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Manchester City Into First UCL Semi-finals Under Guardiola, Real Madrid Also Through

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Phil Foden got the winner again as Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

 

It was a feat being achieved for the first time under manager Pep Guardiola.

 

Foden was on target in the 75th minute after Riyad Mahrez’ penalty kick had cancelled out Borussia Dortmund’s first-half lead through Jude Bellingham.

 

Manchester City advanced 4-2 on aggregate, having also topped the first quarter-final 2-1 last week from Foden’s late strike.

 

They now face last year’s finalists Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the last four which they only reached once previously in 2016.

 

They have gone out in the last 16 and three quarter-finals under the reign of Guardiola who lifted the trophy with FC Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

 

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’s PSG, who ousted holders Bayern Munich the previous day, and Manchester City badly want to win the elite event a first time.

 

Now, one of them is assured of a place in the May 29 final in Istanbul.

 

“This club and this team deserve it. We are grateful for being in a great competition

and reaching the semi-finals for the first time with this team.

 

“Obviously we are very happy about it,” Manchester City’s German midfielder Ilkay Guendogan said.

 

Record 13-time winners Real Madrid are also in the semi-finals as a 0-0 draw at Anfield on the day completed a 3-1 aggregate win over 2019 champions Liverpool.

 

Their opponents in the last four scheduled for April 27/28 and May 5/6 are Chelsea who eliminated FC Porto on Tuesday.

 

England teenager Bellingham scored his first Bundesliga goal on the weekend, and followed up against Manchester City when he fired into the top right corner for a Borussia Dortmund dream start.

 

Manchester City stepped up the pace and went in search of a goal needed to avoid elimination, with Kevin de Bruyne denied by the crossbar and Mahrez’ shot blocked by Bellingham.

 

They were level in the 54th minute from Mahrez’ penalty kick into the right corner.

 

It was awarded and then confirmed by the video assistant referee after Germany defender Emre Can headed a cross onto his own outstretched arm.

 

Borussia Dortmund’s fate was sealed in the 75th minute when Foden surprised goalkeeper Marwin Hitz with a shot into the near right corner off a corner-kick.

 

“After conceding the first goal, we were able to get hold of possession and create chances.

 

“Our target was to score the first goal of the second half and get the game back into our hands. That’s exactly what we did,” Guendogan said.

 

At Anfield, Liverpool had to apologise for a window of Real Madrid’s team bus being smashed by fans on their arrival before starting strongly into their comeback attempt.

 

Mohamed Salah aimed right at goalkeeper Thibault Courtois from 10 metres two minutes into the game, and the Belgian made another big save against James Milner’s curling effort.

 

Real Madrid almost wrapped up the tie when Karim Benzema’s effort was deflected against the goalpost.

 

Georginio Wijnaldum aimed high for the Reds who eventually failed to create a similar comeback as two years ago when they ousted FC Barcelona 4-0 after losing 3-0 in Spain.

 

Like Borussia Dortmund, they are now in danger of missing out on UEFA Champions League football next season owing to their league placing.

 

“The performance, intensity and desire were good, but we could not take the chances we had and that was the difference,” Milner said. (dpa/NAN)

 

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Paris Games: Oshoala, Ihezuo missing as ten Falcons commence training in Spain

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Ten players of the nations female national team, the Super Falcons, were in camp as the team commenced training in Sevilla, Spain,  for the Paris 2024 Olympics Games
It was gathered the latest arrival in camp was former Juventus midfielder Echegini. The American-born Nigeria international breezed into the team’s base on Saturday afternoon.
Twelve players are yet to hit the team’s camp, including Chiwendu Ihezuo and Asisat Oshoala ahead of the team’s international friendly against holders Canada on July 17.
Earlier, eight players, including captain Rasheedat Ajibade and midfielder Christy Ucheibe arrived in Spain from the Nigeria on Friday morning.
Randy Waldrum’s side suffered a huge blow with the injury to midfield meastro Halimatu Ayinde and the American gaffer is expected to name a replacement from four alternate players – Ifeoma Onumonu, Gift Monday, Morufa Ademola and Jumoke Alani.
Nigeria who are playing in the football event of the Olympics for the first time in 16 years, are in Group C  alongside heavyweights Spain and Brazil and Asian side Japan.
They will start their Paris 2024 campaign against Brazil on July 25. Once done, they square up against the Spaniards three days later before locking horns with Japan on July 31.

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PSG, Chelsea, Arsenal will pay €90 million for Osimhen.

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According to the Italian publication II Mattino, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to make an offer of €90 million for Victor Osimhen, the top striker for Napoli.

According to the report, Osimhen’s contract has a release clause worth about €120 million, although Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis might accept a price less than that.
The Nigerian forward signed a new contract with Napoli last December, but the club is ready to let go of him at the end of the current campaign.

PSG, Chelsea, and Arsenal have all been mentioned frequently as potential suitors for the forward.

To resolve the striker’s future, intermediaries are allegedly collaborating with Roberto Calenda, his agent.
Osimhen, who left Ligue 1 team Lille in 2022 to join Napoli, has made 125 appearances for the Partenopei and scored 72 goals.

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Maduka Okoye Wins Player Of The Month Award At Udinese

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Super Eagles of Nigeria goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye has won Udinese’s Player of the Month Award for February after having one of the best runs of his football career.

Maduka Okoye is just coming out from a very difficult phase of his football career after losing his place in his club and international teams.

Recall that after the 24-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper made an error that contributed to the Super Eagles’ exit from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, the goalkeeper has found it impossible to retain his first spot in the team.

Things got more complicated for Maduka Okoye when former Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, didn’t invite him for the just concluded 2023 AFCON in which Chippa United goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali made his name and grabbed the team’s first spot.

As he was struggling with the national team, Okoye was also struggling in Europe as he couldn’t get game time at Championship side, Watford.

His lack of game time forced him to move to Udinese on August 24, 2023. Initially, Okoye couldn’t make the first team at the Italian side until last January.

Okoye’s best month at the club came in February 2024 in which he helped the struggling team to win two games, draw once, and suffer one defeat. The Nigerian out-of-favour goalkeeper kept two clean sheets in the said month.

Due to that, before Udinese’s 2-0 defeat at home to Torino on Saturday, March 16, the Italian Serie A club presented him with the Player of the Month Award.

Note that the Nigeria international has made 13 Serie A appearances for the Italian club in which he conceded 18 goals. Football statistics platform, Opta, claimed that Maduka Okoye has never made an error leading to a goal since he joined Udinese.

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