Vitinha proved decisive for PSG again (Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain 5-2 Chelsea
Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain took a huge step towards the quarter finals on Wednesday evening with a convincing victory over English side Chelsea at the Parc des Princes.
Substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia proved the decisive factor, coming off the bench in the second half with the score at 2-2 and providing a goal plus two assists. However, the Portuguese contingent on the pitch across both teams also shone on what was a fantastic evening of football in the French capital.
The hosts started strongly and were ahead inside ten minutes through Bradley Barcola. Ousmane Dembele’s cross from the right was brilliantly cushioned down by João Neves with his head to find Barcola, who struck a vicious shot which flew into the top corner. With the assist Neves, who was excellent on the night, recorded his first goal involvement of 2026.
Chelsea responded well, which made for a thrilling encounter. The Blues’ equaliser perhaps exposed a lapse in positioning by Nuno Mendes, who either by decision or instruction vacated his left-back slot to cover inside, leaving Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto in far too much space after a switch to level things up at 1-1 on 28 minutes.
Neto shines, Vitinha class makes the difference
Désiré Doué put PSG back in front before the break, but Chelsea’s second equaliser demonstrated the very best of Pedro Neto. The former Braga man escaped the attention of PSG defenders on the left side to drive forward, before cutting the ball back for ex-Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez to convert (57’) and make it 2-2.
Chelsea looked strong in the second period, but a poor mistake by goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen helped turn the match back in PSG’s favour 15 minutes after Fernandez’s goal. The Dane’s slack pass was intercepted by Barcola and Kvaratskhelia found Vitinha, who showed incredible composure to carefully lob the ball over Jörgensen to put PSG 3-2 up.
Kvaratskhelia then took centre stage, scoring twice in the closing stages to give the reigning European champions a commanding lead to take to Stamford Bridge. The Georgian’s first was inspired, cutting in from the right and letting fly with an unstoppable strike across Jörgensen, before turning home Achraf Hakimi’s cross from close range in the dying seconds.
This week’s Champions League ties have seen some emphatic statements of intent from major clubs. With Real Madrid beating Manchester City 3-0 in Spain and Bayern Munich crushing Atalanta 6-1 away from home, PSG and their Portuguese contingent of Mendes, Neves, Vitinha and Gonçalo Ramos have laid down their own marker ahead of the latter stages.
Jardim already has his first trophy with Flamengo (Getty Images)
Leonardo Jardim won his first trophy as new manager of Flamengo just three days after being appointed, lifting the Campeonato Carioca in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
Mengão defeated bitter rivals Fluminense 5-4 on penalties in front of over 69,000 people after a 0-0 draw at Maracanã Stadium, making it a remarkable debut on the Flamengo bench for Jardim following an unexpected return to Brazilian football.
It has been a rollercoaster week for Flamengo, with their sacking of previous manager Filipe Luís making worldwide news given the perceived harshness of the decision. Luís departed last week despite guiding the club to a Brazilian league and South American Copa Libertadores double last term.
A former player of Flamengo, Luís was surprisingly given his marching orders after an 8-0 victory over Madureira booked their place in Sunday’s final. Rumblings of discontent between the club and Luís over contractual matters had been present for some time, but the official line pointed to defeats in the Brazilian Supercup to Corinthians and the South American Supercup to Lanus last month.
Having been thrust into the most awkward of introductions to a stunned squad of players on Thursday, Jardim set about preparing for Sunday’s match. The former Sporting and Monaco coached had vowed not to coach in Brazil again after leaving Cruzeiro in December at the end of a strong campaign, but the appeal of Flamengo proved enough to temp him back from his residence in Monte Carlo.
“First of all, it's a great satisfaction to be here and to make my Fla-Flu debut,” Jardim said after clinching Flamengo’s 40th Carioca title. “Many years ago, I came to see a Fla-Flu at the old Maracanã and it was extraordinary.
"It's great to win a title in Brazil, something that hadn't happened to me in my career before. I'm in my second year here. But whoever coaches Flamengo is closer to winning titles.
“I want to thank the staff for all the support they gave me these past five days, the players' attitude, for believing in the idea. And also, a big hug to Filipe (Luís), because he built this team, even though he left.”
Tentative early steps
There is little doubt Jardim faces a huge task in his new surroundings, made clear when the Flamengo fans sung Filipe Luís’ name during the trophy celebrations. Not only did Luís enjoy a strong bond and memories with his players, some of whom were ex-teammates, there was a perception that the former full-back was a skilled man-manager whose laid-back approach to communication was popular with the squad.
Indeed, some reports indicate the appeal of Jardim to sections of the Flamengo board is his reputation as a more hard-lined stern hand, deemed appropriate following the slip-ups in recent cup finals. The Carioca Championship was considered the least important of three early-season trophies, but after the defeats to Corinthians and Lanus, Sunday’s final was deemed a must-win for Jardim less than a week into the job.
According to reports, the Portuguese has been clear in treading carefully in his approach given the delicate nature of the situation at the club. Numerous players expressed dismay at Luís’ departure, with defender Léo Ortiz admitting, “the treatment of a club idol was disappointing” and that there “have been failures” in how the situation was handled.
However, Ortiz joined several others in making positive observations about the appointment of Jardim. “We lost a great coach, but we gained another great one, a winning guy who comes to contribute and help us win," Ortiz said. Star striker Bruno Henrique added: “Jardim is a guy who came in and talked to everyone, he emphasised the importance of everyone being able to work well. He's a very high-level guy, and we hope we can help him win more.”
Tactical issues ahead?
One aspect sure to intrigue observers will be the game model employed by Jardim, whose success in leading Cruzeiro last term was based on a familiar pattern of his teams utilising counter attacks as the main weapon. Sunday’s stalemate against Fluminense saw Flamengo use a more measured approach than is usually desired by Brazil’s most popular club, with less focus on build-up and a more direct method of attacking.
“Regarding the defense, the most important thing is to win, but we like to have a balanced team,” Jardim insisted. “In analysing the last few games, I noticed some transitions where they scored goals and created dangerous situations; today we managed to be more compact. We have a lot to improve as a team.
"Because we're just starting out and need to play every three days, I told the players I wanted us to be focused and together in this initial phase. It's necessary for me to get to know the group and for them to get to know me, to define a strategy. It's different from Filipe's, where everyone knew the strategy and the training. The players have embraced it and we're focusing mainly on this series of games every three days.
“In four days, I had great collaboration from all the Flamengo staff and from the players, who were totally engaged. We certainly brought a lot of what Filipe had done. In this game, I tried to ensure we could better neutralise Fluminense, especially compared recent games where they managed many shots. We were consistent defensively. In the offensive phase, we still had difficulties. I'm happy with the team. They played like Flamengo, with attitude and commitment.”
The Flamengo board, led by under-pressure Portuguese sporting director José Boto, are understandably keen to move on. Having confirmed that medals from Sunday’s triumph will be dispatched to Filipe Luís and his staff, the club are focused on resuming league duties in the defence of their Campeonato Brasileiro title, with the new campaign underway earlier than usual ahead of the World Cup.
As fate would have it, Jardim’s first league match in charge sees him take on his former club Cruzeiro, whom he left in December having routinely complained about the Brazilian schedule and ruling out future jobs in the country. Cruzeiro’s 3rd place finish in 2025 was considered a success given they ended the previous term in 9th, but Jardim’s former club can expect no favours on Thursday at the Maracanã.
“It will be a normal preparation, tomorrow we have to recover our players and then, in strategic terms, prepare a competitive team that can control the game at home.
“On the other side, there's an excellent Cruzeiro team; last year they achieved good results against Flamengo, and I hope to change that.”
Castro already has his first trophy (Getty Images)
The State Championships in Brazil have yielded great success for Portuguese managers in 2026 with three major regional titles lifted by Luso coaches at some of the country’s biggest clubs, headlined by current powerhouses Flamengo and Palmeiras enjoying glory under Leonardo Jardim and Abel Ferreira respectively.
For Rio Grande do Sul giants Grêmio, victory over fierce rivals Internacional may have been predicted by many neutrals given it earned an 8th title in the last 10 years, but the achievement is certainly not taken for granted. With a 44th Gauchão triumph, Grêmio closed the gap on the all-time leaderboard between themselves and Inter, who remain ahead on 46.
The trophy is early reward for new coach Luís Castro, who took charge in December and has battled a short pre-season and the tough schedule of the state championships continuing amid the start of the Brazilian league season, which began early this year due to the upcoming World Cup.
The damage in the two-legged final was done in the first meeting, where Grêmio dispatched their rivals 3-0 in the home clash. An early red card issued to Inter’s Alexandro Bernabei for a last-man foul shaped the match, after which Grêmio went ahead through a great strike by Jose Enamorado and a second by forward Amazu. After the break, ex-Benfica man Carlos Vinicius forced an own goal by Victor Gabriel to give Grêmio a commanding advantage in the tie.
Inter began the second leg at Beira-Rio stadium with a lot of intent, but wasted chances early in the showdown were followed by a penalty overturned by VAR which seemed to deflate the home crowd. Grêmio then took the lead on the stroke of half time through young defender Gustavo Martins, which rendered a second-half penalty by Alan Patrick inconsequential in a 4-1 aggregate socreline.
“The great partnership in our lives: one hand on the work, the other on victories,” Castro said after the match. “If we can go that way, we'll be balanced. Without victories, we can't make progress. Validation through victories is extremely important. Players look to competitive matches to validate what we do.
“The players were the main actors in what we achieved. Then there's the fans, who have always supported us a lot and throughout the whole season have been an unconditional support. This has made us very happy because with them we are clearly stronger and they are the heart of the stadium, and that heart beats very strongly for us to experience situations like the ones we experienced today.”
Watch: the Grêmio players made sure Castro celebrated properly:
BANHO DE CAMPEÃO!!
Mister Luís Castro recebeu o tradicional banho dos jogadores na coletiva e interrompeu a entrevista.
The meeting between the clubs was not without plenty of hostilities. Some believe the derby dubbed Gre-Nal is the most hotly-contested in Brazilian football, but a directive agreed beforehand for Inter players to receive their runners-up medals in the dressing room rather than take part in the crowning ceremony did not sit well with Castro.
"I've never been in a final where the opponent didn't receive a medal,” he said. “It was the first time in my life that I've been in a final where the opponent didn't receive a medal. It was an organisational failure; they should have had medals.
“When we lost here (in the first phase of Gauchão), I congratulated our rival, they were better, we deserved to lose. I put my opinion aside, left, and went to think about why I lost the Gre-Nal.”
Praise for Castro
The appointment of Castro by the Grêmio board saw him return to Brazil for a second time, having previously coached Botafogo. Castro’s work in Rio de Janeiro was impressive; the former Porto man was on-course to win the national championship with Botafogo until he was tempted away mid-season by Al Nassr, where he linked up with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now back in the country, Castro received praise from major news company Globo for his work in delivering an early trophy with his new club. The outlet points to several aspects of the success which they say means “Grêmio's 44th Gaucho championship title had a Portuguese flavour”.
Firstly, Castro is complimented for the fact that despite a commanding lead for much of the tie, he “at no point resorted to unsportsmanlike conduct or abandon the attacking approach” while also praising wider aspects of his management. The 64-year-old is further commended for adapting to setbacks, taking responsibility to make changes, trusting young players and being consistent with a dominant play style.
Attention will quickly shift to the league campaign, where Grêmio have won two and lost two of their opening four matches, leaving them in 8th position. Castro’s side host Bragantino on Saturday at Arena do Grêmio.
Rodrigo Gomes scored for the second match running as the Premier League’s bottom-placed team Wolverhampton Wanderers recorded a shock victory over champions Liverpool at the Molineux.
Gomes, who struck against Aston Villa last Friday, put the hosts 1-0 ahead in a frantic end to the match on 78 minutes. Mohamed Salah equalised for Liverpool just five minutes later, but as the Reds chased a winner, Wolves were able to counter and score a 94th-minute winner through tireless Brazilian midfielder Andre.
Rodrigo’s goal was the pick of the bunch, however, with the former Braga mad showing good pace to get in behind the Liverpool backline before beating Allison with a beautiful poked finish with the outside of his right boot. After a season disrupted by a groin injury, Gomes was beaming during his post-match interview.
“Amazing game, amazing night,” Gomes told TNT Sports on the pitch just moments after the final whistle. “Winning two games in a row here, under the lights with our fans was just unbelievable. The ambience was unbelievable, I’m very, very happy.
“We’ve found something? Yeah that’s true. It may be a little late, but we need to keep going, keep the momentum. We’re playing good, we’re doing beautiful things so we need to keep going, keep believing in ourselves, giving everything until the last minute and winning games.
“[The goal] was a very good moment, I’m very happy. Scoring here in a big game, was very good and I’m very happy. It was a good finish, difficult because I had them on my back. But I shot and I scored so I’m very happy.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had a groin injury, but now I’m feeling very good, I’m feeling sharp, feeling good. So that’s very good.”
Back-to-back victories over Villa and Liverpool have massively boosted morale at Molineux, but chances of survival remain slim with Wolves 11 points adrift of Nottingham Forest in 17th having played two more matches.
There were some stunning goals scored by Portuguese this weekend across Europe, including in some of the continent’s lesser-covered leagues. From star names Bruno Fernandes and Rafael Leão scoring for Manchester United and Milan respectively, to Chico Conceição’s outrageous half-volley for Juventus and Youssef Chermiti’s brace in the Old Firm, there were also exceptional and vital strikes in Romani and Greece
We round up the best of the action.
Youssef Chermiti (Rangers)
The former Sporting man continued to enhance his reputation as a big-game player in Scotland with an impressive brace in Ranger’s 2-2 draw against fierce rivals Celtic in the Old Firm derby. Chermiti’s overhead kick to open the scoring was particularly eye-catching.
The draw between the two Glasgow giants allowed surprise Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts to open up a six-point gap at the top. They did so thanks to a 1-0 victory over Aberdeen the previous day, given to them by another goal from Portuguese sensation Cláudio Braga.
Un nouveau but pour le Portugais Claudio Braga, son 15è cette saison.
Ce but de la victoire contre Aberdeen (1-0) permet à Hearts de conforter sa place en tête du championnat écossais. 🏴👏🏻pic.twitter.com/Iu4KobcVn8
Chico Conceição’s stunning half-volley in Juventus’ 3-3 draw with Roma on Sunday has been posted constantly on social media across the last 24 hours. Conceição himself admitted his brothers sent him videos of the goal for him to watch upon returning to the dressing room.
AC Milan remain nicely-positioned in 2nd place in Serie A thanks to a 2-0 win at Cremonese this weekend. The Rossoneri left it late, opening the scoring in the final minute through Strahinja Pavlovic, before Leão sealed the victory with a simple tap-in on the counter attack for his 9th league goal of the campaign.
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
The United skipper was pivotal as the Red Devils came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday and move up to 3rd place in the Premier League. Fernandes levelled the match at 1-1 with a penalty, before setting up Benjamin Sesko’s winner at Old Trafford with a superb cross from the right flank.
Fábio Vieira (Hamburg)
Fábio Vieira is enjoying an increasing influence in Germany with Hamburg, where his goal in the weekend defeat to RB Leipzig means the Portuguese now has four goal involvements in his last five matches. Vieira, who is on-loan from Arsenal, has struck an impressive three goals and registered an assist in his last handful of outings.
Rodrigo Gomes (Wolves)
A nice moment for Rodrigo Gomes on Friday night as the 22-year-old scored his first Premier League goal since August. Bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers recorded just their second victory of the campaign by beating high-flying Aston Villa 2-0 at Molineux, with Gomes coming off the bench and immediately securing the victory in stoppage time.
Much like Fábio Vieira, 20-year-old former Sporting forward Rodrigo Ribeiro is another Portuguese enjoying himself in the German Bundesliga. Ribeiro scored in Augsburg’s 2-0 win over Koln on Friday with a cheeky backheel, making it goals in back-to-back matches from his first two starts for the club.
Rodrigo Ribeiro foi titular e marcou na vitória do Augsburg frente ao Colónia (2-0).
The Bundesliga goals did not stop there. France-born former Portugal youth international Mathias Pereira Lage is off the mark for St Pauli after his winning goal ensured a 1-0 victory at Hoffenheim. Pereira Lage has been a regular starter all season, but his first Bundesliga goal was a massive boost to the team’s hopes of avoiding relegation.
Danilo Pereira (Al Ittihad)
Veteran midfielder Danilo Pereira stepped up at a crucial moment for Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia this weekend. Danilo’s goal at the near post gave Sérgio Conceição’s side a 1-0 win over Al Khaleej,
Perhaps the most dramatic goal of the weekend saw former Portimonense and Vitória Guimarães defender Filipe Relvas earn Greek title-chasers AEK Athens a point with practically the last kick of the game. AEK trailed Volos 2-1 right at the end of 7 minutes of added time, when Relvas connected with a vicious shot from the edge of the box which flew into the top corner, keeping AEK level on points with Olympiacos at the top of the Super League.
Another former Portimonense man, Ricardo Matos, was the hero for Arges in Romania with the only goal in their 1-0 win at giants Dinamo Bucharest. 25-year-old forward Matos struck a fantastic shot from outside the box which found the top corner on 74 minutes, giving his side a precious win in the capital.
Fábio Martins (Al Hazem)
Arguably the most unique goal of the bunch came through Fábio Martins, who is a veteran of the Saudi Pro League. Martins has been in the Middle East for almost six years now, mostly in Saudi Arabia at various clubs, but his cheeky lobbed header over the stranded opposition goalkeeper for Al Hazeem in their 3-1 win over Al-Ettifaq is surely unlike any he has scored so far.
