Folarin Balogun scored two goals in a lightning-fast manner for Monaco in a loss to Paris Saint-Germain, while Weston McKennie notched an assist as Galatasaray humbled Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs.
Monaco 2-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Monaco came out on all cylinders early, but surrendered to the reigning European champions as PSG came away with the advantage at Stade Louis II.
Folarin Balogun started and played 83 minutes for Les Rouges et Blanc, taking three shots.
The hosts opened the scoring less than a minute into the contest when Aleksandr Golovin’s cross from the left side of the 18-yard box allowed the unmarked Balogun to head the ball into the goal. The American forward doubled their lead in the 18th minute when he played a one-two pass with teammate Maghnes Akliouche, leaving him to run on to the through ball and slot it home.
That advantage was halved before the half-hour mark when PSG’s Desire Doue struck from just inside the area. Achraf Hakimi levelled the score in the 41st minute when he recovered a blocked shot from Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Kohn to put the ball in the right-hand side of the goal.
Monaco was put a man down just minutes into the second half through Golovin’s red card, and PSG made them pay when Doue scored the eventual game-winner in the 66th minute.
The Principality side will try to reverse the score next week as they head to Parc des Princes.
Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus
Juventus will need to overcome a huge deficit next week, as it was hit hard by Galatasaray at Rams Park.
Weston McKennie started and played the full 90 minutes for I Bianconeri, completing 81 percent passing and making a key pass, as he was played in the center forward role.
Gala opened the scoring in the 15th minute when poor defending allowed Gabriel Sara to recover the loose ball in the 18-yard box to put it in the back of the net. Juventus responded seconds later when Teun Koopmeiners was on the spot to put away a blocked shot from Pierre Kalulu.
The visitors took the lead in the 32nd minute when McKennie threaded a pass to the Dutchman to deliver a shot past the Galatasaray goalkeeper.
The hosts cranked up their intensity in the second half when they found the equalizer in the 49th minute. Noa Lang was on the spot to put back the blocked save from goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. Davinson Sanchez led his team to retake the lead on the hour mark when his glancing header from Sara’s free kick found the goal.
Juventus went a man down in the 67th minute when the referee issued a second yellow card to Juan Cabal for a poor challenge.
Gala punished their opponents in the 75th minute when Juventus fumbled passing the ball in the back, allowing Victor Osimhen take possession and give it to Lang to score from close range.
Sacha Boey scored the hosts’ fifth goal of the night to leave McKennie and Juventus a lot to prepare for their clash at Allianz Stadium next week.
Notes
For other Americans in the Champions League, Malik Tillman came on to play 26 minutes for Bayer Leverkusen in their 2-0 win over Olympiacos.
Johnny Cardoso played in stoppage time for Atletico Madrid as their game with Club Brugge ended in a 3-3 tie.
Yunus Musah was an unused substitute in Atalanta’s 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
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