MUNICH, Germany: Bayern Munich went back to the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-2 at home to give Thomas Tuchel a winning start as coach of the Bavarian giants.
A shocking own goal from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, as well as two trademark poacher’s finishes from Thomas Mueller had Bayern 3-0 up by the 25th minute.
Kingsley Coman added a fourth shortly after half-time to send Bayern two points clear of the visitors despite two late consolation goals.
“We need the desire to get better, because we have to get better,” Tuchel said, although he praised his side’s “desire to fight for the ball.”
“It was the result we absolutely wanted.”
Dortmund came into the match in the unfamiliar position of first place, one point ahead of Bayern, who fired coach Julian Nagelsmann in favor of Tuchel last week.
Tuchel, who won a German Cup title during a two-year stint in charge of Dortmund, only had one training session with Bayern but it was Kobel who gifted them a flying start in the 13th minute.
The ‘keeper, who returned after a five-week injury layoff, charged out of his box to try, and clear Dayot Upamecano’s long pass, but could only make the faintest of contacts with the ball before watching helplessly as it rolled into the net.
Mueller scored from a corner just five minutes later and pounced when Kobel spilled Leroy Sane’s shot five minutes after that.
“Sometimes there are crap days and today was one of them,” Kobel told Germany’s Sky, blaming himself for the defeat.
But Dortmund coach Edin Terzic backed his ‘keeper, saying: “We can’t forget that this man is the reason we were on top of the table.”
Unlike earlier in the season when Dortmund came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home with Bayern, there would be no miracle comeback this time around, with Coman sliding the ball under Kobel early in the second half.
Emre Can converted a consolation penalty after Serge Gnabry fouled Jude Bellingham in the box, while Dutch forward Donyell Malen added a second for Dortmund in the last minute of normal time.
Munich have won their last nine home league matches against Dortmund, scoring 37 goals and conceding just eight in the process.
Dortmund will need to regroup after the defeat, their first league loss in 2023, ahead of their German Cup quarter final at RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
Bayern face Freiburg twice in the space of a week, once at home in the Cup on Tuesday and then away in the league on Saturday.
Union Berlin kept up their surprise pursuit of the Bundesliga title with a 3-0 victory over rock-bottom Stuttgart.
Second-half goals from Sheraldo Becker, Kevin Behrens and an own goal from former Union player Genki Haraguchi took the third-placed side to just two points behind second-placed Dortmund and four from Bayern.
“After half-time, we played like we should,” said Union coach Urs Fischer.
Mainz dealt fifth-placed Leipzig’s bid for Champions League football next season a blow, winning 3-0 at the Red Bull Arena.
Freiburg missed a chance to take advantage of Leipzig’s loss, drawing 1-1 at home against struggling Hertha Berlin.
Bayer Leverkusen handed Schalke their first defeat in nine matches, winning 3-0 away thanks to second-half goals from Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Sardar Azmoun.
Elsewhere, a goal from Germany forward Felix Nmecha in the sixth minute of injury time stole a point for Wolfsburg, who drew 2-2 at home against Augsburg.
Bayern put four past Dortmund on Tuchel debut to go top
https://arab.news/gbuy9
Bayern put four past Dortmund on Tuchel debut to go top
- A shocking own goal from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, as well as two trademark poacher's finishes from Thomas Mueller had Bayern 3-0 up by the 25th minute
- Kingsley Coman added a fourth shortly after half-time to send Bayern two points clear of the visitors
AC Milan rally past Juventus to meet Inter in Italian SuperCup final
- AC Milan were transformed after the break in the second semi-final of the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: AC Milan came from behind to beat Juventus 2-1 on Friday and set up a showdown with city rivals Inter Milan in the Italian Super Cup final in Riyadh.
Sergio Conceicao took charge of his first game as AC Milan coach after he was appointed to replace Paulo Fonseca earlier this week.
But Kenan Yildiz fired Juventus ahead after 21 minutes after poor defending from Theo Hernandez allowed the Turkish midfielder beat Mike Maignan in the Milan goal.
AC Milan were transformed after the break in the second semi-final of the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia, which is staging the SuperCup for the third year in a row.
Christian Pulisic pulled Milan level from the penalty spot after 71 minutes before under pressure Juventus defender Federico Gatti inadvertently turned into his own goal four minutes later.
AC Milan will try to win the Italian SuperCup for the eighth time and first since 2016 on Monday, against three-time defending champions Inter who dominated Atalanta 2-0 on Thursday thanks to a double from Dutch international Denzel Dumfries.
Teun Koopmeiners seeks silverware for Juventus in Saudi Arabia
- Juve play AC Milan in the second semifinal of this year’s EA Sports FC Italian Supercup at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh on Friday. The winners face Inter Milan on Monday
RIYADH: Teun Koopmeiners says he has fulfilled a footballing dream by joining a club of the stature of Juventus — one that is always competing for trophies — and hopes the team known as the Old Lady of Turin is smiling brightly in Riyadh come Monday night.
To achieve the first trophy of his Juventus career, however, the summer signing from Atalanta will first need to play his part in overcoming AC Milan in the second semifinal of this year’s EA Sports FC Italian Supercup. The clash of the Italian giants kicks off at 10 p.m. Saudi time at Al-Awwal Park on Friday night.
Should they overcome the Rossoneri, they would face their city rivals, Inter Milan, after the Nerazzuri defeated Atalanta 2-0 through a double from Koopmeiners’ international team-mate Denzel Dumfries on Thursday in the other semifinal.
Inter now have the opportunity to win three Supercups in succession in Riyadh.
Koopmeiners is eager to bag a double of his own in downing both Milan clubs in the space of four days.
He was a key part of the Atalanta team that claimed UEFA Europa League glory last season — earning the 26-year-old the first trophy of his career — before joining Juventus for a reported fee of more than €50 million ($51.5 million).
Juventus enter the Supercup, which is being staged in Saudi Arabia for the fifth time, as winners of last season’s Coppa Italia.
Koopmeiners said: “The dream was to go to a club that plays everything to win prizes, to win trophies. Juventus has proven over the whole history of Serie A that they can win the most trophies. I wanted to go there to have a good chance but in sport there are never any guarantees. I also knew I wouldn’t go there and automatically win trophies; I have to work (hard) every single day to achieve that, and also with the team. It’s nice that in one week we can win a trophy inside two games. That’s what we go for and that’s what the full focus is on and that’s what I want to do.
“We need to be at our very best because AC Milan are a very strong team, as a team but also as individuals. We have to be confident to make it a great match. We have to play at our highest level to reach the final. Then we have to play another great game (against Inter) because one is not enough.”
Koopmeiners has a number of international team-mates playing in the Saudi Pro League, including Gini Wijnaldum at Al-Ettifaq and Steven Bergwijn at Al-Ittihad. The midfielder reports an overwhelmingly positive experience from those he has spoken to about living and playing in Saudi Arabia.
Koopmeiners, who starred for AZ Alkmaar — where younger brother Peer plays — in the Netherlands for four years before moving to Serie A, said: “They tell me that it’s developing a lot (in Saudi), that the facilities are really nice, and every month let alone every year it’s getting more attention. There are also some more players now that I’ve played against in other competitions that are playing here who are really positive and say the people are really nice.
“I also played at the World Cup in Qatar, which is quite close to here, so I’ve seen the culture there a little bit and the people were really nice. I think the most important thing is that the sport is bringing cultures together and everyone is enjoying this and learning from each other. Everyone can do better developing on the field, the training methods, and helping children to do better. I think everyone in sport and especially football should have the chance to enjoy.”
Bangladesh revamps worker training for Saudi 2034 FIFA World Cup projects
- Govt to prepare training centers with focus on Saudi market demands
- Reskilling, upskilling services to be provided to migrants already residing in the Kingdom
DHAKA: Bangladeshi authorities are revamping training for prospective migrant workers and will offer upskilling programs to those residing in Saudi Arabia to tap into the labor market ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which the Kingdom will host in 2034.
Last month, the football governing body confirmed that Saudi Arabia had won the bid to host the world’s largest sporting event.
With the bid proposing to hold games across 15 stadiums in five cities, many new migrant workers will be involved in building new sports and transport networks, as well as hotel infrastructure.
In Bangladesh, which has a major expat community in Saudi Arabia, the trend is viewed as an “opportunity” for the country’s migrant workers, according to A.Z.M. Nurul Huq, joint secretary at the employment wing of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
“It’s a huge task, and a lot of construction works will take place targeting this World Cup event. Here lies the opportunity for us as our migrants have been working with much goodwill in many sectors of the Kingdom for many years,” Huq told Arab News.
“Saudi Arabia has to build over a dozen new stadiums, renovate existing ones and develop numerous new accommodation facilities, along with necessary infrastructure and connectivity.”
Some 3 million Bangladeshi nationals live and work in Saudi Arabia. They are the largest expat group in the Kingdom and also the biggest Bangladeshi community outside Bangladesh.
Many are employed in the construction sector as masons, electricians, pipe fitters, plumbers and electricians.
“Bangladeshi migrants can be more actively employed in the construction work for the FIFA World Cup,” Huq said.
“Works are underway for providing reskilling and upskilling services to migrants who are already in the Kingdom. In this way, our workers will be able to secure their jobs and earn more.”
For the past few years, as Saudi Arabia is prioritizing efforts to improve the professional competence of employees under its Vision 2030 program, the expatriates’ ministry has been collaborating with the Kingdom’s skills verification authority, Takamol.
The agency, which manages migrant skill certification based on the needs of Saudi employers, provides Bangladesh’s 113 technical training centers with a list of the Kingdom’s latest workforce requirements.
“Our centers tailor their programs to equip workers with the necessary skills. Upon completing the training, the prospective migrants receive certification through Takamol, which is recognized by Saudi authorities,” said Shah Zulfiquer Haider, deputy secretary at the ministry’s training wing.
As demand is set to increase in line with 2034 World Cup projects, more Bangladeshi training centers will focus on the Saudi market in particular.
“We are planning to strengthen our collaboration with Takamol,” Haider said. “Currently, a dozen technical training centers are preparing skilled workers to meet Saudi Arabia’s demands. We will soon increase the number of training centers, which will produce more skilled migrants tailored to the needs of the Saudi labor market.”
Bayer Leverkusen sign teenage striker Alejo Sarco from Velez Sarsfield in Argentina
- Sarco: Transferring to a top club in Europe is something I have always dreamed of
- Sarco, an Argentina youth international who turns 19 next week, signed a contract through the 2028-29 season
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bayer Leverkusen signed 18-year-old Argentinian striker Alejo Sarco from Velez Sarsfield on Thursday with the defending Bundesliga champions describing the teenager as “a promise for the future.”
Sarco, an Argentina youth international who turns 19 next week, signed a contract through the 2028-29 season.
“Transferring to a top club in Europe is something I have always dreamed of,” Sarco said in Leverkusen’s announcement. “It’s exciting to be a part of the team from now on, and it will be a great challenge for me to support it with my abilities.”
Financial terms of the transfer and contract were not disclosed.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said Sarco “is a promise for the future of Bayer Leverkusen. He is a technically skilled player, fast, agile, and assertive in one-on-one situations. With his strong finishing ability, he completes the profile of a modern center-forward.”
Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga title and German Cup last season, currently trail league leader Bayern Munich by four points.
Inter extend dominance over Atalanta with 2-0 win in Italian Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia
- Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semi-final match
RIYADH: Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan extended its recent dominance over current leaders Atalanta with a 2-0 victory in the Italian Super Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Denzel Dumfries scored two second-half goals for the Nerazzurri, which have now won seven straight against Atalanta.
Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semi-final match, with Sergio Conceicao making his debut as Milan coach after Paulo Fonseca was fired.
The final of the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia is scheduled for Monday.
Inter are aiming to win the Super Cup for the fourth straight year.
Dumfries scored first with an acrobatic overhead kick from close range then finished off a counterattack with a long-range strike.
Inter also threatened several times in the first half but was consistently denied by difficult saves from Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
Atalanta surprisingly kept Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson on the bench at the start. The three players came on near the hour mark and Ederson had a potential goal waved off for offside after a VAR check.
Inter beat Atalanta 4-0 twice in Serie A last year, in February and August.
This season, Atalanta and Napoli currently hold a one-point lead over Inter, who have a game in hand.
The only negative note for Inter was that Marcus Thuram exited with an apparent left thigh issue at halftime.
