BRUGGE: Marcus Rashford resumed his Champions League career Tuesday, starting in Aston Villa’s 3-1 win at Club Brugge in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Rashford did not score his first goal with his new team but put on a strong first-half display, making himself available and showing his pace and great technique on the wing.
After Leon Bailey put Villa ahead, Rashford had an excellent chance to double Villa’s lead on the break in the 10th minute from a tight angle, but his effort was blocked by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Rashford was replaced by Marco Asensio in the 64th minute.
It was Rashford’s first Champions League match since November 2023, when he was sent off for Manchester United against FC Copenhagen.
Rashford joined Villa in February on loan from United, where he had fallen out with manager Ruben Amorim. He had not played for United since Dec. 12 amid Amorim’s concerns about Rashford’s commitment to training.
The 27-year-old forward’s loan runs to the end of the season.
Rashford has been in great from since his departure from Old Trafford. Although he has yet to score for his new team, he has been influential and set up three goals for Asensio.
According to UEFA statistics, Rashford played 33 Champions League games for United, scoring 12 goals.
Villa were a league-phase surprise, finishing eighth to set up the round-of-16 matchup against a Club Brugge squad that defeated Villa 1-0 in November and eliminated Atalanta in the playoffs.
Rashford returns to Champions League in Aston Villa’s 3-1 win at Club Brugge
https://arab.news/6xfjg
Rashford returns to Champions League in Aston Villa’s 3-1 win at Club Brugge
- Rashford did not score his first goal with his new team but put on a strong first-half display
- Rashford was replaced by Marco Asensio in the 64th minute
Chelsea move closer to top-five finish, Newcastle salvage draw
- Palmer ended a lengthy drought with his first goal since mid-January
- Magpies salvaged a point thanks to a last-gasp Alexander Isak penalty
LONDON: Chelsea moved a step closer to securing Champions League qualification with a 3-1 victory over weakened champions Liverpool on Sunday, while Newcastle United slipped up in a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Newcastle salvaged a point thanks to a last-gasp Alexander Isak penalty, while Brentford edged a young Manchester United side 4-3, and West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur’s disappointing form continued in a 1-1 draw.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League on 63 points, separated from fourth-placed Newcastle only by goals scored. Both teams trail third-placed Manchester City by a point with three games remaining.
The game at Stamford Bridge was less than three minutes old when Cole Palmer found Neto whose cut-back fell to the unmarked Enzo Fernandez and the Argentine whipped the ball low into the net. Palmer was also instrumental in the second goal after he clipped the ball into the area and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s attempted clearance bounced off teammate Jarell Quansah and into the goal.
Palmer ended a lengthy drought with his first goal since mid-January from the spot in the 96th minute after Quansah’s foul on Moises Caicedo.
“I think we did well the team showed character,” Caicedo told Sky Sports. “We are happy that we won this game.
“(Palmer) deserves it. He is working hard to get goals. Now was his opportunity and he scored.”
Van Dijk had pulled one back for Liverpool, who made six changes to their starting lineup after clinching the title last weekend, in the 84th minute from a corner.
“There was chances for us to score — in the end they deserve the win,” Van Dijk said.
At Brighton, Isak’s last-gasp penalty earned a potentially crucial point for Newcastle in their chase of Champions League qualification.
Brighton looked poised for victory after winger Yankuba Minteh struck in the first half, but Isak’s 89th-minute spot kick sent goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way for his 23rd league goal of the season.
“It’s all to play for,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told Sky Sports. “We have three huge games, three very tough games in different ways. Two of them are at home and we hope that can make the difference.”
Minteh scored in the 28th minute with a blistering shot through a crowd into the far corner.
BRENTFORD MOMENTUM
Two goals from Kevin Schade guided Brentford up to ninth in the table on 52 points, while defeat left Manchester United in 15th with 39 points.
“We definitely have momentum... we’ve had a really good run of games, there’s a flow of playing well,” Brentford boss Thomas Frank told the BBC.
With an eye on the Europa League semifinal second leg against Athletic Bilbao, United manager Ruben Amorim named the club’s youngest starting lineup in Premier League history. Seventeen-year-old forward Chido Obi became their youngest starter.
United scored against the run of play through Alejandro Garnacho, but Brentford equalized with Mikkel Damsgaard’s shot deflecting off Luke Shaw for an own goal.
Brentford took the lead six minutes later as Schade rose above the defense to head home and he completed his brace with another header in the 70th minute.
Less than four minutes later, Yoane Wissa scored with a tap-in into an empty net to make it 4-1 before United came to life.
Garnacho pulled the trigger from outside the box in the 82nd minute, and then Amad Diallo’s deflected shot in added time went through Flekken’s legs to make it 4-3.
But United ran out of time as they fell to a club record 16th league defeat in a season in the Premier League era.
“I know there’s a big game on Thursday but first and foremost was today. We needed to win the game but we didn’t,” Mount said.
TOUGH GAME
London rivals West Ham and Tottenham remain just above the relegation places after their 1-1 draw.
A much-changed Spurs scored the opener after 15 minutes through Wilson Odobert but the lead lasted 13 minutes before Jarrod Bowen equalized for the home team.
The draw left Spurs in 16th spot and facing their worst finish since 1977, a single point above the 17th-placed Hammers whose winless run in the league was extended to eight games.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, we made a lot of changes which doesn’t help the cohesion and fluency but the lads worked really hard,” Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou said.
Crystal Palace host Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Buemi ends six-year drought with Monaco masterclass as Rowland extends championship lead
- Swiss driver secures third career Monaco win, first since 2019, 78 races ago
- Oliver Rowland, Nick Cassidy completed the top three
MONTE CARLO: Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi claimed a long-awaited victory at the second Monaco E-Prix of the weekend on Sunday, ending a six-year winless streak and securing his third career triumph in the Principality in dramatic style.
Starting from eighth on a soaked Monte Carlo grid, the Swiss driver, Formula E’s Season 2 champion, delivered a measured, tactical drive through the field to take the chequered flag.
The win marks his first since New York City in 2019, a span of 78 races, and lifts Envision off the bottom of the Teams' standings.
“I thought I would never win again at some points, so you know you need a bit of luck, you need the right timing, you need the right car, a good team, and today everything just came together, so I’m so happy,” he said.
“I’m actually speechless because you know it’s been a long time. It was obviously quite tricky at the beginning with the fight with Antonio (Felix da Costa) and Max (Guenther), but in the end the timing of the Attack Mode was good, I was able to make a gap and I was safe when Oli (Rowland) took his second one.
“I was able to read where the track was drying up, especially in turns 3 and 4, there was lots of lap time to be gained, but you needed the confidence and today I had it. I thought that my number of wins would never change but it did today, so I’m very proud,” he added.
Behind him, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland delivered another strong performance to finish second and extend his lead at the top of the FIA Formula E Drivers’ World Championship.
The Brit’s aggressive attempt to overtake Jean-Eric Vergne at the chicane on Lap 21 ultimately altered the race's complexion.
Rowland was later required to cede the position after being deemed to have forced the DS Penske driver off track — a moment that allowed Buemi and Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries to capitalize.
Rowland smartly reclaimed momentum by returning the position to Vergne while simultaneously activating his final mandatory 50kW Attack Mode, allowing him to surge back past both Vergne and de Vries for second place by Lap 24, finishing just over four seconds behind the winner.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy completed the podium with a storming drive from 14th to third, his first top-three result of the season, managing energy expertly to gain ground in the closing stages.
In fourth, da Costa was the highest-placed Porsche, followed by de Vries in fifth and a frustrated Vergne in sixth after leading much of the race before the pivotal Lap 21 incident.
The result sees Rowland head to Nissan’s home race in Tokyo on 115 points, with da Costa trailing on 67.
Porsche holds a narrow lead in the Teams’ standings on 133 points to Nissan’s 126, but Nissan tops the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship with 191 points to Porsche’s 163.
The action returns in two weeks for a Tokyo double-header in Odaiba on May 17 and 18.
Ben Sulayem committed to to transforming FIA into ‘modern, accessible and connected organization’
- Leading figures in racing assemble in Marrakech as FIA president continues mission to double motorsport participation
DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, is set for a busy agenda of high-level discussions at its annual FIA Region I Spring Meeting starting in Marrakech on Tuesday.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be in attendance at the three-day assembly of mobility and motorsport leaders from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to discuss key initiatives in road safety, sustainable mobility, regional sporting growth, and innovation in transport.
Speaking ahead of the conference, which is hosted by Mobilite Club Maroc, Ben Sulayem said: “As a global federation it is not often that we are able to unite our community in one place, so moments like this are particularly special.
“The next few days will provide an invaluable opportunity for engagement and participation, along with key votes to decide on the leadership of our community.”
The Region I Spring Meeting will coincide with a series of sessions designed to equip member clubs with new strategies and insights into evolving mobility and sporting trends. The event will be an opportunity to share knowledge and best practice across topics such as service delivery, sustainable responsibility, and consumer-focused innovation.
Ben Sulayem said: “Our members are fundamental to the success of the FIA, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together during my first term in office and the successes we have achieved. We continue to strengthen the link between sport and mobility, expanding our reach and impact on the global stage.
“I am committed to the transformation of the FIA into a modern, accessible, and connected organization. Globally we are continuing our mission to double motorsport participation through grassroot initiatives and accessibility programs such as Affordable Cross Car and the Global Karting Plan, while ensuring ongoing empowerment of all regions across our mobility capabilities.”
The FIA Member Club structure forms the backbone of the federation’s governance and operations, with each full member club holding voting rights across the FIA’s elections and regulatory decisions. Clubs are grouped into two primary categories, with some serving in both roles.
Mobility clubs provide mobility services and represent the interest of road users, with a focus on road safety, travel and tourism, consumer rights, and sustainable mobility.
National sporting authorities govern and develop motorsport at a national level, are responsible for sporting events, issuing licenses, and engagement across regulations.
Within the FIA there are four mobility regions and six sport zones. FIA Region I is comprised of 101 mobility member clubs from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, representing over 41 million members.
Saudi professional esports team Falcons Vega wins UK women’s tournament Red Bull Instalock
- The invitational tournament ran from May 2-3 at the UK’s premier esports and gaming venue, the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London
- Red Bull Instalock brought together some of the best women’s VALORANT teams from around the world, including G2 Gozen, GIANTX GC, Falcons Vega, and FlyQuest RED
LONDON: Falcons Vega have been crowned this year’s Red Bull Instalock champions, securing the victory following a weekend of top-level competition from London’s premier gaming and esports venue, the Red Bull Gaming Sphere. The event marked the UK’s first professional women’s esports tournament of 2025.
Returning for a second straight year, Red Bull Instalock brought together four of the world’s elite women’s VALORANT teams for two days of competition. Returning to the lineup were last year’s champions G2 Gozen from Germany and London locals GIANTX GC. Joining them as Red Bull Instalock newcomers were Falcons Vega from Saudi Arabia and FlyQuest RED representing America.
The tournament saw the return of its unique format, transforming the traditional team structure to require three duelists, VALORANT’s offensive class, in order to encourage aggressive plays and quick thinking.
The tournament kicked off Friday with intense best-of-three matchups between Falcons Vega and GiantX GC, and between G2 Gozen and FlyQuest RED. Following intense back-and-forth battles on the map, Falcons Vega and G2 Gozen both secured 2-1 wins in their matches, progressing to the Upper Bracket Final later in the day. Inaugural Red Bull Instalock champions G2 Gozen continued their winning streak, knocking Falcons Vega down to the lower bracket in a clean 2-0 sweep and securing the first available spot for the Grand Final.
In the lower bracket, FlyQuest RED knocked out GiantX GC in a 2-0 win, before being pitted against Falcons Vega. With both teams eager to prove their worth and secure the remaining spot in the Grand Final, Falcons Vega swiftly earned their place with a 2-0 win that propelled them into the final showdown.
The Grand Final pivoted to a best-of-five, raising the stakes and pushing both teams to the limit in an intense back-and-forth showdown that went across five maps. Falcons Vega swiftly took the first map against G2 Gozen, grinding the latter team’s momentum to a halt. Determined not to go down without a fight, G2 Gozen brought it back with a 19-17 win on map two following the longest overtime in the tournament’s history, and another win on the third map, before Falcons Vega closed the gap on map four. With teams tied, stakes were higher than ever going into map five, and Falcons Vega eventually triumphed 13-8 following an incredible final performance, dethroning G2 Gozen and claiming the title of Red Bull Instalock Champions.
Falcons Vega pro and Red Bull player Maryam “Mary” Maher said: “It means so much to have won Red Bull Instalock. This team is made of the most hardworking women I know, and I’m proud of the work we put in. We’re so happy to be representing the Middle East and want to be role models for women gamers in the region.”
Red Bull Instalock host Yinsu Collins also commented: “This year’s Red Bull Instalock has been amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that we crowned Falcons Vega as our winners, and it’s been really special to have some of the best players from MENA and SEA to compete under one roof in London. We had an incredible variety of international teams and players compete this year, which helped keep the action fresh, and it’s been great to see matchups between teams that don’t normally get to compete together.”
Fatal Fury: Alvarez undisputed champion in Riyadh, Crawford eyes it next
- Unanimous decision win over William Scull on Saturday night
RIYADH: Canelo Alvarez once again cemented his place atop boxing’s super middleweight division, claiming undisputed status with a unanimous decision win over IBF title holder William Scull on Saturday night at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. It was a tactical affair rather than a thriller, but enough to remind the world who still rules at 168 pounds.
Canelo told Arab News before the fight that he would humble Scull, adding: “He’s very confident but he’s going to feel something different on Saturday.” The latter felt the Mexican king’s words.
Turki Alalshikh delivered the night’s biggest fireworks after the final bell, orchestrating a dramatic in-ring face-off between Canelo and Terence Crawford to announce plans for a Sept. 12 mega-fight. The undefeated Crawford, one of Turki’s favored fighters, now appears next in line — a high-stakes bout that has boxing buzzing.
A Canelo and Crawford showdown is a classic pressure versus precision matchup — Canelo’s methodical stalking and body punching against Crawford’s switch-hitting, movement, and counters. If Crawford can control distance and disrupt Canelo’s rhythm, he can box his way to a decision. But if Canelo cuts the ring, lands to the body, and imposes his physicality, he could break Crawford down — or at least bank enough rounds up close.
Elsewhere on the card, Badou Jack retained his WBC cruiserweight title in a majority decision that left many scratching their heads. Most observers believed Noel Mikaelian had done more than enough to win, but the judges saw it otherwise, handing Jack one of the night’s more contentious victories.
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia picked up a solid, if unremarkable, win in his rematch with Bruno Surace, while heavyweights Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole battled to a hard-fought draw that could easily set up a rematch. Both fighters absorbed plenty in a gritty back-and-forth contest.
Bakole was amazed to see how popular he was among Saudi fans who shouted his name throughout the fight. “I stole the show — everyone loves me (here),” he said, adding that he was aiming for a rematch to settle the score.
The undercard delivered glimpses of the future. Cuban light heavyweight prospect Brayan Leon stayed unbeaten with a dominant win, despite some defensive lapses, while 2024 Olympian Marco Verde made a thunderous pro debut with a first-round stoppage.
Richard Riakporhe made a successful entrance into the heavyweight ranks with a stoppage win over Kevin Nicolas Espindola.
Fighting for the first time since his cruiserweight title loss to Chris Billam-Smith last June, the 35-year-old Londoner returned to the ring carrying a bulked-up frame at 235 pounds. The added size signaled his intentions to create a new chapter in boxing’s glamor division.
“I want to get a heavyweight title. I’ve grown now, I’ve built myself up, I’m more healthy," Riakporhe said, expressing a desire to chase that ambition under the lights of a familiar setting. “This is where I want to do my fighting now,” he added, referring to Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom’s own Mohammed Alakel remained undefeated, winning a shutout decision and continuing his climb in the opening bout on the Fatal Fury City of Wolves card.
He told Arab News in a post-fight interview that he was ready to “happily” take on any name next, anywhere in the world, adding: “I just want to get the experience and (become) the first Saudi champion.”
It was a night billed around one man, but the supporting cast — for better or worse — gave fans plenty to talk about. From disputed decisions to promising debuts, Riyadh delivered the full spectrum of boxing’s beauty and blemishes.
