Bayern Munich today can take another step toward repeating last season’s German league and cup double, with midfielder Leon Goretzka a player transformed since the COVID-19 shutdown.
Bayern host Eintracht Frankfurt behind closed doors in the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal, three days before they could conceivably wrap up an eight successive Bundesliga title.
Hansi Flick’s side have won all five games since the league resumed last month following the coronavirus suspension, including a 5-2 rout of today’s opponents Frankfurt.
Photo: Reuters
Germany international midfielder Goretzka has been at the heart of Bayern’s impressive displays, notching two goals and three assists since the restart.
“I feel very good at the moment,” said Goretzka, who set up a goal for Kingsley Coman and then scored himself in Saturday’s 4-2 win at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
The 25-year-old said that he made the most of the unscheduled break to spend more time in the gym, giving Bayern extra muscle in midfield alongside the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Thiago Alcantara.
“I haven’t lost any speed, quite the opposite,” said Goretzka, cited by Flick as the catalyst behind Bayern’s comeback win at Leverkusen at the weekend.
“Leon was instrumental. With his physique, he has a huge presence on the pitch,” Flick said. “He set the tone that you need in a team when things are not going so well. He did that brilliantly.”
Frankfurt upset Bayern in the 2017-2018 DFB Pokal final with a 3-1 victory in Berlin, but the Bavarians have already beaten Eintracht home and away in the Bundesliga this season.
“We still have no intention of taking our foot off the accelerator,” Goretzka said.
A treble also remains possible for Bayern, who are on the verge of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after a 3-0 win at Chelsea in their round-of-16, first leg in February.
That competition has been on hold since the middle of March.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was