Sports
Leverkusen Set New 33-Match Unbeaten Record, Go 11 Points Clear
A long-range shot from Robert Andrich took Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen to a 2-1 home win against Mainz on Friday, setting a new German record of 33 games unbeaten.
Andrich’s goal was helped by a goalkeeping mistake from Mainz’s Robin Zentner, who allowed the ball to slip through his hands and into the net.
Leverkusen were nervy and made a number of uncharacteristic errors, but the victory takes them 11 points clear of Bayern Munich in their bid for a first-ever Bundesliga title.
“We have to be honest and say we didn’t play a great game and were a bit lucky to win, but we won’t complain about the three points,” Andrich told DAZN.
Bayern, who announced their plan to part ways with coach Thomas Tuchel in the summer on Wednesday, host RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, who have won 29 and drawn four of their 33 games this season, broke the record set by Hansi Flick’s Bayern between 2019 and 2020 — a run which included a Champions League victory.
The week had been dominated by talk of Alonso’s future, amid links to Liverpool to replace Jurgen Klopp, along with the upcoming vacancy in Munich.
Alonso had shut down the rumours, saying any discussion of a return to the clubs he represented during his playing career was “only hypothetical”.
After the match, Andrich told DAZN “we don’t know anything about it, but we take it in our stride.”
“It’s like rumours about a player. As long as everything works well in the dressing room, they can talk about what they like outside of it.”
Granit Xhaka got the hosts off to the best possible start, thumping in a dipping rocket from the edge of the box after just three minutes, his first goal in Leverkusen colours.
“I was under a lot of pressure from my teammates, who reminded me I hadn’t scored a goal yet,” Xhaka told DAZN.
“I’m more than happy and I hope there’s more to come.”
Leverkusen’s elation was short-lived however, with second-bottom Mainz striking back just four minutes later.
Nadiem Amiri, who started the season at Leverkusen before moving to Mainz in search of game time, was the architect of the equaliser, floating in a free kick which rebounded for Dominik Kohr to head in.
Nerveless during their stunning run this season, the goal sucked the momentum out of Leverkusen’s game, with the side’s normally crisp passes missing the target.
The pressure showed as Jeremie Frimpong and Alonso both saw yellow late in the first half having objected to a decision not to call a foul against the Dutch winger.
Mainz had a golden chance to take the lead early in the second half when the normally reliable Edmond Tapsoba passing directly to Lee Jae-sung, but the midfielder blasted over with the goal beckoning.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, midfielder Andrich took a speculative long shot from outside the box.
Zentner, who had impressively kept Leverkusen at bay throughout the match, made a meal of a routine save, allowing the hosts to reclaim the lead.
Late in the match, Mainz were reduced to 10 men, Jessic Ngankam shown a straight red for sinking his studs into Xhaka’s calf, just 15 minutes after coming on.
The decision snuffed out Mainz’s hopes of a comeback and ensured Leverkusen took another major step to a first-ever league crown.
AFP
Sports
Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: Barca thrash rivals to move six points clear at top of Liga
Barcelona scored four goals in the second half to beat Real Madrid 4-0 in their Spanish La Liga encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night.
Robert Lewandowski scored a brace, with wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Raphinha adding further goals as Barcelona earned a surprise big win in Real Madrid’s home, turning around an average first half.
Real Madrid threatened in the first period of the pulsating encounter and had the ball in the net through Kylian Mbappe but the video assistant referee (VAR) technology ruled him offside.
Vinicius Jr. also missed a sitter for Real Madrid before the visitors made them pay in the second half.
Lewandowski scored twice in two minutes. Both goals are Lewandowski’s first against Real Madrid in the league since joining Barcelona.
Yamal scored the third on 77 minutes before Raphinha produced a dinked finish to confirm Barcelona’s first league win over Real Madrid in four meetings.
Barcelona’s victory also ended Real’s unbeaten season and snapped the year-long 42-match winning streak, preserving the 43-game record previously set by the Catalonians between 2017 and 2018.
Hansi Flick’s side also opened up a six-point gap over Real Madrid in the race to the title with 30 points from 11 matches, while Real are on 24 points.
Sports
Champions League: UEFA bans two referees until June 2025
UEFA have banned Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musial from refereeing, for bringing the game into disrepute.
The two Polish officials went on a drunken bender before a Champions League match between Rangers and Dynamo Kyev in Poland in August.
UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has now suspended both Frankowski and Musial from refereeing until June 30.
After Frankowski and Musial were arrested for trying to steal a road sign in the early hours of the morning, UEFA had to appoint Tomasz Kwiatkowski and Pawel Malec as replacements to work on VAR for the match.
Frankowski is regarded as one of Poland’s top officials, having refereed at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, where he was a VAR.
Both he and Musial have also officiated in Poland’s Ekstraklasa and the Champions League.
Sports
Libya vs Nigeria: CAF keeps parties in suspense
The Confederation of Africa Football is keeping all concerned in suspense after failing to announce its verdict on Wednesday as regards the botched AFCON qualifying Group A fixture scheduled for October 15 at Benina Martyrs Stadium.
It appears the football body has yet to arrive at a decision, with BeIN Sports revealing that the Disciplinary Committee entertained explanations from both parties on Wednesday via video conference, with Libya and Nigeria duly represented.
CAF had previously decided to cancel the Libya-Nigeria match after the Nigerian national team left Libya in protest at the diversion of its flight to Labraq Airport, where they were locked in for 18 hours with neither food nor water.
Nigeria had called on CAF to intervene to rescue them from detention inside Labraq Airport, according to the Nigerian side’s allegations.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, said that the incident was under investigation as the rules for receiving visiting teams are being reviewed, stressing that CAF will take strict decisions in this crisis and will not tolerate any deviation.
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