Category: Football

Real Sociedad damaged Barcelona’s title defence ambitions as Goncalo Guedes gave them a surprise 2-1 La Liga victory on Sunday as Hansi Flick’s side fell to a first defeat in 12 matches.

The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table after Alvaro Arbeloa’s side beat Levante on Saturday.

Hosts Real Sociedad, now unbeaten in four games under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, had Carlos Soler sent off late on but managed to hold on to triumph and climb up to eighth.

“I think we deserved to win today, we had a lot of chances, but in the end you have to put them away,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told DAZN. “We played well, but we didn’t win… their goalkeeper had a very good game.”

Real Sociedad shot-stopper Alex Remiro made several crucial saves.

“Three great points and a great game,” said Remiro. “We’ve started this year in great form… this is the energy we have, how we’ve changed (recently).”

In a frantic start to a compelling game at the rainy Reale Arena, both teams had goals ruled out.

La Real had the ball in the net inside 30 seconds when Mikel Oyarzabal headed home Guedes’s cross, but had strayed offside.

At the other end, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez drilled home from range, but Dani Olmo had committed a foul in the build-up, and it was ruled out.

With teenage winger Lamine Yamal keen to take on defenders, Barca got in often down the right flank. The 18-year-old teed up Olmo, who fired high over the bar when he might have sent the Catalans ahead.

Yamal found the net himself, but the goal was ruled out for an extremely tight offside, before Real Sociedad took the lead against the run of play.

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Oyarzabal lashed home Guedes’s cross with a blistering volley inside Joan Garcia’s near post.

Yamal was felled just inside the area before half-time, but although the referee pointed to the spot, a VAR review showed that the youngster was offside again, and it was cancelled out.

Barcelona turned up the pressure in the second half, and Real Sociedad were left depending on Remiro and the frame of the goal to keep the Catalans at bay.

Olmo crashed a shot against the post from Lopez’s cross, and then Remiro denied the Barca midfielder with a fine near-post save.

Remiro then tipped substitute Robert Lewandowski’s header against the crossbar with the save of the night.

Another Barca substitute, Marcus Rashford, eventually pulled the champions level, heading Yamal’s cross home after 70 minutes.

However, the hosts immediately regained their advantage after Barca goalkeeper Garcia initially saved Carlos Soler’s shot. The midfielder was able to gather the rebound and cross for Guedes, who fired La Real ahead again.

They should have got a third when Garcia, out of his goal, had no chance of saving Oyarzabal’s effort, but Pau Cubarsi headed the ball off the line.

Barcelona came within centimetres of an equaliser when Joao Cancelo, on his second debut for the club, crossed for Jules Kounde, who headed against the crossbar.

Soler was dismissed for an ugly foul on Pedri before nine minutes of stoppage time were added on.

Rashford hit the post directly from a corner kick as Barca pushed until the end but could not find a way through.

READ: Senegal stun hosts Morocco to win AFCON title

Senegal stunned Morocco in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final as Pape Gueye’s goal gave them a 1-0 extra-time win over the hosts at the end of a match marred by disgraceful scenes following a controversial penalty award.

Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco when he stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 24th added minute at the end of normal time.

But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay of almost 20 minutes that followed the penalty award.

Congolese match referee Jean-Jacques Ndala gave the penalty right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz in the box by Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Diaz, the rest of the Moroccan team and their bench vehemently protested to the referee to check the images, but the decision to eventually give the spot-kick was met with fury by Senegal and their fans.

As most of their players walked off the pitch, some Senegal supporters in the small section of away fans at the opposite end of the stadium threw chairs and other objects and attempted to get onto the field of play.

They were eventually contained by a large barrier of police and stewards, and their anger turned to delight and disbelief when the penalty was saved.

The Senegal team had initially been riled by the referee’s decision to disallow for a foul a goal they scored in the second added minute when Abdoulaye Seck headed off the post at a corner, and Ismaila Sarr nodded in the rebound.

After Diaz’s penalty miss, however, it felt almost inevitable that a galvanised Senegal would go on to score, and they did so in the fourth minute of extra time to stun the home fans in the crowd of 66,526 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Sadio Mane won possession in midfield and found Idrissa Gana Gueye, who released his namesake Pape Gueye.

The Villarreal midfielder held off the backtracking Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi as he advanced towards the box before beating goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a superb strike into the top corner.

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Morocco were distraught, in particular Diaz, who was promptly substituted.

They could still have forced a penalty shoot-out, with Nayef Aguerd heading against the crossbar in the second half of extra time.

But it was not to be for the hosts, who had been dreaming of winning the title in front of their own fans to end a 50-year wait to become African champions for just the second time.

Senegal could have been more comfortable had Cherif Ndiaye not squandered a glorious chance to make it 2-0 late in the extra period, but they held on.

It is their second Cup of Nations title in the last three editions, following their victory over Egypt on penalties in Yaounde in 2022, which secured the trophy for the first time in their history.

They can now look forward to heading to the United States for the World Cup in June, and will hope to persuade star man Mane to play at another AFCON after he declared that the final would be his last ever game at the tournament.

Any investigation into the disgraceful scenes during the game will focus on the conduct of the Senegal team and their fans, as well as any shortcomings by Moroccan organisers.

The incidents came at the end of a tense final, which had been low on goalmouth action — not exactly surprising given the defensive strength of Africa’s best teams according to the FIFA rankings.

Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye was denied by Bounou when clean through with the best chance in the first half, while Morocco should have scored just before the hour mark, but Ayoub El Kaabi prodded wide from a Bilal El Khannouss cross.

Then came the late drama, with Senegal surviving the penalty award before Gueye became their hero, that was the first goal scored by the Lions of Teranga in an AFCON final after they had failed to find the net in any of their three previous appearances in the tournament’s deciding game.

It was an agonising way for Morocco’s campaign to end, and many of their fans had left the stadium before the final whistle on a cold and wet night in Rabat.

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Sadio Mane will cement his status as one of the all-time great African players if he can lead Senegal to victory against hosts Morocco in Sunday’s Cup of Nations final, a game he has said will be his farewell to the AFCON.

Former Liverpool star Mane turns 34 in April and has played over 120 times for his country, going back to a debut against Morocco shortly after his 20th birthday in 2012.

The high point of his international career came in February 2022, when he starred as the Lions of Teranga beat Egypt on penalties in the Cup of Nations final in Yaounde.

Having missed a penalty during normal time that night, he stepped up to score the decisive kick in the shoot-out and Senegal, World Cup quarter-finalists in 2002, were African champions for the first time.

A huge weight was lifted off the shoulders of the boy from a small town on the banks of the Casamance River in southern Senegal.

“Before I won the Africa Cup, sometimes I played badly because of the pressure,” Mane admitted in a recent interview for the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast as he opened up on the significance of that victory.

“People in Europe love their national team, but some people love their club more — Senegal is the opposite.

“That is why there is this big pressure, so I just had to win this. It was really important.”

There have also been plenty of lows for the two-time African footballer of the year, including the defeat in the final against Algeria in Cairo in 2019 and missing the 2022 World Cup with injury.

But he is hoping to make 2026 a memorable year by claiming a second AFCON winner’s medal before turning his attentions to the World Cup in the United States, where Senegal will be in the same group as France and Norway.

After scoring the winning goal in Wednesday’s semi-final win over Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, Mane announced that the final against Morocco in Rabat would be his last game at the Cup of Nations.

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“I hope to win and bring the trophy back to Dakar,” said the forward who has spent the last two and a half years in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, where he counts Cristiano Ronaldo among his teammates.

There is a feeling that the approaching World Cup might be the swansong for a generation of Senegal players, which also includes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, skipper Kalidou Koulibaly and midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Sadio Mane spent a large chunk of his international career playing under Aliou Cisse before Pape Thiaw took over as coach in late 2024.

“Let’s hope we have many more years with him, because you don’t find a player like him every day, and we need to make the most of him,” Thiaw said of Mane after the Egypt win.

“I hope this won’t be his last final; there are other competitions coming up, so we’ll see.”

Mane has scored just twice in Morocco over the last month, his other goal coming in a group-stage draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He now has 11 Cup of Nations goals in total, placing him among an elite band of players to have reached double figures.

With Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye growing in importance and Paris Saint-Germain teenager Ibrahim Mbaye emerging at this tournament, Mane must feel Senegal’s attack is in good hands going forward.

His announcement suggests that he is ready to turn his back on the next AFCON, which is set to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda next year.

If he can help deliver a second title in three editions for Senegal, confirming their status as a modern African footballing superpower, he will surely feel as though his work is done.

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Manchester City are in the “final stages” of completing a deal for England defender Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said on Friday.

City have stepped up their pursuit of Guehi in a deal reportedly worth £20 million ($27 million) after suffering an acute injury crisis at centre-half.

Guehi, who came close to joining Liverpool on transfer deadline day in September, would become City’s second signing of the January transfer window after their capture of winger Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth last week for about £65 million.

The 25-year-old captained Palace to FA Cup success in May against City — the first major trophy in the south London club’s history — and has won 26 England caps.

Other clubs reportedly interested in the defender, including Liverpool once again and Bayern Munich, were understood to be targeting a move at the end of the season, when Guehi was due to be a free agent.

“Latest understanding, the deal with Marc is in the final stages,” Glasner said on the eve of Palace’s Premier League match at Sunderland.

“We can’t confirm, but it is not done. The result is Marc doesn’t play tomorrow for us.”

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The Palace boss added: “When the players want to move on, a deal will happen. It looks like it has happened now.

“Everyone wanted Marc to stay forever. I talked to him, of course, it stays between us. Marc showed it in the summer transfer window, showed it the whole autumn that he was 100 percent committed to the team and to Crystal Palace.

“I wish him all the best for the rest of his career. He is still at the beginning of his great career. He is a fantastic guy.”

City manager Pep Guardiola stressed he had “nothing to say” about the potential transfer at his own press conference ahead of his side’s match at Manchester United.

The club are currently without senior centre-backs John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol due to injury, while Nathan Ake has struggled to play more than once a week due to fitness issues.

Guardiola, whose team are second in the Premier League, six points behind Arsenal, said the club were “in a difficult situation for not one game but a long, long period”, adding: “Ruben will be back soon. Josko, no. John, hopefully we’ll see.”

City are also still challenging for silverware in the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

Glasner also said Friday he would leave Palace when his own contract expired at the end of the season.

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Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal fired Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Racing Santander and into the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Thursday.

The Spanish internationals’ strikes helped holders Barca defeat second division leaders Racing to progress from a surprisingly tight last 16 clash and record an 11th consecutive victory across all competitions.

The hosts had two goals disallowed for offside, and record 32-time winners Barca did just enough to claim victory.

“We didn’t think they would be so hard to break down,” admitted Torres to Movistar. “We knew that we had to stretch the game, be calm, and in the end it went well.”

Having seen Real Madrid eliminated at second-tier Albacete on Wednesday, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick named a fairly strong side, including teenage star Yamal.

After a 15-minute delay with some fans stuck outside, the match kicked off at Racing’s Sardinero stadium, and Barca quickly took control of the ball.

The Catalans struggled to turn possession into a meaningful opening, though, and when they finally did, Dani Olmo missed his kick from Marcus Rashford’s dangerous cross.

Racing looked to breach Barcelona’s high defensive line, but when they did get in behind, the visitors managed to mop up well.

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Giorgi Guliashvili’s low effort from range was fielded comfortably by Joan Garcia, and that was as close as the hosts came.

Barcelona continued to push forward in the second half, and Rashford had a shot tipped away and also drilled narrowly wide.

Eventually, the Spanish champions took the lead through Torres, after Fermin Lopez sent him through on goal. The Spain international rounded Racing goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta and rolled home.

The hosts were forced on the offensive and twice had the ball in Barcelona’s net, but both of Manex Lozano’s goals were ruled out for offside.

Barcelona goalkeeper Garcia made a superb save to thwart Lozano one-on-one deep in stoppage time and avoid the game going to extra time.

The Catalans wrapped up their win with the last kick of the match, Yamal tapping in Raphinha’s cross at the back post.

“We played the game we had to play, we played a 10 out of 10 match, (with) two offside goals and the chance at the end… it’s okay, it’s football,” said Racing defender Alvaro Mantilla.

Elsewhere, Valencia won 2-0 at Burgos to reach the last eight.

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Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was the hero with two saves in the shoot-out as hosts Morocco beat Nigeria 4-2 on penalties to set up an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final showdown this weekend with Senegal after a tense last-four clash on Wednesday finished 0-0 at the end of extra time.

Bounou saved from Samuel Chukwueze and brilliantly from Bruno Onyemaechi, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to convert the winning kick and spark wild celebrations among the 65,458 crowd inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

There was joy but also relief for Hamza Igamane, who had appeared distraught after his kick, Morocco’s second in the shoot-out, was saved by Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

He was the only Moroccan player to fail to score in the shoot-out; however, with captain and talisman Achraf Hakimi among those who converted their penalties.

Morocco will now play Senegal on Sunday for the title after the Lions of Teranga defeated Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 1-0 in the other semi-final earlier in Tangiers, thanks to a Sadio Mane goal, which will be a clash between the top two African sides in the FIFA world rankings.

“It was one of the hardest matches we have had against a very solid and talented team,” said Morocco coach Walid Regragui, who played in the last Atlas Lions side to reach the final when they lost to Tunisia in 2004.

“I am very happy for the players and for the Moroccan people who really deserve this.

“It is a great gift for them to be in the final, but we will need to recover quickly because we put a lot of energy into this game.”

Morocco have been under enormous pressure to deliver a first AFCON title for their country in half a century, but will be confident of coming out on top against Senegal with their support behind them.

However, as their dream remains alive, it is an agonising way for Nigeria’s hopes to end, two years after they lost the final to the hosts inthe  Ivory Coast, they had been hoping to win a fourth Cup of Nations crown to match the tally of rivals Ghana.

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Led by two recent winners of the African player of the year prize, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, Nigeria had been arguably the best team at the tournament up to the semi-finals and the top scorers with 14 goals.

But they created next to nothing during the 120 minutes here and must settle for Saturday’s third-place play-off against Egypt in Casablanca before watching the World Cup from afar following their failure to qualify.

“The players fought for every ball, and it is difficult to lose on penalties, but this is football, and we have to accept it,” said Nigeria coach Eric Chelle.

“It is difficult to play here in Morocco because you have to play against the team and against the crowd.”

Doubts about the Moroccan team’s ability to handle the enormous pressure of playing at home had dissipated following their win over Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists had been whistled by their own fans at times during the group phase here, but this time those supporters did their bit by responding to any Nigerian spell of possession with deafening jeers.

A frenetic opening spell to the contest saw the Moroccan winger Brahim Diaz, probably the tournament’s outstanding player, curl a shot wide before Alex Iwobi teed up Lookman at the other end for a shot that was well saved.

Morocco had chances, including a free-kick from Hakimi and a shot from Ismael Saibari that was well saved by Nwabali.

However, the second half was more cagey, and the clock ran down on normal time, while the spectre of penalties grew larger as the extra half-hour progressed.

It seemed Nigeria were settling for the shoot-out, even taking off Osimhen as they hoped to repeat their win on penalties in the 2024 semi-final against South Africa.

However, Morocco had also famously won on penalties against Spain at the last World Cup, and they repeated the trick to reach the final of their Cup of Nations.

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Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said on Wednesday that Xabi Alonso has a great future in football despite Real Madrid replacing him at the helm this week.

Flick’s Barca beat Alonso’s Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, and a day later, Los Blancos agreed a deal with the Basque coach to depart and appointed Alvaro Arbeloa.

“We have to continue, we have to think about what we can do better, but he’s a fantastic coach and also has a great future,” Flick told a news conference ahead of Barca’s Copa del Rey last 16 clash at Racing Santander on Thursday.

Alonso, who won the Bundesliga unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, lasted less than eight months in charge of Madrid, but Flick believes the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich player will soon land another big role.

“This is football and it’s not my business, but what I can say is that I have a very good relationship with Xabi,” explained Flick.

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“I met him at Leverkusen, when I was the (German) national coach, I always stayed in contact with him. He’s a fantastic coach.

“This is football, we have to accept these things, I wish him all the best and I think he will get a new one, a big project for him and his team.”

Flick confirmed Barcelona’s new loan arrival Joao Cancelo could feature against second division leaders Racing.

The coach said he was hoping to take advantage of Cancelo’s attacking quality between now and the end of the season.

“Joao is a fantastic football player, with a lot of quality in attack and this is what we need,” added Flick.

“When the opponent is (deep in their own territory), we have to (overcome) them and we need quality and he’s a good option for that.”

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Antoine Griezmann scored a free-kick that helped Atletico Madrid squeeze past second-tier Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

Veteran forward Griezmann’s perfectly-placed effort broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, as the sides met for the first time in nearly eight years.

Depor supporter Jimmy Romero was viciously beaten and left in the Manzanares river in Madrid by Atletico ultras 11 years ago, dying as a result of his injuries, and he was remembered by a banner behind one goal at the Galician side’s Riazor stadium.

The cup match had been declared a high-risk game, and Spanish media reported there were some moments of tension between supporters outside, which did not develop into serious incidents.

Off the pace in La Liga and after defeat by rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals last week, a win was vital for Atletico to boost their chances of some silverware this season.

Diego Simeone’s side ended up with nothing in their frustrating previous campaign.

French forward Antoine Griezmann, 34, struck the woodwork towards the end of the first half as Atletico Madrid dominated but could not find a way through.

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Simeone hooked out-of-form striker Julian Alvarez before the hour mark, with the Argentina international having scored only once in his last nine matches.

Shortly afterwards, Atletico took the lead, with Griezmann delicately curling a free-kick into the top right corner from just outside the area, and it proved decisive.

“He’s still got the magic that keeps him going and gives him the desire to still be helping the team, like he did with this goal,” said Simeone.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao edged second-division Cultural Leonesa with a thrilling 4-3 win after extra time, despite having Aitor Paredes sent off in the 56th minute.

Real Sociedad and Osasuna drew 2-2, with the former progressing 4-3 on penalties.

Real Madrid, led by new coach Alvaro Arbeloa, visit Albacete on Wednesday and Copa del Rey holders Barcelona travel to face second division leaders Racing Santander on Thursday.

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New Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa insisted Tuesday he would be himself at the helm of the Spanish giants rather than trying to imitate Jose Mourinho.

Arbeloa, who in his playing days at Madrid was an ally of his then coach Mourinho, has drawn comparisons to the Portuguese veteran for his approach to management.

The 42-year-old former defender was appointed to replace Xabi Alonso on Monday after Real Madrid lost the Spanish Super Cup final against rivals Barcelona on Sunday.

“I have not spoken to Jose yet. For me it was a privilege and an honour to be coached by Jose Mourinho,” Arbeloa told a news conference.

“I have a great relationship with him… and obviously he was someone who influenced me a lot, I carry him within me.

“(However) I am going to be Alvaro Arbeloa, because while it’s true I am not afraid of failing, and have never been, I’m sure that if I tried to be Jose Mourinho, I would fail spectacularly.”

Mourinho, currently coaching Benfica, led Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning one La Liga title.

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During that era, he battled against Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona when the fierce rivalry between the Catalans and Real Madrid was at its most bitter.

Barca currently lead Madrid by four points at the top of La Liga and Arbeloa’s job is to revert the situation, although his first match in charge is at Albacete in the Copa del Rey last 16 on Wednesday.

Arbeloa, who was coaching Madrid’s reserve side and previously working with the club’s youth teams before he was promoted, said success is the most important thing for the record 15-time European champions.

“This club is winning, winning, and winning again. That demand on ourselves, showing the DNA of what brought us here, that has filled our trophy cabinets (is what I want),” continued Arbeloa.

“When I was a player I received those values from the players in the dressing room, and for me that is the most important thing… to be able to excite the fans we have all over the world and try to leave those cabinets even more full.

“That is my work, that is my obsession and what I will be living every day.”

Madrid did not announce how long Arbeloa’s contract as first-team coach would be.

“What I can tell you is that I’ve been here for 20 years, at home, and I will be at Real Madrid as long as they want me here,” added Arbeloa.

“This is my home, that’s how I feel and that’s how it will always be.”

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Alvaro Arbeloa was named as Real Madrid’s new head coach on Monday, replacing Xabi Alonso, who left the role following a 2-3 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.

Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career in Real Madrid’s academy since 2020.

The Spaniard played 238 times for Madrid between 2009 and 2016, winning two Champions League titles and La Liga once, among other silverware.

Arbeloa also lifted the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, playing alongside Alonso for club and country.

Arbeloa’s first match at the helm is a Copa del Rey last-16 visit to face second-tier Albacete on Wednesday.

Earlier, Real Madrid announced the departure of Xabi Alonso, reached by mutual agreement.

“Real Madrid C. F. wishes to announce that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his time as first team coach to an end,” the press release wrote.

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“Xabi Alonso will always carry the affection and admiration of all Madridistas because he is a Real Madrid legend and has always represented the values of our club. Real Madrid will always be his home,” it added.

“We would like to thank Xabi Alonso and all his coaching staff for their hard work and dedication throughout this time, and wish them the best of luck in this new stage of their lives.”

Alonso had signed a three-season deal after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, until June 2028.

The team were thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in July in the Club World Cup semi-finals, which was an early setback for the coach.

Despite a Clasico win over Barcelona in October, it appeared president Florentino Perez had not fully warmed to Alonso, who had intended to bring a modern coaching approach to the team.

The team struggled through a run of poor form amid an injury crisis, with Spanish media reporting some players had fallen out with him and that Alonso would be ousted if they failed to beat Manchester City in the Champions League in December.

Madrid lost but the performance was solid enough that Alonso was given more time to try and save his job.

However, the defeat by Barca in Jeddah was the final straw for Madrid, who agreed a deal with Alonso for him to depart.

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