Page 285 - Sports
Liverpool 'giants' stun Barca to make Champions League final
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed his side as "mentality giants" after producing one of the most stunning comebacks in Champions League history to beat Barcelona 4-0 and progress to the final for the second consecutive year on Tuesday. The Reds not only had a mountain to climb on the scoreboard after last week's 3-0 loss at the Camp Nou, but were deprived of two of their most potent attacking weapons in Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino due to injury. However, Divock Origi -- making a rare start -- and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum both scored twice as Barca surrendered a three-goal first-leg lead to exit the Champions League for the second straight season. "With any other team I wouldn't think it was possible. They are really mentality giants," said Klopp. "It is unbelievable the season we had, the games we had, the injuries we had now. "Going out there and putting in a performance like this on the pitch is unbelievable. I am really proud to be the manager of this team. "What ...
It's very painful': Valverde rocked by Barca collapse
Ernesto Valverde admitted Barcelona had only themselves to blame for their "terrible" Champions League semi-final collapse at Liverpool on Tuesday. Barca were blown away on an incredible night at Anfield as Liverpool won 4-0 to overturn a three-goal first-leg defeat. Liverpool are only the third team in the history of the European Cup to recover from such a large semi-final deficit. Barca boss Valverde conceded his players failed to match Liverpool's intensity and lost their cool after the Reds scored twice in quick succession in the second half to level the tie on aggregate. "Things got on top of us after those two quick goals. We didn't manage to get on the scoresheet and they rolled us over really," he said. "It's a terrible result for our fans and for ourselves. It's really, really unfortunate, but credit to Liverpool. "They started really well, and they pinned us back. Early goal, we reacted well after that. "We managed to control things a little bit in the second part of the ...
'These boys are giants': Klopp salutes Liverpool heroes
Jurgen Klopp turned the air blue as the Liverpool manager celebrated his side's incredible Champions League semi-final success against Barcelona with a profanity-laced victory speech. Klopp's men powered to their second successive Champions League final with a stunning 4-0 win against the Spanish champions in Tuesday's second leg at Anfield. Liverpool had been written off after losing the first leg 3-0, but doubles from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum completed one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history. It was all too much for the always passionate Klopp as the German let his emotions run wild in an entertaining post-match interview. Speaking to BT Sport, Klopp said: "It's 10 past 10, most of your children are probably in bed but these boys are f*****g talented giants. It's unbelievable. "Fine me if you want. I'm not native so I don't have better words for it. "The whole game. The whole performance was too much. It was overwhelming. I watched in my life so many ...
Can Delhi overcome Hyderabad challenge in Eliminator?
Delhi Capitals, who have had a dream run so far in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, here on Wednesday.
'Glad to be back': Federer wins on long-awaited clay return
Roger Federer shook off a brief bout of pre-match jitters as he returned to clay after a three-year absence, posting a 6-2, 6-3 win over Richard Gasquet on Tuesday at the Madrid Open. The 20-time Grand Slam champion needed just 52 minutes to brush Gasquet aside in the second round, but confessed he had to control his emotions during afternoon match strategy sessions with his team. "I was very calm all day, but two hours before, I was feeling it a bit. But that was the only time," Federer said. "The nerves went away quickly, I'm just happy I started well. "I'm glad to be back," said the three-time Madrid champion who last played on clay almost three years ago, losing to Dominic Thiem in the Rome third round on May 12, 2016. Federer skipped the dirt for two full seasons to concentrate on his grass court form, winning Wimbledon in 2017. He claimed the Madrid title in 2006, 2009, and 2012. "I've been missing the clay, this is a great return, it's a special night for me," he said. Federer .
Flintoff backs Stokes to 'steal the show' for England
Andrew Flintoff believes Ben Stokes can "steal the show" for England in a home season featuring both the World Cup and the Ashes. For the first time since the inaugural men's World Cup in 1975, England are staging arguably the two biggest events in their calendar -- the one-day showpiece and a Test series against arch-rivals Australia -- in the same season. For a multi-format cricketer such as Stokes, a dynamic pace-bowling all-rounder of a similar kind to the now-retired Flintoff, it could be a career-defining summer. Stokes, however, has yet to hit the heights he showed before being acquitted of affray by an English court last year following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in the early hours of the morning. Flintoff believes Stokes' bowling confidence may have been set back by being hit for four successive sixes by the West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite in the last over of a 2016 World Twenty20 final in Kolkata that England had been poised to win. But Flintoff said that was ...
Smith slams 89 as Warner flops in World Cup warm-up
Steve Smith hit an attractive unbeaten 89 but David Warner was out for a duck as Australia made 277 for six against a New Zealand XI in a World Cup warm-up on Wednesday. Usman Khawaja and Glenn Maxwell were also among the runs, scoring 56 and 52 respectively, but it was former skipper Smith who was the star attraction. After being dismissed for 22 in his return to Australian colours on Monday after a year-long ban for ball-tampering, he made the most of his opportunity in the second of three "unofficial" one-dayers in Brisbane. Smith came to the crease when Shaun Marsh was out for 28 and was in fine touch, stroking an array of fours and sixes, in a major boost for Australia ahead of their World Cup defence in England. Warner, who made 39 on his return from the "Sandpapergate" scandal, didn't fare as well. He opened the innings with Aaron Finch, rather than Khawaja, but was soon back on the sidelines after spooning a catch to cover without scoring, lasting just six balls. Meanwhile, ...
Suryakumar one of our best batsmen against spin: Rohit
Suryakumar Yadav, who played a match-winning knock for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has won praise from his skipper Rohit Sharma who rates him as one of the side's best batsmen against spin.
Liverpool thrash Barcelona to reach CL final
Liverpool are headed to their second consecutive Champions League final after routing Barcelona 4-0 to win the semifinal tie 4-3 on aggregate.
Shoulder injury rules out Jhye Richardson, replaced by Kane Richardson in Aussie WC squad
Australia's fast bowler Jhye Richardson has been ruled out of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup due to a dislocated shoulder.Kane Richardson will be his replacement for the upcoming tournament on Wednesday."This is obviously very disappointing news for the team and for Jhye, who has been exceptional throughout his rehabilitation," cricket.com.au quoted team physiotherapist David Beakley as saying."After his most recent assessment and attempting to bowl in the nets, it was clear that Jhye was not progressing as fast as required and therefore, in consultation with selectors, we made the decision to withdraw him from the squad. Jhye will continue with his rehabilitation and we will look to resume bowling in the coming week," he added.Richardson had been viewed as an exciting prospect in England looking at his pace and swing. The player has taken 26 wickets in his first 12 ODIs.The player was a part of the team's squad in the recently concluded limited-overs series against India and ...
Liverpool stuns Barcelona, storms to Champions League final
Liverpool on Tuesday staged a remarkable comeback to beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield here to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League.Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, Liverpool bounced back in their semi-final clash to win 4-3 in terms of aggregate to storm into their second consecutive final of Champions League.Liverpool started playing with an aggressive mindset right from the beginning of the game. Their efforts paid rich dividends as Divock Origi netted the first goal for the Reds in the seventh minute.Stunned by the early onslaught, Barcelona then changed gears and played aggressive football to keep Liverpool in check. Their defensive tactics ensured that the match went into half time with 1-0 scoreline. With this, Barca still held the upper hand.Liverpool's unlikely and remarkable comeback began in the second half when Georginio Wijnaldum scored the Red's second goal via a low cross by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 54th minute.Two minutes later, Liverpool scored their third ...
Surya is one of our best players against spin: Rohit
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma rates Suryakumar Yadav as one of the best players of spin bowling with an ability to play the difficult shots on bad tracks, which he displayed during his match-winning 71 against CSK in the first IPL Qualifier. Surya's 54-ball unbeaten knock on a sub-standard Chepauk track ensured a smooth passage to the final for the Mumbai Indians as they beat the defending champions by six wickets. "He's (Surya) probably one of our best batsmen against spin. We knew the spin threat they possess will be a huge factor. Surya plays spin very well. I have seen him at close quarters. The shots he plays behind the wicket, those are not easy shots. Always knew he was going to come good at some stage," Rohit said after the match. Surya, who won the Man of the match award, said he had decided to play most of his shots along the ground after watching how the pitch behaved when CSK batted. "After first innings, I saw what happened, not too many players were able to hit the
MI beat CSK by 6 wickets, cruise into fifth IPL final
Mumbai Indians sailed into their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) final as they defeated arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in the first Qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday.
It's our home conditions, we should have read the pitch better: Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wasn't happy that his batsmen failed to read the slow Chepauk track and were not discreet in their shot selection during their six-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians in the first IPL Qualifier on Tuesday. CSK could score only 131 for 4 batting first, a target that was surpassed in 18.3 overs. "At home, we had to assess the conditions quickly. We have played 6 to 7 games already, that's the home advantage. We needed to know how the pitch behaves, would it be tacky? Is the ball coming on or not, those were the things we didn't do well, I think the batting needs to get better," CSK skipper didn't mince words at the post-match presentation ceremony. Dhoni was particularly critical about the fact that shot selection wasn't the best in many cases during the past few games. "These are the best batsmen we have got, it looks like we are are batting well, but at times, but in different games, they pull off shots that shouldn't be played. These ...
Surya shines brightly as Mumbai Indians make their fifth IPL final
The enormously talented Suryakumar Yadav played one of his finest knocks on a challenging track as Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in the first Qualifier, entering IPL final for the fifth time on Tuesday. On a sluggish pitch, which offered considerable turn and odd bounce, Suryakumar batted in a copybook fashion scoring an unbeaten 71 off 54 balls with MI reaching the target in 18.3 overs. However CSK will get another chance to make it to their eighth summit clash as they will now play the second Qualifier against the winner of the 'Eliminator' between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The target of 132 wasn't a big one but once the below-par Chepauk pitch was factored in, the chasing team had its own set of challenges. With senior players Rohit Sharma (4) and Quinton de Kock (8) returning quickly, Surya and Ishan Kishan (28, 31 balls) traded their natural flair for caution adding 80 runs that set the platform. While Surya hit 10 fours, the normally ...
Djokovic destroys Fritz in solid Madrid start
Novak Djokovic needed just 65 minutes to make a winning start at the Madrid Open on Tuesday, hammering Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round. The top seed and world number one broke three times as he schooled the American. Djokovic won the Madrid title in 2011 and 2016. He will be chasing a fourth straight Grand Slam trophy at Roland Garros next month. Third seed Roger Federer was making his clay return after two full seasons off the surface when he faced Frenchman Richard Gasquet later in the second round after a bye. Unseeded treble Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka started his Madrid campaign with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert to move into the second round. "It was a great first match. I've been good on the practice court, feeling really good, so it was important to start well today," Wawrinka said. "I hope my game is going to click soon. I'm patient enough to know that sometimes it takes time," said the Swiss player, who underwent two knee surgeries in August .
Mallya takes sly dig at RCB after poor season
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) former co-owner Vijay Mallya said the Virat Kohli-led team is always good on paper, reacting to the skipper's social media post after they finished rock-bottom in the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table.
I can qualify for Tokyo Olympics: Jinson Johnson
Asian Games champion Jinson Johnson, India's premier middle-distance runner, says he is very much capable of qualifying for the 1500 metres event at the Tokyo Olympics. "The qualification mark is set at 3:35 for Tokyo but the gold at Rio came in 3:50. The IAAF has made qualifications tougher. Nevertheless, for several years I have been doing things which were not done by my compatriots. I can springing surprises," he told PTI in an interview here. The ace runner was in the city for unveiling of 12th edition of TCS World 10K 'Finisher's Tee'. Johnson's personal best time is 3:37.86, which he set at Gold Coast CWG, last year. Johnson said he understands the requirements of IAAF to have only 40-45 participants to make the event highly competitive and that's why the qualification parameters for the World Championships and the Olympics are tough. The Kerala athlete managed to qualify for the Asian Championships in 1500m despite a niggling calf injury and a below par show at Federation Cup,
Chennai posts paltry 131/4 vs Mumbai
A valuable unbeaten 66-run stand between MS Dhoni (37 not out off 29) and Ambati Rayudu (42 off 37) helped Chennai Super Kings post a paltry 131/4 against Mumbai Indians in the first Qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday.
Sports ministry releases Rs 5 lakh for Limba Ram treatment
Taking note of ailing condition of Indian archery great Limba Ram, the Sports Ministry on Tuesday released Rs 5 lakh for the treatment of the former Olympian. "The ministry has released the money for his treatment," an official in the ministry of sports told PTI. Later the ministry also tweeted that the Sports Authority of India officials met him and released the amount. "LimbaRam is a champion of Indian sport and his speedy recovery is of utmost concern. #SAI Officials have met him and Rs. 5 lakhs will be released for his further treatment," the SAI tweet read. The 46-year-old, who came close to winning a bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, is being treated for a neuro-degenerative disease at the AIIMS here in a six-bed unit of the general ward. It's not confirmed but it's learnt that Limba has developed Parkinson's disease as he needs a good medical treatment. Earlier Dronacharya Awardee and national observer (archery) Sanjeeva Singh had written to the sports ministry ...