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Marmoush hat-trick lifts Man City into Premier League top four

MANCHESTER: Omar Marmoush scored his first Manchester City goals with a first-half hat-trick to beat Newcastle 4-0 and fire Pep Guardiola’s men back into the Premier League’s top four on Saturday. The Egyptian was in scintillating form as City recovered from their late Champions League collapse to lose to Real Madrid 3-2 at home in midweek. The English champions have a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition for the 12th consecutive season. But Marmoush’s explosion gives some cause for optimism as Newcastle were blown away inside the opening 33 minutes.

Real Madrid held by Osasuna with Bellingham sent off

PAMPLONA, Spain: La Liga leaders Real Madrid dropped two points in a 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday in which Jude Bellingham was sent off. The Spanish champions took the lead through Kylian Mbappe before the referee expelled England international Bellingham for dissent toward the end of the first half. Ante Budimir levelled for hosts Osasuna from the penalty spot after 58 minutes as Carlo Ancelotti’s side endured a third consecutive league match without victory. Atletico Madrid, second and two points behind the leaders, host Celta Vigo later Saturday, while third-place Barcelona welcome Rayo Vallecano on Monday. Ancelotti said Bellingham should not have been dismissed and had just been expressing his frustration rather than directly insulting the referee. “I think with Bellingham’s red card (the referee) didn’t understand the English well... I don’t think it’s something offensive,” Ancelotti told reporters. “I think the red card came out because the referee was nervous...

La Liga launches Arabic TikTok account to connect with millions of Arab football fans

JEDDAH: Spanish football league La Liga on Saturday launched an Arabic account on TikTok in a bid to connect with millions of football fans in the Arab world. It is part of the league’s efforts to reach and engage with its followers in the Middle East and North Africa region, a media statement said. “We are thrilled to launch the Arabic TikTok account, as it represents the culmination of all the efforts La Liga has made in the MENA region over the past years,” said Maite Ventura, managing director for MENA. “We believe that Arab fans deserve high-quality digital content that meets their expectations.