European wrap: Barcelona battle back twice at Mallorca
Barcelona twice fought back to secure a 2-2 draw at Mallorca on Tuesday, maintaining their unbeaten start to the La Liga season.
La Liga Sport News
Pochettino urges struggling Chelsea players to ‘believe’
LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino has urged his struggling Chelsea team to keep believing in themselves but admitted they had to “fix” their crippling goalscoring problem. The Blues, European champions just two years ago, are a lowly 14th in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone, after one win in their first six matches. Big-spending Chelsea have mustered just five goals in the league — and three of those came in the 3-0 win against newly-promoted Luton. But new manager Pochettino, speaking on the eve of their League Cup third-round match against Brighton, struck a positive note, saying his team were still a work in progress. “(It is) a very short time that we are together,” said the Argentine. “Realistically, we only started after the transfer window closed.
European round-up: Alvaro Morata strikes twice as Atletico Madrid end Real's run
Alvaro Morata struck with two headers as Atletico Madrid clinched a rare La Liga win over arch-rivals Real Madrid, winning 3-1 at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Newcastle thrash Sheffield United 8-0 in Premier League
SHEFFIELD: Newcastle came close to matching the Premier League's record margin of victory as they thrashed Sheffield United 8-0 at Bramall Lane on Sunday. Eddie Howe's side ran riot with goals from Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak. The biggest winning margin in the Premier League era is 9-0, a score recorded by Manchester United against Ipswich and Southampton in 1995 and 2021 respectively. Liverpool won 9-0 against Bournemouth last year, while Leicester managed it against Southampton in 2019. Sheffield United's largest ever league defeat sent the Blades to the bottom of the Premier League table. With just one point from their first six games back in the English top flight, Paul Heckingbottom's future as manager is now in doubt. "The first-half goals we conceded were really poor, but it's the second half I'm upset with," said Heckingbottom. "The errors that led to goals, a lot of things I'd never seen before, and there's certain things that aren't acceptable." Newcastle had lost three of their opening five league games of the season to dampen expectations that the Saudi-backed Magpies could challenge for the title. Howe's men had been in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday as they played out a 0-0 draw away to AC Milan. But Newcastle showed no signs of fatigue and they exhibited their strength in depth as they became the first side in Premier League history to have eight different scorers in one match, not including own goals. "I thought we were really good, and once the goals came the confidence returned," said Howe. "What a response from the players in the past week." Sheffield United had started the game
Xavi hails Barcelona's 'winning character' after thrilling fightback victory over Celta
Barcelona manager Xavi hailed his team's "winning character" after fighting back from two goals down to beat Celta Vigo 3-2 on Saturday and move to the top of La Liga.
Saudi Crown wins $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on sloppy track
BENSALEM, Pennsylvania: Saudi Crown led all the way to win the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby by a half-length on a sloppy track Saturday at Parx Racing.
Ten-man Man City show silk and steel to extend Premier League lead
MANCHESTER, UK: Manchester City moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League despite having Rodri sent-off in a fiery 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Phil Foden and Erling Haaland struck inside the first 15 minutes as City extended their perfect start in the Premier League to six games. Pep Guardiola’s men have now won 20 consecutive home matches in all competitions, but were made to work much harder by Rodri’s moment of madness. The Spaniard grabbed Morgan Gibbs-White around the neck less than 60 seconds into the second-half and could face a costly suspension as a three-game ban would see him miss the Premier League visit to Arsenal next month. “An exceptional game in the first-half. Exceptional game in the second for our resilience and our work because we played 52 minutes 10 against 11, so it was not easy but we were fantastic,” said Guardiola. “Hopefully Rodri will learn.
European round-up: Harry Kane-inspired Bayern Munich batter Bochum
Harry Kane was the star of the show with a hat-trick and two assists as Bayern Munich maintained their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga after hammering Bochum 7-0.