Manchester City displayed their big-game experience by brushing aside a luckless Nottingham Forest to reach a third successive FA Cup final.
28 Apr 2025
Pep Guardiola's side set up a Wembley showpiece on 17 May against Crystal Palace at the same time as they relinquished a four-year hold on the Premier League trophy after Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur to become champions on Sunday.
City were in control from the first whistle on a balmy day in London and will now aim to end a disappointing season on a high by lifting the famous cup trophy for the eighth time in their history.
With their supporters outnumbered in the stands, the City players silenced the Forest following inside just two minutes as the impressive Mateo Kovacic found Rico Lewis on the edge of the box and the 20-year-old drilled an unerring finish into the bottom corner.
Forest found it difficult to settle in the opening period and City sniffed more opportunities - Omar Marmoush exchanging passes with Jack Grealish before firing over, while Nico O'Reilly dragged an effort wide after showcasing some neat footwork in the build-up.
Nuno Espirito Santo's men should have levelled seconds after the restart, though, when Callum Hudson-Odoi rolled a pass across the box, but Anthony Elanga, on his 23rd birthday, sent his first-time effort wide of the post from eight yards.
City made the former Manchester United winger pay dearly for that miss as six minutes into the second half they doubled their lead - centre-back Josko Gvardiol rising highest to power home a header from Omar Marmoush's corner.
Forest attempted to claw themselves back into the contest and struck the woodwork an incredible three times. Morgan Gibbs-White rattled the crossbar with a stunning volley, before hitting the post from a tight angle after going round goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi also clipped an effort against the post and once Ortega kept out Nicolas Dominguez's header at full stretch from another opportunity, Forest knew it was not going to be their day as City booked a Wembley return.
Jules Kounde lashed in an extra-time screamer as Barcelona beat Real Madrid to win the Copa del Rey in a remarkable Clasico in Seville.
27 Apr 2025
After a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes and with penalties appearing inevitable, the Barcelona defender took possession of the ball 22 yards out and drilled a fine effort into the bottom corner.
Barca had been by far the better side in the first half and led through Pedri's fantastic first-time strike from outside the box after Lamine Yamal's cut-back.
Real improved dramatically after Kylian Mbappe came on as a substitute, and he curled a free-kick, which he had won, into the bottom corner via the inside of the post.
Aurelien Tchouameni then headed Real ahead from Arda Guler's corner.
But Barcelona levelled when Ferran Torres ran onto Yamal's long ball and rounded goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois before slotting in.
Hansi Flick's side thought they had a chance to win it in injury time when they were awarded a penalty for a Raul Asencio tackle on Raphinha but the decision was overturned after a long video assistant referee check.
That meant the game went to extra time, when Kounde's fourth goal of the season was the difference.
The build-up to the game had been dominated by scrutiny of the match officials - and it finished with Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez being shown straight red cards from the Real bench.
That was the last meaningful act of a first Clasico final in a major tournament since 2014, when Gareth Bale scored a fantastic late winner for Real in a 2-1 victory.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham was also sent off after the final whistle for angrily confronting officials.
Ipswich Town's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed as Newcastle strengthened their push for Champions League football with victory at St James' Park.
26 Apr 2025
Ipswich needed to beat the Magpies and hope West Ham lost at Brighton to delay their inevitable fall into the Championship, but their hopes of getting the result they needed were dealt a major blow late in the first half when Ben Johnson was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Bruno Guimaraes had had a close-range effort disallowed midway through the half for a foul on goalkeeper Alex Palmer, but Alexander Isak's penalty - awarded following a pitchside review by referee Michael Salisbury - finally broke Ipswich's crumbling resistance deep into added time.
It was one-way traffic in the second period and Dan Burn, one of Newcastle's goalscorers in last month's Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool, doubled their advantage 10 minutes after the restart with a point-blank header from Kieran Trippier's looping cross.
Second-half substitute Will Osula headed home his first Premier league goal with 10 minutes remaining as the Magpies marked the return of head coach Eddie Howe - who had missed the previous three games with pneumonia - with a resounding win which lifts them up to third in the table.
Ipswich's defeat means this is the first time in Premier League history that all relegations have been confirmed with as many as four games remaining.
Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup final in spectacular style as Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr fired them to a fully deserved victory against Aston Villa at Wembley.
26 Apr 2025
Eze unlocked a tense semi-final after 31 minutes when he rifled a magnificent drive high past helpless Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from the edge of the penalty area.
Palace's Tyrick Mitchell miskicked in front of an open goal before the break, then Jean-Philippe Mateta failed from the spot when his penalty glanced off the post.
But the Eagles kept pushing to increase their lead and Sarr hit another stunning goal after 58 minutes, advancing powerfully before drilling a low shot from 22 yards into the bottom left corner with Martinez stretching in vain.
Between the two opening goals, Palace were grateful to the outstanding work of goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who saved superbly from John McGinn and Lucas Digne as Villa chased an equaliser.
Villa pressed but could not break down Palace's superbly organised defence, and Sarr wrapped up the win deep in stoppage time when he raced clear to beat Martinez.
This victory means manager Oliver Glasner takes Palace to their third FA Cup final, their first since 2016. They have never lifted the trophy and will face either Manchester City or Nottingham Forest.
Bayern Munich moved one victory away from winning back the Bundesliga title as they beat Mainz at home.
26 Apr 2025
Leroy Sane slotted into the bottom corner from close range to put Vincent Kompany's side in front.
Michael Olise jinked inside and fired a low finish past Robin Zenter in the Mainz goal as Bayern increased their lead before the break.
England international Eric Dier rounded off the victory in the closing stages, heading in Olise's corner.
Bayern would have won the league on Saturday if last season's champions Bayer Leverkusen had dropped points.
However, Xabi Alonso's side were 2-0 winners against Augsburg as the eight-point gap between the two sides remained intact.
Prior to Leverkusen's unexpected success last term, Bayern had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Mainz had a chance to reduce their deficit at Allianz Arena when Nadiem Amiri attempted to curl an effort into the top corner, but Jonas Urbig dived to his right to beat it away.
The victory margin could also have been greater. Bayern's Sane bent a strike wide of the far post before sending a delicate chip over the advancing Zentner and against the post, as the home side dominated.
Thomas Muller came on with six minutes remaining to make his 500th Bundesliga appearance, with the Bayern legend departing the club in the summer.
Regardless of Leverkusen's result next weekend, victory for Bayern away at RB Leipzig (Saturday, 14:30 BST) would seal their 33rd Bundesliga title.