Sports

Real Madrid, Man City Draw Thriller In Champions League Quarter-Final

Published

1 year ago

April 10, 2024

Real Madrid and Champions League holders Manchester City shared a pulsating 3-3 draw in a rollercoaster quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Bernardo Silva put City ahead with a low free-kick but Ruben Dias’ own goal and Rodrygo Goes helped Madrid dramatically and swiftly fight back.

Manchester City’s own quick-fire double in the second half through Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol stunned the record 14-time winners, but they snatched a draw through Fede Valverde’s scorching volley.

The thrilling match was played in the shadow of a threat by Islamic State to target every quarter-final first leg, with a heavy security presence around the Santiago Bernabeu.

Spanish officials said 2,000 police were to be deployed, but the match was played without incident off the field. On it, there was plenty under the closed stadium roof, which produced a thunderous atmosphere.

Guardiola omitted influential playmaker Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian said he was unwell shortly before the game, opting for Mateo Kovacic in midfield alongside Rodri Hernandez.

The former Barcelona coach also chose Stefan Ortega in goal over the experienced Ederson, only just back from a thigh injury, while Gvardiol overcame a fitness doubt to start.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back over Nacho Fernandez and an early rash challenge from the Frenchman paved the way for City’s opener.

Tchouameni clumsily hacked down Jack Grealish after 33 seconds and was booked, meaning he will miss the second leg.

From the free-kick Silva punished Madrid further, catching goalkeeper Andriy Lunin out at his near post with a low effort which skidded home.

Lunin was sluggish to react and although he got a hand to the ball he could not keep it out.

Ancelotti, coaching a record 200th Champions League match, claimed his team lacked courage and personality when they were crushed by City in last seasons semis, but they showed mental strength to quickly turn the game on its head.

This kind of feat is Madrid’s wont in the Champions League, and they produced two goals in two minutes, reminiscent of their stunning 2022 semi-final comeback against City thanks to Rodrygo’s brace.

Dias deflected the first into his own net as he tried to block Camavinga’s long-range piledriver, and Rodrygo slipped home the second after Vinicius Junior played him in, aided by another deflection, off Manuel Akanji.

The Brazilian sliced wide at the end of a slick Madrid transition, aided by a Vinicius backheel, as Los Blancos demonstrated how dangerous they are on the counter-attack.

A breathless first 45 minutes was followed by more of the same, in a tie increasingly dubbed a Champions League “Clasico”.

Rodri headed over for the visitors and Vinicius blasted over the top before City sprang their own comeback and extended their unbeaten run to 26 matches.

Foden pulled his team level with a superb strike, arced into the top corner from the edge of the box.

The England international is enjoying his finest goalscoring campaign with this perfectly placed effort his 22nd across all competitions.

With Antonio Rudiger shackling Erling Haaland, City got a goal from an unlikely source to lead five minutes later.

Defender Gvardiol’s ferocious bending effort from distance left Lunin no chance and silenced the Bernabeu — but not for long.

Valverde’s brilliant volley from Vinicius’ cross zipped past Ortega to level the score and leave the game deliciously poised for the second leg on April 17.

AFP

Sports

Just in: Chelsea maintains top 4 position after thrashing Everton 1-0

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2025

ADMIN

Chelsea on Saturday maintained its top four position in the Premier league after thrashing Everton 1-0 at home.

A lone goal was put behind Everton’s goal keeper at the 27th minute of the second half by M.Jackson of Chelsea, his first goal in the Premiership.

Details….

Sports

Weightlifting Heroes Lift Nigeria’s Spirits with Record-Breaking Gold Medals

Published

22 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Admin

Team Nigeria has wrapped up its participation at the 2025 African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Moka, Mauritius, with a stunning haul of 18 medals—13 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze—cementing its status as a continental powerhouse in the sport.

Nigeria’s final day of competition saw Sarah Ovayioza deliver a show-stopping performance in the women’s 76kg weight class, lifting a combined total of 237kg in the snatch, clean, and jerk. Her flawless execution earned the nation three more gold medals and drew roaring applause from the crowd as she closed out Nigeria’s campaign in style.

Earlier in the tournament, Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele dazzled in the women’s 64kg category, completing a clean sweep of the three gold medals in her weight class.

Following suit, Onome Omolola Didih was the star of the 55kg division with another triple-gold performance, dominating her weight class from start to finish (three gold medals).

Two-time African Games gold medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Rafiatu Folashade Lawal , continued her golden streak in the 59kg category. Her lifts of 95kg (snatch) and 118kg (clean and jerk) for a total of 213kg secured yet another hat-trick of gold medals for Team Nigeria.

In the men’s events, Umoafia Joseph Edidiong powered through the 73kg category with a 147kg snatch to win gold, while narrowly missing out on a gold rush with two silvers in the clean and jerk.

Without minding what day of the week it was, Tuesday Emmanuel contributed to the medal count in the 67kg category, bagging two silver medals and a bronze after a combined lift of 276kg (130kg snatch, 146kg clean & jerk).

Although the championship continues until April 28, Nigeria’s contingent has concluded its events, proudly leaving the stage with one of the most impressive medal tallies recorded in recent history. The team’s performance yet again showcases Nigeria’s continued dominance and rising momentum in international weightlifting.

Sports

Teams that have qualified for the 2025-2026 Champions League

Published

5 days ago

April 22, 2025

Austin Ojomah

Today we dive into some of the clubs that have already qualified for the 2025-26 Champions League group stage based on the current standings in some of the top European leagues and teams that have mathematically secured a top finish as of today, April 22, 2025:

Liverpool: They have mathematically secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, guaranteeing their Champions League spot due to England’s strong UEFA coefficient ranking.

Arsenal: They are highly likely to qualify, holding a significant point advantage over sixth place.

Bayer Leverkusen: They have secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich: They have also secured a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.

Barcelona: They are currently in a position to qualify through their league standing.

Real Madrid: They are also in a strong position to qualify through their league standing.

Paris Saint-Germain: They are in a qualifying position in Ligue 1.

Now, those are the usual suspects. There are several other teams that have qualified as league champions in their respective countries, though their entry point, i.e., group stage or qualifying rounds, depends on their league’s UEFA coefficient ranking. Some are familiar; others, not so familiar. They are:

Qarabag (Azerbaijan)

Differdange 03 (Luxembourg)

Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)

Malmö FF (Sweden)

Kairat (Kazakhstan)

KuPS (Finland)

Shelbourne (Ireland)

RFS (Latvia)

Víkingur (Faroe Islands)

Breiðablik (Iceland)

Linfield (Northern Ireland)

The New Saints (Wales)

Virtus (San Marino)

Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

Galatasaray (Türkiye)

Ajax (Netherlands)

Sporting CP (Portugal)

Genk (Belgium)

As the current season winds down, the number of qualified teams will increase. Follow the league standings in the major European leagues and the results of the current Champions League and Europa League to stay updated.