Toney double sends perfect Al-Ahli into knockout stages in Asia

Special Toney double sends perfect Al-Ahli into knockout stages in Asia
Ivan Toney scored twice in Al-Ahli’s 2-1 win over Al-Ain. (X/@ALAHLI_FCEN)
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Updated 25 November 2024
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Toney double sends perfect Al-Ahli into knockout stages in Asia

Toney double sends perfect Al-Ahli into knockout stages in Asia
  • Al-Ain had the better of the chances until Toney came off the bench in the second half and made the difference with two fine finishes
  • Riyad Mahrez floated over a free-kick from the left and Toney sent the perfect header into the bottom corner to give Eisa no chance

AL-AIN: Ivan Toney scored twice to give Al-Ahli a 2-1 win at Al-Ain on Monday, taking top spot in their AFC Champions League Elite group with five wins from five and a place in the knockout stages with three group games remaining. It also condemned Al-Ain, the holders of the trophy, to their fourth defeat in five matches.

Al-Ain had the better of the chances until Toney came off the bench in the second half and made the difference with two fine finishes

In the first half, Al-Ahli’s best effort came on the stroke of half-time as Roberto Firmino burst into the right side of the area only to pull his shot just wide of the near post. 

Before then Al-Ain had come closer. The dangerous Moroccan Soufiane Rahimi had forced a save from Edouard Mendy and soon after the former Chelsea goalkeeper had to get down well once more to deny Kodjo Laba.

Early in the second half, Franck Kessie drew a rare save from Khalid Eisa but it was Mendy again in action just after the hour as he had to leap high to push a header from Kouame Kouadio that was heading in.

The deadlock was broken 20 minutes from the end with a goal made in the English Premier League. Riyad Mahrez floated over a free-kick from the left and there was Toney, who had been on the pitch for just a few minutes, to send the perfect header into the bottom corner to give Eisa no chance.

It almost got worse seconds later as Firmino fired home a rocket from the edge of the area but the flag went up for offside in the build-up. It did not matter as Toney added a second with another beauty, and another top-class assist from Mahrez who curled one into the box from the right for the England striker to half-volley home.

Al-Ain pulled a goal back in the 93rd minute thanks to a thunderous strike from Kaku from the edge of the area but it was not enough to stop Al-Ain crashing to a third defeat against Saudi Arabian opposition in the space of a few weeks after losing 5-4 to Al-Hilal and then 5-1 to Al-Nassr. 

Al-Ahli, however, go marching on in Asia and with their firepower will take some stopping, and coach Matthias Jiassle told Arab News he was full of pride of his charges for their progress.

He said: “I'm very proud...this is the result of the hard work we have been doing this season in this competition. Our focus is on maintaining our high level of performance in order to extend this positive run and go as far as possible in the Champions League.”


Bellingham and Mbappe strike as Real Madrid beat Girona

Bellingham and Mbappe strike as Real Madrid beat Girona
Updated 42 sec ago
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Bellingham and Mbappe strike as Real Madrid beat Girona

Bellingham and Mbappe strike as Real Madrid beat Girona
  • Bellingham opened the scoring before half-time and set up Arda Guler for Madrid’s second, before Mbappe produced a clinical finish for their third

GIRONA, Spain: Jude Bellingham inspired champions Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Girona on Saturday in La Liga, with Kylian Mbappe also on the scoresheet.
Los Blancos cut the gap on league leaders Barcelona to two points after the Catalans drew 2-2 at Real Betis, with Madrid having played one fewer match.
Bellingham opened the scoring before half-time and set up Arda Guler for Madrid’s second, before Mbappe produced a clinical finish for their third.
Both Bellingham and defender Ferland Mendy were replaced with apparent knocks in the second half, adding to Madrid’s injury concerns ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Atalanta.
With Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo sidelined, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti selected Bellingham and Brahim Diaz in support of Mbappe.
The French forward has been the focus of criticism in recent weeks and recently missed two penalties for Madrid, struggling to find the form which made him a star with Paris Saint-Germain and his country.
Girona, who ran Madrid close for the Spanish title for much of last season before eventually finishing third, started the stronger and Bryan Gil fired wide, with Donny van de Beek lashing over.
Madrid settled into the game and, keeping the hosts at arm’s length, began to create chances of their own.
Paulo Gazzaniga saved Brahim Diaz’s fierce drive from the edge of the box as the champions clicked into gear.
Bellingham broke the deadlock after 36 minutes when Diaz’s cross was blocked and the ball fell kindly to the England international, who fired home through a crowd of players.
After a quiet first half, early in the second Mbappe broke through and fired wide, although the striker had handled the ball to control it and if he had scored it would not have stood.
Madrid kept pushing and Gazzaniga saved well from Aurelien Tchouameni’s header from Luka Modric’s free-kick.
Los Blancos got their second in the 55th minute when Bellingham threaded through a fine pass for Guler, who rolled the ball home.
Bellingham hobbled off after sustaining an apparent knock in a challenge before Mbappe rattled home Madrid’s third.
After Thibaut Courtois saved well from Yaser Asprilla, Madrid burst forward on the counter-attack.
Modric sprang the French forward, who finished with aplomb from a tight angle on the right side of the area, across Gazzaniga into the bottom corner.
Madrid beat Girona 3-0 at Montilivi and 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last season and this victory was another which showed their superiority over the Catalan minnows.
Ancelotti will hope they can carry some momentum into the vital Champions League visit to Atalanta, for which Vinicius is expected to return from injury.
Girona, eighth in La Liga after a poor start to the season exacerbated by a host of injuries, welcome Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.


Al-Hilal leave it late in spectacular win

Al-Hilal leave it late in spectacular win
Updated 08 December 2024
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Al-Hilal leave it late in spectacular win

Al-Hilal leave it late in spectacular win
  • The visitors ensured that Al-Hilal endured a frustrating evening at home
  • The champions and their fans were shocked in the seventh minute as Karim El Berkaoui put the visitors ahead

RIYADH: Al-Hilal defeated Al-Raed 3-2 on Saturday despite being a goal down with 88 minutes on the clock.
The late, late show in Riyadh means that Jorge Jesus and his men are just two points behind leaders Al-Ittihad as the Saudi Pro League takes a month’s break.
If thoughts had strayed to Real Madrid after the draw for the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday, the visitors ensured that Al-Hilal endured a frustrating evening at home, in a game that they dominated but were unable to make that superiority count — until the 114th minute.
The champions and their fans were shocked in the seventh minute as Karim El Berkaoui put the visitors ahead. It was a well-worked goal.
Mohammed Al-Dossari fired a low cross in from the right, and there was the Moroccan to get in front of Hassan Tambakti to steer the ball past Yassine Bounou. It was to be their last attempt on target for the next 70 minutes.
The hosts pushed for the equalizer but had to wait until just before the break to get back on level terms. It was a goal worth waiting for, however. Malcom looked up just outside the area and chipped over a perfect cross towards the far post for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. There was still work for the Serbian midfielder to do but his looping header was perfect, flying over the goalkeeper into the opposite top corner of the Al-Raed goal.
Al-Hilal continued to lay siege to the goal but just couldn’t find a way through and then, incredibly, Al-Raed restored their lead with 12 minutes remaining. Yahya Sunbul burst into the right side of the area and then shot across the diving Bounou to find the target and stun the home crowd once more.
Al-Hilal drew level once more with two minutes of normal time remaining thanks to Marcos Leonardo, who headed a Joao Cancelo cross emphatically home.
Still the hosts came forward and the winning goal came in the 114th minute, with defender Ali Al-Bulaihi sending the fans wild as he headed home a corner.
Earlier in the day, Gini Wijnaldum relieved the pressure on Steven Gerrard as the former Liverpool midfielder scored the decisive goal in Ettifaq’s 2-1 win, a first in 10 league games.
Al-Ahli beat Al-Taawoun 4-2 to move into fifth.


Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat

Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat
Updated 07 December 2024
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Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat

Forest condemn Amorim’s Man Utd to second straight defeat
  • United were rocked again at the start of the second half by Morgan Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood made it 3-1
  • Bruno Fernandes struck a fine shot from just outside the box to give United hope

MANCHESTER: Nottingham Forest condemned Manchester United to their second straight Premier League defeat on Saturday, beating Ruben Amorim’s men 3-2 at Old Trafford.
The visitors took the lead in the second minute through Nikola Milenkovic but Rasmus Hojlund levelled.
United were rocked again at the start of the second half by Morgan Gibbs-White, and Chris Wood made it 3-1.
Bruno Fernandes struck a fine shot from just outside the box to give United hope just after the hour mark but it was not enough.
Amorim started his United reign last month with a draw followed by two wins but predicted the club would “suffer for a long time” as he battled to improve their fortunes.
Reality is now starting to bite after a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in midweek followed by the Forest reverse at home.
Milenkovic left United goalkeeper Andre Onana rooted to the spot in the second minute, powering home a header from a corner — the third straight goal United had conceded from a corner.
The home side were level in the 18th minute after Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels could only parry Alejandro Garnacho’s shot and Hojlund steered home.
Forest made another lighting start to the second half, when Gibbs-White let fly with a swerving shot from distance that beat Onana.
Forest extended their lead in the 54th minute when Wood took advantage of more uncertainty in the United defense to head home.
Fernandes pulled one back after patient play from Amad Diallo, who laid it off to the United captain, who whipped it into the back of the net.
The win lifts Forest to fifth in the Premier League table but United are languishing in 13th spot and Amorim is facing a huge task.


Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International
Updated 07 December 2024
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Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International
  • American 20-year-old Caleb Surratt and Cameron Smith of Australia push Niemann all the way in thrilling finale at Riyadh Golf Club

RIYADH: Chile’s Joaquin Niemann produced a masterclass of golf under the highest pressure to scoop the $1 million winner’s prize in the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers tournament on Saturday for his second win in the Kingdom this year.

Niemann needed two holes of a play-off to secure the title when he birdied the 396-yard par four 18th for the second time in a row while Caleb Surratt, from 10 feet, and Cameron Smith, from seven, both narrowly missed their putts for a three. The trio had all birdied the first play-off hole, also the 18th, minutes earlier.

The play-off win, which follows his triumph in the LIV Series Jeddah event in March, also secured the The International Series Rankings first prize for the 26-year-old Niemann from Santiago, whose magical chip from light rough to three feet finally secured this important victory.

Surratt, 20, who was chasing his first professional victory and shot a final-round 66, ensured it was no easy cruise for Niemann, who converted six birdies in his final round 67 for a four-round 21-below par total of 263.

However, both Surratt and Niemann surprisingly bogeyed their 72nd hole, the 18th, to allow Smith into a play-off following the Australian’s best-of-the-day 62 earlier on Saturday.

Smith, the 2022 Open Champion, had earlier written off his chances of being in the final mix when he spoke to media, but had not reckoned on uncharacheristic errors on the final hole by the leading duo, which saw Surratt’s tee shot finding water and Niemann’s drive landing in thick rough.

After the drama, champion Niemann praised Golf Saudi, the organizers of the event and responsible for the growth in popularity of the sport in the Kingdom, which produced a record five local players in this year’s event.

Niemann said: “I’m seeing golf developing here in Saudi Arabia thanks to Golf Saudi and it’s great to see them taking the game to the next level here. I’m delighted to be part of that and seeing kids here, too, watching us play is a good sign for a bright future.”

Meanwhile, Peter Uihlein had started the day in pole position to finish The International Series Rankings in top spot but the sure touch that had earned him victory in the previous event in Qatar and had taken him into contention after three rounds here completely deserted him when it mattered most on Saturday.

The American dropped three strokes after the turn, suffering a disastrous double bogey six at the 11th having bogeyed the previous hole, and tumbled to joint 29th overall after a three-over 74, 13 under par overall.

It left him second behind Niemann in The International Series Rankings with New Zealander Ben Campbell in third place following his fourth position in Riyadh thanks to a closing 64 for 20 under par overall.

John Catlin, another American, was also in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the event for finishing top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, which he had secured prior to this tournament where he finished joint 34th at 12 under par following a closing round of 65.

The leading Arab finisher was amateur Adam Bresnu of Morocco, who strung together highly creditable rounds of 66, 68, 67 and 66 to finish at 17 under overall for a share of sixth place.


Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis

Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis
Updated 07 December 2024
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Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis

Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis
  • Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty

BARCELONA: Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday.
Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty following a video review when Betis forward Vitor Roque fell in the area following a brush with Frenkie de Jong.
Giovani Lo Celso converted the 66th-minute penalty to level the score after Robert Lewandowski put the visitors ahead in the 38th.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored from a pass by Lamine Yamal to put Barcelona back in front in the 82nd, but Assane Diao struck in injury time to secure the draw for Betis.
Barcelona have dropped points in four of the last five rounds. The league leader are five points ahead of Real Madrid, which has two games in hand.