Tag: Scores

  • Messi scores fastest goal, as Argentina pip Australia 2-1 in friendly

    Messi scores fastest goal, as Argentina pip Australia 2-1 in friendly

    Soccer Football – Friendly – Argentina v Australia – Workers’ Stadium, Beijing, China – June 15, 2023 Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action with Australia’s Kye Rowles and Denis Genreau REUTERS/Thomas Peter

    Argentina secured a convincing victory against Australia in a friendly match held in Beijing, with Lionel Messi scoring his fastest career goal.

    The 35-year-old captain wasted no time, finding the back of the net after a mere one minute and 19 seconds. Messi showcased his exceptional skill by curling a precise finish into the top left corner from the edge of the box, setting the tone for the match.

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    Australia’s Mitch Duke had an opportunity in the first half, but his effort was expertly denied by Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, with the ball hitting the post. Substitute German Pezzella further extended the lead for the world champions with a well-executed header in the 68th minute.

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    Argentina seemed comfortable throughout the game, in what was Mess’s first appearance on the pitch following his landmark move to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami.

    Under the guidance of coach Lionel Scaloni, Argentina, who lifted the World Cup in December, were playing their third fixture since the tournament and their first match outside of Argentina.

  • Awoniyi scores again as Nottingham Forest sign out with 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace

    Awoniyi scores again as Nottingham Forest sign out with 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace

    Nottingham Forest striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, continued his impressive run of form with the opening goal in a final-day draw against Crystal Palace.

    With Forest having secured their Premier League status the previous weekend and Palace already safe from relegation, there was a celebratory atmosphere at Selhurst Park before the match kicked off.

    Awoniyi lifted the spirits of the traveling fans when he latched onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s exceptional through ball, showcasing his skill as he twisted and turned before slotting the ball into the bottom corner in the 31st minute. His goal came just a minute after Eberechi Eze’s close-range effort was blocked on the goal line by his own teammate, Jordan Ayew.

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    Palace dominated much of the second half and eventually found the equalizer in the 66th minute when Will Hughes headed in a cross from Michael Olise. Despite both teams’ efforts, neither side could find a winner. With the season now concluded, both Forest and Palace can begin planning for the upcoming season, although it remains uncertain whether Roy Hodgson will remain as Palace’s manager.

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    Having secured their safety by defeating Arsenal in their previous match, Forest fans were understandably in a celebratory mood. Some supporters even wore masks bearing the face of manager Steve Cooper, who guided the team to promotion and maintained their Premier League status.

    In recent weeks, Awoniyi’s goals have been vital for Forest. The 25-year-old striker has scored six goals in his last four games, becoming the first Forest player since Stan Collymore in 1995 to score in four consecutive Premier League matches.

    His goal against Palace also marked his 10th of the season, and both he and Forest will be hopeful for more goal-scoring success in the upcoming season.

  • Awoniyi scores brace as Forest hold Chelsea to 2-2 draw to boost survival hopes

    Awoniyi scores brace as Forest hold Chelsea to 2-2 draw to boost survival hopes

    In a match that burst into life in the second half, Nottingham Forest secured a valuable point against Chelsea in their battle to avoid Premier League relegation, thanks to a brace from Taiwo Awoniyi.

    Forest, buoyed by Awoniyi’s heroics in their previous win against Southampton, took an early lead when the Nigerian striker headed in from Renan Lodi’s cross, beating Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

    Chelsea responded after the break, with Raheem Sterling equalizing by converting Trevoh Chalobah’s cross. Sterling then showcased his individual brilliance, evading Felipe before curling the ball past Keylor Navas to put Chelsea ahead. However, their lead was short-lived as Awoniyi flicked home Orel Mangala’s delicate lob, securing a draw for Forest.

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    The result marked an end to Forest’s seven-match losing streak in away league games and left them three points clear of third-bottom Leeds United with two matches remaining. Forest, who had struggled on their travels throughout the season, accumulating only six points from a possible 51, now face Arsenal at home in their next fixture before a trip to Crystal Palace on the final day of the campaign.

    Meanwhile, Chelsea’s woes at Stamford Bridge continued, as they extended their winless streak to seven home games in all competitions.

    The result keeps Chelsea in 11th place, and their remaining fixtures present a tough challenge as they face three of the top four teams in Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United to conclude a disappointing season.

  • Awoniyi scores brace, as Forest edge Southampton 4-3 in relegation dogfight

    Awoniyi scores brace, as Forest edge Southampton 4-3 in relegation dogfight

    Nottingham Forest emerged victorious in a thrilling relegation battle against bottom-placed Southampton, securing a 4-3 win at the City Ground and significantly boosting their chances of Premier League survival.

    Forest quickly took control of the match, with Taiwo Awoniyi netting a brace to give them an early 2-0 lead. However, Southampton fought back as Carlos Alcaraz smartly finished to bring the visitors back into the game.

    The first half concluded with a flurry of goals. Morgan Gibbs-White and Lyanco struck for Forest, and Southampton had a goal disallowed by VAR. Forest seemed to have the match wrapped up when the impressive Danilo capped off a flowing move with a clinical finish.

    In the dying moments of the game, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse converted a penalty in the 96th minute, providing a glimmer of hope for a late equalizer. However, Forest managed to hold on and secure the victory, propelling themselves up to 16th place. Southampton now finds themselves eight points adrift of safety following Everton’s win against Brighton.

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    Early in the match, Southampton came close to scoring as Theo Walcott broke through the middle, but his shot was deflected wide by Felipe’s intervention. It was Forest who capitalized on the counterattack, with Brennan Johnson driving towards the area and setting up Awoniyi for his first goal of the night.

    Awoniyi swiftly added a second, fending off Armel Bella-Kotchap to score his sixth league goal of the season. Southampton responded by taking advantage of Forest’s defensive lapse, as Stuart Armstrong found Alcaraz, who calmly found the bottom corner to reduce the deficit.

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    Forest extended their lead once again from the penalty spot, with Johnson being brought down by Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Gibbs-White converted the spot-kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and making it 3-1.

    The second half continued with relentless action, as Ward-Prowse’s corner found Lyanco, who bundled the ball past Keylor Navas to give Southampton hope. Navas made a crucial save soon after to deny Ruben Selles’ side from equalizing.

    Gibbs-White tested McCarthy with a diving shot before Forest restored their two-goal advantage. Johnson orchestrated another attack, and Gibbs-White cleverly flicked the ball into Danilo’s path, allowing him to finish powerfully.

    In the final moments of stoppage time, Ward-Prowse converted another penalty, narrowing the deficit to 4-3. The match concluded with over 100 minutes on the clock, providing a thrilling and dramatic spectacle.

    Overall, Nottingham Forest’s triumph in this high-scoring encounter significantly improves their chances of staying in the Premier League, while Southampton faces an increasingly difficult battle to avoid relegation.

  • LALIGA: Jordi Alba scores late winner as Barcelona edge Osasuna 1-0

    LALIGA: Jordi Alba scores late winner as Barcelona edge Osasuna 1-0

    Barcelona secured a 1-0 win against Osasuna in LaLiga on Tuesday, thanks to Jordi Alba’s late strike at Camp Nou.

    Despite playing with a one-man advantage for most of the game after Osasuna’s Jorge Herrando was sent off in the 26th minute, Barcelona struggled to break down the visitors’ resilient defense.

    The game’s only goal came in the 85th minute, as Alba slotted a low finish past Aitor Fernandez at the near post. The win takes Barcelona to 82 points and keeps them in the hunt for their first LaLiga title since 2018-19, potentially just a couple of games away from securing it.

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    The game burst into life in the first half when Herrando was sent off for bringing down Pedri as the last man, and Barcelona went close through a Raphinha free-kick that hit the crossbar.

    They still looked below their best, and the closest they came to scoring in the first half was through Ronald Araujo’s low header from a set-piece. With the man advantage, Barcelona improved after the break, but it was not until the 85th minute that they found the breakthrough.

    Alba’s goal was a relief for Barcelona and their fans, who feared the game would end in a draw after Ferran Torres was flagged offside, denying Robert Lewandowski a goal that would have put Barcelona in front earlier in the second half.

    Despite struggling against Osasuna, Barcelona’s win keeps the pressure on Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the LaLiga title race.

  • Haaland scores 50th goal of season as Man City beat Fulham 2-1

    Haaland scores 50th goal of season as Man City beat Fulham 2-1

    Manchester City defeated Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage to move to the top of the Premier League table, overtaking Arsenal by a point with a game in hand.

    The game started at a frenetic pace, and a penalty was awarded within three minutes of kickoff when Tim Ream brought down Julian Alvarez. Erling Haaland scored from the spot to take his tally to 34 goals in the Premier League this season, equaling the record for the most goals scored in a single campaign.

    Fulham equalized in the 15th minute through Carlos Vinicius after Harry Wilson’s lofted ball into the penalty area found him unmarked, and he volleyed the ball into the net.

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    City regained the lead on 36 minutes with a stunning long-range effort from Alvarez. He found the top-left corner of the net with a 25-yard shot, leaving the Fulham goalkeeper, Marek Rodak, with no chance.

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    Bernd Leno, the Arsenal loanee in the Fulham goal, made several good saves in the second half to keep the game close. He denied both Haaland and Alvarez with reflex saves early in the second half to keep the score at 2-1.

    The result extends Manchester City’s winning streak to eight matches and their unbeaten run in their last 14 meetings with Fulham.

    For Fulham, the defeat is their sixth in eight matches, and they remain in 10th place in the league table. City’s win puts the pressure back on Arsenal, who will be eager to win their remaining games and hope that City slip up if they are to retain their place at the top of the table.

    Manchester City will be confident of securing their third successive title if they continue their winning run.

  • LALIGA: Castellanos scores four as Girona upset Real Madrid in 4-2 win

    LALIGA: Castellanos scores four as Girona upset Real Madrid in 4-2 win

    In a stunning upset, Girona beat Real Madrid 4-2 at Montilivi on Tuesday, with Taty Castellanos becoming the first player this century to score four goals against the Spanish giants in La Liga.

    The loss puts Madrid 11 points behind bitter rivals Barcelona with only eight games remaining, and it may widen the gap even further.

    Castellanos scored twice in the first half to give Girona a lead, but Vinicius Junior pulled one back for Madrid just after the half-hour mark. However, Madrid looked uninspired without the injured Karim Benzema, and Girona dominated at the start of the second half.

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    Castellanos completed his hat-trick quickly and added a fourth, rendering Lucas Vazquez’s late goal irrelevant.

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    Michel’s side took an early lead after Rodrigo Riquelme instigated a brilliant move that led to Castellanos nodding in Miguel Gutierrez’s cross.

    Castellanos then scored his second goal in the 24th minute, blasting home after nudging Eder Militao out of the way and racing onto a hopeful Arnau Martinez punt.

    Vinicius gave Madrid a lifeline by nodding in Marco Asensio’s cross, but the two-goal deficit was quickly restored 36 seconds into the second half as Castellanos guided Yan Couto’s delivery home.

    Castellanos headed in a deflected cross past Andriy Lunin just past the hour mark to put the game out of reach for Madrid. Although Vazquez scored a consolation goal, it was too little, too late.

    The defeat leaves Madrid’s title hopes in tatters, while Girona celebrated a historic victory.

  • UCL: Haaland scores as Manchester City cruises past Bayern Munich

    UCL: Haaland scores as Manchester City cruises past Bayern Munich

    In a highly anticipated Champions League quarter-final match between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, the Premier League champions drew 1-1 against their German counterparts to cruise into the semi-finals.

    Manchester City had already established a 3-0 first-leg victory and were in control of the quarter-final before the second leg. However, the second leg proved to be a challenging game for Manchester City, who had to face a high-tempo Bayern Munich.

    Prolific striker, Erling Haaland, scored the opening goal for Manchester City at Allianz Arena, but not before he missed a penalty for the first time in two years in the first half. Haaland redeemed himself in the second half by scoring a clinically drilled left-footed shot beyond Yann Sommer.

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    Despite Manchester City taking the lead, Joshua Kimmich converted a controversially awarded penalty, ending City’s 10-match winning run. This penalty was awarded after Manuel Akanji was unfortunate to have been penalized for handball.

    The match also had its fair share of drama, with Thomas Tuchel, the Chelsea boss, getting sent off for his touchline antics as Bayern Munich crashed out.

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    Bayern Munich started the match with a great tempo and Kingsley Coman was a huge threat down the right. Leroy Sane should have put Bayern Munich in front, but he fired wide after racing clear.

    Dayot Upamecano was shown a red card by referee Clement Turpin for a professional foul on Haaland, but the defender was given a reprieve as the Norway striker was offside.

    Bayern Munich continued to look dangerous, but Manchester City produced a devastating counter-attack to take the lead on the night.

    In the end, Manchester City sealed a 4-1 aggregate win, and they will face holders Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

  • LIGUE 1: Lacazette scores 19th league goal as Lyon defeat Toulouse 2-1

    LIGUE 1: Lacazette scores 19th league goal as Lyon defeat Toulouse 2-1

    On Friday, Lyon secured their third consecutive victory in the French league, beating Toulouse 2-1, with veteran striker Alexandre Lacazette playing a crucial role in both goals.

    After rejoining Lyon in the summer, the 31-year-old former Arsenal forward scored his 19th league goal, converting a penalty in the 34th minute. With Lacazette’s goal, he has joined Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé and Lille’s Jonathan David at the top of the scoring charts, as they play this weekend.

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    However, Lacazette missed an opportunity to score again just two minutes after his goal, and Toulouse managed to equalize soon after, with a goal from Moroccan striker Zakaria Aboukhlal in the 37th minute.

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    In the 88th minute, Lyon managed to score their winner when 19-year-old midfielder Rayan Cherki tried to pick out Lacazette at the back post, and defender Logan Costa scored an own goal. Following this victory, Lyon has moved up to sixth place in the chase for a Europa League spot next season.

    On Saturday, the league leader Paris Saint-Germain will host second-place Lens, and a win for Lens would move coach Franck Haise’s side three points behind PSG.

  • CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Moffi scores brace to salvage draw for Nice against Basel

    CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Moffi scores brace to salvage draw for Nice against Basel

    Terem Moffi was the star for Nice as they drew 2-2 against Basel in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final clash.

    Basel took the lead through a Mohamed Amdouni penalty, but Moffi restored parity with a powerful low shot. The Nigerian striker then scored an incredible overhead kick to put Nice ahead. However, Nice’s failure to capitalize on their dominance in the second half allowed Basel to equalize through Amdouni’s second goal.

    The first half was characterized by technical errors and a lack of tempo from both teams. Basel eventually broke the deadlock with Amdouni’s penalty.

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    Moffi’s heroics brought Nice back into the game, but they were unable to take advantage of their dominance in the second half. The match ended in a draw, leaving everything to play for in the second leg.

    Nice will be disappointed with their second-half performance, having failed to capitalize on their chances. Basel, on the other hand, will be pleased to have kept their hopes alive with an away draw.

    The return leg promises to be an exciting encounter as both teams battle it out for a place in the semi-finals.