Atletico Madrid capped a fantastic week with a 4-0 home victory over Recreativo Huelva on Saturday to go second in the Spanish first division. After demolishing PSV Eindhoven 3-0 on Tuesday in their first Champions League match for 11 years, Atletico crushed Recreativo by one goal more.
Atletico lie behind Espanyol who drew 1-1 with Getafe on Saturday, ending their 100 percent start to the season.
Argentina’s Sergio Aguero had scored twice against PSV and made it three goals in five days with the Atletico opener before Portuguese schemer Maniche added a second.
PHOTO: EPA
Atletico coach Javier Aguirre heaped praise on former Chelsea man Maniche who has fought his way back into the team after looking destined to leave.
“He [Maniche] had a good game and is playing at a very high level at the moment. He feels important within the dressing room and is a winner,” Aguirre said.
Striker Florent Sinama Pongolle scored twice in the final 13 minutes to down his former club.
With just seven minutes gone, 20-year-old Argentine Aguero, top-scorer last season with 19 goals, ghosted into the area completely unmarked to head home.
A penalty from Manu del Moral on 47 minutes put Getafe in front against Espanyol but the hosts replied ten minutes later through Sergio Sanchez.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two