LIVERPOOL: Kylian Mbappe saw a penalty saved as Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to inflict a third Champions League defeat in five matches on the holders.
Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored the goals in the second half as the Reds maintained their perfect record to return to the top of the table.
Mohamed Salah also fired wide from the spot, but it mattered little as Liverpool secured a 17th win in Arne Slot’s first 19 games in charge.
Slot has already achieved what Jurgen Klopp could not as Liverpool boss by slaying the Spanish giants.
Liverpool had a score to settle with Madrid, who were unbeaten in eight previous meetings between the sides, including Champions League finals against Klopp’s men in 2018 and 2022.
Defeat sends Carlo Ancelotti’s side tumbling down to 24th in the table.
Only the top 24 progress to the knockout stage with the top eight advancing directly to the last 16.
Liverpool are well on course to do just that and the confidence coursing through a side also eight points clear at the top of the Premier League was in evidence throughout in front of a highly-charged Anfield crowd.
Madrid were hamstrung by a lengthy injury list and made the trip to England without Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba.
Young center-back Raul Asencio has been pressed into action by those absences and he made a vital goal-line clearance on four minutes.
Darwin Nunez was sent in behind the Madrid defense by Salah and after his shot produced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois, Asencio reacted smartly to prevent the rebound bouncing off him and into his own net.
Courtois was Liverpool’s scourge with a man-of-the-match performance in the final two years ago as Madrid prevailed 1-0 in Paris.
The Belgian was at his best again as he blocked another big Nunez chance from point-blank range as the Liverpool pressure built without reward before the break.
Courtois was in sparkling form again at the start of the second period to parry Conor Bradley’s downward header.
But Liverpool were not to be denied as Bradley was this time the provider for Mac Allister, who manufactured the space for a shot into the far corner on 52 minutes.
The visitors were relying on Mbappe for a moment of magic in the absence of Vinicius, but the Frenchman was well-marshalled by his international team-mate Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
His chance to silence his critics arrived on the hour mark when Andy Robertson was harshly adjudged to have tripped Lucas Vazquez inside the area.
Caoimhin Kelleher has excelled in the absence of the injured Alisson Becker and leapt to his left to save Mbappe’s spot-kick.
Salah sparked a furor ahead of the game by declaring his disappointment with Liverpool’s failure to offer him a contract renewal.
The Egyptian has been in sparkling form this season and his pace and trickery fooled Ferland Mendy into a mistimed challenge.
Salah, though, gave Madrid a lifeline by firing his penalty off the outside of the post.
Liverpool had to wait just six more minutes for the cushion of a second goal as substitute Gakpo rose highest from a corner to power a header past Courtois.
Mbappe misses penalty as Liverpool exact revenge on Real Madrid
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Mbappe misses penalty as Liverpool exact revenge on Real Madrid
Hovland grabs share of Valspar lead in bid to end PGA title drought
- Hovland could see “a lot of good” after posting three birdies and a bogey to join Colombian Nico Echavarria and American Jacob Bridgeman atop the leaderboard on seven-under 206
- Bridgeman, seeking his first win in his second full season on the tour, started the day with a one-shot lead and kept himself atop the board with a 1-under 70
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: Viktor Hovland carded a 2-under par 69 on Saturday to grab a share of the 54-hole lead at the Valspar Championship, where the Norwegian is gunning for his first US PGA Tour title since 2023.
Hovland, who arrived at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida this week off three straight missed cuts, says he’s still battling the inconsistency that has seen him make five coaching changes as he slumped from fourth in the world to 19th.
But he could see “a lot of good” after posting three birdies and a bogey to join Colombian Nico Echavarria and American Jacob Bridgeman atop the leaderboard on seven-under 206.
“It’s fun to be in contention, but it is a little bit more stressful when you don’t feel super comfortable over the ball,” Hovland said. “But, man, it’s fun to see some putts go in and still see the ball end up close to the hole and put some good scores up there.
“Still feels like saving a lot of shots, but they’re going fairly straight so it’s OK,” added Hovland, who is chasing his first title since he won the Tour Championship in 2023 — when he claimed three of his six PGA victories and captured the FedEx Cup crown.
Echavarria, chasing a third PGA title, rebounded from a 1-over par 72 on Friday with a bogey-free 5-under par 66, making five of his six birdies n the back nine.
“I gave myself a lot of looks,” Echavarria said. “I was leaving a couple birdie putts short on the front nine. I got the speed right on the back nine, made a lot of good putts coming in.”
Bridgeman, seeking his first win in his second full season on the tour, started the day with a one-shot lead and kept himself atop the board with a 1-under 70 that featured four bogeys and five birdies.
“I had fun today,” the 25-year-old said. “I was navigating a lot of the course. I seemed to find some spots that I had never see before, so that was fun. I scrambled well.”
Bridgeman said swirling winds in the afternoon made for uncertainty on many shots while the wind-dried greens “were getting a little bit crusty.”
The leading trio were one stroke in front of American Ricky Castillo, who carded a 68, while a big group on 208 included major winners Justin Thomas and Shane Lowry.
Ireland’s Lowry had a frustrating day on the greens on the way to a 1-under 70 but said he was right in the hunt.
“I can’t remember the last time I hit so many good putts that burned the edge,” he said. “I did hit it probably a little bit too far away from the hole today ... but I just feel like I didn’t get rewarded at all.
“(But) I know if I can go out and shoot in the mid 60s (Sunday) that something could happen.”
Draper back down to earth, Zverev advances, in Miami
- Top seed Alexander Zverev eased into the third round with a 6-2 6-4 win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley
- In the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka moved into the fourth round after Romanian opponent Elena-Gabriela Ruse had to retire after the Belarusian won the first set 6-1
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: Britain’s Jack Draper, the winner at Indian Wells, came back down to earth with a bump on Saturday, beaten by 54th ranked Czech Jakub Mensik in his opening match at the Miami Open.
Draper moved into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time in his career with his triumph over Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final last Sunday, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz in the last four.
But the 19-year old Mensik rose to the occasion, winning two tie-breaks to enjoy a 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/3) win.
“It was tough, obviously I came up against someone today who was playing incredibly well,” said Draper.
“He served 10 out of 10, I couldn’t get a read or a look on his serve at all. There were some things I could do better and obviously a big change in surface from last week,” he said, noting he had struggled to adjust to the faster courts.
Rune was caught out, too, falling 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to American Reilly Opelka.
Top seed Alexander Zverev eased into the third round with a 6-2 6-4 win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.
Zverev’s title hopes received a boost on Friday when second-seed Carlos Alcaraz crashed out with a shock defeat to Belgian veteran David Goffin.
With no Jannik Sinner while the Italian serves a doping ban, the German Zverev’s main challenger, on paper, should be Novak Djokovic.
Zverev lost his opening game at Indian Wells but looked sharp on his debut on the South Florida stadium court.
“I’m generally happy with my level today,” said Zverev, a 2018 Miami finalist. “In Indian Wells it was very different, so I hope I can continue playing this way and have a great week here.”
The 27-year-old took 74 minutes to take care of business against Fearnley and said his extra time off as a result of his surprise defeat to Tallon Griekspoor had been valuable.
“Had two weeks time to practice and work on my game again and I did that — hopefully this is the first of many matches for me here,” he added.
There was an upset for 13th seeded American Ben Shelton, who was knocked out by 20-year-old wildcard Coleman Wong of Hong Kong.
Wong, 128th in the world, battled his way to a 7-6 (7/3) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) victory despite letting a slip a 5-2 lead in the final set.
His victory provides him with a place in the third round of a Masters 1000 for the first time in his career.
“I always trust myself to play in these big stages... I had a tough time (during) the COVID times. I didn’t play for a year and a half and I’m really lucky my team keeps supporting me. I’m really happy and this is for you Hong Kong,” said Wong.
Brazilian 18-year-old Joao Fonseca delighted his large and loud group of supporters with another energetic display as he knocked out 19th seed Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-3 and reach the third round at a Masters 1000 for the first time.
In the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka moved into the fourth round after Romanian opponent Elena-Gabriela Ruse had to retire after the Belarusian won the first set 6-1.
Ruse received medical treatment on her right thigh but was unable to continue.
Third seed Coco Gauff progressed with a 6-2, 6-4 win over a struggling Maria Sakkari, who has slumped down the rankings from the top 10 to her current 51st.
Naomi Osaka met some determined resistance from American wild card Hailey Baptiste before emerging with a 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-4 win.
“Today was an emotional day for me,” said Osaka. “I’m a little embarrassed for how much I threw my racquet, which is something that I don’t like to be known for.”
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia also retired allowing sixth-seed Jasmine Paolini to go through — the Italian was 4-3 and a break up in the first when Jabeur could no longer continue due to a left leg injury.
Duplantis ‘grinds’ for gold as stellar trio headline electrifying world indoors
- It was a truly pulsating competition, echoed in the men’s 3,000m won by a hair’s breadth by Norway’s multi-medalled Jakob Ingebrigtsen, incredibly for his first world indoor title
- The third of the stellar trio on show was Grant Holloway, the American claiming an unprecedented third successive 60m hurdles victory that extended his indoor win streak to 94 races
NANJING, CHINA: Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis was the headline act as a trio of modern-day track and field greats starred on an electrifying night of action at the world indoor championships in Nanjing on Saturday.
Duplantis was pushed all the way by Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis in a battle royale before bagging a third world indoor pole vault gold with a best of 6.15m.
“We put on a good show for everybody,” said Duplantis. “It’s great to be pushed and I’m happy for Manolo (Karalis). I had to grind for it tonight.
“It’s good for me especially and it’s just great competition. It’s just such a higher level than what pole vault’s ever been, so it’s good. You just have to want it.”
It was a truly pulsating competition, echoed in the men’s 3,000m won by a hair’s breadth by Norway’s multi-medalled Jakob Ingebrigtsen, incredibly for his first world indoor title.
The victory kept alive his tilt at a first world indoor 1,500/3,000m double since Ethiopian legend Haile Gebreselassie achieved the feat in 1999. The 1,500m final is scheduled for 1215 GMT on Sunday.
“My competitors study me, but you have to race many times to be able to respond in all scenarios,” said Ingebrigtsen, who pipped Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi at the line in a dramatic, fast-finishing race.
“I’ve done a lot of racing but I’m not perfect. It’s all about learning. The more you race, the more you learn, so you can make the right decisions at the right point to increase the possibility of winning.
“I don’t enjoy the 1,500m warm-up, but the racing is a lot of fun, and that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow — have a lot of fun!“
The third of the stellar trio on show was Grant Holloway, the American claiming an unprecedented third successive 60m hurdles victory that extended his indoor win streak to 94 races dating back a remarkable 11 years to when he was 16 years old.
“This one was a little bit different,” said Holloway. “I didn’t have two great rounds and had to rely on my experience to get me through the final. But I knew what I had to do, I knew what I was missing.”
“Epic showdowns on the banks of the Yangtze River” was one of the slogans brandished around Nanjing’s Cube.
And so it proved to be as Duplantis battled Karalis, Ingebrigtsen elbowed it out with Aregawi, and Holloway saw off Wilhem Belocian, the three winners handing out master classes in the art of holding your nerve when the pressure ramps up.
There were five other golds up for grabs in the Chinese city.
Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji produced a savage dip to regain the 60m crown she last won in Belgrade in 2022, clocking 7.04sec to see off Italy’s European champion Zaynab Dosso by two-hundredths of a second.
“Every win is always good for the confidence,” the Swiss racer said.
“It shows me that we’re doing a lot of things right because not every year is the same. You can’t just take one recipe and do it every year.
“You always have to adapt on how you feel, so I’m really happy to see that my coach can feel what I need, and we can do what’s optimal for me.”
Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu won the women’s 3,000m in 8:37.21, American Shelby Houlihan — just two months after returning from a four-year doping ban — edging Austrian Jessica Hull for silver by two-hundredths.
There was a Cuban 1-2 in the women’s triple jump, Leyanis Perez Hernandez taking gold with a first-effort 14.93m ahead of Liadagmis Povea and Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore.
Amber Anning ensured a first British gold in the women’s 400m by edging American Alexis Holmes by three-hundredths for the win in 50.60sec, Norway’s Henriette Jaeger taking bronze.
The US men made up for Holmes’ silver by sweeping the men’s 400m, Christopher Bailey winning in 45.08sec ahead of Brian Faust and Jacory Patterson.
Haaland helps Norway start their World Cup qualifying campaign with 5-0 rout
- The Scandinavian side are favored to win Group I, which also includes Estonia and Israel
- The talented Norway team likewise failed to qualify for the 2024 European Championship
CHISINAU: Erling Haaland helped Norway make a positive start to their World Cup qualifying campaign by scoring in a 5-0 rout at Moldova on Saturday.
Norway’s third and last World Cup appearance was back in 1998, two years before Haaland was born.
Now, Haaland lead a team featuring Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard that bear high expectations of reaching the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Scandinavian side are favored to win Group I, which also includes Estonia and Israel.
Haaland scored Norway’s second goal against the outmatched Moldova. That took his exceptional career haul to 39 goals in 40 appearances for his country since his 2019 debut.
Dortmund defender Julian Ryerson opened the scoring for Norway five minutes after kickoff in Chisinau. Haaland doubled the lead in the 23rd.
Thelo Aasgaard, who assisted Ryerson for the opener, made it three before Odegaard set up Alexander Sorloth before halftime. Substitute Aron Donnum got on the scoreboard in the second half.
Haaland already knows what it is to win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup with Manchester City, but he has yet to take his country to a major tournament. Injury ruled Haaland out of several matches during Norway’s unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup.
The talented Norway team likewise failed to qualify for the 2024 European Championship when they disappointed with a third-place group finish behind Spain and Scotland.
Europe to send 16 teams
Europe will have 16 teams in the expanded 48-team field for next year’s World Cup in North America.
They will come from the winners of the 12 qualifying groups plus four from a playoff of the group runners-up.
The group stage of European qualifying runs through November.
Spain coach hails emerging talent ahead of Netherlands clash
- The defender could be paired with the uncapped Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio on Sunday against the Netherlands
- “For us, many of the (breakthrough) players are not surprising, we know the quality of the raw material we have in this country,” De la Fuente said
VALENCIA: Spain coach Luis de la Fuente hailed his team’s “inexhaustible” supply of talent on Saturday, ahead of the Nations League quarter-final second leg clash against the Netherlands.
Euro 2024 winners Spain fought back in the 2-2 first leg draw to stay unbeaten in their last 22 competitive games, with Bournemouth center-back Dean Huijsen making his debut as a substitute in Rotterdam on Thursday and impressing.
The defender could be paired with the uncapped Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio on Sunday against the Netherlands, after Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi hurt his ankle in the first leg.
“For us, many of the (breakthrough) players are not surprising, we know the quality of the raw material we have in this country,” De la Fuente told a news conference.
“We can use players who have made history and who are great players today, with exceptional experience... (and) others who are appearing, and who will make us grow, become more competitive and a better team.
“It’s very healthy and good news for everyone because we know that we have an inexhaustible youth system.”
Spain won the Nations League under De la Fuente in 2023 and then propelled by young wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, roared to Euro 2024 victory in Germany.
De la Fuente took off Barcelona teenager Yamal in the first half of the draw with Netherlands and left Asencio out of the squad entirely.
“This is a squad with great players and we manage it like any team,” continued De la Fuente.
“There are 26 of us, we can have 23 players (in the matchday squad), Raul understood it, and is happy to be here with us and having this experience...
“I can make two exceptional starting line-ups, that’s the luck I have, and we have in this country, but not only these 26 players, we have so many more that could be here as well.”
Netherlands fans created a display in the stands for the first leg which depicted Robin van Persie’s spectacular diving header against Spain during a 5-1 with for the Dutch in the 2014 World Cup.
Asked what he would like to see at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium in response, De la Fuente was certain.
“Three nil on the scoreboard,” joked the Spain coach.
“Tomorrow our fans will be fired up, they will put a lot of pressure on and we will feel powered by a supernatural strength.”
The coach thanked Spain fans for the team’s welcome in the east coast city on Friday, as over 20,000 turned up to show their support at an open training session and donated to support renovations following the devastating floods which hit the Valencia region last October.
“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it... it will be a historic atmosphere,” added De la Fuente.
