عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Lukaku Scores 2 in Roma’s 4-1 Win at Cagliari, as Napoli Loses at Home to Fiorentina 

Roma's Romelu Lukaku jubilates after scoring the 4-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match Cagliari calcio vs AS Roma at the Unipol domus in Cagliari, Italy, 08 October 2023. (EPA)
Roma's Romelu Lukaku jubilates after scoring the 4-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match Cagliari calcio vs AS Roma at the Unipol domus in Cagliari, Italy, 08 October 2023. (EPA)
TT
TT

Lukaku Scores 2 in Roma’s 4-1 Win at Cagliari, as Napoli Loses at Home to Fiorentina 

Roma's Romelu Lukaku jubilates after scoring the 4-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match Cagliari calcio vs AS Roma at the Unipol domus in Cagliari, Italy, 08 October 2023. (EPA)
Roma's Romelu Lukaku jubilates after scoring the 4-0 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match Cagliari calcio vs AS Roma at the Unipol domus in Cagliari, Italy, 08 October 2023. (EPA)

Romelu Lukaku is making an immediate impact at Roma. Paulo Dybala, meanwhile, remains injury prone.

Lukaku scored twice in Roma’s 4-1 win at last-place Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday to raise his tally to seven goals in eight matches across all competitions with the Giallorossi.

“A lot of things were said about me, but I worked hard over the summer,” Lukaku said. “I’m a professional.”

Dybala exited the match in the first half with a left knee issue — having missed long stretches of last season due to injuries.

Lukaku used his chest to redirect in a cross from Rick Karsdorp following a set up from Leonardo Spinazzola early on. Then he took a pass from Leandro Paredes to score again with a precise shot from inside the area in the 87th.

Houssem Aouar had put Roma ahead a minute before Lukaku’s first goal and Andrea Belotti also scored for the Giallorossi after replacing Dybala.

Nahitan Nandez converted a late penalty for Cagliari.

Lukaku, who joined Roma on loan in August, has also been key in the Europa League. He scored the winner in Roma’s opening 2-1 victory over Sheriff and had the first goal in a 4-0 win over Servette on Thursday.

Lukaku said Roma coach Jose Mourinho was fundamental in his decision to move to the capital.

“I have a special relationship with (Mourinho). He knows my family. He knows my kids,” Lukaku said. “I really have confidence in him and he really has confidence in me.”

Roma moved up to 10th while Cagliari remained winless — leaving coach Claudio Ranieri at risk.

Napoli beaten

Defending champion Napoli was beaten at home for the second time in the league this season, falling 3-1 to Fiorentina — last season’s Europa Conference League finalist.

Giacomo Bonaventura scored the second goal for the Viola midway through the second half, shooting in from 12 yards after an accidental assist from Alfred Duncan.

The 34-year-old Bonaventura has been involved in the most goals among Serie A midfielders this season with four scores and two assists and on Friday was named to Italy’s squad for the first time in three years.

Josip Brekalo had put Fiorentina ahead early on by shooting through the legs of Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret from a tight angle. Then Victor Osimhen equalized with a penalty in first-half stoppage time.

Substitute Nico Gonzalez sealed it for Fiorentina by finishing off a counterattack in second-half stoppage time.

Napoli was also beaten by Lazio at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in early September.

Fiorentina moved up to fourth, three points ahead of fifth-place Napoli.

It was the second home loss in six days for Napoli after also getting beaten by Real Madrid, 3-2, in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Lazio leaves it late

Lazio gave up a two-goal advantage but still managed to beat visiting Atalanta 3-2 at the Stadio Olimpico.

An own-goal from Charles De Ketelaere and a strike from Valentin Castellanos, who started at center forward in place of the injured Ciro Immobile, put Lazio up 2-0 after 11 minutes.

Ederson and Sead Kolasinac then drew Atalanta level before substitute Matias Vecino won it for Lazio seven minutes from time with an acrobatic half volley after getting set up by Castellanos, who formerly played for New York City FC.

Monza seventh

Monza moved up to seventh with a 3-0 win over struggling Salernitana, with goals from Andrea Colpani, Samuele Vignato and Matteo Pessina.

On loan from Real Madrid, Reinier Jesus scored in his Serie A debut for Frosinone in a 2-1 win for the promoted club over Hellas Verona. Matias Soule also scored for Frosinone — which is up to eighth — before Milan Djuric pulled one back for Verona.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Moriyasu Hails Japan’s Late Tactical Switch as Ito Sinks Scotland 1-0 Amid Hampden Boos

Hajime Moriyasu head coach of Japan gestures during the international friendly soccer match between Scotland and Japan in Glasgow, Britain, 28 March 2026. (EPA)
Hajime Moriyasu head coach of Japan gestures during the international friendly soccer match between Scotland and Japan in Glasgow, Britain, 28 March 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Moriyasu Hails Japan’s Late Tactical Switch as Ito Sinks Scotland 1-0 Amid Hampden Boos

Hajime Moriyasu head coach of Japan gestures during the international friendly soccer match between Scotland and Japan in Glasgow, Britain, 28 March 2026. (EPA)
Hajime Moriyasu head coach of Japan gestures during the international friendly soccer match between Scotland and Japan in Glasgow, Britain, 28 March 2026. (EPA)

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu hailed his team's tactical flexibility after a late Junya Ito strike secured a 1-0 victory over Scotland in a pre- World Cup friendly at Hampden Park, leaving the home side facing a chorus of boos.

In a key warm-up for their eighth successive World Cup appearance, the Samurai Blue overcame a bright Scotland start to dominate the second half. Substitute Ito proved the difference in the 84th minute with a clinical finish from 12 yards to settle a tight contest.

While Scotland manager Steve Clarke admitted he was “surprised and disappointed” by the negative reaction from the Tartan Army, Moriyasu focused on his side’s defensive discipline and late clinical edge.

“I am very pleased to play in such a fantastic atmosphere,” Moriyasu said. “It was a tough game and we managed to keep a clean sheet. Toward the end, we changed the setup to get the goal. It was great for building confidence.”

The visitors survived an early scare when Zion Suzuki pushed a Scott McTominay effort onto the post, but Japan gradually asserted control. Kodai Sano clipped the bar before the break, and the pressure eventually told when Ito got the breakthrough.

The result leaves Scotland winless in four meetings against Japan as both sides prepare for the World Cup in North America starting in June.

Japan plays England at Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday.

Sports

Sabalenka Sinks Gauff to Win Second Straight Miami Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Butch Buchholz trophy after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States during the Women's Singles Final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau at Hard Rock Stadium on March 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Butch Buchholz trophy after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States during the Women's Singles Final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau at Hard Rock Stadium on March 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
TT
TT

Sabalenka Sinks Gauff to Win Second Straight Miami Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Butch Buchholz trophy after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States during the Women's Singles Final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau at Hard Rock Stadium on March 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Butch Buchholz trophy after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States during the Women's Singles Final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau at Hard Rock Stadium on March 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka won her second straight Miami Open title on Sunday beating Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to complete a "Sunshine Double" Indian Wells-Miami sweep.

The world number one from Belarus, fresh off her first triumph in the California desert, became the fifth woman -- and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022 -- to win both of the elite early season hardcourt WTA 1000 titles.

"It means a lot," Sabalenka said after joining Poland's Swiatek, German great Steffi Graf, Belgian Kim Clijsters and fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka on the list of women to win both titles in the same year.

"My goal always been to put my name in the history, and I just did it."

Sabalenka underscored her WTA dominance in a season in which her only defeat to date was her Australian Open finals loss to Elena Rybakina -- who she went on to beat in the Indian Wells title match and in the semi-finals here.

She handed Gauff her first career defeat in a hardcourt final.

The American had won her first nine, including a triumph over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open championship match.

Gauff had also beaten the Belarusian for the title on the red clay of Roland Garros last year.

So Sabalenka said she wasn't surprised to see Gauff dig in, even after the Belarusian pocketed the first set with a ruthless display of power and precision.

She broke Gauff to open the match and, after Gauff saved three break points in a gritty fifth game, broke the American again in the seventh before serving it out in 37 minutes without facing a break point herself.

In a tense second set, Gauff's first break point chance -- from a blistering backhand passing winner in the second game -- sparked a jubilant reaction from the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins that is just about an hour away from Gauff's Delray Beach home.

But Gauff couldn't convert, slamming a forehand into the net on the next point as Sabalenka held.

It needed another gutsy hold from Gauff to keep it on serve in the fifth game.

Up 40-0, she wasted three game points with a pair of errors off the ground and a double fault then had to save a break point before taking the game.

But Gauff was finding more depth on her returns and broke Sabalenka for the first time to take the second set.

"I knew that she's going to try her very best to fight in this match," Sabalenka said.

"I was just trying to keep a positive mindset going into the third set. I'm super happy how well I handled my emotions how well I stayed focused from the very beginning to the very end."

- What a month -

And the third set, again, was virtually all Sabalenka.

She broke to open the final frame and broke again when Gauff sailed a backhand long on Sabalenka's first match point.

"What a month," said Sabalenka, who along with two prestigious titles acquired a new puppy and got engaged to boyfriend Georgios Frangulis.

Gauff was also feeling grateful after a rocky March that saw her withdraw from her third-round match at Indian Wells with a nerve issue that caused "scary" pain in her left arm.

She had said after a dominant semi-final win over Karolina Muchova that she was making progress with the inconsistencies in her serve and forehand, although seven double faults hurt her cause against Sabalenka.

And after considering skipping the event, the 22-year-old was thrilled to reach the final for the first time.

"I feel like I'm nowhere near my peak of my tennis, so I think it gives me comfort a little bit playing these tournaments and having great results," she said.

Sports

Man City Close in on WSL Title with 3-0 Derby Win

Vivianne Miedema celebrates her first goal as Manchester City dominate at Old Trafford. Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters
Vivianne Miedema celebrates her first goal as Manchester City dominate at Old Trafford. Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters
TT
TT

Man City Close in on WSL Title with 3-0 Derby Win

Vivianne Miedema celebrates her first goal as Manchester City dominate at Old Trafford. Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters
Vivianne Miedema celebrates her first goal as Manchester City dominate at Old Trafford. Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters

A quick-fire first-half double from Vivianne Miedema set Manchester City on course for a 3-0 WSL derby win over Manchester United at Old Trafford that left them on the cusp of winning the league title for the first time since 2016.

The leaders moved up to 49 points after 19 of 22 games with Manchester United second on 38 points. Chelsea, who have won the last six titles, are third on 37 points and Arsenal, who have three games in hand over City, are fourth on 35.

On a day when the weather swung from bright spring sunshine to dark clouds and driving rain, City started off at a frenetic pace and did not let up until they had the three points firmly in the bag, Reuters reported.

Lauren Hemp smacked a shot off the crossbar in the 16th minute and Miedema gave City the lead a minute later from the ensuing corner with a looping header that evaded the dive of Phallon Tullis-Joyce in the United goal.

Two minutes later Miedema scored again as City swept up the pitch with a brilliant passing move, Kerstin Casparij crossing for her unmarked Dutch compatriot to leap into the air and send a downward header bouncing into the net.

Casparij netted the third four minutes after the break, steaming in at the far post to convert after Hemp's cross flew just over the head of City striker Bunny Shaw.

Marc Skinner's United looked a step slow in everything they did, and did not manage an effort on target until late in the second half. It was far too late, though, as City cruised to victory to close in on their first title in 10 years.

In a day of derbies in the WSL, Liverpool held on for a 3-2 win at Everton in the early kickoff, and Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's late game.