Manchester City won’t have a chance to defend its UEFA Champions League title. The reigning UCL champs have been eliminated in the quarterfinals of this season’s tournament by La Liga giants Real Madrid after a penalty shootout on Wednesday night.

Real is now through to the semi-finals, where it is set to face Bayern Munich. The German club punched its own ticket to the semis on Wednesday as well with a 1-0 win over Arsenal. The second semi-final clash is also set and will see Paris Saint Germain face Borussia Dortmund.

After a 3-3 draw at Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg, Manchester City was considered the favorite to make it through. They were playing at home and have been in terrific form lately. However, it was Real who struck first, with Rodrygo giving the Spanish club a lead in the 12th minute.

From that point on, Real was content to hold onto its advantage while City launched one attack after another. However, it wasn’t until the 76th minute that the Premier League side managed to get a breakthrough, with midfielder Kevin DeBruyne finding the net.

The regular 90 minutes ended with a tie, with the game moving to extra time. For the next 30 minutes, both teams were cautious not to make a mistake, which resulted in a penalty shootout. Real Madrid’s Luka Modric missed his penalty in the first series, but City’s Bernardo Silva returned the favor in the second round. Mateo Kovacic missed the third penalty for City while the rest of Real’s penalty-takers all scored, resulting in a 4-3 win for Los Blancos.

The post Real Madrid Advances to UCL Semis After Penalty Shootout Against Man City appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid and Manchester City delivered a spectacle in their first leg of the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday, which ended in a 3-3 draw. 

City opened the scoring in the second minute of the match thanks to Bernardo Silva’s beautiful free-kick goal. Silva surprised Real’s keeper Andriy Lunin, who was expecting a cross, with a long-range shot, sending the ball past the free-kick wall and into the net.

Real didn’t take long to recover from the shock. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga scored an equalizer in the 12th minute before Rodrygo made it 2-1 for the Spanish club just two minutes later.

Midway through the second half, it was City’s time for rapid fire. Phil Foden scored a stunning goal from outside the penalty box in the 65th minute, only for defender Josko Gvardiol to add another one in a similar fashion in the 70th minute.

But getting behind once again didn’t discourage Real. They committed to an all-out-attack approach almost instantly and got rewarded in the 78th minute with a goal from Federico Valverde.

Both Real and City were looking for a winner until the very end of the match but ended up having to settle for a draw. The second leg, which will determine who plays in the UCL semi-finals, is scheduled for April 17 at City’s Etihad Stadium.

“It was a good match, very good, from our side,” said Real’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match. “It was competitive and evenly matched until we had energy and put pressure on City …  Now we’re at a slight disadvantage because we’re playing away in the second leg, but we’re confident that we can repeat the game we played here.”

The post UCL Quarterfinals: Real Madrid and Manchester City Deliver a Spectacle in a 3-3 Draw appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Liverpool is the lone team standing at the top of the Premier League standings amid one of the most congested title races in recent memory. Merseyside club benefited from their comeback win against Brighton and a goalless draw between Manchester City and Arsenal, two other challengers for the title.

Entering Sunday, Liverpool was tied with Arsenal at the top, with each team having 64 points, one more than Man City behind them.

Liverpool faced Brighton, and things didn’t look good early on, as they conceded a goal in the second minute of the game. However, Luis Diaz scored an equalizer in the 27th minute and Mohammed Salah added another goal in the 67th minute to seal a 2-1 win.

Manchester City and Arsenal faced each other later in the day and didn’t exactly give the fans their money’s worth. What was expected to be an attacking clash turned out to be a defense-oriented affair. While City enjoyed 73% possession, the two teams only managed to account for three shots on target.

Now, Liverpool has 67 points, two more than second-placed Arsenal and three more than City in the third spot. Out of the three clubs, City has the easiest remaining schedule, facing five teams from the bottom 10 in the next nine games.

The post Liverpool Sits at the Top of Premier League After Man City and Arsenal’s Goalless Draw appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Saudi Pro League could soon have another big soccer star in its ranks. According to reports from British media, Manchester City’s star midfielder De Bruyne is expected to be pursued by a number of Saudi Arabia clubs in the summer.

One known suitor for De Bruyne is Al Qadsiah, which is currently competing in the country’s second tier, the Saudi First Division League. Al Qadsiah is currently leading the standings and is expecting a promotion to the Saudi Pro League next season. Sport Zone reports that the club officials are convinced of their success and want De Bruyne to be their first big signing in the top flight.

Al Qadsiah is reportedly ready to send a transfer offer of more than $100 million to City while also giving De Bruyne a contract with an “astronomical” salary.

It remains to be seen whether City or De Bruyne have any interest in the offers from Saudi Arabia. City developed a good relationship with the clubs from the country, previously sanctioning the transfer of forward Riyad Mahrez to Al-Ahli and defender Aymeric Laporte to Al-Nassr.

Kevin De Bruyne has been having a challenging campaign in 2023-24, spending much of the season sidelined with a hamstring injury. He managed to play in just 14 games in all competitions, scoring two goals and dishing 13 assists.

The post Saudi Arabia Clubs Expected to Pursue Man City’s Star Kevin De Bruyne in the Summer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has won practically everything there is to win as a manager in club soccer. This is why it doesn’t come as a surprise that Guardiola would also like to have his shot at the international stage.

Speaking with ESPN Brasil, Guardiola said that he wants to coach a national team before he wraps up his managerial career.

“I would like to train a national team for a World Cup or a European Championship. I would like that,” Guardiola said when asked what’s there left for him to achieve.

Guardiola added that he doesn’t know when he might decide to pursue a national team job and that he wouldn’t do it for the sole purpose of winning the trophy but to live through the experience of managing a team at the World Cup. 

“I don’t know when that would be, if that is five, 10, 15 years from now, but I would like to have the experience of being a manager in a World Cup,” he added. 

Pep Guardiola has won a total of 37 trophies during his time managing Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. Despite being linked with various national jobs in the past, he is unlikely to leave club football anytime soon, considering his contract with Man City runs until the summer of 2026.

The post Man City’s Pep Guardiola Says He Wants to Coach a National Team Before He Retires appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland will not feature in his team’s Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday due to his ongoing foot injury, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed. The Man City boss added that Haaland will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the month.

“Hopefully at the end of this month he’ll be ready,” Guardiola stated. “It was a little bit more than we expected in the beginning. It’s the bone. It needs time. With every injury, you can do whatever you want but it’s a question of time.”

While Haaland has returned to team training, Guardiola is unwilling to risk further aggravation of the Norwegian striker’s injury by playing him too soon. Still, City received positive news in the form of the return of star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne. Having been ruled out due to a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season, DeBruyne returned to action during City’s 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup. The Belgian is expected to feature during Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.

The post Erling Haaland Likely Out for Rest of January appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola expressed his relief over star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne’s return from injury. The Belgian playmaker registered an assist during his team’s 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield in the FA Cup, marking his return from a five-month absence.

De Bruyne picked up a hamstring injury during City’s 3-0 victory over Burnley in their Premier League opening match in September. He subsequently underwent a hamstring surgery to correct the issue. “He played really good minutes,” Guardiola said of De Bruyne’s performance, adding that he is “delighted” that the central midfielder has returned from injury. “Kevin helps to win games and there are few in the world. Win games; Kevin, [Erling] Haaland, these guys win games.”

City’s season to date has not been ideal, with Guardiola’s side sitting in third place in the Premier League. They trail league leaders Liverpool by five points with a game in hand. Still, City is succeeding in other tournaments, progressing to the next round of the FA Cup and topping Group G in the UEFA Champions League by winning all six of their group games.

The post Man City Coach Expresses Joy Over Kevin De Bruyne’s Return From Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is still not ready to rejoin the Manchester City squad in training due to his foot injury, coach Pep Guardiola confirmed. The Norwegian has missed City’s last six games in all competitions as a result.

“[Haaland] is training alone but he is not training with the team,” Guardiola commentated after Man City’s 3-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday night. “Kevin [De Bruyne] is training with the team, but Erling is not yet. It is a question of when the pain will disappear.”

While the exact timeline for Haaland’s return is not yet clear, Guardiola is hopeful that his star striker will be able to return in January. The City manager also shed light on the injury status of midfielder Kevin de Bryne, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the opening game of the season. According to Guardiola, De Bryne is close to returning to the field and could potentially play in City’s FA Cup third-round match against Huddersfield Town on January 6.

The post Erling Haaland Absent From Man City Training appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City added another trophy to close out their spectacular run in 2023. The Premier League side won the Club World Cup title by beating Brazil’s Fluminsense 4-0 in the tournament finals on Friday.

City opened the scoring in the first minute of the match when Argentine striker Julián Álvarez found the net after picking up a deflection from Nathan Ake’s shot in the penalty box. Fluminense’s Nino scored an own goal in the 27th minute to make it 2-0 for City.

Fluminense looked overpowered and incapable of showing any resistance in the second half as well, which City used to run up the score. Phil Foden made it 3-0 in the 72nd minute before Álvarez added his second goal of the match in the 88th minute for a final score of 4-0.

The win over Fluminense gave City its first Club World Cup title in club history. They also won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League earlier this year. 

“I’m very pleased and I would like to say we had the feeling we would close the chapter; we won all the titles, there’s nothing else to win. I had a feeling the job is done, it is over,” said City’s manager Pep Guardiola after winning his 14th trophy since arriving at the club in 2016.

The post Manchester City Wins Club World Cup Title With 4-0 Win Over Fluminense appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is expected to be fit in time for Saturday’s game against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. The Norwegian injured his ankle while on international duty and has already returned to training with the rest of the City’s first-team squad.

Haaland collapsed due to suffering his ankle injury during Norway’s 2-0 friendly victory over the Faroe Islands last Thursday. After the game, Norway’s team doctor stated that Haaland was suffering “so much pain” due to the injury, which resembled his setback against Bournemouth earlier in the season.

Upon returning to his club at the start of the week, Haaland received continued treatment for his ankle injury before returning to training on Thursday. The 23-year-old player is a key component of City’s attacking lineup, leading the Premier League top scorers’ charts with 13 goals.

The post Manchester City’s Haaland Expected to Be Fit for Liverpool Game appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City won’t have a chance to defend its UEFA Champions League title. The reigning UCL champs have been eliminated in the quarterfinals of this season’s tournament by La Liga giants Real Madrid after a penalty shootout on Wednesday night.

Real is now through to the semi-finals, where it is set to face Bayern Munich. The German club punched its own ticket to the semis on Wednesday as well with a 1-0 win over Arsenal. The second semi-final clash is also set and will see Paris Saint Germain face Borussia Dortmund.

After a 3-3 draw at Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg, Manchester City was considered the favorite to make it through. They were playing at home and have been in terrific form lately. However, it was Real who struck first, with Rodrygo giving the Spanish club a lead in the 12th minute.

From that point on, Real was content to hold onto its advantage while City launched one attack after another. However, it wasn’t until the 76th minute that the Premier League side managed to get a breakthrough, with midfielder Kevin DeBruyne finding the net.

The regular 90 minutes ended with a tie, with the game moving to extra time. For the next 30 minutes, both teams were cautious not to make a mistake, which resulted in a penalty shootout. Real Madrid’s Luka Modric missed his penalty in the first series, but City’s Bernardo Silva returned the favor in the second round. Mateo Kovacic missed the third penalty for City while the rest of Real’s penalty-takers all scored, resulting in a 4-3 win for Los Blancos.

The post Real Madrid Advances to UCL Semis After Penalty Shootout Against Man City appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid and Manchester City delivered a spectacle in their first leg of the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday, which ended in a 3-3 draw. 

City opened the scoring in the second minute of the match thanks to Bernardo Silva’s beautiful free-kick goal. Silva surprised Real’s keeper Andriy Lunin, who was expecting a cross, with a long-range shot, sending the ball past the free-kick wall and into the net.

Real didn’t take long to recover from the shock. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga scored an equalizer in the 12th minute before Rodrygo made it 2-1 for the Spanish club just two minutes later.

Midway through the second half, it was City’s time for rapid fire. Phil Foden scored a stunning goal from outside the penalty box in the 65th minute, only for defender Josko Gvardiol to add another one in a similar fashion in the 70th minute.

But getting behind once again didn’t discourage Real. They committed to an all-out-attack approach almost instantly and got rewarded in the 78th minute with a goal from Federico Valverde.

Both Real and City were looking for a winner until the very end of the match but ended up having to settle for a draw. The second leg, which will determine who plays in the UCL semi-finals, is scheduled for April 17 at City’s Etihad Stadium.

“It was a good match, very good, from our side,” said Real’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match. “It was competitive and evenly matched until we had energy and put pressure on City …  Now we’re at a slight disadvantage because we’re playing away in the second leg, but we’re confident that we can repeat the game we played here.”

The post UCL Quarterfinals: Real Madrid and Manchester City Deliver a Spectacle in a 3-3 Draw appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Liverpool is the lone team standing at the top of the Premier League standings amid one of the most congested title races in recent memory. Merseyside club benefited from their comeback win against Brighton and a goalless draw between Manchester City and Arsenal, two other challengers for the title.

Entering Sunday, Liverpool was tied with Arsenal at the top, with each team having 64 points, one more than Man City behind them.

Liverpool faced Brighton, and things didn’t look good early on, as they conceded a goal in the second minute of the game. However, Luis Diaz scored an equalizer in the 27th minute and Mohammed Salah added another goal in the 67th minute to seal a 2-1 win.

Manchester City and Arsenal faced each other later in the day and didn’t exactly give the fans their money’s worth. What was expected to be an attacking clash turned out to be a defense-oriented affair. While City enjoyed 73% possession, the two teams only managed to account for three shots on target.

Now, Liverpool has 67 points, two more than second-placed Arsenal and three more than City in the third spot. Out of the three clubs, City has the easiest remaining schedule, facing five teams from the bottom 10 in the next nine games.

The post Liverpool Sits at the Top of Premier League After Man City and Arsenal’s Goalless Draw appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Saudi Pro League could soon have another big soccer star in its ranks. According to reports from British media, Manchester City’s star midfielder De Bruyne is expected to be pursued by a number of Saudi Arabia clubs in the summer.

One known suitor for De Bruyne is Al Qadsiah, which is currently competing in the country’s second tier, the Saudi First Division League. Al Qadsiah is currently leading the standings and is expecting a promotion to the Saudi Pro League next season. Sport Zone reports that the club officials are convinced of their success and want De Bruyne to be their first big signing in the top flight.

Al Qadsiah is reportedly ready to send a transfer offer of more than $100 million to City while also giving De Bruyne a contract with an “astronomical” salary.

It remains to be seen whether City or De Bruyne have any interest in the offers from Saudi Arabia. City developed a good relationship with the clubs from the country, previously sanctioning the transfer of forward Riyad Mahrez to Al-Ahli and defender Aymeric Laporte to Al-Nassr.

Kevin De Bruyne has been having a challenging campaign in 2023-24, spending much of the season sidelined with a hamstring injury. He managed to play in just 14 games in all competitions, scoring two goals and dishing 13 assists.

The post Saudi Arabia Clubs Expected to Pursue Man City’s Star Kevin De Bruyne in the Summer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has won practically everything there is to win as a manager in club soccer. This is why it doesn’t come as a surprise that Guardiola would also like to have his shot at the international stage.

Speaking with ESPN Brasil, Guardiola said that he wants to coach a national team before he wraps up his managerial career.

“I would like to train a national team for a World Cup or a European Championship. I would like that,” Guardiola said when asked what’s there left for him to achieve.

Guardiola added that he doesn’t know when he might decide to pursue a national team job and that he wouldn’t do it for the sole purpose of winning the trophy but to live through the experience of managing a team at the World Cup. 

“I don’t know when that would be, if that is five, 10, 15 years from now, but I would like to have the experience of being a manager in a World Cup,” he added. 

Pep Guardiola has won a total of 37 trophies during his time managing Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. Despite being linked with various national jobs in the past, he is unlikely to leave club football anytime soon, considering his contract with Man City runs until the summer of 2026.

The post Man City’s Pep Guardiola Says He Wants to Coach a National Team Before He Retires appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland will not feature in his team’s Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday due to his ongoing foot injury, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed. The Man City boss added that Haaland will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the month.

“Hopefully at the end of this month he’ll be ready,” Guardiola stated. “It was a little bit more than we expected in the beginning. It’s the bone. It needs time. With every injury, you can do whatever you want but it’s a question of time.”

While Haaland has returned to team training, Guardiola is unwilling to risk further aggravation of the Norwegian striker’s injury by playing him too soon. Still, City received positive news in the form of the return of star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne. Having been ruled out due to a hamstring injury on the opening day of the season, DeBruyne returned to action during City’s 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup. The Belgian is expected to feature during Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.

The post Erling Haaland Likely Out for Rest of January appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola expressed his relief over star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne’s return from injury. The Belgian playmaker registered an assist during his team’s 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield in the FA Cup, marking his return from a five-month absence.

De Bruyne picked up a hamstring injury during City’s 3-0 victory over Burnley in their Premier League opening match in September. He subsequently underwent a hamstring surgery to correct the issue. “He played really good minutes,” Guardiola said of De Bruyne’s performance, adding that he is “delighted” that the central midfielder has returned from injury. “Kevin helps to win games and there are few in the world. Win games; Kevin, [Erling] Haaland, these guys win games.”

City’s season to date has not been ideal, with Guardiola’s side sitting in third place in the Premier League. They trail league leaders Liverpool by five points with a game in hand. Still, City is succeeding in other tournaments, progressing to the next round of the FA Cup and topping Group G in the UEFA Champions League by winning all six of their group games.

The post Man City Coach Expresses Joy Over Kevin De Bruyne’s Return From Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is still not ready to rejoin the Manchester City squad in training due to his foot injury, coach Pep Guardiola confirmed. The Norwegian has missed City’s last six games in all competitions as a result.

“[Haaland] is training alone but he is not training with the team,” Guardiola commentated after Man City’s 3-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday night. “Kevin [De Bruyne] is training with the team, but Erling is not yet. It is a question of when the pain will disappear.”

While the exact timeline for Haaland’s return is not yet clear, Guardiola is hopeful that his star striker will be able to return in January. The City manager also shed light on the injury status of midfielder Kevin de Bryne, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the opening game of the season. According to Guardiola, De Bryne is close to returning to the field and could potentially play in City’s FA Cup third-round match against Huddersfield Town on January 6.

The post Erling Haaland Absent From Man City Training appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City added another trophy to close out their spectacular run in 2023. The Premier League side won the Club World Cup title by beating Brazil’s Fluminsense 4-0 in the tournament finals on Friday.

City opened the scoring in the first minute of the match when Argentine striker Julián Álvarez found the net after picking up a deflection from Nathan Ake’s shot in the penalty box. Fluminense’s Nino scored an own goal in the 27th minute to make it 2-0 for City.

Fluminense looked overpowered and incapable of showing any resistance in the second half as well, which City used to run up the score. Phil Foden made it 3-0 in the 72nd minute before Álvarez added his second goal of the match in the 88th minute for a final score of 4-0.

The win over Fluminense gave City its first Club World Cup title in club history. They also won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League earlier this year. 

“I’m very pleased and I would like to say we had the feeling we would close the chapter; we won all the titles, there’s nothing else to win. I had a feeling the job is done, it is over,” said City’s manager Pep Guardiola after winning his 14th trophy since arriving at the club in 2016.

The post Manchester City Wins Club World Cup Title With 4-0 Win Over Fluminense appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is expected to be fit in time for Saturday’s game against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. The Norwegian injured his ankle while on international duty and has already returned to training with the rest of the City’s first-team squad.

Haaland collapsed due to suffering his ankle injury during Norway’s 2-0 friendly victory over the Faroe Islands last Thursday. After the game, Norway’s team doctor stated that Haaland was suffering “so much pain” due to the injury, which resembled his setback against Bournemouth earlier in the season.

Upon returning to his club at the start of the week, Haaland received continued treatment for his ankle injury before returning to training on Thursday. The 23-year-old player is a key component of City’s attacking lineup, leading the Premier League top scorers’ charts with 13 goals.

The post Manchester City’s Haaland Expected to Be Fit for Liverpool Game appeared first on SportzBonanza.