DUBAI: Villarreal know their chances of advancing past Bayern Munich in the Champions League will depend largely on whether they can successfully contain Robert Lewandowski.
And hopes are high considering the team’s recent success against another top striker. The Spanish club are coming off a round-of-16 triumph over Juventus, when their defense got the best of Dusan Vlahovic.
Villarreal defender Pau Torres said the squad has enough experience facing some of the world’s top forward and will be ready for the task at hand beginning in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
“These are the challenges we enjoy,” Torres told Marca TV. “Each striker has his style and we will make sure we know how to make things difficult for Lewandowski. He is a very complete striker. Sometimes it seems like he’s not doing much, but in the end he’s always a threat.”
Torres faced Lewandowski with Spain in last year’s European Championship, a 1-1 draw in the group stage when Lewandowski scored a second-half equalizer.
Vlahovic also scored against Villarreal in the first leg of the round of 16, getting on the board in the first minute at La Cerámica Stadium, but neither the Serbian striker nor teammate Álvaro Morata could find the net in the second leg in Italy — a surprising 3-0 win by the modest Spanish club.
Villarreal also faced Cristiano Ronaldo twice in the group stage, with the forward scoring a goal in each of Manchester United’s victories.
Lewandowski is the Champions League’s leading scorer with 12 goals from eight matches. He has more than 50 goals this season for his club and his country and is ranked third in the all-time list of Champions League scorers, behind Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He has scored seven goals in his last five games in all competitions.
“He has very good numbers and any team would like to have these types of players,” said Torres, who scored one of the goals in Villarreal’s win at Juventus in the second leg. “We will have to do a good job to contain him and keep him from scoring against us.”
Villarreal midfielder Manu Trigueros said coach Unai Emery — who is in the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time — will have the team prepared to face the powerful Bayern squad.
“He pays attention to detail. He dissects everything so players have everything as easy as possible or as many solutions as they need before a match,” Trigueros said. “We have many discussions with him and he’s very talkative, and he gets through to the players. Everyone around him spends hours watching videos so the players have everything they need.”
Villarreal are coming off its second consecutive Spanish league defeat — a 2-0 loss at second-to-last-place Levante, when Emery didn’t rest many of his regular starters.
Villarreal, the defending Europa League winner, are back in the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. Their best campaign was a semifinal appearance in 2006, when they lost to Arsenal.
“Villarreal has a coach with a lot of experience at winning on the international stage,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “The team are very experienced and we will need to figure out how to break them down.”
Bayern made it to the last eight 10 times in the last 11 seasons. The team are playing in the quarterfinals for a record 20th time.
The second leg is next week in Munich.
The winner of the series will play either Benfica or Liverpool in the semifinals.
Villarreal take on Bayern focused on stopping Lewandowski
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Villarreal take on Bayern focused on stopping Lewandowski
- Villarreal are coming off a round-of-16 triumph over Juventus
- Lewandowski is the Champions League’s leading scorer with 12 goals from eight matches
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.
Galeno returns to Al-Ahli squad ahead of season finale
- Key player available for selection in Monday’s crucial clash against Al-Riyad
- Forward had been out of action since injury in Elite AFC Champions League final
Brazilian winger Wanderson Galeno has rejoined Al-Ahli’s first team after a three-week absence due to injury, the club confirmed on Saturday.
Al-Ahli announced via its official X platform account that Galeno has returned to full training, making him available for selection in Monday’s crucial clash against Al-Riyadh — the 34th and final round of the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League).
Galeno had been out since sustaining a thigh muscle injury during the Elite AFC Champions League final against Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale on May 3. He scored in that match, helping Al-Ahli to secure a 2–0 victory and lift the continental title.
Since his arrival from Brazil in January, Galeno has made a strong impact with 18 appearances, netting seven goals and providing five assists for the Jeddah-based side.
Real Madrid ‘legend’ Alonso returns as new coach
MADRID: Real Madrid appointed Xabi Alonso to replace Carlo Ancelotti as coach on Sunday, with the Spaniard to take over from June 1 and lead the team at the Club World Cup.
“Xabi Alonso will be the Real Madrid coach for the next three seasons, from June 1, 2025 until June 30, 2028,” said Real Madrid in a statement.
With veteran Italian coach Ancelotti taking the reins of the Brazilian national team, Madrid secured a deal with former midfielder Alonso, whom they have been linked with for months.
Alonso, 43, leaves German side Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the Bundesliga season after finishing second.
“Alonso is one of the biggest legends at Real Madrid and in world football,” continued Los Blancos’ statement.
“He wore our shirt in 236 games between 2009 and 2014. During that time he won six trophies.”
Alonso will be officially presented on Monday at 1030 GMT.
The Spaniard coached Leverkusen to a league and German Cup double in the 2023-2024 campaign, with his team unbeaten in the top flight, making him a target for Europe’s top clubs.
Basque coach Alonso had an agreement with Leverkusen to allow him to depart if one of his former sides, including Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, wanted to hire him.
Ancelotti’s Madrid endured a disappointing campaign, winning the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup but suffering Champions League quarter-final elimination by Arsenal.
Barcelona beat Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey finals and then reclaimed the Liga throne from their arch-rivals, meaning they failed to win a major trophy.
Alonso will replace one of the most successful managers in Madrid’s history, despite their struggles this season.
Ancelotti, 65, took Los Blancos to 15 trophies during two spells at the club, spanning six years.
The Italian won three Champions League trophies at the club, including La Decima — Madrid’s 10th — in 2014, with Alonso as part of his squad, although he was suspended for the final.
Alonso was also coached by Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Vicente del Bosque among others and is considered tactically adroit and an excellent organizer, which could be ideal for a Madrid side that has lacked balance.
The midfielder won two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup with Spain as he helped La Roja dominate the international game.
After retiring from playing in 2017 he coached Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at youth level before being appointed by Bayer Leverkusen in 2022.
Real Madrid have already signed defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth this summer and Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to follow, with his contract coming to an end at Anfield.
Madrid are trying to bring in the England international before the Club World Cup this summer, which will be Alonso’s first chance to win silverware.
Real Madrid face Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in Miami on June 18 in their opening match at FIFA’s lucrative summer tournament, which will be the first look at Alonso’s side.
