International Football Thread

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Real Madrid outclass Pachuca to win Intercontinental Cup​

DOHA: Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior both scored as Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 victory over Mexican side

 

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ‘pretty worried’ over injured Saka​

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted he was “pretty worried” over an injury suffered by star winger Bukayo..

 

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Van Dijk says ‘no deadline’ on deciding Liverpool future​

LONDON: Virgil van Dijk says there is “no deadline” regarding his contract situation as the clock ticks down to the..

 

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Liverpool go seven points clear but Slot says ‘too early’ for title talk​

Salah grabs 19th goal this term with trademark finish to wrap up Liverpool’s 11th win in last 13 games.

 

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Guardiola won’t quit troubled Man City​

LONDON: Pep Guardiola insists he will not walk out on troubled Manchester City as he strives to stop the champions’

 

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Arsenal climb to second with victory over Ipswich​

The lack of a clinical goalscorer may ultimately cost Mikel Arteta’s men a first league title in more than 20 years.

 

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Atalanta snatch late draw at Lazio to hold Serie A lead​

ROME: Atalanta kept hold of top spot in Serie A on Saturday after escaping Lazio with a 1-1 draw which kept Inter..

 

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Liverpool’s Gomez faces spell out with hamstring injury​

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez faces a spell on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in their 5-0...

 

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Newcastle manager Howe hails defensive improvement after win at Man United​

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe said his side’s winning run was built on defensive improvement after they claimed a fourth straight Premier League victory with a 2-0 win at Manchester United on Monday.

Newcastle have conceded just once in their last five games in all competitions, with four successive clean sheets in the league helping them climb to fifth.

“Early in the season we were on the other end of it by conceding early goals and it makes such a difference,” Howe told the BBC.

“We gave ourselves mountains to climb at times, particularly on the road, and it is great to reverse it the last few games. “Those goals have helped with momentum and confidence and from that point we have never looked back.”

Howe marked out goalkeeper Martin Dubravka for praise but said the whole side had helped deliver the clean sheet. “Really pleased for Martin and the back line, the whole team really, for the clean sheet,” he added.

 

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Chelsea’s title hopes rocked, United end miserable month with loss at home​

Maresca’s prediction looks spot on after Suffolk result leaves Chelsea in fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool.

 

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This season is turning out to be a suprise.

 

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Chelsea’s title hopes rocked, United end miserable month with loss at home​

Agencies
January 1, 2025

MANCHESTER: Newcastle United’s Joelinton (L) scores past Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana during their Premier League match at Old Trafford. — Reuters


IPSWICH: Enzo Maresca admitted Chelsea should not think about challenging for the Premier League title after lowly Ipswich beat the Blues 2-0 at Portman Road on Monday while Newcastle United beat Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford, an ugly culmination of one of the most miserable months in the home side’s recent memory.

Maresca’s side were rocked by Liam Delap’s early penalty and a second-half goal from former Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson.

Chelsea’s second successive defeat after their Boxing Day loss against Fulham left them without a win in their last three matches.

The west Londoners had emerged as surprise title contenders after an eight-match winning run in all competitions.

But Maresca had insisted throughout that spell that Chelsea’s inexperienced squad do not have what it takes to win the title in his first season after arriving from Leicester City.

And the Italian’s prediction looks spot on after a shock result in Suffolk that leaves Chelsea in fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

“We focus game by game. We are not focused on title race or those things,” Maresca said.

“It was a strange game. We had many chances but we could do many things better, defend better in some moments.

“Now we’ve finished the first part of the season, no one expected us to be where we are. It’s a long race.”

 

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Third-bottom Ipswich climb within one point of safety after winning for the second time in their last four matches.

Kieran McKenna’s side have renewed belief they can avoid relegation back to the Championship thanks to their first top-flight home win in 22 years.

“Special night for the club. First home win in the Premier League at Portman Road for 22 years and to do it against Chelsea was fantastic,” McKenna said.

“Most of the supporters who have been here for 22 years, every moment here is a landmark for them. Winning the home game is another special little landmark. But I think the time of year, the night game, the opponent make this a special night and I want everyone to enjoy it a lot.”

Meanwhile, Alexander Isak and Joelinton scored one goal each for Newcastle to hand Manchester United their fifth loss in last six league games.

The result left United languishing on 14th in the standings with 19 points, their worst placing to end a calendar year since they were 15th in 1989. Newcastle are fifth on 32 points.

“One of the more difficult moments in the history of Manchester United,” said manager Ruben Amorim, who called the team’s position in the table embarrassing. “It’s a very difficult moment, but we have to fight to win the next game.”

Isak got the visitors on the scoresheet in the fourth minute when he leapt to head home a pinpoint cross from Lewis Hall with both Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez failing to pick him up.

It was the 11th goal in 11 games for Isak, who has scored more Premier League goals in December than any other player with eight.

Newcastle doubled their lead in the 19th minute in near carbon copy fashion with Anthony Gordon sending in a cross that Joelinton headed in.

The win marked Newcastle’s second victory at Old Trafford in 40 league visits, dating back to 1972.

“We know the hurt this fixture has had for us historically, it wasn’t lost on us,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said. “We didn’t necessarily use that with the players, but it was a big step forward for us today. I think we need to win games like this to achieve what we want on a regular basis.”

It is also the first time since 1979 that Manchester United have lost three consecutive league games at home. Their 18 goals conceded in all competitions in December is their most in a single month since March 1964 (also 18).

Amorim also conceded that the threat of relegation is a reality that United is facing at the moment.

“I think (relegation) is a possibility and we have to be clear with our fans. We have to change something but this season will be really hard on everybody,” Amorim said.

In Monday’s other fixture, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tariq Lamptey drove home a late equaliser to earn his side a point in a lively 2-2 draw at Aston Villa.

Simon Adingra put Brighton ahead but Villa staged a comeback with an Ollie Watkins penalty and a Morgan Rogers effort just after the interval. Still the Seagulls deservedly left with a share of the spoils.

Lamptey was played in by Joao Pedro’s clever flick and volleyed home first-time in the 81st minute.

Villa remained in ninth place with 29 points from 19 games with Brighton’s second draw of the festive period leaving them two points behind in 10th spot.

 

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Milan thrash Inter in Italian SuperCup final​

Tammy Abraham scored late goal in a dramatic 3-2 victory

Reuters
January 08, 2025

AC Milan's Davide Calabria lifts the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Italian Super Cup. Photo: REUTERS

RIYADH: A goal in added time from Tammy Abraham completed a stunning comeback for AC Milan who won the Italian Super Cup with a dramatic 3-2 victory over city rivals Inter Milan in Monday's final in Riyadh after going two goals down early in the game.

The win denied Inter what would have been an unprecedented fourth consecutive Super Cup trophy, and allowed Milan to equal Inter's haul of eight wins in the competition, with new manager Serge Conceicao lifting a trophy in his second game in charge.

The game was preceded by a spectacular light show at the King Saud University Stadium but the match only really sparked into life in the final seconds of the opening half.

Mehdi Taremi teed up Lautaro Martinez with a pass across the box and the forward used some neat footwork to deceive Malick Thiaw before firing a low shot through the legs of Theo Hernandez which beat Mike Maignan at his near post.

Two minutes after the interval Inter continued where they had left off. Stefan de Vrij played a long ball over the top which Taremi controlled beautifully and he drilled his shot into the bottom corner to double their advantage.

Milan responded by sending on Rafael Leao, who immediately won a free kick just outside the area which Hernandez curled low around the wall and the ball crept just inside the post to re-open the tie.

A rejuvenated Milan pushed for an equaliser. Tijjani Reijnders had a shot blocked by the face of Alessandro Bastoni and Inter keeper Yann Sommer pulled off a fine save from an Alvaro Morata header.

Inter then had a chance to restore their two-goal advantage, but Carlos Augusto's header from close range came off the upright and into the arms of Maignan on the goal-line, but Milan found the equaliser with 10 minutes remaining.

Christian Pulisic, surrounded by three Inter players, controlled a cross from Hernandez and steered his shot into the far corner and it looked like the tie would be decided by a shootout, with no extra time to be played.

Milan, however, continued to press and they were rewarded when Leao pulled the ball back across the goal and Abraham, another substitute, was there for the simplest of tap-ins to break Inter hearts. REUTERS

 

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Manchester City Thrash Salford 8-0, Liverpool Cruise into FA Cup 4th Round​

Chelsea won comfortably, but Brentford became the only Premier League team to be defeated by lower-league opposition.


News Desk
January 12, 2025

Manchester City's Divin Mubama in action with Salford City's Curtis Tilt . Photo: Reuters


Manchester City obliterated Salford's former Manchester United star owners with an 8-0 FA Cup rout on Saturday, while Liverpool eased into the fourth round with a dominant 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley.

Chelsea were among the other major victors, thrashing Morecambe 5-0.

Brentford, however, became the only Premier League side to fall to lower-league opposition, as Plymouth, who are at the bottom of the Championship, stunned the Bees 1-0 thanks to a late winner from Morgan Whittaker.

League Two club Salford, who have risen through the non-league ranks since the investment of David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Nicky Butt in 2014, were left disappointed.

Scholes, Butt, and director of football Giggs were at the Etihad but were denied a night to rival their best moments from their time at Old Trafford.

Pep Guardiola made significant changes to his squad, resting Erling Haaland for the game.

Jeremy Doku opened the scoring after just eight minutes, and youngsters Divin Mubama and Nico O'Reilly made it 3-0 before halftime. Jack Grealish scored his first City goal in over a year from the penalty spot, with Doku adding another from the spot.

James McAtee, who had previously only scored once for City, stole the show with a 20-minute second-half hat-trick, earning man-of-the-match honors. "I've been here since I was 10, and it's a special moment for me. Something I'll remember forever," said McAtee.