Argentine superstar Lionel Messi lit up the European Super Cup on Friday as Champions League winners Barcelona defeated UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 after extra-time to claim the trophy.
Messi had the best opportunities in a disappointing match played on a cut-up, cabbage-patch of a pitch at the Stade Louis II and it was fitting that he played the pivotal role in the night’s only goal.
With five minutes of extra-time left, and with a penalty shootout beckoning, Messi played a delightful one-two, between a line of defenders, with Pedro Rodriguez before the 22-year-old substitute slotted the ball past Andriy Pyatov in the Ukrainians’ goal.
It was Barcelona’s third SuperCup and already their second piece of silverware of the season having captured the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola hit out at the state of the pitch.
“It was unacceptable and unforgivable,” Guardiola said. “We talk about the health of the players, protecting them and the spectacle, but on a pitch like that?”
Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said his team had suffered at the hands of referee Frank De Bleeckere.
“It’s always difficult against Barcelona because the referee is always on their side,” the Romanian said.
“There was a penalty for us which wasn’t given and twice he whistled against us when we were on top. But apart from that, I congratulate Barcelona as they are a great team and deserved to win,” he said.
Barcelona were the better of the two sides throughout.
In a poor first-half, Thierry Henry flashed a shot over Pyatov’s crossbar while the Shakhtar goalkeeper was also quick to pull off a save, low down from Messi.
It wasn’t until the 74th minute that a goal looked as if it might arrive.
Pyatov parried away a powerful drive from Messi and then back-pedalled smartly to tip over a clever chip from Henry.
Ten minutes from time, Barcelona newboy Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had struggled all night to make any sort of impression, was replaced by Pedro Rodriguez.
In a stormy conclusion to the 90 minutes, Messi and Olexandr Kucher were booked for squaring up to each other.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
RSS