BEB Weekend Sports: News!

Messi and Griezmann fire Barcelona to victory

Barcelona extended their unbeaten run to eight league matches as Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann both struck twice in a dominant win at Granada.Griezmann's opener was initially ruled offside, but it was decided a pass had deflected to him off a Granada player.

Messi fired into the top corner from 18 yards and then cleverly fizzed home a low free-kick to move him top of La Liga's scoring charts on 11 goals.

After the break, Griezmann struck again and Granada had Jesus Vallejo sent off.

Vallejo caught Martin Braithwaite and was dismissed for a professional foul with 12 minutes remaining of what proved a testing night for the seventh-placed hosts.

They did go close early on when Roberto Soldado forced Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a fine save, but Barca's attacking talents quickly built on their keeper's crucial intervention.

After Griezmann's controversial opener, Messi looked razor sharp in adding a second, and his free-kick three minutes before the break was clinical and cheeky as the Argentina forward chose not to take on the wall but instead beat Granada keeper Rui Silva on the side of the goal he was protecting.

Frenchman Griezmann showed quality with a sharp touch and finish for the fourth - the first time he has scored twice in a Spanish top-flight game for Barcelona since his home debut in August 2019.

Just over a month on from a defeat at Cadiz which left them closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places, Ronald Koeman's side have now moved to within four points of top spot in the table.

Bayern blow 2-0 lead to lose at Gladbach

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich blew a 2-0 lead to lose to Borussia Monchengladbach - just their fourth defeat in Hansi Flick's 60-game reign.

A Robert Lewandowski penalty and a 20-yard Leon Goretzka effort seemed to put the champions in control.

But Jonas Hofmann got Gladbach back level with two finishes from Lars Stindl's passes.

Florian Neuhaus then smashed home a brilliant winner three minutes after the break for the seventh-placed hosts.

Two of Flick's four losses in his Treble-winning 14 months as Bayern boss have come against Gladbach.

Bayern remain top of the German top flight as RB Leipzig lost 3-1 to fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Ball makes NBA tripple-double history

LaMelo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to score a triple-double as Charlotte Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-105.

At 19 years and 140 days old, Ball surpassed Markelle Fultz (19 years and 317 days) to claim the record with his 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

Ball is only the fifth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double.

"A 19-year-old rookie does not look like this," said Hornets head coach James Borrego. 

"This is rare what you're seeing."

Ball is the first player to come off the bench to score a triple-double for the Hornets, who recorded their third straight win.

The third overall pick in the 2020 draft, he had narrowly missed out on his first triple-double just two nights previously with his 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in his side's win over his brother Lonzo's New Orleans Pelicans.

Tokyo 2020 not guaranteed- Pound

Dick Pound, the longest serving member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remains uncertain whether the Tokyo 2020 Games will go ahead.

It comes after organisers said they will be ready to host the rescheduled Games - despite the city declaring a state of emergency over Covid-19.

Pound said: "I can't be certain because the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus."

The rescheduled Games are set to take place between 23 July and 8 August.

Pound added that competitors should be high up the priority list when it comes to getting vaccinated, and also suggested that organisers could make it a condition for them to declare they have received the jab before entering Japan.

The IOC earlier stated athletes would not be obligated to do so, but added: 

"At the same time, the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee are fully aligned in their commitment to have as many foreign participants as possible vaccinated before the Games.

Earlier on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said there was a "sense of crisis" as he announced emergency Covid-19 plans.

Organisers said: 

"This declaration offers an opportunity for Tokyo 2020 to plan for a safe and secure Games this summer."

from Bola Esho's Blog