Manchester City will host Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium in what promises to be a thrilling Carabao Cup semi-final encounter, a fixture that carries significant weight for both clubs as they chase domestic silverware and momentum for the remainder of their seasons. The Carabao Cup, often considered a gateway trophy, has increasingly grown in prestige, particularly for clubs aiming to establish dominance or signal resurgence. For Manchester City, the competition has long been a familiar hunting ground, while for Newcastle United, it represents a golden opportunity to cement their transformation into one of England’s elite football institutions. With tactical brilliance, squad depth, and high-stakes drama expected, this clash stands as one of the most anticipated fixtures of the domestic cup calendar. Manchester City enter the semi-final with a reputation as one of the most dominant teams in English football history, particularly under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola. The Catala...
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended an angry Cristiano Ronaldo after he kicked a water bottle after being substituted in the shocking 2-0 loss to Georgia.
Ronaldo was seen kicking a water bottle before taking his position on the bench, expressing his emotions following a tough outing.
Ronaldo had been penalized earlier in the game for his outbursts at the referee after colliding with centre-back Luka Lochoshvili, who was obviously pulling the Portugal striker's shirt but managed to avoid a penalty.
Martinez maintained after the game that Ronaldo should have been handed a "clear" penalty, questioning the VAR's consistency before awarding a spot kick to Mikautadze for Georgia's second.
"At times, we were unlucky," Martinez told reporters. "The VAR was inconsistent; if there was a penalty on Antonio Silva, Ronaldo could see it more clearly.
"Georgia had the game of their lives and we didn't match the intensity."
Ronaldo's tumultuous evening didn't finish there; as he exited the pitch, he nearly escaped a weird altercation with a fan.
As Ronaldo proceeded down the tunnel, a fan jumped over the fence and was pushed aside by security before making touch with the 39-year-old, who had previously been targeted by pitch invasions during Portugal's triumph over Turkey in the tournament.
Portugal has been drawn with Slovenia in the competition's last 16, with their match on Monday night being the last to be decided before the quarter-final stage begins.
Ronaldo's tumultuous evening didn't finish there; as he exited the pitch, he nearly escaped a weird altercation with a fan.
As Ronaldo proceeded down the tunnel, a fan jumped over the fence and was pushed aside by security before making touch with the 39-year-old, who had previously been targeted by pitch invasions during Portugal's triumph over Turkey in the tournament.
Portugal has been drawn with Slovenia in the competition's last 16, with their match on Monday night being the last to be decided before the quarter-final stage begins.
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