Arsenal, Atletico move near Europa League semis

Arsenal took a giant step towards reaching the Europa League semi-finals after a 4-1 rout of CSKA Moscow and Atletico Madrid did the same with a 2-0 home win over Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.

Lazio also stayed on course to progress after an action-packed 4-2 home win over Salzburg in their quarter-final first leg and upstarts RB Leipzig will head to Olympique de Marseille with a 1-0 advantage.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey and France striker Alexandre Lacazette scored two goals each in a blistering first half for Arsenal, cancelling out a superb free kick by CSKA’s Aleksandr Golovin at the Emirates stadium.

Germany forward Mesut Ozil also shone as he dished out assists effortlessly, with Arsenal’s crisp one-touch passing repeatedly carving open a cumbersome Russian defence.

Ramsey, who had a goal disallowed early on, hit the woodwork in the second half and CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev made several saves to spare the visitors from a heavier defeat.

Atletico, Europa League winners in 2012, extended their winning home streak in all competitions to nine games after Koke scored inside the opening 30 seconds and Antoine Griezmann added the second shortly before half-time.

Lazio ended Salzburg’s 35-game unbeaten run stretching back to August after the visiting Austrian side twice drew level but were undone by quickfire late goals from Felipe Anderson and Ciro Immobile.

Germany’s Leipzig, playing in European competition for the first time, put themselves in a good position to progress after a Timo Werner goal on the stroke of halftime sank Marseille.

Comments

Jerry Eze Launches $300,000 Empowerment Grant to Support Young Business Owners

Renowned pastor, author, and global prayer movement leader, Jerry Eze , has unveiled a $300,000 grant scheme aimed at empowering young entrepreneurs and supporting innovative business ideas across communities. The initiative is designed to provide financial relief, encouragement, and practical support to youths who are passionate about building sustainable businesses but face funding challenges. According to Jerry Eze, the grant scheme is part of his broader vision to promote economic empowerment, self-reliance, and hope among young people . He emphasized that many talented youths have viable ideas but lack the resources to bring them to life. Through this program, selected beneficiaries will receive funding to either start new ventures or expand existing ones. The grant is expected to be disbursed in phases, reaching multiple entrepreneurs from different sectors such as agriculture, technology, creative industries, fashion, and small-scale manufacturing. Beyond financial as...

ECOWAS declared state of emergency in West Africa

Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission declared a state of emergency on Tuesday amid escalating violent extremism and terror, military coups d’etat, banditry, and political instability in the sub-region. Touray declared this during the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level in Abuja. He said the events of the last few weeks had shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of democracy and the urgent need to invest in the sub-region’s security. According to him, country-by-country analyses of member states shows different risk levels across the sub-region from high to medium, with a high risk average, which requires immediate and concerted action. “Faced with this situation, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency. We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve. “For that, the sessions of the mediation and security council should be organized more regularly b...

Aide Reveals Reasons Plateau Governor Is Defecting to APC

Caleb Muftwang of Plateau is set to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Mr Istifanus Nwansat, the political adviser to the governor, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja. Nwansat said that the governor’s decision to join the APC was because it’s the option with the least risk in the face of the chaos in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Caleb Muftwang of Plateau is set to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report Mr Istifanus Nwansat, the political adviser to the governor, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja. Nwansat said that the governor’s decision to join the APC was because it’s the option with the least risk in the face of the chaos in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He explained that the impending defection of Muftwang to the APC would also align with President Bola Tinubu’s political and governance trajectory on ...

UKEMVERANEWS

Search This Blog