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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.”
Finally, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses have conquered Africa, defeating Malawi 3–0 to win their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in a historic final in Rabat.
The victory on Sunday, August 16, ended Cameroon’s long wait for the continental crown after three previous unsuccessful appearances in the WAFCON final.
Cameroon had previously reached the final in 2004, 2014 and 2016, losing all three times to Nigeria. The Indomitable Lionesses had also failed to score in each of those three title deciders.
But there was no heartbreak this time.
Cameroon produced a devastating first-half performance at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, scoring three times to effectively settle the contest before the interval.
Marie Ngah opened the scoring before doubling her tally, while Naomi Ndjoah Eto scored the other goal to give Cameroon a commanding 3–0 advantage at half-time.
The second half produced no further goals as Cameroon comfortably protected their advantage to lift the trophy for the first time.
The triumph also made Cameroon the fourth different nation to win the WAFCON, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa in the competition’s roll of honour.
The achievement was particularly significant given the circumstances of Cameroon’s qualification for the expanded 2026 tournament. CAF increased the competition from 12 to 16 teams, with Cameroon among four additional nations selected to complete the field after the original qualification process.
Once given the opportunity, however, the Indomitable Lionesses seized it spectacularly.
Their route to the title included a 1–0 quarter-final victory over defending champions Nigeria and a dramatic semi-final triumph over hosts Morocco on penalties after a goalless draw.
For Malawi, the final marked the end of an extraordinary debut campaign rather than a failure.
The Scorchers became the first Southern African team to reach the WAFCON final on their tournament debut. They secured their place in the decider after defeating Algeria 3–1 in the semi-final.
CAF’s pre-final statistics had highlighted the remarkable nature of Malawi’s run. The Scorchers had scored 12 goals before the final — the highest tally of any team at that stage — while Cameroon had conceded only two goals throughout their campaign.
Cameroon’s historic triumph therefore represents more than a first continental title. It is the culmination of years of near-misses and final disappointments, finally replaced by a commanding performance on the biggest stage.
The Indomitable Lionesses have now written Cameroon into the select group of nations that have lifted the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
And they did it emphatically — with three goals, a clean sheet and a historic first crown.
Arsenal have sent an early warning to their Premier League rivals after defeating Manchester City 3-0 to lift the Community Shield in impressive fashion.
The Gunners took control almost immediately, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring after just 24 seconds to register the quickest Community Shield goal since 1968.
The early strike set the tone for a one-sided encounter, as Arsenal dominated possession, pressed aggressively and kept City under sustained pressure.
Calafiori’s opener came after Myles Lewis-Skelly delivered a superb pass behind the City defence, allowing the Italian defender to finish confidently.
Arsenal continued to dictate proceedings, with Bruno Guimarães making an eye-catching debut following his £75 million move from Newcastle United.
His physical presence and combination with Lewis-Skelly helped Arsenal control the midfield and allowed captain Martin Ødegaard greater freedom to influence the game.
City struggled to match Arsenal’s intensity, and the Gunners doubled their advantage when Ødegaard delivered a dangerous ball towards the back post. Christos Tzolis headed it back across goal, allowing Kai Havertz to finish from close range.
Arsenal completed the rout shortly after half-time.
Lewis-Skelly and Tzolis combined again before Ødegaard broke into the penalty area, rounded Gianluigi Donnarumma and calmly slotted the ball home to make it 3-0.
The victory will provide Arsenal with a major confidence boost ahead of the new Premier League campaign, while their performance highlighted the quality and depth of their revamped squad.
For City, the defeat exposed several weaknesses and offered an early reminder that Arsenal could be among the strongest contenders for the Premier League title this season.
With the Community Shield now secured, Arsenal will head into the league campaign with renewed confidence and a statement victory over one of their biggest rivals.
Algeria on Saturday claimed the bronze medal after beating Morocco in the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, third-place final.
Algeria won 3-2 on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw after regulation time.
Morocco started brightly and came close to opening the scoring in the 17th minute when Ibtissam Jraidi’s first-time effort struck the crossbar.
They eventually found the breakthrough nine minutes later, thanks to Kautar Azraf’s goal.
However, Algeria equalized in the 83rd minute after Melissa Bethi produced a brilliant through ball for Boussaha, who showed composure to tuck the ball past the goalkeeper.
The result earns Algeria a bronze medal and a podium finish at the WAFCON, while Morocco finishes fourth.
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