Izuchukwu OkosiPrime Business Africa rounds up matches played in the UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 on Tuesday night across Europe
Kylian Mbappe was the star man on Wednesday night for Paris Saint Germain as the French billionaires defeated AC Milan 3-0 in Group F of the UEFA Champions League to climb to top of the group.
The France international of Cameroon descent opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a driven shot after ghosting past his markers with consummate ease.
Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in also got in the goals with their second half strikes to secure all three points for the French champions.
Mbappe has now scored 13 goals in 13 matches for PSG.
Milan on their part remain winless in the Champions League this season, bottom of Group F, with two points from their opening three matches.
In the other Group F game on Wednesday night, Newcastle United suffered a crushing 1-0 defeat to German Bundesliga giants Borrusia Dortmund.
The optimism that greeted Tyneside when PSG and Kylian Mbappe were sent packing in that 4-1 thrashing was replaced by a real sense of jeopardy with the loss inside a rain-sodden Saint James Park.
Edin Terzic’s side had threatened to go ahead before the decisive moment on the stroke of half-time when Felix Nmecha – who has a Nigerian father and German mother – and linked with Newcastle in the summer – steered a composed right-foot finish past Pope after fine work by Nico Schlotterbeck.
Norwegian striker scored twice in Manchester City’s 3-1 Champions League win at Young Boys on Wednesday night.
After Nigeria-born Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener for City early in the second half had been cancelled out by Meschack Elia minutes later, Haaland restored City’s lead with his first goal in six Champions League games with a penalty in the 67th minute after Mohamed Camara’s tackle on Rodri in the box.
City’s goal-scoring machine whose form dipped somewhat in recent games added a fabulous second goal when he struck the ball into the top corner in the 86th.
Haaland, who rewrote several scoring records last season, added another one on Wednesday, breaking Kylian Mbappe’s mark as the youngest player to score 37 Champions League goals.
The Norwegian striker, who is 23 years and 96 days old, did it in 33 games.
Atletico Madrid and Celtic could not be divided as they settled for a 2-2 stalemate.
Twice Celtic led, thanks to a sensational Kyogo Furuhashi opener after just four minutes, and then through a brilliant Luis Palma strike, but twice they were pinned back.
Antoine Griezmann turned in the rebound from his own saved penalty, after Joe Hart produced a good reflex move to initially lift up the Scottoah fans.
Then, after the break, Alvaro Morata who was replaced later in the second stanza, tucked away a header at the back stick from a lovely Marcos Llorente cross.
It was harsh on Celtic, but at least a late Rodrigo De Paul red card lessened the jeopardy of another last gasp sickener after the lost out to Serie A side Lazio last time out.
In Group H, Barcelona were too hot for Shakhtar Donetsk to handle as the Spanish champions maintained their perfect start to the campaign.
Former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres scored one goal and assisted another as his side held off the Ukrainians to maintain their perfect.
Torres opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a rebounded effort after Fermin Lopez hit the post. Torres then set up Lopez for Barca’s second eight minutes later.
Shakhtar’s Heorhii Sudakov scored a second-half consolation goal but the hosts held on.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Follow Us