Category: Football (Soccer)

The Juventus midfielder discusses his father’s activism, what Thierry Henry always told him and how Douglas Luiz views the challenge of facing Aston Villa

“I don’t know if it was destiny,” says a beaming Khéphren Thuram over a video call from Turin, but all the same he can glimpse a certain poetry in his journey. Born in Italy, the son of the great Juventus defender Lilian Thuram, now running the midfield in those same black and white stripes. “It’s a beautiful story,” he says. “People outside see the romance in it. But I’m just doing my job.”

On Wednesday his job takes him to Villa Park in the Champions League, the first time the 23‑year‑old will play competitively on English soil. Not that he will be underprepared. His teammate Douglas Luiz has already briefed him on their forthcoming opponents. “We speak about Aston Villa,” Thuram says. “He told me he had a great time over there, that the fans are great. And I watch a lot of Premier League. It’s going to be a good game.”

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• ‘I don’t know if it is mental,’ says manager after blown lead
• Guardiola must lift City after Feyenoord’s late fightback

Pep Guardiola admitted his “fragile” Manchester City side face a tough season and that he must lift the players for their trip to Liverpool on Sunday after they allowed a 3-0 lead against Feyenoord to slip to 3-3 in Tuesday’s Champions League game.

The draw ended a five-match ­losing sequence but, after ­cruising at 75 minutes with two Erling Haaland goals and one from Ilkay ­­Gündogan, City capitulated as a panic set in and Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Giménez and David Hancko scored to claim a point for the visiting side. Hadj Moussa and Giménez finishes were ­initiated by loose Josko ­Gvardiol passes, while Hancko’s equaliser came after ­Ederson rushed out and missed the ball.

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• PSG outside playoff places after 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich
• Inter top after beating Leipzig; Barcelona best Brest 3-0

Bayern Munich battled past 10-man Paris Saint-Germain 1-0, thanks to Kim Min-jae’s winner, to improve their chances of automatic qualification and leave the visitors in trouble after a third defeat in the competition.

With PSG’s only win so far coming against Girona in their opener they were desperate for points, but Bayern struck first with South Korea’s Kim heading home from close range after the goalkeeper Matvei Safonov fluffed a corner in the 38th minute.

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Manchester City’s losing sequence is over – just. But they remain a listing ship that can go down at any moment. “Fragile” was Pep Guardiola’s summation of his team’s state, and a clue to the manager’s own mood was the cut to his nose he stated was self-inflicted, by a finger, due to the contest’s travails.

City were 3-0 up after 75 minutes but a late horror show ceded the advantage as Feyenoord preyed on home nerves via Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Giménez and David Hancko, who drew Feyenoord level to earn a well-fought point.

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City were cruising at three goals up and yet conceded three late goals to extend their horrible run of form

The headlines: De Bruyne still on the bench, and so is Gimenez. Walker dropped, as is Savinho.

In: Nathan Ake, Matheus Nunes and Jack Grealish. Out: Walker, Savinho and John Stones, who isn’t in the squad at all.

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• Manager says absence of contract offer is not distraction
• Alexander-Arnold not fit to start against Real Madrid

Arne Slot has claimed Mohamed Salah’s contract standoff with Liverpool may be bringing the best out of the forward and is not a distraction from a hugely important week for the club.

Salah’s admission that he is “more out than in” at Liverpool owing to the absence of a contract offer has overshadowed the buildup to Wednesday’s Champions League game against Real Madrid and Manchester City’s visit in the Premier League on Sunday.

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• Hoops chasing fourth straight home win in Europe
• Champions League progress will define club’s season

Caution from Brendan Rodgers over Celtic’s prospects in the Champions League is perfectly understandable. Thoroughbred racehorses know how to time their run. That Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Milan, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain started this week behind Celtic in the newfangled version of European football’s premier club competition is likely to prove a temporary impasse. Celtic, despite a hugely promising start, were 15th before Tuesday evening’s fixtures. The Scottish champions have not altered their goal of reaching the playoff round. Seven points from a possible 12 has not changed aspirations that existed before a ball was kicked in anger.

Rodgers revelled in Celtic’s dismantling of RB Leipzig in the last round. Pre-match media duties for the subsequent Scottish Premiership stop at Kilmarnock were dominated by what had transpired days earlier. This was fair; Celtic have taken such public kickings for failures in Europe over recent years that they were entitled to purr over happier times. The performance against the German club was exceptional and a justification of Rodgers’ decision to return for a second Celtic tenure in 2023.

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• Brazilian out of Wednesday’s Champions League match
• Fears that forward could miss up to seven games

Vinícius Júnior will miss Real Madrid’s Champions League game at Liverpool on Wednesday after sustaining a leg muscle injury in Sunday’s 3-0 La Liga win at Leganés, the Spanish club have said.

Sources close to the player said that Vinícius is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks. It means he could miss up to seven games before the winter break.

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