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Fenerbahce’s Mourinho banned for three games after nose grab incident in Istanbul derby

ISTANBUL: Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has been banned for three matches and handed a fine of around 6,000 pounds ($7,734.00) after grabbing the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk in the Istanbul derby, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on Saturday. The incident occurred at the end of the Turkish Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, which Mourinho’s side lost 2-1 at home. A mass scuffle had broken out between both sets of players, with the referee sending three players off, two from Galatasaray, and after the final whistle the 62-year-old Portuguese appeared to pinch Buruk’s nose who then fell dramatically to the ground. “Mourinho shall be banned from entering the dressing room and the bench for three official matches,” TFF said in a statement. Mourinho will miss the games against Trabzonspor, Sivasspor and Kayserispor. Fenerbahce are second in the Super Lig, trailing leaders Galatasaray by six points with a game in hand.

Arsenal held by Everton, Wolves push Ipswich closer to relegation

LONDON: Arsenal’s faint hopes of catching Premier League leaders Liverpool are almost over after their 1-1 draw at Everton, while Wolves pushed Ipswich closer to relegation with a 2-1 win on Saturday. Leandro Trossard’s opener for the Gunners was canceled out by Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty to leave Arsenal trailing 11 points behind Liverpool, who travel to Fulham on Sunday. Liverpool now need just 11 points from their remaining eight games to secure a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title and first since 2020. With just two wins in their last six league matches, Arsenal have tamely surrendered in the title race and are destined to go another year without their first English crown since 2004. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had said the best preparation for his side’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid would be to win at Goodison Park. But the Spaniard showed he had one eye on the visit of the European champions with his team selection. Bukayo Saka was forced to wait for his first start since December as the England international was left on the bench alongside Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey. “This is a very tough place to come, a team who is very physical and direct. If you don’t deal with it, it’s hard to get momentum.

Last-gasp Buendia goal keeps Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes alive

HEIDENHEIM, Germany: Emiliano Buendia snatched a stoppage-time winner to take Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-0 win at Heidenheim on Saturday, keeping their slim hopes of defending their league title alive. Eliminated from the German Cup by third-division Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday, Leverkusen needed a win to stay six points behind league leaders Bayern Munich, who won 3-1 at Augsburg on Friday. Xabi Alonso’s side looked out of ideas in attack against the relegation candidates, missing the creative spark of injured playmaker Florian Wirtz. However, as they have done so often under the Spaniard, Leverkusen scored in injury time to grab all three points, Buendia curling home from outside the box on 91 minutes. Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah said: “We didn’t play a good game at all... It was difficult today — at the end we needed a bit of luck.” “We needed to win today, we did it, job done — and now we’re still in with a shot,” Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka told Sky Germany. The goal was Buendia’s first since arriving on loan from Aston Villa and may prove crucial to Leverkusen’s hopes of catching up with an injury-ravaged Bayern side, with six games in the season remaining.

City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United

MANCHESTER: The 196th Manchester Derby will be the last for longtime Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who announced this week he will be leaving the club at the end of the season. De Bruyne will compete for the 22nd time in a City shirt against the club’s crosstown rival in a Sunday clash at Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The match also will have European implications for the Cityzens (15-9-6, 51 points). The 33-year-old Belgian has three goals and six assists against the Red Devils (10-13-7, 37 points) across those previous 21 fixtures, with seven of those goal involvements coming in Premier League meetings. That record speaks to a greater legacy as a foundational piece of City’s growth into a titan of English and European football.

Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings to extend winning run in IPL

CHENNAI: Lokesh Rahul led the way with 77 off 51 balls as Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs on Saturday to continue their winning start in the Indian Premier League. Rahul hit a maiden half-century for his new franchise, including six fours and three sixes, as Delhi notched up 183-6 in 20 overs. Abishek Porel contributed 33 off 20 balls. In reply, Chennai were restricted to 158-5 (20 overs), with their top-order lacking the firepower needed for such a chase. It was Delhi’s third straight win to start off this season — only the second time they have achieved this feat in IPL history, the last such occasion was in 2009. The Capitals thus climbed atop the points’ table with six points.

Musiala hamstring tear compounds Bayern’s injury crisis

MUNICH: Bayern Munich on Saturday confirmed midfielder Jamal Musiala was set for a stint on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring, as the injury-hit side’s troubles deepen. Musiala, 22, was helped from the pitch in the second half of Bayern’s 3-1 win at Augsburg on Friday, having motioned to the bench while grabbing at the back of his left thigh. Bayern on Saturday issued a statement saying the club would “be without Jamal Musiala for the time being” following an “examination from the club’s medical department.” The German giants did not provide a time-frame for Musiala’s recovery, but domestic media reported he was set to miss six to eight weeks given the serious nature of the tear. The upcoming period is crucial for Bayern in the Champions League and the Bundesliga. Bayern host Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, before the return match in Italy the following Wednesday. The Bavarians also have six more Bundesliga fixtures to play, but hold a nine point advantage over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who have a game in hand. To add further fuel to their fire, the Champions League final will take place on May 31 in Bayern’s own Allianz Arena. After the European season ends, Bayern will take part in the expanded Club World Cup in the United States in July. But the Bavarians are currently in the midst of an injury crisis, with several first team players sidelined for long periods. Defenders Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito look set to miss the remainder of the season with various injuries. Goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer, winger Kingsley Coman and midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic are also out with injury and have unclear timelines for a return. Bayern

Inter and Milan draw 1-1 in first leg of Italian Cup semifinals

MILAN: Inter Milan’s chances of a treble remain alive, as do AC Milan’s hopes of sneaking into Europe after the city rivals drew 1-1 in the first leg of their Italian Cup semifinal on Wednesday. Hakan Çalhanoğlu thumped in the equalizer against his former club in the 67th minute after Milan forward Tammy Abraham had netted the opener less than two minutes into the second half. Bologna beat Empoli 3-0 on Tuesday in the other semifinal. The return legs are scheduled for April 23-24. Inter is on the hunt to repeat a treble haul of trophies it achieved in 2010 under Jose Mourinho.

Stuttgart beat Leipzig to reach German Cup final

STUTTGART, Germany: Stuttgart set up a German Cup final clash with third-division Arminia Bielefeld after a 3-1 win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday. Under the watchful eyes of Jurgen Klopp, the new head of global soccer for Leipzig’s owners Red Bull, the visitors were outclassed by a strong Stuttgart side. Goals from Angelo Stiller, Nick Woltemade and Jamie Leweling took Stuttgart to victory, putting them on track for a first German Cup triumph since 1997. The victory continues Stuttgart’s rise since former Leipzig youth-team coach Sebastian Hoeness took over in April 2023. “We’re going to Berlin,” Hoeness told Germany’s ZDF. “Unbelievable. The lads are unbelievable...

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Bundesliga Sport News

Fenerbahce’s Mourinho banned for three games after nose grab incident in Istanbul derby

Arsenal held by Everton, Wolves push Ipswich closer to relegation

Last-gasp Buendia goal keeps Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes alive

City’s Kevin De Bruyne set for last clash vs. Manchester United

Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings to extend winning run in IPL

Musiala hamstring tear compounds Bayern’s injury crisis

Inter and Milan draw 1-1 in first leg of Italian Cup semifinals

Stuttgart beat Leipzig to reach German Cup final