LISBON: Raphinha claimed Barcelona a 1-0 Champions League last-16 first leg win at Benfica on Wednesday, despite the Catalan giants playing most the game with 10 men.
Teenage defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off midway through the first half of the tight clash in Lisbon with the score goalless.
Raphinha drilled home after 61 minutes to give five-time winners Barcelona a slim advantage on Bruno Lage’s side ahead of the second leg next Tuesday.
Barcelona have not won the competition since 2015 but are expected to go deep this season, after a draw which many consider favorable.
Hansi Flick insisted before the game there was no such thing as an “easy” tie and the coach was proven right on a tense evening in the Portuguese capital.
Wojciech Szczesny made a smart save to deny Benfica’s Kerem Akturkoglu after just a few seconds, and the opening stages were played in a way that indicated both sides were picking up where they left off in Barcelona’s 5-4 group stage win in Lisbon a few weeks ago.
Dani Olmo fired narrowly wide at the other end as Barca threatened, before Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin produced a stunning triple save to keep the score level.
The Ukrainian first parried Dani Olmo’s prodded effort, then made a brilliant reaction stop to thwart Robert Lewandowski converting from point-blank range and mopped up Lamine Yamal’s attempt from the rebound.
Barcelona were dealt a blow when 18-year-old center-back Pau Cubarsi was sent off after 22 minutes.
The Spaniard scythed down Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored a hat-trick in the group match, as he ran through on goal.
Szczesny saved Orkun Kokcu’s drive from the free-kick, with Flick sacrificing Olmo for defender Ronald Araujo to steady the ship.
The Polish goalkeeper, brought out of retirement by Barcelona after Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a severe knee injury in September, also made a fine reaction save to keep out Akturkoglu’s header before the break.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Flick’s Barca gave as good as they got at the Estadio da Luz.
After another good Szczesny intervention to stop Pavlidis kept Benfica at bay before Raphinha broke the deadlock.
On the right flank after Flick replaced Yamal early in the second half with Ferran Torres, Raphinha stole in to win the ball back high up and wallop a low, deflected effort home from distance.
It was his ninth goal in nine Champions League games, with the forward in the form of his career.
Barcelona defended frantically in the final stages as Benfica sought to level.
The hosts thought they had won a penalty when Szczesny felled Andrea Belotti, but there was an offside in the build-up and Barcelona survived with their lead intact.
Raphinha earns 10-man Barca tight first leg win at Benfica
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Raphinha earns 10-man Barca tight first leg win at Benfica
- Raphinha drilled home after 61 minutes to give five-time winners Barcelona a slim advantage on Bruno Lage’s side ahead of the second leg next Tuesday
Lula says Brazil has ‘capable’ coaches, reacting to Ancelotti hire
He had expressed skepticism in the past about the potential appointment of Ancelotti
BRASILIA: Brazil doesn’t need foreigners to coach its national football team, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday following the appointment of Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti to head the Selecao.
Italian Ancelotti on Monday became the first non-Brazilian since 1965 to take the reins of Brazil’s national team, which he is hoping to lead to World Cup glory next year.
“Honestly, I have nothing against him being a foreigner... What I think is that we have coaches in Brazil capable of leading the Selecao,” Lula told journalists in China, according to a video circulated in Brazilian media.
A football enthusiast, Lula had expressed skepticism in the past about the potential appointment of Ancelotti, which had been on the cards for years.
“He has never been Italy’s national coach... Why does he not resolve the problems of Italy, which did not even qualify for the 2022 World Cup?” the president said in 2023.
On Tuesday, he described Ancelotti as a “great technician” and said he hoped the Italian “can help the Brazilian team, first to qualify for the World Cup, and then, if possible, to win it.”
The Selecao is placed fourth in the qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup that will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It has 21 points from 14 matches, less than Ecuador, Uruguay and world champions Argentina.
The top six Latin American teams will qualify for the 2026 event.
Sinner moves through gears to reach Italian Open quarters
- Italian Sinner bested 17th seed Cerundolo 7-6 (7/2), 6-3
- Sinner had to battle through the first set against spirited Cerundolo
ROME: Jannik Sinner came through the first true test of his comeback from a doping ban with Tuesday’s straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo which took the world number one into the Italian Open quarter-finals.
Italian Sinner bested 17th seed Cerundolo 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in a match which was delayed by a couple of hours due to a torrential downpour to set up a last-eight clash with either Casper Ruud or Jaume Munar.
Cerundolo knocked out Sinner in the last 16 the last time he played here in 2023, but that was before the 23-year-old had became the tournament-winning machine he is today.
Sinner is finding his feet in Rome, his first tournament since the end of a three-month suspension accepted in February from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.
His true target is the French Open which follows his home event and he showed some signs of rediscovering the form which has won him three Grand Slams and last year’s ATP Finals.
Sinner had to battle through the first set against spirited Cerundolo but once he prevailed in the tie-break he built up an unassailable lead by winning four games in a row in the second.
The packed center court stands hailed their hero after he took the win at the fourth time of asking and continue his bid for a first Rome title.
The rain which delayed Sinner’s match had a much bigger impact on his compatriot Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the last eight after having to wait nearly three hours at match point before he could finish off his victory over Daniil Medvedev.
World number nine Musetti will face either reigning Rome champion Alexander Zverev in the last eight after seeing off Medvedev 7-5, 6-4.
Musetti held his nerve to win on the first point after the long break and made sure that his first week in the top 10 of the world rankings would bring another solid run in a big tournament, after he reached the final in Monte Carlo and the last four in Madrid.
Organizers later said that Musetti would have to pull out of his doubles campaign alongside Lorenzo Sonego due to an injury to his right arm.
Fellow Italian Jasmine Paolini was playing on center court at the same time as the first part of Musetti’s match but managed to complete her comeback from a set down to beat Diana Shnaider 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-2 just before the worst of the weather hit.
Paolini is the first Italian woman to reach the Rome semifinals since 2014, when her doubles partner Sara Errani got to the final only to be soundly beaten by Serena Williams.
Earlier Carlos Alcaraz beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in a hugely entertaining opening match of the day on center court.
Third seed Alcaraz had never lost a set in his previous four meetings with Khachanov but was forced to fight to get past Russia’s Khachanov.
The Spaniard took his 12th clay-court win of the year to set up a clash in the last eight with fifth seed Jack Draper, a winner over France’s Corentin Moutet.
“It was tiring. You know the match was really tough. I had to run. I had to run a lot,” said Alcaraz.
“I didn’t play well. I just fought and I’m just really happy about it.”
Alcaraz needs to get to the Rome semis not just for a chance at his third title of the season but also to secure a top-two seeding at the French Open which begins later this month.
Professional Fighters League launches an MMA division in Australia and New Zealand
- The PLF is partnering with the streaming service Stan and Australia’s Nine Network in a broadcasting deal that covers subscription, pay-per-view and free-to-air TV
SYDNEY: The Professional Fighters League has launched a new international division in Australia and New Zealand to showcase mixed martial arts competitors in the Oceania region.
The PFL Pacific was launched in Sydney on Tuesday, expanding the league’s reach into the southern hemisphere.
“It has been a priority of ours to bring the Professional Fighters League to Australia and the Pacific region,” PFL chief executive Peter Murray said in a statement. “With the launch of PFL Pacific, we’re also building a foundation for long-term growth and aiming to crown more Aussie champions than any other league over the next three years.”
The PLF is partnering with the streaming service Stan and Australia’s Nine Network in a broadcasting deal that covers subscription, pay-per-view and free-to-air TV.
The first PFL Pacific tournament will take place next year across four live events featuring regional fighters in single-elimination brackets and using the league’s “win and advance” format.
The PFL Pacific launch was days after it emerged former France and Manchester United player Patrice Evra’s PFL Europe debut scheduled for May 23 had been postponed.
The 43-year-old Evra, who retired from soccer in 2019, has been training in combat alongside MMA star Cedric Doumbe.
Whittaker to face De Ridder at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi
- Headline bout takes place at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena on July 26
ABU DHABI: The UFC, the mixed martial arts organization — in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism — makes a return to the UAE’s capital with a highly anticipated middleweight fight, No. 5-ranked Robert Whittaker taking on rising star Reinier de Ridder on Saturday, July 26, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
Former champion Whittaker (27-8-0, fighting out of New South Wales, Australia) is one of the UFC’s most respected middleweights, rising to prominence with standout victories over Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. Whittaker looks to return in impressive fashion with a dominant performance against the Dutchman.
De Ridder (20-2-0, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands) has swiftly established himself as one of the UFC’s most promising middleweight contenders. Since joining the promotion in late 2024 he has showcased his elite grappling and finishing abilities. Most recently, he delivered a statement win by handing Bo Nickal his first professional defeat. De Ridder is rapidly ascending the middleweight ranks and aims to continue his winning streak with victory over the former champion.
On the same card, Nikita Krylov (30-10-0, fighting out of Kislovodsk, Russia) faces Bogdan Guskov (17-3-0, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan) in a light heavyweight matchup.
Ramazan Temirov (19-3-0, fighting out of Karshi, Uzbekistan) takes on Asu Almabayev (21-3-0, fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) in what promises to be a thrilling flyweight bout.
And Ibo Aslan (14-2-0, fighting out of Istanbul, Turkiye) meets American Billy Elekana (7-2-0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada) in a light heavyweight bout that is expected to produce fireworks.
Tickets are now available via etihadarena.ae and Ticketmaster.ae.
Son, Kim and Lee tasting success in Europe despite South Korea’s soccer struggles
- Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title
- “I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said
SEOUL: South Korea’s national soccer team may be stumbling toward 2026 World Cup qualification and its clubs may have struggled in the Asian Champions League, but three of its biggest stars have been finding success in Europe.
Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title, the 28-year-old defender’s second major prize in Europe after winning the Italian championship with Napoli two years earlier.
While Kim has two European trophies, the biggest star in Korean soccer is Son Heung-min and the 32-year-old forward is yet to win a major title. That could change next week with the Tottenham captain preparing to lead the London-based Spurs in the Europa League final against Premier League rival Manchester United.
“To complete the puzzle, you need every piece. Ultimately, I think, the most important final piece is still missing,” Son, who joined Tottenham in 2015, told South Korea media in London on Monday.
“I think I’ve been chasing that piece for 10 years. I’d love to finish that puzzle this time.”
Son was part of the Tottenham team that lost the 2019 UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool. Now, as the senior player, he’s determined to end what has been a difficult season for club — Tottenham are currently 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League — and country, on a high.
“I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said. “I hope I won’t have regrets afterward. When I return to Korea after the season, I’d like to give my Korean fans and our Tottenham supporters the biggest smile I can bring.”
Son returned to action last weekend after an absence through injury but is set to start against Manchester United. The same is not automatically the case for Lee Kang-in.
The 24-year-old Lee, an attacking midfielder has been struggling for playing time of late for Paris Saint-Germain. He has appeared in 11 UEFA Champions League games this season but was on the bench as the French club beat Arsenal in the semifinals to book a final against Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
That game will marks the end of the European season and the start of transfer speculation. Lee has been linked with clubs elsewhere in Europe. So has Kim, whose season at Munich has been affected by injuries.
“I want to keep playing for Munich,” Kim said last month. “There’s no reason why I should leave this team. I like playing for Munich. I want to continue playing for this team next season. It’s one thing that’s important to me right now.”
It remains to be seen where the three biggest stars in Korean football are in August but the focus is currently on winning three prizes in European club football and bringing some good news for fans at home.
