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16-year-old Mathis Albert just broke a Bundesliga record. Beware the US soccer hype machine

American soccer will have truly progressed when cases like the Dortmund teenager’s are common enough to be unremarkable

There’s something about a 16-year-old making his debut among fully grown senior professionals that makes him look like a fawn. A scrawny, wobbly baby deer, the function of his arms and legs not yet figured out, jogging on to the pitch in a kit and shin guards that always seem a few sizes too big, like a boy wearing his dad’s suit.

So, too, appeared Mathis Albert when coming on in the 89th minute of Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 romp over Freiburg on Sunday, which secured the team a place in next year’s Champions League.

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© Photograph: Ralf Ibing/firo sportphoto/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ralf Ibing/firo sportphoto/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ralf Ibing/firo sportphoto/Getty Images

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European football: Inter fritter away two-goal lead; goalkeepers sent off for fighting in Spain

  • Nikola Vlasic scores Torino equaliser in 2-2 draw

  • Dortmund seal Champions League spot with 4-0 win

Champions-elect Inter were held to a 2-2 draw at Torino on Sunday, with the Serie A leaders letting slip a two-goal lead and leaving the title race ticking over with four rounds left.

Inter appeared to be cruising after Marcus Thuram put them in front in the 23rd minute and Yann Bisseck doubled their lead 16 minutes after the break with another header but Torino clawed their way back into the game.

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© Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters

© Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters

© Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters

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European football: History-maker Eta’s first Union Berlin game ends in defeat

  • Female coach’s Bundesliga side lose 2-1 to Wolfsburg

  • Milan’s Allegri not interested in vacant Italy job

Marie-Louise Eta’s landmark first match as interim head coach of Union Berlin ended in a 2-1 Bundesliga defeat at home to relegation-threatened Wolfsburg.

The 34-year-old Eta made history on Saturday when she became the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of the top five European leagues. Union Berlin, who turned to Eta for the rest of the season after sacking Steffen Baumgart last weekend, fell behind to an 11th-minute goal from Patrick Wimmer.

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© Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

© Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

© Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

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European football: Bayern break Bundesliga goals record and close on title

  • Goretzka hits leaders’ 102nd goal in 5-0 win at St Pauli

  • Ferran Torres double helps Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-1

Bayern Munich crushed hosts St Pauli 5-0 in the Bundesliga to set an all-time season scoring record while also extending their lead at the top to 12 points with five games left to play.

The Bavarian club, who host Real Madrid on Wednesday in their Champions League quarter-final second leg after their 2-1 win in Spain, are within touching distance of the league title on 76 points, with second-placed Borussia Dortmund stuck on 64 after their 1-0 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen.

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© Photograph: Fabian Bimmer/Reuters

© Photograph: Fabian Bimmer/Reuters

© Photograph: Fabian Bimmer/Reuters

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European football: Bayern Munich hammer Union Berlin to close on records

  • Bundesliga leaders reach 97 goals with Kane scoring 31

  • PSG return to Ligue 1 summit, Juve held by Sassuolo

Bayern Munich scored three times in seven minutes to cruise past Union Berlin 4-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to stay clear at the top while edging closer to an all-time club scoring record.

The Bavarian club, chasing three trophies and fresh from their midweek Champions League quarter-final qualification with a 10-2 aggregate win over Atalanta, are nine points clear at the top.

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© Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

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European football: Lamine Yamal restores Barcelona lead at top with winner at Athletic Bilbao

  • Teenager’s goal edges champions to 1-0 victory

  • Borussia Dortmund overcome Cologne 2-1

Lamine Yamal’s superbly taken goal earned Barcelona a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in La Liga. The champions restored their four-point lead on second-placed Real Madrid, who had temporarily closed the gap by beating Celta Vigo on Friday.

Yamal curled into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the sides at Athletic’s San Mamés stadium in a hard-fought clash.

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© Photograph: Vincent West/Reuters

© Photograph: Vincent West/Reuters

© Photograph: Vincent West/Reuters

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Kane and Bayern effectively end Dortmund’s season in cracking Klassiker | Andy Brassell

Hosts thought they had salvaged an unlikely draw, but title and multiple records now loom for Vincent Kompany’s side

It is not and will not be about the individual records. At least that is what Vincent Kompany has said on more than one occasion and will continue to say, despite Der Klassiker delivering the decisive blow in what was never really a Bundesliga title race on the final day of February. However, in the context of the league campaign, outside the bubble of what was a satisfying spectacle in a standalone sense, there may be little more to say.

Much as Kompany insisted that “prizes are awarded at the end of a season, not in February”, none of the 80,000 fans in Signal Iduna Park or those beyond needed any telling what this all meant. Joshua Kimmich’s beautifully taken late winner, snuffing out a late Borussia Dortmund comeback, gave Bayern Munich a 3-2 victory in an oscillating thriller and extended their lead at the top to 11 points, with 10 games to go. Game, set and match, even if Bayern’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen resisted an attempt by the presenters of Bild Sport to ply him with a glass of championship champagne on Sunday.

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© Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

© Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

© Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

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European football: Kane double helps Bayern Munich sink Borussia Dortmund

  • England captain scores twice in 3-2 win in Der Klassiker

  • Lamine Yamal fires hat-trick in Barça win over Villarreal

Harry Kane scored twice again and Bayern Munich opened an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga with a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker on Saturday.

Joshua Kimmich let fly with his left boot to score the winner with a volley in the 87th minute, just four minutes after Daniel Svensson equalised for Dortmund with a brilliant volley inside the left post. Nico Schlotterbeck put Dortmund 1-0 up at the break, but Serge Gnabry set up Kane’s response and the England captain got his second from the penalty spot – after a foul by Schlotterbeck on Josip Stanisic – to take his league tally to 30 goals this season.

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© Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

© Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

© Photograph: Friedemann Vogel/EPA

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Champions League roundup: Atalanta oust Dortmund, Galatasaray thwart Juventus fightback

  • Serie A side win 4-3 on aggregate after 4-1 victory

  • Istanbul giants fend off 10-man Juve in extra time

Lazar Samardzic slotted home a stoppage-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sending the Italian side into the Champions League’s last 16 with a comeback 4-3 aggregate triumph.

Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area and Samardzic converted the spot kick in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16, with the draw on Friday.

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© Photograph: Michele Maraviglia/EPA

© Photograph: Michele Maraviglia/EPA

© Photograph: Michele Maraviglia/EPA

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European football: Osasuna stun Real, Kane edges Bayern past Frankfurt

  • Raúl García’s 90th-minute winner sinks Real Madrid

  • Bayern go eight points clear at top; PSG return to Ligue 1 summit

Raúl García’s superb 90th-minute strike consigned La Liga leaders Real Madrid to a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday.

Champions Barcelona trail Madrid by two points but can overtake them on Sunday if they beat Levante at Camp Nou.

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© Photograph: Jesús Diges/EPA

© Photograph: Jesús Diges/EPA

© Photograph: Jesús Diges/EPA

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Champions League roundup: PSG recover from terrible start to edge Monaco

  • Désiré Doué helps Paris side fight back for 3-2 first-leg win

  • Galatasaray stun 10-man Juve; Dortmund beat Atalanta

The Champions League holders, Paris Saint-Germain, overcame a terrible start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 in the first leg of their playoff tie. Désiré Doué came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for the hosts.

The 20-year-old Doué replaced the Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembélé, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals and set up one for Achraf Hakimi.

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© Photograph: Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/Shutterstock

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European football: Jacquet sustains ‘serious’ injury days after agreeing Liverpool deal

  • 20-year-old Rennes defender fell awkwardly on shoulder

  • Barcelona outclass Mallorca; Højlund stars for Napoli

Liverpool’s new summer signing Jérémy Jacquet has sustained a “serious” shoulder injury, according to Rennes head coach Habib Beye. The 20-year-old fell awkwardly in the second half of a 3-1 defeat by Lens in Ligue 1 and appeared in agony as he left the pitch.

“For Jérémy, it’s his shoulder, and for Abdelhamid [Ait Boudlal, the other Rennes player injured] it’s muscular,” Beye said in his post-match interview. “We’ll have time to see, but it’s definitely quite serious for both of them.”

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© Photograph: @Ligue1/X

© Photograph: @Ligue1/X

© Photograph: @Ligue1/X

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European football: Mbappé wins it late for Real Madrid after Bellingham limps off

  • Bellingham out for month with hamstring injury

  • PSG return to top of Ligue 1 despite Hakimi red card

Kylian Mbappé stayed calm to roll home a 100th-minute penalty and secure for Real Madrid a 2-1 win over nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in a spicy La Liga derby. Los Blancos’ victory cut Barcelona’s lead back to one point at the top of the table after the Spanish champions beat Elche on Saturday.

Vinícius Júnior scored early on for Madrid after Jude Bellingham limped off with an apparent hamstring injury. Jorge de Frutos pulled Rayo level early in the second half, prompting visible anger from the Madrid fans at their team. Frustration was averted when Mbappé netted from the spot following Pathé Ciss’s red card at the death. Rayo also had Pep Chavarría sent off before the final whistle.

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© Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters

© Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters

© Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters

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European football: Augsburg fight back to end Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run

  • Massengo and Chaves strike late in Bavarian derby

  • Mbappé sends Real Madrid top; Nwaneri scores on debut

Strugglers Augsburg scored twice in six minutes late in the second half to come from a goal down and stun hosts Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Bavarian derby on Saturday, the league leaders’ first Bundesliga loss of the season.

The hosts, fresh from securing a Champions League knockout spot with Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, took a 23rd-minute lead thanks to Hiroki Ito’s header but lacked any spark up front as Augsburg struck in the 75th and 81st minutes through Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo to earn their first win in Munich for 11 years.

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© Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

© Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

© Photograph: Ronald Wittek/EPA

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Solanke leads Tottenham past 10-man Dortmund to offer relief for Frank

It was a contender for shock result of the season. Nobody had given Tottenham any hope after the Premier League disaster here against West Ham on Saturday, one which came coated in vitriol for Thomas Frank. The fans had demanded his immediate removal as the manager, only for him to stagger on.

The execution was stayed. But here were Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga’s second-placed team, who had lost only three games all season, to apply the final cut.

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund: Champions League – live

⚽ Champions League updates | Clockwatch live
⚽ Live scores | Table | Follow us over on Bluesky

The only player on a yellow card is the Spurs substitute Randal Kolo Muani.

The players emerge from the tunnel. It’s hard to make out the atmosphere because the Champions League music is blaring out around the ground.

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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European football: Real Madrid relieve pressure on Xabi Alonso with crucial win at Alavés

  • Rodrygo keeps Real within four points of Barça at top

  • Inter win 2-1 at Genoa, as Milan draw and Napoli lose

Rodrygo secured a crucial 2-1 victory for Real Madrid at Alavés in La Liga, ending a dismal run of form and keeping them within four points of the leaders, Barcelona.

Real, under pressure after two successive defeats in all competitions, broke the deadlock through Kylian Mbappé’s stunning first-half strike. However, a resilient Alavés levelled in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente. The visitors restored their lead eight minutes later, courtesy of a counterattack led by Vinícius Júnior, whose assist was converted by Rodrygo.

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© Photograph: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

© Photograph: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

© Photograph: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

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Champions League: Mourinho’s Benfica swat aside Napoli while PSG draw blank

  • Ajax win 4-2 at Qarabag; Juventus edge out Pafos

  • Copenhagen stun Villarreal; Bodø/Glimt hold Dortmund

Benfica’s Richard Ríos scored one goal and set up another to seal a vital 2-0 victory against Napoli on Wednesday, boosting the Portuguese side’s hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage.

The result reignited Benfica’s European campaign, clinching a second consecutive win after a poor start and lifting them to six points and up to 25th place, just one point outside the playoff spots. Napoli slipped to 23rd on seven points.

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© Photograph: Manuel Almeida/EPA

© Photograph: Manuel Almeida/EPA

© Photograph: Manuel Almeida/EPA

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European roundup: nine-man Real Madrid stunned at home by Celta Vigo

  • García and Carreras sent off, Swedberg double for Vigo

  • Napoli move top of Serie A after Højlund sinks Juventus

Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in La Liga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.

Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.

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© Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters

© Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters

© Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters

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European football: Olmo double takes Barca top; Díaz fires up Bayern’s late rally

  • Dortmund hold on to beat Bayer Leverkusen

  • Leão strike gives Milan 1-0 win over Lazio

Barcelona recovered from an early setback to secure a 3-1 victory over Alavés, with first-half goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo and a late second for the latter sealing the win at the Camp Nou.

The win lifts the defending La Liga champions to the top of the table on 34 points, two ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand at Girona on Sunday.

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© Photograph: Alberto Estévez/EPA

© Photograph: Alberto Estévez/EPA

© Photograph: Alberto Estévez/EPA

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