MUNICH: Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4-3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6-4 aggregate victory and setting up a semi-final with holders Paris St-Germain.

In the other last-eight tie on Wednesday, Arsenal edged past Sporting to reach the semi-finals for the second successive season with a 0-0 home draw earning them a 1-0 aggregate victory.

At the Allianz Arena, the tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead three times on the night.

Bayern won 2-1 last week in the Spanish capital, but Arda Guler pounced on a loose Manuel Neuer pass to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds at the Allianz Arena. He scored again from a free-kick after Aleksa­ndar Pavlovic equalised.

Harry Kane put Bayern back ahead in the tie only for Kylian Mbappe to restore parity overall when he put Real 3-2 up before half-time.

Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card with four minutes left and Bayern pushed forward, Diaz blasting into the corner from outside the box after a crucial deflection.

With Real pressing for an equaliser, Olise curled in a magnificent shot to rubberstamp Bayern’s ticket to the last four and keep alive their quest for a seventh European crown. They will head to Luis Enrique’s PSG at the end of the month.

“I think even in the last 20 minutes of the game I felt like we were the team trying to make something happen,” Kane told reporters.

“They started to tire a little bit, and it just sometimes takes a moment, a moment of magic, an unbelievable finish, or an unbelievable pass.

“In this case it was two great finishes by Lucho (Diaz) and Michael (Olise), to finish the game off for us, and that’s what the Champions League is about.

“Sometimes, you can be the dominant team and lose, so it’s nice to get through and win this one.”

Tempers boiled over after the final whistle with Guler picking up a straight red for confronting the referee.

“We got off to a bad start, and then conceded again through a free-kick and a counter. The first half was hectic,” Joshua Kimmich told DAZN.

“The second half was calmer, we had more control — and then managed to win it in the end. It wasn’t our best performance, but we’ll take the win.

“The two best teams in Europe will face each other. We had many top level games against Paris in recent years. I’m looking forward to it.”

The defeat for Real effectively ended their season as they look set to finish without a major trophy for the second year running. Barcelona hold a nine-point lead in La Liga and Real suffered a shock last-16 exit in the Copa del Rey.

“I feel for them (the players), for the effort they made. It hurts,” coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar. “I’m very proud. We’re going back to Madrid after giving it our all.”

For the first time in Real’s long Champions League history, their starting XI did not contain a single Spanish player. Jude Bellingham, who impressed off the bench in the first leg, was one of four changes to the line-up made by Arbeloa.

Arbeloa said the referee ruined the match by sending off Camavinga, claiming the official did not know he was already on a yellow.

“It’s unbelievable that you can send off a player for this action in a match like this,” Arbeloa told TNT Sports. “We feel really upset, really angry, really disappointing. This felt like a defining game in our season.”

“I think the referee didn’t even know he had a booking, and so that’s why he did it, but he’s ruined a knockout tie, a match that I think was really beautiful, that was flying, that was at a fantastic level, and that’s where the game ended.”

‘AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT’

Meanwhile, it was far from convincing for Mikel Arteta’s side as they held on to the lead given to them by Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time goal in Lisbon last week.

The well-organised visitors posed a threat at times, especially in the first half, and almost went ahead on the night just before halftime when Geny Catamo’s volley clipped the post.

Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard also struck the woodwork in the tense latter stages of a dour game in which Sporting ran out of ideas and could not prevent the hosts keeping an eighth clean sheet in 12 Champions League games this season to set up a semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid.

While the result was ultimately all that mattered, Arsenal again lacked attacking spark and suffered an injury scare ahead of Sunday’s colossal Pre­mier League clash at Manchester City when Noni Madueke was forced off after a bang to the knee.

Arsenal’s Declan Rice said reaching another Champions League semi-final was “an ama­zing achievement” for Arsenal despite failing to silence their critics.

“To go back-to-back semi-finals is an is an amazing achievement for this group,” Rice told TNT Sports. “We want to now go one step further than last year and get to the final.”

Arsenal have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, a run which includes losing the League Cup final to City and being dumped out of the FA Cup by second-tier Southampton.

“Positivity all the way,” added Rice. “Who cares what people think. All that matters is what this group thinks, what the manager thinks, and we’re in another semi-final. I’m delighted.”

For Sporting manager Rui Borges and the visiting fans it was a case of nearly but not quite after the Portuguese side matc­hed the Premier League leaders over both legs.

“I think we deserved more and potentially deserved to play extra time; in both games the best opportunities were Sport­ing’s,” Borges said. “Arsenal didn’t create many opportunities. There can’t be any frustration, there can only be pride.”

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026

KARACHI: Karachi Kings suffered their third consecutive defeat in the HBL Pakistan Super League on Thursday night as Islamabad United chased down a modest 151-run target with eight wickets and four overs to spare here at the National Bank Stadium.

The victory propelled United to second place in the PSL standings, while the home side’s campaign continued to unravel, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

Put in to bat first on a tricky surface that offered grip for spinners, Kings could only post 150-6. Reeza Hendricks played the anchor’s role with an unbeaten 51 off 44 balls (four fours), but regular wickets at the other end prevented any momentum from building.

Saad Baig fell early for six, flicking Richard Gleeson to deep square. Fellow opener Jason Roy provided a brisk start, smashing 39 off 27 balls with three fours and two sixes, including a flat sweep off Imad Wasim over backward square and a gorgeous cut past cover. He timed the ball sweetly until Shadab Khan deceived him with a quicker leg-break, inducing a straightforward catch at long-off in the ninth over.

Hendricks held the innings together amid the collapse. Salman Ali Agha (four) and Azam Khan (34 off 29, three fours and a six) tried to accelerate but found the United bowlers in excellent rhythm.

Azam fell to a superb diving catch by Sameer Minhas off Gleeson, while Khushdil Shah and Moeen Ali (8) departed in quick succession. Gleeson was the pick of the attack with 2-22, mixing yorkers and cutters effectively. Shadab claimed 2-28, intelligently using flight and variations to push batters out of their comfort zones. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Hasnain also kept things tight with variations.

The surface appeared two-paced at times, and Kings’ middle order struggled to find boundaries consistently. Their powerplay score of 45-1 looked promising, but the inability to capitalise later proved costly.

In reply, United made light work of the chase. Devon Conway and debutant sensation Sameer Minhas forged a blistering 93-run opening stand in just 10 overs that effectively sealed the contest.

Sameer, the rising star, lit up the stadium with a sparkling 36-ball 58 laced with 10 boundaries. He punished anything short or wide with authority — an attractive square drive off Mir Hamza, back-to-back fours off Salman (including a swivel pull to deep midwicket), and a regal inside-out drive through covers off Khushdil Shah.

He stepped down the track to loft Khushdil over the bowler’s head and brought up his fifty with a flicked single. His aggressive yet composed approach, blending classical drives with innovative shots like the reverse flick off Adam Zampa.

Conway complemented him perfectly with a measured yet fluent 53 not out off 36 (six fours and a six). He opened his account with a square drive and kept the scoreboard ticking with clever placement. His standout moments included powerful back-foot punches and a thunderous pull off Khushdil to deep midwicket.

The pair milked singles intelligently while pouncing on loose deliveries, putting Kings’ bowlers under immense pressure. Sameer fell just short of a bigger score, stumped off Moeen Ali for 58, but by then the asking rate was under control.

Shadab then took over. He provided the finishing flourish, smashing an inside-out six over long-off off Zampa and two more maximums off Hasan Ali — one a lofted six over long-on and another backed by a fierce four over third man. He remained unbeaten on 31 off 16 balls. Conway brought up his fifty with a whippy pull off Abbas Afridi that raced to the deep square boundary, sealing victory in style.

Kings’ bowling lacked penetration. Hamza, Hasan Ali and Zampa went for plenty, while the spinners were unable to stem the flow of boundaries. The Moeen-led side looked passive, failing to take the game on despite a long batting line-up.

SCOREBOARD

KARACHI KINGS:

Saad Baig c Haider b Gleeson 6

Jason Roy c Chapman b Shadab 39

Reeza Hendricks not out 51

Salman Ali Agha c (sub) b Shadab 4

Azam Khan c Sameer b Gleeson 34

Khushdil Shah c Chapman b Faheem 2

Moeen Ali c Chapman b Hasnain 8

Abbas Afridi not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-4) 6

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 150

DID NOT BAT: Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Mir Hamza

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7 (Saad), 2-69 (Roy), 3-77 (Salman), 4-131 (Azam), 5-138 (Khushdil), 6-150 (Ali)

BOWLING: Imad 4-0-36-0 (1w), Gleeson 4-0-22-2, Faheem 4-0-28-1 (2w), Hasnain 4-0-34-1, Shadab 4-0-28-2 (1w)

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

Devon Conway not out 53

Sameer Minhas st Saad b Ali 58

Mohammad Faiq c Khushdil b Hasan 5

Shadab Khan not out 31

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-4) 6

TOTAL (for two wickets, 16 overs) 153

DID NOT BAT: Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Mohammad Hasnain

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-93 (Sameer), 2-110 (Faiq)

BOWLING: Hamza 3-0-24-0 (2w), Hasan 3-0-29-1 (2w), Salman 1-0-14-0, Khushdil 1-0-17-0, Zampa 4-0-36-0, Abbas 2-0-17-0, Ali 2-0-14-1

RESULT: Islamabad United won by eight wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sameer Minhas

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026

NEW DELHI: A crackdown on India’s performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) production — the biggest globally — is key to tackling the doping menace and protect the athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka told AFP on Thursday.

Banka and his team have been in New Delhi as part of their push to build stronger ties with national law and order agencies including cyber crime cells to help uphold the credibility of professional sport.

WADA has sought help from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — federal police — to curtail the initial supply chain of racketeers and agents who peddle drugs.

“We see the problem of production of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), India is the biggest producer of those illegal substances,” said Banka.

“That’s why we collaborate with the CBI, with law enforcement, to try to destroy this market and to really protect the lives of athletes and the health of society,” added the 41-year-old Pole.

WADA has been aggressive in curbing the doping crisis with their Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network (GAIIN) initiative since 2022.

An INTERPOL-backed “operation upstream” has been a success for WADA with 250 raids around the world, 88 illicit labs dismantled and almost 90 tons of PEDs seized.

“We are here because India is the biggest population (1.4 billion) and we see how important it is for the Indian authorities, and we see the need to strengthen the system here — it’s a common interest,” Gunter Younger, head of investigations for WADA, told AFP.

“For now I see the appetite and willingness from the public authority side (in India) to work with us closely to address this issue. We know it’s not only about the doping of the athletes.”

Younger, a former head of the Bavarian Police’s Cybercrime Division, said to strike a blow against the doping menace the focus should be shifted from athletes to the supplier of the PEDs.

“We always focus on testing, and the whole infrastructure in the last 25 years the anti-doping community was focusing on testing, and it was okay in the beginning. But the criminal networks, they adjust, and they adjust quite quickly. The fact that we have, let’s say, under 1 per cent hits with testing shows for me we can do better in this way.

“Therefore what we want to do with them is to strengthen their intelligence and investigations, working with the CBI, adopt a top-down strategy.

“Go for the criminal networks, and look for the clients, and target the coaches, the doctors that are responsible for providing the PEDs to the athletes, and not do a bottom-up strategy.”

Not only is India the leader in manufacturing PEDs it also has the unwanted tag of topping the list of global sports drug cheats for three years in a row, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in 2025.

India’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) collected 7,113 urine and blood samples out of which 260 tested positive in 2024, according to a WADA report published in December 2025.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2026