Looking for Soccer News?

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tlou Molekwane says the Soweto giants can challenge for the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title with youngsters. 

Amakhosi are still awaiting an outcome from Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following their transfer ban appeal hearing.

Gavin Hunt's side had to rely heavily on youngsters as they secured a 2-1 win against Maritzburg United in the MTN8 quarter-final match last weekend. 

Yagan Sasman, 24, Reeve Frosler, 22, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, 20, Njabulo Blom, 20, and Happy Mashiane, 22 helped Chiefs overcome Maritzburg and Hunt indicated that he will keep faith in youngsters. 

“Coach Gavin, even if you check his time at Bidvest Wits, a lot of players played under him from development. He is the coach who believes in young players,” Molekwane told Sowetan.

“I will say they will compete even if that ban is not concluded anytime soon. The sooner the coach introduces them, the better, and I was happy that he gave them a chance.

“After four or five games, those players will be settled in the team. It is the right time to be played because last season they were not. They were playing for five or 10 minutes. It is not enough, but you can see the hunger from them, I’m happy to see them playing.”

Blom and Mashiane changed the complexion of the game after being introduced in the second-half and Sasman grabbed a late brace to hand Amakhosi the win over the Team of Choice. 

“If the coach believes in young players, when they throw you in the first team you must be ready. I was not surprised to see the likes of Blom and other young players playing against Maritzburg,” Molekwane continued.

“Remember the team was under pressure, they were trailing and you could tell that the coach believes in the youngsters, that is why he allowed them to help the club in that match.

“Most of them are still young, and this is the time for them to play. There is no pressure in the league. You saw the changes after Hunt introduced them against Maritzburg."

Molekwane, who is a former South Africa under-20 and under-23 international, feels that predecessor‚ Ernst Middendorp did not believe in youngsters.

Middendorp was dismissed by the Chiefs management after the team lost the PSL title to Mamelodi Sundowns on the last day of the 2019/20 season. 

“The previous coach at Chiefs never believed in young boys maybe, if he could have introduced them by then, we should be talking a different story now," the retired right-back added.

“The nice part is that [assistant coach] Arthur Zwane is the one who promoted those young boys. They worked with him before, so he understands every one of them.”

Chiefs' first league game of the 2020/21 season will be against Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Plans are already afoot at Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) for the 2021 season despite still two more competitions for them to complete this 2020 season in the Malaysia Cup as well as the AFC Champions League (ACL).

In a media session held on Wednesday afternoon, club owner HRH Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (TMJ) revealed the upcoming changes to the squad for next season as well as for the two aforementioned competitions.

Lead striker Diogo Luis Santo has been a great asset since signing for the club back before the start of the 2019 season and has contributed 24 goals thus far over the course of two seasons for the Southern Tigers.

The Brazilian is likely to head back to Thailand for his next adventure having arrived at JDT from Buriram United, with BG Pathum United rumoured to be the club that the 33-year-old will join.

TMJ also confirmed that while Diogo's departure is imminent, he will still be part of the squad that will compete in the Malaysia Cup but not in the ACL, where Fernando Rodriguez will deputise.

Further beyond that, TMJ announced that it will be another Brazilian that will step into the breach next season in the shape of 32-year-old Camilo da Silva Sanvezzo who currently plies his trade in Mexico.

"Diogo will return to Thailand and I'm thankful because sometime back when the Super League was still in progress, I said that we need to dedicate the league to (Luciano) Figueroa, Diogo and Safawi (Rasid). 

"Camilo da Silva from Brazil who played for Tijuana will be the replacement. We've been tracking him for a few years but he was too expensive. He will replace Diogo," said TMJ in the session.

Young midfielder Danial Amier was also revealed to be joining JDT beginning 1 December after his contract with Felda United expires at the end of the current season.

The 23-year-old was an integral part of Malaysia Under-23 national team before managing to break into the senior team in 2019 will offer plenty of competition in the centre of midfield at JDT.

This comes after the club revealed contract extensions to Benjamin Mora, Akhyar Rashid, Adam Nor Azlin, Nazmi Faiz, Ramadan Saifullah, Feroz Baharudin, Syazwan Andik, S. Kunanlan, Gary Steven Robbat, Aidil Zafuan, Farizal Marlias and Hazwan Bakri.

At the same time because of the clash of schedule between Malaysia Cup and ACL, JDT have decided to break the squad up into two balanced squads to compete separately in the two competitions.

This was decided to give the players adequate resting time ahead of the start of the 2021 season as well as affording some younger players playing opportunities in either competitions.

After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting left Paris Saint-Germain for Bayern Munich, less than two months after losing to Hansi Flick’s Bavarians in the Champions League final, there was a temptation to whisper “if you can't beat them join them”.

The Cameroon forward had come off the bench for the Parisians on August 23 when FC Hollywood pipped them to the continent’s most sought-after prize 1-0 in Lisbon. It was a huge vote of confidence from Thomas Tuchel to opt for the Indomitable Lion ahead of Mauro Icardi, who’d scored 12 times in 14 Ligue 1 starts before the French top flight was curtailed.

In truth, maybe Tuchel’s choice was a consequence of how events in Portugal had played out in the previous rounds.

Having seen Choupo-Moting come up trumps in their late, late fightback vs Atalanta in the quarter-final — a game Icardi largely underwhelmed — the African star was elevated above the Argentina forward for the rest of the competition, albeit as a substitute.

Simply put: while Choupo-Moting may not be top drawer, he’s someone who can be trusted to deputise up front when the usual incumbents are absent. Recognising this opening, Bayern signed the 31-year-old whose Bundesliga experience in his prime took him to Mainz and Schalke having struggled to break into the Hamburg side.

“He gives us the squad depth we need in the centre of our attack,” said Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. “Eric has gained international experience in Paris, knows the Bundesliga and joins us on a free. So, it all works out well.”

He continued: “We have seen how important Maxim can be in Lisbon. I know from my own experience how crucial it is to have a lot of good forwards in the squad.”

Fortunately, the striker himself understands he won’t be first choice, given Robert Lewandowski’s presence, so there won’t be an expectation to play regularly. Having had a taste of this for about two years in Paris, Choupo-Moting knows what’s required for the bit-part role.

“There were conversations with the coach, he made it clear to me that he would be happy if I came. We are not talking about a major role,” the forward explained to the media recently. “Everyone knows that at Bayern there is Lewandowski at the forefront, but each player is important in the project”.

"Paris wanted me to stay, but I turned them down. There were some interesting offers. My choice was made as soon as Bayern contacted my agents,” Choupo-Moting continued. “It wasn't a shock they came in for me, but it's a huge honour. They're the Champions League holders, the biggest team in Germany. It's a great league. Munich is a beautiful city. I am super happy.”

After winning two Ligue 1 crowns as well as the Coupe de France and Couple de la Ligue in his time in the French capital, a return to the Bundesliga makes sense. He not only has the chance to add to his trophy collection playing for the best side in Europe at the moment but returns to a league he’s familiar with.

This removes or, at least, reduces the bedding-in period it’d have taken a new signing to acclimatise to a different division, even though partnerships with teammates at Sabener Strasse have to be struck. The need for a Lewandowski replacement was made apparent after last month’s 4-1 thrashing at Hoffenheim, which came about three days after Flick’s troops played for 120 minutes in the Uefa Super Cup.

Teenage prodigy, Joshua Zirkzee was selected to start but the chasm in quality was obvious. In fairness to the young forward, his selection was probably the least of Bayern’s worries on the day — the criminal defending for 90 minutes was — but he was an easy target for an early substitution as the visitors chased the game.

Indeed, it was then argued that, despite the dearth of bodies in Bavaria, a loan deal for Zirkzee was imperative as opportunities were probably going to be few and far between. The arrival of Choupo-Moting means the 19-year-old is probably going to be third-choice until January, ceteris paribus.

He’s since revealed that a loan deal was considered in the final hours of the transfer window but nothing materialised eventually.

“It was a difficult situation, only there was not enough time on deadline day,” Zirkzee told Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad. “I will stay with Bayern now, but maybe something will happen in the future. I don't know exactly yet.”

Barring an injury to any of Bayern’s forwards, a temporary spell could help the youngster’s development, even if it’ll be for a few months. Thus, it’s a shame the club couldn’t find a suitable option for him before signing the Cameroonian in early October.

Choupo-Moting sat fifth last season for xG per 90 and non-penalty xG per 90 in the PSG side, behind the quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Icardi and Edinson Cavani, which somewhat summarises his profile. While not essentially top class, he is no slouch either.

Bayern are set to be beneficiaries of the forward’s intermittent contribution, and the 31-year-old can enjoy a return to the Bundesliga with the best side in the land and Europe.

Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United's Marcus Rashford to follow Wayne Rooney's blueprint and improve the "ugly side" of his game in order to become "world class".

Rashford notched his fourth goal of the season to fire United to a 2-1 victory in their Champions League group-stage opener against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, but PSG were gifted an equaliser when Anthony Martial headed into his own net early in the second period.

The Red Devils pushed hardest for the winner, though, and were eventually rewarded when Rashford fired an unstoppable shot past Keylor Navas to win all three points for the visitors three minutes from time.

The England international was also the match-winner on United's last visit to Parc des Princes, as he scored a decisive late penalty to seal a memorable last-16 comeback in the 2018-19 campaign.

He was, however, guilty of squandering several clear openings against PSG this time around, which might have helped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side wrap up the win far earlier.

Ferdinand says Rashford should follow the example of United's all-time record scorer as he bids to reach the next level, with Wayne Rooney's ability to score "scruffy goals" seen as one of the main reasons behind his success at Old Trafford.

The former Red Devils defender told BT Sport of the 22-year-old's potential: “I think this kid could definitely be world class if he keeps on improving.

"He needs to add a poacher’s element, a couple of scruffy goals a season.

“Wayne Rooney, when he signed for Manchester United, scored outrageous goals. He didn’t score the ugly goals but then he got that into his game.

“Marcus scores and creates fantastic goals as well. If he can get that ugly side... this kid can go on to be unbelievable.”

Rashford's next chance to impress will likely come when Chelsea arrive at Old Trafford for a crucial Premier League encounter on Saturday evening.

United are currently sitting two points behind the Blues in the table having played a game less, but Solskjaer is confident his team are starting to turn a corner.

"These boys can play. They enjoyed it. Attitude, work rate... you know the team spirit has been fantastic since they've come back from the international break so it's been brilliant," he said after the win at PSG.

"It's taken a bit of time to get going. But we've certainly got our form back."

Pulau Pinang goalkeeper Samuel Somerville is excited for the chance to finally feature in Malaysia's top tier, the Super League next season.

The English-born Malaysian passport holder has been an instrumental part of the Panthers since joining them for the 2020 season, from Johor Darul Ta'zim II (JDT II).

The custodian let in only eight goals throughout the Premier League season, to help his club win the league title as well as promotion to the top tier next season.

"I had gone through so much at Johor and I want to thank TMJ (JDT owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim) for all that he had done for me. But I felt it was the right time for a move and more playing minutes, and I was lucky to join a team with a winning mentality since the start of the league campaign. To concede only eight goals is a wonderful achievement, on top of my clean sheets and the Premier League title.

"Now I'll be achieving my dream of playing in the top tier for the first time since arriving in this country. I may need some time in order to adapt to the competing at this level. I hope that the coming season will provide me with another highpoint in my career and I will be able to continue playing at the top level for a long time," explained the 26-year old custodian in an interview with Malaysian Football League (MFL).

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer has explained why Thembinkosi Lorch did not feature in their recent clash with Cape Town City.

The reigning PSL Footballer of the Year was a noticeable absentee from the Bucs starting line-up against Cape Town City in the MTN8 quarter-final match on Saturday.

Zinnbauer opted for new signings Terrence Dzvukamanja and Deon Hotto as the Buccaneers secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Citizens at Orlando Stadium.

The German tactician indicated he has depth in his squad so he can afford to drop Lorch, who was an unused substitute against City. 

"Lorch is a player you know who has quality but we made another decision [not to play him] and maybe next game, maybe he's on the bench, maybe he's in [the starting line-up]," Zinnbauer told the media.

"We have top quality in this squad and all players have to work and this season we have [more options], we can improve with having two players in each position.

"We've improved this with all the new players which means the old players have to work and the new players [to get into the team]."

Lorch has seen his form dip at Pirates since his breakthrough season (2018/19) in which he scored 15 goals in 38 matches across all competitions and he was named PSL Footballer of the Year.

The 27-year-old attacker then endured a poor 2019/20 campaign as he netted just three goals in 26 matches across all competitions.

Zinnbauer refused to promise that Lorch will start when the Buccaneers take on AmaZulu FC in their maiden PSL game of the new 2020/21 season on Saturday.

"Maybe against [AmaZulu] we'll need another player in that position or we change the system a little bit. We know who Lorch is and his quality," he added. 

"We need his quality, and also on the other side of the bench we have other quality players who didn't play so that's good for us."

The clash between AmaZulu and Pirates will be played at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium in Durban.

Pirates could face their former players Augustine Mulenga and Luvuyo Memela, who recently joined Usuthu after being released by the Soweto giants. 

Axel Tuanzebe is undroppable after his star turn against Paris Saint-Germain, according to Rio Ferdinand, who says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to "reward performances like that".

United returned to Parc des Princes for the first time since their famous last-16 comeback against the French champions in 2018-19.

Solskjaer's side prevailed once again thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty and a stunning late strike from Marcus Rashford, marking their return to the Champions League in emphatic style.

An Anthony Martial own goal early in the second half gave PSG hope of a positive result, but the visitors carved out more clear-cut opportunities as Thomas Tuchel's men struggled to find any cutting edge in the final third.

Tuanzebe put in a man-of-the-match display to keep the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria at bay after being handed his first start in 10 months, and Ferdinand was delighted to see the 22-year-old put his injury woes behind him on the biggest stage.

Asked if the centre-back has made it impossible for Solskjaer to leave him out of a Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday, the United legend told BT Sport: "Yes. Ole has just said it’s two of the best two strikers in the world (Mbappe and Neymar), he snuffed out danger many a time today.

"You have to reward performances like that. He’s had a hard time with injuries – first game in 10 months – to come in and play like that, from out of the cold, you deserve to be rewarded.

"But Ole is the man to make that decision."

"But he was smelling danger."

"Good luck getting this guy out of the team," said Hargreaves. "This guy… I love him. He’s a good athlete, he makes good decisions, physically he’s got a good presence, he wasn’t fazed by Mbappe or Neymar.

"I think he grew into the occasion. We saw a couple of years ago Scott McTominay came here and put in a top performance.

"This young man… he’s not getting out of the side." 

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed midfielder Scott McTominay played with "one eye" in the first half of the team's Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain after losing a contact lens.

McTominay started alongside Fred and Bruno Fernandes in midfield and impressed as United upstaged last season's finalists PSG 2-1 in their Group H opener on Tuesday .

As Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Donny van de Beek watched from the bench in the first half, McTominay performed well for United, who took a 1-0 lead into the break thanks to Fernandes' 23rd-minute penalty in Paris.

Anthony Martial's own goal in the 55th minute gifted PSG an equaliser, but Marcus Rashford netted United's match-winner with three minutes remaining at Parc des Princes, where the Red Devils claimed a record 10th consecutive away victory in all competitions.

Solskjaer singled out McTominay post-match, telling reporters: "Scotty played the first-half with one eye as well, that was the most impressive thing, because he lost his contact lens. That was impressive."

Fernandes opened the scoring with his 11th spot-kick for United following a re-take. Since 2012-13, PSG have conceded more penalties (18) and more penalty goals (13) in the Champions League than any other side.

Martial, though, headed the ball into his own net early in the second half as Ligue 1 champions PSG restored parity behind closed doors.

But Rashford fired a fine finish into the bottom-left corner of the net from the edge of the penalty box.

Rashford's last three goals in the Champions League have all come on the road, with the last two netted at Parc des Princes.

"He's a good footballer and he's got quality. And he took his goal very well; great turn, good finish and into the corner. He likes that side of the [Parc des Princes] stadium, I think," Solskjaer said.

"I think when you're doing well on the pitch as well as off the pitch, they marry well together. And I am sure he knows…I think it gives him energy what he does so that's not a problem."

On comparisons between Rashford and PSG star Kylian Mbappe, Solskjaer added: "I think he's a very, very good striker. It's difficult to compare them but both are going to be top, top strikers for 10-15 years.

"They've both got quality, great physique, pace, both of them seem good people – humble and hard-working. And It’s nice to see them succeed."

Spanish forward Pedro Manzi has rescinded his contract with J2 side Albirex Niigata, Goal can confirm. 

The striker is now a free agent and is eager to come back to India. Manzi made his name in India with Chennai City FC before earning a move to Japan's second division. The Spaniard, however, is now eyeing a return to India. 

"I am a free player and I can come back to India," confirmed the player to Goal who is still in Japan. 

Manzi was a key figure in the Chennai City FC side that went on to win the I-League in the 2018-19 season. 

The 31-year-old spent a little over a season with the south Indian team where he scored 21 goals from 48 appearances and was awarded the I-League Golden Boot.

Following his exploits in India, Niigata paid a handsome transfer fee of almost INR 1 crore to Chennai City for his services. 

Chennai City's Spanish attacking trio consisting of Manzi, Sandro Rodriguez and Nestor Gordillo ripped defences apart in their title-winning season. Manzi led the attack while Nestor and Sandro were complimenting him with assists. 

But his stint in Japan did not go according to plan as he made only eight appearances, raking in only 138 minutes. 

Last season's finalists Chennaiyin FC have had a busy transfer window in recent weeks, bringing in several new faces to be part of their overseas contingent.

Only Eli Sabia and Rafael Crivellaro have been retained among the foreign contingent from last year while five new faces have been roped in by the management. Fulfilling the mandatory Asian player quota is Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev who becomes the first-ever player from Tajikistan to take part in the Indian Super League (ISL). 

A winger by trade, Fatkhuloev has a very interesting profile. The 30-year-old is considered a legend as far as Tajik football is concerned and is their highest-capped international. And his move to India has generated a lot of interest in a land which is besotted by the charms of Bollywood. 

However, Fatkhuloev has had his brush with India in the past. In fact, he has scored twice against the Blue Tigers for Tajikistan. The first time was in a historic game for India back in 2008. Fatkhuloev scored the consolation in a 4-1 loss to the Blue Tigers in the final of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup held at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. The win saw India earn a spot in the 2011 Asian Cup. 

The next time he found the back of the net against India was in a winning cause, in a 3-0 friendly win at home in 2013. 

"I have played a lot of times against the Indian national team and against clubs from India. In my opinion, the games were open and attacking," he told Goal . "Twice I scored a goal against the Indian national team. I have very good and interesting memories of these games."

It must be noted Fatkhuloev was an integral part of Tajikistan's FC Istiklol for a long time, playing a key role in seven of the club's nine Tajik League title wins. However, Bengaluru FC fans will remember him from their 2017 AFC Cup Inter-Zonal final against Istiklol. Fatkhuloev played in both legs as the Tajik side won 3-2 on aggregate. 

Fatkhuloev has however played abroad before, with stints in Uzbekistan and Indonesia in the past. He reveals that he had another offer from Uzbekistan and one from Malaysia to deliberate before Chennaiyin FC made their move. 

"Before interest from India, I had several offers from Uzbekistan and Malaysia. Then when the Chennaiyin management approached me, I was immediately interested. Chennaiyin is a big club in India."

He also admitted that the charms of the ISL also made his decision easy. 

"I believe that the Indian Super League is one of the famous leagues in Asia. Many stars of world football have played here and continue to do so. When I watched several games of clubs in India, it was exciting and very interesting to watch." 

Fatkhuloev also had a convincing conversation with head coach Csaba Laszlo whose vision for the club and the winger was clear enough for him to book his tickets to India. 

"I was satisfied following our conversations and discussions, especially with the head coach. He talked to me about the goals and objectives of the club and clearly explained what he wants to see from me. For my part, I completely trust the coach's opinion and accepted all the conditions, in terms of what he expects from me."

Though primarily a winger, Fatkhuloev feels that he can play across the front three, something that Chennaiyin will look to utilise. Fatkhuloev is known for being a technical player with plenty of guile. The Tajik international acknowledges as much and is raring to make his mark in the ISL. 

"Basically I am a winger but I can play very well in any position of attacking football. I want to show all my skills and talents (in India). Many people know about the technical ability I possess, especially in the opponent’s final third. I wish to showcase it and do the talking on the pitch," he added. 

Fatkhuloev, having served FC Istiklol for a long time, knows the value of staying long-term at a club. However, his primary aim at Chennaiyin is to showcase his ability on the field and then take stock.

"Every footballer dreams that his name will remain memorable for a long time in the history of the club. First of all, I want to show a high-quality game this season and then think about future plan."

Manchester United have confirmed defender Eric Bailly will be absent for three-to-four weeks with an injury that will see him miss several important matches.

The Red Devils reported the news on their official website, stating coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had ruled the defender out for the next month following the club's 2-1 win over PSG in the Champions League opener at Parc des Princes.

Reports last week suggested Bailly had injured his hamstring during recent international break with Ivory Coast, with the centre-half being substituted on 70 minutes clutching his leg during the 1-1 draw with Belgium.

However, the 26-year-old suggested he wasn't injured playing for his nation, claiming he was only suffering from 'fatigue' in an Instagram post after the match.

Despite being an unused substitute during United's 4-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United at the weekend, Bailly didn't travel to France for the PSG clash.

Solskjaer's timeline suggests Bailly will likely miss matches against Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Istanbul Basaksehir and Everton, before returning after the November international break.

The Red Devils - also minus captain Harry Maguire with injury- produced a strong defensive showing against the Ligue 1 champions as Marcus Rashford scored an 87th minute in another famous win in Paris.

Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Axel Tuanzebe formed an effective three-man central defensive performance that managed to restrain the output of PSG's star attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria.

Tuanzebe was singled out for praise by Solskjaer, with the 22-year-old putting in a brilliant performance in his first start for the club since December 2019 - having being sidelined by a long-term foot injury.

“Axel did fantastic, he’s been out for 10 months so to put in a performance like this against Neymar and Mbappe almost surprised us as well,” Solskjaer said to reporters after the match.

"We know he’s a good player, but to do it on a night like this is fantastic."

Tuanzebe has firmly put himself in the frame to be selected for Saturday's crunch Premier League match against Chelsea at Old Trafford, with Maguire also likely to return from injury.

Ronald Koeman said Barcelona have a great future but called for patience after their 5-1 Champions League rout of Ferencvaros.

Lionel Messi, Ansu Fati, Philippe Coutinho, Pedri and Ousmane Dembele were all on target for Barca, who made a winning start in Group G on Tuesday, while Gerard Pique was sent off in the second half.

Barca are coming off a tumultuous 2019-20 season, which saw the club dethroned by bitter rivals Real Madrid in La Liga and humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The embattled Spanish powerhouse turned to Netherlands boss Koeman and the Dutch head coach has overseen just one loss in five competitive matches this season.

"We play different," Koeman told reporters after Barca became the first team ever to have two goalscorers aged 17 or under in a single Champions League match thanks to Fati and Pedri .

"We have made changes on the team, we have made changes on the squad, we have chosen young people, so we can't expect more from this team right now.

"We're good, this team is gonna have a great future, but it must improve. Playing with young players, different tactics...Be calm, I ask you to give a margin.

"We are going to improve. We can't demand it in two or three weeks, but you'll see that soon the team will play better, will be more comfortable, but we need time."

Antoine Griezmann was an unused substitute at Camp Nou, where Koeman opted to use Pedri and Dembele off the bench after Trincao started alongside Messi and Fati.

Messi became the first player to score in 16 successive Champions League campaigns after his 27th-minute penalty opened the scoring for Barcelona.

Fati doubled the lead with a volley as he became the first player to have scored two Champions League goals before celebrating his 18th birthday.

On Griezmann's absence, Koeman – whose Barca face Madrid in Saturday's Clasico – added: "We look for the best 11 for each game, today we have opted for Trincao playing wide, and then Ousmane [Dembele] in order to have depth on the wing.

"Let's see Saturday, it will be another game. It's my job to prepare the team and have the best squad for each moment."

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel described Tuesday's 2-1 loss against Manchester United as one of the club's worst games with the German particularly scathing of the first-half performance in their Champions League opener. 

PSG succumbed to Marcus Rashford's strike with three minutes remaining in Paris, where last season's Champions League runners-up made a losing start in Group H. 

Ligue 1 holders PSG were without Marquinhos and Marco Verratti and United took advantage – Bruno Fernandes converting a 23rd-minute penalty, though Red Devils forward Anthony Martial netted an own goal 10 minutes into the second half. 

But United left the French capital with maximum points thanks to Rashford's late winner, condemning PSG to a first home defeat in the Champions League group stage in 25 games. 

"In the first half, we were simply not on the pitch," Tuchel told beIN SPORTS. "It was not our level. 

"I don't know why, but I can just say that it was not our level, in moving the ball, in possession, in counter-attacking, in challenges, in intensity. 

"By far, one of our worst games, one of our worst first halves."

"The good news was that it could not be worse. Okay, we were down 1-0, it is easy to play better in the second half and we had to step up, it was clear," Tuchel added after star forward Neymar failed to score in four consecutive Champions League appearances for the first time since November 2013. 

"We tried to do some tactical changes because of the injury of Idrissa Gueye, we tried to bring on one more offensive guy, which was a risk that we paid for at the end also. It was like this today. 

"From the start until the end it felt like we were never at our highest level, and we weren't really into the match like was absolutely necessary on this level." 

When asked about the atmosphere behind closed doors, Tuchel said: "I don't feel it. We've played how many games in the Champions League now without supporters? I don't feel it, sorry." 

PSG, however, have the chance to respond when they travel to Group H opponents Istanbul Basaksehir next week after hosting Dijon in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 

But Tuchel said: "We have a lot of injured players, a lot of quality that is missing and for that I am not sure if this is good, no." 

Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has tagged Nigerian government as ‘killers’ following Lekki massacre.

There have been ongoing protests in Nigeria over two weeks with citizens agitating for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force famous for several injustices which include extortion and killings.

However, that took a grief-stricken turn in Lekki, Lagos state on Tuesday night as defenceless protesters were gunned down by soldiers, following an alleged order by the Lagos state government to security forces to crackdown on defaulters of a hastily imposed restriction.

The incident which left several people dead and many injured was condemned by the former Super Eagles forward who was an unused substitute in the Red Devils’ 2-1 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes.

“I’m not the kind of guy who talks about politics, but I can’t keep quiet anymore for what is going back home in Nigeria,” Ighalo said in a video tagged ‘Pray for Nigeria’ on Twitter.

“I would say the Nigerian government are a shame to the world for killing your own citizens, sending the military to kill unarmed protesters because they are protesting for their own rights? It’s uncalled for.

“Today, the 20th of October, 2020, you people will be remembered in history as the first government to send the military to the city to start killing your own citizens.

“I am ashamed of this government, we are tired of you guys and we can’t take this anymore.”

“I’m calling the UK government and all those leaders in the world to see what is going on in Nigeria and help the poor citizens. The government are killing their own citizens,” he continued.

“We are calling you guys in the United Nations (UN) to see to this matter. I want to tell my brothers and sisters back home to remain safe, be indoor and please don’t come out because these government are killers and they will keep killing if the world don’t talk about this. God bless you all and remain safe. One Nigeria, we move!”

The Shanghai Shenhua loanee who has featured just once in the Premier League for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men this season would be hoping to be in action when United welcome Frank Lampard’s Chelsea to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Manchester United star Odion Ighalo has pleaded with the world's governments to intervene in the democide occurring in his home country of Nigeria.

Africa's most populous nation has been plagued by violence in recent times as citizens protest against police brutality - with several deaths and shootings reported from the altercations.

The country's capital Lagos - with an estimated 20 million residents - is set to come under a 24-hour curfew, with other regions already trying to keep their residents indoors.

Nigeria's situation was highlighted by Napoli striker Victor Osimhen on the weekend, with the Super Eagles international displaying a t-shirt with the message, '#EndPoliceBrutalityInNigeria', after scoring his first goal for the Serie A club.

Following Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League win against PSG, Ighalo called for the world to take notice of what is happening in Nigeria and pleaded for help stopping the government from killing its own citizens.

"I'm sad and I don't know where to start from," Ighalo said in a video message from the Parc des Princes.

"I'm not the kind of guy who talks about politics - but I can't keep quiet anymore about what is going on back home in Nigeria.

"I would say [to the] government are a shame to the world - for killing your own citizens, sending military to the streets, to kill [unarmed] protesters because they are protesting for their rights. It's uncalled for.

"Today, 20th of October 2020, you people will be remembered in the history as the first government to send military to the city to start killing their own citizens.

"I am ashamed of this government. I am tired of you guys. I can't take this anymore.

"I'm calling the UK government, calling all those leaders in the world to please see what is going on in Nigeria and help us - help the poor citizens.

"The government are killing their own citizens. We are calling [the world's governments], the United Nations, to see to the matter.

"I want to tell my brothers and sisters back home to remain safe. Be indoors, please don't come [outside]. Because this government are killers and they will keep killing if the world does not talk about this.

"God bless you all. Remain safe. One Nigeria."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was proud of Manchester United for another memorable late Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain but said it was not the same in a "sterile" atmosphere. 

After Anthony Martial's own goal restored parity following Bruno Fernandes' first-half penalty, Marcus Rashford arrowed in an 87th-minute winner to ensure  United overcame last season's finalists 2-1 in their Group H opener at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday. 

United became the first team to beat PSG at home more than once in the Champions League, with Rashford having struck a stoppage-time spot-kick to secure a 3-1 win on their previous visit – a result that sent them into the 2018-19 quarter-finals on away goals. 

However, with no fans in attendance in Paris on this occasion due to restrictions in place amid the coronavirus pandemic, Solskjaer acknowledged there was not the same feeling.

"It's a different feeling from the last time we won here, it's at the start of the group stage but we've beaten a fantastic team," Solskjaer told BT Sport. 

"Last time it was a knockout and it was euphoric, this is sterile without the fans but it's still excellent and we deserved to win." 

David de Gea produced some impressive saves to keep out Angel Di Maria, Layvin Kurzawa and Kylian Mbappe, who was marshalled impressively by Axel Tuanzebe in his first appearance since December 2019. 

Tuanzebe played on the right side of a back three that included Luke Shaw, with Alex Telles handed a debut at left wing-back. 

"When you go away to a team like this against Neymar and Mbappe you have to defend well and your keeper will have to make saves," said Solskjaer. 

"We know Axel's qualities. He is a top defender and his first game in 10 months was testament to the quality he has." 

Before netting the winner to secure a 10th straight away victory for United in all competitions for the first time in their history, Rashford had struggled to execute efficiently despite being regularly released in behind the defence. 

He was twice kept out by Keylor Navas before finally finding the back of the net with the help of the base of the left post. 

Rashford said: "For me, they were both opportunities to win the game. As a striker, in the game late on, that's the mentality. You might only get one chance. It gets us the three points. 

"It's a good performance but also one where we have a lot to build on. I always believe in the team. As players it's important to believe in the system that the manager chooses to play. We did that fantastically. 

"It was tough but we kept the intensity high. We had to defend very deep at times. They have some amazing players. In the low block it can be tough but the guys on the sides – the full-backs – they defended unbelievably. When we defend like that man-to-man, we can do great things. 

"Every game requires different tactics and a different performance but what has to stay the same is the intensity. The intensity was key for us tonight. We kept going for 90 minutes. We are very happy."