Substitute Moussa Dembele struck twice as Olympique Lyonnais stunned Manchester City with a 3-1 victory on Saturday to move into the semi-finals of the Champions League where they will face Bayern Munich.

Lyon took the lead in the 24th minute with a fine finish from Maxwel Cornet, who spotted Ederson off his line and beat him with a low drive from the edge of the box.

City drew level through a Kevin De Bruyne side-foot finish in the 69th minute and pushed forward in search of winner but were caught out on the break.

Dembele broke free and Ederson’s outstretched leg couldn’t keep his shot out of the net.

City had a golden chance to draw level moments later but Raheem Sterling somehow blasted over from close range with the goal at his mercy.

Lyon responded by taking advantage of chaos in the City defence with Ederson pushing out a low shot from Houssem Aouar and Dembele pouncing for his second.

(REUTERS)

Youssoufa Moukoko could make his Bundesliga debut as soon as November when he turns 16, and has already earned glowing praise from Erling Haaland in pre-season, but what else is there to know about the free-scoring young striker?

Youssoufa Moukoko

Age: 15
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Striker
Country: Germany (U16 cap)/Cameroon

Moukoko’s low centre of gravity, fleet of foot and speed of mind has helped him to a record goal haul for Dortmund youth teams. – imago images / Thomas Zimmermann

Key stats

Born in Yaoundé in November 2004, Moukoko spent the first 10 years of his life living with his grandparents in Cameroon’s capital city before joining his father, a German citizen since the 1990s, in Hamburg in the summer of 2014.

The young Youssoufa soon started playing in the youth academy of local Kult club St Pauli and wasted little time in displaying his incredible goalscoring prowess. Over the course of two seasons, Moukoko plundered 23 goals in just 13 games for Die Kiezkicker’s underage teams and it wasn’t long until Dortmund came calling.

His progress with Die Schwarzgelben in the nearly four years since has been astronomical. Moukoko first played with BVB’s U17s aged 13, their U19s aged 14, and after a total of 127 goals and 26 assists in just 84 appearances in all competitions for BVB at youth level, was promoted to first-team training in January, some 11 months before his 16th birthday.

Watch: A typically cool Mouko goal, scored against Bayer Leverkusen aged 13

Moukoko has represented Germany internationally, so far scoring three goals in four appearances for Michael Feichtenbeiner’s U16s. In continental competition, meanwhile, he became the youngest player ever to feature in the UEFA Youth League when he took to the field for Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Barcelona last September at the tender age of 14 years, nine months and 29 days old.

Another record is surely around the corner for Moukoko. The DFL reduced the age that a player could legally make his Bundesliga debut without special dispensation to 16 in April, meaning he could potentially turn out for Lucien Favre’s side as soon as the Matchday 8 trip to Hertha Berlin, the weekend of his next birthday.

Plays a bit like: Lionel Messi

Whilst bundesliga.com would like to urge caution in comparing any player to Messi – a six-time Ballon d’Or winner who has revolutionised the sport – there are some parallels which are difficult to ignore.

Often players playing up an age group or four are physical specimens, fortunate to have evolved into manhood ahead of most of their peers. But whilst Moukoko is by no means lacking in strength or speed, reducing his incredible goal-haul simply to those factors would be lazy journalism at best.

Having only recently hit 5’10” in height, the majority of defenders Moukoko has lined up against have towered over him throughout his career to date. Instead, Moukoko uses his low centre of gravity, sharp control and incredible game awareness to make and take chances. He also has a wand of a left foot and is ice cold in front of goal.

It is maybe once or twice in a generation that a player posts numbers like 127 goals in 84 youth games, and perhaps nobody not called Cristiano Ronaldo will ever get close to Messi, but the signs are extremely promising for Moukoko.

Did you know?

Youssoufa is not the only footballer in the family. Elder brother Borel, 20, is a left-back who is looking to win a permanent contract at fifth-tier Schwarz-Weiß Essen having turned out for them twice before a groin injury earlier this year.

Moukoko’s brother Borel is an aspiring left-back who thinks the hype around Youssoufa is justified. – RevierSport

“If the talent runs in the family he should become an interesting footballer,” coach Ralf vom Dorp told Essen sports magazine RevierSport. It’s a challenge Borel should be up to – facing a young Youssoufa in the Moukoko family back garden in Hamburg can’t have been too much fun growing up!

“He’s the wonder everyone thinks he is,” the elder sibling explained with a smile.

What they’re saying

“I want to become a professional with Dortmund, win the UEFA Champions League with the club, and win the Ballon d’Or.” – Moukoko on his aims in the game

“He’s so young and already so good. The boy will one day become a professional, that’s as sure as a prayer in the church. Only injuries can stop him. He’s got very good technique, speed, and finishes well. These are three strong qualities that come together.” – BVB U19 coach Michael Skibbe.

Moukoko (l.) is hoping to come into focus alongside Erling Haaland (r.) for Dortmund this season. – imago images / Kirchner-Media

“We’re very happy. It immediately helps the clubs, and also the young players in their development. Most clubs now want to give young, exceptionally talented players the chance to take the next step in absolutely exceptional cases.” – Dortmund youth coordinator Lars Ricken following the DFL’s ruling in April.

“Moukoko’s much better than I was at his age. I’ve never seen such a good 15-year-old in my life. The advantage for him is that he’s already playing for Dortmund at the age of 15. At his age, I was still playing for my home town of Bryne.” – Haaland, at Dortmund’s pre-season camp in Switzerland

Culled from Bundesliga

Paris Saint-Germain are tempted to make a shock £50m move for Liverpool defender Joel Matip, according to a report.

The Ligue 1 champions are in the market for a new centre-back after announcing last month that long-serving Thiago Silva will leave later this month when his contract expires.

Cameroonian outlet Kick442 claims that Matip is in PSG’s sights, with the French giants prepared to match Liverpool’s bloated valuation.

Matip made just 13 appearances for the Reds in 2019-20, with Joe Gomez forming a solid partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk during the Cameroon international’s injury absence.

Premier League champions Liverpool have already lost one centre-back this summer following confirmation that Dejan Lovren is to join Zenit St Petersburg in a £10.9m deal.

Sports Mole

Juventus have appointed Andrea Pirlo as manager to replace the sacked Maurizio Sarri, a week after hiring the former midfielder as Under-23 boss.

The Italian giants sacked Sarri after just one season despite winning Serie A following the club’s Champions League last-16 defeat by Lyon on Friday.

Pirlo, 41, has signed a two-year deal until June 2022.

The former Italy midfielder was only named the club’s Under-23 manager on 30 July.

Juventus said the decision to promote him is “based on the belief that Pirlo has what it takes to lead from his debut on the bench, an expert and talented squad to pursue new success”.

“The decision for Pirlo was very natural, in the Juventus style, because he is someone who played for us, has always been in contact with everyone here and it felt natural,” said Juventus’ chief football officer Fabio Paratici.

“We also believe he is pre-destined for greatness. He was as a player and we are confident he can do the same as a coach.”

Pirlo played 164 games for Juventus between 2011 and 2015 and won four Serie A titles in Turin after joining from AC Milan, with whom he spent most of his career and won two Champions League and two league titles.

Pirlo, who won 116 caps for Italy and helped them to win the 2006 World Cup, retired in 2017 having spent two years in Major League Soccer at New York City FC after leaving Juventus.

After he was appointed Under-23 boss, Pirlo said he would like to have the same “journey” as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.

Guardiola and Zidane coached Barcelona and Real Madrid’s reserve teams respectively before taking on the main job.

“But you need to earn it, gaining experience,” said Pirlo.

“The path I’m about to embark on is the right one for me.”

Pirlo played at Juventus alongside goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who at 42 is older than his new boss.

Posting on Instagram after the announcement, Buffon wrote: “So now I have to call you Mister? Good luck #CoachPirlo.”

Former boss Sarri, 61, was appointed on a three-year contract last summer after one year at Premier League club Chelsea.

The Italian guided Juventus to a ninth straight Serie A title, although they lost three of their last four league matches to finish only a point clear of Inter Milan.

They were also beaten by Napoli in the Coppa Italia final after football in the country restarted following the coronavirus shutdown.

Source: BBC

Lyon qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday despite losing 2-1 in Turin.

A goal up after winning February’s first leg, French side Lyon will face Manchester City at the final tournament in Lisbon after drawing 2-2 on aggregate and going through on away goals.

Lyon squeezed past the Italian champions thanks to Memphis Depay’s 12th-minute penalty which put Rudi Garcia’s side two goals ahead in the tie and left Juve with a mountain to climb.

Needing to score three unanswered goals in order to go through, Cristiano Ronaldo tried his best to drag the Italian champions over the line.

He levelled the scores on the night with a penalty of his own with two minutes left in the opening period before crashing a second home on the hour mark.

However Juve performed poorly and Lyon managed to hold on to set up a clash with Pep Guardiola’s City, who put out 13-time winners Real Madrid, on August 15.

Despite their nine consecutive Italian league titles in a row, Juventus could not get past a French side that finished seventh in Ligue 1 this season.

Ronaldo leads attack

Ronaldo spearheaded the Juventus attack as the five-time Champions League winner pushed for the last eight spot in his native Portugal.

Lyon’s early breakthrough came after Rodrigo Bentancur was judged to have fouled Houssem Aouar, and Depay calmly slotted past Wojciech Szczesny from the spot.

Juventus had dominated play early with Federico Bernardeschi dribbling through the Lyon defense after 19 minutes before Marcelo deflected the shot clear of goal.

Ronaldo sent a header wide after 21 minutes with Lopes denying a curling Ronaldo free kick, but he drew Juve level from the spot just before the break when Depay handballed a Miralem Pjanic free-kick.

The Portuguese then scored a second long range effort, with Leonardo Bonucci missing a chance minutes later.

Paulo Dybala came on with 20 minutes to go but failed to lift the Italians, with the Argentine who had been carrying a thigh injury, limping off quarter of an hour later.

Ronaldo missed to win the tie when he sent a header wide, ending Juventus’ hopes of a first Champions League title since 1996.

Juve, who had won only two of their last eight league games, end the season in the worst possible way, exhausted by the accumulation of matches at the end of a season interrupted for three months because of coronavirus.

The Ligue 1 season did not finish with Lyon’s only hope of qualifying for next year’s Champions League now resting on winning the 2020 edition.

Source: AFP

Jose Mourinho vowed to get Tottenham back “where we belong” next season after they settled for Europa League qualification at the end of a troubled campaign.

Mourinho led Tottenham to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

Tottenham were 14th when Mourinho took charge in November following Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking and he endured a series of injuries to key players before the coronavirus hiatus.

So, while Mourinho was frustrated to have missed out on Champions League qualification, the Tottenham boss believes the foundations have been laid for a return to the top four next season.

“What we can do of course is improve. When all the players are available we showed in this last period where we belong. I don’t know, maybe in this period, after lockdown, we finished third or fourth in the table,” Mourinho said.

“So that’s where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players. I want a pitch full of players.

“Of course as a squad the main thing is to keep our very good players and after that improve the squad.

“Are we going to buy 10 players? No. Are we going to buy players for £100 million? No. We are going to improve.”

Mourinho oversaw a six-game unbeaten run to deliver Europa League qualification, overturning a seven-point gap to sixth place after a loss at Sheffield United earlier this month.

While the Europa League doesn’t have the prestige of the Champions League — in which Tottenham finished as runners-up last year — Mourinho said they should focus on winning the competition next season.

“Of course everybody that one day plays Champions League doesn’t want to go back and play Europa League but it was the only thing possible after such a difficult season for club,” he said.

“Arriving 14th and handling things is not bad at all. I am quite happy next season we play in Europa League and it’s just a question to motivate ourselves for that competition and try to motivate the fans to support us and do something beautiful.”

Source: AFP

Paris Saint-Germain won the French Cup title on Friday but saw Kylian Mbappé limp off the pitch with an ankle injury as football returned to the country after a four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A lone Neymar goal in the 14th minute was enough to see off feisty Saint-Etienne on a bittersweet night for the Parisians, whose hopes of Champions League glory next month may have been dented by Mbappé’s injury.

The 21-year-old World Cup-winner was brought down by a clumsy tackle from Saint Etienne captain Loic Perrin in the 26th minute, with his right ankle turning as he fell. Perrin was duly sent off for the challenge.

Mbappé is a key player in PSG’s hunt for four titles this season. The French champions face Olympique Lyonnais in the League Cup final next Friday and have a Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta coming up next month.

The fixture at the Stade de France marked the return of French football after a four-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Unlike the rest of Europe’s top leagues, which eventually restarted despite the health crisis, France’s Ligue 1 ended prematurely in March with PSG crowned champions for the seventh time in eight years.

French President Emmanuel Macron attended Friday’s final as per tradition, but fewer than 5,000 spectators were permitted at the 80,000-seater venue as part of stringent health regulations.

The contest got off to an eventful start with Yvann Maçon felling Neymar in the opening seconds to earn a yellow card and Saint-Etienne’s Denis Bouanga hitting the post in the fifth minute.

But it was the Parisians who scored when Neymar pounced on a rebound after an Mbappé shot was blocked by goalkeeper Jessy Mouli.

Ten minutes later, Perrin’s rough tackle put Mbappé out of the game. The Saint-Etienne captain was sent off in his last game and four other players were booked as tempers briefly flared.

Saint-Etienne kept finding ways into the PSG box even after going a man down, but missed out on adding to their six Cup wins.

Source: France 24

Leeds United were promoted to the Premier League on Friday after West Bromwich Albion’s 2-1 defeat at Huddersfield ensured the Championship leaders will end their 16-year exile from the top-flight.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were able to celebrate promotion without kicking a ball as second placed Albion’s failure to take three points guaranteed Leeds will finish in the top two.

“We are back. Leeds United are Premier League,” the club said on their Twitter account moments after the final whistle.

Leeds are five points clear at the top and they can clinch the Championship title with a draw against Derby at Pride Park on Sunday.

Albion’s defeat means third placed Brentford will reach the top-flight for the first time in 73 years if they win their last two games.

A tense 1-0 win over Barnsley at Elland Road, secured by Michael Sollbauer’s own goal, had moved Leeds to the brink of promotion on Thursday.

Now they can look forward to renewing old rivalries with Manchester United and Chelsea next season.

“It’s unbelievable and it’s still not sunk in,” Leeds captain Liam Cooper said.

“Our club, our fans and our players have sacrificed so much. We’ve been in the doldrums for 16 years.

“To lead this team to promotion back to where we know we’ve always belonged is unbelievable. We deserve it. We’ve been the best team all season.”

Bielsa has earned iconic status in west Yorkshire after the Leeds boss finally put his club back on the football map.

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips saluted Bielsa’s contribution, saying: “When the manager first came in I never thought I would be in this position two years down the line.

“He’s the best in the world. There’s no manager I would rather be under than Marcelo Bielsa.

“The Premier League is the best in the world and after 16 years we’re back in there.”

Despite warnings from Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, Leeds fans gathered outside Elland Road to celebrate, but their emotion was understandable.

Leeds are one of England’s biggest clubs, with their legion of fanatical fans following them around the country and regularly attracting home crowds of over 30,000 despite years of underachievement.

– Rich history –

Their long-awaited return to the top tier completes a turbulent journey that saw them become a laughing stock when they languished in third tier obscurity.

Leeds have been away from the Premier League for so long that Twitter and Instagram didn’t exist the last time they played in the top-flight.

So it was fitting that Leeds goalkeeper Kiko Casilla took to Twitter to celebrate, writing: “We are BACK! We are in the Premier League! Yessssssssssss!

“Many days dreaming of this Day. We deserve it. Proud of this TEAM, proud of our supporters.”

Liverpool midfielder James Milner, who started his career at Leeds, tweeted: “Congratulations LUFC. Back where you belong.”

Leeds went through 14 different managers following their 2004 relegation from the Premier League, until the sleeping giant was awoken by former Lazio and Marseille boss Bielsa.

Bielsa has turned the tide at a tortured club infamously labelled the ‘Damned United’ by novelist David Peace and forever remembered as ‘Dirty Leeds’ in the minds of fans who saw their no-holds-barred style in the Don Revie era.

The 64-year-old Argentine led Leeds within touching distance of promotion in his first season, but they crumbled in the final weeks and were beaten in the play-of semi-finals by Derby.

Notorious for working his players so hard in training that they often burn out by the end of the season, Bielsa has benefitted from the coronavirus hiatus allowing his players to come back refreshed for the final furlong of the promotion race.

Champions of England in 1969 and 1974 under Revie, then in 1992 when Howard Wilkinson called the shots, Leeds have a rich history.

But since being relegated from the top tier, Leeds have stumbled from financial disaster off the pitch to despair on it.

Describing the club’s ascent to the heady heights of the Champions League in the early 2000s, former chairman Peter Ridsdale claimed he had “lived the dream”.

Their subsequent fall was a never-ending nightmare that hit its lowest ebb in 2007 when Leeds went into administration and were relegated to the third tier for the first time.

No wonder the much-travelled Bielsa, nicknamed El Loco for his intense personality, is so beloved after just two years in charge.

Source: AFP

There was Zinedine Zidane again, being thrown into the air by his Real Madrid players in another title celebration.

With the Frenchman back in charge, Madrid is back to collecting major trophies.

Madrid clinched its 34th Spanish league title — and first since 2017 — after extending its perfect run following the pandemic break with a 2-1 win over Villarreal on Thursday, opening a seven-point gap to second-place Barcelona with one round to go. Barcelona lost to 10-man Osasuna at the Camp Nou Stadium.

Karim Benzema scored twice to give Madrid its 10th consecutive league victory. It was the only team with a perfect record after the coronavirus-enforced break, having trailed Barcelona by two points before the league was halted.

“This is one of the best days in my life professionally,” said Zidane, who also won the Champions League and World Cup as a player. “It’s another league title, after the confinement and everything else that happened. I wish we could celebrate with the fans, but I’m sure they are very happy at home seeing their team win the league again.”

Zidane quit as Madrid coach in 2018 after leading the team to three straight Champions League titles, then returned less than a year later with the team floundering. In his first full season back in charge, Madrid wrested the league title away from Barcelona for the first time in three years.

It was also Madrid’s first league title since Cristiano Ronaldo left to join Juventus two seasons ago.

The title celebrations were subdued as the triumph came with Madrid playing at its training center because the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium remains undergoing renovation work.

Fans have not been allowed into games since the pandemic, and Madrid had warned supporters not to gather at the team’s traditional celebration spots in the Spanish capital. Most of the early celebrations came from fans honking their car horns across the city’s streets.

Captain Sergio Ramos lifted the trophy at the empty Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium as confetti went into the air behind him and his teammates. Players later threw Zidane into the air a few times, then they all posed for photos in front of one of the goals.

“It has been a strange season after everything that has happened,” said Ramos, who won his fifth Spanish league title. “After the confinement we knew that we had to win every match to clinch the title. There was no margin for error.”

Barcelona had won the last two league titles but stuttered after the break, drawing three times and losing once after the league resumed.

Benzema — one of Madrid’s key players this season — opened the scoring with a shot from inside the area in the 29th minute and added to the lead by converting a penalty in the 77th, reaching 21 league goals and moving within two of scoring leader Lionel Messi, who netted for Barcelona against Osasuna.

Benzema’s goal from the penalty spot came after Ramos’ initial attempt was called back after he just rolled the ball sideways to Benzema to score. The French striker had entered the area too soon and the penalty had to be taken again.

Luka Modric set up Benzema’s first goal after a breakaway that started near midfield.

Fifth-place Villarreal pulled one back with a header by Vicente Iborra in the 83rd. It was denied an equalizer by a great save by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in stoppage time.

Madrid’s Marco Asensio had a goal disallowed moments later.

Barcelona falters

Barcelona needed to win its match and hope Madrid slipped up. Instead it lost 2-1 at home against midtable Osasuna.

Messi scored his league-leading 23rd goal from a free kick in the second half to cancel out José Arnaíz’s opener.

Osasuna lost substitute Enric Gallego to a direct red card for bloodying the mouth of Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet with an elbow to the face in the 77th.

But Osasuna’s Roberto Torres scored in stoppage time with Barcelona pushing forward searching for a late goal.

It was Barcelona’s first home loss in the league since a 4-3 result against Real Betis in Nov. 2018.

Messi said it was “not the way” Barcelona wanted to end the season.

“Madrid did its part by winning all its matches, which is impressive, but we also helped them to win this league,” Messi said. “We have to be critical of how we have played, starting with the players, and for the rest of the club.”

Other results

Mallorca became the second team to be relegated after a 2-1 loss to Granada at home. Espanyol had already been demoted. Leganés keep its chances of survival alive thanks to a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao. Celta Vigo stayed just outside the relegation zone after a 3-2 loss against Levante at home.

Third-place Atlético Madrid won 2-0 at seventh-place Getafe, while fourth-place Sevilla drew 0-0 at sixth-place Real Sociedad. Valencia moved into eighth place to keep alive its hopes of grabbing a Europa League spot after a 1-0 win against last-place Espanyol.

There was a total of nine red cards handed out during the 10 games.

(AP)