分类： sports

Defending UEFA Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have secured their place in a second straight continental decider, advancing past Bayern Munich on a 6-5 aggregate score after a 1-1 second-leg draw at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. The French giants will now lock horns with England’s Arsenal in the May 30 final in Budapest, bidding to become just the second club since 1990 to win back-to-back Champions League titles, following in the footsteps of Real Madrid.

The match got off to a blistering start, with PSG striking on a lightning-fast counterattack inside the opening three minutes. Forced into one starting lineup change by an injury to Achraf Hakimi, PSG slotted Fabian Ruiz into the side, and the Spaniard turned creator just moments in. Ruiz slipped a precision through ball down the left flank to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who beat his marker and cut the ball back for an unmarked Ousmane Dembele. The Ballon d’Or winner smashed the finish past Manuel Neuer, putting PSG ahead on the night and stretching their aggregate lead to two goals.

Bayern, who already wrapped up the Bundesliga title ahead of the tie, entered the match brimming with confidence after a high-scoring 5-4 first-leg defeat in Paris that many hailed as one of the greatest Champions League matches in recent memory. But the six-time European champions struggled for rhythm early on, with key playmakers misplacing passes that ended promising attacking moves. Tensions boiled over in the first half over contentious refereeing calls from official Joao Pinheiro: Bayern players were furious when no penalty was awarded after a Vitinha clearance struck Joao Neves’s arm in the 18-yard box, and they were further incensed that PSG full-back Nuno Mendes escaped a second yellow card for an earlier handball offense.

PSG came close to doubling their lead before the break, but Neuer produced a sharp reflex save to tip Neves’s close-range header just wide of the post. Bayern finally found their footing just before halftime, with Jamal Musiala forcing a brilliant low stop from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov before firing a follow-up effort over the bar.

The second half saw PSG adopt a more pragmatic approach, dropping deep to absorb wave after wave of Bayern pressure while retaining their cutting edge on the break. Neuer pulled off two more critical saves to deny Kvaratskhelia and substitute Desire Doue, keeping Bayern in touching distance of a comeback. Though the Bavarians dominated possession and territory for most of the second period, they could not find a breakthrough until stoppage time, when Harry Kane extended his incredible scoring run to seven consecutive Champions League matches with a late finish.

The goal came too late to turn the tie around, however. The final whistle blew moments after the restart, confirming PSG’s place in the final and bringing an end to Bayern’s 2024-25 continental campaign. This defeat marks Bayern’s fourth loss across all competitions this season, and leaves the club still waiting for its first Champions League final appearance since it defeated PSG in the 2020 Lisbon showpiece.

Post-match, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany struck a measured tone about the narrow defeat. “I don’t have the ability to be disappointed for long,” he said. “Of course, in the end we lost two very, very tight games against a very good opponent.” For PSG, the result adds another chapter to their growing Champions League legacy, returning to the scene of their 2024 final triumph over Inter Milan to secure another shot at the trophy they pursued for decades without success. Speaking to reporters after the match, Doue expressed the team’s joy at the result. “It was an exceptional match, another magical night in Munich against a great team,” the forward told Canal Plus. “These are the kinds of matches we’ve dreamt of playing since we were little. Now, we’re going to enjoy this as a team.”

Heading into the final against Premier League leaders Arsenal, PSG enter the match as clear favorites to lift the trophy for a second straight year, capping a historic run in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

Defending UEFA Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have secured their place in a second consecutive final of the competition, defeating six-time winners Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate following a tense 1-1 draw in the second leg at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Wednesday. The French giants will now lock horns with Premier League leaders Arsenal in the May 30 final hosted in Budapest, bidding to become only the second club since 1990 to lift back-to-back Champions League titles, a feat last achieved by Real Madrid.

The match got off to a blistering start, just as the first leg in Paris — a 5-4 PSG win widely hailed as one of the most thrilling contests in the tournament’s history — did. Just two-and-a-half minutes in, PSG struck on a clinical counter-attack. Fabian Ruiz, who was a forced replacement for injured defender Achraf Hakimi in the only enforced starting lineup change between the two legs, played a pinpoint through ball down the left flank to Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. He surged past his marker before cutting the ball back to Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who slotted home the opening goal to put PSG ahead on the night and 2-0 up on aggregate.

The early goal left Bayern visibly stunned, mirroring their shaky start against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals where they conceded inside 36 seconds. While they fought back to win that tie, the Bavarian side struggled to find their rhythm in the opening half-hour. Key attackers including Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Joshua Kimmich coughed up possession on multiple promising build-ups, and the hosts grew increasingly frustrated with first-half refereeing calls. Bayern surrounded referee Joao Pinheiro to demand a penalty just after the 30-minute mark when a Vitinha clearance deflected onto Joao Neves’s arm inside the penalty area, but their appeals were rejected. Tensions boiled over even earlier, when home players protested that PSG full-back Nuno Mendes avoided a second yellow card for an earlier handball offense.

PSG came close to doubling their advantage just before half-time, but a close-range header from Neves was tipped inches wide of the post by Bayern captain and legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Bayern finally began to find their attacking rhythm in the closing minutes of the first half: Jamal Musiala forced a spectacular low save from PSG keeper Matvey Safonov before firing the rebound over the crossbar.

In the second half, PSG shifted to a more pragmatic, defensive-minded game plan, dropping deep to absorb wave after wave of Bayern pressure while retaining their threat on the break. Neuer pulled off two critical saves to keep Bayern in the tie, denying Kvaratskhelia and substitute Desire Doue in quick succession. The Bavarians dominated both possession and territory for most of the second half, but they lacked cutting edge in the final third, with Olise turning in a particularly underwhelming performance after his standout showing in the first leg.

Kane, who has been in sensational form in this season’s competition, finally broke the deadlock for the hosts in stoppage time, scoring in his seventh consecutive Champions League match to level the score on the night. But the goal came too late to change the tie’s outcome: after the restart, referee blew the full-time whistle, confirming PSG’s progression.

The result brings a disappointing end to Bayern’s European campaign, extending their drought reaching the Champions League final — they have not advanced that far since they defeated PSG in the 2020 Lisbon showpiece. Both clubs headed into the second leg having already played 51 matches across all competitions this season, with only PSG making a forced change to their starting XI from the first leg; unlike the fresh-looking visitors, Bayern looked visibly weary throughout the contest. This defeat marks just Bayern’s fourth loss across all competitions this season, a campaign that has already seen them secure the Bundesliga title, but the elimination will still cut deep for a club with title ambitions in every tournament they enter. For PSG, the result cements their status as favorites to lift the trophy for a second straight year, returning to the Allianz Arena — the venue where they lifted their first ever Champions League title against Inter Milan last season — and proving their big-match pedigree in a competition they spent decades chasing unsuccessfully.

Cardiff Rugby has moved quickly to fill its front-row vacancy left by Corey Domachowski’s departure to the Scarlets, announcing the signing of experienced 34-year-old prop Scott Sio, who will join the United Rugby Championship side this summer following four seasons with England’s Exeter Chiefs.

Sio’s decades-long elite rugby career has seen him compete at the very top of the international sport, with an unusual cross-national representative journey. After earning 74 caps for the Australian Wallabies, including a starting spot in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand and a place in the 2019 tournament squad, he switched his international allegiance to Samoa last year. He went on to play a key role in helping Samoa secure qualification for the 2026 Rugby World Cup, following in the footsteps of his father David, who represented Western Samoa at the 1991 World Cup.

Before his move to Exeter in 2022, Sio made 143 appearances for Australia’s Super Rugby side Brumbies. To date, he has notched up 80 caps for the Exeter Chiefs, with 13 starts coming in the current 2024/25 season. When he arrives at Cardiff Arms Park, he will compete for starting positions alongside existing props Danny Southworth and Rhys Barratt.

In a statement following the announcement of the signing, Sio said he is eager to bring his decades of elite experience to Cardiff’s young roster, both on and off the pitch. “With this new opportunity I am looking to continue growing as an individual and player, while contributing to the club’s aspirations,” he explained. “I am also hoping that I can bring my wealth of experience to this young squad, especially with props coming through, to help the club both on and off the field.”

Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl shared his enthusiasm for the signing, noting that Sio’s proven track record and professional attitude made him an ideal addition to the squad. “We had a really open and honest conversation with Scott when we met him and we were really impressed,” van Zyl said. “His career to date speaks for itself, 74 Tests for Australia, two for Samoa, over 100 games for Brumbies and 80 for Exeter. He is durable, has played at the highest level and is keen to test himself in a new environment and competition.”

Sio’s arrival comes as Cardiff reshuffles its front-row roster: Domachowski has moved to the Scarlets, while fellow prop Ed Byrne departed earlier to return to Ireland’s Leinster on a short-term deal after two injury-plagued seasons in Cardiff. Sio is the club’s second confirmed new signing for the upcoming campaign, following last week’s announcement of a deal for Namibian centre Le Roux Malan from the Sharks. The Blue and Blacks have also locked down key talent for future seasons, agreeing new contract extensions with Welsh internationals Josh Adams, Alex Mann, James Botham, Mason Grady, Keiron Assiratti and Danny Southworth.

For nearly two decades, Melbourne’s iconic Federation Square has stood as the beating heart of Australian World Cup fandom, drawing thousands of passionate supporters together to cheer on the national team under open skies. But earlier this year, the venue’s manager, Melbourne Arts Precinct, ended that long-running tradition, announcing a full ban on public screenings for the 2026 FIFA World Cup – a decision that has now been reversed by the top level of the Victorian state government.

The original ban stemmed from repeated incidents of unruly, damaging behavior by a small subset of fans at past major tournament screenings. During Australia’s historic round-of-16 run at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, viral videos of jubilant crowd celebrations hid underlying trouble: multiple people were injured by illegally deployed flares and thrown projectiles. Tensions boiled over again at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, when fans charged barricades during Australia’s semi-final clash with England. The chaos forced organizers to cancel the planned public screening of the Matildas’ third-place playoff match at the venue, leaving thousands of supporters disappointed.

Citing these past disruptions, Melbourne Arts Precinct CEO and director Katrina Sedgwick announced the full ban in early March, arguing that the behavior of a small minority had been “unacceptable and damaging to Fed Square” and could not be tolerated for the upcoming 2026 tournament. The decision marked the first time in more than 20 years that the venue would not open its big screen to the public for World Cup matches, a tradition stretching back to the Socceroos’ legendary 2006 World Cup campaign.

But the announcement sparked immediate backlash from Australia’s peak football governing body Football Australia, fan groups, and the general public, who pushed for state leaders to intervene. Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler argued the ban ran counter to Melbourne’s identity as Australia’s sporting and multicultural capital, pointing to the decades of shared iconic memories created at Federation Square screenings. Patrick Clancy, chair of the Football Supporters Association Australia, added that the viral global reach of 2022 Fed Square celebrations had turned the venue into a global symbol of Australian football passion, and fans were eager to recreate that collective energy for the 2026 tournament. The governing body also noted that a ban would harm local businesses that rely on the influx of tens of thousands of fans for tournament screenings.

Heeding that call, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan overturned the ban in an official statement, making clear that she believed the community deserved the chance to gather for free, shared entertainment. “I disagree with that decision – and I am overturning it,” Allan said. “There’s always a risk of bad behaviour from a few at every public gathering, but police and security will be on site, and there’ll be zero tolerance for it. Now more than ever, people deserve more free stuff to do together in the city.”

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, kicks off on June 11, with the final scheduled for July 19. Australia’s national team has been drawn into a group with Turkey, Paraguay, and co-host the United States, and will now have their matches broadcast for free on Federation Square’s big screen for fans across the state to attend.