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Kylian Mbappe has become the youngest player in Champions League history to reach 25 goals in the competition, breaking Lionel Messi's record. 

Mbappe opened the scoring for PSG against Messi and Barcelona on Wednesday, netting from the penalty spot in the 31st minute of their last-16 second leg clash. 

At 22 years and 80 days, Mbappe broke a record Messi set aged 22 years and 286 days.

Mbappe continues to haunt Barca

Mbappe gave PSG a huge lead going into the second leg by scoring a hat-trick in the first leg at Camp Nou – a 4-1 win for the Ligue 1 giants. 

With his goal at home on Wednesday, Mbappe set yet another record in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw, with PSG advancing to the last eight through a 5-2 aggregate win.

The striker has four goals against Barca in this year's Champions League, becoming the first player to score that many goals against the Blaugrana in a single season of the competition. 

The bigger picture

With Neymar currently sidelined through injury, Mbappe has become PSG's unquestioned attacking star in recent weeks.

Mbappe has six goals in his last seven Ligue 1 games in addition to his Champions League heroics against Barcelona. 

As PSG chase their first ever Champions League title they are also involved in a tight domestic race. Mbappe and co are currently in second place in the Ligue 1 table, trailing Lille by two points. 

Further reading

Ralf Rangnick says he is open to taking over for Joachim Low, who is set to leave his post as Germany manager after the European Championships.

Low announced on Monday that he will vacate his role as head coach this summer after 15 years in the job.

Rangnick says he would be interested in taking over if the timing was right, while the former RB Leipzig boss says he could also work with the German national team in a different role.

What did Rangnick say about the Germany job?

"It is a job which matters to anybody," he told Sky. "In general I can imagine many things. It is a question of timing. At the moment, I am free. Should the DFB call me once I am not free anymore, it'd be too late."

He added: "I can very well imagine that a partnership with Oliver Bierhoff would be very prolific, especially for the future of German football.

Who is Rangnick?

The 62-year-old German is best known for his time with the Red Bull organisation, where he became one of the innovators of the gegenpressing system.

He has served as RB Leipzig manager on two separate occasions, having also been the Head of Sport and Development for the entire Red Bull stable of clubs.

Rangnick left Red Bull in 2020, having helped build RB Leipzig into one of German football's best teams.

Additionally, Rangnick has been cited as an influence on Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralph Hasenhuttl, and Jurgen Klopp, with the Liverpool manager backing Rangnick for the Germany gig after taking himself out of the running.

"Ralf Rangnick would do well at the DFB," Klopp said. "He would be my first choice."

Further reading

Leon Balogun has called on his Rangers teammates not to settle for the Premiership title as they are still in contention for the Europa League trophy and the Scottish FA Cup.

After a 9-5 aggregate win over Royal Antwerp, Steven Gerrard’s side advanced into the Europa League round of 16 and they are scheduled to battle Czech Republic giants Slavia Prague on Thursday.

They are also in the third round of the Scottish Cup with a game against Third Division club Cave Rangers fixed for April 3.

Following the first league triumph in his career, Balogun does not want his teammates distracted as he aims for more success and records in Scotland this season.

"It's about making our targets a reality. That feeling at the weekend is something we want to replicate,” Balogun told Scottish Sun.

"It's nice to say we have won the league and that it is the biggest thing. But it would be shameful just to settle for that.

"Listen, if that's what we end up with at the end of the day then that's another thing. We need to make sure we give our all in the remaining games.

"I'm talking about clean sheets, goals conceded, loads of things to make sure we keep on pushing and work harder.

"We could make the title that much sweeter by being more successful.

"There is no point in saying we've done the big thing and forget about the two other trophies. That should never be the mentality. But I don't think anyone at the club is thinking like that."

Rangers who are on a 32-game unbeaten run in the league, were confirmed 2020-21 Premiership champions on Sunday following Celtic's goalless draw with Dundee United.

The Super Eagles defender highlighted how the team reacted to the result and why the moments will linger in his memory forever.

"We were all together in the canteen at the training ground. It was very, very thrilling,” he recalled.

"I think some players exposed the fact that they suffer from nerves more than they usually do, going by the reactions to the Celtic chances. But when the final whistle blew it was amazing.

"We all hugged and jumped around, put the music on and sang the songs. It will stay with me forever. I have been in some good dressing rooms, but this one is the best.

"It would be nice one day, like you see in the movies, if we could have a reunion in the future.

"We could be the Rangers Class of 2021, or School of 55, and meet up in five or 10 years. We could go through the memories and with this group. I can actually see that happening."

Asisat Oshoala brought to an end her 266-minute goal drought in all competitions for Barcelona in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over Fortuna Hjorring in the Women's Champions League Round of 16 contest.

The Nigeria international had endured a six-match barren run in front of goal, having last found the back of the net for the Catalans, with a brace in a 4-1 triumph over Real Madrid in February 2019.

The 26-year-old missed out on Barca's 3-0 win at Santa Teresa due to an injury on her right foot on Saturday but was cleared by the medical team to make a return in the second leg game in Hjorring.

The Super Falcons captain was handed a return as a second half substitute but she made the best of her opportunities on the pitch to rediscover their spark in the final third against the Danish champions.

With a 4-0 first leg lead, Barcelona continued from where they left off on a high, although only found a breakthrough in the 36th minute of the encounter courtesy of Aitana Bonmati's strike.

Four minutes after the restart, Bonmati doubled the visitors lead at Nord Energi Arena, with her second of the match before Mariona Caldentey scored from the spot to add the third in the 55th minute.

After replacing Patri Guijarro two minutes earlier, Oshoala raced through from the left into the area before firing past goalkeeper Line Johansen to net a fourth of the match in the 78th minute.

Substitute Marta Torrejon, who took the place of Caroline Graham Hansen in the 73rd minute, completed the riot, with her effort four minutes from time to condemn the hosts to a heavy defeat at home.

The big win in Denmark means Barcelona will join Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain, Wolfsburg, Lyon and Bayern Munich in the last eight of the competition.

With her latest goal, Oshoala, who lasted the final 37 minutes of the fixture, and has now scored two goals in four Champions League outings for Barcelona in the current campaign.

The forward will seek to add to her tally when Barcelona welcome Valencia in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola fixture on March 14.

Fikayo Tomori has insisted he is not thinking about his future at present after AC Milan sporting director Paolo Maldini praised the on-loan Chelsea man. 

Tomori has made an impact with Milan since joining in January, and his performances have convinced Maldini to consider activating his purchase option at season's end. 

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday's Europa League match against Manchester United, Tomori said he was pleased to hear praise from legendary former defender Maldini.

What was said?

“It’s a good feeling and to hear something like this obviously gives me confidence, but I just want to carry on doing what I’m doing that’s got me to this stage and go even further," the 23-year-old said.

“I’m not really focused too much on what can happen in the future, it’s just more about me playing well for the team and doing what I can for myself right now and helping the team as much as possible. Then what happens in the future will happen, but obviously it’s very nice to hear that from one, if not the, greatest defenders to have played the game.”

Speaking of Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, Tomori added: “It’s nothing that I’m worried about or anything like that, I’m focused on what’s happening here and I’m sure that he’s doing the same at Chelsea.”

The bigger picture

Tomori struggled to find playing time under Frank Lampard with the Blues this season, making just one Premier League appearance before being moved out on loan. 

Just days after Tomori joined Milan, Lampard was sacked and replaced by Tuchel. The German boss has led the Blues to a revival of fortunes, having yet to lose a game with Chelsea. 

It is unclear if Tuchel would rate Tomori enough to bring him back to Stamford Bridge, with Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger enjoying improved fortunes under Tuchel. 

Milan have a €25 million (£21.5m/$30m) purchase option on Tomori, on which they must make a decision at season's end.

Further reading

Simba SC were forced to wait until the last minute to salvage a 1-1 draw against Tanzania Prisons in a Mainland Premier League match on Wednesday.

The Msimbazi giants were playing one of their four matches in hand and were in need of a win to close the gap between them and table-toppers Yanga but it was not the case as their bogey side once again denied them maximum points.

Salum Kimenya put the Prison Warders ahead in the 56th minute and they were heading to seal a double over the champions until the 90th minute when winger Luis Miquissone produced magic to salvage a point which will eventually have a significant bearing in the title race at the end of the season.

Simba, who came into the game after their 0-0 draw against Al Merrikh of Sudan in the Caf Champions League, were not at their best from the onset as Prisons forced them to chase the ball but their final finishing was not clinical as their forwards struggled.

The reigning champions then had the best chance to take the lead in the 35th minute but forward Chris Mugalu failed to convert from the penalty spot after his weak effort was saved by Prisons’ keeper Jeremiah Kisubi.

The penalty save gave Prisons the confidence to push and get the goal and they missed a glorious chance in the 44th minute when Kimenya failed to put the ball into the net despite keeper Aishi Manula stepping outside his line.

On resumption, Prisons, who had beaten Simba 1-0 in the first round meeting, then took the lead when Kimenya drove from the half of the field to beat Manula with a low-footed effort.

The goal somehow, disorganized Simba and it forced coach Didier Gomez Da Rosa to introduce midfielder Bernard Morrison, but they had to wait until the 90th minute when Miquissone stepped up to save them from an imminent defeat with a beautiful finish from outside the box.

The draw means Simba will remain second on 46 points from 20 matches, four less than Yanga who are top, while Azam FC will remain third on 41 points from 23 matches.

Morocco's Raja Casablanca fought to earn a 1-0 win over Tanzania's Namungo FC in a Caf Confederation Cup Group D tie on Wednesday at Mohamed V stadium.

Sofiane Rahimi scored the only goal that gave the North African side a slim win through a penalty in the second half.

Casablanca piled the pressure on Namungo from the first minute and the latter saw their defender Hamisi Swalehe yellow carded in the seventh minute. In the 22nd minute, Haruna Shamte received his first yellow card as the Tanzanian ambassadors tried hard to deal with the incessant host.

Zakaria El Wadi of Casablanca was booked in the 38th minute as the game turned into a more physical contest but Namungo managed to end the first half without conceding despite the fact they spent most of the time at their own half.

Protus Kirenge handled the ball in the 53rd minute and that gave Casablanca a chance to break the deadlock. Rahimi scored as the Tanzanian star was yellow-carded for the handball and in the 66th minute, Namungo were reduced to 10 men as Samte received his second yellow card.

Head coach Hemed Morocco made a 71st-minute change when he brought on Hamisi Manyanya in place of Kwizera Hashimu. In the 76th minute, Casablanca saw a change as Zakaria Habti left the pitch for Mahmoud Benhalib to be introduced.

Rahimi was cautioned with a yellow card in the 77th minute for a foul before Morocco made another change in the 86th minute when Iddi Mwakasungule gave way for Bahati Kipagwile. The final change, in the additional minutes, saw Sixtus Sabilo leave and his place filled by Adam Salamba.

Despite the disparity in experience and class, Namungo were able to fight and avoid a big loss in Morocco. The 6-0 defeat Yanga suffered at the hands of Casablanca in 1998 remains the biggest loss a Tanzanian side has conceded in a continental tie at the group stage. 

Morocco's side reached the this stage of the Confederation Cup without losing a single away game and they are now set to focus on the upcoming home game that will be equally decisive.

Casablanca, who have won three Champions League titles and one Confederation Cup trophy, are seen as the favourites to eventually book top spot in Group D.

The Tanzanian side is debuting in the tournament and shockingly reached the group stage despite odds initially placed against them. On their way to Grpoup D, Namungo defeated Al Rabita, Al-Hilal Obeid, and Primeiro de Agosto; a side they faced twice in Tanzania after the coronavirus affected their first leg schedule that was planned to take place in Angola.

In the other group game, Zambia's Nkana were defeated 3-0 by Pyramids FC of Egypt. Consequently, Pyramids have gone top of the table followed by Raja Casablanca while Namungo and Nkana are third and fourth respectively.

David Alaba's agent has denied reports that his client has reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona. 

Alaba, who has confirmed he will leave Bayern Munich this summer when his contract expires, has drawn no shortage of suitors.

However the defender's agent Pini Zahavi has denied that any agreement with Barca has been reached, telling Goal and SPOX: "That's not true."

Laporta moves for Alaba

After he was elected Barcelona president at the weekend, Joan Laporta has already reportedly met with Zahavi over a move for Alaba.

Laporta, who was previously president of Barca between 2003 and 2010, is aiming to improve the squad for next season amid a difficult period for the club. 

Barca went without a trophy last season and are hoping to secure Lionel Messi to a new deal, with the Argentine star set to become a free agent.

Signing a defender of Alaba's calibre would go a long way toward convincing Messi that Barca can win trophies in the near future. 

Alaba to leave Bayern

After contract talks broke down, Alaba confirmed last month that this will be his final season with Bayern.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed a trophy-filled spell with the Bavarians, winning nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League crowns with the club.

Teams from across Europe have lined up to entice the Austrian, with Barca's rivals Real Madrid considered to be one of the favourites for Alaba's signature. Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus have also been credited with an interest.

Further reading

Ghana Premier League side Ebusua Dwarfs have announced the signing of Japanese striker Jindo Morishita.

The 25-year-old has sealed a deal which keeps him with the Cape Coast-based outfit until the end of the current season.

He is the latest Japanese to join a GPL side in any prominent capacity, following in the footsteps of former Hearts of Oak and Inter Allies coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi who worked with the two clubs in between 2015 and 2018.

"Cape Coast Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs, the pride of Central Region, announces the acquisition of a Japanese footballer, Jindo Morishita," the club has announced in a statement.

"Jindo Morishita has a strong aspiration to build a new relationship between Japan and the African continent, especially Ghana, through football.

"Cenpower Power Holdings sponsored the signing to join Ghana Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs.

"Cenpower Holding is a wholly-owned Ghanaian power producer which partners, among others, Sumitomo Corporation (a leading Japanese Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company).

"The Japanese striker Jindo Morishita who is 25 years of age, will play for Dwarfs until the current league season ends."

Morishita was born in Japan but was raised in the Netherlands. Having played in Indonesia, he later enrolled in the University of Tsukuba, featuring for the men's football team.

In 2019, the Japanese signed his first professional contract, sealing an agreement with Zambian Super League side FC Muza.

"As a professional football player, my aim is to be the most famous Asian soccer footballer in Africa," Morishita told Yutang Sports in January.

"The reason why I am saying this is that there are not many Asian players in Africa. When I was in Zambia, there were only two Asian players in the league.

"First of all, I need to sign a professional contract with one of the teams there [in Africa]. Then I need to start scoring goals as a striker and win the championship games within the local league.

"Furthermore, I would like to go to the African continental leagues and win them. After building a position in the African professional football field, I would like to extend my businesses in the sports field and outside the sports field."

Dwarfs, who won the Premier League in the 1965-66 season, are currently ninth on the standings after 17 games so far this term. 

Theoson Jordan Siebatcheu says he is ready to commit to the U.S. men's national team (USMNT) and would join up with Gregg Berhalter's squad should he be called up.

The Young Boys striker is eligible for France, Cameroon and the USMNT, having declined a call-up in 2018 as he mulled over his international future.

The 24-year-old forward is now ready to commit as the USMNT prepares for March friendlies against Jamaica and Northern Ireland.

What did Siebatcheau say?

"Yes, I have decided," Siebatcheu told CBS Sports. "I made my choice a few weeks ago. I will be very happy to play for the USMNT. I am very focused right now with YB and hope to play with the national team - if that possibility is presented."

"It is very good for the team and for the country. There are more and more players coming and joining big clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona. American soccer was already at a good level, but these moves can push it even higher. It is extremely positive, and I hope that it continues."

Who is Siebatcheau?

Born in Washington, D.C., Siebatcheau originally broke through with Reims after joining the club's youth system aged seven. He went on to score 25 goals in 75 games for the club's senior team before signing with Ligue 1 side Rennes in 2018.

In September, Siebatcheu was loaned to Young Boys, where he has fired 11 goals in 28 games while helping guide the club to the Europa League round of 16, where they will face Ajax on Thursday.

Internationally, Siebatcheu has only represented France on the youth level, having featured for the U21s in 2017.

He was called up by the U.S. in 2018, but opted to decline as he kept his focus on breaking through at Rennes.

"I was very young; I had just broken into the Reims team," Siebatcheu said. "With my agent, we decided that it would be best for me to stay in Europe because of the travel involved so early in my career.

"Travelling to the USA to play in friendly matches would have been tiring and the best thing was to focus on club soccer and not international at this moment. When I was called by France in the past, it was not far from the country, so not too demanding."

The big picture

Heading into a busy 2021 with World Cup qualifiers, the Gold Cup, Nations League and potentially the Olympics, the U.S. is still searching for a go-to striker.

Josh Sargent is currently among the front-runners, while veterans like Jozy Altidore and Gyasi Zardes are also in the mix.

You can also add in players like Daryl Dike, Nicholas Gioacchini and Sebastian Soto, as well as Matthew Hoppe, who could soon be in line for his first senior call-up.

Siebatcheu only adds to that competition in a position that remains one of weakness for the USMNT.

At 24, Siebatcheu is still young enough to compete over the next two cycles and, if his time at Young Boys is any indication, the striker has improved considerably when it comes to finding the back of the net.

Further reading

A late Naby Laye Keita strike secured Asante Kotoko a 1-0 triumph over King Faisal in the Ghana Premier League on Wednesday.

The Guinean's 86th-minute effort broke Faisal's resilience in the matchday 15 tie at the Ohene Ameyaw Stadium in Techiman.

The win lifts Abdul Gazale’s fold to fourth on the league table, tied on points with archrivals Hearts of Oak. Faisal, on the other hand, are in 16th position with a relegation battle.

Striker Kwame Opoku was named in the Kotoko starting XI, despite media rumours of having signed a four-year deal with Algerian side USM Alger.

Faisal talisman Kwame Peprah, who has been linked to Hearts of Oak and Kotoko as potential replacements for Opoku, unsurprisingly led his outfit.

Whereas Opoku came into the game with six goals to his name, Peprah boasted nine strikes.

Augustine Okrah was the earliest to go close to finding the back of the net, his free-kick going just wide in the third minute.

A minute later at the other end, Faisal similarly replied with a Richard Wiafe free-kick which struck the upright.

Kotoko's Patrick Asmah then forced Faisal goalkeeper Kaisan Yuisu into a save, before Elvis Nyarko's shot from the edge of the opposite box rolled off target.

On 31 minutes, Kwadwo Frimpong missed a close-range chance to put the ‘Inshallah’ Boys in front. Ten minutes later, Peprah was picked out by Wadudu Yakubu but the final shot was comfortably handled by Kotoko goalkeeper Kwame Baah, who displaced first-choice Razak Abalora to the bench.

Two minutes after the break, Wiafe headed wide, and five minutes later, Kotoko's Imoro Ibrahim struck a shot against the upright.

In the 68th minute, Opoku set up Brazilian midfielder Fabio Gama but the playmaker's shot from close range went off target.

Keita registered the solitary goal of the game six minutes to full-time, latching onto a pass inside the box, dribbling past a defender before releasing a low left-footed shot into the far post for the match-winner.

In their chase for a 24th league title, Kotoko will be eyeing a second straight win when they host Eleven Wonders in their next game.

Kaizer Chiefs extended their winless run to six matches in the PSL after drawing 1-1 with Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Thabiso Kutumela put the Team of Choice in the lead with an early goal, but Lebogang Manyama snatched a late equalizing goal for Amakhosi.

The Team of Choice were hoping to continue their revival in the league as they were undefeated in their last two matches having recorded a draw and a victory. 

Kutumela led the attack for coach Ernst Middendorp's side, while Judas Moseamedi, whose brace inspired Maritzburg to a 2-0 win over Chiefs two months ago, was named among the substitutes.

On the other hand, Amakhosi were brimming with confidence after snapping their eight-match winless run across all competitions by securing a 2-0 win over Angola's Petro de Luanda in the Caf Champions League on March 6.

Coach Gavin Hunt unsurprisingly named an unchanged team with Manyama and Bernard Parker starting upfront and Willard Katsande partnering with Nkosingiphile Ngcobo in central midfield.

Kutumela tormented Chiefs from the first whistle as the former Orlando Pirates striker's header narrowly missed the target before he placed his low shot inches wide of the upright.

However, Kutumela did get the goal that he had been looking for when he tapped the ball home to make it 1-0 to Maritzburg in the 15th minute with Jose Ali Meza providing the assist. 

The Amakhosi defence was struggling to cope with the speed of the Team of Choice's attackers and an unmarked Bongukuhle Hlongwane missed the target with a header and Akpeyi made a smart save to deny Ryan Rae.

Chiefs had a rare chance on the stroke of half-time and Katsande's header was easily saved by goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt to ensure the first-half ended with Maritzburg leading 1-0.

Siyabonga Ngezana, Samir Nurkovic and Njabulo Blom were all introduced by Hunt prior to the start of the second half as the Soweto giants looked to level matters.

Amakhosi played long balls and set-pieces in the box and Erick Mathoho's headed effort went just over the crossbar with German shot-stopper Engelhardt rooted to the ground.

With his side being bombarded with long balls, Middendorp introduced Moseamedi, who nearly made an immediate impact as his shot hit the crossbar with Akpeyi well-beaten.

Chiefs continued to play crosses into the Maritzburg box and the move paid off as Manyama headed home in the 88th minute to ensure that the game ended in a 1-1 draw. 

The result saw relegation-threatened Maritzburg remain 15th on the league standings while struggling Chiefs also remained 11th on the log.

Maritzburg's next game is against TS Galaxy in a PSL game in Mpumalanga on March 20, while Chiefs will be away to Petro de Luanda in the Champions League on March 16.
 

Ajara Nchout and Rasheedat Ajibade's Atletico Madrid have been eliminated from the 2020-21 Women's Champions League following their side's Round of 16 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday.

Heading into the second leg of the last 16, Jose Luis Sanchez's ladies were smarting from a 2-0 first-leg defeat at Kingsmeadow, needing a win by at least two unanswered goals to scale through.

Against the Blues in Monza, the Spanish side, who were forced to play their home tie in Italy due to Covid-19 restrictions could not progress despite leaving it late to earn a draw at U-Power Stadium.

Cameroon's Nchout, who missed out on the first leg made her Champions League debut for Atletico, while Ajibade, who starred in London came on as a second-half substitute against Chelsea.

After a drab first half draw, Atletico, who missed twice from the spot in the first leg were gifted another opportunity from the spot to earn a lead in the 75th minute, but Toni Duggan hit the crossbar.

However, Chelsea almost immediately got their penalty and Maren Mjelde converted from the spot to earn the lead two minutes later.

On the brink of full time, Emelyne Laurent netted the consolation but her effort was not enough to see Atletico through to the next round.

Cameroon's Nchout played from the start to finish, while Nigeria's Ajibade featured for 30 minutes after replacing Ludmila. 

Having bowed out of the Champions League, the Spanish outfit will shift focus on their Primera Iberdrola campaign, with their next fixture being the showdown with city rivals Real Madrid on March 14.

Former Juventus striker Nicola Amoruso says Cristiano Ronaldo is too concerned about his image and should not have been in the wall for the free-kick that led to the club's Champions League demise.

The Portuguese star was one of several Juventus players stationed in the wall for what ended up being a goal from Porto's Sergio Oliveira, who rocketed a shot between Ronaldo's legs to send his side into the Champions League quarter-finals.

In the hours since that goal, Juventus have come under fire for their poor wall, with Ronaldo in particular earning criticism from Fabio Capello after failing to get in the way of the shot.

What did Amoruso say?

"I would never put him in the barrier on free kicks," he told Sky Sports Italia. "He is afraid of receiving a ball in the face because he cares about his image".

What happened?

Heading into Tuesday's second leg, Juventus needed a victory after falling to Porto 2-1 in the first leg.

At the end of 90 minutes, Juventus were able to force extra time, with Federico Chiesa scoring twice for the Old Lady. They even had a man advantage, as Porto were forced to play with 10 men following a red card to Mehdi Taremi.

Yet it was Porto that found the back of the net through Oliveira, whose free-kick gave the Portuguese side a massive away goal in the 115th minute.

Juventus were level two minutes later thanks to an Adrian Rabiot goal, but it wasn't enough for the Italian champions, who were knocked out of the competition.

After the match, Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo said that he believes that Ronaldo and the rest of the Juventus wall didn't fully understand the danger of the shot while setting up ahead of the free-kick.

“We choose the players to go in the wall,” Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia. “It had never happened before that they’d turn around, maybe they felt it was so far out that they didn’t sense the danger. It was a mistake, it usually doesn’t happen, the players didn’t feel it was a dangerous situation and conceded a goal.”

Further reading

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has clarified Ahmed Musa has been invited for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as a non-playing captain.

The forward was a surprise inclusion in the 24-man team released by the German tactician on Tuesday, given the winger has not played a competitive game since the Super Eagles’ last Afcon qualifying game against Sierra Leone in November.

The 28-year-old has been without a club since October when he parted ways with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr by mutual agreement.

Nigeria fans had taken to social media to lambast the 67-year-old for his decisions, forcing the German to clarify the role the captain will play for his side in the outings.

"It's important to clarify that Musa is not in the competitive list of 23 players for our game against Benin and Lesotho," Rohr told BBC Sport Africa.

"We've invited Musa as the captain by making him the 24th player, but he is not as part of the 23 on the list that will play our two matches.

"What is important now is to focus on the games ahead and not to be distracted by anything else. We hope for all our players to be fit and travel down safely for the matches."

Nigeria will take on the Republic of Benin at Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo on March 27 before facing the Crocodiles three days later at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The three-time African champions lead the Group L table with eight points, one ahead of second-placed Benin while Sierra Leone have three points and Lesotho two.

Victory in either of their outings in March will seal Nigeria’s place at the 2022 edition of the continental competition.

Everton forward Iwobi had previously stated the West Africans will do all it takes to secure victory over the Squirrels and the Crocodiles in order to qualify for the Afcon tournament.

"The positive you can take is we are still on course to be top of the table, so we are confident we have the quality to do so and put 100% for 90 minutes this time, so we can qualify," Iwobi said.

"The opportunity I was given last time to be involved in that competition, I want that feeling again.

"If you are in a competition you want to win it, [and] I believe us players feel we have the quality to do so. We'd like to play in the best competitions and win them, so we have to prove that against Lesotho and Benin."

Antonio Conte’s substitutions with five minutes remaining against Atalanta on Monday night were striking: with Inter Milan 1-0 up and pinned down by La Dea, the 51-year-old boss opted to substitute Achraf Hakimi and Ivan Perisic for Danilo D'Ambrosio and Matteo Darmian respectively.

The Italians were effectively replacing the attacking pair in a move that signalled Conte’s approach in trying to see out the hugely needed three points against Gian Piero Gasperini’s troops. They’d been forced deeper and deeper for an extended period before the ex-Italy boss made his final substitutions on the night.

It wasn’t Hakimi’s best showing in an attacking sense, although Inter’s style for the majority of the game meant there was little chance of that happening. Overall, he's been an overwhelming success in Italian football.

"I have had the opportunity to watch all Inter home games live in recent years and I must tell you that a winger like Hakimi is what was missing," said Goal's Renato Maisani. "Apart from [Ivan] Perisic's return to Milan, [Hakimi] was Inter's only signing, but compared to last year, he offered a vital game option to Conte, who loves to take advantage of wide players.

"He has played many brilliant matches but, above all, in the challenges against the 'small' teams, he's been an added value, helping Inter not to make them tricky matches."

However, agaisnt Atalanta, Hakimi wasn't necessarily at his best.

The Morocco wing-back had only 48 touches — his second-lowest in games he’s played 80 minutes or higher this season — was involved in a solitary shot-creating action — joint-lowest in games where he got significant minutes — and barely crossed the halfway line until his substitution.

Hakimi’s first year in Serie A has probably surprised even the man himself due to the different side to his game that’s been sharpened and improved upon at Inter. Initially, Conte had issues with the wide defender’s tactical naivete which led to a momentary role as Darmian’s understudy at right wing-back.

His opening months were characterised by lapses in concentration in his defensive third, as witnessed in Inter’s 2-2 draw with Parma in October, and mistakes, like the error against old side Real Madrid in early November.

“This is a lad that is just over 20 years old and who played for just two seasons in Dortmund and the Bundesliga, a league which is much less tactical,” the Inter boss interestingly stated after beating Bologna in December. “Here, there’s less space and there’s greater preparation for matches, with opponents studying his characteristics more.”

While there’s an inclination to blindly laud the North African’s improvement in the defensive phase, the appropriate context ought to be established as well. The early rounds of this season were characterised by Conte’s side uncharacteristically allowing several preventable goals.

The concession of 1.62 goals per game in November put them on pace to let in around 62 goals after 38 fixtures. For a defence that conceded 36 goals last term — the only side in Serie A to concede less than a goal a game — the projected numbers at the time were alarming.

Even though their backline didn’t particularly tighten up for another two months, the recent run of seven clean sheets from their last nine league games since mid-January has been remarkable. Hakimi has featured in six of those matches, in which Conte’s side have largely sat deeper than they did in the opening months of the campaign.

Currently, only Juventus (21) have allowed more goals than Inter’s 25 after 26 games, with the significant reduction from 1.62 goals let in p/g to 1.04 p/g a welcome sight to their insatiable manager.

“We have learned how to choose when to wait and when to push,” Conte asserted after Monday’s 1-0 win. “We did well to find the right mix and it was the step we needed to take this season because we needed to be more consistent in both phases.”

There was increased pressure before facing Atalanta on Monday owing to the fact both AC Milan and Juventus closed the gap to three and seven respectively after wins over Hellas Verona and Lazio before the leaders kicked a ball.

Gasperini’s side have the second-best attack (statistically at least) in Serie A behind the hosts, were on a four-match winning run and had already thrashed Milan at San Siro in January, a game that finished 3-0 to the club from Bergamo.

Inter still needed a brilliant Samir Handanovic save and Marcelo Brozovic clearance off the line to prevent them from falling behind, but they largely limited the visitors and took their chance when it arrived.

There are still 12 games to play but beating Atalanta was not only a relief but equally colossal if the champions-elect are to supplant the Old Lady, who no longer have European distractions after Tuesday’s Champions League elimination by Porto.

Despite having a six-point gap, the ex-Chelsea boss understands what’s at stake and reckons his side have a dozen finals to play before securing the Scudetto.

“We’ll need everybody to make sacrifices if we’re to reach our goal,” the Inter boss continued. “This is a group that has grown a lot along the way, especially in terms of desire, hunger and attention to detail.

“There are certainly 12 finals from here to the end of the season. Now the boys will rest in the face of many continuous matches, and then resume at their best.”

Conte has thrown down the gauntlet, and it’s up to Hakimi and his colleagues to accept the challenge of winning the Nerazzurri its first Serie A title in 11 years.

Gor Mahia were unable to pick a point against 10-man Posta Rangers in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League tie on Wednesday after conceding a 1-0 defeat at Kasarani.

The loss, courtesy of a goal from Rangers; Francis Nambute, is the sixth for the Green Army as their title defence journey gets tough even before the season hits the half-way mark.

Michael Apudo, who returned to Posta Rangers in the last transfer window from Gor Mahia, was shown a straight red card in the third minute when he brought down Tito Okello who was on his way towards the goal. Apudo was the last man standing in Posta Rangers' defence when K'Ogalo broke through but the act of bringing down Okello ended their ambitious run.

Okello and Kenneth Muguna scrambled for a cross, from the left-hand side by Clifton Miheso, in the seventh minute and consequently lost an opportunity to break the deadlock.

Goalkeeper Kelvin Opiyo denied Wilson Silva of Gor Mahia in the 10th minute when he managed to parry away a diving header by the Brazilian in a tight angle. The Green Army were unable to make use of the resultant two corners that were cleared by the visitors rather easily.

Posta Rangers' coach Stanley Okumbi waited until the 19th minute to make a change after Apudo's red card as he brought on Simon Mbugua in place of Eliud Lokuwom.

Despite being a man down, Posta Rangers managed to attack Gor Mahia intermittently and were rewarded with an unlikely opener in the 45th minute when Nambute struck past Gad Mathews to give the Mailmen a first-half lead.

Samuel Onyango almost gave Gor Mahia an equaliser in the 55th minute but his close-range effort went over the bar. Manuel Vaz Pinto made two changes in the 64th minute when he replaced Kevin Wesonga and Onyango with Philemon Otieno and Alpha Onyango respectively.

Another chance for Gor Mahia went to waste when Okello failed to connect to a Muguna cross in the 70th minute. The South Sudanese international sent his effort wide despite being in a good position to find an equaliser.

Harun Shakava was yellow-carded in the 80th minute for a dangerous foul on an opponent before Posta Rangers' Opiyo was also cautioned a minute later. 

Despite the numerical advantage, Gor Mahia failed to find at least an equaliser against Okumbi's side.

Gor Mahia XI : Gad Mathews, Kelvin Wesonga, Godfrey Ochieng, Andrew Juma, Harun Shakava, Ernest Wendo, Samuel Onyango, Kenneth Muguna, Wilson Silva, Tito Okello, Clifton Miheso.

Subs : John Njau, Philemon Otieno, Charles Momanyi,  Joachim Oluoch, Sydney Ochieng, Alpha Onyango, Abdoul Karim, Jules Ulimwengu, John Macharia.

Posta Rangers XI : Kelvin Opiyo, Elvis Osok, Michael Apudo, Osman Suleiman, Kevin Ouma, Joshua Nyatini, Jackson Dwang, Sammy Odero, Francis Nambute, Alex Luganji, Eliud Lokuwom, 

Subs : Bryne Omondi, Faina Jacobs, Simon Mbugua, Bernard Ondiek, Steiner Musasia, Peter Ng'ang'a, Calvin Odongo, Josephat Lopaga, Amos Kigadi.