Sports

UEFA today paired the teams to face each other in the round of 16 of this season's Champions League. The draws pitch: *Real Madrid vs. Manchester City*Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting CP*PSG vs. Chelsea*Newcastle vs. Barcelona*Galatasaray vs. Liverpool*Atlético Madrid vs. Tottenham Hotspur*Atalanta vs. Bayern Munich*Bayer Leverkusen vs. Arsenal Hostilities in the round of 16 kick off on Tuesday, 10 March and Wednesday, 11 March. Unseeded teams will host the first legs on those days. As a reward for sealing automatic qualification, the seeded teams in each tie will get home advantage in the return legs on Tuesday, 17 March and Wednesday, 18…

Super Eagles hotshot Victor Osimhen on Wednesday night scored in the 111th minute to put Turkish giants Galatasaray on the road to UEFA Champions League Round of 16 qualification, after hard-fighting 10-man Juventus had tied the game 5-5 on aggregate within 90 minutes in Turin. Heading for a major comeback, having lost the first leg woefully 2-5 in Turkey, a determined Juve were, however, seemingly pegged back by a straight red card to Lloyd Kelly in the 49th minute at a time the Italian side were just a goal to the good at home. Though the match eventually ended 3-2…

Bodø/Glimt dumped last season’s finalists Inter out of the Champions League on Tuesday night with a remarkable 2-1 away win at San Siro in their playoff second leg that sent the Norwegian minnows through to the last 16, 5-2 on aggregate. Under sustained pressure, the visitors struck in the 58th minute when Ole Didrik Blomberg seized on a loose pass on the edge of the Inter area and drove at goal. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer pushed his shot away but Jens Petter Hauge reacted quickest to convert the rebound from close range. Håkon Evjen put the result beyond doubt in the…

*Eberechi Eze Standout Gunner, Coach Gushes By Jonathan Wilson, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium "After what happened against Wolves it was tough but that’s the beauty of this game." Mikel Arteta said that he could not be “prouder or happier” after his Arsenal side restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with a 4-1 win against Tottenham yesterday that he suggested could be a “turning point” in their season. This was an emphatic response after squandering a 2-0 lead at Wolves on Wednesday, a result that means City will win the league if they win all…

*Again, Lookman Scores For Atletico Madrid Newcastle’s long losing run at the Etihad goes on – that’s now 17 on the bounce in yesterday's (Saturday) particular English Premier League (EPL) fixture – but they did themselves proud. They pushed Manchester City all the way, though it ended 2-1. This determined win will give Pep Guardiola’s side great heart as they attempt to chase down leaders Arsenal. It's now Arsenal, 58 points, Man City, 56 points, after 28 games each. Nico O'Reilly scored twice in the first half, the 20-year-old rewarding City for a dominant start at the Etihad Stadium with…

By Sam Tyav, Makurdi After four years, Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi has played its first home match in the Benue State capital, defeating Doma Utd 2-1 in the Nigeria National League ( NNL). During the match which was played at the McCarthy Stadium, Makurdi, the visiting team, which was topping Group C, scored in the 14th minute when their skipper Abdullahi Abubakar capitalized on a missed header by Lobi captain Kwambe Solomon to chip the ball past keeper Daniel Atsaka. Lobi Stars thereafter battled back and equalized before half time through Azeez Tijani. In the second half, Lobi, otherwise…

Arne Slot has responded to Wayne Rooney’s claim that the Liverpool head coach does not have the “aura” to manage the club by pointing to his Premier League title success last season. Rooney questioned Slot’s suitability for the job, telling The Overlap: “I have met him a few times. He was a nice fella but I just don’t think, for Liverpool, he’s got that aura about him. Maybe this is because you have just come off the back of Jürgen Klopp and it’s going to be difficult for anyone to have that, but I just don’t think there’s that aura…

A Strike Partner For Haaland? Finding opportunities to rest Erling Haaland has not always been easy for Pep Guardiola. A knock helped rule him out against League Two Salford City for what turned out to be a laborious 2-0 win, giving the Norwegian the chance of a free weekend. In the recent Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against tomorrow's (Saturday) opponents, Newcastle, Haaland started on the bench and watched as City made light work of a confused visiting defence. Guardiola knows how to cause damage against Eddie Howe’s side and reinstating Haaland to the lineup can only be an advantage…

By Ed Aarons *Draw With Bottom-Side Wolves *Saka, Arteta Speak It was left to Bukayo Saka to sum up the mood in Arsenal’s dressing room. “Very flat,” admitted the England forward after watching his side surrender a 2-0 lead at Wolves on Wednesday night. A couple of hours earlier, Saka’s first goal in 15 games in all competitions – his longest drought since breaking into the first team as a fresh-faced teenager in 2018 – looked to have set up an easy victory over the Premier League’s bottom side to restore Arsenal’s seven-point cushion over Manchester City. Made captain for…

By Sid Lowe, at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, and Ed Aarons, at the Gtech Community Stadium You must always have faith, Diego Simeone had said and so it was. A biblical storm blew through the Metropolitano on Thursday night, leaving Barcelona torn to pieces and Atlético Madrid closer to a first Copa del Rey final in 13 years than even he could ever have believed. Forty-five extraordinary minutes gave them a 4-0 lead to take to the second leg at Camp Nou in three weeks’ time. An own goal from Eric García and three more, from Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann…