United News of Bangladesh

  The expanded first stage of the revamped Champions League was expected to be a smooth journey for European football giants like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and Manchester City, but it’s been far from that. Heading into the sixth of eight rounds in the new 36-team format, Madrid and City, the past two Champions League champions, along with PSG, the French titleholder, are at risk of early elimination. PSG is performing the worst among the four Ligue 1 clubs in the competition. A total of 24 teams will progress to the knockout stage, with the top eight directly advancing to the last 16 and the remaining 16 competing in two-legged playoffs. Currently, PSG is in 25th place, outside the qualifying spots, while Madrid, in 24th, holds onto the final qualification position. Both teams face away games this week: Madrid faces a tough challenge at Atalanta, while PSG takes on Salzburg. Manchester City sits in 17th place with eight points—enough for qualification based on UEFA’s simulations—but a loss to Juventus on Wednesday could put their progression in jeopardy. The upcoming PSG vs. Man City match could prove crucial if both teams fail to secure positive results this week. In previous years, the sixth round would mark the end of the group stage, with Madrid—15-time Champions League winners—already securing a spot in the knockout rounds. However, this season, Madrid has suffered three losses in five games and faces a tough Atalanta side, one of the few undefeated teams in the competition. Atalanta, who won the Europa League last season, has been in excellent form, winning nine straight matches and conceding just one goal in 14 games. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé, under increasing scrutiny following missed penalties in losses to Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao, could gain confidence from his recent goal in a win over Girona. PSG’s offensive struggles were expected after Mbappé’s departure to Madrid and Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami. However, few anticipated the team would score so few goals. Despite having attacking talents like Randal Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, and Bradley Barcola, PSG has scored just three goals in five group-stage matches—the fourth-lowest total. However, PSG could find success against Salzburg, whose defense has been leaky, conceding 15 goals, including five in their recent loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Despite their defensive woes, Salzburg sits fifth in Austria’s 12-team league. City needs just one more win to secure qualification, but recent results have been concerning for Pep Guardiola’s injury-hit squad. In their last nine matches, City has won only once, losing six times and drawing twice. This includes two Champions League games—an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon and a 3-3 draw with Feyenoord, where they nearly blew a 3-0 lead. Liverpool, in first place, is the only team with a perfect 15 points and has already secured a place in the knockout stage. The Premier League leaders will look for a sixth straight win in an away match against Girona on Tuesday. Inter Milan sits second and remains unbeaten, heading to Leverkusen for their upcoming match. Another key fixture sees Barcelona visiting Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, with both teams in third and fourth place, respectively.

Kylian Mbappé has reaffirmed his commitment to France despite missing recent games, saying “there’s nothing bigger than the national team.” The 2018 World Cup winner was left out for Nations League matches against Israel and Italy last month, with coach Didier Deschamps saying “ it’s better that way ” and adding that the player's struggles were physical and mental. Mbappé is France's captain and was also absent from a previous gathering in October because of a minor thigh injury, but nevertheless played for Real Madrid. “I’ve always said there’s nothing bigger than the national team,” Mbappé said on Sunday night during a television interview with Canal Plus. “My love for the France team hasn’t changed." Deschamps' reference to his mental state led some observers to speculate Mbappé suffered from depression. He took a moment to explain that he has not. “There are people who really are in a depression and who should be helped. This is not a subject which should be taken lightly,” Mbappé said. “I am not going to claim that (I had a depression).” However, he alluded to unfair treatment when saying “people ask a lot of me” as captain compared to his predecessor, the goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and also took a swipe at those who questioned his dedication to France. “I’ve always put it above anything else. I even gave my nose,” Mbappé said, referring to his broken nose at the European Championship this year. Mbappé, who turns 26 on Dec. 20, is third on France’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals, only Thierry Henry (51) and Olivier Giroud (57) are ahead of him. He scored a superb hat trick in the 2022 World Cup final, but his scoring ratio has dropped recently with two goals in the past 12 games for Les Bleus. Mbappé said he gave the television interview because he’s had enough of people talking for him in recent weeks, when his struggles with Madrid have also been widely commented upon. “When you’re a star, if you don’t talk, people talk in your place. That's why I'm talking now,” said Mbappé, who also spoke for the first time about reports of a rape investigation in Sweden. Despite a difficult start to his Madrid career, he says he is “very happy” in Spain after a decade playing for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. “You're jumping into the unknown because you’ve never left your country," he said. “I always dreamed of playing for Madrid. Always. It’s the biggest club in the world.” Mbappé’s arrival created huge expectations that he would improve the record 15-time Champions League winner, but he has scored a modest 11 goals in 21 games. There have been big penalty misses at Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao, and he was caught offside multiple times with mistimed runs when Madrid lost 4-0 at home to Barcelona. Club coach Carlo Ancelotti has defended Mbappé but also said he “can play better.” Mbappé did not address his own performances further but acknowledged that Madrid's general level of play was "not at the level” fans expect.

Sherfane Rutherford’s maiden ODI century led the West Indies to a five-wicket win over Bangladesh, ending an 11-match losing streak against the visitors. Chasing a competitive 295, the hosts sealed the match with 14 balls to spare, propelled by Rutherford’s explosive 113 off 80 balls and captain Shai Hope’s 86. After a sluggish start, West Indies found themselves at 27 for 2 in the eighth over. Brandon King and Evin Lewis departed cheaply, both trapped lbw by Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Nahid Rana, respectively. The pressure mounted further when Keacy Carty’s cautious 21 ended in a mistimed pull off Rishad Hossain, leaving West Indies teetering at 94 for 3 in the 22nd over. Enter Rutherford. Facing mounting odds, the left-hander absorbed early blows, including two hits to the helmet, before counterattacking. Together with Hope, Rutherford stitched a crucial 99-run stand for the fourth wicket. Hope ensured the required rate stayed within reach, mixing boundaries with strike rotation. The turning point came in the 32nd over when Rutherford launched a flurry of sixes and fours, swinging momentum in the hosts’ favour. Hope fell for 86, misjudging a pull off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but not before setting a solid platform. When the asking rate was mounting, Rutherford and Justin Greaves added crucial 95 runs off only 57 deliveries in the fifth wicket. In the 46th over, Rutherford hit three sixes, and with the last one, he reached his maiden ODI ton. Though he fell shortly after, his innings, laced with seven fours and eight sixes, had decisively swung the match. Greaves completed the job with an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls, sealing the win with back-to-back boundaries. Earlier, Bangladesh’s 294 for 6 was built on contributions from Tanzid Hasan (60), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (74), and Mahmudullah (50*). Tanzid led the initial charge, striking three sixes and six fours, before falling to Alzarri Joseph. After the match, Bangladesh’s captain Mehidy said they were satisfied with the total they had. But he gave credit to the West Indian batters. “Yes we were satisfied,” Mehdiy said. “294 is a very good score on this kind of wicket. Credit goes to them, especially Hope and Rutherford. They got a partnership on this wicket. It was a tough day for our bowlers.” Mehidy anchored the innings, navigating tricky phases while adding 79 runs with Tanzid and 54 with Afif Hossain. Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali added 96 runs for the sixth wicket. Mahmudullah’s unbeaten 50 off 44 balls featured three sixes. The remaining two ODIs will be played at the same venue on December 10th and 12th.

Former champions Dhaka Abahani Limited maintained all-win run in the 10-team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football beating Dhaka Wanderers Club by 1-0 goal at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Saturday. With the day's feat, the sky blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani shared the top slot with Mohammedan SC and Rahmatganj MFS securing full six points from straight two league matches. After a barren first half, local forward Sumon Reza scored the match winning goal for Dhaka Abahani in the 59th minute (1-0). In the day's other match, Brothers Union Club also maintained unbeaten run in the league after playing 1-1 draw with Fortis FC at the Bashundhara Kings Arena Saturday afternoon. Brothers have bagged four points from two matches. Gambian midfielder Zakaria Darboe put the Gopibagh outfit Brothers Union in the very first minute of the match (1-0) while another Gambian forward Pa Omar Babou leveled the margin for Fortis FC in the 18th minute (1-1) In the day's remaining match, coming from behind, Police FC outplayed Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool by 4-1 goals at Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh Saturday afternoon. Al Amin struck two while Joyonto Kumar Roy and Manik Molla scored one each for the Police FC while Uzbek forward Akobir Turaev netted the lone goal for Youngmen's Club.

Defending champions Bashundhara Kings will play Federation Cup runners-up Dhaka Mohammedan SC in a vital 2nd round match of the 10-team Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football on Friday. The match will kick off at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla. In the day's other 2nd round match, Chittagong Abahani Ltd will face Rahmatganj MFS, also at 2:30 pm at the Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. Three more 2nd round matches will be held on the following day (Saturday). Former champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd. will play Dhaka Wanderers Club at Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla; Police FC will encounter Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool at Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh, while Fortis FC will meet Brothers Union Club at Bashundhara Kings Arena, all at 2:30 pm. The nine-round, single-league basis matches, now being played every Friday and Saturday of the week, is scheduled to be completed on June 25 next year. Earlier, this year's football season began on November 22 with the newly introduced one-match Bangladesh 2.0 Challenge Cup Football Tournament' 2024-25, where Bashundhara Kings clinched the title, beating Dhaka Mohammedan SC by 3-1 goals.

The seventh edition of the 12-team Standard Chartered (SC) Cup five-a-side Corporate Football Tournament 2024 will be held this month. Participating teams are IDLC, Abul Khair Group, United Group, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, Incepta Pharmaceuticals Limited, Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Limited, Coca-Cola Bangladesh Beverages Limited, DBL Ceramics Limited, PRAN Group, Fakir Fashion Limited, British American Tobacco Bangladesh, and Robi Axiat. Fed Cup Football: Holders Bashundhara Kings manage 1-0 win over Brothers Union in opener  The winners of the tournament will get the opportunity to visit the renowned English football club Liverpool Football Club's home ground in Anfield, Liverpool, in the 'United Kingdom, and to watch the club footballers in action.  

Holders Bashundhara Kings managed 1-0 goal victory over Brothers Union Club in one of the two opening day' s matches of the 10- team Federation Cup Football Tournament' 2024-25 at the under prepared Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Tuesday After a barren first half, defender Topu Barman scored the match-winning goal for the last season's treble winners  and star studded Bashundhara Kings in the 69th minute (1-0). Later, he was adjudged player of the match. The day's other match between Bangladesh Police FC and Fortis FC ended in a goalless draw at the Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. This year's Federation Cup Football is  being held in a new format without any semifinals. In a first, Bangladesh book Youth World Cup Hockey place; beating Thailand 7-2 in last match Ten premier division league clubs, split into two groups, are initially participating  in the first phase of the Federation Cup Football at three venues in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Cumilla   Grouping of Federation Cup: Group A -Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police FC, Fortis FC, Brothers Union Club and Dhaka Wanderers Club Group B - Mohammedan SC Ltd, Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Chattagram Abahani Ltd, Rahmatganj MFS and Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club. Later, top two teams from each of the groups will play in the meet's next round (qualification and elimination) like the Franchisee  Cricket League  

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca believes the club has the platform to “dominate” English soccer in the coming years. Maresca on Tuesday repeated his assertion that Chelsea shouldn’t be deemed a contender in the Premier League title race, even though his team is third in the standings and tied on points with second-placed Arsenal. They are nine points behind Liverpool. However, the Italian coach was more bullish about Chelsea’s long-term prospects. “The good thing is, I still think what I said to the owners and the sporting director the first time I met them,” said Maresca, who joined Chelsea in June. “Because of the age and because of how good the squad is, for me Chelsea in the next five to 10 years will be one of the teams — or the team — to dominate English football. “This is what I said to the club the first time I met them. No matter who will be the manager.” Chelsea has spent well over $1 billion on around 40 players in an unprecedented and at times chaotic spree across five transfer windows since a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the Premier League club from its long-time owner, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, for $3.2 billion in May 2022. Harry Kane out 'for the time being' with hamstring strain: Bayern Many of the signings are young, such as 23-year-olds Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, and 22-year-old Cole Palmer. Maresca is the fourth different full-time manager in the new regime, and the first to get consistent performances out of the expensively assembled group of players. Chelsea has won seven of its 13 Premier League games and lost just two of them — to defending champion Manchester City before its unlikely freefall, and Liverpool. Maresca still thinks Chelsea shouldn’t be put in the same category as Liverpool and Arsenal just yet, denying it is just a ploy to take the pressure off his players. “They (Arsenal) have been there the last two years, very close to City, and we were very far to City,” Maresca said, when asked why Chelsea shouldn’t have the same expectations as Arsenal. “To be in the title race is nice pressure for me and the players. It’s not the kind of pressure that you don’t like. It’s the kind of pressure you like because you are in the title race. But that’s not our case. “Hopefully soon we can be there.” Chelsea visits last-placed Southampton on Wednesday, while Arsenal is at home to Manchester United, and Liverpool is away to Newcastle.  

The 10- team prestigious Federation Cup Football Tournament' 2024-25 begins on Tuesday in new format with holders Bashundhara Kings taking on Brothers Union Club in one of the two opening day' s matches. The match will kick-off at 2:30 pm at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla In the other opening day's fixture, Bangladesh Police FC will face Fortis FC also at 2:30 pm at the Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh. This years Federation Cup Football will be held in new format without any semifinals. Grouping of the ensuing Federation Cup Football was finalized during a ceremonial draw at BFF office last Wednesday. BPL and Federation Cup champions Bashundhara Kings put in Group A while Federation Cup runners-up Dhaka Mohamnedan and Dhaka Abahani Ltd in Group B. Ten premier division league clubs, split into two groups, will initially participate in the first phase of the Federation Cup Football on single league basis in three venues in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Cumilla Grouping of Federation Cup: Group A -Bashundhara Kings, Bangladesh Police FC, Fortis FC, Brothers Union Club and Dhaka Wanderers Club Group B - Mohammedan SC Ltd, Dhaka Abahani Ltd, Chattogran Abahani Ltd, Rahmatganj MFS and Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club. Later, top two teams from each of the groups will play in the meet's next round (qualification and elimination) like the Franchisee Cricket League Meanwhile, this year's football season 2024-25 already began on November 22 through newly introduced one-match Bangladesh 2.0 Challenge Cup Football where Bashundhara Kings emerged champions beating Dhaka Mohammedan SC. Country's most prestigious Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football also began last Friday (November 29) in Dhaka and adjoining areas.

Bayern Munich has announced that Harry Kane has strained his right hamstring and will be out “for the time being.” Kane was forced to leave the field in the 33rd minute of Bayern's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the German “Klassiker” on Saturday, signaling to the bench before exiting. Mbappé scores as Madrid moves closer to Barcelona in Spanish league A scan conducted on Sunday confirmed that the England captain has suffered a minor muscle strain in his right hamstring, although Bayern did not specify how long he is expected to be sidelined. The injury comes at a challenging time for Bayern, with a busy schedule ahead. Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr eyes Asian glory amid revitalised Saudi Pro League campaign The team will play six matches over the next three weeks before the winter break, starting with a difficult German Cup match on Tuesday at home against defending champions Bayer Leverkusen.