Football, Club World Cup: Team manager Thomas Tuchel won the final of the Club World Cup thanks to national player Kai Havertz when he returned to the Chelsea bench. The Champions League winner defeated the Brazilian Copa Libertadores winner SE Palmeiras from Sao Paulo 2-1 (1-1, 0-0) after extra time in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Havertz converted the decisive hand penalty in the 117th minute. Before that, Romelu Lukaku (55th) had scored in regular time for the Blues, who had had to do without Tuchel in the semifinals against top Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal (1-0). After surviving the corona infection, Tuchel only joined the team on Friday.
In the final, Raphael Veiga (64th, hand penalty) equalized for Palmeiras. The Brazilian Luan saw the red card in stoppage time after an emergency brake. For the German world coach, after winning the European Super Cup and the premier class, it is the third title with Chelsea since taking office in January 2021. For the Londoners, however, it is the first win at the Club World Cup. The Premier League club had already reached the final in 2012, losing 1-0 to Corinthians Sao Paulo after beating Bayern Munich on penalties in the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena.
Football, England: Manchester City continue to march inexorably towards the next Premier League title. In the relegation candidates Norwich City, the Citizens with national player Ilkay Gündogan won 4-0 (1-0) in the starting formation and are unbeaten in 15 games. Raheem Sterling (31st/70th/90th + 1) and Phil Foden (48th) scored the goals. Sterling had failed before his third goal with a penalty kick, but was successful in the margin. Team manager Pep Guardiola’s team leads the table with 63 points, ahead of Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp. The Reds are already twelve points behind, but have played two games less. On Sunday (3 p.m. / Sky) Liverpool will make a guest appearance at Burnley FC.
Team manager Ralf Rangnick has suffered the next setback with the English record champions Manchester United. In the duel between the former Bundesliga coach and Ralph Hasenhüttl, the Rangnick team only managed a 1-1 (1-0) draw against FC Southampton and are currently fifth in the battle for the Champions League positions with 40 points. Ex-Dortmunder Jadon Sancho (21st) initially put the Red Devils on course for victory. But shortly after the break, Che Adams (48th) equalized for the guests, who are in the middle of the table with 29 points. Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has not scored in six competitive games, remained without a goal again. Last weekend, the record champions in the FA Cup failed at second division FC Middlesbrough, followed by a 1-1 draw in the league at bottom FC Burnley.
Basketball, NBA: In September, Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis want to cause a sensation together with the German national team at the European Basketball Championships in Cologne and Berlin. In the NBA, however, the two buddies were part of a spectacular deadline day, in which the player swap between the two superstars James Harden and Ben Simmons between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers eclipsed everything else. From a German perspective, however, Theis’ return to the Boston Celtics caused a stir – especially because Schröder was traded to the Houston Rockets along with two other players. A disappointing basketball year continues for Schröder. In the summer, the 28-year-old point guard had speculated on a high-value multi-year contract worth more than $100 million and therefore turned down an $84 million offer from the Los Angeles Lakers over four years.
But Schröder gambled and ended up in Boston on a one-year deal for just $5.9 million. After initial difficulties, Schröder got on better and better and played a not inconsiderable part in the Celtics’ upswing, who are now serious playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference again. The native of Braunschweig has averaged 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists so far this season. But now Schröder is going to Houston to see the Rockets – the worst team in the Western Conference. He has no chance of making the playoffs there. He will hardly be able to look forward to more playing time in Houston either. In Boston so far this season he has been on the floor for an average of 29.2 minutes, with the Rockets it should be less. The only good thing for Schröder: his contract expires at the end of the season, then he can renegotiate again – this time maybe a little better than last summer.