2022 – Page 68 – Football Flame

Year: 2022

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NEWS

Bale carries Wales to the brink of World Cup berth

Gareth Bale Captain of Wales in actio during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier knockout round play-off match between Wales and Austria at Cardiff City Stadium on March 24, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. Wales boss Robert Page hailed Gareth Bale's first goal as the best free-kick he has ever seen as a double from the Real Madrid man beat Austria 2-1 to carry his country into a World Cup playoff final.Page's men will face Scotland or Ukraine in June for the chance to end a 64-year wait to reach the World Cup after Bale rolled back the years to again produce his best form for his country.After his stunning free-kick, Bale drilled into the top corner early in the second half to give the home side a two-goal advantage.A Ben Davies own goal halved Austria's arrears, but Wales saw out a tense final quar...
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China holds Saudi Arabia 1-1 in World Cup Asian qualifiers

China's players congratulate China's defender Zhu Chenjie after scoring an equaliser during the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian Qualifiers football match between China and Saudi Arabia, at the Sharjah Football Stadium in the Emirati city, on March 24, 2022. Zhu Chenjie scored from a late penalty kick as China held Saudi Arabia 1-1 in its penultimate game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers here on Thursday.Before the match, the Saudis had been assured of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup due to Japan's 2-0 win over Australia earlier in the day, while China was already out of contention for a slot in the World Cup finals.China showed aggressive defense in the first half, with Hao Junmin and Zhu being shown yellow cards respectively. Saleh Al-Shehri headed home from a corner kick to put t...
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Fenerbahce ‘exclude’ former Arsenal star Ozil from first-team squad

Mesut Ozil of Fenerbahce during the Turkish Super League football match between Fenerbahce and Konyaspor at Sukru Saracoglu Ulker Stadium on March 20, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been excluded from the first-team picture at Fenerbahce.The Turkish giants announced the decision via social media earlier on Thursday, with former Watford loanee Ozan Tufan also dropped from Ismail Kartal’s squad.Our Football A-Team players Mesut Ozil and Ozan Tufan have been excluded from the squad as per the decision taken. It is announced to the public, Fenerbahce said in a terse 26-word statement that did not expand on a specific reason for the exclusion.Ozil’s time at Fenerbahce to date has been a disappointment, with the ex-Germany international struggling for form and...
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Japan beats Australia to book World Cup spot

Kaoru Mitoma of Japan scores his second goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 AFC Asian Qualifying match between the Australia Socceroos and Japan at Accor Stadium on March 24, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. Japan defeated Australia in a dramatic fashion to book their place in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar which also confirmed Saudi Arabia’s qualification for the tournament.Two late goals from substitute Kaoru Mitoma in Sydney sealed Japan’s place in Qatar with a game to spare.The winger breached the opposition goal in the 89th minute of the game before sealing the result with another goal in the 4th minute of added time.It was just a reward with Japan the busier of the two sides in trying to create clear openings. The 20 shots on goal to 9 clearly highlight the disparity in intent s...
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Salah vows revenge as Egypt and Senegal fight for World Cup place

MOHAMED SALAH of Egypt (10) and Sadio Mane of Senegal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 final match between Senegal and Egypt at Stade d'Olembe in Yaounde on February 6, 2022. Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has vowed to avenge an Africa Cup of Nations final loss last month to Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal when they clash again on Friday in a 2022 World Cup play-off.Failure in the continental final was particularly bitter for prolific Liverpool scorer Salah as he was also part of the Egyptian team that lost the 2017 Cup of Nations final against Cameroon.Liverpool teammate Mane played a pivotal role in the first Cup of Nations triumph of Senegal -- atoning for a penalty miss in regular time by converting the spot-kick that won the shoot-out.Egypt host the first leg on Friday and Senegal...
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UK, Ireland submit joint bid to host EURO 2028

A view of the UEFA EURO logo at the VIctoria Warehouse on October 27, 2021, in Manchester, England. The UK and Republic of Ireland have submitted a joint bid to host the UEFA EURO 2028. In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales confirmed that the expression of interest (EOI) to host the EURO 2028 have been submitted.We believe EURO 2028 would be one of the greatest sporting events ever held in the UK & Ireland. This unprecedented partnership of five associations offers something special to European football, including the potential for an expanded tournament, and we are passionate about maximising the sustainability and legacy benefits for communities across the UK and Ireland, the statement s...
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Gareth Bale joins Wales training after missing El Clasico through injury

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid CF looks on during the Santander League match between Villareal CF and Real Madrid at the Ceramica Stadium on February 12, 2022, in Valencia, Spain. Gareth Bale has handed Wales a World Cup play-off boost by training with the rest of the squad after missing Sunday’s El Clasico through injury.Bale missed Real Madrid’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona with manager Carlo Ancelotti saying after the game he “didn’t feel well”.Reports in Spain said the Wales captain had back pain.He tried this morning but he wasn’t up to playing,” Ancelloti said on Sunday.He’s now going to join up with his national team and they’ll decide whether he plays or not.The early indications are that Bale will be fit enough to start against Austria in Cardiff on Thursday.Robert Page’s entire 26-man squ...
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Pogba’s World Cup medal stolen during burglary

Paul Pogba of Manchester United looks on during the UEFA Champions League, round of 16, football match played between Atletico de Madrid and Manchester United on February 23, 2022, in Madrid, Spain. France midfielder Paul Pogba said his World Cup winner's medal was among the items stolen during a burglary at his home last week.Pogba's house was broken into on March 15 while his children were sleeping, with the incident taking place during Manchester United's Champions League match against Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford.The 29-year-old won the 2018 World Cup when France beat Croatia in the final in Russia. There were jewels from my mother, my world champion medal, Pogba told French newspaper Le Figaro on Tuesday.What scared me the most was that my two children were at home with the na...
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TRANSFERS

Report: Frank Kessie pens deal to join Barcelona

Frank Kessie of AC Milan controls the ball during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AC Milan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 6, 2022 in Naples, Italy. After the insisting rumors over the last few weeks, Kessie has formally secured his Bosman move to Barcelona. The midfielder has taken the medicals and signed the contract with his new team. As it is often the case in these instances, the parties will probably wait till the end of the season before making it official.According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Ivorian international underwent the physical tests in Lugano and put pen-to-paper in the last few days. He will depart Milan after five years, as he joined from Atalanta in 2017. He has collected 214 appearances thus far, tallying 36 goals and 16 assists.Kessie will earn €7M ...
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TRANSFERS

Antonio Conte asks Tottenham to offload this defender

Antonio Conte, head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Sergio Reguilon of Tottenham Hotspur during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on March 14, 2022 in Enfield, England. Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is reportedly prepared to let go of Sergio Reguilon in the summer amid interest from FC Barcelona.According to a recent report from Football Insider, Antonio Conte wants Tottenham Hotspur to listen to offers for Sergio Reguilon. The Italian does not rate the player highly and is hoping to raise some funds for new signings using his sale in the upcoming summer transfer window.Reguilon has been an ever-present figure in the Tottenham defence since arriving from Real Madrid in 2020. He has racked up 65 competitive appearances for the club, bagging nine as...
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SERIE A

Paulo Dybala to leave Juventus at end of season after club decide against contract renewal

Paulo Dybala of Juventus during the Serie A match between Juventus and US Salernitana at Allianz Stadium on March 20, 2022 in Turin, Italy. Argentine forward Paulo Dybala will leave Juventus at the end of the season after the Serie A club announced they would not be renewing his contract, which expires in the summer.Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene brought to an end months of speculation when he said the club had made no offer to Dybala's representatives during a meeting held on Monday in Turin.Dybala, 28, had been waiting for talks over an extension after a verbal agreement reached in October, which would have bumped his basic salary up to €8 million ($9.1m) a season, had been rolled back by the club.With the arrival of [striker Dusan] Vlahovic [in January] the footballing structure at th...
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TRANSFERS

Barcelona planning to loan out young duo

Riqui Puig of FC Barcelona, Abde Ezzalzouli of FC Barcelona and Alex Moreno of Real Betis battle for the ball during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona and Real Betis at Camp Nou on December 4, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona will reportedly look to loan out young duo Riqui Puig and Abde Ezzalzouli in the summer transfer window to make room for new arrivals.According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Riqui Puig and Abde Ezzalzouli face uncertain futures at Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window. With Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen slated to join the Blaugrana, the young duo could leave on loan to make room for the incoming pair.Riqui Puig showed a lot of promise when he broke into the Barcelona first-team setup a few years ago. But while Quique S...
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SERIE A

Abraham nets twice as Roma sweep aside Lazio

Tammy Abraham of AS Roma celebrates the victory after the Serie A match between AS Roma and SS Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on March 20, 2022 in Rome, Italy.  Fan favourite Tammy Abraham has scored two goals as Roma swept aside Lazio 3-0 in their Serie A capital derby.That took Abraham's tally to 15 in the league this season and nine this year.In 2022, only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski has scored more goals than the England international in Europe's top five leagues.Roma went ahead with less than a minute on the clock and were three goals up at halftime in a dominant performance from Jose Mourinho's side.Roma moved up to fifth while Atalanta moved above Lazio to sixth with a 1-0 win at Bologna, courtesy of an 82nd-minute goal from substitute Moustapha Cisse.Lazio won the opening der...
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BUNDESLIGA

Borussia Dortmund slip up again in Bayern pursuit

Goalkeeper Marvin Schwaebe of 1. FC Koeln, Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund and Timo Huebers of 1. FC Koeln battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund at RheinEnergieStadion on March 20, 2022 in Cologne, Germany. Borussia Dortmund could only manage a 1-1 draw at Cologne to leave them six points adrift of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with seven games to go.Bayern had beaten Union Berlin 4-0 on Saturday and yet again Dortmund could not fully respond, Marius Wolf's early opener being cancelled out by a Sebastian Andersson equaliser.Erling Haaland made his first Dortmund start in 57 days after injury but was not at his best as missed chances cost his team against the seventh-placed hosts.Bayer Leverkusen earlier took charge in the race for t...
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LALIGA

Aubameyang scores first El Clasico goals as Barca stun Real 4-0

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of FC Barcelona scores his sides first goal past Eder Militao of Real Madrid during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 20, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Barcelona stunned Real Madrid with a 4-0 victory on Sunday as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in a Clasico demolition at the Santiago Bernabeu.The match was billed as a test of Barca's progress under Xavi Hernandez and they passed with flying colours, a humiliation of their fiercest rivals suggesting they are primed to challenge again for La Liga next season.And while the result might have little bearing on the title race this term, a defeat of this magnitude, at home, and against Barcelona, will cause serious reverberations at Real Madrid.Quest...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Son double shoots Tottenham into fifth with 3-1 win over West Ham

Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Ben Johnson and Declan Rice of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 20, 2022 in London, England. Striker Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur rose to fifth in the Premier League table with a 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday that left them three points off the top four and the chance of Champions League football next season.The afternoon got off to a terrible start for Hammers defender Kurt Zouma when he steered Harry Kane's low centre to Son into the net in the ninth minute, the 10th own goal of the season that Spurs have benefited from.It got worse for the French centre back midway through the first half as Son made it two for ...
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NEWS

PSG suffer heaviest defeat of the season in miserable display at Monaco

Wissam Ben Yedder during Ligue 1 match between Monaco v Paris Saint Germain in Monaco, on March 20, 2022. Runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-Germain slipped to their biggest loss of the season with a dismal display at Monaco.Wissam Ben Yedder scored twice for the hosts, flicking in a near-post cross and converting a late penalty.In between, he created Monaco's second, with Kevin Volland placing his shot past PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.Mauricio Pochettino's side have now lost four of their last six matches in all competitions.And it was no more than PSG deserved for a dreadful performance in which they were second best throughout.With Lionel Messi absent due to illness, Kylian Mbappe provided their only real threat. But he had few chances to impress as the players behind him were out-fou...
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Xavi : Barca’s door always open to Messi

Lionel Messi #30 of Paris Saint-Germain in action during the Paris Saint-Germain Vs Bordeaux, French Ligue 1 regular season match at Parc des Princes on March 13th 2022 in Paris, France. Xavi has explained that Barcelona will always welcome Lionel Messi back while he is coach of the Catalan giants.Messi left Barca last year in a move that stunned the world of football, with the Blaugrana unable to afford to fulfil the terms of a new contract that had been all but agreed with the 34-year-old.That meant Messi could leave as a free agent and he joined Paris Saint-Germain, though his switch to the French capital has not quite hit the expected heights just yet.Messi has earned having the doors open to Barca," Xavi told a news conference ahead of El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday.As long ...
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SERIE A

AC Milan win at Cagliari to retain lead

AC Milan's Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie (R) challenges Cagliari's Italian forward Leonardo Pavoletti (Rear) and Cagliari's Italian defender Raoul Bellanova during the Italian Serie A football match between Cagliari and AC Milan, on March 19, 2022 at the Sardegna Arena in Cagliari. Amid a tight race for the Serie A title, AC Milan are displaying more consistency than their rivals.On a night when defending champion Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Fiorentina, Milan won 1-0 at relegation-threatened Cagliari to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches.Milan remained three points ahead of Napoli, who came from a goal down to beat visiting Udinese 2-1 earlier on Saturday.On a rainy night in Sardinia, Ismael Bennacer scored with a long-distance volley for Milan near the hour m...
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BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich cruise to win over Union Berlin

Robert Lewandowski of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrates after scoring their team's second goal from the penalty spot during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and 1. FC Union Berlin at Allianz Arena on March 19, 2022 in Munich, Germany. Robert Lewandowski scored twice and Tanguy Nianzou netted his first Bayern Munich goal as the Bundesliga leaders recovered from two straight league draws with an easy 4-0 home win over Union Berlin.The defending champions, seeking a 10th title in a row, restored their advantage at the top to seven points, pending Borussia Dortmund's trip to Cologne on Sunday.Kingsley Coman opened the scoring on 16 minutes on Saturday with a fast, swerving effort which goalkeeper Andreas Luthe should still have done better with.We played very well, we played together...
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