Sport Brito rallies Bosso fans
HIGHLANDERS’ coach Baltemar Brito has rallied the club’s fans to come in their numbers as he seeks to guide his side to victory against reigning champions FC Platinum in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League tie that promises reworks this afternoon.
The Bulawayo giants embarked on a roadshow in the City of Kings and Queens in an attempt to entice their fans to come in their numbers to BF today to rally behind the Bulawayo giants who will be seeking a rst win against the champions in nine years.
The tour started from the team’s clubhouse and went around about 15 Bulawayo high density suburbs as the Bulawayo giants, who always attract huge crowds during their home matches, rallied their fans ahead of today’s encounter.
Brito missed the draw against ZPC Kariba in Highlanders’ rst game of the season at Babour
elds as he was away in Portugal attending a Uefa ‘A’ refresher course.
He returned to take charge of the second game when Bosso beat Black Rhinos 1-0 at the National Sports Stadium, a feat that Highlanders failed to achieve since 2013.
But the Portuguese ga er has said he is not reading into that history as he seeks to guide Bosso to victory against the Zvishavane-based platinum miners.
He said he was relishing the prospect of leading his charges at Babour elds Stadium for the rst time this season.
“It’s a pleasure for me to be back at BF for this match, it has been a long time since the last league season ended,” Brito said ahead of the match.
“It is a pleasure to meet our supporters once again and everyone that loves Highlanders. I would appreciate if they will come to support us like they have done in the past and in the rst match,”
While Bosso will be hoping to ride on the atmosphere they expect to be created by their fans at BF, FC Platinum ga er Norman Mapeza says he is not intimidated by the multitudes of the Highlanders who throng BF when Highlanders is playing.
“It is not the rst time that we are going to Bulawayo. We have played under their 12th man which always gives them that morale booster. We have gone there and managed to come back with maximum points so nothing much is going to change,” Mapeza said.
Highlanders have won, drawn one game in their start to the new season, while FC Platinum have won their rst two games.
MANCHESTER – Manchester City coped without the injured Erling Haaland to keep the Premier League title race alive by coming from behind to thrash Liverpool 4-1 yesterday.
Goals from Julian Alvarez (pictured), Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish moved the defending champions back to within ve points of Arsenal at the top of the table.
City and Liverpool have nished as the top two in four of the past ve Premier League seasons, but the Reds are struggling just to qualify for the Champions League after a dreadful campaign and were given another lesson in the gap they have to bridge be back challenging next season.
A chastening defeat leaves Jurgen Klopp's men still seven points adrift of the top four down in sixth.
A groin injury meant Haaland was watching on from the stands alongside his father and former City mid elder Al e Haaland.
Despite the absence of their 42-goal striker, Pep Guardiola's men made a positive start as Alisson Becker was forced into saves from Gundogan and Rodri before Riyad Mahrez red a free-kick inches wide.
But City were caught out on the counter-attack as Liverpool went in front on 17 minutes.
The home fans were screaming for o side as Diogo Jota broke in behind the City defence before teeing up Mohamed Salah to slot home his 23rd goal of the season.
A VAR review showed Manuel Akanji had played the Portuguese forward onside.
Guardiola was on his knees when Mahrez blasted over another great chance inches over.
But he did not have to wait long for his side to show their quality even shorn of Haaland.
De Bruyne, Mahrez and Grealish combined to open up the Liverpool defence and Alvarez was left with the simple task of slotting in his 13th goal of the season despite spending most of the campaign as Haaland's deputy.
It took just 53 seconds of the second half for City to edge in front thanks to another scintillating team move.
Alvarez was the creator this time as his cross- eld pass freed Mahrez to race into acres of space behind the Liverpool defence.
The Algerian's cross was perfectly weighted to cut out Alisson for De Bruyne to tap into an unguarded net.
If City's rst two goals were the fruit of collective brilliance, Liverpool's defending for the third summed up a miserable season for Klopp's men.
Alvarez was a orded an incredible amount of time inside the box by Fabinho to pick out a shot and, when his e ort was blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gundogan also had the space to take a touch before ring into the top corner.
Liverpool have now conceded three or more goals in nine games this season and the punishment did not end there for the visitors. Grealish was the standout individual on the day and rounded o arguably his best performance as a City player with the fourth goal.
City's movement o the ball was again too good for a cumbersome Liverpool defence as Grealish and De Bruyne exchanged a one-two before the Premier League's most expensive player of all time side-footed into the far corner. Arsenal, who face Leeds later yesterrday, maintain the upper hand in the title race.
But City could be coming to the boil at just the right time after scoring 17 goals in their last three games and with Arsenal still to visit the Etihad later this month.