Newcastle wrap up pre-season friendlies with 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao

Newcastle United's Callum Wilson in action with Athletic Bilbao's Yeray at St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain, on July 30, 2022. (Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes)
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Updated 30 July 2022
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Newcastle wrap up pre-season friendlies with 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao

  • Goals by Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin secure second victory in two days following Friday’s 1-0 win over Atalanta

NEWCASTLE, Britain: Two days, two totally different starting XIs, but exactly the same result. Newcastle United made it back-to-back pre-season victories at St. James’ Park, this time seeing off Athletic Bilbao 2-1.

Less than 24 hours after Chris Wood's penalty ensured a 1-0 win over Atalanta, strike rivals Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin netted to see off La Liga opposition this time out. Raul Garcia added a consolation for Los Leones.

In a ploy that has intrigued many among the United faithful, head coach Eddie Howe has opted to split this Newcastle group throughout pre-season.

Hour and half-hour stints in Austria, then a 45-minute show apiece at Benfica before the full 90 for much of the squad this weekend is Howe's way of easing his players into things and firing them up at just the right time.

In truth, it is impossible to know whether this tactic will work — judgments will be reserved for after the clash with Nottingham Forest next weekend — but it's kept everyone guessing as to what constitutes Howe's strongest XI, with Premier League football looming large on the horizon.

“The last two games have been brilliant exercises for us," said Howe on selection. “Two top teams. Two different XIs for a big test for us, but I think we've come through with no injuries. Two positive results and two good performances.

“We wanted a tough test. We wanted every game to examine our team and make sure we’re ready for the rigors of Premier League football. Definitely, the last three games have given us top-quality opposition who have all played in slightly different ways, but they’ve taken the game to us so it was an equal challenge.

“Both teams in the last two days have been going for each other and played some really good football at times. That was the type of test we needed because we know the level of Nottingham Forest will be very high. None of our players can turn round and say they weren’t ready for Premier League football.

“Pre-season is done, we’ve got the last few bits of training to get us up to top speed. I’m sure we’ll be ready.”




Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and Matt Ritchie after the match with Bilbao at St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain, on July 30, 2022. (Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes)

While what looked very much like at least four of United's first-choice back five — four plus a goalkeeper — was deployed against the Italians last night, it looked, to the untrained eye at least, that this XI makes up much of Newcastle's forward big hitters.

Saint-Maximin and Wilson were joined by Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Joe Willock, all of whom look set to be guaranteed starters with the newly-promoted Tricky Trees in town in seven days.

And it was two of those who combined to get Howe's men off to the perfect start.

With just three minutes on the clock, Saint-Maximin cut in from the left, as has become his trademark, and laid into the path of Matt Ritchie, who in turn flipped through the Bilbao backline to Wilson who showed his usual level of composure and class to turn home for 1-0.

Dominant from minute one to 45, Guimaraes ran rings around the visiting midfield, spraying balls left and right and drawing tackles and fouls at will as he frustrated those on the Bilbao bench and the pitch.

Sven Botman, making his home debut, also excelled at the heart of defense as his timely blocks and interceptions shed light on the very different side to his game, the blood and guts defensive work, to go with the slick, unflappable passing game he so clearly possesses.

Like the previous night, a raft of changes from the visiting bench freshened things up for the opposition and, with fatigue a factor, the balance of play leveled somewhat — although not before Saint-Maximin had worked some match-winning magic of his own.

A curled ball from the outside of Joelinton's right boot set the Frenchman away down the left and driving toward goal, and Saint-Maximin rolled past the outstretched frame of Ander Iruarrizaga for 2-0.

That goal, more than any other this pre-season, will likely have a profound impact. No player has been transformed in approach so starkly this summer than Saint-Maximin. While the goals and assists have evaded him this summer, like the tail end of last season, this all-round player has gone up levels.

Where previously decision-making was found wanting and often the ball turned over to the opposition, the former Monaco man is now doing the simple things well - and, importantly, is a vital and willing component in Howe's high praise.

“I thought he was excellent today,” Howe said of Saint-Maximin. “Allan thrives on the crowd here, thrives off the energy and the love of the crowd. You could see that in his performance today, it was probably his best performance during pre-season.

“He took his goal very well and worked hard, looking like a real threat. Delighted for him.”

As the game stretched and United's powers waned, substitute Garcia got on the end of an inviting cross to hammer home a header to reduce arrears but, despite some sustained pressure and thanks to some Martin Dubravka heroics, the Magpies held on to round off their summer in style.

“The first half was good. There were a lot of fluent attacks, good individual displays and collective too,” said Howe, summing up another victorious afternoon for his side. “We looked dangerous, defended well, and were on the front foot - everything we want to be. An intense game.

“Second half, similar to yesterday when the changes were made, we suffered with their fresh legs and our tired bodies but that’s the beauty of the exercise of playing two games in two days so we can get the majority of players 90 minutes.”


Amorim eyes victory in first Man Utd home game to kickstart new era

Updated 27 November 2024
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Amorim eyes victory in first Man Utd home game to kickstart new era

  • The former Sporting Lisbon boss admitted after the draw at the weekend that United would “suffer for a long time” as he puts his stamp on the club

LONDON: Ruben Amorim said struggling Manchester United need a win to kickstart his Old Trafford revolution as he prepares for a “special” first home match against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.
United had a disappointing 1-1 draw at Ipswich on Sunday in Amorim’s first game in charge since replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag, leaving them 12th in the Premier League table.
On Thursday they face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League after one win and three draws in their opening four matches in the competition.
“It is said to me that it will be a special time,” Amorim told his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “I just want to win the game, just to give that happiness to the supporters.
“Before the match it will be like a new sensation but after the whistle it will be one more game and we want to win that match.”
Amorim, who changed United’s formation against Ipswich, said the club needed to feel “momentum.”
“It’s important when you are putting an idea,” he said. “If you win it’s a big help.”
The former Sporting Lisbon boss admitted after the draw at the weekend that United would “suffer for a long time” as he puts his stamp on the club.
And on Wednesday he admitted he did not know how long it would take players to get used to his methods, explaining it was difficult to draw parallels with his previous experiences.
“You can say that this is a different league so it’s harder than in Portugal,” he said. “But I also have more experienced players and all these guys play for national teams.
“They just need to increase their confidence and at the moment I don’t know how to answer that question. I don’t know how long.
“But I will know that with a lot of games without time to train it will be tough for me but it will be tougher for them because they are on the pitch and they will suffer a little bit.
“I will try to help and we have to manage to win some games and try to increase that idea in the team.”
Amorim said United had firepower in their ranks despite their lack of goals this season and that he would try to help out-of-form Marcus Rashford.
“We will try to find the right solution for him, as for the other players,” he said.
“He has to be Marcus, first of all, to try to return to that moment. Then he will have the help of all the staff, all the club and all the fans because he’s a Manchester United boy. But he has to be the first one to really want it.”


Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam

Updated 27 November 2024
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Israeli soccer team prepares for closed-door match in Hungary after attacks on fans in Amsterdam

  • The team will face off Thursday against Turkiye’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary
  • Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere

DEBRECEN, Hungary: Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team returned to Europe on Wednesday for the first time since its fans were assaulted in the Netherlands earlier this month in attacks that were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Israel and across Europe.
The team will face off Thursday against Turkiye’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary. The contest at Nagyerdei Stadium in the city of Debrecen will be played without fans due to security concerns following the violence in Amsterdam on Nov. 7 that resulted in five people being treated in hospitals and dozens of detentions.
Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere.
“It’s not a question for me what happened outside of the stadium. We saw some videos and everything, but we really try to focus on football,” he said. “We’ll see tomorrow what is the effect.”
The violence in Amsterdam came after local authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering outside the stadium where Maccabi was playing Dutch team Ajax.
A large crowd of Israeli fans chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the match, video showed. Afterward, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them, according to Amsterdam’s mayor.
The city’s police commander said the incidents had “an antisemitic character.”
Maccabi press officer Ofer Ronen-Abels said Wednesday the events in Amsterdam “had nothing to do with football.”
Before the assaults, Besiktas had requested its home game against Maccabi, originally scheduled for Istanbul, to be moved to “neutral ground” over security concerns.
The club later said on social media that Hungary was the only country willing to host the match and that Hungarian authorities requested it be played behind closed doors.
Hungary has hosted several home games for Israel’s national team for security reasons since the war in Gaza began.
Maccabi held its final practice session at the Kiryat Shalom training complex in Tel Aviv on Wednesday before departing for Hungary, the team said on its website.


Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race

Updated 27 November 2024
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Jeddah set for Fanatec GT World Challenge race

  • Anticipated SAL Jeddah Race, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom on Nov. 29-30, will feature two major motorsport races and cover 1,000 km
  • Iconic manufacturers taking part include Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, BMW M Sport, Audi Sport and Ford

JEDDAH: Jeddah is all set for the final round of the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe on Friday when a 49-car field tackles a six-hour Endurance Cup race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

The anticipated SAL Jeddah Race, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom on Nov. 29-30, will feature two major motorsport races and cover 1,000 km, making it the longest circuit race in Saudi history.

Iconic manufacturers taking part include Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG, BMW M Sport, Audi Sport and Ford.

The GT4 European Series, supported by RAFA Racing Club, will feature four competitive categories, promising an exciting spectacle for motorsport enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia:

Pro: A showcase for the world’s finest drivers and teams vying for top honors.

Gold: Designed to cultivate and elevate emerging driving talents.

Silver: A competitive platform featuring a mix of amateur and semi-professional drivers.

Bronze: A unique category combining experienced professionals with promising young drivers, offering a valuable learning experience.

Saudi Logistics Services, the official title sponsor for the Jeddah GT Race 2024, announced on Monday the arrival of more than 70 cars from the ports of Barcelona and Valencia in Spain to the port of Jeddah.

The SAL Jeddah GT Race is an endurance racing event that encourages drivers to push their maximum limits and test their stamina, strategy and reliability throughout the intense competition.

The event’s fan zone includes live entertainment and fun activities for families, as well as food festivals.


Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

Updated 27 November 2024
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Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch

  • The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team
  • Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play

BUENOS AIRES: Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario.

The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team, which lost 1-0 on Monday to host Newell’s Old Boys in the traditional under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday.

Lionel Messi took his first steps as a footballer in the Argentinian club in Rosario, 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of capital Buenos Aires.

Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend.

Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played with his friend Benjamin Suarez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Messi’s teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami.

Messi and Suarez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early elimination in the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly game of Inter Miami’s U13 team against Union at the same sports complex.

The youth tournament in Argentina brings together eight teams from North and South America.


Salah ‘in a good place’ at Liverpool despite contract impasse, says Slot

Updated 27 November 2024
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Salah ‘in a good place’ at Liverpool despite contract impasse, says Slot

  • Slot: The only thing I can say is that if I look at my lineups, Mo is more in than out
  • The latest contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also due to expire at the end of this season

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes Mohamed Salah is “in a good place” and isn’t affected by his contract impasse with the club.

Salah’s latest deal expires at the end of this season and he told reporters after Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Southampton on Sunday that he was disappointed not to have received a new contract offer, saying: “I’m probably more out than in.”

The issue dominated Liverpool’s news conference ahead of Wednesday’s match against Real Madrid in the Champions League, with Slot keen to play down any friction with Salah — and even suggested the situation is making the winger play as well as ever.

“I don’t think it distracts Mo at all,” Slot said Tuesday. “Maybe it even brings the best out of him if you look at his performances until now.

“I talk to Mo about what I expect from him, like I do with all the other players, and he is in a good place at the moment. I’m not distracted by his comments and I don’t feel his teammates are.”

Salah has scored 12 goals in 18 appearances for Liverpool this season and is second in the Premier League with 10 goals in 12 games, only behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (12 goals).

Slot even quipped: “The only thing I can say is that if I look at my lineups, Mo is more in than out.”

The latest contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also due to expire at the end of this season.

“In fairness, it goes for all three of them — Mo, Virgil and Trent are all in similar positions,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said. “Every one of them is so focused on the next game and training and preparing properly.”