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Man City 3 Al-Hilal 4: City dumped out of club World Cup in huge shock after dramatic late defeat to Saudi side

MARCOS LEONARDO struck twice as Manchester City were sensationally dumped out of the Club World Cup by Al-Hilal.

Pep Guardiola’s men looked to be coasting to the quarter-finals as they dominated the first half and took an early lead through Bernardo Silva.

Manchester City players walking off the field after a game.
Alamy
Man City have been dumped out of the Club World Cup[/caption]
Marcos Leonardo of Al Hilal celebrating.
Alamy
Marcos Leonardo netted a brace for Al-Hilal in the last 16 tie[/caption]
Bernardo Silva celebrating a goal.
Getty
Bernardo Silva opened the scoring[/caption]
Al Hilal soccer players celebrating a goal.
Reuters
Chelsea flop Kalidou Koulibaly found the net in extra-time[/caption]

Yet Simone Inzaghi’s side hit back to take the lead within seven minutes of the restart.

And despite equalisers from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden – his 100th goal for his boyhood club – Leonardo struck in the 113th minute to put the holders out. 

Al-Hilal – who qualified for this tournament by winning their version of the Champions League in 2021 – held Real Madrid to a draw in their opening game.

They have paid Inzaghi a basic salary of around £25 million per year to leave Inter within weeks of leading them to the Champions League and move to the Middle East.

WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN

Yet in the opening exchanges, they looked to be no match for City – who would have been out of sight but for the excellence of goalkeeper Bono.

For the fourth time in four games in this tournament, City were ahead inside the first 10 minutes – but this one came in controversial circumstances.

Rayan Ait Nouri appeared to handle before getting over a cross that was cleared straight into the shoulder of the on-rushing Ilkay Gundogan.

Bernardo stabbed home the loose ball and the goal stood despite the furious protests of the Al-Hilal players.

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City had got lucky with that one but looked to put the game to bed and Al-Hilal were grateful to Bono for smart saves from Savinho and Gundogan.

The Morocco international – who was outstanding in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – also tipped over a Josko Gvardiol header.

Savinho chipped in a cross that was volleyed straight at Bono by Doku as another chance went begging.

Al-Hilal conceded just one goal in their three group matches – yet they had been completely run ragged by City in the first half.

However, within a minute of he re-start, Inzaghi’s side were level as Ederson pushed out former City defender Joao Cancelo’s cross.

When Malcom’s shot was blocked it bounced up kindly for Marcos Leonardo who nodded in from close range.

And six minutes later, the Saudi side were ahead as City committed too many men forward for a corner and were caught out.

Match stats graphic showing Manchester City vs Al-Hilal: shots on target, shots, blocked shots, possession, passes, completed passes, tackles, fouls conceded, and corners.
Erling Haaland and Rodri celebrating a goal.
AFP
Erling Haaland fired some from close range[/caption]
Phil Foden of Manchester City celebrating a goal.
AFP
Phil Foden reached a landmark 100th goal for Man City[/caption]
Al Hilal's Malcom celebrates scoring a goal.
AFP
Malcom has put Al-Hilal ahead before Haaland’s goal[/caption]

Cancelo’s pass sent Malcom racing clear and he showed great composure to beat his fellow Brazilian Ederson.

A big shock suddenly looked on the cards and Pep Guardiola sent on three subs – including Ballon D’Or winner Rodri.

And one of the replacements, Manuel Akanji had a hand in the equaliser – challenging for a Silva corner which fell nicely for Erling Haaland, who finished emphatically.

An incredible start to the second half continued as Dias sent Malcolm tumbling in the box – and the ref pointed to the spot – only for the linesman’s flag to come to City’s rescue.

Both sides had chances to win it with Doku nodding over from close range and Mohamed Kanno missing an even better chance at the other end.

Then an Akanji header bounced back off the woodwork and Haaland’s effort from the rebound was cleared off the line by Ali Lajami.

So it went to extra time and amazingly Al-Hilal were back in front within four minutes of the restart.

Former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly got in between Nathan Ake and Dias to nod home a corner from the left.

Still though there was another twist as two subs combined – Rayan Cherki chipping to the back post for Phil Foden to volley across the keeper into the opposite corner.

And just when it looked to be heading for penalties Renan Lodi’s cross was headed goalwards by Sergei Milenkovic-Savic.

Ederson made the save but it only went into the path of Leonardo who bundled the ball in.

City huffed and puffed to try to find a way back in yet again but it wasn’t to be – and completely unexpectedly, they will be heading home today.

Pep Guardiola looking dejected after a soccer game.
Alamy
Pep Guardiola was left scratching his head after the match[/caption]

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Woman ‘sexually assaulted in hotel or house’ after leaving city centre nightclub as cops issue CCTV of two men

COPS are on the hunt after a woman was sexually assaulted leaving a nightclub in the early hours.

Devon and Cornwall Police have now released CCTV of two men they wish to speak to as part of their ongoing probe.

The assault was launched after the victim left a Plymouth city centre venue in the early hours of Sunday, June 29.

She was then attacked at a “property, hotel or bed and breakfast”, cops say.

Officers are also appealing to anyone who may have seen a “distressed female” in the area.

It is believed she may have walked anywhere from Old Town Street down to New George Street and into Cornwall Street.

She is described as having long blonde hair and would have been dressed in black.

The force also say the woman was asking for directions between 8am and 9am.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson confirmed: “It was reported that the victim was assaulted in either a property, hotel or bed and breakfast after leaving a nightclub in the city centre in the early hours of Sunday 29 June.

“Officers would like to speak to the two men pictured as it is believed they may be able to help with enquiries.

“Anybody who is able to assist the investigation is asked to contact us on 101 or via our website quoting 50250165656.”

CCTV images of two men, wanted in connection with an assault.
Devon and Cornwall Police
Devon and Cornwall Police have now released CCTV of two men they wish to speak to as part of their ongoing probe[/caption]
CCTV images of two men, wanted in connection with an assault.
Devon and Cornwall Police
It is believed “they may be able to help with enquiries”[/caption]

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Lady Netizen Goes Viral for Eating Her Packed Meal Inside Fast-Food Restaurant 

Lady Netizen Eats Her Packed Meal Inside Fast-Food Restaurant  A lady netizen went viral online for eating her packed home-cooked meal inside a popular fast-food restaurant.  Recently, Belle Diwa, a Facebook user, shared that she usually brings her own food to work to save money. The post quickly went viral and received various reactions from the ... Read more

The post Lady Netizen Goes Viral for Eating Her Packed Meal Inside Fast-Food Restaurant  appeared first on PhilNews.

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‘It’s a fine balance’ – Tipperary GAA selector dismisses ‘public perception’ that Liam Cahill ‘flogs his players’

THE SUGGESTION that Tipperary boss Liam Cahill is guilty of overcooking players has been dismissed as a half-baked theory by Declan Laffan.

Cahill has faced claims of pushing his teams too hard since he led Waterford to the 2022 National League title, only for his side to flop in the Championship.

Liam Cahill, Tipperary hurling manager, at a match.
Liam Cahill has been accused of pushing teams too hard
Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Portrait of Declan Laffan at a Tipperary Hurling Media Conference.
Tipperary selector Declan Laffan defended Cahill
Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

In his role as a pundit on an episode of the Smaller Fish podcast, ex-Offaly forward Brian Carroll claimed Cahill’s teams ‘run out of steam’ in the summer.

But after a challenging first two seasons at the helm in Tipp, they are just one win away from appearing in a first All-Ireland SHC showpiece since 2019.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s semi-final against Kilkenny, Tipp selector Laffan said: “The public perception of Liam I suppose is that he flogs his teams.

“Look, let the public think what they like. We just have to worry about what we do.

“We probably didn’t get it right last year. We probably tapered it back a little bit too much and maybe suffered in the latter end of the games where teams pulled away from us and we just hadn’t it in the lungs to stay with them.

“It’s a fine balance getting it right and it’s even the same you’ll see coming into big games like this, match week, how you tailor training during the week that you don’t end up flat. Do you do an hour? Do you do 40 minutes?

“Everything has to be tailored properly and that’s where your S&C guys come in and make sure that things are done right.”

Tipp have played twice since Kilkenny’s last outing, which saw the Cats overcome Galway to land a sixth consecutive Leinster title.

Cahill’s men eased past Laois, before beating the Tribe in the quarter-finals.

Kilkenny will hope the four-week lay-off will stand to them in their first Championship clash with their neighbours since Tipp won the Liam MacCarthy Cup decider six years ago.

But Laffan said: “The two-week break after Galway is ideal . . . 

“I think it’s worked well for us. If we win, we’ll say we have it right. If we don’t, somebody will find fault. There’s not much we can do about that though.”

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Congress Bill Proposes P1,000 Monthly Allowance for Students

Proposed Law Seeks P1,000 Monthly Allowance for Every Student Nationwide MONTHLY ALLOWANCE – The proposed P1,000 monthly support aims to boost school attendance and academic performance among Filipino learners. A legislative proposal aimed at offering financial assistance to Filipino learners has been introduced in Congress. Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste authored a bill ... Read more

The post Congress Bill Proposes P1,000 Monthly Allowance for Students appeared first on PhilNews.

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GAA legend reveals ‘obvious frontrunner’ to be Dublin boss after Dessie Farrell exit as well as two ‘left-field’ options

GER BRENNAN is ready to manage Dublin, according to Armagh legend Aaron Kernan.

The Sky Blues are on the hunt for a new boss after Dessie Farrell walked in the wake of Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final loss to Tyrone.

Aaron Kernan, Gaelic Games ambassador for BoyleSports, leaning against a wall.
Aaron Kernan backed Ger Brennan to be the next Dublin manager
Dublin manager Dessie Farrell at a GAA football match.
Dessie Farrell stepped down after Dublin’s defeat to Tyrone in the All-Ireland quarter-final
Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Louth manager Ger Brennan at a GAA football match.
Ger Brennan won the Leinster SFC with Louth
Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Farrell lifted Sam Maguire twice during his six seasons in charge.

But consecutive quarter-final losses and a Leinster semi-final defeat to Meath capped a disappointing year.

Meanwhile, Brennan led Louth to a first provincial crown since 1957 in May and Kernan reckons the St Vincent’s man is ready for the Dubs job.

The former Orchard hero said: “He would be the obvious one for me. The reality is the success he had with Louth was really just to build Ger’s CV.

“I am sure somewhere down the line that he would have loved to have a go at the Dublin job.

“It may have come a year or two sooner than what he expected but he is the obvious one.

“Maybe Declan D’Arcy, but he is more of a coach. He seemed to build a brilliant rapport with those Dublin players while he was there.

“And maybe a left-fielder in Jason Sherlock or something like that there — but he is more of a coach rather than being the main man.

“I would think Ger would be the frontrunner at this stage if he was to step away from Louth.”

Kernan is still stunned at Armagh’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final loss to Kerry.

The Kingdom raided the Orchard to KO the All-Ireland champions with a 0-32 to 1-21 victory at Croke Park.

And the foundations for the win were laid during a second-half spell which saw Kerry score 0-14 in 15 minutes.

Kernan gushed at “awesome” Kerry and admitted Kieran McGeeney’s men had no answers to the Kingdom’s press on the kickouts.

He said: “Those 15 minutes, 14 points to none. Just how much were you cleaned out on kickouts?

“You would have to give huge credit to Kerry in particular because this is the one area everyone was saying that Armagh had an advantage in.

“They were incredible, really well organised and really ruthless.

“There’s just no coming back from 14 points to no score in 15 minutes.

“That blitz from Kerry was a real statement.”

Kerry will march to Croker for their All-Ireland SFC semi–final against Tyrone on July 12 at 5pm which follows the Tailteann Cup final at 2.30.

Donegal’s last-four tie with Meath has been penned in for Sunday, July 13 at 4pm after the All-Ireland JFC decider at GAA HQ.

FIXTURES: Saturday July 12: All-Ireland SFC Semi-Final; Kerry v Tyrone, Croke Park, 5pm, Live on RTE/BBC. Tailteann Cup Final; Kildare v Limerick, Croke Park, 2.30pm, Live on RTE/BBC. Sunday July 13: All-Ireland SFC Semi-Final; Meath v Donegal, 4pm, Live on RTE/BBC. All-Ireland JFC Final; New York or Warwickshire v London or Kilkenny, Croke Park, 1.30pm, Live on TG4.

l AARON KERNAN was speaking exclusively as a Gaelic Games ambassador for BoyleSports.

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‘Refereeing isn’t easy’ – Derek Lyng urges Kilkenny to keep their discipline against Tipperary in All-Ireland semi-final

KILKENNY boss Derek Lyng has cautioned his players against lapses in discipline ahead of their All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Tipperary.

It will be the first meeting of the old rivals since the Cats had three players sent off in a league defeat back in March.

Portrait of Derek Lyng at a Kilkenny Hurling media conference.
Derek Lyng urged Kilkenny to keep their discipline against Tipperary
Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Referee showing Mikey Carey a red card during a hurling match.
They had three players sent off in the league meeting
Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

David Blanchfield, Mikey Carey and Jordan Molloy were all given their marching orders by referee Seán Stack on a day when Tipp also had Alan Tynan dismissed.

Lyng said: “I remember at the time, there was a lot of frustration there. I think that common-sense approach is important but I also think the responsibility is on the two teams as well. It’s not an easy job, refereeing, and I know what they’ve been asked to do.

“But I think since then, we’ve had to look at our own discipline — and you have to.

“You can point the finger at everybody else but it’s something we’ve looked at as well.”

Sunday’s showdown, which will be the first Championship clash of Tipp and Kilkenny since the Premier’s win in the 2019 All-Ireland final, will be refereed by James Owens.

Lyng continued: “At the same time, I do feel sorry for incidents where a collision is unavoidable.

“It’s just the pace of the game. I don’t think any players out there go out with the intent to hurt anybody.

“I just think sometimes that needs to be taken into account.

“It’s easy to say that from where I am but I think we’ll get a really good game. There are experienced officials there.

“They have a job to do and we respect how they go about it.

“We have to manage our discipline and make sure we come out on the right side of that.”

Kilkenny are planning without Harry Shine as the young forward is set for a long spell on the sidelines with a torn ACL.

Marty Murphy is also out with a hamstring issue.

But they are set to be boosted by the return of Eoin Cody from a leg injury. The Ballyhale Shamrocks ace missed his side’s last four games, including the Leinster final win over Galway.

Lyng confirmed: “Eoin is available for selection now again. He’s come through the last few weeks and he’s done very well. He’s worked hard.

“Even in the run-up to the Leinster final, he was pushing hard. He was just kind of a week off at that stage and we didn’t take the chance with him.

“Thankfully he’s come through.”

MONEY TALKS

Lyng also empathised with fans, who are facing a price increase for their team’s seventh Championship outing in 11 weeks.

The cost of tickets for All-Ireland semi-finals has gone up by €5 in each of the last two years, meaning a place in the stand this weekend will set adults back €60.

The 8,243 crowd that attended the opener against Galway at Nowlan Park was the largest that Kilkenny played in front of during the Leinster round-robin.

Lyng added: “Families probably have to pick and choose.

“A lot of people will wait and hope their team gets further in the competition, so I think it could be looked at. We want to get as many young people to these games as possible.”

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Thailand Revamps Cannabis Prescriptions: Introduction of P.T.33 Form by Dr. Somruk Chungsaman

As the sun set on June 30, the Thai Ministry of Public Health took another calculated step in the nation’s evolving relationship with cannabis. The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) unveiled the P.T.33 form, a standardized prescription form that’s shaking up Thailand’s medical landscape. It’s a big move designed to ensure that the green leaf’s reputation isn’t clouded in misuse or fogged with confusion. “Order out of chaos!” That’s essentially the mantra of Dr. Somruk Chungsaman, the Director-General of DTAM, who spearheaded this initiative to tame the green beast with bureaucracy. The legendary P.T.33 is like a superhero cape for doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and even traditional healers. But more than a fashion statement, it’s a vital tool for those permitted to dispense cannabis for fifteen well-documented conditions. Each form carries the weight of rigorous bureaucracy, demanding patient specifics down to personal identifiers and even the intricacies of…

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Saraburi Tissue Factory Fire Tragedy: Eight Killed and Two Missing in Devastating Blaze

Amidst the tropical landscape of Thailand, the province of Saraburi bore witness to a heart-wrenching tragedy as a fire raged through a tissue factory nestled in the Hemaraj Industrial Estate. It was an ordinary June 30, or so it seemed, until the clock struck noon and the inconceivable disaster struck, sending plumes of inky black smoke spiraling into the serene blue sky above the Bua Loi subdistrict in the Nong Khae district. The scene was chaotic as the flames found a willing accomplice in the combustible tissue paper, which fueled the rapid spread of the fire. By the time the rescue teams were able to wrestle the inferno under control, the once thriving 16,000-square-metre establishment stood as a charred shell of its former self. The three-storey factory, known for its dual role as a production powerhouse and office space, was almost completely razed, the dreams and livelihoods once nurtured within…

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