24/04/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | APR 24, 2026

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INTER MILAN could have their first chance to seal the Serie A title on Monday (12.01am Malaysian time) as the champions in waiting take on Torino while Napoli and AC Milan try to push back the celebrations by at least one more week. Cristian Chivu’s players lead both reigning champions Napoli and second placed Milan by 12 points with five matches remaining in the league sea son. And they will know if they can seal a 21st league crown for Inter this weekend by tomorrow (2.45am), when Napoli host relegation strugglers Cremonese. Anything but a win for Napoli will allow Inter to take on Torino in Turin knowing that a win could give them the Scudetto with four matches to spare. But they would then have to wait for the result of Milan’s headline clash with Juventus at the San Siro (2.01am), which is also key for those two teams’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Winning the league with four matches to spare would be quite a feat as before the most recent international break Inter were wobbling and both Napoli and Milan looked ready to knock them off their perch. But a maximum nine points, and 12 goals scored, in the three matches since club football reconvened have turned things back in Inter’s favour, and now it’s just a matter of time before the discus sion is officially over. Inter come into the match with a domestic double in their sights after a thrilling win over Como booked them a place in next month’s Italian Cup final, where they will face Lazio. And regardless of how Napoli and Milan do, Inter know that four points from their remaining fixtures will seal the deal. Milan find themselves in the odd position of potentially being able to hand the title to their local rivals, although that wouldn’t be worse than two years ago, when they allowed Inter to win it by losing the Milan derby. But Massimiliano Allegri’s side are close to securing a return to the Champions League thanks to the eight point gap separating them from fifth placed Como. Milan should finish in the top four even if they lose on Sunday, while Juve’s situation is more precarious as they sit fourth and lead Como and sixth-placed Roma by five points. Como, who threw away a two-goal lead before being knocked out of the Cup by Inter, have no easy task this weekend as they travel to an in-form Genoa team who could secure safety this weekend. – AFP Inter ready to pounce for title glory

Barca edge Celta but lose Yamal to injury BARCELONA moved a step closer to winning La Liga with a tight 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo yesterday but lost their goalscorer Lamine Yamal to an apparent hamstring injury.

fielder Pedri told Movistar . “I hope (Lamine’s injury) is for as few weeks as pos sible. Tomorrow he’ll be tested and we’ll see what it is. “I wish him the best of luck, and he should stay calm -- he’s young and will surely recover well.” Defeat left Celta seventh and still hoping to qual ify for European football next season. “We were very good in the first half, we had chances and they didn’t have so many… but individ ual talent made the difference,” said Jutgla. “La Liga is very competitive and we will fight until the end.” Atletico Madrid fell to a 3-2 defeat at lowly Elche,

their seventh loss in their last eight matches across all competitions. The Champions League semifinalists, who host Arsenal next Thursday in Europe, could not bounce back from their Copa del Rey final defeat on penalties by Real Sociedad last weekend to build morale. Andre Silva takes his Elche to provisionally 15th, two points above the drop zone. “The defeat is painful, the 10 men left gave every thing to keep trying to pick up points,”Atletico’s man ager Diego Simeone told DAZN . “All the responsibility (for losing) is mine as the coach.” – AFP

The teenage Spain star won and converted a pen alty to clinch a narrow triumph but hurt himself as he took it and was replaced before halftime. Joao Cancelo also went off injured for a Barca team who moved nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with six matches remaining, including a Clasico on May 10. “We have to win every game and seal La Liga as soon as possible, it was important to win today,” mid

Cityzen go top Haaland strike sends the favourites above Arsenal in title race, Burnley relegated

M ANCHESTER CITY edged ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League as a 1-0 victory at Turf Moor condemned Burnley to relegation yesterday. The defeat confirmed

coolly chipped over the advancing Dubravka with just five minutes on the clock. City continued to pepper Dubravka with efforts from dis tance, but Guardiola grew visibly angry as they let the tempo drop in their pursuit of more goals. Burnley could even have been level by halftime as the 27 -year-old Zian Flemming dragged a glorious chance wide. Haaland hit the post after the break, but City’s failure to rack up a more convincing scoreline leaves the title race tantalisingly poised. At the other end of the table, Burnley have to rebuild once more in the second tier. overachieve this year and we’ve not mananged to do that,” said Parker. “In certain moments we’ve lacked a certain quality about us and not managed to get enough points.” It is the fifth con secutive season that Burnley have either been relegated or pro moted as they oscillate between the riches of the Championship. Three wins from their opening nine games offered hope that they could join Sunderland and Leeds in bucking the trend of promoted sides being immediately relegated back to the second tier. However, just one win in their 25 matches since has sealed their fate. – AFP Premier League and the A return of just 20 points from 34 games has left Scott Parker’s men 13 adrift of safety with only four games remaining. “We’ve fallen a bit short. “The facts are we had to

demanding game three days ago.” However, City have on paper the tougher run-in as they aim to snatch a seventh league title in nine years.

August, but the City boss was frus trated at his side’s inability to win by a greater margin. City go ahead of the Gunners only on goals scored, with five games left for both the title con tenders. “The chances were there. “We created a lot. We made a fantastic game,” said Guardiola. “We did everything after a

Fresh from beating Arsenal 2-1 in what was billed as a title decider on Sunday, the visitors roared out of the blocks. A stunning save by Martin Dubravka turned Rayan Cherki’s shot onto the woodwork. Haaland was then set free by Jeremy Doku before

the Clarets’ third Premier League relegation in five seasons, consign ing them to the Championship along side Wolves next sea son. Erling Haaland scored the only goal as Pep Guardiola’s men

ended the day top of the table for the first time since

Erling Haaland (2nd from right) scores the winning goal during Manchester City victory over Burnley in Premier League yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

SHORTS

games, we’ve had to grind it out. Now we’ve got one more to go. In a final anything is possible. We’re feeling good.” Leverkusen, the 2024 cup winners, struggled under the bright lights as Bayern pinned them back. Nice march to final ELYE WAHI scored both goals as Nice won 2-0 away to Strasbourg yesterday to book a French Cup final date with Lens next month. Wahi, who joined Nice on loan at the start of the year after a difficult spell with Eintracht

defeat by Leverkusen in the round of 16 last season. They will face either holders Stuttgart or Freiburg in the final. The Bavarian giants have won a record 20 German Cups but had not reached the showpiece in Berlin for six years, their longest drought since the turn of the century. “We’re going to Berlin. I’m looking forward to it. “It was a goal of ours to get to Berlin, to reach the final, experience that, the guys said it’s an incredible experience, so we’ve done nearly all the work,” said Kane. “We’ve had a lot of away games, tough

Frankfurt, gave Nice the lead with a low strike into the corner early in the second half. The Ivory Coast international punched Nice’s ticket to the Stade de France with a late penalty after Mohamed Ali-Cho was brought down by Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure. Nice won the last of their three French Cups in 1997 but finished runners-up as recently as 2022, losing 1-0 to Nantes in the final. Claude Puel’s side have the chance to salvage a troubled season when they face Lens on May 22, but Nice remain under threat in Ligue 1, only four points clear of Auxerre in the relegation playoff position.

Bayern cruise into German Cup final

HARRY KANE and Luis Diaz scored as Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen yesterday to reach the German Cup final for the first time since 2020. Just three days after Bayern sealed back-to back Bundesliga titles with a home win over Stuttgart, Kane and Diaz got the goals to keep hopes of a treble alive. Bayern’s comfortable victory avenged their