The Champions League was one of the events that shaped the week in sports! Arsenal did the double over Real Madrid, while concerns about safety in match venues across Nigeria dominated discussions over the past few days.
It was equally a week that saw the curtains close on the Monte Carlo Masters. First 11 – the recap of the major sports stories this week – reviews these and other interesting headlines in the fast-paced, money-spinning sports world!
Arsenal Complete Masterclass Against Real Madrid
This week, the biggest stories were in the Champions League, and Arsenal’s visit to Real Madrid for the second leg of their tie generated buzz ever since the first leg. The Gunners went to Spain having trounced the reigning champions 3-0 in London a week earlier. Talks about a comeback, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men had done over the years, dominated discussions in the lead-up to the game. But on the night filled with drama and intrigue, Mikel Arteta’s team gunned down Real Madrid 1-2 to do the double over the record European champions, a feat that catapulted the North London team into the semi-final of the competition for just the third time in their history. Goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, with a gift from a defensive error for the away team, ensured Arsenal won the tie 5-1 on aggregate and remain undefeated against Real Madrid.
Champions League: The Last Four Standing
Talking about comebacks, Aston Villa almost did it against Paris Saint-Germain but fell agonisingly short in the second leg of their Champions League tie against the French outfit on Tuesday. The English club lost the first leg 3-1. But in the reverse fixture, they came from two goals down to win 3-2 and pushed to score one more time to take the match to extra time. However, the English fans were left heartbroken as Villa failed to find that one goal, meaning the aggregate score for the tie was 5-4 in PSG’s favour!
Other games in the Champions League saw Barcelona lose 3-1 to Dortmund courtesy of Serhou Guirassy’s hat-trick, but the Catalans advanced 3-5 on aggregate because of their first leg 4-0 win. Inter Milan squeezed past Bayern Munich to shatter Vincent Kompany’s men’s dream of reaching a home final in Munich. The aggregate score for that match was 4-3. The first leg of the game ended 2-1 in Inter’s advantage before the return clash produced a 2-2 draw.
So, for the semi-final clash, Arsenal will do battle with PSG as Barcelona lock horns against Italian side Inter Milan.
The first leg of the Arsenal vs PSG fixture will be on April 29th, while Barcelona host Inter Milan on the 30th. The reverse tie will see Inter welcome Milan on May 6 and Arsenal travelling to Parc des Princes the following day!
Man United Rescued From Elimination
In the meantime, although Real Madrid talked up a comeback against Arsenal, Manchester United’s match with Lyon in the Europa League would better suit that reality. The first leg of that encounter ended 2-2 in France, leaving all to fight for in Manchester United in the reverse fixture. With the competition offering United the only hopes of European competition in the coming season, the Red Devils expectedly raced into a 2-0 lead. But the game turned dramatic after Lyon equalized and the match went into extra time, 30 minutes. The French side immediately took a 2-4 cushion, leaving the English club minutes away from crashing out of the competition despite having eleven men against Lyon’s 10. Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, however, conjured some last-minute’ miracles, scoring a goal each to hand Ruben Amorim a semi-final berth in the last four of the Europa League. United won the game 5-4 and 7-6 on aggregate!
Athletic Club, Tottenham, and Bodo/Glimt are the other teams in the semi-final of the Europa League. United were paired against Athletic Club, while the other two will battle it out against each other for a place in the final.
Portable, Speed Darlington Clash In Celebrity Bout
Coming home to Nigeria, fans and boxing enthusiasts were thrilled to see singer Badmus Okikiola, better known as Portable, square off against Darlington Okoye, aka Speed Darlington, in a celebrity bout on Saturday morning. Tagged “Chaos in the Rings,” Portable defeated his opponent in the fight, which was held in Lagos. Clips from the fight have since gone viral, eliciting mixed reactions from fans, observers, and followers.
Alcaraz Triumphs in Monte Carlo Masters
Away from boxing, the week also featured headlines from the courts, where Carlos Alcaraz won his first Monte Carlo Masters title after a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over the Italian Lorenzo Musetti. That was the sixth Masters title for the 21-year-old Spaniard, a four-time Grand Slam winner, and his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year. Alcaraz, who will move up a place in the rankings and displace Alexander Zverev at No 2, had to come from behind to beat the Italian, who had already taken down two Top 10 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, on his way to his first Masters 1000 final.
Footballer Boupendza Falls To Death
There was also some sad news for football fans, especially Africans, during the week. That’s because Gabonese forward Aaron Boupendza is dead! The 28-year-old fell from the 11th floor of a building in China. But the exact reason for his death is still being investigated. His death has continued to trigger conversations after his club, Zhejiang FC, played a league game days following his passing.
NPFL’s Hammer Lands On Nasarawa United
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Nasarawa United were slammed with a ₦6 million fine and banished to Gombe State for their home matches following an attack on a Plateau United player.
The Plateau United player Vincent Temitope was assaulted, leading to cuts on his neck, after some Nasarawa United supporters attacked him in a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) game on Sunday. But Nasarawa United have denied any wrongdoing in the incident.
NFF Says Not Owing Late Christian Chukwu
Still in the country. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says contrary to reports, it is not owing late Super Eagles coach and captain, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
Chukwu died last Saturday, with speculations rife that the football body owed him some salaries. But the NFF has denied the allegations, saying, “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu. ”
CONCACAF Rejects 64-Team World Cup Proposal
On the global scene, the proposal for the 2030 World Cup to feature 64 teams received a significant setback with CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani rejecting the idea.
The opposition of Montagliani, who heads the confederation for the 41 member associations in North and Central America and the Caribbean, follows similar stances taken by UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
U-20 AFCON Set For Kickoff
In the meantime, all is now set for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The competition, formerly known as the African Youth Championship (AYC), will take place from April 27th to May 18th, 2025, in Egypt.
Nigeria are in Group B of the tournament alongside Tunisia, Kenya, and Morocco. The Flying Eagles begin their campaign against Tunisia on May 1 and have already pencilled down the list of players for the championship.
Modric Becomes Swansea Co-Owner
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric has joined Swansea as an investor and co-owner. The 39-year-old Croatia captain has spent the past 13 seasons with Real Madrid, helping them win six Champions League titles after a brief spell at Tottenham earlier in his career.
Source: Channels TV
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