LEIPZIG, Germany: Donyell Malen scored a brace as Borussia Dortmund beat Cologne 4-0 on Saturday in a match delayed for eight minutes after protesting fans threw chocolate coins in gold foil onto the pitch.
Malen curled in a Julian Brandt cross to give Dortmund the lead after 12 minutes, immediately before supporters of both sides began their planned protest action.
Fans objected to the German FA’s decision to allow greater foreign investment in the game, with players from both sides working alongside stadium attendants to remove the coins from the pitch.
The sides went into half-time after eight added minutes, Dortmund in control with a 1-0 lead.
Jadon Sancho, returned to the starting XI after a successful stint off the bench last week after rejoining the club on loan from Manchester United, won Dortmund a penalty early in the second-half, going down after contact from Rasmus Carstensen.
Niclas Fuellkrug converted to double Dortmund’s lead and Malen added another shortly after, running onto a superb pass from Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen to score his second.
Teenage striker Youssoufa Moukoko added a fourth in injury time to seal a second-straight victory for the visitors.
Also on Saturday, Bochum won 1-0 at home against Stuttgart in a match delayed by 40 minutes after visiting fans refused to move flags blocking fire exits.
Referee Bastian Dankert delayed the restart after half-time due to the flags, with scores locked at 0-0.
Despite stadium announcements and a plea from Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness to move the flags, the fans refused to comply as referees and officials from both clubs argued on the pitch.
The match resumed after a 40-minute delay but the Stuttgart fans’ efforts did not have the desired effect on the pitch, Bochum’s Matus Bero scoring shortly after resumption.
The home side held on to climb nine points clear of the relegation placings.
Stuttgart stay third despite the loss but have now tasted defeat in each of the four times they have taken the field without star striker Serhou Guirassy, who is currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Guinea.
Elsewhere, 10-man Freiburg downed Hoffenheim 3-2 at home to close in on the European placings.
Freiburg raced to a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Lucas Hoeler and Vincenzo Grifo.
Hoffenheim pegged them back however through goals from Wout Weghorst and Max Beier to level the scores.
The home side were reduced to ten men when Manuel Gulde picked up a second yellow, but the setback galvanized Freiburg, who scored the winner shortly after through Roland Sallai.
Eintracht Frankfurt also surrendered a two-goal lead but were unable to find a winner, drawing 2-2 away at Darmstadt.
Darmstadt’s Christoph Klarer scored in the fifth-minute of injury time to earn the last-placed home side a valuable point against their local rivals.
Wolfsburg’s recent struggles continued, with Niko Kovac’s men held 1-1 at promoted Heidenheim.
Malen scores brace as Dortmund beat Cologne despite chocolate coin protest
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Malen scores brace as Dortmund beat Cologne despite chocolate coin protest
- Malen curled in a Julian Brandt cross to give Dortmund the lead after 12 minutes
- Fans objected to the German FA’s decision to allow greater foreign investment in the game
Chelsea working to understand injury woes, says Pochettino
- Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa
- “Too many circumstances have happened,” Pochettino said on the eve of Chelsea’s match against his former club, who are in fifth spot in the table
LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s medical and coaching staff are trying to work out why the club have been so badly plagued by injuries, with as many as 14 players likely to be missing for Thursday’s visit of Tottenham.
Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, in which the Chelsea boss was forced to name five academy graduates aged 20 and under on the bench.
The Blues’ campaign has been badly disrupted by the unavailability of players, including several acquired at huge expense as part of a £1 billion ($1.25 billion) transfer spree over the past two years.
Notable absentees include Wesley Fofana, who has not played all season after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury, and forward Christopher Nkunku, who has been limited to seven Premier League appearances.
Romeo Lavia has played only once for the club while Reece James and Ben Chilwell have also had lengthy spells out of the side, who are in mid-table.
Last week it was confirmed that Enzo Fernandez, signed for a then-British record £105 million in January 2023, will not play again this season following a hernia operation.
“Too many circumstances have happened,” Pochettino said on the eve of Chelsea’s match against his former club, who are in fifth spot in the table.
“It’s difficult to explain with one word or in one sentence. Of course we are working on trying to improve. We have an amazing staff — medical staff, coaching staff. They have experience in managing clubs and being in this business.
“When some circumstances arrive, sometimes it can happen. We need to now, until the end of the season, put all the information on the table and try to be better next season.
“We need to improve in communication, dynamics, strategy. Everything to do with our knowledge to improve and coordinate better.”
Pochettino paid tribute to veteran Brazilian defender Silva, 39, who is leaving the club at the end of the season after a four-year stay.
“He’s an amazing guy and amazing professional,” said Pochettino. “Playing until nearly 40 years old is an amazing career.
“Of course, the players, the fans and club are going to miss him. But he’s happy, he’s so proud of his career here at Chelsea. We wish him the best because he deserves the best.”
Delighted Al-Hilal coach Jesus praises ‘extraordinary’ Abdulhamid after King’s Cup semifinal win
- The Saudi right-back scored a late winner to take his team to the final on May 31
JEDDAH: Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has revealed his delight at his team’s 2-1 win over Al-Ittihad in the semifinals of the King’s Cup on Tuesday night, with particular praise for the “extraordinary” match-winner Saud Abdelhamid.
Brazilian forward Michael had given Al-Hilal the lead in the 25th minute at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah before Serbian teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was sent off three minutes before half time.
Morocco international Abderrazak Hamdallah equalized for the reigning Saudi Pro League champions after 67 minutes, before Abdulhamid scored in the 81st minute to take his team to the King’s Cup final on May 31. They will meet the winners of Wednesday’s second semifinal between Al-Nassr and Al-Khaleej.
“Saud Abdulhamid is extraordinary. In the 90th minute he is still going at full speed,” said Jesus. “He can always improve, and I expect the best from him. Saudi players in general are open to developing tactically.”
He added: “We fought for more than 60 minutes (with the one-man) deficiency, and after conceding the equalizer we were better in transitions and controlled the match.”
The Portuguese coach has set his sights on completing a hat trick of triumphs this season.
“We have three championships this season,” Jesus added. “The league is close, we already achieved the (Saudi) Super Cup, and now we have reached the (King’s) cup final. This is a wonderful thing, and we are continuing to achieve our goals.”
He added that excluding Salman Al-Faraj from the starting lineup had been a “tactical” decision.
In-form Aubameyang aiming to fire Marseille to Europa League final
- Aubameyang has rediscovered the prolific form of his heady days at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, netting 27 goals in 46 games in all competitions
- Aubameyang and Marseille are on their third coach of the campaign, with Spaniard Marcelino Garcia Toral quitting in September
PARIS: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is enjoying a stunning late-career revival at Marseille, whose unlikely run to the semifinals of the Europa League has been made possible largely thanks to the goals of the former Arsenal striker.
There was plenty of skepticism when Marseille signed the 34-year-old on a three-year deal after a poor last campaign at Chelsea.
The Gabon international had struggled to settle at Stamford Bridge at a turbulent time for the London club, and scored just one goal in only five starts in the Premier League.
However, the return to the country of his birth after a decade abroad has worked a treat, even in a Marseille side who have lurched through numerous crises over the course of the season.
Aubameyang has rediscovered the prolific form of his heady days at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, netting 27 goals in 46 games in all competitions.
His goals have not been enough to propel Marseille into the upper reaches of the Ligue 1 table, given that they currently sit seventh with only three games left.
That means there is a danger they won’t qualify for Europe at all next season.
Aubameyang and Marseille are on their third coach of the campaign, with Spaniard Marcelino Garcia Toral quitting in September after only seven games at the helm.
His decision to walk came after a fiery meeting between club management and unhappy supporters groups.
Marcelino was replaced with former Italy star Gennaro Gattuso, but he didn’t fare much better, lasting five months before being dismissed in February.
The current man in charge is Jean-Louis Gasset, the veteran 70-year-old who was available after leaving the Ivory Coast job during the Africa Cup of Nations.
Gasset has not been able to make Marseille more consistent domestically, but he has led them to victories in the Europa League against Shakhtar Donetsk, Villarreal — two former winners of the competition — and Benfica.
That run, including beating former European Cup winners Benfica on penalties in the quarterfinals, has led OM to a last-four showdown with Atalanta.
“We dream of evenings like these. This is a competition that suits us,” Gasset said after beating Benfica.
“We have got to the semifinals of a European competition having beaten three clubs who have won (European) trophies.
“It is an epic tale. A season can only be judged at the end, but we want to go as far as possible.”
That would mean getting to the final in Dublin on May 22 against either Roma or German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Marseille, who lost the Europa League final in 2018 and the UEFA Cup finals of 1999 and 2004, would not be favorites in the final and are also probably the underdogs against Atalanta, conquerors of Liverpool in the last round.
But Aubameyang could be the man to make the difference.
After all, the forward who was on the books at AC Milan as a youth and who made his name at Saint-Etienne, is the all-time top scorer in the Europa League.
He has 34 goals in the competition, a tally that leaves him four ahead of Radamel Falcao, the next best marksman.
“It’s my competition,” he remarked with a smile when speaking to UEFA after starring in the 4-0 win over Villarreal in the last-16 first leg.
Eight of those goals came at Dortmund, while he got 14 for Arsenal, with whom he played in their defeat by Chelsea in the 2019 final in Baku.
He has 10 in 11 games in the competition this season for Marseille, including five in two games against Ajax.
“He is a champion and he has almost unique characteristics. He is one of the best strikers of the last 15 years,” Marseille president Pablo Longoria told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He has scored lots of goals and done so everywhere he has been. He is the best goal-scorer in the Europa League.
“We hope he will make his mark against Atalanta and stay with us until the end of his career.”
Vinicius hits brace as Real Madrid come back to snatch draw at Bayern
- The draw puts Madrid in the driving seat ahead of next week’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bayern, who dominated large parts of the match, will still have hopes of making it to Wembley’s final in June
MUNICH: Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior scored a double, including an 83rd-minute equalising penalty, to snatch a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg.
Vinicius gave Real the lead after 24 minutes but Bayern scored twice in four second-half minutes to wrestle back control of the match, Leroy Sane with a stunning opener and Harry Kane converting a penalty.
Kim Min-jae judo tackled Rodrygo Goes in the box with eight minutes remaining and Vinicius stepped up, drowning out a chorous of boos and whistles to blast home.
“In this competition it’s important not to lose, and we’re here because we haven’t lost yet,” said Vinicius.
“I’m very happy that I was able score two goals, and now we need to have a magical night at home,” he added.
The draw puts Madrid in the driving seat ahead of next week’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bayern, who dominated large parts of the match, will still have hopes of making it to Wembley’s final in June.
“It’s a good result for the second leg,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “But nothing has been decided yet.
“Bayern have high quality. They have players like Musiala or Sane who can hurt us.”
“It feels a bit strange,” said Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel.
“But the situation is very clear. Win in Madrid, then off to Wembley. The winner takes it all.
“We will be ready and we accept the fight. We will go to Madrid with self-confidence. We have to be brave.”
Before the match, the Bayern fans unveiled a giant banner depicting Franz Beckenbauer which spanned all the way from the grass to the rafters. It was a fitting tribute on a night featuring the most-played fixture in European Cup history.
Famed for their composure on the biggest of stages in this competition, the 14-time winners struggled early, Bayern dominating possession and field position while spurred on by a ferocious home crowd.
Sane had a chance after just 40 seconds and another minutes later, while Kane chipped a shot from halfway just over the bar as the leggy visitors struggled to cope.
Madrid’s continued success in this competition, including in their quarter-final win over Manchester City, has been built on absorbing pressure before striking.
The visitors repeated the trick for the opener, breaking Bayern’s dominance in ruthlessly simple fashion while showing the hosts how easy scoring goals can be.
Toni Kroos collected the ball from a corner and drilled a defense-splitting pass along the ground which found Vinicius galloping in acres of space on the edge of the area.
Without a Bayern player in range, Vinicius calmly slotted the opener past a helpless Manuel Neuer, changing the complexion of the match completely.
Bayern, who have six European Cups of their own, were not awed and continued to push but could not break through; their best chance of the remainder of the half came through a free kick, with Kane finding a huge gap in the wall but blasting wide.
With Real seemingly in cruise control, Bayern grabbed hold of the match early in the second-half, scoring twice in four minutes.
Eric Dier found Sane down the right flank. The Germany winger, who had missed several chances in the first half, dribbled into the box before unleashing an unstoppable rocket at the near post, his first goal for Bayern in any competition since October.
The hosts’ next attack came down the left, with the ever-dangerous Jamal Musiala felled by Lucas Vazquez in the box. Referee Clement Turpin pointed straight to the spot and Kane duly sent Andriy Lunin the wrong way to take the lead.
With Bayern in control, Real went on the counter and it was Kim’s turn to give away a clumsy penalty, with Vinicius confidently slotting in the equalizer.
“We have to continue with cool heads, rest until next week, and we will give everything to leave the Bernabeu qualified for London,” said Madrid’s goal hero on the night.
Uzbekistan and Japan to contest 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup final
- Semifinal wins mean both nations progress to the Olympic Games in Paris this summer
- Winner of third place playoff between Iraq and Indonesia will also qualify for Paris 2024
DOHA: Uzbekistan and Japan will face each other in the final of the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup after beating Indonesia and Iraq in their respective semifinals in Qatar on Monday.
The results mean both countries also qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Indonesia and Iraq will contest third place, with the winner also booking their spot at the Games. The loser will have a final chance to qualify in a game against an African federation team.
In the first semifinal at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Uzbekistan took the lead after 68 minutes, thanks to Khusayin Norchaev. Their victory was sealed by an own goal by Pratama Arhan in the 86th minute.
Later in the evening at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Al-Rayyan, Japan beat Iraq — the last Arabian team standing — 2-0 with goals from Mao Hosoya (28 minutes) and Ryataro Araki (42).
The current holders of the trophy, Saudi Arabia, exited the competition at the quarterfinal stage following a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan.
The final between Uzbekistan and Japan is set to take place on Friday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
