Sports
Real Madrid win 36th La Liga title as Girona beat Barcelona
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Real Madrid win 36th La Liga title as Girona beat Barcelona
Real Madrid won La Liga on Saturday after beating Cadiz 3-0 before Girona defeated last year’s champions Barcelona 4-2 to seal Los Blancos’ triumph.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side did their homework against the Andalucian stragglers to virtually guarantee a record-extending 36th Spanish title, confirmed when Barcelona dropped points at Montilivi.
Girona’s dramatic victory saw the Catalan minnows qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Brahim Diaz netted in the 51st minute to put Madrid ahead and then set up Jude Bellingham for the second, with Joselu tapping home a third to leave Madrid on the cusp of the title.
“We leave our skins out there on the pitch to live moments like today’s, we are so close to the league,” Joselu told Real Madrid TV.
“There are young players who are very hungry for titles, veterans who are delighted to be here… and these are special moments.”
Ancelotti played a heavily rotated side ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
The coach selected only captain Nacho Fernandez from the starting line-up that earned a 2-2 draw in Bavaria this week.
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois started for the first time after a nine-month lay off after a knee injury and kept a clean sheet.
Madrid midfielder Luka Modric became the oldest player to appear for the club in La Liga, at 38 years and 238 days, breaking late Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas’ record from 1965 by five days.
Madrid striker Joselu came close to reaching a dangerous cross and Chris Ramos fired off target for the visitors in an otherwise slow start at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Ruben Sobrino barged his way past Eder Militao on the counter-attack after half an hour but Nacho slid in well to thwart him as he prepared to shoot.
The visitors, 18th and still battling to stay up, shaded the first half, although Dani Ceballos had a shot blocked after Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma went walkabout at a corner.
– ‘Waiting for this day’ –
Courtois made a superb save to deny Ramos early in the second half and his team took the lead immediately afterwards.
The Cadiz striker shook free of Nacho and ran in on goal but Courtois produced a superb save.
Moments later Diaz sent Madrid ahead, receiving from the evergreen Modric on the edge of the area, turning slickly and curling an effort into the top corner.
“Thibaut is the best in the world, he’s had a terrible season and we were waiting for this day to come,” added Joselu.
Bellingham, on as a substitute for Turkish teenager Arda Guler, added the second soon after entering the fray.
It was the England international’s 18th league goal of the season, keeping him in contention to finish as the top scorer.
Madrid put the cherry on their cake after a superb run by Nacho.
Poised to depart at the end of the season, the Spaniard was hailed by the Bernabeu after setting up Joselu for a simple finish in stoppage time.
Los Blancos could celebrate after Girona came from behind twice to defeat Barcelona for the second time this season in a thrilling derby.
Barcelona took the lead through Andreas Christensen but La Liga’s top scorer Artem Dovbyk levelled with his 20th goal of the campaign.
Robert Lewandowski’s penalty sent Barcelona ahead but substitute Portu made a huge impact in the second half for Girona.
The winger netted the equaliser and then set up Miguel Gutierrez to put Girona ahead.
Portu sensationally volleyed home the fourth to ignite Girona’s tiny Montilivi stadium and get the party started.
Real Madrid win 36th La Liga title as Girona beat Barcelona
Sports
Lookman brace, Osimhen’s goal give Nigeria 3-0 victory over Benin Rep
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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
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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
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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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