PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest

PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the French L1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on Nov. 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 23 November 2024
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PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest

PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest
  • The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half
  • The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain retained a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 after a labored 3-0 home win over Toulouse on Friday.

The defending champion dominated the first half but it took until the 35th minute to open the scoring.

Young Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves spun to meet a cross from the right and struck a superb half volley from just outside the box.

Lucas Beraldo got a second with six minutes remaining when he pounced on loose ball and fired home.

Vitinha made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he showed fine footwork inside the box to finish off a quick counterattack.

The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half.

Only Vitinha’s last-gasp tackle stopped Zakaria Aboukhlal from equalizing after 69 minutes and then Shavy Babicka blazed over from close range a minute later when he should have hit the target.

The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich.

PSG lie in 25th place in the 36-team Champions League table with one win in four matches and outside the playoff spots.

Monaco beat Brest

The win came immediately after second-placed Monaco beat Brest 3-2 to briefly close the gap at the top to three points.

Brest, who face Barcelona next week in the Champions League, turned in another inconsistent French league performance and not the sparkling form they have shown in Europe.

Brest have struggled in Ligue 1, where they remain 12th, but shone with three wins from four in their first-ever Champions League campaign.

It was behind after just five minutes on Friday when Maghnes Akliouche scored with a superb airborne volley, and 2-0 down after 24 minutes thanks to Aleksandr Golovin.

The Russian striker seized on a poor pass just outside the Brest penalty area and his low shot was perfectly placed to sneak in off the post and give him his first goal in nine league appearances.

On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima used his 1.88-meter frame to outjump the Monaco defense four minutes into the second half and cut the deficit but Akliouche restored Monaco’s two-goal cushion when he brilliantly finished a quick counterattack in stoppage time.

Ludovic Ajorque got a second for Brest in the sixth minute of added time but it was not enough in a second half most notable for the red card shown to Brest coach Eric Roy.


Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest move into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League

Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest move into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League
Updated 53 sec ago
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Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest move into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League

Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest move into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League
  • Liverpool are nine points ahead of Arsenal and 10 above Chelsea, with all three teams having played 18 games
  • Tottenham’s roller-coaster of a season had another downturn as Spurs conceded a late equalizer to draw 2-2 at home against Wolves

LONDON: The Premier League table is starting to have a 1979 kind of feel to it — with Liverpool at the top of the standings and Nottingham Forest in second place as the closest challenger.

Liverpool padded their lead with a 5-0 rout of West Ham on Sunday, while upstart Nottingham Forest climbed into second place by beating Everton 2-0 to continue their surprising push for a Champions League place.

Forest were runners-up behind Liverpool in the English top tier in 1979 — the same year they won the first of two straight European Cups under Brian Clough — but hasn’t finished that high in the domestic first division since then.

The club’s long-suffering fans finally have reason to believe that the good times are back under Nuno Espirito Santo. Although the Portuguese manager was the first to point out that his team may not stay in second place for very long.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Nuno said of his team’s position. “We haven’t achieved anything yet.”

Forest could find itself back in fourth place by Jan. 1 as they are only one point above Arsenal and two ahead of Chelsea, with both London clubs having a game in hand.

Liverpool could prove a lot harder to overtake, though, as Arne Slot’s team only seems to be growing stronger and stronger.

The performance at West Ham was one of their most impressive yet, with five different players getting on the scoresheet — including Mohamed Salah, who netted the team’s third for his league-leading 17th of the season.

Salah also had an assist to take his tally to 52 goal contributions in all competitions for the calendar year 2024 — 29 goals and 23 assists.

Salah was asked after the match if he would soon have good news for fans about his future beyond the end of this season, when his contract expires. The Egyptian told Sky Sports: “No, we are far away from that.”

“The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that,” Salah said. “I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There is a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again.”

Liverpool are nine points ahead of Arsenal and 10 above Chelsea, with all three teams having played 18 games.

Manchester City is 14 points back having played 19 games, after beating Leicester 2-0 away.

Guardiola marks milestone with win

In his 500th game in charge of Man City, Pep Guardiola had some reasons to smile again.

City marked Guardiola’s milestone with a win and a goal from Erling Haaland — things that the Spaniard used to take for granted but have been increasingly rare of late for the struggling four-time defending Premier League champions.

Savinho also netted his first goal for the club in a much-needed win, although the team still looked far from the juggernaut that has dominated English soccer for much of the Spaniard’s reign.

Leicester had several chances for an equalizer before Savinho set up Haaland for the second in the 74th as City ended a five-game winless run in all competitions.

“Just relief, that is the word to express how all of us feel,” Guardiola said. “It was not the ideal performance but hopefully the victories will give our mood a better position. ... Hopefully in the new year we can bounce back a bit from a bad moment.”

This was only the club’s second win in 14 games in all competition. And even against a team mired in the relegation zone, City was pegged back for much of the second half until Haaland’s header ended Leicester’s resistance.

Savinho put the team ahead in the 21st minute by pouncing on the rebound after Phil Foden drove forward and tried a low shot from distance that Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk pushed to the side. The ball fell into the path of the onrushing Savinho, who lifted it over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The winger then turned provider by lifting a perfect cross into the box for Haaland to head home the second, shortly after Jamie Vardy had missed a good chance for a Leicester equalizer.

Spurs drop points again

Tottenham’s roller-coaster of a season had another downturn as Spurs conceded a late equalizer to draw 2-2 at home against Wolves.

Ange Postecoglou has come under increasing criticism of late because of his team’s all-attacking style of play and the team’s defensive vulnerabilities were on display again as Jorgen Strand Larsen was afforded space to beat Fraser Forster at his near post in the 87th minute.

Wolves had taken the lead through Hwang Hee-chan after a well-worked free kick routine in the seventh minute, but Rodrigo Bentancur equalized five minutes later and Brennan Johnson gave Tottenham the lead on the stroke of halftime.

Substitute Dango Ouattara netted an even later equalizer for Bournemouth to draw 2-2 at Fulham, while Crystal Palace came from a goal down to beat last-place Southampton 2-1.


Pakistan announces squad for ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia

Pakistan announces squad for ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia
Updated 2 min 28 sec ago
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Pakistan announces squad for ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia

Pakistan announces squad for ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia
  • Pakistan will play their opening match on January 18 against USA
  • This will be followed by encounter against England on January 20

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has named a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025, with wicketkeeper-batter Komal Khan leading the national side.
Zoofishan Ayyaz will be vice-captain of the Pakistan team during the 16-team tournament, which is set to be played in Malaysia from January 18 till February 2.
There are four groups in the tournament, with each group consisting of four teams each, according to the format. Pakistan are placed in Group B alongside England, Ireland and USA.
“Pakistan team, which recently featured in six-team ACC U19 Women’s Asia Cup in Malaysia, will undergo a training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Center in Karachi from 31 December to 9 January,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.
“The team will depart for Malaysia from Karachi via Dubai on 10 January.”
Pakistan will play their opening match on January 18 against USA. This will be followed by the encounter against England on January 20, while Pakistan’s last group match will be against Ireland on January 22, according to the PCB.
“All three matches will be staged at the JCA Oval, Johor in Malaysia,” the board said.
After the conclusion of the Group Stage fixtures, three teams from each group will qualify for the Super Six. The bottom-ranked sides from Groups A and D, and B and C will contest in last place play-off on 24 January.
The 12 teams, which will qualify for the Super Six stage will be divided into two groups. Group one will include the top three teams each from Group A and Group D while Group two will have top three teams each from Group B and Group C.
In the Super Six stage every team will carry forward their wins, points and Net Run-rate (NRR) which is secured against their fellow Super Six qualifying teams. Each team will play two games in the Super Six stage.
The top two sides from the two super six stage groups will qualify for the semifinals. The semifinals are set to take place on January 31, while the final of the tournament will be played at Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur on February 2.
Pakistan squad:
Komal Khan (captain), Zoofishan Ayyaz (vice-captain), Aleesa Mukhtiar, Areesha Ansari, Fatima Khan, Haniah Ahmer, Maham Anees, Mahnoor Zeb, Memoona Khalid, Minahil, Quratulain, Ravail Farhan, Shahar Bano, Tayyaba Imdad and Wasifa Hussain


Antonio Conte has Napoli back atop Serie A to end 2024 after miserable title defense last season

Antonio Conte has Napoli back atop Serie A to end 2024 after miserable title defense last season
Updated 30 December 2024
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Antonio Conte has Napoli back atop Serie A to end 2024 after miserable title defense last season

Antonio Conte has Napoli back atop Serie A to end 2024 after miserable title defense last season
  • Juventus and Fiorentina drew 2-2 in a match that was briefly suspended because of discriminatory chants aimed at Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic
  • AC Milan drew 1-1 with visiting Roma

ROME: Napoli went through three different coaches during their Serie A title defense last season and ended the campaign in 10th place.

Antonio Conte was hired in July and now Napoli are ending 2024 level with Atalanta atop the Italian league again.

Substitute Giacomo Raspadori scored a late goal and Napoli beat relegation-threatened Venezia 1-0 on Sunday in their final match of the year.

Napoli trail Atalanta only on goal difference but both teams are one point ahead of defending champions Inter Milan, who have a game in hand.

“Even if I play cards with my daughter I want to win,” said Conte, who was hired to get Napoli back into the Champions League. “Personally, I don’t accept minimal goals. But we all know where we started and what the club’s objectives are.”

Atalanta drew 1-1 at Lazio on Saturday and Inter won 3-0 at Cagliari.

Also Sunday, Juventus and Fiorentina drew 2-2 in a match that was briefly suspended because of discriminatory chants aimed at Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic; and AC Milan drew 1-1 with visiting Roma.

After Luciano Spalletti coached Napoli to the Serie A title in 2022-23, Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona managed the team last season, when the Partenopei finished a whopping 41 points behind Inter.

“What happened is in the past. The present is what counts,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “It’s great to be back on top but there’s still a long way to go.”

Napoli had struggled to get the ball past Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic, the son of former Lazio and Inter standout Dejan Stankovic. But Raspadori broke the deadlock in the 79th when he used one touch to fire in a loose ball from the center of the area less than 10 minutes after he came on.

“These are tough matches where it means a lot to come away with three points,” Raspadori said. “We know we’re on the right path.”

In the first half, Stankovic saved a penalty kick from Romelu Lukaku. Then in the second half Stankovic deflected a shot from Lukaku off the post.

Napoli produced 25 shots to Venezia’s four.

Napoli’s 27 goals scored are the least among the top six teams in the standings.

“The squad is improving under every point of view. We just need to score more goals,” Conte said.

Discriminatory chants aimed at Vlahovic prompt brief suspension

Discriminatory chants aimed at Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic by visiting Fiorentina fans prompted a two-minute suspension during the first half.

Vlahovic, a Serbia international who played for Fiorentina before transferring to Juventus three years ago, appeared to tell the referee about the chants. The ref then stopped play, gathered the teams and ordered a warning announcement to be made over the stadium’s public address system.

The announcement said that the match would be suspended definitively if there were more discriminatory chants.

Play then resumed.

Khephren Thuram put Juventus ahead midway through the first half. Former Juventus striker Moise Kean equalized before the break with his 15th goal across all competitions this season. Thuram added another in the second half and Fiorentina equalized again with a volley from Riccardo Sottil in the 87th.

Juventus and Fiorentina are both nine points behind the leaders.

Juventus is the only unbeaten team in the league but the Bianconeri have drawn more matches (11) than they’ve won (seven).

At the San Siro, Tijjani Reijnders put Milan ahead early on and Paulo Dybala equalized for Roma. Under-pressure Milan coach Paulo Fonseca was sent off for protests at the end of the first half.

Earlier, Torino came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Udinese.


Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest moves into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League

Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest moves into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League
Updated 30 December 2024
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Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest moves into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League

Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest moves into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League
  • Forest was runner-up behind Liverpool in the English top tier in 1979

The Premier League table is starting to have a 1979 kind of feel to it — with Liverpool at the top of the standings and Nottingham Forest in second place as the closest challenger.
Liverpool padded its lead with a 5-0 rout of West Ham on Sunday, while upstart Nottingham Forest climbed into second place by beating Everton 2-0 to continue its surprising push for a Champions League place.
Forest was runner-up behind Liverpool in the English top tier in 1979 – the same year it won the first of two straight European Cups under Brian Clough – but hasn’t finished that high in the domestic first division since then.
The club’s long-suffering fans finally have reason to believe that the good times are back under Nuno Espirito Santo. Although the Portuguese manager was the first to point out that his team may not stay in second place for very long.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Nuno said of his team’s position. “We haven’t achieved anything yet.”
Forest could find itself back in fourth place by Jan. 1 as it is only one point above Arsenal and two ahead of Chelsea, with both London clubs having a game in hand.
Liverpool could prove a lot harder to overtake, though, as Arne Slot’s team only seems to be growing stronger and stronger.
The performance at West Ham was one of its most impressive yet, with five different players getting on the scoresheet — including Mohamed Salah, who netted the team’s third for his league-leading 17th of the season.
Salah also had an assist to take his tally to 52 goal contributions in all competitions for the calendar year 2024 — 29 goals and 23 assists.
Salah was asked after the match if he would soon have good news for fans about his future beyond the end of this season, when his contract expires. The Egyptian told Sky Sports: “No, we are far away from that.”
“The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that,” Salah said. “I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There is a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again.”
Liverpool is nine points ahead of Arsenal and 10 above Chelsea, with all three teams having played 18 games.
Manchester City is 14 points back having played 19 games, after beating Leicester 2-0 away.
Guardiola marks milestone with win
In his 500th game in charge of Man City, Pep Guardiola had some reasons to smile again.
City marked Guardiola’s milestone with a win and a goal from Erling Haaland — things that the Spaniard used to take for granted but have been increasingly rare of late for the struggling four-time defending Premier League champions.
Savinho also netted his first goal for the club in a much-needed win, although the team still looked far from the juggernaut that has dominated English soccer for much of the Spaniard’s reign.
Leicester had several chances for an equalizer before Savinho set up Haaland for the second in the 74th as City ended a five-game winless run in all competitions.
“Just relief, that is the word to express how all of us feel,” Guardiola said. “It was not the ideal performance but hopefully the victories will give our mood a better position. ... Hopefully in the new year we can bounce back a bit from a bad moment.”
This was only the club’s second win in 14 games in all competition. And even against a team mired in the relegation zone, City was pegged back for much of the second half until Haaland’s header ended Leicester’s resistance.
Savinho put the team ahead in the 21st minute by pouncing on the rebound after Phil Foden drove forward and tried a low shot from distance that Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk pushed to the side. The ball fell into the path of the onrushing Savinho, who lifted it over the goalkeeper and into the net.
The winger then turned provider by lifting a perfect cross into the box for Haaland to head home the second, shortly after Jamie Vardy had missed a good chance for a Leicester equalizer.
Spurs drop points again
Tottenham’s roller-coaster of a season had another downturn as Spurs conceded a late equalizer to draw 2-2 at home against Wolves.
Ange Postecoglou has come under increasing criticism of late because of his team’s all-attacking style of play and the team’s defensive vulnerabilities were on display again as Jorgen Strand Larsen was afforded space to beat Fraser Forster at his near post in the 87th minute.
Wolves had taken the lead through Hwang Hee-chan after a well-worked free kick routine in the seventh minute, but Rodrigo Bentancur equalized five minutes later and Brennan Johnson gave Tottenham the lead on the stroke of halftime.
Substitute Dango Ouattara netted an even later equalizer for Bournemouth to draw 2-2 at Fulham, while Crystal Palace came from a goal down to beat last-place Southampton 2-1.


SAMF honors winners of 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship at end-of-season awards night

SAMF honors winners of 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship at end-of-season awards night
Updated 30 December 2024
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SAMF honors winners of 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship at end-of-season awards night

SAMF honors winners of 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship at end-of-season awards night
  • The ceremony, held in Jeddah, was attended by Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, SAMF Chairman

JEDDAH: The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) hosted its annual End-of-Season Awards Night on Sunday, celebrating the champions of the 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship.

The ceremony, held in Jeddah, was attended by Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, SAMF Chairman and CEO of the Saudi Motorsport Company; Khalid Al-Suwaidan, SAMF CEO;  representatives from the Ministry of Sports; and members of the local and regional media.

Prince Khalid opened the evening with a keynote speech, commending the champions and highlighting the championship’s high technical standards, successful partnerships, and future ambitions. 

“The Saudi Toyota Championship has become a landmark on the Saudi sports map, reflecting a new history and a promising future,” he said.

“With your efforts and support, the championship has grown to become the largest motorsports competition in the Kingdom. Today, we celebrate the success of this year’s edition and honor the champions who excelled throughout the season,” he added.

Prince Khalid also thanked King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the Minister of Sport for their unwavering support. 

Al-Suwaidan added that SAMF was committed to enhancing motorsports in Saudi Arabia, fostering growth and innovation in the field.

The evening also included a presentation summarizing Saudi motorsports’ achievements in 2024 and outlining SAMF’s vision, goals, and aspirations for the coming year.

The awards recognized excellence across various categories.

In the Rally Championship, Yazeed Al-Rajhi continued his dominance in the car category. In the Drag Racing Championship, UAE racer Saeed Al-Balooshi claimed first place.

The Autocross Championship saw Jordanian racer Mustafa Al Attari secure the top spot, while in the Time Attack Championship, racer Fadi Hamada took first place. Hamada also emerged victorious in the Hill Climb Championship.

The Drift Championship ended with Mohammed Al-Orabi finishing in first place, and the Karting Championship title was claimed by racer Malik Mustafa.

The event also honored Saudi motorsports icons, including Yasser bin Saidan, FIA World Rally Raid (W2RC) champion in the SSV category; Hani Al-Noumasi, FIM Baja World Cup champion in the Quad category; Dania Aqeel, FIA Middle East Baja Cup champion; and Fahad Al-Sufyani, FIA Middle East Baja Cup co-drivers champion.