Sports
Benfica sink Barcelona 3-0 to bottom of Group E, Bayern win 5-0
Barcelona have suffered a second defeat in two games and from now on can’t afford any more slip-ups if they are to progress from Champions League Group E. Ronald Koeman’s former club, Benfica, took an early lead and although the Catalans had a host of opportunities to get back into the game, the Portuguese side were eventually able to build on that lead in the second half.
The result leaves Barça bottom of the group for the time being, but there’s a lot more football to be played, beginning with back-to-back games with Dynamo Kyiv on October 20 and November 2.
Buoyed by an infectious atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light, the home side flew at Barça and Darwin Nuñez fired them into the lead after just two minutes. A finely crafted and finished goal by the Uruguayan, but anything but the start that Barça needed.
The blaugrana response was immediate. For all the remainder of the first half the big plays were all in the direction of the Portuguese goal and it is difficult to fathom how not one of them ended with the ball in the back of the net.
Frenkie de Jong, on the night of his 100th appearance for the club, set up his compatriot and namesake Luuk twice to no avail. Frenkie had a couple of pops of his own and there were fine chances for Pedri and Memphis too, but Barça were still trailing at the break.
That wasn’t for lack of chances, but none of them had hit the target, and sadly that statistic wasn’t going to change after the break.
Other than the goal, Benfica may have battled hard and well to keep the Catalans at bay, but they’d created very little threat of their own. They found new verve in the second half and the closest of a number of chances in quick succession came when Nuñez caught Ter Stegen well off his line and ended up hitting the post.
That had been a let-off, but on 68 minutes Benfica did stretch their lead. Barça had lacking their tight shape of the first half and an unmarked Rafa Silva was able to convert the rebound after a previous effort had been cleared.
And there was further woe ten minutes later when Sergiño Dest handled in the area and Darwin Nuñez poked the penalty home. Benfica had only scored once in their last six meetings with Barça, but tonight they had three.
Meanwhile, for Barça it was the first time they had lost their first two games of a European campaign since losing twice to FC Porto in 1972.
To rub salt into the wounds, Barça played the final minutes with ten men after Eric Garcia was red-carded, but by that stage the game was already looking like a lost cause.
Bayern win
In the other game in Group E, Bayern Munich thrashed Dynamo 5-0, with Lewandowski scoring twice in the first half, and Gnarby, Sane and Choupo-Moting adding three more in the second. The result leaves the Germans flying high with six points, Benfica have four, Dynamo one and Barça none.
Sports
Inter Milan crush Cagliari 3-0 to top Serie A
Inter Milan crush Cagliari 3-0 to top Serie A
Inter Milan made it three Serie A wins on the bounce, defeating Cagliari 3-0 at the Unipol Domus to claim top spot, overtaking Atalanta BC on goal difference.
Cagliari aimed to recover from their narrow loss to Venezia, but Inter’s arrival posed a daunting challenge, with the Scudetto contenders boasting an 11-match unbeaten league streak coming into the contest.
To their credit, the Isolani held firm early on, even as Lautaro Martínez squandered a golden chance from the edge of the six-yard box, misdirecting Nicolò Barella’s pinpoint cross with a header that grazed the top of the bar.
Despite Davide Nicola’s men testing the visitors’ resolve with swift counters at the other end, and Barella’s thunderous strike forcing a spectacular save from Simone Scuffet, neither side managed to break the deadlock before the interval.
As a result, Cagliari narrowly avoided trailing at half-time for a league-high 10th time, while Inter preserved their status as Serie A’s only team yet to be behind at the break this campaign.
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Inter Milan wasted little time after the restart, shattering Cagliari’s resistance when Alessandro Bastoni guided Barella’s cross into the far corner with a looping header beyond Scuffet’s reach.
Nicola introduced a pair of fresh legs around the hour mark, but it proved rather futile as Martínez found the net against his favourite Serie A opponents for the 10th time, effortlessly guiding Barella’s precise delivery from the right flank into the back of the net.
Mateusz Wieteska then handled the ball inside the area, allowing Hakan Çalhanoğlu to bury the ensuing penalty with aplomb into the left corner.
From there, Simone Inzaghi and his men coasted to full-time, wrapping up 2024 on a high note by claiming their 27th win this calendar year. The reigning champions are now unbeaten in 12 consecutive top-flight outings, having last fallen to rivals AC Milan back in September.
In stark contrast, Cagliari linger in the drop zone after suffering their 10th loss this campaign, with five of those now coming in succession – marking their worst losing streak since February.
Inter Milan crush Cagliari 3-0 to top Serie A
Sports
After six years, Nigeria qualify for CHAN, thrash Ghana 3-1
After six years, Nigeria qualify for CHAN, thrash Ghana 3-1
Nigeria’s Super Eagles B on Saturday night recorded an emphatic win over the Black Galaxies in the CHAN qualifier, beating their opponents 3-1.
The Super Eagles B have thus ended their CHAN misfortunes against Ghana, securing a resounding victory against the Black Galaxies in the match played at the Uyo Stadium, Akwa Ibom State.
This win marks Nigeria’s return to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a six-year absence, as they qualified for the tournament set to take place in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from February 1-28, 2025.
The match, held on Saturday evening, witnessed a dominant performance by the Super Eagles B, who scored all three goals in a blistering first half display, with Remo Stars players the inspiration.
The opening goal came from Ismail Sodiq, assisted by Nduka Junior of Remo Stars, followed by a second from Nduka before Saviour of Rangers extended the lead at the break.
Despite Ghana pulling one back in the second half, Nigeria’s early lead proved insurmountable and too much for the Galaxies to overturn.
Historically, Ghana had been a formidable opponent for Nigeria in CHAN qualifiers, having thwarted their attempts to reach the finals in 2009 and 2023. Additionally, Ghana’s Black Stars denied Nigeria qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, further intensifying their rivalry.
But this time around, Nigeria sealed the victory and ensured that Ghana would miss both the upcoming AFCON and CHAN tournaments.
The victory not only ends a frustrating streak against Ghana but also provides a platform for showcasing local talent on an international stage.
Sports
Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich
Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich
LONDON: Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League with a 1-0 home win against Ipswich on Friday.
Mikel Arteta’s side is six points behind leader Liverpool, which has a game in hand.
Second-bottom Ipswich had won two of its last three away games but was up against it from the start at the Emirates.
The visitors did not have one touch in the Gunners’ box during the first 45 minutes and, although Ipswich showed signs of life after the break, it was Arsenal which continued to dominate the game, marshaled by Declan Rice in midfield.
Kai Havertz got the only goal midway through the first half when he knocked in a cross from Leandro Trossard.
Havertz, Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus all had chances but none of them could add to Arsenal’s tally.
“It’s so tough, every team is tough to break down,” Havertz said. “They fight for each other and at the end we’re very proud for the win.”
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Arsenal is a point above third-place Chelsea and two points clear of season surprise team Nottingham Forest in fourth.
Seagulls and Bees share the points on south coast
Brighton had most of the chances but could not find the net in a 0-0 draw with Brentford that extended the south coast club’s winless run to six league games.
It was a frustrating night for the home side and especially Julio Enciso. The Paraguay striker had a host of opportunities to score but couldn’t make them count.
Along with Southampton, Brentford has the worst away record in the league with seven losses and two draws and it was easy to see why in this toothless performance.
Brentford had an early goal from Yoane Wissa ruled out for offside and, although it came a bit more into the game in the second half, it failed to pressure Icelandic goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his Premier League debut eight minutes before halftime when Mark Flekken went off with a thigh injury.
One bright spot for the home side was the return of winger Solly March. He came on as a late substitute to make his first appearance for Brighton since injuring a knee against Manchester City 14 months ago.
The result leaves Brighton in 10th place with 26 points, one spot and two points ahead of the Bees.
Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich
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