MADRID: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone and defender Axel Witsel said Tuesday they hoped Antoine Griezmann’s return could propel them into the Champions League quarter-finals.
The French forward suffered an ankle sprain in the 1-0 first leg defeat by Inter Milan in February and missed the following four matches across all competitions, in which Atletico won just once.
Griezmann has trained ahead of the second leg at the Metropolitano stadium in the Spanish capital on Wednesday and could start.
“Griezmann gives the team a lot of strength... he’s a very important player, we are very happy that he is back,” Witsel told a news conference.
Coach Simeone said the 32-year-old’s return would expand his options in the clash against last year’s runners-up.
“His return to the team gives us more solutions and more tactical possibilities... and we hope he has the game that he wants to have,” said Simeone.
Atletico were beaten 2-0 on Saturday by lowly Cadiz in La Liga but the coach expected supporters would back the team to the hilt against Inter.
“We’ll accept what they want to give us — they always give everything and support us, I am sure our fans will be like they always are,” added Simeone.
Atletico are fourth in La Liga and facing a battle with Athletic Bilbao to hold on to that spot, while the Basque team knocked them out of the Copa del Rey in the semifinals.
“I can say that I believe in my players, in my team and I know they will have a good game,” said Simeone.
“In recent games the team has not maintained the level they had been playing at and we hope to keep growing after the lessons (we’ve been given).”
Atletico coach Simeone welcomes ‘important’ Griezmann return
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Atletico coach Simeone welcomes ‘important’ Griezmann return
- “Griezmann gives the team a lot of strength... he’s a very important player, we are very happy that he is back,” Witsel told a news conference
- Coach Simeone said the 32-year-old’s return would expand his options in the clash against last year’s runners-up
Fluminense top Ulsan in Club World Cup clash
- Freytes’ winner came 17 minutes after teammate Nonato leveled during a contest where the lead twice changed hands
NEW JERSEY: Juan Freytes put Fluminense in front in the 83rd minute and Keno’s second half stoppage time header sealed a 4-2 victory over UIsan HD in an engrossing Group F contest in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday evening.
Freytes’ winner — his first goal for the Brazilian club — came 17 minutes after teammate Nonato leveled during a contest where the lead twice changed hands.
John Arias also scored from an early free kick as Fluminense (1-0-1, 4 points) moved even on points and goal difference with Dortmund (1-0-1, 4 points) at the FIFA Club World Cup, ahead of their group finale against Malmelodi Sundowns (1-1-0, 3 points) on Wednesday.
Jinhyun Lee and Um Won-Sang scored for Ulsan (0-2-0, 0 points), which was eliminated with the result.
Freytes put Fluminense in front for good after the South Koreans failed to clear a corner, dispatching a composed finish inside the right post after receiving German Cano’s tidy pass.
Nine minutes later, Keno’s header of Arias’ cross against a clearly fatigued Ulsan defense sealed the victory.
Ulsan struck twice inside the final 10 minutes of the first half to turn an early deficit into a halftime lead before Fluminense leveled at 2-all through Nonato in the 66th minute.
After a flowing move from the Brazilians, Keno’s cross from the left was only partially cleared, and Nonato delivered a composed finish inside the right post from about 15 yards out.
Late in the first half, Lee leveled for Ulsan in the 37th minute on an exceptional counter attack. Darijan Bojanic’s initial pass from just beyond his own box sprung Won-Sang down the right. Won Sang’s low cross rolled all the way across the box and beyond goalkeeper Fabio’s dive before Lee met it on the opposite flank. From a tight angle, Lee delivered an excellent first-touch finish into an open goal.
Meanwhile, River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo was confident he could still field a team capable of defeating Inter Milan in his side’s final Group E game despite losing several players due to suspension.
Gallardo saw Kevin Castano sent off in the latter stages of the 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl with Monterrey, while yellow cards for Enzo Perez and Giuliano Galoppo mean the pair will also miss the meeting with the Italians on Wednesday in Seattle.
River Plate are one of South America’s most successful clubs, winning the Copa Libertadores on four occasions as well as the Intercontinental Cup in 1986.
Their draw with Monterrey means the Argentinians are level on four points with Inter Milan in Group E. The two teams are due to face off in their final group game on Wednesday.
Monterrey are third in the standings, two points behind Inter and River Plate, and a win over already-eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan could see the Mexican side climb into the qualification berths for the knockout rounds.
River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo said: “We have some players that we’re going to be missing. We, of course, had some yellow cards and there are several players who won’t be able to play in the next game, so we will have to see how we organize that.
“But I see the glass as half full because, if you look at the scores, every club, every team has had its problems. It was hard for Inter to win, it was hard for Monterrey too, so for our third game we’re going to go with the best we have and we’re going to be optimistic.
Yildiz stars as Juventus beat Wydad at Club World Cup
- Having already defeated Emirati side Al Ain 5-0 in their opening match, Juve have scored nine goals
PHILADELPHIA: Kenan Yildiz scored two goals and had a hand in another as Juventus beat Wydad Casablanca 4-1 at the Club World Cup on Sunday to close in on a place in the last 16.
The Turkish international forward was unlucky not to be credited with Juve’s early opener which went down as an own goal by Abdelmounaim Boutouil.
However, there was no doubt that Yildiz was the scorer of the second with a tremendous strike from outside the box.
Thembinkosi Lorch pulled one back for Wydad before the break, but Yildiz got his second of the afternoon on 69 minutes before a late Dusan Vlahovic penalty sealed the victory for the Italian side.
Having already defeated Emirati side Al Ain 5-0 in their opening match, Juve have scored nine goals and have the maximum six points after two outings in Group G.
Their qualification for the knockout phase will be assured if group rivals Manchester City avoid defeat against Al Ain later.
That puts Igor Tudor’s Juve in an excellent position with a final group game to come on Thursday against City in Orlando.
Moroccan giants Wydad, meanwhile, are eliminated with this defeat following a 2-0 loss at the hands of City in their first outing.
Yildiz, the 20-year-old German-born winger, was among the scorers against Al Ain and he was the star of the show here in front of 31,975 fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
Juve, who finished fourth in Serie A in the campaign just finished, went with an unchanged starting line-up meaning the likes of Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli began the game on the bench.
Prolific against Al Ain, they wasted no time in putting the team that finished third in the Moroccan league to the sword.
The opening goal came on six minutes as Khephren Thuram teed up Yildiz and his shot beat goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid with the aid of a slight deflection off Boutouil.
It was 2-0 on 16 minutes via a superb effort, as Andrea Cambiaso went on a piercing run in from the left before laying the ball off for Yildiz to smash in a shot on the half-volley into the top corner.
Wydad quickly pulled one back as veteran Nordin Amrabat’s fine pass in behind the defense released South African winger Lorch to control and clip a shot past the goalkeeper.
Yet Juventus were well on top and Cambiaso hit the post just prior to the hour mark before Randal Kolo Muani somehow failed to turn in Lloyd Kelly’s ball across the face of goal.
Their third goal did arrive just after the midway point in the second half when France forward Kolo Muani collected possession on the left and then slipped in Yildiz who finished into the corner.
It was his third goal at the tournament so far, and his 12th in all competitions since the season began.
Yildiz had been withdrawn before the fourth goal arrived in stoppage time, substitute Vlahovic stroking in a spot-kick awarded after he had been hauled down by Guilherme Ferreira.
Inter Milan scores twice in final minutes to beat Urawa in Club World Cup, 2-1
- Inter Milan takes over the top spot in Group E after following up their tournament-opening draw with the victory
SEATTLE: Valentin Carboni scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time to give Inter Milan a 2-1 win over Urawa in the Club World Cup on Saturday, ending the Japan club’s chances of advancing past the group stage.
Inter Milan failed to score until the 78th minute, despite holding the vast majority of possession. Lautaro Martinez brilliantly bicycle kicked Nicolo Barella’s corner ball into the net.
Carboni’s game-winner assisted by Francesco Esposito came 14 minutes later. It was the culmination of multiple scoring threats by Inter, which had 21 more shot attempts than the Red Diamonds.
Urawa opened the scoring in the 11th minute to the delight of their exuberant fans, who have shown up in droves for these Seattle cup matches. Ryoma Watanabe scored on an assist in transition by Takuro Kaneko, who found Watanabe all alone on the penalty spot with his cutback ball.
The fans in red filled the south end of Lumen Field and made up a large swath of the 25,090 attendees. Their coordinated chants and jeers didn’t wane until after the final whistle.
Key moment
Urawa had a chance to equalize in the last minute of stoppage time, but goalkeeper Yann Sommer tipped the long-distance free kick over the crossbar.
Takeaways
Inter Milan takes over the top spot in Group E after following up their tournament-opening draw with the victory. The Italian club will play River Plate of Argentina on Wednesday.
Urawa will be playing for pride against CF Monterrey on Wednesday.
What they said
“I cannot find the words, I am so frustrated. ... We had the objective to go on to the next stage, so this loss is very hard for us. But we still have one more game to go. ... There are many fans who have come all the way or (are) still remaining in Japan and cheering for us, so we would like to win for them.” — Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa
“I was speaking to (Carboni) the day before yesterday, and he told me that it was eight months exactly since his cruciate ligament injury. Coming through an injury like that, with all of the hard work and graft he’s had to put in ... you don’t know whether you’re going to come back to the peak of your powers. That’s not easy at all, so it was lovely to see him so emotional. I was a little bit emotional as well. It brought a tear to my eye because he’s a kid that I know very well. I’m delighted that he has the opportunity now to experience something as significant as that (goal).”
Bellingham strikes as Dortmund sink Sundowns in Club World Cup thriller
- Sundowns of South Africa took a surprise early lead but Dortmund hit back strongly
- “It’s a really nice bonus (to score), I’m glad we won,” Bellingham told DAZN
CINCINNATI, USA: Jobe Bellingham netted his first Borussia Dortmund goal in a gripping 4-3 win over Mamelodi Sundowns at the Club World Cup on Saturday.
The English midfielder, who this month followed older brother Jude’s footsteps in joining the German side, started for the first time for Dortmund.
Sundowns of South Africa took a surprise early lead but Dortmund hit back strongly to triumph in sweltering conditions in Cincinnati at the TQL Stadium and move top of Group F.
“It’s a really nice bonus (to score), I’m glad we won but there’s a lot of things for me to improve on personally and for the team,” Bellingham told DAZN.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac had claimed teams from the “south” had an advantage because of the heat, and the Sundowns 11th minute opener appeared to confirm his fears.
Lucas Ribeiro’s fine solo goal put the CAF Champions League runners-up ahead, with the Brazilian charging forward from his own half before beating Gregor Kobel.
However Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams handed Dortmund their equalizer on a plate, passing the ball straight to Felix Nmecha, who stroked home.
Both stoppers made good saves in an end-to-end clash before Dortmund claimed the lead through striker Serhou Guirassy.
Dortmund won the ball high up the pitch and Julian Brandt crossed for the Guinea international to score with a fine leap and header, continuing his fine form this season.
Bellingham, who joined earlier in June from Sunderland for 33 million euros ($37 million), netted Dortmund’s third just before the break.
Williams parried a cross into his path and after controlling on his chest, Bellingham drilled home.
“I’ve practiced that so many times, arriving late on the edge of the box as a midfielder is something you have to be really good at,” said Bellingham.
“As a kid and at Sunderland I’ve practiced that so many times, during training, after training, so I’m really proud of it.”
His brother Jude signed for Dortmund five years ago, before joining Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2023.
“Hey Jobe,” sang Dortmund fans, adapting the Beatles classic “Hey Jude” which they used to sing to Jude Bellingham.
“I didn’t hear that but it’s really nice,” said the Dortmund midfielder.
Dortmund were toothless in their opening draw against Fluminense but grabbed their fourth when Kuliso Mudau turned into his own net as he tried to cut out a cross.
Three minutes later Iqraam Rayners pulled one back as the Sundowns, who have won the last eight South African league titles, refused to give up.
Rayners, who netted Sundowns’ winner in the first match against Ulsan HD, hit the post with a header and reacted quickly to nod home the rebound.
Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso’s side pulled back another through Lebo Mothiba in the 90th minute, forcing Dortmund to sweat through six minutes of stoppage time before they were able to celebrate their victory.
“The result is not what we wanted but we made a wonderful game,” Cardoso told DAZN.
“It’s important people understand what was at stake in this match. (Considering) the level of team that we played against, we worked fantastically.
“The boys made a wonderful performance... it was a hell of a match. I’m not happy but very proud.”
Later Saturday in the other Group F clash Fluminense take on Ulsan at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno signs new three-year contract
- The 51-year-old led Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season
- A late slump in form saw them settle for a place in the Europa Conference League
LONDON: Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo was rewarded for guiding his side into Europe by signing a new three-year contract on Saturday.
The 51-year-old led Forest to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, securing European qualification for the first time since the 1995/96 season.
After battling relegation for much of their first two campaigns back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence, Forest were on course to qualify for the Champions League last season.
A late slump in form saw them settle for a place in the Europa Conference League instead and included a flashpoint when owner Evangelos Marinakis confronted Nuno on the pitch after a 2-2 draw against relegated Leicester.
Former Manchester United captain and leading pundit Gary Neville said the Portuguese coach should have resigned in protest at that incident.
However, the former Wolves and Tottenham boss has committed his future to the City Ground and thanked Marinakis for his support since he was appointed in December 2023.
“I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club,” Nuno said in a club statement.
“Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season.
“I would like to thank our owner, Mr.Marinakis, for his constant support and backing. It is important to me to share a strong relationship with our ownership and we have thoroughly enjoyed working together ever since I arrived at Forest.”
Marinakis paid tribute to the impact made by Nuno and reiterated his desire for the two-time European champions to be contenders for major trophies once more.
“We enjoy a strong and solid relationship together,” said the Greek shipping magnate.
“Above all, we share the same dream and ambition of writing a new history for Nottingham Forest, competing in the Premier League and in Europe and winning trophies for our great club.”
