Sports

Diego Simeone insists Atletico Madrid can defy a mounting injury crisis to shock “extraordinary” Liverpool in their Champions League opener on Wednesday. Atletico boss Simeone is without five key players for the trip to Anfield, including former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez. The absence of Alvarez, who is sidelined with a knee injury, will be especially damaging to the Spanish ...

Bangladesh survived a late Afghan fightback to claim a narrow eight-run victory in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, keeping their Asia Cup campaign alive and their path to the Super Four wide open. Set a modest target of 155, Afghanistan were bundled out for 146 after struggling against Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling attack. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed set the tone with a ...

Bayern Munich’s reshaped squad will get an early test when they host Club World Cup holders Chelsea in their Champions League opener on Wednesday—a repeat of the 2012 final that the English side famously won on penalties in Munich. The German champions enter the new campaign after a turbulent summer that saw key attackers Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Müller, ...

Bradley Barcola struck twice to help Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-0 victory over Lens on Sunday, taking the defending champions back to the top of Ligue 1 with four wins from four matches. Barcola opened the scoring with a superb 20-yard curler in the 15th minute, before sealing the win shortly after the break with another long-range finish past Lens ...

Phil Salt’s fastest and highest Twenty20 hundred for England launched the third biggest ever men’s total and a smashing 146-run win over South Africa on Friday. Salt’s 141 not out and Jos Buttler’s 83 propped up England’s 304-2, which included 18 sixes and 30 boundaries. South Africa followed with resolve but was 64-3 after the powerplay and lost captain Aiden ...

Kylian Mbappe delivered another dazzling performance as 10-man Real Madrid battled to a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday, extending their perfect start to the season. Mbappe opened the scoring early and later set up Arda Guler for Madrid’s second, ensuring Los Blancos stayed top of the table with four wins from four matches. Mikel Oyarzabal ...

Opener Phil Salt smashed an unbeaten 141 from 60 balls in England’s mammoth total of 304 for two as the home side thrashed South Africa by 146 runs in the second Twenty20 international on Friday as records tumbled at Old Trafford. Having been sent into bat, the hosts attacked the bowling from the opening delivery as Salt posted a record ...

La Liga champions Barcelona will finally play their first home match of the season on Sunday, but not at the iconic Spotify Camp Nou. Instead, Hansi Flick’s side will host Valencia at the club’s Johan Cruyff Stadium, a 6,000-capacity training ground venue, due to delays in securing permission to return to their newly revamped home. Barcelona, currently fourth in the ...

The Premier League returns this weekend with a high-stakes Manchester derby, as Manchester City look to avoid a third straight defeat when they host neighbours Manchester United. Both teams have made slow starts to the season, with just one win from their opening three games, adding pressure on City boss Pep Guardiola and United manager Ruben Amorim. City’s back-to-back losses ...

Bangladesh kicked off their Asia Cup campaign on a high note, securing a comfortable 7-wicket victory over Hong Kong in their opening match at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.   After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Bangladesh’s bowlers put up a disciplined performance.   The pace duo of Taskin Ahmed and Tanzim ...