Luis Enrique expressed his pride at the efforts of his Paris Saint-Germain side, despite their Champions League exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
The Ligue 1 champions were knocked out in the semi-finals on Tuesday after a 2-0 aggregate loss to the Bundesliga giants, having hit the woodwork six times over the two legs - making it a record tally of 14 for the campaign - and managed 31 attempts at Parc des Princes.
PSG missed a golden opportunity to reach their second Champions League final, but it is not all doom and gloom after a season of transition with a new coach.
The Ligue 1 title is already in the bag with three matches remaining, and they have a Coupe de France final showdown with Lyon to come later this month.
"We were not inferior over the two legs, but football rewards those who score - not those who hit the woodwork," Luis Enrique said.
"My goal was to be fighting for all the titles. Tonight I'm proud of my team, of all the players."
PSG have now lost all six legs of their three two-legged Champions League semi-finals, after double defeats against Milan in 1995 and Manchester City in 2021.
The year they reached the final, in 2020, they beat RB Leipzig in a one-off semi-final after COVID-19 disrupted the season, before losing out in the final to Bayern Munich.
This season started with a new coach in Luis Enrique and without Lionel Messi and Neymar, as club president Nasser al-Khelaifi put an emphasis on building a team over individual talents.
While not always brilliant, PSG have looked like an organised outfit and the coach said he was already working on building a team without Kylian Mbappe, who is widely expected to leave at the end of the campaign.
"The players and coach gave their all," Al-Khelaifi said. "Congratulations to Dortmund, we deserved better. It's a tough game. I'm proud of my team, the youngest in Europe.
"We've reached the semi-finals three times in five years. That's not our objective; it's still the final. That's soccer; you have to accept it and sometimes it's not fair. We'll accept it."
Shaw 'devastated' by yet another injury setback
Manchester United and England defender Luke Shaw has said that he is devastated after suffering the latest in a long line of injury issues.
Shaw made his first appearance of the season coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw away to Ipswich Town on 24 November, which was Ruben Amorim's first game in charge.
He has since made another substitute appearance against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League last week and on Sunday in the 4-0 home win over Everton.
Now a new injury, which is not thought to be related to his original calf issue, will keep him out for a few weeks.
"It's hurting a lot having to write this as I really thought I had got through my recent struggles and was on a positive path going forwards, but unfortunately I've had a small setback," Shaw wrote in an emotional statement on his Instagram account.
"I've been through a lot and had a lot of ups and downs, but this has definitely been my toughest period. I'm absolutely devastated, and it's extremely tough to come to terms with reality at this moment in time.
"I understand there is going to be people frustrated, angry, disappointed and I understand all that. There is no one feeling that more than me at this moment in time.
"But what I can promise is I will do everything I can to come back better soon to help this club achieve its ambitions this season. Thank you to everyone for the support. It really doesn't go unnoticed, and I really do appreciate it."
Prior to his appearance at Ipswich, Shaw had not played since England's 2-1 defeat in the Euro 2024 final.
That was his only start of the tournament, while his last start for Manchester United came in a 2-1 victory away to Luton Town in February.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw named November’s Etihad Player of the Month
Jamaican star Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has been named the Etihad Player of the Month for November, capping off a phenomenal period that showcased her goal-scoring prowess and undeniable impact on the pitch. Shaw beat out fierce competition from Jill Roord and Alex Greenwood to claim the coveted award.
The prolific striker netted six goals across five matches in November, leading her team to four victories and securing qualification to the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with two group games to spare.
Shaw kicked off November in style, rounding off the scoring in a commanding 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in what was the club’s 200th Barclays Women’s Super League fixture. Rising to meet a pinpoint cross from Jess Park, Shaw’s clinical header further cemented her reputation as one of the league’s most lethal forwards.
The standout performance of the month came against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium, where Shaw delivered a sensational hat-trick in a 4-0 victory. Her first goal came just 21 seconds into the match, setting the tone for her historic display. With this treble, Shaw not only moved to the top of the WSL all-time hat-trick chart, surpassing teammate Vivianne Miedema, but also became the first player in league history to score three hat-tricks against the same opponent.
Shaw’s contributions extended beyond domestic competition, as she played a starring role in Europe. In a gritty encounter against Sweden’s Hammarby, she scored both goals in a 2-1 victory. Her first was a deflected strike that found the back of the net, and her second—a venomous effort from the edge of the area—restored the lead shortly after the hosts equalized.
Shaw’s consistency, clinical finishing, and ability to rise to the occasion in key moments were instrumental in her team’s success throughout November. Her achievements underscore her position as one of the top players in women’s football today.
Hurzeler prepared for 'intense' Fulham clash
Fabian Hurzeler is expecting an "intense" contest when Brighton and Hove Albion face Fulham in the Premier League on Thursday.
Brighton were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw with bottom side Southampton last Friday but are fourth in the table after 13 rounds of matches.
Fulham are four points behind Brighton after going two games without a win, but Hurzeler is anticipating a tough match at Craven Cottage.
"They are a very good team, good in possession," he said. "They do everything out of compactness and they try to shift and be aggressive.
"It is a very small, tight stadium; the pitch is not the biggest, so it should be quite an intense game."
Hurzeler will have a different vantage point for the match in south London as he is serving a touchline ban after being yellow carded last week.
"Honestly, I trust my team, I trust my staff," he said. "I'm also very convinced that the players will do it on the pitch."
Fulham were stunned 4-1 by lowly Wolves in their most recent home game, which they followed up with a creditable 1-1 draw at Tottenham.
Tom Cairney was sent off and will therefore serve a suspension in the game with Brighton, while Sasa Lukic and Harrison Reed are also out.
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno accepts Fulham will not find things easy against the high-flying Seagulls.
"Brighton are a very good team, very well organised team. It will be a very tough game," he said.
"We'll try to play our game, we'll try to win that game, but Brighton are in a good moment. Hopefully we can keep the points at the Cottage."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham - Harry Wilson
Wilson has been involved in four goals in his past four Premier League appearances against Brighton (two goals and two assists), including a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win for Fulham in this corresponding fixture last season.
The forward has yet to start a league game this season, but he has three goals in nine substitute appearances for Marco Silva's side.
Brighton - Kaoru Mitoma
Mitoma opened the scoring for Brighton in their draw with Southampton, making it goals in back-to-back Premier League games.
The Japan international has more goals (two) in his past two games than he managed in the previous 24 (one) in the competition, but he has never scored in three in a row.
MATCH PREDICTION - FULHAM WIN
Brighton have won three of their six Premier League away games so far this season, which is just one less than they managed in the whole of the 2023-24 campaign.
Fulham have conceded in each of their last 10 Premier League home games, meanwhile, shipping 20 goals in total in this run.
However, the London side are unbeaten in all eight of their Premier League games against Brighton – the joint-most they have faced a side without ever losing (along with Norwich City).
Brighton have also failed to win any of their league visits to Craven Cottage, losing three of those and drawing the other.
Furthermore, Albion are winless in their past nine Premier League away matches against London clubs in their worst-such run since between 1961 and 1967 (10 games).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham - 41.4%
Brighton - 33.8%
Draw - 24.8%
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