عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Madrid Draws with Betis with Likely Starters for Champions League Final and Kroos Says Farewell

Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Madrid Draws with Betis with Likely Starters for Champions League Final and Kroos Says Farewell

Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
Real Madrid's German midfielder #08 Toni Kroos is thrown in the air by teammates during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 25, 2024. (AFP)

Real Madrid drew with Real Betis 0-0 on Saturday in its last warmup game before facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions league final.

Madrid wrapped up the Spanish league title three weeks ago, and since then coach Carlo Ancelotti has rotated his lineups to rest his starters. But the Italian likely had his top-choice players back in his starting 11 against Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There were only two changes from the Champions League semifinals victory over Bayern Munich.

The versatile Eduardo Camavinga was in the spot of injured holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who will miss the final due to a foot injury.

The other tweak was goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois starting over Andriy Lunin, the backup who played most of the season before the Belgian recovered recently from an ACL injury.

Ancelotti, however, would not confirm that this will be his starting team for the final in London on June 1.

“I have a week to think about it, we may still have some doubts,” Ancelotti said. “We will enjoy preparing for the final and arrive at our best form on Saturday and try to win it.”

KROOS HONORED

Toni Kroos played his last home game for Madrid. The 34-year-old midfielder announced this week he will retire after playing for Germany at this summer’s European Championship.

Kroos' teammates donned his No. 8 shirt to hold an honor guard for him before kickoff. When he was substituted late, his teammates and coach took turns hugging him. Kroos then embraced his three young children.

He can add to his 22 titles, including four Champions League crowns, with Madrid next weekend.

“I couldn’t have asked for more,” Kroos said. “These have been 10 unforgettable years. Now the best way for me to finish would be winning another title.”

DOVBYK EYES TOP SCORER

Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk is set to finish the Spanish league as its top scorer after his main challenger fell one goal short of his mark.

Dovbyk, who is expected to play in Euro 2024, leads the league in the final round with 24 goals.

Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth has 23 and had a chance to equal Dovbyk when it visited Osasuna. But the Norway striker appeared to suffer a leg injury early and had to be substituted without scoring.

Dovbyk was two goals behind Sorloth in the goals race until he bagged a hat trick to fuel a 7-0 rout of Granada on Friday.

Dovbyk's last outside threat is Robert Lewandowski, who has 18 before Barcelona visits Sevilla on Sunday in Xavi Hernández's last game in charge.

Dovbyk joined Girona last summer from Ukrainian club SC Dnipro-1 and helped transform the small club into a European sensation. The Catalan club partly owned by Manchester City's Adu Dhabi ownership qualified for the Champions League for the first time with a third-place finish.

Villarreal drew at Osasuna 1-1 after Sorloth's replacement, José Luis Morales, scored a second-half equalizer.

Osasuna striker Ante Budimir, who is on Croatia's Euro 2024 squad, netted his first goal since recovering from fractured ribs to give the hosts a first-half lead. He finished the league with 17 goals.

Villarreal will likely conclude the campaign with the league’s top assist-maker. Midfielder Álex Baena, who could be on Spain’s Euros 2024 squad, made it 14 assists by setting up Morales. Villarreal said that tied a club record set by Juan Riquelme.

The game also featured the farewell of coach Jagoba Arrasate after his six years at Osasuna. Arrasate announced in March that he turned down the offer of a contract extension, saying he needed a fresh start.

NICO SHINES

Nico Williams capped his superb season by scoring to give fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano. Williams helped Athletic win the Copa del Rey and is a sure bet to play for Spain at Euro 2024.

Fourth-placed Atletico Madrid got goals from Samuel Lino and Reinildo Mandava to defeat sixth-placed Real Sociedad 2-0.

The final round had no drama with the title, European berths and relegation spots all decided beforehand.

Madrid, Barcelona, Girona and Atletico will play in the Champions League next season, while Athletic and Sociedad are Europa League bound. Betis will play the Conference League.

FINALLY A REASON TO CHEER

Almeria, which was relegated a month before the season ended, was at least able to escape last place and give its fans something to cheer about after crushing Cadiz 6-1. Luis Suárez and Sergio Arribas both notched braces in the rout.

Almeria pushed Granada to the bottom. Cadiz will join them in the second division next season.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Pressure on Morocco to Deliver as Africa Cup of Nations Kicks Off

Morocco's head coach Walid Regragui speaks during a press conference at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, 20 December 2025. (EPA)
Morocco's head coach Walid Regragui speaks during a press conference at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, 20 December 2025. (EPA)
TT
TT

Pressure on Morocco to Deliver as Africa Cup of Nations Kicks Off

Morocco's head coach Walid Regragui speaks during a press conference at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, 20 December 2025. (EPA)
Morocco's head coach Walid Regragui speaks during a press conference at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, 20 December 2025. (EPA)

Morocco carry a huge weight of expectation into their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as the hosts, with star man Achraf Hakimi returning from injury, aim to see off stiff competition to claim continental glory.

Senegal, reigning champions Ivory Coast, Mohamed Salah's Egypt and a Nigeria side led by Victor Osimhen are among the biggest rivals for Morocco at the AFCON, which runs into the New Year with the final on January 18.

Morocco, Africa's best team in the FIFA rankings in 11th place, kick off the tournament on Sunday at 1900 GMT against minnows Comoros at the new 69,000-seat Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

There is huge pressure on the Atlas Lions, semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup who come into the Cup of Nations on a world-record run of 18 consecutive victories.

"I have always said the objective is to win this AFCON at home in front of our fans," coach Walid Regragui insisted on Saturday.

"The country that will have the most difficulty winning the AFCON is Morocco, because of the expectation on us," he nevertheless warned as they look to claim the title for the first time since 1976.

"The pressure on us is positive, but anything other than victory will be a failure."

Paris Saint-Germain right-back Hakimi, the African player of the year, says he is ready to take part despite not having played since suffering an ankle injury in early November.

"I feel good," said Hakimi, although Regragui admitted that the former Real Madrid man may not play against Comoros with further Group A matches to come against Mali and Zambia.

Hakimi added: "I'm not thinking about me as an individual. If I only play one minute and the team wins, then that's fine."

They have been good at winning of late -- Morocco won the recent Under-20 World Cup and the country's triumph in the FIFA Arab Cup final against Jordan in Doha this week brought fans onto the streets in celebration.

For Morocco, this tournament is also about showcasing some world-class stadiums as it hosts a first AFCON since 1988.

The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which will also stage the final, is one of four being used in Rabat.

A huge 75,000-seat stadium in Tangier will host a semi-final, while games will also be played in Casablanca, Marrakesh, Agadir and Fez as the country builds towards the 2030 World Cup which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

The introduction of FIFA's expanded Club World Cup last June and July forced the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to push back its flagship tournament.

They could not wait until next June because of the World Cup, and they can no longer stage the Cup of Nations in January and February because of the new UEFA Champions League format.

The only solution was to start in December and continue into the New Year, at a time when many European leagues -- where so many African stars play -- take a break.

Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe on Saturday acknowledged the need to address the scheduling problem as he announced a decision to play the Cup of Nations every four years following a planned edition in 2028.

"We want to make sure that there is more synchronization," said Motsepe, and that "the football calendar worldwide is more in harmony".

Morocco are aiming to follow the example of Ivory Coast, who won the last AFCON as hosts in 2024.

North African teams have won four of the last five editions held in the region, including Algeria's triumph in Egypt in 2019.

It remains to be seen whether the doubts surrounding Salah's Liverpool future impact Egypt's chances of winning a record-extending eighth title.

Elsewhere Senegal, winners in 2022 and with a squad featuring Sadio Mane and Iliman Ndiaye, are serious contenders.

Runners-up last year, Nigeria will hope to make amends here for missing out on World Cup qualification.

In contrast, Ghana and Cape Verde are both going to the World Cup, but neither are present in Morocco.

After Sunday's opening game there will be three matches on Monday, including South Africa against Angola and Egypt versus Zimbabwe in Group B.

Sports

Isak Injury Leaves Slot Counting Cost of Liverpool Win at Spurs

Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)
Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)
TT
TT

Isak Injury Leaves Slot Counting Cost of Liverpool Win at Spurs

Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)
Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)

Arne Slot was left to count the cost of Liverpool's chaotic 2-1 win at nine-man Tottenham after Alexander Isak's rare goal was followed by a potentially damaging injury.

Isak fired Liverpool into a second-half lead in north London with a clinical finish, only to limp off moments later after being injured by Micky van de Ven's failed attempt to stop him scoring.

The Sweden striker's third goal for Liverpool since his British record £125 million ($166 million) move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day had offered hope that he was finally set to live up to his hefty price tag.

Instead, Reds boss Slot now faces an anxious wait to determine how long the 26-year-old will be sidelined with his ankle problem.

Slot would only say that Isak's injury was "not a good thing".

It could not have come at a worse time for fifth-placed Liverpool after Egypt forward Mohamed Salah's departure to the Africa Cup of Nations and an injury to Dutch winger Cody Gakpo.

Adding to Slot's fitness issues, Isak only came off the bench at half-time after right-back Conor Bradley was injured.

Although Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions -- winning three in a row -- the brief flicker of promise engendered by the sight of Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Isak combining for the opening goal was quickly snuffed out.

The trio cost around £300 million to bring to Anfield in the close-season, with only Ekitike, the least expensive of the group, living up to the hype during the Premier League champions' troubled first half of the season.

French striker Ekitike maintained his strong start to life with Liverpool by heading their second goal against Tottenham.

But even then, Liverpool made heavy weather of it as Tottenham, already down to 10 men after Xavi Simons' first-half dismissal for a crude foul on Virgil van Dijk, pulled one back through Richarlison in the closing stages.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero's stoppage-time dismissal for a needless second booking after he kicked Ibrahima Konate let Liverpool off the hook just as they looked set to blow the lead in a frenzied finale.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Slot said: "A good goal (for Isak), assisted by Florian Wirtz, and I said last week already players are getting better, the team is getting better.

"I thought to be honest with nine, we will probably be able then to keep them away from our goal, but it looked as if we were down to nine and they were on 11 because it was attack after attack after attack.

"Again, it wasn't perfect, especially not in the last 10 minutes but in the meantime, we pick up points and I see the team developing in a way I like to see."

Meanwhile, under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank blasted referee John Brooks.

Frank was furious with Simons' red card -- which was upgraded from a booking after a VAR review -- and the failure to disallow Ekitike's goal for a push on Romero.

"I don't like this as a red card. I think the game is probably too big to say gone, but for me it's not reckless and it's not exceptional force," said Frank, whose side are languishing in 13th place.

"He is chasing Van Dijk. He is trying to put pressure and then he changes direction. Unfortunately, his foot is on Achilles. You can say 'Ah, you need to be smarter, don't do it and all that' but so are we not allowed to have physical contact anymore?

"The second goal is a mistake from the referee. There are two hands in the back. I don't understand how you can do that.

"I think that was the biggest mistake in my opinion and from VAR but apparently that was not enough."

Sports

Mbappe Levels Ronaldo Calendar Year Real Madrid Goal Record

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Mbappe Levels Ronaldo Calendar Year Real Madrid Goal Record

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

French superstar Kylian Mbappe equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 59 Real Madrid goals in a calendar year by scoring on Saturday against Sevilla in La Liga.

Mbappe, on his 27th birthday, tucked home an 86th-minute penalty to match Ronaldo's club record set in 2013 and send his team 2-0 up at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The striker won the European Golden Shoe and La Liga's top scorer award last season and leads the Spanish standings again in the current campaign with 18 strikes.

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid side have struggled this season, but Mbappe has been their key player, boasting 29 goals in 24 games across all competitions.

Mbappe has admitted he had posters of Ronaldo on his bedroom walls as a child and that it was a dream to sign for Madrid when he arrived in the summer of 2024 from Paris Saint-Germain.

After a few months searching for confidence and his top level, by the time 2025 began Mbappe was back to his lethal best.

Portugal international Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 matches for Real Madrid to become their all-time top goalscorer, with Mbappe now on 73 in 83 games.