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Two Champions League matches played and two wins for English teams at home, as the prospect of a Manchester City v Liverpool finale to both the Premier League and Champions League looms large. Liverpool beat Europa League champions Villarreal 2-0 at Anfield, a Pervis Estupiñán own goal and a Sadio Mané strike. One man that could upset the apple cart of English dominance in Europe is the world’s most in-form player Karim Benzema, who is on a run of 17 goals in 12 games, and with 13 Champions League wins in their history, Real Madrid see victory as almost a divine right.
In horse racing, Allaho’s superb Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup victory on Wednesday supplied diehard jumping fans with perfect debate material while the supposedly effete flat game winds its way through the summer. The dual-Ryanair Chase winner translated his power and class to three miles with rare aplomb on day two, writes Brian O’Connor, as Ireland’s longest race features on third day of the Kildare festival. The featured €275,000 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle underlines how stamina is what it says on the tin.
In today’s subscriber only column, Ciarán Murphy writes Limerick bring fire and emotion, but they don’t rely on it, contrasting with the footballers of Galway and Donegal, who appeared as if both of them were mad as hell, and they weren’t going to take it anymore. Meanwhile, Paul Curran has drawn parallels with the current situation and Dublin’s relegation in 1995, saying that while watching what is happening underage with the Dubs, there could be a “gradual slide” in standards.
Joanne O’Riordan writes that the IRFU needs to move carefully on reforming women’s rugby, as the IRFU is placing a large emphasis on Women’s Sevens to the detriment of the 15-a-side game, as Ireland were well-beaten against England in the Six Nations last weekend. The DHL Stormers will be looking to make it eight consecutive home wins in the United Rugby Championship (URC) when they host Leinster at Saturday, as in other news James Cronin is set to join Leicester Tigers after one season with Biarritz.