LISBON — If any player has felt perfectly at home during the unique circumstances surrounding the climax to this year's Champions League, it is Paris Saint-Germain's Argentine winger Ángel Di María.
As soon as UEFA decided that Portuguese capital Lisbon would host the quarterfinals onwards in a mini-tournament, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Di Maria felt good vibes.
Bayern Munich has no time for trifling sympathies. Bayern Munich is going to destroy everyone in its path.
Serge Gnabry scored twice in the first half and Robert Lewandowski provided his obligatory goal in the second as the German giants stifled Lyon 3-0 on Wednesday in Lisbon to advance to the Champions League final. Bayern will play Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday for the completion of an unorthodox but epic 2020 Champions League season.
Tyler Adams was given 27 minutes to rescue RB Leipzig. Brought on by Julian Nagelsmann in the 63rd minute, his side already trailing by three goals, the New Yorker was hoping to make an immediate impact.
His initial contribution, however, was to play horsey-ride with PSG megastar Neymar.
PARIS — Ligue 1's opening match of the new season has been postponed from Friday night after Olympique de Marseille said they had confirmed four cases of Covid-19, French professional soccer's governing body the LFP said on Tuesday.
"In view of medical results passed on by Olympique Marseille (...) the LFP has decided to postpone the Olympique de Marseille/AS Saint-Etienne game to Sept 16 or Sept 17," the LFP said in statement.
This was supposed to be the year for Manchester City. Having seen Liverpool run away with the Premier League title, Pep Guardiola’s side focused on the Champions League. The Citizens saw off Real Madrid in the Round of 16 and seemingly had an easy path to the semifinals after Lyon stunning Juventus.
But with just the seventh-place Ligue 1 side in its path, Manchester City once again stumbled in the Champions League.
We admit, it’s easy to shit on Neymar; he’s the opposite of the hard-nosed player fawned over by traditional English media.
He dances, he taunts, he teases, he flaunts. But on Wednesday, he also inspired.
Only on FIFA Ultimate Team could someone imagine having Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo as a striking trio.
In Neymar ($255 million) and Kylian Mbappé ($150 million) Paris Saint-Germain boasts the two most expensive footballers ever. By the time Neymar arrived in the summer of 2017 the club had already established itself as the best in France by winning four of the last five Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Coupe de Frances.
What Neymar and Mbappé were lavishly acquired for was to take the next step in Europe, where PSG had suffered four straight quarterfinal defeats before La Remontada — that infamous Round of 16 loss to a Neymar-inspired Barcelona.
Paris Saint-Germain represents more than simply a football club. The Parisian team and all of its success domestically symbolizes the idea of wealth, class and style. With all of these expectations plus the star power of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and more, a stylish kit for the upcoming season was a must. The new PSG kit that the club will wear for the 2020-21 season is one of the better new looks so far and comes with historical significance for the club's 50th season.
Proud of our colours for years
The Ballon d'Or will not be awarded this year for the first time in its 64-year history after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the football calendar, organizers France Football magazine said on Monday.
The prestigious award, voted for by journalists, is an annual prize given to the best male footballer in the world since 1956. The women's Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 2018.