Author: WebDesk

India suffered a major setback at the CAFA Nations Cup after captain Sandesh Jhingan sustained a fractured jaw during the clash against Iran at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan, on Monday. The experienced defender, who had played every minute of the tournament so far, is now set to return home for treatment. Jhingan, who had led India in the Iran fixture, battled through the game despite the injury but was later taken to hospital where scans confirmed the fracture. His absence will be a significant concern not only for the national team, who face Afghanistan in a decisive group…

Not since Benfica came from 3-2 down at half time against Real Madrid in the 1962 European Cup final had a team scored five in the continental showpiece. But that game had been a tense contest. The 70th final, at Munich’s Allianz Arena, was anything but, as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) steamrollered Internazionale of Milan 5-0. Such was the gulf in class between the two sides that it could easily have been more. Desire Doue scored twice, either side of half time, after Achraf Hakimi had set PSG on their way with a 12th minute opener. Further goals from the brilliant…

For those who stayed in the stands or kept watching on television, it’s an image they’ll never forget. A little girl trying to wave a flag many times her size and struggling to move it until her father came along, held her hands in his and helped her wave it back and forth. Father and child then planted the Barcelona flag in the stadium turf before she went around the stadium sitting on his shoulders. That was 10 years ago in Berlin, after a team coached by Luis Enrique had beaten Juventus 3-1 in the Champions League final. The little…

Beth Mead supplied the pass, and Stina Blackstenius the finish. The two had only been on the pitch seven minutes when they combined following a corner to score the decisive goal as Arsenal upset Barcelona 1-0 to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon. Barcelona, the three-time winners who were aiming for a hat-trick of titles, had more than two-thirds of the possession and as many as 20 shots on goal, but with Daphne van Domselaar, the goalkeeper, making a couple of clutch stops and Leah Williamson marshalling the defence superbly, Arsenal held on…

After defeats to Manchester United in the 1990 and 2016 finals, it was third time lucky for Crystal Palace as they won the first major trophy in their history with a shock 1-0 win over Manchester City at Wembley. Eberechi Eze scored the only goal in the 16th minute, smartly guiding home after a superb run and cross from Daniel Munoz. The game wasn’t without controversy, with Dean Henderson saving a debatable penalty after Tyreek Mitchell had brought Bernardo Silva down in the 33rd minute. Erling Haaland seemed certain to take it, but instead it was Omar Marmoush who had…

After a season of embarrassing defeats – including four El Clasico losses to Barcelona – the Real Madrid overhaul continued with the decision to pay Dean Huijsen’s £50m release clause from Bournemouth. The Dutch-born centre-back, who’s just 20, will join Trent Alexander-Arnold and presumably several others as Xabi Alonso seeks to assemble a squad capable of once again winning the top honours. Huijsen has enjoyed a stellar season with Bournemouth, scoring three goals and providing an assist as the south-coast club briefly threatened to claim one of the European places. Only Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than Bournemouth…

Frank Lampard took a big step towards restoring his reputation as a football manager by leading Coventry City into the Championship play-offs with a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough on the final day of the season. Coventry, who were 17th when Lampard took over from Mark Robins, finished fifth with 69 points, and will now play Sunderland – fourth with 76 points – in the play-off semi-finals. The other semi-final will see Sheffield United – third with 90 points – take on Bristol City, who took sixth spot with 68 points. The Indian-owned Blackburn Rovers, West Bromwich Albion (WBA) and Middlesbrough…

Two early goals, and a typically resilient defensive display were at the heart of Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 win away at Tottenham Hotspur. The three points leapfrogged Forest into third place on 60, with Aston Villa in seventh just three behind. Newcastle (59), Manchester City (58) and Chelsea (57) are the other teams locked in a five-way tussle for the three Champions League berths behind champions-elect Liverpool (79) and Arsenal (66). Forest have scaled such heights while having less than 40 per cent possession across their league games this season. It was no different at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the…

Virgil van Dijk, whose current contract with Liverpool was due to expire on June 30, has signed an extension that will keep him with the Merseyside club till the summer of 2027. Van Dijk renews terms less than a week after Mohamed Salah announced that he had also decided to stay another two years. For the club’s supporters, who are getting ready to celebrate a record-equalling 20th top-flight title, this is the cherry on top of the cake. van Dijk will continue to be one of Liverpool’s highest earners, and possibly the best-paid defender in the game, taking home around…

Mikel Arteta praised Bukayo Saka’s mental toughness after the Arsenal right-winger bounced back from a first-half penalty miss to score the 65th-minute goal that effectively ended the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid. Arsenal eventually won 2-1 on the night, and 5-1 on aggregate. “It could have been a turning point emotionally in the game but the way he handles it, the personality, at his age playing in this stadium for the first time was incredible,” said Arteta after the game. “I could have given him a clip round the ear. But he decided what is best: he had…