Mohun Bagan Super Giant stretched their dominance over archrivals East Bengal SC in the Kolkata Derby with a 1-0 win in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Saturday. Jamie Maclaren scored the fastest goal of the Kolkata Derby in ISL and it was enough for the reigning champions to see out their archrivals, whilst going eight points clear (35) at the top of the table, compared to the second-placed Bengaluru FC (27). The Mariners have now won nine times and drawn once in their 10 Kolkata Derby clashes against East Bengal FC in the ISL. The Mariners started the game strongly as Maclaren handed them the early lead in the second minute. The East Bengal FC backline were caught off-guard as Asish Rai’s long ball found Maclaren in space. After receiving the ball, he lost his marker and slotted it past an onrushing Prabhsukhan Gill without any difficulty. Around the sixth-minute mark, it was East Bengal FC’s turn to attack and they did get two great opportunities to equalise through PV Vishnu and Cleiton Silva. But, both the players weren’t clinical enough as they saw their attempts get blocked. In the 21st minute, the Mariners almost doubled their lead when Maclaren found Manvir Singh with a telling cross. However, the latter’s shot was straight at Gill with the entire goal found gaping. East Bengal FC gained a lot of momentum as the first half came to a close with the likes of Jeakson Singh, Vishnu, and Cleiton getting on the ball in the final third and creating problems for the Mohun Bagan Super Giant backline. However, they weren’t clinical enough to end the first half on level terms. The second half was extremely cagey with the Mariners enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but they weren’t able to break down East Bengal FC’s resolute defence. Whereas, Oscar Bruzon’s men were looking to hit the Mariners with their gritty counter-attacks. But there weren’t many chances of note in the first quarter of the second half. Things took a drastic turn in the 64th minute when Souvik Chakrabarti brought down Liston Colaco near the penalty area, only to receive his second yellow card followed by subsequent marching orders. Down one goal, East Bengal FC were now chasing the game with 10 men. As a retaliation, Bruzon brought on Naorem Mahesh Singh in place of David Lalhlansanga with the hope of solidifying the midfield. In the 75th minute, Jose Molina freshened things up as he replaced Jason Cummings with Greg Stewart. He almost made an immediate impact when he released Liston on the left flank, but his subsequent effort was blocked by Gill. Just like in the first half, East Bengal FC were on the ascendancy for the final ten minutes in the second half and therefore the likes of Dimitrios Petratos and Deepak Tangri came on late in the game with the hope of closing out the match. The Red & Golds threw bodies forward in the final few minutes of the game but they lacked quality in the final third to break through the defence of the Mariners as they continued their near-perfect record in the fixture. 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
12 January,2025 12:26 PM IST | Guwahati | IANSMohammedan SC defeated Bengaluru FC by 1-0 to grab hold of their second victory of the current season in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Saturday evening. A late free-kick by Mirjalol Kasimov sealed the deal for the visitors, as the Blues fell for their fourth loss of the season. Bengaluru FC were the ones seeking the first forays inside the opposition’s box. Their initial attacking move saw Alberto Noguera pulling off a right-footed shot from the centre of the box through a delivery that he received through a headed pass from Rahul Bheke in the third minute. The effort was blocked but the Blues had laid the foundation for their offensive endeavours. Ten minutes later, Jorge Pereyra Diaz was at the receiving end of a cross from Noguera, but the marksman headed it off target, too high to the goal. Immediately afterwards, Diaz spearheaded another attacking effort, laying out a pass for Ryan Williams, whose shot was saved at the centre of the goal. Bengaluru FC were teasing the Mohammedan SC defence from wider areas, stretching the defence and putting in lateral deliveries, but were unable to convert them. Seven minutes before the half-time whistle, Noguera’s corner kick was met well by Chinglensana Singh, whose headed shot ended up high and wide on the left of the goal. Williams sent in another cross four minutes later, this time for Rahul Bheke, who received it at the centre of the box and headed it in the middle of the goal, only to be saved by Mohammedan SC goalkeeper Padam Chhetri. The second half began with Alexis Gomez assuming charge for Mohammedan SC. His thunderous effort from outside of the box smashed off the left post in the 49th minute, presenting the visitors’ most glaring opportunity of the evening thus far. Zodingliana Ralte found Franca in ample space outside the box in the 56th minute. Franca grabbed the opportunity, shooting the ball fiercely, but was saved at the top centre of the goal by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Diaz and Noguera joined hands just before the 70th-minute mark to breach the Mohammedan SC’s defensive third. Noguera supplied a straightforward pass that the striker couldn’t bury inside the net, with a vigilant Mohammedan SC backline collectively ensuring that it was blocked beforehand. Mohammedan SC’s eventual moment of glory came in the 88th minute, courtesy of an individual moment of brilliance by Mirjalol Kasimov. Franca’s relentlessness upfront paid off with him making the visitors earn a free-kick in the attacking half. Kasimov stepped up for the duties, producing a peach of an effort with his right foot to rattle the top left corner to break the deadlock and bag Mohammedan SC’s long-south second victory. 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
12 January,2025 12:26 PM IST | Bengaluru | IANSFor the third year in a row, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to face off in the Supercopa de Espana (Super Cup) final, delivering another high-stakes El Clasico. The clash will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, as per Olympics.com. Barcelona secured their spot in the final with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the first semi-final on Wednesday. Real Madrid followed suit on Thursday, defeating Mallorca in a dominant 3-0 performance to set up the much-anticipated showdown. The Supercopa de Espana, organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), is an annual competition that marks the start of the Spanish football season. Under its current format, the tournament features four teams competing in a semi-final and final structure. The participants include the La Liga champions, Copa del Rey winners, and runners-up from both competitions (provided they are not the same teams). This year, Real Madrid entered the tournament as reigning La Liga champions, while Barcelona qualified as La Liga runners-up. Athletic Bilbao earned their place by winning last year's Copa del Rey, overcoming Mallorca in the final. As one of Spain's most prestigious football tournaments, the Supercopa offers teams the chance to secure the season's first trophy. Both finalists have a rich history in the competition. Barcelona holds the record with 14 Supercopa titles, narrowly edging out Real Madrid, who have 13 to their name. Last year, Real Madrid clinched the title with a convincing 4-1 victory, while Barcelona emerged victorious the year before with a 3-1 win over their eternal rivals. This season, Real Madrid leads the La Liga standings with 43 points from 19 matches, while Barcelona sits third with 38 points from an equal number of games. With silverware and bragging rights on the line, this El Clasico promises to be yet another thrilling chapter in one of football's greatest rivalries. 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
12 January,2025 12:25 PM IST | Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) | mid-day online correspondentEverton hired David Moyes for a second stint as manager at the Premier League club on Saturday. Moyes replaces Sean Dyche, who was fired on Thursday with the team just one point above relegation zone. The 61-year-old Moyes managed Everton from 2002-13, during which he led the Merseyside club to the 2009 FA Cup final and four European campaigns. “It’s great to be back,” Moyes 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
12 January,2025 08:20 AM IST | Liverpool | AP | PTITrent Alexander-Arnold’s stunning strike lit up Liverpool’s 4-0 win over League Two Accrington Stanley to cruise into the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. The England international was named captain in the absence of Virgil van Dijk in a much-changed side named by Arne Slot and led by example after being criticised for his display in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United last weekend. Slot made eight changes after suffering just his second defeat in charge of the Reds in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg against Tottenham. The Dutchman had warned the Premier League leaders that a trip to Anfield would be Accrington’s “Champions League final.” Diogo Jota was left with a simple task to tap in from Darwin Nunez’s low cross to open the floodgates. Alexander-Arnold then doubled the lead with a hit into the top corner from outside the box. Jayden Danns made most of just his second appearance of the season to fire 14 minutes from time. 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
12 January,2025 08:20 AM IST | Liverpool | AFPTitle holders Mumbai City FC will look to regain their footing at home when they face Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League here on Sunday. The Islanders are determined to recover from a home defeat to avoid back-to-back losses at the Mumbai Football Arena for the first time since early 2023. ISL Live TodayMumbai v Jamshedpur: Sports 18 1, HD & Jiocinema app, 19:30 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
12 January,2025 08:18 AM IST | Mumbai | PTILiverpool boss Arne Slot slammed the controversial decision not to send off Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall before the teenager sealed a 1-0 win in the English Football League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Slot was furious that Bergvall avoided a second booking after tripping Kostas Tsimikas with a sliding tackle. Tsimikas was forced off the pitch following the challenge but referee Stuart Attwell opted to give Liverpool the chance to counter-attack. When Liverpool lost possession just seconds later, Tottenham took advantage by breaking into the space vacated by Tsimikas to score the 86th minute winner. Dominic Solanke’s pass was converted by Bergvall for the 18-year-old’s first Tottenham goal. Also Read: Bentancur ‘all good’ after head injury Liverpool’s Arne Slot is livid But a fuming Slot said: “The decision made had a lot of impact on the result tonight. “The fourth official told me why he thought it wasn’t a second yellow and he heard that probably from the referee. “What we can say about it is that he said he didn’t stop the counter-attack, every manager would say they prefer the second yellow than a free-kick. “Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions that happened (against Newcastle) on Sunday. Maybe today a decision went in favour of them, which is of course very unlucky for us.” Inevitably, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou saw the incident differently. Asked if Bergvall was lucky to avoid a red card, Postecoglou said: “Great question, no he wasn’t. It’s happened to us consistently, you look at our games, and we’ve asked the officials and they’ve said if you play advantage, as long as it’s not a cynical tackle, then yellow card doesn’t get shown. Now to me, that was pretty clear.” It was a cathartic victory for Postecoglou, who has been under fire from frustrated fans throughout a turbulent season. Injury-hit Tottenham are languishing in 12th place in the Premier League. Postecoglou, who saw his injury problems mount when Rodrigo Bentancur was taken to hospital with a head injury suffered in the first half, admitted it was a relief to see his side win. “Very proud. We had to deal with some adversity again. We had to compose ourselves,” said Postecoglou. 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
10 January,2025 08:28 AM IST | London | AFPTottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur declared himself ‘all good’ after being carried off on a stretcher during the League Cup semi-final against Liverpool.Bentancur fell to the ground as a corner was being taken and was treated by medical staff as he lay face down on the turf on Wednesday. After Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final, manager Ange Postecoglou said the Uruguay international was conscious and taken to hospital. Also Read: West Ham hire ex-Chelsea boss Potter Bentancur, 27, later posted a picture on Instagram with his thumb up and a note that read, “All good, guys! Thank you for the messages!!!”Why he was taken to hospital was not disclosed. Bentancur tried to head a ball in the sixth minute and remained face down on the ground, with players looking concerned when the midfielder failed to get up. 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
10 January,2025 08:23 AM IST | London | AP | PTIWest Ham hired Graham Potter as their new head coach on Thursday, a day after Julen Lopetegui was fired. Potter has been out of management since he was sacked by Chelsea in 2023 after just seven months in the job at Stamford Bridge. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. Also Read: Baby Bazooka wins Madras Race Club Trophy “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining,” he said. Potter takes over a team that has won only three of its last 11 games and is 14th in the standings. 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
10 January,2025 08:20 AM IST | London | AP | PTIA young Newcastle United fan, affectionately dubbed 'Sammy' on social media, has found himself at the centre of a somewhat hilarious situation after skipping school for a football match that is now etched into the school register. Sammy, who reportedly 'missed school' to witness Newcastle’s 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg triumph over Arsenal, was caught on live TV celebrating with infectious enthusiasm as his team secured their first away victory at the Emirates Stadium since 2010. The win, made possible by a clinical performance from Alexander Isak (who bagged his 10th goal in 9 games), was a textbook defensive display from the Magpies, as they held Arsenal at arm’s length despite being peppered with 23 shots. Sammy, however, was far more interested in celebrating the result than worrying about his attendance record. Memories to last a lifetime. Be like Sammy. #NUFC pic.twitter.com/eA4s5kTUWP — Newcastle United Supporters’ Club (@Nusc2023) January 8, 2025 Following the match, the Away Day Tours Facebook page shared a snapshot of Sammy caught mid-celebration on television, with a cheeky caption that quickly grabbed the attention of fans online. It read: "This young lad was caught out on live TV last night celebrating Newcastle's win over Arsenal. He had missed school that day, leading the family to receive the below email. A memory like last night will last a lifetime. I don’t think he’ll be too upset. It was a geography trip!" The post also included a screenshot of the email from Sammy's school, which stated: "Dear Parents, just to let you know that Sammy's absence from Tuesday, 7th January 2025, will now be marked as unauthorised. This is due to media footage showing him away in London at a football match. Please contact us at school if you wish to discuss this further." While Sammy absence may have been "unauthorised" in the eyes of the school, fans online were quick to rally behind him, with one commenter quipping: "Memories like these are worth far more than a perfect attendance record." The game itself was a masterclass in both defence and efficiency, with Isak's goal and a resolute Newcastle backline leaving Arsenal’s attack looking toothless despite their relentless barrage. While the Gunners had 23 shots, they couldn’t manage to break Newcastle’s defence. The result has put the Magpies in an enviable position as they head into the second leg of the semi-final with a 2-0 advantage—an outcome that will surely be remembered for years, even if Sammy’s school is less than thrilled. Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, clearly disappointed with the result, made some rather bizarre remarks about the match ball, which did little to ease his frustration and only served to add an odd post-match twist. Looking ahead, Newcastle will now take their two-goal advantage into the second leg at St James' Park on February 5. The Magpies are on a seven-match winning streak and are dreaming of ending their 55-year trophy drought.
09 January,2025 01:26 PM IST | London | mid-day online correspondentElon Musk’s father says his billionaire son has expressed interest in buying English football club Liverpool. The Premier League club is privately owned by Fenway Sports Group, which has not indicated it wants to sell but has accepted external investment in the past. Errol Musk, in an interview with Times Radio, acknowledged that the Tesla CEO has shown an interest in the six-time European Cup champions. “Oh yes, but that doesn’t mean he’s buying it,” Errol Musk said. “He would like to, yes, obviously, anybody would want to. So would I.” He also said: “I can’t comment on that. They’ll raise the price.” When contacted by The Associated Press, a spokesperson for FSG said there was “No truth to these rumors.” In September 2023, FSG sold a minority stake to US investment firm Dynasty Equity. At that time, FSG president Mike Gordon said: “Our long-term commitment to Liverpool remains as strong as ever. We have always said that if there is an investment partner that is right for Liverpool then we would pursue the opportunity to help ensure the club’s long-term financial resiliency.” 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
09 January,2025 06:48 AM IST | Los Angeles | AP | PTIADVERTISEMENT
