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Man City survive Plymouth scare, Palace’s Mateta hospitalized in Millwall win

MANCHESTER: Manchester City survived a scare to beat giant killers Plymouth 3-1 and progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, after Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe-Mateta was hospitalized in the Eagles’ 3-1 win over Millwall. Plymouth had shocked Premier League leaders Liverpool in the previous round and were on course for another stunning upset at the Etihad when Maksym Talovierov headed them in front on 38 minutes. Argyle boss Miron Muslic said it would be the “biggest honor” of his life to go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola. With FA Cup glory City’s only realistic hope of silverware this season, Guardiola surprisingly rotated his side with Erling Haaland among those left on the bench. However, it was one of City’s youngsters who took his chance to shine as Nico O’Reilly turned the tie around. Muslic will be furious at the manner of both the 19-year-old’s goals as he twice headed in from set-pieces under little pressure. O’Reilly’s equalizer just before half-time calmed City’s nerves before he powered in Phil Foden’s corner 14 minutes from time. By that point Guardiola had summoned Haaland off the bench and he teed up the third for Kevin De Bruyne in stoppage time. “Big compliments to Plymouth for making our job so difficult.

Leverkusen stay in sight of Bayern before Champions League showdown

BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen cut Bayern Munich’s lead in the Bundesliga back to eight points ahead of the sides’ Champions League last 16 clash, with a 4-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Bayern’s comeback win over Stuttgart on Friday had sent them 11 points clear of champions Leverkusen. Wanting to keep their slim hopes of defending the Bundesliga title alive, Leverkusen did not blink against third-placed Frankfurt, scoring three goals in a seven-minute blitz to grab hold of the game. Nathan Tella latched onto a defense-splitting Granit Xhaka pass and slotted home after 26 minutes. Nordi Mukiele scored Leverkusen’s second three minutes later, prodding a loose ball into the goal through a crowded penalty area. Patrik Schick scored four minutes later, sliding in an Alex Grimaldo pass, his 16th goal in his past 14 games. Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike took advantage of a poor pass from Mukiele to score in the 37th minute. Despite the hosts starting the second half brightly, a cracking long-range effort from Aleix Garcia with 63 minutes gone sealed a crucial win for Xabi Alonso’s side, who go to Bayern in Europe on Wednesday. “It’s easy to talk, but to show it on the pitch is harder. We want to show once more that we can take the fight to Bayern,” Alonso told DAZN. Xhaka felt it was the perfect preparation for the all-German showdown. “We’re strong enough to aggravate Bayern next week.

Corner kick awarded if goalkeeper holds the ball more than 8 seconds

BELFAST: Soccer’s rule makers are taking another crack at reducing timewasting by goalkeepers who hold the ball for too long. The International Football Association Board approved a rule change Saturday whereby the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds. The new rule will first be used at the Club World Cup in June and then in domestic and international competitions from next season.

"His Legacy...": New Zealand Star Marvels About Virat Kohli Ahead Of His 300th ODI

Virat Kohli is set to play his 300th ODI on Sunday, and New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips said the Indian batting icon's "legacy" will shine through the years while "inspiring" generations of young cricketers. Kohli will become the seventh Indian player to achieve the feat after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh. “Obviously, he's an incredible player. And to know him a little bit personally myself is awesome," said Phillips, who once played alongside Kohli at IPL side Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

On India's 'Champions Trophy 2025 Venue Advantage' Row, New Zealand Star's Brutally Honest Verdict

New Zealand off-spinner Michael Bracewell on Friday brushed aside any talks about India getting an unfair advantage in the ongoing Champions Trophy by playing all their games in Dubai, simply saying that his team was "excited to try and play in different conditions". Rohit Sharma's team is playing all its matches in Dubai, and even the final will be held here if India goes the distance. New Zealand will be playing their first match of the tournament here -- against India on Sunday -- after their last two games were held in Pakistan. Some cricketers, including South African top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen and former Australia skipper Pat Cummins, have said India are in an advantageous position as they have played all their games at one venue while other teams have had to travel to different venues in Pakistan.

"Story Of Our Side...": Dejected Jos Buttler Slams England Performance After Embarrassing Loss vs South Africa

A dejected England captain Jos Buttler was at a loss for words as his side crumbled to a seven-wicket loss to South Africa on Saturday, describing their dismal batting performance as "the story of our side" as they ended their Champions Trophy campaign winless. It was a disappointing end to Buttler's ODI captaincy as England slumped to 179 all out, the lowest total of this edition so far, after he opted to bat. South Africa overhauled the target in just 29.1 overs. "A really disappointing performance. We were so far short of the mark there today. It was a decent surface - pretty slow but a bit two-paced. We're not going on and making those big, telling contributions which has been a story of this side for some time now with the bat," Buttler said at the post-match press conference.

Laurie Canter and Dylan Naidoo share lead going into last round of SA Open

Home favourite Dylan Naidoo rode a wave of spectator support to share the lead with Englishman Laurie Canter after the third round of the South African Open at the Durban Country Club on Saturday.

Young Leinster guns claim bonus win over Cardiff

Leinster's young guns helped to maintain the province's winning streak as they recorded a 42-24 bonus-point win over Cardiff.

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South Africa Sport News

Man City survive Plymouth scare, Palace’s Mateta hospitalized in Millwall win

Leverkusen stay in sight of Bayern before Champions League showdown

Corner kick awarded if goalkeeper holds the ball more than 8 seconds

"His Legacy...": New Zealand Star Marvels About Virat Kohli Ahead Of His 300th ODI

On India's 'Champions Trophy 2025 Venue Advantage' Row, New Zealand Star's Brutally Honest Verdict

"Story Of Our Side...": Dejected Jos Buttler Slams England Performance After Embarrassing Loss vs South Africa

Laurie Canter and Dylan Naidoo share lead going into last round of SA Open

Young Leinster guns claim bonus win over Cardiff