Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has had ‘urgent’ surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained in last weekend’s Premier League match with Leicester, his club announced on Tuesday. Also Read: Ancelotti leaving Madrid ‘adventure’ on good terms The Nigeria international, 27, collided with the post in the 88th minute of their 2-2 stalemate at the City Ground as he attempted to get on the end of a cross from winger Anthony Elanga. “The club can confirm Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following an abdominal injury sustained during Sunday’s match against Leicester City. Everyone at Nottingham Forest sends their best wishes to Taiwo. The club will provide further updates when appropriate,” said a club statement. 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
14 May,2025 08:36 AM IST | London | AFPCarlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday he ‘has no problem’ with Real Madrid ahead of his departure from the club at the end of the season to take over the Brazil national team. The Italian coach could end his current four-year stint at Los Blancos without a trophy as they remain second in the La Liga standings with three games to go, trailing Barcelona by seven points. They had earlier been ousted from the Champions League knockout stage by Manchester City while also losing the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals to fierce rivals Barcelona. Also Read: ‘Missing the final piece of my puzzle’ However, despite enduring a season to forget, Ancelotti says he is leaving the club on good terms after a ‘spectacular adventure’ together. “I’ve never had a problem with the club and I never will. Football is an adventure that begins and ends. I’ve had a fantastic time here and I want to continue like this for the last two weeks I have left here,” said Ancelotti on the eve of Madrid’s match against Mallorca. The Spanish giants are yet to name a replacement, although former Madrid player Xabi Alonso is a strong favourite to take over after confirming he will leave Bayer Leverkusen, whom he coached to the Bundesliga and German Cup titles last season. This was Ancelotti’s second stint with the Los Blancos, during which he won two league titles, two Champions League titles, two Super Cups and one domestic cup. Madrid’s most recent league tie saw them lose 3-4 to Barcelona — the fourth time they’ve succumbed to Hansi Flick’s team this season. A loss to Mallorca on Wednesday will all but seal the league title for the Catalan giants. 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
14 May,2025 08:34 AM IST | Madrid | AFPSon Heung-min has vowed to ‘complete’ his Tottenham career by leading his troubled team to Europa League glory in the final against Manchester United on May 22. Spurs captain Son has scored 173 goals in 451 appearances across 10 seasons in north London, but has failed to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought. The South Korea forward suffered painful defeats in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019 and the League Cup showpiece against Manchester City four years ago. However, he hopes next Wednesday’s all-English clash in Bilbao will be a more joyful experience. Also Read: "Virat literally changed the dressing room mindset": Bharat Arun “The biggest reason I stayed at Tottenham was because I wanted to do something others couldn’t achieve. If we prepare well, I believe we can achieve it [the title],” said Son. While Ange Postecoglou’s team have endured a torrid Premier League campaign — currently sitting in 17th place — they have saved their best for Europe to reach the first final of the Australian’s turbulent two-year reign, giving Son a chance to win his first trophy at club level. “You need all the pieces to complete a puzzle. I think I’ve gathered all the other pieces to make that puzzle complete. It feels like I’ve been missing that one most important final piece and I’ve been trying to find it for the past 10 years. I really hope I can finally complete the puzzle this time,” said Son with regards to his trophy-less domestic football career. Standing in Tottenham’s path are an equally unpredictable Manchester United side, who have also had contrasting fortunes in the Premier League and Europe.United are one place above Tottenham in the Premier League table (16th). However, they have gone unbeaten in 13 European games this season, the only team to do so. In a clash of two imperfect sides, only one will be able to end a wretched campaign on a high. 17No. of years since Spurs have won a trophy 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
14 May,2025 08:32 AM IST | London | AFPAn “embarrassed” Ruben Amorim raised doubts about his Manchester United future after another poor performance from his team in a 0-2 home defeat to West Ham on Sunday. Three days after United reached the Europa League final, they were beaten by another lowly side in the Hammers, with the London club recording their first top-flight win at Old Trafford since 2007. Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen scored for the visitors as United suffered a 17th defeat in 36 league games to sit 16th. This angered Amorim, who has given his team several public dressing downs since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag in November. “For me, the biggest concern is that feeling that ‘it’s OK’, and ‘we cannot change our position so much so it’s OK’. That’s the biggest problem, we’re losing the feeling of being a massive club and that it’s the end of the world to lose a game at home,” said Amorim about United, who have not won the EPL since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Also Read: Trent exit won’t overshadow Liverpool title party: Van Dijk Asked how it felt to see his side so low in the table, Amorim replied: “How a manager of Manchester United supposed to feel in that position — embarrassed and it’s hard to accept.” He said a Europa League final with fellow English strugglers Tottenham in Bilbao on May 21 should not distract from United’s domestic woes. “Everybody’s thinking about the final but we have bigger things to think about. We have to change a lot of things at the end of the season,” added Amorim, who has overseen just six league wins. Questioned about own future if he can’t oversee a significant improvement, Amorim replied: “I’m talking about myself and the club and team’s culture. We must change that. We must be strong in the summer and be brave because we won’t have a next season like this. If we start like this, we should give space to different persons,” he concluded. 17No. of defeats Man Utd have suffered in 36 EPL ties this season 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
13 May,2025 09:01 AM IST | Manchester | AFPVirgil van Dijk said Liverpool’s players were “gutted” to learn of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave the club, but does not believe his impending departure will overshadow their Premier League title celebrations. Also Read: Praggnanandhaa to take on Duda in Round 6 The Liverpool-born right-back, 26, was booed at Anfield during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal. It was his first match since he announced last week he would be leaving his boyhood club when his contract expires at the end of June, with Real Madrid his expected destination. “He has to deal with it [crowd reaction]. I wasn’t expecting it, but I think he did. It’s not easy but we’re here for him,” said captain Van Dijk. Liverpool will be presented with EPL trophy after their home match vs Crystal Palace at Anfield on May 25, and the party thereafter won’t be overshadowed by Trent’s exit, said Van Dijk: “I don’t think it’ll have an affect There are a lot more players that also deserve an amazing day.” 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
13 May,2025 08:59 AM IST | Liverpool | AFPEddie Howe’s Newcastle took a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League as Sandro Tonali inspired them to a vital 2-0 victory over top five rivals Chelsea on Sunday. Tonali put the Magpies ahead after just two minutes of their Premier League clash at St James’ Park following a devastating counter-attack before Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off for an elbow on centre-back Sven Botman in the 35th minute. Also Read: Clasico kings: Barca beat Real for the fourth time this season Bruno Guimaraes then struck in stoppage-time to secure Newcastle’s seventh win from their last nine league games, lifting them to third place in the EPL. Eddie Howe’s side — aiming to feature in the Champions League for the second time in three seasons — are one point above fourth-placed Manchester City and three points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea and sixth-placed Aston Villa. 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 May,2025 08:44 AM IST | Newcastle | AFPLionel Messi suffered the heaviest defeat of his MLS career as Inter Miami crashed to a 1-4 loss against Minnesota United on Saturday. Also Read: Newcastle climb to 3rd spot with 2-0 win over Chelsea The Argentine scored in the second-half, but Miami’s defence was once again exposed as they fell to a fourth defeat in their last five games — a run which has seen them concede 14 goals. 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 May,2025 08:25 AM IST | Washington | AFPBarcelona mounted a spectacular comeback to beat Real Madrid 4-3 on Sunday and move to the brink of the La Liga title. Mbappe nets hat-trick Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick for Los Blancos but Raphinha’s double and goals from Lamine Yamal, Eric Garcia gave Barcelona a seven-point lead on the reigning champs. This was the fourth time Hansi Flick’s side outclassed Real this season. They beat them 4-0 at the Bernabeu earlier in the league, 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup Final in Riyadh, and 3-2 in the Copa del Rey Final. Also Read: Gujarat Titans set the pace as first IPL team back in training after India-Pakistan ceasefire Real had made the perfect start to the match as Mbappe earned a penalty when he was scythed down by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The striker stepped up and beat Szczesny. In the 14th minute Mbappe doubled Madrid’s advantage with a lethal finish after Vinicius Junior played him through. Just as they have done on so many occasions this season, Flick’s spirited team fought their way back in front with a stirring comeback. Garcia (19th min) headed home Ferran Torres’ flick-on to kick-start the ‘Remontada’ before Yamal bent one past the outstretched Courtois to equalise (32nd min). Raphinha two good Two minutes later, Raphinha sent Barca ahead, with Pedri threading a pass through for the Brazilian winger to drill home. He then netted his second just before half-time, picking Lucas Vazquez’s pocket on the edge of the area, exchanging passes with Torres before beating Courtois. Not to be outdone by his Barcelona counterpart, Mbappe stepped up once more, slotting home his hat-trick to cap a roller-coaster of a match. 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 May,2025 08:20 AM IST | Barcelona | AFPBayern Munich sealed its Bundesliga title celebrations with a 2-0 home win over Borussia Monchengladbach in the 33rd round match on an emotional night that marked Thomas Muller's final game in red on Saturday. All eyes were on Muller as he led the team out for his 750th and final appearance at the Allianz Arena. The veteran, who has won 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues with the club, received a roaring ovation and was honoured with a fan choreography. After a quiet start, Michael Olise brought Bayern to life in the 31st minute. Cutting inside from the right, he curled a shot past Monchengladbach goalkeeper Jonas Omlin for Harry Kane to open the scoring. The goal was Kane's 25th of the season, making him the first Bayern player to reach that mark in each of his first two Bundesliga campaigns, reports Xinhua. Monchengladbach had its moments, with Tim Kleindienst, Rocco Reitz and Tomas Cvancara all testing Manuel Neuer, who returned from injury to put in an impeccable performance. The Bayern captain made several fine saves from close range to keep his clean sheet intact. Muller came close to scoring himself on several occasions but was unable to find the net on his special night. He was taken off in the 84th minute to a standing ovation from all sides of the stadium as his teammates lined up for a guard of honor. In the dying moments of the game, Olise capped a remarkable evening by finishing off a slick move involving Leroy Sane to make it 2-0. "I'm not sure who felt the emotions more, Thomas or the Bayern fans. In the years to come, we'll truly realize just how important he was for this club," said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany. Elsewhere, bottom club Holstein Kiel was relegated to the second tier after a 2-1 defeat at fourth-placed Freiburg. Bochum was also relegated as Mainz moved into the top six with a 4-1 win. Leipzig shared the spoils with Werder Bremen and has no chance of qualifying for the Champions League. Heidenheim shocked Union Berlin 3-0 to move into the relegation play-off zone, while Hoffenheim was held to a 2-2 draw by Wolfsburg. 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
11 May,2025 08:00 PM IST | Berlin | IANSThe long-awaited return of Erling Haaland couldn't stop Manchester City from tumbling to another poor result in a season to forget for the deposed Premier League champion. Indeed, after a dire 0-0 draw at already-relegated Southampton on Saturday, even qualification for the lucrative Champions League " something taken for granted by City for so many seasons " is still far from certain with two games left. Failing to beat the Premier League's last-placed team, and one of the worst to ever play in England's top flight, threw City's ambitions of a top-five finish back into doubt. Even more so with Aston Villa, one of a raft of clubs battling with City to get into the Champions League, beating Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to Ollie Watkins' first-half goal. It could barely be tighter in that race. Third-placed City moved two points clear of Newcastle and Chelsea " who meet at St. James' Park on Sunday " and also sixth-placed Villa. Nottingham Forest is two points further back but also has a game in hand, at home to already-relegated Leicester on Sunday. Six points separate Arsenal in second place and Forest in seventh. It seemed as if City turned the corner after a terrible run of results from November to February that knocked Pep Guardiola's team out of contention for a fifth straight Premier League title as well as the Champions League. Indeed, arriving at Southampton on the back of four straight victories and with star striker Haaland back after six weeks out with an ankle injury, City was even looking good to jump above Arsenal and finish second behind already-crowned champion Liverpool. Yet City was sluggish, Haaland barely got a chance and the recalled Phil Foden continued to look a shadow of the guy who was English soccer's player of the year last season. This draw will revive the concerns about Guardiola's team ahead of games to close its Premier League campaign, at home to Bournemouth " a club chasing a first ever qualification for European competition " and away to Fulham. Before that, there is an FA Cup final against Crystal Palace next weekend. For Guardiola, whose team failed to beat an opponent on the bottom of the standings for the first time since joining City in 2016, it will be a "fight until the end" to qualify for the Champions League. "We take that point still," Guardiola said. "It's in our hands." Southampton avoid unwanted record Southampton was able to celebrate no longer being at threat of earning the label of the worst ever Premier League team. The draw moved the Saints onto 12 points " one more than the lowest ever points haul in a single Premier League season, set by Derby County in 2007-08. Watkins' milestone Watkins stretched out his boot and glanced home Morgan Rogers' cross for Villa's winner that also marked a milestone for the striker. The England international moved into the outright lead as Villa's record scorer in the Premier League with 75 goals, one more than Gabby Agbonlahor. Villa finished with 10 men after Jacob Ramsey's 80th-minute sending off for two yellow cards but hung on to stay in contention to qualify for the Champions League for a second straight season. The chase for Europe Finishing in eighth place could secure qualification for next season's Conference League " Europe's third-tier competition " and that remains the carrot for Brentford and Brighton after wins on Saturday. Brentford beat already-relegated Ipswich 1-0 thanks to Kevin Schade's glancing header from a corner in the 18th minute. Brighton won at Wolverhampton 2-0 after a 10th goal of the season by Danny Welbeck " a penalty in the 28th " and Brajan Gruda, who chipped the goalkeeper in the 85th for his first goal for the south-coast club. Eighth-placed Brentford and ninth-placed Brighton were tied for points, two more than Bournemouth and four more than Fulham, which lost at home to Everton 3-1. 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
11 May,2025 08:00 PM IST | London | AP | PTIFC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick claims his side will not be concerned about winning the title just yet, preferring to claim the bragging rights over rivals Real Madrid when the two teams clash on Sunday. ”When you ask the players, they want to win the El Clásico. It does not matter what effects it has on the table. The only focus is to give everything for the three points,” Flick said. The Catalan giants have dominated Los Blancos this season, beating them 4-0 at the Bernabeu earlier in the league, 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup Final in Riyadh, and 3-2 at La Cartuja in the Copa del Rey Final. Having been dumped out of the Champions League semi-final by Inter Milan, who won 4-3 on aggregate — Barcelona will want to get back to winning ways, and what better cure for their European wounds than a fourth win over Madrid in a single season? However, despite their dominance over Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season, Flick is wary of the threat they possess, as they sit in second-place — four points behind league leaders Barcelona. “Everyone knows that in the El Clásico, you have to be at your highest level. This is what the team has to do tomorrow. I want to see our intensity and dominance on the pitch. We all know Real is a fantastic team, but we play at home. I am really appreciative of our fans, and they support us a lot,” said Flick. Barcelona were handed a boost as Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado were passed fit to play on Saturday after injury. Midfielder Casado has been missing for almost two months after a knee ligament injury, while Balde missed the last month with a hamstring problem. Meanwhile, star striker Robert Lewandowski returned from his injury to play as a substitute against Inter on Tuesday. Flick said all three players were more likely to feature on the bench than as starters. 04No. of points that separate league leaders Barca from Real Madrid 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
11 May,2025 09:33 AM IST | Barcelona | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
