Leverkusen title hopes take hit in Union stalemate
Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick reacts in frustration during the goalless draw at Union Berlin (INA FASSBENDER)
Bayer Leverkusen's slim chances of defending their Bundesliga title were left hanging by a thread after a scoreless home draw with Union Berlin on Saturday.
Leverkusen could have cut the gap to league leaders Bayern Munich to three points with a victory. Bayern host Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday and can go eight points clear with five games remaining should they beat their 'Klassiker' rivals.
Advertisement
Despite welcoming back star midfielder Florian Wirtz from a foot injury, Xabi Alonso's side lacked fluency in attack, carving out few clear-cut opportunities.
Union had the ball in the net after 14 minutes when Andrej Ilic headed in a rebound after a save from Lukas Hradecky, but the Serbian was flagged for offside.
Wirtz came on after 57 minutes and despite giving his side an initial boost, was unable to break down Union's defence.
Granit Xhaka had a free-kick from the edge of the box in stoppage time but blasted his shot well over the bar.
The draw continues a poor April for last season's unbeaten domestic double winners, who were eliminated from the German Cup semi-finals by third division Arminia Bielefeld.
Advertisement
The draw took Union to 34 points, 12 clear of the relegation spots with five games remaining.
Dangling close to the drop in February, just a year after facing Real Madrid in the Champions League, Union have turned things around.
The Berliners have taken 11 points from an unbeaten five-game run against Leverkusen, Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Wolfsburg.
Borussia Moenchengladbach's hopes of returning to the Champions League took a hit with a 2-1 home loss to Freiburg.
Gladbach took the lead after 14 minutes when Freiburg captain Christian Guenter turned the ball into his own net. The visitors levelled two minutes later when Patrick Osterhage headed past Tiago Pereira Cardoso.
Advertisement
Freiburg snatched all three points when Johan Manzambi scored a 90th minute header, allowing the visitors to leapfrog their opponents into sixth.
Augsburg continued their strong 2025 with a 2-1 win at lowly Bochum, climbing past Dortmund into eighth. Augsburg have only lost one of their past 13 games.
Elsewhere, Hoffenheim took a step towards beating the drop with a 2-0 home win over Champions League hopefuls Mainz, with Andrej Kramaric scoring a brace.
The win sent Hoffenheim eight clear of the relegation spots, while Mainz -- who battled relegation a season ago -- missed a chance to climb to third on the table and stay fifth.
St Pauli also boosted their hopes of top-division football next season with a 2-1 win over fellow promoted side Holstein Kiel.
dwi/pb
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
36 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Amid protests, questions loom about how active ICE will be at Club World Cup games
The Department of Homeland Security said border patrol agents will provide security for Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup opener between Inter Miami and Egyptian club Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. 'Let the games begin,' U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote in a social media post Tuesday. 'The first FIFA Club World Cup games start on June 14 in Miami, FL at the Hard Rock Stadium. CBP will be suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games.' The post has since been deleted. But it included a reference to 'the first round of games,' suggesting immigration agents were not limiting their presence to the opening match. The month-long 32-team tournament includes six first-round games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, beginning with Sunday's match between Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and Spain's Atlético Madrid. CPB agents, who operate under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, do not primarily provide security at stadiums the same way local police or private security firms do, but they are often involved in security operations in the lead-up to major events, monitoring airspace or assisting with rapid response to emergencies. ICE officers, which also operate under the DHS umbrella, are primarily tasked with identifying and arresting individuals who violate U.S. immigration law. So the possibility that federal immigration officials will be on site at a major international soccer match less than a year before the World Cup returns to the U.S. figures to inflame an already tense situation. FIFA said it is collaborating with the Rose Bowl on security issues and the presence of CPB and ICE agents, while not anticipated, could not be ruled out. 'FIFA is working in collaboration with the stadium authorities and relevant government government agencies — be it local, federal and state — to implement a detailed safety and security plan for the stadiums involved in the Club World Cup,' said a FIFA source familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. Three other international matches will also be played in Southern California during the next five days in Inglewood and Carson, but officials at both those stadiums said federal agents will not be present. The CONCACAF Gold Cup will also kick off Saturday with Mexico playing the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium, but officials there said they have not changed their normal security procedures. A Gold Cup doubleheader involving Panama, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and Guatemala will follow at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on June 16 and a stadium spokesperson said they will also be using their regular protocols, in addition to providing a public protest area on the stadium grounds. The civil unrest in Southern California was sparked by masked ICE officers executing immigration raids across the region. The ensuing protests led the Trump administration to send thousands of national guard troops and hundreds of U.S. Marines into city streets over the objections of L.A. mayor Karen Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other local elected officials. No one at SoFi Stadium would speak on the record about security preparations for Saturday's CONCACAF Gold Cup opener featuring Mexico, which is expected to draw a crowd of more than 50,000. But one official with knowledge of the situation said the stadium is following 'normal procedures' and 'ICE is not part of those protocols.' SoFi Stadium's security and crowd management duties have traditionally been handled by local law enforcement authorities and Contemporary Services Corporation, a private security company whose yellow- and blue-clad workers have become ubiquitous at sports and entertainments across the country. The Mexican team was originally slated to stay in a downtown hotel ahead of the match in Inglewood, but it moved to Long Beach because of security concerns. Asked about the presence of ICE agents at Saturday's Club World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium, where last year's Copa América final was delayed more than an hour by fans rushing the entrances, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he did not see a problem with it despite the fact it figures to depress attendance for a game that was already struggling to sell tickets. 'We are very attentive on any security question,' Infantino said. 'Of course, the most important [thing] for us is to guarantee security for all the fans who come to the games. This is our priority. This is the priority of all the authorities who are here. 'And we want everyone who comes to the games to pass a good moment.'
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
European football revenue hit record €38bn in 2023-24 season
The growth of the European football industry continues to show little sign of slowing after collective revenues for the 2023-24 season climbed to a record €38billion (£32.2bn, $43.6bn). Deloitte, the leading accounting firm, has published its 34th Annual Review of Football Finance today and reported an eight per cent increase in turnover across the continent. Advertisement The so-called big five leagues — the top divisions from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France — still contribute the greatest figures, with their aggregate revenues found to have topped €20bn for the first time last season. Over a third of that sum continues to come from the Premier League's 20 clubs, who reported growth of four per cent on the previous campaign. Germany's Bundesliga was the only major European league to see a downturn in revenues, falling one per cent year on year to €3.8bn. That allowed La Liga's combined wealth to almost draw level as the closest competitor to the Premier League, with aggregate revenues enjoying a six per cent uplift in 2023-24. European football's aggregate revenues, with figures including domestic leagues and national associations, have grown consistently since the turn of the century and are forecast by Deloitte to continue in the next two years. They estimate revenues will have climbed to €39.3bn in the season that is just finishing, before heading north again to €43.1bn in 2025-26. Amid those positive projections, though, are warning signs. Deloitte's report sees small growth for the big five leagues in 2024-25, before revenues then plateau next season. That is predominantly down to the deep uncertainty over Ligue 1's broadcast rights, but projects largely flatlining numbers for Serie A and Bundesliga. Those forecasts suggest that the Premier League's place as market leader will only grow. Last season saw commercial revenues of the top 20 English clubs go beyond the £2bn mark for the first time, with matchday revenues climbing to £909m. Broadcast revenues (coming in at £3.3bn with earnings from European competitions) alone are more than any other top European league turns over in total. Premier League clubs are assured of that figure growing again next season as a new and improved domestic broadcast cycle begins in 2025-26. Deloitte forecasts the Premier League's aggregate revenues to touch almost £7bn next season. Advertisement Other patterns point to a more pragmatic approach on the continent. Clubs in the big five leagues were found to have reported an operating profit of €600m in 2023-24. Wages as a percentage of revenue also fell from 66 to 64, suggesting that lavish spending has been tempered. 'The pressure is mounting for more clubs to drive additional revenue at the same time as managing rising costs,' Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, said in a statement accompanying the report. 'More than ever, leaders and owners must recognise the great responsibility they have of managing these businesses, capturing the historic essence of a football club while honouring its unrivalled role as a community asset for generations to come.' Deloitte's report found Championship clubs had recorded revenues just shy of £1bn, but found wages had climbed significantly to £892m. That ensured 93 per cent of turnover from the 24 Championship clubs in 2023-24 was spent on wages, with 11 of the 24 clubs committing more on salaries than they generated. League Two's aggregate revenues climbed significantly to £160m, but 17 per cent of that inflated sum came from Wrexham, as they passed through the division in 2023-24 en route to League One. The greatest growth witnessed, though, came in the Women's Super League. Deloitte's report found that £65m had been generated, 34 per cent up on the previous season. All 12 WSL clubs reported income of over £1m for the first time, and forecasts estimate that total revenues for the top-flight of the English women's game will reach £100m in 2025-26.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
🚨 Oviedo reach the play-off final for promotion to LaLiga
Real Oviedo will play the final of the promotion playoff to the First Division after surpassing Almería in a thrilling eliminatoria. The carbayones, who made good on their win in the first leg, sealed their pass thanks to a great direct free kick goal by Santi Cazorla, which tipped the balance in the Tartiere. This result puts Oviedo one step away from the dream of returning to the top category for the second consecutive year. At 40 years old, Cazorla was the hero of the night. Just three minutes after taking to the field, he provoked a foul on the edge of the area and turned it into a masterful goal, neutralizing Melero's penalty goal for Almería. Advertisement His flash of quality revived Oviedo, who suffered in the first half against an Indálico team that put nerves on edge with its pressure and chances. Almería, despite its insistence, could not come back and closes its season without the longed-for return to the First Division. Meanwhile, Veljko Paunovic's Oviedo remains unstoppable, accumulating 12 unbeaten games since the arrival of the Serbian coach. The carbayones are now waiting for their opponent in the grand final, with their morale sky-high after this feat. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
