Arsenal, Man City and Bayern Advance to Women's Champions League Quarterfinals

Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024.  EPA/NEIL HALL
Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL
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Arsenal, Man City and Bayern Advance to Women's Champions League Quarterfinals

Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024.  EPA/NEIL HALL
Arsenal celebrate after scoring the 1-0 goal during the UEFA Women's Champions League soccer match between Arsenal Women and Juventus Women at the Emirates Stadium in London, Britain, 21 November 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL

Arsenal, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all advanced to the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals with with two games to spare on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Late substitute Lina Hurtig scored the winner in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Juventus in London.
Khadija Shaw scored twice for City in a 2-1 win at Swedish club Hammarby. City stayed perfect in Group D with four victories and reached the last eight for the first time since 2021.
Bayern Munich was held 1-1 at Vålerenga in Norway and still earned a quarterfinal berth after Juventus' loss.
Arsenal, Bayern and City join Chelsea, Lyon and Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.
Two-time defending champion Barcelona routed Austrian champion St. Pölten 4-1. The Catalan club trails City by three points in their group and is in a strong position to advance.
Bayern tops Group C with 10 points, Arsenal has nine followed by Juventus (3) and Vålerenga (1).
Back to winning Man City responded to its first loss of the season, 2-0 at Chelsea in the Women's Super League on Saturday.
Still without injured star Vivianne Miedema, Shaw took charge, proving her scoring instincts after half an hour.
The forward scored from inside the penalty area with a deflected shot that flew over goalkeeper Anna Tamminen to frustrate more than 20,000 noisy fans at the Stockholm Arena in the Swedish capital.
Ellen Wangerheim equalized soon after the interval from close range to rejuvenate the crowd but Shaw struck again to restore the lead just minutes later.
This time, she delivered a powerful right-footed finish from the edge of the area.
Bayern and Harder contained Bayern dominated possession but could not translate it into goals until the 75th minute. It had to rely on substitute Jovana Damnjanović, who gave the visitors a late lead after connecting on a pass from Giulia Gwinn.
The Norwegians, who have retained their domestic title, equalized in the 88th on Elise Thorsnes' header following a corner.
Pernille Harder, who found the back of the net five times for Bayern in the previous three games, could not do it again on Thursday and was substituted.
Hurtig's night Hurtig came on with 10 minutes remaining and made her presence immediately felt with several headers.
She finally made the breakthrough with a minute remaining in regulation, tapping in from close range after Juventus’ poor clearance of a low cross by Stina Blackstenius.
Hurtig won the Italian title with Juventus in 2021 and 2022 before joining the Gunners.
Juventus seemed to learn a lesson from its 4-0 loss to Arsenal last week as its defense held firm till Hurtig’s arrival.
Putellas scores her 200th Barcelona goal In an 11-minute span in the first half, Francisca Nazareth netted twice and 18-year-old Vicky Lopez scored once to put Barcelona in control.
Nazareth's double was followed by Lopez hitting the third with a shot high into the net for her first Champions League goal.
Alexia Putellas made it 4-0 in the second half, finishing a fast attack that tore apart the defense in Vienna. It was her 200th goal for Barcelona and the 100th the club scored in the Champions League’s group stage.
Valentina Mädl, an 18-year-old forward, netted a consolation goal for the hosts.
Barcelona has scored 20 goals in its past three games and can still become the first club to win its group in all four years since the introduction of the format.



‘Heartbroken’ Xavi Simons Out of World Cup and Spurs Relegation Fight

25 April 2026, United Kingdom, Wolverhampton: Tottenham Hotspur's Xavi Simons is stretchered off injured during the English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Molineux stadium. (Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa)
25 April 2026, United Kingdom, Wolverhampton: Tottenham Hotspur's Xavi Simons is stretchered off injured during the English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Molineux stadium. (Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa)
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‘Heartbroken’ Xavi Simons Out of World Cup and Spurs Relegation Fight

25 April 2026, United Kingdom, Wolverhampton: Tottenham Hotspur's Xavi Simons is stretchered off injured during the English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Molineux stadium. (Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa)
25 April 2026, United Kingdom, Wolverhampton: Tottenham Hotspur's Xavi Simons is stretchered off injured during the English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at the Molineux stadium. (Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa)

Xavi Simons is out of Tottenham's Premier League relegation fight and this summer's World Cup with a knee injury, the Dutch star said, describing himself as "heartbroken".

The 23-year-old midfielder was left clutching his right knee and was stretchered off in distress in Tottenham's crucial 1-0 win at already relegated Wolves on Saturday.

In an emotional post on social media late Sunday, Simons said his season was over, with reports suggesting he may have sustained a serious ACL injury that could keep him out for several months.

"They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way," Simons, who has played 34 times for his country, wrote on Instagram.

"My season has come to an abrupt end and I'm just trying to process it.

"Honestly, I'm heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

"All I've wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me, along with the World Cup.

"Representing my country this summer, just gone."

Simons' injury is a major blow to new Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi, whose side are two points from Premier League safety with four matches remaining.

He would also have played a key part for the Netherlands at the World Cup in North America starting on June 11.


Rybakina Hits Out at Line‑Calling System After Madrid Row

 Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during her round of 32 match against China's Qinwen Zheng. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during her round of 32 match against China's Qinwen Zheng. (Reuters)
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Rybakina Hits Out at Line‑Calling System After Madrid Row

 Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during her round of 32 match against China's Qinwen Zheng. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 26, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in action during her round of 32 match against China's Qinwen Zheng. (Reuters)

Elena Rybakina said ‌she has lost faith in the electronic line-calling system after the Australian Open champion was left fuming over a disputed call during her three-set victory over Zheng Qinwen at the Madrid Open on Sunday.

The flashpoint came when China's Zheng was awarded an ace for 40-0 while serving ‌at 4-3 ‌in the second set, despite ‌the ⁠mark appearing well ⁠out.

“Well with this thing, I won’t trust it at all,” Rybakina told reporters after her 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory sealed a spot in the last 16.

“Because there was no ⁠mark even close to what ‌the TV ‌showed."

The two-time Grand Slam winner compared the incident ‌to Alexander Zverev’s clash with ‌officials at the men's tournament in Madrid last year, when the German was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after taking a ‌photo of a contested mark.

"It was, I think, similar to ⁠what ⁠Zverev had last year because it was in front of her nose. You can’t not see it. It was pretty frustrating," Rybakina said.

"It’s kind of a stolen point. I understand it was her serve and she was serving really well, but it’s really frustrating.”

Rybakina next faces Anastasia Potapova for a spot in the quarter-finals.


Gauff Battles Through Illness to Reach Madrid Open Last 16

Coco Gauff of the US returns the ball to Sorana Cirstea of Romania during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Coco Gauff of the US returns the ball to Sorana Cirstea of Romania during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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Gauff Battles Through Illness to Reach Madrid Open Last 16

Coco Gauff of the US returns the ball to Sorana Cirstea of Romania during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Coco Gauff of the US returns the ball to Sorana Cirstea of Romania during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Sunday, April 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

World number three Coco Gauff fought off more than just her opponent at the Madrid Open on Sunday, overcoming illness and vomiting to beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6 7-5 6-1 and advance to the last 16.

Gauff rallied from a set down despite battling what appears to be a bug affecting several players at the tournament, with the American admitting she was "trying not to throw up on the court" during the match.

Gauff did end up throwing up on court midway through the second set, which she described as 'embarrassing', before the 22-year-old recovered from a break down in the second set and then dominated the ⁠decider, Reuters reported.

"Honestly, I was ⁠just trying to finish the match and one point turned into another," said Gauff, who finished runner-up in Madrid and Rome last year before winning the French Open.

"I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. So I'm just going to try to push through for tomorrow."

On Saturday, ⁠six-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek retired from her match against American Ann Li due to illness, saying she had a virus that had left her with "zero energy".

Gauff, however, managed to battle on and take control as the match continued but the American barely had the energy to celebrate her victory as she hunched over her racquet after securing progress.

"It was a weird feeling today. I don't know how I got through it," Gauff added.

"I'm not someone who likes to pull out so I didn't want ⁠to pull ⁠out again today. I'm glad that I was able to get through it."

Medical intervention proved crucial in Gauff's comeback, with the third seed feeling significantly better by the final set.

"I did start to feel better (in the final set), not feeling like I had to throw up. They gave me some pills so that definitely helped, but I was really tired," she said.

"I could play while being tired. The first part was literally just trying to keep whatever I ate down and once they gave me something to help with that, then I was just nauseous and tired. But I can deal with that."