Sports
German giants run riot as Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski grab doubles
Bayern Munich look assured of a Champions League quarter-final spot for a seventh straight season after thrashing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 in Germany.
The Turkish club had a one-man disadvantage from the 16th minute when last man Domagoj Vida brought down Robert Lewandowski and Bayern made their visitors pay with an emphatic round of 16 first-leg victory.
Thomas Muller and Lewandowski both netted braces while Kingsley Coman also scored for the five-time European Cup winners.
Besiktas’ team was packed full of experience but it was 35-year-old Atiba Hutchinson who played the loose pass that got Vida into trouble early on.
Lewandowski latched onto it and headed towards goal only for Vida to slide in before the Pole reached the box with a challenge that got nowhere near the ball and upended the striker.
Referee Ovidiu Hategan dismissed Vida for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and Besiktas were fortunate their misery was not compounded by James Rodriguez’s subsequent free-kick, which was curled just wide.
And the visitors had a great chance to go ahead through Vagner Love, who beat Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng only to poke harmlessly over when through.
It looked like it might not be Muller’s night when he miscued an attempt into the side of Rodriguez’s face, while Hummels’ header was brilliantly saved by Fabri at close range.
Lewandowski teed himself up for an overhead kick that he fired over and in catching midfielder Gary Medel, the Bayern forward also earned himself a caution.
Besiktas had deployed an attacking line-up and were threatening as Ricardo Quaresma left Hummels for dead before firing at Sven Ulreich and Pepe blasted over.
Yet two minutes before the interval the hosts struck through Muller.
Coman fashioned space down the left by turning Adriano inside-out and though intended target David Alaba was unable to bring the ball under his spell, an onside Muller was typically in the right place to swivel and finish.
Rodriguez came off for Arjen Robben shortly afterwards, possibly due to the blow he received from Muller’s earlier shot, but Bayern turned the screw at the start of the second half.
A free-kick Lewandowski appeared fortunate to win off Adriano was fired onto the post by Bayern’s number nine, who nevertheless provided his team’s second in the 52nd minute.
It was an unmarked Coman who stepped onto Lewandowski’s pull back and swept past Fabri to make it 2-0.
That was the cue for Besiktas to take off striker Love and replace him with defender Dusko Tosic, though the Germans did not ease off.
Coman and Joshua Kimmich were regularly threatening down either flank and the latter’s 66th-minute near-post delivery was turned home via a Muller volley.
Besiktas looked increasingly tired and when Hummels fired in an attempt that Fabri pushed out 11 minutes from time, it was Lewandowski who reacted quickest to add a fourth.
Bayern showed no mercy as Hummels and Javi Martinez both came close and they would add their fifth in the 88th minute when Muller unselfishly squared for Lewandowski to apply the finish.
Former Arsenal star, Jack Wilshere, has sent a message to the Gunners ahead of their UEFA Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal will take on the French Ligue 1 giants in the Champions League final this year in Budapest on Saturday evening.
Mikel Arteta’s side had lost 3-1 on aggregate against PSG in the Champions League semi-final stage last year.
Speaking on TNT Sports (via GOAL), Wilshere remembered Arsenal about their last year’s defeat to PSG and urged them to use it as a revenge to get a win against Luis Enrique’s side when both sides meet again this weekend.
“Now that the Premier League is over the line, I know that the Premier League was the one. I know that Mikel wanted that. I know that the boys wanted that,” Wilshere said.
“Now you have to go through some tough times and learn from it. I hope that the Champions League semi-final [PSG 3-1 Arsenal] last year hurt them enough that they can go on and use that [against PSG].
“I think when you are on the pitch, and you are playing against your direct opponent, you learn so much about them. And to face them next year, they will be better for that.”
Captain of the Super Falcons, Rasheedat Ajibade, has said the team is determined to become the best women’s football team in the world.
Ajibade spoke yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a reception hosted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in honour of the Falcons following their victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The Nigerian ladies clinched their 10th continental title after a hard-fought campaign, further cementing their status as Africa’s most successful women’s team.
Ajibade, in an emotional speech, said the team’s goal goes beyond continental glory.
“We’re not content to rest on our laurels. Our vision is bold. We want to become the best women’s football team in the world,” the Atletico Madrid star said.
She described herself as “a proud daughter of Nigeria” and paid tribute to the dreams of young girls across the country who look up to the team.
“This victory is not just a trophy. It is a testament to the unyielding spirit of Nigeria. It is a celebration of every young girl in our villages, towns, and cities who dares to dream,” she said.
Ajibade, who spoke on behalf of the team, coaches, and technical crew, thanked the Federal Government for its support and appealed for continued investment in women’s football.
President Tinubu, in his address, conferred national honours of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on all 24 players and the 11-member technical crew.
The President also approved the allocation of three-bedroom apartments to each team member under the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme and a cash reward of the naira equivalent of $100,000 for each player, while members of the technical team received $50,000 each.
He praised the Falcons for lifting the nation’s spirit and inspiring unity through their performance.
“You have inspired millions, especially young girls who now see proof that their dreams are valid and achievable,” Tinubu said.
“You have inspired me too. You represent the hope of today, tomorrow, and the day after. You ignited that hope. And we will continue to encourage you and the next generation.”
The President said the Falcons’ WAFCON victory was not just a sporting feat but a symbol of the courage, discipline and resilience that define Nigerians.
“Your victory represents more than a sporting accomplishment. It is a triumph of courage, determination, discipline, and consistency,” he said.
The reception was attended by top government officials, sports administrators, and stakeholders in the football community.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has congratulated the Super Falcons on their historic 3-2 comeback victory over hosts Morocco in the final of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.
The Falcons, who came from two goals down to seal the win in Rabat, clinched their 10th WAFCON title—further cementing their status as the most successful team in the history of the competition. Reacting to the victory, Oseni described the performance as “a warrior’s triumph that speaks volumes about the indomitable Nigerian spirit.”
In a statement issued by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele in Ibadan, the lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency said the team’s resilience should serve as a symbol of hope and unity for the entire nation. “They refused to surrender. That comeback from two goals down defines who we are as Nigerians—strong, focused, and unstoppable when united,” he said.
The Falcons had gone behind in the 13th minute when Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak capitalised on a loose ball to fire past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. The hosts doubled their lead through Sanaâ Mssoudy before halftime, putting Nigeria on the back foot before the break.
However, second-half goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and Jennifer Echegini turned the game on its head, securing victory for Coach Justin Madugu’s side and avenging their 2024 semi-final loss to the North Africans. Oseni also hailed Madugu’s tactical brilliance, describing him as “the architect of a new chapter in women’s football in Nigeria.”
The lawmaker who also chairs the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) joined other national figures, including President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, in celebrating the Falcons. The President had earlier taken to his verified social media accounts to praise the team’s performance, declaring, “Mission X: Complete!” while Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, described it as a flawless display of Nigerian spirit.
Oseni urged the Falcons not to rest on their laurels but to build on the momentum ahead of their title defence and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. “This is just the beginning. You have inspired millions of girls across the continent. Keep flying the flag and keep making Nigeria proud,” he added.
He also called on sports authorities and private stakeholders to invest more in women’s football, noting that the team’s success was proof of the untapped potential in the sector. “We have global stars in the making. Now is the time to give them the platform and support they truly deserve,” the lawmaker submitted.
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