Sports
Rampant Benfica Smash Simeone’s Atletico In Champions League
Atletico Madrid fell to a humiliating 4-0 Champions League defeat at Benfica on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone’s side were thoroughly outplayed and outfought in Lisbon and the Portuguese side triumphed emphatically to record a second win in two matches in the competition.
Bruno Lage’s team went ahead through Kerem Aturkoglu’s 13th minute strike, with former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria extending the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half.
Alexander Bah headed home the third from a corner in the 75th minute and Orkun Kokcu completed the rout with another penalty late on.
Atletico have now won just one of their last 10 Champions League away matches and barely troubled Benfica at the Estadio da Luz.
Rojiblancos goalkeeper Jan Oblak and defender Axel Witsel endured a tough evening back at their old stomping ground, as Simeone’s team displayed an uncharacteristic lack of grit.
“This is nothing good and I can’t say much more than that — today we weren’t up to it and it was a bad game, the worst game of the season,” Oblak told Movistar.
“We started a first half badly again and in the second we didn’t react like we have in other games.
“Today it’s clear we did not compete in this game, and that can’t be, how come? Tiredness, I don’t know… looking for excuses now has no sense.”
Atletico fought hard to snatch a point from Sunday’s derby draw against rivals Real Madrid but showed little of that spirit on Wednesday.
Fredrik Aursnes won the ball back high up the pitch for the opener, squaring for Akturkoglu to fire past Oblak.
Atletico’s Samuel Lino hit the crossbar with a wayward cross in response and it was as close as the three-time Champions League runners-up came.
Vangelis Pavlidis clipped the outside of the post for Benfica before the interval but they did not have to wait much longer to stretch their lead.
Simeone made a triple change at half-time, including Alexander Sorloth and Conor Gallagher coming on, while the quiet Antoine Griezmann and captain Koke made way.
Former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher stood on Pavlidis’ foot to concede a penalty and Di Maria sent Oblak the wrong way from the spot.
The Argentine winger should have scored again but Oblak denied him as he ran through on goal.
Bah escaped Gallagher to head home a corner to confirm Benfica’s victory, while Kokcu slotted in another penalty after on loan Burnley striker Zeki Amdouni was tripped.
Atletico return to their Metropolitano stadium for their next European match, against French side Lille — who beat defending champions Real Madrid — while Benfica host Dutch outfit Feyenoord.
AFP
Manchester City beat Arsenal in their major Premier League title race clash at the Etihad thanks to Erling Haaland’s winner.
Pep Guardiola’s side defeated their rivals 2-1 on Sunday afternoon to move to within three points of the league leaders.
Rayan Cherki opened the scoring in the first half, before Kai Havertz pounced on a Gianluigi Donnarumma’s error to equalise.
And then during a tense second half, Haaland managed to find the all-important winner to sink the Gunners in Manchester.
Man City now know they can move to the top of the Premier League table with a win over Burnley on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.
Erling Haaland’s goal is the difference and Man City now have the chance to move to the top of the Premier League.
They’ll be celebrating tonight – but not too hard, ahead of their meeting with Burnley on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.
As for Arsenal, it’s a nightmare evening for them.
The Gunners had the quadruple in their sights a few weeks ago, but now, after losing four of their last six, hopes are doomed.
There will be no Carabao Cup, no FA Cup, and now potentially no Premier League following their dismal run.C CB.
Real Sociedad edged Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties to win the Copa del Rey for a fourth time in the club’s history after a 2-2 draw in a gripping final on Saturday in Seville.
After Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missed from the spot for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, Pablo Marin smashed home his kick to claim victory for the Basque side.
Ander Barrenetxea had headed Real Sociedad ahead after just 14 seconds, with Ademola Lookman levelling for Atletico.
Mikel Oyarzabal put the Basque side ahead from the penalty spot before the break but Alvarez rescued Atletico and forced extra time and ultimately penalties with a superb strike.
La Real’s season seemed set to be one of struggle until American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in December, and he resuscitated their campaign.
At La Cartuja stadium it was a battle between two teams that often attack fast and direct, and Real Sociedad certainly did that, netting the quickest ever goal scored in a Copa del Rey final.
Goncalo Guedes scampered away down the left on to a long ball, crossing for Barrenetxea to head beyond Juan Musso before the Rojiblancos had even touched the ball.
Simeone’s side, who last won the competition back in 2013 near the start of his 14-year reign, wrestled their way back level through Lookman.
Antoine Griezmann laid off the ball to him on the edge of the box and without much on, the Nigeria international spied a route to goal and drilled into the bottom corner.
Lookman almost created a goal for Griezmann but Real Sociedad scrambled to block the 35-year-old French forward, who is leaving Atletico at the end of the season for MLS side Orlando City.
Atletico goalkeeper Musso, chosen ahead of the fit-again Jan Oblak after he impressed during the Slovenian’s recent injury absence, handed La Real the lead again just before the break.
Musso clumsily clattered Guedes fists first as the Portuguese leapt for a header and the Basque side were awarded a penalty.
Oyarzabal, who scored from the spot when they won the 2020 edition, without their fans present because of the global pandemic, sent Musso the wrong way.
After a first half in which they struggled, Atletico began to build some pressure after the interval.
Griezmann lashed over and Lookman whipped a shot high and wide as La Real tried to stave off the Rojiblancos, who dominated the ball.
Alvarez forces extra time
Simeone called for his battering ram, sending on Norwegian target man Sorloth to try and force a way through.
Eventually the goal they craved came from the guile of former Manchester City striker Alvarez instead.
The Argentina forward took a neat touch to spin on the edge of the box and then another to plant the ball in the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.
With La Real caving Johnny Cardoso should have won it for Atletico in stoppage time. The American fired a golden opening wide of the far post with just goalkeeper Unai Marrero to beat.
Musso made a fine save to thwart Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson as he tried to turn home a rebound in extra time.
At the other end Alvarez crashed a shot off the crossbar from long range, with both teams creating enough opportunities to win it before penalties.
Marrero denied both Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico’s first two penalties, with Musso stopping one from Oskarsson to give Atletico a chance.
However Marin made no mistake with Real Sociedad’s fifth penalty to spark wild celebrations.
Atletico’s last realistic chance of silverware this season, and something for Griezmann to celebrate on his departure, is in the Champions League where they face Arsenal in the semi-finals.
AFP
Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge to put a huge 10-point gap between Michael Carrick’s Red Devils in third and Liam Rosenior’s hapless Blues in sixth
United take three vital points at Stamford Bridge to further strengthen their ambitions of European football next season.
Matheus Cunha scored the only goal of the game shortly before half-time to maintain interim manager Michael Carrick’s impressive tenure since taking charge in January.
For the Blues, who saw a goal ruled out and twice hit the woodwork, they remain in sixth but failed to make a dent in the four-point gap between them and fifth-placed Liverpool.
The result means Liam Rosenior’s side are on a run of four successive top-flight defeats for the first time since the 1990s – doing so without scoring a single goal.
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