21/04/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | APR 21, 2026

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AC, Juve close in on Euro places

AC MILAN and Juventus both took a big step towards qualification for next season’s Champions League with respective victories over Verona and Bologna yesterday. Adrien Rabiot swept home the only goal in Milan’s 1-0 win at Verona, giving his team an eight point cushion on Como and Roma in fifth and sixth, while Juve are three points behind the seven-time European champions in fourth after beating Bologna 2-0. France midfielder Rabiot calmly netted his sixth league goal of the season after snatching possession in midfield and exchanging passes with Rafael Leao, for the only real highlight of a largely drab encoun ter. “The important thing is winning and getting the points we need to achieve our objectives, but we

TRAMLINES Fils powers past Rublev in Barcelona FRENCHMAN Arthur Fils continued his run of good form since returning from an eight-month injury layoff as he overpowered Russia’s higher ranked Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6(2) to win the Barcelona Open, clinching his first title since 2024. Fils, who suffered a lower-back stress fracture last year, returned in February and reached the final of the Qatar Open and the semifinal of the Miami Open, before winning his fourth ATP title yesterday, and his third on clay, with the French Open a month away. “It’s been a tough (few) months, struggling with the injury, but we’re back on the court and win the trophy, so pretty happy about that,” Fils said at the trophy presentation ceremony. In the first game, Rublev struggled to keep up as Fils picked out the edges of the sideline and sent powerful returns past the frustrated fifth seed to win the first set in 31 minutes. The 21-year-old went a break 4-2 up in the second set but made three straight errors to hand Rublev a break. Rublev then saved three match points to hold his serve and make it 5-5, and broke Fils to go 6-5 up. But Fils broke back in the very next game to force a tiebreak, which he won 7-2. “The way you are playing, it’s ridiculous, you proved that you’re one of the best players on the Tour,” Rublev told Fils. Rybakina outclasses Muchova AUSTRALIAN OPEN champion Elena Rybakina picked up her second title of the year as she outclassed Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-1 to win the WTA Stuttgart indoor clay-court tournament yesterday. Top seed Rybakina, 26, snatched a tight opening set with two breaks against her seventh-seeded Czech opponent after 53 minutes on court in Germany. The Kazakh never looked back in the second set rushing to a 5-0 lead as Muchova struggled with her serve, sealing victory and the 13th title of her career after 1hr 18 min. Rybakina, who finished runner-up at Indian Wells last month, regained the title she won two years ago and drives off with a second Porsche sports car – the coveted prize awarded to the champion in Stuttgart. “I was trying to read her serve, and in the beginning everything worked,” Rybakina said. “Then she started to serve a bit better, harder, and even knowing where the ball is coming and it was kind of on the racquet, but I was missing the shots. So it went pretty tight in the first set. “In the second, I was just trying to be more solid. I think the return improved. I was managing to see where she was gonna serve.” Muchova, the 2023 Roland Garros runner-up, was playing the first 500 level final of her career. “It was a really good week for me,“ Muchova said. “I beat players I have never beaten before. I had some tough battles. Of course, it could have been a little better but I have to give credit to Elena.”

made a lot of mistakes today. We could have played a lot better,“ said Rabiot. “We need to stay focussed on qualifying for the Champions League.” Juve and Milan took advantage of Como falling to a surprise defeat at Sassuolo on Saturday and Roma drawing with Atalanta on Sunday, and with five matches remaining in the season both teams are in a great position to clinch a top-four finish. Milan, in second, have had no continental foot ball this season after a disastrous previous campaign which led to Massimiliano Allegri retaking the reins as coach last summer. Allegri said on Friday he has already started plan ning for next season with Milan’s management, and

after Saturday’s win the 58-year-old again ruled him self out of the vacant Italy job. “No-one has contacted me (from the Italian Football Federation), and all my thoughts are on Milan: we’ve started something together and we’ll continue it together,” said Allegri. Headers in each half from Jonathan David and Khephren Thuram were enough for for Juve to see off Bologna and inch closer towards the objective Luciano Spalletti was given when he was hired in October to replace the sacked Igor Tudor. “We’re on the right track. Every time we play I see something new from my players, all I can do is com pliment them,” said Spalletti. – AFP

FROM LEFT: Bayern’s Luis Díaz, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala celebrate after winning the victory over Stuttgart yesterday. – AFPPIC

Second title for Kane England captain scores as Bayern sink Stuttgart to claim Bundesliga crown

H ARRY KANE scored his 32nd goal of the campaign as Bayern Munich cruised to a 4-2 home win over Stuttgart to claim a record-extending 35th Bundesliga title. Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Alphonso Davies joined Kane on the scoresheet, while Chris Fuehrich and Chema Andres scored for the visitors. Borussia Dortmund’s limp 2-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday, their second in two matches, left the door open for Bayern, who only needed a point at home to secure the title with four games to spare. Coach Vincent Kompany left regular starters Kane, Michael Olise, Manuel Neuer, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah on the bench with Wednesday’s (Thurs 2.45am Malaysian time) German Cup semifinal at Bayer Leverkusen in mind. Bayern fell behind when Chris Fuehrich scored with 21 minutes gone but roared back, scoring three goals in seven minutes.

an assistant brought bags full with “2026 Champions” t shirts to the sideline. Andres added a late goal for Stuttgart with two minutes remaining but Bayern were on cruise control with title cele brations in mind. “It’s been a fantastic season for us,” said the England captain. “To finish the league off in the way we have with the goals we scored, credit to the lads. We still have a lot to play for but all the hard work, this makes it all worth it.” The title victory once again illustrated Bayern’s modern and historical dominance of German football. The Bavarian giants have now won 13 of the past 14 Bundesliga titles. Bayern have 35 league titles, with no other team reaching double figures. Bayern’s wealth and influence outshines all of their domestic rivals and this season has been truly remarkable. Bayern have scored 109 goals, the most in Bundesliga history and eight more than the previous record set back in 1971-72, with four games remaining. Free-scoring Bayern have 79 points and a goal difference of 80. If the season ended today, Bayern would become the first team to have a greater goal difference than points tally in Bundesliga history. With four wins in their remaining four games, Bayern could bring up 91 points, equalling the best mark set by their treble-bound side in 2012-13. Then there are the individual records. Kane, who became the first Englishman since 1930-31 to reach a half-century of goals in a season in all competitions on Wednesday, can still reach Robert Lewandowski’s sin gle-season goals record of 41. The England captain has 32 goals from his 27 games this campaign and is in with an outside chance of catching Lewandowski. Michael Olise has 18 assists, three shy of the all-time mark set by Thomas Muller in 2019-20. – AFP/The Independent

Jamal Musiala created Guerreiro’s opener before Luis Diaz laid on two goals in four minutes for Jackson and Davies to grab control of the match by the break.

Kane grabbed another early in the second-half to ensure another Bundesliga crown was quickly added to his burgeon ing team trophy collection. With victory secure, Bayern took their foot off the pedal as

Bayern’s Harry Kane celebrates the triumph yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Endrick stars as Lyon dent PSG’s title hopes BRAZILIAN PRODIGY Endrick scored one goal and set up another as Lyon won 2-1 away to Paris Saint-Germain yesterday, denting the reigning European champions’ bid for another Ligue 1 title. their best, with Goncalo Ramos having a penalty saved before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia grabbed a late consolation.

and remain on course for a fifth straight domestic title, but this remains a setback for a side preparing to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals. “You want a more close-fought league and you have it. “Lens keep winning and it will be difficult until the end,” said Luis Enrique. “That’s football and now we just need to prepare for the upcoming games. We are going to be playing every three days now and we need to

cope with that.” Meanwhile, Lyon’s win is a huge boost in their quest to return to the Champions League after an absence of six years from Europe’s elite club competition – since they lost to Bayern in the 2020 semis. Paulo Fonseca’s side are joint-third on 54 points with Lille, who drew 0-0 with Nice on Saturday. “Endrick was decisive but I am especially happy with how hard he worked defensively,“ said Fonseca. – AFP

It was a fifth defeat in Ligue 1 this season for Luis Enrique’s side, who are one point ahead of nearest challengers Lens with a game in hand – a win at home to Nantes in a rearranged fixture in midweek will leave them four points clear with five to play. PSG must still travel next month to Lens, who beat Toulouse 3-2 on Friday,

Endrick gave Lyon an early lead at the Parc des Princes and then released Afonso Moreira to double their advantage. PSG rested several stars from the side that beat Liverpool away in midweek to reach the Champions League semifinals and were far from