Latest news with #Barcelona
The Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Steph Catley Eyes Asian Cup Glory After UCL Win
DEFENDER STEPH CATLEY says her UEFA Women's Champions League title win with Arsenal last week will act as motivation to secure continental glory with Australia when the country hosts the Women's Asian Cup next year. Catley and compatriots Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross were part of the Arsenal squad that defeated Barcelona in Lisbon last Sunday, before flying to Melbourne to feature in the Matildas' 2-0 win over Argentina on Friday. The game was the first in a two-match series against the South Americans as the Australians continue preparations for the continent championship in March 2026, when they will attempt to win the Asian title for the first time in 16 years. 'I think it just gives you a little taste of what's possible,' Catley said of the Champions League success. 'But to actually do it, it makes me think about my career and the things I really want to achieve, and winning silverware with the Matildas has always been top of my list. 'So, definitely, it makes me hungry. I've got a taste of trophies and (winning the Asian Cup) would mean a lot to me if we were able to do that. 'It's coming up now, it's very close so it's good for the three of us to have the taste of that and be able to lead that hunt for success for our team.' The Australians last won the Women's Asian Cup in 2010 with a victory over North Korea and have since finished as runners-up in 2014 and 2018 before exiting the 2022 edition in the quarter-finals. And while the Matildas reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup on home soil in 2023, they were eliminated in the group phase of the Olympic Games last year, prompting coach Tony Gustavsson's departure. The Swede has not been replaced on a permanent basis, with Tom Sermanni filling the role in an interim capacity, but Catley is confident the team is moving in the right direction as the Australians continue to unearth new playing talent. 'Maybe it hasn't been the most successful few years but we still believe we can achieve something special,' said Catley. 'You see a player like Charli (Grant) come in tonight and she looks like she's been in the team for a few years, and we're still finding gems like that. 'I think coming into a major tournament, that's the most important thing that you can try to do, is have a bit of depth there and some competition.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Arsenal success can spur Australia to continental title, says Catley
DEFENDER STEPH CATLEY says her UEFA Women's Champions League title win with Arsenal last week will act as motivation to secure continental glory with Australia when the country hosts the Women's Asian Cup next year. Catley and compatriots Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross were part of the Arsenal squad that defeated Barcelona in Lisbon last Sunday, before flying to Melbourne to feature in the Matildas' 2-0 win over Argentina on Friday. The game was the first in a two-match series against the South Americans as the Australians continue preparations for the continent championship in March 2026, when they will attempt to win the Asian title for the first time in 16 years. 'I think it just gives you a little taste of what's possible,' Catley said of the Champions League success. 'But to actually do it, it makes me think about my career and the things I really want to achieve, and winning silverware with the Matildas has always been top of my list. 'So, definitely, it makes me hungry. I've got a taste of trophies and (winning the Asian Cup) would mean a lot to me if we were able to do that. 'It's coming up now, it's very close so it's good for the three of us to have the taste of that and be able to lead that hunt for success for our team.' The Australians last won the Women's Asian Cup in 2010 with a victory over North Korea and have since finished as runners-up in 2014 and 2018 before exiting the 2022 edition in the quarter-finals. And while the Matildas reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup on home soil in 2023, they were eliminated in the group phase of the Olympic Games last year, prompting coach Tony Gustavsson's departure. The Swede has not been replaced on a permanent basis, with Tom Sermanni filling the role in an interim capacity, but Catley is confident the team is moving in the right direction as the Australians continue to unearth new playing talent. 'Maybe it hasn't been the most successful few years but we still believe we can achieve something special,' said Catley. 'You see a player like Charli (Grant) come in tonight and she looks like she's been in the team for a few years, and we're still finding gems like that. 'I think coming into a major tournament, that's the most important thing that you can try to do, is have a bit of depth there and some competition.'
NDTV
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
PSG Will Handle Pressure In Champions League Final, Says Skipper Marquinhos
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos is confident the French side will cope with the pressure in Saturday's Champions League final against Inter Milan and put years of disappointment in the competition behind them by finally winning the trophy. "The club has learnt as time has gone on about how to deal with games like these, what it needs to do," the Brazilian defender told reporters in Munich on the eve of the game. "A lot of things have changed at PSG since I arrived. There have been great times, difficult times, but tomorrow (Saturday) we have a glorious opportunity to do something remarkable and historic for this club. "It will be my second final and I don't want to let the opportunity pass us by." PSG's second Champions League final comes five years after a narrow defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich behind closed doors in Lisbon during the pandemic. Marquinhos, who is the elder statesman in the current PSG side at 31, is one of only two players who featured in the 2020 final and are still at the club -- the other is fellow centre-back Presnel Kimpembe, now a peripheral figure. At PSG since 2013, Marquinhos has also been involved in some humiliating Champions League defeats, not least the infamous collapse against Barcelona in 2017, when they won 4-0 at home in the first leg only to lose 6-1 in the return. Luis Enrique was the Barcelona coach then, and is now on the PSG bench, in charge of a vibrant young side. "We have a coach who is exceptional and has prepared us really well. Even if we are a very young team you can see how ready we are for these games," Marquinhos added. "I think there is a whole mix of things which have come together to bring us here in the best condition possible -- the club has grown, the incredible coach we have, the quality players who have come in. I think that is why we are here today." PSG lost in the semis last season before seeing Kylian Mbappe depart for Real Madrid, but without him they have won a domestic league and cup double while also knocking out three Premier League teams -- Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal -- to get to the final. - 'Opportunity to make history' - "Now is the time to get the trophy and bring it home," added Marquinhos. Alongside him was Ousmane Dembele, who has been converted this season from a winger into a lethal striker with 33 goals in all competitions. That has made him a candidate to win the Ballon d'Or. "I am really proud to be here in the final. We have worked so hard," said Dembele, who was sent off when PSG lost 1-0 to Bayern in Munich in the league phase in November. At that point there was a real danger PSG would be eliminated before the knockout stage, but the improvement since has been spectacular. "It wasn't easy at the start of the campaign but we have changed the dynamic in the second half of the season and it is exceptional to be here in Munich for the final. We feel lots of joy even though we are going to take the game very seriously." Coach Luis Enrique has the chance to win his second Champions League title, 10 years after getting his hands on the trophy with Barcelona. Then, as now, he came up against an Italian team in Germany, with Barca defeating Juventus in Berlin. "Now I have 10 years more experience and I will just try to transmit to the players how great an opportunity it is for us to play a Champions League final," said the Spaniard. "We have the opportunity to make history, to do something nobody else has ever done for this club before, but at the same time we also have to manage our emotions so they don't become too much for us. "I think we are prepared, Inter too no doubt, so I think it will be a really great final and of course the aim is to win it." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Encouraging for Lewis Hamilton
Follow live reaction to FP1 and FP2 as Barcelona hosts Round 9 of the 2025 Formula One season Getty Images McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were quickest in the two Friday practice sessions ahead of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix. Norris, who trails Piastri by three points in the World Championship standings after eight of 24 rounds, set a best time of one minute and 13.718 seconds at the Circuit de Catalunya in FP1. Piastri then improved on that in FP2, with a time of one minute and 12.760 seconds. The action resumes with FP3 on Saturday, at 11.30am BST / 6.30am EDT. Join the conversation: live@ GO FURTHER Lando Norris is resurgent, but his biggest test yet arrives in Spain Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images After that near collision with Isack Hadjar, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a fruitful session. After opting for the softs he was just 0.011s off overhauling Max Verstappen at the top of the standings, before Lando Norris' lap. Hamilton is also a tenth quicker than his Ferrari colleague Charles Leclerc. Getty Images Nico Hulkenberg was the first driver to opt for the softs and now everybody is at it. Charles Leclerc briefly goes top before he is beaten by Max Verstappen, who is in turn overhauled by Lando Norris who sets a blistering 1:13.718. That will make the rest of the paddock sit up and take notice. George Russell goes fastest with a 1:14.751 after ditching the hard compound tyres for the mediums. Lando Norris remains second and Fernado Alonso has been nudged down to fourth by Russell's Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Getty Images We almost had contact there! Lewis Hamilton tried to get past Isack Hadjar on the inside and it seemed as though the young Racing Bulls driver didn't spot the seven-time world champion. He narrowed the gap as he took the corner and Hamilton was forced to back off to avoid a clash. Getty Images Something very F1 is happening within the flexi-wing clampdown this weekend. McLaren has officially declared it has brought zero upgrades for this event, around what the teams must do if they're introducing new parts. But it has in fact got a new front wing on its MCL39s, which is designed to pass the new FIA tests on flexing. The reason why it doesn't have to declare the new design is because its an identical shape to the wing it has used to this point in the season, just with stronger (beefier, anyone?) construction of the same shape. Ferrari did the reverse late in 2024 to introduce a new front wing that flexed more when under aero load. McLaren has actually used its new wing before - in practice at Imola on Lando Norris' car. Fascinating... Getty Images Hello from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya! Compared to Monaco, it's so, so much hotter and there's a total lack of breeze at the track, meaning this is set to be a more challenging weekend. It wouldn't be a surprise to me if the McLarens end up with an edge over the field — depending on the impact of the new technical directive, naturally... — given how much of an advantage the team has built with tire management and preventing overheating this year. That said, this is also a track that should better-suit Red Bull and Max Verstappen than Monaco, where all they could muster was P4 after a hail mary strategy. Getty Images Lando Norris has moved back to the top of the leaderboard. He overhauls Fernando Alonso with an impressive 1:15.259. Everybody is running on the hard tyres at the moment with the notable exceptions of Lance Stroll and Franco Colapinto, who are giving the medium compounds a whirl. Getty Images There are two unfamiliar names in the cars for this session: Williams junior Victor Martins is in for Alex Albon, with Ryo Hirakawa temporarily replacing Esteban Ocon at Haas. Hirakawa has actually popped up before this season - when he drove what was then Jack Doohan's Alpine at Suzuka. Hirakawa promptly left Alpine's pile of reserve drivers after his home F1 event and was signed officially as Haas' reserve driver, with the American team in a technical partnership with Toyota, where Hirakawa has raced in sportscars since 2022. Getty Images The home fans love that! Fernando Alonso, the darling of the crowd, punches in a 1:15.480 to go quickest. Moments before Ryo Hirakawa drove his Haas wide and into the gravel. 'I'm sorry, sorry, sorry,' he quickly said on the team radio. Getty Images There is going to be a lot of chat this weekend about flexi-front wings, with the FIA clamping down on an F1 technology (aeroelasticity to be really specific) area where McLaren is said to be really strong and Red Bull has been lobbying about. It's a complex but important topic, but Madeline Coleman has distilled all the noise down to the absolute essentials you need in this article, the latest in our 'Between the Racing Lines' explainer series. GO FURTHER What are F1 flexi-wings and why do new FIA tests matter so much this season? Lando Norris has already gone top, with a 1m 16.095s. He's followed by his McLaren team-mate, Oscar Piastri, who is 0.009 seconds slower. Getty Images Victor Martins' Williams is the first car out on track. Most drivers are out on the hardest tyre compound, as expected. It's an absolutely beautiful day in Barcelona: bright sunshine with 0% chance of rain in the session. The track temperature is a boiling 47C. Getty Images Let's have ourselves some practice. Two driver changes to tell you about today: Victor Martins will make his Formula 1 debut, coming in for Alex Albon at Williams, while Ryo Hirakawa switches in for Esteban Ocon at Haas. Martins, 23, was named best rookie in Formula 2 last season. Getty Images Lando Norris isn't getting carried away after winning the Monaco Grand Prix. One third of the way through the 2025 Formula One season, he still trails McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the points standings. 💬 'What I felt this weekend was a small step forward,' Norris, the pre-season favorite, said after clinching Monaco glory. 'But it's not it. It's not like I've nailed it now and everything's back.' Norris's Monaco victory was magic — but it was only his second grand prix win of a campaign his McLaren team has dominated. Piastri has won four races. Simply put, Norris's bounce-back win in Monaco will mean little if he lets the points gap swell back up from three at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend. But the pressure is also on his ice-cool teammate. In 2024, Barcelona was the scene of one of Piastri's biggest defeats to Norris. While his teammate started on pole and pushed Max Verstappen for victory, Piastri qualified 10th and finished over 30 seconds down. It was the sort of result that often leads Verstappen's Red Bull to be declared a one-car team. GO FURTHER Lando Norris is resurgent, but his biggest test yet arrives in Spain Getty Images Joe E: 'It still baffles me how F1 can't find another circuit to host testing which isn't on the calendar, it prevents what has become of this track in recent years … an absolute borefest.' Mike T: 'I've found that this is a race where the best cars win out. Last year I think Russell and Perez had poor qualifiers but still finished top 5. You want to outqualify the people in your weight class, but if you're in a Mercedes and qualify behind a Haas, you are overtaking that Haas.' … and remember, you can get involved today by emailing live@ Sign up to our Prime Tire newsletter Prime Tire is with us throughout the 2025 season and it is well worth your attention. The latest edition of our F1 newsletter sees staff editor Patrick Iversen enjoy the heat being turned up in the drivers' championship and tries to pick a way through the Monaco debris so the race can be preserved (which isn't easy). You can take in our latest Prime Tire newsletter below — and if you like what you read, why not sign up to the twice-weekly missive that you will receive directly in your inbox? You can subscribe to that for free right here. GO FURTHER F1 drivers' championship fight regains momentum. Plus, what to do about Monaco Formula 1 In the teams' championship, McLaren now has more than double the points total of its closest rival. That makes sense with Red Bull, given Max Verstappen has scored 136 of its 143 points. Mercedes are only four more points up the road in second, with Ferrari a solitary point behind the fizzy drinks cars. Aston Martin is the team that will be looking for some big strides over the coming races. They sit P8, with just 14 points — all of them scored by Lance Stroll.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Arsenal success can spur Australia to continental title, says Catley
Defender Steph Catley says her UEFA Women's Champions League title win with Arsenal last week will act as motivation to secure continental glory with Australia when the country hosts the Women's Asian Cup next year. Catley and compatriots Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross were part of the Arsenal squad that defeated Barcelona in Lisbon last Sunday, before flying to Melbourne to feature in the Matildas' 2-0 win over Argentina on Friday. The game was the first in a two-match series against the South Americans as the Australians continue preparations for the continent championship in March 2026, when they will attempt to win the Asian title for the first time in 16 years. "I think it just gives you a little taste of what's possible," Catley said of the Champions League success. "But to actually do it, it makes me think about my career and the things I really want to achieve, and winning silverware with the Matildas has always been top of my list. "So, definitely, it makes me hungry. I've got a taste of trophies and (winning the Asian Cup) would mean a lot to me if we were able to do that. "It's coming up now, it's very close so it's good for the three of us to have the taste of that and be able to lead that hunt for success for our team." The Australians last won the Women's Asian Cup in 2010 with a victory over North Korea and have since finished as runners-up in 2014 and 2018 before exiting the 2022 edition in the quarter-finals. And while the Matildas reached the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup on home soil in 2023, they were eliminated in the group phase of the Olympic Games last year, prompting coach Tony Gustavsson's departure. The Swede has not been replaced on a permanent basis, with Tom Sermanni filling the role in an interim capacity, but Catley is confident the team is moving in the right direction as the Australians continue to unearth new playing talent. "Maybe it hasn't been the most successful few years but we still believe we can achieve something special," said Catley. "You see a player like Charli (Grant) come in tonight and she looks like she's been in the team for a few years, and we're still finding gems like that. "I think coming into a major tournament, that's the most important thing that you can try to do, is have a bit of depth there and some competition." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
