AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands are through to the last 16 at Euro 2020 after Memphis Depay’s penalty set up a 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday, their second straight victory securing top spot in Group C as coach Frank de Boer declared there is much more to come from his side.
Depay made no mistake from the spot in the 11th minute in Amsterdam after David Alaba’s foul on Denzel Dumfries was spotted by the Israeli referee only after he came across to review the images.
Dumfries, so impressive in the thrilling opening 3-2 win over Ukraine, added another midway through the second half, his second goal of the tournament.
The Dutch were comfortable at home in the Johan Cruyff Arena and De Boer’s side are so far making a success of their first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.
That is great news for De Boer, whose predecessor as national coach, Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman, was among the spectators.
“I know we can beat anybody when we are at our best but I think other teams are thinking the same so let’s go game by game and see where that takes us,” De Boer said.
The Dutch now cannot be caught at the top of the group after Ukraine beat North Macedonia earlier in Bucharest, with the Balkan outsiders already eliminated.
That means De Boer can rest players for the final group game against North Macedonia, safe in the knowledge that the Dutch will go to Budapest for a last-16 tie on June 27 against a third-place finisher.
“We need to decide how to prepare for the next game, whether to keep working on the system and improve that or give some players extra time off,” De Boer added.
He had said coming into the Euro that the 1988 champions were “between the fourth and eighth-best team” and already they can see their path opening up to the quarter-finals.
They will still need to improve if they are to go further, but they appear to be finding their feet in the 3-5-2 system that De Boer has controversially opted for.
Austria, after all, are a mediocre side and were not helped by the penalty given away by Alaba, their captain.
Franco Foda’s side were also handicapped by the absence of Marko Arnautovic, suspended for insulting an opponent after coming off the bench and scoring against North Macedonia.
Foda had said he was in line to start here.
Austria can nevertheless still qualify with a game against Ukraine to come.
“We knew we couldn’t completely stop the Dutch,” said Alaba.
“I am proud of the team. We will go to Bucharest to try to beat Ukraine and stay in the tournament.”
If the Dutch King and Queen were present at their first match, this time FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in the stands, as well as Koeman.
Depay, out of contract at Lyon, hinted before this game that he is set to team up with Koeman in Barcelona.
The ex-Manchester United man believes he is good enough to play for a club of Barcelona’s stature, and he confidently stroked home the early spot-kick awarded following a VAR review for Alaba’s foul on Dumfries.
He then missed a sitter before half-time, failing to hit the target after Wout Weghorst teed him up.
It was from a Depay corner that Weghorst nodded down for Stefan de Vrij to see his effort from point-blank range saved by Austria goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann on the hour.
De Boer then made a triple change, including sending on PSV Eindhoven forward Donyell Malen for Weghorst.
And midway through the second half Depay released Malen to run through and square for Dumfries, one of the stars of the tournament so far, to score.
Koeman will also have been impressed with another assured display by Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong in midfield, while Matthijs de Ligt cruised through the game in defense on his return from injury.
Depay and Dumfries send Netherlands into Euro 2020 knockouts
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Depay and Dumfries send Netherlands into Euro 2020 knockouts
Real Madrid’s Courtois to return after nine-month injury layoff
- Belgian international Courtois, 31, has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury
- “Yes, Thibaut is fine. He will play tomorrow (Saturday) after a long period of absence,” said Ancelotti
MADRID: Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will play his first match for the Spanish club after a nine-month injury layoff against Cadiz this weekend, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Friday.
Belgian international Courtois, 31, has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury and suffered a further setback in March which required another knee operation.
“Yes, Thibaut is fine. He will play tomorrow (Saturday) after a long period of absence,” said Ancelotti.
“He’s looking forward to playing. We’re delighted to see him return.”
La Liga leaders Real Madrid have their first chance to be crowned champions this weekend, although they need a helping hand from this season’s shock title challengers Girona.
Madrid host Cadiz on Saturday and if they win and Girona take any points off defending champions Barcelona immediately afterwards, Los Blancos will earn a record-extending 36th Spanish title.
Courtois has been back in team training for several weeks, and was part of the Madrid group to travel to Germany this week to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal first leg 2-2 draw.
Asked about a possible start for Courtois in the Champions League final if they reach it, Ancelotti replied: “The final we have in mind is Wednesday against Bayern, in which (Andriy) Lunin will play, and then we will see.”
In 2022, Courtois was the prime architect of Real’s Champions League triumph, proving himself to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Klopp says he has ‘no problem’ with Salah after touchline spat
- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his spat with Mohamed Salah has been “completely resolved“
- Salah was asked after the game to comment on the incident and he was heard saying: “There’s going to be a fire today if I speak”
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted Friday his spat with Mohamed Salah has been “completely resolved,” saying his long history with the star forward ensured there was no lasting damage to their relationship.
Klopp and Salah were involved in a touchline confrontation during the 2-2 draw at West Ham on Saturday. When Salah was asked after the game to comment on the incident, the Egypt international was heard saying: “There’s going to be a fire today if I speak.”
Nearly a week later, Klopp said the matter was a “non-story.”
“There’s no problem,” said Klopp, who was speaking ahead of Liverpool’s home match with Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. “If we wouldn’t know each other for that long, I don’t know how we would deal with it but we know each other for that long and respect each other too much that it’s really no problem.”
The incident happened as Salah was preparing to come on as a substitute, having been selected on the bench for the second time in three games.
“In general, the best situation would be everybody is in the best possible place, we win games, we score lots of goals. Yes, then the situation (with Salah) would probably not have been exactly like that,” Klopp said. “Then Mo wouldn’t have been on the bench in the first place.”
Klopp, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nearly nine years in charge, was asked if the 31-year-old Salah should be part of the new manager’s plans. Salah, a Liverpool player since 2017, has been linked with a move to the Saudi league.
“I’ve said before, what a player he is. That he’s incredible,” Klopp said. “But I don’t think I should speak about that, to be honest. Other people will decide that, especially Missouri
“I don’t have any signs it will not be like that. But I’m really the wrong person already for a few weeks to talk about these kind of things.”
Mounir Lazzez to launch new MMA promotional company with big fight night in Dubai
- 971 Fighting Championship hosts its inaugural event at The Agenda on Saturday, May 4
- Mouhamed Fakhreddine faces Gianni Melillo in main event on 14-bout card
DUBAI: Mounir Lazzez, having recently made the move into mixed martial arts promotion, is confident of surpassing his achievements as a fighter when he launches his new venture, 971 Fighting Championship, in Dubai on Saturday.
Spearheaded by Tunisian Lazzez, the first fighter born and raised in an Arab country to be signed to the UFC, 971 Fighting Championship is an innovative MMA entertainment brand that has been created with view to changing the face of the combat sports industry in the region.
Saturday’s high-profile launch event, at The Agenda in Dubai Media City, features 14 professional bouts, with Lebanon’s Mohammed Fakhreddine, the first Arab double champion, and Italy’s Gianni Melillo going head-to-head in the main event.
The two co-main events, meanwhile, are equally intriguing, with Ireland’s John Mitchell facing Egypt’s Adham Mohammed, while Eslam Abdul Baset, another Egyptian, takes on the UK’s Dan Vinni.
With further shows confirmed for August, October and December, Lazzez believes the arrival of 971 Fighting Championship signals an exciting new chapter for MMA.
“This is a big moment in relation to the long-term future of the sport, with 971 Fighting Championship providing a platform for fighters at various stages of their careers to showcase their talents,” he said.
“As a company, 971 Fighting Championship is fully committed to hosting entertaining events where elite athletes push their bodies to the limit and fans … go away knowing they have witnessed something special.
“Saturday’s launch event features some fantastic fighters, and The Agenda is a perfect location to launch such an amazing concept. We’re really looking forward to what promises to be a truly special occasion.”
After taking up MMA classes at the age of 15 in Tunisia, Lazzez’s career began to take off after a move to Dubai, where he represented several promotions, including the likes of Brave Combat Federation, and UAE Warriors, before signing to UFC in 2020.
Lazzez enjoyed a stunning debut, picking up the Fight of the Night award after a unanimous decision win over Abdul Razak Alhassan, before going on to face the likes of Warlley Alves, Ange Loosa and Gabriel Bonfim.
Now Lazzez is focused on ensuring 971 Fighting Championship is in a position to compete with some of its more established competitors in the long term.
“Becoming a professional MMA fighter was always my ambition and to have achieved a personal goal is a source of great pride, but that particular chapter is now closed,” he said.
“The 971 Fighting Championship has big aspirations, and everybody involved in the project is fiercely passionate about making the brand a major success.”
Lazzez now has an opportunity to make his mark on the sport in a different way, and he is well aware 971 Fighting Championship’s first event is a huge opportunity to put the brand on the map.
“While we have been working extensively behind the scenes for many months, Saturday’s event marks the beginning of our journey,” he says.
“Having been involved in the industry for many years, I’m well placed to assess what works well and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t.
“We believe our brand will become a huge success, but that will only be achieved with hard work and dedication.
“For a launch event, Saturday’s show is huge, with 14 bouts and a card made up of fighters from all around the world, which is what 971 Fighting Championship is all about. We can’t wait to get started.”
Knicks edge 76ers, book NBA 2nd round clash with Pacers
- The Knicks, through to the second round for the second straight season, will host the Pacers in Game 1 of their series on Monday
- Embiid, last season’s Most Valuable Player whose campaign was disrupted by knee surgery in February, scored 39 points and grabbed 13 rebounds
LOS ANGELES: Jalen Brunson scored 41 points and the New York Knicks held on for a 118-115 victory over Philadelphia on Thursday, clinching a 4-2 series win to book an NBA playoffs second-round clash with the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers powered into the Eastern Conference semifinals with a convincing 120-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that sealed their 4-2 series win.
It came down to the wire in Philadelphia, where Knicks forward Josh Hart, fed by Brunson, drilled a three-pointer to put New York up 114-111 with 25.6 seconds remaining.
Sixers star Joel Embiid cut the deficit to one with a driving layup seconds later but then fouled out and the Knicks polished it off with free throws from Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson.
Brunson said that after failing to close out the 76ers at home in game five, the Knicks knew they needed a faster start in this one.
They led by 22 points in the first quarter, only to see the 76ers claw back to lead by three at halftime and push their advantage to as many as 10 in the third quarter.
“Obviously they fought back and took the lead, but that good start helped us,” he said. “The way we kept fighting, that’s what we’ve been talking about all year — just making sure we keep fighting no matter what.
“No matter what the situation is, we’re going to stick together, we’re going to fight.”
Brunson added 12 assists, DiVincenzo scored 23 points with two steals and three blocked shots and OG Anunoby contributed 19 points.
Hart finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds and heard the cheers rain down from Knicks fans who made the trek to Philadelphia, despite the fact that the 76ers owners bought 2,500 tickets on the secondary market to try and limit the invasion of New York supporters that irked Embiid during Game 4.
Embiid, last season’s Most Valuable Player whose campaign was disrupted by knee surgery in February, scored 39 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Buddy Hield added 20 points but Tyrese Maxey, who scored 46 in Tuesday’s series-extending victory, was held to 17.
The Knicks, through to the second round for the second straight season, will host the Pacers in Game 1 of their series on Monday.
Unable to close out the depleted Bucks on Tuesday, the Pacers got their uptempo offense flowing again, relentlessly pulling away after trailing by seven in the opening minutes in Indianapolis.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton delivered a double-double of 17 points and 10 assists, but it was reserve guard Obi Toppin leading the Pacers scoring with a career playoff high 21 points.
T.J. McConnell added 20 points off the bench along with nine assists and four steals as the Pacers reserves contributed a whopping 50 points.
“I’m so proud of the perseverance,” Haliburton said of Toppin and McConnell. “Obviously neither of them had a really good game last game — none of us did. We just responded the right way.”
Indiana led by 12 at halftime, and after the Bucks cut the deficit to seven on a Brook Lopez layup with 1:05 left in the third the Pacers authored an 11-0 scoring run and romped away in the final period.
Eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard returned from a two-game injury absence and led the Bucks with 28 points.
Lopez and Bobby Portis scored 20 points apiece, but with two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined by the calf injury suffered late in the regular season the Bucks couldn’t find an answer.
The Bucks, who won the title in 2021, lost in the first round for the second straight season after falling to Miami last year.
The Pacers hadn’t won a playoff series since 2014, when they reached the Eastern Conference finals.
‘Saudi Smash’ in Jeddah set to boost table tennis
- One of the sport’s biggest events takes place at King Abdullah Sports City from May 4-11
JEDDAH: Table tennis in the Kingdom is set for a boost with the debut of the “Saudi Smash” tournament at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City from May 4 to 11.
The event, organized by World Table Tennis, the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Table Tennis Federation, is the latest example of the Kingdom’s mission to promote active lifestyles as part of Vision 2030.
Table tennis has grown in Saudi Arabia over the past three years, fueled by investments and initiatives by the STTF and the ministry.
The number of clubs has surged by 50 percent to 181, with nearly 5,000 players registered.
Several Saudi Arabia athletes will compete including Ali Alkhadrawi, Abdulaziz Bu Shulaybi and Turki Almutairi.
The tournament will have equal prize money for the men’s and women’s champions.
The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 transformation plan aims to ensure 40 percent of the country’s people engage in sports.
There has been a 300 percent increase in sports participation since 2015, accompanied by a surge in females taking part.
