Sports
Mateta Set to Make FA Cup Return for Palace Following Severe Injury
Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta is poised to return to action in the FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham this Saturday, having recovered from a serious ear injury sustained in the previous round.
The 27-year-old French striker has been sidelined since his last match, during which he required 25 stitches to his left ear after a collision with Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts in the FA Cup fifth round on March 1. The incident, in which Roberts struck Mateta as he charged out for the ball, resulted in the goalkeeper receiving a six-game suspension.
During this hiatus, which included a two-week international break, Mateta has been working on his fitness. Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed on Friday that Mateta, who has netted 15 goals across all competitions this season, is now ready to return to the pitch at Craven Cottage.
“He has been training with us for two weeks now,” said Glasner, emphasizing that Mateta has been practicing with protective gear. “We had an internal match during the international break where he played for 60 minutes without any issues. He’s prepared for the game.”
Mateta will don a protective mask for the match against Fulham. Glasner humorously suggested, “I told him he might as well try water polo given his height. It may look a bit unusual, but he feels comfortable in it. If he scores a header tomorrow, then we’ll know it was the right decision regarding his protection.”
The incident has drawn strong reactions, with Palace chairman Steve Parish labeling it the “most reckless challenge” he has ever witnessed. However, Mateta took a more forgiving stance, describing the play as a result of “too much emotion” during the game. He shared, “Liam reached out to me while I was in the hospital, and I reassured him that it was alright; it’s part of football. He was concerned and apologized.”
— AFP
An all-English Europa League final is looming after Manchester United defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 and Tottenham Hotspur prevailed 3-1 against Bodø/Glimt on Thursday.
Casemiro’s header and Bruno Fernandes’ brace led United to a dominant victory in Spain, leaving them in a comfortable position for the semi-final return leg next Thursday at their Old Trafford stadium.
Bilbao were down to 10 men in the 35th minute as Dani Vivian was sent off for pulling back Rasmus Hojlund in the box.
The foul resulted in a penalty converted by Fernandes for his first goal.
Tottenham also didn’t have trouble to take the home win against Bodø/Glimt.
First-half goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison secured them a 2-0 lead and Dominic Solanke added a third from the spot after the break.
Ulrik Saltnes’ late goal, however, will keep Bodø/Glimt’s hopes of a comeback alive for the second leg at home.
United have won the Europa League once, in 2017, while Tottenham have won the trophy twice when the competition was known as UEFA Cup.(NAN)
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their campaign at the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on a flying note with a 1–0 victory over Tunisia in their opening Group B match on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tightly contested fixture took place at the 30,000-capacity 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
A decisive first-half strike from Auwal Ibrahim of Akwa Ibom FC proved the difference, as the Flying Eagles held firm against a determined Tunisian side.
Ibrahim found the net in the 38th minute, calmly finishing from close range after a precise assist from Odinaka Okoro.
Nigeria dominated the early exchanges and created multiple chances, but the Tunisian defence remained resolute.
Tunisia came close to equalising late in the game, with Omar Ali and Anis Doubal threatening the Nigerian goal.
Their best opportunity came in the 87th minute, but Doubal’s effort was comfortably saved.
Midfielders Divine Oliseh and Clinton Jephta played a pivotal role in maintaining Nigeria’s control for much of the match.
However, the second half was scrappier, with both sides committing frequent fouls.
Six yellow cards were issued evenly between the teams, underlining the physical and competitive nature of the contest.
Tunisia, semi-finalists in both the 2021 and 2023 editions, pushed forward in the closing stages with a series of corners and long-range efforts, but were unable to breach the solid Nigerian defence, anchored by Daniel Bameyi and Adamu Maigari.
The victory earns Nigeria three crucial points in Group B, which also features Morocco and Kenya.
The Flying Eagles, seven-time champions and the most successful team in U-20 AFCON history, have now avoided defeat in eight of their last 10 tournament openers.
Nigeria will face Morocco in their next group match on Sunday at 7 p.m., while Tunisia will look to bounce back against Kenya on the same day.
The Flying Eagles will wrap up their group stage campaign against Kenya on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
NAN reports that the top four teams from the tournament will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for Sept. 27 to Oct. 19. (NAN)
Barcelona and Inter Milan shared a compelling 3-3 draw in a high-octane Champions League semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday.
The Italian side raced into a two-goal lead with superb strikes from Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, before the unstoppable Lamine Yamal pulled Barca back into it with a sublime solo effort.
Ferran Torres levelled for the five-time champions and although Inter nosed ahead through Dumfries again, a Yann Sommer own goal left the tie on a knife-edge at the halfway stage.
Inter were desperately hoping Thuram would be fit to play after a thigh injury and he showed precisely why, scoring the fastest ever Champions League semi-final goal after 30 seconds.
Barcelona’s Copa del Rey final winning goalscorer Jules Kounde hacked a poor clearance to the edge of the box, and Inter capitalised.
Dutch wide man Dumfries aimed a low cross towards Thuram and Inigo Martinez slipped at just the wrong time, allowing the France striker room to finish with an impudent back-heel flick.
Quadruple-chasing Barcelona seized control and pushed forward, roared on by a nervous 50,000 strong Olympic stadium crowd.
Yamal, on his 100th Barcelona appearance, appealed for a penalty after he was shoved by Alessandro Bastoni and then set up Torres, who fired wide.
The Spaniard, standing in for Barca’s injured top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, lashed a volley narrowly off target.
Against the run of play Inter, whose treble hopes crumbled after three consecutive domestic defeats prior, scored their second, with another fine finish.
Francesco Acerbi nodded on a corner and Dumfries reached the dropping ball first to score with a stunning acrobatic effort.
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Barcelona teams over the past few years may have crumbled but Hansi Flick’s youthful side are not burdened by the series of European failures since they last won the competition in 2015.
Least of all teenage wizard Yamal, who pulled Barcelona back into the game just three minutes later with a wonderful individual goal that made him the youngest player ever to score in the semis.
On the eve of the game the Spaniard rejected comparisons to all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, but his goal was straight from the Argentine’s playbook.
Yamal shook off Thuram, floated inside from the right flank and past Henrikh Mkhitaryan into the box, drawing defenders towards him but before they could stop him, stroked an inch-perfect shot in off the left post.
Minutes later Yamal nearly repeated the trick. This time he darted outside, pausing to let Federico Dimarco lunge past him and off the pitch.
From a tight angle the youngster flashed a shot that Sommer tipped onto the crossbar.
– Breathless battle –
High on confidence Yamal set up further chances for Torres and Dani Olmo that went begging, before Barca pulled level.
Pedri hooked a ball into the area for Raphinha to head across goal and Torres to convert from close range after 38 breathless minutes.
Kounde limped off before half-time in a blow for Barca, who also replaced the inexperienced Gerard Martin with Ronald Araujo at the break.
Dimarco hammered over early in the second half before Simone Inzaghi hooked him, after a torrid night up against the relentless Yamal.
Inter took the sting out of the game early in the second half and then sucker-punched Barca, scoring from another corner, with Dumfries’ header bouncing in off Olmo.
Barcelona equalised within two minutes, with Yamal stepping over a corner on the edge of the box, allowing it to run to Raphinha.
The Brazilian’s rasping effort smashed against the crossbar and then in, off the back of the unfortunate diving Sommer’s head.
Pau Cubarsi made a vital recovery tackle to stop Thuram after he got in behind Barcelona’s high line, and Mkhitaryan had a goal ruled out for an extremely tight offside.
Yamal looped a second strike onto the crossbar late on but the sides could not be separated.
The second leg takes place in Milan next Tuesday, with the winner to face Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal on May 31 in the Munich final.