Category: Football

BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto scored a brace to help his side edge bottom-ranked Almeria in a five-goal La Liga thriller at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Defending La Liga champions Barcelona solidified their third position after the 3-2 win over the win-less visitors at their temporary home ground, which is hosting their home games this season due to renovations of the Camp Nou.

Barcelona dominated the possession from the beginning and kept the Almeria side under pressure.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Araujo hit a header following a corner, which was stopped by Almeria goalkeeper Maximiano but Raphinha hit the net on a rebound.

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Now in the lead, Xavi’s charges took their foot off the pedal, yet they almost got a second when Robert Lewandowski was gifted the ball in the box by a defender and only another excellent Maximiano save denied him.

This drop in intensity did then prove to be their undoing as just eight minutes later, Leo Baptistao shocked them with an equaliser.

Xavi rang the changes at half-time and sent on Ferran Torres and Jules Kounde in place of Joao Felix and Andreas Christensen.

Torres had an instant impact, working the Portuguese stopper with a firm strike three minutes after half-time.

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Poor set-piece defending gave Barca the chance they needed to get back in front on the hour mark, Sergi Roberto meeting a corner at the near post and lofting a header over the goalkeeper’s dive into the far corner.

The second goal appeared to have knocked the stuffing out of the 20th-placed side but a gift from Pena got them back in it when he dropped a lofted free-kick at Edgar’s feet and the defender gleefully rolled the ball into the unguarded net.

Barca had a golden chance to win the game with just over 10 minutes remaining, but Lewandowski then Ilkay Gundogan were unable to make sufficient contact with their headers when the goal was gaping before them.

But it was Sergi Roberto, in just his fifth appearance of the season, that provided the winning goal for the Spanish champions when he burst onto Lewandowski’s lofted pass in the 83rd minute and slotted past Maximiano.

READ: Mbappe scores birthday brace as PSG end year on top of Ligue 1

Kylian Mbappe marked his 25th birthday with a brace as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Metz 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Wednesday to reach the halfway stage of the season five points clear at the top of the table.

PSG, who had been held 1-1 at Lille at the weekend, laboured in the first half before Vitinha opened the scoring early in the second half by turning in a cross from Lee Kang-in.

Mbappe then took centre stage by extending the lead for PSG to 2-0 with a superb strike off the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Matthieu Udol pulled one back for the struggling visitors but Mbappe pounced on a short backpass to round the goalkeeper and make it 3-1 towards the end for his 18th league goal of the campaign.

His birthday was made even more memorable when his 16-year-old brother Ethan came on for his senior debut in stoppage time.

PSG ended the year with a comfortable five-point cushion over nearest challengers Nice, who defeated Lens 2-0 on Wednesday thanks to two late goals from Nigerian striker Terem Moffi.

Monaco are seven points behind the leaders in third place after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Toulouse, with Wissam Ben Yedder scoring both of their goals.

The principality side held on to take all three points despite having Aleksandr Golovin sent off early in the second half.

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Malian international Kamory Doumbia produced the individual performance of the evening by scoring four goals, all in the first half, as Brest beat Brittany rivals Lorient 4-0.

That result lifted Brest up into fourth, a Champions League qualifying berth, above a Lille side who were beaten 2-1 away at Patrick Vieira’s Strasbourg.

Marseille are sixth after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Montpellier, with Jordan Veretout scoring their goal in a game that was held up for five minutes in the second half after fireworks were set off at one end of the stadium.

Montpellier had a point deducted following an incident in their home match against Clermont earlier this season when the away side’s goalkeeper was hit by a firecracker thrown from the same stand.

“These guys are idiots, it’s incredible,” complained Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian on Wednesday.

“I don’t understand it. You are supposed to come to the stadium to support your team, not to set off fireworks.”

Japanese international Keito Nakamura got the only goal as Will Still’s Reims defeated Le Havre 1-0, while Rennes struck twice late on to claim a 3-1 victory at bottom club Clermont.

Meanwhile, Lyon climbed out of the bottom three as they beat Nantes 1-0 thanks to an Alexandre Lacazette goal.

It was a third consecutive victory for a team who had previously won just once all season, and the result lifted them two points above Toulouse, who now occupy the relegation play-off position.

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Veteran Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Mueller has extended his deal by one year to 2025, the Bavarian club announced on Tuesday. 

“I’m happy my journey at FC Bayern is continuing. I want to play my part in us remaining successful, both as a team and the whole club,” Mueller said in a statement.

Thomas Mueller’s contract was set to expire at the end of this season.

Calling Mueller “quality and reliability personified”, Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said the veteran was “a leader on and off the pitch, always a role model and incredibly valuable for the entire team”.

Despite wearing the captain’s armband several times this season, the 34-year-old has received less game time under coach Thomas Tuchel, enjoying just five league starts.

Mueller has become synonymous with the Bavarian giants and has been at Bayern for more than two decades, having joined as a 10-year-old in 2000 from village club TSV Paehl, located just 50 kilometres from Munich.

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A two-time Champions League winner, Thomas Mueller has won 12 Bundesliga titles with Bayern in a career spanning 684 games, scoring 237 goals and providing 261 assists.

Only former Bayern goalkeeper Sepp Maier has played more games for the club and only Gerd Mueller, with 568, and Robert Lewandowski, with 344, have more goals for the club.

For Germany, Mueller was first called up in March of 2010, where he played in a 1-0 defeat to Argentina.

Since then, the attacker has played 126 games, scoring 45 times and winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Mueller was left out of the Germany squad after their group-stage exit at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with many expecting his time with the four-time World Cup winners was over.

However, he was recalled in September, scoring a goal in a 2-1 win over France, and looks likely to play a role in next year’s home European Championship under former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann.

In November, Thomas Mueller’s captain and long-time teammate Manuel Neuer, 37, also extended his deal by a season to 2025.

READ: Girona crush Alaves 3-0 to return to the top of La Liga

Girona once again displaced Real Madrid to gain the top spot in the La Liga 2023/24 points table after thumping Alaves at their home Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Monday.

Girona have been the surprise package during the ongoing season of La Liga as they have been in a constant battle with Real Madrid for the top spot.

They entered the game with confidence from their 4-2 victory over defending champions Barcelona in their last La Liga match.

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Artem Dovbyk drew first blood for the home side with a header from the centre of the box in the 23rd minute.

Girona doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute with a strike by Portu from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner following a cross by Yan Couto.

The first half ended at 2-0 as the visitors had little resistance to offer against the home side.

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With only a few minutes in the second half, Yan Couto earned a penalty which was successfully converted by Artem Dovbyk to extend the lead to 3-0, which remained intact until the final whistle.

This was Artem Dovbyk’s 10th goal during the ongoing season of La Liga.

Girona will next face Real Betis on December 21, having lost only one game out of their 17 games this season.

READ: Lionel Messi to face boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys in friendly

Lionel Messi is expected to line up against his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys after the Argentine team agreed to a pre-season friendly game at Inter Miami in February.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) club announced on Monday that they would host Newell’s Old Boys at their DRV PNK Stadium on February 15.

Newell’s Old Boys are based in the city of Rosario where Lionel Messi was born and grew up, playing for their youth team before moving to Spanish club Barcelona aged 13.

Inter coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino also hails from the city and played for the club in three spells before returning as the team’s coach in 2012.

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“I am delighted to welcome my beloved Newell’s to our home here in Miami. It will be a special match due to everything Newell’s Old Boys means to me,” Martino said.

“It will also be a good opportunity to prepare for what will surely be an exciting season,” he added.

The fixture is the latest in a busy pre-season schedule for Miami who will kick off the preparations by facing the El Salvador national team in San Salvador on January 19.

The club will then play two games in Saudi Arabia, including against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, before games in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

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Real Madrid defender David Alaba will be sidelined for months after suffering a severe knee injury in his team’s 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday in La Liga.

The Austrian centre-back went off hurt in the first half after attempting to challenge Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.

“After the tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” said Madrid in a statement.

“The player will undergo surgery in the coming days.”

Alaba’s injury adds to cruciate ligament injuries for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Eder Militao, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also sidelined with a knee ligament rupture.

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Madrid have only two fit central defenders, in Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni returned from injury as a substitute against Villarreal and could be chosen to cover in defence by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“It’s a shame, it’s very sad, and I’ve never had three cruciate ligament (problems) in four months,” Ancelotti told reporters after David Alaba’s injury.

“We have carried that and done more than what people thought.”

Real Madrid are also without star forward Vinicius Junior, who has a hamstring injury, but Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz have helped fill in for the Brazilian.

All three scored along with Luka Modric in Madrid’s convincing win over Villarreal.

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Real Madrid defender David Alaba will be sidelined for months after suffering a severe knee injury in his team’s 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday in La Liga.

The Austrian centre-back went off hurt in the first half after attempting to challenge Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.

“After the tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” said Madrid in a statement.

Watch La Liga 2023/24 Live on ARY ZAP

“The player will undergo surgery in the coming days.”

Alaba’s injury adds to cruciate ligament injuries for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Eder Militao, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also sidelined with a knee ligament rupture.

Madrid have only two fit central defenders, in Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni returned from injury as a substitute against Villarreal and could be chosen to cover in defence by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

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“It’s a shame, it’s very sad, and I’ve never had three cruciate ligament (problems) in four months,” Ancelotti told reporters after Alaba’s injury.

“We have carried that and done more than what people thought.”

Madrid are also without star forward Vinicius Junior, who has a hamstring injury, but Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz have helped fill in for the Brazilian.

All three scored along with Luka Modric in Madrid’s convincing win over Villarreal.

READ: Real Madrid return to the top of La Liga after crushing Villarreal 4-1

MADRID: Real Madrid displaced Girona and returned to the top of the La Liga 2023/24 points table after a crushing 4-1 victory over Villarreal at their home Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Sunday.

Villarreal were coming off a heavy 3-0 defeat in their last La Liga game against Real Sociedad and faced a dominant Real Madrid, who gained an early advantage in the 25th minute.

Star English midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is having a dream debut season at Real Madrid opened the scoring with a header off Luka Modric’s cross.

This was Bellingham’s 17th goal of the season in 20 games for Los Blancos.

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They further extended their lead in the 37th minute as Rodrygo scored from the centre of the box following a corner to end the first half at 2-0.

The home side started the second half strongly, however, Villarreal’s Luis Morales decreased the deficit within ten minutes of the second half as he carried the ball into the box to slot past goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

However, Real Madrid did not take much time to regain their two-goal lead with Brahim Diaz firing low into the right corner in the 64th minute.

Season Croatian midfielder Luka Modric also got his name in the scoresheet four minutes later with a brilliant left-footed shot from the centre of the box.

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Real Madrid’s 4-1 lead remained intact until the final whistle and helped them replace Girona at the top of the Spanish league points table.

In another La Liga match, Valencia made a comeback in the 70th minute to draw 1-1 with defending champions Barcelona at Mestalla Stadium.

Joao Felix scored the only goal for the defending champions in the 15th minute of the second half, however, Hugo Guillamon scored the equalizer for the home side to draw the game.

Barcelona are currently placed at the third position in the La Liga points table.

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PAMPLONA: Raul Garcia scored a pin-point header in the stoppage time to power Osasuna to a sensational 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano at home in the La Liga 2023/24.

Garcia impressively scored his first goal of the season during the extra time of his side’s La Liga fixture against Rayo, registering himself on the scoreboard, within 10 minutes after coming off the bench.

His timely strike gave Osasuna their first win in seven league matches, lifting the side two places to the 12th while Rayo Vallecano remained at the 10th, one point clear of Osasuna.

Despite having a superior spot in the La Liga standings, Rayo Vallecano have now gone winless in their seven league matches.

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Both sides went hard at each other at the picturesque El Sadar stadium here and both hit the post in the early phase of the contest but it was eventually Raul Garcia’s header that separated the two teams.

Garcia came in as a substitute in the 84th minute and soon left his mark when he successfully converted a header by going highest to a corner in the fifth minute of the injury time.

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His first goal of the season, which eventually turned out to be the match-winner for Osasuna sent the home crowd in jubiliation.

“I haven’t been doing so well and I needed that goal,” Garcia said.

“We have needed a win like this, even if we never played that well. I am here to help and I have to wait for my chance and take my chances when they come.”

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned to AC Milan as an advisor to the Serie A club’s management, owners RedBird Capital Partners confirmed on Monday.

In a statement, American investment firm RedBird said that the former Sweden striker, who won a host of trophies as a player in Italy, will “serve as a senior advisor to AC Milan ownership and senior management”.

The 42-year-old has also been hired as “Operating Partner” for RedBird’s “sports and media and entertainment investment portfolio”.

RedBird said that Ibrahimovic’s mandate at Milan “will include player development and high-performance training, advancing AC Milan’s global brand and commercial interests, and supporting special projects of strategic importance, including the club’s new stadium.”

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Within RedBird, Ibrahimovic “will help source and evaluate new investment opportunities for the firm, and will advise RedBird portfolio companies on commercial projects, digital content strategies and strategic brand building initiatives”.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the curtain down on his eventful playing career at the end of last season, in which he was dogged by injury and netted just once for Milan.

That goal came in a 3-1 win at Udinese in March and made him the oldest goal scorer in Serie A history.

Ibrahimovic was a key figure in Milan’s resurgence to the top of Italian football after his return as a veteran forward in 2019, helping to bring them back from the doldrums and eventually win the Serie A title in 2022.

He was also key to the club’s previous Scudetto 11 years before, which was followed by a long period of stagnation and financial problems before revitalisation under current coach Stefano Pioli.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Ibrahimovic won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France, although his only major European trophy was the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic rejoins Milan with the team nine points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan and facing a group-stage exit from the Champions League.

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