Manchester United have one foot in the final after a commanding display against 10-man Bilbao
3 min: … but nothing comes of it, Ruiz De Galarreta attempting a shot from distance that bounces apologetically through to Onana.
2 min: Bilbao on the front foot quickly. Nico Williams makes good down the left and looks for his brother Inaki at the far stick. Dorgu is forced to turn it behind for the first corner of the game.
Continue reading...Lamine Yamal was the star of this six-goal thriller, an instant classic, though Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram weren’t too far behind
Inter get the ball rolling. They’re playing in white this evening. And they’re immediately on the attack …
Here come the teams … and Lamine Yamal, who felt a twinge upon slipping while taking a shot in the warm-up, is still in the Barcelona line-up. He doesn’t look particularly concerned as the Champions League anthem is blasted out, nor when he slaps hands with the Inter players. No Ronaldo-at-the-Stade-de-France-style drama to see here. We’ll be off in a minute, once everyone pays their respects to Pope Francis.
Continue reading...Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr scored the goals as Palace routed Villa to reach their third FA Cup final
4 min: Other than that one progressive Kamara pass, nobody’s showing their hand as of yet. A thoughtful start as both teams gently probe.
2 min: Kamara tries to release Cash down the right with a clever first-time pass. Lacroix is on point to usher both opponent and ball out of play for a goal kick. We can just about make this out. A lot of smoke down this end of the pitch, thanks to the tail end of a pre-match pyro party.
Continue reading...Matheus Nunes scored the winner deep into added time as City put some clear blue light between themselves and Villa in the race for Champions League qualification
17 secs: Ollie Watkins scored after 34 seconds against Newcastle on Saturday. Marcus Rashford nearly does so after half that tonight! He twists and turns down the inside-left channel before threading a shot across Ortega and off the base of the right-hand post!
Villa get the ball rolling. It’s not a sell-out.
Continue reading...Ollie Watkins was the star turn of a comprehensive Villa victory, as Unai Emery’s team closed the gap on the top five
McGinn tries to release Watkins down the left. Tonali comes across to put a stop to his gallop. But Tonali’s clearance only goes to Tielemans, who immediately returns it down the inside-left channel to Watkins. He shoots. A deflection off Schar sends the ball into the bottom left, past the wrong-footed, and rooted, Pope. What a start!
Newcastle get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Holte End in this first half.
Continue reading...United looked like exiting the Europa League meekly before pulling off one of the great comebacks
2 min: A little smoke from the pre-match pyro party still floating about. A couple of early touches for Onana. Casemiro has the opportunity to send Dorgu into space down the left but overcooks the pass and clanks it out for a throw.
A blast of John Denver, then Lyon get the ball rolling, with the aggregate score 2-2 after the first leg. The hosts are kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.
Continue reading...Villa fell just short of completing one of the great European comebacks with a rousing second-half display
1 min: McGinn loops a pass down the left for Rashford to chase. Hakimi shepherds the ball back to Donnarumma, who blooters clear. From the resulting throw, McGinn wins the first corner of the evening.
Villa kick off. They’re kicking towards the Holte End in this first half. It’s tipping down in Birmingham.
Continue reading...Rory McIlroy finally joined the career-slam pantheon after a wild rollercoaster ride around Augusta National
Nothing went right for Justin Rose yesterday. His flat stick was stone cold, he shot 75, he spent a fair proportion of the round grumbling away at his perceived bad luck. But he’s in a much chipper mood this afternoon. Sending your approach on 1 from 162 yards to eight feet, then rolling in the birdie putt tends to help with stuff like that. A little fist pump, then a giggle with his caddie, and he moves to -6. Again, like Collin Morikawa, he’s surely too far behind to have much of a chance of winning, unless both Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau do a Ken Venturi. (Jack Burke Jr came from eight back on Sunday in 1956 to win, but he needed the then-amateur Venturi to collapse to 80 to pip him by a stroke.) Still, let’s rule nothing out yet.
Quite a few experts tipped the in-form Collin Morikawa this week. It’s not quite happened for the 2020 PGA and 2021 Open champion, but he’s not been far off, coming into the final day having posted two level-par rounds of 72 sandwiching a 69. He’s surely too far off the pace to threaten today, unless the wheels come off all three of the leading trio, but he’s just followed up birdie at 2 by stroking a 25-footer across 3 for another. Im Sung-jae meanwhile birdies 2, and these lads are the first pair to make inroads near the top of the leader board.
Continue reading...Rory McIlroy started the day with six straight threes, Bryson DeChambeau ended it with a birdie rake to trim the gap at the top to two. What a Moving Day!
An extremely smiley Bryson DeChambeau has a chat with CBS Sports. “If I can just keep it in the fairway … iron shots into the green … I watch a lot … see what players are doing … where the pin locations are … how people are playing it … trying to get comfortable with that … get my day started off a little late on purpose … feel comfortable like I’m just getting up, getting ready to go play some golf and have a good time … I’m excited … it’s gonna be a lot of fun!”
Shot of the week at 12 by Denny McCarthy! At the 155-yard par-three, he lands his ball five feet in front of the flag. A couple of tiny bounces take it a couple of feet closer, but no further. That’s a kick-in birdie, though. The 32-year-old from Florida, whose best finish here was a modest tie for 45th last year, moves into the red at -1 overall. So close there to only the fourth ace at 12 in Masters history. The others: the two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange in 1988, the amateur Bill Hyndman in 1959, and Claude Harmon, Butch’s dad, in 1947 (a year before his victory).
Continue reading...Villa made it seven consecutive wins in all competitions thanks to a quick-fire first-half double
2 min: Forest – who deliberately kept their hosts waiting before kick-off, forming a huddle that went on a bit longer than was absolutely necessary – are kicking towards the Holte End in this first half.
Forest get the ball rolling. But only after a knee is taken: there’s no room for racism.
Continue reading...Forest completed their first league double over United since 1992 thanks to Anthony Elanga’s glorious nine-second 93-yard dash
2 min: Gibbs-White chases a long pass down the left. He can’t get past De Ligt, who initially looked out of position and did well to get back to stop the Forest man nipping away.
Manchester United get the ball rolling. Nuno looks relaxed in the dugout, Amorim smiling as he prowls the touchline. Here we go, then.
Continue reading...Matz Sels was heroic in the shootout to send Forest into the last four of the FA Cup for the first time since 1991
Forest get the ball rolling. A huge roar of Albion. The away end giving it plenty as well.
The teams are out! A cracking atmosphere in Sussex by the Sea. The Seagulls in their blue and white stripes, the Tricky Trees in first-choice red. We’ll be off in a minute or two.
Continue reading...Spurs made it through to the Europa League quarters … as did Rangers after some late Ibrox drama
Chelsea make five changes to the team that started in Denmark last week. Filip Jørgensen replaces Robert Sánchez in goal, while Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Jadon Sancho and Joshua Acheampong also step up. Sánchez drops to the bench, as do Shumaira Mheuka, Cole Palmer and Reece James, the latter pair having been ill all week. Malo Gusto misses out altogether through injury.
Copenhagen make two changes from that game. Mohamed Elyounoussi, once of Southampton, and Rodrigo Huecas come in, while Giorgi Gocholeishvili and Amin Chiakha are benched.
Continue reading...Atlético were the better side for the most part, but Real did what they always do, with a little help from the eagle-eyed VAR
4 min: … while on the touchline, Diego Simeone tries his level best to retain his supercool. Carlo chewing at his gum with a bit more vigour, though.
2 min: The roof of the Metropolitano, as you’d expect, is currently spinning off towards Catalonia. The poor clearance Griezmann intercepted was by Raúl Asencio. Everyone in Real white looking around at each other stunned!
Continue reading...Lamine Yamal and Raphinha put on an attacking masterclass in the first half to swat aside Benfica and make it to the quarter-finals
Barcelona get the ball rolling. The city so beautiful in the background. Ah, memories of the diving at the 1992 Olympics.
The teams are out. Barcelona are in their famous blaugrana, Benfica in third-choice white/silver/grey with neon yellow trim. A crackling atmosphere at the Olímpic Lluís Companys despite the place not yet totally full, as per Steve McManaman. We’ll be off once a poignant moment is taken to remember Carles Minarro Garcia.
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