Football (Soccer) – Page 84 – Worldwide Sports News

April 9, 2025

Bukayo Saka’s welcome return opens up thrilling new possibilities for Arsenal | David Hytner

Arsenal’s ‘star boy’ is the player who epitomises Mikel Arteta’s team and he was hugely influential against Real Madrid

It was a brilliant teaser, one that had Arsenal fans smiling and shaking their heads, protesting loudly, essentially calling it immoral. Deal or no deal. They win the Premier League title. But they sell Bukayo Saka.

It was posted by the @goalglobal TikTok account at the start of last season and the reactions of those in front of the camera shone a light on just how loved Saka is at Arsenal. The consensus was no deal. It would not be worth it because some things just mean more. “That’s our star boy, that’s like your son,” one of the supporters said. The video was liked by 3 million people.

April 9, 2025

Ange Postecoglou hits back against ‘general sentiment’ he will be sacked

Manager in spiky mood before visit of Frankfurt
Claims critics ‘turn gold into crap when it’s Tottenham’

Ange Postecoglou has said the media believes he will be sacked even if Tottenham rescue their season by winning the Europa League.

The manager, who accused critics of always trying to “turn gold into crap”, was in spiky mood before his side hosts the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt and has clearly taken note of the talk over his future. Postecoglou has talked about ignoring external noise but he responded to a question about wanting to prove people wrong by picking out a reporter who wrote that success in Europe would not save the Australian’s job.

April 9, 2025

Matic calls Onana one of Manchester United’s worst goalkeepers after Lyon claim

Onana said Manchester United were ‘way better’ side
Keeper bites back that Matic won nothing with United

Nemanja Matic has described André Onana as one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history after the Cameroonian claimed his team were far better than Lyon.

In an escalating row before the players face one another in the Europa League quarter-final opening leg at Lyon on Thursday, Onana responded by pointing out that Matic had won nothing as a United player from 2017 to 2022.

April 9, 2025

Premier League guaranteed five teams in Champions League after Arsenal win

League gets one of two extra berths on offer from Uefa
England could have seven clubs in 2025-26 tournament

The Premier League will be guaranteed at least five teams in the 2025-26 Champions League after Arsenal’s stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

The English top flight needed one win from its clubs in any of the three European competitions to secure one of two extra berths – on top of the four granted to the top four in the table – awarded to the highest-ranked countries in the Uefa coefficient table.

April 9, 2025

When Aston Villa lost to Juventus in their last European Cup quarter-final

The reigning champions were undone by Michel Platini, Zbigniew Boniek and Paolo Rossi in March 1983

By That 1980s Sports Blog

Sometimes you have to hold up your hands and recognise that your defeat was more down to the skills of your opponent than your own failings. Take Aston Villa’s loss to Juventus in the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1983. Thousands of fans left Villa Park after the first leg knowing their team’s grip on the European Cup had loosened. Villa were beaten 2-1 at home in the first leg and 3-1 away in Turin a fortnight later, but there was no disgrace in losing to that Juventus team.

When the draw for the last eight was made in December 1982, Villa were given one of the hardest possible tests Europe could provide. Liverpool, drawn against Polish team Widzew Lodz, were installed as 13-8 favourites to win the trophy, with Juventus priced at 11-4. Villa’s odds of 13-2 highlighted the task before them.

April 8, 2025

Championship roundup: Burnley slip from summit after being held at Derby

Sheffield United third after home defeat by Millwall
Sunderland seal playoff place with draw at Norwich

Burnley were knocked off the top of the Championship on goal difference after yet another goalless draw – their 12th of the season – against Derby.

On a night of more twists and turns, the third side in the automatic promotion chase, Sheffield United, slipped to third after a 1-0 home defeat against Millwall.

April 8, 2025

Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid: Champions League quarter-final – as it happened

Two majestic free-kicks from Declan Rice, the first of his professional career, inspired a stunning first-leg victory

It’s been a season of incessant frustration for Arsenal. Yet it could end with them winning the European Cup for the first time. Right now, in this exhilarating, occasionally bowel-loosening window just before kick-off, anything is possible. And nights like this don’t come along very often: it’s only Arsenal’s second Champions League quarter-final in the last 15 years.

This is great fun: Sean Ingle’s minute-by-minute report of Arsenal’s win in the Bernabeu 19 years ago.

47 min - GOAL! Real Madrid 0 - 1 Arsenal Brilliant from Thierry Henry! Absolutely brilliant! From just over the half-way line he turns past Ronaldo and ghosts past three Real defenders before coolly sliding it into the far corner from 15 yards. Superb.

April 7, 2025

European football: Ndoye’s backheel means Napoli miss chance to close gap

Second-placed side pegged back to 1-1 by stunning flick
Valladolid players sorry for Sunday’s altercation on bench

Napoli missed the chance to narrow the gap at the top of Serie A after a 1-1 draw at Bologna, with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s first-half goal cancelled out by a moment of magic from the hosts’ Dan Ndoye.

With leaders Inter only managing a draw at Parma on Saturday, Napoli had a chance to close on them, but they remain second with 65 points, three behind. Bologna are fourth on 57 points.

April 7, 2025

Kevin De Bruyne to MLS? + LA Galaxy continue awful run & USWNT continue domination

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros react to Kevin De Bruyne’s announcement that he will be leaving Manchester City this summer. Could De Bruyne be joining Lionel Messi in MLS? The boys sure think so. Christian and Alexis then break down why the LA Galaxy have had such a bad start to the season just months after winning MLS cup and why it has to do with MLS’ salary cap rules. Later, Christian and Alexis break down the USWNT’s domination of Brazil & Trinity Rodman’s return to the national team that included a great goal and an even better celebration.

April 7, 2025

Thibaut Courtois admits Real Madrid are worried about Arsenal set pieces

Goalkeeper reveals side have trained to deal with them
‘The first thing is not to concede too many corners’

Thibaut Courtois has revealed that Real Madrid are wary of Arsenal’s prowess from set pieces and have been preparing specifically for the challenge of facing them.

The reigning European champions come into Tuesday’s first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates following a 2-1 home defeat by Valencia in La Liga that left them four points behind leaders Barcelona. A poor defensive performance saw Madrid concede their 10th goal from a corner this season, although Carlo Ancelotti will welcome back Courtois and David Alaba from injury against Mikel Arteta’s side.

April 7, 2025

The race for Europe gifts the Premier League run-in a quiet chaos

With the title and relegation all but decided, fourth and fifth are the main spots of intrigue as the end of the season approaches

Sign up for Soccer with Jonathan Wilson here

Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on Sunday, with a record seven games remaining. Wolves beat Ipswich, so there is now a 12-point gap between the bottom three and the rest: Ipswich and Leicester look doomed.

The gap at the top, meanwhile, remains a seemingly unassailable 11 points. Leaders Liverpool lost at Fulham but, with Arsenal only drawing at Everton, it didn’t really matter.

April 7, 2025April 7, 2025

Saka mentally refreshed and ready to write ‘own story’ for Arsenal against Madrid

Winger ‘focused on coming back stronger’ after injury
Arteta says quarter-final biggest game of coaching career

Bukayo Saka has said he feels mentally refreshed after missing three months through injury and believes Arsenal are ready to “write our own story” against Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final.

Saka is expected to start against Madrid on Tuesday in the first leg for the first time since rupturing a hamstring in December, having come on in the past two matches. The Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, said having the 23-year-old back for what he described as the biggest game of his coaching career was a massive boost as his team attempt to overcome the reigning champions.

April 7, 2025

Igor Tudor injects fury into Juventus to rev up race for Champions League | Nicky Bandini

New manager has transformed mood and on Sunday halted the seven-match winning streak of Claudio Ranieri’s Roma

Igor Tudor was on the pitch, stepping out of his technical area and on to the playing field as he gestured frantically at his defenders, jabbing a pointed finger so close to Stephan El Shaarawy that it appeared he might tap the Roma forward on the shoulder. It has been a little over 20 years since Tudor played his last game for Juventus, but all that time away does not appear to have lessened his passion.

The Bianconeri had needed this, needed something, an injection of purpose, of fury, of life. All their energies seemed to have expired under Thiago Motta, four defeats in six games telling only a part of the story. Anyone could lose a match to Atalanta, but 4-0? At home? And to follow that up with a 3-0 thrashing by one of your club’s favourite victims, Fiorentina?

April 7, 2025

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

United and City play out a deeply forgettable Manchester derby and Unai Emery gets his Aston Villa team right

Premier League top scorers: the latest standings

This was a deeply forgettable derby, but it was Manchester United who looked the more likely to get a winner as time ticked down. Ruben Amorim spoke afterwards of using pace in transitions to try and carve out chances – and with a little more composure in the penalty area, it might have worked. Bruno Fernandes was the game’s standout player but Patrick Dorgu also caught the eye in just his fifth Premier League start. Signed from Lecce in January, the Danish wing-back is the first player Amorim has brought in that fits his system. Freed up by City’s narrow formation, Dorgu was able to get forward and test City’s backline at will. The 20-year-old’s red card at Ipswich sparked fears that, like some other young United recruits, he was too raw for regular Premier League football. Sunday’s performance should ensure he holds down the left-sided spot in Amorim’s 3-4-3 setup for the rest of this season, even with Luke Shaw nearing a return to fitness. Niall McVeigh

Match report: Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City

Match report: Fulham 3-2 Liverpool

Match report: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Southampton

April 6, 2025

European football: Marseille’s Rabiot helps beat Toulouse after De Zerbi drama

Marseille two points ahead of Monaco in top-four race
Atlético win over Sevilla closes gap to Madrid and Barça

Adrien Rabiot scored a volley as Marseille beat Toulouse at home 3-2 to reclaim second place in Ligue 1. The hosts, who had lost their last three games, saw bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain clinch a record-extending 13th title on Saturday with six matches remaining. But a much-needed win put Marseille two points ahead of Monaco in third place and three points in front of Strasbourg in fourth in the race for a Champions League spot next season.

The Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi had grown increasingly frustrated with his side’s inconsistency and there were tensions leading up to this game. “The coach was angry and he tried to remotivate us, that’s normal, that’s his role,” Rabiot told DAZN. “No one abandoned ship. On the contrary, we trained with even more enthusiasm, and tonight we gave the right answer.”

Midway through the first half, Rabiot broke down the left and sent a cross to the back post, where Gabriel Suazo miskicked the ball for a clumsy own-goal. Marseille conceded a soft goal shortly after, with the ball hitting the Toulouse striker Frank Magri’s shoulder as he attempted a header, the ball sailing over goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.