10 h. ago A year on, divine Mbappé returns to the Cathedral where everything changed | Sid Lowe

Frenchman’s epiphany after a missed penalty at San Mamés in 2024 has led to a sensational 2025. Real Madrid are purring againKylian Mbappé returned to the Cathedral where he experienced his epiphany in 2024, his resurrection born after hitting rock bottom, and delivered something like salvation. Exactly a year since he missed a penalty there, a bad moment he later said was a good one, the Frenchman was back at San Mamés on Wednesday night.Last time, he missed a second penalty in a week, an awakening accompanying failure; this time, he scored two goals in an hour and set up another, light let in through the dark again. As the Frenchman headed off the pitch early, Madrid 3-0 up against Athletic Bilbao with 15 minutes left, he embraced Xabi Alonso, who is still his manager. Continue reading...

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29 h. ago European football: Real Madrid’s Frenchmen run riot at Athletic Bilbao

Mbappé scores twice and Camavinga once in 3-0 winNapoli and Atalanta reach Italian Cup quarter-finalsKylian Mbappé scored twice as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to end a three-match winless streak in La Liga.Mbappé’s France teammate Eduardo Camavinga also found the net as Real moved back within a point of Barcelona, who beat Atlético Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday. Continue reading...

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51 h. ago Raphinha leads comeback for Barcelona in victory against Atlético Madrid

Barcelona recovered to secure a 3-1 win against Atlético Madrid as goals from Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres handed the visitors their first La Liga defeat since August and extended the champions’ lead at the top after an intense clash on Tuesday.The result puts Barcelona on 37 points, four ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who visit Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Atlético, arriving at Camp Nou on a seven-game winning run in all competitions, remain in fourth place with 31 points. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Rangers star returns to action after seven months out but comeback doesn’t quite go to plan

RANGERS defender Dujon Sterling continued his comeback from injury featuring for the reserves in the 4-2 defeat to St Mirren. Sterling has been sidelined for the past seven months with an Achilles injury with his last game coming against Athletic Bilbao. He was stretched off in the first leg at Ibrox in the Europa League...

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1 week ago European football: Jude Bellingham snatches late draw for Real Madrid at Elche

Roma claim 3-1 away victory to move top of Serie AMilan take derby honours after Maignan penalty saveReal Madrid were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday after a pulsating second half in which the visitors came from behind twice with Jude Bellingham’s late goal rescuing a point.The result extended Real’s winless run to three matches in all competitions, but they reclaimed top spot in La Liga, one point ahead of Barcelona. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Barcelona’s new chapter begins in familiar surroundings as life returns to Camp Nou

More than two years of redevelopment at the storied ground later, feelings of relief and comfort greeted Barça’s return to time-honoured turfThere was no sign of Laszlo Kubala or Johan Cruyff, their statues still safely packed in storage, and Lionel Messi had sneaked in alone under cover of darkness a fortnight before but FC Barcelona’s current players were finally back at the Camp Nou as 45,157 fans and a handful of men in high-vis jackets and hard hats watched them return home 909 days later. It was like old times.Athletic Club, ideal guests, had not won here in 30 matches and after two years away they didn’t win this time either, the last of four goals conceded soon followed by fireworks on an afternoon of reunion. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Barcelona celebrate return to Camp Nou with Athletic Bilbao thrashing

Barcelona had not played at the Camp Nou in 909 days due to the iconic stadium’s redevelopment

Politics

1 week ago Barcelona issue new Marcus Rashford statement in blow for Man Utd outcast

Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday as they open the Nou Camp but Marcus Rashford will miss out after the Manchester United loanee was hit with an illness

Politics

1 week ago Marcus Rashford misses another Barcelona training session as dream put on hold

Marcus Rashford is a major doubt ahead of Barcelona’s Camp Nou return against Athletic Bilbao with the on-loan Manchester United star having missed the Spanish giants’ last two training sessions

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2 w. ago Barcelona to play first game at renovated Camp Nou on Saturday against Athletic Bilbao

Capacity capped at 45,401 spectators for La Liga game‘We’ve dreamed about the return. Now, it’s here,’ club sayBarcelona have announced they will play their first game at the renovated but unfinished Camp Nou on Saturday. The club will host Athletic Bilbao in La Liga two and a half years after they moved out so building work could begin.Barcelona wrote in a message on X: “We’ve dreamed about the return. Now, it’s here. We’re back home. Back at Spotify Camp Nou.” Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Tuchel’s back to the future England can play with fire and fury at the World Cup | Jonathan Wilson

A tactically and technically adept Three Lions squad can take the handbrake off and prosper in North America next summerWatching Micky van de Ven surge through the pretty much the entire FC Copenhagen team in the Champions League last week, two sensations occurred. The first was awe, that somebody so powerful and so quick would still have the composure to finish as he did. And the second was that this didn’t feel entirely fair. It was as though Gulliver had landed himself a deal in the Lilliput Premier League.The same evening, Liverpool, who have at times struggled physically in the Premier League this season, bullied Real Madrid, their threat at set plays so marked that eventually it was the 5ft 7in Alexis Mac Allister who headed the vital goal. The following day, Newcastle swatted Athletic Bilbao aside, largely by being bigger than them: for the opening goal, the Spanish side’s defence appears to have looked at Dan Burn and decided there was no point even trying to mark him. Conti...

Events

3 w. ago Anthony Gordon a major doubt for Newcastle’s trip to Brentford as Eddie Howe provides injury update

The forward was injured in the midweek win over Athletic Bilbao and awaits the result of a scan

Events

4 w. ago Newcastle boss Eddie Howe keen to break new ground in Champions League

The Magpies have taken nine points from their four Champions League league phase matches so far.

Sport

4 w. ago Dan Burn’s thunderous header helps Newcastle to beat Athletic Bilbao

Newcastle 2-0 Athletic Club: Joelinton added a second goal four minutes into the second half

Events

4 w. ago Burn and Joelinton use their heads to give Newcastle win over Bilbao

The gloom of the London Stadium was soon forgotten. Newcastle may have been abject on Sunday, but in a run of six wins in eight games, one aberration is perhaps permissible.This was a third successive Champions League success, all without conceding, and Eddie Howe’s side can now look forward to the playoff round at least, perhaps even a top‑eight place and automatic passage to the last 16. Quite apart from anything else, they are bigger than most opponents they face in Europe and that, ultimately, was what underlay their victory against Athletic. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Dan Burn ‘up there with Van Persie’ as Newcastle star scores ‘best header in history’

DAN BURN has earned rave reviews on social media after his superb header against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League that has been labelled "the best in history". The Newcastle centre-back is enjoying the best spell of his professional career after being given his first England cap by Thomas Tuchel in March. The 33-year-old put...

Events

4 w. ago Newcastle make major matchday change ahead of Athletic Bilbao clash after players’ demand

NEWCASTLE UNITED have dropped the much-loved Local Hero walk-out anthem after the request from the PLAYERS! The huge change came into effect for the first time in tonight’s Champions League showdown with Athletic Bilbao. Although Mark Knopfler’s famous song has not been ditched entirely. The “Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero” tune is STILL...

Sport

4 w. ago ‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s journey from gurney to goals with Athletic

The Basque club’s striker has flourished on their return to the Champions League after a decade away – on Wednesday his side face NewcastleThe first time Gorka Guruzeta played in England, an 18-year-old appearing for Athletic Bilbao B against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in September 2015, he scored. The second time he played in England, against Sunderland two months later, he scored. The third time, against Manchester City six weeks after that, well, he scored again. When he returned to Manchester to face United at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, too. “In fact,” he says, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve ever scored.” So Athletic did what they had to do: they took him off.“I got well angry,” the Athletic striker says, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I was pretty good. They didn’t let me play the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I was scoring goals, th...

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