Champions League: Barca remain on course for treble May 12, 2015 BAYERN MUNICH 3 BARCELONA 2 (BARCELONA WON 5-3 ON AGGREGATE) TREBLE-CHASING Barcelona boss Luis Enrique immediately set his sights on claiming the Champions League title after his side withstood a Bayern Munich fightback in the second leg of their semi final clash at the Allianz Arena last night. Despite trailing 3-0 from the first leg [...]
Villa starlet Grealish rejects O’Neill advances May 12, 2015 TEENAGE Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish has kept alive his chances of England recognition by rejecting a first senior call-up from the Republic of Ireland. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has been thrust into the Villa first-team picture since the appointment of manager Tim Sherwood, and produced a prominent display in the FA Cup semi-final victory [...]
Speedy Naadirr to leave his rivals for dust at York May 12, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE FIRST DAY OF YORK’S DANTE MEETING YORK’S DANTE meeting is one of the highlights of the early part of the season and tomorrow’s big race looks like an absolute cracker with all the key protagonists standing their ground. However, there are plenty of betting opportunities today and the Group Two Duke [...]
Star of Seville can shine again in the Musidora May 12, 2015 RECENT Newbury winner STAR OF SEVILLE lines up against a handful of talent in today’s Musidora Stakes at York (3.45pm) and she should take all the beating. The John Gosden-trained filly stretched away impressively in a conditions race at Newbury last time out and York’s flat track should suit perfectly. The going will also be [...]
Lewis Hamilton’s new Mercedes contract could make him one of 10 highest paid sports stars May 12, 2015 After many months of wrangling, Lewis Hamilton finally looks set to sign on the dotted line for a new £120m ($187.8m) contract with Mercedes. Hamilton's new deal with the Formula 1 team worth £40m a year over three years will make him the highest-paid driver in the sport and catapult him into the world's top 10 [...]
Kevin Pietersen: Four reasons why Andrew Strauss is wrong to exclude him from the England cricket team May 12, 2015 Andrew Strauss has only just been unveiled as England's new director of cricket, yet there are already calls for him to be sacked after he decided against reintroducing Kevin Pietersen into the England team. In his first press conference as director, Strauss had to deal with a tide of journalists' questions about Pietersen's exclusion – [...]
KP fireworks put Strauss in the spotlight May 11, 2015 ENGLAND’S new director of cricket Andrew Strauss will today be grilled on whether mercurial batsman Kevin Pietersen has an international future after showdown talks last night. Pietersen issued a reverberating reminder of his match-winning credentials by smashing a career-best and maiden triple century against Leicestershire at the Kia Oval yesterday. His unbeaten knock of 326 [...]
Guardiola rubbishes City job link and insists he will manage Bayern Munich next season May 11, 2015 BAYERN Munich boss Pep Guardiola has categorically denied suggestions he will replace Manuel Pellegrini as manager of deposed Premier League champions Manchester City next season. Guardiola, who has won a domestic league title in five of his six campaigns as a manager, was reported to have reached a verbal agreement with the Etihad Stadium hierarchy [...]
QPR’s £58m row to be decided by legal challenge May 11, 2015 RELEGATED Queens Park Rangers are pinning their hopes of avoiding the twin threats of a £58m fine and expulsion to English football’s fifth tier on a landmark legal challenge. QPR chiefs hope to avert the huge fine – due for overspending during their promotion back to the top flight in 2013-14 – by challenging the [...]
Watson banks Italy clay win May 11, 2015 BRITAIN’S Heather Watson continued the country’s clay-court revival by dispatching home favourite Roberta Vinci in the second round of the Italian Open yesterday. The 22-year-old twice broke Vinci in the opening set before brushing aside her rival in the second to post a 6-3, 6-1 success, with victory coming just 24 hours after compatriot Andy [...]