United News of Bangladesh

Aston Villa and Chelsea boosted their chances of securing a top-five Premier League finish — and a spot in next season’s Champions League — with home victories on Friday. Villa earned a 2-0 win against a weakened Tottenham Hotspur side, with goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara. Meanwhile, Chelsea edged past a resilient Manchester United team, claiming a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike from Marc Cucurella. The results saw Chelsea climb to fourth place with 66 points, just ahead of Villa in fifth on goal difference. The other teams fighting for one of the four Champions League spots after league winner Liverpool all have two games left to play. Arsenal has 68 points, Newcastle 66, Manchester City 65, and Nottingham Forest 62. On a tense night at Villa Park, the home side had the better of the play but was forced to wait until the 59th minute to get the opener. Ollie Watkins steered John McGinn’s corner back across goal and an unmarked Ezri Konsa turned in the ball. Boubacar Kamara doubled the lead with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area. It was his first Premier League goal in his 69th game. “We knew today was a must win,” the Frenchman told broadcaster Sky Sports. “We want to play Champions League football again. … We had a taste of it this season and us as players it’s a competition you want to play in.” Villa's final match is against Man United at Old Trafford on May 25. Friday’s win was Villa’s eighth in its last nine league matches and extended its unbeaten home run to 21 games in all competitions, its best since 1977. Meanwhile, at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea woke up after a dull first half when Spanish defender Cucurella headed home Reece James' cross after 71 minutes. BPL Football: Dhaka Mohammedan close to their first-ever title beating Chattagram Abahani Spurs and Man United went into the matches with one eye on next week's Europa League final. Both coaches rested some regular starters and got through the night without any new injury worries. Both of Friday's matches were brought forward by 48 hours to allow the sides more time to prepare for the final on Wednesday in Bilbao.      

Dhaka Mohammedan SC came close to their first- ever title of Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football outplaying relegated side Chittagong Abahani Limited by 4-1 goals at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla Friday afternoon.  With day's feat, the traditional black and white Mohammedan SC comfortably dominated the league securing 38 points from 15 matches and needed just a win in three remaining matches to clinch first ever professional league crown. The port city Chittagong Abahani Ltd already relegated from the premier league with just three points from 15 encounters. Six times champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd followed the leader distantly with 28 points from 14 matches and were almost out of the title race. In Cumilla, Nigerian forward  Emmanuel Sunday struck twice for Mohammedan in the 45th and 60th minutes, long serving Mali striker  Souleymane Diabate and Uzbekistan booter Muzzaffarov scored one each for Mohammedan in the 29th and 46th minutes respectively. Redwan Hussain Sumon netted the consolation goal for the port city team in the 74th minute. In the day's other match,  five times champions Bashundhara Kings suffered another defeat in the league losing to mediocre Bangladesh Police FC at their home ground of Bashundhara Kings Arena Friday afternoon. Local forward Dipok Roy scored the match winner for Police FC in the 60th minute with the frustration of home crowd. The Kings, which were earlier out of the title race, now remained at the 3rd slot with 25 points from 15 matches. In the day's other match, Brothers Union Club beat Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool also by 4-1 goals at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur Friday afternoon. Brothers Union Club and Police FC collected 23 points each from 15 matches to share the 4th and 5th place respectively.

Defending champions Bangladesh smartly reached the final of the six-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's U-19 Championship with unbeaten run eliminating Nepal by 2-1 goal in the first semifinal at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, Yupia, in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh Friday afternoon Bangladesh will play final on Sunday (May 18)  against the winners of hosts India and the Maldives, who will face each other in the 2nd semifinal Friday (May 16) evening at the same venue. Bangladesh failed to  display their usual shot in the barren first half and  all the three goals were scored in the  in the competitive 2nd half . Nazmul Huda Faysal scored one goal and assisted  in the day's another goal.  Bhutan Women’s League: Paro FC Women’s earn a record breaking 28-0 goals victory against Samtse Women’s FC Ashiqur Rahman scored first for Bangladesh in the 74th minute by a brilliant header from handshake distance, utilizing  a corner kick off captain  Nazmul Huda Faysal  (1-0)   Nazmul Huda Faysal doubled the Bangladesh margin in the 81st minute by a cool shot from danger zone , utilizing a readymade pass from Manik (2-0)  In the last few minutes, Nepal regained their rhythm  and made some good attempts  towards Bangladesh and took its fruit in the 87th minute when their Sujan Dongal found the net by a cool shot from top of the small box (2-1).  SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh to play Nepal in first semifinal on Friday Earlier, Bangladesh emerged Group A champions to reach semifinal as an unbeaten team securing four points from two group matches beating Bhutan by 3-0 goals after making 2-2 draw with the Maldives in the opener.

Goodison Park, the long-time home of Premier League team Everton, has staged more top-tier games than any other stadium in England. It was where Pele was kicked to pieces before losing a World Cup match with Brazil for the only time. It was where eight English league titles were won, and where several nerve-shredding escapes from relegation in the Premier League were completed. Everton will leave Goodison at the end of this season to move to a new 53,000-seat stadium at nearby Bramley-Moore Dock. Sunday's visit of Southampton marks the final game in the team's home of 133 years and the occasion will be marked by what Everton is calling an “End of an Era” ceremony afterward. The stadium will continue to operate instead in the women's game, as the new home of Everton Women. Here is Goodison’s story so far: Goodison wasn't always Everton's home Goodison Park has been the home to eight of Everton's nine title-winning campaigns. The first came somewhere you might not expect. Back on the pitch: PSL resumes after conflict-forced suspension Everton became a professional club and played its first Football League fixture at Anfield — now the storied home of neighbor Liverpool — from 1884-92. The club's first league title was won there in 1891, with Everton matches watched by crowds of up to 20,000. But a dispute with Everton's then-chairman, who owned the land, pushed club officials to buy a field just across Stanley Park and build a new stadium — Goodison Park. It opened in 1892, staged an FA Cup final two years later and, in 1924, hosted an exhibition baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants on their world tour.   The architect Goodison Park is a celebrated example by the greatest architect of soccer’s early years, Archibald Leitch. The Scottish architect who designed dozens of soccer and rugby venues in the early 20th century started work at Everton with the Goodison Road stand in 1909. The huge construction was popularly compared to an ocean liner called the Mauretania. The main Bullens Road stand is now 99 years old and still has the signature Leitch feature, crossed trusses on the upper-tier balcony. What Leitch didn't build was another unique feature of Goodison Park — St. Luke’s Church in one corner of the ground next to the Gwladys Street end that's home to Everton’s noisiest fans. Pele's World Cup troubles at Goodison Pelé played in 14 games at four different World Cups from 1958 to 1970 and lost only one: at Goodison. Brazil was based at Goodison for its group-stage games in 1966 and the two-time defending champion’s superstar was targeted for rough treatment. Pelé scored in an opening 2-0 win over Bulgaria but was too injured to then face Hungary, which won 3-1. Pelé came back for a decisive game against Eusebio’s Portugal and again was repeatedly fouled. Portugal won 3-1 and Brazil exited with the sad sight of Pelé limping around the Goodison field. Goodison hosted an epic quarterfinal — North Korea took an early three-goal lead before Eusebio scored four and Portugal won 5-3 — then a semifinal that controversially didn't involve England. FIFA, led by its English president Stanley Rous, switched the England-Portugal game to Wembley and Goodison instead hosted West Germany beating the Soviet Union. Fans in Liverpool were not impressed, calling it an “England fix." Goodison was “the best stadium in my playing life,” Eusebio said in 2009 on a return visit.   Goodison's greatest games For many Everton fans, nothing quite tops the atmosphere that was generated in the stadium — often fondly referred to as the “Grand Old Lady” — when their team beat Bayern Munich and Lothar Matthäus 3-1 in the second leg of the European Cup-Winners' Cup semifinals. The old stadium rocked with relief as much as joy when Everton came from two goals down to beat Wimbledon 3-2 on the final day of the 1993-94 season to stay in the Premier League, and again four years later after a final-round 1-1 draw with Coventry to stay up on goal difference. A 16-year-old Wayne Rooney announced himself to the world when coming off the bench to score with a last-minute, long-range curler in off the bar to end Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten league run in October 2002. And there was the final men's Merseyside derby at Goodison in February. James Tarkowski smashed a shot into the roof of the net in the eighth minute of stoppage time to secure Everton a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.   What's next? Everton is moving to Bramley-Moore Dock on Liverpool's waterfront to start next season. The new stadium already staged test events, is slated to host a high-profile rugby league match between England and Australia on Nov. 1, and is a host venue for the men’s European Championship in 2028. The plan was for Goodison Park to be demolished but Everton's new owners — the Friedkin family from Texas — announced this week that the women's team, which plays in the top-flight Super League, will play there from next season, moving from its nearby current home in Walton Hall Park. Goodison's current capacity of nearly 40,000 will likely be reduced.   END/UNB/AP/MA

This was Lamine Yamal's season. So it just had to be the teenage phenom who scored the decisive goal to clinch Barcelona's 28th Spanish league title. And what a goal it was for the player who still wears dental braces and sports a new dyed-blond hairdo. The 17-year-old struck the winner in Barcelona's 2-0 victory at crosstown rival Espanyol on Thursday when he slid past two defenders outside the area and whipped one his now trademark left-footed curlers into the corner of the net. It was a perfect culmination to Yamal's last 10 months. After helping Spain win the European Championship last summer, Yamal excelled for Barcelona this campaign with his goals, dribbling and playmaking as he confirmed his status as the next big star of global soccer. Along with Raphinha, Pedri and company, and Barcelona was unstoppable. “I always try my best and today I was lucky it went in,” Yamal said. "I am very happy I could help the team and celebrate it.” SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh to play Nepal in first semifinal on Friday Fermín López ensured the win in stoppage time after Espanyol was reduced to 10 men in the 80th when Leandro Cabrera received a direct red for hitting Yamal in the stomach while disputing a ball. Barcelona won the title with two rounds remaining. It completed a domestic double with the Copa del Rey title — treble if you add the Spanish Super Cup — and reached the Champions League semifinals in a fantastic first season for coach Hansi Flick. Flick’s team virtually ended Madrid’s title defense when it beat its top rival 4-3 on Sunday, making it four of four clasico victories across all competitions this season. Madrid's victory over Mallorca on Wednesday prevented Barcelona from winning the title without playing. But the Catalan club needed just two points from its final three games of the season. Barcelona’s players danced briefly on the field to celebrate while sprinklers doused them with water. “You don’t win a league every day and we have to enjoy this and give it the value it has,” said Barcelona midfielder Pedri after completing his 200th game for his club at age 22. Lionel Messi posted a message on Instagram sending his “Congratulations” for his old team. Real Madrid also congratulated its fierce rival on X, while thousands of Barcelona fans gathered to celebrate in downtown Barcelona. Flick leads the way Barcelona dominated the domestic competitions, winning 15 and drawing two of its league games in 2025. Toss in the cups, and the only tiny blemish was coming oh-so-close to reaching the Champions League final before it fell in gut-wrenching fashion at Inter Milan. Yamal credited his coach for inspiring a core of players who had won nothing last season under Xavi Hernández. “We are thankful for what Xavi have us, but it is true that coach (Flick) has given us a new life,” Yamal said. Looking back on his arrival in the summer, Flick said that he had instilled a “positive” attitude in his team and it had adapted well to his style of play that requires a high defensive line and all-in pressing. Real Madrid rallies to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebrations “Barcelona has to win titles and three titles is really great,” Flick said. “I suffered a bit after the game in Milan, but after winning three titles I am very happy and the club is too.” Yamal decides the match Espanyol outplayed its wealthier rival in the first half. But Urko González shot wide on a counterattack early on and Javi Puado couldn’t beat Wojciech Szczesny in a one-on-one opportunity. But Yamal's great shot in the 53rd minute put Barcelona in control. Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who is linked to a move to a big club this summer, including Barcelona, dove but couldn’t reach the perfectly placed shot. On Yamal’s goal, Pedri said: “He scored two goals like that today in practice. We are fortunate to have him on our side.” Espanyol needed to a good result from the derby as it hopes to stay out of the relegation fight. Espanyol remained in 16th place and five points from the drop zone. Car incident outside stadium The game was briefly paused by the referee in the opening minutes when a car rammed into a crowd outside the RCDE Stadium, injuring several people. Authorities said it was an accident and not related to the game. Athletic qualifies for Champions League Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao secured a Champions League spot after winning 2-0 at Getafe. Third-placed Atletico Madrid lost 2-0 at Osasuna, while Real Betis stumbled in its fight for a fifth-place finish and the last Champions League spot after drawing 2-2 Rayo Vallecano.

Four Bangladesh players-studded Paro FC Women’s made a flying start in the Bhutan Women’s National Football League with a record breaking 28-0 goals victory over Samtse Women’s Football Club at the Samtse Artificial turf in Bhutan on Thursday. Four Bangladeshi booters scored 25 goals out of total 28. Former Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun scored nine goals to be adjudged player of the match, Monika Chakma made seven, Matsushima Sumaiya five and Ritu Porna Chakma four goals. SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh to play Nepal in first semifinal on Friday On last Tuesday, three Bangladesh players studded Royal Thiumpu College Women’s FC outplayed Gelephu City Women’s FC by 16-0 goals at the RTC Artificial turf. Ten Bangladeshi women’s booters now playing in the Bhutan Women’s National League for three different clubs.

Defending champions Bangladesh team will play Nepal in the first semifinal of the six-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's Under-19 Championship on Friday (May 16) targeting a final berth after beating the Himalayan nation. The first semifinal match between Group A champions Bangladesh and Group B runners-up Nepal will kicks-off 4:30pm Bangladesh time at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, Yupia, in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. Hosts and Group B champions India will encounter Group A runners up Maldives in the other semifinal, also on Friday at 8pm at the same venue. Bangladesh team made final training session at the NERIST ground in Nirjuli Thursday afternoon ahead of their clash with Nepal in the Friday’s semifinal In the day’s final practice session, the players and coaching staff are putting maximum effort in preparation, worked hard and united with strong determination to secure a place in the final. Bangladesh’s Head Coach Golam Rabbani Choton said, “We reached the semifinal after completing the group stage properly, we made good recovery both physically and mentally in the meantime, we also worked on strong and weak side of Nepal and we are fully ready for the semifinal.” Real Madrid rallies to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebrations semifinal match will be competitive one. But, we will take to the field on Friday to win against Nepal” he added.Bangladesh emerged Group A champions securing four points from two group matches after beating Bhutan by 3-0 goals after making 2-2 draw with the Maldives in the opener. The Maldives managed a semifinal berth as Group A runners-up securing two points from two matches after playing 2-2 draw with both Bangladesh and Bhutan In Group B, hosts India topped the list with all win record securing full six points from straight two matches after crushing Sri Lanka by 8-0 goals and outplaying Nepal by 4-0 goals Nepal booked a seat for last four stage as Group B runners-up securing three points from two matches outplaying all losers Sri Lanka by 5-0 goals apart from their 0-4 goals losses against giant India. SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh emerge group champions to set up semi-final with Nepal Friday Earlier, Bangladesh team put in Group A of the regional youth soccer meet with Bhutan and the Maldives while hosts India was placed in Group B with Nepal and Sri Lanka.

For Real Madrid, it was a matter of pride. With slim chances of winning La Liga, the club's main motivation was to avoid handing the title to archrival Barcelona ahead of time. And on Wednesday, it took a dramatic stoppage-time goal to do just that. Jacobo Ramón found the net five minutes into injury time, securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Mallorca and postponing Barcelona’s title celebrations. The win was crucial for Madrid to prevent Barcelona from clinching their 28th league championship prematurely. Despite the result, the Catalan side remains four points ahead and can still seal the title with a win against Espanyol in Thursday’s city derby. Mallorca took the lead on Wednesday with a goal by Martin Valjent in the 11th minute and stayed ahead until Kylian Mbappé beat a couple of defenders to equalize in the 68th. Ramón netted the go-ahead go from inside the area five minutes into injury time to keep Barcelona from winning the title. Mbappé is still in the race to be the league’s leading scorer and reached 28 goals, three more than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. Mbappé had a hat trick in Madrid’s loss to Barcelona on Sunday, when the Catalan club virtually secured the title by coming from behind to win 4-3 in the last “clasico” of the season. Madrid has little chance of defending its league title. It must win its final two games and hope Barcelona fails to take two points from its three remaining matches. Allende scores twice to help Inter Miami tie the Earthquakes 3-3 in Messi's MLS Bay Area debut “When we wear this shield we always must fight until the end,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. “Even though there is still a big gap, we will keep fighting until it’s mathematically impossible.” Madrid lost all four matches against Barcelona this season, being outscored 16-7. It was the first time Barcelona won every “clasico” in a season that had at least three matches between the rivals. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti received a mostly indifferent reaction from the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday after taking over the Brazil job. Ancelotti was announced as Brazil’s new coach on Monday, and some Madrid fans criticized the coach for negotiating with the five-time champions with the La Liga season still underway. There were no significant jeers or cheers when Ancelotti’s name was announced by the loudspeakers at the Bernabeu before the match, with most fans applauding and saying his name along with the announcer, following the tradition at the stadium. Madrid had not released any reaction or statement about its coach since Brazil’s announcement, and there were no farewell or congratulatory messages for Ancelotti, either, ahead of Wednesday’s match. “There was nothing different,” Ancelotti said. “Every time I sit on the bench at the Bernabeu, it’s something special.” During the match, part of the crowd chanted Ancelotti’s name. The 65-year-old Italian is leaving after four mostly successful years in his second stint with Madrid, which won both the Champions League and the Spanish league last season. The club only won the UEFA Super Cup this season. Ancelotti also coached the club from 2013-2015. He helped Madrid win three Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups, two Spanish leagues, two Copa del Reys, three UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Super Cups. Madrid still has one last game at the Bernabeu, against Real Sociedad in the final round. Ancelotti said he wasn’t giving up on the league title just yet. “In soccer anything can happen,” he said Former Madrid player Xabi Alonso is widely expected to take over the coaching job after confirming he is leaving Bayer Leverkusen, but the Spanish club was yet to make any announcements about Ancelotti’s successor. Madrid, still without a few regular starters because of injuries, struggled early against Mallorca but created several scoring chances throughout the match. It finished with nearly 40 attempts on goal. Relegation fight In a tight fight against relegation, Leganes moved closer to demotion after a 3-0 loss at fifth-place Villarreal. The club owned by former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow stayed in 18th place, four points from Alaves, the first team currently safe. Alaves opened the gap to Leganes — which was one of the teams promoted last season — by beating Valencia 1-0 at home. Valencia was in 11th place.    

Tadeo Allende netted two goals as Inter Miami battled to a 3-3 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night, in what marked Lionel Messi’s first appearance in the Bay Area since joining Major League Soccer. Allende found the back of the net in the first half and again in the 52nd minute, tapping in a pass from Baltasar Rodríguez on a play initiated by Messi. Maximiliano Falcón also scored for Miami, a team that has now conceded three or more goals in three of its last four matches. Cristian Arango, Beau Leroux, and Ian Harkes were on target for San Jose, who extended their unbeaten streak to three games. Messi had a late opportunity to secure a win for Miami, but his close-range effort during second-half stoppage time was denied by goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto. Moments later, Messi was brought down just outside the penalty area, but the referee let play continue without a foul. The decision sparked a heated exchange, with Messi confronting the official after the final whistle. He was shown a yellow card and had to be guided away by Earthquakes coach Bruce Arena. “He was obviously not happy and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get a red card,” Arena said. “I just tried to move him out of the way, because for him to get a red card at the end of the game would have been ridiculous. I just wanted to make sure we get him out of there and he’s ready to play the next game for Miami.” Messi's debut here was played in front of a sellout crowd of 18,000 with fans lined up hours before the game for the opportunity to see the Miami star in person. His entire Bay Area stay was turned into a multiday event with a block party held Tuesday night and fans gathering outside of Miami's team hotel excited just to get a wave from the balcony by Messi. Messi had a few good opportunities in the first half, barely missing wide left after getting a pass in the box in transition and then missing wide again on a free kick from just outside the box in the closing seconds of the half. The game got off to an exciting start with Miami scoring about 35 seconds into the game following a corner kick when Falcon headed in a crosser from Jordi Alba. SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh emerge group champions to set up semi-final with Nepal Friday The Earthquakes quickly responded in the third minute with Arango converting on a pass from Cristian Espinoza about 2:05 into the game, marking just the fifth time in MLS history that both teams scored in the first three minutes of a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The teams traded goals later in the half with Leroux giving San Jose the lead in the 37th minute and Allende answering about seven minutes later. The Earthquakes took a 3-2 lead at the half when Harkes scored with a left-footed shot from outside the box on an assist from Leroux in injury time.      

Defending champions Bangladesh emerged unbeaten Group A champions to reach the semi-final of the six-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's Under-19 Championship. Bangladesh will play Group B runners-up Himalayan nation Nepal in the first semifinal on Friday at 4:30 pm at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, Yupia, in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh.  Hosts India, which clinched Group B title with all win record outplaying Nepal 4-0 on Tuesday, will play the 2nd semi-final against the Maldives, also on Friday at 8: pm at the same venue. Bangladesh emerged Group A champions securing four points from two group matches after beating Bhutan by 3-0 goals after making 2-2 draw with the Maldives in the opener. The Maldives managed a semifinal berth as Group A runners-up securing two points from two matches after playing 2-2 draw with both Bangladesh and Bhutan  In Group B, hosts India topped the list with all win record securing full six points from straight two matches after  crushing Sri Lanka by 8-0 goals and outplaying Nepal by 4-0 goals  Nepal booked a seat for last four stage as Group B runners-up securing three points from two matches outplaying all losers Sri Lanka by 5-0 goals apart from their 0-4 goals losses against giant India. Ahead of the Friday's semis, Bangladesh team held their practices for the 2nd consecutive day on Wednesday afternoon  at the NERIST ground, Nirjuli, the same ground used for first practice session on Tuesday. The team fully focused on the upcoming challenge — the first semi-final of the tournament against Nepal, The players and coaching staff are putting in maximum effort in preparation, with strong determination to secure a place in the final, said a BFF media release Wednesday evening. Earlier, Bangladesh team put in Group A of the regional youth soccer meet with Bhutan and the Maldives while hosts India was placed in Group B  with Nepal and Sri Lanka.