GLOBAL TODAY

Category: SPORTS

  • Man Utd seize control of Europa League semi against 10-man Bilbao

    Manchester United’s Casemiro celebrates scoring their first goal with Bruno Fernandes. REUTERS

    BILBAO – Bruno Fernandes struck twice as Manchester United put one foot in the Europa League final with a clinical away performance to beat 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Thursday.

    The fervent home fans were enraged when Athletic defender Daniel Vivian was sent off for pulling back Rasmus Hojlund and Fernandes slotted home the resulting penalty, after Casemiro had opened the scoring against the run of play in the semifinal first leg.

    Fernandes rolled in a third before half-time as Ruben Amorim’s side moved a step closer to the final, to be held at Athletic’s San Mames stadium.

    The hosts have been dreaming of winning a first European trophy on their own soil but their hopes were demolished by United’s professional display in the north of Spain — and Athletic’s supporters argued, the refereeing.

    Languishing in 14th in the Premier League, Champions League qualification for United is only possible with a Europa League triumph, as is access to the £100 million ($133 million) honeypot it entails.

    Despite regularly crumbling under pressure this season, the Red Devils — who produced a stunning comeback against Lyon in the quarter-finals — first survived and then thrived in a hostile environment.

    With May 1 a bank holiday in Spain the streets of Bilbao were filled with red-and-white striped shirts from the morning onwards, with thousands of fans turning up at their team’s hotel to see the Athletic bus set off for the stadium.

    The San Mames was rocking, with fans raising red and white cards around the stadium ahead of the game to welcome the players, all of them born or raised in the Basque country, as per the club’s century-long policy.

    “This is not the theater of dreams, this is The Cathedral of football,” it read on the back, a reference to the stadium’s nickname.

    Alejandro Garnacho’s early strike gave the hosts a scare but the forward was offside.

    Beyond that the early stages of the match for United were about gritting their teeth and holding off the Basque side and their raucous supporters.

    Alex Berenguer forced a smart low save from Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, and Inaki Williams headed narrowly over.

    Victor Lindelof made a vital block to thwart Berenguer after Nico Williams fed his brother Inaki, who was given too much space on the right wing.

    The hosts were ascendant and when former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro opened the scoring for United it came as a shock.

    Just as much of a surprise was the way United created the goal, with center-back Harry Maguire dribbling down the right flank as Mikel Jaureguizar floundered in his wake.

    The defender fizzed a cross into the area which Manuel Ugarte flicked on to the back host for Casemiro to nod home from close range.

    It seemed like a smash-and-grab but soon United had a second, when Vivian was penalized for pulling back Hojlund as he tried to connect with a cross.

    It was a key moment. The defender was sent off to add insult to injury, as Athletic fans howled in anger.

    Fernandes rolled the penalty into the bottom right corner, sending Julen Agirrezabala the wrong way.

    Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde made a double substitution, trying to stem the bleeding, but his team shipped a third before half-time.

    Ugarte’s clever backheel played Fernandes through on goal and he stroked home with ease.

    Noussair Mazraoui crashed a shot off the crossbar from the edge of the box as United almost grabbed a fourth before the break.

    Norwegian referee Espen Eskas and his colleagues were barracked by the home fans, seeing their aspirations to glory evaporate before their eyes.

    They were further enraged, waving the white cards from the pre-match tifo to show their disgust, when Maroan Sannadi tumbled under pressure from Maguire as he ran toward goal but no foul was awarded.

    United largely controlled the game in the second half, with Casemiro and Fernandes making life hard for the 10-man hosts, but they could not add a fourth despite probing.

    The second leg takes place next Thursday at Old Trafford, ahead of the final on May 21 against Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt.

    AN-AFP

  • Moyuka Uchijima is living a dream – at least that’s how she described it

    Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, the Japanese world No. 56, defeated her favorite player Ons Jabeur in the second round before claiming the first top-10 win of her career over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula on Sunday. (AFP/File)

    Moyuka Uchijima is living a dream – at least that’s how she described it.

    In the last few days at the Madrid Open, the Japanese world No. 56 defeated her favorite player Ons Jabeur in the second round before claiming the first top-10 win of her career over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula on Sunday.

    This time last year, Uchijima was ranked 130 in the world, which wasn’t high enough for her to get into the draw in Madrid.

    She was instead grinding on the lower-level ITF circuit, and about to go on a 15-match winning streak, sweeping three consecutive titles – in Japan, Slovakia, and Spain – in as many weeks.

    That run earned her a place in the top 100 for the first time, and the 23-year-old hasn’t looked back since, rising to a career-high 51 in the world earlier this month.

    With wins against Robin Montgomery, and 2022 Madrid finalists Jabeur and Pegula, Uchijima punched her ticket to the last-16 stage at a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time. She’ll take on 21st-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday evening.

    “I’m just really, really happy. It’s my first Masters 1000 round of 16, and I still cannot believe it, I’m in a dream kind of,” Uchijima said in an interview with Arab News and wtatennis.com.

    “I know Jessica is a really, really great player, so I was just really happy to share a court with her, but to get a win is something really, really special for me.”

    Uchijima entered her third round against Pegula with a 0-6 record against top-10 opposition, including a tight third-set tiebreak loss to Coco Gauff in Indian Wells last month.

    She lost in similar fashion to a 15th-ranked Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open early in the year.

    Those two close defeats gave Uchijima the belief she was at the same level as these top players; she just needed to get over that final hump and close out victories.

    She did just that against Jabeur and Montgomery, rallying back from a set down, and was clinical in her straight-sets win over Pegula.

    “I just try not to think about the score, because when you think you have a chance, then you start to get nervous,” explained Uchijima. “So this week, I’m just trying to, even first round, I was getting killed by Robin Montgomery, she is also a great player; I just try not to think during the point too much and just enjoy the moment and just try to do what I can do at that moment.”

    She added: “Ons is one of my favorite players, and I’m always watching her on TV.

    “And Jessica as well. Obviously, they’ve always been on top in the WTA Tour, so it’s kind of a dream that I’m playing against them and actually able to win some matches.”

    Jabeur, the Tunisian former world No. 2, plays a unique brand of tennis that Uchijima finds particularly exciting to watch, albeit when she’s not on the receiving end of it.

    “It’s just she’s different,” said Uchijima.

    “She plays a style that is different than a lot of players, so I hate to play against her because she uses a lot of drop shots, so I have to run more, but to watch is really, really interesting because you don’t see a lot of players like the way she plays, so it’s just really fun to watch.”

    Uchijima was born in Kuala Lumpur to a Japanese father and Malaysian mother. She moved around with her family for a few years before settling in Tokyo when she was around eight years old.

    On her way to elementary school every day, she would pass by a tennis court at her father Kazuto’s workplace. Uchijima did swimming and basketball at the time, but when she picked up tennis, she enjoyed it way more than the monotony of swim practice and the running drills in basketball.

    She forced her sister, who did ballet and gymnastics, to join her during tennis practice and was doing it for fun until she realized she was actually good at it by the age of 13.

    Uchijima’s current training base is Guangzhou, where she gets to spend her preseason hitting with the likes of Zheng Saiai and Zhu Lin.

    “A lot of those girls, they’ve been top 30, top 20, so they gave me a lot of tips, and they always support me from wherever,” she said.

    “We are far away from each other, maybe not playing the same tournament, but if we play the same tournament, we still support each other, and yeah, of course, my coaches, they’re helping me a lot.”

    This week in Madrid, Uchijima received some priceless advice from her compatriot Kei Nishikori, who she grew up watching and idolizing. The 35-year-old Nishikori is a former world No. 4 and the only man representing an Asian country to reach a Grand Slam final (US Open 2014).

    He contested the men’s tournament in Madrid this week, losing to Denis Shapovalov in the second round, and Uchijima cannot believe that after all these years, she gets to be at the same event as her idol.

    “We went to the Olympics together last year, so I got to know him more there,” said Uchijima.

    “I was watching him on TV, so it’s just crazy, you’re actually living the same life, same place.

    “I don’t have a lot of experience here, playing in Madrid, where this a little bit of altitude, and a little bit different conditions, and Kei played here many, many years, and I think he was runner-up here (in 2014), so he gave me some tips. Actually, after the first round match, he gave me some tips, so I guess it’s working.”

    Years after Li Na and Nishikori paved the way, Japan’s Naomi Osaka exploded onto the scene, winning four Grand Slams and becoming Asia’s first ever singles world No. 1.

    More recently, China’s Zheng Qinwen reached the Australian Open final in 2024 and clinched the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Filipina teenager Alex Eala made a historic run to the semifinals in Miami last month.

    Asian tennis is booming and Uchijima is keen to write her own chapter in its story.

    “I think it’s a really, really great thing,” she said.

    “For me, I grew up watching Kei Nishikori and Naomi, for the most part, but yeah, Alex in Miami, what she has done was really, really incredible, and of course, I got a lot of motivation from her, and also from Olympics last year, when Zheng Qinwen won the gold, first Asian to win a gold.

    “So yeah, of course, I got a motivation from her that even we can do it, so I don’t know, hopefully, I can be a little part of it, and give some dreams for the younger players, not only in Japan, maybe in Asia. Because that’s how I look up, watching Kei and Naomi, so I can hope I can do the same for the younger generation.”

    Uchijima grew up playing on hard courts and artificial grass in Japan but says she started to find her game on clay last season and realized the red dirt is probably the most suited to her playing style.

    With a quarterfinal spot on the line for Uchijima on Monday, she’s focusing on the task at hand and doesn’t want to get distracted by her achievements so far at the Caja Magica.

    “It gave me confidence, but there’s a lot of things still I can improve from today’s match, so just trying to improve day by day,” she said.

    After competing at a lower-level tournament at a different site in Madrid 12 months ago, Uchijima’s time at the WTA 1000 in the Spanish capital this week has been a significant upgrade.

    “Good food, good courts, a good facility – I’m just enjoying it and everything,” she says with a smile.

    AN

  • Barcelona beat Real Madrid in extra time to win Copa del Rey final

    Barcelona players celebrate after winning the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Saturday. (AP)

    SEVILLE, Spain – Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in extra time to claim a record-extending 32nd Copa del Rey title on Saturday and launch their bid for a treble.

    Pedri Gonzalez scored from long range to give Barcelona the lead in the 28th minute at La Cartuja Stadium.

    Kylian Mbappe came off the bench at halftime and scored from a free kick for Real Madrid in the 70th. Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni gave Madrid the lead with a header in the 77th.

    But Ferran Torres leveled in the 84th and forced extra time.

    Jules Kounde then pounced on a pass by Brahim Diaz and slotted a shot into the low corner of Thibaut Courtois’ net for the 116th-minute winner.

    Barcelona will carry this momentum into Wednesday’s start of their Champions League semifinal series against Inter Milan. They also lead La Liga by four points over Madrid.

    Barcelona have beaten Madrid in all three of the clasicos this season. They routed Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January after winning 4-0 at Madrid in the local league in October.

    “This was such a physically demanding game, but we showed that we are a great team that never gives up,” said Torres, who filled in perfectly for the injured Robert Lewandowski.

    Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was shown a red card by the referee in the final minute of extra time.

    The loss to their fierce rival was another blow to Madrid after they were knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Arsenal.

    This could have been their last title decider with Carlo Ancelotti in charge. The Italian coach said he will decide his future this summer amid speculation he is bound to take over Brazil.

    King Felipe VI awarded the trophy to Barcelona, after the monarch flew back to Spain following his attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican.

    Barcelona dominate first half

    One of the biggest rivalries in global soccer was again a tale of two halves — until Torres scored the late equalizer against the flow of play to renew Barcelona’s prospects.

    Barcelona dominated the first half as it kept the action in Madrid’s half thanks to its ball control and pressure defense that was quick to recover the ball.

    The only semblance of a Madrid attack came when Jude Bellingham was able to spin away from his marker and beat Barcelona’s pressure defense.

    But a Bellingham pass intercepted by Pau Cubarsí cued Barcelona’s opener. Pedri lobbed forward for Yamal, breaking down the flank. The 17-year-old phenom — sporting a new dyed-blonde hairdo — threaded a pass back to the top of the box, where Pedri arrived to blast it home.

    Raphinha went close to adding a second goal with some help by Rudiger when the Brazilian’s corker kick grazed the defender and hit the far post.

    Mbappe sparks Madrid fightback

    Mbappe started the game on the bench after injuring his ankle last week. But Ancelotti sent his striker on at halftime to replace Rodrygo. Luka Modric and playmaker Arda Guler soon followed.

    The changes helped Madrid click, and the game became a back-and-forth contest with both teams creating scoring chances after Barcelona’s control was shattered.

    Wojciech Szczesny had to protect Barcelona’s lead with three saves to deny Vinícius Junior and Mbappe. The goalkeeper could do nothing, however, to stop Mbappe after he earned a foul and fired a free kick low and just inside the post.

    Tchouameni rose up to head in a corner kick that Guler curled into to the edge of the six-yard box.

    Barcelona finish it off

    Torres brought Barcelona back when Yamal put a long ball behind the defense and Courtois mistimed his run out to intercept it, leaving Torres with an open net.

    Raphinha thought he had a penalty in the final minute of injury time after contact with Raul Asencio. But the referee, who the day before the final denounced a campaign to discredit him by Real Madrid’s official club television, waived off his initial decision after consulting video.

    With several players clearly exhausted in extra time the game appeared destined to finish in a penalty shootout. But that was when Koundé became the hero for the Catalan club.

    AN-AP

  • South Korea’s Ryu and Japan’s Saigo share LPGA Chevron lead

    Haeran Ryu, of South Korea, chips to the eighth green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP)

    HOUSTON – South Korea’s Haeran Ryu and Japan’s Mao Saigo, both aided by long birdies, shared the lead after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Chevron Championship.

    Ryu fired a 4-under par 68 and Saigo shot 69 to leave each on 9-under 207 after 54 holes at Carlton Woods in the year’s first major women’s tournament.

    “Another good day,” Ryu said. “I was just trying for the good spots, for the easy putts, and I wanted to try to make some birdies. That was good for me.”

    American Lindy Duncan was third on 208 with American Sarah Schmelzel and China’s Liu Yan on 209.

    After a bogey at the third hole and a birdie at the par-5 fourth, Ryu reeled off four birdies to close the front nine, the last a spectacular chip-in from well off the front of the green.

    “I just think, wow, it’s amazing,” said Ryu, who parred her way through the back nine.

    Saigo, however, was not to be outdone. She made a birdie at the par-three third, took a bogey at the fifth, answered with birdies at the sixth and par-five eighth and then holed out from the fringe at the par-five 13th to reach nine-under.

    “The course condition was pretty hard. It was pretty difficult to make birdies so I kind of struggled,” Saigo said. “Two of them were chip-in birdies from outside, so I was pretty lucky.”

    Both co-leaders are chasing their first major title.

    “I think that’s a good pressure for me,” Ryu said. “I don’t have a major trophy in my home, so that’s a goal for my life and in golf.”

    Saigo added, “I just need to focus on my golf game (and) try to control my mental control and hopefully I’ll win.”

    Ryu led by a stroke entering last year’s final round but shot 74 and finished fifth.

    “Last year the final round for me was not good,” Ryu said. “But I learned to be more calm and more comfortable and more slow. This year I wish to be more enjoying the course.”

    Liu shared the lead at 9-under until a stumble at the par-three 17th, where she found a bunker, then chipped into sloped rough just above the bunker on the way to a double bogey.

    Winds tested players in the late afternoon.

    “The front nine was so good for me,” she said. “The back nine was such a challenge for me because the wind started to be stronger and the pins were so tough.”

    “Definitely tested my patience out there,” Schmelzel said. “I’m sure there will be more of that tomorrow.”

    AN-AFP

  • Ronaldo scores and leads Al-Nassr into AFC Champions Elite semifinals

    Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Yokohama F Marinos’ Yan during the AFC Champions League Elite quarter Final match between Al-Nassr and Yokohama F Marinos at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 26, 2025. (Reuters)

    JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Cristiano Ronaldo led Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr to a 4-1 win over Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite on Saturday.

    The 40-year-old scored his eighth goal of the tournament during a dominant first half performance in Jeddah, which is hosting all of the games in the tournament from the quarterfinal stage to the final on May 3.

    In Wednesday’s semifinal, Al-Nassr will take on Al-Sadd of Qatar or Kawasaki Frontale of Japan, who meet on Sunday.

    Jhon Duran, signed for over $100 million from Aston Villa in January, opened the scoring from close range.

    Four minutes later, Sadio Mane doubled Al-Nassr’s lead, the former Liverpool forward firing home a fierce low shot from the left of the area.

    There was still time before the break for Ronaldo to give Al-Nassr, looking for a first ever continental title, one foot in the last four.

    Goalkeeper Park Il-kyu spilled a shot from Marcelo Brozovic and Ronaldo, from close range, was on hand to score his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions.

    Duran scored his second and Al-Nassr’s fourth four minutes after the break, and Anderson Lopes grabbed a consolation for the five-time Japanese champion.

    Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League rival Al-Ahli defeated Buriram United of Thailand 3-0.

    The damage was done early. After just four minutes, former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez scored with a low shot from the right side of the area after Buriram failed to clear.

    Two minutes later, Brazilian winger Galeno made it 2-0 and Roberto Firmino finished off.

    Al-Ahli, a two-time finalist, will take on Al-Hilal, the four-time champion, in an all-Saudi semifinal on Tuesday.

    On Friday, Al-Hilal thrashed Gwangju 7-0 with all seven coming from different scorers.

    After Al-Hilal’s relatively poor run of form domestically, coach Jorge Jesus was delighted with the result and performance. “We’ve been under pressure in the Saudi Pro League, and the players have shown great focus despite that,” Jesus said.

    “Without commitment, we couldn’t have achieved this. I believe we’re on the right path, creating a good atmosphere for everyone involved — players and staff.”

    AN-AP

  • Bologna book final with Milan after cruising past Empoli in Coppa Italia

    Bologna’s Thijs Dallinga, third from left, scores their second goal of the game past Empoli’s goalkeeper Jacopo Seghetti during an Italian Cup semifinal between Bologna FC and Empoli FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium Thursday Bologna, Italy. (AP)

    BOLOGNA, Italy – Bologna eased into the Coppa Italia final following a 2–1 victory over Empoli at home on Thursday, which handed them a resounding 5–1 aggregate win as they set up a showdown with AC Milan.

    Bologna strolled into their Coppa Italia semifinal second leg with a comfortable cushion, with Empoli facing an uphill task of overturning a three-goal deficit.

    Giovanni Fabbian compounded Empoli’s misery after just seven minutes when the unmarked midfielder headed in a cross to extend Bologna’s aggregate advantage.

    While the visitors may have felt their Coppa Italia run was already over, they still responded in the 33rd minute as Ola Solbakken’s angled drive was parried by Federico Ravaglia into the path of Viktor Kovalenko, who slotted in the rebound.

    Both sides used the closing stages to express themselves more freely, playing with flair and imagination, but it was Thijs Dallinga who met a cross to head in another Bologna goal four minutes from time, sealing the win.

    First final in 51 years

    Bologna will play in the Coppa Italia final for the first time since their victory in 1974.

    “It was a goal, the dream of this city and the club: we have honored this competition from the start, and when you reach the final stretch, everyone wants to go all the way,” Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano told Mediaset.

    “We dedicate this final to the people of Bologna, who support us tremendously.”

    Bologna will face Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14.

    “That would upset Milan, but we hope to play a great match, arriving in top condition,” Italiano added.

    “Our self-esteem is already sky-high, and we know we’re facing a team of champions, but we’ll try to use our strengths. We can’t wait to get to Rome, and we hope to have those 30,000 fans at the Olimpico.”

    AN-REUTERS

  • Soccer player’s wife and child kidnapped in Ecuador during home invasion

    Jackson Rodriguez of Ecuador’s Emelec reacts during a Copa Sudamericana round of 16 second leg soccer match against Argentina’s Defensa y Justicia at the Unico Diego Armando Maradona stadium in La Plata, Argentina, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. AP/File

    QUITO, Ecuador – Ecuadorian soccer player Jackson Rodríguez’s wife and 5-year-old child were kidnapped early Wednesday, police reported, when men broke into their home in search of the Emelec defender, who told investigators he hid under a bed.

    The kidnappings took place around 3 a.m. in the coastal city of Guayaquil, police chief Édison Rodríguez said.

    In his testimony to police, the 26-year-old fullback said he hid under a bed when he heard the front door being broken down, according to the police chief.

    The perpetrators took Rodriguez’s wife and child after asking the woman if Rodríguez was at the residence.

    According to police, Rodríguez saw at a window “that the individuals were traveling in a gray-colored double-cab pickup truck.”

    The incident occurred amid a state of emergency declared 10 days ago by the government in nine areas of the country, including the province of Guayas, to which Guayaquil belongs. The measure allows the mobilization of security forces in those territories to combat the operations of organized crime groups, which authorities blame for the wave of violence.

    Insecurity and crime have plagued Ecuador for four years, with an increase in the first few months of the year, according to the government. Between January and March, 2,345 violent deaths were reported, 742 of which occurred in Guayaquil, located 270 kilometers (168 miles) southwest of the capital Quito.

    The port city is considered one of the most dangerous areas in the country. From those ports, illegal drug shipments are sent to Europe, Central America, and the United States, according to authorities.

    Other athletes have been targeted in the past. In December 2024, soccer player Pedro Perlaza, who played for Liga de Quito also was kidnapped in Esmeraldas, a city located 182 kilometers northwest of Quito, and rescued alive a few days later.

    AP

  • Barcelona take a commanding 4-1 lead over Chelsea in Women’s Champions League semifinals series

    Barcelona’s Spanish forward Claudia Pina (L) rides on a teammate’s shoulders as she celebrates scoring their fourth goal during their UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal first leg against Chelsea at the Johan Cruyff stadium in Barcelona, on April 20, 2025. (AFP)

    BARCELONA, Spain – Barcelona recovered from a missed penalty by Alexia Putellas to take a commanding 4-1 lead over Chelsea in the Women’s Champions League semifinals on Sunday.

    Putellas had her penalty kick saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton in the 12th minute but the Catalan club rallied with a pair of goals by substitute Claudia Pina and one each from Ewa Pajor and Irene Paredes.

    Sandy Baltimore scored for Chelsea.

    “No winning scoreline is enough,” Barcelona coach Pere Romeu said. “There’s huge evidence in soccer that you can’t ever rely on a first-leg lead. We are going to have a beautiful battle over there at Stamford Bridge.”

    Chelsea will host the return semifinal leg next Sunday and the winner on aggregate will advance to the final in Lisbon next month.

    It was the eighth straight win for defending champion Barcelona in the European women’s competition. It has scored 40 goals across those eight consecutive wins since losing 2-0 to Manchester City.

    Barcelona and Chelsea are meeting in the last four for the third consecutive season. Barcelona has advanced each time.

    “I still believe in my team and my players, 100 percent,” Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said. “It’ll be difficult, but the main goal is to score early in the return leg. In football everything is possible, so let’s try to win the game and, if we score early, maybe we can put Barcelona under pressure.”

    Pajor opened the scoring in the 35th and Pina added to the lead in the 70th, not long after entering the match.

    Baltimore pulled the visitors closer four minutes later, but Paredes gave Barcelona a two-goal lead again in the 82nd.

    Pina added a fourth in the 90th at the Johan Cruyff stadium.

    “When I’m on the bench, we’ve already spent a whole week analyzing a rival like Chelsea,” Pina said. “You have lots of ideas in your head. When the game goes on, you progress those ideas and look at where your teammates are already creating gaps in the opponents’ defense.”

    In the other semifinal series, Lyon weathered a second-half rally by Arsenal to claim a 2-1 away win on Saturday, putting the record eight-time champions on course for another Women’s Champions League title match.

    AN-AP

  • Rune upsets Alcaraz in straight sets to win Barcelona Open

    Denmark’s Holger Rune celebrates with the trophy on the podium after winning the Barcelona Open final against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz Sunday. Reuters

    BARCELONA, Spain – Holger Rune upset home-crowd favorite Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Sunday to win the Barcelona Open for his first title since 2023.

    Rune defeated the Spaniard 7-6 (6), 6-2 for his first title since winning in Munich two years ago, and fifth overall. It was the Dane’s first ATP 500 title.

    “It means the world, it was such a great match,” Rune said. “In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed, because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis. I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm. After he broke me, I got more into the match and played my tennis. The first set was a big battle, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. I’m so proud of myself.”

    Alcaraz was coming off a nine-match winning streak that included his first Monte Carlo Masters title last weekend. He was searching for his third title of the year and 19th of his career. He won the Barcelona Open in 2022 and 2023.

    Rune, runner-up to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, rallied from a break down in the opener and converted his fourth set point. He cruised in the second set against Alcaraz, who twice needed treatment on his upper right leg.

    “I’m very happy with how I stayed composed when it mattered, and I was really brave,” Rune said.

    Alcaraz will lose his No. 2 ranking to Alexander Zverev, who won his third Munich title on Sunday.

    “Congratulations Holger on an amazing week,” Alcaraz said. “Coming here and showing a great effort to make the people enjoy watching tennis, I appreciate that. We’ve been seeing each other since (we were) 12 years old. Time flies. I’m really happy to see us in this position, how far we’ve (come). Keep going.”

    It was the first ATP tour-level final between two players aged 21-and-under since 2022. Both are 21.

    By reaching the final in Barcelona, Rune secured a return to the top 10. He will move up to No. 9. The sixth seed in Barcelona, Rune had been forced to retire from his Monte Carlo opener with food poisoning.

    The Madrid Open starts Monday.

    AN-AP

  • Former Croatia midfielder Nikola Pokrivač dies in car accident at age 39

    Salzburg’s Nikola Pokrivac, left, and Sturm’s Peter Hlinka challenge for the ball during the Austrian league match between Red Bull Salzburg and Sturm Graz, in Salzburg, in 2009. AN-AP/File

    ZAGREB – Nikola Pokrivač, a former Croatia national team midfielder who played at the 2008 European Championship, has died in a car accident, his country’s soccer federation said. He was 39.

    The federation announced that Pokrivač died Friday night in a car accident in the city of Karlovac.

    Pokrivač played for Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco and Salzburg before being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015.

    Pokrivač made 15 appearances for Croatia’s national team.

    Marijan Kustić, president of the Croatian Football Federation, called Pokrivač a “great football player” who “showed great courage in life by overcoming a terrible disease.” He offered condolences to Pokrivač’s family.

    Dinamo said in a statement that Pokrivač was a talented midfielder who played 69 times for the team and participated in four championship titles.

    AN-AP