.

The action was only just getting started, however, as French international Olise drove towards the PSG box before smashing in for 2-2.

PSG then won a penalty at the end of the first half when a Dembele cross struck the arm of Alphonso Davies, the Canadian making his first start in the Champions League this season after injury.

It was given by the Swiss referee after a VAR check, and Dembele beat Manuel Neuer to make it 3-2 at half-time – a lead which PSG added to after the restart, leaving Bayern stunned.

Achraf Hakimi’s assist was swept in by Kvaratskhelia for 4-2 on 56 minutes, the Georgian getting his seventh goal in seven games in the knockout phase.

Bayern were not able to reset before Dembele surprised Neuer with a shot in off the near post to make it 5-2 with his second of the night.

But Bayern were not done, as Upamecano headed in Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick to take Kompany’s side to 170 for their season tally.

Diaz, who was sent off in the November meeting, then dribbled past Marquinhos before slotting in for the night’s final goal, making it 5-4.

Kompany, watching from the stands due to suspension, would have been delighted with his team’s response – even if they were relieved to see Senny Mayulu’s late strike for PSG come back off Neuer’s crossbar. — AFP

MANCHESTER, April 28 — Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday put them on the ‌brink of Champions League qualification but ​interim manager Michael Carrick said they must keep pushing to finish as high up the Premier ‌League table as possible.

The victory lifted United to third ​place on 61 points, 11 clear of sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, with four games remaining.

With the top five qualifying for the Champions ​League next season, United need two more points to seal their return to Europe’s elite competition after a two-year absence.

“The Champions League is one thing, but it’s not something that we should be over-celebrating either,” former ‌United midfielder Carrick told reporters.

“We want to be finishing ⁠high up the league really, ⁠and we want to be challenging ⁠high up in the league ⁠and trying ⁠to get more points so our season doesn’t get to a close when that happens.

“We have put ourselves in ⁠good position, but there’s still more work to be done,” added Carrick, who took charge in January with United in sixth spot after Ruben Amorim’s dismissal.

Casemiro was on the scoresheet on Monday and while supporters have called on the ⁠club to keep him for another year, Carrick said the midfielder’s situation was clear.

“From both sides it’s pretty ⁠clear. Probably the situation and the clarity of it has helped ⁠everything,” ⁠he added.

“It means a lot to him and credit to him ​because of the situation that ​it is, he’s given absolutely everything ‌as well and had some big ​moments for us.”

United next ​face fourth-placed Liverpool on Sunday. — Reuters

LONDON, April 28 — Declan Rice has urged Arsenal to embrace the weight of history in their chase for a first Champions League crown ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final trip to Atletico Madrid.

The Gunners travel to the Spanish capital for the first leg looking to move a step closer to only their second Champions League final appearance.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been labelled English football’s nearly men after three successive runners-up finishes in the Premier League.

They have fallen short in Europe as well, losing 3-1 on aggregate to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals last season and bowing out against Bayern Munich in the 2024 quarter-finals.

Arsenal have never won Europe’s elite club competition, with their lone final ending in defeat against Barcelona in 2006.

The Premier League has become the London club’s holy grail after their painful streak of near-misses in recent years.

But lifting the Champions League for the first time would be an equally fitting riposte to those doubting the mental strength of Arteta’s men.

Just seven games separate Arsenal from the club’s greatest ever season.

They sit three points clear of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League title race, with four matches to play and five for Pep Guardiola’s men.

Three games remain in the Champions League if Arsenal reach the final against PSG or Bayern in Budapest on May 30.

Rice wants his team-mates to prove their past experiences have made them battle-hardened for their pursuit of history.

“We’ve played in tough games in the last three or four years at the highest level, so we know what to expect and what’s to come,” the midfielder said.

“That’s what it’s been all season, and that’s what we want it to be towards the end of the season.

“We’re Champions League semi-finalists, let’s embrace it, enjoy it and bring it on.”

Havertz, Eze doubts

After losing two high-stakes showdowns with City recently – a 2-0 League Cup final defeat and 2-1 loss in the Premier League – the jury remains out on Arsenal’s ability to get over the line when it matters most.

A fraught 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday was hardly a convincing response to the cynics.

But it did end a two-game losing run in the league and eased a little of the tension after four defeats in their previous six matches in all competitions.

Arsenal are sweating on the fitness of Eberechi Eze and Kai Havertz for the trip to Madrid after they limped off last weekend.

Eze had taken his goal tally for the season to 10 with a sublime strike against Newcastle.

The England midfielder has been a rare source of attacking inspiration in a side whose success has been build on a solid defensive foundations.

And Rice is desperate for his international team-mate to be fit to face Diego Simeone’s side.

“That’s what he’s been brought here to do. I said a few weeks ago, his ball striking is unbelievable,” he said.

“What a player, what a guy. He’s going to be massive for us these next few weeks. We really need him.” — AFP

MANCHESTER, April 28 — Manchester United moved within touching distance of qualifying for the Champions League as Casemiro and Benjamin Sesko sealed a 2-1 win against Brentford on Monday.

Casemiro put United ahead in the early stages at Old Trafford and Sesko doubled their lead before the interval.

Mathias Jensen’s late strike couldn’t stop United cementing their grip on third place in the Premier League.

They are 11 points clear of sixth-placed Brighton, with the top five guaranteed to reach next season’s Champions League.

Michael Carrick’s side need just two points from their last four matches to ensure their return to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2023-24.

On Sunday, United host bitter rivals Liverpool, who sit three points behind them in fourth, in a clash that will go a long way to deciding who finishes third.

Interim boss Carrick, who replaced the sacked Ruben Amorim in January, is still waiting to discover if he will land the United job on a permanent basis.

The former United midfielder has made a strong case by steadying the ship after Amorim’s turbulent reign.

Leading United into the Champions League would be another persuasive argument as co-owner Jim Ratcliffe considers his options.

A 1-0 win at Chelsea in their previous match had reinvigorated United’s top-five charge after a home defeat against Leeds and a draw at Bournemouth.

Brentford last won at Old Trafford in 1937 and they paid the price for a slow start on their latest fruitless visit.

Casemiro strikes again

Kobbie Mainoo scythed through the Brentford defence with a superb run in the second minute, but Amad Diallo wasted the chance with a close-range shot that was cleared off the line by Sepp van den Berg.

Harry Maguire was inches away from marking his return from suspension with a goal when the United defender’s towering header was clawed off the line by Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

United’s pressure was rewarded in the 11th minute as Casemiro finished off a well-worked corner routine.

Bruno Fernandes whipped the set-piece to Maguire and his looping header evaded a gaggle of Brentford defenders at the far post as Casemiro rose highest to head home from an acute angle.

Casemiro’s fourth goal in his last six games underlined the enduring value of the veteran Brazil midfielder, who is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of this season.

He celebrated by kissing the badge on his shirt as United fans implored him to stay by chanting “one more year”.

Michael Kayode nearly silenced the love-in with a header that United keeper Senne Lammens pushed away at full stretch.

Igor Thiago’s muscular power was a thorn in United’s side but the Brazilian couldn’t finish, scuffing one chance under pressure from Diogo Dalot before Kelleher saved his close-range drive.

Ayden Heaven’s last-ditch attempt to deny Thiago almost ended in an own goal, but Lammens spared the United teenager’s blushes with a fine save.

United took advantage of those misses to double their advantage in the 43rd minute.

Diallo’s determination to win a tackle deep inside his own half started the move before Fernandes drove towards the Brentford area, slipping a pass to Sesko, who lashed home from 10 yards.

Fernandes has 19 assists this season as he chases the Premier League record of 20 in a single campaign set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

United were less dominant in the second half and Jensen whipped an eye-catching curler past Lammens from 20 yards in the 87th minute to set up a tense finale.

Carrick’s men wobbled but just about held firm as Mikkel Damsgaard’s header was clutched by Lammens in stoppage-time. — AFP

LONDON, April 27 — European champions Arsenal capitalised on two terrible defensive blunders by Lyon on Sunday to come from behind and win the first leg of their Women’s Champions League semi-final 2-1.

The French league leaders went ahead in the 18th minute at the Emirates Stadium when Jule Brand scored with the visitors’ only shot on target in the first half.

But the Gunners rallied afer the break and levelled courtesy of an own goal from Ingrid Engen after goalkeeper Christiane Endler failed to gather the ball.

They took the lead when Olivia Smith took advantage of another mix-up at the back late in the game.

The two sides met at the same stage of the competition last season, with Arsenal winning 5-3 on aggregate before going on to lift the trophy with victory over Barcelona in the final.

Lyon drew first blood on Sunday when Brand surged forward and cut inside before beating Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar with a confident finish.

The home side thought they had been offered a way back into the game when they were awarded a penalty five minutes into the second half but the decision was overturned after a VAR check.

However, Arsenal were level in the 58th minute when Mariona Caldentey’s low free-kick somehow made its way into the net.

Lyon’s Endler mishandled the ball as Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius darted into the six-yard box and the unfortunate Engen touched it into her own goal.

Kadidiatou Diani rattled the crossbar as the French team threatened to re-take the lead but it was Arsenal who scored again.

Endler and Engen collided after a moment of miscommunication and Smith collected the loose ball to slot into an empty net in the 83rd minute.

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers warned her team still had work to do.

“It’s only half-time but if you look at the game, a lot of bits played out how we wanted it,” she told the BBC.

“There was a phase in the first half where we wanted more aggression in our press and I think we had some great solutions at half-time.”

Lyon forward Ada Hegerberg described the goals her team conceded as “brutal”.

“You know in sports you get punished, but we stick together,” she said. “We have to accept it but find ways to move on.

“It’s important to take a step back and keep perspective.”

The second leg takes place in Lyon next weekend.

Bayern and Barcelona drew 1-1 in the other semi-final on Saturday. — AFP

MILAN, April 27 — Inter Milan’s charge to the Serie A title was held up on Sunday after they threw away a two-goal lead to only draw 2-2 at Torino, while a goalless draw between AC Milan and Juventus left the Champions League race open.

Leading just after the hour mark through two headed goals from Marcus Thuram and Yann Bisseck, Inter looked set to stroll to victory in Turin.

But Giovanni Simeone got Torino back into the match out of nowhere in the 70th minute when he dinked a finish over Yann Sommer, and Nikola Vlasic earned the hosts a point from the penalty spot nine minutes later.

“You think everything is easy and that you have everything under control when you’re two goals ahead. Then you concede to make it 2-1 because of a mistake while playing out from the back and you get nervous,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said.

“To be honest it could have been worse.”

Sunday’s draw should only be a bump in the road for Inter who will secure a 21st league crown if they beat Parma at the San Siro next weekend.

With four games left in the season, Inter are 10 points ahead of their nearest challengers Napoli, who won the Scudetto last year.

Chivu’s side will be heavy favourites to seal the deal next weekend in front of their home support as Parma are a team with nothing left to play for this season.

Inter are also on for a domestic double after coming back from two goals down to win a thrilling Italian Cup semi-final with Como on Tuesday.

San Siro stalemate

The battle for a top-four spot looks set to go down to the wire following a drab match at the San Siro which left Milan and Juventus looking over their shoulders.

Juve sit fourth and are three points ahead of both Como, 2-0 winners at Genoa earlier on Sunday, and sixth-placed Roma.

Milan are three points ahead of Juve in third and should have a big enough gap separating them from Como and Roma to return to the Champions League after going without European football this season.

One of the biggest matches of any Serie A season was played out in front of a punchy atmosphere in which Milan’s hardcore fans protested a sharp rise in the cost of tickets.

Before kick-of a section of supporters used the torches on their phones to spell out “EUR139” – the cost of a ticket in the traditional cheap seats behind the goal – with a banner underneath which read “for a fairer, working-class football”.

Milan’s hardcore ultras blasted what they consider “a form of legalised touting” in which fans are encouraged to sell on their season tickets via a club platform in exchange for 60 per cent of the resale value in the form of a voucher for future ticket purchases.

There was more action in the stands than on the pitch as Milan and Juve slugged it out in a match which featured precious little artistry.

Khephren Thuram thought he had put Juve ahead in the 36th minute when he slid home Francisco Conceicao’s low cross, but his goal was ruled out for offside.

Four minutes later Conceicao shot straight at Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan after jinking his way into the area, while Alexis Saelemaekers had the hosts’ best chance shortly after half-time when he clattered the crossbar from close range.

Substitute Dusan Vlahovic nearly scored his first goal since November in stoppage time when he flashed across a low shot which Maignan kept out with his boot, and that was that from a forgettable encounter. — AFP

JEDDAH, April 26 — Al Ahli had to “suffer” in becoming the first club in more than two decades to win back-to-back Asian Champions League titles, their relieved coach said.

The Saudi side, playing at home in Jeddah, had a man sent off before overcoming Japan’s stubborn Machida Zelvia 1-0 in extra time on Saturday.

The defending champions retained the trophy thanks to substitute Feras Al Buraikan’s 96th-minute goal in front of 58,984 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Al Ahli had been reduced to 10 men midway through the second half when defender Zakaria Hawsawi was shown a straight red card for violent conduct for a headbutt.

“We had opportunities to score but it became harder after Hawsawi was sent off for an unnecessary action,” their German coach Matthias Jaissle said, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

“But we showed the right mentality and the players kept believing and that makes me so proud as a coach.

“We talked about it at the break that with a man down we had to suffer more and work harder. However, we have quality players who can make one moment count.”

Jaissle admitted that playing as hosts in front of a home crowd roaring them on had been significant.

The AFC put the latter rounds of Asia’s top club competition in Jeddah, handing Jeddah-based Al Ahli a clear advantage.

“Obviously a part of it (winning) was because we played here in Jeddah in front of our fans who pushed us and gave us extra energy,” he said.

“To win it back to back is something historic.

“Feels a bit weird. My tank is a bit empty. So much relief because the pressure was on.

“It will take a couple of days for this to sink in.” — AFP