Sports

Atletico Madrid tore Barcelona apart with four first-half goals to secure a 4-0 victory on Thursday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, leaving the holders staring at a near impossible task in the return match. Diego Simeone’s side needed only 45 minutes at home to seize control of the tie, capitalising on a calamitous early error ...

Tottenham Hotspur’s French winger Wilson Odobert has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear, the Premier League club said on Thursday, after the 21-year-old was forced off during Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at home to Newcastle United. Spurs, who sacked manager Thomas Frank on Wednesday amid an eight-game run without a league win, said Odobert will have surgery. British media reported that ...

Virgil van Dijk lifted Liverpool back into the race to qualify for the Champions League as the defender sealed a 1-0 win at Sunderland on Wednesday. Sixth-placed Liverpool’s second win in their last eight league games moved them within two points of fifth-placed Chelsea and three behind fourth-placed Manchester United. Draws for United and Chelsea on Tuesday opened the door ...

New coach, same problem for Chelsea. Liam Rosenior looked on course to oversee Chelsea’s fifth straight Premier League win since his arrival before a depleted Leeds United battled from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The failure to hold on to all three points means Chelsea have now dropped 17 from winning positions this season, 15 ...

Newcastle United plunged Thomas Frank’s future as Tottenham Hotspur boss into serious peril by winning 2-1 in north London on Tuesday to inflict another damaging home defeat on the Dane. Jacob Ramsey’s winner secured just a third away league win of the season for the Magpies to ease the pressure that had been rising on their boss Eddie Howe. Spurs ...

Craig Goodwin’s hopes of playing for Australia at another World Cup have suffered a blow after the 34-year-old winger suffered a groin strain that is expected to sideline him for up to 12 weeks. The rehabilitation period would likely see Goodwin miss Australia’s home friendlies against Cameroon in late March and Curacao in early April. Having been out of favour ...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will face no punitive measures for its decision to boycott the ongoing T20 World Cup. In a surprising gesture of reconciliation, the global governing body also revealed that Bangladesh will be awarded the hosting rights for a global tournament prior to the 2031 ODI World Cup. The decision ...

A pack of robot dogs will help Mexican police tackle crime during the 2026 World Cup this summer, authorities said Monday. The four-legged robots are designed to enter dangerous areas and broadcast live video back to security forces, who can watch before taking action during the football tournament. The global spectacle, which will take place from June 11 to July ...

BCB on Monday thanked PCB for backing it during a standoff with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over its participation in the Men’s T20 World Cup, as pressure mounted to resolve a dispute that has left the team sidelined from the tournament schedule. In a statement issued in Dhaka, the BCB praised the PCB and its chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi ...

Kylian Mbappe scored his 23rd goal of the season in La Liga to help Real Madrid claim a battling 2-0 win at Valencia on Sunday and close the gap to leaders Barcelona to one point. Third-place Atletico Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, three days after thrashing the Andalusian side in the Copa del Rey, ...