April 2023 – Football Flame

30Apr

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Achraf Hakimi, Ligue 1

Hakimi sees red as PSG lose at home to Lorient

Referee Jérôme Brisard (C) shows a red card for Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint Germain (H) during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Lorient at Parc des Princes on April 30, 2023 in Paris, France.Lorient stunned 10-man Paris St-Germain as the Ligue 1 leaders fell to their ninth defeat in all competitions in 2023. Enzo le Fee opened the scoring for Lorient, firing high into the net from Romain Faivre’s cutback. Achraf Hakimi was sent off for PSG after collecting two yellow cards in 15 minutes. Kylian Mbappe equalised for the home side but goals from Darlin Yongwa and Bamba Dieng sealed victory for Lorient. Yongwa finished into the bottom corner from close range as Lorient took the lead before half-time. Then in the 87th minute, Dieng made sure of the three points when ...

30Apr

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool edge past Spurs in seven-goal thriller

Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates scoring to make it 4-3 during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on April 30, 2023 in Liverpool, England.Diogo Jota’s injury-time winner gave Liverpool a dramatic victory at Anfield after Tottenham looked on course to salvage a point despite going three goals behind inside 15 minutes. Spurs were 5-0 down after 20 minutes at Newcastle United and swiftly found themselves three goals adrift at Anfield as Liverpool delivered an opening salvo that left them chasing what looked like a lost cause. Instead, when former Everton striker Richarlison headed his first Premier League goal of the season in stoppage time, Spurs were on the brink of rescuing an unlikely draw – until Jota capitalised on Cristian Romero’s mi...

30Apr

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Luciano Spalletti, SERIE A

Napoli forced to wait for Serie A title after draw

Luciano Spalletti SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Salernitana at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 30, 2023 in Naples, Italy. Napoli will have to wait for their first Serie A title in 33 years after being held to a draw by Salernitana at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. They last won the league in 1990 with a Diego Maradona-inspired side adding to their first title three years earlier. Luciano Spalletti’s side were on course for the victory they needed when Mathias Olivera headed home a 62nd-minute corner. But Boulaye Dia equalised with a left-footed drive six minutes from time. It silenced an expectant crowd who made a cacophony of noise and set off blue smoke flares inside and outside the stadium, where thousands of fans lined the streets...

30Apr

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Erling Haaland, Manchester City, PREMIER LEAGUE

Man City go top as Haaland reaches 50-goal mark

Manchester City's Erling Haland in action with Fulham's Manor Soloman and Fulham's Antonee Robinson during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on April 30, 2023 in London, United Kingdom.Manchester City beat Fulham to return to the top of the Premier League as Erling Haaland scored his 50th goal of the season in all competitions. Haaland converted a third-minute penalty, after Julian Alvarez had been fouled by Tim Ream, to become the first top-flight player to reach a half-century of goals in one campaign since Tom ‘Pongo’ Waring did so for Aston Villa in 1931. The Norwegian striker also moved level for most goals in a Premier League season – matching the 34 goals Andy Cole scored for Newcastle in 1993-94 and the same amount Alan Shearer r...

30Apr

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Lautaro Martinez, SERIE A

Napoli on brink of Italian title after Lazio lose at Inter

Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's third goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SS Lazio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 30, 2023 in Milan, Italy. Napoli are one win away from ending a 33-year wait for the Serie A title on Sunday after Lazio lost 3-1 at Inter Milan. Runaway league leaders Napoli will secure their first Scudetto since 1990 if they beat Salernitana after Inter came back from a goal down at half-time at the San Siro thanks to a Lautaro Martinez brace and another strike from Robin Gosens. Inter’s three strikes, which all came in the final 13 minutes, moved Inter into Serie A’s Champions League places, ahead of AC Milan and Roma on goal difference, and also unleashed a wave of joy at the St...

30Apr

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LALIGA

Benzema hat-trick for Madrid, Barca field 15-year-old

Karim Benzema (L) of Real Madrid CF competes for the ball with Rodrigo Ely (R) of Almeria UD during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and UD Almeria at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 29, 2023 in Madrid, Spain.Karim Benzema has scored a first-half hat trick to lead Real Madrid to a 4-2 win over Almeria in a Spanish league game that threw up an injury scare for Vinicius Junior. The comfortable win ensured Madrid remain in second place, with Barcelona maintaining their commanding 11-point lead with a 4-0 win over nine-man Real Betis. With La Liga all but out of reach with six games remaining, the success of Madrid’s season hinges on next weekend’s Copa del Rey final against Osasuna and their Champions League semi-final with Manchester City. With Luka Modric already d...

29Apr

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Nottingham Forest, PREMIER LEAGUE

Forest stunned as Dasilva seals Brentford comeback

Danilo of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring their teams first goal during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Nottingham Forest at Brentford Community Stadium on April 29, 2023 in Brentford, England.Nottingham Forest were stunned as a late Brentford fightback denied them precious points in their fight for Premier League survival. Brazilian midfielder Danilo marked his 22nd birthday by putting Forest ahead just before half-time, reacting quickest to steer home Morgan Gibbs-White’s shot which deflected into his path. Brentford had plenty of the ball but created few clear chances until Ivan Toney’s 82nd-minute free-kick went in off Forest keeper Keylor Navas. With Forest hanging on and only 10 men on the pitch after Danilo went off injured, substitute Josh Dasilva score...

29Apr

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Brighton & Hove Albion, PREMIER LEAGUE

Brighton thump Wolves to boost European hopes

Deniz Undav of Brighton & Hove Albion is congratulated by team-mate Kaoru Mitoma after he scores a goal to make it 6-0 during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers at American Express Community Stadium on April 29, 2023 in Brighton, England.Brighton reignited their push for a place in Europe next season by recording their biggest-ever top-flight victory at the expense of woeful Wolves. The Seagulls remain eighth in the Premier League but are now just a point behind Liverpool in seventh and two behind fifth-placed Tottenham, who have played two games more than Roberto de Zerbi’s side. Deniz Undav broke the deadlock with his first Premier League goal, before Pascal Gross made it 2-0 with an easy finish following Julio Enciso’s driving run...

29Apr

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Jordan Ayew, PREMIER LEAGUE

Crystal Palace edge West Ham in seven-goal thriller

Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace is challenged by Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and West Ham United at Selhurst Park on April 29, 2023 in London, England.Crystal Palace edged a seven-goal thriller against West Ham to reach the 40-point mark targeted by manager Roy Hodgson and leave the Hammers in relegation trouble. Former England boss Hodgson has led Palace to four wins in six games since returning as manager last month to almost certainly guide the Eagles, now 11 points clear of the bottom three, to safety. Kick-off in south London was delayed by 15 minutes because of an issue with the turnstiles – but there was no shortage of action once the match got under way. Although West Ham took an early lead when Tomas Soucek punished M...

29Apr

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BUNDESLIGA, Karim Adeyemi

Bundesliga leaders Dortmund drop key points at Bochum

Cristian Gamboa of VfL Bochum and Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between VfL Bochum 1848 and Borussia Dortmund at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on April 28, 2023 in Bochum, Germany.Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund have dropped important points in the title race after being held to a 1-1 draw by a brave Bochum side. With the point gained on Friday, Dortmund still top the league, now with a two-point advantage over Bayern Munich. But the Bavarians can regain their customary place at the top on Sunday if they can beat Hertha Berlin, who are bottom of the table. For Bochum, though, it was a vital point in the relegation fight for a side who are now winless in the last five games. Bochum found the net with only five minutes on the clock thanks...