Mid-Day - News

Cardiff to sue Sala's former club Nantes over death of the footballer

4 hours ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Cardiff City could launch a negligence claim against Nantes as soon as next week if an official report finds Emiliano Sala was flown to his death by a pilot who did not have the correct licence, according to Britain's Sunday Telegraph. Premier League side Cardiff already find themselves involved in a legal dispute with French side Nantes over whether they are contractually obliged to pay a transfer fee for the Argentinian striker, who died without playing a game for the Welsh side. Sala had signed for Cardiff for a club record Â£15 million ($19 million) and was flying to his new team from former side Nantes in France when his plane went missing over the Channel on January 21. The wreckage was located on the seabed. Sala's body was recovered but pilot David Ibbotson is still missing. The aircraft remains under the sea. Details of how Sala died, and who was responsible, could be clarified in the coming days by Britain's Air Accidents Investigations Bureau, which had previou..

Lionel Messi scores, misses penalty but Barcelona on top

10 hours ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed another as La Liga leaders Barcelona ground out an unconvincing 1-0 win over Real Valladolid, while Antoine Griezmann surpassed Fernando Torres with his 130th goal for Atletico Madrid. Messi's fitness was again in the spotlight on Saturday after a niggling thigh strain in recent weeks, but he completed the full 90 minutes at the Camp Nou and hit the 30-goal mark at Barcelona for the 11th straight season. The Argentine coolly dispatched a spot-kick just before half-time, drilling beyond the reach of Jordi Masip after Gerard Pique was bundled to the ground by Valladolid midfielder Michel. Masip brilliantly tipped over a Messi volley soon after the interval and Luis Suarez wasted a huge opportunity to double the lead shortly after replacing Kevin-Prince Boateng with an hour gone. Messi found himself booked for dissent after an apparent foul on him went unpunished, and he then blew the chance to kill off Valladolid when Masip kept out his second pe..

La Liga: Real Madrid stunned by Girona at home with 1-2 loss

11 hours ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Real Madrid threw away their lead and perhaps their hopes of catching Barcelona as Girona rallied to pull off a shock 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu yesterday. Barcelona (54 points) are now nine points clear of third-placed Real (45 points) at the top, while Atletico (47) are second — after 24 matches each. Girona's poor recordGirona had not won in 13 matches and looked on course for a seventh straight defeat when Casemiro headed a dominant Madrid ahead in the first half. But complacency set in, and Girona took full advantage as Cristhian Stuani scored a penalty and Portu nodded in the winner. Sergio Ramos was sent off in the 90th minute. Girona striker Cristhian Stuani (right) beats Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to score off a penalty kick Barca still have to go to the Bernabeu later this month but the nine-point cushion makes the Clasico a lot less nervy now. "It's a shame," Real coach Santiago Solari said. "We drop points and our rivals won. It is a pity because..

Campion are MSSA U-8 football champions

12 hours ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Campion School (Cooperage) finally succeeded in ending their title drought as they defeated Bombay Scottish (Mahim) 1-0 to clinch the boys U-8 Division-I crown in the MSSA-organised inter-school football tournament at Azad Maidan on Saturday. The combined brilliance of striker Yusuf Pardiwala who scored the decisive winning goal in the second half and goalkeeper Samuel Tennyson, who rescued the team with some superb saves, played the lead roles in shaping Campions' success. Earlier, in the third place match, Don Bosco (Matunga) blanked St Stanislaus (Bandra) 4-0 with strikers Samarth Singh and Naveen Ganesan, sharing the four goals. Meanwhile, VCW Arya Vidya Mandir (Bandra) scored once in each half to charge past Don Bosco (Matunga) 2-0 and lift the boys U-10 Div-II title. Amog Sanjeev and Ishan Verma were bang on target, scoring a goal each in Arya Vidya Mandir's triumph. In the third place match, Cathedral & John Connon (Fort) overcame St Paul's (Dadar) 3-1. Catch up on all t..

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola takes dig at Manchester United

15 hours ago

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola took a dig at rivals Man United after entering the FA Cup quarter-finals following a 4-1 win over Newport County on Saturday. Troubled by the rutted Rodney Parade pitch, City were indebted to Ederson for a superb save to keep them level during a lacklustre first-half display. City eventually hit their stride in the second half and Leroy Sane's powerful finish put them ahead before Phil Foden doubled the lead. Newport refused to surrender and Padraig Amond's late goal could have set up a tense finale, only for Foden to net again 79 seconds later before Riyad Mahrez wrapped it up. Manchester United lost to French outfit Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League recently and Guardiola took this opportunity to take a swipe at them. "We are in four competitions. Every game is completely different. You have to adapt and change. The big mistake is believing you are better than anyone. It is a mistake, like United are praised and 'better than PSG', but ..

Argentine village Progreso filled with late footballer Sala's fans

yesterday

News / Mid-Day/ Football

The death in a plane crash of Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala was a cruel blow to family, friends and supporters in his home village in Argentina, and on Saturday they came, grieving, from miles around to pay their respects. Through the morning, mourners gathered for a public vigil in a gymnasium in Progreso, the small farming town in Santa Fe province which Sala left as a teenager to play in Europe. He was "loved and admired by all," a restaurant owner told AFP. Sala would come home on breaks and would never fail to kick the ball around with village youngsters, they said. Unlike some soccer stars, he would keep a low profile, not flaunting his new wealth. As his heartbroken father, mother and sister watched on Saturday, a giant poster of the 28-year-old hung behind his coffin, which was draped in the red and white colors of the San Martin de Progreso club where he began his career. Sala's father, Horacio, was devastated by his son's death, family members said, and refused for days..

Football Ratna Sunil Chhetri promises support for Delhi

yesterday

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Sunil Chhetri, the all-time leading scorer for India in international football, says he is always there to help develop the sport in the national capital, where he was brought up. The 34-year-old Padma Shri was Friday conferred the first ever Football Ratna honour by Football Delhi, the association governing the sport in the city. "I am honoured by the kind gesture of Football Delhi and recognising me with the Football Ratna award. My support will always be there for the development of football in Delhi and I am sure the current management is working hard to develop football in Delhi and make Delhi a model football state in India," Chhetri said. Football Delhi president Shaji Prabhakaran, himself a former player of repute and administrator at the All India Football Federation and FIFA, presented the award to Chhetri. "We are inspired by the spectacular achievements of Sunil. His professionalism, dedication, discipline and passion, on and off the field, is an example not only for the ..

Stanislaus beat rivals Don Bosco to win U-14 hockey

4 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Goalkeeper Kenan D'Souza produced some fine saves to ensure St Stanislaus (Bandra) remained ahead of arch-rivals Don Bosco (Matunga), beating them 2-1 in the U-14 final of the MSSA-organised inter-school knockout hockey tournament for the Fr Donnelly Challenge Trophy, at the St Stanislaus ground, Bandra yesterday. Shyane D'Costa scored the opener off an indirect penalty corner drill in the 15th minute, and two minutes later, Keon Barnes converted a penalty stroke for Stanislaus. The Bosco boys reduced the deficit through Aditya Kabre in the second half. Earlier, St Andrew's beat Dr Antonio DaSilva (Dadar) 2-1 to win the third-place match. Kartik T and Max K scored a goal each for St Andrew's, while Atharv Phabate scored for the losing side. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Hugo Lloris: Tottenham Hotspur must step up against Dortmund

5 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Hugo Lloris has warned that Tottenham must improve if they are to have any chance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight after a patchy display against Leicester. The French goalkeeper, 31, kept out Jamie Vardy's second-half penalty and made a number of other important saves as Spurs won 3-1 at Wembley. Spurs beat Borussia Dortmund twice in last season's group stage but the German league leaders are a different proposition this campaign five points ahead of Bayern Munich at the top of the table. "They play fantastic football," said Spurs captain Lloris ahead of the first leg of their Last-16 Champions League tie tonight. "They have many fantastic players and I'm not surprised they're top of the league in Germany. The manager is good with a great idea of football. It's going to be very difficult. We need to obviously improve the team performance, compared to Sunday, and we need the stadium to push, to help us. In some days it's difficult to deal with Wembley, but h..

ISL: Mumbai City FC coach Costa wary of aggressive NorthEast

5 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

After two back-to-back defeats, Mumbai City FC would be keen to get back to winning ways when they clash with an equally strong NorthEast United FC in an Indian Super League encounter at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri today. Mumbai's unbeaten run of nine games ended when they suffered a 2-0 loss against FC Goa in their previous home game. The next away outing against Jamshedpur FC also proved to be a damp squib as they lost 1-0. Mumbai coach Jorge Costa would be eyeing to grab three points from this game. At present, after 15 games, Mumbai are in the second spot with 27 points, just behind league leaders Bengaluru FC (31 points). NorthEast United FC are in the fourth position with 24 points from 15 games and a win would enhance their chances of reaching the playoffs. Terming NorthEast as an aggressive outfit, Costa said his team would need to give their best. "I will not change the way that we play. They [NorthEast United] have good players and are a aggressive team. In terms of..

EPL: My job at risk, admits Chelsea boss Sarri after 0-6 loss

6 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Maurizio Sarri admitted his job as Chelsea manager is at risk after Manchester City scored four times inside the first 25 minutes to trash his side 6-0 on Sunday. Sergio Aguero grabbed a hat-trick as City leapfrogged Liverpool again to top spot in the Premier League on goal difference. Chelsea on the other hand slip to sixth with the scale of the defeat putting Sarri's future in doubt. "I don't know. You have to ask the club," said the Italian when asked if he feared being fired just eight months into a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge. "I am worried about my team, worried about the performance but my job is always at risk." A 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth in their last away game was Chelsea's heaviest league defeat since 1996. And this was their worst loss in any competition since 1991 after failing to recover from Raheem Sterling's fourth-minute opener. Eden Hazard went to sleep from Kevin de Bruyne's quickly taken free-kick and Bernardo Silva had acres of space to cross for the..

EPL: Manchester City humiliate Chelsea with a 6-0 drubbing

7 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Sergio Aguero grabbed a hat-trick as Manchester City scored four times inside 25 minutes to thrash Chelsea 6-0 and leapfrog Liverpool again to top spot in the Premier League on goal difference on Sunday. Aguero should have had even more than three as the Argentine missed a glorious early chance and hit the bar in the second-half in a humiliating afternoon for Maurizio Sarri's men. Raheem Sterling started and ended the scoring and Ilkay Gundogan also netted in the first quarter of the game as City ended what could have been a testing week with a trip to Everton in between the visits of Arsenal and Chelsea with maximum points. Jurgen Klopp's men maintain the advantage of a game in hand, but handed a reprieve by Liverpool's draws against Leicester and West Ham in recent weeks, City look determined to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier League. Chelsea on the other hand slip to sixth with the scale of the defeat sure to raise further doubts over Sarri's future. A 4-..

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos mocks Griezmann's goal celebration

7 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos took a swipe at Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann after his team's 3-1 win over their rivals on Saturday. Ramos scored his team's second goal from the penalty spot in the first half and then mocked the French forward by doing a 'Fortnite' for his celebration. Fortnite is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos The Atletico star is a big fan of the game and performed one of its moves during the 2018 FIFA World Cup that France won - Griezmann did the 'Take the L' dance (right) in the final against Croatia. With the win, Real Madrid moved to second place, ahead of Atletico in the Spanish League table. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reli..

Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos power Real Madrid to 3-1 win over Atletico

8 days ago

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Thibaut Courtois overcame the jeers and Gareth Bale delivered a timely reminder of his talents as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 in a feisty city derby on Saturday. Real's fifth league win in a row means they sit second for the first time since September, above Atletico, and just five points behind Barcelona. Barca could restore that gap to eight by overcoming Athletic Bilbao today but another impressive performance at the Wanda Metropolitano, aided by some fortunate decisions, puts Real back in the thick of the title race. Gareth Bale Bale had been left out of the starting line-up for the second time in four days, after he was also a substitute against Barca in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. The Welshman's goal, his 100th for Real Madrid, will not have been lost on coach Santiago Solari and ended Atletico's hopes of a comeback after Sergio Ramos' penalty put Real in front at half-time, with Antoine Griezmann earlier cancelling out Casemiro's acrobatic opener. By the time Thom..

Madrid Derby: Madrid's Courtois ready for backlash from Atletico fans

9 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Thibaut Courtois left Chelsea on bad terms last summer and he expects to feel the anger from Atletico Madrid too when he faces them in the white of Real Madrid today. Courtois will be up against his former club. Real arrive on the back of four La Liga wins and will jump above their opponents with a win. "It happens in football, it's a derby and a derby here in Madrid is always heated," Courtois said. "They'll whistle and shout, everything you would expect, it's part of football. I will always respect them. Now I'm playing for the other side." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates 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 absol..

MSSA: Rustomjee, Utpal Sanghvi are U-12 football champs

9 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Rustomjee International (Dahisar) and Utpal Sanghvi (Juhu) bagged the girls U-12 Div II and boys U-12 Div III football titles respectively in the Mumbai Schools Sports Association-organised inter-school tournament at Azad Maidan on Thursday. In the girls final, Rustomjee got the better of JB Petit School (Fort) 2-0 via the penalty shootout after both teams failed to score at the end of regulation period. In the tense tie-breaker, Rustomjee scored through Disha Tiwari and Harshini Iyer, while their goalkeeper Priya Gandhi showed good reflexes and made two saves, which ensured her school emerged champions. Earlier, in the boys final, Utpal Sanghvi struck top form in the second period and fired home four goals to record a 4-0 victory against SVKM JV Parekh International School (Vile Parle) and lift the title. After a barren first half, Utpal Sanghvi striker Lakshya Jhawar got the first goal when his long throw-in was not collected cleanly by SVKM goalkeeper Aarav Shah who allowed ..

MSSA loses half of its football ground to Metro

11 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

The Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) is faced with a challenge in conducting their inter-schools football tournaments next season. The MMRDA, which has already barricaded around a quarter of the football field (south end) at the Schools Sports Centre, Azad Maidan, for the Mumbai Metro project, may be looking to take about half the ground in future, as work progresses. Due to this, the MSSA's main concern next year is the football matches for the U-16 and U-14 boys and girls categories that require a full field unlike the U-12, U-10 or U-8 age groups, which can be accommodated on a much smaller ground. MMRDA's assurance"Earlier this month, the MMRDA started work towards the south end of the ground to complete the Mumbai Metro project. MMRDA officials have informed us that the work is expected to be completed in about a year's time and have also assured us that after completion of the work, they will ensure that the football field is restored to playing condition," MSSA, Hon. G..

Spanish Cup: Real Madrid eye redemption in clash against Barcelona

12 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

One hundred days will split the last Clasico from the latest one and for Real Madrid the prize in the rematch is more than a place in the Copa del Rey final. When they trudged off the Camp Nou in October, the big screens above them flashed 5-1 to Barcelona, with Luis Suarez scoring three and without Lionel Messi at all, their best player injured and sitting in the stands. The next day Julen Lopetegui was sacked. Barca were top of La Liga, Madrid ninth. There will be little comfort then for Madrid that Messi could be missing again today, a niggle in his thigh leaving coach Ernesto Valverde, and Messi, with a decision to make. If Messi plays - and Valverde was optimistic on Sunday - it will be because he is fit. Barcelona have indicated they will not risk their captain with a gruelling month ahead. This is a chance for Madrid to wrestle back momentum. They will hope that beating Barcelona over two legs, even in the Copa del Rey, can knock them out of their stride. After Real's win ov..

Forca Goa girls clinch GGW Cup football title

13 days ago

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Forca Goa beat Oscar Foundation in a keenly contested final of the Global Goals World Cup, Mumbai edition, at the Fr Agnel's turf, Vashi. The 24-team, five-a-side football event, aimed at encouraging women into action, is part of the United Nations' 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals. The winning team was picked on parameters like crowd engagement, and style besides actual play. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Barcelona sweat over Lionel Messi's fitness ahead of Real Madrid clash

14 days ago

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Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde remains hopeful Lionel Messi will be fit to face Real Madrid on Wednesday, despite the striker feeling a small problem during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Valencia. Barca face Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals and Valverde said Messi had felt some discomfort against Valencia, after scoring twice to salvage his team a point. "We have to wait until tomorrow to do the tests to see how he is, like the other players," Valverde said. "I don't know too much more. We hope he can recover, just like the others." Asked what the problem was, Valverde said: "I don't know, I would like to tell you more but I don't know exactly. He had a little problem, as some of the others will have too. We will wait to see what the doctors tell us when they do the tests and we will look at it. I cannot guess anything but we imagine that it can't be too bad." Messi's absence at the Camp Nou would be a blow to Barcelona, particularly with the Argentine in such bl..

AFC Asian Cup: Victorious Qatar team arrive to royal welcome

14 days ago

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Qatar's victorious Asian Cup football team returned home to Doha to a rapturous welcome on Saturday night, greeted by the country's ruler and hundreds of thousands of fans. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani - who high-fived children while waiting for the team to arrive - met the players as they landed to kick-start a second straight night of wild celebrations in Doha. The players were also greeted by other members of the royal family. Amid chaotic scenes players and staff were mobbed by fans, friends and family before getting on an open top bus to begin the long crawl into Doha. "I'm proud to make these people happy," said Ali Almoez, the tournament's top scorer. "I'm proud of this thing and all the players are." He added: "For 40 years Qatari people did not celebrate, now we will celebrate for the next four years." Captain Hassan al-Haydos called the unexpected triumph and celebrations "an unthinkable feeling" that would "stay with me for life". Catch up on all the latest sports..

Ali helps Qatar stun Japan for Asian Cup title

15 days ago

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Qatar stunned Japan 3-1 to win their first Asian Cup title on Friday sparked by a moment of jaw-dropping brilliance from record-breaker Almoez Ali and after a controversial late twist. Sudan-born striker Ali scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick after just 12 minutes and Abdelaziz Hatim curled in a superb second before Akram Afif converted a VAR-assisted penalty to give the 2022 World Cup hosts a famous victory in Abu Dhabi. "To win seven games in a row, we deserve to be champions," Qatar coach Felix Sanchez told AFP as thousands took to the streets back in Doha, many waving flags from car windows and honking their horns in celebration. "We made history for our country. It was an unbelievable opening goal from Almoez - he's so dynamic, everything he touches turns to gold." Qatar survived a wobble at two-nil when Takumi Minamino pulled one back on 69 minutes, only for Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov to award the Maroons a penalty on video review for a handball by Japan captain Maya Yos..

ISL: In-form Mumbai City eye revenge against FC Goa

17 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Mumbai City FC will be eyeing a revenge when they lock horns with FC Goa in an Indian Super League encounter here on Friday. Mumbai were hammered 5-0 when the two sides last met in Goa in October. But since then they have bounced back in style and are currently unbeaten in nine games. The Jorge Costa-coached team is in splendid form and their confidence would be bolstered following a 1-0 win against a formidable Bengaluru FC. For Mumbai, the star of the season has been Modou Sougou, who has so far pumped in nine goals in the league. The Senegalese, along with Arnold Issako of Congo who has five assists to his credit, form a lethal pair. Mumbai skipper Paulo Machado scored the winner against Bengaluru on a counter attack and he, too, would be hoping to continue the good form. With a forward like Brazilian Rafael Bastos and an array of mid-fielders including Sougou, Machado and Matias Mirabaje, Mumbai seemed to have found a winning formula. And with experienced Issako, Romanian Lucian ..

Barcelona will fight for everything post 6-1 win over Sevilla

17 days ago

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Lionel Messi believes Barcelona showed their appetite for the Copa del Rey by blowing away Sevilla 6-1 on Wednesday to pull off a brilliant comeback and book their place in the semi-finals. Sevilla had won the first leg 2-0 but their lead was wiped out within 31 minutes at the Camp Nou, after Philippe Coutinho scored a penalty, before Ivan Rakitic poked in a second. Coutinho headed in his second and Sergi Roberto added a fourth, only for Guilherme Arana to give Sevilla brief hope. Luis Suarez and Messi wrapped up the win. Some had suggested Barcelona would be relieved to exit the Copa del Rey to focus fully on La Liga and the Champions League but Messi said their display had silenced the doubters. "It was said that we had given up in the cup, that we didn't want it," Messi said. "But in no way is this the case. This team wants to fight for all three titles, as is the obligation of Barca every year." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-d..

Cristiano Ronaldo shares pic, wishes girlfriend Georgina on her b'day

19 days ago

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Cristiano Ronaldo posted a picture of himself with partner Georgina Rodriguez on the latter's birthday, with a caption which read, "Congratulations to the most wonderful woman that God could put my way" View this post on Instagram Felicidades a la mujer más maravillosa que Dios pudo poner en mi camino âÂÂ¤ A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) onJan 27, 2019 at 8:05am PST Georgina Rodriguez celebrated her 25th birthday on January 27, 2019. Georgia Rodriguez and Cristiano were first linked in November of 2016 when they were spotted together at Disneyland in Paris. It is believed they first met when Ronaldo saw her in the VIP area of a fashion event. Cristiano Ronaldo has never been in such a serious relationship ever before. The same was emphasized when Georgina gave birth to the couple's first child, a baby girl, who is also Cristiano Ronaldo's fourth child. Cristiano Ronaldo is having a dream..

Pep Gaurdiola: Manchester City's packed schedule a privilege

20 days ago

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has challenged his players to relish their demanding schedule as they continue to chase EPL leaders Liverpool with a visit to Newcastle tonight. Jurgen Klopp's side exited both domestic cup competitions, leaving them to concentrate on the EPL and Champions Leagues. In stark contrast, City remain active in four major competitions. "It's important that in January we are there," said Guardiola. "The big clubs, that is the big difference, what are the best clubs in the last decade? Juventus, Bayern and Barcelona, these are the best teams in the last decade in Europe, why? Because every season they win the league, every season they win the cups, every season they are there, because they are the best," he added. "Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not but the most important thing is being. I tell them it's a privilege, if you believe it's a handicap, you are [making] a big mistake." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also..

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich win to cut Borussia Dortmund's lead

21 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Robert Lewandowski rectified a rare penalty miss by scoring as Bayern Munich stayed six points behind Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race after Sunday's 4-1 home win over Stuttgart. Dortmund opened a nine-point gap by mauling second-from-bottom Hanover 5-1 on Saturday, but defending champions Bayern trimmed the lead back to six with their seventh straight league win. "It's an unusual role for us to be chasing in second, but we'll keep going relentlessly," said Bayern goal-scorer Leon Goretzka. "We'll try to keep winning our games and then we'll see." Bayern had to work for the win and overcome a plucky Stuttgart who finished the first half the better of the teams but ultimately suffered their fourth straight league defeat to stay in the relegation places. Lewandowski held his head in his hands when his 65th-minute penalty attempt cannoned off the post with Bayern only 2-1 up at Munich's Allianz Arena and Stuttgart threatening the hosts' goal. However, Goretzka spared any b..

Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen avoids injury in car crash

22 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

TV presenter-designer Coleen Rooney, who is married to footballer Wayne Rooney, escaped "without a scrape" after being involved in a car crash here. The accident happened close to Coleen's home which she shares with Wayne and their four sons, reports thesun.co.uk. According to the report, Coleen is safe and has escaped injury. "Coleen ended up having a bad smash when she was driving the family car. Luckily Coleen escaped without a scrape on her but the motor was a mess. "Obviously she was shaken up at the time but Coleen was just thankful no one was hurt," the publication quoted a source saying. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates 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, del..

U-12 div 1 Football: Bombay Scottish, Cathedral & John Connon claim tit

23 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Bombay Scottish (Mahim) and Cathedral & John Connon (Fort), both earned hard-fought wins to clinch the boys and girls U-12 Div I crowns respectively in the MSSA-organised inter-school football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday. The Bombay Scottish boys with the U-12 Div I trophy yesterday In the boys final, Bombay Scottish struck a late winner through their captain Aadiv Das to snatch a 1-0 win against Don Bosco (Matunga) for the top honours. Later, in the girls title round, Cathedral managed a 2-1 win via the tie-breaker against Arya Vidya Mandir (Bandra–W). Riana Saraiya and Shloka Saxena were on target for Cathedral while only Anika Shetty converted for the Bandra school. Earlier, in a boys U-12 Div II final, Diamond Jubilee (Byculla) got the better of Ryan International (Chembur) by a solitary 1-0 margin. Salman Modi scored the winning goal. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest upda..

Gregorios are U-14 champs

24 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

St Gregorios School (Chembur) struck once in each half to snatch a 2-1 win against Dr Antonio Da Silva (Dadar) in the boys' U-14 Div IV final of the MSSA-organised inter-school football tournament at the Goans Sports Association ground yesterday. The Chembur boys broke the deadlock midway through the first session when skipper Rihaan Sanghavi crossed from the right and the ball deflected and fell for Aahaan Gaokar, who tapped the ball in from inside the penalty area. Antonio Da Silva managed to draw level after the interval when Akshat Shetye drilled in a direct free-kick leaving St Gregorios custodian Praveer Arora rooted to the ground. St Gregorios went ahead again when Karan Mehta headed home Harshit Kotak's free-kick. The Chembur lads then hung on to their slender lead and emerged champions. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Fans baffled as Liverpool star Mohamed Salah goes offline

25 days ago

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Fans were left baffled yesterday after Liverpool's star Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah appeared to have deleted all of his social media accounts where his followers number in the millions. The Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts of Salah, who is idolised in Egypt and Liverpool, went offline without warning a day after he posted a cryptic tweet. "2019 Resolution: Time to get in touch, for real," said the final tweet, screenshots of which were shared widely on social media. Those navigating to his Twitter account yesterday could only see a message reading "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!". On Instagram, the message read "The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed." A similar message appeared on Facebook. It was not immediately clear whether the shutdowns were deliberate. Some fans speculated that Salah deleted his accounts due to a dispute he has had with the Egyptian Football Association over his image rights. Catch up on all the latest sports news a..

La Liga: Lionel Messi rescues Barcelona against Leganes

27 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Ousmane Dembele gave Barcelona a glimpse into the future but Barcelona still needed Lionel Messi to beat Leganes 3-1 on Sunday and restore their five-point lead at the top of La Liga. Messi had started on the bench, rested by coach Ernesto Valverde, and for just over an hour at the Camp Nou, Dembele filled the void by scoring the opening goal in a sparkling individual display. Braithwaite equalisesDembele, however, limped off with a sprained ankle in the 69th minute, shortly after Leganes had equalised through Martin Braithwaite and Valverde responded by introducing Messi. He needed only seven minutes to make an impact as his bending shot was followed up by Luis Suarez, who poked the ball in ahead of Leganes goalkeeper Pichu Cuellar. Messi then rounded off the win by scoring himself in injury-time. Leganes had protested against Suarez's finish, convinced that Pichu had been fouled by a high foot. "It was a clear foul," coach Mauricio Pellegrino said. "Barca don't need these kind of ..

Chelsea, Arsenal face off with eye on crucial Champions League spot

one month ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

The need for the riches as much as the prestige of a return to Champions League football leaves Arsenal little room for error when Chelsea visit the Emirates on Saturday. A run of three defeats in their last six Premier League games has left the fifth-placed Gunners six points adrift of their London rivals in the battle for a top-four finish. However, it is Chelsea and not Arsenal who are reinforcing in the January transfer window to ensure they are not forced to cope with the consolation prize of the Europa League for a second consecutive season. Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri seems set to finally get the striker he wanted in Gonzalo Higuain on a loan deal from Juventus having worked with the Argentine international during a prolific 38-goal season at Napoli in 2015-16. Arsenal's problems are at the other end of the field. No side in the top half of the table have conceded more than the 32 goals Unai Emery's men have in 22 Premier League games.However, Emery has revealed that Arsenal ..

Champions League: Bayern Munich clear Coman for Liverpool match

yesterday

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Bayern Munich's on-form striker Kingsley Coman has been given the green light to face Liverpool in the Champions League after fears he had sustained ligament damage in the 3-2 Bundesliga win over Augsburg were dispelled on Saturday. Coman, 22, put in an outstanding display on Friday, scoring twice and making the third goal, as Bayern twice came from behind despite conceding an own goal with just 13 seconds gone. Bayern, who face Liverpool at Anfield at Tuesday in the last 16 first leg match, were left holding their breath on Coman's fitness. Coach Niko Kovac seemed pessimistic Friday and said it would be "annoying" if the Frenchman, who only returned from injury in December, missed the Liverpool match. But on Saturday Bayern gave Coman the go-ahead. "After a thorough examination conducted by the Bayern medical staff Saturday morning we can say it was a false alert," the club said on its website. Coman only returned to full fitness in December after tearing ligaments in the same ankle..

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid win VAR over Ajax!

3 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Real Madrid needed a late winner from Marco Asensio and VAR's debut in the Champions League to beat a spirited Ajax 2-1 in the first leg of the last 16 on Wednesday. Ajax have not beaten Madrid in 24 years and thought they were on their way at the Johan Cruyff Arena when Nicolas Tagliafico headed home after a Thibaut Courtois error. But referee Damir Skomina judged Dusan Tadic to be offside upon review and Madrid showed no pity on their youthful opponents, Karim Benzema and Asensio scoring two precious away goals in the second half. Real's Karim Benzema celebrates scoring the opener against Ajax in Amsterdam. Pic/AFP Hakim's equaliserHakim Ziyech's equaliser at least keeps Ajax in touch heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu but Asensio's 87th-minute winner was a sucker-punch in a match the Dutch team had largely dominated. Their ruled out opener will only add to the sense of what might have been and it was no surprise to see a cluster of red and white shirts surroundi..

ISL: Mumbai's playoff chances hit with third straight defeat

4 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Mumbai City FC (MCFC) suffered another dent to their playoff chances after losing 0-2 to NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) in an Indian Super League match at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri yesterday. This was their third consecutive defeat. The hosts had no answer to NorthEast's high pressing and aggressive brand of football as Rowllin Borges (3rd minute) and Bartholomew Ogbeche (33rd) ran Mumbai ragged with first-half goals. NEUFC and MCFC are in second and third spots respectively, tied on 27 points from 16 matches. The Mumbai side got off to a nervy start as they struggled to come to terms with the fast-paced game of their opponents. NEUFC found their footing immediately and drew first blood when Keegan Pereira ran down the left-wing and sent in a perfect pass to Rowlin Borges, who slotted the ball past Mumbai captain and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh. Mumbai came close to restoring parity when Arnold Issoko's brilliant run down the right set up Rafael Bastos on the edge of the box, bu..

Champions League: Team Real Madrid are young & hungry

5 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Real Madrid against Ajax would typically be a clash of stars against prodigies but when they face each other in the Champions League Last 16 tonight, the difference will be harder to distinguish. Ajax will have their latest crop of young gems at the Johan Cruyff Arena, where Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt will attempt to live up to already-swelling reputations while the likes of Donny van de Beek, Andre Onana and Kasper Dolberg could also enhance theirs. Hot prospectsThe surprise is less that Ajax's line-up will be sprinkled with emerging talents than the expectation Madrid's will be too. Gareth Bale aside, the galacticos are gone, replaced by a handful of prospects trying to forge their own way through, only at the biggest and most demanding club in the world. The shift was not so much initiated by the current coach Santiago Solari, whose predecessors Zinedine Zidane and Julen Lopetegui both used youth when they had to, primarily to rest key players or remind them their place..

Central Railway veterans win KSA football

5 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Central Railway struck two late goals to beat Bandra Packers 3-0 in the final of the Late Shri Vishwanath Anchan Memorial veterans football tournament organised by the Karnatak Sporting Association at Cross Maidan recently. The railwaymen quelled the spirited Bandra Packers when Kasif Jamal converted a penalty in the 18th minute. Later, CR's attacking midfielder Arif Ansari capitalised on a defensive lapse and made a solo run before scoring the second two minutes from the final whistle. CR completed the rout when Amar Pardesi tapped in from close to make it 3-0. Earlier, KSA beat Maharaja 1-0 in the third-place match. Melwyn Vaz scored the lone goal for the victors. Champions CR received a trophy and a cheque of Rs 50,000, while Bandra Packers were awarded Rs 35,000. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Will Angel Di Maria make it a memorable return to Manchester United?

6 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

An expensive flop who lasted just a single season at Manchester United, Angel di Maria might be keen to prove a point when he goes back to Old Trafford as a PSG player tonight. The Argentine, who turns 31 later this week, has a vital role to play for PSG in their crunch Champions League Last 16, first leg against a resurgent United with Neymar and Edinson Cavani out injured. Onus on Di MariaThose absences will place even more of an onus on Di Maria to show why PSG were prepared to make him their superstar signing in the summer of 2015, two years before Neymar and Kylian Mbappe arrived in the French capital. The former Benfica and Real Madrid man cost United a British record transfer fee of just under £60 million in 2014, but he was an unmitigated failure in England. Di Maria scored only three times in 27 Premier League appearances in 2014-15 for a United side who finished fourth, a long way behind champions Chelsea. His time in England was also marred by an attempted burglary..

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: We want to play convincing football

7 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool made a statement in returning to winning ways with a 3-0 win over Bournemouth in an EPL tie on Saturday and stay secondin the league table with 65 points from 26 games. Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohamed Salah scored the goals as Klopp's men showed little sign of the nerves and mistakes in recent 1-1 draws with Leicester and West Ham. "We knew we were not happy with our performance in the last two or three games," said Klopp. "We don't want to come through somehow in a game, we want to play convincing football we want to perform. That was the reaction we wanted to show today." Ahead of the game Klopp had called on his side to enjoy the excitement of what promises to be a thrilling title race rather than being bogged down by the nerves of recent displays as they seek to end a 29-year wait to win the title. "It's been a tough few weeks with players injured and ill. Georginio Wijnaldum was nowhere to be seen yesterday and then he produces a perf..

EPL: Chelsea clash is like a final, says Man City boss Guardiola

8 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned his players to treat their today's Premier League clash against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium as a final. City are placed second behind Liverpool with 62 points, while Chelsea are fifth with 50 points. Maurizio Sarri's side went down to Arsenal and Bournemouth last month before registering a 5-0 win over Huddersfield earlier this month. "As a spectator I try to figure out what the managers wants to do and if it works. I see Chelsea and I can understand what they want to do and they do it," Guardiola said. "Maybe for other people they don't know exactly what they want to do, but when you see the team, the players they have, the squad they have, the best strikers in the world, the best midfielders in the world, a good 'keeper, experienced defenders, good organisation. "Tomorrow's game is a final for us and we have to play in that way," he added. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Andro..

Sergio Ramos announces wedding on TV show

9 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Spanish football star Sergio Ramos used the perfect platform to announce his marriage with model girlfriend Pilar Rubio in Seville on June 15. He spoke on Rubio's Spanish TV show El Hormiguero. Ramos, who left Sevilla to join Real Madrid in 2005, said: "We've decided to get married in Seville because we've been in Madrid for so long now, it means there will be less people[in Seville]. It's a very special moment for us after being together for so long and forming such a fantastic family with three little ones, who fill our lives with passion. We felt it was the ideal moment and wanted our children to enjoy it because when they were younger, it's not something they would understand so much." Meanwhile, Rubio said she's excited about her big day. "I'm as excited about putting on my wedding dress as I am about what's going to happen afterwards," she said. The couple, who began dating in 2012, have three sons - Sergio, four, Marcos, three, and Alejandro, born in March last year. Ca..

Ten killed in fire at Brazil's youth football facility

9 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Fire swept through a training facility for Brazil's most popular football club Flamengo on Friday, killing at least 10 people, authorities said. The pre-dawn blaze in Rio de Janeiro hit a building that housed youth-category players aged 14 to 17, firefighters said. In addition to the deaths, three people were injured in the fire. The cause was not immediately known. Globo TV broadcast aerial footage of the fire, which it said had been brought under control after it burned for two hours. The fire broke out at 5 am in the Vargem Grande district of Rio in a modern facility where the top-flight professional Flamengo squad also trains, the news website G1 said. The dead were six players and four team staff, the channel Sportv said. The main team had been due to practice at the same facility later in the morning. Youth league teams also train at the facility, known as Ninho do Urubu. Flamengo is the most popular club in football-crazed Brazil. Distraught relatives rushed to the facility ..

Spanish Cup: Real Madrid hold Barcelona to 1-1 draw in semis first leg

10 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Real Madrid gained a measure of redemption at the Camp Nou by holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday and taking the upper-hand in the semi-final of Copa del Rey. Neither Lionel Messi nor Gareth Bale were named in the starting line-ups for this first leg but their replacements filled the void as Malcom's curling shot cancelled out an early opener from Lucas Vazquez. After an impressive opening 20 minutes, Madrid were largely second best in a compelling, if unspectacular, Clasico but the result leaves them well-placed heading into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 27. For Santiago Solari's side, a resilient, gutsy display will also help erase the memory of their humiliation here in October, when they were thrashed 5-1, a result that caused Julen Lopetegui to be sacked the following day. "Comparisons are unhelpful," said Solari. "But this result shows how hard the team is working." Messi, who had been struggling with a thigh problem, and Bale, who faces a fight..

Galvankar FC win Mahindra Nagar football title

11 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Galvankar FC won the Mahindra Nagar Sports Club-organised six-a-side football tournament in Malad, beating MYJ by a solitary goal in a keenly contested summit clash recently. Nihar Jadhav scored the all-important goal in the dying moments of the match Galvankar FC's Deepak Pal was adjudged Man of the tournament. Galvankar FC were awarded a prize cheque of Rs 25,000, while MYJ were richer by Rs 15,000. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Klopp: Liverpool's 1-1 draw with West Ham, not a case of nerves

12 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp tried to preempt questions about the Premier League leaders' ability to cope with pressure after they again dropped points in the title race in a 1-1 draw away to West Ham on Monday. This result left Liverpool three points in front of second-placed Manchester City less than a week after they missed the chance to go seven points clear of the reigning champions. It was also the second match in a row that Liverpool had dropped points following a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester. Advantage CityPep Guardiola's City could now regain top spot with victory at Everton today. "Probably all the reports are already written without me saying anything," Klopp told the BBC. "I didn't see anything about pressure that you can ask in the next few questions," added the German, looking to become the first Liverpool manager in 29 years to win the English title. Sadio Mane gave Liverpool a 22nd-minute lead at the London Stadium despite Hammers' complaints that James Milner was..

Plane crash victim Emiliano Sala's father: It's a bad dream

13 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Argentine football star Emiliano Sala’s father on Sunday was awakened from a sound sleep to learn that the plane in which his son was killed, has been found. “ I can’t believe it. It’s a bad dream,” Horacio Sala said when contacted by Cronica TV at his home in Progreso. He was the only one to stay behind in Argentina when the family rushed to Nantes, France to try to help with the search. “ I talk to them every day. But since I don’t have WhatsApp it’s expensive to call them or for them to call me. But anyway, they kept saying days were going by, and that there had been zero word on Emiliano, or on the plane,” his father said. Sala was travelling from France to join up with his new club, English Premier League side Cardiff City, in a light aircraft on January 21 when it went missing close to the Channel Islands. Suspected debris from the plane washed up on the Normandy coastline in France last Wednesday. Sala was flying in the P..

Italian League: Parma hold Juventus to 3-3 draw despite Ronaldo's brace

14 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice but champions Juventus had to settle for a point as a late Gervinho double snatched a 3-3 draw after promoted Parma staged an impressive comeback in Serie A on Saturday. Juventus' dropped points allowed Napoli to cut the gap on the leaders to nine points after a confident 3-0 win over Sampdoria. Massimiliano Allegri's side had already had their confidence shaken after a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta shattered their hopes of winning a fifth straight Coppa Italia. Saturday's draw was not the response Allegri had called for ahead of their Champions League last 16 first leg tie against Atletico Madrid on February 20. "I'm happy for the goals but not the result," said Ronaldo. "Parma didn't do anything special, they waited for us to make a mistake. But we're not worried, we know it will be a great season for Juventus." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has b..

EPL: Rashford stars fro Manchester United vs Leicester

14 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains unbeaten 10 games into his caretaker reign of Manchester United as the rejuvenated Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba combined to earn a 1-0 win at Leicester yesterday to close in on the Premier League top four. Rashford blasted home his sixth goal since Solskjaer took charge after taking an exquisite touch to control Pogba's lofted pass and United held out to move above Arsenal into fifth and within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea. A 2-2 draw at home to Burnley in midweek is the only match Solskjaer has failed to win and much of that form is owed to the turnaround in both Rashford and Pogba's roles since Mourinho was sacked in December with United 11 points adrift of the top four. Crucial strikeSolskjaer again chose to leave Romelu Lukaku on the substitutes' bench, with Rashford preferred as his central forward. The England striker took just nine minutes to respond with the crucial goal, having already missed a good chance when he headed over from a han..

Pep Guardiola says, 'Every game is a challenge'

15 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Pep Guardiola needs a quick response from his side against Arsenal today to show that Manchester City's challenge for the Premier League title remains intact. Guardiola can be thankful City will go into the match at the Etihad Stadium only five points behind leaders Liverpool. It could well have been worse after a lethargic display brought a surprising 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Newcastle on Tuesday, but Jurgen Klopp's side struggled to take advantage as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Leicester the following night. City could argue Tuesday's defeat was a blip, given they had won their previous eight matches, but three of those victories were in cup games against lower-division opposition. A more worrying statistic for City manager Guardiola is that his team have lost four of their past nine league fixtures, and that three of those defeats have been against teams who started this weekend in the bottom half of the table. At St James' Park, City allowed their concentra..

Massimiliano Allegri defends Juventus after Coppa exit

17 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Milan: Four-time defending champions Juventus crashed out of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday with a 3-0 quarter-final defeat by Atalanta. Juventus had been bidding for a fifth consecutive league and Cup double this season. But a Duvan Zapata brace after Timothy Castagne's opener put the side from Bergamo through to a semi-final meeting with Fiorentina. "It's only human not to always be top. Now let's put this behind us and think about the next Serie A match against Parma," said Massimiliano Allegri, who was banished from the touchline for dissent. "I don't know how many games the lads have won. In Rome we had a terrible first half but we fought back. This evening everything went wrong. It would have been crazy to think we could win every match. It hurts to go out because we wanted this trophy." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated fee..

TV presenter Susanna does not want to marry Crystal Palace owner

17 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

British TV presenter Susanna Reid has revealed that she does not plan to marry her Crystal Palace Football Club owner boyfriend Steve Parish. "It's not a secret, but it's private. I am very, very happy at the moment, but I don't want to be married. I think the focus should be on the relationship. I've never fantasised about the big day. It was never my ambition to be married," she recently told British tabloid, The Daily Mail. Reid is reportedly dating Parish since last year, after being introduced by her co-host Piers Morgan in 2016. This is Reid's first relationship since her 2014 split from Dominic Cotton, with whom she has three sons — Sam, Finn and Jack. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Manager Allegri relieved as struggling Juventus beat Lazio

20 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to seal a hard-fought 2-1 win for Juventus against Lazio in Rome on Sunday to pull 11 points clear in Serie A. Juventus had trailed after an Emre Can own-goal after an hour before substitute Joao Cancelo pulled the champions level and then earned the penalty which Ronaldo slotted in with two minutes to go. An eighth straight Serie A title beckons for Massimiliano Allegri's side who soar clear of second-placed Napoli who were held to a goalless draw at AC Milan on Saturday. "It must have been the kitman's fault, giving us 10 shirts of different colours because we couldn't pass the ball to each other," said Allegri. "For sixty minutes it was the worst Juventus of the year," continued captain Giorgio Chiellini. "Paradoxically, after the goal disadvantage we found the motivation to win it. We've got players who make the difference. [Goalkeeper Wojciech] Szczesny kept us on our feet, we were lethal in the end." Catch up on all the latest sports news ..

FA Cup: Pep Guardiola reckons City must step up in quest for quadruple

21 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Manchester City's quest for four trophies continued with a 5-0 thrashing of Burnley to march into the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday. City boss Pep Guardiola labelled talk of a quadruple as "fantasy" earlier in the week, but after cruising into the League Cup final in midweek, the English champions are in contention for a clean sweep of trophies as they challenge Liverpool in the Premier League and face Schalke in the last 16 of the Champions League. City stretched their remarkable run of late to 28 goals and none conceded in their last six games. "Everybody wants to play and you have to play good when they do because the others are at a high level," said Guardiola. Gabriel Jesus continued his hot streak with a fine individual run and powerful finish past Nick Pope to open the scoring with his eighth goal in five games. Bernardo Silva's deflected effort gave City breathing space. Kevin de Bruyne's brilliant free-kick then made it 3-0 and another wicked delivery from the Belgian forc..

La Liga: Lionel Messi shines as Barcelona beat lowly Girona 2-0

21 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Lionel Messi scored a sublime goal to make up for the missed trip to Miami as Barcelona beat Girona 2-0 on Sunday to go five points clear again at the top of La Liga. This was the fixture intended to be played in the United States but any advantage Girona maintained by keeping it at their own Montilivi ground was cancelled out by Messi, and another ruthless Barca display. Messi's brilliant finish in the second half, his ninth goal in as many games, came after Nelson Semedo had given the visitors an early lead, before Bernardo Espinosa's red card consigned Girona to 39 minutes with 10 men. The home fans were left incensed by that decision, as well as Messi's reaction they believed had caused it, but the Argentinian's goal offered the perfect riposte. Barcelona restore their hefty advantage over Atletico Madrid, who had cut the gap to two by beating Getafe on Saturday. Real Madrid will have to overcome Espanyol later on Sunday just to reduce their own deficit to 10. "We struggled in t..

English League Cup: 'Hope win over Spurs transforms Chelsea'

23 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri hopes victory on penalties over Tottenham to reach the League Cup final can prove a turning point in his first season in charge. Sarri had questioned the mental strength of his squad and demanded star forward Eden Hazard delivered more on his abundant potential in the wake of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, and the Italian got the response he desired against an injury-ravaged Spurs. First-half goals from N'Golo Kante and Hazard handed Chelsea a 2-1 win on the night to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit and the hosts prevailed 4-2 in the shootout at Stamford Bridge to set up a final meeting with holders Manchester City on February 24th. "I think that in the last three or four matches we had a problem. One problem was the motivation and the other problem was the players stopped having fun on the pitch. Now with the performance and the result we can find enthusiasm again," said Sarri. Chelsea's new number nine Gonzalo Higuain was presented to the home ..

Lionel Messi-less Barcelona falter against Sevilla

24 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Barcelona's hopes of winning a fifth consecutive Copa del Rey were dented on Wednesday as they were beaten 0-2 by Sevilla in the first leg of the quarter-finals. Lionel Messi was rested and Luis Suarez left on the bench as Kevin-Prince Boateng made his debut for Barca in a match that Sevilla might even have been disappointed not to win by more. Even so, Pablo Sarabia and Wissam Ben Yedder each scored in the second half at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to leave their opponents facing an uphill task if they are to rescue next week's second leg. Ernesto Valverde Barcelona had thrashed Sevilla 5-0 in last year's final, when Andres Iniesta delivered a masterclass in what was one of his final appearances for the club. Winning a domestic double, however, did little to ease the disappointment of crashing out of the Champions League and Ernesto Valverde is clearly keener to rotate in the Copa del Rey this season. Messi and Sergio Busquets were left out completely while Luis Suarez, Philippe Co..

'Eden Hazard needs to do more for Chelsea'

25 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Eden Hazard must deliver more to realise his full potential and help dig Chelsea out of a slump in form, manager Maurizio Sarri said yesterday. Sarri heavily criticised his side's mental strength after they slipped to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Arsenal on Saturday, labelling his players "difficult to motivate". Chelsea, who are fourth in the Premier League, host Tottenham in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Thursday, trailing 1-0 from the first leg. Maurizio Sarri However, Sarri's tactics are also under the spotlight as he has persisted with playing Hazard in an unfamiliar centre-forward position over the past month. Chelsea look set to remedy their striker problem with the imminent arrival of Gonzalo Higuain on loan, who scored 38 goals in one season under Sarri at Napoli in 2015/16. That should see Hazard return to his favoured role on the left side of a front three, and Sarri wants more from the man voted the second best player at last year's World Cup...

U-14 football: Dream debut for champs Nahar

25 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Nahar International School (Andheri) completed a triumphant debut, winning the girls' U-14 Div-II crown in the Mumbai Schools Sports Association-organised inter-school football tournament. In the final, the Nahar International girls held their nerve to overcome Navy Children School (Colaba) 4-3 via the tie-breaker after the match finished goalless at the Goan Sports Association ground yesterday. In the crucial tie-breaker, Vriddhi Chopekar, Keisha Virani, Tanisha Saxena and Saanvi Mange converted for Nahar International, while Navy Children scored through Antara Mazumdar, Simran Singh and Rishika Singh. Earlier, in the third-place match, Canossa Convent (Mahim) beat St Joseph's Convent (Malad) 3-0. Bhumika Mane scored a brace while Jheel Jain netted one for the Mahim side. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

Sarri slams 'mentally weak' Chelsea

28 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri labelled his players mentally weak and "difficult to motivate" after losing 2-0 at Arsenal in a toothless performance on Saturday. The Gunners blew the race for a top-four Premier League finish wide open as first-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Laurent Koscielny closed Arsenal and Manchester United, who beat Brighton earlier in the day, to within three points of Chelsea in fourth. "I'm extremely angry, very angry indeed. This defeat was due to our mentality more than anything else, our mental approach. We played against a team more determined than we were and I can't accept that," said Sarri, who chose to speak through a translator in his native Italian to clearly explain the scale of his frustration. "The fact is it appears this group of players is extremely difficult to motivate." Maurizio Sarri On current form, Sarri's men look likely to be caught by Arsenal or United as a fourth defeat in 11 league matches underlined the need for the signin..

Ronaldo helps Juventus lift Italian Super Cup

one month ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal to hand Juventus their first trophy of the season with a 1-0 win over ten-man AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo -- signed by the Italian giants last year from Real Madrid as they target a first Champions League title since 1996 -- headed in a 61st-minute winner. AC Milan played the last quarter of an hour a man down after Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie saw red for a bad tackle on Emre Can. "I have my first title with Juventus so I'm happy," said the Portuguese star who now has 28 trophies including five Champions League and league titles from England and Spain, and a European Championship with Portugal. "I really wanted this, to get off to a good start in 2019. "This is only the start, we'll take it one step at a time. We've got this cup, now we must keep working hard to achieve the next trophy," warned Ronaldo. The match had been overshadowed by controversy with calls for it to be relocated over human rig..

Amazon Bestseller: The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham

2 years ago

Shopping / Amazon/ Financial Books

It is a widely acclaimed book by Benjamin Graham on value investing. Written by one of the greatest investment advisers of twentieth century, the book aims at preventing potential investors from substantial errors and also teaches them strategies to achieve long-term investment goals. Over the years, investment market has been following teachings and strategies of Graham for growth and development. In the book, Graham has explained various principles and strategies for investing safely and successfully without taking bigger risks. Modern-day investors still continue to use his proven and well-executed techniques for value investment. The current edition highlights some of the important concepts that are useful for latest financial orders and plans. Keeping Graham's unique text in original form, the book focuses on major principles that can be applied in day-to-day life. All the concepts and principles are explained with the help of examples for better clarity and understanding of the f..

Cristiano Ronaldo on target as Juventus cruise before Atletico showdown

yesterday

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Cristiano Ronaldo set up Paulo Dybala to score early and added one himself with defender Leonardo Bonucci also on target as Juventus surged 14 points clear in Serie A on Friday with a 3-0 win over lowly Frosinone. Coach Massimiliano Allegri was taking no chances, even against a side sitting second bottom of the table, ahead of next week's Champions League last 16, first-leg tie at Atletico Madrid. Dybala returned to the front line alongside Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic with key defenders Bonnucci and Giorgio Chiellini both back from injury. "The team is growing in terms of fitness, it's a decisive moment for the season," said Allegri. Juventus are building towards next week's game in Madrid and a top-of-the table clash against Napoli in the San Paolo Stadium on March 3. "We struggled a bit after the winter break but now we are ready to face this important moment of the season both in the championship and the Champions League," added Allegri. Juventus remain unbeaten this season but th..

Jose Mourinho's exit cost Manchester United a whopping Rs 170 crore

3 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Manchester United revealed on Thursday that sacking Jose Mourinho cost the club nearly £20 million, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward hailing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The sum of £19.6 million (Rs 170 crore) which is listed under "exceptional items" in the club's second-quarter results, includes pay-outs for the members of Mourinho's staff who left with him after he was sacked in December. The fortunes of the club have been transformed since Solskjaer took the helm as interim boss. United are now in the top four after being 11 points adrift of the Champions League places when Mourinho left. Solskjaer won 10 and drew one in 11 opening ties. The fine run ended on Tuesday, when United were beaten 0-2 at home by PSG. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its..

Amazon Bestseller: The Little Book of Value Investing - Christopher H. Browne

2 years ago

Shopping / Amazon/ Financial Books

There are many ways to make money in today’s market, but the one strategy that has truly proven itself over the years is value investing. Now, with The Little Book of Value Investing, Christopher Browne shows you how to use this wealth-building strategy to successfully buy bargain stocks around the world. "If you are a value investor by temperament, you will (or should) find a lot that is persuasive in what Christopher Browne has to say about the craft of value investing in a delightful new book out this autumn...It is nicely written and utterly persuasive if long-term investment success is what you are after and your temperament is equipped to handle the psychological pressures of making non-consensus investments."..

England's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks is no more

5 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Gordon Banks, England's goalkeeper when they won the 1966 World Cup, has died aged 81, his former club Stoke City announced yesterday. Banks, who played in every game of the 1966 campaign on home soil, is probably best known for a wonder save he produced to deny Brazilian great Pele in the 1970 World Cup. His family said Banks had passed away in his sleep. "It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight," his family said. "We are devastated to lose him, but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him." Geoff Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-2 win over West Germany in the World Cup final at Wembley, tweeted a tribute to his former teammate. "Very sad to hear the news that Gordon has died. One of the very greatest," tweeted Hurst, 77. "Thinking especially of Ursula, Julia, Wendy and Robert. Sad for football, Stoke City and for England fans. Will be very sadly missed." Catch up on all the latest sports news and ..

Amazon Bestseller: VALUE INVESTING AND BEHAVIORAL FINANCE: INSIGHTS INTO INDIAN STOCK MARKET REALITIES - Parag Parikh

2 years ago

Shopping / Amazon/ Financial Books

When others are greedy be fearful and when others are fearful be greedy"-ill-timed bouts of greed and fear among investors make stock markets volatile. Ratinal and successful investing is all about restraining and channelizing these emotions and understanding behavioral finance, not market sentiments, crowd behavior or company performances. At a time when market upheavals are eroding investors' confidence, dooming life's earnings and corporate fortunes, and shipping up mass hysteria-Value Investing and Behavioral Finance comes as an antidote to investor anxiety and a guide to sane and safe investment decisions. Using investing trends in Indian capital markets over the last three decades, it shows how collective behavioral biases affect investment decisions, returns and market vagaries. As a corrective, it spells out long-term value and contrarian investing strategies based on the principles of behavioral finance..

Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey signs four-year Juventus deal

5 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has signed a four-year deal to join Juventus on a free transfer from next July, the Italian champions said on Monday. The 28-year-old Wales international will arrive in northern Italy on July 1 with his contract running until June 30, 2023. As his contract will have ended, Arsenal will not be entitled to a transfer fee. "As a result of the registration of the player, Juventus will incur additional costs of 3.7 million euros ($4.1 million), to be paid by July 10," the Serie A champions said. The move brings to an end Ramsey's 11-year spell with the Gunners having moved from Cardiff City in 2008. Over the past decade he has played 256 Premier League games, scoring 38 top-flight goals, and winning three FA Cup and two Community Shield. He also had two loan spells at Nottingham Forest in 2010, and back at former club, Cardiff in 2011. "I wanted to issue a personal statement for all the Arsenal fans who have been extremely loyal and supportive," Ramsey wro..

Amazon Bestseller: The Little Book of Market Wizards: Lessons from the Greatest Traders - Jack D. Schwager

2 years ago

Shopping / Amazon/ Financial Books

An accessible look at the art of investing and how to adopt the practices of top professionals. What differentiates the highly successful market practitioners—the Market Wizards—from ordinary traders? What traits do they share? What lessons can the average trader learn from those who achieved superior returns for decades while still maintaining strict risk control? Jack Schwager has spent the past 25 years interviewing the market legends in search of the answers—a quest chronicled in four prior Market Wizards volumes totalling nearly 2, 000 pages. In The Little Book of Market Wizards, Jack Schwager seeks to distill what he considers the essential lessons he learned in conducting nearly four dozen interviews with some of the world's best traders. The book delves into the mind-set and processes of highly successful traders, providing insights that all traders should find helpful in improving their trading skills and results. ..

Solskjaer: Perfect time for Manchester United to play PSG

6 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Manchester United's return to Champions League action against PSG tonight has come at the perfect time for the team, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. When the two sides were paired together in December's draw, PSG were strong favourites to make the last eight, with United mired in the final days of Jose Mourinho's troublesome tenure. However, the mood around Old Trafford is transformed under Solskjaer. "We've given ourselves the best possible opportunity with the way we've gone into this game because we are confident," said the Norwegian. "We are playing like a team, we are agreeing on how we should approach games. If there was ever a time to go into big games like this it is now." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, relia..

Southampton to ban fans who mocked Sala's death with 'plane' gesture

7 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Southampton have promised to ban supporters involved in mocking the death of Emiliano Sala by making aeroplane gestures during their match at home to Cardiff City on Saturday. It was Cardiff's first fixture since the Argentinian striker's body was identified. However, after the game video on social media appeared to show two men in the home section of St Mary's Stadium making aeroplane gestures. Southampton confirmed both fans had been spoken to by police and intended to take "an extremely firm stance" over the incident. "Southampton FC can confirm that two fans were detained and had their details taken by police during our match against Cardiff on Saturday," said a statement from the club. "Such behaviour has no place in our game and will not be tolerated at St Mary's." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day ac..

Footballer Jamie Redknapp fails to woo American singer Nicole

7 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

American singer Nicole Scherzinger turned down former English footballer Jamie Redknapp's request for a date, her close friend revealed. The former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder, 45, was keen to date Nicole Scherzinger, 40, who split with Bulgarian tennis ace Grigor Dimitrov, 27, in 2017. "Jamie has been keen on Nicole, but would never have tried it on when she was with Grigor. Since their split, he expressed an interest in dating her, but the time isn't right for Nicole," a close friend revealed. The friend said that the former Pussycat Doll is on a break to focus on her career. "They [Jamie and Nicole] would make a lovely couple so who knows what will happen in the future." Nicole, was in a relationship with British F1 champions Lewis Hamilton for seven years. Jamie divorced Louise Redknapp last year after 19 years of marriage. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..

English Premier League: Liverpool win 3-0 to go on top of the table

8 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Liverpool regained top spot in the Premier League by getting back to winning ways as goals from Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohamed Salah secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Back-to-back draws against Leicester and West Ham had seen Jurgen Klopp's men usurped by Manchester City on goal difference in midweek. Man United fourthManchester United swept into fourth place in the Premier League as Anthony Martial's sublime strike inspired their 3-0 win over struggling Fulham. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side took the lead through Paul Pogba's clinical finish early in the first half at Craven Cottage. But it was Martial who stole the show as the winger raced over half the length of the pitch before finishing emphatically to double United's lead before half-time. Winners of six consecutive away games in all competitions for the first time since May 2009, United are firmly in the hunt for a top four finish after trailing 11 points behind those places on the day Jose ..

English Premier League: Title race Red hot for Liverpool

9 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists the Premier League title race is something to get excited about rather than stressed about despite seeing his side overhauled by Manchester City in the past week. City climbed to the top of the table on goal difference with victory against Everton in midweek but Liverpool's destiny remains in their own hands as they have a game in hand over Pep Guardiola's men, with both sides level on 62 points. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp "It's getting exciting now," said Klopp on Friday. "There was never a doubt that would happen. That was always clear. I don't think that anybody thought we would be top of the league with 12 points between us and another team with three games to go. The only chance to improve our position, even though it is a good position, is by winning football games." Just over a week ago Liverpool had the chance to move seven points clear at the top, but back-to-back draws with Leicester and West Ham on Monday have seen them reeled in by..

We can mourn now, says Emiliano Sala's family after body is identified

9 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala's family grieved yesterday after British authorities formally identified his body as the one recovered from the submerged wreckage of a plane that went down in the English Channel more than two weeks ago. "We can now begin to mourn our son and our brother," the Cardiff City striker's family said in a statement. "We would like to thank you for all of your signs of affection and support in the most painful time of our life. To see everyone doing everything possible to join us in the search has been a precious help to us," the family said. Argentine footballing idols Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta also paid tribute to Sala, 28. French club, Nantes, said it was retiring the jersey with Sala's number 9 on it. "I am sorry about this sad news. Many of us kept a glimmer of hope for you, Emiliano," footballing superstar Maradona said on Instagram, after the identification of the body. "What sadness, this is the worst news. Rest in peace warrior," twee..

Heartbreaking! Plane crash victim Sala's dog is still waiting for him

11 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Promising footballer Emiliano Sala's plane crash has shaken the football world. The Argentine footballer was on his way to join English football club Cardiff City to start a new chapter in his career. Emiliano Sala, 28, was flying from France to join his new club, when the light aircraft, carrying Sala and his pilot disappeared on January 21 north of the island of Guernsey. Emiliano Sala's sister Romina Sala who was very close to the footballer, posted a picture of Emiliano's dog Nala, staring outside the door, waiting for his master to return. The heartbreaking picture has taken the internet by storm and with football fans all over the world sharing the picture all over the internet. Earlier this week, British investigators said they had spotted a body in the wreckage of a plane that disappeared in the Channel two weeks ago carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala and his pilot. The wreck was found on the seabed and closer inspection by a remotely operated veh..

Expect more twists in EPL title race, says Man City boss Guardiola

12 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Pep Guardiola has played down the suggestion that Manchester City are now EPL title favourites despite two stumbles in as many games by leaders Liverpool that cut the gap at the top to three points. The champions will go top on goal difference if they win at Everton tonight. However, Guardiola is sure there will be plenty more twists before the end of the season. "Three or four days ago, we were already done, and Liverpool were champions. Now we are the favourites and maybe soon we can be leading. We try to be calm," said Guardiola. "There will be surprises and it will be tough for teams to win every game. The contenders and the non-contenders can create problems." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates 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 tex..

Jose Mourinho avoids jail, fined for tax fraud in Spain

12 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Ex-Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has avoided jail for tax fraud as part of a deal with Spanish prosecutors revealed yesterday but will pay a fine of close to two million euros. The Portuguese, 56, is accused of committing tax fraud in 2011 and 2012 when he coached Spanish giants Real Madrid. According to the agreement seen by AFP, Mourinho accepted a one-year jail sentence immediately commuted to a fine of 182,500 euros. Mourinho will also have to pay an additional penalty of 1.98 million euros ($2.3 million). Spanish prosecutors accuse Mourinho, who coached Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, of failing to declare income of 1.6 million euros in 2011 and 1.7 million euros in 2012. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliab..

Footballer Sala death: Debris of crashed plane found deep in the ocean

13 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

British investigators yesterday said they had spotted a body in the wreckage of a plane that disappeared in the Channel two weeks ago carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala and his pilot. Sala, 28, was flying from France to join his new club, Premier League side Cardiff City, when the light aircraft disappeared on January 21 north of the island of Guernsey. An image from the video footage released yesterday shows wreckage of the missing aircraft that was carrying footballer Emiliano Sala lying on the seabed under the English Channel. Pic/AFP A wreck was found on the seabed on Sunday and closer inspection by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) confirmed both that it was the missing plane, and that a body was inside. "Tragically, in video footage from the ROV, one occupant is visible amidst the wreckage," the British government's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in a statement. "The AAIB is now considering the next steps, in consultation with the families of the pilot ..

Gonzalo Higuain is unbelievable, says Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard

14 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Eden Hazard believes Gonzalo Higuain's first two goals for Chelsea in Saturday's 5-0 rout of Huddersfield are just the beginning for the Argentine ace, with whom he foresees a potentially lethal partnership in the Premier League run in. Sarri worked with Higuain when the Argentine scored a record 36 Serie A goals in a single season at Napoli. And Higuain showed why he has a stellar scoring record over the past decade in Spanish and Italian football with two excellent finishes to open his Premier League account. "He's a great striker. He's a bit less of a target man than [Olivier] Giroud, but he can hold the ball, he can play one touches. He's intelligent," said Hazard. "In the box he's unbelievable. He will score more goals." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its d..

Emiliano Sala would have been proud of Cardiff: Boss Warnock

14 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said Emiliano Sala would have been proud of the team after they beat Bournemouth 2-0 on Saturday in their first home match since the plane carrying their new Argentine signing disappeared. Bobby Reid scored a fifth-minute penalty and the Cardiff players celebrated by running towards the dug-out to hold up a blue shirt bearing Sala's picture. Reid scored again just after half-time. "The crowd were amazing and it's been a very emotional 10 days," Cardiff boss Warnock said. "It can't be helped and I thought we played well against a decent team like Bournemouth. We worked on a system and it worked a treat today. Emiliano Sala would've been proud of us tonight. He was a super guy," Warnock added. "I met him for a couple of months and it just got hold of me walking across to the fans — it is an emotional time." Sala was travelling from France to join his new club in a light aircraft on January 21 when it went missing close to the Channel Islands. Catch ..

ISL: Mumbai slip on home turf against Goa

16 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

FC Goa consolidated their position in the Indian Super League Top 4 en route to the knockout stage as Mumbai City FC slipped on home turf, losing 0-2 at the Mumbai Football Arena yesterday. The Goan side had embarrassed the Mumbai outfit 5-0 when they hosted them last year and proved it was no fluke by repeating the dominance in the Blue Brigade’s backyard this time to climb one spot, into No. 3 in the points table. Goa’s Ferran Corrominas got to a defence-splitting through ball before an onrushing Mumbai custodian Amrinder Singh and squared the ball to Eduardo Bedia for an easy tap-in to give the visitors the opening goal in the 28th minute. Then, late into the second half, Corrominas was once again the creator. A swift run into the Mumbai danger area saw him brought down by Mumbai’s Subhasish Bose and a penalty was rightly awarded for Corrominas to seal the deal for the Goans. It could have easily been 3-0 had Amrinder not stood between Goa..

'Ref denied us a win'

17 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Jurgen Klopp refused to be down-hearted despite his annoyance at being denied a strong second-half penalty claim in Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Leicester at Anfield on Wednesday. The result, coming 24 hours after EPL title rivals Manchester City were beaten at lowly Newcastle, saw Klopp's team extend their lead at the top of the table to five points. But it could, obviously, have been seven points after Sadio Mane gave Liverpool an early lead, only for Harry Maguire to score a dramatic equaliser in first-half injury-time. To compound Klopp's unhappiness, Maguire had been cautioned just six minutes earlier for a foul on Mane when the Liverpool striker appeared ready to break clear on goal in a counter-attack. Referee Martin Atkinson deemed that foul worth only a yellow card, and compounded his "crime" in the eyes of home fans, when he did not award Liverpool a second-half penalty following what appeared to be Ricardo Pereira's trip on Naby Keita. "The 1-1 is OK even though everybody ag..

Anything can happen, says Pep Guardiola on Man City's title hopes

18 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City's title hopes were still intact despite admitting Liverpool are poised to take a significant lead in their two-way battle for the Premier League crown. Jurgen Klopp's side can extend their advantage at the top to seven points with victory at home to Leicester on Wednesday after the reigning champions' shock 1-2 defeat at struggling Newcastle on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola The Spaniard's 100th league game in charge turned sour despite Sergio Aguero putting City ahead in a mere 24 seconds with the fastest EPL of the season. Guardiola, however, is far from ready to throw in the towel with more than three months of the campaign to play, and predicted twists and turns in Liverpool's bid to end a 29-year wait to win English football's top prize. "We're still in January," said City manager Guardiola. "There's a lot of time but of course, when you're behind the leaders you don't want to drop points and every game is one less, but there are still a lot of ma..

Tottenham eyeing EPL Top 4, says Pochettino after FA Cup exit

20 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Mauricio Pochettino stubbornly insists winning a trophy is not the priority for Tottenham but he is playing a risky game as he focuses on finishing in the top four in the Premier League. Spurs lost 2-0 at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Sunday, just three days after they fell to Chelsea on penalties in the semi-final of the League Cup. The Argentine manager, while disappointed about the two defeats, has doubled down on his long-held contention that it is more important for the team to qualify for the Champions League than to win silverware. "We are going to create a debate that to win a trophy is going to help the club," he said after defeat at Palace. "I don't agree with that. That only builds your ego. In reality the most important thing is being consistently in the top four and playing in the Champions League. That is going to help the club to achieve the last step," he added. Meanwhile, Willian scored twice as FA Cup holders Chelsea beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 on Sunday. The Br..

Indian Super League: Mumbai City fly high

21 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Skipper Paulo Machado led from the front as Mumbai City FC defeated Bengaluru FC 1-0 in an enthralling Indian Super League game in Mumbai yesterday. Machado's goal in the 29th minute was the difference between the two sides as Mumbai grabbed three points. After yesterday's win, Mumbai and Bengaluru are on top of the league table with 27 points each, though the home side have played 13 matches, one more than the visitors. Ineffective ChhetriThis was the first time Sunil Chhetri was playing after being conferred with coveted Padma Shri award, but it was Machado, who, instead stole the limelight at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri. Both the sides began on an aggressive note and Bengaluru created two chances inside the first seven minutes but both the shots sailed above the bar. In the fifth minute, Mumbai's Arnold Issoko lofted the ball from a distance but experienced Bengaluru custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu collected it safely. The best chance for Bengaluru came in the 16th minute...

Real Madrid coach praises young rising star Vinicius Jr

22 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Real Madrid's head coach on Saturday praised young Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr as the talented youth has become a key player for the Spanish team in recent matches. The 18-year-old Vinicius, who started the season with Madrid's B-team, has been included in the starting XI in the last nine matches in a row, putting in outstanding performances and becoming both a reference for his team's attack and a headache for rival defenses at the same time, reports Efe news. "His adaptation has been very fast up to now," Santiago Solari said at a press conference in Madrid on the eve of his team's La Liga contest against Espanyol at RCDE Stadium. "He is very young, he is 18 years old and he has made an adaptation to a new country, a new language, friends, a new neighborhood and soccer culture, thanks to the team's support, of mature players," Solari added. The Argentine coach also stressed that the club has received a player as young as Vinicius "very well," which has been the key for the Brazi..

Lionel Messi appeals for missing footballer: Don't give up on Sala

23 days ago

News / Mid-Day/ Football

Lionel Messi urged investigators yesterday to resume the search for missing striker Emiliano Sala after police called off rescue operations and admitted the chances of finding him were "extremely remote". Police from Guernsey abandoned the search on Thursday after the light aircraft taking the Argentine, 28, to Wales following his signing with Cardiff City from Ligue 1 side Nantes disappeared from radar near the British island on Monday. "While there is the possibility, a shred of hope, we ask that you please #NoDejenDeBuscar [don't stop searching] for Emiliano. All my strength to your family and friends," said the Barcelona player on Instagram, with the hashtag "#PRAYFORSALA". Messi's plea comes after Sala's father and other players, including Bordeaux's Valentin Vada and Leganes' Uruguayan attacker Diego Rolan, begged authorities to continue the search. Sala's family have asked that Nantes not to commemorate their former teammate at this weekend's French Cup clash with third-tier..