Sports
Real Madrid Hold Bayern Munich In UCL Semi-Final Showdown
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Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior scored a double, including an 83rd-minute equalising penalty, to snatch a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.
Vinicius gave Real the lead after 24 minutes but Bayern scored twice in four second-half minutes to wrestle control of the match, Leroy Sane with a stunning opener and Harry Kane converting a penalty.
Kim Min-jae judo tackled Rodrygo in the box with eight minutes remaining and Vinicius stepped up, drowning out a chorous of boos and whistles to blast home.
The draw puts Madrid in the driving seat ahead of next week’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bayern, who dominated large parts of the match, will still have hopes of making it to Wembley’s final in June.
Before the match, the Bayern fans unveiled a giant banner depicting Franz Beckenbauer which spanned all the way from the grass to the rafters. It was a fitting tribute on a night featuring the most-played fixture in European Cup history.
Famed for their composure on the biggest of stages in this competition, the 14-time winners struggled early, Bayern dominating possession and field position while spurred on by a ferocious home crowd.
Sane had a chance after just 40 seconds and another minutes later, while Kane chipped a shot from halfway just over the bar as the leggy visitors struggled to cope.
Madrid’s continued success in this competition, including in their quarter-final win over Manchester City, has been built on absorbing pressure before striking.
The visitors repeated the trick for the opener, breaking Bayern’s dominance in ruthlessly simple fashion while showing the hosts how easy scoring goals can be.
Toni Kroos collected the ball from a corner and drilled a defence-splitting pass along the ground which found Vinicius galloping in acres of space on the penalty arc.
Without a Bayern player in range, Vinicius calmly slotted the opener past a helpless Manuel Neuer, changing the complexion of the match completely.
Bayern, who have six European Cups of their own, were not awed and continued to push but could not break through; their best chance of the remainder of the half came through a free kick, with Kane finding a huge gap in the wall but blasting wide.
With Real seemingly in cruise control, Bayern grabbed hold of the match early in the second-half, scoring twice in four minutes.
Eric Dier found Sane down the right flank. The Germany winger, who had missed several chances in the first half, dribbled into the box before unleashing an unstoppable rocket at the near post, his first goal for Bayern in any competition since October.
The hosts’ next attack came down the left, with the ever dangerous Jamal Musiala felled by Lucas Vazquez in the box. Referee Clement Turpin pointed straight to the spot and Kane had no hesitation either, sending Andriy Lunin the wrong way to take the lead.
With Bayern in control, Real went on the counter and it was Kim’s turn to give away a clumsy penalty, with Vinicius confidently slotting in the equaliser.
AFP
Nigerian international footballer Samuel Chukwueze laid his mother, Mrs. Sarah Chukwueze, to rest on Friday May 29 in Abia State in a very emotional burial ceremony.
The video from the event shows the AC Milan winger and his family gathered as they paid their final respects to the woman many described as the pillar of their home. Chukwueze lost his mother earlier this year after a brief illness, and yesterday marked the final goodbye.
In the footage, you can see the pain on the faces of family members as the casket was lowered. Friends, teammates, and well-wishers turned out to support the Super Eagles star during this difficult moment. The atmosphere was heavy, with many people, including Chukwueze visibly moved by the occasion.
Super Eagles player Samuel Chukwueze today laid his late mother, Mrs. Sarah Chukwueze, to rest in Abia State.
Mrs. Sarah Chukwueze passed away in January 2026 at the peak of the football season in Europe pushing forward the burial for the mother of one Nigeria’s tantalizing attackers to the end of the season.
Chukwueze’s brother had earlier broken the news on Instagram, describing their mother as a loving and supportive woman who stood by her children through thick and thin.
José Mourinho is set for a dramatic return to Real Madrid after signing a three-year contract to take charge of the Spanish giants, ending weeks of speculation over the club’s managerial future.
The Portuguese coach will not be officially presented until after Real Madrid’s presidential election scheduled for June 7.
However, the agreement depends on current president Florentino Perez retaining his position in an election expected to end his club’s first contested presidential race in two decades.
Mourinho, 63, leaves Benfica after a brief spell that ended with a third-place finish in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
His return comes as Real Madrid seek a reset after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign that ended without silverware.
Barcelona reclaimed the La Liga title, while Bayern Munich knocked Los Blancos out of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Mourinho previously managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during a fiercely competitive era dominated by clashes with Barcelona.
He replaces Alvaro Arbeloa, who took over in January following Xabi Alonso’s departure.
Since leaving Madrid in 2013, Mourinho has managed Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica, collecting major honours including a Premier League title with Chelsea, the Europa League with United and the Europa Conference League with Roma.
Real Madrid are now turning back to a familiar figure, banking on Mourinho’s experience, authority and winning pedigree to end two barren seasons and restore the club’s dominance.
Paris Saint-Germain have received a timely injury boost ahead of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal after naming both Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi in their travelling squad.
The inclusion of the influential duo will come as welcome news for PSG manager Luis Enrique, with both players having faced late fitness concerns before European club football’s biggest occasion.
Hakimi has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during the first leg of PSG’s semi-final clash against Bayern Munich, while Dembele picked up a knock during the Ligue 1 season finale against Paris FC. Their selection now strongly suggests they will be available for the final.
Hakimi remains a key figure for the Paris club and etched his name into Champions League history last season when he opened the scoring in PSG’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich to secure the club’s maiden European crown.
Arsenal, however, will be determined to deny the French champions back-to-back titles. The Gunners head into the final brimming with confidence after securing the Premier League title less than a week ago and now have their sights set on completing a memorable double.
Mikel Arteta’s side have also received encouraging news on the injury front, with Dutch defender Jurrien Timber returning to training and included in the squad travelling to Hungary. Timber has been absent since March with a hamstring injury sustained against Everton, missing 14 matches in all competitions.
PSG winger Bradley Barcola warned Arsenal that the reigning champions remain united and highly motivated.
“It’s a great honour to be playing in a second final,” Barcola told club media.
“We’re going to do everything we can to win it. We attack together and defend together, and that collective spirit is our greatest strength.”
The final also carries an element of unfinished business for Arsenal, who were eliminated by PSG in last season’s semi-finals after a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
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