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LUIS SUáREZ SCORES 90TH-MINUTE WINNER AS SPORTING CP STUN PSG IN LISBON

Luis Suárez scored twice, including a 90th-minute winner, as Sporting CP beat PSG 2-1 to climb to sixth in the UCL table.

Luis Suárez scores 90th-minute winner as Sporting CP stun PSG in Lisbon
Sporting jump to sixth in Champions League

Sporting CP pulled off a wild finish to beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1, thanks to two late goals from Luis Suarez. That win pushes them into the top eight of the Champions League’s league phase and keeps their strong home streak against French teams alive — eight wins in their last ten.

PSG came in looking sharp, riding high with six wins from their last seven games. Right away, they pressed forward. Vitinha and Nuno Mendes both forced early saves from Rui Silva. The first twenty minutes flew by — Geny Catamo almost scored for Sporting, smashing the ball into the side netting, while Senny Mayulu and Marquinhos nearly broke through for PSG on the other end.

PSG kept the ball and seemed to take the lead around the half-hour mark. Warren Zaire-Emery nodded in a cross from Fabian Ruiz, but the goal got chalked off for a foul by Mayulu in the buildup. That didn’t slow PSG down much. They kept the pressure on as halftime closed in, but Sporting almost stole the opener when Hidemasa Morita sent a close-range shot sailing over the bar.

Sporting had scored first in five of their last six Champions League matches, and they nearly did it again when Francisco Trincao whipped in a cross that just missed an open Suarez. PSG caught their breath and pushed back — Ousmane Dembélé forced another strong save from Silva at the near post, and Desire Doue sent a shot just wide.

Then, Sporting made PSG pay for all those missed chances. In the 74th minute, Catamo took a shot from distance that deflected right to Suarez, who coolly slotted it past Lucas Chevalier. But the lead didn’t last long. Five minutes later, PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, just off the bench, cut in from the left and bent a beautiful shot into the top corner.

With the game wide open, both teams went for it. In the final minute, Sporting struck again. Trincao’s shot forced a save, but Chevalier couldn’t hold it, and Suarez was there to nod in the rebound. PSG, stunned, scrambled for another equaliser, but Sporting held their nerve and locked down a huge win, jumping up to sixth in the table.

LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE

Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.

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Confirmed: Fifth place in PL likely to earn UCL qualification this season

Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.

These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.

This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.

Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.

Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.

With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.

If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.

Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.

JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA

Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.

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Pep Guardiola’s oldest rival just saved City’s season

Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.

City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.

That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.

Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”

Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”

As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”

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