Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz delivered a strong performance yesterday in the play-off games of the Champions League.
Rabat-Achraf Hakimi showed his class again when Paris Saint-Germain Brest swept 3-0 aside to get closer to the 16th round of the Champions League. The Moroccan right-back was at its best and put the man-in-form-poor Dembele on outside the box to let him go and score the second goal.
The 25-year-old achieved a big milestone 56. Champions League game, which made him the most packed Arab in the history of competition ahead of Riad Mahrez and Mohamed Salah.
PSG is now about to qualify when she organizes Brest in the second leg at sea next week. If the visitors do not pull out a shock, the Parisians will go to the next round.
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In the meantime, Brahim Diaz in Manchester returned in an exciting game in Bernabeu with a late goal in the 86th minute to follow his former club with a late goal.
City thought they had won when Erling Haaland scored a penalty in the 80th minute to score it 2-1. But just like in 2022, Real Madrid refused to give up. Diaz reacted quickly after Ederson spilled a shot and moved home to use the score. In added time, Jude Bellingham beat the winner after a defensive howler and left Pep Guardiola fatty.
Madrid may not be the best side this season, but they never beaten until the last whistle.
Now the city has to pull something special in the second leg in Santiago Bernabeu or its European dream could collapse.
