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Football
Barcelona entered the final "clasico" of the season with a chance of earning a fourth straight win against Real Madrid in the same season for the first time. But when it was all over, it had endured one of its worst ever home losses to its archrival. With another hat trick by Karim Benzema, Madrid overturned Barcelona's advantage in the Copa del Rey semifinals with a resounding 4-0 win at Camp Nou Stadium to reach the final for the first time in nearly a decade. Madrid hadn't beaten Barcelona by four goals at Camp Nou since a 5-1 win in 1963. Vincius Jnior also scored as Madrid advanced 4-1 on aggregate after having lost the first leg 1-0 at home. Benzema also had a hat trick in Madrid's 6-0 rout of Valladolid in the Spanish league on Sunday. "It's obvious that after Karim improved, the team improved as well," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "When he is at his best, everything is better for us. And (Luka) Modric and (Toni) Kroos also had great games. In these types of matches,
When Lionel Messi was jeered by Paris Saint-Germain fans during last Sunday's home defeat to Lyon, their relationship looked like it had reached a breaking point. Messi joined PSG on a two-year deal after leaving Barcelona against his will in 2021, with an option for an extra year if both parties agreed. But talks have reportedly broken down and Messi's departure this summer looks increasingly inevitable. There were high hopes he could lead PSG to an elusive Champions League title, but instead the Qatari-backed club went out in the round of 16 in consecutive seasons. He was among the players jeered last season after PSG was knocked out by Real Madrid, and although Messi's form was outstanding in the first half of this campaign, it dipped significantly after he led Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar. PSG coach Christophe Galtier defended Messi by saying it was others who should raise their game. "You can't expect Leo to do everything," Galtier said after the Lyon game. "The
Former Germany midfielder Mesut zil, who won the World Cup in 2014, retired from soccer on Wednesday at the age of 34. zil said injuries played a role in his decision. "I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity," zil wrote on social media. "But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football." His immediate retirement brings an early end to his season with Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir, where he made only seven appearances for the team. zil won the Spanish league title with Real Madrid in 2012 and the FA Cup four times with Arsenal. His international career ended abruptly in 2018 when he quit the Germany squad citing "racism and disrespect." That followed anti-Turkish comments from German politicians and abuse from some fans toward zil, who has Turkish heritage, amid criticism of his decis
Chelsea has one of the most talented and expensive group of players ever assembled in world soccer. Now might be the ideal time to beat them. Borussia Dortmund is targeting an upset of big-spending Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 meeting Wednesday. Chelsea's recent run of three straight draws in the Premier League including 1-1 against West Ham on Saturday should be an encouraging sign for the German team. Against West Ham, Chelsea looked like a group of extremely talented individuals who have just been introduced. That, of course, is exactly what they are. In a starting line-up containing five January signings, Joo Flix, Enzo Fernndez and Mykhailo Mudryk all shone in brief glimpses but didn't form a cohesive unit before West Ham leveled the score and Chelsea gradually faded away in the second half. Given time, though, Chelsea's communication will improve. If the timing of Chelsea's runs had been slightly better, two goals ruled out for offside early on
David Duckham, the England rugby great who also starred for the British and Irish Lions, especially in the triumphant 1971 series in New Zealand, has died. He was 76. Duckham's death was announced by his former club Coventry as well as the Lions on Tuesday. David Duckham was not only one of the greatest and most talented of English players," said Nigel Gillingham, president of England's Rugby Football Union, but also a player so greatly admired around the world. Duckham won 36 caps for England from 1969-76, initially as a center before going on to make his mark as a dynamic winger who brought flair to an otherwise conservative team. He retired as the country's second all-time highest tryscorer, behind Cyril Low, with 10. The Lions tour of New Zealand provided a better platform for Duckham to demonstrate his brilliance, playing in three of the four matches in the test series. In a midweek game against West Coast/Buller, he scored six tries and he finished the tour with 11 tries in