Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s superb assist on Wednesday put Paris Saint-Germain ahead early in a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final for a 6-5 aggregate win against the six-time champions.
Whether scoring or creating, Kvaratskhelia makes the difference for PSG. His team-leading 10 goals have played a huge part in helping the titleholders to reach a second straight Champions League final.
That came after the 25-year-old Georgia star’s two goals helped PSG win the first leg 5-4.
Photo: AFP
Kvaratskhelia was irrepressible in the semi-finals, as he was against AS Monaco, Chelsea and Liverpool earlier in the campaign.
His awareness led to PSG’s goal three minutes into the return leg and put Bayern on the back foot immediately, when many observers expected PSG to struggle early on.
Kvaratskhelia even started the move that led to PSG’s goal.
Photo: AFP
Catching Bayern’s midfield napping by dropping deep, he released Fabian Ruiz with a brilliant flick with the outside of his right foot.
He then spun around to collect Ruiz’s excellent first-time pass before sprinting down the left and picking out Ousmane Dembele with a fine pass across the penalty area.
Dembele shot powerfully into the roof of the net for his seventh goal of the competition.
Bayern had some spells of possession, but never recovered from the early blow and, at the end, Kvaratskhelia’s boundless energy and runs almost led to another PSG goal.
“We have a magnificent team, a young team, we fight together,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said. “We have stars, but everyone fights. Look at the last minute, Kvara is cooked [but] kept fighting.”
Dembele was PSG’s key player last season and now it could be Kvaratskhelia’s turn to shine when PSG face Arsenal in the final.
“We’re very happy, we know it will be very difficult against Arsenal,” Kvaratskhelia said. “I’m working every day and getting back with assists or goals. I will do everything for the team.”
Real Madrid won three straight times from 2016 to 2018.
PSG coach Luis Enrique has shown remarkable flexibility with his team selections, astutely coping with injuries and juggling positional changes without disrupting the efficiency of his team.
He was celebrating, but in moderation.
“It’s incredible,” Enrique said. “We have to make the most of this night, but we have to think about the final,” which is on May 30.
Harry Kane equalized for Bayern in stoppage-time, but it was too late to keep alive Bayern’s dream of a treble of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles.
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
FAST AND LOOSE: Despite command struggles, Ohtani has pitched his way out of trouble after falling behind in counts, which manager Roberts credited to his velocity Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night tossed six innings of no-hit ball, gave himself an early lead with a home run and still was not satisfied with his performance. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar dropped some expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic as he struggled with his command in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. He struck out seven, walked four and gave up an earned run in the fourth inning while visibly fuming on the mound. Ohtani (5-2) earned his third consecutive victory. “Just command was off, and I just felt like I was battling the lack of
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS