Sports

City’s Fernandinho vows no let-up against Real Madrid

AFP

Fernandinho says Manchester City will aim to “hurt” Real Madrid in their own backyard after winning the thrilling first leg of their Champions League semi-final 4-3.

City held a two-goal lead three times at the Etihad, but Real, having come from behind in the previous rounds against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, responded yet again.

Pep Guardiola’s men rued letting the 13-time European champions off the hook by missing a succession of chances but captain Fernandinho sees no reason for a change of approach.

“We are going to go there to try to win the game,” said the 36-year-old. “We will try to play as we are playing so far.

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“We will try to keep the ball as much as we can, try to create chances, try to hurt them as much as we can and obviously be a bit smarter, defend better and not concede any chances over there.

“They are a dangerous team. They have top players and in the meantime they can create chances and score goals, so you have to be careful all the time.”

The Brazil international, who came off the bench to play at right-back for the injured John Stones in the first half, said City were disappointed to concede three goals but the win would give them confidence for the return fixture at the Bernabeu on May 4.

While Real can clinch the La Liga crown with four matches to spare against Espanyol this weekend, City now turn back to their tight Premier League title duel with Liverpool, travelling to Leeds on Saturday.

Fernandinho said: “It is the same as always — when we win we celebrate and then focus on the next game in the Premier League. Then Sunday we’ll be back thinking about Madrid again.”

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Sports

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha lead Barça to a 4-1 aggregate victory over Benfica

Young talent Lamine Yamal and Brazilian forward Raphinha secured Barcelona’s spot in the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Benfica (4-1 on aggregate) on Tuesday at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc.

Raphinha (11’) opened the scoring for Barça after a brilliant assist from Yamal. However, Benfica’s Nicolás Otamendi (13’) quickly leveled the match with a header from a corner kick. Yamal restored the lead (27’) with a stunning goal, and Raphinha sealed the victory (42’) just before halftime.

Determined to avoid any surprises, Barcelona started aggressively, with early attempts from Yamal and Lewandowskisignaling their intent to dominate. All goals came in the first half, securing a convincing win and a place in the next round.

Sports

Manchester United knocked out of FA Cup after penalty shootout loss to Fulham

Another disappointment for Manchester United: the defending FA Cup champions were eliminated in this edition’s round of 16, losing in a penalty shootout (4-3 after a 1-1 draw) to Fulham on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Swede Victor Lindelof and Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee were the ‘Red Devils’ who missed their shots against goalkeeper Bernd Leno, sending the ‘Cottagers’ to the penultimate round of the oldest football competition.

The elimination is a heavy blow for a United team that is currently struggling in the Premier League, where they sit in a lowly 14th place.

Now, the Europa League, where they will face Real Sociedad in the first leg of the round of 16 next week, appears to be their only chance to lift a trophy this season. Last year, the FA Cup, in which United triumphed in the final against their neighbors Manchester City, was the competition that saved their campaign. The previous season, they had reached the final, finishing as runners-up.

Sports

The prince is back: Neymar’s homecoming to Santos draws thousands of fans

Neymar was greeted by thousands of fans at his childhood club, Santos, on Friday, with a concert at the local stadium and a sign that read, “The Prince is Back.”

The Brazilian star’s private jet landed in São Paulo from Saudi Arabia in the morning, but Neymar requested a few hours of rest before being flown to Santos by helicopter.

The 32-year-old forward is expected to sign a short-term contract with Santos as he aims to regain his standing in Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Posters saying “The Prince is Back” were being sold for 10 reais (about $1.50) around the 20,000-seat Vila Belmiro Stadium, located on the outskirts of São Paulo.