Football Roundup: European Cup Action and Domestic Dominance
This week saw thrilling cup clashes and decisive league victories across Europe. From England’s FA Cup drama to the turkish Cup’s shocking upsets, here’s a recap of the key action:
English Sides Advance in FA Cup
Chelsea secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Championship side Luton Town in the FA Cup Round of 16. Romelu Lukaku proved to be the hero, netting the winning goal in the 78th minute after a back-and-forth encounter. Earlier, Saul Niguez and Timo Werner had equalized for Chelsea after Luton took the lead twice.
Liverpool also booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Norwich City. Divock Origi, starting for the Reds, provided a crucial assist for Takumi Minamino’s opening goal. Minamino doubled the lead before Norwich pulled one back late on, but Liverpool held on for the victory.
French Cup Finalists Decided
in a tense coupe de France semi-final, FC Nantes edged out AS Monaco in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw. Monaco’s Eliot Matazo entered the game late but couldn’t influence the outcome. Nantes will now face OGC nice in the final.
Turkish Cup Upsets
Holders Besiktas suffered a shock exit from the turkish Cup,losing 2-1 to Kayserispor in the quarter-finals. Michy Batshuayi played the full match for Besiktas but couldn’t prevent their elimination.
Dutch Cup Finalists Emerge
PSV Eindhoven secured their place in the Dutch Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Go Ahead Eagles.After falling behind, PSV capitalized on a red card for Eagles’ Kramer to score two goals and advance.
Qatari League Leaders Extend Gap
Al-Duhail maintained their second-place position in the Qatar Stars League with a resounding 6-1 victory over Umm-Salal.Toby Alderweireld started for al-Duhail, who are now nine points behind leaders Al-Sadd.
Austrian Champions Remain Dominant
RB Salzburg drew 0-0 with LASK Linz in the Austrian Bundesliga, maintaining their commanding 16-point lead at the top of the table. New signing Ignace Van der Brempt made his debut for salzburg, coming on as a substitute.
