United News of Bangladesh

A chaotic night at Stamford Bridge ended in disaster for Barcelona, who collapsed 3-0 to a ruthless Chelsea after going down to 10 men late in the first half. An own goal from Jules Koundé opened the scoring before Estevão doubled the lead with a brilliant strike. Liam Delap sealed the 3-0 victory with Chelsea’s third. Chelsea could have scored three more, but those efforts were ruled out for offside or handball. Chelsea dominated from the outset and nearly took the lead in the fourth minute. Enzo Fernández put the ball into the Barcelona net from close range, but the referee disallowed it for a handball by defender Wesley Fofana in the buildup. Two minutes later, Ferran Torres squandered a golden opportunity to put Barcelona ahead. Receiving a pass from Lamine Yamal inside the box with only the goalkeeper to beat, the 25-year-old forward inexplicably fired wide from near the penalty spot. That was all for the night for Barça. The home side’s breakthrough came through fortune. In the 27th minute, Marc Cucurella’s cutback caused confusion inside the Barcelona box—Neto’s flick was cleared off the line by Ferran Torres, only for the ball to rebound off Koundé and roll into the net. Barcelona’s troubles deepened just before halftime when captain Ronald Araújo picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Cucurella, leaving his team a man down and visibly shaken. Cristiano Ronaldo expected to escape WC ban as FIFA issues probation with red-card ruling Chelsea struck again shortly after the restart. In the 55th minute, young Brazilian Estevão produced a superb solo effort, bursting into the box, cutting past Eric García and Alejandro Balde, and smashing the ball inside the near post to double the lead. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick responded with changes, sending on Raphinha and Andreas Christensen. But the visitors’ resistance didn’t last long. In the 73rd minute, Liam Delap finished from a Fernández pass inside the area. Although the flag initially went up for offside, VAR confirmed the goal, sealing Barcelona’s defeat. Statistically, Chelsea controlled 55 percent possession, took 15 shots and hit the target six times. Barcelona managed only five attempts, with just two on goal. Robert Sánchez preserved Chelsea’s clean sheet with a brilliant save to deny Raphinha in the 81st minute—Barcelona’s only real threat after going down to 10. Chelsea now sit on 10 points after five group-stage games, while Barcelona, suffering their second defeat, drop to 15th with seven points in a disappointing campaign. After arriving in London on the back of a 4-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao, the Catalan leave bruised, beaten and searching for answers ahead of Saturday’s league clash with Alavés.

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to remain available for Portugal at the upcoming World Cup, despite being sent off in a qualifier for elbowing an Ireland player. FIFA released its disciplinary decision on Tuesday, handing the Portuguese star a three-match suspension for what was deemed “violent conduct” or “serious foul play.” However, two of those matches have been placed under a one-year probation period, significantly reducing the immediate impact of the ban. Ronaldo has already served the automatic one-game suspension during Portugal’s final qualifier — a 9-1 victory over Armenia that confirmed its World Cup berth. Many had anticipated that he would miss at least one more match and potentially begin his record sixth World Cup on the bench. FIFA stated that its rules allow portions of a suspension to be conditional, though it is unusual for two matches of a three-game ban to be deferred. Earlier this month, players from Armenia and Burundi received full three-match bans for similar offenses, without any probation reduction. According to FIFA, the remaining two suspended games will be enforced if Ronaldo commits another comparable offense during the probation period. With FIFA overseeing national-team disciplinary matters, Portugal is set for two friendlies in March followed by warmup matches in late May or June, ahead of the World Cup’s June 11 kickoff in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ronaldo was shown red two weeks ago for striking Ireland defender Dara O’Shea with his elbow during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin. Messi leads Inter Miami to first-ever Conference Final with 4-0 win over Cincinnati VIP contextThe disciplinary ruling comes shortly after Ronaldo attended a formal White House dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also present and took a selfie with Ronaldo. Ronaldo has spent the last three years playing in the Saudi league for a club majority owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund. Saudi Arabia, a major FIFA financial supporter in recent years, is set to host the 2034 World Cup. Appeal optionsFIFA noted that the three-match ban can be appealed to the FIFA Appeal Committee, though it remains unclear who might have the standing to challenge the ruling — possibly Ireland’s football association or one of Portugal’s future World Cup opponents. Trump is expected to attend the Dec. 5 draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where Portugal, seeded among the top teams in the expanded 48-nation tournament, will learn its group-stage opponents. Source: AP 

Real Madrid will travel to Olympiakos for its Champions League fixture with a significantly weakened backline, as a series of injuries threatens the team’s attempt to snap a three-match winless run. The club announced Tuesday that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will miss the game due to a gastrointestinal virus. Coach Xabi Alonso will have only one natural center back — Raúl Asencio — available for Wednesday’s fifth-round match in the league stage of the competition. Dean Huijsen has been sidelined with a knee problem and will not make the trip to Greece. Antonio Rüdiger remains out as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury, while Éder Militão is unavailable after suffering an injury while on duty for Brazil during the international break. French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to fill in as a makeshift central defender, a role he has taken on before when required. Madrid currently sits seventh in the league phase with three victories and one defeat. Olympiakos, meanwhile, is struggling near the bottom after registering two draws and two losses. Real Madrid is coming off a 2-2 draw against Elche in La Liga on Sunday, following a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano in the previous round and a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League. Alonso’s squad had opened the season in strong form, winning 13 of its first 14 matches.

Manchester City academy player Han Willhoft-King has quit professional football to pursue a law degree at Oxford University, bringing an early end to a promising career that once saw him train alongside stars like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. The 19-year-old London-born midfielder, who previously spent more than a decade at Tottenham Hotspur, was long regarded as a rising talent and even trained with Spurs’ first team under Antonio Conte. However, recurring injuries and a growing desire for academic life pushed him to reassess his future. Willhoft-King had initially planned to study at UCLA while playing for FC Cincinnati 2, but Manchester City’s offer in mid-2024 convinced him to delay university and attempt a final push into elite football. Despite valuable exposure with City’s U-21s and occasional sessions with the senior squad, he struggled for game time and continued to deal with injuries. He ultimately decided to sit for the LNAT (entrance exam to study law at British universities) and apply to Oxford. After being accepted into Brasenose College, he chose to step away from football entirely. Explaining his decision, Willhoft-King said he no longer enjoyed the daily grind of professional football and felt “understimulated.” “I still loved it. But I always felt I could be doing more. I was wasting hours of the day. I needed something different, and Oxford excited me — the people, too. I guess that’s the reason,” he told the English press. “We would be running after the ball like dogs for half an hour, 60 minutes. It’s not a very pleasant experience, especially when you are trying to press De Bruyne or Gündogan or Foden. You can’t get near them, so the feeling of not wanting to do this overcomes being starstruck.” Willhoft-King added there was strong logic behind his choice: “You can have a football career that lasts 10–15 years. But what happens after that? By starting university education, I will achieve a much longer-term career. I made this decision thinking a bit long-term.

Real Madrid issued a formal apology after mistakenly featuring a photo of the wrong footballer in a video tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva. The video, which was displayed during the Spanish club's ordinary general assembly, incorrectly showed a photograph of Elche and Portugal international forward André da Silva, 30, instead of André Silva, the 25-year-old brother of the late Liverpool player, Diogo Jota. Diogo Jota, 28, a forward for Liverpool and Portugal, tragically died in a car crash in July alongside his brother, André Silva, who was a professional footballer for Portuguese second-tier club Penafiel. Madrid president Florentino Pérez said after the match: “There was an error in the institutional video. We apologize; it was a human error.” The club later issued a statement addressing the error on X. “Real Madrid CF apologises to Elche CF and its player André da Silva for having mistakenly included his image in the obituary of an institutional video instead of that of André Silva, the brother of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool player,” Real Madrid said. “We regret this incident.” Elche striker André da Silva, who has 53 caps for Portugal, is a well-known figure who previously played for clubs including Porto, AC Milan, and RB Leipzig. His side played Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in a La Liga match on Sunday.      

Cristiano Ronaldo once again reminded the football world why he is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, scoring a breathtaking bicycle kick at the age of 40 as Al Nassr defeated Al Khaleej 4-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday. The match was already decided, with Al Nassr leading comfortably, but Ronaldo’s late strike, in the sixth minute of added time in the second half, added a spectacular flourish to the home victory. Nawaf delivered a precise cross from the right, and Ronaldo timed his leap perfectly, executing a powerful bicycle kick in mid-air. Despite the goalkeeper’s desperate attempt to reach the ball, it soared into the net. The Portuguese star then sprinted to the corner flag to celebrate with his trademark ‘Siuuu’ celebration, much to the delight of the fans. Ronaldo’s goal was the latest addition to a career filled with memorable strikes. It drew comparisons to a similar bicycle kick he scored seven years ago while playing for Juventus, demonstrating that even at 40, his fitness, technique, and vision remain exceptional. Earlier in the match, Al Nassr had taken the lead through João Félix, Wesley Ribeiro, and Sadio Mané, before Ronaldo added the cherry on top. On the path toward 1,000 career goals, Ronaldo now has 954, including 10 goals in nine Saudi Pro League matches this season. He sits just behind club teammate João Félix, who leads the league’s scoring charts by a single goal. Al Nassr remain top of the league table this season with a perfect record of nine wins from nine matches, accumulating 27 points. Title holder Al Hilal follow in second place with 23 points from the same number of games.

Inter Miami stormed into their first-ever Eastern Conference final with a dominant 4-0 victory over FC Cincinnati on Sunday, powered by a sparkling display from Lionel Messi and a trio of Argentine scorers spanning three generations. Messi opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a trademark header from a cross by 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti, before providing three assists in the second half as Silvetti doubled the lead with a composed finish. Inspired by the duo, 26-year-old Tadeo Allende struck twice in quick succession, both set up by sublime through-balls from Messi, to seal a commanding win for Javier Mascherano’s side. Allende’s pace and power overwhelmed the Cincinnati defence, while Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo made key early saves to keep the hosts at bay. Miami threatened further late on, but Rodrigo De Paul squandered a golden opportunity from another clever Messi pass. Messi, who is on course for back-to-back MLS Most Valuable Player awards after 29 goals and 19 assists in the regular season, has now contributed six goals and six assists in the playoffs, setting a new MLS playoff record with 12 goal contributions. Inter Miami finished the regular season in third place and will host fifth-seeded New York City FC in Saturday’s Eastern Conference final. NYCFC advanced earlier with a 1-0 win over Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union.  

Real Madrid extended their winless streak to three matches after being held to a 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday, despite twice coming from behind in a tense La Liga encounter that further tightened the title race. Xabi Alonso’s side, who had led Barcelona by five points just two rounds ago, now see their advantage reduced to a single point after dropping two more valuable points on the road. The Catalans routed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday in their return to the renovated Camp Nou Stadium. Elche opened the scoring in the 53rd minute through Aleix Febas, finishing off a sharp passing move with a low tap-in past Thibaut Courtois. Real equalised in the 78th minute when Dean Huijsen fired home from close range after a corner fell inside the box. But the home side struck again in the 84th minute. Álvaro Rodríguez unleashed a powerful effort from outside the area to restore Elche’s lead and put Madrid under pressure once more. Three minutes later, Jude Bellingham rescued the visitors for a second time. His initial effort was parried by goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, but Kylian Mbappé recovered the rebound and squared the ball back for the England midfielder, who converted at the second attempt to secure Real’s second equaliser of the night. The Spanish goalkeeper suffered a nose injury during the sequence but continued after receiving brief treatment. In a match filled with missed chances, Elche had the first major opportunity in the 17th minute when Rafa Mir was denied by Courtois from close range. Mbappé later squandered two promising openings for Madrid, and Rodrygo forced a strong save from Peña early in the second half. Real entered the match having beaten Valencia 4-0 earlier this month but followed that result with a 1-0 Champions League loss at Liverpool and a 0-0 La Liga draw with Rayo Vallecano, and extended their winless streak to three matches. After 13 matches, Real sit top of the league on 32 points, with Barcelona close behind on 31. Xabi Alonso’s men will host Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday to seek a return to winning ways.    

Lanus captured their second Copa Sudamericana title on Saturday, defeating Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout, thanks to a stunning performance from goalkeeper Nahuel Losada, who stopped three spot-kicks. Lanus, champions previously in 2013, are now the sixth club to lift the Sudamericana trophy twice. In the shootout, Carlos Izquierdoz, Sasha Marcich, Dylan Aquino, Agustín Cardozo and Franco Watson all converted for the Argentine team. Losada, 32, delivered the decisive edge by denying efforts from Hulk, Gabriel Texeira and Vitor Hugo. Barcelona celebrate Camp Nou return with 4–0 win over Bilbao Argentine clubs have now claimed 10 Sudamericana titles overall, with Racing Club most recently taking the 2024 crown after overcoming Cruzeiro in the final. Lanus booked their place in this year’s final by edging Universidad de Chile 3-2 on aggregate in the semifinals. They earlier knocked out Fluminense with a victory at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã in the quarterfinals and eliminated Central Córdoba on penalties in the round of 16. Source: AP 

Barcelona could not have scripted a more poetic homecoming. After 909 days of exile, the Catalans returned to their beloved Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday night and marked the occasion with a resounding 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao — a win that briefly lifted them to the summit of La Liga ahead of Real Madrid. The night belonged to history, emotion, and a team rediscovering its rhythm. Robert Lewandowski, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in what was his 160th appearance for the club, carved his name into Camp Nou folklore by scoring the first goal at the renovated stadium. For Ferran Torres, this new era started with a flourish. The forward struck twice, both assisted by Yamal, who justified every bit of the hype surrounding him with a dazzling display of vision and composure. And as if to reaffirm Barcelona’s renewed strength, goalkeeper Joan García, back from injury, delivered a commanding performance to keep Bilbao at bay. Barca needed less than five minutes to trigger a new chapter in their storied home. Yamal drove forward with characteristic fearlessness before slicing open Bilbao’s defence with a brilliant through-ball. A quick series of passes followed, and Lewandowski, gliding into space, unleashed a powerful strike into the net to ignite the stadium. But the visitors refused to be mere spectators. Bilbao answered instantly with waves of attack, dominating nearly ten minutes and testing Barcelona’s defensive structure. In the 20th minute, Fermín’s low shot forced Unai Simón into action, and Dani Olmo sent the rebound narrowly wide. Four minutes later, Ferran Torres found the net but was denied by the offside flag. Bilbao’s biggest chance of the half arrived in the 36th minute when Unai Gómez failed to beat Joan García from close range. Moments later, Gómez’s long-range effort sailed over the bar, and in the 41st minute Nico Williams miscued his attempt from just outside the six-yard box. Then, just before the interval, Barcelona struck again. A counterattack led by Yamal set Ferran free, and although Simón got a hand to it, the ball rolled in to make it 2-0 at halftime. The second half began with Barcelona pouncing on a defensive error, allowing Fermín to coolly slot home their third goal of the night. Bilbao’s hopes unraveled further in the 54th minute when Oihan Sancet saw red for a reckless challenge on Fermín. Initially shown a yellow, the card turned red after VAR intervention. With a man advantage, Barcelona dominated possession and tempo, while Bilbao retreated into damage-control mode. Olmo came within inches of scoring in the 65th minute, but it was Ferran who completed the rout in stoppage time. Yamal once again orchestrated the move, and after a brief offside scare, VAR confirmed the goal. The victory took Barcelona to 31 points from 13 matches — level with Real Madrid but temporarily ahead on goal difference. Madrid, however, can reclaim the lead with at least a draw in their 13th-round fixture against Elche on Sunday, while a win would take them three points clear. Barcelona now shift their focus to Europe, travelling to London to face Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday. They will return home next Saturday for a La Liga fixture with Deportivo Alavés.