Sports
La Liga round-up: Real Madrid beaten 4-1 by Valencia
- Carlos Soler scores hat-trick of penalties
Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side suffer defeat in the absence of coronavirus-infected Eden Hazard and Casemiro; Real Sociedad beat a nearly unrecognisable Granada side 2-0
Karim Benzema put Madrid ahead with a scorching strike from outside the area only for Valencia to pull level eventually with the first of Soler’s three penalties after a most unusual turn of events.
Soler saw his spot-kick saved by Thibaut Courtois and then hit the post on the rebound, while team-mate Yunus Musah netted the loose ball, only to see the goal ruled out after a VAR review showed him encroaching in the area.
A re-take was ordered and Soler made no mistake at the second attempt.
Valencia took the lead before half-time through a freak own goal from Raphael Varane, who unwittingly sent the ball flying over his head and just over the line, the goal being awarded several minutes later following another VAR review.
Valencia’s teenage forward Lee Kang-in almost struck a third early in the second period but Courtois turned his shot onto the post.
The home side kept up the momentum though and won two further penalties, for a foul by Marcelo on Maxi Gomez then a handball by Sergio Ramos.
Soler converted each time, becoming only the third player in the history of La Liga to score three penalties in a single match.
Five in a row for Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad's players beat virus-depleted Granada
Real Sociedad’s players beat virus-depleted Granada
Earlier, Real Sociedad beat a nearly unrecognisable Granada side 2-0 to return to the top of La Liga.
The visitors’ attempt to get the game postponed due to a spate of coronavirus cases was turned down by authorities, meaning they were forced to make nine changes from last week’s 1-1 draw with Levante and started with five players aged 20 or under.
Granada’s makeshift side made a bright start but Sociedad took the lead midway through the first half through left-back Nacho Monreal, before a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty five minutes later doubled their advantage.
Brazilian forward Willian Jose had a spot-kick saved by Granada’s 18-year-old ‘keeper Angel Jimenez in the second half and Sociedad ended the game with 10 men as defender Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card in the 86th minute.
Granada earned a penalty in added time but Darwin Machis was denied by an excellent save from Alex Remiro and the Basques celebrated a fifth consecutive La Liga victory.
Other La Liga results:
Getafe 1-3 Villarreal
Levante 1-1 Alaves
Valladolid 2-1 Athletic Bilbao
Sports
Lookman brace, Osimhen’s goal give Nigeria 3-0 victory over Benin Rep
Lookman brace, Osimhen’s goal give Nigeria 3-0 victory over Benin Rep
Ademola Lookman scored a brace while Victor Osimhen came off the bench to help Nigeria’s Super Eagles to a comfortable 3-0 victory in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Benin Republic.
Lookman scored in both halves. Osimhen struck in second half of the game.
The victory takes Nigeria to the top of Group D as they prepare for the next tie against Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10.
It serves as a confidence booster for the Nigerian side that struggled against the Cheetahs when they met last in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game. Gernot Rohr’s side came from behind to win the one 2-1.
Sports
Rodrygo scores as Brazil beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier
Rodrygo scores as Brazil beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier
Brazil got back to winning ways in the South American World Cup qualifiers with a drab 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Friday thanks to first-half goal by Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.
After its first streak of losses in three successive qualifiers, Brazil did just enough to earn the win that lifted the struggling five-time World Cup champions to fourth in the standings with 10 points.
They are eight points behind leaders Argentina and only two points over Ecuador in sixth, the last spot guaranteed a berth at the 2026 finals.
Playing their first match after a disappointing Copa America defeat to Uruguay in the quarter-final, Brazil had another lacklustre performance, dominating possession but failing to create clear chances throughout the match.
Brazil misplaced too many passes and struggled to connect up front, out of ideas on how to beat Ecuador’s rock solid defensive block.
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Ecuador were relentless while applying a physically aggressive pressure high with three hardworking forwards, making the locals uncomfortable when putting the ball in play. They Brazil almost no room to get inside their box either, forcing them to roam the ball horizontally around their penalty area and resort to strikes from long range.
Brazil’s only two shots on target on the first half were made by Rodrygo, who, after stinging the goalkeeper’s hands from a free kick early, were lucky to break the deadlock in the 29th minute. His effort fired from the edge of the box deflected off a defender and arched around the wrong-footed goalkeeper before hitting the right post and finding the back of the net.
Ecuador almost levelled in a counterattack right before the break, but defender Gabriel Magalhaes denied Moises Caicedo’s effort with a last-minute goal-line clearance.
Brazil came back even worse in the second half, with an uninspired Vinicius Jr creating their only shot on target in an absolutely morose 45 minutes, with boos greeting the final whistle.
“We needed this win, doesn’t matter if it was ugly or not. I’m happy with the victory and to have scored, and I hope it helps us getting better and progressing to the level that we want to reach moving forward,” Rodrygo told Brazilian TV Globo.
Rodrygo scores as Brazil beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier
Sports
Paralympics: Onyinyechi Mark wins Nigeria’s first gold medal
Paralympics: Onyinyechi Mark wins Nigeria’s first gold medal
Nigeria’s Onyinyechi Mark has made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by breaking the Paralympic record in the women’s 61kg powerlifting category, with a lift of 147kg.
Mark’s performance surpassed the previous record held by fellow Nigerian Lucy Ejike, marking an iconic achievement for Team Nigeria.
With one lift remaining, Onyinyechi Mark has all but guaranteed Nigeria’s first gold medal of the Games.
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Her closest rival is attempting 138kg on her final lift, while Mark aims to extend her record with a final attempt of 147kg, further cementing her dominance in the sport.
Team Nigeria has long been a powerhouse in Paralympic powerlifting and athletics.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the country secured an impressive 10 medals, including four golds.
Athletes such as Lucy Ejike and Bose Omolayo have set global benchmarks, with Ejike herself holding multiple world records and gold medals in powerlifting.
Paralympics: Onyinyechi Mark wins Nigeria’s first gold medal
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