GIRONA, Spain: Champions League group phase leaders Liverpool virtually sealed a place in the last 16 with a tight 1-0 victory at Girona on Tuesday after Mohamed Salah struck from the penalty spot.
Liverpool have made a stunning start in the competition under coach Arne Slot, winning all six of their matches to move provisionally five points clear of second-placed Inter Milan.
The English giants, six-time winners of the competition, were given a tough night by Champions League debutants Girona, who fell to a fifth defeat and are on the verge of elimination.
Teams finishing in the top eight will avoid an extra round of play-off matches.
“If you ask me about all six games, I’m really pleased with all the results... (but) I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight,” Slot told reporters.
“(We had) hardly any control at all over the game, maybe the second half was a bit better but then I’m trying to be positive.”
Slot started fit-again goalkeeper Alisson Becker after a two-month injury lay-off and the Brazilian showed no sign of rust on a busy night.
After their Merseyside derby clash at Everton was called off because of a storm at the weekend, Slot was able to pick a fresh side, going with arguably his strongest available team to try and assure a top eight finish as soon as possible.
Newcomers Girona, who lost several key players in the summer and are still rebuilding, opted for Arnaut Danjuma in attack with support from spritely duo Bryan Gil and Yaser Asprilla.
Liverpool pinned the hosts back in the first 10 minutes and Girona stopper Paulo Gazzaniga pushed away a Joe Gomez header.
After that Michel Sanchez’s Girona found their footing on a chilly night at their sold-out Montilivi stadium, reduced to under 10,000 capacity due to UEFA regulations, and they began to put Alisson to the test.
The goalkeeper saved from Alejandro Frances and then denied former Tottenham winger Gil, who slipped as he ran through on Liverpool’s goal.
Alisson also beat away a Miguel Gutierrez drive as the qualities of the side which pushed Real Madrid close for the Spanish title last season shone through.
“Maybe the players wanted to see how fit he really was, so they gave him so much work,” joked Slot.
“Alisson has been so important for this club for so many years, and showed today he is one of the best, the best in my opinion, goalkeeper in the world.”
Darwin Nunez spurned Liverpool’s first big chance after Salah slipped him in, with Gazzaniga keeping out the Uruguayan striker’s low poke.
Alisson was tested again early in the second half by former Bournemouth forward Danjuma.
The Dutchman then gave Liverpool’s defense the slip with a clever dribble but fired over, as Slot’s words ahead of the game were proven true — Girona were better than the standings suggested.
Despite their valiant efforts, the Liverpool juggernaut is proving hard to stop and the Premier League leaders took the lead with a controversial penalty won by Luis Diaz.
The Colombian winger went down under a challenge from Donny van de Beek and after a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, much to the home side’s frustration.
Salah sent Gazzaniga the wrong way to net his 50th Champions League goal, pulling the Egyptian level with Filippo Inzaghi as the 10th highest goalscorer of all-time in the competition.
The winger is out of contract at the end of the season but his 16 goals across all competitions have been essential in Liverpool’s superb first half of the season.
Slot replaced the wasteful Nunez with Cody Gakpo as he tried to kill the game off, but Girona were deflated after conceding and unable to make further inroads as their Champions League dream draws toward a close.
“I almost feel sorry for them because they deserve so much more in this Champions League campaign than the three points they have,” admitted Slot.
Girona coach Sanchez thanked the Liverpool coach for the praise of his team and said despite the defeat he was proud of his team.
“I’m very proud of the players’ performance,” said Sanchez.
“It was a very worthy game from us, the commitment from the team was top level.”
Liverpool close on Champions League progress as Salah seals Girona win
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Liverpool close on Champions League progress as Salah seals Girona win
- Liverpool have made a stunning start in the competition under coach Arne Slot, winning all six of their matches
- Salah sent Gazzaniga the wrong way to net his 50th Champions League goal
Sporting beat Benfica in cup final to complete double
- Sporting Lisbon defeated rivals Benfica 3-1 to claim the Portuguese Cup on Sunday
LISBON: Sporting Lisbon defeated rivals Benfica 3-1 to claim the Portuguese Cup on Sunday and complete an impressive double after edging out the same opponent on the final day of the league season.
Rui Borges’ side forced extra-time with in-form striker Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty in the 11th minute of stoppage time after Orkun Kokcu sent Benfica ahead in the 47th minute.
Conrad Harder fired Sporting in front after 99 minutes and Francisco Trincao wrapped up the win at the death against their Lisbon rivals.
Sporting’s season was almost derailed when coach Ruben Amorim left to join Manchester United in November and his successor Joao Pereira struggled to get the team firing.
Little over a month later Borges came in and steadied the ship, taking the team to a second successive Portuguese crown before making it a double.
“We almost lost but in the last minute (we saved it), only a great team can do this,” Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand told Sport TV.
“It’s an honor to be part of this team, I really enjoy it.”
In the 2024 final, Sporting were beaten by Porto and Hjulmand was happy to rectify that this time around.
“We weren’t completely satisfied last year, we were left with a bit of an empty feeling but now the cup is ours and we want to celebrate,” he said.
It may be the last game Gyokeres plays for the club, with the 26-year-old striker in-demand among Europe’s top clubs after an excellent season, in which he scored 54 goals across all competitions.
“You have to ask him (about his future), he has a contract — if it were up to me he would stay,” added Hjulmand.
Newcastle secure Champions League spot on final day
- Magpies end up in fifth place, edging out Villa on goal difference
NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United squeezed into the Champions League places despite losing 1-0 to Everton at home in their final game of the Premier League season on Sunday, thanks to Manchester United’s 2-0 home win over Aston Villa.
The Magpies, who ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought by beating Liverpool to win the League Cup earlier in the season, ended up in fifth place on 66 points, edging out Villa on goal difference.
Newcastle dominated throughout but were undone by poor finishing and sloppy passing and they were punished for giving away the ball in the center of the pitch in the 65th minute, with Vitaliy Mykoloenko crossing for Carlos Alcaraz to score with a brilliant header.
The home side poured forward late in the second half as they sought to salvage some pride with an equalizer but Everton were in no mood to accommodate them and defended doggedly to the bitter end, finishing their season in 13th place on 48 points.
Meanwhile, Chelsea booked their place in the Champions League as Levi Colwill sealed a 1-0 win that shattered Nottingham Forest’s bid for a top-five finish.
Colwill struck early in the second half at the City Ground to ensure Enzo Maresca’s side returned to Europe’s elite club competition after a two-year absence.
The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League, four points above seventh-placed Forest, who were consigned to the UEFA Conference League after failing in their attempt to play in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.
Chelsea won five of their last six league games to earn their Champions League berth despite criticism of Maresca’s conversative tactics from frustrated fans.
With their Champions League fate successfully resolved, Chelsea can focus on winning their first trophy since the Club World Cup in 2022 when they face Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday.
Leading Chelsea to Champions League qualification and silverware would be a fitting riposte to Maresca’s doubters after a turbulent debut season in charge for the Italian.
Chelsea had won only seven of their previous 18 away league games, in contrast to their impressive record of 12 wins from 19 at Stamford Bridge.
But they rose to Maresca’s challenge after he urged them to prove they could cope with the pressure of a must-win match on the road.
Forest, who were third for several weeks, paid the price for failing to win any of their last four home games.
Despite missing out on the Champions League, Forest’s highest finish since coming third in 1994-95 was an impressive achievement for a club that battled to avoid relegation on the final day of last season.
Forest’s players were greeted by hundreds of fans waving red flares and balloons when they stepped off the team bus, setting the tone for a raucous atmosphere that peaked when Taiwo Awoniyi came onto the pitch just before kick-off.
Awoniyi sustained a serious abdominal injury after colliding with a post against Leicester and has been recovering after being placed in an induced coma following surgery.
Nuno Espirito Santo had urged Forest to use the Nigerian striker’s recovery from his horrific injury as their inspiration.
There was no lack of endeavour from Nuno’s team as they worked tirelessly to rattle Chelsea, but chances were at a premium in a tense clash.
It took Chelsea half an hour to create a chance of note when Pedro Neto shot wastefully over from five yards after Cole Palmer’s cross picked out the winger.
Forest striker Chris Wood squandered a similar opportunity just before half-time as he met Ola Aina’s cross with a volley that flashed over from close range.
With an average age of 24 years and 36 days, Chelsea’s starting line-up was the youngest over the course of an entire season in the Premier League era.
Chelsea’s lack of experience has been an issue at times in a rocky season, but they got the job done in the 50th minute.
Neco Williams’ weak attempt to head clear was seized on by Neto and his low cross reached Colwill for a tap-in at the far post.
Lando Norris wins in Monaco to slash Oscar Piastri’s F1 lead
- Win is Briton’s first since Melbourne, who cuts Australian’s lead to three points
- Mandatory second pitstop fails to change order
MONACO: Lando Norris celebrated his first Monaco Grand Prix win from pole position on Sunday and slashed McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri’s Formula One lead to three points in a race more about strategy than speed.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished runner-up in the home race he won last year, with Piastri third and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth — all four finishing in the order they started.
The afternoon featured two mandatory pitstops for the first time but hopes of more action around the harborside circuit fell short.
Drivers through the field played a waiting game, with Verstappen holding off his final stop until the penultimate lap and those behind biding their time while keeping out of trouble. Norris ultimately lapped all but four cars.
The win was the Briton’s second in eight races and first since the Australian season-opener in March, as well as McLaren’s first at Monaco since 2008.
“Monaco baby!,” he shouted over the radio as the chequered flag finally fell.
“The last quarter was stressful with Leclerc behind and Max ahead but we won in Monaco,” said Norris.
“This is what I dreamed of when I was a kid, so I achieved one of my dreams.”
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was fifth with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar sixth and Haas’s Esteban Ocon seventh.
Liam Lawson scored his first points of the season for Racing Bulls in eighth place and Williams completed the top 10 with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.
Mercedes had a dismal afternoon in the Mediterranean sunshine, after a nightmare in qualifying, with George Russell 11th and Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli 18th and the last car still running.
The virtual safety car was deployed on the opening lap when Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto went into the tire wall at Portier, the turn before the tunnel, as Antonelli passed on the inside.
Bortoleto made it back to the pits and continued.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the first retirement, the Frenchman crashing into the back of Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull at the tunnel exit on lap nine and limping back to the pits with the front left wheel hanging off.
“Is he an idiot, what is he doing?” exclaimed Tsunoda.
Gasly, who said he had no brakes, almost took out Argentine rookie team mate Franco Colapinto as he careered through the Nouvelle Chicane.
Aston Martin’s double world champion Fernando Alonso was the second retirement, pulling off on lap 38 with a smoking car to continue his scoreless run for the season.
Saleh Al-Shehri returns for Al-Ittihad ahead of SPL trophy celebrations and King’s Cup final
- The Saudi international had been sidelined since April 17 with a hamstring injury
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad striker Saleh Al-Shehri has returned to full training ahead of the club’s Saudi Pro League title celebrations and their final league fixture against Damac on Monday.
The Saudi international had been sidelined since April 17 with a hamstring injury sustained during a match against Al-Fateh in round 28.
He missed five games during his recovery but trained with the squad on Saturday under the watchful eye of head coach Laurent Blanc.
His return comes as a timely boost for the Jeddah club, which will also welcome back several key players ahead of a crucial fortnight.
French striker Karim Benzema and Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar are both back from injury, while Brazilian enforcer Fabinho Tavares is available once again after serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Al-Ittihad resumed training on Saturday following a short two-day break, with preparations now focused on Monday’s season finale and the King’s Cup final against Al-Qadsiah on May 30.
With the league title already secured, Blanc’s side will be hoping to finish their campaign on a high before lifting the Roshn League trophy in front of their home fans at the King Abdullah Sports City.
UAE jiu-jitsu team dominates day one in Amman with two golds
- The team captured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the men’s divisions, reaffirming its dominance in one of the continent’s most prestigious jiu-jitsu competitions
Amman: The UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Team began its campaign at the 9th Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship with a strong showing, securing seven medals on the first day of competition at Prince Hamzah Hall in Al-Hussein Youth City, Amman.
The team captured two gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the men’s divisions, reaffirming its dominance in one of the continent’s most prestigious jiu-jitsu competitions.
Theyab Al-Nuaimi (56kg) and Mohamed Ali Al-Suwaidi (69kg) each claimed gold, while Omar Al-Suwaidi (56kg) and Khaled Al-Shehhi (62kg) earned silver. Mehdi Al-Awlaki (77kg), Hazza Al-Qubaisi (85kg) and Faraj Al-Awlaki (94kg) brought home bronze.
Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federations, congratulated the athletes, citing sustained support from wise leadership as a key factor in their continental success.
“This encouraging start reflects the hard work of our technical and administrative teams, as well as the players’ dedication and discipline,” he said. “It’s a fantastic first step toward our goal of topping the overall rankings. Today’s achievement boosts our confidence in the team and emphasizes our athletes’ commitment to proudly represent the UAE.”
He also said that Mubadala Investment Company’s long-term strategic partnership, in place since 2023, had been instrumental in enhancing the team’s preparation and performance at major continental and international tournaments.
Head Coach Helder Medeiros was pleased with the results, citing the high quality of play and progress made by several Asian nations. He highlighted the team’s continued analysis and preparation for the upcoming women’s and under-21 competitions.
Gold medalist Theyab Al-Nuaimi regarded his triumph as a proud moment for both himself and his teammates, recognizing weeks of intense training and discipline. He also praised his coach and the federation for their support.
