LENS, France (AP) — Forward Elye Wahi salvaged a 1-1 draw for Lens against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday in a disappointing result for the French team after its surprise win over Arsenal in the previous round of games.
Przemyslaw Frankowski provided a cross for Wahi to volley in an equalizer in the 65th minute of the Group B game.
“I would have loved to win the game, that was the goal but … proud of the team for coming back after going 1-0 down,” Lens defender Kevin Danso said.
Johan Bakayoko had put the Dutch visitors ahead. The 20-year-old Belgium forward broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half with an angled attempt inside the far post for his first Champions League goal.
“Our destiny is still in our own hands,” Bakayoko told RTL 7. “But we do have to beat Lens in Eindhoven, and hopefully that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
In the first half, PSV survived initial pressure from Lens before coming close when forward Hirving Lozano hit the post of Brice Samba’s goal with another angled shot.
Lens extended its unbeaten Champions League streak to three, with a win and two draws.
It’s the third appearance for the club from northern France in Europe’s top club competition after the 1998-89 and 2002-03 seasons.
Arsenal recovered from the loss to Lens with a 2-1 victory at Sevilla to top the group with six points. Lens is one point behind to remain in contention to reach the knockout stage for the first time.
The Argentine icon won his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or on Monday. He captured the sport’s most prestigious individual accolade on the power of his 2022 World Cup performance, in which he led his country to glory.
Messi, 36, beat prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland for the award, which was presented at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
Haaland smashed the Premier League’s single-season scoring record and helped Manchester City claim a historic treble in his first campaign with the club in 2022-23. However, Norway’s inability to qualify for the World Cup, combined with Messi’s superlative showing at the tournament, tipped the scales in favor of the diminutive Inter Miami superstar.
Messi’s seven goals, including two in the victory over France in an exhilarating final, guided the South American nation to its third World Cup title and finally gave the former Barcelona forward the one piece of silverware that had been missing from his trophy cabinet. He also recorded three assists in Qatar, oftentimes willing the Albiceleste to victory with dazzling moments of magic.
“I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had. Everything that I’ve achieved,” Messi said upon winning the latest award in his storied career. “The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies.
“To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing. All of them (Ballon d’Or awards) are special for different reasons.”
On just club form alone, Messi almost certainly wouldn’t have taken home the hardware Monday. He endured a frustrating final season at Paris Saint-Germain – Messi later admitted he was unhappy in the French capital – before making a sensational summer move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
But, as is always the case when the Ballon d’Or is presented in a World Cup year, the month-long event outweighed any other considerations.
Messi has now claimed the honor three of the last four times it’s been bestowed; the Ballon d’Or wasn’t awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Karim Benzema is the only male player other than Messi to get his hands on the famous trophy during that span.
Messi’s eight triumphs put him well clear of perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who sits second all time with five.
Messi, the first Argentine to captain his country to a World Cup title since Diego Maradona, used his acceptance speech to remember his late compatriot, who would have turned 63 on Monday.
“Today is his birthday. So I would like to remember him from here, surrounded by the best players, coaches and people who love football like he did,” Messi said. “Wherever you are, Diego, happy birthday. This goes also to you.”
2023 Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings
Player
Club
1. Lionel Messi ??
Inter Miami/PSG
2. Erling Haaland ??
Manchester City
3. Kylian Mbappe ??
PSG
4. Kevin De Bruyne ??
Manchester City
5. Rodri ??
Manchester City
6. Vinicius Junior ??
Real Madrid
7. Julian Alvarez ??
Manchester City
8. Victor Osimhen ??
Napoli
9. Bernardo Silva ??
Manchester City
10. Luka Modric ??
Real Madrid
11. Mohamed Salah ??
Liverpool
12. Robert Lewandowski ??
Barcelona
13. Yassine Bounou ??
Al-Hilal/Sevilla
14. Ilkay Gundogan ??
Barcelona/Manchester City
15. Emiliano Martinez ??
Aston Villa
16. Karim Benzema ??
Al-Ittihad/Real Madrid
17. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ??
Napoli
18. Jude Bellingham ?gbeng
Real Madrid/Borussia Dortmund
19. Harry Kane ?gbeng
Bayern Munich/Tottenham
20. Lautaro Martinez ??
Inter Milan
21. Antoine Griezmann ??
Atletico Madrid
22. Kim Min-jae ??
Bayern Munich/Napoli
23. Andre Onana ??
Manchester United/Inter Milan
24. Bukayo Saka ?gbeng
Arsenal
25. Josko Gvardiol ??
Manchester City/RB Leipzig
26. Jamal Musiala ??
Bayern Munich
27. Nicolo Barella ??
Inter Milan
T28. Randal Kolo Muani ??
Eintracht Frankfurt/PSG
T28. Martin Odegaard ??
Arsenal
30. Ruben Dias ??
Manchester City
Also on Monday, Spanish superstar and World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati took home the Ballon d’Or Feminin. In other awards, Real Madrid phenom Jude Bellingham claimed the Kopa Trophy as the world’s best player under 21 years of age, while Messi’s international teammate Emiliano Martinez earned the Yachine Trophy as the game’s top goalkeeper.
Aitana Bonmati, who powered Spain to its first-ever Women’s World Cup in August, won the Ballon d’Or Feminin on Monday.
The 25-year-old dethrones Spanish compatriot and Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas, who won consecutive Ballons d’Or before rupturing her ACL in July 2022.
Named the World Cup’s best player, Bonmati scored three goals and laid on two assists during Spain’s triumphant campaign in Australia and New Zealand.
The creative midfielder also took home the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award, beating out Australia’s Sam Kerr and Spain’s Olga Carmona, who scored the only goal in the World Cup final against England.
But Bonmati had already established herself as one of the best players in the women’s game before the World Cup kicked off. In the absence of Putellas, who missed the majority of the 2022-23 season, Bonmati helped Barcelona win the Women’s Champions League with five goals and eight assists in the competition.
Aitana is just the fourth woman to win the Ballon d’Or after Ada Hegerberg, Megan Rapinoe, and Putellas. None of the previous recipients were shortlisted this year.
Kerr, who missed a chunk of the World Cup through injury, and Spanish teammate Salma Paralluelo finished second and third in voting. Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfo and Manchester United and England goalkeeper Mary Earps ended up fourth and fifth.
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Brais Mendez scored again as Real Sociedad beat Benfica 1-0 in Lisbon on Tuesday to hand the Portuguese champion its third straight defeat in its Champions League group.
Ander Barrenetxea set up the midfielder in the 63rd minute to tap in the winner. It was a deserved goal for the Spanish visitors who were in control throughout of the Group D game.
Mendez scored in a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan and in a 2-0 victory at Salzburg in the previous group games.
“I think we were the better side in everything tonight,” Sociedad forward Takefusa Kubo told Movistar. “We can’t be too comfortable yet but if we play as we did tonight at home against the same opponent, then I think we will qualify.”
The visitors put Benfica under pressure though wasted several chances, while both teams had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half.
Benfica coach Roger Schmidt sent on substitutes Arthur Cabral and Orkun Kokcu at the beginning of the second half to try to revive his attack.
With three consecutive losses, and not a single goal scored, Benfica looks unlikely to return to the knockout stage after the Portuguese champion reached the quarterfinals last season.
“Benfica needs to score goals, that’s what we are missing,” substitute forward Tiago Gouveia said. “Perhaps creating a bit more, but we had some chances, we know that in Champions League the games are balanced and the smallest mistake could be fatal and that’s what happened.”
Real Sociedad is making its third Champions League group appearance, and first since 2013-14. The Spanish side reached the last 16 in its debut in 2003-04
In Milan, surprise starter Alexis Sanchez scored the opening goal for last year’s runner-up Inter on its way to a 2-1 victory over Salzburg.
The victories put Inter and Real Sociedad top of the group with seven points each. Salzburg is four points behind them.