MAN UNITED CELEBRATE HISTORIC WIN OVER PSG AS MARY EARPS BOOED ON OLD TRAFFORD RETURN

Man United experienced a historic night as they made a winning Champions League debut at Old Trafford

Mary Earps made her Old Trafford return in the Champions League (Getty Images)

Marc Skinner hailed a historic night after Manchester United made a winning Champions League debut at Old Trafford.

The famous ground hosted women's European football for the first time and United made it three wins from three in the league phase with a 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

Much of the focus was on the return of Mary Earps, who was a Red Devils favourite until leaving for the French capital at the end of her contract last summer, a decision that did not go down well with many United fans.

Earps' comments about that choice, which she attributed partly to a perceived lack of urgency from United to tie her to a new deal, as well as the much-publicised criticism of Hannah Hampton and Sarina Wiegman in her autobiography meant it was no surprise that she was booed.

The reaction from the near 15,000-strong crowd was largely negative, although there were also cheers, and Earps was received warmly by her former team-mates at the end.

She could do nothing about either of the United goals, which came from Melvine Malard in the first half and Fridolina Rolfo in the second, with Olga Carmona equalising just before the break.

Earps' successor as number one at United, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, was missing after picking up knock, meaning a first start of the season for Safia Middleton-Patel, and Skinner was full of praise for the 21-year-old.

Of the performance, he said: "It had everything who we are, it had a together team that wanted to bounce back from a poor performance against Villa that we can put firmly in the rear view now because to come out like that, even with the news of Phallon not being in the starting line-up and Saf coming in the way she's done tonight, she's my player of the match.

"It shows everything - our commitment, how much we love the fans, how much we love the club. You won't get a more together team and we needed it. Three fantastic goals tonight. From our perspective Mal's individual but then the team one.

"I'm incredibly happy with that because, if you'd have said to me we're sitting on nine points with Lyon and Barcelona after three games, I'd have bit your hand off. Congratulations to all the players and staff because we've made history. "

Match-winner Rolfo was delighted to play her part, saying: "It felt amazing. I'm so happy for this win.

"It was a tough game today, a physical opponent, but we won and I'm super happy I could help the team with scoring a goal as well."

Of the reception given to Earps, she added: "I didn't pay that much attention to it. I just heard the boos when she got the ball. I saw some signs as well with Mary on them, so it was mixed."

- Eleanor Crooks, PA

ENGLAND REACH EURO 2025 SEMIFINALS AFTER SHOOTOUT WIN OVER SWEDEN

The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after conceding twice.

England beat Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defence.

England roared into the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 in a chaotic penalty shoot-out to continue their title defence.  Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot to settle the shootout drama in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang's quick-fire strikes just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament. The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time.

"That was one of the hardest games I have ever watched. We could have been out four or five times," England boss Sarina Wiegman told the BBC. 

"We started badly. We didn't create anything so we changed shape and we scored two goals which was crazy. The shootout, we missed a lot but they missed more and we're through."

England will face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in the last four in Geneva on Tuesday after a rollercoaster comeback. 

*Not how we planned it to be, of course, but it's a learning experience that we put in our back pocket and learn from going forward," Chloe Kelly, who was key to both England goals and took one of the few good penalties of the shootout, told reporters.

"We solved the problems and then it was about getting back in the game. The resilience of the team is incredible."

Defeat ended Sweden's bid for a first major honour since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, Peter Gerhardsson's team falling in the most painful of fashions.

Goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who saved four penalties, had the chance to send Sweden through but like Holmberg she scooped her effort over the bar and gave England the chance to reach the last four.

"All analysis feels fairly pointless right now, right now it's melancholy. You feel a certain sadness that it turned out this way," said Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson.

England survive

England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium.

Sweden were on the front foot from the off and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being left completely free to collect Blackstenius' lay-off and score.

Jess Carter's loose pass led to that goal and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger.

Lauren Hemp's pot shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Falk but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break.

Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defence, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Carter and slotted home.

England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James' cross on target.

And Bronze gave England hope by heading home a searching cross in the 79th minute from Kelly, one of four late substitutions alongside Agyemang who two minutes later reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level.

Extra time passed without much incident and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and sending England through.

- Agence France-Presse

ENGLAND BOSS TUCHEL ALLOWED TO WORK FROM HOME IN GERMANY AND SKIP MATCHES

Thomas Tuchel has not been seen in Premier League grounds on some weekends (Picture: Getty)

England boss Thomas Tuchel has not attended any of the last three Premier League weekends due to a work-from-home arrangement with the FA, it has emerged.

Tuchel was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October last year but did not begin his job full-time until the start of the New Year.

While England’s first game under Tuchel’s stewardship is not until late March against Albania, the German has been seen in various Premier League grounds as he watches over potential members of his first squad.

However, concerns have now arisen after it was noted that the former Chelsea boss has not been seen at any grounds over the last three Premier League gameweeks despite only starting his new job a little more than six weeks ago.

The Times now report that the FA have afforded Tuchel the flexibility to work from home in a move that will allow him to make regular trips back to Germany to visit his family.

It is a move not too dissimilar from the head coach of the England women’s team, Sarina Wiegman, who has carried out her role whilst commuting from her family home in the Netherlands.

There is also no suggestion that Tuchel has not been watching games despite not being in attendance. He is also said to have made several trips to the national team’s base, St George’s Park.

Tuchel has missed the last three weekends of Premier League action (Picture: Getty)

Tuchel is on an 18-month contract with a £5million salary (Picture: Getty)

Tuchel attended four games across the first weekend in his new role at the start of January but then missed both midweek Carabao Cup semi-final first legs as well as a full slate of FA Cup third-round action the following weekend.

The 51-year-old did then attend seven games across the next six days – from January 14 to 22 – which included the north London derby and Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

More recently, Tuchel has been in Milan to watch England veteran Kyle Walker at his new club on February 2 and in Madrid to keep tabs on Jude Bellingham six days later.

But he also missed another weekend slate of Premier League action at the start of February as well as the fourth round of the FA Cup which included Marcus Rashford’s debut for Aston Villa against Tottenham on February 9.

Tuchel’s predecessor, Gareth Southgate, was a regular in the stands (Picture: Getty)

Tuchel was seen back in England for City’s clash with Real Madrid last Tuesday and watched Harry Kane in action in Munich on Saturday.

However, he once again opted against seeing any Premier League action last weekend, although he was in the stands for Chelsea’s clash with Brighton on Friday.

Defending Tuchel’s current working arrangments, a statement from the FA told The Times: ‘Thomas has attended 17 matches — both in England and abroad — to watch English players since he joined us in January, and is working full-time to assess players for his first squad announcement next month.’

- Ben Fleming

SARINA WIEGMAN | UEFA WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR 2022/23