GLASGOW, Scotland: Rangers beat a coronavirus-depleted Celtic side 2-0 at Celtic Park on Saturday to move four points clear of their bitter rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Two goals from Connor Goldson proved enough for Steven Gerrard’s men, who are desperate to stop their bitter rivals winning a record-breaking 10th consecutive title.
In the first Old Firm derby without fans, Goldson headed in James Tavernier’s free-kick in the ninth minute and tapped in from close range in the second half as Rangers recorded back-to-back wins at Celtic Park for the first time since 1995.
It was a first domestic defeat since the last clash between the Glasgow giants in December for Neil Lennon’s men, who have a game in hand over Rangers with a long title fight still to come.
Celtic were without star striker Odsonne Edouard, Nir Bitton and Hatem Elhamed due to Covid infections, while Ryan Christie missed out as he was forced to self-isolate for being a close contact of Southampton’s Stuart Armstrong, who also tested positive, while on international duty with Scotland.
But Gerrard said that took nothing away from a dominant performance by his side.
“We’ve put in a really controlled, professional performance,” Gerrard told Sky Sports. “I don’t think we were at our fluent best but we’ve come here and controlled the game with and without the ball.”
“We could maybe have scored more,” he added. “There will be no getting carried away. We need to remain humble.”
Rangers got the start they wanted when Goldson escaped his markers from Tavernier’s searching free-kick and flashed a header past goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas.
Mohamed Elyounoussi wasted a good chance to level for Celtic but the hosts failed to manage a shot on target for the first time since 2009 in a league match.
Lennon pointed to his lack of options with James Forrest also out injured, while Albian Ajeti and Leigh Griffiths were not match fit.
“We had Ajeti not fully fit, Griffiths not fully fit, Edouard out,” said Lennon. “That’s three mainline strikers not able to start.
“But I felt we created good enough chances first half to score. Rangers defended their box pretty well today and that was the difference in terms of the psychology of the goals.
“We were pretty decimated with the Covid and the injuries but I felt we had a strong enough team out.”
Earlier, the Scottish league said it would investigate after St. Mirren’s latest positive virus test led to the postponement of their clash with Motherwell.
Two players had already tested positive earlier this week, with a third forced into self-isolation.
A further positive test saw more players instructed to go into self-isolation and the club told the Scottish Professional Football League that they could not fulfil their Premiership fixture.
Rangers cruise past depleted Celtic to move clear at top of Scottish Premiership
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Rangers cruise past depleted Celtic to move clear at top of Scottish Premiership
- Celtic were without star striker Odsonne Edouard, Nir Bitton and Hatem Elhamed due to Covid infections, while Ryan Christie missed out as he was forced to self-isolate
Wearing the Saudi kit ‘is enough for me,’ says Al-Hilal star Majd Al-Otaibi
- The 18-year-old spoke to Arab News about the special bond with her father, growing up in the US and embracing football in the Kingdom
RIYADH: As Majd Al-Otaibi listened intently to the question being asked, tears began to well up in her eyes. As she started to answer, her voice broke a little.
The Al-Hilal star, who turned 18 recently, was answering a question about what it means to play for her country’s football team, to wear the legendary green kit and hear the national anthem.
She first had the honor as a 16-year-old and has established herself as one of the Kingdom’s most promising talents, ready to break down barriers and smash glass ceilings.
“Honestly, there’s tears in my eyes right now when you’re explaining this,” the eloquent Al-Otaibi told Arab News.
“I love Saudi very much, so to wear the kit for me, that’s all I need. Like, even if I’m sitting on the bench, even if I’m in the stands, it’s enough for me.”
Al-Otaibi was born into football. Her father, Fahad, played for Al-Tai in the early 2000s. And while she was too young to remember much of his career, her older sister, Najd, who plays for Al-Riyadh, was once the team’s mascot and walked onto the field holding her father’s hand.
While she lacks the memories, he is her biggest idol, and she speaks with reverence about him. “He’s my biggest inspiration,” she proclaimed proudly.
“When I first started football, he was my first coach. So even though I didn’t know anything about football, he was always there with me, he was my first coach, and obviously this made him my first inspiration, and I saw him as an amazing player.
“Every time he tried to teach me something or show me something, I would forget what he was teaching me, and I would just look at him and I’d be like ‘wow.’”
The love she feels for her father is returned in equal measure.
“The word ‘proud’ doesn’t adequately express how I feel about Majd,” Fahad was recorded as saying in a 2023 video which was produced for Saudi Arabia’s aborted bid for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
“The Saudi league will not be the end of our ambitions, I think she will rise to the heights of international professionalism. I have faith in her. She will succeed in ways that I was incapable of.”
With an older sister and younger brother, the Al-Otaibi family bonds are strong, but she has a special place in her heart for her father. “(He) is my best friend through football and through life in general. He’s always with me no matter what,” she said.
“I think he’s a big part of why I’m where I am today, and no matter what happens, he’s always supporting me. He’s at every single game, if he can, even the ones outside of Saudi with the under-20 national team. He’s always with me.”
That included flying all the way from Saudi Arabia to Florida during her year-long residence at the famed IMG Academy, an opportunity that arose through the increased investment in the women’s game by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
It was not her first experience Stateside, however, having lived in Cedar City, Utah, for almost seven years as her parents continued their studies in the US and were able to expose their children to a different culture.
“I have a whole different view of life,” she explained. “When I went to the US, I didn’t know what was my culture, or what was the American culture, or what culture I’m supposed to have, because I went at an age where I’m still learning these things.
“So when I went there, I learned their culture. I learned everything. I was enjoying my life. It was amazing. Alhamdulillah. But when you come back to Saudi and you experience the Saudi culture, and you’ve experienced the American culture, and here you see the difference, and I’m 100 percent with the Saudi culture.”
It was in America she first started playing football, for a team coached by her father. It was called the Minions, with a bright yellow kit resembling the characters from the iconic film franchise.
When her family returned home in 2019, she was 12 and uncertain about her football career. “When I first came back to Saudi, I had no idea there was women’s football,” she said.
“I had no idea. I had in my mind that I was going to come back and I was done with football, because I didn’t (know). There was nothing online, there was no social media, there was nothing to tell me if it was there.”
Her return coincided with the boom in women’s football but also the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is a good story,” she joked.
“When I first came back, there was this one team that I did tryouts for. I did one training (and) the next day coronavirus (struck), and everything was shut down. I never got to play for them.”
But it opened her eyes to what was possible, and only a few short years later she was stepping out proudly wearing the national team kit. Her rapid ascension — joining Al-Hilal in 2023 via Al-Yamamah — mirrors that of women’s football in the Kingdom overall.
So what about the future?
She dreams of being a trailblazer and playing professionally outside of Saudi Arabia. “I think this should be a goal for every young player,” she explained.
“Because to develop outside and to come back, it’s not only developing you as a player, but it’s developing your country, and it’s inspiring younger players to do this as well.
“You have a lot of examples from the men’s senior national team — Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Saud Abdulhamid — they’re representing their country very well outside, so I think this should be our inspiration, and it should be what we want.
“We would want to do it for our country as well, to represent them outside (Saudi Arabia); Europe or the US league, wherever it is, but to develop for us and for our country, I think that’s my biggest aspiration as well.”
She draws inspiration from the country hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup. And she hopes Saudi Arabia will host a major women’s tournament, perhaps the AFC Women’s Asian Cup or even the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“I think we will have the chance to host (the Women’s Asian Cup) one day, Inshallah, or any big tournament, World Cup, or whatever it is,” she said excitedly.
“I think Saudi is ready for this, and we need to open up the world to women’s football in Saudi.”
Nikola Jokic hits 66-foot heave to highlight his 5th straight triple-double
- Jokic finished with 35 points, 22 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists against Sacramento
- Jokic’s shot highlighted his fifth straight triple-double, all before the end of the third quarter
DENVER: Nikola Jokic took an inbounds pass with 1.7 seconds left in the third quarter, turned and let fly with a 66-foot heave that got all net at the other end. He casually walked over to his bench as his teammates mobbed him and the sold-out arena erupted.
“I thought it had a chance, and then boom,” Russell Westbrook said. “The best part of it was no reaction from him. Which I love.”
It appeared to be a footnote in what looked like a Denver Nuggets blowout win Thursday night. Denver led Sacramento 110-85 at that point but had to hold off a late rally to pull out a 132-123 victory over the Kings, its fourth straight.
Jokic finished with 35 points, 22 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists, and the shot from three-quarters court stood out among his 12 field goals.
“Not surprising,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “He’s a guy that has this uncanny ability.”
Jokic took the low-percentage shot but saw his 3-point average rise. He made 2 of 3 from behind the arc and is now shooting 47.9 percent from deep.
“When you play you want to make every shot,” he said. “I took it to make it and I did make it. It’s a lucky shot, not really a high-percentage shot, but I took it to make it. It’s three points. It’s going to help us.”
Jokic’s shot highlighted his fifth straight triple-double, all before the end of the third quarter, and his 20th of the season, the most in the NBA this season.
He also has an uncanny ability to put up historic numbers. He is now averaging a triple-double for the season — 30.2 points, 13.4 rebounds and 10 assists — and two weeks ago he and Westbrook became the first teammates to both record triple-doubles in same game multiple times.
Thursday night he hit another milestone.
According to the NBA, Jokic joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to record a game with at least 35 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists.
“I think this the best basketball I’ve ever played,” Jokic said. “I’m feeling good out there, I’m in shape, the ball is going in. I think I’m playing really good.”
Jokic earned another All-Star spot for the event next month in San Francisco. It is the seventh straight time he has been named to the All-Star game and it’s the fifth in a row as a starter.
“Just to be on the floor with the best players in the league is an honor,” he said.
Dasun Shanaka’s late charge helps Dubai Capitals beat Gulf Giants
- The 5-wicket win leaves Dubai Capitals third in the DP World ILT20 season 3 table
DUBAI: A late blitz by Dasun Shanaka was instrumental in helping the Dubai Capitals register a comprehensive win over the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Dubai Capitals won by five wickets and eight deliveries to spare as Shanaka threw the kitchen sink at the Gulf Giants.
Asked to bat first, the Gulf Giants’ skipper James Vince looked to attack from the get-go. At the other end though, Obed McCoy gave the Dubai Capitals their first wicket, as he dismissed Ibrahim Zadran for three. Vince, who hit four boundaries in his 24, was joined by Jordan Cox and kept the scoreboard moving for the Gulf Giants.
Just before the end of the powerplay, Vince was dismissed, and early in the seventh over Tom Alsop was knocked over for two by Zahir Khan. Then Cox took charge and had good support from Gerhard Erasmus.
Even though the Dubai Capitals kept things tight, Cox and Erasmus put on a 69-run stand to give the Giants some momentum in the final phase of the innings. Erasmus though departed for 29, and shortly after Cox completed his half-century, with the big-hitting Shimron Hetmyer for company.
Hetmyer and Cox were looking to score quickly, but the Dubai Capitals’ bowling kept them firmly in check. In the final over of the innings, Cox was run out for a well-made 70, which helped the Gulf Giants post a competitive 153/5 in 20 overs. Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 17.
In response, Ben Dunk and Shai Hope started off steadily, and were looking to set up the platform for the Dubai Capitals’ chase. Dunk though fell for 10, and Khalid Shah could only add 10 more to the cause.
Gulbadin Naib then joined Hope and the duo found the gaps well, picking up a series of boundaries as the Dubai Capitals fought back. Naib was the next to depart for 17 as Aayan Khan picked up his second wicket. Najibullah Zadran, however, was back in the hut for seven, which brought captain Sikandar Raza to the middle, alongside Hope.
Raza and Hope put on 33 runs together, which steadied the ship. The Dubai Capitals needed a strong partnership, and Hope along with Raza were able to set up the platform for the final overs. Hope was packed off for 47 by Blessing Muzarabani, who then went on to concede 18 runs in the over.
Shanaka continued his attack on the Gulf Giants’ bowling right through and finished off the contest with two sixes, a boundary and a single in the 19th over. Shanaka finished unbeaten on 34 off 10 deliveries while Raza had 26 from 15.
Player of the match Hope said: “I am just trying to grow and for that I have got to adapt quickly and improve my game. And I got to continue doing it. I want to improve every time I get on to the field.”
The Gulf Giants’ captain Vince added: “Shanaka was able to strike it cleanly and he took it away from us in the last three overs. It was a much better performance from us overall and we felt it was a decent score.”
Brief scores
Dubai Capitals beat Gulf Giants by 5 wickets
Gulf Giants 153/5 in 20 overs (Jordan Cox 70, Gerhard Erasmus 29, Dushmantha Chameera 1 for 31, Zahir Khan 1 for 32)
Dubai Capitals 154/5 in 18.4 overs (Shai Hope 47, Dasun Shanaka 34 not out, Sikandar Raza 27 not out, Aayan Khan 2 for 23, Muhammad Zuhaib 1 for 22)
Player of the match: Shai Hope
LeBron James picked for 21st straight All-Star Game, extending NBA record
- James is now officially an All-Star for the 21st year
LeBron James is extending his All-Star records. And Giannis Antetokounmpo is the people’s choice, again.
The NBA revealed the starters — some of them, anyway — for the revamped All-Star Game on Thursday night, and there wasn’t much in the way of surprises. James is now officially an All-Star for the 21st year, and Antetokounmpo is now the ninth player to win the fan vote in back-to-back seasons.
The other starters:
— New York’s Jalen Brunson and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell as the Eastern Conference guards.
— Boston’s Jayson Tatum and New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns as the East frontcourt players alongside Antetokounmpo.
— Golden State’s Stephen Curry and NBA leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Western Conference guards.
— Phoenix’s Kevin Durant and Denver’s Nikola Jokic as the West frontcourt players alongside James.
The starters were picked through a system of weighted balloting: 50 percent was fan voting, 25 percent was a media panel and 25 percent was voting by current players.
There are 14 more All-Stars yet to be announced, and they’ll be chosen in a vote of the league’s head coaches. That list will be revealed on Jan. 30, and the All-Star Game — now games, really — happens in San Francisco on Feb. 16.
Among the candidates for those reserve spots: San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Dallas teammates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, reigning All-Star Game MVP Damian Lillard of Milwaukee, Miami’s Tyler Herro, Atlanta’s Trae Young and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball — who led East guard fan voting.
There will be at least 15 different players who “start” at the All-Star Game this season. It’s the first year of a new All-Star format, with three games. The 24 All-Stars will be drafted into three teams of eight players apiece by TNT personalities and former NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
Those three teams will be entered into a four-team tournament, with the remaining squad made up of NBA rookies and second-year players from the Rising Stars event on All-Star Friday. There are two semifinal games, with the winners meeting in a championship game. The games should go quickly; the first team to reach 40 points wins.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault and an assistant from his staff will coach two of the teams, and Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson and one of his assistants will lead the others.
The last two All-Star Games rewrote the offensive record books. Boston’s Tatum set an individual record with 55 points in 2023, and last year’s final score was 211-186 — the highest-scoring All-Star Game ever.
LeBron at 40
James is now in line to become the third player to appear in the All-Star Game after turning 40. The others: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who did so at 40 and 41, and Dirk Nowitzki, whose All-Star finale came when he was 40.
James — a pick for 21 straight years — now has two more All-Star selections than anyone else in NBA history (Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time pick) and is three years clear of anyone else for the longest streak of consecutive selections. Kobe Bryant was picked for 18 consecutive All-Star Games, the second-longest such streak.
James is also set to start for the 21st consecutive year. The second-longest streak of All-Star starts is 13, by Boston’s Bob Cousy.
Antetokounmpo gets 4.4 million fan votes
Antetokounmpo led the way with more than 4.4 million fan votes, giving him the most in that department for the second consecutive year.
The other players who have been the overall top fan choice in back-to-back seasons: James, Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Vince Carter, George Gervin, Magic Johnson, Grant Hill and Yao Ming.
Kobe Bryant led the fan voting four times and Dwight Howard did twice, but neither of those players ever did it in back-to-back years.
Djokovic retires in Australian Open semifinals against Alexander Zverev
- Novak Djokovic hurt his left leg during his quarterfinal victory against Carlos Alcaraz
MELBOURNE: An injured Novak Djokovic quit after dropping the first set of his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Djokovic lost the opener 7-6 (5) in a tiebreaker and immediately walked around the net to concede the match to Zverev. Fans booed as Djokovic walked off toward the locker room, and he responded by giving two thumbs-up.
Djokovic, who was bidding for an 11 championship at the Australian Open and record 25th Grand Slam title overall, hurt his left leg during his quarterfinal victory against Carlos Alcaraz.
The No. 2-seeded Zverev reached his first title match at Melbourne Park and will face the winner of Friday’s second semifinal between No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, the defending champion, and No. 21 Ben Shelton of the United States.
Zverev is a two-time runner-up at other major tournaments.
The men’s final is Sunday. In Saturday’s women’s final, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will try to become the first woman since 1999 with three consecutive Australian Open titles when she faces Madison Keys of the United States.
