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.
De Bruyne leads Manchester City comeback, Forest beaten by Everton
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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
Lakers level NBA playoff series, Pacers and Thunder win again
- Slovenian star Doncic, acquired in a blockbuster February trade, scored 31 points to go with 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers
- Thunder showed no sign of a letdown after delivering the most lopsided game-one victory in NBA playoffs history
LOS ANGELES: Luka Doncic scored 31 points and LeBron James added 21 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 to level their NBA Western Conference playoff series at one game apiece on Tuesday.
Slovenian star Doncic, acquired in a blockbuster February trade, also had 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who led by as many as 22 and held on late in a bruising clash at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers bounced back from a blowout loss on their home floor, while elsewhere the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder seized 2-0 leads in their best-of-seven first-round series.
The Pacers withstood another big performance from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the return of Damian Lillard, beating the Bucks 123-115 in the East.
The Thunder followed up their crushing 51-point game-one victory over Memphis with another dominant win, beating the Grizzlies 118-99 in their Western Conference clash.
After a disjointed effort in their game-one loss, the Lakers rocketed out of the gate, taking a 10-point lead with 5:07 left in the first quarter and maintaining a double-digit advantage until midway through the fourth quarter.
James, chasing a fifth NBA title in his 22nd season, added 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers, who persevered in a physical game that saw the teams combine for 46 personal fouls.
Caught out early by the Lakers’ increased defensive intensity, the Timberwolves managed to apply some pressure in the final period, when the Lakers suddenly couldn’t get a basket to fall.
The Lakers scored just 13 points in the final period, but Minnesota — led by 27 points from Julius Randle and 25 from Anthony Edwards — couldn’t muster enough offense to capitalize.
“We played hard for 48 minutes,” Doncic said. “We played physical, that’s how we’ve got to play over the whole 48 minutes.”
In Indianapolis, Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists for the Pacers, who saw a 15-point fourth-quarter lead slashed to two thanks to a 13-0 scoring run from the Bucks.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 34 points, adding 18 rebounds and seven assists.
Nine-time All-Star Lillard, playing his first game in five weeks after undergoing treatment for a blood clot in his right calf, scored 14 points and handed out seven assists for Milwaukee.
Lillard’s three-pointer with 2:33 to play pulled the Bucks within 115-113. But Siakam responded with a three-pointer.
Andrew Nembhard drilled another trey and the Pacers held on to win a game that was testy throughout.
A brief scuffle in the first quarter resulted in technical fouls for Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr. and Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin. Siakam and Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis received technicals with less than two minutes to play, and there was plenty of jawing in between.
“It’s fun,” Haliburton said. “This is what everybody lives for. We’re all competitors, so having a lot of fun competing right now.”
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder showed no sign of a letdown after delivering the most lopsided game-one victory in NBA playoffs history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, Jalen Williams added 24 and Chet Holmgren delivered 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Thunder, who opened the game on a 9-0 run and led by as many as 23.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points and Ja Morant added 23 for the Grizzlies, who showed signs of life in the third quarter only for Oklahoma City to open the fourth on a 9-0 run.
The Grizzlies wouldn’t get within 15 points the rest of the way.
Ronaldo is rested and returning his attention to an Asian Champions League title
- The Riyadh club, still yet to win a continental championship, is expected to progress to the last four
- Nassr’s Riyadh rival Al-Hilal have won a record four Asian titles and play Friday against Gwangju FC
Cristiano Ronaldo has rested and now is returning his attention to winning his first major trophy in Saudi Arabia.
Despite breaking the Saudi Pro League’s scoring record last season with 35 goals and leading the standings in this campaign, the 40-year-old Ronaldo is yet to collect any silverware since signing for Al-Nassr in December 2022.
On Saturday, he’ll be leading Al-Nassr against Japan-based Yokohama F.Marinos in the Asian Champions League Elite quarterfinals.
The Riyadh club, still yet to win a continental championship, is expected to progress to the last four, particularly after Ronaldo was rested this week for Al-Nassr’s domestic league win over Damac.
Even without the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, coach Stefano Pioli has a star-studded roster at his disposal. It includes Jhon Duran, signed from Aston Villa in January for over $100 million, former Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Spanish international defender Aymeric Laporte.
Al-Nassr also have home advantage, as all playoff games are taking place in Jeddah along the Red Sea coast.
“We’re now fully focused on Asia,” Pioli said Tuesday. “We have been working hard to prepare for it and I’m satisfied with the performance of the players.”
Yokohama were beaten finalists last season but are struggling in last place in Japan’s domestic league after collecting just two points from the last seven games. The club last week fired Steve Holland, a former England national team assistant to Gareth Southgate, after just four months as coach.
“To fill the void,” the club said in a statement, Australian “Patrick Kisnorbo will serve as an interim manager for the time being.”
Nassr’s Riyadh rival Al-Hilal have won a record four Asian titles and play Friday against Gwangju FC, a South Korean club making its first appearance in the tournament.
Hilal were the best performers in the ACL group stage and, as it is unlikely to catch Al-Ittihad at the top of the Saudi Pro League, are focused on their bid for a fifth continental championship.
“The Asian Champions League is a personal dream for me, as I have not yet achieved it with the team,” Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said. “It is also a dream for the fans and the club president, and we will continue to play to win every match.”
Al-Ahli are the third contenders from Saudi Arabia, and the two-time finalists are determined to lift the trophy in their home stadium in Jeddah on May 3. First, though, they must win a quarterfinal against Thai powerhouse Buriram United.
The only one of the four ties not to feature a Saudi club takes place on Sunday when two-time champions Al-Sadd of Qatar take on Kawasaki Frontale, a Japanese club looking for a first title.
Legacy showdown: Eubank Jr. and Benn finally set to settle grudge match
- More than three decades after their fathers’ fierce boxing rivalry gripped the UK, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will at last meet in the ring this Saturday
- Their showdown has been long delayed, after Benn’s failed drug test scuppered plans for a 2022 bout
LONDON: More than three decades after their fathers’ fierce boxing rivalry gripped the UK, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are set to finally meet in the ring this Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, long delayed after Benn’s failed drug test scuppered plans for a 2022 bout, their rivalry was reignited on Tuesday during the fighters’ pre-bout “Grand Arrivals” at The Pelligon in Canary Wharf.
For both of them, this is about more than just victory; it’s about family legacies and settling unfinished business in one of British boxing’s most storied rivalries.
The tension between the two men crackled as they faced off, the long history between their families impossible to ignore. This is more than a fight; it is a continuation of a saga that began in the 1990s, when Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn fought two epic battles, splitting the loyalties of British boxing fans. Eubank Sr. won their first encounter, in 1990. The 1993 rematch ended in a bitter draw.
Their sons are now poised, perhaps, to settle the score, with both fighters promising fireworks. Eubank Jr., who has remained active in the ring since the previous plans were canceled said he is seeking “revenge” for the chaos caused by the 2022 fallout.
Benn, who has spent much of the past two years involved in legal battles to clear his name, insists he is ready to deliver a “one-sided beatdown.”
The lead-up has been far from respectful. During a press conference last month, Eubank slapped Benn with an egg in a mocking reference to the latter’s claim that contaminated eggs might have caused him to fail the drug test.
Saturday’s event is expected to draw 62,000 fans and features a packed undercard, including: Anthony Yarde vs. Lyndon Arthur (light heavyweight); Liam Smith vs. Aaron McKenna (middleweight); Chris Billam-Smith vs. Brandon Glanton (cruiserweight); and Viddal Riley vs. Cheavon Clarke (cruiserweight).
Fight week also includes many fan events, including: a media workout on Wednesday; a press conference on Thursday; the public weigh-in on Friday in Islington; and even a 5 kilometer charity run through central London on Saturday morning.
Adding a modern twist, fight night itself on Saturday will feature a theme inspired by the video game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, merging boxing with pop culture in an attempt to broaden the event’s appeal.
NEOM SC promoted to SPL after beating Al-Arabi 3-0 in Saudi 1st Division
- A brace by Ahmad Abdo, and a goal by Saeed Bin Rahma were enough to promote the Tabuk-based club to first-tier SPL
RIYADH: NEOM Sports Club were promoted to the Roshn Saudi Pro League on Tuesday after defeating Al-Arabi Club 3-0 in the Saudi First Division.
A brace by Ahmad Abdo, and a goal by Saeed Bin Rahma were enough to promote the Tabuk-based club from the second tier of Saudi football to the first-tier SPL.
Celebrating their promotion after their win, NEOM said on X: “With the determination of heroes, we made history. Officially, Neom Sports Club is promoted to the Roshn League.”
Italy’s Serie A fixtures rescheduled due to Pope Francis’ funeral
- Lazio were to play Parma in Rome on Saturday, which has been rescheduled for Monday
- Serie A postponed Monday’s matches after the Pope’s death
ROME: Italy’s top-flight Serie A soccer league has postponed Saturday’s three fixtures until Sunday due to Pope Francis’ funeral being held that day in Rome, it said on Tuesday.
Earlier media reports had suggested that Serie A might make an exception for Inter Milan’s clash with visitors AS Roma to allow Simone Inzaghi’s side additional rest time ahead of their midweek Champions League semifinal at Barcelona.
But the league has confirmed that the game at San Siro will now kick off at 1500 local time (1300 GMT) on Sunday.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday aged 88. His funeral will be held at St. Peter’s Square in front of the Basilica of St. Peter before the burial in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Lazio were to play Parma in Rome on Saturday, which has been rescheduled for Monday at 2045 (1845 GMT), while Como’s home game with Genoa has been moved to Sunday at 1230 (1030 GMT).
Serie A postponed Monday’s matches after the Pope’s death, with the games rescheduled for Wednesday, and on Tuesday Italy’s National Olympic Committee (CONI) called for the suspension of all sporting events scheduled for Saturday.
