LONDON (AP) — Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was “conscious” after being carried off on a stretcher in the 14th minute of a match against Liverpool in the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday after falling to the ground at a corner.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou provided the update on the the Uruguay international after Tottenham's 1-0 victory.
Medical staff immediately ran onto the field as Bentancur lay face down on the turf, with players from both teams looking concerned. The 27-year-old Bentancur had tried to head a ball that had been curled in from the right in the sixth minute.
Fans applauded as he was carried off the field. The score was 0-0 at the time in the first-leg match and Tottenham wound up winning on Lucas Bergvall's 86th-minute goal.
After the game, Postecoglou was asked about Bentancur's health and said: “Obviously I don't have all the information but from where I'm standing, he is conscious. He was conscious going off to the dressing rooms.”
Postecoglou said Bentancur would be going to the hospital “to get checked over.”
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Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur receives medical treatment during the English League Cup semi final first leg soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
MADRID (AP) — Barcelona came from behind away from home to beat 10-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 and take a big step toward winning La Liga after Real Madrid lost at Mallorca on Saturday.
It was the first of three matches between the teams in 10 days. Barcelona and Atletico will meet twice more in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. They also met in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey in February and March when Atletico advanced to the final 4-3 on aggregate. The Spanish rivals will face each other five times in less than two months.
“We are happy with the victory,” Barcelona's Dani Olmo said. "We hadn't forgotten the last Copa match here ... we wanted to win and get the three points, which were very important.”
Robert Lewandowski scored the decider in the 87th minute with his shoulder from a parried save by the Atletico goalkeeper.
Barcelona, which has won eight of its last nine games in all competitions, has a seven-point lead over Madrid, which lost at Mallorca 2-1 earlier.
Atletico, 19 points off the lead in fourth place, opened the scoring at Metropolitano Stadium through Giuliano Simeone in the 39th. Marcus Rashford equalized in the 42nd, and Atletico went a man down in first-half stoppage time when Nico González was sent off for a second yellow card.
“We played a good game,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “We have to focus on the Champions League game now.”
The winning goal was almost by accident. João Cancelo made a nice run through the left side of the area with a couple of cutback moves to get past defenders but his shot was parried by keeper Juan Muso and rebounded in off Lewandowski's shoulder.
Barcelona has 301 official goals in 107 matches under coach Hansi Flick.
Atletico has lost three in a row in all tournaments and stayed one point behind third-placed Villarreal, which visits Girona on Monday.
Barcelona defender Gerard Martín was sent off in the second half but the decision was overturned by video review.
Real Madrid dropped further behind Barcelona after conceding in stoppage time.
Host Mallorca opened the scoring thanks to Manu Morlanes in the 42nd minute. Madrid equalized in the 88th through Éder Militão, who was back after an injury layoff of nearly four months.
The winner came from Vedat Muriqi one minute into added time.
Mallorca has risen out of the relegation zone after its second win in three league matches. It moved to 17th place, two points clear of the bottom three.
Madrid suffered its third defeat in its last six league matches. The club has five league losses all season.
Also, Real Sociedad beat Levante 2-0 at home, and Real Betis drew 0-0 with Espanyol, which has yet to win in 13 games this year.
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Barcelona's Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during a La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Referee Mateo Busquets speaks to Atletico Madrid's Koke during a La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, top is tackled and fouled by Atletico Madrid's Nico Gonzalez, who receives a second yellow card and is then sent off during a La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, top is tackled and fouled by Atletico Madrid's Nico Gonzalez, who receives a second yellow card and is then sent off during a La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Atletico Madrid's Javi Morcillo, left, and Barcelona's Gavi vie for the ball during a La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono, left, Eder Militao, center, and Antonio Rudiger celebrate after a goal during a La Liga soccer match between Mallorca and Real Madrid in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi celebrates after a goal during a La Liga soccer match between Mallorca and Real Madrid in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Mallorca's David Lopez guards Real Madrid's Thiago Pitarch Pinar during a La Liga soccer match between Mallorca and Real Madrid in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Mallorca players celebrate after a La Liga soccer match between Mallorca and Real Madrid in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe shoots by Mallorca's Pablo Maffeo during a La Liga soccer match between Mallorca and Real Madrid in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
