Category: Football

SEVILLE: Portugal striker Ricardo Horta stunned Spain with his late equalizer to draw 1-1 in the opening match of Group two in the UEFA Nations League, here at Estadio Benito Villamarin Stadium on Thursday. 

Spain made a promising start to the game after Alvaro Morata netted the ball in the 25th minute, following a fine showcase of passing by midfielders Gavi and Pablo Sarabia.

Horta, who came as a substitute in the second half, however, nullified Spain’s lead, eight minutes before the final whistle.

Horta’s goal ensured a fourth consecutive draw between the two historic rivals. Portugal have not beaten Spain in a competitive match since 2004. Portugal have also been unable to win against Spain on the latter’s home soil.

Both the teams will play three more Nations League matches in the next 10 days. Portugal will host the Czech Republic and face Switzerland twice while Spain will travel to Switzerland between two matches against the Czechs.

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MANCHESTER: English Premier League club Manchester United confirmed the departure of its midfielder, Juan Mata when his contract ends with the club at the end of this month.

“Thank you for dedicating eight years of your career to United, Juan. Everyone at the club wishes you all the best for the future,” said United in a farewell statement to Mata.

The Spanish footballer served the club for eight years after he was transferred from the rivals, Chelsea in January 2014, making 285 appearances for United and scoring 51 goals.

The 34-years old midfielder helped the club to clinch FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League during his time at Old Trafford.

The Spaniard will follow the suit of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, who United announced would also be leaving at the end of their contracts on Wednesday.

The summer of change at Old Trafford began as new manager Erik ten Hag took charge, who attempts to revive the team after it slipped to 6th position in the recently concluded season of the English Premier League.

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LONDON: Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi and Angel di Maria starred as the South American champion defeated the reigning Europe champion Italy by 3-0 at Wembley Stadium on Monday.

In a match dubbed the ‘Finalissima’ between the reigning champs of South America and Europe, Argentina displayed complete dominance over struggling Italy.

Lautaro Martinez scored the opener for Argentina in the 28th minute following a brilliant assist from his captain Messi. Martinez then switched the role with Messi as he served Angel Di Maria, who dodged Italy’s goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma to score the second goal for his side just before the half-time.

Argentina, which dominated the first half of the fame, appeared more lethal in the second as Messi and Di Maria displayed sheer brilliance as they continued to create chance after chance.

Donnarumma, on the other hand, initially did well to thwart the repeated chances, but eventually fell short as he could not stop Paulo Dybala, who slotted home the ball in the 94th minute following a Messi assist which left him with the ball at his feet in the Italian box.

Dybala’s strike took Argentina’s tally to three, while Italy remained unable to net the ball despite the extra time.

It is pertinent to mention here that the four-time world champions Italy will not be participating in the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as they tripped in the playoffs of the qualifiers despite being the reigning Euro 2021 champion.

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KARACHI: The FIFA World Cup Trophy tour ahead of the Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar will now tour Lahore instead of the previously decided destination – Islamabad, following the possible political unrest in the capital.

The trophy tour, which was kicked off on May 12 in Dubai will stop in 51 countries and territories including Pakistan. The destination of the glittering trophy in Pakistan, however, has been changed from Islamabad to Lahore.

According to the details, The trophy will arrive in Lahore on June 7 after arriving from Uzbekistan and will travel to Saudi Arabia on June 8 following a day-long stay in the country.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy will be unveiled at a local hotel here on June 7.

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MANCHESTER: Manchester City marked an exceptional comeback in their match against Aston Villa on the final day of the season to win their fourth Premier League title in the last four years.

The home side of City took the field with a point advantage and a better goal difference by six over the second-placed Liverpool and soon experienced a scare in the form of Aston Villa’s brilliant start.

The home side, however, held their nerves calm and kept their title hunt on the line by moving from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Aston Villa.

It was not just the Aston Villa, whom the City had to tackle to lift the trophy but they had to keep an eye on the Liverpool-Wolves clash at the Anfield.

The reigning world champions started their day with some early good news Pedro Neto put Wolves 1-0 up against Liverpool. The joy, however, was short-lived as Sadio Mane struck for the home side.

It then got even worse for the City as Matty Cash stunned the home side at Etihad Stadium to put Villa 1-0 ahead. Philippe Coutinho then also added to the misery of the City as he netted one to extend Villa’s lead to 2-0.

The home side City then produced an astonishing comeback to clinch the victory from Villa’s jaws by 3-2. Liverpool, on the other hand, thumped Wolves 3-1, which, however, did not prove enough for the title victory.

It is apropos to mention here that it is the second time that City have won back-to-back titles under Pep Guardiola. Whereas, Chelsea and City are the only two teams to have achieved this feat.

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LONDON: Manchester City made a timely come back after two goals down to draw the match and earn a point against West Ham, here on Sunday. The draw however made the side wait to lift the Premier League.

City’s grip on the Premier League seemed doubtful in the first half as the Hammers led 2-0 following Jarrod Bowen’s well-taken double.

However, four minutes after the restart, Jack Grealish made the first strike for the visitors, and Vladmir Coufal headed Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick into his own net as City escaped loss in a top-flight match.

The side then also got a chance to win after Craig Dawson fouled Gabriel Jesus which earned the side a vital penalty strike but Mahrez’s failure to avail the opportunity barred the side from lifting the title.

The City are still four points ahead of the second-placed Liverpool, with one match to go. The side can clinch the Premier League by defeating Aston Villa on the final day.

Liverpool, on the other hand, potentially got a chance to level with the City by winning their remaining two matches if the latter lose their match against Aston Villa.

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MADRID: The 2022 La Liga winners Real Madrid cruised to a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Levante at the back of Vinicius Junior, here on Friday.

In a clash between the top and the bottom, Madrid made sure that their standings’ difference remained evident on the field as the already crowned championship hammered Levante and tested the side’s defences, which was reflected in the scoreline as well.

The hosts took an early lead in just the ninth minute of the game as Ferland Mendy surged forward to slot the ball home.

The Madrid skipper Benzema, who is back into the side after being rested for the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid, soon found himself amongst the goals, getting on the end of a Vinicius cross at the back post.

Madrid then walked in their third goal before the half-time as Rodrygo combined with Luka Modric before the youngster tapped in from close range.

Modric then again provided the assist, this time to Vinicius, who tucked home from a tight angle.

The second half was all about Vinicius, who netted twice more to complete his hat-trick – first for the Madrid.

He scored his second in the 67th minute following a close assist from Benzema, who danced around the goalkeeper before passing to him. The final blow came in the 83rd minute when he took advantage of a Luka Jovic pass before netting the ball away with his left foot.

It is pertinent to mention here that with his 19th-minute goal against Levante, Benzema has equalled Raul’s record of the second-most goals (323) for the club, with only Cristiano Ronaldo (450) scoring more.

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MADRID: The home side of Atletico Madrid have sealed the Champions League qualification after a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Elche in La Liga fixture, here on Thursday.

Atletico Madrid pulled six points clear of Real Betis in fifth place with two games remaining, thanks to goals from Matheus Cunha and Rodrigo De Paul. In addition, Atletico has a better head-to-head record than Betis.

Following a dismal run for the Sevilla at the end of the season, Atletico now appears to be the favourite to finish third, with their win over Elche putting them ahead of the latter in third place.

Atletico had an incredible turnaround from losing four consecutive league games in December to winning five straight in March, which was essential for the team. Despite a recent slump, Atletico Madrid have done just enough to secure Champions League qualification for the tenth consecutive season.

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MANCHESTER: The Premier League champions Manchester City announced to have reached an agreement to sign the Borussia Dortmund’s star striker Erling Haaland, here on Tuesday.

In an official statement released by the City, the football club confirmed the transfer of Norwegian international striker Haaland from Dortmund.

“Manchester City can confirm we have reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the Club on 1st July 2022,” the statement read.

“The transfer remains subject to the Club finalising terms with the player,” the statement added.

Manchester City can confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of striker Erling Haaland to the Club on 1st July 2022.

The transfer remains subject to the Club finalising terms with the player.

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 10, 2022

 

According to the international media, the City will reportedly pay a whopping 60-million-euro release clause to get Haaland onboard. This transfer will end the club’s long search for a specialist striker.

As soon as the news broke out, the City’s centre-back Aymeric Laporte took to Twitter and welcomed the 21-years-old striker in a humorous way.

“Happy not to be running after this guy for the next couple of years. Welcome, Erling,” Laporte tweeted.

Happy not to be running after this guy for the next couple of years 😂😂😂
Welcome Erling ✌🏻🔥 https://t.co/aTdTWTPlmV

— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) May 10, 2022

It is pertinent to mention here that the Premier League’s top-scorer City have mostly played without a recognized striker for the past two seasons.

The side also enjoyed a delightful Champions League campaign before the La Liga winners Real Madrid pulled off an exceptional comeback in the semi-final and ending City’s hopes for title victory.

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MADRID: Atletico Madrid sealed an important 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the La Liga derby for the first time in six years, here on Tuesday.

Atletico, up against the weakened Real Madrid made the most of the situation as the prior defeated the current La Liga champions 1-0 to consolidate their fourth spot in the league’s standings.

The important victory against the weak Real Madrid has put Atletico on the brink of securing the Champions League Qualification.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, which recently made an astonishing comeback in the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, took the field without their key players like Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Thibaut Courtois.

The first-half penalty from Yannick Carrasco proved enough for Atletico to edge past Real Madrid in the derby. The side, however, missed a string of chances which may be a matter of concern for the side in the upcoming fixtures.

Atletico, which currently sit at fourth, are six points clear of Real Betis in the fifth place, with three games to play. Atletico’s better head-to-head record over Betis, however, guarantees the side to finish among the top-four if Betis fails to win against Valencia on Tuesday.

If Betis defeat Valencia, Atletico then can still secure a spot in the top-four by beating Elche in Thursday’s fixture.

It’s worth mentioning that Atletico could not beat Real Madrid in La Liga since 2016, and at home since 2015, with two goals and no victory in their last eight meetings against their city rivals in all competitions.

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