Sports

Champions League: PSG avoids scare, Vinicius Junior says he was racially insulted in Real Madrid win

Monaco vs Paris SGplay-off Champions League 2025-2026 PSG's Desire Doue, right, celebrates with PSG's Bradley Barcola after scoring his side's opening goal during the first-leg of the Champions League playoff soccer match between Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain in Monaco, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni) (Philippe Magoni/AP)

Desire Doue came off the bench to rescue Paris Saint-Germain just when its Champions League title defense looked to be unraveling in Monaco.

Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant solo goal to give Real Madrid the advantage in its playoff against Benfica on Tuesday — then complained of being racially insulted by an opponent in angry scenes in Lisbon. The match was halted for nearly 10 minutes, with Vinicius sitting alone in the dugout at Estadio da Luiz, before play resumed without any players being sent off as a result of his accusations. Madrid won 1-0.

PSG also has a one-goal lead after its first leg against Monaco following a 3-2 win at Stade Louis-II.

But trailing 2-0 after 18 minutes the defending champion was in danger of suffering a major upset.

That was until Doue came on as a first-half substitute and turned the game on its head with two goals to inspire victory for PSG.

Borussia Dortmund beat Atalanta 2-0.

Juventus on the brink

Galatasaray pushed Juventus to the brink of elimination in a wild 5-2 comeback win in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Trailing 2-1 at halftime in the playoff match at RAMS Park, the Turkish giant powered back after the break. Noa Lang scored two of Galatasaray's four second-half goals to stun two-time European champion Juve.

Galatasaray takes a three-goal lead into the second leg in Turin next week with the chance to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2014.

Juventus responded well to going a goal down through Gabriel Sara after 15 minutes, with Teun Koopmeiners equalizing a minute later and adding another before halftime.

But Galatasaray took control in the second half half. Lang leveled four minutes after the restart, scoring from close range.

Davinson Sanchez gave the home team the lead on the hour and Juventus' challenge was made all the more difficult when Juan Cabal was sent off 22 minutes after coming on as a halftime substitute.

Lang got his second when capitalizing on sloppy play from Juventus' defense in its own box and Sacha Boey drove in from the angle in the 86th.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer