Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League

Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League
Barcelona's Spanish midfielder #14 Aitana Bonmati celebrates scoring her team's third goal with teammates during the UEFA Women's Champions League preliminary round 1 day 3 Group D football match between FC Barcelona and SKN St. Polten at the Estadi Johan Cruyff in Barcelona on November 12, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 13 November 2024
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Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League

Barcelona blitz St. Poelten in Women’s Champions League

PARIS: A five-goal blitz in the space of 12 minutes sent Barcelona on their way to a 7-0 romp over St. Poelten in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday, while Manchester City stayed top of Group D with a win.
Arsenal beat Juventus 4-0 in Italy but remain second in Group C after Bayern Munich extended their 100 percent record with a 3-0 victory over Valerenga.
For Barcelona, Ewa Pajor, Francisca Nazareth, Aitana Bonmati, Keira Walsh and Claudia Pina all scored between the 32nd and 45th minutes, before Pina and Caroline Graham Hansen added goals in the second half.
Despite scoring 16 goals and conceding none in their last two European outings, holders Barca sit second in Group D after they lost their opening fixture at Manchester City.
“Objective met — yes, absolutely,” Barca coach Pere Romeu said after his side’s second emphatic victory in three games.
“Even when we couldn’t score in the first half an hour, we were getting in behind them. And I knew once we got the first goal, more would follow.”
Austria’s St. Poelten stay bottom of the group with three losses from three.
The floodgates opened at the Johan Cruyff Stadium shortly after the half-hour when Pajor slid onto full-back Ona Batlle’s cross at the near post and directed the ball into the far corner.
Stand-in captain Marta Torrejon nearly doubled the score soon after she rose highest from a set-piece, but her looping header clipped the top of the crossbar.
Fresh from picking up her second Ballon d’Or last month, Aitana Bonmati nearly caught Carina Schlueter out with a chip but the goalkeeper just managed to claw out the ball.
Barca were all over the Austrians. When Bonmati got in behind the defense on the right, her cross was parried to Nazareth who made no mistake on 38 minutes.
Bonmati opened her account in the Champions League this season two minutes later, before Walsh fizzed home a side-footed strike from outside the box in the 42nd minute.
On the stroke of half-time, Pina flitted in at the back post to guide home an outside-of-the-foot volley as Barca ran riot.
The Spanish forward then completed her brace from 12 yards seven minutes after the interval following a foul on the rampaging Batlle.
Substitute Graham added a seventh in the 87th minute.
Man City stayed three points ahead of Barca after second-half goals by Laura Brown and Aoba Fujino overcame Sweden’s Hammarby 2-0.
Goals by Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, Mariona Caldentey and Caitlin Foord handed Arsenal a 4-0 win in Piedmont against Juventus.
The Gunners are second in Group C on six points while Juve sit third with one win and two losses.
A superb team passing move unlocked the Italians’ defense with Maanum deftly applying the finish on 38 minutes.
Blackstenius, Caldentey and Foord stuck inside the final quarter of an hour to make the game safe for Renee Slegers’ side.
“We are happy with the win, but in a few days we will face Juventus again and we will have to start from scratch. We have to think about that game and not look at the table, because it is still early and there are many difficult challenges ahead of us,” Arsenal interim manager Slegers said.
Group C leaders Bayern Munich increased their tally to nine points with a 3-0 win at home to Norway’s Valerenga.
Pernille Harder put the German champions into the lead on 10 minutes, before Giulia Gwinn added a second from the spot seven minutes later.
Sarah Zadrazil powered home a third two minutes into stoppage time.
On Wednesday, eight-time Champions League winners Lyon visit Roma and Galatasaray host two-time victors Wolfsburg in Group A.
In Group B, Real Madrid play Dutch side Twente and Chelsea travel to Scotland to take on Celtic.


Buttler not taking depleted Australia lightly in Champions Trophy

Buttler not taking depleted Australia lightly in Champions Trophy
Updated 1 min 46 sec ago
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Buttler not taking depleted Australia lightly in Champions Trophy

Buttler not taking depleted Australia lightly in Champions Trophy
  • The English skipper expects a ‘tough challenge’ despite a depleted Australia team
  • Buttler says fast bowler Jofra Archer is excited to perform after 18-month absence

LAHORE: England skipper Jos Buttler expects Australia to pose a tough challenge when they meet in a Champions Trophy Group B clash in Lahore on Saturday, despite missing their pace trio.
Australia’s campaign in the eight-nation Champions Trophy was hit hard after their regular skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries.
To add to their woes, spearhead Mitchell Starc withdrew from the event on personal reasons while Mitchell Marsh, suffering a back injury, and Marcus Stoinis shockingly retired from one-day internationals.
Experienced batter Steve Smith will take over as captain with an inexperienced pace attack, but Buttler did not underestimate the traditional rivals.
“They have been a real pillar of success for Australia for a long period of time, so naturally there’ll be a miss for their team,” Buttler told a news conference on Friday.
“But they’ve got some top players to step into those shoes as well and Australia always over time have performed very well in ICC tournaments.
“We expect a really tough challenge.”
Australia’s pace attack will be led by Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis, while spinner Tanveer Sangha supplements Adam Zampa in spin bowling.
“England and Australia, there’s always a great rivalry and a competitive match. And obviously, in the Champions Trophy format, each game is really a massive game,” Buttler told reporters.
“So, we look forward to it.”
Buttler said fast bowler Jofra Archer is fit and raring to go.
“He’s been fit and firing now for... 18 months or so since being out of the game for a while. So, he’s really excited to put together a performance,” he said of the 29-year-old pacer.
Archer featured in all five Twenty20 internationals against India but missed the last two ODIs on the tour that preceded the Champions Trophy.
“He (Archer) is someone as a captain you always know you can turn to and throw the ball to,” Buttler added. “He’s obviously going to be really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
England had announced their final eleven for the match on Thursday evening, recalling wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith who will bat at three — a decision Buttler backed.
“He’s obviously got the game technically and tactically, but I think the head on his shoulders seems to be one of the biggest strengths,” he said.
“Nothing seems to faze him too much. I think you could ask him to bat anywhere in the line-up and it wouldn’t phase him. We feel it gives him a nice position to try and really impact the game.”
Buttler hoped conditions in Pakistan will be different from India where they lost T20I series 4-1 and one-day internationals 3-0.
“I think everywhere you go around the world, everywhere has its own nuances and different conditions. We’ve got lots of guys who’ve played in Pakistan before, so sharing those experiences,” he said.
England is the only top side not to have won the Champions Trophy, initiated in 1998 as the ICC (International Cricket Council) Knock-Out tournament.
Besides England and Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Defending champions and hosts Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh comprise Group A. The top two teams from each Group will qualify for the semifinals.


Man Utd to face Real Sociedad in Europa League last 16, Rangers play Fenerbahce

Man Utd to face Real Sociedad in Europa League last 16, Rangers play Fenerbahce
Updated 18 min 42 sec ago
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Man Utd to face Real Sociedad in Europa League last 16, Rangers play Fenerbahce

Man Utd to face Real Sociedad in Europa League last 16, Rangers play Fenerbahce
  • Ruben Amorim’s United are struggling in the Premier League this season but finished third in the league phase of the Europa League
  • Fenerbahce will welcome beaten 2022 finalists Rangers to Istanbul for the first leg

PARIS: Manchester United were drawn Friday to play Real Sociedad of Spain in the last 16 of this season’s Europa League, while Rangers will take on Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, and Tottenham Hotspur face AZ Alkmaar.
Ruben Amorim’s United are struggling in the Premier League this season but finished third in the league phase of the Europa League.
They will travel to San Sebastian for the first leg on March 6 before the return a week later against a Real Sociedad side who reached this stage after beating Midtjylland of Denmark in the play-off round.
The clubs have met several times in European competition in recent years, with United winning a Europa League knockout phase play-off tie in 2021 before both sides each won away from home in the group stage in 2022/23. They also faced off in the Champions League group stage in 2013.


Whoever wins will advance to a last-eight tie against either Lyon or FCSB. The Romanians lost 2-0 at home to United in their last game in the group phase last month.
Fenerbahce will welcome beaten 2022 finalists Rangers to Istanbul for the first leg of their tie in a competition coach Mourinho won with United in 2017. He also won its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, as Porto boss in 2003.
If Fenerbahce win, Mourinho could come up in the quarter-finals against one of his old clubs in Roma, with whom he won the Europa Conference League in 2022.
However, Claudio Ranieri’s Roma face a tough task in the last 16 against Athletic Bilbao, who are determined to go all the way to this season’s final, which will be played at their San Mames home on May 21.
Spurs will go to the Netherlands for the first leg of their last-16 tie against AZ, who they defeated 1-0 in the league phase in October.
If they win, Ange Postecoglou’s team could be back in the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, with the victors in that tie playing either Ajax or 2022 tournament winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs and Manchester United cannot meet until the final, but the Old Trafford club could face either Mourinho’s Fenerbahce or Rangers in the last four.
Last season’s Conference League winners Olympiakos of Greece will play Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt in the last 16, for the right to take on either Lazio — who finished first in the league phase — or Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic in the quarters.


UAE’s Al-Katheeri and Iraq’s Salem shine at ONE 171: Qatar

UAE’s Al-Katheeri and Iraq’s Salem shine at ONE 171: Qatar
Updated 21 February 2025
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UAE’s Al-Katheeri and Iraq’s Salem shine at ONE 171: Qatar

UAE’s Al-Katheeri and Iraq’s Salem shine at ONE 171: Qatar
  • Big knockouts and major surprises at Lusail Sports Arena on Thursday
  • The main event saw Joshua Pacio of the Philippines defeat American rival Jarred Brooks via a technical knockout

DOHA: ONE 171: Qatar saw Zayed Al-Katheeri of the UAE and Iraq’s Hussein Salem pick up impressive wins on Thursday night.

Al-Katheeri beat Mohammad Aburumuh of Jordan via submission while Salem captured a first-round knockout victory against Italy’s Walter Cogliandro.

The ONE Championship show also saw several big knockouts and surprises at the Lusail Sports Arena.

While Ilias Ennahachi’s fight against Petchtanong was cancelled after the Moroccan star kickboxer failed to remain within the weight limit, Turkiye’s Shamil Erdogan captured a knockout victory against former two-division MMA world champion Aung La N Sang in less than half a minute. His compatriot, Dagi Arslanaliev, fell to a knockout loss against Croatian star Roberto Soldic.

But the biggest shock of the evening came during the main event, when Joshua Pacio of the Philippines clinched the ONE Strawweight MMA world championship with a big technical knockout win against American rival Jarred Brooks.

In the co-main event, Jonathan Haggerty successfully defended his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing world title against Wei Rui, snapping the Chinese veteran’s 21-win streak that dates back to 2018.

ONE 171: Qatar is the second ONE Championship event to take place in the country, following its debut with ONE 166 in March 2024.


Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history

Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history
Updated 21 February 2025
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Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history

Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history
  • The 17-year-old beat the 5-time Grand Slam winner in straight sets for a place in the last 4 against world No. 7 Elena Rybakina
  • Friday’s other semifinal has unseeded Danish star Clara Tauson, who beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, face No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic

DUBAI: World No. 2 Iga Swiatek was sensationally knocked out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in straight sets on Thursday as the talented teen Mirra Andreeva made history to book a place in the WTA 1000 semifinal for the first time in her career.

With the win, Andreeva becomes the youngest player to reach the final four since the emirate’s tournament began in 2001.

When world No. 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the tournament on Wednesday night, Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, looked favorite for a maiden Dubai crown.

Yet less than 24 hours later, the Polish star was also packing her bags after a stunning performance by Andreeva, who claimed a 6-3, 6-3 victory to become, at 17 years and 297 days, the youngest semifinalist in the 25-year history of the Dubai women’s event.

Andreeva, who admitted she was nervous beforehand, struggled in her first service game of the opening set, but managed to save three break points before breaking her opponent’s serve to take the lead.

Covering the court well while also reading Swiatek’s shots, she broke once more with a powerful forehand down the line.

Swiatek rallied to establish a 3-1 lead in the second set, but Andreeva refused to surrender. Following a brief on-court conversation with her coach, the teen went on to win five games in a row to secure the win.

The victory proved sweet revenge for the three-set defeat she suffered in her only other meeting with Swiatek in Cincinnati last year.

“Last time we played, (it) was a close match — tough, intense,” Andreeva said. “This time, I just tried to tell myself to go for my shots, to be aggressive, to not hesitate.”

She added: “That helped me to win in a way. I just tell myself, if I’m here, I play my best, I try to play my best, I go for my shots, fight for every ball. It doesn’t matter what’s happening on the court.

“If I lose 6-0, 5-0 or I win 7-5, 6-4, it doesn’t matter. I just go for my shots and try to bring out my best level.”

Next up for No. 12 seed Andreeva is a semifinal clash with world No. 7 Elena Rybakina, who defeated American wildcard Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6(2) under lights.

The Kazakh reached the final in Dubai in 2020 and is aware that while expectation dictates that her experience should help, there is an inherent danger in playing an opponent who has already exceeded her own expectations.

“For sure, she has nothing to lose now,” Rybakina said of Andreeva. “She is playing very well in this tournament and is very dangerous. She’s physically very good, very quick.

“Also I saw today a couple of games and she was serving really well. If she plays like that, for sure it won’t be easy, but I will try to recover and be prepared to show my best.”

Asked how her own mindset has changed from being a young player to now being a Grand Slam winner with a target on her back, the Wimbledon 2022 champion responded: “Definitely before I was just going out there and enjoying; just hitting free.

“The atmosphere is always nice to play on these big courts and nothing to lose when I was young. Every match was a great experience, but it is different when you’re a top player because everybody wants to beat you.

“(Andreeva) has so much in front of her and she’s for sure dangerous for me.” 

In the other semifinal, unseeded Dane Clara Tauson will meet No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova, who beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the late match of the day.

Tauson, ranked No. 38 in the world, made headlines on Wednesday night after slaying Sabalenka in straights sets and she admitted fears she would be unable to match that performance in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

She need not have worried, defeating the Czech Linda Noskova 7-6(4), 6-4 on Centre Court. “The level I had (against Sabalenka) is a level you hit maybe five or six times a year, so I was sure it wasn’t going to be the same and I was really prepared for that.

“I was texting one of my best friends (last night): ‘I had a great match today; I’m for sure going to play (bad) tomorrow.’ But I didn’t and I’m really happy about that … otherwise, I would have lost for sure.

“That’s what helped me, I think, I was aware it was going to be a tougher match.”

The 25th edition of the annual WTA 1000 event runs until Feb. 22, followed by the 33rd staging of the men’s ATP Tour 500 tournament from Feb. 24 to March 1.


Sakai optimistic of big race double for Japan on Saudi Cup card

Sakai optimistic of big race double for Japan on Saudi Cup card
Updated 21 February 2025
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Sakai optimistic of big race double for Japan on Saudi Cup card

Sakai optimistic of big race double for Japan on Saudi Cup card
  • Experienced jockey rides Forever Young in Saturday’s main event at King Abdulaziz Racecourse

RIYADH: Jockey Ryusei Sakai is staying cool ahead of what will certainly be a high-pressure situation aboard Forever Young (JPN) in Saturday’s $20m Saudi Cup.

The Japanese colt displayed his suitability for the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racecourse when he won the $1.5m Saudi Derby presented by ZOOD Realty a year ago, before finishing a fine third in both the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“Since he won the Tokyo Daishoten in December he had stayed at Yoshito Yahagi’s stable at Ritto Training Centre and remained in training … and then he started to have steady workouts three weeks before his trip to Saudi Arabia,” Sakai said. “I think everything has gone very well so far.”

Forever Young breezed for 1,300 meters on the dirt track under Sakai on Wednesday and had easy exercise for 60 minutes in the training yard at the quarantine stable on Thursday. In between, Sakai discovered Forever Young had drawn gate 14 of 14.

“He travelled to Riyadh very well. He has been very relaxed and looked confident since he has arrived,” Sakai said. “I have no worries about him. He is a very versatile type of horse and can handle any type of track condition.

“The wide gate is not a big concern and distance-wise there is no issue either. I understand this will be a very competitive race, but my focus is to show his run. I am really looking forward to Saturday.”

Sakai, Yahagi and owner Susumu Fujita also have Forever Young’s stablemate, Shin Emperor (FR), as a contender in the US$2m Howden Neom Turf Cup.

The 4-year-old Siyouni colt, a brother of 2020 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass, was a disappointing 12th in the Arc last October but bounced back to finish a good second to Do Deuce in November’s Group 1 Japan Cup.

“He looked great (when) he came back from the break after the Japan Cup,” Sakai said.

“As he is a French-bred horse and has travelled from France to Japan, from Japan to Europe, he is already an experienced traveler.

“Since he has arrived in Riyadh, he has been keeping good condition and has felt really good when I galloped him yesterday. The left-handed flat track here should be the perfect match for him, and I am very confident of his chances in the race if he can show his class.”