The enormity of Chelsea’s task in their European semi-final second leg can be summed up in a few ominous statistics. For starters, their opponents, Barcelona, have never lost a two-leg Women’s Champions League tie after securing a first-leg victory. They have won 17 consecutive two-leg ties in the tournament and, this time, the eight-time semi-finalists … Read more
In the searing heat of the Spanish capital, the warmest day of this year’s Madrid Open so far, Marta Kostyuk stepped onto the clay courts of the Caja Mágica determined to make a statement against her most prominent contemporary. By the end of a tense, difficult tussle, it had duly been delivered. Kostyuk, the 24th … Read more
Ben Shalom and Eddie Hearn usually do not like each other but on Thursday evening, at the final press conference for the troubling bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, the promoters were almost breathless in their audacity and unity as they hailed a gift from the boxing heavens. Shalom, Eubank Jr’s promoter, lauded … Read more
Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1, soared to a new landmark in chess history last weekend, when the 34-year-old won all his nine games in the Grenke Freestyle Open at Karlsruhe, Germany. It was a result comparable to the great historical performances. Bobby Fischer won the 1963-64 US Championship with an 11/11 “picket fence”, then defeated … Read more
FA Cup semi-finals (stats from all competitions) CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA Saturday 5.15pm BBC One Venue Wembley Referee Anthony Taylor This season G41 Y137 R9 3.56 cards/game Crystal Palace v Aston Villa: probable starters, contenders in italics Crystal Palace Subs from Matthews, Umeh, Ward, Clyne, Chilwell, França, Devenny, Esse, Lerma, Nketiah, Kporha, Kamada Doubtful … Read more
Saturday 8am (all times BST)Weekend previews With Liverpool poised to clinch the Premier League title on Sunday, Jonathan Liew looks at how Mohamed Salah helped them recapture the crown. Sid Lowe sets up a clásico Copa del Rey final, while Andy Martin has all your need to know about Sunday’s London Marathon. And Barney Ronay’s … Read more
Pep Guardiola has pointed to how the “stupid detail” of Manchester City’s underwhelming body language when celebrating goals shows the spirit has been lost and has to be recovered if they are to challenge for the title next season. The champions have endured a disappointing Premier League campaign and are third on 61 points, 17 … Read more
Ange Postecoglou looks a little frazzled these days but may find some comfort in watching one of his old clubs play on Saturday evening (Sunday 5.30 AEST) and contemplating his Japanese legacy. Yokohama F.Marinos meet Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in an Asian Champions League Elite quarter-final with Patrick Kisnorbo is in charge. The 44-year-old is the … Read more
The Mansfield Town forward Lucas Akins has been jailed for 14 months after causing the death of a cyclist he hit as he pulled out from a junction. Leeds crown court heard how Adrian Daniel, 33, died 10 days after he was hit by Akins, who was driving his seven-year-old daughter to a piano lesson … Read more
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, the referee for Saturday’s Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona, was brought to tears on Friday, responding to a critical video published by Real’s in-house TV channel (RMTV). The video, released on Thursday, shows what RMTV claims is a series of errors made by De Burgos throughout his … Read more