Chelsea, Lyon and Roma Stay Perfect with Victories in Women's Champions League

Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)
Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)
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Chelsea, Lyon and Roma Stay Perfect with Victories in Women's Champions League

Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)
Roma's Evelyne Viens, right, fights for the ball with Galatasaray's Berna Yeniceri during the women's Champions League group A soccer match between Galatasaray and Roma at Ataturk Olympic stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Huseyin Yavuz/Dia Photo via AP)

Chelsea, Lyon and Roma all stayed perfect in the Women’s Champions League by cruising to away victories on Thursday.
Roma routed Galatasaray at Istanbul 6-1, Chelsea beat Twente in the Netherlands 3-1 and eight-time champion Lyon won 2-0 at Wolfsburg.
Real Madrid claimed its first victory of the campaign by easing past Celtic 4-0, The Associated Press reported.
Roma and Lyon both have six points in Group A. Two-time champion Wolfsburg and Galatasaray, the first Turkish team to reach the group stage, have no points.
In Group B, Chelsea leads with six points, with Madrid and Twente on three and Celtic last bottom without a point.
Wolfsburg striker Alexandra Popp made her 100th competition appearance — becoming only the second player to reach the mark but it was Lyon defender Wendie Renard, the only one who has played more, who stole the show.
Renard’s header found the back of the net early on in her 118th game in the competition.
US international Lindsey Horan netted from the penalty spot in the second half.
Lyon is the competition’s record eight-time champion but last won the trophy in 2022. It was runner-up last season to Barcelona.
In a matchup between the Italian and Turkish champions, Roma dominated in Istanbul.
Summer signing Hawa Cissoko scored in the seventh minute to mark her debut game in the competition. The France defender who transferred from West Ham headed home off Manuela Giugliano's corner.
Valentina Giacinti made it 2-0 in the 24th minute when she was left unmarked near the spot to head in Verena Hanshaw's cross.
Giugliano failed to convert from the spot in the first-half stoppage time but Emilie Haavi got Roma's third with a right-footed blast past goalkeeper Gamze Yaman early in the second.
Giugliano finally found the back of the net from close range for a 4-0 lead before Andrea Staskova scored the consolation goal for the hosts. Roma substitutes Marta Pandini and Alice Corelli also scored.
Blues win again under Bompastor Chelsea struck early in another winning performance under new coach Sonia Bompastor, who joined from Lyon.
Agnes Beever-Jones put the Blues ahead with a long-distance deflected strike in the seventh minute and Maika Hamano made it 2-0 a short time later by lifting the ball over goalkeeper Olivia Clark from outside the area.
Substitute Guro Reiten added the third in the second from the spot just past the hour mark.
On Saturday, Chelsea beat city rival Arsenal 2-1 in the Women’s Super League.
Real Madrid scored three second-half goals in 11 minutes against Celtic in Group B.
The Spanish team had lost to Chelsea 3-2 in the first round and drew with Atlético 1-1 in the Madrid derby over the weekend.
Caroline Weir fired a long-range left-footer from outside the box into the far top corner in the seventh minute.
The visitors kept if close until the 72nd minute, when Signe Bruun headed home the second goal followed eight minutes later by Caroline Moller's lob of goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty for a 3-0 lead. Linda Caicedo then converted from the penalty spot.
It's back-to-back losses for Scottish club Celtic, making its debut in the group stage. It has yet to score.



Salah ‘Deserves Big Send-Off’, Says Liverpool Boss Slot

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
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Salah ‘Deserves Big Send-Off’, Says Liverpool Boss Slot

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - April 25, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah applauds fans as he walks off the pitch after being substituted. (Reuters)

Arne Slot said Mohamed Salah "deserves a big send-off" as he confirmed he expected the departing superstar to return from injury before the end of the season.

The Egypt forward, who will leave Anfield at the end of the campaign, was forced off in last weekend's 3-1 win at home to Crystal Palace, prompting fears he may have played his final game for the Reds.

Salah applauded the fans and was given a standing ovation as he made his way off the pitch.

Liverpool confirmed on Wednesday that Salah, 33, had suffered a "minor muscle injury" and was expected to be able to return to action before the campaign comes to an end.

The club travel to face Manchester United on Sunday after three straight wins put them firmly on course for a place in next season's Champions League.

"We expect him to be back in the final part of the season, but not for Sunday," Liverpool boss Slot said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"It's a big relief that his injury is minor, so that he's able to play for us, that he's able to play at the World Cup.

"And if there's ever a player who deserves to get a big send-off, it's definitely Mo."

Salah has scored 257 goals in 440 appearances since his arrival at Anfield in 2017, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in Liverpool's list of leading goalscorers.

He had a public spat with Slot in December, declaring he had "no relationship" with the Dutchman after being dropped for three consecutive games.

But the Liverpool manager later said he had "no issue to resolve" with the forward returning to the fold.

Liverpool, whose Premier League title defense collapsed dramatically from late September, have four games remaining, starting with their trip to face United.


Japanese Trailblazer Nishikori to Retire at End of Season

Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)
Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)
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Japanese Trailblazer Nishikori to Retire at End of Season

Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)
Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after defeating Thiago Monteiro of Brazil during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)

Kei Nishikori will hang ‌up his racquet at the end of the 2026 season, the 36-year-old said on Friday, bringing down the curtain on a professional career that saw him break new ground for Japanese tennis.

Nishikori became the first Japanese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the 2014 US Open and was the second Asian man after Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan to make it into the top 10.

He ‌reached a career-high ‌ranking of number four in ‌2015 ⁠and won 12 ⁠titles on the ATP Tour, but has been plagued by injuries for years and has fallen to 464 in the world rankings.

The last time he was ranked in the top 10 was in October 2019 and last month he admitted he ⁠was "barely hanging on" in terms of physical ‌fitness.

"Reaching the ATP Tour, ‌playing at the highest level of competition and maintaining ‌a presence in the top 10 is something ‌I am extremely proud of," Nishikori wrote in a post on social media.

"Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable ... ‌To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even ⁠so, looking ⁠back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all.

"I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end."

Nishikori's most recent appearance in a tour-level event came at last year’s Cincinnati Open, though he has played in five Challenger events this year.

He also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, defeating Spain's Rafael Nadal in three sets.


Villa Coach Emery Hits Out at VAR after Europa League Loss to Forest

30 April 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts after the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa at the City Ground. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa
30 April 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts after the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa at the City Ground. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa
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Villa Coach Emery Hits Out at VAR after Europa League Loss to Forest

30 April 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts after the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa at the City Ground. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa
30 April 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts after the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa at the City Ground. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was scathing in his criticism of the Video Assistant Referee's (VAR) decisions in the Europa League first-leg tie against Nottingham Forest, taking issue with a tackle by Eliot Anderson.

Anderson made a sliding tackle on Ollie Watkins in which he won the ball but caught the English forward's ankle with his studs, with VAR reviewing the incident briefly before clearing it.

"It's a clear red card - ⁠I don't understand ⁠why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear," Emery said after Thursday's match, which Forest won 1-0 courtesy of a Chris Wood penalty in the 71st minute.

"And it's very, very ⁠important. It's a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible. The referee - fantastic, fantastic job, 10 out of 10. I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.

"But I watched it back - wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. Wow, VAR - where are you?

Please. It is your responsibility, we are professionals. You are doing very bad work ⁠because it ⁠was so clear for everybody. He could break his ankle."

Despite the severity of the challenge Watkins played the full 90 minutes, a boost for Villa's Champions League hopes for next season as this season comes to a close, Reuters reported.

Watkins is Villa's top goalscorer this season, netting 15 goals so far in all competitions.

Villa, currently fifth in the Premier League table, face relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.