Category: Football

Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4–3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6–4 aggregate victory and setting up a Champions League semi-final with holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead three times on the night.

Bayern won 2-1 last week in the Spanish capital, but Arda Guler pounced on a loose Manuel Neuer pass to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds at the Allianz Arena. He scored again from a free-kick after Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised.

Harry Kane put Bayern back ahead in the tie only for Kylian Mbappe to restore parity overall when he put Madrid 3-2 up before half-time.

Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card with four minutes left, and Bayern pushed forward, Diaz blasting into the corner from outside the box after a crucial deflection.

With Real pressing for an equaliser, Olise curled in a magnificent shot to rubberstamp Bayern’s ticket to the last four and keep alive their quest for a seventh European crown. They will head to Luis Enrique’s PSG at the end of the month.

Tempers boiled over after the final whistle, with Guler picking up a straight red for confronting the referee.

The defeat for Real Madrid effectively ended their season as they look set to finish without a major trophy for the second year running. Barcelona hold a nine-point lead in La Liga and Real suffered a shock last-16 exit in the Copa del Rey.

For the first time in Real’s long history in the Champions League, their starting XI did not contain a single Spanish player. Jude Bellingham, who impressed off the bench in the first leg, was one of four changes to the line-up made by Arbeloa.

Neuer, widely lauded after a vintage performance in Madrid, gifted Real an opener. The Bayern goalkeeper miscued a pass directly to Guler, who floated a first-touch shot into the unguarded goal in the first minute.

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Bayern Munich looked stunned but struck back almost immediately when Pavlovic headed in a Kimmich corner after Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin failed to read the flight of the ball.

The match had barely time to settle before Real were ahead once more thanks to a Guler goal, with Neuer again not at his best.

The Turkey international whipped a free-kick into the top corner which Neuer got a hand to but was unable to keep out.

The match continued to swing back and forth before the break, as Kane struck first before Mbappe responded by getting himself on the scoresheet.

Kane slotted clinically into the bottom corner in the 38th minute to again haul Bayern level on the night, and ahead in the tie, before Mbappe ran onto a Vinicius Junior pass and slotted home to level the tie 4-4 on aggregate.

With Real regularly cutting into Bayern’s high line, coach Vincent Kompany responded by introducing the pace of Alphonso Davies at the interval.

Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Olise particularly dangerous, forcing a fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes left.

Camavinga came on midway through the half but picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave his team a man down in the closing stages.

It proved a turning point as Bayern Munich struck three minutes later when Diaz’s effort took a touch off Eder Militao and flashed beyond Lunin.

Olise made certain of Bayern’s progress deep into stoppage time as the German giants took down Real in a knockout clash for the first time since 2012.

READ: Longtime Messi friend Guillermo Hoyos unveiled as Inter Miami coach

Guillermo Hoyos said his long friendship with Lionel Messi will not stop him from working the Argentine superstar hard in training, as he was unveiled as the new coach of MLS side Inter Miami on Wednesday.

Hoyos, previously Miami’s sporting director, replaces Javier Mascherano, who departed the club for “personal reasons” on Tuesday, just four months after guiding the club to its first MLS Cup title.

The 62-year-old Hoyos was a key mentor of Messi’s in Barcelona’s youth team more than two decades ago, and the Argentine pair have remained close ever since.

“Friendship is non-negotiable. We share a friendship that spans many years,” said Hoyos, speaking in Spanish, at his first press conference.

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“However, that friendship does not mean that we will be constantly hovering over him or in his face every single day.”

A club statement initially said Hoyos will take charge of the team for the “upcoming matches,” but the team has since referred to him as head coach in social media posts.

Club sources told AFP that Hoyos is expected to remain at the helm only until the middle of the year, with a new coaching setup in place by the start of the Leagues Cup in August.

After seven rounds this season, Inter Miami sit third in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Messi, a 2022 World Cup winner and eight-time Ballon d’Or laureate, is the jewel in the crown of Miami’s squad.

READ: Iran to play World Cup 2026 in USA: FIFA president Infantino confirms

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that Iran will “for sure” participate in the upcoming World Cup 2026, scheduled in the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada, despite the Middle East war.

“Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, which would definitely help,” Infantino told an economic conference organised by broadcaster CNBC.

“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Turkey, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States.

Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States, two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle, with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona.

Iran’s participation in the global tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

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Iran raised the prospect of a “boycott” of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected.

After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8.

But Tehran has sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and since Monday Washington has imposed a blockade on ships coming from or heading to Iranian ports.

“Sports should be outside of politics,” Infantino said on Wednesday.

“If there’s nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job,” he said.

The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11.

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Former Real Madrid player and Spain’s 1982 World Cup coach Jose Emilio Santamaria has died at the age of 96, Los Blancos said on Wednesday.

Centre-back Santamaria, who joined Real Madrid in 1957 from Uruguayan side Nacional, played in one of the most decorated eras in the club’s history.

“Real Madrid wishes to express its condolences and affection to his wife Nora, his children Nelson, Nora, Beatriz, José, Silvia, and Javier, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all his family, teammates, and loved ones,” said Real Madrid in a statement.

He won 4 European Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 6 La Liga titles, and 1 Spanish Cup with Real Madrid, across 337 matches.

He was part of that legendary team that won the first European Cups in history consecutively, initiating the universal legend of Real Madrid.

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“Alongside Di Stefano, Puskas, Gento and Kopa, that team began to build the legend of Real Madrid,” said Los Blancos chief Florentino Perez.

He played 25 times for Uruguay before becoming a naturalised Spaniard and playing at the 1962 World Cup for Spain, whom he went on to coach.

As a coach, Santamaria began his career the year after retiring as a player, in Real Madrid’s youth academy.

He managed the Spanish Olympic team at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In 1982, he was the Spanish national team coach at the World Cup in Spain.

From 1971, for seven seasons, he managed R. C. D. Espanyol in 252 matches, becoming the coach with the most official matches in the club’s history.

READ: PSG beat Liverpool to reach Champions League semi-finals

Atletico Madrid sent 10-man Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League and reached the final four with a 3-2 aggregate victory despite Tuesday’s 2-1 quarter-final second leg defeat.

Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres fired visitors Barcelona ahead inside 24 minutes, but Ademola Lookman’s strike gave Atletico the edge in the gripping all-Spanish tie once again after their 2-0 win in the first leg.

Diego Simeone’s side returned to the semi-finals for the first time since 2017 by holding on against the La Liga champions in a compelling and bloody battle.

Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was sent off for bringing down Alexander Sorloth as he ran in on goal in the final stages, hampering their chances of finding a third goal to force extra time.

Atletico Madrid, who have never won the competition and lost the 2014 and 2016 finals with Simeone at the helm, will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semi-finals.

Barcelona last won the Champions League in 2015, and their wait for a sixth crown continues, but midfielder Frenkie de Jong said that the club was on the right path despite their elimination.

Barca coach Hansi Flick benched forwards Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski for workhorses Torres and Gavi, looking to press Atletico relentlessly in the sixth match between these sides this season.

Goalkeeper Juan Musso tipped a Yamal effort around his post after just 32 seconds, with Barca roaring out of the blocks in a fiery atmosphere at the Metropolitano stadium.

The teenage winger fired the visitors ahead after just four minutes when he harried Clement Lenglet into giving the ball away.

Torres nudged it back to Yamal, who slipped a low shot through Musso’s legs to hush the home fans and ignite Barca’s attempted comeback bid.

Dani Olmo nearly grabbed a second, but Musso was able to reach his attempted lob as Barca continued to dominate.

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Antoine Griezmann had a shot deflected wide as Atletico Madrid showed occasional flashes, mostly through enterprising winger Lookman, who gave Jules Kounde a difficult night.

Barcelona doubled their lead in the 24th minute to level the tie on aggregate when Torres left Lenglet trailing, reached Olmo’s pass and fired across Musso into the top corner.

Fermin Lopez could have notched Barca’s third, but Musso clawed out his header and left the midfielder bleeding after his boot caught the Spaniard in the face.

Atletico pulled their way back into the game in the 31st minute after Barca switched off defensively for the first time.

Marcos Llorente charged down the right behind the Catalans’ high defensive line and crossed for Lookman to convert.

Barcelona were frustrated early in the second half when Torres volleyed home, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Flick sent on Rashford and Lewandowski with around 20 minutes remaining to find the goal that last season’s semi-finalists needed.

Barca stopper Joan Garcia made a fine save with his leg to thwart Robin Le Normand from close range as Atletico almost pulled level on the night.

Matteo Ruggieri was left with blood streaming down his face after Gavi caught him with an elbow, with tensions rising.

The game spun away from Barca when Eric Garcia was sent off for clipping Sorloth’s heels as he ran through on goal, similar to Pau Cubarsi’s red card in the first leg.

Flick threw centre-back Ronald Araujo up front for the final stages, but there was no way back, and Atletico gritted their teeth through eight minutes of stoppage time before the celebrations could begin.

READ: PSG beat Liverpool to reach Champions League semi-finals

Ousmane Dembele guided Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) into the Champions League semi-finals as a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday completed a 4-0 aggregate win for the holders.

To compound the English champions’ woes, Hugo Ekitike suffered a serious-looking injury that could end his season and hinder Liverpool’s chances of being back among Europe’s elite next season.

Arne Slot’s men sit fifth in the Premier League and will end the campaign trophyless after being kept at arm’s reach by a PSG side that did not need to be at their brilliant best to reach a third consecutive semi-final.

Defeat means there will be no glorious goodbye for Mohamed Salah after nine memorable years on Merseyside.

Slot showed little sentiment as he dropped the Egyptian to the bench on his final Champions League appearance in red.

Alexander Isak was preferred up front as the most expensive player in Premier League history started for the first time since breaking his leg in December.

However, Salah was forced into action after just half an hour as Ekitike suffered a nasty-looking injury that could ruin his World Cup hopes with France.

The former PSG striker crumpled in a heap, holding his lower right leg with a suspected ruptured Achilles.

Salah nearly made an immediate impact as from his cross, Matvey Safonov made a fine save from Milos Kerkez before Marquinhos produced a remarkable block to deny Virgil van Dijk the opening goal.

PSG had plenty of chances to have put the tie to bed in the Parc des Princes last week and were profligate once more in the first half.

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Giorgi Mamardashvili scrambled back towards his line to punch away Dembele’s attempted chip before the Ballon d’Or winner blazed over from close range with just the Georgian to beat.

Slot admitted before kick-off that Isak could only last for 45 minutes due to a lack of match practice, and the Swede made way for Cody Gakpo at half-time in a further blow to Liverpool’s firepower up front.

Kerkez had the best chance to set up a grandstand finale when he sliced wide another inviting Salah delivery.

Liverpool thought they had been gifted a lifeline when Alexis Mac Allister was awarded a very generous penalty for minimal contact by Willian Pacho, but VAR intervened to instruct referee Maurizio Mariani to reverse his original decision.

But as Liverpool poured forward in desperation, they became a sitting duck for the rapid PSG counter-attack.

Dembele finally killed the tie off 18 minutes from time when he cut onto his left foot and curled into the bottom corner from outside the box.

The French international then inflicted the final blow with a cool finish from Bradley Barcola’s cross in stoppage time.

PSG will face a tougher test against the in-form Bayern Munich or 15-time winners Real Madrid in the last four.

But after ending the Qatari-backed French champions’ long wait to conquer Europe last season, Luis Enrique’s men remain on course to become the only side other than Madrid to retain the competition in the Champions League era.

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Bayern Munich veteran Manuel Neuer is saddling up for Wednesday’s Real Madrid quarter-final second leg at home in what could be his final season before riding off into the sunset.

Though not the risk-hungry, ‘sweeper keeper’ of his prime, the two-time Champions League winner was outstanding in Bayern’s 2-1 first-leg victory in Madrid.

Named man of the match, Neuer made nine saves and succeeded in keeping Real’s danger men Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at bay, for the most part.

Neuer, who turned 40 in March, has a contract in Munich until the end of the season.

Bayern seem willing to offer their long-time ‘keeper and captain another year, but Neuer has repeatedly said he is still weighing up his future.

The 2014 World Cup winner has struggled with muscle injuries in the past two seasons. Normally, the first name on the teamsheet, this campaign, he has missed 11 games as he battles persistent calf muscle strains.

Having already ruled himself out of World Cup contention this summer, ending the season with a third Champions League crown alongside a record-equalling 13th Bundesliga title would be a perfect sign-off.

While Bayern have always sat atop German football, Neuer’s arrival alongside other modern greats, including Thomas Mueller, Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger, helped push the club into the stratosphere.

Bayern Munich had never won more than three Bundesliga titles in a row before Neuer signed in 2011, but have only missed out twice in the 15 subsequent seasons.

Two of Bayern’s six Champions League titles have come with Neuer between the sticks.

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Neuer’s spectacular saves make highlight reels, but his leadership has been crucial as Bayern have rebuilt from 2023-24’s third-place Bundesliga finish, to once again contend for the Champions League.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, in just his second season managing a club with Champions League ambitions, said so after the first leg.

“Manu only has to say one sentence, and he brings order to the team. That’s why his role to me as a leader is just as important as what he does on the pitch,” Kompany said, adding Neuer “made things much easier for me at the beginning than I thought”.

Heading into Wednesday’s return leg, Manuel Neuer is the only current Bayern player to have experienced victory over two legs against Madrid. Since getting past the Spaniards in the 2012 semi-finals, Bayern had not even won a match against Los Blancos in their eight meetings, up until last week.

And the Gelsenkirchen native will have even more motivation to get across the line against Real this time around. Two years ago, with Bayern ahead against Los Blancos in the dying stages of their semi-final return leg, Neuer spilt a Vinicius shot, which Joselu tapped in to level things up.

Minutes later, Joselu scored again, and Bayern were eliminated, with Real going on to win the title at Wembley.

Despite their first-leg lead, Bayern know their opponents well, with 29 games between the sides, no European fixture has been played more, and remain wary of the Champions League specialists.

Real suffered another La Liga setback on Friday and are now nine points behind Barcelona, but Joshua Kimmich recognised that the 15-time winners can turn it on when they have the Champions League anthem ringing in their ears.

“It doesn’t matter at all what form Kylian Mbappe and his teammates are in. When it’s the Champions League, they perform,” Kimmich said Saturday.

“We know exactly who we are playing against. It’s a brutally difficult task,” Leon Goretzka said the same day. “We know how quickly they can create scoring opportunities. We know what to expect.”

READ: Blessing Muzarabani penalised by PCB for violating PSL contract

Noah Okafor fired Leeds to a long-awaited 2-1 win over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford as the Premier League strugglers boosted their bid to avoid relegation on Monday.

Okafor punished United’s sloppy defending with a brace in the first half before Lisandro Martinez was sent off after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair after the interval.

Casemiro got one back for United, but Leeds held on for their first win against United since a shock 2010 FA Cup success when they were in the third tier.

The Yorkshire club were able to celebrate their first top-flight win against United since 2002 and their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years.

A first win in seven league matches lifted Daniel Farke’s side six points clear of the relegation zone, with six games left to preserve their top-flight status after last season’s promotion.

As well as battling for survival, Leeds are through to the FA Cup semi-finals, where they face Chelsea at Wembley on April 26.

While Manchester City and Liverpool are United’s main rivals, their fans’ enmity with Leeds supporters goes back decades, featuring numerous clashes between hooligan gangs.

That made the defeat a bitter pill to swallow for United fans, who booed Michael Carrick’s side at full-time.

It was only Carrick’s second defeat in 11 games since he replaced the sacked Ruben Amorim as interim boss in January.

United remain in third place, seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish.

The last time United played Leeds, Carrick was on holiday with former Old Trafford team-mate Wayne Rooney and their respective families in Barbados.

Carrick has revitalised United since taking charge, but one win from their last four games is a step back.

United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday offers another chance to take a step towards returning to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2023-24.

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Leeds had failed to score in their previous four league games, but they blew United away with a blistering start.

When Jayden Bogle whipped a fifth-minute cross towards Dominic Calvert-Lewin, United defender Leny Yoro was unable to clear, and Okafor pounced with a clinical finish from 10 yards.

With Harry Maguire suspended, United were shambolic at the back in the first-half and Okafor netted again after more defensive miscues in the 29th minute.

United made a hash of clearing twice in quick succession, and the ball was eventually worked to Okafor, whose strike took a hefty deflection off Yoro as it flashed past Senne Lammens.

Carrick’s men were back in action for the first time in 24 days, and they looked rusty after the enforced break.

Lisandro Martinez was forced to make a last-ditch tackle on the goal-line to stop Ao Tanka scoring a third for Leeds after the Japan midfielder danced around Lammens.

Benjamin Sesko’s effort was cleared off the line soon after the interval, and United’s nightmare evening continued when Martinez saw red in the 56th minute.

Martinez needlessly tugged Calvert-Lewin’s long hair, and referee Paul Tierney sent him off after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, United reduced the deficit in the 69th minute when Casemiro met Bruno Fernandes’ cross with a thumping header past Karl Darlow from six yards.

It was Fernandes’ 17th league assist this season, closing the gap on the single-season record of 20 held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Calvert-Lewin squandered a golden opportunity to wrap up the points, heading straight at Lammens from close-range.

Darlow made a superb save from Sesko’s header before Casemiro, and Manuel Ugarte had efforts cleared off the line as Leeds held firm in a frantic finale.

READ: Liverpool need ‘very special’ night to stun PSG, says Arne Slot

Arne Slot admits Liverpool will need a “very special” performance to overturn their 2-0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday.

Slot’s side are on the brink of being eliminated by PSG for a second successive season after a disappointing display in Paris last week.

Liverpool failed to muster a single shot on target at the Parc des Princes and Slot acknowledged they will have to improve significantly to stun Luis Enrique’s team at Anfield.

“We know we need an exceptional performance to go to the next round but that’s completely normal when you face the champions of Europe,” Slot told reporters on Monday.

“In the 49 home games we have played under me, 36 times we were able to score two goals or more.

“Yes, we have not played all these 49 games against Paris Saint-Germain, I realise that, but the Premier League and Champions League opponents we had were very strong.

“So there is a belief we can do special things tomorrow but we need to be very, very, very special to achieve that.”

Slot has come under mounting scrutiny following Liverpool’s woeful defence of the Premier League title and their embarrassing FA Cup quarter-final exit in a 4-0 thrashing at Manchester City.

After three successive defeats against Brighton, City and PSG, Liverpool kept the critics at bay, for a few days at least, with a 2-0 win against Fulham on Saturday.

But a tame exit from the Champions League would intensify the pressure on Slot ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby at Everton.

Slot knows Liverpool need to at least put up a better fight than in Paris, where they struggled to retain possession and rarely troubled the PSG defence.

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“We are playing the champions of Europe so that makes the task more difficult but not impossible,” he said.

“For now let’s just focus on the job on hand, start aggressive and make sure we can get back in the tie.

“Even Saturday showed how important a goal is… minutes (later) we scored the second. That is what football is about, a goal can change the momentum, which happened negatively for us at Manchester City.”

While Slot was criticised for Liverpool’s passive first-leg performance, the Reds boss insisted his side could win with a similar approach at Anfield.

“People probably find it very hard what I am about to say now but the approach is not so different tomorrow than it was in Paris. For the people who know me I never tell them to play in a low block for 90 minutes,” he said.

“You could see we pressed them high on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, seven or eight of those moments led them to being one-on-one with our goalkeeper.

“The last time we faced each other they had the ball for 76 percent of the time, so that’s the first thing we have to change tomorrow, to have the ball more.

“If we have it more then it’s nice to have the attacking threat on the pitch and that’s what we will have tomorrow.”

READ: Atletico captain issues bold statement ahead of Barcelona clash

Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke said Monday his team must play with “personality” to stop Barcelona mounting a Champions League quarter-final comeback.

The Rojiblancos earned a 2-0 first-leg win at Camp Nou last week and host the Spanish champions on Tuesday, aiming to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2017.

Five-time winners Barcelona reached the final four last season and arrive at the Metropolitano stadium determined to fight their way back into the tie and ramp up the pressure on the hosts.

“It’s hugely important to beat the press they usually put on,” Koke told reporters.

“They’re a team that presses very high, that pushes their line almost up to the halfway line, that presses you, that suffocates you.

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“That’s where our personality comes in, when it’s time to play, to want the ball, to make ourselves available, to make runs in behind.”

The match is the third between the sides in the last fortnight and the sixth they have played this season, with Atletico knocking Barca out in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

“We’ve faced each other many times throughout this year,” continued the midfielder.

“We know each other perfectly, and it’s going to be very important to take the ball off them, attack the spaces well, and have the personality to want the ball and not lose it.”

Koke scored against Barca in the 2014 quarter-finals as Atletico — who have never won the competition — went on to reach the final, as they did in 2016, losing on both occasions to rivals Real Madrid.

“I’ve watched that goal quite a few times,” admitted Koke.

“It’s true that when these kinds of matches start coming around, you try to motivate yourself and you try to visualise a lot of positive things that happened, like in 2014, like in 2016, and like in the first leg a week ago.”

Atletico coach Diego Simeone kept his cards close to his chest ahead of the second leg, refusing to say whether goalkeeper Jan Oblak was fit to start or elaborate much on anything at all.

“We’re fully aware of the strong opponent we’ll have in front of us,” said the coach. “But we’re also clear about our objective, which is to go through.”

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