Sports
Brest and Bayer Leverkusen Share Points in Thrilling 1-1 Champions League Draw
Brest and Bayer Leverkusen saw their perfect starts to the Champions League group stage come to an end with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Guingamp. Both sides, having won their first two matches, now sit on seven points following the intense encounter.
Leverkusen took the lead in the 24th minute through Florian Wirtz, who calmly slotted home after being set up by Jonas Hofmann. Wirtz nearly doubled his tally moments later with a dazzling run past four Brest defenders, but his effort was denied by Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
Despite Leverkusen’s dominance early on, Brest found an equalizer just before halftime. Pierre Lees-Melou delivered a stunning volley, ensuring the French side went into the break level. Brest, participating in their first-ever Champions League campaign, continued to press in the second half. Lees-Melou and Kenny Lala both had shots narrowly miss the target, while Bizot made another key save, tipping Mahdi Camara’s shot over the bar.
Leverkusen regained control in the later stages, with Massadio Haidara nearly scoring an own goal while attempting to clear a dangerous cross from Wirtz. The German champions also had two penalty appeals turned down by referee Ivan Kruzliak. The first came when Lees-Melou’s arm was struck by the ball, but it was judged to be in a natural position. The second, and more controversial, incident occurred in the final minute of normal time when Hofmann went down in the box after a challenge by Soumaila Coulibaly. Both the on-field referee and the VAR ruled that Coulibaly had made contact with the ball first, prompting protests from Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who was shown a yellow card after the final whistle for his heated objections.
Despite the draw, both teams remain in strong positions in their group, with seven points each from three matches. Brest, with their spirited performance in their debut Champions League campaign, continue to impress, while Leverkusen will look to maintain their form as the group stage progresses.
Warren Gatland is set to leave his role as Wales head coach after a record-breaking 14 consecutive Test match defeats, bringing an early end to his second tenure in charge.
Although the 61-year-old was contracted until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, he was already expected to step down after the Six Nations. Now, his departure will come midway through the tournament, with Wales still set to face Ireland on 22 February in Cardiff, Scotland on 8 March, and England on 15 March.
Possible successors include former Australia coach Michael Cheika, Glasgow’s Franco Smith, and Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby.
Gatland, who enjoyed a highly successful 12-year first stint with Wales—winning three Grand Slams and leading the team to two World Cup semi-finals—returned in December 2022 to replace Wayne Pivac. However, his second tenure has been marred by poor performances, with Wales suffering their worst losing streak in 144 years of international rugby. The 22-15 loss to Italy last weekend cemented their decline, dropping them to 12th in the world rankings.
In total, Gatland has overseen 151 Tests across both spells, with 76 wins, 73 losses, and two draws. His recent record stands at just six victories in 26 matches, a win ratio of only 23%.
Tiger Woods has pulled out of this week’s Genesis Invitational, stating he is “still processing” the recent death of his mother, Kultida Woods.
The 15-time major champion, who had initially planned to participate, announced his withdrawal on social media, saying, “I planned to tee it up this week, but I’m just not ready. I did my best to prepare, knowing it’s what my mom would have wanted, but I’m still processing her loss.”
Woods’ mother, Kultida, passed away on February 4. Just days later, tournament organizers had confirmed Woods’ participation in the event, which is now being held at Torrey Pines instead of its usual Riviera Country Club venue due to wildfires in Los Angeles.
Woods has not played a PGA Tour event since The Open at Royal Troon last July. His competitive appearances have been sporadic since a 2021 car accident left him with severe leg injuries, and he underwent additional back surgery in September. Most recently, he played alongside his son, Charlie, in a 36-hole event in December and participated in an exhibition for the Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), which he co-founded.
As the tournament host, Woods hopes to attend the Genesis Invitational later in the week but has not committed to a specific timeline. The event benefits his TGR Foundation, which supports youth education initiatives.
Fans and fellow players have expressed their condolences and support for Woods as he navigates this difficult time.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee. The 23-year-old sustained the injury during Spurs’ Europa League clash against Elfsborg last week and will undergo surgery.
Dragusin is expected to be sidelined for at least six months, though recovery from ACL injuries can sometimes extend to a year. Tottenham confirmed that their medical team will monitor his rehabilitation to determine his return timeline.
The Romanian international had become a key figure for Spurs, starting 21 of their last 23 games. His absence adds to an already extensive injury list, which includes Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, and Dominic Solanke. However, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies have recently returned to action.
Dragusin joined Tottenham from Genoa in January 2024 in a £25 million deal. To bolster their defensive options, Spurs signed Austria international Kevin Danso on loan for the remainder of the season, with an option to buy for £21 million. They also made an ambitious £70 million bid for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, which was rejected, but secured the signing of 19-year-old attacker Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.
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