Sports
UEFA/Europa Q/Final draw results: Salah, Ramos resume hostilities in Liverpool vs Madrid as England overtake Spain
The UEFA Champions League quarterfinal and semi-final draws took place on Friday with some huge ties being served up by Hamit Altintop in Nyon, Switzerland.
The pick of the quarterfinals is arguably the rematch between last season’s finalists Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but competition is fierce with Manchester City up against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid paired with Liverpool.
Chelsea will probably feel happy with their draw against FC Porto, but there are no easy ties at this point with a number of strong sides having already fallen by the wayside.
All eyes will be on Erling Haaland as he returns to England and the club where his father Alf-Inge played for three years while PSG go up against Hansi Flick’s champions with a new head coach in Mauricio Pochettino.
Real and Liverpool is a meeting of two historical giants who have not had it easy this season while Thomas Tuchel will be plotting a return to the final with Chelsea after leading PSG there last summer.
In the semi-finals, Bayern or PSG will meet the winner of City against Dortmund and Real or Liverpool will come up against Porto or Chelsea to decided the finalists with Bayern, PSG, City or Dortmund destined to be the home team in the ultimate Istanbul final.
Champions League quarterfinal draw
Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund (April 6 and April 14)
FC Porto vs. Chelsea (April 7 and April 13)
Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain (April 7 and April 13)
Real Madrid vs. Liverpool (April 6 and April 14)
Champions League semifinal draw
Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain vs. Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid or Liverpool vs. FC Porto or Chelsea
Europa League
The drama was not limited to the Champions League either, with the Europa League quarterfinals delivering some big names too — AFC Ajax against AS Roma arguably the pick of the ties there.
Underdogs Granada got Manchester United at home for the first leg while Slavia Prague drew Arsenal away and Dinamo Zagreb’s reward for dumping out Tottenham Hotspur was Europa League specialist Unai Emery’s Villarreal.
The winner of Granada against United could face Ajax or Roma while Dinamo or Villarreal will come up against Arsenal or Slavia on the side of the draw that will ultimately produce the home team for the final.
Europa League quarterfinal draw
Granada CF vs. Manchester United (April 8 and April 15)
Arsenal vs. Slavia Prague (April 8 and April 15)
AFC Ajax vs. AS Roma (April 8 and April 15)
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Villarreal CF (April 8 and April 15)
Europa League semifinal draw
Granada CF or Manchester United vs. AFC Ajax or AS Roma
Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal CF vs. Arsenal or Slavia Prague
-CBS Sports
Will Salah avenge Ramos hard tackle
Everyone remembers the final of the 2017/18 Champions League final, where Loris Karius’ goalkeeping errors handed a third successive continental success to Real Madrid.
However, there was a degree of controversy in the first-half, with a physical tussle between Sergio Ramos and Mohamed Salah ending in the Egyptian suffering a shoulder injury which forced him out of the final, and put his 2018 World Cup preparations in difficulty.
Liverpool supporters have since held a grudge against the Los Blancos captain, and many feel it is an interesting subplot for the two teams to be drawn against each other again.
England overtake Spain
The disappointing showing from Spain’s European representatives this campaign, with Real Madrid the only remaining competitor in the Champions League and Granada in the Europa League, has seen England overtake them in UEFA’s coefficient ranking.
England’s rise to the top of the pile is down to their strong representation in the latter stages of European competition, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City still in the Champions League. And in the Europa League, Arsenal and Manchester United are still involved.
-Marca
Sports
Tyson Fury arrives S’Arabia for Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight title fight (photos/video)
Tyson Fury arrives S’Arabia for Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight title fight (photos/video)
WBC Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury has landed in Saudi Arabia ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury takes on bitter rival Usyk in a heavyweight division unifier on May 18 in the Middle East.
He touched down in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 4, with a massive entourage featuring his family, friends and trainer SugarHill Steward.Fury and Co looked thrilled as they posed for photos in Riyadh.
The group were presented with incredible bouquets of flowers and given hot drinks after a seven-hour flight from the UK.
Neither fighter has tasted defeat in their respective careers meaning fans would have a good time in what is going to be the fight of the century.
Fury has had three months to recover after pulling out of the original February 17 fight with an eye injury.
Sports
Haaland four goals propel Man City to 5-1 victory against Wolves
Haaland four goals propel Man City to 5-1 victory against Wolves
Erling Haaland showcased his goal-scoring prowess by netting four times as Manchester City secured a dominant 5-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, keeping their hopes alive for a fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Responding to Arsenal’s earlier victory over Bournemouth, Pep Guardiola’s side delivered a commanding performance, closing the gap to just one point behind the league leaders with a game in hand.
Haaland’s goal-scoring exhibition began in the 12th minute when he calmly converted a penalty after a late challenge in the box. He then doubled City’s lead in the 35th minute with a towering header from Rodri’s cross.
Speaking after the match, Haaland expressed his delight, acknowledging his father’s legacy at the club and celebrating his remarkable tally of 25 goals for the season.
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The Norwegian striker added two more goals from the penalty spot, completing his first-ever four-goal haul and extinguishing any hopes of a Wolves comeback.
Guardiola praised Haaland’s performance, highlighting his journey back to form after a foot injury earlier in the season. Substitute Julian Alvarez sealed City’s victory with a late goal.
Despite a consolation goal from Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan, the visitors struggled to match City’s clinical finishing and made too many errors, according to manager Gary O’Neil.
With the title race heating up, City now sits just one point behind Arsenal, with three games left to play. Guardiola remains focused on securing the necessary points to clinch the title, while Arsenal looks ahead to challenging fixtures against Manchester United and Everton in their final two games.
Haaland four goals propel Man City to 5-1 victory against Wolves
Sports
Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Al Nassr to 6-0 victory over Al Wehda
Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Al Nassr to 6-0 victory over Al Wehda
In a stunning display of dominance, Al Nassr secured a resounding 6-0 victory against Al Wehda in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 clash on Wednesday at the Al-Awwal Stadium in Riyadh, with Cristiano Ronaldo stealing the spotlight by scoring a hat-trick.
The match started with Ronaldo narrowly missing an opportunity to open the scoring in the second minute, but he quickly made amends by capitalizing on a defensive error from the Al Wehda goalkeeper to give his team the lead.
Just seven minutes later, Ronaldo showcased his aerial prowess by nodding in a delightful cross from Brozovic, notching his 40th club goal of the season and doubling Al Nassr’s advantage.
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Although Al Wehda thought they had pulled one back through Odion Ighalo, the goal was disallowed for offside, maintaining Al Nassr’s lead. Otavio extended the lead further with a composed finish, courtesy of a precise through ball from Mane.
Mane himself got on the scoresheet just before halftime, courtesy of a clever assist from Otavio, rounding off a sensational first-half performance for Al Nassr.
The second half saw no respite for Al Wehda as Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish after being set up by Mane. Al Nassr’s dominance was further highlighted by substitute Al Fatil, who sealed the victory with a late goal, hammering the ball into an empty net.
With this emphatic win, Al Nassr maintains its position as the second-placed team in the league table, trailing leader Al Hilal by nine points. Meanwhile, Al Wehda finds themselves in 12th place, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Al Nassr to 6-0 victory over Al Wehda
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