04/04/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | APR 4, 2026

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Dortmund out to end big-game woes against Stuttgart B O R U SS IA DO R TMU N D’ S 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign is statistically among their best ever, but their hopes of major honours this season have been derailed by a poor record against top sides. Nine points behind title-bound Bayern Munich, second-placed Dortmund have 61 points after 27 games. 2024 Champions League finalists have struggled against the better sides. Against the top eight teams in the Bundesliga table –- the only sides with a realistic shot at European qualification – Dortmund have just two wins in nine matches.

together in recent years and that’s no coincidence. That means we’ll really need to stretch ourselves in the game.” Bayern travel to Freiburg today (9.30pm) but may do so without Harry Kane, who missed England’s friendly loss to Japan at Wembley with an ankle injury coach Thomas Tuchel described as “minor”. Kane has a history of ankle complaints and the league leaders look set to rest the England captain with Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Real Madrid on the horizon. – AFP

Dortmund, and look on track for a second top-four finish in three seasons. The German Cup holders have had the wood over Dortmund since Sebastian Hoeness took over in April 2023, winning five and drawing two of their seven clashes. “I feel we’ll do better against Stuttgart than we’ve done in the past few games,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said yesterday. “But this club (Stuttgart) has developed sensa tionally. “They’re a serious team who have grown well

The victories came against Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen, the latter of whom knocked Dortmund out of the German Cup just three days later. A win at Stuttgart tomorrow (12.30am) would help turn the tide. Stuttgart are third, eight points behind

Only four times have Dortmund had more points at this stage of a season, two of which were title-winning campaigns. And while Dortmund have lost just twice in the Bundesliga all season – both times to Bayern – the

Barca need Yamal magic Catalans without Raphinha for Atleti ‘trilogy’ B ARCELONA WINGER Raphinha’s untimely injury heaps further pressure on teenage star Lamine Yamal ahead of the club’s triple-header against Atletico Madrid. will hope he can continue that form into the final phase of the season. He admitted in February that he has not been happy this season, in part due to a long-running groin injury, but lately feels better.

SHORTS

Lewandowski hints at Poland exit POLA N D CAPTAI N Robert Lewandowski has hinted at his interna tional retirement following the coun try’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, marking the potential end for the national team’s all-time leading goalscorer. The 37-year-old cut a dejected fig ure as the final whistle confirmed Poland’s absence from the world stage following the 3-2 defeat by Sweden in Tuesday’s qualification playoff final. Hours after the loss in Stockholm, Lewandowski posted a photo of him self on social media leaving the pitch, accompanied by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli’s song Time to Say Goodbye . The failure to secure a spot in North America leaves the Barcelona striker facing the end of a record-breaking career without the grand finale he had sought after returning to the squad in August following a fallout with former coach Michal Probierz. However, in comments after the match, he played down the signifi cance of his post, indicating that a final decision had not yet been made. “I am not in a position to make any declarations. I will return to my club; I still have some matches to play. I will have to answer the question marks in the back of my head for myself,” he told Polish media. Denmark enter period of transition DE N MA R K’ S failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has plunged the national team into a period of transi tion, ending a decade-long run of appearances at major tournaments and raising questions over the direc tion of its ageing squad. Denmark’s qualification hopes ended on Tuesday when they lost 3-1 on penalties to the Czech Republic in Prague after a 2-2 draw in the playoff final.

“I have that desire to smile on the pitch that I haven’t had for a long time and I’m very happy, now I’m happy playing,” said Yamal after scoring the first hattrick of his career, against Villarreal. In recent weeks Barca have been dependent on the forward in attack and goalkeeper Joan Garcia at the other end. Strikers Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have struggled for consistent form, while Marcus Rashford has fallen somewhat out of favour. Raphinha’s injury opens the door for the England international, on loan from Manchester United, to start on the left again. Yamal’s pressing and off-the-ball work is an excellent example for Rashford, who despite his strong contribution in terms of assists, sometimes lacks the relentless energy and focus Flick wants from his forwards. As well as Raphinha, Barca are also likely to be without Frenkie de Jong at the weekend, but Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde may be able to return after injury. Simeone’s Atletico, fourth by a distance from fifth-place Real Betis, have little to play for in the league but will want to build momentum before Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the Nou Camp. – AFP

The Spanish champions visit Atletico tomorrow (3am Malaysian time) as they bid to maintain or even extend their lead at the top of La Liga, before two further games against Diego Simeone’s team in the Champions League quarterfinals. Barca have already faced Atletico three times this season, beating them in La Liga in December but fal ling in the Copa del Rey semifinal over two legs. Without Raphinha, out with a hamstring injury until May, the onus will be on 18-year-old winger Yamal to provide the magic Barca need to proceed on two fronts in the approaching inevitably intense bat tles with Atletico. Barca hold a four-point lead on Real Madrid, who visit Mallorca ear lier today (10.15pm), at the top of the table. Yamal has shown maturity beyond his years since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old, including starring for Spain as they won Euro 2024 and blossoming further still as Barca claimed a domestic treble last season. The youngster, often compared to another graduate from Barca’s La Masia youth academy, Lionel Messi, seems to save his best performances for the biggest occasions. Yamal netted six times for Barca in his last seven matches across all competitions, and the Catalan giants

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski in action during the 3-2 defeat to Sweden in the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff final on Wednesday. – REUTERSPIC

cles in Danish national team football,” former Denmark international Mikkel Beckmann told broadcaster DR . “We have stumbled against three teams that should be significantly worse than us.” Coach Brian Riemer has resisted growing calls for his resignation. He signed a contract extension last October that runs through the 2028 European Championship. “I am the right person to lead this reconstruction,” Riemer told DR . “Several established stars are phasing out. It is a painful process, and right now, the pain is at its maximum because we missed the biggest stage.”

The setback followed a run of dam aging results, including a 2-2 home draw with Belarus and a late 4-2 defeat by Scotland that handed the Scots automatic qualification. For a nation that won the 1992 European Championship and reached the semifinals of Euro 2020, the out come marked a sharp fall. It is Denmark’s first absence from a major tournament since missing Euro 2016. The disappointment was height ened by the success of regional rivals Sweden and Norway, who both quali fied, leaving Denmark as the only Scandinavian nation to miss out. “It must be one of the biggest deba

Napoli, AC Milan face off as Italy licks WC wounds

N APOLI and AC Milan will face off on Tuesday (2.45am) with Serie A leaders Inter Milan in their sights, but the return of domestic football over Easter has been completely overshadowed by the fallout from Italy failing to reach yet another World Cup. Leading Milan by six points with eight matches remaining in the season, Inter would ordinarily be confident of claiming a 21st league crown ahead of the visit of Champions League chasers Roma on Monday (2.45am). But Napoli and Milan have re-ingnited what had looked to be a dead title race, helped by Inter pick ing up just two points in their last three matches before a traumatic international break for Italian football fans. Napoli are a point behind Milan after having won their last four matches following the end of a near season-long injury crisis, but will be without

would wait a week before making a decision. He was followed by the national team’s general manager Gianluigi Buffon, with coach Gennaro Gattuso also expected to step down over the com ing days. Now the talk is of how to bring Italian football back to the top table after years of flops from the national team and the slow decline of the country’s top clubs on the European stage. Inter were the one club that had stayed with the best on the continent but even they have helped contribute to the doom, gloom and despondency after being dumped out of the Champions League by Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt. Cristian Chivu’s team has also become a sort of

Romelu Lukaku after the Belgium striker incurred the wrath of the reigning champions for staying in his home country for treatment on a hip problem. But that row, Tuesday’s showdown and the title battle all fade into the background when faced with the national team’s latest humiliation, failing to reach a third straight World Cup. The reaction to Tuesday’s playoff defeat on pen alties to Bosnia and Hercegovina has been the same to the previous two that cost Italy a place at the world’s biggest football tournament: rip it up and start again. Football federation chief Gabriele Gravina was the first to fall on his sword, his resignation coming on Thursday afternoon, two days after saying he

symbol of Italy’s failure, with defender Alessandro Bastoni being sent off in the first half against Bosnia and academy product Pio Esposito smashing over the first penalty in the shoot-out. And on Monday Roma will be hoping to lift a depression of their own by staying in the hunt for a top-four finish. Knocked out of the Europa League by Bologna and wobbling in Serie A, Roma have an awful record against the division’s top teams and trail fourth-placed Como by just three points. But with Como at Udinese on a run of five straight wins Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma, sixth and level on 54 points with Juventus, risk falling further off the pace. – AFP