Sports
Bellingham brace helps leaders Madrid crush title rivals Girona
Jude Bellingham struck twice as leaders Real Madrid took control of La Liga with a punishing 4-0 win over second-placed Girona on Saturday, opening up a five-point cushion.
Vinicius Junior drove home the opener and then set up Bellingham for the second as Carlo Ancelotti’s side dominated the Catalan minnows, leaving the surprise title contenders reeling.
Bellingham tapped in the third after the break from close range but limped off with an ankle problem early in the second half.
Rodrygo kept the goals flowing with a fine individual effort as the record 35-time Spanish champions taught Girona, in the top flight for only the fourth year in their history, a compelling lesson.
Victory leaves Madrid 11 points clear of champions Barcelona, third, who host Granada on Sunday.
Madrid’s victory was convincing, with swagger at times but also sweat to keep the league’s top goalscoring side quiet, despite significant injury absences.
Carlo Ancelotti started with a makeshift central defensive pairing of Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni, with all four of the club’s specialists in the position out.
Girona were without the suspended Daley Blind and Yangel Herrera, as well as coach Michel Sanchez, watching on helplessly from a high vantage point as his team were dismantled.
They started well against Madrid but conceded early in a thorough 3-0 home defeat earlier in the season and committed the same mistake again at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This time Vinicius broke the deadlock in only the sixth minute, cutting in from the left and bending a vicious strike beyond Paulo Gazzaniga and in at the far post.
Back in the team after missing the Madrid derby with a neck problem, Vinicius’ drive was his seventh league goal of a season disrupted by injury.
Eduardo Camavinga, skipping forward from midfield, was shoved over by Juanpe on the edge of the box as Madrid pushed for a second, with Gazzaniga saving Fede Valverde’s low free-kick.
Bellingham, who started the match level with Girona’s Artem Dovbyk on 14 goals as the league’s joint top scorer, doubled Madrid’s lead.
The England international rounded Gazzaniga and then stroked home from a tight angle after a superb Vinicius pass sent him hurtling in on goal.
It ended a run of just one goal in eight games for Bellingham, who had scored freely at the start of the season as he hit the ground running following his move from Borussia Dortmund.
– Bellingham brace –
Bellingham tapped in his 16th of the season in La Liga early in the second half after Gazzaniga could only tip Vinicius’ shot into his path.
It was his last contribution, Ancelotti quickly withdrawing him afterwards for an ankle injury which he iced.
Bellingham might have sustained it when challenged by Pablo Torre, or slipping on it and colliding with Eric Garcia, both in the first half.
Madrid face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday and will hope he is fit, after Bellingham reached 20 goals in 29 games across all competitions.
However Los Blancos have plenty of other firepower if he needs to rest.
Rodrygo rattled in the fourth after darting into the area as Girona collapsed — and perhaps their unlikely title bid has too.
Brahim Diaz curled inches wide and Joselu hit the post with a penalty after Yan Couto fouled Arda Guler as Madrid dominated from start to finish.
AFP
Nigeria overturned a double-digit halftime deficit to defeat the Philippines 101–84 in a Group A game of the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Villeurbanne, France, on Saturday.
The Philippines led for more than 22 minutes and built a 10-point cushion in the first half. Nigeria responded strongly after the break, eventually pulling away in the final quarter.
Midway into the third quarter, Nigeria wiped out a five-point deficit with a 17–12 run. A turnaround jumper by Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah tied the score at 67–67.
Guards Ifunanya Okoro and Elizabeth Balogun scored nine points in the run. Promise Amukamara also grabbed four rebounds and added two points to steady the team.
Three-pointers from Janine Pontejos and Louna Ozar briefly kept the Philippines competitive. However, Nigeria’s inside scoring helped them take a 70–67 lead into the fourth quarter.
Centre Victoria Macaulay powered Nigeria’s comeback with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks in just over 21 minutes of play.
Murjanatu Musa contributed 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, while Nicole Enabosi recorded 15 points and 12 rebounds after an early scoring burst.
For the Philippines, Janine Pontejos led with 16 points, including an eight-point surge late in the second quarter to keep her side in contention.
Nigeria’s decisive moment came with a 9–0 run in the final quarter, stretching an 81–80 lead to 90–80 and effectively sealing the contest.
Balogun scored five points during the run with perfect shooting, while Nigeria’s defence limited the Philippines’ scoring options late in the game.
The Philippines earlier enjoyed a 7–0 run late in the first quarter, turning a 21–19 deficit into a 26–21 lead with Kacey Dela Rosa scoring five points.
The match featured 12 lead changes from early in the first quarter until midway in the third, when Nigeria seized the lead permanently.
Nigeria’s biggest lead reached 17 points in the closing seconds at 101–84. The Philippines’ largest advantage was 10 points in the second quarter.
Nigeria led for 15 minutes and eight seconds overall, while the Philippines held the advantage for 22 minutes and one second. The score was tied for two minutes and 51 seconds.
Nigeria’s most effective lineup of Ezinne Kalu, Amukamara, Macaulay, Balogun and Musa played nearly 16 minutes together and posted a plus-12 performance.
The victory highlighted Nigeria’s resilience and depth, as strong rebounding and balanced scoring helped secure a convincing second-half comeback in the tournament.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has mourned the demise of ex- Super Eagles midfielder, Henry Nwosu.
He died in a Lagos hospital on Saturday morning.
The 62-year-old’s passing came a few days after the death of former NFF Technical Director and two-time Super Eagles head coach, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde.
NFF’s Secretary General, Mohammed Sanusi, said the entire football community cannot forget Nwosu’s immense contributions to the growth of the game in the country.
“This is another very sad news, even as we are still mourning the demise of Chief Onigbinde. Nigeria football can never forget the enormous contributions of Henry Nwosu both as a player and a coach. We pray that God will grant him eternal rest, and also grant the family he has left behind, as well as friends and relations, the fortitude to bear the loss,” Sanusi told thenff.com.
Nwosu was a member of the Green Eagles (now Super Eagles) side that won the title at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations.
Arsenal have approached Declan Rice over a new long-term contract.
Rice’s existing deal still has two years left to run, while there is also an option to extend that term by a further 12 months.
But the Premier League leaders are looking for the England international to commit his prime years to the club.
Renewal talks are underway, and the offer will include a pay increase to solidify his position as one of Arsenal’s best earners.
Bukayo Saka recently signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract worth a minimum of £300,000 per week. Rice’s current deal is worth a reported £240,000 per week.
Discussions are described as being at an early stage, and no timeline has been set for their completion.
But the process of ensuring Rice stays in north London for the foreseeable future is underway.
Since joining Arsenal from West Ham in a deal worth £105m in 2023, the 27-year-old has established a reputation as one of the best midfielders in Europe.
He has made 102 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, while he has also established himself as a key player for England, having already won 72 caps.
Arsenal have moved to lock in the futures of their top stars, with Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri signing extensions over the past 12 months.
The club has also opened talks with Jurrien Timber over an improved deal.
David Raya and Leandro Trossard have also been awarded with improved contracts in recent months, although those deals did not include additional time on their deals.
Arsenal lead the race for the Premier League title by seven points from Manchester City, who have a game in hand, heading into the weekend.
They host Everton, while City go to West Ham, with both games on Saturday.
The Gunners last won the English league title in 2004, during Arsene Wenger’s reign as manager.
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