UTRECHT, Netherlands: Dutch soccer giant Ajax lost to an amateur team in the KNVB Cup for the first time in their illustrious history on Thursday.
Ajax were beaten 3-2 by USV Hercules, which play in the fourth tier of Dutch soccer.
“This should not have happened,” Ajax assistant coach Michael Valkanis said after the second-round game in Utrecht.
It continues a tumultuous season for Ajax, which are in fifth place in the Eredivisie after their worst start to a campaign since the advent of professional soccer in the Netherlands in 1954. The four-time European champions went 10 matches without a win at one stage, their longest-ever run without a victory.
“We are having a very difficult season,” Valkanis said. “But we have to continue and get everything on track.”
Ajax lose to amateur team in Dutch Cup to continue tumultuous season
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Ajax lose to amateur team in Dutch Cup to continue tumultuous season
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- Ajax were beaten 3-2 by USV Hercules, which play in the fourth tier of Dutch soccer
Ittihad stroll past Hilal in top of the table showdown
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- The victory in Jeddah puts the Tigers seven points clear of their Riyadh rivals
- João Cancelo whipped over a wicked ball from the right
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad took a big step toward the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Al-Hilal in the long-awaited top of the table clash.
The victory in Jeddah puts the Tigers seven points clear of their Riyadh rivals with 13 games of the season remaining.
The defeat means that Al-Hilal, who strolled to a record 19th championship in 2024, have won just once in their last five games and are struggling to keep pace with Ittihad who have tasted victory in 15 of their last 17 league games.
Despite the convincing defeat that came in the end, Al-Hilal took the lead midway through the first half. João Cancelo whipped over a wicked ball from the right and there was Marcos Leonardo to poke it home at the near post for a real poacher’s goal.
On the half hour however, Al-Ittihad were back on level terms. Moussa Diaby, who continued his great form of late, swung over a corner kick from the right for Hassan Kadesh to head home.
It got better for the Jeddah giants just before the break as Steven Bergwijn put them ahead. Karim Benzema slipped a pass wide for Diaby and the former Aston Villa star sent over a perfect cross for Bergwijn to head home at the second attempt after Yassine Bounou in goal had blocked the first.
The Dutchman was on target once more six minutes after the restart. N’Golo Kante broke down the right and the former Chelsea midfielder pulled the ball back for Bergwijn to bundle home from close range.
Al-Hilal pushed forward but fell further behind four minutes from the end and in spectacular fashion too. Diaby’s corner from the right landed in the left side of the box and there was Karim Benzema to volley his 16th goal of the league season to move level with Cristiano Ronaldo on the top of the individual rankings.
The bigger prize is, however, that Al-Ittihad now have a comfortable cushion over their title rivals and are looking very good indeed.
Patrik Schick scores for Leverkusen to send his coach Xabi Alonso a message before Bayern games
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- It was Schick’s 15th league goal of the season
- Florian Wirtz played Adli in to make it 2-0 before the break in Kiel
BERLIN: Patrik Schick showed Bayer Leverkusen what it was missing against Bayern Munich last week by scoring in a 2-0 win at Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Schick, who was omitted by Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso in the top-of-the-table clash with Bayern, got Leverkusen off the mark in the ninth minute in Kiel after Amine Adli did well against two Kiel defenders to set him up. It was Schick’s 15th league goal of the season.
Alonso’s decision to only send Schick on late in stoppage time against Bayern raised eyebrows as his team had dominated without scoring for the previous 90 minutes and more with both Schick and fellow striker Victor Boniface watching from the substitutes’ bench.
That 0-0 draw kept Bayern eight points clear with 12 rounds left to play.
Florian Wirtz played Adli in to make it 2-0 before the break in Kiel, where Leverkusen’s win narrowed the gap to five points before Bayern host Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Leverkusen face Bayern again over two games in the last 16 of the Champions League on March 5 and 11. They will be the fourth and fifth meetings between the teams this season.
Also Saturday, Alexis Claude-Maurice scored a hat trick for Augsburg to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 away.
The French midfielder scored all his goals after Gladbach goalkeeper Jonas Omlin was sent off for taking down Fredrik Jensen, who was put through on goal by a botched backpass from Nico Elvedi. It was a clear goal chance, and referee Florian Exner had no option but to show Omlin the red card in the 29th.
Mainz defeated St. Pauli 2-0 at home, and Bochum drew at Wolfsburg 1-1 to climb out of a direct relegation place.
Borussia Dortmund WERE hosting Union Berlin later, with the home team looking for their first Bundesliga win under new coach Niko Kovač, who started with two defeats.
Arsenal lose to West Ham to dent Premier League title challenge and have another player sent off
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- Second-place Arsenal squandered a chance to trim the gap to Liverpool to five points
- With the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus out injured, Arsenal had only two shots on target against West Ham
LONDON: Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge was dented by an unexpected 1-0 home loss to West Ham on Saturday that featured a fifth red card of the season for Mikel Arteta’s team.
Second-place Arsenal squandered a chance to trim the gap to Liverpool to five points as Jarrod Bowen’s first-half header secured a win for West Ham, which arrived at Emirates Stadium with just one victory in their last eight games.
There was worse to come for Arsenal, with left back Myles Lewis-Skelly handed a red card following a video review for his foul as the last man. The team’s disciplinary record under Arteta has come under scrutiny this season — and might yet cost the Gunners the title, along with key injuries to their attack.
With the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus out injured, Arsenal had only two shots on target against West Ham.
It leaves Liverpool with an eight-point cushion, having played the same number of games as Arsenal, and that advantage could grow when the leaders play Manchester City away on Sunday.
Fifth-place Bournemouth lost 1-0 at home to Wolverhampton to damage their bid for a finish in the Champions League qualification positions.
Bournemouth defender Illya Zabarnyi’s 31st-minute red card was quickly followed by the winning goal by Matheus Cunha for Wolves.
Tottenham won 4-1 at Ipswich to further ease the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou, last-place Southampton lost 4-0 at home to Brighton, and Crystal Palace won 2-0 at Fulham.
'Soft' Man Utd have to survive this season, says Amorim
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- Bruno Fernandes inspired a fightback from the visitors to at least prevent another defeat for Amorim's men.
- "The worst part is that we are losing the ball without pressure and we are not doing what we need to do,” said Amorim
LIVERPOOL: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim described his side as "soft" despite fighting back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday.
United looked destined for a ninth defeat in 13 Premier League games when goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure gave Everton a deserved half-time lead.
However, captain Bruno Fernandes inspired a fightback from the visitors to at least prevent another defeat for Amorim's men.
Fernandes curled in a free-kick with United's first shot on target on 72 minutes.
Manuel Ugarte levelled shortly afterwards after another Fernandes set-piece delivery was only partially cleared.
United, though, were fortunate to escape Goodison Park with a point as Everton had a penalty controversially ruled out after a VAR review in stoppage time.
The Red Devils remain down in 15th, but are 13 points clear of the bottom three and should be safe from the embarrassment of relegation.
"The worst part is that we are losing the ball without pressure and we are not doing what we need to do. We were soft", said Amorim, who has taken just 15 points from a possible 45 since taking charge in November.
"In this moment, we need to focus on day-by-day. We need to survive this season and then we can think ahead.
"I don't want to just say the negative part. In the second half, we were close to winning this game."
In contrast to United's struggles under new management, David Moyes' return has propelled Everton towards safety.
The Toffees were in a relegation battle when the former United boss returned last month, but they have taken 14 points from the last six games to surge up to 12th.
Moyes was disappointed not to take all three points after a dominant first half but gave credit for the manner in which Fernandes helped turned the tide after the break.
"We should have been probably three up, I think if we'd been three up we wouldn't be shamed by that at all," said the Scot.
"To go 2-0 up was great, but 2-0 is always a dangerous position to be in as a manager. Manchester United have got nothing to lose but to come in and have a go.
"I don't think it was as much as what we lacked, I thought Bruno played well. They dropped him deeper and he got on the ball much more and we found that a bit more difficult to deal with at the time."
Moyes, though, was left baffled at the late decision to instruct referee Andy Madley to review his on-field award of a penalty when Ashley Young was pulled back by a combination of Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt.
"I thought the on-field decision looked the correct decision," added Moyes.
"I'm a bit surprised he was asked to go to VAR because I thought that it looked difficult to change your mind on that.
"But I think when they go to VAR you very rarely get them to change their mind. It's as if they think on-pitch, the people who are seeing it on the television see much more and understand more."
Buoyant Frankfurt aim for ‘perfection’ against league leaders Bayern
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- With 22 of 34 games played this Bundesliga campaign, Frankfurt sit third and are on track for their first top-four finish since the 1992-93 season
- Another crack at the European elite from finishing in the top four this season would be a just reward for Dino Toppmoeller’s impressive side
BERLIN: Despite their best Bundesliga season in decades, Eintracht Frankfurt know only something close to a perfect performance will help topple league leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday.
With 22 of 34 games played this Bundesliga campaign, Frankfurt sit third and are on track for their first top-four finish since the 1992-93 season.
Frankfurt’s 2022 Europa League win meant a first-ever Champions League participation.
Another crack at the European elite from finishing in the top four this season would be a just reward for Dino Toppmoeller’s impressive side, who have rebounded despite the loss of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City.
Up next is a trip to Bayern, who are eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and on track to win back the Bundesliga title.
Frankfurt will be the underdogs on Sunday but have recent form against the German giants.
Frankfurt held Bayern to a 3-3 draw in October, making them one of only four teams alongside Leverkusen, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund who have taken points off the league leaders this season.
Bayern may have won only one of their past four against Frankfurt, but Eagles captain Kevin Trapp was not getting ahead of himself on Thursday.
“We are third and Bayern are 13 points ahead of us, that speaks volumes.
Trapp said the visitors “must get close to perfection in order to get a point or better there.”
Bayern may be sailing in the league but they come into Sunday’s game after two straight draws and Trapp said the hosts will fight hard “so that a crisis isn’t declared in Munich.”
Bayern look set to be without star striker Harry Kane, who was subbed off at half-time in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Celtic.
Frankfurt have their own injury woes, with German defender Robin Koch out and midfielder Mario Goetze in doubt with illness.
Toppmoeller said Friday his side needs “a good plan, a top performance and a bit of luck,” along with cool heads, with the coach calling on his charges to exhibit “a high tolerance for frustration.”
Elsewhere, Leverkusen travel to last-placed Holstein Kiel hoping to keep their slim hopes of defending their title alive.
Coach Xabi Alonso he knew the odds of overtaking Bayern, who they will meet in the Champions League last 16 after Friday’s draw, were slim, but stranger things had happened in football.
“We’re not looking so far (into the future)... Everything can happen. There are still many games. There’s time for anything.”
After establishing himself alongside striker Serhou Guirassy as Dortmund’s attacking threats early this season, English winger Jamie Gittens has hit a lull in form.
The 20-year-old has not scored for nine games dating back to mid-January.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac urged patience with the young winger, telling reporters “Jamie has developed really well, he’s playing intensively and we need to find a balance.
“I’m very happy with Jamie, but you understand there can also be a bit of a dip now and again.”
Joshua Kimmich has played every minute of Bayern Munich’s 22 league games this season — a total of 1,980 minutes plus stoppage time in each match — the only player from the league leaders to do so.
Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has 12 goals in 21 league games this season.
Borussia Dortmund have faced Union Berlin 13 times in all competitions but have never had a draw, winning nine and losing four.