Real Madrid oust Juventus
ATLANTA: Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday to set up a Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund, who edged Mexican side Monterrey. Serhou Guirassy struck twice for the German outfit as they scraped past Sergio Ramos' side 2-1 in a tight last-16 clash in Atlanta and denied the former Real Madrid skipper a match-up against his former team.
Youngster Gonzalo Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament to help Madrid edge Italian side Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami earlier. It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso's Madrid side, unbeaten under the new coach, and they were further boosted by Kylian Mbappe's return from illness as a substitute. 'We had a lot of chances in the second half, but their goalkeeper was really good,' said Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois.
The first half was a finely-balanced contest with Igor Tudor's Juventus starting brightly before Real ended it on top. Los Blancos kept turning the screw and found their goal when Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed for Gonzalo to head home after 54 minutes.
Alonso decided to introduce Mbappe to the delight of the 62,149 crowd but the striker did not find any clear openings as Juve pushed for an equalizer. Madrid's coach was pleased with his team's performance, including that of Gonzalo — who he had compared to former Real great Raul — but also suggested that Mbappe might be ready for a bigger contribution in the next game. 'We will keep watching him ... I think he will be much better for the quarters,' Alonso said.
Alonso added that he was satisfied to see Real produce the necessary grit to grind out the result in the second half. 'We had to be patient, we had to mature into the game,' said the coach. 'With the players and myself, you know you have to grit your teeth and do what you have to do. And in the end, we had to hold on a bit, and I'm happy about that too.' Juve boss Tudor said his team became exhausted as the game developed. 'In the end there were 10 of them asking to be substituted. Obviously you can't do that but there was an incredible tiredness,' he said, offering his reasons. 'There is the tension of the game which burns energy but then there is the heat and humidity,' explained Tudor, also noting they were at the end of a long season.
Real Madrid's coach Xabi Alonso gives instructions to Kylian Mbappe during the match.
ATLANTA: Borussia Dortmund's Guinean forward Serhou Guirassy scores his team's first goal during the match between Dortmund and Mexico's Monterrey.
Dortmund deny Ramos
In Atlanta, Guirassy's brace was enough to help Dortmund past Monterrey in a hard-fought clash, setting them up to play a Madrid side who beat them in the 2024 Champions League final. 'Real has a great team, they have many good individual players,' Dortmund coach Niko Kovac told reporters. 'If we put everything on the pitch, (giving) the same performance as we saw today, I think that we will have a good chance.'
Guirassy netted a first-half double but German Berterame pulled one back for the Mexican side who came close to an equalizer when a late Ramos header span just wide. 'I think I could have scored at least three goals but I am happy to have helped the team win,' Guirassy told broadcaster DAZN. After grinding through several games in the blazing afternoon sun during the group stage, Dortmund were grateful to be at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium and played at a faster pace in Atlanta. Karim Adeyemi set up both of Guirassy's goals as the Guinea international reached 37 for the season across all competitions.
A booking for Jobe Bellingham means he will be suspended for the clash against his brother Jude's Real Madrid side. However Dortmund almost missed out entirely as Monterrey hit back in the second half, but after Berterame headed home to reduce the gap, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made several good saves to keep them at bay. Ramos, sent up front for the final stages, put a header agonizingly wide in stoppage time as he tried to deliver on his penchant for late, decisive moments, like in Madrid's 2014 Champions League final triumph. 'The crowd and our fans and the people who understand about football, they saw that the team gave everything,' Ramos told DAZN, proud of his side's efforts. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Zverev revelations spark discussion about mental health
LONDON: Mental health is not often spoken about in tennis but the three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev's candid revelations at Wimbledon have made it a talking point at this year's tournament. The German third seed told reporters after a disappointing first round exit he often struggled — both on and off the court. 'I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally.... I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment,' he said. 'I've never felt this empty before.... Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well,' the 28-year-old former Olympic champion added. His comments come four years after former women's world number one Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open revealing she had suffered for a long time with depression. Asked about Zverev's remarks the 27-year-old replied she wasn't sure if she was the 'person that should be giving advice'. 'Life is serious and not serious at the same time,' she said, adding that she didn't play at England's Queen's Club tennis tournament last month because 'mentally I didn't feel ready after losing in the French'. 'So I skipped that,' she said. Zverev, who reached the Australian Open final in January, said on Tuesday he lacked motivation in life and for the first time probably needed to consider therapy. He said even when he was winning he did not feel happy or motivated to keep going. 'Talk openly' His frank comments prompted Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka, 27, to urge him to continue to 'talk openly', adding she had previously been in therapy for five years. 'I think it's really important to be open and to talk about what are you experiencing because if you're going to keep it inside, it's just going to destroy you,' she said. 'The moment you start talk about your problems, you kind of start realizing a lot of things... helping to solve them,' she added. Tenth seed Emma Navarro, 24, said it was difficult for players to stay positive 'when you're losing most weeks'. 'We have ourselves as our own critics, and then however many other people out there who are equally as critical,' the US player said. She added she had 'built a bit of a hard shell around me' to cope with the pressures. But she said she was often alarmed by the criticism and attention, both positive and negative, directed at young women players still in their teens. 'I think it's really tough as a teenager to be exposed to that type of attention. It's a little bit scary because you're so impressionable at that age.' 'I cringe a little when I see younger kids dealing with that much attention,' she said. For fellow American Madison Keys, 30, one major problem was the all consuming nature of players' lives. 'From a pretty young age... our identity becomes very wrapped up in being a tennis player. That's great, but when you have the tough kind of weeks, months, years on tour, that can really take a toll on how you think about yourself as a person.' She urged players to surround themselves with a 'really great support system and.... don't go on Twitter (X)'. — AFP
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
‘Exceptional player, exceptional boy': Diogo Jota hailed
LIVERPOOL: Diogo Jota was quickly hailed by the Liverpool support as 'better than (Luis) Figo' and the shocking death of the Portuguese international on Thursday has left the English champions in mourning. The 28-year-old died alongside his younger brother Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames. A product of the Pacos de Ferreira academy on the outskirts of his native Porto, Jota made his name and played the majority of his professional career in the Premier League. His precocious talent caught the eye of Atletico Madrid who snapped him up in 2016 but he never played a game for the Spanish giants. Instead, after a loan spell at Porto, Jota was among the first wave of Portuguese talent parachuted into England at then second-tier Wolves due to the club's connections with super-agent Jorge Mendes. Jota's goals helped fire Wolves from the Championship to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in just three seasons. That caught the eye of Liverpool, who splashed out a £45 million ($62 million) transfer fee for the versatile forward even in the midst of the economic meltdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. 'Exceptional player, exceptional boy,' said former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during Jota's early days at Anfield. 'He has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs.' Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool's investment, becoming the first player in the club's history to score in his first four home games. Once supporters were back in the stands after the pandemic, Jota's popularity was reflected in a chant proclaiming him to be better than Portugal legend Figo, who played for Real Madrid and Barcelona during his decorated career. He was a key part of the side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple. MUNICH: Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo (second left) celebrates scoring their first goal with Portugal's forward Diogo Jota (left) during a EURO 2020 match between Portugal and Germany. 'Extraordinary person' In total, Jota struck 65 times in 182 appearances for the Reds, the last of which won the Merseyside derby against Everton in April to edge Liverpool ever closer to a record-equaling 20th English top-flight title. But not for the first time in Liverpool's rich history, tragedy has struck to overshadow triumph. Jota's last public act as a player on Merseyside was taking part in the trophy parade through the city, which will be remembered for a car ploughing into the crowds, injuring 109 people. Fans began laying shirts, scarves and flowers in tribute at Anfield, where there is a permanent memorial to the 97 fans killed in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 which still leaves a scar on the club. Cristiano Ronaldo was among those to express his disbelief that his international team-mate has passed. 'It makes no sense,' the five-time Ballon d'Or winner posted on social media. 'Rest in Peace, Diogo and Andre. We will all miss you.' Ronaldo and Jota, who won 49 caps for his country, had been part of the Portugal team that won the Nations League last month. Jota then wed his long-time partner and mother of his three children, Rute Cardoso, less than two weeks ago. 'Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all team-mates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in his community,' said Portuguese football federation Pedro Proenca. Off the field, Jota was well-known for his passion for video games and even had his own esports team Luna Esports. During the pandemic, he won a Premier League competition among players on the FIFA game, defeating future team-mate Trent Alexander Arnold in the final. His passing was described by Liverpool as an 'unimaginable loss' not just of a star player but as a newlywed husband and father of three. — AFP
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Sabalenka tells troubled Zverev to talk to family about mental health
LONDON: Germany's Alexander Zverev plays a forehand return to France's Arthur Rinderknech during their men's singles first round tennis match. — AFP LONDON: World number one Aryna Sabalenka has urged Alexander Zverev to talk to his family about his mental health issues before they 'destroy' him. German world number three Zverev opened up about his mental struggles, saying he felt 'alone' and 'empty' after a shock Wimbledon first-round defeat against France's Arthur Rinderknech on Tuesday. 'Maybe for the first time in my life I'll probably need it,' the 28-year-old told reporters when asked if he would see a therapist to help with his problems. 'I've been through a lot of difficulties. I've never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy in everything that I do. It's not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well.' The three-time Grand Slam finalist's cry for help brought a sympathetic response from top-seeded women's star Sabalenka. Speaking after her Wimbledon second-round win against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic on Wednesday, the Belarusian revealed she used to speak to a therapist, before deciding it was better to share her problems with her family. Reigning US Open champion Sabalenka, 27, believes Zverev should follow the same path. 'Well, I had a therapist five years in my career. I stopped maybe in 2022. But it's actually crazy to hear from someone like Alexander because he surrounded himself with the family, you know?' Sabalenka said. 'It's really important to talk openly about whatever you're dealing with. Especially if you have your family, talk about what are you experiencing because if you're going to keep it inside, it's just going to destroy you. 'I think that's kind of like something happening to him. He just needs to open up to whoever is close to him. Like I think family is the best, people who can accept whatever you're dealing with.' Zverev's frank admission sparked concerns about his welfare and Sabalenka said being more open is the only way to feel positive. 'The moment you start talk about your problems, you kind of start realizing a lot of things. It's helping to solve them,' she said. 'So he just has to be a bit more open, not only to himself but just like open to his family, team, just so everyone is aware what is going on through his mind. That's the most important. 'Like me with my team, we always talk a lot. So that's why I don't need a therapist, because I have my team. We can talk about whatever. I know they're not going to judge me. They're not going to blame me. They're just going to accept it, and we are just going to work through. This is the best advice I can give Sascha.' — AFP
