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Man Utd in 9-0 mauling of Southampton

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Manchester United equalled the Premier League record by putting nine goals past nine-man Southampton – the second time Saints have lost 9-0 in many seasons.

A red card for Saints’ Alexandre Jankewitz after only two minutes triggered a complete collapse for the visitors, who were on the end of the same scoreline against Leicester City in October 2019.

It is only the third time a team has lost 9-0 in the Premier League, with United also beating Ipswich Town by that margin in 1995.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka opened the scoring with his first goal at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani also found the net either side of a Jan Bednarek own goal before the break.

After a fairly drab start to the second half, United cut loose, scoring five times in the final 21 minutes.

Anthony Martial ended an eight-match goal drought before Scott McTominay drove home from the edge of the area.

Then, after Bednarek became the second Saints player to be sent off – bringing down Martial to allow Bruno Fernandes the chance to score from the penalty spot on 87 minutes – the French forward netted his second, before Dan James wrapped up the scoring in stoppage time.

It was a stunning ending as United almost matched their club record 10-0 victory over Anderlecht in 1956.

By the final whistle, it had been forgotten that United had come into Tuesday’s game on the back of indifferent form – just one win in their last four matches.

The massive impact on their goal difference means it is now bettered only by league leaders Manchester City.

Martial should be particularly pleased with his contribution, even though it did not match manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s four-goal salvo as a United substitute in an 8-1 win at Nottingham Forest in 1999.

At one point, it looked as though that seven-goal margin of victory was the one United would emulate. But Martial’s 90th-minute second – the first time he has scored two in a game all season – took the home side beyond that, and James completed the rout in the third minute of injury time.

Rashford and McTominay both produced noteworthy strikes for a United side that also had a penalty award overturned just before half-time.

Making a full Premier League debut should be a cause for celebration in any young player’s career. For Jankewitz, it was a catastrophic experience.

His second-minute foul on McTominay was committed right in front of Saints boss Ralph Hassenhuttl, who did not require the replays which made the challenge look worse with every viewing.

Hassenhuttl could only throw his arms up in the air in disbelief, knowing referee Mike Dean had no alternative other than to show the 19-year-old Swiss midfielder a straight red card.

The incident came less than a week after Jankewitz’s agent had started murmurings about a transfer and this sorry episode is unlikely to convince anyone the player has a future at St Mary’s.

After that, it was just a question of how long the visitors could survive, which turned out to be not very long, as Wan-Bissaka turned in Luke Shaw’s cross at the far post from a position Jankewitz should have been defending.

With Bednarek among the scorers after turning Rashford’s cross into his own net for the third, and one of those marginal video assistant referee offside decisions that took away the goal Che Adams thought he had scored at the start of the second half, it really was one of those nights best erased from the memory completely.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the misery.

While Hassenhuttl can rightly point to Jankewitz’s dismissal as the key moment, there can be no excusing the way the team – though badly affected by injuries – had so totally collapsed by the end.

Manchester United manager Solskjaer speaking to BBC Sport: “When they had a man sent off it was up to us to get the first goal.

“You have to take your chances in tight or open games – you never know what might be the deciding factor. We know, better than anyone, what goal difference can do to you because we have lost the league on goal difference.

“Confidence is one thing but it was about the mojo and spark – the X-factor.”

Man Utd 9-0 Southampton: Red Devils rediscovered ‘mojo’ in record-equalling win – Solskjaer

Southampton boss Hasenhuttl speaking to BBC Sport: “One man down after three minutes against this opponent – congratulations to Manchester United, they worked us off and did not stop scoring. The second red card is most disappointing – we don’t have any more players.

“We tried in the second half to keep a clean sheet as much as we could, but at nine men it was too easy for them to score.

“What can I say? It is horrible. But we stood up after the first 9-0 [against Leicester] and we have to do that again.”

BBC Sport

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Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match 

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Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday night suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mali in a friendly match played in Marrakech, Morocco.

Mali, ranked 19th below the Super Eagles in the FIFA’s latest standings, opened scoring through Atalanta-based striker El Bilal Toure in the first half after Nigeria’s dreadful error resulting from a short goal kick.

Toure could barely believe his luck when defender Chidozie Awaziem tried to play a long square pass under pressure near the edge of the Nigeria box and succeeded only in crossing the ball straight to the Mali striker.

He controlled well on his chest before bundling a finish past goalkeeper Stanely Nwabali.

Nigeria lost Moses Simon to injury when the Nantes star collided with Mali keeper Mamadou Samassa and had to be substituted after appearing to suffer a painful knee injury.

Kamory Doumbia made it 2-0 for Mali with three minutes to normal regulation time.

Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 last Friday in a positive result for interim coach Finidi George, the former Ajax and Real Betis winger, who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.

The defeat has left the Super Eagles with a lot of concerns before they resume World Cup qualifying in June.

This was the 12th meeting between Nigeria and Mali. Nigeria have the head-to-head advantage, with six wins and three defeats in those games.

Mali’s most recent previous win over the Super Eagles was a 4-1 friendly victory way back in 1975.

Some key stars missed the friendly match due to injury. They are Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Boniface, Ola Aina, and Zaidu Sanusi.

Midfielder Frank Onyeka has also withdrawn from the squad.

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Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

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Victor Osimhen

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer €90 million for Napoli star striker, Victor Osimhen, according to Italian newspaper, II Mattino.

Osimhen has a release clause of around €120 million in his contract but Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis could accept a bid below that, according to the publication.

Napoli are prepared to part company with the Nigerian at the end of the season despite the forward signing a new contract last December.

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Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG have been persistently linked with a move for the forward.

Intermediaries are reportedly working with the striker’s agent, Roberto Calenda to sort out his future.

Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2022, has scored 72 goals in 125 appearances for the Partenopei.

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

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Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

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Finidi George

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

Former World Cup star Finidi George is determined to secure a second consecutive win as he leads the Super Eagles in their clash against Mali today. Appointed as the interim coach for the Nigerian team, George aims to maintain the winning momentum after their recent victory over Ghana.

The encounter between the two West African teams is scheduled at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, where the Super Eagles emerged triumphant in their previous match against arch-rivals Ghana with a 2-1 scoreline.

However, George faces challenges as key players such as defender Calvin Bassey and midfielder Frank Onyeka are sidelined due to injuries, adding to the absence of other notable names like Victor Osimhen, William Ekong, and Olaoluwa Aina.

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Despite these setbacks, George remains optimistic about the team’s prospects against Mali. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a winning mentality and expresses confidence in the players’ ability to replicate their performance against Ghana and secure another victory.

Notably, George himself has a history with the Eagles of Mali, having played against them during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged victorious.

In light of the absences and injuries, George may turn to players such as goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo, defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Jamilu Collins, midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Nathan Tella, Sadiq Umar, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to play prominent roles in the upcoming fixture.

Despite the challenges, Finidi George remains determined to guide the Super Eagles to another triumph as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June.

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

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