Milan boss says injuries will be ‘no excuse’ for not performing in Italian Super Cup

AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao during training in Riyadh ahead of the Italian Super Cup semi-final clash with Juventus. (Reuters)
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Updated 02 January 2025
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Milan boss says injuries will be ‘no excuse’ for not performing in Italian Super Cup

  • The Italian Super Cup is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a fifth time

RIYADH: AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao said on Thursday that injuries and a short training window will not be “an excuse” for his side ahead of their Italian Super Cup semi-final against Juventus on Friday.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Riyadh, the Portuguese underlined the importance of delivering a top-level performance and taking full advantage of opportunities to secure a spot in the final.

“I would have liked more days to work and more players available, but when I arrived I already knew about this situation,” he said.

“So there are no excuses, heads up. There are still two training sessions to go, we are preparing the match to be incisive, without having too much information in our heads, to try to win.

“Milan is a great club, and its rightful place is at the top. Everyone must work hard to bring joy to our fans in Italy and worldwide. We need to play with offensive aggression against Juventus, aiming to break their defense with teamwork rather than relying on individual players,” he added.

The Italian Super Cup is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a fifth time, and all three matches will be played at the King Saud University Stadium in the capital.

Conceicao said that he was confident in his team’s defensive strength, and dismissed any emotional distraction from the fact that his son, Francisco, will be playing for the opposing team.

“We have a huge responsibility which is defending the colours of one of the most historical clubs in football. We have a strong fan base, not only here but also elsewhere globally and we will do our best to make our supporters happy and proud,” he said.

“We have to play aggressively against Juventus. Our goal is to penetrate Juventus’ defence as a complete team, not by relying on individual players.

“Having my son on the opposing team won’t affect me. My goal is clear: to win like I do in any other match. There is no place for feelings on the field,” he added.

He also said that he and his team had received “a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia,” and thanked organizers for that.

The growth of football in Saudi Arabia – where some 80 percent of the population either play, attend, or follow the game – has been noticed across the globe, and Conceicao praised the passion for football in the Kingdom.

“There are many Portuguese players and coaches here in Saudi. It’s a league that is growing a lot and quickly. We can literally feel the passion for football and the will to grow. Many important players are contributing to this evolution,” he said.

French goalkeeper Mike Maignan echoed his coach’s determination and stressed the importance of following tactical instructions and giving their best to meet the expectations of the fans.

Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of small details in determining the outcome of the match. He acknowledged the challenges of the knockout format, calling on his team to demonstrate their style and character.

“Our players are eager to compete at the highest level,” Motta said. “The support of our fans will provide a crucial boost in achieving our goals.”


Lakers realize they’ve got to do some quick work after Timberwolves’ blowout win in series opener

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Lakers realize they’ve got to do some quick work after Timberwolves’ blowout win in series opener

  • When Luka Doncic scored 16 points in the first quarter of his playoff debut with his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers’ downtown arena crackled with excitement
  • Doncic scored 37 points and eight rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough to counter the Wolves’ balanced scoring in their 117-95 victory
LOS ANGELES: When Luka Doncic scored 16 points in the first quarter of his playoff debut with his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers’ downtown arena crackled with excitement from fans probably imagining dream scenarios for their team and its new superstar this spring.
The Timberwolves made sure that dream got ugly quite quickly in Game 1. They also left the Lakers looking for ways to help Doncic before Minnesota runs away with this first-round series.
Doncic scored 37 points and eight rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough to counter the Wolves’ balanced scoring in their 117-95 victory Saturday night.
After an impressive start by their Slovenian superstar, the Lakers were comprehensively embarrassed during their first postseason Game 1 in front of a full home arena since 2012. Los Angeles didn’t demonstrate the toughness necessary to hang with the physical, veteran Wolves on defense — and only Doncic produced an impressive game on offense.
The combination led to a 27-point deficit in the second half and a laugher of a victory for the Wolves, who immediately seized homecourt advantage in the series after finishing just one win behind the Lakers in the regular season.
“They’re a great opponent,” JJ Redick said after losing his playoff coaching debut. “They’re one of the best teams in basketball. It’s not to say our guys weren’t ready to withstand playoff-level basketball. We were mentally ready, and I thought our spirit was right. ... I’m not sure physically we were ready, if that makes sense. When they start playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we really just couldn’t respond to that.”
Minnesota’s superior physicality was obvious for long stretches, even with Rudy Gobert playing only 24 minutes. But the Wolves took control and kept it largely because they hit 21 3-pointers on only 42 attempts.
The Lakers lack a dominant big man after trading Anthony Davis, and Jaden McDaniels took advantage of that while scoring 25 points. But that doesn’t explain the Lakers’ poor effort on the perimeter, where they have enough athletes to guard most teams competently when they make the effort.
“I think it was physical, (and) they were hitting a lot of 3s,” Doncic said. “We have to limit their 3s, especially their lasers. We weren’t physical. They were running. They were getting anything they want, and we have to be better.”
Doncic knew that applied to him personally on the offensive end despite his gaudy point total: The gifted passer had just one assist, his lowest total since Game 1 of last season’s NBA Finals.
LeBron James also got off to an unimpressive start to his 18th NBA postseason, scoring 19 points and going 1 for 5 on 3-point attempts while producing only three assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes.
The 40-year-old James can’t be shaken by one loss, and he focused on clear areas for improvement in Game 2 on Tuesday. He particularly lamented the Lakers’ transition defense, which allowed 25 fast-break points.
“Throughout the whole season we did a great job of not allowing teams to get fast break point after fast break point,” James said. “We already know offensively how dangerous they are, so in giving teams an opportunity to get those easy points, it’s gonna be hard to make that up.”
The Lakers’ crowd stayed in the game throughout the night, but the huge second-half deficit obviously dampened the excitement. Minnesota star Anthony Edwards wasn’t exactly complimentary about that crowd after the Wolves cruised to victory, either
“An atmosphere like this, it’s easy for me, man,” Edwards said. “I’ve played in Denver, man. Denver is a tough place to play on the road. So I mean, it was nothing.”

Jokic, Gordon fuel Nuggets’ comeback to edge Clippers 112-110 in OT in teams’ NBA playoff opener

Updated 20 April 2025
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Jokic, Gordon fuel Nuggets’ comeback to edge Clippers 112-110 in OT in teams’ NBA playoff opener

DENVER: Russell Westbrook, whose late-game follies hung over the Denver Nuggets as they navigated the stunning dismissals of coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth on the eve of the playoffs, came up clutch against his former team in crunch time Saturday.
“That’s who he is,” Nikola Jokic said after watching Westbrook hit an uncontested corner 3-pointer to give Denver a two-point lead late in regulation and then knocking the inbounds pass away from — and off of — James Harden with 9.6 seconds left in overtime to help seal Denver’s 112-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I just know that (inbounds) play,” from being there the previous two seasons, Westbrook said.
Westbrook had plenty to do with L.A.’s whopping 20 turnovers, including an uncharacteristic seven from Kawhi Leonard.
“Russ is Russ,” interim coach David Adelman said after improving to 4-0. “Defensively, he’s absolutely incredible. He was playing free safety out there. I thought a lot of the reasons why the turnovers happened, even if it wasn’t him forcing it, (was) just the way he was roaming around and impacting the game.
“And then offensively ... he attacked,” Adelman said. “We maybe could have pulled it out and executed. But that’s what Russ does. I don’t think he’s going to change after 17 years. If he sees somebody in front of him 1-on-1, he’s going to attack. And then he made an enormous 3.”
Jokic scored 29 points and finished one rebound shy of a triple-double. Aaron Gordon added 25 points and Jamal Murray 21 as the Nuggets overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to power past the hottest team entering the playoffs.
The No. 5 seed Clippers’ loss was their first since March 30 at Cleveland. They rolled into the playoffs having won 18 of 21, including their last eight.
“If you turn over 20 times against the team that is No. 1 in offensive transition, then you’re gonna lose the game,” lamented Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.
Harden led the Clippers with 32 points. Leonard added 22 and Ivica Zubac had 21.
Leonard shrugged off the loss, saying the team’s mood was “still good. Just Game 1. You know, Denver’s a good team, especially at home. Still got Game 2.”
That’s Monday night at Ball Arena.
Adelman said the key to the late comeback was actually when Denver closed the second quarter on a 13-2 run to pull to 53-49 at halftime.
“It felt like one of those games where you’re just slowly crawling uphill,” Adelman said.
And Westbrook was leading the way, coming up big despite missing 12 of 17 shots overall.
“A lot of people put a lot of emphasis on missing so many shots,” Westbrook said. “But in the playoffs, all you need to do is just win the game. I don’t give a damn about how many shots you miss, make. Just make winning basketball plays defensively, offensively.”
And he did just that.


Rajasthan unleash Suryavanshi, 14, as youngest IPL player but lose thriller

Updated 19 April 2025
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Rajasthan unleash Suryavanshi, 14, as youngest IPL player but lose thriller

  • Suryavanshi stole the limelight after belting his first ball for six in a much-awaited debut after he was bought for $130,500

JAIPUR: Vaibhav Suryavanshi made an explosive 34 off 20 balls as he became the youngest player in IPL history aged just 14 on Saturday but finished on the losing side as Lucknow Super Giants beat Rajasthan Royals by two runs.
In the first match of the day, England’s Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten 97 to power Gujarat Titans to the top of the IPL table with a seven-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad’s intense heat.
But it was the evening game that drew eyeballs after Rajasthan turned to Suryavanshi as their impact substitute and he opened the batting alongside India star Yashasvi Jaiswal following Lucknow’s 180-5.
Suryavanshi stole the limelight after belting his first ball for six in a much-awaited debut after he was bought for $130,500 in the November auction when he was still just 13.
Jaiswal and Suryavanshi, who hit three sixes and two fours in an electrifying knock, put on 85 for the first wicket before the youngster was stumped by Rishabh Pant off the bowling of South Africa international Aiden Markram.
Stand-in captain Riyan Parag came in and made 39 but Rajasthan lost their way as he departed shortly after Jaiswal fell for 74.
Avesh Khan dismissed both in the 18th over to turn the match on its head and Rajasthan finished on 178-5 after the Lucknow fast bowler defended nine off the last over to pull off a stunning victory for his team in Jaipur.
“These kind of matches build character,” Lucknow skipper Pant said after his team moved up to fourth in the 10-team table. “It was an amazing win. As a team, this is going to take us to a different level.”
Shimron Hetmyer scored 12 before he fell to Avesh on the third ball of the 20th over and despite David Miller dropping a catch in the deep, Avesh held his nerve with his yorkers and disciplined bowling to return figures of 3-37.
Avesh’s heroics took some of the attention away from Suryavanshi, who was handed his chance after Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson was ruled out due to injury.
He was added as an impact player for the match and then replaced medium-pace bowler Sandeep Sharma in the chase.
The baby-faced Suryavanshi, called “Boss Baby” — a popular animated film — by the TV commentators, impressed in batting with Jaiswal, who recorded his third straight half-century, but their efforts ultimately came in a losing cause.
Earlier, Markram’s 66 and a 50 by impact player Ayush Badoni helped Lucknow set a target of 181 after they elected to bat first.
In the afternoon match, Gujarat rode on Buttler’s 54-ball knock laced with 11 fours and four sixes to achieve their target of 204 with four balls to spare at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Buttler and impact substitute Sherfane Rutherford, a left-hand West Indies batter who hit 43, put on a key stand of 119 to steer Gujarat to their fifth win in seven matches and top of the standings
Rutherford fell in the 19th over. Delhi’s left-arm quick Mitchell Starc needed to defend 10 off the final six balls but the left-handed Rahul Tewatia finished off with a six and four.
Buttler, who hit his third half-century of the season, was left three short of a hundred that would have put him level with Virat Kohli’s record eight IPL tons.
Gujarat, who won the IPL in their debut season in 2022, elected to field first on a hot afternoon as the temperature soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
“I think it (heat) takes you by the surprise how draining it is,” said player of the match Buttler.
“I certainly felt that while batting, cramping up and stuff. But that’s part of the game to be fit and be able to perform under pressure in the heat.”
Delhi reached 203-8 but the total could have been more had it not been for four wickets by Gujarat pace bowler Prasidh Krishna, who now leads this season’s bowling chart with 14 scalps.


PSG beat Le Havre to stay on course for unbeaten Ligue 1 season

Updated 19 April 2025
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PSG beat Le Havre to stay on course for unbeaten Ligue 1 season

  • Desire Doue and Goncalo Ramos scored the goals for PSG
  • PSG had already secured a fourth successive Ligue 1 title before this game

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain stayed on course to complete the Ligue 1 season without losing a game as the Champions League semifinalists beat struggling Le Havre 2-1 on Saturday.
Desire Doue and Goncalo Ramos scored the goals for PSG either side of half-time at the Parc des Princes, as coach Luis Enrique changed almost his entire starting line-up following the midweek European clash with Aston Villa.
PSG had already secured a fourth successive Ligue 1 title before this game, and their 10th consecutive league win leaves them on 77 points with five matches remaining.
No side has ever completed an entire French top-flight campaign unbeaten.
“We knew this game was a potential banana skin for us after a Champions League match which sucked out all our energy and left us feeling tired,” Luis Enrique said.
“All the ingredients were there for this to be a difficult game against a side who were in need of points.”
Achraf Hakimi and Bradley Barcola were the only players to keep their place in the PSG line-up at kick-off, following the 3-2 defeat away to Aston Villa which saw them edge through to the last four of the Champions League and a tie against Arsenal.
Doue gave PSG the lead inside eight minutes, and Ramos made the most of his chance in the starting line-up by making it 2-0 shortly after half-time with his 15th goal this season.
Issa Soumare pulled one back for Le Havre, but the result leaves the Normandy side still in third-bottom spot, the relegation play-off place.
If the title race in France is already over, the fight for European qualification behind PSG is intense, with the next six teams separated by only six points.
Second-placed Monaco drew 0-0 at home to Strasbourg, who are three points behind them in fifth, on a blustery evening in the principality.
Monaco were looking for a seventh successive home win in Ligue 1, but leading scorer Mika Biereth had a goal disallowed for a tight offside call in first-half stoppage time.
They had most of the chances, but Strasbourg had the ball in the net late on too, only for Emanuel Emegha’s effort from close range to also be ruled out for offside.
Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg are now unbeaten in 10 games and remain hopeful of qualifying for the Champions League — a level the Alsace outfit have not played at since the 1979/80 European Cup.
“I have a group of players who believe they can do it, and I believe they can do it as well,” said Englishman Rosenior, whose side are undefeated since early February.
“Nobody said that this team would be able to do this at the start of the season.
“Ten games unbeaten, and the players are disappointed not to win against Nice (a 2-2 draw last week) and now Monaco, which shows how far we have come in a short space of time.”
Marseille have the chance to move back above Monaco into second with a win at home to doomed bottom side Montpellier later.
Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille are under pressure on a run of five defeats in their last seven matches, a sequence which has left them at risk of missing out on a return to the Champions League.
Lyon, in fourth, go to derby rivals Saint-Etienne on Sunday looking to bounce back from their agonizing Europa League loss to Manchester United on Thursday.
Lille and Nice, who are now sixth and seventh respectively, also play key games in the fight for Europe on Sunday.
The top three qualify automatically for the Champions League, with fourth going into the preliminary rounds.
Fifth place qualifies for the Europa League and sixth for the Conference League, although there will be an extra Europa League place available via the league should PSG beat Reims in the French Cup final next month.


Raphinha leads Barcelona’s thrilling 4-3 comeback over Celta in La Liga

Updated 19 April 2025
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Raphinha leads Barcelona’s thrilling 4-3 comeback over Celta in La Liga

  • The Brazil forward deserved being singled out for extra praise from Barcelona’s coach
  • He had just led a thrilling 4-3 fightback over Celta Vigo by scoring two late goals

BARCELONA: Hansi Flick ran onto the field on the final whistle and lifted Raphinha off his feet in a bear hug.
The Brazil forward deserved being singled out for extra praise from Barcelona’s coach. He had just led a thrilling 4-3 fightback over Celta Vigo by scoring two late goals including a clutch penalty for an injury-time winner.
Barcelona remained on pace for the Spanish league title as they opened up a seven-point gap over Real Madrid before the defending champion host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
“It was amazing to see at this stage how this team gives everything to never give up,” Flick said. He added that at halftime he told Raphinha he needed him “as a leader” on the field.
Raphinha’s double let him reach 30 goals in all competitions this season, the best of his career.
Lewandowski injury worry ahead of big games
The loss might come at a price, however. Barcelona top scorer Robert Lewandowski asked to be substituted in the final minutes while touching his left thigh.
“We have to wait until tomorrow,” Flick said.
There is no let up for Barcelona with three titles in play.
Barcelona face Mallorca in the league on Tuesday and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final next weekend. Four days after that they will start their Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan.
Raphinha and Olmo spoil Iglesias treble
It looked like another easy win for Barcelona when Ferran Torres fired the hosts ahead early.
But Celta striker Borja Iglesias started his spectacular three-goal performance just three minutes later, scoring on the break after Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny failed to reach a low cross.
Iglesias stunned the home fans again by scoring twice more in the 59th and 62nd from passes from Celta’s own area that were poorly defended by Barcelona.
Iglesias got his second goal after Frenkie De Jong let a long goal kick that looked harmless bounce past him, apparently thinking a teammate would control it. Instead, Iglesias pounced on the ball and drilled a shot inside the far post. Iglesias made it a hat trick when Barcelona’s defense let him run onto a long ball and dink his shot past Szczesny.
Barcelona looked done but Flick’s side quickly rallied behind Raphinha — with some help from substitutes Olmo and Lamine Yamal.
Raphinha slipped a ball through for Olmo to take Barcelona’s second goal. He then rose up to thump in Yamal’s cross with a powerful header. And with Lewandowski on the bench, Raphinha beat goalkeeper Vincente Guaita from the high-pressure penalty deep in injury time after a video review convinced the referee to penalize a foul by Celta defender Yoel Lago on Olmo.
Celta, which held Barcelona to 2-2 in their other meeting this season, fell into eighth place.
Mallorca moved into seventh after a 0-0 draw with Leganes.
Also, Umar Sadiq struck to help Valencia rally for 1-1 at Rayo Vallecano.