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Manchester United’s Amorim: 'I Will Not Have Time, I Have to Get it Right, Fast'

Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - April 1, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - April 1, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim REUTERS/Chris Radburn
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Manchester United’s Amorim: 'I Will Not Have Time, I Have to Get it Right, Fast'

Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - April 1, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - April 1, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim REUTERS/Chris Radburn

Ruben Amorim insisted he will not be given much time to turn things around as Manchester United manager, as his team slumped to another defeat at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Former United forward Anthony Elanga's fine early goal earned Forest a comfortable win at the City Ground, with the visitors slipping to their 13th defeat of the season in the Premier League.
Tuesday's loss takes United to within one of their record of 14 Premier League defeats in the 2023-24 season, leaving them languishing down in 13th in the table as Amorim struggles to instigate any real change.
"In Manchester United, you don't have the time," Amorim said. "I will not have the time. We have to get it right fast.
"In here, the pressure is too big sometimes. We start the game suffering a goal and put Nottingham in the place they want to be - defending with lots of men - then they have really fast players to make transitions.
"Even with that, we controlled the game quite well, especially in the second half. We push forward but again, in the final third, we were not good enough."
Alejandro Garnacho was especially wasteful in attack for United, finishing the match having had six of United's 24 shots at goal, without really testing Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.
Amorim has defended the young Argentine in the past, and again insisted Garnacho's overall efforts are of the standard required.
"He is making everything," Amorim added, according to Reuters. "He's trying. Sometimes you have one day that you are doing the right things, but in the final third, you are not that good, that can happen.
"The most important thing for me is that when he needs to run back, he is running back. Of course we want a player that has one against one. Sometimes he is trying too much.
"I think he wants to help the team to do his best, sometimes he doesn't make the best choice, but you cannot point to any player today."

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Sports

Barca Wasteful but Beat Elche to Extend Liga Lead

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP)
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Barca Wasteful but Beat Elche to Extend Liga Lead

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammate Barcelona's Raphinha during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Elche and Barcelona in Elche, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP)

Barcelona spurned some big chances but still moved four points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday with a 3-1 win at Elche, thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford.

Elsewhere third-place Atletico Madrid drew 0-0 at lowly Levante, while Villarreal were also held in a 2-2 draw at Osasuna.

Alvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid, second, host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday aiming to reduce the gap to the leaders back to one point.

Hansi Flick's Barca created several clear opportunities in an entertaining clash, but the woodwork and some profligate finishing stopped them from securing a far bigger victory.

Elche, 12th, have impressed this season and created good chances of their own at the Martinez Valero stadium, but Barca were too strong for them, despite some poor finishing.

"In the first half you have to decide this game, I like (it more) when the players turn their chances into goals," Flick told reporters.

"We created a lot of chances, but we missed them in front of goal, this is the bad thing, but in the end I told the team I'm happy with the three points and congratulations on this performance."

Teenage star Yamal opened the scoring after six minutes after Dani Olmo sent him through on goal. The 18-year-old coolly rounded goalkeeper Inaki Pena, a former Barca player, and slotted home.

Olmo hit the crossbar before Elche equalized with a well-worked move to get Alvaro Rodriguez in behind Barca's high line.

Torres should have restored the Catalans' advantage but, in a comical moment, hit the bar from point-blank range and then immediately diverted the rebound against the post.

The Spain international made amends by smashing home after fine work by Frenkie de Jong before the break.

Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Torres all missed good chances for more goals as Barca created danger at will, with Elche coach Eder Sarabia, a former Barca assistant under Quique Setien, sticking with his open style.

Rashford was also guilty of missing a good chance after he came on for Raphinha at half-time, curling past the post as he ran through.

The English winger, on loan from Manchester United, did score Barca's third, his 10th of the season across all competitions, after Yamal's cross was blocked and fell nicely to him.

"Normally we have players who finish very well, maybe in a game you miss your chances, but the important thing is that we're generating them," De Jong told Movistar.

- Atletico, Villarreal drop points -

Diego Simeone's Atletico looked uninspired at Levante as they could only take a point against the team sitting 19th in the table and now lie 10 points behind Barca.

Atletico have won just one game in their last four across all competitions, and in midweek lost against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt to leave them in the Champions League play-offs instead of progressing directly to the last 16.

"It hurts not to get the three points today," admitted Atletico defender Robin Le Normand.

To make matters worse for Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth and midfielder Pablo Barrios went off injured.

They lost Sorloth after a clash of heads with Matias Moreno and the Norwegian striker was taken to hospital for further tests.

Barrios limped off early in the second half and Atletico, who had started well, struggled to create many openings after that, missing the energetic midfielder.

Simeone, who has pushed for Atletico to sign more players, said the potential injury absences would force him to think about what to do.

"It enhances creativity, the coach's work. As a coach, it's good to be challenged to improve, and this helps me improve," he said.

Gerard Moreno netted twice for Villarreal but they could only manage to draw at Osasuna, unable to capitalize on Espanyol's defeat to fully consolidate their position in fourth.

Marcelino Garcia Toral's side are eight points ahead of fifth-place Espanyol, who lost 2-1 at home against Alaves on Friday.

For a while this season, Villarreal seemed to be on the fringes of the title race, but two defeats and a draw in their last three La Liga outings have diminished those notions.

"We wanted to win but I think we have to leave satisfied, because we got a point after two games without (getting any)," Moreno told Movistar.

Sports

Napoli Edge Fiorentina as Injury Crisis Deepens

Napoli defender Miguel Gutierrez celebrates after scoring the goal with Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs Fiorentina at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, 31 January 2026. (EPA)
Napoli defender Miguel Gutierrez celebrates after scoring the goal with Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs Fiorentina at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, 31 January 2026. (EPA)
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Napoli Edge Fiorentina as Injury Crisis Deepens

Napoli defender Miguel Gutierrez celebrates after scoring the goal with Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs Fiorentina at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, 31 January 2026. (EPA)
Napoli defender Miguel Gutierrez celebrates after scoring the goal with Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match SSC Napoli vs Fiorentina at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy, 31 January 2026. (EPA)

Italian champions Napoli edged lowly Fiorentina 2-1 in Serie A on Saturday to keep pace in the title race, three days after being dumped out of the Champions League.

Napoli lost 3-2 to Chelsea on Wednesday and 3-0 to Juventus in the league last weekend but bounced back thanks to impressive goals from Antonio Vergara in the 11th minute and Miguel Gutierrez early in the second half.

Staggering under the weight of an injury crisis that includes star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku, Napoli lost captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo to a twisted knee in the first half.

"It's a serious injury, the cruciate ligament," coach Antonio Conte said after the game.

"We're killing these guys, we're killing football... with 60-70 matches per season, it's suicide."

Fiorentina forced Conte's charges to dig in when Manor Solomon pulled a goal back on 57 minutes, but the home team held on for a narrow win with a lively pressing game.

"We'll keep fighting," vowed Conte. "We want to make sure we at least get back into the Champions League."

Inter Milan travel to Cremonese on Sunday and lead the title charge on 52 points, with AC Milan second on 47 ahead of Tuesday's game at Bologna.

Napoli climbed provisionally to third on 46. Roma have 43 ahead of Monday's game at Udinese.

Napoli went into Saturday's game with just one win from their last seven matches in all competitions.

Earlier on Saturday, Pisa lost 3-1 at home to Sassuolo. They have won just one match from 23, but Verona dropped to the foot of the table after a 4-0 defeat by Cagliari.

Sports

‘Quiet Assassin’ Rybakina Targets World Number One After Melbourne Win

Tennis - Australian Open - Women's Singles Winner Photo Shoot - Yarra River, Melbourne, Australia - February 1, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina poses with the Australian Open trophy. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Women's Singles Winner Photo Shoot - Yarra River, Melbourne, Australia - February 1, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina poses with the Australian Open trophy. (Reuters)
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‘Quiet Assassin’ Rybakina Targets World Number One After Melbourne Win

Tennis - Australian Open - Women's Singles Winner Photo Shoot - Yarra River, Melbourne, Australia - February 1, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina poses with the Australian Open trophy. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Women's Singles Winner Photo Shoot - Yarra River, Melbourne, Australia - February 1, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina poses with the Australian Open trophy. (Reuters)

Elena Rybakina beat the two top-ranked players in the world to win the Australian Open and show that her quiet ruthlessness can propel her to number one and more Grand Slam glory.

The Moscow-born Kazakh emerged from a power battle with top seed Aryna Sabalenka to claim the Melbourne title in three tight sets on Saturday.

The 26-year-old's 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 triumph brought her a second major crown, more than three years after winning Wimbledon.

Two-time Australia champion Sabalenka had her chances, notably leading the final set 3-0, but the fifth seed retained her trademark cool to pull through.

Rybakina later revealed that beneath her understated celebrations was huge relief.

Proving it was no fluke, it was the second time in three months that big-serving Rybakina has beaten the world number one.

She has been the form player on tour since the middle of last year and is set to return to her career-high ranking of three, behind Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.

Australian media labelled her a "quiet assassin".

"Last year I didn't start that well," said Rybakina, as she eyes a second Wimbledon title in June-July.

"Now it's different. So I just hope that I can carry all this momentum, hopefully do a good job with the team and continue this way throughout the year."

Rybakina's tense victory over Sabalenka, having beaten Poland's second seed Swiatek in straight sets in the quarter-finals, was her 20th win in her last 21 matches.

- 'Big goals' -

Rybakina, who switched to play for Kazakhstan in 2018 because of financial reasons, was tipped for more Grand Slam success after her Wimbledon breakthrough in 2022.

She reached the Australian Open final six months later, facing Sabalenka again.

Rybakina won the first set but the powerful Belarusian struck back to win her first major title in three sets.

There was a Wimbledon quarter-final and semi-final for Rybakina in 2023 and 2024, and she got to the last eight of the French Open.

But her career was hampered by illness and injuries, particularly back trouble, and she has suffered insomnia.

Speaking after beating Sabalenka, she said she was able to enjoy her Australian title more than the Wimbledon one.

"I remember I was not sleeping well, semis, even quarters. Final I don't even... how many emotions and how many thoughts was going through my head," she said on Saturday, looking back to 2022.

"It was really stressful."

Put to her that statistically she has been the best player in the world since Wimbledon in the middle of last year, Rybakina looked almost embarrassed.

"I didn't even know these statistics, to be honest. The reason, I mean, I've been playing well," she said, smiling.

"I have a very aggressive style of game, so I think that's definitely the key.

"I don't know which other answer I can give you."

She was similarly coy when asked if being number one for the first time was on her radar.

"I have big goals. Of course time will show, but definitely we will keep on working," she said.