Losing Atlanta on Capela’s return. The two-time cross-country Olympic champion Östberg does not participate in the Olympic Games. The most important sports news at a glance.
Soccer: The spectacular on the controversial Boxing Day: The Leader Manchester City wins 6-3
A tackle from the game Manchester City – Leicester City.
(sda) This year the controversial Boxing Day of the Premier League because of the Omikron variant brings spectacular football. Manchester City consolidated their top position at the end of the first half of the season with a 6-3 home win over Leicester City.
Boxing Day on December 26th has a long tradition in England’s football. This year, however, Corona, or the Omikron variant, thwarted fans and game plan designers. Three out of nine games could not take place because various teams are in quarantine after corona cases.
For some, Boxing Day was still a celebration. For example for Manchester City and its fans. Against the recently ailing Leicester City, the leader and champion was 4-0 ahead after less than half an hour and after two penalties.
But Manchester City showed concentration and defensive weaknesses after the break. Within eleven minutes, the guest came up to 4: 3 and caused the favorites to tremble. This delicate quarter of an hour was ultimately just a detour for Manchester City on the way to their ninth win in a row in the Premier League. The defender Aymeric Laporte and the double goal scorer Raheem Sterling shot out the ultimately clear victory in the closing stages after Cornern.
Manchester City have scored 17 goals in their last three championship games. The lead over Liverpool, which did not play against Leeds United due to Corona cases, is now six points more in one game.
Arsenal are also in good shape in the last few weeks of the year. Since Granit Xhaka’s comeback in early December, Arsenal have scored twelve points in five games. On Boxing Day there was an effortless 5-0 away win against newly promoted and bottom of the table Norwich City.
This means that Arsenal are fourth in the battle for the Champions League places with a good starting position in the second half of the season. Due to Corona, however, the ranking is confusing. While Arsenal have played 19 games, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, for example, only have 16 games.
Manchester City – Leicester City 6: 3 (4: 0). – 53 226 spectators. – Goals: 5th De Bruyne 1-0. 14. Mahrez (foul penalty) 2-0. 21. Gündogan 3-0. 25th Sterling (foul penalty) 4-0. 55. Maddison 4-1. 59. Lookman 4-2. 66. Iheanacho 4: 3. 69. Laporte 5: 3. 87. Sterling 6: 3. – Leicester without Jakupovic (substitute).
Norwich City – Arsenal 0: 5 (0: 2). – Goals: 6. Saka 0-1. 44. Tierney 0-2. 67.Saka 0-3. 84. Lacazette (foul penalty) 0: 4. 91 Smith Rowe 0-5. – Arsenal with Xhaka.
Further results from Sunday: Tottenham Hotspur – Crystal Palace 3-0. West Ham United 2-3 Southampton.
Basketball: Losing Atlanta on Capela’s return
Clint Capela (right) is back in action in the NBA.
(sda) The Atlanta Hawks suffer defeat on the return of Clint Capela. The Hawks lose 87-101 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden at Christmas.
Due to a corona illness, Capela had missed two games. The return of the Geneva Center was resinous, Capela’s first five attempts to throw all missed their target. He finished the game with six points and nine rebounds.
For Atlanta it was the 17th loss in the 32nd game. After a third of the season, the team from Georgia is three places behind a play-off place in the Eastern Conference.
Nordic skiing: two-time Olympic champion Flugstad Östberg refrains from participating in the Olympic Games
Ingvild Flugstad Östberg in Davos two weeks ago.
(sda / afp) The Norwegian Ingvild Flugstad Östberg will not start at the Olympic Games in Beijing (February 4th to 20th) for health reasons. The 31-year-old two-time Olympic champion has to take a longer break again, according to a message from the Norwegian Association.
Flugstad Östberg missed the last season because of a broken foot and celebrated her comeback in November. At the World Cup two weeks ago in Davos, she finished 8th over 10 kilometers.
Bike: Frankiny’s team is definitely leaving the World Tour
(sda / dpa) The only African team on the World Tour will no longer belong to the first division of cycling in 2022 for financial reasons. The Swiss professional Kilian Frankiny is also affected.
As the team Qhubeka NextHash, based in Johannesburg, South Africa announced, it was not possible to secure the long-term future of the team. It was therefore decided to cease operations on the World Tour on December 31st.
Due to the tense economic situation, the Qhubeka managers had given their drivers the approval for 2022 in autumn. However, the 27-year-old Frankiny from Valais has not yet been able to find a new employer for next year.
Qhubeka plans to continue racing as a Continental team based in Italy in 2022.