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CLUB WORLD CUP

Al Ahly thrash Al-Ittihad in Club World Cup to book Fluminense semi-final

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Club World Cup - Second Round - Al Ahly v Al Ittihad - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - December 15, 2023 Al Ahly's Hussein El-Shahat and Karim El Debes celebrate with fans after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh Acquire Licensing Rights

Egypt’s Al Ahly cruised to a 3-1 win over Al-Ittihad on Friday to book a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals after Karim Benzema missed a penalty before scoring for the Saudi side.

The African champions will face Copa Libertadores title holders Fluminense of Brazil in the last four on Monday.

Al Ahly broke the deadlock in the 21st minute through left-back Ali Maaloul who converted a penalty which was awarded for handball by Al-Ittihad defender Hassan Kadesh.

Marcelo Gallardo’s team battled for an equaliser and also got a spot kick for handball by Al Ahly defender Mohamed Abdelmonem.

However, Al-Ittihad’s former Real Madrid striker Benzema failed to convert after his shot was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.

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Al-Ahly increased their lead when Hussein El Shahat curled the ball into the net just before the hour mark from an assist by Kahraba, who three minutes later hit a cross-shot that Emam Ashour fired home after a quick counter-attack.

The Saudi champions, appearing in the tournament for the first time since reaching the semi-finals in 2005, ended their campaign with a last-minute consolation goal from Benzema.

That came just after Al Ahly’s Anthony Modeste was sent off in the 90th having come on for Aliou Dieng minutes earlier.

The other semi on Tuesday sees European champions Manchester City against Asian Champions League holders Urawa Red Diamonds, who beat CONCACAF champions Leon 1-0 earlier on Friday.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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CLUB WORLD CUP

Real Madrid survive Dortmund scare to reach Club World Cup semis

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FIFA Club World Cup - Quarter Final - Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - July 5, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe scores their third goal past Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Real Madrid edged past Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a dramatic Club World Cup quarter-final on Saturday to set up a last-four clash with Paris St Germain.

The Spanish giants stamped their authority on the match early at the MetLife Stadium, dominating possession and opening a two-goal lead thanks to strikes by Gonzalo and Fran Garcia in the 10th and 20th minutes.

Gonzalo, the 21-year-old forward continuing his breakout tournament, opened the scoring with a close-range volley from Arda Guler’s cross.

Ten minutes later, Garcia doubled Real’s lead, arriving at the far post to turn in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low delivery after an incisive move down the right.

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. squandered chances to extend Real’s lead before halftime, while Aurelien Tchouameni came closest in the second half, rattling the crossbar with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

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Despite the reduced intensity of play in New Jersey’s scorching heat, Real comfortably saw out the match, leaving Dortmund unable to mount a comeback until the game exploded into life in 10 minutes of mayhem in added time.

Substitute Maximilian Beier pounced on a rebound in the 93rd minute to pull one back for Dortmund, but a minute later Kylian Mbappe restored Real’s two-goal cushion with a stunning volley.

Dortmund refused to back down, however, and Serhou Guirassy’s pace saw him break through Real’s defence only to be pulled down in the box by Dean Huijsen.

The defender was shown a straight red card, ruling him out of the semi-final, and Guirassy coolly converted the resulting spot-kick to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

Dortmund came within inches of forcing extra time when in the ninth minute of added time Thibaut Courtois produced a sensational save to deny Marcel Sabitzer’s powerful strike.

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“We were doing really well and the match looked under control but then in the last 10 minutes things got crazy,” Real manager Xabi Alonso told DAZN.

“We have lost a little bit our focus and intensity when we didn’t have the ball and luckily nothing else happened. But overall we have had good 80 minutes and the last 10 minutes to improve.”

Real Madrid now turn their attention to PSG, who defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 to book their place in the semi-finals. The winners of that clash will face Fluminense or Chelsea, who meet on Tuesday, in the final.

Reuters

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Exemplary Dembele steps up again to inspire depleted PSG

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FIFA Club World Cup - Quarter Final - Paris St Germain v Bayern Munich - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. - July 5, 2025 Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Paris St Germain snatched a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on Saturday to reach the Club World Cup semi-finals, with Ousmane Dembele embodying the composure of Luis Enrique’s side as he sealed the victory when his team were down to nine men.

Dembele found the back of the net six minutes into added time after being superbly set up by Achraf Hakimi and the French forward also shone defensively by pressing relentlessly and initiating the move that led to his decisive goal.

“I’d give the Ballon d’Or to Mr Ousmane Dembele,” coach Luis Enrique said after PSG’s Champions League final win over Inter Milan. “The way he defended…only that can be worth the Ballon d’Or. This is how you lead a team.”

Dembele proved his coach right once again against Bayern.

Rested for the group stage after sustaining a thigh injury and only coming off the bench after halftime in the last 16 and in the quarter-final, Dembele brought an incredible energy to a team who had been dominated by Bayern.

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“It’s an important period for us. We had a score to settle with Bayern after the 2020 (Champions League) final (won by Bayern 1-0) and after they beat us earlier this season,” captain Marquinhos said. “We want to win this competition.”

PSG went ahead through Desire Doue, his first goal in the tournament.

“I try to help the team by scoring, but also with my efforts, notably defensively,” Doue said.

PSG, seeking a quadruple of titles after winning the Champions League, French Cup and the Ligue 1 title, will face Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid for a place in the final.

They will be without centre back Willian Pacho and defender Lucas Hernandez, who picked up straight red cards after Doue’s opening goal.

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“The first one is a clear red card,” coach Luis Enrique said. “I’m not sure about the second one. We deserved the win but it was really really hard. Nothing special. Business as usual.”

-Reuters

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CLUB WORLD CUP

Late own goal sends Chelsea past Palmeiras into semi-finals

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 FIFA Club World Cup - Quarter Final - Palmeiras v Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - July 4, 2025 Palmeiras' Vitor Roque reacts with Chelsea's Pedro Neto REUTERS/Lee Smith

An 83rd-minute Weverton own goal from a deflected Malo Gusto cross gave Chelsea a nervy 2-1 win over a spirited Palmeiras side in the Club World Cup quarter-finals at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday.

Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet in the first half for Chelsea, who move on to face more Brazilian opposition in Fluminense in New York on Tuesday with a place in the final on the line.

Palmeiras roared back after halftime with teenage winger Estevao, who is soon to join Chelsea, equalising in the 53rd minute with a stunning strike from a tight angle.

“Tough game as we expected,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. “First half, I think we were a little bit better compared to the second half, we controlled the game much better.

“But then they scored and the game changed but at the end we scored and I think we deserved to win. Congratulations to the players, because they have been very good.”

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Chelsea started the match well despite missing key defensive midfield duo Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with 21-year-old Andrey Santos making his first start some two and a half years after joining the club.

They controlled possession and repeatedly threatened through Pedro Neto, who caused chaos for Palmeiras defence down the right flank.

Palmer struck in the 16th minute, receiving a pass from Trevoh Chalobah on the edge of the box and gliding past three defenders with ease before dispatching a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

Despite their dominance, Chelsea squandered several opportunities, including Christopher Nkunku’s glaring miss in the 34th minute when he blasted over with only goalkeeper Weverton to beat.

Palmeiras, missing key defenders Joaquin Piquerez, Gustavo Gomez and Murilo, struggled to contain Chelsea’s fluid attack in the first half but emerged from the break with renewed energy.

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They nearly equalised when Bruno Fuchs headed narrowly wide from a corner before Estevao worked his magic with an effort that should be a strong candidate for goal of the tournament so far.

The 18-year-old showcased his immense talent by cutting in from the right, gliding past Levi Colwill and smashing an unstoppable shot from a tight angle that flew over keeper Robert Sanchez and off the underside of the crossbar.

“Happy because we won, happy because he scored, so it’s a perfect night,” Maresca said of his new signing.

Just when Palmeiras looked at their most dangerous, though, Chelsea found the winner down the other end.

Gusto found space down the left and his attempted cross deflected off defender Fuchs and wrongfooted Weverton, the ball bouncing off the goalkeeper’s back and into the net to end Palmeiras dreams of an all-Brazilian semi-final.

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-Reuters

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