Category: Football

Rennes edged out Lille and Monaco to secure a top-four finish while Nantes’ first league win since February saw them stay up at Auxerre’s expense on a dramatic final day of Ligue 1 action.

Rennes clinched a 2-1 victory against Brest thanks to a Benjamin Bourigeaud brace, seizing on Lille’s 1-1 draw with relegated Troyes and Monaco’s 2-1 reverse against Toulouse to take fourth.

Bruno Genesio’s side thus secured Europa League football for next season, while Paulo Fonseca’s Lille must settle for a Europa Conference League spot and Monaco missed out entirely.

Champions Paris Saint-Germain squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss to Clermont, meaning they finished just one point clear of runners-up Lens, who ended the season with a 3-1 win at Auxerre.

That victory allowed Nantes to finalise a great escape in their final game, vaulting Auxerre to secure safety with a 1-0 win over relegated Angers.

Nantes therefore secured top-flight football for another year, evading the expanded four-team relegation zone by a single point ahead of the division being cut to 18 teams.

Auxerre, Ajaccio, Troyes and Angers will play in Ligue 2 next season, with Le Havre and either Metz or Bordeaux coming up from the second tier.

Gareth Bale will not be joining the Wales coaching staff, manager Rob Page has said.

Former captain Bale ended his stellar playing career in January with a farewell statement announcing he was “stepping down but not stepping away” from the Wales environment.

Page said he wanted to keep the former Real Madrid forward, his country’s most capped men’s player with 111 appearances, involved in some capacity but the Wales manager has now confirmed that will not be in a coaching role.

“I spoke to Gareth on Monday and I’m due to have another conversation with him this week,” Page said ahead of this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey.

“Nothing particular or specific, just a general. He’s open to conversations and he wants to play a part in the future, but not from a coaching point of view.

“For me to have another voice from the outside watching things is beneficial. He’s enjoying his retirement.”

Bale’s former team-mate Chris Gunter joined Page’s backroom staff ahead of two qualifiers in March, from which Wales made a positive start to Euro 2024 qualifying by picking up four points against Croatia and Latvia.

Page said: “Gunts has come up and he’s a first-class lad. He’s doing his coaching badges, he’s great around the changing room and the lads love him to bits. He’s doing really well at the minute.

“We’ve just had a four-day camp with the under-21s and our EFL players and we’ve given him more responsibility with regards to the training sessions.

“The culture in the changing room is the most important thing. When I had him as a player, he was key to that.

“He was never afraid to come to talk to the coaching staff and I still want that. He drives that for us.”

Wales head to Portugal this week to prepare for their Euro 2024 double-header, with three key players nursing injuries.

Skipper Aaron Ramsey (calf), goalkeeper Danny Ward (dislocated finger) and Neco Williams (broken jaw) missed the final games of the season for their respective clubs.

But Page has been encouraged by his squad playing more Premier League minutes this term, a top-flight total of 251 appearances being 135 more than the previous campaign and the most since the 2016-17 season.

He said: “You want your best players playing at the top level because that will help us to compete against the top teams in Europe and the rest of the world.

“We need our players being exposed to the top teams, whether that’s in the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga or Serie A.

“Thankfully, we now have more of our Welsh players playing at the top level.”

Inverness manager Billy Dodds was proud of his players after their Hampden efforts against treble-winning Celtic.

Caley Thistle restricted the champions to few chances before Kyogo Furuhashi swept home a 38th-minute winner in the Scottish Cup final.

Half-time sub Liel Abada doubled Celtic’s lead but Inverness fought back through Dan MacKay before Jota sealed a 3-1 win in stoppage-time.

“Everything a losing manager feels, you are disappointed, but proud at the same time.

“There’ s a massive gulf between the teams but I thought we asked them questions at certain times, I really did.

“We lost goals at bad times, because i was trying to get to half-time, had a plan in my head, then we lost a goal when I was going to make an attacking substitution.

“I love working with this group and after being idle for five weeks or so, I thought they put on a hell of a performance.

“I am absolutely thrilled by the way they dug in and what they gave me in terms of effort and determination.”

Dodds added: “Every manager talks about character and all that we have and we certainly did to come back into the game.

“Wallace Duffy whips in a great ball and it’s a brilliant finish from Dan MacKay.”

Skipper Callum McGregor believes Ange Postecoglou will leave Celtic on the highest of highs if Tottenham’s reported interest in the Hoops boss comes to fruition.

The Parkhead club clinched an eighth domestic treble – a world record – with a 3-1 Scottish Cup final win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at  Hampden Park.

Afterwards, Postecoglou refused to commit himself to Celtic for next season and McGregor was asked about the former Australia manager’s accomplishment of the clean sweep in Scotland which brings another entry into the Champions League next season, amid strong speculation about his future.

McGregor, who has now won the treble five times with the Parkhead club, said: “That’s what he always wants to speak about, how well he can build the group, how successful you can be, how together you can be.”

The Hoops captain, who said his personal haul of medals “is something I am proud of, you want to be a winner” added: “We hope he stays and we hope to see him in pre-season.

“In football you never know but if that is a parting gift then what a way to go.

“Of course (we hope he stays). You deliver that much success at the club in such a short space of time.

“You turn things around, you look at the togetherness of the group, it is fantastic and that starts from him.

“That is the message he sets every day so of course we understand he will be linked with big jobs which he has been but selfishly, as players and as a club, we want to keep him as long as we can.”

Asked if he was braced for Postecoglou’s departure, McGregor said: “We don’t know.

“In football there is always speculation, there is always people being linked and that is a good thing.

“It shows you are doing a good job, it shows the players have done a good job for him and he has done a great job for the club so it is always nice to have that compliment and in football you just never know.

“We celebrate tonight, we have had a brilliant season and we will see what happens.

“In football you deal with whatever comes your way, you have to be flexible, you have to work around these things and as I said selfishly we want to keep him. Hopefully we have him for pre-season.”

Paris Saint-Germain failed to muster a winning send-off for Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos as they ended the Ligue 1 season by squandering a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss against Clermont.

Early goals for the Spaniard and Kylian Mbappe put the champions on top at the Parc des Princes, before Johan Gastien, Mehdi Zeffane and Grejohn Kyei completed a stirring comeback from the visitors.

It was a damp last note for ex-LaLiga heroes Messi and Ramos, who leave Paris as two-time league champions but without having won supporters’ hearts – with Messi booed ahead of kick-off.

Likewise, it may prove a dour final chapter for coach Christophe Galtier, who is widely tipped to depart despite leading PSG to a record 11th Ligue 1 title. 

PSG, who wore shirts adorned with the name of hospitalised team-mate Sergio Rico in the first half, needed VAR to rescue them after Kyei prodded home an early finish.

The hosts promptly seized control, with Ramos netting a farewell header from Vitinha’s delivery before Mbappe doubled their lead with an excellent penalty following Alidu Seidu’s foul on Achraf Hakimi.

Clermont refused to fold though, with Gastien capitalising on Marco Verratti’s mistake to halve the arrears and Zeffane bundling in a leveller either side of Kyei putting a spot-kick wide in a thrilling first half.

Messi, who misfired on his farewell, spurned a chance to finish Mbappe’s square ball after the restart before Kyei nosed the visitors in front with a close-range finish.

PSG continued to toil for an equaliser in the closing stages and Messi almost stole a point in the final minute of injury time, only for goalkeeper Mory Diaw to stop his direct free-kick with an acrobatic save.

What does it mean? PSG end campaign with a whimper

It’s been the same old story at the Parc des Princes this season, with another league triumph wrapped up and European success still eluding the stadium’s occupants.

The departures of Messi and Ramos, high-profile names often lambasted by a perpetually polemic fanbase, nevertheless deserved a better send-off than this.

Mbappe retains goalscoring crown

As two of the game’s greats bow out from the French capital, another continues to build on his legacy, even as questions linger over his own future.

With 29 goals for the Ligue 1 season, Mbappe finishes as the competition’s top scorer for the fifth consecutive campaign (shared with Wissam Ben Yedder in 2019-20).

Diaw delights once more

Heading into Saturday’s game, the Clermont shot-stopper had prevented more goals in Ligue 1 than any other ‘keeper against their xG figures (9.9), highlighting his impressive performances.

He excelled again here after his two early concessions, with four saves, including a crucial one to deny Messi at the death.

What’s next? 

PSG will look to retain their Ligue 1 title again next term, but will do so without Messi, Ramos and potentially other stars.

Clermont, meanwhile, will look to build on an impressive eighth-placed finish.

Inter warmed up for the Champions League final with a 1-0 win over Torino to cap off their Serie A campaign.

The Nerazzurri head to Istanbul to face Manchester City on June 10, but the Coppa Italia winners had league business to attend to on Saturday.

Marcelo Brozovic’s excellent strike proved the difference, with substitute goalkeeper Alex Cordaz making a superb save to preserve Inter’s lead in the second half.

Inter will face an altogether tougher test in a week’s time, but for now, Simone Inzaghi can reflect on a job well done in Serie A.

Romelu Lukaku sparked what had been an insipid first half into life when he crafted space on the edge of Torino’s area and saw a low strike deflected just wide.

Stefan de Vrij headed straight at Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from the resulting corner, but Torino’s goalkeeper was beaten in the 37th minute.

Given space and time on the edge around 20 yards out, Brozovic punished Torino with a fine left-footed strike that nestled in the bottom-right corner.

Brozovic turned provider shortly after the restart, only for Roberto Gagliardini to head wide from close range.

Ex-Inter forward Yann Karomah almost made an instant impact from the bench when he forced a fine save out of Samir Handanovic, who subsequently received an ovation when he made way for Cordaz in the 65th minute.

Cordaz made a stunning save soon after, reacting brilliantly to parry Antonio Sanabria’s effort wide and ensure Inter ended their domestic campaign with a victory.

What does it mean? Ideal warm up for Inter

No injuries, playing without any pressure, and now a full week of recovery for Inter before that monumental clash with City. Inzaghi could hardly have asked for much more.

His side had to withstand some Torino attacks late on but have now won their final league game of the season in each of the last seven seasons.

The three points lifted them at least temporarily above Lazio, who would need to beat Empoli to reclaim second place.

Brozovic doubles up

Having scored the winner in the reverse fixture back in September, Brozovic has scored in both league games against a single opponent in a single Serie A season for the third time.

He previously did so against Milan in 2019-20 and Cagliari in 2017-18.

Handanovic gets his farewell

Inter’s long-serving goalkeeper will not be signing a new contract to stay at San Siro, so the 38-year-old got to say goodbye to the away fans in his final Serie A game for the club.

He made three saves during his time on the pitch, while his replacement Cordaz pulled off two stops, including one of the season, to deny Torino an equaliser.

Key Opta stats

– Brozovic scored a goal from outside the box in a Serie A match for the first time since October 2020, when he struck against Parma.

– Handanovic has matched Ivan Ramiro Cordoba in 10th place for Inter games, with 455.

– Torino’s tally of 42 goals is their lowest in Serie A since they netted 37 in 2008-09.

– Since last Arpril, only Kevin De Bruyne (10) and Ilkay Gündogan (8) have had more goal involvements than Brozovic among European Big Five midfielders in all competitions.

– Edin Dzeko has now played 100 games for Inter in all competitions.

What’s next?

Inter will aim to win the Champions League for the first time since 2010 when they go up against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City side in Turkey.

Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai scored as RB Leipzig retained the DFB-Pokal with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday’s final at the Olympiastadion.

Nkunku – playing what will likely be his final game for Leipzig amid suggestions he is set to join Chelsea – beat Kevin Trapp with a deflected effort 71 minutes into a tight encounter in Berlin.

Leipzig were rarely threatened by an uninspired Eintracht team, and Marco Rose’s men wrapped up the victory when Nkunku turned provider, teeing up Szoboszlai to score five minutes from time.

That meant Leipzig capped a third-placed Bundesliga finish with a second major trophy in as many seasons, while Oliver Glasner’s final game in charge of Eintracht was one to forget.  

Timo Werner spurned a glorious chance to put Leipzig ahead after four minutes, side-footing straight at Trapp following a lightning counter-attack.

Randal Kolo Muani hit the side netting from a tight angle and Nkunku forced Tuta into a last-ditch block at the other end, but both sides struggled to break their opponents down in a cagey first half.

Eintracht’s threat grew after the interval, but Mario Gotze volleyed straight at Janis Blaswich when presented with their best sight of goal, and Glasner’s side were swiftly punished.

There was a huge stroke of fortune as Nkunku struck first, the Frenchman cutting in from the left before seeing his shot take two deflections to beat the unfortunate Trapp.

Eintracht never looked like fighting back from there, though, and Leipzig put the result beyond all doubt when Szoboszlai fired into the bottom-left corner after composed play by Nkunku.

What does it mean? Leipzig continue Pokal reign

Much to the rest of Germany’s chagrin, Leipzig have emerged as DFB-Pokal specialists in recent years, reaching four of the last five finals and winning the last two of those.

Saturday’s victory made Leipzig the eighth different club to successfully defend Germany’s domestic cup, also doubling the club’s overall tally of major trophies. 

Fond farewell for Nkunku?

This match was probably Nkunku’s last in a Leipzig shirt, with the versatile attacker widely expected to become the latest in a long line of big-money Chelsea recruits.

That Nkunku claimed a goal and an assist to fire Leipzig to glory was fitting, with the France international having played such a key role in their cup run – he has scored on each of his last four DFB-Pokal appearances.

Indeed, he has been directly involved in all four goals Leipzig have scored in DFB-Pokal finals. Since this data is available (2006) only Robert Lewandowski has managed more goal involvements in the final of the competition (eight).

Uninspired send-off for Glasner

Having been tentatively linked with the vacant post at Tottenham, Glasner saw his Eintracht departure confirmed in May before overseeing a somewhat dispiriting seventh-placed finish in the Bundesliga.

Eintracht were unable to replicate last term’s Europa League heroics in Glasner’s final match in the dugout, only managing two attempts on target and failing to create a single big chance.

What’s next? 

Leipzig will be looking to replace Nkunku as they bid to improve on another strong campaign next term. For Eintracht, meanwhile, attention will now turn to appointing Glasner’s successor.

England midfielder Keira Walsh outlined her ambitions to stay at serial winners Barcelona for the long haul after they sealed a stunning 3-2 comeback against Wolfsburg to lift the Champions League trophy for the second time in three years.

Saturday’s sold-out Eindhoven showpiece was the first time Walsh was part of a title-winning side in the European competition, while club and country team-mate Lucy Bronze is now a four-time champion following a trio of victories with Lyon.

Walsh, 26,  joined Liga F champions Barcelona on a three-season deal last September, less than two months after winning the Euros with England, and admitted she is loving the look of her trophy cabinet.

She told DAZN: “It’s been a pretty good year. The Euros, the Champions League, I think if someone was to tell me this was going to happen I wouldn’t believe them.

“To play for Barcelona, for these fans, it’s a special, special feeling,” adding of her future at the club: “Yeah. I think you want to be playing in these games and winning Champions Leagues and this is the club that does that.”

Walsh’s side beat Chelsea to reach their fourth final in five seasons, and had redemption on their minds after a crushing 3-1 loss to Lyon in Turin last year.

Despite being heavy favourites there was a sense of deja vu for Barca, who conceded their fastest-ever opener in the competition when Ewa Pajor netted on just two minutes and 57 seconds.

That brought back memories of Turin, where Barcelona fell behind after just six minutes and conceded twice more before the break.

This time it was just a two-goal deficit at the restart after Alexandra Popp headed home on 37 minutes, but the shock nonetheless forced Walsh and her team-mates to dig deep.

They did so in spectacular style through Patricia Guijarro, who netted twice in two minutes to ensure it was all square after just five minutes of the second period, and Fridolina Rolfo sealed the result with a 70th-minute winner.

Walsh said: “First half, not great for us. I think we kept the ball but didn’t score on our chances, so to score three goals in the second half was incredible.

“We just came in at half-time and Alexia [Putellas] said that if there’s any team that can overturn a two-nil it’s this team and that’s what we did. Patri Guijarro, she’s a special, special player and I think today it’s about time that people recognised that.

“For me the best player in the world.”

Bronze, meanwhile, made history by becoming the first English player to win the Women’s Champions League with two different clubs in her first game back since recovering from an April knee injury.

It was enough to require surgery, which some feared might see her added to the list of Lionesses set to miss the World Cup, but the defender played the full final and looks fit to start England’s opener against Haiti in exactly seven weeks.

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman was on trophy-presenting duty at Saturday’s final, which got off to a shaky start for Bronze after her error led to Wolfsburg’s opener.

Bronze, who played the full match, said: “Once there was two goals we shut up shop, we made it really difficult defensively, created loads of chances in attack.

“It was difficult for myself and Frido, we both haven’t played for five weeks, obviously I’ve had surgery – I’ve only trained a couple of times. It was definitely difficult but I’m so happy to have played my part for the team.”

Celtic clinched the domestic treble with a 3-1 Scottish Cup final win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Hampden Park.

The showpiece occasion was played against the backdrop of mounting speculation around Tottenham’s interest in Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou, who again had Kyogo Furuhashi to thank for his contribution.

The Japan striker struck for the 34th times this season in the 38th minute of an otherwise nondescript first half to undo the good early work of Billy Dodds’ rank outsiders.

The Championship outfit, who had not played a competitive game for a month, fell further behind when Hoops’ half-time substitute Liel Abada slid in a second in the 65th minute.

Caley substitute Dan MacKay pulled a goal back with five minutes remaining, only for Portuguese winger Jota to restore Celtic’s two-goal advantage as the game slipped into six minutes of added time.

It is the eighth time Celtic had completed the clean sweep of League, League Cup and Scottish Cup – a world record – and now eyes turn to see what the future holds for Postecoglou, who is the fifth Parkhead manager to win the treble.

Celtic went into the game as overwhelming favourites. The vast majority of the stadium was clad in green and white and those expectant Hoops fans were glad to see Furuhashi declared fit while fellow countryman Daizen Maeda returned from suspension to take over from Abada.

For Caley Thistle, David Carson took over from MacKay and in searing Hampden heat the Celtic players chased and harried their lower league opponents from the first whistle.

Dodds’ side remained disciplined and calm in defence but there was little menace from the Highland side at the other end of the pitch.

The first real threat on the Inverness goal came in the 19th minute when midfielder Matt O’Riley’s shot on the stretch from 14 yards bounced wide of the target.

Inverness defender Danny Devine’s careless pass soon afterwards had his side in all sorts of trouble which only ended in the Caley Thistle box when Reo Hatate slipped.

In the 37th minute O’Riley’s angled drive was saved by goalkeeper Mark Ridgers but a minute later the Caley Thistle defence succumbed when the Parkhead playmaker reached the byline and cut the ball back for Furuhashi to drive high into the net from eight yards.

There was a feeling then that it was already too much of a task for Inverness, who wobbled.

Two minutes later, Tomiki Iwata played in Furuhashi but his effort, with the outside of his boot with only Ridgers to beat, missed the far post.

Abada replaced Maeda for the start of the second half and Celtic immediately regained their grip on the game. Inverness had little option but to adopt a more positive and more direct approach and gaps opened up at the back, albeit Celtic were guilty at times of taking too many touches around the penalty area.

Just before the hour mark South Korean foreward Hyeon-gyu Oh replaced Furuhashi but it was Abada who made his mark, doubling the lead.

The substitute finished off a sweeping Celtic move when he knocked in a Callum McGregor cutback from close range – the effort was checked by VAR and given the green light.

Celtic were coasting but when MacKay headed a Wallace Duffy cross past Parkhead keeperJoe Hart with five minutes remaining, suddenly it was game on.

Ridgers saved an effort from Hoops substitute Sead Haksabanovic as Celtic regained focus and control before Jota converted a cross from Abada to ease any Parkhead nerves in added-time.

Wrexham’s first-team coach David Jones does not see why the club cannot dream of achieving Premier League status following their promotion from the National League.

The Welsh outfit ended a 15-year exodus from the English Football League with promotion to League Two this season, Phil Parkinson’s men finishing as champions with a record 111 points.

Under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Red Dragons have experienced an explosion of fortunes both on and off the pitch.

Any prospect of top-flight football is still several seasons away at the very least, but reflecting on their impressive rise, Jones does not see their hopes as fanciful.

“I think with the way that the owners have come in and started to put infrastructure in the club, they’re doing it the right way,” he told Stats Perform.

“The way that they’ve got that connection with fans, with players, they’ve really got together [and] united the whole club.

“Anything’s possible, especially with these owners and what we’ve witnessed in the last two years. 

“Obviously, we’re not naive enough to say that it’s not going to be a difficult challenge to get to the Premier League.

“Many teams try and do it every year, and they’re already in the Championship, investing huge sums of money. There’s no guarantee of anything in football.

“But with the current manager and the staff that he’s put in place, they’re experienced football guys who know what it takes to get promoted and get through the leagues, and what the club needs to progress.

“If those things are in place, you stand a better chance of success. I think it’s a realistic aim, if we keep doing the things that we’ve been doing for the last couple of years.”

Eyebrows were raised when actors Reynolds and McElhenney took over at Wrexham, but any fears the move was a mere publicity stunt have abated amid the club’s revival.

Jones applauded the owners for uniting the city, highlighting how they have not sought to cut corners in helping to turn matters around after a decade-and-a-half in the doldrums.

“With that kind of energy, anything’s possible,” he added. “From the word go, they’ve done everything the right way. They’ve done fantastically.

“To be able to enter the football world and to be able to have the impact they have done is very difficult. Sometimes it’s a closed shop, and if you don’t speak the football language it is difficult for people to have to buy in.

“The way that they’ve done things, they have the respect of everybody. I can’t speak highly enough of the job they’ve done.”