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Dembele sinks Arsenal as PSG seize edge in Champions League semifinal

Dembele sinks Arsenal as PSG seize edge in Champions League semifinal
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #10 Ousmane Dembele (L) fights for the ball with Arsenal's Spanish midfielder #23 Mikel Merino during the UEFA Champions League Semi-final First Leg football match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Emirates Stadium in north London, on April 29, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 30 April 2025

Dembele sinks Arsenal as PSG seize edge in Champions League semifinal

Dembele sinks Arsenal as PSG seize edge in Champions League semifinal
  • Arsenal’s first defeat in 18 home European matches was a painful blow to their own bid to win a first Champions League crown

LONDON: Paris Saint-Germain seized the advantage in their Champions League semifinal against Arsenal as Ousmane Dembele sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg on Tuesday.
Dembele struck in the opening minutes at the Emirates Stadium and Luis Enrique’s side held on to the lead with a composed display that kept Arsenal at bay.
PSG will head into the second leg at the Parc des Princes on May 7 as favorites to reach the final against Barcelona or Inter Milan as they look to win the tournament for the first time.
But the French champions should take nothing for granted given their history of epic European collapses.
Arsenal’s first defeat in 18 home European matches was a painful blow to their own bid to win a first Champions League crown.
Mikel Arteta had labelled Arsenal’s run to the semifinals a “beautiful story.”
The last chapter might make for frustrating reading, but they aren’t dead and buried just yet.
The Gunners had beaten holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League semifinal since losing to Manchester United in 2009.
They could not replicate the swaggering display that blew Madrid away 3-0 in the first leg, despite a frenzied atmosphere as kick-off approached.
When Arsenal’s players gathered for a pre-match huddle in the tunnel, Declan Rice implored his team-mates to give everything as he roared “if we don’t have the ball we die.”
A video message from Arteta played on the Emirates screens struck a similarly rousing chord as the Spaniard urged fans to raise the roof.
But PSG had already eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, after coming back from two goals down to beat Manchester City in the league phase.
Arsenal were the one English side they had failed to conquer, losing 2-0 in north London in October.
However, PSG were without the influential Dembele for disciplinary reasons on that occasion and Luis Enrique insisted his side were “more complete” seven months on.
Dembele took just four minutes to prove the point as the France star started and finished a ruthless raid.
Taking possession in the center circle, Dembele worked the ball out to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and he drove at Jurrien Timber with intent.
Dembele had carried on his run into the Arsenal area and Kvaratskhelia’s perfectly weighted pass picked him out for a clinical finish that went in off the far post.
Having seized the momentum, PSG went for the kill and Marquinhos rose to meet Achraf Hakimi’s cross with a header that was just too close to Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Kvaratskhelia had a strong penalty appeal waved away when Timber appeared to halt the forward’s burst into area with an arm around his chest.
Kvaratskhelia was undeterred, forcing Raya to save after attacking Timber again.
Dembele was proving equally hard for Arsenal to handle, his clever run and pass reaching Desire Doue for a low strike that Raya saved at full stretch.
Arsenal had been out-gunned but they should have equalized just before half-time when Myles Lewis-Skelly’s sublime pass found Gabriel Martinelli, whose shot was superbly saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal thought they had drawn level two minutes into the second half when Mikel Merino headed home from Rice’s free-kick, yet their celebrations were premature as VAR disallowed the goal for offside against the Spain midfielder.
Arteta’s men had the momentum and Leandro Trossard was inches away from equalising when Rice’s pass sent him bursting into the PSG area for a shot that Donnarumma brilliantly tipped away.
Feeling the shift in the balance of power, PSG looked to take the sting out of the game by playing at a slower pace.
The tactic almost worked to perfection when Bradley Barcola sauntered through, but with just Raya to beat he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
It was a woeful miss, leaving Luis Enrique holding his head in disbelief.
The PSG coach was in the exact same stunned pose moments later when Goncalo Ramos fired against the bar from close-range.


FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemns ‘unacceptable’ racism after incidents at German Cup games

FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemns ‘unacceptable’ racism after incidents at German Cup games
Updated 18 August 2025

FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemns ‘unacceptable’ racism after incidents at German Cup games

FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemns ‘unacceptable’ racism after incidents at German Cup games
  • Infantino’s comments came a day after Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei said he was subjected to racist abuse in a cup game at Lokomotive Leipzig
  • In another incident, a Kaiserslautern substitute was racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintrach

ZURICH: FIFA President Gianni Infantino says that two incidents of alleged racist abuse which marred German Cup games are “unacceptable” as German police investigate.
Infantino’s comments came a day after Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei said he was subjected to racist abuse in a cup game at Lokomotive Leipzig. He was whistled by fans throughout the match after reporting the incident to officials.
In another incident, a Kaiserslautern substitute was racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintracht, the team’s coach said. He didn’t name the player affected. Both incidents occurred as lower-league clubs from the former East Germany hosted larger teams in first-round games.
“It is unacceptable that incidents have occurred at two DFB-Pokal matches in Germany,” Infantino wrote on social media, using the German name for the competition. “Football has no place for racism or any form of discrimination.”
Infantino said FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel would be “in touch” with the German football federation.
“Everyone at FIFA, The Players’ Voice Panel and the whole football community stands firmly with all those impacted by these events – we are committed to ensuring that players are respected and protected, and that competition organizers and law enforcement authorities take appropriate action,” Infantino added.
Antwi-Adjei filed a complaint about the incident at Lokomotive Leipzig and police were investigating, Schalke said late Sunday. At RSV Eintracht, fans and security quickly identified the alleged perpetrator and fans of both teams chanted “Nazis out,” German agency dpa reported.
The incidents in Germany came two days after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported that he was racially abused by a spectator while playing at Liverpool. The game was briefly paused as the referee spoke to the coaches and captains of both teams.
Police said Saturday that a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense. He was taken into custody to be interviewed. Infantino has said FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel would contact Semenyo.


Santos fires coach and Neymar in tears after 6-0 loss at home

Santos fires coach and Neymar in tears after 6-0 loss at home
Updated 18 August 2025

Santos fires coach and Neymar in tears after 6-0 loss at home

Santos fires coach and Neymar in tears after 6-0 loss at home
  • The result left Santos – famously the club of Brazil great Pele and now Neymar – in 15th place in the 20-team Brazilian top flight

SAO PAULO: Santos fired its coach, Cleber Xavier, after a 6-0 home loss Sunday to Vasco Da Gama that saw Neymar leave the field in tears after the match.
“The club thanks the coach for the services provided,” Santos said of Xavier, who only took over in April, “and wishes him luck in the continuation of his career.”
The result left Santos – famously the club of Brazil great Pele and now Neymar – in 15th place in the 20-team Brazilian top flight, two points above the relegation zone.
Neymar was consoled on the field by a member of Santos’ backroom staff after a game that saw Vasco’s Philippe Coutinho score twice.
The 33-year-old Neymar, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star, returned to his boyhood club in January after a spell in Ƶ and signed a contract extension in June keeping him at Santos until the end of the year.


Australia beat China to complete three-peat in FIBA Asia Cup

Australia beat China to complete three-peat in FIBA Asia Cup
Updated 18 August 2025

Australia beat China to complete three-peat in FIBA Asia Cup

Australia beat China to complete three-peat in FIBA Asia Cup
  • Australia are second team to win Asia Cup 3 consecutive times
  • China achieved feat in 2003 with 13th title of the tournament

JEDDAH: Australia took the FIBA Asia Cup for the third time in a row with a dramatic 90-89 victory over China at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Sunday.

The Boomers trailed for most of the game, with China leading by 15 points early in the game.

Xavier Cooks pumped in 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Jaylin Galloway contributed 23 points and five rebounds, and William Hickey added 15 points as the Boomers steadily narrowed China’s lead.

With just 1 minute, 9 seconds remaining in the last quarter, Hickey scored the basket that turned the tide. China had a chance to win but Hu Mingxuan’s buzzer-beater attempt bounced off the rim. Hu led his team with 26 points.

With the victory, Australia became the second team in Asia Cup history to achieve a three-peat. The Boomers also extended their unbeaten run to 18 games since they joined the tournament in 2017.

China won the title three times in a row in 2003 when it captured its 13th tournament title. China has won 16 Asia Cup championships.

Aside from Hu, three of China’s players scored double figures, with Hu Jinqiu pouring in 20 points and 10 grabbing rebounds, Cheng Shuaipeng making 12 and Zhao Rui adding 10 points.

Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, crowned the Australian national team with the 31st edition of the 2025 Asian Basketball Cup, in the presence of Sheikh Saud Al Thani. (FIBA photo)

China’s second-place performance was, nonetheless, a remarkable comeback after a decade without a medal since it last won the Asia Cup title in 2015.

Speaking to the press after the game, Australia head coach Adam Caporn said: “The main thing is I am so proud of the character of our guys. We were down by 15, but we saw our players’ toughness, their problem-solving attitude,”

“We have great people in the program, and in my opinion that’s why we won,” he added

In the battle for third place, Iran defeated New Zealand 79-73.

Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, crowned Australia with the title of the tournament’s 31st edition.

Among the officials present were Sheikh Saud Al-Thani, president of the International Basketball Federation; K Govindaraj, FIBA Asia president; and Ghassan Tashkand, president of the Saudi Basketball Federation.


Sebastian Munoz wins first LIV event, Jon Rahm clinches 2025 individual title at Indianapolis

Sebastian Munoz wins first LIV event, Jon Rahm clinches 2025 individual title at Indianapolis
Updated 18 August 2025

Sebastian Munoz wins first LIV event, Jon Rahm clinches 2025 individual title at Indianapolis

Sebastian Munoz wins first LIV event, Jon Rahm clinches 2025 individual title at Indianapolis
  • It was Munoz’s first career LIV victory after he previously had six top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes over his three years on the tour

Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz birdied the final two holes of regulation and won a one-hole playoff over Spain’s Jon Rahm to win the LIV Golf Indianapolis event Sunday in Westfield, Indiana
Rahm, who surged up the leaderboard in the third round by shooting an 11-under-par 60, lost the event but narrowly won his second consecutive LIV Golf Individual Championship over Chile’s Joaquin Niemann.
Munoz entered the day tied with Dustin Johnson atop the leaderboard at 16 under. A bogey on the par-4 15th hole dropped him to 20 under for the tournament while Rahm ended his round on a run, shooting his final six holes at 5 under to get into the clubhouse at 22 under.
After a par on the 16th hole, Munoz rallied with back-to-back birdies on the final two holes to force a playoff and birdied the 18th hole once again to end the playoff after Rahm’s birdie putt drifted just left of the hole.
It was Munoz’s first career LIV victory after he previously had six top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes over his three years on the tour.
“There’s no words to describe it right now. I’m proud of myself,” Munoz said. “It’s been a long time coming, six years since my last win, and it’s awesome right now being able to take it in with my daughter, my family, everyone here, it’s great.”
Rahm, who entered the day tied for ninth at 11-under, was sensational throughout the final individual round of the 2025 LIV season. He finished a bogey-free front nine with five birdies. On the back nine, he scored an eagle on the Par-5 13th, and then birdied the final four holes after a bogey on the par-3 14th.
Rahm won the individual title despite not winning a single event this season. He stormed past Niemann at the wire with three second-place finishes in the last four LIV events.
But he admitted the feelings weren’t all joy because he lost a playoff for the second straight tournament.
“Slightly bittersweet. Like I know I’m supposed to be happy. It’s a great moment. But it just doesn’t feel great to finish the year losing two playoffs,” Rahm said. “That part doesn’t feel great, so I’m sure over time I’ll get over that, and I really appreciate what I’ve done this year. To be able to win the season without actually winning a tournament, I know eventually I’ll be proud of that.”
Niemann entered the week No. 1 in the individual championship standings, with five wins in the first 12 events of the season. He finished tied for fourth in Indianapolis to total 223.66 points in the individual standings, just behind Rahm’s 226.16.
“We all know how good of a player he is, and yeah, he played amazing,” Niemann said. “I feel like he didn’t miss many shots, made a lot of putts, left his ball close to the hole pretty much every time. I played good. I started playing my best golf on the back nine, which I’m proud of it, but at the end of the day, the putts didn’t drop, and it wasn’t enough.”
Niemann and Munoz are teammates on Torque GC, which won the team title at Indianapolis with a team score of 64 under, 10 strokes clear of second-place Legion XIII (54 under).
England’s Ian Poulter entered the day in the relegation zone, but he birdied four of his final holes to finish 48th in the LIV individual standings, the final secure spot for the 2026 season.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden, Andy Ogletree, Chile’s Mito Pereira, Yubin Jang of South Korea, Anthony Kim and Denmark’s Frederik Kjettrup are the six players who finished in the relegation zone (49th through 54th in the individual standings). They will have to play their way back onto the tour by winning the International Series or through LIV Golf Promotions.
The 2025 LIV season comes to an end Aug. 22 through 24 with the Team Championship event at The Cardinal at St. John’s in Plymouth, Michigan-Field Level Media.


LIV’s DeChambeau joins Henley and English as US Ryder Cup qualifiers

LIV’s DeChambeau joins Henley and English as US Ryder Cup qualifiers
Updated 18 August 2025

LIV’s DeChambeau joins Henley and English as US Ryder Cup qualifiers

LIV’s DeChambeau joins Henley and English as US Ryder Cup qualifiers

NEW YORK: LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau joined PGA Tour players Russell Henley and Harris English in qualifying for US Ryder Cup team spots after Sunday’s BMW Championship, the last US points event.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion who won this year’s British Open and PGA Championship, US Open winner J.J. Spaun and two-time major winner Xander Schauffele had already clinched berths based on accumulated qualifying points.
US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will announce his six captain’s picks to complete the squad on August 27, with a major question being whether or not he will pick himself to play against Europe at Bethpage Black next month.
Scheffler, who won his fifth title of the year Sunday at the BMW, is 2-2-3 in Ryder Cup matches.
Spaun and Henley will be making their Ryder Cup debuts.
Schauffele, last year’s British Open and PGA Championship winner, is 4-4-0 in two prior Ryder Cups while English was 1-2-0 on the triumphant US team in 2021 at Whistling Straits.
DeChambeau, a two-time US Open champion, won this year’s LIV Golf Korea title and has a 2-3-1 Ryder Cup record.