15/01/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | JAN 15, 2026

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Griezmann curls Atletico into quarters Sublime free-kick seals Madrid progress in Copa del Rey A NTOINE GRIEZMANN’S sublime sec ond-half free kick earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at second-tier Deportivo La Coruna yesterday, securing their spot in the Copa del Rey quarter finals. German Parreno following a sharp effort, while Matteo Ruggeri struck the woodwork in the 15th minute. La Coruna came close to an opener when Cristian Herrera’s close-range shot was superbly saved by Atletico’s back-up goalkeeper Juan Musso. side that has now won just once in their last seven outings across all competitions. Despite dominating possession and creating further chances, Atletico struggled to add to their lead, with Griezmann’s strike proving the only goal of the match. decisive. In the second half, we played that way until the goal came. “We could have finished off some counterattacks better, but we knew we needed to be in the quarterfinals. We are in the quarterfinals to continue competing.

“We need to fine-tune, increase the impact of the most important players in the team, who are on the attacking side. “I’m sure we’ll score as many goals as we have in recent years because the team creates chances.” Atletico were the first team to advance to the quarterfinals, as Real Madrid will visit Albacete overnight in Alvaro Arbeloa’s debut as the club’s new manager following Xabi Alonso’s departure on Monday. Last year’s champions Barcelona will play at Racing Club Santander on Friday. – Reuters/Agencies

“As he scored the goal, the comments I hear are positive because I didn’t take him off, I took Julian (Alvarez) off,” Simeone joked when asked about Griezmann match-winner. “He scored a great goal and they are players who make a difference,” the coach continued. “He still has the magic that fuels him and makes him excited to continue helping the team, as he has done with this goal.” Referring to the match, Simeone added: “Deportivo compete well, they have personality, a good counterattack, and they are strong at home because they are brave. “In the first half, we could have been more

Coming off a frustrating start to 2026 with a disappointing 1-1 draw in La Liga against Real Sociedad and a 2-1 loss in the Spanish Super Cup to bitter rivals Real Madrid, Diego Simeone fielded a near full-strength side at the Riazor Stadium, with only goalkeeper Jan Oblak rested among regular starters. Midfielder Conor Gallagher, reportedly close to joining Tottenham Hotspur, and forward Giacomo Raspadori, linked with a move to Atalanta, were also absent from the squad that made the trip to Galicia. Atletico dictated the early proceedings, with Julian Alvarez denied by La Coruna keeper

Griezmann grew into the game, narrowly missing the target with a fierce strike from distance that rattled the crossbar in the 40th minute before the decisive moment arrived in the 61st. Awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, Griezmann stepped up and delivered a left-footed effort that curled into the top corner, leaving keeper German Parreno with no chance. Atletico maintained control for much of the second half, their defensive organisation under Simeone proving impenetrable for a La Coruna

Marseille put nine past sixth-tier Bayeux in French Cup last 16

Dortmund tighten grip on second spot

SERHOU GUIRASSY scored his first league goal since October as Borussia Dortmund beat Werder Bremen 3-0 at home yesterday and restore their four point buffer in second spot. Nico Schlotterbeck and Marcel Sabitzer scored while Guirassy responded to being benched for the first time this season by tapping in late after Jobe Bellingham pressed Bremen into a mis take. Stuttgart’s 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in an earlier match moved the German Cup holders within a point but 2024 Champions League finalists Dortmund responded with a controlled but unspectacular performance. Schlotterbeck said Dortmund were “not perfect, but on the right path.” Dortmund moved eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who play away at Cologne overnight. Schlotterbeck, Dortmund’s captain and standout player this season, put his side in front with a regulation header from a corner 11 minutes in. The hosts were sloppy with the ball and disorganised without it in the open ing half, leaving the field to isolated boos and whistles from the fans, even if Bremen lacked the quality to punish them. Making his 250th Bundesliga appear ance, Sabitzer put nervy Dortmund two ahead with a 76th-minute goal, guiding the ball into the bottom left corner. “Obviously it wasn’t our best game – everyone has the right to react how they

in last spot. Yesterday’s match between Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen was postponed just two hours before kick off, the third Bundesliga game can celled in the space of a week due to wild winter weather across northern Germany. – AFP

like,“ Sabitzer told Sky . “There’s no point beating around the bush, obviously it’s not what we’re aiming for.” Benched in favour of former Wolves striker Fabio Silva, Guirassy came on midway through the sec

MARSEILLE progressed to the last 16 of the French Cup yester day with an emphatic 9-0 win over amateur side Bayeux. Roberto De Zerbi’s team sit third in Ligue 1, eight points off leaders Lens, and the Italian showed his desire to collect some silverware by fielding a strong side for their clash with the unfancied Norman outfit. English international Mason Greenwood, and French 2018 World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard, started for Marseille in Caen where the match took place at the local third-division side’s stadium because Bayeux’s home ground was not big enough. First-half goals from Angel Gomes, Hamed Junior Traore, Greenwood and Amine Gouiri put Marseille in cruise con trol. The former Man Utd forward Greenwood scored his second early in the second period,

in the 90th minute.

Marseille will next face fellow Ligue 1 club Rennes in the last 16, following the draw earlier yesterday. In related news, Marseille boss De Zerbi, known for his dynamic, possession based style that captivated many during his tenure at Brighton, is reportedly a strong contender to take over Michael Carrick position as head coach of Manchester United. De Zerbi’s proven tactical acumen and experience across major European leagues make him a compelling prospect for the Old Trafford hierarchy. His candidacy sits atop a diverse and experienced shortlist. The club is said to be consid ering a range of profiles, from tacticians making their mark in the Premier League – such as Oliver Glasner, Marco Silva, and Andoni Iraola – to globally rec ognized, established managers. High-caliber names like Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and even Carlo Ancelotti, should he become available after the World Cup, are understood to be part of the broader conversa tion. – AFP/Agencies

ond half and was in the right place to score when Bellingham won the ball with seven minutes left. Nikolas Nartey nabbed a late winner and Deniz Undav continued his hot form as Stuttgart beat Eintracht Frankfurt at home to climb to two spots to third. “It was wild,” Undav told Sky Germany of the “spectacular game”.

“I could have scored 10 goals myself. We could have easily won 3-1, 4-1.” Mainz continued their resurgence under new coach Urs Fischer, lifting themselves off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 win over Heidenheim, who replaced them

before Gouiri again net ted, as did CJ Egan Riley and Neal Maupay. Greenwood then completed his hattrick

Dortmund’s Fabio Silva in action during yesterday’s Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park. – REUTERSPIC

Brentford’s Thiago eyes World Cup berth BRENTFORD STRIKER Igor Thiago has already made Premier League history: now the Brazilian hopes to take his unlikely success story to the World Cup.

been this good is probably not being honest,” he said. “He’s been sensational. I wouldn’t be swapping him for anybody. He is so precious to us.” Thanks to Thiago’s scoring spree, Brentford have climbed to fifth place in the Premier League, sparking unexpected dreams of Champions League qualification. The unfashionable club are two points ahead of west London neighbours Chelsea, who host Brentford on Saturday. Thiago, who also holds a Bulgarian passport, has never played for Brazil, but the opportunity to represent the Selecao would be the culmination of his incredible journey. “It’s my biggest goal,“ he said. “When I reach there, which I will, it’ll mean I’ve made it.” – AFP

The Bees signed Thiago for a club-record £30 million

Juninho and Robinho are among the other Brazil forwards to have played in the Premier League. But the unheralded Thiago, who offers a commanding physical presence, has outshone them all. Just three years ago, he was an unknown playing for Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad, carrying distant dreams of following in the footsteps of his boyhood idol Ronaldo. “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Manchester United and that was the biggest thing. I said ‘I want to be like him’,”Thiago said. The forward’s goals helped Ludogorets win the Bulgarian title and earned a breakthrough move to Club Brugge in 2023. His prolific form in Belgium caught the eye of a Brentford scouting network that has a habit of unearthing rough diamonds.

(RM174m) in 2024, only to lose him for most of his debut season due to a serious knee injury. Thiago has made up for lost time, with the departures of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa in the transfer window clearing a place for him in Keith Andrews’ team. He set the tone with a goal in his first game this season against Nottingham Forest, netting twice in a win against Manchester United and once in a victory over Liverpool. Thiago also hit a hattrick at Everton just before his record-breaking performance against Sunderland. It is an ascent so meteoric that even Andrews has been taken by surprise. “I think anybody that thought he would have

Driven by a burning desire to honour the memory of his father and inspired by the goalscoring feats of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thiago has become one of the Premier League’s most feared forwards. He set a record for the most goals by a Brazilian in a single Premier League season when he netted twice in Brentford’s 3-0 win over Sunderland on Jan 7. The 24-year-old has scored 16 times in the top-flight this term, taking him past the previous tallies of 15 reached by compatriots Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Martinelli and Matheus Cunha. Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison, Philippe Coutinho,