GLOBAL TODAY

Category: SPORTS

  • Man United stun Lyon in nine-goal Europa League classic to reach semis

    Manchester United’s English defender #05 Harry Maguire (C) and teammates celebrate with their fans after Maguire scores their fifth goal during the UEFA Europa league quarter-final final, second leg football match between Manchester United and Lyon at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 17, 2025. (AFP)

    MANCHESTER – Manchester United came from 4-2 down in extra-time to beat Lyon 5-4 in a remarkable Europa League quarter-final to progress 7-6 on aggregate on Thursday.

    United’s season looked over when Lyon came from 2-0 down to lead by two goals with just six minutes remaining at Old Trafford despite having captain Corentin Tolisso sent-off.

    However, a Bruno Fernandes’ penalty, Kobbie Mainoo’s strike and Harry Maguire’s header capped a stunning finale to set up a semifinal meeting with Athletic Bilbao.

    The Red Devils sit 14th in the English top flight and defeat would have almost certainly meant missing out on European football entirely next season.

    Instead they are just three games away from a European trophy and the lifeline of direct access to the riches of the Champions League next season.

    First-half goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot had put United in a commanding position.

    But the defensive deficiencies and mental fragility of Ruben Amorim’s side were exposed in a collapse that threatened to cap a miserable campaign.

    Two goals in seven minutes from Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico brought Lyon level.

    Tolisso was then sent-off for two yellow cards in the 89th minute.

    The 10 men still looked set to prevail in the extra 30 minutes thanks to a brilliant strike from Rayan Cherki and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty.

    United’s history is build on dramatic late fightbacks but few have been more remarkable than this to leave Lyon shellshocked.

    The home side got off to a flying start thanks to a fine team goal as Fernandes released Alejandro Garnacho down the right and his cross picked out Ugarte to slot in just his second goal since joining the English giants form Paris Saint-Germain.

    Amorim’s decision to restore Andre Onana in goal was under scrutiny.

    The Cameroonian had been dropped for Sunday’s 4-1 thrashing at Newcastle after two costly errors that led to both Lyon’s goals in last week’s 2-2 first leg draw.

    Those mistakes came after a war of words with former United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who labelled him “one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history.”

    The 29-year-old rewarded his manager’s faith with a couple of important stops to prevent Lyon levelling through Paul Akouokou and Cherki.

    At the other end, a United side that have often looked labored and lacking in ideas all season, suddenly clicked into gear in the first 45 minutes.

    United doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time when Maguire’s long ball was expertly controlled by Dalot, who then fired in off the inside of the post.

    Garnacho should have killed the tie off within minutes of the restart for the second half when he shot straight at Lucas Perri with Fernandes begging for a pass for a tap in.

    That was to prove a turning point as United crumbled in stunning fashion.

    Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca was able to prowl the touchline unlike in Ligue 1 where he is serving a nine-month touchline ban.

    The Portuguese introduced captain Lacazette off the bench in a bid to turn the tide.

    And the former Arsenal striker played a central role in the fightback.

    Lacazette flicked on Moussa Niakhate’s header and Tolisso swooped to head in and give the visitors a lifeline.

    Tagliafico then prodded in at the back post despite Onana’s attempt to scoop it off the line.

    Just as Lyon were in the ascendency Tolisso gave them a mountain to climb again with a soft second yellow for a trip on Casemiro.

    Yet, it did not initially matter as Cherki confirmed his status as one of Europe’s rising stars with a powerful drive that left Onana motionless.

    Lyon’s other prized asset Malick Fofana was then chopped down by Luke Shaw inside the area and Lacazette confidently dispatched the resulting spot-kick.

    Another penalty at the other end, though, kickstarted the fightback as Fernandes fired home.

    Substitute Mainoo showed why he had been thrust in an unfamiliar forward role with a composed finish to level on 120 minutes.

    Barely 60 seconds later Maguire completed the comeback with a towering header at the back post.

    AN-AFP

  • Playing elder sister tougher than facing top-ranked players for Mirra Andreeva

    Russia’s Mirra Andreeva in action during her round of 32 match against sister Erika Andreeva at the Stuttgart Open Wednesday. (Reuters)

    STUTTGART – Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has beaten the world’s best players to move up to world No. 7 but on Wednesday she beat a player who had got the better of her for years — her elder sister Erika.

    The Andreeva sisters were drawn against each other at the Stuttgart Open but any hopes of witnessing an absorbing sibling rivalry were put to bed when Erika, 20, was forced to retire with a knee injury while trailing 6-2 1-0.

    Mirra had beaten the likes of world No. 1 and 2 Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek en route to the Indian Wells title last month, but the 17-year-old said it was tougher to focus when her elder sister is on the other side of the net.

    “For me, 75 percent-80 percent is about my mental preparation, because you’re also not just focusing on yourself and you’re not focusing on how to beat her, but you’re also focusing (on her) — does she feel good? I don’t know,” Mirra told reporters.

    “I wonder, how does she feel? What are we going to do after the match? How is it going to be? All those thoughts.

    “Me, I don’t just focus on myself, but I also focus on kind of paying more attention to her. This makes the match more difficult for me… To really just focus on myself, it’s almost impossible when I play against her.”

    The two had met once before in Wuhan last year where Erika — who is now 90 rungs below Mirra in the rankings — triumphed in straight sets.

    Mirra said she knew Erika was struggling with her knee as they are sharing a room, but also revelled in beating her for the first time — even though the victory did not come under ideal circumstances.

    “We played a couple of times on the practices when we were younger, and actually, until Wuhan last year, we never ever played an official match. So we were always playing a couple of games on the practices or a couple of tiebreaks,” Mirra said.

    “But most of the time, of course she has, like a 90 percent win (record) against me and this is actually the first time I really won a set against her.

    “I just know that, of course, if she would feel her 100 percent, the score would be completely different and the match would be different as well. But I’m sure that we have a lot of time to play and to show the great level of tennis.”

    She will next play compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.

    AN-REUTERS

  • Arsenal defeat Real Madrid to reach Champions League semis

    Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, right, celebrate after defeating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP)

    MADRID – Arsenal staved off Champions League holders Real Madrid’s superstars and rich history of unlikely comebacks to snatch a 2-1 victory on Wednesday and reach the semifinals with a superb 5-1 aggregate triumph.

    The Gunners’ 3-0 quarter-final first leg triumph last week gave them a vital cushion in the Spanish capital as they made the final four for the first time since 2009, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain.

    Bukayo Saka, who missed a first-half penalty, sent Arsenal ahead and although Vinicius Junior levelled the 15-time winners were never close to making up the deficit.

    Gabriel Martinelli rubbed salt in their wounds with a stoppage-time winner for Arsenal, who have never lifted the Champions League trophy.

    Los Blancos, far more brittle than when they won a Champions League and La Liga double last season, were convinced they could turn the game around but created too little against Arsenal’s tight defense.

    The Premier League side held their nerve to reach the semifinals for only the third time in their history.

    Kylian Mbappe chested home in the opening stages but was clearly offside, with the forward gesturing to the crowd to turn up the volume to create the fabled aura which helps Madrid pull off near-impossible feats at the Santiago Bernabeu.

    David Alaba was booked for hacking down Saka as Madrid tried to add the grit they badly lacked in their first leg demolition in London, and the Arsenal winger also had a drive fielded well by Thibaut Courtois.

    Arsenal were awarded a penalty seemingly out of the blue when the VAR booth instructed French referee Francois Letexier to review an incident from an earlier corner.

    Raul Asencio pulled back Arsenal forward Mikel Merino in the area and Letexier pointed to the spot, to the bemusement of the home crowd.

    Saka stepped up to take it but his poorly-executed Panenka, skewing off to the left, was saved by Courtois.

    It spurred Real Madrid on and soon they had a penalty of their own, when Mbappe hit the turf after Declan Rice tussled with him.

    However after a lengthy VAR review Letexier was called to take a second look and he then decided Arsenal’s two-goal first leg hero Rice had not fouled the French superstar.

    The breaks in play, along with Arsenal’s dallying at every opportunity, disrupted Madrid’s momentum and they struggled to threaten Gunners stopper David Raya.

    For all of Madrid’s bluster the goalkeeper did not need to make a save in the first half, while Courtois stopped three shots, including a Martinelli effort from a tight angle in added time, of which there was plenty after the VAR reviews.

    On the hour mark Carlo Ancelotti took action with a triple change, including replacing the quiet Rodrygo with teen starlet Endrick, and bringing on Dani Ceballos against his former side.

    Martin Odegaard, also facing his former employers whom he joined as a ‘wonderkid’ a decade ago, helped forge Arsenal’s opening goal after 65 minutes.

    The Norwegian linked with Merino, who slipped Saka in behind and the Englishman made amends for his penalty blunder with an ice-cool dinked finish.

    Four goals ahead in the tie Arsenal thought their work was done, with defender William Saliba not concentrating on the edge of his box in possession.

    Vinicius stole the ball away from him and beat the out-of-position Raya to level, two minutes after Saka’s opener.

    Madrid’s increasingly slim hopes were dashed when Mbappe limped off with an ankle problem with 15 minutes remaining, and Martinelli made sure with a cool finish after Merino set him up.

    AN-AFP

  • Inter hold off Bayern to reach Champions League last four

    Bayern Munich’s German forward #25 Thomas Mueller fights for the ball with Inter Milan’s Italian midfielder #23 Nicolo Barella (R) during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich at the San Siro stadium in Milan on April 16, 2025. (AFP)

    MILAN, Italy – Inter Milan reached the semifinals of the Champions League on Wednesday after drawing 2-2 with Bayern Munich to win a pulsating last-eight tie 4-3 on aggregate.

    Italian champions Inter will face Barcelona in the semis after goals in the space of three minutes from captain Lautaro Martinez and Benjamin Pavard canceled out a Harry Kane strike for Bayern which levelled the tie in the 52nd minute.

    Eric Dier’s looping header in the 75th minute earned Bayern a draw on the night in soaking and blustery Milan but that wasn’t enough for Vincent Kompany’s side to continue their bid to be crowned Kings of Europe for a seventh time.

    Simone Inzaghi’s side came through in awful conditions at the San Siro where a combination of heavy rain and driving winds affected both teams’ ability to play their best football, but added uncertainty and tension to an already highly-charged occasion.

    Inter are still on for a repeat of the Serie A, Champions League and Italian Cup treble won under Jose Mourinho in 2010, as they are also three points ahead of Napoli in Italy’s top flight and face AC Milan in the semifinals of the domestic cup.

    And Wednesday’s win showed that Inter are more than capable or reaching the final of Europe’s elite club competition, as they did two years ago when they were narrowly beaten by Manchester City.

    Bayern had won all three of their previous Champions League away matches at Inter, but after Pavard crashed home his first goal for the club in the 61st minute there was no way back for the injury-hit Bundesliga leaders.

    Inter will also benefit from playing the second leg of their showdown with Barca, who they beat in the semifinals on their way to victory in Madrid 15 years ago, at the San Siro.

    The hosts didn’t come alive until their fans, who had been sat and stood in silence for the first 20 minutes in protest at ticket prices, burst loudly in song.

    By that time the wind had picked up so much that one Inter cross almost swung back out of the penalty box, but even with the wind in their faces the hosts were on the up.

    Thuram just failed to get a touch on Francesco Acerbi’s scuffed finish in the 29th minute, and moments later Hakan Calhanoglu crashed powerful shot just wide of the upright.

    Bayern reacted and pushed Inter back into their own area for the final minutes of the opening half, but a combination of the conditions, desperate defending and poor finishing kept the match scoreless at the break.

    Inter started the second half the stronger but Kane levelled the tie with a brilliantly taken goal, shifting onto his right and drilling a low shot through Federico Dimarco’s leg’s and past Yann Sommer.

    Just moments before Kane had rookie Bayern goalkeeper to thank for stopping him scoring an own goal, but not long afterwards Martinez re-established Inter’s advantage when he controlled Dimarco’s corner and lashed home.

    And Pavard decided the tie three minutes later with a bullet header against his former club from another corner, sending the San Siro wild with delight.

    That wasn’t it though as Dier moved Bayern back to within a goal of extra-time, but when Sommer smothered Kane’s header in stoppage time Inter’s treble dream was kept alive.

    AN-AFP

  • ‘We played for Gaza’: How Palestine’s U-20 Women’s team went from underdogs to champions

    When the U-20 West Asian Football Federation Championship kicked off last week, not much was expected from Palestine. AN – WAFA

    AMSTERDAM – When rank outsiders secure a victory they tend, often, to be of the moral variety. If victory is achieved it rarely ends up with an outsider advancing to the final match and lifting the trophy.

    On Saturday afternoon, Palestine’s U-20 Women’s team did just that. While Palestine’s senior men’s team has been punching above its weight for the past decade it has been an entirely different story for other teams in the program.

    Palestine has been absolutely abject in youth football. Since gaining admission to the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA in 1998, Palestine’s men’s and women’s teams have qualified for a single youth tournament, the U-23 Asian Cup.

    The gaps have only widened for female sides as other countries in the region invested in the sector, leaving Palestine far behind neighbours Lebanon and Jordan.

    When the U-20 West Asian Football Federation Championship kicked off last week, not much was expected from Palestine. Jordan were seen as heavy favorites due to their home advantage and the absence of Lebanon, the only other side of note in the region.

    Palestine were expected to finish above Kuwait but behind Jordan and Syria in the four-team tournament.

    Preparation was anything but ideal with the team meeting only 48 hours before their first game. With football suspended throughout Palestine there was a heavy reliance on the diaspora to fill the gaps. Palestine’s squad featured players born in Sweden, Canada and the United States as well as professionals plying their trade in Chile and Egypt.

    The tournament got off to the best possible start for Al-Fidai’yat, a 9-0 hammering of Kuwait set the stage, but a 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Jordan had the doubters circling the team. Many of the comments of the Palestine Football Association Facebook page were tinged with sexism while others demanded women’s football have its funding suspended.

    The nature of the loss was particularly frustrating for Palestine who showed an ability to compete with their more established rivals but were undone on a series of corner kicks and set pieces.

    Palestine emerged from Matchday 2 in good shape thanks to Syria’s narrower margin of victory against Kuwait. That result meant Palestine needed only a draw against the Qasioun Eagles to set up a rematch against Jordan in the final.

    A goalmouth scramble after an early corner kick was finished off by Narin Abu Asfar giving Palestine the lead against Syria. They looked the better side for much of the match but a late Syrian equalizer against the run of play in the 84th minute set up a grandstand finish. A series of corner kicks in the game’s dying seconds had fans fearing the worst but Palestine’s players held their nerve and saw the game out.

    A rematch against Jordan was on the cards.

    Palestine’s futility at the WAFF Championship is well documented. The senior men’s team has never advanced past the group stage of the regional tournament. The senior women’s team’s greatest accomplishment was a second-place finish in 2014 in a four-team tournament in which they were battered 10-0 by champions Jordan.

    Palestine were not expected to put up much of a fight. After all, success in women’s football starts with investment, and Jordan has been the leading light in the region, punching above their weight in all age categories for both genders since the turn of the century.

    A cagey first half under the hot Aqaba sun ended scoreless, just as it did five days earlier. Manager Ahmed Hammad went to his bench and called on Selina Ghneim to change the match.

    The forward did just that, thumping home a header from Narin Abu Asfar’s corner to open the scoring.

    Jordan answered through a substitute of their own, Marah Abbas, who also scored off a corner kick.

    A penalty shootout was needed to settle the match, which ended 1-1. Typically, underdogs favor the lottery of the shootout, which increases their chances of victory considerably. There was just one problem for Palestine. Their goalkeeper Miraf Maarouf had broken her foot in warmups.

    Any doubt as to the imperious goalkeeper’s ability to perform injured and under pressure was immediately put to rest. Maarouf dove to her right and blocked Jordan’s first two attempts giving Palestine a lead in the shootout they would not relinquish.

    An embarrassing moment of confusion took place after captain Naomi Philips scored to make it 3-1 after three and a half rounds. Palestine’s players rushed on to the pitch to celebrate with Maarouf, who was imploring her teammates to clear the area because there was still a Jordanian kick to deal with.

    Jordan scored to force a fifth round of kicks but Miral Kassis did not feel the pressure. The FC Masar forward had to leave the team midway through the tournament due to club commitments. She had played in Egypt less than 24 hours before and arrived in Aqaba only on the day of the final.

    Her winning penalty came with a high dose of bravado, with the 19-year-old seeming to ask Celine Seif which side she wanted to be scored on.

    “Forget tactics and all that. We played for Gaza. We took care of organization (to correct mistakes from the first game) but the players fought to get the win,” Omar Barakat, the team’s assistant coach, told Arab News.

    Reaction from a fanbase starved of success has turned dramatically with snide and sexist comments conspicuously absent from recent comments.

    “We are proud of ourselves because we play for Gaza. We play in the name of Palestine in the name of every mother that has lost her son, in the name of every martyr,” Malak Barakat told the media after the historic win.

    “My message is that this is only the start and you will be hearing more from us in the future.”

    Barakat might be right — she and several of her teammates have already made the jump to the senior team.

    AN

  • Afghanistan women’s team gets funding from the International Cricket Council

    Afghan players congratulate top scoring batter Zazai as she walks off the field during their match against Cricket Without Borders XI at Junction Oval, Melbourne, on Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)

    MELBOURNE – Afghan women cricketers will finally get high-level support in a bid to rejoin international competition after the sport’s world governing body created a taskforce to coordinate direct funding, elite coaching and facilities for displaced players.

    Dozens of players from Afghanistan’s national women’s team relocated to Australia after the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021 and enforced bans on women’s sports. The players have been seeking official support ever since.

    The International Cricket Council released a statement late Sunday saying it reached an agreement with the sport’s national associations in Australia, India and England to support the displaced Afghan women’s players.

    ICC chairman Jay Shah said his organization is “deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and ensuring every cricketer has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their circumstances.”

    “The ICC believes this (support fund) will not only help preserve the sporting careers of Afghan women cricketers but also reinforce the sport’s role as a unifying force that transcends borders and adversity,” he said.

    An Afghanistan Women’s XI played a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in an exhibition match supported by the Australian government in January, bringing together 21 female players who were formerly contracted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

    Since leaving Afghanistan many of the women cricketers have been based in the Australian capital and in Melbourne and playing for club teams in local competitions.

    Firooza Amiri said ahead of that exhibition match in January that her team “represents millions of women in Afghanistan who are denied their rights.”

    Amiri fled her home country with her family and first traveled to Pakistan before being evacuated to Australia.

    Under Taliban rule, the Afghanistan Cricket Board cannot field a national women’s team because the country’s laws forbid women from playing sport, studying and medical education, moves that have been criticized by world groups including the International Criminal Court.

    Afghanistan is a full member of the International Cricket Council and a condition of that status should require it to have a women’s national team.

    England and Australia have refused to participate in direct series against Afghanistan in protest, but continue to play against the Afghan men in ICC events.

    It was the Afghanistan men’s historic run to the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year that sparked the women’s team members to again approach the ICC about funding.

    The group first approached the ICC in 2023, asking for support for a refugee team based in Australia to rejoin international cricket.

    AN-AP

  • Rybakina leads Kazakhstan to a 2-1 win over Australia in BJK Cup

    Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina hits a return during the women’s singles match against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell at the Billie Jean King Cup at Patrick Rafter Tennis Center in Brisbane on Thursday. (AFP)

    BRISBANE – Elena Rybakina showcased her prowess to beat Kimberly Birrell 6-3 7-6(4) as Kazakhstan secured a 2-1 win over Australia in their Billie Jean King Cup Group D qualifier in Brisbane on Thursday.

    Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, went down an early break but cranked up her powerful forehand and drew level after six games before claiming the opening set with an ace.

    Birrell raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set but squandered a set point and Rybakina clawed her way back with some ferocious shot-making to clinch victory in the tiebreak.

    “It was such a difficult match,” said Rybakina, who secured her eighth victory in 10 singles matches since her debut in the competition in 2021.

    “I’m super happy to bring the win for the team … it’s always nice to be back in Australia.”

    Earlier at the Pat Rafter Arena, Yulia Putintseva gave Kazakhstan an early lead with a 6-2 6-1 win over debutant Maya Joint.

    However, Australia’s Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez claimed the third match of the night with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva in the doubles.

    Czech Republic beat Brazil 2-1 in Ostrava in Group B, while the Netherlands cruised past Germany 3-0 in The Hague in Group F.

    Poland, without French Open champion Iga Swiatek after the world No. 2 opted to skip their Group E ties to focus on her training ahead of the clay season, beat Switzerland 3-0 in Radom.

    Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins were among a trio of players to withdraw from the US team, which plays Denmark on Saturday in Group C, for the three-day qualifiers.

    Teams have been divided into six round-robin groups of three in the qualifiers this year with the winners joining hosts China and 2024 champions Italy at the Finals in Shenzhen toward the end of the season.

    AN-REUTERS

  • Sensational Barca destroy Dortmund in Champions League mismatch

    Barcelona’s Spanish forward #19 Lamine Yamal celebrates with Barcelona’s Spanish defender #03 Alex Balde (L) scoring his team’s fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter final First Leg football match between FC Barcelona and BVB Borussia Dortmund at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on April 9, 2025. (AFP)

    BARCELONA – Robert Lewandowski hit a brace to help a devastating Barcelona rout Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a one-sided Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

    Hansi Flick’s Barca are a step away from reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2019 and extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches.

    The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double
    Teenager Lamine Yamal was an unstoppable force throughout and deftly prodded home Barcelona’s fourth as Dortmund collapsed.

    Barca, who last lifted the trophy in 2015 are aiming to seal a final four clash against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich when they visit Germany next Tuesday.

    “I think we played very well but we have one more game to go… we always want to play our football and we want to play it there and we will win,” Lewandowski told Movistar.

    Flick warned his team that the job was not done yet.

    “You never know what will happen, football is a crazy sport, we have to play like today,” he said.

    The coach selected his typical side, with only one decision to make — he opted for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in attacking midfield to support the dynamic forward trio.

    La Liga leaders Barcelona seized control from the start, opening the scoring after 25 minutes.

    Lopez whipped a free-kick to the back post, with Inigo Martinez nodding the ball toward Pau Cubarsi, who turned it toward goal.

    The young defender’s effort beat Gregor Kobel and was heading over the line before the tournament’s top scorer Raphinha slid in to make sure, claiming his 12th goal.

    The Brazilian winger faced a nervous wait while VAR worked to confirm his strike was onside.

    “I was worried on the first goal if I was offside, it’s good that it was valid,” said Raphinha.

    “I touched the ball before the line and I apologized to Cubarsi, he told me not to worry, he would count it as an assist.”

    Serhou Guirassy spurned a couple of big chances for the visitors to level before the break.

    With Dortmund’s first slick attacking move of the game, the forward, who has 10 goals in the competition, was played in but snatched badly at a bouncing ball with just Wojciech Szczesny to beat.

    Unsurprisingly Niko Kovac’s Dortmund came to regret Guirassy’s misses, with Lewandowski netting his 10th of the tournament early in the second half.

    Yamal clipped a cross to Raphinha, who looped a header over to Lewandowski at the far post to nod home from virtually under the crossbar three minutes after the interval.

    Lopez struck the post and lashed inches over as Barcelona searched for a third to kill the tie off. It arrived after 66 minutes, with Lopez teeing up Lewandowski to drill home at the near post.

    This was the former Dortmund striker’s 29th goal in 28 matches against his old club, and his 99th in a Barcelona shirt since joining in 2022.

    “I am very happy, 99 goals for the club,” added Lewandowski.

    “In my head I always have not just winning, but helping the team with my qualities, goals.

    “I think strikers always have to think about goals.”

    Yamal, who had toyed with Dortmund’s defense all night, deservedly got on the scoresheet as the visitors left themselves wide open and Raphinha sent the youngster through on goal.

    The only worry for Barca was Yamal asking to be replaced in the final stages, although he was smiling as he was afforded an ovation.

    “He’s fine, he had played too many minutes (lately),” explained Flick.

    Barca are aiming for a potential quadruple this season and on this evidence, they will take some stopping.

    Dortmund were left licking their wounds.

    “We weren’t cohesive enough, and what’s more, we made simple mistakes — at this level they are punished harshly,” Dortmund’s Emre Can told DAZN.

    “I think we can do better, even if (the Barca attackers) are so good, I know that.”

    AN-AFP

  • Manchester United to play May friendlies in Malaysia, Hong Kong

    Manchester United will play friendly matches in Malaysia and Hong Kong three days after the end of the Premier League season. (Reuters)

    HONG KONG – Manchester United will play friendly matches in Malaysia and Hong Kong three days after the end of the Premier League season, the club said Tuesday.

    Ruben Amorim’s side will face an ASEAN All-Star XI team in Kuala Lumpur on May 28 and the Hong Kong representatives on May 30.

    They will finish what has been another disappointing Premier League campaign on May 25 at home to Aston Villa.

    United last visited Asia when they played Liverpool in Thailand in July 2022.

    They will take part in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States ahead of the 2025-2026 season.

    Chief executive Omar Berrada said: “Importantly, tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch.”

    Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool previously announced they will visit Hong Kong in July.

    United, who currently languish 13th in the Premier League, last visited the Chinese city in 2013.

    The Hong Kong team is managed by former United youth team player Ashley Westwood and is ranked 153rd in the world.

    AN-AFP, 8.4.2025

  • Fenerbahce’s Mourinho banned for three games after nose grab incident in Istanbul derby

    Galatasaray’s coach Okan Buruk lies on the ground after Fenerbahce’s manager Jose Mourinho grabbed his nose at the end of their Turkish Cup quarterfinals match at the Ulker stadium, in Istanbul, Apr. 2, 2025. (AP)

    ISTANBUL – Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has been banned for three matches and handed a fine of around 6,000 pounds ($7,734.00) after grabbing the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk in the Istanbul derby, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on Saturday.

    The incident occurred at the end of the Turkish Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, which Mourinho’s side lost 2-1 at home.

    A mass scuffle had broken out between both sets of players, with the referee sending three players off, two from Galatasaray, and after the final whistle the 62-year-old Portuguese appeared to pinch Buruk’s nose who then fell dramatically to the ground.

    “Mourinho shall be banned from entering the dressing room and the bench for three official matches,” TFF said in a statement.

    Mourinho will miss the games against Trabzonspor, Sivasspor and Kayserispor.

    Fenerbahce are second in the Super Lig, trailing leaders Galatasaray by six points with a game in hand.

    AN-REUTERS, 5.4.2025