BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso refused to get carried away after his team equalled the longest unbeaten run for a Bundesliga team with a 2-1 win at Heidenheim on Saturday.
Leverkusen won for the 18th time in 22 league matches to go eight points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich, making it 32 games without defeat in all competitions this season.
That drew them level with the all-time record set by Hansi Flick’s Bayern across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
“I’m not going to celebrate the 500-day mark,” said Alonso, who took charge of Leverkusen in October 2022 with the club in the relegation zone.
“I’m satisfied with the game, with the performance and the result.
“We’re in a good phase. We’ll keep going and focus on one game after the next.”
“Overall, the performance was good. I’m really happy, but we have to keep going.”
No team has ever gone through a German top-flight season unbeaten.
There are 12 matches remaining this campaign.
Since Alonso’s appointment, his side have taken 100 points from 47 Bundesliga matches, a points-per-game ratio bettered only by Bayern teams coached by Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Flick.
Midfielder Granit Xhaka said “statistics don’t lie” after the win at Heidenheim kept them on course for history.
“The team is in full swing. We showed again how dominant we can be,” former Arsenal midfielder Xhaka told reporters.
Leverkusen, who thrashed Bayern 3-0 a week ago, have never won the title despite finishing runners-up five times. Bayern could cut the gap back to five points with victory at Bochum on Sunday.
Alonso’s Leverkusen have dropped just eight of a possible 66 points this season.
Their 58 points is the third best in league history at this stage, behind only Guardiola’s Bayern sides from 2013-14, who had 62 points, and 2015-16, with 59 points.
Alonso refuses to celebrate as Leverkusen match unbeaten record
https://arab.news/5rwdq
Alonso refuses to celebrate as Leverkusen match unbeaten record
- Leverkusen won for the 18th time in 22 league matches to go eight points clear of second-placed
- Bayern Munich “I’m not going to celebrate the 500-day mark,” said Alonso, who took charge of Leverkusen in October 2022 with the club in the relegation zone
Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Zubimendi
- Euro 2024 winner Martin Zubimendi had previously been a target for Liverpool and was also linked with Real Madrid
LONDON: Arsenal on Sunday announced the signing of midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad after they reportedly triggered his £51 million ($70 million) release clause.
Euro 2024 winner Zubimendi had previously been a target for Liverpool and was also linked with Real Madrid.
“This is a huge moment in my career,” said the defensive midfielder, who is understood to have put pen to paper on a five-year deal.
“It’s the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realize how big this club and this team are.
“I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come.”
The BBC reported the deal is worth almost £60 million, with Arsenal opting to pay more than the release clause in order to spread the cost of the fee.
Zubimendi, 26, made 236 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad after graduating from the club’s academy and has played 19 times for Spain.
He will reinforce manager Mikel Arteta’s midfield options after Thomas Partey’s contract expired and Jorginho left the club.
Zubimendi’s arrival paves the way for Arsenal’s record-signing Declan Rice to play a more attacking midfield role alongside captain Martin Odegaard.
“Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team,” said Arteta.
“He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us.”
Zubimendi is Arsenal’s second signing of the summer transfer window after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga joined from Chelsea as they seek to improve on three consecutive second-placed Premier League finishes.
The Gunners are also expected to complete the signing of midfielder Christian Norgaard from Brentford.
Attention will now turn to the forward line as Arsenal try to see off Liverpool and Manchester City and claim a first league title since 2003/04.
Arteta’s men had to cope without a natural striker for much of last season due to long-term injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres are reportedly the two leading candidates to fill the need for a new number nine.
Messi returns to MLS with spectacular double in Inter victory
- Messi made sure there was no lingering let-down for Javier Mascherano’s side, who are aiming to improve on their curent sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 32 points from 17 matches
- Miami now face a hectic MLS stretch, with five more matches before the end of the month
MONTREAL: Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals to lift Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory over Montreal in Miami’s return to Major League Soccer action on Saturday in the wake of their elimination from the Club World Cup.
Miami were playing their first MLS game in more than a month. They had advanced past the first phase of the Club World Cup but fell 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 last week.
Messi made sure there was no lingering let-down for Javier Mascherano’s side, who are aiming to improve on their curent sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 32 points from 17 matches.
“It is a great night, we took the three points that were very necessary to start thinking about the MLS again,” Mascherano said. “It is never easy to reintegrate into the competition after the Club World Cup, and the players have done it perfectly.”
Messi was a key figure throughout, although it was his miscue that led to the first goal for Montreal.
His backpass fell right in front of Montreal’s Prince Owusu, who fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to make it 1-0 after two minutes.
Messi more than atoned. In the 33rd minute, Messi found Tadeo Allende outside the area and Allende chipped a shot over Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirios.
In the 40th minute Messi conjured his trademark magic, cutting in from the right corner of the box, eluding Fernando Alvarez and curling the ball in at the far post for a goal that gave Miami a 2-1 halftime lead.
Telasco Segovia made it 3-1 in the 60th minute with a blast from outside the area that hit the crossbar and bounced into the net.
Messi bagged his second goal two minutes later, evading four defenders and finishing an outstanding solo run with a shot into the heart of the goal.
Messi now has seven goals in his last four MLS matches, bringing his total to 12 in 14 games.
“Leo is happy playing football,” Mascherano said. “Every time he is fit, he is going to play. Clearly we have an extra advantage when he plays and we want to use that advantage as much as possible.”
Miami now face a hectic MLS stretch, with five more matches before the end of the month.
France make Euro 2025 statement against holders England as Miedema completes century
- Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal as the Netherlands swept past Wales to take the initiative in the group
- France face underdogs Wales next on Wednesday while England have a huge clash with the Netherlands, again at the Letzigrund Stadium
ZURICH: France staked their claim to be contenders for Women’s Euro 2025 by beating holders England 2-1 on Saturday and joining the Netherlands at the top of Group D.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore netted within three minutes of each other toward the end of the first half as England became the first defending champions to lose their opening fixture at the Euros.
Laurent Bonadei’s team are level on three points with leaders the Dutch, who cruised past Wales 3-0 earlier on Saturday, after striking a big blow in the battle to qualify from possibly the hardest group at the tournament.
France face underdogs Wales next on Wednesday while England have a huge clash with the Netherlands, again at the Letzigrund Stadium.
“I expected a good performance because we prepared well. It’s always good to get off to a good start even if it’s only the first match,” said Delphine Cascarino.
“We were really good both going forward and in defense.”
The French were better all over the pitch, driven by the fabulous wing play of Baltimore and Cascarino, while Keira Walsh’s lovely strike with three minutes remaining made the scoreline flatter unconvincing England.
Not even Lauren James’ return to the starting XI could inspire England, the Chelsea star way below her best as the Lionesses struggled to put any pressure on France until it was too late.
“Of course I’m very disappointed,” said Sarina Wiegman, who lost her perfect Euros record as coach with Saturday’s defeat.
“We had three very good weeks and we played really well, but that’s never a guarantee that you win the game. We also know that France is a proper team too, so you have to do things really well. We just didn’t get it right.”
Alessia Russo thought she had given England the lead in the 16th minute when she prodded home on the rebound after Pauline Peyraud-Magnin kept out Lauren Hemp’s shot, only for the goal to be ruled out for a razor-thin offside in the build-up.
From there, France took the initiative, pushing England back into their own half and dominating possession, and they had a deserved lead through Katoto in the 36th minute when the Lyon forward guided home Cascarino’s low cross.
And three minutes later Baltimore made the scoreline accurately represent the balance of play with a wonderful individual goal, easily skipping around Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson before rifling her finish into the top corner.
Walsh found the top corner with England’s first shot on target and Wiegman’s team almost snatched a point in the dying moments when Selma Bacha cleared Michelle Agyemang’s shot off the line and saved the result for France.
Vivianne Miedema scored her 100th international goal as the Netherlands swept past Wales to take the initiative in the group.
Manchester City striker Miedema opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime in Lucerne with a beautiful curling strike, completing her century of goals for her country.
Victoria Pelova and Esmee Brugts netted the other goals after the break to give Wales a rude awakening in their major tournament debut.
“They defended really well and I’m glad my goal helped to start it all up,” said Miedema.
“In the second half, you saw that we can play a bit more, and eventually we also scored two really good goals.”
Andries Jonker’s team are top on goal difference while Wales already have their work cut out to qualify.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side could easily have been behind before Miedema, who was a doubt for the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury in April, struck, as Jill Roord crashed a rocket of a shot off the post in the 35th minute.
Pelova doubled the Oranje’s lead two minutes after the break when she rifled home from Danielle van de Donk’s pass, and the Arsenal midfielder set up Brugts to make absolutely sure of the points in the 57th minute with a perfect deep cross.
Real Madrid holds off hard-charging Borussia Dortmund to earn semifinal berth
- Real Madrid will play Paris Saint-Germain in the same city on Wednesday
Gonzalo Garcia rewarded his coach’s faith in him with the opening goal to help Real Madrid to a wild-ending 3-2 win against Borussia Dortmund in East Rutherford, N.J. on Saturday afternoon to advance to the semifinals of the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid will play Paris Saint-Germain in the same city on Wednesday.
With superstar Kylian Mbappe gradually recovering from an illness, coach Xabi Alonso elected to instead start the 21-year-old Garcia and he scored his fourth goal of the Club World Cup in the 10th minute.
Fran Garcia, no relation, made it 2-0 in the 20th.
Then it got crazy. Dortmund’s Max Beier cut the lead in half in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
Mbappe, who entered in the 67th minute, made it 3-1 in 90+4 with a spectacular side-volley but Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was red-carded in 90+6 for a foul in the box and Serhou Guirassy converted the penalty kick in 90+8.
Dortmund had one final try and Thibaut Courtois made a great full-extension save on Marcel Sabitzer in 90+10.
The match looked fully in hand until a clearance bounced to Beier and he first-timed a strike that brushed Huijsen on the way in to make it 2-1.
Mbappe then did his thing from the left side of the 6-yard box off the second assist of the match for Guler.
Just as Real Madrid was ready to exhale, Huijsen prevented goal-scoring opportunity and Guirassy scored for the third time in two matches.
Huijsen is suspended for the semifinal.
It was left to Courtois with his diving stop at the left corner to finally seal the win.
Paris Saint-Germain shut down Bayern Munich, reach CWC semis
- PSG played the closing minutes with just nine players after a pair of red cards
- Bayern exits the tournament after being held scoreless for the first time
ATLANTA: Desire Doué scored in the 78th minute, Ousmane Dembele added a second in stoppage time and Paris Saint-Germain sealed their place in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Bayern Munich on Saturday in Atlanta.
Pairs Saint-Germain played the closing minutes with just nine players after a pair of red cards and still added a goal to seal the victory.
Referee Anthony Taylor dismissed Willian Pacho in the 82nd minute for his dangerous challenge on Bayern’s Thomas Muller, and sent off Lucas Hernandez in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for an elbow in the direction of Raphael Guerreiro.
But Doue and Dembele’s first goals of the tournament were enough to seal a meeting in East Rutherford, N.J., on Wednesday with the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Gianluigi Donnarumma made five saves to keep PSG’s fourth clean sheet of the tournament.
Bayern exits the tournament after being held scoreless for the first time, on a day when they lost Josip Stanisic and Jamal Musiala to first-half injuries.
It was still 11-on-11 when Doue took Joao Neves’ pass, created some space near the edge of the penalty area, then unleashed a left-footed strike that found the bottom right corner as Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer slipped while trying to change direction.
Dembele doubled the advantage on a stunning foray forward despite the numerical disadvantage and some brilliant setup work by Achraf Hakimi, who beat three defenders off the dribble.
Hakimi then fed Dembele in stride for a first-time low finish that left Neuer little chance.
Bayern thought they had a chance to pull a late goal back when Taylor whistled for a penalty even later in stoppage time, only to reverse his decision following a video review.
Musiala departed on a stretcher at halftime after suffering a gruesome ankle injury following a tangle for the ball with Donnarumma that did not show any signs of ill intent.
Even Donnaruma was distraught after seeing the extent of Musiala’s injury, which came in the final seconds of the first half.
Twelve minutes earlier, Stanisic exited with an apparent hamstring injury.
Donnaruma made a pair of exceptional first-half saves.
In the 27th minute, he sprung to his right to parry Michael Olize’s goal-bound effort from just beyond the corner of the 6-yard box. In the 41st, he sprawled the opposite direction to keep Aleksandar Pavlovic’s effort — an intended early cross that was inches in front of Musiala near the penalty spot — from bounding inside the right post.
Neuer was also called into action during the first half, thwarting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s effort from close range at the near post with an outstretched arm in the 32nd minute.
Four minutes into the second half, he dove left to deny Bradley Barcola on the break.
