Page 883 - Sports
Mane signs new long-term deal with Liverpool
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League giants, the club announced on Thursday. The 26-year-old joined Jurgen Klopp's side from Southampton in June 2016, and has scored 40 goals for Liverpool, forming a deadly frontline alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. "I am very happy, very happy to extend my time at Liverpool," Mane said. "It is a great day for me and now I am looking forward to everything -- to helping the team, to helping the club achieve our dreams and, especially, to win trophies. "For me, I have made the best decision in my career." The Senegal international scored 10 goals as Liverpool reached last season's Champions League final, and has started the new campaign strongly, netting six times in 11 Premier League games. He was also named on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or last month. The length of his new deal was not disclosed by Liverpool. "This is a big boost for everyone and another demonstration of how ...
Embattled Bayern 'not good enough' for title talk
Arjen Robben insists that Bayern Munich are not good enough to retain their Bundesliga crown as the off-form champions prepare for the visit of strugglers Fortuna Duesseldorf on Saturday, with their title-winning streak under threat. Bayern have won the last six German titles but they currently trail leaders Borussia Dortmund by seven points after losing three of their last six league games. "We're not in a position to talk about the title at the moment -- we simply aren't good enough," veteran winger Robben, 34, told broadcaster ARD. Their latest defeat came 3-2 at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park a fortnight ago, and left head coach Niko Kovac in a precarious spot. Bayern's outspoken chairman Uli Hoeness says he will back Kovac "to the end", but patience could wear thin should Bayern drop lower than sixth and outside the European places. However Hoeness says it is up to Bayern's stars to get the club back in the title race, warning that "the players are under pressure for the next three
PSG sweat on Neymar and Mbappe as they look past Ligue 1 to Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain return to Ligue 1 to defend their 100 percent record against struggling Toulouse on Saturday but all eyes in the French capital are on whether star attackers Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will be ready for Liverpool on Wednesday. The pair were both injured during friendlies in the international break, and are now in a race against time to recover for the Parisians' huge Champions League clash with the Reds at the Parc des Princes. PSG said on Wednesday that both players would be put under observation for 48 hours after Brazilian Neymar strained a muscle in his groin and France international Mbappe suffered a shoulder contusion in their countries' respective friendly wins over Cameroon and Uruguay. The French champions are running away with Ligue 1, a full 13 points ahead of their nearest rivals Lille after as many games, and with Toulouse languishing in 15th place coach Thomas Tuchel looks likely to rest both Neymar and Mbappe ahead of the visit of the Group C ...
Leicester boss Puel says time to focus on football
Leicester City manager Claude Puel says the team must now look to the future following last month's helicopter crash that cost the life of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Vichai died with four others when his helicopter came down following a 1-1 home draw with West Ham on October 27. Heartfelt tributes were paid at the club's away match against Cardiff a week after the tragedy before Puel and many of the squad and senior staff flew to Bangkok to attend Vichai's funeral. They returned for the goalless draw against Burnley at the King Power Stadium on November 10. The players are now back at the club after the international break ahead of Saturday's trip to Brighton and, however hard it will be, Puel wants to focus on the football. "It's important to have the good concentration on football to continue to improve," he said. "Our tributes for the chairman are in our minds but now it is important to speak about football. "During the last two weeks, the players can forget a little and have .
Ronaldo gets back to business for Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo gets back to business for Italian champions Juventus against SPAL on Saturday after missing Portugal's qualification for the Nations League semi-finals amid reports he has been snubbed for the final three in the Ballon d'Or award. The 33-year-old Ronaldo has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or five times but could be excluded from the top three, with the winner to be revealed in Paris on December 3. Ronaldo was rested from Portugal's last four internationals as they became the first team to qualify for the Nations League finals. During the international break Ronaldo took a short break in London, amid reports he had got engaged to his Spanish girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, before returning to train in Turin. "All I can tell you is that when I got back I saw Cristiano training the way he does every day, as a professional and giving hs all," Juventus teammate Mattia De Sciglio told Sky Sports Italia. "I can't tell you because I don't know anything about this," the Italian .
Tottenham turn to Wembley wizard Kane for defining week
Tottenham will be banking on more Harry Kane heroics at the start of a potentially season-defining week against Chelsea after their talisman fired England to a dramatic last-gasp victory at Wembley. Kane scored the winner at Tottenham's temporary home last weekend to relegate Croatia in the Nations League and exact some revenge for England's semi-final defeat to the same opponents at the World Cup. "He is the best goalscorer in the world... his hold-up play, as well as the goals he brings, is critical," said England manager Gareth Southgate after England clinched a place in the Nations League Finals. "He is so hungry to lead the team even further." But while England have built on their progress in Russia, Spurs have suffered the after-effects of a demanding summer for most of Mauricio Pochettino's squad. Kane is one of just three Spurs players not to have picked up a muscle injury from Tottenham's 12-strong World Cup contingent, nine of whom were involved on the final weekend of the ..
Atletico look to leapfrog Barcelona in wide open La Liga
Atletico Madrid have a chance to take advantage of a topsy-turvy La Liga campaign when they host champions Barcelona on Saturday with the chance to take top spot this weekend despite their own patchy form. Diego Simeone's side are just a point behind leaders Barca despite having drawn five times and lost once, together as many matches as they have won. They are battling to overtake Barca alongside Sevilla and surprise package Alaves, who are both level on 23 points with Atleti. Alaves, promoted in 2016, finished 14th last term but will go top if they win away at Leganes on Friday night, while Sevilla could potentially be leaders on Sunday night despite languishing in 13th place in September. Even Real Madrid are in touch, just four points back despite having gone more than eight hours without a goal at one point and having been without a permanent coach for two weeks before Santiago Solari was upgraded from interim to full-time boss. This season every time a challenger has clicked ...
Women's World T20: Indian eves fail to decode England enigma, suffer 8-wicket defeat
Indian women's cricket team crashed out of the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's World T20 tournament after being handed over an eight-wicket defeat by England in their semi-final match here at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Friday.Defending a small total of 112 runs, Indian bowlers failed to maintain the pressure on the opposition despite getting some early breakthroughs in the encounter.Indian spinner Radha Yadav gave England the first jolt in the form of opener Tammy Beaumont (1), who in her attempt for a slog sweep, was caught at mid-wicket by Arundhati Reddy. After adding 20 more runs to their total, England lost their other opener Danielle Wyatt at the personal score of eight, after she gave an easy catch to Jemimah Rodrigues in the deep midwicket.Later, an unbreakable partnership between wicket-keeper Amy Jones (53*) and all-rounder Natalie Sciver (52*) not only left the Indian bowlers toiling hard for a wicket, but also drove their side to a convincing ...
Klopp's improved Liverpool face severe test of credentials
Jurgen Klopp is convinced that Liverpool are a stronger team now than they were a year ago but the next week promises to test that theory to the limit. Klopp's side, second in the Premier League, face a trip to seventh-placed Watford on Saturday, followed by a critical Champions League visit to Paris Saint-Germain and a Merseyside derby at home to neighbours Everton. By the end of that run of fixtures, it will be a little clearer as to whether Liverpool have what it takes to maintain a challenge for domestic and European titles this season. "There's absolutely no reason for criticising the boys, they do a really good job," said Liverpool manager Klopp. "So many things are better than last year -- defending is better, set-pieces are better; we are much more mature in games, game management is better. So many things are better." Back in September, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, now a television pundit, suggested Klopp's team would not be able to juggle ...
Pep pits wits against Pellegrini as City hit new heights
Pep Guardiola faces Manuel Pellegrini -- his predecessor as Manchester City manager -- this weekend with his defending Premier League champions on course to smash even more records. While City go to West Ham with only a two-point lead at the top of the table, Guardiola's side has nevertheless looked even more impressive than they were 12 months ago. The statistics bear out that analysis, with City averaging exactly three goals per game and on course to better last season's Premier League records of 100 points and 106 goals for the whole campaign. In that context, perhaps the fact that Guardiola this week claimed he is a better manager now than at any stage of his career with previous clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich should not have come as a surprise. "Now, I feel being here I am a better manager too, because I learned to handle this incredible league in many circumstances," said Guardiola, speaking at Liverpool University. "It is the toughest one, for the amount of games, for the ...
Australia thrash Windies to reach World T20 final
Australia dethroned the West Indies and booked a place in Saturday's Women's World Twenty20 final with a crushing 71-run victory in the first semi-final on Thursday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday. Stunned by the Caribbean side in the 2016 final in Kolkata, the three-time champions were at their most ruthless to the dismay of a huge home crowd as they reached 142 for five batting first on a turgid pitch and then routed the West Indies for just 71 off 17.3 overs. Australia will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and India, being played later on Thursday, in Saturday's championship match at the same venue. Put in to bat on a pitch where the experienced three-time former champions found free scoring difficult, the Aussies were indebted again to the prolific Alyssa Healy, the opening batter top-scoring with 46 to earn her fourth 'Player of the Match' award in five games so far in this tournament. "It was really tricky out there given the ...
Rashford still searching for Man United role
Marcus Rashford has proved with England that he has all the qualities required to be a consistent attacking threat -- but his task now is to replicate that form for Manchester United. Rashford impressed as England beat Croatia 2-1 last Sunday to secure a place in next June's Nations League Finals, yet there is no guarantee he will start when Manchester United host Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. That is because manager Jose Mourinho is still wrestling with the question of how best to fit Rashford into his team, an issue that does not appear to be a problem at international level. England manager Gareth Southgate, having switched from the 3-5-2 system he used at the World Cup to a more attacking 4-3-3 set-up, has started to use Rashford on the left of a front three, with Raheem Sterling on the right and Harry Kane in the centre. It is an approach that is working well for Southgate, with Rashford outstanding as England won 3-2 in Spain last month before using his pace .
No regrets, decision was for team, says Harmanpreet on Mithali Raj's omission
The decision to drop a player of Mithali Raj's calibre backfired during India's humiliating semi-final loss to England in the World T20 but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said that she has "no regrets" as it was decision taken keeping team's interests in mind. Indian batting collapsed as they managed only 112 with eight wickets falling for 24 runs as the visibly upset veteran's blank stare sitting in the dug-out said it all. At the toss, Harmanpreet said: "It's not about not selecting Mithali, it's about keeping a winning combination." The decision was questioned by former England captain Nasser Hussain and former Indian Test player Sanjay Manjrekar on air. However the Indian skipper defended her decision. "Whatever we decided, we decided for the team. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, no regrets. I'm proud of the way my girls played through the tournament," Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation ceremony. Mithali's strike-rate was always an issue but considering that ...
World T20: Indian women crash out in semis losing to England by 8 wickets, Mithali dropped
India's dreams of winning a maiden global title lay in tatters after a questionable omission and an inexplicable batting collapse saw them crash to an eight-wicket defeat against England in the semi-finals of the ICC Women's World T20. Reigning ODI World World Champions England will now meet Australia in the summit clash after the Southern Stars beat defending champions West Indies by 72 runs. India decided to leave their senior most player Mithali Raj, a move that will certainly be questioned, after India lost their last eight wickets for 24 runs to end up scoring a below-par 112 in 19.2 overs. It was a walk in the park for England as seasoned campaigners Amy Jones (53 no, 47 balls) and Natalie Sciver (52 off 40 balls) added 92 runs for the unbroken third-wicket stand to finish the match in only 17.1 overs. It was yet another story of Indian women not showing enough temperament dring big match days, having lost the 50-over World Cup final to England at Lord's last year and the Asia .
Sloppy India crash out of ICC women's World T20
India crashed out of the ICC women's World T20 after going down to England by 8 wickets in the second semi-final at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Friday.
Women's World T20: England beat India by eight wickets to enter final
Reigning ODI World Champions England beat India by eight wickets to enter the final of the ICC Women's World T20 on Friday. England will meet Australia in the final after the Southern Stars demolished hosts and last edition's winners West Indies by 71 runs. Batting first, India collapsed to 112 in 19.2 overs with opener Smriti Mandhana scoring 33 off 24 balls. For England, Kirstie Gordon (2/20), skipper Heather Knight (3/9) and Sophie Ecclestone (2/22) wreaked havoc as seven Indian batters failed to get into double figures on a day when Women In Blue decided to drop their seniormost player Mithali Raj. While chasing, England coasted along nicely to reach the below-par target in only 17.1 overs. Amy Jones (53 no off 45 balls) and Natalie Sciver (52 no off 40 balls) added 92 runs for third wicket to take their team to the summit clash. Brief Scores: India 112 in 19.2 overs (Smriti Mandhana 33 off 24 balls, Jemimah Rodriguez 26 off 26 balls, Heather Knight 3/9, Kirstie Gordon ...
India bundled out for 112 in Women's World T20 semi-final
Indian women suffered a lower order collapse before being bowled out for a paltry 112 in their semi-final match against England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Friday.
India post below par 112 against England
Indian batting floundered on the big day as they managed a below par 112 against England in the semi-final of the ICC Women's World T20 on Friday. Indian women lost eight wickets for 23 runs to slump from 89 for 2 to 112 all out in 19.2 overs Smriti Mandhana (34, 23 balls) started on a promising note and Jemimah Rodriguez (26, 26 balls) also got set but couldn't convert into a big score on a slow Sir Vivian Richards Stadium track. India's biggest hope skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (16, 20 balls) hit a six but spinners Kirstie Gordon (2/20), Heather Knight (3/9) and Sophie Ecclestone (2/22) ran through middle and lower order with seven players failing to reach double figures. The unceremonious dropping of senior most player Mithali Raj will be talked about for a long time as some of the shot selection from India batters left a lot to be desired. Brief Scores: India 112 in 19.2 overs (Smriti Mandhana 34 from 23 balls, Jemimah Rodriguez 26 off 26 balls, Heather Knight 3/9, Kirstie Gordon ...
President Kovind might not get to watch Melbourne cricket match
The highlight of the Melbourne leg of President Ram Nath Kovind's three-day visit to Australia was to be his presence at the India vs Australia T-20 cricket match at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) but gathering clouds this morning indicate that the game could be a washout.Smarting after a narrow loss in the 1st match, the Men in Blue were hoping to register a win this evening, which would have been spectacular in the presence of the Indian President.President of India's official twitter account also outlined the significance of President Kovind witnessing the International cricket match live and wrote, "While he will only watch a few minutes of play at the MCG #PresidentKovind will become the first President of India to see an international cricket march live abroad. Coincidentally Australia was the first country the Indian cricket team toured after Independence, in 1947-48".President Kovind too seems to have cricket on his mind lately. In almost all his speeches since he
Women's World T20: India to bat against England in semis
India won the toss and elected to bat against England in the second semi-final match of the ICC Women's World T20 here on Friday.