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Celtic Hold Firm to Earn Valuable Point in Goalless Draw Against Atalanta

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Celtic Hold Firm to Earn Valuable Point in Goalless Draw Against Atalanta

Celtic delivered a resolute defensive performance to secure a vital point in a 0-0 draw against last season’s Europa League champions, Atalanta, in Bergamo. The Scottish champions, who had lost all seven of their previous matches in Italy in the Champions League, defied history and immense pressure from the Serie A side to stay firmly in contention for the knockout stages.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was instrumental in keeping Celtic in the game, making a string of crucial saves, while Atalanta squandered several clear chances. Despite dominating much of the play and bombarding Celtic’s defense with crosses, Atalanta struggled to break down the determined Scottish side.

Celtic’s result comes as a significant boost after their earlier group-stage experiences, where they enjoyed a 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava but were humiliated 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund. This draw marks only their second-ever away clean sheet in the competition, a testament to their improved defensive organization.

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Atalanta’s strategy to exploit Celtic’s vulnerability to crosses was clear, but the visitors held firm. Mario Pasalic came closest to scoring for the hosts, seeing his header rattle the crossbar in the first half, with Schmeichel beaten. Schmeichel also produced fine stops to deny Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui, particularly in a challenging spell before halftime.

Celtic, while primarily focused on defense, had a few notable moments going forward. Nicolas Kuhn broke into the box after outpacing the Atalanta defense, though he was eventually crowded out. Early in the second half, Alex Valle almost gave Celtic the lead with a deflected strike that required a save from Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi.

As the game progressed, Atalanta continued to apply pressure, with Marten de Roon’s powerful effort forcing another save from Schmeichel. Celtic substitute Kyogo Furuhashi had a late chance, but his lobbed effort landed just wide of the mark.

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Despite Atalanta’s dominance in possession, Celtic’s defensive resilience frustrated the Italian side, and the visitors held out for a well-earned point. The draw leaves Celtic with four points from three games and two upcoming home fixtures against RB Leipzig and Club Brugge, giving them a solid platform in their quest to reach the knockout stages.

Celtic’s traveling fans were full of praise at the final whistle, celebrating a determined and disciplined display that keeps their European hopes alive.

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Prograis announces retirement after Benn Defeat in Emotional Farewell

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Prograis announces retirement after Benn Defeat in Emotional Farewell

Former world champion Regis Prograis has officially announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 37, following a decisive defeat to Conor Benn on Saturday night.

The bout, held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marked the end of Prograis’ distinguished career, with the American revealing afterward that he had already made the decision to retire well before stepping into the ring.

Speaking to Ring Magazine, Prograis disclosed that the fight had long been planned as his farewell appearance. “Going in, I knew I was going to retire. This is my last fight. I knew this months ago – I just didn’t tell anybody but I was terrified going into this,” he said.

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Despite the loss, Prograis reflected positively on his final outing, highlighting the scale of the event and the calibre of his opponent. Facing Benn in front of a crowd of around 70,000 provided what he described as the perfect stage to conclude his career. “It’s a great fight to be my last against someone like Conor Benn, someone that was strong – an arena like this with 70,000 in a stadium. I couldn’t ask for a better going away party, perfect end to my story,” he added.

In a candid admission, Prograis also confirmed pre-fight concerns about his physical condition. Reports suggesting he had been dealing with an injury were accurate, he said, revealing that he had seriously considered withdrawing from the contest as recently as 24 hours before fight night.

“The rumours about me being hurt were true. I wanted to pull out of this fight so bad a month ago but kept pushing. I was terrified and thinking about pulling out even yesterday,” Prograis explained.

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The former two-time super-lightweight world champion retires with a professional record of 30 wins and four losses, including 24 victories by knockout. Over the course of his career, he captured the WBA super-lightweight title in 2019 and later added the WBC version of the belt, cementing his place among the division’s elite fighters.

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Salah and Ngumoha Fire Liverpool Past Fulham in Premier League Clash

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Salah and Ngumoha Fire Liverpool Past Fulham in Premier League Clash

Liverpool FC secured an important Premier League victory over Fulham FC, with goals from Mohamed Salah and rising talent Rio Ngumoha sealing the win.

Salah once again proved decisive, continuing his consistent attacking output with a key contribution that helped set the tone for Liverpool’s performance. The Egyptian forward remains central to Liverpool’s title ambitions, delivering when it matters most.

Ngumoha, meanwhile, added further gloss to the result, underlining his growing reputation with a composed finish. His contribution highlights Liverpool’s ability to blend experience with emerging youth talent.

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The victory strengthens Liverpool’s position in the Premier League standings as they maintain pressure in the race at the top, while Fulham are left to regroup after a difficult outing.

Overall, it was a controlled and efficient performance from Liverpool, with both established stars and new faces stepping up at a crucial stage of the season.

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Nike investigating issue with World Cup kits

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Nike investigating issue with World Cup kits

Nike is investigating a design flaw affecting several national team kits ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, after visible issues emerged during the recent international break.

The problem, described as bulging around the shoulder seams, has been particularly on kits worn by teams including England national football team, France national football team, and Uruguay national football team.

A spokesperson for Nike acknowledged the issue, noting that while player performance is not affected, the visual quality “is not where it needs to be.” The company emphasized that it is working swiftly to resolve the problem for both players and fans.

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Nike supplies kits for a wide range of teams participating in the tournament, including co-host nations Canada and United States, as well as countries such as Brazil, Netherlands, Croatia, and South Korea.

The seam issue appears on both the high-performance “match” shirts worn by players and the more widely sold “stadium” versions for supporters, prompting complaints from fans who have already purchased the kits. In the UK, the England stadium shirt is priced at £89.99, while the match version retails at £134.99.

Nike has been the official kit manufacturer for England’s men’s and women’s teams since 2013, and the company reiterated its commitment to maintaining high product standards.

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The kits were engineered with performance cooling technology to help players cope with the expected high temperatures during matches across the host countries—United States, Canada, and Mexico—when the tournament kicks off on 11 June.

England are scheduled to begin their campaign on 17 June against Croatia national football team in Arlington, Texas, while Scotland national football team will face Haiti national football team on 14 June in Massachusetts.

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