Jude Bellingham to the rescue as Real Madrid steals all 3 points against Valencia.
Real Madrid secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla, moving two points clear at the top of La Liga. Valencia dominated early, with Hugo Duro capitalizing on a rebound in the 27th minute to give the hosts the lead. Madrid struggled to break through, with Jude Bellingham missing a penalty and Kylian Mbappé having a goal ruled out for offside. Matters worsened when Vinícius Jr. was sent off following a clash with Valencia goalkeeper Dimitrievski. Despite being down to 10 men, Luka Modrić equalized in the 85th minute after a superb pass from Bellingham. In stoppage time, Bellingham redeemed himself by intercepting a defensive error and scoring the winner. Valencia nearly snatched a late equalizer, but Luis Rioja’s strike hit the post. Madrid now leads La Liga by two points over Atletico, who have a game in hand.
Massive win with 10 men for Real Madrid! ⚪️
+5 points over Barça in La Liga table. 📈 pic.twitter.com/vJUUpR90JB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 3, 2025
Mohammed Salah hints at leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has hinted that this could be his final season at the club as contract talks remain unresolved. The 32-year-old’s current deal expires this summer, alongside those of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. Despite ongoing negotiations, Salah admitted Friday that progress has stalled. Asked by Sky Sports if he expects to leave Liverpool, Salah said, “So far? Yes. We’re far away from any progress.” Salah has been pivotal this season, tallying 17 goals and 13 assists to help Liverpool build an eight-point lead at the Premier League summit. Reflecting on his ambitions, he expressed a strong desire to win the Premier League again, citing the lack of celebration during Liverpool’s pandemic-era triumph in 2020. As Liverpool prepare to host Manchester United on Jan. 5, Salah remains focused on delivering another title to Merseyside in what could be his farewell campaign.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Mo Salah has confirmed it's his last season at Liverpool:
🗣️ "I really want to win the Premier League this season as it's my last year at the club. I want to give something special to the City."
(Source: @SkySports ) pic.twitter.com/TmvJXkAlCU
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 3, 2025
Manchester United trigger Harry Maguire’s 1-year extension clause.
Ruben Amorim has confirmed the club has activated the one-year extension clause in Harry Maguire’s contract. The centre-back, who was in the final six months of his current deal, had recently expressed optimism about discussions for a new agreement, calling them “positive.” By triggering the extension, United ensures Maguire won’t leave for free this summer. Ahead of the team’s clash with Liverpool, Amorim shared, “We’ve decided to activate the option. I spoke with Harry this morning and told him he must improve on the pitch and as a leader. We need him a lot right now.” Amorim emphasized the importance of Maguire’s leadership, stating, “Our team lacks leaders on the pitch, and he has that quality. He knows the expectations, and we’re pleased to continue with him as part of our squad.”
🚨 BREAKING: Manchester United trigger one-year option to extend Harry Maguire’s contract until June 2026!
“We will trigger our option, we need Harry a lot”, says Rúben Amorim.
“He needs to improve as a leader because we are starving for leaders on the pitch”. pic.twitter.com/kABc1MLfAf
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 3, 2025
Naomi Osaka defeats Alycia Parks to reach her first final since 2022.
Former world number one, Naomi Osaka reached her first final since 2022 with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win over American Alycia Parks at the Auckland Classic on Saturday. The four-time Grand Slam champion, returning to tennis after becoming a mother in 2023, showcased a confident performance ahead of the Australian Open starting January 12. Osaka, 27, was playing her first semi-final in nearly two years and displayed precision and power against the 78th-ranked Parks, who struggled after playing her delayed quarter-final earlier in the day. Osaka credited the milestone, saying, “I’m really happy to reach the final here—it’s a career first for me the week before Melbourne.” Ranked 57th, the two-time Australian Open champion will face Denmark’s Clara Tauson in Sunday’s final. Tauson, ranked 50th, defeated Robin Montgomery 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final, marking Osaka’s toughest challenge of the tournament so far.
All smiles for the final 😄@naomiosaka powers her way into her first final since 2022 as she defeats Parks 6-4, 6-2!#ASBClassic25 pic.twitter.com/u2eGo7igGU
— wta (@WTA) January 4, 2025
AC Milan defeats Juventus to progress to the Super Cup Final.
Serie A giant, AC Milan secured a spot in the Italian Super Cup final with a 2-1 comeback victory over Juventus on Friday in Sérgio Conceição’s debut as manager. Milan will face Inter in Monday’s derby final, where Conceição could win his first trophy since replacing Paulo Fonseca earlier this week. The anticipated father-son matchup fizzled out after Juventus winger Francisco Conceição was withdrawn due to a pre-match injury, with Kenan Yildiz taking his place. Yildiz opened the scoring in the 21st minute, latching onto Samuel Mbangula’s pass and firing past Milan’s Mike Maignan. Juventus missed chances to extend their lead, allowing Milan to turn the game around. Christian Pulisic equalized with a penalty in the 71st minute, and four minutes later, a Yunus Musah cross deflected off Federico Gatti for an own goal, securing Milan’s comeback and setting up a thrilling final against Inter.
FT: Juventus 1-2 AC Milan.
AC MILAN HAVE REACHED THE FINAL OF THE ITALIAN SUPERCUP WHERE THEY WILL FACE INTER, BEAUTIFUL FINAL! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/XnALJw6pfN
— TheEuropeanLad (@TheEuropeanLad) January 3, 2025