Paris Saint-Germain progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday after beating Liverpool 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out to win an epic last-16 tie between the clubs.
Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele scores the penalty during the last 16 second leg UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
Luke Littler threw his first nine-darter of the year but the teenager’s 19-match winning run came to an end with a defeat in the semi-finals of the Players Championship Five.
The 18-year-old world champion achieved the feat in the sixth leg of his 6-5 second-round win over Adam Hunt in Leicester.
Littler then overturned a 4-0 deficit to beat Dirk van Duijvenbode by the same score, before averaging 122.96 in a 6-1 thrashing Damon Heta to reach the last four.
But his run came to end with a thrilling 7-6 semi-final loss to Gian van Veen – Littler’s first defeat since losing 6-4 to Luke Humphries in the final on night four of the Premier League last month.
Dutchman Van Veen took on Joe Cullen in the final which also went to a last-leg shootout, with the Englishman winning 8-7.
“I think this is the best win of my career, because of the adversity I have had to endure over the last year”, said Cullen, 35.
“When you’re slipping down the rankings and you’re doubting yourself, there is nothing worse in darts. I’m there for a reason, but I am doing everything I can to get myself back up those rankings”.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke says there is a 75% chance he will not renew his contract after the 2026 World Cup.
The 61-year-old has led Scotland to back-to-back European Championships and is aiming to take the national side to a first men’s World Cup since 1998.
However, with his contract due to run out after the showpiece in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Clarke was asked if he is sure this will be his final 17 months in charge.
“I’ll go on percentage – 75%”, said the former West Brom and Kilmarnock manager.
Scotland face Greece in a two-legged Nations League play-off later this month as they aim to stay in the competition’s top tier.
Then they will attempt to negotiate a World Cup qualifying group containing either Portugal or Denmark, Greece and Belarus.
Scotland missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after losing to Ukraine in a play-off and Clarke says the next 12 months will ultimately determine his future.
“If we have a fantastic year and get to the World Cup and do well at the World Cup, maybe somebody will persuade me to stay”, he explained.
“But at this moment in time, I’m happy to run my contract down.
” I want to go to America, that’s the bottom line. I want to help this group of players to get to the World Cup in America.
“I’ve still got 10 big games this year to determine my future moving forward.
After lighting up the European Championship last summer, Lamine Yamal is still finding new ways to amaze those watching him in action.
The 17-year-old wrote his name into the Champions League history books on Tuesday night, becoming the youngest player ever to score and assist in the competition as he helped Barcelona beat Benfica to reach the quarter-finals.
This season he has contributed to 28 goals, and is approaching 60 goal contributions for club and country.
And just to emphasise – he is only 17.
The teenager plays with a confidence that belies his years, exemplified by the quality of his assist and goal against Benfica.
Following a mazy run towards the visitors ‘ box, he flicked a brilliant ball through the defence to find Raphinha at the far post to volley in.
Then it was his turn to get on the scoresheet, and he did so in spectacular fashion. With space on the edge of the box, Yamal effortlessly whipped a brilliant strike beyond the reach of the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
“His goal was spectacular”, said team-mate Raphinha.
“It shows what Lamine is – he’s a spectacular player with tremendous quality”.
Barcelona beat Benfica 3-1 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate to go through to the last eight, where they will face either Borussia Dortmund or Lille.
“Lamine hadn’t scored for a long time, six games and over a month, so he’s happy because it was a very important goal for us, a brilliant effort”, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said.
‘ Rooney was out of this world – this kid is unbelievable ‘
Before Barcelona’s last-16 second-leg against Benfica, former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves likened Yamal’s emergence to that of a teenage Wayne Rooney, who burst on to the scene with Everton aged 16.
Rooney went on to become Manchester United’s all-time top scorer and also led the scoring charts for England, until he was surpassed by Harry Kane.
“I’ve never seen a 17-year-old that consistent”, Hargreaves said on TNT Sports.
“You see players have flashes. I think back to seeing Wayne Rooney and thought he was out of this world, but this kid is just unbelievable.
” He scores goals, creates goals, and he makes it look incredibly easy. The best 17-year-old I’ve seen. “
Yamal played 50 games for Barcelona last season and has made 36 appearances this term, showing he is an integral player for the club already.
But former Liverpool and England winger Steve McManaman warned against burning him out at a young age.
He said:” You just have to be careful because we saw it with Pedri, playing a lot, saw it with Ansu Fati, Gavi, and they had horrific injuries from then on between the ages of 18 to 20 and it really affected them.
“I think he’s at the right place because Barcelona are used to nurturing players. My only concern is injuries. I hope I’m not talking in a year’s time saying he’s got a bad injury, because that has happened at Barcelona.
Harry Kane scored a goal and set up another as Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, going through to the Champions League quarter-finals 5-0 on aggregate.
Bayern were comfortable against last season’s unbeaten German champions, having already done the damage with a dominant 3-0 win at home in the first leg.
With the match scoreless at half-time, Leverkusen rolled the dice in search of the goals they needed but it was Bayern who struck, with Kane waltzing through to tap in a Joshua Kimmich cross early in the second period.
With Leverkusen again pushing forward, the visitors added a second in the 71st minute, Alphonso Davies slamming a clever Kane chip low and hard to double Bayern’s lead.
Kane, so often criticised for going missing in big games and scoring against the minnows, was again commanding, as he had been when scoring a brace in Munich.
The England captain showed finesse and physicality as he kept Bayern on track for a dream home final and a chance to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 Champions League final loss to Chelsea.
Leverkusen showed spirit despite missing pivotal midfielder Florian Wirtz, but the scale of the task was too high.
Eight points behind Bayern in the league, Xabi Alonso’s likely last remaining chance for silverware this season is the German Cup, where Leverkusen are through to the final four.
A month after dominating the same opponents at the same venue but somehow failing to break through, Leverkusen hosted Bayern in drastically different circumstances.
Put to the sword in Munich in perhaps the poorest performance of Alonso’s 30-month reign six days earlier, Leverkusen needed to turn the tables on Bayern while lacking the injured Wirtz, their best player.
After criticism for his team selections in Munich, omitting in-form striker Patrik Schick and putting usual back-up goalkeeper Matej Kovar in goal, Alonso named the Czech up front and put captain Lukas Hradecky back between the sticks.
READ ALSO: Inter Milan Cruise Into Champions League Quarter-Finals
Bayern Munich’s South Korean defender #03 Kim , Min-Jae (L) and Bayern Munich’s French defender #02 Dayot Upamecano (2nd L) celebrate as Bayer Leverkusen’s Nigerian forward #22 Victor Boniface (R) and Bayer Leverkusen’s Czech forward #14 Patrik Schick (2nd R) reactthe UEFA Champions League last 16, second leg, football match between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in Leverkusen, western Germany on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
Bayern’s Vincent Kompany made only one change, with rookie goalie Jonas Urbig replacing injured veteran Manuel Neuer.
Kane signalled Bayern’s intent early, forcing Hradecky into acrobatic saves twice in the opening 15 minutes.
Leverkusen lacked Wirtz and a little fluidity but remained ambitious, with an animated Alonso repeatedly urging them forward from the sideline.
Schick, given a total of just 11 minutes in Leverkusen’s two previous matches, headed inches wide with 38 minutes gone, the hosts ‘ best chance of the opening half.
The second half brought more necessary risk for Leverkusen and Bayern sensed the blood in the water.
With 52 minutes gone, Kane got on the end of Kimmich’s lofted pass to kill off any remaining Leverkusen hope.
Kane then set up Davies to score inside the final 20 minutes, putting Bayern into the last eight and keeping his own personal quest for a team trophy alive on the biggest club football stage of all.
Inter Milan strolled into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday after seeing off Feyenoord 2-1 to go through 4-1 on aggregate.
A thumping early strike from Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty gave Inter comfortable passage to the last eight, where the Italian champions will face a blockbuster clash with Bayern Munich.
Feyenoord’s deepest run in Europe’s top club competition in decades ended with a whimper although the away side did briefly look like making a game of it when Jakub Moder rattled in a penalty three minutes before the break.
Hosts Inter could have easily won by more after missing a clutch of good chances, with Thuram drilling a great opportunity against the bar moments before being substituted to rapturous applause with 19 minutes remaining.
READ ALSO: Bayern Down Leverkusen To Reach Champions League Quarters
Inter Milan’s French forward #09 Marcus Thuram kicks the ball during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP)
Inter were already comfortably ahead from their dominant first leg display in Rotterdam but Thuram made sure there would be no nasty surprises in the eighth minute.
The France forward received a ball from Carlos Augusto on the left flank and then charged towards goal, cutting inside onto his right foot and unleashing a ferocious shot against which Timon Wellenreuther could do nothing to stop.
That goal made it near impossible for Feyenoord, now led by former Netherlands striker Robin van Persie whose team showed willing even with 11 players out of action through injury or suspension.
Inter Milan’s Turkish midfielder #20 Hakan Calhanoglu (2nd L) celebrates with teammates after scoring a penalty kick for his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Inter Milan and Feyenoord Rotterdam at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP)
Up to Thuram’s opener Simone Inzaghi’s 200th game as Inter coach had been played in near silence bar sporadic chanting from the 5, 000 away supporters, as home fans stayed silent for the first 20 minutes in protest at the increasing cost of tickets for home matches.
Inzaghi, himself hit with a series of important absences including Italy wing-back Federico Dimarco, also rested star striker Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni with a huge match at Serie A title rivals Atalanta coming up at the weekend.
It was one of Inzaghi’s regulars in Calhanoglu who gave Feyenoord a lifeline in the 38th minute when he bundled into Moder to hand the Poland midfielder a chance to level the scores on the night.
However Calhanoglu redeemed himself five minutes after the break by confidently stroking home from the spot after what looked like a soft foul on Mehdi Taremi by Thomas Beelen.
Calhanoglu’s ninth goal of the season made it party time in the stands and gave Inter a truly high-profile tie with Bayern which will bring back memories of the 2010 treble, the last time an Italian team won the Champions League.
