05/03/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAR 5, 2026

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Atleti reach Copa del Rey final despite 3-0 loss at Barcelona Atletico edge epic tie

A TLETICO MADRID reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time since 2013 despite a 3-0 defeat by Barcelona yesterday, their 4-0 first-leg win in Madrid enough to secure a 4-3 aggregate victory in a breathless semifinal. Barcelona came within a whisker of an improbable come back after last month’s thrashing, with 18-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal, starting in place of the injured Frenkie De Jong, scoring in each half and Raphinha con verting a penalty after Pedri was fouled. “We’re in the final, that’s what matters,” Atletico keeper Juan Musso told Movistar Plus . “We knew it could be difficult. They’re one of the best teams in the world but we got through because we scored more goals than they did overall. That’s what’s all about.” The hosts dominated from kickoff, knowing they required at least four goals to force extra time, and pinned Diego Simeone’s side deep inside their own half. Lamine Yamal sparked the revival in the 30th minute, gliding past two defenders from a short corner before drilling a low cross for Bernal to convert from close range. Atletico had a chance to ease the pressure but Ademola

Lookman headed narrowly wide from a Marcos Llorente cross, with Barcelona doubling their lead shortly after, when defender Marc Pubill fouled Pedri inside the box in first half stoppage time. Raphinha sent the spot kick to the left as goalkeeper Juan Musso dived the other way. Musso kept Atletico afloat after the break, producing a one handed save to turn Pedri’s effort behind in the 54th minute and then denying Bernal from the edge of the area, before saving from Yamal twice. The third goal arrived in the 72nd minute when Bernal vol leyed home from a Joao Cancelo cross, leaving Barcelona one strike short of forcing extra time. Instead, Atletico held on to progress and will face the winner this morning’s semifinal between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao. “A game like this makes you feel really proud of your team,” Barcelona captain Raphinha told Movistar Plus . “If we continue playing like this, we’ll have a spectacular end to the season. “I’m sure the fans are proud too, as demonstrated by what happened at the end of the match. We also know that we’re up against a team that defends its own.” – Reuters

Barca’s Lamine Yamal (left) in action against Atleti’s Julian Álvarez during the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg at the Nou Camp yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

SIDENETTING

time. Strasbourg qualified for the last four for the first time since 2001, a season when they won the cup for the third time. Ipswich turn screw on rivals IPSWICH bolstered their bid for promotion to the Premier League with a 1-0 win against top-six rivals Hull yesterday. Kieran McKenna’s side made the vital breakthrough at Portman Road when midfielder Azor Matusiwa fired home from the edge of the penalty area in the 71st minute. Ipswich’s third successive victory saw them leap frog Millwall into third place in the Championship table. They are three points behind second-placed Middlesbrough, with a game in hand in the race for automatic promotion via a top two finish. Hull remain fifth, six points adrift of Middlesbrough, after a first away defeat in nine games stretching back to November. Vale pull off Cup shock BEN WAINE earned League One Port Vale an FA Cup fifth-round visit from Premier League Sunderland on Sunday after shocking Championship Bristol City 1-0 with a 112th-min ute extra-time winner. After a series of near-misses the 24-year-old New Zealand international deservedly found the target, running onto Andre Gray’s pass and scoring from a tight angle. It was nothing more than Waine and the division’s bot tom side deserved. Vale’s victory was their first in 10 meetings with their Ashton Gate visitors. And it also completed a Bristol double having accounted for Bristol Rovers in round two. In contrast, Vale fans at last had something to cheer after a season that sees them 10 points from safety in the game’s third tier. Alaves turn to Flores LA LIGA side Deportivo Alaves appointed Quique Sanchez Flores yesterday until 2028 to replace Eduardo Coudet, who joined Argentine club River Plate earlier. The 61-year-old most recently coached Sevilla in the 2023-24 season and has previously led Valencia, Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Watford among others. “With a long and well

Darlow on the hip, but the ball squirmed back over the keeper and into the net. A win for 15th placed Leeds would have provided a huge boost to their survival hopes. Sunderland, meanwhile, are 11th on 40 points after winning away in the league for the first time since October at Chelsea. Inter held in Como COMO and Inter played out a 0-0 draw in their Italian Cup semifinal first leg clash yesterday, where the hosts wasted a gilt-edged chance to take a lead into the return game while the visitors failed to register a single shot on target. Como’s only previous semifinal appearance came 40 years ago, with the 1986 team managed by Rino Marchesi who died on Sunday, and the game against Inter was preceded by a minute’s silence in his honour. After a trophyless campaign last sea son, and the disappointment of an early Champions League exit this time around, Inter are still on course for a domestic double. Cristian Chivu’s side are 10 points clear at the top of Serie A and will fancy their chances in the second leg at the San Siro on April 22. The winners will face either Atalanta or Lazio in May’s decider. Strasbourg spot on IN the end there were enough penalty kicks to go around as Strasbourg converted twice from the spot in the last seven minutes to scratch out a 2-1 French Cup quarterfinal win over Reims yesterday. First-division Strasbourg repeatedly came close against their second-tier visitors but the game was still scoreless on 83 minutes when the hosts were awarded a penalty after the ball struck Spanish-Irish midfielder John Patrick on the arm. Argentine striker Joaquin Panichelli walloped the ball at the middle of the goal. It struck the underside of the bar, cannoned down and bounced up again into the roof of the net as the jubilant striker bounced toward the corner flag. Enciso scored the second goal David Datro Fofana was brought down by goalie Alexandre Olliero. That made him the top scorer in this year’s cup with six goals. He celebrated by holding his finger to his lips. As time ran out, Patrick Zabi pulled a goal back for the visitors four minutes into added

established career on the touchline, Quique Sanchez Flores has solid experience both in La Liga and in European competitions,” said Alaves in a statement. “Over the course of his career, he has managed historic clubs in Spanish and interna tional football, establishing himself as a prestig ious coach with a strong competitive character.” Alaves are 16th in the Spanish top flight, three REAL MADRID forward Rodrygo will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup after tearing liga ments in his right knee during the 1-0 LaLiga defeat by Getafe, the club said yesterday. The 25 year-old Brazil international had been returning from over a month out with a muscle injury when he came off the bench in the 54th minute of Monday’s game. In the 66th minute, while being challenged on the left wing, Rodrygo’s leg got caught as he tried to accelerate. He immediately showed signs of pain, briefly falling to the turf before continuing and completing the match. “Following tests carried out today on our player Rodrygo by Real Madrid’s medical services, he has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate liga ment and a torn outer meniscus in his right leg,” Los Blancos said in a statement. Hamstring shock for Ronaldo PORTUGUESE VETERAN Cristiano Ronaldo has a hamstring tendon injury, his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr announced yesterday, but his participa tion in the 2026 World Cup does not appear to be in doubt. According to some media outlets, the 41-year-old captain of the Portuguese national team is expected to be sidelined for between two and four weeks, meaning he should be up and running well before the World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico and Canada on June 11. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player “has started a rehabilitation pro gramme and his condition will be assessed day by day,” Al-Nassr said. Ronaldo, who is in line to play in a record sixth World Cup, was injured during a match at Al-Fayha last month in the Saudi Pro League. points above the relegation zone. Double blow for Rodrygo

Iraola ‘angry’ VAR decision BOURNEMOUTH MANAGER Andoni Iraola was angry his side were not given a penalty as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Brentford in the Premier League. Iraola felt Marcus Tavernier was impeded by Bees defender Michael Kayode before he hit the post early in the second half. The Spaniard said: “I am very pleased with the per formance. It was one of our better performances lately, even better than some we have won, but we could not score. We had some very clear chances and hit the post twice. We also had a big penalty decision that did not go our away. VAR checked and cleared it within five seconds. Tavs was going to score and was clearly fouled, but somehow neither the referee nor VAR give the penalty. In my opinion it was so clear.” The draw means Bournemouth have still never beaten Brentford in the Premier League and have now drawn four of their last five matches. Bees boss Keith Andrews was pleased to come away with a point as his side made it five away games unbeaten in all competitions. “I am pleased with a lot of aspects of our game. We showed a lot of desire and grit out of possession. Overall I am pleased with the result. It was a really competitive game with two good teams going for it and not content to sit back. I enjoyed the game,” Andrews said. Leeds pay penalty LEEDS suffered a damaging defeat in their bid to remain in the Premier League as a second half penalty secured victory for Sunderland at Elland Road. In a game that had lacked quality for long periods, the decisive moment came in the 70th minute when the Black Cats were awarded a spot kick for handball. It came after referee Stuart Attwell was advised to go to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee (VAR) after Leeds skipper Ethan Ampadu appeared to move his arm towards the ball inside the box after initially block ing an attempt by Wilson Isidor. Habib Diarra, sub ject of a transfer bid by Leeds last summer, was relieved when his poorly-struck penalty hit Karl