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Improving Leverkusen Face Toughest Test to Date at Bayern

Bayer Leverkusen's Algerian midfielder #30 Ibrahim Maza celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) second round football match between SC Paderborn and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Paderborn, western Germany on October 29, 2025. Leverkusen won the match 4-2. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Algerian midfielder #30 Ibrahim Maza celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) second round football match between SC Paderborn and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Paderborn, western Germany on October 29, 2025. Leverkusen won the match 4-2. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)
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Improving Leverkusen Face Toughest Test to Date at Bayern

Bayer Leverkusen's Algerian midfielder #30 Ibrahim Maza celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) second round football match between SC Paderborn and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Paderborn, western Germany on October 29, 2025. Leverkusen won the match 4-2. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Algerian midfielder #30 Ibrahim Maza celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the German Cup (DFB Pokal) second round football match between SC Paderborn and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Paderborn, western Germany on October 29, 2025. Leverkusen won the match 4-2. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)

Bayer Leverkusen have seen their season turned around early under new coach Kasper Hjulmand, with a four-game winning run in the Bundesliga, but on Saturday they face their biggest test to date at flawless Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen, the 2024 Bundesliga champions, had several key players depart in the summer along with coach Xabi Alonso. Early results led to the sacking of new boss Erik ten Hag after two Bundesliga matchdays with Hjulmand arriving to steady the ship.

Only a few weeks ago, Leverkusen fans would have thought it was impossible to give the league leaders a run for their money in Munich.

The Bavarians, who travel to Paris St Germain for the Champions League next week, have set a record for Europe's top five leagues after beating Cologne 4-1 in the German Cup second round on Wednesday to make it 14 wins from 14 matches across all competitions.

But since Hjulmand's arrival, Leverkusen, who face Benfica in Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday, have been steadily improving and needed less time to start clicking than the Dane had expected. They are still on a league-record 37-match unbeaten streak in away games, Reuters reported.

Leverkusen's four-game winning run has moved them up the standings into fifth spot, level on 17 points with fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund.

However, they will not be as fresh as Hjulmand would have liked, needing 120 minutes to battle past second-tier Paderborn for a 4-2 win in the German Cup, with the winning goals coming deep in stoppage time of extra time.

"Unnecessary, completely unnecessary," said Leverkusen’s Jonas Hofmann when asked about having to play extra time. "But that’s the game. That’s how it had to be now. We accept it and will try to recover.

"We will still go there (Munich) with ambition, to get something out of it and not complain. The extra 30 minutes were not helpful, of course, but we’d rather take it this way than be knocked out."

RB Leipzig have an even better record since losing their league opener to Bayern 6-0, and have now won six of their last seven matches to take over second spot on 19 points, five behind Bayern.

They will be eying their third straight league win when they host VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, and hoping the Bavarians will slip up against Leverkusen, in order to close the gap.

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KFSH Performs World First Single-Port Robotic Living Donor Liver Resection

‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
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KFSH Performs World First Single-Port Robotic Living Donor Liver Resection

‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA
‏The achievement further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery - SPA

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH) has performed the world’s first series of single-port robotic liver resections from living donors, marking a major advancement in organ transplantation.

The procedures were conducted through a single incision not exceeding 3.5 cm, replacing the multiple incisions required in conventional robotic surgery, reducing surgical pain and accelerating recovery while maintaining high safety standards, SPA reported.

‏The milestone, said a KFSH press release issued today, is particularly significant for donor safety, as living donors are healthy individuals undergoing surgery for the benefit of others. Procedures performed on six donors resulted in minimal blood loss without complications, with low pain levels and discharge within two to three days.

‏The approach also makes liver donation safer for pediatric recipients, as it typically involves the left lateral segment, which represents around 20% of total liver volume, making it well suited for single-port access while minimizing surgical burden on the donor.

Executive Director of the Organ Transplant Center of Excellence ‏Prof. Dieter Broering said the development reflects a structured expansion of robotic liver surgery built on extensive experience.

He noted that KFSH has performed more than 1,600 robotic living donor liver resections, the highest volume globally, supported by a progressive model integrating training, simulation, and phased clinical implementation.

‏The achievement, added the release, further reinforces KFSH’s position as a global leader in robotic surgery and organ transplantation, advancing care models that balance innovation with patient and donor safety, in line with the Health Sector Transformation Program and the hospital’s vision to deliver world-class specialized care.

‏King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center ranks first in the Middle East and North Africa and 12th globally among the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers in 2026, and is the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East according to Brand Finance 2025.

It is also listed by Newsweek among the World’s Best Hospitals 2026, World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026, and World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2026.

Sports

Sputtering Arsenal Face Test of Character in Sporting Clash

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
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Sputtering Arsenal Face Test of Character in Sporting Clash

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Arsenal at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on April 4, 2026. (AFP)

Mikel Arteta has urged shell-shocked Arsenal to embrace a major test of their character as they seek to recover from a pair of devastating defeats in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final at Sporting Lisbon.

Arteta's side suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at second tier Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, a fortnight after losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the League Cup final.

The Gunners had been chasing an unprecedented quadruple until their domestic cup dreams were demolished in painful fashion.

The chastening loss to Southampton was only Arsenal's fifth defeat this season and marked the first time they have been beaten in successive games in this campaign.

Arsenal's slump has plunged the club's long-suffering fans into a bout of soul-searching.

The north Londoners haven't won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup and three consecutive runners-up finishes in the Premier League have raised doubts about their ability to finally land silverware.

Arteta is convinced Arsenal can handle the mounting pressure of bidding to win the Champions League for the first time, while aiming to finally lift the Premier League trophy after a 22-year wait.

"In the season, you always have moments, normally two or three. This is the first moment that we have with a certain level of difficulty," Arteta said.

"We're going to say difficulty when we're going to play the Champions League quarter-finals and the run-up for the league.

"If this is a difficult period, I believe there are many other ones that are much more difficult, so let's stand up, make yourself comfortable and deliver like we've been doing all season."

- 'Beautiful period' -

Arteta knows Arsenal are in a strong position in both competitions, travelling to Lisbon as favorites to dispatch Sporting and holding a nine-point lead over second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League.

"I love my players. What they have done for nine months, I'm not going to criticize them because we lost a game in the manner that they are putting their bodies through everything," Arteta said.

"I'm going to defend them more than ever. Someone has to take responsibility. That's me and we have the most beautiful period of the season ahead of us."

Arsenal will also take heart from their 5-1 rout of Sporting in the Champions League group stage last season, when their Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres was playing for the Portuguese club.

Gyokeres endured a difficult start to his first season with Arsenal following his move to the Emirates Stadium last year.

But he has emerged as an influential presence in recent weeks, scoring their equalizer against Southampton and netting twice in the north London derby win at Tottenham.

Gyokeres also bagged Sweden's late play-off winner against Poland to book their place at the World Cup.

But Arsenal's double bid is in danger of being derailed by injuries, with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka is a race to be fit to face Sporting after missing the Southampton game and England's recent friendlies.

Gabriel Magalhaes is also a doubt after the center-back was forced off with a knee injury against Southampton.

Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard struck an upbeat note in the face of adversity.

"The message is to have a positive body language, to talk with your team-mates, with the coaching staff. Now is not the time to go with our heads down for too long," Norgaard said.

"It's fine to be frustrated and also to analyze what went wrong, but then we also have to look forward because there are so many big games coming up for this club."

Sports

Alcaraz Ready to Get His Socks Dirty with Return to Clay

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)
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Alcaraz Ready to Get His Socks Dirty with Return to Clay

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz poses for a selfie with a fan after his training session held at Murcia Royal Tennis Club 1919 in Murcia, Spain on 31 March 2026. (EPA)

Carlos Alcaraz said he ‌was eager to get his socks dirty on clay again as the world number one returned to his preferred surface in Monaco this week to build momentum for his French Open title defense.

Alcaraz won his fifth Grand Slam title by beating Jannik Sinner in an epic final at Roland Garros last June, adding to his 2025 clay court triumphs in Monte Carlo and Rome and a runner-up finish in ‌Barcelona.

"This is probably ‌one of the best times ‌of ⁠the season for me," ⁠Alcaraz told reporters in Monaco on Sunday.

"I miss clay every time the clay season is over. It's been a long time since Roland Garros that I haven't touched clay. In my first practices, I said to my team that it's time to ⁠get the socks dirty again. It feels ‌amazing to be back ‌on clay."

Alcaraz, who missed last year's Madrid Open due to ‌injury, hoped to play a full schedule before ‌Roland Garros, where the main draw begins on May 24.

"Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome ... that's the plan," said the 22-year-old.

"It's very demanding physically and mentally. The week in ‌Barcelona is perhaps when I should rest, but Barcelona is a very important tournament ⁠for ⁠me.

"My plan is to take care of my body as much as possible during matches and tournaments."

The seven-times Grand Slam champion said winning the Monte Carlo title proved to be a turning point last season.

"After the feeling that I got here, I just got better and better," he added.

"I understood and I realized how I should play after this week. That's why I did an exceptional year."

Alcaraz will open his campaign against either Stan Wawrinka or Sebastian Baez in the second round.