Football

In a thrilling Champions League encounter at the Parc des Princes, substitute Angel Correa's dramatic 93rd-minute goal secured a crucial 2-1 victory for Atletico Madrid over Paris Saint-Germain. The result reignited Atletico's European hopes while casting a shadow over PSG's aspirations.PSG took an early lead through Warren Zaire-Emery's composed finish in the 14th minute. However, Atletico responded swiftly, with Nahuel Molina equalizing just four minutes later. The hosts dominated possession and created numerous chances, but their profligacy in front of goal proved costly.Atletico, missing several key defenders, defended resolutely, with goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several impressive saves to keep PSG at bay. As the game entered its final stages, it seemed destined for a draw.However, in a moment of brilliance, Correa broke the deadlock. After PSG failed to clear a loose ball, the Argentine forward collected it and fired a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma, sending the Atletico bench into raptures.The victory was a much-needed boost for Atletico, who had lost their previous two matches. It puts them back on track to qualify for the play-off round of the Champions League.For PSG, the defeat was a major setback. Despite being top of Ligue 1, they have struggled in Europe this season, with just four points from four games. Their hopes of reaching the knockout stages are now in jeopardy.

Kylian Mbappe's departure from Paris Saint-Germain has left a significant void in the team's attack, particularly in the Champions League. Despite a strong start to the Ligue 1 season, PSG have struggled in Europe, with just four points from three games.The French giants' struggles were evident in their 1-0 victory over Girona, where they managed 26 attempts but only scored thanks to a late own-goal. A 2-0 defeat at Arsenal followed, exposing PSG's lack of attacking prowess. In their most recent Champions League outing, they drew 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven, again failing to convert their chances despite 26 attempts.PSG's poor finishing has been a recurring issue, dating back to last season's Champions League semi-finals, where they failed to score against Borussia Dortmund despite 45 attempts. This season, they have scored just two goals from 62 attempts in Europe.The absence of a reliable center-forward has been a major factor in PSG's attacking woes. Goncalo Ramos, who was expected to fill the void left by Mbappe, suffered an ankle injury early in the season and is yet to return. Randal Kolo Muani, signed for a hefty 90 million euros, has failed to impress and has been an unused substitute in the last two games.Despite their struggles in the Champions League, PSG remain dominant in Ligue 1, sitting six points clear at the top of the table. However, their European ambitions are in jeopardy, and they face a crucial clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.Atletico, known for their strong defense, will pose a significant challenge for PSG. The French side will need to be more clinical in front of goal if they want to secure a positive result and keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Atlético Madrid overcame a sluggish start to secure a 3-1 victory over Leganés in La Liga on Sunday, thanks to a brace from Alexander Sorloth.Diego Simeone's side struggled to find their rhythm against the relegation-threatened visitors, who took a shock lead through Yvan Neyou's thunderous strike. However, Sorloth restored parity with a clinical finish in the 69th minute, setting the stage for a dramatic second half.Antoine Griezmann put Atlético ahead with a close-range effort, assisted by Giuliano Simeone, who had replaced Rodrigo Riquelme in the second half. Griezmann's goal was initially ruled out for offside but was later awarded after a VAR review.Despite Griezmann's subsequent red card for a high tackle, Atlético held on to their lead. Sorloth sealed the victory in stoppage time with a poacher's finish, securing three crucial points for the Rojiblancos.The win lifted Atlético to third place in the La Liga standings, four points behind leaders Barcelona. It also ended a run of five matches without a victory in all competitions for Simeone's team.

Atletico Madrid's hopes of recovering from their humiliating Champions League defeat were dashed by Luka Sucic's stunning strike, which earned Real Sociedad a 1-1 draw in La Liga on Sunday.Diego Simeone's team, still reeling from their 4-0 thrashing by Benfica midweek, took an early lead in San Sebastian through Julian Alvarez. However, their advantage proved short-lived as Sucic's long-range effort in the 84th minute secured a point for the home side.Atletico's draw leaves them third in the standings, level on points with Villarreal but seven behind leaders Barcelona. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, remain in 15th place."It's a bad feeling because we wanted to win the game," said Atletico defender Axel Witsel. "We let in a late goal and it hurts, we had a good game defensively... everyone was working hard. The goal we let in was a great strike but I think we could have avoided it."Former Manchester City striker Alvarez put Atletico ahead within the first minute after Antoine Griezmann backheeled the ball into his path. Griezmann, who recently retired from international duty with France, made his 400th appearance for the club.Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a superb save to keep out Nayef Aguerd's close-range effort and also denied Takefusa Kubo. The visitors looked set to claim three points before Sucic's late intervention.Rodrigo de Paul gave the ball away cheaply in his own half and Sucic hit a first-time shot that spun over Oblak and into the net. Kubo fired narrowly off-target in the final minutes as the hosts tried to snatch all three points.

Atletico Madrid suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday, their worst performance of the season. The Portuguese side dominated the match from start to finish, leaving Diego Simeone's team shell-shocked and outplayed.Benfica took the lead in the 13th minute through Kerem Aturkoglu, who fired past Jan Oblak after a quick counterattack. Former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria doubled the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half after Conor Gallagher fouled Vangelis Pavlidis.Alexander Bah headed home the third from a corner in the 75th minute, and Orkun Kokcu completed the rout with another penalty late on after Zeki Amdouni was tripped. Atletico barely troubled Benfica throughout the match, with Oblak and Axel Witsel enduring a tough evening against their former club.Simeone admitted that his team was "not up to it" and displayed an uncharacteristic lack of grit. "This is nothing good and I can't say much more than that -- today we weren't up to it and it was a bad game, the worst game of the season," Oblak said.Atletico's defeat was their joint biggest European defeat, tied with five other occasions they have been beaten by the same margin. It also extended their poor away record in the Champions League, with just one win in their last 10 matches on the road.Benfica, on the other hand, were efficient and clinical in their performance. They took advantage of Atletico's errors and punished them ruthlessly. The victory gives them a second win in two matches in the competition and puts them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stages.

The Madrid Derby, a fierce rivalry in football, will witness Real Madrid's visit to Atletico Madrid's Civitas Metropolitano on Monday (IST). Real Madrid, undefeated in their last 50 matches across La Liga and the Champions League, will face Atletico Madrid, who have strengthened their squad with key additions.Real Madrid's last defeat came against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey at the same venue. Since then, they have embarked on an impressive 33-match unbeaten streak. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, have bolstered their team with the signings of Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, and Conor Gallagher.Real Madrid manager Carlos Ancelotti believes the match will be a "spectacle" and has suggested that Atletico Madrid will be contenders for the title this season. The match will be played on Monday, September 30, at the Civitas Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, and will start at 12:30 AM IST.While there will be no live telecast of the match in India, it will be streamed live on the Galaxy Racer (GXR) website (gxr.world). The match promises to be an intense battle between two of Spain's top clubs, with both teams eager to secure a victory in this prestigious rivalry.

Real Madrid will face their rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday in La Liga without star signing Kylian Mbappe, who is sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury. Despite the absence of their star forward, coach Carlo Ancelotti remains confident in his team's ability to cope."Obviously playing without Mbappe changes things a bit, but not much," Ancelotti said. "We're used to playing without him because last year he wasn't here. It's a pity that he's not here, but his absence we can cover for well."Real Madrid boasts a formidable attacking lineup that includes Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes, and Vinicius Junior, who is a potential Ballon d'Or winner. The Brazilian has been in scintillating form lately and is expected to lead the charge against Diego Simeone's side.However, Vinicius has been subjected to racial abuse in the past, including during previous visits to Atletico's Metropolitano stadium. This week, a group of Atletico supporters launched a campaign encouraging fans to wear face masks to the stadium to facilitate undetected abuse.Ancelotti declined to comment on the issue but expressed confidence that the match would be an entertaining spectacle. "It's a difficult game, that's clear, but each match has its own story and we have a plan, let's see if it goes well," he said.Real Madrid lost to Atletico in September 2023 but has remained unbeaten in 39 La Liga matches since. "We have to avoid the mistakes of last year, that's quite obvious," Ancelotti said. "What we've learned could serve us well for tomorrow's game."Ancelotti confirmed that French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has recovered from an injury and is fit to participate in the derby.

Julian Alvarez's late heroics secured a dramatic 1-0 victory for Atletico Madrid at Celta Vigo in La Liga on Thursday. Despite a lackluster performance, the Argentine substitute's 90th-minute strike snatched all three points for Diego Simeone's side.Atletico struggled to create chances in the first half, failing to register a single shot. Celta, on the other hand, threatened through Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias, but Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak made crucial saves to keep the visitors level.Simeone introduced Alvarez in the second half, and the former Manchester City striker made an immediate impact. He stayed alert to prod home Antoine Griezmann's deep cross at the back post, securing a vital victory for Atletico."We didn't play well in attack in the first half," Simeone admitted. "The subs gave us a bit more creativity to be able to win the game."Earlier in the day, Ayoze Perez scored twice to lead Villarreal to a 2-1 win at Espanyol. The Spain international now has six goals this season, trailing only Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski in the scoring charts.Real Betis, however, could only manage a 1-1 draw at bottom-of-the-table Las Palmas. Barcelona remain top of the league after their 1-0 win over Getafe on Wednesday, with Real Madrid second following their 3-2 victory against Alaves on Tuesday.

Real Madrid, the reigning Spanish and European champions, face their toughest test of the season so far when they travel to the Wanda Metropolitano to take on city rivals Atletico Madrid in a highly anticipated La Liga derby clash on Sunday.Atletico, under the astute leadership of Diego Simeone, are the only team to have defeated Real Madrid in the league in the past year, inflicting two losses on Carlo Ancelotti's side. The Rojiblancos also eliminated Madrid from the Copa del Rey in January 2024, marking the only defeat Madrid has suffered in the calendar year.Real Madrid will be without star summer signing Kylian Mbappe, who sustained a thigh injury in the midweek win over Alaves. However, Ancelotti still has a plethora of attacking options at his disposal. Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, who has been a frequent target of abuse from Atletico supporters, has hit top form ahead of the derby. Jude Bellingham, the highly-rated English midfielder, could be given more attacking responsibilities.Another option for Ancelotti is to deploy Luka Modric as an extra midfielder in a return to the 4-4-2 formation, rather than maintaining the 4-3-3 used so far, to help Madrid minimize Atletico's threat.After a sluggish start to the campaign, Madrid have won five consecutive matches across all competitions. "We're getting better and it suits us because the schedule is very demanding," said Ancelotti. "We've come back well after the break and we want to continue like this for Sunday's game, which is going to be very tough."Madrid, currently second in the standings, trail leaders Barcelona by four points. Atletico, meanwhile, are two points behind their city rivals after a fortunate late 1-0 win at Celta Vigo.Atletico forward Julian Alvarez, who scored the winning goal against Celta, could start after coming off the bench in recent matches. Simeone has praised Alvarez's versatility, saying, "He's a versatile player, he can play upfront, he can play (in midfield), he gives us more options."