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Real Madrid Seals the Deal: Girona Defeated 3-0
Sports Desk
08 Dec 2024, 11:52
Photo: Getty Images
Real Madrid secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Girona on their home ground, taking a significant step toward overtaking Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table. With Barcelona dropping points after a draw, Real, having played one game fewer, now finds itself within striking distance of the league summit.
The match highlighted the long-awaited synergy between Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, a pairing that had faced scrutiny in recent weeks. Former French and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit had even remarked that Mbappé lacked camaraderie within the squad and that Bellingham appeared to avoid him on the field.
Against Girona, however, Bellingham proved his value once again, opening the scoring in the 36th minute. The midfielder, who struggled with a goal drought earlier this season, has now found the back of the net in five consecutive league matches. Following his first goal of the season on November 11 against Osasuna, he has since scored in matches against Leganés, Getafe, Athletic Bilbao, and Girona.
In addition to his goal, Bellingham provided a crucial assist for Arda Güler’s 55th-minute strike. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, wary of potential injuries, substituted Bellingham in the 60th minute as a precautionary measure.
With Mbappé and Bellingham now firing in tandem, Real Madrid’s ambitions for domestic dominance look stronger than ever.
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Argentina to Miss Lisandro in World Cup Qualifiers
Lisandro Martinez, an essential defender for Argentina, was initially called up for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. However, due to an injury, the Manchester United defender will be sidelined for Argentina's next two qualifiers.
The Argentine Football Association announced Lisandro’s withdrawal on Tuesday, November 12, stating he sustained the injury in his last Premier League match against Leicester City. The nature of his injury has not been disclosed by either his club or the national team. Facundo Medina has been called up as his replacement.
This year, Lisandro Martinez has appeared in 10 of Argentina's 14 matches, and he has earned 26 caps since his debut in 2019.
Medina, meanwhile, has only played three matches for Argentina so far, with his last start being against Indonesia in June of last year. Should he play in the upcoming qualifiers, it will mark his first appearance for Argentina this year.
Argentina will face Paraguay on Friday morning (Bangladesh time) and will then host Peru five days later. The reigning world champions currently lead the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers with 22 points from 10 matches, with seven wins and one draw.
ICC Faces Financial Crisis if Pakistan Boycotts India Matches
Political tensions have kept India from touring Pakistan for 16 years, and India’s recent decision to skip the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan has escalated the situation.
Frustrated by India's stance on separating politics from sports, Pakistan is now considering a full boycott, which could include refusing to play or tour India in the coming years.
From 2025 to 2031, India is scheduled to host four major ICC events. If Pakistan proceeds with the boycott, the ICC could face massive financial losses.
India-Pakistan matchups are known for attracting record-breaking viewership, and their absence could lead to a sharp decline in global audiences.
This drop could prompt broadcasters and sponsors to rethink their deals, severely impacting the ICC’s revenue streams, which are expected to reach $3.2 billion from broadcast rights between 2024-2027.
The financial fallout could be devastating without these high-profile matches.
Brazil-Argentina to Enter Field at Same Night, How to Watch
Brazil and Argentina, two superpowers of the football world, are entering the field on the same night in the World Cup qualifying match.
The five-time world champions will face Venezuela on Friday (November 14) at 3 am Bangladesh time. Two and a half hours later (Friday at 5:30 am) the current champions will face Paraguay.
Brazil has not had a good start to the qualifying round of the Latin American region. Before the last two matches, it seemed that the Selecao would not be able to play in the 2026 World Cup. But two consecutive wins against Chile and Peru changed the picture of the points table. Brazil came to the top four with 16 points in 10 matches which is equal to Uruguay.
Venezuela will host Brazil very early morning on Friday. In this match, Brazil should be kept ahead. Because Brazil has won all 39 matches played in Venezuela so far. However, Rodrygo and Militao are out of the team due to injuries, and the Selecao are under some pressure.
On the other hand, Argentina is at the top with 22 points in 10 matches in the qualifying phase of the Latin America region. Sixth-placed Paraguay will host Argentina early morning on Friday.
In this match, there is a ban on local fans wearing Argentina and Lionel Messi jerseys when entering the stadium. This strange announcement has already been made by the Paraguayan Football Federation.
Meanwhile, no TV channel in Bangladesh will broadcast this game live. But there is good news for Bangladeshi Argentina-Brazil fans. They can download the Sportzfy app and watch live games on their mobile. Apart from this, the Argentina-Brazil match can be seen from Yacine TV app.
Chittagong Kings' Owner Opens up about Shakib's BPL Tournament
The 11th season of BPL will be started on December 30. Chittagong Kings have added the country's best cricketer Shakib Al Hasan to the team ahead of this tournament. However, there is still uncertainty about Shakib's performance in this tournament.
Due to security issues, Shakib is not able to come to Bangladesh. He wanted to say goodbye to red-ball cricket by playing the last Mirpur Test against South Africa. But being a former member of parliament of Awami League, this world's best all-rounder had to face the cannon.
As a result, Shakib could not even play his farewell test in the country. Had to return to the United States from Dubai.
The owner of Chittagong Kings Samir Quader Chowdhury said, "Nothing specific can be said about this (Shakib's BPL game). We have not been informed by the board. We will send a letter to BCB."
He said that if one of the best all-rounders in the world cannot play in the Chittagong franchise, then new players will be brought into the team.
In response to the question of whether there is any separate plan in that case, Samir said, "Yes, there is definitely a plan. We have spoken to three or four people. There are almost no favorites. Now let's see what will happen."
Apart from this, about the unveiling of their jerseys, he said, "Yes, the spectators are very interested in the jerseys of their favorite teams in the tournament. We will consider that. If everything goes well, a ceremony will be held soon to unveil it. Plans to do so within the next week or so."
Chittagong Kings squad BPL 2024-25
Direct signing: Shakib Al Hasan and Shoriful Islam
Foreign direct signing: Moeen Ali, Usman Khan, Haider Ali, Angelo Mathews, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Binura Fernando
From the draft: Shamim Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Khaled Ahmed, Aliss Al Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Naeem Islam, Maruf Mridha, Rahatul Ferdous Javed, Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Marshall Ayub (local), Graham Clarke and Thomas O'Connell (foreign).
BCB Reveals BPL Fixture As Barishal to Face Rajshahi in Opener
The curtain will rise on the upcoming season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) on December 30, 2024, with the final scheduled for February 7, 2025. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the fixture through a video on Tuesday.
The tournament will kick off with a match between Fortune Barishal and Durbar Rajshahi. On the same day, Rangpur Riders will face Dhaka Capitals in the second match. The group stage will conclude on February 1, with Fortune Barishal taking on Chittagong Kings in the final group-stage fixture.
The first eight matches of the group stage will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Following this, the teams will travel to Sylhet, where 12 matches will be held between January 6 and January 13. From January 16 to January 23, the action will move to Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium for another 12 matches.
The tournament will then return to Dhaka for the final phase. All matches from January 26, including the Eliminator, Qualifiers, and Final, will take place at Mirpur.
The Eliminator is set for February 3 at noon, followed by the first Qualifier on the same evening. The second Qualifier will be played on February 5 after a two-day break, and the grand finale will be held on February 7 to crown the champions.
Franchises
Fortune Barishal, Rangpur Riders, Khulna Tigers, Sylhet Strikers, Dhaka Capitals, Durbar Rajshahi, and Chittagong Kings.
Reserve days
Reserve days are scheduled for all knockout matches (Eliminator, Qualifiers, and Final).
Timing
Day Match: Weekdays including Saturday from 1:30 pm to 4:50 pm, and Fridays from 2:00 pm to 5:20 pm.
Night Match: Weekdays including Saturday from 6:30 pm to 9:50 pm, and Fridays from 7:00 pm to 10:20 pm.
Paraguay Stuns Messi’s Argentina in Dramatic World Cup Qualifier
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, suffered a defeat to Paraguay. Lautaro Martínez initially put Argentina ahead with an early goal, but they couldn’t hold onto the lead for long. Paraguay equalized through a stunning bicycle kick by Antonio Sanabria, and later, Omar Alderete’s goal secured victory for the hosts.
In this World Cup qualifier match, Argentina took the lead but eventually lost 2-1 to Paraguay, marking their third defeat in the tournament.
Argentina didn’t have to wait long for their first goal. In the 11th minute, Lautaro Martínez received a through pass from Enzo Fernández, brushed off a defender, and struck the ball into the net. Although initially flagged offside, the goal was confirmed after a VAR review.
Argentina held onto their lead for only eight minutes. In the 19th minute, Gustavo Gómez’s header hit the crossbar. Although Argentina escaped this time, they couldn’t deny Sanabria, who connected with a cross from Gustavo Velásquez and executed a bicycle kick near the byline to level the score. Emiliano Martínez couldn’t save the ball as it slipped past him by the post.
In the 25th minute, Argentina had another opportunity to take the lead, but Lionel Messi couldn’t keep his shot on target from a Molina cross, and the first half ended 1-1.
Right after the break, Paraguay went ahead. In the 47th minute, Gómez delivered a free kick, and Alderete’s diving header found the back of the net.
Trailing in the match, Argentina struggled to maintain possession, and Paraguay kept them under pressure. However, Messi created a good chance in the 79th minute with a long-range shot that deflected off a defender and went just past the post. Despite their efforts, Argentina couldn’t get back into the game.
Despite the loss, Argentina still tops the points table with 22 points from 11 matches. Colombia, with 19 points from 10 matches, has a chance to catch up. Meanwhile, Brazil, who drew 1-1 with Venezuela, stands in third place with 17 points.
Vinícius' Missed Penalty Leaves Brazil Disappointed in Draw
Vinícius Júnior's return to the team after an injury didn’t bring the joy he had hoped for, as Brazil was left disappointed. Much like missing out on the Ballon d’Or, Vinícius missed a crucial penalty, leaving the Seleção with only a single point from a game against the weaker Venezuelan side.
It wasn’t just the missed penalty; he squandered several other easy chances to score. Despite dominating the entire match, the five-time World Cup champions left frustrated, with many Brazilian fans blaming Vinícius’ poor finishing.
Still, Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo’s impressive performance deserves recognition. The 34-year-old goalie saved the penalty and made several key saves throughout the game.
In this 11th World Cup qualifier match, Brazil started aggressively against Venezuela. However, Vinícius and his teammates repeatedly missed chances. In the 9th minute, after entering the box in a one-on-one situation, Vinícius failed to shoot and passed to Raphinha, who then sent the ball over the crossbar. In the 14th minute, Gerson took a powerful shot in the box, but it was off-target.
In the 22nd minute, Vinícius missed another easy chance. This time, he could partially blame luck. Receiving a pass in the box, he stretched to tap it toward the goal, but the ball hit the post. Seconds later, Gerson’s powerful shot from outside the box was brilliantly saved by Romo.
Gradually, Venezuela began to organize and counter-attack. In the 28th minute, Ederson nearly created trouble with a misplaced pass but managed to prevent Venezuela’s shot in a one-on-one position. In the 40th minute, Savinho missed another chance in the Venezuelan box. Finally, in the 43rd minute, Brazil saw success when Raphinha’s curling shot from just outside the box hit the far corner of the net, with Romo unable to reach it.
Brazil entered halftime with a one-goal lead. However, Venezuela stunned them immediately after the break. Substitute Telasco Segovia fired a powerful shot from a Savarino pass, beating Ederson.
Vinícius, however, proved the biggest disappointment for Brazil. In the 59th minute, he broke into the box down the left, but the Venezuelan goalkeeper tackled him. The referee awarded a penalty after a VAR check. But the Real Madrid winger failed to convert the spot-kick, missing a follow-up chance to score as well.
Just before the 90-minute mark, Venezuela went down to 10 men. At the end of the match, an unexpected incident occurred. In the final two minutes of added time, the stadium’s sprinklers were suddenly turned on. Brazil’s players protested, and Brazil’s assistant coach received a red card. After the sprinklers were turned off, the referee resumed play, but Brazil couldn’t capitalize.
After 11 matches, Brazil currently sits third in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 17 points from five wins and two draws. Venezuela is in seventh place with 12 points. Argentina tops the standings with 22 points from one less match.
Brazil’s next qualifier will be on November 20 against a strong Uruguay team, currently fourth with 16 points from 10 matches.
