19/08/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | AUG 19, 2025

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PSG off to winning start Vitinha’s second half strike kicks off title defence with victory

Schalke German Cup match halted

A FIRST-ROUND German Cup match between Schalke and hosts Lokomotiv Leipzig was suspended yesterday after visiting winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei alleged racial abuse from home fans. The match, which finished 1-0 to Schalke, was suspended for almost five minutes after Antwi Adjei informed the referee he was racially abused by spectators. An announcement on the stadium PA was made condemning racist abuse. After the match resumed, the winger was booed repeatedly by the home fans. Speaking after the match, Antwi-Adjei said: “I don’t want to name the words that were spoken. I’m not the type of person who goes home and cries, but I find it disappointing you still hear this on the pitch these days. “I signalled to the linesman that something had happened. It’s the least I could do. “I’m a normal person. This is not appropriate.” Antwi-Adjei was born in Germany but has represented Ghana three times at international level. A press spokesperson from Lokomotiv Leipzig said the insults could not be verified. “We have a member of staff sitting exactly where the player was standing. He didn’t hear anything. The linesman probably ESPANYOL staged a late comeback to grab a shock 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid yesterday as Diego Simeone’s men made a disappoint ing start to their La Liga campaign. Pere Milla scored a late winner as Atletico stumbled to defeat in Barcelona despite leading through Julian Alvarez’s brilliant goal. Atletico have been busy in the transfer market, with notable arri vals including Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso and Giacomo Raspadori, in a bid to chal lenge Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title. Angel Correa, Rodrigo De Paul and Cesar Azpilicueta have all departed as part of the rebuild after Simeone’s team finished third, 12 points behind champions Barca last term. Slovakia centreback Hancko had the best chance of a cagey opening

didn’t hear anything either,” the press spokesperson told Sky Germany . Lokomotiv Leipzig have previously come under fire for supporter groups with right-wing ideological links. In 2018, the club sacked two youth coaches for taking a picture of a group of young players performing a Nazi salute. Elsewhere, Japan winger Ritsu Doan scored twice on his debut as Eintracht Frankfurt thumped fifth tier Engers 5-0 in the first round of the German Cup yesterday. Doan, who joined Frankfurt from Bundesliga rivals Freiburg in the summer, scored in each half. The Japan international scored Frankfurt’s second in first half stoppage time, collecting the ball on the run and scoring past the goalkeeper in one motion. Doan got his second on 54 minutes, cutting in on his left foot to put Frankfurt 3-0 up. Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Elye Wahi and Paxten Aaronson also scored for the five-time German Cup winners. First division sides Borussia Moenchengladbach, Cologne and Augsburg also advanced. Two-time cup winners Kaiserslautern hammered RSV Eintracht 7-0. Schalke, who are now in the second division but have won the German Cup five times, won 1-0 away at Lokomotiv Leipzig. – AFP half hour for Atletico but could only head straight at Espanyol goal keeper Marko Dmitrovic. The visitors forged ahead in spectacular fashion in the 37th min ute, though, as Alvarez curled a free-kick into the top corner, well beyond the dive of Dmitrovic. Alvarez went close to doubling Atletico’s lead just before the hour mark when he crashed a shot against the post. Espanyol hit back 17 minutes from time as Miguel Rubio netted after a set-piece. Substitute Milla completed the turnaround, heading in Omar El Hilali’s cross to snatch all three points for the home side in the 84th minute. Athletic Bilbao got off to a win ning start as substitute Robert Navarro’s late goal sealed a dra matic 3-2 victory over Sevilla. – AFP

P ARIS SAINT-GERMAIN got their defence of the Ligue 1 title off to a winning start yesterday as Vitinha’s deflected strike proved enough to earn the European champions a 1-0 victory away to Nantes. The Portuguese midfielder’s effort midway through the second half beat goalkeeper Anthony Lopes with the aid of a wicked deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem to break the deadlock. PSG were made to work hard for their victory as coach Luis Enrique made seven changes to his starting line-up fol lowing the Uefa Super Cup win on penal ties against Tottenham Hotspur in mid week. That was the first game of the new campaign for last season’s Champions League winners, who only began pre season training on Aug 6 having gone all the way to the Club World Cup final in the United States in mid-July. They did not play any friendly matches prior to that and are therefore likely to require several weeks before get ting close to the level at

he usually wins his duels. I think he played very well.” The likes of Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all started the game on the bench but the substitutes played a part in the goal which came on 67 minutes. “At the moment with the physical con dition of the team it is important to have players who can come on towards the end of games in an optimal condition,” said Enrique. “That happened in the last game against Tottenham too,” he added. Elsewhere, France’s 2018 World Cup winning striker Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Lille in their 3-3 draw at Brest. “It is a real pleasure to be back in Ligue 1,” said Giroud. Angers beat newly-promoted Paris FC 1-0 with Esteban Lepaul scoring the only goal early on. Strasbourg were 1-0 winners at Metz thanks to a late strike by Argentine sum mer signing Joaquin Panichelli. Auxerre beat Lorient 1-0, and it is Monaco who are the first league leaders in France this season thanks

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Portuguese coach Luis Castro. “I am very happy because the first objective in these matches is the victory and I think we deserved the three points,” Luis Enrique said. “We were in control throughout, play ing away from home. In the first half we didn’t create much but that is normal because it is difficult against a team defending so deep.” Asked about his team’s lack of prepa ration for the start of the new season, the Spanish coach added: “Today we saw that our players are ready and wanted to show the level they can perform at. “They all need time which I think is normal but we will look more comfort able with the ball once we have a few more games under our belts.” Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi played 90 minutes on his PSG debut after arriving at the start of the week from Bournemouth in a reported £57 million (RM326m) deal. Lucas Chevalier also started with the new arrival from Lille having immedi ately taken over from Gianluigi Donnarumma as PSG’s first-choice goal keeper. “The physical and technical abilities of Zabarnyi are perfect for the style of football I like,” Enrique said.

which they per formed last sea son. However, they still had enough against a hard working but punch less Nantes side, playing a first

to their 3-1 win over Le Havre on Saturday. – AFP

“He is comfortable on the ball which is important for us, and without the ball

Atletico beaten by Espanyol in La Liga opener

PSG’s Vitinha (centre) celebrates after scoring

his team’s first goal during the French League One match Nantes yesterday. – AFPPIC

Muller’s goal ruled out on MLS debut for Vancouver THOMAS MULLER made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut yesterday as a second half substitute for Vancouver Whitecaps in a 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo that left the Germany great with “mixed feelings” after he had a goal disallowed for offside. hands as he went. The Whitecaps had officially unveiled their new signing on Thursday, a week after he inked a deal through the end of the 2025 season with an option for 2026.

“We had to win it clear,” Muller said. “We had to get big chances. But in the end, yeah, it’s football and it can happen.” He was happy to have his first MLS match under his belt and looking forward to settling in after a whirlwind first week. “I’m happy now that my first game is in the books,” said the German, who joined Bayern’s youth programme in 2000 and then called the club home for 25 years. “I can start next week, just a regular week,” he said. “I just have to settle down today after this game in my apartment and think about what happened this week – it was crazy stuff.” – AFP

directly with my first goal here. The crowd was going crazy, but then it was taken off for offside. “We have to take the next steps in the next game,” he added after seeing Houston’s Artur grab the equaliser with a long-range blast in the first minute of second half injury time. “But I’m very happy to be here. I think the crowd was amazing.” San Diego moved to the top of the Supporters’ Shield standings for best overall record – ahead of Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati on goal difference – with a come from-behind 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes yesterday.

The crowd of 26,301 stood and cheered when he was introduced before kickoff, and Mueller applauded fans in return. Minutes after entering the game Muller blasted a ball into the back of the net, but it was ruled offside. “Mixed feelings, mixed feelings,” the 35-year old said. “The result is disappointing, to be honest. “But, yeah, I came in at my first moment

Vancouver were up 1-0 courtesy of Brian White’s sixth-minute penalty when the former Bayern Munich striker Muller entered the contest to a massive ovation in the 61st minute. Muller, a World Cup-winner with Germany whose storied tenure at Bayern included 13 Bundesliga titles, had made his way into Vancouver’s BC Place stadium through a throng of excited supporters, high-fiving and shaking