Barcelona have confirmed that key defender Jules Koundé sustained a distal hamstring injury during the dramatic 3-3 draw against Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night. The setback is expected to rule him out of the decisive second leg at San Siro next Tuesday. Koundé was forced off in the 42nd minute of the match at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and was replaced by Eric Garcia. The club later released an official statement: “Tests carried out on first team player Jules Koundé this morning have shown he has a distal hamstring injury…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Lucy Bronze’s goal in Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Wednesday sealed the Women’s Super League (WSL) title for the Blues, following Arsenal’s dramatic 5-2 loss to Aston Villa on the same night. Sonia Bompastor’s first season at the helm of Chelsea has been near flawless. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Emma Hayes’ departure after 12 years, Bompastor has steered the team to an impressive domestic campaign, with the Blues having only dropped points once in the league since December. Chelsea have maintained a perfect record against their rivals, and unlike their competitors, they have avoided managerial upheavals. Both Arsenal…
1. Barcelona Battle Back Twice in Six-Goal ThrillerBarcelona showed grit and resilience to claw back from behind twice in a pulsating 3-3 draw against Inter in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. Despite going two goals down early on thanks to Marcus Thuram and a spectacular volley from Denzel Dumfries, Barça responded with stunning strikes from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres before the break. Dumfries netted again in the second half, but Yann Sommer’s own goal brought the hosts level once more, setting up a tantalizing second leg in Milan. 2. Lamine Yamal Shines on Historic NightMaking his…
Manchester United head coach Rúben Amorim has explained his decision to leave Luke Shaw out of the starting lineup for tonight’s Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, citing the need to carefully manage the defender’s minutes following his long injury layoff. Shaw, along with Kobbie Mainoo, has been rotated to the bench after making his first club start in over a year during Sunday’s draw with Bournemouth. Victor Lindelöf replaces Shaw in the back three, lining up alongside Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro, with wing-backs Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu providing width. Speaking to MUTV, Amorim said: “We had to…
LeBron James has acknowledged he’s unsure about what lies ahead in his NBA career following the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round playoff elimination. The 40-year-old made the comments after the Lakers fell 103-96 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending his 22nd season in the league. James contributed 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the loss but offered little clarity about his plans. “I don’t have the answer to that,” he said when asked how much longer he plans to play. “It’s something I’ll sit down and talk about with my wife and my support group — just have conversations with…
Just 30 seconds into Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final, Marcus Thuram made his mark, scoring the fastest-ever goal in a semi-final tie to give Inter the lead over Barcelona. The French forward flicked Denzel Dumfries’ low cross past a helpless Wojciech Szczesny, leaving Barcelona’s defense in shock. Thuram’s goal, which came within the opening minute, set a new record for the fastest goal ever scored in a Champions League semi-final. Heading into the first leg, Thuram’s fitness had been in doubt. Inter had struggled in his absence, suffering three consecutive goalless defeats that severely hampered their treble hopes, including a loss…
Manchester United head coach Rúben Amorim has admitted that winning the Europa League and securing Champions League qualification would bring clear advantages, but cautioned that the club’s fundamental problems would remain unresolved. Since Amorim took charge in November with United sitting 12th in the Premier League, results have worsened, with the team now 14th and eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Despite the poor domestic form, United remain in the hunt for European silverware, set to face Athletic Club in the Europa League semi-finals, with Bodo/Glimt or Tottenham Hotspur awaiting in a potential final. Amorim, however, remains…
Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his gratitude to Al Nassr’s supporters and emphasized his pride in the team despite their 3-2 defeat to Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League semi-finals. The loss, which took place on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, ended the club’s hopes in the tournament, and despite Ronaldo’s eight attempts on goal, he was unable to find the back of the net, missing a close-range opportunity in stoppage time. Following the match, Ronaldo appeared visibly frustrated, reflecting on the tough defeat as he walked off the pitch. On social media, he shared an emotional message: “Sometimes the dream has…
Chelsea has revealed a new sponsorship partnership with DAMAC Properties, which will see the luxury real estate brand’s logo appear on the front of the Blues’ shirts for the remainder of the 2024/25 season. After their agreement with Infinite Athlete ended last summer, Chelsea has played the entire campaign without a front-of-shirt sponsor, forgoing a key income source in hopes of securing a more lucrative deal. Central to their plans has been qualification for the Champions League, which would guarantee a more substantial sponsorship agreement. Currently sitting in fifth place in the Premier League, Chelsea are on track for a…
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique stated that Arsenal have “nothing to lose” ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg next week, following PSG’s 1-0 victory at the Emirates on Tuesday night. Ousmane Dembélé’s first-half goal secured the win for the Ligue 1 champions, who had already triumphed over Manchester City in the group stage and progressed through the knockout rounds by eliminating Liverpool on penalties and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals. Enrique reflected on the match, saying: “There was an incredible atmosphere in the stadium—it was deafening—but we got off to a great start, and the early goal gave…