ENGLAND
Wax Mbappe unveiled
France superstar Kylian Mbappe on Friday received one of the greatest honors that England can bestow upon a sportsman from a rival nation — a lifelike waxwork at London’s Madame Tussauds museum. The statue shows the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner striking a familiar pose — arms crossed and wearing France’s white away jersey from last summer’s UEFA European Championships, along with the captain’s armband. “The entire ... outfit was donated by Mbappe himself,” Madame Tussauds said in a press release. The statue went on public display at the central London venue, with Mbappe take his place alongside waxwork clones of other greats such as Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo. “Let me introduce you to my twin,” Mbappe joked in a post on Instagram.
Photo: AFP
BUNDESLIGA
Bayern beat Augsburg
Bayern Munich on Friday came back from a goal down to beat hosts Augsburg 3-1 and move nine points clear at the top of the table. However, Jamal Musiala was taken off injured ahead of next week’s UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Bayern, who are to host Serie A pacesetters Inter in the first leg on Tuesday, are already without injured defenders Hiroki Ito, Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano. They moved to 68 points with six games left in the German league, nine ahead of Bayer 04 Leverkusen ahead of their game yesterday.
LA LIGA
Espanyol ease pressure
Two goals in the first 15 minutes on Friday set relegation-threatened RCD Espanyol on their way to a vital 4-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. The result — only their second away win all season — extended a run in which Espanyol have lost only once in six league matches and lifted them one place into 15th and five points clear of the relegation zone.
ITALY
Mats Hummels to retire
Mats Hummels has announced the end of his soccer career. The AS Roma defender and 2014 FIFA World Cup winner on Friday said that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the season. “I’m struggling with my emotions right now,” the 36-year-old Hummels said in a video on X. “Now comes the moment that no footballer can avoid. After 18 years and so many things that football has given me, I’m ending my career this summer.”
LIGA MX
Sergio Canales kicks door
Sergio Canales on Thursday injured his left leg from kicking and breaking a crystal door after an argument with his Monterrey coach Martin Demichelis, the club said on Friday. The disagreement and injury happened in the locker room after practice at the team’s training center, the club said. Canales was reportedly frustrated about the team’s poor performances and questioned Demichelis. The injury put in doubt Canales’ availability to face CD Guadalajara yesterday.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
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