arabnews.com - Bayern held at Union Berlin to leave title door ajar

Bayern held at Union Berlin to leave title door ajar

BERLIN: Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at Union Berlin on Saturday, giving defending champions Bayer Leverkusen an outside chance of dragging themselves back into the Bundesliga title race. Bayern, who also dropped points in a surprise loss at home to Bochum last week, could be just six points ahead if Leverkusen win at Stuttgart on Sunday. Bayern had most of the ball but struggled to break through a resolute Union defense. With few chances in the opening period, Bayern’s best chance came after 51 minutes when Harry Kane drilled a free-kick through the wall but into the palms of Frederik Ronnow. Leroy Sane put the visitors ahead after 75 minutes when he skated through a crowded penalty area to tap in a Josip Stanisic pass. Union were however the better team after the goal and the hosts levelled through Benedict Hollerbach, who was on the spot to take advantage of an error from rookie goalkeeper Jonas Urbig. Union rose in intensity in the dying stages but were unable to land the killer blow which would have seen them beat Bayern for the first time in their history, on their 12th attempt. Despite hovering dangerously close to the relegation spots for much of the season, Union have a strong record at home against the league’s best sides. Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz, Freiburg and now Bayern have all left Berlin without winning. Unlikely Champions League candidates Mainz and Freiburg drew 2-2 draw.

Barca’s Flick demands ‘focus’ ahead of crunch Atletico clash

BARCELONA: Hansi Flick warned his Barcelona stars they need to focus to avoid crumbling against Atletico Madrid on Sunday in La Liga as they have in their previous two meetings this season. Leaders Barcelona are a point ahead of Diego Simeone’s Atletico, third, going into the huge title clash at the Metropolitano stadium in the Spanish capital. Barcelona led against Atletico in the first league match in December but Rodrigo De Paul levelled for the visitors and Alexander Sorloth hit a 96th minute winner which helped them usurp the Catalans at the top of the table. Then in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg Barcelona let in two goals in the first six minutes and two late goals, including another Sorloth stoppage time strike in a wild 4-4 draw. “I think we have had really two great matches and of course we have to be focussed from begninning to the end of the match,” Flick told reporters Saturday. “I think in the first match, at the end of the match we were not so focussed like we can be, and also the second match was (the same) in the beginning and also at the end, so we have to take care about that. “When you make mistakes Atletico can hurt you and this is what we have to defend against.” Atletico Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday on penalties by rivals Real Madrid, while Barcelona beat Benfica to reach the quarter-finals. Former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez scored a penalty in the shoot-out for Atletico which was controversially disallowed because he may have touched the ball twice when he slipped as he took it. “It was an unlucky situation, I feel for him, he’s one of the best strikers,” said Flick, adding that it was “not a problem” for Atletico to have played 120 minutes

Norris edges Piastri for pole as McLaren lock out Melbourne front row

MELBOURNE: Lando Norris clinched pole position on Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals. In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne’s Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in tense qualifying. Mercedes’ George Russell will keep Red Bull’s four-time world champion company on the second row. Lewis Hamilton will start in eighth on his Ferrari debut. “It’s the perfect way to start the year. A big congrats to the team, everyone has done an amazing job to start with a one-two,” said Norris after his 10th career pole. “But it is just quali, right? Let’s see tomorrow,” he added. “The car is extremely quick. When you put it together it is unbelievable, but it is hard to put it together. “I’m never going to get ahead of myself, I’m confident the car is in a good place but we have never run it in the wet.” The forecast for Sunday’s race is cooler temperatures and rain. Norris eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of one minute 15.096 seconds on soft tires, 0.084sec ahead of Piastri. “Pretty happy, great to start the year on the front row,” said Piastri. “Pretty happy with how qualifying went but just not quite enough in Q3, but it is a long season so a good start,” added the Australian. “Maybe left a little bit on the table.” No Australian driver has won their home race since Alan Jones in 1980, but that was a non-championship race before Australia was added to the F1 calendar in 1985. Verstappen, who was the pole-sitter in 2023 and 2024, was three-tenths behind Norris. But his rookie teammate Liam Lawson, who replaced the underperforming Sergio Perez, failed to get out of Q1.

Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr to third in table

JEDDAH: Cristiano Ronaldo scored again to set Al-Nassr on their way to a 3-1 victory over Al-Kholood on Friday to move them into third in the table and keep their faint Saudi Pro League title hopes alive.

Tuchel calls up Marcus Rashford and ‘serial winner’ Jordan Henderson to his first England squad

LONDON: Thomas Tuchel praised Jordan Henderson as “a serial winner” in welcoming him and a resurgent Marcus Rashford back to the England team on Friday. Tuchel included the pair in his first squad as England coach ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley Stadium. Both Henderson and Rashford missed out on last summer’s European Championship under then-coach Gareth Southgate and faced uncertain international futures. But now they’re contenders for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. “Jordan is, first of all, a serial winner,” Tuchel said of the Ajax midfielder. “What he brings to every team is leadership, character, personality, energy, make sure that everyone lives by the standards.” The 34-year-old Henderson helped Liverpool win both the Champions League (2019) and Premier League (2020) before leaving in 2023 for Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

4Aces take LIV Golf Singapore team lead after Johnson’s 8-under 63

SINGAPORE: 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson is back to full strength — and back at the top of the leaderboard. Johnson leads LIV Golf Singapore presented by Aramco by three shots after a bogey-free 63 in Friday’s opening round at Sentosa Golf Club. His 8-under round matches his best single-round LIV Golf performance, relative to par, in 109 career regular-season rounds. His 4Aces, seeking their first win since 2023, lead the team competition by two strokes over Torque GC. A week ago in Hong Kong, the 40-year-old Johnson woke up prior to the first round with a sore right shoulder that limited his range of motion.

Baniyas crowned Mother of the Nation Jiu-Jitsu Cup champions in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI: Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club emerged as champions in the Mother of the Nation Jiu-Jitsu Cup, which concluded on Thursday at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy. The two-day event, which showcased elite female jiu-jitsu athletes, saw Al-Jazira finish second and Al-Ain take third place. Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohammed Al-Hashmi, chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, president of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union, and senior vice president of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, congratulated the winning clubs while acknowledging their role in supporting athletes by providing a well-rounded sports environment that enhanced their readiness and offered real opportunities for competition and growth. Al-Hashmi said: “The incredible success of jiu-jitsu in the UAE is made possible by the limitless support of the country’s wise leadership and its commitment to developing talent. “The achievements of Emirati women in local and international competitions demonstrate the success of the federation’s strategy in building a solid foundation of female athletes capable of competing globally and bringing pride to the nation.” Baniyas’ Asma Al-Hosani, a gold medalist in the adults’ 57 kg category, said: “This victory is the result of months of hard work, refining both physical and mental skills. “Winning requires more than strength: It demands strategy, adaptability, and teamwork.

Germany recall Goretzka and Adeyemi for Italy Nations League tie

BERLIN: Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Thursday recalled the in-form Leon Goretzka and Karim Adeyemi to his squad for the two-legged Nations League quarter-final tie with Italy. Injuries to key players including Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, Niclas Fuellkrug and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen necessitated several changes as Germany look to reach the final four of the Nations League for the first time. Bayern Munich midfielder Goretzka last played for Germany in 2023 but has regained the form of a few years ago. Nagelsmann, who coached him at Bayern, said: “Leon is in a very good phase from a sporting perspective.” Adeyemi has not pulled on a Germany senior shirt since 2022 and this is the first time Nagelsmann has selected him. Appointed Germany manager in September 2023, Nagelsmann has repeatedly selected on form rather than reputation, having regularly left big names out of the squad. On Thursday, Nagelsmann said he selected “players who play regularly for the club” and added he wanted players to be “on fire (and) show their spirit even if they don’t play from the start.” Midfielder Nadiem Amiri has been chosen for the first time in five years as he benefits from Mainz’s rise to third spot in the table. Inter Milan center-back Yann Aurel Bisseck, 24, is the only debutant. “We’ve got great respect for him,” Nagelsmann said of Bisseck, adding “he’s got a lot of talent and brings plenty to the table.” Manchester City back-up Stefan Ortega joins Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann and Stuttgart’s Alexander Nuebel, on loan from Bayern, as the goalkeepers. Nagelsmann did not indicate which of the three would play but said he would opt for the same player for both games. The coach complained about the scheduling of the Bundesliga, with

Contacts

Arabnews.com Sport News

Bayern held at Union Berlin to leave title door ajar

Barca’s Flick demands ‘focus’ ahead of crunch Atletico clash

Norris edges Piastri for pole as McLaren lock out Melbourne front row

Ronaldo leads Al-Nassr to third in table

Tuchel calls up Marcus Rashford and ‘serial winner’ Jordan Henderson to his first England squad

4Aces take LIV Golf Singapore team lead after Johnson’s 8-under 63

Baniyas crowned Mother of the Nation Jiu-Jitsu Cup champions in Abu Dhabi

Germany recall Goretzka and Adeyemi for Italy Nations League tie