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football Slides Sports News

BAYERN ADVANCE TO GERMAN CUP FINAL

Holders Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt to set up a German Cup final against Bayer Leverkusen.

Ivan Perisic’s stooping header was the only goal of a first half the treble chasers entirely dominated.

Eintracht, the 2018 winners, improved after the break and Danny da Costa levelled moments after coming on.

Robert Lewandowski scored the winner from Joshua Kimmich’s pass, with a goal initially ruled out for offside but awarded by the video assistant referee.

That is the Pole’s 45th goal in only 39 games for Bayern this season.

The final will be in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 4 July, with Leverkusen beating fourth-tier Saarbrucken 3-0 in the other semi-final.

Bayern, who are two league wins away from an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title, have won 20 of their previous 21 games in all competitions.

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boxing Slides Sports News

JOSHUA AND FURY AGREE TO FIGHT

British world heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have agreed to a two-fight deal, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Talks over an historic bout for the undisputed title began in early May.

Joshua, 30, holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts while 31-year-old Fury is the WBC champion.

“It’s fair to say [Joshua and Fury] are in agreement regarding the financial terms,” Hearn, who is Joshua’s promoter, told Sky Sports News.

“We’re in a good place. It’s fair to say that, in principle, both guys have agreed to that fight. Two fights.”

Fury expressed his delight at the news in a social media post. The Manchester-born boxer said he would fight Joshua in 2021, but would first have to overcome the “hurdle in the road” Deontay Wilder, in a third meeting. Fury is contracted to fight the American, from whom he won the WBC title in February.

Joshua, who reclaimed his world titles in December, has to face his mandatory challenger, Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev, when the sport fully resumes after the coronavirus shutdown.

Hearn added: “There is still a lot to overcome. We are looking at venues and dates.

“We’ve been talking to [Fury’s management team] MTK, giving them the assurances from Joshua’s side that all the details on the structure of the deal is approved from our side. And it is from Fury’s side, as well.”

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F1 Slides

HAMILTON PLEASED WITH STEPS TAKEN TO CURB RACISM

Lewis Hamilton has saluted the “positive steps” taken in the fight against racism as a result of the global protests of the past two weeks.

The six-time F1 world champion said the death of George Floyd in police custody last month had seen “the world open its eyes to the realities of racism”.

He said progress had been made through “our collective voices and actions”.

“People have united in the fight for racial equality and against police brutality and white supremacy.”

Hamilton has been outspoken on the issue since Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis last month after an officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes.

His last words were: “I can’t breathe,” a phrase that has become a mantra of the demonstrations that have erupted around the world since.

The officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been charged with second-degree murder.

Hamilton, F1’s first black driver, described last week how he had felt “completely overcome with rage” at events in the US following Floyd’s death.

And on Monday he saluted demonstrators in Bristol who tore down a statue of the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston, saying governments around the world should “implement the peaceful removal of these racist symbols”

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Slides

LIVERPOOL PLAYERS TAKE THE KNEE IN TRAINING

Liverpool players took a knee around the centre circle at Anfield in a message of support following the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The picture, featuring 29 Reds players, was posted with the caption “Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter”.

Manchester United players Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford added their voices to worldwide protests against racism.

Protests have been held after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on 25 May after being restrained by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes to pin him down.

Chauvin has since been charged with his murder and sacked.