Rangers track defender Mbuyamba
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Aitana Bonmati reveals Spain ‘studied' goalkeeper before stunning Euro 2025 goal
Aitana Bonmati revealed Spain had spotted Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger 's tendency to step away from her near post after scoring from the tightest of angles to send the world champions into the Euro 2025 final. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner broke the deadlock in the 113th minute of the semi-final when she squeezed a shot from close to the byline past the Germany goalkeeper, as Spain set up a World Cup final rematch with European champions England on Sunday. Barcelona midfielder Bonmati confirmed after the match that she intended to shoot after Spain had studied Berger's positioning and found she often left the near post uncovered in anticipation of a cross or a pull-back. Berger had signalled to her defenders with her right arm, pointing towards the space in the penalty box, just as Bonmati unleashed a fierce strike of power and accuracy to find the narrow gap Berger had left behind. Breakthrough for Spain as Aitana Bonmati puts them ahead in extra-time! 👊 #BBCFootball #WEuro2025 — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 23, 2025 "We had studied Berger and sometimes the first post was left empty,' Bonmati told Spanish TV station RTVE, as world champions Spain progressed to their first ever European final. Berger had been Germany's hero in their penalty shoot-out win over France in the quarter-finals and had kept Germany in the game during the first half with a string of saves to deny Spain forward Esther Gonzalez. With the semi-final heading towards penalties, Bonmati broke the deadlock and the 1-0 victory meant that Spain defeated Germany for the first time at a major international tournament. "I'm proud because we deserve it,' Bonmati said. 'We had a tremendous championship. It was the first time we beat Germany, and on top of that, we reached the final." Bonmati has reached the Euro 2025 final after she was taken to hospital for treatment for viral meningitis the week before the tournament began. The 27-year-old only joined up with Spain's squad a few days before their opening game against Portugal but did not make her first start of the tournament until the third game against Italy. Bonmati has now produced magic moments to unlock both the quarter-finals and semi-finals for Spain, first setting up Athenea del Castillo's opener in the 2-0 win over Switzerland with a clever assist and then scoring from a tight angle to send Spain into the final.
The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Germany offer steely resilience but Bonmatí's moment of magic solves puzzle
It took just one moment. One clever movement into space, one cutting through pass and one brilliant finish for Spain to finally undo a resilient German defence. When Aitana Bonmatí angled home a shot from a tight angle deep into extra time, she not only sent her side through to a final of a women's Euros for the first time but also proved so much about the strength, both physically and mentally, of this dominant Spanish team. It was perhaps inevitable that Bonmatí would be the one to find the answers to the puzzle Germany had placed in front of them for the best part of 112 minutes. For she has done the same so often for this Spanish side. One of the glittering jewels at the heart of their midfield, the 27-year-old more often than not is the one who can find that little bit of extra space to lose a defender with the deftest of touches. Perhaps the biggest lesson for La Roja on this cool summer night in Zurich was one of patience. Whatever their opponents threw at them, the end result for Montse Tomé's side seemed inevitable. They bided their time and pounced at just the right moment. It was hard fought and not particularly pretty but this was their first victory against Germany and one that put them one step away from the only trophy yet to make it to their cabinet. When looking at the numbers, they out-possessed, out-passed and out-created their opponents as they have done to so many others before them. And yet it did not seem like that on the night as Germany defended with a steely resilience that they have seemingly only newly discovered. Christian Wück's team went about the task of defending with bravery, seemingly tireless despite having gone through a gruelling 120-minute quarter-final with France just days earlier, 107 of those with 10 players. It was an experience that turned out to be the perfect preparation against the world champions. An example of the power of the collective rather than the brilliance of the individual. There will be huge disappointment in defeat for Wück's side but there will be a strong feeling that this group of players have discovered a toughness about themselves that they did not previously know they had. This performance, as with the one against France, was a stark contrast from that that had seen them get torn apart by Sweden just 10 days before. The two versions of this team could not be more Jekyll and Hyde. That is not to say that Wück's side does not contain a plethora of characters. They are certainly not lacking in that department but alongside the quality of its individuals, this German side look to be slowly becoming a sum of its parts. Leading from the back is the quietly brilliant Ann-Katrin Berger who possesses an equal penchant for the spectacular as she does the moments of madness. The former trait was on display once again tonight as she produced a world-class stop to deny Esther González a certain opener. Klara Bühl never stopped running, tearing through the Spanish defence with pace but just lacking the crucial end product that could have turned the game in their favour. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Wück and his Germany side fought with their backs to the wall, the head coach only able to name two recognised defenders on the bench. Not that he could actually use those two, however, with captain Giulia Gwinn sitting in a knee brace and Sarai Linder next to her out after straining her ankle ligaments. With Sjoeke Nüsken and experienced Kathrin Hendrich suspended, an already light-looking side had to dig in deep against La Roja. This is perhaps why they eventually ran out of steam and failed to keep up with Spain in the final moments. There was just one run, one incisive pass, one clever movement too many for the tiring Germans to handle. It is safe to say, however, that both teams will have learned something significant about their characters over the course of two hours in Zurich. One always had to go home, one always had to progress but there are foundations to be taken for both as they continue their respective journeys.
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Cardinals rookie DE Walter Nolen III (calf) to miss start of camp
July 23 - Arizona Cardinals first-round pick Walter Nolen III is sidelined with a calf injury and there is no timeline for his return. The 21-year-old defensive lineman, selected 16th overall in the 2025 draft, was injured in offseason workouts, coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters on Wednesday. Gannon didn't rule out that the injury could stretch into the regular season. "I don't know that," Gannon told reporters. "I really don't. We'll see how it goes. Each one's a little bit different. Each injury's a little bit different. Each guy's a little bit different." Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (neck) and outside linebacker BJ Ojulari (knee) will also be sidelined when Arizona opens training camp on Thursday. Nichols was limited to six games (five starts) due to stinger issues last season. Ojulari missed the entire season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during 2024 training camp. "They want to be out there with their teammates and practice," Gannon said. "We need all three. But when they're healthy, they'll play." Nolen was a consensus All-American last season while racking up 14 tackles for loss (including 6.5 sacks) for Ole Miss. He spent his previous two college seasons at Texas A&M. Nichols, 28, has 248 tackles and 14 sacks in 100 games (88 starts) over eight seasons with the Chicago Bears (2018-21), Las Vegas Raiders (2022-23) and Cardinals. Ojulari, 23, had 40 tackles and four sacks while playing in all 17 games as a reserve as a rookie in 2023. --Field Level Media
