logo
Video: Dembele and Barcola's Instant Chemistry Powers PSG's Opening Strike

Video: Dembele and Barcola's Instant Chemistry Powers PSG's Opening Strike

Yahoo01-03-2025

In their final tune-up match before their clash against Liverpool, PSG opened up the scoring early at the Parc des Princes against a LOSC Lille side who also have an eye on the UEFA Champions League first-leg contest against Borussia Dortmund.
Bradley Barcola switched the play to Dembélé, who did his signature move. His curled shot was cleared by Chevalier, but Barcola followed up and finished to give the Parisians the 1-0 lead over the visitors.
Así le dio la ventaja Barcola al PSG 😮‍💨 Gran jugada y excelente colocación de la joya francesa 👀 🇫🇷 #beINSPORTS #Ligue1 pic.twitter.com/u5wNJQrhZx
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) March 1, 2025
Ousmane Dembélé tente. ❌Bradley Barcola finit. ✅
Le PSG mène déjà au score face au LOSC ! ⚡️ #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/zIwVhf5Lln
— DAZN France (@DAZN_FR) March 1, 2025

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Golazo Merchants: Brazil's Little Magician, Philippe Coutinho
Golazo Merchants: Brazil's Little Magician, Philippe Coutinho

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Golazo Merchants: Brazil's Little Magician, Philippe Coutinho

As thousands of fans push themselves through turnstiles and pack into Premier League venues, it's with a sense of anticipation and the hope that the next ninety minutes deliver something unforgettable. For those of a Liverpool persuasion, the nimble feet and repertoire of tricks from Philippe Coutinho so often proved worth the admission fee alone. Advertisement In an era in which English football has become ever more cosmopolitan, Coutinho represented the best of a brilliant football nation. Brazil has a long and storied history of producing elite talents, footballers who take to the pitch and express themselves without constraints, always willing to try something out of the ordinary to gain an advantage. Coutinho's arrival into the Premier League came in the closing stages of the 2013 January transfer window, with Brendan Rodgers gambling on the young midfielder as he sought to inject some flair into a mediocre Liverpool side. Rodgers had been in charge for six months and with Liverpool languishing in seventh sanctioned deals to sign Coutinho from Inter Milan and Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge. Advertisement Coutinho had been earmarked as one of Brazil's brightest talents following his emergence at Vasco da Gama, but the inevitable move to Europe had failed to work out as hoped as he struggled to make an impression at the San Siro. There were bright moments, including a fine performance in a 4-3 win over Tottenham in the Champions League. He was loaned to Espanyol and thrived in Spain, but his return to Inter once again saw him fail to dislodge senior stars and the Nerazzurri opted to cash in when an £8.5m offer arrived from Anfield. It was a decision the Serie A side would come to regret. Despite his slight stature he soon made an impression at Liverpool, with his sublime first touch and eye for a pass seeing Coutinho form an instant understanding with Luis Suarez and fellow winter window signing Sturridge. Advertisement Operating from the left, the sight of Coutinho cutting inside and inter-linking with the front two became a familiar one as he grew in confidence in England. The 2013/14 season saw him shifted inwards as part of a midfield diamond, as Liverpool came close to ending their long wait for a Premier League title. With Steven Gerrard reinvented in a Regista role and Coutinho and Raheem Sterling buzzing behind the twin threat of Sturridge and Suarez, Liverpool scored 101 goals on their way to a runners-up finish. Embed from Getty Images Coutinho had shown flashes of his brilliance, including a winner in a pulsating clash with City at Anfield, but he was soon to take on a more prominent role. Advertisement Liverpool's title-chasing team had been rapidly dismantled in the year that followed the club's near miss. Luis Suarez departed for Barcelona in 2014, whilst the following summer saw the fading force of Steven Gerrard leave for Los Angeles and Raheem Sterling move on to Manchester City. Coutinho was now the leading light and it was a spotlight he began to revel in. He ended the 2014/15 season on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award despite a return of just five goals, with his very finest being this outrageous effort against Southampton. Some footballers possess a signature strike and for Coutinho, it's this, a shift inside from the left channel and hit that seems hell-bent on finding its way into the stanchion as soon as it leaves his magical boot. Advertisement Bonus marks for the added aesthetic of the ball cannoning in off the crossbar, here. The failure to repeat the club's title challenge and a poor start to the following campaign saw Rodgers replaced at Anfield, with the Reds naming former Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp as his replacement. The infancy of Klopp's reign saw Coutinho's role questioned and debate as to whether the fleet-footed and free-spirited Brazilian would be able to adjust to his new manager's demands. Klopp's side were entertaining and expansive, whilst retaining the vulnerability that simultaneously creates excitement and denies challenges for major honours. Advertisement Coutinho continued to shine, however, adding a sprinkling of Samba to Klopp's heavy-metal football. He was instrumental in the Reds' run to the Europa League final, scoring a brilliant individual effort as Manchester United were eliminated in the first-ever European meeting between the two North-West rivals. A signature drop of the shoulder left Guillermo Varela in his wake before an audacious scooped finish from an acute angle bamboozled David de Gea and secured Liverpool's passage to the next stage. He scored 12 goals in all competitions that season with his highlight reel becoming ever more spectacular, earning a second successive club Player of the Season award before enjoying the best individual season of his career in 2016/17. Advertisement Whether used as a central number ten or drifting inside from the left he found a way to influence proceedings, with his velvet first touch and remarkable ability to chop and change direction leaving a trail of defenders in his wake. So often he would accelerate from a standing start down the left before – in the knowledge more athletic defenders were chasing him down, shifting the ball inwards with the outside of his boot, using the unbalanced momentum of the chasing challenger to free himself infield for a shooting chance. He added a derby day special to his increasing collection of fantastic finishes in April 2017, scoring the second with a stunning solo goal in a 3-1 win over Everton. It was Coutinho-esque in its entirety, the demanding of possession and a twisting and turning drive towards goal before a bending finish into the far corner. Liverpool ended the season fourth and secured a return to the Champions League, but faced a fight to keep their leading light as Barcelona made their interest public. Advertisement Despite the midfielder's desire for a move to Catalonia and a strong approach from Barcelona, the transfer window passed with Coutinho remaining on Merseyside. He had become the fulcrum of the side, the centre-piece of an improving outfit that now boasted various avenues to goal. Mohamed Salah had arrived from Roma during the summer, whilst Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino helped form a forward contingent soon christened the 'Fab Four'. Even in a season that saw Salah shatter the Premier League's goal record, the first six months of the campaign saw Coutinho retain his title as Liverpool's leading light. Advertisement He scored a fabulous free-kick in a chaotic 3-2 win at Leicester in September, a goal that encapsulated his penchant for producing something out of nothing. The following month saw him add another trademark stunner from distance at Newcastle, with the Magpies making the mistake of affording the Brazilian far too much room as he cut inside. Standing off Coutinho had become a recipe for disaster. The goals were the highlight of performances that became ever more impressive, with Coutinho appearing as if he had pillows on his feet when the ball arrived in his possession and a rocket launcher when it left. As the winter window approached, Liverpool were forced to once again bat away questions regarding Coutinho's future. The threat of Barcelona's interest had only temporarily been removed, with the Catalans again lurking as January approached. Advertisement Klopp did all he could to persuade Coutinho to remain a part of his improving side, handing the Brazilian the captain's armband as he fired home a first career hat-trick during a 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow in the Champions League. He later warned Coutinho about the pitfalls of leaving Liverpool for Spanish football's superpowers, but in the end, the temptation of Barcelona proved too much and in January a £142m deal was agreed – representing a record sale for Liverpool. 'Stay here, and they will build a statue in your honour. Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.' – Jurgen Klopp on Philippe Coutinho Coutinho began brightly in Barcelona, but his fortunes soon deteriorated as he fell out of favour. Medals have come in the form of two La Liga titles, whilst he also won a Bundesliga treble, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble during a loan spell at Bayern Munich in 2019/20. Advertisement On each occasion, however, he has found himself on the outside looking in. An unhappy return to England at Aston Villa followed, before loan spells at Al-Duhail and Vasco de Gama as his star waned. The twinkle-toed tormentor of Premier League defences was a pale imitation after leaving Anfield. Klopp's warning had become, sadly, prophetic. At his best, 'The Little Magician' had been a joy to watch. Read – Opinion: Aston Villa an ideal place for Philippe Coutinho's restoration Read Also – All time Brazilian Premier League XI Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok

Kevin De Bruyne joins Napoli following Manchester City exit
Kevin De Bruyne joins Napoli following Manchester City exit

New York Times

time2 hours ago

  • New York Times

Kevin De Bruyne joins Napoli following Manchester City exit

Napoli have confirmed the signing of Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer following his departure Manchester City. De Bruyne announced in April that he would be leaving City at the end of the season after 10 years at the club, with his contract expiring at the end of June. The 33-year-old has now joined Napoli, who won this season's Serie A title. Benvenuto Kevin! — AurelioDeLaurentiis (@ADeLaurentiis) June 12, 2025 Antonio Conte's side, who sold Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain in January and had an approach for Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho knocked back that month, have prioritised adding creativity to their squad this summer. Napoli have won two of the last three Serie A titles, with this season's success propelled by former Premier League players Romelu Lukaku and Scott McTominay. The Athletic previously reported Chicago Fire were one of four MLS teams — alongside Inter Miami, NYCFC and D.C. United — to have expressed interest in recruiting De Bruyne. De Bruyne's MLS discovery rights, which are held by Miami, would not have been a barrier for another team to sign him. De Bruyne did engage in discussions with Miami, but the club's three designated player spots are already occupied by Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. He has in the past also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and previously said he would be 'open to everything' whenever the next step in his career came, including remaining in the Premier League. Kevin is proud to be one of us! ✨ 💙 #ProudToBeNapoli | #ForzaNapoliSempre | #WelcomeKevin — Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) June 12, 2025 De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg in 2015 and has helped them win six Premier League titles, as well as their maiden Champions League in 2023. The Belgian made 422 appearances for City, registering 108 goals and 177 assists. He was twice named Premier League player of the season, in 2019-20 and 2021-22, a feat only matched by three other players in the competition's history: Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic. City confirmed last month they are planning to build a statue in De Bruyne's honour outside their Etihad Stadium. Analysis by Sam Lee There is an argument for De Bruyne being City's best-ever player as well as the best Premier League player. If any player of the most recent era is going to get a statue outside the Etihad to go alongside Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany, it would be him. But this is also the right decision for both him and City, because it has become clear over the past couple of months that he is no longer the player that he used to be. Advertisement The story of that should only endear him more to City fans: he played the final months of the 2022-23 season with a hamstring on the verge of rupturing, but he battled through anyway to help the team. They won the treble, his hamstring giving way in the Champions League final. It went again a couple of months later and it seems that it has changed him for good; the effort is still there, but the quality not so. It has got to the stage now that he is not starting matches and nobody queries it, but that will not be his legacy by any means. It is only because his passing ability is so good that his assists will be remembered slightly more than his goals, but he scored some belters and some vitally important ones. He arguably scored the goal that kick-started the Guardiola era, slamming home with his left foot to seal a 1-0 victory at defending champions Chelsea in September 2017, a game that gave City belief that their new brand of football could be successful. Eight years down the line City have won everything, and De Bruyne has been integral to it all.

Real Madrid was the only team I'd leave Liverpool for – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Real Madrid was the only team I'd leave Liverpool for – Trent Alexander-Arnold

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Real Madrid was the only team I'd leave Liverpool for – Trent Alexander-Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted Real Madrid was the only team he would have left boyhood club Liverpool for and was comfortable he made the right decision. The 26-year-old, who has signed a six-year deal after Real paid £8.5million to release him from a contract expiring this month, rejected suggestions he had been heavily influenced by close friend and England team-mate Jude Bellingham. Advertisement He also denied he had been orchestrating the move for a long time but impressing president Florentino Perez and assembled club dignitaries by surprisingly addressing them in Spanish did nothing to calm the anger a significant section of the fanbase have felt about the way he handled his exit after 20 years at Liverpool. 'To be honest, it was never a question of where, it was whether to go or not to go but I always knew, I've probably known it for a long time, if I was ever to leave Liverpool, it would only be to go Real Madrid, that would be the only club for me,' said Alexander-Arnold, who told a press conference he had been learning Spanish 'for a few months'. 'Then it gets to a point where you have to make a decision whether to go or stay and making that decision was not an easy decision because I'd been there so long, but eventually you have to make a decision and in my mind, I've made the right one.' Advertisement On Bellingham's supposed influence, he added: 'It wasn't exactly what people think it was but we spoke a lot about Liverpool and Real Madrid, that's the conversations you have as players and friends. 'A lot of people think he played a huge part in me coming here but the club speaks for itself. It was a huge opportunity for me – it felt like it was the right time.' Alexander-Arnold had to quickly correct himself after initially saying he had been 'waiting a long time' for this day, explaining: 'By waiting a long time, I mean by a couple of weeks, not years. 'If I'm honest it's not something you dream of as it's out of reach and out of reality for a lot of players, there are only a handful of players who have been able to represent this club,' he said. Advertisement 'When I was younger I wasn't exactly thinking I would be here today, I was just thinking about learning about how I could be the best footballer I could be. 'It's a dream to be here but there is still a lot of hard work to do. I'm excited to get started right away.' Alexander-Arnold, wearing a black suit and tie, sat next to girlfriend Estelle Behnke as a video montage was played of his best moments at Liverpool, inevitably featuring his two assists in the 4-0 Champions League semi-final comeback against Real's arch-rivals Barcelona. His mum Dianne sat alongside his dad Michael and brothers Tyler – his agent – and Marcell and could be seen wiping away tears as the video concluded. Advertisement Real president Florentino Perez described Alexander-Arnold as 'a player who has won everything, one of the best defenders and full-backs in world football. One on the greatest players worldwide is joining this club and hopefully we can write a new page in the history books'. That starts in the United States later this month at the Club World Cup, which is the reason Real paid Liverpool to release the right-back from his contract early. Trent Alexander-Arnold signed a six-year deal after Real paid £8.5m to release him from his contract (Borja Hojas/PA) 'I grew up watching this club win three Champions League in row so I'm no stranger to seeing Real Madrid winning trophies,' said the former Liverpool academy graduate, who will wear 'Trent' on the back of his number 12 shirt to avoid the confusion European fans have had with his double-barrelled surname. Advertisement 'A big part of why I joined was to be a big part of the success going forward. 'I'm joining a young team with a lot of potential with the mindset to win trophies. We go to America for the Club World Cup and our ambition is to win that trophy too. I'm looking for a great start.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store