MALLORCA: Vedat Muriqi snatched Mallorca a surprise 2-1 La Liga win over Real Madrid on Saturday to deal Los Blancos a significant blow in the Spanish title race.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side thought they had rescued a point after Eder Militao nodded home with two minutes remaining before Muriqi pounced in stoppage time to help the hosts climb to 17th.

With the defeat second-placed Real failed to maintain pressure on leaders Barcelona, who next visit Atletico Madrid.

“For me it is easy to see but the hard thing is for the players to know that without giving 200 per cent today, we were not going to win,” Arbeloa told reporters. “We were on top in the first half but because of one mistake, they scored. Here if you slip up for a moment… you end up paying the price.

“This is the elite, the top flight… not having a better second half than we did is what hurts me the most.”

Arbeloa started the game with Vinicius Jr on the bench, with Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich in mind.

Real lacked spark in the first half, creating few openings of note. The best was for top scorer Kylian Mbappe, fit after a knee sprain that has troubled him for months.

Arda Guler rolled a ball in behind Mallorca’s defence for the French superstar to dart on to but Leo Roman saved with his leg.

The goalkeeper denied Mbappe again after Eduardo Camavinga fed him and Antonio Rudiger also nodded over from a corner.

Manu Morlanes threatened for Mallorca, heading just over, but Real did not heed the warning.

The midfielder opened the scoring a few minutes later, losing Camavinga and arriving into the box to fire Pablo Maffeo’s cross into the bottom corner past Andriy Lunin.

Leo Roman saved from Mbappe early in the second half as Real searched for an equaliser.

Arbeloa sent on Vinicius, Jude Bellingham and Militao for his first appearance since December after injury.

Real huffed and puffed but to little avail as Martin Demichelis’s Mallorca stayed solid at the back until the final stages.

They were eventually undone by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner, whipped towards Militao, who powered a header into the top corner.

However there was a sting in the tail for Real.

Muriqi, second top scorer in the division behind Mbappe with 19 goals, lashed past Lunin in the 91st minute to claim three points for his side.

The striker was visibly emotional after scoring, having missed a penalty in the team’s previous game, a defeat by relegation-battling rivals Elche.

“It’s been two difficult weeks… emotions and nerves get the better of me, I’m human,” said Muriqi, who also missed out on World Cup qualification with Kosovo in a play-off against Turkey.

“Many thanks to the fans for the enormous support and everything you’ve given me. I hope we can stay in the top flight.”

Mallorca climbed two points clear of the drop zone after recording a famous victory, which the players celebrated gleefully with the fans at the end.

“I’ve really wanted the boys to feel joy like this,” said Demichelis. “It doesn’t mean we are safe, but they needed it, we kept taking blows. The boys were beaten down but training very well.”

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026

LAHORE: Pakistan women’s national team will make history this month when they compete in the FIFA Series in Ivory Coast, marking the country’s first appearance by a senior women’s side in an event held by the game’s world governing body.

The team departs for the West African nation on Monday ahead of their opening match against the Turks and Caicos Islands on April 9. Pakistan will then face Mauritania on April 12 before concluding the group stage against hosts Ivory Coast on April 16.

Head coach Adeel Rizki will lead the side throughout the campaign.

Forward Nadia Khan was full of gratitude for Pakistan Football Feder­ation (PFF) president Mohsen Gilani for securing the team’s place in the tournament, saying the opportunity to compete at such a level would provide invaluable exposure.

“I want to say a big thank you from our team to PFF president Mohsen Gilani for organising the team’s participation at the FIFA Series,” Nadia said in a statement issued by PFF on Saturday.

“It is one thing just saying different things but actually executing it and following through is something different and it’s truly amazing that we can play at this level and get exposure like this.”

Zeeyana Jivraj said FIFA’s decision to select Pakistan for the series represented a major milestone, particularly given the squad’s limited time together in previous campaigns.

“FIFA specifically picking us to compete in the FIFA series I think is really really big for us,” the goalkeeper said.

“With us it’s always really difficult because we don’t really get much time together as a team and so this time it’s been really nice to be able to get a few weeks of training before we go and play in the Ivory Coast and hopefully that can allow us as a team to gel to be able to perform.”

The team’s training camp concludes in Lahore on Sunday. Midfielder Sanah Mehdi urged supporters to follow the team’s progress during the tournament.

Squad:

“We’re all really looking forward to the support and please get behind us and watch our games,” Sanah requested.

“It means a lot to us and it’s what drives us forward.”

Goalkeepers: Zeeyana Jivraj, Nisha Ashraf, Arzoo Hazara; Defenders: Isra Khan, Anaya Ahmad, Anmol Hira, Kayla Siddiqui, Karissa Jivraj, Alia Sadiq, Maria Khan, Nizalia Siddiqi; Midfielders: Suha Hirani, Rameen Fareed, Layla Banaras, Sanah Mehdi, Zehmena Malik; For­wards: Mariam Mah­mood, Aqsa Mushtaq, Aiman Altaf, Nadia Khan, Maryam Zehri, Azwa Chaudhry.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026

MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland hit a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals and increase the pressure on Reds boss Arne Slot.

Haaland netted twice late in the first half of the quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium and completed his treble after the interval following an Antoine Semenyo strike.

With Liverpool trailing by four, Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by City goalkeeper James Trafford to compound a miserable afternoon for the under-fire Slot.

Liverpool’s tame surrender was a bitter blow to Slot, who had to endure chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from gloating City fans.

They head to Paris St-Germain for the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday with Slot desperately needing a victory over the holders to keep the critics at bay.

“We have had a lot of setbacks and disappointments but that is also part of being a football player and being a human being. You have to stand there when things are not so positive,” Slot said.

Liverpool, who have just two wins in their last seven matches in all competitions, are fifth in the Premier League and far from certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

It is a remarkable decline for Slot, who just 12 months ago was on the brink of leading Liverpool to their record-equalling 20th English title.

“It’s very disappointing to be out, not only in the manner but also the score. Another big disappointment for us,” Slot said. “The only good thing was that we didn’t concede more.”

Slot was taunted by City fans who chanted “you’re getting sacked in the morning” and while that might be premature the Dutch coach is under increasing scrutiny.

City’s ruthless performance took them into the FA Cup semi-finals for an eighth successive season.

After beating Liverpool twice in the Premier League this term, City have enjoyed three successive victories over the Reds for the first time since 1937.

City have also won 18 consecutive home FA Cup matches, setting a new record in the competition.

Guardiola’s men have found a rich vein of form at just the right time to salvage their season.

Trailing Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points and knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, City bounced back to beat the Gunners 2-0 in the League Cup final just before the international break.

Now they can set their sights on winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2023 while retaining an outside chance of catching Arsenal in the title race.

Fresh from scoring twice in the League Cup final, Nico O’Reilly was key to City’s 39th-minute opener.

Matheus Nunes picked out O’Reilly in the Liverpool area and as he twisted away from Virgil van Dijk, the defender’s clumsy trip conceded a penalty that Haaland converted in clinical fashion.

Haaland had scored just once in his previous six games in all competitions.

But the prolific Norway striker is never far from a hot streak and he doubled City’s advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Rayan Cherki found Semenyo’s run and he lofted a pin-point cross towards Haaland, who made a perfectly-timed run in front of Ibrahima Konate to glance a superb header past Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool were in disarray and Semenyo landed the knockout blow five minutes after the interval.

Cherki’s pass sent Semenyo sprinting in behind the flat-footed Van Dijk to clip a deft finish over Mamardashvili.

Haaland completed the 28th treble of his career in the 57th minute, drilling home via the underside of the bar after O’Reilly teed him up 12 yards from goal.

On a prolonged farewell tour after announcing he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, Salah produced the latest in a long line of lacklustre performances.

The Egyptian’s struggles were encapsulated by his second-half penalty miss after Nunes fouled Ekitike.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2026