Sports

Duran Double Earns Aston Villa Draw Against Liverpool

Published

12 months ago

May 14, 2024

Jhon Duran struck twice in the final five minutes to salvage a 3-3 draw for Aston Villa against Liverpool but they fell short of guaranteeing a place in next season’s Champions League on Monday.

Villa looked set for a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions as an Emiliano Martinez own goal and strikes from Cody Gakpo and Jarrell Quansah put the visitors on course for victory in Jurgen Klopp’s final away game in charge.

But substitute Duran’s double edged Unai Emery’s men closer to Europe’s top table for the first time since 1983.

Victory for title-chasing Manchester City at Spurs on Tuesday would secure Villa’s place in the top four.

But they are stumbling over the finish line as the strain of combining a challenge for the Champions League alongside a run to the Europa Conference League semi-finals has taken its toll.

Martinez’s return to fitness after he missed last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Brighton should have been a major boost for the home side.

But the Argentine World Cup winner’s howler handed Liverpool the opening goal after just two minutes as he fumbled Harvey Elliott’s deflected cross into his own net.

Villa did respond positively as Ollie Watkins burned Quansah for pace and pulled back a cross for Youri Tielemans to equalise.

However, momentum swung back in Liverpool’s favour in an end-to-end encounter when Gakpo tapped in after Martinez could only parry Joe Gomez’s effort.

The outcome for the home supporters could have been much happier had their players not frequently contrived to get in each other’s way.

Diego Carlos somehow turned wide with the goal gaping after nudging Watkins out the way.

Villa’s struggles defending cross balls have been a consistent factor in a run of poor results in recent weeks.

It was exposed again as Liverpool struck within three minutes of the restart for the second half when Quansah rose highest to head in Elliott’s free-kick.

There was still time for Villa to mount a memorable comeback had they been more ruthless as Liverpool’s own defensive weaknesses were laid bare.

Watkins was denied his 20th Premier League goal of the season after Leon Bailey ran offside in the build-up, having cut across the run of Moussa Diaby.

After an angry exchange of words between Bailey and Watkins, it was then the latter who was guilty of getting in Douglas Luiz’s way when the Brazilian would have had a clear sight of goal.

Had it not been for an injury to substitute Nicolo Zaniolo, Duran may not even have entered the field.

But the Colombian produced a stunning finale as he pounced on a mistake from Alexis Mac Allister to drill home from the edge of the box.

Duran did not know much about his second as Diaby’s pass ricocheted in off his thigh, but Hollywood star and Villa fan Tom Hanks was one of the 40,000 who did not care.

Only a brilliant save from Alisson Becker denied Diaby a winner in stoppage time.

A point for Liverpool may be meaningless in their quest to win the title as wins for Manchester City and Arsenal over the weekend mathematically ended the chance of Klopp departing as a Premier League winner.

Yet, it could still be significant in the title race as it keeps Tottenham’s chances of Champions League football alive ahead of City’s trip to north London on Tuesday.

Even if Spurs spring a huge surprise, Villa still have a top-four finish in their hands when they visit the in-form Crystal Palace on the final day of the season on Sunday.

Villa’s eight-goal superior goal difference means a draw at Selhurst Park should be enough even if Tottenham win in their two final matches against City and relegated Sheffield United.

AFP

Sports

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

Published

5 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

15 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

4 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.