The big news: MSN on target

Defending champions Barcelona dismantled Eibar 4-0 on Sunday. Goals from Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Denis Suarez saw them cut the deficit against table toppers Real Madrid to two points. However, Real have a game in hand. Sevilla are second in the table with 42 points followed by Barcelona on 41.

It was a dominating Barcelona performance against Eibar. The hosts didn’t get a clear shot at goal and were outclassed owing to a brilliant display of football. The only glitch was the injury to Sergio Busquets early in the first half.

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Football:

  • Alexis Sanchez converted a 98th-minute penalty to take Arsenal across the line at Burnley with a 2-1 win.  Arsenal were down to 10 men as Granit Xhaka was dismissed after a reckless challenge on Steven Defour. Andre Gray converted a 93rd-minute penalty to make 1-1 for Hull, before Arsenal got one of their own.
  • Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason fractured his skull during Sunday’s game at Chelsea. Mason clashed heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill early into the game and had to be stretchered off. Goals from Diego Costa and Cahill gave the Blues a 2-0 win as they moved eight points clear at the top of the table. 
  • Italian champions Juventus registered a 2-0 win over Lazio to continue their run for a sixth Serie A title. Juve were on the scoreboard within five minutes thanks to Paulo Dybala’s brilliant strike. It was 2-0 after 16 minutes when top scorer Gonzalo Higuain slotted the ball into the net. 

Cricket:

  • Sri Lanka beat South Africa by three wickets in the second T20I in Johannesburg on Sunday. The Proteas were bowled out for 113 as Sri Lanka chased the target down with three wickets to spare.     
  • England beat India by five runs in the third and final one-day game at Eden Gardens. This was England’s first win on the tour and will now fancy their chances in the three-match T20I series starting from January 26.  
  • Gujarat continued to dominate proceedings against Rest of India as they stretched their lead to 359 runs on day three of the Irani Cup match at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
  • Australia cruised to a comfortable 86-run victory over Pakistan in the fourth ODI in Sydney on Sunday. The win saw the Australia bag the five-match series 3-1 with a game to spare. 

Tennis:

  • Seventeenth seed Roger Federer entered the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after beating world No. 5 Kei Nishikori 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
  • Top seed and defending champion Angelique Kerber was dumped out of the Australian Open after a fourth-round loss to world No. 35 Coco Vandeweghe on Sunday. Kerber was beaten 6-2, 6-3.
  • Men’s top seed Andy Murray was stunned by world No. 50 Mischa Zverev 5-7, 7-5, 2-6, 4-6 in the Australian Open round of 16. Zverev now faces Roger Federer in the quarter-final. 
  • World No. 2 Serena Williams beat Barbora Strycova 7-5, 6-4 to remain on course for her seventh Australian Open crown. With the win, Williams reached her 10th straight Grand Slam quarter-final. 

Badminton

  • Saina Nehwal won the Malaysia Masters crown on Sunday. Nehwal beat Thai’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 22-20, 22-20 in a 46-minute clash. This was her 23rd title overall and the first after last year’s Australian Open.