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UCL quarters: Man City crush Bayern as Inter beat Benfica

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PAUL ELLIS/ AFP

Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 3-0 on Tuesday to continue their quest for a first-ever Champions League title in their quarter-final first leg.

Erling Haaland, who scored City’s third goal of the night in the 76th minute, now has 45 goals in all competitions, a single-season record for a Premier League player, moving ahead of Mohamed Salah and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Rodri put Pep Guardiola’s team ahead in the 27th minute, cutting the ball back to beat midfielder Jamal Musiala and curling a blistering long-range shot into the top left corner beyond the outstretched hand of Yann Sommer.

“I know that this Bayern team is special,” said Guardiola, who managed Bayern from 2013-16. “We got a good result, but we need two strong games. Anything can happen at Allianz Arena. I know that because I was at Bayern for three years.”

Rodri celebrated with a long knee slide on the rain-soaked turf at the Etihad, while Bayern’s new manager Thomas Tuchel threw up his hands in disgust en route to his team’s biggest defeat in the Champions League since a 3-0 loss to Paris St Germain in 2017.

What had been an evenly matched game turned thoroughly in City’s favour midway through the second half, and Bernardo Silva scored their second in the 70th minute, heading in a cross from Haaland. The Norwegian got a goal of his own six minutes later, striking from close range.

City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan had a brilliant chance in the 34th minute, but Sommer, who was on the ground, stuck a leg out to save what looked like a certain goal.

Ruben Dias’s flick in the second half looked bound for the net, but Sommer tipped it over the crossbar. However, he was helpless to stop Silva and then Haaland from completing the win.

Guardiola faced a familiar foe in Tuchel, who was Chelsea manager when they triumphed over City in the final in 2021.

The Spaniard has won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups at City but European success has eluded the manager who won the trophy twice when in charge of Barcelona.

Elsewhere, Inter Milan struck in the second half through Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku for a 2-0 win at Benfica, which put them on course for a first last-four appearance since they won the trophy in 2010.

Barella headed home firmly at the back post in the 51st minute, rising unchallenged to get on the end of a superb cross from centre back Alessandro Bastoni, who was storming up the left side and delivered a pin-point ball.

Substitute Lukaku then converted an 82nd minute penalty after VAR referred a handball by Benfica skipper Joao Mario for review by English referee Michael Oliver, who gave the spot kick after looking at the video monitor.

The two goals hand Inter a major advantage for the return leg at San Siro next Wednesday, where they will be heavily fancied to progress to an all-Italian semi-final against either neighbours AC Milan or Napoli who meet this Wednesday.

Barella’s goal exposed Benfica’s nervy defence but the penalty was unfortunate as a Denzel Dumfries cross hit Joao Mario on his head and then his upright arm inside the box.

But Inter deserved their victory, conjuring up the better chances with Benfica’s Odysseas Vlachodimos making important second-half saves to deny Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Dumfries and avert an even heavier defeat.

 

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CHESS STARS TURN COWBOYS FOR A DAY AT NORWAY CHESS GAMES 2025

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In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world’s top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year’s edition of Norway Chess Games.

Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the “Chess Cowboy Challenge”, a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Ålgård, just outside Stavanger.

This year’s participants was -the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one.

Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly:

Magnus “The Lone GOAT” Carlsen
Caruana “The Sicilian Sniper”
Hikaru “The Blitz Bandit” Nakamura
Arjun “No Slip” Erigaisi
Wei “The Quiet Storm” Yi
Gukesh “The Chennai Sharpshooter” D

Vaishali “The Rising Rider” Rameshbabu
Anna “Ice Veins” Muzychuk
Humpy “The Hammer” Koneru
Lei “The Lockdown” Tingjie
Ju “No-Loss” Wenjun
Ella Carlsen (stepping in as an honorary cowgirl)

With nicknames as fierce as their over-the-board styles, the competitors were more than ready to tackle the cowboy gauntlet ahead.

The Chess Cowboy Challenge took them through a series of wild tasks. They faced the Sheriff’s memory test in a jail escape, sought enlightenment by solving the priest’s riddle in the chapel, mined for gold, and tried their hand at axe throwing beside the church. Air rifles, lasso tosses, cowboy quizzes at the pleasure house, and classic horseshoe throws added to the flavor of the day, with real horses roaming the scene for that authentic atmosphere.

Each team, made up of one male and one female player, competed across all stations as they worked their way through the village.

Final Standings:

1st place: Magnus & Ella Carlsen — crowned Chess Sheriffs

2nd place: Hikaru Nakamura & Anna Muzychuk

3rd place: Fabiano Caruana & Vaishali Rameshbabu

4th place: Gukesh D & Ju Wenjun

5th place: Wei Yi & Lei Tingjie

6th place: Arjun Erigaisi & Humpy Koneru

About Norway Chess Games

Norway Chess Games is an annual tradition held during the tournament’s rest day. It gives the world’s best players a break from intense competition and a chance to connect in creative, unexpected ways. Previous editions have included:

  • Chess Chefs– a culinary battle where players cooked for top chefs
  • Cake Decorating Challenge– full of icing, sprinkles, and strategy
  • Farmer for a Day– featuring hand-milking cows and driving tractors
  • Design Your Own Knit Sweater– where players designed patterns later hand-knitted into real sweaters as unique keepsakes

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Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli invests in Dubai-founded World Bowling League to take the sport global

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India’s cricket superstar Virat Kohli has become an investor in the World Bowling League (WBL), a Dubai-founded initiative set to reinvent bowling as a fast-paced, global spectator sport.

Kohli joins Major League Baseball (MLB) icon Mookie Betts as a high-profile partner in the WBL, which was launched by Dubai-based entrepreneur Adi K. Mishra. The league is reimagining the traditional game with a dynamic format featuring mixed-gender teams, international tournaments, and a modern media-first approach aimed at younger audiences.

With franchises expected in Dubai and other global cities, the WBL plans to host 12 to 15 tournaments annually across the United States, Europe, and Asia, as part of its ambitious five-year growth plan.

“When I discovered Virat is also a bowler, it was exciting to align with this new-age vision for the sport,” said Mishra, founder and CEO of League Sports Co.

Kohli, one of the most followed athletes in the world on social media, revealed a long-standing personal connection to the sport.

“I started bowling when I was 11 years old,” Kohli said. “It’s clear how popular the sport is, yet it remains underappreciated as a business.”

The 36-year-old’s global influence and passion for sport are expected to significantly boost the league’s visibility and credibility as it enters its debut season. The WBL aims to position bowling not just as a recreational activity but as an engaging, competitive, and commercially viable sport with global appeal.

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Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City boss says his team will come back stronger next season

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After a difficult season that saw Manchester City fall short of their lofty standards, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has assured fans the team will bounce back in 2025 with renewed hunger and ambition.

Speaking in his annual end-of-season interview, published on the club’s website, Al Mubarak acknowledged that the recently concluded campaign was below par by City’s expectations. The team, which previously captured a historic Treble in 2022/23 and a record fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2023/24, ended this season with only the Community Shield to show.

“This season is now behind us,” Al Mubarak said. “Today is a new day. We’ve already started preparing for next season – in fact, we’ve been doing that since January.”

Transfer plans in motion

With the FIFA Club World Cup in June fast approaching, Al Mubarak confirmed that City are targeting new signings this summer to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad.

“We will take all the good things and the not-so-good things from this season, learn from them, and come back stronger,” he said. 

“The club will do everything possible to return to the standards we know we can achieve.”

He also revealed that top-level discussions were already underway, with Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, CEO Ferran Soriano, manager Pep Guardiola, and Football Partnerships Director Hugo Viana all working closely on transfer strategy.

“I just got off the phone with Ferran. He spent the day with Txiki, Pep, and Hugo today. We finished our last game yesterday, and today we’re working. Nobody’s going on vacation yet,” he added.

Hunger in the squad

Despite the underwhelming season, the mood in the dressing room remains determined and focused. Al Mubarak attended City’s final game of the campaign, a 2-0 win at Fulham, and noted a strong sense of motivation among the players.

“Everyone I saw after the Fulham game was excited about coming back,” he said. 

“They’re hungry. Rodri is already looking for games. Erling [Haaland] didn’t want to go on vacation, he wanted to stay with the physios and prepare for next season. That’s the attitude you want.”

Al Mubarak’s confidence in the club’s future stems from this player-driven determination and the leadership’s proactive approach to the upcoming transfer window.

“We’re going to come back strong, with a lot of positivity,” he said. “And I can assure you – we will be back competing for the biggest prizes next season.”

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