Bayern Munich lose, Hertha Berlin relegated from Bundesliga

Bayern Munich lose, Hertha Berlin relegated from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller, Joshua Kimmich and Matthijs de Ligt look dejected after conceding their third goal during their Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena on May 20, 2023. (Reuters)
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Updated 20 May 2023
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Bayern Munich lose, Hertha Berlin relegated from Bundesliga

Bayern Munich lose, Hertha Berlin relegated from Bundesliga
  • Bayern just needed to win their last two games to be sure of claiming their record-extending 11th consecutive title
  • Leipzig’s shock win in Munich handed Dortmund the initiative

BERLIN: Bayern Munich squandered their lead on Saturday as Leipzig came from behind to win 3-1 in the Bundesliga, giving Borussia Dortmund the chance to move top going into the final weekend.
Bayern just needed to win their last two games to be sure of claiming their record-extending 11th consecutive title, but Leipzig’s shock win in Munich handed Dortmund the initiative.
Dortmund faces Augsburg away on Sunday. If they win that game, and their final game at home to Mainz next weekend, Dortmund would end Bayern’s 10-year reign as German champion.
It had started so well for the Bavarian powerhouse, which dominated the opening half hour against the cautious visitors.
Thomas Müller – making his second consecutive start for Bayern – set up Serge Gnabry for the opener in the 25th minute.
But Leipzig responded with three good chances in a row in the 34th, 35th and 36th. Yann Sommer responded with three good saves.
Konrad Laimer, who is reportedly set to join Bayern next season, scored a deserved equalizer in the 64th, then Christopher Nkunku scored from the penalty spot in the 76th after he was fouled in the area by compatriot Benjamin Pavard.
Dominik Szoboszlai sealed it with another penalty in the 85th after Noussair Mazraoui was penalized for handball.
Leipzig consolidated third place and secured their Champions League qualification place for next season.
Bayern face Cologne away for their final game and must now also hope for a Dortmund slip-up.
HERTHA RELEGATED
Hertha Berlin were relegated from the Bundesliga after conceding in the fourth minute of injury time to draw with Bochum 1-1.
Former Union Berlin defender Keven Schlotterbeck headed the goal that sent Hertha down to the second division.
It’s Hertha’s seventh relegation from the Bundesliga. Only Nuremberg (nine) and Arminia Bielefeld (eight) have been demoted more times.
Hertha needed a win to postpone the relegation decisions to the final day of the season and they were looking good for the home team after Lucas Tousart finally made the breakthrough with a header to Marco Richter’s corner in the 64th minute.
“We weren’t relegated today. Today we actually delivered a good game,” Hertha coach Pál Dárdai said. “We should have killed the game, we had five or six good chances. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our performance. The fans saw that.”
Both teams hit the post in the final minutes before Schlotterbeck was left unopposed to head Kevin Stöger’s corner past Oliver Christensen in the Hertha goal.
It ensured Hertha stayed last with no chance of finishing above the bottom two. Bochum were not safe yet.
Schlotterbeck and his Bochum teammates ran to celebrate in front of the visiting fans, while the rest of the stadium was left in stunned silence. Some Hertha fans set off loud bangers that reverberated around Olympiastadion, while there were boos and whistles from some supporters when the team approached after the final whistle.
“I can’t believe it, it’s just sad,” Hertha veteran Prince Boateng said with tears in his eyes. “I love the club and came here knowing it’s not all rosy. Now we have the time to regroup and strengthen the club, even if it’s in the second division.”
Schalke were in the relegation playoff spot after drawing at home to Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2. There were clashes between rival fans during the game.
Union Berlin missed the chance to consolidate their Champions League qualification spot after losing at Hoffenheim 4-2.
Also, Cologne drew at Werder Bremen 1-1.


Al-Nassr cruise, Al-Hilal stumble into King’s Cup round of 16

Al-Nassr cruise, Al-Hilal stumble into King’s Cup round of 16
Updated 26 September 2023
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Al-Nassr cruise, Al-Hilal stumble into King’s Cup round of 16

Al-Nassr cruise, Al-Hilal stumble into King’s Cup round of 16
  • Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr comprehensively overcome Ohod 5-1

Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal safely booked their spots in the round of 16 of the King’s Cup after away victories over lower-tier opposition on Monday night.

But while Al-Nassr cruised to a comfortable 5-1 win over Ohod, Al-Hilal struggled to overcome Al-Jabalain 1-0.

Al-Nassr, playing without the rested Cristiano Ronaldo, took the lead on 15 minutes through a penalty by Sadio Mane, but the home team responded with a fine chipped equalizer from Konrad Michalak deep into first-half stoppage time.

Second-half strikes from Seko Fofana (62 minutes), Talisca (75), Ayman Yahya (81) and Sami Al-Najei (86) saw the Yellows safely through to the next round.

In contrast, Al-Hilal could only manage a solitary goal from Reuben Neves on 64 minutes as they labored to beat stubborn first-division outfit Al-Jabalain.

Elsewhere on Monday night, there was shock as Saudi Pro League team Al-Raed were beaten by first-division Al-Najmah 2-1, while Damac progressed after a 2-1 victory over Al-Qaisumah.


FIFA announce sale of Club World Cup 2023 match tickets

FIFA announce sale of Club World Cup 2023 match tickets
Updated 25 September 2023
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FIFA announce sale of Club World Cup 2023 match tickets

FIFA announce sale of Club World Cup 2023 match tickets
  • Seven clubs, including Saudi’s Al-Ittihad, will contest the continental championship from Dec. 12th to Dec. 22nd
  • 20th edition of the global club tournament will feature a debut appearance from European champions Man. City

RIYADH: Club World Cup 2023 match tickets will be available for purchase from Tuesday Sept. 26th at FIFA.com/tickets.

Seven clubs will contest the continental championship in Saudi Arabia from Dec. 12th to Dec. 22nd.

Al-Ittihad, winners of the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) 2022-2023, will represent hosts Saudi Arabia.

The 20th edition of the global club tournament will feature a debut appearance from European champions Manchester City.

It will also feature Concacaf champions Club Leon of Mexico, Japan’s Urawa Reds, Egypt’s Al Ahly and New Zealand’s Auckland City.

The line-up will be completed by the yet-to-be determined Copa Libertadores winners.


Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games

Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games
Updated 25 September 2023
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Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games

Saudi U-23 football team beat Vietnam 3-1 in Asian Games
  • The Greens will face the Indian team in the qualifying rounds on Thursday

HANGZHOU, China: The Saudi under-23 football team qualified for the second round of the event in the Asian Games after defeating Vietnam 3-1 on Sunday.
Scoring for the Green Falcons were Mohammed Al-Yami in the 43rd minute, Mohammed Maran in the 87th minute, and Zakaria Hawsawi in the 90th minute.
The Greens will face the Indian team in the qualifying rounds on Thursday.
In tennis, Ammar Al-Haqbani of the Saudi team qualified for the round of 32 in the men's singles competitions, after defeating Qatar'sRashid Naif, 2-0, in the round of 64.

Ammar will next meet on Monday the 60th ranked player in the world, Zhizhen Zhang of China's.
His sister, Yara, lost to Mongolia's Maraljo Shumjav in the round of 64 of the women’s singles tennis competition in two sets to zero.
Ammar and Yara will open the tennis doubles competition at 3 p.m. Monday, facing the Indonesian national team. 

In Taekwondo, the Saudi Arabia's Wahid Mughais was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the individual poomsae competition, after losing to Vietnam's Tran with a score of 7230 against 7490 points.
Wahid had qualified for this round by defeating the Bangladeshi Hussein Noureddine with a score of 7400 against 6460 points.
His colleague Abrar Bukhari dropped out of the competition after losing to Pakistan's Naila with a score of 7340 against 7180 points.

The Saudi under-23 football team qualified for the second round of the event in the Asian Games after defeating Vietnam 3-1 on Sunday. (Supplied)

In e-sports, Saudi Arabia's Ahmed Mujahid retired from competitions early after losing to Vietnam's Duc Hieu Trong with a score of 2-0, and losing to (Non Martinez) from Macau with the same score.
In boxing, the Kingdom's Musa Al-Hawsawi lost his match to Kyrgyzstan's Azat Usenaliev by knockout in the second round of the round of 32 competitions in the over 63-kilogram category.
Saudi rowers Sultan Al-Shali and Turki Al-Aarif ended their participation in the tournament after finishing 12th in the overall standings of the doubles competition in the (LM2x) category. The duo finished the race with a time of 6.56.63 minutes.
In handball, the Saudi handball team lost its first match to Japan with a score of 29 against 37 points. The first half of the match ended with a Japanese lead of 20-14 points.
The Greens Hand will play their second match in the tournament, when they meet the  Mongolian team at 4 p.m. on Monday.


Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League

Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League
Updated 24 September 2023
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Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League

Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League
  • Victory lifts Newcastle up to eighth and within five points of the top four

SHEFFIELD: Newcastle came close to matching the Premier League's record margin of victory as they thrashed Sheffield United 8-0 at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Eddie Howe's side ran riot with goals from Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.
The biggest winning margin in the Premier League era is 9-0, a score recorded by Manchester United against Ipswich and Southampton in 1995 and 2021 respectively.
Liverpool won 9-0 against Bournemouth last year, while Leicester managed it against Southampton in 2019.
Sheffield United's largest ever league defeat sent the Blades to the bottom of the Premier League table.
With just one point from their first six games back in the English top flight, Paul Heckingbottom's future as manager is now in doubt.
"The first-half goals we conceded were really poor, but it's the second half I'm upset with," said Heckingbottom.
"The errors that led to goals, a lot of things I'd never seen before, and there's certain things that aren't acceptable."
Newcastle had lost three of their opening five league games of the season to dampen expectations that the Saudi-backed Magpies could challenge for the title.
Howe's men had been in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday as they played out a 0-0 draw away to AC Milan.
But Newcastle showed no signs of fatigue and they exhibited their strength in depth as they became the first side in Premier League history to have eight different scorers in one match, not including own goals.
"I thought we were really good, and once the goals came the confidence returned," said Howe.
"What a response from the players in the past week."
Sheffield United had started the game brightly at an emotional Bramall Lane as tributes were paid to Maddy Cusack.
The 27-year-old, who was the longest-serving player in the club's women's side and also worked in the club's commercial department, died earlier this week.
However, the hosts fell apart as Newcastle struck three times in a 14-minute spell.
Longstaff swept home Gordon's cross before centre-backs Dan Burn and Sven Botman headed home from Kieran Trippier crosses.
Trippier had a hat-trick of assists shortly after the break as he set up Wilson.
It was 5-0 just after the hour mark when Gordon capped a scintillating display by cutting inside and curling a fine 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.
Almiron's sweet strike found the bottom corner to make it six before Guimaraes converted a loose ball in the area.
Substitute Isak completed the rout by latching on to a loose header from Tom Davies.
Victory lifts Newcastle up to eighth and within five points of the top four.


Lewandowski, Cancelo lead Barcelona to 3-2 comeback win over Celta with 3 goals in final 10 minutes

Lewandowski, Cancelo lead Barcelona to 3-2 comeback win over Celta with 3 goals in final 10 minutes
Updated 23 September 2023
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Lewandowski, Cancelo lead Barcelona to 3-2 comeback win over Celta with 3 goals in final 10 minutes

Lewandowski, Cancelo lead Barcelona to 3-2 comeback win over Celta with 3 goals in final 10 minutes
  • “It was a great fightback,” said Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández
  • “I made many mistakes, but you just have to keep focused and play until the end,” Cancelo said

BARCELONA, Spain: Robert Lewandowski scored two late goals before João Cancelo snatched the 89th-minute winner to lead Barcelona to a 3-2 comeback win over Celta Vigo at home in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Rafa Benítez was eying his first big win since returning to coaching in Spain with his team ahead 2-0 before Lewandowski struck in the 81st minute. Cancelo then set up Lewandowski to equalize in the 85th before the Portugal right back completed the turnaround.
“It was a great fightback,” said Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández, who signed a contract extension through 2025 on Friday. “It is true we were disorganized at times and didn’t make the ball flow like in other games, but the team won in faith and courage.”
Barcelona are tied on points with the surprising Girona at the top of the table after their fellow Catalan club routed Mallorca 5-3. Real Madrid are one point behind both before visiting Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Jorgen Strand Larsen put Celta ahead in the 19th and substitute Anastasios Douvikas made it 2-0 in the 76th while their five-man defense held the defending champions in check — until the final minutes.
Cancelo joined Barcelona on the final day of the transfer window on loan from Manchester City. He has made an immediate impact by giving Barcelona a versatile right back, and it was never more evident than when he joined in a last-gasp push against Celta.
After Lewandowski had given Barcelona hope by scooping a shot over goalkeeper Ivan Villar, Cancelo acted as a midfielder to provide an assist for the Poland striker to make it 2-2. His next move was to make a run through the heart of the defense where he met a lobbed pass by Gavi Páez and guided it home.
Cancelo said he was relieved to have helped his new team after having had what he called a poor performance after turning the ball over several times.
“I made many mistakes, but you just have to keep focused and play until the end,” Cancelo said. “We didn’t play well and Celta did well defending its area. But it is always better to play poorly and win, than to play well and lose.”
It was a bitter loss for Benítez, who took over Celta this summer for his first job in Spain since his short-lived stint with Real Madrid in 2015. Celta have only one win in six games under the coach that led Valencia to league titles back in 2002 and 2004.
“I think we played well for most of the game, but in that final stretch I have the feeling their last two goals were preventable,” Benítez said. “Tiredness could have played a part, but those goals can be stopped if you are well positioned. I hope this helps us grow because for 80 minutes we were superb.”
Barcelona lost midfielder Frenkie de Jong near the end of the first half. Gavi Páez replaced him. Xavi said that De Jong would undergo tests to determine the nature of the injury.

GIRONA GROWS
The undefeated Girona are the revelation of the season so far. The modest team from Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region that are partially owned by Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi ownership have won five straight games after drawing their opener.
After beating Granada 4-2 last round, they have now scored nine goals in their past two games.
“(Being at the top of the standings) is anecdotal, we are happy for the victory. Winning five in a row in the first division is not an easy task,” coach Míchel Sánchez said.
“Even more important than the results is the sensation we have, knowing that we are competing well and have a clear idea of how we want to play.”
Mallorca went ahead early through a fourth-minute penalty converted by Vedat Muriqi. But Girona roared back with goals by David López, Artem Dovbyk, Iván Martín, Yangel Herrera and Sávio before substitute Ábdon Prats reduced the deficit for Mallorca with a late brace.
Also, Sevilla drew 0-0 at Osasuna.