Football

Manchester City battle back to advance in Champions League, PSG also reach knockouts

City finished 22nd but relief turns to the realisation that its playoff round opponent will be either Madrid or Bayern, which slotted into the bracket possibilities in, respectively, 11th and 12th place Geneva: Manchester City stayed in the Champions League, barely. Paris Saint-Germain saved its elite status in style. Both had risked embarrassing exits before winning on Wednesday, grateful to be among the 24 teams in the knockout stage. In the new playoffs-round draw on Friday, they will also find defending champion Real Madrid or Bayern Munich who finished in mid-table after the 36-team standings was finalized. City flirted with a disaster before rallying to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in a must-win game. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, and then sitting 26th…

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ISL 2024-25: NorthEast United FC hammer Hyderabad FC 4-1

Hyderabad FC did pose some threat in the second half with Manoj Mohammed pulling a goal back, but it wasn’t enough as Asheer Akhtar and Mohammed Bemammer scored late goals to seal maximum points at home Guwahati: NorthEast United FC completed the league double over Hyderabad FC with a 4-1 victory in their Indian Super League match here on Wednesday. The Highlanders scored early courtesy through a goal from Guillermo Fernandez while Alaaeddine Ajaraei extended the lead at the stroke of half-time with a fantastic free-kick. Hyderabad FC did pose some threat in the second half with Manoj Mohammed pulling a goal back, but it wasn’t enough as Asheer Akhtar and Mohammed Bemammer scored late goals to seal maximum points at…

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Tottenham’s struggle continue as Leicester complete stunning comeback

Spurs’ last win in the league came against Southampton on December 16 and the North London side has since earned only one point, a 2-2 draw against Wolves, in seven league outings London: Tottenham Hotspur succumbed to a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat against Leicester City at the Tottenham Stadium on Sunday as pressure on Ange Postecoglou increases. Spurs’ last win in the league came against Southampton on December 16 and the North London side has since earned only one point, a 2-2 draw against Wolves, in seven league outings. This run-in has brought the side to 15th position in the table. After an energetic opening third of the game, on his first Premier League start this season, Richarlison headed in…

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ISL 2024-25: Sunil Chhetri’s goal rescues a point for Bengaluru FC against Hyderabad FC

Devendra Murgaonkar’s (21′) first-half strike was neutralised by Chhetri (78′) in the second essay of the match Hyderabad: The great Sunil Chhetri scored his 10th goal of the season to help Bengaluru FC share the spoils with Hyderabad FC following a 1-1 stalemate in their Indian Super League match here on Saturday. Devendra Murgaonkar’s (21′) first-half strike was neutralised by Chhetri (78′) in the second essay of the match. Chhetri, 40, touched the 10-goal mark for the second time in his ISL career, after having netted 14 times in the 2017-18 campaign. Bengaluru FC held 62.4% of the possession, but had a solitary shot on target, which Chhetri converted to get them a point out of this match. The opening phase of the game was…

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ISL: Eze equaliser helps Jamshedpur FC draw with Mohun Bagan

The 1-1 draw in ISL helps ‘Men of Steel’ move to second spot, eight points behind the Mariners (36), with an extra game in hand Jamshedpur: Hosts Jamshedpur FC and table-toppers Mohun Bagan Super Giant shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in their Indian Super League match here on Friday.The league leaders took the lead in the first half courtesy of a goal from Subhasish Bose whereas Jamshedpur FC clawed their way into the game when Stephen Eze found the equaliser at the hour mark. With this draw, the Men of Steel moved to the second spot, eight points behind the Mariners (36) with an extra game in hand. The contest started with a great rhythm, with both teams trying…

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Leverkusen overpowers Dortmund in Bundesliga five-goal thriller

The Werkself wasted no time breaking the deadlock, capitalizing on Dortmund’s failure to clear the ball from the area. Robert Andrich set up Nathan Tella, who struck a powerful shot into the top left corner from the edge of the box, Xinhua reported. Berlin: Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen closed the gap on leader Bayern Munich after defeating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the 16th round of the Bundesliga on Friday. The Werkself needed just one minute to break the deadlock when Dortmund failed to clear the ball out of the area, allowing Robert Andrich to set up Nathan Tella, who fired into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the box, reported Xinhua Leverkusen doubled its lead seven minutes later when Piero…

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I-League 2024-25: Castaneda’s hat-trick sparks stunning comeback for Sreenidi Deccan

The Deccan Warriors overcame a daunting 3-0 deficit, with Castaneda leading the charge Hyderabad: Forward David Castaneda’s hat-trick inspired Sreenidi Deccan FC to a remarkable comeback, securing a thrilling 4-3 victory over Aizawl FC in Round 7 of the I-League 2024-25 at the RG Stadium in Aizawl on Thursday. The Deccan Warriors overcame a daunting 3-0 deficit, with Castaneda leading the charge. Head Coach Rui Amorim made two changes to the starting eleven, bringing in Lalchungnunga and Lalnuntluanga in place of Brandon and Ajay Chhetri, respectively. The Deccan Warriors started the game positively and created several chances but were unable to convert. In the 21st minute, Castaneda earned a penalty after being brought down inside the box. However, the Colombian forward missed his spot-kick, failing…

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Legendary France coach Deschamps to step down after 2026 World Cup

Deschamps is one of only three people in football history to have won the World Cup as both a player and a coach Paris: Didier Deschamps announced Wednesday that he won’t continue as France coach after the next World Cup, bringing an end to an era in which he became the nation’s most successful manager over more than a decade. The 56-year-old Deschamps said in an interview with broadcaster TF1 that he will leave when his contract expires in the summer of 2026. “I’ve been here since 2012, I’m scheduled to be here until 2026, the next World Cup, but that’s where it’s going to end because it has to end at some point,” Deschamps said. “I did my time, with the same desire…

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ISL 2024-25: Hyderabad FC score late to earn a point against FC Goa

Miranda (90+1′) scored the late equaliser for Hyderabad after Armando Sadiku (52′) put the home team ahead Margao: Hyderabad FC snatched a late point against FC Goa after Allan de Souza Miranda’s injury-time equaliser in an Indian Super League match in which both teams were reduced to 10 men here on Wednesday. In a game of equal possession at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Gaurs created several chances, taking five shots on target, and would have hoped for a finer finishing that could have pushed them to gain a stronger grip in the contest. Miranda (90+1′) scored the late equaliser for Hyderabad after Armando Sadiku (52′) put the home team ahead. Sadiku pulled off a cheeky effort off the back heel of his…

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West Bengal honours Santosh Trophy winners with police jobs

Head coach Sanjoy Sen reflected on the journey to the title, singling out honesty and dedication as the keys to success Kolkata: The Santosh Trophy-winning Bengal footballers have been appointed as assistant sub-inspectors in the Kolkata Police, state sports minister Aroop Biswas announced during a felicitation ceremony here on Wednesday. Bengal extended their dominance in the national championship by clinching their record 33rd title, defeating Kerala 1-0 in a thrilling final in Hyderabad on New Year’s Eve. Following their triumphant return to the city, the West Bengal government rewarded the entire squad with Rs 50 lakh and promised jobs to all 22 members. “Today, their jobs have been finalised, and I proudly announce that the 22 ‘warriors’ of Bengal have been appointed…

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