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Barcelona drop points in heated Catalan derby

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Barcelona stumbled in the Spanish title race with a 1-1 draw against rivals Espanyol in a bad-tempered Catalan derby on Saturday, levelling Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Xavi’s side threw away the two-point advantage they had earned before the World Cup break, with Joselu’s penalty pegging Barcelona back after Marcos Alonso’s opener.

Both teams finished with 10 men as Jordi Alba and Vinicius Souza were sent off, with referee Mateu Lahoz allowing the game to spiral out of control at Camp Nou.

The teams were at loggerheads before a ball as kicked because Barcelona started Robert Lewandowski, who had been banned before a late court ruling allowed him to play.

The forward, due to miss three league matches, was only allowed to play thanks to a controversial decision announced on Friday, suspending his punishment.

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It greatly angered Espanyol, whose president and directors boycotted the match, while Barca coach Xavi admitted his team had prepared all week expecting to be without the division’s top goalscorer.

The Spanish football federation said in a statement on Saturday they could not override the court’s decision.

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EPL: Arsenal closes gap on Liverpool after 1-0 win against Chelsea

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Mikel Merino led Arsenal to a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.

Merino’s first-half header settled the London derby at the Emirates Stadium and saw second-placed Arsenal move within 12 points of leader Liverpool.

Arsenal’s title hopes have faded in recent weeks, but it closed the gap on Liverpool, which was playing Newcastle in the English League Cup final later in the day.

Merino rose in the 20th minute to flick Martin Odegaard’s near post corner beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. It was enough to secure a first league win for Mikel Arteta’s team since February 15.

Defeat for fourth-placed Chelsea means it missed the chance to extend its one-point lead over Manchester City in fifth and boost its chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Arsenal, on 58 points, is 10 clear of four time defending champion City.

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Osimhen nets hat-trick, tops Turkish Süper Lig scoring charts

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Osimhen

Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen netted a hat-trick as Galatasaray secured a decisive 4-0 win against Antalyaspor on Friday night.

Álvaro Morata added a goal from the penalty spot to complete the dominant victory.

Osimhen opened the scoring at Rams Park, converting an assist from Morata in the 30th minute.

Morata doubled the lead with a penalty in the 45th minute and three minutes into the injury time of the first half, Osimhen struck again, assisted by B. Yılmaz.

The Nigerian striker completed his hat-trick, with Y. Akgün providing the assist in the 52nd minute.

This hat trick elevates Osimhen’s season tally to 20 league goals in 22 appearances, making him the top scorer in the Turkish Süper Lig.

Since joining Galatasaray on loan from Napoli after the fourth game of the season, Osimhen has amassed 26 goals and 5 assists across all competitions in 30 appearances.

Galatasaray’s dominant display reinforces their position at the summit of the Süper Lig.

Prior to this match, they led the standings with 68 points from 26 matches, maintaining an unbeaten record with 21 wins and 5 draws.

Their closest rivals, Fenerbahçe, have accumulated 61 points from 25 matches.

With this victory, Galatasaray extends their lead to 71 points, bolstering their pursuit of the league title.

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He’s getting closer – Arteta updates on Saka’s return

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Bukayo Saka

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has provided the latest update on Bukayo Saka ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Chelsea this weekend.

Saka has been sidelined for over two months due to a hamstring injury.

The England winger has missed several matches for Arteta’s side, including their draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Speaking in his pre-match interview ahead of Sunday’s clash, Arteta said Saka is getting closer to returning to action for the Gunners.

“He [Saka] is getting closer,” Arteta said.

“He’s stepping up and making very good progress. Let’s see when we decide to throw him in, how he reacts, and how quickly he can regain full fitness.”

Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League table, behind leaders Liverpool.

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