Jonathan Burkhardt, Eintracht Frankfurt striker, said that he was somewhat disappointed not to join the German national team roster, but he will continue working to get a new opportunity, after he scored two goals that led his team to a 2-2 draw with its guest Paderborn, on Saturday, in the German Football League.
Burkhardt told Sky on Sunday: “Of course I felt a little sad, and this is understandable. Because you always hope to be on the list. But the national team coach said some encouraging words to me, and I will continue working and try to do my best with Eintracht Frankfurt. “I am confident that the opportunity will come again.”
Burkhardt opened the scoring for Frankfurt in the 23rd minute, before saving his team from loss with an equalizer in the 3rd minute of stoppage time, after receiving a pass from goalkeeper Noah Atopolo, who stepped forward and put the ball into the net with his heel in a wonderful shot.
He said about his goal: “I don’t know why I chose to shoot with the heel, but fortunately the decision was right.”
Burkhardt, 26 years old, was absent from the German national team roster announced by coach Jurgen Klopp on Friday, despite his teammate Younes Bentaleb being called up again, before the latter sat on the bench against Paderborn.
Regarding the competition with Bentaleb to lead the team’s attack, Burkhardt said: “Younes is a high-class striker, and I am also a distinguished striker. “So it is very difficult to get us together.”
American Claire Liu won her first title on the WTA Tour, after defeating Filipino Alexandra Eala in the final of the Hong Kong Open - 250 points category on Sunday.
Liu won in two sets without a response, after she presented her best levels during the tournament, and she succeeded in winning 9 consecutive games to win 6-3, 6-0, and ended her journey without losing a set throughout her tournament.
The American player maintained her calm during the match, while Ayala asked to stop the match in order to receive treatment and place a compression bandage on her knee.
Liu defeated British Katie Poulter and Turkish Zeynep Sonmez on her way to the final, concluding the season with the biggest achievement in her career so far.
Liu, who started the tournament outside the “top 100 players in the world rankings,” is expected to jump more than 30 places to reach 69th place, while Eala achieved the best ranking in her career by occupying 15th place starting Monday.
Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach of the Roma team, confirmed that his team is now among the competitors for the Italian Football League title, following its great victory over Sassuolo 3-0 on Saturday evening, praising the attacking performance of his players, despite the losses to Manchester United and Real Madrid in the “Champions League.”
Roma regained its balance by defeating Sassuolo, after giving up a two-goal lead and losing 3-2 to Manchester United in the Champions League in midweek, achieving a convincing victory at home, thanks to goals from Mario Hermoso, Donyiel Malen, and Rodrigo Moura.
Gasperini said, in statements to Sky Sport Italia, after the match: “Some players performed at very strong levels. Among them was a great goal by Hermoso that gave us the lead. “The match was not easy against a team that was compact defensively, but we played with great quality.”
He added that the team has developed a lot on the offensive level this season, explaining: “We are scoring many goals in different ways and through different players. We also became sharper and more confident, with Hermoso scoring a striker-like goal and Mattia Sulli giving an exceptional performance. Even when we lost, we scored many goals.”
The Italian coach explained that the victory “was not just a reaction to the loss to Manchester United, but rather an affirmation of the development the team is witnessing,” noting that the two defeats against Real Madrid and Manchester United came after strong performances against first-class competitors.
Regarding Roma’s chances of competing for the title, Gasperini said: “It is fun to compete this season. We should not deceive ourselves or feel disappointed... There is no harm in dreaming, especially in light of the journey we are presenting. “I don’t know how far we can go.”
He added: “As everyone says, Inter is the team most likely to win the title, but the rest of the teams, including Roma, are within the competition and can get their chances. Lazio has won 9 of its last 10 matches, so it is also among the contenders. If Inter stumbles a little, everyone will be able to dream and try to compete with them.”
