FC Karpaty Lviv 1 – Paris St. Germain 1

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France international striker PEGUY LUYINDULA of Paris St. Germain, who has made 15 of his sixteen Ligue 1 appearances as a substitute for the French capital city club this season, sticks out a foot to block the pass of FC Karpaty Lviv midifelder ANDRIY TKACHUK (25) at the Ukrania Stadium in western Ukraine. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
12/15/2010

1 – FC Karpaty Lviv (UKR) ————– Fedetskiy 45′
1 – Paris St. Germain (FRA) ————- Luyindula 39′

A goal for each side in the closing stages of the first half settled little as visting French side PARIS ST. GERMAIN held Ukranian host FC KARPATY LVIV to a 1-1 draw in Group J of the UEFA Europa League.

France international PEGUY LUYINDULA picked up a loose ball and put Paris St. Germain ahead against the run of play in the 39th minute with his second goal of the season in Europe; the 31-year-old veteran striker, who has not scored in Ligue 1 this term, last pull a ball in the net back on August 19 against Israeli club FC Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Ukraine international defender ARTEM FEDETSKIY, however, equalized for FC Karpaty Lviv with a long free kick that somehow squirted through the legs of Paris St. Germain reserve goalkeeper GREGORY COUPET, the experienced 37-year-old who has won 34 caps for France in his career.

Nevertheless, with the point, Paris St. Germain finished first in Group J of the UEFA Europa League with three wins and three draws.

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(Reuters photo)
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Ukraine international midfielder IHOR KHUDOBYAK of FC Karpaty Lviv is held back by the tackle of Paris St. Germain midfielder JEREMY CLEMENT (23), who spent seven months in Scotland with Glasgow Rangers before returning to France in January of 2007, at the Ukrania Stadium. (Reuters photo)
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FC KARPATY LVIV : Tlumak ; Fedetskiy, Milosevic, Tubic, Avelar ; G. Baranets (Habovda 62′), Khudobyak, Kozhanov (Guruli 68′), Tkachuk, Martynyuk ; Kuznetsov (Hudyma 81′)

PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Coupet ; Makonda (Maurice 69′), Traore, Camara, Ceara ; Tiene, Clement, Bodmer (Qasmi 78′), Sessegnon ; Erdinc (Makhedjouf 90+1′), Luyindula

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(Reuters photo)
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(Reuters photo)
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(Reuters photo)

Save That Sunk Borussia Dortmund In Europe

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Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL of Paris St. Germain makes an outrageous, one-handed save while on his back from the rebound attempt of Borussia Dortmund’s Japan international midfielder SHINJI KAGAWA (23) in the 90th minute of the early November UEFA Europa League match at the Parc des Princes in the capital city of France. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
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Bundesliga leaders BORUSSIA DORTMUND can only muster a 2-2 draw with La Liga side FC SEVILLA in Andalusia, then, and, thus, remove themselves from the UEFA Europa League for the 2010-11 campaign…

In retrospect, the sensational double save — particularly from the rebound shot — pulled off by Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL of Paris St. Germain in the dying moments of the match with die Schwarzgelben at the Parc des Princes is, perhaps, where Borussia Dortmund’s hopes essentially died.

For the benefit of those who may have missed the match report here at BETWEEN THE STICKS, the blog presents a re-post of the remarkable highlight involving PSG keeper Edel and the attacking Bourssia Dortmund international pair of Poland striker ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI and Japan midfielder SHINJI KAGAWA.

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APOULA EDEL’s double save

Paris St. Germain 4 – FC Sevilla 2

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(C.Gavelle/PSG)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
12/2/2010

4 – Paris St. Germain (FRA) —— Bodmer 17′, Hoarau 20′, 47′, Nene 45′
2 – FC Sevilla (SPA) —————— Kanoute 32′, 36′

A goal just before the break and another strike just after the restart effectively crushed the comeback attempt as PARIS ST. GERMAIN downed visiting Spanish side FC SEVILLA 4-2 in Group J of the UEFA Europa League.

33-year-old veteran Mali international striker FREDERIC KANOUTE, who appeared in 16 games and scored 11 goals for the France U-21 national team while playing for Olympique Lyon once upon a time, restored Sevilla to level terms after Paris St. Germain had gone ahead a pair inside the opening twenty minutes.

But, Brazilian winger NENE, who paces Paris St. Germain with eight goals in Ligue 1 this year, sent the home side back in front with a team-leading fourth goal in Europe this year just before halftime. The 29-year-old winger, an off-season acquisition costing 5.5 million Euros from Ligue 1 rival AS Monaco, also netted the only goal of the match for PSG in the previous meeting with Sevilla in late Septmeber. Nene, of course, is a veteran of La Liga having turned out for Real Mallorca, Deportivo Alaves, Celta Vigo and Espanyol Barcelona in Spain.

GUILLAUME HOARAU, who has earned his first three caps for France this season, scored his second goal of the game for Paris St. Germain two minutes into the second half to doom Sevilla; the 26-year-old striker is now tied with Nene on four goals for PSG in the UEFA Europa League this term.

Paris St. Germain, currently fourth in what has been a tightly contested Ligue 1 so far this season, overtook Sevilla at the top of Group J with the win and clinched a place in the knockout round of the UEFA Europa League for this coming spring; the Spanish side dropped to second place, one point ahead of German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.

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(C.Gavelle/PSG)
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PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel ; Ceara, Camara, Sakho, Tiene ; Chantome, Bodmer (Jallet 79′), Sessegnon, Clement ; Nene (Luyindula 66′), Hoarau (Giuly 70′)

FC SEVILLA : Palop ; Dabo, Caceres, Escude, Navarro ; Capel (Alfaro 65′), Zokora (Negredo 46′), Renato, Romaric (Cigarini 78′), Perotti ; Kanoute

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(C.Gavelle/PSG)
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(C.Gavelle/PSG)
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(Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

Paris St. Germain 0 – Borussia Dortmund 0

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Brazilian winger NENE (Anderson Luiz de Carvalho) of Paris St. Germain tries to push the ball through the tackle of Borussia Dortmund’s Poland international defender LUKASZ PISZCZEK (26) as die Borussen’s talented 18-year-old midfielder MARIO GOETZE (31) gazes on at the Parc des Princes in the capital city of France. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
11/4/2010

0 – Paris St. Germain (FRA)
0 – Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Either club might have claimed victory were it not for a highly visible, clincal display of top-shelf shot-stopping by both goalkeepers as visiting BORUSSIA DORTMUND and Ligue 1 side PARIS ST. GERMAIN battled to a scoreless draw in Group J of the UEFA Europa League.

Turkey international striker MELVUT ERDINC of Paris St. Germain had an excellent chance to break the scoreless deadlock in the 66th minute but was denied in a one-on-one situation by Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER, who did well to cut his angles and confront the shooter.

Six minutes later, Borussia Dortmund midfielder SHINJI KAGAWA was stymied by the diving Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL of Paris St. Germain, who turned the Japan international’s rising shot over the crossbar with confidence.

In the 90th minute, it was Edel who pulled off what was easily the save of the day to, quite literally, single-handedly preserve the point for Paris St. Germain.

Borussia Dortmund’s 22-year-old defender MARCEL SCHMELZER, who was born in Magdeburg in what was still then the German Democratic Republic, shifted into another gear to leave the Paris St. Germain players behind and made a determined dash down the left flank before finding Poland international striker ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI in the penalty arc.

Lewandowski beat his marker but had his shot saved by Edel, who went down low with his right hand; the rebound and the chance to be a match-winner fell for the in-coming Kagawa with his right foot.

However, with never-say-die spirit while flat on his back, the Paris St. Germain shot-stopper managed to stick up his left hand to thwart the Borussia Dortmund threat.

Die Borussen might have pulled level with Paris St. Germain in the UEFA Europa League Group J standings had Kagawa scored; instead, Borussia Dortmund remain in third on five points behind the Parisians, who dropped to second with eight points behind the leaders, Spanish La Liga side FC Sevilla.

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Sent in alone with only the goalkeeper to beat, Turkey international striker MELVUT ERDINC (11) of Paris St. Germain has his shot saved by Borussia Dortmund’s in-form netminder ROMAN WEIDENFELLER (1) at the Parc des Princes. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
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PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel – Ceara, Camara, Sakho, Tiene – Bodmer (Hoarau 81′), Clement – Sessegnon, Nene (Jallet 66′) – Erdinc (Chantome 75′), Luyindula

BORUSSIA DORTMUND : Weidenfeller – Piszczek (Blaszczykowski 46′), Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer – Bender, Sahin – Goetze (Feulner 87′), Kagawa, Grosskreutz – Barrios (Lewandowski 68′)

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Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL of Paris St. Germain makes an outrageous, one-handed save while on his back from the rebound attempt of Borussia Dortmund’s Japan international midfielder SHINJI KAGAWA (23) in the 90th minute to preserve scoreless status at the Parc des Princes. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
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EDEL’s outstanding DOUBLE SAVE

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Bourssia Dortmund supporters pose for a photograph before Paris St. Germain at the foot of, perhaps, the most recognizable iconic setting in the whole of the City of Lights. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
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Borussia Dortmund supporters proudly show their colors for all to see for the match with Paris St. Germain at the Parc des Princes in the capital city of France. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

Borussia Dortmund 1 – Paris St. Germain 1

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Paris St. Germain defender CHRISTOPHE JALLET (26) attempts to fell off with his arm the challenge of Borussia Dortmund winger KEVIN GROSSKREUTZ (19) along the sideline at Signal Iduna Park in the Ruhr region of western Germany. (psg photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
10/21/2010

1 – Borussia Dortmund (GER) ——— Sahin pen 50′
1 – Paris St. Germain (FRA) ———— Chantome 87′

A late goal from a substitute on the pitch for only about five minutes allowed visiting French Ligue 1 side PARIS ST. GERMAIN to steal a share of the spoils with a 1-1 draw against BORUSSIA DORTMUND in Group J of the UEFA Europa League.

Chances were to be found at both ends but goals would not flow freely as both goalkeepers — ROMAN WEIDENFELLER of Borussia Dortmund and Paris St. Germain’s Armenia international APOULA EDEL — proved themselves to be in fine form.

Finally, Borussia Dortmund, who had Paraguay World Cup striker LUCAS BARRIOS hit the post with a header in the first half, got on the board first five minutes after the break when Paris St. Germain was defender ZOUMANA CAMARA was judged to have fouled Poland international midfielder JAKUB BLASZCZYKOWSKI in the box; Turkey international midfielder NURI SAHIN dispatched the subsequent penalty for his second goal in Europe this season and a 1-0 lead for die Schwarzgelben.

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Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER shows good form in handling the high ball in front of Paris St. Germain substitute midfielder CLEMENT CHANTOME at Signal Iduna Park. (psg photo)
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Borussia Dortmund, to their regret, would not build on the initial strike and, despite playing at home in Germany, left a 16-9 advantage in shots-at-goal on the evening go for naught.

Paris St. Germain snatched a late equalizer with the work of two substitutes in the 87th minute to deny the hosts all three points; France international striker GUILLAUME HOARAU fed CLEMENT CHANTOME a pass in the box and the 23-year-old midfielder fired past a luckless Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER from close range.

The draw kept PSG top of Group B in the UEFA Europa League on seven points after three rounds.

More valuable points lost at home then for Borussia Dortmund, who previously dropped their second game of the round-robin stage at home to Spanish side FC Sevilla, who stand in second place on six points in Group B.

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Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL of Paris St. Germain, whose identity came into question earlier this season, punches the ball away from Borussia Dortmund’s Serbia World Cup defender NEVEN SUBOTIC (4) amidst a pack of players at the Allianz Arena. (psg photo)
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BORUSSIA DORTMUND : Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Hummels, Subotic, Dede – Bender (Goetze 46′), Sahin – Blaszczykowski (Fuelner 82′), Kagawa (Lewandowski 66′), Grosskreutz – Barrios

PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel – Jallet, Camara, Sakho, Tiene – Makelele, Bodmer (Clement 68) – Sessegnon, Nene (Chantome 82′) – Luyindula, Erdnic (Hoarau 72′)

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Turkey international striker MEVLUT ERDINC (11) of Paris St. Germain is eager to pounce on a rebound but Borussia Dortmund’s Turkey international midfielder NURI SAHIN (8) sends the visiting side’s Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL the wrong way from the penalty spot in the 50th minute at Signal Iduna Park. (Reuters photo)
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(Ina Fassbender/Reuters)
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Sent on as a substitute inside the final ten minutes of the match, Paris St. Germain midfielder CLEMENT CHANTOME (20) beats Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper ROMAN WEIDENFELLER at close range for the equalizing goal at Signal Iduna Park in the Ruhr region of western Germany. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters)
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(Ina Fassbender/Reuters)

FC Paris St. Germain 2 – FC Karpaty Lviv 0

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Benin international midfielder STEPHANE SESSEGNON (10) of Paris St. Germain pushes the ball upfield against FC Karpaty Lviv at the Parc des Princes in the capital city of France. (www.psg.fr photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
9/30/2010

2 – FC Paris St. Germain (FRA) ——— Jallet 4′, Nene 20′
0 – FC Karpaty Lviv (UKR)

Two quick goals inside the first twenty minutes of the match allowed PARIS ST. GERMAIN to coast to a comfortable 2-0 victory over visiting Ukrainian side FC KARPAY LVIV in Group J of the UEFA Europa League.

Defender CHRISTOPHE JALLET fired Paris St. Germain to the lead in only the fourth minute with a long-range rocket; Brazilian winger NENE, the summer sigining costing 5.5 million Euros from AS Monaco, doubled the margin for PSG with his third goal in the UEFA Europa League this season.

Nene is off to a bright start in La Ville-Lumiere (The City of Light) and has four goals in his first five Ligue 1 games for Paris St. Germain in addition to his tally in Europe.

Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL, caught up but cleared by French police in a recent identity controversy, earned a second consecutive clean sheet this season in the UEFA Europa League for Paris St. Germain, who are unbeated in their last ten home games in Europe.

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France international striker PEGUY LUYINDULA (8) of Paris St. Germain is tackled by FC Karpaty Lviv’s sliding Nigerian midfielder SAMSON GODWIN at the Parc des Princes. (www.psg.fr photo)
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FC PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel ; Sakho, Camara, Chantome, Jallet ; Sessegnon (Makonda 90+1), Tiene, Clement, Nene (Hoarau 76′) ; Luyindula, Erdnic (Kezman 69′)

FC KARPATY LVIV : Tlumak ; Fedetskiy, Checher, Tubic, Avelar ; Khudobyak, Godwin, Guruli (Golodyuk 57′) ; Kozhanov (Hudyma 71′), Kuznetsov, Zenjov (Kopolovets 57′)

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Newly-arrived Brazilian winger NENE (19) celebrates his second goal in as many UEFA Europa League matches and seventh goal in all competitions this season for Paris St. Germain with a 20th minute strike against Ukrainian side FC Karpaty Lviv at the Parc des Princes in the La Ville-Lumiere. (www.psg.fr photo)

Sevilla Protest Paris St. Germain Shot-Stopper / French Police Clear Keeper

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Armenia international goalkeeper APOULA EDEL of French Ligue 1 side Paris St. Germain is currently the subject of a formal protest from FC Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League competition. (Charles Platiau/Reuters)
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The UNION of EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS has confirmed it has received a formal protest from Spanish club FC SEVILLA concerning the goalkeeper of PARIS ST. GERMAIN, the Andalusian side’s opponent in the opening round of Group Stage play for the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League.

Following the claims of a disgruntled player agent that Cameroonian-born Armenia international shot-stopper APOULA EDEL is not who he says he is, FC Sevilla has formally questioned the registration of the Paris St. Germain goalkeeper, who kept a clean sheet in the Parisian side’s 1-0 defeat of the Spanish club in the recent UEFA Europa League match.

NICOLAS PHILIBERT, who claims to have coached Edel in Cameroon and lent the player money so as to move to Armenia to play for Pyunik Erevan some years ago, says that the PSG goalkeeper owes him 30,000 Euros and lodged a formal complaint with French police.

Philibert, via documents published by French magazine LE 10 SPORT, also alleges that 24-year-old Apoula Edel is really a man named Ambroise Beyama who is actually 29-years-old — thus casting doubt, in the eyes of FC Sevilla, on the Paris St. Germain goalkeeper’s formal registration with UEFA.

Meanwhile, the French police did, indeed, question the PSG keeper about the affair at a station in the capital city suburb of Poissy on Monday.

On Wednesday, the Armenia international’s lawyer, CHRISTOPHE BIGOT, issued a statement that the French police had checked the player’s identity and have cleared Apoula Edel, who joined Paris St. Germain from in the summer of 2007 from Romanian side Rapid Bucharest, of any wrong doing.

“Edel had nothing to worry about,” the lawyer Bigot said.

Edel, who took over from 37-year-old veteran France international GREGORY COUPET as first choice for Les Rouge-et-Bleu last season, and Paris St. Germain have filed a claim of defamation against Philibert.

UEFA, for their part, has said a decision on the matter can be expected “in the coming days”, according to a statement released by Reuters.

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FC Sevilla 0 – FC Paris St. Germain 1

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Brazil World Cup striker LUIS FABIANO of FC Sevilla (10) seeks to control the ball as Paris St. Germain captain and defender SYLVAIN ARMAND (22) closes down on the play at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in the Andalusia region of southern Spain. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Group Stage
9/16/2010

0 – FC Sevilla (SPA)
1 – FC Paris St. Germain (FRA) ——— Nene 75′

A goal inside a quarter of an hour to play saw visiting French side PARIS ST. GERMAIN stun regarded Spanish squad FC SEVILLA 1-0 in a border battle to open Group J play for the UEFA Europa League.

Although Sevilla, who won the UEFA Cup in 2006 and 2007, easily controlled more of the possession, it was Paris St. Germain who always looked more dangerous on the counter.

Brazilian winger NENE (Anderson Luiz de Carvalho), who netted twice for PSG over the weekend in the 4-0 French league win over Arles-Avignon, scored the game-winner against Sevilla in the 75th minute; the off-season summer purchase of 5.5 million Euros from AS Monaco put away a left-footed shot after being released on the left by France international striker PEGUY LUYINDULA.

Nene should have been no stranger to Sevilla considering the 29-year-old has contested 179 La Liga games (43 goals) for Real Mallorca, Deportivo Alaves, Celta de Vigo and Espanyol Barcelona in five seasons of Spanish Primera Division football over the course of his career.

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FC SEVILLA : Palop ; Dabo, Alexis, Caceres, Konko ; Capel (Perotti 61′), Zokora, Cigarini (Guarente 46′), Navas ; Luis Fabiano, Jose Carlos (Kanoute 46′)

FC PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel ; Armand, Camara, Chantome, Jallet ; Maurice, Tiene (Sakho 89′), Clement, Nene (Horau 76′) ; Luyindula, Erdinc (Makelele 66′)

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FC Sevilla’s 36-year-old veteran goalkeeper ANDRES PALOP (1) prepares to snuff the shot of Paris St. Germain’s Turkey international striker MEVLUT ERDINC at the Estadio Roman Sanchez Pizjuan. (Jorge Guerrero/AFP)
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FC Maccabi Tel Aviv 4 – FC Paris St. Germain 3

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Paris St. Germain midfielder JEREMY CLEMENT (23), who transferred to the French capital from Scottish club Glasgow Rangers for 1.8 milliion English pounds in January of 2007, turns Israel international defender KLEMI SABAN (2) of FC Maccabi Tel Aviv, who cost a mere 180,000 U.S. dollars to purchase from FC Maccabi Netanya this summer, inside out at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. (www.psg.fr photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Playoff round, second leg
8/26/2010

4 – FC Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) —— Atar 48′, 90+5′, Avidor 68′, Medunjanin pen 83′
3 – FC Paris St. Germain (FRA) ——- Horau pen 40′, Giuly 64′, Nene pen 90+3′

A wild second half featuring no fewer than six goals, including two tallies in injury time alone, saw FC MACCABI TEL AVIV edge visiting PARIS ST. GERMAIN 4-3 in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff tie.

Not enough for the Israeli outfit to overturn the first leg deficit from Paris. Still, a second goal of the game from 23-year-old striker ELIRAN AITAR, a summer acquisition from FC Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv costing 1.2 million U.S. dollars, provided FC Maccabi Tel Aviv victory for the evening and a measure of pride for a result against a club of considerable pedigree.

Bosnia / Herzegovina international midfielder HARIS MEDUNJANIN, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s most expensive foreign signing this off-season with 800,000 Euros going to Spanish side Real Valladolid, managed a fourth goal in six UEFA Europa League matches for his new employers.

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FC MACCABI TEL AVIV : Strauber ; Ziv, Strool, Pavicevic, Saban ; Yeini (Malul 65′), Sidibe, Medunjanin, Buzaglo (Cahlon 79′) ; Colautti (Avidor 46′), Atar

FC PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel ; Armand, Sakho (Camara 78′), Chantome, Jallet ; Makonda, Giuly, Clement, Nene ; Luyindula, Horau (Maurice 67′)

FC Paris St. Germain 2 – FC Maccabi Tel Aviv 0

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As Israel international defender KLEMI SABAN (2) observes, FC Maccabi Tel Aviv substitute striker YOVAL AVIDOR (10) attempts to separate France international attacker PEGUY LUYINDULA (8) of Paris St. Germain from the ball at the Parc des Princes in the French capital. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Europa League
Playoff round, first leg
8/19/2010

2 – FC Paris St. Germain (FRA) —— Luyindula 3′, Hoarau 60′
0 – FC Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR)

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FC PARIS ST. GERMAIN : Edel ; Armand, Sakho, Chantome, Ceara ; Makonda (Jallet 76′), Giuly, Clement ; Luyindula, Hoarau (Erdinc 74′), Maurice (Sessegnon 83′)

FC MACCABI TEL AVIV : Strauber ; Ziv, Strool, Pavicevic, Saban ; Baning (Yeini 73′), Sidibe, Medunjanin, Gafney (Buzaglo 64′) ; Itzhaki, Atar (Avidor 65′)