With Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior injured for the Champions League clash at Liverpool on Wednesday, superstar summer signing Kylian Mbappe will become their key attacking weapon. Tough start in Spain The France captain has endured a tough start to life in the Spanish capital, on and off the pitch, but found the net for the first time in five matches at Leganes on Sunday in La Liga. He was started on the left wing in his favoured role by coach Carlo Ancelotti for the first time and rewarded the Italian by opening the scoring at Butarque. However, the chance was created by Vinicius and with the Brazilian out for over three weeks, Mbappe will be responsible for stepping up and providing Madrid’s attacking edge hereon, starting at Anfield. Liverpool lead the Champions League group table with holders Madrid down in 18th after surprise defeats by Lille and AC Milan in their first four matches. Vinicius hit four Champions League goals in those games while Mbappe has found the net just once in Europe. While seven La Liga strikes in 12 appearances is not a bad record, Mbappe’s performances have left something to be desired given his superstar status. Left out of France team The French forward, left out of his country’s squad in the last two international breaks, believes he is finding his footing slowly but surely. “I think I put in a good performance, I’m starting to get up to speed with my teammates,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV after the win over Leganes that them to second in La Liga. “I can play in every position and I’m ready to help the team and give my all... “I play on the right, on the left, in the middle and with two up top. It doesn’t matter to me. I want to help the team and score goals.” Ancelotti may use Mbappe as part of a two-man strike force with Jude Bellingham. SevenNo. of La Liga goals Mbappe has scored for Real in 12 ties OneNo. of UCL goals Mbappe has scored for Real in four games This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 November,2024 08:22 AM IST | Madrid | AFPSavio United won the IC Colts-organised QPL rink football tournament, beating Avilon United 1-0 in the final at the USF Turf, Borivli, recently. Vijesh Nair scored the all-important winner for Savio United. Also Read: Shivaansh, Anaahi shine at GMAAA swim meet Savio Pereira, from the winning team, was adjudged the best player of the tournament, while the best goalkeeper’s award went to Santosh Castelino. Nair finished as the highest scorer with three goals. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 November,2024 08:08 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesRuben Amorim did not pull any punches after a disappointing start to his career in the Manchester United dugout on Sunday night, admitting his players are “confused and afraid,” leading to an underwhelming 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich. Marcus Rashford scored in the second minute after which Omari Hutchinson equalised at the end of the first half. Also Read: Won’t change our belief: Pep “If you see the first half, we were a little bit afraid. When we don’t have training, we had two days, they are confused a little bit. You feel that in the data,” Amorim said at the post-match press conference. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 November,2024 08:02 AM IST | IPSWICH | AgenciesAmid the worst losing streak of his career, Pep Guardiola is determined to stick to his plans. Man City has lost five straight games in all competitions and are eight points behind EPL leaders Liverpool. Tonight City faces Feyenoord in the Champions League, but Guardiola’s faith in his approach is unshaken. Also Read: St Joseph’s boys, Scottish girls are happy hoopsters! “What should I change? he asked. “We are not going to change our beliefs. We are big believers in the process and the fundamentals that we have to do. We have to go more direct to our principals. Don’t change much — less than ever. I don’t give up and I have the feeling we’ll do good things,” he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 November,2024 08:00 AM IST | Manchester | AP | PTIBayern Munich host Paris Saint-Germain tonight in a battle between two sides flying high domestically, but struggling to adjust to the new Champions League format. After four games, Bayern have lost twice — including a 1-4 defeat by Barcelona, led by their former boss Hansi Flick — and sit 17th, which would leave them unseeded for the knockout phase play-off. PSG’s situation is even worse, with the French champions in 25th — one spot outside the knockout places entirely. Bayern’s struggles are a far cry from their exploits in the old group stage, where the six-time champions signed off with a record 40-match unbeaten run, featuring 36 wins and four draws. Their last loss in the group phase was in 2017 — a 0-3 defeat to PSG. Also Read: Spinner Ronil Jhanjani shines for Al-Barkaat v Anjuman-I-Islam This season, other than the loss in Barcelona, the Vincent Kompany-coached German giants have impressed. Unbeaten in the league, Bayern’s only other defeat came in the Champions League away at Aston Villa (0-1). The crowded football calendar provides a real incentive for finishing in the top eight and avoiding the extra play-off round for teams finishing from ninth to 24th. Thomas Mueller knows PSG will be eager to gain ground after an underwhelming start in Europe. “PSG’s position in the table does not reflect their performance. They’re a super team with super individual players. A lot is at stake. I’m happy it’s at home,” Mueller told BR24 recently. Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano knows what to expect from France teammates Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola. “It’s an important game for us. If you look at the table, it’s not great — we are not where we want to be,” he told Telefoot. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 November,2024 07:55 AM IST | Berlin | AFPKerala Blasters FC put on an impeccable second-half display to beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0 to in the Indian Super League here on Sunday. Jesus Jimenez, Noah Sadaoui and Rahul KP found the back of the net in the 56th, 70th, and 90+2' minute of the match respectively as Kerala Blasters grabbed their third win of the campaign in an exciting contest. The first half of the match was a closely contested affair. Jimenez and Noah found themselves at the centre of opportunities in the 17th and the 27th minutes respectively. Both were from close distances inside the box, but they were unable to find an opening past the Chennaiyin FC defensive unit. Uruguayan attacking midfielder Adrian Luna was crucial in the initial couple of goal-scoring efforts for the home team. He orchestrated the first move by charging up ahead in the left flank before opting for the unorthodox alternative of passing the ball to Korou Singh, who was marching forward from the right flank inside the box. Korou received the ball deftly and then played the ball forward for Jimenez, who simply slotted it into the net to get the lead 11 minutes into the second half. Also Read: ISL: Mohun Bagan SG ease past Jamshedpur 3-0, claim top spot The second strike was more straightforward, with Luna picking the ball at the centre of the park and driving the attack forward. The Chennaiyin FC backline wasn't exactly organised properly, leaving Luna with plenty of space to work with. Luna could have gone for a long-ranged effort, but he delivered a pass to Sadaoui, who turned around and deposited the ball into the bottom right corner to secure a decisive two-goal lead with just 20 minutes of play left to play in the regulation time. They tripled their advantage in the added time of the second half. It was Noah who became the provider of the goal this time around, as Kerala Blasters FC broke into a quick counter attack and found themselves at a favourable position inside Chennaiyin FC's box. Noah released the ball perfectly for Rahul, whose right footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner sealed the game for once and for all in added time. Noah wrapped up the game with a goal and an assist each, completing 26 out of his 33 attempted passes, even creating four goal-scoring opportunities and making a tackle too. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 November,2024 08:38 AM IST | Kochi | PTIDefending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant outplayed Jamshedpur FC 3-0 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here and went to the top of the points table in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season game on Saturday night. Goals from Tom Aldred, Liston Colaco, and Jamie Maclaren saw the Mariners secure their fourth win in their last five matches this season. The game began at a slow tempo but eventually came to life when Aldred steered the hosts forward in the 15th minute. The British defender was at the right spot following a frenzy around the box from a Dimitrios Petratos corner. The ball was initially cleared by the Jamshedpur FC defence, but a long-range effort from Deepak Tangri found a way to Alberto Rodriguez, who brought the ball down brilliantly for Aldred to hammer the opening goal. The goal handed Jose Molina’s men a great confidence boost and they looked more assured in attack. Jamshedpur FC’s backline led by Stephen Eze were on their toes to keep the likes of Jamie Maclaren, Petratos and Liston at bay. The next spell of play was dominated by the Mariners, with the likes of Petratos and Liston forcing a couple of saves from Albino Gomes. Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s persistent attacks finally bore fruit at the stroke of halftime when Liston attacked a pocket of space in Jamshedpur FC’s final third and from there he wriggled his way past a flurry of defenders before beating Albino with a vicious effort. The second half started with similar intensity with the hosts exerting their dominance over the Men of Steel. While Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) graduate Mohammed Sanan showed some sparks of brilliance with his darting runs, Pronay Halder looked out of sorts with a few turnovers and challenges in the middle. Molina’s men extended their dominance over Jamshedpur FC in the 75th minute when Tangri’s perfectly weighted delivery found the onrushing Manvir Singh on the right flank. The 29-year-old danced his way past Albino, who came off his lines before squaring to Maclaren who calmly slotted it into the open net to put the match results beyond doubt. In the final minutes of the game, Rei Tachikawa came up with a long-range effort in the hope of a consolation goal. However, Vishal Kaith parried it away with aplomb to secure the elusive clean sheet for the hosts. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 11:50 AM IST | Kolkata | IANSNorthEast United FC scored a terrific 2-1 victory against Punjab FC as an early burst by their frontline paved the way for the Highlanders to grab three points from this encounter in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday. Reduced to 10 men due to the sending off of Dinesh Singh in the added time of the first half, NorthEast United FC held their defensive line together to sail through the second essay of the game comfortably. The floodgates for the initial onslaught were laid by the industrious attacking unit of the Highlanders, who made constructive efforts towards stretching the opposition’s backline. Star striker Alaaeddine Ajaraie took the onus upon him to assume a free-flowing role and took the ball deep on the left flank, surging ahead and delivering a decisive cross inside the 18-yard box. While the ball landed in the overcrowded penalty area, Guillermo Fernandez reached the right spot at the right time to tap the pass in and secure the advantage for the Highlanders in the 15th minute. This goal flooded the Highlanders’ setup with plenty of confidence and they began exploring their goal-scoring opportunities with greater focus and vigour. Three minutes later, the duo of Buanthanglun Samte and Néstor Albiach joined hands to net the second strike of the evening. In a somewhat similar template as the first goal, Samte marched ahead on the inside channel of the left flank and lobbed in a perfectly weighted pass for Nestor who was at the centre of the 18-yard box. The attacker met the ball appropriately, volleying the strike into the top left corner to double his side’s lead and get them a considerable few steps ahead in the contest. The Highlanders’ march was halted with Dinesh receiving his second yellow card of the match just as the first-half whistle was about to be blown. It compelled head coach Juan Pedro Benali to undertake a more strategic approach in the final 45 minutes, and so his side did – narrowing the game, limiting the opposition’s flow of attacks, taking their time in building up play, and not losing possession easily. Punjab FC could find only late solace through Ivan Novoselec’s right-footed goal from inside the centre of the box in the 88th minute – but it was too little, too late for the team to take any point away from this match. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 11:50 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSIt started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City. It ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion conceding four goals and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions as it faces a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel. A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more, and with manager Pep Guardiola questioning whether he could get its title challenge back on track. "I would say when you lose three Premier League (games) in a row, the wrong thing to say is we are going to be champion," Guardiola said. "But the reality is here, we have to do it guys. We have to break (the run), start to win games." Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd, which had been treated to a light show before kickoff to mark midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or award for the best soccer player in the world. With Guardiola also having signed a two-year contract extension this week, there was double reason to celebrate. But City's latest loss highlighted onfield problems that he is struggling to stop. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime and substitute Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. Defeat extended what was already Guardiola's worst losing streak in a glittering coaching career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City. Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England. Pic/AP It also handed Liverpool a perfect opportunity to tighten its grip on the title race when it plays last-place Southampton on Sunday. City plays Liverpool at Anfield next weekend. Rivals are also closing in on second-place City, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all winning on Saturday to move within a point of Guardiola's team. "If in the end we don't win (the title) it's because we don't deserve it," Guardiola said. "We won it in the past because we deserved it." Losing streakAfter losses to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton, City was looking to get the season back on track with a win that would have closed the gap to Liverpool to two points. But a flying start from Spurs soon put the home team on course for another loss as Maddison volleyed in from close range in the 13th minute and produced a delicate finish to lift the ball over Ederson for his second in the 20th. Also Read: What’s behind Manchester City’s uncharacteristic struggles this season? Porro blasted in a third after a swift counter in the 52nd and Johnson completed City's misery with Guardiola admitting his players were "fragile" after the latest loss. Rivals close inChelsea, Arsenal and Brighton are six points behind Liverpool after taking the chance to keep the pressure on Arne Slot's team. Third-place Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 in the early kickoff and Arsenal, in fourth, won 3-0 against Nottingham Forest. Fifth-place Brighton won 2-1 at Bournemouth to maintain its outstanding start to the season under new coach Fabian Hurzeler. Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea on course for victory at King Power Stadium, with Jordan Ayew scoring for Leicester with a second-half stoppage-time penalty. Jackson showed good close control in the box before firing Chelsea in front with a clever finish in the 15th minute. It was the Senegal striker's seventh goal in 13 appearances this season. Fernandez headed in Chelsea's second in the 75th after Jackson's header was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Ayew's penalty came too late for Leicester to mount a fightback. Arteta landmarkMikel Arteta celebrated his 250th game in charge of Arsenal in style with victory against Forest. It was his 147th win in all competitions " more than any Arsenal manager after the same number of games. Club great Arsene Wenger won 136 of his first 250 games. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead in the 15th at the Emirates Stadium and Thomas Partey added a second seven minutes into the second half. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the 86th. Flying highBrighton's impressive run continued with victory at Bournemouth to keep it just outside the Champions League places on goal difference. U.S.-born Hurzeler was hired in June and has made an immediate impact. Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma put Brighton 2-0 up at the Vitality Stadium, with David Brooks pulling a goal back for Bournemouth in stoppage time. Villa slidesAston Villa's winless run was extended to six games after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, which twice saw Unai Emery's team have to fight back from a goal down. Palace, which is third from bottom of the standings, twice led in the first half through Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny. Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley leveled for Villa on each occasion. Villa's Youri Tielemans also had a penalty saved with the score at 1-1. Villa hasn't won since beating Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League on Oct. 22. It has lost four of its last six games in all competitions. Wolves comebackTrailing 1-0 at Fulham, Wolves powered back to win 4-1 at Craven Cottage and climb out of the relegation zone. Wolves is in 17th place and one point above the drop zone after its second league win of the season. Alex Iwobi put Fulham ahead, but two goals from Matheus Cunha and strikes from Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes saw Wolves secure back-to-back wins in the league and extend the team's unbeaten run to four games. Everton drew 0-0 with Brentford. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 11:43 AM IST | London | AP | PTIChelsea survived a late Leicester rally to win 2-1 on Enzo Maresca’s return to the King Power Stadium on Saturday, moving just a point behind second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League. The visitors, finding their groove after the international break, hogged the ball from the kick-off and Nicolas Jackson gave them a deserved early lead. But they failed to make the most of their superiority until 15 minutes from time, when Enzo Fernandez scored to make it 2-0, before surviving a nervy few minutes after Jordan Ayew pulled a goal back for the home side. Chelsea’s win, which came after two draws, lifts them to 22 points — one behind City and three clear of fourth-placed Arsenal ahead of the later kick-offs on Saturday. Joao Felix fired wide in the 13th minute and then a minute later volleyed over from just outside the box. But moments later Chelsea got the goal they deserved when Jackson won his tussle with Leicester defender Wout Faes, who missed a number of chances to clear. The ball fell to Fernandez, who found Jackson and the Senegal forward poked home for his seventh league goal of the season. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 08:01 AM IST | Leicester | AFPHarry Kane scored a hat trick including two penalties for Bayern Munich to beat Augsburg 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday. The win stretched Bayern's lead to eight points ahead of the rest of the 11th round, and Kane took his goals tally to a league-leading 14. The England forward is the fastest player to 50 goals in the Bundesliga in what was his 43rd game. However, coach Vincent Kompany should be concerned by his team's ongoing difficulty of scoring in matches it dominates. Bayern previously defeated St. Pauli and Benfica only 1-0. Kompany's team had to wait until stoppage time before Kane sealed the result with his second penalty. Two minutes later, Kane scored with a header after controlling Leon Goretzka's cross with his first touch for a flattering scoreline. "We had to be patient," Kane said. "And at halftime that's what we said, to keep doing what we're doing. We had a few chances in the first half and we just had to be a bit more clinical and obviously, thankfully, we got the penalty to kind of open the game up." Also Read: Jaiswal, Rahul's unbeaten 84-run stand puts India in strong position at tea on day two Mads Pedersen was penalized for handball following a VAR review and Kane duly broke the deadlock in the 63rd. Bayern continued as before with 80% possession, but had to wait for Keven Schlotterbeck to be penalized through VAR for a foul on Kane. Kane sealed the result in the third minute of stoppage time and there was still time for him to grab another. It's Bayern's sixth consecutive win without conceding a goal since it conceded four at Barcelona (4-1) on Oct. 23 in the Champions League. "You can see now that we have a solid defense and that's the basis, also in games like today's," Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. "When it's a game of patience, then it's important for us to know that sometimes one goal will have to do. Like today we added two more before the finish, but in the end you only need to score one more than the opponent." Bayern next hosts Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, then Borussia Dortmund away in the Bundesliga next weekend, before defending champion Bayer Leverkusen visits in the third round of the German Cup. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 November,2024 12:57 PM IST | Berlin | AP | PTIADVERTISEMENT
