Koundé strikes late as Barcelona down Madrid to claim Copa Del Rey

Jules Kounde lashed in an extra-time screamer as Barcelona beat Real Madrid to win the Copa del Rey in a remarkable Clasico in Seville. After a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes and with penalties appearing inevitable, the Barcelona defender took possession of the ball 22 yards out and drilled a fine effort into the bottom corner. Barca had been by far the better side in the first half and led through Pedri’s fantastic first-time strike from outside the box but found themselves trailing Madrid in the final ten minutes after a dramatic second half turn around.

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Saka and Martinelli fire Arsenal past Real Madrid into final four

Bukayo Saka scored a goal and missed a penalty as Arsenal held off Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals in an incident-packed match at the Bernabeu. Saka stepped up but his weak, dinked effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois. However he made amends when he effectively killed off the tie with a fantastic chipped second-half finish. Real hit back through Vinicius Junior but a late winner from Gabriel Martinelli capped off a glorious night for the Gunners.

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Guirassy hits treble as Barca limp past Dortmund into semis

Borussia Dortmund couldn’t recover from a first-leg demolition by Barcelona to reach the Champions League semi-finals, despite winning a thrilling return tie thanks to a Serhou Guirassy hat-trick. The Catalan giants appeared to have all-but confirmed their place in the last four for the first time since 2019 following their crushing 4-0 win at home. But Dortmund put up a brave effort to come so close to a stunning turnaround in a dramatic second leg.

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Lewandowski double helps Barca dominate Dortmund

Imperious Barcelona thumped visitors Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday after Robert Lewandowski netted twice against his old club to earn the Catalans a sizeable lead. The treble-chasing Barca predictably dominated the opening stages and grabbed the lead following Raphinha’s strike in the 25th minute. Lamine Yamal added a late fourth to leave the Catalans in a commanding position.

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Rice rockets Arsenal into commanding lead over Real Madrid

Declan Rice stunned Real Madrid with two brilliant free kicks – the first scored in his career – as Arsenal took a commanding 3-0 first leg lead in their Champions League quarter-final. Mikel Merino made sure it was a memorable night for Arsenal when he curled a shot into the bottom corner from inside the area during a sensational second half spell for Mikel Arteta’s men.

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