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JESUS SAVES CITY!
Gabriel Jesus wheeled away in celebration, hand cupped to one ear, his little joke in an empty stadium. Yet while there was no roar, there was plenty of noise to celebrate the goal that finally dispatched mighty Real Madrid.
From Manchester City’s bench, from Manchester City’s substitutes, from Manchester City’s staff it came. And from the team, too. They knew what Jesus’s goal meant. Three wins from the biggest trophy in the club’s history. Three wins from the prize that vindicates the investment in Pep Guardiola and this side. It is a strange conclusion to the Champions League season, but City can do nothing about that. All they can do is beat what is in front of them – in this case the champions of Spain. And they have done that now, twice, home and away – yet without true home advantage in these sorry times.
And, yes, it took two horrendous defensive errors from Raphael Varane to win this match, but that shouldn’t count against City, either. Both times it was the tenacity of Jesus that forced him into the error. No, he isn’t Sergio Aguero; but he’s a damn hard worker and his finish for the winner last night was sublime.
Rodri played a long ball forward which Varane attempted to head back to his goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois. It fell sloppily short and Jesus pounced. Could Courtois have been faster, braver off his line? Possibly. But Jesus got their first and his touch to send it wide of the giant in Madrid’s goal was placed and weighted to perfection.
So City will play a Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon next Saturday. The following weekend they could be European champions. There is a lot of football, and some very good teams to overcome, but the dream is alive. City’s dream that is. For UEFA, Javier Tebas of La Liga, the Premier League letter writers, this must feel like something of a nightmare.
It looked, at first, that it was going to be easy. Manchester City were very much on touch from the start and, after a defensive calamity sparked their first goal, looked to have found a team as random at the back as Pep Guardiola’s men can be. Of course, it didn’t quite work out like that. Just as defensive deficiencies at City are often outweighed by attacking impetus, so no team outwits Barcelona to win La Liga without being capable of holding their own in the highest company. That Madrid think they could well do without Gareth Bale is something of a clue, too.
So Madrid equalised and by half-time were hitting City’s weak spot with increasing regularity. He’s called Joao Cancelo, by the way, one of a number of left-backs developed during Guardiola’s tenure, none of whom look quite enough. Put together they wouldn’t amount to one Andy Robertson.
And once Madrid had drawn level it placed the game on a knife-edge, with one more taking the game level on aggregate. Had their been any fans in the Etihad it would have been tense indeed – instead the stress was distributed through the lower tier of the main stand where the players and staff from both clubs sat. Manchester City backroom figures bellowed oaths and encouragement in Catalan, depending on whether referee Felix Brych had denied their man a free-kick, or whether City were engaged in ferocious attack. Madrid the same – minus the Catalan, naturally – led by Sergio Ramos, who remains their very visible captain even in the plus cushioned seats usually reserved for high-paying members of The Tunnel Club. Ramos shouted, stood, debated furious with Marcelo when things weren’t going well but, most of all, he whistled. He’s a very good whistler. Sharp, well projected, occasionally tuneful when he wants to draw attention, like urgent birdsong. Early on, when City looked rampant, Ramos was desperately trying to martial and organise his team-mates, from distance. He’s not everybody’s cup of tea – but you can see why he wears the armband.
Madrid certainly missed him early on, once Kevin De Bruyne had signalled City’s intent with a shot deflected wide by Eder Militao. Just two minutes later came the horrid piece of defending that gifted City a 3-1 aggregate lead.
Thibaut Courtois gave the ball short to Eder Militao to his left, and had it returned swiftly. So he tried Raphael Varane to his right, who got into a terrible mess under pressure from Gabriel Jesus. The striker harried him back towards his goal, then nicked the ball from him and, from there, Madrid were rendered too vulnerable to resist. It was a matter of utmost simplicity for Jesus to square the ball to Rahee, Sterling who slotted it past a desperate Courtois, who must have greatly regretting not just booting it.
A moment’s pause, though, to pay tribute to Sterling. This was his 20th Champions League goal and only Wayne Rooney, among Englishmen, has reached that milestone sooner – and Sterling isn’t a striker, remember. More parochially, he is the first English player at Manchester City to score 100 goals for the club since Dennis Tueart in 1981. It was his 35th goal of the season for club and country: heaven knows how many he would get if he was a natural finisher. Wink.
Sterling had a shot from 20 yards dip just over the bar after 15 minutes and from the next attack a quite brilliant jinking run was foiled by an equally outstanding tackle from Casemiro.
And then it was Real Madrid’s turn. Rocked by the opening 20 minutes, they gradually came back into the game, first with a Karim Benzema shot that was tipped out by Ederson, then a low effort from Eden Hazard that pitched awkwardly but was repelled expertly.
The equaliser was coming, however, and in the 28th minute it arrived. Rodrygo absolutely skinned Cancelo on the right and hit a perfect cross for Benzema in the middle. He has been in sublime form this season and his technique was perfect. Surrounded by City defenders he got to the ball and steered a header into the corner past Ederson. And Madrid were back in the game.
Cancelo tried to make early amends with a curled shot that was parried by Courtois, and a poor kick by the goalkeeper allowed De Bruyne to tee up Phil Foden who shot just wide, but this was tight. Every time City advanced but failed to score it felt like a moment they could come back to haunt them. Another fine tackle, this time by Militao, kept De Bruyne out, and Courtois was similarly brave against Sterling. Every time De Bruyne took a corner he tried to score directly from it – maybe due to something he knew about his Belgian team-mate Courtois. Not that any of them came off, mind.
-DAILY MAIL
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Ahead of Nigeria-Libya match: Some kidnapped journalists regain freedom
An unspecified number of Nigerian journalists travelling to Uyo for Friday’s Nigeria versus Libya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match have been rescued.
This is contained in a press release by the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Thursday. The association commended the Nigerian security forces for their efforts in the rescue operation.
From the press release, it was gathered that the media men were abducted within the Anambra and Imo states axis.
”SWAN therefore commends the security operatives, particularly the Nigerian Army and Police for their prompt action which ensured that up to six of the held Sports Journalists regained their freedom with efforts to get the remaining person freed”, reads the SWAN statement.
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Klopp becomes Red Bull global soccer chief in first job after Liverpool
German coach Juergen Klopp has been appointed head of global soccer for Red Bull, owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, the company said on Wednesday, in his first job since leaving Liverpool earlier this year.
Klopp, who ended his successful nine-year stint with Liverpool at the end of last season, will be starting on January 1, 2025.
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” Klopp, who also coached Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, said in a statement.
“The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
The 57-year-old joined Liverpool in October 2015 and won the Champions League, their first English League title since 1990, the Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Super Cup, as well as the Community Shield during his time in charge.
Klopp, who also led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup and a Champions League final in 2013, had announced in January he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria, the company said.
“He will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” Red Bull said.
Klopp will also support the organisation’s global scouting operation, and contribute to the training and development of coaches.
“I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more,” Klopp said.
Some German media reported his Red Bull contract included an exit clause for the post of Germany national team coach.
Klopp has long been linked to that job, especially after his successful stint at Liverpool and with Germany struggling to make an impact on the international stage in the past decade.
-Reuters
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Cape Verdean, Delgado Rocha, to take charge of Libya, Nigeria battle in Benina
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine, from Cape Verde, as referee for Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, close to Benghazi.
He will be assisted by compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes (assistant referee 1) and Jorge Santos Fonseca Aritson (assistant referee 2), with Hamidou Diero from Burkina Faso as fourth official.
Amir Abdi Hassan from Somalia will be in the role of commissioner, with Malian Dramane Dante as referee assessor and Rachid Medjiba from Algeria as security officer.
Tuesday’s encounter, which is at the back-end of a double header between both nations, will kick off at 9pm Libya time (8pm Nigeria time).
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