12/04/2026

theSun on Sunday APR 12, 2026

SPORTS 13

Pep in the dark over Silva’s future

and training good.” Guardiola, whose side travel to Chelsea in the Premier League today (11.30pm Malaysian time), values the 31-year-old for far more than goals and assists. He said: I judge players when everything is difficult and he always steps up and says he is here to help. “He has been an incredible signing for us, incredible. I love this club amazingly and I would love if he could stay and finish his career here but I do not know. “He will decide what he will decide and announce to the club and the media and the fans. It is his decision.” – The Independent

PEP GUARDIOLA has paid tribute to Bernardo Silva as his captain nears the end of his Manchester City career – but claims he is yet to be told of his departure. Silva looks set to leave City when his con tract expires this summer after nine years at the Etihad Stadium, and assistant manager Pep Lijnders all but confirmed as much last week. “Every good story comes to an end and I hope he enjoys the last months – because there is only six weeks – and has a good fare well,” said Lijnders. There has been no official confirmation by the club or Silva, however, and Guardiola REAL MADRID dropped more points in the Spanish title race with a frustrating 1-1 La Liga draw at home against Girona yesterday. Fede Valverde drilled Alvaro Arbeloa’s side ahead early in the second half but Thomas Lemar’s fine strike secured a point for the Catalan visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu. The draw against Girona brought Madrid within six points of La Liga leaders Barcelona, but the Catalans host local rivals Espanyol overnight when they could move nine ahead with a victory. Madrid head to Bavaria to face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal clash on Wednesday, trailing 2-1, in the competition where their hopes of silverware this season now mainly lie. Los Blancos were upset by a late penalty appeal not given after Girona defender Vitor Reis’ arm caught Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in the face. “It’s a penalty here and on the moon,” com plained Madrid coach Arbeloa. “Nobody understands it… when VAR gets involved, I imagine it’s when it suits them, and when it doesn’t, then it doesn’t.” The coach admitted his team were not at their best following a third consecutive game without a win across all competitions. “Without playing the most brilliant match we’ve played, it’s obvious and clear this is a game we should have won,” said Arbeloa, insisting Madrid would not give up in the title race despite their situation. “Until we lose La Liga we’ll keep fighting for it… we have to fight until the last day.” After Jude Bellingham impressed as a sub stitute in the first leg against Bayern, Arbeloa gave him his first start since January. Madrid had the better of the first half but needed goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to save well from Azzedine Ounahi early on. At the other end Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga denied Mbappe and Valverde as Los Blancos began to knock on the door. Bellingham tested Gazzaniga early in the second half with a drive from the edge of the box, shortly before his team took the lead. Valverde lashed in a shot from the edge of the box which Gazzaniga tried to push out with his wrists but badly misjudged and the ball flew past him and into the net. Madrid’s top goalscorer Mbappe mis-hit a

After City’s underwhelming 2024-25 sea son, Guardiola appointed him captain this term, believing he had the perfect attributes for the role. “The best decision I made this season,” Guardiola said. “The team comes first. Sometimes politicians say something like that – the country comes first but then after it never comes first – but with Bernardo it is what it is. “Last season was the toughest one but he was always there, leading by example playing

insists he is still in the dark. The City manager said: “I’m so grumpy with Bernardo because a month ago I said, ‘If you take a decision I have to be the first to (know)’ and he didn’t say anything to me yet. “I said, jokingly, ‘Tell me, I deserve it’ but he didn’t tell me so I don’t know what’s going on!” Silva has made 450 appearances for City since his move from Monaco in 2017. His hon ours include six Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups.

Real frustration Madrid drop more points after Girona draw

Marseille boost hopes of CL return

MARSEILLE reclaimed third place in the French Ligue 1 table with a 3-1 win over bottom side Metz yesterday to boost their hopes of Champions League qualification, while Monaco’s long unbeaten run ended in a shock 4-1 defeat away to Paris FC. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Marseille a first-half lead at the Velodrome, and Igor Paixao latched onto a superb Mason Greenwood pass to make it 2-0 early in the second half. Giorgi Tsitaishvili pulled one back for Metz, who are now 17 league games without a win. Substitute Hamed Junior Traore wrapped up the victory for Marseille in stoppage time. Yesterday’s result means Marseille have won four and lost three of seven Ligue 1 games since Habib Beye became coach in February, following the sacking of Roberto De Zerbi. Marseille are 11 points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, but two points above fourth-placed Lille who visit Toulouse today – the top three qualify directly for next season’s Champions League while the team in fourth have to win two preliminary round ties to join them. Monaco are fifth, three points behind Marseille, after a heavy loss in the capital which ended a run of 10 league games without defeat, and seven consecutive wins. Paris FC were 3-0 up midway through the first half thanks to a double strike by Jonathan Ikone, either side of a goal from vet eran Italian striker Ciro Immobile. United States national team star Folarin Balogun pulled one back before the break for Monaco, keeping up his remark able recent scoring record. Balogun has scored in each of his team’s last seven Ligue 1 matches and has nine goals in nine games in all competitions. The former Arsenal frontman has 17 goals in total this season and his form is encouraging for Mauricio Pochettino’s US side as they prepare for the World Cup on home soil. However, his efforts here were in vain as American-born Luca Koleosho’s superb sec ond-half strike secured the big gest win of the season for Paris FC. – AFP

Real’s Kylian Mbappe (right) is challenged by Girona’s Vitor Reis during the La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabeu yesterday. – AFPPIC

Bellingham shortly after the hour with the visit to Munich in mind. “We saw Bellingham feeling good, sharp, confident,” said Arbeloa. “This is the first game he’s started since coming back (from injury) but I think it’s done him a lot of good to get minutes, find rhythm… and I think we should be very pleased with his performance.” – AFP

shot when well placed and Gazzaniga saved well at his near post to keep Vinicius at bay as Madrid tried to put the game to bed. Instead Girona pulled level, with former Atletico midfielder Lemar planting a superb strike from the edge of the box beyond Lunin’s helpless dive and into the bottom cor ner. Arbeloa took off England international

Malen hits hattrick for Roma

with Pellegrini and then poked a pass to Malen who rolled in from close range. Malen completed his hat-trick after 51 minutes running onto a through pass from Matias Soule, turning away from two defenders and driving the ball home. “He’s incredibly valuable,” said Gasperini of Malen. “But if you play for Borussia Dortmund and in the Premier League as a young player, you’re bound to have significant resources. “The central striker role was the key to convincing him to come to Roma.” – AFP

visit seventh place Atalanta over night. “We’re still there, and now we should be rooting for Atalanta and Inter. We’re giving it our all to reach the Champions League,” said Gasperini. Pisa remained anchored to the foot of the table. Malen scored with all three of host Roma’s shots on goals as he took his total to 10 in 12 Serie A appearances since joining on loan from Aston Villa in January. In the third minute, two visiting players had a chance to intercept a Roma punt forward but Antonio

Caracciolo could only knee the ball into Malen’s pass. The Dutch attacker sidestepped one more defender before firing home. “Serie A matches are never easy, they become so if you break the deadlock after three minutes,” said Gasperini. Lorenzo Pellegrini hit the angle of post and bar with a free kick before helping set up Malen’s second in the 43rd minute. After Pisa repeatedly failed to clear, Devyne Rensch, who has yet to score in Serie A, picked up a loose ball in the box, played a one-two

DONYELL MALEN hit a hattrick as Roma revived their fading European hopes by crusing past Serie A’s bot tom club Pisa 3-0 yesterday. Roma, thrashed by runaway leaders Inter Milan in the last round, regained ground in the race for a top four place. “We had a great reaction, and it wasn’t easy because the second half in Milan was very disappointing,” said Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini. His team moved level with Juventus, who are fifth, and one point behind Como in fourth. Como host Inter tomorrow while Juventus