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Paris St-Germain 2-0 Real Sociedad: Kylian Mbappe marks return from injury with goal
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Kylian Mbappe marked his return from injury with a goal as Paris St-Germain took control of their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Sociedad.
The French champions have an underwhelming record in the competition and were enduring a frustrating night until Mbappe pounced.
Having missed his side’s previous match with an ankle problem, Mbappe scored at the back post after a corner.
Bradley Barcola added the second with a lovely finish past Alex Remiro.
Real Sociedad keeper Remiro had earlier denied Mbappe a second when he tipped his attempt on to the crossbar.
PSG, who have never won the Champions League, were far from their best in the first half and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino hit the bar just before half-time.
“If you told me at half-time we would win 2-0, I would be dancing for two hours,” PSG manager Luis Enrique told TNT Sports.
“We had to change everything because they were pressing us very high. We couldn’t press and it was like a nightmare.
“When that happens you are going to lose confidence, but football is unbelievable and we could change that. In the second half it was more what we wanted.”
Real Sociedad will believe they can turn it around in the second leg in Spain on 5 March, but will have to offer a much more attacking threat than in Paris.
Qatar-owned PSG have spent vast sums on transfer fees and wages in recent years only to be eliminated from the last 16 of the Champions League five times in the past seven seasons.
They have won nine Ligue 1 titles since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 but, with European success eluding the club, they have also appointed seven managers in that time – four of those in the past four years.
Enrique, their latest manager who steered Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2014-15, returns to Spain for the second leg in three weeks’ time knowing his team are in a strong position to advance thanks partly to Mbappe.
With the forward’s contract running out at the end of June there has been much speculation about his future, but to his credit the 2018 World Cup winner with France has delivered goals all season.
Mbappe has been directly involved in 38 in 30 appearances for his club this season – 31 goals, seven assists – the most of any player in Europe’s big five leagues.
In addition, he has now scored 44 times in 68 Champions League appearances for Monaco and PSG.
In January Mbappe, who has been linked with Real Madrid, said he had not made a decision about his future and it remains to be seen where he will be playing his football next season.
His performance against Real Sociedad illustrated what a huge asset he is to PSG, with four of his seven attempts on target.
He would have walked away with the match ball but for Remiro, who denied Mbappe as early as the sixth minute after he was played in with only the keeper to beat.
This was Real Sociedad’s first knockout tie in the competition for 20 years.
It appeared to be going to plan for the team from the Basque Country as they limited PSG to a handful of chances in the first half, before conceding twice in the space of 12 minutes.
The absence of captain Mikel Oyarzabal because of injury was a blow, and manager Imanol Alguacil will hope his leading goalscorer is fit to play in the return leg.
Real Sociedad conceded as many goals in the French capital as they did in the entire group stage – two in six games – while this was their first defeat in European competition since March 2023, ending a seven-match unbeaten run.
“Two goals is nothing, and at home, with our fans pushing as we have done in the last games in the Champions League, I think we have a chance,” said former Newcastle midfielder Merino about his side’s hopes of turning the match around in the second leg.
“It’s all about being efficient, about scoring goals, which is what we haven’t done lately but we know that with our fans we can do it.”
NFF has announced the appointment of Augustine Eguavoen as interim head coach of Nigeria Super Falcons.
The former Nigeria international will take charge of the Super Falcons for their upcoming 2028 Olympic Games qualifying fixtures against Comoros, as the NFF continues its search for a permanent head coach.
Eguavoen previously guided the Super Eagles to a bronze medal finish at the 2006 AFCON and has also coached the team on an interim basis. He will be assisted by Nasarawa Amazons head coach Christopher Danjuma, while former Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa joins as goalkeeper trainer. Former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf will also serve as an assistant coach.
Nigeria received a bye into the second round as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the competition and will face Comoros, with both legs scheduled for the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on October 9 and 13, 2026.
Comoros advanced after defeating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate, with the winner set to face either DR Congo or Morocco in the third round between February 23 and March 6, 2027.
Football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could finally share the pitch as teammates for the first time, with both superstars expected to feature in Carlos Tevez’s long-awaited testimonial match in December.
Messi and Ronaldo have spent much of their careers as fierce rivals, particularly during their years at Barcelona and Real Madrid, when their battle for supremacy dominated world football.
However, their paths could cross on the same side later this year after former Manchester United and Argentina star Tevez revealed plans to bring the two legends together for his testimonial at Boca Juniors’ iconic La Bombonera Stadium.
“Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be there,” Tevez said. “I’ll go pick them myself if I have to. I have both of them on WhatsApp.”
Tevez, who retired from professional football in 2021, has yet to hold a testimonial match despite a glittering career that included spells at Boca Juniors, Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus.
According to reports by A Bola, Boca Juniors president Juan Roman Riquelme has approved Tevez’s request to stage the testimonial at La Bombonera.
Messi and Ronaldo are expected to headline an impressive list of invited former teammates and rivals, including Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon.
Messi played alongside Tevez for Argentina between 2005 and 2015, while Ronaldo and Tevez formed part of Manchester United’s formidable attacking unit alongside Rooney from 2007 to 2009.
The trio helped United win back-to-back Premier League titles, as well as the UEFA Champions League, League Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
If Messi and Ronaldo both honour Tevez’s invitation, the testimonial could deliver a football moment fans have waited years to see: two of the greatest players in history wearing the same colours and sharing the pitch as teammates.
Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and Trabzonspor forward Paul Onuachu may miss Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau later this month due to injuries, The PUNCH reports.
Galatasaray confirmed on Sunday that Osimhen is dealing with a groin injury, while Onuachu was also taken off in the 44th minute after scoring a brace in Trabzonspor’s 5-0 win over Gençlerbirliği.
Osimhen picked up the injury during Galatasaray’s thrilling 3-2 win over Istanbul Basaksehir after scoring the opening goal. He lasted 33 minutes before being substituted.
Onuachu was also reported to have broken his chin during a challenge, with both players adding to the growing list of injury concerns for coach Eric Chelle ahead of the two fixtures.
Already on the treatment table are Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Sadiq Umar, Tochukwu Nnadi and Zaidu Sanusi, who all recently picked up knocks.
In an update provided on Sunday, Galatasaray said Osimhen and midfielder Mario Lemina had suffered moderate-to-advanced strains with bleeding in the right groin area.
“Following the completion of MR and advanced examinations at our sponsor Acıbadem Hospital, advanced-moderate level strain (bleeding and strain) has been detected in the right adductor (groin) muscle group of our footballer Victor Osimhen,” the club said on Sunday.
“Similarly, advanced-moderate level strain (bleeding and strain) has been detected in the right adductor muscle group of our player Mario Lemina, whose examinations have also been completed, and their treatment processes are ongoing.”
The update puts Osimhen in doubt ahead of Nigeria’s September fixtures, with the Super Eagles beginning their 2027 AFCON campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The two matches are part of Group L, where Nigeria were drawn alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and co-hosts Tanzania. Only the highest-ranked team apart from automatically qualified Tanzania will advance from the group.
Osimhen’s absence would leave Nigeria without one of their most important attacking players at the start of the campaign.
Missing the window could also delay his climb up Nigeria’s all-time goalscoring chart. The 27-year-old has scored 35 goals for the Super Eagles, two behind the late Rashidi Yekini, who remains the country’s all-time leading scorer with 37 goals.
At club level, Osimhen has also scored six goals and provided two assists in four games this season.
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