Diaz makes up for Bellingham’s absence, leads Real Madrid to win over Leipzig in Champions League

Real Madrid's Spanish forward #21 Brahim Diaz (C) gets away from the Leipzig duo of Austrian midfielder #24 Xaver Schlager (L) and German defender #39 Benjamin Henrichs during their UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg match in Leipzig on Feb. 13, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 14 February 2024
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Diaz makes up for Bellingham’s absence, leads Real Madrid to win over Leipzig in Champions League

  • Bellingham, one of Madrid’s best players this season after joining from Borussia Dortmund, couldn’t play after spraining his ankle in a Spanish league game this weekend
  • In the other Champions League game Tuesday, Manchester City won 3-1 at FC Copenhagen

LEIPZIG, Germany: After scoring Real Madrid’s winner with a mazy solo run, Brahim Díaz jogged to the sideline and spread his arms wide open to celebrate.

He was imitating the trademark goal celebration of Jude Bellingham, the injured teammate he replaced in the starting lineup.

“Oh my god Brahim!!!,” Bellingham wrote on X, moments after the goal.

DIaz stepped up in Bellingham’s absence on Tuesday, leading Madrid to a 1-0 win at Leipzig in the round of 16 in the Champions League.

“I really like Jude, from the moment he arrived we’ve been getting along,” Diaz said. “I’m helping him with his Spanish, he is a world-class talent and we are enjoying having him around. He is a great person as well, and I’m very thankful to him.”

Bellingham, one of Madrid’s best players this season after joining from Borussia Dortmund, couldn’t play after spraining his ankle in a Spanish league game this weekend. The England international has 20 goals in 29 games in all competitions this season, including four goals — and three assists — in five Champions League matches. He is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

The return leg will be on March 6 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.

“We aren’t happy with the result because we had more chances to score and didn’t do that,” Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo said. “Brahim Diaz has a lot of quality and seized his chance. Real Madrid is one of the best teams in Europe. You have to make the most of your chances against opponents like that.”

In the other Champions League game Tuesday, Manchester City won 3-1 at FC Copenhagen.

Díaz combined some nifty dribbles with a powerful run to get past three Leipzig defenders before hitting the top corner with a left-footed shot from inside the area in the 48th minute.

“I saw they were afraid of coming after me,” he said. “I’m happy to have helped with the goal, and with with how the team worked hard to make up for the absence of Jude and the other injured players. It showed that we are still a good team, that we are Real Madrid.”

Diaz had to be replaced with an apparent muscle injury late in the game. He walked off the field with ice wrapped around his right calf.

“I don’t know what it is, to be honest,” the 24-year-old Díaz said. “I’m sure tomorrow we will go through some tests.”

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti again had to improvise in defense, as several players remained injured. He used midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni as one of the central defenders, playing alongside Nacho Fernández.

Leipzig had an early goal disallowed for offside and created most of the chances throughout the match, but were denied by some good saves by Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who has been replacing the injured Thibaut Courtois.

“It wasn’t easy,” Ancelotti said. “We were dangerous on counterattacks but Lunin played a great match. He is playing with a lot of confidence. We have a slight advantage but there’s still a lot to play for.”

Leipzig had won the last meeting between the teams in a group-stage game last season.

The German club has qualified for the competition’s knockout rounds for the fourth time in five seasons.

“We’re going to travel to Madrid and try everything,” Leipzig coach Marco Rose said. “We want to be the most difficult opponent possible for Madrid so that they really have to stretch.”

Madrid has been in the round of 16 every season since the format was introduced in 2003-04. It has reached at least the semifinals the last three seasons, having won its record-extending 14th European title in 2022.


Flintoff proud as Afghan refugee protege plays for Lancashire second team

Updated 6 sec ago
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Flintoff proud as Afghan refugee protege plays for Lancashire second team

The Afghan refugee was the breakout star of Flintoff’s television reality show
Miakhel scored 25 not out batting at number 10 in the first innings

LONDON: Andrew Flintoff has revealed his pride at seeing ‘Field of Dreams’ protege Adnan Miakhel, a refugee from Afghanistan, make his first appearance for Lancashire’s second team.
The former England cricket captain, who made his name in cricket as a hugely talented all-rounder while playing for Lancashire, his native county, has been back in the public eye lately following the release of a new documentary detailing the painful recovery from his life-changing car crash.
The program sees Flintoff speaking about how returning from show business to cricket has helped him gain fresh meaning in life, with Miakhel’s appearance in a three-day friendly against Yorkshire — the traditional arch-rivals of northwest county Lancashire — uniting the worlds of entertainment and sport.
The Afghan refugee was the breakout star of Flintoff’s television reality show about a scratch team of would-be cricketers based in Preston, Lancashire, and was awarded asylum in the United Kingdom after his mentor wrote to the Home Office (Britain’s interior ministry) supporting his application.
Flintoff, reflecting on Miakhel’s elevation from Lancashire’s Under-18s last season to the second string this year, posted on X: “Some journeys are longer and harder, I’m so proud of this fine young man.”
Miakhel scored 25 not out batting at number 10 in the first innings and dismissed first-teamers Jonny Tattersall and Matt Revis as he claimed figures of 2-72 from 13 overs.
The game at Liverpool’s Northern Cricket Club is a friendly match which does not restrict teams to the usual standard 11 players and Miakhel is not listed to bat in the second innings.
Rossall School, which awarded Miakhel a scholarship, paid its own tribute, adding on X: “Amazing to see current Y13 and 1XI (first team) cricket Captain Adnan M being presented with his 2XI (2nd XI) cap as he made his debut against Yorkshire.
“It is fantastic to see all of the hard work Adnan has put in paying off and we wish him all the success in the future with @lancscricket,” added the message from Rossall, whose former pupils include Liam Botham, the son of England cricket great Ian Botham, who also played cricket and both codes of rugby at a professional level in his own right.

Andrew Flintoff has revealed his pride at seeing ‘Field of Dreams’ protege Adnan Miakhel, a refugee from Afghanistan, make his first appearance for Lancashire’s second team. (X/@TheBarmyArmy)

Qatar replaces Garcia as national coach with Lopetegui

Updated 01 May 2025
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Qatar replaces Garcia as national coach with Lopetegui

  • Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui signs contract until the 2027 Asian Cup
  • Lopetegui’s last two jobs were in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham

DOHA: Qatar appointed former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui as the national coach on Thursday.
Lopetegui, 58, has signed a contract until the 2027 Asian Cup, where Qatar will go for a third consecutive title. His first game in charge is on June 5 at home to Iran, and then in Uzbekistan five days later.
“Ready for a new chapter. Welcome Lopetegui,” the Qatar Football Association wrote on social media. “We’re excited to embark on this journey together.”
Lopetegui replaces fellow Spaniard Luis Garcia, who took the job only last December and whose departure was also announced on Thursday.
“The QFA extends its deepest appreciation to Mr. Garcia for his professionalism and dedication throughout his time with the team,” the QFA wrote on social media.
After poor results in World Cup qualifying, Qatar is fourth in Asia Group A and already out of the running to finish in the top two spots that guarantee a place at the 2026 tournament. But there is still a chance for the 2022 host to qualify for the first time through a playoff route.
Lopetegui’s last two jobs were in the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham, where he was fired in January.


Hussein Ammouta U-turn leaves Iraq still without a coach as big games loom

Updated 01 May 2025
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Hussein Ammouta U-turn leaves Iraq still without a coach as big games loom

  • 7 candidates in the running to be in charge when World Cup qualifiers resume in 5 weeks

AMSTERDAM: No coaching carousel spins faster than those in West Asia.

Since World Cup qualification began in October 2023 all 12 Arab nations in the Asian Football Confederation have changed managers.

The latest tactician to be given his marching orders was Jesus Casas who recently left the Iraq post after two years and five months at the helm.

It was widely tipped that the Iraq Football Association would bring in a big name to replace Casas and lead the team to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.

A leading candidate quickly emerged — Al-Jazira manager Hussein Ammouta who earned plaudits by leading Jordan to the 2023 Asian Cup final.

The Moroccan has strong links to the country’s top brass.

The IFA’s President Adnan Dirjal coached Ammouta at Al-Sadd in the late 1990s. And when Ammouta became manager of the club a decade-and-a-half later he recruited the IFA’s Vice President Younis Mahmoud to lead the line for the Qatari powerhouse.

Everything was set to unveil the 55-year-old this week, according to the Iraqi media and Twitterati. Then it was off, leaving the Lions of Mesopotamia without a manager with less than five weeks before their next World Cup qualifier.

Addressing the media in the aftermath, Mahmoud said there were seven candidates, amongst them three foreigners. He was coy about the details and played up the virtues of having an Iraqi in the role.

“We are still in negotiations and we will announce in the coming days. It could be Ammouta. I don’t know anything about what has been said, I leave these details to (president) Adnan (Dirjal) as he is a former manager and knows more than me.”

It was not supposed to be like this for Iraq. A new board at the IFA led by Dirjal had wanted to put in place a process and foster stability. They had turned to former Spain assistant Casas to overhaul the team.

In spite of his early departure, Casas has the third-longest tenure as Iraqi manager, with only Ammo Baba and Srecko Katenac lasting longer. This indicates why this football-mad nation has underachieved since lifting the 2007 AFC Asian Cup title.

Early success brought the Andalucian time. Winning the Gulf Cup on home soil and ending a 35-year drought won the fans over. A year later, when Iraq was eliminated at the hands of Jordan at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Casas was spared criticism due to the controversial decision by referee Alireza Faghani to send off Aymen Hussein in the final quarter of the match.

The Spaniard also won plaudits due to the team’s expansive style which generated a famous win against Japan at the tournament.

Ten goals in four games at the continental showpiece papered over the fact that The Lions of Mesopotamia did not keep a single clean sheet and conceded an average of two goals a game.

That lack of control precipitated a change of thinking on the bench. Casas’ Iraq reemerged in qualification intent to assert control even if it meant boring supporters to death.

It was effective.

Iraq kept a clean sheet in eight of the 10 World Cup qualifiers contested in 2024. They breezed into round three, collecting 16 of 18 points on offer in a group comprising Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

When round three started, the results kept coming in the form of binary scorelines, with only a 3-2 loss away to Korea Republic breaking up the string of 0-0 draws, and 1-0 wins against Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Palestine.

Iraq sat in sole possession of second place, and an automatic World Cup berth, at the conclusion of Matchday Six in November.

That is when Iraq’s momentum came to a screeching halt. A pitiful defense of their Gulf Cup title in December was a harbinger of things to come.

Team selections became ever more unpredictable, as if Casas was trying to address critics vis-a-vis his lineups. In goal, sometimes Ahmed Bassil would start and others would be excluded from the squad altogether.

Equally bizarre was the chopping and changing of center-backs and midfielders.

Ahmed Yasin and Saad Abdulameer returned from extended international exile to captain the side against Oman and Jordan only to be dropped once again. In defense, Rebin Sulaka has started with seven different center-backs in the space of 12 months.

In a desperate attempt to solve the riddle of who should anchor his defense and pull the strings in attack, Casas changed his formation in what would prove to be his last match at the helm.

Hussein’s 34th minute goal gave Iraq a lead and a switch to a 3-4-3 seemed to be vindicated. Iraq’s defensive frailty however could not be masked like it was in the three other 1-0 wins they had registered in round three.

Palestine pushed and when the equalizer came in the 88th minute so did a mental collapse similar to the one suffered at the hands of Jordan in the Asian Cup Round of 16 encounter.

Following the 2-1 loss, Casas blamed the defeat on a “lack of character” and an inability to see out a result. Whether or not a coaching change will remedy those problems for Iraq is very much an open question.

Casas might have a point about the mental aspect of Iraq’s game. The players, administrators, and media have been engaged in a battle against a perceived conspiracy against them.

Hussein’s first words to the media following the loss to Palestine were used to complain about Amman as a neutral venue and the number of fans in the stands.

Perhaps the favorite tag proved too much for the team and a full embrace of the underdog role while eschewing victimhood is needed.

Iraq can draw on the 2007 Asian Cup win for inspiration when a team led by an interim coach shocked the world.


How Matthias Jaissle weathered a storm to take Al-Ahli to the AFC Champions League Elite final

Matthias Jaissle celebrates leading Al-Ahli to the final of the AFC Champions League Elite (X/@ALAHLI_FCEN)
Updated 01 May 2025
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How Matthias Jaissle weathered a storm to take Al-Ahli to the AFC Champions League Elite final

  • The German coach looked on his way out in January when famous journalist touted Massimiliano Allegri for his job
  • Al-Ahli stunned rival Al-Hilal with a 3-1 win to reach their third final of Asia’s top club competition

AUSTRALIA: Fabrizio Romano is rarely wrong.

The gold standard on reporting on football’s off-field wheeling and dealing, when Romano says something is happening it is usually just a matter of when, not if.

So when, on Jan. 17, he posted that Al-Ahli had agreed “in principle” to appoint Massimiliano Allegri, and Gabriele Cioffi as interim coach until June, it seemed certain that incumbent Matthias Jaissle would go.

This came on the back of a disappointing start to the season in which they won just three of their first nine games, to all but end their title hopes before the season had even reached the one-third mark.

But at the point of Romano’s postings, Al-Ahli managed to turn their form around, going on to win seven out of nine and surging up the table.

But it seemed like it was too little, too late for the 37-year-old German.

This story, however, has another twist. The Al-Ahli faithful were having none of it. For them, the failings were with those above Jaissle.

So when word came out he was to be moved on, they mobilized to support him. Diehard fans picketed outside Al-Ahli’s training ground, with one banner directed at senior management reading: “Enough failure … LEAVE!”

Within two days of Romano’s tweet, Al-Ahli confirmed that Jaissle would remain as head coach “with full support from the management to achieve the club’s aspirations and future ambitions.”

It was quite an about-face, but one that showed the positive power fans can have when they mobilize in the right way.

Just over three months on from that saga, it is hard to imagine this Al-Ahli side without the German at the helm.

He has guided them to the final of the AFC Champions League Elite courtesy of a demolition of Al-Hilal, the standard bearers of Asian club football, in the semifinal on Tuesday night.

The scoreline was 3-1 but make no mistake this was a demolition and a vindication for the fans and Jaissle.

When he demanded the club sign a left-winger in the summer to replace Allan Saint-Maximin, the club instead signed a striker, in this case Ivan Toney.

Jaissle made his frustrations known through the media, and reiterated his desires ahead of the winter window in January

Twelve days after his position was assured, the club signed Brazilian winger Galeno from FC Porto, which has transformed their season.

Prior to Galeno’s arrival, Al-Ahli had scored 32 goals in 18 games at about 1.78 per game on average. Since the Brazilian’s arrival, they have netted 28 in just 11 games at 2.55 a game.

Galeno gave the squad more balance and structure, and transformed their attacking threat. It is no coincidence that Toney has scored 12 of his 19 goals this season since Galeno’s arrival.

It is what the German knew would happen all along, but his demands to those above him were falling on deaf ears.

Their performance at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Tuesday night was about as close to perfection as Jaissle could have imagined.

Right from the opening whistle, spurred on by the very fans who had saved his job months earlier, Al-Ahli took control.

Their forward pressure was relentless, which was not a surprise coming from a coach schooled in the Red Bull philosophy. Riyad Mahrez pulled the strings as always, and Galeno buzzed about creating havoc.

And Roberto Firmino, consigned to playing in just the ACL Elite after not being registered for the league after Galeno’s arrival, looked every bit the motivational leader wearing the captain’s armband.

At the back, meanwhile, Merih Demiral and Ibanez were ferocious in defense and closed down the spaces in which Al-Hilal’s attacking threats normally like to operate.

While it finished 3-1, it could easily have been more after Al-Ahli hit the woodwork three times, had two goals disallowed and saw a penalty save, all in the second half.

This was a humbling for Al-Hilal who only days earlier had dished out a similar lesson to Gwangju FC in the quarterfinal.

“It was a fantastic evening. I’m so, so proud,” Jaissle told reporters after the game.

“The performance from each player, the team, and the unit — and by unit I also mean the fans in the stadium — it was a totally deserved win.

“These games are usually decided by details. There are some strengths and weaknesses in each team. We tried to identify the best ways to exploit them and they worked perfectly.

“We handled it marvelously and everybody did it in a brilliant way and we managed to achieve a great result. I’m really happy with the way the goals were scored.

“Now we focus on the final. Now we are there and we have to make the final step successful as well.”

As Jaissle and the Al-Ahli faithful celebrated wildly after the game, the dramas of January felt like another lifetime.


Timberwolves beat Lakers to end James’s latest NBA playoffs run

Updated 01 May 2025
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Timberwolves beat Lakers to end James’s latest NBA playoffs run

  • The sixth-seeded Timberwolves completed a 4-1 victory in the best-of-seven first-round series over Lakers

LOS ANGELES, United States: NBA superstar LeBron James’s bid for a fifth title in his 22nd season ended Wednesday as his Los Angeles Lakers fell 103-96 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of their Western Conference playoff series.
The sixth-seeded Timberwolves, led by 27 points from Rudy Gobert, completed a 4-1 victory in the best-of-seven first-round series over a Lakers team that had surged to the third seed in the West after the stunning acquisition of Luka Doncic in February.