March 2022 – Page 5 – Football Flame    

Month: March 2022

LALIGA

Barcelona ready to extend the contract of veteran star

Dani Alves of FC Barcelona gestures during the Spanish Copa del Rey football match played between Athletic Club and FC Barcelona at San Mames stadium on January 20, 2022 in Bilbao, Spain. Barcelona are reportedly ready to offer a one-year contract extension to veteran defender Dani Alves, whose current deal expires at the end of the season.According to SPORT, Barcelona have decided to extend the contract of experienced full-back Dani Alves by another year. The 38-year-old’s current deal stands to run out at the end of the 2021/22 season.Alves secured a surprise return to Barcelona in November last year, signing on a free transfer after his contract with Brazilian club Sao Paulo had expired. The veteran right-back became the first signing of the Xavi Hernandez era. However, he had to wait u...
BUNDESLIGA

Robert Lewandowski drops sponsor Huawei amid Ukraine crisis

Robert Lewandowski of Poland looks down during the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar qualifying match between Hungary and Poland on March 25, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary. Bayern Munich’s Polish international striker Robert Lewandowski has cut ties with sponsor Huawei amid claims the Chinese tech giant has been helping Russia secure their network against cyber attacks following the invasion of Ukraine.We have taken the decision today to end the marketing cooperation between Robert Lewandowski and the Huawei brand, the footballer’s agent Tomasz Zawislak said in a statement, without specifying the reason for the break.Therefore the implementation of all promotional services has been suspended on our part, Zawislak added.According to Polish media, the decision is linked to an article in the British dail...
LALIGA

Athletic bounce back with La Liga victory

Inaki Williams of Athletic Club competes for the ball with Rober Pier of UD Levante during the Spanish league match of La Liga between, Athletic Club and UD Levante at San Mames on 7 of 3, 2022 in Bilbao, Spain. Athletic Bilbao have rebounded from successive defeats with a 3-1 win over last-placed Levante in La Liga.Mikel Vesga, Inaki Williams and Oier Zarraga scored in the final half hour to give Athletic the home win and move the Basque Country club closer to the European places.Athletic, sitting in eighth place, were coming off elimination against Valencia in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey and a 4-0 league loss to Barcelona.We needed this victory to help us recover from the disappointing loss in the Copa," Vesga said.We will keep fighting for the European places until the end.Athle...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Kane scores two as Spurs thrash Everton

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur tangles with Anthony Gordon of Everton during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 7, 2022 in London, United Kingdom.Tottenham increased Everton's growing relegation fears and maintained their own top-four aspirations as Frank Lampard's side were outclassed and humiliated.On an embarrassing night for Lampard and his players, Spurs ran riot as Everton capitulated in a fashion that raises genuine doubts about their ability to maintain Premier League status.Everton defender Michael Keane set the tone for the night by firing Ryan Sessegnon's into his own net after 14 minutes while goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was at fault for Son Heung-min's second three minutes later.Matt Doherty set Harry Kane free ...
UCL

Mbappe a doubt for Real Madrid with foot injury

Kylian Mbappe during the French championship Ligue 1 football match between Stade de Reims and Paris Saint-Germain on August 29, 2021 at Auguste Delaune stadium in Reims, France.Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Kylian Mbappe has suffered a left foot injury ahead of Wednesday's crucial UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu.The France international's goal separates the two sides heading into the return leg in the Spanish capital and he has picked up a knock in training on Monday despite having missed the loss away at OGC Nice over the weekend in Ligue 1.Kylian Mbappe took a blow to his left foot in training today, read an official PSG medical update. He underwent treatment this afternoon. Clinical exams are reassuring, and a new update w...
BUNDESLIGA

Win pushes Hoffenheim into German top four

Anthony Modeste of 1.FC Koln challenges for the high ball with Christoph Baumgartner of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and TSG Hoffenheim at RheinEnergieStadion on March 06, 2022 in Cologne, Germany.A narrow 1-0 win at Cologne was enough for Hoffenheim to join the top four in the Bundesliga and enter the qualification zone for the Champions League.Just a minute after Cologne striker Anthony Modeste had his goal disallowed for being offside on Sunday, Hoffenheim finally broke the deadlock in the 61st minute.David Raum swung over a cross into the box and Austrian defender Stefan Posch headed it into the bottom corner.Andrej Kramaric and Christoph Baumgartner then missed very good chances to make it 2-0, and it was Florian Grillitsch with a brilliant block ...
SERIE A

AC Milan beat title rivals Napoli in Serie A

Olivier Giroud of AC Milan celebrates after scoring first goal during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AC Milan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy on 6 March 2022.AC Milan have taken what could prove to be a crucial step toward a first Serie A title in more than a decade with 1-0 victory at Napoli, one of their main rivals.Veteran Milan forward Olivier Giroud scored the only goal of an intense but cagey match to send Milan back to the top of the ladder.Milan, who last won the Scudetto in 2011, are two points ahead of defending champions Inter Milan -- who have a game in hand -- and three clear of third-placed Napoli.Juventus are seven points behind Milan and kept their slim title hopes alive by beating Spezia 1-0.Talk before the match in Naples centred around the retur...
NEWS

Inconsistent Marseille stumble in Ligue 1

Monaco's Portuguese midfielder Gelson Batalha Martins (3L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal their goal validated by the VAR during the French L1 football match between Olympique Marseille (OM) and AS Monaco at Stade Velodrome in Marseille, southern France on March 6, 2022.Marseille's inconsistent home form could derail the club's European ambitions as they lost 1-0 to Monaco and slipped to third place in France's Ligue 1.Both teams started the 27th round's final game on Sunday very cautiously. Marseille right back Valentin Rongier had the only decent chance of the first half with a low strike that goalkeeper Alexander Nubel palmed away in the 22nd minute.Monaco played with more purpose after halftime and opened the scoring in the 58th when Portuguese winger Gel...
LALIGA

Barcelona continue to move up in La Liga

Memphis Depay of Barcelona shooting to goal during the La Liga Santander match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on March 6, 2022 in Elche, Spain. Barcelona have displayed their offensive depth in La Liga, resorting to goal-hungry substitutes to salvage a victory and maintain their momentum.Ferran Torres and Memphis Depay came off the bench to score second-half goals as Barca rallied to beat Elche 2-1.It's wonderful to be able to have all these forwards on the bench," Barcelona coach Xavi said.Today they made the difference for us.The victory moved the Catalan giants up a spot to third place, level on points with fourth-place Atletico Madrid, who beat Real Betis 3-1.Barcelona finished the round in the top three for the first time since the opening rou...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Man City outclass Man Utd to restore six-point lead at top

Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City and Scott McTominay of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on March 6, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Manchester City outclassed Manchester United to maintain control of the Premier League title race with an outstanding display at Etihad Stadium.City remain six points clear of Liverpool having played one game more after a victory that was arguably even more convincing than the scoreline suggests.Ralf Rangnick's side were without injured Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, as well as Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw, who have Covid-19, and found themselves overwhelmed by the quality and intensity of the reigning champions.Kevin de Bruyne was at the heart of it all. He put...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal impress but have to cling on to see off Watford

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (centre) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at Vicarage Road, Watford. Picture date: Sunday March 6, 2022.Arsenal climbed into the Champions League places with an entertaining victory over lowly Watford in a game with five quality goals.The Hornets, who remain in the relegation zone, thought they had taken the lead within the first 20 seconds as Emmanuel Dennis slotted home but he was offside.Martin Odegaard put Arsenal ahead not long afterwards after flicking the ball into the path of Bukayo Saka and then running into the centre to slot in Saka's cross.Watford levelled with the best individual goal of the game, Cucho Hernandez's acrobatic flying volley from Kiko Femenia's cross.The visitors restored their lead when...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Pep Guardiola says Man City ‘definitely’ need to bring in a striker

Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City arrives at the stadium prior to the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Peterborough United and Manchester City at ABAX Stadium on March 01, 2022 in Peterborough, England.Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the Premier League leaders will look to sign a striker in the close season as they seek a long-term replacement for record scorer Sergio Aguero.Guardiola's side have played without a recognised centre forward throughout the current campaign after Argentine Aguero left the club at the end of the last campaign.City also missed out with several attempts to sign England striker Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.I think the club needs a striker, definitely," Guardiola was quoted as saying by the BBC ahead of Sunday's derby at home to Man...
SERIE A

England’s Abraham keeps firing for Roma

Tammy Abraham of AS Roma and Chris Smalling of AS Roma celebrate after winning during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Atalanta BC at Stadio Olimpico on March 5, 2022 in Rome, Italy. England striker Tammy Abraham is thriving at Roma after leaving European champion Chelsea.The forward whom Jose Mourinho convinced Roma to spend 40 million euros ($A59 million) on in August was decisive for the second consecutive game as Roma beat Atalanta 1-0 in Serie A on Saturday in a key match for the Champions League places.Abraham's first-half goal was his 20th across all competitions for Roma and it followed his late strike against Spezia in another 1-0 win last weekend.The victory extended Roma's unbeaten streak to seven matches and drew the Giallorossi level on points with Atalanta, three po...
LALIGA

Real Madrid rout Real Sociedad 4-1

Luka Modric of Real Madrid CF celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 5, 2022 in Madrid, Spain.Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga have scored scorching goals from outside the area as Real Madrid thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1, increasing their lead in the Spanish league.After his midfielders scored just before halftime to overturn an early spot kick by Mikel Oyarzabal, Karim Benzema added a second-half penalty to put the result beyond doubt and take his league-leading goal tally to 20.Marco Asensio then finished off the demoralised visitors.Madrid will now prepare for Wednesday's critical game against Paris Saint-Germain with the French powerhouse holding a 1-0...
NEWS

Nice beats PSG to take second place in French league

Nice's Algerian forward Andy Delort (L) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between OGC Nice and Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice, south-eastern France, on March 5, 2022.Nice upended French league leader Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 with a score from Andy Delort off the bench and moved into second place on Saturday.Delort met a cross from Calvin Stengs to volley into the top corner in the 88th minute.Nice shut out PSG for the third time this season after drawing 0-0 in Paris in the league and the French Cup, even advancing on penalties in the cup.The Mediterranean side kept a fourth straight clean sheet in all competitions to trail PSG by 13 points and move two points ahead of Marseille.PSG struggled offensively with...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Wilfried Zaha enjoying his football after Crystal Palace secured 2-0 win at Wolves

Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha (left) and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture date: Saturday March 5, 2022.Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha praised his side’s fast start and the variety of options to impact the game after securing their seventh Premier League win of the season – A 2-0 victory against Wolves today.Zaha scored his ninth goal of the season in the 34th minute when he converted a penalty that Jeffrey Schlupp won.Palace opened the scoring through Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 19th minute at Molineux when Zaha latched on to a Conor Gallagher through ball and crossed for the French forward to finish at the second time of asking.Wolves had five shots on target but could not find a way ...
BUNDESLIGA

Bayern charge stalled with Leverkusen draw

Bayern Munich's defender Niklas Suele (R) and Leverkusen's French striker Moussa Diaby vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen in Munich on on March 5, 2022.Bayer Leverkusen have exposed Bayern Munich's defensive frailties but weren't able to glean more than a 1-1 draw from their Bundesliga encounter while Hertha Berlin have taken another step towards relegation.Champions Bayern dropped points for the second time in four league games and posed more questions than answers ahead of their Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Salzburg on Tuesday following the first-leg 1-1 draw.Bayern 'keeper Sven Ulreich prevented worse against Leverkusen, though his team made the better start.Niklas Sule had fired Bayer...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Marsch’s first Leeds game ends in defeat at Leicester

Marsch the manager / head coach of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Leeds United at The King Power Stadium on March 5, 2022 in Leicester, United KingdomJesse Marsch's first game as Leeds boss ended in defeat as Harvey Barnes scored the only goal to give Leicester their second Premier League win of the week.The winger produced Leicester's one moment of attacking quality with a precise angled finish midway through the second half of a game in which they had been largely second best.It has been an emotional week for Leeds since the departure of Marsch's much-loved predecessor Marcelo Bielsa following a chastening month in which they conceded 20 goals and picked up only one point from a possible 15.But they produced a lively and energetic display at the K...
BUNDESLIGA

Augsburg emerge in Bundesliga battle

Fabian Klos of DSC Arminia Bielefeld in action with Daniel Caligiuri of FC Augsburg during the Bundesliga match between DSC Arminia Bielefeld and FC Augsburg at Schüco Arena on March 4, 2022 in Bielefeld, Germany.Daniel Caligiuri scored early in the second half to earn Augsburg a 1-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld in their Bundesliga relegation fight.Caligiuri scored with Augsburg's first shot on target in the 50th minute to lift his team three points above Hertha Berlin in the relegation playoff place, and a point above Bielefeld on Friday.Hertha hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and can overtake Bielefeld if they claim their first win this year.There are nine rounds of games remaining after this weekend.There was only one shot on target in the first half in Bielefeld with each team cancell...
NEWS

Lyon find scoring touch to thrash Lorient

Moussa DEMBELE (ol) during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Lorient and Lyon at Stade du Moustoir on March 4, 2022 in Lorient, France.Midfielder Romain Faivre scored twice as Lyon won at struggling Lorient 4-1 to move up to sixth place in the French league.Forwards Moussa Dembele and Karl Toko Ekambi set each other up on the other goals as Lyon moved two points behind Rennes into fourth spot.Fourth guarantees automatic entry into next season's Europa League.Lyon coach Peter Bosz, who demanded more goals from his misfiring team, got his wish.Faivre put Lyon ahead after five minutes after collecting a pass from Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta.Dembele made it 2-0 in the 26th with a back heel from Emerson's pass, and Toko Ekambi netted just before the break only to see his effort ruled offs...
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