United News of Bangladesh

Lamine Yamal has returned to Spain’s national squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers after recovering from an injury that sparked a public disagreement between Barcelona’s coach and the Spanish team. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick had criticized Spain for fielding Yamal in two easy wins in early September, claiming the team “had not taken care” of him and suggesting he had played while injured. Following this, the 18-year-old missed four matches for Barcelona due to “discomfort in the pubic area.” Spain’s camp denied that Yamal had played while injured, stating he had passed all standard medical checks and that Barcelona had not reported any fitness concerns. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Friday that there was “no conflict with Hansi Flick” and defended how player health was managed. “We take zero risks, only the risks any player takes when playing a sport,” De la Fuente said. “If a player joins the team, it means he is healthy, and if he plays, it means he is fit to play.” Since then, Yamal has participated in two Barcelona matches, including playing over 90 minutes in the club’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain this week. Barcelona will face Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday before Spain plays Georgia on October 11 and Bulgaria three days later.

Goncalo Ramos scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner as Paris Saint-Germain edged Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Manchester City were held 2-2 by Monaco after conceding a last-minute penalty. PSG, defending champions, were trailing 1-0 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys without injured forwards Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Lamine Yamal started for Barcelona, but Ferran Torres put the home side ahead in the 19th minute. Senny Mayulu equalized for PSG in the 38th minute, and substitute Lee Kang-in came close late, hitting the post. The winner came when Achraf Hakimi’s pass found Ramos, who slid the ball past the Barcelona defense. “It doesn’t matter which players are on the field. Wearing our shirt comes with attitude and effort,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the defeat: “We have to accept this loss and admit Paris were very good.” Haaland shines, but City drop points Erling Haaland scored twice for Manchester City, but Eric Dier’s 90th-minute penalty earned Monaco a 2-2 draw. Haaland now has 52 goals in 50 Champions League appearances, moving closer to Lionel Messi’s record pace. “It isn’t good enough,” Haaland said. “We have to win the next game.” Napoli’s Hojlund in form Rasmus Hojlund, recently signed by Manchester United, scored twice to help Napoli defeat Sporting Lisbon 2-1. Kevin De Bruyne provided assists for both goals. Borussia Dortmund crushed Athletic Bilbao 4-1, while Bayer Leverkusen were held 1-1 by PSV Eindhoven. Arsenal and Qarabag maintain perfect starts Arsenal beat Olympiakos 2-0 with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, recording their sixth clean sheet in nine matches. Qarabag also won 2-0 against Copenhagen, with Abdellah Zoubir and Emmanuel Addai on target. Woltemade impresses for Newcastle Newcastle’s record signing Nick Woltemade scored in back-to-back games as the Magpies thrashed Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0. Anthony Gordon netted twice from penalties, with Harvey Barnes adding a fourth. Woltemade, signed for $93 million to replace Alexander Isak, is showing early promise in his new club. Juventus held late Juventus drew 2-2 with Villarreal after Renato Veiga’s late equalizer. The result followed the club’s high-scoring 4-4 draw against Dortmund in their previous Champions League match.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was forced to leave the field with an injury during a routine save as the Premier League champions fell 1-0 to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, marking back-to-back defeats for just the second time under manager Arne Slot. Alisson, the Brazil international, went down after diving to his left to block a low shot from Victor Osimhen in the 54th minute. The full extent of the injury was unclear, but Slot confirmed the goalkeeper will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash at Chelsea. “It’s never positive if you go off like this,” Slot said. “He’s definitely not playing on Saturday. We’ll see how long it will take.” Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili replaced Alisson, who has faced injury spells in each of the past two seasons, including a two-month hamstring absence last October-December. Liverpool, coming off a 2-1 league defeat at Crystal Palace, conceded the only goal in the 16th minute when Victor Osimhen converted a penalty after Dominik Szoboszlai’s trailing elbow struck Galatasaray’s Baris Alper Yilmaz. A late penalty for the Reds in the 88th minute was overturned after a VAR review. The defeat ended Liverpool’s perfect start to the season, in which they had won their first seven games across all competitions, including five league matches and a Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid. Despite high-profile signings like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak in a $570 million summer transfer spree, the team has yet to show consistent form. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk urged calm. “There shouldn’t be panic, but improvement is needed,” he said. Slot added that the team was “not so far” from the performance that led them to the Premier League title last season.

Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday as Benfica manager, receiving a warm welcome from Chelsea fans but leaving without a win as his team fell 1-0 to the English club. Mourinho, once known as the “Special One,” took charge of his first Champions League match in five years. Despite his current reputation being less dominant, he remains highly respected in southwest London. Chelsea supporters greeted him with chants of “Jose Mourinho” as he emerged from the tunnel, prompting him to wave and blow a kiss. During the game, Mourinho also intervened to urge Benfica fans to stop throwing objects at Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who had transferred from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023 for a British-record fee of £106.7 million ($131.4 million). Later, he even jogged onto the field to remove a stray ball, drawing applause from the home crowd. “When I am in London, I meet them every day on the street,” Mourinho said. “I know this relationship will last forever. Hopefully, I come back here in 20 years with my grandkids. They belong to my history and I belong to theirs.” After the final whistle, Mourinho hugged Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca but quickly left the pitch, clearly disappointed by the loss. “With me, it’s never enough. If I am in the job, it’s because I like to put myself on the line every day. I am desperate to win the next match, that’s my nature,” he said. Mourinho, who recently became Benfica’s coach after leaving Fenerbahce in Turkey, has returned to the Champions League, a competition he previously won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will face off in the Champions League on Wednesday in a high-profile clash between two leading contenders for this year’s title. Defending champion PSG is seeking to become only the second club in the modern era to retain the trophy. Since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, only Real Madrid has managed back-to-back triumphs, winning three in a row from 2016 to 2018. PSG’s triumph last season sparked talk of a possible new era of dominance for the French side, but Barcelona is seen as one of the strongest threats to that ambition. “For us, it’s exciting to play against a team with the same mentality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s a special match for both teams.” Elsewhere, two other title contenders are also in action this week. Arsenal will host Olympiacos, while 2023 champion Manchester City travels to Monaco. Tuesday’s results:There was no shortage of goals in Tuesday’s matches, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich all scoring five. Kylian Mbappe netted a hat trick in Madrid’s 5-0 victory over Kairat, while Atletico defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1. Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern’s 5-1 win against Pafos, and Marseille eased past Ajax 4-0. The upset of the night came in Istanbul, where Liverpool fell 1-0 to Galatasaray.

Sweden’s veteran goalkeeper Robin Olsen has retired from international football after coach Jon Dahl Tomasson informed him he would no longer be the first-choice keeper. The 35-year-old, who made 79 appearances for Sweden over a decade, was criticized for a costly error in last month’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia in World Cup qualifying. He also played in the 2-0 defeat to Kosovo four days later, which turned out to be his final match for the national team. The Swedish football federation confirmed Tuesday that Olsen was stepping down with immediate effect. In an interview with Swedish daily Aftonbladet, the Malmö goalkeeper said his decision was final as long as Tomasson remains in charge, describing him as “a leader that I didn’t want to work under.” Olsen revealed that Tomasson initially assured him he was Sweden’s No. 1 choice but later reversed his decision. The coach is set to announce his squad Wednesday for upcoming qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo, with Viktor Johansson likely to step in as first-choice goalkeeper. Reflecting on his career, Olsen said it was a “great honor” to represent Sweden and thanked fans for their support. National team manager Stefan Pettersson called Olsen’s retirement “sad,” adding that he “meant a huge amount” to the squad.

Kylian Mbappé fired a hat trick and Harry Kane struck twice as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich eased past tournament debutants in the Champions League on Tuesday. Madrid showed no signs of fatigue from a 6,500-kilometer trip, cruising to a 5-0 win away at Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty. Mbappé scored from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, added a lobbed finish after the break, and completed his fourth Champions League hat trick in the 73rd minute. Only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski have more. Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Díaz added late goals for the 15-time European champions. Bayern, meanwhile, defeated Pafos 5-1 in Cyprus, with Kane grabbing two goals in a commanding performance. Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid continued their scoring spree with a 5-1 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand and Antoine Griezmann — who celebrated his 200th goal for the club — put Atlético firmly ahead. Giuliano Simeone, son of suspended coach Diego Simeone, and Julián Alvarez added the other two. Liverpool suffered a 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray after a late penalty was overturned by VAR. Victor Osimhen’s early spot-kick sealed the win for the Turkish champions. Tottenham narrowly avoided defeat in Norway, drawing 2-2 with Bodø/Glimt thanks to a last-minute own goal. The debutants had led 2-1 through Jens Petter Hauge’s double before Spurs equalized in stoppage time. Chelsea edged Benfica 1-0 at Stamford Bridge courtesy of an own goal by Richard Ríos, while João Pedro was sent off late for the Blues. Marseille thrashed Ajax 4-0, and Inter Milan beat Slavia Prague 3-0 with a brace from Lautaro Martínez. Atalanta came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Club Brugge. Source: Agency

Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef S Y Ramadan met BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday night at her Gulshan residence ‘Firoza’. The envoy arrived there around 8:30pm, and the meeting lasted for about 45 minutes. BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Dr Enamul Haque Chowdhury and her Private Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar were also present. After the meeting, Enamul Haque Chowdhury told UNB that the Ambassador came to meet the BNP Chairperson, enquired about her treatment, and prayed for her full recovery. He said Khaleda asked the envoy about the situation in Palestine and Gaza.  Enamul said the BNP chief urged the United Nations, OIC, and the peace-loving world to immediately stop Israel’s destructive plan to occupy Gaza and forcibly displace Palestinians.  Dhaka seeks global action to end Israeli violence in Palestine He said she also expressed sympathy for the thousands of women and children in Gaza enduring unbearable suffering. Enamul said the Ambassador gratefully recalled late President Ziaur Rahman’s decision to provide land for the Palestinian Embassy in Gulshan, and Khaleda Zia’s move in 1991 to extend financial support for constructing the embassy building. He said the envoy also remembered the friendship between President Ziaur Rahman and Palestine’s undisputed leader Yasser Arafat, he said.

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal defeated Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi 3-2 on Monday to top their group in the Asian Champions League Elite with full points from two matches. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring for Al-Hilal, but Sardorbek Bakhromov’s long-range strike leveled the score in the first half. After the break, French international Theo Hernandez restored Al-Hilal’s lead with a solo run past five defenders before finishing inside the box. Javokhir Sidikov pulled one back for Nasaf, but Marcos Leonardo secured the win for the four-time champions in the 79th minute. “We played at a fast tempo and earned a positive result,” Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said. “We could have sealed the game earlier as we wasted many chances, but Nasaf is a strong opponent.” Meanwhile, defending champions Al-Ahli were held 2-2 by Qatar’s Al-Duhail. Al-Ahli went behind after Edmilson Junior scored into an empty net following Adil Boulbina’s shot rebound. Brazilian forward Matheus Goncalves equalized before halftime, and Riyad Mahrez briefly put Al-Ahli ahead by intercepting a goalkeeper pass. Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek’s header earned a draw for Al-Duhail three minutes into the second half. In other matches, Iran’s Tractor drew 0-0 with UAE’s Al-Wahda, while Qatar’s Al-Gharafa defeated Iraq’s Al-Shorta 2-0.

AC Milan and Inter Milan cleared a major obstacle in their bid to own a stadium after the city council approved the sale of San Siro early Tuesday following a nearly 12-hour overnight debate. The council voted 24-20 in favor of selling the historic stadium and surrounding land at around 3 a.m. The clubs plan to demolish the 99-year-old San Siro and build a new 71,500-seat arena together. Italy’s tax agency has valued the stadium and surrounding area at 197 million euros ($233 million). The sale must be completed before Nov. 10, the 70th anniversary of the stadium’s second tier, which could otherwise make demolition nearly impossible. Last week, AC Milan and Inter announced partnerships with architectural firms Foster + Partners and Manica to design the new stadium, following preliminary city council approval. The project is part of a broader urban regeneration plan covering around 281,000 square meters (over 3 million square feet). The current San Siro will host the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February, while the new stadium is planned to be ready in time for Italy’s co-hosting of the 2032 European Championship with Turkey.