Kai Havertz snatched a last-gasp winner as Arsenal bounced back from their domestic distress to steal a 1-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday. Mikel Arteta's side arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium rocked by successive defeats against Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Once again, the Gunners were below their best but they emerged with the win thanks to David Raya's fine saves and Havertz's clinical finish in stoppage-time. Arsenal will be firm favourites to advance to the semi-finals in the second leg in north London on April 15, but they will have to improve significantly to win the tournament for the first time. Those agonising losses to City and second-tier Southampton marked the first time that Arsenal had been beaten in successive matches this term, with the embarrassing FA Cup defeat just the Gunners' fifth of the season. The after-shocks were still being felt as Arsenal struggled to find any momentum in Lisbon, but not for the first time this season they found a way to win ugly. "We had to be a little bit crisper, faster, more efficient to break them down when they had that block," Arteta said. "We had a goal disallowed and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that final pass. In the end a magic moment from the finishers win us the game. "It's beautiful and that's the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight." Praising the outstanding Raya, Arteta added: "He had two moments where he made two big saves. "At the moment he's phenomenal and extraordinary since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him." Aiming to finally banish accusations that they are English football's nearly men by winning their first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, Arsenal have faced pointed questions about their perceived lack of mental strength. Grinding out the win in Lisbon was a suitable riposte to the critics. Insisting his players were "hungrier than ever", Arteta had urged Arsenal to use the "pain" of their recent defeats as motivation and they rose to the challenge. Sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the Premier League leaders are also on course for their first title in 22 years. Playing in the last eight for the first time since 1983, Sporting's 17-game winning run at home made them dangerous opponents for Arsenal. Super subs Injury-hit Arsenal were still without Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, although Declan Rice returned after missing the Southampton game and England's recent friendlies. Raya was also back in goal for Arsenal after missing the previous two games and the Spaniard quickly made his presence felt. Ousmane Diomande's deft pass split the Arsenal defence, sending Maxi Araujo clear for a fierce strike that Raya tipped onto the crossbar at full-stretch. Raya was forced into action again to smother Geny Catamo's low drive from an acute angle inside the penalty area. Unable to establish any attacking rhythm in a cagey half, it took Arsenal 42 minutes to muster a shot on target. Even then Martin Odegaard's blast from the edge of the area was straight at Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva. Arteta's frustration was palpable, but Arsenal did improve after the break. Leandro Trossard dragged his shot wide from 18 yards before Odegaard almost caught out Silva with a free-kick immediately after half-time. Sporting went close to snatching a late goal when Luis Suarez's cross reached Catamo for a flicked header that Raya pushed away. But Arsenal grabbed the winner in stoppage-time via Arteta's substitutes. Gabriel Martinelli played a superb pass over the Sporting defence and Havertz beat the offside trap to slot past Silva from 10 yards as Arteta punched the air in delight. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 April,2026 01:28 PM IST | Lisbon | AFPLuis Diaz and Harry Kane scored the goals that gave dominant Bayern Munich a crucial 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win away to Real Madrid on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe's strike 16 minutes from time gave record 15-time winners Real a lifeline at their Bernabeu home in a gripping battle. Vincent Kompany's side, arguably the strongest team in Europe this season, produced a masterclass in the first half and could have been several goals ahead. Instead they had only one from Diaz, which Kane added to after the interval, but French superstar Mbappe's goal kept Alvaro Arbeloa's side in the tie. "It's a shame it wasn't 2-0 at the end to be completely honest," said Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who made several good saves in the second half as Madrid ramped up the pressure. "You know how dangerous Real Madrid are, we saw that again today. They had plenty of chances and could've scored more. "First up we're happy about the victory here away from home, but it'll be a tough challenge back in Munich." Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger said that Mbappe's goal had kept the tie open. "For me, the two goals we conceded were gifts, and in the second half we needed more," Rudiger told Movistar. "I think we're alive, everything is open with that goal from Mbappe. I think we had many chances to score goals, but in the end this is how it is." The round's glamour fixture was a European classic -- a record 29th time these heavyweights have faced each other in the competition. Bayern flew out of the blocks and Konrad Laimer's rasping effort narrowly over the bar showed that Kompany's side had come to the Spanish capital to attack. After nine consecutive matches against Madrid without a win, Bayern were determined to put an end to that streak and show why many consider them favourites to lift the trophy this season. Bayern should have taken the lead through defender Dayot Upamecano, who fluffed his lines from point-blank range, after Kane cushioned the ball into his path, allowing Alvaro Carreras to hack the ball off the line. Madrid were largely pinned back as Bayern dominated the ball, but the hosts sought to send through rapid strikers Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on the counter, with Neuer saving from both. Madrid's defensive work was nearly undone by a moment of madness from 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch, starting in place of Jude Bellingham, whose poor back pass under pressure was straight to Serge Gnabry in front of goal, but goalkeeper Andriy Lunin deflected the German's shot behind. Slick Bayern Bayern toyed at times with Real, who ceded possession far too often, and their opening goal was a slick combination play which caught the hosts on their heels. Gnabry exchanged a one-two with Kane and pushed the ball in behind Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Madrid defender's former Liverpool team-mate Diaz to reach and stroke home past Lunin in the 41st minute. Kane, who was a doubt to start because of an ankle problem, did not seem fully fit but made an even bigger impact less than a minute into the second half. Olise cut the ball back to him on the edge of the box and Kane fizzed a curling effort into the bottom corner to double Bayern's lead. It was his 11th Champions League strike this season, trailing only Mbappe on 14, and his 49th goal across all competitions. Vinicius had a fine chance to pull one back for Real when Upamecano badly underhit a header back to Neuer, but the Brazilian sliced his shot into the side-netting. Neuer made a brilliant save to thwart Mbappe once more and left with the man of the match trophy. With Bellingham on as a substitute, Madrid stepped up a level and eventually found the net with Alexander-Arnold guiding a low cross to the far post where Mbappe beat Neuer, smashing home off the crossbar after 74 minutes. Bayern angrily roared back with Kane volleying wide as they tried to restore their advantage, but instead they take a slender lead back to Bavaria for next Wednesday's second leg. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 April,2026 01:26 PM IST | Madrid | AFPParis Saint-Germain star Vitinha insisted his side remain wary of the threat posed by Champions League quarter-final opponents Liverpool despite the Anfield club coming into the heavyweight tie on the back of a 0-4 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final. “Liverpool are Liverpool, even if they are not in ideal form. They are still a great team,” Vitinha told reporters on Tuesday, the eve of the first leg between the sides at the Parc des Princes. “It will be a great match here, and tomorrow we will need to be at 100 percent. It will be a very difficult game,” he added. The tie is a repeat of the Champions League last-16 encounter between the clubs a year ago, when Liverpool won 1-0 in Paris only for Luis Enrique’s side to claim victory by the same score at Anfield and then go through on penalties. They went on to become European champions for the first time in their history, while Liverpool won the Premier League. However, Arne Slot’s side have struggled to rediscover their best form this season, and come into Wednesday’s showdown having won just one of their last five matches in all competitions. About last year’s meeting between the two sides, Vitinha said: “It was an incredible tie. There was a bit of frustration in the first match. I don’t remember Liverpool having a chance apart from the goal they scored. We played well and yet we lost. I remember saying that by playing like that we could go to Liverpool and win. Fortunately we did that, but that was last year. This is a different year, and a different game,” the Portuguese star added. SixPSG’s current unbeaten streak in the UCL against English opponents OneNo. of times a defending champ has made it to the semis in the last five UCL editions This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 April,2026 09:58 AM IST | Paris | AFPBarcelona manager Hansi Flick backed Marcus Rashford to have an impact when they face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League clash on Wednesday. “With the ball, everyone knows he [Rashford] is fantastic. [Dribbling] one on one he’s doing really good. He’s adapted a lot,” said Flick who will rely on him in the absence of the injured Raphinha. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 April,2026 09:55 AM IST | Barcelona | AgenciesManchester United centre-back Harry Maguire has signed a one-year contract extension with the club, with an option of a further 12 months. The English star was due to be out of contract at the end of the season."Harry represents the mentality and resilience required to perform for Manchester United. He is the ultimate professional who brings invaluable experience and leadership to our young, ambitious squad," director of football Jason Wilcox said.Maguire joined United in 2019 for a then-world record fee for a defender at 97 million dollars. He has made 266 appearances for the club, winning the FA Cup and League Cup in the process.Speaking after his recent contract extension, Maguire expressed his delight and hoped to repay the fans for their constant support throughout his career. The former United skipper had earlier mentioned his dream to retire at Manchester United."Representing Manchester United is the ultimate honour. It is a responsibility that makes me and my family proud every single day. I am delighted to extend my journey at this incredible club to at least eight seasons and continue to play in front of our special supporters to create more amazing moments together." Maguire said. Manchester United are the favourites to qualify for the Champions League Manchester United are the favourites to finish third in the league table behind Manchester City and Arsenal. The 'Red Devils' have recovered from a poor start to the season and have been one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League. As many as the top five teams could qualify for the Champions League next season from the Premier League.United started the season with a string of poor performances, which only worsened in November and December. Eventually, Ruben Amorim was sacked, and Michael Carrick was given the manager's job.Carrick impressed in his early matches, beating City at home and Arsenal away. Under Carrick, United are one of the best teams in the league and have only lost once, away to Newcastle United.United are currently third in the table and with favourable fixtures coming up, will be the favourites to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. (With AP Input)
07 April,2026 07:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe All India Football Federation (AIFF) condoled the death of former India forward Gilbertson Sangma, who passed away in Guwahati on April 3, 2026. Sangma passed away aged 70. A forward of repute from Assam, Gilbertson Sangma represented India at the international level in 1975, according to the AIFF release. He made his senior national team debut against Indonesia on April 17, 1975, in the Marah Halim Cup in Jakarta. Sangma went on to earn three caps for India, all of which came during the same tournament. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Indian Football (@indianfootball) At the domestic level, Sangma was a consistent performer for Assam in the Santosh Trophy from 1972 to 1980, scoring four goals in the competition during his appearances for the state side. At the club level, he represented Assam Police from 1972 to 1982 and was part of the team that won the Bordoloi Trophy in 1981. Sangma scored the decisive goal in the final against Dempo, sealing the title for his side. The All India Football Federation joins the Indian football fraternity in mourning the loss of Gilbertson Sangma and honours his contributions to the sport. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 April,2026 11:35 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIReal Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said Kylian Mbappe joined the club to star in key matches like Tuesday's Champions League clash against German giants Bayern Munich. Arbeloa said Mbappe was a vital part of the team, although questions remain over whether record 15-time winners Madrid can strike the right balance with all their biggest names on the pitch at the same time. French superstar Mbappe, the club's top goalscorer, did not start either game in the last 16 tie against Manchester City which Madrid won impressively, because of a long struggle with a knee sprain. Fit once more, Arbeloa indicated Mbappe was likely to feature along with Vinicius Junior in attack at the Santiago Bernabeu against Bayern in the quarter-final first leg. "I'm delighted to have that kind of problem, to have outstanding players at my disposal and to have a player like Kylian Mbappe, who came to Real Madrid for matches like tomorrow's and for knockout ties like this one," Arbeloa told reporters Monday. Alvaro Arbeloa. Pic/AFP "I'm sure we're going to see Kylian at his best, leading the team the way he's always known how to do, and I have a great deal of confidence in all the players." England international Jude Bellingham is also finding his way back to fitness after injury and Arbeloa said he would keep betting on the squad's stars when they are available. Against City young midfielder Thiago Pitarch and attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz played important roles, but they may get less time on the pitch in the Bayern tie. "It's clear Mbappe has different characteristics and conditions to those Brahim has, so we have to play in a different way, but I'm delighted to have this problem," said Arbeloa. "Just as you mention Bellingham and other great players I have available, for me it's a blessing to be able to count on everyone..." he continued. "Having a player like Mbappe in the team is an extraordinary stroke of luck. I don't know if there's a coach in the world who wouldn't want to have him. "I put myself in the shoes of the defenders who play against Real Madrid and have to face Mbappe, Vinicius, Valverde, Bellingham... I think they're some of the best players on the planet." 'Incredible' connection Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior said he worked well together with Mbappe, despite some believing the fit is not right for Madrid. "People talk a lot... 'Kyli' is here to help us, he's always given us confidence, he scores the goals for us, we have to be connected tomorrow, above all with the fans and all the players," he told reporters. "It's a difficult game where the best players make the difference, and Kyli is one of those. I have an incredible connection with him, not just on the pitch but off it too." Vinicius pledged Madrid will be at their best against Bayern Munich after a poor showing in La Liga on Saturday, when they lost 2-1 against Mallorca, leaving them seven points adrift of leaders Barcelona. "There are days where we are more connected or less connected, and that happened against Mallorca," explained the forward. "We had come from the international break and today, as the coach said, if we're not at 200 percent, we're not going to win games. "I hope we are tomorrow, because it's an important day for us." The winger, who has become a leading figure in the fight against racism, also spoke about the Islamophobic chanting at Spain's friendly against Egypt last week, which Barcelona's teenage star Lamine Yamal criticised. "It's important that Lamine speaks and that can help people," said Vinicius, who claimed he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni in a Champions League match in February, which the Argentine denies. "I'm not saying Spain, Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but there are racists in these countries, especially in Brazil too, in a lot of countries there are racists. "But if we continue this fight together, I think that in the future new players don't have to suffer these things and above all, people in general too." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 April,2026 09:42 AM IST | Madrid | AFPEngland star Harry Kane practised on Monday and should be available for Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal matchup with Real Madrid. The striker suffered a small ankle injury during the international break with England, but should be fine when Bayern Munich travels to Real Madrid for a crunch UCL match.Kane took part in the team's training session in Munich before the squad travelled to the Spanish capital for Tuesday's match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.Real Madrid star hailed Kane as a great player and admitted that his team needs to be at their best to beat Bayern."He is a goal scorer. He is a great player," Madrid forward Vinicius Junior said Monday about Kane. "But Bayern is a great team and has many players who switch positions and make it difficult for us. Whoever plays, it will be tough. We will need to be well prepared."Real Madrid has enjoyed the upper hand against Bayern Munich in recent seasons, winning four of five two-legged matchups with Bayern since the 2011-12. Bayern won in the semifinals in 2012 after a penalty shootout. Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa is looking forward to face 'unbelievable' Bayern team Bayern Munich are one of the most in-form teams in the world, and Real Madrid coach Arbeloa is excited about the prospect of facing them."Bayern is an unbelievable team, we've seen what it can do this season. We have a lot of respect for them. They're having an exceptional season. I think Bayern has been the most consistent side in Europe this season. They're fearless, aggressive, very focused defensively, with an unbelievable striker in Harry Kane." Alvaro Arbeloa said.Bayern is unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions, with 11 wins, while Madrid is coming off a 2-1 loss at Mallorca on Saturday that hurt its Spanish league title hopes."We don't think about not winning the tie, and there is only one possible scenario, which is to beat Bayern and get through the tie. It's the only thing we want and the only thing we believe in. All our energy is in the game against Bayern," he added.(With AP Input)
06 April,2026 10:26 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe UEFA Champions League is at its business end, and European heavyweights are set to collide for a place in the last four of this marquee competition. Defending champions PSG will aim to repeat their last season's heroics against Liverpool, while Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are set to face off in the standout match of the round. UCL Quarter-final fixtures: Real Madrid vs. Bayern MünchenReal Madrid will host Bayern Munich in the first leg of the highly anticipated clash. Madrid dismantled Man City 5-1 in the last round and will start as slight favourites due to their European pedigree. However, Bayern Munich are one of the most in-form teams in Europe and swept aside Atalanta 10-2 in the round of 16. This is set to be the stand-out fixture in the UCL quarter-finals. Arsenal vs. Sporting CPArsenal are still unbeaten in the UCL this season. The Gunners are top of the table in the Premier League and are the favourites to win the league for the first time since 2004. Arteta's side will be heavy favourites to beat Sporting and reach the final four of the Champions League. Sporting, on the other hand, are fresh from a miraculous comeback against Bodo/Glimt in the last round. Trailing by 3 goals, the Portuguese side turned around the match at home with a 5-0 second-leg win. Barcelona vs. Atlético de MadridSpanish rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are set to meet in the last eight of the UCL. The two Spanish giants recently met in the league, with Barcelona cruising to a 2-1 victory against the hosts. However, Diego Simeone will aim to change his fortunes against Barca when the duo meet again this week. Barcelona entered the quarter-final after dismantling Newcastle 7-2 in the previous round. Meanwhile, Atletico defeated a struggling Spurs side to reach the last eight. Paris Saint-Germain vs. LiverpoolDefending champions PSG are set to host Liverpool at the Parc des Princes. In the same fixture last season, PSG knocked out Liverpool on their way to the title. This season, PSG will start as the favourites to replicate their last season's performance and reach the semi-final.
06 April,2026 05:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMikel Arteta lamented his Arsenal side’s lacklustre defending, particularly when dealing with long balls, as they suffered a shock 1-2 loss to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. The Gunners fell behind to Ross Stewart’s 35th-minute goal before Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench to net the equaliser (68th min). Arsenal were well below their best in the absence of the injured Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, while defender Gabriel Magalhaes also limped off with a knee injury. They were punished in the 85th minute when Shea Charles steered in Southampton’s winner from the edge of the area. Mikel Arteta “We conceded the first goal in a very unusual way for us, the second one was from direct play as well. We didn’t manage the long balls well enough. We just let the ball through us. Difficult to explain, but credit to them,” said Arteta. The Spanish coach also admitted they weren’t sharp enough in the final third. “We had so much dominance around the box. We had two massive chances and needed to capitalise on that. But if you make defensive errors, it’s very difficult to be in the semi-final,” he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 April,2026 09:58 AM IST | Southampton | AFPErling Haaland netted a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. “Honestly, first-half we struggled a bit, but in the end it was an amazing game for us. Between 30 and 60 minutes, that’s one of our better performances of the season. It’s been some time since I scored a hat-trick for City [vs West Ham in September 2024], so it was about time I did it again. It’s always special so I’m super happy,” said Haaland. City opened the scoring in the 39th minute after Virgil van Dijk tripped Nico O’Reilly in the box. Haaland converted the penalty in clinical fashion, and soon doubled their lead, by heading Antoine Semenyo’s cross past Reds custodian Giorgi Mamardashvili just before half-time. Semenyo gets in on the act Liverpool were in disarray and Semenyo landed the knockout blow five minutes after the interval. Rayan Cherki’s pass sent Semenyo sprinting in behind the flat-footed Van Dijk to clip a deft finish over Mamardashvili. Haaland completed the 28th treble of his career (57th min), drilling home via the underside of the bar after O’Reilly teed him up 12 yards from goal. Salah off-colour Liverpool star Mohamed Salah produced the latest in a long line of lacklustre performances. The Egyptian’s struggles were encapsulated by his second-half penalty miss after Nunes fouled Ekitike. Meanwhile, Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai lamented the lack of fighting spirit displayed by the team. “The fighting spirit and the mentality wasn’t there. None of us were there [giving it our all] to be honest,” said the Hungarian before adding: “We had chances and missed them, we conceded an easy penalty. We lose 4-0. We cannot concede as much as we concede. Nothing else to say.” 12No of hat-tricks Erling Haaland has scored while playing for Manchester City 33No of goals by Man City’s Haaland in 44 games across all competitions this season ThreeNo of times Man City have beaten Liverpool this season across all competitions FiveNo of goals scored by Haaland in three games against Liverpool this season This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 April,2026 08:47 AM IST | Manchester | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
