Atletico Madrid back in Copa del Rey semifinals 7 years later. VAR denies stoppage-time penalty for Sevilla

Atletico Madrid's Dutch forward Memphis Depay (2L) celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King's Cup) quarter final football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Sevilla FC at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on Jan. 25, 2024. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 26 January 2024
Follow

Atletico Madrid back in Copa del Rey semifinals 7 years later. VAR denies stoppage-time penalty for Sevilla

  • Atletico join Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca and Real Sociedad in the semifinals
  • Diego Simeone’s team, seeking their first Copa title since 2013, eliminated defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa this season

MADRID: Seven years later, Atletico Madrid is back in the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Memphis Depay scored in the second half and video review called back a penalty for Sevilla in stoppage time as Atletico held on for a 1-0 victory Thursday to reach the last four for the first time since 2017.

Atletico join Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca and Real Sociedad in the semifinals. The matchups, which will be played on home-and-away series, will be determined on Friday.

“We expected a tight match like this, with few scoring chances, but in the end we found a way to break through and get the victory, which is the only thing that matters,” Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak said. “Hopefully we can win this Copa title again after so many years.”

Sevilla thought they had a chance to send the match into extra time when Érik Lamela was brought down inside the area by Pablo Barrios five minutes into stoppage time, but the referee was called by video review and eventually determined there was no foul.

“It was a tough match, a lot of things happened,” Sevilla defender Marcao said. “If I say what I think here, I’ll be suspended for two or three months.”

The loss dealt another blow to Sevilla, who were coming off a 5-1 defeat to Girona in the Spanish league, where they sit just outside the relegation zone. They have lost eight of their last 11 matches in all competitions.

Sevilla coach Quique Sanchez Flores said the match shouldn’t have been played after three Sevilla fans died in a car accident on their way to Madrid earlier Thursday. The coach appeared in the post-match news conference but said he would not talk about the match, only send his condolences.

“We lost on a day in which we are mourning the loss of these fans who were coming to the match,” he said. “I don’t feel like making any analysis about the game.”

Atletico extended their unbeaten run at home to 26 matches, since a 1-0 loss to Barcelona last January.

Diego Simeone’s team, seeking their first Copa title since 2013, eliminated defending champions Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa this season. They were ousted by the rival in the quarterfinals last year.

Depay came off the bench in the 66th and scored the winner in the 79th after a nice move by Angel Correa to get past a defender and feed the ball to his teammate inside the area. Correa had also entered the match in the 66th, replacing Antoine Griezmann.

Griezmann, who recently became Atletico’s all-time leading scorer, had missed a 26th-minute penalty kick when he slipped and sent his shot from the spot way over the crossbar. The France international also had a goal disallowed for offside in the 60th. Depay had a goal called back for offside in the 68th.

Veteran Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos had a clear chance to equalize in the 85th but missed the open net from close range after a hard cross from the right side. The former Real Madrid player, who was often jeered by the Atletico fans at the Metropolitano, also had a chance with a header early in stoppage time.

Sevilla have been in an extended slump, with one victory in their last 15 Spanish league matches. They had also been eliminated in the Copa quarterfinals last season, losing to eventual runner-up Osasuna.

On Wednesday, Athletic Bilbao eliminated Barcelona 4-2 in extra time to make it to the Copa semifinals, while Spanish league leader Girona lost 3-2 to Mallorca.

On Tuesday, Real Sociedad defeated Celta Vigo 2-1 to reach the last four for the first time since winning the competition four seasons ago.

The two-legged semifinals will be played in February. There were single-elimination games until now.


Roma defender Saud Abdulhamid makes history as 1st Saudi to score in European championship

Updated 15 sec ago
Follow

Roma defender Saud Abdulhamid makes history as 1st Saudi to score in European championship

  • Historic goal came with Roma already leading 1-0 against SC Braga in the Europa League group stage
  • Abdulhamid in August became the 1st Saudi player to join a top European side on a permanent basis

ROME: AS Roma’s right-back defender Saud Abdulhamid made history on Thursday after becoming the first Saudi player to score in a European championship when his club beat SC Braga 3-0.
Roma were leading 1-0 against their Portuguese rivals at Olimpico Stadium in the UEFA Europa League group stage when Abdulhameed scored his historic goal in the 47th minute, taking the score to 2-0.
Abdulhamid in August became the first Saudi player to join a top European side on a permanent basis, leaving Saudi powerhouse Al-Hilal to sign for AS Roma in Italy’s Serie A for a reported $3 million fee.
Since he joined the Serie A club at the beginning of 2024/2025 season, the 25-year-old defender has played five games — two in the Italian competition, and three in the Europa League.
Spanish defender Mario Hermoso scored Roma’s third goal.


Dortmund to host Germany’s Nations League clash with Italy

Updated 12 December 2024
Follow

Dortmund to host Germany’s Nations League clash with Italy

  • The match will take place at the 82,000-seat home of Borussia Dortmund on March 23

DORTMUND: Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion will host the second leg of Germany’s Nations League quarter-final clash with Italy in March 2025, the German FA (DFB) announced Thursday.
The match will take place at the 82,000-seat home of Borussia Dortmund on March 23, three days after the first leg at Milan’s San Siro.
In a statement, DFB sporting director Rudi Voeller said: “Dortmund is the perfect location for what is a football classic.”
Germany, who are in the Nations League knockouts for the first time, won their most recent game at the venue, a 2-0 victory over Denmark in the Euro 2024 quarter finals.
Unlike England’s Wembley and the Stade de France in Paris, Germany does not have a national football stadium, with games shared around the federal nation.


Griezmann in PlayStation form has steered Atletico Madrid back on track

Updated 12 December 2024
Follow

Griezmann in PlayStation form has steered Atletico Madrid back on track

  • Griezmann and fellow forward Julián Álvarez have returned to form to lead Atletico on a 10-game winning streak
  • Atletico trail leader Barcelona by three points and are one point behind second-placed Real Madrid

MADRID: Antoine Griezmann wishes he was as good in the real world as he is on PlayStation. Based on his performances with Atletico Madrid, he must be really good on the video game.
Griezmann and fellow forward Julián Álvarez have returned to form to lead Atletico on a 10-game winning streak that has put the club back on track in the Champions League and Spanish league, where on Sunday they host Getafe with a chance to reach the top of the standings.
Atletico trail leader Barcelona by three points and are one point behind second-placed Real Madrid. Atletico and Madrid have a game in hand compared to Barcelona. The Catalan club host Leganes on Sunday, while Madrid visit Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
Griezmann scored his sixth and seven goals in his last five matches in Atletico’s 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Álvarez scored his fifth goal in five matches.
Griezmann is a long-time fan of video games and used to make headlines for his Fortnite celebrations during that game’s hype a few years ago. The France star celebrated one of his goals at Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday alongside Pablo Barrios and Giuliano Simeone, two of his PlayStation playing partners, imitating the moves they make on the video game.
“We play FIFA a lot and that’s the celebration we usually do when we play together,” Griezmann said. He quickly added, “We are better on the Play than we are on the field.”
Griezmann, named the man of the match against Slovan, scored his goals in the 42nd and 57th minutes, after Álvarez — who arrived from Manchester City for more than $100 million in August — put Atletico ahead with a nice curling finish to open the scoring in the 16th. Slovan’s lone goal came in the second half.
Atletico’s attack has been key for the team’s resurgence since an October loss at Real Betis in La Liga. Since then, Diego Simeone’s team have outscored opponents 30-7 across all competitions. They have scored three or more goals in each of their last five games, something that hadn’t happened since 1950, according to UEFA.
“We’ve been playing really well, and the team as a whole are performing excellently,” Álvarez said. “Everyone, even those coming off the bench, has been contributing to the team. We are on the right path, and we have to keep working this way. All the competitions are very challenging but we’ve been doing really well.”
The victory against Slovan moved Atletico to 11th place in the Champions League standings, in position to try to grab one of the top eight spots in the league phase.
“We needed the points. They were very important for us to carry on with this dynamic,” coach Simeone said. “The team is responding to the situations we find ourselves in in these games. This reflects well on the team.”


Sweden ends rape inquiry allegedly targeting Kylian Mbappe

Updated 12 December 2024
Follow

Sweden ends rape inquiry allegedly targeting Kylian Mbappe

  • Lead investigator: ‘The evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed’
  • Kylian Mbappe’s lawyer said in October that he was ‘shocked’ to see his name linked to the investigation

STOCKHOLM: An investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault in Stockholm which Swedish media said targeted Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been closed due to insufficient evidence, the Swedish prosecutor said Thursday.

The 25-year-old French star, one of the highest-profile players in world football, visited the Swedish capital October 9-11 with a group of people after he was not selected by his country for a Nations League match.

Sweden’s prosecution authority announced on October 15 that it was investigating an alleged incident that occurred at an upscale Stockholm hotel on October 10, without mentioning the suspect by name.

Several Swedish media outlets, including newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen and public broadcaster SVT, identified Mbappe as the suspect.

“My assessment is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is therefore closed,” prosecutor Marina Chirakova said in a statement that also did not mention Mbappe by name.

Chirakova said the suspect had “not been notified of suspicion of a crime.”

Mbappe’s lawyer said in October that he was “shocked” to see his name linked to the investigation.

Speaking for the first time about the case on Sunday, he told French television show Clique he was “not involved.”

“I haven’t received anything, no summons... I’m not involved,” he said.

According to Aftonbladet, Mbappe and his entourage dined at a restaurant one evening before going on to a nightclub.

Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on October 12 after the alleged victim had sought medical attention.

Expressen reported that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top.

Photographs showed police officers leaving the hotel with brown bags.

Mbappe has had a difficult season since moving to reigning European champions Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, failing to find his top form.

However the Frenchman scored in Madrid’s 3-2 win against Italian side Atalanta on Tuesday which revived Real’s flagging bid to regain their Champions League title.

Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were all on the scoresheet in Bergamo as Madrid moved up to 20th place in the Champions League table, on nine points from six matches.

The Spanish giants would have been at risk of dropping out of the Champions League play-off places if they had lost.

Mbappe is one of the hottest properties in world football.

He won the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar which France lost on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

At Paris Saint-Germain he was part of a superstar trio with Messi and Brazilian forward Neymar.


Wolfsburg earn key win over Roma in Women’s Champions League, Lyon net six past Galatasaray

Updated 12 December 2024
Follow

Wolfsburg earn key win over Roma in Women’s Champions League, Lyon net six past Galatasaray

  • Four goals inside the final 25 minutes from Sveindis Jonsdottir secured Wolfsburg second spot in Group A as they moved three points ahead of Roma
  • In Group B, the already-qualified Chelsea and Real Madrid both won to set up a blockbuster final group game next week

PARIS: Wolfsburg romped to a 6-1 win over Roma in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday to book their place in the quarterfinals, while eight-time victors Lyon hammered Galatasaray.

Four goals inside the final 25 minutes from Sveindis Jonsdottir secured Wolfsburg second spot in Group A as they moved three points ahead of Roma and boast a better head-to-head record against the Italians.

“I’m extremely happy and extremely proud that we’re through,” said Wolfsburg forward Alexandra Popp.

“We made life very difficult for ourselves with the result from the game in Rome. But to have a game like this... I’m just super proud.”

On matchday one, the Romans won 1-0 against Wolfsburg in Italy but the two-time champions now have a superior record thanks to their heavy win at home.

The Germans next face leaders Lyon in the final round of group-stage matches on Dec. 17, but with nothing at stake.

The French side have a perfect five wins from five after their 6-0 demolition of bottom side Galatasaray and sit six points clear in the group.

In Germany, Popp opened the scoring early for Wolfsburg, before Valentina Giacinti equalized shortly after halftime.

Lineth Beerensteyn put the Wolves back in front after the hour and Jonsdottir then bagged four to give the win a sheen.

The Iceland forward came off the substitutes’ bench on 66 minutes and netted her first just two minutes later.

She then scored three in the final five minutes to bring Wolfsburg up to nine points.

“I’m going to let all the girls write something on this (match) ball — I’m really happy! I’ll probably never forget about it,” said Jonsdottir.

In Istanbul, six different players were on the scoresheet for Lyon as they ran riot at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Ada Hegerberg and Sara Daebritz scored inside the opening 30 minutes, before a Jazmin Jackmon own-goal made it 3-0 by the break.

Captain Wendie Renard, Danielle van de Donk and Eugenie Le Sommer completed the scoring in the second half.

Le Sommer’s 76th-minute strike brought up a significant milestone for the 35-year-old as it was her 50th goal in the Champions League.

“It would be too early to say that we are the favorites for the cups before the end of the season, but we are making good progress,” Lyon coach Joe Montemurro told UEFA’s website.

“We’ve had a good start to the season, but the important thing is to maintain this.”

In Group B, the already-qualified Chelsea and Real Madrid both won to set up a blockbuster final group game next week, where the winners of the pool will be decided.

The English champions will travel to Madrid in pole position on Dec. 17, holding a three-point advantage after defeating Real 3-2 at home on the first matchday.

Chelsea maintained their 100 percent record on Wednesday as they waltzed to a 6-1 win against Dutch club Twente.

Madrid moved to 12 points with a 3-0 win at Celtic thanks to a brace from Danish attacker Signe Bruun and a late Alba Redondo header.