05/02/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | FEB 5, 2026

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Barca book semis ticket Catalan giants edge past Albacete into Copa del Rey last four L AMINE YAMAL and Ronald Araujo goals helped Barcelona reach the Copa del Rey semifinals with a nervy 2-1 win at Albacete yesterday. “It was a tough match at the end, it was very hard. We could have made it much easier for our selves, we missed many chances, but I think also we deserved (to win),” said Flick.

SHORTS Leverkusen sink St. Pauli in German Cup MARTIN TERRIER, Patrik Schick and Jonas Hofmann scored as Bayer Leverkusen moved past St. Pauli 3-0 at home yesterday to reach the German Cup semifinals. Leverkusen lacked fluidity but were too good for struggling St. Pauli, who have now won just one of their past nine games and sit second-last in the Bundesliga. The victory sends the two-time German Cup winners through to the final four of the competition for the third straight season. “St. Pauli didn’t have the quality to make things dangerous for us today, because we really didn’t play a good game,” Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich told Germany’s ZDF network. “But it’s the cup, I don’t give a stuff. We’ve got one more game to go and then we’re in Berlin again. “We could go into details – there’s some things to improve – but the cup is about winning and that’s what we did today.” Tasked this campaign with bringing through a cohort of talented youngsters after a summer of upheaval, coach Kasper Hjulmand changed course as he sensed the chance of silverware. His starting XI had an average age of 28 years seven months – Leverkusen’s oldest in any competition since 1998. Terrier put his side in front on the half-hour mark and with 63 minutes gone, Schick was in the right place to turn an Aleix Garcia cross into the bottom corner. With St. Pauli pushing to cut the deficit in stoppage time, Leverkusen hit the visitors on the break and Alejandro Grimaldo guided a lovely pass for Hofmann to score. Marseille beat Rennes in French Cup MARSEILLE scored in the opening minutes of each half to book a place in the quarterfinals of the French Cup with a scrappy, at times fractious, 3-0 victory over visiting Rennes yesterday. Marseille, who had crashed out of the Champions League in unlikely fashion last week, and then thrown away a two-goal lead at Paris FC in Ligue 1 on Saturday, calmed their nerves in the second minute. Rennes midfielder Quentin Merlin dallied deep in his own area and was ambushed by Timothy Weah who passed to Amine Gouiri. The striker scuffed the ball home from close range. The quality did not improve in an error-strewn, foul-filled first half. It took Marseille 75 seconds to score at the start; it took them just 31 seconds to double their lead after the restart. As the home team sprung forward from midfield, Gouri found Mason Greenwood racing through an undefended inside-right channel. The English attacker advanced into the box and slotted into the far corner. New Liverpool recruit Jeremy Jacquet, who had been caught upfield, gestured in bewilderment at his fellow Rennes defenders. Rennes did not learn. In the 82nd minute of a scrappy match, Greenwood again found a huge space in the same area. This time he squared to substitute Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang who scored. Marseille advanced to the last eight as they chase their first French Cup since 1989.

Antonio Puertas got in behind Barcelona’s defence at the other end but took a heavy touch and goalkeeper Joan Garcia was able to snag the loose ball. The stopper accidentally gave away a corner as he walked off the pitch with it to pat Araujo on the head, in a comical moment before the break. Dani Olmo should have doubled Barca’s lead early in the second half when Rashford put the ball on a plate for him but his shot was blocked. Puertas’s volley deflected off De Jong and just over Garcia’s goal as the hosts threatened sporadi cally. Araujo headed in Rashford’s corner as Barcelona doubled their lead and seemed set to cruise to victory, before some late resistance threatened an upset. Albacete finally scored in the 87th minute when Moreno’s powerful header from Jose Lazo’s freekick flew past Garcia, but they could not find another to force the game to extra-time. Gerard Martin headed Fran Gamez’s effort off the line as Barca endured a nervy five minutes of stoppage time to triumph. – AFP

“We have to finish with more conviction,” added Flick, who said he was happy that Araujo netted on his return to the starting line-up. “He scored a very important goal for us, it could help him to get more confidence and believe in himself,” added the German coach. “I’m happy, proud of the team and we’re in the semifinals, and that’s the best thing.” Barcelona controlled the game in the first half but could not easily break down Albacete’s resis tance. Marcus Rashford spurned a couple of decent openings in the opening few minutes, and after that the hosts shut up shop against Flick’s side. Spanish champions Barcelona’s brightest player was, as usual, teenage star Yamal, and he struck in the 39th minute. Rashford pressed well to win the ball back, and Frenkie de Jong’s pass bobbled into Yamal’s path for the 18-year-old to curl home.

The record 32-time cup winners were pushed to the end in a tight quarterfinal clash by their sec ond division opponents, who stunned Real Madrid in the previous round. Yamal fired Barca ahead just before halftime and Araujo headed home the second early after the break on his first start since taking a month-long mental health break at the end of last year. Albacete created several chances in the last half hour and Javi Moreno headed home with three minutes to go to give Hansi Flick’s Barca a scare. “The last few minutes … it’s normal, they got a goal, the cup is like this,” Araujo told Barca’s media channel. “I’m very happy (to start again), it was an important step … a hug to the coach, he helped me a lot.” Holders Barca spurned some fine chances, just as they did in their win over Elche in La Liga on Saturday.

Milan close gap on Inter

AC MILAN closed the gap on city rivals Inter at the top of Serie A with a convincing 3-0 win at Bologna yesterday. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christopher Nkunku, from the pen alty spot, scored in the first half with Adrien Rabiot sealing the win in the second period. The win moves second-placed Milan five points behind Inter and four points clear of third-placed Napoli. Massimiliano Allegri’s side, com ing in off the back of a 1-1 draw with Roma last time out, were in charge early on and went ahead after 20 minutes. Bologna goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia did well to keep out Nkunku’s header but only found Rabiot who teed up Loftus-Cheek. The former Chelsea player tapped in to claim his second goal of the season. Loftus-Cheek was involved with the second as well, this time slip ping the ball to Nkunku, another recruit from Chelsea, in the area. Ravaglia didn’t get his timing right and upended the France inter national who slotted home from the spot. Three minutes into the second

half, Milan wrapped up the points when Rabiot fired in the third. Niclas Fullkrug twice went close in the dying minutes but Ravaglia kept both attempts out. “We played a good technical game, we defended well, though we could have done better in some situations,” Allegri said as per milan reports.com . “We have 50 points, but that’s not enough at all, it doesn’t take you anywhere. We have to enjoy this victory, think about the break, which is very important to recover Pulisic and Leao, who have strug gled physically in this first part of the season. “The nice thing about the team is that everyone, both starters and substitutes, played well. It’s normal, but it’s hard to leave players out, and with only one match per week, some end up a bit more sacrificed. The goal remains the Champions League “Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek are players of great quality. We knew the match would be difficult because Bologna is a defensively organised team and dangerous in their style of play. The players per formed well both defensively and offensively.” – AFP/Agencies

AC Milan’s Christopher Nkunku (right) heads at goal during the Serie A match against Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna, Italy yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Nagelsmann backs Ter Stegen for World Cup despite ‘cruel’ injury GERMANY coach Julian Nagelsmann yesterday backed Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in his bid to regain fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup, after the goalkeeper’s latest injury setback. returned and was on a good path. We were very much awaiting his return in the national team. “Right now all that matters is that he gets healthy in peace, without any additional pres sure. We’re all behind him.” Nagelsmann and German FA (DFB) sporting director Rudi Voeller have continually reaffirmed Ter Stegen remains Germany’s No. 1 option if fit, but emphasised the need for match practice ahead of the tournament.

Playing his second match for Girona on Saturday, having joined on a six-month loan from Barcelona in hope of more playing time ahead of the showpiece tournament, the 33 year-old suffered a muscle injury in his thigh. Girona said Ter Stegen will “undergo further tests” but the goalkeeper looks set to miss sev eral months with injury, including Germany’s two March friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana. “This is unbelievably cruel,” Nagelsmann told AFP subsidiary SID yesterday. “Marc had just

In Ter Stegen’s absence, Hoffenheim goal keeper Oliver Baumann has filled in, but calls for Neuer’s return to the side have grown louder. A veteran of four World Cup campaigns including victory in the 2014 event in Brazil, Neuer will be 40 by the time the tournament starts in the United States, Canada and Mexico on June 11. Neuer remains captain of club side Bayern Munich and has played 16 of the club’s 20 Bundesliga matches this season. – AFP

Long Germany’s No. 2 behind World Cup win ner Manuel Neuer, Ter Stegen took over between the sticks after the former’s retirement in 2024, but has suffered a series of injury setbacks. He missed much of last campaign with a knee injury and was sidelined this season with a back complaint. His injury woes have contributed to him being forced out of Barcelona, where the 2015 Champions League winner became third choice behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny.