Sports
Barcelona thrash Real Madrid 5-2 in Spanish Super Cup
Barcelona thrash Real Madrid 5-2 in Spanish Super Cup
Barcelona came from an early goal down to beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, scoring four goals in a dominant first half and surviving having their goalkeeper sent off to clinch a record-extending 15th trophy.
Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde were all on target before halftime, after French forward Kylian Mbappe put Real in front in the fifth minute. Raphinha grabbed another in the second half while Rodrygo scored for Real.
Barcelona put in a clinical display to lift their first trophy in more than a year, having no silverware to show for last season.
“A goal for big clubs is always to win titles, that’s why we work hard. But now we have to show it in the next games,” Hansi Flick told a press conference after winning his first trophy as Barca coach.
“Real made many mistakes, and we knew how to take advantage of them to control the match.”
Barca prevented Real from winning their third title of the campaign, after they won the European Super Cup against Atalanta and beat Mexico’s Pachuca to the Intercontinental Cup last month.
“In the first half we didn’t play football, we hit long balls and that wasn’t the idea,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
“I told the players that they can lose games, but not in the way we played in the first half.”
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Mbappe earned an early advantage for the Spanish champions, finishing a solo run from around the halfway line with a shot inside the far post.
But what looked like a dream start quickly turned into a nightmare for Ancelotti’s men when Yamal levelled for Barca in the 22nd minute. Striker Lewandowski gave them the lead 14 minutes later from a penalty awarded for Eduardo Camavinga’s foul on Gavi.
Raphinha increased the advantage with a stunning header from a brilliant long cross by Jules Kounde in the 39th minute, and left back Balde added a fourth for Barca deep into stoppage time after nine minutes were added to the first half.
Yamal released Raphinha with a precise pass following Real’s miserable corner kick, before the Brazil forward left the ball to Balde who scored with a simple finish to restore Barcelona’s healthy lead.
Real started the second half with Rodrygo hitting the bar, sparking hopes of the hectic clash taking another turn.
But Raphinha quelled any sniff of a comeback when he made it 5-1 three minutes after the break, having slalomed past the Real defence.
Barca were left with 10 men when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off for fouling Mbappe in the 56th minute and Rodrygo beat substitute keeper Inaki Pena from the resulting free kick.
But Real, who hold a five-point advantage over Barca in LaLiga after 19 games, had no shots on goal after the penalty until Mbappe’s effort was denied by Pena in stoppage time.
Barcelona also lost defender Inigo Martinez before the half-hour mark through injury, with Ronald Araujo stepping in.
Barcelona and Real met in the competition’s final for third consecutive time, with Ancelotti’s side prevailing last year while Barca lifted the trophy in 2023.
Barcelona booked their spot in the final by winning 2-0 against current Spanish Cup holders Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals before Real beat last year’s Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca 3-0.
Barcelona thrash Real Madrid 5-2 in Spanish Super Cup
Sports
Man United, Bournemouth Share Eight-Goal Premier League Thriller in Old Trafford Classic
Man United, Bournemouth Share Eight-Goal Premier League Thriller in Old Trafford Classic
Manchester United and Bournemouth served up one of the most dramatic games of the Premier League season as both sides surrendered leads and mounted comebacks before settling for a pulsating 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.
United went into the break with a 2-1 lead, but their advantage vanished within seven minutes of the restart as Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier struck to swing the contest in Bournemouth’s favour. The momentum shifted again when Bruno Fernandes curled home a superb free-kick, quickly followed by Matheus Cunha’s finish, turning the match on its head for a second time.
Just when United appeared set to claim victory, 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi smashed in a late equaliser six minutes from time to earn Bournemouth a deserved point in a breathless encounter.
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Amid the chaos, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim was rewarded for tactical adjustments, pushing Amad Diallo into a more advanced role. The move paid off early, with the Ivorian heading home from close range after 13 minutes following a blistering United start that saw them register six shots in the opening 10 minutes—their fastest in a league game since October 2022.
The match lived up to its billing, with both teams combining for 38 shots in a relentless end-to-end contest. Casemiro received a yellow card that rules him out of Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa, while late stoppage-time efforts from David Brooks forced sharp reaction saves from Senne Lammens to deny Bournemouth a famous win.
The draw proved costly for Manchester United, who slipped out of the Premier League top five, while 13th-placed Bournemouth extended their winless run to seven matches, despite an impressive attacking display in one of the season’s standout fixtures.
Man United, Bournemouth Share Eight-Goal Premier League Thriller in Old Trafford Classic
Sports
Nigeria, Egypt Renew AFCON Rivalry in Cairo Friendly Ahead of Morocco 2025 Showpiece
Nigeria, Egypt Renew AFCON Rivalry in Cairo Friendly Ahead of Morocco 2025 Showpiece
Three-time champions Nigeria and seven-time title holders Egypt will reignite their historic Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) rivalry tonight as both teams clash in a high-profile international friendly match at the Cairo Stadium, serving as final preparations for the 35th AFCON finals in Morocco kicking off on Sunday.
The encounter offers both coaches the chance to assess squad depth and blood new faces ahead of the continental showpiece. Super Eagles coach Eric Sékou Chelle is expected to test several newcomers, including goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defender Ryan Alebiosu, midfielders Usman Muhammed, Tochukwu Nnadi and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, as well as forwards Paul Onuachu and Salim Fago Lawal.
On the opposite bench, Pharaohs coach Hossam Hassan, an AFCON legend who scored seven goals in Egypt’s victorious 1998 AFCON campaign in Burkina Faso, is likely to shape his strategy around Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who remains in pursuit of his first AFCON title despite a glittering club career.
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Egypt’s squad also features Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Emam Ashour, and Mahmoud Trezeguet, alongside CAF Champions League winners Pyramids FC duo Mohamed Hamdy and Mostafa Fathi, UAE-based Ibrahim Adel, and FC Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed.
For Nigeria, Chelle is expected to rely on established stars such as goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey and Zaidu Sanusi, midfield enforcers Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi, and an attacking trio of Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
The highly anticipated Nigeria vs Egypt friendly will kick off at 8pm Egypt time (7pm Nigeria time), providing fans with a tantalising preview of what to expect when Africa’s giants collide at AFCON Morocco 2025.
Nigeria, Egypt Renew AFCON Rivalry in Cairo Friendly Ahead of Morocco 2025 Showpiece
Sports
Premier League: Arsenal Beat Wolves 2-1 in Thrilling Stoppage-Time Finish
Premier League: Arsenal Beat Wolves 2-1 in Thrilling Stoppage-Time Finish
Yerson Mosquera’s stoppage-time own goal handed Premier League leaders Arsenal a dramatic 2-1 victory over bottom-of-the-table Wolves at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners struggled to break down a resilient five-man Wolves defence, taking until the 70th minute to open the scoring. Bukayo Saka curled in a corner that goalkeeper Sam Johnstone pushed onto the post, with the ball rebounding off the keeper’s back to put Arsenal ahead.
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Wolves responded late, sending multiple crosses into the box before Mateus Mane found Tolu Arokodare, who headed home in the 90th minute to level the score and send fans into panic.
However, Saka delivered the decisive moment, cutting in from the right and curling a cross towards substitute Gabriel Jesus, only for Mosquera to inadvertently head the ball past his own keeper in stoppage time, giving Arsenal the victory and sending the home crowd into jubilation.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described the game as a “rollercoaster,” praising his side’s resilience while acknowledging areas for improvement. The victory came despite the early withdrawal of Ben White with a hamstring injury.
The thrilling win extends Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points over Manchester City, as they prepare for a challenging trip to Everton next week.
Premier League: Arsenal Beat Wolves 2-1 in Thrilling Stoppage-Time Finish
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