17/04/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | APR 17, 2026

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Arbeloa fumes over Camavinga red card in thrilling defeat to Bayern Real anger, disappointment

Ű BY MICHAEL JONES

R EAL MADRID manager Alvaro Arbeloa was left incensed over a red card shown to Eduardo Camavinga in the late stages of the Champions League quarterfinal tie against Bayern Munich. A thrilling first half saw five goals shared by both teams as Real took a 3-2 lead into the break at the Allianz Arena and had cut the one-goal defi cit from the first leg. The aggregate score was level at 3 3 when Camavinga was shown a sec ond yellow card for time-wasting fol lowing a tackle he made on Bayern striker Harry Kane. Following the adjudged foul, Camavinga picked up the ball and threw it away forcing the referee to book him. It was the midfielder’s sec ond offence in the match and sent Real down to 10-men. Bayern subsequently scored two more goals to win 4-3 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate as the Spanish side were eliminated from the com petition. Arbeloa reacted negatively after the final whistle and, despite calling the clash a “great match” he believed the decision to award a red card to Camavinga was decisive and “unfair”. To make matters worse, Arda Guler was also shown a red card in the aftermath of the final whistle.

“That was a great match, this second leg,” Arbeloa told TNT Sports . “We put players like (Eder) Militao, (Jude) Bellingham, (Ferland) Mendy that couldn’t play the first leg, and we did a great match here. “We scored three goals, had chances to score more, but with the red card every thing was over. “It’s unbelievable to send off a player for this action. It’s not possible in a player like that, match like that. We feel really upset, really

pens. “You feel for Arbeloa – his game plan was excellent, but a couple of moments cost Real Madrid.” Meanwhile, Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise believes that the result would have been the same in spite of the red card. “The red card was late. We had built momentum before that, the game was going our way. Maybe it helped a bit but the game was still going how it was going.” Kane added: “There were deci sions that went against us the whole game and the rules are the rules. It was a clear yellow card. “I’ve had a couple of those in my career that have affected me. The referee has to make a decision there and it went our way today.” Bayern Munich will now face Paris Saint-Germain in the

Real winger Steve McManaman claimed that Real’s gameplan was

“excellent” but they were hurt by moments in the clash in Munich. McManaman said: “Real Madrid are going to finish without a tro phy again this season.

History has always suggested that they will change the m a n a g e r when that h a p -

angry, really disap pointed. We feel all of this is a bit unfair.” Former

Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga (left) is shown a red card by referee Slavko Vincic during the match against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal yesterday. – AFPPIC

Champions League semifi nals with the first leg taking place at the end of April. – The Independent

Kane lauds Diaz ‘moment of magic’ HARRY KANE praised Luis Diaz’s late “moment of magic” which delivered the kil ler blow as Bayern Munich eliminated Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semifinals yesterday. “The highs and lows throughout the first half especially was pretty unique,” Kane said. “We stayed in the game, we stayed patient, especially in the second half, we knew as the game would go on we would become stronger.

Holding a 2-1 first-leg advantage, Bayern fell behind three times on the night in the first half as record 15-time champions Real produced a familiarly strong performance on the European stage. The tie was level at 4-4 on aggregate when Diaz struck in the 89th minute to put Bayern in front, before Michael Olise added another in stoppage time. “I think even in the last 20 minutes of the game I felt like we were the team trying to make something happen,” Kane told report ers. “They started to tire a little bit, and it just sometimes takes a moment, a moment of magic, an unbelievable finish, or an unbe lievable pass. “In this case it was two great finishes by Lucho (Diaz) and Michael (Olise), to finish the game off for us, and that’s what the Champions League is about. “Sometimes, you can be the dominant team and lose, so it’s nice to get through and win this one.” The England captain credited his side’s patience for helping them overcome Madrid.

“Physically this season we’ve been really strong in the last 10-15 minutes, and that’s kind of what happened today. We took our chances when we needed to at the end.” Kane’s first half strike made him the first English player in a top-five European league since 1930-31 to score 50 goals in all compe titions in a season. “It’s a reward for a lot of the hard work that we put in, not just me, but the team,” Kane told TNT . “It wouldn’t be possible without the play ers around me and for me it’s just about keeping it going. “We’ve still got six weeks left in a Bayern shirt, we (England) have a World Cup in the summer and I just want to stay physically fit and sharp and just be out there to help the team.” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said his side were ready to take on PSG. “We believe in ourselves more than ever,” Kompany said. “We believed until the very

Bayern Munich’s Luis Diaz (left) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the equaliser during the Champions League quarterfinal, 2nd leg match against Real Madrid in Munich yesterday. – AFPPIC

end, never giving up after two tough battles against a great Real Madrid.” – AFP

Rice doesn’t care about critics after Gunners reach Champions League semis

Ű BY MICHAEL JONES

“There’s noise with everything, this is Arsenal football club,” he said. “There’s noise with every game, there’s scrutiny. “We don’t play well, we play good, take it with a pinch of salt. It’s a rollercoaster, no-one’s going to hand you anything in this game so we keep going and what will be will be. “Yeah, of course, you have to win every game. We want to win every game in the Premier League. Our record this year has been amazing, that’s why we play the game. “We’ll be ready for it (Sunday’s clash with Man City), we’ll be ready to go so how much do you want it?” – The Independent

“You want to be able to score goals. Most teams that come here, we play against 5-4-1 every time so there’s a bit of perspective with that. “Every time we’ve played this season changes from a four to a five to defend against us so the spaces aren’t there as much. “It’s on us to find ways to score and break it down but we’re playing against top players every week. We’ll keep going, keep playing well, keep getting over the line. Bring it on.” The recent defeats have also raised concerns about Arsenal’s ability to close out the season with silverware and Rice admitted that the noise comes all the time when playing for a club like Arsenal.

this group and we want to now go one step further than last year and get to the final. “We’ve played Atletico already this year, it was a really good game and we know what to expect so bring on these last couple of weeks.” Rice was then asked if there was any frustration with the performance as the Gunners weren’t able to break down Sporting and guarantee a win at home. “Frustrating? Nah, we’ve just got to a semifinal,” he replied. “No frustration, positivity all the way. “Who cares what people think? All that matters is what this group thinks, what the manager thinks and we’re in another semifinal. I’m delighted.

DECLAN RICE was “delighted” with how Arsenal reached a second Champions League semifinal in as many years despite a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium against Sporting CP. Rice, who is being backed to drive Arsenal to sil verware, spoke to TNT Sports after Arsenal’s aggre gate win and addressed the growing “noise” around the club. Addressing the next steps of Arsenal’s European campaign, Rice said: “Delighted, so, so happy. It was a really tough test over two games but to go back to-back semifinals is an amazing achievement for