Category: Football

BERLIN: Bayern Munich have signed Portugal wing-back Joao Cancelo on loan until the end of the season from Manchester City, the German club confirmed on Tuesday.

Bayern have an option to buy the Portuguese defender for a reported 70 million euros ($75 million) at the end of the season.

Cancelo, who has scored seven times in 41 appearances for Portugal, arrived in Munich on Monday and completed a medical on Tuesday for a move that could spell the end of France international Benjamin Pavard’s time at Bayern.

The 28-year-old Portuguese defender joined City from Juventus for 65 million euros ($70 million) in 2019 and has a contract with the English champions until 2027.

“FC Bayern is a great club, one of the best in the world, and it’s enormous motivation for me to now play alongside these extraordinary players in a team,” Cancelo said in a statement released by the club on Tuesday.

“I know that this club, this team lives for titles and wins titles every year. I’m also driven by the hunger for success.”

Cancelo has won multiple titles throughout his career, including league titles with Benfica, Juventus and Man City.

Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said the club “had been thinking about (Cancelo) for a while” before making its move.

“He’s the optimal fit in our system with his attacking style of play and dynamism, and his mentality and experience fit very well in our team.

“I’m convinced Joao will help us in the coming weeks and months where we want to win titles.”

Bayern secured the deadline-day signing after Cancelo, who has been named in the Premier League Team of the Year for the past two seasons, has fallen out of the Man City first team in recent weeks.

Manager Pep Guardiola has left Cancelo out of the starting line-up in each of the team’s last three games, with academy graduate Rico Lewis, alongside Nathan Ake, Kyle Walker and John Stones all preferred to Cancelo.

Cancelo could make his Bayern debut in the club’s German Cup match away against Mainz on Wednesday, or in their away Bundesliga clash with Wolfsburg on Sunday.

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VILLAREAL: Sergio Camello struck a second-half winner to take Rayo Vallecano to seventh place in the La Liga table as they beat Villarreal 1-0 at El Madrigal on Monday. 

Vallecano jumps ahead of eighth-placed Osasuna with 29 points while Villareal takes fifth position and levels on point with sixth-placed Real Betis.

Barcelona, however, cemented their position at the top since they are five points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who were held in a nil-nil draw by Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Vallecano dominated the home side right from the start and made a few unsuccessful attempts in the first half.

Camello broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute with a superb solo and finding the back of the back nets from the edge of the box.

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MADRID: Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro erected a bulwark to leave Real Madrid frustrated as they finished in a nil-nil draw at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday. 

An unwanted outcome at home left Madrid five points behind leaders Barcelona who edged Girona 1-0 on Saturday to extend their lead to 47 points in La Liga.

Madrid made 20 goal attempts but Sociedad weathered the storm thanks to a string of excellent saves by Remiro, who ensured a point for his side on its visit.

Vinicius Junior wasted three chances, including two from close range with Remiro repelling all of them. The keeper also blocked the efforts by Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Rodrydo.

Real unleashed a solid attack from the beginning and created a few chances in the first half through Benzema and Vinicous’ slick moves.

Benzema constructed Real’s first chance in the seventh minute when he dribbled past three defenders but had his close-range shot stopped by Remiro.

Vinicius created another soon afterwards, beating defender Igor Zubeldia to run into the box but his right-footed effort went wide.

Rodrygo also fired a shot from the edge of the box in the 35th minute and once again, Remiro thwarted the effort with a stunning save.

Vinicius had his second chance before the break when he received the ball from Benzema but Remiro blocked his low shot with his left leg.

The Brazilian winger received his last opportunity in the 70th minute but the goalkeeper intercepted the one-on-one chip shot.

Earlier Atletico Madrid, however, edged past Osasuna 1-0 thanks to a second-half winner by Saul Niguez in an away fixture at El Sadar.

Meanwhile, Celta Vigo shocked Athletic Club with Iago Aspas scoring the decider in the 71st minute to steer his side above the relegation zone and equal points with 17th-placed Valladolid, who beat Valencia 1-0 on Sunday.

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LEIRIA: Porto won the Portuguese League Cup for the first time on Saturday after four previous final defeats with a 2-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in Leiria.

Sergio Conceicao’s men took the lead in the 13th minute as Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio scored his seventh goal of an impressive season.

Sporting were reduced to 10 men with 18 minutes remaining when Paulinho was shown a second yellow card.

Porto secured the title in the 86th minute through Ivan Marcano’s header.

The win was a welcome boost for reigning Portuguese league champions Porto, who sit third this season, eight points adrift of leaders Benfica.

Porto will face Inter Milan in the upcoming Champions League last 16.

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GIRONA: Pedri’s second-half strike earned Barcelona three more points and maintained their top position in the La Liga table as they beat Girona 1-0 on Saturday.

Barcelona jumped to 47 points, six ahead of their arch-rivals and second-placed Real Madrid who will host Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Girona, however, slipped to 12th and level on 21 points with 13th-placed Sevilla who later beat Elche 3-0.

Xavi Hernandez made a few adjustments to his starting lineup, which defeats Real Sociedad in Copa del Rey on Wednesday, resting key players including Robert Lewandowski and  Ronald Araujo.

Despite outplaying the opponents in the first half, Barcelona failed to create clear-cut chances. In the 14th minute, Ousmane Dembele was able to test Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, but he made a crucial stop. Eleven minutes later, Dembele was forced off the field due to an injury.

Pedri broke the deadlock after the hour mark and scored the lone goal of the game.

Meanwhile, Sevilla’s convincing 3-0 win came on the back of a sensational first-half display which witnessed three goals within 20 minutes.

Youssef En-Nesyn scored a brace with Marcos Acuna striking in between to give Sevilla a comforting lead before the break.

Later Real Betis edged past Getafe 1-0 thanks to a late penalty by Borja Iglesias in the dying minutes.

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BARCELONA: The second top-scorer of the ongoing La Liga season Joseulu Mato’s strike in the stoppage time went in vain as Espanyol succumbed to a thumping 3-1 defeat at the hands of home side Almeria on Friday.

Rubi’s Almeria carried on their consistent performance to remain unbeaten in the Spanish league since the resumption after World Cup.

After being promoted for the ongoing season, the side went undefeated in the last five La Liga fixtures since the end of December and also emerged as one of the strongest teams at home with six triumphs in 10 games.

Meanwhile, in their dominant show over Espanyol, the home team got off to a somewhat unpleasant start, missing a number of opportunities until Colombia’s Luis Suarez ultimately scored the opener in the 21st minute.

Suarez’s opener injected Almeria with momentum, resulting in the side pressing Espanyol’s defence more rigorously and soon got rewarded when former Espanyol forward Leo Baptistao doubled their lead in the 61st minute.

The home side then tasted another triumph in the 77th minute when Gonzalo Melero set up Francisco Portillo, who eased the ball into the nets.

Espanyol forward Joselu got the touring side’s consolation goal in stoppage time to close in gap with the leading scorer Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (13) with his 11th of the season.

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MADRID: Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior’s extra-time strikes earned Real Madrid a 3-1 win over rivals Atletico Madrid on Thursday to reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

The Brazilian winger’s goal was a particularly sweet one for him after a crude effigy with his shirt on was hung from a bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground before the game.

The spiky, gripping derby clash turned against Diego Simeone’s side in the additional period when defender Stefan Savic was sent off.

Atletico took the lead through Alvaro Morata after 19 minutes but Rodrygo’s sensational slalom run past three defenders and slick finish pulled Madrid level with 11 minutes remaining.

After Savic’s 99th minute red card, Benzema tucked home from Marco Asensio’s pass and Vinicius netted at the death to send Los Blancos through to the final four for the first time since 2019.

“Today we had a very difficult game but with the character and the players that we have, we were able to turn it around,” Benzema told Teledeporte.

“Suffering is not good — we have to score the goals earlier.”

The build-up to the derby was tainted by the Vinicius effigy being strung up overnight, which the club described as “a disgusting act of racism, xenophobia and hatred.”

“(Vinicius) really wanted to play and he had a very good game,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference.

“I think the goal was his reward for his great work. What happened is very regrettable.”

Madrid fans had planned to sing Vinicius’ name in support in the 20th minute, matching his shirt number, but were stunned into silence by Morata’s goal moments before.

Atletico, hitting their best form of the season, conjured a brilliant move to break the deadlock, with Morata tapping home after Koke’s dink allowed Nahuel Molina to stroke a first-time cross to the back post.

Madrid added another name to a long injury list when Ferland Mendy had to be replaced before half-time, with Eduardo Camavinga slotting in at left back and Dani Ceballos coming on.

Madrid improved significantly after the break and Rodrygo levelled with 11 minutes to go with his jinking solo effort and subtle near-post finish, taking the clash to extra-time.

‘Convenient for everybody’ 

Atletico defender Savic foolishly handed Madrid the edge when he was sent off for two yellow cards in two minutes.

Atletico players claimed that Ceballos should have been sent off earlier when he fouled Geoffrey Kondogbia while on a yellow card.

“I think it was a red (for Savic), but they should have had one too when we were 1-0 up,” complained Atletico goalkeeper Oblak.

“They could have had a second yellow but (the referee) decided it how he decided, we are used to that, and it’s complicated, but the team fought to the end, we did everything to score.”

With an extra man Madrid capitalised, Benzema striking lethally after 104 minutes when Vinicius miskicked Marco Asensio’s cross and the ball travelled through to the striker.

Madrid, who last won the Copa del Rey in 2014, kept Atletico at bay in the final 15 minutes before Vinicius dribbled through and fired home to clinch the victory — celebrating with a now customary dance routine.

Despite their improving performances, the rest of Atletico’s season is looking barren, given they were eliminated from European football and are 13 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, having played a game more.

“We are out of Europe and now the cup, the team has the second half of the season ahead of them to try and qualify for the Champions League, that’s the objective the club needs,” said Simeone, who cast some doubt on his future.

The Argentine coach has been at the club since 2011 and has a contract until 2024.

“After that, calmly, we will look at what is convenient for everyone,” he continued.

“Being at Atletico gives me enormous joy, I will give 1000 percent until the day that I leave.”

Earlier Athletic Bilbao won 3-1 at Valencia to join record 31-time winners Barcelona and Osasuna in Monday’s semi-final draw.

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BARCELONA: Ousmane Dembele’s strike, capping a brilliant individual display, helped Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 1-0 on Wednesday, and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

The French forward struck in the 52nd minute to power the record 31-time cup-winners through against 10-man La Real, who had Brais Mendez sent off late in the first half.

Barcelona have enjoyed a strong start to 2023, winning the Spanish Super Cup and moving three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, and continued it in a pulsating cup clash.

Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad have thrilled in the league, sitting third, but were missing veteran playmaker David Silva and Mikel Merino through injury.

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, on his 43rd birthday, guided his team to a nervy victory, thanks to Dembele.

The coach defended Dembele when taking over at Barcelona in November 2021, saying that with hard work he could be the best winger in the world.

“The most important thing is having the mentality that you will make the difference at Barcelona,” Xavi told reporters on Wednesday.

“For me, Dembele is still one of the best in the world in his position. I am happy for him because he’s a good guy and a good professional.

“He has turned things around and that is not easy at Barca.”

The Catalans came out of the blocks quickly and Robert Lewandowski had an effort blocked after the electric Dembele found him.

At the other end Takefusa Kubo crashed a shot against the crossbar, as the game ebbed and flowed in entertaining fashion.

Barcelona fans frequently showed their ire towards referee Jesus Gil Manzano in the first half — he was the official who sent off Lewandowski against Osasuna in November, resulting in a ban which the Pole is still serving in La Liga.

However it was Real Sociedad midfielder Mendez who was sent off at Camp Nou on Wednesday, just before half-time.

The Spaniard lunged in on Sergio Busquets, catching his compatriot with his studs above the ankle.

Decisive Dembele

Early in the second half, Barcelona broke the deadlock when Jules Kounde slid Dembele in down the right wing and he drove into the box and lashed the ball past Alex Remiro at the near post.

It was the French forward’s third goal in six games and another sign of his superb form under Xavi.

“It’s hard to stop a player at such a level, in form and having a day like this,” said Alguacil.

“We made things too easy for him in the first half … I think we were afraid. If you give half a metre to Dembele, you’re screwed.”

Now that Dembele has found a coach who believes in him — and signed a new deal last summer — he has become vital at Barcelona.

“(Dembele) had a great game, we know what a great player he is,” Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo told Movistar.

“He helps us with goals, he’s taking good decisions, that’s the most important thing, something that maybe was tricky for him at the beginning.”

Real Sociedad, despite their numerical disadvantage, battled well and should have levelled when Alexander Sorloth fired over from only a couple of yards out.

The Norwegian striker had netted five goals in his previous six games and looked aghast at his miss.

Gavi struck the bar after more good work by Dembele as Barcelona tried and failed to seal the win with a second goal.

“There are a lot of games that we can put to bed earlier, we will try to work on that,” said Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde.

“We are in very good form and we just have to kill off these situations.”

Barcelona survived two late scares after Marc-Andre ter Stegen gave the ball away but then saved from Robert Navarro and produced another fine stop to deny Jon Ander Olasagasti.

Elsewhere Osasuna earned a 2-1 win over Sevilla in extra-time to reach the semis for the first time since 2005, when they finished as runners-up to Real Betis.

On Thursday Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid and Valencia welcome Athletic Club in the other quarter-finals.

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MUNICH: Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane returned to training on Tuesday, as the Senegalese international continued his recovery from a leg injury which forced him out of the World Cup.

In a video published on the club’s Twitter page, Mane appeared on the snow-covered pitch at Munich’s Saebener Strasse training ground, telling the cameras “Hey, it’s a good feeling, after a long holiday, to be back.”

Mane, 30, injured his right leg during Bayern’s 6-1 home win against Werder Bremen on November 8 and underwent surgery, ruling him out of Senegal’s World Cup campaign.

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said in early January that Mane, who arrived last summer from Liverpool, could be in line for a return for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain on March 8.

“If everything goes really well, he may be able to play again against Paris,” Nagelsmann said, telling the media there’s only a “small chance he plays the first leg”.

Mane will not be involved in Bayern’s game at home against Cologne later on Tuesday.

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COLOMBO: Football’s governing body FIFA has suspended Sri Lanka’s national federation, it said Sunday, a month after issuing it with a “red notice” over governance issues.

That warning came after the Ministry of Sports introduced a raft of regulations that reportedly compromised the autonomy and independence of national sports bodies, including the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL).

This month the FFSL held an election, which reportedly fell short of standards agreed upon with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), in which an ally of the sports minister became chair.

In a letter Sunday, FIFA said the FFSL was suspended “until further notice”.

The suspension prevents Sri Lanka — which is in the midst of a major economic crisis, blamed partly on corruption — from taking part in international competitions.

Sri Lanka’s men’s team are ranked 207th in the world, and the women’s 155th.

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