Sports

Bayern Get Away With Shock Loss As Leverkusen Fall To Defeat

Published

1 year ago

March 8, 2025

A 10-man Bayern Munich got away with a shock 3-2 home defeat to Bochum on Saturday after title chasers Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 2-0 by Werder Bremen.

Despite the loss, just Bayern’s second of the season, the Bavarians still hold an eight-point lead over defending champions Leverkusen with nine games to play.

Leverkusen’s woes were deepened with an injury to star midfielder Florian Wirtz, who limped off after a rough challenge having played just 14 second-half minutes.

With an eye on Tuesday’s return leg in the Champions League last 16 against Leverkusen, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany named a heavily changed XI, including leaving striker Harry Kane on the bench.

Bayern midfielder Raphael Guerreiro’s 14th minute goal, when the Portuguese hammered a loose ball into the net, had Bayern on track before Serge Gnabry missed a 21st-minute penalty.

With Kane, who has converted his past 30 penalties in a row, sitting on the bench, Gnabry stepped up but hit the ball against the post.

Guerreiro however scored again with a rare header on the 28-minute mark, just three minutes before Bochum’s Jakov Medic pulled one back with an unstoppable rocket.

Ibrahima Sissoko headed Bochum level six minutes into the second half and Matus Bero put the underdogs in front 71 minutes in, going the length of the field to knock in a Philipp Hofmann pass.

Bochum’s surprise victory, their first win in Munich since 1991, took them three points clear of the automatic relegation placings.

“There are no excuses — we lost,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said, adding “even with 10 men, we should at least have the expectation of avoiding defeat.”

Leverkusen were down after just seven minutes when Romano Schmid tapped in from close range.

With Leverkusen failing to click, coach Xabi Alonso brought Wirtz from the bench at halftime, but the Germany midfielder was brutally fouled eight minutes afterwards and limped from the field and left the arena on crutches.

Any injury to Wirtz, the club’s talisman and best player this season, would be a serious blow to Alonso’s side, particularly ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Bayern, who hold a 3-0 lead from the first leg.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Alonso said after the match, adding “we don’t have any results yet.”

Bremen’s Mitchell Weiser, who fouled the Germany midfielder, apologised after the match, saying “I hope it’s not that bad — I’m lucky it wasn’t a red card.”

Borussia Dortmund’s slim chances of reaching the top four took a hit with a 1-0 home loss to Augsburg, with Jeffrey Gouweleeuw’s first half header the only goal in the game.

Dortmund were toothless in attack and offered little against an in-form Augsburg, who have conceded just three goals in the league in 2025 — the best mark in Europe.

Dortmund, last season’s Champions League finalists, sit 10th in the league, seven points off the top four.

Elsewhere, St Pauli scored their first goal in five matches in a 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg, going two points clear of the relegation playoff spot.

Fellow promoted side Holstein Kiel also picked up a point with a hard-fought 2-2 home win over Stuttgart.

Later on Saturday, Freiburg host RB Leipzig.

AFP

Sports

EPL: Rooney Names Team To Win Title

Published

4 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Former Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney, has said Arsenal will go on to win the Premier League title, after Manchester City dropped points against Everton.

City were held to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.

The result means Pep Guardiola’s men are now five points behind Arsenal, but they have one game in hand.

Rooney believes the Gunners will beat West Ham this weekend and go on to be champions.

He said on BBC Sport: “No, I’m concerned for West Ham. I just think Arsenal are efficient and professional.

“I just think they will win every game. So obviously, with the result tonight, that means they will win the league.”

Sports

UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

“You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

Sports

Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

Published

6 days ago

April 30, 2026

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

“His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

“We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

“Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

“We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.