Sports

EPL: Guardiola jokes about ‘wine reward’ from broadcasters for nine-goal match

Published

11 months ago

December 5, 2025

Pep Guardiola joked Friday that he and Fulham manager Marco Silva deserved a bottle of wine for serving up a nine-goal thriller, but admitted Manchester City must tighten up defensively.

City, second in the Premier League, led 5-1 at Craven Cottage on Tuesday but were left hanging on as the home team pushed for an equaliser.

City manager Guardiola described the match, which finished 5-4, as “one of the games of the season”.

“If I were at home and watching that game, I wouldn’t change the channel,” he said on the eve of his team’s clash against Sunderland.

“I’m pretty sure the broadcasters are happy with us. They have a consideration for Marco and me, giving me a bottle of wine for all of us. No, I’m not joking. Broadcasters must be happy.”

City, dethroned as Premier League champions by Liverpool last season, have conceded 16 goals in the league so far this season — nine more than leaders Arsenal.

Guardiola admitted his team had to improve at the back but but said at least they were not conceding many clear-cut chances.

“Of course I don’t like to concede two goals (in a 3-2 win against Leeds) and four goals (against Fulham) — six goals in two games –, but at the same time we are the team scoring the most, and we have to build from that,” he said.

“We have to fix these kinds of things. I believe we can do better, and we create chances and score goals and goals because we have built a team for that… but we have to be more solid. It belongs to everyone, not just the goalkeepers or defenders.”

Guardiola said Sunderland, sixth in the table in their first season back in the Premier League, would be tough opponents.

“They deserve to be where they are,” he said. “When you are promoted, and you play well for five games, OK, momentum. It can happen.

“But for 14 fixtures in the Premier League with opponents like everyone suffers to take results in that position, they deserve it.”

Guardiola said midfielder Rodri, who has been struggling with a hamstring injury, would not be fit to play against Sunderland.

“He’s getting better,” said the City boss. “I don’t know how long (until he’s back), but he will be ready.”

Sports

Almería donate ticket revenue to late Jesús de Miguel’s family

Published

17 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Spanish Club UD Almería have announced that they will donate all ticket sales revenue from their home match against CD Tenerife to support the family of Jesús de Miguel.

The initiative was established by club president Mohammed Al Khereiji as the Spanish club seeks to provide financial assistance to the bereaved family following their loss.

Announcing the decision, the club expressed its sympathy and acknowledged that no amount of financial assistance could make up for the loss of a loved one.

As reported by ESPN on Wednesday, the club was quoted as saying, “We are fully aware that nothing can ever compensate for the loss of a loved one, and that no form of support, whether financial or emotional, can ease the pain caused by a tragedy of this kind.”

Despite recognising the limitations of the gesture, UD Almería hope that donating the entire proceeds from the match will provide some support to Jesús de Miguel’s family during this difficult period.

The initiative comes under the leadership of Al Khereiji, who is the club’s president.

It also puts the spotlight on UD Almería’s ownership, with Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo having acquired a 25 per cent stake in the Spanish club earlier this year.

Source: punchng.com

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SEE FULL LIST: Highest-scoring matches in Champions League history

Published

17 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Borussia Dortmund’s 8-4 victory over Legia Warszawa remains the highest-scoring match in UEFA Champions League history, while Como’s 9-1 demolition of Lens has joined the competition’s list of most prolific encounters.

The Dortmund-Legia encounter produced 12 goals during the 2016/17 group stage, with the German side emerging victorious in a remarkable contest.

According to the UEFA website on Wednesday, the match featured five goals in the opening 32 minutes, including a spell in which three goals were scored within four minutes.

FULL LIST: Highest-scoring matches in Champions League history

Aleksandar Prijović gave Legia a 10th-minute lead, but Shinji Kagawa scored twice in quick succession to put Dortmund ahead.

Marco Reus also registered a brace, while three goals were scored in the closing 10 minutes to complete the 8-4 result.

Como’s 9-1 victory away to Lens on November 4, 2026, also entered the record books, with the 10-goal encounter ranking among the highest-scoring matches in the competition.

Bayern Munich’s 9-2 victory over GNK Dinamo in September 2024 and Monaco’s 8-3 win against Deportivo La Coruña in November 2003 are other notable entries on the list.

Barcelona’s 8-2 defeat of Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 campaign also features among the highest-scoring Champions League matches.

Full list of highest-scoring Champions League matches

• Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warszawa — November 22, 2016 (12 goals)

• Bayern Munich 9-2 GNK Dinamo — September 17, 2024 (11 goals)

• Monaco 8-3 Deportivo La Coruña — November 5, 2003 (11 goals)

• Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich — August 14, 2020 (10 goals)

• Lens 1-9 Como — November 4, 2026 (10 goals)

• Paris Saint-Germain 7-2 Rosenborg — October 24, 2000 (nine goals)

• Lyon 7-2 Werder Bremen — March 8, 2005 (nine goals)

• Villarreal 6-3 Aalborg — October 21, 2008 (nine goals)

• Tottenham Hotspur 2-7 Bayern Munich — October 1, 2019 (nine goals)

• Manchester City 6-3 Leipzig — September 15, 2021 (nine goals)

• Paris Saint-Germain 7-2 Maccabi Haifa — October 25, 2022 (nine goals)

• Benfica 4-5 Barcelona — January 21, 2025 (nine goals)

• Bayer Leverkusen 2-7 Paris Saint-Germain — October 21, 2025 (nine goals)

• Barcelona 7-2 Newcastle United — March 18, 2026 (nine goals)

• Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich — April 28, 2026 (nine goals)

• LASK 3-6 Liverpool — October 14, 2026 (nine goals)

Full list of highest-scoring Champions League draws

UEFA also identified four matches that ended in 4-4 draws, each producing eight goals.

• Hamburg 4-4 Juventus — September 13, 2000

• Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool — April 14, 2009

• Bayer Leverkusen 4-4 Roma — October 20, 2015

• Chelsea 4-4 Ajax — November 5, 2019

Source: punchng.com

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SEE FULL LIST: Como join Liverpool, Madrid in Champions League victory record

Published

17 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Como have joined Liverpool and Real Madrid in recording the biggest winning margin in UEFA Champions League history after thrashing Lens 9-1 in their Matchday 4 encounter on Tuesday night.

The Italian side’s nine-goal haul secured an eight-goal victory margin, equalling Liverpool’s 8-0 defeat of Beşiktaş in 2007 and Real Madrid’s 8-0 triumph over Malmö in 2015.

According to the UEFA website on Wednesday, Como also became only the second team after Bayern Munich to score nine goals in a Champions League match.

Tasos Douvikas scored a hat-trick in the encounter, while six other Como players also found the net as the competition debutants recorded the biggest away victory in the tournament’s history.

Liverpool were the first team to achieve an eight-goal winning margin when they defeated Beşiktaş 8-0 during the 2007/08 group stage.

Crouch scores two joining Yossi Benayoun who scored hatrick. Ryan Babel also netted a brace and captain Steven Gerrard scored the eight goal

Yossi Benayoun scored three goals, while Ryan Babel and Peter Crouch each contributed two. Steven Gerrard completed the scoring as Liverpool secured the record victory despite having collected just one point from their opening three group matches.

Real Madrid matched the feat on December 8, 2015, when they overwhelmed Malmö 8-0 at home.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals, setting what was then an individual group-stage record of 11 goals, while Karim Benzema registered a hat-trick.

Bayern Munich also feature prominently in the record books after defeating GNK Dinamo 9-2 on September 17, 2024, establishing a new record for the most goals scored by a team in a single Champions League match.

Harry Kane scored four goals in the encounter, while Michael Olise added two.

Full list of biggest Champions League victories