RIYADH: Egypt’s Zamalek impressed in the opening game of their King Salman Club Cup campaign with a victory over Monastir, as Raja and Al-Wahda also picked up wins.
Two goals from Sayed Abdullah helped Zamalek crush Tunisia’s Monastir 4-0, sending them to the top of Group C with three points, after Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab played out a goalless draw.
A stoppage-time goal from Bouchaib Arrassi broke the deadlock in favor of Raja as they edged past Algeria’s Shabab Belouizdad 2-1. They are joint leaders of Group C with Wahda, as the Emirati side subdued Al-Kuwait 2-1.
Sunday’s matches will see Saudi giants Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad in action against Al-Sadd and CS Sfaxien respectively.
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Zamalek start strong in the King Salman Club Cup, wins for Raja and Wahda
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Zamalek start strong in the King Salman Club Cup, wins for Raja and Wahda
Bayern fail to make most of Leverkusen slip with Dortmund draw
- Dortmund took the lead through Maximilian Beier in the 48th minute but Bayern hit back with two goals in four minutes, before Waldemar Anton equalized for the visitors with 15 minutes remaining
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 home draw with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, failing to take advantage of Bayer Leverkusen’s slip-up earlier in the day.
After defending champions Leverkusen were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Union Berlin, Bayern knew a win would have moved them eight points clear with five games to play.
Dortmund took the lead through Maximilian Beier in the 48th minute but Bayern hit back with two goals in four minutes, before Waldemar Anton equalized for the visitors with 15 minutes remaining.
“We’ve moved a step closer to the championship and we’ve shown we can create plenty of opportunities,” said Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who will leave the club after 25 years at the end of the season.
“That should help us in the Champions League on Wednesday,” Mueller added of next week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at Inter Milan, with Bayern facing a 2-1 first-leg deficit,
“(We need) to be more clinical,” said Harry Kane. “We’ll have opportunities, it’s about taking them in the right moments.”
Usually the standout fixture on the German football calendar, the buzz around the match was comparatively muted.
The visitors, who trail Barcelona 4-0 in their Champions League quarter-final, arrived in Munich sitting nine spots and 27 points behind in the table.
Bayern, enduring an injury crisis, were camped out near Dortmund’s box for almost the entire first half.
Visiting goalkeeper Gregor Kobel needed to snuff out big chances for Kane and Michael Olize.
Seemingly on the ropes at half-time, Dortmund opened the scoring three minutes into the second period, Beier heading between Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig’s legs to finish off a counter-attack.
With Dortmund in the ascendancy and probing for a second, Kompany brought on Serge Gnabry and the move worked a treat.
The former Arsenal winger created the equalizer for former Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro on 65 minutes and then scored a goal of his own four minutes later, slaloming through the visiting defense before hammering home.
Dortmund hit back to level again when Anton knocked in a rebound from a Serhou Guirassy shot.
Bayern remain six points ahead of Leverkusen and closing in on regaining the title.
Nursing an ongoing Achilles injury, Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae was substituted in the second half, leaving the Bavarians with just one fit central defender.
Despite welcoming back star midfielder Florian Wirtz from a foot injury, Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen lacked fluency in attack, carving out few clear-cut opportunities against Union Berlin.
Wirtz came on after 57 minutes and despite giving his side an initial boost, was unable to break down Union’s defense.
Granit Xhaka had a free-kick from the edge of the box in stoppage time but blasted his shot well over the bar.
“We’re dropping too many points at home,” Leverkusen captain Hradecky said.
“Mathematically there’s a small chance (of defending the title), but the probability has decreased.”
The draw continues a poor April for last season’s unbeaten domestic double winners, who were eliminated from the German Cup semifinals by third-division Arminia Bielefeld.
The draw lifted Union to 34 points, 12 clear of the relegation play-off spot.
The Berliners have taken 11 points from an unbeaten five-game run against Leverkusen, Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Wolfsburg.
Borussia Moenchengladbach’s hopes of returning to the Champions League took a hit with a 2-1 home loss to Freiburg.
Freiburg snatched all three points when Johan Manzambi scored a 90th-minute header, allowing the visitors to leapfrog their opponents into sixth.
Augsburg continued their strong 2025 with a 2-1 win at lowly Bochum, climbing past Dortmund into eighth. Augsburg have only lost one of their past 13 games.
Elsewhere, Hoffenheim took a step toward beating the drop with a 2-0 home win over Champions League hopefuls Mainz, with Andrej Kramaric scoring a brace.
St. Pauli also boosted their hopes of top-division football next season with a 2-1 win over fellow promoted side Holstein Kiel.
De Bruyne leads Manchester City comeback, Forest beaten by Everton
- Unbeaten in seven games, Palace made the trip north full of confidence and found themselves 2-0 up after 20 minutes
- Belgian legend rolled back the years to save City’s blushes
MANCHESTER: Kevin De Bruyne inspired a Manchester City fightback from two goals down to beat Crystal Palace 5-2, while Nottingham Forest’s challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League stumbled after a 1-0 defeat by Everton on Saturday.
In De Bruyne’s first appearance at the Etihad Stadium since announcing his decade in Manchester will come to an end at the end of the season, the Belgian rolled back the years to save City’s blushes.
Unbeaten in seven games, Palace made the trip north full of confidence and found themselves 2-0 up after 20 minutes.
Eberechi Eze slotted home Ismaila Sarr’s pass before Chris Richards took advantage of poor City defending to head in from a corner.
Eze had a third goal narrowly ruled out for offside before De Bruyne stirred the City fightback.
The 33-year-old fired in a free-kick off the post before heading down for Omar Marmoush to level just three minutes later.
City were rampant after the break as De Bruyne teed up Mateo Kovacic on 47 minutes to complete the comeback.
Goalkeeper Ederson provided his fourth Premier League assist of the season for James McAtee to make it 4-2 before Nico O’Reilly’s sweet strike rounded off the scoring.
Victory lifts Pep Guardiola’s men back into the top four, with the top five in the Premier League this season qualifying for the Champions League thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competition.
Forest remain in third and on course for their first taste of Europe’s elite competition since they were holders in 1980.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have lost their last two games to allow the chasing pack back onto their tails.
A forgetful game at the City Ground appeared to be meandering toward a stalemate until Abdoulaye Doucoure struck in the 94th minute to secure Everton’s first win in seven games.
Aston Villa’s Champions League run this season may have just days left in it as they trail Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 after the first leg of their quarter-final in the French capital.
Unai Emery’s men are making a charge to get back into the competition next season after maintaining their winning Premier League run with a 3-0 victory at already-relegated Southampton despite Marco Asensio having two penalties saved by Aaron Ramsdale.
Ollie Watkins was again left on the bench by Emery but made a stunning impact with a volley over Ramsdale from Youri Tielemans’ dinked pass 17 minutes from time.
Donyell Malen then sealed the points with his third goal in as many league games.
Asensio’s second spot-kick was saved in stoppage time, but John McGinn pounced on the rebound.
Villa climb above Chelsea into fifth, just one point behind City.
Leicester scored their first league goals since January to snap a nine-game losing run, but a 2-2 draw at Brighton still did little to help the Foxes’ hopes of survival.
Twice the Seagulls led through two Joao Pedro penalties.
But Brighton’s ambitions of European football next season were dealt a blow as Stephy Mavididi and Caleb Okoli levelled for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men.
Arsenal can cut the gap on leaders Liverpool to eight points later when they host Brentford.
Mikel Arteta, though, showed his priority is in finishing the job against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were among those to start on the Gunners’ bench.
Meet Ali Al-Shabeeb, the Geordie Saudi who scored at Wembley and dreams of SPL move
- The 24-year-old spoke to Arab News about growing up in Newcastle, playing for Darlington and almost signing for Al-Qadsiah
LONDON: When Ali Al-Shabeeb starts talking, his Geordie accent is unmistakable. Although he was born in Dammam, Al-Shabeeb left Saudi Arabia when he was 8 years old to move with his family to Newcastle. He went to school there, stayed in the northeast of England to go to Northumbria University, and now plays football there too, for FC Darlington.
“When I first came here, I did not speak an ounce of English,” Al-Shabeeb told Arab News. “My dad was studying for his PhD, so he brought us all across, but I didn’t even play football then. I was a tennis player.
“But you can’t grow up in Newcastle without seeing the love and joy that football gives people, and so of course I started playing and kept improving to the level that I was able to think about having a career in the game.”
Picked for the prestigious English Universities side while studying at Northumbria, Al-Shabeeb recalls facing the likes of ex-Manchester United players Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes in youth football tournaments.
Al-Shabeeb was still at university when he made history in 2021. Playing for non-league Consett AFC, the young Saudi forward helped his team reach the FA Vase final at Wembley Stadium, the iconic home of England’s national team. Although Consett lost the final 3-2, Al-Shabeeb became the first player from the Kingdom to score at Wembley.
“If I’m being totally honest, I had it in the back of my mind the night before,” Al-Shabeeb recalled, smiling. “Sitting in the hotel, I remember thinking, ‘You’ve actually got a chance to score at Wembley tomorrow.’
“I didn’t have any nerves going into the match, and then I scored the first goal of the game. It was surreal, incredible. When you think about all the players who have scored goals at Wembley, it is difficult to believe and hard to describe how it feels.
“The only disappointing thing was it was during COVID-19, so there were no fans. I wish my family could have been there and we could have enjoyed playing in front of a big crowd.”
News of the Wembley goal made it all the way back to the Kingdom, and Al-Shabeeb soon found himself being approached by Saudi clubs about a professional contract.
The most exciting offer came from Al-Qadsiah, who were then playing in the Saudi First Division. Al-Shabeeb was set to sign for the club, but then the deal fell through when a groin injury was identified in his medical. Since then, Al-Qadsiah have enjoyed a meteoric rise and are currently third in the Saudi Pro League table and the King’s Cup semifinals.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow if I’m being totally honest,” Al-Shabeeb admitted. “Qadsiah would have been the right environment for me to improve and develop in Saudi Arabia. But these things happen in football, and I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had.
“Still, I honestly believe if I had signed for Qadsiah then I would still be there now. I think playing in English football has given me knowledge and experience that no other Saudi player has. I can handle myself physically but have the technical ability too.”
Al-Shabeeb ended up having surgery on his groin and moved to the Kingdom in the summer of 2022, joining Saudi First Division side Al-Sahel. He later played for Al-Qaisumah too, coming up against Michel’s Al-Qadsiah on their way to winning the Saudi First Division title last season.
“It was funny going back home to Saudi Arabia because there were four foreign players in the squad, but everyone would see me as a foreigner more than a Saudi player,” Al-Shabeeb said.
“I always got on really well with the foreign players — we had Brazilians and Portuguese — because I think we had a lot more in common. But of course, I speak Arabic too, so I really found myself to be a bridge between the two sets of players in the dressing room. It’s a nice position to be in when you can be that connection.”
Al-Shabeeb struggled to find his feet back in the country of his birth, and he felt his development was stifled as coaches regularly came and went.
“I didn’t have anyone to take me under his wing to show me the ropes,” he said. “I used to ask my coaches how I could develop, but it was more of a ‘keep your mouth shut and move on’ type of approach; no one seemed to like me asking these questions.
“Things didn’t quite click at either club, and that’s why I moved back to Darlington. I needed to get my love for the game back, and that’s exactly what has happened.”
At Darlington, Al-Shabeeb’s coach is Steve Watson, the former Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United defender who spent 14 seasons in the Premier League.
“Steve is a guy that has reached levels that me and my teammates wish we can. He’s also very honest and straight up. He took me in with no hesitation, and even though I felt pressure coming from a professional club in Saudi Arabia, he just let me play football.
“Even though we are in a league where teams like to kick it long, Steve wants us to play out from the back and actually play football. That’s what suits me best.”
Darlington play in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, but Al-Shabeeb feels his experiences this season have left him better equipped to move back to Saudi Arabia.
“There are a few teams that have shown an interest from the Saudi First Division, and that is probably the best step for me right now,” Al-Shabeeb said.
“Obviously I would love to play in the Pro League, but there are so many great foreign players moving to Saudi Arabia now; in the First Division, there are more spots on the teams for Saudis, so it’s better for me.”
Al-Shabeeb admits it will be a wrench to leave Newcastle, his home for the majority of the past 17 years. But there remains an inextricable link between the city and Saudi Arabia; Al-Shabeeb has seen firsthand how the city has changed since the Saudi Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle United in 2021.
“It has been amazing since the takeover,” Al-Shabeeb said. “When I first came to Newcastle in 2008 and people asked where I was from, I’d say, ‘Saudi Arabia,’ and they’d respond with, ‘Where is that?’
“I remember I would just say, ‘Near Dubai,’ as more people had that as a reference point in the Middle East. There were never any other Saudis in school; we were the only ones.
“But since the takeover, I have seen so many more Saudis in Newcastle, it’s mad. The city has a lot of love for Saudi Arabia because of how well the team is doing. Now when people find out I’m from Saudi, there is more of an understanding and of course people also love that I sound like a Geordie!”
Concacaf Gold Cup draw lands Saudi Arabia in group with hosts USA
- The Saudis have been invited as official guests
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will play the US in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, after organizers held the official draw on Thursday.
The Green Falcons landed in Group D with Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and hosts USA, in a draw held in Miami.
The cup will be the 18th edition of the biennial international men’s competition for national teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean region
The Saudis have been invited as official guests.
Tournament will be played between June 14 and July 6, and features group and knockout stages before the final at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Gold Cup is being co-hosted by the US and Canada. Along with Mexico, they will also be staging next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Sensational Barca destroy Dortmund in Champions League mismatch
- The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double
BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski hit a brace to help a devastating Barcelona rout Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a one-sided Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.
Hansi Flick’s Barca are a step away from reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2019 and extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches.
The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double
Teenager Lamine Yamal was an unstoppable force throughout and deftly prodded home Barcelona’s fourth as Dortmund collapsed.
Barca, who last lifted the trophy in 2015 are aiming to seal a final four clash against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich when they visit Germany next Tuesday.
“I think we played very well but we have one more game to go... we always want to play our football and we want to play it there and we will win,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
Flick warned his team that the job was not done yet.
“You never know what will happen, football is a crazy sport, we have to play like today,” he said.
The coach selected his typical side, with only one decision to make — he opted for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in attacking midfield to support the dynamic forward trio.
La Liga leaders Barcelona seized control from the start, opening the scoring after 25 minutes.
Lopez whipped a free-kick to the back post, with Inigo Martinez nodding the ball toward Pau Cubarsi, who turned it toward goal.
The young defender’s effort beat Gregor Kobel and was heading over the line before the tournament’s top scorer Raphinha slid in to make sure, claiming his 12th goal.
The Brazilian winger faced a nervous wait while VAR worked to confirm his strike was onside.
“I was worried on the first goal if I was offside, it’s good that it was valid,” said Raphinha.
“I touched the ball before the line and I apologized to Cubarsi, he told me not to worry, he would count it as an assist.”
Serhou Guirassy spurned a couple of big chances for the visitors to level before the break.
With Dortmund’s first slick attacking move of the game, the forward, who has 10 goals in the competition, was played in but snatched badly at a bouncing ball with just Wojciech Szczesny to beat.
Unsurprisingly Niko Kovac’s Dortmund came to regret Guirassy’s misses, with Lewandowski netting his 10th of the tournament early in the second half.
Yamal clipped a cross to Raphinha, who looped a header over to Lewandowski at the far post to nod home from virtually under the crossbar three minutes after the interval.
Lopez struck the post and lashed inches over as Barcelona searched for a third to kill the tie off. It arrived after 66 minutes, with Lopez teeing up Lewandowski to drill home at the near post.
This was the former Dortmund striker’s 29th goal in 28 matches against his old club, and his 99th in a Barcelona shirt since joining in 2022.
“I am very happy, 99 goals for the club,” added Lewandowski.
“In my head I always have not just winning, but helping the team with my qualities, goals.
“I think strikers always have to think about goals.”
Yamal, who had toyed with Dortmund’s defense all night, deservedly got on the scoresheet as the visitors left themselves wide open and Raphinha sent the youngster through on goal.
The only worry for Barca was Yamal asking to be replaced in the final stages, although he was smiling as he was afforded an ovation.
“He’s fine, he had played too many minutes (lately),” explained Flick.
Barca are aiming for a potential quadruple this season and on this evidence, they will take some stopping.
Dortmund were left licking their wounds.
“We weren’t cohesive enough, and what’s more, we made simple mistakes — at this level they are punished harshly,” Dortmund’s Emre Can told DAZN.
“I think we can do better, even if (the Barca attackers) are so good, I know that.”
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