Late Guirassy Goal Seals Win as Dortmund Cuts Bayern’s Bundesliga Lead to 3 Points

07 February 2026, Lower Saxony, Wolfsburg: Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund at Volkswagen Arena. (dpa)

17:20-7 February 2026 AD ـ 20 Sha’ban 1447 AH

Late Guirassy Goal Seals Win as Dortmund Cuts Bayern’s Bundesliga Lead to 3 Points

Serhou Guirassy scored late for Borussia Dortmund to cut Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga lead to three points on Saturday with a 2-1 win at Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg dominated the second half with Mohamed Amoura missing several good chances and Maximilian Arnold striking the crossbar.

Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier hit the underside of the bar with a deflected shot in the first half, when Julian Brandt opened the scoring with a header from Julian Ryerson’s corner in the 38th for the visitors.

Konstantinos Koulierakis replied in similar fashion after the break with a header from Arnold’s free kick, but Wolfsburg was to rue not taking its chances to score more.

Guirassy pounced for the winner in the 87th after good play between Fábio Silva and Felix Nmecha.

“That’s part of football,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovač said of his team’s scrappy win. “But then to decide it with one action is also a quality.”

Eighteen-year-old Italian defender Luca Reggiani went on late for Dortmund for his Bundesliga debut.

American winger Kevin Paredes made his first Wolfsburg start since April 25 after recovering from two operations on his right foot.

Bayern, which failed to win its last two games, can restore its six-point lead with a win over high-flying Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Borussia Mönchengladbach was hosting Bayer Leverkusen later.

Bremen loses on coach's debut

Werder Bremen’s coaching change did little to alter its fortunes as the team lost 1-0 in Freiburg on Daniel Thioune’s debut.

Jan-Niklas Beste let fly and found the top far corner in the 13th for Freiburg, which had Johan Manzambi sent off early in the second half for a foul on Bremen’s Olivier Deman.

Thioune’s team was unable to capitalize on the extra player and is now 11 league games without a win. Bremen faces a visit from Bayern next weekend.

Welcome win for St. Pauli

St. Pauli boosted its survival hopes with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Stuttgart.

The Hamburg-based team remained second-from-bottom, but it opened a four-point gap on bottom side Heidenheim, which lost 2-0 at home to Hamburger SV. Bremen's defeat means St. Pauli is just two points from the relegation playoff place.

Mainz keeps winning

Nadiem Amiri scored two penalties, one in each half, for Mainz to beat Augsburg 2-0 for its third straight win.

Amiri ripped off his distinctive carnival-inspired jersey as he celebrated the second one to seal the win. The thoughtful Lee Jae-sung picked it up so he could resume when the celebrations died down.

Mainz next visits Dortmund.

Iran Coach Criticizes US Travel Restrictions after Egypt Match

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group G - Egypt v Iran - Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington, US - June 26, 2026 Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Troy Wayrynen

Asharq Al Awsat

08:52-27 June 2026 AD ـ 12 Muharram 1448 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

08:52-27 June 2026 AD ـ 12 Muharram 1448 AH

Iran Coach Criticizes US Travel Restrictions after Egypt Match

Iran coach Amir ‌Ghalenoei criticized travel restrictions imposed on the team by the United States after their 1-1 draw with Egypt at the World Cup in Seattle on Friday.

Despite having to commute from Mexico to the US for their three group-stage fixtures, Iran came into the match with an outside chance of topping the group.

The US eased travel restrictions on the squad slightly for Friday's match, allowing them to arrive in the Seattle area two days early, Reuters reported.

"The host country treated us very unfairly," Ghalenoei ‌told reporters after ‌the match. "Had the host nation allowed us ‌to ⁠arrive two weeks ⁠earlier, to be more prepared ... we would have been in better shape, physically, mentally. However, they deprived us of that justice."

The restrictions come amid high tensions between Washington and Tehran following a nearly four-month war.

In March, US President Donald Trump said while Iran were welcome to participate in the tournament, he ⁠believed it was not appropriate that they ‌remain there between matches "for their own ‌life and safety."

Iran seemed to have secured an automatic spot in ‌the knockout stage when Shoja Khalilzadeh slammed a loose ball ‌into the net in stoppage time.

Iran fans in the stadium erupted in celebration but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

"I used to think that we were really a totally ‌oppressed team, but after these three games, I have noticed that we also have bad ⁠luck as ⁠well," he said.

"I urge FIFA: don't let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups."

After the match, Iran had to fly back to Tijuana, which delayed recovery, said Ghalenoei.

In Mexico, which is co-hosting the tournament with the US and Canada, the squad will wait to see if they advance to the knockout stage for the first time.

"The team came with a sacred objective, which was to train and play well," he said. "If God willing, we advance, I'll give them a day to have proper recovery, go to the beach maybe to mentally relax a bit."

Sports

Jordan Coach Sellami in Awe of Argentina Despite Possible Messi Absence

Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami responds to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2026, ahead of his team's World Cup Group J match against Argentina in Arlington, Texas. (AP)

08:05-27 June 2026 AD ـ 12 Muharram 1448 AH

Jordan Coach Sellami in Awe of Argentina Despite Possible Messi Absence

Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami responds to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2026, ahead of his team's World Cup Group J match against Argentina in Arlington, Texas. (AP)

Jordan coach Jamal Sellami is relishing the prospect of closing out his side's debut appearance at the World Cup against defending champions Argentina on Saturday, even if Lionel Messi is likely to start the game at Dallas Stadium on the bench.

The Jordanians lost both of their opening Group J games against Austria and Algeria and have no ‌chance of ‌advancing to the knockout rounds ‌despite ⁠having one match ⁠left to play.

"We have no idea what the Argentina coach will do with regards his initial line-up but, whoever the players are, the team is exceptional and every player deserves his place in this team," ⁠Sellami said.

"They all dream of winning ‌the World Cup, ‌so no matter who the player is he will ‌be carrying the dreams of the ‌Argentina team."

"Of course, if Messi is playing he's one of the best players in the world and if not, we will still be playing ‌against a very strong and solid team."

Captain Noor Al-Rawabdeh said ⁠he wanted ⁠to leave the world with a positive impression of Jordanian football and the nation as a whole.

"Being able to be here is a message that we would like to convey about the Jordanian people and about Jordanian culture, to show to the world who we are," he said.

"The Jordanians are people who have dreams and perseverance and we're happy that we have been able to reflect this image."

Sports

Senegal’s Quiet Man Sarr Becomes His Nation’s Leading World Cup Scorer

Ismaila Sarr #18 of Senegal applauds fans after being substituted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between Senegal and Iraq at Toronto Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Getty Images/AFP)

08:02-27 June 2026 AD ـ 12 Muharram 1448 AH

Senegal’s Quiet Man Sarr Becomes His Nation’s Leading World Cup Scorer

‌Ismaila Sarr's quiet dedication finally got its loudest moment on Friday, as the striker became Senegal's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup in a 5-0 pounding of Iraq and his teammates could not have been prouder.

Sarr's fourth World Cup goal, scored just before the hour mark, moved him past the late Papa Bouba ‌Diop as ‌his country's record marksman at ‌the ⁠tournament.

Those who share ⁠a dressing room with him say the milestone was richly deserved.

"He really, really deserves it," said midfielder Idrissa Gueye. "Yeah, he puts everything into what he does."

The 28-year-old Sarr had drawn level with Diop four ⁠days earlier with a brace ‌against Norway, which ‌made him the first Senegalese player to score ‌at two World Cups.

Defender Moussa Niakhate ‌offered a telling portrait of a man who lets his football do the talking.

"He's an inspiration," said Niakhate. "He's like someone who is really ‌shy, really quiet, but the most important thing is what you ⁠do ⁠on the pitch, and on the pitch he is not shy. He just shows what he can do, always gives his best for the country."

Goalkeeper Mory Diaw, deputizing for the injured Edouard Mendy, echoed the sentiment.

"He deserves it because he's a very good player," said Diaw. "Every day, he works a lot, so he deserves this goal, and I hope for more for him."

Late Guirassy Goal Seals Win as Dortmund Cuts Bayern’s Bundesliga Lead to 3 Points

Late Guirassy Goal Seals Win as Dortmund Cuts Bayern’s Bundesliga Lead to 3 Points

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Iran Coach Criticizes US Travel Restrictions after Egypt Match

Iran Coach Criticizes US Travel Restrictions after Egypt Match

Jordan Coach Sellami in Awe of Argentina Despite Possible Messi Absence

Jordan Coach Sellami in Awe of Argentina Despite Possible Messi Absence

Senegal’s Quiet Man Sarr Becomes His Nation’s Leading World Cup Scorer

Senegal’s Quiet Man Sarr Becomes His Nation’s Leading World Cup Scorer

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