A tough week for Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, two of the rebel clubs in the failed Super League project, got even more difficult when they fell behind on their return to Premier League action on Wednesday.
However, both teams recovered to register vital wins and leave them in good spirits for their next match — their meeting at Wembley Stadium for the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
City fought back from conceding a goal after just 20 seconds to beat Aston Villa 2-1 and move 11 points clear in their march to a third league title in four years. A maximum of eight points are needed by Pep Guardiola’s team from their final five games.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Each side had a man sent off at Villa Park, with City defender John Stones’ straight red card for a reckless lunge late in the first half ruling him out for three matches — starting with the Cup final.
Tottenham needed a late penalty from Son Heung-min to clinch a 2-1 victory over Southampton and close to within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
LA LIGA
AP, MADRID
Karim Benzema scored two goals and set up another to lead Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Cadiz in La Liga, in the team’s first game since the implosion of the proposed Super League.
The Cadiz players wore T-shirts before the game condemning the Super League.
Madrid president Florentino Perez had been one of the key figures behind the proposal.
Alvaro Odriozola also scored as Madrid pulled within a point of league leaders Atletico Madrid ahead of their game against SD Huesca.
Elsewhere, Sevilla beat Levante UD 1-0, CA Osasuna defeated Valencia 3-1, Real Betis Balompie held Athletic Bilbao to a 0-0 draw, Deportivo Alaves defeated Villarreal 2-1 and Elche drew 1-1 with Valladolid.
BUNDESLIGA
AFP, BERLIN
Borussia Dortmund moved back within four points of the Champions League places in the Bundesliga as Raphael Guerreiro’s goal late in the game helped seal a 2-0 home win over Union Berlin on Wednesday.
Dortmund moved to four points behind fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, but also only five adrift of VfL Wolfsburg, who beat VfB Stuttgart.
Elsewhere, FSV Mainz 05 won 1-0 against Werder Bremen and Borussia Moenchengladbach lost 3-2 to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
SERIE A
AP, MILAN, Italy
Inter on Wednesday were held to a 1-1 draw against Spezia, who are facing possible relegation, but still extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table.
Ivan Perisic canceled out Diego Farias’ opener for Spezia as Inter moved 10 points above second-placed AC Milan after they lost 2-1 at home to US Sassuolo.
“It’s inevitable to feel a bit of pressure, especially as lots of our players are challenging for something important for the first time, but it’s OK, the performance was there,” Inter coach Antonio Conte said. “We must live with the pressure.”
Elsewhere, ACF Fiorentina won 2-1 against Hellas Verona, Juventus came from behind to win 3-1 against Parma, Cagliari inched closer to safety after winning 1-0 against Udinese, Benevento drew 2-2 with Genoa, Torino drew 1-1 against Bologna and Crotone lost 1-0 to UC Sampdoria.
Fenerbahce on Thursday earned a rare 2-1 win in England, but were still knocked out of the UEFA Europa League by Nottingham Forest in the playoffs. Forest entered the second leg with a healthy 3-0 lead from the opener in Istanbul — where Vitor Pereira made an impact in his first game in charge — and that proved enough to advance to the round-of-16 with a 4-2 aggregate score. The result was a boost for Forest, struggling at 17th place in the Premier League, in their return to Europe after three decades. They next face Real Betis Balompie or Kerem Akturkoglu gave Fenerbahce
The Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday emphatically got back to winning ways in the NBA, coasting to a 109-94 victory over the New York Knicks as their recent star signing, James Harden, scored 20 points. The Cavs took the lead barely a minute into the game with an Evan Mobley three-pointer and never gave it up in a thoroughly comfortable night for the red-hot Ohio franchise. Former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Harden, who was brought in from the Los Angeles Clippers this month, has never won a championship, despite being one of the most decorated players in the league. That was a key
LATE RALLY FAiLS: Jalen Duren led a late Detroit Pistons fightback, but it ultimately fizzled as a resolute San Antonio Spurs saw out the game Victor Wembanyama on Monday led a defensive masterclass as the San Antonio Spurs outmuscled the Detroit Pistons 114-103 in an intense and aggressive clash between the NBA’s two most in-form teams. Sitting second in the Western Conference, the Spurs were pushed hard for their ninth straight victory by the East-topping Pistons, who had entered the home court matchup on a five-game winning streak of their own. Defenses dominated the first meeting between the two sides this season, with Wembanyama making six blocks and 17 rebounds to fuel transitions as the Spurs pulled clear in the latter stages. While the Pistons’ shooting was at
HAT-TRICK: In the other games, Newcastle United and Leverkusen also advanced, as did Atletico Madrid, with Alexander Sorloth scoring three goals What a difference a year makes. Or nine months to be precise. Last season, Inter reached the UEFA Champions League final in style, with thrilling victories over Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but on Tuesday, the Italian giants limped out of the competition with a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Bodo/Glimt — knocked out in the playoff round 5-2 on aggregate — in what is being labeled as one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history. It was not the first major upset the tiny Norwegian team have pulled off this season after wins over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, and
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