Sports
Liverpool On Brink Of Europa League Exit After Atalanta Thrashing
Atalanta stunned Anfield as Gianluca Scamacca scored twice in a 3-0 win on Thursday to leave Liverpool with a mountain to climb to reach the Europa League semi-finals.
Mario Pasalic added a third seven minutes from time to condemn Liverpool to a first home defeat in all competitions for 14 months.
The Reds had been favourites to end the Jurgen Klopp era by completing the German’s set of trophies won as Liverpool boss in his last game in charge in the Dublin final.
With Liverpool locked in a tight three-way battle for the Premier League title alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, Klopp showed that remains his priority as he made six changes to the side that were held 2-2 by Manchester United on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah was one of those left on the bench but he was unable to inspire a response despite being thrust into action right at the start of the second half after a lacklustre first 45 minutes from the home side.
Atalanta had won just two of their previous nine games in all competitions.
But the side sitting sixth in Serie A were a threat from the first whistle.
Pasalic missed a glorious chance to open the scoring after just three minutes when he fired into Caoimhin Kelleher’s face as the Irish international spread himself.
Harvey Elliott hit the crossbar and Darwin Nunez sliced wide when clean through on goal but those promising Liverpool attacks were few and far between.
Scamacca failed to shine during his one season in the Premier League with West Ham, but he has now scored three times in England for club and country this season.
Atalanta made the breakthrough on 38 minutes when the Italian international fired low through Kelleher’s grasp from Davide Zappacosta’s cross.
Teun Koopmeiners should have made it 2-0 before the break when he failed to beat Kelleher one-on-one.
Klopp reacted at half-time as Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson were sent on in a rescue mission.
However, even the changes failed to muster a response from a jaded looking side in their 50th game of the season.
Scamacca was offered an acre of space to slot home Charles De Ketelaere’s cross on the hour mark.
Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota were then introduced by Klopp but Liverpool continued to create little despite their abundance of attacking talent on the field and left themselves open to the counter-attack.
Atalanta took full advantage to close to within the brink of just their second ever European final.
Scamacca turned provider for the third after Szoboszlai gifted possession away inside his own half.
Ederson’s first effort was saved by Kelleher, but Pasalic thumped home the rebound to the delight of the travelling fans.
Liverpool have a history of thrilling comebacks in the European competition, most notably from 3-0 down at half-time in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan.
But they will need a fightback of that magnitude to keep alive the dream of sending Klopp out with a European trophy.
AFP
High-flying Chelsea were stunned by neighbours Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, going down 2-1 to a 95th-minute winner from substitute Rodrigo Muniz in the Premier League on Thursday.
It was Fulham’s first win at Stamford Bridge since 1979 and put a dent in second-placed Chelsea’s title hopes as the hosts stay on 35 points, four points off the pace having played two games more than leaders Liverpool who host Leicester City later.
Chelsea took the lead after 16 minutes when Cole Palmer danced past two defenders and slid the ball through Issa Diop’s legs into the bottom corner to score a classy goal.
Chelsea looked in control. Palmer had another two shots on target and Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno was called into action with a sharp save from a diving header by Marc Cucurella.
He also tipped over a rocket from captain Enzo Fernandez early in the second half.
But Fulham, who last scored in the league at Stamford Bridge in 2011, showed renewed energy and determination as Chelsea sat back to defend their lead.
It paid off in the 82nd minute when Harry Wilson headed home from close range.
Muniz clinched all three points when he swept home a pass from Sasa Lukic in the dying moments of the match to take Fulham up to eighth with 28 points from 18 games.
Final statistics showed they deserved the win, with 26 touches in the opposition box to Chelsea’s 20, more than 52% possession and 14 shots to the home side’s 12.
It was Chelsea’s first league loss since a 2-1 defeat on Oct. 20 by Liverpool and they risk being overtaken by Arsenal, two points behind, who play lowly Ipswich Town on Friday.
Sports
From Junk Food To Nigerian Fufu With Ewedu Soup : How My Mum Introduces Fufu To Me, Transformed My Game On The Pitch – Ademola Lookman
Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, the winner of the Africa Player of the Year award at the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lookman was the biggest winner at a star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, as Africa’s best performers for the year were honoured.
Ademola Lookman reflects on a pivotal moment in his life as a Nigerian growing up in the UK.
According to him,”During my childhood in the UK, I often found myself indulging in convenient junk food. It was quick and easy, but not exactly nourishing.
“One day, when I was around ten years old, my mum came to watch me play soccer with my friends. After the game, she noticed that I was frequently knocked down by the other kids when we battled for the ball.
With a concerned look, she said to me, ‘Ademola, my son, I’m not pleased with how easily you fall during the game. You’re a Nigerian, and you should possess the stamina that comes with that heritage.’
The very next day, my mother introduced me to Fufu (Nigeria Food). At first, I was put off by its strong smell, but when paired with ewedu soup, I began to appreciate it. Before long, I noticed a remarkable boost in my stamina.
Looking back, I can’t help but wonder how I would have made it this far without embracing Fufu. I will always carry the pride of representing Nigeria,”he said.
Super Eagles interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has undergone a successful surgery in Belgium after several delays. The procedure had been postponed multiple times due to his busy schedule with the team’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers campaign.
Eguavoen played a key role in leading the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in November. However, health issues kept him away from the 2024 CHAN qualifiers against Ghana. In his absence, assistant coach Daniel Ogunmodede has taken over responsibilities, guiding the home-based Super Eagles.
In the first leg of the CHAN qualifier in Accra, the Eagles secured a goalless draw, setting up a decisive second leg. The team returned to Nigeria on Tuesday and arrived in Uyo, where they are preparing to host the Black Galaxies at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday, December 28.
Assistant coach Ogunmodede expressed optimism about the upcoming match, emphasizing the importance of a win to secure the team’s place in CHAN 2024. Preparations began immediately upon their arrival, with the squad scheduled for their first training session at the stadium’s practice pitch on Tuesday night, December 24.
The Super Eagles aim to leverage home advantage to achieve victory in this crucial encounter.
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