Sports
Chelsea defeat Pafos 1-0
Moises Caicedo’s late goal gave Chelsea a vital 1-0 win against Cypriot minnows Pafos on Wednesday as the Blues moved closer to automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16.
In Liam Rosenior’s first Champions League game as Chelsea boss, Caicedo netted in the closing stages at Stamford Bridge to end Pafos’ stubborn resistance.
Chelsea’s fourth victory from seven Champions League group stage matches lifted them into eighth place.
A win at Napoli in their final group game on January 28 would likely be enough to send Chelsea through to the last 16, depending on other results.
The Blues would face the unwanted stress of a play-off round if they finish outside the top eight.
Rosenior has won three times and lost once in his first four games since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca, who left Stamford Bridge after mounting tensions with the club’s hierarchy.
It was far from plain sailing for Rosenior as Chelsea struggled to find a way past inspired Pafos keeper Jay Gorter before Caicedo made the breakthrough.
Optimistic Chelsea fans have noted their two Champions League triumphs in 2012 and 2021 came after they changed manager in mid-season.
But there is a long way to go before Rosenior can hope to emulate those iconic victories masterminded by Roberto Di Matteo and Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea have been steady rather than eye-catching so far under Rosenior, with far sterner tests lying in wait in the surprise choice to replace Maresca.
– Wake-up call –
Rosenior made six changes from the 2-0 win over Brentford on Saturday, with injured England forward Cole Palmer absent due to a slight strain.
Brazilian veteran David Luiz, a 2012 Champions League winner with Chelsea, was on the bench for Pafos, who were far from overawed in their first ever match against English opposition.
Chelsea laboured for long periods and even when Enzo Fernandez had the ball in the net in the 18th minute, the midfielder’s close-range header was disallowed for a push.
Chelsea nearly gifted Pafos a shock opener when a wayward back-pass to Filip Jorgensen was almost intercepted by Anderson Silva, but the Blues keeper chested the ball away from danger.
Rosenior’s men had lost their momentum and Pafos went close when Jaja’s shot from just inside the area took a wicked deflection off Reece James and hit the post with Jorgensen rooted to the spot.
That near-miss served as a wake-up call and Caicedo’s blast was pushed away by Gorter before Benoit Badiashile glanced a header narrowly wide moments later.
Caicedo’s long-range drive forced another good stop from Gorter, who also repelled Jorrel Hato’s fierce strike just before half-time.
Frustration was mounting among Chelsea supporters and Rosenior made a double change at the break, sending on Robert Sanchez for Jorgensen and Estevao Willian for James.
Estevao nearly made an instant impact with a stinging volley that Gorter saved at full stretch.
Gorter was enjoying the game of his life and he denied Pedro Neto and Caicedo with two more fine saves.
To Rosenior’s immense relief, Chelsea finally found a way past Gorter in the 78th minute.
Pafos couldn’t clear a corner and Caicedo arrived to flick his header into the far corner from close range
AFP
Alexander Isak struck twice inside the opening nine minutes as Liverpool secured their first English Premier League victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town on Friday.
The Swedish forward put the visitors in control almost immediately, ending a tense opening spell with two clinical finishes that gave Liverpool a comfortable cushion before the hosts could settle.
Liverpool needed only six minutes to break the deadlock. Cody Gakpo created the opportunity with his effort forcing a save, but Isak reacted quickest to the rebound and fired home.
Three minutes later, Gakpo again turned provider, picking out Isak on the left. The striker made no mistake, sending a low effort into the bottom corner to double Liverpool’s advantage.
The two goals took Isak’s season tally to three in as many league appearances, already matching the number he managed throughout the whole of the previous campaign.
With the visitors firmly in command, Ipswich struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, while Liverpool concentrated on protecting their advantage after the interval.
The Reds appeared to have earned a chance to extend their lead when they appealed for a penalty in the second half, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review found an offside in the build-up.
Ipswich pushed forward late in search of a way back into the contest, but Liverpool’s defence held firm and the hosts were unable to produce the finishing touch required to trouble the visitors.
The victory extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run at Portman Road to seven matches and delivered their first clean sheet of the campaign.
The result also gave coach Andoni Iraola his first clean sheet since taking charge during the summer.
Liverpool’s three points moved them into fifth position in the Premier League standings with five points from three matches.
An F-4 Phantom military aircraft crashed Saturday at a base outside Athens during an airshow, Greek news agency ANA reported.
The circumstances of the crash were unclear, as was the fate of the two pilots aboard, local media said.
The aircraft had just taken off when it suddenly lost altitude and crashed, said a journalist from public broadcaster ERT who was at the scene.
There was an explosion immediately after the crash, which happened before thousands of visitors watching the annual “Athens Flying Week”.
A fire service helicopter was dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze caused by the crash, ERT reported.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias cancelled a trip to Thessaloniki’s International Fair to visit the scene of the accident.
Serena and Venus Williams electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in three thrilling sets in their return to the US Open women’s doubles on Friday.
The superstar sisters, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Opens, rallied from a break down in the third set and led the deciding 10-point tiebreaker 5-0 but fell 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7).
Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, hadn’t played Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open and last won a title together at Roland Garros in 2018.
They showed flashes of their brilliant best, Serena proving particularly dangerous patrolling the net but struggling with her serve.
After recovering from losing the first set to level the match in the second-set tiebreaker.
They belted no fewer than 20 winners in the set, holding serve throughout, and leveled the match when Joint smacked an overhead long to roars from the crowd.
Chan and Joint regrouped to seize a 4-2 lead in the third. The sisters rallied, but get to the finish line as Taiwan’s Chan and Joint fought back superbly to clinch the victory.
The 44-year-old had returned to major singles play as a Wimbledon wild card four years after “evolving away” from the game.
At the All-England club, she lost to Joint in a Centre Court clash that captured the imagination of both diehard and casual tennis fans.
Even that experience didn’t prepare Joint for the atmosphere on the cavernous Ashe Stadium.
The sisters received a thunderous ovation when they took court, all business in understated white outfits.
Every blistering volley and overhead smash from the Americans received raucous cheers, and when they sprinted to the lead in the decisive 10-point tiebreaker, the noise was deafening
“The atmosphere was surreal,” Joint said. “Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special.”
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