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Real’s Karim Benzema scored a later winner to complete a comeback against Sevilla yesterday (18) in Spain[/caption]
Compiled by Ranjika Perera
Chelsea set up a second Wembley meeting with Liverpool this season on 14 May as they overcame Crystal Palace’s stubborn resistance, beating Palace 2-0 at Wembley, England on Sunday (17), to reach the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) final.
Liverpool won the Carabao Cup final on penalties in February but Chelsea will have the chance for revenge as second-half goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount on Sunday underlined their supremacy.
Unlike the first semifinal between Liverpool and Manchester City, chances were at a premium until substitute Loftus-Cheek, on for the injured Mateo Kovacic, broke the deadlock with a deflected shot after 65 minutes. Palace had their opportunities, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saving well from Cheikhou Kouyate in the first half, but they could not come back after Mount slipped a low finish beyond Jack Butland with 14 minutes left.
Chelsea have deservedly reached their third successive FA Cup final and will now hope to reverse recent history after losing the previous two to Arsenal and Leicester City. Manager Thomas Tuchel has a remarkable record in reaching domestic and European finals since his appointment and Chelsea will be formidable opponents for Liverpool, who are in search of a historic quadruple.
LaLiga: Late winner from Benzema keeps Real on track for title
Karim Benzema scored a late winner as Real Madrid fought back from two goals down to beat Sevilla 3-2 and close in on the La Liga title at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain yesterday (18).
The hosts stunned Real in the first half through Ivan Rakitic’s free-kick and Erik Lamela’s close-range strike. The visitors pulled one back early in the second half through Rodrygo Silva de Goes before substitute Nacho drove in an equaliser late on. Benzema then completed the remarkable turnaround in stoppage time.
The striker squeezed a shot past Yassine Bounou, aka Bono, from a cut-back to make sure the visitors took a huge win that moves them 15 points clear at the top of the table with six games remaining. The goal continued Benzema’s excellent form this season and added to his recent match-winning heroics. The France international scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final before his goal in the second leg last week sealed an aggregate 5-4 win.
Sevilla, who would have gone second with a win and cut the gap at the top to nine points, remain third, level on 60 points with second-placed Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in fourth. Barcelona have two games in hand on Real but it would still take an incredible collapse from Carlo Ancelotti’s side to be caught in the closing stages.
Ligue 1: PSG eye record 10th French title
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) remain on course for a record-equalling 10th French title after hanging on for a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Marseille yesterday at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. Neymar’s early opener for PSG was cancelled out as Duje Caleta-Car bundled the ball in from a corner. And Kylian Mbappe’s penalty in first-half stoppage time proved enough to give the hosts a third straight win.
PSG are now 15 points clear of second-placed Marseille with six games left and can clinch the title next weekend. Neymar produced an acrobatic finish to hook the ball in from Marco Verratti’s chipped ball into the Marseille box to score his 11th goal of the season for PSG – and sixth in three games. Their penalty was awarded for handball after the referee viewed the pitch-side monitor.
Lionel Messi and Mbappe each had a goal disallowed by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for offside. And Marseille then had a late equaliser chalked off by VAR for a marginal offside decision against William Saliba after the on-loan Arsenal defender turned in a free-kick by former West Ham forward Dmitri Payet.
Real’s Karim Benzema scored a later winner to complete a comeback against Sevilla yesterday (18) in Spain[/caption]
Compiled by Ranjika Perera
Chelsea set up a second Wembley meeting with Liverpool this season on 14 May as they overcame Crystal Palace’s stubborn resistance, beating Palace 2-0 at Wembley, England on Sunday (17), to reach the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) final.
Liverpool won the Carabao Cup final on penalties in February but Chelsea will have the chance for revenge as second-half goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount on Sunday underlined their supremacy.
Unlike the first semifinal between Liverpool and Manchester City, chances were at a premium until substitute Loftus-Cheek, on for the injured Mateo Kovacic, broke the deadlock with a deflected shot after 65 minutes. Palace had their opportunities, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saving well from Cheikhou Kouyate in the first half, but they could not come back after Mount slipped a low finish beyond Jack Butland with 14 minutes left.
Chelsea have deservedly reached their third successive FA Cup final and will now hope to reverse recent history after losing the previous two to Arsenal and Leicester City. Manager Thomas Tuchel has a remarkable record in reaching domestic and European finals since his appointment and Chelsea will be formidable opponents for Liverpool, who are in search of a historic quadruple.
LaLiga: Late winner from Benzema keeps Real on track for title
Karim Benzema scored a late winner as Real Madrid fought back from two goals down to beat Sevilla 3-2 and close in on the La Liga title at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain yesterday (18).
The hosts stunned Real in the first half through Ivan Rakitic’s free-kick and Erik Lamela’s close-range strike. The visitors pulled one back early in the second half through Rodrygo Silva de Goes before substitute Nacho drove in an equaliser late on. Benzema then completed the remarkable turnaround in stoppage time.
The striker squeezed a shot past Yassine Bounou, aka Bono, from a cut-back to make sure the visitors took a huge win that moves them 15 points clear at the top of the table with six games remaining. The goal continued Benzema’s excellent form this season and added to his recent match-winning heroics. The France international scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final before his goal in the second leg last week sealed an aggregate 5-4 win.
Sevilla, who would have gone second with a win and cut the gap at the top to nine points, remain third, level on 60 points with second-placed Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in fourth. Barcelona have two games in hand on Real but it would still take an incredible collapse from Carlo Ancelotti’s side to be caught in the closing stages.
Ligue 1: PSG eye record 10th French title
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) remain on course for a record-equalling 10th French title after hanging on for a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Marseille yesterday at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. Neymar’s early opener for PSG was cancelled out as Duje Caleta-Car bundled the ball in from a corner. And Kylian Mbappe’s penalty in first-half stoppage time proved enough to give the hosts a third straight win.
PSG are now 15 points clear of second-placed Marseille with six games left and can clinch the title next weekend. Neymar produced an acrobatic finish to hook the ball in from Marco Verratti’s chipped ball into the Marseille box to score his 11th goal of the season for PSG – and sixth in three games. Their penalty was awarded for handball after the referee viewed the pitch-side monitor.
Lionel Messi and Mbappe each had a goal disallowed by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for offside. And Marseille then had a late equaliser chalked off by VAR for a marginal offside decision against William Saliba after the on-loan Arsenal defender turned in a free-kick by former West Ham forward Dmitri Payet.