Real Madrid rest starters in 4-0 rout of relegated Granada with focus on Champions League final

Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz, center, celebrates scoring his side's 4th goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Granada FC and Real Madrid at Los Carmanes stadium in Granada, Spain, on Saturday. (AP)
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Updated 12 May 2024
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Real Madrid rest starters in 4-0 rout of relegated Granada with focus on Champions League final

  • Brahim Diaz made his case for some playing time in the title game against Dortmund after the creative forward scored two second-half goals
  • Ancelotti and Madrid players will celebrate their league title with supporters in central Madrid on Sunday

BARCELONA, Spain: Real Madrid’s backups eased to 4-0 win at the relegated Granada on Saturday as Carlo Ancelotti rested most of his top players to avoid costly injures before the Champions League final.

Defender Antonio Rudiger was the only first-choice player who Ancelotti started for a Spanish league game that was inconsequential for either side.

Madrid clinched their 36th Spanish league title last weekend. They are now fully focused on the European final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in London after eliminating Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Granada didn’t have much to play for either after Mallorca’s 1-0 win at Las Palmas meant the team from southern Spain was relegated. Granada are in 19th place and join bottom side Almeria in going to the second division. Cadiz are in danger of becoming the third team to drop.

Little used left back Fran Garcia scored and assisted Turkish teenager Arda Guler in the first half. Brahim Diaz made his case for some playing time in the title game against Dortmund after the creative forward scored two second-half goals.

Thibaut Courtois was back in goal for his second appearance of the season after he recovered from an ACL tear and a knee injury. Ancelotti said on Friday he has yet to decide if Courtois or Andriy Lunin, who has played most of the season, will be his pick against Dortmund.

Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga, players with real chances to see minutes in the Champions League final, also started.

“My goal is to arrive to the final with the entire team in peak form, and I think we will do that,” Ancelotti said.

Ancelotti and Madrid players will celebrate their league title with supporters in central Madrid on Sunday.

Atheletic held

Fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao needed an added-time goal against visiting Osasuna to salvage a 2-2 draw, dropping points in their fight for a top-four finish and Champions League berth.

The Copa del Rey champions were five points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid before they host Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Asier Villalibre equalized for Athletic on one of the last kicks of the game when Osasuna goakeeper Sergio Herrera spilled a cross after colliding with a teammate.

Sorloth double

Alexander Sorloth scored his second goal with a stoppage-time header to snatch Villarreal a 3-2 comeback win over Sevilla.

The victory kept alive Villarreal’s chances of catching Real Betis in seventh place and the Europa Conference League spot.
 


Arsenal hoist first Women’s Champions Cup in thrilling win over Corinthians

Updated 02 February 2026
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Arsenal hoist first Women’s Champions Cup in thrilling win over Corinthians

  • Foord beat goalkeeper Lele at her near post ‌in the ‌104th minute to earn a ‌dramatic ⁠winner ​over the ‌Copa Libertadores champions in front of a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino
  • As the winners of FIFA’s new intercontinental tournament featuring champions from all six confederations, ​Arsenal will collect a $2.3 million prize

LONDON: Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord struck in extra time to power them to victory in the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup on Sunday, defeating Brazil’s Corinthians 3-2 in ​a rain-soaked final at the Emirates Stadium.

Reigning Champions League winners Arsenal looked set to seal the title in normal time, leading 2-1 before Vic Albuquerque converted a 96th-minute penalty to force extra time.

Olivia Smith and Lotte Wubben-Moy also scored for Renee Slegers’ team before Foord beat goalkeeper Lele at her near post ‌in the ‌104th minute to earn a ‌dramatic ⁠winner ​over the ‌Copa Libertadores champions in front of a crowd that included FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“It’s not often that at Arsenal you can write history because history has been written so many times,” Wubben-Moy told Sky Sports.

“We stand on the shoulders of giants. To come to this inaugural competition ⁠and win it and do it with all of our fans ‌here in style — — our fans are ‍wonderful and that’s who we ‍do it for.

“To win the first silverware this ‍year is a big leap forward. We want more. Stick with us, 2026 has more to come.”

As the winners of FIFA’s new intercontinental tournament featuring champions from all six confederations, ​Arsenal will collect a $2.3 million prize.

The one negative on the night was Arsenal’s goalkeeper Anneke Borbe ⁠being carried off on a stretcher following a collision with teammate Wubben-Moy late in extra time.

The timing of the tournament favored Arsenal, who are in the midst of their Women’s Super League season, while Corinthians are in their pre-season and CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Gotham FC are in their off-season.

Arsenal had thrashed Moroccan champions AS FAR 6-0 in Wednesday’s semifinals, while Corinthians had edged Gotham, of the National Women’s Soccer League, 1-0 in the ‌other semis.

Gotham secured third place with a 4-0 win against AS FAR earlier on Sunday.