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UCL PIX: Newcastle stun PSG; Man City, Barcelona win

October 05, 2023 10:34 IST

Newcastle run riot to secure famous 4-1 win over PSG

Newcastle

IMAGES: Newcastle United's Sean Longstaff celebrates scoring their third goal. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters

A rampant Newcastle United put in a stellar showing to secure a superb 4-1 victory over French champions Paris St Germain in their first Champions League home match in 20 years on Wednesday.

 

In a red-hot atmosphere in the north east, PSG had no answer to the relentless hosts who raced into a 17th-minute lead through Miguel Almiron, before Dan Burn powered home a header six minutes before the break to double Newcastle's advantage.

The crowd ensured there was no let-up after the break, with Sean Longstaff drilling a third under the arm of Gianluigi Donnarumma in the PSG goal five minutes into the second half to send the Newcastle fans into dreamland.

A goal out of nowhere from Lucas Hernandez got the visitors back in it, before a stoppage-time fourth from defender Fabian Schar capped a stunning victory that moved Newcastle top of Group F on four points, one clear of PSG in second.

PSG suffered their heaviest group-stage defeat in the Champions League since losing 3-0 against Chelsea in September 2004, and conceded four in a single group game in the competition for the first time since a 3-4 defeat to Deportivo La Coruna in March 2001.

Luis Enrique's side travelled to Newcastle having struggled to get going domestically in Ligue 1 this term while boasting a disappointing record of five defeats in their previous seven clashes with English teams in the Champions League.

That run always looked like extending as the French champions were second best from the off, unable to muster a single shot on target in the opening period -- the first time they had done so in the first half of a Champions League group-stage match since November 2013.

With the crowd cheering every tackle in the sodden conditions, and some players following suit, Newcastle slowly grew into the game, with Almiron becoming their first goalscorer in the competition since Premier League all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer to lift the roof off St James' Park.

Donnarumma was forced into several fine stops before he could do nothing to keep out Burn's bullet header, a goal awarded after a lengthy VAR review.

Longstaff's strike, one that Donnarumma should really have kept out having got down, took Newcastle to within sight of a famous win, before Hernandez glanced Warren Zaire-Emery's cross home to threaten a PSG comeback.

Other than a Nick Pope save to beat out a Ousmane Dembele strike, PSG rarely troubled the Newcastle goal, with Schar's superb strike from distance the icing on the cake for the jubilant hosts.

Man City score two late goals to snap losing run in 3-1 victory at Leipzig

Manchester City

IMAGES: Manchester City's Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring their second goal with Erling Braut Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Rico Lewis. Photograph: Lisi Niesner/Reuters

Holders Manchester City struck twice in the final minutes through Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku to beat hosts RB Leipzig 3-1 on Wednesday and rebound from successive domestic defeats to take control of Champions League Group G with maximum points.

Alvarez curled his shot from the edge of the box into the top corner in the 84th minute and then set up Doku in stoppage time for their third goal as City, who had lost to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup before their league loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, moved up to six points from two games in top spot.

City have now equalled the longest European unbeaten run by an English club with 16 matches.

City enjoyed a strong start and had a double chance in the 14th minute with Rico Lewis's fine turn and shot blocked and Phil Foden's rebound sailing just wide of the post with Bernardo Silva failing to connect.

Foden did better when he opened the scoring with a first-time finish in the 25th minute to beat keeper Janis Blaswich with a bouncing shot.

With Guardiola's team enjoying 73% possession in the first half and Leipzig unable to counter City's slick passing game and possession, City went close to doubling their lead through Erling Haaland in the 31st but the Norwegian's shot sailed wide.

Leipzig struck three minutes after the restart with their first chance of the game as Lois Openda latched on to well-timed Yussuf Poulsen pass and held off a challenge by Manuel Akanji to slot in off the post.

The visitors, however, refused to settle for a point, moving further up the pitch in search of a winner, and Foden hit the crossbar in the 63rd with curling free kick.

With Haaland, who had scored five goals in last year's 7-0 demolition of Leipzig, largely shut out, it was Alvarez who decided the game when he curled a superb shot past Blaswich and into the top corner.

The Germans opened up in search of a late equaliser and City struck again on the break with Alvarez sending Doku through to slot in deep in stoppage time and seal the three points.

Torres scores to give Barcelona 1-0 win at Porto

Barcelona

IMAGES: FC Porto's Mehdi Taremi scores a goal which is later disallowed for offside. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters

Substitute Ferran Torres scored to give Barcelona a hard-fought 1-0 win at Porto in their Champions League Group H clash on Wednesday, with the Spanish side finishing with 10 men after Gavi got a second yellow card for a foul in added time.

Porto were wasteful but arguably the better side throughout as Mehdi Taremi, Stephen Eustaquio and Pepe missed chances to score in the first half.

Torres, who came off the bench in the 34th minute to replace the injured Robert Lewandowski, intercepted a pass backwards by Porto midfielder Romario Baro and scored with a tidy finish during first-half injury time.

Porto got back on top in the second half and Barca defender Jules Kounde denied them an equaliser in the 53rd minute.

When Porto forward Pepe looked destined to score from point-black range after a quick counter attack, the skilful French centre back made a jaw dropping last-second challenge to clear the ball round the post with the tip of his boot.

Milan frustrated in 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund

AC Milan

IMAGES: Borussia Dortmund's Julian Ryerson in action with AC Milan's Rafael Leao. Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

AC Milan were frustrated by a disciplined Borussia Dortmund as their Group F fixture in the Champions League ended in a cagey 0-0 draw at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.

The result was Milan's second draw in the group, following a goalless match against Newcastle United, while Dortmund earned their first point of the campaign after a 2-0 loss to Paris St Germain.

Newcastle are now top of the group with four points after a 4-1 win against PSG at home on Wednesday. Milan are third with two points while Dortmund are last.

Milan manager Stefano Pioli lamented the extension of his side's Champions League goal drought to four consecutive games, including both legs of last season's semi-final against Inter Milan, which ended in defeat.

Last-gasp Pedro effort gives Lazio 2-1 victory over Celtic

Lazio

IMAGES: Lazio's Pedro scores their second goal as Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers and Joe Hart react. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters

Lazio pulled off a last-gasp 2-1 away victory over Celtic thanks to an added-time Pedro Rodriguez header in a pulsating Champions League Group E match on Wednesday.

Scottish champions Celtic took the lead 12 minutes into the match after Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi received a ball from Matt O'Riley inside the box and fired in an unstoppable effort.

The visitors aggressively continued to push forward until Matias Vecino headed in an equaliser in the 29th minute.

Celtic could have won the game in the second-half after Luis Palma scored 10 minutes before the end but the goal was disallowed after an offside review by VAR.

The winner came six minutes into stoppage time after Pedro, who came on for Mattia Zaccagni, met Matteo Guendouzi's cross with a precise header into the top corner.

Source: REUTERS
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